Posted: 11/24/03

River Ministry honors church

By Teresa Young

Wayland Baptist University

LUBBOCK–Supporters of Texas Baptist River Ministry recognized a mission-minded church and heard a missions testimony during the annual River Ministry luncheon Nov. 10.

Principe de Paz Baptist Church in Juarez, Mexico, received the Elmin Howell Bell Award at the luncheon, held in connection with the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session.

Organized as a mission of Gethsemani Baptist Church of Juarez 17 years ago, the church has continued the heritage by helping start additional churches in Mexico, including Puerta del Cielo Church in August 2002, Genesis Baptist Church in February 2003, Cristo el Pan de Vida Church in May 2003 and new ministries in two colonias along the border. New congregations are planned in three additional locations in the coming months.

Francisco Notario, who has served as pastor since the church's beginning, accepted the award on behalf of the congregation.

“We are happy as a church to be given account for this award,” Notario said. “We are not doing anything extraordinary, just working for the Lord.”

Guests also heard testimony from Nicole Haynes, a student at West Texas A&M University, who spent her summer in San Benito as a missionary. In work at New Horizon Church, she headed the children's ministry and started a youth group.

“I went there wanting God to bless those people through me, but God used those people to bless me,” Haynes said. “I was humbled by the Lord, and he taught me many things.”

Haynes expressed a common frustration in mission work– seeing so much need and not having resources to help all who have need. She said God taught her at San Benito to be obedient to love others and help those whom she was able to help.

Jorge Zapata, director of the River Ministry partnership with Buckner Baptist Benevolences, spoke about the effort to serve colonias, areas of high poverty on the Texas side of the border. Zapata reported 43 teams had visited the region from Baptist churches around Texas and had helped do home repairs, medical missions and met other physical needs.

River Ministry director Dexton Shores also reported success with the first Congreso de la Frontera, a worship and conference retreat held in Piedras Negras, Mexico, for pastors and their wives. More than 500 participants attended.

Posted: 11/24/03

Souper Bowl of Caring youth volunteers join Brad Smith, Bob McNair, George Bush, Janice McNair and Barbara Bush to kick off the 2004 campaign at a Houston Texans game.

SOUPER BOWL:
Students tackle hunger

By Marv Knox

Editor

HOUSTON–No matter who competes in the next Super Bowl, youth from across the country are drawing up a game plan to make sure hungry people win on Super Sunday.

They're preparing to participate in the Souper Bowl of Caring. On Super Sunday, Feb. 1, they'll stand outside their sanctuaries, collecting money in soup pots. The donations will support food pantries, soup kitchens and other charities in the communities where they live.

The Souper Bowl of Caring started in 1990 as a “grassroots faith-based crusade against hunger,” explained Brad Smith, the organization's founder and executive director.

“The Souper Bowl is the fruit of a single line of a prayer, 'Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat,'” Smith recalled.

The prayer resonated with senior high students at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., where Smith was youth minister. They decided to collect money for a local hunger-relief ministry, and then they recruited other youth groups to join them.

Last season, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders, more than 12,000 youth groups–from churches, schools and other organizations in all 50 states and some other countries–raised $3.5 million. Since the Souper Bowl began, youth have raised more than $20 million.

This season, Souper Bowl organizers hope to involve more than 15,000 youth groups.

The Souper Bowl of Caring teams local organization with national communication.

Participating youth groups ask members of their churches to contribute one dollar to the Souper Bowl as they leave church on Super Sunday, Smith explained.

The young people hold soup pots at church exits and receive donations from worshippers. Then they send all the money directly to a local soup kitchen, food pantry or other charity they choose.

Some Texas churches direct their Souper Bowl of Caring donations through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering administered by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Souper Bowl leaders tabulate national totals as all the groups report their receipts.

In addition to the collections, many youth groups participate in a “service blitz” by working directly in a local charity the Saturday before the big game, Smith added. Last season, 10,000 young people from 650 groups participated in the service project.

The Souper Bowl of Caring kicked off this season's campaign prior to a Houston Texans home game at Reliant Stadium, site of Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Bob and Janice McNair, owners of the Texans and honorary chairs for the 2004 Souper Bowl, dropped the first dollars into a soup pot to encourage youth throughout the country to join the effort.

Former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara, joined the McNairs on the field for the official kickoff.

Outside the stadium, young people from Southeast Texas collected almost $1,200 for the Houston Food Bank.

For information about the 2004 Souper Bowl of Caring and to report giving totals, go to www.souperbowl.org, or call (800) 358-SOUP.

Posted: 11/24/03

Texas Baptist Men attempts to walk
between two Texas Baptist bodies

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

Treading the ground between competing Baptist conventions is no walk in the park, but it's the path Texas Baptist Men has chosen, according to Interim Executive Director Leo Smith.

Texas Baptist Men is a self-governing affiliate of the Baptist General Convention of Texas that depends on the BGCT for most of its operating budget. But last February, the board of directors voted also to have a fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, a group that broke away from the BGCT in 1998.

“The primary reason for the relationship with SBTC is to maintain a working relationship with people who have been integrally involved in the ministries of Texas Baptist Men since its beginning,” Smith explained.

East Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area are regions where Texas Baptist Men has been strongest, and they are also areas where SBTC has made inroads in recruiting churches. More to the point, many of Texas Baptist Men's key lay leaders–particularly in disaster relief ministries–are members of churches now affiliated with SBTC, Smith noted.

Texas Baptist Men crafted the working agreement with SBTC out of a desire to be a place where members of BGCT and SBTC churches could work together, and to avoid the threat of having two competing Baptist men's organizations in the state, Smith said. “My hope is that Texas Baptist Men will be able to walk between the two conventions with integrity and a vision of bridging the gap for the laymen.”

But moving from vision to reality isn't easy, he acknowledged. “It's a work in progress.”

The SBTC view

SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards agreed. In the last nine months, there has been “significant progress” made in developing a working relationship between his group and Texas Baptist Men, he said.

At the same time, he noted questions that remain unanswered and issues that have not yet been finally resolved. “We may be a little over five years old, but we're still a work in progress ourselves.”

Richards said Texas Baptist Men and the SBTC mutually benefit from having the chance to share information about each other with new audiences.

“It's an opportunity for more men to be involved in missions through Texas Baptist Men. There are churches affiliated with us who have never heard of Texas Baptist Men. We have over 200 churches that were not in existence in 1998 affiliated with our convention. As these churches grow up, it gives their men the opportunity to plug into the Texas Baptist Men organization,” he said.

However, at this point, the SBTC website has no link to Texas Baptist Men and does not include any Texas Baptist Men-related events on its calendar.

By the same token, the Texas Baptist Men website does not provide any links to the SBTC. But the Texas Baptist Men annual planbook for leaders includes a page promoting the SBTC state missions offering–from which TBM derives no benefit–and lists some SBTC-related events on the calendar.

Texas Baptist Men receives the bulk of its funding from the BGCT.

The BGCT view

Texas Baptist Men's long-time status as an affiliate of the BGCT has been beneficial both to the convention and the missions organization, according to BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade.

“For more than 35 years, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and Texas Baptist Men have shared a common goal of advancing all the interests of the Redeemer's Kingdom,” Wade said. “People of our state know Texas Baptists as caring Christian people in large part because of the sacrificial service of Texas Baptist Men disaster relief volunteers and retiree builders.

“The BGCT has benefited from the good will produced by these ministries, and Texas Baptist Men could not have performed these ministries without the significant financial support of BGCT-related churches,” Wade added. “My prayer is that this important missions partnership will continue for years to come.”

As the men's group seeks to develop a working relationship with SBTC while trying not to alienate the BGCT, at least five key issues emerge.

Money

The BGCT provides budget money and mission offering funds to Texas Baptist Men. The SBTC doesn't provide any.

And while Texas Baptist Men has its own missions equipping center in east Dallas, the organization's offices are located in the BGCT building, and the organization benefits from BGCT personnel and support services.

If Texas Baptist Men were an “affiliated” organization of the SBTC, like Criswell College, it might be included in that convention's budget. But as a “fraternal” partner, it can expect “no guarantee” of financial support through the SBTC budget or its state missions offering, Richards said.

Achieving status as an “affiliated” organization of the SBTC requires a more stringent doctrinal commitment, including adherence to the controversial 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement.

In the future, the SBTC might grant funds to specific disaster relief efforts or to a jointly sponsored men's rally, Richards added. But it won't become a line item in the SBTC budget as long as its relationship is strictly “fraternal.”

The SBTC channels some designated money to Texas Baptist Men from its churches. In 2002, the SBTC forwarded $7,093 in designated gifts. Year to date in 2003, designated gifts to Texas Baptist Men funneled through the SBTC total $19,681.

In contrast, Texas Baptist Men received more than $1.27 million through the BGCT last year. In 2002, the BGCT provided $776,888 in budget funds, $60,962 through the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions and $100,711 in designated gifts from churches.

Disaster-relief ministries also benefited from $337,528 in BGCT designated gifts during 2002. That amount was unusually high, due primarily to gifts following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

This year, BGCT Chief Financial Officer David Nabors projects Texas Baptist Men will receive $815,661 in BGCT budget funds. In addition, through mid-November, it has received $15,189 through Mary Hill Davis Offering allocations, $51,028 in designated gifts from churches and $49,262 in disaster-relief support.

Disaster relief

The American Red Cross relates to the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board as the coordinating agency for disasters outside of Texas, but it deals directly with Texas Baptist Men for disaster relief within the state. Consequently, it was imperative that questions about this area be resolved quickly.

Richards pointed to this ministry as a “leading area where coordinated efforts have worked to the advancement of both Texas Baptist Men and SBTC in accomplishing kingdom work.”

The SBTC has worked with its affiliated churches and sympathetic associations to identify specific disaster-relief ministry vehicles that could become a part of the Texas Baptist Men fleet, he noted. “We partner with associations and churches. We do not own the units.”

Two or three such SBTC units are up and running.

Those units, and the volunteers who staff them, will operate with the understanding that “if called out, they work under the leadership of Texas Baptist Men and become a part of their team,” Richards added.

Volunteer builders

Texas Baptist Men has a 24-year-old ministry of volunteer construction, including church, camp and special projects builders. The SBTC has developed its own volunteer builders program, Texas Baptist Builders, under the direction of Bill Ibos.

“We do projects as requested by churches. If they want an SBTC team, we service those requests. If they are interested in Texas Baptist Men, we definitely refer them on,” Richards said. “It's an amicable relationship. I don't see it as competition. It's complementary. There's plenty of work to go around.”

Presence

Texas Baptist Men maintained a booth in the exhibit hall at the BGCT annual session in Lubbock this month and at the SBTC meeting in Corpus Christi in October. It sponsored a men's rally in Corpus Christi featuring Gibbie McMillian, missions service associate with the SBTC, as a key speaker. It also submitted an annual summary in the SBTC Book of Reports, and Smith gave a one-minute report to the convention.

The annual Texas Baptist Men Convention and one of its twice-yearly board meetings were held in conjunction with the BGCT in Lubbock. The men's ministry also had an annual summary printed in the BGCT Rook of Reports, its leaders led two breakout conferences at the BGCT, and the ministry occupied a prominent place in the BGCT's Monday night missions rally.

At the recent Texas Baptist Men board meeting, President Andy Andreason of McGregor appointed a committee to study when the group should hold its annual meeting.

Smith said the committee may consider recommending holding the annual meeting at a “neutral site” where men from all Baptist churches in Texas would feel comfortable attending. But if that happens, he said, “We want to maintain a presence at both conventions.”

Missions education

This remains an unresolved issue, Richards admitted. Currently, SBTC refers questions regarding the Royal Ambassadors program for boys and the Challengers program for young men to Texas Baptist Men or the North American Mission Board.

However, it's a “one-sided,” male-only missions education emphasis, because missions programs for preschoolers, girls and young women are led by Woman's Missionary Union of Texas, and Texas WMU does not have a fraternal relationship with SBTC, he noted.

“It leaves us with only a partial working partner in missions education in the state of Texas,” Richards said.

The SBTC might eventually develop its own missions education program, he added. “It may become a necessity to develop a holistic, church-wide approach to missions education, but that's not on the front burner at this point.”

National Woman's Missionary Union recognizes only one WMU organization in each state, and the national group has chosen to maintain its longstanding relationship with Texas WMU.

But as far as Texas WMU's relationship with the SBTC is concerned, “they have never asked us in any formal way to have a relationship with them,” said Executive Director Carolyn Porterfield.

However, women from SBTC-affiliated churches continue to attend the WMU-sponsored Texas Leadership Conference and statewide Acteens events, as well as serve in associational WMU leadership positions, she noted.

“Texas WMU will continue to service all the churches that want to work with us,” Porterfield said.

The organization created a “WMU of Texas Network” as an avenue to keep open lines of communication with women in churches not affiliated with the BGCT but supportive of Texas WMU.

Individuals, WMU groups or churches can enroll in the network either by contributing to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions or by providing annual support to Texas WMU through one of its endowment programs or scholarship funds. Unlike Texas Baptist Men, Texas WMU receives no Cooperative Program dollars from the BGCT. Its operating budget depends on gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering.

Smith is reluctant to guess what the future holds for Texas Baptist Men and its relationship with the BGCT and SBTC. But he knows what he hopes will happen.

“My dream is that there will come a day when we know each other well enough that relationships just happen, and we don't have to go through the process of working out cooperative agreements,” Smith said.

He also knows what he hopes never will happen. He doesn't want to see Texas Baptist Men sever its longstanding ties to the BGCT or lose the opportunity to work with valuable lay leaders in SBTC-related churches.

“I don't think that a para-church Baptist men's organization in Texas is the answer,” he said. “The answer is to walk between the two conventions.”

Posted: 11/24/03

Texas Tidbits

HBU offers new major. Houston Baptist University's College of Arts and Humanities now offers a new major in biblical languages. The program within the department of Christianity and philosophy offers an in-depth look at Greek and Hebrew languages of the Old and New Testaments. For additional information, contact Sharon Wiser at (281) 649-3000 ext. 2212.

Hispanic magazine picks Baylor. Baylor University has been chosen as a 2003 "publisher's pick" by Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education as a university that does "a fine job recruiting, enabling and graduating Hispanic students," according to publisher José López-Isa. Selections are based on data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics and on "anecdotal evidence collected from all directions," López-Isa said. Baylor is among 36 Texas universities named to the honor. Hispanic Outlook also ranks Baylor in its list of Top 100 schools graduating Hispanic students. Last year, Baylor's total enrollment of 14,159 students included 1,078 Hispanics, 7.6 percent of Baylor's student population.

UMHB receives additional gift. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor recently received an additional $500,000 gift from the estate of Johnie Punchard, a 1934 graduate. In July, the university received $500,000 as part of the initial distribution of the estate. The total gift of $1 million will establish two endowed scholarships.

Wayland presents awards. Wayland Baptist University presented alumni awards Nov. 21 to Earl Greathouse, Betty Donaldson, Joel Boyd and Caleb Oladipo. The Distinguished Benefactor Award was given to Troy Mays and the Mays Foundation. Greathouse, a retired commander with the U.S. Navy, received the Distinguished Service Alumni Award. Donaldson, vice president of Learning Bridges Educational Company in Arizona, received the Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award. Boyd, professor of chemistry at Wayland, received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. Oladipo, professor of missions and world Christianity at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Va., received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Posted: 11/24/03

TOGETHER:
Do not call good what God calls sin

I like the question, “What would Jesus do?” It helps clarify decisions we have to make every day. But many people have not studied the Bible enough to know what Jesus did.

Some who never have looked carefully at the gospels seem to have the idea that following Jesus only means being “really nice.” C.S. Lewis said, “Jesus did not come to make us nice men, but new men.”

CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

Recently, some have claimed Jesus would not object to homosexual behavior or ordaining homosexual people to ministry. There is no question Jesus loves everyone and is willing to save those others would condemn. But this sometimes leads people to assume that Jesus blesses sin. In fact, what Jesus does is stand beside sinners to give them a vision and hope for a new way of life. Jesus loves sinners too much to encourage us to go on in our sinful ways.

The Bible gives us the normative standard by which we know Jesus. No other book is definitive about the mind of Christ. We can pray and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to understand the Scripture and empower us in our personal walk. But our impressions are not on the same level as Scripture. Jesus is the standard or the criterion by which we interpret and understand the Bible. The Living Word of God (Jesus) comes from the same God that has inspired and given to us the written word of God (Scripture). Therefore, our assumptions about what Jesus might think about a matter can never be allowed to supercede the clear teaching of the Bible.

I was asked to comment on recent decisions being made by the Episcopal Church in America. I hesitate to enter into a debate in another Christian communion and would urge us all to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Anglican fold. But it is a very serious matter when any Christian body takes a stand that is in clear contradiction to the doctrines of Scripture and sets aside the wisdom of the church at large for its own ends.

Many are uncomfortable with any judgment against homosexual behavior, fearing it will be heard as unloving and condemning. There is good reason to be concerned when you read and hear some of the things that swirl around us. But now the other side of the matter has been pressed forward in the media and entertainment venues. Homosexual behavior is lauded, normalized and brought into every living room in America by television. A state judiciary has suggested there is no constitutional reason to prohibit the marriage of same-sex partners.

Of course, other sinful behaviors also are often presented in a common, matter-of-fact way, and we must guard against elevating one category of sin above all others. But it is important for Christians to say: “Homosexual behavior is wrong. It is sinful behavior that goes against God's will for the human family.” We can love people and seek their best interests when they are sinners. But we must not sin against them by thinking that loving them means approving sinful behavior. We must not call good what God calls sinful.

All of us need to repent of our sins and receive gratefully the forgiveness and mercy of God. We can expect from God his Spirit's strength to help us fight temptation and to help us live a renewed and growing Christian life.

We are loved.

Posted: 11/24/03

With ETBU headed toward playoffs, player headed to Iraq

By George Henson

Staff Writer

MARSHALL–Greg Washington is prepared.

He's just not sure if his preparation will take him between the lines of the gridiron or to the much more dangerous battleground of Iraq.

Washington, a linebacker for East Texas Baptist University, also is an Army reservist. He hoped to play in ETBU's final regular season game Saturday, Nov. 22, against Mississippi College, where a victory would give his club one-third of the conference championship.

Greg Washington

Although the Marshall team would be tied with Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons University if all three teams won as expected, tie-breaker rules for the American Southwest Conference would send the Tigers to the playoffs as an automatic qualifier. Mary Hardin-Baylor, highly ranked nationally, is expected to gain one of three at-large bids to the NCAA Division III tournament. Hardin-Simmons most likely would be left on the outside looking in.

Washington last week was told to pack up because he was being deployed. However, when the Army inadvertently issued duplicate orders for his unit, all orders had to be rescinded, and the process began again. His football fate depends on how quickly those new orders come through.

By one possible game plan, he would have to report for duty in Dallas by Saturday and wouldn't get to play in the last regular-season game. But if the orders get delayed, he might make another game or two.

The two-time All-ASC linebacker and ETBU career tackles leader is excited about being a part of the school's first conference championship, even one shared with two other schools. He said he won't be disappointed to help lead the team so far and then not get to finish the task if his orders do come through.

“I won't be disappointed at all, because this is why I wanted to come here, to be a part of a program that hadn't had a lot of success in the past and be a part of turning things around,” he said. “But if I'm not here, they will do just fine. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and we have other guys who can play.”

As for the uncertainty, Washington said football and family help.

“I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying not to dwell on it,” he said. “Some orders have even been revoked, so I really don't know what is going to happen.”

Washington and his wife, Michelle, have two children–Jaiden, who is 2, and Greg Jr., born Sept. 23.

ETBU Head Coach Ralph Smith said Washington will not be forgotten, wherever he is.

“We all knew this day could come, and Greg is ready to answer the call,” Harris said. “Greg's being called to do something he's prepared himself for since he came here. He will be in our prayers every day, and he will be on our minds every minute. He's part of us. Sometimes we get caught up in wins and losses so much that we forget the aspects of everyday life.”

Posted: 11/24/03

Wingfield leaving Standard
to serve Dallas congregation

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–Baptist Standard Managing Editor Mark Wingfield is leaving denominational journalism after 21 years to join the staff of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas.

At a called church conference Nov. 19, the North Dallas congregation overwhelmingly voted to call Wingfield as associate pastor with specific responsibilities in communications, outreach and stewardship education. He will assume the post Jan. 1.

His hiring is part of a transition plan as Senior Associate Pastor Preston Bright moves toward retirement in two years.

Mark Wingffield

Wingfield has been a member of Wilshire Baptist Church for five years, since he came to the Baptist Standard.

“I am passionate about our church and its vision, mission and ministry,” he said. “To be able to invest my full attention on advancing the work of the church is invigorating and challenging.”

Rather than retreating from action, Wingfield said he sees the move to a church staff as putting him at the heart of Baptist life.

“The reality is that the local church is the center of action for Baptist ministry. And I know of no other church that presents a better place to serve than Wilshire,” he said.

“In some ways, I feel I am becoming part of a national trend that I have written about. More churches are calling out staff leadership from among their members. The proposal put together by our pastor and personnel committee is visionary, and I'm thrilled to be part of Wilshire's long tradition of stepping out on faith to fulfill the church's mission in creative ways.”

Wingfield is vice chairman of deacons, an adult Sunday School teacher and a member of the strategic planning council at Wilshire, a congregation affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

“The opportunity to call Mark to our church staff gives us someone of immense competence and confidence. His admirable courage in speaking for and to Baptists in the wider church assures us of his clarity of vision and conviction,” said Pastor George Mason.

“His commitment to Wilshire's mission has been evident in everything he has done. I can't wait to see what God will do among us with the addition of Mark to our team.”

Wingfield has been recognized by his peers as one of the top investigative, enterprising reporters in denominational journalism. Over the past two decades, he has reported on tumultuous changes at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, conflict at Baylor University, and the often-divergent paths taken by the BGCT and the Southern Baptist Convention.

As managing editor of the Baptist Standard, Wingfield made the paper “sparkle,” according to Editor Marv Knox.

“Mark is one of the most insightful, thorough, fair and committed journalists Baptists ever produced. His insatiable curiosity, tenacity for truth and passion for people have shaped his remarkable ministry for more than two decades. Plus, his impeccable eye for design and ear for the ever-changing conversation of faith have made the Standard fun to read” he said.

Even so, to those who know him best, Wingfield's decision to join the Wilshire Baptist Church staff seemed a logical step, Knox observed.

“He always has been one of the finest, hardest-working church members anywhere. His training in ministry, experience in Baptist life and investment in the ministry of the church have shaped him for this new opportunity at Wilshire. While his departure saddens all of us who work with him, we're also excited for Mark and for his wonderful church,” Knox said.

Before coming to the Baptist Standard, Wingfield was editor of the Kentucky Baptist Western Recorder, where he earlier served as news director.

Previously, he worked as associate director of news and information for the Southern Baptist Convention Home Mission Board and as director of news and information with Southwestern Seminary.

Wingfield has been a prolific contributor to the Associated Baptist Press independent news service, which recently made him the inaugural recipient of its Writer's Award.

“We knew the first award had to go to Mark,” said ABP Editor Greg Warner. “He has epitomized quality, truthful Baptist journalism for so long, and ABP and its readers were most often the beneficiaries of his talent.”

Warner went on to say that Wingfield's move from denominational journalism to a church staff position “testifies to why Christian journalists do what we do–because we believe in God's people as firmly as we believe in God's truth.”

Wingfield is a past president of the Baptist Communicators Association and has been a frequent winner in its Wilmer C. Fields Awards Competition, including the organization's top writing honor, the Frank Burkhalter Award. He also received a Katy Award from the Dallas Press Club.

Wingfield earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of New Mexico and attended Southwestern Seminary. He and his wife, Alison, have 11-year-old twin sons, Luke and Garrett.

Concerning the Baptist Standard's future, Knox noted, “Since this move so obviously clarifies God's will for Mark Wingfield and Wilshire Baptist Church, I'm confident it's also God's will for the Standard. We will seek his successor and maintain the paper's commitment to inform, inspire, equip and empower Texas Baptists to follow Jesus Christ and expand God's kingdom.”

Posted 11/21/03

CYBERCOLUMN:
Risky faith

By Berry D. Simpson

What do faith and risk have in common? Are they the same thing?

Do we have to have one to have the other?

There is a Bible story about a young man named Onesimus who became a Christian under the ministry of the Apostle Paul while Paul was being held prisoner in Rome by the Roman government. Onesimus was important to Paul as a minister and comforter, and Paul lovingly referred to this young man as “my son.” The problem was that before he met Paul, Onesimus had been a slave owned by a man named Philemon, who lived in the city of Colossae. Onesimus had run away and escaped from his owner. And in his escape he apparently stole money from Philemon.

Berry D. Simpson

The reason we know about Onesimus is because Paul sent him back to Colossae to his old master, Philemon, carrying a letter in which Paul appealed to Philemon to forgive Onesimus of all he had done. The letter ended up in the New Testament; it tells a story of real people living out real risk and faith.

Asking forgiveness is always risky. Onesimus, because of his escape, was a free man living in Rome and close companion of Paul. Yet Paul told him to go back and risk punishment and return to slavery. I wondered, “Was becoming a Christian a good move for young Onesimus?” Did it set him free?

To follow God, Onesimus faced possible death, probable punishment, separation from Paul (probably the first man in his life to treat him like a valuable son). He hoped Philemon would grant him freedom and send him back to Paul as a free man, yet he had no idea how it would work out. He went back to Philemon knowing it was important to do the right thing regardless of how it would work out.

Philemon faced risk too. If he did what Paul asked—if he forgave Onesimus and granted him freedom—he risked losing Onesimus and whatever service Onesimus had performed for him. Worse, he risked humiliation in front of his fellow slave-owners, who would think he had gone soft and would accuse him of overturning the delicate social balance. (This in not a trivial decision. How many times do we struggle between doing what Jesus wants and doing what peer pressure demands?) Philemon also took the risk that all the rest of his slaves would run away and become Christians and expect similar treatment. Forgiveness is always risky.

Erwin McManus, in his book, “Seizing Your Divine Moment,” wrote about risk: “When we play it safe, we squeeze God out of the formula. If we go only where we know and do what we’re certain will succeed, we remove our need for God.”

The thing is, I am not a natural risk taker. Big surprise, huh? It’s why I became an engineer and not a geologist. My tendency is to pray and pray and pray for God’s will. What I am hoping for is a clean path from God so I can see where I am going, see how I will get along on the journey, see where I will end up. Not being a risk taker makes me nervous because I want to be a man of faith.

Several years ago, I was working as a petroleum engineer in a job that had turned sour. They were ready for me to leave, and I was ready to go. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find another job. I interviewed and worked my network of leads with no success. I felt there was probably some good consulting work available, but I didn’t know how to go looking for consulting work while still employed.

I prayed daily, hourly, for God to open up a path for me, to show me what to do and where to go, but nothing happened. It was frustrating. With kids in college, we were hurting financially. My wife, Cyndi, was working multiple jobs, and she was stressed because I wouldn’t make a change to improve our situation. But I was scared. I was too afraid to quit and just walk out the door without another job, trusting God to find the next opportunity.

Stepping away from a paycheck, as pitiful as it was, and leaving my job, no matter how stressful, seemed irresponsible and childish to me. I thought I was being very grown-up by staying where I was even though I wanted to leave. At least I was earning money and paying our bills.

And so, how do I know when to take the risk and step out in faith? What would I have done if I had been in Onesimus’ or Philemon’s place? If I am not stepping out, am I truly living by faith? I don’t know. I think I have a lot more to learn about faith.

Berry Simpson, a Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland.

Posted: 11/20/03

ETBU linebacker wonders if he'll play,
or deploy to Iraq with reserve unit

By George Henson

Staff Writer

MARSHALL–Greg Washington is prepared.

He's just not sure if his preparation will take him between the lines of the gridiron or to the much more dangerous battleground of Iraq.

Washington, a linebacker for East Texas Baptist University, also is an Army reservist. He hopes to play in ETBU's final regular season game Saturday, Nov. 22, against Mississippi College, where a victory would give his club one-third of the conference championship.

Although the Marshall team would be tied with Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons University if all three teams win as expected, tie-breaker rules for the American Southwest Conference would send the Tigers to the playoffs as an automatic qualifier. Mary Hardin-Baylor, highly ranked nationally, is expected to gain one of three at-large bids to the NCAA Division III tournament. Hardin-Simmons most likely would be left on the outside looking in.

Washington last week was told to pack up because he was being deployed. However, when the Army inadvertently issued duplicate orders for his unit, all orders had to be rescinded and the process began again. His football fate depends on how quickly those new orders come through.

Greg Washington

By one possible game plan, he would have to report for duty in Dallas by Saturday and wouldn't get to play in the last regular-season game. But if the orders get delayed, he might make another game or two.

The two-time All-ASC linebacker and ETBU career tackles leader is excited about being a part of the school's first conference championship, even one shared with two other schools. He said he won't be disappointed to help lead the team so far and then not get to finish the task if his orders do come through.

"I won't be disappointed at all, because this is why I wanted to come here, to be a part of a program that hadn't had a lot of success in the past and be a part of turning things around," he said. "But if I'm not here, they will do just fine. I'm just one piece of the puzzle, and we have other guys who can play."

As for the uncertainty, Washington said football and family help.

"I'm just taking it one day at a time and trying not to dwell on it," he said. "Some orders have even been revoked, so I really don't know what is going to happen."

Washington and his wife, Michelle, have two children–Jaiden, who is 2, and Greg Jr., born Sept. 23.

ETBU Head Coach Ralph Smith said Washington will be not be forgotten wherever he is.

"We all knew this day could come, and Greg is ready to answer the call," Harris said. "Greg's being called to do something he's prepared himself for since he came here. He will be in our prayers every day, and he will be on our minds every minute. He's part of us. Sometimes we get caught up in wins and losses so much that we forget the aspects of everyday life."

Posted: 11/14/03

Ken Hall: BGCT is a 'work in progress'

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

LUBBOCK–The Baptist General Convention is a “work in progress,” newly elected President Ken Hall told reporters Nov. 10.

Hall, president of Buckner Baptist Benevolences, was elected to the post without opposition earlier that day during the BGCT annual session in Lubbock.

He is the first institutional executive to hold the voluntary convention presidency in 38 years. The founder of Buckner Benevolences, R.C. Buckner, served as BGCT president 19 years in the early 20th century. The last institutional leader to hold the post was Abner McCall, then president of Baylor University.

Hall will serve alongside another institutional president, Albert Reyes of Baptist University of the Americas, who was elected BGCT first vice president. Dennis Young, pastor of Missouri City Baptist Church of Missouri City, was elected second vice president.

Ken Hall

Hall commended BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade's leadership and said he expects to follow Wade's leadership in guiding the convention.

However, Hall acknowledged more change is likely in store for the BGCT as it reshapes itself to meet changing missions and ministry needs.

“We as a convention need to simplify who we are so churches can easily connect with us,” Hall said.

“We are just beginning to catch the vision of what we are going to be as Texas Baptists,” he added. “We are in transition from a model that worked in one generation but needs to be adapted.”

God will not limit what Texas Baptists can do in the future, but Texas Baptists themselves must be careful not to limit themselves, Hall urged.

He commended Wade's executive director's report given a few hours before in which Wade said: “Nothing we do has to continue to be done just because it is what we have always done. We should ask questions about how what we do relates to our priorities and our passion.”

Hall predicted the BGCT will become “more lean in getting resources to the greatest needs.”

The shortfall in giving to fund BGCT ministries in recent years is indicative of both a poor national economy and years of conflict among Baptists, Hall said. But the BGCT will encourage greater giving to its missions causes by “telling the story of what we're doing well.”

Hall said he hopes to set a tone of “non-criticism” in his tenure as president. “We're not going to fight old battles.”

Asked by a reporter what kind of relationship the BGCT will have with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Southern Baptist Convention seminary in Fort Worth, Hall said that even though he is a graduate of Southwestern, he no longer identifies with Southwestern.

“My heart and my soul were broken several years ago when a man I respected was fired,” he said, referencing President Russell Dilday's firing by fundamentalist trustees. “My support is for the Baptist General Convention of Texas' two seminaries,” Truett Seminary and Logsdon School of Theology, as well as the Baptist University of the Americas.

Hall wished the best for Southwestern under the leadership of new President Paige Patterson. “I hope they succeed in their narrow slice” of theological education, he said. “I see their model being limiting and narrow.”

Hall was nominated by Jim Denison, his pastor at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

“I am convinced Dr. Hall is God's man to guide us in these days and to lead us into our future together,” Denison said.

He cited the precedent of R.C. Buckner's service as convention president and predicted Hall “will enable us to move forward in the same way.”

Hall is a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Park Cities. Before taking the helm at Buckner in 1994, he was pastor of four Texas Baptist churches, including First Baptist of Longview.

Reyes has led Baptist University of the Americas, formerly Hispanic Baptist Theological School, since 1999. Previously, he was pastor of Pueblo Nuevo Community Church in El Paso, in addition to other church and business experience. Reyes was nominated by Charles Johnson, his pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Young has served the Missouri City church since 1992 and previously was minister of music at South Park Baptist Church in Houston. He was nominated by Marvin Delaney, pastor of South Park.

Other officers are David Nabors, BGCT treasurer, who was re-elected recording secretary; Irby Cox of Dallas, who was re-elected registration secretary; and Bernie Spooner, a Dallas Baptist University employee, who was elected secretary of the corporation to succeed Gene Greer, who died.

Posted: 11/14/03

Demographic data called aid to church growth and ministry

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

LUBBOCK–All church leaders should understand the demographics of the communities they serve, according to Clay Price, director of research for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Price led a breakout session titled “Using Demographics for Church Growth and Ministry” during the BGCT annual session in Lubbock Nov. 10.

Clay Price gives messengers tips on how to use demographic data to focus the ministry of a local church.

He quoted California pastor Rick Warren, who has testified that when he set out to start Saddleback Church in suburban Los Angeles, he spent three months studying Census data and demographic studies of the area to learn who lived there and understand their needs.

“All church leaders should be able to know as much as possible about their communities,” said Price, who noted that his office stands ready to help provide customized demographic data to Texas Baptist churches.

He outlined four basic principles of data interpretation, beginning with an admonition to “let the data speak for itself.” Often, demographic data need no interpretation other than to make it known, he said.

Price also urged churches gathering demographic data to get the big picture, to compare local data with state or county data and to note similarities or dissimilarities between the church members and residents of the community.

Armed with research, churches should move forward to ask three questions, Price declared:

What should we do?

What can we do?

What will we do?

The latter is “the biggie,” Price said, because it moves from theory to action.

Thinking strategically, churches must consider what ministries to keep doing, what to change, what to discard and what new ministries to create.

The hardest part of that process will be discarding ministries that once might have been vital but today are no longer needed. However, demographic data can provide insight on where to make such changes, he said.

Price presented an illustration of demographic data he gathered for a Baptist church located near the site of the convention center. He used this data to demonstrate how an understanding of population, population trends, race and ethnicity, age structures and income can illuminate a church's strategic planning.

Normally, he said, churches should examine data for people who live within a five-mile radius of the church. In most Texas cities, that would translate into a 20-minute drive from the church.

However, in rural areas, the section studied sometimes should be increased to an eight- to 10-mile radius, he added.

Within a five-mile radius of the sample Lubbock church chosen, there are 42 Baptist churches with a combined membership of 33,000 and combined average morning worship attendance of 9,500. The same area is home to 170,000 people.

If Baptists are the majority religion in the city as believed, that means even taking into account people who attend non-Baptist churches, there are thousands of unchurched people to reach in Lubbock, Price said.

For information on how the BGCT can provide demographic data for a local church or association, contact Price at price@ bgct.org or call (214) 828-5138.

Posted: 11/14/03

Davis: Open a new window to evangelize

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

LUBBOCK–Have a life worth viewing, and then open a window to it.

That is the recipe for lifestyle evangelism in the 21st century, reported Rick Davis, who was quoting postmodern Christian strategist Andrew Jones.

Davis, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Center for Strategic Evangelism, led a breakout session on evangelization during the BGCT annual session in Lubbock Nov. 10.

Evangelization is a two-fold process involving missions and evangelism, Davis said. By living out the love of Christ through missions, believers earn the right to declare the message of Christ, he added.

In an increasingly secular and biblically illiterate culture, “the demonstration of the gospel will be more necessary than ever,” Davis said.

He encouraged churches and believers to “plan to show and tell, not just tell. “An evangelism strategy that has only declaration is destined for problems,” he advised.

One of the emerging areas of evangelization in Texas will be through “advocacy evangelism,” Davis predicted. This will involve becoming advocates for millions of immigrants who need help adjusting to life in America and may also need to hear the Christian gospel.

Other unique areas churches ought to consider in developing evangelization strategies, Davis said, include reaching out to non-traditional families and connecting with 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds.

He cited research that early teens identify more closely with grandparents than with parents, siblings or peers.

That's a built-in opportunity for any Baptist church with a large number of senior adults to create a surrogate grandparent program, he said. “If you're in a church that's heavy with senior adults, you ought to be cruising the local junior high.”