Arundel Baptist Association
The Arundel Baptist Association will host their annual mission trip to New Orleans on April 21 to 27. The group will do light construction and outreach ministry.
Emmanuel Baptist Church of Gambrills, adopted Waugh Chapel Elementary School. Members recently presented teachers and staff gift cards to local office supply stores.
Elvaton Baptist Church hosted missionary Julie Soltis, from Vienna, Austria. Soltis, originally from Severna Park, serves with the International Mission Board as a missionary serving refugees in Vienna.
Faith Baptist Church, Glen Burnie, will have a seder meal celebration at 5:30 p.m. on April 6. Associate pastor Glen Skarson will lead the service and will explain the significance of the dinner and the various foods, relating the Passover to the church’s observance of communion. Seating is limited. Those planning to attend should call the church office, (410) 761-5346 for information and to register.
Glen Burnie Baptist Church started a divorce care class.
The Raymond Lee Band will be featured at the monthly coffeehouse at North Arundel Church (NAC), Glen Burnie, on April 21. Admission is free and refreshments are available. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the band begins at 8 p.m.
Baltimore Baptist Association
Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, will host “Fusion,” a conference for young adults, on April 27-28. The theme is “Engaging Your Faith.” Guest speakers are: Aaron Pankey, pastor of Infinity Church, Laurel, Md.; Author Nate Cartel; and Brendan Saunders, who began Fusion Ministries.
First Baptist Church of Essex church members have been working diligently transforming a portion of the fellowship wing into the special kids’ area which will have state of the art technology, televisions, sound system, stage and stadium seating. The room is scheduled to be ready by Easter Sunday.
The church will have an Easter egg hunt on April 7. At that time, families will be invited to see the new room. John Smith, pastor of FBC Essex, said his vision is to share the Gospel with 100 community children by Easter 2013. Church members have been sacrificially giving above tithes and offerings towards the project.
Parkville Church called Fred Zeller as their senior pastor. He previously pastored First Baptist Church, Girdletree, Md., and currently teaches high school at Holly Grove Christian School in Westover.
Blue Ridge Association
New Life Community Church, Inwood, W. Va., had 96 baptisms in one day. Gary Willett, NLCC’s executive pastor, said the pastoral team was prayerfully searching for a way to help the congregation become intentionally obedient to obey Jesus and to show they are unashamed to follow Christ. They purchased shirts, shorts and underwear for 75 people, just to be prepared for the possibilities.
On Jan. 29, Senior Pastor Jim Goforth shared very briefly about being obedient to Jesus and gave the offer to be baptized with no excuses. Others shared and 96 people came forward.
“It was a modern day miracle for us—a God thing,” Willet said.
Since that time others have come forward. Willett said the baptismal is filled every Sunday and Wednesdays.
Paramount Baptist Church, Hagerstown, set a goal of $10,000 for their Lottie Moon offering. They exceeded their goal by over $4,000.
Delaware Association
First Southern Baptist Church, Dover, has a young adult ministry called “Refuge.” Over 25, and sometimes up to 50, people participate in the study. They meet at the Century Club in Dover. For more information, call (302) 678-3130.
Immanuel Church, Salisbury, recently had their annual international missons dinner with flags displayed from various countries. Courtesy photo.
Hockessin Baptist Church had their annual chili and soup cook-off last month. Admission was a non-perishable food to help stock the food closet.
Eastern Association
Immanuel Church, Salisbury, recently had their annual international misisons dinner. Members brought food from various countries including Latin American nations, European countries and from the United States. They also had flags displayed from a variety of countries. The annual dinner is to emphasize missions and the need to support foreign missions.
Mid-Maryland Association
Bethany Lane Church, Ellicott City, CrossLife Community Church, Elkridge, and Mid-Maryland Baptist Association are sponsors of the annual Hope for the Homeless 5K run on May 5 at Rockburn Park. Proceeds will help support the Route One Day Center, a resource facility that assists the homeless community, providing hot meals, showers, mail service and limited health care. For registration information see http://hopeforhomeless5k.com.
Mid-Maryland Association is sponsoring several upcoming mission trips including one to East Asia, May 10-22. The emphasis will be on prayer and evangelism ministries.
The Association will participate in an Alaska missions trip May 20-June 1. The team will work with missionary Brenda Crimm, Alaska Missions, Inc. Volunteers will share Christ through servant evangelism, doing community odd jobs as well as serve at a crab feast with Frontier Baptist Church.
Montgomery Association
Kensington Baptist Church will host Trinity Chamber Orchestra of Washington at 7 p.m. on April 21 followed by a reception. The theme is “Sounds of Nature.” The group performs a variety of chamber work from sacred, secular and Baroque. Tickets are free but donations are accepted. For more information about the group see http://www.trinitychamberorchestra.org/players.htm.
Kensington Church members are making plans now for their 90th anniversary in October.
Viers Mill Baptist Church will host a church planting conference on May 12, from 9:30-3 p.m. Kevin Marsico, pastor of NorthStar Community Church, Ijamsville, will be the guest speaker. Marsico will teach how to overcome obstacles that prevent churches from working with new plants. To register, email srigs1613@aol.com or call (301) 740-7144. Lunch will be provided by the Montgomery Baptist Association.
Potomac Baptist Association
First Baptist Church, Waldorf, will host “Victory’s Secret,” a ladies conference April 20-21.
The Potomac Baptist Association’s trip to Bolivia, partnering with other short term missionaries, resulted in 2,260 professions of faith. The team was comprised of 12 volunteers from First Baptist Church, Waldorf and one from Potomac Heights Baptist. The teams prayer walked through neighborhoods, served in schools and did door to door evangelism using an “eCube,” an evangelism cube used to share the Gospel.
Prince George’s Association
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Laurel, will celebrate Senior Pastor Byron Day’s 21st anniversary at 5 p.m. on April 1. The theme is “Pressing toward the goal,” using Philippians 3:12-14. Robert Anderson, pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, will be the guest speaker.
The Prince George’s Baptist Association will host Repairers of the Breach men’s conference on April 20 at Kent Baptist Church, Landover. For more information about this event, see a previous BaptistLIFE feature on www.bcmd.org.
The Association will have its annual spring meeting on May 5 at El Bethel Baptist Church, Fort Washington.
Ten Washington, D.C. area churches, including First Rock, El Bethel, and Sharon Bible Fellowship, will observe Maundy Thursday togther at Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs on April 5. Each church will share responsibilities in the service.
Susquehanna Association
Calvary Church, Bel Air, has a home projects mission team comprised of volunteers who can use simple tools or can paint, dig or clean. The team will minister to members who have household needs they can’t take care of.
Oak Grove Baptist Church, Bel Air, will host an “All About Kids” performing arts camp July 29-Aug. 3. For more information see www.lamplightartists.com/camps/oak-grove.
The church has an alcohol and drug addiction ministry (A.D.A.M.) It’s a biblically-based program to aid in recovery. The group meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. for a meal and a meeting.
Western Association
Grace Church, Cumberland, called Keith Aguila as their new pastor. He and his wife, Joy, have two children, Abigail and Abraham.
Pleasant View Baptist Church, Oakland, purchased a school bus in Haiti for Alex’s House Orphanage. In an email, Western Baptist Association Director of Missions Kenny Heath wrote, “It was a win-win situation. The bus was purchased from the IMB who used it for Baptist Global Response relief efforts in Haiti after the 2009 earthquake. The proceeds from the sale of the bus went back into IMB missions, and the bus went to a missionary organization (Alex’s House) that aids widows and orphans.”
Pleasant View and Welsh Baptist Church, Frostburg, combined efforts over a two-week period and sent two mission teams to Haiti in January. The first team helped build two new dorm units for the orphanage. The second team, made up of two doctors and three nurses, joined forces with another SBC church from Tennessee and gave medical attention to over 600 patients in a week. Both teams were able to share the Gospel alongside of their other efforts.
Second Baptist Church, Cumberland, is actively involved in missions. They’re using a water jug, representing clean water, for donations towards the work of missionaries working to provide potable water supplies in the mountains of Nepal.
Jim and Rose Ann Burcham
The church recently sent a mission team to help a “God’s Love in a Diaper Bag” ministry in Jenkins, Ky.
Jim Burcham celebrates 40 years of ministry
Jim Burcham, pastor of First Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro, is now celebrating 40 years of ministry.
Burcham grew up in Conowingo where his father, Walter, pastored Conowingo Baptist Church for 33 years before retiring.
“We have a long history in Maryland,” Burcham said with a chuckle.
Burcham began pastoring First Baptist Church of Perryville in 1972. In 1979 he was called to First Baptist Church of Havre de Grace and then to First Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro in 1983.
Burcham said his wife, Rose Ann is his best asset. “She is my greatest supporter and help, without a doubt!”
One of the biggest changes he’s seen through the years is the transition from people not being receptive to the Gospel to opposing the Gospel.
Burcham said his biggest challenge through the years was keeping the main thing the main thing. “The world wants us on their agenda. People want us on their agenda but the main thing is the Gospel,” Burcham said. “If we lose that first focus on the Gospel we can chase all kinds of agendas that take us of off our mission and that can happen with a pastor and it can happen with a church and both things are tragic.”
Burcham said besides being in God’s Word, and prayer, that he has gained strength to stay focused by reading the biographies of those who were biblical, sound and energetic. “It helps to see their failures, their shortcomings and their victories.” The veteran pastor said he has also found great strength from friendships with other pastors who encourage each other to keep the Gospel the main purpose.
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