• Jim Denison, pastor of teaching at Park Cities Church in Dallas, will be the featured speaker at Howard Payne University’s fall convocation Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. at Brownwood Coliseum.

•  Charles Ryrie, editor of The Ryrie Study Bible and professor emeritus of systematic theology at Dallas Theological Seminary, will speak Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. at Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Bible Museum. Ryrie has been a collector of rare Bibles and manuscripts for many years. A reception and open house will follow.

•  The Gallery at Houston Baptist Univeristy will mark its grand opening with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 4. The reception will be held in conjunction with the annual faculty art exhibition, which will run Sept. 4 through Oct. 3. More information on upcoming exhibitions is available at www.hbu.edu/artgallery .

•  Baylor University granted degrees to more than 500 students during summer commencement exercises. Also during the ceremony, Linda Garner, professor of nursing at Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, was presented the Abner V. McCall Humanitarian Award by the Baylor Alumni Association. Prior to joining the faculty in 1970, she was director of nursing at India’s Bangalore Baptist Hospital, and she has served more than 30 years as faculty sponsor of the nursing school’s annual Mexico mission trip to impoverished border towns.

• Bobbie Pinson received an honorary doctor of humanities degrees from Dallas Baptist University. She is the wife of former Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Bill Pinson. She was key in beginning the Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat, the Women Reaching Texas program and other outreach ministries. She has been a member of the DBU board of trustees since 2000, serving as chair of the academic affairs committee. She also has been a member of the DBU Women’s Auxiliary board.

• Tim Crawford has been named dean of the College of Christian Studies at the Univer-sity of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Prior to coming to UMHB, Crawford served in the division of Christian studies at Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va., as both faculty and an administrator for  18 years.

• East Texas Baptist University has added six faculty members. They include David Brooks, associate professor of biology/nursing; Mark Crim, director of bands/instructor of music; Martha Dudley, assistant professor of nursing; Sandra Petersen, assistant professor of nursing; Luis Ramirez, associate professor of theater; and Mary Thompson-Price, assistant professor of teacher education.

Anniversaries 

• Pat Cummings, 35th, as pastor of Patton Church in Valley Mills, June 1.

• Mike Patterson, 20th, as pastor of First Church in Lorena, June 1.

• Brazos Meadows Church in Hewitt, 20th, July 13. Billy Edwards is pastor.

• Bruce Welch, 10th, as minister of education at First Church in Sulphur Springs, July 26.

• Hope Fellowship in Port Lavaca, 10th, July 27. Kevin Houser is pastor.

• Tommy Billings, fifth, as executive director of Guadalupe Association, Aug. 20.

• Bryan Butler, 10th, as discipleship pastor at First Church in The Woodlands, Aug. 23.

• Doug Cassady, 10th, as missions pastor at First Church in The Woodlands, Aug. 23.

• First Church of Crystal City, 100th, Oct. 5. Coffee and doughnuts will be served beginning at 9 a.m. for a time of fellowship. Jimmy Smith, director of missions for Frio River Association, will preach in the 10:45 a.m. service; Tom Williams of Knobbs Springs Church in McDade will lead the music. A catered lunch and fellowship time will follow. Former pastors and staff will share during the afternoon. Mike Stone is pastor.

• Trinity Church in Pleasanton, 50th, Oct. 5. A fellowship time will begin at 9 a.m. Former pastors Mack Caffey, Richard Weisinger, Louis Thiele and John Andrewartha will participate in the morning service, which will be followed by a meal. Pete Houpt is pastor.

• Aberfoyle Church near Wolfe City, 120th, Oct. 5. A lunch will follow the morning service. A praise and remembrance service will be held that afternoon, followed by placement of a time capsule on church grounds. For more information or to make reservations for the meal, call (903) 496-2014. Kerry Meador is pastor.

Retiring

• Carl Moman, as pastor of First Church in Lockney, July 31. He served the church four years and was in ministry 45 years. He began his ministry as minister of music at four churches in Missouri and another in Kentucky. He then was pastor of two Missouri churches before going to Wayland Baptist University in 1987, where he served 17 years as an instructor and administrator in the Fine Arts department. In 2004, he left the academic setting to return to the pastorate and went to the Lockney church. He and his wife, Mary Lou, live in Lubbock.

Death

• John Allen, 77, Aug. 18 in Fort Worth, after a lengthy struggle with cancer. He was director of mentorships from 1994 until 2007 and an adjunct professor of missions at Southwestern Seminary. He was a 1955 graduate of Wayland Baptist University. He served in Southern Baptist missions in the United States for almost 30 years—as an area missionary in South Dakota in the 1960s, as associate director of church extension with the Home Mission Board in the 1970s, as state director of missions for the Alaska Baptist Convention from 1976 to 1987 and as director of cooperative missions and stewardship in Colorado, after which he retired from North American Mission Board. He also was a pastor in Texas, California and Virginia during 60 years in ministry. He is survived by his wife, Anna; daughter, Mary Bowen; son, Brian; sister, Mary Ellen Glass; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Events

• Dellview Church in San Antonio will hold a family enrichment week Sept. 22-26 at 7 p.m. Classes on marriage, parenting, finance and church attendance will be followed by a dinner and talent show on Friday. Phil Risley is pastor.

• Bethel Church in Clardy will hold homecoming services Sept. 21 in recognition of the congregation’s 132 years of service to the community. A catered chuckwagon lunch will follow the morning service in which Paul Powell will be the guest speaker. Carter Lyles is pastor.

Ordained

• Ernest Massey as a deacon at Pleasant Hill Church in Carbon.

EDINBURG (ABP)—A former church planter alleged in 2006 to be involved in Baptist General Convention of Texas financial improprieties has filed a defamation lawsuit against the BGCT, the Baptist Standard and several other Texas Baptist entities and individuals.

Otto Arango was one of three pastors investigated for allegedly misusing funds the BGCT provided for church starts in South Texas.

In addition to the BGCT and the Baptist Standard, the suit names blogger David Montoya and Calvary Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, where he is pastor; Palo Pinto Baptist Association, which includes the Mineral Wells church; David Tamez and Dexton Shores and the Rio Grande River Ministry, for which they worked; Roberto Rodriguez and the church he serves as pastor, Primera Iglesia Bautista in Harlingen; and Eloy Hernandez.

Arango’s legal action stems from allegations he and two other church planters misused BGCT church-starting funds. The trio claimed 258 churches had been started in Texas between 1999 and 2005 through a training system Arango had devised. The system was based on the house-church approach.

Questions about the use of some funds prompted BGCT officials to ask an independent counsel, Diane Dillard of Brownsville, to investigate. Her team included Brownsville attorney and former prosecutor Michael Rodriguez, certified public accountant and fraud examiner Carlos Barrera and investigator Gregorio Castillo.

The investigative team reported the BGCT had given more than $1.3 million for start-up funding for the program and monthly support for the church starters. Investigators noted 98 percent of the congregations they claimed to have planted either no longer existed or existed only on paper.

In the lawsuit, Arango alleges the defendants made “false and malicious statements” about him, and that they have harmed his “reputation, credibility and integrity.” He alleges the statements were published in the Standard’s print edition and on its website “with malice and a lack of good faith.”

The statements, he contends, convinced others he had “stolen funds, had improperly used church funds and had lied about the number of new Hispanic Baptist churches he had started.”

Arango is suing for lost earnings, including back pay and benefits, retirement benefits, and lost future earning or diminished earning capacity.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for past and future mental and physical pain and anguish. He also asks for unspecified punitive damages, claiming the defendants “acted with malice, actual malice and/or a specific intent to injure” him.

“The Standard denies the allegations and expects to be exonerated,” Editor Marv Knox said.

In a written statement, BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett expressed surprise and disappointment that Arango had turned to litigation.
“We believe this suit is totally without merit and that the BGCT has no liability in the matter,” Everett said.

• Dave Atwood to Tanglewood Church in Lexington as pastor.

• Troy Brooks to First Church in Madisonville as pastor.

• Katie Cannon has resigned as children’s minister at RockPointe Church in Flower Mound.

• Kyle Childress to Anderson Church in Anderson as pastor.

• Shawn Collander has resigned as minister to high school students at Prestonwood Church in Plano.

• David Dotson to Hilltop Church in Mount Vernon as pastor.

• Derek Dummer to Union Church in Sulphur Springs as pastor.

• Bob Garringer has resigned as pastor of Westover Church in San Marcos.

• Justin Gillespie to CrossPoint Church in Caddo Mills as minister to youth.

• Jimmy Hatcher to First Church in Baird as pastor from Tye Church in Tye.

• Brandon Henderson to Denton County Cowboy Church as pastor.

• Jeremy Johnson to First Church in Weatherford, Okla., as youth minister from First Church in Terrell, where he was minister of youth and recreation.

• Les Leaton has resigned as music minister at First Church in Lake Dallas.

• Dave Lucas to First Church in Milano as pastor.

• Ron McGee has resigned as associate music minister at First Church in Lewisville.

• Scott Mills has resigned as minister of education and administration at CrossRidge Church in Little Elm.

• Janicia Oliver to Hill Country Church in Fair Oaks Ranch as children’s ministry director.

• Bill Perdue to First Church in Lott as pastor. He had been a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.

• Aaron Pile to Hill Country Church in Fair Oaks Ranch as worship leader.

• Scotty Sanders has resigned as executive pastor of Valley Creek Church in Flower Mound.

• Don Smith to White Oak Church in Yantis as pastor.

• Michael Stallcup to Spring Branch Church in Spring Branch as youth minister.

• Rick Stewart to McQueeney Church in McQueeney as youth minister.

• John Tunnell has resigned as pastor of Calvary Church in Abilene.

DALLAS—Texas Baptists represent the nation’s best hope for maintaining the distinctive blend of beliefs and practices that have characterized Baptists historically, a pastor from the Rio Grande Valley told the Texas Baptists Committed annual convocation.

In the convocation’s keynote sermon, Ellis Orozco, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, quoted Bill Pinson’s assertion that a unique mix of beliefs and practices—rather than any single doctrine—makes Baptists distinctive.

Pinson, executive director emeritus of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has used the analogy of a recipe to explain that individual ingredients—or beliefs—may not be unique to Baptists, but when combined, they set Baptists apart and give them their distinctive flavor.

And at a time when “the larger Baptist witness in America” has followed other approaches, Texas Baptists have the potential to preserve the original recipe, Orozco noted.

Best hope for a Baptist witness

Orozco pointed to paradoxes—an increasingly globalized society and an increasingly polarized nation, a rapidly changing social dynamic and the need to cling to unchanging principles—to illustrate how Texas Baptists are strategically positioned “to be our best—and perhaps only—hope for a distinctively Baptist witness.”

“Our conservative biblicism combined with our love for religious freedom, our penchant for autonomous thought and practice combined with our passion for cooperation, our disdain for hierarchical governance combined with our respect for accountability through congregational leadership, our theological center of grace and grace alone combined with our innate suspicion of anything that smacks of legalism or creedalism—all combine to make us especially adept for the challenge of the next century,” he said.

Unlike denominational groups that have pulled away and isolated themselves, Texas Baptists still have the ability to tap into the trend toward “self-organizing collaborative communities,” Orozco observed.

Although “the larger Baptist voice in America has sold out to one political perspective for 30 pieces of silver,” Texas Baptists have maintained their commitment to the separation of church and state, he noted.

“The church cannot serve a socio-political ideology and Christ at the same time,” he said.

Retaining a prophetic voice

Because Texas Baptists have not become yoked to one political group, they have retained their prophetic voice and the ability to speak truth to political power.

“Both the left and the right seem to be fighting for a place at the center of political power. And any Christianity operating from that position will be a controlling, legalistic and spiritually oppressive force, unable to distinguish the voices of political allies from God’s voice,” Orozco said.

“That is the very kind of institution that will wither under the weight of globalization. It is, therefore, imperative that we remain distinctively Baptist, because we have the right recipe to be a prophetic voice, speaking from the margins, in a shrinking and dynamically changing world.”

In particular, Orozco urged Texas Baptists to use the prophetic office they have retained to speak on behalf of the poor, marginalized and oppressed.

“We must preserve a distinctively Baptist witness in Texas and the world because the poor are depending on it,” he said. “The poor are depending on our witness in the face of the strongholds of systemic evil in our state and nation.”

Helping Baptists stay Baptist

A series of panel discussions throughout the convocation focused on how to help churches teach Baptist principles and call distinctively Baptist pastors, help pastors grow genuinely Baptist churches and help students learn historic Baptist beliefs.

In what some church observers call a “post-denominational age,” Doug Weaver, professor in the religion department at Baylor University, emphasized the importance of communicating the best principles that have shaped the Baptist tradition and formed the Baptist identity.

“We have a shared tradition in common with all Christians, and we should glory in that,” he said. “But we also have a distinctive tradition.”

Tommy Brisco, dean of the Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon School of Theology, dealt with that same theme in the context of Baptist universities and seminaries. Baptists constitute “one stream that flows into a great Christian stream,” and they should not neglect teaching the distinctive Baptist contributions to Christianity, he said.

Many undergraduate ministerial students identify themselves as Baptist “but have no idea what that means,” Brisco noted. And in many cases, seminary students similarly lack a firm grounding in Baptist principles.

David Garland, dean of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, agreed.

“It’s essential that we teach Baptist identity, because they’re not getting it in their churches,” said Garland, who was named Baylor University’s interim president the day after the convocation.

Bruce Corley, president of the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, asserted the greatest threat to distinctive Baptist principles is aging leadership.

“We’re an old preachers’ denomination,” he said. Pastors under age 35 “are not choosing to go to seminary”—any seminary, Corley said.

Helping pastors stay strong

In a panel discussion about helping churches call pastors who are committed to distinctive Baptist principles, Texas Baptists Committed Executive Director David Currie warned search committee members not to be deceived.

“Some of the candidates you interview will look you in the eye and lie to you” when asked about where they stand on the controversy that gripped the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s and 1990s and continues to shape the convention today, Currie said.

Neutrality is not an option, he insisted. Any minister who claims to have no position on the issues that divided Southern Baptists “does not have the leadership ability to be your pastor,” he said.

Pastors committed to Baptist principles do their churches a disservice by failing to articulate those commitments in the pulpit, he added.

“Pastors, leave an educated laity who won’t think of calling a fundamentalist pastor,” Currie advised. “Don’t let your legacy be destroyed because you’re afraid of a little controversy.”

Baptist pastors need the support of their peers—ministers who not only share their values, but also face many of the same challenges, members of one panel stressed.

“It used to be that the name ‘Baptist’ was enough of a network in itself,” said Chad Chaddick, who recently moved from Borger to become pastor of Northeast Baptist Church in San Antonio. But denominational division and generational issues have undercut trust, he said.

“I’m a poster child for the need for a peer-group network,” Chaddick said.

PLAINVIEW—After years of planning and preparation, Wayland Baptist University has kicked off its celebration of the century.

“We’ve set a calendar that will feature events for the university family and the community at large, as well as our extended WBU family in the form of alumni and our external campuses,” said Teresa Young, a 1994 graduate who is co-chair of the celebration with Hope English, director of development.

“We think we’ve got a perfect lineup of events for almost every audience, from the fine arts aficionado to the sports fans and those who just like to celebrate in a festive atmosphere.”

The year kicked off with exhibits in the various buildings on campus and the museum of the Llano Estacado.

Freshman orientation, called Koinonia, and faculty-staff development—both held in mid-August before the fall term begins in Plainview—marked the first official celebrations.

Convocation Chapel, marking the official start of the fall term, is planned for August 27, and students will celebrate a centennial-themed Pride Week Sept. 2-6. Then Wayland reaches out, drawing the community into its celebration.

“We’re reprising last year’s first Plainview Pioneer Palooza on Sept. 6 this year as the community birthday party, with inflatable games for kids, other game and food booths, door prizes and entertainment,” Young said. “This year we’re adding the KDP Corporate Spelling Bee, a hamburger cookout, and a musical celebration of the decades by Don Caldwell and the Texas Rhythm Machine. It’ll be a great time for the community to come out and celebrate with us to ring in the birthday year.”

The family-friendly event will take on a multicultural feel in terms of entertainment and activities, reflecting the heritage of diversity at Wayland and in Plainview. While most of the events of the day will be free, food plates will incur a minimal charge. Commemorative items marking the 100th anniversary will be available for purchase as well.

A banquet for local teachers who are Wayland alumni will be held Sept. 25 featuring author Hal Urban, followed by the annual Leadership Summit for students. October opens with the Centennial Hymn Celebration on Sunday, Oct. 5, an afternoon event that will include a walk through beloved hymns of the century, featuring plenty of audience participation.

Students, alums and community members will join hands Oct. 8-11 for a building blitz of a Habitat for Humanity house, built on the Wayland campus and moved later to the Habitat neighborhood. In partnership with First Baptist Church of Plainview, the house project will be an opportunity to give back to the community in honor of their support for 100 years. The annual Degree of Difference Day will follow on Oct. 11, with other community service projects in Plainview set for that day.

The first major musical production of the centennial, the Fall Choral Festival, is set for Oct. 23. Besides performances by the International Choir and other choral groups, the event will feature the debut performance of the commissioned Centennial Anthem, written by Gary Belshaw, associate professor of piano pedagogy at Wayland.

Other fall campus events include a presidential Debate Watch, an ethics competition for students, and the annual Miss Wayland pageant on Nov. 1. Then on Nov. 12, a special chapel will feature a salute to the military influence at WBU, notably the veterans who returned after the war to boost enrollment, and those military personnel who have studied at Wayland over the decades at our external campuses. A book signing for the history book and a writer’s workshop focusing on researching family history round out November.

December will welcome a new event, Centennial Christmas in the Circle, on Dec. 5. On that evening, the campus lights will be turned on, and visitors will enjoy brief entertainment and light refreshments in the Gates Hall foyer before attending the annual American Family Christmas concert in Harral Auditorium.

After the graduation celebration and ceremony in December 2009 kicks off with Heritage Chapel on Jan. 21 and a luncheon honoring Plainview scholarship donors and student recipients. The business division will host Business After Hours for the Plainview Chamber of Commerce.

February is homecoming month at Wayland, and the centennial year will be even bigger than usual. Slated Feb. 19-22, homecoming will include the usual ballgames and reunions, with emphasis for all alumni to return regardless of class year. Special events planned are a bigger reunion by International Choir alums, a special banquet for mathematics and science alumni and faculty, receptions for band and radio station alums, a full musical theatre production and an alumni art exhibit in the Abraham Art Gallery. The Athletic Hall of Honor induction will take on a centennial flair as all previous inductees are invited to return for the celebration.

Spring continues with the annual Panhandle-Plains Pastors’ and Laymen’s Conference March 9-11 and the spring break Week of Service. The Centennial Gala is slated for March 21, with the Glenn Miller Orchestra booked to perform. The formal event will raise funds for scholarships and celebrate the big band era in history.

As the centennial year winds down, April includes a “Good ol’ Days” baseball game featuring 25-cent hot dogs and Cokes and throwback activities at Wilder Field. The annual McCoy Lecture series will be a celebration of Wayland’s mission heritage on April 1. The President’s Centennial Concert is slated for April 18, including performances by many WBU music groups as a tribute to the former leaders of the university. A Founder’s Day Celebration is scheduled for April 20, with chapel honoring founder James H. Wayland. The evening rounds out with the annual outdoor concert by the Wayland band.

The year wraps up with May graduation celebration and ceremony and the centennial officially ends with the start of Koinonia 2009 as the first event of the second century.

“There are so many things planned, and we hope that alums, friends and neighbors will come out and celebrate Wayland’s birthday with us at some time during the year,” Young added. “There really is something for everyone, and it’ll be a festive atmosphere that folks will enjoy.”

Besides the calendar of events planned, the year will feature other promotions to celebrate the century. A special postal cancellation has been released, and special photo collage banners will be hung in every building and on each Wayland campus during the year. In addition, academic schools and each campus will be honoring a graduating senior as Centennial Scholars, notable students who will earn a Wayland diploma during the year. Diplomas issued during the year will bear a special seal marking the centennial as well.

Perhaps the biggest project is the compiling of the official centennial history book, being written by history professor Estelle Owens with help from public relations office personnel Young and Jonathan Petty. A coffee-table style volume titled “A Dream Realized,” the history book will feature many photos, memorabilia and anecdotes from throughout WBU’s century along with a timeline and historical narrative. The volume will sell for $40 at the kickoff events but is available for $32 until May 15 with an early reservation form that can be found online.

For more details on individual events, log onto the Wayland website at wbu.edu and follow the centennial link. Information will be updated regularly closer to the dates. The history book can be ordered via the links as well.

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Adventist leader James Standish has been named the new executive director of a federal panel that advocates for global religious liberty.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom announced Aug. 20 that James Standish would lead the independent, non-partisan federal agency.

“The commission warmly welcomes James Standish,” Felice Gaer, chair of the panel and director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, said in a prepared statement. “Mr. Standish’s academic and professional background in human rights and religious freedom advocacy has made him a respected leader, both on Capitol Hill and among the widely varying constituencies whose causes he has represented.”

For his part, Standish said that it was “an honor to join the commission, particularly as we approach the 10th anniversary of the creation of the International Religious Freedom Act.” The 1998 law created the panel, which monitors religious-freedom conditions worldwide and advises Congress, the White House and the State Department on freedom-of-conscience issues.

“The magnitude and severity of violations of the universal right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion worldwide cannot be understated,” Standish continued. “I am honored to join the commission as it addresses some of world’s most pressing human rights crises.”

He was director of legislative affairs for the Seventh-day Adventist Church for seven years prior to accepting the commission’s top staff post. He succeeds Joseph Crapa, who died last year.

Standish earned an undergraduate degree from Newbold College in the United Kingdom, a master of business administration degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from Georgetown University.

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (ABP)— Presidential candidates presented their positions on moral issues—and presented themselves as individuals of faith—during the recent Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.

The two-hour forum, sponsored by Southern Baptist mega-congregation Saddleback Church and held on its main campus in Orange County, Calif., allowed presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain to express moral views on political topics to a largely evangelical audience. Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren served as host.

Rather than using a debate format, Warren questioned each candidate individually in front of an audience that paid $100 per ticket to attend.

Obama was first, with McCain sequestered so that he would not hear the questions. The pastor spent almost an hour with each candidate.

Although McCain appeared to be comfortable in front of an evangelical audience, Obama used biblical language twice, once referring to “the least of my brothers” (Matthew 25) and “acting justly and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).

McCain seemed to generate the most audience response, particularly regarding national security, abortion and tax issues.

Differences 

The candidates differed, sometimes markedly, in their responses to some questions. Regarding abortion, Obama is pro-choice, while McCain takes a pro-life stance.

Anti-abortion groups have repeatedly criticized Obama for his answer to Warren’s question about when he believed a child in the womb gained human rights. The Illinois senator responded, “…answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.”

However, he pointed out he is pro-choice because he believes women don’t “make these decisions casually” and that they seek advice within their support systems. Abortion has a “moral and ethical element” that cannot be overlooked, he said.

Obama favors limiting late-term abortions, as long as a provision is included to protect maternal health, and recognized pro-lifers’ viewpoint. “[I]f you believe that life begins at conception … and you are consistent in that belief, then I can’t argue with you on that because that is a core issue of faith for you,” he said.

McCain declared a baby is entitled to human rights “at the moment of conception” and committed to a pro-life presidency, if elected.

War in Iraq 

The Arizona senator also played up his commitment to the ongoing war in Iraq and to the war on terror. He pointed to “radical Islam extremism” and al-Qaeda as evil and pledged to “get [Osama] bin Laden and bring him to justice.”

Asked about his views on war, Obama called his early stand against the Iraq war the most difficult decision he has made — in part because of the political consequences of the at-the-time unpopular stance, and partly because of putting “kids … in harm’s way.”

But both agreed that going to war is acceptable to protect American interests and national security.

Regarding tax issues, Obama advocates a tax cut for workers that earn under $150,000 and a “modest” tax increase for those who make more than $250,000.

McCain will push for a $7,000-per-child tax credit and a $5,000 tax credit for healthcare. He focused on government spending, rather than taxation, as the issue.

McCain and Obama responded similarly on some issues. Although they didn’t use the same wording, they both characterized America’s greatest moral failure as self-centeredness.

“[W]e still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me,” Obama said. “There’s a pervasive sense, I think, that this country, as wealthy and powerful as we are, still [doesn’t] spend enough time thinking about the least of us.”

McCain, in response to that question, noted, “Throughout our existence, perhaps we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self-interest, although we’ve been the best at it of everybody in the world.”

Rather than being encouraged to “go shopping or to take a trip” after the Sept. 11 bombings in the United States, people should have been told to “expand” participation in helping others, to “expand the current missions that you are doing, that you are carrying out here in America and throughout the world,” McCain added.

The meaning of faith 

Both also pointed to their faith in Christ. For Obama, faith means “that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that I am redeemed through him…. And I know that if I can get myself out of the way, that I can maybe carry out in some small way what he intends. And it means that those sins that I have on a fairly regular basis, hopefully will be washed away.”

McCain said his faith means, “I’m saved and forgiven.”

The candidates shared a similar approach to stem-cell research. Both emphasized the promise of adult stem-cell research, preferring to avoid the moral dilemma that research on embryonic stem cells poses.

Both agreed that marriage should be the union of a man and a woman and that the same-sex marriage issue should be determined at the state level. Obama believes in civil unions, he said, adding that his faith and his marriage are “strong enough that I can afford those civil rights to others.” He would not support an amendment to the federal constitution banning same-sex marriage nationwide.

Also a states-rights advocate on the issue, McCain said he would support an amendment only if the federal courts tried to enforce one state’s decision on other states as well.

McCain and Obama also agreed with Warren that stepping into regional conflict, such as in the Darfur region of Sudan, to stop genocide is acceptable. Obama emphasized seeking international support whenever possible.

Human rights 

Both said the United States should speak out against human-rights abuses and religious persecution. McCain said he would use the president’s “greatest asset” — the bully pulpit — as an advocate, following Ronald Reagan’s example.

While Obama favors speaking out, he said he also advocates joining international forums to work with others to point out abuse and lack of religious freedom and to “lead by example.”

Some religion-and-politics observers, such as Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, applauded Saddleback’s effort. Land believes the forum shows that evangelical influence has not declined in politics, according to a news release in Baptist Press, the SBC’s news outlet.

Others, such as the Interfaith Alliance, questioned whether the forum simply further blurred the lines between religion and politics.

Read more

Transcript of Obama and McCain appearance at Saddleback:

www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/

WACO—David Garland, dean of Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, has been appointed interim president of the university.

The Baylor board of regents approved Garland’s appointment in a unanimous vote during an Aug. 20 teleconference, board Chairman Howard Batson announced.

Garland succeeds Harold Cunningham, who was named acting president when former President John Lilley was fired by the regents July 24.

David Garland

The board dismissed Lilley for failing to “bring the Baylor family together,” but Garland’s appointment signals a strong shift toward Baylor unity, Batson said in an interview moments after the conference call ended.

Prior to their vote on Garland, the board consulted with the Baylor Alumni Association, the Faculty Senate, deans and other administrators, regents and other Baylor constituencies, all of whom affirmed Garland’s selection, he said.

The “Baylor family” has been divided for most of this decade—initially over the leadership of former President Robert Sloan, Lilley’s predecessor, and implementation of Baylor 2012, the long-range strategy adopted during Sloan’s administration. That division continued during the two and a half years of Lilley’s tenure.

Citing a recent Baptist Standard editorial that called on the regents to assume responsibility for uniting Baylor, Batson said, “The board answered that challenge, at least at the first stage” of leadership selection.

The board’s initial step was to select an interim president respected by the broad range of Baylor constituents, and the affirmation of various groups confirms Garland is the leader who fills that bill, Batson added.

“David Garland is kind of the embodiment of Baylor 2012, the paradigm of what we’re looking for,” he explained. “He’s a wonderful teacher and a highly regarded researcher.”

In addition, Garland also is a gifted preacher, Batson added. “He communicates the gospel very effectively and will represent Baylor wonderfully.”

A crucial point of contention in Baylor 2012 has centered on the tension between preserving Baylor’s legacy of outstanding classroom teaching and advancing as a top-tier research institution. Batson said Garland proves the two emphases can thrive at Baylor.

“He is a broad consensus candidate,” Batson said. “No matter what part of the Baylor family you look at, he has been affirmed—as a teacher, administrator and researcher.”

Under Garland’s leadership, Truett Seminary has achieved record enrollment (402 students last fall) and endowment ($43 million as of May 31), “and he has hired as fine a faculty as Truett ever has had,” he added.

"Humbled and honored"

For his part, Garland noted the interim presidency is not a position he sought, and he was “shocked, humbled and honored” when first approached about the assignment. His feelings compounded when others, “who had no inkling” of the regents’ interest, told him he’d make a good interim president.

“We’re trying to call out the called,” Garland said of Truett Seminary’s emphasis on identifying and equipping ministers. So, since he’s been teaching students to be open to God’s work in their lives, “I had to be open to what God has for me right now.”

George W. Truett, the seminary’s namesake who achieved legendary status as pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas the first half of the 20th century, was chosen for pastoral ministry by his home congregation when he was a young man, Garland and Batson noted.

“If you preach about giving your life in service, you have to be willing to serve,” Garland said.

As Baylor’s interim leader, Garland will focus on fostering reconciliation, harmony and unity while maintaining continuity with its strengths, he said.

“Baylor is well-run now. It is an outstanding institution with outstanding administrators,” he said. “The course has been set,” and the task is to move forward positively.

Garland’s first task will be to learn from the university’s constituencies. “I want to sit down with various people on campus,” he said. “I want to listen to them and see if we can bring about a clear sense of unity. There already is more unity on campus than one would think from reading various press releases.”

Garland has served on Baylor’s Council of Deans seven years and is familiar with many issues that dominate the campus. During the past 11 years he has been a Truett professor and administrator, he has become very familiar with seminary students, but he noted he wants to spend time with undergraduate students and to know them better.

Praises alumni

He also praised Baylor’s graduates. “The alumni of Baylor University are incredibly devoted to Baylor University,” he said. “We absolutely need their support, and they should be proud of what has happened at Baylor University.”

Although Garland will remain dean of Truett Seminary, the seminary’s associate dean, Dennis Tucker, will take over day-to-day responsibilities there.

The length of Garland’s tenure as interim president has not been set, Batson said, estimating the search for the university’s next president could take from six months to two years.

“We’ll begin by looking at best practices” of the presidential searches conducted by Baylor and other leading universities, he reported. “You study the task to do the task.”

The search for an interim president took less than a month, and the regents did not have any conversation with Garland about the interim until after the search began, he said. The regents received about two dozen recommendations from various Baylor constituencies, and Garland’s was “one of the most-repeated names.”

Garland’s selection received praise from various groups affiliated with Baylor, according to a statement released by the university.

“Dr. Garland has many years of experience as a faculty member, both as a dedicated teacher and a respected scholar,” said Georgia Green, associate dean of the Baylor School of Music and chair of the Faculty Senate. “These faculty credentials, combined with his experience as an academic administrator, make him an excellent choice for this appointment.”

“I have every confidence David Garland will do an excellent job as interim president,” said Provost Emeritus Don Schmeltekopf. “At one level, he embodies the very best of Baylor’s tradition of the scholar-teacher. At another level, David understands fully Baylor’s unique challenge to be the top Protestant research university in the country. I know those who care about Baylor will rally to his support.”

“It is encouraging that we have such a fine person in David Garland to serve in this role,’ said Jeff Kilgore, executive vice president and CEO of the Baylor Alumni Association. “As he has done at Truett, I think David should do a fine job continuing to build consensus through a process of inclusion on campus. I look forward to working with him and hope that this appointment is indicative of what’s more to come for the Baylor family.”

Garland has been dean of Truett Seminary since June 2007. Previously, he was associate dean for academic affairs since 2001. He joined the Truett faculty in 1997 after teaching New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., 21 years. He was named the William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures at Truett in 2005.

Garland’s wife, Diana Garland, is dean of the university’s School of Social Work. Together, they wrote Flawed Families of the Bible: How God’s Grace Works through Imperfect Relationships.

Garland has written 13 books, including commentaries on Matthew, Mark, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon and is working on a commentary on Luke. He has edited four books and is the New Testament editor for a revision of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary.

He is known as one of the foremost scholars of the Gospel of Mark. His commentary on 1 Corinthians won an Award of Merit from Christianity Today magazine. He has won silver and gold medallions from the Christian Booksellers Association.

SAN ANTONIO—Javier Elizondo has been named executive vice president and provost of Baptist University of the Americas.

“As BUA expands both its academic program and its ministry activities, it has become evident that we need Javier to carry a broader range of responsibilities,” BUA President Rene Maciel said. “We need him relating to churches, donors and potential students to an even greater degree than he already is.”

Javier Elizondo

Elizondo will continue his duties as vice president for academic affairs until BUA completes its current application for regional accreditation through the Southern Associations of Colleges and Schools, Maciel said.

“Javier was the key to getting BUA accredited by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and by the Association for Biblical Higher Education,” Maciel added.

“As much as I’d like for him to spend all his time on his new duties, we can’t afford to make that change until we are approved by SACS. But some of the academic administrative duties will be assigned to others.”

Elizondo, 53, has served BUA nine years. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas Tech University, a master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, and a doctorate in ethics from Baylor University.

He has been a pastor, a church planter, an editor with the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board and a missionary with both International Commission and the North American Mission Board.

He and his wife, Sandee, are members of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio.

In another administrative appointment, Craig Bird has been named vice president for university relations.

Craig Bird

Bird, a full-time faculty member who teaches English, communications and Christian missions, was named acting head of the university relations department last spring. He will continue to teach, in addition to assuming increased administrative responsibilities.

Bird, 58, earned a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in English from Hardin-Simmons University. He has completed graduate study in communications at the University of Houston and in theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Nairobi International School of Theology in Kenya.

In addition to 10 years as a missionary and Africa correspondent for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, he has headed the communication programs for Southwestern Seminary, North Carolina Baptist Children’s Homes, Baptist Child & Family Services, Hardin-Simmons University and South Texas Children’s Homes and edited numerous newspapers and magazines.

He and his wife, Melissa, are members of First Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Volunteers from Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville worked with Children’s Emergency Relief International to provide relief for families displaced by flooding in Moldova.

When about 500 houses were flooded and 4,300 people evacuated from the northern and central districts of Moldova, the Kerrville volunteers were among more than 1,500 relief workers who responded with humanitarian aid. The Central Texas team worked with CERI, the international arm of Baptist Child & Family Services, to distribute food, clothes and shoes. The volunteers also gave the children balloons, which brought joy and smiles in the midst of tragedy.

“We were faced with tough questions like, ‘Was it God who allowed this to happen to us?’ as we prayed with the people whose houses had been badly damaged by the flood waters,” said Connie Belciug, national director of CERI in Moldova.

Many flood victims were elderly, discouraged and depressed by the tragedy, realizing that an entire life’s work was lost, she noted. Houses and gardens were ruined, and most would not have the money to rebuild, leaving expectations for a rough winter ahead.

 “It was a very sad day for both the locals and the Americans, but a rewarding experience nonetheless,” Belciug said. “We were honored to have the team from Kerrville who brought hope to the people of Moldova.” In the flood’s lingering aftermath, CERI continues to bring aid in partnership with the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, delivering school supplies to families affected by the flood. CERI is working to bring immediate relief by helping build 200 homes and purchase vaccines for the children.

Trinity Baptist Church of Kerrville volunteers brought humanitarian aid to the families of Moldova displaced by the flood.

In addition to providing disaster relief in Moldova, CERI is involved in ongoing ministry projects in the Eastern European country. Every winter, volunteers and staff personally put new boots and socks on the feet of every child in government care—about 16,000.

Summer and winter, CERI hosts teams to lead camps for children in the Moldovan orphanages and surrounding villages.

A transition program helps shield girls who age out of orphanages at age 16 from the active recruiters of the worldwide sex trade, as well as provide a mentorship program, teach independent living skills and help pay for housing and school expenses.

The agency also has provided a full-time consultant for two years to help the government move its child and family care program from the mass housing model of the Soviet era to a family-assistance and foster care approach.

Ophelia Humphrey, president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas from 1964 until 1968, died Aug. 16 at age 85.

Baptized in Los Lingos Creek by Pastor Lowell Ponder of First Baptist Church in Quitaque, she spent much of her life in volunteer service through various Baptist organizations.

She was a member of First Baptist Church in Amarillo more than 60 years, teaching Sunday school more than 30 years, before moving to Seattle in 2003 to be near her daughter.

She also served the Amarillo church and Amarillo Baptist Association as WMU director and was a member of the executive board of the association.

Baptist General Convention of Texas President Joy Fenner viewed Humphrey as both a friend and mentor. During Humphrey’s term as Texas WMU president, Fenner became Texas Girl’s Auxiliary—now Girls in Action—director. Their friendship grew during Fenner’s time as a Southern Baptist missionary to Japan and throughout her long tenure as Texas WMU executive director-treasurer.

Fenner praised Humphrey as “a consistent encourager and a lifelong learner” who helped shape a generation of women.

“I continue to see her significant influence in the lives of capable women missions leaders in Texas and beyond,” Fenner said. “Furthermore, she was an incredibly strong supporter of the BGCT through active participation.”

Humphrey served on the BGCT Executive Board and was first vice president of the BGCT in 1994-1995.

She was a member of the state convention’s missions-sending study committee from 2000 to 2001 and chaired the subcommittee that studied the North American Mission Board. In 2001, she was vice chair of the missions review and initiatives committee. She also served on the board of consultants of the BGCT Christian Life Commission.

Humphrey was chair of the trustees of Baptist Children’s Home in San Antonio, and also was a trustee of Wayland Baptist University and Hospitality House, a ministry to the families of prison inmates in Huntsville.

Humphrey wrote WMU curriculum materials for the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1970s and 1980s, and was the author of Witnessing Women, the SBC WMU training module for personal witnessing. She also was a noted speaker and conference leader.

She was preceded in death by her husband, C.J. An attorney, he was a deacon at First Baptist Church in Amarillo and a president of Texas Baptist Men.

She is survived by her sons, Clifford and Bryan; daughter, Janice; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

With additional reporting by Managing Editor Ken Camp

DALLAS—In spite of staff cutbacks, the Baptist General Convention of Texas continues to offer counseling and psychological services to ministers and their families through a network of counselors across the state.

While the BGCT has eliminated its psychological services staff, it has asked Dan McGee, who once led the convention’s counseling efforts, to lead the work to help ministers and their families find respected counselors who can help.

McGee is further strengthening the network of counselors across the state he helped establish while working with the BGCT. Each person in the network has been thoroughly researched and comes with strong recommendations.

“Pursuing ministry as a vocation is a spiritually, physically and emotionally difficult pathway to walk,” McGee said. “The burnout and dropout rate is high, and for Baptist ministers there is no ecclesiastical safety net. Isolation is what I notice first among those we have worked with over the years. According to one study, 70 percent of ministers do not have someone they consider a close friend. “

In addition to connecting ministers with counselors, McGee continues to provide assistance to ministers who have questions about counseling issues. He also conducts tests to help staff members better understand each other and work together.

The BGCT provides some financial assistance for ministers who receive counseling through this network.

For more information about counseling and psychological services, write McGee at info@danmcgeeassociates.com or call (800) 388-2005.