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SUPREME COURT HEARS CASE
ON TEXAS ABORTION LAW 3
APRIL 2016
TEXAS TRUSTEES
ANALYZE IMB ‘RESET’
11
25,000+ SAVED AT HARVEST
AMERICA CRUSADE 9
Newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention N MORE NEWS AT TEXANONLINE.NET
I N T E R N AT I O N A L M I S S I O N B OA R D
1,132 missionaries,
staff opt to leave IMB
G R E AT O U T D O O R S
Men’s Game
Banquet
sees 191
professions
of faith
PLATT CONFIDENT BOARD
HAS ‘SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL
FUTURE,’ ‘POSITIONED TO
GO FORWARD’
By Alex Sibley
SWBTS
By Tammi Reed Ledbetter
Special Assignments Editor
ROCKVILLE, Va. The largest
mission organization in the
world is “positioned to go
forward” with a balanced
budget in 2017 after receiving voluntary retirements
and resignations from nearly
21 percent of field personnel
and a third of its stateside office staff in Richmond.
International
Mission
Board President David Platt
told trustees meeting Feb. 24,
“It is high time for the IMB
to turn our collective Southern Baptist sights away from
all these financial struggles
to the billions of people who
haven’t heard the gospel and
the missionaries from Southern Baptist churches who are
taking that gospel.”
Hoping to reduce personnel by 600-900 people, trustees learned that the actual
number taking advantage of
incentives to leave the IMB
totaled 1,132. Platt reported
that the Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI) yielded
decisions from 702 missionaries and 109 stateside staff,
while a later “hand-raising
opportunity” for all personnel
was accepted by 281 missionaries and 40 stateside staff.
The number of missionaries on the field is now around
3,800, according to IMB fig-
ures. The last time the number of missionaries was below 4,000, according to SBC
Annual reports, was in 1993
at 3,954.
“There have been days
when the heaviness has been
really hard,” Platt said of the
process, recalling an instance
when he felt he might collapse
See IMB, 10
"There have been days
when the heaviness has
been really hard."
— DAV I D P L AT T
FORT WORTH
Nearly 2,000
men and boys filled Southwestern Seminary’s MacGorman
Chapel for the Men’s Game
Banquet, Feb. 20, united by a
love for the great outdoors—the
artistry of the fields, streams,
and mountains; of the fish and
the animals; of the sunrises
and sunsets. And there on the
seminary’s campus, many of
them met for the first time the
Artist who made it all—the
heavenly Father.
The event featured free barbeque, exhibits, and door prizes,
along with speakers Paige Patterson and David Morris relating
hunting stories regarding some
of their most prized trophies, but
See MEN, 2
EMPOWER CONFERENCE
PRAYER, INTENTIONALITY KEYS
TO REACHING COMMUNITIES
WITH THE GOSPEL
By Keith Collier
Managing Editor
LAS COLINAS Christians and churches must rely on God’s power through
prayer and recognize their role in
reaching friends, family, co-workers,
neighbors and the nations with the
gospel, speakers at the 2016 Empower
Conference said Feb. 29-March 2. The
three-day evangelism conference put
on by the Southern Baptists of Texas
Convention (SBTC) at the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas drew pastors and church members from across
the state and featured 15 main session
speakers as well as breakout sessions.
Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast
Houston Baptist Church and SBTC presSee EMPOWER, 6
SBTC President Nathan Lino calls pastors and churches
to intentional evangelism during the 2016 Empower
Conference, Feb. 29. PHOTO BY GARY LEDBETTER
2
TEXAS
S O U T H E R N
MEN
T E X A N
sbtexan
“We found out that as important as Mom is—and she is
critical—Dad, to a little boy, is absolutely imperative.
And what Daddy does, the kid’s going to do.
No wonder we’re in trouble in America.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the clear focus of the evening
was the gospel. Of the almost
2,000 men and boys assembled, 191 responded to the gospel message by surrendering
their lives to the lordship of
Jesus Christ.
David Morris, Tecomate president and CEO, gave the first
presentation, sharing among
other things his experience of
taking down an elephant. “[But]
as much as I love hunting,” he
continued, “it is not my first love.
My first love is Jesus Christ.”
Morris explained that for
many years he was hesitant
B A P T I S T
— PA I G E PAT T E R S O N
to submit to God’s authority
for fear that God would force
him to abandon his aspirations and become a vocational
minister. Nevertheless, conviction brought by the Holy
Spirit eventually led him to
surrender.
“And instead of taking away
the things that he had put on
my heart to have a passion for
[like hunting], he expanded my
horizons,” Morris said. “It was
from that point that I began
to hunt all over the world and
have TV shows and hunt big
deer and have ranches—things
that I never dreamed. God’s
plans for us are way bigger
than ours.”
During his presentation,
Patterson, president of South-
western Seminary, encouraged all those in attendance
to go on safari in Africa. He
shared some of his own experiences from his time on that
continent and some of his trophies—including a cape buffalo, a roan antelope, and a lioness—sat alongside him on stage
to authenticate his stories.
Noting that such a trip presents an opportunity for family
bonding, Patterson then transitioned into something of a
more serious nature.
Citing a study conducted by
the Dartmouth medical school,
Patterson said America’s No.
1 problem is not immigration,
drugs, alcohol, gang warfare
in the cities, or even issues
with the government. Instead,
the No. 1 problem in America
today is that one out of every
three children grows up without a father.
“We found out that as important as Mom is—and she is critical—Dad, to a little boy, is absolutely imperative,” Patterson
said. “And what Daddy does,
the kid’s going to do. No wonder
we’re in trouble in America.”
Patterson proceeded to inform the men of a terrible
truth: many of them are on
their way to hell. Acknowledging the numerous reasons that
one should want to avoid hell,
Patterson pointed to one of
particular significance.
“[That Dartmouth study] said
that even the harshest of masters, the sons honor,” he said.
“[So] as you file off into hell, look
behind you: your boy will be
there. He may be 13, he may be
33, he may be 53, but he’ll be following you to hell, and his son
will follow him.”
In order to be made right
with God, Patterson, alluding
to Psalm 51:10, said one needs a
new heart. He explained, “Only
God can create in you a clean
heart, but he can do it, and he
can do it today.”
Patterson invited those who
wanted to surrender their lives
to the lordship of Jesus Christ to
pray a prayer of salvation. Nearly 200 men did so.
APRIL 2016
TEXAS
T E X A N O N L I N E . N E T
3
U.S. SUPREME
COURT HEARS
CASE ON TEXAS
ABORTION LAW
By Bonnie Pritchett
TEXAN Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C. After three
years of back-and-forth court
decisions, the legal challenge
to a Texas law regulating abortion procedures and their providers was finally heard by the
U.S. Supreme Court March 2.
The court’s decision in Whole
Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt,
though not precedent-setting,
could have ramifications on
other pro-life legislation across
the country.
The Supreme Court hearing
of Texas House Bill 2 brings
full circle what began in Texas
more than four decades ago
when the court’s Roe v. Wade
decision conferred a constitutional right to an abortion.
WWH v. Hellerstedt is considered one of the greatest challenges to elements of that law
in almost 25 years.
If upheld, HB 2 could indirectly impact similar laws around
the country. Without a majority
decision—an unlikely outcome
with the current eight-justice
panel—the best-case scenario
for pro-life advocates is a 4-4
tie, which would merely uphold
the law and not give legal precedent for similar laws. Abortion
advocates decry the law as a
thinly veiled attempt to shutter clinics and end all abortion
access in Texas. The bill’s proponents argue the measure raises
the standard of care for women.
The eight justices must decide
whether the rationale of the
law justifies any burdens it may
impose on a woman’s access to
an abortion. Their decision is
due in June.
A black-draped bench where
the late Justice Antonin Scalia
once sat served to remind all
present that the most significant abortion-related case to
come before the court in decades was being heard without
the high court’s most ardently
pro-life justice.
Texas Rep. Jodie Laubenberg,
R-Murphy, author of HB 2, was
not without hope.
“My feeling is God didn’t
take us this far to say, ‘This is
the end of the line,’” she told
the TEXAN in a phone interview prior to the hearing. “As
much as I will miss Scalia on
the court, the end decision is
God’s decision.”
Laubenberg watched from
the Supreme Court gallery as
the law she drafted was defended by Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller and opposed
by Stephanie Toti of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Laubenberg was part of a fourmember Texas delegation that
included Gov. Greg Abbot, Attorney General Ken Paxton
and Leslie French, Texas Health
and Human Services Women’s
Health Coordinator.
John Seago, Texas Right to
Life legislative director, attended the hearing and told
the TEXAN Keller grounded
the state’s argument on the
last abortion case to go before
the Supreme Court, Gonzalez v. Carhart, in 2007. In that
case involving a congressional
ban on partial-birth abortion,
the justices ruled it was not
the court’s role to determine
the medical necessity of a law.
Rather, they must discern
whether a state legislature or
Congress could prove the necessity of the law outweighed
the burden it might impose in
its implementation.
Seago said Keller kept driving the point that, per Carhart,
the court had no role in determining the medical necessity
of HB 2. Justice Samuel Alito
pressed the question as well,
Seago said. Most encouraging
were similar questions from
Justice Anthony Kennedy,
who is seen as the swing vote
in this case.
But the liberal Justices Sonia
Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and
Ruth Bader Ginsburg repeatedly challenged Keller to defend the medical necessity of
the law.
“That’s what is most worrisome,” Seago said, noting he
feared some justices want to
redefine the role of the court
to allow it to go outside the
bounds of the Constitution in
making judgments.
Outside the court room conflicting rallies championed
their causes. Seago said pro-life
advocates were far outnumbered by pro-choice activists
who appeared to have been
bused in for the event.
Before HB 2 went into effect
in 2014, about 40 abortion clinics operated in Texas. Within
weeks of its passage in July
2013, Planned Parenthood filed
a lawsuit challenging two of
the law’s four regulations—the
administration of abortioninducing medication and the
requirement that a clinic’s
abortion doctors have hospital
admitting privileges within 30
miles of the clinic. A federal
judge struck down the law, but
the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth
Circuit upheld it. The Supreme
Court refused to hear the case
and Planned Parenthood did
not press the issue.
In April 2014 Amy Hagstrom
Miller, owner of Whole Women’s Health, a chain of abortion clinics, filed suit challenging the regulations requiring
abortion clinics meet the ambulatory surgical center (ASC)
standards and the admitting
privileges for just two Texas
clinics, one in El Paso and one
in McAllen. Planned Parenthood did not join the suit.
By the time WWH v. Hellerstedt was argued before the
U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit, the number of abortion
clinics had dwindled to about
10. The appellate court upheld
HB 2 with one exception—the
abortion facility in McAllen
would not be held to the admitting privileges requirement.
Miller appealed her case to the
Supreme Court in June 2015. In
agreeing to hear the case, the
court put a stay on implementation of HB 2, allowing noncompliant clinics to remain
open until the case is decided
in June.
Since the passage of HB 2,
abortion rights activists have
sought to win their case in the
court of public opinion arguing the law would shutter
clinics and drastically hinder
women from “reproductive
health care,” a euphemistic
term for abortion.
In response to that claim
and withdrawal of Medicaid
funds from abortion-providing health clinics, the State of
Texas established the Women’s
Health Care program. Medicaid-approved women seeking
medical care other than abortions can access any of the
4,780 providers at 1,096 clinics
across the state. Women can receive the same—or in some instances more—care they would
be missing with the closure of
the few dozen Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics
across the state.
Laubenberg, who does not
shrink from her pro-life convictions, called the accusations
“absurd,” noting abortion industry giant Planned Parenthood has built new clinics in
Texas per the HB 2 regulations
since the law went into effect
in 2014.
One Planned Parenthood
abortion facility is opening
in San Antonio in direct competition with the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, Whole
Women’s Health.
That point was not missed
by Keller. He told the court
that abortion providers are
building clinics in Texas according to the regulations
they once decried as harmful
to the industry.
4
OPINION
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
sbtexan
T E X A N
REPORTING ON THE SBC
Gary Ledbetter
Editor
I
n 1994, right before the
Southern Baptist Convention met in Orlando, the
little paper I edited ran an
investigative piece about a farreaching policy at one of our
SBC agencies. It was an embarrassment to the president of
that agency and he responded
by calling our executive director as he was packing for the
trip and asking in a loud voice,
“Can’t you control those people?!” The exec backed us (those
people) up in that case, and
the agency president took his
lumps. It doesn’t happen every
year, but I’ve seen a version of
this struggle between reporters
and administrators for how the
news is told many times and at
all denominational levels.
What is the legitimate role
of the denominational press,
the Baptist state publications, as
the leaders of our work and the
constituent churches attempt
to communicate with one another? A bit of the answer is presupposed in my question—the
publications pass information to
and from both parties in various
ways. Because state papers are
positioned to know the churches
of our state conventions better
than national leaders, we ask
questions or seek information we
believe will be beneficial to our
churches’ stewardship of SBC
work. These questions, and some
editorial content, help alert leaders to how churches in different
parts of the country understand
their ministries. Because journalists have opportunities to observe the work of our SBC leaders, we can interpret their work
to our churches in a way that
makes sense and usually encourages them. This interpretation is
more crucial and difficult when
the news is less encouraging.
Most recently, for example,
the “less encouraging” news
came from the International
Mission Board as it completed
the hard work of cutting personnel in order to balance the
budget. Something had to be
done, and it was a challenging
way for President David Platt
to begin his tenure at IMB. In
the midst of conference calls,
press conferences, and other
contacts between IMB leadership and the denominational
press, there was a bit of a struggle over the message. Is the
headline “IMB brings expenses
into line” or “IMB cuts 1,132 missionaries and staff”? That’s the
struggle. It’s nearly always a
disagreement made inevitable
by the differences between the
role of news writers and that of
visionary leaders. Though passions may run high, it’s rarely a
matter of good guys versus bad
guys. But someone will almost
always speak as if it is.
Here are some thoughts on the
responsibilities of the denominational press telling difficult
stories and a couple of ideas for
those who find us frustrating.
Journalists should ask about
issues or decisions we don’t
understand or that should be
more completely told. Sometimes asking questions is seen
as malicious or an effort to
trip up a spokesman. This happens and probably explains
why some folks won’t talk to
reporters. But asking is not by
definition contrarian, although
it may turn that way when a
reporter is biased or when a
leader keeps too many secrets.
Baptist papers should provide information and examples
that spur churches to support
Southern Baptist work worldwide. These stories are crucial
and gathering them requires
full cooperation from our leaders. I add here that the IMB has
been exemplary in cooperation
with the denominational press
as we seek missions stories.
Baptist journalists must give
churches a clear understanding
of why things are not going according to plan and what is being done about it. This is tricky
for both parties, but if we don’t
do it, church leaders become
cynical or immune to our calls
for support. That has happened
over the past 40 years.
Journalists should not, however, be recreationally suspicious of those who lead ministries broader than our own.
It can become a habit or a lazy
man’s version of “objectivity,”
but suspicion, snark and insinuation are death to our work.
Neither should we be an uncritical extension of someone’s
public relations team. We do
wish our leaders well but cannot become habitual boosters
of every plan or leader.
Leaders, tell it all, unless you
can share a good reason to keep
something secret. Confidenti-
Jim Richards, Executive Director
Southern Baptist TEXAN
VOLUME
NUMBER
15 04
APRIL
2016
Gary K. Ledbetter, Editor
Keith Collier, Managing Editor
Tammi Ledbetter, Special Assignments Editor
Sharayah Colter, Staff Writer
Gayla Sullivan, Circulation Manager
Russell Lightner, Layout/Graphic Artist
sbtexan
texanonline.net
ality should be the exception
rather than just the easy option. When a reporter seeks
access to your business, see
her as representing thousands
of readers with whom you’ll
never have any other contact.
She does. Would you treat hundreds or thousands of Southern
Baptists attending your meeting as intruders?
When a leader shares a vision
or plan at a press conference, he
must remember that he is not the
only person in the conversation
who talks to God. Someone who
asks, “How will this work?” or
“What will this cost?” is seeking
information, not trying to undermine God’s kingdom.
Similarly, leaders are not the
only people in the room who
want the mission of the SBC
to succeed. Baptist editors and
reporters are committed to
the prospering of God’s work
through Southern Baptists.
Unity in purpose does not mean
we ignore hard questions.
SOMEONE WHO ASKS, “HOW WILL THIS WORK?”
OR “WHAT WILL THIS COST?” IS SEEKING
INFORMATION, NOT TRYING TO UNDERMINE
GOD’S KINGDOM.
“Good journalism” is not necessarily telling the story a reader
wants told in the way he wants
it told. Of course it follows that
“poor journalism” is not simply
defined as a story we wish was
not true. Poor journalism exists,
of course, but it’s sloppy, even
sinful, to slander a writer just because his perspective or the news
he tells annoys us.
This tense interplay between
newsmakers and those who tell
and explain the news is not a
recent phenomenon, and it will
not end. When Christian brothers are on both ends of the communications process, we are
obligated to treat one another
with the kind of respect we don’t
always see in the culture at large.
“Respect” does not mean we must
agree. It does require news people
to think carefully about what is
edifying as well as what is true. It
requires that both parties develop
thick skin and a bit of grace. We
will not always agree on what’s
true, much less on what is edifying to the kingdom.
I believe newsmakers and
news reporters have distinct
and important roles within the
kingdom of God. We each have
responsibilities, and we can provoke one another to fully live up
to our Great Commission ideals.
Perhaps it can be a mutually edifying relationship if all parties
approach it that way.
Who, Me?
Diana Davis
Fresh Ideas
L
et’s suppose that your boss
is not a believer, and you
are personally assigned to
tell him or her about God.
This is not an imaginary story; it’s
a fact. God has commissioned every believer (that’s you) to share
his plan of salvation with those
who don’t know him.
Sharing Jesus with others is
really much easier than you may
think. Lost people are often more
anxious to hear God’s good news
than we are to tell it!
Begin today by taking this simple three-question quiz.
Question #1: In your normal pattern of life, where do
you mingle with non-Christian
people? Think hard. The answer could describe the focus of
your personal mission field. Is it
around the water cooler at work?
In your neighborhood or favorite
coffee shop or gym? At your cancer treatment center? Could it be
at your children’s ball games or
on the playground? As a volunteer in a local nursing home or
Contributors:
Diana Davis, Michael
Foust, Nathan Lino,
Bonnie Pritchett,
David Roach, Jane
Rodgers, Alex Sibley,
Art Toalston
sbtexan
SBC’s Disaster Relief? Maybe it’s
in your professional organization
or community organization. As
you live among unbelievers, be
sure to “make the most of every
opportunity” (Colossians 4:5).
God has strategically placed
you in every circumstance of life.
“But this will be your opportunity
to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me” (Matthew 10:18).
If you’re a lawyer, you’re a lawyer
for Jesus. If you’re a commuter,
you’re with a busload of people
who may need Jesus. Whatever
you do, “… do everything to spread
the Good News and share in its
blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:23). If
you truly don’t ever have contact with unbelievers, perhaps it’s
time to take a class, join a club or
meet your neighbors.
Question #2. As a Christian,
can you express some ways
God has impacted your life this
week? It’s one of the most effective ways to share Jesus—just tell
your personal story. In everyday
conversations, give God the glory
for blessings, and tell about how
he helps you through difficult
circumstances. As you live for
God and tell stories about how
God works in your life, “many
will see what he has done and be
amazed. They will put their trust
in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). Now
that’s an exciting Scripture.
Consistently share your personal, daily God-stories. Pray for
listeners. Tell them about God.
Invite them to church. “But as
for me, I will always proclaim
what God has done” (Psalm 75:9).
Question #3. Will you count it
a privilege to share Jesus with
others? Jesus has commissioned
every believer to intentionally
tell others about God’s salvation
plan. “Work at telling others the
Good News, and fully carry out
the ministry God has given you”
(2 Timothy 4:5).
Sharing about Jesus is not a
punishment; it’s an enormous joy
and privilege. You are God’s representative (2 Corinthians 5:20)!
Paul said, “Though I am the least
deserving of all God’s people, he
graciously gave me the privilege
of telling the Gentiles about the
endless treasures available to
them in Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8).
You can do this. Today, look at
the mission field around you. Tell
your personal God-story. Treasure the privilege of representing
God to those who don’t yet know
him. God has entrusted you to
share his salvation plan.
The Southern Baptist Texan is the official newspaper
of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,
P.O. Box 1988, Grapevine, Texas 76099-1988.
Toll-free 877-953-7282, Phone 817-552-2500,
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APRIL 2016
OPINION
T E X A N O N L I N E . N E T
5
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVANGELISM STILL WORKS
Jim Richards
Executive Director
S
unday night, March 6,
will live with me the
rest of my life. June and
I were at AT&T Stadium
where the Cowboys try to play
football. On that night, 82,000plus packed the building to hear
the name of Jesus exalted. Greg
Laurie’s Harvest Crusade was
used of God like nothing I have
ever witnessed. Over 6,000
people were saved at the event.
More people were saved at one
time than any evangelistic effort I have participated in, and
750 local churches have agreed
to follow up and disciple the
new believers.
I attended Billy Graham Crusades back in the day when
mass evangelism was more
than acceptable. Churches that
had little in common other
than the confession that “Jesus
is Lord!” came together to hear
the pure gospel proclaimed.
Questions may be raised about
discipleship methods or nonevangelical involvement, but
the bottom line is that people
did accept Christ in large numbers. Mass evangelism still
works, and the DFW Harvest
Crusade proves even metro areas can be impacted.
Last year one of my closest
friends, Joe Senn, who pastors in Louisiana, experienced
a move of God during a local
church revival. Evangelist Bill
Britt started a five-day revival
that was extended several
times. After a couple of weeks,
more than 100 people came to
Christ through an evangelistic
outreach. Churches don’t have
to do weeklong revival meetings, but they still work. The
problem is the four-letter word
“work.” Revival and evangelistic results only come through
prayer and individual time
investment. If we will do our
part, God will do his part. God
still uses evangelistic events.
Pastor John Meador at First
Baptist Church in Euless created
an outreach tool named “Can
We Talk?” God has used the
training to equip church members to be intentional with their
witness. Byron McWilliams,
pastor of First Baptist Church
in Odessa, used the tool, and
God’s Spirit has swept through
the church and city with scores
were saved. When people
are equipped with a method,
charged with an eternal mandate and empowered by the
Holy Spirit, an ingathering of
souls can take place. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is encouraging every local
church to take part in “One in a
Million,” a plan to blanket Texas
with the gospel by local churches reaching a million homes by
the year 2020 (Find out more
at sbtexas.com/oneinamillion).
Evangelism training still works.
A couple of weeks ago, I felt
deeply impressed to speak to a
young lady who was working
in childcare. Quickly dispensing with small talk, I moved to
diagnostic questions, and she
was immediately open to a
spiritual conversation. Within minutes I was able to share
REVIVAL AND EVANGELISTIC RESULTS ONLY COME
THROUGH PRAYER AND INDIVIDUAL TIME INVESTMENT.
IF WE WILL DO OUR PART, GOD WILL DO HIS PART. GOD
STILL USES EVANGELISTIC EVENTS.
the gospel. She fell under conviction of her need for Christ,
and it was my privilege to
hear her pray to receive Jesus as her personal Savior.
She was unashamed to share
with others her newfound
faith, and I was able to see her
connected with a pastor and
church. Personally sharing
your faith is still effective.
Our nation is in chaos. The
Southern Baptist Convention
is declining. Local churches are
struggling. Believers are discouraged. There is a solution.
One on one, intentional gospel
presentations will transform
lives. Let’s get back to New Testament life by telling others
about Jesus.
During election season, pastors cannot afford to be silent
Nathan Lino
SBTC President
S
ensationalism. Hysteria. Conspiracy theories.
Apocalyptic forecasts.
Fear. Worry. Smallgroup Bible studies digressing
into political discussions. Political partisan divides in the congregation. The presidential election season has ramped up.
And my fellow shepherds, we
cannot afford to be silent.
First, silence on our part hurts
our members. The election season is heavy on our members’
minds, and they are looking for
guidance. Our calling is to teach
them how to be conformed to
Jesus Christ in the real world.
And right now, in the culture in
which we live, election season
is front and center on the radar.
What does it mean to look and
act like Christ during election
season? We cannot and must not
ignore the reality in which our
members live; instead, we must
have the courage to teach them
how to think well about election
season and how to make Christhonoring decisions. Silence
leaves our sheep vulnerable.
Second, silence on our part
hurts our city. Christ’s church
is his voice to all of society, not
just those inside our churches.
As pastors, we are called by God
not only to our church but also
to our city. Silence on our part is
neither inaudible nor neutral; it
communicates to the residents
of our city that God has nothing
to say on the matter of what a
society should value and prioritize. Silence leaves our city void
of the voice of God.
The question is not if we
should speak to the election
season, but when and how?
May our Chief Shepherd grant
his undershepherds wisdom
and courage for such a time as
this. And to that end, let me
point you toward some trustworthy and helpful resources
for equipping. I list them here in
no particular order:
1. How Should Christians
Vote? by Tony Evans
2. Politics – According to
the Bible: A Comprehensive
Resource for Understanding
Modern Political Issues in
Light of Scripture by Wayne
Grudem
3. The Ethics & Religious
Liberty Commission website:
erlc.com
4. Russell Moore’s blog: russellmoore.com/blog
5. Barry Creamer’s blog/radio/podcasts: barrycreamer.
com
6. Al Mohler’s “The Briefing”:
albertmohler.com/category/
the-briefing
—Nathan Lino is pastor of Northeast
Houston Baptist Church
6
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EMPOWER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
ident, spoke of what he called a
“state of evangelism atrophy” in
the majority of Southern Baptist
churches today. Similar to muscle atrophy—a loss of vigor and
strength due to lack of activity—
churches and individuals are
suffering from a lack of regular,
intentional gospel witness.
“Everything left alone under the curse of sin ultimately
reaches a state decay, even
SBC President Ronnie Floyd calls Christians to urgent prayer during the 2016
the most important things, Empower Conference, March 1. PHOTO BY GARY LEDBETTER
like evangelism,” Lino said in
the opening evening session and billions of people around and his mercy is made known
of the conference.
the world” during his message, to the people around you.”
Preaching from Ephesians which followed Lino’s. Too ofLike Moses, who interceded
6:19-20, Lino acknowledged the ten, Platt said, Christians are ig- on behalf of the Israelites for
great irony for the Apostle Paul norant or indifferent regarding God to show mercy on them,
to request prayer for boldness Scripture’s teaching on hell and Christians must regularly inand clarity to speak the gospel, the fact that people who do not tercede in prayer for those unbut Paul recognized that “past repent will spend eternity suf- reached with the gospel.
effectiveness is no guarantee of fering there.
“Pray to God like it matters;
future effectiveness.”
pray to God like your
“I don’t think what
prayers affect the way
we need as shepherds
God acts,” Platt told
“WHOEVER YOU ARE, WHEREVER
in Texas is more statisconference attendees
tics about evangelism
and those who were
YOU LIVE, WHATEVER YOU DO,
and how urgently we
watching the event via
REALIZE THAT GOD HAS PUT YOU
need revival,” Lino
livestream.
said. “I think what we
WHERE YOU ARE FOR A REASON. …
“God wills to work
need is to return to
through
willing interGOD LOVES THE PEOPLE AROUND
intentionality in evancessors. When we pray,
YOU SO MUCH, AND HE’S DESIGNED
gelism. Nothing good
God responds. When
happens in this world
we pray, we take our
YOUR LIFE TO BE THE MEANS IN
for Jesus Christ withGod-given privilege to
HIS SOVEREIGN HAND BY WHICH
out intentionality.”
participate with him in
Intentionality was
the spread of his mercy
HIS WRATH IS RELENTED AND HIS
the theme of Lino’s
in the world. Moses
MERCY IS MADE KNOWN TO THE
message as he exhortprayed, and it had an
ed pastors in particular
effect. When you pray
PEOPLE AROUND YOU.”
to greater intentionfor people in Texas, it
— N AT H A N L I N O, S B TC P R E S I D E N T
ality in personal and
will have an effect.”
corporate evangelism.
In addition to pray“Intentionality looks
ing like it matters, Platt
like a plan,” Lino said. “So
called on Christians to
what is your plan to directly enPreaching from Exodus 32:1- share the gospel like it matters.
gage unbelievers with the gospel 14, Platt also called on believ“We’ll never reach the naof Jesus Christ?
ers to “realize the role God has tions with the gospel if we’re
“We need a return to exhort- given you to play in his relent- not reaching our neighbors
ing each other and our people ing wrath.”
with the gospel,” Platt said. He
to actually verbalize the gospel
“Whoever you are, wherever concluded his message with a
in its entirety to people who do you live, whatever you do, real- challenge to pastors in the room
not yet believe.”
ize that God has put you where to commit to reaching homes
International Mission Board you are for a reason. … God loves in their communities as part of
President David Platt urged the people around you so much, SBTC’s “One in a Million” evanChristians to “recognize the re- and he’s designed your life to be gelism initiative to reach 1 milality of God’s wrath upon mil- the means in his sovereign hand lion homes in Texas with the
lions of people across this state by which his wrath is relented gospel by the year 2020. Scores
SBTC Evangelism Director Nathan Lorick (left) prays for evangelist David
Stockwell and his wife, Amy, after presenting David with the Roy Fish Lifetime
Achievement Award for vocational evangelism at the Empower Conference,
March 1, PHOTO BY GARY LEDBETTER
Lynn Crosslin, pastor of Harmony Baptist Church in Weatherford, accepts the
W.A. Criswell Lifetime Achievement Award for pastoral evangelism during the
Empower Conference, March 2. PHOTO BY MIKE GOFF
of pastors brought forth commitment cards and placed them
on the stage.
SBC President Ronnie Floyd
continued the call for prayer
and bold gospel witness during
his message, March 1. Too many
churches, he said, are trying to
accomplish God’s work apart
from his power.
“Why do we believe so much
in the power of God for New
Testament salvation, but we
struggle believing in the power of God to turn the deadest
church in Texas upside down?”
Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in
Northwest Arkansas, asked.
“Trust the God of heaven who
was able to raise Jesus Christ
from the dead is the same God
who can raise up this conven-
tion of churches to take the gospel into at least 1 million homes
in this state. We need to understand that none of that can happen without God.”
Floyd assured pastors and
churches that God has a future for them individually and
corporately and that faithsaturated prayer was the bridge
between their current state and
that future. Preaching from 1
Chronicles 4:9-10, the account
of a man named Jabez’s prayer,
Floyd explained that the passage
was not a prescription on what
to pray but was a description
of a man who cried out to the
God who answered. Likewise,
Christians should cry out to God
as their only hope and the only
hope for an unbelieving world.
APRIL 2016
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7
CHURCHES KEEP COMMITMENT TO
COOPERATIVE PROGRAM DESPITE STRUGGLES
By Tammi Reed Ledbetter
Special Assignments Editor
LAS COLINAS
First Baptist
Church of Iowa Park has a long,
committed history to giving
10 percent of its undesignated
receipts to the Cooperative Program. The only problem came
when budget expenses outstripped income.
“We were having the financial secretary cut the checks,
and then she would mail it
if the money was there,” explained Pastor Glen Pearce
during a March 1 Cooperative
Program luncheon as part of
this year’s Empower Conference. When funds were tight,
other commitments took precedence. “We did this over
and over again,” he said. “At
the end of the year we’d sit
down the finance committee
and if there wasn’t enough
money [for the CP portion]
we’d release some of it and
void the other.”
Pearce admitted, “We felt
guilty, repented a little bit, felt
terrible about it and promised
to do better. But the same cycle
happened again, and this went
on and on and on.”
God eventually convinced
Pearce of the need to pray
specifically for the church’s
financial situation, inviting
staff and deacons to join him.
When an administrative assistant proposed writing a check
for CP giving every Monday
based the previous day’s offering, Pearce agreed. “Every
Monday they would count the
offering. She would write the
check and mail the check,” he
recalled.
“For 52 weeks that happened, and we ended the year
in the black because we pulled
money from our contingency
fund,” he explained, “but the
Cooperative Program (commitment) was met that year.” As
the church began 2015 with no
money in the bank and no contingency fund, Pearce said, “I
think God was testing us to see
if we’d keep doing that.”
There were times when the
staff held their checks, waiting for another Sunday to come
through. “But the Cooperative
Program check went.”
“OBVIOUSLY WE’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR REACHING
HUNTINGTON FOR CHRIST, BUT THE COOPERATIVE
PROGRAM IS A GREAT WAY TO INVEST IN GOD’S
KINGDOM THAT’S GOING AROUND THE WORLD.”
—DARRYL SMITH, PASTOR OF FBC HUNTINGTON
By the end of last year,
receipts exceeded budgeted
expenses, depleted reserves
were replenished, and excess
income covered the cost of remodeling an entire floor for
children’s ministry. Once again,
the church kept its commitment to allocate 10 percent of
undesignated receipts for distribution through the Cooperative Program.
“I believe what we’re seeing
is that God hears our prayers,”
Pearce shared, interrupted by
applause. “God blesses, but we
have to do what it takes to be
obedient.”
Encouraging pastors to make
good on their support for the Cooperative Program, Pearce said,
“Our church isn’t huge, and we
don’t have a lot of rich people,
but if you’re faithful to God and
pray and expect him to come
through, he will come through.”
Darryl Smith, pastor of First
Baptist Church in Huntington,
described giving to the Cooperative Program as an investment in a kingdom that reaches
around the world.
“Many times it is easy to look
within our four walls and our
city limits,” he said in describing
ministry in a small town. “Obviously we’re responsible for
reaching Huntington for Christ,
but the Cooperative Program is
a great way to invest in God’s
kingdom that’s going around
the world.”
Early into his 17-year tenure
as pastor, Smith heard a young
man express appreciation for
prioritizing missions giving.
Looking at the financial report
during a business meeting, the
man asked if Smith had noticed that after making a commitment to give sacrificially to
missions and the Cooperative
Program, God had blessed the
church with more than they
had planned on receiving.
“It’s the paradoxical truth
that’s throughout the Scripture
that as we give our life away
more and more, we receive
more and more of life,” he added.
“Missions is a part of my
DNA, and it became a part of
the DNA of our church,” Smith
said. “The Cooperative Program
is very personal to us because
it’s real people.”
FBC Huntington has adopted
an unreached people group in
West Africa and travels to the
site four or five times a year.
When members of the church
give their offerings, they know
they are supporting missionaries who serve through the International Mission Board like
the couple with whom they
work.
8
SBC
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
SMALL-STATE
REPRESENTATION
CONSIDERED AT EC
TRUSTEE MEETING
By David Roach & Art Toalston
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE After nearly an hour of
discussion, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s officers
withdrew a recommendation to propose granting representation on three
key SBC committees to Baptists in pioneer regions. EC leadership promised,
however, to make an alternate proposal
with the same goal but addressing logistical concerns raised by EC members.
In other business during the EC’s Feb.
22-23 meeting Nashville, the committee
recommended a change in the method
for asking questions of entity leaders
during SBC annual meetings; approved
a one-time transfer of funds from the
North American Mission Board to the
International Mission Board to assist
IMB personnel leaving the board during its “organizational reset;” and withdrew the convention’s fellowship from
a South Carolina church whose pastor
performed a same-sex wedding ceremony with the deacons’ approval.
The initial recommendation on “representation from new states and territories”
would have asked the SBC’s legal counsel
to present a recommendation to the EC’s
Bylaws Workgroup for consideration
in June on providing “representation on
the Executive Committee, the Committee
on Nominations, and the Committee on
Committees for the following states or defined territories: the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Montana and Puerto
Rico-U.S. Virgin Islands.”
The recommendation also proposed
“limit[ing] to four the maximum number
of members which any cooperating state
or defined territory shall be entitled to
have on the Executive Committee” and
“request[ing] Baptist Press to report the
foregoing information to Southern Baptists so that any comments in response
to the proposal [could] be included in the
background materials for the Executive
Committee’s consideration on June 13.”
Currently, EC representation for any
state or territory is capped at five members, with Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas
having maximum representation. According to SBC Bylaws 18 and 30, having 15,000 members in cooperating
Southern Baptist churches qualifies a
state or territory for initial representation on the EC, the Committee on Committees and the Committee on Nominations. When a state or territory reaches
250,000 church members, it qualifies
to have a second EC member. Each additional 250,000 church members qualifies a state or territory for an additional
EC member up to the maximum.
The recommendation would have
granted one EC member to each pioneer
state and territory listed while maintaining at present levels the representation of
states and territories with 1-4 EC members.
The recommendation was affirmed by
EC officers, the Bylaws Workgroup and
the Administrative Committee. However, when the matter came before the full
board, trustees raised questions such as:
4Why does the proposal reduce EC
representation from states whose Baptists support the Cooperative Program
with some of the largest financial gifts?
4Why does the proposal specify a set
number of EC members from each state
and territory rather than establish a formula to determine representation?
4To what extent is the reduction of EC
representation from certain states driven
by a need to limit the EC’s spending?
After 40 minutes of discussion, SBC
President Ronnie Floyd, who serves as
an ex officio EC member, asked, “Could
we simply say the will of the body
would be that it is our intent to study
seriously, without involving the negative of taking away [EC members], if
possible, to give representation to every
state convention, period?”
EC President Frank S. Page said he
believes “the big issue” is granting EC
and other committee representation
to Baptists in every state and territory.
He asked that all recommendations and
amendments be withdrawn so that officers and staff “might ... come back with
a cleaner way to say, ‘We want to add
five’“ EC members from the states and
territories mentioned in the recommendation. He said EC staff can, if instructed
to do so, re-appropriate funds to allow
five new members without reducing
any state’s current representation. The
committee opted to follow Page’s advice.
Entity questions at SBC
annual meetings
In a separate action, the EC recommended amending SBC Bylaw 26 regarding questions to SBC entity leaders
from the floor during the annual meeting, which will be presented to messengers during the SBC’s June 14-15 sessions in St. Louis.
Intended to provide consistency in the
time allotted for messengers to ask questions, the proposed amendment would
stipulate that segments for questions
“provide no less than four (4) minutes
times the number of entities included
for discussion during that time.” The total
time in any segment, however, “need not
be evenly apportioned” among the entities included in that segment.
The bylaw amendment was drafted,
as stated in EC resource materials, “In
the interest of promoting greater transparency, amenability to the constituency, and a broader understanding of
the work of the Convention’s entities.” A
chart included in the background material noted that the average length of time
allotted for questions to each SBC entity
over the past 20 years has been about
four minutes per entity, spaced across
multiple sessions of the annual meeting.
The new proposal will allow for consolidating question and answer segments to
specific times on the agenda.
NAMB funds transfer
sbtexan
T E X A N
The SBC Executive Committee gathered Feb. 22-23 for their meeting in
Nashville. PHOTO BY MORRIS ABERNATHY
The EC approved a one-time transfer
from NAMB to the IMB of up to $4 million, with three conditions which must
be approved by NAMB’s trustees:
4The transfer must be drawn from
the reserve portion of NAMB’s unrestricted assets.
4The transfer must not “negatively
impact the performance of NAMB’s
ministry assignments.”
4The transfer must be “designated to
the IMB for the specific purpose of assisting transitioning IMB missionaries
who have accepted the IMB’s Voluntary
Retirement Incentive (VRI) or its Hand
Raising Opportunity (HRO).”
NAMB President Kevin Ezell told
Baptist Press NAMB’s “main motivation
[for the gift] is that we’re family.”
“We’ve walked down this path before,” Ezell said. NAMB “let 817 people
go in a transition. I know how hard that
is along with trying to balance a budget.
We look at the IMB as a sister entity. We
are a family. When families hurt, you
make sacrifices for family.”
S.C. church disfellowshipped
The EC’s decision to withdraw fellowship from Augusta Heights Baptist
Church in Greenville, S.C., acting on
behalf of the SBC ad interim, was based
on “public information provided by the
church which amounts to clear evidence of the church’s affirmation and
approval of homosexual behavior,” according to the recommendation.
Article III of the SBC Constitution
stipulates that “churches which act to
affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual
behavior would be deemed not to be in
cooperation with the Convention.”
Background material provided to
EC members stated Augusta Heights
pastor Greg Dover “sought and acquired approval” from the church’s
deacons to perform a same-sex wedding ceremony and did so Oct. 10,
2015. Dover told EC staff in a letter
the congregation “does not have a
marriage policy, or any official position or doctrinal statement on issues
of homosexuality or same-sex marriage.” The church, Dover said, “does
not wish to end our relationship with
the Southern Baptist Convention.”
Augusta Heights, which also has been
disfellowshipped from the South Carolina Baptist Convention and the Greenville Baptist Association, was invited to
send representatives to the EC meeting
but did not do so.
In other items on its agenda, the Executive Committee:
4approved a 2016-17 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget of
$189,000,000 for recommendation to
the SBC during the June 14-15 annual
meeting in St. Louis.
The proposed budget maintains current allocations to the convention’s
ministries, including 50.41 percent of
receipts to IMB and 22.79 percent to
NAMB, for a total of 73.20 percent allocated for mission ministries nationally
and internationally.
The convention’s six seminaries will
receive 22.16 percent. The seminary
enrollment formula for funding will
be: Golden Gate Seminary, 2.15 percent;
Midwestern Seminary, 2.65 percent;
New Orleans Seminary, 3.82 percent;
Southeastern Seminary, 4.17 percent;
Southern Seminary, 5.06 percent;
Southwestern Seminary, 4.07 percent;
and .24 percent to the Southern Baptist
Historical Library and Archives, a ministry overseen by the seminary presidents. (Cumulative numbers may not
match the sum of individual seminary
percentages due to rounding.)
The budget proposal maintains a 1.65
percent allocation to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
The SBC Operating Budget, the only
CP-funded facilitating ministry, encompassing the SBC annual meeting
costs and the work of the Executive
Committee, would receive 2.99 percent
of the budget.
APRIL 2016
TEXAS
9
HARVEST AMERICA EVENT AT AT&T STADIUM
RESULTS IN 25,000+ PROFESSIONS OF FAITH
By Jane Rodgers
TEXAN Correspondent
ARLINGTON Overflow crowds
swelled Arlington’s AT&T Stadium Sunday, March 6, for Harvest America, a North Texas
evangelistic event months in
the making. After the stadium
reached capacity, hundreds
milled around large screens outside to watch Christian entertainers Switchfoot, MercyMe,
Lecrae and Chris Tomlin as
events within the venue were
streamed live on the plaza.
Following the music came a
message by California megachurch pastor Greg Laurie of
Harvest Christian Fellowship
in Riverside.
Hundreds of thousands in
123 countries also tuned in
via radio, television, Internet
stream or remote broadcast at
7,200 host locations, crusade
organizers reported, adding
that 750 local churches were
involved in bringing Harvest
America to Texas. More than
350,000 attended the event or
viewed it at a host location or
via webcast.
Groups from Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
churches joined the 82,000 in
attendance inside and out to
hear Laurie’s message of hope
and salvation from Scripture.
SBTC churches also numbered
among those providing nearly
5,000 counselors and volunteers for the event.
Harvest America reported
that 6,300 in attendance responded to the gospel invitation issued by Laurie. Additionally, more than 18,000
professions of faith were made
at host locations and 1,042
more were made through the
online webcast, bringing the
total number of professions of
faith to more than 25,000.
Laurie’s message focused
on John 3 but included personal illustrations of his childhood with his often-divorced
mother and kindly stepfather.
Referencing Clint Eastwood’s
“The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly,” Laurie explained that
until her salvation, his mother
was “the bad,” not unlike the
woman at the well in Samaria.
His stepfather was “the good,”
an educated, moral professional who still needed Jesus. As
for “the ugly,” Laurie explained
that this meant, “you and me.
You need Jesus.”
“The good, the bad, the ugly,
that’s all of us because of sin. Everybody needs Jesus, and that
means you. You need Jesus.”
Laurie continued, citing not
only Pascal’s metaphor of the
“God-shaped vacuum” within
humans but also quoting celebrities regarding the spiritual
emptiness characterizing those
who appear to have it all. “Everyone is lonely.”
Alluding to the millennial
generation as “increasingly
lonely,” and referencing Pew
Research Center findings, Laurie said millennials spend 6.5
hours a day on social media.
“They have large numbers of
friends but an increasing sense
of loneliness.”
Affirming salvation through
faith, Laurie underscored the
insufficiency of religious beliefs for salvation. “Heaven is
not for good people. Heaven is
for forgiven people. You don’t
need a little religion. You need
a lot of Jesus.”
Laurie emphasized John 3:16,
focusing on God’s love. “The
thief on the cross was probably
a murderer, a terrorist, planning to overthrow Rome. Jesus
said, ‘Today you will be with
me in paradise.’ It’s a gift.”
Laurie closed with a clear
presentation of the plan of salvation and an invitation to the
assembled crowd to confess
their sins and acknowledge
Christ as savior. Thousands
poured onto the field at AT&T
Stadium, “not to catch a pass,”
as Laurie said, “but to make a
stand for Jesus.”
“Today is the day of salvation.
Now is your time. Acknowledge that Jesus died for you.
Repent. Change your direction.
Hang a U-turn in the road of
life, and go to God.”
Among volunteers and those
in attendance were many from
SBTC churches, including Prestonwood Baptist in Plano and
First Baptist Dallas.
Prestonwood supplied nearly 1,000 volunteers as decision
counselors, choir members,
ushers, security staff, and parking attendants in addition to
contributing to help cover Harvest America expenses before
the event.
“Harvest America was exceedingly more than we could
have asked for or expected. To
see thousands streaming down
to the field at AT&T Stadium after the invitation is a sight that
will be etched in our memories
forever. My prayer is that Harvest America will be a catalyst
for a renewed commitment
to evangelism by churches all
over the world,” said Prestonwood pastor Jack Graham.
“As for Prestonwood, our involvement and preparation for
months leading up to March 6
were truly a blessing as they
led us to become even more
evangelistic in our approach
to everyday ministry. Harvest
America has come and gone,
but the harvest is still plentiful in North Texas and there is
much to do as the church.”
More than 6,300 people made professions of faith inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, March 6, during Greg Laurie’s
Harvest America crusade. PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF HARVEST AMERICA
Christian worship leader Chris Tomlin performs at
the Harvest America crusade inside AT&T Stadium in
Arlington. PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF HARVEST AMERICA
Christian rapper Lecrae performs at the Harvest America
crusade inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
More than 82,000 people attended the Harvest America
crusade inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with an
additionall 268,000 watching across the country via host
locations and webcast. PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF HARVEST AMERICA
Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in
Plano, speaks from the stage during Harvest America
crusade at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Smaller churches were engaged as well. First Baptist
Church of Bullard brought
eight adults and 24 youth, one
of whom was saved.
“We were surprised by the
turnout. We arrived an hour
before the event and barely
got seats behind the black
curtain. We watched the
evening on the Jumbotron,”
said Tony Shafer, FBC Bullard
youth pastor. “This did not
ruin the evening at all. Just
being there, bringing students from a small town, seeing [82,000] people worshiping God, made a huge impact.
The message was spot on.
PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF HARVEST AMERICA
PHOTO PROVIDED COURTESY OF HARVEST AMERICA
God touched us and moved
us. I know the evening will
have an impact on lives moving forward.”
Amy Fullen, First Baptist
Bullard administrative assistant who attended as a volunteer with her daughter, a high
school senior, echoed Shafer’s
enthusiasm. “It was wonderful
to be in the mass of Christians
like we’ve never seen and good
to see the diversity, too. People
came from all walks of life. The
message was just what our
group needed.”
The SBTC supported the
event financially, through promotion and in prayer.
“Harvest America was truly
an incredible experience. It was
so exciting to see thousands of
people place their faith in Jesus at the end of the night,” said
SBTC Director of Evangelism
Nathan Lorick.
“The event was a great example of how God uses churches
working together for the common goal of the gospel being
proclaimed. I am convinced
that God will continue to use
SBTC churches in the same way
across Texas as we work together to see one million homes
reached with the gospel.”
Watch the archived webcast
at harvestamerica.com.
10
MISSIONS
IMB
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
under the weight. An IMB employee who had decided to accept the Voluntary Retirement
Incentive (VRI) encouraged
him to view the transition as
a time when 5,250 people were
all seeking the Lord and his
will for their lives. “He said,
‘This is like revival, and nothing but good can come from
this,’” Platt recalled.
“I’ve rested in that reality
the last six months as people
have made decisions,” he told
trustees. “And I rest in that today as I share numbers with
you that have surprised me
and for which I don’t have human explanation.”
Anxious to focus on future
IMB strategy for the missionaries who remain and the
“limitless number” who will
be serving in new pathways
in the future, Platt spoke of
significant changes to infrastructures and systems that
will efficiently increase the
IMB’s effectiveness.
Platt envisioned clusters of
professionals, students and re-
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
T E X A N
sbtexan
“I’m under no presumption our
work won’t be affected by over
900 people not on the field.”
— DAV I D P L AT T
tirees serving alongside existing
personnel to further advance
the gospel.
Clyde Meador told trustees,
“We’re not seeing limitless
yet, but we will.” The veteran
missionary and administrator who serves as executive
advisor to the president, reminded, “At the core of those
limitless missionary teams
around the world will be fully
supported language and culturally competent missionaries who remain on the field,
and there will be others who
follow after them.”
Meador went so far as to express gratitude for “the untold
numbers of new believers and
churches that came into being
during the five years when
we spent $210 million more
than came in,” and quickly
added, “I’m thankful for the
realization we couldn’t keep
doing that.”
“We are positioned to go forward,”Clyde Meador, IMB executive adviser to the
president, tells IMB trustees during their Feb. 22-24 meeting in Richmond, Va.
Platt said, “IMB is committed
to a future marked by faithful
stewardship, operational excellence, wise evaluation, ongoing
innovation and joyful devotion
to making disciples and multiplying churches among the unreached.” He thanked Southern
Baptist churches for increased
giving to the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon
Christmas Offering for International Missions, both of which
are “trending upward.”
In the first trustee meeting to
be livestreamed via the internet,
Platt said the last thing he wanted to see when he stepped into
the role of president in the fall
of 2014 was hundreds of fewer
missionaries serving on the field.
“Could it be that God has designed the globalization of the
marketplace for the spread of
his gospel?” he asked. Instead
of attempting to “grow back”
to 4,500 or 5,000 missionaries, Platt encouraged Southern
Baptists to lift their eyes to see
the billions who have never
heard the gospel. “Surely this
God is calling more than just
500 or 1,000 people to go, but
tens of thousands.”
During a subsequent news
conference, Platt said, “I’m under
no presumption our work won’t
be affected by over 900 people
not on the field.” Critical needs
are being addressed first, making sure changes do not jeopardize the security and stability of
remaining staff, he explained.
David Platt prays at the beginning of a phone press conference with Baptist
state newspaper editors following the announcement of 1,132 IMB personnel
opting to leave during organizational ‘reset’ Feb. 24. PHOTO BY TAMMI REED LEDBETTER
“We want to make sure people are not serving in isolation
or in ways that are unhealthy
for them,” Platt said, raising the
possibility of relocation of personnel where necessary.
IBM is strengthening the
network of former missionaries with conferences planned
for those who recently retired. Platt expressed gratitude
for North Carolina Baptists
and the Southern Baptists of
Texas Convention in funding
opportunities for former missionaries to take the gospel to
unreached people groups in
those states.
Asked what the larger than
anticipated number of missionaries leaving says about current
leadership, Platt said he wants
Southern Baptists to be confident in the faithful stewardship
of the resources they contribute. “It’s not going to be good
leadership in the days to come
to let the IMB operate in a position where we cannot sustain
ourselves financially and have
to start pulling people invol-
untarily. If we had waited, we
would not have been able to be
as generous.”
Reasons missionaries chose to
leave vary with each situation,
he said, noting efforts to solicit
feedback from returning personnel to help the IMB improve
its effectiveness.
Thousands of years of collective experience still remain
on the field, with each missionary receiving clear affirmation
from God, Platt said. With significant changes to the infrastructure and systems, he said
the stage is set to send thousands more by leveraging Godgiven opportunities.
“We must think through as
Southern Baptists how to mobilize as many missionaries as possible without in any way undercutting the foundation on which
we stand in the cooperative
approach to missions. I want to
strengthen that, and I think we
can by involving more churches
in what we’re doing.”
—with additional reporting by Baptist Press
IMB PHOTO BY LEXIE BENNETT
IMB commissions 26 new missionaries
By Tammi Reed Ledbetter
Special Assignments Editor
ROCKVILLE, Va. Asked to confront the lostness of the world,
26 new missionaries were approved by International Mission Board trustees Feb. 23
and commissioned later that
evening at the International
Learning Center outside of
Richmond.
The event was broadcast via
livestream, allowing friends,
family members and churches
a chance to hear the testimonies
of the new group of missionaries. Only darkened profiles were
shown in order to protect the
security of Southern Baptist
personnel who will be serving
in dangerous destinations.
In making the recommendation as chairman of the Global
Engagement Committee, Texas
trustee Byron McWilliams of
Abilene told board members
International Mission Board trustees and staff gather around Texas natives
Bailey and Josh Krause to pray for their return to Poland where they will be
involved in church planting. She previously served as a journeyman and an
International Service Corps member through the IMB, having been appointed
to career service two years ago. While serving as a journeyman utilizing music
for ministry in Poland, he and Bailey met and were married last year. Josh was
approved Feb. 23 as a career missionary.
meeting earlier that day, “The
greatest power on the face of
the earth is the gospel of Jesus
Christ. We are sending 26 heroes out into the world to confront the lostness.”
Of that number, seven are
going to Central Asia, five to
South Asia, 11 to North Africa
and the Middle East, one to Europe and two to Sub-Saharan
Africa. Five have ties to Texas
by birth, education, or church
membership, though only Josh
Krause, a native of Abilene
who will be involved in church
planting in Poland, could be
identified by name due to security concerns for the other four
missionaries.
IMB President David Platt
turned to Luke 9:57-62 to describe what it means to follow
Jesus as he challenged new
missionaries. “Apparently, the
call to follow Christ is not simply a call to pray a prayer,” he
said. “It’s a summons to lose
your life.” Platt said the passage
tells believers to love Jesus in
a way “that makes our closest
relationships in this world look
like hate in comparison.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we
have found someone who is
worth losing everything for,”
he said. “Jesus is this good, this
great, and this glorious that he
is worthy of the surrender of
our lives.
“Don’t doubt for a second in
the valleys you walk through,
the challenges you face, the
questions and confusion you
have, ‘How did I get here? Why
is this happening?’ Don’t doubt
for a second he loves you so
much. He’s worthy of your total affection.”
Before closing the appointment service in prayer, Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary President Danny
Akin related a message from
the president of Brazil’s mission board who asked him to
thank Southern Baptists for
their witness. “His great, great,
great grandfather was led to
Christ by a Southern Baptist,”
Akin said, adding that the gospel was repeatedly shared with
each generation that followed.
“Today there are more than
12,000 Baptist churches in Brazil with over 1,000 international Brazilian missionaries,” Akin
said. “That’s because of our giving, our sacrifices, our sending,
and your going.”
APRIL 2016
MISSIONS
T E X A N O N L I N E . N E T
11
TEXAS TRUSTEES ANALYZE REDUCTION
IN IMB MISSION FORCE
By Tammi Reed Ledbetter
Special Assignments Editor
ROCKVILLE, Va. While saddened to see any missionaries
leaving fields of service, Texas
trustees of the International
Mission Board are encouraged
by what has been called a “reset” of the largest mission organization in the world. Upon
returning from the Feb. 22-24
board meeting, trustee Geronimo Disla told the TEXAN, “My
assessment is that we are doing
the right thing concerning the
future of the IMB.”
The Bedford layman expects
“it will take a few months to
come back even stronger with
the vision of reaching many for
Christ with the gospel.”
Trustee John Ross of Judson,
a dentist, reflected on the process of resetting the massive
IMB organization, reminding
fellow Southern Baptists of the
type of leader they embraced 18
months ago as president.
“One constant is change, and
‘business as usual’ under David
Platt is unlikely,” Ross said after
returning to Texas.
Though far more missionaries accepted incentive packages
than expected in the effort to balance the budget, Ross focused on
Platt’s vision of “sending limitless
missionaries to the world” now
that the IMB is on track for a balanced budget by 2017.
The 2016 budget approved
by trustees will continue a sixyear trend of tapping reserves
in order to cover a $23 million
deficit primarily caused by the
cost of bringing so many missionaries back home. Of the
5,250 personnel offered incentives to retire or resign, 1,132
took advantage of the opportunity—a number nearly double
the minimal 600 projected to
be needed, though closer to the
top figure of 900 seen as the
“My assessment is that we are
doing the right thing concerning
the future of the IMB.”
—IMB TRUSTEE GERONIMO DISLA
most responses needed to avoid
involuntary terminations.
Thirty employees in the
40-member communications
department in Richmond were
the exception to the voluntary
nature of the process. The 30
communicators were allowed to
apply for open positions within
the board.
The 10 remaining members
of the Richmond communications team were reassigned to
the IMB’s new mobilization
structure when administration
eliminated the stateside group,
deemed ill-equipped for what
Platt described as “digital realities
and opportunities of our day.”
Disla, Ross and other Texas
trustees present for the meeting
at the International Learning
Center outside of Richmond offered assessments of news that
983 Southern Baptist missionaries voluntarily retired or resigned when offered incentives
to transition out of employment
with IMB. Another 189 stateside
employees based in Richmond,
Va., accepted either a Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI)
to eligible retirement-age personnel or a “Hand Raising Opportunity” extended to remaining employees.
Trustee Ron Phillips of White
Settlement admitted his surprise when he heard how many
missionaries would be leaving
the field. “It’s disheartening.
I wish we could keep everyone on the field, but we have
to live within our means. We
can’t keep selling properties and
taking from our contingency
funds,” he said, referring to practices that allowed the IMB to
spend $210 million more than
expenses covered over the last
six years.
Phillips is glad to see churches
beginning to increase their gifts
to the Cooperative Program
(CP) to help secure funding for
the remaining mission force.
“I’m thankful to be a part of the
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention because we give 55 percent [of undesignated receipts
from churches] to the Southern
Baptist Convention for CP.”
After hearing that 28,000
SBC churches gave nothing to
the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) for International
Missions, trustee Mike Simmons of Midlothian said his
focus is on encouraging any he
can influence to realize missionaries are dependent on CP and
LMCO for funding. Without
that support, finances will always be strapped at IMB, where
80 percent of the budget relates
to personnel costs.
Simmons said the smaller
number of churches supporting
Southern Baptist mission causes
is “indicative that we desperately need revival in this country
in our churches.”
Ross spoke of one Shreveport
church that reported “an amazing increase” in giving as an example of many congregations
that rallied to increase their mission offerings in light of missionaries having to return home in
order to balance the IMB budget.
Simmons was heartbroken
by news that a couple from Hill-
crest Baptist Church where he
pastors had accepted the VRI.
Simmons said he has already
learned of a new opportunity
for ministry in Seattle where
they are moving. “They assured
me this is what God was leading
them to do or else they wouldn’t
have done it.”
A closed-door forum with
Platt provided trustees extended time for questions to
be answered in an informal
setting. “Our leadership gave
us some very transparent answers,” Simmons said. “I really
expected there’d be some testy
moments, but there absolutely
were not. There were some
wise questions, and it was
very helpful.”
Trustee Nathan Lorick of
Fort Worth agreed that lengthy
dialogue was healthy, stating,
“Trustees and staff leadership
continue to have those eternally
significant discussions in order to
find the best roads forward for
that vision” to see the gospel go to
the ends of the earth.
Trustee Byron McWilliams
of Abilene said the IMB president was handed “an organization that was hemorrhaging
financially, and he has determined to stop the bleeding and
put us back on solid footing.”
McWilliams supported the necessity of the decision and is
encouraged that the reset will
ensure a much healthier International Mission Board from
this point forward.
Regarding closure of the communications department, McWilliams said he regrets the loss
of jobs but trusts Platt to have
made the right decision. “I feel
confident that our state news
agencies will continue to receive
excellent material on the status
of the work the IMB is doing.”
Ross also shared concern at
“decentralizing
communica-
tions.” He told the TEXAN, “At
first glance it appears counter
intuitive, but we have been assured it is in the best interest of
our mission. I am taking the focused prayer approach, hopeful
the new communication strategy will work well.”
McWilliams said a new day
began when Platt was elected
in August of 2014. “While all of
his decisions have not been perfect, I feel strongly as a trustee
that he is relying more heavily
upon the Holy Spirit for guidance than anyone else, and he is
leading the board forward with
a strategy that remains positive
and exciting for Southern Baptists worldwide.”
Trustee
Robert
Welch
of Brownsboro praised the
churches, state conventions,
and SBC entities that rallied
around returning missionaries.
“It’s been amazing to watch and
a great testimony of just how
deep our cooperation goes.”
While the number of people
taking advantage of incentive
offers was higher than Welch
expected, he agreed with other
trustees that God had guided
the process to give discernment
and clarity to each individual.
“The voluntary nature of the
VRI and HRO helped families
truly seek the Lord for his will
in this matter.”
Grateful for the financial
stability the reset brings to
the IMB for the future, Welch
said, “That’s a place we’ve not
been for a while.” Though
painful to walk through, he
said it was needed.
While the IMB experienced
“a much needed reset,” Welch
reminded that the need, the
gospel, and the Great Commission remain the same. “I’m glad
that our IMB can now focus on
these pressing things with the
reset complete.”
12
NEWS
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
sbtexan
T E X A N
from Tennessee Wesleyan College. She has been a member
of Brentwood Baptist Church in
Brentwood, Tenn., since 2005.
-from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
BRIEFS
National CP 7.19%
ahead of projection
Year-to-date contributions to
Southern Baptist Convention
national and international missions and ministries received
by the SBC Executive Committee are 7.19 percent above the
year-to-date budgeted projection and 1.46 percent above
contributions received during
the same time frame last year,
according to a news release
from SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page.
The total includes receipts
from state conventions and
fellowships, churches and
individuals for distribution
according to the 2015-16 SBC
Cooperative Program Allocation Budget.
-from bpnews.net
Missionaries leave
Zika-affected mission
field in preemptive
attempt to protect
children
Since 2014, Richie and
Gabrielle Sparling served with
the mission agency, Makarios,
in the Dominican Republic.
Having only been married six
months when they moved
to their mission assignment,
they intended to begin a
family while on the mission
field. Growing concern over
the mosquito-transmitted Zika
Virus which researches think
to be linked to miscarriage and
microcephaly in infants carried
by their pregnant mothers,
however, led them back to the
United States.
“As a husband and future
father, I believe my family is my
first mission field. God, then
family, then ministry,” Richie
Refugees, churches
& fear spotlighted
in study
When it comes to helping
refugees, Protestant churches
told WORLD ”My hope is firmly
in the Lord, and I know regardless of where he takes us, his
will for our lives remains the
same: make disciples.”
-from WORLD
Texas high schools
to require birth
certificates before
students play sports
Beginning Aug. 1, student
athletes at Texas public high
schools must present birth
certificates verifying their
genders before they can play
sports. The decision was made
by the University Interscholastic League (UIL), the body
that governs extracurricular
activities in Texas schools, and
has been criticized by LGBT
activists and praised by the
Family Research Council.
-from WORLD
Archivist Taffey
Hall named SBHLA
director
Archivist Taffey
Hall will replace
Bill Sumners as
director of the
Southern Baptist Historical
Library and Archives (SBHLA)
upon Sumners’ retirement
in July. Hall has more than a
decade of experience in researching Baptist history, having held a variety of research
positions in Tennessee as well
as a position at the Daily Post
Athenian newspaper in Athens,
Tenn.
Hall earned her Doctor of
Education from Tennessee
State University, Master of Arts
from Middle Tennessee State
University, and Bachelor of Arts
and their pastors are often
separated by faith and fear, according to a new survey from
LifeWay Research.
Most pastors say Christians
should lend a hand to refugees
and foreigners, and believe caring for refugees is a privilege. But
Budget shortfalls
hamper 3 in 10
churches surveyed
When it comes to finances, the
new normal for many American
churches seems to be “just
getting by.”
A third of Protestant senior
pastors say their church’s
giving was under budget in
2015, according to LifeWay
Research. One in five saw
their finances decline. Overall,
about half of pastors say the
economy has negatively affected their churches.
In October 2010, most pastors (80 percent) said the
economy negatively impacted
their church. That number
dropped to 64 percent in 2012
and then 56 percent by 2014.
The most recent telephone
survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors found 51 percent
said the economy is hurting
their church—the lowest total
since LifeWay began researching the topic. One in 8 (13
percent) say the economy
had a positive effect on their
church.
-from bpnews.net
NYC bathroom
order called ‘one-way
tolerance’
A New York City executive order underscoring the
requirement that city agencies
allow transgender persons to
use any restroom they choose
is among the latest round of
cultural challenges to which
believers are responding.
In other developments, Georgia’s Republican governor has
suggested his opposition to a
bill that would allow wedding
vendors to decline service to
same-sex couples based on
religious convictions; Hawaii
legislators are considering
a proposal to ban licensed
counselors from attempting to
help minors overcome samesex attraction; and Alabama’s
Supreme Court dismissed a
set of petitions requesting
pastors say their churches are
twice as likely to fear refugees
than they are to help them.
“Pastors believe Scripture
tells Christians to care for
refugees and foreigners,” said
Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. “Yet
Mo. Senate votes to
put religious liberty
on ballot
Missourians will vote on
protecting people from being
penalized for their religious
beliefs on marriage if a
resolution passed by the Missouri Senate March 9 is next
passed by the state’s House
of Representatives.
President Pro Tem of the
Senate Ron Richard broke a
39-hour filibuster of Senate
Joint Resolution 39 (SJR
39), also called the Missouri Religious Freedom
Amendment, by calling for
the previous question. In accordance with Senate rules,
members of the Senate then
took a 7 a.m. roll call, and
enforcement of the state’s
same-sex marriage ban.
In New York, Mayor Bill de
Blasio signed an executive
order March 7 that bans city
employees from requesting
identification or any other
proof of gender before allowing individuals into
public restrooms.
-from bpnews.net
Photography an act
of bearing witness,
conference teaches
During the 24th annual
Southwestern Photojournalism
Conference, Feb. 26-28, Matt
Miller and Adam Covington,
directors of the Office of Communications at Southwestern
Seminary, explained that
photography is a ministry in
itself. Seeing, experiencing and
affirming what God is doing
and sharing that through photographs, videos and stories
are the heart of this ministry,
many admit their church is not
involved in such ministry.”
The telephone survey of 1,000
Protestant pastors, conducted
in January, was sponsored by
evangelical relief agencies World
Relief and World Vision.
-from bpnews.net
SJR 39 passed its first-round
approval, 23-9.
SJR 39 now heads to the
House of Representatives for
approval for the ballot box
this fall. If voters approve the
resolution, it will be added
to the Missouri constitution.
The resolution’s legislative
process does not require the
signature of Gov. Jay Nixon.
-from bpnews.netinvestigate, or adequately investigate, allegations of sexual
violence,” including two
instances of sexual assault
by former members of the
university’s football team.
The football players referenced, Tevin Elliott and Sam
Ukwauchu, both have been
convicted of sexual assault
and sentenced to prison.
-from bpnews.net
and each of these elements
ties into the biblical concept of
“bearing witness.” The ultimate
aim, they said, is to raise
awareness of the gospel.
After Covington and Miller
laid the foundation for photography as ministry, other
speakers shared how to write
stories to accompany one’s
photographs and how to
share one’s work (suggestions
included social media; a photo
gallery in one’s home, church
or a local coffee shop; and
local newspapers).
-from Southwestern Seminary
Boyce College
senior receives
NCCAA Maravich
basketball award
A Boyce
College senior
took home
the National
Christian College Athletic
Association’s
top award
for Division
II athletes,
the organization announced March 8. Ben
Akers, a senior forward from
Danville, Ky., is the first Boyce
player to win the Pete Maravich Memorial Award, given
annually to the most outstanding student-athlete in NCCAA
men’s basketball.
According to the NCCAA website, winners of the Maravich
award must show excellence in
skills, academics and Christian
service. Winning the Maravich
award caps Aker’s record-setting career with the Bulldogs.
The award is named after Hall
of Fame basketball player Pete
Maravich, considered one of
the best offensive talents in
history. After his storied NBA
career, “Pistol Pete” Maravich
professed faith in Christ.
Boyce College, the undergraduate school of The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary,
began its NCCAA-affiliated basketball program in 2006.
-from Southern Seminary
APRIL 2016
GET TO KNOW
OUR SBTC TEAM
NAME: GAYLA HOLT SULLIVAN
JOB: COMMUNICATIONS
ASSISTANT &
CIRCULATION MANAGER
CHURCH: HARMONY
BAPTIST CHURCH,
ARLINGTON
SO, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO AS A
MINISTRY ASSISTANT?
I am a cheerleader for the TEXAN!
I am the manager of addresses and
email information, announcements
and paid classifieds for the TEXAN;
organize meetings for Resolutions
Committee, Ministry Relationships
Committee and Texas Ethics and
Religious Liberty Committee; assist
our incredible communications team
as needed.
13
SOUTHERN BAPTISTS OF TEXAS CONVENTION
my boss Gary gets up for an
introduction of the three speakers.
He glanced down and realized there
was one lone large piece of popcorn
clinging to the front of his shirt.
He held it up, turned to the guest
speakers and excitedly said, “Hey, I
found some popcorn!” then popped
it in his mouth and in true Gary
form, as if nothing had happened the
second before, delivered the most
eloquent introduction.
THE BEST DAY AT THE OFFICE IS WHEN
I get to be a day brightener to
someone.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE
SBTC? A little over 2 years
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU KNOW NOW,
THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE
BEGINNING YOUR JOB AT THE SBTC?
That there are 45,582 subscribers
to the TEXAN (but who’s counting?).
I am!
WHAT IS THE FUNNIEST THING YOU’VE
SEEN HAPPEN IN THE COURSE OF
WORKING AT THE SBTC? I may find this
funnier than my boss does … but
recently we had a press conference.
Cameras rolling, recorders recording,
ON A WEEKEND AWAY FROM WORK,
WHAT DO YOU MOST LIKE TO DO?
I like to engage in a little retail
therapy at TJ Maxx; spending
time with the fam; writing and
decorating.
CHURCH POSITIONS
PASTOR
u Faith Baptist Church, located 3 mi.
outside Fredericksburg, TX, seeks a
full-time pastor with at least 5 years
experience; Master of Divinity desired.
Please submit resume to faithbc@
ctesc.net or Pastor Search Committee, Faith Baptist Church, 3022 N.
State Highway 16, Fredericksburg, TX
78624 by May 15.
u Friendship BC in Weatherford is
seeking a FT senior pastor. Friendship
is a rural church with an average worship attendance of 110. Please contact
[email protected]
or mail resume to Friendship Baptist
Church, 801 Friendship Rd, Weatherford, TX 76085. Call 817-594-5940 for
more information.
u FBC, Timpson, is seeking a FT pastor. Resumes will be accepted with
a minimum of four references (name
and addresses included). Must be
received no later than May 20, 2016.
Please mail to Pastor Search Team, c/o
Don Barnett, 486 West Lake Timpson
Rd, Timpson, TX 75975.
u FBC, China is searching for a FT
pastor. Please send resume to Perry
Seaman at First Baptist Church, P.O.
Box 68, China, TX 77613.
u Fairdale BC, Hemphill, is seeking a FT pastor. Seminary degree is
required. For more information, contact
Jess Thames, Chairman Pastor Search
Committee, at 409-579-3345. Send
resume’s marked “confidential” to:
Fairdale Baptist Church, Jess Thames,
4820 Fairdale Rd, Hemphill, TX 75948.
u FBC Stinnett seeks FT pastor with either a seminary degree or one who is
attending seminary. Must be ordained.
Send resume to [email protected] or
PO Box 1316, Stinnett, TX 79083.
u Piney Grove BC is accepting resumes
for the position of pastor. Resumes may
be mailed to the following address:
Piney Grove Baptist Church, Attention:
Pastor Search Committee, 3268 Texas
Highway 77 W, Atlanta, TX 75551.
u Maplewood Baptist Fellowship,
North Richland Hills, is seeking a
bi-vocational senior pastor. Please
submit resumes to [email protected].
u Sylvester BC is searching for a
bi-vocational pastor. Parsonage available. Send resume to Sylvester Baptist
Church, PO Box 8, Sylvester, TX,
79560, [email protected] or call
325-962-5571.
TEXAS
T E X A N O N L I N E . N E T
2016 EXHIBIT
QUALIFICATION
REQUIREMENTS
Approved exhibitors at the SBTC Annual Meeting include (subject
to available space) SBTC ministries, SBC agencies, SBTC ministry
relationships (under the oversight of the Ministry Relationships
Committee of the Executive Board), Baptist associational ministries, and
any host church. All other entities desiring booth space must submit their
request in writing to Joe Davis at the SBTC, prior to June 1, 2016.
Entities or individuals may share exhibit space with approved exhibitors
only with the approval of the Committee on Order of Business. For profit
entities that have no formal relationship with the SBTC shall not be
granted exhibit space.
All exhibit material must be in agreement with the SBTC Constitution and
Bylaws, which includes the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.
Fund raising or sales that do not conflict with SBTC priorities will be
allowed in the exhibit area.
u Calvary BC, Woodville, is seeking a
bi-vocational pastor. Send resume to
PO Box 484, Woodville, TX 75979 or
email [email protected].
u Mt. Zion BC, Lufkin, is seeking a
bi-vocational pastor. Please submit
resumes to 4303 FM 842, Lufkin,
TX 75901 or email mbridges@
consolidated.net.
u FBC Higgins, in the Top of Texas
Association, is seeking a bi-vocational
pastor. Parsonage included. Send
resume to FBC Search Committee,
PO Box 279, Higgins, TX 79046, or to
[email protected].
combinations may also be considered.
Resumes can be sent to Hagerman
Baptist Church, 4619 Refuge Road,
Sherman, TX 75092.
u Trinity BC, Bonham, is accepting
resumes for a PT youth/children’s
minister. The ideal candidate must
possess a passion and dedication for
youth/children ministry, leadership skills,
a genuine interest in students’ lives and
a willingness to get involved in the community. Send resumes to trinitybaptist@
cableone.net or mail to Trinity Baptist
Church, Attn: Search Committee, 219 W.
Denison, Bonham, TX 75418.
MUSIC
u FBC, Kingsville, is seeking a FT
minister of music and worship. Please
send resumes to [email protected] or mail to First Baptist
Church, Attn: Search Committee, PO
Box 751, Kingsville, TX, 78364.
u Main Street BC, Grand Saline, is seeking a FT worship leader. Must be able
to play instruments, direct choir and
move into community. Send resume to
[email protected] or call
Edell Davis at 409-489-5323.
u FBC of Rogers seeks bi-vocational
worship leader to oversee choir, praise
band and blended-style worship
services. Compensation based on
experience. Please send resumes to
[email protected].
u Silver Oaks BC in Mauriceville is
accepting resumes for a PT or bivocational director of music. Please
submit all resumes to silveroaks@
netzero.com or to SilverOaks Baptist
Church, attn.: Music Director Search
Committee, 16460 FM 1442, Orange,
TX 77632. Salary commensurate on
experience.
YOUTH
u Sunray BC, Sunray, is seeking a FT
student pastor who will be responsible
for ministering to preschoolers-12th
grade with an emphasis in youth ministry. If interested, please send resumes to
[email protected]. Check us out on
Facebook at facebook.com/SBCStuMin.
u Indiana Ave Baptist Church in Lubbock is seeking a FT minister of youth.
The qualified candidate will need both
education (bachelor’s degree minimum) and experience (at least three
years full-time). Over 100 students
are waiting for you. Send resumes to
[email protected].
u Forest Branch BC, Livingston, seeks
a PT youth director or youth ministry
intern. Submit inquiries to Pastor
Hutson Smelley at proclaimtheword@
mac.com.
u Calvary BC of Tishomingo, OK
is seeking a FT youth minister.
Experience in music is a plus but not
required. Apply by mail to Calvary
Baptist Church, 9700 S Hwy 377,
Tishomingo, OK, 73460, or email to:
[email protected].
COMBINATION
u FBC Borger seeks FT worship arts &
college ministry pastor. The successful candidate will partner with the
senior pastor in communicating the
mission and message of the church
to the young and old, churched and
unchurched, by creatively incorporating elements of song, video, and
the visual and performing arts into
an authentic worship experience.
The successful candidate also leads
college ministry to students at Frank
Phillips College. Resumes to Charlie@
firstborger.com by May 13, 2016.
u Hagerman BC, Sherman, is looking
for a FT music/youth minister. Other
CHILDREN
u FBC of Malakoff is searching for
a FT children’s minister to lead out
in our ongoing effort to reach the
children and families of our community. Please email resume to fbc@
fbcmalakoff.com, Attention Children’s
Minister Search.
u FBC Borger seeks FT pastor to families with children responsible for partnering with families and seeing their
children, birth - 6th grade, come to
Christ, grow in conformity to the image
of Christ, and form the foundation of
a biblical worldview. Must minister to
both children and their families. Send
resumes to [email protected].
u Windom Baptist Church is accepting resumes for a part time children’s minister. Call or email Pastor
Judd Strawbridge at 903-578-2190
[email protected].
OTHER
u Del Rio-Uvalde Baptist Association,
druba.net, is seeking DOM for South
Texas / Hill Country area. Minimum 10
years’ ministry experience, fluent in
Spanish and English, willing to travel in
association area. Send resumes to Del
Rio-Uvalde Baptist Association, 117 E.
Commerce Street, Uvalde, TX 78801
or [email protected].
Announcements
u Dr. James F. Eaves passed away peacefully in December at age 90.
He served as a pilot and officer in the U.S. Air Force. He obtained a BA
from Union University, also Master of Divinity and Doctor of Theology
degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He pastored
churches in New Mexico, Tennessee, and Texas. He was interim pastor for
over 30 churches in seven states. Dr. Eaves was professor of evangelism
at Southwestern Seminary for 17 years and professor emeritus for an
additional 10 years. He was a guest lecturer at New Orleans Baptist
Theological Seminary and Oxford University. Eaves served as a trustee at
Union University and worked as director of evangelism and church growth
for the North American Mission Board. He and his wife Jeane celebrated
their 70th wedding anniversary in 2015.
u Latham Springs Camp and Retreat Center, an associational-owned (13
Central Texas associations are owners) Baptist camp located near Waco
at HCR 2202 N, Aquilla, TX, 76622, invites you to their ground-breaking
ceremony for a new adult conference center on April 21, 10 a.m. For more
information, contact Mike Wilson, 254-694-3689.
u We have essential needs for a new church start-up on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. We will be conducting their first vacation Bible school &
revival. We have a need for Bibles, backpacks, new sneakers, socks & basic
school supplies. We need all items by July 1st. Bill & Bettye Roberts (Native
American Partnership missions) 903-364-2515, 361 Harris Lane, Whitewright, TX 75491, [email protected].
u Feel called to missions? Have a heart for the nations? Want hands-on experience in church planting? Nations Church Planting Network is offering a
nine-week summer internship for high school seniors and college students
with a focus on discipleship, evangelism with internationals, and church
planting. Come serve with us in the International District of Houston, home
to over 300 people groups from all around the world who need to hear
the gospel! For more information, please contact Jessica Rexrode: jessica.
[email protected] or 770-843-5034.
PAID CLASSIFIEDS
u CUSTOM SCREEN-PRINTED
T-SHIRTS FOR CHURCH EVENTS
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coordinators will design a missions trip shipping! Small or large orders
tailored to your need and goals. Come welcome. Call David at Southeast
for 10 days Or two weeks. No passport Texas Printing Company
needed. Area is safe, cost effective
(409) 622-2197.
and perfect for all ages and sizes of
u CAREER OPPORTUNITY
teams. You can teach, preach, hold
Immediate earning potential. Be part
an evangelistic outreach, work
of the rapidly growing precious metals
in schools, senior citizen centers,
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do light construction, painting, sports
support. Work from home. Rapidly
or music ministry. Learn more at
growing international company. 888vision-puertorico.org.
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u BRING A MISSION TEAM TO
14
SBC
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
sbtexan
T E X A N
‘AWAKEN AMERICA’ REGISTRATION
OPENS FOR SBC ST. LOUIS
By Art Toalston
Baptist Press
ST. LOUIS Registration for the SBC’s
“Awaken America: Reach the World”
annual meeting, June 14-15 in St. Louis,
has opened. Online registration for
messengers and local hotels can be
accessed at SBCAnnualMeeting.net.
Through online messenger registration, each messenger will receive an
eight-digit registration code to present
at the annual meeting’s Express Registration lane in St. Louis, preferably as a
printout for the church’s credential. The
code will be entered into a computer at
the SBC registration area and a nametag
will be printed. The appropriate churchauthorized representative must complete all online registrations.
The SBC constitution and bylaws
were amended last year to broaden
messenger representation.
Each cooperating church that contributes to convention causes during
the preceding fiscal year now automatically qualifies for two messengers; previous rules allowed for one messenger.
Additionally, the convention will recognize 10 additional messengers from
a cooperating church under one of the
following options:
4One additional messenger for
each full percent of the church’s undesignated receipts which the church
contributed during the fiscal year
preceding through the Cooperative
Program, and/or through the convention’s Executive Committee for convention causes, and/or to any convention entity.
4One additional messenger for each
$6,000 the church contributes in the
preceding year through the normative
combination of the Cooperative Program, designated gifts through the Executive Committee for convention causes
or to any SBC entity.
Greear, Gaines to be SBC president nominees
By David Roach
Baptist Press
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is an edited compilation of two separate stories
written by David Roach at Baptist Press.
ST. LOUIS Two prominent Southern
Baptist pastors will be nominated for
president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the annual meeting
June 14-15 in St. Louis.
Florida pastor Jimmy Scroggins announced March 2 that he will nominate
J.D Greear, pastor of The Summit Church
in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Georgia
pastor Johnny Hunt announced March 9
that he will nominate Steve Gaines, pastor of the Memphis-area Bellevue Baptist
Church in Cordova, Tenn.
J.D. Greear
Greear, 42, “is leading his generation
to live out a passion
for the SBC, missions
and the local church,”
Scroggins, pastor of
Family Church in
West Palm Beach,
Fla., wrote in a news J.D. Greear
release.
During the 14 years Greear has pastored The Summit Church, worship attendance has grown from 350 to just
under 10,000, Scroggins said. Total baptisms increased from 19 in 2002 to 928
in 2014, the last year for which statistics
are available through the SBC’s Annual
Church Profile.
Scroggins said The Summit’s “149 people currently with” the International
Mission Board marks the largest total
from any church in the convention—a
statistic the church told Baptist Press
the IMB has confirmed. Greear himself
served two years with the IMB before
being called to The Summit.
Closer to home, The Summit has
planted 26 churches in North America
in conjunction with the North American Mission Board.
In his release, Scroggins said the
church “voted last year to give
$390,000 to the Cooperative Program
in 2016, making it one of the top CP giving churches in the state of North Caro-
lina and the SBC.” He noted this marks
a 230 percent increase in The Summit’s
CP giving.
Three years ago, the congregation
voted to increase its giving through
the Cooperative Program over a fiveyear period to 2.4 percent of undesignated receipts, the church confirmed
to BP. The Summit reached its goal two
years early.
As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Summit began
forwarding all its CP giving through the
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC), the church said. Previously, it forwarded some funds it regarded
as CP gifts directly through the SBC
Executive Committee for distribution
according to the CP allocation formula.
In 2013-14, for instance, it gave $96,000
directly to the EC, according to the 2015
SBC Annual. The BSCNC reported CP
receipts of $54,000 from The Summit
in calendar year 2014. Adding the two
numbers together yields the $150,000
the church self-reported as “CP giving”
on its 2014 ACP—a total amounting to 1
percent of undesignated receipts.
The Summit’s Great Commission Giving “has been at or around 10 percent
for the last several years,” Scroggins
wrote. Great Commission Giving is a
category of giving established by SBC
action in 2011 that encompasses giving
through CP, Southern Baptists’ unified
program of funding state- and SBC-level
ministries, as well as direct gifts to SBC
entities, associational giving and giving
to state convention ministries.
According to ACP data, The Summit’s
Great Commission Giving was 13 percent of undesignated receipts in 2014, 12
percent in 2013 and 15 percent in 2012.
The Summit’s Great Commission Giving includes more than $1 million annually to IMB-related causes and more
than half a millions dollars to NAMBrelated causes, the church told BP.
Greear told BP he would have two
goals as SBC president. First, he would
encourage “my generation … to take
personal responsibility for the agencies
and the mission boards of the SBC and
not just think of them as the SBC’s, but
think of them as ours.”
Second, he would “celebrate the autonomy of the local church in choosing how it’s going to give. We want
to see CP giving elevated, and we are
doing that ... but we also want to see
Great Commission Giving celebrated,
because that’s part of the autonomy of
the local church.”
He is married to Veronica and has
four children. Greear holds Master of
Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from Southeastern Seminary.
Steve Gaines
“When Steve Gaines
shared his prayer journey he and [his wife]
Donna had traveled,
I was touched by his
clear call to allow him- Steve Gaines
self to be nominated,”
Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in
Woodstock, Ga., wrote in a news release.
“Steve struggled with this nomination as he has always believed this office
should seek the man,” Hunt continued.
“With such a passionate desire for spiritual revival in our churches and nation,
and knowing him to be a man of deep
intense prayer, it brings joy to my heart
to nominate Dr. Gaines.”
During the 11 years Gaines has pastored Bellevue Baptist, the congregation
has averaged 481 baptisms per year,
according to the SBC’s Annual Church
Profile. Previously, he pastored churches in Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.
Bellevue’s finance committee is recommending that the congregation give
$1 million during its 2016-17 church
year through the Cooperative Program. That will total approximately 4.6
percent of undesignated receipts, the
church told Baptist Press.
As of April 1, 2012, Bellevue began
forwarding all its CP giving through
the Tennessee Baptist Convention, the
church said. Previously, it forwarded
approximately $200,000-$340,000 annually in CP through the TBC, according to ACP data, and designated about
twice that amount to be forwarded to
the SBC Executive Committee for distribution according to the CP allocation
formula, the church said.
The shift in giving methods resulted
in an increase from giving 1.3 percent
of undesignated receipts through CP
in 2011 to 2.6 percent in 2012, according to ACP reports. Bellevue increased
that percentage to 3.5 in 2013 and 3.8
in 2014.
The church’s Great Commission Giving totaled approximately $2.5 million
over the past two years and is anticipated to be $1.3 million (6 percent of undesignated receipts) for the congregation’s
2016-17 church year, which begins
April 1, Hunt said.
Hunt said Bellevue has collaborated
with the International Mission Board to
lead evangelism training in 34 countries
since 2007 and “at the request of the
IMB ... has been a strategy church for Jinotega, Nicaragua, since 2007.”
Bellevue is partnering with the
North American Mission Board to plant
churches in the Northwest and has
planted 10 churches in other areas, including work with Native Americans in
three locations, Hunt said.
Total missions giving for next year
is anticipated at 18 percent of Bellevue’s undesignated receipts, the church
reported, and includes the “Bellevue
Loves Memphis” initiative, a service
evangelism campaign launched by
Gaines in 2007.
Gaines has served as a member of
the SBC Committee on Nominations,
a trustee of LifeWay Christian Resources, a member of the committee
that proposed a revision of the Baptist Faith and Message in 2000 and
chairman of the SBC Resolutions
Committee. He preached the SBC convention sermon in 2004 and served
as SBC Pastors’ Conference president
in 2005.
Gaines told BP, “I would like to continue [current SBC president] Dr. [Ronnie] Floyd’s emphasis on seeking God
for a spiritual awakening and revival.
... I’ve been praying for an awakening
for a long time, and that’s really my
heart. I want the manifest presence
of God in our churches and also in our
denomination.
“... I also believe that we’ve got a real
problem with our baptisms,” Gaines
said. “We need to get back to personal
evangelism and soul winning.”
Gaines is married to Donna and has
four children and nine grandchildren.
He holds Master of Divinity and Ph.D.
degrees from Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary.
APRIL 2016
SBC
T E X A N O N L I N E . N E T
SBC CHILDCARE,
CHILDREN, YOUTH
REGISTRATION OPEN
By Baptist Press
ST. LOUIS Registration is open for preschool childcare, Giant Cow Children’s
Ministries and Youth on Mission in
conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention’s 2016 annual meeting
June 14-15 in St. Louis.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
(SBDR) childcare volunteers will care
for preschoolers; Giant Cow Children’s
Ministries will lead the 5- to 12-yearolds, and Woman’s Missionary Union
will guide Youth on Mission curricula
and activities.
All activities for children and
youth will be housed at the America’s Center, the annual meeting site.
Youth who have completed grades
7-12 will begin their days at the convention center with worship before
going into the community for handson mission projects.
Pre-registration is required and is
available online at sbcannualmeeting.
net under the “children/youth” tab,
with a deadline of May 6 or whenever
the space limitation of 120 children
is reached. Registrations will not be
taken on site.
Preschool Childcare
SBDR childcare volunteers will offer childcare for newborns through
5-year-olds June 12-15, encompassing
the SBC Pastors’ Conference June 1213 and the annual meeting. The cost is
$25 per child for the Pastors’ Conference and an additional $25 per child
for the annual meeting. There is also
a $10 non-refundable registration fee
per child.
Lunch for preschoolers will be
available for $6 a day June 13–15. Parents should pay all related fees upon
registration to ensure their child’s participation. The SBC will verify registrations with an emailed confirmation
packet, including a parent’s handbook.
Every lesson and game for preschoolers will focus on the theme “Jonah and the Whale.”
Giant Cow Ministries
Giant Cow Ministries will be offered
for staggered fees; $65 for June 12-15,
$55 for June 13-15, $45 for June 14-15,
and $25 for each individual day.
Registration deadline is May 30 or
until available spaces are sold. WMU
will provide missions education as
part of the curriculum.
Youth On Mission
Youth On Mission will engage students in hands-on missions projects June
14-15 for $55 per youth, plus a nonrefundable registration fee of $10 per youth.
“Youth on Mission will have the opportunity to study the Bible together,
hear testimonies from North American
and International missionaries, and gain
a greater understanding of how God can
use them in His work in the world,” said
Jess Archer, Louisiana WMU children’s/
youth missions education strategist and
Youth on Mission coordinator.
Lunch and snacks will be provided
both days.
15
7 reasons to
come to St. Louis
by Ronnie Floyd | SBC President
1
2
We need to be with our family, our
Southern Baptist family.
We need to be inspired to believe
again that God can awaken
America spiritually and the world can be
reached for Christ.
3
We need to hear the Word of God
proclaimed, pray and worship together by the thousands, and have our
spiritual lives set on fire again.
4
We need to hear the wonderful
testimonies and reports about
what God is doing across America and
the world through our work together.
5
We need to hear how our churches’ financial investment in the
Cooperative Program and mission offerings is being used to share the Gospel.
6
We need to be encouraged to
know that when we are together
and working together there is hope in
America and this world.
7
We need to join together by the
thousands as we pray for our nation
at this critical time, calling out to God to
revive His church and awaken America
so we can reach the world for Christ.
16
TEXAS
S O U T H E R N
B A P T I S T
T E X A N
sbtexan
MINISTER TURNS ‘SECRET SHOPPER’ TO
DISCOVER HOW CHURCHES TREAT VISITORS
By Michael Foust
TEXAN Correspondent
Throughout five decades in
the ministry, including 12 at
Houston’s Sagemont Baptist
Church, Buddy Griffin said he
always wondered what Sunday morning services were like
at other churches.
After all, on most weekends, he was serving at his
own church.
So when he retired from Sagemont at the end of 2013, Griffin
set out to learn about other congregations, turning into a “secret
church shopper” and visiting
more than 100 congregations of
all denominations—from cowboy churches to charismatic
ones, from Episcopalian to Baptist to Lutheran. Griffin took
detailed notes and compiled
his research into a book titled
What in HEAVEN Is Going On At
Church? that will be released by
Tate Publishing April 5,
Griffin’s research may have
been birthed simply out of curiosity, but it also had a more
serious goal: to help churches
improve how they reach visitors, particularly those who are
not saved. At about half of the
churches, no one even spoke to
him. At another 10 or so churches, he couldn’t find a visitor’s
card, not even upon request.
“I looked at it from the perspective of being a lost man.
If I walked onto this campus,
would I want to come back?”
Griffin, who served as men’s
minister and prayer pastor at
Sagemont, told the TEXAN.
“My goal was to provide firsthand information to pastors
and churches to advance the
kingdom of God.”
Griffin went through the
same routine at each church.
He would get to the parking lot
about 25 minutes early, park
away from the main entrance,
and then walk toward the door.
Upon entering, he would walk
around the lobby, acting as if he
were a visitor looking for information about the congregation.
He then would go sit in the first
eight rows of the church.
“I had a rule that I would not
speak to anybody unless I was
spoken to,” Griffin said. “I would
see if anyone would speak to me
after the service, and I would
hang around in the lobby.”
Then, Griffin would walk
back to his car and take notes,
marking down information he
categorized into three points:
1) the Word (was the gospel
preached?), 2) the Warmth (was
he made to feel like he could fit
in?), and 3) the Welcome (did he
receive a friendly greeting?).
In too many churches, Griffin
said, either Christ wasn’t the
center of the service or Griffin was not greeted—or both.
In one memorable instance, he
arrived at the wrong time for
the service and asked someone
if there was a class he instead
could attend. Once finding it, he
was abruptly told it was “full,”
so he turned around, found the
fellowship hall, and sipped on
coffee and read his Bible until
the service started.
But other churches excelled
at making him feel wanted.
One congregation contacted
him on Sunday afternoon,
thanking him for coming. An-
other one actually visited him on Sunday
night. (The longest a
church took to contact
him was 62 days.)
All total, he visited
100-plus churches of
28 different denominations, making sure
they were comprised
of various races and
nationalities.
Griffin
always sent the data to
the pastor, with a letter
and a picture of himself. Most pastors, he
said, were thankful for
the information.
Griffin said he learned a
lot during his secret shopper
research, both negative and
positive.
Some congregations—mostly
“high church” ones—are “so in
love with tradition” that it has
replaced Jesus, he said. Still
other churches focus so much
on money during the service
that it seems to be their “biggest
concern,” even for visitors.
“It was very obvious sometimes,” Griffin said.
Yet Griffin made discoveries
that encouraged him, including
“how big God really is.”
“I had some preconceived
views of denominations, and I
don’t know where I got them.
I’m sure we all put people in
boxes,” he said. “Every pastor,
if they could go through what I
went through, we’d be so much
better—so much more loving
and kind.”
For
more
information
about the book, email Buddy
Griffin at 2Buddy.Griffin@
gmail.com.