Posted: 11/07/03

Houston pastor put on two-month
leave after misconduct allegations

HOUSTON (BP)–The longtime pastor of a prominent Houston church has been given a two-month paid leave of absence from the pulpit following allegations he sexually assaulted a 37-year-old man.

The action to suspend Brentwood Baptist Church Pastor Joe Ratliff was taken Oct. 27 during a regularly scheduled business meeting. About 5,000 people attend the church every Sunday morning.

During the next two months, Ratliff will continue his administrative duties while other staff members provide ministerial leadership, according to a statement from the church. He will return to the pulpit Dec. 31.

“In making this decision, the church leadership turned to God in prayer and referred to Scripture,” the statement read. “We must move on. Dr. Ratliff has recommitted himself to God and is working through this for the good of himself, his wife, the congregation and the community.

“We will not allow our faith to be destroyed. We will ensure that the business of Brentwood will continue as well as it has and continue to pray for our church family.”

According to KHOU-TV in Houston, Arnold Blake alleges Ratliff forced him into a church office where he groped and kissed him. Blake also claimed Ratliff offered to pay for sex, KPRC-TV in Houston reported.

The man sued both Ratliff and the church, and the two sides have since settled out of court.

“We felt it necessary to bring this matter to an end by settling out of court for the good of the church and the ministry,” the church statement read.

Blake's attorney released an audiotape in September to Houston TV stations in which a man alleged to be Ratliff makes vulgarity-laced, sexually explicit comments about homosexual desires to Blake.

Ratliff will undergo professional counseling, church spokesperson Jackie Preston told Baptist Press.

Ratliff was among the founders of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention and is coauthor of “Church Planting in the African-American Community.”

“Some would argue two months is not enough,” Preston acknowledged in telephone comments to Baptist Press, “but he will have ongoing counseling after that. … He stopped this bleeding so that God's kingdom wouldn't be affected. He said in his sermons as we went through this, 'It's not about me, it's not about you, but it's about the church.'

“Many would argue, members included and visitors, 'Did he do it?' That shouldn't even be the question because they're focusing on the wrong thing,” she added. “That's his opinion, and it's apparently the opinion of a lot of the members. He had overwhelming support.”

But some church members were not satisfied after the Oct. 28 business meeting.

“As a Christian, I have to ask myself if a homosexual male can be the spiritual leader of my house,” church member Rudy Sutherland said, according to KTRK-TV. “And for me, the answer is absolutely not.”

Posted: 11/07/03

Russian orphans ready for adoption

Several children living in Russian orphanages are available for adoption by Christian families and singles through Buckner International Adoption Services. Among them are the children shown here, who recently were identified as adoptable by Russian authorities.

While Russian orphan children are identified as candidates for adoption, there is no guarantee that a specific child will remain available to Buckner for adoption for long.

Debbie Wynne, clinical director for Buckner International Adoption Services in Dallas, said adoption through Buckner is the result of “a positive relationship we have developed because of our humanitarian work in Russia. They know our heart for children.”

More information on international adoption through Buckner is available by contacting Buckner International Adoption Services at (866) 236-7823 or on the web at www.bucknerinternationaladoption.org.

Buckner also will offer international adoption orientation meetings Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Buckner International Adoption Services offices, 4830 Samuell Blvd. in Dallas

Families interested in attending these orientations should contact Jean Barnes at (866) 236-7823.

Posted: 11/07/03

SBTC elects Osborne president
and marks fifth anniversary in Corpus

CORPUS CHRISTI (BP)–Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church of Bryan, was elected president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention during the convention's fifth annual meeting.

A total of 831 messengers registered for the convention, representing 338 of the SBTC's 1,371 uniquely or dually affiliated congregations. The SBTC formed as a breakaway from the Baptist General Convention of Texas by a group desiring to be more closely aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Osborne was nominated by Gil Lane, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo. Osborne, who served as Pastors' Conference president this year, succeeds George Harris, retired pastor of Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Other officers are David Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida in Garland, first vice president; Bill Sutton, pastor of First Baptist Church in McAllen, second vice president; and Brenda Wills of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, recording secretary.

The convention adopted a $16.3 million budget for 2004 and pledged to continue sending 52 percent of undesignated receipts to the SBC. The budget represents an 18 percent increase.

Of the $7.8 million in Cooperative Program giving allocated for in-state use, 29.49 percent will fund missions work and 9.29 percent will advance evangelism. The remainder includes 14.19 percent for minister/church relations; 13.78 percent for church ministry support; 11.57 percent for affiliated and fraternally related ministries; 10.93 percent for operational and financial services; and 10.75 percent for communications.

Gerald Smith, outgoing Executive Board chairman, reported that because of the “generous gifts of God's people” the SBTC is building a 30,000-square-foot office in Grapevine.

Executive Director Jim Richards read a greeting from President Bush, congratulating the convention on its five-year anniversary.

The convention also included presentations on the SBTC's relationships with East Texas Baptist Family Ministry, Criswell College, Korean Baptist Fellowship of Texas, Texas Baptist Men and Houston Baptist University.

Paul Pressler of Houston presented the third Paul Pressler Distinguished Service Award to Rudy Hernandez, the SBTC's special assistant to the executive director for Hispanic ministries and a former SBTC president.

The convention passed nine resolutions, most dealing with social-political issues. They included statements on human sexuality, the Federal Marriage Amendment, gratitude for Gov. Rick Perry, disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Texas' sodomy law, concern for the sanctity of human life, an appeal for participation in Christian citizenship, a statement on church-state relations and an appeal for greater missions giving.

Next year's meeting will be Oct. 25-26 at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.

The SBTC Pastors' Conference elected Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, as president; Alan Burkhalter, pastor of Chaparral Hills Baptist Church in Amarillo, first vice president; and Dale Norris, pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church in Mabank, second vice president.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention passed nine resolutions, most dealing with social-political issues.

Posted: 11/07/03

SHARED SPACE:
With six you get an eggroll

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

BEDFORD–Some congregations spend years trying to discern God's will. Leaders of Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford believe God laid a vision in their hands.

Christopher Sham, pastor of Bedford Chinese Baptist Church, and his wife Alphra pose with a church member (far left) and Woodland Heights Baptist Church minister of Education Pat McDanal.

In July 2000, a Brazilian church started a trend when it asked to share the facilities at Woodland Heights. Soon a Korean church did the same. Later, a 50-member Chinese church jumped on board. Now Sudanese people are coming to services and may start a church on the premises.

“They accept us as part of the body of Christ,” said Christopher Sham, pastor of Bedford Chinese Baptist Church. “They also let us use part of the building without changing our normal schedule, even though they have a large crowd.”

The Korean church has since moved to its own facilities, but Woodland Heights Pastor Doug Riggs continues to ensure that all three remaining congregations have enough space for their activities.

“This has not been in our plan,” Riggs admitted. “It's not something we set out to do. But it's something God laid in our hands.”

Worship leaders from the four churches that meet at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford sing in their native toungues. The worship service brought together Chinese, Brazilian, Korean and English-speaking congregations.

Riggs acknowledged he was not accustomed to working in a multicultural setting. Yet he has been willing to learn more about the people meeting on the grounds.

A host church must be willing to treat the other congregations as equals, Riggs has learned. While the leaders interact and encourage each other, the congregations essentially function independently.

“It is working out perfectly,” said Jair Campos, pastor of Igreja Batista Brasiliera Central. “Woodland Heights respects the mission churches.”

The host church needs to emphasize reaching people, not just growing the church, Riggs added. If more people can become Christians through these churches, Riggs wants to help.

“The only thing it requires from an English congregation is a mindset that this is not our castle that we need to protect with a moat,” he said.

Initially, concerns were expressed about sharing the space with other churches, but Riggs noted those fears quickly disappeared as the congregations reached people in the community without altering the host church's activities.

Not only were the concerns removed, the congregations wanted to come together for a multicultural worship service. Worshippers sang in four languages–Chinese, English, Korean and Portuguese–and each pastor administered the Lord's Supper in the native tongues.

The congregations also came together for fellowship during a potluck dinner featuring ethnic food.

Members of four churches eat during a potluck dinner following a multicultural worship service at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford. Each congregation brought food that represented its culture.

Campos described the service as being “like heaven,” saying all the missions and the host church functioned as one large congregation.

Sham echoed Campos' thoughts, calling the congregation a “group of saints.”

“It was a great experience to see how people do things differently,” said Campos, who also serves as music minister at Woodland Heights. “Even though people have different cultures, they can come together to worship and feel the Spirit.”

The event has further opened the congregations to consider future cooperation. Leaders are planning to put together a Christmas drive-through presentation of Christ's life, complete with 13 sets, costumes and a cast.

Each car will receive a tape or compact disc that narrates the story as they drive through it. Audio will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin.

“There's a bigger mentality that is growing that is 'It's not about me. It's about the kingdom,'” Riggs said. “The multicultural thing is such a blessing. You just have to try it.”

Members of four churches that meet in the same building eat during a joint potluck dinner following a multicultural worship service at Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Bedford. Members of each congregation brought food that represented their native cultures.

Posted: 11/07/03

Evangelistic skateboard video finds unlikely host

By Shelby Oppel

Religion News Service

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS)–Stephen Baldwin stood under the east end of the Burnside Bridge, wearing an “Army of the Lord” T-shirt with camouflage pants and directing a Christian-themed DVD of skateboarders and BMX riders.

As taping began on a recent Wednesday at Burnside Skatepark, the connections were hard to grasp for some Burnside regulars, like 33-year-old Nate Bemiller of Portland.

Actor Stephen Baldwin talks with BMX rider Bruce Crisman, 24.

“You're Stephen Baldwin?” Bemiller asked the actor, who wore a backward baseball cap with “Jesus” embroidered on one side and “God is good” on the other.

“We're just a bunch of Christian guys making a video,” said Baldwin, burly and tan. As if to make his purpose clearer, he pointed to a BMX rider, high in the air above the skate park. “He gets more air 'cause he's got Jesus,” said Baldwin, half-joking.

Although many don't know it, the actor known for his role as a career criminal in “The Usual Suspects” and, most recently, as part of the cast of ABC's reality show “Celebrity Mole” is a born-again Christian.

His newfound faith, and his friendship with Beaverton-based evangelist Luis Palau, are what led him to direct and host the DVD. Called “Livin' It,” the project is meant to reach teens with the gospel through the culture of extreme sports.

While the Baldwin angle adds a wrinkle, the link between evangelical Christians and skateboarding is nothing new.

Portland, in fact, is home to the nation's oldest “skate church,” a ministry begun in 1987 at Central Bible Church. Each week, 130 to 200 skateboarders show up to use 11,000 square feet in a church-owned warehouse, under the condition they stop for 30 minutes to listen to a “gospel message.”

The ministry has spawned imitators from California to Florida. And Christian “demo” teams travel the country, riding skateboards manufactured by Christian skateboard companies.

Palau, an evangelist who holds Christian music festivals around the world, has taken notice of the skate ministries' success. Since 2000, each of his festivals has featured a skate park with professional skateboarders and “skate evangelists.”

Last year, Baldwin met Palau at a festival in Syracuse, N.Y. That led to Baldwin's appearance at another festival in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this spring, which led to his role in the DVD.

The youngest of the acting Baldwin brothers (Alec, Daniel and William are the others), Baldwin, 37, has been in film and television since the 1980s, often playing the screwball comedian while earning a bad-boy reputation off the set.

“Stephen is really the perfect host because he's not the goody-goody Christian; he's not really known for that,” said Kevin Palau, Luis' son, who is executive vice president of Luis Palau Evangelical Association. The association is spending about $200,000 to produce the DVD.

Baldwin was raised as a Roman Catholic, which for him was a “relatively meaningless” experience and “kind of a scary deal,” he said. About two years ago, he explained, he was “captured by the Lord” and “born again.”

He calls the change “a predestined reality,” but he also credits his wife, Kennya, who is a Christian. She and the couple's daughters–Alaia, 10, and Hailey, 6–were in Portland for the filming.

“Livin' It” will feature footage of stunts by professional BMX riders and skateboarders, as well as interviews with the athletes talking about their faith. The roster includes BMX riders Rich Hirsch, John Greer and Vic Murphy and skateboarders Anthony Carney and Tim Burn.

Once the DVD is finished early next year, it will be sold to churches and Christian youth organizations for use as an outreach tool, but it may also be available in video stores, Palau said.

Bruce Crisman, a BMX rider who was a gold medalist at the Summer X Games in 2001, said he uses any opportunity to talk about his faith. “The Lord found me through a skateboarder,” the 24-year-old said. “Who knows what it could be for someone else?”

Jud Heald, a skateboarder from Missouri, acknowledged that skaters who actively proclaim a Christian faith are a small segment of the skateboarding world. But that makes their mission even more important, he said.

Bemiller, the skeptical skater who wandered onto the set, got a free board out of his chance meeting with Baldwin. When the actor saw Bemiller's board–illustrated with the word “terror” over an image of a woman's legs sticking out of a trash can–he gave him a new one with an image of a skull, a cross and the word “faith.”

“Get this local cat some grip tape,” Baldwin yelled to his crew.

He wasn't won over, Bemiller said, but he wasn't turned off either.

“They did a good job connecting with me, but I'm such an agnostic,” Bemiller said. “I've dealt with evangelical types before, but these guys are pretty laid back. I appreciate the subtle approach.”

Posted: 11/07/03

Did bishop slander by citing 'spirit of Satan'?

By Kevin Eckstrom

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–An Iowa judge will decide if the phrase “spirit of Satan” is basis for a slander suit after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in a dispute at a rural Iowa church.

On Oct. 20, the nation's highest court rejected a petition by the United Methodist Church in Iowa to dismiss the case. That move sends the 2-year-old case back to a judge in rural Butler County, Iowa, for trial.

On its face, the case is a simple defamation suit, but church-state watchers say it could hold important precedent on how much a secular court can or should involve itself in internal church matters.

“If the separation of church and state is to mean anything at all, it must mean that the government must not be able to reach its arms inside the doors of the church and regulate its internal activities,” said Hiram Sasser, a staff attorney at the Liberty Legal Institute in Plano, which is monitoring the case.

The case involves a 1999 letter written by a local church official about problems at a United Methodist church in Shell Rock, Iowa, population 1,298. Appealing for an end to divisions, District Superintendent Gerald Swinton noted that the “spirit of Satan” was at work in the congregation.

“Folks, when is enough enough? When will you stop the blaming, negative and unhappy persons among you from tearing down the spirit of Jesus Christ among you?” Swinton wrote.

The person at the center of the controversy, parishioner Jane Kliebenstein, said she was defamed by the letter because it falsely attacked her “integrity and moral character.” She and her husband sued for “fair and reasonable” damages.

A lower court threw out the case, saying it had no jurisdiction in the life of the church. The Iowa Supreme Court, however, said because the letter had been circulated publicly, the church's protection had been “weakened.”

“We conclude … that the phrase 'spirit of Satan' has meaning in a secular as well as sectarian context,” that results in an “unflattering secular meaning,” the seven-member court ruled last June.

Kliebenstein, 62, said she was “pleased” that her case is going forward but declined to talk about the specifics of the case. “It's been a difficult period, but I definitely believe in God,” she said.

Kliebenstein, a member for 36 years, was active in women's groups and sat on church committees, but the church's current pastor, Realff Ottesen, said she never was an active part in the “worship life of the church.”

Still, the decision was made to curtail Kliebenstein's “direct influence” in the church's affairs. Several members left in protest. Since then, Ottesen said the suit has been mostly a non-issue in the 216-member church.

“The lawsuit is not a subject of great discussion,” said Ottesen, who arrived in 2000. “It does not affect our daily life or our missional life. We're doing our thing.”

The case is expected to be heard next fall. The difficult part will be trying to determine the legal threshold of truth or falsity for a defamation case involving Satan, and whether Swinton wrote the letter maliciously.

Posted: 11/07/03

Spiritual sleuth studies violent religions to fight crime

By Sharon Schlegel

Religion News Service

TRENTON, N.J. (RNS)–Police were puzzled by the crime. A corpse had been disinterred in the cemetery, mutilated and left near a mausoleum covered with graffiti.

Eager for a trail to follow, police turned to Dawn Perlmutter, an expert on ritualistic murder and religious terrorism.

It turned out to be exactly the right move. Perlmutter immediately suspected the crime was linked to satanism and urged police to begin by talking to people at nearby stores selling occult books and symbols.

Police departments around the country call on Dawn Perlmutter to help identify evidence of religious rituals at crime scenes and find those responsible.

The perpetrator soon was brought to justice.

Probing strange and violent crime scenes is commonplace for Perlmutter, director of the Institute for the Research of Organized and Ritual Violence and a consultant to law enforcement agencies across the country.

A soft-spoken, auburn-haired woman in her early 40s, she has an open, easy manner that gives no hint of her days studying gruesome crime scenes and the extremist religious and terrorist groups behind them.

Her 440-page book, “Investigating Religious Terrorism and Ritualistic Crimes,” appeared in bookstores last month. It is being billed by its publisher as “the first complete resource to assist in crime scene identification, criminal investigation and prosecution of religious terrorism and occult crime.”

“There are literally thousands of new religions, many of whose theologies advocate violence, springing up in this country today,” Perlmutter said in an interview.

“I know of at least 150 satanic groups in existence, and more are being formed every day. Many of the white supremacy groups hide behind a Christian facade, distorting that faith and advocating an apocalyptic view of the world.

“What concerns me,” she said, “is that people are now using the Internet to create their own extreme religions and find followers. I've tried to be careful not to disrespect any religion, but I do draw a very clear line between what's legal and what's illegal.”

She tries to look at each group's practices from its unique perspective, in order to lend some in-depth understanding of members' motives, she said.

The book explains the organizational structure of satanic clans and covens and probes vampirism, voodoo, the Goth movement, fetishes, neo-paganism, sacrifice and blood rituals.

Perlmutter also addresses recruitment policies and indoctrination techniques, a subject that deeply worries her, she said. “I know recruiters for these groups are visiting college campuses. And they're finding followers through the Internet among lonely, alienated kids. People have no idea how prevalent these groups are. Everyone, especially parents, needs help to understand what's out there.”

Perlmutter never set out to pursue a career linked to law enforcement and gruesome crime. She grew up in Ventnor, N.J., in a happy, traditional family and had a strong interest in art. In college, she became intrigued by the religious symbols and idolatry so prominent in ancient religious art, and this led to a growing interest in philosophy.

She started to see how many of those ancient blood- or sacrifice-related symbols were making their way into modern life, often in distorted fashion.

So she began work on a doctoral thesis titled “Graven Images: Creative Acts of Idolatry,” later published as a book. In it, she tackled such contemporary subjects as violence in film.

Fully expecting to spend her life as an academic, Perlmutter taught at several colleges. But her growing acclaim as a crime-scene consultant convinced her to work in that field full time.

It all started when a friend asked her to help a New Jersey police officer pal who was bewildered by a murder case.

Looking over some autopsy photos, “I saw immediately that the types of mutilation shown were indicative of ancient rites of tribal blood mutilation, which could represent a traitor who betrayed a tribe. I told him to look at local gangs,” she recalled.

When her hunch proved accurate, the officer invited Perlmutter to speak to a law enforcement-related agency.

“It was received well, and I was asked to speak to two more groups. Every time I spoke, someone started asking me about specific cases.

“That's when the light bulb went off,” she said. “I realized that, in this way, I would have firsthand access to cases that would prove or disprove my theory about the relationship between violence and the sacred.”

She explains the theory this way: “In all religions, there has always been some form of religious sacrifice, and contemporary ritual homicide often mimics and distorts that.”

By working with law enforcement, she surmised, she would have a chance to learn more.

Philosophically, Perlmutter is a proponent of “the Girardian theory, the premise that violence and aggression are intrinsic in human beings,” she said. But that doesn't mean personal violence is inevitable. Non-destructive outlets for those emotions are part of every culture, she said, pointing to football, movies and TV as healthy avenues for catharsis.

“What's happening today is these new religions are not just serving as outlets of aggression, they are also filling a spiritual need. They're providing an ideology and a belief system for people who are very out of control and need a way to justify violence and gratify those needs.

“I don't think it's an issue of too many guns or even of bad parenting,” she concluded. “I think there's a real spiritual void.”

Posted: 11/07/03

Small church grows strong leaders

By George Henson

Staff Writer

KYLE–If it is true that leaders are born, not made, then the soil around Kyle is good for something other than cotton.

Immanuel Baptist Church, a rural congregation located amid cotton fields for all but the last few years since its founding in 1886, has turned out more than its fair share of leaders.

While never averaging more than about 75 people in attendance, and for many years considerably less than that, the church has made significant contributions to the leadership pool of Texas Baptists. Seven Baptist ministers have sprung from the membership.

Roland Alhart is a pastor in the northeastern U.S., and Curtis Lengelfeld is a pastor in New Mexico. Bill Lengelfeld and Richard Mayforth both left the tiny community in the Hill Country and found themselves around the world as missionaries in Japan.

The best known products of the church are the Schmeltekopf brothers. Bob Schmeltekopf served as pastor of Texas churches including First Baptist in San Marcos and Trinity Baptist in Kerrville, and then served 18 years as a director of missions in San Antonio and the Hill Country. Don Schmeltekopf served 12 years as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Baylor University. Ed Schmeltekopf was pastor of three Texas churches, including First Baptist Church in Burleson, and served 20 years as associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

And Immanuel Baptist Church isn't even a BGCT church.

Pastor Dennis Koger, who has BGCT roots growing up in First Baptist and Ridgecrest churches in Greenville and then teaching at Baylor University and San Marcos Academy, explained the congregation has had a close fellowship with the BGCT from its beginnings, however.

Even in its infancy, the BGCT recognized the need to reach out to people of various cultures, Koger explained. The BGCT was instrumental in helping the families coordinate the beginnings of the church, first organized as the First German Baptist Church of Kyle in 1886–the 11th Baptist church started through the efforts of Texas Baptists.

Driven by cultural and language considerations, the church first aligned with the German Baptist Convention, later becoming the North American Baptist Convention.

As to why the church is able to turn out such leaders, Koger says he believes several things play into the equation. Part of the answer he said he received from Bob Schmeltekopf.

“I asked Robert Lee, everybody down here calls him 'Robert Lee,' that question and he told me they had seen the dairy farm and that was not where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. A terribly spiritual motivation,” Koger quipped.

“Seriously, though, I think it's the strong family context that affects everything these people do, and these are genuine people of faith. God just worked in the lives of these families to raise up leaders to do the things he wanted done,” he said.

Bob Schmeltekopf sees a few additional motivators as well: “A part of the German culture out of which that church was born was a tremendous work ethic. Pursuing the very highest achievement one could achieve was a focus of our parents. It was not only a matter of the work ethic, though, but also a part of their theology. Upward mobility was not looked upon as a curse, but as a blessing.

“The second thing was the leadership called to lead that little church was phenomenal. Sometimes, even as kids, we saw that in marked contrast to what some of the other little churches had,” he said.

In his case, a Methodist minister who doubled as the high school athletic trainer also played an integral part.

“He taped my ankles before every football game and before every basketball game. My senior year, he carted me around to nearly every Baptist school and just really had a huge impact on me.”

All of those things prepared him to be used by God.

“When God called me, there was no hesitation, no reluctance on my part,” Schmeltekopf said. “I was excited to be like my pastor and my friend who taped my ankles.”

While the cotton fields have begun to turn over to home sites for new families, the church still works to reach out to new children like the Lengelfelds and the Schmeltekopfs.

“It used to be the joke that you couldn't say anything bad about anyone because everybody around here was related. Now that's not true,” Koger said. “But we're going to build a new multipurpose building, and I think that will be a signal to the people moving in around here that we want them to come.”

Posted: 11/07/03

BGCT: Smaller Texas churches can grow

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Four of ten churches affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas have fewer than 100 resident members, according to convention statistics.

About 65 percent of Hispanic churches average less than 100 members, and 93 percent of reporting Hispanic missions serve fewer than 100 members.

Nationally, 60 percent of Protestant churches serve 100 or fewer adults in a typical weekend and just less than 2 percent have 1,000 or more adults.

Yet smaller churches face different challenges than larger churches and need unique attention, according to Frank Palos, associate coordinator of the BGCT Church Health and Growth Section.

Many times, members of smaller congregations stay so busy supporting the church that they may not have as much time to focus on spiritual matters, Palos explained.

He compared small church members to a football team where every player has to play offense, defense and special teams. The players work continuously without having time to reflect.

“Smaller churches can be effective if they will just focus and not try to do what the bigger churches do, and spread themselves out so thinly,” he said. “You've heard the phrase 'jack of all trades, but master of none.' In a smaller congregation, because of the smaller numbers, people sometimes confuse work for God for worship of God.”

Bob Ray, director of bivocational and small church development with the BGCT, said his experience in Texas shows members of smaller congregations are more committed to the church and their faith than members of larger churches. If they aren't committed, the church closes.

“In a smaller-membership church, you can't hide,” he said. “They're such a small group they have to be committed or the church doesn't function.”

While Palos understands the stereotypical picture of a small church is a wooden building in the country, he said the typical small church in Texas is changing. Small churches currently reach a wide variety of people in vastly different locales, ranging from the inner city to the suburbs to rural regions.

It is good for God's kingdom that small churches attract a different group of people than large churches, Ray added. Smaller churches serve a niche audience that would not be served by larger congregations.

“They are not going to go to First Baptist Church of a county seat,” he said. “They perceive they are not going to be as comfortable.”

Despite greater attention placed on large churches, small churches will continue to exist and reach people, Palos predicted. They have an equally important role as large churches and must do it to reach the world for Christ.

“I think the role is the same–to share the good news,” he said. “The opportunity to share the gospel may not be the same, but the role is the same.”

Ray reminds that numeric growth for the sake of numbers is not the mission of the church. Growth should come from church members acting more like Christ on a daily basis.

Palos believes the key to small-church growth is meeting needs. If a church is purposely meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the community, it will grow spiritually and numerically, he insisted.

Posted: 11/07/03

Southern Seminary to close day-care center

By David Winfrey

Kentucky Western Recorder

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP)–Citing a need for classroom space, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary officials have announced plans to close the school's Child Development Center.

The transition of Rankin Hall from day care to teaching space was one of several changes detailed in a revised campus master plan approved by trustees at a meeting where they also adopted a resolution against “open theism.”

In addition to closing the day care, the master plan outlines transforming a 76-year-old auxiliary gymnasium into two large classrooms and selling the 251-unit Village Manor Apartments to a private company, which will renovate the complex and maintain it as a low-income housing facility.

Seminary President Al Mohler characterized the Child Development Center's closing as a “forced option” based on the need for more classrooms.

“We are forced by enrollment gains to make difficult choices and must look to other options for child-care needs,” he said in a statement.

Three years ago, the seminary announced plans to close the center but reversed that decision after an outcry from those who had children enrolled in the center.

Currently, 72 children are enrolled in the center, according to seminary spokesman Lawrence Smith. Of those, 23 are students' children, 12 are employees' children and 37 are children of community residents.

According to data provided by the seminary for publication in the Southern Baptist Convention Annual, Southern has experienced enrollment growth in recent years, after a period of enrollment decline.

In the 1992-1993 academic year, the year before Mohler became president, the seminary reported a full-time equivalent enrollment of 1,792. For the 2001-2002 academic year, the latest for which comparable data has been published, the seminary reported an FTE enrollment of 1,731.

While essentially steady compared to a decade before, FTE enrollment has rebounded from a low point of 1,163 in 1997-1998. After Mohler's first year in office, FTE enrollment dropped annually for four years, then began to move forward annually beginning in 1998.

The seminary has experienced exponential growth in its Boyce College undergraduate program, which now counts more than 600 students.

Also, while FTE enrollment has returned to its previous levels, the number of graduate degrees awarded by the seminary remains below its former mark. In the 1992-1993 academic year, the seminary awarded 443 master's and doctoral degrees, 42 percent more than the 257 degrees awarded in 2001-2002.

Mohler told the board the campus expansion plan is necessary to keep the seminary on “war-time footing,” prepared to meet the needs of churches.

Churches are seeking ministers from Southern Seminary at a rate that exceeds the number of graduates produced annually, he said.

Posted: 11/07/03

Texas Tidbits

Baylor names master teachers. Two Baylor University professors–one living and one dead–have been named master teachers by President Robert Sloan. The master teacher designation is the highest honor granted to Baylor faculty members. Sloan bestowed the title on Ray Wilson II, professor of biology, and the late Helen Ligon, emeritus professor of information systems. These are the first master teacher designations granted during Sloan's nine-year presidency.

DBU invites prospective students. Dallas Baptist University will host a Patriot Weekend preview for prospective students Nov. 14-15. High school juniors and seniors will experience campus life through informative seminars, interaction with students and faculty, sessions on financial aid and an inspirational concert by DBU's student ministry team, Glowing Heart. Cost for the weekend is $25 and includes lodging, meals and a commemorative T-shirt. Call (214) 333-5360 or e-mail admiss@dbu.edu.

ETBU board elects officers. D.M Edwards of Tyler has been elected chairman of the trustee board at East Texas Baptist University. He is a businessman and member of First Baptist Church of Tyler, where he is a deacon. He will serve with Vice Chairman Clint Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, and Secretary George Fitts, chief financial officer for Carlile Companies and a deacon at Central Baptist Church in Marshall. Also elected to the board's executive committee are Tom Lyles, a certified public accountant from Lindale; Jo Marie Jones, retired teacher and a homemaker from Jasper; Ken Branam, pastor of Plymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving; and Harlan Hall, minister of music at Central Baptist Church of Carthage.

HSU names Leavenworth. Russell Leavenworth has joined the Hardin-Simmons University advancement staff as a development officer. A 1999 HSU marketing graduate, he moves from the Abilene Philharmonic Association, where he has been director of marketing and development.

Posted: 11/07/03

TOGETHER:
Advance the kingdom of heaven

Clearly the theme of the kingdom of God was central to Jesus' gospel message: “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 'The time has come,' he said. 'The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news'” (Mark 1:14-15).

Perhaps you have heard your pastor say, “We must be about kingdom business,” as you were urged on to a vision that was not centered on just what was good for your local church.

Can we be concrete about what the kingdom of God is? Note what any kingdom anywhere is. A kingdom is a territory that is under the rule of a king. The kingdom operates where the king's rule is respected, his name is honored, his laws obeyed and his taxes paid. The lines on a map may say that an area of land is in the kingdom, but if in that province no one takes the word of the king seriously, then it is part of the kingdom in name, but not in reality.

CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

That is why Jesus taught us to pray earnestly: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus wants the will of God to be done in the earth, and everywhere it is, the kingdom of God is present.

The Apostle Paul imagined the Christian communities to be outposts of the kingdom of heaven at work in the world. In the midst of a corrupt and dying world, where “many live as enemies of the cross of Christ … their mind … on earthly things, … our citizenship is in heaven.” Or as Moffatt translates it: “We are a colony of heaven” (Philippians 3:18-20).

Our king reigns without benefit of sword or the engines of war. He has chosen to be content to let the rule of truth, peace, love and grace conquer the hearts of men and women. And wherever there are people who love Jesus and want to become like him, the kingdom of God is extended. That is why Jesus invited his hearers to “follow me.” And why they were called disciples.

We advance the kingdom of God by learning more and more every day what it means to grow to be like him and then actually following his way. The four Gospels are the textbooks for the life of Christ–when you know him there, you know him now. If we don't know what Jesus did, we can't even begin to know what Jesus would do!

In “The Divine Conspiracy,” Dallas Willard makes an intriguing observation: “The really good news for humanity is that Jesus is now taking students in the master class of life.”

When you hear the direction of Jesus sending you and your church into the world to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, healing for the sick, and God's grace and favor and you do it, the kingdom of God is there. When you eat with sinners, feed the hungry, examine your heart and repent of any self-righteousness, embrace the outcasts, welcome the children, take seriously the questions and aspirations of women as well as men who would follow Jesus, call for and live out a purity of life that flows from the heart, enter into prayer that draws you into the heart of God, you begin to see signs of the kingdom of God when it is in motion.

The theme for our Baptist General Convention of Texas annual session in Lubbock is “Your Church … Advancing God's Kingdom.” When we move out into our communities and world, being the presence of Christ, there the kingdom of God is advanced.

As I look at the program of our convention meeting and anticipate what we will be doing, I rejoice, for we are about the Father's kingdom business.

We are loved.