This Week in the BRN Family 04.25.24

BRN ministry couples recharge at NAMB Refresh Retreat; churches live on mission and welcome missionaries; and the BRN wins an award at BCA annual workshop - it's an encouraging week in the BRN family!

April 26, 2024
Macala Mays

This Week in the BRN Family shares quick highlights of BRN churches and ministries throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey loving their neighbors. Check out the latest happenings, baptisms, and accelerating Kingdom movement stories below:

BRN pastors and ministry couples recharge at NAMB Refresh Retreat in Philadelphia, Pa.

Pennsylvania/South Jersey ministry couples enjoyed three days of encouragement at the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) Refresh Retreat in Philadelphia, Pa., held April 22-24 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Many members of the BRN Family attended – including Dr. Larry Anderson, BRN Director of Church Health and Evangelism; Dr. Brian King, BRN Executive Board president; BRN Executive Director Dr. Barry Whitworth; and many of our PA/SJ pastors and ministry leaders.

Those who attended enjoyed encouragement through worship, fellowship, and powerful messages from Dr. Robert Smith, professor of Christian preaching at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, and other keynote speakers. The BRN extends a special thank you to NAMB for hosting this uplifting retreat!

Great Commission Church serves nearly 50 during pantry ministry

On Saturday, April 20, Great Commission Church (GCC) in Philadelphia, Pa., served 49 individuals during their pantry ministry. In addition to giving away food and meeting physical needs, GCC volunteers were able to pray for their neighbors and tell them about the love of Christ!

Cambodia missionaries equip saints at Wrightsdale Baptist Church

On April 24, members at Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa., were challenged and encouraged by missionaries Pat and Jeanne Hartfield, who serve in Cambodia. The Hartfields shared with Wrightsdale’s mission groups the process they went through to become missionaries and explained how half of the world’s population has never heard the gospel. The gathering was a special time for the local and global church!

Memorial Baptist Church hosts The Singing Men of Texas for Sunday worship

Worship was extra special for Memorial Baptist Church in Gettysburg, Pa., on Sunday, April 21, as the church hosted The Singing Men of Texas. The Singing Men of Texas is a musical group made up of full-time, part-time, and retired ministers of music as well as other church staff members and laypeople who are dedicated to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through music in local churches, in our nation, and abroad.

BRN podcast wins at annual Baptist Communicators Association awards banquet in Richmond, Va.

The Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) met at the International Mission Board’s (IMB) home office in Richmond, Virginia, for its annual workshop April 22-25. Baptist communicators from across the nation, representing various Baptist publications and state conferences, gathered for a time of professional development and mutual encouragement.

On April 24, BCA held its annual awards banquet at the Hippodrome Theater, where the BRN took home second place in the Audio-Visual Communications category for its Celebrating Cooperative Missions Podcast! Macala Mays, Associate Editor of BRN United and host of the podcast, accepted the award on behalf of the BRN. We look forward to next year’s BCA workshop! The BRN extends a special thank you to the IMB for hosting the BCA workshop.

Baptisms:

Senior pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Norristown, Pa., baptizes six before retirement

Macedonia Baptist Church in Norristown, Pa., witnessed six individuals, four youth and two adults, commit and declare their faith in Jesus Christ through baptism at their Friday Fire Baptism and Prayer Service on April 5. These were the final baptisms that Macedonia Senior Pastor Byron L. Craig performed before his retirement on May 31. Praise the Lord for these new brothers and sisters in Christ, and for Pastor Byron’s faithful years of ministry! Please join us in celebrating with the Macedonia Baptist Church family!

Be a part of This Week in the BRN Family

Have exciting things happening in your church!? Let us know so we can celebrate with you and share the good news with our BRN Family. Submit stories of your church accelerating Kingdom movement, loving their neighbors or celebrating baptisms on our News Tips page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Macala Mays

In 2022, Macala Mays stepped into her current role as Associate Editor of BRN United and Podcast Producer for the Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey (BRN). Before taking this position, she worked as a contracted Podcast Producer in 2021 and a freelance writer in 2020 for the BRN. During her time with the BRN, Macala Mays has produced three different podcast series, including 50 Stories of Transformation (2021-2022), The #LovePASJ Podcast (2022), and Celebrating Cooperative Missions (2023). She also has written over 60 articles for the BRN and has been nationally published by The Baptist Paper and Baptist Press. She is also a member of the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA).

Prior to working with the BRN, Macala interned at the State Capitol of Tennessee in the Publications Division under the office of Secretary of State. She also remotely wrote news for TalkErie, a radio station in Erie, Pa., and previously worked as a News Director/Producer for WJET-TV in Erie, Pa.

Macala Mays holds a master of arts in communications from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP) as well as a bachelor of arts in journalism/public relations from EUP. During her graduate years, Macala worked as a Graduate Assistant and helped manage the on-campus radio station. She also served as a managing editor for the university’s newspaper, which led to an interest in music journalism.
Macala and her husband, Robbie, live in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where they attend Big Woods Bible Church and Robbie serves as the Associate Pastor of Campus Ministry. Both Robbie and Macala find great joy in discipling and walking alongside college students at Lock Haven University.