Posted: 6/07/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for June 17

Helpers who are no help

• Job 4:1-9; 8:1-6; 11:1-6, 13-15

By Andy Rogers

Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene

While watching a memorial service on television for the victims of this past April’s shootings at Virginia Tech, I asked myself, “If I were asked to speak, what comfort would I be able to bring to the community and survivors?” Suffering and misery exist in our everyday life, whether through the death of someone we know, an illness that brings pain and sickness, or sudden tragedy somewhere around us.

Our emotions are stirred as we deal with what has happened and as we think of those directly affected. As we come in contact with them, we often are at a loss for what to say. Perhaps we say nothing at all when we see them suffer, or maybe we explain how we have been able to deal with it by communicating to them what we think and believe about God and evil.

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The friends of Job were forced to speak with Job and attempt to bring comfort to him in the midst of his tragedy.

Job 4:1-9

After Job spoke of his personal struggle, his friend, Eliphaz, spoke in response. It is important to note that all three friends and Job shared the common viewpoint that suffering was a result of sin. Though Eliphaz listened to Job, he could not help but point out that Job had been the comforter in the past. He of all others should have been able to understand what was happening to him and why. Eliphaz meant well, but his comments were of no help to Job.

Eliphaz’s discourse was based on the fact that Job must have done something wrong because those “who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”

Think about the people you might encounter who might be struggling like Job. What would you say? Would you try to help them understand that their suffering was because of something they did? Even if it were true, (in Job’s case it was not since Job was blameless) would that really bring comfort? Let us not fall prey to the temptation to reason in our minds why things are going wrong—as did Eliphaz.

Job 8:1-6

The next friend to “comfort” Job was his friend Bildad. Like Eliphaz, Bildad tried to bring understanding to the situation. Perhaps if Job could have thought logically about the causes and effects of the situation, he might not have grieved so deeply.

As someone comforting a person who is suffering, we might think that would help. It might be the very thing that has helped us deal with the situation. However, we are clearly able to separate ourselves from the situation emotionally while those who are suffering are most likely incapable of doing that.

When Bildad tried this approach, he made two mistakes. First, he attempted to defend God (more likely his personal views of God) and God’s righteousness. However, Bildad used little discretion, and he even proposed that Job’s children’s deaths were the result of their sin. Would that bring “comfort” to you if someone said those words to you?

Second, Bildad asked Job to plead with God and turn to him if he was pure and upright. However, Bildad was basing this on the idea that suffering was the result of punishment from sin. The words of Job’s friends were filled with enough truths about God that we can confuse their advice as authoritative Scripture. Remember to read Job as an ongoing dialogue about Job’s suffering, and be cautious of reading verses out of context.

Job 11:1-6, 13-15

When we see people struggle and suffer, it is hard for us to understand their behavior. We find it difficult to relate to what they are experiencing.

I believe that is where Zophar found himself while listening to Job speak. He was listening to Job say he was flawless, yet in Zophar’s mind this just could not have been. Zophar believed suffering was the result of sin and nothing “just happens.” So, Zophar quickly reminded Job that not only had he sinned, but God probably had forgotten some of Job’s sin. Zophar then reminded Job to get rid of the sin in his life and things would go well for him. Why did this not bring comfort to Job?

Zophar, like the other friends, was wrong. Job’s suffering was not the result of sin. Zophar had not been listening to Job.

Let this be a warning to us that when we attempt to comfort someone, we must listen to what they are saying and not be determined to have them think like we do. Instead let us listen first and speak only after we have truly heard about their pain and why they are suffering.

Discussion question

• Do we have a responsibility as friends to comfort those around us who might be suffering?

• Have you said something that was inappropriate or done something with little discretion while trying to comfort someone before? How can you avoid making those mistakes in the future?

• When we suffer, how does our view of God comfort us or bring us pain?

• What are some positive things we can do or say to those who suffer?

Andy Rodgers is a master of arts in family ministry student at Hardin- Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary. He also is youth minister at First Baptist Church in Eastland.

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

Posted: 6/07/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for June 17

Remember the Lord is God

• Deuteronomy 8:1-14; 17-18

By David Harp

First Baptist Church, Stanton

Today is Father’s Day. Many of us will remember with fondness our earthly fathers. We can be thankful for their example and seek to give a Christ-like love to our children. Others will have difficulty with the memory of a father who only gave harsh criticism and maybe worse.

Through times of tears and joy we can reflect on how our earthly fathers helped us meet our challenges with love and discipline. I—for one—can say that I am who I am today because of the Christ-like influence of my dad. Dad was more than a provider to me; Dad was someone I could talk to and tell him when I had messed up royally and know he’d always be in my corner to help me straighten out whatever mess I’d made on my own.

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Moses tells us that we have a great God who longs to be a loving spiritual Father to us. When we make a royal mess of our own lives, we can take whatever problem, and God will help put the pieces back together. The Lord is God, and he deserves our love and our loyalty.

Moses describes a Father who is all-knowing and all-loving. The truth uncovered in this lesson is that when we are God’s people, we can remember the Lord is God, and we can come to him in our difficult times and our good times.

Do you learn from the Lord’s discipline? (Deuteronomy 8:1-5)

Moses urges the Israelites to recall how the Lord led them during the wilderness years, allowing them to experience severe difficulties while always providing what they needed to survive.

Moses used three examples to illustrate God’s discipline and provision in the wilderness. First, God taught his people to trust in his word to provide for their every need. The manna was a visible reminder of God’s sure word. The second example was the durability of their clothes, which never wore out. God provided for their needs just as he promised. The third example was that their feet did not swell—God was taking care of their physical needs.

Let’s face it, discipline never is fun. When my dad knew I had a spanking coming, he would sometimes let me wait a few days before the big event. I remember it well. Looking back on it now, maybe the waiting was as bad as the punishment itself. I often wanted to run up to Dad and say, “Can’t we please just get this behind us!”

Many years later, I asked Dad about this. He said he never wanted to punish me when he was angry. He also agreed that as I waited out my punishment, I had plenty of time to think about the consequences of my wrongdoing. We can learn from the discipline of the Lord that he loves us and wants us to be in a right relationship with him. He will do whatever it takes to lovingly lead us back to him, even if it means discipline.

Do you trust the Lord’s purposes? (Deuteronomy 8:6-10)

This passage begins and ends with a call to worship. The people were called to do five things: obey God’s commands, live in his ways, reverence him, praise him and give thanks. This is genuine worship put into practice. God provided the gift of a land that was abundant and full—a gracious gift able to provide their every need.

Would God’s people recognize the Lord their God? Would they call upon his name and honor him? Would they realize the land he was providing was a good and plentiful land? Would they know that God had a purpose in bringing this people into this land?

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you” (v. 10). This verse summarizes our whole lesson. Will we praise the Lord our God for the good things he gives us? A good New Testament verse to reference along with this is James 1:17.

Our family has lived in West Texas more than 20 years. For the last 12 years, we have lived in Stanton. We know what it is like when there are years of drought. One farmer recalled recently that he remembered a time not long ago when we received only 5 inches of rain for the entire year. He said, “I couldn’t even grow a good crop of weeds!”

God has sent to us some wonderful moisture this year. As I write these words, our men are in the fields planting the cotton seed. I’m sure it won’t be long when I’ll hear someone say, “Preacher, we sure need to be praying for rain!” And we do. And once in a while, we ought to gather together to remember to thank the Lord for all he already has given us.

Do you remember your source of success? (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17-18)

Reading Moses is like driving through a yellow light—“Caution!”

Moses cautioned the Israelites not to forget the Lord when they began to prosper. Moses would remind them again and again:

• Don’t be filled with pride.

• Don’t take the credit—give the glory to God—he is the Lord.

• Don’t allow your new land of plenty to draw you away from God’s purpose.

• Don’t drift from obeying God and serving him passionately.

Discussion questions

• Can you recall a time when you experienced a crisis and God took care of you?

• What are some specific ways you can praise God for the provisions in your own life?

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

Posted: 6/07/07

Explore the Bible Series for June 17

A call to remember who we are

• Nahum 1:1-3, 7-8; 3:1-7, 19

By Kathryn Aragon

First Baptist Church, Duncanville

“I never cease to be amazed at the degeneracy and depravity of modern man,” a coworker of mine said after a brief discussion of current events. In one sentence, he summed up the message of Nahum.

A quick survey of the headlines dispels the notion America could be characterized as a Christian nation. In fact, they give a description of America surprisingly similar to Paul’s description of the last days. “But mark this: ‘There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power’” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

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The disturbing thing about this verse is that it refers, not to the condition of our world, but to the condition of our churches. Notice the last bit. In the last days, we will have a form of godliness without its power.

Throughout this study of the Minor Prophets, we have returned repeatedly to this theme. We as Christians must step up. We must stop playing church and take God seriously. We must return to him and reclaim the power that comes with faithfulness to him.

What has happened to modern Christianity? Like the Israelites, we have forgotten who we are. We have allowed worldly teachings and methods to draw us away from God. And we have polluted God’s teachings with worldly wisdom. The results have been devastating.

Consequences of forgetting who we are

When we fail to recognize the high calling of wearing Christ’s name, we dishonor God. And this is exactly what we have done. Most of us never open our Bibles except in church. Few of us talk to God, and even fewer of us allow him to talk back. We say we love him, but our actions prove otherwise. It is a love that revolves around ourselves, and that’s no love at all.

The first result of our egocentricity is that we have lost touch with God and no longer know him. We tend to visualize him as an old man dozing in a rocking chair on the porch of heaven. We think he doesn’t see us or care what we do. We mistake his patience for forgetfulness. But Nahum tells us: “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet” (v. 3).

Believing we can get away with ungodly behavior, we take advantage of his mercy. When tempted to sin, rather than resisting, we give in. “God understands. He knows I’m weak. I’ll ask him to forgive me later,” we tell ourselves. We have grown so comfortable with the merciful God of the New Testament that we have forgotten the righteous God of the Old Testament.

But God hasn’t changed: “I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6). God did not stop being himself when he gave us grace through Jesus. By treating him as if he did, we display our ignorance of him.

The second result of our egocentricity is that we have failed to reach our potential. From the beginning of time, God knew us and created a plan for our lives. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). But this potential cannot be reached without God’s direction. When we live by the world’s wisdom rather than God’s, when we trust in ourselves rather than God, we separate ourselves from the resources that will lead us into God’s plan for our lives.

We should lean on God to tell us how to live, yet we look to the world for their wisdom. We should trust in God, yet we trust only ourselves. We follow the foolish teachings of the world: “Look out for No. 1. If it feels right, do it. The end justifies the means.” They are in direct contradiction to God’s word, yet we continue to obey them rather than God.

Likewise, prevailing wisdom says God takes care of those who take care of themselves. But Nahum says differently. According to him, God “cares for those who trust in him” (v. 7). Those who take care of themselves are basically turning their backs on him and will be destroyed. By failing to live up to the potential God gave us at the dawn of time, we have traded in our glory, our uniqueness, for the dull sameness of the world.

And finally, far worse than losing God’s blessing, our egocentricity has brought God’s wrath on us: “‘I am against you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame’” (v. 5). We will reap what we sow. We have shamed God with our disrespect for his holiness, and according to Nahum, he will shame us in return.

God’s mercy to the repentant

Nahum’s message is harsh, but it’s a message we need. We will never understand what it means to be children of God if we fail to comprehend the magnitude of who our God is. The world has devalued God, and we, in our failure to obey him, devalue him even more. We in the church tend to think of ourselves as part of a great Christian heritage. As a result, we feel no compulsion to live out that heritage. It’s much easier merely to talk about it.

Essentially, we have turned away from God. “‘Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glory for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great sorrow,’ declares the Lord. ‘My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water’” (Jeremiah 2:11-13).

We must repent of our ways and purify our hearts. We must return to God’s words, unadulterated by the world’s teachings. We must humble ourselves: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Let’s take God at his word. Let’s honor him with our obedience and reclaim the glory that belongs to everyone who wears the name of Christ.

Discussion questions

• Describe God.

• Does your description come close to capturing the fullness of God’s nature?

• Does your life really give honor to God, or do you merely give him lip service?

• What could you do to honor him more?

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

Posted: 6/06/07

CYBER COLUMN: The prize

By Jinny Henson

Bang! The Independence Day cap gun exploded, and I dove quickly to the deep end of Maplewood Pool, just in the shadows of my church, Westbury Baptist. Scraping, clawing for the greasy watermelon, the 9-to-11-year-old girls as one collective force catapulted up the incline that separated the deep end from the shallow end. You know the spot in every community pool, across from the diving boards where snorkeled boys lie in wait.

I gulped frantically for air and dove back down to seize my slick prize.

In a burst of exuberant greed, I squeezed the melon, only to watch it tumble to the bottom of the deep end once more. Up for air, then the sharks dove again. A few girls gave up altogether and climbed out of the pool. Not me.

Through the turbulent waves, I caught a glimpse of a man cheering in a white polo shirt and seersucker shorts. Nearly IN the pool at this point, his enthusiasm and identity were undeniable. It could only be my Dad.

I had the Holy Grail of all summer fruits in my grasp, and there was no letting go. Like a dog on a bone, I tenaciously clung to the melon with my entire torso. Next, I flapped with the parts of my chubby appendages that did not have the watermelon in a death grip while fending off my competition. Overcoming girls much older and stronger than I was an act of sheer will.

The incline of the grainy bottom told my feet that I was slowly approaching the shallow end. Intermittently bobbing for air then scrambling for control, the pack of girls ambled toward the steps.

Still chanting, my father was really getting excited now. Though the Doobie Brothers were blaring over the loudspeaker, all I heard was my name. Awash with adrenaline, I would not have surrendered the melon had Jaws himself confronted me in the pool that day.

Finally, the gaggle of young girls and one greasy watermelon approached the steps. I made one final lunge, collapsed and hauled my prize out of the water. There was absolutely no denying my victory.

My father triumphantly pumped his fist into the air as if I had brought home the Olympic Gold Medal in the 500. He was proud of me and let everyone know it.

He took the melon, gave me a towel and we both reveled in my unlikely victory.

On every July 4th since 1979 and many times in-between, my dad would recall the tale of his tenacious 9-year-old daughter and the battle of the watermelon. Then he would add with a twinkle in his eye, “You know, I’ve never been prouder of you than when you hauled that watermelon out of Maplewood Pool.” He would grin as he re-enacted my final lunge as the look of sheer delight filled his eyes.

Through my father’s encouragement, I became stronger that day. His enthusiasm for me made me rise to the occasion, beyond what my natural ability would dictate. Many times in the ensuing 27 years, I have felt in over my head. Then appears in my mind’s eye that sweaty, raving, red-faced figure cheering my name, and I know that against all odds I can do it. At least my dad thinks I’ve got a shot.

I no longer struggle for greasy watermelons. I’m on the other side of the pool now. I am the one on the cement shamelessly encouraging my kids to go for broke.

Hopefully when I am gone, what will remain is the encouragement I have given them today. That, from my father, is the prize.

Jinny Henson travels the country as a Christian comedienne. John, Maggie Lee and Jack are an endless source of material for her. You can find out more about her at www.jinnyhenson.com

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: 6/06/07

BGCT posts registered sex offenders
serving in Texas Baptist churches

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas is providing a list registered sex offenders who were or are on staff at its affiliated churches.

The convention will post online at www.bgct.org/brokentrust the eight names of people in its file of sexual misconduct incidents who are convicted sex offenders and will begin reviewing the list of ministers at each of its more than 5,600-affiliated congregations to see if any other registered sex offenders are serving across the state. If any offenders are discovered, they also will be listed on the BGCT’s website.

The BGCT continuously will keep this list updated, and will mail the list of registered sex offenders to all of its churches periodically beginning this fall.

The move is part of a convention emphasis to protect children and churches, said Emily Prevost, associate coordinator of leader research & product development with the BGCT congregational leadership team. The convention is increasing efforts to educate churches on how to do nationwide background checks on potential staff members and how to create safe children’s and youth ministry programs.

The BGCT also has a team of people who can help churches prevent clergy sexual misconduct and respond appropriately if it does.

Prevost believes publishing the list of registered sex offenders online will help churches make informed decisions in calling and retaining staff members while protecting children and members.

“The BGCT is concerned about the problem of clergy sexual misconduct, and we care deeply about its victims,” Prevost said.

Registered sex offenders have been convicted of rape, child molestation or sexual battery.

The BGCT’s file of minister sexual misconduct incidents also includes ministers who committed adultery, became addicted to pornography or were involved in homosexual behavior. Fewer than 100 names are on file. Files are created when a minister is convicted or confesses to sexual misconduct or congregational leaders report an incident. Ministers with BGCT incident files who were not convicted of criminal activity will not be posted online.

Elected leaders of search committees across the country can send a notarized form to the convention to discover if a specific candidate’s name is in the file. Convention officials reveal if the person in the file.

“We make available upon request information regarding whether a person has an incident listed in the file,” Prevost said. “This information is available to duly elected officers of any church, Baptist or not.”

The BGCT’s clergy sexual misconduct review team also is considering establishing a hotline that would allow victims to report allegations of sexual abuse directly if they are uncomfortable talking about it with leaders of their church or if they feel their concerns are not being heard, she added. The proposed hotline still is in the discussion phase, and no implementation process is in place yet, she noted.

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

Posted: 6/06/07

Half of SBC pastors believe in
‘prayer languages,’ study reveals

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—Half of the senior pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention believe some people are granted a special, spiritual language for prayer, a recent survey has found.

The findings, from LifeWay Christian Resources, come in the midst of continued turmoil in the SBC over the existence and practicality of such “private prayer languages.” They also come just before the convention’s annual meeting, where messengers are expected to address policies related to glossolalia, or speaking in tongues.

An agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay provides Christian products like Bibles, church literature and music to churches. Its research, gathered in April and May, included findings from 1,004 Protestant laity, 405 Southern Baptist senior pastors and 600 non-SBC Protestant senior pastors.

In the survey, 50 percent of Southern Baptist pastors answered “yes” and 43 percent said “no” to the question: “Do you believe that the Holy Spirit gives some people the gift of a special language to pray to God privately? Some people refer to this as a private prayer language or the ‘private use of tongues.’” Seven percent of the pastors interviewed said they didn’t know.

Furthermore, 63 percent of the non-SBC Protestant senior pastors and 51 percent of Protestant laypeople believe in the validity of a private prayer language, according to the research.

The report received immediate attention from young SBC pastors who have used blogs to further their cause against a year-old International Mission Board guideline prohibiting the hiring of new missionaries who admit to praying in a private prayer language.

Alan Cross, in a blog post, wrote that the data suggest SBC leaders were mistaken when they maintained that a “continualist” position on spiritual gifts—belief that miraculous gifts given during the time of the apostles can still be used in the modern era—was “an extreme minority position in Southern Baptist life.”

“For the past year-and-a-half, we have heard repeatedly from proponents of the IMB policies-guidelines that they were in the vast majority in Southern Baptist life. This study proves that they are clearly wrong,” Cross, pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., said. “Southern Baptists are very divided over this issue, and there is a wide range of opinion.”

Others have agreed with Cross’ insistence, including Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson, Texas pastor Ben Cole and Georgia pastor Marty Duren, all of whom have been prominent in leading opposition to IMB prayer language guidelines. They all addressed the survey on their blogs and have hinted at further action relating to glossolalia during the June 12-13 annual meeting.

Oklahoma pastor Robin Foster, meanwhile, has crafted a resolution to be introduced at the meeting denouncing the practice of speaking in tongues and calling on Southern Baptist agencies not to hire employees who engage in such practices.

But Ed Stetzer, LifeWay’s director of research, said the report showed there was “significant openness” to private prayer languages within the convention.

“One of the big findings of the study is that you’ve got a substantially cessationist portion of the Southern Baptist Convention, and then you have a large portion that believes that God gives some people a private prayer language,” he said in a LifeWay podcast about the study. “And that middle ground is not that large. And, I think that is an important finding in this study.”

Critics have attacked the research, questioning its methodology, terminology and motives. Malcolm Yarnell, an assistant dean for theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the questions regarding private prayer practices were vague and made certain assumptions about the “gift” of tongues. He was also suspicious of the timing of the study’s release, right before the SBC meeting in San Antonio.

“LifeWay should conduct a sweeping review of its research methodology,” Yarnell said.

Yarnell questioned the dual nature of the survey—it included a separate analysis of seminary graduates—since the mixed findings could cloud results, he said. All 1998-2004 master’s-level graduates from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary were invited to participate in the survey as well. A small number of graduates from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary also were questioned, researchers said.

Of those recent seminary graduates interviewed, a majority said they believe the gift of tongues has ceased—a number higher than that of current SBC pastors. Fifty-five percent of recent Southern Baptist seminary graduates agreed that “the gift of tongues (as described in 1 Corinthians) ceased to be a valid gift in times past.” Forty-one percent of SBC pastors indicated that they believe the gift of tongues was given only during the time of the apostles, according to the report.

In the survey—conducted via phone interviews—seminary graduates were asked if they “pray in tongues, practice glossolalia, or have a private prayer language.” Roughly 5 percent of the graduates said they practice the gift, and less than 4 percent of graduates working in Southern Baptist ministries said they practice a private prayer language. The pastors and laity were not asked if they practiced the gift of tongues.

Ultimately, LifeWay’s survey has added fuel to the fire of both supporters and critics of tongues guidelines and practices in the Southern Baptist Convention. Now, supporters and critics anticipate the SBC’s annual meeting as the next arena for dealing with the growing debate.

“What people do with this information will show whether they believe that the SBC leadership should represent the views of the people, or the views of those who have managed to gain power,” Cross said. “We will soon find out the answer.”

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

Posted: 6/06/07

Missionary & SBTC leader
face off for SBC first VP

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

SAN ANTONIO—A missionary to Spain and the leader of the fundamentalist state convention in Texas each will be nominated for first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 12.

If missionary David Rogers, son of legendary preacher and former SBC President Adrian Rogers, is elected, he will be the first active missionary to hold SBC office.

Rogers, a church-planter and mobilization coordinator in Madrid, will face Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, in a showdown over competing visions for the SBC’s future.

Although Southern Baptist president Frank Page is expected to be re-elected without serious opposition during the June 12-13 convention in San Antonio, the contest for first vice president amounts to a referendum on the movement Page represents.

Rogers supports the movement— largely led by his father, deceased pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis—which wrested control of the SBC from theological moderates.

But lately Rogers, a prolific blogger (www.loveeachstone.blogspot.com), has spoken out against the increasingly narrow agenda of the movement’s current leaders, whom critics say have tightened the criteria for missionaries, trustees and other leaders well beyond the SBC’s doctrinal parameters.

“I believe the ‘conservative resurgence’ was very positive and even necessary development in the SBC,” Rogers said in an e-mail interview. “However, I believe that certain sectors from among those generally considered to support the ‘conservative resurgence’ have indeed taken things a bit further than what was originally envisioned on the part of some key leaders, including, I believe, my father.”

Page was elected on a promise to broaden SBC leadership to include inerrantists who differ on non-essential doctrines, such as speaking in tongues, Calvinism and the administration of baptism.

Rogers said he is “very pleased with the direction that Frank Page has given to the SBC during this past year, and quite positively impressed by his winsome, irenic spirit, solid biblical convictions on the things that really matter, and his commitment to ‘major on the majors’ without excluding those who differ on tertiary issues from fair and equitable representation in SBC-affiliated entities and ministries.”

David Dykes, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, announced June 5 he will nominate Rogers.

“I believe a convention that is serious about missions should have a missionary leading us,” Dykes said. “Southern Baptists need a new vision to plant churches. Who better than an experienced church-planter to lead this effort?”

Dykes’ Tyler congregation is the nation’s largest contributor to the SBC’s unified budget, the Cooperative Program.

“We can give all the money in the world, but budget percentages don’t plant churches,” Dykes said. “Missionaries plant churches, and if it weren’t for field missionaries like David Rogers, we wouldn’t have a Cooperative Program to start with.”

If elected, Rogers apparently would be the first active missionary to hold SBC office, according to the two mission boards. Although rare, it is not against SBC bylaws for an employee of the Southern Baptist Convention to serve in denominational office. Most recently, Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson served two terms as SBC president.

Rogers said he will not be in San Antonio for the convention, but supporters say it is not necessary for his election. It is necessary for officers to be members of Southern Baptist churches. A news release about Rogers’ candidacy said he and his family are “field members of Iglesia Bautista Buen Pastor in Madrid, Spain,” but their “home membership” remains at Bellevue Baptist Church.

Vice presidents have very limited power in the SBC structure, but they are the only ones instructed by SBC bylaws to advise the president in his appointments to convention leadership. They also have a platform to speak out on Baptist issues, if they choose.

Rogers said he would advise Page to “continue as he has started during this first year,” emphasize revival and practice humility.

“I would also counsel him to do whatever possible to reach out, with a view towards healing and reconciliation, to those in SBC life who, for whatever reason, are perceived to be at odds with each other, without compromising on biblical essentials,” Rogers said.

Jim Richards will be nominated for first vice president by Mac Brunson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., it was announced June 1. Richards is the founding director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and an ardent supporter of the SBC’s fundamentalist movement and its recent leaders.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is an SBC-friendly convention that arose eight years ago as an alternative to the moderate-dominated Baptist General Convention of Texas. The SBTC, based in Grapevine, is composed of 1,888 churches. It leads all state conventions in proportionate SBC giving, allocating 54 percent of its budget to the SBC.

Asked about Page’s presidency and his intention to expand representation, Richards said: “For some years now, SBC presidents have sought to bring diversity into the process. People who have never served, younger people, ethnics, African-Americans are just examples of those who have been appointed. To my knowledge, President Page has stayed true to the doctrinal standards used by the presidents of the past number of years.”

Richards declined to say if the conservative movement has gone too far in narrowing doctrinal parameters.

“The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 is the doctrinal statement of the Southern Baptist Convention,” he said in an e-mail interview. “There is great latitude within the statement. … Southern Baptists will continue to define themselves. As doctrinal issues arise, they will be addressed to help clarify what is representative of Southern Baptists.”

As for the advice he would give the SBC president, he said: “Dr. Page has called upon us to seek God for a spiritual awakening. He is to unveil a 10-year evangelism strategy. I would encourage him to stay the course on both of these objectives. He has provided us with gentle, spirited leadership.”

Richards is a member of First Baptist Church of Fort Worth, made famous by former pastor and fundamentalist pioneer J. Frank Norris, who broke away from the SBC in the 1920s over theological issues and the “modernist” controversy.

Norris was the only individual ever denied participation in a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. The church reaffiliated with the SBC in recent years and now gives 12.3 percent of its undesignated receipts to the SBC.

A native of Louisiana, Richards was a pastor in Louisiana and director of missions in Arkansas before joining the SBTC. He served in several SBC-level positions, including a spot as chairman of the Christian Life Commission, now the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

Brunson, before moving to Jacksonville, was pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, which is affiliated with the SBTC.

Two candidates have announced plans to be nominated for second vice president —evangelist Bill Britt, a member of College Heights Baptist Church in Gallatin, Tenn., and Eric Redmond, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Md.

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

Posted: 5/31/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for June 10

Practice obedience diligently

• Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9, 15-20, 39-40

By David Harp

First Baptist Church, Stanton

We recently had a family celebration with the graduation of our youngest daughter from high school. My mother and sister traveled from Colorado to join us for the special occasion.

When Mom and Sis travel, I like to call it an experience. They must travel with oxygen bottles so my mother can breathe. They also travel with “Jackie,” my Mom’s black lab guide dog. Jackie has become a member of the family.

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Jackie is as obedient as any child. Jackie and my mom went to school together to learn how to work together. Animal lovers often take their pets to an “obedience” school. I’ve often thought an “obedience” school would be a good subject for us to take in the church. The problem might be finding just the right teacher for such a class.

We often wonder, “How can I obey God diligently?”

Make God’s word your standard (Deuteronomy 4:1-2)

As Moses led the people of God to the Promised Land, he cautioned them to continue obeying God daily. God’s word would lead to an abundant and meaningful life—“That you may live and enter …” (v. 1). Moses also issues a stern warning against tampering with God’s word: “You shall not add … nor take from” (v. 2). Just as they had received God’s word, they were to keep and obey God’s word. Then and now, God’s people face a choice: What standards will we follow?

Mark Twain is a favorite writer of mine. He wrote: “Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me most are those I do understand.” Twain’s sharp wit speaks to many of us—are we following God’s word?

Carefully guard your testimony (Deuteronomy 4:6-9)

A few years ago, a very godly man in our church family was facing the loss of his health and independence. He had buried his precious wife, and now his children were taking care of him as he once had cared for them. This did not seem to make any sense to my good friend. He wondered why he was even here and questioned his reason for living.

One of his daughters was tenderly caring for him one day and he voiced to her his objections. “I don’t know why God is leaving me here,” he protested. His daughter looked into his eyes and said lovingly, “Daddy, God is leaving you here so you can finish your testimony.”

Moses encouraged the Israelites to obey God’s laws carefully and teach his ways to oncoming generations so the nation’s obedience would be a testimony about the Lord to other people.

It should be noted the significance and the repetition of the words “take heed” in verse 9. These words appear four times in chapter 4 and call us to pay special attention to the message being given.

Avoid idolatry at all costs (Deuteronomy 4:15:-20)

Moses warned the people for their own good to be especially careful to avoid idolatry. The single most important thing that set Israel’s religion apart from those of other nations was that it allowed no image to be made of God (see v. 12 and 5:8–9). Images of any creature, or even the stars in the sky, might be mistaken for the form of God, or a god (vv. 16–19).

God is not to be confused with any part of his own creation; by these commands he carefully guards his own spiritual nature. If he calls himself jealous in doing so (vv. 23–24), it is because he fervently desires his people know him and find life in him.

We have a built-in application today with the wildly popular television program “American Idol.” If you have not seen this show, contestants from all over America come forward to have their “talents” evaluated. The eventual winner is awarded $1 million.

I have a friend who says, “I hate talented people!” Another person says, “No one with talent ever tries out for “American Idol.” The point is, we do have our American idols.

God created us to be people who worship. We are created to worship God and God alone. We often are so caught up in our own activities, we tend to worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship.

Realize God blesses obedience (Deuteronomy 4:39-40)

God desired that things go well for his people and their children. It was his plan that they live in the land a long time. So God told them how this could happen. His will could have become reality if they chose to live in obedience. Through their diligent obedience, God’s people could experience the fulfillment of his gracious promises.

Obeying the principles and commands of God’s word comes hard to us when we have compromised our relationship with God. As Christians, we cannot expect God to ignore our disobedience and to continue blessing us as though everything in our relationship is fine.

God has not changed. He still desires his people to live with a diligent obedience to his word. Our salvation is by faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We are justified by God’s grace, and when we choose to be obedient and bear the fruit of the Spirit, we will be blessed. If we continue in disobedience, we can expect discipline because God loves us.

Discussion questions

• In what ways can the church help with upholding God’s word as the standard for living?

• What are some modern-day examples of idol worshipping?

• How can we stay more accountable to one another in the area of personal obedience to God?

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

Posted: 5/31/07

Explore the Bible Series for June 10

Replacing selfishness with faith

• Obadiah 1-4, 10-13, 15

By Kathryn Aragon

First Baptist Church, Duncanville

The “Me Generation” has borne its fruit. We live in what may well be the most selfish generation ever. Let me clarify by saying I don’t really believe people today are worse than in the past. People always have struggled with selfishness and pride. It’s just that today—with mass communication, cell phones and technology—selfishness has become a mass movement.

And as with most cultural movements, selfishness has permeated our churches. Even those of us who claim Christ struggle with the reality of God’s call against selfishness. “It’s just the way things are done,” we might tell ourselves. But if we we’re honest, we have to admit it’s the world’s way, not God’s.

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Selfishness is so prevalent we don’t recognize it anymore for what it is. We call it charisma, strength, a strong will. We rarely call it by its name. But unless we are willing to recognize our selfishness and remove it from our behavior, we remain in disobedience to God.

Obadiah’s message is clear. God hates selfishness and pride: “The pride of your heart has deceived you. … Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down” (vv. 3-4). We must take an honest look at ourselves, identify our selfishness and ask God to strengthen us to overcome it.

The true definition of selfishness

Let’s begin by trying to understand selfishness. What is it and where does it come from? Our first biblical record is the familiar story of Cain’s reaction to Abel.

Cain and Abel each gave an offering to God. Cain’s was rejected, while Abel’s was accepted. “So Cain was very angry” (Genesis 4:5). I like God’s response: “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it’” (Genesis 4:6-7).

Based on God’s response, I believe God already had laid out the regulations for offerings, and they probably were the same as or similar to the rules he gave the Israelites in Leviticus. So Cain wasn’t acting in ignorance; rather, he was being selfish. Knowing God’s desires, he was looking for God’s limits. How little could he give God before God considered it too little? How far could he compromise God’s rules before God noticed? If Cain were really innocent, he would never have become angry at being caught.

If we are going to be honest, we must admit the degree to which we relate to Cain. Our real struggle, as Cain’s, is not with trying to overcome selfishness but with preventing it from showing. Notice Cain isn’t concerned with fixing his jealous nature. He’s merely upset he was found out.

Cain’s story is significant because his struggles look like our own. In a way, we can find comfort in his story because he knew God in a way not possible for us. Yet even with his intimate, first-hand knowledge of God, Cain struggled to obey God. He wanted his own way enough that he was willing to cheat God and murder his brother. Essentially, Cain’s sin was selfishness. He wanted his own way more than God’s.

So what is selfishness? For those who are not Christians, selfishness is merely self worship. It is the desire to do what we want to do, when we want to do it, the way we want to do it. And heaven help anyone who gets in the way. For those of us who claim Christ, selfishness is basically faithlessness. Of course, it also is self worship, a refusal to accept God as the Lord of our lives. But its root is an inability to take God at his word.

God tells us we will be judged for our thoughts, actions and words, yet we continue to act in ways God doesn’t approve. Jesus tells us plainly we are to love others more than ourselves, yet we continue to look out for No. 1.

We are like children playing on the playground at school. If the teacher doesn’t respond right away, we believe we are getting away with something. Next time, we may try to get away with more. But we aren’t children, and God isn’t a teacher at recess. God’s words will happen exactly as he says. His reactions may seem slow by our standards, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed. Neither does it mean we won’t stand before him to explain why we wouldn’t obey.

Returning to faith

Obadiah makes it clear. God demands obedience. “The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head” (v. 15). Our only hope is to humble ourselves and accept God at his word. We must return to true faith and change our ways.

As always, though, changed behavior begins with changed thinking. We must begin by recognizing our behavior as sin. We must be willing to stand before God and man and say, “Hello, my name is … and I struggle every day with selfishness.” We also must recognize that the struggle with sin is a never-ending battle. The day never will come that we won’t need to strengthen ourselves with a strong dose of God’s word and stand firm against temptation.

We also must be willing to repent. Acknowledging sin doesn’t mean anything if we aren’t willing to fight against it in the future. Obadiah merely reminds us of what God has told mankind throughout the ages. The message is plain:

• He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses (Proverbs 28:27).

• Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:37-38).

• And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15).

• Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6:2-3).

We must take God at his word. Our selfishness is idolatry at its worst, faithlessness at the very least. But we must not be deceived. As they say, what goes around comes around. Let’s take God at his word and humble ourselves. Let us be known not for our selfishness but for our faith.

Discussion questions

• To what degree to you relate to Cain?

• What are the areas of your life that seem impossible to obey God in?

• Are you willing to take God at his word and obey him even if it hurts?

• Are you willing to humble yourself and begin putting God’s will before you own?

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

Posted: 6/01/07

Three churches form ties that bind

By George Henson

Staff Writer

FOREST HILL—The Bible says that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken, and three Fort Worth-area congregations are binding themselves together in a partnership that they expect to strengthen them all.

Attendance at First Baptist Church in Forest Hill has been declining for years. When Pastor Al Brausam arrived at the church last May, the congregation had dwindled to about 40 people—mostly white, and with an average age of 70.

A demographic study performed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas for the congregation showed a population of about 12,000 whites, 24,000 Hispanics and about 36,000 African-Americans within a 3-mile radius of the church.

Prior to Brausam’s arrival, a Hispanic congregation looking for a place to meet had contacted First Baptist about using some of the space that had been built in the church’s glory days.

That particular congregation found another place to meet, but Brausam became certain a Hispanic congregation to meet the needs of the Spanish-speaking people around the church was just what the community needed.

His search eventually brought him to Jorge Luna, whose congregation of about 70, Iglesia Bautista Roca Firme, needed to move from the place it was meeting near Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, about 20 minutes away.

Brausam told Luna he was not interested in renting space to his congregation. He wanted them to come be a part of the church.

“I told Jorge a story, or you could say a parable. I told him that I saw our church as an old couple living in a big, old house all by themselves. They didn’t want to move from their house, so they thought about adopting some people who didn’t have any place to live. The old couple didn’t want to rent out a bedroom or two, they wanted to adopt and bring the people into their family. Then, after they were gone, the old house would belong to the adopted children,” Brausam recalled.

That offer almost was too good to be true, Luna said, especially considering his congregation only had a week or so more to find a place where they could relocate.

“We didn’t mind that it was 20 minutes from where we had been meeting at all,” he said. “I think we had gotten to the place where we didn’t care where it was at. We were just glad to have a place to meet. We had come to a place where we were desperate, we were just waiting for God to answer our prayers.”

First Baptist’s insistence that Iglesia Bautista Roca Firme not be renters, but become full family members was something that was almost unfathomable, he said.

The Hispanic church held its first service at First Baptist Church in Forest Hill Dec. 17, and already has seen growth.

“We’ve had five or six new members, baptized two new believers and have many, many visitors each week,” Luna said. Easter worship topped 100, and that number has been approached regularly since then. “People see the signs, and they are coming just to see what we are doing.”

The two congregations really have come together as one, Brausam said. “We have an English service and a Spanish service, but we are one church,” he explained.

The church has had a tradition for years of coming together for a meal on the last Sunday of the month, and those are now joyous occasions, he said.

“We’re excited because when we have our luncheons, there are lots of people there. It used to be that we were kind of swallowed up in all the space. Now, sometimes we don’t have enough room. It’s wonderful,” Brausam said.

At those luncheons, there is also a new vibrancy because of the youth of the Hispanic congregation.

“One of the main things they bring to our church is youth. Our average age was 70, but they have kids, youth and young adults,” Brausam said. “They can do things we couldn’t—not that we didn’t want to, but physically, we just didn’t have the ability. That’s all changed now.”

That youth was a concern for the Hispanic congregation, but things have worked well.

“We were very, very concerned about coming to First Baptist Church because they are older and we’ve got all these kids that you just can’t stop, but it hasn’t been a problem,” Luna said.

Soon, another limb is expected to be grafted onto the family tree as the African-American congregation of Greater True Vine Baptist Church also becomes part of First Baptist Church of Forest Hill.

About a year ago, a contractor demolished the church’s building in preparation for a major remodeling and disappeared, leaving the congregation with no place to meet, Pastor Alfred McLennan Jr. said.

After joining Tarrant Baptist Association this past year, he asked Director of Missions Tom Law about possible locations to relocate, and Law suggested McLennan call Brausam.

“We had a spiritual connection on the phone, and we met the next day. We had been praying and looking at properties where we could build a church, but this is better. I’ve never understood segregated churches when we are all going to an integrated heaven,” McLennan said.

McLennan has a vision of the church reaching the community through children’s programming, after-school programming, parenting classes, English-as-a-Second-language classes, and things for senior adults—“a functional church that can be used by all the people in the community regardless of age.”

The plan is for Brausam to continue to preach on Sunday mornings in the English service and for McLennan to preach on Sunday nights most weeks, but Brausam said the set up provides the flexibility to make changes as necessary.

Combining the three congregations is possible only because of a lack of ego among the participants—not only the pastors, but the congregations as well, the three men agreed.

“I thank God for such a loyal group who will follow the leadership of the pastor. They agree with me that it’s not about the name of the church or who’s in charge; it’s about reaching people for Christ,” McLennan said.

That desire to reach people for Christ has been the impetus for his original congregation from the beginning, Brausam said.

“Our people are 100 percent behind this. There were some who at first didn’t understand, but now that they see it work, they understand. They understand that we had to change or die,” he said.

The hardest part for members of Iglesia Bautista Roca Firme was giving up the name they were familiar with, Luna said. But he found a ready solution.

“I told them, ‘When we have the opportunity to start a Hispanic mission, we’ve already got a name. For now, let’s focus work of reaching the lost for Lord, worshipping the Lord and serving the Lord,’” he said.

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

Posted: 6/01/07

Barefoot sermon kicks off Buckner shoe drive

By George Henson

Staff Writer

HOUSTON—Pastor Ed Hogan recently preached a sermon unlike any he ever preached before—not because of its content, but because he was barefoot.

Jersey Village Baptist Church in Houston asked its members to come to church barefooted to kick off the church’s efforts to gather 2,000 pairs of shoes for Buckner International’s Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign.

“It was one of those crazy ideas that someone had heard of another church doing, and we decided it would be fun to give it a try,” Hogan said. “And it really was a lot of fun.”

But it also helped tangibly and memorably communicate the needs of the world’s orphans.

“It became a visual reminder of what it would be like to come to church without shoes and that people all around the world come to church every Sunday without shoes because they have no shoes,” Hogan said.

He admitted it was a little different standing in the pulpit with his toes hanging out.

“It took about five minutes to get used to it, but then it was really liberating,” he quipped.

Shoeless Sunday received broad support throughout all age groups in the congregation, he noted.

“I’d be lying if I said everyone was excited about it, but a lot more people came without shoes than we anticipated,” Hogan said. “It was fun especially to see senior adults come in with no shoes and big smiles on their faces. And as for kids, I think probably every one of them was barefooted.

The congregation brought 951 pairs of shoes on the opening day of the collection effort that was to extend through June 8, and cash was received to buy about 200 more pairs.

The children of the church will take the money received to stores soon and shop for shoes for orphans. Also, fifth graders will take a field trip to Buckner’s Dallas warehouse to spend some time preparing shoes for transport and distribution.

Eight or nine church members expect to make a trip to Romania with Buckner next spring to assist in the delivery of shoes to orphans—a trip Hogan plans to attend.

“I sold children’s shoes while I was attending Southwestern Seminary,” he said. “This will be my first opportunity to put what I learned there to use in ministry.”

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

Posted: 6/01/07

Media bias? Not the way some might think

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—A new study by two Washington-based groups asserts that the mainstream media, derided by some as liberally biased, actually overemphasizes the importance of religious conservatives.

Media Matters for America and Faith in Public Life released the report, titled “Left Behind: The Skewed Representation of Religion in the Major News Media,” at a Washington news conference. It found that between the 2004 elections and the end of 2006, prominent conservative religious leaders were interviewed, quoted or mentioned in 2.8 times as many stories as were prominent moderate or liberal religious leaders.

In television news, the numbers were even more surprising. For every story that mentioned or quoted a religious progressive, 3.8 stories mentioned or quoted conservatives. The difference was less dramatic in newspaper stories, but conservatives still outweighed “progressives” by a factor of 2.7-to-1.

“Despite the fact most religious Americans are moderate or progressive, in the news media it is overwhelmingly conservative leaders who are presented as the voice of religion,” the report’s authors asserted. “This represents a particularly meaningful distortion, since progressive religious leaders tend to focus on different issues and offer an entirely different perspective than their conservative counterparts.”

For years, conservatives have accused the mainstream media of widespread bias in favor of liberals and liberal causes. But the study’s numbers suggest that when it comes to religion-related coverage, conservatives get far more attention than liberals and moderates.

At least one conservative journalism watchdog group dismissed the study, saying its sponsorship and methodology compromised it.

Media Research Council spokesman Robert Knight said the study left out important liberal religious leaders who often are quoted or appear on newscasts. The list of moderate and liberal leaders whose appearances were tallied “is missing some key people, who, if included, would eclipse any perceived advantage in coverage garnered by conservatives,” he said, according to CNSNews.com, the Media Research Council’s news arm.

In particular, Knight cited the absence of Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Gene Robinson, the gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire.

To come up with its figures, the study counted media appearances or mentions by 10 religious conservatives and 10 religious progressives. The conservatives were Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Franklin Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Christian activist and former GOP presidential candidate Gary Bauer, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson, former National Association of Evangelicals president Ted Haggard, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Ohio pastor Rod Parsley, and Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

The progressives were Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine, San Francisco rabbi Michael Lerner, National Council of Churches head Bob Edgar, Baptist sociologist and author Tony Campolo, David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, nun and National Catholic Reporter columnist Joan Chittister, Louisiana Baptist pastor and Interfaith Alliance head Welton Gaddy, John Thomas of the United Church of Christ, “emerging church” leader Brian McLaren of Maryland, and James Forbes of the Riverside Church in New York.

The study set aside several religious “celebrities” who receive frequent media attention but who themselves are often newsmakers rather than commentators. They were Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Pat Robertson, James Dobson and the late Jerry Falwell.

The study found that, in the period studied, Sharpton and Jackson received significantly more media attention than the three conservative celebrities combined. But the study’s authors reckoned they were not in the same category as the others studied.

“Although they are sometimes called on to provide commentary about political and social issues, each one of the religious leaders in this category also regularly drives news stories,” the report said. “They become active participants in events rather than simply commenting on them. When they do comment, their statements are newsworthy simply because they are making them, rather than representing a ‘religious’ perspective. In other words, these five are more political actors than political commentators.”

Katie Barge, spokesperson for Faith in Public Life, said the 20 leaders whose statistics form the study present a truer picture of how the media provides a “religious” perspective that over-represents conservative points of view.

“These are truly the ones that the media seeks out for a religious perspective on news of the day. That is not really the case with those five people,” she said. “The media is not calling them to give a perspective on the religious matters of the day.”

Knight’s group and other conservative groups also said the study was unreliable because Media Matters and Faith in Public Life favor liberal causes. Media Matters is a watchdog group established to challenge what it views as rampant “conservative misinformation” in the mainstream media.

Barge said Faith in Public Life does not align itself politically. Rather, she said, the group is interested in joining religious leaders of all ideological stripes to broaden the range of issues Americans discuss in moral and religious terms.

“We’re happy to sponsor a press conference with Media Matters because we feel like this (study) demonstrated an imbalance, and we want a balance,” she said.

Carl Kell, an expert in religion and the news media, said the study likely underestimated the inequity in media exposure between religious conservatives and progressives.

“I would say that’s probably conservative in its estimate,” he said May 30. Kell is a communications professor at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. He also is a Baptist.

Kell said conservatives are overexposed in stories about religion because it’s “easy to find” representatives of “a religious community that has hard-edged, sharp perspectives on faith and life.” But, he added, “moderates aren’t as easy to find.”

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