HUNTSVILLE—In a city where Hurricane Ike left neighborhoods without electricity, two groups of Texas Baptist volunteers have energy to spare—and share.

Texas Baptist Men chainsaw teams from First Baptist Church in San Antonio and First Baptist Church in Athens are cutting up and removing large trees that have fallen on people’s homes or are blocking their driveways.

Hurricane Ike hit Huntsville, an East Texas town north of Houston, hard. Neighborhoods are marred by trees on rooftops, in yards, on fences and across driveways, confining people to their property.

The way these volunteers attack projects, the trees may be cleared quicker than anyone anticipates. In an hour or less, a team has cut up and removed a large tree.

Jimmy Leatherwood of First Baptist Church in Athens said the work is a natural outgrowth of his congregation’s character. It follows the biblical mandate to love people.

“It’s what the Bible tells us to do,” Leatherwood said. “We love to do it. The people need it. There’s a need. It makes us feel good, but we like to help people. That’s part of our church.”

Texas Baptists also are helping to feed many who are without electrical power.

The volunteer teams offer a powerful combination of tangible help and spiritual hope as they move through the area. Juan and Rosa Mejorado, who were physically unable to remove the large tree in their driveway, were driving around their home and around another in order to get off their property. When Texas Baptist Men offered to help, they jumped at the opportunity. After volunteers finished the project, the couple fought back tears of joy.

“God bless you,” Rosa Mejorado said. “God bless you all.”

Judy Vasil of First Baptist Church in San Antonio said people’s reactions to the chainsaw ministry keep her going.

“They’re just grateful,” she said. “This lady yesterday was almost in tears after clearing the trees. They’re just glad someone is there to help.”

The teams take time before, during and after a project to become acquainted with the people they’re helping. They finish each project praying with and for the family they assisted. The prayer is a way to further connect their faith with their actions.

“It’s our way of sharing what we’re doing for them, and we’re doing it in God’s name,” Leatherwood said. “One of the families we talked to earlier today didn’t go to church. It’s an opening to share with them. We invited them to come to this church here in Huntsville.”

PLAINVIEW—Wayland Baptist University senior Ryan Bleyenberg knew he was in for a long trip overseas for summer missions. What he didn’t know at the end of the spring semester was that his location would change at nearly the last minute.

While that would have unnerved some student missionaries, the social studies major from Lovington, N.M., took it all in stride, seeing the new plan unfold easily.

“For me, there wasn’t a struggle to make the switch,” Bleyenberg said. “We were doing much of the same thing we’d be doing in the other country, with very similar cultures.

“Before we left, I remember praying, ‘Let me go where I’m supposed to go.’ I had mentally been praying and preparing for those people, but I know for all those things to happen to work out for us to go where we went, I knew that was where I was supposed to be. Things just don’t randomly work out that way.”

Three weeks before Bleyenberg was to head to a Pacific Rim country that cannot be named for security reasons, he was told the trip was canceled. The mission trip organizers at Go Now Missions, part of the student ministries arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, found another trip immediately that lasted the same time period. Remarkably, the new location allowed the students to use the airline tickets they already had, stopping in Bangkok, Thailand, instead of going on for another leg.

Ryan and a fellow Texas student, Alicia Campbell of Angelo State University, spent seven weeks in Thailand, ministering primarily to their peers at Sri Patum University in Bangkok.

In a city of 13 million people and 60 universities, Bleyenberg was voted team leader for a five-person team of summer missionaries sent to Sri Patum. Their typical day consisted of morning prayer time as a team, then heading to the university where they gathered in a free classroom and offered Thai engineering students the opportunity to practice their English with American students. They didn’t have to ask twice.

“Thai people are very eager to learn English, and that’s why it was a great opportunity for us,” said Bleyenberg. “English is becoming a global language, and the students know that if they want to succeed, or get jobs outside Thailand, they need to know English. They also just love foreigners. For someone to be friends with an American is very cool there.”

The conversations provided a fertile soil for the students to build relationships with their Thai counterparts and give them a chance to plant the seeds of the gospel.

Summer missionary Ryan Bleyenberg (second from right) gathers for a photo with fellow student missionaries Alicia Campbell from Angelo State University (to his left) and Shawn Martin from Massachusetts (top left) and Thai university students to whom the team ministered during seven weeks of the summer.

Then in the evenings, the missionaries would hang out with the Thai students on a more social basis, going bowling or to the movies or to the ever-popular karaoke lounges. Once weekly, the group hosted cell-group meetings on the roof of the hotel, where they would sing Christian songs, share their testimonies and read the Bible.

Over the seven weeks, the group also visited a number of schools and villages to teach English and work with younger children on their language skills. All provided a chance to show God’s love and compassion and connect the locals to Thai Christians, Bleyenberg said.

The challenge, however, was finding those Christians. In a country that is primarily Buddhist, with a growing Muslim presence, Christianity is not prohibited, but it demands quite a sacrifice.

“There are very few Christians there. It takes a very long time for people to hear about the gospel and actually accept it, because to be Thai is to be Buddhist. That’s just their culture. It’s a very conservative culture, very respectful of their elders.”

The Thai people “are very loyal to their king and their parents, their religion then themselves. To become a Christian means to completely forsake your parents, your king and your country. So when they do accept Christ, they are fully committed. They are fully aware of the magnitude of the decision they’ve made.”

Bleyenberg added that typical Christian churches are very small and secluded, hard to find for the average tourist walking the streets. Unlike American cities where churches of every denomination dot nearly every corner, Christian churches in Thailand are not normally advertised.

The key to evangelism there was becoming personal with the students, then introducing them to other Thai Christians that could get them involved in a local church, he said.

One student, Jack, accepted Christ during the summer, after hearing the gospel for only a month.

“We know God had been working on him for a while,” he added. “When he started sharing with other students, we were a little surprised, but then we knew he really got it. I think we knew he had become a Christian but was sort of afraid to say it publicly.”

As Bleyenberg’s first longtime missions experience and first overseas venture, the trip confirmed for him a call to missions full-time. Since the summer involved lots of flexibility—he preached, did youth ministry, discipleship, evangelism and even led worship once—he enjoyed just being able to do what needed to be done to meet the needs of those he was serving.

“I gained so much more than I ever could have given this summer. For one, the experience of traveling internationally and experiencing the culture was great,” he said. “To go into such a dark place with temples, shrines and idols everywhere, it’s easy to lose hope. When you are challenged like that, you draw near to God, and my prayer to him now is so much more intimate. And because of that, my faith has been strengthened. God showed us the answer to prayer so many times, sometimes right after we prayed.”

Houston Baptist University was not spared the wrath of Hurricane Ike as it roared through Houston in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 13.

Early damage estimates range from $8 from $10 million, although that figure is expected to rise as building and infrastructure inspections continue throughout the coming weeks. More importantly, approximately 60 HBU students and emergency personnel who took shelter on the campus during the storm escaped unharmed. No reports of injuries to HBU students, faculty or staff have been received.

“When we count our blessings, the safety of our HBU family is definitely at the top of the list,” said HBU President Robert Sloan. “Our campus can be rebuilt and repaired, but I think we all walked away from this experience with a greater appreciation for the everyday blessings of God.”

The campus has suffered significant wind and water damage to a number of buildings, but hardest hit were the M.D. Anderson Student Center, a longtime favorite gathering place for students, and the Brown Administrative Complex. The Student Center houses a campus eatery and coffee shop, Husky Central admissions offices, Spiritual Life and Student Life offices, the band hall and the University Bookstore. The television studio and offices in the Brown Administrative Complex also have all suffered significant wind, water and structural damage. A number of classrooms in other buildings suffered some wind and water damage. Uprooted trees and broken limbs were scattered across the campus landscape.

Students and personnel who took refuge on campus have been without power since the storm. Emergency generators along with the dedication of Aramark Food Service personnel have ensured that students were well-fed during the storm. Representatives from HBU’s police department and student life staff stayed with the students. President Sloan, his wife, Sue, and Provost Paul Bonicelli also stayed on campus, offering reassurance to students.

As of noon Monday, power had not been restored to campus. Classes for Monday and Tuesday were canceled, with further updates being posted on the University website at www.hbu.edu . HBU’s emergency alert system also has been utilized numerous times during the crisis. Even the social networking site Facebook, popular with students, has been utilized to communicate campus status.

“This is a significant event in the life of HBU,” said President Sloan. “We will work together to rebuild our campus and to resume class as soon as it is safely possible. We urge HBU alumni and Texas Baptists to include Houston Baptist University, our students, and our faculty and staff in their prayers, and to consider our students and facilities when making charitable contributions after the storm,” said Sloan.

Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Ike swept through the eastern one-third of Texas, Texas Baptists mobilized to respond to needs in Southeast Texas, which took the brunt of the storm’s force.

Texas Baptist Men has activated all of its disaster relief mobile kitchens and has been asked to prepare as many as 110,000 meals a day.

Volunteers will work in League City, Beaumont, Orange, Bryan, Marshall, The Woodlands and San Antonio.

Volunteers from Utah, Idaho and Iowa will work alongside Texas volunteers on some of the kitchens.

Baptist Child & Family Services entered the strike zone as part of the state’s 500-vehicle convoy making up Texas Task Force Ike. The Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated institution will lead medical and health services for the area affected by Hurricane Ike.

The BCFS incident management team is directing incident management for the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Texas Force operations.

BCFS President Kevin Dinnin is serving as incident commander for the department’s operations, establishing command for Texas Task Force Ike on Galveston Island for the entire storm strike area of Texas.

As part of the 1,000-person team including federal medical teams, BCFS is setting up a command post to aid victims who have experienced the brunt of the storm.

“Resources are stretched thin across the state, and we consider it a privilege to serve in this way,” said BCFS President Kevin Dinnin. “We are thankful for those who are working with us around the clock in San Antonio, Tyler, Houston and Galveston to restore communication and aid those affected by this massive storm.”

Ike inflicted some damage on BGCT-affiliated institutions. Memorial Hermann Hospital sustained minor damage, but remains open.

Less than 24 hours after Hurricane Ike hit Houston, Parkway Place Executive Director Chuck Childress reported late Saturday that power had been restored to the Buckner retirement community and that service crews already were making repairs and performing cleanup. The restoration of power also restores air conditioning to the community and will halt earlier contingency plans by Buckner Retirement Services to move residents to other retirement facilities because of the heat.

“The lawn service is here taking care of the many branches, and two trees that are down around the campus,” said Childress, “And the roofer is already here taking care of shingles and any other areas of the roof that are damaged. An extraction service is on site taking care of the areas that received water. We’re in really good shape considering the damage other buildings received in Houston.”

In other weather-related Buckner Retirement news, Buckner Westminster Place in Longview is currently without power, and Buckner leaders are closely monitoring conditions there. All residents are said to be safe and a generator is being used to provide power to skilled care and other critical systems.

Initial reports from observers indicated moderate damage to Buckner Children’s Village and the Calder Woods retirement community after Hurricane Ike blew through Friday afternoon and into Saturday morning.

Greg Eubanks, director/team leader for Buckner Children and Family Services of Southeast Texas, said a spouse of a staff member made an early-morning assessment of all the structures Saturday, finding mostly wind- and rain-related damage.

“It appears from that report that we were blessed with less damage than we had feared,” Eubanks said.

“Although it looks like we’ve got a lot of cleanup. There seems to be some water damage from seepage and a window that blew in, there’s some roof damage caused by falling trees and we lost some shingles.”

Calder Woods security personnel also reported moderate damage and power loss to the retirement community Saturday afternoon. Initial reports showed the town-homes received no damage, but some fencing, carports and trees were down from the Category 2-force winds that blew through the area.

Pearl Merritt, president of Buckner Retirement Services, said she was pleased with the reports.

“Other than a small leak from a few missing shingles, Calder Woods received no water damage,” she said. “We’re so relieved. We feared flooding the most and it appears we had none at all. What a blessing.”

With additional reporting by Haley Smith and Russ Dilday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP)—Veteran Baptist communicator David Wilkinson has been named executive director for Associated Baptist Press.

Wilkinson, who currently serves as development director for the Baylor University School of Social Work, will replace current ABP Executive Editor Greg Warner, who is in the process of going on permanent disability due to a chronic back condition.

The independent news service’s directors unanimously approved Wilkinson for the position Sept. 8. On Oct. 1 he will assume the post, created as ABP’s board revamped the agency’s structure. It has operated with five full-time staffers, including Warner. However, one of the editorial positions was already vacant when Warner announced plans to step down.

In addition to editorial duties, Warner also was ABP’s chief administrative officer. The new structure divides news responsibilities from administration and development.

“Our personnel committee spent early summer thinking about our stewardship of ABP’s human resources in a time of transition,” noted Marv Knox, who chaired the board’s committee for the position, in a prepared statement. “We asked: Can we change our structure so we can do a better job of reporting Baptist news?

“We decided we need our leader to focus on setting the tone of our work and strengthening our overall operations. And then the rest of the organization can focus on doing journalism, which is our calling,” added Knox, editor of the Baptist Standard.

“For 17 years, we asked Greg Warner to be our lead journalist and also to manage the business. That was tremendously difficult, because journalism’s urgent deadlines worked against ongoing operations, like building organizational structure and raising money. He did a fine job, but we felt we could help his successor by focusing the job and building an even stronger supporting staff.

“So, now we’re freeing the new executive director from day-to-day journalism deadlines. And we’re asking him to focus on strengthening ABP’s vision, function and financial stability,” Knox said.

Warner said he believes Wilkinson is perfectly suited for the new position. “What a great move for ABP! I have long admired David’s exceptional talent as a writer and creativity as an organizational leader,” he wrote in an e-mail.

“He’s also a beloved colleague and one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. It’s flattering to think someone of David’s caliber and reputation will succeed me. I’ve long wished for a chance to work with him. While that won’t be possible, this is the next-best thing. He’s a perfect fit in the new structure of ABP,” Warner continued.

“We are certainly delighted to have someone with David’s experience and expertise to lead ABP into the future,” said Dan Lattimore, ABP’s board chair.

“He is well-thought-of throughout Baptist life, and we feel he has the leadership ability to take ABP to the next level and to enhance the role of ABP in partnership with New Voice Media,” he said. Lattimore is an administrator and journalism professor at the University of Memphis.

New Voice Media Group is a strategic collaboration for creating a new, multimedia platform for historic and progressive Baptists and other Christians. The 2-year-old partnership includes ABP; the Baptist Standard; the Religious Herald, which serves the Baptist General Association of Virginia; and Word & Way, the historic Baptist newspaper in Missouri.

Wilkinson wants to focus on the future. “I believe ABP’s mission has never been more important for the global Baptist movement,” he said. “I think the convergence and frequent clash of national and global trends present an unprecedented opportunity to re-envision the nature and role of an independent religious news service.”

Despite his excitement about the new position, Wilkinson acknowledged that it comes at a cost to a close friend. “No one would have wished for this painful situation for Greg that has created this opportunity,” Wilkinson said. “Greg Warner personifies the best in journalistic excellence and integrity, and it is a deeply humbling honor to follow his lead.”

Wilkinson’s 30-year career includes a broad base of denominational service and communications experience, encompassing journalism, marketing, media relations and development. He served the Southern Baptist Convention as a communications specialist for the Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) and two stints in communications for the SBC Christian Life Commission (now the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission).

The Oklahoma native earned a bachelor of arts degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and master of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He worked for the seminary as director of communications and later as vice president for seminary relations.

From 1997 to 2003, Wilkinson was the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s coordinator of communications and marketing. He then became minister of education and discipleship for Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. He assumed the Baylor post in May 2007.

“I respected him as a journalist and as someone with broad experience,” noted Keith Parks, who was CBF’s missions coordinator during Wilkinson’s tenure with the organization. “More importantly, as [someone] of integrity who would report accurately…. I have great respect for David and for his work.”

Wilkinson has been honored with several journalism and public-relations awards, including the Frank Burkhalter Award, the Baptist Communicators Association’s highest award for outstanding achievement in journalism.

DALLAS—More than 400 Dallas Baptist University freshmen, transfer students and upperclassmen sponsors scattered across the Dallas-Fort Worth area to serve 11 community sites as part of SWAT—Student Welcome and Transition, the school’s orientation program for new students.

“Service is at the center of what DBU is all about,” said Mark Hale, associate vice president for student affairs at DBU. “Christ illustrated his love for his disciples by washing their feet. He directed them to serve others as a demonstration of his love for all of us. The opportunity to share Christ’s love through these activities is at the heart of DBU’s mission to develop servant leaders.”

From the inception of SWAT Week more than 20 years ago, a day has been set aside for community service. Other activities of the week included adviser appointments, worship services, small group discussions, guest speakers and athletic competitions.

One group of students volunteered at Beautiful Feet, a church and homeless ministry in Fort Worth. Jordan McKinney, a freshman who spent his day doing facility maintenance and serving food at the ministry said: “Participating in the service project was the most fun I had the whole time of SWAT. It was amazing to see how people with so little could still praise God wholeheartedly.”

Another group worked at  Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas, organizing supplies, painting furniture and arranging learning materials in the children’s center.

DBU freshman Jordan McKinney of Paris works alongside fellow DBU students to help beautify the grounds of Beautiful Feet Ministry in Fort Worth.

“It was encouraging to realize that in taking a step to further my education, I was helping younger kids further theirs as well,” freshman Justin Lemons said. “I would definitely do it again.”

Meanwhile, others found joy and purpose assembling arts and crafts supplies for inner-city children at Voice of Hope in Dallas.

Reflecting on her initial week at DBU, sophomore Alexia Antoine said: “Throughout SWAT, and even my first days of class, I noticed that everything is geared toward instilling Christlike character. I can see that the education he wants me to have will not be achieved in the classroom alone.”

John Vann, a senior SWAT Week team leader, observed: “Service Day was invaluable in that it helped the specific ministries we were assigned to, while also introducing the new students to the idea of service and providing for them a rite of passage. It showed them how important selfless quality service is to relationships in the DBU family and in the Christian life overall.”

Ten students from the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing journeyed to Mexico with the idea of serving people by providing health services. What they experienced was a time of joy and spiritual rejuvenation.

The nursing students, along with three faculty members, spent seven days in Mexico City’s Atizapan de Zaragoza district. They provided free health services and treated patients with severe medical conditions such as gout, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension.

In a week, the Baylor nursing team treated nearly 1,000 patients in the general and women’s clinic. The team also set up a pharmacy where they provided medications free of charge to the patients, along with services from a dentist and ophthalmologist.

“Every year, the project has grown to include more services,” said Marie Daly, a lecturer in the Baylor nursing school who helped organize the trip.

“We were all brought together under one roof with the common purpose of giving of our talents and time to the Mexican people. In every way, our students benefited from going on this trip, from gaining experience in their clinical skills to learning about serving God by serving others with one’s talents.”

While the Baylor students gained valuable experience using their clinical skills in a cross-cultural environment, it was learning about serving God that resonated most with the group, participants noted.

Each afternoon, the group’s missionary representative led the team in prayerwalks through the neighborhoods around the clinic site—a time to reflect on the day and pray for the people in the community, Daly explained.

Students were encouraged to address spiritual and emotional issues as appropriate, and many of the people who came for health care were given Bibles provided by a Southern Baptist missionary and the Christian school.

The nursing students had numerous opportunities to share about the freedom believers have in Christ, and on many occasions students prayed with their patients, Daly noted.

“What would not have happened so spontaneously at home occurred freely in this experience,” Daly said.

“At the end of the day, we shared a time of debriefing in the mission living room. It was during this time that we experienced laughter and crying as we opened our hearts to each other.”

Staff changes at Baptist Building. Scott Willingham has been named local congregation evangelism specialist with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and Rand Jenkins has been named director of Cooperative Program/marketing. Willingham has been pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Wichita Falls since 2000. Previous pastorates include First Baptist Church in Dumas, First Baptist Church in Taylor, Greenwood Baptist Church in Saltillo and First Baptist Church in Richland. Willingham is a member of the Baptist University of the Americas board of trustees and has served on the Wayland Baptist University trustee board. Jenkins has served as manager of BGCT marketing/creative services. Prior to coming to the BGCT Executive Board staff in 2002, Jenkins served as director of public relations for Dallas Baptist University. Previously, he was president of RCJ & Associates and account executive for Alday Communications. He also has been an adjunct professor of marketing and advertising at DBU since 2004.

BGCT still offers psychological services. In spite of staff cutbacks, the Baptist General Convention of Texas continues to offer counseling and psychological services to ministers and their families through a network of counselors across the state. While the BGCT has eliminated its psychological services staff, it has asked Dan McGee, who once led its counseling efforts, to lead the work to help ministers and their families find counselors. McGee is expanding the network of counselors across the state he helped establish while working with the BGCT. Each person in the network has been researched and recommended. In addition to connecting ministers with counselors, McGee continues to provide assistance to ministers who have questions about counseling issues. He also conducts tests to help staff members better understand each other and work together. The BGCT provides some financial assistance for ministers who receive counseling through this network. For more information about counseling and psychological services, contact McGee at info@danmcgeeassociates.com or (800) 388-2005.
 
Former Texas Partnerships leader goes to BWA. Don Sewell has been appointed consultant to Baptist World Alliance Secretary Neville Callam in the area of mission advancement. Alan Stanford, who directed mission advancement for BWA since 2006, has left BWA to return to the pastorate. Sewell is former liaison to Baptist groups for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, where one of his responsibilities was enlisting Texas Baptists for volunteer positions with BWA-related causes. Before he assumed the liaison post, he directed Texas Partnerships. Sewell is a member of the Baptist World Aid committee.

Morris Foundation fulfills $1 million matching pledge to HBU. Stewart and Joella Morris presented a $1 million check from the Morris Foundation to Houston Baptist University at a recent trustee board meeting. Last winter, Morris challenged the trustees and other HBU supporters to make a financial commitment to the university, pledging to match all contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million, with all funds used to meet general operating expenses.

As Hurricane Ike took aim at the Texas coast, Texas Baptists began mobilizing to meet the needs of people who might evacuate South Texas.

At the request of the state, Baptist Child & Family Services opened shelters in the San Antonio area that can serve several thousand evacuees with special needs, such as basic medical care, support or attention.

Twenty churches prepared to shelter evacuees at the request of BCFS.

Corpus Christi officials called for the evacuation of all special-needs individuals from the area. Officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of one ZIP code in Galveston-area Brazoria County. Some parts of Houston also were being evacuated.

“We do not want to underestimate this storm. We will receive (special-needs) evacuees long before Hurricane Ike reaches landfall, the question is only when,” BCFS President Kevin Dinnin said. “This is a task that we take very seriously and an evacuation that will take the entire San Antonio community.”

Texas Baptist Men activated five teams. The East Texas-Smith Baptist Association Unit will serve in Bryan; the Bluebonnet Baptist Association Unit is serving in San Antonio and will be joined by the State Unit; the East Texas-Gregg Baptist Association Unit will serve in Longview; and another team of volunteers from around the state will serve in Laredo. In all, TBM was asked to prepare about 46,000 meals a day.

Eight TBM shower units also are serving.

“Right now, things are going really well,” Joe Detterman, who is helping coordinate TBM’s disaster relief work, said as Ike stalked through the Gulf of Mexico, taking aim on the Texas coast. “We’ve had good response from our teams. We have teams going out to meet people’s needs.”

South Texas Children’s Home was evacuating its Corpus Christi campus. Buckner International evacuated its retirement and children’s facilities in Beaumont.

“Greg Eubanks and our Southeast Texas children’s staff arrived safely at Camp Buckner very early Thursday morning, and our foster families are following their pre-planned evacuation routes,” Buckner President Ken Hall said later that morning. “The Calder Woods staff is in process of evacuating now. Fortunately, they had buses reserved just in case, so their advance planning paid off.”

On Sept. 11, Ike was a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds around 100 mph. It was expected to make landfall on the Texas coast Sept. 13 as at least a Category 3 storm. President Bush declared a state of emergency along the Texas coast.

Baptist Child & Family Services and Texas Baptist Men both were active when Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana recently. BCFS housed nearly 300 people with special needs.

“BCFS was given the role of caring for medical special needs evacuees in Texas because of our experience in caring for society’s most vulnerable,” BCFS spokesperson Haley Smith said. “We view this as just another opportunity to impact the world the world for Christ. We are so thankful for our partner churches who serve as shelters and make it possible for us to take on this role.”

TBM provided nearly 25,000 meals for evacuees in Bryan, Lufkin, Marshall and Longview.

An East Texas Baptist University gym was transformed into an 80-bed mobile hospital by the federal government.

“Our university was pleased to host this operation,” ETBU President Bob Riley said. “It gave our staff and students an opportunity to be a servant to our fellowman. Our staff rose to the occasion to assist these people in need. As a Christian university, we are pleased to help out.”

To support Texas Baptist disaster relief, visit www.bgct.org or www.texasbaptistmen.org . Checks marked “disaster relief” also can be sent to Texas Baptist Men, 5351 Catron, Dallas 75227 or BGCT, P.O. Box 159007, Dallas 75315-9007.

Buckner has requested financial assistance for evacuating its Beaumont facility. For more information, visit www.buckner.org .

• James Anaya to Bethel Church in Ingleside as interim pastor.

• Wayne Geer has  resigned as children’s pastor at Valley Creek Church in Flower Mound.

• Steven Gibbs has resigned as pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Texarkana.

• Clayton Coates to First Church in Coppell as pastor from Saddleback Valley Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., where he was single adult minister.

• James Heffington to Forest Avenue Church in Sherman as pastor.

• Dennis Hochgraber has completed an interim pastorate at First Church in Jacksboro.

• Stewart Holloway to First Church in Pineville, La., as pastor from Forestburg Church in Forestburg.

• Kevin Houck to Lebanon Church in Cleburne as minister of music.

• Robert Hudman to First Church in Yorktown as pastor.

• Bryan Hutchinson to Hagerman Church in Sherman as intentional interim pastor.

• Richard Koons to First Church in Ovilla as interim pastor.

• Zack Kouns has resigned as youth minister at Shady Shores Church in Denton.

• Jeremy Marr has resigned as minister of youth at Calvary Church in Denison.

• Arthur Morin to Iglesia La Hermosa in Skidmore as pastor.

• David Nash to Second Church in Okmulgee, Okla., as pastor from First Church in Westbrook.

• Dale Osteen to First Church in Jacksboro as pastor.

• Donny Proctor to First Church in Cotulla as pastor.

• Phil Risley to Dellview Church in San Antonio as pastor.

• Kip Salser to First Church in Longview as minister to young adults/median adults.

• Adam Swift to CenterPointe Church of the Communities in Red Oak as youth pastor.

• Boon Vongsurith to First Church in Amarillo as minister to Laotians.

• Chris Walker to First Church in Waxahachie as interim minister to students.

• Melba Watson has resigned as assistant administrator at Southmont Church in Denton.

• Tony Yarbro to Shady Shores Church in Denton as youth minister.

• Daniel Dreisbach will speak on “The Bible and American Culture” at Houston Baptist University’s Dunham Bible Museum Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Driesbach is the author of The Founders on God and Government and Thomas Jefferson and the Wall of Separation.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Bell Assoc-iation will present a seminar titled “Redeeming Conflict in Ministry” Oct. 18. The seminar starts with registration at 8:15 a.m. and will feature three sessions, “Understanding that Reduces Conflict,” “Listening that Trans-forms Conflict” and “Tools that Manage Conflict.” At noon, there will be a tailgate party at the football field followed by a game. For more information, call (254) 295-4606.

• Jerry Ramirez has been selected as global missions director at First Church in Lubbock in collaboration with Buckner Inter-national. Ramirez’s role also will include community ministry. He formerly worked for Buckner as church mobilization coordinator in West Texas. Jon Hogg, director and team leader for Buckner in West Texas, said this is the first collaboration of its kind in the United States, and he hopes it will be used as a prototype for future collaborations.

• George Gawrych, associate professor of history at Baylor University, has been awarded a Fulbright Senior Researcher Scholar grant to do research in Turkey during the 2008-2009 academic year. Gawrych is the fifth Baylor faculty member to receive a Fulbright award.

• Howard Payne University has welcomed new faculty members, including Toni Damron, assistant professor of social work; Kristen Hutchins, instructor in biology; Hank Maddux, associate professor of business administration; Steve Mills, associate professor of education; and Kim Rosato, instructor of exercise and sport science. New adjunct faculty members are James Darby, exercise and sport science; Connie Freeland, exercise and sport science; Laura Johnson, communication; Mandy Locker, political science; Larry Meadows, business administration; Minessa Mesic, exercise and sport science; Jeffrey Mitchell, mathematics; Jerome Nowowiejski, exercise and sport science; Gloria Priddy, criminal justice; Nancy Romig, English; and Vannessa Stewart, communication.

Anniversaries

• Coggin Avenue Church in Brownwood, 100th, Sept. 7. Tim Skaggs is pastor.

• Wade Liberator, 25th, as pastor of assimilation and maturity at Champion Forest Church in Houston, Sept. 13.

• The Fellowship at Field Store, 10th, Sept. 14. John Chivvis is pastor.

• Kevin Kendrick, 20th, as minister of music at Mims Church in Conroe, Sept. 20. A reception will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Community Church in College Station, 10th, Sept. 20. Scot Stolz and Ross King also are marking 10 years as co-pastors. A homecoming celebration is planned for Oct. 25.

• Brent Bolton, fifth, as minister of youth at First Church in Cooper, Sept. 21.

• Grand Avenue Church in Amarillo, 60th, Sept. 21. A lunch will follow the morning service. David Driskill is pastor.

• Gahlen Warren, 10th, as pastor of Fellowship Missionary Church in Sherman, Sept. 27.

• Ruben Moreno, 10th, as pastor of Iglesia Emmanuel in Corpus Christi.

• International Church in Abilene, 30th, Oct. 5. Myung Kyo Lee is pastor.

• First Church in Galena Park, 90th, Oct. 19. The worship service will start at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (713) 455-1261. Marcos Ramos is pastor.

• First Church in Hemphill, 150th, Oct. 25-26. An open house will be held Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Historical displays and a time of remembrance with former pastors and staff will be included. Sunday’s 10 a.m. worship service will include celebratory music, testimonies from former pastors and staff, and a challenge for the church’s future. A lunch will follow. After the meal, a new historical marker will be unveiled. For more information, call (409) 787-3382. Aaron Pardue is pastor.

Retiring

• Larry Martin, as pastor of West Shore Church in Sandia, Sept. 28. He has been in ministry 48 years. He also was pastor at Union Church in Rising Star, Ashley Road Church in San Antonio, Central Church in Brownwood, First Church in Christoval and First Church in Strawn. In addition, he served First Church in Paris as minister of outreach and Gardendale Church in Corpus Christi as minister of education and administration. Before coming to Sandia, he was director of missions of Coastal Bend Association 15 years. He and his wife, Golda, will live in the Corpus Christi Lake area, and he will be available for supply and interim pastorates.

• Jerl Watkins, after 29 years as pastor of First Church in Sweeney.

Deaths

• Ruby Wheat, 89, June 13 in Wichita Falls. She served as an International Mission Board missionary from 1953 to 1984 at Wallace Memorial Hospital in Pusan, Korea. A graduate of Howard Payne University, the Baylor School of Nursing and Southwestern Seminary, she was a member of First Church in Wichita Falls. After retirement, she enjoyed speaking to Woman’s Missionary Union groups. She was preceded in death by her brothers, George and Frank Wheat. She is survived by her sister, Ruth Miller.

• Bill Arnold, 80, Aug. 19 in New Braunfels. He began his ministry as a pastor while still a student at Howard Payne University, when he was called as pastor of Jones Chapel Church in Brownwood. After graduating from Southwestern Seminary, he became pastor of First Church in Mason, and later served as pastor of First Church in Edcouch and First Church in Aransas Pass, where he served 10 years. In 1966, he became pastor of First Church in New Braunfels and served there until his retirement in 1983. Over the next 15 years, he served many churches as interim pastor, but always kept his membership at the New Braunfels church. He was preceded in death by his brother, James. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Gwen; sons, Jim, David and Billy;  sister, Betty Davis; seven grandchildren; and one great grandson.

• Milfred Lewis, 77, Sept. 2 in Houston. A longtime Baylor University supporter, he served nine years on the school’s board of trustees. Lewis, who earned his bachelor of business administration degree at Baylor in 1955, made the naming gift for the Lewis Art Building in the late 1970s. A charter member of Baylor’s Endowed Scholarship Society with his wife, Mary Lee, the couple established scholarships for athletes as well as business students, and also supported the Student Foundation’s scholarship efforts. They have been members of the Heritage Club, Old Main Society and Baylor Alumni Association. In 1988, they were recognized as members of the Medal-lion Fellowship. He was a member of Willow Meadows Church in Houston. He is survived by his wife of 53 years; daughter, Nancy Couch; sons, David, Robert and Mark; and eight grandchildren.

Events

• Brentwood Church in Houston will hold a Hurricane Katrina commemoration service and family festival Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The commemoration service will begin the activities. Call (713) 852-1400 for more information. Joe Ratliff is pastor.

• The Crimson River Quartet will present a concert at Center Point Church in Weatherford Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. A time of fellowship and refreshments will follow the singing. Scott Seeley is pastor.

• Prairie Hill Church in Prairie Hill will honor Pastor Fred Sain for 59 years of service to the congregation Sept. 28. The church also will mark 123 years of service to the community Oct. 18.

Ordained

• Glenn Benningfield, Les Plagens and Brady Rountree as deacons at First Church in Goldthwaite.

• Dewey Bellows as a deacon at Blanconia Church in Refugio.

Revivals

• First Church, Poolville; Sept. 14-17; evangelist, Robert Barge; pastor, Christopher Keefer.

• First Church, Ralls, Sept. 21-24; evangelist, Robert Barge; pastor, Larry Carson.

• Trinity Memorial Church, Marlin; evangelist, Jeff Gore; pastor, Robby Wynn.

• Rochelle Church, Rochelle; Sept. 25-29; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Jeff Gore; pastor, Kenneth Barr.