Posted: 5/14/04

Half of Americans believe giving time
more important than donating money

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Half of the people in the United States believe giving one's time to charity is more important than giving money, a poll by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has indicated.

Twenty-two percent of those surveyed said money is the more important gift to charitable causes, and 23 percent said time and money had equal importance.

“This research suggests that there's an emotional, visceral connection to volunteering that just cannot be duplicated by writing a check,” said Brad Hewitt, Thrivent Financial's senior vice president of charitable programs and volunteering, in a statement.

The survey also indicated that people who are committed to prayer and regular worship attendance are most likely to say they have volunteered with a church, school or nonprofit organization in the past 12 months.

Sixty-six percent of those who attend religious services weekly and 58 percent of those who pray daily said they had volunteered in the past year.

In comparison, 28 percent of those who rarely or never prayed and 25 percent of those who never attend religious services said they had volunteered in that time frame.

Churches and synagogues are most likely to receive financial support from Americans than other charities, the survey found. Fifty-seven percent of Americans said they financially support faith groups, compared to 33 percent who support educational institutions, 30 percent who give to medical research and 27 percent who aid social service organizations.

The survey's results are based on telephone interviews with a nationwide sample of 1,000 adults by Harris Interactive. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Thrivent Financial is a not-for-profit financial service organization with almost 3 million members. It formed from a merger of two Lutheran fraternal benefit societies, Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood, in 2002.

Posted: 5/14/04

Calling to missions came as a whisper: 'India'

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

WACO–When Heather Herschap became convinced last year her prayer life was too focused on her own needs, she asked God for direction.

“God whispered into my ear: 'India.'” she said. “I wasn't sure what to do with that.”

Understandably, since she's not a typical missionary candidate. Herschap, a student at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary, has cerebral palsy that confines her to a wheelchair and allows her only the partial use of one arm.

“I immediately started praying for the people there” in India, she said.

As she prayed, she recalled a dream from more than a year earlier. The dream had inspired her to write a poem, and she re-read its description of a dark dungeon filled with physically disabled people lying helplessly on the floor. In her dream, she stood and walked over to a window, opening it to let in the sunlight and fresh air.

“That's when I sensed I need to be in India,” she said, adding she was convinced God was calling her to bring the light of his love to helpless people living in darkness. “But I didn't know who to contact.”

Herschap discussed the matter with her roommate, a missions student at Truett Seminary, who advised her to contact the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

“The people at the BGCT put me in touch with WorldconneX, and from then on, it all came together,” she said.

Herschap's call became the first test of the fledgling mission network's ability to fulfill its promise of “connecting God's people for God's vision,” said WorldconneX leader Bill Tinsley.

About that same time, Tinsley's associate Carol Childress met Chip Kingery, founding director of proVision Asia, a nongovernmental organization based in Bangalore, India.

One key component of Kingery's organization is helping physically challenged people in India secure medical help and gain the skills they need to become self-supporting.

“Carol asked if we would be able to use anyone like Heather. And I told her if anybody will do it, we will,” said Kingery, who launched the humanitarian ministry more than 15 years ago as a Texas Baptist Mission Service Corps volunteer.

Tinsley and Kingery each met Herschap, who confirmed for them she had a clear sense of calling into short-term missions in India.

Kingery particularly was pleased to discover she had an undergraduate degree in psychology from Baylor and a desire to become a Christian counselor.

"I knew we definitely would use Heather and let her utilize her skills in counseling," he said. "We have 40 Indians who work with us, and half of our staff are physically challenged.

“She should be able to counsel them, sharing the testimony of her life and offering the encouragement of just being there.”

Herschap will serve one month this summer as a volunteer with proVision Asia.

In addition to bringing Herschap and Kingery together, WorldconneX also contacted Greater Good Global Support Systems, to help secure logistical and technical support for her.

“It's a real team effort. That's the beauty of WorldconneX,” Kingery said.

“They have resources we don't and vice versa. Their approach opens the door for people, offering them ministry opportunities and connecting them so they can serve where they are called–including people who otherwise might not be able to serve.”

Admittedly, Herschap “never in a million years” thought she would be able to serve as a missions volunteer with a ministry to disabled people in India.

“Five or six years ago, if you had told me I'd be in seminary, much less going to India, I'd have laughed in your face,” she said.

“That wasn't in my plans. But God had a much better plan than anything I could ever come up with.”

Although she attended several different churches growing up in Laredo, Herschap did not make a personal faith commitment to Christ until she came to Baylor.

She was baptized at Seventh and James Baptist Church during the spring semester of her freshman year.

A few months before she graduated, she came to the conclusion that instead of pursuing graduate studies in psychology and counseling, she needed a seminary education.

“Truett was the first and only seminary I applied to. I was pretty sure this was where God was leading me, so I didn't have a back-up plan,” she said.

Even though she admits to being “slightly worried” and fearful about aspects of her upcoming summer missions experience in India–“like how to get from point A to point B”–Herschap said she has been encouraged by her fellow students at Truett and by members of Seventh and James Church.

Her parents initially opposed the idea of her trip to India, but they eventually offered their blessings and their financial support for the venture.

“They're still cautious, but they are open, and they know that it is what God has called me to do, at least for now. They know it will be a good experience and I'll learn a lot from it,” she said.

After she completes her seminary degree, Herschap hopes to become a biblically based counselor, working both with physically disabled and nondisabled people.

And while she hasn't “heard the call” to long-term international missions, she said it would be “exciting and fun, and I'm definitely open to it.”

For now, she's focusing on the upcoming trip to India. Herschap has no desire to “shove Christianity in anybody's face,” but she hopes her time in Bangalore will offer opportunities for her to share her faith both in word and deed.

And she hopes her presence will be an inspiration to the disabled people with whom she will work.

“I want to use what God has shown me to help them see anything is possible with God–including going to India,” she said.

Posted: 5/14/04

IMB to send out 200 more workers this year

By Mark Kelly

International Mission Board

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–A promising outlook for the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering convinced Southern Baptist International Mission Board trustees to send an additional 200 workers overseas this year.

David Steverson, vice president for finance, told the board early indicators for the 2003 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions look “extremely promising.”

With still more than a month to go before the books close, the offering stands at almost $127 million–about $19 million ahead of the previous year's pace.

Receipts for the offering appear to be running more than 18 percent ahead of the same period last year.

At that rate, the final total May 31 would exceed the base goal of $133 million, Steverson said.

As a result, the trustees adopted a finance committee recommendation to add $13 million to the 2004 budget, including an additional $5 million to send 200 long- and short-term missionaries who would not otherwise have been sent because of appointment restrictions imposed in 2003.

The mission board was forced to limit appointments and cut stateside staff in June 2003 because income from churches was not keeping pace with growth in the number of new missionaries coming forward for overseas service.

President Jerry Rankin had promised to loosen restrictions on appointments if Southern Baptists rose to the funding challenge.

During their recent meeting in Nashville, Tenn., board members also elected Gordon Fort–regional leader for mission work in southern Africa–as vice president for overseas operations, voted to consolidate eight of the board's regions of work into four and appointed 76 new long-term missionaries for overseas service.

Fort's name was brought to the full board as the unanimous recommendation of an eight-member search committee that worked six months to select a candidate.

, said Jay Owens of Roanoke, Va., chairman of the board's overseas committee. After two interviews with Fort, the committee was “thoroughly and completely satisfied” and agreed with President Rankin in nominating Fort for the position.

“God brings certain gifts into these positions for certain times,” Rankin said. “The task of selecting someone for this position really challenged us. Where do we go in the future? What is the need?

“We needed someone who would keep us focused and keep us on pace, someone who clearly reflected a heart for lostness, for completing our task of reaching all peoples,” Rankin said. “If we are going to continue to be used of God in moving forward, we needed someone who could nurture our missionaries, who has reflected a pattern of mentoring, of training our leadership spiritually, and of nurturing our families.

Posted: 5/14/04

Church electioneering could cost tax exemption

By Kevin Eckstrom

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–The Internal Revenue Service has warned churches and other houses of worship they risk losing their tax-exempt status if they engage in partisan election-year politics.

The IRS, in a routine advisory issued every four years since 1992, said religious groups are “prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.”

Churches, charities and schools–known as 501(c)3 groups for their section of the tax code–may hold nonpartisan voter-education forums or voter-registration drives, but may not endorse any candidate.

Nonprofit groups may not make donations to campaigns, raise funds for candidates, distribute campaign literature or “become involved in any other activities that may be beneficial or detrimental to any candidate,” the IRS said in a recent notice.

Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., however, said clergy should be able to endorse candidates from their pulpits as a matter of free speech. Jones is the lead sponsor of a bill, the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act, that would allow clergy endorsements without the threat of losing tax-exempt status. In 2002, the House defeated the bill 239-178; Jones has since reintroduced it.

“It's time to return the freedom of speech to the churches and synagogues in our country,” Jones said at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. “God has been the quarterback on this and has led this effort to the 10-yard line.”

But the Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act faces stiff opposition from some in the faith community who say the measure would divide congregations along political lines and violate their autonomy.

“The legislation proposed by Rep. Jones is one of the worst bills pending in Congress. It would pervert, not protect, houses of worship,” said Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.

Churches risk their tax-exempt status only when they engage in electioneering, he said.

Current law allows ministers to preach on moral and ethical issues and protects the rights of clergy to participate in the electoral process as individual citizens, as well as permitting churches to promote good citizenship through voter registration drives and educational projects, Walker said.

Existing law simply keeps groups from functioning both as tax-exempt ministries and partisan political action committees, he noted.

“The Jones bill would do America's houses of worship no favor. It would compromise their autonomy, turn pulpit prophets into political puppets, and politicize and divide our houses of worship,” Walker said, pointing out polls indicate overwhelming opposition to the measure.

The Federal Election Commission, concerned that some political committees are skirting campaign finance laws, is currently weighing proposed rules that also could require some nonprofits–including churches–to register as political committees subject to stricter registration and disclosure rules.

The IRS said it would examine violations on a case-by-case basis but warned it has the power to assess fines and prohibit additional political expenditures in cases of “flagrant” violations.

With additional reporting by Managing Editor Ken Camp.

Posted: 5/14/04

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Seminary colleges

I don't understand the latest trend of our Southern Baptist seminaries–establishing an undergraduate college on their campuses. It sounds like a good idea, but it will prove to be a failure in the long run.

Yes, the young man or woman who enters a seminary undergraduate college will be theologically correct at an affordable price. However, the young man or woman will miss the benefits of receiving an education at a liberal arts college or even a tech school.

By going to these schools first, the young man or woman will be exposed to other people and ideas that will give them an idea of the world as well as educating them in other things useful for ministry that are not taught in seminary.

I wish Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary would reconsider establishing an undergraduate college. Doing so runs the risk of training a generation of ministers who will be naîve and uninformed about the world they are trying to minister to.

Jeff Stehle

Brenham

Absurd resolution

I have just read the text of the Christian education resolution proposed by T.C. Pinckney and Bruce N. Shortt for consideration by the Southern Baptist Convention in June. The resolution “encourages all officers and members of the Southern Baptist Convention and the churches associated with it to remove their children from the government schools and see to it that they receive a thoroughly Christian education.”

This resolution is shockingly absurd.

It throws into the garbage pit the historic Baptist emphasis on separation of church and state. It provides further evidence of the separationist tendencies of right-wing Southern Baptist fundamentalism, namely, the desire to separate from the Baptist World Alliance, from women in ministry, from academic freedom, from voluntary confessionalism, ad infinitum.

The resolution fails on multiple points.

It fails to recognize that a public school is not and should not be a church. It fails to acknowledge that public schools nationwide build character for millions of children and youth on a daily basis. It fails to affirm that tens of thousands of teachers in public schools are Baptist men and women who genuinely care about students. It just simply fails!

Should this resolution reach the floor of the SBC, I urge Southern Baptist messengers to vote it down. The self-purification process promoted by some SBC leaders counters the claim of Christ for Southern Baptists to be salt and light in the world–and that includes public schools.

Charles Deweese

Brentwood, Tenn.

Spiritual desertion

The resolution T.C. Pinckney plans to introduce at the SBC in June urging that all Southern Baptists withdraw their children from public schools reveals a shriveled-up sense of missions and a spiritual desertion of one of the main arenas of Christian witness.

In the states where Southern Baptists are in the majority, two out of every three teachers in public schools are members of Baptist or other evangelical churches. Such a resolution would be a slap in the face to these hard-working and influential Christians.

When Pinckney insists that all Southern Baptists home school their children, he wants the convention to desert Baptist homes where both parents work to keep their heads above the financial floods. Such a resolution would make Baptist parents who choose to keep their children in public schools for whatever reason second-class Christians and church members.

And that brings us to Christians who strive to make their homes Christian as a single parent with school-age children. Ninety percent cannot home school or afford private school. They must depend on the public schools to educate their children.

Pinckney fails to admit that his type of opposition and fight against adequately funding public education has had a far greater influence on the slippage of our schools in world rankings than has any atheist anti-Christian conspiracy. The words “doofus thinking” come to mind.

Cyrus B. Fletcher

Baytown

Parallel abuse

The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers bears a striking parallel with our abuse of animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses. In fact, the Washington Post notes that some of the photos showed a cow being skinned and gutted and soldiers posing with its severed head.

The abuse of Iraqi prisoners is merely a manifestation of our culture of violence and insensitivity to the suffering of those we view as “the others.”

It matters not whether these are Iraqi prisoners, Vietnamese villagers or animals raised for food. It's a culture that gives otherwise kind and gentle farmers a license to keep dairy calves, pregnant sows and laying hens in cramped cages–drugged and deprived of natural food and sunshine. It's a culture that leads otherwise normal slaughterhouse workers to skin, dismember and disembowel cows and pigs while they are still conscious.

Punishing a dozen soldiers and apologizing to the Arab world merely places a bandage on this cultural scourge that will rear its ugly head again and again, whenever otherwise normal people feel that they have the license to unleash their violent and insensitive leanings.

The only effective long-term solution is to instill in our children the notions of kindness and sensitivity to all suffering. A good time to start is when they first ask where hamburgers come from.

Alex Grift

Dallas

Holy war

As President Bush's Iraq war of choice worsens significantly, there will come a time when the president will have to finally admit his mistakes in stirring up anti-American hatred in the Arab world.

This war has the potential, God forbid, to evolve into the worst kind of war imaginable–a holy war in the region where civilization began. We can be sure God, Bush's higher father, is not behind Bush's militarism, arrogance and bias toward the rich.

The God we know through Scripture is for turning swords into plowshares to feed a hungry world and wants us to study war no more. War creates more problems than it solves. God abhors our love for nuclear weapons and weeps over our lack of faith and trust in him.

We know what God is like through what we know about Jesus Christ. Jesus was almighty, but, oh, so humble. Humility is a quality only truly great people have. Jesus did not make mistakes, but all of us do. A humble spirit can swallow pride, admit mistakes and in the process save face. We respect and can identify with leaders who have the ability to express honest self-doubt.

God loves everyone but has a special bias for the poor and oppressed of this world. God wants the needs of the least of our brothers and sisters to be met first. The rich will always have much more than enough. In America, our trickle-down tax policies make the rich richer, the poor poorer.

Paul L. Whiteley Sr.

Louisville, Ky.

Pure study

I was happy to see the Baptist General Convention of Texas is abandoning its exclusive use of LifeWay services.

I have nothing against LifeWay, but I would like to see our churches abandon their near-exclusive use of quarterlies in Bible classes. While the canned messages offered in quarterlies are often needful, they shouldn't replace pure Bible study.

About two years ago, my wife and I moved back to Texas from northern California, where I had lived for 30 years, and where I attended some wonderful churches. In the great University Presbyterian Church near the Berkeley campus, I never saw a quarterly. Instead, our Sunday school classes were devoted to studies in the Bible itself, usually chapter-by-chapter studies in either the Old or the New Testament. It fostered a love of Scripture and a desire to read the Bible that cannot be duplicated.

Ken Boren

Rowlett

Posted: 5/14/04

Lufkin's First Baptist celebrates with
dozen congregations it helped start

By George Henson

Staff Writer

LUFKIN–More than 800 people from churches throughout Lufkin joined in an evening of praise the work God has done and anticipation of what they believe he will continue to do.

The Great Co-Mission Celebration marked the first time all the churches First Baptist Church in Lufkin helped start came together to celebrate what God has done since the mother church began 121 years ago, event organizers said.

Originally, games and a picnic had been planned for an area park. But heavy rains in the days proceeding the celebration moved the meal and worship time to the church.

The evening featured a video showing the locations of the dozen churches and their establishment.

“One of the things you do if you're going to look to the future is to tie it to the past,” First Baptist Pastor Nolan Duck said. “It's really easy to be excited about the future when you look and see what God did with what started out as only nine people.”

More than one-third of the people affiliated with Unity Baptist Association attend churches that grew out of First Baptist Church, Duck said.

During J.M. Bradford's pastorate from 1943 to 1952, First Baptist started Herty, Cross Roads and Providence Baptist churches, all in Lufkin.

Pastor Arthur DeLoach led the church to start Calvary Baptist Church in Wells and Denman Avenue and Hillcrest Baptist churches in Lufkin.

Charles McIlveene's pastorate saw the beginning of Iglesia Bautista Cristiana. Other church members left during that time to start Southside Baptist Church in Lufkin.

During 1995, while Rick Williams was pastor, Carpenter's Way Baptist Church launched, as division arose in the church's leadership.

Denman Avenue also has started two churches, Grace Baptist Church in Lufkin and Shirley Creek Baptist Church in Shirley Creek, since Charles Roberts' pastorate began there in 1982.

First Baptist plans to start two more churches–a cowboy church and an African-American congregation. Neither of those segments of the population is being adequately reached, and reaching the entire community continues to be the church's mission, Duck stressed.

While some of the churches started by First Baptist have surpassed the mother church in membership numbers and some have joined the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Duck said a good spirit of cooperation remains among the churches, and all 12 were represented for the celebration.

“We had a very good time,” Duck said .

“When people know each other, they can do that. We tied the past to the future and celebrated the present. Basically it was just a love fest.”

Posted: 5/14/04

Greenville-based MercyMe
named Dove Award artist of the year

NASHVILLE (RNS)–The Texas-based Christian group MercyMe recently was named artist of the year by the Gospel Music Association.

The band also won Dove Awards for group of the year and pop/contemporary recorded song of the year for “Word of God Speak.”

That song, composed by band leader Bart Millard of Highland Terrace Baptist Church in Greenville and co-writer Pete Kipley, was named song of the year.

Jonathan Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot, won the most Dove trophies, earning three with his band and three individually.

His band won top rock recorded song for “Ammunition” and best rock/contemporary recorded song for “Meant to Live.”

Their album featuring both tracks, “The Beautiful Letdown,” was recognized as rock/contemporary album of the year.

In addition, Foreman won two Doves for his songwriting and one for his production of that album.

Stacie Orrico was honored as female vocalist of the year and also for top pop/contemporary album for her self-titled project and short form video of the year for “(There's Gotta Be) More to Life.”

Jeremy Camp earned two Dove Awards, one for male vocalist of the year and another for new artist of the year.

Other winners of two honors included the Crabb Family, the Martins, Smokie Norful, Michael Tait, Third Day, Randy Travis and CeCe Winans.

Posted: 5/14/04

God gave strength after Wedgwood shooting, pastor recalls

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–Pastor Al Meredith vividly remembers the phone call that changed his life and the path of his congregation: “You've got to get down here. Someone's shooting the kids.”

That Sept. 15, 1999, evening, Meredith discovered a man had walked into a youth prayer service at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth and opened fire, killing seven people before pulling the trigger on himself.

Speaking at a Baptist General Convention of Texas prayer breakfast during the Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse Conference, Meredith choked with emotion as he recounted some of the lives that were lost that evening.

He spoke of Sydney Browning, the “most popular” person in the church; Kim Jones, a recently converted Texas Christian University student; and Shawn Brown, a seminary student married 22 months.

But God provides hope through the darkest times, the pastor said, and the shooting is no different. Because of the attack, Meredith was able to share the Christian message of hope in Jesus with the world through the media. He gave the invocation at the Cotton Bowl Classic.

As the congregation began dealing with the deaths, the church became an example of clinging to faith through tragedy for other believers to follow, Meredith said at the BGCT Mission Equipping Center-sponsored event. The youth group spoke to assemblies about their experience and faith. Meredith has spoken at numerous ministers' meetings about crises.

The congregation has felt a stronger presence of God in worship since the incident, according to Meredith. He believes God has blessed the church to help the congregation continue their faith and lives.

“God has given us such a sweet spirit of joy and forgiveness,” Meredith said.

As individuals heard the positive outlook of the church, they became interested in it, Meredith noticed. People traveled from out of town to attend the church. Attendance increased 50 percent in the past four years to 1,500 during Sunday worship.

“People came looking for the church,” the pastor said.

The work and growth of the church since the shooting is a testament to God's reliability, Meredith added. Like he does for all people, God continues supporting the congregation that remains scarred by tragedy.

“God is God all the time,” Meredith said. “He is not under review.”

Despite the hope, pain still runs deep throughout the congregation, Meredith said. He understood post traumatic syndrome is “real,” but he now knows it returns in waves even four years after the shooting. But church members continue believing God will carry them onward.

“Don't ask us when we'll get over it,” he said. “We'll never get over it. We'll get through it.”

Posted: 5/14/04

Short-term missions the
'in thing' for Christian students

By Amanda Mantone

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Steve Holt spent his first semester away from home doing typical college freshman things–making friends, going to class, working out. He had new streets to learn and lessons to study, just like his peers.

But when Holt left the classroom, he went to orphanages and churches, not the dining hall or quad. His days were spent evangelizing or talking about AIDS. Holt was getting an education, just not in the liberal arts. He was training as a missionary in Chilibre, Panama.

A Texas medical student tends to a Honduran woman at a clinic during a mission trip to Honduras. Despite increasing danger, growing numbers of young Christians are heading beyond America's borders for short-term mission trips.

“It was a nice break between high school and college,” Holt said. “To get out and really get involved in another culture.”

The 18-year-old spent five months working for Youth With a Mission, an organization that funnels young people from throughout the world into short-term Christian mission assignments before and after college.

After his semester of mission service, he enrolled at Pennsylvania's Grove City College and is studying economics and Christian thought–with the goal of attending seminary and then putting his economic knowledge to use as a missionary in a developing nation.

Despite increasing reports of missionaries and humanitarian aid workers killed overseas–including Baptist aid workers who were shot in Iraq recently–Holt and other students are undeterred. In fact, the numbers of college-age volunteers entering mission work appear to be on the rise.

The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, among the largest missionary agencies, reported a 14 percent jump in the number of collegiate volunteers in 2002–and the number has held steady, with 3,500 college students joining each year since.

“On a practical level, students live in a more multicultural world than ever. Traveling to Europe on spring break is as normal as going to Padre Island,” said Felicity Burrow, student missions consultant for the IMB.

“Volunteerism is the new fad on college campuses, so mission work benefits from all of these cultural influences in Christian students' lives. Terrorist attacks and other things have made some Christians afraid of serving overseas. Students rise to that challenge.”

Experts offer several reasons why large numbers of students are flocking toward mission work.

“College students don't know what to do with their lives, and going overseas gives them some context and maturing to do,” said Todd Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass.

“There's some young people who think that time is running out, and they need to get out and do some evangelistic work. The agencies are changing to allow people to come (more) for short-term work. Most everyone goes now to try it out.”

Ryan Shaw, international director of the Student Volunteer Movement 2–a fledgling group recruiting college students for long-term missions–said college students are part of a blossoming revival of mission work.

“In our generation, young people want to live for something serious. There's a hunger for a deeper spirituality than other generations,” he said.

Most college students are serving on missions of no more than two years, and many for as little as two weeks between semesters. The shortest trips are meant as teaching tools, to help students decipher if mission work is their lifelong calling. Many stop at one trip, serving for a few months or years before permanently entering the mainstream work force.

Such short-term fervor, though positive, may prove troublesome for the future of missions as a lifelong career, said Ralph Winter, editor of Mission Frontiers magazine.

“In general, the number of missionaries going into long-term is decreasing, while the number going into short-term is exploding,” he said.

“Whether there's any connection or not, no one knows, but I don't think most short-termers think about staying on.”

Winter, who was an international missionary 10 years, said going on short-term mission trips has become the “in” thing to do.

However, college students eager to sign up for long-term service face several obstacles. Many missionary sending agencies are loath to recruit volunteers with the deep educational debt students carry, crippling many before they even leave home.

“You can count out all the students who have a lot of debt–they'll never make it,” Winter said. “It takes 10 years to pay off their loans, and by then they've settled into another job. That's already happening; otherwise, we would have twice as many missionaries. Some organizations will let you become a missionary with $10,000 or even $15,000 in debt, but many students have much more than that.”

Most missionary agencies require at least a bachelor's degree for incoming missionaries, leaving students in a financial catch-22. Holt said that makes finances a top concern among missionary-minded students.

“I would love to just go from college to seminary and then from seminary onto the missions field,” he said. “But realistically, with the costs of a private school and then graduate school on top of that, it's not easy to accomplish.”

Despite the risks and setbacks, droves of students looking for summer or post-graduation plans are still enrolling in short-term mission programs.

Some say the trend is only beginning.

“Interest in the world is increasing,” said Jim Tebbe, director of Urbana, a large-scale conference that draws college students into mission work. “Short-term isn't enough time to be a missionary, but it's enough to have an impact on a student's life. The goal has to be for them to commit longer. And if students are making that kind of decision, they can have a huge impact on the world.”

Posted: 5/14/04

Grocery executive, Laity Lodge
president named Newport award recipient

Howard E. Butt Jr. of San Antonio was named the inaugural recipient of the John Newport Foundation National Leadership Award.

Butt is best known as vice chairman of H.E.B. grocery stores and president of H.E. Butt Foundation, a private organization that funds Christian camps through its lodges in the Texas Hill Country.

He is president of the Laity Lodge Foundation and Laity Renewal Foundation.

As a student, Butt was general chairman of the Baylor Youth Revival.

Years later, he organized the National American Congress of the Laity.

He was a speaker at an early National Prayer Breakfast during the Eisenhower administration, and President Kennedy named him to the first Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity.

He also was a founding board member of Christianity Today and an early board member of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Butt is the author of numerous books, including “The Velvet Covered Brick: Christian Leadership in an Age of Rebellion,” “At the Edge of Hope: Christian Laity in Paradox” and “Renewing the Spirit, Healing the Soul.”

“Howard Butt's life and work exemplify the ideals taught and lived by John Newport,” said Larry Williams, Newport Foundation board chairman.

"Both Dr. Newport and Mr. Butt, committed to the faith and committed to excellence in scholarship, have sought to make the biblical worldview relevant in the lives of individuals. "Howard Butt is an innovative leader, a businessman and a spiritual reformer, and we are proud to honor him as the recipient of the historic first Newport Foundation Leadership Award."

Butt and his wife, Barbara Dan, have three children and eight grandchildren.

Posted: 5/14/04

Creeds should clarify Christian
living, not build barriers, speakers stress

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

ARLINGTON–Creeds have a clarifying role in Christian life, but they build barriers between believers when used incorrectly, Baptist leaders told a national leadership conference.

Russell Dilday, chancellor of the new B.H. Carroll Theological Institute in Arlington, and Keith Putt, professor of philosophy at Samford University in Birmingham, addressed the role of creeds as part of a discussion of biblical authority at the conference, sponsored by the John Newport Foundation.

Using human words as a tool for enforcing orthodoxy is a misuse of creeds, Dilday and Putt agreed.

Creeds are correctly utilized as confessions of a relationship between an individual and God, Putt said.

The statements of beliefs are more like testimonies than statements of exclusion, he emphasized.

Incorrect use of creeds occurs when those statements are elevated above traditional means of authority, primarily the Bible and Jesus in Baptist life, Dilday said.

Other denominations would more strongly emphasize tradition, experience and reason, he noted.

Creeds are man-created rather than God-inspired like the Bible, Dilday said. Answers to life questions can be found in the Bible, not in creeds.

Creeds restrict how people can respond to Scripture, Putt said.

Often, leaders use them as weapons to further an agenda, he added.

“We take these creeds, like stones, and build walls with them,” Putt said.

Rather than using creeds to restrict biblical interpretation, Putt and Dilday suggested Christians use the “theological principle” in interpreting the Bible.

This states that believers should look for messages expressed clearly through the entire text, especially in contexts that apply to humanity in all cultures.

The notion may seem simple, but Bible interpreters must know a great deal about the text to do it, the pair agreed.

Interpreters must understand the cultural differences between the biblical Middle East and the contemporary United States. Readers also must recognize the different literary genres that comprise the Bible.

Fortunately for Christians, God provides help, Putt said. The Holy Spirit assists Christians in discerning God's message.

God gave the Bible “for us” to comprehend his nature, Putt said.

But Christians obviously do not interpret the Bible the same way, he added.

Though they agree on the authority of the Bible, they make different “cuts” of interpretation that delineate the lines between denominations and believers, Putt said.

Stringent support of biblical authority rather than creeds allows for strong faith with diversity, Putt stressed.

Posted: 5/14/04

On the Move

Steve Allen to North Shore Church in Lewisville as associate pastor.

Tracy Bartley to Acton Church in Granbury as minister of education.

Kevin Boyd to Longbranch Church in Midlothian as minister to students.

Phil Briggs to First Church in Grapevine as interim pastor.

Jack Burton has completed an intentional interim pastorate at First Church in Lampasas.

McKenzie Carter to Briarchase Missionary Church in Missouri City as pastor, where he had been interim.

Gary Chadwick to First Church in Universal City as minister of students and recreation from First Church in Waxahachie.

Jerry Davis has resigned as minister of music at Immanuel Church in Paris.

Tracy Dean to Hamby Church in Abilene as pastor.

Kenneth Felton to First Church in Hamilton as pastor from First Church in Frankfort, Ky., where he was minister of missions.

Gilbert Gonzalez to Iglesia Mexicana in Post as pastor from Iglesia Nueva Vida in Wolfforth.

Zane Johnson has resigned as interim pastor of Oplin Church in Clyde.

Jack Kennington to Southcrest Church in Lubbock as associate pastor of adult education from First Church in Lavaca, Ark.

Reby Lawler has resigned as minister of adult education at Trinity Church in San Antonio.

Teresa Martin has resigned as minister of children's music at First Church in Richardson.

Philip McCraw to Baptist Temple in San Antonio as pastor from First Church in Alpine.

Alex Morrison to First Church in Brenham as children's minister.

Don Nichols to Westwood Church in Waskom as pastor.

Jake Porter to First Church in Mont Belvieu as pastor.

Vicki Schmidt to First Church in Richardson as minister of children's music.

Dick Senter has completed an interim pastorate at Baptist Temple in San Antonio.

James Shields to First Church in Baird as interim pastor.

B.J. Stewart to LifeSpring Fellowship in Corinth as worship leader.

Micah Stotler to Crossroads Church in Lake Brownwood as youth minister.

Jim Walsh to Mulberry Springs Church in Hallsville as pastor.

Tom Wells has resigned as associate pastor at Highland Heights Church in Lewisville.

Eric Williams to First Church in Dallas as minister to Adult 3 & 4. He previously worked in the Bible study/disciplsehip division of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.