Down Home: The cap was OK; his head wasn’t_10603

Posted: 10/3/03

DOWN HOME:
The cap was OK; his head wasn't

In most of Texas, we pretty much miss out on one of the most terrific parts of “normal” autumn–beautiful weeks when leaves turn crimson and scarlet and golden and saffron.

But at least the weather's cooled down. And at last we've folded down our tailgates in the parking lot of the purest pinnacle of the sporting universe. Namely, feud season.

MARV KNOX Editor

High school teams have entered the arch-rival grudge match part of their schedules, when “bragging rights” are up for grabs. In college ball, we've got fearsome foes squaring off against each other almost every Saturday. Last weekend, Texas Tech and Texas A&M kicked off another round. This weekend, it's the “granddaddy of them all”–Texas vs. OU.

10/14/2003 - By John Rutledge

EDITORIAL: Baylor: A century of health care_10603

Posted: 10/3/03

EDITORIAL:
Baylor: A century of health care

Almost exactly 100 years ago–Oct. 16, 1903–visionary Texas Baptists founded a hospital that has touched millions of lives. “Is it not now time to start a great humanitarian hospital?” asked George W. Truett, legendary pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas. Cattle baron C.C. Slaughter, one of most the generous laymen anywhere, responded by offering the first donation to make the challenge a reality. Charles McDaniel Rosser, a leading physician, supplied the expertise. Robert Cook Buckner, orphan home founder and owner of the kindest heart ever to beat in Texas, lent credibility as the first board chairman. With such leadership, the Baptist General Convention of Texas signed on. Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium was born.

This month, Baylor Health Care System, the sanitarium's direct descendent, celeberates its 100th anniversary, a fine time to thank God for our far-sighted ancestors' magnificent vision and for how God has multiplied its impact through the decades.

Baylor Health Care System defines itself as a “Christian ministry of healing” that “exists to serve all people through exemplary health care, education, research and community service.”

10/14/2003 - By John Rutledge

EDITORIAL: Measure churches this fall_10603

Posted: 10/3/03

EDITORIAL:
Measure churches this fall

Most Baptists are obsessive measurers. Almost every family with children has a place–maybe the pantry wall or the kitchen doorway–where they measure the kiddoes at the same time every year. Others take pictures of the youngers on the first day of school, always by the same chair or standing in the same spot. Just to see how they've grown. Just to mark the progress of time.

We come by this naturally. Southern Baptists started collecting measurements of their churches in 1870, when they asked the original Sunday School Board to prepare an annual report toting up the tallies on Sundays School statistics. Like most families' annual wall markings and photos, those reports charted growth and change. And the reports changed themselves. For decades, the report was called the Uniform Church Letter, and at one time it contained 150 measurements. Not quite 10 years ago, it became the Annual Church Profile, and it has trimmed down to 51 vital statistics.

Unfortunately, Texas Baptists aren't measuring up to our reputation as measurers, reports Clay Price, the Baptist General Convention of Texas' chief researcher and statistician. The number of Texas Baptist churches that have completed the Annual Church Profile has decreased by 15 percentage points in five years, from 82 percent of churches in 1998 to 67 percent last year. “This means one of every three congregations did not report in 2002,” he observes, noting a couple of good reasons for churches to participate in the annual survey:

10/14/2003 - By John Rutledge

CYBERCOLUMN: ‘Luther’: Big movie, small crowds_younger_10603

Posted 10/6/03

CYBERCOLUMN:
'Luther': Big movie, small crowds

By Brett Younger

Martin Luther is arguably the most important historical figure of the last thousand years. “Luther” isn’t the best movie of the last thousand years, but it is a good movie about a great story.

The film opens with a law student caught in a spectacular lightning storm. Luther is so terrified that he prays to St. Anne, promising he will become a monk if she keeps him from becoming toast. People have gone to seminary for worse reasons.

10/14/2003 - By John Rutledge

CYBERCOLUMN: Accountability_simpson_10603

Posted 10/9/03

CYBERCOLUMN:
Accountability

By Berry D. Simpson

I might as well admit it now: I joined Weight Watchers. I’ve got the starter kit, I’ve weighed in on their special scales, and I’ve attended two meetings in which I was the only male in the room.

I didn’t start off that way. At first what I did was what I always doI I decided to follow the Weight Watchers program without actually joining. I found lots of information on the Internet. I found several lists of foods and their points, and I found lots of tips about how to count points and watch what I do and how to convince myself to stick to my goals, and all that.

Berry D. Simpson

10/14/2003 - By John Rutledge

tidbits_10603

Posted: 10/3/03

Texas Tidbits

Baylor social work rates highly. On the licensure examination of the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners, graduates from the Baylor School of Social Work bachelor of arts program achieved a 100 percent passing rate, and graduates from the Baylor master of social work program achieved an 88 percent passing rate. The passing rates for all schools in Texas are 69 percent for licensure at both levels.

Hispanic School sets record. Fall enrollment at Hispanic Baptist Theological School is the highest in its 56-year history–206 students from 15 countries speaking five languages.

Christopher Hammons

Norm Slosted

HBU names Slosted. Norm Slosted has been named vice president for student affairs at Houston Baptist University. He moves from Hope International University in California, where he was vice president for student affairs. He holds bachelor's and mater's degrees from Azusa Pacific University and is a candidate for the doctor of education degree there.

10/13/2003 - By John Rutledge

Restoration project bolsters historic Texas church_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

Restoration project bolsters historic Texas church

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

ANDERSON–If the walls of Anderson Baptist Church could talk, they would tell stories of early Texas Baptist history.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge

Around the State_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

Jeff Burns	Kimberley Burns	Billy Creech	Ami Creech
Joe Ragan	Tom Reed	Robert Shehane	Carel Shehane

Around the State

Four Hardin-Simmons University graduates received special recognition at commencement exercises May 10. Bethany Teer of Arlington received the Julius Nelson Olsen Medal for having the highest grade average. Paul Matthies of Crawford received the George Skiles Award, and Gina Pavlicek of Shiner was the winner of the Minnie L. Anderson Award. Both awards are given for excelling in character, personal development and service to the university. Kirk Hancock of Abilene was the winner of the Hemphill Graduate Honor Award as the graduate who has excelled in academic studies, possesses character and behavior consistent with the university's purpose and exhibits potential for significant contribution in his chosen field.

Molly Hunt has joined Hardin-Simmons University as an admissions representive.

Hardin-Simmons University's faculty and staff organizations have elected their officers for the coming year. Faculty officers will remain Jaynne Middleton, president; Tina Tarrant, vice president; and Michelle Dose, secretary. Officers of the staff council will be Travis Seekins, president; Don Ashmore, vice president; and Joella Michael, secretary.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge

Baptist Briefs_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

Baptist Briefs

Missionaries' killer sentenced to death. The man accused of killing three Southern Baptist hospital workers has been sentenced to death, his lawyer told the Associated Press. Abed Abdul Razak Kamel, 30, was sentenced to death May 10 for the shooting deaths of Baptist workers William Koehn, Martha Myers and Kathleen Gariety Dec. 30 in Jibla, Yemen. The verdict was given in Jibla, the AP reported. Kamel will appeal, with his lawyer describing the verdict as violating Islamic law.

Alliance links with two other bodies. The Alliance of Baptists has approved a proposed ecumenical agreement with the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that would foster greater cooperation between the groups' leaders, congregations and seminaries. The proposal has not yet been approved by the other bodies.

Directors of missions website launched. Woman's Missionary Union has launched DirectorofMissions.com, an interactive website designed to improve communication among directors of missions, associational staff and other missions-minded leaders. The website is the result of market research, focus-group studies conducted by WMU in 2002 and interviews with various directors of missions from across the country.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge

Panel warns religious freedom at risk in Afghanistan_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

Panel warns religious freedom at risk in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON–An independent panel warned May 13 that religious freedom in Afghanistan is perilously at risk unless the U.S. government presses for greater human rights protections.

In its annual report to Congress, the president and the State Department, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said Afghanistan could again become a repressive Islamic state unless Washington intervenes.

“There are indications that Afghanistan is being reconstructed–without serious U.S. opposition–as a state in which an extreme interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) would be enforced by a government which the United States supports and with which our nation is closely identified,” the nine-member panel warned.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge

Bible Study for Texas for 6_1_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

June 1

Amos 2:4-16

Amos in the eye of the storm

By Bill Shiell

The months of April-November provided interesting times in Pensacola, Fla., the city where I grew up.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge

Bible Study for Texas for 6_8_51903

Posted: 5/19/03

June 8

Amos 3:9-4:3; 5:10-15; 6:4-7; 8:4-6

Prophetic words to the filthy rich

By Bill Shiell

What could cause degradation in a nation of God's chosen people? Amos looks to the root of the problem in the focal passages for this lesson, as he brings judgment on the injustice caused by the lifestyles of the rich and famous followers of God.

10/10/2003 - By John Rutledge