Posted: 11/24/03

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Nov. 30

Paul demonstrated God's life-changing power

Acts 21:27–22:29

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

With his third missionary journey completed, Paul faced the threat of Jewish hostility in Jerusalem. While at Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus had come from Judea to warn Paul of the danger awaiting him in Jerusalem. Those traveling with Paul (including Luke), along with fellow believers in Caesarea, pleaded with him not to continue to Jerusalem. Paul told his well-meaning friends he was convinced it was the Lord's will that he go, and he was ready to die in Jerusalem for the sake of Christ if that be God's plan. Paul was received with joy by his Christian brothers in Jerusalem. They glorified God when Paul completed his report concerning God's mighty work among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Facing Satan's fury

Even though the Jerusalem Council earlier had won liberty from the Jewish law for the Gentile believers out in the empire (Acts 15; 21:25), there were yet many thousands of Jewish believers in Judea who were still “zealous for the law” of Moses. False rumors had reached Jerusalem that Paul had urged Jewish believers to forsake Moses' law and Jewish customs. They had falsely accused Paul of bringing Trophimus, a Gentile believer from Ephesus, into the temple with him. This was considered a blasphemous act. Mob violence resulted, and news of the riot reached the captain of the Roman garrison who quickly brought his troops to quell the disturbance.

The captain, not able to extract a coherent charge from the seething mob, bound Paul and ordered him removed to their barracks in the Castle of Antonia in the northwest corner of the temple area. Paul was likely closer to losing his life than he had ever been before. Ironically, because of the impartial justice of the pagan Romans, Paul's life was saved.

Bearing witness under difficult circumstances

In the midst of the screaming, bloodthirsty mob calling for Paul's life, the soldiers struggled to get Paul safely inside their barracks in the castle. Paul, not wanting to miss a single opportunity to bear witness for Christ, made an amazing request of his captors. He asked for permission to address that furious mob of people clamoring for his life. The captain was stunned when Paul addressed him in flawless Greek. He had already decided Paul might be a certain Egyptian who, some years before, had led a band of desperados to the Mount of Olives. He had promised that he could cause the walls of Jerusalem to fall down. The Romans intervened and arrested his followers, although the Egyptian leader escaped.

Paul quickly gave his credentials to the captain and asked to speak to the people. Permission was granted, and when Paul began to speak in the Hebrew tongue, an eerie silence fell across the mob.

Defending the faith

What happened the next few moments that day in Jerusalem was a remarkable evidence of the authority of the Holy Spirit manifested through one of God's servants. From his elevated position on the steps of the castle, Paul lifted his hand toward the crowd for attention and spoke to them in their mother tongue. “Brethren and fathers” probably was the accepted form of formal address in any assembly where both scribes and elders were present. “Brethren” also may have expressed Paul's love for his own fellow Jews, and “fathers” showed his respect for the eminent rulers of the Jews, some of whom may have been in the crowd.

Paul gave something of a biographical sketch of his life. He admitted his zeal toward God, which meant he was committed without reservation to keeping and guarding the law. He confessed he had persecuted the followers of Christ. He described the lengths to which he had gone in his acts of defiance–persecuting believers “to the death.” He may have been referring to the part he played in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60). He continued the painful account of his crusade against Christ's followers by relating the turning point in his life, his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, his temporary blindness, and the meeting with Ananias.

At this point, Paul boldly declared how, through Ananias, God had revealed his plan for Paul's life. Three things were predominant in these divine instructions to Paul: (1) he would know God's will because of his submission to Jesus Christ; (2) he was appointed “to see the righteous One,” which fulfilled one of the requirements of apostleship and (3) he would receive God's message which he would communicate “to all men.” Ananias then urged Paul to be baptized, “calling on his name.” Paul complied with Jesus' command (Matthew 28:19).

His baptism was more than a formal or ceremonial act. Repentance and saving faith are clearly evident in Paul's actions. Paul had a clear concept of “the washing of regeneration” and “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5), which came from his own personal experience with Christ.

Questions for discussion

How was the power of the gospel revealed in Paul's life?

What is the most effective evidence of the power of the gospel in your life?

Posted: 11/24/03

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Dec. 7

Joy can be discovered through giving to others

2 Corinthians 8:1-24

By David Jenkins

New Hope Baptist Church, Big Sandy

In our generation, “getting” is emphasized far more than “giving.” With many, acquiring and stockpiling things is an obsession. Somewhere along the way, we have developed the attitude that “what I have is mine, and you can get yours the same way I got mine!” Yet when Christians discover there is greater pleasure in giving than receiving, a fulfilling and inexpressible joy results.

The setting of this study grows out of the condition existing in the Jerusalem church. The believers were experiencing extreme poverty. The cause is not revealed, nor is it important, for when a person is suffering the focus should be on doing all we can to relieve the pain. Delaying our help in order to analyze the worthiness of the receiver can come dangerously close to judging one's fellowman.

Encouraging generosity through example

Between the time Paul told the Corinthians of the need for an offering to help the impoverished believers in Jerusalem (before 1 Corinthians was written) to the time of the writing of 2 Corinthians, relations between Paul and the Corinthian believers had been strained. Every chapter in 1 Corinthians contains rebuke and corrections for what was going on in the church. In addition to a sordid catalogue of sins that had surfaced, the Judaizers had begun a movement to discredit Paul. Paul sent Titus to deal with the matter, and he was used of the Lord to rectify the situation and put the Corinthians once more on the right course. Knowing this, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to encourage the church to complete the offering they had begun earlier, which apparently had been temporarily abandoned.

Paul found great joy in giving praise where it was due. With genuine delight, he wrote of the generosity of the Macedonian believers, and he longed to be able to offer the same gratitude to God for the Corinthians. They were so moved with the desire to share with their fellow believers in Jerusalem that they gave more than they were able to give. Knowing their limited resources, Paul may have been hesitant to receive their abundant gifts. He was deeply touched by their insistence that he receive their offering. They were not coerced to give. Their gracious sharing was totally voluntary.

Furthermore, the Macedonians “gave themselves first.” They may indeed have offered themselves for the work of the gospel. Like the widow Jesus commended who gave “all her living,” the Macedonians gave themselves in absolute dependence on God's care. Then, in all earnestness, Paul commended the Corinthians for the way in which they were excelling in the Christian graces, urging them to excel likewise in the grace of giving.

Managing what God has given

After citing the example the Macedonians had set in their giving, Paul moved to the ultimate example set by the Lord Jesus Christ. He emphasized that Christ's giving did not begin on the cross, nor even with his lowly birth. It began in heaven, when he set aside his glory and came to earth. With that magnificent demonstration of giving, how could any believer hold back?

A year before, the Corinthians had led out in being the first to support this offering. After the unfortunate interruption because of the problems in the church, they were again filled with the desire to give. They must match that desire by putting their words and intentions into action.

Many times we leave a conference where missionaries have shared the overwhelming needs on their fields of service, and we are convicted to give generously to support those endeavors. Often, however, we lose the edge of our enthusiasm and we fail to carry through by matching our giving with our excitement.

Insisting on integrity in giving

It was no accident that Paul was inspired to include these “housekeeping” matters in this portion of his letter. They reveal the careful attention Paul gave in dealing with any issue, and particularly this one involving money. His personal integrity in money matters was beyond reproach. He discouraged gifts sent to him, and insisted on “making tents” to support himself and his ministry. He did not do this to establish a precedent against supporting God's servants. In his particular situation, he felt it necessary to do nothing to give his enemies reason to accuse him of preaching for material gain.

In the matter of this offering collected from the churches, Paul wanted all of the details clearly laid out and understood. He asked the Corinthian church to choose certain individuals to be responsible for the offering collected and to personally deliver it to the church in Jerusalem.

In contemporary times, Billy Graham has been a model of integrity regarding money collected during his evangelistic crusades. To be certain that the way in which the money was handled would not be a source of criticism, he established a board of Christian businessmen to oversee these matters.

Giving to help others is essential to spiritual growth. As we do so, we are emulating the Lord Jesus Christ who taught us, by example, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Questions for discussion

What are some factors that should motivate Christians to give?

Why is it “more blessed to give than to receive”?

Posted: 11/24/03

Baylor names Kim Gaynor interim vice president

WACO–Kim Gaynor has been named interim vice president for university relations at Baylor University.

The interim post has been filled by Larry Brumley, associate vice president for university relations, since Feb. 1, when Vice President Stan Madden returned to the classroom.

Kim Gaynor

Gaynor has held a long career in advertising, most recently with Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt, the largest advertising agency in the United States and the fifth-largest worldwide.

Gaynor earned the bachelor of business administration degree in marketing and finance in 1966 from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the 1963 national championship football team. He began his career in 1967 in Cincinnati with Procter & Gamble Co. Two years later, he joined Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising in Los Angeles as assistant to the chairman. He rose to management supervisor and vice president, where he guided the agency's largest account, Mazda Motors of America, to become one of the fastest-selling brands in the U.S.

From 1975 to 1982, Gaynor served as senior vice president and director of client services for McCann Erickson Advertising in Houston. He returned to Austin in 1982 and spent the next five years as executive vice president and agency principal with GSD&M Advertising, a firm created by five entrepreneurs from the University of Texas.

In 1987, Gaynor joined Bozell/Dallas as executive vice president, chairman of the executive committee and director of client services. Three years later, he assumed leadership of Bozell's office in Detroit as executive vice president and general manager. He went on to serve as president of the firm's Chrysler Team USA and executive vice president of DaimlerChrysler USA and Mexico.

Gaynor's wife, Brenda, is a Baylor graduate. They have two children, Brandon, who is a sophomore at Baylor, and Morgan, who is in the fourth grade. The Gaynors reside in Amarillo.

Posted: 11/24/03

The recent house dedication featured a visit by Habitat founder Millard Fuller (second from left on back row). He is shown with Julie Turner, chairwoman of the DBU board; DBU President Gary Cook; WFAA-TV meteorologist Troy Dungan; new homeowner Dee Wright; and Blair Blackburn, DBU's executive vice president.	The DBU chapter built the latest Habitat house for Dallas resident Dee Wright, and her 17-year-old son, D.J. Students, faculty and staff constructed the home on campus, and it is being moved to the nearby Oak Cliff community. The photograph above shows the house in the early stages of framing.

Fuller: Help Habitat build character

By Marv Knox

Editor

DALLAS–Habitat for Humanity needs Baptists to help preserve its Christian character, founder Millard Fuller pleaded.

Fuller and his wife, Linda, launched Habitat in 1976 to provide “a simple, decent good place in which to live” for every person on Earth.

Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity.

The Fullers visited Dallas to accept the Maston Award for applied Christian ethics from the T.B. Maston Foundation. Prior to his death, Maston taught Christian ethics to generations of ministers at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and guided Baptists toward racial reconciliation.

The Fullers also helped Dallas Baptist University dedicate the latest home constructed by the DBU Habitat chapter, comprised of students, faculty and staff.

Habitat has built almost 160,000 homes for nearly 1 million people all over the globe, Fuller reported. Habitat completes a house every 26 minutes, working through chapters in 3,700 cities and 92 countries.

“I have a deep concern that Habitat for Humanity remain firmly a Christian ministry,” said Fuller, the organization's president. “From the beginning, I have seen Habitat as a new frontier in Christian missions–a creative and new way to proclaim the gospel.

“The missionary enterprise has been going on for many, many years, and there have been traditional ways to do missionary work–hospitals, schools, agriculture, preaching, revivals–and all of that is authentic. There's nothing wrong with that.

“But I see Habitat for Humanity as a new and creative work to do what we are commanded to do in Matthew 28, which is to proclaim the gospel, and proclamation occurs in many ways–verbal and incarnational.”

Incarnational proclamation involves living out the gospel, much like Jesus did when he came to Earth to demonstrate God's love for people, Fuller explained. “The prophets had proclaimed God's word, but God chose to send his Son, Jesus, as the message of his love.”

Ironically, success may be the biggest impediment to Fuller's vision, he conceded. Habitat has attracted millions of volunteers who want to help end poverty by providing affordable housing.

“Some of them are not Christians,” he noted. “We have an open-door policy” to accept all volunteers who want to build homes in order to end poverty. Consequently, people of all kinds of faiths and no faith have stepped up to participate.

This trend offers a couple of benefits. First, more homes get built. And second, since Habitat crews begin each day with a devotional and prayer and Christians work on the projects, the non-Christian workers theoretically receive a spiritual witness when they work on a project.

But if evangelical Christians don't do their part, if they get crowded out, then Habitat could lose its Christian flavor and the spark of its witness, Fuller fretted.

“My greatest concern for Habitat for Humanity is going secular,” he said. “It's not foreordained that this ministry remain a strong Christian ministry. All that it will take for Habitat to go secular is for Christians to stay away from it.”

Consequently, Fuller has been focusing his attention on challenging Baptists and other evangelical Christians to get involved in Habitat.

“We urgently need (Baptists), not just to saw boards and pound nails, but to have a presence on site that introduces people to Jesus,” he stressed. “But you can't do that without presence, … without Christians on site.”

Fuller gets most frustrated with his “evangelical brethren” who tell him they're uncomfortable on a Habitat work site with non-Christians.

Because of the scope of Habitat's mission–“to end poverty housing on Earth”–the organization cannot afford to turn away volunteers, Fuller said.

“We have an open door to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, atheists, agnostics, whoever wants to join us, but we are Christian,” he said. “In that sense, we are no different from a church. The church says, 'Whosoever will may come.'

“A church should rejoice if an atheist wants to come, … but the pastor doesn't alter the sermon. If anything it is stronger.”

Presbyterians and Methodists have provided the strongest support to Habitat, but Fuller is singling out Baptists.

“I want to issue the strongest possible appeal to Baptists to come out and join us, to keep Habitat for Humanity faithful to its founding principles,” he said.

Those principles are distinctively Baptist, Fuller insisted, pointing out Habitat's Baptist lineage.

The Fullers founded Habitat in 1976 out of Koinonia Farm, a Christian community near Americus, Ga. Two Baptist couples–Clarence and Florence Jordan and Martin and Mabel England–sought to model Christian justice and racial reconciliation on the farm.

The Fullers are members of Maranatha Baptist Church in nearby Plains, Ga. And Habitat's most famous volunteers, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, also are members of the church.

“From the very beginning, the leadership of Habitat for Humanity has been Baptist,” Fuller said. “But that deep Baptist connection is not known by a lot of Baptists.”

The Fullers' trip to Texas highlighted their Baptist connections. Southwestern Seminary professor T.B. Maston, for whom their award is named, was a contemporary with Clarence Jordan in the civil rights movement.

And Dallas Baptist University President Gary Cook has been a longtime Habitat supporter. In 1987, Cook, then an administrator at Baylor University, helped organize Habitat's first official student organization at Baylor.

The DBU chapter built the latest Habitat house for Dallas resident Dee Wright, and her 17-year-old son, D.J. Students, faculty and staff constructed the home on campus, and it is being moved to the nearby Oak Cliff community.

Posted: 11/24/03

Where are the large Hispanic churches in Texas?

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

According to the 2000 census, 6.7 million Hispanics live in Texas. The Baptist General Convention of Texas relates to more than 1,200 Hispanic churches, a ratio of one congregation per 5,500 Hispanic resident.

But only one Hispanic BGCT-affiliated church has more 2,000 members. None average more than 1,000 people in a worship service.

In a state known for large Baptist churches, where are all the large Hispanic churches?

Hispanic Texas Baptist leaders believe such churches have not formed yet because of a combination of socio-economic reasons. But they see larger Hispanic Baptist churches on the horizon.

The major reason Hispanic churches have stayed small is a flawed approach to starting churches, according to Roland Lopez, pastor of Northwest Hispanic Baptist Church in San Antonio.

When congregations started missions in years past, they were designed to remain permanently reliant on the mother church. Mission church buildings were constructed to hold a maximum of 150 people. Without substantial funds, these potential churches would continue to be missions.

Over time, members of Hispanic Baptist mission churches have grown to think they never can be large churches, Lopez said. “It was conditioned that it can only go that far.”

Gus Reyes, ethnic consultant for the BGCT Center for Strategic Evangelism, ties the lack of large Hispanic Baptist churches directly to the lack of leadership trained in the skills needed to run a large church.

College and seminary training, coupled with experience with multi-member church staffs, are foundational in helping ministers understand how to lead staff and larger groups of people, Reyes said.

“The academic training gives you the vision, scope and skills to manage staff and issues found in a large church,” he said. “It gives you the tools. I'm not saying you need that to have a big church. It just gives you the tools needed for success in managing and leading a large church.”

Frank Palos, associate coordinator for the BGCT Church Health and Growth Section, believes many Hispanic churches fail to grow large because of their fondness for family and closeness. When a congregation gets large enough that an individual does not know everyone, members tend to find a smaller church where they have a relationship with each member.

“The Hispanic culture enjoys the intimacy,” Palos said. “The closeness of the folk may be a factor why Hispanics don't gather in large numbers.”

While Hispanics enjoy being close to their biological and church families, they can be separated by language preferences, Palos added. As later generations mature and draw closer to American culture, they limit their use of Spanish and often move into English-speaking congregations.

This movement limits the size of Spanish-speaking congregations that focus primarily on the needs of immigrants, Palos continued. While Anglo churches tend to minister to children's needs and assume parents will come too, Hispanic congregations serve the parents and assume the children also will come.

Accelerating the divide between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Hispanics is the lack of substantial youth or children's ministries in the ethnic churches, Palos said. When there is a program, it is conducted in English and further separates children from parents.

Hispanic churches are forced to choose how they are going to minister to the community, Palos continued. And that choice can determine the impact of the congregation.

“Our folk are really at the crossroads of diversity,” he said. “Do we do a ministry for kids which would be in English? Do we do an all-Spanish ministry for adults? Or do we attempt a bilingual ministry? It's difficult to do ministry in one language. It's even harder to do it in two or more languages.”

Despite these factors against growth, BGCT leaders believe large Hispanic churches will arise. Reyes points to mega-churches in South America and Mexico, as well as several large non-Baptist Hispanic churches in the United States, as models for the future.

“It's already being done. It's just not as visible in Texas,” he said. “I think we're on our way. We will see mega-sized Hispanic churches fulfilling the Great Commission in the near future.”

Lopez believes reaching third- and fourth-generation Hispanics is key in growing a large ethnic church. Later generations often have the economic stability and power their predecessors did not have, he said. This allows churches to have a larger budget to work with.

Palos is quick to remind that numbers are not the “sole measuring stick” of success for a Hispanic congregation. A church's impact on people and the community around it is more important to Hispanics than numbers. Attendance, membership and budget size are less important than people.

Several churches of a couple hundred people can be as effective as a large church of several thousand, Palos said. “If they are ministering to people inside and outside the church, they are doing their job.”

Posted: 11/24/03

Wanted: Trained Hispanic pastors

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Trained Hispanic pastors are a precious commodity, both because of their value and their scarcity.

While the Hispanic population grows by leaps and bounds and the Baptist General Convention of Texas Church Multiplication Center intentionally launches an increased number of congregations to serve the population, qualified Hispanic ministers remain in short supply.

The severe lack of trained pastors has left many of the 1,250 Hispanic congregations across the state without educated leadership and slowed the development of strong institutions, said Gus Reyes, ethnic consultant in the BGCT Center for Strategic Evangelism. More striking, there are only a handful of people serving as full-time ministers of education or youth in these churches.

Roland Lopez, pastor of Northwest Hispanic Baptist Church in San Antonio, places the blame for this problem squarely on the local church.

Congregations generally do not understand leadership development as part of reaching and discipling individuals, he said. “The local church has failed to train and disciple leadership. Leadership is not born. It is made.”

When a church leads a person to faith in Christ, the congregation has started a journey that lasts as long as the person is part of the church, Lopez argued. Members must continually invest in each other and help them “bear the fruit” of the faith.

Reyes agrees with Lopez's assessment, but he believes the situation is even more complex. Congregations should encourage their members to get educated, he added.

An overwhelming number of Hispanic pastors do not have a college degree, he pointed out. Statistically, the highest level of education achieved by Hispanics nationwide is:

Associate degree, 8 percent.

Bachelor's degree, 5.6 percent.

Master's degree, 3.8 percent.

Doctoral degree, 4.5 percent.

Among Baptists, many Hispanics who hold postgraduate degrees serve on the denominational level rather than in local congregations.

The problem is not that Hispanics are not graduating from programs; rather, they are not enrolling. One in five Hispanics ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in college in 2000, compared to almost two in five Anglos, according to a study published by the Public Agenda for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Excluding the Baptist University of the Americas, where 90 percent of the students are Hispanic, the ethnic group is not looking to Texas Baptist seminaries to attain degrees.

At Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary, 5.4 percent of this year's student body is Hispanic. At Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon School of Theology, slightly more than 3 percent of the current student body is Hispanic.

At Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, there are 69 Hispanic students, accounting for 2.4 percent of the current student body.

As well as pushing education, Reyes and his pastor, Rolando Rodriguez at Hampton Place Baptist Church in Dallas, are training students in the ministry themselves. College students are invited to serve as interns in certain aspects of the work, such as youth ministry.

The students then develop a conference plan in that ministry area and give seminars around the state about what they have learned. The program is designed to help spread information throughout Hispanic churches and help members lead conferences in other Hispanic congregations, Reyes said.

The church hopes to expand the program to include surrounding Hispanic congregations that would facilitate an internship for selected Dallas Baptist University students.

“It's based on the local church,” Reyes said. “If you can't do it on the local church level, you have no business doing it on the state level.”

The program stems from Reyes' belief that getting a degree is not enough for Hispanics. They must be trained in the work with an emphasis on leadership development. A ministry internship is key to their college experience.

He also hopes the training will help unite students with Hispanic churches that are competing with all other churches for their gifts.

“We increase the odds when we connect them with a Hispanic church during their college years and they have an internship experience,” he said.

When the education level of Hispanics increases, so will the earning power of individuals, Reyes argued. This will help congregations afford full-time qualified staff.

Mario Ramos, interim dean of student services at the Baptist University of the Americas, hopes Reyes is correct. The school prides itself on having curriculum that leads Hispanics who may not speak English or have high school diplomas to get a bachelor's degree and be prepared for church staff work or a master's degree program.

Ramos is pleased that 100 percent of BUA's graduates either move on to a master's-degree program or find church staff positions. However, many Hispanics trained in Texas leave the state for jobs after graduation.

Churches in other states offer better salaries and benefits, Ramos explained. In Texas, Hispanic graduates enter a cycle where churches cannot afford a full-time employee, but a church does not grow without that full-time help.

“It's a lack of money among Hispanics,” Ramos bemoaned. “We just don't make enough money to support” full-time ministers.

So the demand for Hispanic leaders in Texas continues. Reyes receives at least a call a month from Anglo pastors looking to hire Hispanics. Bilingual and bicultural ministers are snatched up as quickly as they put out resumes.

One focus for the Center for Strategic Evangelism's activities for 2004 includes encouraging Hispanic youth to get educated and respond to a call to the ministry, Reyes said.

He hopes this will help churches put pieces of leadership development into a systematic effort.

“Leadership is more than a seminar,” Reyes noted. “The strategic leadership development plan must be holistic. This means we work on all the pieces. It becomes an entry-to-exit and on-to-deployment approach. It's investing in someone whether you get credit or not.”

A lack of leadership hurts churches and their members, the Texas Baptists reminded. Leaders give direction and help members develop to guide the church in the future. If Texas Baptists are to reach the population demographers project Texas to be in the near future, it will be through the coming Hispanic leaders.

Posted: 11/24/03

Irving church changes course for Thanksgiving meal

By George Henson

Staff Writer

IRVING–A church with a history of ministry to its community on Thanksgiving will have a slightly more personal touch this year.

In years past, Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving ministered to families living in apartment complexes throughout the city. For 11 years, a ministry called Serving Irving grew to involve 800 volunteers feeding 4,000 people on Thanksgiving.

This year, Minister of Missions Bob Harper determined to turn the tables and reach out to the community in a different way.

“Serving Irving has been a great ministry, but I think maybe it's been more for our people rather than the people being ministered to,” he said. “I've really been burdened that we don't really feed hungry people. We do include the homeless, but they have other sources of meals during the holidays. Then it occurred to me, 'Why not serve our international friends?'”

The church's ministry to internationals has taken off this year, with more than 120 coming each Wednesday to learn English, study the Bible, learn to make crafts and fellowship with friends.

Church teams will take Thanksgiving dinner to families who sign up through the Wednesday morning ministry to internationals. Those delivering the food also will take chairs so they may stay and eat with the family if invited. Along with the food, each family also will receive a copy of the “Jesus” film in English and a Bible in their native language.

Sixty-six families have signed up to have sliced turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes and dressing brought to their home.

The majority are Hispanic, but they hail from about 10 South and Central American countries.

Harper acknowledged there are many unknowns involved with changing the ministry in mid-stream. Some who had volunteered with Serving Irving for years have opted to spend this Thanksgiving with their own families. As a matter of fact, with only two weeks left before Thanksgiving, only 21 serving groups had signed up.

Don Hoaldridge, a deacon, said he is excited by the new way of serving Thanksgiving dinner.

“This will be a more effective way to minister to people. Before, we would just take the food to a central location at the apartment complex and they would tend to come and get their food and take it back to their apartments. We didn't get a lot of opportunity to interact with them. This way will give us a greater chance to sit and talk with them and share with them and maybe even have the opportunity to lead someone to Christ,” he said.

Maintenance Director Bill Holt has headed the cooking team of Serving Irving from the beginning. Holt and his team of about 20 volunteers work a full day Wednesday preparing the food and then rise early Thanksgiving morning to do the actual cooking.

Even though only 66 families have requested assistance this year, that could translate into 600 people served, Harper said, because “a lot of people tend to live in each household.”

The desire to serve has drawn many to the church to serve, even though they're not church members.

Many people bring pies to accompany the meals. Wanda Bush will bring two pumpkin pies this year, as she has each year.

“I do it because I love the Lord, and we want to show these people what the United States is all about. About the love that is here, and that our God has feet,” she said.

Posted: 11/24/03

LifeWay launches site to download Christian tunes

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–LifeWay Christian Resources last week launched a new digital music download service with no monthly subscription fees.

The Southern Baptist Convention publishing house will offer downloads of single songs for 99 cents and complete albums for $10 to $12.

The service, conducted through a partnership with online music pioneer Liquid Digital Media, is the first of its kind available through a Christian retailer.

“LifeWay is seeking to bridge the illegal-downloads divide by providing people with an easy, affordable and legal way to download their favorite Christian artists,” said Mark King, vice president of direct marketing for LifeWay Christian Stores.

LifeWay's new service requires no monthly subscription fee or special software to download. All songs are offered in Windows Media format. Once a customer purchases a song, the file can be downloaded to a PC with unlimited transfers to portable devices and burning capabilities.

Downloading songs without paying for them has been an industrywide problem for years. Illegal downloads and copying are cited as a major reason why Christian music sales have fallen for the first time in two years, according to John Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association.

“Illegal downloads have been a growing problem in the Christian community, and they are causing economic harm to everyone involved in the music industry,” Styll said. “We applaud LifeWay for taking this leadership role in offering digital music downloads for purchase on the Internet, as it is a practical solution to this very real problem.”

The site address is www.lifewaystores .com/getmusic.

Posted: 11/24/03

Nacogdoches church builds interest in missions with house

By George Henson

Staff Writer

NACOGDOCHES–Africa is home to missionary Terry Bell and his family. But now their home church has provided them with a comfortable house for use on stateside leave.

First Baptist Church of Nacogdoches spent more than $160,000 building and furnishing the home the Bells have stayed in since June. It is a missionary residence that will be used continuously by missionaries on leave.

Pastor Allen Reed, missionaries Twila and Terry Bell and Associate Pastor Bobby Smith show off the new missionary residece in Nacogdoches.

That money invested in the home does not reflect its full value, Associate Pastor Bobby Smith said, because so much of the labor and materials were donated.

“On the open market, this home would probably be somewhere around $200,000,” he said. “Our philosophy is that we want the best for missionary families. For the most part, we all live very comfortably, and we want them to live comfortably.”

The church demonstrates a commitment to missions in many ways, Pastor Allen Reed said. It gives 10 percent of undesignated receipts to the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program, about $28,000 to the local association and an additional $130,000 each year to other mission endeavors.

The house first was conceived by the church's long-range planning committee, which thought providing a place for missionaries to stay during furloughs would be a good ministry for the church.

The Bells, who were members of the church for many years prior to their move to Africa about eight years ago, lived in a house rented by the church on their last furlough three years ago. Visualizing them being the first missionary family to live in the new house “really sparked interest in building the house,” Smith said.

One of those who took a keen interest was Kerry Powell, a general contractor and church member.

“He came up after one of our informational meetings and said he wanted to be a part,” Smith recalled. “He also said that if the Lord took care of his business, he would never draw a salary” for his work on the house.

Soon, Powell's business took off to such a degree that he couldn't get to some of it for months. He supervised the entire missionary house project without a paycheck.

Numerous other people also donated labor or sold materials at cost–the front door, mini-blinds and furniture. Some items, like the plumbing fixtures, were donated outright. That enabled the church to provide a 2,300-square-foot home at a reduced cost.

The contractor who painted the house joined the church recently after first visiting when the job began, Reed said. “They wanted to be a part of a missions-minded church.”

One of Smith's favorite parts of the project was that Powell allowed him and a few others to help the framing crew. “I just learned so much cutting wood and just being a 'go-fer,' he said.

Church members also did the roofing and laid the grass. Building the house ignited an interest in missions for many members of the church, Smith said.

While the house has elevated the interest in missions for some, Smith said, it probably would not have been built if so many of the members hadn't already participated in local, national and international missions projects themselves.

Missions involvement is “the overwhelming tidal wave in our church right now,” he said. “When people get personally involved in missions, their lives are changed.”

Posted: 11/24/03

Baylor nursing students care for neglected Texas community

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ITASCA–A short while ago, people in Itasca often drove more than 30 miles for medical care. Soon medical care will be ringing the doorbells of their homes.

Students from Baylor University's School of Nursing family nurse practitioner program will begin providing care at the clinic recently opened in the heart of Itasca, and they will make regular visits to some people in their homes.

Itasca lies in a triangular-shaped point of Hill County, with Johnson and Ellis counties nearby.

Clinic director Lisa Taylor, office manager Darla Fender and registered nurse Gracie Faulkner have opened the Baylor clinic in Itasca to help train family practice nurses and give aid to the neglected community.

Professor Lisa Taylor, who lives in Maypearl, was well aware of the need for a closer health-care provider in the area. The clinic, which opened Oct. 1, is housed in the same building the community's only doctor used before he closed his doors in 1999.

“The people in this area have been just going wherever, or more often than not, they haven't been going anywhere,” Taylor said. A study conducted in preparation for submitting a grant request showed that when residents did seek medical care, they drove an average of 30.1 miles.

Taylor worked almost a year on the project in addition to her teaching duties at the nursing school in Dallas. The grant was awarded in July, but Baylor attorneys investigated the school's liabilities before giving the go-ahead for the Oct. 1 opening.

Currently, the facility is being run by Taylor, registered nurse Gracie Faulkner and office manager Darla Fender. All three women are long-time residents of the area and are thrilled to be meeting their neighbors' needs.

That is reflected in the hours the clinic is open: Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, noon to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The people around here don't need another 8-to-5. They need someone when they get home from work and find out their child is sick and when they wake up on Saturday morning and their child is running a fever,” Taylor said. “It's really crazy for the people who have to work here, but for the people who need us we're there.”

The looks of the staff will soon be changing, however. A permanent medical provider is scheduled to begin work at the clinic Dec. 17, freeing up Taylor to concentrate on her primary task as far as the clinic is concerned. “My job is to make sure all the grant funds are used the way they are supposed to be used,” she said.

Once the spring semester starts, the eight family nurse practioner students set for spring graduation also will begin providing care while receiving additional training. Each student is required to work 450 volunteer hours during the final semester prior to graduation.

“They basically work four days a week for free,” Taylor explained. About a third of their time will be spent at the Itasca site, with the other hours spent at two other Baylor-sponsored clinics.

The clinic has not yet been approved as a Medicaid or Medicare provider, so when people under those programs come in for treatment, “we treat them and basically just eat the cost,” Taylor said.

They clinic also is awaiting clearance to make claims on insurance providers, so at present the clinic collects only the co-pays and writes off the rest.

Both of those hurdles should be cleared soon, however.

Even then, some people have no insurance and are not under any government assistance program. The clinic will employ a sliding scale fee for those patients, based on federal poverty guidelines and the number of people in the home. A typical fee in such cases could be $10 to $15.

Some people cannot afford even that amount, however, so the clinic is working with the local ministerial alliance to fund charity care through exchange of services.

“That way we can tell them: 'We realize you don't have any money, but we are offering you a service, and we want you to do a service for us. We need you to mow Mrs. Jones' yard,'” Taylor explained. “I just don't believe free is the answer, and I think in this community they would prefer a way to pay for what they receive.”

Taylor believes the clinic will be a good fit for training nurses in the family nurse practitioner program.

“Our program is designed for missionary nurses who are going to serve the underserved, many in rural areas just like this one,” she said. “One of the things they will learn is how to be creative to keep costs low enough for the people to get the treatment they need. Most of them have said this is the kind of nursing they want to do, and we are giving them the opportunity to actually do it.”

The clinic also will further Baylor's Vision 2012 goals to be a university that combines academic excellence with Christian ministry, she said. “This is 2012. You're talking stewardship; you're talking service. We can feel free to pray with our patients and at the same time make sure they are getting excellent medical care, whether they are underinsured or uninsured.”

Posted: 11/24/03

On the Move

Bob Acker to Second Church in Dallas as pastor.

Jeff Bauman to Eaves Tabernacle Church in Leesburg as pastor.

Leamon Blalock to Douglassville Church in Douglassville as pastor.

Terry Bratton has resigned as pastor of Hamby Church in Abilene.

Tommy Brisco to First Church in Corpus Christi as interim pastor.

Jared Brown to First Church in Godley as music director, where he had been interim.

Sonny Buie to Petty's Chapel in Corsicana as pastor.

Joshua Burns has resigned as minister of music at First Church in Joshua.

Eddie Castaneda to Immanuel Church in Abilene as associate pastor.

Clayton Chancy to Twin Cities Church in Sherman as youth and music minister from First Church in Woodrow, where he was youth minister.

J.R. Chaney has completed an interim pastorate at Second Church in Dallas.

Glenn Connell to Calvary Church in Talco as pastor.

Curtis Crofton to Westside Church in Tyler as interim pastor.

Ron Curtis to First Church in Leander as pastor.

Terry Davis to Hainesville Church in Mineola as pastor.

Justin Dunn to Lytle South Church in Abilene as youth pastor.

Chad Frizzell to First Church in Lockney as youth minister.

Phillip Garvin has resigned as pastor of Forreston Church in Forreston.

Scott Garvin to Immanuel Church in Abilene as pastor.

Matthew Gilmore has resigned as pastor of Pleasant Valley Church in Jonesboro.

Antonio Green to Zion Chapel Church in Taylor as pastor.

Leonard Hall to Shiloh Church in Ralls as pastor; he had been associate pastor.

Rob Hatfield has resigned as minister of youth at Sand Flat Church in Cleburne.

Brad Hoffman to Memorial Church in Baytown as pastor from First Church in Wauchula, Fla.

Wade Hopkins has resigned as pastor of Dial Church in Honey Grove.

Mike Kessler to Trinity Church in Mount Pleasant as pastor.

Tara Kumple to Immanuel Church in Abilene as music pastor.

Dawna Land to Trinity Church in Mount Pleasant as children's minister.

Jeff Latham to Westover Church in San Marcos as music minister.

Bob Layman to Merit Church in Merit as pastor.

René Lizcano has resigned as pastor of Trinity North Church in Mission.

Coley Mays to Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene as youth pastor from Central Church in Luling.

Paul Ryan to Trinity Church in Sherman as pastor from First Church in Freeport.

Jay Sloan to Gateway Church in Tuscola as associate pastor and minister to youth.

Jim Stevens has completed an interim pastorate at Memorial Church in Baytown and is available for supply, interim and intentional interims at (936) 447-6473.

H.K. Thomas to New Zion Church in Lubbock as pastor from New Mount Olive Church in Littlefield, where he was associate pastor.

Brian Tullos to Cana Church in Burleson as minister of worship.

Carlos Vela has resigned as pastor of Iglesia Las Palmas in Weslaco.

Bobby Walsh has resigned as minister of music/youth at Henderson Street Church in Cleburne.

Tim Washburn to Living Proof Church in Grandview as minister of music/children.

Brian Whitney to New Hope in Cedar Park as pastor from Central Church in Hillsboro.

Byron Williamson to Wayside Church in Wayside.

Posted: 11/24/03

Rankin, IMB trustees respond to professor's critique

LEXINGTON, Ky.–The president and trustees of the International Mission Board have responded to a critical evaluation circulated by a seminary missions professor.

A paper written by Keith Eitel of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and mailed to IMB trustees by Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, drew a strong response from IMB President Jerry Rankin.

In the paper, Eitel accuses Rankin and other IMB administrators of failing to be doctrinally stringent enough. He specifically cites concerns about partnerships with other Great Commission Christian groups that require lesser doctrinal adherence and the role of women in missions leadership.

During a Nov. 10-12 meeting in Lexington, Ky., IMB trustees adopted two statements in response to the Eitel paper.

The first statement, which was adopted without discussion or dissent, affirmed “the strategies and leadership” of the board and resolved “to review the concerns and the issues raised and take appropriate action to guarantee that the vision to lead Southern Baptists to reach the world for Christ is not compromised.”

The second statement, also adopted unanimously, affirmed an initiative by Rankin to arrange for a meeting of IMB staff and trustees with Eitel and Patterson “to resolve misunderstandings and perceptions communicated in Eitel's assessment of the International Mission Board vision and strategy.”

A letter of reply from Rankin countered the criticisms as “unfounded” and questioned why they were circulated without first coming to board leadership for a response.

Rankin acknowledged in the letter, however, that he was pleased finally to learn “the source of rumors that have plagued the IMB in recent years.”

He said “myths” about the IMB have been perpetuated by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Mainstream Baptists, Texan David Currie and employees of Southeastern Seminary.

“I had wondered why so much criticism of our program and policies, disrespect of leadership and even threatened litigation was being generated by students from Southeastern,” Rankin told Eitel. Another memo written by Eitel to an IMB staff member “clearly indicates that they were being programmed to hear certain distortions out of context and encouraged to engage in a subversive response.”

Eitel's criticisms have endangered collaborative efforts between Southeastern Seminary and the IMB, Rankin said. “It is hard to see how we can continue such a partnership when disrespect for leadership and policies is being nurtured, non-biblical subversive behavior is encouraged and blatant disregard for truth is propogated.”

Rankin also said he would write Patterson, “to seek an explanation as to why he would cast aspersion on our board relative to the conservative resurgence.”

IMB trustees are “God-fearing, Bible-believing men and women, products of the conservative resurgence within our convention,” Rankin declared. Yet “our staunch embracing of and adherence to the Baptist Faith & Message is not considered adequate from your perspective.”

In the seven-page letter, Rankin countered point-by-point each of Eitel's criticisms.

He denied the IMB is placing less emphasis on theological training for mission workers, as Eitel suggested. He insisted on the importance of using short-term volunteers in contemporary missions work. He defended the training techniques and staff of the Missionary Learning Center. And he defended partnerships with other Great Commission Christians as a paradigm shift “that has been blessed of God to enhance unprecedented impact on a lost world.”

“The reality is that many of these Great Commission Christians are far more conservative in their doctrine than Southern Baptists have been and would not have accepted us into partnership with them until recent years.”

Rankin also defended the role of women in mission leadership.

“We fully recognize the biblical limitation of women holding a church office, such as pastor, that clearly represents spiritual authority in a local congregation,” Rankin said. “However, to extrapolate that limited application to deny women the freedom to practice their giftedness and calling as a part of a team seeking to reach a segment of the lost world goes beyond biblical teaching.”

In other action, IMB trustees adopted a trimmed-back $258.9 million budget for 2004, elected a new executive vice president and appointed 67 new workers for service in 29 countries.

They also heard a five-year evaluation of the “New Directions” emphasis that shifted the board's missions focus from geographical countries to ethno-linguistic people groups. A trustee committee compiled the information from a survey of overseas personnel.

Now called “Strategic Directions for the 21st Century,” or SD-21 for short, the emphasis organized missionaries into teams focused on specific people groups, with a goal of taking the gospel to those previously neglected by Christian missions efforts and sparking church-starting movements.

The survey found:

The number of people groups engaged by IMB personnel has more than doubled to 1,371.

Seven church-starting movements have been confirmed and 42 others reported.

A 29 percent growth in the IMB missionary force over the past five years is the greatest in board history.

The focus on multiplying churches within people groups has resulted in an increase of almost 71 percent in the number of churches worldwide, a 95 percent increase in the number of outreach groups and the baptism of more than 1.8 million believers.

The research also identified concerns about supervision and training of strategy coordinators.

The IMB's 2004 budget cuts almost $20 million in operating expenses from the current year's spending plan. Additional budget funds are allocated to capital needs that will not be spent unless funds are received. The financial plan also sets a Lottie Moon challenge budget of $17 million.

The plan anticipates receiving $96.2 million through the Cooperative Program unified budget, and $133 million through the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It also projects $16.4 million from investment income.

To protect missionary outreach from budget cuts, the financial plan reduces stateside spending by 14 percent and overseas spending by 2.12 percent. The budget includes no salary increases for missionary personnel or stateside employees.

Trustees elected veteran missionary and administrator Clyde Meador to fill the executive vice president's position vacated by the resignation of John White in June.

Meador, an Arkansas native who grew up in New Mexico, and his wife, Elaine, were appointed to missionary service in 1974. He served as a general evangelist, theological teacher and mission administrator in Indonesia before accepting leadership of a team of itinerant missionaries that looked for opportunities to share the gospel in countries closed to traditional missionary presence.

Written by Managing Editor Mark Wingfield, with additional reporting by Mark Kelly of the IMB