Posted: 6/24/05

A family-friendly R-rated movie?
Companies scrub flicks

By Michael Foust

Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–It's an embarrassing moment millions of parents have experienced–enjoying a movie at home with their family when a seemingly harmless film turns offensive.

A few seconds of profanity and sexual dialogue ruin the evening, with mom and dad left bewildered and wondering, “Why was that in there?”

Thanks to DVD technology and a few innovative companies, mom and dad now can enjoy movie night in peace.

Three young companies–CleanFilms, CleanFlicks and Family Flix–offer family-safe edited DVD versions of PG, PG-13 and R movies, deleting the objectionable content. Another budding company, ClearPlay, sells a DVD player with the capability of muting profanity and “skipping” offensive scenes.

In all instances, the profanity, sexual dialogue, nudity and graphic violence are gone. PG movies become G-rated. R movies turn PG-friendly. And movie night becomes less worrisome.

While thousands of families have embraced the industry–CleanFilms alone claims nearly 10,000 customers–Hollywood's reaction hasn't been so kind. Movie directors have sued the companies, asserting they are infringing on artistic license.

Congress has provided some protection, passing a bill signed into law by President Bush in April, shielding ClearPlay and similar companies from lawsuits. But the new law, called the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, apparently does not protect the other three companies, the ones like CleanFilms that physically alter the DVD.

Among the four companies, ClearPlay's service is unique in that it works with the original, unedited version of the movie. The ClearPlay DVD player is pre-programmed with filters for hundreds of movie titles that tell it when to mute or skip over objectionable content. Filters for the latest movies are downloadable online, and parents can customize the filters to fit their preferences. The ClearPlay DVD player retails for around $199.

Each of the companies has hundreds of movie titles.

“There's no question that Hollywood movies are getting edgier and edgier,” ClearPlay CEO Bill Aho said. “You find sex and language and violence creeping into more and more movies. I don't think that these trends in Hollywood reflect the values that parents have for their families.”

The other three companies–CleanFilms, CleanFlicks and Family Flix–differ significantly from ClearPlay in their approach. They offer edited movies, maintaining they are within the law because they keep a 1-to-1 ratio between edited and original copies. That is, for each edited movie they rent or sell, they purchase an original copy of the movie. When purchasing a movie, customers receive two DVDs–an edited copy plus a disabled original version that is not viewable.

CleanFilms CEO John E. Richards says edited movies are the best option because it allows families to avoid having unedited R- and PG-13-rated movies in their home. Children would watch them when their parents aren't around, he says.

“I think it's great what ClearPlay is doing. I want them to be successful. But for my family, it's not right,” he said. “I have four teenagers in my home, and they're curious. That's why we believe strongly in our model.”

CleanFilms and CleanFlicks offer a Netflix-type rental service for $19.95 per month, which includes unlimited DVD rentals. They also sell DVDs. Family Flix does not rent movies–it sells them–and claims to be the strictest in its editing. Family Flix also offers something the other companies don't–the option to mail the company a DVD or VHS movie and have it edited. Its handling of VHS movies is unique among the companies.

With ClearPlay now protected by law, the other three companies appear to be the sole targets of the suit. A handful of other companies already have shut down in light of the lawsuit.

Richards and others defend their practice by noting TV networks and airlines frequently show edited movies that are free of profanity, nudity and graphic violence. Hollywood, though, does not sell those versions.

“A lot of us in the past have gone (to Hollywood) and said, 'Why don't you just take the airlines movies and make them available on DVD now that technology allows you to put two versions of the movie on the same disk?'” Richards said. “The problem is that they have gone in the opposite direction. They started using the double capacity (for) uncut versions.”

With the “uncut” and “uncensored” versions, PG movies turn R-rated, and R-rated movies become even worse.

ClearPlay's Aho noted: “This was part of the DVD promise–that you could have both PG-13 and R (versions on the same DVD), and you could pick your rating. It never happened. The reason it never happened is because directors don't want you to see movies other ways. They hate airline versions. They hate TV versions.”

The new law allows ClearPlay to focus more on its business and less on the court battle. This summer, the company will release two new DVD players. One model will come with a USB jump drive that can be used to download the latest movie filters. After downloading filters, the jump drive then can upload them to the player. The second model comes with a modem and phone cord and is aimed at people who have no computer. The modem downloads the latest filters directly to the player. Each will retail for $199, Aho said.

For more information about the companies, visit their websites: www.ClearPlay.com, www.CleanFilms.com, www.CleanFlicks.com and www.FamilyFlix.com.

Posted: 6/24/05

Beauty of second chances modeled

By Sarah Farris

Special to the Baptist Standard

WACO–Supporters of Mission Waco's proposed House of Dignity want to offer a second chance to women whose lives have been ruined by addiction and substance abuse.

A recent fashion show gave the recovery ministry a fund-raising boost, and it illustrated the beauty in “second chances.”

At the first of what Mission Waco leaders hope will be an annual event, models sported fashions they selected from Mission Waco's second-hand clothes store, The Clothesline. The outfits included a woman's formal dress purchased for less than $20, and a blouse by Ann Taylor bought for under $10.

About 130 people paid $15 each to attend the fiesta-themed event, catered by a local Mexican restaurant. Several of the outfits were auctioned, fetching prices ranging from $50 to $250.

Mission Waco plans to use The Clothesline to help fund House of Dignity, a seven-bed recovery facility for women with drug and alcohol addictions. The program will be modeled after Manna House, Mission Waco's men's recovery facility. Manna House leaders base their approach on treating the mind, body and family of the addicted individual.

“One out of 30 (recovering addicts) stays clean and sober,” said House of Dignity recovery program Director Pam Stelk.

Manna House's success rate is six times greater than the national average, an accomplishment the organization at-tributes directly to dependence upon God.

Program organizers believe House of Dignity will meet a need in Waco, noting there are 60 intensive residential treatment slots a-vailable locally for men but only 27 for women. Mi-ssion Waco lea-ders point out female alcoholics have death rates 50 percent to 75 percent higher than males.

Stelk also noted women respond better in treatment programs with a small number of participants.

“Women's top issues to deal with are shame, their children and codependency,” she said. About 70 percent of women in treatment for alcohol or drug abuse were victims of abuse as children, Mission Waco reports.

“Dignity-less women were abused as children. Then as women, they victimize themselves,” Stelk said.

House of Dignity's ultimate purpose is to move the women in the program from “degradation to dignity–to help women see themselves as God sees them and to help them be the women he made them to be,” she said.

Mission Waco, a nondenominational organization, works with area churches to fulfill its mission of aiding the poor and marginalized.

“Churches in the South seem to be a stopping point for people in need,” said Ruth Cassidy, benevolence coordinator at First Baptist Church of Waco.

Churches often are the first place people will go once they are released from prison, she noted. Others come for financial assistance, tangible support or just to find someone to listen to them. Local congregations and Mission Waco work together, with Mission Waco referring people to churches and churches referring people to Mission Waco.

“Because of our partnerships, they do what they're good at, so we can do what we're good at,” Cassidy said.

Mission Waco reports the recovery facility has received a $50,000 matching grant for the project. The program will open once it has raised $25,000 and will need to raise an additional $25,000 before the end of the program's first year of operation, Stelk said.

To learn more about Mission Waco, House of Dignity and The Clothesline, visit www.missionwaco.org or call (254) 753-4900.

Posted: 6/24/05

Northeast Texas church's field
of flags honors fallen veterans

By Shirley Gibbs

Special to the Baptist Standard

MOUNT VERNON–Two weeks after a communitywide Memorial Day service, almost 2,000 American flags still fluttered near the prayer garden at Hilltop Baptist Church in Mount Vernon and attracted visitors who wanted to pay their respects.

The flags stood as a visible reminder of more than 1,800 American military personnel who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The remainder of the flags represented civilians who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the civilians and military personnel who died at the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001.

Four wreaths placed in the prayer garden honored veterans of World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and all the wars in which Americans served from Grenada through Iraq.

In his Memorial Day address, Pastor Van Patton of Hilltop Baptist Church–a Vietnam veteran–remarked that more than two-thirds of fellow students in one of his high school classes gave their lives in Vietnam.

Speaking on behalf of veterans, J.D. Baumgardner talked about courage, duty, honor and sacrifice. Baumgardner served on an aircraft carrier that survived a kamikaze attack in the South Pacific in World War II.

June Harrison served in the Air Force 15th Reconnaissance Technical Squadron in Vietnam. As she stood with fellow veterans beside the field of flags, she recalled: “I was honoring the person who fell beside me. I watched my CO (commanding officer) die” when their helicopter was brought down by enemy fire.

Many who attended the memorial service had sons, daughters, spouses, relatives or friends currently on active duty in the military or working as civilian contractors with the military.

Church members thought the Memo-rial Day service was over after the pastor's wife, Lynn, led the assembly in singing “God Bless America.”

But every day for two weeks–until Patton removed the flags on Flag Day, June 14–people came from early morning until late evening and stood in quiet reflection at the field of flags. Some took photos.

Most paused in the prayer garden before leaving the church property.

Posted: 6/24/05

Church fire damages
facility at Hallsville church

By George Henson

Staff Writer

HALLSVILLE–A fire June 21 at First Baptist Church in Hallsville claimed at least the upper floor of the church's activity building.

A worker at the church's children's center noticed smoke coming from the activities building about 7:15 a.m. and immediately reported the fire to the Hallsville Volunteer Fire Department.

The West Harrison County, Harleton and Nesbit fire departments also responded to the fire that was extinguished by late morning.

The building and its contents were insured, and the church had recently conducted a contents inventory.

At press time, a dollar-amount for the damage was unavailable, but Pastor David Massey said, “It appears to be significant.”

Lost in the blaze were the Sunday school rooms for children in the first though sixth grades, and a recently obtained Royal Ambassador pinewood derby track.

While the church was conducting Vacation Bible School the week of the fire, no one was present because the event was slated for the evening.

“We regret the loss of the activities building because it has been a useful tool for ministering to families in the Hallsville area for the last three decades, and the activities building represents a significant investment by the congregation,” Massey said.

“On the other hand, we recognize that it is just a building and most importantly the First Baptist family is safe since no one was in the building at the time of the fire.” Massey also expressed gratitude for the safety of the fire personnel who responded to the fire.

“The First Baptist family is a great congregation. We will continue doing what we've been doing all along; that is, to continue to seek God's guidance and leadership in order to minister in the name of Christ,” he said.

Posted: 6/24/05

Relationships make or break
careers, Maxwell tells church leaders

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Success and failure are direct results of how effectively leaders relate to the people around them, said John Maxwell, author of numerous leadership books.

Seventy percent of people fired from their jobs are terminated because of difficulties relating to people in their work, Maxwell said. Ninety-five percent of counseling is due to relationship troubles.

People skills can make or break a person's career, he said. Employees will want to work hard for supervisors with whom they get along well.

“People will not go along with you unless they get along with you,” Maxwell said during a Maximum Impact conference that was simulcast across the nation, including in several Texas Baptist churches. The Texas Baptist Leadership Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas co-sponsored one of the simulcasts.

Maxwell suggested several principles to help leaders develop their skills. He called the first notion the mirror principle: “The first person you should get along with is yourself.”

Individuals tend to see in others what they see in themselves, he said. Each person sees people through a “lens” of perception. If leaders view themselves negatively, they are more likely to see others in a poor light.

“Hurting people hurt people and are easily hurt by people,” Maxwell said.

Damaging a relationship weakens a person's leadership, he said. Connections between people are more important than winning arguments.

“The moment you allow the situation to become greater than the relationship, the relationship disintegrates,” he said. The author urged people to be leaders who encourage others. That attitude spurs a positive work environment and a more productive workforce. Before criticizing someone, this type of leader tries to look at the situation from that person's perspective.

The approach worked for Maxwell's father, who is a chaplain in a Florida mobile home park. He began by trying to encourage and help people as he could. He visited each home regularly and served as a positive influence.

Soon, Maxwell's father had a small team of volunteers helping him serve others. As the years passed, the number of volunteers grew.

The group has developed into 600 people who now serve 37 mobile home parks.

Positive leadership encourages others to action, he added.

“Some people lift you up, and some people bring you down,” Maxwell said. “The elevator principle says there are some people who give you energy because they lift you up.”

Posted: 6/24/05

Texas Baptist Forum

Put down pen & pray

What in the world is wrong with today's Christians? How have we gone so far as to lose so much focus?

I have been reading this paper for several years, and as a pastor, I have to say that the most heart-wrenching part of it is Texas Baptist Forum. In a recent issue, I read letters involving everything from the Emmaus Walk to worship styles to the tsunami. After reading all that, I have a response for everyone who writes in or reads this paper:

• Jump to online-only letters below

Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum.

"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you." Frederick Buechner Author of Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC, quoted by Jim Denison, pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church, in his daily e-mail devotional, "The Word Today." "Why would we invest such efforts in Catholic countries? The answer is quite simple: It is because they are lost." Jerry Rankin President of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (BP) "It's beyond question that the Democratic Party is 'pretty much a white, Christian party,' too. How could it be otherwise, considering the racial and religious makeup of the country?" John Farmer Correspondent for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., responding to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's description of the Republican Party (RNS)

My Savior is bigger than denominational lines, Creator of the earth and universe, and is the One who saved us so that we can worship. That being said, walk over to your window and look out at all the people who are on their way to an eternal torment.

Does that stir your heart as much as a bad article in the Standard? Will you lose sleep to tears and prayer as you think of those lost souls, or maybe the lost souls in your own church and family? Will the plight of sinners stir you to action the way your Baptist heritage stirs you to write in to this paper to attack someone's opinion or logic?

God honors a broken heart and sowing in tears. Until we are brokenhearted over our sin and apathy, and until we are brokenhearted over the lost around us, I think it would do us best to put down our pens and pray until we learn to love the way the Savior loves us.

Russell Shires

Atlanta

Clean up television

I'm satisfied that most Christians–hopefully all–are bothered by the television programs and TV advertisements entering our homes. We all talk about it, but what do we do about it?

These grossly inappropriate TV programs are paid for by advertisers, large and small corporations, with which we all do business. If those corporations don't pay for these trashy programs, they can't be continued.

With our help, two great organizations cause many of these sponsors to discontinue financing such programs. The large Christian population in America can change the nature of TV programming by supporting these organizations, the American Family Association and the Parents Television Council.

Both organizations monitor TV programs and report to their supporters their opinions of such programs and also the names of the advertisers paying for them. The threat of hundreds, even thousands, of individuals no longer purchasing their products or patronizing a certain company has a strong influence on that company's willingness to continue its sponsorship.

The American Family Association can be reached at P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, Miss. 38803; www.afa.net.

The Parents Television Council is located at 707 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2075, Los Angeles, Calif. 90017; www.parentstv.org.

Hopefully, many people receiving the Baptist Standard will read this and become a part of changing what comes into our homes via television.

Floyd E. Heard

Midland

Avoid prooftexts

If you are a literalist, then you must believe that Adam was not a soul until God gave him the breath of life. If you believe what the Old Testament says about homosexuality, then you must believe what Exodus 21: 22 says about abortion. A fetus is property, and a man who causes its loss must pay the father who owns the property. The mother is a life, and if she dies as a result, it is life for life.

If you believe the Bible, then you must believe Ecclesiastes 6:3, that unless you have a good life, lots of children and a proper burial, it is better to be stillborn.

If you believe that a fertilized egg is a soul, then you must believe that God has something better for those souls than life on Earth, because half of fertilized eggs are not implanted in the womb.

Perhaps we evangelical Christians would be taken more seriously, other than by ourselves, if we didn't use prooftexts to justify our prejudices. Or if we at least read our Bibles.

Robert Flynn

San Antonio

Posted: 6/24/05

On the Move

Bart Burgess to First Church in Albany as pastor.

Bill Bynum to Oakwood Church in New Braunfels as associate pastor to adults.

Bill Campbell has resigned as pastor of First Church in Gorman.

Gene Farley has resigned as pastor of Pleasant Hill Church in Cisco.

Brian Foster has resigned as youth minister at Central Church in Italy.

Don French to Cornerstone Church in Alice as pastor from First Church in Ingleside.

Carey Gable to Allen's Point Church in Honey Grove as pastor from Levita Church in Gatesville.

Gene Griffin has resigned as pastor of First Church in Roanoke and is available for interim or supply at (817) 337-1866.

George Hayhurst to Eastside Church in Gonzales as interim pastor.

Eric Holly to First Church in Kenedy as youth minister from South Side Church in Conroe.

Terry Hovey to First Church in Mobeetie as minister to youth.

Lee Huff to Calvary Church in Sulphur Springs as pastor from First Church in Campbell.

Gary Hughes to Northside Church in Abernathy as pastor from First Church in Desdemona.

Brian Jennings to Ferris Avenue Church in Waxahachie as youth minister.

Rick Kent has resigned as pastor of Lake Victor Church in Lampasas.

Joseph Kirby to First Church in Odem as youth minister.

Brad McClenny has resigned as youth minister at Elmont Church in Van Alstyne.

Jake Morphew to Pleasant Valley Church in Jonesboro as pastor.

John Pearce has resigned as University of North Texas Baptist Student Ministry director.

Lance Price has resigned as pastor of Fairview Church in Sherman.

Randy Samuels to First Church in Three Rivers as pastor.

Keith Sanders to First Church in Keller as pastor, where he was associate pastor.

Brian Sexton has resigned as youth minister at Towne North Church in Denton.

Casey Sink to First Church in Brenham as youth minister.

Donny Stubblefield to Calvary Church in Weimar as youth minister.

Glynn Tyson to Adamsville Church in Lampasas as pastor.

Dwayne Ulmer to First Church in Waxahachie as interim youth minister.

Matt Vandagriff has resigned as pastor of Turnersville Church in Gatesville.

Gary Welch to Northside Church in Corsicana as minister to youth, where he had been interim.

James Wilcox to First Church in Tow as pastor from South Prong Church in Waxahachie.

Will Wonsang has resigned as pastor of Cross Community Church in New Braunfels.

Posted: 6/24/05

Petra calls it quits

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Members of the Christian rock group Petra announced recently they will retire in December after 33 years of performances.

John Schlitt, longtime lead singer, expressed gratitude for the opportunities that arose from being in the group.

“We've had a good, long run. … We've seen God's hand at work in our music on every continent and in every language,” he said.

More than a quarter-century ago, some Christian bookstores banned the group's music. Much later, the band was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame.

“The doubts about popular music mixing with Christian lyrics have mostly vanished due to their … track record of proven ministry and changed lives. Petra was a true pioneer for our industry,” said Frank Breedon, former president of the Gospel Music Association, during the band's 2000 Gospel Hall of Fame induction.

Petra's style has evolved through the years, featuring a rotating group of musicians as the band has become an influential force in the contemporary Christian music world.

Petra has produced more than 20 albums and has received four Grammy Awards and 10 Dove Awards.

Posted: 6/24/05

Senior cut-ups maintain
grounds at Breckenridge Village

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

TYLER–The grass may not really be greener at Breckenridge Village, but there surely is a lot of it.

That's why a group of senior adult volunteers have taken on the chore of cutting the grass–and doing other maintenance work–at the Texas Baptist facility for mentally handicapped adults, saving Baptist Child & Family Services tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Most of the men are from Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler, but the group includes a smattering of volunteers from other churches–not all of them Baptist.

“My wife says working out here is like drugs to us old guys,” said Ardene Hendley, an 80-something-year-old volunteer. In addition to his Monday morning mowing duty, Hendley shows up at Breckenridge Village three or four other days a week–sometimes as early at 6:15 a.m.–to clean out flowerbeds or trim hedges. “I just can't think of anything much better than serving the Lord and having fun at the same time.”

Jim Whitehurst, who drives one hour each way to take his turn keeping the grounds at Breckenridge Village beautiful, edges around the prayer garden at the entrance to the campus.

Since April, other volunteers have echoed that theme as they joke and laugh while they manhandle line trimmers, tractors and riding mowers through the heat and humidity of East Texas mornings. And they already have started to plan other projects for October “when the grass quits growing.”

The venture started last December at a Christmas party for the Breckenridge Village auxiliary. Paul Bennett of Colonial Hills Baptist Church asked development director Linda Taylor who did the lawn work, and he suggested volunteers take on the task.

“I was thinking I could get some friends together, and we could get the two or three acres in shape, but it turned out there are about 25 acres,” Bennett explained with a smile. “We were pretty overextended for awhile, but now we've got two teams with five guys each. So, now we're only slightly overextended.”

Bennett and friends not only took on everything the lawn service charged almost $2,000 a month to do, but also kept expanding their to-do list. They began to clear and mow sections of land that had not been cut in years, tamed out-of-control hedges and cleaned gutters.

A pump repair company had declared the campus irrigation system not worth repairing. But the volunteers used a small, flat-bottomed boat to navigate the on-campus pond, pulled the 40-foot intake tube out of the mud, cleaned the bushel-basket sized intake valve and fitted it with floaters to keep it off the bottom.

A little work on the pumps in the two wells and–in the middle of a drought–the grass and plants were watered and thriving again.

When a nursery donated 45 red oak saplings to Breckenridge Village, the volunteers planted them–a job professionals charge up to $300 per tree to do. In the fall, they plan to plant pecan trees the nursery has promised.

Cooler weather also will signal the start of a leveling project, Bennett noted.

“A lot of this land is just so rough that it jars the machinery,” he explained. “So, if we can find someone to donate a lot of fill dirt, we can take care of that problem fairly quickly.”

Additionally, the men are on-call around-the-clock for minor electrical, plumbing and carpentry jobs.

“There is no way to put a dollar value on what all of this means,” said Breckenridge Village Executive Director Charles Dodson. “To pick up the phone when we have a problem and know it will be taken care of, to see how beautiful the grounds are, to hear them laughing as they plan their next big projects is just a special blessing.

“Beyond that is to see them interact with the residents–to see the smiles and hugs they exchange is just another reminder of what a special place this is and what special folks care about Breckenridge.”

Hand-painted concrete blocks the residents of Magnolia House placed beside two trees the men planted in their backyard vividly illustrate that bond of love. The men point visitors to the markers and urge them to read the blue lettering: “Planted by volunteers. May 2005.” It is signed by each of the residents.

“They told us they had been praying for a tree,” Tom Leake explained. “It sure feels good to be an answer to prayer.”

Posted: 6/24/05

SPECIAL NEEDS, SPECIAL MINISTRY:
Special-needs people find
spiritual home at Tyler church

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

TYLER–“Reserved for Special Friends” cards mark the pews at Green Acres Baptist Church set aside for the residents of Breckenridge Village–a Texas Baptist residential facility for mentally handicapped adults.

“Some congregations have separate services for those with special needs, but if you segregate them out of the body that is the church, the other parts miss out on what they can offer,” said Don Barron, director of the church's Good Samaritan Outreach Center.

Brien, who said his grandmother taught him the books of the Bible and “all the verses of all the hymns,” participates in daily chapel at Breckenridge Village. (Photo by Craig Bird)

“We want them in 'big church.' This way people are aware of them every Sunday and can come over and make them welcome–shake their hands or pat them on the back.”

Barron, in his 19th year at the outreach center and his ninth year as a volunteer teacher of the Sunday school class for those same “special friends,” has been a key to the high visibility and acceptance of a group he called “the greatest people in the world.”

“The Sunday school class used to meet in a house up the hill from the sanctuary, which meant they had to walk several blocks to get to worship, and many of them have physical problems too,” he said. “The church staff agreed that we needed something better. Now, they walk out of the early service and straight across the hall to their classroom.”

Actually, they don't often go “straight” there. Instead, they linger in the hallway, calling to friends and generously giving and receiving hugs.

On a recent Sunday, one Breckenridge Village resident after another embraced a teenaged boy as he walked through the hallway.

“You must have worked at Camp Joy (Green Acre's camp for the mentally handicapped) last week,” commented Carolyn Kennedy, lead teacher of the class.

“Yes ma'am,” he replied between hugs. “We all got to be great friends.”

Open, honest expressions of emotion–particularly love–are characteristic of many mentally challenged people, said Linda Taylor, a longtime houseparent at Breckenridge who now is director of development at the special-needs ministry of Baptist Child & Family Services.

“You never see one of our residents unhappy unless there is something wrong with a relationship,” she said. “Doesn't that sound Christ-like to you–that if something is wrong between you and your brother, that you can't be at peace until you work it out?”

That concern shows up vividly in their prayers.

Shannon Powell and Carolyn Kennedy, who teaches the Green Acres Baptist Church Sunday school class for mentally handicapped adults, demonstrate how to “knock on doors” and invite people to come to church.(Photos by Craig Bird)

“When I listen to them pray, it is a window into their soul,” explained Charles Dodson, executive director of Breckenridge Vi-llage. “They pray for each other and for others and for themselves, and you can really sense their faith and trust in God.”

Barron noted three major characteristics of their prayers. “First, they pray for specifics, for a friend's hurt ankle, for their headache, for rain when the grass is dry. Second, they pray believing–not a single ounce of doubt in their heart. And third, after they pray about something, they don't worry about it anymore because they are confident God will take care of it.”

Beyond that, Barron said his regular contact with the mentally challenged keeps him continually aware: “They have spiritual gifts, even if some of them can't talk or walk. They still each have a heart, they still love the Lord, and they want to be connected to other Christians.”

Carolyn Kennedy, lead teacher of the class for 23 years and a special education teacher, said most of the Breckrenridge Village residents have what are technically termed “splinter skills.”

“That means that they can function normally in some areas but not in others. That means Shannon can't manage five dollars, but she can explain what it means that Jesus died on the cross for her sins. And Jimmy may not say a word in class, but a week later, he will comment on the lesson and show that he not only understood it, but applied it to the way he lives his life.”

When Dodson was named head of Breckenridge Village several years ago, a local newspaper reporter asked him if mentally handicapped adults really were capable of faith in God.

David Willingham picks up copies of Sunday school literature to take home after the class at Green Acres Baptist Church.

“I hadn't had much direct contact with our residents then, so I didn't have any hard experience to prop up my response,” he explained. “But repeatedly, now when I'm around these young men and women, I wish I had another shot at answering.

“Just like some blind people compensate for their disability by developing a better sense of hearing, I'm convinced many mentally handicapped people have spiritual insights that outstrip those of us who don't have their limitations.

“The most recent example was when one of our residents faced a medical procedure. Her prayer was short and sweet: 'God, you know your job. You do it well. Now do it.' Now, that's a great prayer.”

Posted: 6/24/05

Special-needs brothers spark
special friends ministry

By Meghan Merchant

Communications Intern

PLAINS–When Gary, Jeff and Randy Barnes arrived at First Baptist Church in Plains, Linda Wright saw a ministry opportunity.

“There just wasn't a place for them (to worship anywhere else) in town,” she said.

All three brothers are mentally challenged.

In response to their need, Mrs. Wright started a special friends Sunday school class at First Baptist Church in Plains, where her husband, Bill, is pastor.

Several years later, the Barnes brothers remain enthusiastic and involved members at the church.

“It has made a world of difference in the boys' lives,” said Mary Kay Barnes, sister-in-law and caregiver to Gary, Jeff and Randy. “They've come so far out of their shells and get so excited to go to church. It's changed our whole family.”

The church gave the three Barnes brothers, as well as several other people in Plains with special needs, a place to fit in and be accepted, Mrs. Wright said.

Besides Sunday school, members at the church lead a discipleship training class and Wednesday night program for the brothers and other individuals with special needs. And class trips to Sea World, Six Flags, gospel music concerts, Special Friends Retreats and basketball games have become highlights in the brothers' lives, showing them their class is just as important to the church as the children's classes, Mrs. Barnes said.

But more importantly, church members teach Gary, Jeff and Randy the word of God on their own level, and “now they have a concept of what God is in their lives that they didn't have before,” she said. “Now the boys' first reaction to anything is 'we need to pray.'”

Gary, Jeff and Randy–ages 47, 44 and 42–never miss a service, Mrs. Wright noted. Steve Barnes, brother and caregiver to Gary, Jeff and Randy, knows he and his family can rely on the church for support and help when they need it.

The brothers have brought excitement and joy to the church, as well, Mrs. Wright said.

“They are not bashful about saying 'amen' or clapping when someone does something good. They're always happy.”

Many families with special needs members stop attending church because they feel they do not belong or fear being a “disruption,” Mrs. Barnes said. Special- needs ministries provide a place for acceptance, not only for handicapped people, but for their families as well. Parents of special needs children “are so excited to have something planned for their children,” Mrs. Wright said, adding that churches “do a lot for healthy children, but not for special friends.”

“You'd be surprised at how many special needs there are in town,” she said. “It's easy to start” a special needs class, she continued.

“Not many churches recognize there is such a need,” Mrs. Barnes added, expressing her appreciation for the church.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas holds its Special Friends Retreat each year for mentally disabled people, ages 12 and older, their parents and chaperones, and workers with the mentally disabled. This year, two retreats will take place–Sept. 9-10 at Plains Baptist Assembly in Floydada and Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at Mount Lebanon Baptist Encampment in Cedar Hill.

Texas Baptists support the retreats through their gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

For more information about the retreats or to request a registration form, contact Pansy Hughes at (214) 828-5205 or (800) 355-5285, or e-mail pansy.hughes@bgct.org.

Posted: 6/24/05

Texas Tidbits

Texas Baptist Men on website. Texas Baptist Men volunteer work in rebuilding Sri Lanka six months after the South Asian tsunami is being featured on the website of Gospel for Asia, a missions organization based in Carrollton. The web video covers volunteers rebuilding a Bible college and vocational training center, as well bringing clean water to stricken villages. The video may be seen at www.gfa.org/tsunami.

Baylor preps for its largest freshman class. Baylor University anticipates the largest freshman class in the university's 160-year history. Current projections from Baylor's institutional research and testing office indicate a record-breaking freshman class of more than 3,100 students entering in fall 2005. Baylor's previous record freshman enrollment occurred in fall 1998, when 2,938 students entered the university. Enrollment management officials also report this fall's expected freshman class is on pace with last year's record SAT average of 1190 and is the most diverse incoming class in university history. Baylor's minority freshman population was 30.3 percent in fall 2004.

BUA receives $3 million matching gift. Baptist University of the Americas received a $3 million matching gift from the Houston-based Baugh Foundation–the largest single gift in the school's history. Recently, BUA and the Baptist General Convention of Texas partnered to purchase 75 acres across I-35 from the present campus, and the Baugh gift represents the initial commitment to build a new campus.

Newport Foundation honors Gallup. The John Newport Foundation will honor pollster George Gallup Jr. at its annual leadership awards banquet at 5 p.m., June 30, during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's General Assembly in Grapevine. Gallup will be the keynote speaker at the banquet. The foundation is committed to carrying on the legacy of Newport, who served more than 40 years as a philosophy of religion professor and administrator at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Registration cost for the banquet is $50. To register or receive more information, contact Phyllis Nichols at (210) 408-1987 or phyllis@newportfoundation.com.

Oliver named Baylor interim VP for student life. Dub Oliver, recently named assistant vice president for student life at Baylor University, has been named interim vice president for student life by Interim President Bill Underwood, effective July 1. He will succeed Eileen Hulme, who joins the faculty at Azusa Pacific University. As interim vice president, Oliver will provide leadership for the student life division, including the areas of campus life, residence life, student development and university ministries. Oliver holds a bachelor's degree in education from Baylor and a master's degree in educational psychology and doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University. Oliver is interim pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in Crawford.

Spooner scholarship fund created at DBU. Dallas Baptist University has created the Bernie and Pat Spooner Christian Education Scholarship Fund to help qualified master of arts in Christian education students with tuition and other related expenses. Bernie Spooner is associate dean of the Gary Cook Graduate School of Leadership. He has been active in Baptist denominational life many years with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baptist World Alliance. Pat Spooner is a retired reading teacher who taught in public schools 30 years. She currently volunteers at an elementary school in Coppell. The Bernie and Pat Spooner Christian Education Scholarship Fund was established with a gift from the university and contributions from the Spooners and several of their friends. For more information about the fund, contact DBU Development Director John Clem at (214) 333-5176 or at johnc@dbu.edu.