Posted: 7/21/06

Flip-flops provide perfect
fit for foreign AIDS orphans

By George Henson

Staff Writer

WICHITA FALLS—Flip-flop sandals may be inexpensive, but First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls is using them to teach children a valuable lesson—you’re never too young to take part in missions.

Children 3 years old through the sixth grade are collecting flip-flops for adults to distribute when they take mission trips to Brazil and Malawi this summer.

A group recently left for a trip to Teresina, Brazil, to build a church.

Jeff White is part of a three-person team that will plant community gardens and visit orphanages in Africa. His group hopes to distribute about 60 pairs of sandals to grandmothers to give to children in a village.

“Most children live with the grandmothers because they have been orphaned by AIDS. We have been told to give them to the grandmothers, because if we give them directly to the children, older children will beat them up and take them away. If the grandmothers give them to the children, that won’t be a problem,” he explained.

The idea for the flip-flop giveaway grew out of the experience of another group from the church that made the trip last year and noticed the villagers had no footwear. Flip-flops were chosen over conventional shoes because more pairs can be compacted into a smaller space, they weigh less, and they will be cooler on the feet of the people living in warm climates.

“I thought it would be better than taking necklaces or something like that as gifts because the sandals would be more useful,” White said.

Appropriately, the group found a way to include the church’s children in the mission trip. White serves the church are children’s recreation coordinator, and Carson McGowan is an intern in the children’s ministry.

Tammy Trembley, administrative assistant to the children’s and preschool ministries director, said the church’s children have been excited about the project and have brought colorfully designed sandals.

“They have brought flip-flops with brightly colored flowers and Garfield on them—the things that are enticing to kids anywhere,” she said.

“It’s kids helping kids,” White explained.

Posted: 7/21/06

Texas Envoys find purpose in Afghan hospital

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

KABUL, Afghanistan—God gave Rick DeFoore what he prayed for, even if he didn’t fully understand what he was requesting.

DeFoore confesses he was “stuck” in a routine in Abilene and couldn’t escape—the same thing week after week.

He prayed each day for a year that God would change his life without any sign of an answer. Each day, he wanted change even more.

“God was working on us and had us in a place where I was just crying out for answers and had me in a place of almost desperation to understand why I was going through the struggles I was going through,” DeFoore said.

Then the longtime Hendrick Health System employee found an opportunity. He received a job opportunity that would utilize his knowledge of hospitals and organizational talents. It was the ideal match for him.

“The only problem was it was in Kabul, Afghanistan,” he said.

That may have been a problem, but DeFoore couldn’t resist the chance to alter his life. He and his wife, Janet, signed a one-year contract to help an Afghan hospital build its day-to-day infrastructure from the ground up.

God led the couple to Afghanistan, DeFoore said, looking back. The long wait for an answer to prayer made him willing to consider a job in Afghanistan. Soon after they made the decision to go, people in their church—Pioneer Drive Baptist in Abilene—connected them with people in Kabul. Before the DeFoores arrived, they had a place to stay and multiple contacts in the city.

The DeFoores became Texas Envoys, part of a volunteer missions program of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and received several resources that helped prepare them for what they would be experiencing. They’re also supported by Texas Baptist prayers.

“I know its God’s purpose and plan,” DeFoore said.

He acknowledges progress has been slow during the first four months of building the hospital’s policies and procedures, but he has built relationships crucial to success.

The DeFoores also hope to have a spiritual impact. They have found Afghan Christians to be extremely welcoming. One of the Christian women he met came to Christ through First Baptist Church in Lubbock while studying at Texas Tech University.

The DeFoores also have had the opportunity to invest in the staff who help the couple around their house, as well as other Afghan men to whom he provides leadership development coaching.

Years ago, God called DeFoore to hospital work. Now, he believes, God has called him to take that calling to Afghanistan.

“It is my ticket into the country,” he said. “You can’t go as a missionary. You go as a schoolteacher, an electrician, an engineer. … It’s also an indication that your vocation is a calling.”

Posted: 7/21/06

Churches must be ‘irresistible
influence’ in community

By Laura Frase

Communications Intern

LUBBOCK—When Gerald Davis urges, “Just do it,” he isn’t referring to star athletes. He’s talking to pastors and ministers, telling them to get pumped up about uniting their church and their community.

“Go and devote your life to make a change in the community where you are,” Davis said during the annual meeting of the African American Fellowship of Texas.

Davis called for pastors and other ministers to devote themselves to making a difference in their communities through their churches.

Unfortunately, people do not view the churches in their communities positively, Davis said, citing pastor/author Robert Lewis. The church should be an “irresistible influence,” but it’s not, he lamented.

“The church must rediscover its essential role and craft as bridge builder,” said Davis, a Baptist General Convention of Texas community development specialist.

Churches must focus on a range of issues, from helping the poor, to drawing people to church, to living among them in communities, he insisted.

“We need to be involved, because too many are left behind and forgotten about,” he said.

An essential problem with the church today is that it doesn’t reach people with new technology that enables people to bunker down in their homes.

“We have to be creative to attract the technology-based world … under a godly banner,” Davis said.

Davis’ church tries to appeal to people by playing televised football games on a projector at the church campus—complete with snacks and socializing under God’s roof.

He also offered a success story about the new African-American cowboy church in Goliad that reaches people through roping events and bucking broncos.

With specific ideas and motivation planted in the group’s heads, Davis concluded by asking them what they are going to do about it.

Before they could answer, Davis told them: “Start where you are. Don’t try to be what you’re not.”

He stressed the need for the church to connect with the community.

“Go beyond the walls to community transformation,” he said. “Be led and directed” by God.

Posted: 7/21/06

On your mark, get set: ‘Run & tell’

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

LUBBOCK—When Jesus changes people’s lives, they must “run and tell” their good news to everyone they meet, Denny Davis, pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, told participants in the African American Fellowship of Texas annual meeting.

Christ commands his followers to share the gospel with those who need it, Davis stressed. The workings of God in a person’s life should compel him or her to tell others about his goodness.

“I’ve got to tell someone that Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.

Unfortunately, some Christians don’t follow through with that command, he added, noting, “It has been called the Great Commission, but for many it has been the great omission.”

“Authentic ministry” begins with heartfelt worship, Davis said. Worship is where a Christian first understands how to praise God and talk about his greatness.

“We can’t learn how to witness outside the church until we learn to witness and worship inside the church,” he said.

Worship spurs believers to model a Christian lifestyle that can serve as an example to others, the pastor noted. God empowers people to share the gospel at appointed times and see lives change.

“If you go, he’ll go with you,” Davis said, urging the crowd not to allow fear to deter them from sharing their faith.

Posted: 7/21/06

To see the face of AIDS
in Africa, take a look at Susan

By Scott Collins

Buckner Benevolences

NAIROBI, Kenya—A Swahili Bible rested gently on Susan’s legs, a pencil in the crevice of the open book. Her left hand thumbed through the pages until it came to rest on Isaiah 40, her favorite passage.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength,” she softly read aloud. “They will soar on wings like eagles.”

Slowly, she lifted her head and through sad but hopeful eyes told why she likes those verses: “I know that when I am weak, I will be lifted up. I will mount up like eagles.”

Susan knows weakness well. Like an estimated 40 million people worldwide, she has AIDS. And like millions of other Africans, Susan struggles daily with the effects of the deadly disease. Some are physical; others are emotional.

Married and divorced, Susan, 40, gave birth to three children—a son and two daughters, and she has two grandchildren. She moved from her village near the Tanzania border in rural Kenya to the bustling city of Nairobi in 1999.

In 2002, she started feeling sick and weak. For more than a year, she was completely bedfast. She suffered a stroke in 2003 that left her paralyzed on her right side. During that time, robbers beat her son to death. Illness prevented Susan from attending his funeral.

After several visits to the hospital, she learned she has AIDS. Almost immediately, she started taking anti-retro viral medications.

The regimen of drugs slowed the progression of the AIDS virus and helped Susan regain some of her strength. But the treatment is expensive, and she relies on free medicine from a nearby Catholic clinic.

“I was very confused and scared when I found out I had AIDS,” she recalled. “I had counseling, and that helped a lot.”

And while the medicine helps Susan regain her strength, she remains unable to work. Her right arm hangs loosely from her shoulder, useless since the stroke. She lives in a small room that belongs to her mother, an arrangement Susan calls “temporary.”

Daily life is a struggle, emotionally and physically. There never is enough food, and she worries about the day when she no longer will be able to stay with her mother.

Still, she remains steadfast in her faith.

“The word of God keeps me safe,” Susan said. “I live with hope because of the Bible. The Bible helps me know that I am a forgiven person. Because I am forgiven, when I die, I know that I will live again.”

Hope of eternal life is something Susan found at a Baptist church, just a few hundred yards from the room where she lives. The church is located on the campus of the Baptist Children’s Center, a ministry supported by Buckner Orphan Care International.

Tony Wenani, the center’s manager, also serves as pastor of the church.

And even though Susan struggles to walk, Wenani said, she faithfully attends services at the church. Still, her disease is not something Susan talks about openly, even with church members who support her. Like so many infected with AIDS, she fears the stigma accompanying the illness.

Inside the room she calls home, posters and stickers attest to her Christian faith and the determination she shares with others to overcome the scourge that is AIDS.

A poster hangs on the wall above her favorite chair where she reads her Bible. It reads simply, “Together we can beat AIDS.”

Round stickers with red letters dot the walls, quoting Bible verses of hope, such as, “Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.”

“Even if you are not sick, you are going to die,” Susan said quietly as she looked down at her open Bible. “What matters is the word of God.”

She lifted her head. Her right eye drifted aimlessly to the side, unable to see since the stroke. Her left eye fixed intently on her visitors, looking at them, but strangely past them.

“I was born one day, and one day, I must die.”

Posted: 7/21/06

African leaders look to
Buckner as ally in war on AIDS

By Scott Collins

Buckner Benevolences

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—Religious and government officials in four African nations welcomed staff and trustees from Buckner Benevolences and Buckner Orphan Care International.

The “vision tour” group led by Buckner President Ken Hall met with leading government officials during stops in Nigeria and Ethiopia. They asked the Dallas-based organization to help with the growing problems related to orphans throughout Sub-Sahara Africa brought on by the AIDS epidemic.

The four-nation tour was a first step intended to expand Buckner’s scope of ministry both internationally and domestically, Hall said. The organization is exploring additional opportunities and requests to address the needs of children and families worldwide, he added.

David Hennessee, a member of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio and a Buckner trustee, gives a pair of shoes to an orphan child in Addis Ababa.

“I really believe that ‘for such a time as this,’ God has placed Buckner in a crucial and strategic place to touch more boys and girls and to improve their lives,” Hall said.

“We’ve been blessed with tremendous expertise and resources, and it is our responsibility to faithfully share those with children and with organizations and governments around the world looking to make a difference.”

Buckner aggressively is looking for global partners in what Hall termed an “unprecedented and intentional plan to move Buckner to the next level of ministry.”

“Our 127 years of ministry to children and families in Texas and the past 10 years of international ministry have positioned us for the next phase of Buckner’s life and ministry,” he said.

Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis met with the group for more than one and one-half hours and told them: “You are most welcome in Ethiopia. The AIDS epidemic is affecting every part of our society. Many of our problems were never solved. They have accumulated over the years.”

A priority for the Ethiopian government is the continued development of foster care so children are not forced to grow up in orphanages, Wolde-Giorgis said.

“We must provide families for these children,” he told the Buckner group. The Ethiopian president also asked Buckner for assistance in developing educational and medical programs for children.

In Ethiopia, the Buckner group met Getahun Tesema, president of Bright Hope, a Christian ministry dedicated to providing for the country’s orphans through extensive development programs. Tesema is a former Dallas taxi driver who returned to his native country to begin the ministry in 2000.

In Nigeria, Minister of Health Eyitayo Lambo said he was aware of Buckner’s work in other parts of the world. “There is a lot we can do together,” he said.

Lambo added that while Nigeria’s rate of AIDS infection is dropping annually, the country still has the world’s third-largest population affected by the disease. Nigeria has Africa’s largest population—about 120 million. While the government does not have current statistics, estimates put the total number of orphans in the country at around 7 million, with about 2 million of those being orphaned due to AIDS.

Many families in Nigeria refuse to admit there are AIDS orphans because of the stigma associated with the disease, Lambo said. Along with AIDS, he said, the other causes creating orphans are poverty and social changes in Nigeria.

To meet the country’s challenges, Nigeria needs help from nongovernmental organizations like Buckner, Lambo said. He asked Buckner officials to work with his staff to develop a memorandum of understanding leading to a formal proposal.

“I want us to do this immediately,” Lambo said. “We want to start yesterday.”

Buckner will explore possible ministry options in Nigeria, Hall said.

“We want to move cautiously and look for victories along the way,” he said.

Sunday Onuoha, president of Vision Africa, assisted the Buckner team in Nigeria. Onuoha, a graduate of Southern Methodist University and its Perkins School of Theology, is a former high-ranking official in the Nigerian government.

In Kenya, Buckner leaders looked for ways to expand a foster care program started three years ago. Mike Douris, vice president and general manager of Buckner Orphan Care Inter-national, said Buckner hopes to add more families to foster care programs already in place in Nairobi and the northern district of Busia.

“African culture and Africans are generally opposed to institutionalizing children unless there is no other way” to help them, Douris said. “Foster care seems to be a natural fit for children needing a home and for families.”

Dickson Masindano, Buck-ner Africa director, told the group foster care has a bright future in Kenya and other parts of Africa because it fits the culture of extended families caring for orphan children.

The Buckner group also looked for ways to fund and build new community development centers in cooperation with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Representatives from several churches in Texas visited potential sites for the construction and development of the community development program.

Congregations represented included First Baptist Church in Lubbock, First Baptist Church in Amarillo, Oakwood Baptist Church in Lubbock, The Oaks Baptist Church in Grand Prairie and Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. Representatives from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri, national CBF and the Baptist General Convention of Texas also participated in the trip.

During their stop in Morocco, Buckner officials visited two orphanages and consulted with leaders of those homes who are seeking advice from child care and medical professionals from Buckner.

Posted: 7/21/06

Students’ All-State music echoes through 3 decades

By Laura Frase

Communications Intern

Past and present members of the Texas Baptist All-State Choir and Band recently united in one key—their everlasting love for music and God.

The choir and band represent the best of the best among Texas Baptist student musicians. Audition tapes arrived from more than 80 churches this year, with only 136 students chosen to represent the prestigious group.

This year marked the choir’s 30th anniversary. The choir opened new doors for high schoolers, allowing students from ninth through 12th grades to travel to Mexico, Canada and across the United States to sing with Texas Christians their own age.

“The investment of time, energy and resources is an investment that will pay huge dividends as our students become the next leaders in our churches, homes and communities,” predicted Tim Studstill, who leads the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ music and worship efforts. “Throughout the 30-year history of Texas Baptist All-State, our alumni have become pastors, music ministers, education ministers, teachers, college professors and church leaders who continue to serve faithfully in churches throughout Texas and the world.”

The BGCT sponsors the All-State Choir and Band.

Robert Tucker, dean of music and fine arts at Howard Payne University, was part of the original choir and returned to direct the Texas Baptist All-State Band for the fourth time during the celebration.

Since his high school days, Tucker also has been a sponsor for the choir.

He remained involved because participating in the choir “played a vital role in who I ultimately be-came,” he explained.

Because of original All-State Choir Director Loyd Hawthorne’s influence, Tucker chose to attend Hardin-Simmons University and then found himself teaching at a Baptist school.

“The Lord has plans for all of us, so what we do when we are young builds on what we do with our careers,” he said.

Amy Samuel believes the two years she was involved in the choir influenced her decision to become the children’s music coordinator at First Baptist Church in McKinney.

“Choir definitely had an impact, and it was an experience that I was able to pull from and kind of remember the things that took place,” she said.

Steve Sullivan of First Baptist Church in Pittsburg already knew he wanted to be a minister of music before he joined the choir, but he sees the influence it can have on future decisions.

“It does affect kids’ lives,” he said. “I know that from kids’ testimonies. They’ve chosen All-State Choir over other camps. That says we’re doing something right.”

Many churches don’t have youth choirs, so talented students can miss out on developing their gifts in a religious atmosphere, Sullivan said. All-State Choir changes that by enabling students to take back everything they learn to their home churches and schools, he added.

Many alumni have followed music for their careers and become involved with churches. Now, it’s their turn to give the same encouragement to youth their youth ministers and ministers of music gave to them.

Sullivan has encouraged students to participate since he joined a church staff. This year, 11 students from his church took part in the choir and band. It’s the biggest group the church has taken.

Eddie Brown, minister of music at Calvary Baptist Church in Lufkin, took six students from his church, plus two of his children.

“That’s exciting that I can offer them that same growth and Christian experience in music that I got,” Brown said.

Alumni look forward to the future decisions of students who participate in the All-State program.

“The students who are in it today, who knows?” Tucker said. “One of them may end up directing the band and choir some day. … It’s exciting to think about.”

Alumni agree on the importance music plays in spiritual growth.

“Music is such a vital ingredient in worship and ministry,” Tucker said.

Posted: 7/21/06

Around the State

• Howard Payne University has inducted eight members into the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society in Business Management and Administration. Inductees in-clude Heather Fisher, Charis House, Michael Lindsay, Jill McLaughlin, Leah Perez, Joseph Renner, Diann Seamans and Rachel Welch.

• Houston Baptist University has announced its Piper Professor nominees for this year. Nominees are Eloise Hughes, professor in education and director of field experience and student teaching; Levon Hayrapetyan, professor in computer information systems management; Vanora Hundley, associate professor in nursing; Susan Cook, professor in biology and director of the health professions program; and Connie Michalos, professor in English. The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation presents 15 awards annually to professors across the state for their dedication to the teaching profession and their academic, scientific and scholarly achievement.

• Carol Holcomb, associate professor of religion at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been re-elected president of the Baptist History and Heritage Society.

• Dan MacMillan, president of Bluefield College in Virginia, will join the Gary Cook Graduate School of Leadership at Dallas Baptist University as director of the doctoral program in higher education leadership next month.

• Baylor University’s May-born Museum Complex has honored Omilou Miles of Waco as its outstanding volunteer. Miles has served as a tour guide and weekly greeter for the museum. She currently is a volunteer docent for the “Feathered Treasures” exhibit in the Anding Traveling Exhibits Gallery.

Anniversaries

• First Church in Hico, 125th, July 2. Chris Irvin is pastor.

• George Solis, 25th, as pastor of Primera Iglesia in Waxahachie, July 4.

• Jerry Raines, 10th, as pastor of Hampton Road Church in DeSoto. Special services to commemorate the event are planned for July 30 in both morning and evening services.

Texas Baptist college students prayed for the world during student missions orientation at First Church in Duncanville prior to leaving for their own summer missions assignments. More than 400 Texas Baptist college students serve worldwide as summer missionaries through the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ “Go Now Missions” program. (Photo by John Hall/BGCT)

• First Church in Dun-canville, 60th, July 23. Keith Brister is pastor.

• Clearview Church in Marshall, 50th, Aug. 6. Former Pastor Dick Sawyer will preach in the morning service. Donald Robinette is pastor.

• Mark Towns, fifth, as pastor of Pine Springs Church in Tyler, Aug. 12.

• First Church in Earth, 80th, Aug. 27. A meal will follow the morning service. An open house of the church’s new facilities also will be held.

Events

• Children attending Vaca-tion Bible School at Orchard Road Church in Lewisville brought enough money in their offerings to provide a year’s care for a child their age in Kenya, Africa. Mary Wamboi, an orphan in Africa, will continue her education and receive the care she needs. The children have supported the child through their VBS offerings since 2002, and the church is committed to her continuing care. In prior years, the children purchased a cow for a family in the Far East, goats for a family in Africa and chickens for a family in South America. Terri Hardin was VBS director. Jerry Rogers is pastor.

• Mount Hebron Missionary Church in Garland recently commissioned two members as Mission Service Corps volunteers. Glenda Anderson will work with Angel Food ministries, and LaDonna Norton will work in a multihousing ministry. Clarence James is pastor.

• The Southern Grace Quartet will perform at First Church in Paris Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. Randall Perry is pastor.

• Athey Church in Marshall will hold homecoming services Aug. 13. Martin Clickard is pastor.

Ordained

• Ann Pittman to the ministry at First Church in Austin.

• Reggie Mayfield to the ministry at Eastside Church in Gonzales.

• Jean Ducharme, Richard Eldridge, James Green, Darrell Hartsfield and Roy Lombard as deacons at First Church in Del Rio.

Posted: 7/21/06

Technician’s speed spares
Baptist Memorials resident

SAN ANGELO—Certified pharmacy technician Stacey Walden recently helped rescue a resident at Baptist Memorials Center.

Walden, an Angelo State University student, had offered to show the resident how to use a special medical device and made an appointment for the afternoon. When the resident did not answer the door, Walden went back to work but still telephoned with no success.

After an hour, Walden went back to the house for another try. Finding the doors locked, Walden looked through the window and noticed the resident lying on the floor.

She immediately called the Baptist Memorials Pharmacy, which sent a maintenance crew to enter the house and offer assistance. Since the door was latched from the inside, and the crew was having difficulty entering, Walden rushed to her car and grabbed tools to help force open the lock.

Once inside, Walden and the maintenance crew realized the resident needed medical attention and immediately called 911.

When the emergency medical technicians arrived, they asked Walden for information. She explained what happened and correctly identified the medication the resident was taking. She also explained she could not say why the doctors had prescribed them. The paramedics were able to take the information with them when they rushed the resident to the emergency room.

“I was nervous at first, because I could not get in, and that was more nerve-racking than anything,” Walden recalled. “But once I got in, I wasn’t nervous, because I’ve been in emergency situations before and have been trained for them. After we called the paramedics, I was pretty calm and tried to be reassuring.”

Walden “took the initiative to continue to try to reach the person, and she stayed with that person while they waited for the paramedics, and even took the time to talk to the paramedics about that person’s medical condition. These instances should be celebrated, and we can encourage other fine young people to do the right thing. We are glad to have Stacey here and are very proud of her,” said Sarah Lummus, Walden’s supervisor.

Walden, who grew up in Winters, wants to continue her education and is applying to the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. The resident whom she helped is resting well at home after being treated and released from the hospital.

Posted: 7/21/06

Book Reviews

Syzygy: Living a Powerfully Aligned Life by Johnnie C. Godwin (Chalice Press)

In Syzygy: Living a Powerfully Aligned Life, Johnnie Godwin introduced to me a new word for an age-old concept. I found “syzygy” to be a funny new word that reminded me of the importance of proper alignment and balance in my relationships. The root of this old Greek word means to be “yoked” together, which explains the power behind the synergy that so many individuals, companies and churches long for.

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

Godwin shares his personal journey toward discovering syzygy in his life at home, at church and at work. His practical insights reinforce the importance of us working together with each other and especially with the Lord. Life takes on new meaning and effectiveness when we take up the “yoke” of Christ.

I found the sections of the book on family, friendships and working relationships to be very perceptive and useful. I would recommend this book for devotional reading for leaders or for a team-building exercise at work. It also could be used as a witnessing tool for a friend at work.

David Lowrie, pastor

First Baptist Church

Canyon

An Introduction to Baptist Principles by Bill Leonard (Baptist History and Heritage Society)

Bill Leonard, dean and professor of church history at Wake Forest University Divinity School, possesses the too-rare ability to write a clear sentence in which every word counts. His gift is on display in this 24-page pamphlet, which is a part of the Baptist Heritage Library.

Do not make the mistake of assuming the brevity of of this booklet indicates a paucity of information. Each page is packed with details that will delight and challenge Baptists of every persuasion.

Beginning with the assertion that Baptists are second-generation Protestants, Leonard tips his hat to Anabaptist influences while contending that Luther, Calvin and their 16th-century and subsequent interpreters are the true forebears of modern Baptists. He briefly surveys the Calvinist influence by summarizing the five points of Calvinism, which are represented by the acronym TULIP, then lists some Calvinist Baptist churches and denominational groups. He also describes the abiding Arminian influence in Baptist life, not only as a self-sustaining tradition, but also as one that is lived out in synthesis with Calvinist teachings. Lest anyone think he gives Luther short shrift, I would point readers to the endnotes of the pamphlet, where they will find succinct definitions of “indulgences” and “transubstantiation,” along with a brief description of Luther’s contrarian position.

Leonard covers this material in the first five pages. Then, he plunges into those abiding principles that, while not uniquely Baptist, serve as touchstones of Baptist life. Among these are a regenerate church, biblical authority and liberty of conscience, congregational autonomy and associational fellowship, Baptist ministry and ordinances, religious liberty, and missions.

Throughout, Leonard reminds that Baptists are an opinionated people. While we share common convictions, we cherish the privilege of gracious (we pray) disagreement. Thus the title, AN Introduction … . Leonard is too humble and too much of a Baptist to say, THE Introduction … . Even so, every Baptist would find this pamphlet a good place to start in discovering our common ground.

Sam Underwood, pastor

First Baptist Church

Farmers Branch

In the Company of Jesus: Finding Unconventional Wisdom and Unexpected Hope by Bill Donahue. (InterVarsity)

There’s a magnifying glass in the brain.

Wherever I mentally train the lens, its subject enlarges. I can choose to magnify the pressures and problems that always are around, or I can choose to magnify the ever-present Jesus. It’s amazing what a difference that decision makes in how I feel and what I accomplish.

Bill Donahue has provided a welcome tool to train us how to see Jesus. His book is engagingly written, with a splendid mix of practical Christian wisdom and fresh devotional insight. It’s a model for reflection on our own experiences in light of the roles Jesus plays in the life of the believer.

Each chapter concludes with helps for making personal application, prayer and further Bible reading. It’s well-suited for use in small groups as well.

Christian adults of all ages, from newer to more mature believers, can find in this book polish for the Jesus magnifying glass.

Rick Willis, pastor

First Baptist Church

Lampasas

Posted: 7/21/06

Baptist Briefs

Graham’s final sermon? Billy Graham acknowledged his appearance at his son’s July 9 crusade could be “the last time I’ll have an opportunity to preach the gospel to an audience like this,” Religion News Service reported. At age 87, the evangelist gave the closing sermon of the three-day Metro Maryland Festival headlined by his son, Franklin Graham, and organized by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Unfortunately, I’m getting too old to do this,” he said. He made a similar statement about his preaching at an appearance with his son in New Orleans in March, saying, “This is probably the last evangelistic sermon I’ll ever preach.”

Warren headed to North Korea. Government officials have invited best-selling author and Baptist pastor Rick Warren to preach to at least 15,000 people in North Korea sometime next summer, a spokesperson from Warren’s Saddleback Church confirmed. Warren acknowledged his trip could be used by the Korean government—notorious for religious persecution—as propaganda or further persecution, but he said it is worth the risks. “I know they’re going to use me, so I’m going to use them,” he told reporters.

Carters join Friends of Valentine Committee. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn Carter, journalist Bill Moyers, Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and former Assistant Attorney General John Seigenthaler have joined 11 others to form the Friends of Foy Valentine Committee to raise $500,000 and partially endow Christian Ethics Today, the journal Valentine founded in 1995. Other members are Co-Chairs Darold Morgan and David Sapp, Patsy Ayres, Doug Dillard, Buckner Fanning, Bob Feather, Bob Mitchell, Herbert Reynolds, Jimmy and Linda Allen, Ross Coggins and James Dunn. For more information, visit www.ChristianEthicsToday.com.

ABP endowment named for Puckett. Associated Baptist Press has established a campaign to endow its internship program in honor of longtime Baptist state newspaper editor Gene Puckett. He retired as editor of the Biblical Recorder in North Carolina after 16 years and previously was the state paper editor in Maryland and Ohio and managing editor in Kentucky. “Gene Puckett is a tireless advocate for true and faithful Baptist leadership," said Baptist layman Ed Vick of Raleigh, N.C., who, with his wife, Laura Ann, contributed a $125,000 lead gift for the endowmwnt. “Still to this day, Gene’s influence spreads across the state of North Carolina and beyond as a voice for much-cherished and historic Baptist principles, especially freedom.” As a founding member of the ABP board of directors, Puckett championed internships as a way the independent news service could influence future generations of Baptist journalists. ABP will inaugurate the endowment and recognize Puckett’s career during its annual Religious Freedom Award banquet Sept. 11 in Raleigh. Plans call for summer, semester and yearlong internships.

Drug-battler Stone dies. Ted Stone, an evangelist and former drug addict, died near Nashville of undetermined causes July 16 during his fourth walk across America. Stone used the nationwide walks to build up audiences for his victory-over-drugs message. “I used to be a drug addict, but I am no longer a drug addict,” he often said. “I am recovered forever by the grace of God, and that same hope can belong to you or anyone you love.” He started his latest walk June 19 in Chicago and hoped to reach Pensacola, Fla. He spoke at churches along the route and was planning to speak at College Heights Baptist Church in Gallatin, Tenn., when he became unconscious and later was pronounced dead.

LifeWay taps Hill for Glorieta. Hal Hill has been named director of LifeWay Camps and Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, N.M. The facility is owned by LifeWay Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing house. Hill has been national camp manager for LifeWay since 2004. Previously, he was a minister at three churches, staff member of the SBC Brotherhood Commission and the Georgia Baptist Convention and manager of a conference center near Seattle. He also worked for LifeWay in several capacities. He succeeds Steve Grassfield.

Leland Center accredited. The John Leland Center for Theological Studies has received full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools. It offers diploma, master of divinity and master of theological studies classes to about 150 students. Formed by area leaders attending the 1997 Baptist World Alliance meeting, the center emphasizes diversity and a commitment to churches in and near Washington, D.C. It was named to honor the 18th century Baptist Pastor John Leland, who influenced Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in securing religious freedom for U.S. citizens.

Posted: 7/21/06

Burgi home bubbles with boys
after 1st BCFS adoption

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

DEL RIO—Reply quickly if 6-year-old Robert Burgi asks, “What’s your name?” He’s in a rush to say: “I’m Robert Alesandro Burgi. And my name just changed.”

But the name change isn’t as striking as the change in his life. In fact, the lives of the whole Burgi family—now home to six boys—changed because of Baptist Child & Family Services’ newly licensed adoption program.

Robert and his younger brothers, Joey, 4, and Chris, 3, went to court in May with Ron and Raquel Burgi and three other boys already named Burgi—Joseph, 16, Nathan, 14, and William, 8—for a formal adoption hearing.

aquel Burgi hugs her youngest son, 3-year-old Chris, during a rare sitting- down moment.

It marked a highlight in the couple’s four-year journey to finalize a dream they feel came from God—a trip that began with a fruitless two-year struggle to be approved as foster parents by Texas’ Child Protective Services.

“There were times when we just wanted to quit,” Ron Burgi said.

“Our CPS caseworkers kept changing and one time didn’t even show up to do a scheduled home inspection. We were convinced this was something God wanted us to do, and we wanted to do it with all our hearts. But it seemed we couldn’t get through CPS’s bureaucratic red tape.”

That’s when Bob Lockhart, their pastor at Northside Baptist Church in Del Rio, suggested they contact Baptist Child & Family Services in San Antonio.

“I didn’t know the specifics of the foster program, but I was familiar with BCFS’s work with the STAR (Services to At Risk Youth) program here in Del Rio,” he explained. “Ron and Raquel have a special love for children and wanted so much to adopt that I thought BCFS might help. And they did.”

Ron Burgi and 3-year old Chris hold down the right-hand swing beside (from left) Joey, Robert and William.

Social workers from the Texas Baptist agency conducted the necessary interviews and home studies to certify the couple. Within weeks, they were introduced to Robert, Joey and Chris.

The boys’ new father met them first, because Mom had the flu. But when she saw them, she said, “I wanted to bring them back to Del Rio with me right then.”

It didn’t happen that fast, but within a few weeks, there were three more plates at the Burgi’s dinner table.

“We became foster parents with the goal of adopting,” Mrs. Burgi said. “We looked at foreign adoptions, but we realized that children who needed loving homes were right here in our city. We figured if we were taking care of children when the state terminated the parental rights, we would have a good chance to be allowed to adopt them.”

In late 2004, the three young boys moved into the Burgi’s house and hearts. In May this year, they became available for adoption—just as Baptist Child & Family Services received its license.

“Normally, there is a six-month waiting period, but because they were already foster parents, that was waived,” said Sarah Magill McLornan, adoption coordinator for the Baptist agency.

On May 11, McLornan made the 150-mile drive from San Antonio and conducted the final study the day before the hearing.

“The Burgis are such a great, fun family; their energy level is amazing. This was a great way to start the program, and we already have several families in the process of adopting through BC- FS,” she said.

Ron Burgi has a shoulderful of boy as 4-year-old Joey takes refuge from a water fight in the back yard.

Although Mrs. Burgi is a Del Rio native, her husband considers himself a transplanted and naturalized South Tex-an—and proud of it.

“The Air Force sent me here in 1983, and I just fell in love with the weather and the outdoor sports,” he said. “When I got out, I went back home to Southern California but would come back to Del Rio on vacation to fish. When I heard about a defense contracting job, I applied immediately.”

More significantly, just before returning to Texas, he became a Christian—which led him to meet his future bride. He started visiting churches in Del Rio and first saw her in the singles’ class at Northside Baptist Church. Later, at choir practice, he was impressed “by the way she was keeping up with two lively sons.” They married in November 1996.

William was born a few years later, and, not long after that, Burgi officially adopted Joseph and Nathan.

“We wanted them to be part of the decision,” he explained of the delay.

“But the boys pushed for it harder than he did,” his wife added.

When Mrs. Burgi lost a baby during pregnancy, the couple leaned hard on their faith and the support of their pastor and Northside members—and they started thinking of adoption.

“We don’t use the word ‘step-’ or ‘adopted’ around this house,” Burgi pointed out. “They all know they are loved the same. I feel exactly the same way toward all six—the same amount of love, the same amount of concern and the same amount of irritation.”

During the adoption process the Burgis identified and dealt with three barriers they feel are common to almost all couples considering adoption.

First “is the nagging thought in the back of your head that this child is not genetically yours,” Burgi explained.

“But once a little love leaks out of your heart, you have the revelation that you can love someone who is not related to you.”

The reaction of relatives and friends can reinforce that worry, Mrs. Burgi noted: “We were bluntly asked why we didn’t keep trying to have children of our own. But when people get to know Robert, Joey and Chris and see they truly are our children in every way that counts, most of them fall in love with the boys, too.”

Another barrier is simple fear “that you won’t bond with a child that is genetically dissimilar,” Burgi said.

That is why the Burgis feel being foster parents is a highly beneficial step.

“Foster parents are not obligated to adopt the children they foster,” Burgi pointed out. If the bonding doesn’t occur and the child/children are moved to another placement, “it doesn’t mean you are a failure—it just means the match wasn’t going to work. It is hard, but it is better for everyone involved to learn these things early.”

The final issue is the financial commitment.

“All parents know that the family budget changes dramatically when you start adding children, especially if you do it three at a time,” Burgi said.

“But there is financial assistance available, and people should ask for it. If God has called you to take care of children like this, then he will provide the means to do it.”

Funding comes directly from the Texas Department of Family Protective Services, which oversees all state foster care programs.

The department pays a monthly subsidy for foster children who are adopted. It ranges from $400 to $525 per month per child. The children also receive Medicaid insurance until they turn 18 and free tuition at any state university in Texas.

The decision to face those barriers and pursue adoption took on added meaning when Mrs. Burgi’s father became fatally ill several months ago.

“After his doctors placed him in hospice care, he told us that one of the things he was hanging onto life for was to see the day Robert, Joey and Chris were officially ours,” Mrs. Burgi said. “He was thrilled.”

Standing in the back yard as the four younger boys bailed out of swings, chased the dog and sprayed each other with water guns, she took it all in.

“People asked me why we didn’t get girls since we had a choice, but we really didn’t think that was an option,” she noted. “When I gave birth to my older three children, I didn’t have a choice. God decided for me. We thought that God should decide the children we got when we adopted, too. He led us to these boys.

“In fact, that may be one reason it took so long to get to this point. Chris and Joey were both born—and removed from their home—after we applied with CPS to be foster parents. Maybe God was just holding things up because he had picked them out for us.”

For more information about Baptist Child & Family Services foster care and adoption programs, send an e-mail to adoptions@bcfs.net, call (210) 208-5614 or visit www.bcfs.net.