(ABP)–News reports of Van Cliburn’s Feb. 27 death in Fort Worth extolled the internationally acclaimed pianist as one of history’s greatest classical musicians. Friends at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort, Worth, however, remember him as a great Baptist whose Christian faith came before his career.

Van Cliburn is greeted by Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow, 1958 (Courtesy of Van Cliburn Foundation).Cliburn shot to fame at age 23 by winning the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition – and with it the hearts of Nikita Khrushchev and the Russian people. It was said the accomplishment did more to ease Cold War tensions than any diplomacy could.

The man who was 78 when bone cancer claimed his life is also recalled as a great humanitarian, philanthropist and friend. His generosity included a sizable donation to help Broadway Baptist Church purchase the Rildia Bee O’Bryan Cliburn Organ, with 191 ranks and 10,655 pipes — the largest organ in Texas — named after Cliburn’s mother and completed in 1996.

“We have lost a giant,” said long-time friend Tom Stoker, who was the minister of music at Cliburn’s home church in Fort Worth in the 1990s. “People of this generation do not understand that Van did as much as anybody to thaw the Cold War – and he did that carrying Christ in his heart.”

‘Spiritual beacon’

Later generations may not know it, but Cliburn was an international sensation in his 20s. It was six months after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik that he arrived in Moscow for the first-ever Tchaikovsky competition. With much the same fanfare that comes today with “American Idol,” he captivated Russians and Americans alike as he won round after round.

He was met with a ticker tape parade in New York City upon his return and soon graced the cover of Time Magazine as “The Texan Who Conquered Russia.”

His fame and success didn’t stop there. He performed for heads of state around the world, his concerts were sell-outs and public sightings of him reportedly caused riots. His recording of a Tchaikovsky piano concerto sold so many copies it went platinum.

Several news obituaries quote Cliburn describing classical music as “a spiritual beacon for people all over the world.”

‘A quiet person’

Van Cliburn is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2003 (Courtesy of the Van Cliburn Foundation)Those who knew Cliburn best say the similarities between the spiritual and musical was no passing metaphor for the life-long, devoted Baptist. But it’s also little known, at least publically, because Cliburn was not one to boast about matters of faith.

“When he was in town he showed up here on Sunday mornings – but not in a way that called attention to himself,” said Brent Beasley, pastor of Broadway Baptist Church.

“He would just slip in the back,” Beasley said. “He was a quiet person.”

Cliburn worshiped at Broadway since 1995 after moving to Fort Worth from New York City. He kept a low profile in the congregation, preferring to contribute financially to music and other ministries rather than being a performer.

“When we would have a large orchestra in worship, most of our ability to do that was from Van’s generosity,” Beasley said. “He provided for a lot of classical music to have a presence in our worship.”

‘Pray without ceasing’

Stoker said Cliburn’s faith wasn’t the kind that came later in life, or even with his cancer diagnosis in August 2012. When studying at Julliard he played the organ at Calvary Baptist Church in New York – and even lived upstairs from the church in the hotel it owned.

“He prayed before every concert, and there was never a meal in Van’s house that was not blessed,” Stoker said. “He lived his life out of his faith, and he lived life large.”

Shortly after his diagnosis last summer, Cliburn told Beasley that prayer was holding him up after getting the news. “He said one of the most profound truths is … to ‘pray without ceasing – that is how I lived my life.’”

Just a day before his death, Cliburn was praying and reading scripture, Beasley said.

“He said he wasn’t afraid of death because of his faith,” Beasley said. “He jokingly said he’s more afraid of living than dying.”

Cliburn the evangelist

Cliburn learned that approach to faith growing up Baptist in Texas and Louisiana, said Al Travis, director of music ministries and organist at Broadway Baptist.

Cliburn was born Harvey Lavan Cliburn Jr. in Shreveport in 1934 and moved to Kigore with his family when he was 6. There, his father was the Sunday school superintendent at First Baptist Church and his mother the organist.

“He spoke of his gratitude for growing up the son of parents who loved each other and for being raised in the church,” Travis said. “He was grateful for the old hymns of the church .”

Cliburn’s love of music cannot be understood apart from his Baptist faith, because he saw his talent the same way he saw his money — as temporary gifts from God, Travis added.

In that way, Travis said, Cliburn’s music and performances were his way of doing evangelism. “He had a sense of responsibility of sharing that gift with the world and thought his gift would make the world a more humane place.”

Cliburn was also Broadway’s most famous gay member, though little was said about his private life except for a palimony lawsuit brought against him in 1996 that was eventually dismissed. In 2009, the Southern Baptist Convention revoked the church’s membership after an unprecedented investigation by SBC leaders into whether media reports about the congregation’s inclusiveness placed it in violation of a policy banning churches that “act to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior.”

Funeral services for Van Cliburn will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 3, at Broadway Baptist Church. A public viewing will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at the church.

Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will speak at the March 4 Dallas Baptist Association Pastor’s Conference.

The noon meeting will be held at Lakeside Baptist Church, 9150 Garland Road, in Dallas.

The meeting is open to everyone, and the cost of lunch is $7.

A recent gift to Texas Baptist Men provided solar panels that not only will supply volunteer builders the power they need to build cottages for Haitian orphans, but also will provide the orphanage an ongoing source of electricity.

Bart Mills (left), representing the board of directors of A Better World Foundation, presents a $130,000 grant to Mickey Lenamon, associate executive director of Texas Baptist Men, to provide solar-generated electricity for an orphanage under construction in Haiti. (PHOTO/Courtesy of A Better World Foundation)A Better World Foundation, a Dallas-based nonprofit humanitarian organization, granted $130,000 for an emergency power unit that contains more than 130 advanced-technology solar panels. Clean Energy Constructors of Arizona, manufacturer of the solar units, made its product available to the foundation for TBM’s use.

The solar unit was developed as a prototype for military use in rugged areas of Iraq and Afghanistan, so it will provide a low-maintenance power source for the orphanage in Haiti, said Terry Henderson, TBM state disaster relief director.

Texas Baptist Men volunteers assemble an emergency power grid that will provide electricity to make possible construction of a home for orphans in Haiti and supply ongoing power for the orphanage. (PHOTOS/Courtesy of Texas Baptist Men)TBM volunteers are building 12 cottages for children orphaned by the earthquake that devastated Haiti three years ago—the first phase in a plan to build 35 homes for children and widows, as well as dormitory space for teachers. Progress on the building project has been slow in part due to lack of electricity for power tools—a problem the solar panels should solve.

The January 2010 earthquake resulted in more than 220,000 deaths, and it left 50,000 children orphaned and about 1.5 million people homeless.

Long-term, TBM plans to help Haiti’s recovery by providing leadership and guidance in education, micro-enterprise, agriculture and medicine.

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board voted to create a committee to study the potential sale of the Baptist Building in Dallas.

The board authorized the BGCT president, along with the chair and executive director of the Executive Board, to serve on and appoint the committee, which also will include two board representatives and three at-large members. The associate executive director and the treasurer/chief financial officer will serve as ex officio members of the committee to study a possible building sale and staff relocation.

“The executive director has been approached about the possibility of selling the Baptist Building. The potential buyer seems to have a serious interest. Based on this, the formation of an ad hoc committee to study any offer and to study possible relocation possibilities seems advisable at this time,” the board’s administration support committee reported.

Baylor interested

Executive Director David Hardage told the board Baylor University had expressed interest in the BGCT Executive Board property as a possible site for its expanded Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

According to the recommendation approved by the board, the study committee will provide periodic progress reports and a final report as soon as possible to the Executive Board through its administration support committee.

The $11.5 million Baptist Building was constructed in 1988 at 333 N. Washington on land leased from Baylor Health Care System. The BGCT Executive Board used proceeds from the sale of property in downtown Dallas, combined with trust funds, to finance construction without using any Cooperative Program mission money. Ten years later, the health care system’s board of directors voted to give the land, valued at $2.5 million, to the BGCT Executive Board.

Forgive BUA debt

In other business, the Executive Board approved a plan to forgive debt Baptist University of the Américas owes the BGCT. Pointing to BUA’s primary mission to train Hispanic Baptist pastors and church leaders, Richard Rogers of Huntsville, chair of the administration support committee, called the debt-forgiveness plan “a chance to invest in the future of a changing Texas.”

BUA carries $9.8 million in debt, with more than $3 million owed to the BGCT. The plan offers a dollar-for-dollar forgiveness of every dollar BUA raises from donors toward debt the school owes the BGCT.

Also, when the school sells its old campus property, each dollar used to retire debt BUA owes Frost Bank will earn the school a dollar of debt forgiveness from the BGCT toward the amount owed on loans to the state convention. The BGCT guaranteed more than $3.4 million in loans from Frost Bank to BUA.

The BGCT Executive Board anticipates BUA should be able to retire loans from the BGCT in three to four years.

Honored Suzii Paynter

The board honored Suzii Paynter for her service as director of the Christian Life Commission, director of public policy and leader of the BGCT Advocacy/Care Center. She recently was elected executive coordinator of the national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

In her final legislative update to the board, Paynter introduced Stephen Reeves, Austin-based legislative counsel for the CLC, as director of public policy.

The board also voted to:

• Establish a missions mobilization coordinating team to advise and assist in development, implementation and promotion of state, national and international missions initiatives. The team will include at least three representatives from the BGCT Executive Board, with one appointed as chair by the board’s executive committee.

The team—approved by the BGCT Executive Board—also will include representatives from Texas Baptist Men, Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas and the Go Now Missions student missions program, along with an associational director of missions, a BGCT institution whose responsibilities include missions, the BGCT Executive Board staff liaison to associations and two at-large members from BGCT-affiliated churches.

• Use $250,000 from the J.K. Wadley Mission Fund to replace funds from the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board that are being phased out and redirected to church-starting efforts in parts of the United States where Southern Baptists do not have a strong presence.

The board also directed the BGCT Executive Board staff to request that half of the funds the BGCT provides be designated to the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention and half to the Baptist Convention of New England, longtime partners with the BGCT.

Texas Baptists must be willing to do “whatever it takes” to share Jesus’ message of life with their fellow Texans, David Hardage told leaders from across the state Feb. 25.

Hardage described the state of the state and then focused on the future during the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board’s winter meeting in Dallas.

David Hardage“Texas is changing—probably faster than we could have ever imagined,” noted Hardage, the BGCT’s executive director. “From 2000 to 2010, the population increased by 4.3 million—a 21 percent increase in 10 years.”

That’s equivalent to adding the entire state of Kentucky to Texas in just one decade, he said.

During those 10 years, the Hispanic population increased almost six times as fast as the Anglo population, he noted, adding Houston already is the most culturally diverse city in the nation.

Across the past decade, “we’ve not done poorly,” he said of Texas Baptists. “Our numbers increased by 203,000. That’s a 6 percent increase. But a 6 percent increase in our numbers, and a 21 percent increase in the population—that stands out to me.”

Meanwhile, Texas Muslims increased by 211,000 adherents, he said.

The proportion of Baptists in the state population has fallen steadily—from 19 percent in 1990, to 17 percent in 2000, to 15 percent in 2010.

“I don’t particularly care for that trend,” Hardage acknowledged.

By 2018, Texas’ population will increase another 4 million—equivalent to “bringing everybody from Oregon here,” he predicted. And the demographics will continue to shift, with Hispanics comprising 45 percent of the overall population, followed by Anglos, 39 percent; African-Americans, 10 percent; Asian-Americans 4 percent; and the balance “a wide variety of ethnicities, nationalities and people groups.”

“Texas is changing rapidly,” Hardage said. “It’s an enormous issue for us. So, we’ve got … challenges.”

Despite changing population, demographics and religions, some things never will change for Texas Baptists, he stressed.

“Our mandate never will change,” he said. “In the Great Commission, we are expected to go. We are instructed to do two things—baptize and teach. But what are we commanded to do? Make disciples of all nations.

“It strikes me as an amazing thing God is doing—making it easier to make disciples of ‘all nations’ by bringing them to our doorstep,” he added, pointing to the state’s widening racial and ethnic diversity.

In addition to an unchanging mandate, Texas Baptists’ message will not change, Hardage insisted.

“I’m going to sum up that message in one word,” he said. “Our message is ‘life.’”

That includes everlasting, eternal life with God through belief in Jesus, Hardage noted. But it also involves abundant life in the here-and-now.

Still, Texas Baptists must acknowledge change and ask, “What’s next?” Hardage advised.

“The future of Texas Baptists and the future of Texas lay in the balance of what’s next,” he said. “Probably, some things must change.”

Hardage noted the convention’s Executive Board is involved in institutional change. He presented a new organizational chart—to be implemented within the week—that eliminates one level of management. He advocated cooperation among Texas Baptists, which can enable them to “do more … as a team than any of us can do alone.” He called for them to embody generous spirits. And he referenced an expected study committee that will consider whether the convention should sell its Baptist Building in Dallas and move the Executive Board staff elsewhere.

But those changes may be only the beginning of what is required to share life in Christ with all Texans, he conceded.

“Going forward, I’m not sure what else might need to change. But for me, everything is on the table,” he said.

“When I look at those (demographic) statistics and drive through our state and look at Texas, I cannot look without saying, ‘Whatever it takes.’ The stakes are too high for us as Texas Baptists not to have that spirit. …

“Would you join me in praying: ‘God, show us what is next. What do we do? Where do we go?’ The stakes are too high. … I’m excited about the future.”

The 2013 Metroplex Literacy Conference will be held March 2 at Dallas Baptist University. Breakout sessions will include topics dealing with adult education, English as a Second Language, citizenship classes and home literacy. Register here. 

Houston Baptist University’s graduate program will hold an information reception for prospective students Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in the Hinton Center on campus. Registration is available online. 

East Texas Baptist University will hold Tiger Day March 2. The free event enables prospective students and their families to tour the campus, meet faculty and students, receive admissions and financial aid information, and visit academic departments. More information is available here. 

Drayton McLane Jr. received the Founders Medallion from Baylor University. He is a regent emeritus of the school and a Baylor alumnus. The Founders Medallion was established in 1969 to recognize men and women whose service and contributions to the university have been unusually significant.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor held a dedication ceremony for the Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center Feb. 8. It will be the site of the Scott & White College of Nursing. The facility includes a simulation hospital wing that includes an emergency room, nursing station, and labor and delivery unit. The 77,000-square-foot nursing education center is more than five times larger than the nursing program’s previous facilities.

Dave Rozeboom has been appointed vice president for student development at Hardin-Simmons University.

Dallas Baptist University professor David Naugle recently wrote Philosophy: A Student’s Guide, part of the Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition collection by Crossway Publishing. He joined the DBU faculty in 1990. He is a member of Connect Baptist Church in Arlington.

Anniversaries

Jack Ables, 20th, as pastor of Eastridge Baptist Church in Red Oak, Dec. 27.

Darren Donaldson, 15th, as pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Brenham.

Events

First Baptist Church in Dallas will open its 500,000-square-foot, $130 million facilities First Baptist Church in Dallas will open its 500,000-square-foot, $130 million facilities Easter Sunday, March 31.Easter Sunday, March 31. It is reportedly the largest church building project in modern history. The 3,000-seat worship center includes a 150-foot-wide viewing screen. Connected to the worship center by a glass sky bridge, the Horner Family Center features children’s and youth classrooms, a gymnasium, three indoor playgrounds and a seven-story parking garage. Robert Jeffress is pastor.

First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City will hold special music events during March. March 3, the sanctuary choir, along with Dove-award winning vocalist Bruce Greer, will present “Hymns: Ancient and Modern” during the 10:30 a.m. service. At 6 p.m. March 10, “Voices in Prayer” will be the emphasis. “Celebrate Life: The Musical” will be presented by Cynthia Clawson, Ragan Courtney and the drama team Come during the 10:30 a.m. service March 17. At 6 p.m. that evening, Clawson, accompanied by Greer, will present a concert. At 4 p.m. March 24, organist Steven McConnell will play classical and sacred selections on the church’s 103-rank Casavant pipe organ. “The Last Supper: A Musical” will be presented March 28 at 7 p.m.

VocalEssence, a renowned choral ensemble, will present a concert at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas March 14. The group has made multiple appearances on the national radio program “Prairie Home Companion” and has performed in concert halls around the world. The program will be titled “Music of the Americas: North and South of the Rio Grande.” Cost will be $20 for general admission and $10 for students with valid student identification. To reserve seats, call (214) 452-3170.

Ordained

Roger Ginnett, Lyall Kirton and Jon Mathers as deacons at Central Baptist Church in Italy.

Mark Hansen as a deacon at First Baptist Church in Rosharon.

Jeff Johnson will be nominated for a second one-year term as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Jesse Rincones, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas, announced he will propose Johnson’s re-election during the BGCT annual meeting July 14-17. Johnson is pastor of First Baptist Church in Commerce, and Rincones is pastor of Alliance Church in Lubbock.

Rincones’ respect for Johnson grew as they worked together to plan The Gathering, the conventions’ unprecedented combined meeting this year, he said.

Normally, the BGCT meets in the fall, and Convencion—the Hispanic Convention, which is a distinct organization but also part of the BGCT—convenes in mid-summer. This year, the two conventions, along with Texas Baptists’ African-American Fellowship and other affinity groups, will gather together in San Antonio.

Rincones recalled he first worked with Johnson several years ago, when they participated in a committee that drafted a BGCT/Convencion reunification agreement. The document marked Convencion’s 100th anniversary and spelled out the relationship between the two statewide organizations.

“I could tell Jeff’s heart was not (simply) on a document, but he cared about a relationship between the two conventions,” Rincones said. “His main concern is: What is most going to benefit the congregations? What are the steps to take? What is going to benefit the Hispanic community?”

So, now that they have partnered to plan The Gathering, Rincones appreciates Johnson even more, he said.

‘Competencies’

“My favorite word Jeff uses is ‘competencies,’” he added. “When he looks at partnerships, he looks at the competencies—the strengths—of each group.”

Such an outlook enables the groups to treat each other as equals and not merely providers or recipients of money, he explained.

“That’s empowering for the partner. There’s not a majority partner and a minority partner. … There are different competencies in each group that can be valuable assets to all parties.”

Johnson is the ideal leader to guide all Texas Baptists during their combined meeting this summer and to help chart a shared path afterward, Rincones said.

“We’re going to have cross-cultural and cross-generational experiences those days in San Antonio. Jeff has experience in both situations,” he added, noting Johnson wrote a book on generations and served as a pastor on the Rio Grande.

Launchpad

“When we bring those things together in San Antonio, it would be great to have a leader who can take us from that one-time event and maybe make it a launchpad to do great things going forward.”

“Every time I talk to Jeff, I leave refreshed and energized,” Rincones said. “Whatever it is about him that’s encouraging, we always can use more of that in our leadership.”

Johnson noted he’s become inclined to seek a second term for a couple of reasons. First, fellow Texas Baptists have urged him to carry on. And second, if elected, he hopes to continue initiatives he hasn’t been able to implement fully in his shortened first term.

Because the BGCT annual meeting is being held in the summer and not the fall, this term is only 8 and a half months, not the usual 12. If he’s re-elected, the second term will last 15 and a half months, to the fall of 2014.

The first initiative to be implemented is closer collaboration between the BGCT’s affinity groups, he said. Leaders of those groups met recently in Austin, and they plan to convene again and present a report during the BGCT Executive Board meeting Feb. 25-26.

“Several affinity group leaders say we need to connect and communicate, because we want our voice to be a collective voice,” Johnson said. “I’d like to follow through and help us as Texas Baptists understand the basics of cross-cultural ministry. … This is a step toward Texas Baptists reflecting the mosaic we already are.”

Passion for evangelism

Johnson also hopes to continue helping Texas Baptists fuse their passion for evangelism and missions with their historic concern for advocacy and care.

“I’ve seen this work through ministry, not only on the (Texas-Mexico) border, but also right here in Commerce,” he said, advocating for blending evangelism and compassion to produce community transformation.

For example, Texas Woman’s Missionary Union, the Christian Life Commission and the BGCT Executive Board teamed up to sponsor a conference on human trafficking for regional law enforcement officers at First Baptist Church in Commerce, he reported.

“We decided we wanted to reach out to law enforcement officers, to increase awareness and also to share Christ with people,” he said. “We found that through … being an advocate for those issues, it translated into people coming to know Christ.”

So, in a second term, “I would like to work with Texas Baptists on understanding the relationship between advocacy and evangelism and how that holistic approach can transform churches and our communities,” he said. “Maybe in this next year, I can help Texas Baptists with initiatives that will be cross-culturally savvy and be able to understand how to implement evangelism and advocacy on the local level.”

Advocacy

Finally, Johnson would like to help Texas Baptists fill the “gaping hole” left by the imminent departure of Suzii Paynter, director of the Christian Life Commission and the BGCT’s Advocacy/Care center. She has been selected to lead the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

“I would not choose the person, but I would like to help go forward—not to replace Suzii, but to find someone for that position to take us even further than she’s taken us. That’s a tall order, but we have Texas Baptists who can do that.”

During his presidency, Johnson has visited a region of the state each month, “trying to build bridges … and listen and challenge people to understand who Texas Baptists are, to do evangelism, advocacy and care, and to transform our state for the kingdom of God,” he said.

“As a convention officer, I hope to motivate and encourage people, but also come alongside them and let them know they matter and Texas Baptists are listening,” he stressed. “We have an amazing group of people in the BGCT, and we’re poised to do some really great things.”

National study shows Baylor alumni loyalty. A new national survey by a leading academic survey research institute shows that large majorities of Baylor University alumni are “very proud” to be graduates and report a stronger bond than ever to their alma mater. The University of New Hampshire Survey Center polled a national sample of 609 randomly selected Baylor alumni. The alumni answered a variety of questions concerning their alma mater, including their level of connectedness to Baylor, the quality of education they received at the university, the likelihood they would recommend Baylor as a “top choice” university to their college-age children and their support for various alumni programming options. The survey found 98 percent reported a special bond or connection to Baylor, 96 percent of Baylor alumni said they are proud to be a graduate of Baylor University, and 91 percent said they are interested in maintaining a connection to Baylor. About eight in 10 alumni give Baylor an excellent rating, while a majority of alumni now say Baylor ranks among the best private universities in the nation, up from 35 percent in 2007. The survey revealed 88 percent of alumni said they would recommend Baylor as a “top choice” school to their college-age children. The scientific survey was conducted by the UNHSC using a random selection of alumni from a list provided by Baylor. The margin of sampling error for the random survey of 609 respondents is plus or minus 4 percent. The full report of the most recent alumni survey can be found here .

Baylor regents OK fund-raising for business school. Baylor University’s board of regents approved public fundraising for a 275,000-square-foot business school building that will expand the school’s size and reach by nearly 40 percent. The architectural design for the new Baylor Hankamer School of Business building includes a centerpiece atrium that will showcase some of the school’s signature classrooms, such as the Southwest Securities Financial Markets Center. It also includes a 350-seat auditorium to accommodate guest lectures and special events, and a variety of classroom spaces that will incorporate the latest technology for collaborative learning, innovation and problem solving. The project cost is estimated at $100 million. In addition to fund-raising for a new business school building, regents approved two projects—a $12 million refurbishment of South Russell Hall and a $1.75 million build-out at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative, which will create more than 7,500 square feet of symposium and training space.

• Joe Branham to First Baptist Church of Lake Brownwood as pastor.

• Jim Looby has resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church in Blanket.

Bad sex bigger problem than religious differences. According to a new study from the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute, conducted in partnership with Religion News Service, 54 percent of Americans surveyed said an unsatisfying sex life is a major problem for a relationship or marriage, while only 29 percent cited a couple’s differing religious beliefs as a major problem. Only white evangelicals—56 percent—seemed to focus on religious difference as a big relationship issue. But that doesn’t mean they’re not concerned about a bad sex life—57 percent see it as a major problem. Catholics also stand out in the study: Relatively few Catholics—19 percent—consider differing religious beliefs a big concern for a couple. The Catholic Church, meanwhile, encourages a shared faith and typically frowns on a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic within the church. The survey of 1,021 Americans was conducted between Feb. 6 and 10, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. 

Newtown prayers spark Missouri Synod Lutheran dust-up. Matthew Harrison, leader of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, censured a pastor for participating in a prayer service for victims of the Sandy Hook school massacre. Harrison asked Rob Morris, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newtown, Conn., to apologize for participating in a public interfaith vigil with President Obama two days after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at the town’s elementary school. Morris apologized and Harrison accepted, but the exchange sparked a media firestorm with charges that the 2.4 million-member denomination was intolerant, insensitive or both. Harrison subsequently said he made a bad situation even worse. His handling of the Newtown service is almost certain to be a factor as Harrison seeks re-election in July when delegates gather in St. Louis for their triennial convention. The Missouri Synod’s constitution prohibits members from taking part in worship services that blend the beliefs and practices of Lutherans with those of other faiths and Christian denominations.

Cash-strapped NCC to move to D.C. The National Council of Churches is moving its headquarters from New York City to Washington, a change the cash-strapped ecumenical group predicts will save as much as $500,000 over time. The move is part of a restructuring that eliminated six administrative positions and outsourced human resources and other NCC departments. In its 2011 annual report—the latest available—the NCC showed $4.3 million in revenues and $5.6 million in expenses. The NCC will transform its current D.C. satellite office—in a building owned by the United Methodist Church across the street from the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court—into its national headquarters.

Long sued over alleged Ponzi scheme. Bishop Eddie Long, an Atlanta megachurch pastor, faces a suit from former parishioners who say he encouraged them to invest in a company operating an alleged Ponzi scheme. A dozen former members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., filed suit in DeKalb County court in late January. After Long introduced businessman Ephren W. Taylor as his friend, the former New Birth members lost more than $1 million investing with the self-described “social capitalist.” The suit says Long’s assistant had been warned Taylor was running a $3 million capital deficit, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Taylor in 2012 with running a Ponzi scheme, and a civil case against him is pending. SEC officials said he promised to use investments for charity and to help economically challenged areas but instead diverted the funds he received after speaking to churches, including New Birth, to pay other investors and finance business and personal expenses.

American Baptists appoint Burmese missionaries. Two hundred years after missionary Adoniram Judson’s 1813 mission to Burma, American Baptist Home Mission Societies appointed two missionaries to serve refugees from the Southeast Asian country also known as Myanmar. The appointments of pastors Saw Ler Htoo of Laurel, Md., and Ronald Charles Nunuk of Milwaukee mark the first time Burmese pastoral leaders will serve as staff at the national level. The duo will be commissioned at this year’s biennial meeting of American Baptist Churches USA, scheduled June 21-23 in Overland Park, Kan. Htoo has been pastor of Calvary Burmese Church in Washington, D.C., since 2001 and executive secretary of Karen Baptist Churches USA since 2009. He also serves on the Burma Refugees Task Force. Nunuk is founding senior pastor at Carson Chin Baptist Church in Milwaukee and trustee and youth coordinator of Chin Baptist Churches of USA. He has served as a board member of American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin.

CBF, American Baptist leaders meet. Staff leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Churches USA recently met in Atlanta to share ideas and discuss present and future partnerships. In 2007, CBF and ABCUSA met together in Washington, D.C., for the CBF’s annual general assembly and American Baptist biennial meeting. At that gathering, the two organizations jointly commissioned four field personnel to missions service—Nancy and Steve James serving in Haiti and Duane and Marcia Binkley serving among Karen refugees. The two groups also have partnered in disaster-response efforts including the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina and recently Hurricane Sandy. They share partners in ministry, such as the Baptist World Alliance, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Affairs, Baptist Center for Ethics and Baptists Today.

Moderate leader Tondera dies. Steve Tondera, 79, of Huntsville, Ala., a layman active in moderate Baptist causes, died Feb. 13. A former NASA administrator and progressive cattleman, he was active in Huntsville’s First Baptist Church. Twice elected president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, Tondera was among leadership of a group originally called Baptists Committed to the Southern Baptist Convention along with pastors Winfred Moore, Richard Jackson, Daniel Vestal, James Slatton and fellow laymen John Baugh and George McCotter. Tondera ran unsuccessfully for second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1990 on a moderate slate led by Vestal, at the time pastor of Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta. When the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship formed, Tondera was selected to serve on the first CBF Coordinating Council.

John Ward Jr., 92, Feb. 4 in Oklahoma City. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945 in the Pacific Theater. A 1949 graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he was a minister of music for churches in Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Florida. He also worked at the Baptist Annuity Board 10 years. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Lilah; son, Monty; daughter, Harmony Ward; sisters, Monnie Wheelus and Nancy Ward; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Thomas Chism, 84, Feb. 9 in Fort Worth. He was a Baptist Student Union director at the University of Texas at El Paso and also served as a teacher and administrator there. During the 35 years he lived there, he and his family were members of First Baptist Church in El Paso. After retirement, he worked in the development offices of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Truett Seminary and the B.H. Carroll Institute. He was a member of Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth at the time of his death. He worked tirelessly to improve tolerance, acceptance and social justice. A furniture refinisher and picture framer, he loved western novels, bluegrass music and bargains. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Frances; son, Steve; daughter, Judy Malazzo; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.