Posted: 7/21/06

Technician’s speed spares
Baptist Memorials resident

SAN ANGELO—Certified pharmacy technician Stacey Walden recently helped rescue a resident at Baptist Memorials Center.

Walden, an Angelo State University student, had offered to show the resident how to use a special medical device and made an appointment for the afternoon. When the resident did not answer the door, Walden went back to work but still telephoned with no success.

After an hour, Walden went back to the house for another try. Finding the doors locked, Walden looked through the window and noticed the resident lying on the floor.

She immediately called the Baptist Memorials Pharmacy, which sent a maintenance crew to enter the house and offer assistance. Since the door was latched from the inside, and the crew was having difficulty entering, Walden rushed to her car and grabbed tools to help force open the lock.

Once inside, Walden and the maintenance crew realized the resident needed medical attention and immediately called 911.

When the emergency medical technicians arrived, they asked Walden for information. She explained what happened and correctly identified the medication the resident was taking. She also explained she could not say why the doctors had prescribed them. The paramedics were able to take the information with them when they rushed the resident to the emergency room.

“I was nervous at first, because I could not get in, and that was more nerve-racking than anything,” Walden recalled. “But once I got in, I wasn’t nervous, because I’ve been in emergency situations before and have been trained for them. After we called the paramedics, I was pretty calm and tried to be reassuring.”

Walden “took the initiative to continue to try to reach the person, and she stayed with that person while they waited for the paramedics, and even took the time to talk to the paramedics about that person’s medical condition. These instances should be celebrated, and we can encourage other fine young people to do the right thing. We are glad to have Stacey here and are very proud of her,” said Sarah Lummus, Walden’s supervisor.

Walden, who grew up in Winters, wants to continue her education and is applying to the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. The resident whom she helped is resting well at home after being treated and released from the hospital.

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: 7/21/06

Book Reviews

Syzygy: Living a Powerfully Aligned Life by Johnnie C. Godwin (Chalice Press)

In Syzygy: Living a Powerfully Aligned Life, Johnnie Godwin introduced to me a new word for an age-old concept. I found “syzygy” to be a funny new word that reminded me of the importance of proper alignment and balance in my relationships. The root of this old Greek word means to be “yoked” together, which explains the power behind the synergy that so many individuals, companies and churches long for.

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

Godwin shares his personal journey toward discovering syzygy in his life at home, at church and at work. His practical insights reinforce the importance of us working together with each other and especially with the Lord. Life takes on new meaning and effectiveness when we take up the “yoke” of Christ.

I found the sections of the book on family, friendships and working relationships to be very perceptive and useful. I would recommend this book for devotional reading for leaders or for a team-building exercise at work. It also could be used as a witnessing tool for a friend at work.

David Lowrie, pastor

First Baptist Church

Canyon

An Introduction to Baptist Principles by Bill Leonard (Baptist History and Heritage Society)

Bill Leonard, dean and professor of church history at Wake Forest University Divinity School, possesses the too-rare ability to write a clear sentence in which every word counts. His gift is on display in this 24-page pamphlet, which is a part of the Baptist Heritage Library.

Do not make the mistake of assuming the brevity of of this booklet indicates a paucity of information. Each page is packed with details that will delight and challenge Baptists of every persuasion.

Beginning with the assertion that Baptists are second-generation Protestants, Leonard tips his hat to Anabaptist influences while contending that Luther, Calvin and their 16th-century and subsequent interpreters are the true forebears of modern Baptists. He briefly surveys the Calvinist influence by summarizing the five points of Calvinism, which are represented by the acronym TULIP, then lists some Calvinist Baptist churches and denominational groups. He also describes the abiding Arminian influence in Baptist life, not only as a self-sustaining tradition, but also as one that is lived out in synthesis with Calvinist teachings. Lest anyone think he gives Luther short shrift, I would point readers to the endnotes of the pamphlet, where they will find succinct definitions of “indulgences” and “transubstantiation,” along with a brief description of Luther’s contrarian position.

Leonard covers this material in the first five pages. Then, he plunges into those abiding principles that, while not uniquely Baptist, serve as touchstones of Baptist life. Among these are a regenerate church, biblical authority and liberty of conscience, congregational autonomy and associational fellowship, Baptist ministry and ordinances, religious liberty, and missions.

Throughout, Leonard reminds that Baptists are an opinionated people. While we share common convictions, we cherish the privilege of gracious (we pray) disagreement. Thus the title, AN Introduction … . Leonard is too humble and too much of a Baptist to say, THE Introduction … . Even so, every Baptist would find this pamphlet a good place to start in discovering our common ground.

Sam Underwood, pastor

First Baptist Church

Farmers Branch

In the Company of Jesus: Finding Unconventional Wisdom and Unexpected Hope by Bill Donahue. (InterVarsity)

There’s a magnifying glass in the brain.

Wherever I mentally train the lens, its subject enlarges. I can choose to magnify the pressures and problems that always are around, or I can choose to magnify the ever-present Jesus. It’s amazing what a difference that decision makes in how I feel and what I accomplish.

Bill Donahue has provided a welcome tool to train us how to see Jesus. His book is engagingly written, with a splendid mix of practical Christian wisdom and fresh devotional insight. It’s a model for reflection on our own experiences in light of the roles Jesus plays in the life of the believer.

Each chapter concludes with helps for making personal application, prayer and further Bible reading. It’s well-suited for use in small groups as well.

Christian adults of all ages, from newer to more mature believers, can find in this book polish for the Jesus magnifying glass.

Rick Willis, pastor

First Baptist Church

Lampasas

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: 7/21/06

Baptist Briefs

Graham’s final sermon? Billy Graham acknowledged his appearance at his son’s July 9 crusade could be “the last time I’ll have an opportunity to preach the gospel to an audience like this,” Religion News Service reported. At age 87, the evangelist gave the closing sermon of the three-day Metro Maryland Festival headlined by his son, Franklin Graham, and organized by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Unfortunately, I’m getting too old to do this,” he said. He made a similar statement about his preaching at an appearance with his son in New Orleans in March, saying, “This is probably the last evangelistic sermon I’ll ever preach.”

Warren headed to North Korea. Government officials have invited best-selling author and Baptist pastor Rick Warren to preach to at least 15,000 people in North Korea sometime next summer, a spokesperson from Warren’s Saddleback Church confirmed. Warren acknowledged his trip could be used by the Korean government—notorious for religious persecution—as propaganda or further persecution, but he said it is worth the risks. “I know they’re going to use me, so I’m going to use them,” he told reporters.

Carters join Friends of Valentine Committee. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Carter, journalist Bill Moyers, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and former Assistant Attorney General John Seigenthaler have joined 11 others to form the Friends of Foy Valentine Committee to raise $500,000 and partially endow Christian Ethics Today, the journal Valentine founded in 1995. Other members are Co-Chairs Darold Morgan and David Sapp, Patsy Ayres, Doug Dillard, Buckner Fanning, Bob Feather, Bob Mitchell, Herbert Reynolds, Jimmy and Linda Allen, Ross Coggins and James Dunn. For more information, visit www.ChristianEthicsToday.com.

ABP endowment named for Puckett. Associated Baptist Press has established a campaign to endow its internship program in honor of longtime Baptist state newspaper editor Gene Puckett. He retired as editor of the Biblical Recorder in North Carolina after 16 years and previously was the state paper editor in Maryland and Ohio and managing editor in Kentucky. “Gene Puckett is a tireless advocate for true and faithful Baptist leadership," said Baptist layman Ed Vick of Raleigh, N.C., who, with his wife, Laura Ann, contributed a $125,000 lead gift for the endowmwnt. “Still to this day, Gene’s influence spreads across the state of North Carolina and beyond as a voice for much-cherished and historic Baptist principles, especially freedom.” As a founding member of the ABP board of directors, Puckett championed internships as a way the independent news service could influence future generations of Baptist journalists. ABP will inaugurate the endowment and recognize Puckett’s career during its annual Religious Freedom Award banquet Sept. 11 in Raleigh. Plans call for summer, semester and yearlong internships.

Drug-battler Stone dies. Ted Stone, an evangelist and former drug addict, died near Nashville of undetermined causes July 16 during his fourth walk across America. Stone used the nationwide walks to build up audiences for his victory-over-drugs message. “I used to be a drug addict, but I am no longer a drug addict,” he often said. “I am recovered forever by the grace of God, and that same hope can belong to you or anyone you love.” He started his latest walk June 19 in Chicago and hoped to reach Pensacola, Fla. He spoke at churches along the route and was planning to speak at College Heights Baptist Church in Gallatin, Tenn., when he became unconscious and later was pronounced dead.

LifeWay taps Hill for Glorieta. Hal Hill has been named director of LifeWay Camps and Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, N.M. The facility is owned by LifeWay Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing house. Hill has been national camp manager for LifeWay since 2004. Previously, he was a minister at three churches, staff member of the SBC Brotherhood Commission and the Georgia Baptist Convention and manager of a conference center near Seattle. He also worked for LifeWay in several capacities. He succeeds Steve Grassfield.

Leland Center accredited. The John Leland Center for Theological Studies has received full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools. It offers diploma, master of divinity and master of theological studies classes to about 150 students. Formed by area leaders attending the 1997 Baptist World Alliance meeting, the center emphasizes diversity and a commitment to churches in and near Washington, D.C. It was named to honor the 18th century Baptist Pastor John Leland, who influenced Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in securing religious freedom for U.S. citizens.

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: 7/21/06

Burgi home bubbles with boys
after 1st BCFS adoption

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

DEL RIO—Reply quickly if 6-year-old Robert Burgi asks, “What’s your name?” He’s in a rush to say: “I’m Robert Alesandro Burgi. And my name just changed.”

But the name change isn’t as striking as the change in his life. In fact, the lives of the whole Burgi family—now home to six boys—changed because of Baptist Child & Family Services’ newly licensed adoption program.

Robert and his younger brothers, Joey, 4, and Chris, 3, went to court in May with Ron and Raquel Burgi and three other boys already named Burgi—Joseph, 16, Nathan, 14, and William, 8—for a formal adoption hearing.

aquel Burgi hugs her youngest son, 3-year-old Chris, during a rare sitting- down moment.

It marked a highlight in the couple’s four-year journey to finalize a dream they feel came from God—a trip that began with a fruitless two-year struggle to be approved as foster parents by Texas’ Child Protective Services.

“There were times when we just wanted to quit,” Ron Burgi said.

“Our CPS caseworkers kept changing and one time didn’t even show up to do a scheduled home inspection. We were convinced this was something God wanted us to do, and we wanted to do it with all our hearts. But it seemed we couldn’t get through CPS’s bureaucratic red tape.”

That’s when Bob Lockhart, their pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Del Rio, suggested they contact Baptist Child & Family Services in San Antonio.

“I didn’t know the specifics of the foster program, but I was familiar with BCFS’s work with the STAR (Services to At Risk Youth) program here in Del Rio,” he explained. “Ron and Raquel have a special love for children and wanted so much to adopt that I thought BCFS might help. And they did.”

Ron Burgi and 3-year old Chris hold down the right-hand swing beside (from left) Joey, Robert and William.

Social workers from the Texas Baptist agency conducted the necessary interviews and home studies to certify the couple. Within weeks, they were introduced to Robert, Joey and Chris.

The boys’ new father met them first, because Mom had the flu. But when she saw them, she said, “I wanted to bring them back to Del Rio with me right then.”

It didn’t happen that fast, but within a few weeks, there were three more plates at the Burgi’s dinner table.

“We became foster parents with the goal of adopting,” Mrs. Burgi said. “We looked at foreign adoptions, but we realized that children who needed loving homes were right here in our city. We figured if we were taking care of children when the state terminated the parental rights, we would have a good chance to be allowed to adopt them.”

In late 2004, the three young boys moved into the Burgi’s house and hearts. In May this year, they became available for adoption—just as Baptist Child & Family Services received its license.

“Normally, there is a six-month waiting period, but because they were already foster parents, that was waived,” said Sarah Magill McLornan, adoption coordinator for the Baptist agency.

On May 11, McLornan made the 150-mile drive from San Antonio and conducted the final study the day before the hearing.

“The Burgis are such a great, fun family; their energy level is amazing. This was a great way to start the program, and we already have several families in the process of adopting through BC- FS,” she said.

Ron Burgi has a shoulderful of boy as 4-year-old Joey takes refuge from a water fight in the back yard.

Although Mrs. Burgi is a Del Rio native, her husband considers himself a transplanted and naturalized South Tex-an—and proud of it.

“The Air Force sent me here in 1983, and I just fell in love with the weather and the outdoor sports,” he said. “When I got out, I went back home to Southern California but would come back to Del Rio on vacation to fish. When I heard about a defense contracting job, I applied immediately.”

More significantly, just before returning to Texas, he became a Christian—which led him to meet his future bride. He started visiting churches in Del Rio and first saw her in the singles’ class at Northside Baptist Church. Later, at choir practice, he was impressed “by the way she was keeping up with two lively sons.” They married in November 1996.

William was born a few years later, and, not long after that, Burgi officially adopted Joseph and Nathan.

“We wanted them to be part of the decision,” he explained of the delay.

“But the boys pushed for it harder than he did,” his wife added.

When Mrs. Burgi lost a baby during pregnancy, the couple leaned hard on their faith and the support of their pastor and Northside members—and they started thinking of adoption.

“We don’t use the word ‘step-’ or ‘adopted’ around this house,” Burgi pointed out. “They all know they are loved the same. I feel exactly the same way toward all six—the same amount of love, the same amount of concern and the same amount of irritation.”

During the adoption process the Burgis identified and dealt with three barriers they feel are common to almost all couples considering adoption.

First “is the nagging thought in the back of your head that this child is not genetically yours,” Burgi explained.

“But once a little love leaks out of your heart, you have the revelation that you can love someone who is not related to you.”

The reaction of relatives and friends can reinforce that worry, Mrs. Burgi noted: “We were bluntly asked why we didn’t keep trying to have children of our own. But when people get to know Robert, Joey and Chris and see they truly are our children in every way that counts, most of them fall in love with the boys, too.”

Another barrier is simple fear “that you won’t bond with a child that is genetically dissimilar,” Burgi said.

That is why the Burgis feel being foster parents is a highly beneficial step.

“Foster parents are not obligated to adopt the children they foster,” Burgi pointed out. If the bonding doesn’t occur and the child/children are moved to another placement, “it doesn’t mean you are a failure—it just means the match wasn’t going to work. It is hard, but it is better for everyone involved to learn these things early.”

The final issue is the financial commitment.

“All parents know that the family budget changes dramatically when you start adding children, especially if you do it three at a time,” Burgi said.

“But there is financial assistance available, and people should ask for it. If God has called you to take care of children like this, then he will provide the means to do it.”

Funding comes directly from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, which oversees all state foster care programs.

The department pays a monthly subsidy for foster children who are adopted. It ranges from $400 to $525 per month per child. The children also receive Medicaid insurance until they turn 18 and free tuition at any state university in Texas.

The decision to face those barriers and pursue adoption took on added meaning when Mrs. Burgi’s father became fatally ill several months ago.

“After his doctors placed him in hospice care, he told us that one of the things he was hanging onto life for was to see the day Robert, Joey and Chris were officially ours,” Mrs. Burgi said. “He was thrilled.”

Standing in the back yard as the four younger boys bailed out of swings, chased the dog and sprayed each other with water guns, she took it all in.

“People asked me why we didn’t get girls since we had a choice, but we really didn’t think that was an option,” she noted. “When I gave birth to my older three children, I didn’t have a choice. God decided for me. We thought that God should decide the children we got when we adopted, too. He led us to these boys.

“In fact, that may be one reason it took so long to get to this point. Chris and Joey were both born—and removed from their home—after we applied with CPS to be foster parents. Maybe God was just holding things up because he had picked them out for us.”

For more information about Baptist Child & Family Services foster care and adoption programs, send an e-mail to adoptions@bcfs.net, call (210) 208-5614 or visit www.bcfs.net.

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: 7/21/06

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: 7/21/06

‘Fear of God enables him to fear no man’

By Craig Bird

Special to the Baptist Standard

SAN ANTONIO—A half-dozen Texas Baptist churches heard the voice of the persecuted church recently when Moises Guillen Solis Dominguez challenged them not to forget Christian brothers and sisters in Chiapas, Mexico.

Dominguez spoke at First Baptist Church in Gonzales, First Baptist Church in Lumberton, First Baptist Church in Silsbee, First Baptist Church in Kountze, South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio and Nueva Jerusalem Baptist Church in Houston. He was sponsored by Norvi Mayfield Ministries, which has been working in Chiapas for years.

“It was amazing to meet … a man whose fear of God enables him to fear no man,” said Lori Moody, women’s ministry coordinator at First Baptist Church in Silsbee. “I was overcome with emotion as we surrounded him, laid hands on him and prayed. I believe God is doing a great work through him in Chiapas.”

Members of South San Filadelfia Baptist Church in San Antonio surround Chiapas Mexico pastor Moises Gillen with prayer after hearing his report on the persecution of evangelical Christians in the southern Mexico state. The church also took up a collection to purchase Bibles (for $8 each) in the Mayan dialect spoken in the area.

The southern Mexican state has the highest percentage of evangelical Chris-tians—and the fastest growth rate—in Mexico. Evangelicals there also face the most intense persecution from leaders of the traditional sun-worship religion.

The last assassination of a pastor occurred in 2003, but evangelicals still are evicted from their home villages, their children denied places in school and they even are barred from buying or selling at the local market and cut off from public electric and water supplies.

Dominguez, who became a Christian at age 8 by reading gospel tracts others in his village discarded, began starting churches among the Choles tribe of the Mayan Indians in 1966 as a 15-year-old preacher. In 10 years, he organized 40 congregations that still are alive and growing, he said. He then moved on to other ministries, primarily in Guadalajara, where he and his family worked with street children and people addicted to drugs and alcohol.

But he felt God calling him back to Chiapas, and he returned to the area in 2002 without any church committed to supporting him.

When Pastor Mario Mendez was killed in 2003, Dominguez and his wife journeyed to the mountain village where he had served to provide comfort and support—even raising funds to buy a small cinder block building for the congregation to replace the wooden structure a mob had torched.

“The people begged me not to leave them. They felt other Christians had forgotten them and didn’t care what was happening,” Dominguez said. “So, even though the assassins were—and still are—at large, we agreed to take over Pastor Mendez’s ministry of eight churches.

“Today, we hold monthly training sessions for pastors and other church leaders. Despite the hardship and danger, people are turning to the Lord. Some estimates are that 50 percent of all the Mayans in Chiapas are now evangelical Christians—which is why the resistance is so strong and brutal.”

Norvi Mayfield Ministries is partnering in the training effort.

Mayfield, a Mayan Indian from Honduras who is a member of First Baptist Church in Gonzales, shares Dominguez’s urgency to “reach people and train them.”

“We have children as young as 12 coming and saying, ‘Teach me what the Bible says and what to do, and I will go tell my village the truth of the gospel,’” she said.

Mayan Christians are not afraid to suffer for their faith, she pointed out, but they do fear two things. One is that there will not be solid training available for their children.

“They say, ‘We will be honored to die for Jesus, but we yearn to know that if we fall, there will be others to raise our children in the faith, to give them solid doctrine so they’ll know what to die for, too,’” she explained.

Second, they hunger to know they are prayed for fervently and consistently by Christians in what they call “the free church.”

“When I am returning to Texas, they always beg me: ‘Don’t forget us when you leave. Tell the Christians in America that we can feel the strength of their prayers. And we can feel when they forget to pray.’”

For more information about Dominguez’s work with Norvi Mayfield Ministries, visit www.norvimayfieldministries.org.

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: 7/21/06

Despite the danger, ‘closed’
countries lure Christians

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—As more Baptists serve in “closed” countries, more of them could find themselves in the same situation as the mission team from First Baptist Church of Forney, which was trapped in Lebanon.

But Christians appear to understand the risk and continue seeking these mission opportunities.

In recent years, increasing numbers of missions organizations have begun to help a growing number of Baptists connect with service opportunities where open evangelism is illegal or political upheaval is commonplace. Each episode increases the odds that groups may get caught in harm’s way.

A heightened focus on people groups that have not been reached by the gospel—many of whom live in volatile regions—is leading Christians into politically unstable nations. Many churches are connecting directly with missionaries who work in these areas.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board is targeting unreached people groups. The board sends volunteer groups to work alongside vocational missionaries who minister among the unreached peoples.

The notion of sharing the gospel with people who never have heard it is irresistible to many Christians, observed Stan Parks, international liaison for WorldconneX, a missions network created by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Nearly 40 percent of the world’s people groups do not have a viable church, he said. About 28 percent of all people groups have no access to the gospel.

This month, Texas Christians refocused on the issue of working in closed countries as a group from First Baptist Church in Forney remained trapped in Lebanon while missiles flew overhead.

Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz acknowledged the possible dangers associated with ministering in these situations.

But violence can happen anywhere in the world, as it did with the train bombings in Madrid and London and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon New York City and the Pentagon, he acknowledged.

“I think the whole world is a hot spot,” he said. “We never know what’s going to pop up next.”

Christians seem to understand this concept of universal uncertainty, reported Karen Gilbert, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Global Missions associate coordinator for volunteers and partnerships.

Uncertainty spurs some Christians to service, Gilbert said. They pray about a trip and follow what they feel is God’s calling.

“We are talking to people and say, ‘Lebanon,’ and they say, ‘Sure,’” Gilbert said. “We say, ‘North Africa,’ and they say, ‘We can be there tomorrow.’”

These trip-takers and organizations are trusting God to protect them, but many also are taking precautions. Personnel from the International Mission Board, CBF Global Missions, the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ partnership ministries and WorldconneX help groups form contingency plans in case something goes wrong.

Staff members continuously review these contingency plans to keep them updated and effective. They also monitor the cultural climate in areas where volunteers will work.

They do not encourage Christian believers to take a trip into an area with imminent danger, such in the middle of a war.

These plans outline steps as simple as what to do if a group misses a flight, explained Steve Seaberry director of BGCT partnership missions. But they can be as serious as what to do if someone is taken hostage or the group is trapped.

“Our volunteer-team training includes basic security precautions for any area of the world,” Seaberry said. … We count heavily on local Baptist leaders to help the volunteer team assess any uncertain situation and deal with it appropriately,” he added.

The International Mission Board relies on its field personnel to form contingency plans for themselves and mission groups, spokesperson Wendy Norvelle said.

The probability that mission teams will encounter problems while serving in closed countries has become more acute, since many churches travel in conjunction with direct contacts, Parks said.

“I think most churches don’t realize all the things the agency used to do for them,” he said. “They don’t realize it until they hit a crisis. By then, it’s too late.”

Planning helps make difficult situations the exception in mission work, Gilbert said. Although incidents such as the Forney church’s entrapment in Lebanon gain media exposure, many other groups serve faithfully around the world without any trouble.

“It is the team in Lebanon we will hear about,” Gilbert said. “But how many other teams have been throughout Lebanon this summer and nothing has happened? … You just know good work has happened all summer.”

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: 7/21/06

2nd Opinion: Moderates, evangelicals together

By Ross Shelton

I consider myself both a moderate Baptist and an evangelical Christian. Some people might be surprised to hear these two groups identified together. So, allow me to generalize:

Some Baptists consider themselves moderates, but they look with disdain upon the title “evangelical Christian” because of the controversy that took place in the Southern Baptist Convention during the past 27 years. Evangelical Christians often are thought of primarily in relationship to the Southern Baptist Convention and its leaders. Others would consider themselves evangelical Christians, yet they are uncomfortable with the title “moderate Baptist” because they assume moderates are halfway down the “slippery slope” of liberalism.

I have become increasingly uncomfortable as I have heard these groups speak poorly of each other. Having attended a northern evangelical seminary (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) for one year before transferring and graduating from a moderate Baptist seminary (Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary), I have connected and become close with each group.

What each of these groups values needs to be valued by the other side. While self-ascribing members of each party rarely agree on everything, some fundamental tenants do exist. Evangelical Christians hold fast to the beliefs that the Bible is divinely inspired and authoritative for our life and practice; that the orthodox/historical understanding of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is correct; that people are lost and need to be born again through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit; that those who reject Jesus will experience eternity apart from God; and, finally, that we are to live and speak the gospel locally and globally. Moderate Baptists traditionally have valued soul competency in our relationship with God; the autonomous local church functioning democratically; pastoral leadership arising from the work of God in the midst of the congregation; encouragement to read the Bible for ourselves; and, finally, the imperative of religious liberty functioning as the separation of church and state.

A simple reading of these values would make one wonder why such suspicion exists between these two groups. For whatever reason, though, as these values are lived out among different Christians, a suspicious eye is cast over the other.

Imagine, instead, what it would be like for these two value systems and their strengths to be incorporated together.

For example, many moderate Baptists are uncomfortable with evangelism that focuses solely on repentance, the need to be born again through Christ alone, and the truth that hell awaits the person who rejects Christ. Drawing strength from our evangelical side, we nevertheless do as the Bible teaches and call people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the call to evangelism by some evangelical Christians might create in them the desire to use the mechanisms and finances of government to increase the work of evangelism. Here we find strength in the moderate Baptist value system and their continual and consistent focus on the full expression of the First Amendment and why using government for evangelism actually hurts the cause of evangelism. This is just one of many examples.

What can be so helpful in merging these value systems is they can provide needed accountability to each other. I proudly consider myself an evangelical Christian and moderate Baptist. My prayer is that these two groups move beyond generalizations and caricatures.

This would mean moderate Baptists understand that not all evangelical Christians should be connected with the Southern Baptist Convention and their type of theology and methodology. Evangelicals are not monolithic and do not all align themselves with fundamentalism. Evangelical Christians also would stop viewing the moderate Baptist/Southern Baptist Convention struggle in Texas and the South through the lenses of what took place in the mainline denominations’ evangelical/liberal wars. Moderate Baptists are not liberals who lost control. They are Bible-believing Christians who could not adopt the changes in the Southern Baptist Convention.

Therefore, my hope is that there might be unification between moderate Baptists and evangelical Christians, thereby strengthening our churches and increasing the kingdom of God.

Ross Shelton is pastor of First Baptist Church in Castroville.

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: 7/21/06

DOWN HOME:
Centennial memory; Popo would be 100

Do you think the summer of 1906 was as hot as the summer of 2006? Unless you’re a climatologist studying global warming, you probably don’t care.

But I’ve been thinking about 1906. One of the great events of my life happened that summer. Well, not exactly my life. But something happened that summer that made my life both possible and blessed.

That summer, Leonard Moore popped into this world on a northwestern Oklahoma homestead. He would have celebrated his 100th birthday Aug. 2. He was my mother’s father. We called him Popo.

How do you evaluate the stature of someone 100 years after his birth? Popo never ran a company or accumulated wealth or made the news. But he farmed through the Dust Bowl and survived the Great Depression. He helped rebuild his little town after a devastating tornado. He collected an array of friends. He knew Jesus as his Savior. His family adored him. He lived a successful life.

By the time most of my cousins, siblings and I came along, Popo had the perfect granddad job. He operated the Reading Room in Waynoka, Okla.—sort of a Santa Fe-owned hotel for railroaders, who slept over between trains. Popo and Grammar, our grandmother, lived in an apartment in the Reading Room and worked next door. So, when we were in town, I spent all day every day tagging along with Popo.

Laughter dominates the soundtrack of my memories of Popo. He didn’t tell jokes so much as he saw the humor in the world around him: The way we drank orange soda-pop from small cups and slammed them down on the counter, “cowboy style.” The way fish ate the bait off our hooks. The way his beloved Yankees pummeled the Red Sox. The way a dog chased a cat. And the way the cat chased the dog. Popo appreciated the beauty (a word he never would have chosen) of simple, small-town life.

Popo guided me through some of the best days. Like when he’d get Grammar to mind the Reading Room so he and I could go fishing in the stock tanks outside town. Or after supper, while the light was still good, and we’d play catch. Or in twilight, when we’d go for a ride in the country with the windows rolled down.

I loved Popo with a fervor a little boy—and later a teenager and a young man—could not describe. Mostly, I loved him because I sensed how much he loved me.

When I was grown, I’d call Popo and ask about the fishing. Usually, he didn’t know, because he hadn’t been fishing lately.

Several years after he died, I mentioned this to Grammar—how Popo and I had so much fun fishing, but later he never seemed all that interested. “Well, Honey, he didn’t love fishing,” she explained. “He loved you. Fishing was just an excuse to spend the afternoon with you.”

Now, I’m within two months of the age Popo was when I was born. We haven’t spoken in almost 20 years, since right before he got so sick. What I wouldn’t give to spend another afternoon with Popo.

—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: 7/21/06

EDITORIAL:
'Best person available’ has character

Most Texans, as well as football fans everywhere, remember with fondness the formative years of the Dallas Cowboys, when they developed their persona as America’s Team. (OK, not “football fans everywhere.” Redskins and Eagles fans remember this with fear and trembling.) In those days, Tom Landry and Tex Schramm presided over the Cowboys. One simple principle prompted their gridiron greatness: Draft the best athlete available.

They might have had four terrific offensive linemen, but if the best player on the board was an offensive lineman, they drafted an offensive lineman. They needed a good defensive back, so they drafted the best athlete available—a basketball player who became an All-Pro defensive back. Their team’s victories validated their theory.

The Cowboys’ “best athlete available” principle often comes to mind. No, I’m not bucking for a front-office job with an NFL franchise. But I read papers, watch the news, and listen to people all over Texas and beyond. And whether it’s sports franchises, businesses, civic organizations or churches, the fine line between success and failure consistently parallels this principle. When the successful enterprises add new people, especially leaders, they select the best person available. To the contrary, those that are unsuccessful seem either (a) bound and determined to fill a particular slot a particular way or (b) distracted by superficial qualities that ultimately do not contribute to success.

We could discuss the infinite number of qualities that might define the “best person available” until Jesus comes back. But let me nominate one—character.

Just the other day, a friend and I discussed his business. He’s the kind of guy you value as a friend. He’s caring, outgoing, generous, loyal and funny. He’s got the kind of business you wish you had invested in years ago. Most of all, he’s the kind of Christian you want to be like. He’s faithful to Christ, and he understands that what his pastor preaches in worship and what he and his friends discuss in Bible study matter every day of the week. His faith informs how he treats his employees and customers, and it shapes the decisions he and his partners make as they think about strategies and opportunities for their company, clients and families.

My friend isn’t afraid to search his soul. As we talked about his employees, he acknowledged he had made some mistakes. Business boomed, and they hired rapidly. But “we lost focus,” he said. In their haste, they looked at the business backgrounds of some of their new employees, but they failed to look at the kind of people they were. So, when the talented newcomers began to make decisions and deals that didn’t reflect the values of the partners, painful changes had to be made. I asked my friend what he learned, which I knew he already knew. “Character counts,” he replied without hesitation. “It’s essential. You can’t get away from it.”

Character counts. We know this, but how easily we forget. Enron and WorldComm seem like clichés for appalling hubris and moral failure. Still, we can be certain that, somewhere out there, talented-but-greedy business people are making decisions based solely on dollars and not on decency.

Unfortunately, integrity meltdowns extend beyond business. A recent Washington Post article described how Ralph Reed, former head of the Christian Coalition, lost a commanding lead in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Georgia because his association with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff cast a dark shadow across his campaign. Of course, political scandal is a bipartisan affair. That same article described how Republicans and Democrats alike stand to lose key seats in Congress because their current occupants have failed the character test.

Don’t you wish dishonor were confined only to business tycoons and politicians? Sadly, that’s not the case. The reputations of the church and—worse yet—our Lord Jesus have been stained by dishonorable Christians whose misdeeds undermined their pious words. Conversely, rock-solid integrity has earned many a Christian’s right to speak words of faith and hope to a previously disbelieving audience.

One of the Bible’s greatest stories illustrates the honor of Joseph. His master’s wife tried to seduce him, and they might have gotten away with adultery. Instead, Joseph resisted and unfairly was convicted of rape and thrown in prison. Short-term, things looked bad. Long-term, prisoner Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh, became second-in-command of the nation and saved both Egypt and the Children of Israel from famine. Character counts. God used a person of integrity to perpetuate the family line that eventually birthed Jesus, the Messiah. God rewarded Joseph for his honor, but through that reward, God came to bless the whole world.

When the time comes to choose—or become—the “best person available,” think about one quality. Character.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard.

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: 7/21/06

Texas Baptist Forum

Completeness of 1

I was saddened while reading “Single ministers face multiple hurdles” (July 10).

It reminds me of how dangerous exclusion is within religious groups. Eventually, no one is able to stand the test. What amazes and confuses me is that “we say” we follow and love “a Single Man” and also forget the writer of most of the New Testament was “a single man” and yet will not even allow one to minister to God’s people.

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

“To say that men and women should not inject their ‘personal morality’ into public-policy debates is a practical absurdity. If we progressives shed some of these biases, we might recognize some overlapping values that religious and secular people share.” Barak Obama U.S. Senator (D., Ill.), addressing a conference of about 600 Christian anti-poverty activists (ABP) “I didn't fancy the thought of being handed over to the Inquisition like Galileo.” Stephen Hawking The astrophysicist, who said Pope John Paul II discouraged him from attempting to figure out how the universe began (RNS) “I cannot imagine any development in human history, after the Fall, that has had a greater impact on human beings than the pill. … Prior to it, every time a couple had sex, there was a good chance of pregnancy. Once that is removed, the entire horizon of the sexual act changes. I think there could be no question that the pill gave incredible license to everything from adultery and affairs to premarital sex and within marriage to a separation of the sex act and procreation.” Al Mohler President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (New York Times Magazine/BP)

What are we afraid of? Hmm. … What does that say about us?

One is a whole number too!

Robert Whitfield

Dallas

Comfort with the Spirit

“Prior to my election as president of our Baptist General Convention of Texas last fall, the Holy Spirit repeatedly drew me to a speech given by a Pharisee named Gamaliel,” BGCT President Michael Bell wrote in a 2nd Opinion column (June 12).

Why is this refreshing?

Because leaders and members of most denominations are reluctant to refer to the Holy Spirit in such a factual manner, especially to indicate a personal relationship with him that shows dependence and trust in making decisions and taking action.

The statement about the Holy Spirit is made comfortably and indicates a simple, factual acceptance of him as a person who is involved with us in our daily living and Christian activities.

It has been my feeling for some time, as I have read Baptists and listened to Baptists for over 50 years, that we do not seem to have a mature knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit, nor a comfortable relationship with him.

An unbalanced view of the Holy Spirit is an unbalanced view of the Trinity. An unbalanced view of the Trinity is an unbalanced view of God. The average congregation of most denominations has a lot to learn and experience of the Holy Spirit.

Frank Dearing

Belton

Too many compliments

Bubba Stahl’s letter, “Complement, not compete” (June 26), was not quite clear and needs further explanation. If fighting or arguing among the brethren was the entire gist of the letter, then I agree. We are to love one another and do unto others as we would have them do unto us, whether or not we are wrongfully treated. However, the addition of two words, “another denomination,” confused me as to what he was talking about.

If publicly debating or exposing doctrinal error in other denominations or churches of like faith is the point, I have to disagree. Are they competition? In some ways, they most certainly are. I would never compliment or condone another denomination that I don’t completely agree with. This is one of the greatest problems with the Baptist faith today, and too much complimenting of error has gone on, and the truth, even in our own ranks, has been compromised.

When one condones or compliments other denominations, it sends mixed messages to the hearers. Right is right and wrong is wrong, and when a denomination preaches and teaches the wrong, in light of Scripture, it needs to be addressed.

The Bible teaches us not to have part with erring brethren, even though they may be a child of God.

Cordial, yes, complimentary, no!

Davy R. Hobson

Grapeland

What do you think? Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: P.O. Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267; or by e-mail: marvknox@baptiststandard.com.

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: 7/21/06

On the Move

• Rusty Arrington to Calvary Church in Pilot Point as youth minister.

• Roberto Arrubla has resigned as pastor of Iglesia Nuevo Amanecer in Cleburne.

• Roger Ashley to Parkview Church in Littlefield as pastor from Rocky Ford Church in Amherst.

• Gene BoBo to New Colony Church in Linden as minister of music.

• Dick Carroll has resigned as pastor of Pond Springs Church in Austin to become a teacher in Korea with Global Vision Christian School.

• Craig Curry to First Church in Cisco as pastor.

• J.L. Edwards to First Shiloh Church in Thrall as interim pastor.

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

• Josh Fuentes to Live Oak First Church in San Antonio as minister of youth.

• Corey Grays to Galilee Church in San Angelo as pastor.

• Jack Hall to Faith Community at Jonah in Georgetown as pastor.

• George Harris to First Church in Kerrville as pastor.

• Jim Haskell to Brookwood Church in Birmingham, Ala., as pastor from First Church in Georgetown.

• Lyndale Holloway has resigned as minister to students at First Church in Round Rock.

• Billy Irions to Central Church in Wichita Falls as pastor.

• David Johnson to First Church in Midland as associate pastor for pastoral care from First Church in Taylor, where he was pastor.

• Pat Kelly to New River Fellowship in Hudson Oaks as teaching pastor from Weatherford College, where he was Baptist Student Ministries director.

• Carl Lane to Plainview Church in Krum as pastor.

• Joe Lopez to First Church in Lolita as youth minister.

• Jennifer Madding to First Church in Paris as director of family life activities.

• Randy Moore has resigned as pastor of First Church in Weir.

• Jimmie Neel to Nolan River Road Church in Cleburne as minister of youth from Marshall Road Church in Jackson, Ark., where he was pastoral intern.

• Andy Pittman to First Church in Lufkin as pastor from First Church in Woodway, where he was associate pastor/minister to college students.

• Byron Potter to First Church in Olton as youth minister.

• John Scoggins to Levita Church in Gatesville as pastor.

• Paul Smith to Shenandoah Church in Cedar Park as interim music minister.

• Richard Worden to First Church in Granger as pastor.

• Craig Yates to First Church in Wimberley as student pastor from Greenwood Church in Midland, where he was minister of youth/education.

• Janice Young to College Avenue Church in McGregor as minister of music, where she had been interim.

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.