June 10, 2002
Pastor's conference honors America
___By Stella Prather & Jennifer Bryant
___ST. LOUIS--It wasn't yet the Fourth of July, but a group of Southern Baptists celebrated America with a patriotic, flag-flying worship service June 10 at the America's Center in St. Louis.
___ "We will persevere, not because of our airmen and soldiers fighting, ... but because we have a country that is turning back to God and turning to prayer," exclaimed Lt. Col. Oliver North to participants in the 2002 Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference.
During a standing ovation, the closing session of the annual Pastors' Conference features a patriotic salute by music, pyrotechnics, visuals—including a dramatization of the Iwo Jima flag raising, right center; a rescue team rappeller, lower center; and a color guard—as well as an address by Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC (Ret.), stage center. The Pastors' Conference was held June 9-10 prior to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis' America's Center. Richard McCormack photo/BP
___ North was the featured speaker at the closing session of the June 9-10 event held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
___ As flags flew, patriotic songs rang out from a 200-voice choir and cheers streamed from the crowd. The host of Baptists attending the patriotic event stood to their feet in celebration of their country. Tears streamed from faces as the audience viewed a video of America's armed forces fighting in past wars. Participants joined in singing the anthems of each branch of the U.S. military.
___ The salute climaxed as an oversized American flag was lowered from the rafters, soldiers rappelled from above the crowd and a small fireworks show brightly blazed.
___ In the afterglow of this patriotic salute, North addressed conference participants. He was one of several speakers, pastors and evangelists taking part in the two-day meeting focused on the theme "Lest We Forget," based on Proverbs 22:28.
___ Among conference speakers were well-known Southern Baptist pastors Fred Luter, Jack Graham, Jerry Vines and Mac Brunson, as well as Kentucky pastor Kevin Cosby, Florida Baptist Convention executive John Sullivan and evangelists Junior Hill and Jay Strack.
___ They were joined by musical guests Janet Paschal, Charles Billingsley and others.
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas, preaches during the opening session of the annual Pastors' Conference, held in St. Louis' America's Center. Angela Murtiff photo/BP
___ During the conference business session, Brunson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was elected president of the 2003 Pastors' Conference. He was nominated by Vines, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla.
___ Robert Pitman, pastor of Kirby Woods Baptist Church of Memphis, Tenn., nominated his son, Vance Pitman, pastor of Hope Baptist Church of Las Vegas, Nev., for vice president. Hal Kitchings, pastor of Morrison Heights Baptist Church of Clinton, Miss., was elected to serve as secretary. He was nominated by Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church of Pensacola, Fla.
___ In his address, North took messengers back to Sept. 11, the day America was changed forever. He said he, too, was aboard an airliner on that tragic morning. Like many, he turned to prayer and asked God to look down upon America.
___ Now, more than 200 days later, North told the audience they should not be fearful of terrorism because the United States is in good hands.
___ "Despite what the media reports, ... America ought not be afraid," he declared. "They say we should be afraid to gather in large crowds like we are tonight. But I've got news for the media. If you know where you are going, you should never be afraid to gather with fellow believers."
___ Speaking of a recent visit to Kandahar, Afghanistan, North told the Baptist pastors that God is at work among the troops fighting in the Middle East. Many of the troops are taking part in prayer times and seeking the counsel of chaplains, he reported.
___ Noting that many in the Middle East hate America, North said the United States will persevere. He reminded the pastors that Jesus also was hated by many, yet Jesus died and was raised again for the sins of all.
___ North urged the audience to continue to pray for the troops fighting overseas and for America's leaders, as well as to be faithful in sharing the gospel message.
___ "I pray this nation will be the godly nation it is intended to be," he said. "There is no other place on this planet with the opportunities we have, ... and it deserves our prayer." Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, spoke on the "call of the pastor."
Mac Brunson, senior pastor of historic First Baptist Church, Dallas, preaches during the annual national Pastors' Conference, held in St. Louis' America's Center prior to the Southern Baptist Convention. Gibbs Frazeur photo/BP
___ He recalled his own calling into the ministry as a teen visiting a camp near Fort Worth and declared: "God is calling us to a call of greatness. God is calling us to be great under his glory."
___ Like Abraham who faithfully followed God's call with no questions asked, "we need to make sure we get rid of everything that would hinder us from doing the will of God. Get rid of any distractions," Graham said.
___ Believers may not always understand God's plan for their lives, but they always can trust in God's promises, he added.
___ "Faith is an incredible adventure," Graham said. "It is something we get to do. We get to live the legacy of great people. Life and ministry are not a dress rehearsal. We get one chance to build a legacy for the generations to come."
___ Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church of New Orleans, spoke from Romans 12:1-2. Pastors, he said, "need to walk worthy of their calling. To be called by God is like no other job."
___ God's call on each of his children is unique, Luter noted, adding that pastors need to walk worthy of the call.
___ "A Holy God called a sinner saved by grace. God didn't call me because I was so good or obedient. That's not why God called us; he called us in spite of the fact. "
___ In order to walk worthy of the call, Luter said, pastors must have been convicted of their sins, converted through the blood of Jesus and committed to the call of God. Sullivan, Strack, Cosby and Ken Davis of Nashville, Tenn., addressed the topic "Lest We Forget the Children."
___ Prior to his address, Sullivan, executive director of the Florida Baptist Convention, presented conference President Whitten a $10,000 gift. This donation will be added to the event's offering which will aid the Southern Baptist Pastors' Retirement Fund through the Annuity Board. Sullivan reported that O.S. Hawkins, Annuity Board president, will match the Florida Baptist Convention's donation.
___ Speaking from Exodus 10:8, Sullivan told the audience that Moses and Aaron informed Pharaoh of their plans to take their families and children with them when they left Egypt. Like Moses, parents today must pass the truths of God onto the next generation, he said.
___ Too often, Baptists are "leaving their children to the world," Sullivan warned. Children must learn the truths of God from parents, not television or school, he added. "If we leave the children behind, we will forfeit our best offering to our world, Jesus."
Jerry Vines, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla., preaches during the closing session of the annual national Pastors' Conference, held in St. Louis' America's Center prior to the Southern Baptist Convention. Sandy King photo/BP
___ Cosby, pastor of Stephen Baptist Church of Louisville, Ky., reminded conference participants that children are a blessing from God. Citing Matthew 8:2, Cosby said the church must be in the business of supporting children like Jesus who "called a little one unto himself and set him in his midst."
___ Churches often are more concerned about balancing budgets and building sanctuaries than they are about children, Cosby said. Instead, he urged Baptists to make room for children.
___ If the church does not make room for children, children will find room in the world and in television, which welcome them with open arms, he predicted. "What goes in our children will come out. We must reach children because the world is reaching them."
___ Jesus, he said, made room for God's children when he died on the cross. "Lest you forget that when you were on your way to hell, Jesus made room for you. On Calvary, he died for you. Jesus made room for all his children.
___ Strack said the church must "establish a home field advantage," if it hopes to reach children for Christ.
___ He offered four tips in reaching this goal. Every child, he said, needs a model, a monitor, a mentor and a motivator.
___ A highlight of the Monday evening session was a tribute to deceased SBC pastors. Among those recognized was the legendary pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, W.A. Criswell, who died this spring.
___ Brunson, current pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, spoke from Acts 3:1 and warned that churches can save themselves but lose their cities.
___ Hill, an evangelist from Hartselle, Ala., spoke from 2 Timothy 4:1-5 about itching ears. Itching ears represent churches that don't tolerate the preaching of the word of God. Characteristics of an itching ear church, he said, include "grace without guilt," "confession without repentance" and "doxology without theology."
___ Vines, pastor of First Church of Jacksonville, Fla., cited Judges 17 where the Levite priest, Jonathan, surrendered his ministry in exchange for silver, a suit and a meal ticket. Like some preachers, he had a price and put monetary value on his ministry, Vines said.
___ Jonathan's actions should be a warning for the church today not to succumb to religious materialism, humanism and pragmatism, Vines declared. Americans today often hear that all religions are the same, he noted.
___ "They would have you believe Islam is as good as Christianity," Vines said. "I am here to tell you Islam is not as good as Christianity. Christianity was founded by the virgin-born Jesus Christ.
___ "Islam was founded by Muhammad, a demon-possessed pedophile who had 12 wives, and his last one was a 9-year-old girl," Vines said to applause.
___ "Allah is not Jehovah, either," Vines said. "Jehovah is not going to turn anyone into a terrorist that will try to bomb people and take the lives of thousands and thousands of people."
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