Posted: 11/19/04

Tennessee Baptists to investigate
teachings at three affiliated colleges

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)– Tennessee Baptists turned back an attack on “anti-Christian” teaching in public schools but agreed to investigate the biblical views taught in their three affiliated Baptist colleges.

Messengers to the Tennessee Baptist Convention in Sevierville asked the education committee of their Executive Board to investigate what is taught at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Belmont University in Nashville and Union University in Jackson.

The action came in response to an allegation from Brady Tarr, a current Carson-Newman student, who told messengers some of the college's professors–particularly in the religion and science departments–teach that the Bible has errors and contradictions.

During an unusual hour-and-a-half discussion, messengers debated if Carson-Newman teaches the Bible is inspired and authoritative and the Christian message of salvation is unique and exclusive.

Carson-Newman President James Netherton was asked to respond to Tarr's question.

“Carson-Newman doesn't teach the Bible has errors,” the president said. “I believe every single member of the religion department is called by God, and they all believe the Bible.

“If you treat the Bible with great honesty, a number of things must be read and placed in a proper perspective. … The Bible is what we believe. It is at the center of our faith.”

A messenger asked if Carson-Newman professors would be willing to affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement.

“We haven't asked them that question,” Netherton responded. “We Baptists have not made the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message a test. We have worked hard to be a non-creedal people.”

A motion to investigate the teachings at Carson-Newman was expanded to include the other two convention-supported schools. Another amendment stipulated the investigation should be done in conjunction with the schools' trustee boards.

Messengers later agreed to wait on a report of the education committee before acting on the allegations. The committee will report to the Executive Board, then to the convention next year.

Each of the Baptist colleges is governed by a trustee board. Some critics worried the investigation would usurp the role of trustees.

“It bothers me that there is a scenario, a cloud, an inference that the trustees are not reliable or are not doing their job,” said Bill Sherman, pastor of First Baptist Church of Fairview, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

David Dockery, president of Union University, said he is not concerned the committee's investigation will interfere with the work of school's trustees “since the motion was to do it in conjunction with the trustees. If they were to do it by themselves, that would be problematic.”

Union's trustees will appoint a committee to respond to the motion, Dockery said.

“We recognize our accountability to the Tennessee Baptist Convention, and we will be happy to participate,” he said.

Union is considered the most conservative of the three schools.

“We clearly affirm the full truthfulness of the Bible and believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, without apology,” Dockery said. While Union faculty members hold a variety of views about creation, he said, that does not include evolution.

Administrators at Belmont University did not respond to requests for comment.

In other college-related business, messengers were told Belmont trustees have no desire to leave their affiliation with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, despite a move that would take away the convention's current ability to elect the school's trustees.

A report from the convention's Executive Board acknowledged Belmont's proposal as “a good faith response” to the board's request that each convention institution rewrite its program statement in the form of a covenant.

Leonard Markham, president of the Executive Board, said the board's education committee is “continuing discussion with Belmont University in the resolution of this matter.” He said the board had agreed to take no action concerning Belmont before January.

Also during the Tennessee convention, a proposed resolution promoting Christian schools as an alternative to public education did not make it to the 1,700 messengers for debate.

The resolutions committee declined to act on the proposal, which the committee chair said was “not wise.”

The proposed resolution was not as strident as one rejected earlier this year by the Southern Baptist Convention–part of a nationwide anti-schools campaign led by the group Exodus Mandate–which urged Christians to remove their children from “anti-Christian” and “godless” public schools and put them in “thoroughly” Christian schools or educate them at home.

Supporters of the Exodus anti-schools resolution promised to seek its passage in at least 10 Baptist state conventions this fall.

The resolution introduced in Tennessee advocated Christian schools and home schooling but did not call for Christians to abandon pubic schools.

''I want to be positive in promoting Christian education,'' said Larry Reagan of Dresden, who wrote the resolution. “I don't want the resolution to be portrayed as attacking public education.”

Nonetheless, the resolutions committee decided not to introduce Reagan's softer version.

Messengers–who numbered 1,804–elected Roger Freeman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Clarksville, as their new president–the first president elected without opposition since 1987.

Messengers adopted a $35.55 million budget for 2005, the same as the 2004 budget.

This article contains information from the Baptist & Reflector, newsjournal of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

Posted: 11/19/04

Texas Tidbits

Howard Payne president recognized. Lanny Hall, president of Howard Payne University in Brownwood and president emeritus of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, has been included among 150 Christian leaders and educators to share their faith stories in "College Faith 2," edited by Ronald Alan Knott and published by Andrews University Press. Robert Sloan, president of Baylor University in Waco, and Craig Turner, president of Hardin-Simmons University, were included in the first edition of "College Faith," published in 2002.

UMHB hosts servant leadership conference. Laurie Beth Jones, author of the best-selling "Jesus, CEO" and "Jesus, Life Coach," will be the keynote speaker at a Servant Leadership Celebration Dec. 7 at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. The program also will feature Charles Cooper, national speaker for Promise Keepers, and Charles Billingsley, vocalist for Newsong. The event, sponsored by the Servant Leadership Institute of Central Texas, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact (254) 724-3175 or e-mail kwinters@swmail.sw.org.

HBU to host lecture. Peter Flint, professor of biblical studies and director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, will speak on "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible" at Houston Baptist University at 2 p.m. Dec. 3. Flint, an internationally acknowledged scholar on the Dead Sea Scrolls, regularly participates in both public seminars and academic meetings on the Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical topics, early Judaism and the Christian faith in the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel.

UMHB offers community nursing symposium. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor's Nursing Honor Society and Scott & White College of Nursing will hold the 19th Semi-annual Community Nursing Symposium from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23 in the Parker Academic Center on the UMHB campus. The symposium is presented by UMHB senior nursing students and is based on community assessment projects completed throughout the semester. Projects are required to benefit the communities in which the students serve and incorporate theoretical concepts gained in class and through research. For more information, call (254) 295-4662.

Organ scholarship established at HSU. Gladys Browning Best and her immediate family have established an endowed organ scholarship at Hardin-Simmons University in memory of her husband, Carl, who served 18 years on the university's music faculty. The scholarship will benefit students studying organ in the HSU School of Music. Scholarship recipients must be full-time students in good-standing, free from any disciplinary action, and with a 2.5 overall grade point average and 3.0 grade point average in music. Best retired as associate professor of voice and music education in 1981. He was appointed to the HSU faculty in 1963, serving in a wide spectrum of services, including voice instructor, director of the HSU Chorale, director of the opera workshop and director of HSU chapel music. He was a former public school music teacher in Bryan and Sherman, and he served in the music ministry at the First Baptist churches in those cities.

River Ministry sets training events. The Baptist General Convention of Texas River Ministry has scheduled five training events in early 2005 for Mexico missions volunteers. Upstate training opportunities are Jan. 29 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel near DFW Airport during the Epicenter missions and evangelism conference and Feb. 5 at Brentwood Baptist Church in Houston during the BGCT Hispanic Evangelism Conference. Border retreats are scheduled Feb. 11-12 in Laredo/Nuevo Laredo, Feb. 18-19 at the Mission Retreat Center in the Rio Grande Valley and Feb. 25-26 at Iglesia Bautista Peniel in Eagle Pass. Training for trips to Mexico's interior will be available in the Houston and Dallas sessions. For more information, call Dexton Shores, director of BGCT River Ministry, at (888) 333-2363.

Posted: 11/19/04

TOGETHER:
Priorities map BGCT transformation

The Baptist General Convention of Texas is in the midst of a continuing and exciting transformation. We are determined to recognize the changing realities of the world in which we minister. As we go through this change, we have set six priorities to guide us.

These priorities will guide budgeting and personnel assignments of the Executive Board and the staff. We pray these priority statements will find broad acceptance among our Texas Baptist pastors and churches.

Unto the glory of God, we will:

Start, develop and strengthen transformational churches.

“Transformational” has become an important word for us. Change is at the core of the gospel, as Christ takes sinners and transforms them into his likeness.

CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

We are going to be intentional in starting churches that have the transformation of souls at the top of their agenda. This means evangelism with the lost and nurture and discipleship with the saved.

Meet human needs.

Following the example of Jesus, Texas Baptists know we must be concerned about people's physical and material needs. The love God has given us for all people compels us to express that love in action.

Human needs are great, but the resources in our churches are great as well. We will encourage our human care institutions to increase effective missions collaboration between churches and institutions.

Identify and develop transformational leadership for churches and affiliated ministries.

We will not get where we need to go without leadership. We must be intentional in discovering and encouraging those whom God has called to lead and join in the ministry of preparing them for courageous servant leadership.

We will develop these leaders through a wide range of educational opportunities that emphasize all aspects of ministry preparation.

Provide a comprehensive missions and evangelism strategy that encourages, facilitates and connects churches and individuals to be on mission in their communities and in the world and to participate in prayer and financial support.

In a world of increasing interactions of people across cultural and national boundaries, the opportunities in missions and evangelism are great. But they will require some new ways of thinking.

We will develop biblically based strategies that help us touch the world that has come to our doorstep and the world beyond that requires us to reach out with longer arms.

Conduct research and development for cutting-edge ministries, methods and processes and for understanding multiple cultures.

Rapid change is a part of our world, and we need to do a better job of anticipating it, responding to it and affecting it. This requires more effort in developing the new and not just pushing the old.

Operate and serve as a truly multicultural organization.

Texas Baptists, as a whole, are not as culturally diverse as the general population, but we are fast moving in that direction. We are committed to having a state convention that reflects our state's cultural diversity in its church membership and in its convention leadership.

These are our priorities. They will guide your Executive Board staff, and I pray they will prove to be helpful to your church as we partner together in the future God is calling us to embrace.

My desire is that these priorities will become issues of the heart, motivating us to serve God and this world together in ways we could not do alone.

We are loved.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas

Posted: 11/19/04

Posted: 11/19/04

WADE BURLEIGH: Carving out a ministry

By George Henson

Staff Writer

MARSHALL–Evangelist Wade Burleigh's hands make as deep an impression as his voice–and maybe even deeper.

Burleigh communicates the gospel by chiseling works of art out of cedar logs, spinning pottery and hammering swords out of steel like a blacksmith.

Burleigh grew up as a Baptist pastor's son, and he never thought he would become a preacher. But as a young teenager, he grew interested in woodcarving when he began watching a neighbor sit in a lawn chair carving.

He began carving on his own when his mother bought him a woodcarving set for Christmas when he was 14 years old.

After marrying and working as a cabinetmaker and carpenter, and later as a teacher of woodworking at a school in Corpus Christi, he put carving aside for about 10 years.

Jennifer Burleigh tells a Marshall church that God has to "knock off the rough edges" of people's lives, while her husband, Wade, illustrates by knocking the rough bark from a cedar log before crafting a work of art.

“Then I got to the place where I was looking for a diversion, and we started doing carving at craft fairs and art festivals,” he said.

After awhile, he started making Christian art his focus.

One day, he was preparing one of his signature pieces, a likeness of the head of Christ, and as he started to apply the crown of thorns, he began to sing “The Day He Wore My Crown.”

When he finished singing, he noticed a crowd of about 150 had gathered at this public arts festival.

“I just felt led to ask, 'Would anyone like to know why I would do a carving like this?' A lot of the people said 'yes,' and I shared the gospel with them.

“One after another of them said they knew about Jesus and that he had been crucified, but they had never heard why–that he was crucified to take away sin,” Burleigh recalled.

While that day in 1997 was the one that gave Burleigh his clearest push toward ministry, God began the steering process even earlier.

Six years before, he fell from a roof and broke his hip. By 1994, the arthritis in the hip had grown so bad his doctor told him he either had to find work that didn't require as much standing or have hip replacement surgery.

“God used all that to begin redirecting us. By 1995, I was teaching from a wheelchair,” he said.

Burleigh saw that day at the arts festival, when he first shared the gospel without any premeditation, as providential. He was nearing the completion of negotiations with Stihl Incorporated to do chainsaw carvings at state fairs and other festivals fulltime. Before that process was completed, however, he felt God's call to ministry.

About that same time, Burleigh and his wife, Jennifer, traveled with a group of Texans to Indiana to participate with a lay team leading a church there in an Experiencing God weekend.

On the way home, they stopped by Eureka Springs, Ark., at a village of craftspeople working with first century tools to demonstrate the way people lived and worked at the time of Christ.

The Burleighs decided they wanted to become part of that village, and two weeks later, Burleigh was ordained to the ministry by First Baptist Church in Ingleside.

After two summers at the village, the Burleighs began traveling as full-time evangelists.

On a recent Sunday morning at Clearview Baptist Church in Marshall, Burleigh carved the likeness of Christ with a crown of thorns using a hammer and a number of chisels. That evening, he crafted pottery on a spinning wheel.

His wife does much of the explanation as he works–pointing out how God knows just which chisel to use on his children to fashion them into the likeness of his Son, among other things. But Burleigh also typically lends his baritone singing voice and evangelistic oratory to the message.

Burleigh's other messages include a hand carved from a log with a chisel and then pierced with a spike.

Sometimes he chisels an eagle out of a cedar log. He also uses a flame to forge a sword from a piece of steel.

He said he is careful, however, never to become the focus of the service.

“What we do is very dramatic, and it would be easy to start feeling good about what we do, so we are even more careful to keep the focus on Christ and on his sacrifice. He's the one that changes lives–we just want to be his servants,” Burleigh said.

All the artwork created during the services stay at the church.

“It's exciting to believe that you are leaving something visible and tangible behind so that God can continue to use it,” he said.

His father-in-law, Maurice D'Herde, a member of Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Waco, told him about the most striking incidence of artwork being used to fulfill God's purposes.

D'Herde put an ad in a paper that he had free firewood for anyone who would cut it and take it home.

One man wasn't looking for firewood, however, but for wood he could carve.

D'Herde told him about Burleigh's ministry and mentioned specifically the head of Christ with the crown of thorns.

The man was shocked and told him he had seen the piece on the morning that changed his life. He felt called to the ministry but was running from the calling, he said.

The conflict within grew to such proportions that he decided not to go to church, but then wound up pulling into a church he had never visited before.

Upon entering, he saw one of the thorn-crowned heads of Christ that Burleigh had carved and left behind. The artwork so convicted him, he went back to his car and arrived at his own church just as an altar call was being given. He went forward that day and surrendered to the call to ministry.

Burleigh said he is certain he could make creating Christian artwork a full-time vocation and make more money than he does as a traveling evangelist, many times ministering in very small churches. But it wouldn't be as rewarding.

“There's nothing like the satisfaction that you cannot have apart from God and especially from being of service to him,” he said.

“This is definitely a calling. We could make a $1,000 a day carving, but that's not why we do this.”

Which also is why the Burleighs minister in smaller churches.

“That's one of the things we've made a commitment to. We don't let finances close the doors God opens. Thank God for the mega-churches that have us in, but praise God for the smaller ones too.”

The Burleighs minister across the country, and often are booked more than six months in advance. For more information, call (254) 760-2357, or go to their website at www.firstcenturyministries.com.

Posted: 11/19/04

Church planting leader suggests best
way to launch a church is 'START'

By Teresa Young

For Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–Starting new churches is difficult–and often lonely–work, but a simple plan can make the process smoother and more successful, said Abe Zabaneh, director of the Church Multiplication Center of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Zabaneh led a workshop on church-starting at the BGCT annual session in San Antonio, and he used the acronym “START” as an outline for church planters.

Seek a vision.

People called to begin churches must have a clear commitment to the task and conviction about the methods needed, Zabaneh said.

He believes church planters should commit to at least five years to see a church-start through to maturity.

At the beginning of the process, prospective church planters should complete a mission and vision statement and outline specific goals and a 12-month action plan, he recommended.

Target a need.

“After spiritual preparation, you have to decide where and what to plant,” Zabaneh said. He encouraged church starters to pray about a specific location in which they felt called to begin a church or a specific people they are called to serve.

The next step involves doing a survey of the area and obtaining a “ministry area profile” from the BGCT that provides demographic information such as ethnic makeup, household income and age groups, as well as psychographic reports detailing an area's spiritual habits and needs.

Church planters also should solicit support from sponsoring churches in order to get start-up costs for the mission.

Assemble a core group.

The core group may be a fairly large group of mature Christians from another church, which Zabaneh calls a “hot start.” Or the church planter may begin the new congregation with just his own family and perhaps a small ministry team–a “cold start,” he said.

Either way, the church must have a strategy for enlarging the core and raising up leaders within the group.

Ready for the launch.

Once the core group has grown to a sizeable and mature group, the church is ready for a launch, Zabaneh said. Launching too early, he warned, can stunt the group's growth.

Prior to the launch, the group must choose a name, detrmine a publicity strategy for the launch, plan for worship services and gather needed equipment for the new church. It also needs a plan to provide for future growth.

Train for multiplication.

“Starting new churches should be in the DNA of a church start,” Zabaneh said, adding that the BGCT urges churches to begin thinking toward new starts after their five-year self-sufficiency mark is reached.

He encouraged pastors of church-starts to share the vision for planting and to encourage their members to move in that direction.

Pastors also should be looking for potential church planters within the church body or outside it and encourage them to select a starting model and move forward to that venture, he said.

Zabaneh shared 20-plus models of church starting used across Texas, with the two most common being the “hiving off” and “colonization” models, in which a core group from an existing church moves out to form a new church in the same area or a different area, respectively.

Methods also were detailed that allow struggling churches to revive themselves with the help of other churches, including the “revitalization,” “reclamation” and “reinvention” models.

Zabaneh said larger megachurches are becoming active in church planting by using the “satellite” model of opening new campuses with a separate membership and budget but a shared pastor, as well as the “multiple campus” model where a large church has several campuses with a single membership, budget and staff.

Smaller churches are becoming involved in church planting by following the “cluster” or “networking” models, where smaller congregations join forces to support a new plant or several plants, respectively.

Posted: 11/19/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
Start with love

By Jeanie Miley

“What do you think about her?” I asked my son-in-law about his baby daughter.

Before she was born, he said, repeatedly, “I just can’t wait for her to get here so I can see what she’s like.” Now that she’s been here for 10 weeks, I was curious about what he thought about her.

I thought he might take a minute to reflect on her finest qualities. He could have commented on her beautiful eyes and her unusual brilliance. I wondered if he would mention her crying spells and the sleepless nights, but his instantaneous response came from his heart, and not his head.

“I love her!” he said, without a moment’s hesitation.

I love it that this father’s first response was not an evaluation, a critique or a judgment of his baby daughter or even a thoughtful comment about her merits. Instead, from his heart, came the most important thing a parent can give a child, and that is love. This father delights in this child, and that is his most priceless and precious gift to her.

I have no doubt that there will be times when Madeleine’s father will be irritated and annoyed with her. There will be times when he will have to guide her and scold her. She will challenge him, and he will have to endure and negotiate those moments when they don’t agree, but the fact that his starting point with her is, “I love her,” will minimize those times. That her first experience of her father is the blessing of his delight in her is, for her, a profound boost to her spiritual and emotional immune systems.

I wonder what would happen if, in our churches, we all knew that God’s position with each of us starts with, “I love you.”

What would happen if we, in our family of faith, could start with the heart and approach each other from a position of love? I wonder how things would be different if we, within the community of church, started with love instead of being so concerned about evaluating each other’s cherished points of difference and disagreement. What would happen if we started with love instead of judgment of each other’s faults, failures and foibles?

God’s early guidance to the children of Israel was “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart and soul,” and in some mysterious way, when we love God first, we are loved by God. And, in the strangest way, relationships among human beings really do get all messed up when we forget that loving God is the most important thing we do.

When we forget to love God first, we get all mixed up about how we are to carry out our religion. We get legalistic, judgmental and condemning of others. When we lead from the head instead of the heart, we criticize and ostracize each other, looking for ways we are different instead of ways we are alike.

When religion leads from cold analysis instead of warm-hearted love, we set ourselves up for alienation, fragmentation, separation and conflict.

Now, I know that you can’t leave your head out of things. You can’t become soft-headed, and you can’t become so open-minded that your brains fall out, but in matters of the heart, it’s a dangerous thing to shut down the heart.

No less than Jesus, himself, said that love is the test of his disciples, and God identified himself for children of all ages when he said, “God is love.”

I wonder what would happen if love were our starting point?

Jeanie Miley is an author and columnist and a retreat and workshop leader. She is married to Martus Miley, pastor of River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston, and they have three adult daughters. Got feedback? Write her at Writer2530@aol.com.

Storylist for 4/19 issue

Our Front Page Articles
• Baptists flood Piedras Negras with assistance


• Baptists flood Piedras Negras with assistance

• Flood victim calms children with Noah's ark story

• Congreso: Dine on the sweet bread of life, speakers urge

• Congreso: Time a matter of perspective, minister says

• Learn power of speech and silence, Gordon urges students

• Video terminals could open door to Texas casinos, CLC says

• Buckner signs on as first strategic partner with WorldconneX network

• Former Texas Baptist pastor and new bride commit lives, love to reaching New England

• Retired Texans coordinate missions volunteers in Vermont

• Religious values should be taught by church, not state, Strickland asserts

• Canton church portrays life of Christ in rodeo arena drama

• Easter Pageant at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

• BGCT, Hardin-Simmons acquire noted historian's books, notes, manuscripts

• Miracle Farm not tied to bikers' rally, boys' ranch ministry leaders explain

• Reyes challenges Texas churches to 'fill the gap' to leave no child behind

• On the Move

• Around the State

• Texas Tidbits

Previously Posted 4/08
• Some teens cut themselves to block out emotional pain, counselor says

• Warning signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder highlighted

• At 100, Fort Worth minister still preaching and serving God

• Associational missions partnership leads to long-term missions connection

• Youth group's pledge to raise money inspires congregation to give more

• Curriculum choice not prerequisite for help

• Sunday school renewal brings growth and excitement to Matador church

• Salado church focuses on 140 years of precious

• South Texas church fired up about new ministry to men in its community

• Southwestern trustees name deans, OK forming undergraduate college


• Louisiana College considers textbook policy

• Baptist Briefs


• Postmoderns value authenticity, not authority, pastor says

• Ministers use high-tech tools to capture attention of media-savvy children


• Christian band goes backwards down under


• Churches and charities slow to feel effects of economic recovery, analysts point out

• Churches must face up to hard financial truth, speaker says

• Welfare bill with funds for charities stalls in Senate


• Variety of issues likely to determine how evangelicals vote

• Church-goers less likely to gamble, Gallup poll reveals

• Evangelicals oppose gay marriage, but not a 'litmus test'


• Around the State

• Classified Ads

• Texas Baptist Forum

• On the Move


• EDITORIAL: Political blocs splinter on chopping block of faith

• DOWN HOME: Welcome Tree shines nightly

• TOGETHER: Texas Baptists offer hope, God's love

• Texas Baptist Forum

• Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson: The right guy


• LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for April 18: Paul gives Timothy his final marching orders

• LifeWay Family Bible Series for April 18: Jesus Christ is the church's one foundation

• LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for April 25: Persevere in sharing the good news of Christ

• LifeWay Family Bible Series for April 25: The return of Christ should affect everyday life

• LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for May 2: Christians are instructed to be good examples

• LifeWay Family Bible Series for May 2: We know him if we obey his command to love

See articles from previous issue 4/05/04 here.