FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: James Biesiadecki, coordinator, Conservative Baptist Network Oklahoma state chapter, [email protected]
BARTLESVILLE, Okla.—The Conservative Baptist Network continues to gain momentum across the United States, announcing May 25th the launch of a new state chapter representing Oklahoma.
Leading the Oklahoma chapter as its coordinator is James Biesiadecki, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Bartlesville. Biesiadecki has a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has served with the International Mission Board in Central Asia, has planted churches, and has served in partnerships in church planting, missions, and various capacities in rural and urban settings. He served on the board of directors of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma from 2015-2021 and has been a balanced voice of spiritual leadership in church and convention matters.
With the assurance he has that the state of Oklahoma is a sure, conservative state among Southern Baptists, Biesiadecki desires for the newly-formed state chapter to come alongside the state convention and connect pastors with pastors and churches with churches in order to preserve and promote Baptist distinctives–ultimately strengthening the state and national conventions.
“The Conservative Baptist Network is made up of pastors and church members from the average Southern Baptist church,” he said. “For these churches, preserving and promoting our biblical Baptist distinctives is the goal. We hope to unite those who share these values to strengthen our Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).”
“Uniting with the Baptist Network on a state level hopes to preserve and promote our biblical and Baptist foundations, hold our SBC entities accountable to those standards, and ready our hearts for the revival of our churches,” Biesiadecki said.
Noting underrepresentation and theological drift as the chief emphases that precipitated the formation of the Oklahoma chapter, Biesiadecki is confident that by championing the inerrant and sufficient Word of God, hearts and lives will be changed.
“God’s Word is our sure and steady anchor,” he said. “We champion God’s Word as the foundation and the answer to the perplexing questions of our day because without that focus, we not only risk damage to our churches, seminaries, mission-sending entities, and church planting resources…we end in a weak or counterfeit gospel.”
Rounding out the leadership team alongside Biesiadecki are Michael Cox, pastor of First Baptist Church Pryor; Ronnie Rogers, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Norman; Bill Ascol, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Owasso; Scott Patton, pastor of First Baptist Church Indiahoma; Jared Byrns, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Lawton; Tom Kennedy, pastor First Baptist Church Gracemont; Brandon McConnell, pastor of children/families and biblical counseling at First Baptist Church Dewar; Dustin Owen, pastor of youth at First Baptist Church Bartlesville; and Zac Costello, pastor of First Baptist Church Ochelata; and Todd Davidson, lead pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Duncan.
“The Conservative Baptist Network Oklahoma chapter seeks to unite those in our state that have seen the crisis points and heard the call to lead our Southern Baptist Convention of churches to better days,” Biesiadecki said.
For more information about connecting with the Oklahoma state chapter, visit www.conservativebaptistnetwork.com/oklahoma.
