March 27, 2026
David Empson invites readers to ICOM 2026 in St. Louis with one word: celebrate. He highlights key missions and Restoration milestones and calls the church to gather for encouragement, unity, and renewed commitment to the Great Commission.
January 20, 2026
ICOM has announced Rob Maupin as its next Executive Director, succeeding David Empson after 25 years of leadership. Maupin will begin as transitional director April 1 and assume the role September 1.
July 18, 2022
Orchard Group and Harvester Christian Church are partnering to plant a new church in Ferguson, Mo. “The city is hungry for something new, something fresh—but more important, something genuine,” church planter Lenny Brown said.
March 28, 2022
The merger of Central Christian College of the Bible and St. Louis Christian College is in its final stages, with the two Restoration Movement schools slated to join forces by about June 1.
September 16, 2021
Under a merger plan being discussed between Central Christian College of the Bible and St. Louis Christian College, the latter’s campus “will remain open and functioning as normal for this entire academic year,” SLCC president Terry Stine said.
February 10, 2021
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who attended Sullivan (Mo.) Christian Church was shot and killed Jan. 31 while serving as a security guard for a firm that contracts with MetroLink, the mass transit system in St. Louis. James Cook, 30, leaves his wife, Kim, and two children, ages 9 and 5. Kim thanked the community for their support and her church for helping strengthen her family, Fox 2 Now reported. On Tuesday, SCC livestreamed a memorial service it hosted for Cook. Nathaniel M. Smith III, 36, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death, according to stltoday.com. A
August 20, 2017
By Walt Wilcoxson North St. Louis, Missouri, is a place of contrasting realities: rich and poor, black and white, peaceful and violent, hopeful and hopeless. These distinctions are visible and well known. The term “Delmar Divide” neatly sums it up, as Delmar Boulevard divides this area”s poorer, larger African-American community to its north from the more affluent (and largely white) communities to the south. Families and young people who are among the “have-nots” of North St. Louis encounter desperation and despair every day. On this hot and humid morning just before lunchtime, Lucas Rouggly and I stood watching as a
June 20, 2015
By Karl Schad After months of seeking God in prayer, we prepared to launch three worship services designed to better reach all the generations in our community. We would offer blended traditional, contemporary, and modern services on Sunday mornings, each designed with a specific demographic in mind. Every service would include elements handpicked to engage the generational diversity of our community as we identified the distinct needs of the different age groups and planned to meet them. Three service styles would allow our community to express their worship to God in the way that best connected them to the Lord.
July 11, 2014
By Veva Appel (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I have ever received, other than taking the advice of the man who asked me to marry him, came from my boss, George Gahr, president of Christian Homes, where I was his secretary. After my beloved husband, Leon Appel, died at a young age, I thought I would be continuing in the secretarial position I enjoyed. But one day, Mr. Gahr asked me, “Veva, would you be willing to do some development work for Christian Homes?” I replied, “George, don’t ask me, I
December 19, 2013
By Tom Lawson Stephen and Ian stood together talking, while they braved the crisp breeze of a cold December in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. They had decided to go to a popular local café for lunch. But the people standing outside told them what was confirmed by the hostess at the door, “It will be about 20 to 30 minutes, if you want to wait.” They did. In the eight months between college and graduate school, my son Stephen decided to live and worship with a group of Christians in a depressed section of Lexington. From various denominations, the members of
November 7, 2013
By Jennifer Johnson Two Christian college presidents have announced their resignations: Dr. Keith H. Ray from Lincoln (IL) Christian University and Dr. David Faust from Cincinnati (OH) Christian University. Ray began his administrative career in higher education as dean of students at Dallas Christian College in 1990 and later served as DCC”s president for four years. He began his presidency at LCU in 1998 and will end his service with the school in May. Ray will be moving to St. Louis to work with Christian Homes Inc. in leadership development and external relations. In a letter to the LCU community,
October 27, 2013
By Paul Boatman Steve Wingfield serves as senior pastor with First Christian Church in Florissant, Missouri. With an average attendance of 1,200, this church in the largest suburb of St. Louis faces challenges endemic to churches in changing suburban communities. Give us a brief summary of your history with First Christian. My dad, Charles Wingfield, was called to preach here in 1972 when I was 10 years old. The church was running about 150 to 170. I grew up in this church, went away to Bible college, and then ministered four years in another place. In 1987 the church
July 12, 2012
By Mark A. Taylor Meet Tyrone Benson, minister with the  Pontoon Beach (Illinois) Christian Church, not far from St. Louis Missouri. Tyrone graduated from St. Louis Christian College this spring, and this is his first ministry. This is his first North American Christian Convention too. He’s at the event in Orlando, Florida, this year because of convention president Rick Rusaw’s idea to honor new ministry graduates at a special service during the convention’s closing session Friday morning. Tyrone is one of several dozen such ministers who will be singled out then. I can’t imagine a candidate more deserving of our
September 24, 2010
By Darrel Rowland Line after line, page after page, the neat dark handwriting lovingly chronicles the intertwined history of Don Pollock”s family and their church. March 1902: Grandpa and Grandma join the church on successive Sundays. January 1924: Parsonage next to church building dedicated. And October 1927: “First North American Christian Convention held at Cadle Tabernacle””P.H. Welshimer, president.” Pollock was there, just before his ninth birthday. And he was there nearly 83 years later, when the convention returned to Indianapolis last summer. As a youth, it didn”t seem unusual that he would accompany his parents to a church gathering, “Back
June 29, 2008
By Guthrie Veech and John Mills Representatives of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ gathered in St. Louis June 8-10 for the 11th meeting of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue, an ongoing discussion intended to strengthen ties between the three “streams” of the 19th-century movement associated with Barton W. Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell. This session of the dialogue focused on global mission. The event began with a Sunday evening worship service at First Christian Church of Florissant, Missouri, a 1,500-member congregation of the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Attending the service were some
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April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok
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David Faust
April 28, 2026
Rick Cherok