Dakota Baptist Convention

April 2023: Evangelism Workshops

The DBC will continue providing annual evangelism workshops in different parts of the Dakotas. The two events for 2023 will be in Rapid City, SD and Fargo, ND. The theme for both workshops is “What is the Gospel?” and will feature large group sessions as well as breakouts for men (led by different DBC pastors) and women.

The first workshop will be April 20-22 and hosted by Hills of Grace Fellowship at 330 E. Anamosa in Rapid City. The main speaker for this workshop will be Sean Parker, the Executive Director for the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Mona McDonald from Scottsdale, AZ, will lead the women’s sessions. McDonald serves at the Sun Lakes Community Church in Sun Lakes, AZ, where her husband Mitch is pastor.

The second workshop will be April 27-29 and hosted by Journey Church at 2801 Broadway, N., in Fargo. The main speaker for the Fargo workshop will be J. J. Washington. Washington is the national director of personal evangelism for NAMB. Catherine Renfro, also with NAMB, will return to the Dakotas to lead the women’s sessions. She led these sessions at last year’s workshop in Huron. 

All DBC pastors with their wife are invited to attend. Each pastor will also be invited to bring up to three church leaders and spouses. Housing and meals will be provided.  Online registration will be ready by late January or early February.

June 2023: Youth Camp

The annual DBC youth camp is June 5-10. It will be held again at Crystal Springs Baptist Camp in Crystal Springs, ND. The 2023 theme is “The Big Life.” The theme verse is John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly.”

Joe Savery and Sean Donnelly will lead this year’s camp again. Savery recently announced that the camp pastor will be DBC Executive Director Fred MacDonald. Worship will be led by Ashton Rohn. Rohn is the Pastor of Worship and Students for Connection Church in Belle Fourche, SD.

Registration materials will be sent to the churches sometime this month with online registration available after that.

August 2023: Pastors/Family Retreat

The DBC will host Dakota pastors and their families for a three-day retreat, August 10-12, 2023. The retreat will be in the Bismarck/Mandan area. 

Joe and Pennie Wright will be the guest leaders for the pastors and wife’s sessions. Joe is the Executive Director for the Bivocational & Small Church Leadership Network. The Wrights have served for decades in small churches and now have a ministry reaching out and encouraging the leaders of small churches across the SBC.

Programming for the teens and children is still being planned. Details and invitations will be sent out later this year.

October 2023: Dakota Baptist Gathering

The Dakota Baptist Gathering is scheduled for October 5-6 at South Canyon Baptist Church in Rapid City, SD. This will be the DBC’s 40^th annual meeting.

International Mission Board Paul Chitwood is slated to be the guest preacher for the meeting. Josh Brown, president of the DBC, and DBC vice president Ian Harp will lead the meeting. Brown is pastor at Redeeming Grace Church in Rapid City, SD. Harp is pastor at Huron Baptist Church in Huron, SD.

The theme for this year’s annual meeting is, “The Heart of Jesus.” The theme text is Matthew 11:28-30