Jerry Shields has been pastor of First Baptist Church in Colorado City almost 11 years. From deep in the heart of one Texan, he shares his background and thoughts on church and ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

• Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

Youth minister at Second Baptist Church in Abilene, 5½ years

Pastor at Glen Cove Baptist Church near Coleman, 4½ years

Pastor at East Side Baptist Church in Comanche, 5½ years

• Where did you grow up?    

In Brownwood, attending First Baptist Church before moving at age 13 to Abilene, where we attended First Baptist Church

• How did you come to faith in Christ?

I was saved at age 8 in our home in Brownwood and baptized in First Baptist Church in Brownwood shortly thereafter.

• Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

Bachelor of arts in applied theology from Hardin-Simmons University

Master of arts in religion from Hardin-Simmons University

Master of divinity in Bible from Logsdon Seminary at Hardin-Simmons University

Doctor of ministry in church ministry from Abilene Christian University

Ministry/church

• Why do you feel called into ministry?

God called me to full-time Christian ministry prior to my junior year of high school, and I was licensed to the ministry by First Baptist Church in Abilene. Despite my naturally quiet and reserved nature, God patiently has grown me into my current call—to serve the local church as pastor with the goal of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

• What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

Seeing God work. What a privilege it is to see people saved, to see lives transformed and to see genuine change that leads to new life, new purpose, new relationships and growing usefulness in the ongoing work of God.

• What one aspect of congregational life gives you the greatest joy?

Community—when God’s people embrace and embody the biblical concept of “koinonia” in which people grow together and work together in an encouraging spirit to serve God and others while simultaneously using diverse gifts and callings to accomplish God’s purposes.

• How do you expect congregational life to change in the next 10 to 20 years?

As the modern approach to spirituality has become more individualistic, relativistic and anti-institutional, many have given up on the local church. But rather than give in to these cultural shifts, the local church can continue to hold out the value of community, the importance of Scriptures and the necessity of regular practices to maintain, preserve and pass on a legacy of faith.

I believe the importance of the local church will re-emerge among sincere Jesus followers who seek a means to nurture, preserve and pass on their faith. When believers grasp that our call involves more than our own personal salvation but includes joining God’s ongoing work of redeeming a lost world, we will find that the church—with all its imperfections and shortcomings—is the most natural, practical and biblical place for fulfilling that call.

• What qualities do you look for in a congregation?

In our church, we seek to fulfill the greatest command to love God and others by living: “Changed by the Grace of God,” “Committed to the Practices of the Faith” and “Commissioned on Behalf of the World.”

We want to express our faith by increasingly living the transformed life as depicted in the Sermon on the Mount, the fruit of the Spirit and the practical instruction found in texts such as Ephesians 4-5 and Colossians 3.

We seek to follow the example of the early church as depicted in Acts 2:42-47 and heed the warning of Hebrews 10:25 by faithfully engaging in disciplined practices that will nurture our faith, bear witness to God’s grace and increasingly form us into the image of Christ.

We seek to be changed, live changed and live lives of committed faithfulness for the sake of the world around us—everyone from our families and community to those we engage through mission activities and partnerships around the world.

So, FBC C-City is seeking to live as a changed, committed and commissioned community of faith for the good of others and the glory of God.

• What do you wish more laypeople knew about ministry or, specifically, your ministry?

I wish they knew how much I treasure and appreciate their committed partnership in the work. I wish they knew what a difference they are making when they serve, what an encouragement they are to me, what a model of faith they are for all of us.

I’m not always the best at expressing my appreciation for the partnership that exists among our staff and those who serve together so selflessly, so I wish they knew how very appreciative I am for each one who serves, for the positive and selfless spirit in which so many serve and for every act that is done for the good of the church and the glory of God.

About Jerry

• Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

I could write for hours on this question, because God has blessed me with so many wonderful Christian influences in my family, in a lifetime of church participation and in Christian higher education.

I would begin with my mom and dad, Corrine and James Shields, who modeled before me in every area of life what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Through the church, I have been taught and encouraged in the faith by youth ministers, Sundays school teachers, R.A. leaders, as well as tremendous pastors like Don Williford. I have served under people like Bobby Broyles.

I have been blessed with wonderful examples of church leaders, deacons like Bud Walker and Bo Elrod who took me visiting, as well as wise Christian women like Ida Hendrix and Lorraine Taylor. I have been encouraged by retired pastors like Charles Mitchell and others.

I have benefited from the instruction of countless gifted professors at Hardin-Simmons and Abilene Christian—men like my dad, Dr. Donnie Auvenshine, Dr. Bob Ellis, Dr. H.K. Neely, and many others, as well as the director of the doctoral program at ACU, Dr. Charles Siburt. I also have benefited from gathering with fellow pastors in various peer-learning groups, pastors who have been a tremendous source of wisdom and encouragement.

Some of these mentors were in my life for a season, and some have since passed away, but so many have had a lasting, positive impact on my Christian life and ministry. Everywhere I have been, I have been exceedingly blessed to have encountered and benefited from the teaching, example and encouragement of so many faithful servants of God.

• What is the impact of ministry on your wife and children?

My wife, Kay, is a tremendous partner and support in ministry. She was called to be a pastor’s wife and faithfully fulfills that call by an active involvement in the life of the church, as well as a flexibility that enables me to minister to others as needed. She also is a school teacher, engaged with the students and parents of our community in an additional means of connection and ministry.

My sons, Caleb and Clayton, have grown up in the church, where they have been nurtured in the faith. They made their professions of faith at the same time on Christmas Day 2012, and I had the wonderful privilege of baptizing them together on New Year’s Day 2013. My oldest son is in eighth grade, helps with the TV ministry of the church and serves on the Youth Ministry Council. My youngest son, who is in sixth grade, is active as well, involved in the life of the church and helping run the sound on Sunday evenings.

They all feel loved and supported by the congregation we are so very blessed to serve.

• Name some of your favorite books (other than the Bible) or authors, and explain why.

With current trends in spirituality, I have found Dietrich Bonhoeffers’ The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together to be exceedingly challenging and relevant. The first challenges our temptation toward “cheap grace,” while the second challenges our tendency toward a spiritual individualism that denies our need for community.

My favorite author is Eugene Peterson, and among my favorite books are: Eat This Book, The Jesus Way, Practice Resurrection and Pastor. His book Run with the Horses helped toughen me up a bit for the bumps in ministry, and our church gives A Long Obedience in the Same Direction to new members. His writings are particularly appealing because they are consistently pastoral, practical and grounded in the biblical text.

I also have enjoyed reading After You Believe by N.T. Wright and the conversational approach of Dallas Willard’s Renewing the Christian Mind.

• What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? Why?

Psalm 32 has been my favorite passage since college. In this psalm, I rediscovered my desperate need for God’s grace, the wonderful mystery of it as well as the proper response to it.

• Who is your favorite Bible character (other than Jesus)? Why?

Ruth is definitely among my favorites. Her story occurs in some of the spiritually darkest days of the Old Testament. Even though she had no status, no position of power and fought no battles, this “outsider” embraced and embodied a faith that would sustain her, guide her and ultimately instruct and shape future generations. In a dark time, she quietly and faithfully went about her day-to-day responsibilities in relative obscurity; but her story is recorded for us, and her life made a difference in the ongoing purposes of God.

To read other “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” profiles, click here.

Marv Knox’s editorial “Christians: It’s time to knit safety nets” gave a helpful overview of the massive cuts to federal social safety-net programs proposed by the Trump administration, as well as the challenge to the church’s witness such cuts have potential to bring.

Jake RaabeThe budget is highly unlikely to pass in its current state, but many have defended it nevertheless. “Taking care of the poor is the church’s job, not the government’s” has been a consistent refrain from Christians in support of the cuts. Knox challenged churches to begin to take that sentiment seriously, and many readers indicated a readiness to do so. Can the church really take on the entirety of poverty response in America?

Brad Williams at Christ and Pop Culture did the math on this a few years ago. Take WIC—Women, Infants and Children—a program that provides funds for food and healthcare to the neediest and most vulnerable members of society. This program spends about $6.6 billion a year. Given that evangelicals typically give about 4 percent of their income to their church and make up about 24 percent of the population, every evangelical church in the country would need to spend around 17 percent of its budget in order to provide the same coverage WIC currently does.

Budget hikes
I’ve worked in several churches, and none of them has ever had one-fifth of its budget free and available for immediate use. Something would need to be cut significantly in most church budgets to be able to spend an additional 17 percent on benevolence. For most churches, this likely will have to come from ministers’ salaries, typically the largest non-building expense. Given that most churches spend 40 percent to 50 percent of their budgets on salaries, evangelicals would need to tithe around twice as much as they currently do or reduce their ministers’ salaries by half to make up for WIC alone, which only provides basic food and health care to women in poverty with children under 5 years old.

This is just one program for one group of people in need. These numbers don’t take into account benevolence for disabled people, elderly people, the recently unemployed or families with children over age 5.

What would it look like for the church to take on the full extent of poverty relief in the United States? According to an article in the Washington Post, America spends about $212 billion per year on welfare services. Determining total annual U.S. church contributions is difficult, but one estimate from 2007 put the number around $97 billion for all religious institutions combined. This means the church taking on full responsibility for U.S. poverty alleviation would require all American Christians to give more than double what they give currently—triple, if they want their churches to be able to operate in more or less the same way they do now.

Triple giving?

Would your congregation be prepared to triple its total giving in order to alleviate poverty? Maybe it is. Maybe the church really can end poverty in the United States. We should be realistic in what this would require, though. Most churches struggle to increase yearly giving enough to keep pastors’ salaries in line with inflation. If we’re willing to claim poverty alleviation is the exclusive work of the church, are we willing to drastically adjust our giving accordingly?

Of course, some might question if we should be spending as much as we currently do on social services. I would answer yes, for two reasons. First, most evidence suggests abuse of social services happens significantly less than we’re led to believe by politicians and media outlets with budget-related agendas. Does welfare abuse exist? Of course. Is it rampant and out of control? Not by any means.

On that note, the second reason: Which will Christ be unhappier with us for—giving to someone who didn’t need it, or not giving to someone who did? Which will God judge us more harshly for—giving to one person who didn’t need it, or denying it to 99 who did? Better to err on the side of generosity than neglect.

Can the church in America support our country’s poor? If we all gave a lot more, maybe. I’ll put my money where my mouth is. If the White Houses’ proposed cuts pass, I’ll find a way to triple my church giving. Anyone with me?

Jake Raabe is a student at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas and a writer. Follow him on his Facebook page.

Conflicting reports emerged on Memorial Day as reporters attempted to explain the circumstances leading to a scuffle among at least three Texas House members. Video of the scuffle shows as many as 20 House members in a tight configuration pushing one another until calm eventually emerged and members appeared to return to their desks.

James R. Fuller

Before and during the scuffle, at least one legislator directed powerfully offensive, profane language to another. Two legislators allegedly threatened bodily harm to one another. Reports indicate one representative threatened to use a gun on another, either to defend himself or to attack his colleague. So far as I could discern from the video, all the members engaged in the profanity, threats and physical shoving were men.

Although Texas and several other states have a rich history of legislative battles—symbolically and literally—I found disconcerting this public display of elected representatives losing control of themselves. When I first arrived in Texas 23 years ago, I asked one of our members why the Legislature only met every two years. He laughed and opined, “Well, they can do less harm that way.” I didn’t know he might have meant less physical harm!

To be fair to all parties, Senate Bill 4—already signed into a law requiring local police to enforce federal immigration law—that was being protested in the House has passionate supporters and detractors.

One of the representatives, an Anglo from the Dallas area, in response to noisy protestors in the balcony, delivered a profanity-laced statement and announced he had called Immigration and Customs Enforcement to report the protestors, some of whom he asserted were illegally in Texas. (One or more protestors held a sign saying, “I’m illegal and here to stay.”) Our state’s Hispanic representatives responded vigorously, and a heated exchange ensued. Three of our elected leaders involved in the skirmish have issued statements that contain conflicting accounts of what happened.

Add to this a recent statement by our governor that some are interpreting as a gun-related threat to reporters, and Texas is making headway to demonstrate the very real possibility of physical harm inflicted on elected leaders by one another or on reporters by elected leaders.

I know that some might laughingly say, “Would that be a loss?” but is this the best we can do? And, yes, it would be a loss!

I am grateful for representatives who are passionate about the issues we face today, but somehow, we must rise above personal threats, abusive language and physical aggression. If we don’t, someone may seriously suggest we bring back dueling to resolve our differences.

James R. Fuller is senior pastor of Calder Baptist Church in Beaumont.

Virtually every church I know, if asked to describe itself, would use words like “friendly,” “caring” and “welcoming.” Not every new person who comes their way would use those same words.

Mike QueenWhile churches are not hostile to newcomers, many of them are unaware of the coolness that belies our intended warmth toward the stranger in our midst. While churches want to be friendly, they often lack the intentionality required to generate that reality.

When I started seminary, my family and I moved to a new city and to a new congregation. There was a church less than a half-mile from our home. How convenient. On 17 Sundays, we participated in Sunday school and worship. We enjoyed the sermons, the music, the opportunities for our elementary-aged children, and we had a good Sunday school teacher.

Hardly anyone spoke to us.

No one in Sunday school ever called us by name, although we worked to learn theirs. We introduced ourselves to the pastor all 17 Sundays. He never seemed to recall who we were. After five months of feeling ignored, we decided to try to find a new church home.

Warm reception

We ventured downtown to a much larger church and quickly made the assumption we might be “swallowed up” in such a big congregation. As we left worship that day, the pastor was greeting folks at the door. When we got there, he knelt down to talk with our children. Impressive. After a time, he stood and greeted us. On Wednesday, a hand-written note from the pastor arrived in the mail. We went back the next Sunday, and the following week we received a phone call from the church asking if the pastor could stop by to visit with us.

He sat on the floor and played with our kids and our dog while sharing with us about the life and ministry of the church. After 40 minutes or so, he stood to leave. As he did, he said, “If our church is the right place for your family, just know this: I’d love to be your pastor.”

We joined the next Sunday. One month later, my wife was singing in the choir, and six months later, we were teaching a sixth-grade class. That pastor and his wonderful wife became mentors and models for us. It was his intentionality in following up with guests that set him and his church apart from others.

Follow up

Follow up like that is made more difficult these days. People are hesitant to share contact information on a registry or card. In 2017, most people do not want to have to raise their hand or be recognized in some way as a guest. In my own ministry, I learned to carry note cards, so that when I met someone new, I could write down their names. If they had not filled out a guest card, I’d ask if they minded sharing the best way I might contact them. Intentionality.

It is amazing the number of churches that actually get contact information from their guests and simply send a form letter, or worse, make no effort to contact them at all. A message gets sent one way or another.

We all have heard the stories of people asking a person to move because they were sitting in someone’s pew. I don’t think that happens very often. There are far more stories of welcome and warmth; just not enough.

Everyone’s responsibility

It is nice to have a greeter in the parking lot or at the door. It is good to have someone share a worship guide. It is wonderful when people scoot over to make room for others. It is special when church members introduce themselves to guests and, in so doing, exhibit the genuine warmth and friendliness of the congregation.

While this work of hospitality is part of the minister’s calling; it also is truly the work of every member of the congregation. Not everyone who walks through the doors of a church does so with an air of confidence. Some are unsure. Some are fearful. For some, it takes courage; and that is for those who have long been a part of the church culture. Can you imagine what it must be like for an unchurched seeker?

Our churches may well be friendly places for those of us who call them “home.” But all too often, we struggle to make the guests in our midst feel welcome and at home. It requires great intentionality.

That means there has to be a plan to help your congregation be the friendly and welcoming church you want to be, and then we need healthy churches to execute that plan.

With authenticity.

On every Sunday.

To every guest.

Mike Queen is a consultant with the Center for Healthy Churches and co-coordinator of CHC-Carolinas.

We’ve reached our early 60s—and, yes, younger folks, life goes by fast. We’ve experienced productive and regionally diverse careers and ministries. We’re thankful God prepared us for every new step taken, including a few we never saw coming. 

In light of autumn’s season of life and the pensiveness it brings, we’d like to share some of the lessons the Lord has seen fit to teach us over the years—some extremely agonizing and some, in the long run, turning to joy.

For what they’re worth:

• God does, in fact, grant us an ongoing vision of what he wants us to do and be, but he doesn’t coerce us to follow his promptings. It’s best to understand he speaks to us through his word and less than wise to become overly dependent on some “voice,” unless it’s conscience. Think in terms, then, of cutting back on your tech-time and using more of your discretionary moments to dig deeply into God’s word. Trust us, life is better lived for him if we do this faithfully. Otherwise, we may deceive ourselves into thinking we’re doing all right.

⦁ God’s preparing-of-the-way inevitably involves our built-in humanness—uncertainty, difficulty, pride, laziness, emotional and physical pain, and the occasional off-road diversion, or two, or three. With so many detours along the way, some caused by us, others appointed providentially, we must ask for God’s wisdom to discern which is which to avoid further personal chagrin or confusion.

Don’t run away

⦁ Even when career doors open, we may feel unworthy or be fearful of entering. We should take to heart the fact he’ll provide for us the ways and means to prevail. Don’t run the other way like Jonah! Yes, God can tailor-make storms just for us to situate us firmly within his will. So far, neither of us has been vomited from the belly of a great fish. Metaphorically speaking, however, yes, we have! 

⦁ We’ll definitely fail sometimes, even as fresh career inroads unfold by his grace on the heels of it all, and these failings can be crushingly humiliating. Our self-righteousness is but a foolish phantasm. It’s his grace at work, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it sometimes.

⦁ In the course of these sanctifying measures, God still moves us toward the vision originally given, all the while performing small-like miracles, if you will, that assure us we’re called to this very task. Emmanuel is faithful to be present.

⦁ Peering into these miracles, we’ll discover he cares about his own purposes far more than we do, laying on us just the right amount of guilt needed to realize this fact and repent. Perhaps breaking us for his name’s sake.

Some will turn

⦁ Some who are close, even dear, will turn against you, whether family, friends, colleagues or church members. When it happens, remember God is painstakingly exacting true humility from you. Granted, associates see our weaknesses more clearly than we do, but, unfortunately, some will exploit this for their own misguided purposes and our eventual harm. Only God is avenger.

⦁ Forgiveness, then, is easy to accept but hard to dole out, yet we must forgive anyway to begin enjoying some bit of peace in matters. We’ve both decided “Mercy” should be our wives’ middle name, no question. Husbands, don’t claim you’ve never been a jerk! Mutually forgive and forgive again.

⦁ To achieve “greatness” for God, if that’s your ambition, you’ll have to work very hard at it. But he still demands we put our spouses and children first, prior to all our attainments, so-called.

Ambassadors for Christ

⦁ We’re not called to make our lives increasingly cozy and comfortable. Rather, we’re ambassadors for Christ, accompanied by whatever level of self-denial God deems we embrace personally. Our first-world problems are trifling in comparison to those of others elsewhere, our “insufficient” incomes notwithstanding. Just look at what’s happening in the world!

⦁ God continues to use imperfect people. We could provide a list umpteen pages long of great leaders, biblical and historical, whom the Lord has used mightily in the face of their foibles. When it comes to everyday folks like us, though, our weaknesses and scars may be ordained simply as recurring reminders we can’t go it alone. God’s whole “thorn in the flesh” gambit.

⦁ As a noted pastor has said, “Be sure to get your ‘but’ out of the way!”: “Lord, I’d serve you here, but…” “I’d serve you there, but…” Even Bob Dylan gets it right, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody!” Who you’re serving, then, is the bottom-line—either self, Satan or sovereign Lord. 

⦁ Lastly, if we truly know Jesus, we must learn to live “positionally” and not “conditionally.” Our decreed position in Christ is one of possessing all his perfections, not just mere forgiveness of sins, important as that is. On the divine books, the Father sees his born-again children as sinless because of what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross. This should become our daily focus. If we focus solely on our condition and forget about all we are and have in him, our Christian lives will be characterized by shallowness, defeat and regret, if only because of our remaining sin, periodically erupting, as you know, in acts of defiance. Living positionally with the Spirit’s help can overcome this circumstance.

God’s better at planning

Many other hard lessons could be shared. Several times through the years, we’ve each closed our office doors and quietly begged God for help, and the timing of his answers was rarely what we expected. Nevertheless, we’ve discovered time and again he is real, he truly cares and he’s better at planning our lives and bestowing our achievements than we could ever hope for if left to ourselves.

To sum up, if God should give you clear vision and direction for some aspiring career, then by all means march forward with enthusiasm and discretion. Truth be told, however, you’ll undergo many a trial and tribulation. None of us is exempt from forces opposing our efforts. But one day, the Lord will bring to mind what he’s done for you amidst the journey and despite detractors who’ll manage to crop up somehow throughout your early, middle and even waning years.

Come to find out, we each have kept a running list over time of what God has done to, for and through us. It serves to remind us of people and groups for whom we can pray, and reviewing it during our “pity me!” moments helps bolster faith like nothing else, short of God’s word. 

We hope these mutual thoughts of ours are both challenging and edifying.

“I will follow a wise and blameless course, whatever may befall me. I will go about my house in purity of heart” (Psalm 101:2). 

Hal Ostrander is online professor of religion and philosophy at Wayland Baptist University. Kevin Fields has been headmaster and high school English teacher at private Christian schools across North Texas.

The next few years could be a grand time for Christians who think the church alone should meet people’s needs, without any help from government.

Marv Knox

President Trump’s new budget proposal would slash the federal government’s safety net programs by $1 trillion across the next decade. So, congregations could have the opportunity of a generation to prove their gracious generosity is sufficient.

But the stakes are high, of course.

Evangelical Christians provide the core of the president’s base, and people will identify them with the results of the Trump presidency. Consequently, when people free-fall after the president removes their safety net, if the evangelicals who propelled him to office don’t help out, people who only know Christians by their actions will give God the blame.

Three scenarios

Christians who touted their faith as a reason for backing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign have put God on trial, with two ways to win and one way to lose.

• Win Scenario 1: Trump is correct, and his budget works.

His plan doesn’t merely balance the budget, but also wildly stimulates the economy, brings coal back in vogue, reopens industrial jobs and ensures near-zero unemployment with good-paying jobs. People don’t need a safety net, because they’re getting by on their own.

Beyond that, they feel better about themselves—“great,” even—because they’re working and making their way. Christians helped Trump win; life is good; God is great.

• Win Scenario 2: Trump is not correct, but the church saves the day.

The federal safety net shreds, but the church shows up on time. Christian benevolences of all kinds flourish. The church feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, houses the homeless. Christians provide so much money to their hospitals and health clinics, even people who cannot afford insurance can receive highly specialized and expensive cancer treatment, surgery and every other medical need.

Christians sacrificed to take care of others, who thrived because of their loving benevolence. God gets the glory for their gracious spirits. America experiences a revival it has not seen in many generations.

• Lose Scenario 1: Trump is not correct, and the church fails to show up.

The federal safety shreds, just as the president has planned. Meals on Wheels collapses. Parents can’t find work, and so they not only can’t bring home a paycheck, but they can’t meet the president’s stringent requirements for supplemental assistance. Their children go hungry. Their older cousins can’t continue their education because they can’t get student loans. Other calamity ensues.

Meanwhile, the church continues its current course. Less than 20 percent of members tithe, and congregations spend most of the money they take in on themselves, particularly buildings and staff. Food pantries and clothes closets can’t keep up with burgeoning need. Health clinics meet only a fraction of the demand. Expensive care from hospitals is out of the question.

Hurting people—the chronically ill, children, the elderly, even veterans—suffer without alleviation, either from the government or from the church. They can do math, and they realize 81 percent of evangelicals put the president in office. And now their safety net is gone. They can see the landscape, and they don’t see nearly enough congregations even trying to knit a new one. You can understand why they blame God. Either way they look at it—politically or religiously—Christian people did them in.

Churches & safety nets

So, God’s reputation is at stake. And just in case the president’s new budget doesn’t do the trick and stimulate the economy so nobody needs a safety net, Christians better get busy building a bunch of them.

This is what many Christians have said they will do. For years, they have responded to pleas for support for government safety nets with a consistent reply: “It’s the church’s job.”

So, now we’ll see if the church is sufficient to the challenge. To this point, no one has documented even one congregation that has been able to do its share to meet the needs of its community in place of government aid. To this point, the debate has been relatively hypothetical. But now we have a president who wants to shred the safety net to the tune of $1 trillion.

Two options

The church faces two options:

First, live up to the promise of Jesus’ admonition about ministering to “the least” as recorded in Matthew 25. Prepare to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, heal the sick, look after the prisoner. The president—along with many governors and legislators—don’t want to do it. So, it’s the church’s chance. Business as usual won’t get it done. Meeting the mammoth need will require individual sacrifice of First Century proportions.

But think of the possibilities: Out of such calamity could come the greatest opportunity for evangelism in centuries. If government says, “Not my job,” and Christians say, “We’re more than happy to do it in Jesus’ name,” then that name will be glorified.

Second, the church also can take seriously Jesus’ mandate to be “salt and light.” In addition to what we do on our own, we can be advocates in our culture for the greater good. We can demand our society as a whole care for the most vulnerable among us. We can both model and set a high bar of expectation for compassion. And we also can do that in Jesus’ name, and he will get the glory.

The president has proposed a budget. What’s next?

Follow Marv on Twitter: @marvknox

Larry Parsley has been senior pastor of Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell in northwest Dallas County almost 18 years. From deep in the heart of one Texan, he shares his background and thoughts on church and ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

• Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

I’ve served as a youth minister at First Baptist Church of Three Rivers and First Baptist Church of Jasper; college/senior adult/interim pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco; and singles/teaching pastor/associate pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga.

• Where did you grow up?

Corpus Christi

• How did you come to faith in Christ?

My parents are strong Christians and helped lead me to Christ when I was 7. I was baptized at Parkdale Baptist Church—now Community of Faith—in Corpus Christi.

• Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

I have a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from Baylor University, a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctor of philosophy degree in Christian ethics from Baylor.

Ministry/church

• Why do you feel called into ministry?

I believe God wired me with a desire to communicate the gospel creatively within a relational context. This gives me great joy.

• What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

I enjoy every aspect of preaching—dreaming up sermon series, digging into the text, reading commentaries, writing the sermon and then delivering it.

• What one aspect of congregational life gives you the greatest joy?

Ironically enough, I would say funerals. I believe funerals today are the new “open-air preaching.” Often, people with very little gospel exposure gather together with a keen ear to what the preacher has to say. It provides a chance to honor a fallen friend, comfort the family, acknowledge God’s presence and testify to the power of the gospel. As hard as it is, I find great fulfillment in it.

• What one aspect of congregational life would you like to change?

Church shopping. Today, we often seek churches that give us the best bang for our buck—pastors included! And when the return on investment shrinks, we tend to quickly look for something new. This reality can turn clergy into the customer service department. It also weakens perseverance, abandons friendships, cheapens commitment, encourages unhealthy competition among churches and puts a futile faith in the promise of the next church to meet needs that only God can meet.

• How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

I used to work hard to know every detail about what’s going on in our church. I now realize that is futile, and even counter-productive, because it can keep me from focusing on God’s word and on my primary priorities of preaching, praying and leading.

• If you could launch any new ministry—individually, through your congregation or through another organization—what would it be? Why?

The Center for Creative Preaching—primarily, so I could benefit from it! I believe the church rises and falls with preaching, and pastors need help in crafting sermons that are thoughtful, biblical, practical and intensely interesting.

• What qualities do you look for in a congregation?

Humble, hospitable, prayerful and oriented toward serving others—see Valley Ranch Baptist!

About Baptists

• What would you change about the Baptist denomination—state, national or local?

I am grateful to be a product of Texas Baptists—brought to faith and discipled in a Texas Baptist church, responding to the call to ministry at Super Summer, educated at Texas Baptist schools and seminaries, etc. I admire the tireless commitment of those who lead our denomination. Still, I am saddened by the fact that while, in the middle of the 20th century our denomination was known for its entrepreneurial approach to church life, today we have largely outsourced innovation to others. I fear we are not as invested today in pioneering new ministries to meet new needs and contexts in the 21st century.

About Larry

• Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

I was blessed to serve twice under Dr. Jim Johnson at Calvary in Waco and Dunwoody in Atlanta. He taught me how to baptize, do communion, lead staff meetings, and do weddings and funerals, among other things. He also gave me tremendous opportunities to preach and lead, and was—and is—one of my greatest cheerleaders. More recently, I have been blessed by my friendship with Tillie Burgin, director of Mission Arlington. Tillie is an amazing leader, and her passion for the gospel regularly inspires me.

• What is the impact of ministry on your family?

My wife, Jaletta, is my best counselor and one of the wisest people I know. I know it is really hard for her to see me struggle and endure criticism, and who knows where I would be without her support. All four of my children have been active participants in the life of our church, and that fills me with great joy.

• Name some of your favorite books (other than the Bible) or authors, and explain why.

John Ortberg’s The Life You Always Wanted—great primer on spiritual disciplines; profound, practical and funny). John Stott’s The Cross of Christ—great read during Lent; Stott is my favorite theologian. Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God—revolutionized my reading of Luke 15 and understanding of what “elder brother lostness” looks like. The commentaries of Frederick Dale Bruner on Matthew and John—brilliant exegesis, and a willingness to let older theologians speak into the text.

• What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? Why?

2 Timothy 1:7—“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” I identify with timid Timothy!

• Who is your favorite Bible character (other than Jesus)? Why?

Barnabas. I think his ministry of encouragement and willingness to build bridges of friendship are vastly underrated.

• Name something about you that would surprise your church.

I am easily distracted during worship, especially by evaluating aspects of the worship service and struggling with anxiety over my sermon. I would not want to worship anywhere else, but I still have to fight to stay engaged as a worshiper.

• If you could get one “do over” in ministry, what would it be, and why?

I launched a new service once and said we always would maintain that service at that particular time. When we later canceled the service, it understandably created a great deal of frustration and sadness. If I could do things over again, I would make it clear at the outset that our programs—and worship service times—always serve our mission, not the other way around.

• Write and answer a question you wish we had asked: What’s it like being Marv Knox’s pastor?

A tremendous privilege! Marv and Joanna are a joy, and I treasure their friendship!

To read Larry’s blog, Lonesome Pulpit, click here. To visit his page at Mockingbird, click here.

To read other “Deep in the Hearts of Texans” profiles, click here.

In recent weeks, the interdepartmental dealings of a well-known divinity school have become a matter of public record. Within days, the emails, published by a well-known conservative blogger, became the subject of much analysis, as opinions were leveraged back and forth. Complete strangers to the institution, such as myself, were invited to have opinions about a matter in which I had no immediate vested interest.

Myles Werntz

I do not link to them here for one reason: Their publication is part of the problem.

Publication of internal documents is nothing new. At times, it is a matter of public safety, bringing to light that which we would rather keep in darkness. We are indebted to people like Daniel Ellsberg for leaking the Pentagon Papers, and to Deep Throat for exposing corruption within the Nixon administration.

Inhaling digital culture

But we now live in an age that is largely immune to the distinction between a cultural war and an in-house fight. Rather, we inhale a digital culture in which *every* secret is one that must be exposed, and every squabble is one that we must have an opinion.

When these myriad opportunities appear, calling for our judgment, we have collectively lost the ability to ask a fundamental question: “Why should I have an opinion on this?” The question may seem silly, for the Internet is rife with “discernment blogs” that thrive on public pontification, and on publications—such as the unnamed one previously mentioned—that invite total strangers to render judgment upon situations they know little to nothing of.

Our instinct is to render judgment on the exposed inner workings of strangers. But again: Why should we?

Jesus’ idea

In what seems to be a totally arcane proposition, I want to suggest we direct our attention to Matthew 18, in which Jesus suggests a different way of dealing with our disagreements. His words begin with a simple criterion—offense. Should I find myself offended by a member of the faith, personally wounded, with my own self at stake, then I may enter into the process.

But in making this step fundamental, a great number of public controversies cease: If two people are fighting over a private matter in which I have no direct involvement, it should be occasion for me to ask not only why I should render judgment, but also whether or not I have distanced myself from something that rightly should concern me.

In other words, if two people are having a disagreement, and I find I have no dog in the fight, why is that so? It may certainly be because I have allowed my sphere of concern to shrink, to become too small. But more often, it is because it simply is not my issue to sort out.

Intramural fights

A great many times, intramural fights are best left to be sorted out internally. If they are unresolvable, then—and only then—others are invited into the process to help mediate. But even then, the intent should be resolution of the problem, not to garner support for one side or another, and in doing so, expand the wound.

Our habits of publicizing error often are not followed with this in mind. We do so to score points, to signal our virtue and to puff ourselves up, but not to bind a wound or to render aid.

The Internet is good for many things, but not for mediation of disputes, and certainly not for rendering judgment. If anything, it has encouraged us to wade into disputes that are not ours to take on, at least not yet, making our opinions known about interpersonal issues that are not ours to sort out.

Our digital culture is one of conflict and fury, which is not to say Christians should avoid it, but to engage it as ministers of reconciliation. There are a great number of things which we are invited to render judgment upon, but only a few things which we rightly should or which we properly can.

Myles Werntz is assistant professor of Christian ethics and practical theology and the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary in Abilene. Email him at Myles.Werntz@hsutx.edu.

The enemy of faith is fear.

Zac HarrelAt the end of Mark 4, when the disciples wake Jesus from one of those long, deep naps we wish our toddlers would take because of a storm they are convinced is going to kill them, he exclaims: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” In Mark 5, as Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter and Jairus gets word his daughter already is dead, Jesus proclaims to him and his wife, “Do not fear; only believe.”

Reading these two chapters together, I was convicted about the place I allow for fear in my own heart. These stories are examples of situations in which any one of us naturally would be filled with fear. The storm is closing in around us, and we fear for our lives. We lose a loved one, and we fear the future, fear losing them, fear this massive enemy called death. But Jesus looks to our natural response and calls us to faith, not fear.

He calls us to believe.

Natural response

Fear is natural, because we are finite, limited creations who cannot see the future and so much of our lives is outside of our control. The command to fear not is a lot harder to live out than it seems at first. Life is hard and filled with mystery, suffering and the unknown. We are weak and limited, and therefore, fear is natural.

Faith is supernatural. Looking to Jesus and trusting his power and presence in the midst of storms and loss is not natural. Faith is a gift we can cultivate, and life will give us many opportunities to choose faith over fear.

Today, one of the main places we see fear cripple the church and its witness is in the realm of partisan politics. Partisan politics necessarily plays on our fears. “The Republicans want to take away everyone’s healthcare and give your money to the rich.” “The Democrats want to persecute your Christian beliefs and change your whole way of life.” A browse through the newsfeed of social media shows how each side plays on the fears of their constituents, and we should not stand for it.

Fight fear

We cannot let fear dictate our lives, and we should not let fear dominate our politics. Our natural response is to fear the other and let our hearts be led to fear by those we read or listen to for our news.

As Christians in the political sphere, we can fight against fear at least two ways.

First, seek the truth. Don’t believe everything you see on Facebook—you would think we would know this by now. Listen to the other side, read widely, watch different news channels and find the balance between the two sides. There, most of the time, is where you will find the truth. Seek the truth for yourself, listen to your conscience and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. It is foolish to hear only one perspective. We need to seek the truth and not let one side or the other lead us to fear by exaggerating or distorting the facts.

Second, remember those who disagree with us and even those who oppose us are made in the image of God and loved by him. It is hard to fear and hate others when we remember this truth. God loves them, and we are called to love them as well. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

Our choice

Each and every day as we pick up the paper, turn on the television or log on to social media, we have a choice. Will we let fear of the future, fear of the other dictate our thoughts and actions today, or will we choose faith?

Christians know God’s love, and we know God’s faithful promises. We don’t have to give in to fear. We don’t have to let one side tell us what to think. We can seek and know the truth. We don’t have to give in to fear of the other. We can love those who think, believe and vote differently than we do, because God loves them and they are created in his image.

Choose faith. Seek the truth. Choose to see others for who they really are as creations of God.

Let go of fear.

Zac Harrel is pastor of First Baptist Church in Gustine, Texas.

I became acquainted with my new foster son’s mother through a box handed to me by a caseworker not long after he was placed in our home. I’d learned her name and a few other details from court documents. And we met at the first parent visit—an uncomfortable moment on the curb outside the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ office—ending with the visit supervisor pulling the sobbing child away from his mom and carrying him to my car.

While unpacking this box, though, I learned much more about my foster son’s mom.

Inside were shoes, clean and neatly folded clothing, toiletries, medications, gummy vitamins and a few toys.

“This is the work of a parent who’s going to try as hard as she can to get her child back,” I thought. I sorted the things she’d sent into drawers alongside the new things I’d purchased, contemplating our shared role as parents of this fragile, hurting, hyperactive little boy.

Pathway through infertility

Like many couples, my husband and I originally came to foster care through infertility. We wanted to use our childlessness to serve children in need, but we also hoped to bring children to our family through adoption. 

Our situation soon changed. (We are “that couple” you always hear about who learn they’re pregnant while in foster care training.) Meanwhile, our motivations changed also. Through training classes with Buckner International, our vision for foster care was refined and expanded to include birth families—a calling to support and serve them as well as the children placed in our care.

We soon learned our foster son’s mother would be a constant presence in his mind and in our family life.

“You need to meet my mom; she’s a really nice lady,” he told me on his second day in our home. A few days later, I pointed out a butterfly in our backyard. “That butterfly got lost from his mom, and now he’s looking for her everywhere,” he said.

His mom was the center of his world, and although he lived with us more than a year, the pain of his separation from her endured, influencing our conversations, bedtime routines, picture book selections, art projects and parenting choices. To parent him well and help him heal from his trauma meant including her in his life any way we could.

A new relationship

So, although it was sometimes uncomfortable and we seldom felt like we were doing it well, we slowly cultivated our relationship with his mom. At each visit, we sent her artwork, a few photographs or a short letter.

We followed a caseworker’s suggestion to share my phone number, so she and her son could talk. We began texting—I’d send her pictures, or she’d ask for updates about school or therapy. I tried to arrive early for parent visits so we all could spend time together while waiting for the visit supervisor.

For her birthday, he and I made her a present together. For his birthday, we hosted a party in a public space and invited his mom and her friends. That evening was filled with the special mixture of awkwardness and blessedness experienced when we choose to welcome rather than shelter ourselves from people we’re called to serve.

As the case progressed toward reunification, our caseworkers encouraged us to share with her our routines and parenting methods, things we’d learned about her son’s nutritional needs and behavioral triggers and ways to help him cope with his trauma. Through the rocky transition into overnight visits, we talked on the phone about discipline issues and therapy homework, and she even allowed me to put him down for a nap at her house so she could observe our routine.

Stretching & challenging

Our efforts to support reunification weren’t exceptional. I’ve heard of foster parents doing far more. And we were more than willing to make them, yet it stretched and challenged us to keep opening our hearts, even when things were complicated or uncomfortable.

In retrospect, I only wish I’d been more of a friend to my foster son’s mom. I was humbled by her graciousness toward us and acceptance of our role in her son’s life, despite the pain of her situation.

Our little boy is home with his mom now. My first impression proved correct: She did try her best, despite struggles and setbacks. After many long, difficult months, the judge ordered reunification.

I don’t want to sugarcoat things. Foster care is complicated, and even the “happy endings” often are clouded by unresolved concerns and less-than-ideal circumstances. But we’re thankful our foster son got to go home, and we got to be part of his family’s story.

We still hope to adopt, yet we’re increasingly convicted our first calling in foster care is to love our neighbors as ourselves. We feel our responsibility as foster parents was every bit as much to our foster son’s mother as it was to him—our mission to serve and bless her by serving and blessing her child.

We can’t know if our efforts made a difference for their family. I hope so. But I do know through that experience we are forever changed, drawn nearer to the heart of Christ, strengthened in faith and challenged to grow in generosity and compassion.

May is National Foster Care Month. To learn more about how you can become a foster parent or support foster families in your community, click here. This article originally appeared on the Buckner International blog.

Caitlin Beauchamp and her husband, Dan, are foster parents through Buckner International in Dallas.

Golden Rule & unintended consequences

I certainly support the Golden Rule, but if we open our doors to unlimited immigration, which would do the most good for the most people, how would we care for the millions who would want to come, including criminals and extremists?

In an ideal, sinless world, we could do that, but I think not in today’s sinful, selfish, greedy, grasping, mostly evil “get all you can for yourself” world.

Our immigration system is a mess. Surely, we ought to spend more effort on making legal immigration possible.

David King

Marshall

Leaving church

It is understandable that a few people, though not abandoning their faith, will leave the church in their declining years. Old age induces many structural changes. Better to lament that others do not evaluate and vacate. Their failure to do so means that churches are enclaves of those who:

• Are content with easy ignorance—to be taught the Bible, but never taught about the Bible. Undernourished on a preacher pabulum of doctrinal repetition, denominational dogma, retold tales and speculation. But no scholarship—sources, dates, exaggerations, myths, symbolism, the lack of archaeological evidence. Critical analysis is hard.

• Tolerate unsophisticated pastors who disdain science and demand literal belief. Lexus lives entrusted to the tinkerings of spiritual shade-tree mechanics.

• Prefer circuses to services; do not expect spirituality to be a church distinctive. Require inside church to be the same as outside church.

• Overlook contradictions: Be the light of the world, but stay out of the world; give generously, but do not chase the almighty dollar; wait for Jesus to direct your life, but accept your responsibilities as an intelligent being.

• Submit to the pastor’s ploys—promises of blessings, and threats of wrath to consummate whatever “God has laid on his heart” for a given Sunday. It is more about money and his resumé; less about pleasing God with practical religion.

Baptist churches have become mere social clubs for insiders; affiliations unattractive to outsiders. Those who stay are more to be condemned than those who leave.

John V. Rutledge

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Recently, I was asked if I would fill in for the teacher of my church’s college Sunday school class. I gratefully accepted the opportunity; they’re a great group of thoughtful students. Because my church uses the lectionary, the teacher typically chooses one of the passages from the church calendar for that day as the topic of discussion.

On Thursday, I pulled up the list of texts for the following Sunday. The Gospel reading was from John 10, which I already covered with that class before. The second reading was from Acts 2, but the same group already discussed it during Wednesday night Bible study. That left me only with 1 Peter 2:18-25, a passage that begins, “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters. …” Oh boy, I thought. No wonder the regular teacher was “out of town.”
                  I considered choosing a different passage. Our church uses the lectionary but isn’t bound to it. While I was thinking about other passages to go over, I realized this represented the purpose of using the lectionary. No matter how uncomfortable it makes me, 1 Peter 2:18 is in the Bible. The lectionary is supposed to keep churches and individuals from creating a canon-within-the-canon, in which we focus on the parts we like while ignoring the parts that are uncomfortable.

Stuck with the tough one

So, I stuck with “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters …” as the text for that Sunday morning.

We had a good discussion. We talked about slavery in Ancient Greece. We talked about other passages in the New Testament that challenge the slavery system, like Galatians 3 and Philemon. We talked about unearned suffering and redemption in biblical theology. We didn’t “solve” the passage, and I think we all remained somewhat uncomfortable with the passage. It was a good conversation over a difficult topic.

I was glad we didn’t switch to an “easier” topic for the day. The Bible says lots of difficult things. Some things are difficult because they are challenging personally—sell what you have and give it to the poor; love your enemies; cut off the hand that causes you to sin. Some things are difficult because they seem difficult to reconcile with the message of the gospel—slaves, obey your masters; women, keep silent in the church; and so on.

Granted, I think difficulty with a number of passages from the second category are eased when we study the text more closely. But this doesn’t mean we don’t come across things in Scripture that are genuinely uncomfortable and difficult to deal with.

How to respond …

How should we respond to these? Like I said at the beginning of this article, I don’t think the answer is pulling them out of the Bible or ignoring them altogether. The Bible is the church’s book, and these passages are in the Bible. I ultimately didn’t want to choose to ignore the passage, because to do so would be to make me an arbiter of divine truth in a way that makes me uncomfortable

The Christian church historically has claimed God, in some form or fashion, has spoken through this collection of writings we now know as the Bible. If I reject certain parts of it, I claim that the church has been incorrect in where it as heard God. I stand against the church, claiming to know the voice of God better than two millennia of believers. That just isn’t a position that leaves me comfortable.

When we come to the Bible, we certainly need to understand its writings have a definite human component, in that they are products of specific people writing in their particular context to an audience that existed in that place and time—far removed from us.

Joining the Christian community

But at the same time, we must understand joining the Christian community means submission to the founding principles of the church—God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ, as attested to by the witness of Scripture.

You don’t have to like passages such as 1 Peter 2:18, but church unity means we have to avoid building personal canons. Amidst all of our diversity, the Christian church can stand as one because we agree on this core of authoritative teachings. We may disagree on what they mean and what we should do with them, but we foster unity when we try to live faithfully according to the same set of teachings.

When you come to a difficult passage of Scripture, don’t tear it out of your Bible. The only page of Scripture God can’t speak through is the one we’ve removed.

Jake Raabe is a student at Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.