posted May 21, 2013, 10:26 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
[
updated May 21, 2013, 10:27 AM
]
One of our regional objectives in sponsoring the Mission Discovery Trip to
Thailand early this year was to discover ways in which our churches can partner
with and support the work of our International Ministries missionaries in Thailand and our Baptist
brothers and sisters in the refugee camps.
Each of the refugees camp has a Bible School --- typically offering a B.Th.
curriculum. However, often these schools have little or no library resources.
One of the pressing needs we saw is for theological books for these schools.
We believe this is an area in which we can make a significant
contribution.
Attached is a document from Duane Binkley outlining a theological book
collection project for the Bible Schools in the refugee camps. I believe this project will have a
big impact on the lives of young men and women preparing to serve Christ and the
Church in Thailand and Burma.
- Rev. Dr. Mark S Caruana, Tabernacle Baptist Church of Utica |
posted May 14, 2013, 11:30 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
If you
are aged 18-23, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) encourages you
to apply for the pilot of its exciting new Young Adult Leadership Experience to
take place, in conjunction with the Biennial/Mission Summit, Sunday, June
16-Friday, June 28, 2013.
To apply, please visit ABHMS Application & Information and
complete the application online or print it and mail or fax it to ABHMS. Ask
your pastor or regional executive to write a letter of recommendation on your
behalf on his or her own official letterhead.
All materials must be received by
ABHMS or postmarked no later than midnight on Tuesday, May 28,
2013. |
posted May 9, 2013, 6:23 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
American Baptist Men's Gathering will be held August 9-11 at Keuka College, Keuka Park. For more information, please go to the ABMen's website. |
posted Apr 10, 2013, 5:12 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
As a strategic organization
designed to support and resource our American Baptist Churches in New York
State, much of the work of our Region, ABC/NYS, is done behind the scenes. As a tree draws from a network of roots to
supply its vital nutrients in order to bear its fruit, so too, local ABC
churches draw from a network of resources . . . one very important one being .
. . our ABC/NYS Region.
The Executive Minister, in
conjunction with the Region Board, has developed a comprehensive array of
resources designed to assist the local church at each stage of a church’s life
cycle. The inserts below showcase a few of these resources that local churches have utilized recently to assist them as
they are actively engaged in their ministries in their communities. A more
detailed listing can be found at on this site.
Want your inserts sooner than ordering them from the Region office? Please feel free to download the 4 inserts below, print and hand out to your congregation. Does your church do email updates or online journals? Please attach the following to your publications! |
posted Apr 8, 2013, 12:08 PM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
NEW
YORK BAPTISTS MOVE FORWARD
The search
committee seeking an Associate Executive Minister for the ABC/NYS is delighted
to announce that the position has been offered to Rev. Jerrod Hugenot, and he
has accepted. Jerrod wrote in his
acceptance letter:
Regional
ministry is a vital part of the American Baptist tradition. Such work is fundamentally about equipping
the saints in local congregations, providing support and encouragement to
pastors and lay leaders and working together to navigate changing contexts for
our ministry and mission. I look forward to collaborative work with Dr. Kelsey,
the Board of Mission, the Regional Enhancement Team, and each of the 300+ local
churches within the ABC/NYS family.
Jim Kelsey
writes of Jerrod:
He brings a deep appreciation and
knowledge of our Baptist distinctives and history and belief. His expertise will help our churches sharpen
their sense of identity and clarify their place and purpose in their
communities.
A lifelong American Baptist, the Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot comes to ABC/NYS
Regional staff with pastoral experience in congregations in rural Kansas, metro
Kansas City and most recently as the Coordinating Minister of the First Baptist
Church of Bennington, Vermont (2006-2013).
Ordained in 2004 to ABC ministry, Rev. Hugenot brings his pastoral
experience with missional church development, small church ministry, and
ecumenical and interfaith work.
During his Bennington pastorate, Hugenot offered leadership in fostering
missional thinking and collaborative action among his congregants and in his
efforts within the Bennington area interfaith movement, particularly in the area
of basic human needs initiatives.
Denominationally, Hugenot has board experience with the ABC General Board
(2002-07), including the AB Home Mission Societies, the Committee on Christian
Unity, and the former Board of Educational Ministries. Presently, he serves on the Christian Ethics
Commission of the Baptist World Alliance (2011-15). His writings and book reviews appear in
various Baptist-related journals as well as Sharing the Practice, the
journal of the Academy of Parish Clergy.
Jerrod received a B.A. in Religious Studies from Ottawa University
(Kansas) and a M.Div. and a M.A. from Central Baptist Theological Seminary
(Kansas). He did a semester of study at
Spurgeon’s College, London (UK).
Rev. Hugenot will reside in the Albany area with
his wife, Kerry Shermer, and their peaceable (?!) kingdom of three cats (Biblia,
Paige and Codex) and a refined elder beagle mix (Gentil). He will begin work in June.
|
posted Mar 18, 2013, 7:18 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
[
updated Mar 18, 2013, 12:17 PM
]
American Baptist Churches of New York State has recently signed up for a PayPal account. Now our members, churches and others can donate by their credit card online! The DONATE link is located on the homepage, right-side under our Region Office picture. Don't have a PayPal account? That's ok! On the left side of the PayPal screen, there's a way to continue using your credit card or bank account without signing up for PayPal.
Not interested in donating online? That's fine - - We still accept checks! And you don’t even have to look up the address. It's ABC-NYS, 5865 E Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville NY 13078!
Questions or comments? You can reach the Regional staff by calling 315.469.4236 or emailing office@abc-nys.org. |
posted Dec 12, 2012, 11:40 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
The American Baptist Churches of New York State is beginning a search for an
Associate Executive Minister. The deadline for applications is February 15,
2013. We are asking for an ABPS Profile, a resume, and a letter of interest.
All applications should be sent to Dr. James Kelsey at the Regional office or
emailed to
jkelsey@abc-nys.org. |
posted Dec 5, 2012, 6:18 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
[
updated Dec 5, 2012, 7:07 AM
]
A SHARED HISTORY Rev. Dr. Mark S. Caruana Pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church - Utica
In recent months, Americans’ attention has been drawn to a forgotten corner of the world: Burma (also known as Myanmar). In September, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese democratic leader who has spent much of the last decade and a half under house arrest, made a seventeen-day tour of the United States. “The Lady” as Suu Kyi is popularly known, is now a member of Burma’s recently formed parliament. Her historic visit included an address to Congress and a presidential welcome to the White House. Following his re-election, President Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Burma. During his brief visit, the President paid a call on Aung San Suu Kyi at her home in Yangon.
Aung San Suu Kyi and President Obama’s visits dramatically symbolize the important, yet very initial, and tentative democratic reforms made under current Burmese President Thein Sein. Prior to Thein Sein’s election in March 2011, the military junta that ruled Burma for much of the previous half-century was one of the world’s most secretive, brutal and repressive regimes. The nation’s ethnic minorities (particularly the Karen, Karenni, Shan, Chin, Kachin, and Rohingya) have been targets of the Burmese military’s genocidal tactics. As a result, hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced, fled to nearby countries, or are resettled as refugees in nations around the globe.
Since the late 1990’s, many refugees from Burma have been resettled in communities along the New York State Thruway corridor. Currently, ethnic peoples from Burma number in the thousands in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica; and in the hundreds in the Capital District and Ithaca. Many of our new neighbors from Burma (especially the Karen, Chin, and Kachin) are Baptist believers. They are the fruit of seeds first planted in 1813 by pioneering Baptist missionaries Adoniram and Ann Judson and the generations of Baptist missionaries who followed in their footsteps for next 150 years.
Baptists from the United States and Burma share an intertwined history. The same movement of God’s Spirit that carried the Good News to Burma also birthed the first the national organization of Baptists in the United States. American Baptists first came together across our nation out of a common commitment to support mission in Burma. Two hundred years after the Judsons brought the gospel to Burma, Baptist believers fleeing oppression in Burma are now arriving on our shores. They may come to the United States as displaced people, but they also come as missionaries.
Across upstate New York, new Karen and Chin Baptist fellowships are forming. Some ABC/NYS congregations are hosting immigrant congregations from Burma in their facilities. Others have been reborn as they have welcomed their new neighbors from Burma into their church family. Associations are mentoring and guiding fellowships of Baptist brothers and sisters from Burma as they form churches. ABC/NYS recently welcomed two such new congregations into the region and a third congregation’s application for regional membership is pending. A few weeks ago, the region hosted a one-day event for pastors and leaders of fellowships serving our new neighbors from Burma. This well-attended event was an effort to build relationships and introduce our new partners in ministry to some of the resources offered to American Baptist congregations by ABC/NYS, ABHMS, MMBB, and International Ministries.
Perhaps you would like to learn more about the shared history that binds American Baptists and Baptists from Burma together. There is no better place to start than by reading Rosalie Hall Hunt’s engaging biography, Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy (Judson Press: 2005).
Another option is to visit Burma. In December 2013, The Myanmar Baptist Convention will honor our shared history in a significant way. December 3-8, 2013 Baptists in Burma will celebrate the Bicentennial of Adoniram and Ann Judson’s arrival in Burma. Thousands of Baptists from across Burma and around the world are expected to attend. International Ministries is sponsoring a trip to Burma for those wishing to participate in this historic event. More information is available at the International Ministries website (www.internationalministries.org – click on “get involved”).
|
posted Nov 5, 2012, 12:06 PM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
[
updated Nov 7, 2012, 6:19 AM
]
Even as Hurricane Sandy was damaging 70% of the homes in Santiago
and wiping out farms throughout eastern Cuba, the storm was also destroying
crops and taking lives in southern Haiti… also brought destruction to Jamaica,
the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.
And then, as we know, Sandy moved on to the Eastern coast of the
US.
We have
received an update from our sister American Baptist Region of New Jersey
concerning damage to their churches from Superstorm Sandy. They estimate between 70 and 90 of their
churches have suffered damage, and their camp suffered some damage as well.
If you would
like more information, you may visit their website at www.abcnj.net or see the letter attached below.
Have you been wondering
how to respond to the recent effects of Hurricane
Sandy?
American Baptists eager to join the response can begin to do so by
giving. The most pressing need today is for funds to support the work of local
responders, both in the U.S. and in the Caribbeam.
Your gift to One Great Hour of Sharing
(OGHS) will make immediate relief and long-term reconstruction possible, both in
the U.S. and in the Caribbean.
Two
separate One Great Hour of Sharing codes are available:
· to support the work within
the U.S., use this OGHS code: " Hurricane Sandy"
· to support the work in the
Caribbean, use this OGHS code: "Caribbean Hurricane."
Thank you for your prayer and financial support of those in
need.
|
posted Oct 3, 2012, 6:02 AM by American Baptist Churches of New York State
[
updated Oct 3, 2012, 6:04 AM
]
November 17th, Church Leaders from Burma and supporting congregations are meeting together answer ministerial questions. Meeting at the Eastwood Baptist Church, Syracuse 9:00am - 5:00pm. For more information, see the Event Poster below. Questions, contact the Region office, office@abc-nys.org or 315.469.4236 x10. |
|
