The Iowa Baptist Bible Fellowship held its fall meeting October 26–27, 2026, at Heartland Baptist Church in Ames, Iowa, pastored by Randy Abell. The two-day gathering provided an opportunity for pastors and ministry leaders to enjoy fellowship, encouragement, and Bible preaching.
The meeting began Monday evening with dinner at Wasabi Asian Restaurant, followed by a time of pie and fellowship at the home of Pastor Randy and Deanna Abell.
On Tuesday morning, pastors from five states, including Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, gathered for an uplifting time of music, Bible preaching, and Christian fellowship.
The guest speaker was Tim Adrian, longtime pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas, and former president of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. Adrian preached two messages, “The Power of Christ” from Mark 5:21–43 and “The Prayer of Moses” from Exodus 33. Both messages were a blessing and encouragement to those in attendance.
A highlight of the meeting was the recognition of Pastor Phil Griffith and his wife, Mona, for their 41 years of faithful ministry at Faith Baptist Church in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Reflecting the instruction of 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 to recognize those who labor among us and esteem them highly in love for their work’s sake, the Iowa Baptist Bible Fellowship honored the Griffiths with a gift certificate to Jimm’s Steakhouse in Springfield, Missouri. Pastor Griffith was also presented with a plaque in the shape of the state of Iowa recognizing his years of faithful service and leadership within the state fellowship.
The plaque read, in part:
“In recognition of 41 years of faithful service as pastor of Faith Baptist Church of Ottumwa, IA and in appreciation of your continued support of, and leadership in, our state fellowship, we celebrate your well-earned retirement.”
The plaque concluded with the words of Matthew 25:21, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
The meeting concluded with a lunch of fried chicken, sides, and pie at the church, providing one final opportunity for fellowship before attendees returned to their respective ministries.
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