A Bauderian Invitation to our Annual Fellowship

By Don Johnson | June 5, 2017

by Don Johnson

We appreciate hearing of Dr. Kevin Bauder’s enthusiasm for our Annual Fellowship meeting, coming up just over a week from now at Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, WI. More than just expressing personal interest, he encourages your participation:

I’m looking forward to the preaching. I’m looking forward to seeing friends in ministry and sharing their concerns. I’m looking forward to decent music. I’m looking forward to an historic event as two fellowships join for a common meeting after fifty years of division. This should be good. In fact, if you haven’t made other plans, you might want to think about going.

We couldn’t agree more, of course.

Dr. Bauder reminds that our meeting is within driving distance of of anyone from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, or Michigan.1 He lists historic reasons for aligning with the FBFI and the New Testament Association of Independent Baptist Churches (NTAIBC) who are joining us in the conference. He lists our roster of speakers – it should make the meeting well worth attending just for that. And he lists the quality of the music that will be a part of the meeting. “I don’t have to go into this meeting cringing in advance at the music I’m going to hear.”

We also appreciate the kind words for two relatively recent issues of FrontLine – the Convergence issue and the We’re Still Here issue. He notes. “These editions of Frontline drew criticism from opposite sources, but the combination was brilliant. Years ago I pled for fundamentalists to launch a journal of opinion in which differences could be explored honestly and frankly. These two issues of Frontline are the closest anybody has come to fulfilling that request.”2; and request copies.))

We agree. We need to talk to one another about topics where differences of opinion trouble us, and where challenges face us.

We are looking forward to a great meeting in Wisconsin. I hope you can join us!

Don Johnson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.

  1. Perhaps also Manitoba and Ontario? My bias is showing! [↩]
  2. If you are interested and haven’t seen these issues,