• Bill Anderson to First Church in Sulphur Springs as interim pastor.

• Brian Arnold to Central Church in Italy as minister of music.

• Debi Arnold has resigned as youth minister at Southmont Church in Denton.

• Donnie Auvenshine to Sweetwater Church in Comanche as interim pastor.

• Jeff Bankhead to Agape Church in Fort Worth as minister of education from Central Church in Italy, where he was pastor.

• Joseph Barrett to First Church in Rochester as pastor from Northwestern Church in Midland, where he was minister of music and youth.

• Eric Beechem to First Church in Malakoff as minister of music and education from First Church in Nash, where he was minister of music.

• Jake Benson has resigned as youth pastor at First Church in Waxahachie.

• Wendell Bradley to First Church in Lometa as youth director.

• Chad Chaddick to Northeast Church in San Antonio as pastor from Fairlanes Church in Borger.

• Teo Cisneros to Baptist University of the Americas as vice president of development from Templo Jerusalem in Victoria, where he was pastor.

• Randal Eberle has resigned as minister of music at First Church in Whitewright.

• Robert Ellis to Sidney Church in Sidney as pastor.

• Jeff English to First Church in Kyle as pastor.

• Frisco Formaggio to First Church in Mullin as minister to students.

• Chad Forrester to Central Church in Weatherford as pastor.

• Ricky Garcia to Templo Jerusalem in Victoria as interim pastor.

• Jeff Gibson to Oasis Church in San Angelo as pastor.

• Larry Grayson has resigned as minister of music at First Church in Lewisville.

• Brian Griffith to Zephyr Church in Zephyr as pastor.

• Charles Hensley Jr. to First Church in San Augustine as pastor from Rock Prairie Church in North Zulch.

• Skip Holman to Northeast Church in San Antonio as minister of discipleship.

• Dallas Huston to Center City Church in Goldthwaite as pastor.

• Don Inman to Community Baptist Church in Eldorado as pastor.

• Charles Johnson to Broadway Church in Fort Worth as interim pastor.

• Eric Kaiser to First Church in Earth as youth minister.

• Todd King to Cowboy Church in Brownwood as pastor.

• Joseph Kirby to First Church in Beeville as interim youth minister from First Church in Sinton.

• Johs Lake to First Church in Joshua as minister of music.

• Jack Martin to First Vietnamese Church in Garland as English ministry pastor from Dallas Association, where he was language consultant.

• Jim McCurley has resigned as pastor of Potosi Church in Abilene.

• Kegan McMullen to New Haven Community Church in Abilene as youth pastor.

• Dale Meinecke has resigned as pastor of Eastside Church in Comanche.

• Michael Moody to Crutchfield Heights Church in Sherman as pastor.

• Brad Moore to Spring Creek Church in Weatherford as pastor.

• Pedro Morales to Iglesia Nueva Amanecer in Cleburne as pastor.

• Andrew Null to First Church in Denton as associate youth minister from First Church in Ponder, where he was youth minister.

• Tommy and Julie Roberson to First Church in Farwell as youth ministers.

• Terry Simmons to First Church in Floydada as education and music minister.

• Chris St. Clair to Second Church in San Angelo as pastor.

• Dave Stone to Central Church in Luling as associate pastor of youth, education and outreach.

• Alvino Valdez to First Church in San Saba as associate pastor from High Valley Church in San Saba, where he was pastor.

• David Valentine has resigned as pastor of First Church in Huntsville.

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

• Scott Walker has resigned as pastor of First Church in Waco.

• Joe Walts Jr. has completed an intentional interim pastorate at Northeast Church in San Antonio.

• Tony Watson has resigned as minister of music of Emory Church in Emory.

• Steve Youngblood has resigned as pastor of First Church in Fate.

GUANTANAMO BAY — Cmdr. Daniel McKay has viewed three different fronts of the war on terror during his career as chaplain. On board the U.S.S. Lake Erie, he learned first-hand how sanctions play a role in the war; in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, he saw the 2nd Marines involved with military combat missions; and now at Guantanamo Bay, he ministers to troopers involved with detainee operations.

At each location, however different or far from home, the need for Christ remains the same, McKay said.

“The setting changes … [but] the ministry really doesn’t change,” the Navy chaplain observed.

“The need that human beings have for spiritual care and encouragement, that really doesn’t change.”

McKay has been in the military since his high school graduation, when he entered the U.S. Air Force. He became a reserve Army chaplain in 1992, and in 1994 he became a Navy chaplain. When he’s available, McKay attends the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual chaplaincy conference, supported by Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, to continue chaplaincy education.

As a chaplain at Guantanamo Bay McKay does “everything a pastor would do at a church,” including Bible studies, worship services, and pastoral counseling. He said he works 14-16 hours a day, but he’s always on call for ministry duty.

“We work with our people every day,” McKay explained. “It’s more like a mission field. We get to see [the troops] in and out of their work centers.”

During his service in the Joint Task Force at Guantanamo, McKay said he’s encouraged every day by the “absolute professionalism” of his troopers.

“Our young men and women are doing an absolutely phenomenal job every day,” said the BGCT-endorsed chaplain.

“They’re doing a very demanding job in a very stress-filled place,” he said.

For the troops, the most important service a chaplain offers is confidentiality, McKay said. It’s unique to the chaplaincy.

“That’s our bread and butter as chaplains,” McKay said.

“We provide 100 percent confidentiality. It’s their information, and they have a safe place to share what’s on their hearts and minds.”

Chaplains encounter “the gamut of human concerns and needs” and should refuse no one, McKay added.

DALLAS – Texas Baptist Men has activated three feeding units to serve in the wake of Hurricane Dolly.

A unit out of San Antonio is going to McAllen, where it will support a shelter for people with special needs.

A unit out of Dallas is headed to Harlingen, and a unit from Lindale will minister in Brownsville.

Baptist General Convention of Texas staff members in the Rio Grande Valley are assisting the Rio Grande Valley Baptist Association in assessing needs. Other BGCT personnel are on their way to help as well.

Now a tropical storm, Dolly dumped rain over Texas and Mexico Thursday after pummeling the coast as a category two hurricane a day earlier, leaving widespread floods in its wake.

GRAPEVINE—Baylor University President John Lilley has been fired for failing to “bring the Baylor family together,” reported Howard Batson, chairman of the university’s board of regents.

Regents voted to remove Lilley from office, effective immediately, during their summer meeting July 24. The vote was taken by secret ballot, and the vote total was not announced to the board, Batson said.

Batson cited Lilley’s inability to unite Baylor’s various constituencies at least nine times in a 20-minute national teleconference with reporters and several times in an interview with the Baptist Standard shortly after the regents’ vote.

John Lilley

Lilley became Baylor’s president in January 2006, at a time when Baylor’s constituency had divided over the administration of the previous president, Robert Sloan, and particularly Baylor 2012, a decade-long strategy plan.

For two and half years, Lilley worked to strengthen Baylor but could not foster unity, Batson said.

"Baylor needs a new president" 

“The board really thinks Baylor needs a new president who can bring together and unify the various constituencies of the university,” he said. “We felt like Dr. Lilley came at a very difficult time in the history of Baylor, and we acknowledge that. We do appreciate his service a great deal.”

Lilley could have stayed longer—possibly until his contract ends in 2010—if he had agreed to participate in a transitional process, Batson said.

Under terms of the proposed transition, Batson would have been authorized to appoint a presidential search committee “sometime before the end of 2008,” he said. Lilley would have remained in office until his successor was selected.

“This could take from months to years,” Batson noted. “With John in place, we could take more time to do a thorough search. We probably saw John serving out much, if not all, of his contract. But he didn’t want to do it under those terms. …

“The reality was we felt unless he was willing to transition, he would not have the support of various constituents of the Baptist family and move the university in the successful way it is moving. …

“He didn’t want to work under those conditions. The board felt it could have worked very well, but he did not, and we respect his reasons.”

Tensions with faculty 

Although tensions with faculty flared this spring, when Lilley’s administration initially denied tenure to 12 of 30 faculty candidates, Batson said no single factor led to the regents’ decision to dismiss him.

“There’s no denying we had the tenure situation … and the branding situation (Lilley’s initial decision to get rid of the popular “interlocking BU” logo). Perhaps the process was not as swift as some of us had hoped in bringing the Baylor family together,” he said. “I don’t know that there was any one particular relationship that caused the difficulty. … We did not see the Baylor family coming together as we envisioned.”

In an e-mailed statement, Lilley expressed his disagreement with the regents’ decision.

“Two and a half years ago, I was invited unanimously by the board of regents to come to Baylor,” Lilley said. “I did not come to Baylor to advance my career. Gerrie (his wife) and I were reluctant but finally were persuaded to come because of the unanimous vote and the promised prayers of the regents. 

“We felt that we could help to heal the wounded hearts left in the wake of the conflict that preceded us. Despite the board’s unanimous vote, it became clear immediately that the Baylor board of regents reflected some of the deepest divisions in the Baylor family.”

Lilley expressed satisfaction with the work he and his team accomplished during his tenure.

Lilley proud of work, accomplishments 

“I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to bring the Baylor family together and to help the university achieve the ambitious goals set forth in our mission and vision 2012, documented in our annual report just presented to the regents,” he said.

“I deeply regret the action of the board, and I do not believe that it reflects the best interests of Baylor University.”

In both interviews, Batson affirmed what he called Lilley’s “significant accomplishments” achieved during the past two and a half years. They included:

• Baylor’s highest-ever ranking by U.S. News & World Report—75th—among national doctoral-granting universities, an increase of six places.

• Attracting a “large and diverse student body,” including last fall’s enrollment of 14,174, the university’s second-highest total.

• Record endowment, “now crossing the billion-dollar mark.”

• A record 402 students enrolled in Baylor’s Truett Theological Seminary, including “more students interested in ministering in the local church.”

• Athletic successes, including the men’s basketball team’s return to the NCAA tournament, the women’s basketball team’s continual appearance in the tournament, men’s and women’s tennis teams’ Big 12 championships and anticipation of an exciting football season under a new head coach, Art Briles.

• Classification as a university with “highest research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

• Extensive construction on campus, including the $42 million Brooks Village residential center and the $30 million football training/practice complex.

“John has left Baylor better than he found it. John had a passion for the research element of (Baylor) 2012,” Batson said. “We are appreciative of his service and love for the university.”

Cunningham named acting president 

The regents selected one of their own, Harold Cunningham, as acting president with “full authority” to lead until an interim president is chosen, Batson said.

Cunningham is immediate past chairman of the Baylor regents and served as Baylor vice president twice—for special projects and for finance and administration.

“Harold has a track record of proven leadership and is well respected within the Baylor family,” Batson said. “Harold is the perfect person to do this.”

Acting president is not the same thing as interim president, Batson stressed, noting the regents will begin a process to designate the interim president. That person will not be a candidate for the presidency, he pledged.

After the interim is chosen, the regents will begin a search for the next president, he said.

Despite Lilley’s firing and his predecessor’s departure under a cloud of controversy, the regents do not expect difficulty “drawing top talent to Baylor,” Batson said, noting, “We will be open-minded and do an international search.”

The regents want someone with strong leadership skills and academic background, as well as ability to build consensus, he said.

Next president must be a "unifier" 

“We want a unifier of the Baylor family; that’s always a good thing,” he said, adding, “Connections to the Baptist family are a must.”

“The largest mandate is we need a new president who will listen to all the voices of the Baylor family and bring us together under the vision of 2012,” Batson said.

A reporter noted many people think the regents themselves—or at least some of the regents—are a significant part of the ongoing conflict at Baylor and asked Batson what the regents will do to restore trust among the “Baylor family.”

“Actually, I think the board of regents is more unified than I’ve seen it in a long time,” Batson said. “We may not agree about every motion, but I see the board functioning in a healthy fashion. … At the end of the day, we can walk out of our meetings as a unified, functioning board.”

Lilley’s “dedication and service to Baylor” are appreciated, said Jeff Kilgore, vice president and CEO of the Baylor Alumni Association. “He is a distinguished alumni and will always have a home with his alumni association.”

Lilley inherited a “highly sensitive and emotionally charged campus—and alumni/donor base—probably without being fully equipped with an adequate understanding of our experience in Baylor’s recent history,” Kilgore observed. “Having been away so long, I’m sure it would have been extremely difficult on anyone to get an in-depth understanding of the Baylor family and its unique structure. …”

“While John made himself very accessible to many of the various constituent groups, he often remained vigilant to his own opinions,” Kilgore added. “In a delicate time such as this for Baylor, it is not only important to reach out for input, but for that input to have impact on decisions and the direction Baylor heads.

Inclusiveness and "collective buy-in" key

“It’s become evident how essential inclusiveness and collective buy-in are to the success of a private academic institution and alumni relations.”

Kilgore noted Lilly was “the single conduit of information between regents, faculty and alumni,” adding that task “probably proved to be too much for any one person and probably not the most effective model moving Baylor forward.”

Although the alumni association often has been at odds with the regents in recent years, Kilgore extended an olive branch.

“We understand what a difficult and critical process it is to determine the university’s leadership and to take measures to move Baylor forward, and our association of alumni and donors stands ready to provide support in any possible way,” he said. “Our regents are entrusted with much, and we are all looking toward their leadership and a process that fosters inclusion and input from faculty, staff, alumni and other constituent groups.

“That input across the family is always welcomed and appreciated during times such as these.”

Baylor is one of nine universities affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and one of 27 BGCT agencies and institutions overall.

Pride and grief 

One of Lilley’s fellow institutional leaders, Ken Hall of Buckner International, expressed both pride and grief regarding Baylor.

“Baylor overall is a great university,” Hall said. “I’m particularly proud of the university as it is today. As a Texas Baptist, I’m very proud. But I’m also extremely grieved that, for the past several years at the board and the highest levels of administration, there continues to be disunity.”

Hall noted he does not know the specific facts of the regents’ decision to fire Lilley but said he is praying for “this great flagship ministry of our Baptist General Convention of Texas.”

“I am personally praying that during this time of transition, the current leadership—both volunteers and paid leaders—and the various constituencies will find in their hearts a way to get together and represent what it truly means to be a Christian university.

“They need to genuinely present a Christian approach to divisiveness and difficulty. We see it in our churches, our denomination and in our institutions too often. We’re not representing our Lord best when people see us fighting.”

Matt Cordon, a Baylor Law School professor and president of the Faculty Senate, could not be reached for comment.

Camp Exalted 2008

PLANO—A Plano church is preparing to launch an effort to support an outreach to prisoners in Thailand after an exploratory visit discovered a vibrant ministry there.

Pastor Bobby Bressman plans to take a team of five to 10 people from Prairie Creek Baptist Church in Plano to Bangkok and the surrounding area to minister in prisons and at House of Blessing, a ministry to recently released inmates and former inmates.

“I was so impressed with the ministry there. Especially the evangelism—about 3,000 have been baptized each year for many years—the discipleship to mature those new believers, the passion of those involved, and the care and community the people there had for one another,” Bressman said.

Steve Cable, a member of Prairie Creek Baptist Church, had been to House of Blessing before and was the catalyst for the investigatory trip.

Cable, also a staff member of Probe Ministries in Richardson, had seen the staff of the House of Blessing in action. The ministry initially was an International Mission Board effort, but now it is run by the Christian Prison Ministry Foundation of Thailand.

Soonthorn Soontorntarawong is the director and is assisted by volunteer missionaries Mark and Charlotte Blanford.

The Blanfords, both former missionary kids, felt a call to return to missions, but health considerations prevented them being approved for appointment. Now, Blanford works as a consultant for a Thai company in the evening for financial support, and acts as an administrator of House of Blessing during the day.

Blessing of the government 

While the country is predominantly Buddhist, the government holds the ministry in high regard because of the low recidivism rates among former prisoners who become involved in it.

“It’s pretty amazing that a Buddhist government approves a Christian ministry to prisoners because of the difference they see it making in lives,” Cable said.

The ministry now serves in about 60 prisons, and “they are limited only by the number of volunteers they have,” he explained. There are 117 Thai prisons.

Cable and Bressman were able to preach in prisons during their stay in Bangkok, as well as lead Bible studies at House of Blessing.

One of those days of preaching in the prison stands out especially for Bressman. He was working with Jean, a former drug addict who now is a pastor, and his wife, Tijuan, who acted as interpreter for Bressman.

Worms for lunch? 

When they stopped for lunch, Jean told Bressman, “Today you eat a worm.”

Worms and larvae are a staple of the diet there, Bressman said, but he told Jean, “No, thank you.”

Jean took him to a popular worm house anyway, but Bressman noticed a McDonald’s restaurant and walked there for a burger instead.

After Bressman returned so they could eat together, “Jean looked at me with a worm half hanging out of his mouth, pointed at my burger and said with a grin, ‘You eat that stuff?’”

Both Jean and his wife are products of the ministry of House of Blessing.

“We help both those getting out of prison and former prisoners,” Soonthorn explains in a House of Blessing informational video. “Give them confidence in returning to society. It is the confidence that comes from trusting in God.”

Bpaan, a former female inmate whose life has been redeemed through the ministry, is very grateful for her new life.

“Thank God, he released me and gave me the chance to walk with him outside. And he helps me to know whatever lies ahead, if I put God first, let him lead me, I am sure I won’t fall,” she said.

DALLAS—The challenge is simple, but immense—share the gospel with 12 million people in Texas in the next 20 months.

It’s Texas Hope 2010, a Baptist General Convention of Texas-initiated effort to share the gospel with every non-Christian in Texas in his or her language and cultural context by Easter 2010. And it’s going to take a lot of people working together to get it done, initiative leaders said.

The 82 people who form the iHope Activation Team believe Baptists will embrace Texas Hope 2010. In its first meeting this month, the group primarily discussed the priorities of the initiative and what Texas might look like if the effort is successful.

“We’re just casting a vision for what it would look like if the followers of Jesus engaged in his model of prayer, care and share for the community,” said Gary Singleton, pastor of The Heights Baptist Church in Richardson and co-chair of the activation team.

The team is made up of a cross-section of Texas Baptist associational directors of missions, ministers and laypeople from across the state. It is broken into smaller groups who have specific expertise and passion about an area, such as prayer, caring outreach and evangelism. Prayer, care and share are the three pillars of the Texas Hope 2010 initiative.

Leaders understand it’s going to take a lot of work to get Texas Hope 2010 off the ground, but they are excited about the possibilities of the evangelistic emphasis to change the spiritual outlook of millions of people across the state, Singleton noted.

The faith of people in Texas Baptist churches could be reinvigorated, creating urgency for each person to share his or her faith, leaders said. People naturally would be sharing their faith, asking people to respond to the hope of Christ.

“We would see followers of Jesus passionate about the unchurched and caring for the unchurched and sharing the gospel with every unchurched person in the state,” Singleton said.

KERRVILLE—For former gang member D.J. Miller, life has come full circle. Growing up in a Christian family, he was taught about Christ but chose to follow his own desires and pleasures. Now he is a godly father and husband, ministering to men at the Kerr County jail, all because of an encounter with the Christian Men’s Job Corps.

Tom Jones serves as site coordinator for Christian Men’s Job Corps in Kerrville. Since its beginning three years ago, the Kerr County Christian Men’s Job Corps has graduated 43 men from the program.

“Ever since I completed the program, my life has done a 360,” Miller said, describing the ministry that offers a Christian atmosphere where men are equipped for employment while rebuilding their personal and spiritual lives.

“The Lord has helped reinstate everything. It’s not just back in line, but it is so much more plentiful than before.”

Steered by loyalty to the Banditos gang and controlled by drugs, Miller was about to lose everything—his family, house, cars and marriage—and realized he had to change his lifestyle before it was too late. After seeing an Internet ad for the program, he came to the Christian Men’s Job Corps seeking help and hope after a 20-year stretch of following his own ways.

“I grew up Southern Baptist in California, and I was saved and baptized as a kid,” Miller said. “I even was a minister for awhile when I was 20, but I walked away from that. The influences just overtook me, and I walked away. Then the Lord put on my heart one day that I needed to change my life and get away from this.”

At the job corps, Miller took part in a 12-week class that met three nights a week. The program included personal mentoring, Bible study, computer training, mock interviews and life skills. But the most important lesson Miller learned while he was there was his identity in Christ.

Unemployed or underemployed men learn computer skills during a class offered at the Christian Men’s Job Corps site in San Angelo.

“Part of (the change) is that you have to find yourself,” Miller said. “You have to find God and then find yourself.”

After graduating from the program, Miller immediately stepped into a volunteer role and began coordinating the alumni outreach. He started his own home-repair business and also became involved with ministry at the Kerr County jail. Through the jail ministry, Miller has seen 100 men become Christians or rededicate their lives to Christ and 11 men baptized.

To further his ministry, Miller is participating in an online chaplaincy program. He continues to assist the director at the job corps and encourages the other men enrolled in the class as he shares his story of redemption and change.

“I tell them if God can reinstate me, being who I was and with what I did, he can do that for them,” said Miller. “I’ve done things just like them and probably worse, but God reinstated me. So he can do it for them, too.”

Since its beginning three years ago, the Kerr Coun-ty Christian Men’s Job Corps has graduated 43 men from the program and keeps in contact with most graduates through a weekly alumni Bible study.

“The major success is the transformation in their personal life, whether it is through learning discipline so they can set a goal and achieve it or becoming a Christian,” said Christine Hockin-Boyd, Texas Women’s Missionary Union missions consultant. The program not only teaches job skills, but also nurtures accountability, respect, confidence and self-esteem in every participant, she said.

Christian Men’s Job Corps is a ministry of the Texas WMU. Texas Baptists support it through gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.

“When they walk out the door, I want them to learn they don’t need me or anyone else to achieve their goals,” said Tom Jones, director of the Kerr County program. “They need to be empowered to deal with (life issues). They just need to take things to God and let him lead them.”

The Kerr County ministry works with about 40 volunteers from various churches and with Partners in Ministry, a nonprofit agency that helps ministries in the Kerrville area. The class, which accepts 12 men each semester, meets at a YMCA in a low-income part of Kerrville in order to be accessible to those who are taking the class.

Other models of the program are also in use. In San Angelo, the first Christian Men’s Job Corps in the nation, classes follow a one-on-one model to better meet the needs of participants, said Jean Law, director of the program. They still incorporate a mentor and Bible study but also work closely with the Texas Workforce Solutions in order to form an independent employment plan for each participant.

Since its beginning in 2004, the Christian Men’s Job Corps expanded to eight locations in Texas. Kerrville and San Angelo offer classes, while the other six sites still are in the planning stages and will begin classes by January 2009.

Christian Men’s Job Corps grew out of an already successful program exclusively for women, Hockin-Boyd noted.

“Women were wanting it for their husbands. Pastors and directors of missions wanted it for the men—basically because of interest and need,” she said.

FORESTBURG—More than 230 youth from across the state converged on Forest-burg to scatter, work and make an impact on lives in Christ’s name.

Volunteers came from 19 churches, including one from Oklahoma, to work on 35 projects to benefit people in four counties.

In addition to Forestburg, they worked in Alvord, Bonita, Bowie, Rosston, Saint Jo, Spanish Fort and Sunset.

They needed to branch out because visitors outnumbered the children who attend school in Forestburg.

The youth—from MPACT Mission Camp—traveled from as far away as Corpus Christi and Uvalde to work on mission projects during the day and engage in camp-style worship and activities in the evening.

Founded in 1997, the camp moves to a different location each year. Previous locations include Georgetown, Highland Village, Booker, San Angelo, Uvalde, Newton, Pleasanton and Corpus Christi.

MPACT stands for Making People Aware of Christ’s Truth, an acronym founder Mark McBride acknowledges he “stole”—he is just not sure from whom.

Volunteers came from 19 churches worked on 35 projects to benefit people in four counties, serving in the North Central Texas communities of Alvord, Bonita, Bowie, Forestburg, Rosston, Saint Jo, Spanish Fort and Sunset.

McBride, who served several Texas churches as a youth minister before he was called as pastor of Knobbs Springs Church in McDade, said the idea for MPACT missions came as he was returning with his youth group from an out-of-state mission trip.

“I asked myself why we had to leave Texas to do missions. Why can’t we do this back home?” he recalled.

The next year, he and another youth minister brought their students together for the inaugural MPACT camp in Georgetown.

The MPACT tribe has increased, since many of the students who participated matured into youth ministers with their own youth groups. “We have kids that were with us in junior high and high school, and they come back as college students, youth ministers and married couples,” McBride explained. When they return, most don’t arrive alone.

“This is run by youth ministers. We don’t hire speakers or bands. It’s all kept in-house. We make it like a camp at night, but it’s truly a mission trip,” McBride explained.

Volunteers clean off paint brushes after a project.

MPACT has acquired three trailers of chainsaws, ladders, paintbrushes, cordless drills, brooms and various other tools to help youth do the work necessary to change the lives of others.

While MPACT has served in several larger communities, it also has devoted attention to smaller towns like Forestburg.

“When you go to these smaller towns, it’s like a revival, and the entire church gets involved,” McBride said. “It becomes a community event. They’ve never seen this many kids here before. They will talk about this for years.”

Since the group was so large and Forestburg Baptist Church so small, not just the church, but the entire town became involved, Jason Crookham, youth minister at the Forestburg church explained.

Also assisting in hosting the group were Forestburg United Methodist Church and Prairie Point Nazarene Church. The group slept at the Forestburg school each evening.

Youth concentrate on some carpentry work during an MPACT project.

The Methodist church opened its doors for meal times, and all three churches made facilities available for worship services.

And the worship services are key to all that is accomplished, McBride said.

Each camp starts with a Saturday night orientation and an evangelistic sermon, because “if you don’t know Jesus, this is going to be a hard week,” he said.

Worship is one of his favorite parts of the week. “Every year, we have kids get saved. Every year, we have some surrender to ministry. But the main thing is that the kids get a heart for missions,” McBride said.

Missions involvement gets in the blood, said Shane Green, youth minister at Community Bible Church in Irving, who has been attending MPACT mission camps eight years.

Students with the MPACT (Making People Aware of Christ’s Truth) Mission Camp traveled from as far away as Corpus Christi and Uvalde to work on mission projects during the day and engage in camp-style worship and activities in the evening hours.

“The ministry is what brings me back. We joke every year about paying money to come out and work in what is sometimes 102-degree weather. But one of the phrases we use around here a lot is ‘It’s not about me.’”

And he said that attitude is contagious with the students.

“If one of the kids out on the job sites starts complaining, one of the other kids will say, ‘Hey, it’s not about you.’ We never have to say a thing,” Green said.

“A lot of people won’t come out to our churches, but when we go to them and serve them, we gain a little bit of the right to be heard,” he added. And those conversations can be life-changing.

Ranee Brown, a member of Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, takes care of many of the financial details of the camp and is known to most as “Mama Brown.”

“That’s because I like to be their spiritual mama,” she said.

“God brought me to youth four years ago. He told me I had a lot to offer these kids, but they give me so much more. God had a plan, and he just brought me here.”

God continually works through the camps, she said. She remembers a man whose truck wouldn’t start, and a group from the camp stopped to see if they could help.

While they were with the driver, he asked what they were doing. They explained their desire to perform missions service projects.

“For free?” he asked. He then told them he was on his way to see his wife who was at the hospital with cancer.

“We prayed with him, and then the truck started right up. There was nothing wrong with that truck. That was God giving us an opportunity to pray with that man. I’ve seen God work so many times through this ministry, and I’m going to be here until I’m an old lady.”

Veteran West Texas pastor Bobby Broyles will be nominated for second vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas this fall.

“Bobby Broyles is Texas Baptist born and bred,” noted Kyle Streun, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hereford, who announced he will nominate Broyles during the BGCT annual meeting in Fort Worth Nov. 10-11.

Broyles is pastor of First Baptist Church in Ballinger. He is a member of the Baptist Standard board of directors, BGCT Committee on Committees and steering committee of Lake Ivey Baptist Association.

“Bobby has been involved in Texas Baptist life his whole ministry,” Streun said, noting Broyles graduated from two Texas Baptist schools, Howard Payne University and Hardin-Simmons University, and has served on the BGCT Executive Board.

“He’s up to date on Texas Baptist issues and interested in what is going on in our convention. He’s committed,” Streun added. “He has a very strong opinion about the way things ought to be, but he’s very fair-minded. He wants to be reconciliatory as much as he can be but also wants to stand on his convictions.

“That’s what Texas Baptists need now. At this point, we need some new life, but not necessarily someone who has not been involved in Texas Baptist life. That’s where Bobby is; he’s been there from the outset.”

Broyles maintains a “passion for the convention,” Streun noted. “He definitely has a heart for what Texas Baptists can do together and wants to make sure we’re on the traditional Baptist path. … He thinks the threat of fundamentalism is lurking in the background, but we’re not in imminent danger.”

Dedicated pastor 

Broyles is a dedicated pastor, Streun said. Before moving to Ballinger five years ago, Broyles was pastor of First Baptist Church in Earth, minister to students and families at Southwest Park Baptist Church in Abilene, and music and youth minister at First Baptist Church in Bangs.

“Bobby is very committed to his folks. He wants to know when they have a runny nose,” Streun said. “He’s always supportive in their lives. He’s a wise individual. He’s got a strong personality, but he’s got wisdom to know how to counsel and lead and direct, … not only church members but also other pastors.

“He’s a great friend of Texas Baptists. He knows people all over the state. I’ve gone to conventions with him and stood behind him and watched him. He loves folks. He loves Texas Baptists, for sure.”

Broyles said he’s willing to serve as a BGCT vice president because he wants to help the convention.

Texas Hope 2010 

“I had the opportunity to spend an hour and a half or so with (new BGCT Executive Director) Randel Everett the other day, and he spelled out his vision of Texas Hope 2010,” Broyles said. Texas Hope 2010 is a project designed to share the gospel with every Texan and meet human needs such as hunger and illiteracy by Easter 2010.

“For several years now, I’ve felt like the way to unite Texas Baptist churches is to do what we do best, and that is share the gospel through missions and evangelism,” Broyles said. “And with the leadership of Dr. Everett, I think we’ll be able to do that—not only through traditional evangelical methods, but we’ll do a good job of sharing Christ through the social gospel as well, recognizing that meeting needs is an important part of the puzzle.”

Broyles noted he is a member of Texas Baptists Committed, the group formed to prevent ultra-conservatives from taking control of the BGCT the way they took over the Southern Baptist Convention. “I pay my $35 (dues) per year,” he said.

But he added Texas Baptists have signaled they are tired of political infighting.

Move past the conflict 

“I think we got the message last year that people are ready for the fight to be over and ready to move past the conflict,” he said.

That “message” was signaled by the almost-successful presidential bid of David Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon, he said. Lowrie came within 60 votes of winning the BGCT presidency without the endorsement of Texas Baptists Committed, a feat unprecedented in more than two decades.

“A main reason (Lowrie) was able to do that is Texas Baptists perceive there’s a small group of folks controlling things, and they’re ready for that to be over,” Broyles said. “I’m not saying I agree with that, but it’s still the perception.”

This year, two presidential candidates have been announced—Lowrie and Stephen Hatfield, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lewisville. Texas Baptists Committed is not expected to field a slate of candidates this year.

Texas Baptists can end their political conflict by clearly distinguishing between “what is conservative and what is fundamentalist,” Broyles suggested.

Conservative doesn't mean fundamentalist 

“We have a whole lot of people who are conservative but not necessarily fundamentalist.

“A fundamentalist is someone of any belief—Christian or Muslim or what-have-you—who says: Here is the way we believe, and you must believe that way. And if you do not believe this way, we will do everything we can to take you over, destroy you, whatever.

“Conservatives can have legitimate disagreement about theological issues … but not be mad about it. They’re not demanding. Their basic message is ‘Christ is the answer.’”

Broyles repeated he wants to help the BGCT get past the fighting.

“It’s a critical time in the life of our convention, and I’m concerned for its future and think because of my background and history, I can help bring people to carry out the Great Commission,” he said. “Let us all quit demanding our own way and join together to change our world through the love of Christ.”

Broyles offered his phone number, (325) 977-0000, and e-mail address, broyles@wtxs.net, to Texas Baptists. “If anybody wants to call me, I’d be happy to talk to them as long as they’re nice,” he quipped.

Attendance at First Baptist Church in Ballinger increased from 120 to 200 from 2003 to 2007, according to the Annual Church Profile. The church baptized 11 new Christians last year. Its total receipts were $509,088; total undesignated receipts were $320,053; total missions expenditures were $73,700; and Cooperative Program giving was $36,543.

Broyles leads the church in mission trips to Mexico each year and to sponsor a Spanish-language Bible study.

Broyles has been president and vice president of the Texas Baptist Association for Family Ministry. He has served on the board of the BGCT Christian Life Commission, BGCT Strategic Planning Com-mittee and BGCT Family Ministry Strategic Planning Team. He also has been involved in associational leadership.

He is president of the Ballinger Rotary Club and a member of the Ballinger Lion’s Club and serves on the board of the Ballinger Memorial Hospital. He was elected Man of the Year by the Earth Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife, Karen, have two children—Kristen and Matthew.

BELTON—The Texas Hope 2010 goal of sharing the gospel with everyone in the state will require the personal commitment of every Texas Baptist, speakers reminded bivocational and smaller- church ministers and their spouses who gathered at a statewide conference.

Texas Hope 2010 is an initiative of the Baptist General Con-vention of Texas to give every Texan the opportunity to re-spond to the gospel in his or her own language and cultural context and to ensure no person in the state goes hungry.

Throughout the conference, funded by Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions, speakers said spiritual revival “begins with me,” to emphasize the theme that communicating the gospel requires individual dedication.

BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett urged bivocational and smaller-church leaders to depend fully on God’s grace, stressing that ministry and evangelism are “all about Christ.”

With God’s blessing, Everett said, Texas Hope 2010 can become “not a controlled burn, but … a wildfire.”

“Wouldn’t it be something if this wildfire breaks out in our hearts?” he said. “It begins here, tonight, with us.”

Newly elected officers of the Texas Baptist Bivocational and Smaller Membership Church Conference are (left to right, back row) Danny Rogers, treasurer; Randy Rather, president; Tony Tawater, second vice president; (front row) Rosalind Ray, vice president; and Ellen Goodson, secretary. (BGCT Photo)

Randy Rather, president of the conference and pastor of Tidwell Baptist Church near Greenville, affirmed Everett’s challenge and encouraged ministers to set an example for larger congregations.

Rather suggested church leaders set cooperative goals, challenging ministers and deacons to make a collective, weekly donation to the BGCT equivalent to their church’s average Sunday attendance.

For example, if an average of 100 people attended every Sunday at a church with a total of 10 ministers and deacons, each of those church leaders would make a weekly gift of $10 designated to the BGCT and Texas Hope 2010, he said.

“I’m asking our churches to take the lead in financial support,” Rather said.

Friday night culminated with an invitation for ministers to sign a Texas Hope 2010 poster as a gesture of commitment. The signed poster will go on display at the Baptist Building in Dallas and also at the BGCT annual meeting in Fort Worth.

During a business meeting, the conference elected its officers—Rather, president; Rosalind Ray of Fairy Baptist Church in Fairy, vice president; Tony Tawater, pastor of Lone Willow Baptist Church in Burleson, second vice president; Ellen Good-son of Memorial Baptist Church in Denton, secretary; and Danny Rogers of Field Street Baptist Church in Cleburne, treasurer.

JEAN—Get the Bible into people’s hands, and lives are changed, Pastor Gary Riley believes. By that logic, his church recently helped alter the future of 120 people.

Jean Baptist Church recently has been following what Riley believes is a calling from God to distribute free Bibles. The church first gave away free hot dogs and Bibles in a park in Olney. About 45 people turned out from the community, and the church gave away 60 Bibles.

One of the people who attended the event in Olney encouraged the church to repeat the effort in Newcastle. Soon after, the congregation did that, finding little demand for the hot dogs, but giving away another 60 Bibles.

The church is considering giving away hot dogs and Bibles again in two other cities, Riley noted. The congregation simply is trying to be obedient to what it senses God asking members to do. After each distribution effort, church members feel more encouraged to repeat the ministry again.

“It’s just something I felt God wanted us to do,” Riley said.

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is in the early stages of Texas Hope 2010, an initiative to encourage Christians to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010. Bible distribution will be one approach churches use to fulfill that challenge. 

While Jean Baptist Church hasn’t seen instant results, Riley notes the Bible indicates wherever it is, lives will be changed. He prays people are coming to faith as a result of reading Scripture.

“The idea wasn’t to bring people into our church,” he said. “It was to get God’s word out and bring people into the kingdom.”