DALLAS—After seven years as Texas Baptist Men executive director and more than four decades holding various leadership posts in the missions organization, Leo Smith has announced plans to retire effective Feb. 28.

Smith, 72, has informed members of the TBM board of his decision but also told them he will be available to serve in some capacity at their discretion during a transitional period as they seek a new staff leader.

Texas Baptist Men Executive Director Leo Smith reported on missions progress to the TBM rally in McAllen, held in conjunction with the 2010 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting. Smith has announced his retirement from the TBM executive post.

“God has blessed Texas Baptist Men, and it is time for fresh leadership to take the organization to greater heights,” he said. “God is not through with Texas Baptist Men.”

Smith first became involved with the missions organization before it even was Texas Baptist Men—working with the Royal Ambassadors program for boys in the mid-1960s through the Baptist General Convention of Texas Brotherhood Department.

A couple of years later, Texas Baptist Men became a self-governing organization. In the decades that followed, Smith was a vice president of various TBM programs on numerous occasions, served on multiple committees and was elected TBM president in 2001.

When Jim Furgerson stepped down as TBM executive director the following year, Smith served as acting interim for several months before the board officially named him interim executive director in November 2002. He was elected executive director in February 2004.

When Smith became executive director, TBM had a $900,000 annual budget, based entirely on funding from the Baptist General Convention of Texas. TBM now administers $3.2 million annually, including disaster relief funds, even though funding through the BGCT Cooperative Program has dropped to less than $500,000 a year.

“We’ve tried to be a good partner with the BGCT, and the BGCT has been a good partner with us,” Smith said. That partnership in doing God’s work transcends financial support, he observed.

“It’s not about money. It’s about obedience. I’ve learned that when you obey, God provides,” he said.

During a tense time in Baptist life, Smith sought to help TBM walk a tightrope between two state conventions. While the BGCT no longer provides the bulk of TBM’s annual budget, the missions organization maintains its historic affiliation with the BGCT and works closely with its leaders.

TBM receives no financial support from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. However, much of its money and manpower comes from SBTC-affiliated churches.

Nationally and internationally, TBM works closely with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board in disaster relief and continues its close relationship with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.

At the same time, TBM works on projects with the Baptist World Alliance—the international body from which the Southern Baptist Convention withdrew in 2004—and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

“The most gratifying thing personally has been seeing the activity of God every day,” he said.

Seven years ago, TBM had eight full-time staff. Now, in addition to 10 full-time staff, there are four who work part-time and seven who serve on a volunteer basis.

Two programs—Victim Relief Ministries and Inmate Discipler Fellowship—that were birthed by TBM have become independent, but still affiliated, ministries.

While TBM is approaching the 10,000 mark in its roster of trained disaster relief volunteers, water purification has become the fastest-growing ministry—and the one Smith believes holds the greatest potential for international missions service.

“The water-purification ministry is growing by leaps and bounds. Pure water is a need that’s present every day. Disaster relief is seasonal,” he said.

Even so, during Smith’s time as executive director, TBM has expanded its missions equipping center in east Dallas to house a continually growing fleet of disaster relief vehicles and equipment.

Born in Ysleta, near El Paso, Smith became a Christian and surrendered to the gospel ministry at Baptist Temple in San Antonio. He earned a degree from the University of Corpus Christi and served more than 49 years as a pastor—the last 25 at Highlands Baptist Church in LaMarque. He and his wife of 51 years, Cordelia, have five children and nine grandchildren.

While Smith looks forward to spending more time with family in retirement, he insists his enthusiasm for TBM and his belief in the organization’s future remains greater than ever.

“I’m getting to the point where I’m growing weary in what I’m doing, but I’m not weary of what I’m doing,” he said. “This has been the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, also known as The Hispanic National Association of Evangelicals, appointed Gus Reyes as chairman of its educational directive.

Reyes serves as the director of Hispanic Education Initiative/Affinity Ministries with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He will continue ministering that role.

“It is one of my passions in life to develop strategies to encourage Hispanic students to reach their educational goals,” Reyes said. “These strategies impact and integrate relationships between students, parents, pastors and church as well as community leaders,” explained Reyes, author of 100 Stories of Hope.

“This resource encourages students to trust God for help in overcoming educational obstacles.”

Research indicates Hispanic students make up 38.6 percent of college dropouts in the United States, although they represent only 15.1 percent of the total population. In addition, just one Hispanic high school dropout in 10 has a General Educational Development credential, widely regarded as the best “second chance” pathway to college and vocational training for adults who have not graduated from high school.

More than 40 percent of Hispanics ages 20 and older in the United States do not have a high school diploma.

“The most urgent challenge for the American educational system has a Hispanic face. Hispanics are the largest and most rapidly growing ethnic minority in the country, but academically they are lagging dangerously behind,” explained Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

MIDLAND—Crestview Baptist Church, through a community collaboration with Buckner International, has adopted Jane Long Elementary School for a new feeding program it calls “Crestview Cares.”

“Teachers were noticing that on Monday mornings, some students would eat their school breakfast, but the next day they would stick it in their clothes or backpack,” said Nita Capell, volunteer coordinator for Crestview Cares.

“The teachers told them: ‘No, you can’t do that. You have to eat it at school.’ Students would explain, ‘I’m going to take it to my brother, because he doesn’t have anything to eat.’”

Capell buys food from the West Texas Food Bank in Odessa and grocery stores using funds collected from local organizations and individuals. Church members fill bags with food every-other week. On Fridays during recess, teachers discreetly put them in students’ backpacks.

“I was shocked to find out that there are food-insecure kids in Midland,” said Byron Smith, director of community ministries for Buckner and missions pastor at Crestview.

Smith observed a backpack feeding program started by the Odessa Junior League last year and applied that knowledge at Jane Long Elementary.

“I wanted to get a model to present to the other churches here in Midland, so that they can take on an elementary school themselves,” Smith said.

The program is having the domino effect he hoped it would. One month after Crestview Cares launched, First United Methodist started its own feeding program at another elementary school.

Crestview’s program kicked off last September. They currently feed 118 students, up from 71 the first week. Smith said the children love to get ravioli, spaghetti and miniature boxes of cereal.

Volunteers at Crestview Baptist Church in Midland spend every other Wednesday night filling sacks with food to drop off at Jane Long Elementary.

“Everything that we give them is something they can open up and eat immediately,” Smith said. “The food does not require heat or any cooking, because we realize that some of these children go home to a house without electricity or gas or any way to cook.”

“We try to give them two things for breakfast, two for lunch and two things for supper. It’s not a large amount, but it’s something that can tide them over until they get back to school on Monday and have breakfast and lunch.”

Teachers have shared students’ feedback with volunteer staff. One student said: “I can’t wait till Friday to get my food. It feels good to get food every day.”

Another said he liked the food and wished he had more to share with his brothers and sisters. One teacher reported three of her four students who receive bags of food already have shown improvement in the classroom.

“We just try to take care of our own,” Capell said. “The Lord just put us there where we could be used, and that’s what it’s all about.”

To learn more about Crestview Cares, contact Byron Smith at (432) 681-8200. To help support feeding programs for children through Buckner, call Buckner Foundation at (214) 758-8050.

• Justin Bindel to First Church in Wichita Falls as minister to senior high students.

• Josh Graff has resigned as youth minister at First Church in Nixon to enter the U.S. Navy’s chaplaincy program.

• Chase Hinson to Handley Church in Fort Worth as pastor.

• Robert McGee to First Church in Kenedy as minister of music and education.

• Sam Midgett to First Church in Wichita Falls as minister to sixth grade and junior high students from First Church in Longview, where he was minister to students.

• Norma Rodriquez to First Church in Smithville as children’s director.

• K.J. Ross to First Church in Runge as youth minister.

• Brandon Self to First Church in Wichita Falls as contemporary praise and worship leader, where he had been interim.

• Brad Williams to First Church in Smithville as church administrator and education director.

• David Williams to First Church in?Paducah as pastor from Seventh Street Church in Ballinger.

• Dallas Baptist University will hold a preview day Feb. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prospective students will eat breakfast with current students, tour the campus and hear from several faculty members. DBU will waive the application fee for students who apply that day. Parents will participate in information seminars on financial aid, campus life, parent services and the application process. For more information, call (214) 333-5360.

• Bell Association and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor church relations department are sponsoring a seminar related to the 2011 Winter Bible Study, “A Study in Galatians: Truth and Grace” Feb. 15. The seminar will be repeated Feb. 19 so bivocational pastors may attend. UMHB Christian studies professor Tony Martin will offer a study of Galatians from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. John Witte, retired pastor and professor at UMHB, will explain how to preach and teach Galatians from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Both sessions will be in the Bell Association office on the UMHB campus. Lunch will be served on Tuesday and breakfast on Saturday for $5 per meal. Books will be available for purchase. Make reservations at bba9129@ sbcglobal.net or (254) 939-0761.

• The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will feature Joshilyn Jackson during the annual Writers’ Festival set for Feb. 17-19 in the Brindley Auditorium of the York Science Center. The literary festival is open to the public. Registration and admission fees are based on events attended. Jackson will present the George Nixon Memorial Lecture Feb. 17 in Brindley Auditorium at 7 p.m. Jackson is a novelist who has been on the New York Times Best Seller list. To register, request information or apply for the master classes, contact Jessica Hooten by e-mail at jhooten@umhb.edu or call (254) 295-4692.

• Carol Nave, Houston Baptist University organ performance alumna and Indiana University doctoral candidate, will be the featured organist at a March 4 organ recital at HBU. The 30-minute recital will begin at noon.

• Alto Frio Encampment’s spring senior adult camp will be held April 18-21. James Semple will be the preacher, D.L. Lowrie the Bible study leader, and Dale Durham and Ginger McKay will lead the music. For information on cost and lodging options, call (830) 232-5271.

• Jesse Burleson has been named head football coach at Hardin-Simmons University. He has been offensive line coach at HSU the last five seasons and assistant head coach since 2008.

The San Marcos Baptist Academy barn, an 80-year-old campus landmark, will be restored through a grant from the Texas Pioneer Foundation. The barn houses animals used in the school’s 4-H program and the school’s equestrian program. Fred Markham (right), president of the Texas Pioneer Foundation, joined 4-H/Equestrian Director Tricia Raimondi and SMBA students.

• The Howard Payne University Model United Nations team participated in the National Model U.N. Europe 2010 Conference in Olomouc, Czech Republic. The 12 HPU students represented Austria and The Netherlands during the simulation of the United Nations. Students participating in the conference included Josh Rice, Joshua Muse, Shawn Hodge, Kathryn Burns, Kathryn Barrackman, Scott Perkins, Matt Peisker, Liz Rodgers, Callie Ellis, Zachariah Lundy, Brittany Luns-ford and Nick Rayburn. Sponsors of trip included HPU faculty members Justin Murphy, dean of the School of Humanities, professor of history and director of the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom; Matthew McNiece, chair of the department of history and associate professor of political science; and Jennifer McNiece, assistant professor of political science.

Anniversaries

• Russell Polson Jr., fifth, as pastor of Rayburn Park-way Church in Bronson, Jan. 1.

• C.P. Floyd, 10th, as pastor of East Cisco Church in Cisco, Jan. 2.

• Second Church in La Grange, 25th, Jan. 16. Ellis McKinzie is pastor.

• Keith Brister, 15th, as pastor of First Church in Duncanville, Feb. 1.

• Stan Ortner, 30th, as pastor of First Church in Bremond.

Deaths

• Billy Chambers, 77, Oct. 27 in Fort Worth. He was a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was pastor of Oran Church in Graford and First Church in Ranger, as well as churches in California, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Louise; sons, Joseph and Mark; daughter, Carol Black; and six grandchildren.

• Troy Martin, 83, Jan. 12 in Gholson. He retired from the Owen-Illinois Glass Plant after 42 years. He was a charter member and past chief of the Gholson Volunteer Fire Department. He was a deacon and longtime member of First Church in Gholson. His particular passion was Royal Ambassadors. He began the program at Gholson and attended every local RA meet and state congress from 1975 until 1999. He also was instrumental in building the church’s parsonage and sanctuary. He served as Training Union and Sunday school director. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Gwen; and brother, Travis. He is survived by his sons, Jeffrey and Russell; sister, Dardanilla Gummelt; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

• Don Zackary, 66, Jan. 15 in Dallas. He worked at Dallas Baptist University as director of financial aid since 2002. He was a member of First Church in Keller. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Lynda; daughter, Christy Storska; and three grandchildren.

• Roy Lee Williams Jr., 90, Jan. 17 in Abilene. A Hardin-Simmons University graduate, during World War II, he was a chaplain’s assistant. After the war’s end, he enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as minister of education, music and youth at Diamond Hill Church in Fort Worth. He was minister of education and music at First Church in Arlington from 1949 to 1953 before becoming minister of education at First Church in Wichita Falls and then First Church in Houston, where he served until 1964. From 1964 until 1988, he was director of church services for Union Association, and served the association as interim executive director in 1989. In retirement, he preached and ministered in several Houston-area churches and was a volunteer chaplain at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In 1998, he moved back to Abilene, where he was a member of First Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mary Lou; sons, Marvin and Hollis; brother, Stanley; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

• Jeff Matthies, 38, Jan. 22 in Fredericksburg. He was featured in a 2006 Baptist Standard story concerning his need for a double lung transplant due to cystic fibrosis. His father, Alan, is a chaplain at Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fred-ericksburg and formerly was a chaplain at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. He is survived by his wife, Kari; son, Andrew; parents, Alan and Pam; grandfather, Herschell Matthies; and brother, Jimmy.

• Bob Jenkins, 83, Jan. 23 in Dallas. A graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he was pastor of Whitehall Church in Gatesville, Arcadia Park Church in Dallas, First Church in Cooper, Temple Church in Amarillo, First Church in Levelland and Hampton Place Church in Dallas. He was director of missions for Smith Association from 1982 to 1995. While serving in that capacity, he led volunteers on mission trips to Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, Tanzania, Australia, Estonia, Czech Republic and Georgia Republic. He also was active in prison ministry. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Florine; sons Byron and Glenn; daughters, Vivian Powell and Robin Mojica; and six grandchildren.

• Earl Johnston, 95, Jan. 24 in San Antonio. He was pastor of Alamo Heights Church in San Antonio, Palm Heights Church in San Antonio and First Church in Los Fresnos. He also was associate pastor at Baptist Temple in San Antonio and minister of pastoral care of First Church in San Antonio. His wife, Mauriece, was Texas Woman’s Missionary Union President from 1972 to 1976 and from 1980 to 1984. He is survived by his wife of 72 years; son, James; two granddaughters; and four great-grandsons.

Events

• First Church in Blanco held a reception marking the 100th birthday of H.B. Ramsour, second president of what now is Baptist University of the Americas, Jan. 11. Ramsour assumed leadership of the school in 1960 and led the conversion of ownership to the Baptist General Convention of Texas from San Antonio Assoc-iation in 1962. He also helped the school acquire additional land and erect several buildings before his retirement in 1976.

Licensed

• Clayton Rogers to the ministry at Union Valley Church in Nixon.

Ordained

• Dave Stone to the ministry at Central Church in Luling.

• Rickey Loyd, Scott Sarine and Chip Vaughn as deacons at First Church in Sulphur Springs.

• Gary Knight as a deacon at First Church in Belton.

FORT WORTH—If Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary wants to buy a disputed piece of property from Tarrant Baptist Association for fair market value, the association may consider selling, according to a motion the association’s executive board unanimously approved Jan. 24. Otherwise, the matter will need to be submitted to a three-member arbitration panel.

Southwestern Seminary notified Tarrant Baptist Association before Christmas it had six months to vacate its offices on the edge of the seminary campus. The seminary asserted the association was in violation of its affiliation agreement—in part because of perceived toleration of homosexuality by some member church or churches.

But while Tarrant Association Moderator Al Meredith contends the seminary lacks authority to take unilateral action, he expressed hope the situation can be resolved—either by the seminary purchasing the property from the association or by submitting the dispute to an arbitration panel.

Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, repeatedly underscored his desire that the association’s longtime fraternal relationship with the seminary be maintained.

Southwestern Seminary officials did not respond to e-mail or phone calls requesting a response for this article.

The association office received a registered letter from Southwestern Seminary Dec. 10. The letter stated the association was in violation of its 1997 affiliation agreement, and it directed the association to vacate its property on James Avenue within six months. It also stated title on the property should revert back to the seminary.

In 1982, the seminary provided Tarrant Baptist Association land and the funds to build its office building, granting a 99-year lease on the property, Meredith explained. At that time, the seminary and association entered into an affiliation agreement stipulating the property would not be used for commercial activity, and the association and seminary would commit to remaining in theological harmony, he said.

In 1997, the property agreement was renegotiated, and Tarrant Baptist Association received the deed to the property, he said. “The affiliation agreement remained intact,” Meredith added.

According to the agreement, if any disagreement should arise between the association and the seminary, the matter should be resolved a three-member arbitration panel with one seminary representative, one associational representative and one party mutually agreed upon by both parties, he noted.

On Dec. 20, three associational representatives—Moderator-elect Meredith, Moderator Bobby Bridges and Leadership Development Director Becky Biser—met with Seminary President Paige Patterson and some of his staff to discuss the situation.

“We had a lengthy and amicable discussion,” Meredith said in an interview.

He noted during the discussion, Patterson commented that had learned information he did not have when the original Dec. 10 letter was delivered. He agreed to consider the matter further and discuss it with the seminary’s attorneys.

However, a letter from Southwestern Seminary he received Jan. 18 indicated the seminary planned to pursue its claim on the property.

Tarrant Baptist Association’s executive board subsequently met a few days later and unanimously approved a motion authorizing the board’s executive committee to consider selling if the seminary wants to purchase the property from the association for fair market value and if the committee considers a sale in the association’s best interests. If not, the issue should be submitted to a three-person arbitration panel.

In a Dec. 21 letter to pastors in the association, Meredith noted specific areas in which the seminary claimed the association was not in compliance with its affiliation agreement:

• Toleration of homosexuality. While the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message takes a clear position against homosexual behavior, the seminary contends the association has a church or churches that do not comply with the statement of faith on that matter. “They feel this places them in a contradictory situation,” Meredith’s letter stated.

The Southern Baptist Convention cuts its historic ties with Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth in 2009 over its perceived acceptance of homosexual members. Last year, Broadway also withdrew its affiliation from the Baptist General Convention of Texas rather than face a challenge

• Placement. The seminary asserted it had asked for—and had not received—assistance from the association office in helping students and faculty gain access to empty pulpits in the association.

Meredith also noted the seminary expressed the need for additional office space or a welcome center that could be housed in the offices Tarrant Association occupies.

“We hold the deed. We believe the property to be ours,” Meredith said in an interview. “If the seminary needs the building, … we would be willing to talk about selling it to them for a fair market value.”

Meredith acknowledged he was disappointed by the seminary’s response. Even so, he insisted he and other associational leaders would continue praying for a win/win situation.

“If Tarrant Baptist Association wins and Southwestern Seminary loses, the kingdom of God loses. If Southwestern wins and the association loses, the kingdom loses. The matters of the kingdom are greater than either the seminary or the association. My prayer is that we do nothing to bring reproach on the name of Christ,” he said.

“Tarrant Baptist Association has enjoyed a longstanding fraternal relationship with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and we want that to continue.”

Editor’s note:
This article has been revised based on additional information.
The headline and first paragraph previously read:

–This article is a revision of an earlier story posted here .

Wayland research receives first patent. Wayland Baptist University’s School of Math and Sciences received final patent approval just before the end of 2010 for research in photo-catalytic water purification—the first patent for the university. The process to remove pollutants from water resulted from student summer research projects in the Wayland chemistry department, originally submitted for patent consideration in 2008. While the original researchers have moved on to advanced study and other positions, the research and future applications remain with Wayland.

Baylor Nursing School receives grant for scholarships. Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing has been selected for a grant from the Helene Fuld Health Trust that will provide scholarship funds for undergraduate nursing students. The grant—$600,000 over three years—will establish and maintain an endowed scholarship fund for current and future students enrolled in the program.

CLC chief honored. Capitol Inside named Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission Director Suzii Paynter Austin’s top lobbyist for causes. Paynter, who finished second in the rankings two years ago, leads the commission’s advocacy efforts in Austin. The commission has taken the lead for decades in fighting the expansion of gambling across the state. Despite the repeated efforts of throngs of pro-gambling lobbyists, the CLC and its coalition partners continue pointing to the economic and moral shortfall of expanding gambling across the state. Working with other groups, the CLC also is fighting to close a loophole that prevents payday lenders from charging exorbitantly high interest rates. The CLC also has pushed for efforts to care for children, especially hungry children across the state.

Scholarship endowed at UMHB. Members of the John Harold Shannon family dedicated an endowed scholarship in his memory at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.  Shannon was a member of First Baptist Church in Killeen, where he was a Bible study teacher, Sunday school superintendent and chairman of the deacons. His widow, Pat Shannon, is a 1953 UMHB graduate and trustee of the university.

Southeast Texas strategist named. The Baptist General Convention of Texas has enlisted Bruce Peterson to serve as congregational strategist in Southeast Texas. Peterson served as pastor of South Park Baptist Church in Alvin from 1991 to 2009. Prior to that, he served as associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi from 1983 to 1991. He served as interim pastor of First Baptist Church in Dickinson from Nov. 2009 to June 2010. Peterson has served in numerous roles for the Gulf Coast Baptist Association and ministered in a variety of ways through chaplaincy, including with the Alvin Police Department and following the 2005 Texas City BP explosion. 

Editor's Note: This story has been updated and revised here.

FORT WORTH—Tarrant Baptist Association’s executive board met Jan. 24 and unanimously approved a motion asking Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary either to purchase a disputed piece property from the association at fair market value or submit the matter to a three-person arbitration panel.

Southwestern Seminary notified Tarrant Baptist Association before Christmas it had six months to vacate its offices on the edge of the seminary campus. The seminary asserted the association was in violation of its affiliation agreement—in part because of perceived toleration of homosexuality by some member church or churches.

But while Tarrant Association Moderator Al Meredith contends the seminary lacks authority to take unilateral action, he expressed hope the situation can be resolved—either by the seminary purchasing the property from the association or by submitting the dispute to an arbitration panel.

Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, repeatedly underscored his desire that the association’s longtime fraternal relationship with the seminary be maintained.

Southwestern Seminary officials did not respond to e-mail or phone calls requesting a response for this article.

The association office received a registered letter from Southwestern Seminary Dec. 10. The letter stated the association was in violation of its 1997 affiliation agreement, and it directed the association to vacate its property on James Avenue within six months. It also stated title on the property should revert back to the seminary.

In 1982, the seminary provided Tarrant Baptist Association land and the funds to build its office building, granting a 99-year lease on the property, Meredith explained. At that time, the seminary and association entered into an affiliation agreement stipulating the property would not be used for commercial activity, and the association and seminary would commit to remaining in theological harmony, he said.

In 1997, the property agreement was renegotiated, and Tarrant Baptist Association received the deed to the property, he said. “The affiliation agreement remained intact,” Meredith added.

According to the agreement, if any disagreement should arise between the association and the seminary, the matter should be resolved a three-member arbitration panel with one seminary representative, one associational representative and one party mutually agreed upon by both parties, he noted.

On Dec. 20, three associational representatives—Moderator-elect Meredith, Moderator Bobby Bridges and Leadership Development Director Becky Biser—met with Seminary President Paige Patterson and some of his staff to discuss the situation.

“We had a lengthy and amicable discussion,” Meredith said in an interview.

He noted during the discussion, Patterson commented that had learned information he did not have when the original Dec. 10 letter was delivered. He agreed to consider the matter further and discuss it with the seminary’s attorneys.

However, a letter from Southwestern Seminary he received Jan. 18 indicated the seminary planned to pursue its claim on the property.

Tarrant Baptist Association’s executive board subsequently met a few days later and unanimously approved a motion asking the seminary either to purchase the property from the association at fair market value or submit the matter to a three-person arbitration panel.

In a Dec. 21 letter to pastors in the association, Meredith noted specific areas in which the seminary claimed the association was not in compliance with its affiliation agreement:

• Toleration of homosexuality. While the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message takes a clear position against homosexual behavior, the seminary contends the association has a church or churches that do not comply with the statement of faith on that matter. “They feel this places them in a contradictory situation,” Meredith’s letter stated.

The Southern Baptist Convention cuts its historic ties with Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth in 2009 over its perceived acceptance of homosexual members. Last year, Broadway also withdrew its affiliation from the Baptist General Convention of Texas rather than face a challenge

• Placement. The seminary asserted it had asked for—and had not received—assistance from the association office in helping students and faculty gain access to empty pulpits in the association.

Meredith also noted the seminary expressed the need for additional office space or a welcome center that could be housed in the offices Tarrant Association occupies.

“We hold the deed. We believe the property to be ours,” Meredith said in an interview. “If the seminary needs the building, … we would be willing to talk about selling it to them for a fair market value.”

Meredith acknowledged he was disappointed by the seminary’s response. Even so, he insisted he and other associational leaders would continue praying for a win/win situation.

“If Tarrant Baptist Association wins and Southwestern Seminary loses, the kingdom of God loses. If Southwestern wins and the association loses, the kingdom loses. The matters of the kingdom are greater than either the seminary or the association. My prayer is that we do nothing to bring reproach on the name of Christ,” he said.

“Tarrant Baptist Association has enjoyed a longstanding fraternal relationship with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and we want that to continue.”

DALLAS—About 20 Dallas-area pastors used the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to minister to an inner-city neighborhood.

Michelle Woody, a parent of a child in the Jack and Jill program which also provided volunteers, gives direction to Tammy Disch, Dallas Baptist Association accountant, and Wanda Hall, DBA executive assistant, as they prepare to hand out hats and gloves. They participated in a day of community service on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Dallas Baptist Association)

“They came out to serve hot chili to neighbors in the community around Cornerstone Baptist Church,” said Jana Jackson, director of family and community services for Dallas Baptist Association.

Several volunteer groups worked with Cornerstone Baptist in the neighborhood near Fair Park, southeast of downtown Dallas.

Pastors from throughout the association played an important part in distributing more than 2,000 bowls of chili, as well as hats and gloves, Jackson reported.

“We wanted to give our pastors a chance to serve in something that relatively easy. They didn’t have to do a lot a preparation—just show up ready to work,” Jackson said.

The event also offered pastors the opportunity to serve without bearing the responsibility of leadership, she continued.

“A lot of times at their churches, they have to be in charge. But here, they could bring their families if they wanted and just relax and enjoy serving,” Jackson explained.

The event marked the second year for the pastors to serve the community near Cornerstone and to watch the Dallas parade commemorating King’s birthday.

Pastors helped distribute 2,000 bowls of chili during a Martin Luther King holiday mission emphasis in inner-city Dallas. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Dallas Baptist Association)

Pastor Sammy Tabufor at Agape Baptist Christian Fellowship in Garland helped serve during a Martin Luther King Jr. day of service involving Dallas-area pastors. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Dallas Baptist Association)

HOUSTON—When members of The Walk Church in Houston set up the baptistery for an outdoor service, they were excited by the prospect of celebrating what God had done in changing the lives of three people.

It turns out they were setting up to celebrate much more. Those three people were simply where God started.

Following the baptism of the three people who were scheduled to go through the ordinance, Pastor Jesse Shelton shared the gospel with the crowd who had gathered to see what was happening. A person came forward asking to be baptized as well. Then another. And another. And another.

Some came alone—others, in groups of two and three. But they kept coming. Each confessed Christ as Lord. And each was baptized in his name.  

“It just kept going and going and going,” Shelton said.

The procession of people seeking Christ simply continued, Shelton said. People wanted a relationship with God. In the end, so many people were baptized that the church ran out of the 40 certificates it brought to give to those who were baptized.

“People just started coming,” Shelton said. “And they wouldn’t stop coming. We were out there until 11 p.m.”

The outpouring of people dedicating themselves to following Christ is the result of God moving in one of Houston’s toughest neighborhoods, Shelton said. Known as “The Hole” because “when you go in you never leave,” the area leads the city in violent crime rate, high school drop-out rate and teen pregnancy rate.

Christians began trying to start The Walk Church about one year ago, going door-to-door sharing the gospel, Shelton said. It was tough work, as many people were not initially open to the gospel, but Shelton and other Christians continued trying to minister in the area.

Residents became used to their presence and began opening up to them. In the process, Shelton built relationships and shared the gospel.

A small core group started The Walk Church with the aid of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Texas Baptists facilitate church starts with the help of funding through the Cooperative Program and gifts through the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

Lives were changing, Shelton said. Drug dealers quit selling. They committed themselves to Christ.

When their neighbors saw the changes, they became interested in hearing the gospel. Those living testimonies carried the hope of Christ throughout the neighborhood.

“That’s the biggest sermon,” Shelton said. “That’s more powerful than any words we can share.”

When Shelton stood next to the baptistery and gave people an opportunity to be baptized, individuals were overjoyed to take advantage of the opportunity. So, they came forward—all 40-something of them.

“It’s really been beautiful,” Shelton said. “People are being changed through repentance.”

ATHENS—One year after Lake Athens Baptist Church lost its building to arson—and the same week two young men received life sentences for burning a string of East Texas churches—more than 30 Texas Baptist Men Retiree Builders started work rebuilding the church’s facility.

Bill Campbell, a member of Lake Athens Baptist Church and a volunteer with Texas Baptist Men Retiree builders for 20 years, operates a saw on the construction site at his home church. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

Lake Athens Baptist Church, near Athens, was one of 10 churches in three counties burned during a five-week period in early 2010. Jason Robert Borque, 22, and Daniel George McAllister, 20, confessed to five fires in the Tyler area and were considered suspects in the remaining arsons—including the burning of Lake Athens Baptist Church.

“I’ll never forget that night,” Pastor John Green said. “There were eight fire departments working on it. One truck had a spotlight on the church, shining on the steeple. Sometimes, it was almost blocked out by the smoke, but it always came back into sight. And I knew our church would come back.”

While the memory of the fire remains, members of the church likewise never will forget the day one year later when a team of volunteers in 32 RVs rolled into the church’s parking lot to help rebuild the facility.

With a nailgun in hand, Marshall Rathbun, a volunteer from First Baptist Church in Center, works on the interior walls of Lake Athens Baptist Church. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

“We had insurance, but thanks to these folks, we’re able to build a 16,000-square-foot building for the cost of a 10,500-square-foot building,” said R.B. Richardson, a charter member of Lake Athens Baptist Church.

With the foundation, steel frame, exterior walls and roof already in place, the TBM Retiree Builders focused on the building’s interior.

While the men worked on the construction project, their wives held a morning Bible study open to anyone in the community, and each afternoon, they worked on a craft project that will benefit children in remote mountain villages in Mexico.

“These volunteers are a breath of fresh air,” Green said. “Without their help, we would have had to go into debt to build that kind of facility. As it is, our new sanctuary will seat 100 more than before.”

Steve Jackson (standing) from Calvary Baptist Church in Midlothian and Charles Tompkins (kneeling) from First Baptist Church in Hallettsville work on framing out a room inside the new facility of Lake Athens Baptist Church. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

Members of Lake Athens Baptist Church already knew firsthand about the TBM Retiree Builders’ capabilities. The group had worked on the church’s previous facility, and one of its members, Bill Campbell, has served with the builders about 20 years.

After the Retiree Builders complete two weeks in Athens, a volunteer building team from Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler will complete any necessary interior finishing work.

Texas Baptist Men launched the Retiree Builders program in mid-1979. In addition to the church builders, other TBM construction groups specialize in cabinet building or projects at Baptist encampments. One Spanish-speaking team works with Hispanic churches, and TBM plans to launch a crew specializing in construction for cowboy churches.

Volunteers travel at their own expense and are housed in their own recreational vehicles. Retiree Builders complete 10 to 12 projects a year.

Average age of the volunteers on the Athens project is about 73—the youngest is about 60, and the oldest is 90, said Ron Beard, state project coordinator for the Retiree Builders.

Bill Pigott, state director of TBM Retiree Builders, notes economic downturns have taken a toll on the missions action program. About 200 couples are considered active with the group, and another 100 serve on occasional projects—down considerably from a high of about 400 couples 20 years ago.

“There’s no question we’re getting hit by the economy and delayed retirement,” Pigott said. “It also seems like there’s a different mindset among some people who reach retirement age now. So many feel like they’ve already done their part.”

Charles Tompkins from First Baptist Church in Hallettsville works on framing out a room inside the new facility of Lake Athens Baptist Church. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

If fuel costs continue to escalate, that could force some retirees on fixed incomes to limit their travel, as well, he added.

“Some of these folks spend everything they make from their Social Security check doing what we do,” Pigott said.

Even so, the group remains committed to its mission. After two weeks in Athens, some of the volunteers will begin work on a project at Mount Lebanon Retreat Center near Dallas, and others will travel to Camp Zephyr in South Texas.

Steve Jackson from Calvary Baptist Church in Midlothian drives nails on a TBM Retiree Builders project at Lake Athens Baptist Church. (PHOTO/Ken Camp)

“Our motive always is to share Christ with people. If all we have done is build, we’ve fallen short. We are called to be a witness,” Pigott said.

The witness of the volunteer builders—serving joyfully at personal sacrifice—left its mark on Lake Athens Baptist Church, as did the challenge of the last year, the church’s pastor noted.

“We are a stronger church because of it,” Green said. “Our people have responded in a very positive manner. And people in the community have taken notice of what’s going on here, asking us, ‘How is your church coming along?’

“I believe that up from the ashes, God is going to raise a mighty force of giving people, loving people to be his witnesses.”

Go here for more information on Texas Baptist Men Retiree Builders, or call Bill Pigott at (214) 707-4379.

FORT WORTH—Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary notified Tarrant Baptist Association before Christmas it had six months to vacate its offices on the edge of the seminary campus. The seminary asserted the association was in violation of its affiliation agreement—in part because of perceived toleration of homosexuality by a member church or churches.

Tarrant Association Moderator Al Meredith contends the seminary lacks authority to take unilateral action, but he expressed hope the situation can be resolved and the association’s longtime fraternal relationship with the seminary be maintained.

However, a letter from Southwestern Seminary he received Jan. 18 indicated the seminary planned to pursue its claim on the property. Directors of the Tarrant Baptist Association executive board will discuss their response as part of a regularly scheduled Jan. 24 meeting, Meredith said.

The association office received an initial  registered letter from Southwestern Seminary Dec. 10. The letter stated the association was in violation of its 1997 affiliation agreement, and it directed the association to vacate its property on James Avenue within six months. It also stated title on the property should revert back to the seminary.

In 1982, the seminary provided Tarrant Baptist Association land and the funds to build its office building, granting a 99-year lease on the property, Meredith explained. At that time, the seminary and association entered into an affiliation agreement stipulating the property would not be used for commercial activity, and the association and seminary would commit to remaining in theological harmony, he said.

In 1997, the property agreement was renegotiated, and Tarrant Baptist Association received the deed to the property, he said. “The affiliation agreement remained intact,” Meredith added.

According to the agreement, if any disagreement should arise between the association and the seminary, the matter should be resolved a three-member arbitration panel with one seminary representative, one associational representative and one party mutually agreed upon by both parties, he noted.

On Dec. 20, three associational representatives—Moderator-elect Meredith, Moderator Bobby Bridges and Leadership Development Director Becky Biser—met with Seminary President Paige Patterson and some of his staff to discuss the situation.

“We had a lengthy and amicable discussion,” Meredith said in an interview.

He noted during the discussion, Patterson commented that had learned information he did not have when the original Dec. 10 letter was delivered. He agreed to consider the matter further and discuss it with the seminary’s attorneys. However, the letter Meredith received Jan. 18 indicated the seminary would continue its original plan.

Patterson was not available for comment for this article.

In a Dec. 21 letter to pastors in the association, Meredith noted specific areas in which the seminary claimed the association was not in compliance with its affiliation agreement:

• Toleration of homosexuality. While the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message takes a clear position against homosexual behavior, the seminary contends the association has a church or churches that do not comply with the statement of faith on that matter. “They feel this places them in a contradictory situation,” Meredith’s letter stated.

The Southern Baptist Convention cuts its historic ties with Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth in 2009 over its perceived acceptance of homosexual members. Last year, Broadway also withdrew its affiliation from the Baptist General Convention of Texas rather than face a challenge

• Placement. The seminary asserted it had asked for—and had not received—assistance from the association office in helping students and faculty gain access to empty pulpits in the association.

Meredith’s letter also noted the seminary expressed the need for additional office space or a welcome center that could be housed in the offices Tarrant Association occupies.

"We hold the deed. We believe the property to be ours," Meredith said in an interview. "If the seminary needs the building, I'm sure we would be willing to talk about selling it to them for a fair market value."

Meredith acknowledged he was disappointed by the seminary's response. Even so, he insisted he and other associational leaders would continue praying for a win/win situation.

“If Tarrant Baptist Association wins and Southwestern Seminary loses, the kingdom of God loses. If Southwestern wins and the association loses, the kingdom loses. The matters of the kingdom are greater than either the seminary or the association. My prayer is that we do nothing to bring reproach on the name of Christ,” he said.  

“Tarrant Baptist Association has enjoyed a longstanding fraternal relationship with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and we want that to continue.”