Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

GuideStone strives to honor faithful servants

  • June 14, 2023
  • Meredith Flynn
  • GuideStone, Latest News, Louisiana, Mississippi, SBC 2023
Hance Dilbeck, GuideStone’s president and CEO, gives the GuideStone report during the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting.
(Photo by Sam Evans/The Baptist Paper)

GuideStone strives to honor faithful servants

In 1917, Southern Baptists meeting in New Orleans were introduced to the idea of a board that would help pastors with relief and retirement support. Founded the next year, the entity now named GuideStone Financial Resources is still driven by its founders’ burden, Hance Dilbeck reported in New Orleans.

“GuideStone exists today because our Southern Baptist Convention churches over a hundred years ago recognized their responsibility to honor and provide for those who pour out their lives in the ministry of the gospel,” said Dilbeck, GuideStone’s president and CEO. “And I’m grateful to God for their foresight.”

At the heart of their ministry, he said, is seeing every servant of Christ finish well by putting in place initiatives that enhance financial security and resilience.

Guidestone gives its report to the SBC Annual Meeting messengers during the Wednesday morning session on June 14. (Photo by Van Payne/The Baptist Paper)

Dilbeck recounted the story of a member of a church where he once served as pastor. The man had served with the International Mission Board (IMB). The former missionary, James Crawford, had the financial freedom in his retirement years to continue investing in ministry in his local community. He started a Spanish-language congregation at his home church, and that church has now helped start more than 30 Hispanic congregations. The freedom Crawford had in his retirement years was because of the faithful provision of the IMB through GuideStone, Dilbeck said.

He ended his report by sharing about what he called GuideStone’s “heartbeat,” the Mission:Dignity program designed to help pastors and pastors’ wives with needs including housing, food and medications. Last year the program served more than 2,800 people. In March, GuideStone trustees voted to establish the O.S. and Susie Hawkins Emergency Grant Fund to perpetually provide for emergency needs of Mission:Dignity recipients, Dilbeck reported.

One hundred percent of gifts given to Mission:Dignity help a retirement-age pastor or widow in need, he said.

“Southern Baptists, you honor the office of pastor; you honor these dear servants of Christ; you honor our Lord Jesus through your abounding generosity to Mission:Dignity. And we are deeply grateful.”

Training for churches

GuideStone fields questions after the annual report during the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting. (Photo by Van Payne/The Baptist Paper)

Dilbeck answered one question following his report. Messenger Richard Bradley from Highland Church in Laurel, Mississippi, asked about the high cost of medical insurance. Dilbeck acknowledged challenges associated with the medical system and with insurance, and noted that GuideStone, which doesn’t receive Cooperative Program money, has to cover its costs amid those challenges. 

GuideStone is working to train churches to take these issues into account when designing pay packages for pastors, he said, so that pastors aren’t forced to choose between their salary and their insurance.

“I commit to you that we’re going to continue to strive to do all we can to hold costs down on medical insurance,” Dilbeck said. “But we’re also working with our state executives and associational leaders to do a better job of training our local churches and our church treasurers, our deacon leadership, on how they can embrace the responsibility to help our pastors address this important need.”

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Baptist Campus Ministry at WKU awarded ‘Best of the Hill’
    Baptist Campus Ministry at WKU awarded ‘Best of the Hill’
    May 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • First person: Celebrating the people you serve, love
    First person: Celebrating the people you serve, love
    May 17, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Looking for the 2025 SBC Book of Reports? It’s available online.
    Looking for the 2025 SBC Book of Reports? It’s available online.
    May 16, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Baptist Campus Ministry at WKU awarded ‘Best of the Hill’

The Baptist Campus Ministry at Western Kentucky University was awarded with the Best of the Hill recognition by the College Heights Herald, the campus newspaper.

First person: Celebrating the people you serve, love

One of the joys of pastoring is celebrating the milestone achievements of the people you serve and love.

Looking for the 2025 SBC Book of Reports? It’s available online.

If you’re looking to brush up on your business and financial reports knowledge ahead of this year’s Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Dallas (June 10–11), the SBC has released its 2025 Book of Reports online.

Second VP role gets second nominee, making it first contested SBC race so far

A second nominee has been announced for second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, making it the first contested race for an SBC post so far this year. Craig Carlisle, current Alabama convention president, will be nominated.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel