• Blake Atwood to First Church in Georgetown as director of media and communications.

• Shawn Boyd to First Church in Amarillo as student ministry associate.

• Tara Gresham to First Church in Victoria as youth director.

• Adam Grubb to First Church in Amarillo as student ministry associate.

• Ron Herring to First Church in Paris as intentional interim pastor.

• Timm Jackson to Bethel Church in Jefferson as interim pastor.

• Amanda Largent to Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville as minister of preschool and children.

• Patrick McKeever to First Church in Hallsville as minister of youth.

• Dwight Merrell to First Church in Jourdanton as youth pastor.

• Chris Merritt to First Church in Savoy as pastor from Faith Community Church in Maud.

• Jeremy Moore has resigned as youth minister at First Church in Luella.

• Roger Morris to Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville as worship leader.

• David Murphy to North Park Church in Sherman as pastor.

• Cari Nix has resigned as children’s ministry director at Longbranch Church in Midlothian.

• Troy Peeples to Bay Area First Church in League City as pastor from First Church in Gunter.

• Mark Riley to Connell Church in Fort Worth as pastor.

• James Runnels to Crossroads Church in Marshall as minister of music/evangelism.

• Paul Ryan has resigned as pastor at Trinity Church in Sherman.

• Phillip Thomas to First Church in Sweetwater as pastor.

• Bruce Troy to Southmont Church in Denton as pastor.

• David Valentine to Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville as pastor from First Church in Huntsville.

• Jim Watson to First Church in Devine as interim pastor.

• Scott Williams to Covenant Fellowship in Huntsville as equipping pastor.

AUSTIN—Even though it could be 2011 before the Texas Legislature reconsiders Gov. Rick Perry’s proposal to lease the lottery, Suzii Paynter of the Texas Christian Life Commission, sees the delay as a temporary reprieve.

Paynter, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas moral concerns and public policy arm, said a recent news report that the legislature isn’t likely to tackle the idea during its five-month session that starts in January isn’t that reassuring.

“The lottery and casino expansion is never dead,” Paynter said of the prospect that lawmakers won’t immediately take another look at the proposal unveiled in Perry’s 2007 “State of the State” address.

Suzii Paynter

Leasing could generate a $20 billion upfront payment, which Perry wants to invest in programs such as education and a health insurance fund.

Gamble not paying off 

“States have already been in the gambling business and they are losing,” Paynter said. “So, they are going to have an initiative to expand gambling.”

Despite the lull in the lottery-leasing plan, the CLC director foresees attempts in 2009 to expand bingo and other games used to generate funds for charity. She also expects a push to expand lottery options into more “instant winner” games and other lures to offset a slight drop in sales this year.

Paynter said the push to privatize the lottery is an attempt to monetize it by gambling on future earnings. However, she said investment banks—such as Lehman Brothers, UBS and Morgan Chase—that have promoted these deals are having their own financial problems, emphasizing the risky nature of the proposal.

“That whole deregulation and monetization didn’t reason with our senses very well,” she said of anti-gambling activists who opposed the move in the first round of legislative hearings.

Predatory plans 

“People had a lot of questions. Senators said, ‘Do you mean (private operators) could sell tickets in student unions?’ It sounded pretty predatory.”

Another source of opposition stemmed from the exploitation of addictive behavior that privatization represents, Paynter said. The idea of someone wanting to take others’ weakness and make a fortune off it is “chilling” and foreign to the role of a government that ought to protect its citizens, she said.

However, Paynter said when she questioned an investment banker about this kind of opportunistic action, he replied that his firm was neutral on that issue. 

“What they’re saying is they don’t care if it creates more addicts,” Paynter said. “They just want to make their 7 percent or whatever on the transaction.”

In addition, Paynter opposes privatization because of the nation’s financial crisis, saying the state should be promoting thrift instead of more gambling and debt. Growth, investment and generosity toward others are the principles Texans should be pursuing, she stressed.

Paynter is interested in learning about a federal agency’s proposal to redirect lottery machinery toward encouraging people to save money.

“This is a values decision,” Paynter said. “We plan to discuss it with state officials. We need to examine how we could use lottery equipment to get people to save for the future rather than creating debt.”

She thinks the crisis on Wall Street that led to the multi-billion-dollar federal bailout may prompt further reflection on ways to reverse the status of our debt-laden culture: “I hope people are revisiting some stronger values.”

GALVESTON—More than a month after Hurricane Ike came onto the Texas shore as a Category 2 storm, hundreds of Galveston residents still are searching for a place to call home, but a Baptist agency has stepped in to help.

At the request of Galveston County Judge James D. Yarbrough, the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management tapped Baptist Child & Family Services to establish a state shelter as a temporary home for more than 240 individuals and families to stay as they transition to more permanent residence.

“Officials continue working diligently to help those impacted by Hurricane Ike get back on their feet and begin rebuilding their lives,” BCFS President Kevin Dinnin said.

The agency hopes to have all the people relocated and to close the unified shelter no later than Nov. 10, he added.

“People are not supposed to live in shelters. The Galveston County Unified Command will do everything possible to assist shelter guests secure transitional or permanent housing,” Dinnin said.

The Galveston Unified Command Shelter opened on the island Oct. 26, equipped with an around-the-clock operational mobile medical unit and nursing staff, catering services offering hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and laundry facilities. School buses also are transporting students to and from school daily.

“The shelter is a temporary home, but it’s a home nonetheless,” said Asennet Segura, Galveston Unified Command Shelter director. “We work hard to make sure guests are comfortable while they are in our care so they can focus on what is really important—getting their lives put back together.”

FEMA representatives and case managers are working one-on-one with displaced residents, locating a family member, apartment or other living arrangements that will meet the family’s needs.

BCFS established a unified command to assume shelter operations in Galveston County as a part of a public/private partnership with the state of Texas.

BCFS is the principal medical special-needs shelter provider for the state during disasters and most recently provided incident command and management for the Texas Department of State Health Services element of Texas Task Force Ike.

GEORGETOWN—Sermon preparation is an important part of the pastor’s tradecraft, and for some it’s a stronger part of their ministry than for others. Even pastors who have little trouble preparing a sermon each week find it’s easy to get into a rut over time, said David McCoy, a leader of creative thinking workshops.

While few pastors would compare themselves to a masked man riding a white charger, McCoy tried to supply the pastors who attended a creative sermon preparation workshop sponsored by Williamson Baptist Association with one more silver bullet to add to their arsenal.

McCoy, a research chemist with 49 U.S. patents and layman at Main Street Baptist Church in Georgetown, cautioned that more than creativity is necessary.

“Creativity is not enough. It has to be practical. That is the difference between creativity and innovation—whether it accomplishes its purpose,” he said.

Those who don’t think of themselves as naturally creative need not fret, he added.

“Some say you can’t teach creativity. That’s a heresy. The first thing we learn about God is that he is the Creator. What is the first thing we learn about man? He is created in the image of God. He is by nature a creator,” McCoy said.

As with most creative endeavors, when it comes to sermon preparation, “half the battle is getting started,” McCoy said.

In addition to writer’s block, another obstacle is boredom. “You not only get bored with constantly having to come up with sermon ideas; sometimes your congregation gets bored with what you come up with,” he said.

“What you need is … (in the words of) a creativity guru—a whack up side the head.”

He suggested working on the sermon in a different location than usual and possibly sitting in a different kind of chair. It works the same with congregations who routinely sit in the same pews each week, he added.

“The more comfortable you are, the less you are going to listen. We get into body posture ruts just like we do mental ruts,” McCoy observed.

Get out of your rut 

People stay in ruts because they are comfortable, he added.

“If you keep to your same old rut, you can go on forever. Your congregation may fire you, but you can keep it up because you’re in your comfort zone. Trying to do something more creative is much more difficult and much, much harder to keep up on a weekly basis,” he said.

One way to begin being more creative is to get away from linear thinking, McCoy suggested. As an example, he cited a situation where a pastor decides to target the needs of the congregation in his sermons. One possible process would be for him to go to the deacons and ask, “What are the congregation’s needs?” Then he would make a list, prioritize items, start working from the top of the list, search for Scriptures, decide on the Scripture passage to be used, search for illustrations of the sermons points, choose a commentary for additional insights, practice the sermon and, finally, deliver the sermon.

This linear method, while seemingly straightforward, has a fatal flaw, McCoy said.

“This method requires each step to be correct to have a good end result. There are so many opportunities for things to get off track,” he said.

Instead, McCoy suggested trying lateral thinking.

Start with a problem 

Start with a problem. Something totally unrelated comes up, but it sparks an idea. Later, something else that may be tangentially related pops up, and this continues until they all interrelate “to find a final product not directly related to any of the ideas, but a product of them all,” he said.

“Many of the best ideas come while doing mindless tasks like shaving or mowing, so keep a pad and pencil on hand so that the thoughts are down before they flee,” McCoy suggested.

Lateral thinking may leave more room for the Holy Spirit to work in the sermon preparation process, he suggested.

“The Pharisees rejected Jesus because he did not fit their box,” McCoy said. “I think we do the same thing with the Holy Spirit. He tries to move us out of our box, and we push it away.”

McCoy also discussed brainstorming. While the first slew of ideas may be limited, he suggested expanding the list of possibilities by taking an idea suggested and expanding or minimizing it, taking two ideas and combining them and then looking at the opposite of an idea.

As another method to help prepare a sermon when Sunday is looming, McCoy turned to Fran Stryker, the writer of the weekly Lone Ranger radio show for 21 years.

Stryker parsed out the different elements of an episode and made a list of heroes in addition to the Lone Ranger such as a sheriff, the pretty young teacher at the one-room schoolhouse and a number of others. He then did the same thing with secondary characters other than Tonto, plot anchors such as a bank robbery or stagecoach hold-up and settings.

After making the list, he numbered them and had his wife pick numbers at random each Monday morning. Then he put together the disparate elements into that week’s script.

While pastors would have different elements, he suggested this would give them one more tool when the rut has become too deep.

• Dallas Baptist University will hold a “Patriot Preview” day for prospective students Nov. 8. There is no cost. For more information, call (214) 333-5360.

• Brent Marsh has been promoted to assistant vice president for student life and dean of students at Howard Payne University. Marsh has been dean of student life the past four years and has been an instructor in the School of Christian Studies, teaching church and personal finance in the youth ministry master’s program.

• The Baylor University Alumni Association presented its Young Alumni Awards to Ali Azizzadeh, Tina Bryson, Collin Cox, Kimberly Hightower and David Phelps Oct. 31 during homecoming festivities.

• The East Texas Baptist University alumni relations office presented awards to several people. Bob Utley, who retired as a religion professor in 2003, received the J. Wesley Smith Achievement Award. Gene and Lois Grammar received the W.T. Tardy Service Award. Larry McFadden was named the Alumni Achievement Award winner. The Young Alumnus Award went to Greg Whaley. Other award winners include Steve Ditmore, Ida Mae Fugler, Roger Chapman, Nelda Carter and Earle Oldham Sr.

Anniversary

• Andy Davis, 20th, as pastor of First Church in Belton, Nov. 13. A fellowship in his honor will be held following the evening service Nov. 16.

Deaths

• Nell Knight, 82, Oct. 22 in Decatur, Ga. She was the wife of Walker Knight, who served the Baptist Standard as associate editor from 1950 to 1959. She worked at the Home Mission Board in enlisting and assigning volunteers during the time her husband also worked there. She is survived by her husband of 64 years; sons, Walker Jr. and Kenneth; daughters, Nelda Coats and Jill Howell; four grandsons; and one great-grandson.

• Bill Marshall, 79, Oct. 23 in San Antonio. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s extension center in San Antonio is named for him. He was director of the center from 1985 until 2000, and it was named for him in 2006. A layman, he served as a Sunday school teacher and deacon at First Church in San Antonio and was a member of the executive boards of both the Baptist General Convention of Texas and San Antonio Association. A native of San Antonio, he was passionate about advancing theological education, especially for Hispanic pastors. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Nell, earlier this year. He is survived by his daughters, Susan Marshall and Angie Pollok; and two granddaughters.

Events

• Randel Everett, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, will speak at Agape Church in Fort Worth Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.

• First Church in Burnet will present Main Street Bethlehem Dec. 5, 6 and 7, and 12, 13 and 14 from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. The permanent outdoor structure draws 20,000 people annually to the recreation of biblical Bethlehem. For more information, call (512) 756-6033.

Revival

• Fitzhugh Church, Austin; Nov. 5-9; evangelist, Robert Barge; music, Jeff Gore; pastor, Jerry Kelley.

WACO—Baylor University’s faculty, alumni and students want a vote in choosing the school’s next president, according to statements approved by representative bodies of each group.

The Baylor Faculty Senate, the Baylor Alumni Association and Baylor Student Government each passed resolutions in recent weeks urging the schools’ board of regents to include faculty, staff, alumni, students and other constituencies as voting members of the presidential search committee.

The chair of the regents expressed his hope that the presidential search committee would take seriously the suggestions of “the various members of the Baylor family,” but he added the responsibility of choosing a president—“and the method by which a president is selected”—belongs to the board.

Voting rights 

“It would be inappropriate for me to promise ‘voting rights’ to any party outside the Baylor board of regents,” Regents Chair Howard Batson wrote in a statement to Faculty Senate Chair Georgia Green. He noted the board was “looking at best practices for presidential searches.”

In an interview, Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, explained the board had examined at least 20 “peer and peer-plus” universities, and no single definitive model exists for conducting a presidential search.

"There’s not one best way or recommended way,” he said. 

After the regents' meeting Nov. 1, Batson said the regents took no action regarding the appointment of a presidential search committee.

"We believe our interim president and interim provost are doing a good job, and we don't feel any need to be in a hurry," Batson said in a phone interview.

Batson again underscored the committee's research showed no single definitive process used by the best universities for a presidential search. He indicated the process Baylor followed in the last presidential search—an all-regent search committee working in consultation with non-voting advisory committee representing different university constituencies—is within the bounds of accepted practice.

However, he noted no regent action, and he said no timetable is attached to the search process.

Baylor’s Faculty Senate adopted a resolution at its Sept. 9 meeting. The Baylor Alumni Association followed suit on Oct. 11, and Baylor Student Government approved a similar statement Oct. 23.

The resolutions indicate the degree of disunity that has plagued Baylor over the last five years.

Robert Sloan stepped down as Baylor University’s president in 2005. During the last two years of his presidency at Baylor, the Faculty Senate twice gave him “no confidence” votes, and the regents voted three times on Sloan’s continuing employment.

About nine months after Sloan and the regents agreed to the terms of his departure, the board unanimously elected John Lilley as president. Lilley had earned two degrees from Baylor, but he had been away from Texas 40 years. The board of regents fired him this July, halfway through his contract, for failing to “bring the Baylor family together.”

In its recent resolution regarding the presidential search, the Faculty Senate commended the regents for their efforts “to unify the Baylor University community” by seeking input from faculty and other constituencies in naming David Garland as interim president and Elizabeth Davis as interim provost.

The alumni association resolution included a similar statement. The student resolution noted faculty and alumni were consulted regarding the interim provost and president positions, but Baylor Student Government did not have the opportunity to offer any input.

"Transient leadership" 

The Faculty Senate resolution also stated, “Baylor’s standing in the larger academic community and its ability to raise institutional funds has been significantly hampered by transient leadership, perceptions of disunity and perceptions of nonstandard procedures and searches.”

When regents initiated the search that led to Lilley’s hiring, they involved two groups—a search committee make up entirely of regents and an advisory committee that included representatives from the school’s various constituencies. Members of the advisory committee met with the search committee and participate in some candidate interviews, but they did not have voting rights.

The Faculty Senate resolution urged the regents to follow the models of “America’s best universities” where the presidential search process is characterized by full faculty participation with voting rights, along with full the participation of students, staff and alumni.

Specifically, the Faculty Senate resolution called on the regents to form a search committee in which faculty representatives would serve with full voting rights and the balance between regents and faculty on the committee would reflect “best practices at other leading universities.”  

The resolution also called on regents to include on the search committee as voting members duly elected representatives of “Baylor’s other constituent bodies,” specifically mentioning not only the student body and alumni, but also the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

In their statements, the Baylor Alumni Association and Baylor Student Government voiced support for the Faculty Senate’s resolution.

A call for transparency 

The alumni and student resolutions included calls for openness and transparency. The Baylor Alumni Association statement noted a call in the most recent issue of the Baylor Line alumni publication “in favor of open communication and greater transparency of governance.” Regent meetings are closed to the media and the public.

Batson issued a written statement in direct response to the Faculty Senate resolution.

“I am certainly grateful that the faculty recognizes the board of regents’ attempts to rech out to them and take their input seriously. The goodwill between the faculty and the board is much better than I have experienced in many years,” Batson said.

Citing the Southern Association of College and Schools accrediting agency, he noted “that the selection of the president properly resides with the board.”

However, he noted the board was examining “best practices” for presidential searches.

“Of course, we will not be bound to any one model but will consider both what Baylor has done in the past, as well as models from other universities,” Batson said.

The board of regents “would like to continue to strengthen its relationship with all members of the Baylor family,” he concluded.

Candace Beggs, 18, a Howard Payne University freshman and pastor’s daughter, was killed Oct. 26 outside Mexia in a two-car crash.

She was the daughter of Darrel and Denise Beggs. He is pastor of First Baptist Church in Teague. Candace was returning to Howard Payne after a trip to Teague to participate in homecoming activities.

The accident occurred on Highway 84 east of Mexia around 5 p.m. Four people in the other vehicle, two women and two children, were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Beggs was majoring in cross-cultural studies, with a minor in English at the Brownwood school.

“All our hearts are hurting right now as we mourn the loss of Candace,” said Brad Johnson, vice president for enrollment and student services. “As the HPU campus comes together to support each other, our thoughts and prayers remain with the Beggs family.”

Candace’s Old Testament teacher Jay Smith, assistant professor of Christian Studies, commented: “Candace was very studious and was always concerned about the quality of her work. She was very focused and wanted to do well. Candace also possessed a strong faith and always wanted to be found faithful. This is a sore loss for all of us at Howard Payne, but we can find joy in knowing that she is in heaven today with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

She is survived by her parents; sister, Charis; and brother, Jeremy.

A candlelight vigil allowing students, faculty and staff to join together in prayer will be held on the HPU campus tonight, Oct. 27, at 9 p.m. at the Old Main Tower.

Funeral services have been set for 10 a.m. Wednesday morning at First Baptist Church, Teague.

Burial will be Wednesday afternoon at Chalk Mountain Cemetery in Glen Rose. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bowers Funeral Home on Hwy. 84 in Teague.

Leadership change at Valley Baptist. The Valley Baptist Health System’s board of trustees has named James Eastham as the organization’s president and chief executive officer. Eastham, formerly chief operating officer and executive vice president for the Harlingen-based health system, will succeed Jim Springfield, who is leaving to become a consultant on public policy, advocacy and health-plan management.

Missions Awards Luncheon set. The Texas Baptist Missions Foundation will honor three people for their missions involvement during its annual Mission Awards Luncheon Nov. 10 during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Fort Worth. Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased in advance. To order tickets by mail, make checks payable to Texas Baptist Missions Foundation, 333 N. Washington Ave., Dallas 75246. To order tickets by phone, call (800) 558-8263.

Free barbecue at Missions Team Banquet. Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Randel Everett will be the featured speaker at the Missions Team Banquet, 5 p.m. Nov. 10 in Ballroom A at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The dinner features barbecue with all the trimmings. There is no charge for the event, and tickets will be available at the River Ministry booth at the BGCT annual meeting in Fort Worth. Contributions will be accepted for the Win Oakes Minnesota/Wisconsin Church Starting Fund.

Incentives for retaking test draw criticism. Baylor University offered incoming freshmen $300 bookstore credit for retaking the Scholastic Aptitude Test and an additional $1,000 if they raised their test scores at least 50 points. After the campus newspaper, The Lariat, reported the practice, the story was carried nationally, and some academic experts asserted Baylor misused the SAT in order to boost the school’s status in the U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities. Baylor’s Faculty Senate passed a motion criticizing the incentives program, saying the practice is “academically dishonest and should be discontinued.” John Barry, Baylor’s vice president for marketing and communications, said the program was motivated by a desire to grant students access to additional unused financial aid. About 28 percent of the newly admitted Baylor students accepted the incentives offer, and 151 of them earned the $1,000 per year merit scholarships, collectively raising Baylor’s average SAT score for incoming freshmen from 1200 to 1210.

Substance abuse ministry dinner set prior to BGCT. Current addiction trends in Texas and resources to help churches deal with substance abuse will be the key topics addressed at a 6:30 p.m., Nov. 9, dinner at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Melinda Austin, national outreach manager for Hazeldon Treatment Center in Minneapolis, Minn., and Morgan Malone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bonham, are the featured speakers. Cost for the barbecue buffet dinner—scheduled the night before the opening session of the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting—is $10. For reservations, call (214) 828-5190 or e-mail alicia.enriquez@bgct.org.

• Keith Beck has resigned as minister of youth at First Church in Blanco.

• David Bonnet to Oak Knoll Church in Fort Worth as pastor from First Church in Evant.

• Kelly Clark to First Church in Georgetown as minister of adults.

• Chett Haynes to First Church in Waxahachie as minister of music from First Church in Lancaster.

• George Kelly has completed an interim pastorate at Briggs Church in Briggs and is available for interims.

• Andrew Lewis to First Church in Odem as youth minister.

• Bill Lindley to First Church in Gregory as interim pastor.

• Randy Marshall has resigned as pastor of First Church in Dickinson to become deputy command chaplain at USSOUTHCOM in Miami, Fla.

The following information is provided in compliance with the bylaws of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Nominations to be considered by messengers to the BGCT annual meeting, Nov. 10-11 in Fort Worth, are presented by the Committee on Committees, Committee to Nominate Executive Board Directors and the Committee for Nominations for Boards of Affiliated Ministries.

Click on the image to see a full-sized pdf listing all the nominations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is moving 5,000 mobile homes into Southeast Texas to provide housing for people affected by Hurricane Ike, and Texas Baptists have an opportunity to provide assistance to those people in their time of need.

FEMA is looking for people to provide “living kits” for each of the homes. Kits include basic household cleaning supplies, plates, silverware and other household items.

Carolyn Porterfield, who is leading the BGCT church-to-partnership efforts in the wake of Ike, challenged Texas Baptists to provide at least 2,500 of those living kits. This opportunity provides a chance for Texas Baptists to follow Christ’s command to help those in need, she noted.

“Texas Baptists have a unique opportunity to give hope to a family that has lost much by providing a living kit of household items that will be given to them when they move into a FEMA trailer,” Porterfield said. 

“As we give this gift to help them re-establish their living situation, we can pray that God will use it to speak to them of a living, loving God who is reaching out to them. Approximately 5,000 kits are needed.” 

For more information about living kits and other ministry opportunities in the wake of Hurricane Ike, visit www.bgct.org, and click on the “Response to Ike” link.