What We Believe
Our motto is “Meeting today’s family needs with eternal Biblical truth.” It is our goal to make everyone welcome regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic status. I like to think we are grandma’s church on steroids. I have found Ebenezer to be an enduring presence of the Kingdom in Callaway County, steeped in rich history and yet progressive to meet 21st century needs and challenges.
Ebenezer Baptist Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Each of these organizations exists to support the local church.
We are strong believers in the autonomy of the local church, which means that we are a self-governing body operating through a democratic process under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
We believe the Holy Bible to be the inerrant authoritative word of God. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter.
We believe that Jesus is the only begotten son of God, who existed in the form of God from before the foundation of the earth (Philippians 2:6-8). We believe that Jesus was fully man during his 33 years in human flesh and was tempted in every way as we are and yet withstood temptation and was perfectly sinless (Hebrews 4:15). We believe that all have sinned, except Jesus (Romans 3:23), that sin leads to eternal death (Romans 6:23) but Jesus’ sinless life was the perfect, once for all, sacrifice and that salvation and eternal life are found only through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross (John 14:6).
We believe that unless one personally confesses Jesus as Lord and believes in our heart that Jesus was crucified for our sins and was resurrected and currently sits at the right hand of God we cannot receive eternal life (Romans 10:9).
We believe there is only one Sovereign God who created and currently reigns with providential care over his universe. God manifests Himself, and His will to us through three separate and distinct forms, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each form has a distinct function in God’s kingdom and all three together make up the whole of God.
We hold to the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
I was saved at the age of 10 on a Wednesday evening in 1968 when the Pastor preached a message at Providence Hill Camp and I trusted Jesus as my savior. By God’s grace and my home church, I grew up in faith and fell more in love with Jesus and God’s word over the years.
During college at MU I became more aware that God was calling me into ministry and I surrendered myself to his calling and purpose for me.
Since 1981 I have served the Lord in a variety of ministries through the church and association. I graduated from Midwestern Seminary with an MDIV degree, Pastored 6 churches, and served as an IMB church planter missionary in the Philippines with my family. I’m now serving at Ebenezer as Interim Pastor. God is good!
After 29+ years of marriage, God called my wife home to heaven. Her illness and death were difficult for me and our children, but the Holy Spirit and God’s people provided amazing grace and comfort.
In 2018 God blessed me again with a bride Cathy and we share 5 children and 6 grandchildren. Plus we have a beautiful gray cat Charlie who resides with us. God is good!
Cathay and I are gladly serving at Ebenezer now and desire to be faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.