Dr. Kevin Smith
“He [Paul] traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches … Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.” (Acts 15:41; 2 Corinthians 11:28 CSB)
The staff of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware has the privilege of serving 500+ churches and their pastors. As local congregations are embassies of Christ’s kingdom on earth, we praise God for being able to do this Kingdom work. According to our constitution, the state convention (and its staff) exist to strengthen our churches and plant new churches. Our Church Services Team is eager to serve our churches!
Whether a congregation is five years old, fifty years old, or 100 years old, our staff is eager to serve. If a pastor is bivocational, a single staff pastor, or part of a larger staff team, we are eager to serve.
Our Church Services Team focuses on three areas: Pastoral Support, Church Ministry Support, and Church & Community Missions. Thanks to the missions giving of our churches, through the Cooperative Program, our consultants and catalysts are dedicated and available to serve MD/DE Baptists.
Pastoral Support focuses on the overall (spiritual and emotional) health of our pastors and equipping them for faithful and fruitful service to their congregations. We believe there is a direct correlation between pastoral well-being and congregational well-being. Therefore, as we serve our pastors, we are serving our congregations. Whether coaching, preaching labs, retreats, or pastors’ date nights, our staff is eager to serve!
Church Ministry Support allows us to participate in the NT task of “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). No pastor, or church staff, can do all the ministry work that God has put before a local congregation. We serve churches by encouraging every born-again Christ-follower to find his/her spiritual gift or way of serving in their local congregation and community. Whether performing a financial systems review consultation with a treasurer or finance committee, doing a deacons retreat, hosting a worship leader boot camp, or doing a VBS training, our staff is eager to serve!
Church & Community Missions is rooted in Christ’s command (“love your neighbor”) and His commission (“make disciples of all nations”). In a skeptical society, it is essential that our witness about Jesus (Acts 1:8) be undergirded by tangible acts of love in our congregations and communities. Whether equipping a congregation to engage a local public school, encouraging volunteers from churches to teach ESL to immigrants from the Middle East and northern Africa, or preparing a team for a Disaster Relief deployment, our staff is eager to serve!
This is a great day to be a MD/DE Baptist!
Grace to you,
Brother Kevin