2004 Archives

Around the State

Gaye Christy has been hired as administrative assistant to President Bob Riley, and Joey Sutton is a new admissions counselor at East Texas Baptist University.

Karl Tingle, pastor of Casa View Church in Dallas, recently received the doctor of ministry degree from New Orleans Seminary, and Blake Shipp of Austin, pastor of New Henleyfield Church in Carriere, Miss., received the doctor of philosophy degree.

Primera Iglesia in Schertz recently celebrated the retirement of the bank loan on the land where its building soon will stand. Taking part in the ceremony were church trustees Albert Rios and Juan Rodriguez, Frank Urias and Pastor Gregorio Gomez.

Events

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

BGCT leaders affirm reorganization_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

BGCT leaders affirm reorganization

By Marv Knox

Editor

Baptist General Convention of Texas leaders have affirmed Executive Director Charles Wade's intention to bring the convention's structure and budget in line with its priorities.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

BGCT must change to avoid continued decline, officers say_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

BGCT must change to avoid continued decline, officers say

By Marv Knox

Editor

The Baptist General Convention of Texas must change or continue to decline, the convention's three top officers predicted.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Baptist Briefs_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Baptist Briefs

BWA comes to Texas. Baptist World Alliance President Billy Kim and BWA General Secretary Denton Lotz will address a rally at Plano's First Baptist Church, 1300 E. 15th St., at 7 p.m. Jan. 27. The event also will feature performances by the 60-member children's choir from Central Baptist Church of Suwon, Korea. Earlier that day, the choir will present a chapel concert at Dallas Baptist University, and Kim will speak during a luncheon at the university.

FBC Dallas sets Lottie record. First Baptist Church of Dallas gave more than $1 million through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions in 2003, more than four times its gift the previous year. It was twice as large as the biggest sum ever sent through the Lottie Moon Offering to fund Southern Baptists' mission work beyond North America. As of Dec. 28, the church's offering stood at $1.16 million.

Patterson appoints first faculty. Steven Smith has joined the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary faculty as professor of preaching, and Octavio Esqueda has been named professor of Christian education and administration. They mark the first presidential faculty appointments by Paige Patterson at Southwestern. Smith, the son of evangelist Bailey Smith, has been pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., for eight years. He is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds a doctor's degree from Regent University. He has served on the Southern Baptist Convention's Committee on Committees and Committee on Resolutions, and he has been president of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia pastors' conference. Esqueda, a graduate of the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, received a master of arts in Christian education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of North Texas.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

SBC leaders’ BWA proposal sparks iinternational response, no reversal_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

SBC leaders' BWA proposal sparks
international response, no reversal

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

NASHVILLE (ABP)–Despite pleas from Baptists around the world, there appears little chance Southern Baptist leaders will reverse or delay their plan to withdraw the Southern Baptist Convention from the Baptist World Alliance, the 99-year-old international fellowship it helped create.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Study shows charitable choice based on false assumptions_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Study shows charitable choice based on false assumptions

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–A new study suggests one of the main arguments for government funding of religious social-service providers might be based on false assumptions.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Another View: What are ‘questionable enterprises? By Paul Montacute_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

ANOTHER VIEW:
What are 'questionable enterprises'?

By Paul Montacute

It is now several weeks since leaders of Baptist World Aid asked the chair of the Southern Baptist Convention's committee on its relationship to the Baptist World Alliance to substantiate its accusation that the BWA has funded “questionable enterprises through Baptist World Aid.”

On Dec. 23, BWAid leaders wrote to Morris Chapman, asking for details of these “questionable enterprises.” Receiving no reply, a message was sent Jan. 5. Chapman replied: “There is no need to worry about an answer. Should the committee desire to expand on their original statement, I will send it to you.”

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Guest Editorial: Southern Baptists’ rupture with BWA will wreck witness By Jim Williams_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

GUEST EDITORIAL:
Southern Baptists' rupture with BWA will wreck witness

By Jim Williams

A decision by the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee to recommend that the SBC withdraw complete funding support for the Baptist World Alliance will be tragic. Should that happen, my prayer is that messengers to the convention annual meeting next summer will vote it down and restore full support.

In a recent newsletter, BWA Executive Director Denton Lotz tells about a Baptist body in Northern India that had been “at war” for several years. Internal infighting was so intense that one person was actually murdered. Lotz and some of the BWA staff recently led that group in a reconciliation process, and it appears that unity has been restored to a once-divided Baptist convention.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

DBU launches Christian education and leadership school, names dean_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

DBU launches Christian education
and leadership school, names dean

Dallas Baptist University has opened a School of Leadership and Christian Education that will offer master's degrees in Christian education and higher education.

The idea for the graduate-level Christian education program grew out of students' requests to learn more about serving in the ministry and equipping the laity, according to Bernie Spooner, newly appointed dean of the school.

“We found that many students and practitioners had most of the knowledge base to serve in a church, but they were uncertain how to implement this knowledge,” he explained.

Andrew Briscoe, a DBU graduate student, looks over a degree plan with Bernie Spooner.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

DOWN HOME: Tasty temptation to test Cowboys_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

DOWN HOME:
Tasty temptation to test Cowboys

Here we are, just a few days before the Super Bowl, and I'm already worried about next season.

Don't get me wrong. I'm shocked and amazed–and thrilled–with how Bill Parcells turned the Cowboys around this season. (Apologies to the Texans. In the far north Panhandle, I grew up closer to, oh, the moon than to Houston. So don't hold my lifelong love of the Cowboys against me. It's a quirk of geography. There; I said it. Don't we all feel better?)

Last summer, when Joanna and I took our Tennessee friends Brent and Jackie to the Cowboys' training camp, I never would have believed those guys could go 10-6 this year and make the playoffs. Terrific. One of the great turn-arounds in modern sports history.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Share Christ daily, evangelists urge_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Share Christ daily, evangelists urge

RICHARDSONâEvery Christian is called to be a witness for Christ daily, but each must act with God's power to be effective, according to Texas Baptist vocational evangelists at the Texas Evangelism and Missions Conference.

EVANGELISM & MISSIONS CONFERENCE
• No excuses for failing to witness, Hill says

• Share Christ daily, evangelists urge

• Deacon: Sharing faith most important responsibility

• Language of love needs no interpreter

• Understand Hispanic culture before evangelizing

• Relationships rule now, Miller tells Texas Baptists

• Prayer lays foundation for sharing the gospel

• Build relationships with lost, Ray says

• Start churches, commit to evangelize lost

• Churches in transition: Embrace change or die

Christians influence others every time they step out the door, said evangelist Paul Garcia of Plano. Believers can have a positive impact on others through small acts such as smiling, opening doors and speaking encouraging words.

“Not everyone is called to be a pastor, called to be an evangelist, but we are all called to share the gospel in our daily lives,” he preached.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Deacon says sharing faith, not running the church, his most important responsibility_12604

Posted: 1/23/04

Deacon says sharing faith, not running
the church, his most important responsibility

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

RICHARDSON — Deacons at First Baptist Church of Colleyville have taken their eyes off of “running the church” and have focused instead on sharing their faith and serving the church, said Ron Cogburn, deacon chairman.

01/23/2004 - By John Rutledge

Around the State_12604

Around the State

BGCT leaders affirm reorganization_12604

BGCT leaders affirm reorganization

BGCT must change to avoid continued decline, officers say_12604

BGCT must change to avoid continued decline, officers say

Baptist Briefs_12604

Baptist Briefs

SBC leaders’ BWA proposal sparks iinternational response, no reversal_12604

SBC leaders' BWA proposal sparks international response, no reversal

Study shows charitable choice based on false assumptions_12604

Study shows charitable choice based on false assumptions

Another View: What are ‘questionable enterprises? By Paul Montacute_12604

ANOTHER VIEW: What are 'questionable enterprises'?

Guest Editorial: Southern Baptists’ rupture with BWA will wreck witness By Jim Williams_12604

GUEST EDITORIAL: Southern Baptists' rupture with BWA will wreck witness

DBU launches Christian education and leadership school, names dean_12604

DBU launches Christian education and leadership school, names dean

DOWN HOME: Tasty temptation to test Cowboys_12604

DOWN HOME: Tasty temptation to test Cowboys

Share Christ daily, evangelists urge_12604

Share Christ daily, evangelists urge

Deacon says sharing faith, not running the church, his most important responsibility_12604

Deacon says sharing faith, not running the church, his most important responsibility

SBC leaders' BWA proposal sparks
international response, no reversal

ANOTHER VIEW:
What are 'questionable enterprises'?

GUEST EDITORIAL:
Southern Baptists' rupture with BWA will wreck witness

DBU launches Christian education
and leadership school, names dean

DOWN HOME:
Tasty temptation to test Cowboys

Deacon says sharing faith, not running
the church, his most important responsibility