CORPUS CHRISTI—Jonathan McComb lost his wife and two children to floodwaters nearly four and a half years ago, but he did not lose his faith.

The McCombs were enjoying Memorial Day weekend with friends when a fallen tree propelled by a wall of water swept away the house where they were vacationing on the banks of the rapidly rising Blanco River near Wimberley.

McComb’s wife Laura was killed on their 10^th wedding anniversary, along with 4-year-old Leighton and 6-year-old Andrew. Of the 11 people in the house at that time, only Jonathan McComb survived.

In recent months, McComb has talked about the tragedy in a few venues, but he wasn’t ready to speak to his home church, First Baptist in Corpus Christi until the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

“This is a tough story,” he told the congregation at the Nov. 24 worship service. “I’ve told my testimony at different churches and different functions. I didn’t know how I would react doing it here at home and kind of put it off for a while.”

‘Picture-perfect day’ turned tragic

The fateful day in 2015 that ended in tragedy began with a long walk with the children and dog before breakfast, he said.

“It was a picture-perfect day,” McComb said, recalling time spent grilling, watching the children floating in the river in innertubes and visiting with friends.

Late afternoon, it began to rain but seemed like “nothing to be alarmed about,” he said.

Since it wasn’t uncommon for the river to overflow its banks on occasion, the house where the McCombs and their friends were staying was built on stilts. They believed they were well-prepared for any rising water, he noted.

When the storm intensified and the water reached a point where it was 12 to 18 inches high in the garage, McComb and a friend went inside the house to wake the sleeping children, just in case they needed to move to an even higher elevation.

“By the time we got everybody up and down to the living room, the water was already 6 feet high,” he said. “And that took about 15 minutes.”

At that point, water surrounded the house. McComb broke a window on the back side of the house. Standing on an air-conditioning unit, he tried unsuccessfully to tie a water hose to a nearby tree to provide a means of escape.

Swept down the river

Soon after he reentered the house, the electricity went out, and everyone inside heard a loud “thud,” he said. A large cypress tree had fallen, knocking the house off its foundation and into the river.

Soon after Laura McComb called 911 on her cell phone, the house hit a bridge in Wimberley, shearing away the second story of the rapidly moving building. Next, the house hit a tree in the water, splitting in half what remained of the structure.

“I still have very vivid memories of what Laura was wearing, what Leighton was wearing—a little nightgown with hearts on it—and Andrew in his dinosaur shirt and little shorts,” McComb told the congregation.

The family became separated from their seven friends, one by one. When consecutive walls of water destroyed what remained of the tiny pallet McComb and his family had clung to, he found himself repeatedly drawn underwater and buffeted by debris.

“At this point, I know that I’ve lost my friends and my family. I’m underwater. I’m tired. And I don’t want to live anymore,” he said.

“So, as I’m underwater, I can remember praying. And I said: ‘God, I’ve lost them all. And I want to go with them right now.’ And I went totally limp underwater, planning on dying.”

McComb hit a rock underwater. Jarred by the impact, he took it as a “wake-up call from God.” He renewed his efforts to stay afloat, clinging to driftwood. In time, he reached an embankment, climbed a steep cliff and eventually reached a house on a high ridge, where its residents called an ambulance.

Dealing with trauma

McComb initially was taken to an emergency room in San Marcos and then transferred to a trauma center in San Antonio. He learned he had a punctured lung, broken sternum, broken ribs, multiple lacerations and a severely injured leg.

For several days, he recalled lying in a hospital bed, staring at ceiling tiles, crying, praying and coming to the realization many others also were crying, praying and searching for lost loved ones. Gradually, he found comfort in the promise of everlasting life and the assurance he eventually would be reunited with the family he loved.

McComb recalled going to an emergency response center set up at First Baptist Church in Wimberley, where he learned Andrew’s body had been recovered.

“I got up and walked out. I didn’t need to hear anything else,” he said. “I walked out the back door of that church, and I fell to my knees, and I cried. Then I prayed. I prayed and thanked God for the six years I had with Andrew and what a joy it was to be his dad.”

Laura McComb’s body was recovered several days later. Her husband identified her by the wedding ring on her finger. Searchers never found Leighton’s remains.

“Throughout those days, I saw a lot of good come out of something very bad,” McComb said. “I saw relationships renewed with God. I saw relationships renewed with friends.”

As he spoke to his home church, McComb honestly acknowledged he struggled with the trauma in the weeks and months that followed. He experienced sleepless nights and sometimes had suicidal thoughts.

“The farther I got away from God, the harder it was. The closer I would get to God, the better I could understand, deal with, cope and share my story to help somebody else,” he said. “We serve a great God.”

Blessing of memory and of new life

Rather than seeing the vivid memories of every moment of the traumatic day as a curse, McComb began to view it as a blessing, because he had the assurance he did everything humanly possible to save his family and friends.

McComb also believes God gave him a message to share with others who experience heartbreak.

“I don’t know where anybody is in their life right now, or what people are going through, or what challenges will be ahead,” he said. “But the closer you get to God, your problems aren’t going to go away, but coping with them will be easier.”

Looking ahead to Thanksgiving, McComb expressed thanks for the assurance that while death separated him from his wife and children for now, they will see each other again.

“I was blessed to have Laura and Andrew and Leighton for the years that I did,” he said. “And God has even blessed me again.”

McComb remarried earlier this year, and he announced at the worship service before Thanksgiving that he and his wife are expecting a baby.

He gave thanks for the part First Baptist Church in Corpus Christi played in his life, recalling that he was baptized there and married there. He chaired the search committee that brought Pastor Brian Hill to the church. In fact, the new pastor’s second Sunday at First Baptist was the weekend of the Blanco River tragedy.

Jonathan McComb recalled how he and Laura appeared with baby Andrew as Joseph, Mary and Jesus in a Christmas play in the church’s sanctuary. And he spoke at his family’s memorial service there.

“But I think this might be the most important time I’ve spoken up here—to let you know whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re going to be up against, God is there for you,” he said. “Turn to him. Trust him. Lean on him. Talk to him. He’s there for you every time.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: A video of Beth Moore’s sermon can be viewed in our Baptists Preaching column.

“I got no personal agenda here. I got no axe to grind. I got Acts to teach,” Beth Moore declared during her sermon at the inaugural National Preaching Conference hosted by Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

Those words appeared soon afterward across social media. Others at the conference described Moore’s sermon as “historic” and a “watershed.”

During her sermon, Moore addressed the controversy surrounding John MacArthur’s assertion that she “go home” when he was asked to respond to the phrase “Beth Moore.”

Moore’s lifelong love for the Bible

After being welcomed “home” by Baylor President Linda Livingstone, Moore recounted her upbringing, stating that if she had an earned doctorate, “it would be in being First Baptist.”

She also spoke of being raised in a troubled and unstable home in which she fell victim to abuse and endured the confusion of seeing her abuser serve in prominent positions in her church.

Moore preached on Acts 1:1-11, continuing into Acts 2. The title of her sermon was “Knowing This from That.”

Speaking of her love for the Bible, Moore said she is “62 and a half years in to being mesmerized by the inspiration of the God-breathed word.”

“To me, one of the marvelous things about the word of God” is that after so many years teaching the Bible, “no matter how many times you’ve seen a passage, something jumps out at you,” she said, referring to her recent reading of the Gospel of Luke and deciding to continue straight into the book of Acts. Both books of the Bible were written by Luke, Acts being a continuation of the Gospel.

Moore noticed a recurring phrase Luke used in Acts—“this Jesus.” Luke accentuates “this Jesus” “because there is ‘this Jesus’ and ‘that Jesus,’” she said. The challenge is to figure out which one we know, Moore said.

Differentiating ‘this Jesus’ from ‘that Jesus’

She described several ways in which Christians have accommodated Jesus, including monetizing and politicizing him. Since Christians no longer recognize Jesus, he is no longer recognizable in them, she said.

Describing “that Jesus,” Moore said people see eye-to-eye with “that Jesus,” and “‘that Jesus’ evolves.”

By contrast, “this Jesus” calls people to follow him and become fishers of people. Instead, Christians tell “‘that Jesus,’ ‘You follow me, and I will make you fishy to people,’” Moore said.

After describing “that Jesus” as an idol, Moore declared, “You can tell somebody’s Jesus by looking at someone’s life.”

“‘This Jesus’ is most conspicuous in the Gospels” that tell of his ways, Moore said. “Make me to know your ways, O Lord,” she said, quoting Psalm 25:4.

Citing Acts 4:5-12, Moore said, “Only ‘this Jesus’ can save.” Preachers and teachers must know the difference so they don’t preach another Jesus.

Citing Acts 17:2-4 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, she pointed out that “this Jesus” is anticipated by the Scripture, fulfills the Scripture and illuminates the Scripture.

Moore addressed women in ministry

Stating she is a representative of her gender, Moore declared “this Jesus,” who called and cloaked and gifted women, still calls and cloaks and gifts them. “I don’t know about ‘that Jesus,’” she said, stating also that she is not confused about “this Jesus’” take on women, noting he went out of his way to include women. Moore then quoted Acts 2:17-18, which records the Apostle Peter’s recitation of Joel 2:28-32:

“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.”

“I got no agenda here. I got no axe to grind. I got Acts to teach,” Moore stated.

She went on to say that Acts doesn’t “show women displacing men” but being placed in positions of ministry along with men. “‘This Jesus’ didn’t dream of wasting half the gospel witness,” Moore said.

In response to those who say Acts describes a temporary situation necessary briefly following Pentecost, Moore pointed out biblical accounts of women leading in ministry decades after Pentecost.

Addressing the power of “this Jesus,” Moore said he is the one who poured out his Holy Spirit on the people at Pentecost, enabling them to do miraculous things.

“The biggest miracle we’ve been able to perform is to turn wine back into water,” Moore said. “Surely, there are bigger wonders than that.”

Another difference between ‘this’ and ‘that Jesus’

Citing the story of Stephen in Acts 6–7, Moore acknowledged “‘this Jesus’ can get you into trouble” while “that Jesus” is much safer.

“That Jesus” would never put us in an awkward position, put our lives at risk or call us to give anything up, Moore said. “‘That Jesus’ calls us to take up our car and follow him to church.”

She also described “that Jesus” as a house cat and “this Jesus” as a lion.

“‘This Jesus’ makes us no longer that same person,” Moore asserted.

A personal and powerful closing

Turning personal, Moore closed the sermon with a story about her young granddaughter, who was present during the sermon.

When asked who she would most like to meet, Moore has responded, “There’s this face I can’t wait to see that I’ve never seen.” Likewise, she has a favorite place she hasn’t been but where she will go someday.

She described being at her home recently when a vehicle drove into the driveway, and the car door opened. Her granddaughter jumped out, ran to her and gave her a big hug. Moore asked her granddaughter if, when she was a young woman at college, she would still run like that to her grandmother.

Moore said she started running to Jesus when she was a child and continued running to him as a college student, a young woman, a married woman and a mom. Imagining Jesus asking her, “When you die, will you run to me,” Moore said, “Oh yes, and no one better get in my way” because then I’ll be “going home.”

Messengers to the 2019 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting Nov. 17-19 in Waco will consider a $35.1 million total Texas 2020 budget and elect officers for a year marked by transition in some key staff positions.

“Compelled to Serve” is the theme of Texas Baptists’ annual meeting, which also includes presentations by featured speakers Duane Brooks, pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston; Victor Rodriguez, director of Hispanic evangelism with the BGCT; BGCT President Michael Evans, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield; and Executive Director David Hardage.

The proposed budget recommended by the BGCT Executive Board at its Sept. 24 meeting represents a slight decrease from this year’s $35.9 million budget. It projects a $32.58 million net Texas budget—based on Cooperative Program giving and investment income—for 2020, compared to $33.25 million in 2019. It reflects a 5 percent reduction in support for institutional ministries.

The recommended budget depends on $27.5 million in Texas Cooperative Program receipts from churches, compared to $28.35 million in the 2019 budget. It projects slightly more than $5 million in investment income, compared to $4.9 million in the 2019 budget. It also includes more than $2.5 million in additional anticipated revenue from conference and booth fees, product sales, the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board and other sources.

Messengers also will be asked to approve continued division of undesignated receipts from affiliated churches, with 79 percent allocated for the BGCT and 21 percent for worldwide causes. Each church determines the recipient or recipients of its worldwide giving.

At the recommendation of the BGCT Executive Board, messengers will consider a proposed $1.15 million for Texas worldwide missions partnerships and initiatives in 2020. They include missions mobilization, River Ministry/Mexico missions, Texas Partnerships, Baptist World Alliance, intercultural international initiatives, Go Now Missions, Hispanic Education Task Force and chaplaincy.

Officers nominated for re-election

The current BGCT officers will be nominated for re-election to a second one-year term. In addition to incumbent President Michael Evans, other officers are First Vice President Jason Burden, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland, and Second Vice President Jason Atchley, pastor of Bacon Heights Baptist Church in Lubbock.

While other nominations will be accepted from the floor, none have been announced in advance.

Each of the current officers said he was willing to allow his nomination for a second term to provide continuity during a transitional time for Texas Baptists’ senior executive staff leadership.

Earlier this year, Jill Larsen resigned as BGCT treasurer and chief financial officer to accept a position as CFO at VisitDallas. Steve Vernon, associate executive director of the BGCT for 11 years, announced his plans to retire at the end of the year. The BGCT Executive Board elected Craig Christina, pastor of Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas, as Vernon’s successor.

In other business, messengers to the annual meeting also will consider a revised relationship agreement between the BGCT and the Baptist Church Loan Corporation to allow some out-of-state representation on the corporation’s board.

Texas Baptists’ annual meeting also includes about two dozen workshops on topics including evangelism, discipleship, preaching, missions, foster care ministry and church revitalization.

Prior to the annual meeting, a Hispanic Rally will be held at Woodway First Baptist Church in Waco, and an African American Rally will be at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church in Waco.

Several meals and receptions sponsored by Texas Baptists’ ministries and by partner institutions are scheduled in conjunction with the annual meeting.

Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary and its Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching has scheduled its inaugural National Preaching Conference at First Baptist Church in Waco, Nov. 19-21, immediately following Texas Baptists’ annual meeting.

DALLAS—A Korean Texas Baptist minister who has provided humanitarian relief in North Korea for more than two decades hopes to make another trip this month to the communist nation to help schools, orphanages and others affected by a typhoon.

Yoo Yoon, director of the Korean-American Sharing Movement of Dallas, has journeyed to North Korea more than 30 times since the mid-1990s to supervise delivery of food, medical supplies and other assistance to orphans and hospital patients provided by Texas Baptist Men and other donors.

Since Sept. 1, 2017, the State Department has restricted travel to North Korea. Yoon submitted a request in March to the U.S. Department of State requesting the special passport validation that permits Americans to travel to North Korea for limited purposes, including “compelling humanitarian considerations.”

Last year, Yoon received the passport validation, allowing him to visit three orphan schools and deliver 60 tons of soybeans to Kangwon Province. At the time, he learned he was one of only three Korean-Americans who had received the validation to enter North Korea since the travel restriction went into effect.

Since the validation is effective for only one trip, he had to reapply. On Aug. 22, Yoon received a letter from the State Department granting his request.

“Please be aware that the United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea, and the U.S. government has no means to provide routine consular services to U.S. citizens in North Korea,” the letter warned.

North Korean entity requests help

One month later, he received a letter from the North Korea Education Project, the in-country entity with which Yoon’s organization works to provide relief ministries.

The letter noted a typhoon that hit North Korea in early September damaged schools and apartments. The North Korean-based organization asked for building materials to repair the damaged structures, as well as essential food for schools.

“I plan to bring 60 tons of soybeans to the stricken schools and apartments in Hwanghae Bukdo Province and another 60 tons to the orphans and the sick in Kangwon Province, as well as some materials for the school buildings damaged by the typhoon,” Yoon said.

An independent investigator reported last month to the U.N. General Assembly’s human rights committee that about 11 million people in North Korea are undernourished, including at least 140,000 children.

“Our Lord fed the hungry, healed the sick and gave the depressed hope of life possibilities,” Yoon said. “I bring food to the mouths of the children and the sick that are the least of the least there.”

FORT WORTH—In a recent interview, Adam Greenway said he hoped Texas Baptists would notice a change in “tone” and “tenor” at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In three days last week, Greenway offered a public—if somewhat cryptic—apology for a president’s firing 25 years ago, welcomed another former president to preach in chapel and endorsed a statement defending two women professors on the faculty.

In February, the seminary’s trustees elected Greenway as the school’s ninth president. He assumed office less than one year after the board severed ties with former President Paige Patterson, who was accused of mishandling reports of sexual abuse and using demeaning language toward women.

Inaugural apology

In his Oct. 21 inaugural address, Greenway pointed to the deep historic connection between Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptists.

“That means when Southwestern Seminary is at our best, the ties that bind are unbreakable. That means when Southwestern Seminary is not at our best, the wounds go far deeper,” he said, reiterating remarks he also made in a recent interview.

Greenway noted he was born the same year as the election of the seminary’s sixth president, Russell Dilday, whom he did not mention by name in that context.

He also did not specifically mention that a majority of trustees voted 26-7 in March 1994 to fire Dilday for criticizing a political movement that supporters called a “conservative resurgence” and critics called the “fundamentalist takeover” of the Southern Baptist Convention.

However, he seemed to allude to the rupture in the relationship between the seminary and Texas Baptists precipitated by the trustees’ actions.

“I cannot change the past,” Greenway said. “And I know at times our seminary in the past has not always been a place that has brought about the kind of hope and healing and unity that ought to characterize the New Testament people of God.

“For any way in which we have fallen short, I’m sorry, and I apologize.”

Greenway pledged to lead Southwestern Seminary to “relationally be right, in right fellowship—right relationship with all who find alignment with what I call the ‘big-tent’ vision.”

“It is time, I believe, for the Southwestern family to come together,” he said.

Hemphill returns to pray, preach

Ken Hemphill, who succeeded Dilday as president of Southwestern Seminary, delivered the invocation prayer at Greenway’s inauguration and preached in a seminary chapel service the next day.

In introductory remarks at chapel, Greenway said Hemphill was elected as the seminary’s president “amidst the backdrop of excruciating difficulty and division, which he had nothing to do with.”

Greenway commended Hemphill for being “willing to take on a task that, candidly, was one that lesser men would not have taken on.”

Resolution of support for two women faculty

Two days after Greenway’s inauguration, the Southwestern Seminary faculty issued a unanimous resolution of support for two of their colleagues—Terri Stovall, dean of women and professor of women’s ministry; and Katie McCoy, assistant professor of theology in women’s studies at the seminary’s Scarborough College—whose qualifications reportedly were called into question in an email distributed to trustees.

Malcolm Yarnell, research professor of systematic theology at Southwestern Seminary, introduced the resolution expressing the faculty’s “great appreciation” for Stovall and McCoy “for their theological orthodoxy, their contribution to scholarship, their positive conduct during trying times, and their Christ-like leadership within the seminary community.”

The faculty statement added, “We ask the president to use this resolution for public record as he deems fit.”

Greenway promptly posted on Twitter: “As president I want to publicly affirm” Stovall and McCoy “and denounce in the strongest terms any attacks on their qualifications for service here.”

In a second tweet, Greenway added: “I want to publicly communicate in the strongest terms my total confidence in these two scholars.” He noted Southwestern Seminary “is committed to equipping and empowering God-called women for more faithful Kingdom service, including teaching and leading in the academy.”

Email focused on gift for endowed chair

Baptist Press, news and information service of the SBC Executive Committee, reported the email prompting the public statements was provided to trustees at their Oct. 21-22 meeting, and it regarded the endowed Dorothy Kelley Patterson Chair of Women’s Studies.

Scott Colter, chief of staff for the former seminary president, allegedly sent the email to the no-longer-active seminary email account of Dorothy Patterson. It was intended to provide “reference points” for James Merritt of South Carolina, whose donation endowed the chair, to consider asking the seminary to return his gift.

Baptist Press reported the email stated Southwestern Seminary “now does not have a systematic theologian trained in complementarianism and feminism to occupy this chair or teach necessary courses. Dr. Katie McCoy has posted several things to social media that are concerning and show she is not ready to fulfill this chair adequately. Dr. Terri Stovall is not academically qualified to teach the associated courses in theology.”

The email also reportedly presented to Merritt several other “reasons to consider” a request for the seminary to return his gifts: the trustees’ termination of Cindy Finch, a strong defender of Patterson who previously held the chair; the removal of a gravestone marking the burial site of the Pattersons’ dog; and the removal of stained-glass windows in MacGorman Chapel commemorating key figures in the self-described “conservative resurgence” in the SBC.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—Earlier this month, the pastor of a Kurdish Christian church in northeastern Syria gathered his congregation to decide whether to leave or stay as Turkish forces pressed into the region after U.S. troops had suddenly withdrawn.

In an area threatened for years by both the Syrian civil war and the international fight against the Islamic State group, the church was now in the path of a new offensive against the Kurdish militias that Turkey had branded as terrorists.

Just eight families told the pastor they planned to leave, according to Open Doors President and CEO David Curry, whose organization supports persecuted Christians in the region. Most decided to stay.

‘Trying to be salt and light’

“The rest are staying to try to be salt and light and love in this community. So, that kind of courage is the thing that sticks out to me,” Curry said.

Other stories have emerged from Syria: missiles falling on communities, churches attacked by ground forces and a feared resurgence of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and other extremist groups, Curry said.

Children have been injured and killed in bombings in towns along the border with Turkey, The Washington Post reported.

At least 166,000 people have been displaced since the Turkish invasion began Oct. 9, according to the United Nations. At least 21 civilians were killed during a supposed cease-fire announced last week by the U.S. and Turkey, according to the Kurdish Red Crescent.

Christians in the United States have been quick to react. Some expressed disapproval of President Donald Trump’s Oct. 6 decision to remove about 1,000 soldiers who had provided a cordon of security for the Kurdish areas in Syria. Others also sprang into action via Christian aid groups operating in that country, including Open Doors.

“There are great security concerns for the Kurds and the Christians in this area,” Curry said.

What happens in Kurdish-controlled northeast Syria is important to Christians in the United States because the Kurds in turn offer sanctuary to the Christian, Yazidi and other persecuted religious minorities that the Trump administration has vowed to protect.

The Kurds, most of whom are Muslim, have welcomed those religious minorities and “allowed them to live in and amongst them as you would hope they would do in a great society,” Curry said. They have fought alongside U.S. troops against ISIS.

“I think right now there’s great puzzlement, surprise, disappointment that the Western world, from their perspective, seems to have abandoned them. And we’ve got to make sure that, from my perspective, we’re supporting these religious minorities,” Curry said.

‘Collective American responsibility’

Trump has said the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds in northeast Syria “has nothing to do with us” and compared the two sides to “two kids” fighting.

“Our votes caused this as the United States,” said Jeremy Courtney, founder of Preemptive Love, a Christian-led coalition that has been on the ground in Syria since 2016.

“Whether you voted for or against, at the end of the day, we’re all one nation, and so our American votes 100 percent gave the Kurds over—surrendered the Kurdish civilian population over to carnage, to destruction. And we need to take a kind of collective American responsibility for what we’ve done.”

Courtney grew up in Leander as the grandson of a Baptist minister. He attended Howard Payne University and went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

Meanwhile, some of the president’s most faithful conservative evangelical defenders have been uncharacteristically outspoken in their disagreement with him over Syria.

In a statement written before the cease-fire was announced, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Executive Vice President Tony Suarez said: “This is not a decision most evangelicals advocated for.

“There have been conversations with members of the administration since the decision came about. I continue to believe that we have and are making a difference.”

Suarez said he was pleased with the leadership taken by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled to Turkey to broker the cease-fire with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. That cease-fire, which Turkey has called a “pause,” was set to end Oct. 22.

Suarez also called Syria “a total mess” and said an eventual attack by Turkey was inevitable.

Faltering evangelical support

Televangelist Pat Robertson said on “The 700 Club” after Trump announced the withdrawal that the president was “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven” if he abandoned Kurdish and Christian minorities in the region.

Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, called on Christians to pray that Trump would change his mind as the evangelical relief agency Graham leads, Samaritan’s Purse, mobilized to help people in the region.

Graham later told evangelical outlet CBN News he doesn’t want to “second-guess” the president.

“The decision’s been made, and the president certainly had his reasons, and I respect his decision. Now we have to deal with the fallout,” he said.

For Samaritan’s Purse, which has operations in nearby Iraq, that means supporting the humanitarian needs of Kurds who have been displaced from their homes, according to Ken Isaacs, who oversees the organization’s international relief projects.

The organization is working with partners to provide tarps for emergency shelter, cooking supplies and medical care, as well as blankets and warm clothing as “winter is coming, and they fled their homes with the clothes on their back,” Isaacs said.

“In some ways, it’s a typical refugee situation where people have the same needs as refugees,” he said.

‘We’re not going anywhere’

Preemptive Love, which works with people of all faiths, has been providing food to displaced families and just launched two mobile clinics in northeast Syria to provide urgent medical care. It already has run out of food, according to its website.

And the U.S. withdrawal has “jeopardized” its work in the northeastern part of the country, according to Ben Irwin, a spokesperson for the organization.

Despite fears the return of ISIS in the region will threaten the safety of its teams, Irwin said, “We are not going anywhere.”

Open Doors began its work in Syria before civil war broke out in 2011, trying to “support and to strengthen the Christian communities there, some of which are quite historic,” Curry said.

As ISIS took over parts of the country, many Christians fled to the Kurdish-controlled region in the north, where the Kurds have protected them, he said. Open Doors estimates about 50,000 Christians live in the region.

“Now with the Kurds under attack, these Christian communities are particularly vulnerable,” he said.

For now, Open Doors is offering relief to those communities in the form of food, water, medical care and temporary housing, but “it may turn into a larger humanitarian problem,” Curry said.

“It sure seems like it could go that direction, but we’re doing those kinds of basic relief for these Christian communities,” he said.

“It will be ongoing, so it’s going to be a big challenge,” he added. “I think we need to rise to it.”

For Preemptive Love’s Irwin, that means staying with the Kurds long after the crisis has slowed.

“Keep showing up. Keep sending help,” he said. “Don’t just support the emergency response now while the bombs are falling. Keep caring about Syria once the rest of the world has moved on, as it has so many times before.”

RNS National Reporter Jack Jenkins and Managing Editor Roxanne Stone contributed to this report.  

SUN VALLEY, Calif. (RNS)—Conservative Reformed pastor John MacArthur weighed in on an ongoing debate in the Southern Baptist Convention over women preachers, claiming the denomination has lost faith in the authority of the Bible.

Speaking at a celebration of his 50th year in pulpit ministry, MacArthur asserted the SBC had taken a “headlong plunge” toward allowing women preachers at its annual meeting this summer. He pointed to it as a sign the denomination no longer believed in biblical authority.

“When you literally overturn the teaching of Scripture to empower people who want power, you have given up biblical authority,” MacArthur said.

During the “Truth Matters Conference,” held Oct. 16-18 at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where he is pastor, MacArthur and other panelists were asked to react to one- or two-word phrases. Asked to respond to the phrase “Beth Moore,” a well-known Southern Baptist Bible teacher, MacArthur replied, “Go home.”

Sounds of laughter and applause could be heard in response during a recording of the session, posted online.

MacArthur—a leading proponent of Reformed theology and of complementarianism, the idea that women and men have different roles to play in the church and in society—apparently was responding to a controversy this past summer when Moore noted on Twitter that she spoke at a megachurch on a Sunday morning.

Her tweet led to accusations that Moore was undermining Southern Baptist teaching, which bars women from holding the office of pastor in churches.

MacArthur went on to criticize Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher known as a spiritual advisor to President Trump, saying that he found these women preachers troubling because, “I think the church is caving in to women preachers.”

The pastor went on to say that the #MeToo movement was a sign the culture was taking over the church and accused feminists of wanting power rather than equality. He also seemed to compare women preachers to salespeople who hawk jewelry on TV.

When asked if the Southern Baptists were now moving toward “soft complementarianism,” MacArthur replied, “I don’t know about terms. I just know women are not allowed to preach.”

MacArthur also criticized the Southern Baptist Convention for passing a resolution that was supportive of critical race theory and intersectionality, seeing it as a sign that “liberalism” was taking over. He also dismissed calls for more ethnic diversity on Bible translation committees.

His comments provoked a spirited response on social media.

Stephanie Tait, a Christian author and speaker, said on Twitter that she was “heartbroken, angry, and honestly just exhausted.

“I’ll keep preaching, but this still hurts,” she added.

Micah Fries, a Southern Baptist megachurch pastor in Chattanooga, Tenn., objected in his Twitter response to MacArthur’s “derisive, divisive manner” and called his comments “devastatingly dismissive of the inherent dignity, value and self-worth of women.”

J.D. Greear, president of the SBC, responded good-naturedly on Twitter, saying Moore was “welcome in our home any time,” adding a hashtag referring to the Baptist Faith & Message, a statement of SBC beliefs.

Beth Moore has not posted a comment on her Twitter feed in response. Instead, she continued tweeting her thoughts on reading through the book of Job.

The Apostle Paul commends Phoebe of Cenchreae, the female deacon (Greek: diakonos), as the courier and first interpreter of his magisterial Epistle to the Romans. He said she had done much for many.

In the same way, John F. MacArthur Jr., pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif. as well as a well-known radio preacher, has done much for many, including me. I still recall reading and learning from MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus while a seminary student some 30 years ago.

MacArthur turned 80 years old this past summer. This year—2019—marks his 50th year of pulpit ministry at Grace Community Church. This ministerial milestone is being celebrated throughout the year by his syndicated radio broadcast Grace to You, most recently last week at Grace Community Church at a Truth Matters Conference on the sufficiency of Scripture.

MacArthur’s admonition to Moore and more

During a panel discussion at this conference on Oct. 17, emcee Todd Friel asked MacArthur to describe in a word the well-known Bible teacher and preacher Beth Moore. After having associated her with the term “heretic,” MacArthur opted to forego a reductionistic description to offer the uncharitable admonition, “Go home.”

Applause erupted from his erstwhile supporters in the audience. Once the clapping ceased, not unlike other things in MacArthur’s theology, the pastor-teacher went on to say: “There is no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher. Period. Paragraph. End of discussion.”

Unfortunately, the discussion did continue, with fellow panelist Phil Johnson describing Moore as “narcissistic” and panelist Mike Riccardi affirming MacArthur’s contention regarding Moore’s preaching.

Unable to bridle his tongue (James 3:1-12), MacArthur went on to compare Moore to a well-spoken, persuasive jeweler hawking wares on television and to lambaste the Southern Baptist Convention for capitulating to broader ambient culture, not least the #MeToo movement.

A more helpful question and response

Even if MacArthur were to be correct in his assertions and assessments, in his disparaging remarks and condescending comments regarding Moore he fails to follow the very Scripture he proclaims.

A less personal, more insightful question Friel could have put to MacArthur would have been: “What roles did women play in the respective ministries of Jesus and Paul?” In order to answer biblically, MacArthur would have had to respond, “Any number.”

Instead of going home, appreciable numbers of women followed Jesus, supported Jesus and were taught by Jesus in their homes, even as they helped to bury Jesus and to offer winsome witness to his resurrection, despite the doubts of 11 male disciples (see, for example, Luke 8:1-3; 10:38-41; 23:55-56; 24:1-12).

Turning to Paul, one might note there also were a number of women actively involved in his mission including Phoebe, a deacon; Prisca, a coworker; and Junia, prominent among the apostles and perhaps as an apostle. (see Romans 16:1-3, 7; compare 1 Corinthians 15:6).

In addition to these three women, one also might note the names of these eight female coworkers of the Paul: Lydia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Euodia, Syntyche, Nympha and Apphia (see Acts 16:14-15; Romans 16:12, Philippians 4:2; Colossians 4:15; and Philemon 2).

Part of MacArthur’s theology of women in ministry

To be sure, there are Pauline passages that preclude women from speaking in a gathered assembly of Christ-followers (see especially 1 Corinthians 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:11-15). These are undoubtedly the texts MacArthur had in mind when he declared, “There is no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher.”

That being said, there are, in fact, contextual factors shaping these particular prohibitions that careful, faithful interpreters must consider. I have written more extensively elsewhere on the subject of women in the church’s ministry.

Biblical support for women preaching & leading in ministry

We do well to note that in the very Bible to which MacArthur appeals, there also are texts that presuppose women will pray and prophesy or preach (see 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; compare also, for example, Numbers 11:27; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Nehemiah 6:14; Isaiah 8:3).

Additionally, Acts clearly indicates early women Christ-followers did prophesy, including the daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8-9; 2:18).

Furthermore, Paul exclaims that in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor is man independent of woman, for in Christ there is neither “male and female” (1 Corinthians 11:11; Galatians 3:28).

For Paul, spiritual gifts were not determined by gender (see especially 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; compare Romans 12:6). In particular, it must be noted and acknowledged that Paul did not limit the gift of prophecy, or “forthtelling,” to men.

Places women have preached

A fair and further question to ask MacArthur would be precisely what he means by the phrase “woman preacher.” Although he seemingly would preclude any and all females from anything approximating pulpit ministry, there are any number of Christ-loving, Bible-believing people who, while not supporting women as lead pastors, would warmly welcome a word of exhortation (Hebrews 13:22) from the likes of Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong, Anne Graham Lotz and Joni Eareckson Tada, Priscilla Shirer and yes, Beth Moore.

As it happens, women have been preaching on mission fields, during Sunday gatherings and in various other Christian contexts ever since Mary Magdalene first declared to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). What would Jesus and Paul say to this? Amen, I gather. Can I get a witness?

A place women will preach

Following the annual meeting of Texas Baptists in Waco next month, Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary will host a National Preaching Conference at the historic First Baptist Church of Waco. In addition to the likes of Alistair Begg, Tony Evans, Joel Gregory, Jimmy Mellado and Ralph West, Mary Hulst and yes, Beth Moore will be preaching.

Then and there, we will welcome Beth into our home and hearts as we listen to her expound God’s holy, authoritative word. As she and her fellow ministers preach, we will pray that the Lord will give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

All are most welcome to join us as we do so, including John MacArthur.

Todd Still is the dean and the William M. Hinson Chair of Christian Scriptures of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

When severe weather swept through North Texas Oct. 20, a tornado destroyed the Primera Iglesia Bautista de Dallas building in northwest Dallas.

A member of the congregation—Francisco Flores—was at the building Sunday evening preparing for the class he planned to teach on Wednesday when the building began falling apart, Pastor Ricardo Brambila said.

Flores found safety in an area of the sanctuary by leaning against one of the few walls that survived the storm, Brambila reported.

“We are still in shock after our 40-year-old sanctuary was gone in less than a couple of minutes,” Brambila said.

The church, which is more than a century old, had met in that building for the past 40 years, and many families have been members of the church for decades, he said.

While the church has insurance, Brambila was unsure how much of the damage to the building and other loss of property would be covered.

Documents and photos telling some of the church’s history cannot be replaced if lost, Brambila said, but he added he is thankful to God no lives were lost.

Standing on the promises of God

Earlier in the day, Brambila preached a sermon from Numbers 14. The Old Testament passage tells about a time when Israel rebelled against Moses and God after wandering in the desert for years. Brambila pointed out how God reminded Israel of his promise and of what awaited them.

After the tornado that hit later that same day, Brambila said, he trusts the congregation also will hold to the promise of God’s fidelity.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,” said Brambila as he quoted Romans 8. “We love God, and this will serve for our good.”

As Brambila and members of his church assess damage and seek to determine  the path forward, he noted several other churches and Baptist leaders already had offered their support and prayers.  First, he noted, his congregation will need to make decisions about where to meet for worship.

“We are thankful for churches who have shown their support,” Brambila said. “We do not know what will be next, but we’re glad others want to offer us help.”

Jesse Rincones, executive director of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, expressed the concern of Convención for the Dallas congregation.

“We’ll do whatever we can to help them continue their ministry,” he said.

He commended Brambila for his comforting and calming presence through a traumatic event.

“Ricardo’s leadership has been extraordinary at this time,” Rincones expressed.

Pastor Carlos Valencia of Iglesia Victoria en Cristo in Fort Worth, who also is coordinator of Faith Community Health, noted the need to consider the emotional needs of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Dallas and its leaders. While concerned Christians are quick to offer immediate relief in times of disaster, he noted the need for support through the long-term process of recovery.

“PIB Dallas will need others walking alongside them later on as they begin the process of healing and growing after the disaster,” Valencia said.

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Jeff Gravens: Fast in the Wrong Direction (Jonah 1:1-3)

Jeff Gravens, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas, relays an experience prior to his call to ministry of trying to get home from a business trip. He ties that experience into the story of Jonah. Gravens’ sermon is made of three points centered on hearing and obeying God and designed to make the story of Jonah personally applicable to his hearers. The manuscript for this sermon is available here.

This sermon was delivered during the morning worship service at First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs on July 14, 2019 as the beginning of a series titled “Jonah: A Study in Delayed Obedience.” The sermon was followed by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

Chris Johnson has been the pastor of First Baptist Church in San Antonio since 2017. From deep in the heart of one Texan, he shares his background and thoughts on church and ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

• First Baptist Church in Covington as youth minister
• Chalk Bluff Baptist Church in Waco as pastor

Where did you grow up?

Carrizo Springs, Texas

How did you come to faith in Christ?

I was born into a devout family of believers. From day one, I was in the church, leading to the blessing of knowing God and growing in the faith from childhood by accepting Christ in the children’s ministry, then deepening my faith as a youth at First Baptist Church of Carrizo Springs.

Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

• Baylor University, Bachelor of Arts in religion
• Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, Master of Divinity in theology
• Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, Doctor of Ministry in spiritual formation

About ministry life

Why do you feel called into ministry?

When I was a junior in high school, I began to understand God was calling me into ministry. God gifted and prepared me to become a pastor even as a youth. Every step of the way since that time, God has continued to affirm through schooling, mentors and the church that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

My favorite aspect of ministry is that I am supposed to pray, and I have the privilege of praying often, even during office hours.

What one aspect of ministry gives you the greatest joy?

The greatest joy comes when someone gets it, when a light comes on and they begin to understand the peace of a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no greater feeling in ministry than when a friend finally comes to know the Lord or a church member has a spiritual breakthrough.

How do you expect ministry to change in the next 10 to 20 years?

In the coming decades, we must get back to the basics of the faith. The resurgence of the church will not be in entertaining programs but the foundational pillars of repentance, witnessing and discipleship. As the church gets back to the heart of what she was called to do, we will thrive.

What do you wish more laypeople knew about ministry or, specifically, your ministry?

Pastors have more work to complete than days in the week. Wearing so many hats, we have learned to be pastors who can produce in great quantity, but the greater quantity naturally inhibits our quality.

About Baptists

What would you change about the Baptist denomination—state, nation or local?

There are three things Baptists can learn from other denominations that would enrich our hearts and worship.

1. Confession. We do not need to confess to a minister; however, we need to learn the value and joy of confession before our Lord.

2. Art. Baptists have never been known for their art, but there is room in the church for a deeper appreciation of our creative efforts.

3. Church calendar. Baptists have little concept of the church calendar outside of Christmas and Easter. It would do us well to celebrate scriptural moments as much as—if not more so—than cultural holidays.

About Chris

What did you learn on the job you wish you learned in seminary?

I found a great educational divide on sex. One of the most shocking revelations as a pastor was how pervasive adultery was and is in our congregations and how quickly pornography is becoming an epidemic. I quickly had to learn how to talk about healthy sexual relationships and have had to use those skills often in every step of ministry.

What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? Why?

Exodus 14:14—“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (NIV).

During my most recent pastoral transition, my wife and I prayed for a year about the coming season, and as often as I worried, God put this passage in front of me to calm my fears.

Who is your favorite Bible character, other than Jesus? Why?

There are two who fit a similar mold: Zacchaeus (Luke 19) and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8). Both men long for Jesus, and when they find him, their lives are completely changed. Zacchaeus could not wait to repent for past wrongs, and the Ethiopian could not wait to be baptized. May we meet many like Zacchaeus and the Ethiopian eunuch in our witnessing.

Name something about you that would surprise people who know you.

Bananas are my enemy. I cannot stand the smell of a banana. For April Fools’ Day, my 4-year-old daughter thought it would be funny to put a banana under my pillow so I could smell that disgusting fruit all night long.