Posted: 5/12/06

Buckner sends shoes to children
orphaned by hostage massacre

By Felicia Fuller

Buckner Benevolences

Many people had not heard of Beslan before Sept. 1, 2004—the day political extremists seized a school in the remote town in North Ossetia, Russia. Three days later, 344 civilians lay dead. Left behind were 35 orphans, ages 8 to 15.

Buckner Orphan Care International recently shipped 15,000 pairs of new shoes to Beslan for distribution to area orphanages and child survivors of the hostage tragedy.

The shoes were among thousands more collected through Buckner’s Shoes for Orphan Souls ministry, which has distributed new footwear to orphan children in 45 countries since its inception in 1999. Buckner works with churches, civic groups and businesses to collect new shoes and socks year-round, but emphasizes the back-to-school month of August.

Taken from Buckner’s existing inventory, the Beslan shipment was loaded for delivery at the organization’s shoe warehouse in East Dallas.

Later this year, on the two-year anniversary of the Sept. 1 school siege, volunteers with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls will partner with Peter Deyneka Russian Ministries to distribute the shoes to children in Beslan.

Details about the September Buckner mission trip to Beslan will be made available in the coming months. For general information about Buckner’s international ministries and Shoes for Orphan Souls, visit helporphans.org and shoesfororphansouls.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: 5/12/06

Carpenter’s Helpers meet neighbors’ needs

By George Henson

Staff Writer

WIMBERLEY—Gary Henderson had no idea what he was starting. He was simply a handy guy who wanted to help his friends at First Baptist Church in Wimberley by making small home repairs for them.

Then he received a call from his daughter, who wanted him to oversee construction of her home in another state.

While Henderson was no longer on the scene, people in Wimberley still had needs, and other men in the congregation began to take up the chores that had once been his.

Henderson eventually returned, and over the course of several years, the volunteer group—now known as The Carpenter’s Helpers ministry—has grown in number.

Volunteers—including several women—fix leaky faucets, do minor electrical and auto repairs, clean garages and yards, repair fences and gates, change furnace filters and tires, and run a variety of errands.

Word has spread around Wimberley. Now the ministry extends beyond First Baptist, and the group also helps many people who attend other churches or don’t attend any church.

When people who receive help can afford to pay for the materials, they do, Burkland said. People who can’t afford to pay still receive the help they need through a fund set up for the ministry and financed by donations.

Recently, the fund helped pay for a washing machine and air conditioner for a single mother who couldn’t afford them.

“We don’t turn anything down,” said Jack Burkland, who has been a part of the ministry for about three years. “Some of the jobs give us a little aggravation, but we get them done.”

Early this year, David Ditraglia—who is confined to a wheelchair— found himself alone and unable to prepare this own meals after his wife left him. His kitchen was not built for someone in those circumstances—an island made navigating difficult, the cabinets and countertops were too high to reach easily, and it was difficult to get close enough to the stove to cook.

The Carpenter’s Helpers slimmed the island, lowered the countertops and cabinets, and adjusted the stovetop so Ditraglia’s chair would fit under it. That also meant lowering the plumbing and electrical outlets in the kitchen. In addition, the men made repairs to the roof.

Ditraglia expressed gratitude for all they have done.

“One, I’m not a member of the congregation. It impressed me to see good Christian men act like good Christian men. They saw a need, and they are helping me out. Without them, none of this would have been achievable,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to see people who can walk the walk. This has given me so much faith in people and Christianity. I’ve been blessed.”

The men and women involved in the ministry feel just as blessed.

“I love the ministry, but it’s also a lot of fun,” said John Pratt, a retiree from the state attorney general’s office, who also works with a Texas Baptist Men Builders team. “After using my mind for 30 years, I like doing anything with my hands.”

The Carpenter’s Helpers are approaching a particularly busy part of the year—yard-care season. Many of the people they help are senior adults who live on lots of five acres or more. The Carpenter’s Helpers get a crew of five or six on riding mowers and tractors and make it as short a work as possible.

The men are careful, however, not to shortchange the work done by women in their group. While the men were working on Ditraglia’s home, a group of women were at another home painting.

Henderson still is active in the ministry, but now he, too, has plenty of helpers.

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: 5/12/06

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: 5/12/06

Christians called on to
counter Da Vinci Code claims

By Michael Foust

Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—The Da Vinci Code hits theater screens nationwide May 19, and evangelical author Lee Strobel believes churches must be ready to answer pointed questions about the Christian faith.

The movie, based on a popular Dan Brown novel that has sold more than 40 million copies, casts doubt on a number of key tenets of Christianity, including the deity of Christ and the reliability of the Bible.

The movie’s claims are refuted easily, Strobel says, but Christians first must be equipped.

“This is more than a book and a movie. It’s a cultural phenomenon. It’s a cultural tsunami,” Strobel said.

“If you read the book, the assertions made about Christian history are made in such a way that they certainly come off as being true. People are believing this stuff.”

Strobel and Willow Creek Community Church’s Garry Poole are the coauthors of a book, Exploring the Da Vinci Code and creators of a DVD-driven curriculum, Discussing the Da Vinci Code.

Strobel re-lates the example of one pastor who had a man tell him after reading Brown’s book, “I’ll never step foot in a church again, because now I know the truth.”

Strobel has met people “who have been short-circuited in their faith” because of the book, he said.

But knowledge of the Bible is not sufficient to answer some of the questions the book raises, he said. For instance, The Da Vinci Code casts doubt on how the New Testament itself was compiled and implies other documents were just as worthy of inclusion into the Bible. The book also argues the deity of Christ essentially was invented in the fourth century.

“People think, ‘Well, if you know your Bible, then this book won’t affect you.’ That’s not true, because a lot of the allegations deal with church history,” Strobel said.

“They deal with classic history and ancient history. Consequently, a person can know their Bible but still be confused by the allegations in the book.”

The book is a murder mystery set in modern-day Europe. While searching for the murderer, the story’s two central characters also uncover what is said to be long-held secret—mainly, Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and many of the claims of Christianity are false. Tom Hanks plays the movie’s lead character.

According to a story synopsis on the movie’s website, the clues from the murder “point to a covert religious organization that will stop at nothing to protect a secret that threatens to overturn 2,000 years of accepted dogma.”

“Dan Brown claims that it’s more than fiction,” Strobel said. “He told Elizabeth Vargas of ABC … that he started out as a skeptic, but after his research he became a believer in the central claim that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child.”

But a basic knowledge of church history shows the book’s claims are false:

• There is no evidence—inside or outside the New Testament—that Jesus was married. In fact, the Apostle Paul writes at length about marriage and doesn’t mention Christ, which presumably would have been a good argument for being married if Jesus were married. The Da Vinci Code asserts the person presumed to be the Apostle John in Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper” actually was Mary Magdalene. But the artist’s own notes and sketches identity the person as John.

• The 27 books of the New Testament were affirmed as Scripture based primarily on their ties to an apostle, as well as their impact on the church and their internal qualities.

The four Gospels were written within 50 years of Christ’s resurrection and accepted by the church as divinely inspired. But the texts The Da Vinci Code promotes in fact are not Christian documents and were rejected by early Christians as heretical.

• The Da Vinci Code asserts the church did not embrace Christ’s deity until A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicea.

But the New Testament—all written more than 200 years before Nicea—claims Jesus was God. In addition, the early church fathers, including Ignatius in 105 and Clement in 150, said Jesus was God.

Confusion among Christians over The Da Vinci Code, Strobel said, points to the need of churches to “ground their own people in what they believe and why they believe it.”

“As churches do that, what pastors are finding is that people are fascinated by this stuff,” said Strobel, whose website, www.LeeStrobel.com, includes more than 30 free video clips refuting the book’s major claims.

“I talked to one pastor who said: ‘I feel like I’m getting away with murder. I walk off the platform, and I’ve just taught about church history, and people love it.’ … I think people are hungry for the truth and hungry to know about their history.”

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: 5/12/06

Around the State

• Dallas Baptist Association has named Bob Dean, pastor of Northlake Church in Garland, as executive director-elect. He will take over the reins of the association Sept. 30 upon the retirement of the current executive director, Gary Hearon. Dean has been pastor of the Garland church 28 years. A banquet in honor of Hearon’s 21-plus years of service to the association has been set for Sept. 19 at Park Cities Church in Dallas.

• The School of Humanities at East Texas Baptist University will hold its annual writer’s conference June 3 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The conference is for anyone with an interest in writing, conference organizers said. Registered participants can arrange for a one-on-one interview with an agent or editor during the conference. The conference will feature 17 presenters with at least five topics to choose from during each session. The cost is $50 with a $10 discount for high school and college students, and includes materials and lunch. Register by calling (903) 923-2269 before May 27. Participants who register after that date may not be able to attend the luncheon.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Conservatory is taking enrollment for summer art camp June 26-30. The $100 cost for the camp includes art supplies. Seven- and 8-year-old students will meet from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and 9- and 10-year-old students will meet from 1 p.m to 2:30 p.m. A different project or technique will be focused on each day. Register in Room 208 of Presser Hall any Monday-Thursday afternoon before June 2.

Amber Massey of Farmersville was chosen as the 2006 Senior Girl Call-Out at East Texas Baptist University. She was selected by the ETBU faculty based on Christian character, social consciousness, personal poise, academic achievement and spiritual vision.

• Kathleen Wood, chair of the department of biology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been named the York Professor of Biology, effective this fall. The C.L. and Gertrude York professorship was established in 1988 to honor an outstanding professor of biology. Only two other people have held the professorship. Wood joined the faculty in 1999.

• Baylor University’s board of regents has voted to award an honorary doctorate to longtime Waco businessman and philanthropist Harry Jeanes. A 1934 graduate of the school, he served 18 years as a Baylor trustee, including two years as chairman. He was elected regent emeritus in 1990. He also is a past recipient of the school’s meritorious service award and the Baylor Alumni Association’s distinguished alumni award. He is a member of Columbus Avenue Church in Waco.

• Houston Baptist University has named its 2006 women of the year. Evelyn Husband, author of High Calling: The Life and Faith of Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband, was the guest speaker and honored as woman of the year. Other honorees were Leena Samuel, senior woman of the year; Ashley Hatchett, junior woman of the year; Ashley Nunes, sophomore woman of the year; Leah Rigsby, freshman woman of the year; and Alexis Knapp, faculty woman of the year.

• Almost 1,000 people turned out for Dallas Baptist University’s 18th annual Norvell Slater Senior Adult Hymn Sing. New Song, the senior adult choir of Wilshire Church in Dallas, performed a concert prior to the event.

• The Capitol Area Optimist Clubs have named San Marcos Baptist Academy senior Kameron Allison male teenager of the year. Allison was one of 11 academy students nominated for Optimist awards in a variety of categories. In addition to the teenager of the year award, he also received an award in the category of government, while San Marcos Academy senior Nicole Mebane won in girls’ sports.

• Hardin-Simmons Univer-sity conferred 237 degrees May 13, with 184 undergraduates and 53 graduate students receiving diplomas. Texas State Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo delivered the commencement address at the morning ceremony and re-ceived an honorary doctorate of letters from the university. He is a graduate and former faculty member of the school.

• Howard Payne University has nominated 38 students for inclusion in the 2006 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Univer-sities.

Anniversaries

• John Valentine, 20th, as minister of education at First Church in Alvarado, March 26.

• Ramon Gonzalez, fifth, as pastor of Iglesia Urbana in Lubbock, April 11.

• Joe Lopez, fifth, as pastor of Iglesia Hispana in Lubbock, April 29.

• Pope City Church in Woodlawn, 60th, April 29-30. Tom Ratcliff is pastor.

• Charles McKnight, 20th, as pastor of Saint Paul Church in Rockport, May 1.

• Johnny Jennings, 10th, as minister of education at Oakwood Church in Lubbock, May 1.

• Mary Jennings, 10th, as children’s minister at Oakwood Church in Lubbock, May 1.

• Lane Prairie Church in Joshua, 135th, May 7. In addition to homecoming services, the day also marked the groundbreaking for a family life center. Guest speakers included former Pastor Jimmy Coontz and former Interim Pastor Tom Urrey. Jerry Clements is pastor.

• Jerry Smith, 10th, as pastor of First Church in Clifton, May 10.

• Bobby Fletcher, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Dorchester, May 26.

• John Burke, 15th, as minister of music at Southcrest Church in Lubbock.

• Steve Ponder, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Brenham, May 27.

• Highland Church in Lubbock, 55th, May 28. Stan Blevins is pastor.

Retiring

• Dale Cartwright, as pastor of Calvary Church in Stephen-ville, May 28. He has served the church more than 18 years and has been in the ministry 45 years. A retirement party is planned for him and his wife, Chrystal, from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. For more information, call (254) 968-8580.

Death

• Don Driskill, 63, April 27 in Albany, Ga. A graduate of Wayland Baptist University, he formerly was minister of education at First Church in Dumas. He also served churches in Mississippi and Georgia and was pastor of Salem Church in Sylvester, Ga., at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Sandi; sons, Christopher and Michael; daughter, Karen Branch; brother, Carl; and five grandchildren.

Events

• Tallowood Church in Houston recently honored 139 couples in the congregation who have been married 50 years or longer. Seventy-eight of those couples have been married more than 55 years. The 139 couples represent 7,807 years of marriage. Duane Brooks is pastor.

• The Sky Family will present a concert May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Center Grove Church in Linden. Also, Eddie Kouch and Revival will sing June 3 at 6:30 p.m. John West is pastor.

• First Church in Austin will host a three-day Faith and Reason seminar titled “Mys-ticism, Empowerment and Resistance” May 18-20, featuring scholars and authors Marcus Borg, Joan Chittister and John Dominic Crossan. Faith and Reason seminars examine human injustice and the roles mysticism and religion may play in the future of society and its churches. The speakers “see this like the Apostle Paul who went to highly intellectual centers in ancient times such as Athens, Corinth and Rome where people ask questions,” Pastor Roger Paynter explained. He said the panel will talk about “alternative wisdom” rather than “conventional wisdom.” The cost of the three-day event is $30.

• Dallas Holm will be in concert at Forestburg Church in Forestburg May 20 at 7 p.m. Holm, in ministry for 37 years, has recorded more than 30 albums and presented more than 3,000 concerts. Tickets are not required, but a love offering will be taken. For more information, call (940) 964-2470. Stewart Holloway is pastor.

Ordained

• Andrew Baker to the ministry at Proctor Church in Proctor.

• Phil Russell to the ministry at Papalote Church in Papalote.

• Aaron Kahler to the ministry at First Church in Midland.

• Tye Howard to the ministry at Iglesia de los Vaqueros in Waxahachie.

• Larry McIntire to the ministry at Friendship Church in Ennis.

• Micah Caswell to the ministry at First Church in Denton.

• Roland Phillips and Lee Howard as deacons at Ridge-mont Church in Abilene.

• Conway Hutto as a deacon at First Church in Gregory.

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: 5/12/06

DOWN HOME:
Call to daughter transcends time

Lindsay’s voice in my ear transported me through time and space. And what a trip it was.

Physically, I was driving home from work, headed out of Dallas, through Farmers Branch and Carrollton, on toward Lewisville. Emotionally and spiritually, I was lingering in an elementary school hallway in Nashville, Tenn., reluctantly turning loose of my firstborn child’s tiny hand as she walked into her kindergarten classroom for the first time.

I called Lindsay one afternoon last week, just a few hours after she completed her last final exam of her senior year at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. For the past couple of days, she had been working on an accounting project, studying for that final final and writing a cover letter to send with her resumé to a prospective employer.

She handled this high-stakes juggling act with her usual sense of calm, but I felt my own anxiety rise as I pondered the significance of the day in the life of this daughter, whom I cherish more than my next breath.

So, I did what I’ve done for the past 22 years and six months: I talked to Lindsay about her day.

No, I didn’t wake her up; she was just watching TV and resting from the rigors of academia. Yes, she finished the project, and the test went well. Sure, she was relieved to “finally” be finished. Yeah, four years at HSU just flew by. Later, she and Aaron, her still-new husband, would go to the phone store and then out to eat.

As we talked (and, by the way, the most beautiful music in the world is the sound of the voices of Lindsay; her mama, Joanna; and her sister, Molly), my mind drifted back over so many moments of her educational process: Reading to little Lindsay, trying to instill a love of books and learning. That first day of kindergarten, and a year later, how small she looked in the back seat of my car, as we drove across town to first grade. Homework at the kitchen table. Field days. Back-to-school nights. Her how-to-make-a-mask presentation. Fifth-grade “graduation.” Choir concerts. Drill team performances at football games. Driver’s ed. Her egg-dropping-off-the-bleachers science project. HIgh school graduation. The agonizing day we moved her into the dorm at HSU, then hugged and kissed her goodbye. Visits to campus and her returns home.

Through the years, we sat at the dinner table night after night, and I quizzed Lindsay and Molly about their day at school. “How was your day?” I’d ask. “Fine,” they’d reply. “What did you learn?” I’d inquire. “Nothin’,” they’d report.

Amazingly, this girl who almost never learned anything significant in a single day was on the verge of completing her academic career without ever making anything but an “A.”

And as proud as I am of her academic achievements, I’m more proud of the person she has become: A committed fellow Christian. A responsible member of society. A friend.

—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: 5/12/06

Students share gospel on Galveston Island

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

GALVESTON—Long after spring break ended, Texas Baptist college students continued ministry at the beach.

More than 200 students shared the gospel through service efforts for about 100,000 partiers on Galveston Island April 21-23. The students provided rides to intoxicated young people, served pancakes for breakfast and distributed Christian video discs to the crowd.

The ministries enabled students and volunteers from several Texas Baptist churches to start conversations with people and share the gospel. Robert Hooker, Baptist General Convention of Texas collegiate ministries evangelism specialist, said this ministry was equivalent to Jesus eating with the tax collectors. Texas Baptists shared their faith in word and deed.

“We just walked up and down the cruise route,” he said. “That’s when we had the most opportunity to speak with people.”

Gerald Davis, BGCT community specialist, said Texas Baptists slightly changed the event, which primarily is known for its debauchery.

“I think we brought a new flavor to the atmosphere, especially at the hotel where we fed breakfast,” he said.

Texas Baptists saw God moving throughout the ministry, they said. Two volunteers witnessed a young man involved in a car accident step out of his vehicle with an automatic weapon. The students were able to get him to put away the gun and also led him to faith in Christ.

Another time, a student shared the gospel with an exotic dancer who then came to know Christ.

Courtney Cooksey could see God was working all the way from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. At the Baptist Student Ministries building there, she led a prayer vigil for students who were ministering in Galveston.

Students called her with prayer requests, and people began praying for those needs. It was amazing to see those petitions answered, Cooksey said.

“It was so wonderful seeing how God was doing things for them,” she said. “It kept us prayer warriors committed to what was going on down there.”

In all, Texas Baptists witnessed more than 110 professions of faith in Christ and two re-dedications. Bertha Vaughns, director of the BSM at Texas Southern University, said God’s movement and protection were clear during the weekend of ministry.

“Everything went really, really well,” she said.

Davis affirmed the work of Vaughns and Hooker. Together, Texas Baptists changed lives for eternity, he said. Inventive, direct methods of ministry must continue to be sought to have this impact on the “hip-hop” culture.

“We have to come up with new strategies, new ways to intersect the lost,” he said. “This is … cutting-edge. We are going to have to keep coming up with new ways to reach this new culture.”

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: 5/12/06

Ex-offender ministry yields transformation

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—Sie Davis was born to minister to offenders.

His mother gave birth to him in prison, and he jokingly refers to himself as “the youngest parolee in the history of Texas,” since he left the correctional system’s care to live with his aunt when he was 3 months old.

Despite efforts to stay out of prison, he eventually found himself in the same penitentiary where he was born.

But on his third trip behind bars on drug-related charges, Davis found God, and he professed faith in Christ during a prison chapel service. Surely, God would turn his life around, he thought.

But it wasn’t that simple, he recalled. Soon after his release, he gave in to the lure of drugs again, and he did a fourth stay in prison.

“I had come to know Christ, and I was serious about Christ,” Davis said. “But I hadn’t done anything about my addiction.”

That revelation turned Davis’ life in a new direction. He integrated his faith into a 12-step recovery program. God could change his life, but Davis felt he also must be committed to change.

He left drugs in his past and started trying to help people like himself. In the last few years, Davis has started a congregation—Church of the Called-Out Ones—for ex-offenders. He also has trained other people to launch ex-offender churches and partnered with the Baptist General Convention of Texas to write a manual on the ministry.

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

Many Christians want to preach the Christian message in prisons, but few follow up on those ministries, Davis said. When new Christians get out of prison, they have difficulty finding a congregation where they feel comfortable and accepted. If they do not find a congregation for them, often they fall back into a life of crime like Davis did.

He teaches church leaders how to minister to ex-offenders. Ministers often connect with individuals in transitional housing after they are released from prison.

“A lot of people in prison, they reach for the Lord because they’re serious,” he said. “We need to be there as a church to help them.”

Davis’ congregation speaks directly to the needs of ex-offenders. He preaches about character issues, commitment and addiction. He holds church members firmly to their pledge to change.

Davis connects people with mentors and accountability partners to help them stay away from criminal activity. And most ex-offenders who come to Davis’ church or churches led by people he trained stay out of prison.

Davis watches as church members change. He can see in their eyes when they are dealing with troubling issues and knows when they are on the right track. He should. He’s been down the same path.

For more information about ministering to ex-offenders, contact Davis at (214) 755-3963.

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: 5/12/06

Texans nominated for SBC committees

NASHVILLE—The Southern Baptist Convention Committee on Nominations announced Texas nominees for SBC committees and boards—most from churches either uniquely or dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, a group that broke away from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Nominees will serve if elected by messengers to the SBC annual meeting, June 13-14, in Greens-boro, N.C.

The committee nominated Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Bryan, for the SBC Executive Committee, along with Dean Combs of Odessa who received a second term. New nominees for the International Mission Board are Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble; Jimmy Pritchard, pastor of First Baptist Church in Forney; Todd Edwards, a layman at First Baptist Church in Dallas; and Marshall Johnson, bivocational pastor of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving. Stephen Swofford, pastor of First Baptist Church in Rockwall, and Bill Sutton, pastor of First Baptist Church in McAllen, are nominated for second terms on the IMB.

The North American Mission Board’s new nominees are Joe Lightner, pastor of First Baptist Church in Anna; Raymond Edge, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bastrop; David Kehrer, a layman at Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin. David Self of Houston is nominated to a second NAMB term.

LifeWay Christian Resources’ new board nominees are David Lino, pastor of Faith Family Baptist Church in Kingwood; Lynn Snider, pastor of First Baptist Church of Rosehill in Tomball; and Michael Deahl, a layman at First Baptist Church in Dallas. Charles Roberts of Lufkin is nominated to a second term on the LifeWay board.

Nominees for the Southwestern Seminary board of trustees are Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, and Tony Mathews, pastor of North Garland Baptist Church in Garland.

Paul Taylor, a layman at First Baptist Church in Mauriceville, is nominated as a Southern Seminary trustee, and Marvin Rose, pastor of Baker Road Baptist Church in Baytown, as a New Orleans Seminary trustee.

Ron Cherry of Plano is nominated for a second term as a South-eastern Seminary trustee, and Janie Finley of Houston for a second term as a Golden Gate Seminary trustee.

Based on reports by Baptist Press.

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: 5/12/06

Small churches adapt to survive

By Jeremy Gray

Religion News Service

CHELSEA, Ala. (RNS)—When Leonard Irvin became pastor of Mount Signal Baptist Church three years ago, only about 10 people were attending its Sunday services. At its peak in the late 1960s, the church drew an average of 125.

Attendance may never return to that level, but it has almost doubled since Irvin came on board.

“We had a meeting one night and decided if we can’t reach some younger families, our church is destined to die in 20 years,” Irvin said. Members didn’t want that.

In a suburban landscape where mega-churches are thriving, smaller, older churches with dwindling congregations often must choose between changing to attract younger members or continuing as they have for decades and accepting that their churches may cease to exist.

About 10 percent of churches nationwide have fewer than 20 people who regularly attend Sunday services, said Mark Chaves, chairman of the sociology department at the University of Arizona and author of a 2004 book, Congregations in America, chronicling trends in church attendance.

Only 1 percent of churchgoers, he found, attend churches with fewer than 20 active members. The average church in America has about 75 regular attendees, Chaves said.

As church attendance declines, some churches often reach a point at which they no longer can afford to pay a pastor or maintain a sanctuary. Pastors and theologians say these churches must change to bring in young families and—with them—the possibility of a future generation of members.

“If they are going to keep attracting younger families, they have to expand the boundaries of their ministry,” said Penny Long Marler, a professor of religion at Samford University in Birmingham who specializes in congregational studies.

At Mount Signal, the church hired 27-year-old associate pastor Josh Posey, who often leads the Sunday service with music director Ramona Vest.

On a recent Sunday, Vest, along with Posey and his wife, Jodi, led the congregation—most of whom were dressed for the “casual Sunday” service—through a series of contemporary songs. Although the blended service—with equal parts Baptist Hymnal and acoustic guitar—might not please older members, it is a necessary sacrifice if the congregation values the life of the church, Irvin said.

One lifelong member, Nettie Conlon, expressed skepticism about the contemporary style of the service. “It’s very hard for me to change,” Conlon said, “but you have to change.”

Members of some smaller churches say membership numbers stagnate because of growing competition from larger churches, which are better equipped to survive demographic changes that often devastate smaller churches, said Marler, the congregational studies expert at Samford.

“The larger you are, the more resources you have, and as the community changes, you have a larger window of opportunity,” she said.

“But if you are small in the first place, it really impacts you to a much greater degree,” Marler said. “The loss of a family or two means losing stewardship, lay pastors, deacons and teachers.”

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: 5/12/06

Texas Tidbits

Baptist Health Foundation accepts grant requests. Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio will accept letters of inquiry until June 15 from nonprofit organizations that want to be considered for funding in 2006. To be considered for a $25,000 to $250,000 grant, a not-for-profit organization must be a public charity that addresses a community healthcare need of residents in the foundation’s eight-county geographic area—Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson. Only one request per organization per year will be considered, and organizations must have at least one full year of operating history. In addition, the foundation will make available small grants of less than $5,000 to support grassroots health activities primarily through local churches. For more information, go to www.bhfsa.org or call (210) 735-9009.

Baylor regents approve budget. Baylor University’s board of regents at its spring meeting approved a $317 million operating budget for 2006-07 and authorized construction of a new facility for the university’s intercollegiate equestrian program. The 2006-07 operating budget, which takes effect June 1, reflects a $21 million increase—7.1 percent—over the current budget. It includes $11.5 million in additional merit, need-based and graduate assistant scholarships—a 16.3 percent increase from this year’s allocation for institutional financial aid. The Willis Family Equestrian Center, named for Baylor graduates Richard and Karen Willis of Coffeyville who provided the lead gift for the project, will be constructed near the Baylor campus. The 45,000-square-foot facility will include a covered riding arena with spectator seating, more than 20 stalls to house the horses, and restroom facilities for the women’s equestrian intercollegiate athletics team.

Baylor names senior vice provost. Naymond Keathley, professor and interim chair of Baylor University’s religion department, has been appointed Baylor’s senior vice provost. He succeeds Larry Lyon, who assumes the newly created vice provost for institutional effectiveness post and will remain as dean of the graduate school. Keathley earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University in history with minors in English, German and religion. After earning his bachelor of divinity degree and doctorate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he served on the faculty at Palm Beach Atlantic College and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taught at Baylor since 1981. He has served Baylor as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, director of undergraduate studies for the religion department, liaison between the religion department and Truett Theological Seminary and as a member of the Faculty Senate. He and his wife, Carolyn, are members of Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco. They have three children, all Baylor graduates.

Endowed scholarship honors former Wayland student. With the help of family and friends, Ron and Stephanie Mansdoerfer of Albuquerque, N.M., established an endowed scholarship at Wayland Baptist University to honor the memory of their daughter, Katye. She was a sophomore at Wayland when she died in a car accident in October 2004.

HPU capital campaign tops goal. Howard Payne University’s Sharing the Vision capital campaign has exceeded its $15 million base goal. Fund-raising efforts for the campaign began in 1999 with an initial goal of $15 million and a second phase plan of $10 million. The university exceeded its $5 million campaign goal for endowments and scholarships by more than $3.7 million.

Applications for CLC director solicited. The Baptist General Convention of Texas is accepting applications for director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission, the state convention’s public-policy and moral concerns agency. For more information about the position, visit www. bgct.org and click on “Employment” in the upper-right corner. A search committee is seeking to fill the director’s post left vacant after Phil Strickland’s death. Suzii Paynter serves as interim director.

Communication staff announces changes. Two employees on the Baptist General Conven-tion of Texas communications team have been promoted, and another staff member’s position has been redefined. John Hall has been named BGCT news director, and Ashli Young has been appointed manager of the BGCT website content team. Hall, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, served as the convention’s news writer for nearly four years. He also has studied at Truett Theological Seminary. Young has worked with the BGCT nearly seven years, including four years on the convention’s information technology team, including website development. Prior to coming to the convention, she worked at Camp Chaparral in Iowa Park. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. Rex Campbell, BGCT technical services manager, has assumed a new role as manager of media services, focusing on shooting video and photographs for several venues—including stories told through the convention’s website, the Baptist Standard and during the convention’s annual meeting. He will continue to provide media, recording and translation support for BGCT meetings and events. Campbell has worked with the BGCT since 1997 in various media roles. He is a graduate of the Elkins Institute in Dallas.

Texas liaison to Baptists worldwide named. Donald Sewell, former director of the Texas Partnerships Resource Center, has been named the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ liaison to Baptist bodies worldwide. He will serve as executive liaison for missions relationships, and he is charged with enlisting Texas Baptist volunteers for causes related to the Baptist World Alliance. He is the vice president-elect of the BWA’s North American Fellowship and is on the Baptist World Aid committee. Before coming to the BGCT, Sewell was director of special projects for the Southern Baptist Convention Foreign Mission Board six years. He also was a faculty member and administrator at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary eight years. He was professor of religious education at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary in Mexico City from 1978 to 1982, and he served numerous church staff positions in Texas, California and Virginia. Sewell is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he holds a doctorate in educational psychology. He and his wife, Rebecca, have two sons. They are members of First Baptist Church in Grapevine.

BGCT announces staff changes. The Baptist General Convention of Texas has named Rodney Everitt building operations manager and Susan Ater as camp specialist. Everitt assumes the building operations post following the retirement of longtime manager Morris Killough. Ater has worked with Texas Baptist encampments since 2005 on a part-time basis while serving as an administrative assistant on the associational missions team. Previously, she was assistant to the manager at Chaparral Baptist Encampment, and she and her husband, Fred—a BGCT congregational strategist—served as missionaries to Brazil and Estonia. Chris Liebrum—former special assistant to the executive director—has been named executive coordinator. He coordinates BGCT Executive Board meetings and meetings sponsored by the executive director’s office, and he relates to pastors, directors of missions and other Baptist leaders as requested by the executive director.

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: 5/12/06

TOGETHER:
Texas Baptist students go into world

The temperature in Texas is starting to rise as summer approaches, and that means Texas Baptists are once again on the verge of sending hundreds of college students on mission throughout the state and around the world.

I was both proud and humbled last year as I took part in the commissioning service for our student summer missionaries. To see a church choir loft filled with hundreds of students willing to give their summer to missions and ministry is to be overwhelmed by the continuing reality of God’s call upon his people to serve him and upon their willingness to do so.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

This year, 500-plus students will participate in our GoNow Missions effort and other mission opportunities.

Texas Baptists have laid the ministry foundation for this by funding Baptist Student Ministry efforts throughout the year on more than 100 campuses. Now we have an opportunity to go with these young missionaries by giving our prayer support.

A great prayer tool is available—a poster with the name and photo of each missionary. To order, send $1 to BGCT GoNow Missions, P.O. Box 195439, Arlington 76019. If you want to send more, it will be added to the funds that support these students.

Summer missions is a capstone to all that Texas Baptists are doing on our state’s college campuses. Our student ministers and many volunteers work during the school year to reach students for Christ and to disciple believers in what can at times be a difficult challenge. In an environment rife with distraction and temptation, students learn to live for Christ.

More than 1.1 million students are enrolled in Texas colleges and universities. This mission field is immense, and through our BGCT Cooperative Program giving, we work with local Baptists to touch more than 50,000 students each year.

I recently met with some of our student ministers. They are focused on the indisputable fact that lost people matter to God, and they are spending more time with NYCs (Not Yet Christians). They are teaching students to prayer walk, to build genuine friendships with NYCs, and to see evangelism as who you are and not just what you do or say.

And these ministers stress that other Texas Baptists can be a part of student ministry, as well, by finding ways to become involved in the lives of students. One example is to adopt a school drama, volleyball, baseball or other team—attending their events, praying for them, getting to know them and responding to their needs so that when the Holy Spirit draws them to himself, you are there to encourage and to be a spiritual coach.

And only God knows where such involvement can lead. A number of years ago, Bertha Vaughns left a responsible government job to follow God’s leading into ministry. She now is BSM director at Texas Southern University in Houston, and she has experienced firsthand how God can take young lives with so much potential and turn them into productive ministry that will, she hopes, last a lifetime.

Texas Baptists make student ministry possible. Churches close to college campuses can work directly with students and staff, but through the BGCT, we can all be involved. It is never more true than with BSM work: What we could not do alone, we can do together.

We are loved.

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

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