About Us

Hi, I’m John Draper, serving as a “church planting catalyst” for southeastern Wisconsin, appointed through the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. After avoiding church altogether in my teens, I had a couple of coworkers who spoke to me about their relationship with Jesus. One of them invited me to a home gathering and Bible study. I started reading the gospel of Matthew and soon understood that my life was broken, and Jesus was real. That day in 1973, I kneeled down by a chair to ask the Lord to save me. Since then I’ve got to let others know the best thing that ever happened to me was placing my life in His hands.

The next best thing…my wife and I were married in 1980, and three months later we dove into a church planting opportunity. Here we discovered that going wherever God calls is an adventure, and there are no better plans for our lives than God’s plan. We have a son and a lovely daughter-in-law.

I love exploring places and cultures I’ve not experienced before, new recipes, and being with other people who are spiritually hungry for the Word of God.  I get to work with churches in God’s calling for them and for me: so together we can plant more churches: Let’s Live Acts 1:8.

We belong to a network of churches known as Lakeland Baptist Association: 40+ churches of diverse language, race, and vocations. We’ve come together having been led by God to ask how we might increase the “catch” for God in the seven counties we serve:  Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha counties included. 

As new churches are “birthed” or planted, it will be through sending churches. “Association” is a family or network of   sister churches, and spiritual aunts and uncles. To learn more about us, our missions purpose, and what kinds of training and ministry we do together, please contact me – or call Charlotte Sinclair, our Administrative Associate at lbageneral@tds.net or (414) 481-4944.

As we strive to serve Christ, we feel our kinship with others who  believe the Bible and the historic teachings of our Christian faith.   This faith says We are a people “sent”.

…the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”