Posted: 10/27/06

Josue Valerio to lead BGCT missions section

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—Josue Valerio, an associational director of missions and former campus minister and missionary, has been named team leader of the missions section within the Baptist General Convention of Texas Missions, Evangelism and Ministry area.

Wayne Shuffield, director of the BGCT Missions, Evangelism and Ministry team, said Valerio is passionate about helping churches share the gospel throughout their communities and around the world. His connections with the National Baptist Convention of Mexico should further strengthen the BGCT’s partnership with Mexican Baptists, he noted.

“Josue is the ideal person to lead the BGCT missions team,” Shuffield said. “He understands Texas Baptist ministry and is committed to facilitating greater mission work throughout the state and around the world. He will be a great asset in helping our churches fulfill the calling God has placed on each of them.”

Valerio comes to the Baptist Building staff after serving as director of missions for the El Paso Baptist Association where he facilitated an increase in the number of church starts each year he was there. In 2002 to 2003, the association started 16 churches. It started 30 congregations in 2004 and 60 in 2005.

Valerio has extensive experience in collegiate ministry, serving as the West Texas regional coordinator for BGCT’s collegiate ministries and having started a Baptist Student Ministry at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville.

He also directed Baptist student work in El Paso and Texas A&M University in Kingsville and served as the associate director of Baptist Student Ministries at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Valerio served as a missionary in Mexico eight years, coordinating the student missions program there and teaching seminary classes.

He also served as youth director at Primera Iglesia Bautista in Carrollton.

He is work on his doctorate in ministry in leadership training at Fuller Theological Seminary. He earned a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas-Pan American.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Youth Revival Movement honored at Truett

By Marv Knox

Editor

WACO—Participants in revivals that began at Baylor University and spread across the nation six decades ago looked back in gratitude and forward with expectation as they gathered on the campus where it all began.

Scores of senior adults transformed by the Youth Revival Movement of the 1940s and ’50s reassembled at Baylor to dedicate the Youth Revival Heritage Room at the university’s Truett Seminary Oct. 22.

They reminisced about how God used the revivals to change their lives and how the movement mushroomed far beyond anything they could have been expected from their meager skills and limited experience.

Jack Robinson (standing, right) speaks at a dedication service for the Youth Revival Heritage Room at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary. Seated are (left to right) BO Baker, Ralph Langley, Charles Wellborn and Buckner Fanning. (Photo by Steve Fanning)

“The artless, unsophisticated young people chosen by God for the Youth Revival Movement were absolutely, completely ill-equipped,” recalled Jess Moody, who later founded Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida and was pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Church in southern California.

“All of us together didn’t have a good sermon,” quipped the late Bruce McIver in a memorial video. McIver went on to become pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. His book, Riding the Wind of God, chronicled the movement.

Several speakers recalled how Baylor students—convinced America’s campuses needed spiritual awakening during the closing days of World War II—planned a citywide student revival for the spring of 1945.

But before that meeting, the students prayed for revival for 90 straight nights, Moody noted. “This revival came as a response to weeping long nights of prayer.”

“We were pleading with God for spiritual awakening,” added Howard Butt, who became a businessman and author, in the video.

As word of the Waco revival spread, the young evangelists received invitations to spread the gospel to students in other cities. “The movement of the Holy Spirit was driven past Texas,” reported Ralph Langley, who retired after a longtime pastorate at First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala.

"All of us together didn’t have a good sermon," said Bruce McIver, whose book, Riding the Wind of God, chronicled the movement.

Soon, the students preached and sang in Houston and Fort Worth and Dallas. And later, the movement covered the South, in cities such as Birmingham, Knoxville and Atlanta, and in small communities as well. Eventually, the revivals reached all the way to Honolulu and touched lives that spanned the globe.

“I’ve preached in 100 countries,” noted Jack Robinson, an All-American basketball player at Baylor who went on to become pastor of First Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga. “Everywhere, people come up and say, ‘I was saved at such-and-such a service.’” Thousands of people became Christians through “our feeble attempts at witnessing for such a mighty Savior,” he acknowledged.

The spirit of revival also spread beyond students, said Charles Wellborn, who later was pastor of Seventh & James Baptist Church in Waco and eventually taught at Florida State University.

Wellborn described a “protracted” revival meeting in Olney in 1948, when the young preacher told an 80-year-old unconverted man, “I will bet my life if you will give God a chance, he will shake you up.” Late in the second week of the meeting, the man walked the church aisle, shook Wellborn’s hand and said, “Kid, you won your bet.”

“One soul saved; one life changed,” Wellborn remembered. “But you and I know that’s what it’s about—God changing lives.”

Often, results of the revivals could only be described as miraculous, said Buckner Fanning, who was pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio for more than 40 years.

In Knoxville, two girls who attended the Tennessee State School for the Deaf made professions of faith in Christ “without hearing a word,” Fanning reported, explaining, “The Spirit of God touched their lives.”

In addition to the lives changed in the revival meetings, the Youth Revival Movement’s impact spread because it took root and shaped a generation of ministers, added BO Baker, who retired from Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving.

“One of the most significant impacts of the youth revival era was the filling of our seminaries,” Baker insisted. “We needed the breath of heaven, the filling of God. We needed it, … and when we filled the seminaries, it happened in our churches and in our states.”

Consequently, creation of a Youth Revival Movement heritage center at Truett Seminary on the Baylor campus is entirely appropriate, Baker noted—a sentiment echoed by the seminary’s dean, Paul Powell.

“The Youth Revival Movement needs to be memorialized at Truett, where we’re training the next generation of ministers and missinaries,” Powell said.

The Youth Revival Heritage Room at the seminary is the depository of historical documents and memorabilia and will be a center for research, said Ralph Wood, chair of the steering committee that planned the room. Wood described himself as a product of and participant in the movement. He later became pastor of First Baptist Church in Waco.

“We envision a new generation of Baptist students taking up their mantle as we once again experience an outpouring of God’s Spirit,” Wood said.

“We pray for students who are inflammable, who will feel the fire, who will spread the fire to reach America’s youth,” Moody added.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to John Wood as Ralph Wood.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Around the State

• Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business will host a business ethics forum titled “Five Years Later: Leadership Lessons from Enron and Andersen” Nov. 1-3. The forum will begin Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. with a panel discussion, and events will continue through Friday afternoon.

• The annual Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor Pageant will be held Nov. 3-4 at 7 p.m. This year’s theme is “Rock the Runway.” Friday evening will be the talent competition, with Saturday featuring the evening gown and interview portion. General admission is $10 for both nights or $7 for one night.

• Tye Newkirk has been named director of student activities at East Texas Baptist University.

• Rebecca O’Banion has been named director of alumni relations at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She is a 1993 graduate of the school and current president of the alumni association.

• Debra Berry, associate professor of nursing at Houston Baptist University, has been presented the Christa McAuliffe In Search of Excellence award by the Houston West Chamber of Commerce. David Capes, professor of Christianity, also was a nominee for the honor.

The congregation at Rainbow Church in Rainbow recently witnessed the baptism of all seven members of the Drake Family—Frank, father; Shannon, mother; and children, Andrea, Christopher, Franchesca, Bethany and Justice. The family is unique in Rainbow because it includes two sets of twins. At the time of the family’s baptism, Pastor Clyde Somers had baptized 14 people this year.

• Howard Payne University has added three honorees to its Sports Hall of Fame. New inductees include B.J. Korenek, a four-year starter on the Yellowjacket football team, who played running back, quarterback, defensive back, kicker and punter; Bobby Robbins, a three-year starter on the football team, who played fullback and center; and Terry Cosby, who played tight end and kicker for the football team, but made his mark as a track-and-field athlete participating in the shot-put and discus—winning the conference championship for the shot-put in 1976 and 1977 and for the discus in 1977.

• Michael Morrison has been named director of Baylor University’s Center of Inter-national Education, effective Feb. 1. Morrison joined the Baylor Law School faculty in 1977 and was designated an outstanding professor in 1997. He takes the post of William Mitchell, who has led the center since 2000. Under Mitchell’s leadership, the number of students studying abroad has increased from 575 to 855, and the number of exchange and study-abroad programs has expanded to nearly 60 in 26 countries. The diversity of international students studying at Baylor increased to 76 home countries.

• Loretta McBeath, a member of North Park Church has been named lay person of the year by Abilene Association. Southwest Park Church was named church of the year. Lee Fuller of Wylie Church was named pastor of the year for larger congregations and association moderator for the coming year. Greg Clemmer of Cowboy Heritage Church was named pastor of the year for smaller congregations. Vernon Ferguson, minister of missions at Broadview Church, was named the outstanding staff member.

Anniversaries

• Primera Iglesia in Corpus Christi, 95th, Oct. 28. Rolando DeLeon is pastor.

• Shiloh Church near Mexia, 125th, Oct. 29. Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade brought the morning message. Doyle Purifoy is pastor.

• Bell Avenue Church in Amarillo, 40th, Oct. 29. Charter members Gene Massey, L.R. Mitchell and Marilyn Hooten were recognized. Danny Logan is pastor.

• West End Church in Houston, 100th, Oct. 29. Family members of seven pastors, including the first pastor, R.R. Burr, were present. Curtis Freeman, former pastor and current director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School, was the guest speaker. Michael Quintanilla is pastor.

• First Church in Athens, 150th, Nov. 5. Former Pastor James Bond will speak in the 8:30 a.m. service followed by a combined celebration. At 10:45 a.m., a contemporary worship service will be held. People who attend the first service will have lunch at 10:50 a.m., while those attending the second service will eat at noon. Kyle Henderson is pastor.

• Friendship Church in Beeville, 100th, Dec. 3. Former Pastor David Brumbelow will preach in the morning service. Vernon Helgren is pastor.

Deaths

• Rodney Thomas, 42, Aug. 22 at Fort Hood. Thomas, a Baptist General Convention of Texas-endorsed chaplain, died of a heart attack shortly after returning from service in Kuwait. In his military career, he served two tours of duty in relation to Operation Iraqi Freedom and one tour of duty in South Korea. He earned the Bronze Star, Army Commen-dation Medal, Army Achieve-ment Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. During his last tour of duty, he served a group of 1,200 soldiers and airmen as battalion chaplain. He logged more than 12,000 miles visiting troops throughout Iraq, and he prayed with every convoy that left Kuwait for Iraq. Thomas entered active military service in 2001 after serving nine years as pastor of First Church in Mullin. He was a member of First Church in Goldthwaite. He is survived by his wife, Lori; father, Jack; and brother, Ronald.

• Benny Anderson, 72, Sept. 18 in New Boston. He was a Baptist minister. At the time of his death, he was a member of Calvary Church in Simms. He is survived by his wife, Mackie; daughters, Rhonda Gerrald and Lisa Barron; brothers, Kenneth, Arlon and Avon; sister, Dorthy Monroe; and five grandchildren.

• Curtis Mathis, 78, Oct. 14 in Athens. He was ordained to the ministry by Second Church in Houston in 1949. While attending Baylor University, he was pastor of First Church in Tehuacana, and he was pastor of First Church in Tioga while attending Southwestern Semin-ary. After graduation, he was pastor of First Church in Old Ocean, Central Church in Jonesboro, Ark., First Church in Athens from 1966 to 1978, Calvary Church in Beaumont and First Church in Harrison, Ark. In 1988, he entered full-time evangelism and moved to Athens. He conducted revivals in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, California, Louisana, Korea, Scotland, Japan and Venezuela. He also was pastor/teacher for several senior adult camps at Highland Lakes Encampment. He was interim pastor of seven East Texas churches. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Anna; mother, Elsie; son, Curtis Jr.; daughter, Cynthia Ann Mathis; two grandsons; and one great-granddaughter.

Events

• The contemporary Christian band SonicFlood will perform at Wedgwood Church in Fort Worth Nov. 4 and at Houston Baptist University Nov. 6. For more information, go to sonicflood.com.

• The B.H. Carroll Theological Institute will hold a luncheon during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Dallas Nov. 13. Tickets for the luncheon can be ordered at nexus.bhcti.org/catalog.

• First Church in McKinney will hold a three-day seminar for Christian leaders, authors and speakers Nov. 13-15. Florence and Marita Littauer will be the featured speakers for the seminar designed to give confidence and comfort to anyone who stands in front of a crowd. For more information, call (972) 562-7447.

• The North Central Chapter of the Singing Men of Texas will present a concert at First Church in Saginaw Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Danny Howe is pastor.

• A Turning Hearts event for parents and teens desiring to grow closer will be held Nov. 17-18 at First Church in Lubbock. The event is divided into three segments—forgiving, living and turning. For more information, go to www.lifeway .com/turninghearts/about.asp.

• Inglewood Church in Grand Prairie has renamed its residence for furloughing missionaries to honor the 37 years of service by missionaries Don and Nita Jones. The couple began serving in Korea in 1957. The Joneses lived in the missionary house in 1989-90, and returned to Grand Prairie upon retirement. She died in 2004, but he remains a member there. Shawn Barnard is pastor.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

DOWN HOME:
Never too late to do something new

When you get to be my age (late-late-late young adult; OK, middle aged), you don’t get to do many things for the first time.

But last week, I did something I’ve never done before.

Months ago, I received an invitation to preach in chapel at Howard Payne University, one of our Texas Baptist schools, in Brownwood.

I quickly accepted, although some people would question my logic.

You see, chapel is mandatory at our Texas Baptist schools. If you go there, and you want to graduate, you’ve got to get so many “chapel credits.” At most of the schools, maybe even all of them by now, students scan their ID cards to get credit for attending chapel. Some schools, I am told, even require the students to scan their cards when they leave; they can’t sneak out.

So, some people say preaching in a Baptist college chapel service is sort of like prison ministry. You’re working a captive audience. But the good thing about a captive audience is that it’s at least a large audience. Crowds are good.

I like college crowds for several reasons.

First, they seem to appreciate my humor. Some parts of the Bible are deadly serious, of course. But many parts are funny. I like those parts. And I’ve discovered college students usually do, too. So, we tend to have fun in chapel.

Second, I love to preach out of the Old Testament, which is full of interesting stories about people who mess up their lives and find grace and redemption in the arms of God. And here’s the good part about that: Many college kids don’t know those stories, so they listen to find out what happens.

Third, if any part of one of those stories happens to be about sex, then the college boys will wake up and pay attention.

Anyway, back to Howard Payne: I arrived late on a stormy night and followed printed directions through the campus to the parking lot behind Veda Hodge Hall. Then I got my luggage and walked, as instructed, around to the front of Veda Hodge Hall and found Shawna, the resident assistant, in the office where I was told she would be.

When I mentioned my name, Shawna said, “I’ll show you to your room.” We walked down a hall and through a couple of doors, past two signs that said, “No men beyond this point.”

When I arrived at Hardin-Simmons University, another of our Texas Baptist schools, in Abilene 31 years ago, the rivalry between Howard Payne and Hardin-Simmons already was generations old. And through the subsequent decades, I can’t tell you how many of my wonderful Howard Payne friends have called me by their nickname for Hardin-Simmons students and grads—Hardened Sinner.

But by the time Shawna showed me to the guest suite in Veda Hodge Hall, even a naive Hardin-Simmons grad like me had figured out the first time in my life that I would spend the night in a women’s dorm would be on the historic and sacred campus of Howard Payne University.

–Marv Knox

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

EDITORIAL:
Who will you trust on Election Day?

Election Day is upon us. Have you decided how you’re going to vote? Whether you vote early or stand in line on Election Day, what’s important is that you study the issues, compare the candidates and vote your conscience. In a year when U.S. troops are risking their lives so others may enjoy the benefits of freedom, Americans should not scorn and diminish those benefits by failing to vote.

We might expect Texas to produce a big turnout this time around, especially for an off-year election. Featuring four significant, well-financed candidates, the governor’s race has been more interesting than any Texas political contest in a long time. Independent candidates Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn ensure that. Friedman brings his mix of humor and ambiguity to the fray. You can’t help but wonder, “Is this guy for real, or is he playing out a long, expensive, elaborate joke?” Strayhorn adds irony. Here’s a lifelong political insider and government veteran running as an outsider. Oh, and don’t forget Chris Bell and Rick Perry, who have run as what they are—the Democratic and Republican candidates.

The gubernatorial race should remind us of a fact stated by ethicist/author Tony Campolo: “God is not a Republican or a Democrat.” In Texas this year, Campolo would have to add: “God is not an independent, either.”

Most of us see this as obvious. But a significant number of our fellow citizens don’t get it. Often, they’re Christians who seem to believe the only moral issues are abortion and homosexual marriage. They say (and I’m not making this up), “I don’t see how you can call yourself a Christian and vote for a Democrat.” Occasionally, someone will come down on the other side, singling out justice and care for the poor as paramount issues and questioning whether a person can follow Jesus’ commands to care for the “least of these” and still be a Republican.

The uncomfortable truth is that politics and voting and governing aren’t that simple. Morality covers many issues. And because they’re human beings and human organizations, the candidates and parties aren’t consistent enough to come down correctly on every issue. That’s a truth as old as, well, sin. The corollary also is true: Voters aren’t consistent, either. We’re fallen and selfish, and we typically vote for our own self-interest, whether or not that reflects our faith and our best selves.

Our local paper carried a helpful chart that outlined the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on a range of issues. I wasn’t surprised to learn I do not agree with any candidate on every issue. Unless you’re a straight-party voter or a single-issue voter, you probably have the same problem, even if the points at which we agree/disagree with the candidates aren’t the same. So, voting ultimately becomes a process of elimination. Which issues are key? Who will do the best job on the things that matter most?

People whose firm religious beliefs shape their worldview face an added challenge—squaring political decisions with faith. If you’ve ever prayed over your ballot, asking God to help you make wise choices, you know what I mean. And yet we of all people should be most skeptical. In politics, faith-oriented voters are an easy mark. Politicians and political advisers know exactly which themes to work to get these folks to the polls and voting the way they want them to vote. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into policy the voters desire, much less mutual respect.

This brings to mind a piece written by Cal Thomas, the brilliant conservative columnist, in 1992. The elder George Bush had just lost to Bill Clinton, ending a 12-year reign by presidents whose margins of victory had been secured by conservative Christians. Thomas noted practically nothing on those voters’ agenda had been accomplished during three presidential terms. But rather than condemning Presidents Reagan and Bush, he chastised their conservative Christian base for placing faith in politics and politicians rather than God Almighty.

That lesson from years ago serves as a timely reminder in this turbulent political season. Faith-based voters on both sides of the aisle—and people of faith do populate both sides of the political aisle—are on edge, fearing the worst, hoping for the best and seeking redemption for their cause out of the polling booths. This is as it should be—to a point. Voting is a noble right and responsibility of citizenship, as is expressing opinions about legislation to the winners. But if we look to these elections to solve our problems, we make an idol of the political process.

We must remember that only God—who is neither Republican, Democrat nor independent—is ultimate.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Churches’ Hurricane
Katrina response offers lessons

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

BATON ROUGE, La.—Churches and other places of worship that served as “the true first responders” when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last year learned lessons about disaster preparedness that could benefit all faith communities, researchers at Louisiana State University have concluded.

In particular, improved disaster response coordination and communication within and between churches would help faith communities avoid costly and ineffective duplication of services, surveyed congregations told researchers.

Daphne Cain and Juan Barthelemy, assistant professors in the LSU School of Social Work, worked in collaboration with the LSU Public Policy Research Lab to survey congregations in southern Louisiana about their response to Katrina. Researchers contacted 603 churches and religious worship centers, and 157 congregations representing 19 denominations completed the survey about their involvement in disaster relief following the hurricane.

Of the churches that responded to the survey, more than 86 percent provided services of some kind to Katrina evacuees.

“It was readily apparent that churches were able to mobilize volunteers very effectively and very rapidly,” Cain said.

To a large degree, faith communities can respond quickly in times of disaster because they have ready access to volunteers who have been taught to serve other people as an expression of their religious devotion, she noted.

“For religious communities of all creeds, a central teaching is to go and help,” she said.

Lack of bureaucracy—particularly in contrast to government agencies—also enabled churches to respond quickly after the hurricane, Barthelemy added.

“Once they determined they wanted to provide a service, all they had to do was just go and do it. They didn’t have to go through a lot of red tape,” he said.

Nearly three-fourths of the surveyed churches offered food, more than half gave away clothing, and about 70 percent provided financial aid. Other services churches provided included counseling, transportation, child care and shelter for evacuees, as well as meals, showers and housing for volunteers and relief workers.

The congregations also provided spiritual aid and comfort, researchers noted.

“Even in the face of losing everything, religious leaders encouraged their congregations to ‘pray when (their) world is falling apart,’” researchers wrote in a summary of their findings.

“God’s mercy, they pointed out, is most often ‘found in times of great distress.’ Addressing the problems of displacement and exile, religious leaders urged those with homes to welcome the stranger as Jesus would have.”

Significantly, the religious communities welcomed evacuees as “family” rather than as objects of charity, they noted.

“While all of us in the region have heard stories of enormous sacrifice and generosity, this study helps us to see just how much we owe the religious leaders and congregations in our area who repeatedly sacrificed time and money to soothe the minds, bodies and souls of fellow Louisianans,” a report written by the researchers concluded.

Churches offered advice to other congregations in their survey responses, based on lessons learned through trial and error.

To improve communication, the churches suggested each congregation have a disaster plan and a designated disaster team. Churches also should:

• Gather emergency contact information for every member so ministers can check on their safety and so they can be tapped as volunteers.

• Maintain updated lists of specialized service providers—such as health-care professionals—within their membership.

• Develop a technology team with the expertise to perform database and Internet searches to help people reunite after a disaster.

• Keep handy the contact information for denominational agencies that help provide disaster relief.

To facilitate coordination, surveyed congregations suggested keeping a contact list of churches from all denominations. While the American Red Cross may use large churches for shelter and aid distribution sites, small churches can help by offering specialized services and by preparing and distributing meals.

Other suggestions offered by churches included:

• Develop travel plans to reunite people, whether across town or across the country.

• Designate a location and organization to store and receive supplies and donations. And expect to sort through massive amounts of donations.

• When building or renovating a church facility, consider adding showers, kitchens, ramps and large, multi-purpose auditoriums.

• Request financial donations and designate people to purchase items difficult to obtain through donation drives, such as perishables, personal hygiene items, socks and underclothing. Also consider buying in large quantity seasonal items, such as coats, backpacks and school supplies.

• Store immediate-response items on-site, including flashlights, cots, air mattresses, emergency water and at least a one-day supply of nonperishable food.

• Have telephones, long-distance lines, computers and Internet access to help evacuees reunite with family. Congregations can provide cell phones and laptops.

• Know a congregation’s limits. Don’t overextend or exhaust resources. News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Texas Baptist Forum

All Saints’ Day

Halloween candy’s appearance on supermarket shelves usually coincides with the arrival of crisp autumn mornings, gaining an hour of sleep and an array of costumes. Halloween is an annual staple of our nation’s economy and a fixture on the calendar. Not all Christians embrace the custom, but its presence is nearly impossible to ignore.

Christians often ignore the day after Halloween—All Saints’ Day.

• Jump to online-only letters below

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

“Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you’ve given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.” Marie Roberts Widow of Charles Roberts, who killed five girls in an Amish schoolhouse Oct. 2, in an open letter to Pennsylvania’s Amish community (RNS) “I figured, you don’t take it with you.” Donald Saltz Philanthropist, who donated $5 million—one of the largest individual donations to a house of worship in the United States in years—to his synagogue in Washington, D.C. (Washington Post/RNS) “The devil has long since concluded that he’s not really going to be able to defeat the Lord in open matters of conflict … so he infiltrates from the inside. Our people have been misfed and misled.” William Shaw President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, criticizing “prosperity gospel” (RNS)

While All Saints’ Day is not found on the secular calendar, it is an important date on the Christian calendar. For centuries, Christians have paused to celebrate, remember and learn from the exemplary lives of faithful saints and martyrs. Such cultivation of collective memory rewards the living with lessons from the dead. Giving a voice to those Christians who paved our way is an inextricable ingredient of the Christian tradition.

So, after Halloween, join Christians all over the world by pausing to honor those who have gone before. Your own congregation’s history likely includes stories of faith and ministry. An Internet search for Baptist names, such as Thomas Helwys, Adoniram Judson, Annie Armstrong or Barbara Jordan, will provide ample material. Examples from the broader Christian spectrum include Ignatius of Antioch, Catherine of Siena, Sebastian Castellio, Che Kam Kong or Oscar Romero.

All Saints’ Day is a reminder that a great cloud of witnesses accompanies those following Jesus. Their stories are our history; their lives our example.

John Essick

Waco

God & Islam

Those who deny Jesus as Lord do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Sept. 18). One cannot deny the deity of Christ and yet claim to worship the biblical God. 

People who do not fully affirm Jesus as God in the flesh, crucified, dead and resurrected all fall into the same general category of idolators. They worship a god of their own creation but not the God who has revealed himself in Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).

By the way, the answer to the Muslim issue is bold evangelism. No other position is acceptable for Christians. Why are we so timid to “live out” the truth, befriend, witness and seek the conversion of others?

Muslims are at our doorstep! Missions begins with your neighbor!

Ben Macklin

Fort Worth

Find common ground

Jews, Christians and Muslims share a common monotheistic heritage. Christianity is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. Islam, whose early proponents were surrounded by “people of the book,” honors many biblical prophets. If we insist that those who don’t accept the divinity of Jesus worship a different God, it will affect our relationships with not only Muslims, but Jews as well.

Whatever our convictions about the nature of God and how we all relate to him, our mandate is clear. If we love God who is perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ, we also will love our neighbors—all of them.

When we have opportunity to share our lives and our faith with Muslims in our communities and around the world, let’s follow the example of the Apostle Paul, who didn’t berate the Athenians for their poor theology but found a piece of common ground on which to build.

Diana Bridges

Starkville, Miss.

Prayer language

Jesus said a house divided fails. That seems to be the objective of the Pharisees within the Southern Baptist Convention and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Dwight McKissic told students at Southwestern he has a prayer language (speaking in tongues), and now my alma mater has spoken out against him. I thought prayer was between the person praying and God, but I guess we now have to have our prayers approved by the Sanhedrin before we voice them to God. What a shame!

Instead of Baptists trying to bring unity among believers, we have no tolerance for “outside” interpretations. I once thought Southwestern Seminary was a great institution, but how the mighty have fallen. The Apostle Paul implores us to have tolerance for one another because there is “one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, and one baptism” (Ephesians 4). The early church Acts grew rapidly because of unity in Christ; they didn’t emphasize their differences (Acts 2:44).

The seminary’s action is a symptom of the real problem—legalism. SBC leaders have allowed the legalistic leaven of the Pharisees to mix through the whole batch of dough. Jesus warned us to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

“But … when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

William Campbell

Port Aransas

Special Friends

Sometimes, the gentle surprises in life make us aware of God’s presence—the unexpected events that come our way. This was the case for me this fall. After gentle nudging, I agreed to help teach Bible study classes for a group of special-needs adults at Mount Lebanon Baptist Encampment.

I was impressed not only with the Special Friends Retreat, but also the wonderful “special” adults I befriended. The hugs and attention I received were overwhelming.

I have pondered what I experienced over the weekend, and now I understand better how God uses “simple things to confound the wise.” In some ways, we all are people who need a special touch. I saw Jesus with skin on at this retreat.

Praise be to God for the wonderful way the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions touch lives!

Robert Whitfield

Dallas

Coffee with Don Miller

I appreciate your inclusion of articles like the one about Blue Like Jazz. I hope many of your readers will see the article and, as a result, read some of Donald Miller’s other books, particularly To Own a Dragon, and Searching for God Knows What. 

I found myself wishing for the opportunity to converse at length with Miller over a cup of coffee, just to discuss some of his thoughts and expressions.

Dennis Coop

North Little Rock, Ark.

Allah and God: Similarities and differences

As one who lived among Muslim people for almost 30 years I learned both Christians and Muslims use the term “Allah” for God, but they have some similarities and some differences as to God’s nature.

Both believe that God/Allah is the Creator of the universe, that he controls it for his own purposes, that he will judge all people according to his own standards of justice and that those who please him will go to heaven; those who do not will go to hell.

Allah in Islam is distant and unknowable. In Christianity, God is both distant and close, knowable in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Allah is just and righteous and judges people by their obedience to the Qur’an and the Hadiith (traditions), but no one can be sure of salvation. God is just and righteous, too, but also loving and kind and willing to suffer for the sake of his people’s salvation as he did in Jesus.

Allah is all-powerful, and he uses his power according to his will. God is all-powerful but uses his power to control history and for the benefit of mankind.

Allah’s will is ultimate and unchangeable. God’s will is also ultimate, but man’s choice can thwart God’s will.

Allah can be kind, but only if it moves forward the spread of his dominance. God is kind enough to forgive those who repent, even his enemies.

David King

Marshall

Allah and God not the same

In reference to the five pages devoted to the Islamic religion (Sept. 18), I hope your readers will realize that the Allah of the Quran and the Lord of the Bible are not the same.

The Bible tells us in Galations 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, claimed he received a “new revelation” from an angel just like Mohammad. Smith said he received this new revelation on tablets of precious metal just like Mohammad. Smith established a “holy land” in Utah not unlike Mohammad establishing a “holy land” in Mecca. Smith said Jesus was “just a prophet” as do Muslims. Smith and Mohammad both instituted polygamy as part of their “restored religions.”

Bottom line: Any religious teaching that leads the follower contrary to the inspired Scriptures of the holy Bible dooms that follower to an eternal separation from God if they do not profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Lisa Preuss

Sulphur Springs

Will they never learn?

The message of the Old Testament is like a long series of sermons to the nation of people, Israel, hoping for a revival.

Only a few—the remnant—believed the Lord, and repented, and received the promised blessings of salvation through faith and obedience by having a personal relationship with the Lord God. The rest of Israel kept on having a religion without the relationship. They crucified the One who came as spiritual Messiah and Savior. They were destroyed because they rejected Jesus. The nation suffered horrors worse than the holocaust when they perished in 66-70 A.D. with the destruction of Israel, Jerusalem and the temple.

Will they never learn?

Ernest V., May Jr.

Livingston

Tithing and Malachi 3:10

Thank you for your editorial regarding the different positions on tithing (Oct. 16).

A lot of these tithing issues are a matter of faith. For example, should New Testatement believers tithe or not depends on one's faith.

I don’t debate matters of faith because I “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.”

Many Christians get caught up in these debates about matters of faith. Nevertheless, what is going on in our churches in not a matter of faith; it is a matter of theft.

I do debate matters of theft.

The Bible teaches in Malachi 3:10 that God’s tithe was food, and we should honor his word because it also includes the fact that there was plenty of cash-currency available to have a cash-tithe if he had wanted it that way.

We have to ask ourselves: Why would someone remove the word “food” in Malachi 3:10 and add the word “currency”? The only answer I’ve been able to come up with is: For the love of money.

Amós Ortiz

Wilmington, Del.

Prayer language still a gift

As a Christian and a Southern Baptist pastor, there is no greater battle than the battle within to believe God’s word.

I was taught and believe that God’s word is totally without error. Yet I read every day where our SBC leaders show they do not believe God’s word. The latest is Paige Patterson and the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, having passed a resolution condemning prayer language and other charismatic acts.

I would like to ask what they do with 1 Corinthians 14:39, “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.” I do not knowingly speak with other tongues. However, I will not limit God. I see in Scripture where the Holy Spirit gave the gift of tongues to some believers, but I cannot find any place where he took the gift of tongues, nor any other spiritual gift, back.

If we believe the New Testament is the inspired, infallible word of God, how can we contradict it? How can we read into it things that are not there?

The same person who wrote Corinthians wrote much of the New Testament. If one part is incorrect, if one part is not true, then every word written is called into question.

The Bible is not a delicatessen. We cannot pick and choose what we want to believe and ignore the rest. The New Testament Pharisees did not recognize Jesus, nor his works, and neither do most of our SBC leadership.

Robert Pitts

Houston

Ban on tongues

Thank God Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees have finally banned the promotion of speaking in tongues!

I am sure it was about to get out of hand in that approximately one-third of the 100 million evangelicals in North America are already doing this. We should be sure to distance ourselves appropriately from these heathen masses and alienate them the best we can, as certainly we will not see them in heaven.

He who is not against us is most likely, in all probability, very much against us. I am certainly glad we have finally identified the enemy.

All I can say is I sure am glad this edict was not issued during the first century!

David Rosenthal

Lubbock

Seminary trustees' vote against prayer language

The vote by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees regarding private “prayer language”—36-1 in favor of the seminary president’s recommendation—is an example of what is going on in “Southern Baptist” circles.

You don’t oppose the party line, or “bad things” happen to you.

Remember, though, that while these may huff and puff, they don’t really generate any wind that we don’t let them generate. The “management of Southern Baptists” is very consistent about either being in control or disassociating themselves from any persons or activity that they can’t control. There have been numerous examples of this in the past few years.

Perhaps Dwight McKissic believes discussion is not a bad thing and that refusal to allow discussion’and practice of biblical examples is a bad thing.

For those of you who can’t remember, this was a position that most Baptists held until a relatively few years ago.

This is also a really good way for McKissic to avoid being on any committees.

Bennett Willis

Lake Jackson

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

On the Move

• Joban Baeza to Cranes Mill Church in Canyon Lake as youth minister.

• John Bell to First Church in Bridgeport as associate minister of music from Trinity Church in Lewisville, where he was associate pastor/worship and music.

• William Brackney has resigned as pastor of Blue Ridge Church in Marlin.

• Bill Bryant to First Church in Sargent as pastor.

• Joe Caldwell to First Church in Elgin as pastor.

• Benny Chaffin has resigned as pastor of Shady Grove Church in Greenville.

• Rolando DeLeon to Primera Iglesia in Corpus Christi as pastor from Sawdust Road Church in Spring.

• Kay Dunlap has resigned as minister of preschool and children at First Church in Paris.

• Paul Gibson has resigned as music minister at First Church in Haskell.

• Roger Hammonds to Heritage Park Church in Webster as minister of education and administration.

• James Hassell to First Church in Tulia as pastor from First Church in Bedford, where he was minister of worship and spiritual formation.

• Gary Henneke to Frelsburg Church in New Ulm as pastor.

• Jim Houser to Blue Ridge Church in Marlin as pastor.

• Aubrey Jones to First Church in Blackwell as pastor from Bethel Church in White Settlement.

• Ty Musser to First Church in Gilmer as youth pastor from First Church in Sulphur Springs, where he was high school minister.

• Bob Owen has resigned as pastor of Providence Church in Caldwell.

• Glen Ray to Timbergrove Church in Houston as interim pastor.

• Sean Taylor has resigned as minister of youth at First Church in Marlin.

• Joel Thielpape to Woodlawn Church in Austin as interim pastor.

• Mark Thompson to Damascus Church in Lindale as pastor.

• Kelly Wolverton to First Church in Hico as minister of youth and education from Hampton Road Church in DeSoto.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Network reaffirms call for ‘culture of life’

By Adelle Banks

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—A network of evangelical and Catholic leaders, reaffirming its call to build up a “culture of life,” has issued a new statement that links the biblical principle of loving one’s neighbor to care for the unborn, the frail and the dying.

“The direct and intentional taking of innocent human life in abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and embryonic research is rightly understood as murder,” declares the new statement, “That They May Have Life” from Evangelicals and Catholics Together.

Despite the strong language, the group rejected charges that they want to establish a “theocracy” or impose their convictions on other Americans.

The statement was published in the October issue of the Catholic magazine First Things and announced in this month’s issue of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today.

Richard John Neuhaus, editor-in-chief of First Things, said there was “intense” debate over whether to describe abortion as “murder.”

“But we tried to be very precise, namely that any direct and deliberate taking of innocent human life is in ordinary language—and certainly in the language of the Western moral tradition—properly called murder,” he said.

The statement marks the sixth time that evangelical and Catholic leaders in the network have issued a joint document. It comes at a time when conservative Protestants and Catholics have overcome theological differences in an effort to work together on causes of mutual concern, such as opposition to same-sex marriage and assisted suicide.

Previous statements have addressed abortion, pornography and the need for “marginal Christians” to be more active in church. The newest document seeks to find room for civil discussion in the midst of what many call an ongoing “culture war.”

Christianity Today Editor David Neff, who wrote an essay on the statement in the October issue of his magazine, said in an interview that he welcomes the latest document from the network.

“I like the emphasis on the tone, on the way in which to address polarization in our society on this while holding firm to a strong, certain commitment to what we see as an essential of Christian ethics,” Neff said.

Evangelical signers include Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship; Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.; and Thomas Oden, professor emeritus of Drew University in New Jersey.

Additional evangelical endors-ers included National Association of Evangelicals President Ted Haggard, author and megachurch pastor Rick Warren and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Motion: ‘Pastor, ask her to marry you’

By George Henson

Staff Writer

MERIDIAN—Pastor Drew Dabbs’ marriage proposal was one for the books—the church business meeting minutes’ books.

Peggy McDowell, a member at Spring Creek Baptist Church in Meridian, had been bragging on her pastor and his girlfriend, Emily Snowden, whom she was convinced would make a fine pastor’s wife. She lamented to a friend that Dabbs hadn’t yet asked Snowden to marry him.

McDowell’s friend suggested she make a motion to that effect at the next business meeting, and she pitched the idea to Dabbs.

“Don’t do that. It’d scare me to death,” he initially responded.

But later in the week, he changed his mind.

“I called her back and said, ‘Have you got your motion ready?’” Dabbs said.

He told McDowell he had purchased an engagement ring some time ago and had been trying to find the best way to ask his girlfriend to become his wife.

On Oct. 8, Spring Creek was having its “regular five-to-seven-minute business meeting,” he recalled.

In recognition of Pastor Apprecia-tion Day, McDowell recounted Dabbs’ 32-month tenure at pastor. At the end, she went on to say how much the church also enjoyed Snowden and added it was time for him to ask her to marry him. She made that recommendation in the form of a motion, which Terry Flory was first of many to second. The motion passed unanimously with 24 people present.

“Emily thought it was hilarious,” Dabbs said.

“She thought they were really getting a good one on me.”

As Snowden continued laughing, the pastor went to the pulpit, collected the ring he had hidden there, returned to her on bended knee and asked her to marry him.

“She said: ‘Is this for real? Is that really a ring?’ She looked like a deer in headlights. Her eyes were as big as saucers,” Dabbs recalled.

After she said yes, Dabbs turned and told his congregation the answer. Since they had been laughing and talking among themselves too loudly to hear his proposal, the church members insisted he do it all over again.

The proposal fell exactly 18 months after the first time Dabbs asked Snowden out on a date.

Dabbs allowed the motion to be made because after considering it, he felt the church was the best possible place for the big question, he said.

“I had the ring for some time and was just trying to find the most appropriate place and way to ask. The reason I thought the church was most appropriate was because there was no place more special to us, and no people are more special to us than our church family,” he said. “It was our privilege and pleasure to share that moment with them.”

The couple will be married July 7, 2007, at First Baptist Church in Meridian, Miss., where Dabbs’ father is pastor.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Texas Tidbits

Finalists chosen for BGCT Battle of the Bands. Twelve Texas Baptist performing groups have been selected as finalists for the Battle of the Bands at the Dallas Convention Center during the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Weekend Fest Nov. 11-12. The bands and their sponsors are Beyond Riches, Georgetown Baptist Church in Pottsboro; The Flipside, First Baptist Church in Irving; GP1, Primera Baptist Church in Fort Worth; Iconoclast, Casa View Baptist Church in Dallas; Inspired by Eden, South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena; Jonathan Stege Band, First Baptist Church in Lubbock; Look to the Sky, North Pointe Baptist Church in Hurst; Luminaria Rock, Coastal Bend Fellowship in Kingsville; Nameless, Central Baptist Church in Buna; The Opera Stage, Primera Iglesia Bautista in Dallas; 30 Coin Ransom, Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio; and Trae Castles Band, Connect Church in Arlington. The grand-prize winner will receive studio recording time and a spot on YEC fx band line-up in July 2007.

Baylor regents OK tuition increase. At their October meeting, Baylor University’s board of regents authorized an 8 percent tuition increase—raising the annual cost to $22,200 for a student taking 12 hours or more per semester in 2007-2008. The general student fee will increase 6.07 percent to $2,270 for next year. Room and board rates for undergraduates will increase by 5.02 percent and 3.61 percent, respectively. In total, a freshman entering Baylor in fall 2007 will pay 6.98 percent more in tuition, fees, room and board than a freshman entering this year. Tuition for graduate students will increase by 7.93 percent. Truett Seminary students will experience a 7.96 percent increase. Law students in fall 2007 will see a 7.52 percent increase.

Child care offered for BGCT. Free child care will be provided as a service for out-of-town messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting Nov. 13-14 in Dallas. Care for young children—ages two months through 10 years—will be offered in Room D227 at the Dallas Convention Center. MBF Agency (Mom’s Best Friend) will provide this service and is licensed by the state of Texas. All “nannies” have passed certification courses and criminal background checks and are state certified. The service will be offered Nov. 13 from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and Nov. 14 from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Advance reservations are required. Children will receive breakfast on both days, and lunch and dinner Nov. 13. Snacks and beverages will be available at all times. For registration information, go to www.bgct.org/annual meeting, under “General Information.” To receive forms via e-mail, contact Patti Kriss at patti.kriss@bgct.org or call (214) 828-5232.

Hispanic convocation slated. The sixth annual Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity will be held at Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center, near Spicewood, Oct. 27-28. Key speakers will be Baldemar Borrego, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas; Andre Punch, congregational strategists director with the Baptist General Convention of Texas; Albert Reyes, president of Baptist University of the Americas in San Antonio; Alfonso Flores, pastor of First Mexican Baptist Church in San Antonio; and E.B. Brooks, retired director of the BGCT Church Missions & Evangelism Section. Charles Wade, executive director of the BGCT, and Leo Smith, executive director of Texas Baptist Men, will be honored at a Double Diamond Ceremony. Eve Rodriguez, founder of the Ministers’ Wives Conference of the Hispanic Baptist Convention, will be honored at a ceremony led by conference President Delia Vela of Westway Baptist Church in El Paso.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

TOGETHER:
‘We do our business out in the open’

Our convention is committed to open communication and careful, thorough discussion of matters that concern our churches and our Baptist mission in Texas and beyond.

Last December, I finally realized concerns that had been raised with me from time to time regarding our church-starting practices in the Rio Grande Valley required a more thorough investigation than I had been able to achieve through the normal staff channels available to me.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

Then, early this year, Palo Pinto Baptist Association called for our Executive Board to investigate the matter. After discussing the situation with board and convention officers, we agreed we would engage an experienced attorney from the Valley to get to the bottom of this. Her report will be presented to our board on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Baptist Building in Dallas.

There will be time for a thorough presentation by the attorneys and for questions from Executive Board members. The Baptist Standard will report on the findings and the board discussion in next week’s issue.

I pledge to you that the Executive Board and I will work together to repair what is broken, to hold accountable any person who may have misused the trust Texas Baptists have placed in them, and to move forward together to respond to the continuing needs of our state for God. I ask you to pray for the Executive Board and its leaders.

It is a great honor to represent our Baptist churches across Texas. Last Sunday, I was in one of those congregations, a rural church in the open country outside Brownwood that has been ministering to people in the area for almost 120 years. As I find everywhere I go in our state, God is doing good and miraculous things in and through our Baptist people.

From 1887 to 1944, they had services once a month (quarter-time) and then twice a month (half-time). At one point in a very difficult time in the 1920s, the church closed down for two years. But today, they have a strong pastor and staff. They have wonderful facilities. They love one another, and they drive from miles around to be together on Sundays.

I was born into the pastor’s home of that church. My father was a student at Howard Payne and felt God had especially smiled on him to give him the opportunity to be the pastor of Rocky Creek Baptist Church.

So, you can imagine how I felt to be standing in the pulpit of the church where 65 years ago I first was held by my mother while my father preached to his people. It was a great honor to be among Baptist people who love God, cherish their Bibles, practice good principles of church life, yearn to be faithful to Christ’s call and minister to one another and the needs of others.

Like this one church, Texas Baptists have been about doing God’s work together for some time now. And one of the wonderful things about Baptists, both at the church and at the state levels, is that we do our business out in the open.

The investigation of what happened in the Valley is yet another example of this. It has been a difficult, painful time. But together, we are finding out what happened there, and together, we will correct the mistakes and move forward in kingdom work.

We are loved.

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

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.