• Brent Anderson has resigned as pastor of Seth Ward Church in Plainview.

• Roy Ford to Siloam Church in De Kalb as interim pastor.

• Reed Redus to First Church in Amarillo as associate pastor.

• Luke Smith has resigned as pastor or Calvary Church in Gainesville.

• Sam Yancy to Gravel Hill Church in De Kalb as pastor.

• Texas Baptist layman Fred Roach will receive the Texas Baptist Elder Statesman Award at a June 3 presentation at Independence Baptist Church in Independence. Roach, a member of The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson, is a former president of Texas Baptist Men and vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and he has served on numerous denominational boards and committees. He and his wife, Gloria, served as co-chairs for the Mission Texas emphasis, raising more than $20 million to help start 2,000 churches in Texas in the late 1980s. Events begin at 10 a.m., with Sunday school, taught by Ed Rogers, retired pastor and denominational leader from Georgetown. During the 11 a.m. worship service, Independence Association President Bill Pitts of Waco will present the Elder Statesman Award. Bill Pinson, BGCT executive director emeritus, will preach. A church picnic will follow, and guests are asked to bring a dessert.

• Texas Baptist universities conferred degrees in recent graduation ceremonies. Howard Payne University awarded 150 bachelor's degrees and four master of education in instructional leadership degrees. Dallas Bap-tist University conferred 365 baccalaureate degrees, 275 master's degrees and five doctorates. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor presented 291 baccalaureate degrees, 42 master's degrees and 16 doctoral degrees. Hardin-Simmons University awarded 238 bachelor's degrees, 55 masters' degrees, and presented the first graduate of its doctor of ministry program. At East Texas Baptist University, 147 students received bachelor's degrees, and 18 earned a master's degree. Baptist University of the Américas awarded 26 bachelor degrees and six associate degrees. BUA's Baptist Bible Institute awarded 120 diplomas and certificates, and its Latina Leadership Institute presented certificates to six students. Wayland Baptist University students earned 82 bachelor's degrees and 35 master's degrees. Baylor University conferred 1,790 bachelor's degrees, 36 master's degrees and 36 doctorates.

• Erin James-Brown, a recent master of divinity graduate of Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon Seminary, is the winner of the Addie Davis Award in Preaching. The national award is presented by Baptist Women in Ministry. The award recognizes an outstanding woman in ministry. While attending HSU, she was the teaching pastor at Cross Point Fellowship in Abilene. She will receive the award in conjunction with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship general assembly in Fort Worth June 20.

• Darrell Watson, distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, has been named a Piper Professor for 2012 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. He is one of only 10 Texas professors selected for the award which recognizes superior college teaching. The awards is $5,000. He has taught chemistry and directed student research at UMHB 31 years.

East Texas Baptist University students involved with ETBU Cares, the ongoing ministry to nearby Lee Elementary School, encouraged kindergarten through fourth- grade students as they walked and raised more than $4,000 for the school. ETBU senior Jacqueline Ramos poses with an elementary school teacher during the walk-a-thon.

• Gary Huckabay has been named associate executive director of Children's Emergency Relief International. He will oversee the organization's operations and build new partnerships.

• Texas Baptist Ministry Assistants celebrated the organization's 25th anniversary at its recent meeting. Officers elected include president, Yvonne McBryde of Golden Triangle Association; vice president/programs, Beck Powers of South Park Church in Houston; vice president/publicity, Linda Bright of South Central Area; and secretary/treasurer, Candy Carroll of Lubbock Area Association.

• Betty Broome, executive assistant to the president at Howard Payne University, was honored with the Yellow Rose Award by the university's woman's club. At the same meeting, Lillie Davis, a crosscultural studies major from Lampasas, received the Yellow Rose Scholarship.

• Rebecca Brown, director of international student services, is Dallas Baptist University's staff member of the year.

Anniversaries

• Donna Shaw, fifth, as preschool/children's minister at Birdville Church in Haltom City, June 1.

• Aaron Walden, fifth, as worship leader at Birdville Church in Haltom City, June 3.

• Ron Segers, 30th, as pastor of Victory Church in Marshall, June 10. A lunch will follow the morning service.

Death

• Joe Garvey, 80, May 15 in Young County. A public school teacher and principal, he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Graham, where he was the Sunday school director 13 years, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher and a choir member. A Hardin-Simmons University graduate, he served the school as a member of HSU Board of Development from 1994 to 1996, the HSU Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2005, as HSU Athletic Board chairman from 1997 to 2005 and as a member on the HSU Board of Development in 2006. Garvey was also a cattle rancher and investor. He was preceded in death by his wife, Myrl. He is survived by his son, Joe Dale Jr.; sister, Gladys McGlothlin; and four grandchildren.

Retiring

• Dennie Lambert, as pastor of Gravel Hill Church in De?Kalb. He served the church 30 years.

Heavenly voices partnered with the gospel message led to a multitude of life-changing decisions during a April 23-May 4 Singing Men of North Central Texas mission trip to Ukraine and Crimea.

More than 8,800 people heard the gospel through preaching and singing as they attended eight Singing Men concerts in seven cities. Nearly 4,000 people embraced the hope of Christ during the concerts in Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Simferopol and Yalta.

"God gets all the credit, but we are so grateful that he chose to use each of us in this wonderful mission in Ukraine," Derrel Thompson, minister of music and education at Valley Grove Baptist Church in Stephenville, wrote on a blog about the trip. "We cannot say thank you enough for your support. This victory report is as much about you as it is about us. And it is all about God and his amazing work all around us."

The mission trip was the second of three trips by the Singing Men of Texas to Ukraine, which the group has adopted as an area of evangelist emphasis. The trips are collaborations between the Singing Men groups across the state, Woman's Missionary Union of Texas, Michael Gott International and the Baptist General Convention of Texas music and worship team.

"Everywhere we went, the presence of the Holy Spirit, the preached word and the prayers of those back home drew hundreds to Christ," said Tim Studstill, director of the BGCT music and worship team.

"It was so moving to look into the faces of thousands so hungry for the message of hope and salvation that the gospel brings.  We were blessed to be vessels of that message and a part of what God is doing in Ukraine."

Many of the Ukraine concerts were standing-room-only. At one venue, people had to be turned away because the facility was too full. The Singing Men ministered through music for about an hour during each gathering. Each concerts was followed by an evangelistic message from Michael Gott, who has shared the gospel around the globe as an evangelist.

God used the choir's efforts in conjunction with the spoken gospel presentation like a symphony to touch people's hearts, Gott said.

"I've tried to be a student of effective evangelism, and in almost all cases great music precedes effective preaching," he said. "That's exactly what you have with Don Blackley and the Singing Men of North Central Texas. This is a choir who sings with a purpose and not for performance.

"All the songs that they sing have words written in Russian put on a large screen.  So that when I stand to preach, I feel that the audience of a thousand people has already heard the message of Christ. Because they've heard it sung with excellence, it makes it possible for me to preach with greater confidence."

Ukrainians were extremely appreciative of the Singing Men's efforts, leaders said. That included people who were not Christians.

"Well, you definitely got a nine for the technical level, but it should be a 10 for your praiseworthy efforts," wrote one audience member on a comment card. "Thank you for having the faith in people to spread happiness because you believe that it's the right thing to do. Time definitely well spent. I enjoyed your concert despite being an atheist."

Ukrainian Christians promoted the choir's tour and invited people to attend as an opportunity to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Local believers also are following up on all the documented decisions made during the concerts.

"We cannot overlook the witnessing by the local Christians, the tremendous prayer support we had both in America and in Ukraine, and the fact that God in hgis sovereignty has chosen to work in the former Soviet Union today in a remarkable way," Gott said. 

A combined Singing Men of Texas choir will minister in Ukraine Sept. 23-Oct. 4. Individuals still are needed to help with the trip by greeting people who attend the concerts and distributing Bibles and evangelistic materials. Financial support also is needed. For more information, contact Studstill at (888) 244-9400.

CIUDAD RIO BRAVO, Mexico—Pedro Munoz sees God working in the organic congregations he's helped start. People are accepting Christ. Families are being reunited. Students are becoming agents of peace in their schools.

It's an amazing time of ministry, said Munoz, who serves as a River Ministry coordinator for Texas Baptists. But recently, a seed of doubt crept into his mind. He wondered whether he is doing what God would like him to do. He asked God for confirmation.

Three days later, the affirmation Munoz needed arrived in the mailbox. He found an envelope postmarked from the Baptist General Convention of Texas and addressed to him. Inside, he read messages he believes were directed by God.

"I opened it up and there it was: God's miraculous answer," he wrote in an e-mail. "I was pleased to read the three messages received from real people from Texas. I don´t know who they are, but one thing I'm certain—they were God's writers, synchronized by him to let a Mexican pastor and a just-almost-3-year-old church in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico know: 'Congratulations, you're heading in the right directions. Never surrender and press forward. You're my children.'"

The notes were written by people who had attended the BGCT annual meeting in October. People were asked to write notes of encouragement and prayer for people who serve on the mission field. The messages to Munoz were signed by "Tigue," Danny Logan of Amarillo and BGCT Church Starter Jair Campos.

Mexico mail sometimes can be unreliable in delivering letters from the United States, explained River Ministry Director Daniel Rangel. While some people may argue the mail system took its time with the letters, Rangel believes it arrived exactly when God wanted. For pastors and church leaders in Mexico facing difficult ministry environments, notes of encouragement are treasured.

"All of them question their calling because of the situation," Rangel said. "Notes of prayer, notes of encouragement from Texas Baptists have a great impact. They make all the difference."

To become a prayer partner with a congregation along the Texas-Mexico border, call Rangel at (888) 244-9400.

IRVING—After hearing about needs of another congregation in their community, members of First Baptist Church in Irving took action.

During a workday, members of First Baptist Church in Irving participated in a variety of projects, including taking out several hundred pounds of asphalt from the parking lot to install a new flowerbed. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of First Baptist Church in Irving)

More than 100 members of First Baptist spent a Saturday participating in a workday at Calvary Baptist Church—helping with building repairs, cleaning, painting and landscaping.

"There was a lot of work to be done and a long list of things that needed repair and improvement," said John Durham, pastor of First Baptist in Irving. "The list included new flooring, new painting, new landscaping, cleaning, organizing, hauling away old things and small repairs."

The workday not only made a difference on the building and grounds at Calvary Baptist Church, but it also brought renewed vision to the congregation while increasing their ability to make an impact on the community.

More than 100 members of First Baptist Church in Irving participated in a workday at Calvary Baptist Church—helping with building repairs, cleaning, painting and landscaping. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of First Baptist Church in Irving)

"We were amazed to see the number of people who chose to give of their time to help," said Daniel Litchford, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church. "It was incredible to see so many people who were willing to do so much work and to do it joyfully. It was a great encouragement and example. During the workday, many people also offered to help in other ways in the future."

Leaders from both churches emphasized their common goal of working together and bringing glory to God.

"Our greatest hope is that the name of Jesus would be enlarged," Durham said. "We not only wanted to help Calvary Baptist for the short term, but we are committed for the long haul with them.

"We want them to know that we are not only in the same city, but also in the same kingdom with them. Our campuses and staffing are very different, and we are even in different state conventions, but we are pressing the gospel forward together."

First Baptist Church in Irving members Erica Valenta and Arianne Weber help with service projects at Calvary Baptist Church in Irving. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of First Baptist Church in Irving)

First Baptist Church supports the Baptist General Convention of Texas, while Calvary Baptist is affiliated with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. However, Durham sees both churches as having the same overarching goal.

"We both desire to share the gospel with our city and want to see light penetrate the darkness," he said.

Anthony Ball, missions director at First Baptist Church in Irving, agreed.

"This is what the body of Christ is supposed to look like—brothers and sisters in Christ, laboring together to serve one another and love each other through humility, as a family," Ball said. "We want Jesus Christ to be glorified and want to live out John 13:35, when Jesus tells us that we will be known as his disciples if we love one another.

"From this massive work project, we hope that Calvary Baptist Church will be able to spend their future time and resources sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the apartment complexes and homes in their vicinity. At the end of the day, we want the city of Irving to see that Bible-believing, Christ-worshipping churches work together to accomplish a singular purpose—to share the love of Christ with those around us."

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board voted to transfer to Baylor University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ownership of Old Baylor Park, the original site of the two schools.

During Line Camp, Baylor University freshmen visit Old Baylor Park at Independence, the original location of Baylor and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board voted to transfer ownership of Old Baylor Park to the two universities. (PHOTO/Baylor Marketing & Communications)

Baylor and UMHB requested the property to maintain and improve the Academy Hill site in Independence. The transfer does not include property or buildings on the nearby site of historic Independence Baptist Church or the Texas Baptist Historical Center/Museum.

The board unanimously approved the measure, proposed by the board's administrative support committee based on a recommendation from the BGCT treasurer's office.

If both universities were to cease to exist, the property would revert to the BGCT. If either school offered the property for sale to any buyer other than the other school, the BGCT holds right of first refusal to purchase the property for $1.

The Republic of Texas chartered Baylor University at Independence in 1845. The coeducational school officially separated into male and female departments in 1866.

Twenty years later, the men's department relocated and merged with Waco University, and it retained the Baylor University identity. The women's department relocated to Belton and became Baylor Female College, now known as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Baylor University transferred Baylor Park to the BGCT in 1965. In recent years, Baylor and UMHB have held programs for students at the site, and both universities have expressed a desire to restore the columns—the only remains of the original school structure—and upgrade the walking paths, restrooms and other amenities.

In their request to the BGCT, Baylor and UMHB expressed a desire "to maintain and improve the Academy Hill site in order to preserve the site and educate our students regarding the history of the universities, Texas history and the vital role Texas Baptists have had on the educational, religious, cultural and historical richness" of the state.

"Transferring the property to BU and UMHB would shift the financial burden of maintenance, restoration and potential liability concerning the property from the convention to the two universities," the request stated.

In her report to the board, Jill Larsen, BGCT treasurer/chief financial officer, noted Texas Cooperative Program receipts through the end of March totaled $9,215,988. That means first-quarter gifts amounted to 98 percent of budget, and they were 101 percent of year-to-date receipts for the same period last year.

In response to a motion made at the 2011 BGCT annual meeting, the board voted to designate one month each year to emphasize the work of Texas Baptist universities and seminaries.

The board asked the BGCT Executive Board staff to provide materials to support the emphasis and encouraged the schools to provide representatives who could visit churches during that month.

The recommendation approved by the board did not specify the month but left it open to the discretion of the university presidents, in consultation with BGCT executive board leaders.

In other business, the board:

• Adopted the Texas Cooperative Program budget as default classification for undocumented gifts received from churches, after the treasurer's office makes reasonable efforts to contact the church.

The BGCT allows churches to choose how to allocate gifts between the BGCT Cooperative Program and worldwide Baptist causes by indicating their wishes on a gift remittance form. However, some churches fail to indicate their preference.

The procedure approved by the board stipulates the steps of due diligence the BGCT finance and accounting staff should follow for processing gifts received with no supporting documentation.

Once those steps are followed, if the church still has not indicated its preference, the finance and accounting staff will write a letter to the best available address for the church stating the gift has been applied to "Cooperative Program—BGCT Texas."

Normal process will be for any adjustments requested by churches to be made for the current and prior year.

• Established the Mary Hill Davis State Mission Offering Fund at the Baptist Foundation, using money received from the estate of Bobbie Jean McAllister.

• Elected Bill Brian, attorney and member First Baptist Church in Amarillo, to fill a vacancy on the board of trustees at Baptist University of the Américas.

• Filled five vacancies on the BGCT Executive Board, electing Duane Perkinson, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Burkburnett; Ralph Balthrop, a member of First Baptist Church in Frisco; Mang Tiak, hospital chaplain and member of Greater Houston Burmese Christian Fellowship, a mission of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston; Pam Davis-Duck, a member of First Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston; and Michael Caraway, a member of Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico—Jose Angel could have left Juarez behind. No more listening to regular reports of violence between rival drug cartels. No more worrying about whether he and his family were safe. He even had a job interview in the United States.

But coming back from that interview, Angel knew he couldn't leave. More to the point, he believed God was calling him to stay.

With support from the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the efforts of people like Jose Angel, David Balyeat hopes to see the No Mas Violencia movement he started in Latin America spread along the Texas/Mexico border, particularly in cities such as Juarez. (FILE PHOTO/Ken Camp)

In a city physically and emotionally affected by dark tales of violence in recent years, someone must be a beacon of light, Angel said. That's exactly what God called Christians to be in communities, no matter the circumstances surrounding them, he noted.

"Our doctrine is good. Now is the time to live out what we believe, to live according to God with confidence," he said.

As counselors, Angel and his wife began putting their skills to work. They listened to friends and family of victims of the violence. Families who lost people in cartel-related gunfire. An 8-year-old girl who came home one day to find her mother had killed herself and must now raise her siblings.

The couple counsels 10 to 12 people a day, serving people who are shocked and confused, unsure what to do next and lacking hope. People need a relationship with Christ to rely on to carry them through such trying times, Angel said. He and his wife attempt to share the hope of Christ with every person they counsel.

The Angels have taken to the offensive in this expansive border town. The Baptist General Convention of Texas has helped the Angels by providing the No Mas Violencia curriculum, made possible by gifts to missions through the BGCT worldwide portion of the Cooperative Program and Mary  Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions. The couple has used the materials to teach young people how to be agents of peace in their communities.

Beyond fostering forces for peace, the Angels' efforts have seen the forming of congregations where they have used the No Mas Violencia materials. Young people begin by coming together to make a difference in their communities and in the process discover the hope of Christ—the only hope, Angel said, that can truly change Juarez.

"The light is in us and we are the light," he said. "Darkness cannot stay where there is light."

While Juarez remains a violent place, statistics indicate the environment is improving somewhat. Overall crime is down 40 percent in Juarez. Murders have dropped from more than 3,100 in 2010 to slightly more than 1,900 in 2011. Still, the Citizens' Council for Public Security and Justice, a Mexican research group, lists Juarez among the world's most violent cities.

Angel remembers Texas groups working "arm-in-arm" with Mexican Baptists in their efforts to share the hope of Christ throughout Juarez. He considered them "like family" and enjoyed seeing them each year. They helped motivate Mexican churches focus on sharing the gospel. With Juarez struggling, the groups have stopped coming. He encouraged Christians in the U.S. to return, believing that together, Texas and Mexican Baptists can have a significant impact on the city.

"Now the situation is difficult. The time is here to prove the truth that God lives in us. I invite you to come and continue strongly and show strongly that God is powerful."

For more information about ways to pray for, send resources to and serve on either side of the Texas-Mexico border, call Texas Baptist River Ministry at (888) 244-9400.

WACO—Baylor University School of Social Work recognized Darla Bailey of Louisville, Ky., as the Baylor School of Social Work Honorary Alumna of the Year.

Bailey is founder of an innovative day health center for adults with disabilities—a previously underserved population in the Louisville area.

Darla Bailey

"Darla believes we are called to seek justice, and she has done it throughout her career for those who could not seek justice for themselves," said Diana Garland, dean of Baylor School of Social Work. "She is a prophetic voice in the sense of calling us to care for 'the least of these.' That's exactly what we want our alumni to be doing."

Bailey completed her undergraduate education in psychology at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas in 1987. In 1993, she went on to earn her Master of Social Work degree at the Carver School of Church Social Work, then in the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville.

During her time at Carver, Bailey's field practicum was held in a faith-based organization that hosted an adult day health program for seniors, a model Bailey would later say informed the concept for an agency serving a younger population of adults, ages 21-60, with disabilities.

Early in her career as a social worker, she discovered that there was no place for this population to be cared for if they did not have family who could give them assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Instead, they were sent to live in institutions or nursing homes.

So, in 1998—one year after Southern Baptist Seminary closed the doors of Carver School of Church Social Work—Bailey opened the doors of Kaleidoscope, a place of learning, activity, therapy and professional medical care during the day so that clients could live at home with their families and not in an institution.

With only a mailing list of 15 individuals in the area who might fit the program's criteria, it was a modest beginning. Two months after opening, however, the building was already at capacity with 17 participants, confirming Bailey's concern that the need for this type of agency was great. Her team began almost immediate renovation of the building, doubling its capacity to serve the local population.

Today, after its third expansion, Kaleidoscope Inc. serves approximately 150 families in the Louisville area.

Consistently seeking to improve the quality of life for adults with disabilities and their caregivers, Bailey has become known in the Kentucky State Legislature as a tireless advocate for the population group.

"Because Darla is unrelenting when she's on a mission, we've had a lot of success," said Kentucky State Sen. Julie Denton. "She has bonded with a lot of legislators, myself included. We trust her. We know that she knows what she's talking about and that she's there for one reason only, and it's the best interest of the people she serves."

With no enduring alma mater, Bailey recognized Baylor School of Social Work as a place where the integration of theological and social work education—the core of her Carver School legacy—lives on.

In 2006, Bailey, with the help of friends and other former Carver students, established an endowed scholarship at Baylor in honor of her former professor and founding dean of the Carver School of Church Social Work, C. Anne Davis. The Cora Anne Davis Memorial Scholarship assists Baylor graduate students who are pursuing a major in social work and demonstrate a commitment to the integration of Christian faith and social work.

"Darla's establishment of the scholarship in honor of Anne Davis said to the students in this place, 'You are my relatives,'" Garland said. "That claiming of the connection between our schools was just an incredible gift to us here at Baylor. We have been so glad to have her in our family." 

Bailey has served on the Baylor School of Social Work Board of Advocates the past three years.

ABILENE—Scott Sharman was supposed to be at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene recently to receive an award from the university's Logsdon Seminary.

The Bratton Family Award honors a student in the doctor of ministry program for being both an excellent student and an excellent pastor. The doctoral program requires the student to conduct a project at his ministry—in Sharman's case at Alsbury Baptist Church in Burleson, where he is pastor.

Scott Sharman

Sharman chose the theme of "how a church responds to people who suffer" for his project. But instead of being at the awards ceremony on April 10, he was headed to Nashville to actually live out "how a church responds to people who suffer."

After an unlikely journey, filled with twists and turns, he was scheduled for surgery to donate a kidney to his wife's cousin.

Logsdon Seminary couldn't have scripted a more unlikely — or exemplary — scenario for its award recipient.

"It made us look real good," said Larry Baker, director of Logsdon's Doctor of Ministry Program.

The man on the other end of the kidney transplant, Hugh Jones of Murfreesboro, Tenn., is a cousin to Sharman's wife, Phyllis. Jones was happy Sharman was chosen for the Logsdon award, but he didn't need any plaques to tell him what kind of man his cousin was married to.

"He's just an incredible person," Jone said. "I tell everybody God led Scott to me, and he took it from there."

Sharman, 55, doesn't see what all the fuss is about.

"There was a guy in need," he said, "and I gave him a kidney."

The remarkable journey began for Scott in November, but for Hugh Jones, 59, it started at birth. He, his sister and brother, all inherited polycystic kidney disease and his brother, Keith, 57, received a kidney transplant four years ago.

Hugh Jones

The disease causes clusters of cysts to form in the kidneys and may be fatal. In fact, the mother of the Jones' brothers died at age 52 of a stroke caused by the disease.

Hugh Jones had been on a waiting list for two years for a kidney transplant from a deceased donor, and he had started dialysis in October. He had resigned himself to a long struggle, but all that changed in November when his cousin in Burleson and her husband happened to be looking at a family Facebook page.

They learned that Jones, who they last saw at a funeral in 2001, was on dialysis and in need of a transplant. The site gave his blood type — O Postive.

"I'm O Positive," Sharman said nonchalantly to his wife. "I'll give him a kidney."

Oddly, that magnanimity wasn't unprecedented in the Sharman family. His brother previously had donated a kidney to his own wife.

Sharman's words may have been casual, but they weren't idle. The next day, he checked out the website for Vanderbilt University Medical Center where Jones was on a waiting list. He filled out the questionnaire for a potential donor.

"Fifteen minutes after I hit the 'send' button," Scott said, "I got a phone call."

The Sharmans didn't notify Jones right away because they didn't want to get his hopes up if something went wrong. Scott followed up with medical testing in Fort Worth, and the results were sent to the Vanderbilt medical school. He turned out to be an excellent match.

The couple still didn't notify Jones. Instead, they phoned while en route to Ruidoso, N.M., on Dec. 21 to visit Scott Sharman's father, who was dying.

On the way, he made the call. His wife still remembers that early Christmas gift to her cousin.

"He was just stunned," she said. "He was in shock."

The remarkable journey had begun but was soon to hit a roadblock. In January, Sharman went to the Vanderbilt medical school for a physical and failed the stress test. He was told that he either had had an undetected heart attack in the past or that he had artery blockage.

Further testing in Fort Worth, including a heart catheterization in February, showed Sharman's cardiovascular system to be in good shape and that the original test result was a false positive.

In March, the transplant was given the green light and an April 12 surgery date was set. The Sharmans flew to Nashville, and the surgery was successfully performed on Thursday, April 12. Both men were released from the hospital on Sunday. The Sharmans flew home on Tuesday, April 17.

"I led our mid-week activities on Wednesday," Sharman said, "and preached on Sunday."

Not that he needed to preach a sermon — he was a sermon. Sharman said he realized he wasn't just donating a kidney to one man. A better and longer life for Jones also would have an impact on his wife, their children, and grandchildren.

Sharman remains humble and nonchalant about what others call an act of heroism. He doesn't see it that way.

"I'm just glad to be the answer to their prayers," he said.

WACO—The Boys Scouts of America long have noted the conspicuous presence of Eagle Scouts among astronauts, military officers, top athletes and high-ranking elected officials. But a nationwide scientific survey involving researchers from Baylor University provides the first empirical evidence that shows the positive impact Eagle Scouts have on society.

Compared to other American adult males, recipients of the Eagle Scout rank—Scouting's highest award—demonstrate a greater belief in duty to God, service to others and community engagement, research showed.

"There is no shortage or examples or anecdotal accounts that suggest Scouting produces better citizens, but now there is scientific evidence to confirm the prosocial benefits of Scouting or earning the rank of Eagle Scout," said principal researcher Byron Johnson, co-director of Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion and director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior.

"The central question of this study was to determine if achieving the rank of Eagle Scout is associated with prosocial behavior and development of character that carries over into young adulthood and beyond."

With funding from a John Templeton Foundation grant, researchers with the Institute for Studies of Religion and Program on Prosocial Behavior worked in partnership with the Gallup Organization to survey adult males nationwide—Eagle Scouts, Scouts who did not achieve the Eagle rank and non-Scouts. Respondents answered questions related to wellbeing, civic engagement and character development.

As adults, Eagle Scouts are more likely than their peers to give to charity, volunteer their time, vote, set and achieve goals, work with neighbors to address a problem, show respect for religious diversity, and hold leadership positions at work or in their communities, the study demonstrated.

Adult Eagle Scouts also are significantly more likely than other American males to participate in efforts to protect the environment, engage in a variety of health and recreational activities, and demonstrate high levels of emergency preparedness, the research showed.

With regard to religious beliefs and practices, Eagle Scouts are:

• 81 percent more likely than either other Scouts or non-Scouts to indicate they achieved a spiritual goal in the last year.

• 55 percent more likely to volunteer time to a religious organization, compared to other Scouts, and 66 more likely than non-Scouts.

• 53 percent more likely than non-Scouts to have donated money to a religious institution in their community in the last month.

• 29 percent more likely than non-Scouts to agree strongly that most religions make a positive contribution to society.

The Gallup Organization contacted 81,409 potential respondents nationwide and randomly selected 2,512 who completed the telephone survey. They included 134 Eagle Scouts and 853 Scouts who were not Eagles. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

A PDF file of the entire report is available here.

Since the first Eagle Scout badge was awarded 100 years ago, more than 2 million young men—about 4 percent of all Boy Scouts—have achieved the rank. Notable Eagle Scouts include former President Gerald Ford, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and astronauts Neil Armstrong and James Lovell.

MONTERREY, Mexico—Motorists entering Monterrey drive past mountainsides painted with massive "Z's," a territorial claim by the infamous Zetas drug cartel and a mute testimony to the constant threat of violence and lawlessness in the region. The 49 mutilated bodies dumped on a highway near Monterrey in mid-May marked the latest example in a string of killings that have gripped northern Mexico in recent months.

But Nancy Kuk and her husband, Francisco, have chosen to invest their lives in her hometown.

Francisco and Nancy Kuk walk with their young son, Marcos, in Monterrey, Mexico, a violent city to which they believe God has called them. (BUA Photo)

The Kuks moved from San Antonio to Monterrey last May as pioneering missionaries in a Baptist University of the Américas program to partner Texas Baptist churches with the San Antonio school's graduates.

The month before they arrived, headlines described how, in two days, 30 people had been killed in shootouts in the city. So, the Kuks' move puzzled some people, especially since they were new parents.

"Many of our friends and relatives were very concerned, but we dare to believe that wherever we go, God will be right by our side" Nancy Kuk said. "Making the decision was difficult, but the fact that I had my family there gave us some comfort. If we had to start from zero in a place that we no longer knew, it would have been harder. The burden seemed much easier to bear with the help and support of our family."

The young couple "talked about the possibility of coming back to Mexico for over a year, and we weighed all the pros and cons," she noted. "We took into consideration what we would be giving up—not for us but for our son. However, we also looked at what we would be gaining and realized, since Marcos would still be a baby, it was not going to affect him as much as it would if we waited for him to be older."

After more than a decade living away from Mexico, trying to get settled in was more difficult than they expected.

"Nancy's dad let us stay in his house for six months, but we had to buy all our furniture and didn't even have a fan to help us with the intensely hot weather," Kuk said. "It has been a challenge financially."

Even so, he secured a job teaching civics, ethics and Spanish to middle-school students, and she was hired as a fifth grade teacher.

"Thanks to our degrees from BUA and our English fluency we were able to find work," she said.

"It has been almost a year since we came back to Mexico, and every day we get more settled in. Every day we fight a new battle. Every day we look back. And every day we thank God, because not only are we doing OK, but God has also given us jobs, placed caring people in our path and everyday he is teaching us to fall back in love with our country. Who knows? Maybe Mexico is yet another steppingstone for something even greater God has in store for us."

The Kuks realize the danger in northern Mexico as violence increases. "We are cautious not to be out past a certain hour, but the drug cartels are now beginning to come out and commit their atrocities in broad daylight," he said. "Nancy's brother, sister and father have been mugged and her brother robbed twice—once at knifepoint and once at gunpoint. We have had a few close encounters too, but God is our protector. … There is much to be done and very few people doing it."

They work with Pastor Jesús Mario González at Iglesia Bautista Betábara. "Pastor Mario suggested we take things slowly and let the church get to know and trust us," Kuk explained. "We have to learn how this church does ministry, and then we can begin to put our dreams and training into action—witnessing, teaching and discipling believers and—hopefully—eventually starting a Baptist Bible Institute through BUA."

As undergraduates at BUA, the Kuks served churches in Castroville, Elmendorf and San Antonio. In 2008, the couple began a three-year internship at Northeast Baptist Church in San Antonio as youth and language ministers.

"Because of them, our congregation now has a greater openness to the Hispanic language and culture, and now a direct connection to God's work in Mexico. We continue to stay in contact with them. We watch and pray with eagerness as we wait to see what God will do through them in Monterrey," Pastor Chad Chaddick said.

The Kuks' decision to return to Mexico made them the initial answer to BUA's dream to match BUA graduates with Baptist churches and mission agencies in the United States, equipping them to return to their home countries and strengthen churches there. Northeast Baptist and Woodland Baptist in San Antonio were the first congregations to partner with BUA in its mission program.

"It has been a slow beginning and at times we have come very close to losing our patience," Kuk acknowledged. "But we are learning to wait on God."

WACO—After nearly two years of planning and input, Baylor University regents unanimously approved a new strategic vision for the next ten years, "Pro Futuris," that will go into effect June 1 and passed a $444.3 million operating budget.

The strategic vision's name—"for our future" in Latin—builds on Baylor's motto, "Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana" or "For the church, for Texas."

"This strategic vision is rooted in what we at Baylor have always considered non-negotiable – educational excellence, the pursuit of new knowledge, a caring community with a profound commitment to service and an active Christian faith," Baylor President Ken Starr said. "With the launch of our new vision, we have made clear that these characteristics will continue to define us for the duration of Pro Futuris and for all ages to come."

The strategic vision includes five aspirational statements that define Baylor's principal direction. According to the vision, Baylor will be a community recognized for:

• Transformational education, where academic excellence and life-changing experiences ignite leadership potential that increases Baylor students' desire for wisdom, understanding of calling and preparation for service in a diverse and interconnected global society.

• Compelling scholarship, where research discoveries illuminate solutions to significant challenges confronting the world and where creative endeavors reflect the breadth of God's creation.

• Informed engagement, where Christian faith, in conjunction with Baylor's expertise and resources, inspires a desire to address systemic problems facing the community, both local and global, and renews a dedication to improvement of self and service to others.

• Committed constituents, where the dedication of alumni and friends advances Baylor through sustained involvement and philanthropy.

• Judicious stewardship, where the value generated by and derived from a Baylor experience is supported through a diversity of revenues, prudent management of resources and the pursuit of outstanding quality and character in every area of university life.

Within these aspirational statements, areas of specification codify broader themes and acts of determination reflect the aspiration and will become operational plans. 

"We hold firm to the conviction that the world needs a preeminent research university that is unambiguously Christian—where such a commitment does not imply a lack of scholarly inquiry, but rather requires scholarship and creative endeavors at the highest levels of quality to complement and inform its teaching and service," said Elizabeth Davis, executive vice president and provost.

"Pro Futuris serves as a compass for our future, a guide that clearly points us toward our destination while inviting creativity in determining the paths by which we will arrive. As we launch Pro Futuris, we are thankful for all that our university has been, and look forward to the promise of Baylor's next decade of progress."

In other business, Baylor regents approved a $444.3 million operating budget for 2012-2013 that reflects an increase of $15.8 million or 3.7 percent over the original 2011-2012 budget adopted by Baylor regents last year. It includes an increase of $19.6 million to support merit and need-based scholarships, graduate assistantships and scholarships for graduate and professional students.

Personnel costs will increase by $12.7 million or 4.8 percent, which will support about eight new full-time faculty positions, 45 replacement faculty positions and 22 new staff positions. The budget also supports merit raises for faculty and staff, more competitive stipends for graduate assistants and increased funding for student workers. The budget takes effect June 1.

"Through God's abundant grace and the continued prudent stewardship of our resources, Baylor continues to thrive today, as it will in the future," said Buddy Jones, chair of the Baylor board of regents. "As we enroll students of high academic quality, we also are focused on helping ensure educational access to families with need. Because of careful management of the resources that have been entrusted to us, our budget provides more merit and need-based scholarship aid to help students realize the dream of a Baylor education.

'As we enter a new decade of progress at Baylor, we remain committed to attracting and retaining the highest quality faculty and staff, providing more work-study opportunities for our undergraduates and increasing the academic caliber of our graduate students by enhancing stipends for graduate assistantships."

 The board also elected one new regent—James Cary Gray, an attorney from Houston— and welcomed three new regents appointed in November by the Baptist General Convention of Texas—Joel Allison of Dallas, president and chief executive officer of Baylor Health Care System; Jennifer W. Elrod of Houston, United States Court of Appeals judge for the Fifth Circuit; and Ken Hall of Longview, recently retired president and CEO of Buckner International. The board re-elected regent Gary Elliston of Dallas to a third three-year term.

Regents also voted to appoint a member of the faculty and student body to a one-year term as nonvoting members of the board—Todd Still, chair of the Faculty Senate, and Kelly Rapp, student body president.

Elected to serve as board officers were Richard Willis of Colleyville as chair and Robert Beauchamp of Houston as vice-chair. The officers will begin their service June 1.

—Based on reporting by Baylor University communications