Posted: 11/07/03

Methodists have cut 259 jobs

DALLAS (RNS)–The United Methodist Church has cut 259 jobs over the past two years–a 21 percent drop–according to the United Methodist Reporter, an independent newspaper.

The nation's second-largest Protestant denomination, facing a drop in revenues because of the lagging economy, laid off 65 people between Sept. 30, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2003. Sixty additional empty positions were kept vacant, while others were not filled after retirements.

In addition, statistics provided by the church and compiled by the newspaper showed the church has lost 305 missionaries–14 percent of its overseas force–since 2001.

Income to the church's World Service Fund has consistently fallen about 10 percent below budget goals. Income for 2003 so far is about 2.9 percent below the same point in 2002.

The church's Board of Global Ministries saw a $29 million deficit last year.

Posted: 11/07/03

Ministerial searches go digital

By Marv Knox

Editor

For more and more churches and their ministers, a match made in heaven may have been launched in cyberspace.

Every day–and especially on Mondays–thousands of ministers log onto a new constellation of Internet websites, looking for a church to serve.

And with increasing frequency, church representatives also turn to the web, posting ministerial vacancies and sorting through potential candidate resumes.

Although these cybersearches may not totally replace more conventional means of finding ministers–such as tapping ministers' friendship networks and seminary placement services–they're definitely gaining ground.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas hosts two free Internet-based search programs, supported by the BGCT Cooperative Program unified budget. Church Personnel Information Services operates www.CPIS.org, a site that serves churches of all sizes and ministers of all types using a variety of variables. The bivocational/smaller church development office specializes with www.bivocational.com.

They're not alone. Non-denominational sites offer a matrix of opportunities for matching ministers and congregations.

For example, www.ChurchStaffing.com receives 2,500 to 3,000 unique visitors on weekdays and a few less on weekends, said Todd Rhoades, president of the site, in Bryan, Ohio.

“We normally carry between 400 and 500 current job openings, which we try to keep as current as possible,” Rhoades said. “And we currently have a little over 3,000 resumes on file.”

That site also has partnered with Dallas-based Leadership Network to offer www.LeadNetChurchStaffing.com, which posts job listings for churches whose attendance averages 1,000 or more.

Even restricted to such large churches, the site relates to about 2,500 to 3,000 congregations nationwide, said Dave Travis, senior vice president for Leadership Network.

The BGCT's www.CPIS.org receives at least half a million accumulated hits per month, said Ed Hale, director of the Church and Membership Resourcing Center for the state convention. A hit counts every time any page on the website is accessed.

At www.bivocational.com, the link to its church/minister search program, Ministers' Connection, is the busiest place on the website, said Bob Ray, BGCT director of bivocational/smaller church development.

The ministers who operate the websites–and almost without exception, the websites are run by people who have served in church or denominational ministry positions–cite several reasons for the popularity of Internet ministry searches.

Good matches

“We hope www.CPIS.org will help search committees find ministers who match their church preferences. And we hope they have longer tenures because of it,” Hale said. “As a director of missions, I found very little help for churches who wanted to do their own research and find the right match. The www.CPIS.org website helps get them started in like-mindedness.”

The www.CPIS.org website allows a BGCT church to complete a form that filters resumes for various preferences and priorities and provides the church confidential profiles of four or five possible matches. Then the church can request resumes on selected candidates. Next, the selected ministers receive automated e-mails that describe the church's profile, including its identity. If the ministers want to proceed, they tell the website to release their resumes to the church.

The process maintains a minister's confidentiality until he or she is ready to be identified, Hale noted. But it allows both the church and minister to gain quite a bit of information about each other so they can begin to determine if they would work well together.

That's important, added Rhoades. The www.ChurchStaffing.com site enables churches and ministers to sort though variables such as denomination, church size, type of ministry, worship style and other topics that help both parties learn if they're a good match.

“We tell churches to be specific, or they'll get inundated with resumes,” he said. The site is not exclusive to any denomination, and ministers can send their resumes to any church listed on the site.

Speed

“We've gotten to the point where church staffing takes longer and longer. This shortens the process,” Travis reported.

That factor is tied to the availability of information, both for the candidates and the churches, so they can find each other more quickly, website operators said.

For example, www.ChurchStaffing.com and its www.LeadNetChurchStaffing.com affiliate send out weekly e-mails of new church postings, Rhoades and Travis said. The paid smaller-church listings reach more than 22,000 pastors.

The quick turn-around of information makes a difference.

“In our own church family, we were looking for a bivocational assistant pastor/youth minister,” Ray said. “We put the position on the website on Thursday or Friday and got a call the next Monday. He already had read about our church and driven over to look at our facility. We hired him in two weeks.”

That pace is common for website churches, Hale added.

Internet possibilities

The web offers many options for both churches and ministers that previously weren't available, Travis noted.

“The ubiquity of the Internet broadens the search across the country” for both candidates and congregations, he explained. For example, classified ads reach only the people who read a newspaper, but the web-based search programs are available to everyone on the Internet.

“Instantaneous communications brings the whole country down to the click” of a computer mouse, Rhoades said.

Also, the Internet allows ministers to explore options anonymously, Travis added. “No one has to know” the minister is looking for another church.

Plus, the Internet is convenient for ministers who don't have the time or resources to conduct a traditional search, several operators said.

That helps explain why bivocational ministers adapted to web-based searches more quickly than others, said Jan Daehnert, director of BGCT minister/church relations, whose office works closely with www.CPIS.org and www.bivocational.com.

“Bivocationals are used to networking, and because of their jobs, they don't have much free time,” Daehnert said. “Plus, many of them, through their jobs, quickly became familiar with computers and the possibilities of the Internet. So, searching for jobs on the web was a natural.”

Change

“We've seen changes in churches and structures the past 10 years,” Rhoades said. “Both staff and churches, the way the trend is going, don't have brand loyalty. So, Nazarene churches are now open to hiring outside their denomination, and Nazarene pastors are open to pastoring outside their conference.”

“At large churches in particular, denominational identity is lost or faded,” Travis agreed. “Churches are willing to look beyond their traditions for ministers.” That's especially true for ministerial staff roles besides senior pastor, he said.

And while the BGCT may not be receiving many ministers who come from other denominations, “I can name plenty of United Methodist and Bible churches whose staff were former Baptists in Texas,” he said. “There's more of an open labor market.”

Finances

“Hard costs,” such as salary and moving expenses, and “soft costs,” such as morale, lost time and wasted productivity, are incredibly high when a church calls a minister who doesn't work out, Travis said.

“It costs at least $100,000 to make a bad hire,” he estimated. “So, churches are more willing to pay the costs” of fee-based web services, such as www.LeadNetChurchStaffing.com, www.ChurchStaffing.com, www.christianplacements.com and others.

Although the Internet-based services can make minister searches more efficient, “that does not negate the search responsibility,” Travis said, noting search committees or church staff assigned to conduct searches must work thoroughly.

The BGCT's Texas Baptist Leadership Center offers a variety of resources through its website, www.tblcinc.org, noted Bob Cavin, the center's director.

One of the most useful tools for search committees is a ministerial compensation study, which compares average Baptist church salary figures for various ministry positions, church sizes and regions of the country, Cavin said.

The www.CPIS.org website provides several pastor-search committee workbooks. One written by Hale can be downloaded in parts from the website.

It provides numerous tools, such as sample letters a search committee can use to notify ministers when they no longer are candidates for the open position. “This helps the search committee go through the entire process with integrity,” Hale said.

Search resources comprise a growing feature of www.ChurchStaffing.com, Rhoades said.

“Search committees often are confused,” he noted. “They don't know how to tackle a search process. Often they were brought together in a crisis, and they get frustrated and confused.”

The site features downloadable job descriptions for a variety of ministerial positions, he said.

The www.CPIS.org site soon will have links to websites that help churches conduct background checks on ministerial candidates, a feature also available on some other sites.

And that could help prevent a match apparently made in heaven from winding up in a different place.

Posted: 11/07/03

Headhunters stake out new territory in churches

By Marv Knox

Editor

LEWISVILLE–Can a headhunter replace a search committee?

Maybe not completely, but churches would do a better job of selecting ministers if they accepted outside help, David Lyons believes.

That's why he founded MinisterSearch, a professional recruitment firm that specializes in helping churches find pastors and staff members who fit their needs.

Lyons, a lifelong Baptist and a corporate executive head-hunter, got the idea for MinisterSearch when his brother-in-law, a minister, began talking about changing churches.

“I already understood what churches do to find staff. They ask the seminary for a list of resumes, talk to the staff of their association, ask other ministers for recommendations,” he said. “And how does a minister look for a church? He activates his resume (with a seminary) and calls his buddies.”

That's a disjointed process for finding God's will–for a church and for a minister, Lyons reasoned.

It's also not very successful, he added, citing a couple of problems.

First is the long time required to fill most staff vacancies.

“Church growth is inhibited, if not stopped, by a vacant position. A church often sees a decline in souls saved, and the vacancy often impacts the budget,” Lyons said. “This particularly is acute if it's the senior pastor, but it also happens with other positions.”

Second is the short tenure of many ministers, often as few as two to four years.

“We don't believe God calls a guy and soon 'uncalls' him,” he noted. “Our goal is to help the candidate and the church discern the Holy Spirit's calling. We believe we haven't sensed the Spirit's call enough in the traditional search process. …

“Are we searching most effectively for our ministers? No. We need a process to develop candidates, to find the top candidates and match them with the churches, so they'll minister more effectively and stay longer.”

After praying and talking with pastors he respected, Lyons started MinisterSearch, based in Lewisville, in late 2001, utilizing a process he implemented in corporate executive recruitment.

A staff of eight workers place 1,000 to 1,200 calls each week. They network across the country and across denominational boundaries to maintain a database of ministers who are doing the most effective ministry and who might be interested in moving to another church.

MinisterSearch's recruiters store data in customized computer software, tracking such information as ministers' interests, skills, experience and geographical preferences for service.

They work on behalf of client churches, comparing church needs with candidate abilities. About 30 percent to 40 percent of MinisterSearch's open positions are with Baptist churchs, Lyons said, noting Baptists comprise the largest denominational group of clients.

Before a MinisterSearch recruiter starts a candidate search, the recruiter spends time with church leaders.

“We go through a discovery process that can be extensive,” Lyons said. “We get to know the pastor, staff and church leaders. We learn about the vacant position and why the previous staff member left. From Day 1, we want to ask the hard questions.”

The MinisterSearch consultant works with the church to develop a job description and a candidate profile. Then that data, plus intangibles such as “chemistry,” are processed by the recruitment software to seek suitable candidates.

Typically, MinisterSearch's research compares the church profile with as many as 200 candidate profiles to provide a church with three to five possibilities whose skills and calling match the church's desires.

“A typical church may receive five to 20 resumes for a vacancy, and they pick the best candidate from that small list,” Lyons said. “We don't support that concept. Too many candidates are overlooked. What we bring to the table is the ability to look more broadly.”

“All too often, a church accepts whatever comes to them through the traditional means,” added Greg Allen, MinisterSearch's director of consulting. “That is not the universe of possibilities.”

“The top three or four candidates we provide will be better qualified than the church's best candidate,” Lyons contended.

After the candidate profiles are provided to the church, MinisterSearch works with candidates and the church–either a staff member conducting the search or a search committee–through recruiting conversations, interviews and the calling process.

The MinisterSearch consultant can help mediate between the church and candidates, making certain all issues are discussed, Allen said. The most sensitive can be compensation, but MinisterSearch doesn't back away, understanding that disagreement over compensation often is a factor in short tenures.

A MinisterSearch consultant even may urge the church and a candidate discontinue discussions if the match doesn't seem right.

“We'd rather stop the process than see a staff member get hired and leave in six months,” Lyons said. “So, if there's a reason to stop the process, let's stop it now.”

The group also pledges not to provide churches with resumes of incompetent ministers. “We'll love them, but we won't recommend them to a church,” Lyons noted.

About one-fourth of MinisterSearch's searches are for senior pastors. When other staff members are sought, MinisterSearch encourages the pastor to be involved, even if a search committee is leading the process.

Churches pay for MinisterSearch's services, typically equivalent to 20 percent of a hired minister's first-year compensation.

Lyons is a member of Valley Creek Church in Flower Mound, and Allen is a member of Hebron Community Church in Carrollton.

They believe their method of recruiting ministers is at the front of a trend.

“We want to be able to minister to the church, to bless the church,” Lyons said. “Ten years from now, this will be a standard process.”

That's true, said Todd Rhoades, president of ChurchStaffing.com, an Internet-based ministry-matching firm.

“MinisterSearch is an up-and-coming thing,” Rhoades said. “It's a huge possibility for churches to consider. Something like that would look very good to a lot of search committees.”

MinisterSearch's website is www.ministersearch.com.

Posted: 11/07/03

Linguistic duty translates into new home for Congo family

By George Henson

Staff Writer

FORT WORTH–An African refugee family has found a new beginning in Fort Worth, thanks to what at first seemed to be a chance encounter with a group of missionaries.

Daniel Mirambi first met Jason McCoy, assistant minister of music at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, in June 2001. McCoy was on a mission trip with his father, a professor of music at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, who was teaching music to native pastors in Kenya.

Daniel Mirambi and his family.

Mirambi, a native of the Congo, was introduced to them by a missionary couple as a guide to a nearby church where his brother-in-law was pastor. While waiting for transportation into town, McCoy asked Mirambi what kind of work he did.

“He laughed softly and said simply, 'I am a refugee,'” McCoy recalled. “He went on to explain that he had obtained a two-week pass to leave the refugee camp in order to visit his sister.”

Mirambi did not fit most Americans' stereotype of a refugee, however. He was well educated and fluent in English. Trained as a telecommunications engineer with the equivalent of bachelor's degree, he lost the ability to work in 1996 as war broke out between the various Congolese tribes, the Rwandans, the Ugandans and eight other neighboring countries.

Mirambi soon went to work as coordinator for three camps of Rwandan refugees, as well as serving as the mediator between a non-profit organization, the government and the United Nations. As the war further escalated, Mirambi and his family of six fled to a village where other family members lived 70 miles away.

It was there that the war caught up with them at last as 70 villagers were killed, including seven family members ranging in age from one month to 73 years.

Mirambi then took his family back to the city where he previously worked as the camp coordinator, this time using his language skills as a guide and translator for several international news agencies. For this, he was three times arrested and accused of being a spy.

He finally fled to Kenya, hoping to keep his family out of a refugee camp. But on July 27, 1997, the entire family was jailed four days before a United Nations agency was able to win their release. The condition of their release, however, was that they move to a refugee camp.

There they stayed for six years, until September. Mirambi's education did allow him to get a job as an administrative assistant, which afforded him e-mail access. He also led Christians of warring tribes to band together to build a church out of mud bricks. But on the whole, life was desolate.

Although he considers himself a Hutu, his mother was Tutsi, so he had to fend off attacks from members of both tribes. Food was meager, school for the children poor or non-existent and sanitary conditions abysmal.

Now, however, the family's present and future are much brighter. Broadway Baptist Church became the Mirambis' sponsoring family as they sought resettlement in Texas as refugees.

Broadway had been told the Mirambis, now numbering seven, would arrive sometime in November. A surprise came in September, however, as the church learned the family would arrive in less than two weeks.

“They caught us a little unprepared,” admitted Jorene Swift, minister of congregational care. While North Texas Refugee Services found the Mirambis an apartment, it was up to the church to furnish it.

“We did it in a weekend,” Swift said. “Most of the furniture has been used, but none of it is old or ready to be discarded. We really tried not to use anything we wouldn't want in our own homes.”

Co-sponsoring a refugee family is something a church of any size could do because the cash outlay is small, Swift said.

“For a church to become involved with a refugee family does not take a lot of financial resources, but time,” she explained.

The church was required to provide $1,000 per member of the refugee family, but only $200 per person in cash; the remainder came through in-kind gifts such as the furnishings for the home and time spent transporting or working with the family.

Broadway Baptist Church has a long history of sponsoring refugee families. On prior occasions, the church has sponsored Vietnamese and Cambodian families.

“This has always been a very positive experience for the church,” Swift said.

Kimberly Cooper of North Texas Refugee Services said many times refugee sponsorship is even more positive for smaller churches than larger ones.

“A lot of the smaller churches don't have as many programs competing for people's time, so many times a greater number of people will get personally involved with the refugee family,” she said. “Especially in smaller churches, you see the entire congregation get excited and involved.”

Cooper frequently makes presentations to churches about how they can be involved in refugee resettlement. She may be contacted at (817) 877-5467.

The church's primary responsibility is to help the family become acclimated to their new surroundings, McCoy said.

While the Mirambis had some exposure to Western culture, they knew nothing of child safety seats, seat belts or the electric range and washer and dryer in their new apartment. Those things required demonstrations. Church members also are helping the family learn how to shop in American grocery stores, secure Social Security cards and Daniel Mirambi learn the rules of the road.

While these tasks may appear to be overwhelming, Refugee Services provides each church with a notebook of what needs to be done, where to go to get it done and an outline of the procedure.

The biggest challenge for the Mirambis is to find jobs. The government paid the family's airfare but must be repaid in a matter of months.

“For many refugees, it destroys their credit rating right off the bat,” Swift said. And for a family of seven, much larger than most refugee families, that amount is huge for a family starting from scratch.

But for now, life is good. The children have been welcomed into their new schools, and they also enjoyed Sunday School and worship at Broadway. They did think more dancing would be good, however.

Posted: 11/07/03

Mississippi won't cut out CBF leaders

JACKSON, Miss. (ABP)–Messengers to the Mississippi Baptist Convention voted down a proposed constitutional amendment Oct. 28 that would have excluded Cooperative Baptist Fellowship members from serving in leadership positions in the convention.

The amendment, proposed during last year's annual meeting by Ralph Henson, pastor of Arrowood Baptist Church of Meridian, Miss., would have disqualified anyone who is currently serving in an “employed, elected or appointed position with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship” from serving in any capacity with the Mississippi Baptist Convention.

In accordance with the convention's constitution, Henson's motion was referred last year to the constitution and bylaws committee for action at this year's annual meeting. Rick Courtney, an attorney and chairman of the committee, reported the committee was unanimous in recommending the proposal be rejected. Messengers agreed by a vote of 572 to 376.

In other business, messengers adopted a slightly slimmer 2004 budget and elected longtime Mississippi pastor Gene Henderson as president.

Henderson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Brandon, was elected by acclamation after no other nominations were made. He will replace Frank Pollard, retired pastor of First Baptist Church of Jackson, who was in his second one-year term and ineligible for re-election.

The 2004 budget is 2.3 percent less than the record 2003 budget of $316 million. Giving to the 2003 budget is running behind and likely will fall short.

Posted: 11/07/03

Missouri breaks ties with Jewell

ST. LOUIS (ABP)–The Missouri Baptist Convention broke a 154-year tradition and voted Nov. 4 to stop funding William Jewell College in Liberty, citing the college's positions on homosexuality and morality.

The convention eliminated the Baptist school from its 2004 budget. Last year, the convention gave William Jewell $900,000, about 3 percent of the college's budget.

Roger Moran, a layman from Winfield whose guilt-by-association reports on state convention agencies and churches fueled a fundamentalist takeover of the Missouri convention, argued for cutting the college's funds.

William Jewell gave an award to a homosexual student and allowed a theatrical production some considered lewd to be staged on campus, reported Moran, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee.

The college's defunding came as no surprise to most Missouri Baptists.

“It was a foregone conclusion; the only question was when,” William Jewell President David Sallee told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

In response to criticism, William Jewell's trustees voted in February to affirm the college's mission statement, which declares its Christian and Baptist nature. However, trustees declined to answer specific “personal” questions about the faculty and trustees and a question about the college's “official teaching position on the first 11 chapters of Genesis, the creation account.”

The convention previously defunded five other Missouri Baptist institutions that changed their charters to remove control of trustee appointments from the convention.

The convention sued those institutions–Missouri Baptist University, Missouri Baptist Home, Windemere Conference Center, the Baptist Foundation and Word & Way newspaper.

Posted: 11/07/03

Churches urged to address multicultural needs of Texas

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Whether the message is “Jesús te ama,” “Jésus te aime” or “Jesus loves you,” Baptists need to reach out intentionally to all people in an increasingly multicultural state of non-believers, according to Baptist General Convention of Texas staff.

Nationwide, 47 million people, or 17.9 percent of the population older than 5, speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2000 census. Nineteen of the top 20 counties with the highest percentages of people who speak a language other than English are in Texas.

All seven counties in the nation where more than 80 percent of the inhabitants speak a non-English language were in Texas. Every county in the state indicated some non-English speakers.

Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen and El Paso all ranked in the top 10 cities of more than 100,000 people for percentage of residents who are non-English speakers.

Those same locations also ranked in the top 10 cities of more than 100,000 for percentage of residents who spoke Spanish. El Paso, ranked seventh, was the lowest of the four cities at 68.9 percent Spanish-speakers.

Laredo and Brownsville are among the top 10 places with the highest percentage of people who speak English less than “very well.” Laredo ranked sixth at 43.6 percent, and Brownsville came in just below that at 42 percent.

Overall, 13.9 percent of Texans (almost 2.7 million people) speak English less than very well.

Many churches do not know the statistics are so staggering, reported Patty Lane, director of BGCT intercultural initiatives. “Many of our churches do not realize there are so many people in a non-English world.”

People no longer must learn English to be successful, said Gus Reyes, ethnic consultant for the BGCT Center for Strategic Evangelism. Spanish is used for government documents, signs, books and daily business in many instances. In some places in Texas, Spanish is more common than English.

Fortunately for churches, non-English speakers appear interested in events targeted at them, Reyes reported. When they find functions designed for them that meet their needs, they attend.

But evangelism cannot simply be event-oriented, Reyes noted. With an estimated 10 million non-Christians in the state, Texas Baptists must be active in their faith and spread the gospel.

“Whether it's an all-Spanish-speaking audience or English-speaking audience, we must be sensitive and keep in mind that lost people come in all kinds,” he said. “We have to really focus on an evangelistic thread in our churches. It's not a rally or event; it's day-to-day living.”

Ministry especially may be needed in situations where no one in the family speaks English or a child is relied upon heavily to be a translator, Lane said.

According to the census, 4.4 million households encompassing 11.9 million people nationwide were “linguistically isolated,” meaning no one in the household older than 14 speaks English at least very well.

Youth often pick up English and become fluent but hold on to their parents' language for home communication, Lane said. But their bilingual proficiency may put them in difficult spots.

Children take on adult responsibilities in situations where they must relay vital information to their parents, Lane noted.

English as a Second Language programs can be helpful in these cases, but they must cater to the needs of the people, Lane cautioned. Non-English speakers must keep up with a family and a job, so finding time to learn a new language can be difficult.

Non-English speaking parents also may need help staying connected with a child who feels more affinity for American culture, Lane added. Helping families understand each other and grow together can be a powerful ministry, she said.

The continuing growth of the non-English-speaking population further dictates the need for language churches, Lane declared, explaining that people need a place where they can understand the worship and activities.

Reyes sees some hopeful signs around the state. Bilingual tracts are selling at increasing rates. BGCT church starts intentionally reach a variety of cultures. More churches are asking questions and trying to reach out to non-English speakers. Leaders particularly are looking to add Hispanic staff members to help congregations penetrate that culture.

Churches must reach out to non-English speakers, Lane and Reyes agreed, noting that no matter how people communicate, they need Christ.

While Texas Baptists still have much to learn, the nation can look to Texase to see the future, Reyes said. “This is a USA-wide phenomenon. It's not just Texas. Texas is a great picture of what the future can be.”

Posted: 11/07/03

On the Move

Jeff Addison to First Church in Quitaque as pastor from Lee Street Church in Dimmitt.

J.C. Baker to First Church in Weinert as pastor.

David Brumbelow to Lee College in Baytown as Baptist Student Ministry director. He also is pastor of Northside Church in Highlands.

Randy Carter to First Church in Slaton as minister of music/education.

Bob Clogston has completed an interim at Little York Church in Houston and is available for supply and interims at (281) 875-1705.

Corey Cornutt to First Church in Moran as pastor.

Joanne Cresson to First Church in Waco as interim preschool minister.

Curtis Crofton to Westwood Church in Tyler as interim pastor.

Landon Darilek to First Church in Gorman as youth minister.

Denise Davidson to New Haven Tabernacle in Abilene as children's minister.

Gene Farley to Pleasant Hill Church in Cisco as pastor.

Joe Guerra to Templo Iglesia in Post as pastor.

Richard Harbison to First Church in Tahoka as pastor from First Church in Spur.

Steve Hardcastle has resigned as minister of music at Trinity Church in Gatesville.

Albert Hesskew to First Church in Corsicana as minister of children/activities.

Jon Mark Hester to First Church in Slaton as youth minister.

Randy Lowe has resigned as pastor of Emory Church in Emory.

D. Lowrie to Liberty-Eylau Church in Texarkana as student minister.

James Martin to Fifth Avenue Church in Huntington, W. Va., as minister of music from Wilshire Church in Dallas, where he was associate minister of music.

Billy McDaniel to Fredonia Hill Church in Nacogdoches as minister of education/outreach from First Church in Tenaha, where he was minister of students/education.

Mike Norris to Harmony Church in Eastland as youth minister.

Will Roberson to New Haven Tabernacle in Abilene as worship and recreation minister.

Don Robinson to Fourth Ward Church in Ennis as pastor, where he had been interim.

Alvie Stiefer has resigned as pastor of McMahan Church in Dale.

Dale Turner to Austin Street Church in Yoakum as pastor.

Jimmy Vaughn has resigned as minister of education/associate pastor at Dixon Church in Greenville.

Brad Wisdom has resigned as youth minister at Emory Church in Emory.

Posted: 11/07/03

Houston pastor put on two-month
leave after misconduct allegations

HOUSTON (BP)–The longtime pastor of a prominent Houston church has been given a two-month paid leave of absence from the pulpit following allegations he sexually assaulted a 37-year-old man.

The action to suspend Brentwood Baptist Church Pastor Joe Ratliff was taken Oct. 27 during a regularly scheduled business meeting. About 5,000 people attend the church every Sunday morning.

During the next two months, Ratliff will continue his administrative duties while other staff members provide ministerial leadership, according to a statement from the church. He will return to the pulpit Dec. 31.

“In making this decision, the church leadership turned to God in prayer and referred to Scripture,” the statement read. “We must move on. Dr. Ratliff has recommitted himself to God and is working through this for the good of himself, his wife, the congregation and the community.

“We will not allow our faith to be destroyed. We will ensure that the business of Brentwood will continue as well as it has and continue to pray for our church family.”

According to KHOU-TV in Houston, Arnold Blake alleges Ratliff forced him into a church office where he groped and kissed him. Blake also claimed Ratliff offered to pay for sex, KPRC-TV in Houston reported.

The man sued both Ratliff and the church, and the two sides have since settled out of court.

“We felt it necessary to bring this matter to an end by settling out of court for the good of the church and the ministry,” the church statement read.

Blake's attorney released an audiotape in September to Houston TV stations in which a man alleged to be Ratliff makes vulgarity-laced, sexually explicit comments about homosexual desires to Blake.

Ratliff will undergo professional counseling, church spokesperson Jackie Preston told Baptist Press.

Ratliff was among the founders of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention and is coauthor of “Church Planting in the African-American Community.”

“Some would argue two months is not enough,” Preston acknowledged in telephone comments to Baptist Press, “but he will have ongoing counseling after that. … He stopped this bleeding so that God's kingdom wouldn't be affected. He said in his sermons as we went through this, 'It's not about me, it's not about you, but it's about the church.'

“Many would argue, members included and visitors, 'Did he do it?' That shouldn't even be the question because they're focusing on the wrong thing,” she added. “That's his opinion, and it's apparently the opinion of a lot of the members. He had overwhelming support.”

But some church members were not satisfied after the Oct. 28 business meeting.

“As a Christian, I have to ask myself if a homosexual male can be the spiritual leader of my house,” church member Rudy Sutherland said, according to KTRK-TV. “And for me, the answer is absolutely not.”

Posted: 11/07/03

Russian orphans ready for adoption

Several children living in Russian orphanages are available for adoption by Christian families and singles through Buckner International Adoption Services. Among them are the children shown here, who recently were identified as adoptable by Russian authorities.

While Russian orphan children are identified as candidates for adoption, there is no guarantee that a specific child will remain available to Buckner for adoption for long.

Debbie Wynne, clinical director for Buckner International Adoption Services in Dallas, said adoption through Buckner is the result of “a positive relationship we have developed because of our humanitarian work in Russia. They know our heart for children.”

More information on international adoption through Buckner is available by contacting Buckner International Adoption Services at (866) 236-7823 or on the web at www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org.

Buckner also will offer international adoption orientation meetings Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Buckner International Adoption Services offices, 4830 Samuell Blvd. in Dallas

Families interested in attending these orientations should contact Jean Barnes at (866) 236-7823.

Posted: 11/07/03

SBTC elects Osborne president
and marks fifth anniversary in Corpus

CORPUS CHRISTI (BP)–Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church of Bryan, was elected president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention during the convention's fifth annual meeting.

A total of 831 messengers registered for the convention, representing 338 of the SBTC's 1,371 uniquely or dually affiliated congregations. The SBTC formed as a breakaway from the Baptist General Convention of Texas by a group desiring to be more closely aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Osborne was nominated by Gil Lane, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo. Osborne, who served as Pastors' Conference president this year, succeeds George Harris, retired pastor of Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Other officers are David Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland, first vice president; Bill Sutton, pastor of First Baptist Church in McAllen, second vice president; and Brenda Wills of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, recording secretary.

The convention adopted a $16.3 million budget for 2004 and pledged to continue sending 52 percent of undesignated receipts to the SBC. The budget represents an 18 percent increase.

Of the $7.8 million in Cooperative Program giving allocated for in-state use, 29.49 percent will fund missions work and 9.29 percent will advance evangelism. The remainder includes 14.19 percent for minister/church relations; 13.78 percent for church ministry support; 11.57 percent for affiliated and fraternally related ministries; 10.93 percent for operational and financial services; and 10.75 percent for communications.

Gerald Smith, outgoing Executive Board chairman, reported that because of the “generous gifts of God's people” the SBTC is building a 30,000-square-foot office in Grapevine.

Executive Director Jim Richards read a greeting from President Bush, congratulating the convention on its five-year anniversary.

The convention also included presentations on the SBTC's relationships with East Texas Baptist Family Ministry, Criswell College, Korean Baptist Fellowship of Texas, Texas Baptist Men and Houston Baptist University.

Paul Pressler of Houston presented the third Paul Pressler Distinguished Service Award to Rudy Hernandez, the SBTC's special assistant to the executive director for Hispanic ministries and a former SBTC president.

The convention passed nine resolutions, most dealing with social-political issues. They included statements on human sexuality, the Federal Marriage Amendment, gratitude for Gov. Rick Perry, disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Texas' sodomy law, concern for the sanctity of human life, an appeal for participation in Christian citizenship, a statement on church-state relations and an appeal for greater missions giving.

Next year's meeting will be Oct. 25-26 at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

The SBTC Pastors' Conference elected Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, as president; Alan Burkhalter, pastor of Chaparral Hills Baptist Church in Amarillo, first vice president; and Dale Norris, pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Mabank, second vice president.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention passed nine resolutions, most dealing with social-political issues.

Posted: 11/07/03

SHARED SPACE:
With six you get an eggroll

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

BEDFORD–Some congregations spend years trying to discern God's will. Leaders of Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford believe God laid a vision in their hands.

Christopher Sham, pastor of Bedford Chinese Baptist Church, and his wife Alphra pose with a church member (far left) and Woodland Heights Baptist Church minister of Education Pat McDanal.

In July 2000, a Brazilian church started a trend when it asked to share the facilities at Woodland Heights. Soon a Korean church did the same. Later, a 50-member Chinese church jumped on board. Now Sudanese people are coming to services and may start a church on the premises.

“They accept us as part of the body of Christ,” said Christopher Sham, pastor of Bedford Chinese Baptist Church. “They also let us use part of the building without changing our normal schedule, even though they have a large crowd.”

The Korean church has since moved to its own facilities, but Woodland Heights Pastor Doug Riggs continues to ensure that all three remaining congregations have enough space for their activities.

“This has not been in our plan,” Riggs admitted. “It's not something we set out to do. But it's something God laid in our hands.”

Worship leaders from the four churches that meet at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford sing in their native toungues. The worship service brought together Chinese, Brazilian, Korean and English-speaking congregations.

Riggs acknowledged he was not accustomed to working in a multicultural setting. Yet he has been willing to learn more about the people meeting on the grounds.

A host church must be willing to treat the other congregations as equals, Riggs has learned. While the leaders interact and encourage each other, the congregations essentially function independently.

“It is working out perfectly,” said Jair Campos, pastor of Igreja Batista Brasiliera Central. “Woodland Heights respects the mission churches.”

The host church needs to emphasize reaching people, not just growing the church, Riggs added. If more people can become Christians through these churches, Riggs wants to help.

“The only thing it requires from an English congregation is a mindset that this is not our castle that we need to protect with a moat,” he said.

Initially, concerns were expressed about sharing the space with other churches, but Riggs noted those fears quickly disappeared as the congregations reached people in the community without altering the host church's activities.

Not only were the concerns removed, the congregations wanted to come together for a multicultural worship service. Worshippers sang in four languages–Chinese, English, Korean and Portuguese–and each pastor administered the Lord's Supper in the native tongues.

The congregations also came together for fellowship during a potluck dinner featuring ethnic food.

Members of four churches eat during a potluck dinner following a multicultural worship service at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford. Each congregation brought food that represented its culture.

Campos described the service as being “like heaven,” saying all the missions and the host church functioned as one large congregation.

Sham echoed Campos' thoughts, calling the congregation a “group of saints.”

“It was a great experience to see how people do things differently,” said Campos, who also serves as music minister at Woodland Heights. “Even though people have different cultures, they can come together to worship and feel the Spirit.”

The event has further opened the congregations to consider future cooperation. Leaders are planning to put together a Christmas drive-through presentation of Christ's life, complete with 13 sets, costumes and a cast.

Each car will receive a tape or compact disc that narrates the story as they drive through it. Audio will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin.

“There's a bigger mentality that is growing that is 'It's not about me. It's about the kingdom,'” Riggs said. “The multicultural thing is such a blessing. You just have to try it.”

Members of four churches that meet in the same building eat during a joint potluck dinner following a multicultural worship service at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford. Members of each congregation brought food that represented their native cultures.