Former President Donald Trump might make me a better person. I just shocked at least two groups of my readers. It’s true, though, but not in the way you might suspect, or in the way I would have expected.

I’ll explain by way of a story.

Location, location, location

My daughter and I were in the car recently when we passed a new business.

“Huh, a liquor store. I thought that was going to be a CVS or Walgreens,” I said.

“Well, that’s unfortunate placement, right next to a hospital,” she responded incredulously.

She did what I hadn’t done—put two and two together. She knows alcohol isn’t good for the body, too much alcohol really isn’t good for the body, and many people who will shop in that liquor store will consume too much alcohol. Ironically, they’ll buy their supply right across the street from a hospital. My daughter didn’t need that spelled out.

“We want to do whatever we want and expect other people to fix it,” I said.

She and I have these kinds of conversations—obvious jumps in logic, but she knows me well enough to know the unspoken steps. I doubt I need to spell those steps out for you on this one.

I asked my daughter if I could quote her for this editorial. She said, “Yeah,” and with some excitement asked, “What are you going to say I said?” You can read my answer above.

Elsewhere in the Dallas area, I regularly drive by a billboard advertising the Preston Hollow Emergency Room. Just under the billboard is the Casket Store. No joke, even though I laugh every time I pass it. I wonder who paid who to juxtapose the two.

They—whoever “they” are—say, “Timing is everything.” Location has to be a close second.

One of the locations we don’t give enough attention is our words. For that matter, we might not consider our words to be a location. But our words can be a location of cursing or blessing, hurting or healing, destruction or construction.

This is where I turn back to my opening statement: Former President Donald Trump might make me a better person.

Trump said what?

Anyone who follows politics and political rhetoric already knows about the firestorm Trump unleashed Sept. 30. Posting on his Truth Social network, he declared Sen. Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) “has a DEATH WISH” and followed that with a racial slur against McConnell’s wife.

You may be wondering, “And how, exactly, might Trump make you a better person?”

I’m getting to that.

My first response to Trump’s post was similar to so many others who have condemned and are condemning Trump’s comments. His words simply are unacceptable. They are demeaning, dehumanizing and beneath a purported leader.

But then I asked myself: “Why? Why are they unacceptable?”

After all, despite what some believe, Trump is not a religious leader. He’s not a pastor. He’s what Pastor Robert Jeffress wanted—“the meanest, toughest son-of-a-you-know-what” he could find. So, what’s the big deal with Trump using mean language? It’s what he’s supposed to do, right?

Beyond that, we all know Trump’s penchant for hyperbole, cussing and all-around shock value. For someone like that, “death wish” isn’t unusual. It could be Trump fishing for a reaction or expressing concern for McConnell’s state of mind. I might believe that, except for four years of well-documented remarks and tweets from Trump establishing a pattern, a reputation, a character that tears down.

Why do I think his words about McConnell and Elaine Chao are unacceptable? And why discuss them here?

Who says it matters

Trump’s words about McConnell and Chao are unacceptable for several reasons. Among them, as a person of significant influence, he doesn’t have much freedom to be careless with words, regardless of free speech provisions. He has a duty and responsibility to be careful—very careful—with his words.

But Trump regularly demonstrates his disregard for such responsibility. One famous example is when he said his voters are so loyal, he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” and not lose any voters. A better—or worse—example is his “locker room” remarks to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush about sexually assaulting women, to which I won’t link.

These are not responsible things to say—a colossal understatement—and Trump’s failure to apologize for or retract them leave it to others to fix what his words do.

These words and others like them located in Trump’s mouth or on his social platform carry a particularly concerning range of meaning because of where they are located. But what about when those words are located in someone else’s mouth or social posts? Is that a problem, too?

Yes. Trump isn’t the only person worth critique. Hillary Clinton calling Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables” was just as troublesome.

But these are easy examples. What about us? And by us, I mean the people visiting the liquor store across the street from the hospital.

How I might get better

We take a little nip now and then—a snide comment here, a crude statement there, a slip of the tongue up close. Taken individually, we think our comments won’t do much harm. But each one does, and accumulated over time, they can be detrimental.

Demeaning other people, done often enough, develops a pattern, a reputation, a character of tearing down. When we think it’s no big deal or that it’s deserved, we take the poisonous liquid down like fresh margaritas on a hot day. One day, when our liver’s pickled, we’ll expect a doctor to fix us.

All of this ran through my head right after I told my daughter, “We want to do whatever we want and expect other people to fix it.” And it stopped me cold. My thoughts, anyway. I was driving, after all. It stopped me cold, because who am I to judge?

Trump provides an example of what I don’t want to be like. This isn’t a political statement. It’s a character statement built on who Jesus calls me and every other Christian to be.

As I’ve already said, Trump isn’t the only one who uses careless language. All of us do, at least once in our lives. If we’re honest—if I’m honest—it’s been more than once. As much as I’d like to say Jesus has cured me of it, that would be saying too much.

Jesus may be trying to cure me now in a place I didn’t expect. He may be using the negative example of Trump, for the moment, to make me a better person. If that’s what it takes, then I’ll have to go there, because I want my words to be a location of blessing, not cursing; healing, not hurting; construction, not destruction.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Rev. Jade Evans: I’m Better Off Believing (Matthew 13:54-58)

Rev. Jade Evans opened with the story, recounted in Mark 9:14-27, of a man taking his demon-possessed son to Jesus. This man, though he believed in Jesus, asked Jesus to help him with his unbelief. “Believers can struggle with unbelief,” Evans declared.

Evans was a guest preacher at David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin and is an associate minister at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield.

Turning to Matthew 13, Evans pointed to the people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus the most yet had the least faith in him. She compared current believers in Jesus to the Nazarenes. Just as they doubted Jesus, so do we, she explained.

Jesus interrupted the normal synagogue schedule in Nazareth to instruct them. The Nazarenes took “issue with his interruption,” she continued. Instead of listening to Jesus’ teaching, they questioned him among themselves, whining instead of worshipping. Evans exhorted her hearers not to be distracted from listening to Jesus’ instruction.

We are better off believing, because God has a plan and has included us in his plan, Evans proclaimed. God’s plan also includes many miracles and powerful deeds.

This sermon was delivered during the morning worship service of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church on Sept. 18, 2022. Joseph Parker is the pastor.

A sermon outline is available here.

One of the great threats that constantly has faced the church of Jesus Christ, even from New Testament times, has been the danger often called “legalism.” I assume most Christians reading this are at least somewhat familiar with the term.

There are multiple forms of legalism. One form also is called “works-righteousness.” This form of legalism teaches we are saved, at least in part, by our good works. Good works are not simply the necessary result and evidence of genuine saving faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2:14-26), but are a necessary supplement to the righteousness of Christ we receive by faith (contra Romans 4 and Philippians 3:9).

But works-righteousness is not the form of legalism I want to talk about here. Rather, I want to focus on the other major form of legalism. This form does not necessarily compromise or reject the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone, but instead adds human commands to God’s word and seeks to bind the conscience with human tradition.

Jesus vs. scribes and Pharisees

Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13 record a confrontation Jesus has with scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem. These opponents of Jesus approach him and critically question him about why his disciples do not wash their hands before they eat.

These scribes and Pharisees are not talking about hygiene. They are talking about ceremonial handwashing that’s meant to preserve ritual purity. There are numerous rules about ceremonial washings and ritual purity found in the Old Testament. However, none of these rules include ritual handwashing before meals.

The scribes and Pharisees condemn Jesus and his disciples not for violating commands of Scripture, but for violating “the tradition of the elders” (Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:3-5). Lest we judge the scribes and Pharisees too harshly, we probably can resonate with their reasoning. They developed and embraced these traditions to safeguard biblical commands about purity.

The scribes and Pharisees did not see themselves as rejecting or overriding Scripture. They saw themselves as being extra careful to honor what Scripture requires. A modern analogy might be installing special computer software to guard oneself against viewing internet pornography.

But the scribes and Pharisees took it too far. Jesus, quoting Isaiah 29:13, blasts his opponents as “hypocrites” who are “teaching as doctrines human commands” (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-7). Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for elevating human commands and traditions to the level of divine authority. Jesus also condemns his opponents for using human traditions to circumvent biblical commands (Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:9-13).

Paul and Christian liberty

Like Jesus, Paul is firmly opposed to “human commands and doctrines” being elevated to the level of God’s authority (Colossians 2:20-23). But what about debatable issues the Bible does not address and in which people’s consciences are conflicted? Paul touches on situations like these in Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 10.

Space and time constraints forbid a full treatment of these passages, but here are some brief summary remarks.

First, Paul emphasizes unity and love (Romans 14:1, 10, 15, 19; 1 Corinthians 8:1, 10:24). Paul does not want the church to tear itself apart over disagreements regarding subjects on which Scripture does not give a decisive word. Paul wants a believer to prioritize the wellbeing and needs of others over his or her own.

Second, Paul urges a respectful “agree-to-disagree” attitude. For example, when it comes to eating meat sold in the market—which might or might not have been offered to idols, causing some Christians concern—Paul says: “One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him” (Romans 14:3 CSB).

Third, Paul warns against causing others to “stumble.” Paul says we shouldn’t cause other believers to violate their consciences. If Scripture doesn’t forbid something and you can do it with a clear conscience, go ahead. But don’t cause a believer with an uneasy conscience to do something they aren’t comfortable doing (Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:7-13).

Fourth, Paul emphasizes the role of the conscience. In areas which Scripture does not address, Christians are to be guided by our consciences without trying to bind the consciences of other believers. Paul fittingly concludes his remarks in Romans 14 by saying, “Everything that is not from faith is sin” (14:23).

Liberty of conscience

The Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 states: “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word, or not contained in it. … To believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience” (21.2).

Baptists historically have prized the liberty of conscience more than many other Christian traditions, and for good reason. The second type of “legalism” described in the introduction to this article is a very serious problem. It places undue burden on Christians, causes division in churches, and—most importantly—subverts the authority of God in Scripture.

I once knew a youth pastor in a Baptist church who taught it was a sin to listen to rock or rap music. Even Christian rock and Christian rap were forbidden. He went so far as to suggest churchgoers who listen to rock or rap music—even Christian rock or rap—might not actually be saved.

Now, of course, this man may have felt morally uncomfortable listening to certain kinds of music, and I do not judge him for that. Christians should take care what kind of music we listen to, what kind of movies and TV we watch, and what other media we consume. Not everything is beneficial, even if it is not explicitly forbidden in Scripture (1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23).

But where do we draw lines, and how? Wisdom says, “Here’s where I personally draw the line for myself, and this is why.” Legalism says, “I draw the line here, and you’d better do the same!” When Scripture speaks, we must obey. But when Scripture is silent, the conscience and its liberty take the lead.

Joshua Sharp is the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Orange, and a graduate of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., and Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary in Waco. The views expressed are those of the author.

By working collaboratively, two Dallas-area nonprofit organizations with Texas Baptist connections will bring free groceries and other services to a South Dallas food desert.

Local dignitaries and community representatives gathered Sept. 29 to dedicate a 12,000-square-foot mixed-use facility that will house ministries sponsored by BridgeBuilders and a grocery-store-style food pantry operated by Brother Bill’s Helping Hand.

BridgeBuilders worked with the Dallas Department of Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization to secure the facility, about two-and-a-half miles south of Fair Park.

When the South Dallas Community Market opens in November, it will provide fresh vegetables and other healthy groceries to more than 350 families—about 1,100 individuals—twice a month, said Wes Keyes, executive director of Brother Bill’s Helping Hand.

Bill Harrod, a Baptist preacher who wanted to meet the needs of his West Dallas neighbors, founded the Brother Bill’s Helping Hand ministry more than 75 years ago. In recent years, it has expanded from one neighborhood to serving people in more than 90 ZIP Codes.

The ministry focuses on three key components—educational programming, health care and the essentials of life, particularly food. At the worst point in the COVID pandemic, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand provided 1.3 million meals to needy families and individuals in 2020.

‘Want to expand into areas of greatest need’

So, expanding the ministry’s footprint to launch a client-directed pantry in a South Dallas food desert was a natural step.

“We want to expand into areas of greatest need,” said Keyes, a member of Cliff Temple Baptist Church and graduate of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

“Best of all, the North Texas Food Bank will deliver right to this location,” he added.

Churches and individuals around the state help provide support to Brother Bill’s Helping Hand through their gifts to the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.

BridgeBuilders—a Christian nonprofit organization that has worked 26 years in South Dallas—worked with city officials to secure a facility on Bexar Street as a base for ministry in the neighborhood.

“When we did a community survey in the area to ask what was needed, 90 percent of the neighbors said they wanted a grocery store,” said Jonathan Fechner, executive director of BridgeBuilders.

Fechner knew about the grocery-store-style food pantry at Brother Bill’s, where neighbors can choose their own groceries and shop at no cost to them.

‘It’s a kingdom partnership’

“I love their model, because it respects the dignity of their neighbors, and residents select what they want,” said Fechner, who earned both his undergraduate degree and master’s degree from Dallas Baptist University and is now in the Ph.D. program there. DBU President Adam Wright serves on the BridgeBuilders board of directors.

Fechner went to talk with Keyes to learn more about the Brother Bill’s food pantry, hoping BridgeBuilders could emulate its approach.

“That’s when Wes told me they were looking to expand,” he recalled.

Fechner learned the board of directors at Brother’s Bill’s already had been discussing the possibility of starting a satellite food pantry in South Dallas.

“When they offered to operate the food pantry, it was a no-brainer. It’s a kingdom partnership,” he said.

When neighbors shop at the South Dallas Community Market, they will be introduced to other services available through BridgeBuilders, such as job training, mentorship and after-school programs.

The Bexar Street facility also includes a half-dozen upstairs apartment units BridgeBuilders will offer as part of an affordable transitional housing program to help young high school graduates enter adulthood.

At the Sept. 29 dedication, Keyes and Fechner—along with Dallas City Council Representative Adam Bazaldua and Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Omar Narvaez—praised the collaborative nature of the new South Dallas initiative.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” Keyes said, quoting an African proverb. “We are able to do greater things and more long-lasting things because of partnerships. … It’s about transforming lives.”

Life is like a poorly choreographed dance. The music is ever-changing, dancers come and go, and each pair is trying to get through another song without stepping on each other’s toes, running into another pair or collapsing. Then there are the solo dancers, the groups and the lines. Only one thing doesn’t change—the floor.

Occasionally, we need to step off the dance floor to rest. As we rest, we can observe the dancers still on the floor and get a better sense of what’s really going on.

Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Martin Linsky use this metaphor in their book The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. As a leadership principle, they advocate not just getting off the dance floor, but getting up on a “balcony” overlooking the dance floor. This balcony time gets a leader out of the forest—to mix metaphors—to get perspective on what’s really happening with the trees.

“Getting on the balcony” isn’t just a leadership principle; it’s a life principle.

The dance floor of life is particularly unsettled now. We need to get some perspective. It will do us good.

The problem with our metaphorical dance floor is not that it is crowded. The problem—as we tend to see it—is what we remember as feeling more like an ordered square or line dance now feels like a mosh pit. The dancers and moves we learned to anticipate now seem utterly chaotic and threatening.

Be forewarned: The following may raise your anxiety or blood pressure, but there’s good news on the other side.

Global politics

Of prime concern is Russia’s war against Ukraine. Russia isn’t just alluding to nuclear weapons; they now are speaking openly of their use. A second concern is the delicate dance China and the United States are engaged in over the status of Taiwan.

A flare-up some may have overlooked is the Iranian government shutting down the nation’s internet last week in response to growing protests after a Kurdish woman died in the custody of the morality police. Today, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard delivered an air strike against Kurds in Northern Iraq.

Close to home, there is some anxiety over the fast-approaching Nov. 8 election. Questions include: Will our elections be secure? Will election officials find enough poll workers? Who will win? How will the election outcome be received? What will follow?

Texas experienced a poll worker shortage during the 2022 primary election, and a similar shortage is anticipated nationwide for the general election.

These are just the most recent higher-profile concerns. Not to be ignored is the political upheaval in Burma/Myanmar; the ongoing civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Muslim/Hindu riots in Leicester, U.K.; and unrest in so many more places.

Global economics

Inflation is raging around the world. Food and energy prices are unsustainable for countless millions. The Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world aren’t just raising interest rates to halt inflation; they are knowingly and intentionally sacrificing market stability to achieve more stable markets.

Global climate

A list of global climate concerns could be endless. Here are a handful.

The western United States is enduring its worst drought in 1,200 years. Monsoon floods in Pakistan are so severe it could take six months for the water to recede. Hurricane Ian made landfall south of Tampa, Fla., this afternoon while I wrote this editorial.

Methane gas is leaking from allegedly sabotaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea near Denmark. The largest leak is about 1 kilometer—0.62 miles, or almost 11 football fields, or a 233-story skyscraper—in diameter. It may be two weeks before the leaks can be investigated because of the danger of entering the area any sooner.

Global health

Along with COVID continuing to sicken and kill millions worldwide, common respiratory viruses seem to be making a comeback among children. Monkeypox and polio also are a concern.

The availability of water is a growing problem. The months without drinkable water in Jackson, Miss., is just one example of the global water crisis, which often overlaps with politics, economics, climate, race and other complicating factors.

Food insecurity has risen markedly over the last two years, aggravated by the COVID pandemic, political and armed conflicts, climate change and economic volatility.

Oh, and Baptists

Baptists and other Christians are also amid the seemingly out-of-control dance. In just the last several days, we heard rumors of Adam Greenway resigning as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After reaching out immediately to Greenway and seminary officials, we finally received confirmation late the following day.

Yes, Greenway did resign. Why, we don’t know. He said he was going to the International Mission Board. Today, he tweeted he is not. O.S. Hawkins was the announced interim president. On Sept. 27, seminary trustees announced David Dockery will be interim president, co-leading with Hawkins.

Meanwhile, Texas Baptists are seeking a new executive director after David Hardage’s retirement. As with any leadership vacancy, many have “who,” “when” and “what” questions. Also, Houston Baptist University changed its name to Houston Christian University, sparking a different set of questions and reactions.

One sure thing

Global concerns can be held at arm’s length, but not forever. They frequently become personal. Then, they can overwhelm.

How are you? Anxious?

The dance floor is chaotic and threatening indeed. We are anxious about personal, social and institutional survival in multiple directions and levels—and for good reason. But not everything is chaotic and threatening. Still, the uncertainty of even benign change can unnerve and unsettle us.

When we’re in the middle of the turmoil, it’s all we can see. We need to step off the dance floor and get some perspective.

When we step back from the dance and take everything in, we will see one sure thing—the floor isn’t moving.

In a spiritual sense—and no less real for being spiritual—Jesus Christ is the unmoving floor just as much as he is the “Lord of the dance,” to use the title of an Irish song by The Dubliners.

While acknowledging much is uncertain, chaotic and threatening about our world at the moment, one thing is for sure—the Lord Jesus Christ is a sure foundation. Everything we do stands or falls on him.

Though I stand on this foundation—the unmoving floor of Jesus Christ—I feel all the same whirling winds and hear the same roar as everyone else. In these days of volatility, we need to step off the floor and regain this perspective.

When we do, we will be renewed by the Lord of the dance telling us:

“Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.”

We can’t stay off the dance floor forever. Eventually, we have to get back in the dance, because that’s where Jesus Christ—the Lord of and under, above and in the dance—calls us to be.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

DALLAS—In a season in which “democracy itself is being challenged,” Christians in the United States can learn from Jesus’ admonition to render to Caesar and to God that which belongs to each, the executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty told a Dallas church.

“We have both political obligations and spiritual ones,” Amanda Tyler said in a Sept. 25 sermon at Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas. “We do allegiance to our country. We also owe a higher allegiance to God.”

Those things that are rendered to one’s nation and to God are “distinct, different and to be separated,” she emphasized.

“If we confuse our political institutions with our religious institutions—if we merge them in our rhetoric and in our practice—if we cause one to try to control the other, then we start to replace our religion of Christianity with the political ideology of Christian nationalism,” Tyler said.

Political engagement not optional

American citizens have political obligations, such as paying taxes, obeying laws, supporting and defending the U.S. Constitution, being informed and participating in the democratic process, and respecting “the rights, beliefs and opinions of others,” she said.

“Our political engagement is not optional, and certainly not now, when our democracy is on life support,” Tyler said. “We have neither the luxury nor the permission to disengage right now.”

In particular, voting is both a precious privilege and duty of citizenship that should transcend partisan differences, she stressed.

“It is a tragedy that this cornerstone of American citizenship has been turned into a partisan wedge issue,” Tyler said.

While seeking to be responsible citizens, Christians should not confuse their obligations to the government with their duties to God, she emphasized. The Hebrew prophet Micah made clear what the Lord demands, she said: “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”

As Christians fulfill their duty to God, those actions are “inextricably linked” to service toward others, she observed.

“We are to love our neighbors who look different from us, worship differently from us, who live in other neighborhoods than we do, who speak languages other than we do, and—yes—who vote differently than we do,” Tyler said.

Voting guides not a test of faith

She took to task Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, for his recent comments at the Pray Vote Stand conference at First Baptist Church in Atlanta. Mohler said Christians who vote “wrongly”—particularly regarding issues of gender, sexuality and sanctity of life—are “unfaithful” to God.

“We need the right voters showing up with the right convictions at the right time to vote the right way,” Mohler told the group.

“It sounds to me like Dr. Mohler has his renderings really mixed up,” seeing voting a particular way as a duty to God rather than a civic obligation and creating a partisan faithfulness test, Tyler observed.

“Not only that, but what kind of pastoral advice is this—to divide congregations in what already is a denomination in rapid decline by using a voting guide to determine faithfulness?” she asked.

As an alternative, Tyler appealed to the teachings of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatian church. Divisions in that church were real and deep, but Paul reminded them of their equality and commonality as children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, she noted.

While standing for truth and engaging in the political process, she urged Christians to avoid “vilifying and dehumanizing” their political opponents.

“We continue to see them as Jesus sees them and as Jesus sees us—imperfect and redeemed children of God,” Tyler said. “We refused to judge their faithfulness based on a voting guide. If God doesn’t do that, then why should we?”

She warned churches against functioning as political action committees rather than as houses of worship and faith communities.

Instead, quoting Martin Luther King Jr., she urged churches to be neither the servant nor master of government but to function as “the conscience of the state.”

NASHVILLE (BP)—In a Sept. 28 post to Twitter, former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam W. Greenway announced he will not move to a new position with the International Mission Board.

“Carla and I are grateful for the many expressions of care and concern that have come our way since our transition from service at @SWBTS was first announced,” he wrote.

“While we initially thought our path would take us to the @IMB_SBC, we have not been able to find the Lord’s peace to move forward in that direction. We covet your prayers for ourselves and for our children as we seek the Lord’s direction regarding His next vocational assignment for us.”

Greenway announced his resignation as Southwestern’s president Sept. 23., at the same time stating that he had accepted a position with the IMB.

The IMB issued the following statement to BP concerning Greenway’s tweet, “The IMB respects the privacy of potential or active employment conversations, and this situation follows that practice. We are praying for the Greenway family.”

IMB President Paul Chitwood tweeted a promise of prayer for Greenway on Wednesday morning.

Southwestern Seminary announced Sept. 27 that David Dockery, distinguished professor of theology, will serve as interim president while former Guidestone President O.S. Hawkins will operate as senior adviser and ambassador-at-large.

LOUDON, Tenn. (BP)—John Condra recalls the first rehearsal of The CenturyMen, a 100-member male chorus organized in 1969 in the days of the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission.

“When we got through singing, normally you talk or something. Nobody said a word,” said Condra, who was then music minister at First Baptist Church of Montgomery, Ala. “We just kind of looked at each other and said, ‘Where in the world did that sound come from?’”

After 53 years, the CenturyMen performed their last concert Sept. 17 at First Baptist Church of Tellico Village in Loudon, Tenn.

“We had never heard anything like that before, and I had not. You think about 100 men with degrees in music and boy, and all of a sudden you hear it for the first time, it just blew me away,” Condra said.

They sang hymns of the faith such as “Oh God Our Help in Ages Past,” “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” and “His Name is Wonderful.”

Received numerous awards

The widely traveled group won a daytime Emmy Award in 1989 for a concert performed in China and featured on the NBC program “China: Walls and Bridges,” and was nominated for a Grammy in 1999 for its recording, “Beautiful Star: A Celebration of Christmas,” in the category of Best Classical Crossover Album. NBC has termed the group “The Finest Male Chorus in America.”

Joe Fitzpatrick, music minister at First Baptist Church of Nashville, Tenn., and a member of the group since 1988, was one of 60 members that participated in the Sept. 17 concert.

He was accepted in the group in 1988 after the RTC was incorporated into the former Home Mission Board. Fitzpatrick was a graduate student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and knew of the group’s ministry through its many international broadcasts.

Joseph Joubert, CenturyMen associate music director and accompanist, opened the group’s final concert with his new arrangement of the hymn, “I Will Trust in the Lord” and “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus,” and premiered “for the second time,” as he put it, his arrangement of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

“I heard them for the very first time in 1987, I believe it was,” he told Baptist Press. “I said, ‘Man, that sounds like a group I would really enjoy being a part of.’ I auditioned in 1988, was accepted, and I’ve been a part of it for 34 years.”

Voted to disband

The group formally voted Sept. 16 to disband, upon the recommendation of its board of directors, amid a changing church music ministry landscape.

“The aspiration was always that we would be 100 men strong,” Fitzpatrick said. With busy schedules, “it just got harder and harder for our group to get together. It became a challenge to be able to get new people to make the investment, for whatever reasons.

“They (the group) wanted to make sure that as the future went on, that we were representing the name of the CenturyMen in its full extent, and that became more and more challenging as the years went by.”

Buryl Red founded The CenturyMen in 1969 at the request of the Radio and Television Commission. He co-arranged and orchestrated the bulk of the group’s music until his death in 2013.

Red’s career generated more than 2,500 published compositions and arrangements and more than 4,000 CDs. He authored or edited more than 50 college and school music textbooks; supervised the music and/or musical arrangements for several hundred shows, documentaries and specials, many of them award-winning, according to TheCenturyMen.com.

Red befriended and recruited Joseph Joubert, the group’s associate music director and accompanist. Among Joubert’s extensive credits, he was the musical supervisor and arranger for the concert tours and PBS specials of Three Mo’ Tenors and Three Mo’ Divas. Joubert has collaborated with such diverse artists as Kathleen Battle, George Benson, Jennifer Holliday, Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, Diana Ross and others.

Joubert, a Baptist composer based in New York, accompanied during the final concert. He termed his longtime work with the group a privilege.

He opened the concert with his new arrangement of the hymn, “I Will Trust in the Lord” and “Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus,” and premiered “for the second time,” as he put it, his arrangement of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

Sad but still ‘upbeat and Christ-honoring’

Condra, who was a charter member and first president of the group when it became independent of the Radio and Television Commission in 1986, never anticipated the final day.

He described the mood of the last event “as very upbeat and Christ-honoring, even though we felt deep inside some kind of regret that it was coming to an end.

“We did not let that overshadow what we were doing because our primary goal every time is to sing the very best music we can in honor of our Savior. And I think all the men held their emotions in check. It was great. It was like a normal concert that we would do.”

The CenturyMen also enjoyed the privilege of sharing the gospel in word and deed in communities where it performed, Condra said, including at the U.S. Capitol and at Ground Zero days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The group performed numerous times on television and radio, including episodes of The Baptist Hour and Sounds of The CenturyMen, and in churches in the United States and globally.

The group toured England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Israel, Brazil, China, Russia, Poland, Cuba and the Czech Republic.

It has produced 13 recordings.

Made an ‘eternal impact’ globally

Fitzpatrick described his membership in the group as one of his “greatest joys and honors.”

“The eternal impact we have had for the cause of Christ around the globe has been life-changing and life-giving for me and countless others,” Fitzpatrick said. “It has been a privilege to share the gospel of Christ through song at home and through world-wide mission enterprises with this unique and immensely talented group of brothers.”

The group will live on through its music, available online, and has committed to establish a church music perpetual scholarship at Baylor University, Red’s alma mater, in the name of Red and The CenturyMen.

Charles Fuller of Little Rock, Ark., the group’s musical director and conductor, was the final president.

Condra and others are discussing fellowshipping together in the coming years, as the group afforded a unique opportunity for friendships and musical collaboration.

“I was kind of a little bit nervous about singing, ‘God Be With You Till We Meet Again’ for the last time,” Condra told Baptist Press. “Just thinking I may never see some of these guys again this side of heaven.

“I’ll see them again,” he said, alluding to a heavenly reunion.

In an abrupt change of plans, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees announced David Dockery will serve as the school’s interim president and O.S. Hawkins as senior adviser and ambassador-at-large following the departure of Adam Greenway as president.

The announcement came five days after trustees had named Hawkins, former president of Guidestone Financial Services, as acting president. A statement from the seminary said the board met in executive session on Sept. 27 by video conference.

Seminary faces ‘serious financial challenges’

In a frank acknowledgement of the dire situation at Southwestern Seminary, Hawkins asked the board to consider “a more strategic option” to address the “combination of external and internal challenges facing the seminary.”

“It is no secret that the seminary has serious financial challenges and going forward we will be giving oversight to aggressively manage costs and implementing best business practices with the intent to move our school to a more solid financial footing,” Hawkins said.

“I will be visible on campus and will seek to provide visionary and Christ-hearted, servant leadership to all the seminary family.”

The seminary experienced significant turnover in faculty, staff and administration during Greenway’s time as president and reportedly is running a significant deficit.

“While I am honored and humbled at the invitation of the trustees to become the interim president of Southwestern, I feel my best efforts in piloting and positioning the seminary on its conservative course for the future are better served by giving attention to matters of general oversight, vision and direction, and also shoring up our various and valuable outside constituencies,” Hawkins said.

“Therefore, I have asked the board to invite David Dockery to partner with me in leading Southwestern through these days of challenge and transition.”

Hawkins and Dockery to lead ‘in tandem’

Hawkins said he and Dockery will work “in tandem as important decisions present themselves in the future.”

Southwestern Seminary Trustee Chairman Danny Roberts from North Richland Hills Baptist Church in suburban Fort Worth said he and the board “have complete confidence in both leaders.” Roberts added, “Their combined experiences in educational and denominational life will serve Southwestern well in the days ahead.”

The public statement from the seminary said the board approved the joint leadership plan with no opposition.

Dockery, who joined the Southwestern Seminary faculty in 2019, has close to four decades experience in higher education. He was president of Union University from 1995 to 2014, before he was named president of Trinity International University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also has served as president of the International Alliance for Christian Education.

Hawkins served a quarter-century as president of Guidestone Financial Services. Previously, he was pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas and First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Jason Paredes: How Long Will You Doubt? (Exodus 9:1-12)

Jason Paredes, lead pastor of Fielder Church in Arlington, declared, “All the blessings of God are found in obedience … in obeying God.” We experience all the fullness of God’s blessings when we obey God, he continued. “The longer you delay obedience, the harder it gets to obey,” Paredes added.

The greater the distance between God’s command and a person’s obedience, the greater the number of excuses for not obeying. Ultimately, a person can become so calloused as to not be able to hear God anymore, Paredes explained. Pharaoh provides an example.

God sent plagues against Pharaoh and Egypt to bring about the release of the Israelites. Despite the worsening nature of the plagues, Pharaoh continued to harden his heart against God.

Paredes examined the fifth and sixth plagues—death of Egyptian livestock and boils on the Egyptians. He described their economic and spiritual significance. He cautioned his hearers against hardening their hearts, referring to Hebrews 3:7-14, and he concluded by pointing to the work of Jesus interceding before God on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14-16).

This sermon was delivered Aug. 28, 2022, for the morning worship service of Fielder Church in Arlington. It is part of a series on the Book of Exodus.

A sermon script is available here. A Spanish version of this sermon is available here.

Bautistas Predicando es una columna del Baptist Standard. No es un esfuerzo para avanzar en una teología o estilo, sino para presentar lo que una colección de Bautistas considera una palabra de Dios. Asimismo, Bautistas Predicando ofrece un repositorio de predicación Bautista para el estudio y la investigación futuros. Para recomendar un sermón que se presentará en la Bautistas Predicando, por favor envía un correo electrónico a eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Rafael Rondón: ¿Por Cuánto Tiempo Vas a Dudar? (Éxodo 9:1-12)

Rafael Rondón, el pastor de campus de Pioneer de Fielder Church in Arlington, consideró el problema de “la parálisis del análisis”. Las personas posponen la toma de decisiones cuando sopesan todos los detalles y costos. Obedecer a Dios puede correr la misma suerte si continuamente esperamos más pruebas de Dios para creer y obedecer.

Faraón ofrece un ejemplo de este tipo de renuencia espiritual a obedecer a Dios. Las plagas, especialmente la quinta en la que murió el ganado egipcio, fueron una catástrofe económica, explicó Rondón. También fueron un ataque espiritual directo contra los dioses egipcios, agregó.

Buscar más pruebas o más respuestas puede convertirse en una excusa para no creerle a Dios y no obedecerle. Buscar respuestas no es el problema; buscando razones para no creer que Dios es. Eventualmente, Dios puede aceptar nuestro rechazo hacia él, y nuestros corazones se endurecerán a él como lo declara Hebreos 3:7-14.

Hoy sigue siendo un día de esperanza, proclamó Rondón. No endurezcas ni cierres tu corazón a Dios, sino mantenlo abierto a Dios y cree en él, exhortó.

Este sermón se pronunció el 28 de agosto de 2022 para el servicio de adoración matutino del Pioneer Campus de Fielder Church en Arlington. Es parte de una serie sobre el Libro del Éxodo.

My relationship with Baptist Standard Publishing began with a call from former Editor Marv Knox. I met Marv when he came to tour and learn about the changes at Baptist University of the Américas.

As the librarian tasked with meeting and maintaining the requirements of accreditation, I already was participating in a challenging environment. When Marv called to discuss the likelihood of me joining the Standard’s board, I was scared, intrigued and honored.

I remember having a long discussion about what the Standard does and why Marv considered me for the role. He told me someone submitted my name to fill a vacancy on the board. I was surprised, because I considered myself ill-prepared for the task since I was a new Baptist. However, I recognized God often puts me in places of discomfort to grow my faith, and I could be a positive impetus for change.

Marv asked me to pray about it. A week later, I found myself excited about the challenge and opportunity to help further the work of God’s kingdom.

The Standard board chose me to represent Hispanic Texas Baptist women. However, I did not feel or think I was a true Hispanic Baptist. I believed I did not match the cookie-cutter ideal. After all, geographic location, language-preferences, the possession or lack of economic stability, country of origin and education all influence culture more than simply having Martinez as a last name.

I consider myself multicultural since my mother is New Mexican—Spanish and Native American—and the man who raised me since age 6 is Dutch American. My birth father had a Mexican mother and an English Swedish father. Before I married, my surname was Sheldon.

That the Standard board accepted me demonstrated their willingness to go outside the norm for the sake of God’s kingdom. They were willing to listen to different voices. Common kingdom values like compassion, fairness, integrity and faith meant everyone around the table was equal.

A diverse board

During one of my first few meetings, we had a lengthy discussion about a project called Faith Village. At the time, Faith Village reflected an out-of-the-box enterprise that would benefit our readers by providing an online environment to engage a wider population and stimulate connectivity in the Baptist community.

I was disappointed when we could not continue the project because of lack of interest and funds. I learned to move on from projects that did not work, because the Standard board always works cooperatively—collective decision-making is a Standard board value—and in a fiscally responsible manner.

During subsequent meetings, we discussed topics like keeping ourselves relevant, moving and selling facilities to trim costs, releasing staff, hiring a Hispanic news reporter, merging with another Baptist news organization, rebranding ourselves and, most recently, clarifying our role in Texas Baptist life.

Over my years of involvement with Baptist Standard Publishing, I understood this entity wrestles constantly to meet the information and inspiration needs of Texas Baptists, so together we can make an impact for God’s kingdom with integrity and excellence in speech and deed.

Over my tenure, readers of the Baptist Standard have been represented by a Hispanic pastor, journalist, physician, attorney, therapist and even a librarian on the Standard board. I look forward to even more diversity of cultural representation.

I am grateful Hispanic and Latino people contributed to the decision-making process regarding the news stories, fiscal tasks and cultural changes present in local church communities, academic entities and other facets of Texas Baptist life.

For a diverse kingdom

I lived in the border city of El Paso 40 years and in San Antonio the last 22 years. Over my time as a Christian, I have engaged Peruvians, Guatemalans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Venezuelans and others impacted by Spanish migration.

The Baptist Standard has made a commitment to Hispanics, Latinos and Tejanos—however we chose to identify ourselves. The commitment is to consider, represent and include the ethnic diversity of all Baptists.

The Standard engages people of Hispanic origin more often than when I started my time on the board. The effort goes beyond adding token representation of people like me on the board. Coverage of Hispanic events has increased.

Baptist Standard Editor Eric Black offered himself for town hall-style outreach meetings at Baptist University of the Américas. He also is building relationships with Hispanic and Mexican Baptist churches throughout Texas to get a better understanding of that segment of Texas Baptist life.

I see my involvement on the board as part of my ministry, because we ensure efforts to provide information that serves the Baptist community and leads to positive change. The Standard board is not a passive entity.

When I began my tenure on the board of Baptist Standard Publishing, I never had been part of a group with so much responsibility. Board members must give their time, energy, expertise and money to the development of an enterprise with uncertain rewards. Thankfully, God is faithful, and I have learned much more than I expected.

I ask the reader of this article to consider investing in representative and kingdom-friendly journalism through prayer, ideas and money. Encourage others to care about equal representation within the virtual pages of the Baptist Standard.

The changing demography of Texas requires better understanding and communication among God’s people. As I wrote this reflection, I considered the truth in 2 Corinthians 9 about sowing and reaping. In view of the principle, I ask we sow widely and earnestly.

Teresa Martinez was library director and chair of the associate of arts in cross-cultural studies at Baptist University of the Américas. She is a member of the Baptist Standard board of directors.