Posted: 6/15/06

Welch: SBC will baptize a million in a year

By Steve DeVane

Biblical Recorder

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch guaranteed Southern Baptists will meet his goal of baptizing a million people in a year. He just didn’t say what year.

In his final address to the SBC annual meeting as president, Welch said some people have claimed he called the convention to try to do the impossible.

“We will baptize a million in a year,” he said. “I don’t know if it’ll be this year.”

The goal might be reached this year if Southern Baptists get to work in the last three and a half months of the SBC’s fiscal year, he asserted.

The SBC annual meeting focused on the theme of “Everyone can — I’m it.”

Welch, using the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 as recorded in John’s Gospel, said God is calling for more from Southern Baptists.

Welch talked of how Jesus was eying the crowd looking for people who might be saved.

“We must rediscover our confidence in the power of God’s gospel,” he said.

Christians shouldn’t have to invite their friends to a meeting or get them to read a book if they believe in the power of the gospel to radically change lives, Welch said.

“You can win them on the spot,” he said.

Welch said he had asked missionaries what the hardest part of their jobs are, expecting to hear about the distance from home or separation from families. Instead, the missionaries talk about the pain of having so little resources that they have to keep saying no to reaching people who are ready to say yes to the gospel.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m telling you today, that ought not be true,” Welch said.

Two things are critical for Southern Baptists—their theology of evangelism and how they apply it, Welch asserted.

“We have to do more going and giving,” he said.

Welch said Southern Baptists get the “best bounce for their buck” through the Cooperative Program. Through the unified giving plan, Baptists are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, he said.

Referencing recent talk of whether churches should give at least 10 percent to CP, Welch asked Southern Baptists to instead focus on what they agreed about in the program.

“All have agreed we should do more and we should do more and we can do more and we will do more,” he said.

When Jesus fed the multitude, all God needed was a lad, Welch noted.

“I wonder where all the men were?” he said. “There were 5,000 of them hanging around there.”

Maybe all the men were trying to figure out how to get to the leadership table—or perhaps were trying to figure out how to keep others from the table, he suggested.

If Southern Baptists would spend less time blogging on websites, maybe they’d spend more time witnessing, Welch said. He quickly added that if anyone was happy that he’d criticized bloggers, they should think about how much time they spend with their cell phone in their ear.

Welch mentioned a sermon he gave at last year’s SBC meeting in which he used a dead frog as an illustration. Welch said the frog was run over by a car because it wasn’t in deep water where he was supposed to be.

Just after mentioning the sermon, Welch turned around and was handed a live frog. He pointed out how the frog’s long legs allowed him to jump far.

Welch then pointed out the difference between one frog’s croak and the croaking of a multitude of frogs.

“This convention needs to come together on the main thing,” he said.

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.

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: 6/13/06

WMU report emphasizes stewardship, missions

By Charlie Warren

Arkansas Baptist

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Woman’s Missionary Union Executive Director Wanda Lee and Kaye Miller of Little Rock, Ark., national WMU president, reported to Southern Baptist Convention messengers about the stewardship, mission education and hands-on mission experiences of WMU.

They thanked the convention for making missions a priority and reported that Southern Baptists gave $138 million to the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions and $53 million to the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions.

Lee also noted WMU’s strong promotion of the Cooperative Program.

“We have a strong emphasis on stewardship at all age levels,” she said.

Miller noted that a recent study showed that per capita giving is significantly stronger in churches that have WMU organizations.

The WMU leaders also noted the organization’s ongoing role in mission education and in hands-on mission opportunities for girls and women.

They noted that undated missions curriculum is now downloadable on the WMU website.

They reported that 10 FamilyFests and 17 MissionsFests, hands-on mission and ministry opportunities sponsored by WMU, state WMU organizations and local associations, have resulted in participation by more than 4,000 volunteers.

Women and girls “experience missions through action, being the hands and feet of Christ,” Miller said.

They announced “Blume,” a convention for teenage through college-age girls, which will meet July 10-13, 2007, in Kansas City. The event will include sports and fun activities, hands-on mission projects, concerts, worship and celebration of missions.

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: 6/14/06

Church founded by Lottie Moon gets new building

PINGDU, CHINA (ABP)—A vibrant congregation founded by Lottie Moon, the famous Baptist missionary to China, has moved out of the crumbling temple it used as a meeting place, thanks to a church located thousands of miles away.

The partnership with Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., lets members of Meng En Christian Church have room to stretch their legs and invite their friends. The original Pingdu building was made to hold 150 people, but services often included more than 500 people. The building was assigned by the government after Christians resumed public worship in 1987, and hundreds crowded into nearby alleys during services at the decrepit temple.

Now, the new building for Meng En Christian Church officially seats 1,500, though nearly 2,500 people crowded into dedication services May 3. A delegation from Mountain Brook attended the services, making them meaningful for both congregations.

Catherine Allen, a Mountain Brook deacon who documented the historic Pingdu story in her book The New Lottie Moon Story, was one of the visitors. Allen and her husband, Lee, have visited Pingdu regularly since 1987. They now lead teams from Mountain Brook to visit the Chinese sister church, which sits in the interior Shandong Province.

“On each visit, we have found the Lottie Moon legacy alive and fruitful,” she said. “Church life today is distinctly Chinese, but the mission heritage is appreciated. The Christians and local officials have been happy to see us. It is touching to exchange hugs with elderly Christians who remember American friends from long ago, and it is inspiring to see young families and many children.”

The first project the Alabama church did with the Pingdu Christians was to provide a motorcycle for the church’s pastors in 1997. In a city where space is a luxury, motorcycles provided an efficient and effective mode of transport for pastors on their daily calls. After the initial contact, a delegation from Pingdu and from the Qingdao Christian Council accepted Mountain Brook’s invitation to visit the United States in 2000. From that meeting, building plans for a new Pingdu church began in earnest.

“We were enlarging our own building in Birmingham, and we felt we could help our brothers and sisters in Pingdu to enlarge their situation too,” said Jim Moebes, who has pastored the congregation 35 years.

With $150,000 in funding from Mountain Brook, the Chinese Christians negotiated with the Pingdu government for an optimal building site. The Chinese raised money by donating wedding jewelry and other valuables, and neighboring Christians helped. In the states, churches from California, Texas and Georgia heard about the project and directed offerings to a special fund held by Mountain Brook.

When it came to the partnership, they said, members of Mountain Brook felt like they had a duty to the mission Moon started in the late 1880s. Moon was one of the first women of any Christian group to set up a mission station inland, away from protections available in port cities. Pingdu was a four-day journey by mule from her regular station in the coastal town, which is known today as Penglai. Moon was the only foreigner in the region, and she gained acceptance by adopting the Chinese lifestyle in minute detail.

“We picked up work that Lottie Moon left,” said Alvin Pelton, an associate pastor at Mountain Brook.

Used to spending much of its budget on missions, the Birmingham church directs most of its giving to personal development projects and to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Ron and Ina Winstead, CBF representatives in China, served as Mountain Brook’s liaisons with the Chinese Christian leaders, accompanying Mountain Brook groups on each visit to Pingdu.

Lynn Yarbrough, an Amity Foundation teacher who represents Virginia Baptists in China, has also assisted with interpretation on Pingu trips.

Moebes said the help from CBF staff members led to even more excitement for Christians in China. The design and scope of the new building were created entirely by the Chinese congregation, he said, and it was bigger and more ambitions than their American counterparts had expected. A large historical marker erected in the small park on the church property tells about the cooperation of the government, the contribution of more than 1 million renimbi (Chinese currency) by Mountain Brook, and the help of the Qingdao Christian Council. The American contribution was a little less than one-half of the total cost.

Despite the grandeur of the new building, Pingdu congregants plan to keep their old building in the heart of the city, as it will come in handy for a central meeting place and auxiliary site for church events. Covering a rural area and city of 1.3 million people, participants in Pingu’s protestant church often meet in small buildings or homes with leadership of laypersons until one of the pastors or evangelists is able to visit via motorcycle. On holidays and for special preaching services, all come together in the city.

Pastor Wang Xia is a fourth-generation Christian whose ancestors were among the earliest Christians in Pingdu. She became the Pingdu church’s pastor in 1994, and along with her pastoral associates Sun Mei and Zhang Xi Hua, Wang leads eight congregations at more than two dozen meeting points across a 30-mile radius.

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: 6/14/06

Fish accentuates positive
in NAMB report to SBC

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

GREENSBORO (ABP)—After a rough spring, the new leader of the Southern Baptist Convention’s domestic missionary agency tried to accentuate the positive in his annual report to the Southern Baptist Convention.

Roy Fish, just-named interim president of the North American Mission Board, told messengers that, although the board has experienced some “extremely difficult days” recently, “this past year has been one where our missionaries…have made a tremendous impact in the lives of thousands of people.”

Just days prior to the convention, Fish was named as temporary replacement for Robert Reccord, who resigned April 17 in the wake of a trustee investigation that found evidence of significant mismanagement at the mission board.

Several reports of excessive spending, heavy-handed treatment of employees and other difficulties at the Alpharetta, Ga.-based board had earlier been publicized in Georgia Baptists’ Christian Index newspaper.

“Through it all, your trustees have sought to be transparent with our SBC family about where we are, and where we’re headed,” said Fish, a retired evangelism professor from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Fish particularly pointed to thousands of baptisms performed in the past year by NAMB-endorsed chaplains in the armed forces and hospitals.

That prompted a question from a messenger related to a recent controversy at the denomination’s other missionary agency, the International Mission Board. Its leaders recently decided to tighten the restrictions on baptism qualifications for missionary candidates.

“Does the North American Mission Board have, or do you plan to have a response to IMB regarding those baptisms, because what the IMB has done is effectively told you that every single one of those chaplain baptisms that were performed…are now null and void should one of those officials at some point later on decide to go to the international mission field,” said William Blosch, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Plantation, Fla.

“I can tell you that we do not have such a policy…nor do we intend, as far as I’m aware, to entertain that sort of policy,” answered Bill Curtis, the board’s newly elected chairman. Curtis is pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Florence, S.C.

Messengers then heard reports from two NAMB missionaries touting the board’s work in two metropolitan areas that have often proven difficult for Southern Baptist mission work—New York City and New Orleans.

“Contrary to what you might hear on the news or contrary to what you might see on television, God is alive and well in New York City,” said Aaron Coe, a NAMB church planter who has stared The Gallery, a church in the SoHo part of lower Manhattan. The congregation’s goal is to reach out to a neighborhood of well-educated artists and professionals who are immersed in a highly secular culture.

“I’m convinced tonight more than any other thing that there are no God-forsaken places in the world tonight,” Coe said. “There are no God-forsaken places; there are just church-forsaken places.”

Missionary Kay Bennett thanked Southern Baptists for the dollars and volunteer hours they have provided in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of her New Orleans. Bennett runs the city’s Baptist Friendship House, located adjacent to the flood-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward.

When Bennett first returned to the city after the storm she said, she rejoiced when she saw that floodwaters stopped a block away from the Friendship House.

“I will tell you that all four of our Baptist centers in New Orleans did not receive any flooding,” she said. “God knew that we would need Southern Baptists to help our city rebuild.”

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: 6/14/06

'Everyone Can' messages challenge
Southern Baptists to evangelize

By Lonnie Wilkey

Baptist and Reflector

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Southern Baptists should “turn the world upside down” through evangelistic efforts, speakers told the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.

Four Southern Baptist pastors exhorted messengers to rally around SBC President Bobby Welch’s “Everyone Can, I’m It” goal—baptizing 1 million new Christians between October 2005 and September 2006.

Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, thanked Southern Baptists for their support following Hurricane Katrina last year.

“We have a long, long way to go,” Luter said, noting that his congregation has still not returned to its facilities. “Continue to pray with us and for us that God will use us in a mighty way.”

Luter recalled his first thoughts when he heard Welch’s “Everyone Can” challenge: “How in the world are we going to do that? It is such a monumental challenge.”

Taking his text from Acts 1, Luter said Southern Baptists could learn from the story of a small band of early Christians who “turned their world upside down” for Christ and did it it “not just in their Jerusalem, not just in Judea, not just in Samaria, but they did it to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Furthermore, they did it without the resources and advantages Southern Baptists have today, Luter added.

The early church turned their world upside down because they were empowered by God with a new purpose and a new power, he observed.

Southern Baptists also will turn their world “upside down” when they are empowered by God, he added.

“We must be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will give us new power that will enable us to evangelize and to witness and to win the lost,” Luter said.

David Cox, Welch’s co-pastor and chosen successor at First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla., observed that one thing missing from Southern Baptist life today is a “the concept of Christian love—loving one another and loving sinners.”

Jesus Christ came into the world to seek and save the lost, Cox stressed. And just as Jesus showed his love on the cross, “we are going to have to demonstrate our love to a lost and dying world.

“They are not going to be impressed with our steeples and our sanctuaries,” he said. “Most of the people where I am from are not going to come to church unless I go to them, take them by the hand, demonstrate the love of Christ, and show them that Jesus died for them. That is the bottom line.”

 Cox encouraged Southern Baptists to follow the example of Matthew, a tax collector, who “gave up all that was dear to him to follow Jesus.”

He also challenged Southern Baptists to follow the lead of Jesus who visited and fellowshipped with sinners. Southern Baptists “will never impact a lost world hanging out in Baptist or Christian circles. If you are not interacting or mingling with lost people something is wrong with your faith,” Cox said.

The gospel is clear, he said. “Jesus Christ is a friend of sinners and if we are going to win them we have to go where they are.”

Gene Mims, pastor of Judson Baptist Church, Nashville, noted that while Southern Baptists have been called to evangelism and personal soul winning it is easy to lose focus at times.

He observed that the personalization of the Great Commission is the call of the 21st century.

“This is the time, the place, and the hour to personalize the Great Commission and ask not what is God going to do through your church or what he is going to do through the denomination, but what is God going to do through me life and where will he send me in order that I might win some,” Mims said.

The Apostle Paul began the task of reaching the world for Christ, he said, and Christians today can complete it.

“We have the right doctrine, the money, the resources. We know where everybody in the world is and we have already identified those who have not heard,” he said.

“Today we have everything we need to win this world to Christ or at least to evangelize the last person on this earth with the gospel.”

The danger lies in losing focus, Mims warned. “Sometimes we can lose our focus if we are not careful. We want to think about other things.”

Stressing that he did not want to be misunderstood, Mims said other standards sometimes are placed ahead of Jesus and the gospel. “I believe we are in danger of putting up a gold standard if we are not careful where we tell people you have to pay to play in the Southern Baptist Convention. That is not cooperation. It has nothing to do with cooperation. … Our focus needs to be on people who are lost and dying and are going to hell.”

James Walker, pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church, Arden, N.C., said fishing for men is the “family business” of Southern Baptists. But while many churches are “fishing industry franchises,” they have lost interest in fishing. “They have forgotten what they are supposed to be doing. They have forgotten their purpose,” he said.

These churches talk about fishing, they teach about it and they preach about it, but they do not fish, Walker said.

“They haven’t thrown a hook in the water or tried to draw in the net in years,” he said.

“Occasionally a fish will jump into the boat and everyone gets all excited. Perhaps someone needs to tell these churches they are out of business. They just don’t know it.”

Walker cited statistics from Thom Rainer, now president of LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville. In 2003, 82 percent of all Southern Baptist Convention churches baptized 12 people or less that year, Rainer reported, which means Southern Baptists are reaching no more people today than they did in 1950.

Walker also noted Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, once observed that less than 4 percent of born again Christians have never shared their faith with another person. “Can that be true of Southern Baptists?” Walker asked.

He encouraged Southern Baptists to follow the example of Jesus who came to seek and to save the lost. “If that was his business, shouldn’t that be ours?”

Jesus was a fisherman, and he passed the “family business” on to his disciples and the church, he continued. But some churches get distracted from fishing by programs, music or anything else that keeps members  from reaching people for Christ, Walker said.

He encouraged Southern Baptists to be “live bait” for Jesus Christ. “If Jesus Christ has made a difference in your life, then for goodness sakes, tell someone. What are you ashamed of?”

People can argue with someone’s doctrine or theology, but they can’t argue about a changed life.

Cox also encouraged churches to work together in the area of evangelism and to “draw in the nets” in their communities and associations.

“God will bless what you’re doing if you are doing what he is blessing.”

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: 6/14/06

S.C. pastor calls Southern
Baptist ‘fat-cats’ to action

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP)—The Southern Baptist Convention cannot afford to rest at ease as a “cushy denomination” of lazy church members, Donald Wilton told the group’s annual meeting.

“We are fat-cats,” said Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Churchin Spartanburg, S.C. “Just look at us.

Wilton delivered the annual convention sermon soon after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to the assembly. He told the Southern Baptist gathering he greatly admired Rice, but he also reminded them they owed ultimate allegiance to God alone.

“I’m going to submit to you that as believers in Christ Jesus, we are not even of America,” Wilton declared. “We march according to a different drumbeat. Ours is not the Constitution of America; ours is the constitution of the Almighty God.”

To that end, Wilton said, God is most pleased when his people depend on his grace. He used the example of King Solomon’s work on the Jerusalem temple to illustrate that point, claiming four main issues in Solomon’s work directly relate to Southern Baptists today.

“The Bible tells us we can ask of the Lord, and he’ll give to us,” Wilton said. “Southern Baptists, I mean to submit to you today that it’s time for us to wake up as a denomination. It’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work and become the soul- winners that we claim to be. God has given us our marching orders.”

Wilton told the group that nothing more important exists than unobstructed access to the “heart of God himself.” To gain that access, Southern Baptists have “serious forgiving” to do between leaders, pastors, and congregants, he asserted.

And time weighs heavy on the work toward that unobstructed access, Wilton added.

“We’ve accomplished great things, not just with regard to people, but with regard to ourselves,” he said. “We are one cushy denomination. The issue of unlimited time is something we need to sit up and take note of. I do not believe we have unlimited time.”

Ask for God’s presence to do work in the limited time he provides, Wilton said, Southern

Baptists must remember that they, like Solomon, have experienced “God’s undeserved presence.”

Wilton described his work with renowned evangelist Billy Graham and told how much Graham’s humility impressed him. Leaders need to have humble hearts and be willing to listen, he insisted.

“Some of us have become so important we strut even while we’re sitting down,” he said.

Should Southern Baptists forget to humble themselves before Christ, Wilton said, they’ll face the consequences of “unapologetic warnings” issued from God. Solomon faced the same warnings.

Planning for the future has value, but Baptists must carefully adhere to God’s command or face the consequences—such as the lack of a new generation of believers, he said.

“It’s all very well for us to make decisions for us today for the future, but we must ask God to … visit the generations of the future,” he said. God said, “Be careful, because if you don’t, I will cut you off,” Wilton warned.

Many conflicts in church today center around three points, Wilton said, and church policies should not be built on any of them—confusion about absolute truth, matters of personal conviction and matters of personal preference.

For all the warning, Wilton said, the good news is that potentially dire conditions can leave believers to look to Christ for leadership.

“I submit to you today, my beloved friends, that it leaves us where we need to be—right there at the foot of the cross,” he said.

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: 6/14/06

New SBC president an inerrantist,
but he’s ‘just not mad about it’

By Steve DeVane

Biblical Recorder

GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP)—Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page assured reporters he may be more moderate in tone than some denominational leaders, but he’s no less theologically conservative than other recently elected presidents.

“I do not believe the convention elected me to somehow undo the conservative resurgence,” Page said. “That’s not who I am and that’s not what they want.”

Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., said he has supported the conservative shift in the SBC and was an inerrantist before he knew what it meant.

“I believe in the Word of God,” he said. “I’m just not mad about it.”

Page won a three-way race for the president of the SBC, defeating two candidates endorsed by the leaders of the inerrantist movement that has controlled the SBC for 27 years.

While most observers said Page’s election—two blocks from where he grew up in Greensboro, N.C.—represents a shift to a more open and inclusive SBC, Page indicated his appointments to leadership positions won’t be much different.

In a press conference just after the election, Page said he will have four criteria in selecting people for SBC leadership positions—a sweet spirit, an evangelistic heart, belief in the integrity of the word of God and support for the Cooperative Program, the SBC’s unified budget.

Page said that he doesn’t oppose those who currently serve in SBC positions, but believes that the same people shouldn’t hold posts year after year.

“I’m not talking about a revolution,” he said. “I’m not talking about cleaning house.”

Page insisted his election was not about him. Instead, Southern Baptists sent a message that they believe they can do more together than apart and that they want to broaden involvement in the causes of evangelism and missions, he said.

“I think this is a strong call from our people,” he said.

Baptist “bloggers,” who write online commentaries about Baptist issues, played a role in his election, Page acknowledged. While the number of bloggers is small, a large number of Southern Baptist leaders read them, he said.

“I believe they played a role beyond their number,” he said. “I would say they’re a growing force and phenomenon in denominational life.”

Page believe his election signals that arrival of a different tone among Southern Baptists, one that echoes a deep appreciation of the past but also realizes that the future landscape has changed.

“I do think it’s a defining moment,” he said. “I think it’s a turning point.”

Page said he has told some younger leaders who are playing a larger role in Southern Baptist life that they need to realize that just because they demand something doesn’t mean that they deserve it.

Regarding controversies at the two Southern Baptist mission boards, Page said the president has only a limited role to play. But, he said, he’d be willing to give encouragement and advice to the trustee boards that have authority for the agencies.

Page said the SBC annual meeting in the Greensboro Coliseum is near where he spent his early years He was born in Robbins and became a Christian at Southside Baptist Church in Greensboro.

Page attended Gardner-Webb University and also served as pastor of Lafayette Baptist Church in Fayetteville in the 1980s.

“This is home for me,” he said.

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: 6/14/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for June 25

Qualifications for elder, deacon enumerated

• 1 Timothy 3:1-13

By Joseph Matos

Dallas Baptist University, Dallas

In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Paul identifies the qualifications for the offices of bishop (a term that could translated “overseer” and an office also referred to as “elder”) and deacons. Much to our disappointment, Paul does not delineate the specific tasks of these offices. He does outline important qualifications for those who seek such positions. As clear as these are, we still have questions about what Paul meant in a couple of places.

Overseers (3:1-7)

Paul introduces this section with his second “trustworthy saying” (see 1:15). Paul’s recitation of this saying may be to alleviate negative feelings about this position brought on by problem of false teachers. Paul says the office of overseer is “a good work.” In other words: “Don’t let anyone deter you from becoming an overseer simply because there are poor examples.”

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Similarly, today, there is corruption in some pulpits and on television. Both the world and believers make the mistake of equating bad individuals with the position itself.

Paul affirms the position of overseer/elder. According to Paul, the way to elevate or correct people’s perceptions about overseers is to identify and select people who are “above reproach.”

Alongside that affirmation, then, Paul supplies Timothy with a list of qualifications for candidates for overseer. Again, though we only have one side of the conversation between Paul and Timothy, it appears Paul’s list serves as a corrective against false teachers. The list is quite extensive, focusing on the need for the overseer to be a faithful husband and responsible father, to demonstrate spiritual maturity, to live a consistent life and to have a good reputation (literally, “have a good witness”) among “outsiders.”

Many of the qualities Paul identifies are self-explanatory. They are characteristics that will restore a good name to the role of overseer.

But even today churches struggle with the meaning of “husband of one wife” (v. 2). The phrase is literally “one-woman man.” Does this mean an overseer can’t be single or cannot have been married more than once? Churches have rejected candidates for the pastorate for both reasons. What about those who were divorced and remarried before becoming a Christian? The questions and scenarios can be multiplied.

As Baptists, we believe the local church is autonomous in establishing guidelines for candidates for pastor. Yet, churches claim the authority of Scripture in determining those guidelines and cite this passage in support of them. Therefore, churches need to review Paul’s words carefully, and not read into the text their own understanding.

Paul likely is responding to an aversion to marriage on one hand and sexual immorality on the other. The call to a “one-woman man” is an affirmation of the marriage relationship, alongside a call to fidelity.

Churches should look closely at each candidate on an individual basis and make their decision consistent with Paul’s intent. Paul was single (1 Corinthians 7:8) but may have been married at one time. Paul himself might be excluded from some churches based on their interpretation of this passage.

Deacons (3:8-13)

Paul turns his attention next to deacons. His list of qualities for deacons overlaps in many places with those of overseers. In addition to these, deacons are to be “worthy of respect.” This phrase could be variously translated as “serious, of good character, honorable, worthy, respectable.”

Next, they are to be “sincere.” This really is stated as a negative in the original. Deacons are not to be “double-tongued” or “insincere.” It is a matter of integrity.

Interpreters point out the omission of “being hospitable” and “able to teach,” found in the qualities of overseers, offers a clue as to the distinction between the roles of overseers and deacons. Such may be the case. The word “deacon” means servant and suggests one who lends support. Still, this does not excuse a deacon from keeping hold “to the deep truths of the faith” and being examined (vv. 9-10). Deacons, then, are to hold to sound doctrine and their lives are to be clear of any objectionable character or behavior issues.

Verse 11 continues to raise questions among interpreters. Oh, that we could have Paul here today in order to clear up the ambiguities of his teachings and tell us which comments are to be applied universally and which require us to derive the universal principle from a specific situation. As in 1 Timothy 2:9-15, 3:11 here presents us with difficulties.

Paul describes the characteristics of “women.” But by this, does he mean deacons’ wives, women deacons or simply women helpers? Each interpretation has its supporters. The repetition of “likewise” seems to indicate a new category of worker, women workers. It could mean “woman deacon.”

In Romans 16:1, Paul called Phoebe a “deacon” (translated “servant” by the NIV). It is the same word as used in verse 8 of the present passage. Still, a return to “deacons” and their marital status (“one-woman man”) seems awkward. Why interrupt the list of qualities of a deacon with a reference to “women?”

Perhaps, Paul is giving us an “oh, by the way” moment, whereby he addresses the women workers while it is on his mind. The current situation must continue to be on our minds (chapter 2). Paul holds these women, whatever their exact role, to a very high standard. The women are to be “worthy of respect” (like deacons), “temperate” (like overseers), and “trustworthy in everything.”

A reward awaits those who serve faithfully (v. 13).

Discussion questions

• How many leaders (pastors and deacons) can honestly say they meet the qualifications of Paul’s lists?

• If you are a pastor or deacon, what area do you need to work on?

• What part do churches play in ensuring they call only those who fit these descriptions?

• In verse 11, does Paul refer to deacon’s wives, women deacons or women workers in general? What is the basis of your answer?

• Do people at times have good reason to look suspiciously on those in ministry?

• How can we restore the good name of the ministry in the eyes of those who view it as corrupt?

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: 6/14/06

Family Bible Series for June 25

A strong commitment to Christ is vital

• 2 Timothy 1:3-8, 13-14; 2:1-7

By Greg Ammons

First Baptist Church, Garland

The legendary Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys 28 seasons. He was highly successful at each level of his professional career. He led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories, five other championship titles and ended with 250 career victories as head coach.

However, Tom Landry was successful off the field, as well. He was known as a strong believer in Jesus Christ. He often said the placement of his priorities attributed to his success. Landry said frequently, “Jesus Christ is first in my life, my family is second and football is third.”

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During the month of June, we are looking at godly men of faith from Scripture. In this week’s lesson, Timothy is used as a wonderful example of putting Christ first. From his example, we see what we should do when tempted to turn from placing Christ first.

Recall your commitment to God (2 Timothy 1:3-7)

Timothy was a native of Lystra. His father was Greek, and his mother was a Jewish Christian (Acts 16:1). From early childhood, Timothy had been taught Old Testament Scripture. It is possible the Apostle Paul led Timothy to faith in Christ during his first visit to Lystra. On Paul’s second missionary journey, he invited Timothy to join him in his travels.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he mentioned Timothy’s commitment to God. The apostle reminded the young servant of his commitment to God from a young age. Such a commitment was in Timothy’s family—first in his grandmother Lois and then his mother Eunice (v. 5). Paul encouraged Timothy to stand firm in this commitment by stirring up his spiritual gift (v. 6) and operating in the power of the Spirit (v. 7).

A strong commitment to Christ is vital in order for God to accomplish all he desires through you.

Fritz Kreisler was an Austrian-born composer and gifted violinist. After a particularly moving concert, an adoring fan told him, “I would give my entire life to play as beautifully as you.” Kreisler told the fan, “I did.”

Sacrifice and commitment are important virtues for the believer in order to please God. Recall your commitment to Christ as you place him first in your life.

Watch out for detours (2 Timothy 1:8; 13-14)

It is quite possible Timothy served as pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul warned the young pastor there would be detours on the road of faithfulness. Paul encouraged Timothy to “join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (v. 8). Timothy was urged to hold fast to the sound doctrine imparted to him (v. 13). Paul implored Timothy to “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to him” (v. 14). There would be many challenges to his faith, but Timothy was to prove faithful in the midst of each of them.

It is estimated more than 320 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home this summer. As they do so, they will face detours on their journeys. Detours can be frustrating as you try to make progress. Delays and altered routes often add to the confusion as you try to get from one place to another.

Spiritually, it is much the same. Today, believers in Christ must watch out for many detours which threaten to derail their faith. Misplaced priorities will detour a believer’s faithfulness and lead to confusion and frustration. The wise believer will identify potential detours on their spiritual journey and commit to keeping these from derailing their faithfulness.

Stay focused on God’s work (2 Timothy 2:1-7)

Paul admonished Timothy to keep his primary focus on kingdom work. He told the young pastor to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 1). Timothy was told to entrust sound doctrine to reliable men who will be able to teach others (v. 2). He also was encouraged to “endure hardness … like a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (v. 3).

Paul further exhorted Timothy, by using both athletic and agricultural analogies, to focus on God’s work. He told Timothy to have the dedication of an athlete competing for a prize (v. 5) and the dedication of a hardworking farmer harvesting a crop (v. 6). Timothy was to have the single focus of God’s kingdom and its advance.

C.T. Studd was a famous athlete in his home country. He competed on the English cricket team in the late 1800s. During a revival meeting led by D.L. Moody, Studd gave his life to Christ and his priorities changed. Studd gave up his athletic pursuits and vast wealth to go as a missionary to Africa. Later, he established the effective Heart of Africa Mission. Studd once commented, “If Jesus Christ be God and truly died for my sins, then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for him.”

Studd understood the priority for any believer must be the kingdom of God. We must stay focused on work in this kingdom and prove faithful. True faith must keep God first at all times.

Discussion questions

• Describe the details of your initial commitment to Christ.

• Which areas of life tempt you to detour from your commitment?

• As you evaluate your activities, would you say you are totally focused on God’s work?

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: 6/14/06

Explore the Bible Series for June 25

God is present even in his absence

• Job 22:1-28:28

By James Adair

Baptist University of the Americas, San Antonio

The cycle of speeches between Job and his friends comes to an end in this week’s lesson. After this, we only hear from Job, the enigmatic figure Elihu and, finally, from God. There are some difficulties in figuring out who is saying what in these chapters, perhaps because of some ancient textual problems that affected the transmission of this section of the book.

Bildad’s speech in 25:1-6 is unusually short, but the words attributed to Job in 26:5-14 sound like the logical conclusion to Bildad’s discourse, so many scholars—and some modern translations of the Bible—rearrange the text, joining 26:5-14 to the rest of Bildad’s words, and moving 26:1-4 after verse 14.

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Another problem with this third cycle of speeches is that Zophar does not seem to speak at all. However, 27:7-23 sounds much more like his friends’ words of traditional wisdom than Job’s usual point of view, so many scholars think these verses may be part of a lost speech of Zophar. Another alternative is that Job simply is quoting the sentiments of one of his friends here, without agreeing with them.

As in the previous cycles of speeches, Job maintains his innocence, while his friends insist he must have done something wrong, otherwise God would not be inflicting such punishment on him.

Job 22:2-3

In various ancient Near Eastern creation myths, the gods created humans in order to free themselves of the drudgery of working the earth and so people could offer savory sacrifices to them. It was not that the gods really needed people around; it was they just wanted them to make their lives a little easier.

The first question in the 1647 Westminster Larger Catechism, the official document for instructing people in the Presbyterian faith, asks: “What is the chief and highest end of man?” The answer is: “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.”

A similar sentiment is expressed more briefly in the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, which says humanity is God’s workmanship, and our good works are to glorify God.

From a Christian perspective, does God really need humans? Strictly speaking, the answer is “no,” since God apparently existed for an eternity before creating human beings. However, the question of whether God really needs people is the wrong question to ask—our very existence implies God wants us around.

Eliphaz asks Job: “Can a human being be of use to God? Can even the wisest be of service to him?” Clearly Eliphaz thinks the answer to his question is “no.”

God does not have any absolute need for people to offer sacrifices or even praise, and so he makes the valid theological point that God’s existence is unconditioned. That is, God—unlike the rest of the universe—exists without need of others. Since God chose to create humanity, though, it evidently is the case that people are, in fact, of use to God in some sense.

God takes note of our existence, and God cares about each of us, from the most powerful ruler and the richest person on the planet to the untold number of people whose lives never will appear in history books, great literature or even on gravestones. Yes, Eliphaz, a man, a woman or a child can be of use to God.

Job 22:21-30

A harried professor rushed into the classroom out of breath, sweating and carrying two large bags full of books and papers. “I’m sorry to be late to our first class,” he said to the men and women assembled in front of him, “but I’m here now, so let’s get started. My first lecture is entitled “Malthus’s Essay on the Principle of Population and Its Implications for the Problem of Human Overpopulation.” He proceeded to describe the problem of human population growth on the earth’s ecosystems, replete with charts, graphs and statistics.

At the end of the hour, he paused and asked, “Are there any questions?” One young woman slowly lifted her hand. “Yes, what’s your question?” the professor asked. “Well, all of the information you gave us was very interesting, but this is supposed to be a Lamaze class.”

Eliphaz concludes his third address to Job with an excursus on how a righteous person should live. “Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you,” he says.

This is good advice. Unfortunately, it is not applicable to Job’s situation. Sometimes when we see people in need around us, we offer advice, usually with the best of intentions. However, if we don’t listen carefully to what they are saying, our advice may be completely useless. It always is important to know your audience!

Job 23:1-27

The Bible contains several stories about people who are terrified to find themselves in the presence of the Almighty God. The Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai tremble in the presence of God. Isaiah in the temple cries out “Woe is me, for I have seen the Lord of Hosts!”

Rudolf Otto, in The Idea of the Holy, speaks of the mysterium tremendum, the mysterious presence of God that makes one tremble in fear. Job, however, wishes he could confront God and plead his case. He would point out that his righteous behavior does not merit such treatment from God. He would insist he is being treated unfairly.

For Job, the only thing more terrifying than the presence of God is the absence of God. Verses 8 and 9 read like the exact opposite of Psalm 139:7-12, where the psalmist finds God wherever he looks.

Life is like that sometimes. When things are dark, sometimes we can’t sense God’s presence. We seek God, but God is nowhere to be found. We look for reasons why our lives are crumbling, but God gives us no answer. We scream into the dark night, but God doesn’t seem to hear. Why does God hide from us in our hour of need? Why doesn’t he answer our prayers?

Old Testament theologian Samuel Terrien says God’s apparent absence actually is God’s elusive presence. God is present even in his absence.

To quote the Buddhist/Taoist writer known as Wei Wu Wei, “Presence and absence are dual forms of appearance.” God is not at our beck and call. We sometimes feel the presence of God, but often we feel only God’s absence.

In those times, how do we know God still is there? We know because we know whose absence we are seeking. God is such a powerful presence, that even when God is nowhere to be found, we sense God lurking in the shadows. Like Job, we continue to cry out to God, because God’s absence is paradoxically an elusive presence.

In the depths of our despair, when all hope seems lost, we continue to cry out to God. Sometimes we will feel like God is with us, and sometimes we won’t, but in the mysteries of God’s sovereignty, even God’s absence can draw us toward God.

Discussion questions

• In what ways can people be of use to God? What benefit, if any, does God derive from our lives?

• Have you ever had someone offer you advice not really relevant to your situation? Is it more important to give advice or to listen to people’s problems?

• What should we do when we are unable to feel God’s presence with us, despite our desperate attempts to find God? Do you agree that God’s apparent absence is actually God’s elusive presence?

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: 6/13/06

Shook tells pastors 'stunts' can open people to the gospel

By Grace Thornton

The Alabama Baptist

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Kerry Shook, pastor of Fellowship of The Woodlands, near Houston, revved up the Southern Baptist Pastors Conference with a video of a professional motocross biker riding over several jumps in his church’s sanctuary.

“While seeing that, I’d like to think that nobody here probably had a life-changing spiritual experience,” Shook told the crowd during an afternoon session focused on contemporary worship.

“But somehow, God uses these crazy, creative, fun things we do to touch thousands of lives. And the motocross guy himself came to know Christ that very morning.”

Motocross bike action—and similar attractions—draw the unchurched and cause them to drop their guard, he explained.

“They come in with their guard up and a chip on their shoulder. They wonder if you’ll accept them,” he said. “But they loosen up with five minutes of motocross and will then listen to 30 minutes of a gospel message.”

Seeing lives changed is what it’s all about, Shook said.

”You may say that’s just entertainment, but there’s been a seismic shift in our culture from being a church culture to a secular culture. We are missionaries in that culture, and I’ve had to learn their language to share the very same message that never changes — Jesus Christ.”

Erwin McManus, pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles, agreed with the need for multilingual sensitivities—to prove his point, he broke into Spanish, then Korean, onstage during his message. And across the room there were smatterings of applause from people who spoke those languages.

“Some of you think: ‘He’s speaking in tongues. Throw him out,’” McManus said with a laugh. “But the people who knew the language understood me.”

Just as many didn’t understand all the words of his trilingual speech, many don’t understand the growing contemporary style of worship are misunderstanding its purpose, too, he explained.

“A lot of people are speaking a language we don’t understand, and we think they are rejecting Jesus but they are not,” McManus said. “We simply need to understand that they need to hear the gospel in their language.”

That gospel message, he said, is the same as in Acts 17 — every day we stand in the middle of many gods and are invited into a conversation with the unknown God.

“They need to know that he’s the unknown God, not the unknowable God. We need to return to the mission that Jesus gave us to change the world,” McManus said.

To get them into that conversation, Christians may have to work hard on linguistic skills, said Nelson Searcy, pastor of The Journey in New York City. But pastors should, he said, because they need to “do as much as possible to bring those on the outside into the gospel of Christ.”

Preaching from Colossians 4:2-6, Searcy said pastors should take the time to pray, preach with clarity and prepare with care in order to reach their world for Christ.

“Prayer has the greatest consequence to those on the outside,” he said. “Would you lead your church to pray for people in your area? Will you equip your people to pray?”

Prayer takes time, and preaching with clarity takes work, Searcy said.

“Don’t be casual with language — work hard at it,” he said. “The most effective preachers are the ones who take complicated ideas and present them in profoundly simple ways. I believe we should present one gospel as clearly as we can so that outsiders can understand.”

Faith and preparation affects the gospel’s reach, too, Searcy added. “God sends us opportunities but we’re not always wise enough to be prepared for them.”

For example, February is known for being the toughest month for relationships — more divorces and splits happen that month than any other, he said.

“We prayed and prepared for people to come when we did a series on marriage and relationships that month, and they did,” Searcy said — marriages were healed, affairs were ended and commitments were made.

“There is some connection between the faith to prepare and God entrusting you with new people,” he said. “If you act on faith, God will bring the people.”

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.