May 2010

...men that had understanding of the times,
Volume 10, Issue 2
to know what [they] ought to do... I Chr.12:32
Publication of the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship.
WHY I SWITCHED TO
CLOSED COMMUNION
TRAINING TO
SERVE
By R.B. Ouellette
By Frank Wood, GIBF
Moderator
Webster defines the word intern as follows: “a
doctor serving an apprenticeship; an apprentice
teacher, journalist, etc.” So an intern is a person
serving an apprenticeship.
Our church has had the privilege of having two
missionary interns who now serve as foreign
missionaries. We have also had a couple of summer
ministry interns. We are currently planning to have
two interns this summer, as well as some one-year
or two-year interns at some point in the future. We
have found these men to be a blessing to our church
and we feel we have made a significant investment
in their lives also. There are many good reasons to
have interns serve in your church, but I would like
to discuss two reasons for having summer ministry
interns.
The first reason is that they can be a help to the
church. Our interns have taught Sunday school,
helped in children’s church, sung in the choir,
worked in the bus ministry, led singing, gone soulwinning, and involved themselves in many other
areas of the ministry. They have mowed grass,
cleaned buildings, and done other physical labors.
By their enthusiasm and good example, they have
encouraged others to become more involved in the
ministry of our church.
May 2010
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Ancient
Baptist Journal, Fall 2009, Volume II, Issue II. Reprinted with
permission. The Ancient Baptist Journal is a quarterly
publication dedicated to the promotion of Bible preaching and
Baptist principles. For more information go to
www.ancientbaptist.com
“HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOUR!”
Though I grew up in fundamental Baptist
churches, I attended a non-denominational college
(Bob Jones University) where the five points of
Calvinism were far more likely to be taught than
Baptist distinctives. As a result, I had some
“catching up” to do when I graduated. Though I
soon embraced the doctrine of the local church and
discarded what I had been taught about the universal
church, I never considered the matter of the Lord’s
table. Since I knew that a person had to be right
with God in order to partake of the Lord’s Supper, I
would announce that all those who had been
scripturally baptized and were in fellowship with the
Lord were welcome to participate in the ordinance.
When I became aware that there were those who had
a different position, I began to inquire the reasons
for it. Unfortunately, I received more logic and
tradition than I did Scripture. After reading some
material and studying the Scripture carefully, I
concluded that I had to change in order to be
obedient to the Word of God.
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The Heritage Pulpit
WHAT A TIME IN THE SUNSHINE
The GIBF National February Meeting in Tampa
“WHERE IS THE PREACHER?”
By Pete Montoro
A message by Lester Roloff (1914-1982)
What a time! Everything
– the preaching, the
fellowship, the hospitality,
and the fine Florida
weather – should be
described as having “come
down from the Father of
lights.” It was special!
Upon entering the campus of West Gate
Baptist Church, home of Westgate Baptist
Academy and Florida Baptist College,
you could feel the warmth and readiness
of this great church and her people.
Having arrived two hours before the
service, I expected locked doors; that was
not the case. People were waiting and
ready to welcome us. It was apparent that
every detail had been carefully prayed for
and worked out in preparation. All things
were now ready. You felt it: it was going to
be an incredible meeting. It was! (I only
wish everyone reading
this account could have
been there.)
One reason for these
meetings is fellowship,
and it commenced as
soon as I walked in the
door. It’s nearly impossible to
meet a total stranger at a GIBF
meeting. A handshake and
greeting often discovers some
connection with a mutual friend.
The togetherness is sweet.
The first service Monday night
began with the grand old hymn,
The average preacher has been taught to do everything but preach;
and yet the most important thing in the world is the preaching of the
Gospel!
There was a time when the preacher was the prophet, the priest, the
king, the doctor, and the counselor – he was even called the horses
and chariots of Israel. He was the pace and the pattern setter; he was
the standard-bearer and the home-builder. The nation’s protector has
always been the preacher. In the Old Testament, he was called the
seer and the trouble-maker; in the New Testament, he was called a pestilent fellow.
Let us observe what the Bible has to say about the preacher and preaching.
In I Corinthians 1:17-23a, God says preaching is more important than baptizing. “For
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel.• not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to
them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. …hath
not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But
we preach Christ…” For the man of God, preaching should be more important than
anything!
Every preacher, according to I Corinthians chapter 1, is to be a walking miracle
because “…not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty…to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
Then Titus 1:3 tell us, “But (God) hath in due times manifested His Word through
preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our
Saviour.” So the Lord commits the Word to the preacher and commits and commands
the preacher to preach it!
Paul said to Timothy (I Tim. 2:7), “I am ordained a preacher.” He later said (II
Timothy 1:11), “I am appointed a preacher.” According to II Peter 2:5, even though the
world was not spared, God spared the preacher of righteousness and his family who
heard him. God even called and sent one backslidden preacher to a city of over half a
million people, and without newspaper publicity, television or radio announcements,
Jonah put on a one-man crusade with a one-sentence sermon – and the Bible says the
whole city repented at the message he preached!
“How Firm a Foundation,” which spoke to
the excellence around which we fellowship
– the Word of God! The sound of the 40voice choir accompanied by piano, organ,
and orchestra, filled the auditorium and
each soul. (Hearty congregational singing
was a part of every service.) To welcome
and direct our hearts to the theme of the
meeting – “My Anchor Holds” – fifty
years of history were recognized as the
founding pastor of West Gate, Gerald
Cheney and his wife, were honored, as was
Pastor Turner’s boyhood pastor, James
Head and his wife. A second choir
number was followed by Bro. Bruce
Turner reading Hebrews 6:18-19, all
completing the focus.
Special music by students from Florida
Baptist College preceded the evening
message by Bro. Dave Hardy. He began
by reading Hebrews 6, and preached on
verses 9-20. Using memories from his
“navy days,” we were guided into that
eternal harbor, passing the stately vessels
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1
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
TIMES EDITORIAL
By the editor
FOOLISHNESS TO THE POINT OF INIQUITY
There are numerous passages in God’s Word declaring
with certainty the offense God takes at those who
presume to speak for Him or who in any way
misrepresent Him. He coarsely condemns those who
practice “divining lies…saying, Thus saith the Lord
GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken” (Ezek. 22:28).
God has said, “Behold, I am against the prophets…that
use their tongues, and say, He saith” (Jer. 23:31). Maybe
the most noted passage in that regard, and one that sumsup every other passage so-related, is Rev. 22:18-19: “For
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the
prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these
things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book: and if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy
city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
To change in any way the truth concerning God’s Person
or His Word should instill a fear like no other. But,
incredibly, as is said of some folks, “Fools rush in where
angels fear to tread.”
“Fool” is one of God’s harshest invectives. Fool is to
affections and intellect what slothful is to morals and
diligence. Don’t be a fool; don’t be engaged in
foolishness. It’s not a good thing. God has no pleasure
in fools!
I must say, my list of invectives becomes longer than
God’s when describing the fool (and the foolhardy who
follow him) at the notorious Westboro Baptist Church in
Topeka, Kansas. (As a Baptist and a native Jayhawker
myself, I am outraged that either distinction is used in
reference to that place!) Fred Phelps is the founder and
leader of the so-called church. I say “so-called”
deliberately.
I learned long ago that just because some outfit calls
itself a church does not make it one. And though the
name Baptist is hung over a door, it can be a misnomer.
In the case of this cult-like whatever-it-is in Topeka, it’s
one of those instances when I do pray they drop the name.
(But because uprightness on their part is required for
such a move, it won’t happen.) In any case, God help the
world to know that the Westboro foolishness is NOT a
Baptist church!
The testimony of Westboro is: “God is hate.”
According to the placards their adherents carry in public,
God hates everything and everybody. He hates fags; He
hates Jews; He hates Italy; He hates Marines; He hates
Ireland; and He hates America, just to name a few.
One of their posters read, “God Hates the World.”
Anyone remotely attune to Bible truth knows better than
that. Any 3-year-old in Sunday school knows better; they
David H. Lydick, Editor
Published five times per year by the
Global Independent Baptist Fellowship
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Baptist Times
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Bellevue, Nebraska 68005
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three-year subscriptions are $35.
Times Board of Review:
Rich Farinella, Kevin Folger, Dave Hardy,
Dan Smith, and Bob Stevens
know better from John 3:16 alone. The testimony of
scripture declares that “He that loveth not knoweth not
God; for God is love.” It is evident that the god of
Westboro is not the God of Scripture!
Among the scriptures addressing those who pompously
purport to speak for and serve the true God, and the one
passage that might best fit the ilk of Mr. Phelps and his
band of spiritual thugs is Matt. 7:21-23: “Not every one
that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? And then will I profess
unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that
work iniquity.”
WHY I SWITCHED TO CLOSED
COMMUNION
continued from page 1…
First: THE POSITIONS. There are three basic
positions regarding the Lord’s Supper.
1) Open Communion. This position, seldom practiced
by independent fundamental Baptists, allows any person
who chooses to do so to partake of the elements.
2) Close Communion. This position would require that
an individual be saved, scripturally baptized, and in
fellowship with the Lord to join in the observance of the
Lord’s Supper. Those practicing close communion would
allow a visitor from another church of like faith to join in
the Lord’s Supper.
3) Closed Communion. In this position, the Lord’s
Supper is a local church ordinance, and open only to
members in good standing.
Second: THE PRINCIPLES. There are three biblical
reasons that I felt it necessary to change to closed
communion.
1) The Principle of Consistency. All of us recognize
that the Lord gave two ordinances to His church –
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. All of us agree that
baptism is an ordinance particular to the local church.
You are baptized into an assembly of believers (Acts
2:41-47). Nearly all of us would object to a person having
a conference to which he invited people from many
churches, then baptizing people who had no intention of
becoming part of that church where the meeting was
held. The question becomes, why is one ordinance
restricted to the church and another not? Now God could
certainly have set it up any way He wanted to, but if we
practice the ordinance of Baptism only for the church, it
is incumbent upon us to explain why we practice the
ordinance of the Lord’s Supper outside the local church.
These ordinances were not given to believers to practice
on their own or in small para-church settings. They were
given to the local church. It is not consistent to practice
the Lord’s Supper in a way different from that in which
we practice Baptism.
2) The Principle of Correction. In First Corinthians
chapter five, the apostle Paul is moved by the Holy Spirit
to deal with the matter of church discipline. He tells the
church at Corinth in verse 11 not to keep company with
people who are guilty of particular sins, and concludes
the verse by saying, “…with such an one no not to eat.”
Most Bible students agree that this phrase refers not to
having a meal at McDonald’s, but to observing the Lord’s
Supper. This is born-out by verse 13 where the Scripture
says, “…Therefore put away from among yourselves that
wicked person.” In other words, the fact that we do not
“eat” with them is a result of the fact that we have put
them away from the fellowship of the local church. If a
church practices close communion, there is no way to
exclude a backslidden believer from observing the Lord’s
Supper. Anyone can slip in at any time and observe the
Lord’s Supper. The fact that God instructs us not to allow
backslidden believers to participate in the Lord’s Supper
requires that it be a local church ordinance.
3) The Principle of Context. First Corinthians 11 is
the chapter the Lord gives us to deal with both the
practice and the abuses of the Lord’s table. All of us are
familiar with verses 23 through the end of the chapter.
However, in the preceding verses, the context makes it
clear that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance for the local
church. In verse 17, we find the phrase, “…that ye come
together…” In verse 18, the Scripture says, “…when ye
2
TRAINING TO SERVE
continued from page 1…
The second – and probably most important – reason to
have summer (as well as long-term) interns is the
investment we can make in their lives. An intern is given
much “hands on” experience which cannot be gained in a
classroom. Additionally, the pastor and other staff have a
unique opportunity to be involved in the instruction and
training of future pastors, missionaries, and church staff.
We are not only able to teach men some of the “how-to”
of the ministry, but we are also able to impart a
philosophy of ministry and instill some biblical
convictions that have been passed down to us. A good
Bible college is very important in the instruction and
training of the Lord’s servants, but there is no substitute
for the one-on-one mentoring that can be done during an
internship. Pastors and churches providing internships
for young men is a good way to fulfill the admonition of
II Timothy 2:2 – “…the same commit thou to faithful
men…”
Another reason for specifically having a summer intern
is that it does not require the financial investment or
long-term commitment necessary for a longer internship.
I believe a church should take care of the living expenses
of their intern (it doesn’t cost much to house and feed a
single college student for the summer) and then give him
a good lump sum to be applied to their first semester
college expenses. If a summer intern does not “work
out” as well as you hoped, you can probably live with a
less-than-favorable situation for ten or twelve weeks, if
necessary. Our church has not had a bad experience, but
it is a possibility.
As conservative, missions-minded, independent
Baptists, we have a great desire to propagate biblical
ministry into future generations. A good internship
program (short or long term) is a good way to help
accomplish this goal.
come together in the church...” And verse 20 says, “When
ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to
eat the Lord’s Supper.” (Lest anyone be confused by the
word “not,” the apostle Paul is moved by the Holy Spirit
to tell the Corinthians that their abuse of the Lord’s
Supper made it so that they were not really practicing the
ordinance scripturally, though they thought they were.)
The phrase “come together” then clearly refers to the
coming together of the church. It could not refer to a
building since churches had not built their own buildings
at this point in history. It could only refer to a body. So
the Scripture is clear that the Lord’s Supper is to be
practiced in the local New Testament church as an
ordinance to remember the death, burial, and resurrection
of our Saviour.
Third: THE PROCEDURE. Because I have pastored
our church for nearly 35 years, it was not complicated for
me to switch. In one of my rare meetings with the
deacons, I explained what I believed the Scripture to
teach, and discovered that at least three of them already
believed as I did. Later, I took a few moments in a sermon
to teach the people what I had learned and why we would
be changing. Then the next time we observed the Lord’s
Supper, I explained that we invited all those who were
baptized members of our assembly and in fellowship with
the Lord to join us in observing the Lord’s Supper. I
recognize that not every situation is like mine, and so I
offer a few suggestions for those who have inherited a
situation contrary to Scripture. 1) Share the truth
individually with key men who are committed to the
Scripture. A good man will see the Word of God and
want to obey it even if his practice has been different in
the past. 2) Explain to a group of leaders the biblical
position. It would be wise if the individuals to whom you
have spoken earlier are in the group. This way, you have
a few people who already understand and are on your
side. 3) Teach the truth to the entire congregation. I am
persuaded that the Lord’s Supper is just one of many
areas in which we have been influenced by tradition
rather than the Word of God. I am encouraged by the
efforts of many who are drawing us back to New
Testament practices, and hope this article will be some
help in that effort.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
GIBM SERVICE OFFICE
REPORT
By Robert Lewis,
GIBM Exec.
Asst. Director
PROGRESS, GROWTH,
AND ACHIEVEMENT
Last September the preachers who met at the national
GIBF meeting at Eastland Baptist Church in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, promised $21,700 to help fund the Service
Office of Global Independent Baptist Missions. As of
this writing, $17,500 of that promised amount has been
received, to the glory of God. This offering is being used
to lease office space.
When the GIBM was started, it had only one closetsized office in the facilities of Liberty Baptist Church.
The workers, workspaces, files, and projects of the office
soon spilled over into several other areas of the church
building. On October 1, 2009, Pastor Dick Webster was
able to move the GIBM Service Office to a spacious new
office suite. This 900 sq. ft. suite is located on the second
floor of the Colonial Savings and Trust on Stemmons
Freeway in Lewisville – at Exit 452 on I-35E South. The
lease amount is $875.00 per month, which includes all
utilities. The floor plan includes a reception area, two
offices, one boardroom, and a large filing room. The
offices are occupied by the Accounting Department
(Karen Webster and Karen Moseley) and the Executive
Assistant Director (Robert Lewis).
GIBM Director Dick Webster continues to oversee the
operation from his office at Liberty Baptist Church,
which is just a few blocks away. (The mailing
address
and contact information remains the same –
GIBMissions, 602 Manco Road, Lewisville, TX 75067;
ph. 972-221-5600.) The acquisition of the new office
suite enables us to better serve our missionaries. It has
provided an accommodating work environment and, in
turn, a more efficient flow of information, assistance, and
funding for the missionaries on the field.
I feel compelled to say that we at the Service Office are
very thankful for the confidence you pastors have shown
in our work by sharing in this offering and providing this
needed workplace. Your help is particularly important
because we have a conviction about the missionary’s
money. We do not charge them one dime for
bookkeeping, office space, salaries, service/maintenance
fees, or reports. We don’t charge them for anything. The
work of Global Independent Baptist Missions is truly a
ministry! Missionaries get 100% of the money sent
through the Service Office in their name, and they get it
on or before the first of the next month. As far as I know,
there are no complaints from missionaries or their
sending pastors regarding the prompt and efficient
manner in which we purpose to serve them both. We
rejoice to tell you that the GIBM Service Office
processed more than one million dollars in 2009, with no
glitches in properly delivering those funds to the
designated recipients in a timely manner. We praise the
Lord for His help in this endeavor. We hope and pray that
the GIBM ministry will always be a blessing and help to
the churches and the missionaries working together in the
GIBF.
The Preacher's Study
with Bro. Dave Hardy
ROMANS OR
AMERICANS (PART2)
Last issue, I briefly paralleled
America with Rome in its legal,
political, and socio-economic
realms. I suggested that this parallel
has been of interest to many, based
on the 50 million topic “hits” on
Google. Of particular interest is Rome’s decline as
recorded in Romans chapter one and detailed in verses
18-23. Two attitudes or dispositions mentioned in verse
21 that accelerated Rome’s decline are currently at work
in America.
The first attitude, dealt with in my last article (Part 1),
was that the Romans did not value God as they should
have. They did not glorify Him. Remember, “glorifying”
is the manifestation of that which is valuable; it is not the
value itself. For instance, if we were to happen upon a
solid gold brick, there would be the glitter and our
personal surprise or reaction. Neither the glitter nor the
reaction is of any real value, but both point to something
that is. The Romans chose not to glorify the Value, and
Americans are now travelling the same path.
The second attitude, and of particular interest in this
article, was the Romans’ unthankful spirit. Remember,
J.P. McBeth noted that both verbs (verse 21, “…when they
knew God they glorified Him not as God, neither were
thankful…”) are in the aorist active indicative, which
means Rome’s appalling attitude was progressive and
absolute. It was final. It wasn’t that they did not know to
be thankful or that they had forgotten to be thankful; it
was that they chose not to be thankful, and they chose it
with intensity. The Romans wanted it known that they
were not thankful to God!
Frances Schaeffer said: “The beginning of men’s
rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful
heart.” The Bible has a lot to say about thankfulness. The
Psalms are filled with David’s thankfulness to God;
maybe that is one of the qualities which caused his heart
to be like God’s. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into His gates
with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be
thankful unto Him and bless His name.” Arthur W. Pink
asks, “Have we not more cause to praise (a form of
thanks) than to pray (a form of asking)?” He then states,
“We should be more into praising God than petitioning
Him.” Have you ever considered that thought? Would you
do it now?
Have you ever considered how much God gives
RECOLLECTIONS FROM
THE NATIONAL
MEETING IN TAMPA
3
compared to how much we return thanks? Does He not
give through the day, through the night, and then through
the months and years? Does He not give more than we
could ever think to ask for, just because He knows we
need it? Could it be we have become insensitive or blind
to so many of His gifts?
Rabbi Kushner asked, “Can you see the holiness in
those things you take for granted – a paved road or a
washing machine?” Do you see what he is talking about?
Horses have been on earth as long as we have; they pull
wagons but they have never built a road and never will.
It is God’s image (that bit of holiness) in us that provides
such blessings. Monkeys and apes have been around too,
but they have never built a home with a controlled
climate or time-saving appliance, and they never will.
Man can do and does these things because he has “this
treasure in earthen vessels.” God has given us part of
Himself.
G.K. Chesterton said, “You say grace before meals. All
right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera,
and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace
before I open a book, and grace before sketching,
painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing,
and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” Is it not
needed? Someone asks, “Do you give thanks?” Almost
immediately we think and maybe answer, “Before every
meal!” That may be good, but meals do not make up even
one percent of all God provides. What about the rest?
William Lay said, “The greatest saint in the world is not
he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives
alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or
justice. It is he who is most thankful to God, and he who
has a heart always ready to praise Him.”
I really had to think about what Lay said, but I find it
difficult to argue with him. What do you think? Are we
so far from being grateful that such comments strike us
as foreign? Does not our conscience bring its own
indictment?
Personally, I cannot exaggerate the joy that has been
mine since I have endeavored to express thanks,
especially in my prayer life, for all that comes my way.
No longer do I say, “Lord, bless my wife today, and my
son, and the many others I call by name;” but rather,
“Thank you, Lord, for Grace and your blessings to her,
and thank you for my son, and for Lisa and the kids.”
Ask, ask, ask! Is that all we know how to do? Is it not
in our power to make America thankful for what she has?
Is it not possible for us, as individual Americans, to give
thanks? Why not get started in a big way? It won’t cost
you a dime, but it will bring joy to your heart. Even
better, it will bring joy to God’s heart and glory to His
Name!
In closing, I leave you with this thought: If tonight God
takes everything from you for which you have not
thanked Him, how great will be your loss, and what will
you have left?
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
“WHERE IS THE PREACHER”
continued from page 1…
The highest calling on earth is the call to preach. I
believe it is a divine call, and no man has a right to stand
in the pulpit without a deep sense of a divine call. The
Bible says in Matthew 3:1 that John came preaching.
Mark 1:14 says that Jesus came preaching – Luke 8:1
tells us He “went throughout every city and village,
preaching and showing the glad tidings.” Luke 9:6 says
Jesus’ disciples, too, “went through the towns,
preaching…” and Acts 8:4 says of them, “they that were
scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.”
Preaching was their calling, their passion, and their
“ministry!”
The preacher lives a lonely life. Many times he stands
alone. Look at Noah, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and
Jeremiah. In God’s service, the list is long when naming
the solitary man. The Apostle Paul was at the end of the
greatest ministry of anyone that ever lived, save the Lord
Jesus, yet he said in his final letter to Timothy (II Tim.
4:16-17), “At my first answer no man stood with me, but
all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to
their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me,
and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be
fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear ...”
Jesus was the Prince of all preachers, and we hear Him
saying in Mark 1:38, “Let us go into the next towns, that
I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.” (Our
Lord Jesus surely set the example in that He was full of
the Holy Ghost and was led by the Spirit, and though
tempted of the devil, He defeated the devil with His own
Book by saying, “it is written!”) His first text was taken
from Isaiah 61:1 and recorded as He preached it in Luke
4. There in His own hometown of Nazareth, He reached
for the Book of the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:17), “And
when He had opened the book, He found the place where
it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he
hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the
acceptable year of the Lord.” And the Bible says that
those who heard Him preach “wondered at the gracious
words which proceeded out of his mouth.” A few verses
later, in Capernaum, we are told, “they were all amazed,
and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is
this! for with authority and power He commandeth the
unclean spirits, and they come out.” And His power was
manifested through His preaching! Preaching was a must
for Him! He said in Luke 4:43, “I must preach…for
therefore am I sent. And He preached in the synagogues
of Galilee.”
Oh, how we need a revival of preaching! I remember
as a lad that the pastor was often called “the preacherman,” and I believe that preaching is a man’s job. Today
we call them “ministers,” “reverend,” “doctor,” “rabbi,”
and “clergymen” – even “clergywomen,” God help us!
Hear me carefully now: we’ve tried to build our
churches around Sunday schools, youth groups, men’s
groups, women’s groups, education, and recreation, when
we ought to build it around the pulpit and powerful
preaching! The world becomes like the preacher and his
preaching. More than any man on earth, he makes and
molds the standards and the culture of the people. I say,
instead of being influenced by the standards of the world,
he ought to be setting the standards. We need leaders and
difference-makers in the pulpit – not sissies!
Jesus speaking of John said, “What went ye out into the
wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But
what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled
and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what went ye
out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much
more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written,
Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall
prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among
those that are born of women there is not a greater
prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he.”
In my generation, I’ve seen preaching take a backseat
to book reviews and films. (Let me say, I’m not against
the right kind of Gospel film. What I am saying is that
there is no substitute for preaching.) God’s method is
preaching! Gospel preaching has always spawned
revivals, and revivals bring God’s people back to Him,
resulting in souls being saved.
According to the Word of God, the preacher is chosen
of the Lord through a divine call, and so is his message.
The preacher is to behave himself wisely and to believe
the Word and break the blessed “bread of life” that
literally makes new creatures out of sinners. But many a
preacher is spoiled by his education and by his congregation. He gives more interest to what kind of a “church
plant” shall we build? What kind of a pastor’s home?
What about my vacation and my retirement? Such
thinking is much different from the early preachers,
especially those in the Word of God, who instead of
asking about motel accommodations would ask, “What
kind of jails do you have here?” knowing that most likely
that’s where they’d wind up when the revival was over.
Preachers, we must take the place of leadership in our
homes and in our pulpits and churches if we are to guide
and guard the people. Even preachers’ kids look like
hippies. A schoolmate of mine said young people have to
be able to “do their thing.” According to him it’s all right
to dance and have “rock and roll” music and the combo
jungle rhythm invade our churches, trading out “Amazing
Grace, How Sweet the Sound.” But preachers are going
to give an account to God for that kind of trash climbing
up into the church.
Preachers today seem to have lost the skinning knife
(the Word that is sharper than a two-edged sword) and
has wound up using education and recreation, forgetting
regeneration, sanctification, and thereby losing his
congregation. And now look at our nation!
I just read the Book of Judges and was impressed with
the old Canaanite general called Sisera who had nine
hundred chariots of iron and had mightily oppressed the
children of Israel for twenty years. But no wonder – a
woman named Deborah was the judge of Israel; she was
the wife of Lapidoth. (Where do you suppose the men
were at that time?) Deborah called Barak and asked him
to go to battle against Sisera, and Barak said, “If thou wilt
go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me,
then I will not go.” The big sissy! He wanted a woman to
go to the battlefield with him, and to her credit she was
courageous enough to say, “I will surely go with thee,” but
then said,” notwithstanding the journey that thou takest
shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell
Sisera into the hand of a woman.” And sure enough,
Sisera was killed by Jael, Heber’s wife, when she dropped
the hammer on him and drove a nail through his head.
Oh, I feel so ashamed of myself and my ministry when
I think about the preachers of other days that had to walk
or ride a horse or ride in a buggy. They got more done
for God in their generation than I’m getting done in mine.
The only public address system they had was their voice,
and yet their words to the souls of men were like thunderblasts and streaks of jagged lightning. They made no
attempt to change the God-ordained method of
preaching, and they made no apology for the message
God gave them to deliver!
You ask why is preaching so important? I say because
God said so, and the Bible makes clear the power of
preaching. God sent His own Son to preach. And Jesus
said, “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”
A man came to Jesus one day declaring that he would
follow Him, but said, “Suffer me first to go and bury my
father.” Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go
thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Preaching is more
important than funeral services. It’s more important than
being obedient to man or his laws. In Acts 5:40-42, we
read, “They commanded that they should not speak in the
name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from
the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name. And daily
in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to
teach and preach Jesus Christ.” They “ceased not”
because God has clearly taught that the gospel be
preached everywhere. Peter testified later (Acts 10:42),
“He commanded us to preach unto the people.” Every
Bible student knows the first great crusade for souls was
led by the preaching of Simon Peter, and three thousand
souls were saved. It was the deacon Philip who “preached
Christ unto them” in Samaria, where another great
revival took place. Though often resisted, preaching is the
“power of God.”
Preaching has rarely been popular with the world, that
is if it is powerful Bible preaching! In Acts 14, because
of the power of God upon Paul and Barnabas, manifested
by a cripple who was healed and who started to leap and
walk, the people of Lystra wanted to recognize them as
gods. They called Paul “Mercurius,” and Barnabas
“Jupiter.” The dear preachers were shocked at the
misunderstanding and humbly said, “Sirs, why do ye
these things? We also are men of like passions with you,
and preach unto you that ye should turn from these
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vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.” In a
few moments, the stones began to fall on Paul and they
left him for dead. “Howbeit, as the disciples stood round
about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the
next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when
they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught
many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and
Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and
exhorting them to continue in the faith.”
Oh, what a blessed scene of support as the old soldier
went down under a pile of stones because he told them to
give up their devilish vanities. But the saints stood and
evidently prayed until God resurrected this old battered
preacher, sending him on into the next city to preach.
God offers special protection for the preacher who
faithfully proclaims His Word. “No weapon that is
formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that
shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their
righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17).
Paul must have known this promise. He said in I Cor.
9:16, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to
glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto
me, if I preach not the gospel!” Acts 9 tells us “he
preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of
God.” And Barnabas testified that Paul “preached boldly
at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
The smart alecks of Paul’s day called him a “babbler”
and “a setter forth of strange gods” because he preached
unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. As it was then, it
seems that the virgin-born Son of God has become the
unknown God of our day, but only because we’ve not
preached Him and presented Him by precept and practice
from our pulpits. Look what’s happened in England since
she lost her preachers. The same thing is now happening
in America.
There’s nothing that will draw and bless the people like
the preaching of the Gospel. Jesus said, “And I, if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
God’s primary means of lifting Christ up is through a
divinely-called, dedicated, trumpet-piped preacher!
When the preacher, Paul the Apostle, got on departure
control and was ready to graduate from this life through
the chopping block – actually killed by the religion he
was brought up in – he called his son in the ministry,
Timothy, and said, “Son, I’ve got some advice for you.
I’m giving you the torch of hope that I’ve held high, and
I’m asking you to fill these old gospel-preaching shoes.”
Young Timothy, who had great respect for his spiritual
father, must have listened with great love and respect and
said, “What is your main advice for a young preacher?”
To which the old warrior said, “Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine!”
Oh, my preacher brother, if there is any hope left for
the pew, it will not come from the government, the
chamber of commerce, the lodge, or the halls of
education. It will only come out of flaming pulpits!
Surely these are the darkest, most violent, and most
wicked days the world has ever witnessed, and we’re told
that the pen is more powerful than the sword, but not
unless it’s the Bible “pen.” I know the Gospel is still the
power of God unto salvation, and it is more powerful than
the atomic bomb; it can make the enemy stack his arms
and throw up the white flag!
Many years ago, I read of a father who had promised to
take his little boy back to the little country community
and church where he was converted. He kept his promise
and drove down winding lanes and up hills till he came to
the place. Hard by the little church building was the
cemetery where his loved ones were buried. The man and
his son got out of the car and with reverence and
uncovered heads walked into the modest little building
where the boy’s daddy received the Lord many years ago
under the sound of powerful gospel preaching. An old
rope was hanging down from the belfry. The boy asked
what the rope was for. His daddy told him it pulled the
church bell, which would ring throughout the community,
calling people to come hear the gospel and get saved.
The little boy looked up and said, “Daddy, ring it again!”
As I close this message, my soul is stirred to rededicate
my preaching and my life to the gospel. I ask you, my
preacher brethren, to join me. Together, let’s “ring the
bell again” with the cry of Paul when he said, “For I
determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified!”
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
WHAT A TIME IN THE SUNSHINE
continued from page 1…
of lives anchored there when Hebrews 11 was penned.
On we traveled down the channel, past others personally
known to Bro. Hardy. The sermon was not to honor men
but to drive home the point that each life has the same
Anchor – all are inseparably attached to that Anchor of
the soul. We were reminded that our Anchor is already
anchored within the veil! Our passage home is sure!
One thing God did in my heart that night was to remind
me that I almost missed this meeting. Yes, anyone can get
the recorded messages, but we preachers often remind
folks who miss church, “You cannot get what you need
without being there.” So, as I sat there I thought, “I am so
glad I came!” And this was only the first service!
Tuesday morning, Bro. Terry Williams of Burleson,
Texas, picked up where Bro. Hardy finished, charging us
as Paul did Timothy to “keep that which is committed to
thy trust.” “Keep Holding on to the Anchor” was the title
of the message. We were reminded that even though the
Anchor is holding us, we need to hold on to the Anchor.
Holding to the Anchor is to refuse holding on to other
things. “I am not here to bash what others are, but to
affirm what we are,” Bro. Williams said. The spirit of his
message was a strong admonition to stand strong in the
love of God and in simple obedience to His Word.
The last speaker of the morning was George Pirt of St.
Catherine, Florida. This young preacher related that as he
began his ministry he thought he was the only one in his
area who just believed the Word of God. Then he was
introduced to the GIBF and rejoiced to find he was not
alone! His challenge was from I Kings 18:16: to follow
in Elijah’s footsteps and cause trouble. The basis of all
good trouble-making is obedience to the Word of God.
Just as Elijah preached the Word, rebuilt the altar, and
prayed ‘til the fire and rain fell, we must “stick by the
stuff ” and make the right kind of trouble wherever God
calls us to serve.
The third morning session was two-fold: the ladies
went to a special meeting of their own, and the
men/preachers remained to conduct Fellowship business.
GIBF Moderator Frank Wood presided over the
business meeting. A financial report for the Global
Baptist Times newspaper was given by Editor David
Lydick; he also presented the goal for the “Times
Offering” ($16,000) and displayed the promotion gift – a
beautifully matted print of the signers of the Declaration
of Independence. (By Wednesday night, over $17,000
had been committed to the offering!) As the offering
cards were totaled, GIBM Director Dick Webster gave a
report on the missionary Service Office and asked prayer
for the upcoming September Offering and support for the
office. Then, in turn, college presidents Bruce Turner
and Sam Davison gave reports on Florida Baptist
College and Heartland Baptist Bible College. Finally,
nominations were taken for GIBF national officers:
Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Secretary, and two GIBM
Advisors, with the ballot to be finalized and voted on in
the fall meeting in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tuesday night began with “Victory in Jesus,” sung by
the West Gate choir. During each service, the church
and/or college, directed by Bro. Chuck Shaw, presented
music that glorified God, set the right spirit, and
ministered to the soul. Missionary Matthew Cretzman
also presented the needs and opportunities in the field of
Cuba. Then the Jeremy and Kimbery Hatch Family was
endorsed by the GIBM and recommended for support.
Their call is to assist new and struggling churches both in
ministry and physical building projects.
The Florida Baptist College mixed ensemble sang,
followed by a rendition of “It is Well with My Soul” by the
Crumpton Family – a special that will long be
remembered by all who were there. Their 15 year-old son
had been taken from this life just three weeks prior. The
grace of God was on display that night as the stillgrieving family sang that dearest of hymns.
Bro. Sam Davison then took the pulpit. His text was
Nehemiah 13:6 and “Don’t Drift” was the clarion call of
his message. Nehemiah had rebuilt the walls of
Jerusalem and later returned to the King of Persia. When
he came back again, he could easily see the spiritual drift
in Jerusalem. The people there had incrementally moved
away from their vows to worship God and care for the
Temple and the Levites. After several practical, powerful
illustrations, Bro. Sam made the application: drifting is
not an action that gets us closer to God! The altars were
full as the invitation was given.
As was the case each evening, the service was followed
by a wonderful church-provided meal and time of
fellowship in the church gymnasium.
Wednesday began with Bro. Chester Thrift of Deltona,
Florida, informing us there would be nothing new or
original in his message. (That thought alone is a comfort
in this day of innovation and change!) He talked about an
anchor and its uses, and then pointed out that though it’s
not often used, there will come a time when you need an
anchor – and when that time comes, nothing else will do.
God never intended for us to be shipwrecked. We are too
precious; we cost God too much to be lost! Latch into and
onto the Rock!
Bro. Thrift then called our attention to the top end of
the ship – to the masthead where the colors flutter in the
breeze. The colors identify the type and origin of the ship.
Only when all was lost would the colors be brought
down. Some captains would make no allowance for
failure; their colors were nailed to the mast! Away with
the “new” and “innovative!” – nail your colors to the
mast; God will not allow us to sink while in His service!
The anchor holds the ship, and the colors identify the
ship. Nail ‘em to the mast!
Bro. Rich Farinella next took us back to the reign of
“Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.” The
evil of Jeroboam would not only destroy his progeny
forever, but would lead to the destruction of the entire
nation. We often overlook the fact that the inspiration for
Jeroboam’s rebellion was Solomon’s sin in rebuilding
Millo. Solomon would respect God’s holiness by making
a place separate from the rest of the city where his wife,
the daughter of Pharaoh, would be comfortable – he
would make a way for both she and God to peacefully coexist. Then Bro. Farinella sounded the charge: “You
cannot compartmentalize sin!” The irony in the story is
that Jeroboam, who was indignant over Solomon’s sins,
went to depths not even dreamed of in the days of
Solomon. This sermon ended with a sobering revelation:
God’s truth can be known even as we are failing in our
faith. The blessings of God will not keep us from falling
if we make allowances for sin in our lives.
To conclude the Wednesday morning session, we were
challenged by a sermon from Hebrews 10. Bro. Frank
Wood presented one “we have” and three “let uses.” We
have boldness; let us draw near, hold fast, and consider
one another. The National Moderator of our Fellowship
brought out the need for us to encourage, support, and
help each other. The challenge and basis of all we do is
“Sticking to our Story.” Sound doctrine is the basis of
edifying fellowship. Bro. Wood shared the blessing that
older pastors were to him as a young preacher, and he
emphasized the importance of selflessness in our
fellowship. “Don’t come only to get,” he said,
“remember, there are others here to whom you can be a
blessing – and by the way, as you are a blessing to others,
God will bless you as well.” May I mention that I thought
once again, “I am so glad I came!”
Each sermon brought to mind a different facet of our
fellowship and service, but in essence there was only one
message. Take what God has given us in His Word and
we then have the basis for the edifying fellowship we
have come to enjoy and expect at a GIBF meeting.
But we were not finished yet! What a treat the closing
Wednesday night service was! The music was again soulstirring from songs we have known all our lives. The
choir began with a medley about Heaven: “The Sweet By
and By,” “Just Over in the Glory Land”, and “When We
All Get to Heaven.” Then the congregation sang “Saved
by the Blood.” There was nothing “new” or “innovative”
about the music, nothing fantastic about its presentation,
no one eating microphones or singers looking like it hurt
to sing; in fact there was nothing to interfere with hearing
the message preached by these great old hymns of the
faith and being stirred to action.
Bro. Robert Mickey, missionary to Kenya out of
Cleveland Baptist Church, brought a video presentation
showing the miracle-work God is doing in Kenya and
now through an “open door” in the Congo. Pastor Bob
Stevens of Sherbrooke, Quebec, was approached by a
man who had been saved in his church. This man wanted
what he had found in Canada for his homeland of the
Congo. God brought Bro. Mickey and Bro. Stevens
together and then used them (and many churches that
helped financially) to realize a once-in-a-generation
opportunity in the Congo. Hardly a dry eye was in the
house as hearts were stirred by the evidence of God’s
grace amid the tumult and violence in Kenya followed by
the miracle of an open door in the Congo. The greatest
part of this story is yet to be told.
It is a personal and special joy to report on the last
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preacher of this meeting, for he is my pastor. Kevin
Folger brought what, in light of the meeting’s theme,
could rightly be called a capstone message: “I will not be
Moved!” He started with the words of the Apostle Paul,
“But none of these things move me.” This great statement
was contrasted with the fluid, casual, and lukewarm
Christianity of today. “Only 16% of those acknowledging
faith in Christ claim that their faith actually defines their
lives,” we were told by recent polling data. The pollster
categorized such believers as “Captive Christians.” Bro.
Folger declared that Paul was a shining example of
Captive Christianity, and the key was consistency in his
living, ministry, condescension, conflict, and message.
There is no liability to such consistency; Paul said he was
“free from the blood of all men.” What a statement; what
a challenge; what a life goal!
As the last service came to a close, the college group
once more sang the theme song of the week, “My Anchor
Holds.” Each person present that night knew that God
used this final sermon and this meeting to speak to
hearts. Praise His Name!
I left the GIBF National Mid-winter Meeting full and
eager to get back to the place of service God has called
me to. Permit me to say, “If you missed this meeting, you
really missed it!” Only your presence would have made it
any better for those of us who were there. Let me
encourage you to make plans now so as not to miss the
next meeting of our Fellowship.
I close with a sincere “Thank you!” to host Pastor
Bruce Turner and the people of West Gate Baptist
Church. Thank you for all the work, prayer, and sacrifice
which made this meeting everything God wanted it to be.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
Getting to Know God’s Servants
THE TIMES INTERVIEW: Carl Bush
When this editor grew up in Kansas, Bro. Carl Bush was a
preacher I knew well. As a teenager, I didn’t know him
personally, but I knew about him and his ministry. He and his
church were at the youth camp I attended each summer; on
occasion he preached at the church I attended; he was a leader
among preachers in the state. Later, when I was at Bible college,
he was a regular at national meetings and college events; his
son, Marty, was a classmate and friend. I have followed his
ministry over the years. Later still, I got closer to him when he
married the widow of my parents’ pastor, Lucille Pennock. My
appreciation and respect for this man of God has only grown
over time, and continues to this day. No greater tribute can be
paid by man or God Himself than to say of someone, “He is
faithful!” For those who know Carl Bush – and I do – our
admiration of his faithfulness only grows, especially amid these
days of compromise and failure in which we live.
Thanks to Pastor Ron Jones for interviewing this beloved
servant. Enjoy getting to know or know better one who has
lived a life of faithfulness to his Lord.
BAPTIST TIMES: It is my joy to interview Bro.
Carl Bush. As well as having pastored several other
churches, he is the former pastor of the church I now
pastor, Temple Baptist Church in El Dorado, Kansas.
Thank you, Bro. Bush, for taking this time; I know it
will be a benefit to all of us.
Please tell a little bit about your history – your
family, your salvation, and your call to the ministry.
CARL BUSH: I was raised in Enid, Oklahoma. I never
got out of the state, or hardly out of town, until 1943
when I was drafted into the service and served in the
navy. My childhood was one of growing up with five
sisters; three of them were half-sisters. I also had a halfbrother who died when I was 5 – in fact he died sleeping
right next to me. I remember that vividly. As you can
imagine, it scared me. I never forgot that experience!
We grew up through the Depression years. I was pretty
young during the worst of it, and I don’t remember much,
but I do remember standing in a soup line at the firehouse
to get something to take home to the family to eat. We
didn’t have anything. Dad was a plumber and he tried to
work, but he only earned about fifty cents a week during
the worst year or so. Those times were tough. We didn’t
have money to spend on worldly goods. At
Christmastime we got homemade gifts – most every toy
was homemade – Dad made me little cars with threadspool wheels and things like that. And that’s how we
played games and such. You had to be pretty creative back
then. We dug up the back yard making tunnels and
mountains, pulling our cars on a string. But we had a lot
of fun, really.
Later, I took my first job intending to help Dad make a
living. I washed cars at a filling station. I made a dime
for every car. One day I washed 12 cars and like to never
got home, I was so tired. It was work – we had to wash
underneath, getting all the mud out; we vacuumed and
cleaned the inside; and we scrubbed the white wall tires,
if they had ‘em. I did it all for a dime. In time, my boss
started letting me work the drive, pumping gas and
things, which helped me make a little more. Slowly,
things got better.
I was nineteen when I got married. I apprenticed to be
a plumber, like my dad, and learned to do about
everything related to plumbing, most of which was done
manually back then – rarely did you have any kind of
machinery to use. After a time, I was drafted into the
service and shipped off to the Pacific.
I was loaded on a battleship – I don’t remember which
one – and sent to Honolulu where we lived in tents for a
time. It rained about every day it seemed, and the place
became a mess. Four of us
volunteered to drive trucks and we
were sent to help transport and bury
the remains of guys who were still
being removed from ships sunk
during the attack on Pearl Harbor. It
was a grizzly job; I never
volunteered for truck-driving
anymore! (SMILING)
Finally we were assigned to a ship – the USS William
Ward Burrows, a troop and supply transport – which I
served on for 27 months and 13 days. It was during my
time aboard ship that I got saved – the greatest thing that
ever happened to me.
While out to sea, we got into a bad storm and a tidal
wave came over the top of our ship, busting out port
holes, tearing all our firing lines off the bulkheads, and
other damage. We didn’t have anything to fight fire with,
and it destroyed our capability to fuel other vessels.
During the storm, the captain ordered us plumbers,
electricians, and welders (our shop was below deck) to go
out on the deck to put patch-boards back on the hatch
coaming which stood over the deck about two feet, so
that water wouldn’t run in. All the while, the ship was
pitching and rolling – sometimes 100 feet up in the air –
and when it came back down, you thought it was just
going to split apart. (They said the tidal wave that hit us
had to be at least 150 feet high.)
We were given a rope that we tied around each other,
connecting us together. One guy went overboard (it was
both funny and scary), but the rope caught him and
popped him right back on board. Finally, we got the
boards on the hatch, with canvas, covering the hole. We
could see down to the third level below deck where
projectiles had gotten loose and were rolling around
smashing things. Of course they couldn’t blow up
without powder behind them, but it was still spooky,
scary.
In time, we got everything tied down
and secure, but it was during that ordeal,
while I was tied to that rope, that I
realized I wasn’t saved. I’d been to
Sunday school – my sister and her
husband had taken me a lot – but I never
had received Jesus Christ as my Saviour.
So I remember saying, “Lord, I know
I’m not saved or I wouldn’t be so scared. I receive You
right now as my Saviour.” I knew how to get saved, but
just never had done it. But that morning at about 2:30, I
got it settled. What a blessing it was!
I must say, though, after trusting the Lord, I didn’t
serve Him like I should on the ship. But I didn’t have any
instruction or foundation, any help of any kind. I was just
on my own. I told the Lord that as soon as I got home I’d
make a public profession of my salvation, and I’d get
baptized. I wasn’t trying to make a deal with the Lord; I
just told Him that’s what I’d do.
It was maybe thirty minutes from the time I got saved
that the storm calmed down and the water was almost like
glass. You wouldn’t think such a storm would pass so
quickly; but it did. We were on our way to Japan, but we
got word they had signed the peace treaty ending the war,
so we turned around and went back to Honolulu.
I mustered out of the service in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on
Thanksgiving Day, 1945, and I came home on a bus to
Enid a few days later. Dad picked me up at the bus station
and dropped me off at the garage apartment my wife had
moved to, arriving a day early to surprise her and my
baby daughter whom I hadn’t seen in all that time. I had
seen her once (when she was born) for only four days
while on leave.
That first Sunday back home, I had a promise to keep.
(While I was away in the service my wife had gotten
saved, too. She had attended Bible Baptist Church in
Enid; Wayne Imboden was the pastor there then, but by
this time the pastor was Scotty Alexander.) I got baptized
at Bible Baptist, but my wife had stopped going, and after
a while, I decided not to go by myself anymore.
Somebody had made her mad, I guess; I don’t know –
somebody in the nursery probably. Trouble always starts
in the nursery. (SMILING) More fights go on in the
nursery than in any other part of the church! Anyhow, we
didn’t go to church for almost a year.
Well, in 1947, the church had a revival that the pastor
was preaching himself. He moved all the pews outside,
got an old truck bed he put out there for the platform with
the piano and all, strung up some lights and started
having services. Each night the crowd grew, and we
finally went. Both of us got under conviction, and my
wife said, “Are you gonna go forward?” I said, “No, I’m,
not.” So she started down the aisle, got half-way, and I
passed her. I got right with God that night and right away
started doing things around the church. I believe that’s the
best thing a young Christian can do – just get involved
and work around the church. I even washed the
preacher’s car. I did whatever I could do. And the
6
preachin’ began to work on me, but that’s what I wanted.
I was trying to give up my cigarettes, but it just seemed
like I couldn’t do it. The pastor would preach about
dedication and separation. (By the way, there isn’t much
of that kind of preaching going on today. During the
greatest time of growth and impact in our movement,
most preachers preached that way!) Finally, I yielded my
all and let God get the victory in my life.
That year, 1947, God called me into the ministry. Dr.
Alexander encouraged me to go to Bible Baptist
Seminary in Fort Worth (Texas). I lived with T.A. Chick
who was already enrolled in school. For two months I
lived with him and his family in an old log cabin on
Hatchery Road, down by the fish hatchery. They didn’t
have electricity or running water, and the roof leaked
terribly. Later, my family moved down with me into our
own place. When the split took place (between Norris and
Vick), I just came home. I once more went back to
plumbing, working in Enid for about a year.
In the fall of 1950, the new school, Baptist Bible
College, opened in Springfield (Missouri). I moved there,
found a job, found a house, and enrolled in school. My
plumbing trade served me well; when I moved to
Springfield, I hired on with a firm that had the plumbing
contract on all the dorms. I put all the plumbing in those
first buildings on the campus. (For years I’d get razzed
for any problems they’d have in those old buildings.) I
graduated from BBC in 1952.
TIMES: Tell about the places and churches where
you have served the Lord.
BUSH: In a men’s prayer meeting at High Street
Baptist Church, numbers of men would pray together
with BBC students to encourage them. One day a man
said to me, “Brother Bush, Ozark, Missouri needs a
pastor down there. Will you go down and pastor?” I said,
“I don’t know anything about pastoring!” He said, “It’d be
a good place to learn.” Well, I went and looked at it.
Calvary Baptist Church was in the back of a barber shop,
in a dark alley, with no lights or nothin’. It was a bad
situation, but the people, without a pastor, didn’t know
what to do. God led me to take what became my first
pastorate. I didn’t know nothin’; but you learn pretty
quick – or die – and shortly we bought and moved into a
small block building. We had a good ministry there for
the two years we were in school. Our last Sunday there, I
baptized eight in the river, and we had 50 in attendance.
We went from there to Hoisington, Kansas, in response
to a call from Pastor Ansel Webb at Fellowship Baptist
Church in Great Bend. Two families in his church were
driving down from Hoisington and they wanted to start a
church there. So we went and started Calvary Baptist
Church of Hoisington, where we stayed for two years.
We bought and moved an old school building onto some
property. Our people did nearly all the work, which I
believe is one of the best things that can happen – that the
people work on their own building and be a part of it in
that way, investing some sweat, some “salary sap.”
In 1954 we went to Centropolis, Kansas, just north of
Ottawa. It was Centropolis Bible Baptist Church – the
name was longer than the town was. (SMILING) It was
a small town, a country town, with country people and a
lot of farmers, but we had a good ministry there, we
really did. We had some dear people who loved the Lord.
You know, in country churches you had outhouses. At
night all you had was a flashlight, and you had to walk
several hundred feet from the back door to get there. You
never knew what you might run into out there – skunks
and snakes and such. Well, I thought, “You know, we
could run an electric light out there.” So I got an
electrician to run a wire for both a light and an electric
heater. And it really helped; it was nice. The church was
right on a big curve on a country road, and for a half-mile
you could see that half-moon shining out in the night.
(LAUGHING)
Then, in 1956, Central Baptist Church in Ponca City
(Oklahoma) called me – I seemed to be on a two-year
rotation! I really wasn’t interested in moving because we
loved our ministry in Centropolis; we even had a radio
broadcast there. But after praying about it, I felt led of the
Lord to go. The church had some financial problems, so
I worked a full-time job until the church was on its feet.
We had a good ministry there for six years.
Next I went to Wichita (Kansas) – Bethel Baptist
Church – where we stayed for 10 years. For a time I had
to work a full-time job there, too. Finally, we were doing
real well; the church was running about 250 in
attendance. God did some amazing things for the church
while we were there – both physically and spiritually. We
started the faith-promise missions program at that
church.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
When I was still in Ponca City, Brother Clifford Clark,
then pastor at Tulsa Baptist Temple, had me come to his
mission conference when he had Oswald Smith from
Canada. Clifford told me, “Bro. Bush, if you’ll come,
you’ll never forget this mission conference.” And he was
right – I never forgot it! Faith-promise missions giving
revolutionized the churches I was in. It blessed our
offerings and our overall finances completely. It was a
blessing in every way. It teaches the joy of giving!
Clyde Barnes, who was then in Madison, Wisconsin,
called me one day and asked me to come up and preach
a mission conference in the church he had started there.
He said, “I want you to stay three or four days afterward,
‘cause I want to drive all around and show you the need
we have of churches being started. Maybe you’ll support
some of the guys we’re trying to get to come up here.” So
I went. After the conference we drove over to Milwaukee
and went up along Lake Michigan through Sheboygan,
Two Rivers, and places like that, up to Green Bay and
back. I got a burden for the great need there, raised some
support and went up to start Appleton Baptist Temple in
Appleton, Wisconsin. We only stayed two years. We came
back to Kansas when Pastor Patterson of the church here
in El Dorado called me.
In September, 1972, we came to Temple Baptist
Church in El Dorado. I preached a revival service as an
introduction, then worked for a time as the associate
pastor, and after about six months became the pastor. We
ministered here for six years; then Topeka called me.
In 1978 we went to South
Knollwood Baptist Church in Topeka
(Kansas). We were there 13 years and
had a good ministry up there. We
retired from pastoring there.
Then, in 1993, we moved back here
to El Dorado. We always liked it
here. My son, Marty, was by that time pastoring the
church in Centropolis and we went there to help him on a
building project. While we were there, my wife, Frances,
died suddenly. I stayed in El Dorado about another year
when Larry Moff got me in touch with Lucille Pennock,
a pastor’s widow I knew from years before.
At that time, Lucille was living in California near her
sisters. After some phone conversations – $186-worth
one month! (I decided it would be cheaper to marry her)
– I went out to visit, stayed with her brother-in-law and
sister, and then returned a few months later with a ring.
We married in March, 1995. We lived in California for
five years taking care of Lucille’s one sister, and then
moved back here to El Dorado once again. We have now
been here ten years.
TIMES: How do you think the ministry has
changed since you started out years ago?
BUSH: It’s changed a lot since the 1950s. People
haven’t changed much, but the ministry has changed; I
know preachers have changed – in the last few years,
they’ve really changed!
Back in the ‘50s, folks had time to talk to you. They’d
invite you to come in and they’d get you a cup of coffee
or tea or something. But now there are so many things to
distract and consume their time and attention. You can’t
make contacts like we once did.
The biggest change, however, is that preachers are
afraid to preach hard against sin – afraid they won’t get
any people. But they won’t get any people unless they do,
I think. When you start preaching the truth, then you’ll
get good people; but few men are preaching the way they
used to. They seem to apologize for it, if they do. Bible
preachers should never apologize! Just tell the truth right
off and don’t apologize for nothin’.
TIMES: Some people say churches face different
things today. Do you think that’s true, or is the devil
fighting the same as he always has? Or have we just
given up?
BUSH: I think people in the church put pressure on the
pastor to the point that sometimes he does compromise;
but we shouldn’t have to compromise, because we have
the truth.
TIMES: Do you think there’s been more
compromise in our day?
BUSH: Absolutely! Much more! Take, for example,
the living together and immorality that’s so prevalent
among young people today – and Mom and Dad are not
doing anything about it. And they don’t want the church
to do anything about it either, because if you do, they’ll
say, “We’re gonna leave.” So then, are you going to
discipline your people like you’re supposed to? Well, if
you’re a preacher that’s true to the Word of God you will,
THE FLORIDA BAPTIST
COLLEGE REPORT
and you’ll be willing to suffer the consequences.
Such days make it hard on pastors. You’ll be pressured
to marry folks that you know you shouldn’t, or to
compromise on the standards of the Lord’s Supper or
recognize and accept a baptism that’s not right. But
compromise never works. I’ve never had a good church
member that I compromised to get – they never amount
to a “flip;” they don’t!
TIMES: If you had the opportunity to give counsel
to young pastors, what would you tell them?
BUSH: First, be sure to set a good Bible foundation for
your ministry. Know the Book! A lot of preachers today
think the ministry is just another job.
You need to know what you’re doing. Dig into the
Word and find out who you are and what the church is,
and what you’re supposed to be about. The church is
supposed to win souls. The church is supposed to start
other churches. The church is supposed to be an asset and
a lighthouse to the town where it is. Too many churches
are no longer helping their community because of the
way they’ve compromised.
Though a preacher may have gone to school and
graduated, it doesn’t mean a thing if he can’t do the job.
Some practical, hands-on training is needful for many
men, so working under someone for a couple years
before you go out on your own is usually a good thing. I
think being an associate somewhere would have probably
helped me when I first started.
TIMES: What advice would you give older pastors
– maybe those facing retirement years and such
things?
BUSH: The reason I retired was my wife. She had early
stages of Alzheimers, and she began to be harsh to other
ladies and folks in the church. (In fact, when the doctor
diagnosed her, she asked that we pray for the Lord to take
her early, before she got real bad; and the Lord answered
our prayer in that regard.) But when she began to have
some problems, I faced some hard decisions. I thought, “I
don’t want to ruin this church.” The church begged me
not to resign, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
I think sometimes when you lose your burden for
where you are (not for serving God altogether – if you do
that, then you’re backslidden), then God may be
preparing you for a move, and maybe to another place or
to a different ministry. You’ve heard older preachers say
something like this: “I surrendered to preach for life, and
I’m gonna preach till I drop dead!” Well, too often they’ll
kill the church before they drop dead. There comes a time
when you need to get out of the way, and I felt like I
needed to get out of the way in Topeka, so I did.
When God’s ready to move you, I think you’ll know.
He’ll make it plain. But no one can tell a brother what
God wants him to do. I just tell him, “Pray about it and
do what God tells you, because you won’t do anything
unless God is with you in it.”
TIMES: Would you say preaching has changed since
you were first called into the ministry?
BUSH: Yes, I would. My pastor, Scotty Alexander,
preached so hard. I’ll tell you this: he wasn’t concerned
with what people thought! Preachers today seem
consumed with meeting the expectations of people. They
want to be sure to not preach past 12:00, though they may
have only been preaching fifteen minutes. And a lot of
preaching today has so little Bible content. I’ll say this:
if a preacher’s not preaching the Book, under the
leadership of the Holy Spirit, he should quit before he
even begins!
Thank God, there are some fine young preachers! I’m
now under one, and it’s good for older preachers to sit
under such men – it is invigorating and rewarding!
TIMES: Thank you, Bro. Bush, for this time together.
I love you, am proud to be your pastor, and rejoice that
God has let me know you and learn from you. I know
our readers will feel the same.
BUSH: Thank you, Bro. Jones.
7
By Pastor Bruce E.
Turner, President
RECENT CHANGES
AT THE HELM
On March 14, 2010, I announced to the congregation
of West Gate Baptist Church that I would resign as pastor.
I now intend to travel full-time, preaching in churches
while representing Florida Baptist College. The deacons
unanimously recommended, with regret, that the church
accept my resignation, and that I be named “Pastor
Emeritus.” This change came earlier than I had desired,
but with health concerns and long, long days filled with
stress and heavy demands, I felt I could no longer do “my
best” for the church. I have always approached my
service at West Gate with the attitude, “Whatever is best
for West Gate.” I recommended to the church that
Brother George Pirt be considered as my successor and
the church voted the next week, giving Bro. Pirt a 96%
vote. Pastor Pirt’s church in St. Catherine, Florida, has
already moved to replace him as they voted unanimously
for their new pastor.
I am looking forward to getting out into the churches
and being a blessing in any way I possibly can. Someone
asked if I was now an evangelist. My answer is, “I’m a
preacher.” I have 36 years experience as a pastor, and I
have worked for other pastors for a total of 43 years,
preaching and serving in local churches. I trust I can be
a help in revivals, mission conferences, Bible
conferences, church planting, and a host of other areas of
ministry. I look forward to coming alongside men of
God, helping to encourage them in their particular needs
and burdens.
I am especially excited to travel full-time and represent
Florida Baptist College. I love what is being done here to
train pastors, missionaries, teachers, and church support
staff. I want to be able to share my heart with pastors.
FBC is only five years old and, of course like every other
college, is operating in hard economic times. The
economy, together with being a small school with a small
support base, makes it difficult. But this is a worthy
operation! Some folks tell me, “We only support one
college.” I understand that, and I don’t take that
personally; but I do think supporting colleges that arm
and train young people to serve God is no different than
supporting multiple missionaries. In any case, now that I
am not the pastor of West Gate, I surely feel free to say,
“Florida Baptist College needs your prayers and financial
support.”
Please accept my invitation to our fifth Graduation Day
festivities to be held on May 6, 2010, at 7:00 PM. It
would be an excellent time for you to see the school and
the caliber of students God has given us. It would also
permit you to catch the spirit of the campus and the
attitude of our students. You will enjoy the student
preachers, our speech department finalists and, of course,
the guest speakers for this full day of graduation services.
We have eight wonderful young people graduating. We
are happy to announce that all of them already have
places in which to serve the Lord full-time. These young
servants will work in Florida, Indiana, and
Massachusetts. Please help the college to keep growing
and giving to the lives of these special men and women
whom God has called to ministry. During Graduation, I
will host a Presidential Dinner at 5 PM for all pastors,
students, and parents. Please come and join us.
To those of you who support us and never forget to
pray for us: Thank You!! I cannot express how thankful
we are. Your confidence and encouragement has helped
us through some pretty challenging times. The part you
play in this great work means so much to us at Florida
Baptist College! I look forward to seeing you on our
campus; and if not here, then “in the air” when our
blessed Saviour calls us home.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
INDIA TRIP STIRS A
PREACHER’S EMOTIONS
A report by Donna Baxter
MARYLAND CHURCH MARKS 20
YEARS
A report by Jeff Berg
Forest Ridge Baptist Church of Forest
Hill, Maryland, recently celebrated
twenty years of ministry with special
services the week of November 11-15,
2009. The week featured preachers who
have been instrumental in the life of
Pastor Jeff Berg. Those men included
Scott Wendal, Valley Forge Baptist
Temple, Collegeville, Pennsylvaina; Brad Weniger,
Central Baptist Church, Woodbridge, Virginia; and Keith
Stoller, Liberty Baptist Church, Van Wert, Ohio. The
week culminated with one grand two-hour service
featuring the preaching of Bro. Bud Calvert, the music
ministry of the Calvary Quartet of Simpsonville, South
Carolina, and presentations by Harford County Executive
David Craig and Senator Barry Glassman. Following the
services, a catered meal was served in the facility that the
church rented for 12 1/2 years before securing their own
property. A wonderful time of testimony concluded this
great day in the Lord!
A VISION REALIZED IN SIOUX
CITY
a report by Jim Pointer
About ten years ago Sioux City Baptist Church in
Sioux City, Iowa, began praying about their location near
the downtown area. The building was an imposing old
facility on the National Register of Historic Places.
However, it had significant limitations with a small
parking lot, lots of stairs, and was landlocked – not to
mention serious upkeep and sky-high utilities costs. In
addition, the neighborhood had changed dramatically
(and negatively) in recent years.
After ten-plus years of prayer and seeking God’s face
about the conditions – exploring many alternatives and
having “mountaintop” experiences followed by confusing
rejections, the Lord led and enabled the church to
purchase property and existing facilities at a new location
on October 29, 2009. Right after closing on the property,
the church met for a time of prayer and thanksgiving.
The God of all grace had graciously delivered!
Extensive renovation and remodeling on the new place
began almost immediately. After nearly two months of
hard work – “for the people had a mind to work” – Sioux
City Baptist Church moved into its new building and held
their first Sunday service on January 3, 2010. (The “big
move” was originally scheduled for the Saturday after
Christmas, but the Lord had other plans! A huge snow
storm started on Christmas Eve and lasted through
Christmas Day. When it stopped it totaled 22 inches! All
that was accomplished on that Saturday was clearing
snow from TWO properties!)
Today, the old property is sold and the church
possesses a nearly debt-free, beautiful, 8-acre location
(3222 Pawnee Place, in Sioux City) valued at almost $2
million, with 19,000 sq. ft. of building which includes a
300-seat auditorium. It has offices, an educational wing
with gymnasium, and plenty of parking.
The renovated baptistery had not been used for about
ten years. It was active again two weeks after SCBC
moved into the building; eleven people have been saved,
and numbers of new folk are attending regularly. All that
can be said is, “Praise God from Whom all blessings
flow!”
JERRY A. BRINKMAN
(1938-2010)
Jerry Brinkman, long-time Oklahoma
pastor, passed away on March 22, 2010
in Peoria, Arizona. Funeral services
were at the Bible Baptist Church in
Chickasha, Oklahoma. Eulogies were
given by Pastor Kim Hayes and by Bro.
Brinkman’s son, David. Dr. Raymond Barber of Fort
Worth, Texas, delivered the funeral message.
Jerry Brinkman was born to Martin and Philomena
Brinkman on February 2, 1938 in Savanna, Illinois. He
graduated from high school in Thomson, Illinois. He
accepted Christ as his personal Saviour at the age of 19,
and later graduated from Arlington Baptist College in
Arlington, Texas. Jerry married his wife, Carol, in July,
1957, and they celebrated their 52nd wedding
anniversary in 2009. God gave them three sons: Dan,
David, and Keith Allen.
Brother Brinkman began his life work in the ministry
in 1977, and faithfully served the Lord until his death.
The last church where he served as Pastor was the Bible
Baptist Church in Woodward, Oklahoma. While there he
also served as Chaplain for the Woodward Police
Department. In September of 2009 he moved to
Chickasha, Oklahoma, where he became the Senior
Adults Pastor at the Bible Baptist Church.
Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and one
son, Keith Allen, and a daughter-in-law, Latricia
Brinkman. He is survived by sons Dan of Dumas, Texas,
David & wife Pam of Chickasha, Oklahoma, four
granddaughters and their husbands, one grandson and his
wife, and two brothers – John and Jason Brinkman.
The funeral service in Chickasha was very well
attended and served as a great testament and commentary
on Jerry Brinkman’s life and ministry – a servant who
brought others to Christ throughout his life. A dozen or
so policeman from Woodward, Oklahoma, paid tribute to
his ministry by their attendance. It was a wonderful
celebration of a life of service lived by a godly man.
Anyone who would like to send a card or memorial
gift, please send to: Mrs. Carol Brinkman, c/o Bible
Baptist Church, 226 S. 29th Street, Chickasha, Oklahoma
73018.
“UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE
CHURCH”
an edited report by Dan Wolvin
To God be the glory, the North Columbus Baptist
Church of Columbus, Ohio, had a great Anniversary
Sunday on March 28, 2010. Bro. Dan Wolvin is the
pastor. Although not its highest attendance, there were
215 in church, with 2 baptized and 2 saved. Pastor Harry
Strachan, Jr. from Ashland, Ohio, was the special guest
speaker and was really used of the Lord. One of the
church members told Brother Wolvin, “Pastor, there’s
more people now in our choir than there were in the
whole auditorium when you came!”
Thank you to all who have had a part in the recovery of
this good work in Columbus. Be assured that God keeps
the books, and your labor is not in vain in the Lord!
Again: to God be the glory!
8
Emotions ranged from excitement to compassion as
two Springfield, Missouri, preachers recalled a ten-day
February trip to India, to speak at the 24th Annual
Conference of Independent Baptists. Pastors and
members of over 75 churches were represented. The
American preachers also participated in graduation
ceremonies for thirty-three Bible college graduates.
“As the Book of Lamentations says, my heart has been
affected by what my eye saw,” said Pastor Jeffrey Ables
of the Berean Baptist Church. “I saw people who were
willing to sacrifice for the gospel’s sake...for the ministry
of Jesus Christ.”
Carl Boonstra, former Missions Director of Baptist
Bible Fellowship International, said it was interesting to
see the advancement in India, since he visited the country
about thirty years ago. “Progress is being made in growth
and in the response of the people to the gospel being
preached by Bro. Sam Thomas, President of Independent
Baptist Ministries of India, and by other national
preachers.”
Thomas described the Americans’ visit as
“unforgettable for all of us,” adding that they felt the
protection of God on the meeting after having
experienced some problems from local authorities. “On
the first day of the meeting, we were informed our guests
could not preach,” said Thomas. “After our prayers...God
opened the door to continue the meetings...but every day
depended on Him.” Bro. Ables stressed that people in
America need to understand “we have been blessed with
great freedom of religion and speech, which is not always
the case in other parts of the world.”
Attendance at the conference grew from over 600 on
Wednesday night to over 1,200 for the Sunday services.
“I watched people who were willing to sit out in the open
on mats for four hours with no breaks,” said Ables. Even
though it was mainly a preachers’ meeting, there were
many people from the community and surrounding
villages who came to the services each night. At least ten
people made professions of faith during the four-day
meeting.
India’s population is about 13 percent Muslim. The
majority, 81 percent, are Hindus who believe in 330
million gods and goddesses. “In the middle of all that,
Bro. Sam preaches the gospel,” Bro. Ables said.
“Understand that India is a closed nation to American
missionaries. However, since Thomas is a full-blooded
citizen of India, he still has the opportunity. Even though
many (Indian) states are making ‘non-conversion’ laws
where they do not want people to preach the gospel, the
door is still open.”
Boonstra noted that India, the second most populous
country in the world – and the largest democracy, is about
one-third the size of the United States while having about
four times the population (about 1.2 billion people). “It
was a real blessing to be able to preach to the people, and
the response was tremendous. The people are eager to
hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
The friendship between these three preachers goes
back several years, Thomas explained. “Bro. Ables and
his family became very close to my family the same way
the Boonstras were close to my parents. To have them in
our house and be the recipients of their ministry is the
highest honor and privilege,” he said.
Thomas’ father, K.C. Thomas, began the India ministry
in 1969 after he graduated from Baptist Bible College in
Springfield, and returned to his home in the state of
Kerala. K.C. was won to the Lord at age 18 by a
missionary from New Zealand who came to the school
where he was a student. Years later, while at college in
Springfield, he attended Seminole Baptist Temple where
Raymon Tracy was then pastor. Tracy had a great
influence on Thomas’ life. Many of the buildings at the
India ministry are named after Tracy, including the main
building in Chathannoor where the ministry resides.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
Under K.C. Thomas’ leadership, the ministry grew to
90 churches before his death in 1994. Since then the
ministry has been overseen by his son, Sam – also a
graduate of BBC in Springfield – and it has now grown
to 120 churches in Kerala and an adjacent state, Andhra
Pradesh.
Every state in India has a totally different language and
culture, which is reflected in the student population at the
Bible college – led by Sam Thomas’ brother, Paul. Bro.
Ables said he was struck by the students who have very
little materially, and have sacrificed to come and learn.
“They have obligations from 5:30 in the morning to 10 at
night...studies in the morning and work in the
afternoon...” He also said he was shocked by the poverty
in the country. “God has really blessed America,” he said,
“and I think one of the reasons is because of our faith in
Christ. Israel and America are two countries that had
their beginnings in religious freedom with constitutions
based on the Ten Commandments. Because of that we
have been blessed mightily.”
A BABY PLANTED IN
WASHINGTON STATE
a report by Virl Stalnaker
What a joy it is
to be starting a
New Testament
Baptist Church in
Va n c o u v e r ,
Wa s h i n g t o n ! ! !
After years of
praying and planning, thousands of miles of travel,
meetings with churches all across this great nation, and
preaching and encouraging thousands of God’s people to
become partners with us in this wonderful task, we have
arrived in Vancouver and started Majesty Baptist
Church.
The Lord has given us three couples who are helping
us as the Lord builds His church. It is amazing to see how
He is working to put everything together – someone
receives a John and Romans and comes out to the
service; the Lord opens the heart of someone else and we
get a free spot in the local paper; we needed
$2,000,000.00 in liability coverage to get into a school (it
seemed impossible), and several insurance companies
said it would be too costly. Then I called a couple fellow
pastors. They had the answer and within hours we were
insured and on our way!
We have seen as many as 19 attend our services thus
far, as we follow our Lord’s command to “go and teach
all nations.” We anticipate seeing many saved and “added
to the church!”
Church-planting is a work of the heart, for truly you
cannot be out visiting people and not have compassion on
them as you see their lost conditions, and how much they
need the Lord. Church-planting is a work of the Word, for
truly we are driven to the Scriptures so we might discover
His way of reaching and maintaining a people for God.
Church-planting is a work of the Spirit, for truly the
power of the Holy Ghost is needed to guide us into all
Truth. What a wonderful blessing it is to be in the Lord’s
work of Church Planting! Please pray as we continue to
reach out to the people of Vancouver, Washington, with
the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
AMAZING GRACE WITNESSED
IN ASIA
an edited report by Larry Clayton
Evangelist Larry Clayton of Dayton, Ohio, recently
spent four weeks, from February into March, 2010, on
the foreign fields of Taiwan and the Philippine Islands.
Several times he preached to crowds of over 4,000 and
once to more than 9,000. Uncountable numbers were
saved and baptized – it seemed like Pentecost all over
again. In addition to the evangelistic meetings, a medical
clinic was furnished and a center for ministering to street
children was established. While being able to meet
physical needs, there is, in turn, an expectation of seeing
thousands saved in these needy fields which are “white
unto harvest.”
FAMED HOME MISSIONS
CONFERENCE CONVENES IN
COLORADO
a report by Mike Haxton
Pastor Clifton Mizer and the First Baptist Church,
hosted the annual Dennis Brown Home Missions
Conference in Englewood, Colorado, on March 2-4,
2010. As is always expected, God did a wonderful work
at this meeting through the preaching and the giving!
Once again Pastor Denny Fountain of Lakewood
Baptist Temple, Lakewood, Washington (grandson of
Dennis Brown), moderated the fundraising. He learned it
from his grandfather, and learned well, for most in
attendance went home with empty pockets.
The two featured evening preachers were Pastor
Rodney Woodcock of Jerome Bible Baptist Church,
Jerome, Idaho, and Pastor David Pitman of Temple
Baptist Church, Herndon, Virginia. The messages were
so powerful that folk were going forward before the end
of the messages. Morning Preachers were Mark Hoffer
of Prescott, Arizona, and Josh Paufer of Weatherford,
Texas.
Each year those who attend this great meeting enjoy
the food, fellowship, and preaching, and they see how
THE HEARTLAND
BBC REPORT
By Pastor Sam Davison,
President
I’M AN
UNABASHED
“HOMER”
Recently, a pastor friend gave
me a book with a CD that he thought I would enjoy.
Being a nostalgic person, I jumped on the opportunity,
and have enjoyed the CD a good deal. It is the story of the
great baseball announcer, Harry Caray. From the early
1950s, as a small boy, my older brother and I listened to
St. Louis Cardinal baseball on the radio. I am a life-long
Cardinal fan thanks to Harry Caray.
Harry was what you would call a “homer;” that is, he
pulled for the home team Cardinals. Over the radio he
would make a lazy fly ball sound like a scorching line
drive – if it came off a Cardinal bat. He would make a
routine grounder into “spectacular defense” – when hit to
the Cardinal shortstop. Harry was a big time “homer!”
Okay, I’m a “homer.” I always thought the Cardinals
were the best, even if they were twenty games behind. To
me, my pastor was the best preacher, my dad was the best
farmer, the Sooners were the best team, Oklahoma was
(is) the best state, and so on. I’m a “homer.”
In relation to Heartland Baptist Bible College, is there
really any question where I stand? I believe strongly in
what HBBC stands for and has stood for even before she
wore the name Heartland. While we are ever pressing
forward to improve, I am encouraged by confirmations
that we are doing the right things and making a difference
in many lives. As the first quarter of 2010 has concluded,
let me retrace my steps somewhat and share why I am
encouraged.
In January I preached at Twin Cities Baptist Temple in
Wake Village, Texas, where Charles Trull is pastor. A
highlight of my time there was visiting with a Heartland
graduate and his family who now serve the Lord in North
Texas. This family was a great blessing at Southwest
Baptist Church and Heartland Baptist Bible College for
five years, and they continue to be used of God where
they are now.
At the Church Planters Conference in mid-January, the
number of Heartland graduates participating in every
way could only be encouraging. The next week I was in
Salisbury, Maryland, with Pastor Carlo Leto. The former
pastor’s grandson attended Heartland and is serving the
Lord there and being a blessing. His words about his time
at HBBC were very positive.
The last week of January I preached a revival at
Hillview Baptist Church in Springfield, Oregon. Daniel
Davidson is the pastor. This Pensacola grad married a
Heartland graduate, Bethany Burgett. Bethany is as
9
home missionaries, church planters, evangelists, and
church helpers, have their most pressing needs supplied
by other independent Baptist churches.
Approximately 105 pastors, home and foreign
missionaries, church planters & evangelists were
registered. This year 34 projects were presented and
funds were given for each of these. The total amount
given or promised was $58,193.00! There were also
promises of monthly support. Other materials supplied
were: pew Bibles, a mini bus, two lapel microphones, a
copier, two cases of Bibles, chairs, a baptistery, two
Lord’s Supper communion sets, clothing, song books,
drywall finishing, a projector, Sunday school material,
and an electric piano.
One young man, Galin Nelson, came presenting a need
for a wife and proposed to Miss Andréa Carter on
Thursday morning. (She said, “Yes!”)
Brother Woodcock presented Pastor Mizer with a pink
Western hat and a pink riding stick horse. (There is a
story behind this; ask them what brought on such a
unique gift. Woodcock thinks he has outdone Pastor
Mizer, but who knows what will happen next year.
delightful as when she was a student, and the church is
moving ahead. Other Heartland graduates serving in the
general area also attended the meeting. At the end of the
same week, I preached at the missions conference of
Bible Baptist Church of Woodward, Oklahoma. Jeff
Swigart is the pastor. We were blessed to be with Josh and
Erica Prince, both Heartland grads, now on their way to
Uruguay.
All these I met while out preaching in January alone!
In February I was able to see and spend time with
Heartland graduates and/or former students in San
Diego, California, and Eufaula, Oklahoma. Then, while
attending the GIBF meeting in Tampa, Florida, a large
married couples retreat in Branson, Missouri, and the
Kansas Men’s Recharge in Wichita, Kansas, I was able to
visit more students and graduates.
In March the experience was the same in Dumas,
Texas, at the Bible Baptist Church “Reaching Rural
America Conference;” at our Southwest Baptist Church
missions conference; at the revival and “Amen
Conference” at Fellowship Baptist Church of Liberal,
Kansas; in a preaching conference in Pascagoula,
Mississippi, at Bible Baptist Church; at College Days at
Heartland; and in revival services at Eastside Baptist
Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Heartland products are everywhere! As if I weren’t
already a big “homer,” I get even more so when I meet
our former students and graduates, hear their testimonies
and see their continued resolve to serve the Lord. At
times I wish every pastor and member of supporting
churches could be with me to see just what kind of
investment our school has made and is making.
On Tuesday, February 2, Kyle Ohsfeldt of the Grace
Baptist Church in Pampa, Texas, preached one of the
many very good chapel services of this semester at
Heartland. He spoke from his heart to all the students,
not just those called to preach or to what we call “full
time ministry.” He candidly shared with them that not all
the men will become pastors, and not all will become
full-time staff. A good percentage will not have gainful
employment as a preacher or church staffer. He used
Nehemiah as an example of a man who, though not the
pulpit person, played a vital role in his day in fulfilling
God’s purposes. He went on to relate how the Nehemiahtypes are so important to the life of any church. His
message greatly encouraged many.
I mention that message because many I meet while
traveling about and conducting meetings are in the rank
of a Nehemiah – they’re not the preacher, but they are
faithfully serving the Lord. Their lives, too, are a worthy
investment.
I, for one, want to do what Heartland does, and do it
more and better. Sure, I’ve already admitted that Harry
Caray has nothing on me; I am unashamedly a Heartland
Baptist Bible College “homer.” I am inspired and
encouraged that great possibilities lie ahead.
God bless all who love and in so many ways support
Heartland Baptist Bible College.
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
NINETY YEARS AGO
THIS MONTH
(some positions of resistance are demanded
of every generation)
A report that appeared in the NEW YORK
WORLD, May 2, 1920:
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEW
YORK VOTES TO STAY OUT OF
CAMPAIGN (DOCTRINAL OBJECTIONS
ARE CITED BY DR. HALDEMAN)
Opposition to the Interchurch World Movement has
developed among ministers in different parts of the
country, it was learned yesterday, following the
disclosure that last Sunday the Rev. Dr. I. M. Haldeman,
one of the best known Baptist clergymen in the city, and
the congregation of the First Baptist Church of this city
went on record against the tenets and principles of the
movement.
The resolution, unanimously carried, declared that the
First Baptist Church desires to put itself on record as
having no fellowship with the Interchurch World
Movement and refuses the invitation of the Northern
Baptist Convention to participate therein.
Dr. Haldeman said last night that he has published a
pamphlet pointing out the beliefs in which he diverges
from those of the Interchurch World Movement. He said
he had done so in response to a number of letters from
pastors in different sections of the country. He
announced that he will attack the Interchurch Movement
tonight in his sermon.
DR. HALDEMAN’S OBJECTIONS
The reasons given by Dr. Haldeman for his objections
to the movement are:
1. It is post-millennial in its attitude and teaching. It
is Socialistic, educational and ethical.
2. It preaches an ethical, rather than a sacrificial
Christ.
3. It talks more about the Christ who lived on earth
than the Christ who died on the cross.
4. It preaches the moral rather than the penal sacrifice
of Christ.
5. It seeks to save society rather than the individual.
6. It preaches a social rather than a personal Gospel.
7. It makes civilization and not salvation the supreme
purpose of the church.
8. It talks of the teachings, ideals and principles of
Christ and not of the atoning blood of Christ.
9. It substitutes the Kingdom of Christ for the Church
of Christ.
10. It confounds the Gospel of grace with the Gospel
of the Kingdom.
11. It teaches the kingdom of Christ is to be
established by preaching the Gospel, while Scripture
declares the kingdoms of this world are to become the
kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ only at His second
coming.
12. It preaches regeneration, but means regeneration
of society.
13. It seeks to turn the churches into community
centers, to be interested in all that may interest the
community; while Scripture demands the church shall
come out, be separated from the community, and be
interested in one thing – the preaching of Christ and Him
crucified.
14. It holds out the hope that the world is growing
better; while the Son of God declares it will grow worse
and become as it was in the days of Noah.
15. It teaches God is the Father of all men.
16. It teaches the Golden Rule ‘intelligently applied,’
instead of the personal and second coming of Christ will
give peace to the world.
17. It has nothing to say about the joys of heaven and
seems to have forgotten to say anything about the woes of
hell.
18. It so emphasizes mere ethics that it opens the door
for the satanic ministry of a bloodless righteousness.
19. It threatens pastoral liberty and local church
independence.
20. It is enthusiastically supported by all theological
seminaries, professors, preachers and teachers who do
not stand for a whole Bible as the fully inspired Word of
God.
21. It is modern theology in the disguise of evangelical
and missionary appeal. It has the hands of Esau, but the
unchanged voice of Jacob.
2010 BAPTIST TIMES “FEBRUARY OFFERING” TOPS $20,000!
For us at the BT office, the couplet “Thank you” seems so glib and deficient when trying to express the
gratitude we have for all who generously participated in the recent Baptist Times February Offering. At the
beginning of every year we ask for a special offering to help meet expenses which exceed those met by regular
support and subscription rates. Once again your response to our appeal was incredible! The commitments/gifts
exceeded our goal by over 25%!! (And, importantly, the numbers participating in the effort increase each year.)
May God bless and reward every one of you who shared in the cause!
To actively show our thanks, more than merely say it, we will brag on you and your generosity by listing you
here. Once again – THANK YOU; Thank you so very much!
Jack Davis
Terry Randolph
Fidel Hughes
Paul Chappell
Larry Obero
Bill Rench
Clifton Mizer
Dan Preston
Ruben Nance
Chester Thrift
Richard Rossiter
Kerry Nance
Bruce Turner
Scott Naill
Mitch Holmes
Kathleen Adams
James Holmes
Ed Parker
Jim Pointer
Joe Asbury
Don Mitchell
Frank Wood
Rex Fuller
Ron Jones
Bob Adrian
Ricky Clark
Bob Nolan
Gary Berry
Robert Horton
Jeff Ables
Carl Boonstra
Bill Marshall
Rick DeMato
Dan Lydick
Steve Triplett
Howard Jordan
David Lydick
Merv Goodrick
Tim Ruegg
Furgus Tinnell
David Teis
Jose Saravia
Pete Montoro
Dan Smith
Kevin Folger
Steve Clayton
Heartland Baptist Bible College
Sam Davison
Wayne Hardy
Troy Dorrell
Bob Gass
Dave Peterman
Bob Stevens
Jean Deragon
Phil Spencer
John Dalton
Dale Bigham
Paul Calaway
Dale Webster
Terry Williams
Sam Purkhiser
Dick Webster
Aaron Denson
Ralph Castro
Chad Spence
Ron Patterson
Jose Esquibel
Rich Farinella
Erik Sanders
David Brown
Kenneth Stertz
Cornerstone Baptist Church
East Mesa Baptist Church
Lancaster Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Church
Calvary Baptist Church
First Baptist Church of Englewood
Windsor Baptist Church
Grace Baptist Church
Temple Baptist Church
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Southside Baptist Church
Westgate Baptist Church
Faith Baptist Church
Rolling Hills Baptist Church
New Testament Baptist Church
Suburban Heights Baptist Church
Sioux City Baptist Church
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Whittier Lane Baptist Church
Faith Baptist Church
Temple Baptist Church
Liberty Baptist Church
Maranatha Baptist Church
Central Baptist Church
Southland Baptist Church
Liberty Baptist Church
Berean Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Temple
Liberty Baptist Church
Rocky Mountain Baptist Church
Fellowship Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Church
Midlands Bible Baptist Church
Fellowship Baptist Church
Calvary Baptist Church
Westbrook Baptist Church
Liberty Baptist Church
Iglesia Bautista Internacional
Open Door Bible Baptist
Buckley Road Baptist Church
Cleveland Baptist Church
Celina Baptist Temple
Southwest Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Church
Eastland Baptist Church
Harvest Baptist Temple
Christ Independent Baptist Church
Eglise Biblique Baptiste
Eglise Biblique Baptiste De Shefford
Eastside Baptist Church
Gateway Baptist Church
Arden Road Baptist Church
Fundamental Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Church
Boulevard Baptist Church
Northeast Freeway Baptist Church
Liberty Baptist Church
Bethany Baptist Church
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Landmark Baptist Church
Harvest Baptist Church
Alconbury Ind. Baptist Church
Woodin Valley Baptist Church
Bible Baptist Church
Yakima Bible Baptist Church
Wilsonville, AL
Phoenix, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Lancaster, CA
National City, CA
Temecula, CA
Englewood, CO
Windsor, CO
Brandon, FL
Deltona, FL
Spring Hill, FL
Tampa, FL
Tampa, FL
Wesley Chapel, FL
Anita, IA
Davenport, IA
Des Moines, IA
Fairfield, IA
Sioux City, IA
Hymera, IN
Indianapolis, IN
New Castle, IN
Concordia, KS
El Dorado, KS
Kansas City, KS
Oak Grove, KY
LaFayette, LA
Belton, MO
Lamar, MO
Springfield, MO
Springfield, MO
St. Joseph, MO
Helena, MT
Kalispell, MT
Charlotte, NC
Beatrice, NE
Bellevue, NE
Lincoln, NE
Seward, NE
Clovis, NM
Las Vegas, NV
Astoria, NY
Astoria, NY
Liverpool, NY
Brooklyn, OH
Celina, OH
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City, OK
Stillwater, OK
Tulsa, OK
Medford, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Sherbrooke, QC
Grandby, QC
Sioux Falls, SD
Clarksville, TN
Amarillo, TX
Alvarado, TX
Bridgeport, TX
Burleson, TX
Crosby, TX
Lewisville, TX
Lubbock, TX
Porter, TX
Red Oak, TX
San Angelo, TX
Huntingdon, England UK
Bothell, WA
Everett, WA
Yakima, WA
Omro, WI
BT Classified Ads
Church Listing rates are $75 per year; Evangelist
Listing rates are $60 per year. Please send your
information along with your listing fee to:
Place your classified Ads here!
Baptist Times - Church/Evangelist Listing
“$4.00 per line, in a 3” wide column; no photos.”
2407 Chandler Road East,
Bellevue, NE 68005
10
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
CHURCH LISTING
ALASKA
Victory Baptist Church
Pastor Joe Carson
2520 E. Tudor Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99507
(907) 868-7654
www.VBCAnchorage.com
ARIZONA
East Mesa Baptist Church
Pastor F.M.Hughes
752 S. Ellsworth Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85208
(408) 986-9827
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Pastor Terry Randolph
4041 E. Phelps Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85032
(602) 867-2700
ARKANSAS
Liberty Baptist Church
Pastor Jim Stanley
2909 S. Pine
Cabot, AR 72023
(501) 941-5235
CALIFORNIA
Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Larry Obero
2432 East 18th St.
National City, CA 91950
(619) 267-3761
Lancaster Baptist Church
Pastor Paul Chappell
4020 E. Lancaster Blvd.
Lancaster, CA 93535
(661) 946-4663
www.lancasterbaptist.org
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Pastor Jim Preston
12140 Indian St.
Moreno Valley, CA 92557
(951) 924-5094
www.mvlbc.com
Mira Mesa Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Willie M. Del
9920 Scripps Lake Dr., 101
San Diego, CA 92131
(858) 527-1801
(858) 527-1802 fax
Liberty Baptist Church
Pastor Dwight Tomlinson
1000 Bison Ave.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 760-5444
www.libertybaptistchurch.org
FLORIDA
Bible Baptist Church
Pastor James Johnson
280 Riviere Rd.
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
(727) 771-7979
Temple Baptist Church
Pastor Chester Thrift
730 Lexington Ave.
Deltona, FL 32725
(386) 668-9171
INDIANA
Crossroads Baptist Church
Pastor Guy Solarek
1120 S. Arlington Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46203
(317) 357-2971
www.cbcindy.com
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Pastor Don Mitchell
10701 E. 56th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46235
(317) 823-6897
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Pastor Dan Tidd
6950 E. Raymond St.
Indianapolis, IN 46239
(317) 359-4275
Whittier Lane Baptist Church
Pastor Frank Wood
1371 Whittier Lane
New Castle, IN 47362
Dr. Larry Clayton
P.O. Box 29
Celina, OH 45822
(216) 533-8239
[email protected]
Evangelist Mike Haxton
NW Baptist Home Missions Paper
(Ex-Mormon Bishop)
6201 Tieton Dr.
Yakima, WA 98908
Cell Phone #: 509-952-3520
Evangelist Hal Hightower
21 years of Pastoral Experience
Revivals, Miss Conf., S.W. Conf.
26737 Gene Dr.
Lebanon, MO 65536
(417) 718-4412
Joe Asbury
Christian Stewardship Ministry
P.O. Box 519
Hymera, IN 47855
(812) 201-5082
PENNSYLVANIA
(765) 529-2454
www.whittierlanebaptist.org
LOUISANA
Central Baptist Church
Pastor Bob Nolan
105 Hummingbird Lane
LaFayette, LA 70506
(337) 984-3384
MISSOURI
Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Kent Hogan
800 S. Baker Blvd.
Carthage, MO 64836
(417) 358-4394
www.bbccarthage.com
MONTANA
Liberty Baptist Church
Pastor Rick DeMato
P.O. Box911 (Sierra & Greenmeadow Dr.)
Helena, MT 59602
(406) 458-6300
NEBRASKA
Midlands Bible Baptist Church
Pastor David Lydick
2407 Chandler Rd. East
Bellevue, NE 68005
(402) 731-5932
www.midlandsbbc.org
Heartland Baptist Church
Pastor Dennis Gruber
411 Black Hills Ave. STE 1
Alliance, NE 69301
(308) 760-0378
www.sowinginalliance.org
Fellowship Baptist Church
Pastor Merv Goodrick
1515 W. South St.
Lincoln, NE 68522
(402) 477-7541
NEVADA
Liberty Baptist Church
Pastor David Teis
6501 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89012
(702) 647-4522
NEW YORK
Open Door Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Pete Montoro
30-85 35th St.
Astoria, NY 11105
(718) 728-4410
Buckley Road Baptist Church
Pastor Dan Smith
4962 Buckley Rd.
Liverpool, NY 13088
(315) 457-0570
OHIO
Cleveland Baptist Church
Pastor Kevin Folger
4431 Tiedeman Rd.
Brooklyn, OH 44144
(216) 671-2822
www.clevelandbaptist.org
Celina Baptist Temple
Pastor Steve Clayton
P.O. Box 29
7505 Celina-Mendon Rd.
Celina, OH 45822
(419) 586-3646
www.celinabaptisttemple.org
OKLAHOMA
Southwest Baptist Church
Pastor Sam Davison
1300 SW 54th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73119
(405) 682-1491
www.southwestbaptistchurch.com
Eastland Baptist Church
Pastor Troy Dorrell
1835 S. 129th East Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74108
(918) 437-4707
www.ebctulsa.org
Christ Independent Baptist Church
Pastor Dave Peterman
1618 Womrath St.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
(215) 288-5667
www.cibc1.org
SOUTH CAROLINA
Southside Baptist Church
Pastor Kenneth Walters
1229 S. Anderson Rd.
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 324-0627 WRHJ – 93.1 FM
www.southsidebaptistrh.org
Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Jim Parrish
255 S.21 Bypass (PO Box 266)
Fort Mill, SC 29716-0266
(803) 547-2761
TEXAS
Landmark Baptist Church
Pastor Chad Spence
P.O. Box 69
Red Oak, TX 75154
(972) 576-3180
VIRGINIA
Landmark Baptist Church
Pastor Don Sumpter
4000 Creighton Rd.
Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 643-7711
Fairfax Baptist Temple
Pastor Troy Calvert
6401 Missionary Lane
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
(703) 323-8100
www.fbtministries.org
WASHINGTON
Allen Creek Baptist Church
Pastor Monte Roe
P.O. Box 1899
Marysville, WA 98270
(360) 657-5007
Bible Baptist Church
Pastor Marvin McKenzie
12307 Canyon Rd. East
Puyallup, WA 98373
(253) 535-3165
www.bbcpuyallup.org
Berean Baptist Church
Pastor Robert Reno
P.O. Box 73042
Puyallup, WA 98373
(253) 841-4100
www.bbcsouthhill.com
Highland Park Baptist Church
Pastor Steven Koppelmann
1505 S.W. Barton
Seattle, WA 98106
Lakewood Baptist Temple
Pastor Dennis Fountain
10650 Military Rd. S.W. Suite #1
Lakewood, WA 98498
(253) 584-2500
Woodin Valley Baptist Church
Pastor Rich Farinella
P.O. Box 570
Bothell, WA 98021
(425) 481-1075
CANADA
Eglise Biblique Baptiste
Pastor Robert Stevens
971 rue Gibraltat
Sherbrooke, QC J1N 2G2
(819) 564-1278, (819) 864-0497
Eglise Biblique Baptiste Metro Sud
Pastor Mario Monette
3395 Mountainview
St-Hubert, QC J3Y 5N4
(450) 445-6659
ENGLAND
Calvary Baptist Church
Pastor Russ Ivison
St. Johns Ambulance Hall
Saunders Avenue, Bedworth
“Biblical Answers to Life’s Questions”
EVANGELIST LISTING
W.L. “Bill” Smith
Global League Of Baptist Evangelism
(GLOBE)
9320 S. Barnes Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
(405) 692-7078
[email protected]
Missionary Evangelist Tom Furse
Director- Lighthouse Baptist
Press Ministry
1515 Space Ave.
Rapid City, SD 57701
(605) 431-0395
[email protected]
Bro. John Aldrich
With Wings as Eagles Ministries
508 Freedom Road
Edmond, OK 73003
(405) 413-6180
Evangelist Steven H. Ostten
Call: (405) 615-3545 or (405) 262-4801
Website: www.stevenostten.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Declaration Ministries out of
Southwest Baptist Church,
OKC. OK
Evangelist Jon T. Shonebarger
Midlands Bible Baptist Church,
Bellevue, NE
Spiritual Warfare Conferences/Revivals
(719) 371-1577
[email protected]
Evangelist Billy Ingram
Preaching for Revival
www.BillyIngram.org
[email protected]
(770) 539-2228
11
“You may be asked, ‘Do you love the Lord enough,
the family of God enough, the cause of Christ
enough, or have compassion on the souls of the
unsaved of this world enough to fellowship with us
though we may not agree on everything?’
(compromise). But my question to Baptists (or
prospective Baptists) is, ‘Do you love the Lord
enough, the family of God enough, the cause of
Christ enough, or have enough compassion on the
unsaved souls of this world to obey God, stand up
against error, and be separate?’”
– Mark King
“Long ago I ceased to count heads. In this evil world,
truth is usually in the minority. I have faith in the
Lord Jesus for myself, a faith burned into me as with
a hot iron. I thank God, what I believe I shall believe,
even if I believe it alone.”
– Charles Haddon Spurgeon
“The wall of separation between church and state is a
metaphor based upon bad history, a metaphor which
has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be
frankly and explicitly abandoned. ...The greatest
injury of the ‘wall’ notion is its mischievous
diversion of judges from the actual intention of the
drafters of the Bill of Rights.”
– Chief Justice William Rehnquist
“No people will tamely surrender their liberties, nor
can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is
diffused and virtue is preserved. On the contrary,
when people are universally ignorant and debauched
in their manners, they will sink under their own
weight without the aid of foreign invaders.”
– Samuel Adams
“It takes a single generation to make a word
archaic...and a single generation of Bible readers can
bring it back into use.”
– David W. Daniels
“The cruelest lies are often told in silence.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
“No person was ever honored for what he received.
Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”
– Calvin Coolidge
“The philosophy of the classroom in one generation
will be the philosophy of government in the next.”
– Abraham Lincoln
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”
– Samuel the Prophet (I Sam 15:22)
“A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be
trusted.”
– Jon Shonebarger
“Any church that is not seriously involved in helping
fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical
right to exist.”
– Oswald J. Smith
“Darwinism will lose, most importantly, because of
the evidence. Even though Darwinists have had
almost 150 years to find some, the evidence for their
view is underwhelming, at best. Otherwise, we
wouldn’t be reading almost every month about some
discovery or other that finally ‘proves’ it.”
– Jonathan Wells
“So live that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the
family parrot to the town gossip.”
– Will Rogers
“When I was born I was so surprised I didn’t ta0lk for
a year and a half.”
– Gracie Allen
“I remember being introduced by one fellow who
said, ‘Brother Woodworth doesn’t need an
introduction; he needs a conclusion!’”
– R.O. Woodworth
“It’s a pitty that Chawcer, who had geneyus, was so
unedgicated; he’s the wurs speller I know of.”
– Artemus Ward
G L O B A L
BAPTIST TIMES
Bro. Lydick,
I enjoy regularly receiving issues of the Baptist
Times. With this last issue, though, I received two
copies – one for “Pastor” and the other for “Pastor
Daniel Davidson.” Only one is necessary especially
with the cost of mailing, printing, etc. God bless you
for your labor of love.
Pastor Daniel Davidson
Springfield, Oregon
Thank you, Bro. Davidson. We are grateful
for the help. Keeping the mailing list current and
correct is a constant challenge, so we appreciate
those who give us a “heads-up” to avoid the
needless/wasteful costs of bad information. (We
welcome the assistance from anyone who knows of
such errors.)
12
September 20-22, 2010
COMING GIBF MEETINGS:
MAY 2010
Who could have ever imagined
that so many souls would be saved,
so many people would come back to
Christ, and so many prayers would
be answered though the death of my
husband?
I received the phone call everyone dreads to receive on
Sunday, October 11, 2009. The church van hit black ice
at 11:58 p.m. on October 10th; my husband, Luke Onley,
did not survive the accident. He went Home to be with
the Lord. The days and weeks following the accident
seemed as though I were walking in a daze, not really
sure of the emotions of life. But during all that time the
Lord never seemed closer to me and our two young
children. Since that time, I have felt the Lord walking
hand and hand with me each and every day; He never
turns His back on me for even one moment.
The Lord says in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee.” Each day brings trials of their
own: memories of Luke, the future we looked forward to
having together, and our children who will not remember
their daddy. Yes, there have been some difficult days, and
I’m sure there are more to come, but the Lord is giving
me grace that is all-sufficient to make it through these
rough times. He is the Comforter I need each day.
Luke and several men from Windsor Baptist Church in
Windsor, Colorado, had traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma,
for the Men’s Advance (an annual men’s meeting
conducted by Bible Baptist Church there). The 2009
Meeting theme was “Life’s Worst Case Scenarios.” Who
would have guessed that these men would be facing one
of life’s worst-case scenarios just hours later?
Luke was asleep in the back of the van so that he would
be rested up for the churches we were to be in on Sunday.
He did not have his seatbelt on because of his lying down.
The snow had already been falling as the men began their
drive west on Interstate-70. They had just gotten back on
the road after stopping in Limon, Colorado, when they hit
black ice. The van began spinning clockwise and then
rolled 1½ times.
It is believed that God took Luke’s soul on impact and
he never felt any pain. I praise the Lord that he did not
have to suffer. He took his last breath on this sinful earth
Cleveland Baptist Church
Cleveland, Ohio
By Rebecca Onley
Windsor, Colorado
Dear Bro. Lydick,
We really are blessed by the GIBF paper, the
Global Baptist Times… I enjoyed Mrs. DeMato’s
article on God’s Grace in the February issue.
Mrs. Lois Koppelmann
Seattle, Washington
February 14-16, 2011
BUT WHO’S GOING TO
TAKE HIS PLACE?
Liberty Baptist Church
Lewisville, Texas
The Pastor’s Wife
and his first breath in Heaven; opening his eyes he saw
Jesus sitting, welcoming him Home and saying, “Well
done, thou good and faithful servant.”
The van was not the only church vehicle involved.
There was also a truck that slid on the ice, but the two
vehicles never hit each other. All the men in both vehicles
had injuries that needed attention. I believe two army
medics, David and Pricilla, were sent by our Lord to help,
using their medical training to assist those in need. Had
they not stopped just minutes following the accident,
matters very easily could have been worse. Praise the
Lord they were trained and willing to stop and help.
We love you, Luke, and we miss you very much; but
we’ll see you soon, because the Lord has so-promised us
in His Word, and I hold to the Lord’s promises.
As many folks already know, my husband and I had
surrendered our lives to serve the Lord in the country of
England. When we went over there on a survey trip, the
Lord burdened our hearts for the people in a town called
Penrith. Penrith is located 289 miles northwest of
London, and about 30 miles from the border of Scotland.
We had been on deputation for five-and-a-half months at
the time of the accident. Having traveled through four
states already, we were looking forward to going through
many more to raise the support needed. But the Lord
knows what He is doing. Maybe some of the souls saved
because of Luke’s home-going might never have
accepted Christ as their personal Saviour if the Lord had
kept him here. My prayer is that through Luke’s
death someone will surrender to go to England as a
missionary to see souls saved. Is it you? Are you willing
to go? As the songwriter said, “Who’s gonna take his
place in the battle?”
If anyone has a special
memory of Luke or some
account of how he may
have touched your life,
please write or e-mail me.
I would love to hear from
you, for I am compiling
all the memories as a
legacy to our children. I
want them to know who
their daddy was, and I
need your help to build
special memories that
they can carry with them
throughout their lives. I
want them to know their
daddy served the Lord
with all his heart.