SI members Jerry and Crystal Miller embark on new church planting ministry in Sioux Falls SD

We are moving this Saturday, so if you want to contact us, the home phone number listed on our website will not be working until after Monday. We just got the web site up and going this week, so it is still a work in progress.

Thank you Jim for posting this for us- we covet the prayers of the SI community.

“Southtown Church”? WHERE IS THE BAPTIST?

:)

We in Marshall are thrilled at how the Lord is opening the doors for you and your family. We will pray for you, and look forward to seeing how we can help and encourage the work there in the days that lie ahead.

Greg, you can find the word Baptist on the home page, on each of the links in the link page, and on the “Meet the Millers” page. I understand your tongue in cheek, but for those who are serious, I am not ashamed to be identified as a Baptist. Thank you Greg and the church at Marshall for the prayers and the encouragement. Your love and friendship are so appreciated.

Jerry,

Just curious here. It appears you have a KJV verse on your home page. Is that the version you are planning to use in your plant?

Chip, good question. I used the KJV on the website because I have a program that copy and pastes verses in with the push of a few buttons and it is KJV. I currently use the KJV because that is what I am familiar with, but I plan to switch over to the NKJV because the KJO influence is really strong amongst independent Baptist churches in that area (as is Landmarkism/Baptist Brider) and I do not want to be identified with that at all.

I like the NASB, but I am so used to the KJV that I think the NKJV would be an easier transition for me. If anyone has a Ryrie NKJV, please let me know, I’d love to get it (I hear they were only out for a little while and are quite rare).

Jim, we do not have an official team, but we do have some team members to help us. First, my wife’s sister, Bethany, just graduated from High School last year and has not yet decided where to go to college, so she decided to move to Worthing with us and help with the church plant and go to school in Sioux Falls. Further, there are several churches in SW MN and NW IA who have been praying for years for a church plant in the Sioux Falls area. A couple of them have pastors who are SI members :). They are are willing to send teams over from time to time. I also know some retired pastors in the area who I can call for extra support if needed.

You’re looking at a LOOOOOONG ways back. Moody dropped it for the NASB95 Ryrie (yes, that long ago). I’ll see if I can locate your address, and try to send you a NKJV (I’ve had a stock) of some type. I’m NKJV-only. (Just kidding - I do like more literal translations, but have chosen the NKJV for the abundant simplified textual variant notes.)

On another note, my daughter, son-in-law (+ 1 2yr old daughter and one on the way) live in Sioux Falls. I passed on the link to this thread and to your web site. She is going to e-mail you for information just to find out more. They’ve lived in the area about a year, but are not wholly settled because of an unsold house in Iowa. It does appear that Sioux Falls is in need of more good churches.

Kevin, I would love to get in contact with your daughter! We have the 4 boys-from 5 down to 17 months. I am looking forward to meeting new people and starting new friendships in that area!

It has been really neat to see all the little and big things that the Lord has done along the way. There have been so many different things happen that have no other explanation than that the Lord was at work.

Just a reminder- The 605-372-0060 number will not be in service till probably Tuesday.

JD,

I found while I was pastoring that changing the translation on my website and bulletins tended to keep the crazies away and minimize the KJVO distractions. I also grew up KJV and didn’t really see a problem with it. Then I switched to the MacArthur’s NKJV close to 10 years ago and really liked it. Now I have switched to his ESV in the last year or 2 and like it even more. Good luck.

Thank you Chip. Your reasons are exactly why I want to switch from the KJV. It is sad that it has come to this, because I really like the KJV, but as I preach, I also see more and more reasons why I would like preaching from an updated version better. So often I come across words or phrases that were a great translation 400 years ago, but now need to be retranslated into 2013 English.

[Chip Van Emmerik]

changing the translation on my website and bulletins tended to keep the crazies away

Condescension is a fairly effective way of keeping crazies away as well. Would it not be better to reach out to a KJV onlyier and teach him? You have to love a guy who is committed to what he believes is the truth. My last church had a KJV culture. The president of the Dean Burgeon Society was one of my deacons. After a year of patient teaching most carried a NASB to church.

Chip, based on the fair use guidelines, it looks like I need written permission to us the NKJV on the website. Here is what I found

http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-King-James-Version-NKJV-Bible/

If you know of another version that I could use without that, let me know and I could update things today.

Jerry,

In the front of most NKJV Bibles, there will be this statement (in addition to the information on BibleGateway you linked to):

However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday School lessons, church newsletters and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or other religious assembly, the following notice may be used at the end of each quotation: “NKJV.”

Link

Basically, they just require you to cite using “NKJV,” and this will cover you for up to 250 verses.

Donn, thank you for your patient teaching on the subject. I too was once KJVO and am thankful for those who taught me. At the same time we are dealing with a totally new church in an area where the KJO, Hyles, Baptist Brider types already have a reputation of infiltrating and taking over independent Baptist churches. I believe it is important to let people know right away that is not where we are at nor is that where we intend to go.