God is Not Done with You Yet
by Mark Jones, revitalization consultant on May 12th, 2025
While I am a planter at heart, I also love seeing dead or dying things come back to life. I love doing what I do as a pastor, an AMS, and a coach/consultant in church health and revitalization for SCBO.This month, I wanted to share a testimony of how God has moved through my life pastoring churches in need of revitalization. I am currently the pastor of Freedom Hill Community Church in Stow. Befor...  Read More
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Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness across Ohio
by SCBO on May 8th, 2025
Church Planters and Wives RetreatThe planters and wives retreat was a life-giving experience. Each and every detail was prepared with care and a desire to communicate that we were seen, understood, and valued. The message was received loud and clear.Thank you Dr. Westbrook and SCBO staff for loving us well. Let’s win Ohio!”Jonathan Howard, church planter, Bridge City Church, CincinnatiEaster Outre...  Read More
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Florida-Ohio Partnership: “Only God Could Have Written That Story”
by By Stephanie Heading, managing editor on May 6th, 2025
While patrolling the streets of Monroe, Ohio, Officer Drew White regularly stopped to make sure the doors of First Baptist Church, now Life Church, were locked.Frequently the doors were open, so Drew and his sergeant, also a believer, entered the building.“It was pretty often we would come into that old chapel when it would slow down at night, and we would be able to take a break, and we would jus...  Read More
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God is on the Move in Dayton
by By Chad Keck, West Regional catalyst on May 6th, 2025
On a chilly day in late October 2024, I received a phone call from James Risner,  associational mission strategist, Greater Dayton Association of Baptists. James asked if I’d be willing to meet with Adam Chanin, pastor of North Central Baptist Church (NCBC) in Riverside.He shared that NCBC was facing serious challenges and wondered if perhaps the state convention, or even my church, might be able ...  Read More
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Celebrating the Cooperative Program Episode One: “CP100 Pastor Darrell Deer”
by Anthony Frasure on April 30th, 2025
Our series kicks off in the Northeast Region of Ohio. Pastor Darrell Deer, College Heights BC, Elyria, is an Ohio Baptist through and through. His salvation, ministry calling, and 35 years in the pastorate have been in SCBO churches. Through the triumphs and the challenges of ministry, he remains an ardent supporter of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Cooperative Program. Hear why in the first episode of our celebration of the Cooperative Program, “CP100: Pastor Darrell Deer.”  Read More
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SCBO Welcomes New Ministry Assistant
by SCBO on April 29th, 2025
In April, SCBO welcomed Kaitie James to the role of Ministry Assistant for Events.“I wasn’t looking for a job or expecting it, but when I was approached about working for the SCBO, God worked it out perfectly,” she said. “I love doing ministry and being part of kingdom growth, taking care of things behind the scenes so others can focus on the event and what the Lord wants to say. I’m excited to ge...  Read More
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Bearing Burdens Conference set for May 13 in Mansfield
by Anthony Frasure on April 29th, 2025
In Galatians 6:2, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers,“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”On May 13, pastors and church members can learn how to care for those in crisis  during the Burden Bearing Conference at Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, Mansfield.Buckeye Central/Erie Baptist Association (BCEBA) is sponsoring the one-day conference and Josh Swinehart, BCEBA moderator...  Read More
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Church Planting and Replanting: It’s Working in Ohio
by Dr. Jeremy Westbrook on April 27th, 2025
It’s working.Recently, SCBO held its first-ever SEND Ohio retreat for current church planters, replanters, and their spouses here in the Buckeye State.Dr. Paul Akin, provost at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky traveled to Columbus to both challenge and encourage our planters. Also, his wife Kari, accompanied him to share and have a special gathering with the wives....  Read More
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Tis The Season for Disaster Response
by Dr. John Heading, Ohio Disaster Relief state director on April 24th, 2025
There’s hunting season, vacation season, and even off-season. But in disaster relief, the seasons are a little different.We have spring tornado and flood season which gives way to summer/fall hurricane and flood season. These are followed by random ice storms and man-made disaster seasons.In the southern United States and the Ohio River Valley, April was marred by serious tornadoes and flooding. I...  Read More
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Free SCBO Resource Explains SBC Entities, Acronyms
by Anthony Frasure on April 23rd, 2025
If you ever needed a concise resource to explain the Southern Baptist Convention to those who are new to the SBC, that resource is now available for you.SCBO has compiled and printed a new booklet, “Understanding the Southern Baptist Convention,” and it’s available NOW at https://scbo.org/whoweare.Buzz Kocher, SCBO director of strategic initiatives, created the new resource after requests from Ohi...  Read More
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New SCBO Website ONLINE NOW Check it out
by By AJ Frasure, SCBO director of IT on April 21st, 2025
The SCBO website has long needed a new design—and now it’s finally here! You deserve a platform that’s easy to navigate and ready to equip you for ministry. This isn’t just a facelift—it’s a whole new way to connect, discover resources, and stay in step with what God is doing across Ohio. Along with cleaner navigation, we’re also producing new content every week to highlight how God is working in ...  Read More
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Be Strong and Courageous, Ohio Baptists
by Adam Pursel on March 28th, 2025
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fearing the Lord sets us free to pursue lives that glorify the Father in the name of Jesus.But, there are other kinds of fear. These fears don’t set us free, they make our world smaller. They enslave. They limit. They draw our attention away from the Lord towards something else…usually some version of our own comfort, safety, or pleasure.Have you al...  Read More
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Baptisms, Cooperative Program Giving on the Rise in SCBO
by Dr. Jeremy Westbrook on March 25th, 2025
The results are in...I am thrilled to once again share with you that baptisms are on the rise here in the SCBO. We experienced a 13% increase in 2024 and have seen a 121% increase since 2021...to God be the glory!!I pray that we never get over the Gospel and stay focused on sharing the hope of Christ across the street and around the world. Thank you for your faithful and sacrificial generosity tow...  Read More
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Snowstorm Doesn’t Deter Church Launch in Central Ohio for Send Network Planter
by Diana Chandler, Baptist Press senior writer on March 21st, 2025
PICKERINGTON, Ohio (BP) – A year’s planning had gone into Change City Church in central Ohio before launch day on what was initially a rainy Feb. 16. That’s when the texts started arriving on Pastor Darryl Baker’s phone.“Are you still launching? We are shut down. There’s a snow emergency here,” a Cincinnati pastor texted Baker. But that was 120 miles away. In Pickerington, it was only raining and ...  Read More
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Troy Pastor Moves into New Season of Ministry
by Stephanie Heading, managing editor on March 19th, 2025
Pastor Johnathan Newman and Koinos Church, Troy, are in a new era of ministry. For the last few years, Newman and his wife, Jeni, have sensed the Lord calling them into something new. However, Newman wanted to transition the church in a way that was best for its long-term health. “Being here for almost 27 years made me really have the desire to see the church do well beyond our lifetimes,” Newman ...  Read More
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SCBO Churches Participate in Free Graphic Design Training
by Zac James, SCBO worship consultant on March 17th, 2025
On March 13, our sister convention in North Carolina graciously shared its graphic design experts to train our pastors, staff, and volunteers! We had 25 registrants from SCBO, with 14 of our churches able to attend live. Thank you, Kathryn Carson, Daniel Spivey, and Derek Toone! Also, Whitney Goulding couldn’t attend, but she created a significant amount of the content that was shared. This traini...  Read More
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A Faith Servant: Steve Hopkins Retires after Fifty Years of Ministry
by Stephanie Heading, managing editor on March 13th, 2025
In the fall of 1975, a 19-year-old college student started his career in ministry at Forest Hill Baptist Church in Berlin, KY.Over the next fifty years, Steve Hopkins became a pillar of Ohio Baptist life as a pastor and then a member of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio staff.On April 7, 2025, Hopkins will celebrate 50 years of ministry – 22 years in the pastorate and 28 years at SCBO – as ...  Read More
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Ohio DR Stands Up Site After West Virginia Floods
by Dr. John Heading, Ohio Disaster Relief state director on March 11th, 2025
Mike and Angie are Jared’s neighbors. They live on a dead-end street next to Sugartree Creek in Williamson, West Virginia. Normally the nearby creek is about eight feet wide and a foot deep. But on February 19, 2025, torrential rains caused the river to swell out of its 15-foot bank and spill over another seven feet where it swallowed up homes on Goodman Drive. Both families lost everything in the...  Read More
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