Posted: 2/19/04

National Digest

Requests for help rose last year. Requests for emergency food and shelter assistance increased last year in the 25 cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The 2003 survey found that requests for help with food increased by an average of 17 percent over 2002 and requests for shelter increased by an average of 13 percent. Unemployment and various employment-related problems were cited by the most cities as the leading causes of hunger. Fifty-six percent of the cities surveyed reported that people in need of food were turned away because of a lack of resources. A much larger percentage of participating cities–84 percent–said emergency shelters had to turn away homeless families due to a lack of resources.

Giving from Episcopal dioceses down. The Episcopal Church has seen a 7 percent drop in contributions from local dioceses since it voted last year to approve an openly gay bishop, but officials say it may be premature to link the two developments directly. A Feb. 9 report to the church's Executive Council revealed a drop of about $2 million in six months, the first tangible measure of the fallout from the controversial decision to approve openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The conservative dioceses of Dallas and Pittsburgh have said they will no longer send money to church headquarters. Forty dioceses said they will meet their pledges, and 42 dioceses will send a lower amount. Twenty-four dioceses have yet to finalize their budgets.

Graham announces LA crusade plans. Evangelist Billy Graham has announced plans to hold a summer crusade in the Los Angeles area at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Graham, who was recently released from the hospital after undergoing hip surgery, will lead the Greater Los Angeles Billy Graham Crusade from July 29 to Aug. 1. Graham's crusade in the Los Angeles area in 1949 brought him to national attention. The upcoming event will mark his seventh evangelistic campaign in the region.

Muslim group leaves marriage coalition. After an anti-gay-marriage coalition came under withering criticism from many Jewish and Christian conservatives, a Muslim group that some say has terrorist ties has left the Alliance for Marriage. The alliance announced the Islamic Society of North America had resigned from its advisory board. The ISNA is currently the subject of a congressional investigation.

Gospel Grammy winners named. Michael W. Smith earned his third Grammy when his "Worship Again" album was named best pop/contemporary gospel album at a recent Los Angeles awards ceremony. Winners in the other gospel music categories are:

Best rock gospel album: “Worldwide” by Audio Adrenaline

Best Southern, country or bluegrass gospel album: “Rise and Shine” by Randy Travis

Best traditional soul gospel album: “Go Tell It on the Mountain” by the Blind Boys of Alabama

Best contemporary soul gospel album: “… Again” by Donnie McClurkin

Best gospel choir or chorus album: “A Wing and a Prayer” by the Potter's House Mass Choir, directed by Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Dallas pastor to receive NAACP award. Bishop T.D. Jakes will receive the President's Award at the upcoming NAACP Image Awards. Jakes, pastor of the Potter's House in Dallas, is the author of more than two dozen books. "Bishop Thomas D. Jakes has been called the 'Shepherd to the shattered,'" said Kweisi Mfume, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The 35th awards ceremony will be taped March 6 in Los Angeles and broadcast March 11 on Fox. Previous winners of the civil rights organization's President's Award include tennis celebrities Venus and Serena Williams, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and former President Bill Clinton.

Compiled from Religion News Service & Associated Baptist Press

Posted: 2/19/04

On the Move

Jason Bien to First Church in Richmond as minister to students and parents.

E.M. Byford to Temple Church in Hereford as interim pastor.

Bill Cathey to First Church in Sachse as interim pastor.

Otis Conner to Emhouse Church in Corsicana as pastor.

Ron Cook to First Church in Mart as interim pastor.

Bryan Crittendon has resigned as pastor of First Church in Gordon to become a Navy chaplain.

Jim Curtis has resigned as minister of music at Elmwood Church in Abilene.

Greg Dills has resigned as pastor of First Church in Sachse.

Mike Ecker to Eastridge Church in Amarillo as pastor.

Aaron Groff to Paramount Church in Amarillo as minister of youth.

Barron Harris to Malone Church in Malone as pastor.

John Hill has resigned as pastor of First Church in Aquilla to become an Army chaplain.

Robin Hoffman to University Church in Denton as pastor.

Don Inman to Shiloh Church in Itasca as interim pastor.

Richard Jackson has resigned as interim pastor of First Church in Grapevine.

Bradley Maybin to First Church in Amarillo as minister to students.

Michael McKay to Brentwood Church in Houston as minister of worship and praise.

Larry Morris has resigned as minister of music at First Church in Royse City.

Rodney Payton to First Church in La Vernia as music minister.

C.W. Parker Jr. to Central Church in Pampa as pastor from First Church in Marlin.

Bill Pritchett has resigned as pastor of First Church in Argyle.

Lyn Rice to Hillcrest Church in Brownwood as pastor.

Brian Robertson to Bonita Church in Nocona as pastor.

James Sain has completed an interim pastorate at Alamo Heights Church in Midland and is available for supply, interim and intentional interim at (806) 995-4343.

Jim Standard has reconsidered his resignation as pastor of Second Church in Lampasas and remains the church's pastor.

Ray Vowell to Union Hill Church in Alvord as pastor.

Chris White has resigned as minister of students at First Church in Midlothian.

Dan White has resigned as assistant pastor of Columbus Avenue Church in Waco.

Zak White to Central Church in Luling as youth minister.

Tim Williams to Northside Church in Victoria as pastor from First Church in Kenedy.

Posted: 2/19/04

Movie's proponents call 'Passion of Christ'
stained-glass window for the 21st century

By Greg Warner & Trennis Henderson

Associated Baptist Press

NASHVILLE (ABP)–While Mel Gibson's “The Passion of the Christ” will graphically show movie audiences the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, it's up to Christians to explain why Jesus went through the pain of the cross, Christian leaders say.

“The film will teach them what Jesus did,” said Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, in a written advisory to churches. “We must teach them why he did it.”

In an hour-long interview on ABC's “Primetime,” Gibson acknowledged the movie covers only the last hours of Jesus' life, giving viewers an incomplete record of his life and message. But he said the movie is an accurate account and the one he felt inspired to make.

In recent weeks, Gibson has screened the controversial movie for religious leaders nationwide. Conservative and evangelical leaders have emphasized the evangelistic potential of the movie, noting many viewers leave the theater in tears and distraught over the gruesome crucifixion story.

“I have to say that my heart was stirred to the very core,” Chapman told members of the Executive Committee last week.

SBC President Jack Graham added, “You'll never get closer to the cross this side of heaven” than by watching Gibson's movie. “It's absolutely wonderful that in these days the cross is being lifted up for all to see who Jesus is,” Graham added. “… You can't watch it and stay the same.”

Many Christian companies are selling evangelistic materials geared to viewers of the movie, calling “The Passion” an unprecedented witnessing tool. But others are worried all the attention from Christians eager to win converts could taint the movie's impact.

The film, set for release Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday, is rated R for violence. Some viewers say it is shocking or even “unwatchable” because of the brutality of the crucifixion.

Mel Gibson is part of a traditionalist Catholic sect that has retained the Latin mass and rejects the modernist reforms of the Vatican II councils. “The Passion” is based on a literal reading of the crucifixion accounts of the four New Testament gospels and was intended to be shocking, Gibson said.

Early criticism of “The Passion,” even before filming began, leveled charges of anti-Semitism against Gibson. Jewish critics have since said that Gibson, though not himself anti-Semitic, would inspire anti-Jewish feelings with the film.

Gibson reportedly deleted one controversial quotation from Matthew in which the Jewish mob accepts responsibility for the crucifixion. The dialogue, though still in the film in Aramaic, does not appear in the subtitles. The entire movie is in Aramaic and Latin, with English subtitles.

In interviews with Newsweek and “Primetime,” Gibson said the film does not blame Jews as a group. “We're all culpable. I don't want to lynch any Jews. … I love them. I pray for them.” He told “Primetime” that anti-Semitism is “un-Christian.”

Meanwhile, Jewish film critic Michael Medved, a frequent and respected critic of Hollywood, warned fellow Jews they were missing the point.

“The organized Jewish community and its allies in interfaith dialogue may not welcome 'Passion,'” he said, “but overreaction will provoke far more anti-Semitism than the movie itself. … By agonizing so publicly about the purportedly anti-Semitic elements in the story, the Anti-Defamation League makes it vastly more likely that moviegoers will connect the corrupt first-century figures with today's Jewish leaders.”

The SBC's Chapman said: “As conservative evangelical Christians, we love the Jews and the Jewish nation. We respect them as God's chosen people. We know he sent our Savior through the Jewish people.

“Since the Jews called for the death of Jesus, does it mean they were the sole persecutors of Jesus? No, a thousand times no,” he said. “Then who nailed Jesus to the cross? We did. The entire human race nailed our Lord to the cross.”

Chapman acknowledged Gibson's conservative Catholic beliefs but said those views, even if wrong, do not keep people from seeing a true picture of Jesus in the movie. Chapman quoted another Executive Committee staff member who said God can use “those who are theologically deficient to effectively accomplish his purposes.”

Frank Ruff, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' field representative to the SBC, declined to take issue with the view of Catholics as “theologically deficient.”

Ruff said films like “The Passion” are “our 21st century stained-glass windows. It makes more of an impact than just words.”

Posted: 2/19/04

BGCT, San Antonio Baptists to pilot
volunteer disaster response network

SAN ANTONIO–The Baptist General Convention of Texas plans to launch a disaster response network of trained church members who could respond to psychological and spiritual needs in crisis situations.

The convention is hoping to start regional teams of church members trained by the National Organization for Victim Assistance who could serve in widespread and personal crises such as disasters, unexpected deaths and violent crimes.

Teams will work in concert with Texas Baptist Men's disaster relief efforts and victim relief ministries.

Having quick responders to traumatic situations is critical, said Bobby Smith, director of the BGCT chaplaincy relations office. Crises leave people looking for help.

“Wherever you have a natural or man-made disaster, there will be people in need of support and crisis counseling,” Smith said. “Our goal is to connect people who are prepared to help with people who need help.”

People first experience crises as emotions, according to Jim Young, director of the BGCT Missions Equipping Center.

The faster counselors help them articulate how they feel and what they encountered, the less the chance of those individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, Young said.

The convention, in partnership with San Antonio Baptist Association, plans to pilot a regional team. Associational staff is writing preliminary materials and encouraging chaplains, ministers and lay leaders to go through NOVA training.

Camille Simmons, coordinator of ministry missions for the association, said leaders are focusing on being prepared for disasters. Prepared individuals respond faster and more effectively.

Training includes how churches can be sites for shelters, medical distribution and counseling.

Members are taught how to best respond in counseling situations as well as how they can meet immediate physical needs.

How the church reacts reflects directly on the Christian faith, Simmons said.

Large groups of people, including non-Christians, turn to the church in times of crisis, she noted. Baptist churches should reach out lovingly in the name of Christ.

“Pastors have to stand in front of a congregation,” she said. “What are they going to say? How are they going to say it?”

Association leaders have become the unifier of the faith community as San Antonio seeks to become better prepared for a disaster as well. The city is networking groups together who could respond to crises.

Through this effort, Baptist organizers made connections with hospitals, city officials, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and leaders of other denominations.

The San Antonio effort is working, Simmons said. Baptist leaders mobilized 1,500 people to minister during the 2002 floods that struck the city.

They have trained about 150 people to work with Texas Baptist Men disaster relief units.

BGCT and San Antonio Association leaders hope the South-Central Texas effort will serve as a model for other regions. The BGCT is seeking to have a team in each association. Several directors of missions attended a NOVA training session.

“San Antonio is the pilot, but we hope it will be used across the state,” Simmons said.

For more information about the emerging network or NOVA training, contact the BGCT chaplaincy relations office at (214) 828-5277.

Posted: 2/19/04

LifeWay pulls VBS promotion
with questionable endorsement quote

By Bob Allen

EthicsDaily.com

LifeWay Christian Resources has withdrawn promotional materials quoting a Texas Baptist leader as endorsing this summer's Asian-themed “Rickshaw Rally” Vacation Bible School curriculum, which some have criticized as racially insensitive.

A quote from Dennis Parrott, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Bible Study/Discipleship Center, appeared on LifeWay's website and was circulated at the BGCT Hispanic Evangelism Conference in Houston.

“I am pleased about the ministry potential of Vacation Bible School for churches in Texas, and I look forward to partnering with LifeWay in promoting 'Rickshaw Rally' in 2004,” LifeWay quoted Parrott as saying.

Parrott asked that the endorsement be removed from the Bible school promotional material because he said it quoted him out of context.

“While talking with a friend at LifeWay he was asking me if I had heard any positive words about the VBS curriculum,” Parrott said.

“I told him that since the majority of the churches are still planning to use the material that we would continue with our VBS clinics. I complimented the quality of the Bible study materials once you get past the unacceptable theme.

“He took this as an endorsement … and the rest is history. I have asked that this endorsement be removed from their website and from any printed materials, and they have agreed to do this. I have learned not to share my opinions in the future with my friends at LifeWay.”

LifeWay spokesman Rob Phillips indicated a company representative had spoken with Parrott about the matter and had nothing to add to his comments.

Some Asian-Americans have protested this year's VBS theme, saying it includes stereotypes such as rickshaws and Chinese takeout boxes that are inaccurate and offensive to Asians. The Baptist Convention of New England said officially in November that it would not promote the material. Other state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention noted concerns but opted to adapt the material rather than reject it outright.

Intercultural staff from the BGCT held meetings with a leading Japanese pastor and some Asian youth leaders in December who judged the VBS material to be inaccurate and tending to mix Asian cultures together but didn't feel it warranted a formal stand, said Becky Bridges, BGCT communications director.

The Asian church leaders gave LifeWay credit, however, for making an effort to teach children about other cultures.

LifeWay's quotation of Parrott assessed those meetings in more positive terms.

According to LifeWay, Parrott said Diane Lane, a BGCT preschool/children's consultant, polled 65 children's ministers across Texas and found about 90 percent were planning to use the “Rickshaw Rally” VBS material.

But Parrott later explained his staff is preparing to help Texas Baptist churches “use this material with an alternate or revised theme” and also is preparing an alternative curriculum that will be available online by April.

LifeWay has maintained that opposition to the VBS theme is orchestrated and represents relatively few Asian Americans. An online petition calling for LifeWay to withdraw “Rickshaw Rally” has garnered 1,217 signatures in two months.

LifeWay's response includes a “What Others are Saying” section on its own Web site, which quotes several ethnic Southern Baptists as countering criticism from the Asian community.

Phillips, LifeWay's director of corporate communications, said there is no indication the controversy is affecting sales. The company does not disclose sales numbers for competitive reasons, he said in an e-mail, but “I can tell you that sales to date are tracking with last year.”

Posted: 2/19/04

Former San Marcos Baptist Academy staffer
charged with molesting 17-year-old student

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN MARCOS–A San Marcos Baptist Academy employee has been dismissed and subsequently arrested on charges of molesting a 17-year-old academy student.

Santiago “Jimmy” Morales Jr., 25, was charged with “improper relationship between an educator and a student,” a second-degree felony, the San Marcos Daily Record reported

The academy, affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, is a school for sixth to 12th graders. Of the 219 students, 54 are “day students” living off campus, and the remainder are boarding students, President Vic Schmidt told Texas Baptist Communications.

The incident allegedly occurred at Morales' off-campus apartment early Jan. 24. The student subsequently told his dorm parents and counselor. The academy terminated Morales Jan. 27, and police arrested him Jan. 30.

Morales had been a student activities/recreation assistant and dormitory residential assistant since August 2002.

Schmidt said the academy had checked Morales' background thoroughly prior to employment and “had seen no indication at all” that such an incident might occur. “We basically thought we were doing everything possible.”

The president held a “parents' day” shortly after the incident to speak with parents of students. All 219 students have remained enrolled at the academy, Schmidt said.

The incident marked the second time in four years that an academy employee has been charged with molestation, the Daily Record reported. Bradley Wayne Dixon, arrested in January 2000, was convicted on nine counts and is serving a 95-year sentence.

“It is always most regrettable when an unfortunate incident such as this occurs within any setting,” said Keith Bruce, coordinator of the BGCT Institutional Ministries Section.

“I have the utmost confidence that the board and administrative leadership of San Marcos Baptist Academy have made every reasonable effort to prevent such incidents and will respond with the highest degree of integrity and candor as they cooperate with the investigation. Certainly the welfare of the students is the foremost concern for everyone.”

San Marcos cooperated fully with authorities, said Schmidt, who made available an internal e-mail on the subject from Monty Lewis, academy treasurer.

“This is absolutely the worst thing that can be done,” he wrote. “If the administration of the San Marcos Baptist Academy learns of any possible inappropriate behavior with a student, the first call is to Child Protective Services, the second is to the police. …

“If the reporting is conducted as required by the state, and the offender is identified, our churches and agencies will have more confidence in the background checks and references that we are obtaining,” Lewis continued. “In our case, the background check was without flaw; and the job references did not reveal any problems.

“Reporting a possible offense is painful for the organization. Betrayal is always painful. The victim, the family, the supervisor, the co-workers … we have all been betrayed. The reporting does result in some level of embarrassment and 'bad press,' but it is absolutely the right thing to do.”

Lewis expressed his hope that the “greatest outcome of our recent event would be to serve as a response model to our fellow organizations who minister to children and families. It is very likely that at any given time predators are among us, actively pursuing some innocent victim. Unfortunately, that seems to be the nature of our society.”

The case against Morales appears to be limited to one student. Morales has been charged under a law that took effect Sept. 1, 2003, the newspaper said. As a second-degree felony, it is punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Posted: 2/19/04

San Francisco grants gay couples marriage licenses

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

SAN FRANCISCO (ABP)–As thousands of same-sex couples rushed to get married in San Francisco over the Valentine's Day weekend, opponents tried to block the marriages in court.

Two San Francisco courts postponed action Feb. 17 on lawsuits seeking to halt same-sex marriages in that city.

In 2000, California voters approved the controversial Proposition 22, which banned same-sex marriages. In an act of civil disobedience, newly elected Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered municipal officers to begin granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples Feb. 12.

Since that time, more than 2,400 gay couples have been wed in civil ceremonies at San Francisco City Hall.

Two conservative California-based groups–the Alliance Defense Fund and the Campaign for California Families–are suing to have the marriages halted and those already performed declared invalid.

Attorneys for the groups were expected to cite a little-known part of the California Constitution saying administrative officers may not unilaterally declare state laws unconstitutional.

A third San Francisco court was set to hear a parallel lawsuit by a group calling itself the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for California Families, said Mayor Newsom's actions constitute “open defiance of state law and trashing of traditional marriage.”

But Newsom has argued denying marriage licenses to gay couples violates the California Constitution's strong equal-protection provisions.

“America has struggled since its inception to eradicate discrimination in all forms,” he said. “California's Constitution leaves no doubts; it leaves no room for any form of discrimination.”

Newsom drew a parallel between gay marriage and the battle for inter-racial marriages in the 1950s and 1960s.

Thousands of same-sex couples–some from out of state–lined up outside City Hall over the Valentine's Day weekend and waited through heavy rain for the chance to pay $83 and get married. According to the New York Times, hundreds of city workers volunteered, without pay, to keep the building open over the weekend so as many couples as possible could get married.

The issue of gay marriage took center stage late last year when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordered that state to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in May. The Massachusetts legislators postponed a decision on an amendment to that state's constitution banning same-sex marriages.

Meanwhile, in Georgia the state Senate approved a measure banning same-sex marriages and barring recognition of such marriages from out of state.

The state House of Representatives will now take up the measure.

And in Washington, a proposal to amend the federal Constitution to ban same-sex marriages is making its way through Congress.

Several conservative political insiders have indicated that President Bush will formally announce his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment soon.

Posted: 2/19/04

Jack Graham backs SBC name change

By Tony Cartledge

Biblical Recorder

NASHVILLE (ABP)–Southern Baptist Convention President Jack Graham has called on the SBC to consider changing its name.

As “a network of churches that circle the planet,” the convention must consider changing its name to “reflect who we are and what we are doing nationally and internationally,” Graham told the SBC Executive Committee last week.

Southern Baptists are viewed in the nation and the world as leaders among conservative Christians, said Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

“I have loved the Southern Baptist Convention and its name,” Graham said.

“But this name that I love and you love speaks of our region and doesn't move us beyond to the great cities of the Northeast, to the West and the Midwest. It's time to consider a new name that reflects our future.”

Graham said he will appoint a name-change study committee in the next few weeks that is “geographically and generationally” representative, reflecting “the heart and compassion and theology of the SBC around the world.”

“It is my prayer that the committee can bring a recommendation to the SBC in 2005,” he said. ”Timing is everything,” said Graham, noting that “seven or eight” previous studies of a possible name change resulted in no change, including one initiated by W.A. Criswell in 1974. The last effort was in 1999.

“This is a significant, important decision,” Graham said, but “Southern Baptists are always willing to embrace significant change.

“We've seen amazing change in the Southern Baptist Convention since 1979,” he said. “We've been willing to grow, to develop, to do whatever it takes to get better at fulfilling the Great Commission.

“Why would we do this?” Graham asked. “Only one reason–to strengthen and lengthen our witness here in America and around the world … because we are determined to do whatever it takes to connect with our culture and our country and the continents of the earth.

“A name change will not change the hearts of people,” Graham said. “But it will speak to people in New York, in Los Angeles, in the Pacific Northwest, in Canada, and around the world that we are a global network of churches committed to proclaiming Jesus Christ throughout the world.”

Graham said he has floated the idea to many key SBC leaders who seem favorable to the change.

“If it will help us connect with culture and communicate the gospel, let's do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.

Graham's call for a name change came toward the end of a sermon on the theme of spiritual warfare.

Baptists face a cultural war, Graham said, illustrated by the halftime show at the Super Bowl, “which became the Toilet Bowl,” he said. The “crudeness and lewdness” of the program should serve as a wake-up call to parents who allow their children to spend hours watching MTV, he said.

There is also a political war at hand, Graham said. “There will be a very clear choice in the decision of 2004 as to what kind of leadership and values will represent our country,” Graham said, “conservative Christian values versus no values or liberal values.”

Graham did not specifically endorse President George W. Bush, but said, “I'm thankful that he is a man of faith.”

Graham said Southern Baptists should use their churches to promote voter registration and encourage political involvement. The effort is not to tell people how to vote but “to teach them to frame the election in terms of principle,” he said.

Graham said Christians also face an ecclesiastical war, illustrated by the Episcopal church's division over the election of a homosexual bishop, and a domestic war, as seen in the court order to allow gay marriage in Massachusetts.

To sustained applause, Graham said he favors a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a committed relationship between a man and a woman, and “anything else is a perversion.”

Posted: 2/19/04

Texas Tidbits

Dodson to lead Breckenridge Village. Charles Dodson has been named executive director of Breckenridge Village in Tyler, a residential facility for adults with mental disabilities. Dodson begins his duties with Breckenridge Village, a ministry of Baptist Child and Family Services, March 15. He has been pastor of The Woods Baptist Church in Tyler seven years, and he previously served churches in Austin and Carthage. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and holds master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Sue, have two sons, Derek and Brady.

Historical Society explores church/state issues. "Lone Star Visions of Church, State and Society" is the theme of the spring meeting of the Texas Baptist Historical Society in Austin. The meeting, scheduled in conjunction with the Texas State Historical Association, will be 10:30 a.m. March 4 at the Renaissance Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd. Marshall Johnston of Baylor University will examine the influence of theologian Walter Rauschenbusch on J.M. Dawson. Christopher Lee Canipe of Baylor will present a paper on George W. Truett and religious liberty. Barry Hankins, also from Baylor, will respond to both presentations. For more information, contact Alan Lefever at (972)331-2235 or tbhc@bgct.org.

Howard Payne preview weekend slated. Howard Payne University will host Stinger Daze, a preview weekend for prospective students, Feb. 27-28. The event is designed specifically for high school and transfer students. Guests will tour the campus, visit with faculty and current HPU students, and receive information on financial aid, admissions, academics and student life. Cost is $20, which includes a T-shirt, a ticket to Spring Sing, a continental breakfast and lunch. For reservations or more information, contact (325) 649-8020, toll-free (800) 880-4478 or e-mail enroll@hputx.edu.

UMHB music teacher named to hall of fame. Robert Steinbauer of Belton will be inducted into the Gilewicz Hall of Fame at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor March 7. Steinbauer currently teaches piano at UMHB and continues a 40-year relationship with the American College of Musicians as a piano contest adjudicator. He is former head of the music department at Kansas State University, where he was named professor emeritus.

Wayland faculty honored. Estelle Owens and Don Cook, longtime professors at Wayland Baptist University, were honored during the school's annual Heritage Chapel with the Maloney Faculty Award. Owens is a history professor and chair of the division of social sciences. Cook served as chairman of the languages and literature division 33 years, and the past 12 years has held the Louise Joachim endowed professorship in literature. The Maloney Award recognizes outstanding faculty members for their academic leadership and excellence, Christian commitment and contributions to the lives of students.

UMHB preview weekend set. A concert by Silers Bald, recording artists and performers from South Carolina, will highlight the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor preview weekend, March 5-6. During the weekend, high school juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to attend classes, eat in the cafeteria and stay in the residence halls with students.

Baylor launches playwrights festival. Baylor University will honor noted Texas playwright Horton Foote at its inaugural Horton Foote American Playwrights Festival, March 3-6 on the Baylor campus. The festival will include question-and-answer sessions with Foote, a keynote address by playwright Romulus Linney, and the 50th anniversary production of Foote's play, "The Traveling Lady." Foote was named visiting distinguished dramatist at Baylor in fall 2002 and has conducted weeklong in-residence classes each semester. He received Academy Awards for his screenplays of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1962 and "Tender Mercies" in 1983. His play, "The Young Man from Atlanta," earned a Pulitzer Prize.

Posted: 2/19/04

TOGETHER:
Be prepared for 'Passion' follow-up

“I love him more than I ever knew possible. … I connected to a place I could have never, ever gone. I don't want people to see me. All I want them to see is Jesus Christ.”

That's what James Caviezel, the actor who portrayed Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ,” recently told a Newsweek reporter.

Churches are buying tickets for this movie, and their members are taking friends to see it.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas has prepared an ad to play in theaters inviting people to visit a Baptist church for the continuing story of redemption. Christians around the world are praying this motion picture might be an event God uses to touch hearts and change lives.

Do you remember when you first realized what Jesus did on the cross was for you? Do you remember how that prompted a willingness to follow him with your whole soul?

Thousands of people will feel that in the next few weeks. Many of them will make it to some church soon thereafter.

Be ready for them. Many will have never been to church before. They will need a warm and accepting reception.

I suspect we particularly need to be alert to their moods. They may be eager to meet people who might help them understand what they have felt. But if they seem hesitant, a big smile and a joking manner probably won't help. Welcome them, but don't crowd them. Give them a chance to be quiet. Provide them with worship guides.

Understand that their cinematic encounter with the crucified Lord may be the closest they ever have felt to God. That experience has brought them to church, hoping to find an idea about their next step. Pray God will help you connect to them.

Pastors and Sunday school teachers, let the deep places of your heart's experience with God be open to those who will hear you preach and teach. We are approaching the season when we remember the passion of our Lord, his cross and resurrection. As you prepare, ask God to help you sense what may be in the hearts of those who will sit before you after they have seen “The Passion of the Christ.”

Make the gospel plain.

Make the invitation clear.

Help people do something more than feel.

Call them to follow Christ.

Some have expressed fear that the film may spark animosity toward Jews. If you see this film and blame the Jews rather than yourself, you miss the whole point of the gospel. Do you see yourself in the crowd when you have gone along to get along, in the soldiers when you have done what you have done because you were expected to do so, or in the religious and government leaders when you have loved the status quo and feared the new thing God might be doing? If you don't, you need to pray, “Open my eyes, Lord.”

Let the words of Jesus shape our attitude toward ourselves and others. He died forgiving. All of us are guilty. All of us need his forgiveness. To those who have received great mercy, it is required that we be merciful.

I pray this film will cause all who love Christ to love the Jews and all others more than we ever have before. Unless I somehow missed it, that is what Jesus died to make possible.

We are loved.

Posted: 2/19/04

Suburban church clarifies its purpose,
learns how to resolve differences

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

COPPELL–Valley Ranch Baptist Church seemingly had all the ingredients for expansion in a growing suburb of Dallas. Young families drove church development. The congregation owned its land and facilities. More people were coming. Excitement and energy was high.

But all that was dashed eight years ago with one question: Should the church add on to its facilities?

The congregation fractured into two camps. One thought the church was not accommodating growth quickly enough; the other thought the congregation was trying to build too quickly.

Arguments broke out between members. Those driven people were used to being heard, but they were hearing equally motivated members fire back with other opinions.

Heated theological debates arose in the congregation. The pastor followed a call to another church.

The church sensed it needed some direction and called an intentional interim pastor–Bruce McGowan, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Center for Collegiate Ministries.

The intentional interim effort of the BGCT minister/church relations office connects a church with a temporary pastor while the congregation works through its mission and identity.

Through the program, members realized they needed to identify God's purpose for the church, said member Delwin Hinkle.

“During the first 60 days (of the intentional interim), it became clear we were wrestling with questions we didn't have the answers to,” Hinkle said.

The congregation held a series of town hall meetings to discuss the church's mission and identity. Members talked about God's will for the body and theological issues.

Through the meetings, members began seeing they had much more in common than previously known. A sound theological foundation was formed. The congregation built a booklet of basic beliefs to help prospective pastors better know the church.

They identified the church's mission as expanding “Christ's reign” through every facet of the congregation's life.

Participatory decision-making is one of 11 characteristics of a healthy church adopted by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Members formed a committee that helped the church find ways to reach the community. Relationships with Cornerstone Baptist Church in Dallas and the Global Mission Fellowship grew out of this committee.

The church gave 1,200 children Christmas presents through its relationship with Cornerstone Baptist Church last year. About six church mission teams go to South America annually. A strategy committee helped decide a new building was needed and designed it to help the church fulfill its calling.

As consensus built, business meetings became less formal because members put the congregation's purpose above small squabbles. Prayer and communication flourished.

The church called Larry Parsley as pastor in August 1999, and the church has grown under his leadership. Average Sunday attendance is about 800, and the congregation worships in a new expanded sanctuary.

When the church moved into its new building, leadership struggled with how to handle the Sunday evening service.

More than 100 people voluntarily moved into the later service to make room for growth in the morning services, but carrying on the evening service would spread volunteers too thin to serve the crowd in the new building.

Parsley had lunch with several members of the evening service and later called a town hall meeting for evening worshippers, where he retold the history of the nighttime effort.

He explained the need to end it and fielded questions. Members expressed strong feelings, but the church moved forward without conflict.

“We have had moments where bringing our people together and shooting straight with them has paid dividends,” Parsley said.

Because the members agree on the church's mission, they are willing to put aside smaller differences to carry out the congregation's purpose.

“The things we did to define who we are and what we are to be about still shapes us today,” Hinkle said.

Posted: 2/19/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
Listen to the music

By Berry D. Simpson

One morning, I was camped in a back booth of my favorite local fast-food joint, and wrote in my journal as the overhead music played “Happy Man” by Chicago—a 30-year-old favorite of mine. It was wonderful. I could literally feel my heartbeat change to match the rhythm of the song as I sat and listened and settled in. It was a pleasant sensation.

“Merely by chance/Very unsuspecting/You caught my heart/Unprotecting me/Now I’ve fallen in love with you.”

And, in fact, just a couple of days before that, I was in a favorite Tex-Mex joint (all my stories begin at restaurants) when they played a Spanish-language version of “Happy Man.” It was unmistakable, regardless of the language. All I had to hear was the opening bass line, and I was a happy man.

I was intrigued about how the music affected me physically. It settled my heart rate, slowed my spirit and quieted the ever-present buzz of thought in my brain. Nothing abstract about it.

Having said that, I realize that someone might sit next to me and not be aware that my heartbeat, even the vibrating frequency of the molecules in my brain, just changed due to a piece of music. They might not even think I was listening unless they saw me smile.

But someone sitting next to Cyndi could not possibly miss the impact of music on her. If she hears a song she likes, she’ll dance in her chair. Sometimes that isn’t enough, so she has to jump up and let the music move her whole body.

Now that I’ve lived with her for almost 25 years, I’ve learned that her responses to music are spontaneous and uncontrollable (after all, no one would react that way by choice). I think the music bypasses the part of her brain that calls for discretion and decorum and goes straight to the part that tells her to get up and move.

Either way, we are both blessed as music lovers.

A long time ago, when we first started teaching adult Bible study classes at First Baptist Church in Midland, our group director was a guy who had absolutely no connection with music. He wanted the class to sing praise songs because he’d observed that most people seemed to enjoy singing, but to him it sounded like we were all speaking Esperanto. He actually told me: “I guess everyone else likes music, but I’ve never cared one way or the other. It’s all noise to me.”

He was a good man with many redeeming qualities, but I’m glad my heart and my ears were different from his. I’m glad God gave me ears tuned to hear music.

And I loved to praise God through music. I’m fortunate to play trombone in my church orchestra, and it is a joy. There have been times when the emotion of a particular piece of music caused me to rise up in my chair, a physical response in the category of Cyndi’s (even if greatly subdued), and I often find it hard to keep playing because of the tears in my eyes.

And when I read back through my journals, I’m reminded how many deep spiritual encounters with God happened because I was ambushed by some song. I was tricked by the music. It’s happened over and over and should no longer surprise me. But it does.

There is a scene from the “Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair,” when the children were told by Aslan to search for a particular clue that would point them on their journey. Yet in their haste and self-pity, struggling to find their way across a series of deep vertical trenches, they missed the clue. Later on, they had a chance to see those same trenches from an elevated position and discovered they were actually the words “under me” carved into the rocky ground. Finally, understanding the clue they had missed, they re-entered the trenches and found the path Aslan had prepared for them.

Music often is the elevation in my life that gives me a better view of the clues God has left for me. I hear a lyric, or I am moved by a melody, and the message of God becomes very clear. The path he has prepared opens up.

I recently read a question in my daily devotional: “Have you noticed that any significant event in Scripture seemingly encourages someone or something to break into song?” God’s call to praise permeates the whole of scripture.

Even C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers (a man who did not care for group worship and never appreciated music personally), asked, “Could it be that the music completes the love and serves as the delight of the relationship itself?”

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