Posted: 12/02/05

Kansas school board at center
of intelligent design debate

By Bobby Ross Jr.

Religion News Service

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (RNS)–At the Sirloin Stockade, the state school board chairman leading an assault on “neo-Darwinian biological evolution” bowed his head and prayed aloud before eating his buffet lunch.

A veterinarian and farmer, Steve Abrams makes no secret of his Christian faith or his belief that God created Earth in six 24-hour days less than 10,000 years ago.

“I am a young-Earth creationist,” Abrams said as country music played in the background. “That is different from science. Good science has the tenets, I believe, of what is observable, measurable, testable, repeatable and falsifiable.

“I don't believe Genesis is observable, measurable, testable, repeatable and falsifiable. You take it on faith.”

But Abrams, 56, insisted he's not trying to impose his religious views on the state's 460,000 public school students.

His critics–from major science organizations to the editorial board of The New York Times–see it differently. Led by Abrams, the board's conservative majority voted 6-4 last month to adopt new science standards critical of the theory of evolution first advanced by Charles Darwin.

In the process, the board put Kansas near the center of an escalating national debate over how the origin of the world should be taught in public classrooms.

It's a fight that pits advocates of intelligent design–the idea that a higher intelligence must have guided Earth and its life forms in their development– against evolutionists, who say the supernatural has no place in science class.

Board member Janet Waugh of Kansas City, who opposed the new standards, said Abrams and fellow “fundamentalist Chris-tians” control the board and threaten to make Kansas a national laughingstock by dismissing a century of science.

“I am a Christian, and I personally believe in the Genesis version of creation in the Bible,” said Waugh, a Lutheran who leaves open the possibility that the six days were not 24-hour days. “But I don't believe my faith should be taught in a science class.”

Abrams said he first ran for his hometown school board in the late 1980s out of concern for high school graduates' poor reading skills–not to push any kind of moral agenda.

Later, he won election to the state board, where in 1999 he helped rewrite the science standards to remove most references to evolution, including the age of Earth and the big-bang theory.

The next year, Kansas voters ousted three state board members who opposed teaching evolution. In 2001, the moderate-controlled board restored evolution to the standards. But last year, conservatives regained control of the board, setting the stage for the recent vote.

A father of four and grandfather of 10, Abrams owns the Cottonwood Animal Clinic and maintains a 1,000-acre farm that his great-great grandparents settled in 1878.

Abrams, who grew up raising livestock, said anyone watching the cattle industry has seen cows evolve over the last 30 to 40 years.

“They're much bigger,” he said. “They're much leaner.”

But that's different, he said, than evolution from one species to another.

“Do I think neo-Darwinian biological evolution is proven beyond a fact? No,” he said. “I believe it has great holes in it. It is not good science to teach that as dogma.”

Pastor Gale Rider of Mount Zion Community Church, who has known Abrams 45 years, speaks in spiritual terms when talking about the criticism his friend and parishoner has received about Kansas' new science standards.

“Any time you try to show the truth from God's word in any way, shape or form, there's a lot of people that are going to back up against that,” Rider said, his Bible open on his desk.

Under the new standards, Kansas students will study not only “the best evidence for modern evolutionary theory,” but also “areas where scientists are raising scientific criticisms of that theory.”

While intelligent design proponents pushed for the changes, “these standards neither mandate nor prohibit teaching about this scientific disagreement,” according to the document.

In addition to the new science standards, the board's conservative majority proposes changes to the teaching of sex education, expansion of charter schools and adoption of a school voucher program, according to Kansas newspaper reports.

Last month, they hired former anti-tax activist Bob Corkins as the state's new education commissioner. Four of the six conservative members face re-election next year–Abrams is not among them–and a fierce election fight is expected over evolution and other issues.

But Abrams, who has served on the board since 1995, said he's not worried that the board majority could swing again to moderates.

Polls show most Kansans–and most Americans–believe God was involved in the creation of Earth and the universe, but opinions on teaching public school students about the origin of life vary according to the specific questions asked.

“There's not many people on the fence,” said Abrams, who reported receiving 4,000 e-mails in the first three days after the board's vote. “People are either adamant evolutionists or they're adamantly not, at least if you go by the communications that come to me.”

Posted: 12/02/05

Texas Baptist Forum

Get with the program

I have followed this dispute between the two Baptist groups in Texas since its inception. The fact of the matter is that both groups are right but do not have the right to insist the other accept their point of view.

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

"The people of China want more freedom to express themselves, to worship without state control, to print Bibles and other sacred texts without fear of punishment. … By meeting the legitimate demands of its citizens for freedom and openness, China's leaders can help their country grow into a modern, prosperous and confident nation." President Bush Speaking during his recent trip to Asia (RNS) "Ruth and I have enjoyed our time together these last few months, and we both feel at peace about the decision to have the New York meetings be our last. We know that God can still use us to reach people with the gospel message in other ways, and we look forward to seeing how he will do so." Billy Graham The famed evangelist, who recently turned 87 and suffers from Parkinson's disease, held his last crusade this June in New York. (RNS) "I woke up one day and thought, 'My God, I'm about to have a baby; how am I going to teach my child what the meaning of life is when I don't know myself?' If she asks why she's here and who is God or why are people suffering, I want to have answers. And I want to ask those questions, too." Madonna Pop singer, discussing how the birth of her daughter affected her thinking about spiritual matters (RNS/USA Today)

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is social in context and views Scripture from that point of view, whereas the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is evangelistic and sees its mission and interpretation of Scripture from that point of view.

I for one can assure you that there is room for both, and both have a mission, and both could, in fact, be correct. Jesus is more than one point of view.

It would be nice to hear no more from either side and just get with the program as each sees it! I bet most people feel the same way I do.

Tom Reynolds

Lubbock

Respect, not racism

I voted for Rick Davis as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas at the annual meeting in Austin. One of my African-American brothers questioned his nomination. I concluded he was suggesting a racial motive for the second nomination.

As a good Baptist, I can neither speak for the other 400-plus people who voted for Davis, nor would I try.

I voted for him for two reasons. First I have known Rick for several years in my short ministry. He has been a friend and a mentor. I know he cares for his congregation and for Texas Baptists, and I know he is a very capable leader. Second, I voted for him because he is passionate about winning lost souls.

I must confess that I was not informed on Texas Baptists Committed's “acceptable” slate of candidates this year. I certainly did not know Michael Bell was the nominee or that he was African-American. I just knew a friend and colleague that I know and love was going to be nominated.

Jim Denison preached a wonderful sermon several years ago in Corpus Christi. He said it is time to get over the great commotion and get on with the Great Commission. My motive and vote was about the importance of evangelism in our great state.

Daniel Downey

Lorena

Thankful for TBM

In reference to “Baptist Men involved in God's activity” (Nov. 21): I had the honor to work with the Texas Baptist Men Dallas kitchen in Lufkin, riding out Hurricane Rita at Harmony Hills Baptist Church. I also worked in Vidor at First Baptist Church. Both churches are awesome and are lighthouses for the Lord.

At Lufkin, the small Dallas unit was set up to feed 4,000 to 5,000 people each day. In the first 10 days, 85,000 meals were prepared, with “rookies” doing the cooking. At Vidor, I worked with chainsaw units from Evansville, Ind. They returned home in time for a tornado, and Baptist Men from Virginia and Oklahoma took their places.

The men that I met, worked with and saw God working through were an awesome and life-changing experience.

I witnessed to a Red Cross driver from California who was in awe of the work that was being done. He was not saved, but the seeds were planted for the Holy Spirit. None of this could have been done without the leadership of the “Carpenter,” the Lord Jesus the Christ, who was the basis for the witness.

I am sorry for the victims' losses to Rita and Katrina, but I'm so thankful for the experience with Texas Baptist Men.

Victor Norman

Longview

Cost of longevity

Phillip Wise's answer to the question of whether it is wrong for a Christian to be treated with stem cells harvested from a legally murdered Chinese baby (Nov. 7) lacks something.

Our medical dictionary shows that a person is created the instant an egg is fertilized and it becomes an embryo. A 4- to 5-day-old embryo is a tiny infant–fetus–not a liver or heart. It must be killed for its stem cells.

The Bush administration has caused all the stem cells in our labs to become contaminated? Should we ignore the news that useable stem cells are being found in skin, hair and umbilical cords?

Only the very rich can pay for this expensive cure/replacement. Therefore, it should be available to Medicare so we can all live forever. Forget about retirement for our children.

The question is this: How many Peters must be robbed to make Paul live for 200 years, and what does he/she say to God about the death of wonderfully made fetuses to prolong that old age?

Shirley Wright

Detroit

Posted: 12/02/05

Texas Baptist professors
teach at Nigerian seminary

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Nigerian Baptists share the same theology and mission as Texas Baptists. They even sing the same hymns.

Now a group of Texas professors is teaching them like they are Texas Baptists.

Several professors at Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated universities have formed an association known as “Friends of the Nigerian Seminary” and are teaching in Nigeria as often as possible.

Bill Carrell, dean of Christian studies at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor who enlists professors to teach at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogbomoso, said the school presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen Baptist work in a large portion of Africa.

The seminary is located in one of Nigeria's largest cities and sits next to a Baptist hospital. About 500 students seeking to take the gospel across the country attend the school.

“It was obvious this is a thriving seminary ministering to some of the best students,” Carrell said of his first visit to the seminary.

Despite the seminary's importance to the region, Carrell said, the school has many needs. The institution is trying to attain its accreditation. The library needs to be replenished. There is a limited faculty.

Texas Baptist professors can help with the last issue, Carrell believes. Professors from Hardin-Simmons University's Logs-don School of Theology already have taught courses in Nigeria. Several professors are planning a return trip in March.

Professors teach classes in three-week spans, providing their theological and ministerial expertise to Nigerian Baptists. The goal is to equip students to better serve God in their ministry settings, said Ken Lyle, associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Logsdon School of Theology.

“The ultimate goal is for these folks to get the best training they can get and have it expressed in ministry,” said Lyle, who is going on his second teaching trip to Nigeria this spring. “That's a goal you have whether you're teaching in Nigeria or Abilene.”

Carrell believes Texas Baptist professors are making a significant contribution to the future of Nigeria and all Africa. These students will take the gospel wherever they travel, he explained.

“Nigeria is a wonderful, beautiful place with a lot of challenges, a lot of obstacles to overcome,” Lyle said. “The folks at the seminary there are very committed to training their people for the ministry. We want to be part of that.”

The Texas Partnerships Resource Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas recently has opened a partnership with the Nigerian Baptist Convention. Staff members can connect Texas Baptists with service opportunities in the country. For more information, visit www.bgct.org or call (214) 828-5180.

Posted: 12/02/05

On the Move

Neil Adams to Bethlehem Church in Douglassville as pastor.

Jack Allen to First Church in Tuleta as pastor.

Bud Ammerman has resigned as pastor of Choate Church in Kenedy.

Jeff Atchison has resigned as pastor of First Church in Schulenburg to start a church in Mission.

Phil Barton has resigned as pastor of First Church in Pottsboro.

Stephen Boney has resigned as music minister at Calvary Church in Abilene.

Jason Bryant has resigned as pastor of First Church in Charlotte.

Olan Bullard to Crutchfield Heights Church in Sherman as pastor.

Billy Chambers to First Church in Stratford as intentional interim pastor.

Hardy Clemons to Trinity Church in San Antonio as interim executive pastor.

Larry Combs to First Church in Cash as pastor.

Justin Cook has resigned as youth minister at Georgetown Church in Pottsboro to serve a church in South Carolina.

Bruce Cox to White Mound Church in Mound as interim pastor.

Russell Crosby to Turnersville Church in Gatesville as pastor.

Caleb Crouch to First Church in Giddings as minister of youth.

Nolan Duck to Westbury Church in Houston as interim pastor.

Steven Edwards to Fourth Ward Church in Ennis as interim pastor.

Jerry Fleming to First Church in Wills Point as minister of music and senior adults from First Church in Rosenberg, where he was minister of music.

Chris Gaines to Mission Brenham/House of Worship in Brenham as minister of youth.

Kirk Gentzel to First Church in Sherman as youth minister.

Terry Gleaton has resigned as youth minister at Highland Church in Denton.

Herb Hardwick to Bethel Cass Church in Linden as pastor.

J.V. Helms to Morales Church in Edna as interim pastor.

Riann Heyns to Valley Creek Church in Flower Mound as small groups pastor.

Aimee Hobbs to Broadway Church in Fort Worth as minister to children and their families from Calvary Church in Waco, where she was assistant to the minister to children.

Luke Holmes to Hyde Park Church in Denison youth minister.

Aaron Householder to Southview Church in Lincoln, Neb., as pastor from First Church in Venus.

Chance Horner has resigned as youth minister at Clearfork Church in Hawley.

Jeff Johnson to Baptist University of the Americas as an instructor from Seventh and Main Church in Bonham, where he was pastor.

Loren Johnson to First Church in Milano as interim pastor.

Clif Kapka to Caps Church in Abilene as university coordinator.

David Kemerling to Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing as interim director of student ministry from the University of Texas-Dallas, where he was an academic adviser.

Ron Layman to First Church in Howe as youth minister.

Jeffrey Lee to Calvary Church in Tulia as pastor.

Alisha Lombardi to Mission Brenham/ House of Worship as children's ministries director.

Vernon Lummus has resigned as pastor of Enon Church in Doddridge, Ark.

Victor Lyons to First Church in Marlin as minister of music.

Nick Martineau has resigned as pastor of White Mound Church in Mound to start a church in Wichita, Kan.

Matthew McAnally to Hyde Park Church in Denison as music minister.

Lyn Means to First Church in Paducah as pastor from Unity Church in La Vernia.

George Merriman to First Church in Tehuacana as music leader.

Chris Moore to Lakeview Church in Lacy-Lakeview as pastor.

Andrea Morris to First Church in Gregory as youth director.

John Morris to First Church in Sealy as pastor.

David Newberry to First Church in Brookshire as pastor.

Timothy Ortner to First Church in Bremond as minister of youth.

Darren Otjen to First Church in Big Wells as interim pastor.

David Pate to First Church in May as pastor.

Vance Purkey has resigned as minister of education and youth at Fairview Church in Grand Prairie to serve a church in New Mexico.

Barbara Ragan to East Sherman Church in Sherman as youth minister.

Jack Riley to Faith Memorial Church in Archer City as pastor.

Ronnie Rogers has resigned as pastor of Memorial Church in Denton to serve a church in Virginia.

Jim Rust to Enon Church in Doddridge, Ark., as pastor.

James Sain has completed an interim pastorate at Second Church in Vernon.

Mike Seay to Second Church in Vernon as pastor.

Luther Shelander to Mount Zion Church in Rockdale as pastor.

Tom Shelton to First Church in Moody as pastor.

James Shugart has resigned as pastor at First Church in Mount Calm.

Craig Sims to New Hope Community Church in Venus as pastor.

Gordon and Vickie Smith to Emmanuel Church in Fairfield as children's minister.

Danny Stinson to First Church in Queen City as minister of worship and administration.

A.R. Stokes has resigned as pastor of Morse Street Church in Denton.

Paul Stripling to Hermitage Park Church in Houston as interim pastor.

Moses Vaca to Primera Iglesia in Cameron as pastor.

Alvino Valdez to High Valley Church in San Saba as pastor.

Jared Vineyard to First Church in Hillsboro as youth/student minister.

Jonathon Whedbee to First Church in Petersburg as music minister.

Carl and Marta Whitworth to First Church in Bremond as ministers to children.

Michael Whitworth to Lakeview Church in Lacy-Lakeview as youth minister.

Posted: 12/02/05

Port Neches youth choir
shares the gospel in Spain

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

A group of young people from First Baptist Church in Port Neches recently discovered moving to their own beat can have a powerful impact on those around them.

The youth choir from First Baptist Church spent time in Denia, Spain, singing hymns in public squares and marketplaces in an effort to spread the gospel in the city.

“People were just amazed,” said Tim Holder, the church's minister of music and senior adults. “Over there, you don't have people involved in the mainstream churches. It's just older people. People just came up and said: 'Why? Why did you come?'”

The young people's lyrics seemed to penetrate people's lives, Holder said. Some people turned to face the choir and listened intensely. Others prayed.

News stations covered the choir's performance at the mayor's home and carried it across the nation. Some news people cried during the performance.

Later, choir members prayed with each person at a nursing home where they sang in English and Spanish. English songs were translated by Jorge Pastor of the Alfa & Omega School.

“People's lives were changed,” Holder said. “We had a Muslim be saved. There were a number of professions of faith.”

The performances were part of a mission trip that also included a sports camp and arts and crafts activities. Young people from Port Neches taught Spanish young adults how to play several sports, including football and baseball.

“We wanted to go and do with them things that they enjoyed and in that process show Jesus cross-culturally through sports, through arts, through music,” Holder said.

Initially, the Spanish youth were hesitant to get close to the Texans, Holder acknowledged. But members of First Baptist Church in Port Neches showed the young people they were loved.

Soon, the separation fell, Holder said. “Christ crosses all those barriers, even the language barrier.”

This trip was facilitated through the Texas Partnerships Resource Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. For more information, visit www.bgct.org or call (214) 828-5180.

Posted: 12/02/05

Bumper crop of disasters
ratchets up the 'Rapture index'

By Nancy Haught

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Whether you see earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis as natural disasters or acts of God, this has been a bad year for the world and a good one for the rapture index.

The index, a feature on the www.raptureready.com website, is a measure of how quickly the world is careening toward the Second Coming of Christ. On a good day, it claims 15,000 hits.

Some Christians use the term "rapture" to describe the moment when, they believe, Jesus will call them home to heaven and the rest of the population will struggle on with only the Antichrist and the apocalypse to look forward to. The time between the rapture and the Second Coming is called the tribulation. It's a view of the end times made popular in the early 20th century by the Scofield Reference Bible and in the past few years by the Left Behind novels.

Interest in all of this is peaking these days, spurred on by the apparent frequency and intensity of earthly disasters, the recent release of the third Left Behind movie and the prospect of a bird-flu pandemic.

Keepers of the Rapture Ready website are Terry James of Benton, Ark., and Todd Strandberg of Bellevue, Neb., two biblical prophecy devotees who have been polishing their concept since 1987.

James and Strandberg developed a list of 45 categories, from false Christs to inflation, famine and floods. Every few days, they assign each category a number from 1 to 6 to reflect its intensity, according to recent news stories. They tally the numbers to come up with the rapture index, a number James calls “a speedometer that says how fast we're heading toward the tribulation.”

On a recent day, the rapture index was at 159, well over what James and Strandberg call the “fasten your seat belt” mark of 145. “It's been up around 159 for some time now,” says James, who has written 15 books on biblical prophecy and fully expects the rapture to occur in his lifetime. So far, he's waited 63 years.

James knows not all Chris-tians see Scripture and the signs the same way he and Strandberg and the whole Left Behind crowd do. The website gets a lot of critical mail, and some of it is posted online.

“Some people get really hostile over anything on the site,” James said. “To me, that shows the truth of what we're doing. … We don't condemn anybody; we only point out what God says about sin in general.”

Barbara Rossing

Not all Christians have jumped on the rapture bandwagon. Many see it as a modern twisting of what they believe biblical prophecy really is–not so much predictive as prescriptive.

Barbara Rossing, a New Testament professor at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, is familiar with the website but doesn't think it holds much appeal for Christians like her who have condemned the Left Behind series and argue the rapture is not a biblical concept. She wrote The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation.

“World events should be a wakeup call to us,” Rossing said. “We should be thinking about what our calling is, as people of faith in the world today. We need to be thinking about how to connect the dots–not in an Antichrist-end-times kind of way–but in terms of how God is at work in the world for healing, for justice and for love.”

James is familiar with the criticism, and it doesn't shake his confidence in the rapture.

“I'm of the opinion that every Christian will go (in the rapture), regardless of the state of their walk with Jesus,” he said. “We're all in God's family.”

Nancy Haught is a staff writer for The Oregonian of Portland, Ore.

Posted: 12/02/05

After 80 years, town still
known for 'Monkey Trial'

By Amy Green

Religion News Service

DAYTON, Tenn. (RNS)–Eighty years ago, media coverage of the Scopes “Monkey Trial” branded this town a backwater haven of the Bible Belt, a place where ignorant Christians gave blind faith precedence over scientific discovery.

It's still ridiculed for its literal biblical beliefs, recently by Comedy Central's The Daily Show, but its residents make no apologies.

Nestled on the Tennessee River, Dayton offers gospel music at McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants. Last year, county commissioners voted to ban homosexuals, only to reverse themselves after a national outcry.

Dayton is a place where residents rallied to raise money to keep Bible stories in their public schools after a lawsuit was filed. It's a Southern town where the first question after an introduction is not “What do you do?” but “What church do you go to?”

Eloise Reed was 13 years old and sat in the front row for one day of the Scopes "Monkey Trial"' in 1925.

In short, Dayton remains the faith-based city that hosted what was called the trial of the century in 1925, a trial that many call a turning point nationally for evangelical Christians and their beliefs.

Some residents, like 93-year-old Eloise Reed, can still recall details of the trial that made H.L. Mencken a journalistic legend after he called Daytonites “hillbillies,” “yokels,” “morons” and “primates,” among other compliments.

“I was there just a-squirmin' and just mad as I could be,” said Reed, who got a front-row seat at the trial because she was the 13-year-old friend of the sheriff's daughter. “If the story in the Bible was not true, then how could this be true?”

High school biology teacher John Scopes was convicted of breaking state law and teaching evolution. The trial pitted literal belief in the Bible against the then-burgeoning American Civil Liberties Union and Darwin's theory of evolution.

The trial here in the foothills of the Cumberland Plateau drew thousands and shaped how science was taught in classrooms for decades. Dayton's Christians were portrayed as fundamentalist fanatics in the 1960 film Inherit the Wind.

Feeling maligned and misunderstood, fundamentalist and evangelical Christians across the country retreated from broader society to create their own institutions.

“Did Christians pull back from the marketplace of ideas? I kind of think they did,” said Tom Davis, a county commissioner and spokesman for the 750-student Bryan College, a Christian college in Dayton named for William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate and fiery prosecutor of Scopes.

Yet after decades of retreat, Christians have stormed back into the public square, helping to elect school boards, governors and even a U.S. president to fight for their values. In some states and communities, they have pushed a battle over evolution back into the classroom and courtroom.

In Dayton, evolution is taught, but creationism is part of the classroom discussion.

“I wouldn't necessarily call it a Christian community,” said Davis. “But we certainly have a respect for our Christian heritage.”

The Scopes “Monkey Trial” was a test of a state law forbidding public school educators from teaching “any theory that denies the story of the divine creation.” Scopes' conviction eventually was overturned and the law repealed.

The trial discouraged educators from teaching evolution for decades, said Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education. Even though Scopes was portrayed as a heroic martyr in the press, textbook publishers concluded the best way to avoid controversy was to avoid evolution.

“By 1930, evolution essentially had disappeared from the public school curriculum,” Scott said.

While Davis, the county commissioner and an academic expert on the history of trial, said it contributed to a temporary withdrawal of evangelical Christians from politics, they have returned to leave a significant mark.

A commission vote last year to ban homosexuals from living in Dayton–Davis calls it a misunderstanding–never would have garnered the attention it did had it not been for the stigma of the Scopes trial. Davis said commissioners thought they were voting to ask the county attorney for a resolution addressing gay marriage, which was in the news at the time.

The vote prompted national outcry, the commission rescinded it and the town eventually was host to a “Gay Day” demonstration that drew hundreds.

Davis also blames a misunderstanding for a lawsuit filed three years ago by a parent against the school board in protest of a Bryan College ministry that sent students into public schools to teach Bible stories. The lessons were informative, not proselytizing, Davis said. The board took the case to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals using funds raised by churches and residents but gave up the case after a defeat there.

Some residents relish the ongoing media attention as an opportunity to share their faith.

“Dayton is the capital of the culture war,” boasts June Griffin, 66, better known as the “Ten Commandments Lady” for her travels to every Tennessee county urging that the biblical laws be displayed on public property.

But others are sensitive to how they might be perceived by outsiders. They are friendly and warm toward journalists, but wary.

Many pointedly say they seldom talk of the trial. Richard Fisher, superintendent of Dayton's K-8 school, cautiously explains science is taught here according to current state standards, but creationism is not dismissed because so many here believe it.

The town's portrayal on an episode this year of Comedy Central's The Daily Show, a cable TV show mixing humor with the news, made at least a few locals cringe. It was part of a special report titled "Evolution, Schmevolution" and poked fun at some of the town's rural sensibilities.

“It wasn't as bad as it could have been,” Davis said of the episode. “I guess I was expecting worse.”

Some visitors still come in search of history and perhaps an answer to the question: Where did we come from? They visit the historic courthouse, which underwent a $1 million restoration in the late 1970s and today is home to a small museum in the basement with news clippings, photos and other relics of the trial.

The museum gets visitors from across the globe, said Flossie Lowe, 70, who works there. Residents appreciate the business the visitors bring a town where many work at the local furniture manufacturing plant or commute to nearby Chattanooga.

But some “would just like to see it all go away,” said Lowe of the attention the Scopes trial still brings.

Posted: 12/02/05

Strickland recognized as advocate for children

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–The Texas Conference of Churches and Texans Care for Children recently recognized Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission Director Phil Strickland for his years of advocating for the betterment of children's lives.

Both groups honored Strickland's efforts to improve the lives of children throughout Texas. He has advocated on behalf of children since he began working with the Texas Baptist public policy and moral concerns agency 38 years ago.

Strickland was one of the leaders in forming the CARE Coalition, which later became Texans Care for Children.

Pete Laney, former speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and current state representative, said Strickland has called lawmakers to look at the plight of children within the state. Texas ranks near the bottom of the nation on most indicators of child well-being.

“Phil has been a regarded voice in the capitol as long as I can remember,” he said. “Phil has always made sure government hears the voices of the people, especially children who have no voice.”

Strickland has led cross-denominational conversations between the BGCT and the Texas Conference of Churches for the past several years, discussing ways they can work together to give children a voice of representation in state government.

The discussions have brought the groups together to speak with “one voice,” said Texas Conference of Churches Executive Director George Bithos. Together, they have raised the awareness level of children's issues throughout the state legislature. Strickland's work in this process “can't be underestimated,” he said.

Suzii Paynter, CLC director of citizenship and public policy, said awareness leads to action. The BGCT and the Texas Conference of Churches helped fight for reform in Child Protective Services, she noted.

BGCT leaders and officials with the Texas Conference of Churches also have focused on immigration and chaplaincy issues.

Bishop Michael Pfeifer of the San Angelo Catholic Diocese said discussions between the conference of churches and the BGCT have built trust between both parties and strengthened the work of each side.

“It's interesting how we've found more and more to work on,” Bithos said. “It's not our differences that separate us. Rather, we have found the necessity to work together.”

Posted: 12/02/05

Teens offer needy families
reason to give thanks

By Miranda Bradley

Texas Baptist Children's Home

ROUND ROCK–Teenagers who have discovered hope through a Texas Baptist Children's Home program offered needy families a reason to give thanks.

A group of HOPE teenagers from a Round Rock apartment complex delivered gift baskets to families before Thanksgiving. HOPE–Healthy Opportunities that Protect and Empower–is a community-outreach effort sponsored by Texas Baptist Children's Home that assists at-risk youth and families.

The teens carefully organized baskets they had decorated, and then they loaded them into a van driven by Sarah Eubank, supervisor of the HOPE program.

“They really look forward to getting out in the community,” Eubank said.

Their first visit was with Tabatha Montgomery, whose two youngest children suffer from debilitating illness–one from diabetes and the other from leukemia. Doctors' visits require so much of her time, Montgomery eventually lost her job.

She opened the door, her face beaming when she saw a HOPE teenager delivering a large basket filled with a turkey, canned vegetables and other holiday trimmings.

“Thank you,” Montgomery said. “Thank you so much. This is such a blessing!”

Some of the HOPE teens could relate to the Montgomerys' plight. They know firsthand about illness, doctor visits and hospital stays.

“This really shows them that there are other families struggling out there,” Eubank said. “You might not know it by looking at them, but a lot of people have problems.”

HOPE provides assistance through outreach in local apartment communities. Many of its programs center around youth activities.

This past summer, one HOPE group organized a soap drive that yielded two large bags of hygiene products for the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. When they delivered the items, the teens were invited on a tour of the center.

“They were touched by the fact that their contribution made such a difference in the lives of those who desperately needed it,” Eubank said. “The kids also were impacted by the desperation of some of the people they saw.”

In October, the teens decorated bags and filled them with candy for the smaller children in the complex. For Christmas, they plan to fill stockings with gifts for the children.

“These are really, really good kids,” Eubank said. “They're just like most middle schoolers. They're trying to find out who they are and what they stand for.”

Providing avenues for giving rather than receiving will help shape their personalities in the most positive way, she insisted.

“It will hopefully provide them with a sense of giving to others in need,” Eubank observed. “They have this opportunity to help other families in crisis.

At the beginning of the year, the youth are asked for suggestions for events they might want to pursue. They listed the Thanksgiving deliveries among their top choices.

“It feels good to help people out,” 11-year-old Mariah said.

Melissa, age 14, who has helped with the Thanksgiving deliveries two years in a row, said she looks forward to it.

“For children like these who have troubles of their own, it's a huge deal to step outside themselves and give to others,” Eubank said. “It really comes down to the fact that they aren't just handing out turkeys to these people. They're handing out hope.”

Posted: 12/02/05

Texas Tidbits

DBU honors two. Dallas Baptist University honored Michael Stuart, a Mesquite dentist, church musician and member of First Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, as 2005 Distinguished Alumnus at its homecoming alumni banquet. Stuart, who completed his undergraduate studies at DBU in 1974, went on to earn a master's degree in church music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his doctorate from the Baylor College of Dentistry. His wife, Kathy, is a retired educator and principal. The Stuarts have two daughters and three grandchildren. DBU also honored Jamie Lash, business professor and director of student development, with its 2005 Honorary Alumnus award. Before joining the DBU faculty in 1988, Lash taught at Baylor University. In addition to his responsibilities on the DBU campus, Lash is a frequent speaker at churches and retreats throughout the United States. For six years, he maintained a radio ministry in Washington, D.C., and Dallas. He and his wife, Marcy, live in Grand Prairie and have three children.

ETBU education students form organization. East Texas Baptist University education students have formed a new campus organization–the Future Educators of the World. Newly elected officers are President Sara Thompson, a junior from Marshall; Vice President Lauren Youngblood, a junior from Whitehouse; and Secretary Amy DuBose, a senior from Overton. Brian Nichols, dean of the ETBU School of Education, and Carolyn Dierksen, associate professor of teacher education, will serve as faculty sponsors.

Information desired on evangelist. The archivist at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is seeking information about 20th century Texas Baptist evangelist B.B. Crimm. Crimm lived in Marshall and died in 1950. Anyone who has information about Crimm, including any stories regarding his life and ministry, can contact Jim Lutzweiler at 101 Thornwood Rd., Jamestown, N.C. 27282 or call (919) 761-2249 or (336) 686-2043.

Messengers give to Mary Hill Davis. Texas Baptists gave about $4,500 to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Austin. The missions offering–collected annually in many BGCT-affiliated churches–has a $5 million goal.

Seminary establishes Lake memorial scholarship. Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary Alumni Association has established the Kyle Lake Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund at Truett Seminary. Lake–a graduate of both Baylor and Truett–was electrocuted Oct. 30 while performing a baptism at University Baptist Church in Waco, where he was pastor for seven years. Lake's family will set the guidelines for choosing recipients. Donations can be made through the Baylor Development Office at (800) 229-5678, option 4, Kyle Lake Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund c/o Baylor University, One Bear Place #97050, Waco 76798 or www.baylor.edu/onlinegiving.

UMHB offers Christmas workshop for children. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor art department will host its ninth annual Christmas workshop from 9:30 a.m. to noon Dec. 10 for children ages 5 and older. Children ages 5 and 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Children will create Christmas ornaments and holiday decorations. In lieu of a tuition fee, children are asked to bring an unwrapped gift–$15 to $20 value–for a child of any age, which will be given to families in Belton. Enrollment for the workshop is limited, and advance registration is required, no later than 5 p.m. Dec. 8. To register, call the art department at (254) 295-4676 or e-mail Helen Kwiatkowski at hkwiatkowski@umhb.edu.

Posted: 12/02/05

FDA oversight of cigarettes urged

By Bruce Taylor Seeman

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–After being indicted by a grand jury and bounced from his leadership post in Congress, Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, has another distraction–interfaith groups pressuring him to drop his opposition to Food and Drug Administration oversight of cigarette sales, which health experts say could save thousands of American lives.

Religious leaders say they have leaped into the smoking issue for moral reasons. It is wrong, they argue, for tobacco companies to market lethal and addictive products, particularly to youths.

“There's a lot of talk by politicians about family values. But when we're talking about the health of families and children, that's a family value,” said Cynthia Abrams, an addictions and health-care specialist at an agency within the United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.

The pressure on DeLay comes from Texas Faith United Against Tobacco–a coalition of Southern Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists and others. The group recently sent proclamations to about 200 church leaders, asking them to join the call for DeLay to support FDA oversight.

In March, a related national group, Faith United Against Tobacco, wrote to DeLay, then House majority leader, saying, “We find it incredible that the FDA can ensure the safety of everyday items like macaroni and cheese but has no authority over tobacco, a product that kills over 400,000 Americans every year.”

DeLay, a Baptist who openly professes his faith in political settings, relies heavily on support from the Religious Right. But he also has long-standing relationships with tobacco companies, which have contributed $134,150 to his campaigns since 1990, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group in Washington.

In October, traveling to Houston to answer state money-laundering and conspiracy charges, DeLay flew aboard a jet owned by the tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, which has contributed to his legal defense fund and opposes FDA oversight.

Ben Porritt, a DeLay spokesman, said the congressman maintains his opposition to FDA oversight and believes the focus should be on enforcing laws against smoking among minors. Asked if faith leaders' support of FDA control might pose a political problem for DeLay, Porritt responded: “Mr. DeLay stands in the corner of the children. He supports the laws on the books and making sure we protect children. That's everybody's goal here.”

About 22 percent of Americans smoke, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Every day, about 3,900 young people try their first cigarette, and 1,500 become everyday smokers.

Last year, a tax bill containing a provision for FDA control passed the Senate 78-15. Maneuvers by DeLay killed similar legislation in the House. The idea has been reintroduced by its earlier sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans, but the bills are stuck in Senate and House committees.

“We have the majorities in both houses. What we don't have is the leadership support,” said William V. Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Most public health experts embrace the idea of FDA control, arguing that government can confront tobacco's toll only if it is regulated as a drug.

There are proposals to give the FDA power to restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, ban candy-flavored cigarettes, prohibit unproven claims about products' “reduced risks,” and require cigarette makers to disclose more about products' contents and health effects.

Anti-smoking activists say such controls would blunt the marketing muscle of tobacco companies, which currently spend the equivalent of $41 million a day to promote their products. It's an argument increasingly amplified by religious leaders nationwide.

The Mississippi Baptist Con-vention has passed a resolution estimating that 81,600 of the state's children ultimately will die from smoking-related diseases and pledging to encourage “our elected officials to take aggressive actions in reducing smoking in our state.”

And in Illinois, a group called the Faith-Based Coalition United Against Tobacco is preparing to pressure House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to support FDA regulation of tobacco.

Posted: 12/02/05

TOGETHER:
Make a bigger difference in Texas

The latest Texas Almanac came as a birthday present from my brother this past week. This is the sesquicentennial edition–for the first time printed in color! And full of facts.

It documents how Baptists have grown in Texas. There are 4.5 million of us, along with 4.4 million Catholics and 4 million aligned with other religious groups.

But the largest group of all is the “unclaimed.” They are “nonadherents to religion.” In 1990, there were 5.5 million, and now there are 8 million–an increase of almost 50 percent! If these 8 million people constituted one state, it would be the 11th-most-populated state in the nation.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

Texas continues to grow. Only Nevada, Arizona and Florida grew faster than Texas (6.1 percent) between 2000 and 2003. Growth was concentrated in large suburban and central-city complexes. The fastest-growing areas were in DFW, Houston, Austin, McAllen, Brownsville-Harlingen and Laredo.

We are becoming more diverse. In 1980, our population was roughly two-thirds Anglo. Now, it is 49 percent Anglo, 11 percent African American, 36 percent Hispanic and 4 percent other (primarily Asian).

You can see why I challenged our convention to work with our churches to begin a record 1,500 churches by 2010. We also will partner with other Baptist bodies to start churches around the world where the need is even greater than Texas. But we dare not neglect our Texas mission field.

You will understand when I tell you I woke up in the middle of the night with this question interrupting my sleep: “How can there be so many Baptists in Texas and it make so little difference?” I reread Matthew 25:14-30, where Jesus challenges us to be good stewards of what is placed in our hands. And I trembled at the thought that God has given Texans, and especially Texas Baptists, so much and wondered whether God will be able to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Or, “You wicked, lazy servant!”

Does that seem extreme? I cannot escape the thought that to whom much is given, much shall be required.

I call on the churches of our convention to find people who need a church and start one.

The almanac also noted the precarious situation of our children. Twenty-two percent of Texas children do not have health insurance, which is the highest percentage in the nation. It is twice as much as our neighboring states, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. For comparison, Minnesota and Wisconsin have a 4 percent noninsurance rate among children. I call on the churches to affirm the children, making sure that your congregation provides a loving and safe environment for all children who can attend your church. And that you see the children you may have overlooked and hear Jesus say, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.” Build networks with all people of good will in your community to make sure every child has a safe place to sleep, food enough to eat, quality education, medical care when they are sick and an opportunity to know Jesus loves them.

Encourage your elected representatives to look carefully at the educational and medical needs of children in Texas and do what is right. Work to strengthen families so that the divorce rate in Texas will begin to fall and children will be better served.

Together, Texas Baptists can make a bigger difference in Texas than we have.

Let's do.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.