Posted: 10/17/03

Supreme Court will hear 'under God' pledge case

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–In a move that surprised some observers, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed Oct. 14 to hear a case involving the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The justices decided to review the “under God” ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but will do so without the participation of one of the court's most conservative justices.

Last year, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit declared a California school district's policy of teacher-led recitation of the pledge a violation of the Constitution's ban on government establishment of religion. A majority of the 9th Circuit's full 24-member panel later reaffirmed the decision.

In announcing their intention to hear the case, the Supreme Court noted it will be considered and decided without the participation of Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia recused himself, presumably because of questions about his impartiality, stemming from public comments the justice made in January. At a speech in Fredericksburg, Va., commemorating Religious Freedom Day, Scalia criticized the 9th Circuit's ruling on the pledge case.

In the original 2-1 decision, father Michael Newdow, an atheist, argued–and the panel agreed–that his rights to raise his then-8-year-old daughter were violated by her suburban Sacramento school district's policy of teacher-led pledge recitation.

Although the pledge has been around in forms similar to its present one since the late 1800s, Congress added the phrase “under God” to the oath in 1954. Federal records show congressmen made the move partially in reaction to the perceived atheistic threat of communism.

The 9th Circuit judges said both Congress' action to add the phrase and the Elk Grove Unified School District's policy of teachers leading recitation of the pledge were unconstitutional.

The decision caused a national firestorm of controversy when it was announced in June 2002. A large majority in Congress, as well as President George W. Bush and California Gov. Gray Davis, condemned the ruling and reaffirmed the addition of “under God” to the pledge.

After the public outcry, the same panel later amended their ruling, rescinding the portion declaring the addition of the words themselves unconstitutional but reiterating that the recitation of the pledge in public schools is illegal. That ruling also delayed implementation of the earlier ban, pending the Supreme Court's action in the case.

In accepting the case Oct. 14, the high court declined to review Newdow's argument that the words themselves were unconstitutional and should be removed from the pledge. However, they did agree to hear arguments on two other aspects of the case–whether teacher-led recitation of the pledge is constitutional and whether Newdow had standing to file the case.

The standing issue arose last year after the child's mother, Sandra Banning, told the media she and her daughter were practicing Christians and not offended by the pledge. She also said the fact Newdow–to whom she never was married–did not have custody of the child at the time he filed the suit meant that he lacked standing to file the lawsuit.

A California court recently granted Newdow partial custody of the girl, whose name has not been included in court papers to protect her privacy.

In their Dec. 4 ruling, the same three-judge panel that made the original ruling said Banning's argument didn't hold up regardless of the child's custody situation. In an accompanying opinion written by Judge Alfred Goodwin, the court reaffirmed its original decision in strong language.

“The pledge to a nation 'under God,' with its imprimatur of governmental sanction, provides the message to Newdow's young daughter not only that non-believers, or believers in non-Judeo-Christian religions, are outsiders, but more specifically that her father's beliefs are those of an outsider, and necessarily inferior to what she is exposed to in the classroom,” Goodwin wrote.

The Supreme Court previously ruled that children may not be forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance but has not ruled on whether teachers should be required to lead it.

Many court observers believe the justices will reverse the 9th Circuit's decision. Previous court opinions have suggested that a category of generalized government religious endorsements, often called “ceremonial deism,” does not violate the First Amendment because they have little actual religious meaning.

Such endorsements include phrases like the national motto, “In God We Trust,” or the announcement that the Supreme Court itself uses when opening its sessions: “God save the United States and this honorable court.”

The Supreme Court invited the Bush administration to file a brief in the case. Although White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan declined to say what Bush's intentions were in his Oct. 14 daily press briefing, he did say the White House believed the original decision was wrong.

“You have a Declaration of Independence that refers to God or the Creator four different times. You have sessions of Congress each day that begin with prayer. And, of course, if you look on our own currency, it says, 'In God We Trust.' So we believe the Pledge of Allegiance is an important right that ought to be upheld by the Supreme Court.”

However, the head of a Baptist church-state agency in Washington said that, while ceremonial deism may be legal, it isn't necessarily advisable for Christians to advocate on behalf of it.

“What is constitutional is not always helpful or conducive to a spirit of robust religious liberty,” said Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs. “The vitality of religion in America is diminished by blurring the allegiance to government with our ultimate allegiance to God. Are we any more religious today than we were before 'under God' was put into the pledge in 1954?”

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, called the 9th Circuit Court's decision “outrageous even for the looniest of all the federal appeals courts in the land.”

“If the Supreme Court were to uphold the 9th Circuit's ruling that the pledge is unconstitutional, it will have a full-scale revolt on its hands, which will in short order result in either a constitutional amendment or a removing of this area from the court's jurisdiction by Congress,” Land said.

The case is Elk Grove Unified School District vs. Newdow. The court will hear oral arguments in the case in early 2004 and likely will render a decision by the time it ends its 2003-2004 term in July.

Randy Easterday sets up the last section of a billboard ad in Phillipsburg, N.J. The ad was paid for by donations gathered by Marguerite Hansen in response to a federal court ruling that the phrase “under God'” in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional.

Posted: 10/17/03

Mom pens book for 60 seconds

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ROUND ROCK–Deborah Knapp has written a book for school children that she prays will give 60 seconds a day eternal consequences.

Since Sept. 1, school children in Texas have been given one minute of silence each day to use as they choose. Although advocated by supporters of school prayer, the legislation mandating the minute of silence does not require students to pray.

Knapp, who was working as a policy analyst and legislative aide to Sen. Eliot Shapleigh when the bill passed, was excited about the new legislation until she talked with her own daughter about it. Her daughter's response was, “Mom, a whole minute–that's a long time to do nothing.”

So Knapp began writing a journal for her daughter to use during those 60 seconds each school day. As others heard about the project, they encouraged her to publish the short devotionals so other children across Texas would have a guide for brief prayers.

“I guess what concerned me the most was that our kids wouldn't know what to do with the minute, and the opportunity would be lost,” Knapp said.

She hopes non-religious students will become interested in the tool used by their classmates. “They may never have seen anyone pray before, and this is a chance for kids to witness through their prayers in a non-threatening way,” she said.

Knapp, a member of River Bend Baptist Church in Austin, began writing the journal toward the end of June and had it completed by the end of July. That was possible because budget cuts had put her out of a job.

“It was just another example of how God's timing is always perfect,” Knapp said. “If I hadn't gotten laid off in June, I probably wouldn't have gotten to take a vacation because of the special session, and I probably wouldn't have gotten it finished on time.”

The paperback book is divided into 180 days, with a Scripture verse and the beginnings of a prayer to be completed for each day. Lines are included that children can write on, but Knapp tells them in the forward of the book that it is fine to simply pray silently without writing anything down.

The book has received so much attention that even Knapp's publicist has been surprised, she reported. The publicist told Knapp the book has garnered more attention than any project she had worked on before.

“I just told her: 'Amanda, you don't understand. God is pretty cool about doing things that have never been done before.'”

Posted: 10/17/03

Panel warns of repression in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Members of a federal panel warn that religious freedom and other human rights remain imperiled in Afghanistan–even under a United States-backed government.

Members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, reporting on an August visit to Kabul, said the U.S.-backed interim government is in danger of allowing the nation to return to the patterns of severe repression of religious freedom that characterized the Taliban's rule there. The Taliban was deposed by U.S.-led forces in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda.

Noting that the country was in the “crucial period” of preparing a proposal for a permanent constitution, the report said “there are indications … that the gains for human rights achieved by the U.S.-led coalition's victory over the Taliban are in peril.”

The commission mentioned reports of abuse of religious freedom and other human rights taking place in areas of the country that have not yet been brought under the transitional government's authority.

The commission has before noted that an Afghan judge–whose salary is subsidized by the U.S.–has handed down blasphemy rulings.

Afghans are currently drafting the proposed constitution. A spokesperson for the commission said the proposal will be released sometime this fall.

Posted: 10/17/03

New church finds open door in development

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

AMARILLO–Developers often say they want to create “heavenly” communities. Donna Myatt is working to make that a real possibility.

Myatt and her husband, Murray, prayed for two years for Christians to start a church in the neighborhood she was developing for her Catholic uncle, R.J. Podzemny, who owned the land. The couple wanted to build a neighborhood that would serve God, going as far as naming some of the streets after prayer warriors in their family.

A former teacher, Myatt said she understands the importance of the church in raising children. Churches strengthen families and grow children spiritually and morally, she said.

“I was trying to put things together that you would need for a community, and you need a church first,” she explained. “We wanted this community to be a little different than everything else in Amarillo.”

As the Myatts' prayers went upward, George Haddox said he felt God calling him to start a new church in the area. At the urging of some friends, he looked at some land Myatt was developing.

Although the property seemed to be perfect for a new church and the Myatts' prayers were encouraging, Haddox explained to her that he did not have the resources to buy land in the area.

Myatt's response was simple: “Pray and claim it.”

Haddox said he could not believe his ears and asked her to repeat herself several times before he understood Podzemny would donate the land for a new church. The pastor got so excited, he finished the conversation without giving Myatt his name.

Realizing his mistake, he went back the next day to find “confirmation” of God's will. He approached Myatt as she was speaking to a young couple looking to purchase land and was introduced as “the new preacher.” Shortly after, a young girl who was playing nearby asked if she could be the first person baptized in the church.

Satisfied they were in God's will, Myatt and Haddox put together a church. Services for Hollywood Road Community Church, sponsored by Second Baptist Church and the Baptist General Convention of Texas, started last October in a model home.

The congregation soon began building its new facilities on the donated lot. Myatt's uncle was baptized and joined the congregation. The church is now 46 members strong and should move in to its new building around Thanksgiving.

Although Myatt and Podzemny made sacrifices and Haddox has worked to build the church, the pastor gives all the credit to God.

Myatt said she looks forward to seeing how God will work through the church and community.

The church is the answer to her prayers, she said. “You're not going to get anywhere without a plan. We had a pretty structured plan and knew what we needed.”

The couple wanted to build a neighborhood that would serve God, going as far as naming some of the streets after prayer warriors in their family.

Posted: 10/17/03

Annuity Board asks for name change

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–The Annuity Board will change its name and begin serving evangelical organizations beyond the Southern Baptist Convention if SBC messengers approve the changes next summer.

Initial approval was given by the SBC Executive Committee.

The Dallas-based SBC agency proposes to change its name to GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The name change recommendation would require approval by messengers at two consecutive annual meetings. Next summer in Indianapolis, the convention will be asked to authorize the board to do business as GuideStone Financial Resources for one year, pending a second affirmative vote in Nashville in 2005.

“The Annuity Board's name has served us well, but it has been decades since our only retirement option was an annuity,” said George Tous van Nijkerk, chairman of the Annuity Board trustees. “The board now offers a myriad of distribution options to participants as they reach retirement, as well as many other products and services such as life and medical plans and personal investment programs including traditional and Roth IRAs.

“Our current name is no longer reflective of our organization, and a new name gives us the opportunity to communicate our image as an up-to-date, full-service provider of financial and insurance products and services,” Tous van Nijkerk said.

An amendment to the ministry assignment of the Annuity Board would include other evangelical organizations in addition to the churches and denominational entities it already serves. Relief would still be exclusive to Southern Baptist ministers and denominational employees, but retirement plan programs, life and health coverage, personal investment programs and institutional investment services would be open to others who qualify.

“Due to competitive pressures and limited growth potential, the Annuity Board must seek ways to grow our asset base so we can continue to be an advocate for our Southern Baptist pastors at the crossroads,” Annuity Board President O.S. Hawkins said.

Hawkins said the Annuity Board will use criteria similar to what the International Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources use in determining which evangelical organizations will be eligible for partnership.

The guidelines also are written to ensure that the other evangelical organizations never become the majority of those served by the Annuity Board, Hawkins emphasized.

Posted: 10/17/03

Around the State

New faculty at East Texas Baptist University include Doug Barlow, assistant professor of chemistry; Kay Caufield, instructor of nursing; Bob Conlin, instructor of kinesiology/assistant athletic trainer; Brent Farmer, instructor of music/ band director; Ray Herman, instructor of voice; Blanca Jenkins, instructor of Spanish; Rick Johnson, professor of religion; Brent Maddox, assistant professor of theatre arts; Allen Redmon, assistant professor of English; and John Sargent, assistant professor of education. New staff include Robert Hogberg, mechanical maintenance manager; and Mike Midkiff, director of public relations and marketing.

Renee Burns has been named director of academic advising at Houston Baptist University.

Waco Baptist Association sent nine people to Boston to lead Experiencing God sessions and provide Sunday School and Vacation Bible School conferences. The group also held prayerwalks in Southbridge, Mass., and portions of Vermont. Participating were Larrye Weaver, Larry Key, Billy Edwards, Margie Cox and Royce Montgomery; Jerry and Kathy Brooks, Paul Stripling and Rex Bland.

Larry Reeves has been named director of the Mayborn Campus Center and university host at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He formerly was director of campus activities and special events, campus and conference coordinator, and university host since 1982. He also is minister of music at First Church in Rosebud.

Abilene Association honored Mike Bradford of Fort Phantom Church in Abilene and Lee Fuller of Wylie Baptist Church in Abilene as pastors of the year during the association's annual meeting Oct. 20 at Beltway Park Church. Church of the year presentations were made to Ambler Church, Charles Maciel pastor, and South Side Church, Kevin Uekert pastor, both in Abilene. Jeff Reid, associate pastor of Pioneer Drive Church in Abilene, was named church staff member of the year. Wes Ratliff, also from Pioneer Drive, was tapped as layperson of the year.

Anniversaries

First Church in Ovilla, 100th, Sept. 28. Wes Edwards is pastor.

David Lowe, 20th, as associate minister of music/organist at First Church in Amarillo, Sept. 28.

Mario Davila, fifth, as pastor of Flint Avenue Church in Lubbock, Oct. 1.

Alvin Petty, fifth, as pastor of Calvary Church in Friona, Oct. 1. In commemoration of his service to the church and also his 34th wedding anniversary, the church is sending the couple to Washington, D.C., for a week to facilitate a visit to the Smithsonian Institute.

Anthony Sisemore, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Floydada, Oct. 5.

Scott Walker, 10th, as pastor of First Church in Waco, Oct. 5.

Wendyl Glenn, fifth, as pastor of First Church in Sherwood Shores, Oct. 7.

Jimmy Storrie, fifth, as minister of youth at First Church in Lubbock, Oct. 11.

Larry Solice, 50th, in the ministry, Oct. 12. A long-time Texas and Louisana pastor, he was honored at Immanuel Church in Paris. While retired, he continues to serve as chaplain of the Paris Police Department and at Christus St. Joseph Hospital. He also leads a weekly Bible study at a nursing home.

Lakeside Church in Breckenridge, 10th, Oct. 19.

Mickey Renteria, 10th, as pastor of Iglesia Jerusalem in Lorenzo, Oct. 26.

First Church in Burton, 150th, Oct. 26. Bill Tinsley, associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, will be the guest speaker. Ed Lovell, minister of music at Cliff Temple Church in Dallas, will lead the music. The old church building, which dates to the 1800s, will be open to guests. A luncheon will follow the morning service. Jack Broadwater is pastor.

Four of the five men who have served Amarillo Baptist Association as director of missions were on hand to help celebrate the association's recent 50th anniversary–Argus Burnett, 1957-66; Chester O'Brien, 1967-74; B.L. Davis, 1975-86; and Roy Kornegay, 1987-present. Stanley Brown, who served the association in 1955 and 1956, is deceased. The celebration was held at Trinity Church in Amarillo. A history of the association, “Light on the Plains,” also was presented.

First Church in Lake Jackson, 60th, Oct. 26. Former pastors Johnny Beard, D.O. Foster and James Reimer will attend as will former ministers of music Bob Griffin and Fred Guilbert. A luncheon, for which tickets are required, will follow. For lunch reservations, call (979) 297-2496. John Hatch is pastor.

First Church in Knott, 95th, Oct. 26. Special music, testimonies and a fellowship time will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. John Kinman is pastor.

Mike Garrett, 15th, as pastor of Monaville Church in Brookshire.

Marsha Miller, fifth, as music minister at First Church in Columbus.

Chester Sassman, 35th, as pastor of Calvary Church in Bay City.

Bryan Butler, fifth, as minister of education at First Church in The Woodlands.

Ron Davis, 15th, as minister of education and music at First Church in Liberty.

First Church in Markham, 100th, Nov. 2. Former pastor Joe Ramsey will speak in the morning service, followed by a luncheon. For more information, call (979) 843-5442. Howard Harper is pastor.

South Main Church in Houston, 100th, Nov. 9-16. The celebration will kick off with William Tanner as the guest speaker in the morning services. A luncheon and birthday party will be held beginning at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday will include a special service of remembrance and commitment. Friday will spotlight the church's music ministry beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday will feature an open house, reunion and prayerwalk from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. with box lunches available. A coffee honoring past and present staff members will follow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The centennial celebration dinner will be held at the Radisson Hotel Astrodome at 6 p.m. Pastor Stephen Wells will preach a special centennial message in both services the next morning, with a commemorative photo taken in both the 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.

First Church in Normangee, 130th, Nov. 16. A thanksgiving service will be followed by a luncheon at noon. For more information, call (936) 396-2181. Kip Riley is pastor.

Events

First Cedar Valley Church in Salado will host a concert by the McKameys at the Belton Junior High Auditorium Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. The Messenger Quartet also will perform. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 at the door. For more information, call (254) 947-5100. J. Floyd Franks is pastor.

Deaths

Carl Day, 94, Sept. 28 in Leesville, La. He was pastor of several Texas and Louisiana churches during his 65 years of ministry. He also worked for the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board for 15 years, and was associational minister for Johnson Association. He is survived by his wife, Lucille; sons, John Carl and Leslie; step-son, Raymond White; sister, Lucy Lee Hagins; 10 grandchildren; eight step-grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 12 step-great-grandchildren.

Ordained

Aaron Peck to the ministry at Willow Creek Church in Fort Worth.

Marion Antley, Lark Caldwell, Jim Collier, Charles Seely and Sue Turner as deacons at Broadway Church in Fort Worth.

Jason Nichols and Mike Lonigro as deacons at First Church in Canyon Lake.

Norman Poer as a deacon at Willow Creek Church in Fort Worth.

Don Finch, Roy Gray, Jim Kennedy, Terry Nance and James Shepard as deacons at First Church in Nixon.

Revivals

Tolar Church, Tolar; Oct. 19-22; evangelist, Jerry Poteet; music, Jeff Ashley; pastor, Armo Bentley.

Central Church, Carthage; Oct. 26-28; evangelist, Ronny Marriott; music, Ronny Stribble; pastor, William Everett.

First Church, Bartlett; Oct. 26-29; evangelist, Bill Gravell; pastor, Kenneth Jordan.

First Church, Devers; Oct. 26-30; evangelist, Gary Newman; music, Sam Craig; pastor, Harry McDaniel.

Immanuel Church, Paris; Nov. 2-5; evangelist, BO Baker; music, Dick Baker; pastor, Randall Scott.

Posted: 10/17/03

Americans eat big, give little

VENTURA, Calif. (RNS) –Americans spend almost 50 times as much money on fast food in a year than they do on helping poor children, a survey by the Barna Research Group shows.

The typical respondent reported his or her household spends about $240 a year on fast food. In that same period, a typical household spends only $5 on assisting children in poverty.

The survey indicated half of respondents' households had not donated anything to organizations helping the poor in the last year.

Six in 10 Americans said they don't think it's their job to aid poor children abroad.

“Although it is a disappointment that so many Americans don't feel responsibility for children in poverty, I believe more people would participate if they knew who to trust and knew what to do,” said Wesley Stafford, president of Compassion International.

Two-thirds of respondents said the government of a child's country and the parents of poor children should bear “a lot” of responsibility to help poor children. Thirteen percent said individuals should have “a lot” of responsibility.

The survey results were based on 1,002 telephone interviews of adults older than 18, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Posted: 10/17/03

Church helps Baylor students take a load off

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

HEWITT–Members of Brazos Meadows Baptist Church in Hewitt are taking loads off students' minds and washing machines.

Church families “adopt” Baylor University students, treating their new children to meals, inviting them to their houses and sometimes doing their laundry. They also may attend university sporting events together.

More than that, they connect with the students relationally and spiritually, discussing the trials a student may encounter. The adoptive parents encourage and comfort the young adults as needed.

“Most of them really do click,” Pastor Billy Edwards said. “They hug on each other and love on each other. In some ways, they begin to look a lot like families.”

Fostering loving relationships is one of the 11 characteristics of church health adopted by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Each student needs something different, explained Diane Haun, who has adopted two students. Sometimes people miss the feel of a bustling house or the smell of home cooking. Others may need practical help such as car repair.

She views the adoption program as an opportunity to impact lives at a crucial stage. The biological mother of two daughters hopes to be a good example to the students and help them through their struggles.

“You get to be part of their lives,” she said. “One of the girls is really in the process of growing as a Christian. The other is just amazing. My jaw just drops when I listen to her.”

Jonelle Stokes, one of Haun's adopted students, said the experience has helped her find her way around Waco. Haun also provides a “grown-up prayer partner” on whom Stokes can lean.

“Diane has a really big smile, and she's really nice,” she said. “She's this really sweet, warm person.”

Families also gain from the arrangement, Haun reported. The young adults keep her young and encourage her to grow in faith. Both parties learn from each other through their conversations.

In the larger picture, the effort allows college students to feel they are part of the full congregation, not a segmented group. The phrase “church family” takes on more meaning as students get to know many non-student members.

The students also have brought excitement and a different perspective to the congregation, Haun said.

Posted: 10/17/03

Santa needs help at Mission Arlington

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ARLINGTON–Wanted: People with enough mechanical ability to inflate a tire and light up a smile. Additional mechanical ability a plus. Call (214) 405-5223 or (817) 226 8143, ext. 233 for more information.

The Seekers Sunday School class at First Baptist Church in Arlington decided earlier this year to help Mission Arlington, a ministry arm of the church, by fixing up bicycles to give to underprivileged children at Christmas time. So far, working every Tuesday night since August, they have reconditioned more than 100 bikes. The exact count was lost long ago because the men are too busy fixing bikes to count them.

Jim Smith of First Baptist Church in Arlington gives a bicycle a diagnostic inspection before making repairs.

Donations have far outstripped the number repaired, however, and now almost 500 bikes are awaiting attention.

“A lot of times, it's just a matter of airing up the tires and adjusting the cables,” explained Ron Helmintaler. “But those things have to be done, and they take time away from the bikes that need more extensive repairs.”

The Tuesday night work crew typically is four to six people. They are praying some additional helpful hands might come forward.

“If they had some mechanical abilities and a tool set, that would be great, but some of the bikes need attention just about anyone can provide,” Helmintaler said.

Helmintaler, who put himself through college assembling bicycles for Sears, and Jim Smith do most of the extensive repairs, but Smith said they are looking for some people to share the load.

“If someone has some mechanical ability, I'm an instructor by trade, and I can teach them what they need to know,” he said.

The men say they enjoy the time they spend together preparing the bikes that will make many children's Christmas much more enjoyable than it would have been.

“I enjoy fixing things and working with my hands,” Smith said, “but I really don't look at this as labor. It's fun and a lot less frustrating than golf.”

Louis Heinze said he doesn't have the mechanical ability of the other men, but he does whatever is needed. One of his primary duties is transporting the bicycles. And until warehousing space recently was acquired, the repairs were done in his garage.

“The time we put in this is well worthwhile,” he said. “We are trying to help Mission Arlington, which is in turn helping so many kids.”

Helping Mission Arlington was the impetus behind the donation of the current repair shop on Division Street, west of Six Flags Mall.

“When we called Karen Siewinski to see if she had any space available, she was thrilled to help. She is not a member of First Baptist, but she was aware of Mission Arlington and its efforts to help families and said she had always wanted to do something to help Mission Arlington,” Helmintaler said.

Now the men don't have to transport bikes to be fixed each week; they have 500 of them waiting in the borrowed space, with the prospect of more to come.

They've got the wheels. Now they just need some helping hands.

Posted: 10/17/03

BJC reduces budget, updates board, elects officers

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Directors of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs adopted a smaller budget and heard a report on the organization's work–including its involvement with an important upcoming Supreme Court case–during the group's annual meeting this fall.

Convening at First Baptist Church of Washington, directors of the religious-liberty watchdog organization adopted a 2004 budget of $1.06 million–slightly less than the 2003 budget.

Executive Director Brent Walker noted the BJC finished 2002 with a sudden upswing in contributions and significant growth in its number of individual donors. However, he said, “The bad news is that the first eight months of this year have been terrible–like night and day.”

Walker noted that an anemic stock market made the situation worse for income from the organization's endowment funds.

General Counsel Holly Hollman highlighted several legislative and legal areas in which the group is working to promote the separation of church and state. She also announced the BJC has weighed in on a case the Supreme Court agreed to hear that deals with the use of government funds for religious instruction.

The high court agreed in May to hear arguments in Locke vs. Davey. Joshua Davey applied under a program in Washington state that provides scholarships to disadvantaged students who want to attend in-state colleges. The scholarships may be spent at any accredited school, including religious ones.

Davey, who qualified under the program's rules, elected to spend his scholarship at Northwest College, a Seattle-area Bible school affiliated with the Assemblies of God. However, the state revoked the scholarship when officials found out Davey planned to major in theology and business management.

State officials cited a provision in Washington's constitution that prohibits the state from spending any money on religious instruction. Davey sued the state with the help of the American Center for Law and Justice, a legal-advocacy group founded by Religious Right leader Pat Robertson that often opposes a strict interpretation of church-state separation.

Davey won in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, generally considered one of the nation's most liberal federal appeals courts. A three-judge panel of that court ruled 2-1 that the Washington constitutional provision, as well as a similar state statute, violated Davey's freedom of religious expression under the U.S. Constitution. Washington Gov. Gary Locke appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Hollman said the BJC had joined the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress and the American Federation of Teachers on a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, asking the justices to overturn the 9th Circuit's ruling.

Hollman said the ruling, if upheld, could set a dangerous and wide-ranging precedent for government funding of religious groups. While the Supreme Court previously ruled it is permissible for government organizations to provide vouchers or scholarships that can flow indirectly to religious groups, the Locke case has the potential to extend that into a finding that states are required to include religious groups in such programs if they already include secular groups.

Referring to the specific ban on state support for religious schools in Washington's constitution and similar provisions in other state constitutions, Hollman said, “The Locke vs. Davey case is really a frontal assault on these state constitutional provisions.”

In other action, directors elected new BJC officers for 2003-2004.

The new board chairman is Jeffrey Haggray, a representative from the Progressive National Baptist Convention and executive director of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention. He is a member of Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church. Haggray replaces Reginald McDonough of Virginia.

The BJC's new vice chairman is Ray Swatkowski, a representative from the Baptist General Conference and the conference's executive vice president. He lives in Zion, Ill. Swatkowski replaces Ed Massey of Kentucky.

The new second vice chairman is Glen Howie, who represents the North American Baptist Conference. He is an attorney and also serves as the part-time pastor of Mowata Baptist Church in Eunice, La. Howie replaces Margaret Ann Cowden of Pennsylvania.

The new secretary is Sue Bennett, representing the Religious Liberty Council. Bennett is president of Bennett Enterprise in Tulsa, Okla., and a member of Southern Hills Baptist Church. She replaces Richard Bloom of Illinois.

Posted: 10/17/03

Edwards rallies support for united
response to church-state attacks

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Christians who support the separation of church and state should step up their battle against forces that are eroding that principle, said Rep. Chet Edwards.

In a speech to a group of Baptists, Edwards, D-Texas, called for Christians who believe church-state separation is good for both democracy and religion to make their voices heard in the public sphere.

“I've never been more concerned about the principle of church-state separation,” Edwards said.

He later suggested Christians who agree should form a political action committee to champion church-state separation and support candidates who do.

“If we don't ratchet up dramatically our efforts, we're going to lose this fight,” he said.

Edwards spoke at the conclusion of a two-day conference called “Reclaiming an Historic Baptist Principle: Separation of Church and State.” The conference, sponsored by the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies, brought about 140 Baptists from around the country to the nation's capital.

Edwards said the Religious Right is winning both legal and public-relations victories in its decades-old battle to erode the wall separating church and state. And the debate has become too polarized, he added, with much of the public thinking all Christians would naturally oppose church-state separation.

“We cannot afford the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State to be the only voices heard in America” supporting strict separation, Edwards said, referring to two secular advocacy groups that have been on the legal and media frontlines fighting church-state battles in recent years.

The recent legal battle that resulted in a Ten Commandments display being removed from an Alabama courthouse was a mixed blessing, Edwards said. “While we won an important legal victory in Alabama lately, it was a brutal public-relations defeat,” he said.

Listing a host of congressional and judicial efforts in recent years that he claimed threaten the First Amendment's ban on government promotion of religion, Edwards said religious people need to speak up to change the perception that only “secularists” or people who are “anti-religion” support the principle of strict church-state separation.

Edwards–whose congressional district includes President Bush's ranch outside Crawford–said Bush and his congressional allies are behind much of the onslaught against religious liberty. While he believes Bush has sincerely good motivations in his efforts to provide government funding to religious schools and charities, Edwards said he believes Bush is sincerely wrong.

“On this issue of church-state separation, I just don't think he gets it,” Edwards said. “I don't think he understands the first 16 words of the First Amendment.”

Those words are: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Edwards also noted much of the long-term ability to affect church-state issues lies in the president's power to appoint judges to federal courts, including the Supreme Court. President Bush has cited the two members of that court who are most hostile to church-state separation as his model for judges–justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Edwards said many of his colleagues in Congress tell him privately that they agree with him on important church-state issues but then do not vote with him. Sometimes it's due to ignorance on a particular issue, he said, but “it is an ignorance exacerbated by a fear … that, as we are running for re-election, we will be perceived as anti-religion.”

Because of all that, Edwards said, Christians who agree with him on church-state issues should form both grassroots organizations and think tanks to combat the well-funded and well-organized effort on the other side.

He mentioned EMILY's List, a group that encourages its members to donate to the campaigns of progressive Democratic women running for public office. He suggested that “people of faith” who support church-state separation could create a similar list to encourage donations to candidates who promise to support separation.

Asked by a reporter if he were suggesting the formation of a political action committee, Edwards said he was.

“We could call it the 'Jefferson-Madison List,'” he said, referring to the fathers of the First Amendment's religious-liberty clauses.

Leaders of two conservative Christian lobbying groups scoffed at Edwards' proposal.

Bill Murray, media coordinator for the Family Research Council, cited public opinion polls he says support government funding of religious programs, “especially” Christian programs. “The public doesn't seem to be clamoring for more separation of church and state,” he said.

“You have secularists out there–apparently, who Congressman Edwards was also railing against–who are trying to take God completely out of the public square,” Murray said. “What we're trying to do is protect the freedom of expression that is guaranteed to all of us in the Constitution.”

“I don't understand Congressman Edwards' complaint,” added Jim Backlin, director of legislative affairs for Christian Coalition of America. “The liberals such as Chet Edwards have always had very liberal organizations such as the National (Council) of Churches. … And there's no reason why pro-family and conservative Christians can't get behind conservative organizations, because they have First Amendment rights too.”

Edwards' current congressional district, which includes the Waco area, has been redrawn this year by the Texas Legislature. If this redistricting proceeds with court approval, most congressional observers believe Edwards either will not run for re-election or will not win re-election.

“If we don't ratchet up dramatically our efforts, we're going to lose this fight.”

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards

Posted: 10/17/03

BJC meeting highlights religious freedom threats

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–Under the watchful gaze of Baptist pioneer Roger Williams, speakers at a convocation sponsored by two Baptist organizations sounded notes of serious concern about the status of religious freedom in the United States.

Several speakers noted what they consider serious threats to religious freedom during a meeting in Washington, called “Reclaiming a Historic Baptist Principle: Separation of Church and State.”

Most of the convocation's sessions were held at the historic First Baptist Church of Washington, which contains two stained-glass windows devoted to Roger Williams. After getting kicked out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for refusing to practice Puritanism in accordance with the wishes of state leaders, Williams founded both the colony of Rhode Island and the first Baptist church in the New World.

Speaker after speaker suggested modern American political events might make Williams wonder what happened to his vision of religious liberty for all and opposition to state enforcement of religious values.

“Events of the past three years confirm that we are in the midst of a very serious re-ordering of church-state law and policies,” said Melissa Rogers, who is stepping down as director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life to become a visiting professor at Baptist-related Wake Forest Divinity School.

Rogers referred specifically to two cases involving government aid and religious institutions–the 2002 Zelman vs. Simmons-Harris ruling and the 2000 Mitchell vs. Helms ruling.

The Mitchell case affirmed a federal program that provides computers and other instructional materials to public, private and religious schools.

Regarding this case, Rogers said, “Four justices on the current Supreme Court have made it clear they would toss out one of the fundamental propositions of church-state constitutional law–the prohibition on the use of direct government subsidies for religious purposes.”

Therefore, Rogers added, “We are only one justice away from a ruling court majority that would uphold this radical departure from traditional constitutional interpretation.”

In the Zelman case, the court found constitutional an Ohio program that provided tax-funded vouchers for parents to send their children to religious schools.

Detroit minister Charles Adams warned the “sacred separation of church and state” is in dire need of defense from such court attacks.

Delivering the convocation's opening address, Adams specifically denounced President Bush's efforts to provide public money to religious institutions–such as parochial schools and church-based drug-treatment programs–to conduct social services.

“To mingle government funds with church funds is to entangle the church with government–and control the church by government,” he said, speaking on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial.

Adams is pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, a historic African-American congregation in Detroit. Although Bush has relied heavily on inner-city churches operating social ministries to push his “faith-based initiative,” Adams said those churches will regret it in the long run. For instance, he said, accepting government funds inevitably opens a private organization to a whole host of legal regulations and problems.

That, according to Adams, could eventually hurt the effectiveness of the very ministries that inspired the government support in the first place. “If you want to protect yourself against legal challenges, you're going to have to know more about the federal code than about the holy Bible,” he said.

Adams, Rogers and other speakers also argued that Christians who support church-state separation have public-relations challenges.

Rogers said that, in a public discourse on church-state issues that often pits liberal secularists against religious conservatives, the voice of Christians who support separation for theological reasons often gets drowned out.

The meeting was sponsored by the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies.