1974-Present
Judson Baptist Church
Burton, Michigan MI
Pastor Greg Rowan has been with the Judson Baptist Church of Burton, MI, for 28 of its 50-year history (writing from the perspective of 2024). He began his ministry as assistant pastor on April Fool’s Day in 1996 and six years later became the senior pastor. The congregation remains involved in the American Baptist Churches, USA, and the Michigan ABC. Pastor Greg and his wife have raised all 6 of their children in this Judson congregation.
The first offering collected on the first meeting of the Judson Baptist Church was an offering for missions thus setting a precedent for the congregation for the next half century. Dr. Claude Adams donated the real estate that the Burton church now uses but he also set the missions focus through his medical ministry in Haiti. The Hospital Bon Samaritan was the focus of that calling and other families from Judson Baptist Church purchased land in Haiti for medical purposes.
Hôpital Bon Samaritan (HBS) was founded in 1953 as a very basic Christian outpatient clinic and grew to be one of Haiti’s principal health centers. The hospital is a project of the Foundation HBS which is a non-profit organization of Florida. The 130-bed facility of the hospital in Limbe has above 90% annual occupancy rate.
Soon a school cropped up in Limbe next to the hospital and Judson Baptist Church became the sole supporter of this educational enterprise paying salaries and providing supplies for this educational enterprise. All of this was tied to a local university, (probably Hospital Universitaire Justinien at Cap Haitien) but much of the school property was lost due to recurring regime changes in Haiti.
The missionary heritage of Judson Baptist Church is seen in one of its products, Dr. Brick Cliff, who grew in in this congregation. He is president of World Impact Now (WIN) ministries and also founder of Nation-2-Nation Christian University. Taking advantage of modern technology and teaching methods, N2NCU is a video-based ministerial school teaching church leaders in over 50 countries world-wide. He and his wife, Beth, also minister through a local congregation in the Houston, TX, area.
Judson Baptist Church has participated in mission trips around the world, specifically to Mexico and China. In the post-pandemic era, the congregation is working cooperatively with neighboring churches in Burton and Flint, MI, to do youth events. worship. evangelism and community service.[1] Ann and Adoniram would be pleased that their name is used by a congregation with missions in its DNA.
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[1] Phone conversation between compiler Jerry Cain and Pastor Greg Rowan, April 12, 2023.