CHAPLAINS REFLECT ON SUTHERLAND SPRINGS TRAGEDY

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1 WHAT IS FAKE NEWS? 4 Feb. 4 deadline for churches to apply for FEMA funds nears 7 God s provision was on display at pastor s car fire 13 Global Hunger Relief funds available February 2018 Newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention N MORE NEWS AT TEXANONLINE.NET CHAPLAINS REFLECT ON SUTHERLAND SPRINGS TRAGEDY By Jane Rodgers SUTHERLAND SPRINGS Trained in critical incident stress management, Debby Tiller Nichols heard about the church shooting in Sutherland Springs and knew she had to go. Nichols, of Texarkana, was packing her house to move when 27 people were killed at Sutherland Springs Baptist Church in November, but she and four other Southern Baptists of Texas chaplains ministered to the Sutherland Springs community alongside a halfdozen Southern Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains from Oklahoma. I knew there [also] would be needs among the police officers, paramedics and all the first responders. I knew I needed to be there, Nichols told the TEXAN. See CHAPLAIN, 2 SBTC EMPOWER CONFERENCE NextGen, men s & women s ministry events slated By Kay Adkins DR chaplain Debby Tiller Nichols hugs the chaplain and president of the Armor of God motorcycle club. The bikers helped distribute toys and Bibles provided by LifeWay to children at the community prayer service. PHOTO BY JANE RODGERS IRVING Pastors age 40 and younger are invited to a NextGen Pastor s Network reception and couples are invited to a Men s/women s Dinner during the Empower Conference in Irving Feb The reception and the dinner will occur simultaneously Monday from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Irving Convention Center. A light dinner will be provided, and as always, NextGen pastors will walk away with some valuable resources and other giveaways, Tony Wolfe, SBTC director of pastor/church relations, said. This is an excellent opportunity for young pastors to network and be encouraged and challenged. Wolfe recommended that all young pastors attend to learn more about the heartbeat of the SBTC NextGen Pastor s Network. For more information, twolfe@sbtexas.com. Barrett and Jenifer Johnson of INFO for Families will present Celebrating the Differences: How to Bring Out the Best in your Spouse during the Men s/women s Dinner. INFO (Imperfect and Normal Families Only) Barrett & Jenifer Johnson for Families is a marriage coaching ministry for newlyweds, marriages in midlife and couples considering marriage. The Johnsons have been married 27 years and have five children ages and three grandchildren. Lance Crowell, SBTC men s ministry director, said everyone is welcome to attend the dinner, which will include an update on SBTC men s and women s ministry planning for Last year was the first Men s/women s Dinner, and it sold out. Cost is $15 per person, and reservations can be made at sbtexas.com/empower by clicking on register and then meals. By Kay Adkins GRAPEVINE Churches sharing the gospel through hunger relief ministries may qualify for grant funds provided through Global Hunger Relief, a partner of the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board. GHR (formerly the World Hunger Fund) is a Southern Baptist initiative to combat hunger in North America and around the world by addressing a variety of needs. Currently we have multiple grants available for distribution to SBTC churches/ministries that meet requirements set forth by GHR, SBTC Missions Director Doug Hixson said. To qualify for funds, churches must show how they are sharing the gospel through a hunger relief ministry by providing data on the number of evangelistic encounters, professions of faith and baptisms that have occurred through the ministry. Other data needed includes the total number of volunteers supporting the hunger relief ministry as well as the number of volunteers trained in evangelism. According to the GHR website, globalhungerrelief. com, GHR-funded projects meet crisis hunger needs in famine or disaster relief situations, but also catalyze long-term change in conditions of human suffering and extreme poverty that cause chronic hunger. Such projects may involve job training and vocational education, livestock and seeds, farm improvement, clean water, home reconstruction, medical care and hygiene education, among other needs. Since administrative costs are covered through the Cooperative Program, 100 percent of gifts given to GHR are devoted directly to meeting hunger needs. For more information, or to apply for grant funds, contact Anna Whitson, SBTC missions ministry assistant, at

2 2 TEXAS S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N CHAPLAIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Months later, Nichols is among those still processing the tragedy and its aftermath. It seems like much longer. On the other hand, it seems like last week, she said. Nichols and chaplain Linda Mitter of Rockwall ministered to first responders and civilians during the week they served in Sutherland Springs, huddling in prayer Most of what we did is listen to their stories and pray for them. That s what we do. We listen and pray. with state troopers guarding the cordonedoff crime scene in front of the church and talking and praying with community members. We shared and prayed with the troopers, Mitter said, explaining that the officers had lost one of their own only the day before when Dallas police trooper Thomas Nipper was killed during a traffic stop. Nichols remembered a conversation with a sergeant from the Dallas Police Department who was in San Antonio for her daughter s band competition following the shootings and drove out to Sutherland Springs. Some of the sergeant s men had died in the 2016 Dallas police shootings. My people were killed, the Dallas officer told Nichols, adding that she felt compelled to stop and look at the white crosses and flowers along Highway 183. It was very emotional for her, with her situation, Nichols said. Most of what we did is listen to their stories and pray for them. That s what we do. We listen and pray. Gordon Knight, SBTC director of chaplains, said chaplains try to get people to talk so they can tell their story so they can start the healing process. When they open up to us, we invite them to pray. Knight said disaster relief chaplains made hundreds of spiritual contacts in Sutherland Springs. Mostly we walked through the community, Mitter said. We d go to the community center and visit with anybody. Anybody included the clerk in the convenience store next to the church who had been in the store when the shots sounded. They heard the gunshots and knew it DEBBY TILLER NICHOLS, SOUTHERN BAPTISTS OF TEXAS CHAPLAIN was not good, Nichols said. The person [Johnnie Langendorff] who drove the truck to pursue the shooter was her last customer that morning. Mitter said though she had served as a chaplain before, it was nothing that dealt with this magnitude of death. She described the experience as overwhelming and tough, her voice cracking as she praised the community and local pastors including Paul Buford of River Oaks Baptist Church who showed love, support and peace in the midst of tragedy. Sutherland Springs was a different kind of disaster, unimaginable, Henry Van de Putte, executive director of the San Antonio Red Cross, told the TEX- AN. Van de Putte praised Southern Baptist chaplains. It is an inspiration to me to walk in and see the sea of yellow shirts and know [things] are taken care of spiritually, Van de Putte said. Sometimes spiritual connections were made using stuffed animals. Before the community-wide prayer service at a local football field, SBDR chaplains distributed wristbands, 300 plush animals and toys, and 200 Bibles donated by LifeWay Christian Resources to the crowd entering the gates. Thank you, 10-year-old Sammy Rodriguez exclaimed as Oklahoma DR chaplain Dave Karr handed him a children s Bible. The toys and Bibles were for anyone who wants them, to help them feel at ease said SBTC chaplain Aaron Treanor, pastor of San Antonio s Brookhill Baptist Church. Following the prayer event, which included Vice President Mike Pence and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, chaplains offered counseling in the adjacent school gym to any who needed to talk, reporting that two people prayed to receive Christ that night. Nichols summed up her Sutherland Springs experience by applauding the community s resilience. What I went there for was to provide some kind of comfort to the people affected, she said. What I took away from there was comfort from the people affected. They blessed my socks off. Info on chaplaincy training: sbtexas.com/dr Aaron Treanor, Linda Mitter and other DR chaplains distribute toys, Bibles and stuffed animals at the Sutherland Springs prayer service. Nonprofit donates $10.5K to Sutherland Springs By Jane Rodgers SUTHERLAND SPRINGS As Ted Elmore pulled into the parking lot of Sutherland Springs Baptist Church one evening, he didn t expect to witness yet another act of kindness toward the grieving congregation. Elmore, an SBTC pastor/church relations associate serving as a liaison between the church, the convention and other concerned entities, has made frequent trips to Sutherland Springs since the November shooting, and no trip is routine. On Jan. 12, Elmore introduced himself to Rebecca Escobedo, vice president and treasurer of the Floresville nonprofit Miracles R Possible, as Escobedo also entered the church. It turned out that Escobedo, accompanied by the nonprofit s secretary, Cindy Fierro, and fundraiser coordinator, Rita Orosco, had come to present Darrell Harris of the Sutherland Springs restoration committee with a check for $10,560. Pretty good for a small town faithbased nonprofit, Elmore said, adding that the Miracles R Us donation was representative of countless generous overtures from the community, state and nation for the victims. Sutherland Springs is our sister city. We had to help, Jeff Romero, president and founder of Miracles R Us, told the TEXAN. The Floresville nonprofit focuses on fundraisers to meet community needs from school backpack programs to food pantry drives to healthy eating initiatives designed to combat childhood hunger. We have a small staff but lots of volunteers, Romero said of the nonprofit s personnel, many of whom are parishioners at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Floresville. Miracles R Us raised money to assist Sutherland Springs with what Romero called a chicken plate fundraiser in November. Romero, who also competes in barbecue cookoffs, invited his fellow competitors and friends from across the state to bring their equipment and prepare the food, most of which was donated. Romero told the TEXAN that Miracles R Us had the donation for a few weeks before they were able to arrange the presentation witnessed by Elmore. Money is useful. It does not replace lives lost, but we wanted to do something to help, Romero said.

3 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T TEXAS 3 Tremendous help & tough decisions in Sutherland Springs months after tragedy Ryland Ward rides home to Sutherland Springs in a firetruck driven by the fireman who rescued him from Nov. 5 church shooting carnage. KSAT12 ABC By Jane Rodgers Sutherland Springs Six-year-old Ryland Ward, the last victim hospitalized from the Sutherland Springs massacre, returned home in style Jan. 11, riding in a crimson Wilson County fire truck driven by volunteer firefighter Rusty Duncan, who had rescued the boy from the Nov. 5 carnage. Ryland returns home to a world markedly different than the one he left a new normal without his stepmother, Joann Ward, who died shielding her children from the shooter. Ryland s sisters Emily and Brooke were also slain. Today, healing continues at Sutherland Springs Baptist Church months after the shooting which claimed the lives of 26, including Pastor Frank Pomeroy s daughter. The empty sanctuary painted stark white with slatted chairs bearing red roses and victims names remains a solemn and much-visited memorial as decisions regarding rebuilding proceed. There s a lot of pain, a lot of hurt, said Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Pastor/Church Relations associate Ted Elmore, who represents the SBTC in meetings with the church and community stakeholders. As of mid-january, the church had not finalized plans to rebuild, Elmore told the TEXAN, noting that the congregation has received offers of reconstruction assistance from local builders, charitable entities and the North American Mission Board. Elmore praised the local community for meeting many of the needs of Sutherland Springs, specifically lauding the HEB grocery company whose initial gift to the victims of $150,000, an amount reported by San Antonio news outlets, has been supplemented by donations from customers online and in stores. The people of Sutherland Springs are very grateful to the state and the nation for their generosity, Elmore said. The outpouring of love and care has been a beauty to behold in the saddest of situations. Elmore also praised the Floresville, Stockdale and La Vernia school districts and nearby River Oaks church, which served as a staging area immediately after the tragedy and continues to host counseling services staffed by members of a San Antonio ministerial alliance and others. People feel somehow drawn there and many are overwhelmed. They talk to a chaplain or lay person, hear the gospel, and give their lives to Christ. TED ELMORE SBTC PASTOR/CHURCH RELATIONS ASSOCIATE The SBTC continues to support recovery efforts, supplying chaplains in the days following the tragedy and now making counselors available as needed. Elmore also helps organize volunteers to man the memorial the former sanctuary open Thursdays through Sundays. Visits to the memorial have resulted in salvations. People feel somehow drawn there and many are overwhelmed. They talk to a chaplain or lay person, hear the gospel, and give their lives to Christ, Elmore explained. The church has continued to hold services on the grounds since the shootings, first in a large tent and now in a modular building, where SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards preached on Jan. 7. Sunday congregations of 250, often standing room only, are now common at Sutherland Springs. The SBTC has assisted with operating funds to keep the church going, a commitment begun immediately after the tragedy. The convention has committed to support the pastor s salary and is providing $5,000 to help with administrative work. This was our policy since day one, Elmore said, adding that, to further assist the church, the SBTC is sending Mike Landry to Sutherland Springs at the end of January to serve as a temporary associate pastor. Mike and his wife, Connie, are trained grief counselors and will be a tremendous asset to Pastor Pomeroy and the church, Elmore said, noting that he was currently working with church members on the restoration committee to craft a job description for Landry, who is expected to serve six to eight weeks. SBTC Foundation president Bart Mc- Donald confirmed that the Foundation has offered to help Sutherland Springs with financial matters and accounting services. Church leadership has expressed some interest in the Foundation providing accounting services, but again they have been focused on bigger issues, Mc- Donald told the TEXAN. State and county agencies have responded, Elmore said, maintaining that the SBTC is meeting needs without being invasive. We are responding to requests. They know they can ask us anything and we have yet to say no. We are there for love and support. They feel free to ask us. It s a partnership, Elmore said. Sun., Feb. 25, 6:00 pm Worship Celebration Birchman Baptist Church 9100 N Normandale St., Ft Worth. Join us at our Empower Conference Events, featuring your Texas Baptist Evangelists Feb Mon., Feb. 26, 1:00 pm & 2:45 pm Break-Out Sessions Empowering People for Evangelism, Irving Convention Center Mon., Feb. 26, 8:30 pm Afterglow Food, Fun & Fellowship, Irving Convention Center Mon.-Tues., Feb Visit us at our booth on the exhibit floor, Irving Convention Center 2017/2018 OFFICERS David Stockwell President Marion Warren Vice-President Gary Newman Secretary/Treasurer Amy Stockwell Music Director Bill Sky-Eagle Assistant Music Director Clifford Neal Parliamentarian Chet Haney Pastor Advisor

4 4 OPINION S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N WHAT IS FAKE NEWS? Gary Ledbetter Editor Fake News! has been the shrill accusation of both political wings for a couple of years now. The term has come to mean too many things, but consider what might be fake about the headlines you see every day. Some version of the fake accusation has been around for a long time usually referring to a news story a person finds unwelcome, without regard for its truth or falsity. A newspaper I edited was accused of publishing fake news for writing of an event in 1990 that happened in the presence of two writers, 20 or so seminary students and maybe 20 other people standing around. We were so accused by two SBC entities and several state Baptist papers whose personnel were not in the room. They didn t like the facts. This is most commonly what someone means when he hollers, Fake! But in our day there are a couple of other challenges as Jeff Iorg President, Gateway Seminary ne of the pastors from O a nearby community providing on-sight ministry in Sutherland Springs, Texas is a Gateway graduate. He recently told me, I never imagined ministering in a situation like this but my seminary training prepared me for it. My purpose in calling this alum was to encourage him. Turns out, he encouraged me even more. One of the tired lines I hear too often is, They don t teach you that in seminary. Likely, we do. We teach foundational truth and proven skills to prepare leaders for challenges we know they will face, and some we hope never happen but nevertheless they we see snippets of a hundred news items a day. First is the pressure on online marketers of magazines or blogs or even men s clothing to get people to click on their ads. That s why I see, every day, on my Yahoo news page, a headline about Joel Osteen s church closing. I haven t clicked on it, but I did Google Osteen church closing and got nothing. This headline is the equivalent of a rotten chicken liver on a fish hook we called it stink bait when I fished for catfish. The second, and related, challenge to sorting nonsense from truth is lurid, misleading headlines once-legitimate news organizations will use to get clicks. Newsweek recently posted a headline about Melania Trump destroying a 200-year-old tree on the White House lawn. The actual story was that the ancient magnolia was rotten and threatening to fall. Groundskeepers recommended taking it down. The headline, all that most people read, implied Mrs. Trump (only because she was Mrs. Trump) was on a campaign against LIKE A FREE NATION WITH A CRIPPLED NEWS TRADE, THE SBC WILL WORK JUST FINE WITHOUT REPORTERS INDEPENDENT OF ITS INSTITUTIONS UNTIL IT DOESN T. stately old trees. I suspect this was a two-fer, a magazine that hates the president and all his family and one that will sacrifice its integrity to get clicks. There are other examples of this very thing, but let this one suffice. My warning to you is to not let politics overwhelm everything. There are trained, earnest, hardworking journalists trying to get important stories right, and with whom I disagree about worldview. That disagreement is not pertinent to everything they do. Some news outlets are little more than agenda-driven. But your local weekly or daily paper, famous national newspapers (the Chicago Tribune, Decadal disciple making STRONG CHURCHES TRAIN PEOPLE IN CORE DISCIPLINES LIKE BASIC THEOLOGY, PERSONAL WITNESSING, FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES. can meet because of how they were trained. Our training is based on best practices and proven principles not current theological fads or the flavorof-the-month in ministerial methods. Church-based training needs to recapture this perspective. Strong churches train people in core disciplines like basic theology, personal witnessing, financial stewardship, family relationships, and spiritual disciplines. Some leaders may respond, But people today don t want that kind of training. They may not want it, but they need it. Healthy churches maintain a continuing discipleship program which emphasizes these core subjects and repeats them over and over and over again. When a church does this, even repeating the same courses over time, a significant portion of their membership receives core training, has core training reinforced, and standardizes methods and practices based on this training. It s the principle of compounding interest applied to discipleship slow results at first, followed by a tsunami of growth as the years roll by. Wise leaders set the menu for discipleship with meat and potatoes, bulgogi and kimchi, rice and beans, or noodles and pork. They know people whine for dessert, but need a steady diet of healthy spiritual food to mature as disciples. Disciplemaking churches like seminaries build their curriculum for long-term impact. As a leader, you may wish you had done this a decade ago. The next best time to start is today! Build a disciple-making program for decadal impact and watch God transform lives. Washington Post and Wall Street Journal come to mind) and some well-known reporters are usually trying to tell the truth. If our culture indiscriminately drags down every news outlet and reporter because of political disagreements, we will be much poorer as a society. We ll be crippled and prey to corruption on the part of our leaders. Now, what about our own Southern Baptist Convention? It is observable that trends in our broader culture are reflected in our fellowship and our churches. Suspicion of those who nose into the business of elected leaders will transfer to those who nose into the business of your SBC seminary or mission board. It s a profession of troublemakers, whether they are Baptist or atheist, you might think. I ve seen that attitude arise in the years since I edited my first Baptist paper. The papers had more readers, more influence and thus more respect from our leaders in that day. There are a lot of reasons for this decline, some of them morally neutral, but the results have been far-reaching. The smaller and fewer papers publishing today have fewer reporters and almost no journalists who investigate anything. Coincidentally perhaps, even Baptist reporters are less welcome and accommodated by our entities than they once were (when the largest had 400,000 subscribers). Should it be like this? Our world hunger offering goes up if pop musicians have a telethon; our behavior toward women we work alongside is amended because #metoo is in the news; reporters are respected, or not, according to the same business and political trends that govern the broader culture. Like a free nation with a crippled news trade, the SBC will work just fine without reporters independent of its institutions until it doesn t. Respect those to whom respect is due. Subscribe to a Baptist newspaper; subscribe your whole Sunday School class while you re at it. Listen to honest reporters with a discerning ear and open mind. Think of the reporters as kindly as you might of a firefighter or school teacher. If it s a little work to figure out who s respectable, call it the price of citizenship in the United States, and stewardship within a fellowship of autonomous churches that own an amazing missionary apparatus. Stay up to date on news that matters to you. SUBSCRIBE AT texaonline.net Southern Baptist TEXAN VOLUME NUMBER FEBRUARY 2018 Jim Richards, Executive Director Gary K. Ledbetter, Editor Tammi Ledbetter, Associate Editor Gayla Sullivan, Circulation Manager Russell Lightner, Layout and design texanonline.net Correspondents: Bonnie Pritchett Jane Rodgers Kay Adkins Erin Roach Karen L. Willoughby The Southern Baptist Texan is the official newspaper of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, P.O. Box 1988, Grapevine, Texas Toll-free , Phone , FAX gsullivan@sbtexas.com Obituaries, memorials, and classified advertisements listing items and services for sale will be published at a cost of 30 cents per word with a minimum of $10. Copy is limited to 100 words and must be submitted within three months of death or event. Submit information to gsullivan@sbtexas.com and mail check for full amount. Letters to the editor should be limited to 250 words and should refrain from personal attacks. Submit by to gsullivan@sbtexas.com or mail to the address to the left. Individual subscriptions are free of charge within Texas. A $10 per year donation is requested for out-of-state subscriptions. changes to gsullivan@sbtexas.com.

5 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T OPINION 5 ENTRUSTED: A GOSPEL LEGACY FOR THE COMING GENERATIONS PART 2 Jim Richards Executive Director y personal journey M with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention began in September At that time the SBTC did not even officially exist. I had pastored in Louisiana for over 20 years prior to going to the Northwest Baptist Association in Bentonville, Arkansas, as a director of missions. Although I had heard scattered reports of what was happening in Texas, I had no direct connection with any of the people involved. In the early 1990s, conservative Southern Baptists in Texas were becoming concerned about the leftward drift of their state convention. For several years, candidates were nominated for president with hopes of being able influence the direction of the state convention. Each year the loss was greater than the year before. It became apparent that the conservatives would not be able to bring the necessary change. In February 1998, five conservative leaders met with five leaders of the state convention. They came away from the dialogue convinced that they had irreconcilable differences with the convention. Biblical inerrancy was the main issue. What we believe about the nature of Scripture impacts other beliefs such as women serving as pastors, abortion and the nature of a family. An organization known as the Southern Baptists of Texas, Inc. had been formed by a merger of two groups, Baptists With A Mission (laypersons) and the Conservative Baptist Fellowship (pastors). A decision was made to start a new convention. The board of directors assigned various committees to prepare for a fall constituting meeting of the new convention. A search committee was formed to call an executive director. While in my office in Bentonville, I received a call from John Yeats, then a pastor in Texas. He asked me to consider placing my name in consideration. I told him I had no interest and went to lunch. When I returned from lunch, another Texas pastor, Danny Souder, asked if he could put my name before the committee. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I was living the dream. I had a house on the side of a mountain in the Ozarks. I had a great group of pastors of churches with whom to work. I had no desire to get into a squabble in Texas. However, God began to work on me that day. Within a week, the chair of the search committee, E.L. Pennington, asked if I would come for an interview. I told him I had to fast and pray. He said it was just an interview but I could not go without a clear word from God. After a weekend of struggle, God gave me the green light. I met with the committee at MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church. We started at 9:00am and broke for lunch at noon. I did not know it at the time but several people on the board or their friends had a strong desire for the ministry position. One of the potential candidates was standing at the door as the committee broke for lunch. He followed us to the restaurant and at the meal told me he would do everything he could do to stop me from coming to Texas. After we reconvened that afternoon, I shared with them the core values the SBTC has today. I told them I was not angry with anyone in the existing convention. I would not be a part of a reactionary group. We had to be visionary and missionary or I would not come. The committee dismissed me and began their deliberations. As I waited to get my ride back to the airport, the committee asked if I could come back in the room. They were unanimous in saying that they believed it was God s will for me to come as executive director. They had not interviewed anyone else but were positive I was their man. This really upset my world. After returning to Arkansas, I received several communications from Texas. A person sent a mass mailing warning that I should not be allowed to come as executive director. Another person who had applied for the positions said he would do everything he could to see I did not get called. All of this was a relief to me. I was happy where I was. The search committee remained stalwart in their conviction that I should be presented to the board of directors. God gave me direction to ask for all of the officers who would be leading the new convention to affirm by letter their support for me should I be elected. The chair of the board assured me this would happen. A board meeting was scheduled for late October. When I arrived in Texas I found one of the officers had refused to give the affirmation. He had applied for the position. I refused to go into the meeting. At the end of the day I flew back to Arkansas. I had lost twenty pounds through fasting and struggle. Finally I could get back to my ministry in Northwest Arkansas. Stan Coffey was the proposed president for the new convention. The week before the convention he, along with another pastor, arranged for the resistant officer to talk with me by phone. When we concluded our hours long conversation, the convention officer agreed to a statement of affirmation. It was heavily nuanced, satisfying the letter of law, if not the spirit. I agreed to come on November 9, 1998, for a vote of the board of directors. There were a handful who voted against me in the board meeting, but they made it unanimous on a second vote. On November 10, 1998, the convention concurred with the board vote by a standing ovation. Within 48 hours I went from not coming to the formation of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to being the executive director. Many godly men and women prayed and worked to bring this convention into being. Anything involving fallen humanity will have flaws, but God raised up an organization to give Texas churches a place of partnership in ministry and fellowship. The convention went from a desire in the hearts of many to a reality for the glory of God! My next column will be the last in a three-part series about the early days of the SBTC. As you read the history, I ask that you be a part of history by participating in convention life. One of the best places to be in Texas February 26 and 27 is at the Empower Conference in Irving. Pray and be present. God is moving! Recovering the most neglected spiritual discipline Joshua Crutchfield Pastor, First Baptist Church, Madisonville Memorization. e shudder at the W thought. We might pray, we might read our Bible, we might even tithe, but memorize Scripture? Well, that might be asking a little too much of us. While some might argue that it is not the most neglected spiritual discipline, it cannot be denied that it is one of the least developed practices within the Christian community. But what do we miss out on when we do not exercise this spiritual muscle? When I was a child, I went through a Bible drill program. I learned the order of the books of the Bible and well over 20 verses. Now, my kids are going through Awanas and they are learning the order of the canon, as well as numerous verses. They do this without complaining. In fact, they love it. They look forward to every Sunday night. When my wife and I pick them up from class, they usually begin sharing with us all the verses they are working on. Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood we stop the emphasis of Scripture memorization. Apparently, this discipline was good enough for us as children, but not important enough for us as adults. Perhaps this is due to the fact that we do not understand the purpose and benefit of Scripture memorization. What prevents us from growing in the discipline of Scripture memorization? It is not our inability to memorize, but our ability to make excuses. We can memorize television stations and the schedules of our favorite shows, but then fail to even WHAT PREVENTS US FROM GROWING IN THE DISCIPLINE OF SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION? IT IS NOT OUR INABILITY TO MEMORIZE, BUT OUR ABILITY TO MAKE EXCUSES. attempt being a person who meditates on the law of the Lord for just a moment, let alone day and night (Psalm 1:2). Still, we are quick to offer up reasons why we cannot grow in this discipline. We comment about our age or inability to recall. Sometimes we say we just don t know what to memorize. What we will not say is the true reason we make no effort to grow in this spiritual discipline: we don t esteem the Bible like we say we do. But if we were to spend as much time in our effort to treasure God s Word in our hearts as we do justifying our ineptness, we would have already seen the growth that comes from meditating on God s precious Word. Casual Christianity has given way to a mediocre faith. We have tolerated a minimalistic approach to being disciples and making disciples, and the church is suffering for it. With an abundance of apologies, we miss out on a profusion of fruit. This is one of the reasons why I have led the church I pastor to pursue the discipline of Scripture memorization, so that we might enjoy the fruit that comes from dwelling on the Word of God. Each month we focus on one verse or set of verses in hopes that our unified meditation would shape the culture of our church family and lead us to engage our community with hearts transformed by the Bible. This encouraged discipline now helps shape our worship services and stimulates a greater unity as we come together with one mind (Philippians 1:27). On the last Sunday of every month, we as a congregation, from the children to the senior adults, stand and recite together God s Word. I cannot adequately describe the joy I felt the first time we did this together. I am more convinced now than ever of the need for churches to grow in the discipline of Scripture memorization. It is not about the quantity that is memorized, but the quality that comes from memorization. So let me encourage you to take up the discipline of treasuring God s Word, as an individual, as a family and as a church family, and discover what it is like to be a fruit bearing tree planted by streams of water.

6 6 BRIEFS S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N Survey: Most churches offer Wi-Fi and are on FB, but few are on Twitter Seven in 10 Protestant churches (68 percent) provide Wi-Fi for both guests and staff, according to a new survey of Protestant pastors from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Most also have a website (84 percent) and a Facebook page (84 percent). But few have ventured on Twitter (16 percent). Once wary of technology, Protestant churches now seem all in, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. It s another way to connect with guests and worshipers alike. Not long ago churches use of technology was often limited to a website that functioned like the Yellow Pages or a bulletin board, McConnell said. Now they see technology as a way to interact with people. Wi-Fi is just one more way to do that. The phone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors was conducted Aug. 30 to Sept. 18, LifeWay Research BRIEFS Landmark LifeWay building demolished in controlled explosion Draper Tower, the former LifeWay Christian Resources landmark, is now a pile of rubble. The 12-story building on LifeWay s former campus in downtown Nashville was demolished in January with an implosion the demolition team s leader said went 100 percent perfect. Following a series of loud bangs made by some 600 pounds of explosives, Draper Tower crumbled in sections to make room for a 380-unit residential building, two office buildings and retail space all part of the forthcoming Nashville Yards development, which will span the area that once housed LifeWay s ninebuilding campus. The tower opened in 1991 as Centennial Tower. LifeWay s corporate headquarters moved in November 2017 to a 277,000-square-foot facility about a half-mile away from its former campus, which sold in 2015 for $125 million. Baptist Press, The Tennessean Does ancient DNA discovery support account of Babel? Ancient human genetic material harvested in Alaska has been cited by two creation researchers as corroborating evidence of Scripture s claim that humans migrated en masse from the Tower of Babel. A study published Jan. 3 in the journal Nature claims DNA extracted from the remains of an infant girl buried in central Alaska suggests an ancient migration of people from East Asia, across a frozen land bridge, to North America. After scientists extracted the DNA, they dated it to approximately 11,500 years ago, according to common evolutionary dating methods, and discovered commonalties between the harvested genome and the DNA of modern Native Americans. Researchers also found the ancient infant girl had ancestors in East Asia some 35,000 years ago according to evolutionary dating methods. Nathaniel Jeanson, a Harvard-trained research biologist with Answers in Genesis, said the dating of the Alaska DNA seems to be inaccurate. But other details of the find, he noted, corroborate the account in Genesis 11 of mass human migration following attempted construction of the Tower of Babel. The Nature study, Jeanson said, is more evidence for people in the Americas from Asia East Asia, Central Asia and is consistent with Scripture. Kurt Wise, a Southern Baptist and Harvard-trained paleontologist, added that if one considers the ages given by Nature in relative terms, the new findings are consistent with a dispersion of humans from Babel. So, these remains, Wise said, are most probably of a population of people spreading out from Babel a reality he termed rather exciting! Baptist Press Pew: Muslims on pace to outnumber Jews in U.S. Muslims will likely surpass Jews as the second largest religious group behind Christians in the U.S. by 2040, elevated by a high birth rate and immigration, the Pew Research Center said in its latest analysis. The 3.45 million Muslims here will more than double to 8.1 million by 2050, surpassing the number of Jews along the way, Pew estimated in January. Still, Muslims will only account for 2.1 percent of the U.S. population by 2050, Pew said, compared to 1.1 percent today. Jews total 1.9 percent of the nation s population, Pew said. Baptist Press Awana co-founder Art Rorheim dies at 99 Children s ministry pioneer and Awana co-founder Arthur Reynold Rorheim died Jan. 5 in Oregon, Ill., at age 99. Rorheim co-founded the Awana Youth Association, originally an acronym for Approved Workers Are Not Ashamed, in 1950 while youth director of North Side Gospel Center near Chicago. Lance Doc Latham, his pastor at the time, was co-founder. Rorheim ministered with Awana for more than 60 years, continuing well into his 90s, Awana said in a press release. He spearheaded Awana s international expansion in 1972, spreading from Bolivia to include 119 countries and 4 million children by Rorheim retired as Awana executive director in 1990 and served as president until Many Southern Baptist churches have abandoned missions education in favor of AWANA which has its own missionaries. The SBTC can help churches interested in integrating missions into AWANA program. Baptist Press, TEXAN Nurses rank 1st in honesty and ethics, clergy 9th Americans consider nurses to be the most honest and ethical profession, with military officers ranking second and grade school teachers third. That s according to Gallup s annual survey on Americans attitudes about 16 occupations. Medical doctors ranked fourth, pharmacists fifth, police officers sixth, day care providers seventh, judges eighth and clergy ninth. Adults were asked to rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in different fields. A new low of 42 percent of Americans said they rated the honesty and ethics of clergy as very high or high while 41 percent rated clergy as average. By comparison, 82 percent of Americans rated nurses as very high or high in honesty and ethics. It s the 16th consecutive year that nurses rated first. Views of the honesty and ethics of the clergy dropped precipitously in 2002 amid the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, Gallup reported. The survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,049 adults and was conducted Dec Gallup GuideStone announces new location in Dallas GuideStone Financial Resources plans to relocate in late summer 2018 to 115,000 square feet of new leased offices about 10 miles north of its current facility. The financial services arm of the Southern Baptist Convention has occupied its current home in Dallas Uptown district since GuideStone s headquarters building has been sold, but will be leased back until the move can be completed. GuideStone trustees have worked closely with staff as the entity undertook a study in early 2017 to assess its facilities needs in light of its long-range goals. The move to Pinnacle Tower in the North Dallas area will occur as GuideStone celebrates its 100th anniversary in It has been based in Dallas since its founding in Baptist Press Nat l CP 0.98% above last year s 1st quarter Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention s portion of the Cooperative Program at the end of December were 0.98 percent ahead of the same time frame at the end of December 2016 and 3.69 percent under the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget projection for the year. The $46,229, received by the Executive Committee from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget represented percent of the $48,000, yearto-date budgeted amount to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The total is $447,033.04, or 0.98 percent, above last year s first quarter total of $45,782, Designated giving of $11,620, for the same year-to-date period was 6.75 percent, or $734,568.32, above gifts of $10,885, received at this point last year. This amount included only those designated gifts received by the Executive Committee and does not reflect contributions made directly to SBC entities. Baptist Press

7 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T TEXAS 7 FEB. 4 DEADLINE FOR CHURCHES TO APPLY FOR FEMA FUNDS NEARS By Jane Rodgers WASHINGTON Churches are potentially eligible for disaster assistance according to a recent declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but the deadline to apply is Feb. 4 at 11:59 pm. FEMA reversed its policy of denying aid to churches in response to lawsuits brought by three Texas churches, deeming churches as community centers under the Stafford Act. Churches must first apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a physical disaster loan for businesses. Although the statutory deadline to apply for a business physical disaster loan has passed, the SBA is in a grace period and will accept loan applications until FEMA directs otherwise, Susheel Kumar, SBA public information officer, told the TEXAN. Apply first to the SBA, then to FEMA. It is a parallel track process, Kumar said. A church won t get any funding from FEMA until a decision is rendered by the SBA, added Scott Thomas, FEMA deputy federal coordinator. Churches must not wait for an SBA decision, which can take up to 30 to 45 days, to apply for FEMA aid, Kumar urged. As of Jan. 9, 33 Texas churches had been approved for SBA physical disaster loans, Kumar said. For applications and information on SBA physical disaster loans for businesses, visit ela/information/business- PhysicalLoans. Houses of worship desiring to apply for public assistance from FEMA must submit a request for public assistance downloadable at site/pa.cfm (click on forms). Applicants must return the form to DEMrecovery.rpa@dps. texas.gov. This article includes reporting by David Roach of Baptist Press. New Curriculum: A Deacon on Purpose By Kay Adkins Churches and pastors seeking a resource to establish or renew the vision of their congregation s deacon ministry can benefit from A Deacon on Purpose, a training curriculum developed by SBTC Pastor Church Relations Director Tony Wolfe. The short, easy-to-read book uses Acts 6:1-7 to outline the four essential purposes of the deacon role: lead by example, serve the people, support the pastor and staff, and protect the peace. Wolfe developed A Deacon on Purpose to be a biblically grounded, thought-provoking tool for local churches that provides suggestions and discussion questions for immediate and contextual application. Since the book s release in late 2017, dozens of churches across several states are already benefiting, with inquiries from more and more churches coming in weekly, according to Wolfe. The material is designed as a group study, but churches have used it in a variety of ways. Some conduct deacon training meetings or retreats, while others have simply supplied each deacon with copies for a self-study. Six short videos are also available as optional introductions to each section of the book. Gary Ward, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Weatherford, praised Wolfe s facilitation of the training session for a group of 12 at his church in December. At most of these kinds of meetings, people come anticipating when it will be over. But no one wanted it to end, said Ward. Ward noted that often conflict arises in the church when the role of a deacon is presumed to be administrative, rather than servant-oriented. He appreciates how Wolfe not only presents the biblical exegesis of the role of deacon, but also provides many stories and relatable examples demonstrating the practical application in churches today. Ward said, The church today needs to be on the cutting edge. They can t sit back. They need to do some things differently. With deacons doing things right, it helps the church grow. Start right deacons being true servants. Chris Bain, a young deacon from Glenview Church, Fort Worth, participated in A Deacon on Purpose training in September. With this event his second experience in deacon training Bain said, It seemed like the momentum and pace was not there before Tony s training. People were set in routine [lacking] passion for what they re called to do. One of the biggest things that happened after the training and since Tony came is the message of A Deacon on Purpose a call to arms. A topic personally relevant to Bain was conflict resolution, and how deacons can appropriately respond when encountering members engaged in a disagreement. Bain said, Wolfe gives an example of how to handle that as an assistance arm to the pastor. Bain noticed a different approach taken in their deacon meeting subsequent to the training. Instead of the pastor being the main speaker, he said, Leadership was able to lead the team and set the tone: We have a calling to help out during a transition period, and here s what we can do. He explained that the group was able to openly discuss issues and come to agreement. It was an affirmation of the training, he said. Wolfe is convinced that the ministry of the deacon is as important today as it was at the establishment of the New Testament Church. I pray that in the years to come this resource will propel the deacon ministries of thousands of local churches into effective, biblical, kingdom service as they lead, serve, support, and protect on the frontlines of gospel advance. For more information about the curriculum, or to schedule Wolfe for a training event, twolfe@sbtexas.com. To purchase copies of the book and accompanying videos, visit training. BABY BOOMERS & SENIOR ADULTS FREE Admission Bus Groups Encouraged HYMN Singing FREE Parking at Criswell College GOSPEL Band Dennis Swanberg CHRIS & DIANE MACHEN barry creamer 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM (Pre-program music starts at Noon) IN THE HISTORIC AND BEAUTIFUL RUTH CHAPEL OF CRISWELL COLLEGE For more information development@criswell.edu or call

8 8 EMPOWER S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N COOPERATIVE PROGRAM LUNCH AT EMPOWER By Kay Adkins IRVING A special Cooperative Program luncheon will take place on Tuesday, February 27 from 11:45-1:15 at the 2018 Empower conference. Luncheon attendees will learn about the Nuts and Bolts of the Cooperative Program, and how CP dollars are used to strengthen and support Southern Baptist work in Texas and world-wide. Three pastors and church planters will each speak on their individual perspectives of CP engagement: Michael Criner, Michael Dean, and Steve Cochran. Michael Criner has served as pastor at First Baptist Church, Bellville since August Criner will speak on CP participation from the younger pastor perspective. Michael Dean, who has ministered since 1991 as pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist, Fort Worth, will provide the perspective of CP engagement as an established pastor. Dean has served churches in Texas and New Mexico, and has served on the Board of Trustees at Southwestern Seminary, among other denominational roles. In July 2011, Steve Cochran and his wife Karen stepped out in faith to plant Cross Walk Church in Round Rock. He has served as a pastor for over 30 years at churches in northeast and central Texas. Cochran will speak on CP participation from the perspective of a church planter. Cost of the CP Luncheon is $15 per person, and reservations can be made by visiting the Empower conference web page at sbtexas.com/empower and selecting the registration link at the bottom of the page. For more information contact SBTC Director of Convention Strategies, Kenneth Priest, kpriest@sbtexas.com. SBTC Panel Discussion on Evangelism By Bonnie Pritchett Whether or not a congregation will be spurred and equipped to evangelize rests heavily on one factor the pastor. And, although not all pastors have the gift of evangelism, they all are required to share the gospel and encourage their congregations to do likewise said three current and former pastors during a panel discussion at the SBTC Annual Meeting Nov. 14. If the pastor s not going to lead the flock in that gospel conversation and to love people and have gospel conversations then it will not happen, said John Meador, pastor of First Baptist Church Euless. Meador admitted his own shortcomings until convicted by the admonition of 2 Tim. 4:5. It spoke to me powerfully, Meador told the audience of pastors and men and women lay leaders. I [had] spent a lot of time teaching but not a lot of time doing the work of the evangelist among our people. Meador and fellow panelists Matt Queen, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary associate dean for doctoral programs, and Kevin Bautista, pastor of missions and evangelism at pastor at First Baptist Church Dallas discussed with panel moderator Shane Pruitt, SBTC director of evangelism, the tools they ve utilized in training their congregations to share the gospel. But each said it is crucial for pastors to lead in the effort. Evangelism slowly becomes part of the culture when the congregation sees church leadership acting upon their admonitions from the pulpit to share the gospel, Bautista said. Pruitt asked the panel about excuses pastors use for not developing personal habits of evangelism. I think pastors don t have a plan, Meador said. They do not spend the time. They do not see the call of mobilizing the gospel as a priority when it is their call. Bautista said accountability among staff members goes a long way in keeping FBC Dallas members mindful of their role outside of church. Queen credited SWBTS President Paige Patterson s heart for the lost as a significant motivating factor in his own evangelism efforts. At First Baptist Church Euless, Can We Talk, a six-week gospel-sharing training program grew out of the church s realization that the ethnicallychanging neighborhood surrounding the church was not being drawn to the church. I found out many of our people were not equipped to have that conversation well, Meador said. Two-and-a-half years after the first Can we Talk training 750 members have been trained to share their faith, area churches have asked to use the program, and FBC Euless created a non-profit organization One Conversation to expand its evangelical training. To date 500 pastors in 20 states have been trained to use Can we talk for equipping and encouraging their congregations to share the gospel. While the Can we talk training is primarily used in follow up meetings with people who have visited the church or utilized one of the church s ministries, Queen said the Everyday Evangelism he uses is a throw-back to old-school evangelism. Patterson s heart for the lost spurred Queen and seminary students in 2009 to begin a door-to-door campaign to share the gospel with every home within a onemile radius of the campus. That done, Queen said it would have been easy to rest on their laurels having accomplished a year-long evangelical outreach. Instead they went the second mile, expanding their gospel-sharing radius to two miles, striking up gospel conversations at mosques, Buddhist and Hindi temples, universities, coffee shops, and more front doors. Now we do Everyday Evangelism with everybody, everywhere, every way, Queen said. At least one person a week since 2014 has made a confession of faith and been connected to a local church through Kevin Bautista (R) shares insights about evangelism as John Meador, Matt Queen and moderator Shane Pruitt look on during panel discussion at the SBTC Annual Meeting. the Everyday Evangelism Queen said. Pruitt asked if other means of witnessing, like relationship evangelism beginning relationships before sharing the gospel are effective ministry tools. I m all for relational evangelism as long as there is a relationship and there is evangelism, Queen said. Sharing your faith from the beginning of a relationship makes broaching the gospel message a natural part of conversation he said. But having the desire to share your faith does not prepare a Christian to do so, Meador said, emphasizing the need to have a plan and prepare for intentional, effective gospel conversations. The panelists concluded where they began pastors must have a personal practice of evangelism and admonish their congregations to do likewise. It doesn t take a scholar to see the [biblical] imperative commands, Meador said. If a pastor doesn t do gospel work I m not sure he s qualified to pastor his church. Even if no one responds with a profession of faith, sharing the gospel benefits the person sharing the message Queen said. Sometimes there is no greater encouragement for you than to go out and share the gospel, Queen told the pastors in the audience. You are reminded of why God loves you and sent his son Jesus to die for you. REGISTER TODAY AT

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10 10 CULTURE WATCH S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N I KILLED OFF 75% OF MY FACEBOOK FRIENDS By Mark Kelly godsrevolution.net In the early days of Facebook, it was easy too easy to find co-workers and long-lost classmates and add them as Friends. Back then, I was trying to build a freelance writing business, and I knew the value of connecting with prospective clients and prominent people who had big social media followings. A lot of us were aggressively networking, and it wasn t long before my Friends list topped 2,000. When I went back to work in Southern Baptist communications, I had a new mandate for networking. My Friends list topped 3,500. We were having a lot of great interactions that got the word out about our mission. But things changed: my employment, my personal mission and, more importantly, Facebook changed. I could tell people were spending a lot less time in that world, and some folks were disappearing entirely. Research revealed that endless social media scrolling increased isolation and decreased happiness. In fact, so many people have been ignoring Facebook (or are being hurt by it) that Mark Zuckerberg, the company s founder and CEO, announced Jan. 11 that he was ordering a change in what each of us sees when we log in. He announced that Facebook would promote meaningful social interactions, at the expense of commercial content. Facebook s stock tumbled 3.9 percent that day, and Zuckerberg s fortune reportedly fell $2.9 billion. (No worries. He can still get by on the remaining $74.4 billion.) In the spirit of Jimmy Kimmel s National Unfriend Day (Nov. 17), I decided to whittle down my list a bit. Just a few here and there. I ll do some tonight, more tomorrow night. I started scrolling the list. Three hours later, I had killed off 75 percent of my Facebook Friends. What about you? Do you need to thin your Facebook herd? Here are five things to consider: u Where to start? Search your Friends list for accounts that don t have profile photos; almost all are inactive or deactivated. Be aware that Facebook sorts your list according to how much you interact with someone else; scroll to the bottom and work your way up. u Unfriending someone might cause a problem for you, if that person notices and takes offense. If their posts make you crazy, you can simply unfollow. Plus, you may want to keep people who connected with you for a reason but you may not know (or can t remember). u You don t have to make a marathon But things changed: my employment, my personal mission and, more importantly, Facebook changed.... Research revealed that endless social media scrolling increased isolation and decreased happiness. of it. Facebook reminds you each day which of your Friends have birthdays. If you won t even bother to type Happy birthday! for someone, delete them. A year later, you ve refined your list significantly. u Your Home page shows what Facebook thinks you want to see and may leave out posts from people you haven t interacted with in a long time. Identify the Friends you definitely want to keep track of and add them to your Close Friends list. Then bookmark that list in your browser and go there instead of the Home page. (You can t access lists on Facebook s mobile app, but you may be able to add a screen shortcut.) u Quitting Facebook entirely? The Chrome browser has an extension called Switcheroo that will let you redirect Facebook.com to a Google Image Search of your choice. That limits your timeline temptation and may deliver you from evil. Your Facebook network probably isn t as bloated as mine was. Facebook can be an excellent venue for connecting and ministry. I hope you don t take my confession as a criticism of your Facebook activity. To flip the old saying, If the shoe doesn t fit, don t wear it. I also hope it doesn t offend the folks I deleted from my Friends list, but the experience was kind of liberating. Now I m delighted to scroll my list and only see people I actually know and love. Mark Kelly is a career Southern Baptist journalist who hosts a podcast at godsrevolution.net. My love/hate relationship with Facebook By Danette Seffens The love/hate relationship I have with Facebook is real, very real. It is difficult to admit because I do not enjoy being addicted to anything point proven by my recent resolution to eat no candy. I love candy. I do not love needing candy. Facebook should be easy to delete. I am busy the majority of every day and have little time for nonproductive activities. I am a single mom of three overly involved boys, working two to three jobs depending on the season, active runner and avid exercise enthusiast, homeowner, training for a marathon, active church member, and a part-time writer of life events. I deleted the Facebook app about a year ago. My phone constantly gave me the message no storage available. As I reviewed the apps on my phone: 4-6 games for the boys when needed for entertainment, photos because I haven t figured out how to store those effectively, music, and a few others, it seemed easier to delete Facebook. No, it didn t solve the storage issues, but I didn t know that at the time. Many weeks went by without accessing Facebook via Safari, but one day I ran into a friend at Walmart. She hugged me and in tears she questioned why I hadn t responded to her on Facebook or offered a laugh with a silly post recently. My quick answer was I had deleted it, but my mind began working and I signed onto Facebook later that day. What did she mean I hadn t offered a laugh? I never thought about people using Facebook to bring a laugh to their world by reading my posts. In the beginning, I loved Facebook for reconnection to people I knew closely, but now lived far from, different states, different continents. During the early years of being a single mom, it became a connection to conversations with adults. In recent years, I used it to get to know coworkers and their families more than the work day allowed. I thought I was doing a good thing by deleting Facebook cleansing my time and mind from the evil of social media. I have not reinstalled the Facebook app. My phone continues to have storage issues, but mostly because not having an app does require more effort to view Facebook. The extra effort allows me to guard my time more closely. I have too many friends via Facebook, but most of the people were close connections at one point in my life people I spent years doing life with prior to social media. People I would grab a coke with, play a sport together, walk and talk, even cruise town together. Recently, I switched a number of friends to unfollow because I couldn t stand what they posted. Items I wouldn t allow my kids (teen and preteens) to view, so I shouldn t either. However, I didn t want to delete them as friends. These are not people I have talked with since high school and there is no emotional attachment. The biggest reason is prayer. When I see their names, I pray for them. I know they need to know God. Facebook isn t the place for me to lead them to a relationship with God, but I believe in the power of prayer. Facebook serves as a modern day prayer book for me. I still take breaks from FB, but I realize there are people I love and want to remain connected with and FB makes that easier. I love to see the photos of families when I knew the person as a single. I realize how different the life of my friend is now. I love praying for their family as I view their life through the lenses they use to present life to the Facebook world. It takes little time to give a quick nod of connection to a friend. Guilt does creep in about using FB to stay in touch and that is when I pick up a pen and write a note or a letter to my friend. That may mean I need to message and get an address how many of your Facebook friends do you have current addresses? Sometimes I send a personal message via messenger instead of their FB Page. I prefer receiving those because I enjoy privacy. I don t share letters I receive with everyone I don t want everyone reading what I wrote just because they are friends via social media. Many of my friends are switching to Twitter. I don t enjoy Twitter. It takes too much time for me to scroll through tweets. Also, I feel disconnected when I use Twitter. I know many people like it, but the connection I am able to build via Facebook is more thorough than the attempts I made on Twitter. Facebook remains part of my life at this time. I control my usage better than previously and I make real life attempts to connect with people I interact with on social media. As with anything in life, it is what you make of it and I choose to use Facebook as a benefit to achieving my goals and connecting my life with others. If I ask for your address, you may receive a note sometime this year. It does take longer than a, but it is worth the wait. Danette Seffens is a freelance writer and former missionary.

11 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T TEXAS 11 BOBBY L. EKLUND, WILLIAM BELL & JEANNETTE CLIFT GEORGE AMONG LATE-2017 HOMEGOINGS By Art Toalston Baptist Press & Jane Rodgers Bobby Lee Eklund BRISTOL, Tenn. Bobby Lee Eklund, a leading authority on biblical stewardship, died Nov. 3, 2017, in Bristol, Tenn. Eklund was 85. Born in Brady, Texas, on Sept. 2, 1932, Eklund trusted Christ as savior at age eight at an Austin revival. He Bobby Eklund preached his first sermon as a 12-year-old boy and at age 18, assumed the first of eight pastorates serving Texas churches in Brady, Van Horn, El Paso, Baird, Anson, San Angelo, Hurst and Portland. After pastoring Texas churches for 30 years, Eklund served the Baptist General Convention of Texas as director of spiritual awakening and, later, director of stewardship. He became president of Eklund Stewardship Ministries, assisting churches with capital campaigns, and was a stewardship consultant for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Eklund s 28 published works include the 1994 standard on stewardship Partners with God. After moving to Bristol, Eklund joined Tennessee Avenue Baptist Church, where he remained active in visitation and as an adult Sunday school teacher until his latter days. Eklund is survived by his wife of 63 years, Janis Marie Carrigan Eklund; two sons, Rev. Mike Eklund and wife Debbie, Kirk Eklund and wife Amy; eight grandchildren and five great grandchildren; one brother, and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service for Eklund was held Nov. 9 at Tennessee Avenue Baptist Church and officiated by Mike Eklund. William Bell DALLAS William Bell, a biblical studies professor who from his classroom and a local church influenced the Southern Baptist Convention s return to biblical authority, was honored in a Dec. 16 memorial service following his death on Thanksgiving Day at age 89. Bell taught at Dallas Baptist University William Bell for nearly 40 years and was theologian-in-residence at First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas, for nearly 30. His memorial service was held at the Dallas/ Fort Worth-area church. Jimmy Draper, senior pastor of the Euless church until becoming president of LifeWay Christian Resources in 1991, said Bell was always willing to serve in the background as he served others. Serving with him was one of the most important things in my life and ministry. Though Bell never published a book, audio recordings of more than 140 lessons he taught are archived at the Discipleship Library ( php), including multi-part surveys of the Old and New Testaments and series on the doctrines of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Scripture, the church, the Christian life, man and the future as set forth in the Bible. DBU President Adam C. Wright said the university owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Bell. We will forever remember his commitment to the Bible, Christian higher education and DBU. Draper, SBC president from , recalled of Bell: He was good-natured and helped me in more ways than I could ever describe. We disagreed on the timing of the rapture. When we would discuss it, he would end with a wry smile barely appearing on his face and would say, Well, you know, we could both be wrong. He helped me understand that disagreements should never become a point of division among friends. Bell initially taught at The King s College in New York City and earned a Ph.D. in theology at New York University in He joined DBU s faculty that year, later serving as dean of the college s Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith for more than a decade. Voicing his overarching view of biblical authority, Bell wrote in a conservative publication, the Southern Baptist Communicator, in 1989 that the gospel is what separates historic Christianity from Hinduism, Islam, modern Judaism, and every cult arising within Christendom. Surely no one will contend that one can believe anything (or nothing) and be a Christian. There must be some truths which are nonnegotiable. Born William E. Bell Jr. in Carthage, Mo., on Dec. 20, 1927, Bell and his family relocated often in his youth during the Great Depression and then lived several years in Fort Smith, Ark., and in Greenville, Miss., where he attended high school. In SBC life, Bell was a trustee of the former Historical Commission and a member of the Committee on Nominations. Bell is survived by his wife of 53 years, Martha; two daughters, Barbara and Nancy; and three granddaughters. Jeannette Clift George HOUSTON Jeannette Clift George, whose acting career included the film portrayal of Corrie ten Boom, a legendary Dutch woman sent to a Nazi concentration camp for sheltering Jeannette Clift George Jews during World War II, was honored Jan. 12, in a memorial service following her death on Dec. 28 at age 92. The service for George, whose theater career began with students at Houston Baptist University (then College) as actress-in-residence, was at Second Baptist Church Houston. The college s A.D. Players, formed by George in 1967, became a nonprofit theater company in 1969 which she led as founder/artistic director while remaining a supporter of HBU s drama students. The 1975 film The Hiding Place, based on ten Boom s autobiographical book with the same title, was produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association s World Wide Pictures division. George s performance garnered her a Golden Globe nomination. Last year, 50 years after the founding of the A.D. Players, George saw the opening of the Jeannette & L.M. George Theater (named for her late husband) in Houston s Galleria-Uptown area. The modern theater, encompassing 35,000 square feet, seats 450. Ed Young Sr., Second Baptist s pastor, described George as a phenomenal woman, a gifted actress as well as a very skilled entrepreneur for Jesus Christ and a Bible teacher you always enjoyed being with because of her wit and unbelievable creative mind. Billy Graham s daughter Ruth said in filming The Hiding Place, George was a treasure on and off the stage. She was a great friend to both of my parents, Billy and Ruth Bell Graham. But especially for Mother. My mother trusted their friendship perhaps as none other. Their friendship was a safe place for both where confidences could be shared, silliness enjoyed and the Scriptures explored. They shared their hearts. They were old fashioned girlfriends. A lovely gift to both of them who so often had to be in the limelight. In addition to The Hiding Place, George s career included performances with the New York Shakespeare Company, Playhouse in the Park in Philadelphia and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Her first A.D. Players performance in 1968 was in IBID and her last was in 2012 in Whatever Happened to the Villa Real, both of which she wrote. Students bring new life to Wedgwood evening services By Julie Owens SWBTS Throughout the fall semester, Southwestern Seminary students gave Wedgwood Baptist Church a gift of lasting value the gift of their ministry skills bringing a new focus to Wedgwood s Sunday night services. A lot of churches are declining in attendance during the Sunday night service, and many are simply doing away with these services altogether, says Brandon Kiesling, assistant professor of evangelism. Earlier this year, he contacted Wedgwood pastor Dale Braswell about the possibility of partnering with Southwestern to conduct Sunday night services at Wedgwood. Wedgwood wanted to continue the Sunday night service but also wanted to give it a specific purpose that tied in with the overall mission of the church, Kiesling says. I wanted to see if we could give opportunities to Southwestern students. Wedgwood church leaders welcomed the idea. We renamed our Sunday evening services Equip to reflect this dual purpose of the Sunday night gatherings, Braswell says. For many churches, Sunday night services have gone the way of flip phones and CDs, Braswell continues. At Wedgwood, we too were facing the question of whether or not we should continue this particular aspect of our ministry. When the idea was presented to have Southwestern students lead in the worship and preaching, our leadership sensed this would allow us to meet two key desires: one, the continued equipping and discipleship of our church members; and two, the equipping and training of future pastors and worship leaders. Equip was launched in September To generate interest, several Southwestern professors were incorporated into the first service specifically, preaching professor Barry Mc- Carty and dean of the School of Church Music Leo Day. The rest of the semester, Kiesling alternated professors and students for the preachers. They were looking for a leader, and we were looking for a place to lead, Day says of the partnership. Wedgwood is known as an energetic congregation that sings, incorporating a variety of styles of Christian music, from classic hymns to contemporary Christian songs. Day s Platform Management class was incorporated into Sunday night worship, with each student required to lead some aspect of worship during the semester. The goal of the partnership was to leave students wellversed in the basics of worship leadership, whether they are making announcements, singing solos or performing other roles. Day continues, To teach stage presence, public speaking, how you greet people, what you wear, what you do with your hands. Many of our students had never addressed people from a platform. Kiesling also created a preaching critique committee of Wedgwood members who evaluate student performance. The spring semester program will launch on Feb. 11, Vice President for Student Services Kyle Walker will preach, with Day leading the worship. Preaching assignments for the semester will be allocated to Southwestern students enrolled in the Advanced Expository Preaching course, which has a preaching requirement. This partnership has been a blessing for both our church members and those students who have participated in the endeavor, Braswell says. It helps our congregation know that God is truly raising up many more men and women to advance the gospel.

12 12 TEXAS S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N JACKSONVILLE COLLEGE HOMECOMING INCLUDES RETURN OF OLD MAIN BELL By Erin Roach JACKSONVILLE The Old Main Bell, once a beloved symbol at Jacksonville College, has been repaired, rejuvenated and returned to campus. The celebration of the bell s return will be a highlight of this year s homecoming Feb The homecoming welcome will involve a short dedication service, and in the spring the local historical society will mark its return. Jacksonville College s Old Main was constructed in 1899 and razed in 1968 to accommodate modern structures. The Old Main Bell was housed in the tower of the building. This year s homecoming emphasis is on alumni who attended Jacksonville College in the years ending in 8 (1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998 and 2008). The program committee invites music ensembles, sports teams, cheerleaders, theater performers and other groups from these reunion classes to notify the alumni office by Feb. 1 if they want to participate in the homecoming program. Information and names for each group must be received in the alumni office by the Feb. 1 deadline to be placed on the program. Participating alumni will need to tell which group they are in and the contact person for their group. Register for Homecoming 2018 online at jacksonville-college.edu/alumni or by contacting the office of alumni relations at or jgalyean@jacksonville-college.edu. Lodging at local hotels will be offered at discounted rates. Click the accommodations link at 4Jacksonville College s Old Main was constructed in 1899 and razed in 1968 to accommodate modern structures. The Old Main Bell, which was housed in the tower of the building, has returned to campus and will be dedicated during Homecoming 2018 Feb CHURCH POSITIONS PASTOR u Fairdale BC is seeking a FT pastor. Church is located approximately 20 miles south of Hemphill, TX. Send resume to office@ fairdale.org or via mail to Fairdale Baptist Church at 4820 Fairdale Road, Hemphill, TX u FBC Grapeland is seeking a FT senior pastor to lead a congregation of approximately 125. Must be an ordained Baptist pastor who can demonstrate strength in Biblical preaching/teaching and leadership skills. Send resume to PastorSearchFBCGrapeland@gmail.com. u Bellevue BC in Hurst is seeking a FT pastor. Resumes will be received until March 31. Please send resume to bbcpsc6@gmail.com. u Crestview BC in Lamesa is in search of a FT pastor. A three bedroom parsonage is provided. Send resume to jerrybarnes59@ hotmail.com or to Crestview Baptist Church, PO Box 818, Lamesa, TX u FBC Winona is seeking a FT pastor. Seminary degree preferred. Submit resumes to sparker@winonafbc.org or to First Baptist Church of Winona, PO Box 189, Winona, TX u Southmayd BC, an SBTC church one hour north of Dallas in a rural community, is seeking a FT pastor. Send resume to smaydbaptist@ gmail.com or Attn: Pastor Search Committee, PO Box 8, Southmayd, TX u FBC Rocksprings is seeking a FT pastor. Some experience, education and youth ministry very important. Parsonage is provided. Please send resumes to: First Baptist Church Rocksprings, PO Box 438, Rocksprings, TX or fbc@swtexas.net. u Sherwood BC in Odessa is seeking a FT senior pastor. Must be a Southern STATE NEWS Baptist ordained minister. Some seminary training preferred. Please send resume to pastorsearchteam@sbcodessa.org. u Plainview BC in Krum is seeking a senior pastor. Send resume to Bart Mosley at bart@ pbckrum.org. u FBC Fairfield is seeking a FT senior pastor. cover letter and resume to pastorsearch@fbcfairfield.org. u Calvary BC in Childress is seeking a FT pastor; bi-vocational may be considered. Parsonage is provided. Experience and education a plus. Send resume to CBC Pastor Search Committee, 1606 Ave I NW, Childress, TX or to sardweir@msn.com. u FBC Lillian, south of Mansfield, is seeking a bi-vocational or FT pastor. Send resume to dfuller43@yahoo.com. u Lovera BC, San Antonio, is seeking a PT pastor/shepherd. LBC adheres to the 2000 BF&M and is affiliated with the San Antonio Baptist Association. Send resume to Lovera Baptist Church, 333 Lovera Blvd, San Antonio, TX or LoveraBaptistChurch@ yahoo.com. u FBC of Thorp Spring is searching for a bivocational pastor. Send resume to: First Baptist Church of Thorp Spring, c/o Donald Atchison, 2815 Lipan Hwy, Granbury TX u FBC Hamshire is seeking a FT pastor for a congregation of approximately 150. Seminary degree preferred. Submit resumes by to ronray354@aol.com or mail to FBC Hamshire Attn: Ron Flickinger, PO Box 369, Hamshire, TX MUSIC u Coulter Road BC is seeking a man to lead in worship. We are a choir-led blended environment of 200+ people. Send resume to Aaron Summers at asummers@coulterbc.com. u Jaguar Preview Day 2018 at Jacksonville College is Feb. 24. Pastors, church staff, parents, alumni and friends are encouraged to bring high school seniors for an introduction to the campus. For details, contact admissions at or admissions@jacksonville-college.edu. u The free, eighth annual, Crisis Preparation and Sustainable Living Expo is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, inside and outside (weather permitting) at Little Cypress Baptist Church, 3274 Little Cypress Dr. in Orange, where David Turner is pastor. Thirty or more exhibits and classes will be offered at no cost. See littlecypressbaptist.org for more information. COMBINATION u Fellowship Baptist in Tallahassee, FL, seeks a FT minister of music and missions. Applicant must be proficient in leading musical worship that is theologically sound and done well, whether traditional or contemporary. Choral leading experience needed; some instrumental skill preferred. Missions component includes coordinating missions efforts. Submit resume to musicministrysearch@fellowshipbaptist.org. u Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA, is searching for a FT associate pastor of children and family ministries. resume to mhardaway@pbcbr.org. YOUTH u FBC Liberty City is searching for a FT youth minister. Send resume to youthsearch@ fbclibertycity.com. u Forest Home BC in Kilgore is accepting resumes for a FT student minister. Mail resume to Forest Home Baptist Church, PO Box 1340, Kilgore, TX or to fhbckilgore@cablelynx.com. u Cross View BC in Texarkana is accepting resumes for the position of youth pastor. This position will possibly evolve into an associate pastor role. Please send resume to Cross View Baptist Church, Attn: Youth Search Committee, 3268 N FM 2148, Texarkana, TX u Southside BC in Bowie is seeking a FT youth minister for 6th-12th graders. Send resume to therog@att.net. Within commuting distance to DFW and Wichita Falls. Established youth program and very supportive congregation. u FBC Centerville is currently seeking a FT youth pastor. Send resume to Jamie Ferguson at jeferguson918@gmail.com or call u FBC of Stinnett is seeking a FT youth pastor. Please send resume to fbcstinnett@att.net or FBC, PO Box 1316, Stinnett, TX u Harmony BC in Weatherford is searching for a minister to students K-12. Please see harmonybc.org for more information. Resume should be sent to lynncrosslin@gmail.com. u FB Flat is looking for a bi-vocational youth pastor. Send resume and pastoral recommendation to pastorfbcflat@gmail.com or call Pastor Floyd Brown at u Meadowbrook BC in Rockdale is seeking an associate pastor of youth. Church located across the street from high school. Seminary preferred. Send resume to pastorsteve@meadowbrookrockdale.org. u Trinity BC in Longview is accepting resumes for a student minister. Both fully vocational and bi-vocational candidates will be considered. Please resume to trinity8286@gmail.com. u Flower Mound FBC is prayerfully seeking a PT student ministry leader to lead its student ministry, which includes middle school and high school students. Call for more information. Send resume to Flower Mound First Baptist, 1901 Timber Creek Rd, Flower Mound, TX or office@fmfb.church. u Joaquin FB is seeking a PT youth minister. Please respond to jpsilvey@gmx.com or send resume to Joaquin First Baptist, PO Box 948, Joaquin, TX u FBC Buffalo is seeking a FT youth minister. Master s level is preferred. Evangelistic/team player who loves students. agrisham@fbcbuffalo.org. CHILDREN u Meadows BC in Plano is seeking a FT children s pastor. Call to find out more about the position. Submit resume to Scott Fenton at scott@meadowsbaptist.org. u Hays Hills BC in Buda is seeking a FT children s minister. Bachelor s degree and a minimum of two years children s ministry experience required; prefer candidates with an M.A. in Family Ministry. Total compensation 49k. Send resume to kidsministry@hayshills.com. u FBC Lillian, south of Mansfield, is searching for a PT children s minister. Send resume to dfuller43@yahoo.com. u Plymouth Park BC in Irving is searching for a PT minister of children and young families. Please submit resume to Larry Davis at ldavis@plymouthpark.org. OTHER u Seeking director of church mobilization for Gregg Baptist Association/East Texas Baptist Network. Pastoral experience required. Send resumes to: etxbaptistnetwork@gmail.com. u Balboa BC, Hot Springs Village, AR is receiving resumes for an associate pastor administrator. Information can be found at balboabaptist.church/who-we-are/employment or call the church office at u The Creath-Brazos Baptist Association is searching for a FT director of missions. Please direct inquiries to cbba.org/cdomsearch. u Eisenhauer Road BC in San Antonio is accepting resumes for a church secretary. Please send your resume to erbcsa-admin@sanantonio.twcbc.com.

13 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T TEXAS 13 GOD S PROVISION WAS ON DISPLAY AT PASTOR S CAR FIRE By Karen L. Willoughby MIDLAND God provided pastor James Salisbury with an exit ramp, a seven-man angel army and a replacement vehicle when his 2002 Chevy Trailblazer burst into flames near Midland on Christmas Eve. Until then, Salisbury was peacefully making a routine two-and-a-half-hour trip home to Odessa from his bivocational pastorate at Sylvester (Texas) Baptist Church. He didn t have the radio on because his traveling companions, cats Buddy and Daisy, didn t like the noise. He wasn t eating or drinking. He was just intent on getting home to spend Christmas Eve with his wife at a candlelight service at First Baptist Church in Odessa. It was about 4 p.m. when everything happened, Salisbury told the Southern Baptist TEXAN. I was just focused on staying on the road because traffic was quite heavy on I-20. Shortly before the incident I did lose my power steering, but I didn t associate that with anything but maybe losing a fan belt, the pastor said. There was no noise. Then I noticed the alternator gauge showed a discharge on the battery, which was another indication that it was the fan belt. I knew if I stopped I might I m just rejoicing at how good God is. He s wonderful. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and friends from my days at Jacksonville College have just showered me with encouragement, support and love. I m so thankful. I m just so thankful. JAMES SALISBURY, PASTOR SYLVESTER BAPTIST CHURCH never get it started again, and I wanted to get home, Salisbury said. I first saw smoke in my rear-view mirror, and I thought, Is that me? And then the engine just quit. No noise. I coasted off an exit ramp to a service road. With no brakes, he coasted to a stop and rolled down the driver s and front passenger windows, but that was the last of the vehicle s battery power. With the electric door locks engaged, he was unable to exit the small SUV. By then I knew I needed to get out, Salisbury said. Smoke was coming out from under the hood, and then in through the air conditioning vents. Then flames, orange and yellow. Traffic had stopped well back from the vehicle, which others could see was on fire, but three men exited their vehicles and ran near Salisbury s. Hey, mister, get out! one of them yelled. I can t! Salisbury yelled back. And then, three men ran up to help. I m a big man, 6 foot and 280 pounds. It took all three of them to haul me out the window, Salisbury said. By now the front passenger side of the Trailblazer was totally engulfed in a thick black smoke, and flames were licking the front of the vehicle and the driver s side front wheel well. Four more men ran up, and one asked, Is there anything you need from the car? Just my two cats, my insulin and my luggage and Christmas presents, Salisbury said. The men broke windows, retrieved the items, and seconds later the entire car was engulfed in flames. Twenty minutes had passed since he had first noticed there was an issue with the SUV that in 14 years had never given him a problem. I can t really tell you their names because I don t know who they were, the pastor said. Just Dee. He called my wife with his phone. Salisbury wasn t thinking about the phone in the pocket of the jacket he was wearing. I was just concerned for all the people around there, in case the car exploded, because I had half a I m going to preach about God s goodness, and how that ought to cause us to stop and think how we are to live for him in this new year, Salisbury said before delivering his first sermon in Within a week or two after escaping his vehicle when it caught on fire, Southern Baptist friends rallied to find a replacement vehicle (pictured below) suitable for ministry in his community. tank of gas, eight or nine gallons at least. The police arrived within five minutes, an ambulance shortly after that, and then the fire department. By then, the fire had melted the rubber off the driver s side front tire, and what had been a white SUV was now a mottled gray frame. Things really didn t get scary until the next morning, and then it dawned on me how close I had come to going home and being with the Lord, the 70-year-old Salisbury said. I m just rejoicing at how good God is. He s wonderful. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and friends from my days at Jacksonville College have just showered me with encouragement, support and love. I m so thankful. I m just so thankful. From the time he was a teenager, Salisbury has known T.C. Melton, who today is a field consultant in West Texas for the SBTC. Since surrendering to the ministry in 1968, Salisbury said, Bro. T.C. has been an off-and-on mentor in my life and ministry. When he heard about what Salisbury calls the incident, Melton put out the word that a replacement vehicle was needed. A couple at an SBTC-affiliated church had an extra vehicle and were praying about what God wanted them to do with it. They were able to give it to Salisbury. They told me, God bless you, and that when they heard of my need they knew right away I was the one to give it to, Salisbury said. I just praise God for his goodness and how he has blessed me and my wife Carley. It was far above what I could imagine at the time would come from this incident. The Lord just worked it all out, the pastor said. It has eight passenger seats, and I couldn t have asked anything better for ministry. I can use it in taking people to camp or wherever. Whatever the need, I m more than equipped right now. Mark Van Horn, a 40-year mechanic and owner of a trucking firm, told the TEXAN that what happened to the Trailblazer sounded like a broken fan belt that instead of just breaking free, got caught on something and friction from the rubbing started the fire. I tell my drivers, when your headlights go dim or you start losing voltage, stop and check it out, Van Horn said.

14 14 TEXAS S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N PARAMOUNT SHARPENS ITS MISSIONS FOCUS By Karen L. Willoughby AMARILLO Andrew Hebert didn t let his newness in the pulpit of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo stop him. What some termed a sleeping giant has clearly awakened. Attendance is up. Baptisms, up. Membership, up. And giving is way up. Missions is my heartbeat, Hebert told the Southern Baptist TEXAN. This year we have seen something very special happen with our missions giving. In 2016, Paramount members gave around $3,000 to missions through the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions, the pastor said. In 2017, it was more than $55,000. In 2016, Paramount members gave $40,000 to missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. In 2017, as of yesterday we have raised more than $191,000, Hebert (pronounced A-bear) said the first week of January When I got to Paramount [in December 2016 from Hobbs, N.M.] part of my heartbeat for missions was that not only we would go, not only that we would pray, but that we would give big, the pastor said. A church the size of Paramount we have about 1,050 in worship now has tremendous resources. Our desire is to leverage our resources for God s global mission. I challenged the church to give more than they ever gave before, Hebert said. Our goal was $150,000, and $40,000 was the most they d ever raised before [for the Lottie Moon offering], but the church rose to the challenge. They met $150,000 and continued to give. It s a huge thing for our church, Hebert said. It means the church is waking up. It s a sign our church is coming alive. Not that it was dead. The pastor raved about two longtime, unique and successful ministries of Paramount Amarillo. For several decades, the church has had a thriving ministry to nearly 100 special Andrew Hebert needs adults, as well as to their families. They have programs and ministries all year long, Hebert said. Special needs adults are almost like an unreached people group in most places, but here they re welcomed and cared about. Their families appreciate it. For at least the last two decades, Paramount has had a fruitful ministry through its ESL English as a Second Language program, which has more than 330 students from 28 nations attending free classes that each week include a gospel message. We ve seen many people come to Christ, Hebert said. Nobody associates Amarillo with this, but we have taken in more refugees per capita than anywhere else in Texas. We have two refugee resettlement centers here, and the IMB s Global Research Data Center says we have 271 people groups in Amarillo. Paramount Amarillo also has a history of sending missionaries and now has nearly a dozen families serving with the IMB and other groups, Hebert said. Nonetheless, the church s budget allocations did not reflect its commitment to the Cooperative Program, the pastor noticed. Despite line item giving to the IMB, NAMB, SBTC and other missions organizations, there was no line item for the Cooperative Program. I think the church was ready. Sacrificial giving breeds sacrificial giving. SBTC has a 55/45 Cooperative Program split. That s the highest percentage of any state convention. So our state convention is giving sacrificially. I see that and want to see our church give sacrificially. ANDREW HEBERT, PASTOR PARAMOUNT BAPTIST CHURCH, AMARILLO Paramount s English as a Second Language (ESL) classes attract more than 330 students from 28 nations who receive free language instruction and hear the gospel. Amy Hebert, the pastor s wife, teaches ESL students in Paramount s language ministry. We looked at our missions budget and streamlined it, Hebert said. We were giving a little bit of money to a lot of things. I really believe in cooperative missions. I believe we can do more together than we can apart. I showed them the need and the value of giving to the Cooperative Program, and the church unanimously approved, Hebert said. With its direct giving, in 2016 Paramount gave $12,000 to the SBTC. In 2017, with the switch to giving to missions through the Cooperative Program, that increased to more than $140,000 overall, with $127,000 of that amount given through the SBTC. I think the church was ready, Hebert said. Sacrificial giving breeds sacrificial giving. SBTC has a 55/45 Cooperative Program split. That s the highest percentage of any state convention. So our state convention is giving sacrificially. I see that and want to see our church give sacrificially. That trickles down to personal giving, he said. If you show the people you re not interested in stockpiling financial resources, it breeds generosity in the people themselves. In recent years, Paramount has had two mission congregations in Amarillo, one deaf and the other Hispanic. Both became self-sustaining congregations within the past year. That s when Paramount reached out to help plant Journey Point Fellowship in Denver. Paramount also is in partnership with the IMB in a global city in the NAME North Africa Middle East region. Our mission statement is to be a diverse church united to make disciples, said Hebert, who earned an EdD in 2015 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in leadership and discipleship. My desire in the next five years is to flesh that out, to be racially and generationally diverse but united to make disciples in the neighborhood and the nations. It starts with making disciples, he said. Treasuring Jesus more than anything else is the essence of being a disciple. Update on First Rockwall s giving By Karen L. Willoughby ROCKWALL When all the dollars and cents were counted, First Baptist Church in Rockwall brought in even more for its annual World Missions Offering than was reported in the January issue of the Southern Baptist TEXAN. The original offering on the actual day was $1,132,391, Pastor Steve Swofford said. Over the next week it went up to $1,206,000, which is what was divided up and sent in. Seventy percent of the offering was sent to the International Mission Board, 20 percent to the North American Mission Board and 10 percent to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention for its Reach Texas state missions offering. In addition to its World Missions Offering, First Rockwall allocates 18 percent of its operating budget to missions through the Cooperative Program.

15 February 2018 T E X A N O N L I N E. N E T MISSIONS 15 IF ALASKA IS ON YOUR MIND TO SERVE AS A PASTOR... By Karen L. Willoughby ANCHORAGE, Alaska Alaska is in dire need of committed pastors to serve Christ, said Rob Scott, who never lived outside North Carolina before attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Scott, who has been in a remote area of Alaska since 2009 as pastor of Dillingham Bible Fellowship, moved to the state because it s a place that prefers function to form, and that s a fairly good description of me, too. I am here because there are too few presently serving Christ in rural Alaska. While there are innumerable rewards in serving in Alaska, the challenges must not be underestimated, Scott said. As a pastor in the bush, he has been called upon to serve as a mortician and a grave digger. Until you dig a 6-foot hole in frozen ground, you haven t faced adversity. But being fitted for a ministry task and then accomplishing it is fulfilling, Scott said. Progress has come slowly, but it is rewarding to have seen progress at all. Mark Goodman, pastor of Rabbit Creek Church in Anchorage, grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and graduated from Baylor University yet Alaska has been his mission field for 16 years. Pastoring in Alaska requires an openness to adjustments, Goodman told Baptist Press, acknowledging that the winters are long, cold and dark. The distance is quite far from the lower 48, requiring expensive travel to visit family and friends. The population is highly transient, so one has to expect the relocation of friends to other states. But he absolutely loves serving in Alaska. Much reward exists when men, women and children choose to follow Jesus, especially since most Alaskans are not Christian and are unchurched. While the transient nature of Alaska tends to allow for shortened stays for newly-made friends, it also leads to the opportunity to meet new people on a regular basis, offering regular ministry opportunities, Goodman said. The Alaskan people are friendly. It is rewarding to see God s beautiful creation: mountains, oceans, moose, brown and black bears, salmon, halibut, Dall sheep and much more. The nearly-allday-and-night sunshine summers are quite a treat. Much reward exists when men, women and children choose to follow Jesus, especially since most Alaskans are not Christian and are unchurched. MARK GOODMAN, PASTOR OF RABBIT CREEK CHURCH IN ANCHORAGE Randy Covington, executive director of the Alaska Baptist Convention, concurs that Alaska requires an adventuresome spirit in a sportsman s paradise. Summers are short but beautiful, and the daylight hours are long, which is conducive to getting out of doors and enjoying the beauty. On the flipside, winters are long, the days are short with little sunshine and the cold temperatures force people to remain indoors most of the time, said Covington, who grew up in Alaska. Usually the men adjust well to the conditions, but wives and children find it much harder. Eventually everyone begins to feel the isolation and distance from family in the lower 48. The pastors and their families who remain are motivated by the commitment to the call to serve the Lord regardless of the harsh and difficult circumstances, Covington said. In the course of a year, Covington receives up to 30 resumes from pastoral candidates in southern states, but only two or three ever make it to Alaska, the nation s largest and most sparsely populated state. Churches in Alaska are doubtful about calling a pastor from the South to serve in Alaska, Covington said. Most of them have seen many pastors come and go with very Randy Covington, executive director of the Alaska Baptist Convention, said the frontier state s difficult circumstances make finding church leaders challenging, but when the call of God is strong and heeded, fruitful ministry is possible. PHOTO BY ADAM COVINGTON When Alaska pastor Rob Scott and his family hunted and killed a moose, it provided about 400 pounds of meat to offset their grocery bill in a rural area where supplies are costly. The nation s most sparsely populated state has a dire need for committed pastors, Scott says. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB SCOTT short tenures. Their search usually begins within the state, but qualified candidates in-state are pretty rare. Goodman advises potential pastors to invest in good outdoor gear and learn to enjoy winter activities like downhill skiing, crosscountry skiing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, fat tire biking and snow machining. There are ways to cope with the long winters, said Goodman, who is married with three children. Before he moved to Alaska, a friend advised him to join a gym. Those were wise words, he said. Anyone moving to Alaska needs to stay physically active and commit to a healthy lifestyle. Those commitments help individuals cope with dark winter days. Scott sees a high level of spiritual apathy among Alaskans, and few areas of the United States value social isolation as much as Alaska. Difficulty in outreach is easily the most mentioned challenge in my conversations with pastors across the state, he said. In bush communities such the one Scott serves, the cost of living is significant because of the freight cost for every item consumed. Dillingham is a hub community served by barges from June to September, which is fortunate, Scott said. Otherwise, all items are delivered air-freight and the cost is approximately $1 per pound to Dillingham from Anchorage. In 2009, Scott paid $7.69 per gallon for gasoline, but today it s $4.29, and it feels free by comparison. It s not uncommon for a wintertime heating bill to be $1,000 per month. If a person is considering moving to rural Alaska to pastor, it s almost essential that he is open to being a handyman, Scott said, noting, Repairing and maintaining normal items falls mostly to the owner. It is simply not possible to call a plumber, electrician, mechanic or carpenter. Some rural parts of Alaska can be violent, Scott said. His region suffers from physical and sexual assault, narcotic drug use, alcohol and suicide, but the violence is altogether perpetrated among family and friends, so he and his wife and daughter feel safe in their community. Covington said the state convention has three communities in southeast Alaska places like Juneau, Petersburg and Sitka with established churches that are searching for a pastor. These cities are remote and are not on the main road system. You can only reach them by boat or plane, Covington said. They can only afford a bi-vocational pastor, but job possibilities are very limited, especially if the candidate doesn t have a marketable skill or vocational training. Alaskans are open to hearing a gospel witness, Covington said, recounting a time when he was browsing in a familyowned gun shop. The wife approached me and recognized me from the local church. She said she wanted to talk more about getting involved in church. Later, I visited her at home and shared the gospel with her, and she prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord, Covington said. She was baptized and began attending regularly when her husband admitted he had become a Christian at an early age, but had not been walking closely with the Lord. When he saw her commitment, he was challenged to get his relationship with the Lord right. He had a reputation for sharing amazing hunting and fishing stories with colorful language to customers who frequented their store, Covington said. He immediately knew he couldn t do that anymore, but realized the need to share about his faith. He even began hanging verses of Scripture throughout his store, not the least concerned that he might be alienating these rugged sportsmen. Rather than alienating them, he discovered that they wanted to know why he had changed so drastically. He became a strong witness and eventually began serving as a deacon in our church. He was a man s man but earned the respect of believers and nonbelievers alike. In time, his son and daughter and their spouses became followers of Christ and now their grandchildren are getting involved in international missions.

16 16 MISSIONS S O U T H E R N B A P T I S T T E X A N FACTORY OR HORSEBACK, BIVOCATIONAL PASTOR THRIVES Talking to Elsa Wells and Cory Kroeker (right) and everyone else is Don Mayberry s goal when the bivocational cowboy church pastor goes to work at one of three BG Products facilities in Kansas conversations that lead to more serious talks back in the chaplain s office. PHOTO BY SUE SPRENKLE By Sue Sprenkle Baptist Press AUGUSTA, KAN. Each workstation is a flurry of activity. Plastic bottles stream down the conveyer belts. Hands reach out to adjust each bottle to face the same direction before they go to plastic wrap. Across the floor, someone shouts above the rickety-racket to shut down one of the machines and reload. Don Mayberry walks through the factory s maze of machines and activity, stopping to talk to each person. He asks about family, the latest sports event or simply how their day is going. His conversations with coworkers inevitably end in smiles, laughter and lighthearted teasing along with his trademark fist bump or the occasional side-hug. It s the same at the cowboy church Mayberry pastors in Augusta, Kan. The bivocational pastor spends three 10-hour days a week working as BG Products chaplain in three different plants while also pastoring Three Wooden Crosses, or 3WC. His days can get pretty long, especially on Wednesdays when he works all day at BG and then rushes to 3WC s youth group. It s not uncommon to go from counseling a vice president of the international auto supply company to sitting atop his horse and sharing the story of Joseph with local ranchers and cowboys all within a few hours. It sounds like a lot of work but I love it, Don says. It s the Lord. He put these two jobs together that I just love. Pastors working two jobs are not the exception but the norm in the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. David Manner, KNCSB associate executive director, counts 279 bivocational pastors (60 percent of pastorates) throughout the two-state area. Mayberry and his wife Sherry have only been working in bivocational ministry for four years. The veteran pastor of 35 years spent most of his time working as a fulltime pastor in Illinois and Kansas or as the Illinois Baptist State Association s director of missions. Their plan had always been to start a cowboy church when they retired, but God had other plans. When he relayed the dream to his wife, they knew they couldn t wait any longer and that bivocational ministry was the way to meet their needs and follow God s calling. Mayberry says the country, for many years, ignored rural America and walked away from them. Many small-town grocery stores dried up. Schools consolidated. Bivocational ministry is a way to fill this void and bring Christ to these small communities. Our cowboy church has stepped up as an alternative for the local farmers and ranchers. 3WC is a gathering spot for the community, with its big metal building that doubles as a church at the front and an indoor arena for bull riding and goat roping at the back. It s so busy that Sherry, who also holds a fulltime job to help make ends meet, admits she sometimes wishes for a rainout. We are here every weekend with some event, Sherry says with a laugh at her own honesty. The nice thing is that we aren t the only ones here, she says, motioning to two women working with her in the kitchen. When you have a bivocational pastor, the congregation really has to step up and be more involved. Mayberry readily admits that rural churches like 3WC need bivocational pastors because they can t afford to pay a fulltime salary. Most of the church members equity is tied up in land and livestock. 3WC members are easy to spot working around the arena and church they wear red shirts effortlessly interacting, for example, with the cowboys and families at the final roping event of the season. Sitting in the middle of the activity atop his horse is Mayberry, preaching from his perch and riding from cowboy to cowboy teasing and asking about their families, leaving them with a fist-bump goodbye. He prays with a woman for her son then gives her a side-hug. A visiting roper watches the exchange and asks a red-shirted church member, Is that man really a preacher? They glance at Mayberry loping around the arena. Yep, the church member says, adding an invitation to 3WC s church services. You ll feel comfortable. He s just a regular guy like us. He works two jobs, too. FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, BE READY. When the time is right and the Spirit moves, will you be ready to give an answer for the hope you have in Jesus Christ? Being ready requires more than taking classes; it requires training your mind with the Word of God and finding answers to the difficult questions you are sure to face. Wherever God calls you, Southwestern can equip you. BE READY. SWBTS.EDU