Posted: 6/13/07

Cooperative Program definition
sparks messenger debate

By Trennis Henderson

Kentucky Western Recorder

SAN ANTONIO—A proposal to define what constitutes Cooperative Program giving sparked lengthy debate during the opening session of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, including a charge that the measure “goes against historical Baptist polity.”

The recommendation from the SBC Executive Committee defines the denomination’s 82-year-old giving plan as “Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving through which cooperating Southern Baptist churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts in support of their respective state conventions and the Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries.”

SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman noted, “There has been no approved definition of the Cooperative Program through these years.”

Southern Baptists “always considered the Cooperative Program since 1925 to be a process, a delivery system that is contributed through the state and then to the SBC,” he said. Designated funds given directly to the SBC still are distributed according to the national CP funding formula but are not counted as Cooperative Program contributions.

The proposal follows a measure on strengthening Cooperative Program giving adopted last year by SBC messengers. From 1980 to 2006, the percentage of undesignated funds given by local churches through Cooperative Program plunged from 10.7 percent to 6.6 percent.

At least 10 messengers recognized at microphones throughout the convention hall raised questions or voiced concerns about the proposal.

Ron Wilson of Thousand Oaks, Calif., warned that the recommendation “seems to be establishing a connectionalism that historically has not existed in Baptist life.”

“What if you have three entities in a state all desiring to give to the Cooperative Program?” he asked. “In our state, we’re forming a new convention for the purpose of giving a greater percentage to the national convention. Will we be allowed to do that or will we have to go back to the old convention?”

Michael Lewis, vice chairman of the Executive Committee’s Cooperative Program subcommittee, responded that if a new state convention entity is recognized by the SBC, contributions through the entity will be considered CP gifts.

Currently in Southern Baptist life, the SBC has recognized breakaway fundamentalist conventions in Texas and Virginia. A breakaway moderate convention in Missouri is not recognized by the SBC.

Lewis emphasized that the primary focus of the proposal is to acknowledge “local churches giving through their state convention to support the Cooperative Program.”

Mark Dever of Washington, D.C., asked if the proposed definition would impact current constitutional wording that allows cooperating churches to qualify for additional messengers “for each $250 paid to the work of the convention during the fiscal year preceding the annual meeting.”

“The recommendation does not affect that,” Lewis said, noting that designated gifts qualify as support for convention causes.

“Are we saying that if you give to the Executive Committee or to Nashville that you can bypass your state convention and it still count as Cooperative Program funds?” asked Bill Henard of Lexington, Ky.

“No, it does not,” Lewis responded. “It simply codifies all that we are doing and have been doing as Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program.”

Tim Rogers of North Carolina asked whether contributions to a giving plan in the North Carolina Baptist Convention that includes designated giving to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship would qualify as Cooperative Progam giving.

“No,” Lewis said. “We do not receive funds from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.”

After several other questions, Wilson returned to the microphone to propose tabling the measure until next year.

“I think it needs greater thought for there’s more issues than just what you’re dealing with,” Wilson said. “I also believe that historically we are establishing a precedent that absolutely goes against historical Baptist polity and establishes a connectionalism that was not meant in the beginning.”

Urging convention leaders to “table this motion and bring it back next year with better wording,” Wilson added, “This is a very dangerous thing we are doing here.”

SBC President Frank Page ruled Wilson’s motion to table out of order. Messengers then voted to approve the proposed Cooperative Program definition.

In other Executive Committee-related business, messengers:

• Approved a 2007-08 CP allocation budget of $200,601,536, an increase of more than $4.6 million from the current budget.

• Requested LifeWay Christian Resources to “compile additional statistics relating to Calvinism, the emergent church, elder rule and other topics of interest and discussion in Southern Baptist life.”

• Approved three future convention sites: Orlando, Fla., in 2010; Phoenix in 2011; and New Orleans in 2012. Some messengers voiced concern about waiting five years to visit New Orleans, citing ongoing ministry needs and witnessing opportunities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Convention officials responded that logistics and facility options make it necessary to wait until 2012.

• Gave final approval to a constitutional amendment that requires a two-year waiting period before former board trustees or Executive Committee members are eligible to serve again. There previously was a one-year wait.

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

Posted: 6/13/07

Chapman urges SBC: Don’t make
every doctrinal issue a ‘political football’

By Trennis Henderson

Kentucky Western Recorder

SAN ANTONIO—Warning that Southern Baptists “must not make every doctrinal issue a crusade or political football,” SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman declared it is a waste of time to “harshly debate disputable doctrines that lead to destructive distractions.”

Chapman offered his assessment in the wake of widespread debate about recent actions by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board regarding believer’s baptism and private prayer language.

“We have no right to judge others with whom we disagree about secondary and tertiary doctrines,” Chapman insisted. “Only God is our judge.

“But we do have the right to engage in spirited debate where we differ,” he noted, adding that such debate should reflect the Spirit and mind of Christ and “honor Christ in every thought and deed and word.”

Without directly referencing the mission board or specific doctrinal issues, Chapman proposed “two suggestions for future consideration.”

“Any practice instituted by an entity in the Southern Baptist Convention that has the force of doctrine should be in accord with the Baptist Faith & Message and not exceed its boundaries unless and until it has been approved” by convention messengers, he said to the applause of the crowd.

“Secondly, if an entity … adopts a confession of faith separate and distinct from the Baptist Faith & Message and it includes a doctrine unsupported by our confessional statement, the entity should request approval from the convention prior to including the doctrine it its confession.”

The SBC Executive Committee “acknowledged that the Baptist Faith & Message is the only consensus statement of doctrinal beliefs approved by the Southern Baptist Convention and as such is sufficient in its current form to guide trustees in their establishment of policies and practice,” Chapman said.

The Baptist Faith & Message, first adopted in 1925 and revised in 1963 and 2000, “has long been the doctrinal umbrella under which we send missionaries to foreign fields and preachers into local pulpits,” he noted. The faith statement “is not a creed,” he added, “but it is a confession of our core beliefs of Southern Baptists.”

Revising the Baptist Faith & Message “should not be lightly regarded, nor should our confessional statement be revised year after year,” Chapman said. “However, if we believe a doctrine is a part of the core belief system of Southern Baptists, it should be in the Baptist Faith & Message.

“Only a few years ago, it seemed sufficient for our missionaries and convention leaders to sign the Baptist Faith & Message as a statement of loyalty to Christ and to the convention,” he remarked. “Now other doctrines are beginning to be required aside from our adopted confession. It causes one to ask, ‘Where does it end?’”

Insisting that his proposals “do not infringe upon the responsibilities of trustees to govern an entity of our convention,” Chapman told SBC messengers, “We must come together in one spirit over the core beliefs that we hold in common and learn to engage in healthy debate about varied interpretations about other doctrinally-related Scripture.

“Otherwise,” he cautioned, “we shall spend our time arguing among ourselves while thousands, even millions, die without a Savior.”

Emphasizing that the SBC’s “conservative resurgence” launched in 1979 “clarified and solidified what we think about the authority of God’s word,” the former convention  president said Southern Baptists are now “struggling with the temptation  to lay down certain interpretations for defining a true Southern Baptist compared to a maverick Southern Baptist.”

“Holiness, humility and righteousness are the traits that will rescue Southern Baptists for another day,” Chapman declared. “We desperately need to pray for God to send his Pentecostal power upon us as he did for the early Christians.”

Describing the baptism of the Holy Spirit as “a one-time experience,” he added, “We are baptized by the Holy Spirit when we are saved; we are filled daily by abandoning our will to the will of the Father.”

Warning that God “will not pour out his power if we are disobedient to his word,” Chapman concluded,  “Both in our doctrinal convictions and our attitudes toward one another, let us go before the Lord to pray, ‘God forgive me.’”

–

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

Posted: 6/13/07

Bush thanks SBC for support

By Tony W. Cartledge

Biblical Recorder

SAN ANTONIO—Judging by the reaction he received at their annual meeting, President George W. Bush’s popularity remains strong among Southern Baptists, whom he thanked for their support June 13.

Bush was greeted with a standing ovation of sustained applause, punctuated by whistles and cheers, as he spoke via a live satellite feed to messengers attending the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio.

Bush expressed appreciation for Southern Baptists’ Christian witness, support of religious liberty, and good works such as hunger ministries and disaster relief.

“You’ve made our nation stronger,” he said.

“I also appreciate that Southern Baptists are supporting our brave men in uniform and their families,” he said, pausing in response to exuberant applause.

“I appreciate the fact that Southern Baptists understand the importance of fair-minded and impartial judges to our democracy,” he added. “I was proud to nominate John Roberts and Sam Alito to the Supreme Court, and I will continue to nominate good judges who will interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.”

Again, the president had to pause for applause.

Bush thanked Southern Baptists for supporting “a culture of life,” and reiterated ways in which he has worked to oppose abortions and the destruction of human embryos for research purposes.

Bush thanked Southern Baptists for their support of a “True Love Waits” effort in Uganda that has been credited with reducing HIV infections, and highlighted his support of programs designed to reduce malaria and HIV infections in Africa.

The president singled out “my friend Richard Land,” president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, for helping draw attention to the Sudan’s genocidal actions in Darfur.

“The people of Darfur are crying out for our help,” he said, and Southern Baptists and America “will not turn away.”

“God has blessed our nation with prosperity and great abundance,” Bush said. “I firmly believe, like you, that we should use our resources to help those at need here at home and help those in need abroad.”

The president congratulated Southern Baptists for “meeting the needs of broken souls” with compassion and courage, “living out the call to spread the gospel and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

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

Posted: 6/13/07

Messengers raise questions
about IMB finances, trustees

By Grace Thornton

The Alabama Baptist

SAN ANTONIO—International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin presented an upbeat report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting about advancement of the gospel. But he still was unable to escape concerns addressed by messengers during the Tuesday night session.

A concern about embezzlement resurfaced when messenger Ron McGowin of Fairfield, Texas, questioned the outcome of a motion he introduced at last year’s annual meeting. McGowin’s motion had called for an external audit of the Central Asia Region’s monetary dealings between 1999-2005.

A note in the Book of Reports said a 2004 audit and “supplemental procedures” on the issue led to “appropriate action” taken by the board.

But McGowin, pastor of First Baptist Church, Fairfield, Texas, asked, “Why have the IMB trustees decided against the use of external audits?”

Rankin responded that an internal audit had been performed as well as an audit by an outside firm.

“The trustees were involved in the thorough review of this. Policies have been put in place to prevent this from happening again,” he said, noting that the board is honoring its “fiscal responsibility to the convention.”

Another motion presented last year regarding trustee rights brought no discussion from Rankin or questions from messengers but was addressed in the book of reports.

The motion, presented by trustee Wade Burleson of Oklahoma, called for an ad hoc committee appointed by the SBC Executive Committee to investigate certain aspects of trustee protocol, including suppression of dissent and coercion into “a particular course of action.”

The Book of Reports noted that the IMB board of trustees has “no authority” to question or investigate several of his concerns, including coercion and the nominating process of IMB trustees. It also noted that “all trustees have opportunity … to express and advocate minority opinions” but that “unified public support” is expected after a majority vote has been reached.

In regards to missions efforts, 2006 was a banner year for the board, Rankin said, noting a record Lottie Moon Christmas Offering topping $150 million.

“Because of your faithfulness in giving, 784 new missionaries were appointed and sent out to the ends of the earth,” he said. “Thank you on behalf of the millions of lost people.”

In 2006, the IMB reached 104 previously unengaged people groups with the gospel as well as seeing 23,486 new churches planted and 475,072 people make first-time professions of faith in Christ, Rankin said.

And in the North Africa Middle East region—a “very difficult, difficult area” for the past decade—has seen more new missionaries appointed this year than the last three years combined, he said.

“We press forward driven by the vision that all peoples of the world have the opportunity to hear and understand and respond to the message of Jesus in their own language and own culture,” Rankin said.

The IMB’s strategic plan includes getting the gospel to the remaining 2,029 unreached people groups by 2010. It also includes growing the board’s missionary force to 8,000 worldwide. The IMB currently has more than 5,000 missionaries in the field.

“Thank you for praying, thank you for giving and thank you for going,” said trustee chairman John Floyd. “You’ve given more than ever before, and you’re not only giving, you’re going.”

After the business report, messengers heard from several IMB missionaries and Christians from overseas, including a pastor from Turkmenistan, who talked about how the gospel is “enduring, even thriving, in the face of persecution.” The missionary to Turkmenistan detailed for messengers what it is like to be tortured and threatened for his Christian beliefs, sharing how God is faithful to save.

Tom Elliff, IMB senior vice president, closed the night with an altar call for messengers to commit their lives to a role in missions. Hundreds responded.

“This convention tonight is going to end at the altar,” he said. “God has a yoke for you in terms of world missions that perfectly fits you. I rejoice in the lives that will be reached because of this moment.”

Rankin said Southern Baptists have been equipped with all they need to reach a lost world. “It’s a story, a simple story. We need to share it,” he said.

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

Posted: 6/13/07

Former SBC missions leader Tanner dead at 77

BELTON (ABP)—William Tanner, former head of home missions for the Southern Baptist Convention, died June 10 in Belton at age 77.

Tanner was president of the SBC Home Mission Board from 1976 to 1986.

Under his leadership, the mission board began the Mission Service Corps volunteer missionary program , increased its emphasis on language missions, and strengthened partnerships between the agency and state Baptist convention partners.

Geoff Hammond, president of the North American Mission Board, expressed his gratitude for the legacy Tanner left for the home mission field.

“I am thankful for Dr. Tanner’s vision and foresight,” Hammond said. “All of us at NAMB will be thinking about and praying for Dr. Tanner’s wife, Ellen, and the rest of his family during this time of loss,” Hammond said. “A great servant has gone on to his reward.”

Ernest Kelley, who served as a coordinator working with state Baptist conventions in the western United States during Tanner’s tenure, said Tanner’s commitment to the Mission Service Corps program was essential to its strong beginning.

“Dr. Tanner immediately embraced the idea of Mission Service Corps and gave it the high-profile attention and funding it needed to get established and off the ground,” Kelley said. “He even insisted that the MSC office be located right next to his, so he could give it the attention it needed.”

Tanner was born in 1930 in Tulsa, Okla. He attended Baylor University, where he met Ellen Yates, whom he married in 1951.

After graduation, Tanner worked in churches in Texas and Mississippi, earning a masters degree from the University of Houston and a doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In 1968, Tanner became president of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. In 1971, he became president of Oklahoma Baptist University. After serving the HMB, he returned to Oklahoma in 1986 to serve as executive director and treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.

Tanner was preceded in death by his parents, his son Mark Kyle Tanner, and his grandson Geoffrey Price Tanner. He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and their children: William Tanner Jr., and his wife, Paula, of Belton, Texas; Keith Tanner and his wife, Ginger, of Frisco, Texas; and Kimberly Salter and her husband, Mike, of Jackson, Miss. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren.

Memorial services will be June 14 at First Baptist Church of Belton. A private family burial will be in Waco prior to the memorial service.

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

Posted: 6/12/07

Calvinist churches targeted
by Florida Baptist Convention

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP)—Some Florida Baptists insist the Florida Baptist Convention is intimidating and demonizing churches that believe in Calvinism—and doing it with money contributed by the churches.

Convention executive director John Sullivan recently sent recordings of sermons by Sullivan’s former pastor Jerry Vines to every church in the state, apparently at convention expense, that identify Calvinism as a threat to Baptist life.

A week earlier, Sullivan sent one of his associates to a rural Panhandle county to confront local pastors about alleged “conflict” created by Calvinists in the Holmes Baptist Association. Sullivan’s emissary, Cecil Seagle, was at times “angry and mean-spirited” and tried to intimidate the pastors, according to the pastors’ detailed notes from the meeting, warning that Calvinism “is dividing the Florida Convention and a split is almost inevitable.”

Calvinism, a theological system that emphasizes the sovereignty of God over the free will of humans, is named for Reformation theologian John Calvin. According to a recent Southern Baptist Convention study, Calvinism is held by only 10 percent of Southern Baptists. Its advocates insist it was the theology of the SBC’s founders.

The four sermons from Jerry Vines, former SBC president and retired pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, are a series titled “Baptist Battles” that target four hot-button issues in Southern Baptist life—Calvinism, speaking in tongues, liberalism and “booze.” Since SBC leaders rid the convention of alleged liberalism in the 1980s, the other three have been frequent topics of discussion and division.

Coming immediately before the SBC annual meeting, where those issues are likely to stir debate again, Sullivan’s mailing was interpreted as an inappropriate political use of power.

“This is clearly political in its intent,” said one pastor in Florida, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal. “Those of us who are conservatives and were part of the conservative resurgence are now being targeted.”

Vines’ sermons, recorded last year at a church in Georgia, were sent “through the cooperative efforts” of Sullivan and Eddie McClelland, president of Florida Baptist Financial Services, according to a letter from the pair that accompanied the boxed set.

Sullivan declined to talk about the project, how much convention money was spent, and if it was appropriate to spend it to advocate politically charged issues.

McClelland, however, said he was unaware of the nature of the project when he agreed for his convention agency to help fund it.

“I did not have any idea of the content. I did not know,” he said. “I was asked to raise money for one of Dr. Sullivan projects. He asked me for a gift.”

McClelland, whose agency makes church loans and operates retirement homes, a foundation and a credit union, said he does not know how much church-donated Cooperative Program money was spent on the mailing.

Asked if it was an appropriate expenditure of his agency’s funds, he said: “I’m not going to answer that question. I would not want to get involved in that. I did not know it was political. Our agency doesn’t get involved in politics. We serve all Florida Baptists.”

Tom Ascol, the most prominent Calvinist in the 1 million-member state convention, blasted Sullivan’s tactics in his blog. (www.founders.org/blog)

“This much is clear: The mailing of Dr. Vines’ sermon on Calvinism is a clear indication that the executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention has an agenda to demonize the ministers and churches in our state who believe what the founders of the Southern Baptist Convention believed regarding the grace of God in salvation,” wrote Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral and executive director of Founders Ministries, which promotes Calvinist theology. “This is a serious matter—very serious.”

In his sermon, Vines said Calvinism “kills” churches because it neglects evangelism by teaching that salvation is only for those whom God “elects,” not for everyone. He said Calvinistic pastors tend to be divisive, dishonest and prone to “intellectual pride.”

Ascol first reviewed Vines’ sermon last October, calling it a “complete misrepresentation of the theological heritage of the Southern Baptist Convention and the theological convictions of thousands of Southern Baptist pastors.” Sullivan made matters worse, he said June 6, by using “God’s money to send it to every Southern Baptist in the state!”

“This mailing comes on the heels of a very egregious attempt last week by a state convention executive to intimidate pastors in a local association in our state over the issue of Calvinism,” Ascol wrote in his blog, referring to Seagle’s meeting with the Panhandle pastors.

“It looks like the meeting was hijacked by those whose job it is to serve the churches that had invited them to meet in the first place,” he said. “This is a severe violation of Baptist polity and is an assault on the autonomy of local churches.”

The May 22 meeting with six Holmes Association pastors and some of their wives was set up to discuss a plan to revitalize small, rural churches, according to meeting notes drafted by Ryan Helms, one of the six, and affirmed by the others. Instead, Seagle turned the conversation to alleged “conflict” in the association. The association’s director of missions, a Calvinist, had recently resigned, in part over the issue.

Calvinism has “a negative impact” on churches, Seagle reportedly said, and two other Florida associations are “in turmoil” over it. He said the Holmes Association needed to resolve its conflict before moving on, and he reportedly singled out each of the pastors and asked if they had unresolved conflict.

The pastors—only one of whom is a Calvinist—said there was no conflict in the association.

Seagle said Sullivan had received complaints about the association, according to the meeting notes, adding that former director Paul Fries “tried to push Calvinism down my throat.”

The pastors, all officers in the association, disagreed that Fries was pushy about his beliefs. At that point, the pastors said, Seagle became angry and defensive, complaining the group was calling him a liar.

Helms, the one Calvinist pastor at the meeting, said he and his 30-member church had not caused any disruptions in the association over the issue and simply wanted to cooperate, the notes said.

Helms said he called Seagle after the meeting to try to clear the air. Seagle denied he was angry but said he will not tolerate being called a liar, according to Helms.

Ascol said he too tried to contact Seagle but had not been successful. “This issue is not about Calvinism,” Ascol said on his blog. “It is about integrity at every level of our denominational structure.”

Sullivan, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the meeting.

Ascol called for an investigation of the incident and warned it would be “devastating” for the Florida Baptist Convention to “sweep this under the rug for the sake of friendships or a supposed ‘peace’ or ‘unity.’”

“Such a cover-up will undermine the kind of trust that is absolutely essential if a convention of churches is to move forward in cooperation,” he said. “… That would be a colossal failure of leadership and dishonoring to the God of truth.”

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

Posted: 6/12/07

WMU joins directors of missions
as associations celebrate 300 years

By Vicki Brown

Special Assignment

SAN ANTONIO—Unless associational leaders pray for and work with their churches, they run the risk of becoming “as obsolete as a horse and buggy in a NASCAR world,” Jim Henry of Orlando, Fla., admonished Southern Baptist directors of missions.

Henry, a former Southern Baptist Convention president and pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church in Orlando, was the featured speaker as the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions celebrated 300 years of associational work in the United States June 10.

The group focused on its history and its future during its annual session, prior to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio.

Jim Henry

At the directors of missions’ invitation, Woman’s Missionary Union launched its own annual meeting by joining the associational celebration because of the two groups’ close relationship, WMU Executive Director Wanda Lee explained.

“We joined them out of that respect and love for our partnership,” Lee said.

Lee joined a host of agency heads to bring greetings at the celebration held at historic First Baptist Church of San Antonio, and hundreds of WMU members attended the session.

Using Mark 4:35-36 as his text, Henry challenged listeners to look back on associational history with “deep appreciation.”

Then, he noted, directors of missions must evaluate the present. After Jesus finished a long day of teaching, Henry said, he called his disciples to get into a boat and row to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

“What was on the other side?” Henry asked. It was the Gentile side where Jews didn’t go, he explained.

“Jesus was challenging his men … to go to a world they had never known. I call on you as DOMs to go to the other side … to our rapidly changing culture.”

Henry reminded directors of missions that churches have a choice when dealing with the world—separation from it, assimilation into it or association with each other to reach it.

The church is called to move from “limitation to innovation,” he added. “I call you to … challenge the churches to look at new things. Don’t be afraid of innovation. … Change can be very powerful for good.”

Associational leaders must move into the future, where Henry said they face “extinction or expansion,” depending on choices they make in ministry to their churches.

Based on his own informal surveys, Henry said he found that younger pastors often see the association as antiquated and unnecessary. They are not interested in institutions, but they do want to know directors of missions on a personal level, he said.

Younger pastors want to cooperate, but don’t want programs for programs’ sake, Henry added.

He encouraged directors of missions to love their ministers as pastors love their churches.

“I believe the director of missions who can work with entrepreneurial churches will find a supply of larger and middle-sized churches ready to work with smaller churches” to help them, Henry said. “My challenge to you is to go over to the other side until our Father calls us to be at his side.”

During their annual meeting, the national organization elected Russell Cook, director of missions for Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association in Oklahoma, as president; Wesley Pitts, director of missions for Long Run Baptist Association in Kentucky, as first vice president; and Ron Davis, director of missions for Greenville Baptist Association in South Carolina, as second vice president.

Tony Cartledge contributed to this story.

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

Posted: 6/08/07

CYBER COLUMN:
Drinking coffee

By Berry D. Simpson

Every morning when I get to my office, I go through the same routine: I turn on my computer and enter the password so it can run through the boot-up process. Then I walk down the hall to the breakroom coffee maker, move the half-filled pot of regular coffee up to the second warmer and start brewing a pot of decaf . While I wait for the pot to fill, I stand around and crack some jokes or talk about books or movies or theology and then fill my black coffee mug (black mugs don’t have to be washed as often as other colors; in fact, maybe they never have to be washed) and go back to my office and enjoy my coffee and read my morning e-mails.

The first cup of coffee is the best cup of my day. I never stop for coffee on the way to the office, and if I go somewhere for breakfast, I usually drink a Diet Coke. I don’t drink a lot of coffee—at most about three cups in a given morning. I seldom drink coffee in the afternoons unless it is very cold outside. I don’t drink much coffee at home, since Cyndi doesn’t drink it even though she often offers to make it for me.

I’ve read that people around the world drink more coffee than any other drink besides water—400 billion cups a year. And a cup of Starbucks costs $16 per gallon, or in oil and gas terms, about $672 per barrel. Even at that price, 24 percent of Starbucks customers visit 16 times a month.People don’t drink coffee to satisfy their thirst. It’s too hot to drink quickly; it must be sipped. I guess it’s possible that with enough milk or cream or foam, coffee might become a chugalug thirst-quencher, but I don’t think so. Coffee, like tea, begs to be savored. It’s a social drink, a hospitality drink. Maybe, the fact that coffee is served hot means it can’t be rushed. It slows down the pace of life an gives us permission to talk and be together.

Most of the time, I drink coffee like this: (1) during mornings in my office, usually alone; (2) in the evening when I’m reading or computing—usually someone, usually Cyndi, is with me; in fact, I seldom make coffee for myself at home; I drink it only when Cyndi makes it for me; and (3) over a lingering conversation. I also drink coffee during business meetings, but that’s mostly to keep myself entertained and keep my hands busy. Like author Leonard Sweet, I associate coffee with conversation, even though I most often drink it alone. If I join Cyndi at a Starbucks, I usually drink tea, because the coffee they serve is a bit strong for my taste. Until lately.

Cyndi and I recently listened to a podcast by pastor Erwin McManus, and he talked about his love for premium coffee and why he likes it and how it should be brewed. He claimed that being from El Salvador gives him better insight into coffee. Maybe he’s right. He made fun of people who prefer fast-food coffee to Starbucks because “Starbucks makes it too strong.” McManus said they’d trained their taste buds to appreciate the lowest quality and not the best, and how sad for them.

Well, I thought: What if Erwin McManus himself finds out I don’t drink premium coffee, either? I’ve been posting my journal entries on a website sponsored by his Mosaic ministries, called Voxtropolis. What if McManus is bored one day and surfs around the various postings on Voxtropolis and starts reading my journals and thinks to himself: ”These are really good. Maybe I’ll introduce Berry to my publisher and feature his writing at Mosaic.” And he calls me on the phone and says he wants to come to West Texas to meet me and talk about spiritual stuff and bond with me as two hip writers, and then he asks, “So where do you usually go for coffee?” What then? What will I tell him? I only drink office coffee? Meet me at Whataburger? He’ll drop me like a cheap Styrofoam cup.

So, I am confessing that I’ve succumbed to long-distance peer pressure. I’ve started working on my taste buds, training them upward. I’ve been ordering coffee instead of tea at Starbucks, and I’ve added another scoop to my morning ritual when I make coffee at the office.

I still drink decaf, hoping to avoid the damaging symptoms of high blood pressure and all, and I still drink it black, without foam, or ice cream, or candy, or any other additives.

But I’m working on my taste buds, training them to appreciate higher quality and stronger flavor. Who knows, it may come in handy if I ever get that phone call from my buddy Erwin. And I’m beginning to enjoy my newly upgraded life.

Berry Simpson, a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Midland, is a petroleum engineer, writer, runner and member of the city council in Midland. You can contact him through e-mail at berry@stonefoot.org.

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

Posted: 6/08/07

Around the State

• Rob Nash, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship global missions coordinator, will be the featured speaker at the Truett Theological Seminary luncheon scheduled during the CBF general assembly in Washington, D.C. The luncheon will be held from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Friday, June 29, at the Grand Hyatt, Constitution Ballroom C/D. Reservations are required, and the cost is $50. For more information, call (318) 442-7773.

• Four students received doctor of ministry degrees at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary spring commencement ceremony. Receiving doctorates were Angela Bryant of Picayune, Miss., Charles Chu of Austin, Dean Meade of Victoria and James Palmer Jr. of Marshall. Three students also earned master of theological studies degrees, and there were 40 master of divinity graduates.

• Four Howard Payne University students have been selected to receive the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation scholarship in the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom Honors Program. The recipients, all juniors, are Emily Gore of Grand Prairie, Jennifer Middleton of Katy, Jordan Humphreys of Arlington and Tricia Rosetty of Houston. The scholarship provides $9,000 a year for two years.

A team from First Church in Georgetown travelled to Brazil and ministered in a variety of ways, including bestowing bags of small gifts and toiletries to children involved in an after-school ministry called Projecto Vida in Novo Hamburgo. This young boy was so excited, he immediately took his bag to his mother to show off his treasures. The team also participated in house-church meetings and assisted three missionary couples in reaching out to the German Brazilian people living in the area.

• Dallas Baptist University honored Jeannette Sadler and the Methodist Health System with its Good Samaritan Award at its annual partnership dinner. Sadler has been a member of Cliff Temple Church in Dallas 80 years and recently began work with Buckner International and the church to fund a community outreach center that will bear her and her late husband’s names. She also has served DBU as a member of the board of trustees and a financial donor. Methodist Health Systems was recognized for more than 80 years of meeting the health needs of North Texans.

• Harold Temple, emeritus professor of chemistry, has retired after 31 years of service at Wayland Baptist University. He is a deacon and longtime member of College Heights Church in Plainview.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has approved new faculty for the fall, including Ted Barnes, dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts; Joy Ahlgren-Beckendorf, assistant professor of chemistry; Jacky Dumas, assistant professor of English; Martha Francis, assistant professor of psychology; and Karen Frederick, instructor, modern foreign language.

• San Marcos Academy’s 37 graduating seniors received more than $150,000 in scholarship awards to colleges and universities to continue their education. More than 95 percent of the graduating class has plans to attend college, and 81 percent already have been accepted to a four-year university.

Anniversaries

• Johnny Mansell, 20th, as pastor of Baylor Church in Ennis, June 1.

• Pleasant View Church in Dallas, 160th, June 2. Bob Hendley is pastor.

• Kenneth Coleman, 20th, as pastor of First Church in Godley, June 10.

• John Boyle, 20th, as pastor of Wellborn Church in Wellborn, June 10.

• Bill Thompson, 60th in ministry, June 18. A pastor more than 30 years, he entered a Bible-teaching ministry in 1980 and publishes a bimonthly newsletter, “The Scribe.” Churches he served as pastor include Woodlawn Hills Church in San Antonio, Hastings Church in Hastings, Okla., Woodhaven Church in Houston, Fellowship Church in Houston and Second Church in Victoria. He also has been interim pastor for about 20 churches and currently is preaching at First Church in Centerville, where he and his wife, Patricia, are members.

• Champion Church in Roscoe, 100th, July 14-15. A time of fellowship and reflection will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday. An opportunity for fellowship also will precede the morning service on Sunday. A meal and afternoon program will follow the morning service. Several former pastors are expected to attend. For more information or to request a spot on the program, e-mail championbc@ academicplanet.com. Bruce Parsons is pastor.

• First Church in Buda, 125th, July 15. A meal will follow the morning service. In a commemoration of Joshua 4, families are asked to bring a stone with the family name on it to be used to build a stone memorial in honor of the church’s history. For more information, call (512) 295-2161. Stephen Warren is pastor.

Retiring

• Aubrey Howell, as pastor of First Church in Burlington, Colo., after 50 years of ministry. He has served churches in New Mexico, four churches in Texas and the last 15 years with the Colorado church.

Deaths

• Adrian Garcia, 80, May 10 in Uvalde. He was a deacon more than 35 years at Iglesia Segunda in Del Rio, Primera Iglesia in Abilene and Iglesia Unida in Uvalde. He was a retired veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Anita; son, James; daughters, Lillian Newport, Ruth Roman and Linda Contreras.

• Suzanne Daines, 56, May 20 in Fort Worth. She was music director at Mount Pleasant Church in Comanche. She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Nick; sons, Matt, Brad and Doug; mother, Betty Jones; brothers, Crandall, Craig and Mel Jones; and two granddaughters.

• Weldon Wright, 85, May 21 in Savannah, Ga. He was a Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary graduate. Following his seminary graduation, he entered the Army as a chaplain, after serving as a Marine Corps pilot during World War II. After retiring as a chaplain in 1973, he was pastor of First Church in Henrietta. He was preceded in death by two brothers and a grandson, Jeffrey Tyson. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; daughters, Karen Tyson and Margaret Wright; son, John; sister, Mildred Howard; two granddaughters; and three great-grandchildren.

Event

• Iglesia Vida Nueva in Crowley will celebrate its first year of ministry June 22-24. For more information, call (682) 518-7681. Jaime Perez is pastor.

Licensed

• David Patterson to the ministry at Prairie Hill Church in Prairie Hill.

• Billy Gibbs to the ministry at Calvary Church in San Angelo.

Ordained

• Russell Stanley to the ministry at First Church in Rule.

• Gary Welch to the ministry at Northside Church in Corsicana.

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

Posted: 6/08/07

What to do if a minister
is accused of sexual misconduct

By Jim White

Virginia Religious Herald

Most pastors and staff members are aware that ministry sometimes puts them in unique circumstances with all kinds of people. Most also are aware that a rumor of wrongdoing often is enough to end an otherwise fruitful ministry. For this reason, wisdom requires taking precautions to protect one’s reputation and ministry.

Occasionally, however, the unthinkable will occur. Someone will accuse a minister of sexual misconduct. Because church members are trusting people, and because such allegations are rare, most never have considered what they would do if such charges were made against one of their ministers.

Although we all pray that no church will ever have to go through such pain, those who have are unanimous in advising others to plan ahead. Policies outlining a specific course of action in the event of such charges are invaluable because the process can be determined ahead of time without regard for personalities involved. Professionals heading children’s and youth ministries in denominational offices can offer helpful guidelines.

If the unthinkable happens:

• Prayerfully affirm your commitment to find the truth and be as fair as possible to all concerned. This will not be easy, because those making the accusations will be convinced of the staff member’s guilt and will demand immediate action. Occasionally, false accusations are made, so don’t jump to conclusions before having all the facts. You will have to simultaneously consider the welfare of the alleged victim, the accused, the church and the greater kingdom of Christ.

• Get the facts. Only what can be proven counts as a fact at this point. Everything else is allegation or assumption. Assume the accuser is truthful and the accused is innocent until you discover otherwise.

• Confront the accused with the allegation and the evidence, but do so with grace. If he is innocent, he will need your support through this ordeal and your help in healing. If he is guilty, he will need support of a different kind.

• If a law has been broken, you must report it. Some may disagree based on the sanctity of confessions, but the Catholic Church is reaping the consequences of such an approach. The kingdom of Christ ultimately is best served by openness and honesty.

• Know the legal ramifications and liabilities. Laws vary from state to state, so consult an attorney specializing in what you are facing and/or employee rights.

• Start a paper trail. Keep a timeline of every event in the process. You may need to go back to the minister’s employment. Did the church exercise due diligence in researching the person’s background. Were references called? What did they say? Was a background check run?

• If guilt is admitted or determined, make sure the person gets the professional help he needs. Sexual abuse is not easily treated and should not be attempted except by qualified professionals. Also, alert the office in your state convention office that handles ministerial referrals to be sure the person’s resume is not sent to another church.

• If the charges are false, support the minister in every way, including counseling and reasonable time off, if necessary, to deal with the trauma of being accused.

• Tragically, some situations become stalemated based on “he said, she said.” Even though wrongdoing cannot be proven, it is very difficult for effective ministry to continue under such a cloud of suspicion. And, unfortunately, references will be less than honest if they withhold this piece of information from churches that may consider him in the future.

Like our human bodies, the body of Christ—the church—is subject to infection and disease from within. To ignore it, or to simply relocate it to another part of the body only makes the sickness worse. The health of Christ’s church and the individual Christians within it requires diligence. 

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

Posted: 6/08/07

Breaking the cycle

How can churches escape the trap of recycling sex abusers?

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.(ABP)—What can churches do to prevent clergy sex abuse and break the pattern of recycling abusers? Even among activists and experts, there is no consensus—and sometimes loud disagreement—about the steps to be taken.

• A ministerial code of ethics. Doctors, lawyers and counselors have it. And so do most ministers, but not most Baptists, although the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission worked with a clergy ethics committee to develop a “covenant of trust” into which minsters and congregations could enter. Without the ability to withdraw ordination, participation is voluntary and enforcement impossible. But it’s a start.

• Seminary training. Condition Baptist ministers early to avoid moral compromise. But “ministerial ethics is rarely taught in our seminaries, although this area has become a major issue in church life,” said Joe Trull of Denton, who previously taught at an SBC seminary.

• Church-approved policies. What to do with an accusation? Who does an investigation? What about a leave of absence for the accused? How do you treat an accuser? Unless it’s in writing, a congregation will resort to self-protection—and have little legal protection. There are lots of resources and training available to churches, but few take advantage. Some conventions offer intervention assistance. But it all starts with a plan. The Faith Trust Institute of Seattle, founded by abuse pioneer Marie Fortune, has resources.

• Outside help. Churches need an independent review panel to receive accusations and oversee investigations—or at least an outside consultant to lend objectivity. This is not the church’s lawyer, however, since his or her duty is to protect the church.

“Local churches are not capable of handling abuse allegations on their own, and they shouldn’t have to,” said Christa Brown, a lawyer and sex-abuse activist whose story of molestation has brought unwanted national attention to the Southern Baptist Convention. Brown leads a Baptist-directed campaign for the Catholic-focused SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

“Churches are like families, and the dynamics of clergy sex abuse are very similar to the dynamics of incest,” she said. “Most congregations are not capable of objectively considering whether their much-loved and much-trusted minister might actually be someone who molested a kid.”

• Reporting abuse. It’s the law. Church leaders have to tell law-enforcement officials when they learn of sex abuse. But they don’t have to tell fellow church members—and often they don’t. Usually the reason cited is a need for confidentiality. But that only benefits the accused and forces the victim to shoulder the burden alone, advocates and counselors say.

Anti-abuse advocate Dee Ann Miller stressed the difference between secrecy and confidentiality. “To not be up-front about the general nature of allegations is secrecy,” she said. “To protect the victim’s identity in order to prevent embarrassment or retaliation is confidentiality.”

Congregations must encourage victims to talk, counselors say, whether to expose abusers or simply to heal. “Far too often, we see exactly the opposite—victims who attempt to speak up are treated with hostility by church and denominational leaders, and also by congregants,” Brown said. “Clergy-abuse victims can readily see that climate of hostility.”

When abuse is uncovered, churches and their lawyers often rely on confidentiality agreements—usually paired with financial settlements—to keep unsavory details out of public view.

But Miller states flatly, “There should never be a settlement that silences the victim.” Indeed, new Catholic canon law prohibits confidentiality clauses unless requested by the abuse victim.

Confidentiality agreements are “a travesty,” Brown added. “Speaking personally, I would suggest that it is a tactic that resists the movement of God’s Spirit, who might indeed work for healing and justice if Southern Baptists weren’t setting up so many roadblocks.”

• Abuser database. The public is used to criminal predator lists in secular world. But critics say they are inappropriate and unsavory for churches and denominations, not to mention a legal liability issue. In a realm where guilt is difficult to prove, and innocence is sometimes harder, what level of certainty is sufficient? Do you list only the convicted? Or do you include the indicted, the accused and those who confess or settle out of court?

SNAP’s stopbaptistpredators.com shows names and photos of Southern Baptist ministers “convicted, confessed or credibly accused.” That practice is “consistent with what Catholics are doing,” Brown pointed out. “Over 700 priests have now been removed from ministry, and most have never been convicted of anything.”

With convictions still rare, advocates say keeping the merely accused off the list is neither an adequate strategy nor necessary to preserve a presumption of innocence. Critics worry aggressive measures like the abuser database stack the deck against those falsely accused. But victims’ groups insist fabricated cases are exceedingly rare—less than 1 percent among child accusers, reports Darkness to Light.

“Even if (Baptist leaders) can’t actually remove men from ministry, they could at least take on the obligation to inform people in the pews when there is information about a minister reported for molesting a kid,” Brown said. “To keep that kind of information a secret from parents is unconscionable.

“For any innocent minister to be falsely accused of sexual abuse is a horrible thing. The only thing I can think of that would be worse would be to suffer actual abuse by a minister and then to be disbelieved or attacked by your faith community when you attempt to report it— and to see your rapist still standing in the pulpit.”

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

Posted: 6/08/07

Stepping over the line: Should sexually
straying clergy be restored to ministry?

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—Some Baptists consider sexual misconduct by clergy the unpardonable sin when it comes to hiring church staff, and many survivors of abuse agree. But others say it depends on which scarlet letter the minister wears—“W” for “wanderer” or a “P” for “predator.”

Ethicist Joe Trull accepts the distinction between wanderers and predators. He explained the difference between the two types of offenders in a book he and James Carter, former director of church-minister relations with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, wrote on ministerial ethics.

Building on categories first proposed by Marie Fortune—a pioneer in re-search related to sexual exploitation by clergy—Trull said predators are people who actively seek opportunities to sexually abuse their prey. The predator often is a dynamic figure with a charismatic personality who may play the part of a loving and concerned pastor, but he abuses his power and position to manipulate vulnerable people.

In contrast, wanderers tend to be vulnerable, needy people who are drawn to other vulnerable, needy people. Wanderers often are less successful personally and professionally than their peers, and they gravitate to people who will enhance their low self-esteem. After crossing boundaries into inappropriate behavior, wanderers generally feel shame, remorse and regret.

“The wanderer may be a candidate for restoration. Predators don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. Most predators are the type of people who think they are above the law and the rules don’t apply to them. … They should never be in the ministry or in any vocation where they are with vulnerable people whom they can take advantage of,” Trull said in an interview.

Around 1990, the Baptist General Convention of Texas Ministers Counseling Service launched a restoration program to help ministers put their lives back together after sexual misconduct.

The two-year program began with six months of career assessment, intense personal counseling and prohibition on any ministry-related involvement. During the second six months, the minister was allowed limited volunteer involvement in ministry and was required to participate in monthly counseling sessions. In the next six months, the minister was permitted to do vocational Christian work under close supervision. The last six months was spent preparing for re-entry into full-time vocational ministry.

BGCT Counseling and Psychological Services no longer sponsors a structured restoration program.

Christa Brown, a spokes-person for clergy sex abuse survivors, rejects the notion that any abuser should be restored to ministry under any circumstances.

“In the event a minister has committed sexual abuse, he should not be restored to service in ministry in any position in which others look up to him as a spiritual leader,” Brown said. “The weapons used by clergy sex abusers are the faith and trust of others and the mantle of authority that the church and denomination puts on their shoulders. These weapons must be taken away and cannot safely be put into their hands again.”

Brown acknowledges a distinction between misconduct and abuse. She criticizes Baptists for the tendency “to lump all sexually related matters under the same umbrella and call it ‘sexual misconduct.’”

“For example, I would characterize the much-publicized Ted Haggard scenario as ‘misconduct,’ but from the news accounts I saw, it does not appear to have been abusive,” she explained. Haggard resigned as head of the National Association of Evangelicals after a Colorado man alleged Haggard paid him for drugs and sex. Haggard was fired as pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs after he admitted to unspecified acts of “sexual immorality.”

Most victims with whom Brown has been in contact were abused as children or teenagers, but age alone does not determine whether a person is a victim of abuse or simply a participant in sexual misconduct, she insisted.

“Ministers can also sexually abuse adult congregants,” she said. “In Texas, it is a felony for a clergyman to use his position of spiritual trust to sexually exploit another—even another adult.”

Brown rejects the distinction between wanderers and predators, and she believes it creates a climate for continued abuse.

“From the many accounts I hear, it appears that Southern Baptists often wind up protecting the predator on the theory that he may be merely a wanderer. In doing so, they leave countless unsuspecting sheep at risk. No good shepherd would take such risks,” she said.

“Even if those who make this distinction are correct in recognizing two categories of offenders, Baptist leaders are still making a huge and terrible mistake in that they are effectively choosing to err on the side of restoring the wanderers rather than on the side of protecting against the predators.

“Even if there is some percentage who can legitimately be characterized as mere wanderers, are church and denominational leaders so very certain that they can tell the difference that they are willing to risk allowing serial predators to move on to other prey for the sake of giving wanderers another chance in another position of trust with another unsuspecting flock of congregants?”

Emily Row Prevost, who works in the BGCT congregational leadership development area, stressed the harm done by any clergy sexual misconduct, regardless how it is characterized.

“We are concerned with protecting people from situations in which they could be hurt,” she said. “Whether you distinguish between predators and wanderers or not, it is important for us to recognize that in any act of clergy sexual misconduct, people get hurt. The victim, the family of the perpetrator, the church and the community must all deal, in differing degrees, with pain, betrayal and issues of trust.”

In Baptist life, decisions about whether an offender should be restored to vocational ministry rest with individual congregations, she emphasized.

“Because Baptist churches are autonomous, this is a decision each church must decide for itself after diligent prayer, study and thorough investigation. Also, circumstances vary greatly,” she said, noting the state convention has services to help churches make informed decisions.

“But the decisions are up to the congregations.”

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