Lighting the Way, Advancing the Mission
During the celebration of our 50th Anniversary at Founders’ Days 2022, Dr. Mike Spradlin announced a new fundraising initiative that will help fund the next 50 years of ministry through Mid-America Seminary and College. True to the spirit of Mid-America’s approach to funding for the past 50 years, no one is ever asked to give. We simply present the miracle of what God is doing through our school, and He leads generous donors to invest in the ministry. Please read on to hear from the heart of Dr. Spradlin the vision he has lighting the way into the next generation.
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Investing in a 50-Year Legacy of Faith: Funding Another 50 Years
Our President’s Vision for Lighting the Way into the Next Generation
By Michael R. Spradlin, PhD, President, Mid-America
Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary has faithfully served the Lord for 50 years of ministry. Through difficult days and glorious moments, we have seen the Lord’s hand provide for His school in so many wonderful ways. While this is not the place to recount each of those amazing moments, we do thank the Lord for so many who faithfully labored, prayed, supported, and encouraged this ministry through the years.
Now we turn the page to the next chapter in the ministry of Mid-America. The need is greater than ever. Empty pulpits dot our landscape, and spiritual compromise is everywhere. More than ever, we need biblical truth and uncompromising convictions. Our God is faithful, and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills! I am reminded of the time in 2 Kings 6:8ff where the servant of Elisha was distressed when he saw that he and Elisha were surrounded by an enemy army. Elisha prayed the Lord would open the servant’s eyes to the truth that, “They that are with us are greater than they that are with them.” Elisha prayed, not for deliverance but that the Lord would open his servant’s eyes to the presence of the mighty army of the Lord.
My friends, today we need to pray that the Lord will open our eyes to His glorious truth. Yes, the days are growing “gloriously dark” as Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say. The political climate is bad, the days of COVID severely discouraged many believers, the economy has struggled, but this is no time to retreat. We serve a mighty Savior, and we will continue as long as we have breath or until He returns to take us home.
I am asking you to join me in prayer for our new Mid-America campaign. We have so many requests for help and we have done all that the Lord has directed us to do, but now it is time to build for the future. We have a wonderful campus that meets all our needs, and we have housing for our students that is second to none. The Spirit of God is moving among our Mid-America family in wonderful ways. Our students are leading people to Christ every week so far this school year! Just in the last month we have had reports of over 30 professions of faith, just among those who have publicly testified. This does not even include the reports from our many online students who are also doing a great job of regularly sharing the Gospel.
Dr. B. Gray Allison always said that Mid-America is more than a school, it is a soul-winning ministry. In his days as president, he even challenged the students to begin giving monthly to support the ministry of Mid-America. My wife and I accepted that challenge and, even though we thought we could barely afford it, we began contributing monthly to Mid-America and have continued to do so for well over 30 years. Our monthly contributions have increased through the years, but the joy has been there no matter what the amount was.
So, I need every Spirit-filled, committed, Jesus-loving believer to join me in asking God for $5 million to fund the future of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. The Lord has placed on my heart to ask us to begin with prayer, simply beseeching our Savior to bring glory to His name in this ministry. We want all the praise and honor to go to our Lord Jesus!
Here is what I would like you to pray for with me. Pray that the Lord will touch the hearts of His people to support financially this ministry. We will pray together until the needs are met.
To illustrate, you can pray for:
| 1 person who will commit a one-time gift of $1,000,000 |
| 3 people who will commit a one-time gift of $500,000 |
| 5 people who will commit a one-time gift of $100,000 |
| 10 churches who will commit $12,000 per year ($1,000 per month) |
| 20 churches who will commit $1,200 per year ($100 per month) |
| 50 churches who will commit $600 per year ($50 per month) |
| 100 people who will commit $12,000 per year ($1,000 per month) |
| 200 people who will commit $1,200 per year ($100 per month) |
| 500 people who will commit $600 per year ($50 per month) |
| 1,000 people who will commit $180 per year ($15 per month) |
What will the money be for? The list is lengthy. It includes upgrades to our facilities, scholarships for our students, taking care of our fantastic faculty and staff (we have the finest faculty and staff in theological education), and many other needs. If you have a specific interest, please let us know.
If you are already a donor to Mid-America, then thank you! We want your continued prayers and support. If the Lord impresses you to increase your support, then praise the Lord in advance!
As we pray and the Lord raises up the next generation of supporters for Mid-America, know this, the success of this campaign means that more churches will have a Bible-believing, Jesus-loving pastor. More missionaries will be trained to take the Gospel to the nations. And more lost people will hear the Gospel through the witnessing of our students. When more people hear the Gospel, then more people will pray to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
This is a Heaven-sized goal, but I believe that this is the right time. I want to close with a poem by our founder, Dr. B. Gray Allison.
I thought at the close of day
Of the word not spoken,
To those I met on the way
Whose very hearts were broken.
I thought of the man I’d met
Whose spirit was crushed, broken,
And my heart beat in me sore
For the word not spoken.
I thought of the friend who’s lost,
Whose very soul is broken,
And my conscience still condemns me
For the word not spoken.
From Personal Evangelism, by B. Gray Allison (July 23, 1991)
Give Now
If you want to invest in a ministry that is actively leading souls into the Kingdom weekly plus equipping the next generation of preachers, missionaries, and leaders, we believe there is no better investment than Mid-America. Give online now. If you would like to give towards “The Next 50 Years: Lighting the Way, Advancing the Mission” initiative, you may select “Next 50 Years Fundraising Campaign” from the drop-down list under “Specify Gift.” Or write “Next 50 Years” on the memo line of your check.
