American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region: Who Are We?

The Great Rivers Region

View Short Introduction to GRR

Map of GRR by Area We are 50,000 members in 245 diverse congregations representing many ethnic backgrounds.

American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region is a resource for challenging, empowering, assisting and representing the American Baptist faith communities in Illinois (excluding Cook, DuPage and Lake counties) and Missouri as we live out our ministry together.

The ministerial staff - Executive Minister and Associate Ministers serving each of 5 areas - work with all the churches of the Region.

Per the Mission and Goals discerned and established by the Board of Ministries of the GRR, 5 Regional Associate Ministers spend 3/4 of their time responding to the needs of the churches in their areas. This includes

consultations in the processes of helping churches find pastoral leadership
nurturing and shepherding those who experience God's call into ministry from discernment to ordination
celebrating with churches and their pastors and pastoral staff significant anniversaries
shepherding clergy and church leadership during times of crisis and conflict
administry with area churches' planning annual meeting and other events and services that respond to the needs of churches.

Along with the Executive Minister, the Associate Ministers also are available to work with all the churches of the Region per the Associates' special areas of expertise. These include:

bivocational ministry
church planting
stewardship
Natural Church Development (all Associates are trained in this)
ongoing training of church leaders and pastors
recruitment of ministerial leaders
Christian Education
ministry technologies (web, e-mail, e-learning, projection, hardware, software, videography, etc)
Mission
evangelism
listening training

The administrative staff works to support the ministries of camping, Regional events (evangelism conferences, mission conferences, annual meeting/convention, and others), processing mission support, maintaining database for support of ministries, and serving as registrars of events. One of the special ministries of the administrative and contract staff is communications:

Mainstream
Pastors' Mailing
E-Current

Our Executive Minister oversees the work of the Associate Ministers and Administrative staff. He often leads envisioning workshops, the Boundaries Course, and Q & A sessions at area meetings. The Executive also represents the GRR on mutli-regional planning and task groups as well participating in ABC/USA related ministries. His "Current Thoughts" column is a regular column distributed via mail, e-mail, and the GRR website and reflecting on churches and their mission and ministry.

View clip (windows media, quicktime, realmedia) of Dwight Stinnett's discussion of the culture and history of the GRR.

Dwight Stinnett discusses GRR Goals (windows media, quicktime, realmedia). This and the following clip are part of his presentation to professional church leaders new to the GRR on September 16, 2003 at the GRR Resource Center.

Dr. Stinnett on the purpose and vision of the GRR. (windows media, quicktime, realmedia)

The GRR is structured to serve! Learn how the American Baptist Churches of the GRR have re-organized to facilitate discernment and implementation of God's vision for us.

Who Are American Baptists?

American Baptist Churches USA exists as a denomination to offer its 5,800 churches a sense of family and to provide resources to support them in life-changing ministries undertaken in the name of Jesus Christ. The local church is the fundamental unit of mission within denominational life, and our priority. American Baptist leaders have noted that our priority, "is to affirm, support and challenge congregations as they live out their mission."

The American Baptist Mission Center in Valley Forge, PA is a national resource for all congregations. Like the Regional Offices that serve their churches, the Valley Forge offices are home to staffs and programs committed to enabling effective congregational mission and cooperative ministry.

Gathering Together In Christ's Name: Embracing An Inclusive, Growing Family

As the most racially diverse denomination in Protestantism, the American Baptist Churches USA has seen an historic commitment to inclusiveness manifest itself in the makeup of its churches and their members. Some of the most significant growth within our family in recent years has been witnessed in our African American, Hispanic, Native American, Haitian, Portuguese and Asian American congregations. Within the next decade there will likely be no single majority racial or ethnic group within our denomination. The breadth of our denominational household can in part be attributed to our longstanding commitment to offer fellowship and support to all people. In many other areas, too, we are a diverse people: geographically, theologically and vocationally.

Affirming Frontline Mission: Supporting Autonomous, Interdependent Congregations

American Baptists continue a great religious tradition that has promoted local church autonomy, separation of church from state influence, and religious freedom. Interdependence -- congregations doing ministry together -- also is an American Baptist hallmark. Within the denominational household, the cooperative efforts of churches, regions, national and international agencies have produced great accomplishments in the name of Christ.