Posted: 10/3/03

4 schools join pre-pay tuition plan

Four Texas Baptist colleges have joined a new prepaid college tuition plan called the Independent 529 Plan.

Baylor University, Dallas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor are among 200 private schools participating in the pre-paid tax shelter.

“We see this new plan as part of our ongoing effort to make UMHB accessible to more families,” said Steve Theodore, vice president for enrollment management at UMHB.

Section 529 Plans, so named for the IRS code that defines them, have gained in popularity over the last decade. The accounts generate no federal income tax if used as intended, and benefits are transferable to other members of the family. If a child receives a scholarship or decides not to go to college, refunds are available.

Contributions are not dependent on the performance of the stock or bond markets. Rather, contributions are actually pre-purchasing tuition, in part or in whole.

“Independent 529 Plan proceeds can be used at any of the participating colleges. Think of it as buying a shopping certificate for use at any of the stores at a mall,” said Doug Brown, president of Tuition Plan Consortium, the Albuquerque, N.M.-based non-profit group that oversees the plan. “Students don't choose their college at purchase but after they have applied and are accepted in the regular manner.”

Purchase of a tuition certificate does not guarantee admission or enrollment at a participating institution, and it may have an adverse effect on eligibility for financial aid.

The plan also takes into account variances in tuition costs among participating schools. For example, assume College A has a tuition cost of $30,000 for this year and College B has a tuition of $10,000. A person who makes a $10,000 contribution into Independent 529 Plan this year would receive tuition certificates that would cover 33.3 percent of a year's tuition at College A or 100 percent of a year's tuition at College B, regardless of how high tuition may be at the time the student eventually chooses to use the certificates.

Contributions are made on an after-tax basis, and any increase in value realized when a tuition certificate is redeemed will be free of federal and state taxes. However, a sunset provision in the tax law calls for the tax-free features of all 529 plans to end in 2011.

For more information, call (888) 718-7878 or visit www.independent529plan.org.

Posted: 10/3/03

'Big-time losers' shed light on what works

By Terri Lackey

LifeWay Christian Resources

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)–People who want to lose weight should seek out others who have been successful at it, said John Latham, an exercise physiologist who runs a wellness program for federal agents at Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Latham suggested people who want to lose weight visit the national weight loss registry at www.lifespan.org. The registry keeps a list of people who have lost 60 pounds and kept it off five years.

“Success stories there are inspiring,” he said.

Latham listed seven secrets of “big-time losers”:

Big-time losers become broken people. "They can often give you a specific event or time that changed their life. With men, it is more medical issues. With women, it tends to be more emotional."

Big-time losers get educated. "They read everything they can about health and fitness. They are hungry for more information. They get on the Internet. They subscribe to wellness magazines."

Big-time losers keep a log of what they take in. "I've never seen anybody good at keeping weight off who didn't write down what they ate."

Big-time losers weigh regularly. "I recommend just once a week. Make a chart of what you weigh every time, and set an alarm within five pounds of your ideal weight."

Big-time losers always eat breakfast. "Breakfast is the most important meal a day. Your body has been without food for 10 hours. Studies show those who don't eat breakfast eat more later in the day."

Big-time losers become big-time exercisers. "The best single predictor of those who are going to lose weight and keep it off or maintain their weight is exercise. Weight training is also good because muscles burn fat."

Big-time losers do not follow fad diets. "They eat a diet high in carbs, low in fat, and rich in fruits and vegetables."

Be reasonable with your goals, Lathan counseled. Start with 10 percent of your body weight. If you just lose 10 pounds, you've greatly reduced your health risks.

Posted: 10/3/03

As food portions get bigger, so do those who eat

By Terri Lackey

LifeWay Christian Resources

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)–Twenty years ago, a bagel measured three inches in diameter and had 130 calories. Today, its size has doubled and its calorie count nearly tripled. A cheeseburger rang in at 333 calories 20 years ago; today, it registers at 590.

Like bagels and cheeseburgers, Americans are getting larger, said John Latham, an exercise physiologist who runs a wellness program for federal agents at Oak Ridge, Tenn. He also is on the advisory council of Fit 4: A LifeWay Wellness Plan.

“The Lord laid it on my heart to share this information with you because of the trends I'm seeing in this country,” Latham told a group attending his seminar, “Winning the War on Weight Gain” during a discipleship and ministry conference at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center.

“We can only begin the change process by awareness. If we are totally unaware of how obesity takes a toll on our health, then we won't know how to change it,” said Latham, a member of West Park Baptist Church in Knoxville.

Newspapers and magazines are filled with stories about obesity rates and the lawsuits springing from them, he said.

Last year, two overweight teenage girls sued McDonald's for making them obese, and people laughed. In July, however, Kraft Foods, maker of Velveeta cheese and Oreos, announced it will rein in its portion sizes and develop healthier products, apparently feeling the legal pinch.

In the 1960s, only 10 percent of the nation was considered obese, with a body mass index over 30. Today, one-fourth of all Americans are obese, Latham said. Half the nation is overweight, with a BMI ranging between 25 and 30.

BMI, he explained, is weight in relationship to height. To find BMI, a person should take his or her weight, divide it by height in inches, divide that number by height in inches again, and multiply by 703. A BMI calculator is available at LifeWay's Fit 4 website (www.fit4.com).

If obesity were just an issue of appearance, perhaps health alarms would not be clanging, Latham said. “But it is costing our country almost $100 billion in health care a year.”

Some of the health problems associated with obesity, he said, include type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, depression, back pain and breathing problems.

“The U.S. surgeon general has issued a call to action to be active and eat well,” Latham noted.

He acknowledged being overweight or obese “has a genetic component. If someone has no obese parent, his chance of becoming obese is low. If someone has one obese parent, his chance of becoming obese is 40 percent. And if both parents are obese, the chance of becoming obese is 80 percent.”

Environmental factors also play a significant role, Latham said.

“Despite obesity having a strong genetic determinant, the genetic composition of the population does not change as rapidly as it has in the past few years, where we've seen huge jumps in obesity,” he said. “Therefore, a large increase in obesity must reflect major changes in non-genetic factors.

“What we've seen in the last few years is not being caused by a bad gene pool, but a toxic environment.”

Among other factors he cited as causing scales to tilt higher:

Portion distortion. “Portions are huge,” he declared. Today's 6.9-ounce portion of French fries has 610 calories, or 400 more calories than a 2.4-ounce portion 20 years ago. (Check out the portion distortion quiz at http://hin.nhlbi.nih. gov/portion/.)

Savvy supermarkets. “They have studied you. When you walk in a grocery store, you are not in a friendly environment. High-cost, high-calorie products are the easiest to find. For every minute in a grocery store, you spend an extra $1.30. Always, always take a list.”

Restaurant up-sizing. “When my wife and I go to dinner, we always split a meal, and we never leave hungry.”

Marketers. “They know what they are doing, and they are there to sell you more. They are not concerned about your weight.”

Labor-saving devices, like elevators, escalators. “Stay off them. We don't exercise enough as it is. We no longer have public sidewalks or enough recreation areas. We hop in our car to go to the corner store.”

Weight loss simply comes from taking in fewer calories than you expend, Latham said.

“For every 3,500 calories you take in and don't expend, you gain one gram of fat,” he noted. “If you need to lose weight, and you didn't put it on overnight, you're not going to take it off overnight.”

Half a pound a week is a good goal, he said. “That's 26 pounds a year.”

Posted: 10/3/03

He Said/ She Said:
Front seat

She Said:

My space has been invaded, and I want it back.

Luke and Garrett recently reached the magical weight and height that allows them to sit in the front seat of the car. I gave them a lecture off the bat telling them not to argue over whose turn it is to sit in front or neither of them would get to be up there in the seat of privilege. I remember fighting with my brother over the front seat many times, and I wanted to head that problem off from the start.

Little did I know that the “whose-turn-is-it” argument was the least of my troubles.

Now I have to contend with channel changers, a/c fiddlers, drink-holder hoggers and a dozen questions “What's that for?”, “Are you going the speed limit?”, “What does this do?”

I've also lost the space for my purse and various other sundries I keep in the seat next to me.

Luke, jokester that he is, recently adjusted the temperature to hot after I turned off the car, so that the next time we got in, I turned on the air conditioner and couldn't understand why it wasn't cooling off quicker. I quickly filled him in on why that was not funny in 100-degree weather.

The radio and CD player are another ongoing turf war. My contention that the driver controls the music hasn't gone over too well.

But I usually win by mentioning that the front seat is a privilege, not a right.

Of course, I realize that argument is going to backfire on me when they start driving. Don't worry–we'll warn you when the twins are getting ready to hit the streets.

He Said:

Remember the old bumper sticker that said, “God is my co-pilot”? Well, God just got booted to the back seat by Luke and Garrett. They think they're giving the directions now.

Although I don't think God would recline the co-pilot seat all the way back until his whacked his brother in the knees. And I don't think God would click the window button back and forth until the driver wanted to scream. It's possible God would open the glove box and rifle through all the contents.

MARK WINGFIELD

On the other hand, maybe God will keep the back seat cleaner than Luke and Garrett have done. Cleanliness is next to godliness, you know.

These days, I never know what position I'll find the passenger seat in when I get in the car. Sometimes it's fully reclined; other times it's so ramrod straight no sane adult could sit there comfortably.

All this is made possible by the fact that Luke and Garrett seem to have grown several inches over the summer. Some days when I come home from work, it looks like they've grown more since I left them at breakfast that morning.

This is another way they annoy their mother, of course, now that they are approaching her height. They constantly want to measure their height against hers. That is, in fact, the way we finally decided they were tall enough to sit in the front seat. If mom can ride in the passenger seat, we reasoned, then they probably could too.

So now we never know which way the air will blow or whether it will blow hot or cold. These are minor trials, however, compared to the impending era of learning to drive.

We'll definitely need God as the co-pilot then.

Posted: 10/1/03

Houston Baptist University forges new
link to SBTC, keeps ties to BGCT

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

HOUSTON–Trustees of Houston Baptist University have affirmed a fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention while reaffirming their desire to maintain its relationship with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The Sept. 23 vote to enter into a relationship with the SBTC was described by board Chairman Mark Denison as "overwhelming." But the vote prompted one Houston-area pastor to resign from the board because of the new direction.

Pete Freeman, pastor of First Baptist Church of The Woodlands, wrote to HBU President Doug Hodo the next day, explaining he believes the agreement with the SBTC "is a breach of both the intent and integrity of the previously adopted covenant/agreement" with the BGCT.

That agreement, adopted in 2001, was intended to patch up difficulties between the BGCT and HBU after HBU trustees unilaterally revoked the right of the BGCT to name the university's board. After months of negotiation, the BGCT conceded to allow the university to name 75 percent of its board, and HBU pledged to maintain a "unique affiliation" with the BGCT.

The 2001 document, which was approved by both the BGCT Executive Board and HBU trustees, states: "HBU agrees to maintain a unique affiliation with the BGCT by not affiliating or establishing a formal relationship with other denominations, conventions or religious entities."

When the new agreement was reached in 2001, the BGCT restored most of the funding withheld from HBU after the unilateral charter change.

This year, the BGCT budgeted $125,000 for campus religious activities, $120,000 for minority and ethnic scholarships and emphases, $180,000 for ministerial student tuition support and $492,000 as HBU's share of funding divided proportionately between the eight universities affiliated with the BGCT.

A basic block grant of about $600,000 the BGCT previously provided to HBU has not been restored.

A Southern Baptists of Texas Convention news release said the SBTC will not budget any financial support for the university or seek any control of the university's governance. Currently, the only educational institution budgeted for direct financial support from the SBTC is Criswell College in Dallas, which is listed as an "affiliated" school rather than a fraternal partner.

The SBTC split from the BGCT in 1998. Its stated purpose is to work more closely with the Southern Baptist Convention, whose theology and politics have moved sharply to the right during the past 25 years. The SBTC gives 51 percent of its undesignated receipts to the SBC. Its stated intent has been not to create institutions.

However, the SBTC previously approached 23 BGCT institutions, asking about the possibility of creating formal relationships. The SBTC acknowledged it would require support for the SBC's doctrinal statement, the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message, and the institutions declined or did not respond.

In February, Texas Baptist Men voted to reaffirm its unique relationship with the BGCT but agreed to "officially work" with the SBTC, its associations and churches. That agreement allows the men's organization to involve men from churches affiliated with both conventions, but it does not mention the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

The agreement between HBU and the SBTC appears similar to the situation with Texas Baptist Men, except that HBU trustees had adopted the 2001 agreement with the BGCT unlike anything adopted between the BGCT and Texas Baptist Men.

A statement adopted by the HBU board in open session Sept. 23 declares that the SBTC's requirements for fraternal relationship "are in agreement with the biblical concepts outlined in" the preamble to the university's constitution. It then affirms the "unique affiliation and relationship" with the BGCT while also affirming a "fraternal relationship with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, with a desire to cooperate in appropriate ways in the work of the kingdom of God in Texas."

Entities that establish fraternal relationships with the SBTC are not required to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. They are, however, required to affirm "the supernatural character of the biblical miracles which occurred as factual events in time and space," "the historical accuracy of biblical narratives" that occurred "precisely as the text of Scripture indicates" and "the actual authorship of biblical writings as attributed by Scripture itself."

The board statement notes HBU "desires to have avenues open to it to reach out to all Texas Baptists and likewise for all Texas Baptists to reach out to Houston Baptist University."

Denison, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gainesville, reiterated that point: "It is a good decision. We're responding to the current landscape, which we didn't create but to which we must respond. … We must respond to all Baptists in the state of Texas."

No official count was recorded on the show-of-hands vote, but Denison reported the resolution "was overwhelmingly approved."

Freeman said he and two others voted against it.

From Freeman's perspective, adopting the fraternal relationship with the SBTC violates the pledge made by HBU trustees to the BGCT in 2001. That pledge, he noted, says HBU will adopt no "formal relationship" with any other convention.

He said he told the board: "If this is not a formal relationship, why is this a multiple-page document and why are we spending so much time talking about it? It is a formal relationship."

Jim Richards, executive director of the SBTC, commended the new link with HBU as a natural occurrence.

The SBTC "is comprised of churches that had a part in building Houston Baptist University," he said. "Students who are members of SBTC churches attend HBU. It is only natural for an educational institution and a convention with compatible views on the nature of Scripture and Baptist distinctives to work together."

Charles Wade, executive director of the BGCT, neither commended nor criticized the decision.

"The BGCT has enjoyed and appreciates Houston Baptist University's unique relationship with us, by which Texas Baptists give financial support to the university and share in the election of its trustees," he said. "We recognize and affirm the university's desire to serve all the Baptists in Texas and beyond, while at the same time maintaining its historic partnership with the BGCT."

Freeman, however, cited lack of support for his concerns from the BGCT as a reason for his resignation from the HBU board. In his resignation letter, he explained: "My disappointment with the support I have received from the BGCT on this matter has rendered me less effective as a trustee of both the BGCT and HBU."

Freeman was among the one-fourth of HBU's board elected by the BGCT. In an interview, he said he did not wish to elaborate on his concerns with the BGCT. Wade said he regrets Freeman resigned.

Freeman also cited as a reason for his resignation another action taken by HBU trustees Sept. 23. "I cannot in good conscience abide by the confidentiality policy agreed upon at yesterday's board meeting," he wrote Hodo. "It conflicts with my personal understanding of Baptist policy concerning the regular meetings (non-executive sessions) of Baptist boards."

More information on that policy was not available, since it reportedly was adopted in a closed session. Freeman said he could not characterize the action further because of the restrictions imposed, other than to say that "too much Baptist business is done in secret."

Denison addressed members of the BGCT Executive Board Sept. 30 to explain the university's recent action.

"We do very strongly affirm our 40-year relationship with the BGCT," Denison said, calling it a "wonderful relationship."

The decision to relate to the SBTC opens the door for HBU to have continuing dialogue with churches that have left the BGCT and joined the SBTC, he said, re-emphasizing the desire to relate to all segments of Texas Baptist life.

As further evidence of that desire, he reported the HBU has appointed a denominational relationships committee that is exploring ways to relate to "all Baptists beyond these two conventions."

That could extend to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and others, he said, explaining that HBU representatives already have had two meetings with CBF officials.

Keith Bruce, director of institutional ministries for the BGCT, commended Denison to the Executive Board, saying he has been "very, very gracious" to keep Bruce and Wade informed.

The Christian Education Coordinating Board has not met since HBU's latest action and therefore has not been able to respond to it, Bruce said.

With additional reporting by Editor Marv Knox

Updated: 9/29/03

New Orleans seminary trustees to decide whether
to turn over autonomy to Southern Baptist Convention

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

Trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary will decide this fall whether to continue as the lone holdout among Southern Baptist Convention entities by refusing to make the SBC the "sole member" of their corporation.

The Executive Committee asked all the SBC's schools and mission boards to make the legal change to prevent its trustee boards from exercising the kind of break several colleges have made with state Baptist conventions.

More than 10 years ago, for example, trustees of Baylor University, fearing a fundamentalist takeover of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, amended the university's charter to remove the BGCT's authority to name the majority of Baylor's board. Similar action by five agencies of the Missouri Baptist Convention, which recently came under fundamentalist control, is being challenged in court.

New Orleans Seminary President Chuck Kelley says he opposes naming the SBC as the seminary's "sole member" out of principle. He conceives no situation under which the seminary would or could depart from the SBC.

The legal change requested by the Executive Committee would not alter the way seminary trustees are elected, nor would it change the current governance of the seminary. However, it would give the SBC legal authority to overrule or remove the elected trustees if those trustees acted against the wishes of the convention.

Kelley opened the academic year at New Orleans Sept. 4 with a convocation address explaining the situation to faculty, staff and students. His topic was the autonomous organizational structure of Baptists.

To accede to the Executive Committee's request "could start a fundamental change in historic Baptist polity and compromise our practice of organizational autonomy," he declared. It also would introduce a form of connectionalism into Baptist life, he said, and start "a movement away from the decisive influence of the SBC and toward a direct control by the SBC."

As evidence of where this connectionalism could lead, Kelley pointed to recent debates over the future of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. In a recent address to members of the Missouri Baptist Convention's Executive Board, Missouri pastor David Baker reported that an SBC Funding Study Committee was considering closing or changing the focus of Midwestern Seminary.

That prompted an editorial in the Missouri Baptist Convention's newspaper, the Pathway, where one of the Missouri participants in the Seminary Funding Committee discussion was quoted.

In that small-group meeting, David Tolliver asked what would happen if Midwestern's trustees didn't go along with the proposed change. He said he understood SBC officials to say they would ask the convention to remove the seminary's entire trustee board.

In an attempt to quell the concern Tolliver generated among Missouri Baptists with that report, the president of the SBC Executive Committee released a letter to state Baptist paper editors Sept. 18. In the letter, Morris Chapman says no such threat was made.

Chapman concurs that the question was asked about what would happen if Midwestern's trustees did not consent to a change in status proposed by the SBC. But he recalls a different nuance to the answer: "I answered the question by saying: 'The SBC has left itself no recourse to overturn governing actions of an entity's trustees. The only course of action available to the SBC is the possibility of removing the trustees by vote of the convention in session.'"

Chapman added in his letter that such a step never has been taken and he can't imagine it happening.

Nevertheless, Kelley saw danger in the mere suggestion.

"To my knowledge, this stunning suggestion is unprecedented in Southern Baptist history," he said. "Knowing that Midwestern Seminary had already made the SBC the sole member of its corporation, these members of the SBC Executive Committee were assuming the power of sole membership made it possible to change an entire board of trustees at one convention. Whether they were right or wrong in their interpretation, such a suggestion would not have been made prior to the sole membership strategy."

Kelley warned the New Orleans family: "The change to sole membership suggests a new power would be in play at the denominational level. … I believe it is impossible to say sole membership would never be used for anything but its original stated purpose."

Kelley lamented that SBC conservatives, after gaining control of all SBC boards through presidential appointments in the 1980s and '90s, would resort to such tactics to ensure they wouldn't have to call on God for a miracle again.

"It saddens me that the biblical conservatives would be the group of record taking the first step toward connectionalism at the national level of SBC life," he said.

The risks of allowing SBC entities to remain fully autonomous are more palatable than the risks of connectionalism, Kelley declared.

He posed several other alternatives as possible ways to accomplish the Executive Committee's desire:

Asking each person elected as a trustee of an SBC entity to "sign a covenant with the SBC to uphold all SBC guidelines for the entity he or she will serve.

Amend the charters of SBC entities to require financial penalties for unauthorized charter changes.

Trustees of New Orleans Seminary are scheduled to take up the matter when they meet Oct. 6-8.

Another official with the SBC Executive Committee agreed with Kelley that "connectionalism should always be avoided," but said he believes the Executive Committee's request is of a different order.

Kelley has "inappropriately applied connectionalism, called 'hierarchicalism' by some, to the corporate subsidiary realm, an area to which it has no relevance," said Augie Boto, vice president for convention policy with the Executive Committee.

"The Southern Baptist Convention's use of sole membership only affirms the legal relationship between the SBC and its entities and has no bearing on the authority or autonomy of the local church. Because that autonomy is unaffected, painting sole membership with the black brush of connectionalism is unjustifiable."

Story list for 6/02/03

• BaptistWay literature fosters more Texas identity at Columbus Avenue

• Parents abdicate spiritual training of children, Barna says

• Undercurrent of change bubbling under religious indicators

• Gap on what's 'morally acceptable' not so wide

• Barna questions whether 'born-again' have 'biblical' worldview

• In rare case, Baylor regents launch investigation of BGCT appointee

• Baylor and alumni association make peace

• Baylor to build new style of student housing

• Baylor regents re-elect McLane chairman

• Faith still stands at center of Buckner communities

• Tennessee ties link Buckner to new show partner

• Builders make Lubbock home for three-month project

• Panhandle church steers toward a witness with car show

• Ministers offered free counseling

• Discovery opens eyes to America and hearts to God

• GEORGE FOREMAN: Heaven-bound heavyweight

• Texans musical score moves from patriotism to faith

• Heritage: Baptists need new ethics 'scouts,' Tillman tells gathering of historians

• Heritage: Dissenters maintain 'good company'

• Heritage: Baptist women can thank pioneer pair for opening doors

• NAMB identifies two issues with BGCT

• Layman's whodunit book takes on the case of Jesus' empty tomb

• AMY NOBLES: Woman of worship

• OneDay03 perpetuates passion for following God

• Project frees physicians from debt for missions

• Fort Worth program places ministers alongside police officers

• Texas evangelist worked behind the scenes to comfort Smart family

• Young and old harmonize on Richardson ministry

• RiverPointe names 'em and claims 'em

• San Marcos Academy takes students full speed ahead

• Volunteer paints an escape for children at Baptist shelter

• Texas Baptist Men have 600 boxes of food donated for Iraqi people

• Born together, baptized together, 82-year-old blind twins open eyes

• Wayland sends out revival team

• Wayland plans new student recreation center

• Around the State

• On the Move

• Texas Tidbits

• Team charts new missions territory in rural China

• Campolo, Campbell to headline CBF meeting

• Baptists and Scouts pitch tents together 50 years

• Gay-right protestors target SBC again

• Baptist Briefs

• Evangelical group urges temperance in talk about Islam

• Doctor chronicles what dying people want to say

• Bernice Edwards dies in an Illinois prison

• Gallup explores identifiers for nation's 'secularists'

• Song played role in South Africa

• House prayer led by gay pastor

• VMI's prayers ruled unconstitutional

• Prime time sexual content declines

• Percentage of tithing households drops

• HealthSouth executive, accused of fraud, heard sermons on ethics

• Nigerian e-mail scams taking on language of faith

• Case of state's grants for religious education goes to Supreme Court

• Bush administration asks court to allow 'under God'

• James Dobson changes roles

• More steeples doing double duty

• Bible Bar packs a nutritional punch with inspired ingredients

• Religious teens have stronger family ties

• Broad coalition supporting workplace freedom bill

• Book reimagines evangelism for a post-apologetics world

• Cartoon

• Classified Ads

• Around the State

• On the Move

• EDITORIAL: Christians must not block path to Middle East peace

• DOWN HOME: A dog-gone tale and a broken fence

• TOGETHER: Texas needs more new churches

• Commentary: Start with a huugg!
By Terry Cosby

• Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson 6/02/03

• Cybercolumn by John Duncan 5/26/03

• He Said, She Said

• Texas Baptist Forum

BaptistWay Lessons:

• 6/1

• 6/8

• 6/15

• 6/22

• 6/29

See previous lessons here.

LifeWay Lessons:

• Explore the Bible for 6/1

• Family Bible Study for 6/1

• Explore the Bible for 6/8

• Family Bible Study for 6/8

Posted: 9/25/03

Texas Tidbits

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

HBTS offers Spanish training. Hispanic Baptist Theological School's Center for Cultural Language Studies will offer beginner and intermediate conversational Spanish at the school's San Antonio campus Oct. 13-17. Students also will learn about the Hispanic culture and ministry and will write their Christian testimony in Spanish and practice sharing it with others. Tuition is $100, but members of BGCT-affiliated congregations receive full scholarships provided by the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions. For more information, contact Val Martinez at (800) 721-1396 or valmartinez@hbts.edu.

Russian children available for adoption. Several children living in Russian orphanages are available for adoption by Christian families and singles through Buckner International Adoption Services. Among them is this boy, age 4 to 6, who recently was identified as adoptable by Russian authorities.

Russian orphans are in need of adoptive families.

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.

More information on international adoption through Buckner is available by contacting Buckner International Adoption Services at (866) 236-7823 or www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org. Buckner also will host international adoption orientation meetings this fall, including Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. The orientations, held at 4830 Samuell Blvd. in Dallas, allow families to gather more information about the adoption process and specific children available for adoption. Reservation for the orientations should be made with Jean Barnes at (866) 236-7823.

Youth ministers to gather. The Youth Ministry Conclave, a training and networking event for youth ministers, is scheduled for Oct. 13-15 at the Arlington Convention Center. Dove Award-winning band MercyMe will perform Oct. 13. Featured speakers include Voddie Baucham, Chris Seay, J.R. Vassar, and worship leader Michael John Clement. The event will include a discussion about the impact of media on teenagers. Gary Cogill, an award-winning Dallas film critic, and Bob Sturm, host of a sports talk-radio show in Dallas, will share their thoughts and answer questions. A concurrent conference for wives of youth ministers will feature Nancy Pannel, author of "Being A Minister's Wife … and Being Yourself."

ETBU to host Tiger Day. East Texas Baptist University will host Tiger Day for prospective students and their families Sept. 27. Activities include campus tours, parent and student question-and-answer sessions, a financial aid seminar, lunch, and a football game. Sarge, ETBU's live tiger mascot, will be in attendance at the football game. All events are free. For more information or to register, visit www.etbu.edu or call (800) 804-ETBU.

UMHB receives $1 million. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has received a $1 million grant from the Meyer Family Foundation of Waco and Jane and Paul Meyer. The gift is designated for construction of a new Christian Life Center, which will be named in honor of Jane and Paul Meyer. The facility will be dedicated for faculty offices and classrooms required for the School of Christian Studies established this summer.

Hispanic Convocation of Laity scheduled. The Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity is set for Oct. 17-18 at Highland Lakes Camp and Convention Center near Austin. The schedule includes an evangelistic challenge, church development emphasis and ministerial training for men. The event features various Texas Baptist leaders. For more information, contact Eli Rodriguez at (214) 341-9435.

HSU reports second-highest enrollment. Hardin-Simmons University's 2003 fall enrollment of 2,333 is the second-highest in the school's history. Full-time enrollment is up 3 percent. Total student count is up nearly 2 percent. University officials also reported an all-time high enrollment in graduate students and a 7 percent increase in new students. Retention this fall also is 5 percent higher than last year.

DBU grows in North Dallas. Dallas Baptist University, whose main campus is located in southwest Dallas, has recorded a 45 percent growth in enrollment at its North Dallas Center this fall, with 522 students. The North Dallas Center offers evening and mini-term classes that can be applied toward the completion of a number of master's and bachelor's degrees. Overall enrollment at DBU this fall increased 2.7 percent, to 4,538, a gain of 121 students. This marks the 16th consecutive year of enrollment increases at DBU.

UMHB enrollment up and down. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor welcomed its second-largest freshman class in recent history this fall, with 507 freshmen, up from 474 last fall. The largest freshman class, 511, entered the university in 1998. Overall enrollment is down 29 students, or 1 percent, this fall, to 2,627, compared to 2,656 last fall. President Jerry Bawcom said holding steady in the face of state budget cuts is a positive sign. "We are only down 29 students in spite of huge state budget cuts in financial aid," he explained. "State scholarships to students were reduced by more than $700,000 this year, and that makes a difference. A student may have lost as much as $2,000 that they would have received in years past."

Ellis named associate dean. Bob Ellis has been named the first associate dean for graduate studies at Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon School of Theology. Ellis, who will continue as professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, will provide administrative oversight and counseling to graduate students who are working on the master of divinity or master of arts degrees.

Wayland reports enrollment gain. Fall enrollment within the Wayland Baptist University system is up 7.5 percent, with 6,211 students studying on 13 campuses. Fall enrollment at the main campus in Plainview is 1,036, a 3.6 percent gain. The Plainview numbers were bolstered by a 13 percent increase in the freshman class size and a 7 percent increase in the retention rate for returning students. This fall, Wayland has 485 students living in dormitories. The men's dorms are filled to capacity, and the women's dorms are 86 percent full. Ten years ago, the university had only 279 students living on campus.

Ethics symposium offered. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will present its fifth annual Ethics Symposium through the School of Business from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24. The symposium is free and open to the public. The first session, on health-care administration, will be conducted by Jerry Pickle, senior corporate counsel for Scott & White Hospital. Session two, on self-regulation in accounting, will be led by Karen Turner, accounting professor at UMHB, and Steve Bostick, a CPA and partner in the firm Patillo, Brown & Hill. The final session, conducted by Ralf Evangelous, chief of the Temple Police Department, will address domestic terrorism, homeland security and individual liberties.

Baylor Health, Powell honored. Baylor Health Care System was recognized for 100 years of healing ministry by the Baptist Distinctives Committee/Texas Baptist Heritage Center at its annual awards banquet. Also at the banquet, Paul Powell, dean of Baylor University's Truett Seminary, was recognized for his book of sermons compiled at the request of the Baptist Distinctives Committee, "Back to Bedrock."

UMHB promotes McPherson. Keith McPherson has been named assistant vice president for finance and controller for the business office at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He has served as controller since 1984.

Senior Saints Day planned. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor plans its first Senior Saints Day Oct. 2. The one-day conference for adults 55 and older will begin at 9 a.m. in Walton Chapel on campus. Cost is $20, which includes lunch. Guest preacher is Frank Pollard, former longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss., and preacher for the "Baptist Hour" program. University trustee Ron Lemon will lead a seminar on how to cope with change and find success in life. To register or for more information, contact the church relations office at (254) 295-4620.

Middle East exhibit coming. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's Townsend Memorial Library will host a three-week exhibit, "Legacy of the Middle East," beginning Oct. 6. The exhibit, on loan from the Texas Council for the Humanities, tells the story of the cultural debt owed to the Middle East. It focuses on the birthplace of agriculture, first cities and states, the invention of the wheel, origins of counting, writing and the invention of the alphabet. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

Posted: 9/25/03

The Elwin L. Skiles Social Sciences Building.

Hardin-Simmons University dedicates
science building, rededicates music hall

ABILENE—Hardin-Simmons University dedicated its state-of-the-art Elwin L. Skiles Social Sciences Building and rededicated its historic Caldwell Music Hall after classes resumed this fall.

The festivities helped kick off a semester in which Hardin-Simmons celebrated achieving Tier One status in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2004 ratings of comprehensive universities in the Western United States.

HSU's Caldwell Music Hall.

James Flamming, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va., speaks during the ceremonies.

The Abilene school, one of eight universities affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, also recorded its second-highest enrollment, with 2,333 students on campus this fall.

The Skiles Building is named after HSU’s 11th president, who led the university from 1966 to 1977 after serving as pastor of First Baptist Church in Abilene.

The $3.6 million, 23,250-square-foot building houses seven classrooms and lecture halls, plus faculty and staff offices. It is home to the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts and classes in leadership studies, political science, legal studies, social work, sociology, criminal justice, history and philosophy.

The building features the Lawrence Clayton Round Table Room, the Tom Womble Courtroom, a replica of a legislative hearing room and a Hall of Leaders.

Skiles’ children, Elwin L. Skiles Jr., Ann McGinty and Sarah Zachry, pledged a $1 million lead gift toward the facility. Other major donors include the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla.; the Dodge Jones Foundation of Abilene; the Mays Foundation of Amarillo; the Myer Foundation of Plainview; and the O’Donnell Foundation, McDermott Foundation and Texas Instruments, all of Dallas.

Caldwell Music Hall, built in 1924, is listed as a national site for historic places. Extensive renovation restored numerous original features of the building, including a stained-glass skylight, columns and masonry work.

HSU also opened Linebery Boulevard and the Linebery Memorial Clock Tower as a primary entrance on the east side of campus. The clock tower and boulevard were made possible by the Scarborough-Linebery Foundation of Midland, which also provided a gift to endow HSU’s Six White Horses program.

HSU President Craig Turner noted the university climbed one level in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. Its Tier One standing places it among the top comprehensive universities, which offer master’s degrees, in the West. Hardin-Simmons is the lone BGCT university with a Tier One rank.

The 2,333 students on campus this fall reflect a 3 percent increase—42 students—over registration for fall 2002, reported Shane Davidson, associate vice president for enrollment services.

The university’s 600 new students mark a five-year high, and retention of last year’s students is up 5 percent, he said.

Reported by Charles Richardson, director of media relations for Hardin-Simmons University

Posted: 9/25/03

Hispanic Baptist Theological School gains accreditation

SAN ANTONIO—Hispanic Baptist Theological School has received initial accreditation from the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges.

Accreditation is the second significant academic accomplishment this year for the San Antonio-based school, which is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

In January, the Texas Board of Higher Education certified HBTS to offer a bachelor of arts degree in biblical/theological studies. At the end of the spring semester, the school granted seven bachelor’s degrees, the first in its 56-year history.

One of the primary benefits of accreditation is acceptance of the school’s graduates in any seminary accredited through the Association of Theological Schools, the primary alliance of seminaries and graduate religion schools in the United States and Canada.

Since it was founded in 1947, HBTS has trained about 75 percent of Texas Baptists’ Hispanic pastors.

The school offers a language and literacy program, which enables students to learn English and helps students who do not have a high school diploma to earn a GED certificate.

This program provides a gateway to the school’s new bachelor’s degree, which subsequently allows students to pursue master’s and doctor’s degrees.

Posted: 9/25/03

Denison says Baptist University of the Americas
name gives insight into institution's future

SAN ANTONIO—The new name proposed for Hispanic Baptist Theological School provides insight into its future, Dallas pastor Jim Denison stressed during the school’s fall convocation.

Hispanic Baptist Theological School is to be re-named Baptist University of the Americas, pending approval by the Baptist General Convention of Texas at its annual session in November.

“Fulfilling each part of this new title is the key to fulfilling your future and destiny in the kingdom of God,” said Denison, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church.

“First, your identity is to be ‘Baptist,’” Denison noted, acknowledging the school always has been Baptist. “You were founded by a movement led by a Baptist missionary, Paul J. Siebenmann. Your first campus was a Baptist church, Palm Heights Baptist Church. You are part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. ‘Baptist’ has always been part of your name.”

But now the school is making “Baptist” its first name, he observed, and that has implications for its identity.

For example, Baptist identity is grounded in “servant leadership,” which does not seek to manipulate or exercise control over others, he explained.

“We draw our understanding of ministerial leadership from our Lord Jesus and his supreme example,” Denison said. “On the last night of his earthly life, he took a slave’s towel and a slave’s task. He washed the dirty, smelly, mud-caked feet of his followers.”

Such a model set the standard for all who follow in ministry, he insisted.

And a similar motive should guide ministerial education, he added. “When we train for ministerial leadership out of any motive but service to our Lord and his people, we train for the wrong reasons. … If you are to become the Baptist University of the Americas, you must reaffirm this day your commitment to the servant spirit, which Baptists have historically endorsed as God’s will for those who would lead them.”

Second, the school will add “University” to its name, he said, pointing out that name means a school “intends to relate to the universal body of knowledge available to its scholars and students.”

More than focusing on the types of degrees it offers and the accreditation it receives, the name “University” should remind the school of its encompassing mission, Denison said.

“If you mean to be a university in its fullest sense, you will seek to integrate faith and learning at the highest levels of academic achievement,” he said. “You will seek to relate mind to soul, reason to spirit, classroom to culture, knowledge to life. You will seek excellence in every dimension of your experience on this campus, not just with regard to biblical study and ecclesiastical preparation.”

Jesus not only was a servant, but he also was a scholar, whose commandment included that his followers love God with their minds, he said.

Third, the school will be a Baptist university for “the Americas,” Denison said.

“You were founded by a missionary, for a missionary purpose,” he recalled. “You exist to take Christ to this community and our world. Your 1,600 alumni are serving today across the United States, Latin America and in countries where the gospel cannot be preached openly. Your calling has never been more crucial than it is today.”

This focus will become increasingly significant as Hispanics soon comprise half the population of Texas, he said.
“In face of such opportunity and challenge, you are the only theological school of its kind in Baptist life,” he said. “Your burden and responsibility is great.”

Consequently, the school will play a major role as a catalyst for missions strategy, he predicted.

Posted 9/22/03

Article List for 9/22/03 issue