2019 – Appreciation for Good News Baptist Church – Host Church
The brethren of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, meeting June 18-20, 2019 at Good News Baptist Church, Chesapeake, VA, hereby express our deep appreciation to our host church for their generous welcome and thoughtful care for us under the leadership of our brother, Pastor Mike Ascher. We were made to feel welcome from the start and rejoice in the great fellowship which we experienced while worshiping the Lord with you in beautiful Chesapeake, Virginia.
We have been greatly blessed by the hospitality of your people. The church’s enthusiastic preparations in the love of Christ for our conference have encouraged and refreshed us as we have exhorted one another in the faith. Thank you for your faithful example and loving care as you truly demonstrated our conference theme, Reproducing Faithful Men, by your sweet example of Christlike charity, devotion and service. We have enjoyed the use of your beautiful facility and your generous provisions for all our needs. Thank you for ministering to the many logistical needs of hosting a conference like this one. We were well served by musicians, ushers, children’s ministries, great cooks, event planners and cleanup crews. The commendation of Gaius applies here: “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church” (3 John 4-5).
We rejoice in this separated witness for the truth of the gospel, and we pray that the blessing of the Lord of the harvest will continue to give you grace to occupy until He comes. Your investment in our lives this week has yielded a good return. Thank you for your flourishing care for us, and may the Savior richly multiply your faithful labors for His glory. We know that someday soon you shall hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” for “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5:24).