Posted: 10/19/07

Midwestern Seminary board meeting
ends without action against Roberts

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP) — Despite a public conflict with the chairman of his trustees, the president of a Southern Baptist seminary survived a board meeting Oct. 16.

According to a press release from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, trustees agreed, during the two-day meeting, to “affirm” both president Phil Roberts and board chairman Gene Downing as well as “the overall direction and mission of the seminary.”

But the statement, released through the Southern Baptist Convention’s information outlet, also noted “recent concerns and criticisms made public.” It said board members had “rallied to address these concerns and to affirm seminary administrative leadership and the quality-assurance processes of the trustees.”

The statement said the seminary had experienced rapid growth in recent years and that its finances “are in good condition.” However, it added that “the processes and procedures of the seminary needed to be commensurate with the positive financial condition of the school.”

Tensions among the seminary’s leaders first made their way into the news when Associated Baptist Press reported Sept. 21 on the resignation of the college’s chief financial officer, David Hodge, after a disagreement with Roberts.

Downing, an Oklahoma City businessman, said at the time that he and other trustees were concerned about Roberts’ “leadership” and the reasons Hodge resigned.

According to Downing and other sources close to the seminary, Roberts placed Hodge on administrative leave Sept. 20 after Hodge declined to give Roberts a copy of a confidential financial analysis. Hodge, who had left a bank presidency in Wichita, Kan., just six months earlier in order to take the position at Midwestern, prepared the analysis at Downing's request.

In a subsequent Kansas City Star story, Downing said the analysis “substantiated the lack of administrative skills on Dr. Roberts’ part.”

Downing continued: “I’ll put it this way. He’s a great preacher, a great family man. He represents the seminary well. But he’s lacking in administration and people skills. And in order for the seminary to grow, you have to have these things.”

Roberts and his trustees have been in behind-the-scenes conflict in recent months over his leadership style as well as alleged financial “irregularities,” according to sources close to the seminary. Some expected an attempt to oust Roberts to materialize at the meeting. However, the factions appeared to have papered over their differences during the trustee meeting.

Nonetheless, the statement made it apparent that some trustees were dissatisfied with Roberts’ administration of the school.

“With the rapid growth of the seminary in recent years in terms of 1) student body enrollment, 2) the addition of an undergraduate degree program through the creation of Midwestern Baptist College, 3) the expansion of the faculty and staff, and 4) with increased financial contributions, the seminary trustees acknowledged that its policies and procedures must be as up-to-date and as effective as possible,” it said.

The statement concluded by noting that Roberts and Downing “overwhelmingly affirmed their desire to work together for the good of the college and seminary, promising to apprise the trustees of the steps taken to improve the processes and procedures of the school as a result of several trustee directives issued during the two-day meeting.”

According to Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention’s information outlet, trustees spent almost the entire meeting in “executive session,” meaning the sessions were closed to the media and the public. They twice excused both Roberts and Downing from the meetings.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Theology keeps Mormons from
entering Christian mainstream

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP)—While a Mormon presidential candidate continues to occupy a prominent place in the race for the White House, a recent study has found most Americans say they know little about the practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and large majorities say their own faith is very different from the Mormon religion.

The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, found 51 percent of Americans have little or no awareness of the precepts and practices of Mormonism, and 53 percent say they have a favorable opinion of Mormons.

The Mormon religion has gained national visibility in recent years. Founded in 1830 in New York, it now boasts 13 million members worldwide, and the church’s official website lists it as the fourth- largest denomination in the United States.

But when asked to describe their impression of the Mormon religion in a single word, 27 percent of survey respondents gave negative words like “polygamy” and “bigamy.”

Among the 23 percent of respondents who used positive words to describe them, “family” was the most frequent response—reflecting the church’s prominent pro-family ad campaigns.

When Pew researchers further divided survey results, they found just 46 percent of white evangelical Protestants reported having a favorable impression of Mormons. Officials from the Latter-day Saints church headquarters did not respond to a request for comment on this survey.

The rise of former Massachu-setts governor Mitt Romney on the national political scene has contributed to growing awareness of the Mormon religion, especially among evangelicals, since the two groups share concerns regarding issues like gay marriage and abortion rights.

Nancy French, who maintains the website www.evangelicalsformitt.org, said she is encouraged by the 53 percent approval rating listed in the survey.

“There’s a lot of people in the South who have these really deep theological issues with Mormonism, and they don’t want Governor Romney teaching a Sunday school class, but they realize that we’re so close on the social issues, that Mormons and evangelicals are married on these issues,” she said.

The differences in theology are distinct in theory but sometimes subtle in conversation. Latter-day Saints believe divine apostolic authority was lost after the death of the biblical apostles and then restored by Joseph Smith in the early 1800s.

Adherents say Smith received new divine revelation. Therefore, in addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints adhere to the Book of Mormon, subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants,” and the Pearl of Great Price, all of which are writings from Smith and other Mormon presidents.

When it comes to salvation, Mormons believe in a “plan of salvation” that includes a “pre-mortal” state and the ability to become heavenly beings after death. The post-death state continues earthly relationships, like marriage, and temple rites can be performed for those who already have died.

Latter-day Saints also refer to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit as “the Godhead,” which includes the Heavenly Father and the Son, both with glorified physical bodies, and the Holy Ghost.

They also have a doctrine of the Heavenly Mother, wife of the Heavenly Father.

Among other distinctives, Latter-day Saints abstain from alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee.

Their churches employ no full-time vocational clergy and strongly encourage one- or two-year-long mission trips for young people.

In a May conference on religion, politics and public life, Richard Bushman, a former professor at Columbia University and expert on Mormon history, discussed the relationship between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and American politics. He also addressed a question that nags at the conscience of many evangelical voters: Are Mormons Christians?

Most modern Latter-day Saints consider themselves Christians—and as a reform group from the early 19th century, the church has historically identified itself as Christian.

But most evangelical groups do not recognize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a Christian entity.

Rob Bowman, the manager of apologetics and interfaith evangelism at the Southern Baptist-affiliated North American Mission Board, said the issue for evangelicals is whether the Mormon Church is “a valid, authentic, faithful expression of the Christian faith,” he said.

On that question, it seems evangelicals and Mormons must agree to disagree.

“From an evangelical perspective, Mormonism is not faithfully or soundly Christian because it deviates from historic, biblical standards of orthodox Christianity,” Bowman said, adding that “the New Testament instructs us as believers in Christ to dissociate ourselves religiously from groups that teach … doctrines that deviate in crucial ways from the apostolic message.”

According to the Pew report, one’s view of whether or not Mormonism is a Christian religion has a greater impact on overall opinions of Mormons than knowing a Mormon personally.

Among non-Mormons who say Mormons are Christian, 68 percent expressed a favorable view of Mormons, twice as many as those who say Mormonism is not a Christian religion. A full 42 percent of those who said the Mormon religion is not Christian also said they would be less likely to vote for a Mormon for president.

While they may not win over evangelicals, Mormons may form a bond with Protestants and Roman Catholics. The latest Pew results say 62 percent of white mainline Protestants and 59 percent of non-Hispanic Catholics say Mormons are Christians.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

On the Move

• Brian Avery to Lake Shore Drive Church in Weatherford as youth minister from First Church in Palo Pinto.

• Lee Bates to First Church in Longview as minister of music and worship from First Church in Palmetto, Fla.

• Jeff Berger to Westbury Church in Houston as pastor.

• Justin Bindel to First Church in Wichita Falls as interim junior high minister, where he was assistant youth minister.

• Cody Broussard to Central Church in Luling as pastor.

• Patrick Burg to First Church in Breckenridge as youth minister.

• Sam Burgeson has resigned as minister of education/administraton at First Church in Mineral Wells.

• Charles Cole to FIRM Area as director of missions.

• Larry Collins to First Church in Kaufman as pastor of worship and senior adults/pastoral care.

• Charles Covin to First Church in Edna as minister of music and senior adults.

• Chance Cutts to First Church in Lexington as minister of youth.

• Jerry Douglass to First Church in Seguin as senior adult director.

• Guy Earle to First Church in Eastland as associate pastor.

• Salvador Estrata has resigned as pastor of Primera Iglesia in Royse City.

• Todd Ferguson to Willow Meadows Church in Houston as associate pastor for children and youth.

• Reagan Finch to First Church in Joshua as interim minister of music.

• Larry Floyd to Lake Shore Drive Church in Weatherford as education minister, where he had been minister of youth and education.

• Jim Furgerson to Tilden Church in Tilden as interim pastor.

• Bob Garringer to Westover Church in San Marcos as pastor.

• Clay Giddens to Colonial Hill Church in Snyder as minister of education from Rosen Heights Church in Fort Worth, where he was interim minister of education and administration.

• Rick Grant to Wylie Church in Abilene as associate pastor for music and education.

• H.B. Graves has completed his term as a seminary instructor in Vermont and has returned to Knox City as a missionary.

• Amber Harrington to First Church in Roanoke as children’s minister.

• Brandon Helm to Calvary Church in Harlingen as pastor from First Church in Perrin, where he was minister to students.

• Howard Hudiburg to First Church in Seguin as minister of music, where he had been interim.

• Joseph Kirby to Coastal Bend College in Beeville as Baptist Student Ministry director.

• Doug Knight has resigned as pastor of First Church in Maud.

• Brian Lambert to First Church in Breckenridge as pastor.

• Brian Mullins to First Church in Bovina as pastor.

• Derek Neese to Southwest Park Church in Abilene as interim music director.

• Brynden O’Grady to The Rock Church in Round Rock as worship leader.

• Chris Pace to Waller Church in Waller as young adults minister.

• Ira Pinkston to Del Norte Church in Albuquerque, N.M., as worship pastor from First Church in Waxahachie.

• Les Reed to First Church in Silverton as pastor from South Georgia Church in Amarillo, where he was youth minister.

• Reagan Reeves resigned as pastor of First Church in Somerville.

• Rita Remington has resigned as children’s director at First Church in New Braunfels.

• Tommy Richardson to Greenwood Church in Midland as minister of education from First Church in Cameron, where he was minister of administration/education.

• Bob Rutherford to Belmont Church in Denison as pastor.

• James Sain has completed an interim pastorate at First Church in Silverton and is available for supply or interims at (806) 994-0119.

• Chris Scales to Hamby Church in Abilene as youth minister.

• Shane Scott to Walnut Creek Church in Azle as pastor from First Church in Copperas Cove, where he was associate pastor.

• Ken Smith to First Church in Carbon as pastor.

• Wayne Spoonts has resigned as minister of music at McKinney Street Church in Denton.

• Larry Strandberg to RiverPointe Church in Conroe as pastor.

• Jay Tracy to First Church in Rosebud as minister of youth.

• Robby Wynn to Trinity Memorial Church in Marlin as pastor, where he had been interim.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Young people see Christians
as judgmental, study shows

By Adelle Banks

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—Young people have graded Christianity, and so far, the report card doesn’t look good.

Majorities of American young people describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-homosexual. What’s more, many Christians don’t even want to call themselves “Christian” because of the baggage that accompanies the label.

A new book based on research by the California-based Barna Group research firm found church attitudes about people in general and homosexuals in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29.

“The Christian community’s ability to take the high road and help to deal with some of the challenges that this perception represents may be the … defining response of the Christian church in the next decade,” said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president and author of the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.

“The anti-homosexual perception has now become sort of the Geiger counter of Christians’ ability to love and work with people.”

The findings were based on surveys of a sample of 867 young people. From that total, researchers reported responses from 440 non-Christians and 305 active churchgoers.

The vast majority of non-Christians—91 percent—said Chris-tianity had an anti-gay image, followed by 87 percent who said it was judgmental and 85 percent who said it was hypocritical.

Such views were held by smaller percentages of the active churchgoers, but the faith still did not fare well—80 percent agreed with the anti-gay label, 52 percent said Christianity is judgmental, and 47 percent declared it hypocritical.

One of the biggest surprises for researchers was the extent to which respondents—one in four non-Christians—said modern-day Chris-tianity no longer is like Jesus.

“It started to become more clear to us that what they’re experiencing related to Christianity is some of the very things that Jesus warned religious people about … avoiding removing the log from your own eye before trying to take the speck out of someone else’s,” Kinnaman said.

Some Christians—including those in the entertainment industry—preferred to call themselves “followers of Jesus” or “apprentices of Christ” because the word “Christian” could limit their ability to relate to people, he noted. Even Kinnaman, 33, described himself as “a committed Christ-follower,” though he has called himself a Christian in the past.

In addition to reporting on the negative statistics, Kinnaman used the book to also give advice—from himself and more than two dozen Christian leaders—on new approaches.

“Our goal wasn’t simply to say here’s all the problems, but to hopefully point a way forward,” Kinnaman said. “When Jesus pursued people, he was much more critical of pride and much more critical of spiritual arrogance than he was of people who were sinful. And today’s Christians, if you spend enough time looking at their attitudes and actions, really are not like Jesus when it comes to that.”

Megachurch pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren of Saddle-back Church in Lake Forest, Calif., used the book to say he hopes the church will become “known more by what it is for than what it is against.”

“For some time now, the hands and feet of the body of Christ have been amputated, and we’ve been pretty much reduced to a big mouth,” Warren wrote. “We talk more than we do. It’s time to reattach the limbs and let the church be the church in the 21st century.”

The research reported in UnChristian reflected larger Barna Group studies with about 1,000 respondents, as well as the specific study of young people. The sample of 440 non-Christians had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points, and the sample of 305 active churchgoers had a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Church gives away 24,000 books
in one day inside S.C. prisons

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (ABP)—Giving Rick Warren’s best-selling The Purpose Driven Life to prisoners is nothing new for church volunteers.

But St. Andrews Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C., is distributing the book on a much broader scale than most groups. Church members gave a copy to every prisoner in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, distributing 24,000 copies in one day.

Pastor Greg Barr came up with the idea after his involvement with a 30-year-old Bible study group at a prison in Columbia. The group had gone through Warren’s 40 Days of Purpose program together and wanted to expand it.

As a result, in a single day, prison workers and Baptist volunteers transported thousands of books to the state’s 29 prisons.

“It was a surprise for some of our folks because in a lot of the prisons, they were expecting that we’d set up tables at the chapel and let inmates come to us, but it wasn’t like that,” Barr said. “They just sent us out to the dorms. It wasn’t a real sterile deal. You were out there just interacting with the guys.”

Leaders at Warren’s congregation, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., sold the church special prison-tailored versions of the books for $1 a copy. South Carolina corrections officials, who normally limit the number of books inmates can have at a given time, agreed to waive the limit for 30 days so Warren’s book wouldn’t count against it.

Volunteers from the two local Baptist associations and the South Carolina Baptist Convention worked with Prison Fellowship and Changing the Way, a group that helps ex-offenders readjust to life outside of prison. The groups have trained their volunteers to teach Bible studies based on the book, with the hope that prisoners will return to their cell blocks and lead additional studies there.

A former inmate who works for Changing the Way Ministries, Chris Batson, said he cared deeply about the book-delivery project because of its impact on him.

“While I was incarcerated, I was given a copy of The Purpose Driven Life, and it changed my life by reminding me that God had not given up on me and that he still had a plan for my life,” he said.

Walter Andrews, a member at St. Andrews, said the experience even affected his prayer life—now he can “put faces to the needs that are there” on his list, he said.

“I must say I had mixed emotions about visiting the prison, especially after I realized we would actually go into the dorms and interact with the inmates,” he said. “It turned out to be a very positive experience for me.”

It’s a project that will continue, if Barr has anything to do with it. His church has purchased 35,000 books so far, and his next plan is to send thousands of them to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and other county jails.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Churches use podcasts
as portable outreach tool

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

ONTGOMERY, Ala.—Little white headphones that began, about five years ago, revolutionizing the way Americans listen to music may also revolutionize the way they learn about God.

Hundreds of churches and other Christian institutions are using podcasts or other easily downloadable audio and video files to spread the good word around the globe—literally—with the simple click of a mouse.

“Podcast” is a term that originated with brief audio programs that artists or television celebrities would submit to Apple’s popular iTunes audio-file clearinghouse. People would then download them to their iPods, the portable digital-audio players that, in the past five years, have revolutionized the way many Americans listen to music.

Now it commonly refers to any audio or video program placed online and made available for customers to subscribe to and download automatically to their computers, to be placed on a portable audio device for later listening.

“A lot of our members don’t live in Alabama, so this is a way for them to get Jay’s message everywhere. And you can take it with you,” said Amanda Smith, communications director for the First Baptist Church of Montgomery, Ala. The congregation began podcasting Pastor Jay Wolf’s sermons in January.

Smith said the feature has been very popular among students away at college or former members who have moved away.

She noted podcasting only requires a minor investment of her time and the church’s resources. She uses a “feeder program” to translate digital audio files of the sermons into the kind of computer code needed to distribute them on iTunes. Members can then log onto iTunes, search for the church on the site’s podcast page, and subscribe—for free.

The iTunes site then automatically downloads new sermons to each subscriber’s computer as soon as they become available. Subscribers can transfer those files to their portable audio devices.

“It’s relatively easy to do, so it’s not anything—I mean, it’s cost-effective,” Smith said.

At First Baptist Church in Lubbock, the communications staff has provided varied content—not only sermons, but also short interviews, videos and promotional material.

While the Lubbock and Montgomery churches have thousands of worshippers on an average Sunday, smaller congregations also are getting into podcasting—and not just simple sermon files. At First Baptist Church of North Kansas City, Mo., music minister/tech guru Kevin Gibson has taken the church’s historic commitment to missions online.

“We have a lot of connections with missionaries in our congregation here, and it’s a good way for our members to connect with missionaries in places like Cambodia or Thailand,” Gibson said. He has used Skype—a free program that allows people to converse over the Internet as if they were on the telephone—to interview missionaries. He then edits the conversations and posts them online.

The Missouri church is not actually using an iTunes feed yet to syndicate the downloadable files, but that may come in the future.

For now, Gibson said, he’s experimenting with content—spending a few hours a week on creating professional-sounding podcasts with editing software—and getting good feedback from members of all generations.

“I think it will be worth the payoff in the end,” he said. “And particularly with the younger generation. They have iPods, mp3 players, what have you. And they’re used to multitasking—they’re listening to a podcast, they’re doing homework, they’re eating all simultaneously.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Churches of all sizes can use technology

By Vicki Brown

Missouri Word & Way

A Christianity Today survey, published in the summer issue of its Leadership journal, points out communication has taken a decidedly visual turn, and churches must take steps in that direction.

Does a church have to have at least 1,000 members, media experts on staff and a multi-million-dollar budget to take advantage of today’s technology?

No, according to media ministers in those large churches. Some technologies are available even small congregations can tap. And media ministers argue that churches, regardless of size, must begin to use those technologies or risk losing young churchgoers.

“Today, young people expect technology,” said Brian Bird, media minister at First Baptist Church in Arnold, Mo.

Hank Garner, minister of communications at McGregor Baptist Church in Fort Myers, Fla., and a member of the Metro Media Ministers Association, recently pointed out all a church or pastor needs to get started is Internet access.

“Any pastor with Internet access can have a blog (short for web-log, an online diary or forum). Blogs are simple to set up, and lots of free hosting is available,” he said.

Podcasting also is inexpensive, he added. (See related story.) McGregor Baptist Church has been podcasting for about eight months. Most of the positive comments the church has received have come from the area’s large senior adult community, Garner said.

Many congregations today already utilize websites, which are inexpensive. Some Internet providers even offer free space to clients. Members need to be aware, however, that a poorly designed and seldom-updated site can harm the church’s image and create a negative witness.

The cost of projectors and presentation software has come down enough in the last couple of years to put video use in worship within reach of most congregations. “For just a few thousand dollars, a church can have video capability,” Garner said.

Churches that can afford it probably should consider how to utilize more video in their services. “Five years ago, media in churches for the most part was PowerPoint and sound. Now to attract younger people you almost have to have video to keep their attention,” Bird explained. “If you don’t, they’ll start text messaging one another during worship.”

Volunteers may be the key for many churches to get started. “It’s our role as church staff … to equip others … to help a volunteer who is technologically savvy or a volunteer church member have a deeper discipleship ministry through technology,” Garner said.

The pastor or congregation first should make sure any volunteer is “a hundred percent on-board with the direction the church is heading,” the Florida expert said. The volunteer needs to know and accept that direction in order to make the best choices in media support for sermons and worship.

A volunteer also should demonstrate good technique or creative skill or both, he said.

Bird agreed that training volunteers is one of his most important responsibilities at the Arnold church. He looks for volunteers who are not afraid of technology, who are willing to serve and who have from six to 10 hours available each week or every-other week.

Age doesn’t have to be a factor. In fact, many churches find younger members are more techno-savvy and have more time to volunteer. They often are more willing because of their fascination with technology and desire to sharpen their skills. The young people can be an asset to the church’s media ministry, provided they are mature and reliable.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Same story, new language

By Jennfier Harris

Missouri Word & Way

Many scholars believe the church must bridge a divide before it can minister effectively in today’s world.

In a rapidly changing environment, they insist the church still speaks the language of pen and paper while the culture around it communicates using technological advances.

Len Wilson, cofounder of Midnight Oil Productions, believes using technology is a new form of translating Scripture into a language people can understand. In what he refers to as the Ezra Principle, he recalled an Old Testament passage in Nehemiah 8, where Ezra rediscovers the Law, and the people are able to understand the word of God for the first time.

By bringing the message of Christ to people in culturally appropriate ways, the church is able to provide that understanding, he said.

“People often don’t recognize the use of technology in ministry because they become comfortable with certain technologies” they already are used to, Wilson said. “Technology has always been present in the church.” The Apostle Paul used technology in the form of letter writing and roads.

Texting

“When something new comes in, there is controversy, but it eventually settles down,” Wilson said.

“John 1 says, ‘Jesus is the Word.’ The problem is we confuse big-w ‘Word’ with the little-w ‘word.’ Ultimately the Word of God is Jesus. Often we think the printed word is the most important medium, when really it is just a medium, one way to point people to the Word of God—Jesus.”

Jason Moore, Wilson’s partner in Midnight Oil Productions, suggests the use of technology can help the church with metaphor. On their website, www.midnightoilproductions.com, Moore and Wilson define metaphor: “a tangible way to express an abstract story, thought or idea. Applying a metaphor to the message simply means communicating potentially abstract stories, principles and/or ideas with present-day tangible equivalents. Substituting familiar objects, stories and situations can make archaic and hard-to-grasp texts easy to understand.”

“We’ve gotten so far from the method Jesus gave us,” Moore said. “Most sermons are informational, mostly removed from story and parable. Jesus gave us the model for a reason. If Jesus didn’t say anything without using metaphor, what does it mean that we don’t use it at all?”

Moore recommends taking small steps to reclaim metaphor. “You don’t have to do everything the first time,” he said. “Do one thing really well.”

“Figure out how to tell stories—God’s work in lives,” Moore said. “One of the best ways is to use the youth. Parents and grandparents are excited when they see the youth excited about their faith.”

Podcasting

“Students and young people have access to equipment and incredible skill sets,” said Corey Carbonara, professor of telecommunication in the film and digital media division and director of the digital communication technologies project at Baylor University.

Carbonara suggests beginning with video. As technology has improved, the cost of video equipment has gone down considerably, making it easily assessable. “Most computers have the ability to create mini-movies,” he added.

By tapping into this medium, churches have the ability to create mini-documentaries or narratives, providing awareness of outreach programs, soup kitchens or mission trips.

With the rise of Web 2.0, or the second generation of the Internet, video is extremely important. “Now video is about two-way interaction,” Carbonara said. “Social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, are rapidly evolving to include video.”

YouTube, a website that allows people to view and share videos, has escalated the idea of video as a form of interaction. Individuals are able to watch videos and post their own video response.

Churches can use the prevalence of video to stay in touch with missionaries and see coverage from life on the mission field.

The communications team at New Tribes Mission, which operates a training facility in Roach, Mo., is working to improve communications between missionaries and churches. The team runs the organization’s website, ntm.org, which is published daily and translated into four or five languages.

RSS Feeds

The site is updated daily with prayer requests and news articles, which are sent by daily or weekly e-mails or RSS feeds. RSS, or really simple syndication, allows people to keep up with updates to their favorite websites by channeling subscriptions into a single feed.

New Tribes Missions recently has given missionaries the opportunity to create their own personal sites using a template program the communications team designed. Missionaries are able to post updates quickly and easily with the fully automated system.

“Our job is to help missionaries communicate what God is doing through their ministry,” said Andy Corley, who serves on New Tribes’ communications team.

Corley has seen the missionaries’ message spread as people forward stories to friends and family, send e-mail responses to missionaries and donate funds to support missions. More than $1.4 million each year is contributed through the website, he noted.

In order to fully utilize technology, churches must do more than simply use it, Moore and Wilson said.

“Churches need to learn not just how to put graphics on a screen, but how to communicate,” Wilson said. “Many churches don’t understand it is a different language. You have to learn the grammar—just like in written language.”

A majority of churches are using screens, but most use them poorly and struggle with ways to be more effective, he said.

“A screen is more than just a hymnal or bulletin replacement,” Moore said. “We hope people come to realize there is a whole discipline and field of study on how to use screens.”

“We all have and use technology. It’s around us all the time,” Wilson said. “We think of Sunday morning as an escape from the world, but Jesus is in the world, and we need to communicate.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Texas Tidbits

Wade retirement reception set. A reception honoring Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade will be held Oct. 29 following the second general session of the BGCT annual meeting that day. BGCT-affiliated institutions are hosting the event. Wade is set to retire at the end of January.

Missions banquet planned. “Catching the Winds of Missions” is the theme of a missions celebration banquet at 5 p.m., Oct. 29 in the Regency B Ballroom of the Amarillo Civic Center. The event, scheduled in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting, will honor Cecil Deadman and Nelda Gerbine for their leadership in LifeCall and Mission Service Corps. There is no cost, but a donation to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions is requested. To make a reservation, e-mail stacey.rice@bgct.org.

Substance abuse ministry spotlighted. A dinner meeting designed to help churches gain practical insights about how to minister to people dealing with substance abuse issues is scheduled at 7 p.m., Oct. 28, at Randy’s at 817 South Polk, Suite 105 in Amarillo, prior to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting. Nichole Holt, director of the Texas Standing Tall coalition, and Nobel Schear, youth minister at Royal Haven Baptist Church in Dallas, are featured speakers at the event, sponsored by the Christian Life Commission. Cost is $10. To make a reservation, call (214) 828-5190 or e-mail deby.irby@bgct.org.

Nurses’ group honors Baylor Health Care. The American Nurses Association has recognized Baylor Health Care System with a Best Practices Award in seasonal influenza immunization. Baylor was one of only five health-care providers in the nation that received the honor. Baylor’s influenza vaccination campaign achieved an employee vaccination rate of 64 percent, far exceeding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-reported national rates of 36 percent for health-care personnel, said Rosemary Luquire, chief nursing officer with Baylor Health Care System.

Emerging leaders to have breakfast. The Baptist General Convention of Texas is hosting a breakfast Oct. 29 for Baptists under 40 that features David Coffey, president of the Baptist World Alliance. The Emerging Leaders Network gathering will take place just before the start of the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting. The breakfast will be at 8 a.m. in the Sabine Room of the Ambassador Hotel in Amarillo. To make a reservation, e-mail Blake Killingsworth at blake@dbu.edu.

Baylor professors named among top religion authors. The American Library Association has included the works of two Baylor University professors—The Listening Heart: Vocation and the Crisis of Modern Culture by the late A.J. “Chip” Conyers, a founding faculty member of Truett Seminary, and Discovering God: The Origins of the Great Religions and the Evolution of Belief by Rodney Stark, university professor of social sciences at Baylor—in its list of top 10 books in religion for 2007. Conyers’ book was published posthumously.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

TOGETHER:
Staff reduction better sooner than later

The question has been raised with me as to why I decided to reduce the size of our BGCT staff before messengers at the annual meeting have a chance to vote on the 2008 budget. They understand personnel decisions are the responsibility of the executive director, not the messengers, but the timing bothers them. Let me try to explain my reasons.

• If we had not dealt with the personnel positions until after the convention, then we would have had a month in which all of the staff would have been in limbo regarding their futures, and rumors would have been out of control, and morale would be worse, not better.

Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

• Messengers would have felt they were determining the fate of 25 to 30 employees without sufficient information to make a good decision. They would have felt emotionally undone to have to make a decision affecting the lives and families of so many.

• If we had waited, we simply would have been prolonging worry and frustration on the part of the staff and messengers.

• If we waited until the new executive director was in place to make the final decisions, we would not have money in the budget to pay salaries from January until the new leader could decide what to do. Plus, morale would tank because the staff would know that one of the first tasks facing the new director was to reduce staff. I did not believe that was the healthiest or most productive way for us to proceed.

• This process we are going through is the culmination of reorganization and restructuring decisions we have been working on for three years. If you look at the list of decisions regarding positions, you can see something of how and why the process unfolded as it has. In my judgment, it would not be right to have left this effort incomplete insofar as I could help to bring the process to an appropriate conclusion.

• I will not be filling key positions in the next few months. Those all will be available to our new executive director, and if he feels we have made some bad moves in these decisions, he will be able to redesign and shape it in the fashion he would like.

Living together in the life of a local church or in an association or convention of Baptists is not easy. Disagreements will arise. Relationships will be strained and tested. This situation has strained and tested Texas Baptists.

I have asked God to guide us through this entire journey, and I am grateful for the times I have felt his wisdom and strength. The mistakes I have made are mine alone. The strength he has given to help me make right what I could is deeply appreciated.

Please encourage those you know that the work of the convention in serving the churches, winning the lost and ministering to the needs of all people remains our focus. All of us—older and younger, pastors and laity, men and women—need to be involved in helping the BGCT continue to be a truly great people with Texas and the world on our hearts.

We are loved.

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

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

UMHB student makes service part of daily life

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor recognized senior Felicia Cano for her service both locally and internationally, presenting her the Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award.

Cano began as a freshman working with children in low-income housing projects through the Belton nonprofit group Hope for the Hungry. She later made trips to Haiti with that organization, and she has worked at orphanages in Russia with Go Now Missions and in South Africa with Do Missions.

During the school year, she has volunteered at the Belton food bank and has served as co-president of UMHB’s Ministry Leadership Council.

Cano is a member of Hope Community Church, a Belton congregation affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

She plans to donate $250 of her $1,000 cash award to Hope for the Hungry to support the Haitian orphanage where she served.

“We are proud of Felicia, who demonstrates such a heart for Christian service,” said UMHB President Jerry Bawcom. “We hope all of our students view her as a role model for what they can achieve when they make service and philanthropy a part of their daily lives.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 10/19/07

Women in ministry describe journey together

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

ABILENE—Dorisanne Cooper’s story isn’t simply her own. It’s the story of a Sunday school teacher, a mentor, classmates and church members, as well.

And it’s much like that for the more than 220 people—including students from Baylor University, Hardin-Simmons University, Baptist University of the Americas, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Wayland Baptist University, Howard Payne University and Dallas Baptist University—who participated in the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ first conference specifically for women in ministry. The gathering was a cooperative effort with Logsdon Seminary.

Participants said multiple people helped them identify and clarify God’s calling upon their respective lives. For Cooper, those people included a Sunday school teacher, seminary classmates, a pastor who served as a mentor and the church members she currently serves as pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church in Waco.

Julie O’Teter, BGCT associate coordinator of strategic leadership training and planning, said the body of Christ works together to nurture a person’s faith and help people fulfill God’s calling upon their lives.

“It’s true for everyone—men, too,” she said. “It’s really representative of all the influential people in their lives.”

That’s exactly as it should be, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade said. Texas Baptist churches already certify women for ministerial programs, making them eligible for ministerial scholarships through the convention. They also need to be open to hiring them, as well, he said.

A congregation “should invite all its children—girls and boys—to answer God’s calling. (Churches) should not only invite them to do so, but encourage them in it and be open to the opportunity and to their responsibility for them to serve.”

Cooper testified that growing up, she always believed women could fulfill God’s calling upon their lives in any position, but she only truly applied that to herself after seeing a woman serve as youth and children’s minister at her church.

In seminary, “the Bible came alive” to Cooper “in whole new ways,” invigorating her Christianity and reinforcing her call to ministry. A statement to a professor one day clinched her calling for her.

“If I were Presbyterian, I would definitely be going into the church,” she recalled saying, believing there would be more job opportunities for her in that denomination than in Baptist life. Shortly after, she came to understand if God was calling her into a church staff position, God could make that position in a Baptist church.

After graduating from seminary, Cooper served at a Baptist church, and gradually received opportunities to preach. When the pastor took a six-month sabbatical, Cooper handled the administrative duties and preached once a month. Shortly after, Cooper was called to become pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church.

When she arrived, she was the second Baptist female senior pastor in the city. Julie Pennington-Russell, who was greeted by protestors on her first Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, sent flowers welcoming Cooper. Some members greeted her warmly.

A few members of the congregation left because they didn’t want a female pastor or did not like her leadership style. Some came back and even became close friends of Cooper.

Lakeshore members continue to encourage Cooper. Together, Cooper said, she and her congregation are on a journey.

“My story isn’t over,” she said. “And it’s still not just my own.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.