Posted: 4/25/08

IN FOCUS:
Sharing makes BGCT ministry possible

“Texas Baptists saved the life of my son.” One man shocked me with this statement after I met with students at Truett Seminary in Waco.

He and his wife were missionaries to China. They went to China with one child and soon became pregnant with their second. In China, they were allowed only one child and were told they would have to abort. Of course, that was not an option. Texas Baptists brought them to Texas and provided him with a scholarship to study at Truett. He will graduate in May, and he and his family hope to return to China as missionaries with their 2 1/2-year-old miracle son.

Sheila and I met Kati (Kathryn) at Buckner International’s annual donor dinner. She is a beautiful 4-year-old from Guatemala. Kati was born with facial deformities and was abandoned at birth. This little throw-away child was taken to a Buckner home in Guatemala. Baylor Health Care learned of her condition and brought her to Dallas, where she received numerous surgeries. Now this beautiful little girl has been adopted and has a mother, father and siblings. Scott Collins of Buckner said 100,000 children are cared for in Buckner facilities around the world.

During these last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to begin a tour of Texas to meet with our church and institutional leaders. Susan shared about her desperate situation when she was a single mother with two small children, no job and no place to live. She was directed to the BGCT’s ministry in Round Rock, where she and her two sons lived the next 11 months. The staff of Children at Heart Ministries introduced Susan to Christ, taught her how to manage a budget, got her a job, and she and her boys moved to her own apartment.

A few years later, Susan told her boys God was calling her to go back and help mothers who were having problems like she had. Her 6-year-old asked: “Momma, we lived there because you were having problems? I thought it was because it was fun!” Many mothers have been rescued through this ministry.

It has been exciting to visit many of our Texas Baptist universities. Tatenda Tanzeneva, the student body president at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, led a prayer for me after I spoke in chapel. This senior from Zimbabwe prayed the most sincere and eloquent prayer of blessing before his fellow classmates. His prayer represented the obvious fact that students from around the world are finding a place in our universities, where they are receiving an excellent Christ-centered education.

Individual churches perform incredible ministries. Yet no church alone can provide shelter, food and a Christian environment for 100,000 children. No single church can rescue single moms and orphaned children. Not even the largest church can provide college and seminary training for students in every part of Texas, but when we share our resources, prayers and passions through the BGCT, we can be a part of God’s work that is greater than our eyes have seen and our ears have heard. It is a privilege to serve with you in these kingdom opportunities.

Randel Everett is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.

Posted: 4/25/08

Texas Baptist Forum

Business matters

I thoroughly enjoyed “Taking care of business” (April 14). It’s clearly right on target.

Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum.

“Science and faith, reason and faith should never be seen as opposites but as bed-fellows.” Tony Blair Former British prime minister and a recent convert to Catholicism (RNS) “I want to say it again, and again, and again: Islam is not a religion. It is a political system … bent on world domination, not a religion.” Pat Robertson Religious broadcaster, speaking on the 700 Club (RNS) “What will this do for Ronald McDonald’s image? What secret has Ronald been keeping?” Dwayne Hastings Vice president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, regarding McDonald’s sponsorship of the Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (BP) “God.” George W. Bush U.S. president, when asked what he saw when he looked into Pope Benedict’s eyes (RNS)

As a layman, I spent a career in industry before becoming a full-time church staff member. Frankly, I’m excited about the prospects of using time-tested, proven business techniques from industry to accomplish kingdom purposes.

The opportunity to reach people for Jesus is limitless when you combine the methods of strong business leaders with the servant-leader characteristics of our Lord.

Bob Hawkins

Round Rock

Matter of Death

Shame on the Supreme Court. This “high court” should eliminate the death penalty by declaring it unconstitutional. If the death penalty were abolished, we wouldn’t have to wonder if the government was executing innocent people.

Supreme Court justices believe in the Ten Commandments. One of the commandments clearly states, “Thou shalt not kill.” I guess there are exceptions to “God’s law.

Even if the death penalty is constitutional, that doesn’t make it right. After all, slavery used to be constitutional. If Jesus were a member of the Supreme Court, he would oppose all executions. The death penalty is wrong and should be abolished forever.  

Chuck Mann

Greensboro, N.C.

Speak up. Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267; or by e-mail: marvknox@baptiststandard.com. Maximum length is 250 words. Only one letter per quarter per writer.

Posted: 4/25/08

Chaplain launches ‘adopt a
terrorist’ prayer campaign

By Adelle M. Banks

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—An Army Reserve chaplain has decided to do his individual part in the war on terror. He co-founded an Internet ministry to pray for terrorists.

“Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer” was launched in March and features a catalog of photos of people designated by the FBI or the State Department as participants in or sponsors of terrorism.

“In a sense, it’s a spiritual conflict, and we’re not using spiritual resources,” said Thomas Bruce, a co-founder and spokesman for the ministry at www.myatfp.com. “I felt that the church of Jesus Christ was not engaged.”

Bruce, whose ministry is based in Colorado Springs, Colo., said he was inspired to start the effort after attending a conference of Christian military ministries last year. Soon, he will have to leave the work to other co-founders—who include a retired school administrator and a retired Coast Guard officer—when he is deployed to Iraq.

Bruce’s voice is on the two-minute YouTube video that promotes the idea of praying for terrorists.

“If they start converting, as did the Apostle Paul, then terrorism as a strategy for advancing militant Islam will fail, and the whole world will know something spectacular about the one true God,” he says in the video.

The website encourages readers to choose from a catalog of dozens of photos of people labeled as “at-large” or “captured” terrorists or terrorism sponsors. Each photo includes a link to more information, such as an FBI poster.

“Select and pray daily for a change in the heart of your chosen terrorist,” the site recommends. “Enlist others to join this initiative!”

Bruce said he has received mostly positive reactions to the project.

“Some people are very enthusiastic and can’t wait to participate,” he said. “No one has told me that it’s stupid or wrong, but some have told me it won’t be for them.”

Posted: 4/25/08

Updates from Venezuela evangelistic effort

Josue Valerio of the BGCT missions section is in Venezuela with a team of four from Texas for the second wave of an evangelism push, part of a Venezuela Partnership we reported on in March and April.

Valerio is posting updates from the current effort on the TexasBaptists blog. Read his latest here.

For more information on the Venezuela partnership, e-mail Texas Partnerships at txpart@bgct.org or call Steve Seaberry, director of Texas Partnerships, at (214) 828-5180.

Posted: 4/15/08

Explore the Bible Series for May 4

Acknowledge broken relationships

• Genesis 42:6-9, 13-24

By Donald Raney

First Baptist Church, Petersburg

Anywhere two people are together, no matter what the relationship or how much they love each other, eventually there will be conflict. Disagreements will arise and each side will want to “win.” Our relationships involve our emotions, and because of that, feelings will be hurt as strain is placed on the relationship due to these conflicts.

People respond to these hurt feelings in a variety of ways. Some develop grudges which they hold on to for long periods of time. Others gloss over, ignore or bury the hurt. Still others openly break off the relationship, refusing to communicate with the other person. Each of these responses results in a broken or permanently damaged relationship.

As we have studied the stories of the patriarchs in Genesis, we have seen a family tree full of broken relationships. This is perhaps most clearly seen in the stories of Joseph and his brothers. The rift between these siblings had led to years of slavery and imprisonment for Joseph.

Eventually, however, through the blessing of God, Joseph had risen to a position of power and influence within Egypt. This position brought Joseph back into contact with his brothers who did not recognize him after such a long time. How would Joseph handle this encounter? Would he take advantage of his position and seek revenge? Would he send them on their way without ever acknowledging the relationship?

God designed us to be in relationships and thus desires we always be seeking to reconcile when those relationships are broken. As we read about the encounter between Joseph and his brothers, we can learn how we should respond when relationships are broken.

Remember past problems (Genesis 42:6-9)

There were a number of issues in the past which had led to the division between Jacob’s sons including Jacob’s open favoritism of Joseph, Joseph’s ill-advised actions in describing his dreams and the actions of the brothers in selling Joseph into slavery. No one in this family could solely blame anyone else for the condition of the relationship among these siblings.

After years of separation, each side likely had buried the memories, assuming that their paths would never cross again. Then one day, his brothers came into the royal palace in Egypt seeking assistance during a severe famine.

While they did not recognize their brother, the writer twice states he recognized them. Certainly all of the memories of their treatment of him must have flooded into Joseph’s mind. His first thoughts may well have been to seek revenge; justifying it as repayment for the past. But the Bible is clear that Joseph’s first thoughts were related to the dreams which God had given him years before which were now coming true.

This does not mean that Joseph had forgotten all of the problems of the past—he could not forget them. Indeed, he did remember them, but no longer saw them as divisive issues, but as steps God had used to bring about God’s plans.

Centuries later, Paul said God uses all things in our lives to bring about good (Romans 8:28). We never need to avoid memories of past relationship problems, but use them as the first step in reconciliation that pleases God.

Explore present possibilities (Genesis 42:13-20)

Since Joseph was the only one who recognized his brothers, he would have to make the first move in reconciling. He would have to be the one to reveal his true identity. Yet Joseph recognized he had an opportunity to test his brothers. He knew he had learned humility and dependence on God from his experiences, but he wanted to know if his brothers had learned to protect their brothers.

As the son of the favored wife Rachel, Joseph knew Benjamin would have been Jacob’s favorite. So he devised a plan to see how the brothers would respond if Benjamin was endangered.

Joseph had a number of options. He could have simply sent his brothers away empty-handed or given them grain and sent them on their way without ever revealing his identity. He could have thrown them all into prison for months or years. Joseph seems to have wanted to reunite the family, but only after finding out if his brothers had changed.

Often when our feelings have been hurt, the temptation can be strong to grab the first opportunity for revenge that comes. While we might initially feel relieved or vindicated, such a reaction will typically only deepen or prolong the division. God desires we always seek to heal broken relationships, and in order to do this we must take the time to explore ways to lay aside the hurt and bridge the divide in a way that leads to the best for all concerned.

Evaluate future prospects (Genesis 42:21-24)

Joseph’s plan worked. Although they still did not recognize him, they quickly revealed the regret and guilt they felt over how they had treated him. They saw their current situation as divine punishment for betraying their brother years earlier.

This revelation deeply touched Joseph who saw in it the possibility for a full reconciliation. He knew that one day he would be able to tell them who he really was. He could see a day when the entire family would be brought back together. This would only happen, however, if they followed up their words with actions, so Joseph continued to carry out his plan to test them. If he had followed any of his other options, reconciliation would have never happened, but now it was a real possibility.

While it is certainly not guaranteed, Joseph’s story teaches us that if we will refuse to allow the pain of the past to prevent us from exploring other possible responses, we may find a future full of the blessings of renewed relationships including a deeper relationship with God.

Posted: 4/25/08

Bible Studies for Life Series for May 4

Appreciate the people in your life

• Philippians 2:19-22,25-30; 4:15-18

By Gary Long

Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston

We begin a new thematic unit this week in the Bible Studies for Life series. “Unlocking Your Best Relationships” is a selection of Scriptures to help learners discover biblical keys to great relationships of all types—spouses, parents-children, siblings, friends, church members, and so on.

The four sessions will focus as follows:

• May 4—Appreciate, Philippians 2:19-22,25-30; 4:15-18;
• May 11—Communicate, Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 2 Samuel 14:23-24,28-33; Proverbs 4:3-6;
• May 18—Be Trustworthy, 1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19:4-7; 20:10-13,16-17;
• and May 25—Be Ready to Forgive, Ephesians 4:22-32; Philemon 8-10,15-18.

Today’s scripture passages offer three practical ways you can build strong relationships by appreciating others.

Show confidence in another’s character (Philippians 2:19-22)

Paul wanted to be with the Philippians, but he was writing this letter from prison and was unable to go to them. So, he hoped to send Timothy to them, because he knew Timothy would be able to care for them and guide them. In other words, Paul had complete confidence in Timothy’s ability to shepherd the church in Philippi.

Timothy’s character was proven. Paul regarded him as a son because of his work in the gospel. Imagine how special and trusted Timothy must have felt when Paul showed this confidence in his character? Timothy had shown the highest devotion to Jesus by serving others unselfishly, and Paul’s affection for Timothy was displayed by expressing this desire to send him in his own place to a congregation for which he cared very much.

Valuing Timothy as a servant to Jesus also served to strengthen the church. Paul edified Timothy in a way that empowered Timothy to greater capacity for leadership, and in effect Paul duplicated his efforts as a shepherd to the churches by releasing this young leader and blessing him.

Application ideas

· Ask your learners who in their lives need to know they are trusted? Who can your learners empower by expressing their confidence in them?

· How might your pastor or ministry staff be empowered by your expression of trust in their leadership? Ministers and church leaders usually hear a lot of negativity, so how could your class creatively give a blessing to your church staff and volunteers?

Care about another’s well-being (Philippians 2:25-30)

In this section, Paul makes clear he is sending Epaphroditus, who would serve in Paul’s place. The plan was that Paul would follow later. The beauty of relationship building that we can observe is that the church at Philippi was distressed Epaphroditus had been critically ill. Paul was eager to send him so the church could see Epapharoditus was well and had seen God’s mercy in his own life.

It is possible Paul was showing the congregation their care, concern and prayer served as a part of the healing Epaphroditus experienced. No doubt this was mercy from God, as Paul makes clear. However, by illustration, we can learn that believes are to take steps to help and care for those who serve the Lord.

By caring about another’s well-being, we affirm their importance to us, and in doing that, we build stronger relationships. Churches are well-known for the “casserole brigade” that mobilizes when death or illness beset a family. But care happens in thousands of other ways, and none of them are “small” things—especially in the eyes of the recipient of that care.

Application ideas

• Discuss the “system” of care in your Bible study class. Does you group do a good job of caring for one another? How can you improve?

• Take a moment to write notes or cards to absent class members—during the lesson! This illustrates how important care of this kind is if you incorporate it into the lesson time.

Express gratitude for another’s contribution (Philippians 4:15-18)

Paul commended the Philippian believers for their faithful support of him. They were the only church who, in the beginning of his work, showed him financial help. Gratitude is the fruit of a thankful heart, and not only that, expressing gratitude strengthens relationships.

Verses 15-18 are a continuation of the thank you note Paul began in 4:10. He goes to great lengths here to discuss very openly his heartfelt thanks for their generosity. His words equate their support of his work with an offering to God (4:18), and although we can only imagine what that offering is, Paul clearly is thankful in the deepest way possible.

Expressing appreciation for others’ kind actions strengthens the bond of relationships. Imagine a husband who never thanks a wife for a meal, her work outside the home, for her affections and for making herself beautiful for him. Or imagine a wife who never thanks a husband for care, his affections, for his work outside the home and so forth. Clearly, that relationship is not going to deepen over time because the one fails to appreciate the other. Soon enough, one will stop doing the things that are “unappreciated,” and the relationship will deteriorate.

Application ideas

· Ask your learners to name people for whom they are grateful and encourage them to express that thanks this coming week by way of a phone call, letter or small gift or act of service.

· Consider using putting this quote on display during your group time: “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), German Lutheran pastor, theologian and participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism

· If you’re dealing with married folk, let them know that saying “thank you” is also a romantic act.

· Learn to say thank you in 101 different languages by following this link: www.romancetracker.com/how-to-say-thank-you-in-101-different-languages/

Posted: 4/25/08

Baptist Children’s Youth Ranch accepts
75 children removed from FLDS compound

By Craig Bird

Baptist Child & Family Services

LULING—Seventy-five children removed from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ranch by the Texas Department of Child Protective Services have been placed with Baptist Children’s Home Youth Ranch near Luling.

This will allow for large groups of siblings to remain together at the facility which has been adapted to house FLDS children exclusively, administrators explained.

By court order, 462 children removed from the FLDS compound near Eldorado are being moved to children’s homes all across the state.

Baptist Children’s Home is a division of Baptist Child & Family Services, a BGCT-affiliated agency based in San Antonio. 

BCFS Health and Human Services, another division of BCFS that provides emergency management and incident management, has been in charge of the San Angelo unified command of state and local government, as well as other nonprofit responding organizations since April 5. At the peak, more than 1,000 responders were involved in the San Angelo operation.

“The children are being treated with the utmost consideration, care and respect like all people we care for and we will continue to protect their privacy,” BCFS President Kevin Dinnin said. “Special attention is being paid to ensuring their special dietary and religious needs are honored and met. The children’s education needs are also being met.”

The San Angelo shelters kept more than 50 BCFS incident management team members and more than $1 million of BCFS assets in San Angelo three weeks, including two mobile medical units and the mobile feeding unit supported by Texas Baptist Men.

The transfer of children was expected to be completed April 25. More than 1,000 people from numerous state and nonprofit organizations were slated to participate in a critical stress management process as part of the demobilization plan.

“Though there are significant differences, there is a common denominator between what we are doing in this situation and what we did for Hurricane Katrina evacuees and victims of the Sri Lanka tsunami and what we’re doing to help fight the international sex trafficking in Moldova,” Dinnin said. “We didn’t create the situation but are working to meet the needs of those affected.”

Posted: 4/25/08

RIGHT or WRONG?
Guided by the Ten Commandments

We just don’t hear about the Ten Commandments anymore. They carry the essence of the law of our land and guidelines for all of life. I’m embarrassed that our preachers apparently aren’t preaching the Ten Commandments. Lots of morality issues would be settled if they did, don’t you think?

I love the Ten Commandments. They distill many of God’s laws and are unique among the legal codes of the ancient world. As you say, they have had a formative influence on our laws. Yet as wonderful as they are, they shouldn’t be a central focus of Christian proclamation for many reasons. 

First, God calls us to a relationship with the living Christ, not a legal code. This relationship comes through the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:24-25 that the law was put in charge of us to lead us to Christ, so we could be justified by faith. Now that we have faith in Christ, we’re no longer under the supervision of the law. Our moral and ethical guidance come from Christ’s presence in us through the Holy Spirit. 

Second, Jesus didn’t make the Ten Command-ments the centerpiece of his teaching and preaching. Remember the Pharisee who tested Jesus by asking him, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:34-40) Jesus didn’t quote any of the Ten Commandments. Instead, he quoted Deu-teronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and Leviticus 19:18, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He said of these, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these commandments” (Matthew 22:40).

Jesus meant that if we love God with all our beings, we’ll fulfill his commands to worship him alone, to make no idols, and to keep his Sabbath day. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, we won’t murder them or steal from them, or covet what they have. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

Third, the Ten Commandments have never been central to the church’s proclamation of the gospel. Instead, Christians have focused on teaching believers to obey everything Christ commanded, including the two commandments listed above.

Although the Ten Commandments should not be central to Christian proclamation, they remain important because they give flesh and definition to God’s commands to love. Love is subjective. Laws like the Ten Commandments anchor love in objective commands. 

The Ten Commandments should be included in Christian instruction, but learning them won’t solve moral problems in churches and in society. What’s most needed in the church is for Christians to develop their relationships with the living Christ and imitate his attitudes and actions. 

Robert Prince, pastor

First Baptist Church, Waynesville, N.C.

Right or Wrong? is sponsored by the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University's Logsdon School of Theology. Send your questions about how to apply your faith to btillman@hsutx.edu.

Posted: 4/24/08

BaptistWay Bible Series for May 4

Death of a nation

• 2 Kings 17:1-18, 21-23

By Kenneth Jordan

First Baptist Church, Alpine

“Having brought Israel from bondage to glorious freedom, God had every right to expect them to walk in newness of life, as befitting a redeemed people”—Expositor’s Bible Commentary.

As we read this week of the final fall of the Northern Kingdom, I am reminded of how different (and not so different) our times are. Every four years, our country elects a leader. The change of leadership might or might not reflect your personal convictions. But the leadership changes nonetheless. There are no riots. No military uprisings. No assassins in the oval office taking the place of their mark.

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Israel had asked for a king to rule over them. They had charted a course God had not desired for them. They were in the final throes of God keeping his promises. They were reaping the consequences of their spiritual adultery.

The instability of leadership was examined last week. The ascendancy of Hoshea was brought about by conspiracy and murder (see 2 Kings 15:30).

The evidence of Hoshea’s treachery lies not only in the murder of Pekah, but also in his dealings with the King of Assyria. Hoshea tried to gain an advantage during the changing of kings in Assyria (to whom Israel was paying tribute). But his desire to “have his cake and eat it, too” backfired. The new king of Assyria decided enough was enough. He launched an all-out assault on the upstart king and his insignificant rebellion.

The historian recording the details of these events notes in verse 2 that although Hoshea had done evil in the sight of the Lord, he was “not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.” The implication is that although he was bad, there were others who were worse. But of course, the standard of righteousness is not those who had held the throne before. The standard was God’s covenant—Hoshea had failed miserably at holding on to the importance of God’s demand for spiritual faithfulness.

The role of the people’s sin in what happened cannot be ignored. We find in verses 7-18 the charges leveled against God’s covenant community. They forgot God’s power that had brought them out of Egypt. They conformed to the customs of foreign nations rather than adhering to the law. They openly worshipped idols. These examples of unfaithfulness were accepted, practiced and promoted by the leadership.

Verse 9 demonstrates how widespread the apostasy had spread: “From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.” The watchtower usually referred to a tower built to protect livestock out in the country. It was mentioned here as the most lonely of places in the nation.

The fortified city was the metropolitan area of its day—where everyone gathered together. From the largest gatherings of people to the lonely outposts in the countryside, the people of the Northern Kingdom had distanced themselves so far from the covenant that they had lost touch with precisely who the covenant was with.

Note the mention of doing things secretly against God. Did they really think they could keep secrets from the one who never sleeps? Or were they keeping secrets from each other—maintaining an outward appearance of the official worship while continuing to bow and burn incense and offer sacrifices to statues of calves?

The evidence that was being presented really was insurmountable. The list is complete. The law is clear. The consequences are the logical result of the abandonment of God and his covenant with Israel. Not only was the written code of conduct always available for them to refer, the continuing voices of the prophets condemned the actions of king and commoner alike.

They also spelled out what was coming—so there should have been no shock when Assyria began deporting the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom to foreign lands: “Samaria and its king will float away like a twig on the surface of the waters” (Hosea 10:7).

Sowing and reaping are a familiar theme in Scripture. Again and again, the promises of God ring true. Keil & Delitzsch note in their commentary on this passage that “Whatever man sets before him as the object of his life apart from God is a worthless idol and idolatry, and leads to worthlessness, to spiritual and moral corruption.

Having been warned again and again, Israel was brought to its knees by their blatant disregard for the kindness of God. Mistaking his patience for complacency, they gave up their rights to the blessings of the covenant. Their stubbornness would have to give way to repentance to show they had indeed learned the lesson God was teaching them.

Posted: 4/24/08

Fort Worth church mired in
controversy over gays loses pastor

FORT WORTH (ABP)—Brett Younger, pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, survived a vote to fire him last month but is leaving the church anyway—to become associate professor of preaching at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta.

Broadway Baptist Church has been embroiled for months in a public controversy over homosexuality and other issues. The congregation approved a compromise Feb. 24 intended to end controversy over whether gay couples in the church should be pictured alongside other families in a new church directory. Some members objected to having those photos included, saying that would move from simply welcoming homosexual individuals— which Broadway has done quietly for years—to affirming their lifestyle.

Although the membership approved the compromise, which eliminated family and individual photos, the controversy ballooned into a dispute over Younger’s overall leadership. A group of disgruntled Broadway members later submitted a petition to force a vote declaring the church’s pulpit vacant.

Younger asked church leaders to schedule the vote, and members voted 499-237 against firing their pastor of nearly seven years.

The two-thirds favorable vote was not enough to quell the controversy, however, and some members have left the church.

McAfee announced Younger’s appointment April 17, effective July 1. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been an instructor or visiting professor at Southern Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Seminary, Manhattan Christian College, and McAfee. He has been a pastor in Texas, Kentucky, Indiana and Kansas.

“I am honored by the invitation to join the McAfee School of Theology and I’m delighted to join such an outstanding faculty,” Younger said. “I feel like the Spirit is leading me to this new ministry.

“I’m also sad at leaving Broadway, the church has taught me so much about following Christ, and it is one of my hopes in this new ministry I can teach young people to lead their congregations to be as faithful as Broadway has been.”

Posted: 4/24/08

Hispanic gathering stresses
unity, equipping for service

By Carrie Joynton

Special to the Baptist Standard

SAN ANTONIO—Unity and equipping Christians for evangelism and discipleship took the spotlight at a regional Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity gathering in San Antonio.

Baldemar Borrego, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, stressed the importance of promoting unity among Hispanic Baptists.

“We are one brotherhood,” Borrego said. He emphasized depending on God for the individual, inner change necessary to “make a difference in the city.”

Baldemar Borrego (left), president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, and Rolando Lopez, associate director of missions for San Antonio Baptist Association were among the key speakers at a regional meeting of the Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity in San Antonio.

Growth in evangelism and discipleship has been a primary focus of the Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity, said Rolando Lopez, associate director of missions for San Antonio Baptist Association.

Lopez urged participants at the San Antonio meeting to be effective missionaries and penetrate their communities with the gospel. He stressed the Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity’s central goal is to enhance the equipping ministry of church leaders.

“We want to make men aware that they are leaders in their congregations…and to take leadership in their churches,” Lopez said.

The Hispanic Convocation of the Laity grew out of Hispanic Texas Baptist Men, but the small-group workshops on church leadership and unit offered at a regional meeting in San Antonio included one geared toward women—evidence of a growing women’s ministry movement.

The Hispanic Baptist Convocation of the Laity’s statewide meeting in September will focus on helping “pastors and churches help train the laity,” said Noah Rodríguez, local coordinator and church administrator at Primera Iglesia Bautista in San Antonio.

“One of the best things about these convocations is in the area of forming unity and communications,” he said.

Posted: 4/25/08

Duo encounters bugs, mud,
‘mixed-up beliefs’ in Amazon Basin

By Shawn Hendricks

International Mission Board

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—Pat Townsend admits she’s living outside her comfort zone.

Between the bugs, mud and freezing showers, Townsend, a missionary with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board’s Masters Program, admits it could take her awhile to adjust to life in and around the Amazon Basin of South America.

“The bugs haven’t been as bad as I anticipated,” Townsend, 56, said. “I’ve asked people to pray for me about the bugs.”

Townsend and her husband, Mike, 59, left the comforts of retirement and their home in Mississippi to work among the southern Shuar people for two to three years. Fewer than 2 percent of these 15,000 people are evangelical Christians.

Religion for many southern Shuar blends worshipping spirits with Catholicism. Some Christian workers say that’s an all-too-common practice among indigenous people groups of South America.

“They will take some of the classic religion (Catholicism) and then mix it with their own (animistic) beliefs,” said Russ Bare, who leads indigenous work in Ecuador. “And then you just get a hodgepodge of mixed-up beliefs.”

Couples like the Townsends are a godsend to Bare.

“I think it’s great that people with good health, in this part of their lives, would make themselves available to go to someplace like the Amazon Basin to reach a people like the southern Shuar with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

During their first days among the Shuar, the Townsends explored the territory. They took boat rides up and down the river to nearby villages and they hiked up to one of the waterfalls.

For the Shuar, waterfalls have an unusual purpose.

Evaristo, president of several Shuar villages, noted many of his people go to waterfalls to take hallucinogenic drugs to see visions they believe will reveal more about their god or gods.

Fortunately, the southern Shuar live in areas where missionaries like the Townsends can reveal the God of the Bible to them.

Mike Townsend, however, admits it will take more than a missionary presence to change the hearts of the southern Shuar.

“For anybody to be successful with the Shuar, God will have to work” among them, he said. “The Holy Spirit will have to do some things for them to see and understand he is the true and one God. I trust he will do that.”