Texas Baptist Forum_100404

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Posted: 10/01/04

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM
Alabama gratitude

On behalf of all Alabama Baptists, I want to thank your Disaster Relief team for helping us during this time of cleanup and community support following Hurricane Ivan. “Ivan the Terrible” is the worst weather-related event in my lifetime as an Alabamian.

E-mail the editor at –Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at [email protected]

Food service, chain-saw work and other cleanup, as well as witnessing and counseling, have all been a vital part of the ministry of your people.

I tried to thank every one of them, but I didn't get to see them all. Would you do it for me, please?

God bless, and thanks from a friend.

Rick Lance

Executive Director

Alabama Baptist Convention

Montgomery, Ala.

Christian radio

Several weeks ago, a letter writer lamented he was not able to find a Christian radio station that broadcast the hymns and great gospel songs we have known and loved for so many years.

Well, I have good news for anyone who loves the beautiful grand hymns of the faith. The Bible Broadcasting Network has satellite and translator stations all across the United States.

You can find the local station nearest you by logging on to www.bbnradio.org. There are at least six stations across Texas on the low FM band.

This station has meant a lot to this life, and I trust it will be to many folks in Texas.

Bill Ussery

Springdale, Ark.

Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptists

As a native Midwesterner, I would like to correct some misinformation in the article “Texas Baptists connected by family ties to churches in Minnesota-Wisconsin Convention” (Sept. 20).

It states, “Texas Baptists were integral in launching Baptist ministry in Minnesota and Wisconsin 50 years ago, as Texas pastors and laypeople moved north to start the initial Baptist churches in the region.”

In fact, Baptists have been alive and well in the region for well over 150 years and did not come from the South.

The article also states that “less than 5 percent of people (in Minnesota and Wisconsin) are evangelical Christians.” The Evangelical Covenant Church of America is the seventh-largest denomination in Minnesota and has churches throughout Wisconsin. The Evangelical Free Church of America is also very pervasive in both states. There is a large and active Greater Minnesota Association of Evangelicals that sponsors evangelical activities throughout the state. I am confident many more than 5 percent are evangelical.

Finally, the article closes by implying that people in Minnesota and Wisconsin are religious but do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. While these two states are not part of the traditional “Bible Belt,” many of the people there are born-again Christians and experienced personal relationship with Jesus without ever meeting a Southern Baptist.

I applaud the work of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention but urge them to acknowledge the presence of other evangelicals and Baptists doing kingdom work in my home state and its neighbor state.

Roger E. Olson

Waco

Double standard

In years past, those nominated for presidential and vice presidential posts of the Southern Baptist Convention were regularly labeled by many in our state convention as unfit for such offices because of feeble support for the Cooperative Program.

I always believed they had a point, based on Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The application: If your treasure is not in the convention, your heart's not in it; and if your heart's not in it, what qualifies you to lead it and significantly influence its direction?

What is puzzling is that–in recent years–that same standard has been abandoned by some of those same critics of the SBC. The Baptist Standard (Sept. 20) reported that the man to be nominated for the first vice presidency of the BGCT serves as pastor of a church that–last year–gave only $1,800 to the BGCT Cooperative Program unified budget in a church that averages over 300 in worship.

So, meager Cooperative Program support is now acceptable for office holders who have a substantial influence over the future direction of our convention? Why the double standard?

Gary Dyer

Midland

Ticket to heaven?

I am ashamed of the letter written by F.A. Taylor (Sept. 20). He says, “Finally, with tongue in cheek, I cannot understand how a Christian can be a Democrat.”

He found many faults of the Democrats. I could list many faults of the Republicans. I will not.

Read and study the Gospel of Matthew, especially Matthew 7:1, 23:13, 28:19-20. I'm glad the loving God is my judge, not Taylor.

When Taylor gets to heaven, will his ID card say, “I'm a Republican”? Will that help him get into heaven?

E.L. White

Wilbarger County

Jesus & partisanship

I am not amused by the letter by F.A. Taylor.

Let me tell you how you can identify a right-wing conservative “Christian” Republican:

First, he has given serious thought that Christ would declare himself a Republican or a member of any other party for that matter.

He probably thinks: Feeding 5,000 homeless made Jesus too compassionate for dealing with tough issues like terrorism. Providing health care (healing) to the sick, blind, elderly and crippled was helping to create a welfare state. A bunch of disgruntled ex-followers who accused Christ of not really being injured or dying on the cross and that his service medals (scars) were somehow invalid, and that he was a traitor for opposing the Pharisees. Jesus was a tax-and-spend liberal for declaring we render unto Caesar. Because he cried “Lord, Lord” in the public schools, he somehow made the world less sinful. Because Jesus changed his mind when first delaying, then deciding to go to Lazarus, Jesus was a flip-flopper.

Second, Satan delights in the right-wing conservatives segregating who's a “real” Christian and who's not.

Finally, with no tongue in cheek, I cannot understand how a Christian can assume Christ to be anything but non-partisan.

Mark W. Clark

Flower Mound

Bad name

The odd comments of F.A. Taylor are an example of the close-minded, unloving, colloquial remarks that have made the name “Baptist” a pejorative within American culture.

Taylor seems to position his fellow believers who hold a different political view as pro-Satanic “fault finders” who position themselves alongside darkness rather than Light.

Can it be any surprise that the non-Christians who watch us see no reason to examine the deeper convictions of our faith?

Fortunately for Jesus, he was not a registered voter, nor did he think too highly of any millionaire who didn't give all his money to the poor.

I suspect both presidential candidates would have been crossed off Jesus' list–no matter what they claim as a personal spiritual belief. No telling how severely we Baptists would have criticized the Nazarene or how we would have berated him in our letters to the editor.

David Maltsberger

Boerne

Feeling unwelcome

I have been a Southern Baptist for 46 years. I am also a Democrat. I no longer feel welcome in my denomination.

I am tired of being indirectly told I am not a good Christian because I do not agree any abortion should be illegal or that same-sex marriage is one of our greatest threats.

I believe the destruction of our environment, the crisis in health care, the shortage of good jobs, the lack of government support for public education and the invasion of Iraq are serious moral issues.

The political remarks I hear in church and read make me believe many Southern Baptists do not want my fellowship, so I need to find another, more loving (and thinking) denomination.

I wonder how many more Baptists believe this.

William L. Reddick

Mesquite


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Out of Focus

I would like to express my disappointment in your coverage of the Focus Conference. In the article, the writer makes it sound as if Dennis Wiles' breakout session was all there was to this conference. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Over 3,000 college students were led in worship by the Smith Band. Vodie Baucham challenged students on three occasions to be students of the word and be prepared to defend their faith. Over 1,000 college students did mission projects throughout the Metroplex. Mission Arlington, First Baptist Church in Arlington and the University of Texas at Arlington were just some of the beneficiaries of these students. Several breakout sessions and focus groups were conducted during the conference, as well.

Focus was also a celebration of what God did through over 450 Texas Baptist college students who surrendered their summer, Christmas break, and/or semester to serve the Lord all over the world. We saw videos and slide shows that helped us visualize the passion these students expressed regarding their experiences.

God is doing some awesome things in this generation of college students, many perhaps unprecedented. It's time all Texas Baptist appreciate what God is doing with this generation and consider what the rest of us need to do to have a matching passion for the glory of his name.

Jeff Parsons

Amarillo

Excellent resource

On behalf of all those in Broadway Baptist Church's Bible study ministry who are utilizing the BaptistWay resources provided through the Baptist General Convention of Texas, please know of our support and appreciation for the supplementary commentary now being provided each week by the Standard.

I trust other churches are also making use of this excellent resource.

David Wilkinson

Fort Worth

Another option

I enjoyed the article on theological education in Texas. Texas Baptists do indeed have many good options for theological education.

As a recipient of a quality Baptist education (M.Div. and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary), I appreciate these many options.

In one paragraph, the article mentioned three non-Baptist options for seminary education in Texas (certainly not intended to be exhaustive)–Dallas Theological Seminary on the conservative end and Brite Divinity School and Perkins School of Theology on the more liberal.

I would like to point out one option that the article did not include. Houston Graduate School of Theology is a multi-denominational seminary located in Houston. The school offers four degrees–M.A., M.A. in counseling, M.Div. and D.Min., all accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. Its students are as diverse as the city in which the school is located–ethnically and denominationally.

The school's faculty includes Friends, Southern Baptist, United Methodist, Episcopalian, Nazarene and Presbyterian. The school is committed to a broad evangelical education to produce spiritual leadership for the kingdom of God in the 21st century. The school has been in existence for over 20 years, even though its existence remains relatively unknown in many circles. The fall 2004 schedule included 25 courses offered during the day, in the evening and on Saturday.

Chuck Pitts

Houston

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