Salt Lake City, UT- Ron and Diane Clement announced last month that May 30 will mark the end of Ron’s ministry as Executive Director of the Salt Lake Baptist Association after eight faithful years serving the churches and ministries along the Wasatch front. Ron joined the Association in January 2016 with a strong belief that God was calling him to this very strategic area. For 38 years prior Ron served as youth pastor, pastor, church planter, Team Leader for Prayer and Evangelism on the Colorado Baptist General Convention state staff. In those eight years in Utah, Ron and Diane have expanded the reach of the Baptist Concern Center, embraced and encouraged churches in Utah County to join the association after the closure of their local association in Rainbow Canyon, and assisted in advancing Church Planting along the Wasatch front. They often would go out of their way to show hospitality to anyone in need, even hosting pastors and planters to live in their home for extended periods while transitioning to their pastorates and plants.
They shared this special letter to the churches of the association in celebration of what God has done through them for nearly a decade:
Dear SLBA leaders and churches,
Diane and I want to inform you that we will be finishing up our ministry with you on May 30, 2024. We have been privileged to serve with you as well as to get to know so many faithful leaders and servants who live for the advancement of the gospel. We leave with many fond memories and many friends. Utah will remain a priority in our prayers for God to do something so extraordinary that masses of people will turn to Him and His people will observe in awe.
Ron and Diane Clement look forward to spending more time with their missionary children and grandchildren in the years to come
Although we are not certain of how God might see fit to use us in this next stage of life, we believe He will provide future opportunities to invest in His kingdom. In addition, we believe God is calling us to assist our kids and pour into the lives of our grandchildren in this stage of life. Our initial landing spot will be in Colorado as well as we expect to spend additional time with our family in Brazil in the coming years.
You will always have a special place in our hearts. We look forward to hearing how God is working and how we might pray for you in the future.
In Christ,
Ron and Diane Ron Clement, D. Min. Executive Director, Salt Lake Baptist Association
The Salt Lake Baptist Association would like to invite you all to an Open House in honor and thanksgiving to Ron and Diane Clement for their faithful service throughout the SLBA. Light refreshments will be provided.
OPEN HOUSE WILL BE HELD AT:
Gospel Light Church (formally Cornerstone Church). Date: Saturday May 4, 2024 Time: 3:00-5:00 PM Address: 1175 West 600 North, Salt Lake City, UT
The following article printed with permission from Baptist Press. It originally was published February 14, 2022 on their website. Click here to read it on their site.
GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico (BP) — Longtime church planter Luis Soto, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Sin Paredes in Guayama, Puerto Rico, is the new executive director of the Convention of Southern Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico (CSBCPR).
“We are experiencing historic days at the Puerto Rico convention and we thank God for what he is doing and will continue to do in the coming years,” Soto told Baptist Press.
CSBCPR executive members elected Soto to the post Jan. 10 to lead the convention of 52 Southern Baptist churches. On the island of 3.4 million people dispersed among 78 municipalities, 40 cities do not have a Southern Baptist church, according to figures from the North American Mission Board (NAMB).
Soto continues as a NAMB Send Network church planting catalyst and as pastor of Iglesia Bautista Sin Paredes in Guayama. He formerly served eight years as a NAMB church planter in Utah, where he planted and pastored Roca de los Siglos in Salt Lake City and Gracia Eterna in West Valley.
“My plan is to continue working with NAMB to see more churches that preach the Gospel to all of Puerto Rico,” Soto said, “and see hundreds of thousands of people … come to the feet of Christ.”
In addition to growing the number of Southern Baptist churches on the island, Soto has goals aimed at increasing and improving discipleship, giving, seminary preparation, international missions and prison ministry.
Specifically, Soto told Baptist Press, he would like to lead Puerto Rican Southern Baptists to increase giving to the Cooperative Program from $80,000 to $100,000; start a chaplaincy ministry in state prisons and train men for prison ministry; better equip pastors in discipleship, leadership development and biblical counseling; and offer alternatives to theological studies spanning from certificates to doctorate degrees through a partnership with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Soto would like to lead Puerto Rican Southern Baptists to continue supporting international missionaries from Puerto Rico, to continue to provide various resources for pastors’ wives, and to motivate churches to continue supporting North American and international missions in financial giving and prayer.
As executive director, Soto succeeds Felix Cabrera, senior director of Send Network Español and associate director of Hispanic Programs at SWBTS.
“We had our hands full for the past three years, in the midst of political instability, earthquakes, (the COVID-19) pandemic and (are) still recovering from hurricanes,” Cabrera told Puerto Rican Southern Baptists in announcing his resignation as executive director. “After these past 36 months, our convention is in a healthy position and ready to continue fulfilling the Great Commission that our Lord Jesus Christ left us in Matthew 28.”
Soto is earning a Doctor of Ministry degree from SWBTS. He holds a Master of Theology degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree in social work from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico.
He and his wife Beatriz Castillo have two children, daughter Eliana Valentina and son Samuel Adrián.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
DIANA CHANDLER Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.
DRAPER. UT – Welcome to the Utah-Idaho Connections’ new format, a fully interactive online newsletter.
This year we are welcoming six churches to our state convention. They have been approved by our Credentials Committee and the Executive Board. Two are existing churches who choose to affiliate with us so they can do more with sister churches than on their own. The other churches are plants with three in Idaho and one in Oregon.
We now have 193 churches, missions, and church plants. Our state convention missionary staff may be less than other state conventions, but they are passionate about our three priorities: Sharing Christ, Starting Churches, and Strengthening Churches.
We are thankful for your gifts through the Cooperative Program (CP) and State Missions Offering (SMO), which fund our state convention mission endeavors 100%. For the 5th year in a row, we surpassed our CP budget. Your gifts to our SMO nearly reached our goal of $95,000, with the highest amount given since 2013. 100% of the SMO stays here to assist Collegiate Ministries, Disaster Relief, Sharing Christ, Starting Churches, and Strengthening Churches. Thank you, Utah-Idaho Southern Baptists!
Last SBC financial year (October 2020-September 2021) marked the most our Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention has forwarded nationally through the CP sending $241,500. We sent over $401,500 to Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, and Global Hunger Relief. Since our founding, your state convention has forwarded $5,222,108 to missions!
It is crazy how this past year has been. Our churches have creatively figured out how to continue to share the gospel. The pandemic opened many doors in our region that were previously locked to the gospel. Instead, it was being beamed into their homes via the internet with live and taped worship services. More people have access to the gospel and our pastors’ sermons are beamed around the globe literally living out Acts 1:8. This is something only God could do.
Rob Lee, Convention Missionary Executive Director/Treasurer Utah Idaho SBC
