Posted: 8/8/03

Baptist Briefs

GARB opposes open theism. The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches has taken a stand against the theological concept of open theism, the belief that God may choose not to fully know the future and can be spontaneous. Messengers to the meeting in Riverside, Calif., said they "reject open theism because it redefines the orthodox, biblical teachings on the attributes of our great God." The GARB has about 132,000 members.

Warren and Falwell team. Rick Warren and Jerry Falwell will team in October to train more than 10,000 church leaders in the first Purpose-Driven Church Conference offered east of the Mississippi River. Touted as a SuperConference, it will combine 11 Purpose-Driven seminars on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Warren is pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" and "The Purpose-Driven Church." Falwell is pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va.

Eldridge leaves Southwestern. Daryl Eldridge, dean of the School of Educational Ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, has been named president of Rockbridge University, an interdenominational school based in Springfield, Mo., that will provide ministerial education exclusively via the Internet to non-traditional students. A 19-year employee of Southwestern, Eldridge became dean of the educational ministries school in 1996.

CBF sends aid to Liberia. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has approved $10,000 in emergency relief funds for use in Monrovia, Liberia, through Baptist World Aid, the assistance arm of the Baptist World Alliance. Half the $10,000 is designated for ministry to internally displaced people that have sought shelter at the Baptist Seminary in Monrovia, while the other half is designated for general food relief.

Florida BSM reunion planned. Alumni of the Baptist Student Ministry programs at the University of Miami, Florida International University, Miami-Dade Community College or any other college in South Florida are sought for a reunion this fall. The event will be held at the University of Miami Nov. 15. Send e-mail to miamibcm@aol.com or jsabin2@allstate.com, or call (863) 635-4661.

Mohler enlarges his territory. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a frequent apologist for the Southern Baptist Convention on national television, radio and in print media, has announced plans to launch his own weblog at Crosswalk.com. Called a "blog" in Internet-talk, the site will feature on-the-spot commentaries by Mohler on the intersection of culture and faith.

Posted 8/13/03

Christian Baseball League Aims to Offer
`Godly' Way of Doing Sports

By Bruce Nolan

Religion News Service

NEW ORLEANS–Jarvis Martin, a Witness, started off wobbly, walking the Prophets’ lead-off man, Dustin Rigsby, then letting Rigsby take second on a wild pitch.

A drizzle pattered on a few umbrellas as darkness began to creep over Lafreniere Park in Metairie, La., on a summer evening.

Parents shouted encouragement to their 10- and 11-year-olds. So did the coaches, each wearing an identical yellow shirt, no matter his team affiliation, to signal his allegiance to all the kids equally–to the Prophets and Witnesses, the Disciples, Believers, Overcomers and other teams in the Good Sports Christian Baseball League, a private baseball organization of more than 100 evangelical Christian families just ending its first season.

Born of a low-grade dissatisfaction with competitiveness, rough language and the occasional beer-in-hand of some parents, the Good Sports Christian League offers a godly alternative, its members say.

It is baseball with its competitive fires well tamped, lots of cross-dugout encouragement, pre- and post-game prayer and baseball skills taught by dads who have passed muster by securing letters of recommendation from their pastors.

That’s a credential that counts in this group. The league is made up exclusively of parents who have signed a statement of faith professing belief in the infallibility of the Bible, the lordship of Jesus Christ, salvation by faith alone and a few other basic tenets familiar to any evangelical Christian.

For some charter members of the league, it is a haven of sorts.

Many are home-schoolers, deeply devout parents who opted out of public education to teach their children in home environments tailored to their religious beliefs.

"The parents, the coaches, the environment, it’s all God-based. The coaches pray with the kids before and after the game. I’m very happy with it," said Rebecca Cotton, who hauls three children from Westwego, La., three times a week.

Good Sports is nothing if not supportive. Praise is lavish, awards frequent and pressure forbidden.

Indeed, during some of the youngest children’s games, it’s not even clear if score is being kept.

Because of its non-competitive nature, Good Sports has attracted a whole league of relatively inexperienced players whose parents had held them out of public playgrounds.

Teaching the strike zone often comes with little Christian homilies that coaches offer off little blue cards distributed to the kids. "The word of God, the Bible, is as necessary to life as bats are to baseball," said one. "We should read it often and live it by faith."

Good Sports was born last fall, when Chris and Lisa Arceri became increasingly concerned about their eldest son’s football experience at a local playground.

A handful of parents–no more–seemed a little over the top at the playground, a little too fiery in their bleacher exhortations for Lisa Arceri’s taste. Then there was the beer. It wasn’t sold at playgrounds, but some families tailgated nearby and would bring a can into the stands, and that made the Arceris uncomfortable.

But what tore it for the Arceris was the coaches’ language–just one coach, really, they said.

It wasn’t blistering, Lisa Arceri said. But it contained a solid dose of middle- and lower-level profanity uttered not in anger, but as ordinary locker room discourse he told them felt as appropriate to football as helmets.

As a result, the idea of an alternative league began to form, especially with Chris Arceri, a long-time coach and self-professed baseball nut.

The Arceris reached out first to other families in their network of home-school acquaintances. Those people began telling other people, particularly at local churches. By spring, they had a league with 14 teams, 30 coaches and 150 players ready to be formed in Christian character and the art of the bunt.

Now, with the first baseball season ending, there is talk of trying basketball in the fall. Another season of baseball next year seems definite.

With the evening’s play done, parents folded up their chairs and shepherded uniformed kids back toward their vans.

"I like this," said Doug Greengard, father of two Good Sports and a former television sportcaster who has just made a leap into full-time Christian ministry. "They learn to play, there’s no pressure, and when the game’s over, the coaches gather them around to pray.

"That comforts me."

Posted: 8/22/03

Amy Grant sings a louder faith in 'Simple Things'

By Steve Rabey

Religion News Service

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS)–For two decades, Amy Grant was an icon for the embryonic contemporary Christian music industry, earning its first gold and platinum records and the mainstream credibility it so desperately craved.

Things weren't always easy. While progressive evangelicals hailed her as a winsome musical ambassador to those outside the Christian subculture, her conservative critics got upset when she wore a leopard-print jacket and danced barefoot on the 1985 Grammy telecast, when she performed in venues that sold beer, and when she signed an endorsement deal with the Target retail chain. (Target's parent company, Dayton Hudson, supported Planned Parenthood, angering abortion foes.)

Grant kept churning out hits and breaking down barriers until she entered a dark period in the late 1990s. Her marriage to Christian singer Gary Chapman was disintegrating. Her somber 1997 album, “Behind the Eyes,” lacked explicit references to Jesus. Then her 1999 divorce from Chapman and 2000 marriage to recently divorced country musician Vince Gill sealed her doom with many Christian radio stations and once-faithful fans.

Now “Simple Things,” Grant's 18th album and first collection of original songs in six years, shows that resurrection is more than just a topic for Easter sermons. The album offers up 10 songs about love, loss and an ever-changing but unshakable faith in God.

“I think this album is a record of my journey from shame to forgiveness to joy,” Grant said in a telephone interview from a Gulf Coast vacation retreat where she, Gill and assorted children and friends were enjoying the sun and the waves.

At 42, Grant is less perky than when she first emerged as a teen singing sensation in 1977 but happier than she's been in years.

“We just had my 25th high school reunion in May, and I loved seeing how people had grown and changed,” she said. “We all looked a lot more interesting for the wear.”

Grant's emotional struggles and crises of faith, along with the recent death of a friend and a family member, have taught her about the wisdom that lies on the other side of sorrow.

“One of the great things about living a long time is that you realize nothing stays the same. When it's bad, it's not going to stay that way. And when it's good, it's not going to stay that way either.”

Grant began working on “Simple Things” shortly after her March 2000 marriage to Gill, but her attention was divided. She and Gill were trying to make a family out of her three children and his one. Then she discovered she was pregnant with Corrina, the couple's daughter.

“All my energy was going elsewhere,” she said. “I had to renegotiate my sense of belonging. I wondered how the kids were doing. Farther down on the priority list was making a record, but fortunately I had a contract staring me in the face that compelled me to get back to work.”

On “Simple Things” Grant addresses the disappointments of her past, the love she feels for Gill and her growing confidence in God's compassion and care. The breadth of the album's emotional range is evident in song titles like “Happy,” “Innocence Lost,” “Every Time We Touch,” “I Don't Know,” “After the Fire” and “Beautiful,” a romantic duet with Gill.

“Out in the Open,” a moving song that teams Grant with longtime producer Brown Banister, describes spiritual rebirth as a process of warts-and-all disclosure to God:

“I will be a witness that

There's nothing in me dark enough

The power of forgiveness

Cannot rescue from the deep.”

She explained: “It's really a song about moving from shame to grace.”

“Simple Things” is more radio-friendly than last year's “Legacy … Hymns and Faith,” but Grant may never dominate the Christian industry like she did in the 1980s and '90s.

“I've always been a big Amy supporter,” said Jim Veldhuis, managing editor of Christian Radio Weekly, an industry trade publication. “But of the 50 reporting stations we use for our charts, more than 30 lean toward more traditional audiences and probably won't play her songs. Other artists aren't put under the same kind of scrutiny that Amy is, but that's what happens when you're an icon.”

Grant, who has long sold more albums in mainstream markets than in Christian stores, will promote “Simple Things” with a music video and a 10-city promotional tour. She also may perform on some dates on Michael W. Smith's summer tour. Then she and Gill will team up for a Christmas tour that begins after Thanksgiving.

In her quieter moments, Grant continues to reflect on her ever-evolving faith in God. The image that strikes her is that of a young child walking down a road with her father.

“I can feel the security of having my hand in his hand, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be any potholes,” she said. “And if there are potholes, you don't look up and blame it on the one whose hand you're holding.

“Instead, when you fall down, you're aware you're not alone. And when you encounter some of the great crises of life, you're not going to blame others or shrivel up but meet this opportunity with some growth.”

Posted: 8/22/03

Paris pastor leads his
people to a higher plane–on foot

By George Henson

Staff Writer

PARIS–While many lessons are learned in life's valleys, there also is something to be said for the mountaintops, Pastor Randall Perry believes.

For that reason, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Paris recently returned from his 14th trek along the Appalachian Trail. Each time, he has taken a group of church members along for an experience they will not soon forget.

The first time Perry took to the trail, he was a novice himself. His son wanted to attend a Boy Scout hike on the trail, but it fell during the week of the church choir tour.

“I told him if he went on the choir tour, I would take him on a hike when he got back. We did that, and while we were hiking started talking about how great it would be for other fathers and sons to do it,” Perry recalled.

That first trip was fathers and sons, but the hike quickly developed into a churchwide excursion. Since that time, Perry has served three churches, and all have embraced the possibility of hearing a new word from God on the ridge of a mountain.

As a matter of fact, one of the members of the search team that brought Perry to Texas from Florida heard of the ministry there and provided funds for the church to buy and supply camping equipment to each year's hikers. The church provides camp stoves, tents and water filters. Hikers provide their own food, hiking shoes, packs and sleeping bags.

The cost of the trip varies primarily according to whether the portion of the trail hiked is far enough away to require an airplane flight. If it is close enough to travel in vans, the hike may cost as little as $150.

The bigger investment may be in preparation. You don't just wake up one day and decide you want to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail, Perry said.

He encourages church members to train at the football stadium in the months leading up to the hike by walking up and down the bleachers.

“There's just really no terrain around here to prepare you for a mountain hike,” he said. “I can explain all I want to in the weeks in preparation, but you don't have the words to tell them how hard it's going to be and what's going to be expected of them. It's not going to be a walk in the park.”

Perry also prepares for the hike by writing morning devotionals for each day of the journey.

Now, the pastor has made the trek often enough that he knows how to tailor each day's Bible meditation to what the hikers may be feeling. On day two, he counseled hikers not to think about the difficulties of the hike, but to see it as a blessed new experience. Day five majored on perseverance and day six, the final day, on victory at completing the 57-mile hike.

This year's hike was by far the most grueling of any he had undertaken, Perry said. The segment traversing the White Mountain Range as it snaked through New Hampshire was “more of a rock climb than a hike,” he said.

Each day the troop arose at daylight, shortly after 5 a.m., stowed their gear, and ate breakfast, which for most was uncooked oatmeal. The last thing before striking out was a time for Perry and his son to help anyone who needed it with foot care. “We've learned some tricks over the years on how to deal with blisters and things so that you can keep going,” Perry explained.

Linda Winfrey and Anita McDonald struggle up a steep, rocky incline along the trail in New Hampshire. The experience stretched participants both physically and spiritually.

The group of 16 hit the trail but soon spread out as hikers progressed at different speeds. The group stopped at shelters 9 to 10 miles apart. Some days, the hike was 10 to 12 hours long, with lunch usually only being a power bar, peanut butter and crackers or cheese and crackers.

The days ended at a campsite with a meal of perhaps ramen noodles and a devotional by one of the hikers around the campfire.

“I know they have a sense of accomplishment, because it is such a physical challenge, and they saw evidence of God's provision for us all along the trail,” the pastor said.

This year's hike was especially treacherous. The trail passes seven waterfalls, which while beautiful also were dangerous. The youngest member of the group, a 9-year-old from Perry's previous church in Florida, slipped in the stream at the bottom of one of the falls.

“He stepped out into the stream, and his feet were swept out from under him. The stream caught him and was about to carry him over a 100-foot waterfall, but Ken Bedford, one of our church members who was farther downstream, grabbed him by the strap of his pack.

“I wasn't there, but when I got to camp that night and heard that, chills went all through my body,” Perry said.

Perry thanks God that in the 14 years he has been leading groups there have been no broken bones or major injuries. That gratitude was especially felt this year.

“God miraculously saved many of us at one time or another during this year's hike,” he said. “I think we may have seen God work more on this trip because we needed him more.”

Despite the physical challenges, the hike also pays dividends, Perry said.

“When you're hiking on the trail, there is a lot of time for introspection,” he explained. After a day or two on the trail, whatever worries he left behind in Paris are forgotten, and it becomes a time of conversation with God, he added.

It also doesn't take long to call on God when the going gets tough.

“Many of the ones who go testify to the fact that when they spend all they can afford to spend, they depend on the Lord to help them make that next step,” Perry said.

That was true for Cindy Jolley, who has made the trip for the last four years with her family. “I realized the need for Christ in all my life, and the times I haven't leaned on him when I should,” she said.

On some portions of the trail she recited 1 Corinthians 4:13–“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”–with almost every step.

Perry said that isn't unusual.

“Every hiker gets to a point where it becomes more than they can do,” he said.

The hike also reminds Christians of the majesty of God, Perry declared.

“You can't help but be very nostalgic when you get up there. To see God's beauty in creation, it does cause you to reflect on God's power to create something of such beauty and yet take time to love you.”

Posted: 8/22/03

Around the State

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship recently endorsed several chaplains who will serve in Texas, including Jeff Lancaster, Denison; Harrison Roper, Waco; Hazel Thomas, Fort Worth; and Pam Rains, Beaumont.

Alumni of the University of Miami, Florida International University and Miami-Dade Community College who participated in Baptist Student Ministries are asked to send contact information to miamibcm@aol.com or call (305) 667-1066 in preparation for a Nov. 15 reunion.

Appointments

Recently appointed Texans by the North American Mission Board included Bobby and Tracy Anne Dean, who will serve in Colorado Springs, Colo., as church starters. He considers Simonton to be his hometown, and is a former youth minister at Parkway Hills Church in Plano and First Church in Columbus. The Deans have one son, Thomas.

Recently added to the Dallas Baptist University faculty were Charles Carona, assistant professor of education and director of the Master of Education program; Donovan Fredricksen, assistant professor of education; Melissa Newman, assistant professor of communication; and Layne Bradley, assistant professor of business and director of the Master of Business Administration program.

Ann Taylor of Rockwall will be campus minister at Harvard University.

Anniversaries

Joe McCammon, fifth, as pastor of Wildwood Church in Mesquite, Aug. 1.

Jon Hollan, fifth, as minister of music and senior adults at Hampton Road Church in De-Soto, Aug. 17.

John Lockhart, 20th, as pastor of First Church in Richmond, Aug. 18.

Jimmy Arnold, 25th, as pastor of First Church in Woodsboro, Aug. 27.

College Hills Church in San Angelo, 50th, Aug. 30-31. The celebration will include special programs, music, visiting and food. For more information, call (325) 949-5788. Lakan Mariano is pastor.

First Church in Blossom, 130th, Aug. 31. Bobby Renfro will be the guest speaker, and the Lighthouse Quartet will perform. Roger Pugh is pastor.

Paul McBride, 20th, as pastor of Friendship Church in The Colony.

Tim Newton, fifth, as student ministry associate at First Church in Denton.

Ray Spradling, 15th, as minister of education at Calvary Church in Bryan.

Wayne Barrett, 10th, as associate pastor for music at First Church in Huntsville, Sept. 1. His wife, Sherri, also celebrates 10 years as pianist.

Preston Baker, 10th, as pastor of First Church in Shepherd, Sept. 26. The church rewarded Baker and his wife, Pam, with a trip to Hawaii.

Gateway Church in Whitehouse, 25th, Sept. 28. A luncheon and an afternoon service will be held. For more information, call (903) 839-7171. Ron Moore is pastor.

Purves Church in Dublin, 100th, October. The church is preparing a historical video and needs photographs of three former pastors–Jack Schnieder, Bill Tucker and William Noel. For more information, call (254) 445-2050.

First Church in Tahoka, 100th, Oct. 4-5. Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday with singing, coffee and cake. A catered meal will follow the morning service. Information on former staff members Eddie Howard, Sheldon Russell, Winfred Walker and Jim Patrick is being sought. For more information or to pass on information, write the church at P.O. Box 1547, Tahoka 79373 or e-mail fbctahoka@juno.com.

Retiring

Bobby Owens, as pastor of Lake Whitney Church in Laguna Park.

Deaths

Mary Ellan Davis, 85, July 29 in Waco. She was the wife of B.L. Davis, former pastor and director of missions for Amarillo Association. She was a member of Columbus Avenue Church in Waco. She is survived by her husband of 62 years; daughter, Dian Taylor; son, Mike Davis; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Darrel Rains, 57, Aug. 1 in Cleburne. Rains was pastor of churches in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas 35 years, including Casa View Church in Dallas. He was preceded in death by his brother, George. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne; son, Nathan; daughter, Amy Wood; two grandchildren; and father and step-mother, Ray and Ethel Rains.

Dorothy Green, 82, Aug. 3 in Lubbock. She was the wife of retired pastor Lomer Green, who served in Louisiana, El Paso, Fort Hancock, Ashland, Big Spring, Kermit and Odessa. She is survived by her husband; brother, Joe Welzel; daughter, Beverly Vincent; sons, Fred and L.D.; and eight grandchildren.

Camille Swart, 73, Aug. 13 in Houston. An active member of Wildewood Church in Spring, she served in Woman's Missionary Union and as a Bible study leader and a deacon. She served on the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas from 1993 until 1998. She also was involved with Union Association, Texas Baptists Committed and the Baptist World Alliance. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Bill; sons, Bill, Ed and Sam; daughters, Ruth Burrows and Lela Kate Ogletree; 15 grandchildren; brother, Riley Conely; and sister, Ann Vernon.

Leonard Holloway, 80, Aug. 13 in Kerrville. An ordained minister, Holloway was a former president of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and the University of Corpus Christi, and also served two terms as mayor of Kerrville. He also was vice president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a member of Trinity Church in Kerrville. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Betty; daughters, Sha Cowan and Jamie Aven; and four grandchildren.

J.P. Ward Jr., 80, Aug. 16 in Granbury. He was a deacon at Acton Church in Granbury, where his son, Glenn, is pastor. He was a teacher and coach 34 years in Anson, Vega, Snyder and Birdville/Richland Hills. He is survived by his wife, Jamie; sons, Glenn, Benny and Ronald; and daughters, Donna Headstream and Victoria Norman; sister, Maydell Scott of Graham; brother, Donald Ward of Anson; and 12 grandchildren.

Events

Prestonwood Church in Plano held the grand opening of the second part of the construction on the west side of the campus that covers 136,500 square feet Aug. 16-17. The new facilities include a 600-seat chapel; a cafe that will serve three meals a day and Starbucks coffee; a student ministry building that includes PlayStation games, a pool table and a large room for gatherings and concerts that features two IMAG screens; an expanded bookstore; a commons area with couches, cafe seating and video screens; a 150-foot tower of faith housing a prayer room; and a children's playroom. Jack Graham is pastor.

Brentwood Church in Houston commemorated 38 years of service to the community with a picnic and special services Aug. 17. Joe Ratliff is pastor.

Park Memorial Church in Houston will hold homecoming services Sept. 14. To make reservations for the covered dish luncheon, call (713) 923-2853. Ricky Fletcher is pastor.

First Church in Van will hold homecoming services Sept. 21. Mark Turman will be the guest speaker in the morning service, followed by lunch. A special music program will follow the meal. Michael Calhoun is pastor.

Licensed

Robert Porter and Mike Sackmary to the ministry at First Church of Oak Hill in Austin.

Billy Bardin, Clay Jacobs and Paul Billiet to the ministry at Cowboy Heritage Church in Abilene.

George Tijerina, Carlos Benitez, Jose Luis Aginagua and Luis Alban to the ministry at First Church in Hallsville.

Ordained

Zach Souter and Jeremy Johnston to the ministry at First Church in Merkel.

Tiffany Wright to the ministry at Wilshire Church in Dallas.

Greg Benesh, Alan Bowden, John Eaker, Ron Grusendorf and Phil Oliver as deacons at Columbus Avenue Church in Waco.

Revivals

Braeburn Valley Church, Houston; Aug. 31-Sept. 3; *evangelist, Herman Cramer; *music, Bill and Vicky Murphy; pastor, Preston Dupré.

First Church, Liberty; Sept. 7-10; *evangelist, Michael Gott; *music, Scot Cameron; pastor, Jerry Johnson.

Cedar Grove Church, Greenville; Sept. 7-11; *evangelist, Wes Massey; *music, Don Thornton; pastor, Glenn Cook Jr.

*vocational evangelist

.

Posted: 8/22/03

Sloan: Baylor's basketball sins
call for repentance but not withdrawal

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

WACO–Revelations of extensive improprieties within Baylor University's men's basketball program should not cause the Baptist school to leave the Big 12 Conference, but should prompt repentance and re-examination, President Robert Sloan insists.

In an interview Aug. 18, as further evidence of wrongdoing by former Coach Dave Bliss and perhaps others continued to roll out almost by the hour, Sloan defended Baylor's place in the most competitive ranks of college sports.

Faced with recent dismal records in football and now the complete meltdown of the men's basketball program, some Baylor supporters have questioned anew the wisdom of a Baptist university competing amid the powerhouses of the Big 12, including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

“The question is penetrating because I think the Christian faces that question some ways in every day of his or her life,” Sloan said. “How to be in the world and not of the world. How to be salt and light in the world. How not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

In previous news conferences, Sloan insisted Baylor, because it is a Christian university, must adhere to higher standards than mandated by NCAA regulations for other schools.

“Here we as an institution have clearly had our failures, and that calls us to repentance,” he said. “It calls us to re-examination. But it doesn't call us to quit. It calls us to hold ourselves accountable because the Lord does, then to recommit ourselves and go back and try again.

“Every Christian faces this on an individual basis. We know our lives are supposed to be a witness in the world. We want others to see Christ in us. Yet we all fail in that–sometimes in large ways, sometimes in small ways.”

Sloan will not allow that Baylor cannot succeed by acting ethically, even if other schools might cheat to gain an advantage.

Life's not fair, he said, and those who try to compete honestly in any undertaking face competition from those who don't play by the rules. That's no excuse for succumbing to temptation, he said.

“The fact that we succumb to temptation–now the question is do we accept responsibility for it, accept the consequences and then by faith try to move on?”

Baylor should no more forsake highly competitive athletics than it should forsake its quest to perform on the highest academic levels, Sloan declared.

“It would be a great mistake for Christians to say, 'We can't take the pressure' or 'We can't compete' or 'We can't participate.' Whether it is research or athletic competition or music, the arts, the business world, journalism, all of the great influencers of culture, we have to be there.”

Two Texas Baptists with different vantage points on Baylor agreed with Sloan's assessment.

Jon Mark Beilue, sports editor at the Amarillo Globe News and a member of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, affirmed that Christian principles should not prevent one from participating in competitive college athletics.

“It's not mutually exclusive in Division 1,” he said. “If you look at it individually, for example, you see a lot of Christian athletes who are quite successful in what they do.”

It is hard for private schools to make it in a conference like the Big 12, he said, but that has more to do with enrollment and resources than faith.

Also, “it's more crucial at a private school like Baylor than it might be at public schools to hire the right coach,” he added.

Likewise, former Baylor regent John Boyd of Amarillo continues to feel strongly that Baylor can compete in the Big 12. Boyd, an emeritus chief justice with the Texas 7th Court of Appeals, served on the Baylor board when the university entered the Big 12.

“I think we can compete, and we can compete well,” he said.

“Nothing good is easy,” he added. “You've got to want to succeed, and I think Baylor can succeed. We've got to realize and emphasize our distinctive.”

That distinctive is being the only private, church-related institution in the Big 12, he said.

“My conception of the aim of Baylor is to demonstrate that being a Christian intellectual is not an oxymoron,” said Boyd, also a member of First Baptist. “To graduate students who are not ashamed of their faith, who know there is an intellectual justification for it. I think there are enough good athletes who would want to go to a school like that.”

And that should be a pull for the right kind of coaches, as well, he added. “Baylor being unabashedly Christian would be an inducement to a lot of people. Coach Morriss (football) made that distinction when he came to Baylor.”

Boyd and others point to Notre Dame as evidence of another Christian school succeeding in big-time college athletics.

The Baptist Standard sought a comment from Notre Dame administrators about how they have accomplished this goal. However, university spokesman Matthew Storin said the Catholic school is “reluctant to hold ourselves up as the ideal, or even a more positive example, when a school is in trouble.”

Posted: 8/22/03

Baylor Faculty Senate asked to evaluate Sloan

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

WACO–Some Baylor University faculty leaders announced intentions Aug. 20 to seek a vote of no confidence in President Robert Sloan, saying he is too divisive to continue guiding the school.

Henry Walbessar, a computer science professor and former dean, indicated he would make the motion at the Faculty Senate's next meeting Sept. 9, or sooner if a special meeting is called.

Chuck Weaver, chairman of the 33-member Senate, said any Senate member has the right to introduce a motion of this kind, but he acknowledged its gravity.

“Everyone involved is aware of the magnitude of this kind of action,” he said. “It is not something that is being done lightly.”

Neither Weaver nor Joe Cox, who assumes the Faculty Senate chairmanship Aug. 25, was willing to try to predict the outcome of a vote. But both noted “widespread” concerns among faculty about Baylor's leadership. They both pointed to a faculty survey taken earlier this year that revealed low levels of trust in the university, particularly among tenured faculty.

Baylor University spokesman Larry Brumley disputed that assessment, saying it was “unfortunate” and “outrageous” that a handful of individuals would presume to speak for the faculty at large.

More than two-thirds of the non-tenured faculty support the direction Sloan has led the university, Brumley said. But critics have chosen to focus only on the dissatisfaction of “a group of tenured, mostly male faculty” who do not supported changes at the school, he said.

Barry Harvey, associate professor of theology in the honors college, agreed that the call for a vote of no confidence in the university's top administration is “totally off the mark.”

Harvey, who has been at Baylor 15 years, noted that at the university general faculty meeting Aug. 21, Sloan and the provost “received a warm and sustained ovation, signifying broad and deep support” for the administration and its long-range plan for the school.

“If the Faculty Senate proceeds with a vote of no confidence in light of the reception the president and the provost received at the general university faculty meeting this morning, they will surrender any pretence to being a representative body,” Harvey said.

Scott Moore, philosophy professor and director of the Great Texts Program at Baylor, added that a significant number of faculty members are “outraged” that any faculty senators would consider giving Sloan a vote of no confidence.

“I genuinely doubt that the Faculty Senate will go ahead with the vote of no confidence in light of the long, sustained and enthusiastic reception the president and provost received today,” he said.

National media attention recently has been drawn to a scandal in the basketball department that resulted in the resignations of the head coach and athletic director.

But Weaver said most faculty concerns were only “tangentially” related to athletics. The neuroscience professor pointed to other “real concerns in a number of different directions.”

“These are very, very troubling times for the university,” Weaver said. “Leadership needs full faculty support, and it's fair to raise the question as to whether the present administration can provide that leadership.”

Sloan has been under increasing fire in recent months, particularly from some vocal alumni, for the Baylor 2012 long-range plan. Sloan's critics have cited concerns about his emphasis on making Baylor a major research institution and his emphasis on the role of faith in learning, as well as increasing debt and hiking tuition costs. Faculty also have expressed concern about new filters in the hiring and tenure-granting process.

Cox, professor of management and chairman-elect of the Faculty Senate, agreed that “without a doubt there is a wide degree of dissent and dissatisfaction” among faculty regarding Sloan's leadership. At the same time, he added, “The president has strong support also.”

Brumley cited as evidence of widespread support nearly 100 e-mails faculty and staff members copied to the chairman of the Baylor board of regents. They registered support for Sloan after they learned about the proposed no-confidence vote in the Faculty Senate.

“There's a lot of emotion here. This is a horrible time for Baylor University,” Cox said. “Nobody wants to hurt this university any more than it's already hurting. But there are some who think changes are required to get us out of this situation.”

The call for a vote of no confidence came the same week a major metropolitan Texas newspaper called for Sloan's resignation.

The Houston Chronicle published an editorial saying: “As university head, Sloan bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring Baylor runs an upright program. Having failed dramatically, it's time for him to step down. Failing that, the board of regents must make the decision for him.”

The unsigned editorial focused primarily on alleged NCAA violations in the men's basketball program, controversy surrounding the death of basketball player Patrick Dennehy and an attempted cover up by recently resigned head coach Dave Bliss.

“The crisis in the basketball program is one that could and should have been avoided,” the editorial stated. And it noted the scandal occurred on Sloan's “watch” at the university's helm.

However, the editorial added, “The scandal is only the latest in a series of painful blows to the university under Sloan's leadership.”

The newspaper cited Sloan's endorsement three years ago of a proposed Michael Polanyi Center devoted to the study of the idea that life on Earth originated through “intelligent design.”

“More recently his plan to enhance the school's reputation as an academic powerhouse has irritated faculty members for its emphasis on research and publishing over teaching,” the editorial stated.

The opinion piece also pointed to the school's increased debt load resulting from an “ambitious” building program, a tuition increase, and a religious emphasis that has “alienated many alumni and divided the campus.”

The editorial called on regent Chairman Drayton McLane to “show decisiveness by ridding the school of those whose weak oversight, poor judgment, sleazy morals and possibly criminal behavior have caused Baylor so much damage.”

Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, issued a statement affirming Sloan as a friend and “a man of integrity and vision.”

“I appreciate the breadth of the vision he, along with the trustees, have set for our oldest and largest Texas Baptist university,” Wade said. “He and the regents of Baylor University have my prayers as they work through one of the most difficult times in the history of the school.

“Texas Baptists are a free people, and we do not expect that we will all agree with one another all the time. But we are also a praying people, and we know how to pray for one another in the good times and the bad.

“Our process of governing the institutions that relate to us through boards of trustees has proved to be a wise and effective process. We believe the administration and the board will together find the right path through this painful and turbulent time.”

Posted: 8/22/03

Human welfare agencies could hold steady in BGCT funding

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANGELO–Texas Baptist child-care homes, facilities for the aging and hospitals would receive about the same amount of funding next year from the Baptist General Convention of Texas as they have received this year, if a proposed budget is adopted and funded.

The BGCT's Human Welfare Coordinating Board approved a budget of $4.4 million in allocations for 2004 during its Aug. 15 meeting at Baptist Memorials Ministries in San Angelo.

That would be a 13.7 percent reduction from the current budget but roughly in line with projected receipts for this year. Institutions affiliated with the BGCT receive funds at the percentage level at which gifts are made through churches.

Through July 31, Texas Baptist churches gave about $34.6 million in total Cooperative Program gifts and $24 million toward the BGCT Cooperative Program budget, falling 13.9 percent short of budget requirements, according to David Nabors, BGCT treasurer. For planning purposes, BGCT program areas have projected 2003 receipts at 85 percent of budget.

If the proposed scaled-down budget for 2004 is met and if giving in 2003 continues at the projected pace, human welfare institutions would receive a $325,500 increase next year.

The Human Welfare Coordinating Board voted to affirm a 2004 budget recommendation of $2.98 million for child and family care, $1.17 million for health care and $294,000 for aging care institutions.

In the area of child and family care, the proposed budget would allocate $735,000 to Buckner Children & Family Services, $712,500 to Baptist Child & Family Services and $765,000 each to South Texas Children's Home and Texas Baptist Child & Family Services.

In the health care category, the recommended 2004 budget would provide $276,000 to Baylor Health Care System, $237,000 to Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospitals, $207,000 to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center and $225,000 each to Hendrick Health System and Valley Baptist Health System.

For aging care, the suggested 2004 budget would provide $210,000 to Baptist Memorials Ministries and $42,000 each to Buckner Retirement System and Baptist Community Services.

The BGCT Administrative Committee will consider the human welfare budget recommendations as part of the total BGCT budget proposal at its Sept. 4-5 meeting. The Administrative Committee's budget proposal will be presented to the BGCT Executive Board Sept. 30, and messengers to the BGCT annual session in Lubbock, Nov. 10-11, will vote on the board-approved budget recommendation.

In other business, Keith Bruce, coordinator of institutional ministries for the BGCT, reported that Baptist Health System in San Antonio is still in the process of setting up a foundation to receive and administer proceeds from the sale of the hospital system.

Last year, the BGCT consented to the sale of Baptist Health Systems to Vanguard Health System, a for-profit corporation based in Nashville, Tenn. Messengers to the BGCT in Waco approved a resolution stipulating that proceeds from the sale either go to a new foundation formed in accordance with an agreement between the convention and Baptist Health System, or to a partnership between Baptist Health System and a BGCT-affiliated entity.

Bruce also reported that Baptist Child & Family Services is continuing fund-raising efforts to stabilize the financially troubled Breckenridge Village, a residential community near Tyler for mentally challenged adults.

In April, the Human Welfare Coordinating Board recommended allocating to Breckenridge Village $75,000 from escrowed funds originally budgeted for Baptist Health System, and the BGCT Administrative Committee approved that allocation in May.

Kevin Dinnin, president of Baptist Child & Family Services, told the coordinating board in April that half the residents at Breckenridge are on scholarships, meaning their cost of care is subsidized. At that time, he said, without additional income, scholarship funds would be depleted in August.

Bruce reported the BGCT continues to provide additional short-term help to Breckenridge through non-budget funds, based on a commitment made three years ago.

In other business, the coordinating board elected two laypeople as officers, Chairman Charles Moore from First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi and Vice Chair Alice Marie Curtis from University Baptist Church in Fort Worth.

Posted: 8/22/03

BGCT to create funding channel
for some former IMB missionaries

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–Texas Baptists may soon have a way for churches and individuals to provide financial support to former Southern Baptist missionaries who were terminated or resigned over the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas already offers a “missionary transition fund” to help former missionaries as they seek new positions. A new funding mechanism would help missionaries stay on the field after losing support from the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board.

“We are making it possible for churches and individuals to support missionaries whose ministry was taken away from them by the International Mission Board,” said E.B. Brooks, coordinator of the BGCT church missions and evangelism section. “We are doing this at the request of our churches who want to support their continued ministry.”

At least 77 of the IMB's 5,500 missionaries have left the mission field because of the new, more conservative doctrinal statement, including 13 who were fired for refusing to sign the statement. The exodus is presumably the IMB's largest departure ever over one issue.

An IMB spokesman declined to comment on the BGCT plan.

At least 10 missionaries have shown interest in receiving funds through the new Texas Baptist funding channel. The Texas convention already channels some support to four missionaries who returned to their field.

Brooks said the program will be a cooperative effort between Texas Baptists and Baptists in the host countries who want the former missionaries to return to their fields of service.

The funding channel, approved unanimously by the BGCT's State Missions Commission Aug. 19, will be operational by Oct. 1 if approved by the convention's Executive Board Sept 30. It eventually will become part of a new, as-yet-unnamed missions network of the BGCT.

The State Missions Commission also approved a proposed $12.18 million 2004 budget for the Church Missions and Evangelism Section, Church Health and Growth Section and the Associational Missions and Administration Section.

The proposed budget included reductions in personnel and program money as a result of a sluggish economy, decreasing returns on investments and the lack of churches following this year's BGCT Adopted Budget, according to David Nabors, chief financial officer.

Each section reduced its budget by about 18 percent, he said. Eleven positions affecting six employees were eliminated from the three sections.

Several offices were consolidated in an effort to save money. Counseling and psychological services, the Texas Baptist Leadership Center and the minister/church relations office will become the Center for Christian Leadership. Church Personnel Information Services and ChurchLife Resources will become the Church/Membership Resourcing Area.

The Center for Community Ministries and Mission Service Corps are combining to form the Mission Equipping Center, and the prayer and spiritual development office is moving into the Missional Church Strategy Center.

BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade indicated morale among employees was down, but they are determined to continue their ministry despite the reduction in force and funds.

Board members followed Wade's words with a prayer for the staff as it works through the loss of co-workers and funding.

Brooks thanked the commission for keeping the staff in their thoughts and for understanding the need for cutbacks.

The BGCT Administrative Committee will consider the budget recommendation at its Sept. 4-5 meeting. The BGCT Executive Board will consider the proposed budget and missionary funding mechanism during its Sept. 30 meeting. The convention will vote on the recommended budget during the annual session Nov. 10-11 in Lubbock.

In other business, the commission elected new officers. Ed Seay, pastor of First Baptist Church in Magnolia, was elected chairman. Vice chairman will be Bill Ingram, interim minister of music at First Baptist Church in Huffman. Eunice Chambless of First Baptist Church in Abilene was re-elected as secretary.

Posted: 8/22/03

Bombin the Clown has a nose for ministry

By Leann Callaway

Special to the Standard

FORT WORTH–Most people associate clowns with children's birthday parties or a circus. But a “clown ministry” is much more than that–it's a form of creative evangelism.

“As a clown, I can use comedy, songs, Bible stories, object lessons, illusions, juggling, slapsticks and more silly stuff to share a biblical truth with anyone,” Rafael Rondon explained.

When Rondon puts on his clown makeup and trademark red nose, he becomes Bombin the Clown.

“Bombin the Clown is a silly character who presents the good news of Jesus Christ in fun and interesting ways,” he said. “Some people will simply not come to church, but they will watch a clown show. I think of it as reaching the unreachable.

“The amazing thing is, not only kids listen, but people of all ages. My audience watches with the expectation to be entertained, but they get more than that. I begin by making them laugh, but then I lead them to know about Jesus Christ, who gives true joy.”

Long before Rondon's clown ministry began, he was a regular performer at family birthday parties. “I started being a clown when I was about 8,” he said. “I would entertain my family on their birthdays. I would do funny stuff and play the accordion.”

By the time Rondon graduated from high school, he was getting requests to perform at parties outside his family. He paid his way through college by clowning at birthday parties and schools.

From there, Rondon began performing for children at his church. In 1990, Rondon met a Christian clown who introduced him to clowning as a ministry.

“I got hooked,” he said. “It was amazing because people would actually stop and pay attention to the gospel preached by a clown.”

Four years later, Rondon and a former Home Mission Board missionary, Eugenio Adorno, better known as Chagy the Clown, established Circus of the King.

“Circus of the King utilizes traditional circus acts to present the gospel to audiences, while concluding with an invitation to surrender to Christ,” Rondon explained. “In 1995, after working for a year to put a circus and evangelistic crusade together with the Home Mission Board, we had thousands of people coming to hear the gospel. God was showing me this was the kind of creative ministry that he wanted me to do.

“One morning, we were having a staff prayer meeting, and as we prayed, I received God's calling to surrender to ministry. Since I have accepted God's calling, I no longer do clowning as a business but I use it as part of a ministry.”

Both Rondon and Adorno wanted more training, so they enlisted the help of professionals.

They signed up for intensive clown training from the retired staff of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“We met clowns from all over the world, and we were introduced to areas of clowning that we never imagined, such as mime, drama, juggling, slapsticks, physical comedy, circus clowning, and more,” Rondon said.

In 1997, Rondon relocated to Fort Worth to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree in 2001. During this time, Rondon began serving as music minister at Templo Bautista Emanuel.

In addition to being a full-time music minister, he performs 50 to 75 times a year as a clown for evangelistic crusades, block parties, Vacation Bible Schools, church camps and other outreach efforts.

“To me, the most meaningful thing is seeing someone come to know Christ,” Rondon said. “I have seen kids and their parents surrendering to Christ at the same time. That is beautiful. It's meaningful to see that God uses me, and he changes people's lives.”

Posted: 8/22/03

Baptist Briefs

"Purpose Driven" still on top. "The Purpose Driven Life," written by California pastor Rick Warren, continues to top the religion best-seller list, with 4.5 million copies of the hardback book already sold. The retail price of the book is $19.99.

Northeast university students sought. The Baptist Convention of New England seeks information on Baptist students entering any of the universities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. John Ramirez, director of collegiate ministry for New England Baptists, would like to connect these students with Baptist campus ministries. Contact Ramirez at (508) 393-6013 or John.Ramirez@bcne.net.

IMB leaders call for more missionaries. Despite current economic challenges that have slowed missionary appointments, Southern Baptists need to increase their overseas missionary force by at least one-half, International Mission Board regional leaders said in an Aug. 4-8 strategy session. "This is not a time when Southern Baptists should be sending fewer missionaries," President Jerry Rankin said. "The lostness of our world is undiminished. Christ's mandate is still for us to make disciples of all peoples. And our mission of making Jesus Christ known among all peoples will not change." In addition to proclaiming the need for at least 8,500 IMB missionaries, the regional leaders agreed how the limited number of positions for new workers available in 2004 will be divided among the board's 15 regions.

Paige Patterson

Patterson projects higher enrollment. In his second week on the job as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Paige Patterson invited faculty and staff to celebrate a hoped-for turnaround in student enrollment numbers. "From now on, we are on our way to 6,000 students," Patterson said. At its height, the Fort Worth seminary enrolled 5,120 students. That was in the 1983-1984 academic year. Enrollment began a slight drop in 1987, took a greater dive in 1994 after trustees fired President Russell Dilday, regained some in the late 1990s and then dropped to 3,577 in the 2001-2002 academic year.

CBF benefits board grows. The Church Benefits Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship surpassed $10 million in total assets in the fiscal year just ended, increasing membership from 300 to 440 and growing from 80 participating employers to 134. The board now has assets of $11.6 million, with monthly billings of more than $2 million.

CBF appoints partner study committee. Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Moderator Cynthia Holmes has appointed a seven-member group to study the organization's partnership relationships. The Partner Funding Study Committee will be chaired by Charles Cantrell of Mountain View, Mo., and includes Matt Cook of Rosebud; Elizabeth Denham Thompson of Littleton, Colo.; Jerry Mantooth of Maryville, Tenn.; Michael Duncan of Eminence, Ky.; Carolyn Busby of Ada, Okla.; and Candace McKibben of Tallahassee, Fla.

Bush will reappoint Land. President Bush has announced he will reappoint Richard Land to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, is the only Bush appointee returned to the commission. Two new Bush appointees are Khaled Abou El Fadl, a law professor at the University of California-Los Angeles and a leading authority on Islamic law, and Charles Caput, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Denver.

Posted: 8/22/03

Baptistway Lesson for Sept. 14

Philippians 1:27; 2:15

Live a life worthy of the gospel

By David Morgan

Joe shared this story. A woman pulled up behind a man at a stop light. When the man hesitated as the light changed to green, the woman began to honk her horn and to scream at him. He finally made it through the light just as it turned back to red. The woman, who was stuck for a second cycle, continued her tirade.

A policeman pulled up behind the woman, waved her to the side, arrested her for driving a stolen vehicle, and took her to the station. She was finally released after several hours of questioning. The arresting officer told her that when he saw her Christian bumper stickers, one of which said, “Jesus is my Lord,” and heard her screaming, he felt certain that the car must have been stolen.

Joe admitted that the story is likely one of those urban myths that circulates on the Internet. Yet I have witnessed similar behavior from drivers whose cars blazon their faith in Christ. As Christians, we need to remember that someone is always watching. We also need to remember that we should live lives worthy of the gospel both in our communities and in our churches.

Unity and courage

In last week's lesson, we saw that Paul exemplified courage for the Philippian Christians in his imprisonment. He anticipated that he would be able to once again visit them although some uncertainty still remained (1:26). Since he might not be able to see them soon, he used the letter to challenge them to live a life worthy of the gospel. Paul considered living a worthy life to be an integral part of their communal life as Christians. Paul urged them to stand firm and strong in the faith.

Paul abruptly changed tone between verses 26 and 27. He began to focus on the behavior and conduct of the Philippians and not on his situation. He instructed them to live as citizens of God's heavenly kingdom. The word suggests they were a colony of people whose actions and attitudes reflect that of the homeland. Christians have pledged allegiance to a new Lord and king.

We may abide on earth, but our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Our actions should reflect our new nature so the worldly community will notice how different we are.

Paul could not be sure he would ever visit Philippi again. But he urged them to remain bold in the faith should he see them again or not. Maintaining a strong commitment to Christ would require the courage exhibited by soldiers. Paul insisted the Philippians refuse to waver when threatened by those who opposed the gospel.

Paul expected them to stand firm with unity of spirit and mind. One of Paul's concerns in the letter was the need for unity within the church. Philippians 4:2 suggests the church had at least two factions which needed to come together. Unity grows from a new relationship with Christ through which he instills his mind in them. Having the mind of Christ does not negate personal identity. “One spirit” and “one mind” seem to reinforce each other, and we should not draw too great a distinction between them.

A unified Philippian church would present a solid front as its individual members worked together. As athletes tussle side by side or gladiators stood back to back for defense, Christians multiply their strength as they cooperate with others. Christians need to combine their concentration and energy to best preserve the faith. Christians need each other. A unified effort will provide security from believers' enemies.

Christians can expect opposition. We should not be startled or terrified when we encounter attacks. We can harness our strength in unity and prevent the stampeding of our fears.

Christians' courage signals the defeat of their enemies. Intimidation and threats are powerless before the boldness of believers. The destruction of Christians' enemies likely refers to their eternal separation from God.

Their courage has a second influence, for it signals to believers the certainty of their salvation. Their actions support their confession. Paul took this opportunity to remind the Philippians that God was the source of their salvation. It was the Lord's gift to them.

God had shown his grace on the Philippians by granting them two privileges: (1) to believe in Christ and (2) to suffer for Christ. The former we certainly would acknowledge as a gift, but few stand in line when suffering is offered as a gift. And yet Paul stated God's grace was evident in both belief and suffering.

Paul reminded the Philippians that they were having the same agony in their lives they had seen in him in his imprisonment. He used his personal circumstances to press upon them the redemptive value of suffering.

Unity and humility

Paul had mentioned the need for unity in verse 27. In the first four verses of chapter 2, he elaborated on the call to unity in the church by appealing to those things already present in the lives of the Philippians–encouragement in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship of the Spirit, affection and compassion. Unity in the Spirit flows from a transformed inner person. Paul's stress on humility in these verses is closely connected to his previous call for unity and courage. He used rare words in verse 1 to convey to the Philippians the importance of qualities which they already possessed. These were facts in existence and not mere potential qualities.

The Philippians knew the encouragement that came from Christ. The word “encouragement” is translated elsewhere as “advocate.” It means “a calling alongside.” Paul based his appeal on the reality that Christ had the power to exhort the church to unity and was in fact already doing so.

Paul knew that in their salvation they had received Christ's love which seeks what is in the best interest of others. This self-giving love was able to persuade them to strive for unity in the body of Christ.

The Philippians were part of one community that participated in one Spirit. They also were part of a common life produced by the Spirit. That they all participated in the Spirit and were part of one community would enable and empower them to achieve harmony.

When Paul mentioned affection and compassion, he was speaking to the spirit and inner will of each person. The church did not need further doctrinal teaching or instruction to attain unity. What the church needed was a right attitude.

Paul was able to rejoice in his circumstances and imprisonment, but the disharmony at Philippi dimmed his joy. His joy lacked completeness because of the factions there. He asked that the church make his joy full and achieve unity (1) by maintaining the same love, (2) by being united in their spirits, (3) by doing nothing based on selfishness and (4) by not looking out for their own interests but for the interests of others (verses 2-4).

Paul urged the Philippians to treat each other with the love which was theirs in Christ. They were to think in the same way, not in uniformity but with one purpose and intent. Paul desired that they do nothing based on selfishness or unworthy ambition. Paul insisted the motivation behind their actions be as wholesome as the acts themselves.

Seeking their own interests had created factions within the church. Boastful pride had reared its ugly head. People were honoring themselves and putting down others. Paul suggested a dose of humility could help cure the factions in the church. Humility honestly judges what is. Not only do humble persons recognize their limitations but also their strengths. They also see the strengths and gifts of others. A church which demonstrates unity is one where people look out for the needs and interests of others in the body. It's a “you-first” approach to life.

Christ's selflessness

The ultimate means for attaining unity in Philippi was for the church to keep on displaying the mind of Christ that God had given them as Christians. He challenged the church to keep on having the same attitude that Christ had.

Paul employed an early hymn to describe Christ's mind. Christ was divine but did not relinquish his divinity when he became human. He refused to clutch or cling to his equality with God but emptied himself and became a servant.

The hymn focuses on Jesus' willingness to accept the role of obedient servant. Never did Christ allow himself to act selfishly. During his lifetime, Christ exhibited the role of servant. He declared that he did not come to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). Two incidents illustrate this. In the upper room, Jesus took a basin and towel and washed the feet of his disciples. The greatest example of Christ's humility was his willingness to embrace one of the cruelest means of execution ever imagined–crucifixion. Hear his obedience in Gethsemane: “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; yet not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42).

God exalted Christ because of his obedience. Actually God “superexalted” Jesus and gave him the name Lord. Jesus' resurrection, ascension and subsequent glorification all followed the crucifixion. God gave Jesus honor and dominion above all other names. All creation will bow in honor and praise before the Lord.

A final appeal to unity

Paul finally applied the example of Christ to the disharmony in Philippi. He addressed the readers as “beloved,” perhaps because his words appeared harsh. The Philippians had obeyed Paul when he was with them, and he expected them to heed his instructions in his absence. Paul urged them to continue to “work out” their salvation. The salvation to which he referred was more the communal implications of salvation than its individual dimensions. Paul was instructing them to apply the example of Christ's humility in the church and reunite those divided by the factions. That they stood before God in awe and reverence should motivate them to heed Paul's instructions.

They could work out their salvation only because God was already working in them. Growing in Christ is not an “either God works or we work” proposition. God works, and we respond. Both parts are essential. God chooses not to change us unless we willingly accept what he offers. But neither can we grow in Christlikeness unless God enables us to do so. Again Paul was stressing communal transformation more than individual change.

A final word from Paul exhorted the Philippians to cease grumbling. Should they be able to accomplish this, they will demonstrate that as God's children they are different from a wicked world.

Our friends and neighbors desperately need to see what God can do in their lives. What they see in our lives is what they believe that God can do for them. Let us each seek to imitate Christ's obedience and humility. Let us seek to demonstrate to others what Christ can do for them. Let us lead worthy lives.

And let it begin in our relationships to others in our churches.

Questions for discussion

How can unity help us to stand firm in the faith?

In what ways are you working out your own salvation? What is God doing to work out your salvation?

How can your church assist Christians in working out their salvation?

How can you help your church to achieve greater harmony?

What is the difference between unity and uniformity? Can you have unity with uniformity? If so, how? If not, why?

If salvation is by grace through faith, what is meant by “work out your own salvation” (Philippians 2:12-13)?

Do Christians need more or less courage now than in New Testament times?

In what ways do Christians neglect the well-being of other Christians?

What would your church look like if all members possessed the mind of Christ?

How would your life change if you had the mind of Christ?