Posted: 8/13/04

Seminary, BGCT to provide bivocational classes

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

BELTON—The Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond is partnering with the Baptist General Convention of Texas Office of Bivocational/Smaller Membership Church Development to offer specialized online classes tailored for ministers of smaller churches.

This fall the seminary will offer courses on the biblical foundation for bivocational ministry, an introduction to team building and leadership, as well as social dynamics in ministry as the initial classes in a certificate program. Experienced Texas Baptist bivocational ministers will facilitate each online course.

Kim Siegenthaler, program coordinator for the seminary’s school of Christian ministry, said the classes are an effort to meet smaller church ministers’ desire for theological education without giving up their pastorates.

The program allows ministers to become better equipped for God-given tasks at their own pace, Siegenthaler added. Students can work around their schedule in doing homework and studying.

“It’s really designed for the adult longing to get what they need to be more effective in ministry,” Siegenthaler said.

Bob Ray, director of the BGCT Office of Bivocational/Smaller Church Development, said the courses will be contextualized to Texas bivocational ministry as the qualified teachers draw on their years of bivocational experience.

“This gives our bivocational ministers a chance to take very practical courses that they are going to use in their everyday ministry,” he said.

The partnership is the latest cooperative effort between the seminary and Texas Baptists. The school also is working with the Baptist University of the Americas to produce an online Hispanic certificate program and with the Texas Baptist Laity Institute to develop online courses designed to equip laypeople.

All three programs are part of the seminary’s vision of taking training to congregations, not relying on churches to send members and leaders to the school, Siegenthaler said.

“We recognize there is a need among laity and leadership for theological education,” she said.

For more information, visit www.btsr.edu.

Posted: 8/13/04

Slot machines have become the
'crack cocaine' of gambling, researcher says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Slot machines have become the most addictive form of Gambling, both in the way state governments have latched on to them to generate tax revenue and in the way gamblers can’t get enough of them. State and local governments gained about $6 billion from taxing casino gambling last year, according to a recent USA Today article, and slot machines accounted for more than two-thirds of that money. Currently, only 15 states have no legal slot machines.

Dianne Berlin, vice chair of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, said one reason slot machines are so addictive is that the response is so quick.

“The primary goal is not to have ‘entertainment.’ The goal is to hook people on gambling because that's where they make most of their money,” Berlin said. “They’re not going to make a whole lot of money on someone who goes into a casino once every four or five months and drops $25. They want people who will gamble at the rate of hundreds or thousands of dollars every time they go.

” On a five-cent slot machine, a person can bet $4.50 every five seconds. At that rate, it costs $54 for each minute of play. Another reason for the popularity of slot machines, according to USA Today, is that slots do not require the skill needed to bet on horse races or play poker. On computerized slot machines, people can place hundreds of bets an hour just by pushing a button. Among other statistics about slot machines and gambling addiction:

— Nearly 40 million Americans played a slot machine in 2003, according to an annual survey of casino gambling conducted by Harrah's Entertainment and mentioned in The New York Times Magazine's May 9 issue.

— Each day in the United States, slot machines take in an average of more than $1 billion in wagers, the Times said.

— Collectively, slot machines gross more annually than McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King and Starbucks combined, the article said.

— The National Gambling Impact Commission found that following a decade of expansion in the 1990s, the national lifetime compulsive gambling population had grown by at least 50 percent, to no less than 1.2 percent based on the most conservative of its source studies. It also discovered a significant trend indicating addiction had doubled in many populations within 50 miles of casinos.

— Electronic gambling machines, including modern slot machines, may be the most addictive. Gamblers who participate with electronic machines are becoming addicted much more quickly. One of the most recent studies shows electronic gambling machine gamblers arrive at the pathological gambling level in 1.08 years vs. 3.58 years with more conventional forms of table and racetrack gambling. Electronic gambling devices have been called the “crack cocaine” of the industry.

Posted: 8/13/04

Stem cell research becoming a focus of Presidential campaign

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—On the third anniversary of a controversial decision by President Bush limiting embryonic stem-cell research, both parties' presidential campaigns focused on the morally contentious topic.

In Aug. 9 campaign appearances, Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards and first lady Laura Bush offered arguments for and against the practice.

Edwards, a senator from North Carolina, told reporters his running mate, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, would ease restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research if elected. In a conference call from Chicago, Edwards called the Aug. 9 date “a sad anniversary.”

The Kerry-Edwards campaign also issued a statement calling Bush's stem-cell policy an “ideologically driven ban.”

Meanwhile, Laura Bush told the Pennsylvania Medical Society, “I hope that stem-cell research will yield cures,” according to the Washington Post. But, she added, “We don't even know that stem-cell research will provide cures for anything, much less that it's very close.”

President Bush announced three years ago—in the first prime-time television address of his presidency—that he would limit federal funding for stem-cell research to $100 million and limit the scope of that federal research to “lines” of embryos that already existed in laboratories.

The cells, harvested from five-day-old embryos, have the potential to grow into many different kinds of tissue. Scientists hope that continued study on the cells will enable the creation of replacement tissues that can be used to treat or even cure many debilitating and terminal conditions, such as Parkinson's disease or spinal-cord injuries.

Anti-abortion activists oppose embryonic stem-cell research because, under current procedures, harvesting the cells destroys the embryos. But polls show that a majority of Americans —as high as 70 percent in some surveys —approves of the research.

Kerry's campaign has been focusing on the topic for several days. Delivering a radio address, Kerry said, “We must look to the future not with fear, but with the hope and the faith that advances in science will advance our highest ideals. … We're going to lift the ban on stem-cell research. We're going to listen to our scientists and stand up for science. We're going to say yes to knowledge, yes to discovery, and yes to a new era of hope for all Americans.”

Kerry said he opposes creating embryos for the purpose of research.

Edwards endorsed a set of ethical guidelines governing the research that is essentially identical to a set of standards for stem-cell research that Clinton administration officials had devised but never put into effect. Among those standards were the requirement that the embryos studied would be unwanted extras from fertility treatments that would have been destroyed or remained permanently frozen anyway.

Asked about the subject, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, “The president does not believe we should be creating life for the sole purpose of destroying it.” McClellan also said there had been “a lot of misreporting about this issue” in the press, because Bush's announced policy was not a ban on research. “The United States has no limits on private stem-cell research,” he told reporters.

The Bush administration has provided much more generous funding to research on stem cells harvested from adult sources, which also shows promise for treating some previously terminal or debilitating conditions. However, many scientists and activists believe the embryonic cells show better potential for treating certain conditions.

But, when asked how the president would react to criticism that ideological considerations shouldn't trump scientific progress, McClellan said, “You go down a dangerous, slippery slope when you try to divorce ethics from science.”

Posted: 8/13/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
St. Paul goes to the writing workshop

By Brett Younger

My wife, Carol, and I recently attended a “spiritual writing workshop” at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. The 15 students in our class took turns shredding one another’s stories, sermons and essays. It was helpful, but by the end of the week, I wondered what would happen to 1 Corinthians 13 if the Apostle Paul first submitted it for review to a writing workshop.

“OK, Paul, you know the rules. You have to be quiet until we finish critiquing your piece. Who wants to start?”

“I love the way Paul grabs our attention with tongues of men and of angels. It’s the first time I’ve pictured an angel’s tongue.”

“Noisy gong or clanging cymbal is repetitive. He should go with ‘noisy cymbal.’”

“Give away my body to be burned is way over the top.”

“How do we feel about this repeated refrain, I gain nothing?”

“There’s something going on here that Paul isn’t telling us. Some woman hurt Paul. I feel his pain.”

“I don’t want to sound mean, but this reads like the kind of poetry you hear at weddings.”

“Love never ends is too Hallmark card.”

“I notice Paul doesn’t have a title. ‘Burning Love’ would work.”

“Can Paul use that Johnny Cash line, ‘Love is a burning flame’ or is that plagiarism?”

“What about something catchier, like ‘Love is a many splendored thing,’ ‘Love makes the world go round’ or ‘Love means never having to say you’re sorry’?”

“What’s the context? Do you think this is part of a larger piece?”

“Maybe this is just me, but I read this as a church newsletter column. I mean that as a compliment.”

“Paul uses too much religious language, even for a church newsletter. Some of this reads sort of King James.”

“In the second paragraph, this laundry list of adjectives is dull. Love is patient. Love is kind; love is not envious … . I wrote in the margin, ‘yadda, yadda, yadda.”

“A good exercise for Paul would be to go through the piece and circle all the times he uses the word ‘it.’ ‘It’ shows a lack of imagination. Paul should invest in a thesaurus and look up synonyms for ‘love.’ He could use ‘affection,’ ‘fondness’ or ‘passion.’ Maybe “love” in another language, like amour or agape.”

“Paul needs illustrations. Instead of describing love, he needs to show us what love that believes all things looks like.”

“I wish Paul would insert ‘when I was a child, I wrote like a child.’”

“I like through a glass darkly, but I wasn’t sure if it’s supposed to be a window or a door.”

“I don’t understand why faith and hope suddenly show up in the last sentence. It’s disconcerting.”

“I could have skipped as for tongues they will cease. This is still much better than that ‘Romans’ thing Paul brought last time. That was really confusing.”

“I think we agree that while Paul shows a great deal of promise, like all of us, he needs an editor. Paul, I hope you don’t feel bad about your writing. Paul? Did anybody see where Paul went? I’m sorry he left because I wanted to remind him how easy it is to miss the point.”

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of “Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life,” available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016.

Posted: 8/06/04

Bivocational ministers' group changes name

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

BELTON–The Texas Baptist Bivocational Ministers and Spouses Association changed its name and became more closely aligned with the Baptist General Convention of Texas at its recent meeting, adopting a revised constitution.

The group, now called the Texas Baptist Bivocational and Smaller Membership Ministers and Spouses Association, specifically mentions in its constitution that its primary constituency is BGCT “supporters.”

The director of the BGCT bivocational and smaller church development office will be the association's adviser.

Bob Ray, one of the group's core leaders, currently holds that BGCT position. The BGCT funds the association's annual meetings.

“We are a part of and have always been a part of the BGCT,” said Randy Rather, a member of the constitution review committee.

But the document does not go so far as to exclude ministers of churches that are affiliated with other conventions. “Persons who have a heartbeat for bivocational, smaller membership ministry in Texas” also are eligible for membership.

That clause allows the association to continue fellowship with ethnic ministers who are affiliated with bodies other than the BGCT, Rather said. The group largely is focused on encouraging and networking small church ministers across the state.

“We want to open our association to ministers across cultures,” said Rather, pastor of Tidwell Baptist Church in Greenville.

The organization's revision also narrows eligible voters to members who pay the annual membership fee, which is $10. Previously, anyone who attended the annual business meeting could vote.

By paying the fee, voters are showing their commitment to the association and passion for small-church ministry, Rather said.

The new constitution also imposes term limits on elected officials. No one can serve more than three consecutive one-year terms in any one position. After three consecutive terms, he or she can serve in another capacity or choose not to be an officer.

After taking a year in another position or serving as an at-large member, that individual can serve again in the position he or she once held for three terms in a row.

This is a change for a group that primarily has had the same people in leadership roles for several years.

“That allows more people to be involved in leadership in our association,” Rather said.

Following the unanimous adoption of the constitution, the group elected a new slate of officers. David Keith, pastor of Carlton Baptist Church in Carlton, was elected president. Rather was named first vice president, and Roberto Cepeda, a former bivocational minister who lives in Los Fresnos, was chosen as second vice president.

The group re-elected Rosalind Ray as secretary and Tom Echols, pastor of Eagle's Wing Baptist Church in Crowley, as treasurer.

Posted: 8/06/04

Biblical ignorance, lack of prayer lead to conflict, mediator says

By Toby Druin

Editor Emeritus

SAN ANTONIO–Ignorance of what the Bible says about relationships and lack of prayer are common denominators in most church conflicts, said Blake Coffee, a San Antonio attorney who heads a growing ministry to congregations in trouble and those seeking to avoid it.

Coffee is executive director of Christian Unity Ministries, an organization he founded in 1995.

His father, Ken, was a pastor, associational director of missions in San Antonio and associate director of the Baptist General Convention's State Missions Commission before retiring in 1999 and now is associated with his son in Christian Unity Ministries.

Coffee earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Texas Tech University and had a successful litigation and mediation practice with a San Antonio firm when he said he felt led of God to leave it in March 1995.

A couple of years earlier, he had gone through the Experiencing God discipleship study and had become a facilitator for that program.

“It really opened me up for any possibility the Lord had for me,” he said. “It made me sensitive to a call out of the law firm. I left and did not know what I was leaving to. I just knew that I was supposed to leave.”

A phone call from Dick Maples, then director of minister/church relations for the BGCT, help give him direction, he said.

“Dick asked me to come and learn from his experiment in solving church conflicts,” he said. “As an attorney, I had been involved in mediation and had gotten involved in some leadership areas in my own church, First Baptist of San Antonio, which was in pain over a split. So I was learning about unity from the pain in my own church, and it motivated me to want to learn how to bring people together.

“Dick awakened a call within me, and the more I looked at conflicted congregations the more I felt called to address it.”

Since then, he has developed a package of seminars and retreats for churches. They include sessions on unity, leadership and biblical accountability, as well as a retreat to train pastor-search committees and a seminar to help a church examine how it is building spiritually while building physically.

The services are conducted for a love offering except where he is called in on an intervention case and charges a fee. With the ministry up and going, he has joined another San Antonio law firm as a mediator and litigator.

Coffee leads 25 to 30 of his conferences a year, and a team of associates he has developed are leading more. Last year, one of his advisory board members led one of the conferences, “Five Principles of Unity,” in the Ukraine. This October, eight to 10 more will participate in two citywide crusades there.

Everything they do, Coffee said, is designed to help a church achieve the kind of unity Christ intended for it and to help it avoid–or at least minimize–conflict that seems so pervasive, especially among Baptist congregations.

“I probably don't have any better read on it than anyone else who is regularly in a number of congregations,” Coffee said of how many churches are in conflict. “But I would say a good percent are in the middle of conflict or have just come out of it and a good many are getting into it.”

“There are lots of levels of conflict in a church, and there is a level that is healthy,” he added. “People will disagree, and they will discuss it and move on and it is a good thing.

“Where it becomes unhealthy is when communication with each other begins to break down, and the issues go underground and are no longer on the table, out in the open.”

Such breakdowns may be the result of dysfunctional communications patterns of longstanding that have made conflict difficult to manage, he said. They can be caused by abusive pastors or leaders in general.

“But the more common example,” he said, “is where there is conflict, and we don't talk about it, where the church culture frowns on overt conflict and lets it fester. It goes underground and is really unhealthy.”

When he uses the term “conflicted congregation,” Coffee means a level of conflict in a church that has not been dealt with biblically and that involves unresolved pain.

At least one common denominator in most church conflicts, Coffee said, is a church's ignorance of the Bible and what it says about relationships or a decision to ignore what it says about relationships.

“God's word is one big story about reconciliation, not only man to God, but man to man as well,” he said. “Paul's letters are all filled with guidance about how we relate to each other. A foundational Scripture for our ministry has always been Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17:20-23, and for me personally it has been Romans 12:18.”

“The Bible doesn't speak so much to the concept of organizational reconciliation,” he said. “In biblical terms, it's always about individual relationships. Organizational reconciliation is nothing more than multiplied individual reconciliation.

“So reconciliation is an individual thing, and it occurs only if people want to be reconciled. Where we have had failures (in achieving reconciliation), 99 percent of the time it's been where we have gone into situations where individuals don't want to be reconciled. If one person doesn't want it, there won't be any reconciliation.”

The church at large, he said, can do a lot toward building a foundation for reconciliation by creating a culture where reconciliation is expected; where broken relationships are not accepted.

“I think that's what Jesus and Paul mean when they speak of relationships,” he added.

Too often, Coffee said, the church is influenced by the world, and the world is not about reconciliation.

“We live in a world where true, genuine confession and reconciliation and being involved in one another's lives are not part of the culture, which is resistant to seeking help. That pattern makes it difficult for churches, where often so much pain has been inflicted that the road back to congregational good health is a long one.”

The good news, he added, is that more and more churches are recognizing problems early and are seeking help, wanting to address issues while they are healthy.

“If we are in 25 to 30 churches annually, all but a handful are healthy. And most are doing the preventive things to stay that way,” he said. “They are like healthy couples going to marriage enrichment retreats to ensure they stay healthy, and I rejoice in that.”

A key to good congregational health is prayer and improved biblical literacy, Coffee said.

“I don't think we pray enough corporately,” he noted. “We don't have a full appreciation for what prayer is all about. We must not believe it works, and that leaves us vulnerable.

“The problem is not that we don't have prayer meetings; it's that no one comes. Most churches have prayer meetings, but only 2 percent of the active members are there.

Churches must begin to create a culture that values interpersonal relationships, which have suffered in a climate that stresses getting decisions made quickly, getting programming done and simply following a checklist, he said.

“The church has to hold relationships with everyone in the church at high value. We must have accountability. We need a cultural shift where I as a church member feel free to bring a group close enough to hold me accountable in every area of my life.

“When we have that, when we have that woven into the fabric of the church, we will have gone a long way toward resolving conflicts before they can begin.”