The Blog

One key component of church planting and church growth is to have a plan.    Our training called Count the Cost that took place from October 3-5 at Transformation Church in Sun Prairie was and is very helpful for our pastors and leaders.     There were 17 pastors and leaders that went through the training from across the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention.

One new element to this training was that almost half of the participants were Spanish speaking.  Bill Agee of First Baptist Woodstock, Georgia led the English speaking group.  Church planter and Pastor David Bogran of Charlotte, North Carolina led the Spanish speaking group and he also did a lot of interpreting throughout the event.

Over the last few years our church planters and pastors have used the tool that comes from Count the Cost.  There has been a great deal of positive feedback from this training.  We praise God for the resources given to us by the North American Mission Board and the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention to make this valuable training possible.

Dr. Ron Clement, the Executive Director of the Salt Lake Baptist Association will be our guest speaker for our upcoming annual meeting on Saturday, November 5, at First Baptist Watertown.     Ron will be teaching on prayer during his time with us.   We are grateful for our partnership with the Salt Lake Baptist Association and we look forward to hearing God speak through Ron during his time with us.   Here is a bit more about Ron and his credentials.

Ron has served over 35 years in ministry roles of pastor, church planter, and as a Colorado Baptist Convention Team Leader of Prayer and Evangelism. In January 2016, he accepted the call as Executive Director of the Salt Lake Baptist Association with a strong belief that God called him to this very strategic area. Since the Salt Lake area is heavily populated and influenced by the LDS religion as well as over one-half million people who have no faith affiliation, Ron believes for and seeks a movement of God that the over two million residents of the SLC area will unmistakably know the One, True God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Although he brings experience as a consultant, coach, confidant, trainer, networker, and resource person to churches and ministers in virtually every area of church life, he longs for a day when the lost in the Salt Lake valley will become faithful disciples of Christ who openly declare “Jesus, alone, is Lord!” This compels him to place heavy emphasis on strategic prayer for mission and ministry effectiveness.

Ron’s education includes a Bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO; a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX; and a Doctorate of Ministry from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Francisco, CA.

Diane, his wife, joins him in this ministry, desiring to be an encourager and supporter to pastors’ wives.  Diane also serves as Ministry Assistant to the Salt Lake Baptist Association.

They have two married daughters: Courtney, married to A.J. Fischer, reside in Colorado Springs; and Kathleen, married to Seth Barkley along with their son, Jed, live in North Carolina. Jed is the first grandson for the Clements.