NASHVILLE (BP)—LifeWay Christian Resources’ offer to purchase 1.5 acres in downtown Nashville for a new office building has been accepted, the Southern Baptist publishing house announced July 21.

The city’s Metro Development and Housing Agency, which owns the property, unanimously approved sale of the site for $12.7 million, with a tax incentive of $4.9 million that can fund specific aspects of the construction, effectively reducing the purchase cost to less than $8 million.

Thom RainerMeanwhile, LifeWay is moving toward completing the sale of its current 14.5-acre campus, with more than 1 million square feet of office space, to a consortium of local and national developers later this summer. Buyers have not released the sales price of LifeWay’s present facilities.

New building still being designed

LifeWay’s new building, located one mile across downtown Nashville from the present campus, will encompass 216,000 square feet. The number of stories of the facility is in the design process.

The new location is a few blocks south of Nashville’s Broadway District—a popular shopping and entertainment area—and across the river from Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans football team.

The new location “will be exciting for our employees and visitors and will provide us opportunities to serve the millions of people who work, live and visit Nashville’s central business district each year,” LifeWay President Thom Rainer said in a letter to employees.

Plans to break ground this year

The project’s construction contractor and architects already have started engineering and environmental studies on the property, Rainer said. If all goes well, he anticipates closing on the new location early this fall. LifeWay plans to break ground this year on the new facility slated for completion by late 2017.

Last August, LifeWay began a preliminary feasibility study last for selling its campus to relocate to facilities better suited to the agency’s future. 

Much of LifeWay’s current campus is outdated, Rainer said, noting many of the buildings were built in the early 20th century and are not designed for modern technology or collaborative work.

About 1,100 LifeWay employees are based in the downtown offices and will move into the new building. LifeWay also operates 184 LifeWay Christian Stores in 29 states and a national conference center in Ridgecrest, N.C., with more than 4,000 total employees.

LifeWay has contracted with Gresham, Smith and Partners in Nashville to design the new building, with Bell & Associates Construction in Brentwood, Tenn., managing construction. Compass Partners in Brentwood will help LifeWay manage the project, serving as the owner’s representative.

LifeWay was founded in 1891 in Nashville as the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

BROWNWOOD—Former students of longtime professor James Shields raised more than $100,000 for a ministerial student scholarship fund at Howard Payne University, established in honor of him and his wife, Corinne.

Shields taught Bible and religion at Howard Payne 18 years after serving three years as Baptist Student Union director at the Brownwood school. He also taught 15 years in the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University.

James Shields leads prayer at a Kiwanis Club function in 2013. (Abilene Kiwanis Photo)“Dr. Shields was our teacher. And occasionally, he taught us in the classroom,” said Donnie Auvenshine, dean of the School of Christian Studies at HPU and a 1975 graduate of the university. “He taught us as much in conversations in the hallway, or in his office, or in his home. He was a great classroom teacher, but his teaching was not limited to the classroom. He mentored generations of us.”

When search committees from Texas Baptist churches approached Shields seeking ministerial candidates, or when Baptist school administrators asked him for suggestions for faculty positions, he frequently recommended former students, Auvenshine noted, counting himself among those who benefited from Shields’ recommendations.

By Shields’ reckoning, he taught about 300 students a year, sometimes for two or more semesters. And many who entered the ministry continued to stay in close contact with him, seeking his counsel and relying on his mentorship.

James Shields teaching at Howard Payne University in 1971. (HPU Lasso Yearbook Photo)“I kept in touch with as many as wanted to keep in touch with me,” Shields said. “Some would call regularly, and I would lead January Bible studies or preach revivals for them.”

Recognizing the impact Shields had on their lives and ministries, former students established the scholarship fund when he retired in 1999. Although they consulted with HPU administrators, who endorsed the initiative, former students took the lead in raising the funds.

“I was a little skeptical,” Shields confessed. “It took two-and-a-half or three years to raise $10,000 and award the first $500 scholarship.”

After 15 years, the fund stood at close to $40,000, having produced 18 scholarships. But some former students wanted to do more—particularly when Shields’ prostate cancer spread into his bones.

“The cancer cells that have been asleep are awake again,” he told former student Bobby Broyles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Ballinger. About that same time, Corinne Shields began chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

Broyles and others secured Shields’ permission to make another appeal for the scholarship fund, urging former students to show their love for James and Corinne Shields by building a substantial scholarship fund in their honor during their lifetimes.

Broyles, Auvenshine and others mailed an initial letter last November, urging former students to give another $40,000 to the fund. As a result, one individual donated $40,000. 

James Shields (1976 HPU Lasso Yearbook Photo)A second letter in January noted that gift and challenged other former students to match that amount.

As of June 15, 62 donors contributed 284 gifts to the fund, totaling $105,130. A few days later, another check arrived for $3,495.24. 

“It’s very gratifying,” Shields said. “Of course, I don’t know who gives what amount, but Howard Payne sends me a card to let me know who has given a donation. There have been maybe two or three (former students) I hadn’t kept up with.”

Shields invested his life in his students, motivating them to grow, learn and reach their full potential, said Tom Ruane, longtime Texas Baptist denominational worker and interim pastor of Crossroads Cowboy Church in Madisonville. 

Shields raised the standard for ministerial students, helping them recognize if they were representing God, they needed to more than just “get by” with passing grades, Ruane said.

“If you were out playing intramurals every night and making C’s, Shields would help you see there was something wrong with that,” he said. “He set the pace in terms of academics.”

A fund to help Howard Payne students preparing for ministry serves as a fitting tribute to Shields and his legacy, Auvenshine observed.

“It’s giving other students the same opportunities we had,” he said. “As a professor, it allows me to try to do for others what he did for me.”

Donations to the scholarship fund should be mailed to Howard Payne University, c/o Randy Yeakley, P.O. Box 2369, Brownwood, TX 76804. Make checks payable to “Shields Scholarship Fund.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: James Shields has been preaching in Baptist churches 66 years and has served 63 interim pastorates, including several churches multiple times over the course of several decades. James and Corrine Shields will have been married 62 years in August.

SAN MARCOS—The San Marcos Academy board of trustees named Jimmie W. Scott president of the 107-year-old Baptist school after serving five months as the academy’s interim president.

Scott has “an enormous heart for San Marcos Academy, for the students, and for all of the academy family,” Board Chair Clay Sullivan said.

Jimmie W. Scott“Jimmie and his wife, Janet, are very excited. Their leadership, as they pray and follow our Father’s guidance, will be inspirational to all around them,” Sullivan said. “I believe that Jimmie’s leadership is perfect for this phase of the life of San Marcos Academy.”

Scott arrived at the academy in 1964, serving as associate dean. A year later, he was promoted to academic dean and later served as academic vice president and executive vice president, retiring in 1996. 

Upon his retirement, the academy awarded Scott its Exemplary Service Medal for “distinguished service to God and man through Christian education.” He continued working part-time, recruiting and consulting for the academy. He also served on the board of trustees nine years, including one term as chair.

Soon after his appointment as president, Scott announced several organizational changes at the academy. 

Jeff Baergen, formerly vice president for academy affairs, was named executive vice president. Baergen has worked at the academy 18 years, having served as admissions director, student activities director, assistant principal and dormitory director.

Among those assuming new duties at San Marcos Academy recently are (left to right) Rhonda McNeil, director of business affairs; Jeff Baergen, executive vice president; Derrick Ouellette, boys’ dormitory director; Judy Behrens, girls’ dormitory director; and Corey Boyer, dean of residential life. (SMA Photo by Don Anders)Corey Boyer, formerly dean of boys, was named dean of residential life. He will supervise the directors of both the boys’ and girls’ residence halls. Boyer has worked at the academy 11 years. 

Judy Behrens will become the girls’ dormitory director, and Derrick Ouellette will be the boys’ dormitory director. In her five years at the academy, Behrens was an assistant hall director and the administrative assistant in the school office, as well as a part-time faculty member. Ouellette was promoted from his previous position as dormitory hall director.

Rhonda McNeil recently joined the academy staff as director of business affairs. She will assume many of the duties of Monty Lewis, who is retiring at the end of July as vice president for business affairs after a 33-year tenure at the academy.

Peter Garza, who had been assistant principal for the academy’s upper school, has become assistant admissions director. Garza also will continue to coach the baseball team. 

Les Davis will leave his part-time assignment as middle-school coordinator to be full-time athletic director, and Toby Wade will assume responsibilities as assistant athletic director. Hannah Flowers was named head volleyball coach and will teach middle school science.

Librarian Amy Nighbert’s role has been expanded as director of distance education and learning resources. 

Matt McNeil becomes director of information and technology, handing over his previous duties as technology support specialist to David Hethcock. Bear Bryant becomes webmaster and audio-visual director. 

DURBAN, South Africa—The Baptist World Congress in Durban, South Africa, marked one key first and a significant second—the first world congress held in Africa and the second led by an African president since the Baptist World Alliance’s founding in 1905.

Paul Msiza, pastor of Peniel-Salem Baptist Church in Pretoria, South Africa, presided for the first time at the BWA’s General Council meeting just prior to the five-day Baptist World Congress.

Paul Msiza, pastor of Peniel-Salem Baptist Church in Pretoria, South Africa, and new BWA president, welcomes participants to the Baptist World Congress meeting. (BWA Photo)The congress, held every five years in cities around the world, was expected to draw about 2,500 participants from many of the BWA’s 200-plus member unions and conventions.

The 53-year-old Msiza was elected last summer at the General Council’s meeting in Izmir, Turkey. He succeeds John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, who was elected to the five-year term as president in 2010.

“I stand here today with all humility and being humbled before the Lord to serve,” Msiza told council members gathered in Durban’s International Conference Center. “God has put a special calling on us to serve our international fellowship. From a human viewpoint, we have anxiety and questions. But if we rely on those, there is nothing we can do. All we can do is trust in the presence of the Lord as we move forward, as we begin a new journey together.”

Msiza, who will work closely with BWA General Secretary Neville Callam, is the second African to be elected president. The first was Liberian William Tolbert, who held the office from 1971 to 1980.

The Sharon Children’s Choir & Hosanna Children’s Orchestra from South Korea performed at the Baptist World Congress in Durban, South Africa. (Central Baptist Theological Seminary Photo)A former bivocational pastor and school teacher, Msiza has been principal of a Baptist college in South Africa, general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa, president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship—one of six BWA regional groups—and a BWA vice president.

Upton noted over his five-year tenure, the BWA had “faced challenges together as a family” in a world that “is very different from what it was” in 2010.

“One thing that has been most helpful to me recently is to remember that leadership is not an identity,” Upton told the council, many of whose members are rotating off. “We’ve each been entrusted with leadership roles, but the seduction is to take on leadership as an identity. It’s never an identity. It’s always a function. My identity is that I’m a child of God. I live that out all the time, and occasionally I lead. For some of us now, we’ll take on a new function—a supportive role.”

BWA unions and conventions comprise nearly 50 million Baptists around the world, representing wide cultural and social differences—a diversity the group’s general secretary said must be acknowledged.

About 2,500 participants from many of the Baptist World Alliance’s 200-plus member unions and conventions gathered in Durbin’s International Convention Centre. (Central Baptist Theological Seminary Photo)“I come from a certain place, we have a certain way of doing things, and sometimes it is easy not to recognize our formation in the specificity of our own cultures which influence the way we act, the way we live,” Callam said. 

“We deceive ourselves that the traditions we practice are traditions founded in the word of God. Truly listening to one another and seeking to hear the voice of God in each other, we can put aside our own fears and our weaknesses. The glorious opportunity is that we can influence one another.”

Callam urged the council—and the churches they represent—to study the “Covenant on Intra-Baptist Relationships,” adopted two years ago as an expression of “our ideals as we seek to serve together in the fellowship of the BWA in its organized life.”

The covenant notes the BWA’s diversity “includes various cultures, languages, customs, histories, racial identities, ways of expressing theological conviction, and personal and communal encounters with Christ in different cultural contexts. By God’s grace, the BWA reflects, in a visible way, the rich diversity of the one body of Christ.”

Worship, preaching and cultural presentations from around the world marked the 21st Baptist World Congress in Durbin, South Africa.But, it acknowledges, “the BWA commitment to open dialogue and honest communication in the midst of our profound diversity also presents the BWA with perhaps the greatest challenge to the unity we are called to maintain.”

“We acknowledge that Baptists are known to have a wide range of opinions and perspectives on many issues, including what constitutes ‘truth,’” the covenant asserts. “Yet, we love and accept one another. When we believe an opinion or perspective is seriously flawed, we challenge each other as beloved family members rather than as strangers and enemies. Even the correction of perceived errors must be done in love.”

During its meeting, the council agreed to admit an additional union—the Evangelical Baptist Churches of Zimbabwe, a network of congregations primarily near Zimbabwe’s border with Zambia.

The council also:

• Approved a set of guidelines for adopting resolutions at annual council meetings, including criteria for determining what constitutes relevant topics and appropriate language, and a process to follow.

• Received notice of a proposed motion to give the council’s executive committee authority to employ staff members other than the general secretary. That change in the bylaws will be considered at the council meeting next summer in Vancouver, British Columbia.

• Unveiled a budget for 2016 of $2,253,390, just slightly below the current $2,258,100 budget. Next year’s financial plan anticipates $670,000 in contributions from member bodies, the same amount as the current budget. In 2014, those contributions totaled $441,676, but leaders said they were confident member bodies would “step up and contribute.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Baylor University President Ken Starr, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church in Southern California and Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, joined a call for a national strategy addressing “international religious persecution that threatens people of faith worldwide.”

More than 30 religious leaders, scholars and public policy analysts signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House John Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging Congress to give greater authority to the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

“We are witnessing a tragic, global crisis in religious persecution, violence and terrorism, with dire consequences for religious minorities and for the national security of the United States,” the letter stated.

The group cited the Pew Research Center as reporting more than three-quarters of the world’s people live in countries with severe restrictions on religion. 

The letter noted with alarm increasing anti-Semitism in the Middle East and Europe; violence against Christians in the Middle East, South and East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa; and increased persecution of Muslim minorities and disfavored members of Muslim majority communities.

“Indeed, religious minorities the world over are suffering unjust discrimination and unconscionable persecution,” the letter stated. “But the catastrophic state of international religious freedom affects more than the victims. It undermines the national security of the United States. 

“Without religious freedom, aspiring democracies will remain unstable. Economic growth and development will be more difficult to achieve. The advancement of the rights of women and girls will continue to be obstructed. Perhaps most important of all, religious terrorism will continue to be incubated, nourished and exported.”

Ambassador-at-large ‘lacks authority’

The group voiced support for David Saperstein, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, but noted he “lacks both the authority to develop a national strategy and the resources to carry it out.”

The group urged Congress to support H.R. 1150, introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), which would amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, moving the office on international religious freedom to the secretary of state’s office. 

The bill would give the ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom the authority and resources to develop a national strategy to protect global religious freedom and advance the cause of religious liberty in American foreign policy. This would include mandatory training for all foreign-service officers, deputy chiefs of mission and country ambassadors.

“The freedom to practice one’s religion without fear is the precious birthright of every human being, of whatever class, status or location on the earth,” the letter stated. “It is also the providence of persons of faith, everywhere. Of all people, we Americans should be united in defending this human right—on behalf of those who suffer grievously for its absence, and for the noble and essential cause of protecting our own beloved country.”

Other signers

In addition to Starr, Warren and Moore, others signing the letter include Former Sen. Joe Lieberman; Douglas Johnston, president of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy; Leonard Leo, former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; Robert Seiple, former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom; Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute; John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America; Hamza Yusuf, president of Zaytuna College; Alan Derschowitz, emeritus professor at Harvard Law School; Thomas Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University; William Galston, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; and the archbishops of Philadelphia and Washington.

Thirteen Howard Payne University students, faculty and staff members visited Costa Rica to work at the Hogar De Vida orphanage in Atenas and participate in an immersive cultural experience. Carla Hawkins, then assistant professor of Spanish, and Keith Platte, director of HPU’s Baptist Student Ministry, led the 11-day trip that included students from Spanish courses and BSM mission volunteers. In addition to serving three days at Hogar De Vida, the group visited Cahuita along the eastern coast, experiencing the Caribbean culture, and spent time in the central mountainous region of Costa Rica at Paraíso and in San Jose, Costa Rica’s largest city. Activities included guided tours of the mountain ranges, coffee plantations, art and history museums, churches and marketplaces.

Dallas Baptist University doctoral students visit with Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, former student ministries and evangelism specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and director of youth programming at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center. (Photo by Greg Hollabaugh)Thirty-nine doctoral students at Dallas Baptist University participated in the 10th annual weeklong seminar in Washington, D.C. The seminar is designed for second-year doctoral students pursuing degrees in leadership studies or educational leadership. Students explored leadership disciplines through the lives of historical figures, toured historic sites, worshipped at the Washington National Cathedral and heard from contemporary leaders in business, politics and education. They also spent one day in Philadelphia, where they toured Independence Hall and another day at Civil War battlefields of Antietam and Gettysburg.

The Chronicle of Higher Education named Baylor University to its “Great Colleges to Work For” honor roll for the fifth consecutive year. The survey results recognize the universities and colleges that get top ratings from their employees on workforce practices and policies. Of the 42 national universities awarded Honor Roll status, Baylor is one of only three schools in the large university category—10,000 or more students—to achieve recognition in 11 of the 12 categories honoring specific best practices and policies. 

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges approved Wayland Baptist University to begin offering the doctor of management degree program online next summer. The program focuses on practical application of management practices and is designed for working professionals. The 60-hour degree will be offered completely online and will consist of 10 11-week terms, with students taking two classes each term. 

Baylor University received a $10 million gift to the department of communication sciences and disorders. Made by Baylor alumni who wish to remain anonymous, the gift will be used to enhance leadership, program and faculty development; extend funding for research, collaborations and community engagement; and significantly expand the capacity of the graduate program. As a component of Baylor’s newly formed Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, the department encompasses speech language pathology, audiology and deaf education and has graduated more than 1,200 speech-language pathologists. The gift’s most immediate and visible effect will be the relocation of the department of communication sciences and disorders from Neill Morris Hall to the Cashion Academic Building, which will be renovated for the program’s needs. Approximately 18,000 square feet on the building’s first floor will provide space for clinical work, while classroom and lab space will be made available on another floor. Faculty offices located in the adjoining Hankamer Building, formerly home to the business school, will afford greater opportunity for collaboration among faculty members and easy access to students.

Everett C. Hullum Jr., 73, died July 12 in Princeville, Hawaii, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hullum was born Jan. 10, 1942, in Vicksburg, Miss., to Mary Evelyn Webb and Everett Cecil Hullum Sr. The family moved to Dallas in 1954. Hullum earned a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 and worked as a sports reporter on the Waco News-Tribune before moving to Memphis, Tenn., to edit publications for the Southern Baptist Brotherhood Commission. After working three years at the commission, serving a stint in the U.S. Army, and earning a master of journalism degree at Syracuse University, Hullum moved to Atlanta to work for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board.  As assistant editor, then editor, of Home Missions magazine, he produced a publication that won numerous regional and national editing, writing and photography/design awards. Following his career in religious journalism, Hullum worked for NationsBank—later Bank of America—as editor of publications. After retiring from the bank, he continued editing and designing publications for various nonprofits, including The Carter Center, Heifer International, Agnes Scott College and Georgia Tech University. He and his wife, Rebecca, enjoyed retirement in Taos, N.M., and Princeville, Hawaii, where he served faithfully in various charitable ministries of local Episcopal congregations. He was preceded in death by his mother and father and his sister, Janice Rebecca Hullum Edwards. He is survived by his wife; son, Matthew Jay Hullum, and daughter-in-law, Anna, of Austin; daughter, Jane Hullum Berglund, and son-in-law, Don, of Atlanta; son, Khanh Duong, and daughter-in-law, Kitty, of Roswell, N.M.; stepsons, Michael Holcomb of Flower Mound and James Long of Corinth, Miss.; six grandchildren and four step-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

WASHINGTON (RNS)—Since the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage constitutional, Jerry Young has been in a quandary.

As the president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, a predominantly African-American denomination, he is grappling with a new reality—how to respond to the specter of discrimination against gays. 

Jerry YoungWhile he doesn’t support gay marriage, the refusal of some religious bakers and florists to provide services to gays prompts memories of racially segregated hotels and restaurants.

“On the one hand, you have to be sensitive to the fact that you do not want people to be victims of discrimination. That’s just an absolute fact; you just do not want that to happen,” said Young, who grew up in Mississippi in the civil rights era and is developing a position paper to guide National Baptist congregations on these issues.

“And on the other hand, there is this tension between what, as Christians, we believe God has called us to do, and what it appears to be, in some sense, what the culture seems to be doing.”

Majority oppose religious exemptions

Although some national black Baptist denominations and the Church of God in Christ oppose same-sex marriage, a new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute shows 63 percent of nonwhite Protestants object to religious exemptions in nondiscrimination laws.

Seventeen states have introduced legislation to create or alter state-level religious freedom restoration laws, some of which could affect same-sex marriages. Many Voices, a pro-LGBT group that works with black churches, said it hopes to influence legislators crafting those bills.

“Voices of faith leaders will be required to hold in balance the highly valued religious liberty we enjoy along with freedoms and protections for LGBT persons and their families,” said Cedric Harmon, co-director of Many Voices.

Not all African-American clergy oppose same-sex marriage, but many oppose laws that would allow legal discrimination against a group of people.

George Battle Jr.“I know what it’s like to be discriminated against, and our people do, so I don’t want them to be discriminated against,” said George Battle Jr., senior bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which opposes same-sex marriage. “If their money is green and you’re taking green money, I think you should take it all.”

But T. DeWitt Smith Jr., an Atlanta pastor and co-chair of the National African American Clergy Network, said he doesn’t think owners of mom-and-pop establishments should be equated with the segregationists of the past.

“The smaller groups have to grapple with their own consciences,” said Smith, former president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, noting he was stating his personal opinion.

While some businesses may make that choice based on religious belief, “I don’t really equate that with the denial of hotel space based on color, ethnicity.”

Should have right to deny services

Talbert W. Swan II, a Church of God in Christ pastor in Springfield, Mass., agreed the church-run bakery down the street from his congregation should have the right to deny its services to a gay couple.

“So, if someone walks into the New Hope Bakery and said, ‘We wanted you to bake a cake for a same-sex marriage ceremony,’ I think they should have every right to say, ‘No, we won’t bake that cake,’” he said. “They should have every right to refuse to bake a product that’s going to be associated with something that violates their religious belief.”

But Swan said a for-profit corporation that serves the general public should not have an exemption.

Terence Leathers (Image: Many Voices video)To Swan, the history of enslavement of African-Americans cannot be compared to LGBT struggles.

“I don’t think it’s comparing apples to apples,” he said. “The history does not compare, and to me, it’s quite insulting to try to make that connection.”

Terence Leathers of Clayton, N.C., unsuccessfully lobbied the North Carolina legislature, which passed a law allowing magistrates to refuse to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony. He believes magistrates and bakers should not deny services to LGBT people, and he connects these issues to times when other discrimination was evident—like the nearby town that once had a welcome sign that read “This is Klan country.”

“It’s discriminatory and should not be tolerated,” he said.

But he admits to feeling like he’s a lone voice among black clergy in his rural area.

“There are people who may be for me, but they’re keeping it silent,” he said. “They don’t want to cause any trouble.”

SUGAR LAND—Passionate preaching, jubilant worship and a spirit of joy characterized the annual African-American Fellowship and Evangelism Conference, as participants responded to the challenge of “a charge to keep,” the theme of the July 14-16 event at The Fort Bend Church in Sugar Land.

Fellowship President Oscar Epps, founding pastor of Community Missionary Baptist Church in DeSoto, preached on God’s impeccable timing and unconditional faithfulness.  

Oscar Epps from Desoto, outgoing president of the African-American Fellowship, preaches at the annual evangelism conference. (PHOTO / Leah Reynolds / BGCT)God always is able to meet the needs of his people in every situation, Epps said. But he challenged listeners to consider what happens in people’s hearts and minds if it feels like God “just doesn’t show up.”

If God does not show up to save the day, Epps explained, it is not because he is uninterested or incapable. God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts, and God’s ways not the ways of humanity, he said, citing Isaiah 55:8. 

Epps implored his audience to recognize God still is good even in the moments when he seems absent. In the Old Testament book of Daniel, three faithful Hebrews—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—told the king they believed God would come through, but even if he didn’t, he was the true God, in contrast to the king’s false idols, Epps said. 

“Too many of us are bowing down to someone else’s God,” Epps said. “When you think about what God has done, that’ll be enough for you to not bow. We could just think about the history, the ways he’s made, the doors he’s opened, the prayers he’s answered. You don’t need another blessing. You just need another memory.”

Officers of the African-American Fellowship include (left to right) Michael Joseph of Houston, assistant treasurer; Elmo Johnson of Houston, vice president; and Ponce Brown of El Paso, president. (PHOTO / Leah Reynolds / BGCT)It doesn’t matter what God does, Epps said. People are in no position to question his judgment when all anyone needs to do is look at everything that God has done. 

“God will take care of you,” Epps said to enthusiastic applause and joyful shouts.

H.B. Charles, pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., reminded the group of God’s ability to keep believers on their feet when the devil’s goal is to try to make them stumble.

“The now of your difficult circumstances cannot trump the now of God’s sovereign authority, he said.

He urged listeners to remember the goodness of God in sending Jesus to take an unfair punishment for the sake of sinners.

H.B. Charles of Jacksonville, Fla., addresses the African- American Fellowship. (PHOTO / Leah Reynolds / BGCT)“Jesus came to Earth to live the life you should’ve lived,” he said. “Then he died the death you should have died.”

Gleen Samuels, pastor of New Millennium Baptist Church in Lubbock, introduced the slate of officers for next year: President Ponce Brown, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in El Paso; Vice President Elmo Johnson, pastor of Rose of Sharon Baptist Church in Houston; Treasurer Leonard Hornsby, executive pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield; Assistant Treasurer Michael Joseph, pastor of New Providence Baptist Church in Houston; and Secretary Joe Fields, pastor of New Beginnings Church in Lewisville.

The annual gathering included the Jim W. Culp Sr. Banquet, followed by two days of worship services and workshops on topics ranging from church administration, to women’s ministry, to church starting.

The 2016 African-American Fellowship and Evangelism Conference is scheduled July 12-14 at Friendship Baptist Church in The Colony. 

Paisano Baptist Encampment will hold its 95th consecutive cowboy camp meeting beginning the evening of July 26 and continuing through lunch on July 31. Pastors David Lowrie of First Baptist Church in El Paso and Matt Snowden of First Baptist Church in Waco are the camp preachers. Larry McGraw, professor of Bible and associate dean of the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University, will lead Bible study. Jim Cleaveland, worship pastor at First Baptist Church in El Paso, will lead the music. The camp meeting includes preschool, children’s and youth activities, as well as recreation and family time. The camp is located in Paisano Pass, between Alpine and Marfa. For more information, click here. 

Krista WallaceThe Christian Women’s Job Corps of Tyler has named Krista Wallace executive director. Formerly a missionary serving in the Dominican Republic, she is a veteran educator.

Howard Payne University’s New Braunfels Center will hold a free master of business administration informational lunch at Mamacita’s Restaurant on Interstate 35 at noon July 30. Prospective students will meet current students and staff, and receive all the information necessary to begin the program. Preregistration is required.

Dallas Baptist University named Tamy Rogers, director of human resources, staff member of the year. She joined the DBU staff in 1994 as administrative assistant to the vice president for financial affairs. She attends First Baptist Church in Mart.

Colin WilbornThe National Strength and Conditioning Association has named Colin Wilborn the nutritional researcher of the year. Wilborn is a University of Mary Hardin-Baylor associate professor of physical therapy, dean of Graduate School and Research and director of the university’s human performance lab, 

Anniversary

Don Shannon, 50th, in ministry April 30. He also celebrated his 46th year as pastor of First Baptist Church in Coldspring July 5—the same day the church noted its 167th anniversary.

Lillian Hunnicutt, 92, June 23 in Victoria. Lillian HunnicuttA graduate of Baylor University, she was a public schoolteacher 29 years in Fort Worth, Brownsboro, Vanderbilt Industrial, Waco and Goliad. A pastor’s wife, she also served as a church clerk, assistant pianist and soloist. She was preceded in death by her brothers, D.C. and Aaron Johnson. She is survived by her husband of more than 69 years, William; daughter, Jan Klug; son, Jon; and four grandchildren. 

WASHINGTON (BNG)—The Obama administration released rules July 10 allowing “closely held” for-profit corporations to claim a religious objection to mandated coverage of contraceptives under Obamacare.

In light of the Supreme Court’s 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, final regulations by the Department of Health & Human Services specify businesses not publicly traded but controlled by a relatively small number of people can qualify for a religious accommodation previously offered to faith-based nonprofits.

Sylvia Burwell“Women across the country should have access to preventive services, including contraception,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said. “At the same time, we recognize the deeply held views on these issues, and we are committed to securing women’s access to important preventive services at no additional cost under the Affordable Care Act, while respecting religious beliefs.”

Under the new rules, by informing the government of their objection, for-profit employers can opt out of paying for insurance that covers FDA-approved contraceptives they believe can cause abortion. A third-party insurer will step in and provide contraceptive coverage to employees at no cost to the company and be reimbursed by the government.

The administration also offered an alternative way for eligible organizations that have a religious objection to covering contraceptive services to seek an accommodation from contracting, providing, paying or referring for such services. 

Texas Baptist universities suing

Religious nonprofits including Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University have filed lawsuits claiming a requirement that they fill out and submit a “self-certification” form to the Labor Department makes them complicit in providing employees with drugs and services to which they object. After the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the two Baptist schools, they recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

Under the final rules, a religious nonprofit simply can notify the Department of Health & Human Services in writing of its objection, and the HHS will take responsibility for notifying the third-party insurer of the decision.

Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State doubts the administration’s latest attempt to accommodate religious objections to the contraceptive mandate will end litigation over the matter.

“The administration had to respond to this ruling, and today’s regulations are a good-faith effort to protect women,” Lynn said. “Although I hope I’m proven wrong, I fear that the Religious Right and its allies, the Catholic bishops, won’t stop until they have denied access to safe and affordable birth control to as many women as possible.”

Lynn blamed the whole “mess” on the Supreme Court, which he believes wrongly interpreted the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the Hobby Lobby ruling.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has been involved in several cases challenging the HHS mandate, called the new regulations one more attempt by the government to force religious nonprofits to distribute contraceptives.

Administration ‘digging the hole deeper’

“The government keeps digging the hole deeper,” said Adèle Auxier Keim, legal counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. With a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the government to expand its health care exchanges, Keim said, the government doesn’t need religious employers to help it distribute contraceptive drugs and devices.

“So why is it continuing to go out of its way to force religious objectors, from nuns to business owners, to do something it is more than capable of doing itself?” Keim asked.