Posted: 4/16/04

Associational missions partnership
leads to long-term missions connection

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

BURLESON–Partnerships typically are give-and-take relationships. It is no different for Southwest Metroplex Baptist Association, where volunteers recently took a mission trip to Germany and now the association is giving up one of its pastors.

The pastor, whose name is withheld for security reasons, felt a call to become a missionary following a summer 2003 mission trip through the association's partnership with Evangelische Freikirchliche Gemeinde in Andernach, Germany.

“I felt a real connection with the people there,” he said. “There were language barriers, but I built relationships there I felt were unique and lasting.”

The pastor will continue the work he was doing through the partnership. He will minister to young people in Germany and focus on church planting as a Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board missionary.

“I'm excited because I know some of the pastors in the area, and we are hoping to see the partnership expand,” he said.

His commitment to Germany is the latest development to come out of the association's partnership.

In the past several years the association, formerly called Johnson Baptist Association, sent large groups to help run youth camps.

The normally stoic German youth responded enthusiastically to the camps and the Christian message presented, according to Kevin Steger, pastor of First Baptist Church in Burleson and partnerships coordinator for the association.

More than 30 youth made professions of faith in Christ during the initial camp in 2000. Twenty-seven more became Christians in 2003. The association is planning another camp this summer.

Several smaller groups have taken trips for short-term projects since then.

The partnership initially was facilitated in 2000 by the Texas Partnerships Resource Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

The work in Germany opened Texan eyes to new opportunities, Steger said. The pastor of the German church told associational volunteers about the congregation's work in Serbia.

Soon after, the Texas association was partnering with the Serbian church.

German students also have traveled to work in Texas Baptist churches. The students help congregations see ministry from a different perspective, Steger said.

They helped churches develop drama ministries while studying the way Texans do ministry.

“I have never grown in my faith like I have since I've been involved in this,” Steger said.

The missions venture has expanded the scope of the association's ministry, said Milton Ertelt, director of missions for the association. Volunteers are returning from trips more energized and equipped to do local ministry.

“I just wanted our people to be involved in missions to expand their horizons,” he said.

For more information about partnerships, contact the Texas Partnerships Resource Center at (214) 828-5182.

Posted: 4/16/04

Youth group's pledge to raise money
inspires congregation to give more

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

LA BLANCA–A church youth group's pledge to help buy property for church expansion inspired the rest of the congregation to give.

Iglesia Bautista La Blanca's youth group pledged $200 toward buying three-quarters of an acre where the congregation can build a gym and new sanctuary. The young people hope to garner the funds through car washes and other efforts.

“We want to help out in raising money for this piece of land because we are going to use it,” said Yudith Cavazos, the pastor's daughter. “We're glad we can help raise that money.”

The young people's promise inspired the congregation to pledge $2,000 for the land. Members gave $1,350 in the first couple weeks since the fund-raising effort began.

The sacrificial giving is the latest sign of spiritual revival at the church, said Pastor Jose Cavazos. Attendance is on the rise. Recently, 77 people came to worship in the sanctuary that seats 70. Youth recently started coming to the church.

The 74-year-old church is reaching many people in the colonia, west of Edinburg, by meeting needs. The congregation provides clothes and food to the community, where some adults make less than $6,000 a year. The church also throws block parties for the town.

“It's exciting that the church has been revived. The youth have a vision for reaching people,” said Jorge Zapata, border ministries coordinator for Buckner Baptist Benevolences.

The land and subsequent building project are the next steps in expanding the church's ministry, the pastor said.

“What we want is the name of God to continue to be known in this area,” Cavazos said.

Posted: 4/16/04

Curriculum choice not prerequisite for help

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS–The Baptist General Convention of Texas Bible Study/Discipleship Center will continue helping Texas Baptist churches who use a variety of study materials to meet their “biblical challenges” of reaching non-Christians and equipping believers, according to BGCT staff members.

BGCT employees are working to strengthen churches and meet the needs of Texas Baptists through consultations and conferences, said Lynn Eckeberger, coordinator of the BGCT Church Health and Growth Section.

“Our goal is ministry,” Eckeberger said. “I think the vision and mission statement of this section and the Bible Study/Discipleship Center is clear. We are here to strengthen churches.”

The conclusion of the convention's contract with LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, later this year will end BGCT staff members' required promotion of LifeWay materials and allow consultants openly to outline strengths and weaknesses of all materials, said Dennis Parrott, director of the BGCT Bible Study/Discipleship Center.

“By not having that obligation, we are free to help any church, no matter what they use,” he said.

Parrott said when a church calls his staff, a consultant will become acquainted with the vision, issues and needs of the congregation.

During that process, the staff member asks if the church leadership is satisfied with the Bible study curriculum.

If they are, the staff person encourages the church to continue using it, Parrott said. If they are not happy with it, the consultant introduces several other resource options, including those from BaptistWay Press, the BGCT publisher.

The BGCT offers free literature selection guides for Texas Baptist congregations to evaluate materials. The booklets help leaders understand which resources may best serve a church's needs.

The commitment to partnering with congregations regardless of the resources they use represents the BGCT's dedication to strengthening churches in Texas, Eckeberger said.

“We really do want to reach the lost and disciple believers, no matter what material they use,” he said.

The BGCT Bible Study/ Discipleship Center staff will continue to assist churches, whether the congregations choose LifeWay, BaptistWay Press or some other curriculum for Sunday school, convention leaders say.

Posted: 4/16/04

Sunday school renewal brings growth
and excitement to Matador church

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

MATADOR–Renewed commitment to Sunday school has brought growth and excitement back to First Baptist Church of Matador.

Nine months ago, only about one-third of the people enrolled in the church's Sunday school attended.

Then the church entered the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Add Life effort. The emphasis helps churches use Bible studies as avenues for growth.

Church members enthusiastically took ownership of the Sunday school program, said Pastor Jack Boggs, who also leads First Baptist Church in Roaring Springs.

The church started holding weekly teacher meetings, and teachers became more committed to preparing for Bible study. Members volunteered to become caregivers to the sick.

“I feel like everyone–the teachers and the deacons–are doing a really good job,” said Doris Moore, who volunteered to become the church's Sunday school director.

The “spiritual atmosphere” in the 111-year-old church changed, Boggs said.

Members want to go to Bible study, they are inviting friends to join them, and they are caring for others in the small town, he noted.

“There's an atmosphere now where we're reaching out and loving people,” Boggs said.

The church nearly reached its goal for high attendance Sunday for the first time in three years. Seventy-one people came to Sunday school, just one person short of the goal.

Lives are being changed, Boggs said. Members are sharing the gospel in the small town, and prospective members are coming to the church–particularly young families.

“It's Jesus,” Boggs said. “He's at work. He's changing lives.”

Growth has created contagious enthusiasm at the church, he added.

Members see God working as they minister, and they are looking forward to continuing the Add Life effort, he said.

“They're doing more,” Boggs said. “They feel better about themselves. They're more responsive.”

Posted: 4/16/04

South Texas church fired up about
new ministry to men in its community

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SANTA MARIA–Primera Iglesia Bautista hopes to save lives and souls through a fiery new ministry.

The 30-member congregation, about 30 miles northwest of Brownsville, is starting a volunteer fire department to serve the city and provide an avenue for the church to minister to men in the colonia.

The fire department is the latest outreach of the missions-minded church. It has built two medical clinics, a park, and a place to play basketball and volleyball in a colonia that otherwise would not have such amenities.

The town's first fire department will have two teams–a firefighting team and a post-fire relief team, Pastor Billy Schwarz said. The latter group will minister to families affected by a fire for as long as three weeks, meeting physical and spiritual needs.

A mission team from Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster, Ala., recently helped connect the Texas church with a fire truck after the small church prayed three years for it. City leaders in Salem, Ala., decided to give the truck to the church rather than 12 other cities who applied for it.

“People asked how we got it,” Schwarz said. “I say, 'We prayed.'”

Eleven men have volunteered to be part of the fire department. The county has pledged two more trucks for the effort.

The fire department will attract men who may not come to traditional church efforts, Schwarz said. The department will be housed in a building that is to be constructed on church grounds. Church members can share their faith with non-Christians who join the department.

“The men think going to church is not macho, but being in the fire department is,” Schwarz said. “They will come, and we can minister to them.”

Ministering to the men will bring entire families to Christ, because in the culture where the church ministers, fathers and husbands often dictate whether a family goes to church, he added.

“We were looking for something that was narrow-targeted to the men of the family,” Schwarz said. “If we can win the man, we can win the family.”

Church members also distribute six 18-wheeler-loads of clothes a year that are delivered from Indiana. Volunteers have helped with disaster relief in Mexico.

As is the case with the fire truck, each of the ministries is conducted with minimal funds. Church members pray for God to meet needs and help the congregation change lives, and it happens, Schwarz said.

These efforts have brought people to the church where members share the gospel with them, he added. About 50 children play basketball at the church daily. Volleyball also is popular. Events such as Vacation Bible Schools are well-attended.

“The church is becoming the center of town,” Schwarz said.

Posted: 4/16/04

Southwestern trustees name deans,
OK forming undergraduate college

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

FORT WORTH–Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees have elected two of their own board members as deans and agreed in principle to create an undergraduate college on the Fort Worth campus.

During their April 6 meeting, trustees elected their chairman, David Allen, as dean of the theology school and Denny Autrey, chairman of the trustees' academic affairs committee, as dean of the J. Dalton Havard School for Theological Studies in Houston. Both positions are effective Aug. 1.

Allen, pastor of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving and professor of expository preaching at Criswell College in Dallas, has been a seminary trustee since 1992.

The board voted to create the Southwestern Center for Expository Preaching and charged Allen with developing the new center. At Criswell College, he directed the Jerry Vines Institute for Biblical Preaching.

Allen is a graduate of Criswell College, and he earned a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Seminary and a doctor of philosophy in humanities degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. Before coming to MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in 1998, he was pastor of Audelia Road Baptist Church in Dallas for 16 years.

He has served on the order of business committee for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention since 1999, one year after the group broke away from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Autrey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lindale since 1996, will serve as chief resident officer for the seminary's Havard Center in Houston. Before coming to Lindale, Autrey was pastor of churches in Guymon, Okla., Pasadena and Galveston.

He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, and he holds both master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southwestern Seminary.

Autrey has been a seminary trustee since 1999. He was chairman of the search committee that called Paige Patterson as seminary president.

He has served on the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention's committee on committees since 2000, including a term as chairman, and he was on the convention's building committee.

Trustees also approved in principle creation of Southwestern College, an undergraduate school that will offer baccalaureate degrees.

The seminary has no target date set to open the college, Patterson said, but he added: “We're going to get on it right away. We have had a lot of pressure from parents as well as students who want a baccalaureate school.”

The college likely will offer a double major in biblical studies and the history of Western ideas–a “great books” program, he said.

When Patterson was president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., he set up a similar program. Southwestern will be the fifth of the six Southern Baptist Convention-supported seminaries to start an undergraduate college, a role historically left to state Baptist conventions.

Southwestern College will be just 30 miles west of Dallas Baptist University, a BGCT-affiliated school, and 40 miles from Criswell College, the Bible college where Patterson was president 17 years.

Patterson acknowledged to reporters the presence of the two institutions in the same market and concern for them “slowed me down” in proposing the creation of Southwestern College.

“I view DBU and Criswell as sister institutions that are deeply committed to the same things” as Southwestern Seminary, he said.

But he concluded the great books program and the seminary's emphasis on world missions would make the seminary-based college “pretty much unique to anything else offered in the state of Texas.”

Gary Cook, president of Dallas Baptist University, agreed the seminary's missions emphasis sets it apart from most liberal arts undergraduate schools.

But he noted DBU recently added a missions professor to its faculty–Bob Garrett, formerly at Southwestern Seminary–to help fill that void.

“If a student asked me whether I would recommend going to DBU or to Southwestern for an undergraduate education, I would say it's better to get a liberal arts undergraduate degree at the university, and then go on to a seminary for graduate school,” he said.

Cook predicted the creation of Southwestern College would have an impact on all of the universities affiliated with the BGCT.

Even so, he added: “There are probably enough students to go around for all of us.”

Jerry Johnson, president of Criswell College, could be reached for comment.

At the same board meeting, trustees approved in principle establishing a school of evangelism and missions on the Fort Worth campus.

In other business, seminary trustees:

Elected David Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland, as chairman of the board and Van McClain, associate professor of Old Testament at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary's northeast branch in Schenectady, N.Y., as vice chairman.

Adopted a $31.5 million budget for the next year, a 2.6 percent increase over the previous budget.

Approved Robert Welch as dean of the educational ministries school. Welch, a professor of administration, has been serving as acting dean since Daryl Eldridge resigned last year.

Affirmed Rudy Gonzalez as vice president for student services. He has been serving in that role under presidential appointment since January.

Established the David McDonnall Missionary Scholarship Fund in honor of the International Mission Board humanitarian aid worker who was killed in Iraq in a drive-by shooting that injured his wife and also killed three colleagues.

Elected eight faculty: Octavio Esqueda as assistant professor of administration and foundations of education in the school of educational ministries; James Hamilton as assistant professor of biblical studies and John Laing as assistant professor of systematic theology and philosophy in the Havard Center; and Paul Hoskins and John Taylor as assistant professors of New Testament, Steven Smith as assistant professor of preaching, Michael Wilson as associate professor of pastoral ministry and John Mark Yeats as assistant professor of church history, all in the school of theology.

Posted: 4/08/04

Salado church focuses on 140
years of precious memories

By George Henson

Staff Writer

SALADO—Looking forward to its 140th anniversary, First Baptist Church in Salado harkened back to its beginnings.

Three years ago, church members discovered some old photographs and documents, and they asked Charlene Carson to put them in a scrapbook.

But the images frozen in time fascinated her. She was afraid the scrapbook would simply sit on a shelf and never be seen by the majority of the church's members.

The church's children's choir, circa 1957.

"I have to get this out of a scrapbook and into a form where somebody will see it," Carson said.

She did, and the end product was a 248-page hardback book chronicling the church's history.

She decided she wanted to complete the project before the church's 140th anniversary celebration, May 14 and 16. Carson often worked 12-hour days as she pored over church minutes all the way back to May 28, 1864, when the congregation was organized.

Mundane church business dominated the records. But she also discovered nostalgic nuggets that pointed to the church's uniqueness.

One of the first things that surprised her was the list of charter members included no husbands and wives.

"There were men, and there were women, and even some listed as 'Mrs.', but none of them had the same last names. That really struck me, but I finally concluded that this being the third year of the Civil War, their husbands must have been off to war somewhere," Carson said.

Another interesting item was the identity of the pastor who held the longest tenure of the church's 47 pastors—George Washington Baines, great-grandfather of future President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Baines served the church from 1868 until 1877.

Current Pastor Brian Dunks, who was called by the church in 1996, is in range to surpass that tenure next year.

The five bound volumes of the church's business meeting minutes were lost for many years, only to be discovered scattered throughout the church in various cabinets and closets in 1984, Carson said.

"It's amazing to me that they've survived when nobody had responsibility for caring for them, and that they weren't destroyed by fire or flood because Salado suffered both of those things," she said.

George Washington Baines served longest as pastor of First Baptist Church in Salado.

While the minutes of the business meetings were the primary sources of information for the church's history book, other artifacts also survived. They include a Sunday school quarterly from the 1880s, accounting books where church members pledged money to pay the pastor's salary, with some members pledging as little as 25 cents, and a ribbon given to all who attended the first day of Sunday school at the church in 1878.

Carson said the challenging part of writing the book was to make it something people would enjoy reading.

"The hardest part was to get all these 140 years connected so that it would be reader-friendly," she said. "I wanted it to read more like a novel than a history book."

Despite the sometimes long days, she said it was a pleasure to do the research and writing.

"To me, it was really motivating, because I knew if I read those church minutes long enough, I would find something really interesting. A lot of it was the regular things that churches do, but every three or four pages there would be that gem, that jewel, and I would write that down," she said.

She included something for all 47 of the church's pastors—even the one who was there for only one business meeting. "The whole focus of that meeting was how they were going to finish paying the former pastor, and I think he may have taken that as a sign," she said.

"There are so many great characters who have played a role in the history of this church, and I just knew there had to be a great story in there. I also felt our church members needed to know that story. If you know the story, you know your roots. We have had so many people join our church in recent years; they need that connectedness," Carson said.

She and her husband, Maurice, moved to Salado four years ago after he retired as a NASA engineer and she as a schoolteacher.

Her husband played a big part in creating the book. After a publisher told them they could save $3,000 to $4,000 by laying out the book themselves, he bought publishing software, read the instructions and laid out the 248-page book in two weeks of 12- to 14-hour days.

"Being an engineer, he decided he could do that and he did it," she said.

"There's no way anyone could realize how many hours have gone into this book—not just the writing, but the layout."

While most of the church members who wanted a copy of the $35 book pre-ordered their copies, most subsequent sales have been to people in the community outside the church.

"I think that's because I wove into the history of the church the history of Salado—they're just so interrelated. Anyone in Salado interested in its history is interested in this book," she said.

Randy Carder, minister of music and senior adults at First Baptist Church in Salado, said the book has been an asset to him personally.

"I'm in my fifth year here, and for me it has kind of crystallized the culture of the church. It has given me a sense of why the people here are such strong people," he said.

Alan Lafever, director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection, said writing a church history would be beneficial for any congregation. "We think it's important, because if you don't know where you've been, it's difficult to know exactly where you are on the journey and for sure where you're going," he said.

"A lot of time what churches do when they look back on their history is rekindle memories of past programs and people. Sometimes these memories of people causes the church to recall what that person's vision was for the church. Looking back on a church's history can call a church back to tasks they may have drifted away from."

Many churches do not attempt to write a history because they don't feel they have enough information, but that often is not the case. "Most churches have more information than they realize; it's just a matter of finding it," he said.

Part of the process of finding the information is to let as many people as possible know you are looking for it. In Salado, the accounting books detailing the pastor's salary subscriptions were found in a residential attic. The Sunday school ribbon had been passed down for more than 125 years in a family that now attends the Methodist church.

"That's the biggest mistake churches make—not letting everyone know they are working on their history. Awareness is the key," LaFever said.

In the end, it pays big dividends for all involved, Carson said.

"When you get the whole history together, you see how the pieces fit together to make the whole. That's been the joy of writing this—to see how all the pieces fit together—to see how God has had his hand on this church from its very beginnings to make it the church it is today."

Posted: 4/16/04

Around the State

Kathleen Wood, assistant professor of biology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been named department chair. She has been at the school since 1999, teaching genetics, cell biology, botany and developmental biology.

Six new members were inducted into Hardin-Simmons University's Hall of Leaders April 2. They are John Brewer, a 1930 graduate and former microbiology professor at HSU; Virginia Connally, a 1933 graduate and one of the first women physicians in Texas; Bill Scott, a 1947 graduate and former HSU coach and assistant athletic director and major general and adjutant general of Texas; Scotty Holland, a geologist and oil executive who attended the school from 1949 to 1951; Dossie Wiggins, a 1919 graduate, former professor and academic dean at HSU, who also was president of Texas School of Mines (now the University of Texas at El Paso) and Texas Tech University; and Marijohn Wilkin, a 1940 graduate, singer and songwriter. Established in 2001, the hall includes 27 previous inductees.

South Hills Church in Fort Worth celebrated the retirement of its debt with a note-burning ceremony. Participating were Pastor Bob Nickell; Wes Brazell, former chairman of the stewardship committee; Doug Ford, chairman of deacons; and Tom Law, director of missions for Tarrant Association.

Houston Baptist University has announced several faculty promotions. Attaining the rank of professor are Michael Bordelon, political science; Gary Clay, education, and Randy Wilson, sociology. Promoted to associate professor are John Hendrickson, music; LuAnn Marrs, English; and Melissa Wiseman, economics.

Several promotions have been announced for the faculty of Hardin-Simmons University. Coleman Patterson, associate professor of leadership and management, has been named director of Leadership Studies. Randy Armstrong, professor of communication and department head, has been named associate dean of the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts. Charlene Strickland, assistant professor of communication, has been promoted to head the department to fill the vacancy left by Armstrong. Joanne Roberts, associate professor of sociology, has been named head of the department. Also four new faculty members have been named for the upcoming academic year: Kristi McAuliffe, assistant professor of German; Eric Coleman, assistant professor of criminal justice; Joseph Bailey, instructor of communication; and Shaylee Burling, visiting instructor of business and accounting.

Jimmie Keeling, head football coach at Hardin-Simmons University since the program's reinstatement in 1990, will be honored with a reception and dinner May 22. The reception will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the HSU Mabee Physical Education Complex. The “50 Years of Football Tradition” dinner will be held at the Abilene Civic Center at 7 p.m. The cost is $12.50 per person. In 13 seasons at HSU, he has posted a 109-34 record, including eight conference championships, five Coach of the Year honors and 17 playoff games. He leads the school in all-time wins and games coached. He is a member of First Church in Abilene.

Anniversaries

Harrol Bowman, 20th, as pastor of First Church in Aubrey.

Bill Black, 10th, as pastor of McKinney Street Church in Denton.

Tom Tillman, 10th, as minister of music at First Church in Conroe April 15.

Frank Balderas, fifth, as pastor of River Oaks Church in Robstown April 18.

Carter Lyles, 50th in the ministry, April 25. His congregation, Bethel Church in Clardy, will honor him during the morning service and with a lunch to follow.

Post Oak Church in Bowie, 125th, April 25. Milton Capps will be the guest preacher in the morning service. A catered lunch will follow. An anniversary program will begin at 2 p.m. For more information or to make reservations for the lunch, call (940) 476-2336. Chuck Schobert is pastor.

First Church of Rylie in Dallas, 100th, May 1. A time of fellowship will begin at 10 a.m., with the service to begin at 11 a.m. The celebration service will feature music and testimonies from past and present members as well as former pastors Henry Rutledge and Jack Rodgers. A lunch will follow the service. For more information or to make lunch reservations, call (972) 286-4242. Chris Horton is pastor.

Retiring

Leroy Patterson, who has been pastor of First Church in Keller 13 years and in the ministry 48 years, effective April 25. His first pastorate was at Graham Street Church in Abilene in 1956. During his ministry, he served seven churches, most notably Memorial Church in Houston from 1975 to 1991, and the Keller church, which he has led since 1991. He also served on the board of trustees of Houston Baptist University nine years, the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas three terms and as vice chairman of that board. In addition, Patterson has preached crusades in Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Indonesia and Hong Kong. He is available for supply and interim pastoral ministry.

J.B. Bitner, after 27 years as pastor of First Church in Big Lake and 46 years of pastoral ministry, effective April 25. Several former youth ministers who served with him will speak in the morning service, and Forbes Woods will present a concert and lead the music. A catered lunch will immediately follow the service. For more information, call (325) 884-3720.

Events

A gospel music concert and gumbo cookoff will be held at 5 p.m. April 25 at First Church in Devers. Performing will be the Gospel Messengers and the Rileys. Gumbo will be prepared before cooks arrive at the church. For more information, call (936) 549-7653. Harry McDaniel is pastor.

Forestburg Church in Forestburg will dedicate its sanctuary April 25 at 2 p.m. The building was specially designed to accommodate a large pipe organ donated to the congregation. Stewart Holloway is pastor.

A space needs and planning workshop will be held May 11 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Williamson Association offices. Bob Edd Shotwell, former minister of education at Hyde Park Church in Austin, will lead the seminar. Topics will include space needs for various age groups in Sunday school, worship, recreation and fellowship, and weekday education; parking needs; land for future growth; fund raising and financing; architects and contractors; long range planning to stay ahead of growth projections; and multiple usage of buildings and schedule options. The cost for lunch is $7. Call (512) 930-0965 to register. Registration deadline is May 4.

Deaths

Gary McDonald, 48, March 22 in Weslaco. He and his family were participating in Woodridge Church in Kingwood's spring break family mission trip to the Rio Grande Valley when he collapsed while walking down a street of Nuevo Progreso. He was taken to a hospital in Weslaco, where he lived for a week before his death. A Christian for about a year, he played guitar in Woodridge's praise team. He was chief dispatcher for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, where he had been employed almost 27 years. He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Tammy; children, Shanda and Tanner; parents, Buddy and Betty McDaniel; and sister, Kathy Ferguson.

William Hinton, 82, April 10 in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was named president of Houston Baptist College, now university, even before ground was broken for the construction of the campus. When he was named president in 1962, all that was on hand was 200 acres of rice fields and a vision. When classes began in 1963, there were 193 students and 29 faculty members. Over the next 25 years while he was president, the school grew to more than 3,000 students and 132 faculty members. In 1987, he changed responsiblities and was named chancellor. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1991. He also was active at Second Church in Houston, serving as a deacon and Bible study leader for more than 25 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie Ruth. He is survived by his daughters, Julie Parton and Linda Frakes; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Ordained

Ralph Zamorano to the ministry at Primera Iglesia in Corpus Christi.

Cesar Tamez as a deacon at Good News Church in Corpus Christi.

Revivals

West Robinson Church, Robinson; April 23-25; evangelists, Billy Edwards, Joe Loughlin, Ken Young and Mike Patterson; music, Charles Covin; pastor, Marvin Donnell.

New Hope Church, Cleburne; April 23-25; evangelist, Cody Whitfill; music, No Shoes Required and Prairie Wind; pastor, David Marchbanks.

Great Hills Church, Austin; April 25; evangelist, Jay Strack; pastor, Michael Lewis.

Denton Valley Church, Clyde; April 25-27; evangelist, Ronnie White; pastor, Clayton Pennington.

First Church, Taft; April 25-28; evangelist, Olin Boles; music, David Eaton; pastor, David Vernon.

First Church, Odem; May 2-5; evangelist, David Burke; music, Mills Caraway; pastor, Wade Rush.

Frontier Church, Midway at Yamboree Pavilion, Gilmer; May 2-5; evangelist, Randy Bird; music, Branded; pastor, Holland Atchley.

Swenson Church, Aspermont; May 2-5; evangelist, David Diggs; music, Sheila Diggs; pastor, Frank Slayton.

Fairview Church, Grand Prairie; May 2-5; evangelist, Wes Massey; music, Larry Russell; pastor, Keith Cogburn.

First Church, Wheelock; May 2-5; evangelist, Reuben Hernandez; music, Ian Ferguson; pastor, Ira Irvin.

Posted: 4/16/04

Baptist Briefs

IMB to consider VP candidate. An International Mission Board search committee will recommend Gordon Fort, regional leader for IMB work in southern Africa, to the board later this month to become vice president for overseas operations. Fort, 48, is the son of emeritus Southern Baptist missionary physicians who served at Sanyati Baptist Hospital in Zimbabwe. He and his wife, the former Leigh Ann Harrison of Fort Worth, were appointed by the International Mission Board as missionaries to Botswana in 1985. He assumed responsibility for the work in southern Africa in 1997. Fort is a graduate of Texas A&M University in College Station and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Prior to missionary appointment, he was pastor of Macedonia-Hix Baptist Church in Caldwell.

Texans named to SBC resolutions committee. Three Texans–all members of churches dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas–have been named to the Southern Baptist Convention's resolutions committee. SBC President Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, appointed John Mark Caton, pastor of Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church in Allen, Penna Dexter, a radio talk show host and Prestonwood member, and Barbara O'Chester of Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin to the committee. He named Calvin Wittman, pastor of Applewood Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colo., as chairman of the committee that will serve during the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis, June 15-16.

LifeWay releases new Bible translation. LifeWay Christian Resources released the first copies of the Holman Christian Standard Bible this month. It is the first major English-language Bible translation in 30 years and one of only seven in the past 570 years translated directly from biblical languages. LifeWay spokesmen called it the culmination of a 20-year project that involved an international team of 100 translators, editors and biblical scholars representing 20 denominations and non-denominational churches. The Holman CSB New Testament was released in 2001.

CBF receives $5 million gift. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has received a $5 million anonymous contribution for global missions. The gift will be used over the next three fiscal years, enabling the Fellowship to deploy nine new field personnel, help 15 envoys, double the number of stipends for student summer/semester missions and help 10 indigenous missionaries. It also will fund field projects and wellness programs, purchase vehicles and offer training, as well as provide funds for emergency response, HIV/AIDS initiatives, micro-enterprise development grants and other community development projects, church planting in the United States and the Partners in Hope rural poverty initiative, said Barbara Baldridge, co-coordinator for Global Missions with the Fellowship.

Medical/Dental fellowship president resigns over CBF partnership. Danny Barnhill of Shreveport, La., president of the Baptist Medical/Dental Fellowship announced he is resigning his office and withdrawing as a member of the volunteer organization because the group recently agreed to expand and formalize its partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The partnership will include establishing medical/dental clinics in Gambia, providing medical/dental care in impoverished rural counties in the United States, and working together in the appointment of health-care missionaries, among other projects. The two groups have partnered on specific projects in the past. The new agreement, signed at the recent Baptist Medical/Dental Fellowship annual meeting, formalizes that connection with the aim of increasing involvement of Fellowship churches in medical/dental missions opportunities. In an e-mail to the executive officers of the medical/dental fellowship, Barnhill accused the CBF of holding "liberal social and political philosophies."

Posted: 4/16/04

Canton church portrays life of Christ in rodeo arena drama

By Orville Scott

Special to the Baptist Standard

CANTON–Despite a cold, rainy Easter weekend, more than 3,000 people gathered in an East Texas rodeo arena to view “The Passion,” a dramatization of Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection.

The unusual setting was appropriate for a production that included live horses, donkeys, sheep, goats and chickens.

“The church sees the production in a public arena as an opportunity to meet with compassion the spiritual needs of Van Zandt County and beyond,” said Mark Robinson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Canton.

One of the greatest results of the drama, staged by about 175 men, women and children from the church, was that nine people accepted Jesus as Savior, Robinson said.

At least 30 rededicated their lives to Christ, he added.

“These were the ones who gave us a written record of their decisions,” he added. “There may have been others whose lives were changed but who did not report it to us.”

Monte Clearman, minister of music at First Baptist Church, hopes to see "The Passion" develop into a monthly feature during Trades Day weekend.

“Eureka Springs is known for its Passion play, and Glen Rose has 'The Promise,' but East Texas deserves to have its own drama,” Clearman said.

“I dream of people from far and wide, not only attending First Monday, but also coming to see 'The Passion.'”

Dennis Parrish, associate professor of communication arts at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and founding director of “The Company,” a touring repertory group, directed the drama.

Matt Butler, a member of The Company who is adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University, portrayed Jesus.

Besides the actors and singers, many volunteers helped make costumes and build the sets representing Jerusalem in the rodeo arena, Clearman said.

Posted: 4/16/04

Religious values should be taught by
church, not state, Strickland asserts

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

DALLAS­Nearly 5,000 people attended a recent Ten Commandments rally in Dallas to discuss the “importance of God in politics,” news reports said. But a Texas Baptist ethics leader later raised concerns about the event and the movement it represents.

“Does there need to be a rally for the Ten Commandments? Yes, but it doesn't need to be a rally about the government,” said Phil Strickland, director of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

“I understand the deep longing in our culture for moral anchors. We need those anchors. It is obvious that the values that drive much of our culture are often promiscuity, greed, materialism and violence.”

But Strickland said: “The first response to that has to be in the churches. It will be redeemed people who will hold highest the New Testament values.”

The event in Dallas launched a “One Nation Under God” project, which is a citizen activism initiative sponsored by Alan Keyes' RenewAmerica, according to the organization's web site. Keyes ran for president in 2000.

Mary Parker Lewis, chief of staff for RenewAmerica, said the project is to “restore religious liberty and judicial restraint in America … by openly challenging current public policies that remove religious content from our national life, or that repress the public expression of religious conviction,” the web site story reported.

The CLC's Strickland has another concern–separation of church and state.

“I'm amazed that so-called conservative people want big government running their religious teaching. It is not the role of government to become our religious teacher,” he said.

“The separation of church and state is what (the Founding Fathers) meant when they created the First Amendment, which assures our free exercise and no establishment of religion.”

The separation of church and state has allowed religious expression to thrive in America, Strickland said.

“The church's role in the public square is to be a voice for the moral concerns depicted in the Old and New testaments,” he said. “We are to be a voice for justice, a voice for the poor, a voice for religious liberty.”

Strickland expressed the long-held position of many Baptists, but there are others who see the relationship between church and state differently.

One participant at the rally told the Dallas Morning News that he feels obliged to ensure that the political system is influenced by God. Nathan Dearyan, 38, told the newspaper: “I don't believe in the separation between church and state.”

The posting of the Ten Commandments on public property has become one of the flash points in the debate. Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore spoke at the rally. Moore was removed from that state's highest court last year when he refused to obey a federal court order to take down a Ten Commandments monument he had put in the rotunda of the state's judicial building.

“We need to wake up to the issues that are facing our country,” he said, according to the Morning News. “I feel kind of like it's my obligation.”

The CLC's Strickland affirmed the Ten Commandments as a “moral guide for our culture,” but he said they should be “interpreted in the light of the teachings of Jesus,” which point to grace and redemption. Christians see the Commandments “in the light of grace instead of the light of legalism.”

“I hope the churches take seriously the teaching of the Ten Commandments … as a part of our faith.”

Strickland said he was saddened recently when a pastor called him insisting that the government ought to be putting the Ten Commandments on government grounds and ought to be teaching them as religion.

When asked to state the Commandments, Strickland said the pastor could recall six. When asked if they were posted in his church, the pastor answered no. When asked if the Commandments are taught on a regular basis in the church, the answer was, “Not that I know of.”

“We undercut the profound truths … and the moral instruction of the Ten Commandments when we give responsibility of teaching to the government and don't embrace that responsibility in the churches,” Strickland said.

Posted: 4/16/04

Time a matter of perspective, minister says

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–If it seems there are never enough hours in the day, it may be a matter of perspective rather than time, said Wayne Dillen, who led a time-management seminar during the Texas Baptist Hispanic Youth and Singles Congreso.

Many people are stressed by traffic, lines, telemarketers–anything that prevents them from going about their lives as quickly as possible–because they are trying to accomplish as much as they can each day, said Dillen, director of the Baptist Student Ministry at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi and Del Mar College.

This approach, which quickly can lead to stress and health issues, often stems from a human-centered perspective that makes the will of God secondary, Dillen said.

People often are trying to squeeze in everything they want to do without considering what God is asking of them, he said.

God is providing all the time each Christian needs to accomplish his will, he noted. The believer must discover and follow God's desires daily.

Instead of doing everything possible in one day, Dillen suggested Christians should discern what is important to them and to God.

They should write down what is important., he recommended. Those items should be priorities. A believer also can pray for God to take away any anxiety with time.

“God has told us a lot of things to do that are plain, clear and right in front of us, but we are not thinking about them,” he said during the meeting, sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Center for Strategic Evangelism.

This new perspective can drastically alter situations, Dillen said. Lines become opportunities to connect with other people. Those conversations may lead to opportunities to share the gospel.

This viewpoint frees believers from frustrations that can inhibit them from reflecting a positive image of Christianity, Dillen said. The smallest action–a smile or kind word–can be the trigger to open someone to the gospel.

Taking time to minister in these ways mirrors Jesus' “ministry of interruptions,” he said. Jesus consistently took time out of his stated journey to serve others.

“You never know when God puts someone in your path to share the gospel with,” he said. “That may not mean pulling out a tract and outlining salvation. It may be just treating someone like a person.”

To help create organization and freedom with time, Dillen recommended scheduling and keeping appointments. Those times should include time communicating with God.

“You have to be at peace with time,” he said, citing Philippians 4:6-7. “He knew what he was doing when he gave you time.”