November/December 2026

The months of November and December are generally a very busy and relatively hectic season of the year with the series of holidays on the calendar. The few weeks from Thanksgiving through New Years are extremely busy and full of events, lots of fun and fellowship, lots of good food, and a special sense of warmth and good will. No doubt, all of us will experience an increase pace during November and December and into early January.

Regardless of what we face, as individuals or as a community and country, there are some aspects of the upcoming season that we should all keep in mind. Even in the midst of complicated economic times (rising prices for food and basics of life, high costs of medical care, loss of jobs in some sectors of the economy, the rapid pace of deployment of artificial intelligence), political divisions and unrest, spiraling rates of violence, widespread hatred and prejudice toward people who are different from us, and on goes the list of challenges, we are still very much a blessed people. We have much for which to be thankful for in this season of 2026. Let me point out the facts of these blessings – and I note that this blog will by no means cite all the blessings that we have received.

Let me name a few:

• God has saved us by His grace through our choice to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He accomplished this by the substitutionary death of His “only begotten Son,” Jesus Christ, on the Cross at Calvary and by His resurrection power. In that instant of our salvation experience, we have received His gift of His Holy Spirit who is with us and indwelling in us at all times. Praise God!

• God has blessed us with our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, and, yes, some even have been blessed by the birth of great-grandchildren. Next to our love of God and being a follower of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, we are to love our spouses and families who are great blessings indeed.

• God has given us the ability to get an education, to work and make a living, to live in a good community where we have good friends and neighbors. He has generally given us good health although we all have, or will, encounter those times in our lives when we will encounter illnesses and challenges along the road of life.

• God has blessed us with good friends and colleagues along the way. I have been most blessed by having had the opportunity to have a number of very close and very good friends.

• God has blessed us to be a part of a very loving and compassionate church family known as Saloma Baptist Church. I am most thankful for this church family.

• God has blessed us with the call to be “salt of the earth” (preservative) and “light of the world” (by which we demonstrate the transforming power of Jesus Christ by our words, deeds, actions, attitudes, etc.).

I think you get the point. Regardless of the circumstances of our current situation and the times in which we live, we have much to be thankful for as the Thanksgiving and Christmas season approaches. Above all, we should remember with thankful hearts and with words and songs of praise and wonder, that God sent His Son to earth to be born in a lowly manger in an inconsequential place called Bethlehem, born to peasant parents, living the life of a carpenter’s son, to become the Savior and Lord of the world by His sacrificial death at Calvary and His glorious resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven where He sits and intercedes for us right now with God the Father, and His gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us and in us! Praise be to God! Let us come together in unity to say thanks to God for all He has done for us!

Pastor's Blog - September/October 2026

As I write this blog in my role as pastor of Saloma Baptist Church, our local schools and area colleges and universities are back in session with classes underway and the fall sports season going strong. Our congregation is also a week into what we call a “Season of Prayer for Our Schools.” Purpose of this special season of prayer is to focus attention upon the importance of education to the growth and development of our children and young people, to the preparation of the next generation of Christian servant leaders in their chosen fields of service, and to the future of our community, state, nation, and world.

At Saloma Baptist Church, we are praying for all involved with our educational institutions – parents, grandparents, and guardians; faculty members; staff members; administrators; coaches; all others involved – from the custodial staff to the bus drivers to the school resource officers who are placed in most schools for the safety and security of all to the family resource center staff who minister to students in terms of physical and social needs; and, yes, above all, we are praying for the children, youth, and young adults, as well as all ages, who are involved as learners.

Specific areas of emphasis for our prayer include: praying by name for all individuals that we know who are involved in education; praying for their safety and security during this school year; praying for the important role of parents, grandparents, and guardians in the educational process; praying for the teachers and assistant teachers who stand in the gap each and every day with the learners in their classroom; praying for the administrators who are working to make sure that every component of education is operating at optimum; praying for all the staff, as listed above, who play such crucial roles in the education enterprise; praying for the academic growth and social development of those who are students; praying for the ability of and opportunities for Christian faculty, staff, and students to share the love of Christ in word and in deed to others; praying for the many adults in the educational process who serve as mentors to their students and who, in some cases, must serve as primary advocates for students who may not be able to speak up for their own interests or who do not have parents, grandparents, or guardians who are able to provide support and advocacy. I ask you this important question – will you join us in this ongoing Season of Prayer – not just during the next month or few weeks, but throughout the academic year and into the future. Most students spend more time with their teachers and educators than they do in active interaction (not counting the time they are sleeping) with any other group of people during the average school week. And we should remember to pray for those college and university students who are away from home for the first time as they begin their postsecondary careers.

Saloma Baptist Church is blessed to have several people involved in the educational process within the ranks of our members and friends. We have church members and church family who are directly involved in education and students of various ages, as well as parents, grandparents, and guardians. From our local public schools to Campbellsville University, SBC members are engaged in the educational process. Saloma Baptist Church has long been involved in the support of education – we have supported the local Christian school, Kentucky Christian Academy, for 30 plus years. We support and affirm those who choose to home school their children – with adequate accountability for the young person’s educational progress. We support various projects and activities for our local public schools – Project Graduation, backpacks via the Family Resource Centers, joining with other churches in the community a few years ago to help provide a package of school supplies for the year for every student in the Campbellsville and Taylor County school systems, Fellowship of Christian Athletes projects, our local city police department’s outreach to the schools, and honoring our graduates annually at various levels of educational completion. We provide scholarship assistance for Campbellsville University students in a few categories and support CU's overall Christian education efforts. There is no contradiction between the Christian faith and the cause of educational attainment. And a part of the mission of the local church is to be an advocate for the engagement of Christians in all sectors of the educational process including public schools and for the welfare of all children and young people.

Let me close with an important thought. It is fashionable in many political and social circles to blame public schools for all the social and moral woes of our culture. This really is not a valid charge in my opinion. While there are always situations in the educational process that we, at any point in time, might be concerned about, the truth is that our schools in general do a very good job in educating our children and young people. Many of those issues that we criticize the public schools for are areas that involve shortcomings of the home and the church. Let me repeat that for the importance of emphasis: We blame the public schools in particular, the educational system in general, for problems and issues that are largely caused by the failures and shortcomings of the family and, yes, even the church. Perhaps in a later blog, I will delve into this in a more detailed manner. But the decline of the other basic institutions of our culture cannot singly be overcome by the educational institutions. Take some time and consider that point.

I am thankful for our schools, educators, students, parents, and guardians, and all those who accept a calling to be involved in the education of the next generation of servant leaders. God bless you and keep you

Pastor's Blog - July/August 2026

I certainly pray that all who take time to read this blog for July-August 2026 are doing well and living in the full joy and peace of a saving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. That is certainly our heartfelt prayer for all people with whom we have contact as we seek to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our community and throughout the world. We live in an age when the mission of the church is increasingly compromised by other forces. While we are certainly called to do all we can to improve the conditions of this world, our core mission is to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bear upon a lost and sinful world. Each of us, individually and collectively as a church family, must take inventory of how we are working to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave to the church. Are we living for Jesus Christ? Are we good stewards of our time, talents, and resources as we invest in the mission of the church? Do we share the Good News with those around us in both word and in deed? Are we concerned about the spiritual, as well as the physical and emotional, welfare and health of those we know? Are we willing to support missions beyond our own church, neighborhood, and community by investing financial resources, engaging in regular prayer for missions and those following the Lord’s leadership into missions work, and advocating for the cause of missions in “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8b)?

Yes, we must heed the call to carry out the Great Commission. The Great Commission must be coupled with the following of the Great Commandment. In Mark 12:30, Jesus stated that we are to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Then he expanded this commandment by adding: “Love your neighbor as yourself! There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated this imperative: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus presented the love commandment, in its totality including the love of enemies, as an absolute requisite of the Christian faith. 

If we do not carry out the Great Commission in the spirit of love as required in the Great Commandment, our work will not fulfill its full potential as Jesus intends. How can we effectively share the Gospel to bring the masses into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, if our image is one of being self-righteous, judgmental, negative, prejudiced toward those who are not like us, and being known for what we are against rather than what we are for. If we show no love and compassion for those who are less fortunate, how can we effectively witness for Jesus? If we treat the “least of these” (Matthew 25) with indifference and even cruelty, do we really have any credibility if we espouse to be Christ followers? If we are racist and mistreat our fellow human beings as second- or third-class citizens because of their race or ethnicity or language, are we really showing that in Jesus Christ we are all one and the same? If we fail to practice the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our everyday living, then our Christian witness is of questionable effectiveness. 

In Galatians 3:26-28, we read these important words that should guide us in our relations with other people: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you all one in Christ Jesus.” Here is the bottom line, my friends – we either believe these words or we do not! As we seek to carry out the Great Commission, let us be certain that we do so as we follow the Great Commandment and that we heed the words in Galatians 3:26-28. There is no other acceptable path if we are to carry out the mission of the church in the 21st century. 

Pastor's Blog - May/June 2026

This year presents some key anniversary celebrations. On July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of our country. We will experience numerous opportunities locally and around the country to celebrate our declaration of independence from England/Great Britain on July 4, 1776. The official term for a 250th anniversary is "semi quincentennial." Many of us clearly remember the wonderful celebration in 1976 for the 200th anniversary (bicentennial) of the country's independence.

Another anniversary of interest to many in our church and community is the 120th anniversary of founding of Campbellsville University (as Russell Creek Academy, then Campbellsville Junior College and later Campbellsville College, and Campbellsville University in 1996). First established by the Russell Creek Baptist Association (which then included Taylor County), the official beginning of the institution began in the fall of 1906. It was only 20 years ago when I chaired a year long celebration of CU's Centennial celebration (100 years). During the month of September of this year, CU will have a series of events celebrating the 120th anniversary of the university. The term for a 120th anniversary celebration is "bidecacentennial" - although I don't think this term is used very often - reference is usually simply "the 120th annivesary..."

And here at Saloma Baptist Church, we will be observing the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the church. Terms that are used for a 75th anniversary of the founding of an organization include diamond jubilee, 75th anniversary, semisequicentennial (technical term for 75 years), three quarters of a century, etc. The term diamond jubilee is generally the one most widely utilized. In the past, we have held special observances of the church's 50th anniversary in 2001 and 60th in 2011. 

We are in the midst of discussing preliminary plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Saloma Baptist Church. A small group of dedicated Baptist Christians gathered in 1951 to establish Saloma Baptist Church. SBC has a rich history over the 75 years. I have asked the women's Sunday School Class, which includes the active members of the SBC WMU, to enter into a period of creative thought as to "ways and means" of celebrating and observing our 75th anniversary. They will be sharing some of their suggestions over the next few weeks.

A high point of this will be our 2026 Homecoming celebration which is scheduled on Sunday, August 23, 2026. The August 23 Homecoming will include a gospel concert during the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service followed by a noon potluck meal. We will not be able to "squeeze" all of our celebration into a single day. One option under consideration is to have a few minutes in each Sunday morning worship service during August to highlight some of the history of Saloma Baptist Church. There may be other observances as well. Please share any suggestions you may have.

It is important that we take time to honor the history and legacy of the past 75 years. And while doing so, it is even more important that we learn from the commitment of "those who have gone before" as we contend with the opportunities and challenges of the present and prepare for those of the future. I am most thankful for the legacy of Saloma Baptist Church and look forward to the future with hope and anticipation.

In closing, 2026 is a year of remembering our heritage and legacy and prepare for the future. May this be a very special time for all involved.

Pastor's Blog - March/April 2026

We are now in the Season of Lent as this pastor's blog for March-April 2026 is prepared. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, which was on February 18 this year, Lent runs for a 40-day period, excluding Sundays, through Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) on April 2 and in anticipation of Easter Sunday (which is April 5 in 2026). Lent is generally observed as a time of fasting, prayer, repentance, and self-reflection.

While many Baptist congregations have not traditionally observed the season of Lent, there is an increasing number of Baptists who do cite Lent as a special time on the annual church calendar to give closer attention to the closing days of Jesus' earthly ministry as he moved toward his final week (what we call Holy Week which runs from Palm Sunday - March 29 this year - through what some call Holy Saturday (April 4) or the day before Easter Sunday when the resurrection is celebrated. It has been tradition in many congregations to move quickly to the resurrection and bypass the crucifixion. Certainly, the resurrection is what affirms the deity of Jesus and confirms that he overcame the penalty of sin for us. However, it is very important that we take time, at least on an annual basis, to prayerfully consider that course of events leading up to the arrest and trial of Jesus, his atoning death at Calvary, and the depth of meaning of his passion.

I would also recommend your spending time in the Gospels to read directly about what is recorded regarding Jesus' final days prior to the crucifixion. The Gospel of John, in the second half of that book, presents the final week of Jesus' life in some detail. There are numerous online sources - which I will be glad to share upon request.

As stated in one summary of the meaning of Lent: "The purpose of Lent is to prepare Christians for the joyous celebration of Jesus' resurrection. It is also a time to acknowledge our sinful nature, repent of our sins, and recommit our lives to God. By spending time in prayer and meditation, we can renew our spiritual lives and prepare ourselves to give thanks for the gift of salvation. Lent is also a time to serve others and show God's love by our actions."

Following Lent, we come to the joyous celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. This is the good news and highlight of our faith because Jesus arose from the dead - he is alive - the tomb is empty! This is a life-changing truth, a transformational message, and the permanent solution to our sin problem. Praise be to God that Jesus Christ is alive and that he shall return some day!