A Word about Janice and Myself
Hello, I am Dr. Jerry L. Lanford, Director of Missions for the Mount Baker Baptist Association. My ministry with MBBA began March 1, 2023. My wife, Janice, serves the MBBA as the Executive Assistant, Clerk and Treasurer. Her service also began on March 1, 2023.
We come to the beautiful northwest after serving for over 34 years as pastor and pastor’s wife in churches in California. My last pastorate was with First Southern Baptist Church in Porterville, California where I served as Senior Pastor for just over 16 years.
In May of 2023 we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We have three adult children. All are married, and they have blessed us with nine grandchildren.
A Word about the Association
The association and church partner together (like the pastor and church membership do) to work in cooperation and in unity to carry out a greater work together than they could individually. We help one another in fulfilling the great commandment and the great commission here in the northwest.
We are better together than we are apart.
- Together we can have a greater influence and make a bigger impact for the kingdom.
- Together we can better encourage, equip, enrich, and expand each pastor and each church’s effectiveness in their unique ministry and mission field.
- Together we can plan strategically, participate cooperatively, and intentionally address spiritual health.
A key to all of this is developing healthy relationships.
- A goal is to invest time in developing health relationships with:
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- Pastors of the churches in the association
- The churches of the association
- Church ministry leaders in those churches
- The Northwest Baptist Convention
- Other Southern Baptist entities (which include but are not limited to Gateway Seminary, IMB, and NAMB)
- Neighboring DOM’s and Associations
An additional key to being better together is establishing and using effective lines of communication.
- Line of communication is defined as “a means by which information may be transmitted from one person to another.”
- We desire to establish lines of communication that allow for the sharing of information, opportunities, support and encouragement.
- For this to happen, cooperation between the association, pastors and churches is required.
We are beginning by updating the contact information for the pastors and churches of the association.
We hope to soon begin a monthly associational newsletter.
Janice and I are excited to see how the Lord wants to use us in serving the MBBA.
