News Articles by Brian Koonce

DORENA, Mo. (BP)--When the U.S. Army Corps Engineers blew the Birds Point levee along the Mississippi River May 2, the waters washed away as many as 100 homes and 133,000 acres of fertile farmland. It also flooded a small Southern Baptist church. "The church is gone," said LeRoy Davenport, pastor of Dorena Baptist Church. "I've seen aerial pictures, and it's gone." The church building is still there, but at one point the [QUOTE@left@190="Maybe God just wanted us to move this church into town. Whatever He wants, that's what we'll do."
-- Mo. pastor LeRoy Davenport]muddy waters were up to the edge of the roof. The day after Mother's Day, when the National Guard allowed property owners to inspect their homes via boats, a man reported to Davenport that he stood in the window ledge and could see pews floating inside. The church had been around since 1946 and had never had floodwater in it, thought it came close a few times. When the floodway was activated, it was done so in part to save the town of Cairo, Ill., which experienced a record crest along the Mississippi River and a swollen Ohio River. With rain continuing and water levels at historic levels, the Corps said there was "no way to stop all flooding, but rather to do our best to reduce the risk to life and property in the region." This spring the Mississippi River has experienced precipitation 125 to 150 percent above normal. Corps experts estimate it will take up to two months for water to recede from the floodway, assuming there is no additional rainfall. After the water has receded, it will take another 20 to 30 days for the land to dry out. If there's an upside to the manmade flood, it's that the residents of the floodplain and members of Dorena Baptist at least had some warning. Most of the church's small membership lived outside the floodplain in East Prairie, but two who lived in mobile homes had to move the homes to higher ground and are now out of work. "We knew it was coming, and kept praying," Davenport said. "We got the piano, pulpit and Lord's Supper table out, but not everything. The rest of it is gone. The brick on one side of the building is gone, too. Then, if the water goes down like they're telling us, there may not be any roads left." Davenport said there isn't a lot to be cheery about and recovery is going to be hard work, but he sees a glimmer of hope in the dark waters. There are lots of discussions floating around, including rebuilding and permanently relocating.

LATHROP, Mo. (BP)--Issac Jackson spoke at his home church every time he came back home on leave from Fort Lewis, Wash. And when he returned to duty, he was a witness for Christ ...

LATHROP, Mo. (BP)--It's just about the most heart-breaking moment imaginable: On one side of the door, a U.S. Army chaplain with a message so important he's delivering it at 10 o'clock at night.

MEXICO, Missouri (BP)–“Until recently, we felt like we were tolerated here. Now, we feel like we’re embraced by this church.” With those two sentences, Antonio Alfaro confirmed what Glenn Forman already suspected. Forman is the bivocational pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Mexico (Mexico, Mo., that is), which hosts the Northeast Missouri Hispanic Mission, or […]

COLUMBIA, Mo. (BP)--Dennis Thompson was very angry as he drove his motorcycle away from the bar. That's all he remembers, and even that is only a half-memory.       The only thing Thompson clearly remembers from that night in 2001 is "going to sleep" -- dreaming that God banished Him from heaven and waking up in a hospital bed.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–Interest in the Great Commission Resurgence caused an attendance resurgence at the Southern Baptist Convention June 23-24 annual meeting in Louisville, Ky., according to registration secretary Jim Wells. This year’s unofficial messenger count was 8,790, more than 1,500 over last year’s tally in Indianapolis. “It was way above my expectations,” Wells said. Location […]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)–The former concert master and principal violinist with the El Salvador National Orchestra and two other musicians from the Central American country were the featured speakers at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Instrumental Workshop Feb. 27-28. Elmer Amaya, the former symphony musician, now is the music leader at Temple Cristiano in San Salvador. […]

HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. (BP)–Ted DiBiase made himself famous with the phrase “Everybody has a price.” He was billed in professional wrestling as the “Million Dollar Man,” a villain in a black and gold suit with a diamond-encrusted belt. He has been featured in video games, and action figures bear his likeness. A popular wrestler in […]

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (BP)–A Missouri Baptist is suing after she says she was discriminated against and suspended from her job for refusing to promote a “Harry Potter” book she believes promotes “worship of the occult.” Deborah Smith, a member of Temple Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, filed suit in U.S. District Court in May against […]

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Heavy rains and flooding helped cause a dip in registration at this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, according to registration secretary Jim Wells. This year's unofficial messenger count was 7,277, down from 8,630 at the 2007 meeting ...