Posted: 6/23/06

EDITORIAL:
SBC: Many changes, very little change

The Southern Baptist Convention held its most significant meeting in years this summer. But not much has changed in the way the SBC relates to Texas Baptists.

To be sure, the 2006 annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C., featured many changes:

• Political malfunction. For only the second time since fundamentalists set out to take over the convention in 1979, the presidential candidate hand-picked by the small group of political power brokers did not win. In fact, the brokers split, and both of their candidates lost. Frank Page, a South Carolina pastor backed by upset-minded youngish (“young” is a relative term in the SBC) pastors, defeated Arkansan Ronnie Floyd, endorsed by three seminary presidents, and Tennessean Jerry Sutton, an insider close to the convention’s bureaucratic elite in Nashville.

• Young bucks outflank old bulls. Those youngish pastors powered Page’s candidacy with their blogs—columns disseminated on the Internet. They trumped the SBC’s tightly regulated public relations arm, Baptist Press, which previously controlled information distributed to convention loyalists. The blogs gave them a tool to find each other, communicate their concerns and rally broad support.

• No hiding reality. Many Southern Baptists arrived in Greensboro openly acknowledging the SBC’s malaise, if not outright crisis. The International Mission Board is polarized by trustee infighting and dissatisfaction with President Jerry Rankin. The North American Mission Board is embarrassed by former President Bob Reccord’s administrative incompetence. Many fear the actual number of ministry students trained by the seminaries is declining. Baptisms are slumping. Young, progressive pastors are disaffected. Relationships with numerous state conventions are strained. Without so-called “moderates” to battle, SBC fundamentalists seem to be turning on each other, purging semi-charismatics from the mission field, openly discussing the minority status of Calvinism, and questioning the credibility of privileged insiders who have failed to put their money where their mouths have been, as their churches give a pittance to the Cooperative Program while they call for convention loyalty.

• Men underestimate women. For years, the SBC’s fundamentalist leaders have chafed because they can’t control Woman’s Missionary Union. Since 1888, WMU has provided the backbone of the convention’s missions support, educating Baptists about missions and raising multiplied millions of dollars for the mission boards. But WMU is an auxiliary of the convention; the SBC does not choose its governing board, unlike other convention entities. And WMU has refused to play the convention’s fundamentalist-control power game. So, the SBC Executive Committee proposed a recommendation to “extend an invitation” to WMU to become an SBC agency, so the convention could elect WMU trustees—the key to gaining control. Messengers voted that down, handing the Executive Committee an unprecedented defeat.

• “Narrowing” nixed. Led by the bloggers, messengers in Greensboro heard a chorus of protest against “narrowing the parameters of cooperation” in the convention. Issues included restrictions on international missions appointment; “recycling” the same elite insiders and their families on boards, committees and high-profile assignments; and derision felt by convention-loyal Calvinists. Concern for “narrowing” escalated to the surreal realm when Joyce Rogers, widow of SBC fundamentalist firebrand Adrian Rogers, insisted her late husband would not approve the convention’s ever-narrowing trajectory.

With all these changes, you might be tempted to think things have changed in the SBC. Think again. The SBC is no more open to traditional Texas Baptists than it was in 1998, when it welcomed a schismatic state convention with open arms. For example:

• New suit, same cloth. Sure, Page upset the power-brokers’ candidates, and he seems humble and self-effacing. But he emphatically told reporters he does not intend to “undo the conservative resurgence” in the SBC. He also specifically affirmed biblical inerancy, the litmus test of the movement that gained control of the SBC in the 1980s, which came to mean far more politically than it meant theologically. He probably won’t be as autocratic as some SBC presidents and will treat people with more respect. But he’s not inclined to include folks who think the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and not the SBC, is on the right track.

• Define “broad.” The Internet bloggers and young bucks clamored for “broadening” participation in the SBC. About time. And many of them also expressed disdain for the hardball politics played by the older generation of SBC leaders. But, like Page, they strongly affirm the “conservative resurgence,” trumpet inerrancy and call for loyalty to the Cooperative Program as they define it (supporting only state conventions and the SBC, not other Baptist organizations such as the Baptist World Alliance, Baptist Joint Committee, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and WMU). So, “broad” seems to mean young, polite inerrantists who affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message—not necessarily traditional, mainstream Baptists like most Texans.

• Once is not a trend. Page’s victory generated euphoria among bloggers and other supporters. But the SBC machine got beat once before, when Jim Henry won the presidency in 1994. Then it picked up where it left off, and nothing changed. (In fact, Henry’s nominator, Jack Graham, later won the presidency as an insider.) The old guard changed the SBC by winning every election for a decade and demanding unyielding loyalty of every appointee and nominee. The young bucks won’t pull that off if they practice what they preach about toleration. And if they hesitate or give an inch, they’ll get steamrolled.

Of course, I may be wrong. Maybe “toleration” really will become the SBC watchword. Maybe Page will appoint traditional Baptists from the BGCT and the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Maybe the young bloggers will force the old guard to include Baptists who also want to work with their state convention, the BWA and CBF. But that’s not what they’re saying. And we can only take them at their word.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard.

Posted: 6/23/06

ABP urged to pursue 'information integrity'

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

ATLANTA (ABP) — Rob Nash, one day after being elected global missions coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, urged about 300 Baptists at an Associated Baptist Press banquet to pursue “information integrity” on their way to becoming “citizens of the world.”

In his first public address since election by the CBF Coordinating Council, Nash urged listeners June 22 in Atlanta to become aware of their place in the world.

"For me, the greatest gift that I can possibly give to the world is the gift of my own self-awareness," said Nash, currently dean of the school of religion and international studies at Shorter College, a Baptist school in Rome, Ga.

It is important for Baptists to have and use credible sources of news and information, said Nash, emphasizing the value of ABP, a Florida-based independent news service, and other free Baptist media.

Cultivating self-awareness involves gathering information from a variety of sources and through differing mediums. When Americans read only American news or watch only American TV, he said, it only reinforces prejudices and confirms the “natural sense of self.”

“Self-awareness can help us to push back and overcome the powerful cultural tug,” he said. “What is demanded, though, is the spiritual discipline of awareness. That awareness occurs only through an intentional effort to step outside our personal space and see ourselves as others see us.”

The process of cultivating "information integrity," Nash said, "helps me to become a citizen of the world, even as I am a citizen of this country. It helps me to distinguish being Christian from being an American."

The son of Baptist missionaries to the Philippines, Nash, 47, lived 13 years in that country and has made extended visits to more than 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South America. He said his international travel has been vital to an understanding of his own self, and only through that understanding can he help others.

“There’s something about being in a culture that seems strange to you that causes you to learn about yourself,” Nash said. “The picture of myself that I discover is often not a very flattering one."

While a visit to Asia can "help me see myself as I really am," Nash said, he can always count on American culture — like “a nice, warm hot-tub” — to lull him back to complacency. There is nothing more comfortable than spending time with people just like us, he said. And that can be deadly to Christians as they try to spread the gospel.

“When I’m around people who are just like me, I lose myself, because there is not much left against which to identify me for who I really am,” Nash said. “I think the same is true for the American church. We as American Christians often fail to see ourselves for who we really are. It’s an illness that we need to somehow overcome.”

Posted: 6/23/06

Around the State

• Bill Pitts, professor of religion at Baylor University, has been presented the Distin-guished Service Award for outstanding contributions to Baptist history by the Baptist History and Heritage Society. He is a member of First Church in Waco.

• Howard Payne University has presented service awards to faculty and staff for their years of service to the university. Glenda Huff, director of student aid, received a pin denoting her 30 years of service. Noted for 25 years at the school were Cheryl Mangrum, associate director of admissions processing; Allen Reed, dean of the School of Fine Arts and professor of music; Evelyn Romig, dean of the School of Humanities and professor of English; and Ed Roth, interim dean of the School of Science and Mathematics and professor of biology. Honored for 20 years of service were Nancy Anderson, dean of libraries and professor of library science; Betty Broome, coordinator of trustee relations; and Nancy Jo Humfeld, professor of communication, director of theater and chair of the department of communication and theater. Serving 15 years are Patricia Banks, associate professor of music; Olga Carter, professor of sociology; Darla Collier, cashier; Justin Murphy, professor of history and director of the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom; Elizabeth Wallace, professor of music; and Randy Weehunt, director of administrative computing. Ten-year employees include Tim Hickey, plumber; Mitzi Lehrer, assistant professor of education; Kyle Mize, director of publications; Robert Peters, dean of the School of Education and associate professor of education; Jose Romero, associate professor of mathematics; Harlan Scott, associate professor of biology and chair of the biological sciences department; and Lester Towell, associate professor of computer information systems.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has received the “Best of Show” award for its 2005-2006 “Go Far” marketing efforts. The award was presented by the National Admissions Marketing Report. The campaign also received three awards from the Baptist Communicators Association.

• Four East Texas Baptist University professors have announced their retirements. Included are Sam Arguez, professor of modern languages; Linda Hudson, assistant professor of history; Frank Lower, professor of communication; and Claire Rodgers, professor of music.

• Students recognized at Houston Baptist University’s honors convocation included Judith Ann Clack, James Attebury, Andrea Higgins, Shondra Richardson, Andrea Legare; Angela Roberts, Cindy Ventura, Ricardo Yzquierdo, Daniel Rodriguez, Valerie Jones, Jessica Neuwirth, Sandra Mathoslah, Scott Mosher, and Melanie Stuff.

The Heights Church in San Angelo has burned its Phase 1 building note. James Miller, pastor, is shown with Cynthia Williams holding the burning note. Also participating in the ceremony were Walt Rodgers and Charles Luker.

• Deemie Naugle has been named Dallas Baptist University’s staff member of the year. Naugle, associate provost, has worked at the school 23 years. She has held numerous positions at the school and was honored in 1994 with the school’s distinguished alumni award. She is a member of Wilshire Church in Dallas.

Anniversaries

• Sammy Garcia, 15th, as pastor of Iglesia Camino Real in Denison, June 1.

• Doug Grissom, 30th, as pastor of Twin Cities Church in Sherman, June 9.

• Woodrow Church in Lubbock, 75th, June 17. Jerry Gentry is pastor.

• New Hope Missionary Church in Waco, 140th, June 11. Joe Shiloh is pastor.

• Luke Smith, 10th, as pastor of Calvary Church in Gainesville, July 9.

• Aaron Davis, 10th, as praise and worship leader at Calvary Church in Gainesville, July 9.

• Western Heights Church in Waco, 50th, July 29-30. A reception will be held on Saturday from 7 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Former pastor Bill Smith will preach Sunday with a catered lunch to follow. Lunch will cost $8, and reservations can be made by calling (254) 776-2524.

• London Church in New London, 150th, July 30. Former church staff members will lead the services. A lunch and afternoon service will follow the morning service. Randy Wells is interim pastor.

Retiring

• David Garza Sr., as pastor of Primera Iglesia in Abilene. Events noting his retirement are planned for July 29-30. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, and a special service and presentations will follow. Long-time friend Joe Martinez will be the featured speaker both days. Garza has been in ministry more than 50 years, first serving La Palma Mission in San Benito in 1955. He also was pastor of Calvary Chapel in Harlingen, Ebenezer Mission in Baird, Emmanuel Mission in Ennis and Emmanuel Church in Houston. He has served the Abilene church the last 25 years.

• Fred Randles, as minister of music at First Church in Sulphur Springs, July 30. He has served the church 25 years and has been in the ministry 44 years. Prior to coming to Texas, he served several churches in Tennessee. He will be available for interim, supply or choir tour consultations.

• Ron Dixon, as minister of music at First Church in Texas City, Aug. 6. He has served the church 40 years. His only previous place of service was at Northside Church in Duncanville. A community reception is planned for Aug. 5 at the church from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. A retirement lunch also will be held Aug. 6 after the morning service. Reservations are not necessary for the Saturday event, but people attending the Sunday lunch should call (409) 945-2309 to make reservations.

LaWayne Hulse

• LaWayne Hulse, 83, April 28 in Garland. A retired pastor, he served churches in Mitchell County, Belmore Church in San Angelo, First Church in Mason and Alta Mere Church in Fort Worth. He was an editorial assistant of the Baptist Standard under E.S. James and John Hurt. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vanita, in 1999. He is survived by sons, James and Kris; daughters, LaRonna Fox and Karen Wilson; seven grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

• Charles Reece, 82, June 6 in Seagoville. He was a minister more than 60 years, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Margaret; daughters, Charlotte Rolan, Jan Diggs and Donna Peterson; sons, Keith and Stephen; sisters, Dorothy Hobbs and Margaret Anderson; nine grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

• Doc Beazley, 90, June 13 in Abilene. He had a 45-year association with Hardin-Simmons University, serving the school as an instructor, executive vice president, director of public relations, director of the annual college rodeo and athletic director. He may be best remembered as coordinator of the Six White Horses program at HSU, a duty he assumed in 1963. After retiring in 1985, he devoted full time to the equestrian program. The Six White Horses, an equestrian team that bears the six flags that have flown over Texas, have been seen by millions of people in places as varied as New York, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Canada, France and London, as well as smaller communities throughout Texas. The team performed at four presidential inaugurations during his tenure. He was preceded in death by his wife, Madge, and granddaughter, Virginia Lee Crooks. He is survived by his son, Bill; daughters, Pam Benson and Martha Pinkerton; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

• Virginia Crouch, 92, June 17 in Dallas. Her husband, Buel, was pastor of first at Western Heights Church, and in 1941 moved to Grace Temple Church, both in Dallas. Grace Temple had only 42 members when they began their ministry, but grew to encompass an entire city block, a place where during the next 33 years 3,150 people were baptized and 5,500 joined by letter or statement. The church also had a radio ministry to minister to many who never attended. She played piano and organ for the church during those years, and for more than 30 years worked with Girls Auxiliary. Health problems forced her husband to retire from full-time ministry in 1974, but worked with 15 churches from California to Corpus Christi until his death in 1986. After his death, she continued to attend Grace Temple and volunteered at Baptist Benevolent Ministries of Oak Cliff. She and her husband also were long-time supporters of Dallas Baptist University. She is survived by her brother, Dean Gandy.

• Ryan Hall, 15, June 20 in Dallas. He became suddenly ill May 17 and had been in ICU since May 25 with a rapidly progressing unidentified lung disease. He was very involved in the youth ministry at The Heights Church in Richardson, where his father is a deacon. He is survived by his parents, Scott and Emily; sister, Mallory; grandparents, Donald and Olive Hall, and Jeff and Lou Nelle George.

• Jack Flanders, 84, June 20 in Temple. He was a distinguished alumnus and retired faculty member of Baylor University, where he also served as chair of the religion department from 1969 to 1992. He also taught law ethics and morality for almost three decades at Baylor Law School. He was pastor of First Church in Waco from 1962 until 1969 and was named pastor emeritus in 1987. He also was pastor of Navasota Community Church in Navasota and interim pastor of 20 churches. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Tommie Lou; son, Jack; daughter, Janet Mitchell; and three grandchildren.

• Bill Daniel, 90, June 20 in Liberty. Daniel, a sixth-generation Texan, said it was always one of his ambitions as a child to attend Baylor University. So, he hitchhiked to the Baylor campus in the 1930s with $7 in his pocket and a determination to secure a Baylor education. He helped pay his way by serving as the football team’s trainer and manager, working campus flower beds, and taking care of the bear mascots, Betty Coed and Joe College. He graduated from the Baylor Law School in 1938, and now many campus facilities bear his name including the Bill Daniel Student Center. He was appointed governor of the U.S. territory of Guam by President John Kennedy. He also played the role of Col. Neill in the John Wayne film The Alamo, and supplied the film more than 400 longhorn cattle and hundreds of horses from his ranch. He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 50 years, Vara, in 1987, and his son, Will. He is survived by daughters, Ann Rogers, Susan Daniel and Dani Brister; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Posted: 6/23/06

Book reviews

Renewing the City: Reflections on Community Development and Urban Renewal by Robert D. Lupton (Inter Varsity Press)

Robert Lupton’s Renewing the City is a thought-provoking volume combining biblical insight with the challenge of community development and urban renewal.

Lupton tells the ancient story found in the book of Nehemiah. His storytelling is patterned after the Jewish tradition of Midrash. Lupton describes Midrash as “a combination of commentary, parable and poetic imagination.” He uses the first part of the book to tell the story of Nehemiah in a way that is engaging and entertaining.

The second part of Lupton’s book is devoted to community development and urban renewal. Lupton is not content simply to tell the story of Nehemiah, allowing its lessons to hover as concepts completely divorced from any particular context or present-day challenge. Instead, Lupton takes concepts from the Nehemiah story and challenges the reader to apply them to real-life urban situations.

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

Reader beware! If one is looking for simplistic, black-and-white answers to the problem of the inner city, this is not the book for you. However, if you genuinely desire to struggle at the intersection of the biblical witness and real-life urban challenges, this is a book for you.

Kyle Reese, pastor

Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church

Jacksonville, Fla.

Dinner With a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering by David Gregory (WaterBook Press)

If you know someone who hasn’t yet come to faith in Christ, give this hundred pages to him or her. Light reading, but the book imagines what a restaurant dinner with Jesus would be. A contemporary visit that reflects his warm, insightful personality in the Gospels. After dessert, he hands his guest his business card!

Bob Beck

Fort Worth

Second Calling: Finding Passion and Purpose for the Rest of Your Life by Dale Hanson Bourke (Integrity Publishers)

If you are a woman who has sensed God might be whispering to you deep inside—longing to have a moment of your attention—this book is timely. Using the Old Testament character Naomi as a middle-aged example of how to live passionately and purposefully, Bourke explains what it means to invest fully in your “second calling”—one that is a holy calling rather than dictated by others.

By sharing personal lessons learned, Bourke encourages women in or approaching the second half of life. She states unmistakably the one thing that “is our passport to the greatest adventure of our lives.” I’m not going to spoil things by revealing it. Suffice it to say, through Bourke’s urging you will understand what it is you must learn to do if you do nothing else in the second half of life.

Second Calling is a quick read, earnestly written with sensible suggestions—a book benefiting women aged 40 to 60 as well as women’s groups. If you are at a place of wondering, “What’s next?” pick it up and read it.

Sheri Pattillo, planning & projects manager

Partners in Ministry

Kerrville

Posted: 6/23/06

Baptist Briefs

Baptist college association changes name. Members of the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools voted recently to change the name of the 51-member organization to the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities. Executive Director Bob Agee said the change reflects the association’s desire to expand its outreach to all colleges and universities that lay claim to their Baptist history and heritage. New board members elected during the meeting included Baylor University Provost Randall O’Brien and Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Charles Wade.

Graham statue unveiled. Evangelist Billy Graham is larger than life for many Southern Baptists, and messengers present at the closing session of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting learned that firsthand when they witnessed the unveiling of a 7-foot-tall statue of Graham. Mounted in front of a 17-foot-tall cross, the statue of Graham will stand in downtown Nashville, Tenn., near the SBC executive offices and LifeWay Christian Resources’ corporate headquarters. At the foot of the cross are three nails and a stone inscribed with John 3:16. Pastor and sculptor Terrell O’Brien of Wyoming designed the statue, and Chris Fryer and Matt Samuelson— owners of CCL, a Christian construction management team in Atlanta—financed the project. Cliff Barrows, music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and William Franklin Graham IV, grandson of Billy Graham and son of Franklin, represented Graham at the unveiling.

BWA president speaks at seminary graduation. Baptist World Alliance President David Coffey delivered the commencement address at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. Five students graduated with master of theology degrees, and 13 students graduated with a certificate in applied theology. Eight other students were recognized as they moved to the dissertation stage of their advanced degrees. The seminary is a partner school of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Convention sermon calls ‘fat-cats’ into action. The Southern Baptist Convention cannot afford to rest at ease as a “cushy denomination” of lazy church members, Donald Wilton told the group’s annual meeting. “We are fat-cats. Just look at us,” said Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., who preached the annual convention sermon. “Southern Baptists, I mean to submit to you today that it’s time for us to wake up as a denomination. It’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work and become the soul-winners that we claim to be. God has given us our marching orders.”

Evangelism prof named NAMB interim president. Trustees of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board have enlisted seminary evangelism professor Roy Fish to serve as the agency’s interim president. Fish serves as distinguished professor of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he has taught evangelism more than 41 years. Fish and his wife, Jean, have four adult children and 11 grandchildren.

President calls on SBC to do more. Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch guaranteed Southern Baptists will meet his goal of baptizing a million people in a year. He’s just not saying what year. In his final address as convention president, Welch of Daytona Beach, Fla., urged the SBC to do “more” in evangelism , missions and stewardship—particularly in giving to the Cooperative Program unified budget. “All have agreed we ought to do more. And we should do more. And we can do more. And we will do more. For the sake of souls and the glory of God, more, more, more,” Welch said.

Crossover yields results. Southern Baptists threw muscles and prayers into Crossover—a weekend evangelistic emphasis prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting—using a biker rally, rodeo, block parties, puppet shows and even sweet potato giveaways to gain a hearing for the gospel. Early reports indicated more than 750 recorded commitments to Christ as a result, and Mark Gray, church planting director for North Carolina Baptists, predicted the goal of starting 19 churches would be met or exceeded.

Posted: 6/23/06

Shoes for orphans sought

DALLAS—Buckner Orphan Care International is launching its eighth year of giving new shoes to children worldwide through its annual Shoes for Orphan Souls campaign.

Last year, Buckner collected more than 215,000 new pairs of shoes through nationwide shoe drives. The previous year, the organization reached a ministry milestone, topping 1 million new shoes given to children in more than 40 countries.

Also last year, Shoes for Orphan Souls helped more than 29,000 Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees.

Individuals and organizations are encouraged to donate new shoes, along with $2 for shipping, or cash gifts of $25 to pay for shoes and distribution costs. Donated items should be for children ages 2 to 18. Due to customs regulations, only new shoes are acceptable.

Warm shoes, winter boots and larger sizes especially are needed. The organization also collects new socks and shoelaces of all sizes.

With the help of thousands of volunteers at shoe drives held in all 50 states and Canada, Shoes for Orphan Souls has sent shoes to Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Belize, Belarus, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Egypt, El Salvador, Ghana, Granada, Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Mexico, Moldova, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Georgia, Romania, Russia, U.S., Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Volunteers are needed to sort shoes in Dallas and accompany Buckner on shoe-delivery missions to China, Latvia, Kenya, Romania and Russia.

Information about the drive and volunteering locally or internationally is available toll free at (877) 7ORPHAN or at www.shoesfororphansouls.org.

Posted: 6/23/06

Posted: 6/23/06

2nd Opinion:
They die rejected, abandoned, alone

By Kay Warren

Joana crawled toward me on her skeletal elbows and knees, each movement a painful reminder of the fact she was dying.

When I met her, this emaciated woman was homeless, living under a tree. She had unrelenting diarrhea, little food, no earthly possessions and only an elderly aunt who had taken pity on her to care for her needs.

Still, she roused herself to offer me, an American visitor to her part of Mozambique, a traditional greeting.

The African pastors who brought me to visit her told me she had been evicted from her village when others learned she had AIDS. Now, in this second village, her tiny stick house had mysteriously burned after her status became known. A short time later, Joana died—rejected, abandoned, persecuted and destitute.

We may think this doesn’t happen in the United States. “People who are HIV-positive are treated better than that here,” we say. But I’m not so sure.

I live in affluent Orange County, Calif., yet a disabled man in my area who was HIV-positive was not allowed to enter his brother’s home.

He and his wife could live in the backyard, but he couldn’t come inside. To bathe him, his wife had to attach a nozzle to a hose and shoot him with a hard spray of water that, she hoped, would dislodge dirt and grime. The family dog was treated better than this man; at least it could go into the house.

Like Joana in Mozambique, this man may also die rejected, abandoned, persecuted and destitute.

As a follower of Christ, I am seriously disturbed by both stories.

Horrific and startling images confront each of us daily through newspapers, television and eyewitness accounts of people suffering from AIDS.

You can do what I did for years—choose to ignore it all because it was too painful. Or you can become disturbed—seriously, dangerously disturbed—so disturbed that you are compelled to do something.

Christians are just as guilty as non-Christians of wanting to look the other way when it comes to the problems confronting our world, especially the topics that make us uncomfortable. But we need to be seriously disturbed about homelessness, child prostitution, rape, poverty, injustice and HIV/AIDS.

Twenty-five years into the AIDS pandemic, being HIV-positive still carries stigma and shame. But God cares for the sick, and so must we.

It’s not a sin to be sick. The Bible tells us Jesus was repeatedly “filled with compassion” as he encountered broken bodies and broken minds. While polite society vigorously avoided contact with those they considered diseased outcasts, Jesus responded in a radical way: He cared, he touched, he healed.

I had no medication that could cure Joana, nothing to alleviate her pain, nothing that would restore her to health. But I offered the one thing that all of us can offer: I offered my presence. I put my arms gently around her, prayed for relief from her suffering and whispered, “I love you.”

This is a start, but much more is needed. Today, I challenge the worldwide church to take on the global giants of spiritual darkness, lack of servant leaders, poverty, disease and ignorance. It’s past time for people who claim to be Christ’s followers to join the struggle against the devastation that the HIV virus brings.

How many more like Joana have to die before you become seriously disturbed?

Kay Warren, wife of Rick Warren, founding pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, is executive director of Saddleback’s HIV/AIDS initiative. She has traveled globally to speak and learn about the AIDS pandemic. This commentary first appeared on CNN.com and was distributed by Baptist Press. Used by permission of Kay Warren.

Posted: 6/23/06

Church with mission roots
in Brazil helps missionaries

By Laura Frase

Communications Intern

WorldconneX and Texas Baptists are helping Don and Angie Finley return to Brazil after a prolonged absence from their 11-year mission home. And in the process, the missions network located a Corsicana church rich in Brazil’s missionary history to fund part of the couple’s mission.

The Finleys originally were appointed as missionaries by the Southern Baptist International Mission Board but had to leave the mission field when they refused to sign the controversial 2000 Baptist Faith & Message statement.

“We never wanted to leave,” Mrs. Finley said. “We came back to the United States with the call of God stronger than ever back in Brazil and no way to get there.”

The Brazilians offered an open invitation for the couple to return, but the Finleys had to find a way to finance their mission.

Mrs. Finley acknowledged they felt intimidated about raising their own money for the mission trip. As IMB missionaries, they did not have to appeal to individual churches for financial support.

“Friends would say we were so lucky to not have to worry about it, but would also add that we were missing a blessing,” she said.

The couple would always laugh it off and not understand how it was a blessing.

“It really was such a blessing to meet people,” they discovered. “We now have a close relationship with churches all over.”

WorldconneX helped the Finleys make the connections they needed.

After an interview with the Finleys, “it was all about what is the next step,” said Bill Tinsley, the missions network’s leader, explaining the typical procedure WorldconneX follows. “We look at what’s God’s vision for you, and how can we get you there.”

Tinsley then sought churches for an appropriate match. WorldconneX activates churches by “taking all the resources of a church—their professions, passions—and looking at what God is doing in the world strategically to decide where to send people,” Tinsley said.

That led to First Baptist Church in Corsicana.

William Bagby, Southern Baptists’ first missionary to Brazil, was an early pastor of the Corsicana church. Because of the church’s historic connection with Brazil and a personal connection with Tinsley, First Baptist in Corsicana pledged $8,000 to get the Finleys back in action.

First Baptist Church in San Angelo, First Baptist Church in Amarillo and Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston also will support the couple, along with some Baptist General Conference churches, Baptist churches in Kentucky and several individuals.

Once the Finleys are in Brazil, WorldconneX will continue helping through frontline services, including international money transferring and insurance.

Before they left Brazil, the Finleys had implemented a center that trained career missionaries and lay leaders for churches. They began the program because the number of Brazilian missionaries was growing rapidly, but they were having problems, largely due to lack of adequate training, Mrs. Finley said.

The Brazilians also developed programs to send Christians out internationally to “live incarnationally” in other cultures, she noted.

“It’s exciting, because we’re not only sending missionaries into Brazil, but we’re helping Brazilians send missionaries to Muslim countries where we would never be welcomed or accepted, but Brazilians are accepted,” said David Edwards, pastor of First Baptist Church in Corsicana.

The Finleys are eager to return to Brazil and will have plenty of work to do because “the Brazil mission movement is exploding,” Mrs. Finley said.

“I sometimes feel overwhelmed to be part of God’s plan through the Brazilian Baptist movement,” Finley said. “We feel this is a multiplying ministry.”

With a gift of $250,000 from the BGCT, WorldconneX will continue connecting, activating and providing frontline service for others like the Finleys.

“We are just so grateful for WorldconneX and Texas Baptists for making it all possible. We hope to be connected to them for a long time,” Finley said.

Posted: 6/23/06

Dawson led ETBU, BGCT institutional board

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS—Former East Texas Baptist University President Jerry Dawson and Texas Baptist leader in Christian higher education died June 17 after a long battle with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Dawson was ETBU president from 1976 to 1985. Current ETBU President Bob Riley praised Dawson’s leadership in a time of change at the school. Dawson was school president when it changed its name from East Texas Baptist College to East Texas Baptist University. A library, residence halls and the home for the school’s president all were constructed during Dawson’s tenure.

“He was a wonderful man, and his outgoing personality and humorous stories will be missed,” Riley said.

After leaving ETBU, Dawson served as the director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Education Coordinating Board from 1986 to 1997. From 1987 to 1988, he served as the interim chief executive officer at Dallas Baptist University.

“Jerry Dawson made a huge contribution to the lives of a multitude of persons as a teacher, preacher, author, administrator and friend,” said Bill Pinson, BGCT executive director emeritus. “A highly respected historian, he applied insights that he gained from the past to the issues of the present in the various roles in which he served, such as professor, dean, university president and denominational administrator.”

Before going to ETBU, Dawson held a number of academic positions. He served as dean of the graduate school and was a history professor at Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University. He also taught at Texas A&M University, the University of Northern Colorado, Mississippi College, the University of Texas and Wayland Baptist University.

“Jerry Dawson was first and foremost a committed Christian and a minister,” said Keith Bruce, BGCT director of institutional ministries. “The avenue of ministry to which God led him was that of Christian higher education, where he served joyfully and effectively. The student was always first and foremost in his mind, and countless lives have been transformed because of his caring leadership.”

Dawson presented numerous papers on Southern Baptist history in a variety of settings, wrote several books and edited a revision of Flowers and Fruits in the Wilderness, the memoirs of Texas Baptist pioneer preacher Z.M. Morrell.

Dawson helped Texas Baptists relate history’s lessons to contemporary ministry, Pinson said. He made lives better and brought smiles to people’s faces.

“Jerry Dawson combined intellect with common sense,” Pinson said. “He demonstrated solemnity when appropriate and humor when needed. A teller of stories, both written and oral, he brought laughter and chuckles, information and wisdom to a host of people.”

Dawson was a graduate of Mississippi College. He earned a master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dawson is survived by his wife Margie, their three children and nine grandchildren.

Posted: 6/23/06

DOWN HOME:
Buying toothpaste, counting blessings

My wife rarely sends me to the grocery store alone. And she never sends me to the store before dinner.

Joanna realizes I’m just a man. Made of flesh and blood. But mostly, with a stomach. And if it’s an empty stomach, I’m no match for the geniuses who arrange all the stuff in a grocery store.

If properly motivated—that means hungry—I can go to the store for a gallon of milk and eggs and return home with stuff my shopping-savvy wife never would buy.

A normal person wouldn’t fall for the crackers and cookies and salsas and salad dressings that lure me like Safeway Sirens. They contain enough preservatives to keep King Tut looking like he’s still 19 for another 4,000 years. But, heavens, they’re tasty.

And even the healthy stuff seems irresistible to a hungry, hungry husband.

Fruit, for example, never looks as good on a tree or on your table as it does in those grocery bins. Grocers must use some sort of special light that makes the oranges oranger, the bananas yellower, and the apples and strawberries and raspberries redder. I’m drooling now, and I’m at least a mile from the nearest fruit section.

My real weakness, and I’m embarrassed to admit this, is cereal. I have to be accompanied by a probation officer to walk down the cereal aisle. The people who think up new kinds of cereal tapped my genetic code and realized I’m a sucker for anything nutty, crunchy with “real fruit” in it. And if the box says “low fat,” I can levitate it off the shelf and into my cart without using my hands.

The other night, however, I was surprised to discover grocery-store variety includes stuff you can’t eat. It was late, and we were splitting the shopping assignment, and Jo asked me to go get some toothpaste.

“Do you know which brand?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“Colgate,” she said. I would’ve guessed Crest, but I didn’t tell her this.

“Do you know what kind of Colgate?” she asked. My blank stare indicated I hadn’t a clue. “Whitening, with tartar control,” she instructed.

Minutes later, I stood gazing in wonder upon a display of toothpaste so huge it should make the Great Wall of China re-name itself the Modestly Large Wall of China. Eventually, I found the Colgate section. And later still, I found the “whitening, with tartar control” tubes.

“Do you know how many varieties of Colgate toothpaste this store has? Not counting sizes?” I asked my wife, who was about to send out a search party.

“Twenty-four,” I reported.

“Not surprising,” she said. I adore this woman. Nothing phases her.

The next Sunday, my pastor, Stephen, described going on a medical mission trip to the Amazon. To ease people’s pain, they pulled rotting teeth that couldn’t be saved.

So, next time you feel sorry for yourself, thank God you live in a country where people can choose from 24 kinds of toothpaste, all with the same brand. Lord only knows how many blessings you could count.

–Marv Knox

Posted: 6/23/06

Church secretary retires after 47 years

By Orville Scott

Special to the Baptist Standard

CANTON—Ava Flanagan is retiring after 47 years as a church secretary, but she quickly points out that she’s not retiring to the rocking chair.

Flanagan, who has served as membership and records secretary at First Baptist Church of Canton 17 years, enthusiastically looks forward to ministering to the growing numbers of senior adults in her church.

“We are surrounded by people who aren’t able to get out and shop for themselves,” Flanagan said.

Serving as a church secretary, she has had to find time to visit members of the Sunday school class she teaches at First Baptist in Canton.

“Now I’ll be able to help them more,” she said. “I’ve been blessed with good health. I can take senior adults to the doctor. There are so many who need our ministry of caring.”

Don Childress, minister to senior adults at First Baptist in Canton, added: “We will miss her depth of knowledge and her warm smile and helpful, encouraging words. She will be a great help to our 55-plus ministry.”

At a recent reception at First Baptist Church, fellow church members and friends gave Flanagan a $12,000 check. Because she served most of her time as a church secretary without retirement contributions, members of First Baptist started the Ava Flanagan Retirement Fund with an investment firm.

“Ava has built a heritage of Christian love and service that will continue to bless people in our church and community,” Pastor Mark Robinson said.

Her 47 years as a church secretary are exceeded only by her 53 years as a Sunday school teacher.

Charles Richardson, pastor of First Baptist in Canton 34 years, said he doesn’t know anyone who has served as a church secretary as long as Flanagan.

Flanagan’s career as church secretary began when she accepted a job as pastor’s secretary at Beckley Hills Baptist Church of Oak Cliff.

She served there 15 years before moving with her family to Canton in 1973.

After the death of her husband, Thomas, in 1974, she moved back to Dallas to be near her daughters. In 1976, Flanagan began a job as the pastor’s secretary at Lakeland Baptist Church in Lewisville, where she served until going to work at First Baptist Church of Canton in 1989.