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About the Midwest Lectureship
The Midwest Lectureship convenes each year on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the third week of October. Sermons, Open Forums and Workshops are conducted and designed for the growth, edification and encouragement of Christians who attend. Annual meetings are conducted during this time to provide information to the attendees and solicit suggestions for improvement of the Lectureship. One of the Lectureship highlights each year is the Annual Banquet when a minister in the Midwest is honored for his “work’s sake.”
MWL was born out of the Vision of a few preachers who saw the need to encourage saints in the tri-state area of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The late Bro. William Baker, formerly the minister of the Newburg Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky; the late Samuel Jordan, formerly the minister of the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois; Bro Mayo Towles, the current minister of the Jasper Street Church of Christ in Decatur, Illinois since 1968; Bro Ralph Smith, the current minister of the Centreville Church of Christ in East St. Louis, Illinois since 1972; and a few others, came together in Louisville in 1976 to discuss the formation of the (then) Tri-State Lectureship. The primary purpose was to encourage and build up Christians in that area who otherwise were not able to get such encouragement due to their inability to attend National Lectureships.
While the numbers were few and the challenges were many in the early years, the faith and determination of those men (and many others) did not allow this great endeavor to fail. Through the years, as the Lectureship gradually grew and become more organized and functional, its leadership baton was passed along to the hands of several committed men including W.C. Edwards, Warren Blakney, David Penn, Lovell Hayes and currently Larry Johnson, each serving terms as Chairman of the Lectureship.
As the Lectureship grew in membership, it developed into its current organizational structure, consisting of an Executive Committee (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) and an eight member Advisory Board of “seasoned” ministers. The Lectureship has also expanded to include the current states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee (on a limited basis). Due to its expansion, it is now know as the Midwest Lectureship. The Lectureship has from time to time gone through restructuring with the goal of improving its quality and increasing its quantity.
MWL was born out of the Vision of a few preachers who saw the need to encourage saints in the tri-state area of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The late Bro. William Baker, formerly the minister of the Newburg Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky; the late Samuel Jordan, formerly the minister of the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois; Bro Mayo Towles, the current minister of the Jasper Street Church of Christ in Decatur, Illinois since 1968; Bro Ralph Smith, the current minister of the Centreville Church of Christ in East St. Louis, Illinois since 1972; and a few others, came together in Louisville in 1976 to discuss the formation of the (then) Tri-State Lectureship. The primary purpose was to encourage and build up Christians in that area who otherwise were not able to get such encouragement due to their inability to attend National Lectureships.
While the numbers were few and the challenges were many in the early years, the faith and determination of those men (and many others) did not allow this great endeavor to fail. Through the years, as the Lectureship gradually grew and become more organized and functional, its leadership baton was passed along to the hands of several committed men including W.C. Edwards, Warren Blakney, David Penn, Lovell Hayes and currently Larry Johnson, each serving terms as Chairman of the Lectureship.
As the Lectureship grew in membership, it developed into its current organizational structure, consisting of an Executive Committee (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer) and an eight member Advisory Board of “seasoned” ministers. The Lectureship has also expanded to include the current states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee (on a limited basis). Due to its expansion, it is now know as the Midwest Lectureship. The Lectureship has from time to time gone through restructuring with the goal of improving its quality and increasing its quantity.