MISSION STRATEGIST REPORT 10/13/26

As we gather for our fall meeting, it affords me a time for reflection. This marks six years since I was elected to serve you as mission strategist. I actually began in the office on New Year’s Day, 2021.  “Time flies when you’re having fun,” is the old cliché. The months race by, and it as been fun—mostly. There are always challenges. The devil will see to that. But God is gracious in giving me this opportunity.

Let me share some highlights from the last six months.

I was blessed to teach Biblical counseling at Fruitland Baptist Bible College in the Spring and Summer quarters. One of the students was from Haywood County, Charles Huggins. Keep praying for that school. It has helped train pastors for many NC Baptist churches. Pastors, call out the called. Challenge your young men to consider Gospel ministry. Then send them to Fruitland!

I used my counseling training to work with young couples preparing for marriage, aiding husbands and wives struggling in marriage, and encouraging pastors who needed support in ministry. The Orchard Church has a counseling ministry set up in our HBA Mission Center. We are exploring the possibility of having another counselor there on a regular basis that would be available to pastors.

Another way we help pastors, staff, and potential preachers is through Blueprint for Ministry. This is a monthly meeting, sharing training and resources for those called to ministry or considering it. I have served as a mentor, a guest on a discussion panel, and this year will teach one of the sessions on time management. Woodland’s lead pastor, Adam Black, oversees the group. It is a blessing for me to have helped mentor Adam and now to see him fulfilling that role for others.

My wife and I support Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, or “Ascend,” as it is now called. I encourage our churches to pray, give, and volunteer for this pro-life ministry.

Another group we work with are the Gideons. They continue to do a phenomenal job in distributing the Word of God. Have a guest speaker. Take up an offering. Encourage some committed Christian businessmen in your church to join the Gideons.

I taught a Discipleship seminar at Dutch Cove in the spring and now in the fall will lead one there on “How to be a Welcoming Church.”  These Saturday morning seminars are an opportunity to equip your leaders. I can do deacon training, Sunday School leader training, evangelism equipping—you name it. Just ask!

Most Mondays will find me at the Pastors’ Conference. It is currently led by Will Mercer, Pastor of Mt. Zion. It is a time of worship, fellowship, and challenge from the Word of God. I need that, and you do too!  We meet at 10 AM and would love to see this ministry grow. This year we have begun a Saturday morning, quarterly meeting of our bi-vocational pastors who cannot come on Monday mornings. Our first meeting was well-attended and well-received by the men who came. The next meeting was a picnic for pastors, their wives, and kids.  It was a time of fun and fellowship. Our plan is to gather all the pastors and their spouses, if they are married for a Christmas party at the HBA Mission Center on Monday night, December 7 at 6:30 PM. We will cater the meal. More details will be forthcoming, but we want you to put this date on your calendar!

Barry Clark, pastor of Beulah, was kind to join me in picking up a large generator from Baptists on Mission. We traveled in his truck to the East Flat Rock work center and brought it back to the HBA. It will be available the next time a disaster strikes—which has been twice during my tenure!

We took two dear ladies, Karen Holcomb and Diane Royer, out to lunch and gave them a gift card for Administrative Professional’s Day. Karen has been a joy to work with and now has moved on to bless Calvary Road as their Children’s Director. Diane was hired to be our Administrative Assistant, and we are thankful for her. She will work in the office from 9-2, Monday through Wednesday.  Another change we made was to hire Chris Buckner of Overflow Accounting to manage our finances. We are paying for this by cutting back on Diane’s days in the office.

I was privileged to speak at the chapel service of Bethel Christian Academy. It is wonderful to see how that school has survived the floods and is making a difference in the students and community.

There were twenty of our churches my wife and I visited, and several I was blessed to be invited to preach.

·      Antioch—where I took part in the ordination of Rick Lombardo;

·      East Fork—where I shared in the commissioning service for Wes Wilder, who was called to serve in the music ministry of Hazelwood;

·      West Canton—preached there;

·      Jonathan Valley—worshipped with them;

·      Dellwood—spoke at our HBA 5th Sunday night gathering;

·      Allen’s Creek—preached there morning and evening;

·      Burnett Siding—preached morning and evening;

·      Crestview—attended a revival meeting;

·      Rock Springs—preached there and participated in a joint service;

·      Woodland—preached and led the Good Life Class, also attended the Hungary Mission team report and 5th Sunday night worship

·      Riverside—preached;

·      Rocky Face—worshipped;

·      Oak Grove—worshipped and presented a giving certificate;

·      Green Valley—worshipped and presented a giving certificate

·      Crabtree—preached two Sunday mornings

·      Clyde First—preached;

·      Gateway—attended dedication for their building;

·      North Canton—preached Homecoming

·      Mt. Zion—preached;

·      Victory—preached.

Outside of our association, I spoke at:

·      Liberty, in Buncombe, for a revival service;

·      Cane River, in Yancey, for Homecoming;

·      Scott’s Creek, in Jackson—preached twice and scheduled for two other occasions. Pray, as they are talking to me about being their interim pastor. I have received permission from the officers to explore this and have told them that I would still need to fulfill my responsibilities here and be available at least once a month to visit our churches. I told them the interim period would begin on November and extend up to six months, to be evaluated at that time as to any added Sundays if needed.

Each month I have been leading two different pastors’ trainings in India via the internet. In addition to my time—around midnight and into the morning hours twice a month—it also costs $700 monthly for transportation and food for these men of God. This has been funded by designated offerings.  For the first time, last month, I had to cancel one of the meetings as the funds have run out.  I have yet to schedule one this month for the same reason. Would you consider helping us by sending an offering?  Make it out to the HBA and designate it for India. These men are poor—face deprivation and danger from a government hostile to them. Radical Hindus and Muslims threaten them, yet they joyfully stand for Jesus, worship Him, and distribute Bibles as they share the Gospel. It is a shame that we cannot gather them with regularity.

I have officiated at a couple of weddings and several funerals. I ministered to three of our pastors who had health issues and wound up in the hospital.  There is more I could share but let me close by saying how thankful we are that work on our HBA Mission Center has resumed. The delay was due to government red tape, but now we are full speed ahead. We had hoped to have this meeting as a dedication of the building, but that will take place in our spring 2027 gathering—GOD WILLING!

Serving Him by Serving Haywood Baptist Churches,

Dennis Thurman