WASHINGTON (BP)—The use of technology is advancing and strengthening religious persecution, Open Doors CEO David Curry said in releasing his organization’s 2020 World Watch List of the 50 countries where such persecution is most severe.

“Christian faith is under attack, and the methods of that persecution are becoming more sophisticated, and thus pose a greater threat, because they have the ability to oppress on a massive scale now, and I think it’s a blueprint for others,” Curry said.

In China, ranking 23 on the list, the government has widely installed surveillance cameras and employs facial recognition technology to track Christians more than ever, punishing them for living out their Christian faith.

“Clearly, Iran is interested in this technology,” he said. “And you can imagine how, in the hands of an Islamic regime, this could be a massive tragedy for Christians, for Jews and for others.”

In other persecution trends:

• Violent Islamic extremism is spiking in sub-Saharan Africa, with Boko Haram, militant Fulani herdsmen and the Islamic State of West Africa Province especially active in 12th-ranked Nigeria.
• Radical Islamists are spreading violence and fear in Southeast and South Asia with “completely unexpected atrocities,” including Easter attacks on churches and hotels.
• Christianity is on the verge of disappearing in 15th-ranked Iraq and 11th-ranked Syria.

The World Watch List annually grades countries on religious persecution, based on violence and systemic pressure in five spheres of Christian life—the church, community, family, private life and national involvement.

North Korea the chief offender again

North Korea tops the list for the 18th consecutive year, where the 300,000 Christians in the country of more than 25 million people are persecuted under Communist and post-Communist oppression.

“If North Korean Christians are discovered, they are deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot,” according to the report. “Driven by the state, Christian persecution in North Korea is extreme and meeting other Christians to worship is nearly impossible unless it’s done in complete secrecy.”

Rounding out the top 10, in descending rank, are Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, Iran and India.

Completing the list, in descending rank, are Syria, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, China, Mauritania, Central African Republic, Morocco, Qatar, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Nepal, Jordan, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Brunei, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Colombia, Oman, Kuwait, Kenya, Bhutan, Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, Cameroon, Indonesia and Niger.

Call to prayer for persecuted Christians

Nigeria remains the most violent country for Christians, Open Doors said.

Open Doors counted 260 million Christians who experienced high levels of persecution in the 50 countries studied. The organization reported 2,983 were killed for their faith, and 3,711 were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced and imprisoned. Attacks on churches and Christian buildings totaled 9,488.

Christian persecution “is worse in every theater around the world,” Curry said, but he reported hope despite the trends and spiking numbers.

“I think there’s hope in that Christians are building community, even in the midst of this persecution. And people, even at high government levels, are talking about it, recognizing that this is a problem,” he said, crediting the United States government with advancing the global conversation. “I think that’s a good sign; there’s still a lot to be done.”

He encouraged Christians to pledge to pray weekly for the persecuted church.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—A federal judge in Maryland has blocked President Donald Trump’s recent executive order allowing state and local officials to refuse refugee resettlement.

The injunction came less than one week after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would be the first state to reject the direct resettlement of refugees, a move that prompted unanimous criticism from Texas’ 16 Catholic bishops. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is one of several faith-based agencies authorized by the government to resettle refugees.

The preliminary injunction is part of HIAS v. Trump, a lawsuit by three faith-based organizations against the U.S. government over the order.

“Today the sun is shining on refugee families and the communities who for decades have devoted their time and resources to welcome them,” said John L. McCullough, president and CEO of Church World Service.

“This ruling means that newly arriving refugees won’t have to choose between being together and accessing critical services as they rebuild their lives. It means that people of faith can continue to live out their calling to welcome the stranger. It means we can continue to ensure that all refugees get a bright start in the United States, regardless of who is in office in the states and cities where they live.”

In their complaint filed in November, Church World Service, HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service argue President Donald Trump’s executive order inhibits their ability to practice their faith by resettling refugees.

It also likely violates federal law, according to the ruling by Judge Peter J. Messitte, who wrote that giving states and localities veto power “flies in the face of clear Congressional intent, as expressed in the legislative history of the statute.”

The executive order required state and local officials to give written consent in advance for refugees to be resettled in their jurisdictions, even as 42 states already have agreed to admit refugees.

‘Unkind and un-American to ban refugees’

“To those few who have not, we say not only is it unkind and un-American to ban refugees from your states and towns, but it is unlawful,” said Mark J. Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS.

Hetfield said the judge’s ruling “shows the country how this administration was wrong to attempt a state-by-state refugee ban.”

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the “fight is far from over.”

“We do not expect the Administration to back down from using these vulnerable people as political pawns. But we will continue to stand for welcome and trust and pray that the law will still protect the most vulnerable who are fleeing war, violence, and persecution,” she said.

Faith-based organizations have characterized Trump’s executive order as “yet another refugee ban” and an attempt to dismantle the country’s decades-old refugee resettlement infrastructure.

That infrastructure relies heavily on religious groups: Six of the nine organizations that partner with the federal government to help resettle refugees are faith-based.

Those groups have been forced to lay off staff and close offices as the Trump administration has drastically cut the number of refugees allowed in the country each year. This year, the president set that limit at just 18,000 refugees—a historic low—compared with 110,000 during Barack Obama’s last year in office.

VANCOUVER, Wash. (BP)—A group of Southern Baptists announced Jan. 14 their intention to nominate Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention, as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Blake Gideon, pastor of First Baptist Church in Edmond, Okla., and president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, is the intended nominator of Adams at the SBC annual meeting, June 9-10 in Orlando, Fla.

The only other nominee for the SBC presidency so far is Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., who will be nominated by H.B. Charles, pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.

If elected, Adams said, he would aim to focus on the SBC’s Great Commission efforts and rebuilding trust among the convention’s churches, entities and other organizations, the Northwest Baptist Witness reported.

‘Need a clear change in direction’

In an announcement on Adams’ personal website, he stated his belief the SBC needs a directional shift.

“I am allowing my name to be entered into nomination for the presidency of the SBC because I believe that we need a clear change in direction in order to fulfill our God-given mission and reverse our present course of decline in every key measurement of Great Commission advance,” Adams said.

“While Southern Baptists retain considerable ability to impact the world for Christ, we are currently experiencing our greatest challenge. After waging a decades-long battle for the Bible, we are in danger of losing the war we were founded to fight, that of advancing the Great Commission by making disciples and rescuing the captives of the evil one.

“If we do not honestly confront issues others will do so, including those who do not love the SBC like we do. Christians must be able to engage in honest discourse, speaking the truth in love.”

Adams said although he believes the SBC is in the midst of great challenge, it also is a time of immense opportunity—a chance to recommit to the purpose of advancing the Great Commission.

‘Experience, integrity and vision’

Gideon cited Adams’ goals for the SBC as reason for his nomination.

“His experience, integrity and the vision he has for the SBC is vital,” Gideon said. “We face some increasing challenges from our culture and increasing decline and division in the SBC. Randy is the kind of guy who will lead us according to God’s word, and unite us behind the Great Commission.”

The group of Southern Baptists nominating Adams includes Dale Jenkins, pastor of Airway Heights (Wash.) Baptist Church; Ronny Cooksey, pastor of Sandia Baptist Church in Albuquerque, N.M.; Deris Coto, pastor of Hispanic ministries at First Baptist Church in Fairburn, Ga.; and Troy Smith, pastor of Mill Park Baptist Church, Portland, Ore.,

The group also includes Mary Habila, Northwest Baptist Convention Woman’s Missionary Union president and member of Living Spring Fellowship in Des Moines, Wash.; Denise Hayden, member of Pellville Baptist Church in Hawesville, Ky.; Nick Phoenix, pastor and executive director of Words to Works Ministries in Jacksonville, Fla.; Mike Scifres, member of North Fork Baptist Church in Eufaula, Okla. and Bill Agee, executive director-treasurer of the California Southern Baptist Convention.

A collective group is making this nomination announcement, Gideon said, “in order to demonstrate unity of Southern Baptists from across different demographics and ethnicities. W wanted to express a united effort of people who we believe really reflect the SBC.”

By the numbers

Adams is a member of Go Church, a church plant in Ridgefield, Wash. According to the 2019 SBC Annual Church Profile, the church plant reported 34 members and an average of 100 in weekly attendance. Of total undesignated receipts of $233,660, the church gave $13,805, or 5.9 percent, through the Cooperative Program.

In 2019, the Northwest Baptist Convention, where Adams has served as executive director since 2013, reported Cooperative Program receipts of $2,861,490. Of that, $641,093.65 (22.4 percent), was forwarded to national and international CP causes.

The 2020 budget for the NWBC anticipates $2,920,000 in Cooperative Program gifts from member churches, with $2,236,000 supporting mission work in the Northwest, $584,000 (20 percent) being passed on to the national Cooperative Program allocation budget, and $100,000 to support the work of Gateway Seminary’s Pacific Northwest Campus in Vancouver, Wash.

“His proven leadership over the Northwest Baptist Convention proves his focus in advancing the Great Commission,” Gideon said. “It also demonstrates the value of cooperative work and supporting the Cooperative Program. Through my personal involvement with him, I know him to be a man who has historically strongly supported the Cooperative Program.”

Buckner Children and Family Services and Texas Baptist Men have collaborated numerous times in the past, but the two Dallas-based nonprofit organizations recently signed a memorandum of understanding solidifying that partnership. TBM will assist Buckner in areas—domestically and internationally—where both organizations provide services, such as disaster relief, construction projects, and water wells and filtration systems. TBM will be involved in home builds and agricultural projects for Buckner clients in the Rio Grande Valley, in providing water wells and school repairs in Kenya villages and in offering home improvements in Latin America. Buckner will help TBM import humanitarian aid items into countries where Buckner has key contacts; coordinate mission trips into countries Buckner has an operational presence, such as Mexico, Dominican Republic and Kenya; and consult in areas of expertise such as family preservation, family strengthening and trauma informed care. “This partnership has the potential to radically transform the lives of children and families around the world,” said Mickey Lenamon, TBM executive director and CEO. “God has uniquely equipped both organizations and brought them together now for maximum impact.” The collaboration offers “a way to play to our respected strengths in order to best achieve our core mission of serving the most vulnerable in society,” said Albert Reyes, CEO and president of Buckner International. “Whether it’s through disaster relief or proactive approaches to helping those in need, we are excited for the impact this collaboration will have on so many people.”

The Nederland Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau named Jason Burden, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland and first vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, as its 2019 Citizen of the Year and Texas Baptist Men as 2019 Service Organization of the Year. In addition to other community involvement, Burden led his church to provide disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Tropical Storm Imelda and explosions at a petroleum chemical plant in neighboring Port Neches. TBM was involved both in initial disaster relief in Southeast Texas, as well as rebuilding efforts.

EthicsDaily.com recognized two individuals with Texas ties as its 2019 Baptists of the Year—Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, and Jorge Zapata, director of Fellowship Southwest’s Border Ministry. Tyler, an Austin native who once served on the staff of a Texas Congressman, was recognized for her role in leading a coalition that launched the “Christians Against Christian Nationalism” campaign. Zapata, executive director of Hearts4Kids and associate coordinator of CBF Texas, was recognized for leading Fellowship Southwest’s immigrant relief ministry on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.

Blayne Alaniz has joined the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor staff in a newly created position as director of disability services and testing coordinator. Alaniz holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree from Texas Tech University. He joined Baylor University’s disability services office in 2013 as an accommodation specialist. In 2015, he returned to Texas Tech, where he became associate director of the student disability services office.

Anniversary

100^th for Morgan Mill Baptist Church in Erath County. Joe Rogers is pastor. The church invites former members to attend a centennial anniversary service at 10 a.m. on March 15. A lunch and program will follow the worship service. No reservations are required. James McGlothlin, former pastor, will be the keynote speaker in the afternoon.

Viendo hacia atrás, Rick Vasquez se da cuenta de cómo Dios se movió a su alrededor y lo cuidó, aun cuando estuvo en peligro y pudo haber muerto.

Ahora como director ejecutivo de Texas Evangelist Ministry, un ministerio basado en Houston, Vasquez viaja alrededor del mundo diciéndole a otros por qué le deben dar sus vidas a Cristo.

Aprendiendo a no confiar en las personas

Como niño de padres divorciados, Vásquez creció en un hogar de bajos recursos. En ese ambiente, él aprendió rápidamente a no confiar en las personas. Hombres, en particular, se aprovechaban de su madre y de la situación en la que la familia se encontraba.

Así que cuando un hombre se aparecía en sus vidas, Vasquez sabía que ese hombre sólo se quedaría mientras le fuera conveniente.

Sin mucha guianza o supervisión, Vasquez pronto aprendió a tomar lo que necesitara, aunque no fuera suyo. A los 12 años—después de robar pan, mortadela, papas fritas y refrescos de la casa de su vecino para darle algo de comer a sus hermanas—Vasquez fue a la cárcel por primera vez.

Desde esa edad hasta los 34, Vasquez entraba y salía de la prisión. Cuando salía, no pasaba mucho tiempo hasta que regresaba a la cárcel. Por eso su madurez y su perspectiva de la vida como adulto se formaron en la prisión.

Su percepción acerca de los hombres fue reafirmada, pero también empezó a crecer una desconfianza hacia los cristianos.

“Aunque se reunían a orar y leer la biblia, ellos también venían conmigo a buscar substancias ilegales y material para adultos,” Vasquez dijo.

Su desconfianza de otros también empeoro y él se volvió violento. Eventualmente, Vasquez dijo, él se convirtió en el líder de una de las pandillas más notorias de las prisiones en Estados Unidos.

Escuchando la voz de Dios

No pasó mucho tiempo para que los guardias pusieran a Vasquez en reclusión aislada para protegerse a sí mismos y al resto de los presos.

Pero fue en la prisión que Vasquez empezó a escuchar la voz de Dios más claramente.

De maneras inesperadas, Vasquez dijo darse cuenta que Dios le estaba llamando. Hasta que, en un momento, mientras escuchaba la canción “Nothing Else Matters,” de la banda de heavy metal Metallica, se dio cuenta que no había nadie a quien él le tuviera confianza.

La canción habla de una relación muy profunda que dos personas tienen y Vasquez notó que él no tenía ese tipo de relación con nadie.

“Mientras la guitarra tocaba su solo al final de la canción, escuché una voz que me decía, ‘Confía y ven a mí,’” Vasquez recordó. “Eso no es parte de la canción, y me asustó, pero hasta hoy aún recuerdo esa voz.”

En ese momento, Vasquez sintió la presencia de Dios a su alrededor y se dio cuenta que necesitaba urgentemente hacer un cambio en su vida. Había escuchado la voz de Dios que lo llamaba a seguirlo.

Entendiendo que su vida estaba llena de pecado y que necesitaba ayuda, Vasquez dijo haber tenido un sueño después que lo llamaba a ser honesto y admitir que la ayuda que necesitaba solo vendría de Dios.

“Yo sabía que, si pedía ayuda, entonces yo tenía que confiar y seguir a Dios, o si no iba a ser como esas otras personas quienes yo veía actuar falsamente,” Vasquez dijo. “Así que me arrodillé y dije: ‘Aquí estoy. Muéstrame qué debo hacer.’”

Nueva vida en Cristo

Los siguientes 10 años que Vasquez pasó en prisión, los usó para estudiar la Biblia y aprender todo lo que pudiera de la fe cristiana.

“Estudie mucha teología sistemática, enciclopedias, comentarios bíblicos y todo lo que pudiera encontrar,” él dijo.

Libros de Chuck Swindoll, Tony Evans, R.C. Sproul y otros sirvieron como guianza hacia su conocimiento de la fe.

Alrededor de ese tiempo, David Tamez—quien eventualmente sirvió como director asociado de Ministerios del Rio de Baptist General Convention of Texas y quien ahora es presidente del Seminario Teológico Bautista Dr. G.H Lacy en México—empezó un ministerio en la prisión. A través de un programa de mentoría de la prisión, Tamez tuvo bajo su tutela a Vasquez.

“El invirtió mucho en mí y aun ahora yo lo llamo mi mentor,” dijo Vasquez.

Después de Tamez hubo muchos maestros y mentores quienes sabiendo o sin saberlo enseñaron a Vasquez y notaron su pasión.

Los publicistas de Swindoll en español contactaron a Vasquez y le informaron que él había ordenado más material en español que cualquier otra iglesia o pastor. Eso les llamó la atención y por eso oraban por él continuamente, le dijeron.

Llamado a servir

Mientras aprendía, Vasquez sintió un llamado de Dios. Aunque él creció hablando inglés en su hogar, en la prisión vio como trataban a otros hispanos que no hablaba el idioma. Por esa razón decidió aprender español y de esa manera ayudarlos.

A principios del 2000, Vasquez salió de la prisión y pronto buscó áreas en las que pudiera crecer más como cristiano y servir a otros. Su experiencia en la prisión y su pasión por el discipulado lo llevaron al evangelismo y a plantar iglesias.

Cinco años atrás, el pastor de West University Baptist Church y Crosspoint Church Roger Patterson lo llamó a unirse al liderazgo de la iglesia.

En ese momento, Patterson le dijo a Vasquez que tenía una visión de alcanzar a 10,000 personas con el evangelio para el año 2020 y que creía que Vasquez podría ser parte de eso.

Vasquez se unió a Patterson en el trabajo al dar apoyo y guianza. Para el final del 2019, ellos ya habían alcanzado a más de 20,000.

“Pasamos la meta por la gracia de Dios,” Vasquez dijo.

Como evangelista, Vasquez dijo, su llamado no sólo requiere hablar del evangelio, pero también ayudar a que otros cristianos aprendan a hablar de Jesús con otros.

Ahora Vasquez evangeliza, entrena y discípula en otros países. También ministra a las familias de los encarcelados mientras continúa plantando iglesias y ministrando a inmigrantes.

Encuentro con autor musical de heavy metal

Diecinueve años después de que Dios le habló por medio de una canción de heavy metal, un amigo suyo de California le llamó y le informó haber visto al autor de esa canción, James Hetfield, en una iglesia.

“Yo sabía que él estaba buscando algo cuando entró a esa iglesia, así como yo buscaba algo cuando escuchaba su canción,” Vasquez explicó.

Hetfield estuvo dispuesto a reunirse con Vasquez, quien le compartió su testimonio. Después de hablar por un tiempo, Vasquez dijo que Hetfield extendió su mano hacia él y le dijo, “Hagamos esto.”

“El recibió la misma esperanza y sanidad que yo recibí cuando me arrodillé en esa prisión en Texas,” Vasquez dijo.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Like many Americans, Protestant pastors in the United States may be watching the recent events related to Iran closely, as well as monitoring other developments in the Middle East, but probably not because they think it has anything to do with Christ’s return.

Pastors are more than three times as likely to believe Christians can speed up the return of Christ by the spread of their faith than by backing certain geo-political changes, according to a new study from LifeWay Research. But those who think evangelism can hasten Christ’s return still represent a minority of all Protestant pastors.

“While Scripture specifically says we cannot know the day or the hour of Jesus Christ’s return, we were interested in pastors’ views on whether Christians can play a role in bringing about that return any sooner,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.

Around one in eight Protestant pastors (12 percent) believe Christians can speed up the second coming of Jesus by supporting geo-political changes they see in the Bible, with 5 percent strongly agreeing.

Four in five pastors (80 percent) don’t believe their support will have an impact on the timetable of Christ’s return, including 61 percent who strongly disagree.

During heighted conflicts with Syria, a 2013 LifeWay Research study found many Americans were likely to link global conflict with end times.

Almost one in three saw the conflict as part of the Bible’s plan for the end times. One in four thought a U.S. military strike in Syria could lead to Armageddon. And one in five believed the world would end in their lifetime, including 32 percent of evangelicals.

“A large majority of pastors do not see biblical prophecies about future changes among nations as a roadmap for advocating specific international engagement,” McConnell said.

In the most recent study of Protestant pastors, there is no significant difference between mainline and evangelical pastors regarding their views about international political affairs speeding up the return of Christ. There are, however, differences among other demographics.

White pastors (11 percent) are less likely to believe backing geo-political events will hasten Jesus’ second coming than African American pastors (20 percent) or pastors of other ethnicities (22 percent).

Pastors 65 and older (16 percent) are more likely to agree than those 18 to 44 (9 percent).

Additional education decreases the likelihood a pastor agrees that support from Christians of geo-political events will speed up the return of Christ. Pastors without a college degree are more than twice as likely to agree than those with a bachelor’s or master’s degree—22 percent to 10 percent.

Evangelism to end times

In what Christians call the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus tells his followers to “make disciples of all nations,” which often is understood as a command to spread the faith to all distinct people groups. Matthew’s Gospel also records Jesus telling his followers the “good news of the kingdom” will be preached in all the world, “and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

Protestant pastors are split, on whether Christians actually can speed up the return of Christ by helping to share the gospel with all people groups.

Close to two in five (41 percent) believe Christians can hasten Jesus’ second coming through world evangelism, while around half (54 percent) disagree.

“The Great Commission was a task Jesus gave his followers to be doing while he is gone,” McConnell said. “Four in 10 pastors believe the pace of sharing the message of what Jesus has done will impact the timing of Christ’s return. Presumably many of those who disagree would assert exclusively divine control over Christ’s return.”

Denominationally, Pentecostal pastors (66 percent) are the most likely to agree Christians can speed up Jesus’ return by sharing the gospel with all people groups.

Those with no college degree (56 percent) are more likely to agree than those with additional degrees.

Pastors 65 and older are the age group most likely to agree (52 percent).

White pastors are more likely than African American pastors to disagree that the second coming of Christ can be sped up by global evangelism—55 percent to 43 percent.

Immoral until the end?

Whenever the second coming of Christ may be, most Protestant pastors believe immorality will be more common until Jesus returns.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) agree “culture will increasingly get less moral until Jesus Christ returns.” Around a quarter (26 percent) disagree.

Evangelical pastors (80 percent) are far more likely to agree than mainline pastors (51 percent). Pastors 45 and older (71 percent) are more likely to agree than younger pastors (62 percent).

Again, education plays a role in pastors’ likelihood to agree. Those with no college degree (90 percent) or a bachelor’s (81 percent) are more likely to believe immorality will increase until the return of Jesus than those with a master’s (61 percent) or a doctoral degree (63 percent).

Baptist (86 percent) and Pentecostal (84 percent) pastors are more likely to agree than Church of Christ (67 percent), Lutheran (59 percent), Methodist (48 percent), or Presbyterian and Reformed pastors (45 percent).

“On the surface, the responses of most pastors could be described as feeling helpless regarding these specific aspects of the future,” said McConnell. “Yet the persistence of their faith amidst a lack of control points to an even greater level of hope.”

Researchers conducted the phone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors from Aug. 30 to Sept. 24, 2019. The calling list was a stratified random sample, drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. Quotas were used for church size.

Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister or priest of the church called. Analysts weighted responses by region to reflect the population more accurately. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys, providing 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.3 percent. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

Student-athletes from East Texas Baptist University began the new year in Athens, Greece, serving with a ministry to refugees.

A group of 34 student-athletes, coaches and staff with the ETBU cross country and track program participated in the Tiger Athletic Mission Experience trip. They partnered with International Sports Federation and Streetlights, a community discipleship ministry that focuses on working with refugees from Europe and the Middle East.

“TAME was created in order to give ETBU Tiger student-athletes the opportunity to use their God-given talents and abilities to share their faith with people across the globe as they strive to transform the world for Christ,” said Ryan Erwin, vice president for athletics at ETBU.

“Our student-athletes were nothing short of amazing as they fought through exhaustion. They did an amazing job interacting with and showing love toward the local children in Greece.”

Outreach, ministry and worship

The ETBU student-athletes joined in outreach to refugees of all ages during a community festival facilitated by Streetlights, assisting with face painting, dance competitions and games.

“The kids loved getting to laugh and play,” senior Michael Sanders said. “It was amazing to see God work through our actions to spread the gospel.”

Some Tigers attended an Iranian church service where they served lunch to over 75 Iranian refugees.

“As we arrived at the church, the leader greeted us, and we prayed for God to open our hearts and eyes to the world we were about to see,” graduate student Beau Billings said. “While at the church, we were able to meet a man and learn his story through Google Translate. It showed the true power of God and how appreciative the people we were serving are.”

A small group of Tigers took trains to reach a local refugee camp, where they visited and ministered to residents of the camp and were inspired by their stories of suffering and triumph.

“We introduced ourselves and sat down to visit with a family,” freshman Kennadie Ransberger said. “The woman shared her testimony with us. She was not a believer, but her story was extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes. She talked about her past that brought her to this camp and how difficult and heartbreaking it was.

“However, she also talked about how strong she is today and the person she has become because of it. It was such a humbling and eye-opening experience for each one of us. Leaving the camp was so sad. They did not want us to go.”

The ETBU group also assisted with painting, cleaning and making needed repairs at a local kindergarten, elementary school and the Streetlights building.

“I have really enjoyed getting to know my teammates through this experience,” freshman Hope Shipp said. “Not only have I gotten to know my teammates, but I’ve also met some really awesome new friends. I cannot wait to see the other amazing things God has planned for us in my time at ETBU.”

Rare opportunities

In addition to ministry opportunities, Tigers had the rare opportunity to run a marathon or 5K race through the streets of Greece, finishing at the site of the original Olympic Stadium.

“This was no ordinary race,” junior Kylie Embry said. “We were running through the city streets of Athens with cars all around us. In the midst of the chaos around us, our team was a unit, working together, encouraging one another and enjoying the experience.”

The ETBU student-athletes also hiked to the Acropolis and Parthenon before climbing Mars Hill, where the Apostle Paul delivered the message recorded in Acts 17. The group reflected, sang worship songs and took part in communion with Christian tourists.

“This trip has been an incredible experience, resulting in bringing our team together, enlightening and changing our perspectives, creating a space for hearts to awaken, and fostering a deep gratefulness for the many blessings we take for granted,” said Natalie Bach-Prather, ETBU men’s track and field head coach.

“It was so special to see many of our athletes have soul-awakening moments throughout the week, and it was very evident that God was working through our group to reach others. I am so grateful for this opportunity we had to grow as a team and witness life-changing moments.”

Effective Jan. 13, the weekly email edition of the Baptist Standard will be available without a paid subscription—the first time in its 131-year history the Standard will not be a subscription-based news source.

The weekly newsletter of the Standard is emailed every Thursday and contains all the content published to baptiststandard.com each week. Content includes news, opinion and resources by, for and about Baptists in Texas and around the world, as well as articles about the broader Christian faith.

Current email subscribers will continue to receive the weekly newsletter and will not be prompted to renew their subscription. To start receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up here.

Baptist Standard Publishing will continue to offer CommonCall, a print magazine launched in 2012. CommonCall supplements the Standard with human-interest stories unique to the magazine. The magazine will continue to be available with a paid subscription.

From an idea to print to digital

The Baptist Standard newspaper was published under that name for the first time in 1892. Prior to that, it was The Baptist News, the first edition being published Dec. 6, 1888.

With the rise of the Internet and the growth of and demand for digital communication, the Baptist Standard website launched in the 1990s, and the Standard later began offering a bi-weekly digital version of the print edition.

Partly as a result of increasing printing and mailing costs and decreasing revenue, the last print edition of the Standard was published Dec. 17, 2012. Despite the cessation of the print newspaper, the Standard continued to publish all the same news, opinion and resources online.

For many years, the Standard was mailed to subscribers for $2 per year. The annual subscription rate eventually went as high as $24 per year for the print edition. With the introduction of the digital edition, an annual subscription cost $10 per year and remained at that level until the end of 2019.

Subscription rates never covered the full cost of publishing the Baptist Standard. Advertising, donations and an endowment covered what subscription revenue did not. Baptist Standard Publishing will continue to rely on advertising, donations and its endowment.

New digital products coming soon

In addition to offering the Baptist Standard weekly email newsletter without a paid subscription, Baptist Standard Publishing also plans to launch a mobile app for iPhone and Android devices and a podcast. Both are in production. Details about the podcast will be made public closer to the release date.

“For those who follow the Standard on social media, the app will allow readers to keep up with all the content they want to read instead of only seeing the content social media algorithms will show them,” Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black said.

“Our decision to let go of paid subscriptions for the Standard, while related to the bottom line, ultimately is driven by our desire for as many people to be impacted by our content as possible.

“We are driven by our mission and our core commitments. Our core commitments are historic Baptist principles, responsible journalism and the redeeming and reconciling work of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to inform, inspire and challenge people to live like Jesus. Ending paid subscriptions for digital content and launching new digital platforms enables us to encourage more people to follow Jesus.”

SAN MARCOS—Charlotte Evans has worn many hats since she retired from her career as an educator.

Officially, she served first as a mentor and eventually as lead coordinator at Hands of Hope, a ministry serving undereducated women in Hays County and the surrounding area. Unofficially, her roles include encourager, fund-raiser and event planner.

Hands of Hope is a volunteer-operated ministry that teaches job skills and life skills in a Christian context to unemployed or underemployed women in the San Marcos-Kyle-Buda area between Austin and San Antonio.

“Most of the women who come to us do not have a high school diploma or GED,” Evans said. “They are single mothers who have experienced abuse. Some have lost their children to CPS (Child Protective Services). Some experienced addiction. And almost all have lost hope.”

Teaching life skills and job skills

Hands of Hope originally was organized about 15 years ago as Greater San Marcos Christian Women’s Job Corps, a ministry of Woman’s Missionary Union.

The first classes began in a public housing complex. Before long, the ministry needed more space, and First Baptist Church in San Marcos opened its doors.

Hands of Hope offers ten-week sessions twice each year, providing a broad curriculum of life-skill development, pre-job training and Bible study in a setting where women help women. Four days a week from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., women attend classes such as “Skills to Pay the Bills” and “Money Management,” as well as individualized computer training and other courses.

Guest lecturers and certified teachers from the community speak to the women about employment opportunities and social services. With the exception of a van driver and child care workers, everyone who serves Hands of Hope is a volunteer.

Each student has a trained volunteer mentor who meets with her weekly, helps set goals and prays with her for at least six months after graduation.

Loved, accepted and affirmed

Participants experience much-needed affirmation and acceptance at Hands of Hope. For instance, the ministry throws a birthday party for each student on her special day.

“Some of the girls tell me this is the first birthday party they’ve had since childhood,” Evans said. “Volunteers bring gifts for each girl’s birthday.”

At Hands of Hope, women are loved, not judged, she emphasized.

“We see them opening up to the love and grace of God in their lives,” Evans said. “We are not successful with all. We are only planting seeds that we may never see grow. However, we work to stay in touch with our alumni. Some of those seeds develop into beautiful, successful women who have made a change in their lives and especially in the lives of their families.”

After students complete the ten-week program, Hands of Hope recognizes their achievement at a graduation ceremony, complete with caps and gowns, with formal invitations sent to family and friends.

At the ceremony, the women give testimony about their journey through Hands of Hope.

“I loved that the teachers and mentors shared their stories with us and let us know that they are human and have faced problems in their lives. But with God on your side you can get through anything,” one Hands of Hope participant said.

Support for the ministry

In addition to the facility and van First Baptist Church provides, Hands of Hope also receives support from other churches, individuals, mission organizations, Bible study groups and civic clubs.

Materials are supplied at no cost to students, along with preschool child care, transportation and a daily meal. A clothes shop allows the women to select items for themselves and others.

Churches around the state help support the ministry through their gifts to the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.

“Each spring, we host a fund-raiser that has become a favorite of the ladies of San Marcos,” Evans said. “This is a high tea known as “Tea-N-More,” where the ladies are encouraged to dress up and wear pretty hats. Volunteers decorate individual tables with their own china, crystal and beautiful centerpieces. Ticket sales and table sponsorship help support this ministry.”

Several years ago, a scholarship was set up through grants to help Hands of Hope graduates further their education. Some have attended community college. Some have completed nursing or dental assistant training. Some have begun taking university classes.

“My time at Hands of Hope is something I will carry with me forever,” one graduate of the program said. “It was a life-changing experience.”

Evans regularly speaks to local civic groups about Hands of Hope. Applicants often come from these organizations. And churches in the area help spread their story.

“After women complete our program, we want them to take this away: We want them to know the love and grace of God—to know forgiveness and that he will help them to forgive those who have hurt them in the past,” Evans said. “We want them to know he has a plan for their lives.”

Carolyn Tomlin writes for the Christian market and teaches the Boot Camp for Christian Writers.

This is part of an ongoing series about how Christians respond to hunger and poverty. Substantive coverage of significant issues facing Texas Baptists is made possible in part by a grant from the Prichard Family Foundation.

Tomi Jean Anderson Lenamon, a member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth for 58 years, died Jan 7. She was 85. She was born April 2, 1934, on a farm in Limestone County to Cy and Lizzy Anderson. She graduated from Groesbeck High School, where she was voted class favorite. Upon graduation, she worked as the secretary to the president of the Farmers State Bank. On Aug. 21, 1951, she married her high school sweetheart, Joe T. Lenamon, a 1951 graduate of Texas A&M University. After he completed his service in the U.S. Air Force, the couple moved to Fort Worth. In addition to caring for four children and maintaining a household, she sewed for the public, bought and resold furniture, and worked as a Tupperware dealer. Later, she worked in the offices of several companies, including Christian Education for the Blind and Stewart Title Company. In 1979, she went to work for Search Ministries and retired from there in 1991. At Travis Avenue Baptist Church, she was involved in Woman’s Missionary Union and a variety of mission projects and trips. She and her husband helped initiate a ministry for young married seminary students. Anytime she was told, “You can’t do that,” she replied, “Just watch me.” She once called the White House to complain about an advertising campaign that put cigarettes in mailboxes. She enjoyed tracing her family genealogy, took many family pictures and left her family a treasured heritage in memory books. For many years, she dealt with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue before it was an accepted diagnosis. Her illness kept her mostly homebound in her later years. She was preceded in death by three brothers, two sisters, and a son, Joel Lenamon. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Joe T. Lenamon, one of the founders of Texas Baptist Men; daughter Roseanne McAdams and son-in-law John; son Mickey Lenamon, executive director of TBM, and his wife Sallie; son Tony Lenamon; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren, plus two who are expected to arrive in March.

Looking back, Rick Vasquez sees how God constantly moved around him and watched over him throughout his life, even when he faced danger and skirted death.

As chief executive officer of the Houston-based Texas Evangelist Ministry, Vasquez travels internationally, telling others why they should give their lives to Christ.

Vasquez, who also is pastor of Iglesia Crosspoint in Bellaire, hopes that by telling what God continues doing in his life, others will learn from his testimony of God’s fidelity.

Learning early not to trust people

As a child of divorced parents growing up in a low-income household, Vasquez quickly learned to distrust most people. Men, in particular, took advantage of his mother and their situation. So, when a new man showed up in his mom’s life, Vasquez knew he only would stick around as long as it was convenient.

Lacking guidance or supervision, Vasquez also learned to take what he needed to survive, even if it was not his. At 12 years old—after stealing sandwich bread, bologna, chips and drinks from his neighbor to feed his sisters—Vasquez was incarcerated the first time.

From then until age 34, Vasquez went in and out of prison constantly. It would not take long after his release from prison for him to end up back inside. So, most of his understanding of life and maturity into adulthood took place in prison.

His perception of men was reaffirmed, but he also began particularly to mistrust men in prison who professed to be Christians.

“While they gathered together to pray and read the Bible, they would very quickly also come to me and ask for illegal substances and adult material,” Vasquez said.

His distrust of others also worsened, and he turned to violence. Eventually, Vasquez said, he became the leader of one of the prison system’s most notorious gangs.

Hearing God’s voice

Before long, correctional officers decided placing Vasquez in solitary confinement was the best way to protect their safety and that of the other inmates.

But in prison, Vasquez said, he began hearing the voice of God more and more clearly.

In unexpected ways, Vasquez realized God kept calling him, over and over. At some point while listening to the song “Nothing Else Matters” by the heavy metal band Metallica, he finally realized he found no trust in anyone around him.

In contrast to the song, which speaks of a deep relationship between two people, Vasquez recognized he had no one like that in his life.

“As the song was ending I heard this voice at the end of this guitar solo that said, ‘Trust and follow me,’” Vasquez recalled. “That is not part of the song, and it freaked me out, but it still echoes to this day.”

Suddenly, Vasquez felt the presence of God all around him and realized he urgently needed to change his path. He heard the convicting voice of God calling him to follow.

Realizing his life was full of sin and he needed help, Vasquez said, he was told in a dream he had to be honest and admit the help he sought could come only from God.

“I understood that if I had asked for help, then I needed to trust and follow God unless I wanted to be like the fake people I hated,” Vasquez said. “So, I got on my knees and said: ‘Here I am. Show me what to do.’”

New life in Christ

The following 10 years he spent in prison, Vasquez devoted his time to studying the Bible and learning as much as he could about the Christian faith.

“I studied a lot of systematic theology, encyclopedias, Bible commentaries and everything else I could get my hands on,” he said.

Books from Chuck Swindoll, Tony Evans, R.C. Sproul among others served as his path towards knowledge and understanding of the faith.

Around that time David Tamez—who would eventually serve as associate director of Texas Baptists’ River Ministry and now is president of Seminario Teologico Bautista Dr. G.H. Lacy in Mexico—began a prison ministry. Under a prison mentoring program, Tamez came to mentor Vasquez in his spiritual walk.

“He invested time in me, and I still call him my mentor,” Vasquez said.

After Tamez, other teachers and mentors who knowingly and unknowingly taught Vasquez began noticing his passion.

Swindoll’s Spanish publishers contacted Vasquez and informed him he had ordered more material in Spanish than anyone else. That drew their attention, and they continually prayed for him, representatives of the publisher told him.

Called to serve

Throughout his learning process, Vasquez sensed a new calling from God. While he grew up speaking English at home, in prison he saw the treatment non-English-speaking Hispanics received. So, he decided to learn more Spanish in order to help those inmates.

In the early 2000s, Vasquez was released from prison, and he quickly sought areas to grow more in his Christian walk and serve in ministry. His background in prison and his passion for discipleship led him to evangelism and church starting.

About five years ago, after Roger Patterson, pastor of West University Baptist Church and Crosspoint Church, reached out to him, Vasquez joined his staff.

At the time, Patterson told Vasquez about a vision he had. Patterson dreamed of reaching 10,000 people with the gospel by 2020, and he thought Vasquez could be part of it.

Vasquez joined Patterson in the effort, offering support and guidance. By the end of 2019, they had reached more than 20,000.

“We surpassed the goal by the grace of God,” Vasquez said.

As an evangelist, Vasquez said, his call not only involves presenting the gospel to others, but also helping Christians learn how to tell others about Jesus.

Vasquez evangelizes, trains and disciples in countries across Latin America, and he ministers to families of incarcerated people. He also continues planting churches and ministers to people migrating to the United States.

Encounter with heavy metal songwriter

Nineteen years after God spoke to Vasquez through a heavy metal song, a friend from California called him and informed him he had seen songwriter James Hetfield at a church. The writer of the song God used to touch Vasquez’s heart had grown up in a religious home but had not been in church since he was 12 years old.

“I knew he was searching when he walked into that church, just as I was searching when I listened to his music,” Vasquez explained.

Hetfield agreed to meet with Vasquez, who shared his Christian testimony with him. After the two talked for a while, Vasquez said Hetfield reached out his hand and told him, “Let’s do it.”

“He received the very hope and healing I received when I bowed my knees in a Texas prison,” Vasquez said.

WACO—Many Americans are “always on”—scrolling through social media, checking email or searching the internet, author Angela Gorrell, assistant professor of practical theology at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary, noted.

In her book Always On, she writes about how social media spaces can be instruments of God’s unconditional love—but also sources of anxiety, jealousy and depression.

In this interview, she discusses tools for understanding social media and enabling Christian communities to address its use in constructive ways.

From your perspective as a practical theologian, are the social media strategies you recommend aimed solely at people of faith?

Practical theology takes different forms. Ultimately, I aim to write about issues—like social media—that matter to people and shine the light of the gospel on them. I also research and write about theology and faith in practice, how people express and perform their values, hopes and beliefs through practices, rituals, disciplines, activities, relationships, work—through their way of life. While I write about social media from a Christian perspective, much of what I have written about using social media mindfully and having “interested conversation” about media is applicable to people from a variety of religious and philosophical perspectives.

There is much talk about how people spend too much time on social media, to the point of ignoring family and friends when in their presence. How much is too much? And what problems can this create for people?

The most important thing for people to realize is that how you spend time online is more important than how much time you spend online. There are a variety of issues that “passive,” unintentional, unregulated, time online can extend and nurture. I say extend because all these issues can also be in-person issues. For example, empathy burnout, depression, anxiety and jealousy.

We often encounter an enormous amount of suffering online, and the amount of suffering and the velocity of these encounters—rapidly seeing multiple examples back to back in articles or our newsfeeds—can nurture empathy burnout. We can become numb to the suffering we see online and take it but do nothing about it or think very little of it. Likewise, being on social media and passively scrolling through people’s status updates, tweets and stories for unbounded sets of time and looking at copious amounts of content but never replying, messaging, posting or sharing has been linked to depression and anxiety.

Similarly, passive following, which is following people closely that we do not know (such as celebrities) or people we do not see regularly in person (for example, high school friends) has been linked to jealousy, which can negatively impact how we perceive ourselves and our lives … When we see someone a lot in person or talk to them regularly by phone, we know that their lives have a lot more going on than what they are sharing online.

What strategies do you suggest to help people use social media wisely?

The goal is meaningful participation. I encourage people to limit passive scrolling and following as much as possible. Create something and share it online. Join conversations. Reply to people’s statuses rather than just clicking emojis. When you see that someone is celebrating, share their joy in a significant way. Share it as your status with a note of congratulations or text them or call them.

When you notice someone is mourning, message them. When you encounter suffering online, stop scrolling and do something in response. Get offline, take a walk and pray about this suffering. Give money to an organization that is relieving this suffering. Find other articles and educate yourself on the issue. Learn more about how to help or how to invite other people to care.

Any suggestions as to how and where people might create a space to ask and answer questions about social media use?

Asking powerful questions about people’s online experiences that encourage storytelling and helping each other think about new media can happen around the dinner table, in a church small group or on a road trip in the car. When family and friends ask each other about one another’s lives, we can include asking questions about and discussing social media experiences. We can ask curious, open-ended questions without simple yes or no answers like:

1. How do you make decisions about what to respond to online?
2. Have you ever been frustrated or sad about new forms of technology? What causes frustration or sadness for you?
3. When have you had a joyful experience online? Could you describe a time when you felt heard, affirmed or understood online?
4. How does social media help you love God and others and/or prevent you from loving God and others?
5. When have you had a painful experience online? Could you describe a time when you felt unheard, bullied, left out or misunderstood online?
6. What are the top two feelings you experience when using social media, and why do you think this is so?

How can we do a better job of using social media?

Develop a rhythm for life with your friends or family that specifically addresses technology—when you will use it and for what purposes, when you will not use it, what boundaries you will have. Using social media constructively requires intentionality. I encourage people to find times in their week or month or year to not use devices and social media and to write down their plan on a calendar.

A college student told me that he and his friends put all their phones in the center of the table at restaurants and say that the first person to pick up their phone during dinner pays the entire bill. Since they started this ritual, no one has picked up a phone during dinner. Practices like these help people to be present to people they are with in person.

It is a great idea to put all devices away at night one to two hours before bed so minds and bodies can get prepared for sleep. I know families that have a basket for this purpose in their homes. I especially encourage parents to make sure children under 18 do not have a device in their room during sleeping hours so they can get adequate rest. I invite people to consider turning off notifications from all social media platforms and email and only check apps and email at a certain time each day.

It also is important to have a plan for difficult moments and conversations online. What will you do when you get angry, disagree with someone else or feel depressed about your life or feel left out? What will you do next?

It is equally important to think about what you will use social media for. How can you use social media to love people well, truly stay connected to people, expand your thinking on certain subjects, remain humble and open to being corrected, and nurture your creativity and increase your compassion? How might meaningful participation online support goals like these?