Burleson church`s new feature-length movie gets R

August 29, 2013 • ISSUE 15
FOR
The Evangelical Immigration Table is using the congressional recess to
sway House members in Texas and elsewhere to take up what they deem
the compassionate, ‘commonsense’ approach to immigration reform.
Burleson church’s new feature-length
movie gets R rating
Lackland Air Force sergeant files complaint
after being ousted for gay marriage views
Gary Ledbetter
Settling the science
by fiat
I
n Washington Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,”
ol’ Rip falls asleep for 20 years that include
the American Revolution and wakes to find
that his world has thoroughly changed.
These days I feel like that after my allotted seven
hours a night. People are saying and doing inexplicable things as if they were nothing but good
sense. Specifically, and because it is so basic, I’m
talking about draconian measures to normalize
bizarre ideas about human sexuality. Here are a
few notable and current examples.
Bradley Manning, convicted of leaking classified
documents and sentenced to 35 years in Leavenworth, claims that he is a woman named “Chelsea.” He wants the military to provide hormone
treatments to make him more physically feminine. Earlier this year, the psychiatric profession’s
diagnostic manual eliminated the term “gender
identity disorder” from its list of mental health
disorders to remove the implication of mental illness from the syndrome.
New Jersey’s Republican governor has signed a
law making it illegal to therapeutically assist minor children in understanding their own sexuality and orientation—also called “gay conversion
therapy.” Gov. Chris Christie said that although he
hesitates (though not for long) to limit the choices
of parents in caring for their own children, there
is no “clear evidence of benefits that outweigh
[the] risks” of depression and thoughts of suicide.
Besides, the expert consensus is against such
treatment.
Perhaps you’ve seen our recent stories about a
proposal to ban unpopular views of human sexuality from those who wish to serve or do business
with the city of San Antonio or the story about an
Air Force sergeant (also in San Antonio) who was
relieved by his commander for refusing to affirm
(he did not criticize) same-sex marriage.
Woven throughout these stories are “facts”
apparently proven while I was asleep. Someone
somewhere has proven that teenagers are never
confused about sexuality. Perhaps that same person has
proven that there are actually more than two sexes represented in the human species. Still someone else has
decided that the scorned “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in
the U.S. military has become “Must Affirm, Must Say So.”
Of course, none of these things were proven. Each is
based on dogma—a religious or philosophical worldview
beyond scientific verification. In these cases, the priests of
a new religion are overturning some of the most basic understandings of human society—man, woman and family. Their disciples are discarding beliefs that have a track
record thousands of years long in favor of ideas less than
50 years, less than six months in some cases, old. To use
Professor Lewis’ example: If a man claims to be a poached
egg, he cannot in our day be called insane if sympathetic
experts vote in his favor. Would you want such a man
driving a car, or holding state secrets? Be careful how you
answer.
We are not being called on to be tolerant; we are being
required to change our minds, our very view of reality,
by politicians and opinion makers (and military officers)
who are not experts themselves. It is an abuse of all kinds
of power. In the case of Chelsea (nee Bradley) Manning, we
are being required to help a disturbed young man appear
to be a woman and perhaps even house him in a women’s
facility. In the case of the New Jersey law, Gov. Christie
has unmistakably stepped between parents and their
children and certainly based on little “clear evidence” that
a compelling state interest justified his actions. In the two
San Antonio examples, we are being required to mouth an
opinion that happens to contradict the Texas Constitution
in order to have commerce with the city.
Rip Van Winkle faced no change as surprising as these
examples of bald abuses of influence and authority. Those
who claim that there are no First Amendment violations
built into this riot of folly are insincere or unqualified to
hold the influence entrusted to them.
Contents
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
2
Golden Gate president: Calif. values
coming your way
4
Speak truth, Mohler says on 20th
anniversary at Southern
8
When Burleson church set out to
make movie, it never planned on
an R rating
A seminary president on the West Coast is warning
that the rapid loss of biblical values in California
poses a substantial danger to the rest of the nation,
and healthy churches are part of the solution.
3
Hearing leads to more confusion
on San Antonio measure
Hundreds of concerned residents
voiced their opinions at a six-hour
San Antonio City Council meeting
on Wednesday (Aug. 28) about
a proposed nondiscrimination
ordinance that would bar anyone who
opposes homosexuality from serving in
public office or getting a city contract.
Amid cultural pressures to remain silent, R. Albert
Mohler Jr. told ministers to speak the truth because
souls are at stake during an Aug. 20 convocation
marking his 20th anniversary as president of Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary.
Members of Retta Baptist Church in Burleson
are perplexed by the rating the church’s recently
produced film, “My Son,” received from the Motion
Picture Association of America.
6
Evangelical immigration
group steps up efforts to
sway Texas GOP congressmen
An evangelical group pushing for “broad,
commonsense immigration reform” has upped
its advertising campaign beyond $1 million with
radio ads aimed at Republican congressional
members in 14 states including Texas.
TEXAN Digital is e-published twice monthly by the
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, 4500 State
Highway 360, Grapevine, TX 76099-1988.
Jim Richards, Executive Director
14
Old Testament study gets
experiential for Brownsboro youth
What began as an Old Testament Bible study,
teaching about “God’s Covenant, God’s People, Set
Apart,” became much more for students and adults
of Rock Hill Baptist Church in Brownsboro.
Gary Ledbetter, Editor
Jerry Pierce, Managing Editor
Russell Lightner, Design & Layout
Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions
Contributing Writers
Sherry Parker, Bonnie Pritchett, David Roach, Jane Rodgers, Terri Stovall
To contact the TEXAN office, visit texanonline.net/contact
or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC)
Briefly ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
NORTH AMERICA
Golden Gate president:
Calif. values coming
your way
A seminary president on the West Coast
is warning that the rapid loss of biblical values in California poses a substantial danger
to the rest of the nation.
Healthy churches are part of the solution,
Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist
Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press following a California Supreme Court decision
to deny a petition to enforce Proposition 8,
the voter-approved constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one
man and one woman.
The issuing of gay marriage licenses is
among several controversial social changes
in California, from passing a transgender
restroom bill to banning conversion therapy for those with same-sex attractions.
“The challenges in California to biblical
values are the vanguard of what is coming
to the rest of the nation,” the Texas native
said. “Ground we lose here will soon be lost
everywhere.”
Every step away from biblical values
weakens the nation, Iorg added.
“In California, we are already overwhelmed with the results of these choices:
rising alcohol and drug abuse, overcrowded
prison system, social service organizations
scrambling to help distressed persons, etc.,”
Iorg said.
Amid the downward spiral, “the most
hopeful signs are the rising tide of church
planting and growing concern for pastors
to revitalize existing churches through biblical preaching and teaching,” Iorg said.
The California Supreme Court, in a brief,
unanimous ruling Aug. 14, did not address
the constitutionality of Proposition 8 and
left supporters of traditional marriage few
legal options in defending the initiative
approved by 7 million California voters in
2008.
2 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
Appeals rejected for U.S. pastor in Iran
An appeals court in
Tehran has rejected
an appeal by Iranian
American pastor Saeed
Abedini, whose eightyear prison sentence
has garnered widespread
international attention.
The appeals court decision “signals
a new level of concern for Pastor
Saeed’s safety,” Jordan Sekulow,
executive director of the American
Center for Law and Justice, said in a
written statement Aug. 26.
“By keeping the 8-year prison
sentence in place, Pastor Saeed now
potentially faces additional beatings
and abuse inside Evin Prison—
treatment that has significantly
weakened him during his first year
in prison,” Sekulow said.
Naghmeh Abedini, the pastor’s
wife, said the news is devastating
to her family. She and the
couple’s two young children
reside in Idaho, where
Saeed Abedini, 33, also lived
before being arrested on a
trip to Iran nearly a year ago.
Naghmeh Abedini said her
family will be consulting with
legal counsel in Iran to determine
the next course of action, possibly
appealing the case to the Supreme
Court in Tehran or pleading for
the supreme leader, Ayatollah
Khamenei, to intervene and pardon
Pastor Saeed.
“From past cases, we know that
the decision to release my husband
lies solely at the mercy of the
supreme leader,” Naghmeh Abedini
said. “It is imperative in the coming
days, weeks and months that we
remain vigilant” to call for her
husband’s release.
Hearing leads to more confusion on San
Antonio non-discrimination measure
Vote scheduled Sept. 5
on ordinance that would
bar anyone who opposes
homosexuality from city
office or contracts.
By David Roach
SAN ANTONIO
As hundreds of concerned residents
voiced their opinions at a six-hour
San Antonio City Council meeting
on Wednesday (Aug. 28) about a
proposed nondiscrimination ordinance
that would bar anyone who opposes
homosexuality from serving in public
office or getting a city contract, city
officials appeared confused at times
about the measure’s legal consequences,
said Jonathan Saenz, an attorney and
president of the conservative group
Texas Values, an arm of Plano-based
Liberty Institute.
The group testifying against the
ordinance “clearly outnumber[ed]”
its supporters, Saenz said from the
meeting via Twitter.
The apparent confusion of council
members prompted councilman
Carlton Soules to say the body was not
ready to vote. Councilwoman Elisa
Chan, who opposes the ordinance,
suggested that it be put on a city ballot
for voters to decide—a suggestion that
drew a standing ovation from meeting
attendees.
In the council’s afternoon session,
opponents of the measure—marked by
blue shirts—made up more than 350 of
the 400 people in the room, Saenz said.
But during the evening session, the sixhour meeting that was open for public
comment, the ordinance’s supporters—
marked by red shirts—made up about
half of the crowd, Saenz said, adding
that “reports of a ‘sea of red’ are false.”
The crowd was so large that many
listened to the discussion in overflow
rooms throughout the municipal
complex.
Whether transgendered people
should be allowed to use any restroom
they choose was a significant part of
the discussion, with some gay-rights
activists saying they now oppose the
ordinance because it does not protect
the right of men to use women’s
bathrooms and vice versa, according to
Saenz. Earlier in the day councilman
Diego Bernal, who spearheaded
the ordinance, floated a new draft
specifying that the measure would not
change the city’s laws prohibiting the
use of restrooms for “persons of the
opposite sex,” the San Antonio ExpressNews reported.
Among Saenz’s tweets from the
meeting:
4“SA atty admits no analysis of other
cities with LGBT ordinances, but says
‘they seem to have worked.’”
4“SA city atty having major trouble
answering basic questions on ord,
confused about if ‘religious exemption’
cover[s] all sections of ordinance.”
4“San Antonio City Council shows
officials are confused & concerned
about LGBT ordinance, even city
attorney didn’t have grasp on it.”
An early draft of the proposed
ordinance prohibits “appointed
officials” and “member[s] of a board or
commission” from demonstrating “bias,
by word or deed, against any person,
groups of persons, or organization
on the basis of race, color, religion,
national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
gender identity, veteran status, age or
disability, while acting in such public
position.”
“Sexual orientation” and “gender
identity” are the categories that have
sparked opposition. The ordinance
draft labels “bias” against homosexuals
as “malfeasance” and authorizes the
City Council to “remove the offending
—Briefly section was compiled from staff reports and Baptist Press
person from office.” Violation of
the ordinance would be a Class C
misdemeanor punishable by fines up to
$500, according to the Express-News.
Businesses that have contracts
with the city must include in their
contracts a statement that they do
not discriminate based on sexual
orientation or gender identity,
according to the draft.
Bernal’s new draft says religious
groups may define their own
membership when making hiring
decisions and adds a statement that
nothing in the ordinance “shall be
construed as requiring any person or
organization to support or advocate any
particular lifestyle or religious view,
or advance any particular message or
idea.”
Conservative groups, however, still
believe the ordinance infringes upon
religious liberty.
“This proposed ordinance contains
some of the most blatant and
unprecedented violations of the
religious freedom of Texans that I have
ever seen,” Saenz said in a statement
earlier in the day. “This extreme power
grab by the government shocks the
conscience and tarnishes the legacy of
the city of San Antonio that is so rich
in religious heritage. If passed, this
ordinance will be used as a weapon to
silence people of faith and to punish
people who hold a traditional view
of marriage and sexuality. If Mayor
[Julian] Castro and Councilman Diego
Bernal were looking for a way to divide
people in the City of San Antonio, they
have found it.”
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 3
Speak truth, Mohler says on
20th anniversary at Southern
Amid cultural pressures to remain silent, R. Albert Mohler
Jr. told ministers to speak the truth because souls are at
stake during an Aug. 20 convocation marking his 20th
anniversary as president of Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary.
“We are called to be, as Scripture describes us, stewards of
the mysteries of God,” Mohler said. “We are called to preach
that which has been revealed. We are called to preach the
Word in season and out of season. ... We are living in a time
that may well be described as increasingly out of season.
Thus, we speak of the sin of silence in a time of trouble.”
Mohler’s address, “Don’t Just Stand There: Say Something:
The Sin of Silence in a Time of Trouble,” follows in the tradition of two previous convocation messages at significant
moments in his presidency at the Louisville, Ky., seminary.
The first, in 1993, “Don’t Just Do Something: Stand There,”
set his agenda to reclaim the seminary—a central concern
during the Conservative Resurgence in the Southern Baptist
Convention. He argued that the seminary had lost its way
theologically and needed to commit with integrity to its
foundational doctrinal confession, the Abstract of Principles.
Ten years later, Mohler called the seminary—in a message
oppositely titled, “Don’t Just Stand There: Do Something”—to
re-engage in the task of the church by taking the gospel to
the nations.
Speaking to the seminary community on Aug. 20 at the
beginning of a new academic year, Mohler said, “We know
what we believe; that’s what we confess. We know what we
must do, as the Lord himself has commissioned us. And may
we ever be faithful to speak what we’ve been commanded to
speak.”
Mohler preached from Ezekiel 3:16-27, in which God gives
the prophet responsibility for those to whom God calls him
to speak. In the passage, God says to Ezekiel, “If I say to the
wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning,
nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order
to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity,
but his blood I will require at your hand.”
Mohler asserted that the message God gave to Ezekiel is as
applicable today as it was for the ancient prophet.
4 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
New Mexico rules photographers
must compromise beliefs
The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Aug. 22 that two
Christian photographers who declined to photograph a
same-sex union violated the state’s Human Rights Act.
One justice said the photographers were “compelled
by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that
inspire their lives.”
In 2006 Vanessa Willock asked Elaine and Jonathan
Huguenin, owners of Elane Photography, to photograph a
same-sex “commitment ceremony” in the town of Taos.
Huguenin and her husband declined the job because
their Christian beliefs were in conflict with the message
communicated by the ceremony.
Willock found another photographer at a cheaper
price but nevertheless filed a complaint with the
New Mexico Human Rights Commission accusing
Elane Photography of discrimination based on sexual
orientation. The couple was later found guilty and
ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines.
“The Huguenins today can no more turn away
customers on the basis of their sexual orientation—
photographing a same-sex marriage ceremony—than
they could refuse to photograph African-Americans or
Muslims,” Justice Richard Bosson wrote in the court’s
unanimous decision.
Bosson said the Christian photographers are now
“compelled by law to compromise the very religious
beliefs that inspire their lives.”
“Though the rule of law requires it, the result is
sobering,” the justice wrote. “It will no doubt leave a
tangible mark on the Huguenins and others of similar
views.”
Bosson said the case provokes reflection on what the
nation is about.
“At its heart, this case teaches that at some point in
our lives all of us must compromise, if only a little, to
accommodate the contrasting values of others,” he wrote.
Bosson said the Constitution protects the rights of
the Christian photographers to pray to the God of their
choice and follow religious teachings.
“But there is a price, one that we all have to pay
somewhere in our civic life,” the justice wrote. “The
Huguenins have to channel their conduct, not their
beliefs, so as to leave space for other Americans who
believe something different. That compromise is part of
the glue that holds us together as a nation, the tolerance
that lubricates the varied moving parts of us as a people.”
Attorney Jordan Lorence of Alliance Defending
Freedom, which is representing the couple, said ADF is
considering appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme
Court.
“This is very coercive, very authoritarian to crush
those who do not agree and make public examples of
them—and in a free society, that simply should not be,”
Lorence said.
sbtexas.com/am13
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AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 5
Evangelical group
steps up efforts to sway
Texas GOP congressmen
on immigration reform
West Texas pastor Coffey joins
in radio ads calling for fair,
compassionate solution.
By Jerry Pierce
AMARILLO
An evangelical group pushing for
“broad, commonsense immigration
reform” has upped its advertising campaign beyond $1 million with radio ads
aimed at Republican congressional
members in 14 states including Texas,
and a prominent pastor from West
Texas is among the voices in the ads.
6 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
Stan Coffey, longtime pastor of The Church at
Quail Creek in Amarillo, joins a group of notable
Southern Baptists supporting the efforts of the
Evangelical Immigration Table “Pray for Reform”
campaign.
Touted as “92 days of prayer and action to pass
immigration reform,” it seeks, as Barrett Duke,
vice president for public policy and research at the
SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, put it,
“broad immigration reform, without delay” to address what the group calls “an unacceptable political stalemate” that falsely divides the issue between
two extremes: “open borders and amnesty versus
deportation of millions.” Evangelical Immigration
Table leaders say they want neither.
Instead, the group says it wants policy that respects “God-given human dignity,” keeps families
intact, secures borders, is fair to
taxpayers and creates a path to
legal status or citizenship.
The $400,000 in additional ads
come during a Congressional recess as many House members are
back in their home districts.
Coffey, who served two terms
as president of the Southern
Baptists of Texas Convention beginning at its founding in 1998,
said he has long been concerned
about the illegal immigration
problem and that the current
system is “broken.”
“The Old Testament mentions
strangers in your midst something like 92 times,” Coffey told
the TEXAN in an interview. “Of
course, I come at it from the
standpoint of compassion and
the standpoint of a concerned
pastor. I’m certainly not here to
write or dictate legislation but
just to encourage members of the
House from Texas to take up this
issue and deal with it.
“You think about Texas; it is a
tremendous problem and usually these are people who love
their family, who want to work,
they want to be a part of us. The
biblical worldview would dictate
compassion.”
Coffey said a phone call from
Duke convinced him to make his
views known. Coffey recorded a
radio spot for the group on Aug.
22.
Several days after the group
issued a news release announcing its expanded advertising and
the participation of Coffey and
others, Coffey said he had yet to
receive criticism from his church
or community.
“I do know the people in our
“The Old Testament
mentions strangers in your
midst something like 92
times. Of course, I come
at it from the standpoint
of compassion and the
standpoint of a concerned
pastor. I’m certainly not
here to write or dictate
legislation but just to
encourage members of the
House from Texas to take up
this issue and deal with it.”
—Stan Coffey
church in general—not every single person of course— our people
have a heart for the stranger and
the immigrant, for those folks
who come into our state and our
community,” he said.
The ERLC’s Duke said in a
news release about the ad campaign, “The rule of law and love
of neighbor are both necessary
values for any civilized people.
They don’t have to be competing values. I am praying for our
members of Congress as they
engage in the nation-defining
work of developing immigration
solutions that temper justice
with compassion.”
More than 60,000 people nationally have signed the group’s
petition at pray4reform.org, but
some conservatives who find
near homogeneity on issues such
as abortion or homosexual marriage are not singing the same
tune as the Evangelical Immigration Table.
For example, a group called
NumbersUSA, which advocates
lower immigration levels, has its
own campaign, with telephone
calls and ads aimed at pressuring lawmakers to turn back any
reform that includes a path to
legal status.
In June the Senate passed a
bipartisan immigration reform
bill that would provide a 13-year
path to citizenship for qualifying illegal immigrants and a $46
billion border security package,
but none of the House proposals
provide a path to citizenship.
Among Texas Southern Baptists
who have signed the Evangelical Immigration Table petition
are David Fleming, pastor of
Champion Forest Baptist Church,
Houston; David Galvan, pastor
of Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida
in Dallas; Lamar Cooper, professor of Old Testament at Criswell
College; Malcolm Yarnell, professor of systematic theology at
Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary; and Daniel Sanchez,
professor of missions at Southwestern Seminary.
Daniel Akin, president of
Southeastern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.,
and Richard Land, president of
Southern Evangelical Seminary
in Charlotte, N.C., and a former
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president, were among
the early signers.
Other states where the ads are
running are Alabama, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Wisconsin.
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 7
RESTRICTED
When Burleson church set out to
make a feature-length movie, it
never planned on an R rating
By Jane Rodgers
BURLESON
Pastor Chuck Kitchens of Retta Baptist
Church in Burleson has been surprised
by a number of things associated with his
church’s recently produced film, “My Son,”
which was screened for 400 invited guests in
Burleson on Aug. 16.
After all, a church of 300 non-Hollywood
types produced a full-length, watchable movie with novice actors, an untried crew, and
a budget of only $25,000, and still received
praise from critics.
But most surprising—shocking really—to
Kitchens, the film’s executive director, director Jarod O’Flaherty and all those involved
with the movie, was the film’s R rating handed by down by the Motion Picture Association
of America (MPAA).
News of the rating reached Kitchens and
O’Flaherty just before the screening. Kitchens debated making a statement before the
screening, then decided to let the audience
see the movie before announcing its rating.
“When people have seen the film, they are
shocked by the rating,” Kitchens said.
Response to news of the MPAA rating at
the screening came close to an “uproar,”
said Kitchens, who finally asked audience
members to email their opinions to him. So
far, more than two-thirds of the respondents
have recommended keeping the movie’s
content as is.
In a statement posted on the organization’s
8 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
website, Joan Graves, MPAA senior vice president and chairman of the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA),
explains the process of rating a film.
Filmmakers pay a submission fee to obtain an MPAA rating.
The film is then screened “in context” before an independent
group of parents who fill out rating cards. Discussion follows.
The film receives its rating.
Filmmakers who wish to achieve a different rating may edit
their films and resubmit to CARA, and the process begins again,
Graves said. Filmmakers who disagree with the MPAA rating
and do not wish to alter their films have another option.
“They can go to an appeals board which is a different board
made up of industry people, distributors and exhibitors,” she
added.
Kitchens and crew are examining their alternatives. As
of now, they intend to go ahead with the movie’s scheduled
premiere at Burleson Cinemas on the weekend of Sept. 20-21,
despite the R rating.
Simply tweaking the film is not
easy, Kitchens explained. The MPAA
will not specify which scenes need
to be changed or cut in order for
the film to earn a PG-13 rating. The
movie features some violence and
drug use, yet these scenes are neither gratuitous nor excessive and
are essential to the plot, Kitchens
said.
“One scene features marijuana
use by a couple of characters, but
this is the reason why the main
female character loses custody
of her child,” said Kitchens, who
noted that the film’s plot hinges on
this event and that the film would
lose realism and indeed would “not
make sense” were the scene to be
deleted.
And that scene may not even be
the problem. Kitchens fears the
process of editing and resubmitting the film could take so long that
its premiere would be delayed.
Editing a film presents special
complications for a volunteer crew
operating on a shoestring budget.
For example, each edit necessitates
adjustment of the musical score,
and the soundtrack’s composer, a
college student, is already back in
school and has no time for repeated
edits.
Kitchens said he believes the process of submitting and resubmitting the film to the MPAA could “go
on forever.”
“We are concerned about producing the first Christian film with
an R rating. But we have no choice
right now. We will go on with the
R rating and hope for the best,”
Kitchens said. “It is to the point
where we either gut the movie or
nickel and dime it to death.”
Most viewers have told the filmmakers to leave the movie alone.
Many have suggested that the R
Kate Randall, who plays Jess, is shown in a courtroom scene.
“We are concerned about producing the first Christian
film with an R rating. But we have no choice right now.
We will go on with the R rating and hope for the best.
It is to the point where we either gut the movie or
nickel and dime it to death.”
—Pastor Chuck Kitchens of Retta Baptist Church in Burleson
rating is what God wants, that the
rating may make the film even
more appealing to the unchurched,
Kitchens noted.
Ironically, some who objected
to the release of the film with an
R rating had “no problem” with
the film and its content until they
heard it was rated R, Kitchens said.
Pastors have indicated they are reluctant to recommend any R movie
to their congregations.
Kitchens said he understands
this, but he also knows that the
distribution of the film to theaters
nationally through the Web platform company Tugg depends in
large part on the presale of tickets.
Filmmakers are depending upon
church support to help get “My
Son” into theaters.
Kitchens even wonders if there is
an anti-Christian bias at the MPAA,
noting the fact that the MPAA gave
the Sherwood Pictures film “Facing
the Giants” a PG rating because of
“proselytizing.”
Regardless, Kitchens and
O’Flaherty now have a feature film
with a controversial rating. Responses from audiences and critics
have been positive. “The film is way
beyond what we should have been
able to do,” Kitchens said.
And the R rating is way beyond
what they ever expected.
“We were hoping for just the
right ‘God moment’ [at the August
screening],” said Kitchens, indicating his desire that a journalist or
movie distributor in attendance
might become interested in promoting the film and “run with it.”
The current rating is not what he
had in mind, but the controversy
generated is likely to draw attention to the film in the most unanticipated of ways.
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 9
Talent in the pews made filmmaking
an option for Retta Baptist Church
By Jane Rodgers
BURLESON
Movie making may not technically be a spiritual gift, but Pastor Chuck Kitchens believes that
God places individuals in specific
churches for his purposes. The Lord
brought Jarod O’Flaherty to Retta
Baptist Church in Burleson and the
rest is film history.
The movie “My Son,” a RettaVision
production, was screened for 400
guests in Burleson on Aug. 16. The
movie will premiere Sept. 20 at Burleson Premiere Cinema. An agreement with the Web platform company Tugg for distribution in theaters
nationwide has been reached.
So how does a church of 300 produce a full-length feature film?
It starts with talent.
When Kitchens became pastor
of Retta Baptist nearly three years
ago, he noticed that the church had
produced several Christian music
videos directed and filmed by Jarod
O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty had also
produced a documentary on World
War II in honor of his grandfather,
a World War II veteran.
Kitchens thought, “This guy has
got what it takes.” Kitchens became
convinced that God wanted Retta to
do a feature film. He mentioned his
idea to O’Flaherty, who was skeptical. The two scheduled a meeting to
discuss the idea. O’Flaherty intended to decline.
“I had planned to go tell Pastor
Chuck that it would be a great idea
to do the film, but I would not be
involved because my work schedule
would not permit it,” O’Flaherty said.
That same day, O’Flaherty’s em10 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
The cast and crew of “My Son,” a feature-length film produced by Retta Baptist Church in Burleson.
ployer, an IT hosting company, announced a program allowing tenured employees to take two-month
paid sabbaticals to “do something
they were passionate about” and
would otherwise be unable to do,
O’Flaherty said. He no longer had
an excuse.
The 31-year-old O’Flaherty’s proficiency with videography began 10
years ago when he started filming
church youth events and editing
the footage for church presentations. He filmed weddings, sporting events and, eventually, music
videos.
O’Flaherty’s personal equipment
was used in the production of “My
Son.” What O’Flaherty couldn’t
supply was provided by the church.
“A good portion of our film
production budget that the church
raised was used to purchase equipment for the film,” O’Flaherty said.
The budget for “My Son” was
miniscule by Hollywood standards,
a mere $25,000. However, this
amount is sizable for a church of
300. No lengthy fundraising cam-
paign was necessary.
“We announced the project one
evening and all the funds came in
almost immediately,” O’Flaherty
said. “The members of our church
were excited to hear about the film.”
Even before the formal announcement at church, the movie’s
plot had been scripted.
“We had developed a writer team
from our church and asked them to
come up with multiple script proposals,” Kitchens explained. Then
a three-member executive team of
O’Flaherty, Kitchens and associate
producer Michael Dennis met to
rate the script ideas.
“Nobody [initially] picked the
idea that ended up becoming the
movie,” Kitchens recalled. Yet as
the team talked, the idea “came to
life” in the meeting. The three men
decided to go home and pray about
the matter.
“When we got back together, we
were all chomping at the bit to tell
one another what had happened.
As we talked, more and more of
the conflict that would become the
script came to life,” Kitchens said.
The movie’s plot involves the
story of a young couple, Jess and
Cadon, who lose custody of Jess’s
young son under “questionable
circumstances,” according to the
film’s official website, mysonmovie.com. Cadon approaches a
friend to help regain the child. Tensions escalate; a hostage crisis in a
church ensues; the main characters
face life-changing decisions.
The movie is Christian in theme,
the gospel integrated into the story
line. The film also deals with issues
of race and racism.
“In so many Christian films, it
almost seems like they stop acting
and the characters … start witnessing to the camera,” Kitchens
said. “We wanted [the gospel] to be
part of an ongoing story so that it
looked natural.”
“We decided we are going to have
a movie that is not your typical
church movie,” said Kitchens, who
expressed hope that the film would
reach the unchurched.
The scriptwriters were inexperienced. Differences of vision between director and writers were resolved in an eight-hour meeting and
prayer session. By the end of the
meeting, the writers and production team were in “complete unity,”
Kitchens said. The entire script was
blocked out on a white board.
Funding quickly followed the
completion of the script.
Casting the movie came next.
A volunteer casting committee
advertised for actors. Auditions
were held at Retta Baptist. In some
instances, people just knew folks
who fit the part. No one was paid
or a professional performer. Some
were members of Retta; two came
from First Baptist Burleson.
Joseph Madlock, who plays Andrew, actually worked at O’Flaherty’s
company. Though the two had never
previously spoken, O’Flaherty asked
Madlock to audition and the novice
actor won the role.
Kitchens initially approached
Restin Burk, who plays Cadon,
to serve as a technical advisor to
Madlock, whose character has been
recently released from prison. Burk
had actually been in prison himself.
Burk surprised Kitchens by asking
to audition for a role in the movie.
“Restin has an incredible testimony that we have incorporated
into the gospel tract we put together to accompany the film,” said
Kitchens, who called Burk’s casting
“one of those miracles that God just
worked out.”
“Restin’s life could be a movie
itself,” Kitchens said.
O’Flaherty remembered Kate
Randall from a music video he had
worked on in 2009 with a youth
pastor in Ohio.
“I kept telling our casting team
that we needed someone like Kate
for the female lead. By this time
she had married a soldier and was
living in California. I sent her a
message asking her to consider
coming to Texas for three weeks to
shoot a movie. It worked with her
schedule, and she flew out from
California and stayed with a member of our church during the filming,” O’Flaherty said.
“We are not a church that is
just bursting with acting talent,”
O’Flaherty added. “God obviously
knew what he was doing. He had
this girl 1,000 miles away he was
going to bring to fill that role. Kate
was better than we ever could have
expected.”
Kitchens was chosen to play the
father of Kate Randall’s character.
The bulk of the filming took place
in July and August of 2012. Unexpected blessings abounded.
“We filmed every day, pretty
much morning till night,” Kitch-
ens said. Locations were offered
free of charge: a courthouse, two
restaurants, convenience stores,
churches. An ambulance company
donated vehicles and services one
day for free. The Johnson County
sheriff’s department donated time,
people and the use of their vehicles.
Sometimes, he noted, it even
seemed God was providing special
effects.
“During filming, sometimes light
would be shining on walls at different times that worked out better
than we could have ever imagined.
We would just stop and say, ‘Look at
that! Look at what God has done for
us.’ Everything seemed miraculous.”
Work continued after filming
was completed. O’Flaherty, director
and main cinematographer, also
became the film’s editor, sound
mixer and color expert.
College student Connor Watkins
composed an original movie score.
“No one in the credits could be
considered a professional, or experienced, or even trained in acting,
lighting, recording and sound. That
the story is coherent is miraculous,” O’Flaherty marveled.
Thus far, response to screenings
has been positive. An independent
focus group of 10 critics offered
suggestions at an early screening. “When asked if they enjoyed
the film, all 10 said yes,” said
O’Flaherty, who added, “We urged
them to give honest opinions and
even pushed them to say no.”
“Our goal in making this film
was not so much to entertain a
Christian audience but to reach an
audience that would not show up in
church and would not watch traditional Christian films,” O’Flaherty
explained. “Ten or 20 years from
now we will still be able to watch
this film. Hopefully it will still be
relevant, an act of ministry that
won’t go away.”
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 11
Lackland Air Force sergeant files
complaint after being ousted for
gay marriage views
By Bonnie Pritchett
A
SAN ANTONIO
ttorneys for a senior master
sergeant at Lackland Air Force
Base punished for refusing
to affirm same-sex marriage
have filed a formal complaint with the
military against the airman’s commanding officer alleging Maj. Elisa Valenzuela
violated Air Force policy and the airman’s
freedom of speech and religious liberties.
In the Aug. 20 letter to Valenzuela,
attorney Mike Berry of the Plano-based
Liberty Institute called for a meeting to
address the grievances of Senior Master
Sgt. Phillip Monk, a 19-year veteran. Berry
said the fact that Monk was relieved of
duty following a disagreement over a
matter of conscience is a violation of Air
Force and Department of Defense policy.
As the only training base for Air Force
recruits, Berry said the message sent to
trainees at Lackland is chilling. Monk was
not willing to “take his lumps” but instead
wanted to send a different message.
“He feels a duty to all airman. He
doesn’t want this happening again,” Berry
said in a phone interview with the TEXAN.
“Our rights are not abridged or forfeited
due to military service.”
The point of contention between Monk
and Valenzuela—same-sex marriage—
did not arise until the sergeant began an
investigation of another airman charged
with making anti-homosexual remarks.
In the course of discussing disciplinary options with Valenzuela, a lesbian,
Monk was pressed for his opinion on the
subject. Valenzuela reportedly became
incensed when she realized Monk did not
agree with her view on same-sex mar12 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
riage and he was relieved of duty.
Berry said initial testimony vindicates Monk of wrongdoing and,
instead, reveals he became the target of a vendetta by the commander, who meted out punishment for perceived anti-homosexual discrimination.
“By virtue of the fact that she was the commanding officer and
held all the cards … she felt at liberty to abuse that position,” Berry
told the TEXAN in a conference call with Monk in early August.
Berry contends Monk’s dismissal was due to his Christian convictions, not actionable conduct. He stated in the letter that Valenzuela’s actions were a violation of specific military codes and religious
liberty protections under the First Amendment.
Until the dispute, Monk, 38, served as the intermediary between
enlisted personnel and the commanding officers at Lackland. His
duties required he meet with Valenzuela about pending disciplinary actions against a junior airman who spoke against homosexual
marriage while teaching a class. Following an interview with the
instructor, Monk concluded the remarks were not intended to insult or provoke but were used to make a point about unity despite
differences.
But some airmen complained, sparking the investigation and
Monk’s meeting with Valenzuela. In late June Monk suggested his
commander use the situation as a learning experience for the unit,
teaching about diversity within unity.
Instead, “She took the position
that his actions were discriminatory and he should be punished
severely,” Monk said.
During the course of the discussion, Monk found himself the center of Valenzuela’s personal inquiry
into his views about homosexual
marriage and what constitutes
discrimination.
“You’re not on the same page as
me,” Monk recalled his commander
saying. “If you can’t get on the
same page as me I’ll find you some
place else to be.”
In response to her queries, Monk
told her he recognized discrimination when he witnessed it. But his
commander became angrier as the
discussion progressed, according
to Monk. Valenzuela pressed Monk
about his views and even implied
opposition to homosexual marriage
was a violation of Air Force policy.
After she asked him if opposition
to same-sex marriage was discriminatory, Monk said he realized his
answer could determine the fate of
his job.
“I believed I was being coerced
to answer in the way she wanted,”
Monk said. “As a Christian I could
not answer the way she wanted me
to.”
Monk told his commander his
opinion was grounded in Christian
conviction, not any animus toward
homosexuals or disrespect to Valenzuela in particular. Not satisfied with his response, Valenzuela
relieved him of his duties. On Aug.
9 he received a call informing him
he was separated from his unit and
his reassignment to the Lackland
medic unit was being expedited.
Although the reassignment was
planned before his confrontation
with Valenzuela, Monk was in the
midst of a weeks-long process of
training his replacement when he
was relieved of duty and told to
“I believed I was being coerced to answer in
the way she wanted. As a Christian I could not
answer the way she wanted me to.”
—Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk
refrain from all contact with his
replacement.
He was also told to clear out his
office but was barred from doing so
while Valenzuela was in hers just
down the hall.
“I was made to feel that because
I have a deeply held religious view
different from hers, I was unworthy of being in her vicinity,” he
said.
Monk said he was dumbfounded,
adding that his faith and his job
as senior master sergeant demand
he treat everyone with respect.
A self-described introvert, Monk
is uncomfortable with the media
attention about his situation. But
he told his pastor, Steven Branson
of Village Parkway Baptist Church,
that he couldn’t walk away from
the situation for the sake of his
family. That would send the wrong
message to his sons, ages 12, 14,
and 16, he said.
Monk said he also believes he represents countless service men and
women who feel they are under
scrutiny because of their faith—
evidenced by dozens of email
messages of support after his case
made national news. Berry said he
isn’t surprised, noting the majority
of U.S. military personnel associate
with Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Berry said the timing of Monk’s
experience is noteworthy in light of
an Aug. 22 report by Judicial Watch
indicating Department of Defense
training material depicts some
conservative organizations as “hate
groups” and “extremists.”
“We’re crossing a line. You can
now be punished for believing
something,” Berry said.
By filing the formal complaint,
Monk said he is trying to send a
message to all enlistees but he also
wants to clear his record. Berry said
being relieved of duty, especially a
high-ranking post like senior master sergeant, is a mark against his
character and clean record.
In the meantime Monk said support has also come from his church,
which is making sure Monk and
his family have what they need.
He said he appreciated Branson
accompanying him to a local television station for his appearance on
the national morning news show
“Fox and Friends.”
Growing up a military brat,
Monk said he never lived in the
same place more than four years
and never felt like he had a church
home until now.
“It feels good to know you’re surrounded by people who care about
you,” Monk said.
This is not the first time Monk
has been involved in controversy
at Lackland Air Force Base. In 2012,
Staff Sgt. Luis Walker was convicted of the sexual assault of female
recruits. Rumors of Walker’s actions had been circulating around
the base when commanders told
Monk to “get to the bottom of it.”
Monk’s initial interview with one
of the first victims led to the investigation of Walker and his ultimate
conviction. Monk, a master sergeant at the time, helped facilitate
the investigation.
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 13
Old Testament study gets experiential
for Brownsboro youth
By Sherry Parker
BROWNSBORO
t was a journey of biblical
proportions and more than
a year in the making.
The Jarhead and Soul Sister youth
groups from Rock Hill Baptist
Church in Brownsboro participated
in a hands-on Bible study, building replicas of fixtures from the
Old Testament temple. Early in the
summer, a long line of students,
parents, church members, deacons
and the pastor marched seven-plus
miles from Brownsboro to their
new facility located on Highway 31.
They were guided and protected by
the Brownsboro Fire Department
and a police escort.
The march itself was a symbolic
Ark of the Covenant
14 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
journey, not only to drive home
the arduous methods in which the
Jews cared for their hallowed Ark
of the Covenant, the lampstand,
the showbread table, the table of
incense and other prescribed items,
but it was also a call to step out
boldly on faith.
Robert Welch, pastor of Rock Hill,
led the way, representing the high
priest, according to the Old Testament.
“These kids worked over a year on
this project and learned a lot about
the Bible, about their relationship with God. I think that speaks
well about this next generation. I
know a lot of people down this next
generation—but when these kids
took their Saturday mornings, their
Sunday evenings, all the preparation and hard work—they gave all
that to the Lord. They did a lot more
today than many older adults have
ever done for the Lord. I’m proud
of them and I’m proud to be their
pastor. And I’m proud of what God
is doing in their lives and through
Rock Hill.”
During the year-long process,
some students experienced peer
pressure against participating in
learning about the Old Testament,
the temple, and how God called his
people to be set apart.
“It hurts me to know that some
of these kids suffered ridicule. This
was to learn more about God and
their faith, what they believe in.
But to truly know who Jesus Christ
is, why he came and the full purpose and value for his sacrifice,
one needs to understand the true
nature of the Old Testament,” said
one of the parents. “After all, this is
part of Jesus’ heritage, and to really
know him one should want to know
all about him. Right?”
Katy Robertson, a high school
student and a member of the Soul
Rock Hill students gather for the beginning of the procession.
Pastor Robert Welch (left) and deacon Tom Williams
Sisters, commented on the peer
pressure she saw other students
experience. “I know it taught me
a lot about commitment. Some
people dropped out and lost their
connection with God and became
more ‘worldly.’ As a group, we experienced a lot of peer pressure doing this. There were a lot of people
who made fun of us. It became
very personal.”
“Back when it first started, I
don’t think we understood how
big of a ‘personal journey’ it would
be,” wrote Tristan Moore, a member of the Jarhead group. “Some
kids thought it (the project) was
pointless and didn’t get as involved
as they should have, but I didn’t let
them get to me. It went from being
pieces of wood to actual objects
that meant something biblical.
During (the work) I’ll admit it
wasn’t the ‘fun-nest’ thing ever,
but afterwards, I’m definitely glad
we did it. It will be an experience
we’ll never forget.”
Jerry Don Satterfield, also a
member of the Jarhead group,
remarked of the peer pressure,
“There was slight persecution,
but in reality, when it’s for God, it
doesn’t matter. The March to the
The Jarheads boys youth group from Rock Hill gather together to pray.
Rock project was a lot of work and
dedication. I’m glad I did it.”
The deacons of Rock Hill participated as well, and since the
replicas of the holy temple were
precursors to the coming of Christ,
they thought it only fitting to build
a large wooden cross that would
follow the procession. The deacons
took turns physically carrying the
10-foot cross down the highway to
show their support for the youth’s
dedication.
“It was a very moving experience,” commented Tom Williams,
Rock Hill deacon chairman. “I
didn’t know what to expect, but as
the day went on there was a really
deep sense of accomplishment and
feeling like God was with us.”
When asked about what emotions he experienced stepping onto
the grounds of the new facility,
Williams said, “Well, not so much
as walking up to the new church,
but walking and reflecting, carrying the cross, and thinking about
what Christ had done for us and
what little bit it was to take two or
three hours of our day to carry a
wooden cross. These kids are our
future. We marched our future
right up to the new church and
hopefully they will continue on.”
Brian Cooper, a coach in the
Brownwood school district, also
came to show his support for
members of his team. “These kids
put themselves out there. They
showed some leadership and their
faith as they walked in front of
their friends and their community
unashamed. It was something special to see these kids do this.”
Many cars slowed to view the
students carrying heavy wooden
objects and the long procession of
adults who came out to support the
youth. In the end, all the students
agreed that if they caused people
to weigh the faithfulness of their
relationships with Christ or whether or not they even had one, it was
worthwhile.
“I think it’s significant that this
march was one of the first events
we held at our new facility, which
was done by our students,” Welch
said. “This speaks to me of what
this is all about—it’s about the next
generation, about reaching our
future. I’m so proud to have been a
part of it and all their hard work. I
mean, this is their building. This is
their church. I’m glad that they’re
already stepping up and leading it.”
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 15
Sagemont presents special $200k
gift for Cooperative Program
During a luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston, the Sagemont
Foundation presented a special $200,000 gift above Sagemont’s budgeted giving through the Cooperative Program, which is Southern Baptists shared funding strategy for missions and ministry.
Pictured during the check presentation are (L-R): Sagemont Pastor John Morgan; Sagemont Executive Pastor Chuck Schneider; Sagemont layman Rex Richards; International Mission Board President
Tom Elliff; and SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards. Of gifts received by the SBTC for CP missions,
45 cents of each dollar remains in Texas to further the gospel here while 55 cents is passed on for
SBC national and international ministry. The IMB, with 5,000 missionaries, receives the largest single
percentage of Cooperative Program giving among SBC entities.
Photo courtesy of the IMB
16 TEXANONLINE.NET AUGUST 29, 2013
Equip Mega
Conference 2013
Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist
Church in New Orleans and president of
the Southern Baptist Convention, pauses to
emphasize a point during his address to pastors and church leaders during the Leadership
Conversations portion of the SBTC’s 2013 Equip
Mega Conference at Fallbrook Church in Houston on Aug. 16. The conference drew pastors
and lay leaders to Houston over three days for
consultations and breakout sessions on everything from church leadership to men’s ministry
to church administration. A Black Churches
Equipping Conference was also offered along
with a Spanish-language track and training for
transitional pastors. Photo by Jerry Pierce
Terri Stovall
Where They Are
Now, Where We’re
All Headed
W
omen have been created in the image of God and have been given a
role to fulfill. Women can do anything they have been gifted and
called to do within the boundaries and guidelines
that God has placed. We serve a loving, creative
God who is using women to impact this world for
him in a thousand different ways. Hundreds of
women have passed through the halls of Southwestern who are serving to their fullest for Christ
and the church.
One of the most frequent questions people ask
me about Southwestern Women’s Programs is,
“What do women do with their degrees after they
graduate?” The truth is, the careers and ministries
are as varied as the women themselves.
Here are just a few examples:
Ashley leads the women’s ministry for a Baptist
state convention.
Meghan is the director of women’s ministry at a
large theological seminary.
Sarah is the dean of women at a Bible institute
in Florida.
Vanessa serves as assistant academic dean and
director of institutional research at a college in
Houston.
Michelle is a pastor’s wife who has built a home
fitness business that is faith based and built on
biblical principles. Part of her mission is to teach
other women how to do the same so they can stay
home with their children.
Spring is married to Charles who is living with
muscular dystrophy and serving in a full-time
speaking ministry together.
Diane serves as a missionary in Mexico.
Laura is using her home in Zambia to reach the
Zambian women.
Amanda is the wife of a college minister and
mother of two, who also leads Bible studies in
biblical womanhood and works with her Baptist
association organizing their associational
women’s events.
Ashley is a Christian voice in the marketplace who also
serves as assistant minister to women at her church.
Claire is performing with a major Christian theater
group.
Alanna serves as a girls’ minister.
Many others are wives and mothers, who are
ministering to women and sharing their faith through
their homes, churches, and every day lives. Women,
both married and single, are serving in churches, parachurch organizations, on the mission field, and in the
marketplace. Some are pastors’ wives, some are women’s,
girls, or children’s ministers, some are serving in music
ministry, and some are missionaries, church planters, and
educators, serving in places near and far.
All of these women serve in different ways and
different places but all are serving as women of influence.
When asked what Southwestern women do with
their degrees, the list is limitless. There are a thousand
different ways our female graduates are using the
training they received, but they all have one thing in
common. Each and every one is being used by God to
make a difference in the lives of others, leading them to
Christ, and helping them to grow in their faith. They are
making a difference and they are doing it the way God has
desgined them to.
We have a world full of women who need to know the
redemptive message of Jesus Christ and how to receive
the gift of life. These same women need to know how to
grow in their faith and become fully developing followers
of Christ. And for many, they will never hear unless a
woman tells them and teaches them.
There are lives to be changed, women to influence, and
families to impact. Let’s go to work my strong, saved,
gifted, and called sisters in Christ . . . there is much to be
done!
Terri Stovall is the dean of women’s programs at Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and co-author of “Women Leading
Women.” This article first appeared at biblicalwoman.com.
AUGUST 29, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 17
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