Posted: 6/25/04

Annuity Board renamed GuideStone,
will offer services outside SBC circles

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)–Messengers to the 2004 Southern Baptist Convention approved recommendations to change the Annuity Board's name to GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention and to expand its products and services to evangelical ministry organizations outside the SBC.

The recommendation to change the board's name, its articles of incorporation and SBC bylaws require two successive votes of the convention, but a provision authorizing the board to do business as GuideStone for one year pending a second affirmative vote at the 2005 convention was included and approved. The same process was used when LifeWay Christian Resources changed its name a few years ago from the Baptist Sunday School Board.

“The name change and the opportunity to expand the scope of our work will further undergird our efforts to enhance the financial security of the pastor at the crossroads and other Southern Baptist ministers and employees we serve,” said SBC Annuity Board President O.S. Hawkins.

Prior to the approval of the recommendation extending the board's services to other evangelical ministry organizations, Mitchell Jackson of Sikeston, Mo., raised questions about the value of extending the board's products and services to non-Southern Baptist organizations and the limited information available about the eligibility guidelines.

Hawkins responded by saying the eligibility guidelines are listed in the “New Name, Expanded Ministry” brochure available at the board's exhibit, which states the board will “work with evangelical church and ministry organizations that are eligible to participate in a church plan and are not in conflict with the Southern Baptist Convention.”

In addition, the board's trustees will approve the guidelines and will be involved in determining the evangelical ministries to be served. Among the factors to be considered as a part of the guidelines are:

Belief that Scripture has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.

Belief in the local church, with the primary task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Belief in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Even with the opportunities to service non-Southern Baptist entities, legal documents will require the majority of participants served by GuideStone Financial Resources be Southern Baptists. All trustees must be members of Southern Baptist churches and elected by the SBC as they have been since the board's founding in 1918.

“This … ministry expansion will enable us to first and foremost keep our focus on preparing our ministers for a secure financial future in addition to maintaining our high-touch customer service, competitive fee structure and enhance the buying power for risk management products,” Hawkins said.

“The continued growth of the Annuity Board's asset base is vitally important to the overall health of our organization and our ability to be an advocate for our participants,” he added. “We have three opportunities to enlarge our ministry–retention, growth and expansion.

“We work diligently to retain our existing clients and assets. Growth is becoming more challenging since we have saturated the Southern Baptist market, but the third opportunity is through expansion. Expanding our markets will allow us to provide a larger client base and ultimately more assets under management,” Hawkins said.

“Market expansion will also benefit our life, medical and disability programs by giving us greater buying power and enhancing the board's ability to provide more competitive products and services.”

Even though the board will offer its retirement, investment and insurance products and services to other evangelical organizations, its relief ministry to retirees will remain exclusive to Southern Baptist ministers and denominational employees.

Annuity Board trustees initially approved the recommendations July 30, 2002, and the SBC Executive Committee gave its approval Sept. 23 of last year.

The new name, GuideStone, was selected after several months of research and deliberation. An extensive pool of naming specialists with a clear understanding of the uniqueness of the Southern Baptist Convention assisted in the process.

“The name 'GuideStone' offers a unique combination of familiar words and the feeling of strength to provide a fitting symbol for our new identity,” said Curt Sharp, Annuity Board executive officer for denominational and public relations.

“Over the years, our mission has grown, and we have improved and expanded our products and services,” Hawkins added. “The one missing piece was a name that encompasses our history along with a broader vision of the scope of our mission.

“We believe 'GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention' will be a name that will help guide our future while enabling us to build on our legacy of trust, service, values, experience and strength.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Franklin Graham's vision: a student
evangelist in every public school class

By Jennifer Davis Rash

The Alabama Baptist

INDIANAPOLIS–One child in every public school class witnessing for Jesus. That's the vision Franklin Graham shared during his address at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis.

Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said his organization has developed a witnessing program that children can complete over the Internet.

“When a child completes the program, we will send them a card with their name on it saying that they are a certified evangelist with the Billy Graham Association,” he explained.

“I want to see at least one child in every class in every public school in America who is trained as a witness for Jesus Christ.”

Franklin Graham

In a veiled reference to a resolution rejected by the SBC Resolutions Committee that would have called for Christian parents to withdraw their children from public schools, Graham said: “Let's don't surrender public schools; let's take them back. … We are going to have witnesses in every class–a young kid who can stand up and share his faith in Jesus Christ.”

Graham said the children would learn Scripture they can use to share the gospel. The association also will host an Internet chat room where the young “evangelists” can talk to each other and post prayer requests.

Challenging all Southern Baptists to focus on witnessing, Graham said: “We don't have a lot of time. I believe the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming soon. Let's be ready for it. Let's start telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I don't want to go around kicking people in their shins or stomping on their toes. This is serious business.”

Preaching from Acts 1:8 and the first two chapters of Galatians, Graham said: “A witness has to tell the truth always, no matter what.

“We are to be witnesses to the truth” of Christ, he said. “We are to tell the truth always, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Churches seek to make amends for persecuting Anabaptists

By Rich Preheim

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–In the early 16th century, groups of European Christians started splitting from the Roman Catholic Church in what is now known as the Protestant Reformation. But while Protestants and Catholics were at odds, they had one thing in common: Anabaptism had to be eliminated.

Reformed Christians drowned Felix Manz, the first of thousands of Anabaptist martyrs over the next two centuries. Catholics burned at the stake Michael Sattler, author of the first Anabaptist confession of faith.

Even Martin Luther, who is credited with ushering in the Reformation, urged the execution of all Anabaptists as heretics.

Such persecution helped drive the early Anabaptists–the direct spiritual ancestors of today's Mennonites, Amish and Hutterites and somewhat-distant relatives to Baptists–into isolation, suspicious of the rest of the world.

But now nearly 500 years later, the Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed churches–primary antagonists of Anabaptists in the 16th and 17th centuries–are seeking to make amends.

“We all have black sheep in the family. We all have ancestors that we aren't proud of,” said Joseph Martino, head of the Vatican-appointed delegation that last fall concluded five years of meetings with a group from Mennonite World Conference, the global Mennonite fellowship.

In addition to the Catholics, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Mennonite Church USA this spring finished a two-year series of meetings, and the Reformed Church in Zurich, Switzerland, scheduled a reconciliation ceremony this summer with participation by Anabaptist descendants from around the world.

As Catholics, Lutherans and Reformed re-examine their history, so Mennonites are prompted to introspection.

“It's always healthy if we should engage another tradition,” said Mennonite historian John Sharp. “That strengthens our own faith.”

The Protestant Reformation was born in 1517 when Catholic monk Martin Luther challenged the church by posting his 95 theses in Wittenberg in what is now Germany. He went on to found the Lutheran Church.

Another pivotal development came in the early 1520s, when priest Ulrich Zwingli renounced Catholicism but remained in the pulpit of Zurich's main church, leading to the start of the Reformed movement.

But some Christians thought Luther, Zwingli and other reformers did not go far enough–particularly regarding infant baptism. For generations, newborns had been baptized, but some believers argued only adults can make a decision to follow Jesus Christ and join the church.

Anabaptists insisted on believers' baptism–first conducted in Zurich in 1525–and refused to have their children baptized as babies.

But the Anabaptist position, while religious, also was political. Baptism not only was the rite of entrance into the church but also into citizenship in the state, since state and church were one, whether Catholic, Lutheran or Reformed. So rejecting infant baptism was seen as threatening the civic order.

As a result, Anabaptists were severely persecuted, forcing them to frequently flee across Europe and eventually to the Americas in search of security to practice their faith.

But that was then, and this is now, church leaders say. In fact, said Lutheran Paul Schreck, many church members are unaware of that chapter of their church's history.

“I think most Lutherans around the world would be horrified that their forebears put to the sword people who disagreed with them,” he said.

Both the Catholic and Lutheran dialogues covered many topics, but they also included repentance.

In the final report of the Catholic-Mennonite meetings released this spring, the Vatican delegation said Catholics “can express a penitential spirit, asking forgiveness for any sins which were committed against Mennonites, asking God's mercy for that, and God's blessing for a new relationship with Mennonites today.”

Following their meetings with Mennonite Church USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America participants released a statement repudiating state-sanctioned Lutheran persecution of Anabaptists.

Starting next year, the conversation will go global, as the Mennonite World Conference and Lutheran World Federation start meeting together. One of the items on the agenda is the Augsburg Confession, a 1530 document still used by Lutherans that includes condemnations of Anabaptists.

The study of history was an important element to both the Catholic and Lutheran dialogues. Martino said it is important for all sides in a conversation to have a common understanding of the past.

“A lot of time, people have strong feelings based on certain things they regard as gospel truth,” said Martino, bishop at Scranton, Pa. “Once the playing field is leveled, then you get into a position where you can talk on a secure foundation. The perceptions and the judgments are adjusted.”

That applies to Anabaptist history, as well as Catholic and Lutheran history. Their martyr heritage has been crucial to Mennonite, Amish and Hutterite identity. Important to those groups is “Martyrs Mirror,” a 17th-century book of 1,290 pages with hundreds of accounts of persecuted Anabaptists.

But that heritage may need re-examination, said Mennonite World Conference Executive Secretary Larry Miller, not to “betray the blood of the martyrs” but to be sure the stories are accurate.

“We like to say we were just being obedient,” Miller said. “But if you take a look at it from another angle, you can say we were socially provocative.”

While Lutheran and Catholic repentance for the persecution of Anabaptists is new, it is not new for the Reformed.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches apologized more than 20 years ago.

The recent event in Zurich is different, Sharp said, because the ties to mistreatment of Anabaptists are direct and local. The Evangelical-Reformed Church in Zion is taking responsibility for what happened in its territory centuries ago.

The Zurich event, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of Reformed leader Heinrich Bullinger, included a joint worship service and the dedication of a memorial to Manz, who was drowned in the city's Limmat River in 1527.

“The Reformation started as a movement of renewal but immediately turned out to become a story of separation,” said Peter Dettwiler, ecumenical officer of the Evangelical-Reformed Church in Zurich.

“It's time to set a memorial in the city of Zurich, where the roots of both the Reformed and Anabaptists are to be found.”

While Mennonites have historically resisted ecumenical relations, interchurch connections are inevitable, say dialogue participants. Mennonites no longer live in isolated enclaves but consistently rub shoulders with members of other denominations, be it through international relief efforts or local Bible studies.

So intentional religious dialogues “can help us understand we are among Christians,” said Sharp, director of the Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee.

“Let's figure out who we are in relation to them and not over and against them.”

Posted: 6/25/04

New NAMB missionaries with ties to Texas
Carla Clements	Jonathan Pettigrew	Christine McFadden	Jeff McFadden	Denise Dodson	William Dodson

Around the State

Faculty from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's College of Fine Arts won first and second places in the 2004 Barclay Literary Arts and Music Composition Competition. Under instrumental entries, Stephen Crawford, associate professor/director of bands and instrumental activities, placed first for his composition, “Remembering Tomorrow,” and also received a merit award for excellence. Lon Chafin, associate professor of music, placed second for his composition, “Urban Sketches,” and also received a merit award for excellence. In the vocal entries, John Pinnos, music instructor, placed second for his composition, “The Minstrel Boy.”

Two faculty members in the Hardin-Simmons Kelley College of Business have received promotions. Charles Walts, assistant professor of accounting and finance and director of the master of business administration program, was named associate dean for the college of business. He joined the faculty in 1995. William Curtis, associate professor of finance and economics, has been named director of internships and placement.

Don Ashmore (left) was elected president of the Hardin-Simmons University staff council. Ashmore, associate vice president for finance and management and controller, succeeds Travis Seekins who completed his term of service. A 1978 graduate of the university, he joined the school's staff in 2001. Other officers pictured are John Neese, secretary, and Dorothy Kiser, vice president. Neese is athletic director and Kiser is registrar and associate vice president for student records and registration. (Charles Richardson Photo)

James McGlothlin, pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Dallas 18 years, has been named church relations representative in the office of church and community relations of Buckner Baptist Benevolences. In his new duties, McGlothlin will cultivate and maintain contact with congregations, develop church-related programs that relate to the ministries of Buckner and serve as minister-at-large for Buckner. He will be based in Fredericksburg. McGlothlin had served on the Buckner board of trustees since 1988 and was vice chairman from 1995 to 1997. He also previously had served as pastor of churches in Galveston, Galena Park, Rosebud, Morgan Mill and Talpa. He may be reached to speak about Buckner at (800) 442-4800, extension 8103 or by e-mail at jmcglothlin@buckner.org.

Jane Abbott-Kirk, associate professor of piano at Baylor University, has been named 2004 Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association. She joined the Baylor faculty in 1973.

Churches looking to build or renovate buildings may contact Mission Service Corps volunteers Shirley and Travis Wright for help. They should be called before the church contacts a lender, builder or fee-charging design professional. They can be reached at (903) 674-5403.

Appointments

Six missionaries with ties to Texas have been appointed by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Carla Clements serves in Dallas, where she is a Nehemiah Project church starter intern working as part of a church starting team. William and Denise Dodson will serve in Washington D.C., where he is a church starting missionary pastor. A Texas native, he is a graduate of Texas Tech University and received a law degree from Baylor University. He worked as an attorney, district attorney, judge and director of pubic policy for the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission before becoming a church starter last August. He and his wife, also a native Texan, have two children, Allison and Andrew. Jeff and Kristine McFadden will serve in Seguin, where he is a church starter. He previously served as a youth or music minister for churches in Mesquite, Brookesmith, Kerrville and Brownwood. The McFaddens have one daughter, Esmee. Jonathan Pettigrew serves in Indianapolis, Ind., as a collegiate evangelism associate. He was appointed under the US/C-2 program in which young adults complete two years of missions service in the U.S. or Canada. A graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo, he was a youth worker and college minister for Hillcrest Church in San Angelo.

Anniversaries

Larry Soape, 20th, as minister of education and administration at First Church in New Braunfels.

Wally Black, 10th, as minister of music at First Church in New Braunfels.

Regan Miller, fifth, as pastor of First Church in New Braunfels.

Billy Barnes, fifth, as senior adult minister at First Church in New Braunfels.

Lakeside Church in Breckenridge, 10th, June 6. The congregation also celebrated the burning of their note that day.

Melodee Stillwell, fifth, as associate student minister at First Church in Lewisville June 7.

Howard Chapman, 35th, on staff at First Church in Wichita Falls June 13. He began his service there as minister of recreation and later transitioned to become minister of senior adults.

Brian Dodridge, fifth, as associate pastor/discipleship at First Church in Lewisville June 16.

Six former directors of missions and their wives got together for lunch in Abilene recently. Attending were Bryan and Alice Ross of San Angelo, Malcolm and JoAnn Brown of Abilene, Roy Lee and Mary Lou Williams of Abilene, Herman and Marie Lancaster of Abilene, Dan and Dale Connelly of Brownwood, and Ferris and Romona Akins of Ballinger.

Northside Church in Corsicana, 70th, June 26-27. The festivities will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday with a game night. There will be no early worship service Sunday, but Sunday school will begin at 9:45 a.m. David Hale will preach in the morning service. A lunch will follow at Fullerton-Garrity Park. At 4 p.m., the choir will present a special program, “The Family of God, A Church Family Celebration. Bob Webb is pastor.

River Road Church in Amarillo, 60th, July 4. Former Pastor Carl Neal will preach in the morning service. A catered barbecue lunch will follow. Micah Meurer is pastor.

Westside Victory Church in Fort Worth, 10th, July 11. The date also marks the 10th anniversary of founding pastor Larry Neathery. The morning service will include performances from Psalm 151 and Forgiven. A lunch will follow. For more information, call (817) 731-4968.

First Church of Elm Mott, 125th, July 17. The church will celebrate its anniversary July 18 beginning with a 9 a.m. continental breakfast. The morning service will include preaching by Walter Crouch and Weldon Koepf leading the music. Former Waco Assocation Director of Missions Paul Stripling and Paul Smith also will participate. A lunch will follow the morning sercie and a 2 p.m. song service is scheduled. Jody Gousset is pastor.

First Church in Glen Rose, 125th, July 17-18. Saturday's events will begin at 5 p.m. with a hamburger/hot dog supper and special activities for children. At 6:30 p.m., a service featuring former staff members John Wheat and Larry Lormand will begin. Also, former staff member Phil Moore will bring his adult choir from Dumas to sing. Former Pastor Bill Schibler also will speak. At 7:30 p.m., festivities will move to the Texas Amphitheater to view The Promise. Sunday will begin with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. There will be no Sunday school, but the morning service will begin at 9:30 a.m. with Pastor Brent Ferren preaching. A lunch will follow.

First Church in Hull, 85th, July 19. The church will hold homecoming services July 18. Former Pastor Jack Maddox will preach in the morning service and John Marshall, previously music minister, will lead the singing. Lunch will follow, then a concert by the Marcontells will begin at 1:30 p.m. David Pursley is pastor.

First Church in Port Lavaca, 150th, July 24-25. Activies will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday with tours of the newly renovated educational facilities and a dedication service. At 6:30 p.m., there will be a time of food, fellowship and entertainment at the nearby Bauer Community Center. Sunday's activities will begin at 9 a.m. with services which will reflect on the church's history, look toward the future, while not forgetting God's current vision for the church. Former pastors and staff expected to take part in the celebration include pastors James Bailey and David Bush, interim pastor J.V. Helms, music ministers Bobby Watkins and David Hairel and education director Frank Ward. Associational Director Tommy Billings also will attend. Mike Gresham is pastor.

First Church in Kingsville, 100th, Aug. 1-8. The church will kick off its centennial celebration Aug. 1 with the presentation of the musical “God is Good” by its choir, drama team and orchestra. Former member and current pastor of First Church in Florence Troy Allen will lead afternoon services Monday through Wednesday from 12:10 p.m. until 12:50 p.m. Missions night will be held Wednesday, beginning with the 5:30 p.m. meal, cost $3. A 7 p.m. service will celebrate the mission churches started by the congregation and recognize their current pastors. Friday will feature a golf scramble at the L.E. Ramey Golf Course, cost $22 per person. Saturday a trap and skeet shoot will be held at the Kleburg County Trap and Skeet Club with a cost of $27 per event. The celebration banquet will be held that evening at 6:30 p.m. at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The cost is $12 per person with childcare available at the church. Former pastor Dan Wooldridge will be the speaker. Sunday's morning service will feature former staff members and a message from former Pastor Ken May. A covered dish luncheon will follow. The dedication of a state historical marker also is scheduled. For more information or to register for events, call (361) 592-3344. Ron Earley is pastor.

Hillcrest Church in Denton, 50th, Aug. 8. Former staff and members are asked to send addresses to call Eloise at (940) 383-1555. Robert Richardson is pastor.

Licensed

Justin Hamm to the ministry at Second Church in Victoria.

Events

The Heights Church in Richardson will present special patriotic services July 4 at 9:15 and 10:50 a.m. The services will include a number of musical and multimedia components. A freedom museum in the atrium will feature artifacts and dramatic presentations such as Abraham Lincoln reciting the Gettysburg Address, Betsy Ross working on her 13-star flag in her rocking chair and the Andrews Sisters singing World War II-era tunes. Gary Singleton is pastor.

North Pointe Church in Hurst will hold special services July 4 at 6 p.m. The day will include patriot music and the naturalization ceremony of new citizens who are serving in the U.S. military. Lt. Col. Gregory Tate, a chaplain at Randolph Air Force Base, will speak. The church also will have a freedom museum open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

First Church in Kildare will hold homecoming services July 11 celebrating 127 years of service to the community. A lunch and afternoon song service will conclude the day. Todd Lawrence is pastor.

Austin Association will offer a Leading Self workshop and experiential training opportunity beginning Aug. 17. The 10-session training will meet once a month, concluding May 17, 2005. Sessions will cover how personality affects behavior and the reaction of others, personal distinctives and the discovery of mission and vision. Participants also will be led to discover their belief system, passion, communication skills, means of self-discipline, life management and balance. The cost of the seminar is $200 and registration must be made by July 31.

Posted: 6/25/04

Camp offers Asian teenagers chance to make connections

By Mary Crouch

Texas Baptist Communications

WACO–A youth camp at Baylor University offered Asian Baptist young people opportunities to make connections with new Christian friends, according to organizers.

Cathy Dundas, intercultural initiatives consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, organized the event, which was created to give Asian youth the chance to learn more about their Christian faith.

About 200 attended the camp–double the number who attended the first event last year. And many of the youth who attended the camp last year have stayed connected even after camp is over, Dundas noted. As a result, many of their peers wanted to come this year.

“These kids are hungry for God and for spiritual depth,” she said. “They need to be communicated to where they are.”

Filipino, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese youth gathered at the Baylor campus to spend a week away from home and parents, a first for many of the students. Church camp is a new idea for most Asian families, who usually take retreats together, Dundas said.

The teenagers participated in many different workshops and activities, such as backyard Bible club and leadership workshops–many of them named for reality television shows, such as “The Apprentice.”

Many youth responded to the leadership training because they have a deep desire to become leaders in their own churches, Dundas said.

Since the first Asian youth camp in 2003, some churches have established ongoing relationships with other Asian congregations. And lives have been changed, Dundas noted.

She recalled a 16-year-old gang leader who accepted Christ during last year's camp. Since then, he has surrendered to the gospel ministry and become a leader in his church youth group. He also is witnessing to his old gang members.

Posted: 6/25/04

Baylor benefactor calls for reforms,
wants open forum at regents' meeting

By Sandi Villarreal

Associated Baptist Press

WACO, Texas, (ABP)–After a year of controversy at the world's largest Baptist university, one of Baylor University's biggest benefactors has written a letter to the Baylor board of regents criticizing President Robert Sloan's leadership and calling for an open forum to discuss the issues at the July board meeting.

“I am writing the chair a weekly series of letters that identifies (the issues),” John Baugh, a layman at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, told ABP.

One will focus on the fiduciary responsibility of regents, and another will be a compilation of the reforms in practices and policies Baugh wishes to see.

A university spokesman declined to comment on the letter, deferring to regents.

Baugh's initial letter proposed opening the meeting to “all of us who love Baylor” in order to examine the current problems plaguing the administration, which he said would include a question-and-answer session with those in attendance.

“The most immediate, basic question with which we are confronted is whether the philosophy and methods that have been employed by President Sloan and his administration … have alienated the major constituencies of the university to the point that new leadership must be put into place for Baylor to strive and thrive in an unimpeded fashion,” wrote Baugh, founder of the Houston-based Sysco Corporation.

Will Davis, newly elected chairman of the board of regents, has not yet said whether the board will approve Baugh's proposal and open the July meeting.

At the May board meeting, Baugh–who carries the title of regent emeritus–addressed the board and warned he would retract gifts given to the university if something is not changed in the current administration.

The Baugh family has donated more than $25 million to the university, including scholarships, study-abroad programs and a $5 million gift toward construction of Baylor's Truett Theological Seminary.

Following the meeting, outgoing board Chair Drayton McLane told the Waco Tribune-Herald the board is confident in Sloan's leadership.

“I've been in business a long time. One of the most difficult things is leadership,” McLane said.

“Doing bold things certainly excites a lot of people. But as change happens, it causes some difficulties. We certainly understand that, but we are sensitive to every group.”

Current Chair Davis and other regents could not be reached for comment about Baugh's letter.

When asked if he would call for another regents vote on Sloan's leadership, Baugh said he didn't “want to get into that dogfight.” Rather, Baugh said, he is writing Davis and the other regents “beseeching them to do what's right.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Baylor names faculty compensation task force

By Lori Scott Fogleman

Baylor University

WACO–Baylor University President Robert Sloan has created a task force on the impact of faculty and staff compensation and appointed 17 faculty and staff members to carry out its work.

The group is charged with establishing where Baylor stands on compensation issues for faculty and staff, where it wants to be and how it eventually will succeed in that effort, Sloan explained.

“Three years into 2012, our aspirations for truly competitive salaries for faculty and staff are still intact,” he said.

“Even though higher education in general has experienced difficulties in these areas, we are confident that in the not-too-distant future we will be able to move forward successfully with this very important aspiration of our 10-year vision. It is also appropriate and consistent with the goals of Baylor 2012 that faculty and staff participate in the evaluation and/or re-evaluation of this issue.”

Members of the task force are chairman, Bill Thomas, accounting professor; Richard Amos, assistant vice president and director of compensation and benefits; Randall Brown, associate director of compensation and benefits; Charlene Budd, accounting professor; Elizabeth Davis, associate professor of accounting and vice provost for academic relations; Brian Denman, director of fiscal planning; Mark Falsone, associate budget director; Thomas Featherston Jr., professor of law.

Others are Van Gray, associate vice president for strategic planning and improving; Steven Green, professor of economics and statistics and chair of the economics department; Donna Herbert, information technology support manager; Thomas Kelly, professor of economics and director of the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Also Kathleen Morley, associate director of information management and testing; J. William Petty, professor of finance and director of entrepreneurship studies program; William Reichenstein, professor of finance; Steven Rich, associate professor of finance; and Marlene Tyrrell, senior lecturer in computer science.

“One of the goals associated with Baylor 2012's Imperative III–develop a world-class faculty–is to recruit and retain the highest quality faculty and staff, and to compensate them competitively. Unless this goal is met, we will not be able to attract the caliber of people to Baylor that we need in order to accomplish the vision,” Thomas said.

Thomas was appointed to chair the task force to study current levels of Baylor faculty and staff salaries in comparison to certain benchmark schools and to recommend any changes necessary to keep Baylor competitive as the university moves forward.

The task force consists of three sub-groups who will bring their findings to the task force. The information will be presented to the president, who will use the data in a report to the Baylor board of regents in late July and also as a basis for subsequent financial and budgetary recommendations.

“It is also appropriate and consistent with the goals of Baylor 2012 that faculty and staff participate in the evaluation and/or re-evaluation of this issue.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Bible drill, speaker competitions help
participants learn lasting lessons

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–National Bible drill and speaker competitions ingrain biblical lessons in the lives of young people and strengthen future leaders, according to organizers of and participants in the contests.

Participants spend many hours memorizing biblical passages and speeches based on Scripture for the competitions, but more importantly they internalize the messages, said Dickie Dunn, director of discipleship for the Baptist General Convention of Texas Bible Study/Discipleship Center.

Youth take the biblical principles they learn and apply them to their lives, Dunn continued. They become stronger Christians.

“It focuses kids on the right thing,” he said. “When you read, study and memorize Scripture, your whole perspective changes.”

Those biblical ideas will make youth better at whatever profession they choose, Dunn added. The Bible gives them solid moral and ethical principles that guide their actions.

Kimberly Hayes, a 15-year-old member of Little Brasstown Baptist Church in Murphy, N.C., who competed in the speaker contest, said her participation was a step forward in strengthening her leadership skills. It also gives her strength to resist temptation.

Emily Burkhead, a member of First Baptist Church in Cleveland who won the speaker competition, said the other lectures were uplifting. Hearing about the strong faith of others encouraged her to continue her Christian journey.

Linnea Ison of Parkway Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., whose son Adam participated in the Bible Drill competition, said the memorization and study give youth answers to doctrinal and life questions. The work provides a biblical foundation for the lives of youth.

The principles seem to be making a difference. Most of the participants congratulated all the winners with a handshake or hug. Daniel Hill of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Eldorado, Ark., had the winners sign his Bible.

Hill won first place in the Bible drill competition. Katie Mitchell of Sardis Baptist Church in Lumber City, Ga., took second. Burkhead placed first in the speaker contest. Jordan Helms of Harp's Crossing Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga., was second.

Representatives from 10 states participated in the events. Dunn praised the hard work of each participant. He said the impact will go beyond an award.

“It's not about winning or losing,” Dunn said. “Winning's OK, but it's about building character.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Baptist Briefs

CBF marks 9/11 anniversary with missions projects. In memory of the victims of terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will sponsor a day of mission projects Sept. 11. The Fellowship's young leaders network will organize 11 projects in 11 states to commemorate the date of the attacks. Each mission project will focus on peacemaking or rebuilding communities and relationships. For information about the Texas project, contact Rachel Sciretti in Waco at (254) 772-2910 or sciretti@hot.rr.com.

Louisiana Baptist leaders announce retirement. Dean Doster, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Lynn Clayton, editor of the Baptist Message, have announced their plans to retire. The announcements follow the recent resignation of Rory Lee, president of Louisiana College, who took a position as executive director of the Mississippi Baptist Children's Village. Doster will retire Jan. 31, 2005, and Clayton plans to retire at the end of 2005 after having served more than 27 years as editor of the Baptist state newspaper.

Seminary president falls at SBC. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., was hospitalized June 15 after falling through an opening in the stage at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. Akin was on stage for a presentation with other seminary presidents when he fell, according to Southeastern spokesman Jerry Higgins. Robert Stewart, the seminary's physician, examined Akin in a first aid room shortly after the accident. Stewart said Akin appeared to have suffered soft tissue damage to his left side and below his ribcage. Akin was later taken to a hospital, where X-rays showed no broken bones. He was released later the same day after other tests showed no damage to his spleen.

Draper points to SBC challenges. LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention has seen many accomplishments recently, but it serves a denomination that faces serious challenges, LifeWay President Jimmy Draper told the Southern Baptist Convention. "One is the decrease in baptisms for the fourth consecutive year," he said. "It reflects a denomination that has lost its focus." Draper's second concern dealt with demographics. "There is a lack of denominational involvement and loyalty among young ministers. We haven't shown them the relevancy of being Southern Baptist."

Texans named to SBC committee. Randy White from First Baptist Church of Katy and Wayne Lee from First Baptist Church of Euless are among the 70 Southern Baptists from 35 state Baptist conventions who have been selected by the SBC Committee on Committees to serve on the SBC Committee on Nominations. First Baptist in Katy is dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas. First Baptist in Euless is uniquely aligned with the SBTC. Lee was named chairman of the committee, which will nominate people to serve on SBC boards, commissions and committees. The committee will present its report to the 2005 SBC annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

Voter registration rig ready to roll. The iVoteValues.com mobile voter registration rig made its debut on the exhibit floor during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis. The 77-foot semi-trailer is decorated in red, white and blue and packed with multi-media resources designed to teach citizens the importance considering biblical values as they vote. The rig previously carried equipment and merchandise for the Charlie Daniels Band. The truck's owners, Sid and Jill Yochim, left the music business soon after they became Christians in 1989. The truck subsequently sat dormant for several years.

Posted: 6/25/04

Child development center
changes lives one family at a time

By Russ Dilday

Buckner News Service

Child development centers can change not only the lives of youngsters enrolled in them, but also the lives of parents–and sometimes even a community, says Michelle Dickeson, director of the Buckner Child Development Center at Ryan's Crossing in Marshall.

The center, which opened in December, already has enrolled more than 50 children, Dickeson said.

Many of the families live in Ryan's Crossing, a gated community made up of what Dickeson described as “quality townhomes for everyone from professionals to low-income working families.”

The center is licensed to care for up to 136 children.

The center represents a new opportunity for families from Buckner Children and Family Services of Northeast Texas, said Administrator Greg Eubanks. It serves children from birth to 12 years old from the community and is licensed to care for up to 136 children.

“Ryan's Crossing is a new direction for us, but one we were more than willing to take,” said Eubanks. “The potential to better serve our neighbors by providing care for their children and services to them through the (center) already has proved itself.”

Dickeson said the story of how the child development center came under Buckner operation is a credit to the Buckner reputation in Northeast Texas.

“To meet tax credit requirements, the owner group of Ryan's Crossing needed to provide a facility of this type. They came to Buckner Children and Family Services and asked us to take it and run it in a Buckner fashion.”

The “Buckner fashion,” she said, is the 125-year tradition of providing exceptional quality care for children.

“We have a long history of caring for children, and we are able to provide our families with Buckner counseling services, referral services, adoption services and the collaborations we've established with our parent-education program.”

In return, the Ryan's Crossing partnership provided “an excellent facility. When the staff came into the facility for the first time, they were amazed with what we've been provided. Those of us who have worked in child care said, 'This is what we've always hoped for.' It's a tremendous support,” Dickeson said.

The partnership between the Ryan's Crossing owner group and Buckner also has spawned possible future collaboration between the two, said Eubanks, who noted other Buckner-managed child development centers might be formed soon in the area.

The partnership already has changed the lives of participating families. When Jackie Robinson enrolled her son, she shared with Dickeson that she was working for minimum wage at what she called “a dead-end job. … I was at rock-bottom. I didn't know how I was going to make it. I used to cry all the time.”

“She told me about her job and what she wanted for her son,” Dickeson recalled.

Now she works at the center and plans to start college in the fall. The result has been life-changing, Robinson reflected. “I have a job I love doing, and I'm going to go to school. My attitude has changed.”

Posted: 6/25/04

Buckner offers haven of hope at housing complex

By Felicia Fuller

Buckner News Service

DALLAS–Like refugees from private wars, one by one they file in, their faces bearing silent witness to atrocities–hollow eyes, missing teeth and conspicuously concealed bruises. For Shirley Harrell, 40, the wounds hide in places only Christ can see.

“I'd been searching to fill an empty space in my heart,” she says wistfully. “Later, I found the void was love for myself and the Lord. Now I don't need anyone else to validate me.”

On this day at The Parks at Wynnewood housing complex, Harrell joins eight other women seeking restoration and recovery from domestic violence.

Many are estranged from their abusers, but a few still struggle to break free. All gather for a weekly roundtable to vent their frustrations and craft strategies for personal empowerment. Harrell, by far the most outspoken in the group, has become a matriarch of sorts to the younger women.

Such status has come at a high price. Harrell began selling and using drugs at 13. She dropped out of high school, and by age 18, she was roaming the red-light district in Dallas and exchanging sexual favors for money to support her drug habit.

After a series of incarcerations on drug and forgery charges, she finally achieved sobriety, earned a GED, took college courses and married a longtime companion.

But the security she'd coveted since childhood was short-lived. It wasn't long before her husband was belittling her and cursing her in front of her sons: Dameon, Dominick and Jermale.

“He threatened to throw me through a window,” she recalls. “I sent him to jail … tried to put him out. He set fires in front of my door.”

The nadir of her nightmare came Jan. 12, 2000, three days after the couple's first anniversary. In a haze of cocaine and alcohol, Harrell's husband struck her in the back of the head with a golf club. As she lay motionless on the floor, blood pooling around her body, he rummaged through her belongings, grabbed a VCR and fled the scene.

“I knew after the golf club incident that I had to build a better life for my sons,” she says. “I knew my boys needed to talk to a man, a strong man, someone who could give them direction.”

Enter Johnny Flowers, satellite site coordinator for Buckner Children and Family Services of North Texas, a ministry affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

On any given day, Flowers can be found policing the grounds at The Parks until well past dark–offering advice, praying for the sick and diffusing tensions.

His career with Buckner began at The Parks in 1998, when he was appointed to direct the after-school program at what was then a fledgling extension office. Known as Mr. Johnny to the 195 women and children he serves, this former U.S. Army Ranger serves as a model of manhood in a community where fathers are sadly lacking.

“Johnny is a light. I could feel his spirit from the moment we met,” Harrell recalls.

Harrell credits Flowers for saving her sons Dominick, 19, and Jermale, 18, from “a fate worse than death.” Although they already had arrests for drug possession, Harrell says, they were upping the ante–plotting the revenge-killing of her abusive husband.

“When I got into the program, the one thing I prayed about is for God to take away my shame and embarrassment so I could get help,” she says. “Johnny talked to my boys, and, to this day, they respect him to the utmost.”

Childcare is one of the services made possible at The Parks by a partnership between Buckner and local churches and ministries.

Under the mentorship of Flowers and other Buckner staff, the boys began to turn a corner, becoming active in the Young Men's Mentorship Group and participating in Bible study. Today, Dominick, who struggled for years with undiagnosed dyslexia, is working toward a GED. And Jermale is holding his own as a high school senior. At 24, Dameon is preparing to graduate from Texas A&M University­Commerce this summer with a master's degree.

The Harrell family represents many Parks residents who've achieved their own brand of success through Buckner programs.

“We speak life because we know that what you believe, you become,” says Theresa Heiskell, a clinical coordinator for The Family Place crisis center, which offers counseling sessions at The Parks through a partnership with Buckner.

Resources available to parti-cipants in the domestic violence program include temporary housing, childcare, job skills training, a food pantry and a fund for emergency crisis assistance.

“This is not a cookie-cutter program,” says Flowers. “It's a one-stop-shop, total social services network made possible through strategic partnerships.”

Among those partners is Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, whose officials entered an agreement with Buckner in 2001 to provide expanded social services to the community in a Christian context.

The church regularly commits volunteers and resources, and its members host a summer Bible camp for children 7 to 12 years old.

Its missionary extension, Wynnewood Church, is housed on the property and serves as a refuge for residents needing spiritual intervention. Church services are held on site Sunday mornings.

“For us to address the needs of the people, we must work together as a team,” says Renwick Reid, pastor of Wynnewood Church. As a licensed substance abuse counselor, Reid also assists residents battling addiction.

From the unborn to the elderly, Buckner programs are improving quality of life for residents of this largely African-American community, where the median age is 30 and incomes average $18,000 annually. The heads of household mainly are single women with little more than a 10th grade education. Most receive government assistance.

Flowers also notes a steady rise in the number of single seniors raising their grandchildren.

“Besides providing a social outlet, we try to bring in speakers and resources that educate them on their rights,” says Flowers. “Perhaps more importantly, we provide a venue for them to talk about their daily stressors.”

Sessions open with prayer, food and fellowship and are followed by group discussions. Topics run the gamut, from overcoming feelings of isolation to finding affordable healthcare.

Participants cite a litany of reasons their children cannot or will not parent–child abuse and neglect, divorce, incarceration and illness, to name a few. By far the most common reasons are alcoholism and substance abuse.

“I remember the days before Buckner, when nothing was here and kids were just wandering aimlessly,” one participant recalls. “Now they're learning social graces, improving their grades and growing spiritually. The after-school program, especially, has been a godsend.”

Established in 1998, the after-school program has been refined over the years to offer more targeted services. The curriculum comprises homework assistance, spiritual enrichment and therapeutic recreation.

“I'm learning how to be a young lady and how to respect myself and others,” says 11-year-old Katrina Lyons, a sixth-grade honor student at Academy of Dallas. Katrina is a member of Young Successors, a new component of the after-school program that targets girls 9 to 12 years old.

“Thank God for Buckner because it's not just a job; it's a ministry,” says Flowers. “I don't just think of them as clients. I think of them as God's children in need. We don't criticize or judge because, by the time they come to us, they're already at their lowest point.

“We just try to lift them up.”

Posted: 6/25/04

San Antonio church sets sights on
leading 1,000 people to Christ a year

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–Leaders of Buena Voluntad Baptist Church are calling members to put forth a small effort to make a big impact for the kingdom of God.

Leadership set a goal for the 250-member church of reaching 1,000 people for Christ each year from 2000 through 2005. That may seem to be a lot to ask, but when broken down, the goal is and has been attainable, said Pastor Victor Lopez.

To reach the target, each family needs to win a person a month to Christ, Lopez noted.

That can happen easily if they are living faithfully and sharing their beliefs in their daily lives–at work, the mall or the grocery store, he added.

"Once we saw the possibilities, we saw it really wasn't that much," Lopez said.

And the congregation has responded to the challenge. Since 2000, members have seen 800 to 1,000 people become Christians each year.

The converts are coming through all the ministries of the church–youth work, Sunday school, Woman's Missionary Union, Mexico missions and aid to the homeless–and through members sharing their faith regularly.

The primary source of people coming into the faith has been the congregation's efforts in the city jail, located within walking distance of the church facility. In the first part of this year, members have baptized 372 people in the jail.

Lopez leads four chapel services a week at the jail–two in Spanish, two in English. Up to 120 people attend those services. He and a deacon also visit a half-dozen to 10 prisoners a week, giving them Christian literature and Bibles. They discuss spiritual matters.

When individuals are released from jail, church members write them letters and place follow-up phone calls that encourage the former inmates to get involved in a church. And many plug into a congregation, Lopez said, citing some of the letters he has received.

"That makes me very happy," he said. "They tell me they are going back, following Jesus."

The pastor understands most people whom church members lead to faith in Christ will not attend Buena Voluntad. Some cannot because they are incarcerated. Others will choose to go to another congregation.

But Christians are commanded to share their faith, baptizing and making disciples as they go, Lopez insists.

Leaders continuously keep that notion in front of the congregation. A chart is posted on one of the walls of the sanctuary that declares the number of souls saved that year.

Former inmates who came to know Christ through the church's ministry testify during services. During a recent service, a young man excitedly declared the pastor's continuous work led him to Christ and out of a life of crime, drugs and alcohol.

God is changing lives as his people are faithful to His command to share the gospel, Lopez said.

He looks forward to how God moves during the final 18 months of the drive to reach 1,000 people a year for Christ.

"The people are motivated," he said. "The bottom line is we want them to be soul winners–wherever they are."