Dear Cornerstone Family,
It is with great fondness and sweet memories that we send you our congratulations on your 40th anniversary! It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the 25th! Time does pass by quickly and yet with it, the joys of friendships treasured are often deepened. Julie and I miss you all and have you in our hearts, as we had the honor and opportunity of ministering together for the glory of God in Springfield for many years.
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Brad & Julie Davis
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I will always appreciate Cornerstone Baptist Church, as I was only 28 years old, when fresh out of seminary, very green, and idealistic, you took a chance on me, and called me to be your Pastor! Those were blessed years as God provided in amazing ways, lives were changed by His Holy Word, and the city was impacted by your willingness to take your faith to the streets and marketplace.
I know the rich heritage of Biblical truth proclaimed, ongoing discipleship, outreach and a mission/global vision, will continue unabated as you go forth, now under the leadership of Pastor Sam! Bless you brother!
Since we were called by God to the mission field, which is New Orleans, there have been many upheavals, devastated lives and sadness all around us. We have witnessed unbelievable acts stemming from the depraved hearts of the lost and those steeped in pagan traditions down here. The Lord has been so good to us to allow us to be involved in the recovery of one of America's strategic cities, and only eternity will reveal the massive results of hundreds of thousands of believers who have descended on this place. The love of Christ is breaking strongholds and for that we are most thankful! But, I must tell you…
In the midst of such great sorrows, our thoughts do tend to wander back at times to the beautiful fall colors of Limestone Street, an ice cream cone at Young’s dairy, a round of golf at Synder Park, or a fast walk on Willowbrook! We know now how encouraging the memories of the homeland are to those missionaries we supported together at C.B.C., as they were on the battle lines in a foreign country. In many ways, New Orleans is surely that! We do still get to vote here though!
We will pray for you, that the next 40 years and beyond will be blessed indeed and that the city of Springfield will surely know that there is a church in her midst where the muddled and confused can find truth, the grieving can find comfort, those without meaning in their lives can find purpose, and the “folks” can find sweet fellowship that makes the angels envious! We still covet your prayers for us.
Continue to rejoice with those that rejoice and to weep with those that weep! I have often been asked why the church exists and when all is said and done, it’s pretty simple really. We’ve tried to make the church in America a business, a corporation or an institution but, the reality is, that the church is a living body, the astounding Body of Christ! As with the human body, each “cell-believer” has an integral part to play and as long as we are all ministers, using the gifts Jesus gave us, the church is healthy!
As the Apostle Paul wrote, we must all keep serving until “we attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature, which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children tossed here and there by waves and carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body
Keep on building Cornerstone! The cathedral Christ is constructing is magnificent to the praise of His glorious grace! Soli Deo Gloria!
In the grip of His amazing grace, and most affectionately, we are yours in Christ,
Brad & Julie Davis (Senior Pastor from 1984-2004)
