Pillsbury is pleased to an-

nounce that Dr. Greg Huffman

will be inaugurated as the eighth

president of Pillsbury Baptist

Bible College on September 26,

2008. Dr. Huffman assumed the

duties of his office on May 20,

2008, succeeding Dr. Robert

Crane who now serves in the

capacity of President Emeritus.

The Huffmans come to

Pillsbury from Roanoke, Vir-

ginia, where he was the pastor of

Shenandoah Baptist Church. In

addition to 40 years in the pas-

torate and Christian school ad-

ministration, Dr. Huffman is a

past president of the Georgia

Association of Christian Schools

and board member of the Ameri-

can Association of Christian

Schools. He has served as ad-

junct professor at Northland

Baptist Bible College and Pied-

mont College and Graduate

School as well as a member of

the Board of Trustees of Appala-

chian Bible College.

Dr. Huffman earned the

Doctorate of Ministry degree

from Bob Jones University in

1991. He has taught materials

from his dissertation topic,

"Pastoral Burnout in Fundamen-

talism" at numerous colleges

including Bob Jones, Northland,

Maranatha, Clearwater, and

Pensacola. He also holds the

Master of Arts in Christian

Counseling and Masters of Reli-

gious Education degrees.

Dr. Huffman's vision for

Pillsbury involves impacting the

A PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

September 1, 2008 Volume II, Issue 9

North Star Update

Calendar

September 7: Installation

service for Pastor An-

drew Burggraff, GBC

Owatonna

September 26: Inauguration

of Dr. Greg Huffman

as President of PBBC

September 27: PBBC, Har-

vest Home

October 11: 40th Anniver-

sary & Building Dedi-

cation, Berean Baptist,

Detroit Lakes

November 15-16: Imman-

uel Westbrook 100th

Coming in October Issue:

Summer Ministries recap

for Grace Baptist in

Virginia, MN

History update on Sand

Creek Baptist in Jor-

dan, MN

Wrap-up for 2008 MBA

Family Camp

Inside This Issue:

Fellowship Foundations 2

Harvest, Redwood Falls 2

General Announcements 2

Berean DL Celebration 3

Andrew Burggraff to

Grace Baptist, Owatonna 3

First Calvary Event 3

churches, to partner with them in

the discipling of these young

folks for their local church min-

istry.

students on campus as well as

the churches in the Mid-West.

He and Ruth want to have the

opportunity to host Marriage

Enrichment Conferences and

Woman-to-Woman Seminars

both on the campus and in local

churches. He also desires to

have a personal ministry to pas-

tors in the areas of ministerial

stress and God's ministry in

these times (Pastoral Encourage-

ment Conferences). It is also his

desire to personally disciple

several young men in the student

body who have a heart for serv-

ing our Lord, as well as preach-

ing in the chapel services often.

Lastly, he would like to meet

with the pastors who have Pills-

bury students serving in their

Inauguration of

Dr. Greg Huffman

as President of PBBC

ATTENT ION PAS -

TORS!! - I find as I travel to

visit and minister in churches,

that not all the people in our

pews are being directed to their

own copy of the NORTH

STAR UPDATE. I encourage

you to be sure the NSU is being

promoted and distributed in

your church. It is a great vehi-

cle to know what is happening

in sister churches, and to be

knowledgeable of important

prayer needs.

The following is my report

for the month of August.

3rd – We attended the

Installation Service for Pastor

Shad Vork (Elizabeth) at Grace

Baptist Church, Stillwater.

10th – At Grace Baptist

Church, Virginia, Pastor Todd

Williamson, we participated in

by teaching Sunday School and

preaching Morning Service for

their special MBA Day. We

appreciated a wonderful

meal after the morning service.

10th – We visited with

Faith Baptist Church, Hinckley,

Pastor Reed Owen (Pat). We

were graciously allowed to

present the ministry of the

MBA and to preach in the eve-

ning service.

24th – We visited both

morning services at Oakdale

First Baptist church, Pastor

Richard Jensen (Loretta). Pas-

tor Jensen allowed me several

minutes to present the MBA

programs for church planting

and church growth.

25th - I attended the Pills-

bury Board of Trustees Finance

Committee meeting chaired by

Brother Brian Veth on the cam-

pus of Pillsbury. PRAY FER-

VENTLY FOR THE COL-

***************

First Baptist Lake Benton

reports a new church address:

First Baptist Church

504 US Highway 75

Lake Benton, MN 56149

***************

Dr. Dan Brown’s mes-

sages from this year's MBA

Annual Meeting are available

for download on the MBA web-

s i t e . G o t o h t t p : / /

www.mbaoc.org and click on

the "Sermons" link.

***************

Dr. Richard Paige, former

State Missionary with the MBA

and currently the National Rep-

resentative of the New Testa-

ment Association of Independ-

ent Baptist Churches, will be at

Cornerstone Baptist Church in

Willmar, Sunday, September 7,

2008. On Saturday, September

6, Dr. Paige will present the

work of the NTA to pastors of

churches not currently affiliated

with the NTA. Other pastors are

encouraged to come for a time

of fellowship and update at 9

a.m., at the Perkins Restaurant

in Marshall. Please RSVP.

Members of Immanuel

Baptist Church, Westbrook are

eagerly anticipating the celebra-

tion of their church’s 100th

anniversary, November 15 and

16. Everyone is welcome to

attend the Saturday evening and

Sunday activities. Reservations

are needed by October 1 for the

catered fellowship dinner Sun-

day noon. For more details or to

make reservations, call the

church at 507-274-5556 or

ema i l t h e c h u r c h a t

ibcwbmn@centurytel.net.

Fellowship Foundations By: Rev. Robert J. Fuller, Sr. MBA Interim State Missionary

Announcements:

Harvest Happenings, Redwood Falls

into the area (pray for Jack &

Kathy, Bill, Karen, Laurie and

children). It has been an en-

couragement to have visitors in

6 of the last 8 weeks. Pray that

some will come for member-

ship. Interestingly some Lu-

theran and Adventist friends

returned for studies this sum-

mer.

Praise God, ten young

people were able to attend

Camp Shiloh. Several made

decisions. One shared getting

saved in our morning service.

The pastor anticipates baptizing

some.

The basement is finished

and two events occurred to use

it immediately: Ladies Tea –

with 31 attending, and our

DVBS – with 35 children and

6 adults. Jon and Elizabeth

Ekblad helped with a great race/

Olympic theme. In the morn-

ings they served in the DVBS

in St. James where 27 attended.

Probably 40 New Testaments

were given out. Pastor Smetak

participated in the Minnesota

Senior games in July and was

able to win 5 medals in the 60+

category.

The church is now looking

forward to its Bible Conference

with Josh Stephens, October 19-

23.

Are great things always

happening? No. But faithful-

ness is something the Lord

encourages. Praise God!

The church is encouraged

that several folks have moved

Page 2 North Star Update

Continued on page 4

The Berean Baptist Church

of Detroit Lakes invites you to

rejoice with them as they praise

the Lord for 40 years of Gospel

ministry and the dedication of

their new building.

The dedication/anniversary

service will take place on Satur-

day, October 11th at 1:00 pm.

The new building is at the

junction of Hwy 59 south and

County Rd. 6 in Detroit Lakes.

Everyone is invited to join

them on that day and if unable

to be with them to uphold Be-

rean in prayer as they endeavor

to reach the western lakes area

of Minnesota with the gospel in

anticipation of the return of

Jesus Christ our Lord and Sav-

ior.

The people of FCBC

served the community in a way

that demonstrated the love of

Christ. About 1/3 of the city’s

residents came out to enjoy the

picnic, bluegrass music, inflat-

able, fire truck rides, face paint-

ing, caricature drawings, give-

aways, and the always popular

dunk tank. Pastor Mike Ver-

Way, Mayor Molly Park, the

First Calvary Baptist

Church has had a great summer

of ministry capped off by Sun-

fish Lake Day. On Saturday,

August 23 the residents of Sun-

fish Lake celebrated on our

property the 50 years of the

city’s incorporation. The church

staff, together with city officials

and citizens of Sunfish Lake,

planned the event for all the

citizens and public officials of

Sunfish Lake to enjoy.

First Calvary Baptist Community Event

Grace Baptist, Owatonna Calls New Pastor

Seminary in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania.

He and his wife, Allyson,

have three children: Andrew is

five, Anna is four, and Aaron is

nearly two. Allyson attended

Bob Jones University and also

attended Maranatha Baptist

Bible College. The Burggraffs

were married in 2000.

An installation service is

planned for Pastor Burggraff on

Sunday, September 7, at 3:00

p.m. Former pastor, Dr. David

Burggraff, will give the charge

to the church and the pastor.

Pastor Andrew Burggraff will

also give a message during that

service. Please pray for the

ministry of the church as they

begin serving together with

their new pastor.

Grace Baptist Church of

Owatonna is rejoicing after a

year and a half long pastoral

search, that God has directed

them to their next senior pastor.

Pastor Andrew Burggraff began

his ministry at Grace on Sun-

day, August 10.

Pastor Burggraff comes

from Bible Baptist Church in

Spring Hill, Florida, where he

served as senior pastor since

2004. He is a graduate of Ma-

ranatha Baptist Bible College

and Calvary Baptist Theologi-

cal Seminary, and is currently

pursuing a Doctorate of Minis-

try at Westminster Theological

Page 3 Volume II, Issue 9

Berean DL Celebration: 40th Anniversary and Building Dedication

Questions or directions

please call the church 218-847-

8914.

Continued on page 4

and greetings from the churches

of the MBA to the church and

its pastor, James Rockensock

(Melba).

FINAL NOTE - Pray for

these churches that are seeking

the Lord's mind for new pastors

LEGE DURING THE OPEN-

ING DAYS OF THE NEW

SCHOOL YEAR.

31st – Lakeview Baptist

Church of Orr held its 25th anni-

versary. I was unable to attend,

but did send congratulations

Fellowship Foundations, continued from page 2

A PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

PO Box 527

Willmar, MN 56201-0527

We’re on the web! http:www.mbaoc.org

MBA Contacts

Minnesota Baptist Association

Dr. Julian Suarez, President

Faith Baptist Church

1365 Westminster St.

St. Paul, MN 55130

(651) 771-5567

pastors@fbcstpaul.org

Interim State Missionary

Rev. Robert Fuller, St.

1549 118th Lane NW

Coon Rapids, MN 55448

(763) 568-4078

rjfsr4@juno.com

MBA Office

contact@mbaoc.org

Minnesota Baptist Association

PO Box 527

Willmar, MN 56201-0527

Send Contributions to:

Mr. Brian Veth, MBA Treasurer

c/o Coon Rapids Baptist Church

11164 Hanson Blvd.

Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Send Update Articles and Pictures to:

drjfjr@comcast.net

North Star Update Editor

315 S. Payne St.

New Ulm, MN 56073

(507) 354-3323

First Calvary Baptist, continued from page 3

fire chief and police sergeant all

took their turns plunging into

the water.

Praise the Lord for the

privilege to be a part of this

community, to serve the people

of this community, to have

people on the church’s property

and in the building who had not

previously been here, and to

share the servant model of Je-

sus Christ.

- Rockford Baptist, Rockford;

Calvary Baptist, St. Peter; Faith

Baptist, Hinckley; Chisago

Lakes Baptist, Chisago City.

If I can be of service to

you or your church, please con-

tact me.