Texas Baptist Forum: Pastoral expectations

Pastoral expectations

Allen Reasons’ response to the request for resources for a pastor-search committee (Dec. 21) was excellent except for one issue.

In my experience as a committee chairman, I learned the committee needs to prepare a written resumé to define the candidate who would fulfill the church’s expectations. This resumé should go into great detail. Each candidate then is compared to that resumé. Never compare one candidate’s qualifications against the qualifications of another candidate.

Of course, even the Apostle Paul would not exactly match this hypothetical resumé. Prayer and communication will provide wisdom within the committee to identify the person God would have them present to the church.

This hypothetical resumé must remain confidential within the committee, just as the privacy of all candidates is kept confidential. Gossip always is harmful. Remember, the person recommended to the church will not meet every item in the hypothetical resumé. The church should never know about items not met by the recommended candidate.

Bill Osborne

Houston

 

Convention attendance

I don’t think people’s dislike for “petty politics and bickering,” as characterized by John Unger (Dec. 7 ), is the main reason for declining attendance at the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ annual meeting.

Rather, people will go out of their way to attend a convention or seminar that offers real opportunities for professional growth and personal renewal.

Conversely, people will stay away from statewide business meetings like they stay away from their own church’s meetings.

As a side note, the decline in participative decision-making has paralleled the rise of elder rule among Baptists. The attitude is summarized by letting someone trustworthy do the administration, because we have more important things to attend to. Those “other important things” must become the very substance of the annual meeting, or else we will continue to see a downward trend in attendance.

Ben Macklin

Vernon

 

Church planters

As a church planter myself, I feel a growing sense of concern for Texas Baptists’ church-planting program. Specifically, my fellow church planters consistently tell me:

• The planter is the only person with a vision from God, and everyone in that congregation must follow the planter.

• Asking questions and presenting any reasoned, logical arguments regarding sermons or teachings are forbidden.

• Leaders are selected based on their relationship with the lead planter.

• Education is bad.

• Seminary is bad.

• People who volunteer to help are suspect.

Given this predominant attitude among church planters whom I know, I wish to ask the following questions:

• What is it about educated church members that frightens planters?

• When planters dictate that people must follow and obey them without question, are they setting themselves up as mini-popes?

• Why do so many BGCT planters insist on claiming they are not Baptists? Do they not realize that by being part of the BGCT and lying about it, they engage in a bait-and-switch?

• Luke and Paul had more education than any church planter I've met. How can so many church planters justify saying education is bad?

• Why do church planters persist in preaching and practicing the idea that people who already are Chris-tians are not welcome in their church plants? Why do they stand in God's way when he decides to bring experienced Christians alongside them?

Mike Sacmary

Austin

 

Gift of salvation

That’s quite a stretch by Tom Hightower to equate Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize with God’s free gift of salvation (Dec. 21 ).

God’s free gift of salvation requires acceptance first, but it must be earned afterward. Repentance is required. In that sense, it is not free but requires a return from the life we live. The free gift of salvation from God was Jesus Christ.

Fred Rosenbaum

Gainesville

 

Needs of Foster Teens

The article on foster teens (Dec. 7) recognizes a serious need to fill the transition gap. The initiative of Toby Owen, Bryans Fitzhugh and University Baptist Church in Fort Worth is most praiseworthy.

The current foster-care system, apparently based on historic norms, does not address the handicap and difficulty of foster teens in a world where transition to adulthood or independent living is 21 to 25 years of age. Reduction of vocational skills training at the high school level in Texas has contributed to the transition deficit. Since more than 2,000 Texas teens age out of foster care per year, it seems this need could be met more completely by changes to the foster-care system. Transition benefits likely would be a small fraction of the current cost of homeless teens and issues that are borne by the state or others.

Since foster homes inherit much of the burden by default, such a program would be a strong encouragement to maintain the foster-care system.

Bill Fellers

Trent

Jon Randles' work outstanding

What an outstanding ministry Jon Randles has given our Lord and this state with his work as director of the Texas Baptist evangelism team.  His enthusiasm—both for our Lord Jesus and seeing the lost saved—has been powerful and effective! 

His service has not been due to a title or position he held. His service came from his heart and desire to impact the kingdom of God in an evangelistic way! 

As he has asked before, “What do you ooze?”  Jon Randles “oozes” an evangelistic fervor and positive encouragement for folks in our pews as well as church staff members to get outside the church and practice the evangelism we hear and preach! 

Frank Teat

Henderson

Muslims in the military

Do we need a debate on whether Muslims should serve in the U.S. armed forces?

My grandson Kirkland turned a year old a couple of months after 9-11. We have been at war in Muslim countries all of his life. Kirkland, like many other little boys, looks up to the U.S. armed forces. His No. 1 ambition is to fight for this United States of America when he is grown. That’s only 9 years away, and I pray everyday God will guard and guide Kirkland’s ambition. Every day, I ask God to give him a little bit of extra special attention for that day; wondering if I may have to pray that prayer someday when Kirkland actually fights in a foreign Muslim land.

There is no question in Kirkland’s 9-year-old mind that he will fight for freedom if needed. My family on my father’s side started fighting for freedom way back in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War. My mother had three brothers who fought in World War II. She had an uncle who fought and died in World War I. I have a brother who went to Vietnam. We have family who served in Korea. One of my great nephews served two tours in Iraq.

Non-Muslim armies are fighting for the freedom of those Muslims who are busy debating what part they should play in fighting to keep this free America many of them call home! Is a debate really necessary?

Joyce M. Brumley

Grand Prairie

What do you think? Send letters to Editor Marv Knox by mail: P.O. Box 660267, Dallas 75266-0267; or by e-mail: [email protected]. Due to space considerations, limit letters to 250 words, and only one letter per writer per quarter.