Jon Acuff is the author of the satirical blog Stuff Christians Like and a book by the same title published by Zondervan. In about two years, Acuff has taken a start-up blog from obscurity to more than 1.5 million readers, including many who interact loyally with his site every week.

Brad Russell recently sat down with Acuff to learn more about Stuff Christians Like and the guy behind the stuff.

Tell us about Stuff Christians Like.

Well, it’s really an exploration of the entire culture of faith from a Christian perspective. So, it’s everything from how to raise your hand in church when you worship to silly things we do on the road, like driving like we’re not Christians. I wish there was a bumper sticker that said, “I’m sorry I cut you off, but I’m a Christian that drives like an agnostic.” People have this idea that “I don’t have to have faith when I’m in the car.” We’ll have it when we get to church, but on the way there, we might need to run somebody off the road. My grandmother actually took her ichthus off her car because she didn’t want to make a bad name for God.

One of the things I see in your work is ambivalence about pop culture. You’ll talk a lot about Lil Wayne and Prince, and then you talk about the church being obsessed with being relevant and post-modern. What’s the challenge of the church to navigate that tension, to speak the language of the culture but not worship the culture?

I think it’s a fine line. I think there has been a time when we went from being irrelevant to being obsessed. There’s a pendulum. I think now maybe we are swinging back toward the middle. But somebody asked me, “Do you ever think we’ll be as cool as the world?” And I said, “I hope not.”

We’re not held to that standard. It’s not a popularity contest. It’s not a coolness contest. For me, I use pop-culture references because it’s a common language. When you, in the midst of a big “Jon and Kate” celebrity blow-up, mention them, everyone knows what you’re talking about, so it gives you a chance to use a shared language to jump off of. For me, that’s why I use pop culture. There’s stuff I don’t really care about and think it’s silly, but I know I’ll connect with a larger group of people if I can reflect that but not be obsessed with it, because ultimately, I don’t write a gossip column. I’m not writing TMZ for Christians.

You grew up as the son of a church planter in the Boston area. How did that whole experience shape your humor and observations about the church?

It definitely did. Massachusetts at that time was very focused on Catholicism, so with my dad being a Southern Baptist minister, it was difficult getting a foothold. So, I watched him creatively approach people, creatively approach community, and that shaped how I looked at faith. It wasn’t cookie-cutter. He didn’t have an easy job, so I saw him apply creativity and honesty, and these are things that are important to me now. So, I definitely think it shaped me.

If there were three values that you would say guide your work, what would that constellation of values look like? What’s underneath there?

Well, I guess, honesty is one. Kindness. Mockery just tries to wound. Satire is not mockery. I hate it when people confuse the two. Satire is just humor with a purpose. So, I guess kindness, honesty and maybe accessibility. I don’t want ivory tower ideas, and I don’t want complicated ideas.

For you, where is the line between satire, sarcasm and maybe cynicism?

For me, the difference between satire and mockery is, “Is there a victim?” I ask, “If I write this, does somebody get hurt?” And the other distinction is that satire addresses issues where mockery addresses individuals. If I can stay away from making it personal, all the better. It’s so much better to me to get people to talk about an issue. Who cares about one particular celebrity? If I can talk about divorce, for instance, then people can relate to that and engage with it.

One of the things people praise about your work is that underneath the humor is a profound caring for people that comes through, a great deal of grace and compassion. Do you see the church missing the boat sometimes?

I think we do sometimes. I mean, I write about Christian hate mail. That doesn’t even make sense. We should be the most loving people. We should be the ones who have the most grace, because we have been forgiven the most. So, it’s weird that we’ll give grace to everyone that’s named ourselves, and then won’t give grace to other people, so yeah, I think that’s just weird.

One of my favorite pieces is on “how to break up with your small group.” How do you do that?

Well for me, there have been times when you have a small group, and it just doesn’t fit. It’s just not right. It doesn’t mean they’re jerks or not good Christians. And so for me, I came up with some things to do, like you just make gross desserts so they’ll leave. You just tell horrible stories about bathroom issues you’re having. Or you make a run for the border and just find another group and start going to that group as you start “small grouping around” and get a reputation. Or, you can just be honest. That’s always a possibility.

Any crises in the church that you think we need to urgently address?

I’m always concerned about “deep v-neck syndrome.” We’ve got plunging necklines for our men that are disturbing. And iPads. We have people reading sermon notes from iPads for a sermon about homelessness. That doesn’t make sense.

Tell us a little bit about your process. You appear to have this enormous work ethic with over 750,000 words written in two years. How do you do what you do?

The big part is collecting, capturing the ideas. So many people have ideas, but they don’t ever capture them, and they disappear. I initially capture an idea and write it down on my iPhone. And then sometime later I’ll go back and look at—whether it’s a good idea. Does it fit the site? Does it make sense? Has it been done before?

Then I’ll write a draft, and then wait a week, because you need a week from your work to get objective about it. If I post it that day, I’m too close to it. I won’t see some of the errors in it. So, I wait a week, and then I’ll edit it and post it.

I usually try to stay about three weeks ahead of my site, so I have three weeks written and posted at any given time. That gives me the chance to have a bigger look, so I can say: “Wow, I have two marriage posts in the same week. Let me move that and split it up.” Because if you are a single reader, that’s kind of frustrating.

So what’s next for Jon Acuff?

Figure out the next book. Working on that, spending more time on the site. Being a dad, being a husband, being an employee. We’ll see.

WACO, Texas (ABP) — While newspapers carried headlines about high-profile sexual-coercion lawsuits filed against Atlanta mega-church pastor Eddie Long, a Baptist researcher said the problem of clergy sexual abuse is much larger than a few charismatic leaders who abuse their power.

"What we found is that this problem is so pervasive," Diana Garland, dean of Baylor University's School of Social Work and co-author of a groundbreaking study on sexual malfeasance by ministers, said Oct. 1 on National Public Radio.

Diana Garland

Appearing on Michel Martin's "Tell Me More" program on NPR News, Garland said if the cases of reported abuse were spread around evenly across the country, every average-sized congregation with 400 members would include seven women who have experienced clergy sexual misconduct at some time since they turned 18. That includes only women who go to church regularly, not those who stopped attending after their abuse.

Instead of looking at the psychological makeup of abusers, Garland and co-author Mark Chaves of Duke looked for factors that set up a congregation for abuse.

One, she said, is when religious leaders have overlapping and multiple roles, such as religious leader and counselor, or perhaps a close family friend. "Those are conflicting roles," she said.

Another factor, Garland said, is that people refer to their places of worship as "sanctuaries."

"We expect them to be safe places, so we share, we confess personal thoughts and our struggles to religious leaders and they know those things about us, and we believe that they are there to protect us, not to harm us," she said.

Garland said religious leaders need to be there for church members in times of crisis. "To be that first line of care is very important," she said. "That's different than providing ongoing, weekly individual psychotherapy, which is a very different role and one that should not be confused with that of religious leader. They're simply different roles."

Another factor, Garland said, is that congregations tend to hold religious leaders in awe. "We put them on pedestals, and pedestals are very lonely places," she said. "There's very little accountability for how religious leaders spend their time or where they are."

Garland said it is easy to form an intimate relationship with someone through e-mail, cell phones and other technology that was not available a generation ago. Many people in the study reported religious leaders establishing an inappropriate relationship over time, frequently around the work of the church, making it difficult to identify when a boundary had been crossed.

Garland said she believes education is a key to addressing the problem, and it begins with the language that is used to describe what is happening.

"When a religious leader has a sexual relationship with a congregant, it's not an affair. It's abuse of power, power that we have all given of a leader as a community," she said. "So changing our language would be an important way for us to begin to have these conversations, then, about how we can protect both our leaders and our congregants."

–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

Previous story:

Baylor study: Clergy sexual misconduct with adults widespread

ETBU trustees approve two master’s degree programs. East Texas Baptist University’s board of trustees at their regular fall meeting approved curriculum for two new graduate programs—the Master of Arts in Religion degree and the Master of Education degree.   The Master of Education program will begin in summer 2011, and the Master of Religion program will begin in the 2011 fall semester, pending approval by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The board elected current officers to another year of service —chairman, Tom Lyles of Lindale, a member of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler; vice chair, Sam Moseley, attorney and member of First Baptist Church in Marshall; and secretary, Ray Delk, hospital administrator and member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Marshall.

Baylor chief ranks high on health-care list. Joel Allison, president and chief executive officer of Baylor Health Care System, has been included on Modern Healthcare magazine’s list of “100 Most Powerful People” in health care for the seventh year. At No. 23, Allison is the highest-ranked Texan on the list in terms of influence in the health-care industry, including both the public and private sector. Allison was nominated for the honor along with nearly 56,000 other health-care leaders from around the country. The final ballot—which included 300 nominees—drew more than 800,000 votes by Modern Healthcare readers.

BCFS family violence program receives grant. A Baptist Child & Family Services program in Del Rio to provide services to victims of family violence has received about $95,000 from the Texas Health & Human Services Commission family violence program’s special projects fund to sustain its work for the next two years. BCFS launched its Val Verde Family Violence and Victims’ Services program last year in response to community requests after Del Rio’s only domestic violence shelter closed. The grant will allow BCFS to continue providing services to abuse victims, as well as launch a community awareness campaign aimed at preventing future violence.

• Brad Borstadt has resigned as pastor of J-Bar-C Cowboy Church.

• Will Easter has resigned as minister of children/preschool at First Church in Joshua.

• Georgia Gaddy to Corinth Church in Cisco as youth director.

• Richard Koons has resigned as pastor of First Church in Ovilla.

• Josh Lake has resigned as minister of music at First Church in Joshua.

• Charles Moore to Westwood Church in Tyler as pastor.

• Ben Morris to Living Proof Church in Grandview as minister of music.

• Tim Penney to Lake Leon Church in Eastland as minister of music/youth.

• Nathan Presley has resigned as minister of youth at First Church in Joshua.

• Sean Torrence has resigned as youth pastor at First Church in Ovilla.

• Bill Ulrey to Friendship Church in Albany as pastor.

• Scott Whitson to Southwest Metroplex Associa-tion as director of missions from Cross Timber Church in Burleson, where he was pastor.

• Gary Yates to College Heights Church in Plainview as associate pastor of education.

• Baylor University will be the site of the “Fantastical” church music conference Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 in Waco Hall. Award-winning Christian musician and Baylor graduate David Crowder will lead the conference. Nearly 30 presenters and musicians will lead workshops, concerts and panel discussions. Among them will be Jars of Clay, Louie Giglio, Rob Bell, Francis Chan and Charlie Peacock. In addition to ideas generated druing discussion, participants will go home with new songs to be used in worship, organizers said. Registration is from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, with the first session beginning at 6:30 p.m. If tickets still are available at the door, they will cost $199 for individuals, $189 for groups of five or more and $179 for students. Meals and lodging are not included. For more information, call (256) 737-7565.

• East Texas Baptist University will hold homecoming activities Oct. 8-10. The Tiger football team will play Louisiana College at 6 p.m. Saturday. For a full schedule of activities, see www.etbu.edu.

• James and Angela Roberts have been appointed by the International Mission?Board to serve as strategy coordinators in Europe. He previously was student minister at South Oaks Church in Arlington, and the couple served as houseparents at Texas Baptist Children’s Home in Round Rock. He presently is student minister/campus minister at First Church in Temple. They have two daughters—Ella, 7, and Macie, 4.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has launched a pre-engineering program in conjunction with the engineering degree program at Baylor University. It allows students to complete the first three years of course work in Belton, and then transfer to Baylor for the final two years of their degree requirements. Upon completion, students will have earned two bachelor degrees—one from each university.

• Mike Hammack has been appointed executive director for institutional advancement at Hardin-Simmons University. He has worked on the university’s development team since 2007.

• Baptist Child & Family Services has named Ashley Krimmel assistant vice president of program development. She joined BCFS in 2004, most recently working as director of annual fund development and marketing.

• Max and Debbie Underwood of Colleyville were honored as Baylor University’s Parents of the Year during halftime of the Baylor-Buffalo football game. Both are Baylor graduates and are involved in a number of university organizations. Their son, Brad, is a Baylor graduate, and their daughter, Emily, is a senior at the university. The Under-woods are members of Bear Valley Community Church in Colleyville.

• Mark Denison, pastor of First Church in Conroe, presented the fall convocation address at Howard Payne University.

Anniversaries

• Howard Batson, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Amarillo, Sept. 12.

• Clif Abshier, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Bishop, Oct. 1.

• Preston Highlands Church in Dallas, 120th, Oct. 3. A lunch and afternoon service commemorating the congregation’s past, present and future will be held. Former pastors and staff are invited to be a part of the program. People planning to attend the lunch are asked to notify the church at (972) 248-6296. Jeremy Johnston is pastor.

• Calixto Morin, 10th, as pastor of Primera Iglesia in Marlin.

Deaths

• Charlie Jones, 90, Aug. 19 in Votaw. A pastor for 54 years, he served churches in Louisiana, Ohio and Arkansas, as well as First Church of Wild Peach in Brazoria; Victory Church in San Augustine and Wild Country Church in Ace. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Leola, to whom he was married 54 years. He is survived by his wife, Anice; son, Johnny; daughter, Charlene Boggus; sister, Christine Brink-ley; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

• Wilma Barrentine, 93, Sept. 8 in San Angelo. After her husband’s retirement from military service, they became Southern Baptist Mission Service Corps volunteers, serving the next 10 years in Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, Canada and Senegal. After their service, they moved to Baptist Memorials in San Angelo and joined First Baptist Church. She taught Sunday school there until a short time before her death. Serving in a variety of places, she taught Sunday school almost 80 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, in 1994. Also preceding her in death were her sisters, Gladys Whitaker, Alleene Fearnow and Pauline Wharton; and her brother, Grady Fair.

• B.J. Martin, 92, Sept. 12 in Pasadena. A graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary, he was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Howard Payne University. He was pastor of churches in McCamey, Hamlin, Ballinger and Childress, and he served 26 years as pastor of South Main Church in Pasadena. After eight years as the vice president of church relations at Houston Baptist University, he retired and was named South Main’s pastor emeritus in 1988. He served as a trustee of Howard Payne University, Baylor University, Houston Baptist University, Hendrick Memorial Hospital, Memorial Baptist Hospital in Houston, the Baptist Standard, Baylor College of Medicine (42 years), the Sunday School Board and the Foreign Mission Board. He was chairman of the trustees of the Baptist General Conven-tion of Texas Executive Board and the Southern Baptist Conven-tion’s Annuity Board. He is survived by his wife, Marylyn; sons, Bill and Sid; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

• Stacy Blair, 56, Sept. 17 in Dallas. A graduate of Hardin-Simmons University, he was one of the world’s leading trumpet players. A performer in more than 50 countries, he was the winner of the Maurice Andre International Trumpet Soloist Competition in Paris, and twice won the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition. Legally blind, he had more than 160 trumpet concertos memorized. He was the trumpet soloist with the concert band and Cowboy Band while a Hardin-Simmons student. He performed in concert with more than 16 symphony orchestras including the Israel Philhar-monic with Leonard Bernstein conducting, and with the Boston Pops. He also played at two National Prayer Breakfasts, and in 1984, he worked with the Billy Graham Crusade in Amsterdam. He was the recipient of the HSU distinguished alumni award in 2007. He is survived by his twin brother, Steve, and older brother, Ed.

• Eudora Braswell, 84, Sept. 21 in Gainesville. She was a graduate of what is now East Texas Baptist University as well as Howard Payne University. She taught school in Valley View, Woodbine, Lindsay and Era, and she retired in 1991 after 23 years with the Texas Youth Commis-sion in Gainesville. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Gainesville. She was a 1995 golden anniversary honoree at Howard Payne University. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, James Braswell, in 1996, and her sister, Martha Chandler. She is survived by her second husband, Robert Renfro; sons, James Jr., Jonathan and Billy Braswell; daughter, Becky Davis; stepsons, Marty and Paul Renfro; stepdaughter, Sue Lowry; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren

Events

• Al Fike, Michael Smalley and Carolyn Murray will perform “A Comedy of Love” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1. The comedy performance will be held in The Brick, a basement performance venue at The Heights Church in Richardson. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for youth. They are available at (972) 238-7243.

• A community rally called “The Jesus Test” will be held at Brownfield’s Coleman Park Oct. 8-10. Robert Barge will be the speaker and Flight Plan will lead the music. It will begin after the football game on Friday night and at 7:30 p.m. the next two days. Six churches are participating.

• First Church in Onalaska will hold a homecoming celebration Oct. 24. Bobby Smith will preach, followed by a meal and a classic car display. In preparation for the homecoming, revival messages will be brought by Steve Vernon Oct. 10 and Andy Pittman Oct. 17. Don Wilkey is pastor.

• Primera Iglesia Mexicana in Brownsville will celebrate 101 years of service to the community Oct. 13-16. Evangelistic events will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with Raul San Martin preaching. Saturday’s celebration will begin at 4 p.m. For more information, call (956) 546-4843. Leocadio Baltazar is pastor.

• Crossroads Association in Big Spring is sponsoring the erection of a replica of the tabernacle constructed by Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. The tabernacle is the precise size and layout described in the Bible. It will be open for tours Oct. 22-31 from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. The interactive exhibit has seven stations to educate visitors on the various facets of the tabernacle. Contributions of $5 per person or $20 per family are suggested. The tabernacle will be erected on South Highway 87 next to the Buffalo Fina.

• A benefit catfish fry will be held from 11 a.m until 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at First Church in Granite Shoals to benefit Joseph’s Food and Clothing Pantry, a ministry of the church. Funds are being raised to construct a building to meet increased demand for the ministry’s services.

Revivals

• Marlow Church, Cameron; Oct. 3-6; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Gary Newman; pastor, Wayne Kirk.

• First Church, Somerville; Oct. 3-7; evangelist, Darren Donaldson; music, Bob Morris; pastor, Corby Brizendine.

CLEVELAND (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter was discharged Sept. 30 after two nights in a Cleveland hospital for what doctors say was a stomach virus.

A joint statement by MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and the Carter Center in Atlanta said the 39th president of the United States had recovered from "a gastric viral infection" and will resume his schedule with a meeting this week in Washington.

Carter, who turns 86 Oct. 1, became ill Sept. 28 while aboard a commercial flight during a tour promoting his new book, White House Diary. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital and kept overnight for observation. Doctors kept him for a second night Sept. 29 for further observation and determined he apparently suffered from a virus and was getting better.

The Sept. 30 press release said Carter "thanked his medical team at MetroHealth for the attentive and comprehensive care and treatment he received during his stay." It added, "He also again expressed his appreciation to all the members of the public who sent greetings to him."

White House Diary, Carter's 24th book, is abridged and annotated from a personal diary he kept during his four years in the White House. Carter dictated his thoughts and observations several times each day. By the time his presidency came to an end in early 1981, the diary had amassed to more than 5,000 pages of double-spaced type.

–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

ATLANTA (ABP) — A group of Baptist historians that meets annually to read and discuss early Baptist writings endorsed a statement affirming the role of individual conscience in Baptist life.

Fourteen members of the Baptist Classics Seminar group cited "broad and recurring themes" found in original Baptist sources written between 1610 and today.

Bruce Gourley

Those affirmations include, according to a document released by the group: "believer's baptism, personal 'heart' experience of God, the priesthood of all believers, personal and communal devotion to God, a commitment to the church as the body of Christ, the autonomy of each local church, congregational polity, the regular practice of ordinances (baptism/Lord's Supper), voluntary cooperation among churches and strong voices for religious liberty and the separation of church and state."

"We believe these themes are still relevant and should continue to inform our Baptist heritage and witness," the statement said.

Bruce Gourley, executive director of the Baptist History and Heritage Society , said in a background statement compiled in consultation with three other members that the group frequently shares its findings with the larger Baptist community through classrooms, preaching and teaching in local churches, publications and other venues.

This year, a controversy over proposed changes to foundational documents of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina "made us realize just how important our studies are to the larger Baptist community," Gourley said.

The North Carolina CBF is currently holding listening sessions about a proposed statement that replaces references to Baptist concepts like the priesthood of believers and religious freedom with language from the Apostles’ Creed, an early statement of Christian beliefs used for liturgical and teaching purposes in a number of Christian denominations.

Members of the task force proposing the new North Carolina document say the intent is not to abandon principles of individual freedom, which are articulated in values shared by the national and state CBF, but rather to identify Baptists not only by what separates them from other Christians but also by what they hold in common with the larger church.

Critics of the proposed changes say the North Carolina statement tilts toward a "Bapto-Catholic" school of thought drawn from the writings of a few early English Baptists. Scholars articulated the view in a "Baptist Manifesto" in 1997 that affirmed Bible study in "reading communities" rather than relying on private interpretation and following Jesus "as a call to shared discipleship rather than invoking a theory of soul competency."

While "not a direct rebuttal" of the Baptist Manifesto movement, Gourley said his group's statement is "a reminder to the Baptist world that we as Baptists of the 21st century share a distinct identity that arises from common and still relevant historical themes in our four centuries of existence."

The statement said this year's study of selections from 17th-century English Baptist writings particularly affirmed "the role of individual conscience, especially when voluntary faith was threatened with coercion or compulsion."

The foundation for all the Baptist principles they enumerated, the scholars said, was "the belief that the Bible alone, neither creeds nor tradition, is the authority for religious faith and practice."

"In our tradition we find both the personal and communal elements of biblical faith; we find a believer's church that preserves a place for unfettered individual conscience," the scholars said.

The historians renewed their commitment to "the vibrant Baptist witness of freedom that is responsive to the authoritative Scriptures and under the Lordship of Christ" and to "the relevance of Baptist identity for the 21st century."

Historians endorsing the statement were Sheri Adams of Gardner-Webb University’s M. Christopher White  School of Divinity, Loyd Allen of Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, Rosalie Beck of Baylor University, Jimmy Byrd of Vanderbilt University, Pam Durso of Baptist Women in Ministry, Jerry Faught of Oklahoma Baptist University, Gourley, Carol Holcomb of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Glenn Jonas of Campbell University, Sandy Martin of the University of Georgia, Rob Nash of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Brent Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Doug Weaver of Baylor and Mark Wilson of Auburn University.

 
–Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

Related ABP story:

State CBF proposal sparks debate about Baptist identity (9/19/2010)

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board overwhelmingly rejected a study committee’s proposal to change how the BGCT handles messenger-seating challenges at its annual meeting.

At the 2009 BGCT annual meeting, Kyle Henderson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Athens, recommended a process to deal with messenger-seating challenges in advance of the annual meetings.

The proposal grew out of concern related to an anticipated challenge involving messengers from Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. The Southern Baptist Convention had cut ties with the church on the basis of its perceived acceptance of homosexual members.

The anticipated challenge was defused last year when Broadway Baptist decided at the last minute not to send messengers to the BGCT annual meeting.

In recent weeks, the church voted to approve a statement indicating it was severing its relationship with the BGCT.

Specifically, Henderson proposed an amendment to the bylaws that would require any messenger challenging the seating of another messenger to contact that messenger’s church at least 18 days before the annual meeting. He also proposed that a statement of intent to challenge the seating be presented to the BGCT credentials committee at least one week prior to the meeting.

Henderson’s proposal was referred to the BGCT Executive Board, and the board created an ad hoc study committee chaired by Bob Fowler of Houston.

The committee felt Henderson’s proposal would be inappropriate, because it mandated a church respond to allegations made by any messenger.

However, he noted, the committee saw merit in providing some advance notice of a messenger-seating challenge.

The study committee modified Henderson’s proposal, recommending an amendment to the BGCT bylaws that would have said, in part: “Any messenger intending to challenge the seating of another messenger should verify the grounds upon which such a challenge is being made. At least two weeks in advance of the convening of a meeting of the convention, the challenging messenger should present the challenge to the Committee on Credentials, including steps taken to verify the basis of the challenge. …

“The Committee on Credentials shall provide a copy of the information it has received from the challenging messenger to the challenged messenger and to that messenger’s church. Challenges may also be presented to the Committee on Credentials any time prior to the presentation of its report to the assembled messengers. However, adequate time should be afforded the committee to consider a challenge, including time to communicate with the challenged messenger and the messenger’s church and to permit an appropriate response to be received.”

The study committee also added an additional statement: “The Committee on Credentials shall determine, based upon the information provided it … and upon its further consideration, whether to exclude a challenged messenger or messengers from the roll to be presented in its report to the assembled messengers.”

Fowler noted the “should” language in the committee’s proposal, saying the change was “aspirational in nature,” providing a more orderly process while preserving the right of any messenger to challenge the seating of another messenger.

“Our committee does not view these changes as critical to the success of the convention, but we do believe these changes would improve the process,” he said.

Van Christian, pastor of First Baptist Church in Comanche, noted he appreciated the original intention of the proposal, but he was concerned the recommended change violates the BGCT constitution and bylaws. The only requirement for a messenger currently is that he or she must be duly elected by an affiliated church, he noted.

But the proposal would put the credentials committee in the position of determining whether a church is in good standing with the convention, Christian said.

The credentials committee only should consider the constitutional requirement, reserving the assembled convention’s right to accept or reject messengers, Fowler agreed.

Royce Measures of Pasadena noted the convention is composed of elected messengers, and the convention only exists for two or three days a year. “To be able to challenge messengers before there is a convention is contradictory,” he said. “It is moving from being messengers to being delegates.”

Fowler acknowledge the complexity of references to messengers, noting they become prospective messengers when elected by a church, they become registered messengers when they sign in at the annual meeting, and they become seated messengers when the convention takes that action.

BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett noted the convention is dealing with two related but distinct issues—seating of messengers and determining whether a church is affiliated.

Noting he could speak only as an individual board member and not for the study committee as a whole, Fowler agreed the recommendation could have unintended consequences.

“We are not in a parliamentary or constitutional crisis at this time,” he said.

With additional reporting by Editor Marv Knox

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting needs an extreme makeover in focus and format, the chair of a study committee told the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.

Only 502 churches sent messengers to the 2009 annual meeting in Houston, said Kyle Henderson, chair of the committee appointed to study ways to increase participation at the event. The number of eligible churches sending no messengers to the annual meeting grew from 3,722 in 2006 to 3,836 in 2009.

“We can’t stay here. We’re got to do something different,” said Henderson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Athens.

Noting he has attended state convention annual meetings for about 25 years, he pointed to the lack of young church leaders present in recent years.
“I used to be the youngest guy at the meetings,” he said. “And I kind of still am.”

The study committee Henderson chairs developed a report and series of recommendations to be considered by messengers at the 2010 BGCT annual meeting in McAllen.

“We believe we are at the beginning of a great new adventure,” the report states. “We believe that our gatherings will be kingdom meetings that will influence the world. We believe people will look forward to these events, that they will be equipped and encouraged, and will leave with a sense of purpose of mission.

“We believe that there should be a sense of urgency in pursuing this renewed vision of our annual meetings. The gap between the number of churches attending and the possibility of churches attending has grown too large to ignore. We believe we must respond now.”

The study committee recommends two measurable goals focused on the number of churches participating in the annual meeting rather than the number of people in attendance—double the percentage of participating churches by 2013 and involve every Texas Baptist church at least once every five years.

Key recommendations include:

• Showcase one area of ministry each year. Focus on a different theme annually, rotating between five key areas—evangelism/missions, education/discipleship, advocacy/care, Baptist identity and Baptist community.

• Gather the Texas Baptist family. Every fifth year, for the Baptist community emphasis, schedule “The Gathering”—a three-day event that would bring together Texas Baptist ethnic groups and interest groups. Schedule the 2013 meeting in summer to appeal to vacationing families, and then evaluate the change.

• Involve institutions in innovation. Consider a multi-site event in 2017 using video simulcast technology, involving as many Texas Baptist institutions as possible.

“Many people have called for the use of technology, simulcast broadcasting and regional meetings. We believe we need to make the commitment to innovate in this area,” the report says.

“Through the use of our education institutions who frequently use this technology, we believe that we can have a creative, productive, life-changing event that could be a model for the future. It would take work, but we can do it.”

• Plan beyond the current year. Coordinate and plan the annual meeting starting 18 months in advance of the event to secure speakers, gather resources, facilitate institutional cooperation and build momentum.

• Add value. “People go to learn. They want to hear the best information, the best speakers and the most innovative approaches,” the report says.

• Move business discussion out of the general sessions. Schedule breakout sessions for detailed discussion of business. “The process of representative governance means that most of the decisions have been made in a deliberative way by the time they reach the convention,” the report says. “This system still allows for broad final input, while not dominating the main sessions of the meeting.”

• Abolish resolutions. “Few things have taken as much time and produced as few results as the process of resolutions,” the report says. “We tend to argue, put our worst foot forward and then produce statements of which the churches are largely unaware.”

• Lengthen the meeting to three days. “We think Texas Baptists need more time together,” the report says. “It is also a historical reality that our meetings have been much longer and were much better attended when they were longer.”

• Shorten individual presentations. Increase the number of presenters.

• Schedule a local ministry event. “We could help the cause of evangelism if we left the places we visit better than we found them,” the report says.

• Make time for fellowship. Schedule time for informal networking. Increase the time available in the exhibit halls.

• Look outside. “Reach outside of Texas Baptist life to bring fresh insights and draw an increasingly diverse crowd,” the report says.

The committee also suggests the convention give consideration in the future to moving to locations outside downtown areas, to where lodging would be more affordable, and consider a mid-week schedule, rather than beginning on a Monday.

DALLAS—Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in McAllen next month will consider whether to allow Houston Baptist University to elect non-Baptists to its board of trustees.

The BGCT Executive Board voted overwhelmingly Sept. 28 to recommend the state convention revise its agreement with the university, allowing HBU to elect a minority of non-Baptist Christian trustees.

HBU has related to the convention by special agreement since 2001. That agreement allows HBU to elect 75 percent of its own trustees, with the BGCT electing the remaining 25 percent. All trustees HBU elects must be Baptist but not necessarily from BGCT-affiliated churches.

Under the proposed revised agreement:

• Up to one-third of the trustees elected by HBU—one-fourth of the total board—could be non-Baptist Christians.

• An additional one-third of the HBU-selected trustees—one quarter of the total board—would be required to be from BGCT-affiliated congregations, including churches dually aligned with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

• The remaining one-third of the HBU-selected trustees—one-fourth of the full board—would be required to be Baptist but not necessarily related to BGCT-affiliated churches.  

• One quarter of the board would continue to be elected by the BGCT, with all those trustees required to be members of BGCT-affiliated churches.

Ed Seay, chair of the trustee board and pastor of First Baptist Church in Magnolia, noted HBU is the only evangelical university in the Houston—soon to be the nation’s third-largest city.

“There are other sincere, Bible-believing, God-honoring evangelical Christians who want to partner with us,” Seay said, noting HBU would benefit from those connections. “It does not in any way diminish our Baptist identity or connection.”

In board discussion, Charlotte Young of Dimmit, a member of the education subcommittee of the institutional relations committee, expressed confidence in the current leadership of HBU, but she noted concern regarding what could happen in 20 to 30 years.

The preamble to the university’s bylaws, adopted in 1974, provides the confessional statement that will remain in place beyond any current administration or roster of trustees, Seay noted.

“Our preamble is the anchor that will keep us tied to biblical fidelity,” Seay said, noting the preamble to the university’s governing document explicitly states the school’s biblical commitment and its adherence to orthodox Christian doctrine.

Ed Jackson of Garland noted the decision is “all about dollars” and HBU’s desire to expand its pool of potential donors. He expressed concern about the precedent it would set for other BGCT institutions.

“This will put pressure on every one of our institutions to do the same thing,” Jackson said. “It’s a slippery slope, and this is a huge step.”
Marshall Johnston of Aransas Pass, a member of the education subcommittee of the institutional relations committee, expressed his support for the motion, noting a steady decrease in Texas Baptist budget support for institutions in recent years.

“It is all about the money. But if we want to maintain control, we need to pony up,” he said.

BGCT President David Lowrie of El Paso likewise expressed his support for the motion.

“It may be an opportunity for us to broaden our influence within the evangelical community rather than diminishing our influence,” he said.

In an interview after the board meeting, Seay emphasized the change stipulates the maximum number of non-Baptists that could become trustees, but he could not foresee reaching that number. Currently, only two trustees on a 36-member board are members of churches not affiliated to the BGCT, he reported. At least five are members of a church dually aligned with the BGCT and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

“I think this can be a win/win for the kingdom, for the university and for the BGCT,” he said.

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board voted to recommend a $38 million 2011 budget—$3 million less than the approved 2010 budget, a 7.3 percent reduction.

Messengers to the BGCT annual meeting in McAllen will consider a budget based on $35.85 million in Cooperative Program receipts and a projected $2.15 million in investment income.

Assuming $2.95 million from the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions and additional income from conference fees, product sales, funds from the North American Mission Board and other sources, as well as an expected $1 million draw on reserve funds, the BGCT anticipates $48 million in revenue—about $4 million less than the amount expected in 2010.

This marks the third consecutive year the BGCT Executive Board approved a budget recommendation reduced from the previous year.
The proposed budget includes no salary increases for employees and no change in retirement contributions, which were decreased last year.

Jill Larsen, BGCT treasurer and chief financial officer, reported year-to-date receipts are running about 10 percent behind the same time last year.

The $38 million 2011 budget recommendation includes:

• $7,448,387 for evangelism/missions, a $463,100 decrease from the 2010 budget.

• $3,030,307 for education/discipleship, a $336,701 decrease.

• $1,499,517 for advocacy/care, a $148,606 decrease.

• $1,697,966 for the executive director’s office, including Texas Baptist Men and the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, a $156,967 decrease.

• $18,047,278 for areas related to the associate executive director’s office, a  $1,420,446 decrease. That includes $14,714,733 for institutional ministries, down more than $1.26 million. The proposed budget eliminates funds for Buckner Adoption Services and Buckner Retirement Services, totaling $95,000, and decreases support for Valley Baptist Missions Education Center from $110,000 to 11,000.

• $6,276,545 for financial management, down $474,180.

Larsen reported the BGCT has 277 employees, compared to 406 in 2006. The employee total includes 72 in Baptist Student Ministries, compared to 94 in 2006.

Larsen projected total church-directed Cooperative Program giving—including funds forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship—to exceed $53 million.

Larsen anticipates $1,725,000 in worldwide giving for Texas Baptist initiatives and partnerships. The board approved ongoing support from worldwide missions giving for missions mobilization, River Ministry/Mexico endeavors, Texas Partnerships, Baptist World Alliance, intercultural international missions, Texas Baptist Men international missions, student missions, world hunger promotion, western heritage churches, Baptist University of the Americas and the Hispanic Education Task Force.

New items include $100,000 for Mary Hill Davis Offering promotion, $60,000 for Baptist Bible Institutes, $15,000 for evangelism language materials and $100,000 for the Hope 1:8 initiative, an emphasis on Texas Baptists sharing their faith locally, regionally and globally.

The number of Texans living in poverty increased 11 percent in 2009 to nearly 4.3 million, including nearly 1.8 million children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

More than one in every four Texas youth are impoverished, and Texas holds the nation’s sixth highest rate of poverty at 17.3 percent.

Ferrell Foster, associate director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas advocacy/care team, said the increase of poverty throughout the state demands a response from Christians statewide. Christ calls believers to care for the poor.

“This should be a wake-up call for all Texas Baptists,” he said. “We simply cannot ignore this kind of need in our midst and still call ourselves serious followers of Christ. Jesus’ command to love our neighbors must ring in our ears.”

In recent years, the state convention has encouraged increased efforts toward meeting the needs of the poor. Texas Baptists gave more than $900,000 to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger in 2009, setting a record. Giving to the offering is up 4 percent in 2010.

Churches have increased food distribution efforts in their communities. Some have expanded their food offerings, while others started providing food for the first time.

Through the Texas Hunger Initiative—a partnership between the Baylor University School of Social Work and the BGCT—Texas Baptist congregations are seeking to end Texas hunger by 2015.

To that aim, Texas Baptists increased efforts to provide for hungry children last summer, filling a gap by serving meals to youth who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year.

Jeremy Everett, director of the hunger initiative, hopes the census figures will help draw attention to Texans who need assistance. While poverty is increasing, it can be fought if people will respond collectively and wisely, he stressed.

“Poverty and hunger are at an alarming rate in Texas,” he said. “We’re pretty much at a crisis state.”