Posted: 3/31/06

Former WMU leader McCullough dies

By Julie Walters

Woman’s Missionary Union

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)—Marjorie Jones McCullough, president of national Woman’s Missionary Union from 1986 to 1991, died March 18 in Corpus Christi following a long illness. She was 81.

“Marjorie was an outstanding, strong leader who was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the future of WMU,” said Executive Director-Treasurer Wanda Lee.

“As a former missionary, state WMU president and national WMU’s GA director, she brought a great depth of experience and knowledge to the office of national WMU president.”

McCullough graduated from Louisiana College in Pineville and earned a master’s degree in religious education at the former WMU Training School in Louisville, Ky. She worked in both the Kentucky and Louisiana WMU offices.

She was a Southern Baptist missionary in Ghana, where she served seven years as the country’s first WMU director.

In 1964, she joined the WMU national staff in Birmingham, Ala., as the general director of Girls’ Auxiliary. In that role, she helped to create and name Acteens and Girls in Action organizations and wrote the manual and handbook for Acteens.

In 1969, she returned to the mission field and served in Brazil five years.

In 1974, she married Glendon McCullough, executive secretary of the Southern Baptist Brotherhood Commission. He was killed in an automobile accident in 1978.

In 1980, she was elected president of Tennessee WMU.

McCullough once said: “The challenge of missions is always exciting. When you see souls won and know you had a part in it, whether it was through your offerings, your prayer time, your interest in the person, or whether you actually led the person to Christ, this is very exciting.”

In addition to her husband, McCullough was preceded in death by her son, Ken McCullough. She is survived by three daughters, Beth Gaddie of Corpus Christi, Kathy Kent of Millington, Tenn., and Debbie Miller of Houston; and nine grandchildren.

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: 3/31/06

On the move

• Todd Barham to Shining Star Fellowship in Abilene as minister of youth.

• Ginger Baumguardner to Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene as minister of children.

• Donnie Bedore to Greenbrier Church in Alvarado as minister of youth.

• Carl Bilderback to First Church in Pottsboro as interim pastor.

• Patrick Brown to Northlake Church in Dallas as pastor from First Church in Bertram.

• Ken Carter to Southcrest Church in Lubbock as business administrator/minister of education from Judson Church in Nashville, where he was minister of education.

• John Cox to McMahan Church in Dale as pastor.

• Jason Dyke to Robinwood Church in Seagoville as pastor.

• Bob Foster to Arcadia Park Church in Dallas as pastor.

• Jim Gerlt to Bacon Heights Church in Lubbock as pastor.

• Larry Givens has resigned as pastor of First Church in Shiloh.

• David Gruhn to First Church in Palacios as pastor.

• John Hale to First Church in Cresson as minister of music.

• Jim Herrington to Calvary Church in Weimar as interim pastor.

• Reid Hughes to First Church in Corinth as pastor.

• Karri Leavenworth to Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene as preschool associate minister of children.

• Larry Linam to Spring Hill Church in DeKalb as pastor.

• George Martin has resigned as pastor of Central Church in Luling.

• Joanna Medlin has resigned as preschool/children’s minister at Shady Shores Church in Denton.

• Todd Mozingo has resigned as outreach and praise worship leader at Southmont Church in Denton.

• Harold O’Chester to First Church in Wimberley as interim pastor.

• Steve Olsen to First Church in Bellville as pastor.

• Holly Paige to Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene as pre-teen associate minister of children.

• James Tisdel to Andice Church in Florence as pastor, where he had been transitional pastor.

• Moises Vaca to Primera Iglesia in Cameron as pastor.

• Jim Walsh has resigned as pastor of Mulberry Springs Church in Hallsville and will now serve the church as staff evangelist.

• Danny Warbington to Mulberry Springs Church in Hallsville as pastor.

• Harold Watson has resigned as pastor of Bones Chapel in Whitesboro.

• Richard Watts to Leona Church in Leona as minister of music.

• John West to Center Grove Church in Linden as pastor.

• Mark Wood to Field Street Church in Cleburne as minister of community missions/evangelism from First Southern Church in North Edwards, Calif.

• Michael Wright to Plains Assembly as 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: 3/31/06

Peace activists freed from captivity in Iraq

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

BAGHDAD (ABP)—Three Christian peace activists held hostage in Iraq since November were freed from captivity.

Christian Peacemaker Teams learned early March 23 that British Baptist Norman Kember, 74; and Canadians James Loney, 41, and Harmeet Singh Sooden, 32, were free.

A previously unknown radical Islamic group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness abducted them nearly four months earlier in Baghdad.

Their release came about two weeks after Iraqi officials found the body of their 54-year-old American colleague, Tom Fox, who was abducted with them. He had been shot to death and—according to some reports—tortured.

The hostages’ liberation reportedly was the work of troops from the multinational coalition in Iraq, working on a tip from an Iraqi detained earlier. The Chicago Tribune reported troops found the hostages left bound, without any captors guarding them.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw appeared on television news broadcasts the morning of March 23, saying the operation was the result of months of careful planning. He told reporters that the men were all in “reasonable” condition, although the two Canadians had to be hospitalized.

Officials from Christian Peacemaker Teams, which has headquarters in both Chicago and Toronto, released a statement of joy tempered by continued sorrow over Fox. “Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad,” the statement said. “We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together. Our gladness today is made bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join in the celebration; however, we are confident that his spirit is very much present in each reunion.”

The activists’ kidnappers had demanded the release of all Iraqis detained by United States and British forces and Iraqi police in exchange for the lives of the four hostages. They allowed two deadlines to pass, however, without any word of the quartet’s fate.

Fox and the other activists opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq, as well as the detainment of Iraqi prisoners who have not been formally charged with crimes. Members of Christian Peacemaker Teams refuse to travel with bodyguards—virtually unheard of for Westerners moving about in unsecured portions of Iraq.

The Swords of Righteousness had accused the hostages of being spies for the U.S. and British governments, which led the multinational coalition that overthrew Iraq’s former government under dictator Saddam Hussein. In the weeks following the kidnapping, Christian Peacemaker Teams waged an aggressive publicity campaign to try to convince the quartet’s captors to release them.

Christian Peacemaker Teams’ statement called again for an end to the war, the release of Iraqi prisoners and forgiveness for the captors.

“Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict,” the statement said. “They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by multinational forces is the root cause of the insecurity, which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

“Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance.”

The director of a Baptist peacemakers group with which Kember is affiliated welcomed the news, and also thanked the many moderate Muslims around the world who condemned the kidnappings.

“We are mindful also of the courageous witness of our Muslim sisters and brothers around the globe—in Iraq, Palestine, Canada and the U.S., Europe, and many other places; these are ones who joined us in prayer and called for their safe release, and testified to the power of our friends’ Christian mission for peace in Iraq,” said Gary Percesepe of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.

“We trust that these seeds of cooperation and good will continue to take root in our respective cultures.”

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: 3/31/06

Church sees school as
avenue to community ministry

By George Henson

Staff Writer

AMARILLO—Pleasant Valley Baptist Church is making a difference at a neighboring elementary school—inside and out.

Outside, the school’s marquee notes the sign was made possible by gifts from the church. Inside, numerous children’s hearts have been marked even more boldly.

The church’s ministry to Pleasant Valley Elementary School began more than four years ago, when the church held a car show to raise money to build a family life center, Pastor Dana Moore said.

“After the car show, we kept saying, ‘We pushed this as a community event, so why are we keeping the money for ourselves?’” he recalled.

The solution: Don’t keep the money. Give it to the school.

The church has continued to hold the car show each year and give the school all the proceeds. The money not only has helped the school buy its marquee but also has paid for murals to be painted in the library, and it funded other projects.

The car show marked the beginning of extensive involvement of the church in the lives of the children and their families, such as the church’s program to buy school supplies for needy children throughout the school year.

“We don’t do the big push at the beginning of the school year. There are enough agencies who already do that in this area. We try to fill in after that initial time,” Moore said.

Each month, the church throws a party for children whose birthdays fall during that month.

“For a lot of these children, their birthday is just another day in their homes, so we try to do something to make it a little special,” Moore explained. Each child gets out of class for a short party, where they receive a cupcake and a balloon and play a game.

When mothers of children in the school have a baby, the church’s Baby Bulldog ministry kicks in.

“The mom comes to class and brings the baby so everybody can see, and we give them a blanket and other supplies,” Missions Minister and Church Administrator Julia Buckstead said.

The church also sponsors a “Little Bulldogs” program for students’ younger brothers and sisters. Every Wednesday, for the last 45 minutes of the school day, mothers can bring their 2- to 4-year-olds to school. Children work on color and shape recognition and motor and coordination skills, and they enjoy a story time—all led by church members.

“We can’t bring books in,” Moore explained, “but the money we give every year buys books, and so we read those books to them.”

The church also presents gifts to teachers and staff at Pleasant Valley Elementary—including maintenance workers—on an appreciation day each year.

None of the ministries developed overnight, Moore noted. Initially, school personnel seemed reluctant to move quickly in building the relationship, he said.

“It was almost as if they were waiting to see if we were really in it for the long haul,” he said.

The congregation proved its commitment, as evidenced by Amarillo Independent School District bestowing two of it most prestigious awards on the church—the America’s Promise Leadership Award for Businesses and Civic Organizations for Exemplary Leadership and the Warren Kincaid Award for championing mentoring and tutoring.

After school, students can walk across the street to the church’s Front Porch facility, which houses activities in what once was a strip shopping center. About 30 children are registered for help with homework, with about a dozen children attending faithfully.

More churches should have this type of ministry, Moore insisted, instead of complaining about the lack of prescribed prayer in public schools.

“If we cross the street over to the school, we don’t push Jesus. But when they come to the Front Porch for help with their homework, we pray with them,” he said. “We have a far greater impact on these kids than if they were across the street reciting a prayer.”

The afternoon program includes a time for the children to talk about their day with the volunteers, a snack and playtime, as well as help with homework.

Most of the children appreciate the help, but their behavior isn’t always perfect, “because there really are no perfect children,” Buckstead said. Sometimes, students have to be told that they can’t come back for a few days.

“When we tell them they can’t come back for the rest of the week, it really affects them because this is a place where they can get loved on,” she said.

For that reason, they are reluctant to tell children they can’t come for a time.

“So many of these children have been given up on, and we’re not going to do that. They have found out we’re tough, but no matter what, we still love them,” Buckstead said. “That’s what this program is for—those kids on the edge.”

And according to school administrators, several have been pulled back from the edge, and children who were once making failing grades are passing now.

Volunteers make the ministry possible, Buckstead said.

“There are a lot of people who volunteer to help with these children. Their heart is in the Front Porch ministry, and I could not do it without them,” she said.

Various volunteers devote their evenings to the Front Porch ministry. On Monday and Thursday evenings, the church sponsors a 12-step program for “people who have substance-abuse problems and the people who love them,” Buckstead said.

Front Porch offers English-as-a-Second-Language classes on Tuesday evenings, and a Saturday worship service welcomes “people who wouldn’t feel comfortable attending church in the larger building,” she said.

This month begins “Spaghetti 6 at 6,” aimed at the parents of children who attend the after-school program. Participants will eat and then listen to a short lesson in which six questions about the Bible will be answered, Buckstead said.

And while so far only one family has joined Pleasant Valley Baptist Church through the Front Porch ministry, it still has been fruitful, she said.

“Our goal is not to increase the kingdom of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, but to increase the kingdom of God. Many times, we’re not going to see the fruit of our labors, but we know that if we are faithful, God will be faithful, even if we are not there to see it,” Buckstead said.

“The way God has grown this is incredible. I’ve been invited to go along on the fifth- grade field trip. How many churches get opportunities like this?”

What about the family life center?

“We still don’t have one, and it’s not even a priority anymore,” Moore said. “We have other ministry opportunities now.” 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: 3/31/06

Sudan in crisis, commission reports

By Piet Levy

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, created by Congress, issued a report March 29 painting Sudan as a nation in crisis that needs U.S. intervention.

“Sustained close engagement by the United States government is necessary to ensure compliance … with human rights provisions,” Chairman Michael Cromartie told reporters in releasing the study, based on a fact-finding visit in January.

Congress created the bipartisan commission in 1998 to promote religious freedom and make policy recommendations. Its Sudan study found displaced refugees, a prohibition on new churches and even genocide of non-Muslims—all in a country supposedly at peace.

In January 2005, Sudan officially ended two decades of civil war with a peace agreement signed by the National Congress Party in the north and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in the predominantly non-Arab south.

A year later, USCIRF has found that while religious freedom has improved in the south and other areas, development and security remain problems.

Meanwhile in the Arabic north, non-Muslims continue to be subjected to the Muslim law of Sharia, which carries a possible death sentence for religious conversion.

The report said permits for new churches have been denied, churches built without permission often are destroyed and the government-controlled Muslim religious institutions enforce a militant interpretation of Islam.

Humanitarian organizations continue to be harassed, and little progress is being made by groups promoting peace, the report said. There is no indication the country’s oil revenues are being shared evenly by north and south as required in the peace agreement.

Refugees still are imprisoned, and stories of rape, murder and slave trade in the detention camps abound, the report said. And the situation is exacerbated by the genocide in Darfur.

In addition to other suggestions, the report urged Washington to send a high-ranking envoy to Sudan to oversee implementation of the peace accords.

Joining Cromartie were Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi of California, and Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Donald Payne (D-N.J.).

Genocide “is a concern of the entire world, and we all must rise to the challenge,” Pelosi said. “Too often we have said ‘never again,’ only to have it happen again.” 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: 3/31/06

Texas Tidbits

BUA launches cross-cultural program for laity. Baptist University of the Americas has launched an associate’s degree program in cross-cultural studies designed for Christian laity. The two-year, 61-hour program will enable motivated lay people to enhance their theological foundations as well as their cross-cultural competencies at the earliest levels of their general education, said BUA President Albert Reyes. The degree especially is suited for future careers such as social work, education or human services, he noted.

Dawson Institute director resigns. Derek Davis has resigned as director of the J.M. Dawson Institute for Church-State Studies at Baylor University and editor of the Journal of Church & State. Chris Marsh, director of the Asian studies program and associate professor of political science and church-state studies, has been named interim director of the institute. Wallace Daniel, history professor and former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, has been named interim editor of the journal.

Huesing named VP at ETBU. East Texas Baptist University has named Alan Huesing vice president for spiritual development. Huesing, who has been director of international education and will continue to fulfill that responsibility, succeeds Wallace Watkins. Huesing served seven years as a youth mission education strategist with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board. He is a former math teacher and soccer coach with the Marshall Independent School District, and he held teaching positions in Southeast Asia. Huesing earned his bachelor’s degree from ETBU and master’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler. He and his wife, Sheryl, have three children—Andrew, Jenna and Kyle. They are members of First Baptist Church in Hallsville.

Howard Payne receives $3 million gift. Howard Payne University has learned it will receive $3 million from the estate of Leona Muse—the largest gift in the school’s history. The gift will enable the university to restore its oldest campus building, the historic Mims Auditorium.

Three scholarships endowed at HSU. Three endowed scholarships have been established recently at Hardin-Simmons University—the Clara G. Campbell Scholarship in science and mathematics, the Hope and Howard Wilkins Endowed Scholarship in music and the Carl and Georgia Tefertiller Scholarship to benefit graduate ministerial students in the Logsdon School of The-ology. Campbell, a 1934 Hardin-Simmons graduate from Abilene, established a scholarship fund to benefit full-time students seeking degrees in sciences and mathematics, with a special emphasis in chemistry or biology. The Wilkinses, members of First Baptist Church in Abilene, previously had established the B.A. Duffy Endowed Memorial Scholarship, provided funding for the Duffy Theological Center in the university’s Richardson Library, assisted the nursing endowment program and made possible the Wilkins Choral Music Suite in the school’s Hemphill Music Building. Tefertiller, a member of Colonial Baptist Church in Snyder, established the ministerial scholarship to honor his wife, who died in 2003.

Texas church choirs invited to audition. Voices of Joy—an American Idol-style competition—has launched its search to find the nation’s most inspiring church choir. The competition will pit church choirs from 12 key markets—including Dallas—against one another in a series of regional events this spring, followed by nationally televised weekly programs this fall. More than $1.3 million in educational scholarships will be awarded to choirs as they advance in the competition, with the winning group receiving $500,000. Church music groups are invited to submit a tape or DVD of three songs by May 15. Entry information is available on www.voicesofjoytv.com.

Baylor development VP steps down. Richard Scott, vice president for development at Baylor University for 10 years and former dean of the Hankamer School of Business, stepped aside from his administrative role April 1, and he announced plans to retire Dec. 31. As vice president of development, Scott led Baylor in a $500 million endowment campaign and helped secure funding for major building projects, including the McLane Student Life Center, the Mayborn Museum Complex, the Baugh-Reynolds Campus of Truett Theological Seminary and several athletics facilities. Baylor President John Lilley has appointed Randy Lofgren, associate vice president for the Baylor Network, as interim vice president for development. Lofgren holds three degrees from Baylor. He and his wife, Jeanine, are members of Seventh & James Baptist Church in Waco.

Oxford professor presents DBU’s Gallup lecture. Oxford professor Paul Fiddes presented an interdisciplinary forum for faculty and staff as part of the fourth annual George Gallup Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series at Dallas Baptist University. Fiddes is a fellow in Christian doctrine at Regent’s Park College in the University of Oxford. He is the author of 14 books and numerous theological articles.

HSU Cowgirls charge into Final Four. The Hardin-Simmons University women’s basketball team received an unexpected bid into the NCAA Division III Final Four tournament. The Cowgirls defeated cross-town rival McMurry University and conference rival Howard Payne University en route to the sectional round. In the sectional tournament, HSU won games against Pacific Lutheran and defending national runners-up Randolph-Macon College. The four wins sent the Cowgirls to the Final Four for the first time in seven trips to the NCAA Tournament before they lost two games in the championship round.

Loutherback named UMHB chaplain. George Loutherback has been named chaplain at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor—a new post in the school’s student affairs division. He will continue to supervise and provide leadership to the Baptist Student Ministries, UMHB’s chapel programs and campus revival, as well as provide pastoral care for students, faculty and staff. Loutherback joined UMHB in 1997 as the director of student organizations and campus spiritual life. He has served as dean and as assistant vice president of spiritual life and dean to student organizations at the university. Loutherback is a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University. He earned a master of divinity degree from South-western Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

DBU preview event slated. Dallas Baptist University has scheduled Patriot Weekend—a one-day preview event for high school juniors and seniors—on Saturday, April 29. Prospective students and their parents are offered a series of informative seminars, as well as fellowship opportunities with other families and DBU faculty. Information on financial aid options, the admission process and campus life are highlighted. Students interested in DBU's Christian Leadership Scholarship can interview and apply during this time. The weekend concludes with a campus life fair that offers guests the opportunity to learn more about various aspects of student life. Cost for students for the event is $25 and includes two meals for both students and their parents. For more information, or to register for Patriot Weekend, contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at (214) 333-5360, or register online at www.dbu.edu/patriotday.

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: 3/31/06

TOGETHER:
Balance church & government duties

Why do you suppose people say they admire Jesus and believe he is a great model for their life and then have so much trouble following him? Why is it that about the time you think you have him all figured out, you turn a corner in Scripture and your assumptions are turned on their head?

Matthew 25 is a good example of how this happens. It illustrates several themes: The responsibility of being ready when great moments arrive, the responsibility of using what is trusted to you courageously, the responsibility of caring for the poorest among us, and the frightening consequences, in each case, when we fail to be responsible.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

This theme makes some of us pleased that Jesus is so strong on holding every person accountable. But if you take it seriously, then the people who ought to work the hardest to serve the “least of these” should be those who believe everyone is responsible for their behavior and there is hell to pay if we neglect to serve society’s most vulnerable citizens.

Do you see how this makes everyone uncomfortable? People who believe we ought to take care of the “least of these” often don’t insist on the principle of personal responsibility. They treat people in need as objects of pity rather than as full human beings worthy of respect. And those who insist on the importance of personal responsibility often don’t see that the poor and the needy are part of their responsibility. Rather, they look on the poor and make the judgment that there must be something wrong with them, it is their own fault, and thus relieve themselves from any responsibility to care.

Jesus gives us a way forward, both in doing church and in conducting public policy. The help we give ought truly to help. It ought to alleviate the most pressing and desperate dangers people face. It ought to encourage and expect people to develop. It ought to open doors to a better future. Government can use tax money to help with the larger and more expensive parts of this. Churches should not use tax money, but using tithes and offerings, they should do God’s work among the people in the name of Jesus.

Those who claim government has no role to play in meeting the needs of people—that the churches ought to take on all that task—neglect to comprehend the situation. The needs of the citizens of a country have a claim on all the citizens because the welfare of some people affects the welfare of all the people. Since only half of the citizens of this country claim any relationship to a church, and 20 percent of those are the ones who give 80 percent of the tithes and offerings, then what is being asked of the churches is that 10 percent of the people of this country would be funding the human needs of the entire citizenry.

Many people do not trust government to use money wisely. But what will happen to churches’ reputations if they take government money to do the work all citizens ought to be doing and do not use it well? The criticism then will detract from the gospel of Christ and bring reproach to the church. And when the church uses public funds, its gospel of Jesus must be muted, and the motivation of its own members to give will be lessened.

There are ways for government, business and churches to work together for the common good. We ought to keep developing those approaches, respectful of what each can bring to the table, encouraging one another in doing what is good, just and merciful (Micah 6:8).

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.

Posted: 3/31/06

UT-Austin student ministry
loses associational funding

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

AUSTIN—Austin Baptist Association voted at its semi-annual meeting to cut off funding to the Baptist Student Ministry at the state’s largest university.

The University of Texas BSM will lose about $4,000 in monthly support from the association after the end of the year—and would have lost it immediately if messengers had not approved an amended motion at the March 21 meeting.

Funds that would have been allocated to the BSM will help enable the association to hire a strategist focused on church-starting—a priority that emerged from a long-range planning process in the association, said Director of Missions David Smith.

“We have a tremendous love in this association for the BSM and appreciation of all the work it has done and continues to do,” Smith said. “It’s just that in looking at strategic priorities, the decision was made that we couldn’t fund everything.”

Steve Washburn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pflugerville, presented a motion on behalf of the association’s eight-member leadership team that would have discontinued associational funding of the BSM immediately.

Bryan Hall, minister to youth and college students at Woodlawn Baptist Church in Austin, offered an amended motion to extend funding through the end of December.

Charles Whitmire, pastor of Crestview Baptist Church in Austin, host facility for the meeting, said discussion regarding the funding decision was “passionate but cordial.” No vote count was made available by the association. Observers characterized the vote as clear-cut but not overwhelming.

“This is not anything that just happened overnight,” Washburn explained, noting Austin Baptist Association began several years ago examining the reason for its existence. The self-analysis and planning process resulted in a revised constitution, new mission statement and limited list of priorities for the association—with church-starting at the top of that list.

“Our focus is considerably narrowed. All we are about as an association is planting churches, equipping churches and keeping that vision alive,” he said. “We’ve been gradually weaning ourselves off all other activities.”

Rather than seeing the proposed immediate funding cut-off as abrupt, “we saw it as more tardy than early. We felt as leaders we had dragged our feet,” Washburn said.

No other ministries in the associational budget were cut. One remaining item—funding for the Baptist Community Center, a Christian social ministry—holds the potential to fit within the church-planting emphasis, Smith noted.

“We envision compassion outposts that can be established around the city,” he said.

BSM Director Jimmy Daniel did not view the defunding as an expression of dissatisfaction with the campus ministry.

“We knew the direction the association has been going, and we realized sometime in the future we’d lose funding. We understand student ministry is not a funding priority of the association,” he said.

More than 500 University of Texas students a year are impacted by BSM activities—roughly 1 percent of the total student enrollment. About 250 students—half of them internationals—are involved in ongoing programs on a weekly basis, Daniel said.

“We genuinely appreciate the support Austin Baptist Association has provided all through the years, and we will continue to work with the association and churches in the association to do student ministry at the University of Texas,” said Bruce McGowan, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Center for Collegiate Ministry.

The BSM now will appeal directly to churches and alumni for funds, he added.

Texas Baptists cannot afford to discontinue student ministry at “a leading university that produces many of the future leaders not only for our state, but also around the world,” McGowan said.

Washburn—whose church is affiliated uniquely with the breakaway Southern Baptists of Texas Convention—anticipated his church would designate money to the BGCT-sponsored student ministry.

“As a church, we’ll contribute directly to the BSM. Student ministry is a part of our vision as a church but not as an association,” 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: 3/31/06

RIGHT OR WRONG?
Seniors sealed relationship with a document

An elderly couple, each widowed, prepared a document, which established that they would care for one another as long as they both were living. They are recognized as a couple in the community but do not live together. Is this relationship a marriage in God’s sight?

This question, on the surface, does not pose a great deal of ethical wrangling for me. Two people who trust and care for one another have made an agreement to protect one another’s best interest. It would appear that they explicitly trust one another in matters of health, business and other areas. It would also seem that this couple enjoys one another’s company.

However, I wanted to check my sense of the issues that could be involved. Thus, I inquired of attorney Johnny Merritt of Amarillo for some legal review on this article. I asked him:

• Does this mutually beneficial legal document mean that they are married? Unless a marriage license accompanies a “power of attorney,” the answer would be “No.”

• Does their public recognition of companionship in the community mean that they are for all practical purposes married? The answer to this question also is “No.” I can think of several respected people in my own community who enjoy one another’s company. I have not heard conversations in which they are viewed as married. Therefore, the relationship raised in the question would seem to be no different from other partnerships or legal trusts.

The posed scenario does not even qualify as a “common-law marriage,” which in Texas requires three elements: the couple has agreed to be married; the couple lives together as husband and wife; and the couple represents to others that they are husband and wife.

I also put this question to a gathering of senior adults in our church, and the discussion was quick and decisive: “No, this couple is not married; they simply trust one another and enjoy one another’s company.”

The greater conundrum put forth in that same gathering, however, was the difficulty of the marriage penalty and Social Security benefits. Two single people will receive more compensation than a married couple. Our senior adults offered stories of friends, deacons, family members who chose to “live together” rather than take a reduction in benefits. One even told the story of a “religious marriage ceremony” performed by a pastor, without the encumbrance of a marriage license. “Are these people ‘living in sin’?” was the question put to me by our senior adults.

This question weighs the difficulty of making an already meager income even less, over a simple piece of paper. On the other hand, that simple piece of paper or “marriage license” clears up a number of difficult legal issues. Here is just one example: When asked by a member of a medical team, “Are you his/her spouse?” what kind of guilt-free legal answer can be supplied if a couple is not legally married?

It seems to this simple-minded West Texas preacher that the words of Jesus make matters like these much simpler. “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” We all have tax or regulatory issues that seem unfair or that complicate our lives. However, those complications are less and far less guilt-laden when we do the right thing as prescribed by the law.

Stacy Conner, pastor

First Baptist Church

Muleshoe

Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.

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: 3/24/06

Afghan man's plight draws widespread support

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—The plight of an Afghan man who could face the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has united a broad array of religious, human-rights and advocacy groups that often find themselves ideologically opposed to each other.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reportedly telephoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai March 23 to press for the rights of Abdul Rahman, 41. Rahman has been jailed, an Afghan judge announced March 19, for violating Islamic law by rejecting that faith.

According to the United States Commission for Cooperation and Security in Europe, Rahman converted to Christianity while working for a Christian aid group in Pakistan more than 14 years ago. He was only recently jailed because his faith emerged in court during a custody dispute between Rahman and his ex-wife over their children.

Since his imprisonment made headlines, groups from multiple faiths, continents and political ideologies have decried the Afghan judicial system for the situation. Conservative Christian groups and impartial human-rights watchdog organizations in the United States first called attention to the situation but have been joined by international human-rights groups, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the New York Times editorial board.

Questioned about the situation during a visit to West Virginia March 22, President Bush said he was “deeply troubled” over Rahman’s predicament.

Bush had been pushed by some of his closest allies who excoriated the Afghan government for allowing the situation to develop. The allies also criticized the administration for not guaranteeing that religious freedom was adequately protected in the new Afghan government that followed the fall of the theocratic Taliban regime.

“That there should even be such a trial is an outrage. How can we congratulate ourselves for liberating Afghanistan from the rule of jihadists only to be ruled by radical Islamists who kill Christians?” asked Tony Perkins, head of the conservative Family Research Council, in a March 22 statement on the situation. A council spokesperson said Perkins had sent a letter to Bush and Rice, as well as the Republican chairmen of the two congressional foreign-relations committees.

“The decision to topple the Taliban from power was just, and American and allied forces have died to achieve that goal,” Perkins wrote. “We are fighting now to defeat state-sponsored terrorism, and surely that must mean we oppose state-practiced terrorism against its own citizens.”

The New York Times, in a March 23 editorial, condemned the Afghan government.

“Afghanistan is not the only American ally that enforces cruel religious laws. But this is a country that was liberated from the Taliban by American troops and whose tenuous peace is enforced by those troops,” the editors said. “If Afghanistan wants to return to the Taliban days, it can do so without the help of the United States.”

And the Council on American-Islamic Relations—which Perkins had criticized just a day before for not having issued a condemnation of the Afghan government—did so on March 22. Citing several verses from Islamic holy writings, the statement said conversion should be a matter of individual choice under Islam, not governmental compulsion.

“Islam advocates both freedom of religion and freedom of conscience,” the statement read.

Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said the statement was vetted for theological accuracy by a group of Muslim scholars known as the Fiqh Council of North America.

Several human-rights groups have noted the tension in the Afghan Constitution between religious freedom guarantees and a provision that no law shall contradict Islam. Members of the non-partisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom repeatedly have warned that the tension gives the nation’s judiciary the power to enforce Islamic law on non-Muslims, such as Rahman.

In a letter to Bush released March 22, commission Chairman Michael Cromartie said, “With no guarantee of the right to religious freedom for all individuals, together with a judicial system instructed to enforce Islamic principles and Islamic law, the door is open for a harsh, unfair, or even abusive interpretation of religious orthodoxy to be officially imposed, violating numerous human rights and stifling political dissent for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.”

The Afghan Embassy in Washington released a statement to reporters following Bush’s comments March 22, saying they were responding to multiple inquiries from Americans concerned about Rahman’s situation.

“It is too early to draw any conclusion about the punishment, and we appreciate public understanding of the sensitivity of religious issues,” the statement said. “(W)e kindly request that the judicial process be given time to resolve Mr. Rahman’s case.”

It concluded: “The Constitution of Afghanistan provides protection for freedom of religion. The government of Afghanistan will ensure that the constitutional rights of its citizens, international principles, and the due judicial process are respected and implemented.”

But the AP reported March 23 that senior Afghan clerics —even moderate ones—were calling for Rahman’s head.

“Cut off his head!” said Abdul Raoulf, one of the nation’s most prominent clerics. Raoulf was arrested three times for opposing the Taliban prior to their 2001 ouster.

“Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die,” he said, adding that, should Rahman be acquitted, “We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there’s nothing left.”

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.