From Where I Stand

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt MARBC State Representative

Thanks For The Memories!

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8

Where has this year gone! It seems like only yesterday we announced that this would be our last year of ministry with the MARBC. It has truly been a good and busy year as we have had the opportunity to speak in 51 churches including a 27 hour Masters Module at the Regular Baptist Seminary in Curitiba, Brazil. Other areas of ministry included serving as chairman of the Continental Baptist Missions Search Committee, attendance at the regular meetings as a board member and council member of CBM, BMM, and Bible Tracts, Inc. Of course, there has been the daily office load of caring for correspondence, editing the Baptist Testimony, counseling, meetings, planning retreats and conferences and simply assisting with requests and needs of our some 200 MARBC churches. Though our health has managed quite well, early on in the year Ann did struggle with a very serious hand surgery and recover) - which proved a challenge in the office. Also, we are glad to report that my brother, wayward from the Lord for many years, after 3 months in hospitals, is doing much better and has recently joined Pastor Coon’s church at Northeastern Baptist in Kalamazoo. Thank you so much for praying. Ann and I want you to know-that we are very pleased with the Council of Fifteen’s decision in selecting Ken and Sharon Floyd to replace us in this ministry. They are a lovely couple with a great heart for ministry’ and our Fellowship of churches. We pray God’s richest blessings upon them.
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Introducing the New MARBC State Representative Elect

by Pastor Tom Townsend
MARBC Search Committee Chairman
First Baptist Church, Rochester

After months of searching, hours of prayer and interviews, it is my privilege to introduce to you our new State Representative for our MARBC. Before I do that, I want to thank the members of the Search Committee: Mark Cizauskas, Doug Compton, Doug Crawford, Will Davis, and Bob McNeil for their wisdom and insight as we fulfilled this assignment. I also want to thank our MARBC Fellowship for their encouragement and input as many shared ideas and potential candidate names, always looking to God for His mind and His direction in this important matter. As a Search Committee, we coveted your prayers and encouragement. Thank you for your investment in this important matter.
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

The Power of A Midnight Song!

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25

No doubt by now, in my writings, you are well aware that I enjoy reading the sermons of George Morrison (1866-1928), a Presbyterian pastor and preacher born in Scotland. The pastor of Wellington Church, Glasgow, the last twenty-six years of his life, his ministry primarily consisted of personal visits, postcards and letters for all those in his care who were sick or in sorrow or in trouble. He chose not to serve on committees, preferring to spend his time in what he considered the most important responsibilities to his church - mornings in study and afternoons in visiting his congregation. Many of his sermons and devotional thoughts have been put in print. In his volume entitled, Wind on the Heath, he has a sermon entitled, “Unconscious Ministries,” wherein he states that all of us exercise unconscious ministries and opportunities of making others aware of the goodness and grace of God in our lives. He references Paul and Silas, who sang at midnight while under adverse circumstances, not particularly paying attention that the prisoners were listening to them.
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

THE NATIONAL GARBC CONFERENCE was held this year, June 27-30, in the capitol of our State, Lansing, MI. Hundreds of Regular Baptists gathered to hear good sound Bible teaching and preaching centered around the theme, “Reflecting God Among the Nations.” Joining us for this year’s conference were our brothers and sisters from the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association (FBFA). Speakersand leaders from both Fellowships participated in the general sessions and workshops. On Tuesday prior to the beginning of the conference more than 100 were in attendance for the Pre-conference Ministry Symposium on “Reshaping Global Missions in the 21^st“. Seven new churches were added to the GARBC Fellowship including the Cloverdale Baptist Church, Pastor Joshua and Leillani Rager, Fruitport, MI, which came into the MARBC last fall. Two resolutions were approved by the messengers on “Biblical Preaching and Teaching“, and “The Integrity of the Biblical Canon.” You will find these printed in the September issue of the Baptist Bulletin along with conference highlights, business matters and election of new members to the Council of Eighteen. You may also visit the GARBC website (www.garbc.org) for details and messages delivered during the week. One challenging sermon was by one of our own, Pastor Mike Eleveld, Berean Baptist Church in Portage, who preached on “Good Ambassadors“, from II Corinthians 5:16-21.
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Don’t Forget Our Mothers!

Some time ago I noticed Ann sitting on the edge of the bed, with moistened eyes and a forlorn look. When I asked what was the matter, she quivered, “Today is my Mom’s birthday and I miss her.” With a gentle hug I shared that I missed her too. Several years earlier she had had a massive stroke and entered into the presence of the Lord at 76 years of age and I had the privilege of officiating her celebration service. My Mother passed away on Christmas Day, 1978, at the young age of 58. We both expressed how we missed our mothers and think of them often, for some reason, more so as we get older.

Mothers are very special people and should not be forgotten but honored, just as the Scriptures state (Eph. 6:2). In one church I pastored, Mother’s Day always brought the largest attendance of the year. Children and grandchildren, even many who were wayward, would always honor their mother and grandmother on Mother’s Day by coming to church with them. It was a great opportunity to preach the gospel and emphasize the importance of walking with Christ. That same church also provided carnations for everyone present, white ones if your mother was still living and red ones if they had passed away. It was always a very special day of the year and we always tried to make it that way. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Things!

“Morrison of Wellington,” George H. Morrison (1866-1928), during his era was no doubt the most popular preacher in Scotland. A Presbyterian pastor, for twenty-six years he faithfully shepherded the flock at Wellington Church, Glasgow. Surrendered totally to ministry, he chose not to serve on committees, preferring rather to spend his time on what he considered were his greatest responsibilities to the church - mornings in study and afternoons in visiting his congregation, making an average of one thousand calls a year! Primarily an expository preacher, his Sunday evening sermons targeted the specific needs of his sheep and standing room only crowds gathered to hear him. Many of these sermons are in print and worthy of your reading. I like what Warren Wiersbe said of Morrison in his volume, “Living with the Giants,” a statement which pastors should take to heart: “Morrison's preaching strength lay in his knowledge of the Bible, his knowledge of his people and their needs, and his ability to put both together in an imaginative way that reached the heart.”
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

There's No Testimony Without The Test!

I had never seen it before. It was a piece of wood about 36 inches long, 4 inches high and one half inch thick. It was sitting on a shelf in a Christian Book Store on the eastern side of our state where we had gone for a brief get-away after the Christmas holidays. Ann and I enjoy visiting unique shops and this one contained several quaint items, most of which we had seen before. But there sat this one piece of wood, really not so unique in itself, but the saying inscribed on it was what caught my attention - “There Can Be No Testimony Without The Test!” Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Matthew Henry’s New Year!

Matthew Henry was born in 1662 at Broad Oak, Flintshire, Wales. Son of the evangelical Church of England minister, Philip Henry, he was educated privately in the home by his father, and later at an academy at Islington. A studious boy, he learned well Latin, Greek, Hebrew and French. Matthew Henry dated his conversion to Christ at about ten years of age. After his formal education, he went to London to attend a Nonconformist academy and then read law at Gray’s Inn. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

63^rd Annual MARBC
Conference Highlights
“The Courage to Stand!”

Berean Baptist Church, Portage, Pastor Mike Eleveld, staff and people were our very gracious hosts for this year’s 63^rd Annual MARBC Conference. October 24-25 were the dates and Berean more than put out the red carpet making us feel right at home and meeting all of our needs with happy smiles on their faces. Thank you for being such a blessing.
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From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

2005 Annual Report

“…I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.” Ephesians 3:7

Paul’s testimony became mine as I claimed the above verse on the day of my ordination into the gospel ministry. I have never ceased to marvel that God would choose me to be one of his servants. In February, Ann and I will observe our 40th year in full time pastoral ministry and I can not adequately express how honored we are to have had such a call in our lives. It seems like only yesterday that we packed our few belongings in a U-haul and headed North to our first pastorate which numbered about 40 people, an old parsonage and $45 a week in salary. We couldn’t have been happier! Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative
“The Courage to Stand!”
“Do not be dismayed before their faces…”
Jeremiah 1:17

Well, dear friends, once again we are just around the corner from our 63^rd Annual MARBC Conference which will be hosted this year, October 24-25, by Pastor Mike Eleveld and the dear folks at the Berean Baptist Church in Portage. You will enjoy their beautiful facilities and certainly will enjoy their gracious hospitality. The very first MARBC state meeting took place in 1942, exactly 10 years after the initiation of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches in 1932. Since our inception this Fellowship of churches has stood strong for the “fundamentals of the faith.” I am very pleased to be part of an association that has had courage to stand against the onslaughts of these great Scriptural truths. I thank the Lord that through the years our pastors and churches have been faithful to the cause of Christ. Being fully aware that the devil is still about his business we must also be about ours, being good keepers of the faith, until our Lord comes again. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

A Treatise For Local Churches On Pastoral Sabbaticals

I have been contemplating this subject for sometime and decided that I needed to give attention to writing about it. When statisticians tell us that fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches, fifty percent of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce and seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression, something certainly needs to be addressed. Have you ever considered that your pastor might need a time away from ministry in order to be refreshed and possibly even extend his years of service to the Lord and His people? In my study I am finding that Baptists are far behind some denominations in caring for their pastor’s physical and spiritual welfare, many even having a “sabbatical policy” in their constitutions. There is not space to say all that I have written about this subject but I would be glad to send “A Treatise for Local Churches on Pastoral Sabbaticals” to any church leaders who are interested. Simply drop me a note or an e-mail. Hopefully I can entice you to do so by sharing with you a brief summary. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

THE NATIONAL GARBC CONFERENCE was held this year in hot and sunny Lakeland, FL, June 28-July 1, at the Lakeland Convention Center. Hundreds of Regular Baptists gathered to hear good sound Bible teaching and preaching around the theme, “His Vision – My Vision.” Eleven new churches were added to the Fellowship and two resolutions were approved by the messengers: Preterism and the Future, Physical Fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies and Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul, both of which will be printed in the September issue of the Baptist Bulletin along with all of the other conference highlights. Dr. Jim Vogel, pastor of South Baptist Church in Flint, was re-elected to the Council of Eighteen. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

“Real Men Love God’s Word” a Reality at Annual MARBC Men’s Retreats!

Some 560 men attended the two weekends of the MARBC Men’s Retreats May 5-7 & 12-14 at beautiful Lake Ann Baptist Camp near Traverse City. Even though this year’s weather was less than desirable it did not keep the men from enjoying some very special time away from their daily routines of life. A little rain didn’t dampen their parade at all! This year we had a variety of speakers including Pastor Bob McNeil, Shelby Rd. Baptist Church in Shelby, State Representative Maynard Belt, and nationally known evangelist Rev. Jason Nightingale, all speaking on the theme of the power of God’s Word. Brother McNeil spoke on “God’s Transforming Power” from John Chapter five; Brother Belt spoke on “My Bible and I” from Psalm 19:7-14; and Brother Nightingale on Friday night gave his personal testimony and a dramatic recitation of the first epistle of John and Saturday morning quoted and expounded several chapters of the Gospel of John. We rejoice that during both weekends many men committed to making the Word of God their Friend. Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Tested By Fire!

“We Shouldn’t retreat or lose heart when unexpected things happen to us. Instead, we should submit to the One Who knows best and Who will test our hearts by fire as long as He likes.”  –Chrysostom Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Exposing The Myths Of The Church #7

It’s Not Important To Be Part Of a Fellowship Of Churches - We Can Go It Alone!

John Donne, a minister and poet, once wrote: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” King Solomon said in Proverbs 18:1: “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire.” One thing for sure, as pastors and local independent Baptist Churches, we do not stand alone in the work of the ministry and we are just a piece of the larger work, just a part of the main! Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Exposing The Myths Of The Church
Myth #6

If The Church Lights Are On - The Lost Will Come!

Some of the older saints of our congregations will recognize these words, “If the church lights are on - the lost will come!” Actually, there was an era in which this was true. At the turn of the last century, there were many who made their way to the House of the Lord because there were not all of the other attractions of the world, and they often sought refuge in a place that could give them solace and peace. Have we not heard of the wanderer passing the church at night, seeing the lights, hearing the singing, and going inside to see what was happening? Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Exposing The Myths Of The Church

The Seven Deadly Sins Really Aren”t That Deadly Anymore!

I once read of a pastor who announced in a sermon on sin that there were 789 different kinds. That week in opening his mail there were 94 requests from members of his church desiring a complete listing of all 789 sins! Concerning the seven deadly sins, Norwegian Lasse Tonnesson, in 1982, somehow managed to successfully commit all seven deadly sins in a record-setting 32 minutes and 19 seconds! He earned himself not only the respect of his countrymen, Read the rest of this article »

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

Exposing The Myths Of The Church

Change In The Church Is Of The Devil!

Let’s confess! Change bothers all of us! Just try sitting in a different seat around the dinner table and watch the response! Just take another member’s seat at church! Just try taking another route home from work! Just try telling the dog he can’t sleep at the foot of the bed anymore! Change has been around since Adam and Eve and sin in the garden. I don’t recall which translation, but Adam said to Eve, “My dear, we are living in a period of transition.” Read the rest of this article »

Volume 50, Number 50, December, 2004
Issue of the Baptist Testimony

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

62^nd Annual MARBC State Meeting
“The Hand of God and the Arm of Flesh!”

First Baptist Church, Rochester, Pastor Tom Townsend, staff and people were our hosts for the 62^nd Annual State Conference October 25-26, and what gracious hosts they were. They greeted us with open arms and more than put out the red carpet. It takes a host church weeks of diligent preparation while carrying on their daily ministries to make such a conference a blessing and they did it in high fashion. Thank you, Pastors and people, for being such faithful, loving and giving servants of the Lord. It was so greatly appreciated. Read the rest of this article »

Volume 50, Number 10, November - 2004
Issue of the Baptist Testimony

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

The State Rep’s 2004 Annual Report

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God…” Isaiah 61:10

Where has this year gone? It seems like only yesterday we were meeting at our annual conference at beautiful Lake Ann Baptist Camp. Someone once wisely said, “Time goes, you say? Ah, no! Alas, time stays, we go!” Well, needless to say, as I once again look over the past year and attempt to put a year of ministry on one page, I can truly say that Ann and I have been “going!” I don’t wish to bore you with detail but here are some highlights. Read the rest of this article »

Volume 50, Number 9, October - 2004 Issue of the Baptist Testimony

From Where I Stand
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative
"The Hand of God and the Arm of Flesh!"

Well, dear friends, once again we are just around the corner from our 62^nd Annual MARBC Conference which will be hosted this year, October 25-26, by Pastor Tom Townsend and the dear folks at the First Baptist Church in Rochester. You will enjoy their lovely facilities, as together, we worship and learn from the Lord. For nearly 30 years I have been attending these conferences, even before I was a part of the MARBC Fellowship, and I have never been disappointed yet.
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We Don’t Have Enough Money To Take on Missionaries!

From: Volume 50, Number 8, September - 2004 Issue of the Baptist Testimony
Maynard H. Belt
MARBC State Representative

The World Factbook tells us, as of July, 2004, that we have a world population of approximately 6.4 billion souls, 28.2% of which are 14 years and under, 64.5% of which are 64 and under, and 7.2% 65 years of age and over. The estimated birth rate is 20.24 births per 1,000 population while the death rate is 8.86 per 1,000 population. Nearly one out of four over age 15 cannot read or write. The major religions are Christian 32.79% (consisting of Roman Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, and Anglicans); Muslims 19.6%’ Hindus 13.31%; Buddhists 5.88%; Sikhs 0.38%; Jews 0.24%; other religions 12.83%; non-religious 12.53% and atheists 2.44%.
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