june 2017 texan

How much should pastors be paid?

June 2017

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Texas education science standards & evolution 24

The reason the world is watching ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ 19

Tony Wolfe named new director of pastor/church relations

Newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention N MORE NEWS AT TEXANONLINE.NET

By Tammi Reed Ledbetter Special Assignments Editor

S P E C I A L R E P O RT: D I S C I P L E S H I P

In the SBC, making disciples is getting some welcome attention By Jerry Pierce TEXAN Correspondent

When the Southern Baptist Convention meets in Dallas in 2018, a discipleship task force will issue a report recommending ways the denomination’s churches can better fulfill that central task of Christ’s Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28.

MAKE DISCIPLES

“GO, THEREFORE, AND

OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND REMEMBER, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS,

TO THE END OF THE AGE.” —MATTHEW 28:19-20, CSB

W BT SP HO TO

When Jesus gave his disciples their most significant job assignment, he emphasized making disciples of all kinds of people.

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The renewed attention to making disciples comes at a spiritually opportune time: The denomination has been seeking ways to reverse declining baptisms in an increasingly secular culture while holding to its biblical moorings.

If churches can produce New Testament disciples, more baptisms and new disciples should follow, the Southwestern Journal of Theology contended in a 2009 issue that examined Christian discipleship.

Genuine disciple-making provides “a powerful apologetic that enhances the success of the preaching of the gospel,” Benjamin B. Phillips, assistant professor of systematic theolSee DISCIPLESHIP, 12

SAN ANTONIO A new

director of Pastor/Church Relations begins serving the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention this month after the Executive Board approved the action April 25 in San Antonio. Tony Wolfe comes to the new assignment from Antioch Baptist Church in Lovelady, where he pastored for the past five years. “We commit them to you for a new vision, a new empowerment for the duties incumbent on their responsibilities as they look to encourage the pastors,” prayed SBTC Executive Director Jim Richards after the unanimous vote was taken. Previously, Wolfe led music ministries at Calvary Baptist Church in Rosenberg, First Baptist Church in Littlefield, Ridgewood Baptist Church in Port Arthur, and Northside Baptist Church in Denham Springs, La. “We love the pastors and the churches of the SBTC,” Wolfe said in sharing his experience in an SBTC church. “The potential of serving, supporting and connecting pastors and churches of this great state convention is just such an honor for me.” See WOLFE, 10

SBTC DR volunteers serve in wake of deadly East Texas tornadoes By Jane Rodgers TEXAN Correspondent CANTON

SBTC DR chaplain John Fuller and his wife, BJ, pray with a family whose home was destroyed by a tornado in Van Zandt county. PHOTO BY JANE RODGERS

Even before the last of six tornadoes hit Van Zandt and surrounding counties east of Dallas on the afternoon of Monday, May 1, SBTC disaster relief teams assembled in Canton under the supervision of white hat, or incident commander, Daniel White. Crossroads Church of Canton hosted SBTC volunteers, providing accommodations, meals, and a highly visible place to park the DR command center, comSee DR, 2

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munications trailer, laundry and shower unit, and other equipment. The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes—two EF-0s, with winds from 65 to 85 mph, and two EF-3s, with winds from 136 to 165 mph—cut a deadly swath through parts of Van Zandt, Henderson and Rains counties on Saturday, April 29. The following Monday, an EF-0 tornado struck near Cumby, Texas, and an EF-2 again hit portions of Van Zandt county. Four people were killed and dozens injured during the storms. One area man stopped off Tuesday with a donation of nearly $200 for victims, which White delivered to Crossroads pastor Mark Robinson to dispense to those in need.

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“The man said, ‘We took this up in our community. Use it where it is needed,’” said SBTC DR Director Scottie Stice, adding that they’re grateful even for “a widow’s mite kind of gift.” Stice confirmed 36 SBTC volunteers were on site in Canton by Tuesday. “This is one of the quickest responses to a disaster we have ever seen,” White said. “So much came together so fast. It’s not about how many trees we cut but about people, telling them about the love of Jesus Christ.” By the time the deployment ended on May 13, more than 346 volunteer days were logged as some 25-35 DR personnel per day completed 79 work orders by tarping roofs, clearing debris and doing chainsaw work on damaged and downed trees. SBTC chaplains and crews made dozens of spiritual contacts, resulting in nine professions of faith, Stice added.

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“Many families were helped with the clearing of trees and debris. Canton has served as a great example of how SBTC disaster relief volunteers are able to minister to spiritual needs as well as meet physical needs,” Stice said. White cap Mike Benton praised all volunteers, noting one group from Bellville, Texas, who were particularly skilled in climbing as high as 35 feet in the air to reach large broken limbs that could prove hazardous. “They did a lot of good work. They cut limbs from trees and handled the ‘widow makers’ [dangerous limbs] that were our biggest concern,” Benton said, adding that crews used their training in rigging to prevent some limbs from dropping on houses. As teams completed the work in East Texas, SBTC DR crews turned their attention to other states and began deployments to Missouri and Arkansas to help with flood relief.

sbtexan

SBTC disaster relief chaplain Wayne Barber hands a children’s Bible to a young girl whose house was damaged by a tornado in East Texas. PHOTO BY JANE RODGERS

For more information on how to give or volunteer, visit sbtexas.com/evangelism/disaster-relief/how-to-help.

SBTC DR chaplains convey hope along path of East Texas tornadoes

SBTC DR chaplain John Fuller and his wife, BJ, pray with a family whose home was destroyed by a tornado in Van Zandt county. PHOTO BY JANE RODGERS By Jane Rodgers TEXAN Correspondent CANTON SBTC disaster relief teams converged upon East Texas May 1, bringing spiritual encouragement in addition to chainsaws and tarping equipment to assist victims of six tornadoes that devastated parts of Van Zandt, Henderson and Rains counties the previous weekend. SBTC DR chaplains in East Texas saw nine professions of faith and made dozens of spiritual contacts and presentations of the gospel in the early days of the deployment. Chaplains John and BJ Fuller didn’t have to travel far to respond to the emergency. They have lived between Canton and Grand Saline since 1992 and attend Crossroads Church, the site of the SBTC DR command center. The tornadoes hit close to home, affecting neighbors and friends. John and BJ invited the TEXAN to ride along Tuesday, May 2, as they assessed damage, filled out work orders and shared the hope of Christ.

The Fullers’ road to involvement in DR came through their work in prison ministry were they met Darryl Cason, then SBTC director of chaplains, who asked them to attend the first SBTC DR chaplain training, BJ said. The couple’s early joint deployments ranged from work as shelter chaplains for evacuees from Hurricane Ike to work in Tuscaloosa, Ala., following tornadoes. “We do everything together,” BJ said. As John drove along Van Zandt County Road 2318, he stopped the truck at a manufactured home. The homeowner, Todd Gamel, waved from the backyard as his wife, Peggy, walked onto the front porch. “You don’t have a tree on your house, you have a tree through your house,” John humorously told Peggy after an initial visual inspection. Inside, the Fullers saw an enormous tree trunk jutting through a gaping hole in the roof. Stepping over shredded insulation, BJ assessed the damage as the two couples

chatted. The Gamels said they attend a local cowboy church. “God smiled on us,” Todd remarked, explaining they were not home during the twister. BJ and John prayed with the couple and continued along VZCR 2318. The Fullers stopped at an address supplied by a woman who earlier visited the command center. Her extended family sat in the yard beside a gray brick house, its red shutters still affixed to walls askew like so many toppled children’s blocks. The roof was a matchstick jumble of cracked rafters and joists. BJ filled out a work order and talked to the homeowner before both Fullers prayed with the family. The Fullers were next directed down the street to the home of Vicky Germany. Here the damage was minimal, and BJ noted a small tarp job as a top priority, with rain in the forecast. Germany explained neighbors had already repaired fencing to contain her cattle, chickens, hogs and goats. Germany’s relative, a woman whose mobile home down the street was destroyed, told her story. The woman’s three children, ages 6-13, were in the trailer only moments before the tornado struck. Germany,

a vendor at First Monday Trade Days, said she was huddled in the fairground’s restroom when her grandson rushed to bring the children to her brick home. The tornado hit four minutes later. “I texted my mom and grandma, ‘I love you. I’m gonna die,’” said 10-year-old Elizabeth Ball, admitting she was screaming too loudly to hear the tornado. A final stop down a nearby county road occurred when BJ spied Margie, a middle-aged Hispanic woman in T-shirt and jeans working in the yard beside a modest home. A massive tree blocked the doorway. As they stopped the truck, BJ explained to Margie that DR chainsaw crews could remove the tree at no charge and offered to create a work order. Margie told the Fullers she has three children, all in college. She said she loves God and knows she can pray directly to him. John presented the gospel: “Me, you, the preacher, the Pope, we’ve all sinned. And the wages of sin is death.” Margie agreed. BJ asked to pray for Margie, closing with, “Father I pray blessings on this family, on this home. We might not see each other again on this earth, but one day we rejoice that we will be with you.”

The Fullers’ counterparts, veteran DR chaplain assessors Wayne and Ann Barber, drove out Wednesday morning in search of victims to assist. “We go where the Holy Spirit leads,” Wayne said. The Barbers stopped along Highway 64 at the home of a man who said he sometimes attended church. The man and his wife were home during the tornado, which carried off his carport. “It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to think,” he said. “Can I ask you something personal? If you lost your life in this tornado, where would you spend eternity?” Wayne asked. This question led to a gospel presentation, and the man prayed to receive Christ. Another stop took the Barbers to a damaged house where the homeowner gave Wayne permission to give her granddaughter a Bible. Along a private road, they struck up a 30-minute conversation with a homeowner, a veteran recovering from a motorcycle accident who received a Bible, prayer and encouragement as he shared his story, adding, “I need a little help for this hard time.” “We’re out here because we love Jesus and Jesus loves us. He loves you,” Wayne told him.

June 2017

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PRESTONWOOD RESUMES CP GIVING ‘WITHOUT DESIGNATION’ By David Roach Baptist Press PLANO Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano has announced it will resume giving through the Cooperative Program after two months of evaluating its support of Southern Baptist missions and ministries. “After a time of prayerful evaluation, Prestonwood is renewing our commitment to Southern Baptist missions by giving to the Cooperative Program without designation,” Prestonwood executive pastor Mike Buster told Baptist Press in a statement April 26. “For more than 40 years, Prestonwood has been a steadfast supporter of the Cooperative Program and its mission to advance the gospel through this vital giving program. We are grateful for the Southern Baptist Convention and our longtime ministry partnership and look forward to fulfilling the Great Commission together in the days ahead,” Buster said. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists’ shared funding strategy, traditionally given through state conven-

Jack Graham

tions and then onto national and worldwide Great Commission causes. SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page expressed gratefulness at the congregation’s announcement. “I am so delighted to hear of this news,” Page told BP in written comments. “In an earlier conversation with Dr. Graham, he promised that Prestonwood would be back in to CP sooner than later, and he is a man of his word.” Prestonwood had announced in midFebruary it would escrow CP funds

over “various significant positions taken by the leadership of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.” During the escrow period, the congregation said it would evaluate how to proceed with future financial support of SBC and state convention ministries. In a December 2016 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Prestonwood pastor Jack Graham, a former SBC president, alleged “disrespectfulness” by ERLC President Russell Moore toward evangelical supporters of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. In March, Moore and the ERLC executive committee released an extended statement “seeking unity in the Southern Baptist Convention.” Shortly after the ERLC’s statement was released, Graham tweeted, “This is a gracious and unifying statement from [Moore].” Responses to Prestonwood’s decision to escrow included a unanimous vote in February by the SBC Executive Committee’s CP Committee to create an ad hoc committee to “study and recommend redemptive solutions to the cur-

rent reality in Southern Baptist life of churches’ either escrowing or discontinuing Cooperative Program funds, with the report being brought back to the September 2017 Executive Committee meeting.” In response to an EC member’s request, the body’s officers also said they would “monitor the activities of our various Southern Baptist entities since our last convention ... in relation to how those activities might adversely affect” CP and “our churches and other stewardship structures of Southern Baptists.” The EC had received reports of other churches taking actions similar to Prestowood’s, BP reported previously. EC chairman Stephen Rummage told the SBC This Week podcast in March a decision by Prestonwood to resume CP giving could indicate resolution of “most of the concerns that have been raised by the [Executive] Committee.” Prestonwood appears representative of other concerned congregations, said Rummage, pastor of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla.

Annual 5K serves as reunion for foster/adoptive families By Tammi Reed Ledbetter Special Assignments Editor WAXAHACHIE The annual 5K run benefiting the Texas Baptist Home for Children appeared more like a family reunion than a hurried rush to the finish line the morning of April 22. Foster moms and dads, adoptive parents, and scores of children traveled in clusters

along the trail bordering Waxahachie’s Getzender Park. The 180 runners and walkers included grandparents and friends from area communities who joined the families for whom the race was a personal expression of gratitude for the opportunity to help children coming out of difficult circumstances. “Everyone was very enthusiastic and

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came together as a team to make this an outstanding event,” reported Randy Odom, executive vice president for the 117-year old agency with offices in Waxahachie and Bedford. Foster dad Clay Fisher served as the unofficial motivational coach for runners and walkers alike, navigating his golf cart alongside the path of participants, occasionally pausing to retrieve a worn out kid or a struggling adult. “You can do it! Only six more miles!” he hollered to one couple approaching the halfway mark. For the less fit among the runners he gave encouraging high fives, yelling, “Good job! Good job!” Fisher was on his way to being certified as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, planning to volunteer to guide children in need of placement through the foster care system to find safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. “I got all the way to the swearing in part, and then I felt God call me to do foster parenting,” he said. He and his wife have cared for 52 foster kids over the course of six or seven years, happy to tell stories of lives changed through adoption ministry. “In most of our cases I feel like God put them there, and it’s worked out. I always pray that God will put them in just the right spot.” TBH serves foster children as well as children waiting for permanent homes through adoption. Abba’s Heart is an extension of the pro-family ministry, helping women who are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. Private adoption services are offered in coordination with birth families that voluntarily place their children for adoption by TBH adoptive families. The ministry is funded by the Baptist Missionary Association, Texas Depart-

ment of Family and Protective Services, and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, as well as churches, businesses, and individuals. Next year’s event will return to the usual third Saturday in January. For more information, call the Waxahachie office at 972-937-1321, the Bedford location at 817-355-1700, or visit tbhc.org.

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OPINION

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TO MY THREE ADULT CHILDREN ON FATHER’S DAY Gary Ledbetter Editor

Dear Kids, I invoke “gray privilege” on this occasion—the first Father’s Day when all of you are parents—to offer unsolicited advice and to call you (aged 27 to 34) “kids.” It is an unmixed joy to observe you doing the needful things for small dependent people who bear your name. I’m proud and grateful that you are, one and all, employed, married, reproducing and following Christ. Let me tell you what’s on the agenda for the next 20 years. The culture will scoff at what you do. I’ve read some shockingly stupid opinions, from people who were paid to express them, on the bondage of marriage and the uselessness of parenthood. These columns seem to cluster hatefully around Mother’s Day. A society that values the futile journey toward self-discovery above all things will never understand generous love. You’ve signed up to grow in love, patience and sacrifice while you

disciple your children. One day you’ll look back and see that they, and you, are grown up in eternally important ways. Those you love are inside your guard. It’s a risk to love someone unconditionally. They know your soft spots, and their welfare becomes a question that disturbs your sleep and even grieves you at times. In a little over a decade, the number of people for whom I feel most spiritually (and otherwise) responsible has grown from four to 12. That’s a lot of people with access to all that I can give. That’s the risk of love, and it teaches us all a bit more about the love of God expressed ultimately in Christ. It’s “all about the kids,” kind of. There are some things children need that trump many other priorities. People who can’t feed themselves or otherwise provide necessities sometimes jump to the front of the line—above hobbies, sleep, personal goals, careers and wealth. For some of us, that provision is an instinct, but for all of us it is a commitment. It’s not “all about the kids.” Listen. This is big. If you’ve ever heard an airline briefing, you’ve noticed that we’re told to put on

IF STRETCH MARKS, BAGGY EYES, GRAY HAIR AND “DAD BOD” REALLY COME WITH THIS PARENTAL ROLE, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN GLORY, UNATTAINABLE ALONG ANY OTHER COURSE.

our own oxygen masks before putting masks on dependent children. Why do that? Clearly, unconscious adults can provide no help to anyone else. That’s true generally. It’s critical that parents provide a dependable foundation for everything a family requires. Mom and Dad’s marriage is that foundation. After our individual obedience to God, nothing is more important than this primary of all human institutions, which has implications for parenthood. After they have what they need (see above), the kids are not a higher priority than the relationship between their parents. That’s a false dichotomy. Keeping a strong marriage until the day we die is very much in the best interest of our children. This is not an argument for neglect or “us time” when we should be doing something else. It is an ar-

gument that Dad should never stop being attentive to the one for whom he has forsaken all others. It means that his buddies or TV programs take a seat further back than ever before. For Mom, it means Dad is still her beloved even when he grows less handsome and huggable than the babies. As they get older, children notice how Mom and Dad get along. And they will file it under “how men and women behave.” Teach that lesson intentionally, constantly, wholeheartedly. If it doesn’t mark you, you may not be doing it right. Fathers and mothers are by definition generous with their families. It’s strangely easier to say, “I’d enter a burning building for my family,” than to actually stay up late, work longer hours and pray fervently for the good of those entrusted to us. Maybe

we’d all look younger, be richer and achieve more in our careers if we didn’t have kids, but that boat has now sailed and those “might have beens” are no longer ours. If stretch marks, baggy eyes, gray hair and “dad bod” really come with this parental role, they have their own glory, unattainable along any other course. You alone will answer for this stewardship. Teachers and pastors and grandparents have their own part to play, but you are the teachers and your own children are the disciples. Hold the rest of us accountable for what we teach your children. Guard them from fools, regardless of the role they occupy. Know in detail what others are telling your kids. Close some doors; turn off some devices. I could go on (you know that) but these seem prominent among the things I have learned in 34 years. You doubtless know and believe much of this already. I needed reminders along the way; maybe you will too. Mom and I are here for that. Happy Father’s Day, and a belated happy Mother’s Day, to us all, Dad

The Forgotten Value of Time with our Children Evan Lenow SWBTS

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ecently, I took my 10-year-old daughter to a baseball game. It was just the two of us. Our other three children were home with my wife. For nearly four hours, we spent time together in the car and at the stadium. My phone mostly stayed in my pocket (except for taking and posting a few photos), and we talked. Over the course of the game, we talked about the rules of baseball; I showed her how to tell if the umpire was calling a ball or strike; we even met the people sitting next to us and talked about their experiences watching baseball. My daughter got randomly selected to receive a game-used baseball during the game because she was wearing her Texas Rangers shirt and hat.

Clearly, it was a wonderful evening at the ballpark. The value of that time at the game was priceless. Had it not been for a letter that my 12-yearold daughter penned to my own mother, this opportunity would likely never have manifested itself. Back in November, as the kids were making out their own Christmas wish lists, my oldest daughter put a letter in the mail asking my parents to buy me season tickets to the Texas Rangers for Christmas. Her motives were pure. She knew how much I loved watching the Rangers play baseball on television. We went to a few games last season and loved every minute. The final reason that tugged at our heartstrings was when she said that she missed being able to go with me to a game—just the two of us—and spend time together. Although my wife and I intercepted the letter before it ever made it to my

Jim Richards, Executive Director

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Gary K. Ledbetter, Editor Keith Collier, Managing Editor Tammi Ledbetter, Special Assignments Editor Gayla Sullivan, Circulation Manager Russell Lightner, Layout/Graphic Artist

parents’ house, the letter still had an impact. This year, I started the summer-long goal of taking each of my four children to at least one baseball game by ourselves. My second daughter was overjoyed about the opportunity to go first. She now has a memory of getting a ball at the game that will never fade from her mind. I even stopped on the way home at 10 p.m. to get ice cream—something only a dad would do. But most of all, we simply spent time together. We talked. We listened. We slowed down. If your life is anything like ours, you are busy. Between work, school, church, sports practices and countless other activities, it can be difficult to slow down and enjoy being in the presence of our children. However, my oldest daughter’s letter and my second daughter’s joy demonstrate that we often forget the value of time. They

Correspondents: JC Davies Michael Foust Bonnie Pritchett Erin Roach Jane Rodgers

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simply enjoyed being with me and having my attention. In Deuteronomy 6:6–7, we read, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” How can we teach our children the words of the Lord if we do not take the time to have conversations with them and listen to their hearts? For our family, the cure for slowing down is baseball. We love watching the games and acting as if we know the players well. However, watching the sport live gives us an opportunity we rarely get with other activities—uninterrupted time talking. We can sit and watch the game while also having a three-hour conversation. For you, the activity may be different. You may enjoy gar-

dening, working in the yard, hunting, fishing or another activity. Why not involve your children in those activities so that you can spend invaluable time with them and hear what is on their hearts? We see that training children in the ways of God is an essential part of parenting. At least 11 times in the opening eight chapters of Proverbs, Solomon stops to remind his son to listen to his instructions (Proverbs 1:8; 2:1–2; 3:1¬–2; 4:1–2, 10, 20; 5:1–2; 6:20– 21; 7:1–3, 24; 8:32–34). In our fast-paced world, we lose sight of the fact that we need to slow down to teach our children. We need to put our cellphones away (in this, I am, as Paul says, “the chief” of sinners), turn off the television, and invest time in our children’s lives. One of these days, they will no longer be in our homes and that valuable time will be gone. Let us not waste it.

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June 2017

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STAY TOGETHER AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD Jim Richards Executive Director

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ttendance at the Southern Baptist Convention has been trending down for years. Pundits and prognosticators have been opining for almost a decade. Even when the annual meeting was held last in Texas the registration was low. Having the convention in the heart of the South does not guarantee a boost in participants. A major reason cited by some analysists is the generational shift. Denominationalism in general is in decline. Identity as a “Baptist” is waning among millennials, so is there a future for annual meetings? Like it or not, the Southern Baptist Convention is a legal entity. Because ministry operates under statutory regulations, it is incumbent upon the organization to have a meeting.

I prefer to think of it as a “shareholders” meeting. The convention officially exists only two days a year. The members of the convention constitute the decision-making body for the ministry. In the corporate environment, the Executive Committee was created to handle business for the SBC between annual meetings. If you are burdened for the unreached peoples of the world as a Southern Baptist, you should take your part seriously by hearing reports and voting on funding. As controversial as secular politics may be, unless you attend and voice your convictions at the SBC then you have no right to criticize the actions of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Everything we do as Southern Baptists is filtered through the event we call the convention. This year I served as chair of the committee on nominations, which was nominated by the committee on committees the previous year. The committee on nominations was

EVERYTHING WE DO AS SOUTHERN BAPTISTS IS FILTERED THROUGH THE EVENT WE CALL THE CONVENTION. elected by the messengers to fill the vacancies on the various entities. While the Southern Baptist Convention has significant governance rights over its entities, their policies and day-to-day operations are controlled by boards of trustees. The messengers of the convention elect these trustee boards. The messengers cannot instruct the trustees to take a specific course of action. The trustees are not under the direction of the messengers. To impact a board of trustees, messengers can elect a president with a committed philosophical or theological platform. The president’s appointment of the committee on committees indirectly results in the selection of trustees. If you want to influence an entity, you vote for a

president who shares your convictions. One president cannot change the direction of an entity. It takes several consecutive elections of presidents with the same agenda to accomplish the results. This is how the Conservative Resurgence was successful in saving the SBC for biblical inerrancy. Issues are more nuanced today than 25-30 years ago. Calvinism versus Traditionalism or Cultural Warfare versus Kingdom Engagement all fit within the framework of the Baptist Faith and Message statement. Nevertheless, the preferred agenda of the president or his confidants will surface at the trustee level. Entities will reflect a trend of elected presidents over a period of time.

Institutions are necessary to accomplish gospel advance on a wider scale. It takes all of us pooling our resources to do the work of God 24/7 locally and globally. If the SBC is abandoned, the churches would eventually re-invent the wheel and create a similar type of collaborative effort. Still, I believe our current convention structure is still the most effective means for us to work together and advance the kingdom of God. Thus, our annual gatherings remain a necessary time of decisionmaking and celebration. I have used the analogy of a kindergarten class on a field trip to describe the convention. Let’s all stay together and keep moving forward. Every once in a while someone will throw a tantrum. Let’s try to calm them down or put them in time out but don’t leave the field trip. We have too much to accomplish along the way. Won’t you join me?

PA STOR AS EVANG EL I S T : Building

Evangelistic Fervor in a Congregation Nathan Lino

SBTC President Pastor, Northeast Houston Baptist Church

“Do the work of an evangelist.” (2 Timothy 4:5)

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he climax of Paul’s second pastor manual to Timothy is introduced by these sobering words in 2 Timothy 4:1: “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom …” As the solemn charge unfolds in the chapter, we discover a central aspect of leading faithfully as a pastor is “doing the work of an evangelist.” Building evangelistic fervor in a congregation is one of the most difficult challenges on this side of heaven. I don’t know of a single pastor who feels his church’s evangelistic efforts are enough. I know of many pastors, including myself, who wish their churches did more to share the gospel with unbelievers. Be encouraged my fellow pastors, the struggle is real, but it is not unique to you. Every pastor struggles to mobilize his congregation in evangelism. I do.

Move forward by working with the 5 to 20 percent of your congregation who are ready to join you in evangelizing the lost. Allow me to share some lessons learned along the way for moving forward as a leader in evangelism. First, know who you yourself are as an evangelist and play to your strengths. I am personally not an effective soul winner. I’m only a “one to two converts per year” guy when it comes to one-on-one evangelism. I’m not smooth with people, I’m not very relational, and I don’t have a good poker face. But while I’m not personally effective in terms of converts, I am personally motivated. I am not scared to bring up the gospel with strangers; I’m comfortable leading with a direct, diagnostic question. I’m also not afraid to hand out gospel tracts to strangers. So I’m much more of a seed sower than I am a conversions guy, and thus I focus on seed sowing and take delight in the rare occasions I get to lead someone to faith in Christ. Another thing I’ve learned about myself is I’m fairly effective at training people in personal evangelism. The Lord has taught me how to train and loose personal soul winners who are far more effective with actual conversions than I am. So

I play to my strengths—I personally try to sow lots of seed as I go around my town, and then I focus on training and mobilizing my members for one-on-one soul winning. Second, be the face of evangelism in your church. Like it or not, some ministries of the church will not thrive if the senior pastor is not the lead voice championing the effort. Evangelism is one of them. You have a variety of tools at your disposal such as entire sermons, sermon illustrations, twoto-three-minute exhortation segments in a worship service, corporate prayer times, blog posts, social media, etc. Talk about it often with your people—celebrate salvations, baptisms, tracts and Bibles distributed, doors knocked on, etc. Third, train your people in personal soul winning. It is one thing to know information; it is another thing to know how

to communicate that information clearly and concisely to someone who has never heard it before. After fear, the most common reason Christians do

Finally, try to provide your members with multifaceted opportunities to share the gospel. For example, our church has members who will share the gospel house-to-house, others who will gladly do it through an open door such as a food pantry, and still others who will do it through “adopting” an international college student at a nearby university and building a relationship with that person. The more evangelism avenues you offer your members, the more members you’ll find plugging in. Some strategies only have a two-tothree-year shelf life, so when you find one dying out, cancel it if you can and add new ones. While you may be discouraged by a lack of evangelistic zeal in your congregation, pray for God to change you and your people as you implement the above strategies. I’m convinced that the Lord will answer that prayer and use your church to reach a lost world in need of Christ.

BUILDING EVANGELISTIC FERVOR IN A CONGREGATION IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGES ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN

not share their faith is they feel ill-equipped to do so. Your people won’t go to war emptyhanded. There are some great tools out there such as the 3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide and Can We Talk? Our church offers a personal evangelism training workshop four times per year.

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BRIEFS World’s oldest living person, at 117, is a Jamaican Baptist What has the world’s oldest person, 117-year-old Violet Mosse-Brown, done nearly all her life? She has been a faithful, industrious church member. Mosse-Brown, baptized at age 13, became the world’s oldest person after the April 15 death of Emma Morano of Italy, also 117. Morano was born on Nov. 29, 1899, and was the last living person born during the 1800s prior to her death. Mosse-Brown was born on March 30, 1900. She was 12 when the Titanic sank, 41 when the U.S. entered World War II, and 69 when Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. “I live by the grace of God, and I am proud of my age!” Mosse-Brown told columnist Jean Lowrie Chin of the Jamaica Observer during a May 2016 visit in the home where the mother of six children has lived all her life. Mosse-Brown’s 96-year-old son, Harold Fairweather, lives in the house as well, “widely believed to be the oldest person with a living parent,” the Observer reported. The Waldensia-Trittonville Circuit of Baptist Churches honored Mosse-Brown as “their extra-precious supercentenarian whom they affectionately call Sister Vie or Sister Brown” during a celebration of her then-116 years of life, according to the January edition of the Jamaica Baptist Reporter. “[T]he guest of honor was lauded and cited as a person of exemplary character and an ardent, dedicated and faithful servant of God, who served her church for more than 80 years in varying capacities,” the Baptist publication noted. —Baptist Press

Suit: Grand Canyon officials discriminated against Answers in Genesis scientist Grand Canyon National Park twice denied a permit to an Answers in Genesis scientist due to his religious and scientific views, according to a new federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by the civil liberties group Alliance Defending Freedom. The lawsuit on behalf of geologist Andrew Snelling names the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Grand Canyon park superintendent, and other government officials

as defendants. It was filed in May. Snelling, who holds a Ph.D. in geology, had requested permission to conduct research in the park and to take a few fist-sized samples. The complaint argues that due to his “Christian faith and scientific viewpoints informed by his Christian faith,” Snelling’s application was unconstitutionally rejected. “Scientists will always look at data and challenge one another’s interpretations of the information,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb. “Such disagreement is how science works. But when the government starts refusing access to even collect the information because it dislikes one scientist’s views, it undercuts science and violates the law.” —ADF/A Larry Ross Communications

Leaders: Trump religious liberty order falls short of what’s needed President Trump’s May 4 executive order on religious liberty fell short of what many advocates of religious freedom wanted, even as they applauded it for being a positive “first step.” For example, the order did little if anything to clarify conflicts between LGBT rights and religious liberty, said Thomas Berg, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. “This gives little indication Trump will go out on a limb on those [issues],” Berg said. Jim Campbell, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), wrote in The Hill that the order “doesn’t include half of what was in a prior draft.” ADF President Michael Farris said the executive order leaves Trump’s promises on protecting religious liberty “yet unfulfilled.” “Though we appreciate the spirit of [the] gesture, vague instructions to federal agencies simply leaves them wiggle room to ignore that gesture, regardless of the spirit in which it was intended,” Farris said. “We strongly encourage the president to see his campaign promise through to completion and to ensure that all Americans—no matter where they live or what their occupation is—enjoy the freedom to peacefully live and work consistent with their convictions without fear of government punishment.” Trump has said he wants to end the Johnson Amendment, a law that prevents churches from taking part in campaigns

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and from endorsing candidates. But such a change to law cannot be changed by executive order, Campbell wrote. Meanwhile, 79 percent of Americans say it is inappropriate for pastors to publicly endorse political candidates during a church service, according to a general population survey by LifeWay Research. —ADF/Christianity Today/The Hill/ LifeWay Research

Wallace Memorial Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tenn., for their devotion to collecting and preserving Wallace’s papers, which are now on permanent loan to the seminary. Wallace was from Knoxville. —SWBTS

Russia makes list of world’s worst violators of religious liberty

SWBTS to house martyred doctor Bill Wallace’s papers Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s new Mathena Hall will house the papers of Southern Baptist medical missionary and martyr Bill Wallace, who was arrested in December 1950 during an anti-American and antimissionary campaign in China and died in jail two months later. He was tortured and suffered profoundly in his last weeks on earth, but he had long been prepared. “There is no sacrifice in all the world too great for a man to make for the Lord Jesus Christ,” he wrote in an emotional letter shared with his home congregation just before he left for his mission to China in 1935. Craig Kubic, Southwestern’s dean of libraries, credited

Russia is the only country whose repression of religious freedom has intensified and expanded since USCIRF began monitoring it, officials said. The report dedicated seven pages to its problematic policies, from the “persecution of religious minorities in the occupied areas of Crimea and Donbas” to recent moves against non-Orthodox Christians in its heartland. Russia’s Supreme Court in mid-April officially banned Jehovah’s Witnesses nationwide after several years of blacklisting their materials and shutting down regional centers. —Christianity Today

National CP 4.18 percent above budget Russia’s ongoing crackdown on religious minorities, foreign missionaries and evangelists has earned it a spot among the worst countries in the world for religious freedom. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) listed the former Soviet state among six new Tier 1 “countries of particular concern” (CPC) in its latest annual report, released in April. It is the first time in the commission’s two decades of work that Russia has made the list. A total of 16 countries currently hold the CPC designation, and another dozen are being reviewed as Tier 2.

Only 52 percent say right and wrong never change SURVEY:

Most older Americans say right and wrong never change. Younger Americans—not so much, according to a new study released in May. The study by LifeWay Research found a significant generation gap in how Americans view morality. More than 6 in 10 of those older than 45 say right and wrong do not change. For those 35 and younger, fewer than 4 in 10 make that claim, according to the survey of more than 1,000 adults that was conducted Sept. 2 – Oct. 1, 2016. Researchers found 81 percent of Americans agree with the statement, “I am concerned about

Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee were 4.18 percent above the year-to-date budgeted projection in April, and 0.81 percent below contributions received during the same time frame last year. As of April 30, gifts received by the EC for distribution through the CP Allocation Budget through the first seven months of the Convention’s fiscal year totaled $114,863,112.59. —Baptist Press

declining moral behavior in our nation.” Nineteen percent disagree. Yet Americans disagree over whether morality can be legislated. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) agree with the statement, “Implementing laws to encourage people to act morally is not effective.” Thirty-seven percent disagree. Meanwhile, about half (52 percent) say right and wrong never change. A third (32 percent) say whether or not someone gets hurt plays a role in determining if something is right or wrong. Americans also consider whether something is legal (24 percent) or whether the benefits outweigh the costs (20 percent) when thinking about morality. Fewer worry about what the majority of people think (8 percent) or whether an institution gets hurt (10 percent). —Baptist Press

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EMBRACING MISSIONS IN MODERN CULTURE A COMMON THEME AT SENT CONFERENCE By JC Davies TEXAN Correspondent AUSTIN As they seek to fulfill the great commission, local churches should be marked by the “mercy and good fruit” described in James 3:17, David Sweet told attendees at the SBTC SENT Conference, hosted on April 27-28 at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. “Do you think that the receptivity of the gospel might improve if people in our culture had something that they admired about churches? Let’s let the gospel of the cross be the offense, not us,” said Sweet, who was one of the conference’s keynote speakers and associate pastor of Hays Hills Baptist Church in Buda. By turning inward and focusing only on what’s going on inside the church’s walls, many congregations are missing out on opportunities to reap the “harvest of righteousness” talked about in James. “Some churches have lost sight of the harvest, of being fruitful. … We have to show the power of God, not just tell it,” he said. While social justice causes should not eclipse sharing the gospel, Sweet encouraged pastors to be creative and allow their church members to take leadership in engaging their communities through a wide variety of ministry opportunities. “There are thousands of ways to demonstrate mercy and good fruit and righteousness. (God) has already prepared it, all you have to do is walk in it. Let your members go.”

David Sweet explains how local churches should be marked by “mercy and good fruit.” PHOTO BY PRESTON WETHERINGTON

Keynote speaker George Ross also urged attendees not to neglect holiness and good works. The role of a believer today, he said, is to be an “everyday missionary in Babylon,” referring to Jeremiah 29, when the Israelites found themselves in Babylonian captivity, surrounded by all kinds of evil and wickedness. “Jesus indeed will come and rule and reign one day. … You and I, in the meantime, have to be God’s people here on earth, living out and manifesting the kingdom of God here on earth,” Ross said. “Wherever you find yourself, a sovereign God knows who you are and where you are, and he has called you to be on mission for his glory.” Just as God commanded the Israelites to put down roots and “seek the prosperity” of Babylon, believers today ought to do the same wherever they are, no matter how dire circumstances feel, Ross said. “The Israelites were called to do some good works in Baby-

Jimmy McNeal of The Austin Stone Community Church leads worship during the SBTC SENT missions conference, April 28. PHOTO BY PRESTON WETHERINGTON

“The cultural map has changed, and the ministry map has changed. These cultural storms can be unexpected; they can be devastating to the church, but they don’t have to be if we can learn to read the map correctly, if we draw up a flight plan to missionally deal with the storms.” —T E R RY C OY

lon,” he said. “We can’t lose heart and grow weary in the day and time we live in. We are God’s people, called by God to be on mission, that we would be people of good works.” Ross also encouraged Christians to remember that “the church is not on its death bed, and the message of the gospel can overcome post-Christian culture.” But the cultural context in America, and around the globe, is changing, said Terry Coy, a speaker at one of the conference’s workshop sessions. The “good ‘ol days” of cultural Chris-

tianity and civil religion are no more, but like Ross, Coy said Christians should take courage and embrace ministry within the culture, rather than fleeing from it out of fear. “The cultural map has changed, and the ministry map has changed,” Coy said. “These cultural storms can be unexpected; they can be devastating to the church, but they don’t have to be if we can learn to read the map correctly, if we draw up a flight plan to missionally deal with the storms.” Christians standing out in society is nothing new, historical-

ly, Coy said, but as followers of Christ continue to be pushed to the margins of modern society, the church must learn to stand out for the right reasons. “We have to rediscover what it is to be a peculiar people. We’re going to have to relearn, as we’re being more and more marginalized, what it means to be the church. … We need to be different. We need to draw the right kind of attention. We need to be a peculiar people. We need to learn what it means to speak truth, but in love and in grace.”

Small churches play big role in great commission By JC Davies TEXAN Correspondent AUSTIN The small church is just as qualified to reach the nations as larger churches are, according to Kyle Ray, a speaker at an April 28 workshop session at the 2017 SENT Conference at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin. Like many other pastors across the state, Ray leads a small church. But despite averaging fewer than 75 people in attendance each Sunday, his congregation at Journey Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs has been active in taking the gospel to the nations, participating in more than 20 international mission trips within the last five years.

Ray encourages other small church pastors and leaders not to be held back in international missions because of fear or feelings of inferiority. “The small church does present a unique set of circumstances when it comes to mission trips. There are all these reasons why we can’t go, but I believe that the small church is still God’s church,” he said. “So, as God has given the commission to his church, the small church has to realize that if they call themselves a church, that they too own the great commission the same as any other church in the world.” In many respects, the supposed weaknesses of smaller churches—fewer people and

“As God has given the commission to his church, the small church has to realize that if they call themselves a church, that they too own the great commission the same as any other church in the world.” — K Y L E R AY

resources—can be advantages in growing reliance on Christ to carry out the great commission calling, Ray said. “The great commission is especially suited for the small church because the great commission presupposes utter dependency upon God.” In preparing a small church to go overseas, Ray said two truths are important to remember. The first is to realize there

is no other option, that every church is called to be part of reaching the nations. “Understand that you own this responsibility. There are no excuses. God knows what you need to accomplish the mission, and he has given that to you in the Spirit and the Word. That is all you need. He will take care of the rest.” The second key, Ray said, is to know and believe the

truth that God wants his people, from churches of every size, to be part of his mission, not because of what they can offer, but because of his love for them. “God has commissioned you for his mission, not because he needs you, but because he loves you,” he said. “Our weakness, our insignificance, brings glory to God when he uses us for his work.”

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SWBTS GRADUATES URGED TO MAKE ETERNAL INVESTMENTS By Katie Coleman SWBTS FORT WORTH During Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s spring commencement ceremony for its Fort Worth campus, May 5, President Paige Patterson commended the 220 graduating college, master’s and doctoral graduates for their diligence and zeal in their studies in order to be equipped to “go to the ends of the earth” with the gospel message. “Even if the ‘ends of the earth’ works out to be just down the street from the seminary, you are going to minister in a tough day and a tough time,” Patterson said. Preaching from Luke 12, Patterson urged graduates to forsake living for earthly things and to invest in what is eternal. “You are following the master who came to seek and to save that which was lost,” Patterson said. “That is your assignment.” Obedience in service to Christ will be rewarding, Patterson continued, just not in earthly possessions. “If you live your life in behalf of others, it is amazing what sustenance to the soul such a life is,” he said. “Now you have stored up rewards that will never be taken away in heaven above.” Patterson further explained that money, position and prestige are desired goals for graduates across the country but will ultimately not satisfy and are not necessarily reflective of one’s service to Christ. “You are not to seek those things,” Patterson said. “A man’s life does not exist in the abundance of the things that he possesses; a man’s life consists in giving his life away to others and to Christ.”

In conclusion, Patterson told graduates that they have two choices in life. “You can live for yourself, or you can live for heaven,” he said. Patterson then left graduates with a final question to consider for themselves: “What have I invested in the heavenly bank?” Among the graduates commissioned for ministry was Kathryn Boutwell. Graduating with a bachelor’s in biblical studies, Boutwell says that through her training at Southwestern, she has gained boldness in sharing her faith, she is open and ready to go wherever God calls her, and she has received the necessary tools to be ready for ministry. “Southwestern has equipped me in both my future ministry by giving me a picture of what church planting overseas looks like, and my current ministry by teaching me how to look at Scripture and teach simply what is there in God’s Word,” Boutwell said. Whether students remain in Texas or move thousands of miles around the world, all Southwestern graduates are ready and equipped for whatever ministry to which God calls them. Alongside 27 graduates from the Spanishlanguage Master of Theological Studies program, many of whom are already key Hispanic leaders in the United States and Latin American, Esteban Vazquez said his studies at Southwestern gave him the necessary tools to continue in his ministry. “I thank God for the opportunity he gives me to continue growing in his knowledge and for the possibility of fulfilling this longing at Southwestern,” Vazquez said. “Every book, every chapter, and every forum has not been a task, but a way to grow and apply to everyday life the principles that transform the way of thinking. God is good!”

The day following the Fort Worth graduation, the J. Dalton Havard School for Theological Studies in Houston held its commencement ceremony.

The Houston campus saw two students graduate with a bachelor’s in biblical studies and 17 students graduate with master’s degrees.

2017 Children's Bible Drill State Winner Perfect Jack Applegate, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Sarah Grace Becker, La Junta Baptist Church; Cooper A. Cobbs, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Gabriel Cooper, First Baptist Church, DeKalb; Kyle Covington, Second Baptist Church, Andrews; Claudia Crye, Lake Athens Baptist Church; Mason Daehling Fannin, Terrace Baptist Church; Kevin Dixon, Cornerstone Baptist Church; Samuel Hinson, Champion Forest Baptist Church; Halle Johns, First Baptist Church, DeKalb; Emma Claire Johnston, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Noah Kim,

Prestonwood Baptist Church; Molly Lenow, Birchman Baptist Church; Darcy Lessert, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Kaitlyn Litchford, First Baptist Church, Odessa; Tristan Mauboussin, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Trey Mayhew, Prestonwood Baptist Church; Hayes Murphy, First Baptist Church, DeKalb; Jake Strahan, First Baptist Church, Silsbee; Nathan Thompson, Tate Springs Baptist Church; Rebecca illalobos; First Baptist Church, Euless; Courtney Wittrock, First Baptist Church, Keller; Marisa Young, Prestonwood Baptist Church Speakers’ Tournament (left-right) 1st row: Madison Russell, Timera West, Kailyn Newsom (3rd place), Lydia Lawrence 2nd Row: Victor Clark, II (Winner), D’Andre Hill, Terrance West (3rd place), Jared Jeffries (second place) 3rd Row: Jake Stacks, Allan Njomo, Brandon Crocker

Youth Bible Drill (left-right) 1st row: Joshua Ostrom (2nd place), Brandon Chee, Janice Beto (winner), Pablo Mena, Tatum Kizer 2nd row: Kaleb Cehand, Hope Murphy, Colin Hautmann (2nd place) 3rd row: Jesse Becker, Braylon Hamilton not pictured: Mason Harris, Lilly Parker and Kyndall Jourdain

High School Bible Drill (left-right) 1st row: Abigail Luce, Abigail Flores (third), Kaitlyn Chapman, Victoria Christopherson (winner) 2nd row: Seth Becker, Andres Mena (second), Kole Tatum 3rd row:John Christopherson

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Tony Wolfe, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Lovelady, addresses the SBTC executive board following their unanimous approval of him as the new director of pastor of church relations. Standing next to him is his wife, Vanessa. PHOTO BY GARY LEDBETTER

WOLFE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Wolfe received his D.Ed.Min. in educational leadership from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, writing his dissertation on developing a curriculum to assist believers in evaluating spiritual growth. Wolfe also received a M.A. in religion with a specialization in pastoral counseling from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.M. from Lamar University in Beaumont. He has authored books on spiritual maturity and effective small group leadership, and has been active in associational leadership, served on the board of Pineywoodst Baptist Encampment and SBTC Executive Board. Wolfe and his wife, Vanessa have been married 16 years and have two sons. He is the youngest son of former SBTC Church Ministries Director Jim Wolfe, who now pastors in Louisiana. In letters recommending Wolfe, several Texas pastors commended his devotion to prayer, evangelism and biblical conviction. Joshua Crutchfield of Madisonville described Wolfe as “a man of doctrinal fidelity that motivates an evangelistic mission so that God would be praised and glorified.” Neches River Baptist Association Director Bill Jones spoke of Wolfe’s use of his gift of encouragement “to come alongside those who are willing to be trained and deepen their love for God and his Word,” while Russ Ponder of Farwell observed the candidate’s demonstrated commitment to pray for pastors faithfully. With the departure of Heath Peloquin, who resigned to direct the North Texas Baptist Association, SBTC Associate Ted Elmore shared the Pastor/ Church Relations report, explaining the significance of the department’s interaction with affiliated churches. Noting that 80 percent of SBTC churches have fewer than 75 people in worship and 172 churches are currently pastorless, Elmore underscored the importance of the SBTC field ministry strategists serving in 18 field ministry zones across Texas. Those men develop relationships with pastors, church staff, and directors of missions, he said, encouraging them to take advantage of SBTC ministry resources. Credentials Committee chairman Juan Sanchez of Austin received approval for affiliation requests from 38 churches spread across Texas. The Board also removed 18 churches from affiliation, 10 having disbanded, five

“We love the pastors and the churches of the SBTC. The potential of serving, supporting and connecting pastors and churches of this great state convention is just such an honor for me.” —TO N Y WO L F E

having merged with another congregation, and three that no longer wish to be involved. The current number of affiliated churches stands at 2,630. CFO Joe Davis reported a net operating income of $856,535 in 2016 with a net worth of $16.8 million. At the end of March of the current year, Cooperative Program receipts are slightly ahead of budget, though less than 2016 receipts for the same first quarter period. Giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions by SBTC churches is $52,503 higher at $909,119 for the first six months of the reporting year when compared to the previous year. However, giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions lags $1.9 million behind at $8,260,578 for the comparable 10-month time frame of the previous year. Gifts to the Reach Texas Offering for State Missions are slightly down this year with seven months reported. In other business, the board received a clean audit report for both the SBTC and the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation, reviewed compensation and benefits for staff, and agreed to a grant to fund the 2018 Breathe Deep Conference to provide “a time of fellowship, rejuvenation, encouragement and worship for associate ministers and their spouses.” SBTC staff was asked to gather information regarding the potential process and requirements necessary in order to provide venue locations for the SBTC annual meeting. The action came in response to a motion at the 2016 annual meeting requesting the study as a means of expanding “full participation from remote locations around the state including motions, resolutions, voting and every other aspect.”

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CONFERENCE STRENGTHENS PASTORS, WIVES WHO FEEL MORE LIKE ANDREW THAN PETER By Keith Collier Managing Editor COLLEGE STATION Acknowledging the elephant in the room, speakers at the Encourager Conference agreed that seasons of discouragement in the pastorate are not a matter of “if,” but “when.” Even so, pastors and their wives can weather storms of doubt, conflict, criticism, and loneliness and experience fruitful ministry that brings glory to God. “Last year, five pastor couples of the same heart felt like the Lord called us to provide an opportunity for pastors and wives to come and receive deep spiritual encouragement and equipping,” Northeast Houston Baptist Church pastor and Southern Baptists of Texas Convention president Nathan Lino told a crowd of pastors and wives. The five couples included Lino and his wife, Nicole; Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in College Station, and his wife, Peggy; Matt Carter, pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church, and his wife, Jennifer; Kevin Ueckert, pastor of First Baptist Church in Georgetown, and his wife, Lynlee; and Josh Smith, pastor of MacArthur Blvd Baptist Church in Irving, and his wife, Andrea. The conference was hosted by

Central Baptist in College Station with support from SBTC. Ueckert opened the conference with a message from Mark 3:13-19, when Jesus called 12 men to follow him and preach the gospel. Ueckert wondered aloud about the ministry trajectory of the Apostle Andrew, who was one of the first to follow Jesus and introduced his brother Peter to Jesus but always seemed to be “on the outside looking in.” Jesus gave Peter a new name, but not Andrew. Peter and the other pair of brothers, James & John, were part of Jesus’ inner circle, but not Andrew. Peter, James and John went up with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, but not Andrew; he and the other disciples were left in the valley, where they failed to cast out a demon. If any of the disciples had reason to be resentful or discouraged, it would have been Andrew, Ueckert said. “I don’t know what Andrew felt like, but I can imagine what I would feel like,” Ueckert admitted. “I can imagine what I have felt like when someone else got the position that I wanted and thought I was supposed to get, when somebody else’s situation sounded far better than my own, … (times when) I felt like I was in the

valley while they were on the Mount of Transfiguration.” Experiences like this can cause a pastor and his wife to feel “less than ordinary,” Ueckert said, but he explained that the Bible never reveals how Andrew felt about his position among the 12. And in the end, it doesn’t matter, Ueckert said, because Andrew had that same invitation and commission as his brother Peter and the rest of the disciples. “Andrew received the same invitation and the same commission, but Andrew’s experience was unique to him because Jesus wanted him to be with him and to preach about Jesus. There was nobody in all the world that could do what Andrew could do by being with Jesus and preaching the gospel for Jesus. “The encouragement we need this weekend is found in Christ. We need to realign our hearts with the reality that God has called us to be with him, and by being with him, we then preach the gospel. That’s what matters; that’s what makes life worth living; that’s what gives us the ability to walk through every moment of discouragement.” The two-day conference, April 21-22, featured times of worship and teaching from God’s Word as well as breakout

Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist Church in College Station, delivers a charge to pastors to stay close to Jesus during difficult seasons of ministry at the Encourager Conference, April 22. PHOTO BY PRESTON WETHERINGTON

sessions to address specific topics. Friday evening breakouts were led by the five couples and addressed common struggles such as jealousy, resentment, loneliness, extraordinary personal trials, and maximizing the final years of ministry. Saturday morning offered a pastor wives session with national speaker and writer Susie Hawkins, while specific pastor breakout sessions gave best practices on preaching, handling criticism and conflicts, managing workflow, casting vision, and leaving well. Osborne concluded the conference with a charge from Jeremiah 15:15-21, which he said helped him through one of his

How much should pastors be paid? By Michael Foust

It happens often in Southern Baptist life: A church offers a prospective pastor a salary it thinks is reasonable, and the pastor—not wanting to appear greedy— grudgingly accepts. But down the road, when tax season arrives or when retirement approaches, the pastor realizes he should have spoken up. It is a financial disconnect that Christian Messemer, a certified financial planner and a Ph.D. candidate at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, hopes to help solve. Messemer has penned a white paper that details some of the common misperceptions about pastors’ salaries and how both sides—the pastor and the church—can work together to prevent personal financial disaster in the future.

For some congregations, this could mean offering a larger financial package, but for other churches it might mean giving the minister freedom to get a second job. GuideStone Financial Resources is offering the paper, titled “A Shift Toward Total Compensation,” as a free resource on its website, GuideStone.org/TotalComp. The biggest misunderstanding, Messemer writes in the paper, is the difference between gross wages and total compensation, and how pastors are at a disadvantage when compared to employees in other professions. “In private and public sector jobs there is a substantial dollar difference between an employee’s gross wage and an employee’s total compensation,” he writes. Gross wage is the amount an employee is paid prior to personal deductions for taxes, insurance and retirement. Total compensation includes gross wages but also benefits from the employer such as health insurance, life insurance and retirement contributions.

Often, churches use a gross wage model of payment, whereby a pastor is given a salary and is responsible for his insurance and retirement. This means if a pastor’s gross wage is $35,000, he would be left with far less than his total compensation counterpart after paying for his taxes and his benefits. By contrast, an employer in the public or private sector might have a $35,000 gross salary but also $15,000 in employer-paid benefits for a total compensation package of $50,000. Messemer became interested in the subject through conversations with seminary friends who knew of his financial background. Also, Messemer’s wife works as an executive in human resources. “I became a go-to for friends who were working through the financial implications of taking a church position,” Messemer told the TEXAN. “Over time I noticed important similarities: First, my friends were all taking church positions where they were the only pastor on staff. Second, the churches used

most difficult seasons of ministry. God’s Word and his ministry call can sustain pastors even in the darkest times, he said. “You have to come to a place where the only thing that matters is discipleship, not church growth,” Osborne said. “You can disciple anywhere you are; it doesn’t matter what your church size is.” Osborne warned against living in fear of criticism as well as living to hear praise. He challenged pastors to simply walk with the Lord in humility. “Ministry is hard, but Jesus is not,” Osborne said. “You stay with him, you win. You step away from him, you lose.”

PASTORS OFTEN AT A FINANCIAL DISADVANTAGE, WHITE PAPER FINDS

a gross wage method, whereby the church agrees to a set salary, but the pastor chooses how it is divided. Third, the churches assumed the pastors they hired knew how to best advocate for themselves and how to best allocate their funds, so churches opted for a hands-off approach.” Too often, Messemer said, pastors are not knowledgeable in personal finances. He also acknowledged that some churches won’t be able to pay their pastors more than they already do. “In those cases, I hope that these churches realize the need for reclassifying their pastors as bi-vocational and allow them to pursue additional employment opportunities that would provide much-needed financial benefits,” Messemer said. The 30-plus-page paper includes financial worksheets to assist pastors and churches in determining a salary. Messemer notes that about 1,800 retired Southern Baptist ministers, workers and their widows are assisted financially through GuideStone’s Mission:

Dignity ministry, which helps retired ministers and their widows meet basic needs. This year’s Mission: Dignity Sunday throughout the SBC is June 25. Timothy E. Head, executive officer for denominational and public relations at GuideStone, called Messemer’s paper a “good resource for churches and pastors as they seek assistance in structuring pay and benefits.” “We see Christian and his work as a great complement to the work we do at GuideStone,” Head told the TEXAN. “Our vision at GuideStone is to honor the Lord by being a life-long partner with our participants in enhancing their financial security.” GuideStone has other free resources at GuideStone.org/ CompensationPlanning that churches can use “as they seek to honor the Lord by providing for their pastors,” Head said. Among those resources are the Compensation Planning Guide workbook, the Ministers Tax Guide and the biannual compensation survey that is undertaken jointly by GuideStone and LifeWay Christian Resources.

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ogy at Southwestern’s Havard School for Theological Studies in Houston, wrote in that issue of the journal. Jim Shaddix sees the same gospel implications in biblical discipleship. Shaddix, the W.A. Criswell Chair of Expository Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, features prominently in a video introducing Disciples Path, a new adult discipleship series LifeWay Christian Resources has developed to help churches produce disciples who will win and make other disciples. “Discipleship is the life process of growing into the image of Christ and being trusted with the stewardship of his glorious gospel—knowing it, embracing it, living it and entrusting it to others who will do the same,” Shaddix told the TEXAN in an email.

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The three men have a connection—Shaddix discipled Platt when Platt was his student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Platt joined Shaddix on long jogs and mined the scriptures with him, as they challenged each other to deeper Christian devotion. Their wives spent time together as well, doing many of the same things. Platt met Gallaty when Gallaty was a new believer seeking someone to help him grow in his faith. Now pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church outside Nashville, Gallaty is known for prioritizing discipleship, having written two books on the subject. In fact, Gallaty is chairman of the task force on disciple-making that will report to SBC messengers next year. That task force was appointed in 2016 by LifeWay President Thom Rainer and NAMB President Kevin Ezell as a result of a 2014 study on declining baptisms in the SBC.

‘Irreducible components’ Turning a denomination with declining baptisms into a disciPromoting reproducible discipleship ple-making force could appear For LifeWay, creating dis- daunting, given the variety of cipleship resources falls under cultures in which Southern its convention assignment to Baptists minister. But Gallaty “assist churches” in their multi- sees some irreducible compofaceted ministries. nents that apply to making disAmong the other 11 SBC en- ciples, regardless of culture. tities, the six seminaries see “Our goal is not to promote a themselves discipling students curriculum to follow,” Gallaty who will shepherd churches. told the TEXAN. “Our aim is to The North American Mission provide some key principles that Board (NAMB), tasked with could guide churches in their domestic church planting and mission of making disciples, evangelism, emphasizes dis- which includes both inviting cipleship in its church planter people to Jesus and investing in training. The urban planter those we invite. But LifeWay track, called BLVD, for example, and the IMB have been extremesets reproducible discipleship as ly helpful and instrumental in a prominent objective for new listening to the task force and providing critical research data congregations. The International Mission to assist our efforts.” Gallaty said such data is being Board, for its part, is offering a discipleship resource, called gathered from as many SouthDeepen Discipleship, to the ern Baptist ministry contexts as churches that supply it with possible. “We want to know what is new missionaries. Like LifeWay’s resource, the IMB’s study happening in rural churches, aims at making disciples who urban churches, church plants, large churches, etc.,” Gallaty also make disciples. The website for LifeWay’s said. “Equipped with this data, discipleship series offers a video we hope to offer recommendawith IMB President David Platt, tions and practical principles Tennessee pastor Robby Gallaty that lead to greater discipleand Shaddix talking about the making solutions for churches across the spectrum in the SBC.” crucial task of discipleship.

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“Discipleship is the life process of growing into the image of Christ and being trusted with the stewardship of his glorious gospel—knowing it, embracing it, living it and entrusting it to others who will do the same.” —J I M S H A D D I X , T H E W. A . C R I S W E L L C H A I R O F E X P O S I TO R Y P R E AC H I N G AT S O U T H E A S T E R N B A P T I S T T H E O LO G I C A L S E M I N A R Y

with accountability in small process of daily reading God’s Reaching, teaching, groups or one-on-one. Word should naturally enable replicating 5 Plan—Dis ciple-making God’s people to teach this Word Lance Crowell, discipleship associate at the Southern Bap- churches use a deliberate pro- simply and plainly in other contists of Texas Convention, agrees cess to develop leaders. Once a texts; put simply, you can’t teach that a new emphasis on dis- church begins developing dis- what you don’t know.” According to the website, the cipleship is crucial to the health ciples, then it can think about curriculum is intended to be exof New Testament churches but developing leaders. Crowell also emphasizes perienced in community with says churches must do someidentifying people who are other believers, with the recomthing they are not doing. “As I have engaged lead- ready to take the next step of mendation to “regularly” meet with at least one and preferably ers on discipleship ministry discipleship. “I use the acronym RAFT to two other people who also are in their churches, they often describe someone who: has a going through it. share about a program or class Zane Pratt, IMB’s vice presithey provide. There is nothing heart for Replicating a next genwrong with great teaching, but eration of disciples, and is Avail- dent of global training, has this cannot be the focus or main able, Faithful and Teachable,” he drawn parallels between what component of making disciples.” said. “A good mentor will also be the IMB calls “life-on-life disCrowell has identified five a disciple; he or she must model cipleship” and the best methods in missionary preparation. indispensable elements present these basic traits.” Crowell co-authored SBTC’s “[T]his is how disciples are in churches that are effective in discipleship manual, Rhythms, made—we read God’s Word, disciple making: with Spencer Plumlee, pastor which informs our thoughts,” Clear Definition—Church 1 members have a well-defined un- of Riverview Baptist Church Pratt wrote at imb.org. “Right derstanding of what it means to in Osage Beach, Mo. The book thinking transforms who we make disciples that make disciples. describes disciplemaking as the are on the inside, which then 2 Senior Leadership fully continuation of an “empowered leads us to act more like Jesus buy into the process—The pas- effort” on the part of Jesus’ dis- (and less like our sinful selves!). tor has to be a disciple-maker ciples, which has resulted in mil- This pattern applies to training lions of believers today. There’s God’s people for mission.” and a key part of the process. a Great Commission duty to Pratt told members of the Replication—The key ob3 jective is disciples who make pass along the relationship with Fellowship of Baptist World God and men that we have seen Ministries last June that true disciples. 4 Relational—Disciple-mak- modeled in those who taught us. discipleship happens in the church, but too often discipleing is a people-focused ministry Preparing missionaries ship has been seen as conveyMeanwhile, the IMB’s curricu- ing information without emlum, Deepen Discipleship, focuses phasizing transformation. on three objectives in daily read“We’re not going to train peoing and reflections in the New ple unless we disciple, and we’re Testament: “Read and Learn,” not going to disciple outside the “Reflect and Grow” and “Go and local church,” Pratt said. “What Do.” The six-month, online cur- we need are churches who take riculum, which is offered free of the discipleship task seriously.” charge at imb.org, is broken into As Gallaty told Baptist Press four sessions in six-week inter- in March: “We want to empowvals and has the missionary man- er an army of people to go out in date of the church in mind. the community and share the “Ultimately,” says an intro- gospel, and live the gospel, and duction to the material, “the love like Christ loved.”

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To connect with the SBTC on discipleship tools and strategies, go to sbtexas.com/discipleship or email Lance Crowell at [email protected].

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SUNNYVALE CHURCH EMPHASIZES ‘BOTTOM-UP’ APPROACH TO DISCIPLESHIP “We’re really not trying to teach people new things. We are just trying to engage them with what they know or have known, in some cases, for years.”

By Jane Rodgers TEXAN Correspondent

— A D A M D O O L E Y, PA S T O R , S U N N Y V A L E F I R S T B A P T I S T

While the small groups are “organic” in that leaders choose members, they also are highly organized with lists of recommended books to read and Scriptures to memorize. Small group leaders are chosen, a practice that started

Dooley now meets weekly with four other men who have covenanted to be in his group. A disciple is “someone who makes other disciples,” Dooley said. “When they are clearly growing in their faith, we really try to push them out of the nest

form new groups. The church launched new groups in January, but the process is ongoing, with groups constantly ending and new groups beginning. The church’s discipleship model is based on Robby Gallaty’s books Growing Up: How

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SUNNYVALE Pastor Adam Dooley once thought of discipleship as simply teaching the Bible in a “top-down approach.” Then his son Carson’s battle with leukemia coincided with “a difficult season of ministry” in another church, and Dooley’s notions of discipleship changed from “topdown” to “bottom-up.” Dooley still believes in the primacy of preaching and the systematic study of Scripture, but for his church, Sunnyvale First Baptist, discipleship is now linked with accountability and small groups. “I think discipleship is less today about learning more biblical truth and more about living out the biblical truths we do know,” Dooley said. “I wouldn’t go back to doing it the way I did before.” More than 300 Sunnyvale members meet in small groups each week to pray, discuss Christian books, memorize Scripture and hold one another accountable to the disciplines of the faith, including evangelism. Groups meet both on and off the church campus. “We are seeing a lot of people come alive in their faith for the first time as a result,” Dooley said. In its third year of the discipleship emphasis, Sunnyvale has more than half its adult population involved in groups. “Our goal is to fully saturate the congregation with small groups,” Dooley said. The goal is multiplication of ministry. Group leaders are charged with forming new groups each year. After a year together, group members recruit other to begin new groups.

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during Dooley’s first year at the church. He first taught his staff the discipleship process, then staff members led the first groups from which the next generation of leaders emerged.

and encourage them to begin investing in other people.” Discipleship groups typically last 12 months, with occasional interruptions. After a group ends, members disperse and

To Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples and Rediscovering Discipleship: Making Jesus’ Final Words Our First Work, Dooley said, adding that small groups read books on

prayer, church membership and Bible study in addition to learning to journal and to have quiet times. “All of that is based on the idea that people are educated beyond their obedience,” Dooley explained. “We’re really not trying to teach people new things. We are just trying to engage them with what they know or have known, in some cases, for years.” “I once believed that if I taught the Bible correctly, people would just naturally become disciples,” Dooley said. “The Holy Spirit can do that, but the Holy Spirit also works through accountable relationships with other believers. We see that pattern in Scripture.” In prior years, discipleship might have been a class offered at the church, Dooley said, but this has changed. “We really think it’s a way of life. You should always be looking for someone to invest in you. And you should always be looking to invest in other people. If you are constantly doing that, you are growing and the other people around you are growing. That is what we are trying to create around here.”

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ST ICK FIGURES AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP:

8 Tips for Helping Children Listen in

BIG CHURCH

Keith Collier Managing Editor

Drawing stick figures can be a spiritual act of worship. That statement may sound childish to you, but it can become a gateway into engaging your children with your pastor’s weekly sermon. And, you might be surprised at how often it causes you to engage more as well. In elementary school, I sat in the pew of my local church each Sunday and drew pictures during the sermon. My mom bought me twistable crayons, which I thought were awesome, and I created masterpieces on the back of church bulletins. However, these masterpieces had nothing to do with the sermon because, honestly, I wasn’t listening. My mom had simply given me something to pass the time. As a young adult, I heard a pastor say he challenged the children in his church to draw pictures of his sermon. The children often showed him their works of art afterward, and he was amazed that these children were indeed listening, and understanding, his sermons. He kept some of the sketches as reminders of how the Word of God was shaping even the youngest hearts in his congregation. As my own children graduated from the nursery, my wife and I committed to helping them learn to worship in Big Church. More than trying to teach them to “behave and be quiet,” we wanted them to engage in the music, prayers, offerings, and sermon as best they could at their age. Frankly, I wasn’t sure how it would go. Sure, they could participate in the music and “get the wiggles out,” but could children really grasp everything in a 30-45 minute sermon? But time has proven that I underestimated how much they pick up. It hasn’t been easy. Some weeks caused me to want to give up and default into “behave and be quiet” mode. But

by God’s grace, we kept at it and little by little began to experience the overwhelming joy of seeing our elementary-age kids grasp the Word of God and grow in their understanding of the Lord. Through trial and error, we developed a pattern to help our kids stay engaged throughout the church service and draw pictures from the sermon rather than just drawing during the sermon. Here are 8 tips we’ve learned along the way: 1. PREPARE IN ADVANCE During the week, talk with your children about how everyone in the family is going to start drawing pictures of the sermon. Talk about how fun it will be to see what they draw. Have this conversation every week at the beginning and then periodically as reinforcement thereafter. Parents set the attitude, so speak in a positive manner rather than harping on past mistakes. You’ll also want to prepare supplies. We bought inexpensive canvas bags for each child that we call “Bible bags.” Inside the bag they keep their Bible, a spiral notebook, a pencil, and … twistable crayons. Early on, we realized that once they filled up the back of the bulletin, they would check out, which could be five minutes into the sermon. The notebook provides a solid surface and unlimited pages to keep them drawing throughout the sermon and bundles together what God is teaching them through His Word. On Saturday evening, remind everyone of your expectations and ensure Bible bags are ready to go. Trust me, one of the quickest ways to derail your efforts is to get to church and realize your child’s bag is empty because of the mad rush to get out the door that morning. 2. SIT CLOSE TO THE FRONT Many parents sit in the back of the auditorium because they don’t want to distract others. We choose the opposite approach and sit as close to the front as we can in order to remove distractions from our kids. They are more engaged when they can see the musicians and preacher up close. Of course, we also don’t mind taking our children out to the foyer if they become a distraction. 3. WHAT TO DRAW We keep it simple and tell our children to draw pictures

of whatever they hear in the sermon. It could be from an illustration, the biblical text, or an application, but we give them free reign. Sometimes it looks bizarre. You may look down and see an elaborate drawing of a car driving across your son’s paper and think, “Oh no, he’s totally checked out and not listening.” Then, when you discuss it, he says something like, “I drew this because Pastor John said the gospel drives a wedge between us and sin.” Though it’s humorous, he got it, and that’s the point. 4. MODEL IT This tip, and the next one, will make or break your efforts to build this discipleship pattern in your kids’ lives. You need to be drawing pictures of the sermon as well. My drawing skills are terrible, but my weirdly drawn stick figures have actually been an encouragement to my kids that it’s

not about being a good artist. I let them copy my drawings because it shows them how to draw pictures of more abstract concepts when the sermon is not from a narrative passage of Scripture. If they don’t see you doing it, they’ll likely be less interested in it. As a side benefit, you’ll actually be surprised at how much it helps YOU pay attention to the sermon as well! 5. DISCUSS IT OVER LUNCH Every Sunday while we’re eating lunch, everyone in the family takes turns sharing their drawings, which capitalizes on the innate “Daddy, look what I did,” and reinforces what they learned. When our kids have shown disinterest in drawing the sermons, we’ve often looked back and realized that we fell out of the habit of sharing our sketches at lunch. Some of the sweetest times of family discipleship have oc-

curred during these lunchtime show and tells. 6. SHARE IT WITH YOUR PASTOR Pastors are greatly encouraged when they see how God’s Word is shaping the children in your congregation. Scan a drawing and email it to your pastor. 7. TEACH AND RETEACH Like other areas of parenting, it’s trial and error. Some weeks will be better than others. Some sermons will be easier than others. Don’t give up. Hit the reset button each week, and you’ll eventually see fruit in your efforts. 8. TEACHING IS WORSHIP The reason most of us fall into the “be quiet and behave” mode is because we don’t want our kids to distract us from worship. One of the most powerful concepts I’ve learned is that even if I might feel a little distracted during that worship song because I’m redirecting my son, or I might miss one of the sermon points because I’m helping pick up a rogue crayon rolling under the row in front of me, teaching my kids how to worship the Lord in Big Church is actually a form of worship in itself. One way we love God with all our hearts and souls is by teaching our children how to love Him too (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). This article first appeared on TheologicalMatters.com.

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3 KEYS FOR DISCIPLING UNCHURCHED WOMEN Melissa Deming hiveresources.com

For the past 15 years, God has planted our family in places with hard soil—places hostile to the gospel and rife with the weeds of biblical illiteracy. This type of soil has become increasingly common as secular philosophies encroached on the Bible belt and gave rise to a segment of the population that goes by many names: ‘unchurched,’ ‘de-churched’ or even ‘nones.’ Serving overseas and in a North American church plant, we were forced to operate outside the typical ministry toolshed to these populations. Sometimes we got it right, and sometimes we got it dreadfully wrong. But, over time, God gave me three very important lessons for rethinking discipleship among unchurched women. 1. CONCENTRATE ON SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT When unchurched women come to Christ, they start their Christian walk from scratch, lacking both a shared worldview and language of faith. When we lived overseas, our discipleship efforts began with the larger story of the Scrip-

tures—creation, fall, redemption and restoration—which provided a framework for helping women understand their identity in Christ and role in his story. This approach was easily replicated and helped us sidestep the inadvertent transmission of our own American church sub-culture. Similarly, while discipling unchurched women in the northern U.S., we discovered that healthy spiritual roots were best developed by teaching women what Christ had done in and for them rather than what they were supposed to do next. This approach grounded women in truth before moving them into fruitbearing discipleship. It reduced the temptation for them to manufacture the fruit of obedience in their own strength without first understanding its purpose and power. So, when an unchurched woman came to Christ, we focused on three areas of biblical instruction: u Who she is (her identity in Christ) u What she believes (how to study God’s Word) u What she does (kingdom living) Whatever the cultural context, an unchurched woman must receive adequate spiritual

nourishment to remain rooted in her faith when harsh conditions come her way. Intentional discipleship must ground women in the truth of salvation, teach them to feast on the Scriptures and help them discover their places in God’s story for the world. 2. CULTIVATE LONG-TERM FRUIT When I began piecing together a discipleship strategy for unchurched women, I canvassed the women in our church plant’s core group. I discovered most of them had never been formally discipled, and only a few said they felt competent to make disciples. Too often, we assume discipleship is already happening or even that our people know how to disciple. Discipleship must not be delegated to Sunday school classes or life groups without giving leaders a clear picture of what discipleship is and how to make disciples. Many women show up on Sundays overcommitted and overstressed. Because of this, churches must grapple with fitting special events into their overall discipleship strategy. A retreat or tea can serve a good purpose yet still not produce lasting spiritual fruit unless it equips attendees to live

out the gospel in their own context. A weary soul uplifted at a retreat can succumb to the flesh when life gets hard again. The seeking woman who jumps from one feel-good Bible study to the next may stop attending church altogether when she hears something she doesn’t like from the pulpit. Biblical women’s ministries produce long-term fruit by equipping a woman to sow gospel seeds where she’s been planted. Few churches, however, have a formal discipleship strategy for women—complete with a model, goals, measurables and a clear path forward for new disciples and their disciplers. Discipleship should include more than what we’re teaching women but also encompass how we’re teaching it and the order in which it’s being taught. 3. CONNECT TO THE BODY OF CHRIST Unchurched women often struggle to find their place in church. If they are single or divorced, traditional ministries

to women often widen the gap. Women’s ministry leaders must work with pastoral staff to connect these women to the greater body of Christ. Connecting women to the life of the church, however, entails more than finding them a place to serve. Women must also understand their role in God’s mission and use their unique gifts in fulfilling the Great Commission. Connecting women to the body of Christ means more than offering a mentoring program. Mentoring is not the same thing as replicating disciples. Clearer guidelines are needed to anchor women’s ministries to the greater mission of the church. Women’s ministries need systems for helping unchurched women develop deep roots. This strategy must begin immediately after conversion, encompass one-onone discipleship relationships, and include knowledge of their role in the church and redemptive history—to make more disciples.

For more information on conferences, leadership training and expertise in the area of women’s ministry, visit sbtexas.com/women.

3 Benefits of Discipleship Trillia Newbell trillianewbell.com

What happens when you get a group of women in a room to discuss life and the gospel? Talking. Lots of talking. And questions. More questions than you can imagine. Why? Because we need each other, and sometimes life can be confusing and include insurmountable circumstances. During my time in settings like this, I’m reminded of the importance of discipleship. Discipleship can take on many forms. It can be as simple as inviting someone into your kitchen for fellowship to organizing a normally scheduled lunch. However it looks, it involves honesty, seeking advice, and Scripture, and someone willing to do all of the above. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes writes, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).

He is writing about the vanity of trying to work alone as a means to outdo another. But labors aren’t the only benefit of working together. Two are also better than one as we live out our faith in Christ. We really need each other, though we often try to go at it alone. We truly need reproof and instruction, though we seldom seek it out. This is why discipleship is so important. Here are three simple benefits of discipling relationships: 1. DISCIPLESHIP BUILDS HUMILITY. Our temptation might be to think we know what is best for ourselves. As you’ve heard, and maybe said before, “we know ourselves better than anyone.” Scripture says that we might actually be more confused than we think. The heart is deceitful and so to trust yourself at all times is probably not the best route to take (Jeremiah 17:9). Wise counsel from a friend, pastor or spouse could be just the thing God uses for our protection. Proverbs says that a wise man will hear, learn and ac-

Paul tells us in Titus 2:3 that the older women in the church should teach what is good and train the younger women. They are to equip other women in how to walk in step with the truth of the gospel. And this isn’t a suggestion—it is God’s instruction for how we should relate to one another. quire wise counsel (Proverbs 1:5). So we can safely assume that an unwise man will not hear from others, will shut them down and not listen, will lack understanding, and will not acquire wise counsel. We need to resist the temptation to be wise in our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7). This isn’t so easy, but as we seek to gain understanding, we must first acknowledge that we don’t always know what is best. 2. DISCIPLESHIP UNITES US WITH FELLOW BELIEVERS. The body of Christ isn’t simply meant to exist for us to gather together on Sundays and then move along with our

lives the rest of the week. God’s Word paints a picture of believers doing life together (Acts 2:44–47). Seeking counsel and discipleship is one way to invite others into your life. Most of the time people won’t know the details of your life unless you are willing to share with them. Being willing to be discipled by another provides an opportunity for prayer and mutual encouragement (Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). We want to pursue one another because we are members of his body (Ephesians 5:30). 3. DISCIPLESHIP EQUIPS US FOR FAITHFULNESS.

Paul tells us in Titus 2:3 that the older women in the church should teach what is good and train the younger women. They are to equip other women in how to walk in step with the truth of the gospel. And this isn’t a suggestion—it is God’s instruction for how we should relate to one another. This is Discipleship 101. It’s yet another proof that we need each other. We can’t obey the commands in Titus 2 without being willing to be discipled (and being available and willing to disciple others). This article is used with permission and first appeared at trillianewbell.com.

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MEN OF JOSHUA DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM STRESSES ACCOUNTABILITY By Jane Rodgers

“Jesus, in the Great Commission, never said, ‘Go and make Christians. He said, ‘Go and make disciples.’ It is the job of the Holy Spirit to make Christians. It is the job of us to make disciples. God always chooses us to disciple us.”

TEXAN Correspondent ARLINGTON Though not yet 30 years old, Ronnie Goines was a successful development consultant for a Fortune 500 company when he led a fellow high achiever to Christ at a business conference—a life-changing encounter for both men. “I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life as an agent to lead people to Jesus Christ,” Goines said. Shortly thereafter, Goines was asked to teach a men’s Bible study class and eventually felt the Lord calling him to become a pastor, which meant further education for the Shreveport, La., native. Goines had already earned a finance degree from Louisiana Tech, but he and his new bride, Nikki, enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and “went from making good money to going to food pantries to eat.” Following graduation from Southwestern, Goines started a home church with five people, including his wife. Koinonia Christian Church grew to 5,000 in a dozen years. Today, the largely African-American congregation meets in a revamped former commercial property off Interstate 20 in Arlington. In 2009, Goines noticed a need for discipleship among men. “I saw a lot of Christians who weren’t disciples,” he said. “I met a lot of people on their way to heaven who were living in hell.” One Sunday as he preached on Joshua 24:15, Goines felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to ask how many men had been discipled. He explained discipleship to them with a coaching analogy: “The best athletes in the world have never played for us on television. They didn’t make it because they couldn’t be coached. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you won’t be coached, you are not going very far.” Goines asked the men: “Who feels like they have a lot of talent but they are sitting on the bench? Who is ready to be coached and get in the game?” Seventy-five men came forward. Seven eventually completed Koinonia’s first discipleship course. “Our church did a radical shift with these seven men,” Goines said. Over the next 13 months, attendance increased about eightfold to 1,300. “The word got out that we were discipling men.” The Men of Joshua curriculum is based on the premise that “every man should be the pastor of his own home.”

—RONNIE GOINES Ronnie Goines

Recently published in the book As for Me and My House, the plan features model lessons and offers a glimpse into Goines’ background as the son of a single mother whose teachers and coaches believed in him. Goines teaches the class two or three times a year. Men enrolled in the program commit to 14 weeks involving mandatory attendance at discipleship classes, Bible study, prayer meetings, evangelism outreaches and worship. They must have a job, actively serve, practice stewardship and pass content exams. If a man falls short in an area, he must repeat the course. Goines said some pastors think this is too regimented, likely to result in men leaving the church, but that does not concern Goines. “I would rather have four weeks to disciple you and then you leave,” he said, “than to have you here for four years and never hold you accountable.” Single men take the course, too. “Even if you are not a husband, you should be husband material,” Goines explained. Women pursue a discipleship course called Women of Esther, a “less rigid” form of the Joshua program with different material. “The stress of being a mom is different from that of being a dad,” Goines said. “The ethos is a little different. They need a sisterhood.” “The biggest thing in both is accountability,” he affirmed, noting that disciples sign a contract or covenant. The role of a teacher is vital in the process, just as “Jesus spent time living with and walking with the disciples,” Goines explained. One key is “the leader walking with those he has been called to disciple.” Koinonia recognizes graduates in a special ceremony, before which each disciple will

have memorized 35 scriptures, learned apologetics and know how to disciple others. Disciples then become dis-

make Christians. It is the job of us to make disciples. God always chooses us to disciple us.” Koinonia’s Daylon Furlough

Texas, California, South Carolina, Hawaii and Michigan. Ten churches have implemented the entire program, while more than

AND IF IT IS EVIL IN YOUR EYES TO SERVE THE LORD, CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE ...

BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.” —JOSHUA 24:15

ciplers, required to lead others each year through an abbreviated curriculum. “Jesus, in the Great Commission, never said, ‘Go and make Christians,’” Goines noted. “He said, ‘Go and make disciples.’ It is the job of the Holy Spirit to

affirmed the program’s success: “Men of Joshua gave me the tools, the know-how, to live a life modeled after Christ.” He said his 17 fellow students are “brothers for life.” The Men of Joshua curriculum has been adopted by churches in

S A M P L E PAY M E N T R AT E S AG E

R ATE

AG E

R ATE

65

4 .70 %

80

6 .80 %

70

5 .1 0 %

85

7.80 %

75

5 .80 %

90+

9.0 0 %

Notes: Rates are subject to change. Rates are based upon one-life.

100 others have adopted parts. Koinonia holds an annual conference for men from across the nation who have gone through Men of Joshua. Goines plans to work with SBTC discipleship ministries this fall on a video training module.

June 2017

SPECIAL REPORT:

DISCIPLESHIP

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Discipleship Resources

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Books 1 MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM BY ROBERT E. COLEMAN

2 GROWING UP: HOW TO BE A DISCIPLE WHO MAKES DISCIPLES BY ROBBY GALLATY

3 REDISCOVERING DISCIPLESHIP: MAKING JESUS’ FINAL WORDS OUR FIRST WORK BY ROBBY GALLATY 4 STRATEGIC DISCIPLE MAKING: A PRACTICAL TOOL FOR SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY BY AUBREY MALPHURS 5 THE COMPLETE BOOK OF DISCIPLESHIP: ON BEING AND MAKING FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST BY BILL HULL 6 4 CHAIR DISCIPLING: GROWING A MOVEMENT OF DISCIPLE-MAKERS BY DANN SPADER

7 DISCIPLESHIFT : FIVE STEPS THAT HELP YOUR CHURCH TO MAKE DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES BY JIM PUTMAN, BOBBY HARRINGTON AND ROBERT COLEMAN

8 DISCIPLE MAKING IS … : HOW TO LIVE THE GREAT COMMISSION WITH PASSION AND CONFIDENCE BY DAVE EARLEY AND ROD DEMPSEY

9 DISCIPLESHIP ESSENTIALS: A GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR LIFE IN CHRIST BY GREG OGDEN

q DISCIPLING: HOW TO HELP OTHERS FOLLOW JESUS BY MARK DEVER

Other resources w DISCIPLES PATH (LIFEWAY RESOURCES, 2016)

e RHYTHMS: SPIRITUAL RHYTHMS OF MULTIPLYING DISCIPLES BY SPENCER PLUMLEE AND LANCE CROWELL (SBTC, 2016) SBTEXAS.COM/DISCIPLESHIP

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CULTURE

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NETFLIX SERIES ‘13 REASONS’ STIRS CONTROVERSY, DEBATE By Diana Chandler Baptist Press NASHVILLE—A streamed Netflix series dramatizing the fictional story of a teen’s suicide has drawn disparate reactions from secular and Christian sectors in the U.S. and abroad as the show’s popularity continues to grow.

Netflix strengthened viewer warnings in May regarding the content of the series, 13 Reasons Why, after cries of possible “suicide contagion” and the glamorization of suicide spilled from religious, educational and clinical sectors within the U.S. and as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Conversely, others have said

the series that debuted March 31 opens the airways for honest discussion of suicide’s causes and prevention. The show, which is rated TVMA, is based off of the 2007 young adult novel in which a teenage girl commits suicide and leaves behind cassette tapes to 13 people explaining her reasons for ending her life.

“There are very legitimate concerns about this program, and Christian parents and young persons should be very very aware of the danger represented by any kind of glorification or rationalization of suicide,” R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said on his daily news analysis and commentary at AlbertMohler.com.

“The Christian worldview based in the Scripture is not merely concerned about what might be a virus or a contagion of suicide but rather, about the issue of suicide itself, that’s deeply rooted in the sanctity of life ethic and our understanding that every single human life is a gift of a sovereign and benevolent Creator.”

The reason the world is watching ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ Julia Jeffress Sadler

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he New York Times bestselling book turned Netflix series “Thirteen Reasons Why,” a story about suicide and the real pressures of high school life, has turned into an overnight national phenomenon. Why is this series catching the attention of parents, teachers, teenagers and pretty much everyone? While the series has many critics, it has one main attraction—“Thirteen Reasons Why” is the most accurate show on television. As a licensed professional counselor who presents suicide prevention programs in public and private schools, I can tell you that, unfortunately, this show depicts the struggles many of our teenagers are facing. Personally, I went into the show ready to be a critic, ready to dismantle it for romanticizing suicide and for depicting dark images and ideas. However, I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming accuracy of this show. Research tells us that 1 in 6 women are sexually abused and 5,000 teenagers in the United States attempt

suicide daily, which means our high schools are filled with Hannah Bakers (the story’s protagonist who commits suicide). Of course, there are many reasons not to watch this show, but I want to focus on my number one concern I have with it. Surprisingly, the number one issue is not suicide; it’s a victim mentality. Victim mentality is different from being a victim. Without a doubt, people are victims of assault, abuse and other horrible acts for which they are in no way responsible. Victim mentality does not necessarily have anything to do with being the object of a crime. Victim mentality is letting other people rule your life or, in Hannah Baker’s case, letting other people ruin your life. While this idea can sound harsh, it is the reason Hannah Baker’s character and millions of other people take their own lives. I remember counseling a suicidal 20-year-old girl who was a complete puzzle to me. I could not figure out why this beautiful and talented young woman with her whole life ahead of her was suicidal. Finally, she said to me, “I want to commit suicide because I want my dad to know how badly

he hurt me when he sexually abused me.” That is the suicidal delusion that many teenagers and adults believe—that because of what has happened in their lives, their lives are over. Many suffering people believe they are the only ones— the only ones being bullied, the only ones being sexually abused, the only ones without friends. And when people believe they are alone, they feel hopeless. But the truth is that our lives are never completely hopeless, never beyond repair, and never beyond re-

demption because God is big enough to redeem and restore even the worst parts of our lives. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph had the ultimate chance to confront his brothers who sold him into slavery and left him for dead, and his response was not to leave cassette tapes for all his brothers to listen to so they could be punished. Instead, Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” In evaluating “Thirteen Rea-

sons Why,” we must remember the reason it is a hit show— countless numbers of people are hurting and tempted to commit suicide every minute. We must stop letting other people ruin and even take our lives. We must open our eyes to the nationwide epidemic and reality of suicide. Julia Jeffress Sadler serves as the Girls Ministry Director at First Baptist Church in Dallas and is a licensed professional counselor, specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self-harm.

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CHURCH POSITIONS PASTOR u FBC in Groesbeck is seeking a FT lead/ senior pastor. Candidates may send their resumes to [email protected]. u Good Shepherd BC in Silsbee is seeking a FT pastor. Average Sunday morning attendance is 120. Parsonage is available. We are an SBTC church. Send resume to [email protected] or Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 3700 FM 92, Silsbee, TX 77656. Contact Lynn Grissom at 409-782-5571. u FBC Bloomington is seeking a FT or bi-vocational pastor. Parsonage provided. Please send resumes to FBC Bloomington, PO Box 607, Bloomington, TX 77951. u Parkview BC in Littlefield is a small church seeking a FT or bi-vocational pastor. Parsonage and utilities furnished. Please submit resume to PBC, PO Box 667, Littlefield, TX 79339 or email to [email protected]. u FBC of Orchard is a church located about 40 miles west of Houston and has around 50 members. We are accepting resumes for a bi-vocational pastor who has graduated from or is currently enrolled in seminary. FBC Orchard affirms the beliefs found in the “2000 Baptist Faith and Message.” Please submit resumes to Orchardbaptists@gmail. com or mail to FBC Orchard, PO Box 114, Orchard, TX 77464. u Lovera BC in San Antonio is seeking a PT/bi-vocational pastor. LBC is affiliated with the San Antonio Baptist Association and affirms the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. Ten years’ ministerial experience and formal theological education preferred. Send resumes and letters of reference to Pastor Search Committee at Loverabaptistchurch@ yahoo.com or Lovera Baptist Church, 333 Lovera Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78212. DVDs or links to online sermons are appreciated. MUSIC u Little Cypress BC in Orange is searching for a FT music minister. This job will also be a dual position depending on spiritual gifts. Resumes may be emailed to [email protected]. u FBC Odessa is seeking a worship pastor to lead an established, dynamic worship ministry including a large choir, orchestra and praise teams for blended worship. Please send resume to First Baptist Church, 709 N Lee, Odessa,

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TX 79761 or email to worshipsearch@ fbcodessa.com. COMBINATION u Meadowbrook BC, Rockdale is seeking a youth (combo w/music optional) minister; young, evangelistic, adhere to BF&M 2000, have a love for youth, people, and be a team player. Email resumes to [email protected] or mail to Youth Pastor Search 1401 Colorado Ave, Rockdale, TX 76567. u FBC Farmerville, La., is seeking a staff person who has or staff persons who have knowledge, education, and/ or experience in one or more of the following ministries: worship leadership/ music, student ministry, and Christian education. You can email a resume to [email protected] attn: Minister Search Committee or call (318)368-3848. u FBC of Hollis, Okla., is seeking a FT minister of music and education. Please send resume to [email protected] or First Baptist Church, PO Box 589, Hollis, OK 73550. u Farley Street BC in Waxahachie is seeking a FT worship & education pastor to lead an established choir, praise team including musicians for blended worship and oversee adult education programs. Must have a major or minor degree in music. Prefer 3-5 years’ of experience supervising choral/musical ministries. Salary TBD. Send resumes to [email protected]. u FBC Dumas is searching for a FT associate pastor/worship minister. Please send resumes to Jerry Howe, PO Box 617, Dumas, TX 79029. YOUTH u Meadowbrook BC, Rockdale is seeking a youth (combo w/music optional) minister; young, evangelistic, adhere to BF&M 2000, have a love for youth, people, and be a team player. Email resumes to [email protected] or mail to Youth Pastor Search 1401 Colorado Ave, Rockdale, TX 76567. u Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio is looking for a FT associate pastor of youth. You can submit a resume to the search committee at: [email protected]. u Calvary BC in Kaufman is seeking candidates for a youth ministry internship. For more information, please contact Robert Webb at 214-769-4183 or at [email protected].

11 Reasons to Not Drink Alcohol

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GET TO KNOW OUR SBTC TEAM NAME: REBECCA BURK

when you travel, it helps to pop your ears on a flight, and it has the added bonus of making your breath smell good when you are stuffed into small spaces with groups of people for extended periods of time.

JOB: PERSONAL & LANGUAGE EVANGELISM MINISTRY ASSISTANT CHURCH: FIRST EULESS INTERNATIONAL

SO, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY DO AS AN ASSISTANT? My job is a little bit of everything. I make sure that the personal evangelism associate and the language and interfaith evangelism associate are best able to serve SBTC churches. My favorite part of this is helping to manage the SBTC webstore and all of the resources that are available through it. It is so exciting because I am able to help facilitate the development of tracts and resources that have a direct kingdom impact. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR THE SBTC? Just under a year. WHEN PACKING FOR A TRIP, WHAT ITEM MUST YOU ALWAYS BRING ALONG, THAT OTHERS MIGHT FIND SILLY? I don’t normally chew gum, but when I travel this is an essential purchase. It appeases the munchie feeling you get

THE BEST DAY AT THE OFFICE IS WHEN … I get to help serve the multi-ethnic and international churches within the SBTC. I grew up internationally, and I have a heart for seeing people of every color and background worshiping our God. I am so excited about our Look Like Heaven emphasis because it encourages cross-cultural interchange between SBTC churches. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU KNOW NOW, THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR JOB AT THE SBTC? I did not know that the SBTC had a disaster relief ministry, much less how prepared, widespread and evangelistic that it is. Disasters happen, and I am so thankful to be part of an organization that is prepared to help. ON A WEEKEND AWAY FROM WORK, WHAT DO YOU MOST LIKE TO DO? I love walking and traveling. This means that my favorite weekend plans include traveling out of town and finding someplace (preferably close to friends or family) where I can go and explore.

PAID CLASSIFIEDS u BEACH HOUSE RENTAL one block to Galveston seawall and Pleasure Pier. Great porch views of water and pier. Sleeps 6 up, 8 down, 2 full kitchens, 2 full baths. Call Karen at 409-370-7012. http://www.rentalsbythepier.com/aqua-breeze.html. u MESSIAH’S RANCH CHRISTIAN CAMP, located near Bryan/College Station, will have a few very rare open weeks in the summer of 2018. We have 200 beds on 100 acres and are in high demand, as our facilities are unique. Dates will be grabbed quickly. Check us out at messiahsranch.org. u BOOK FOR SALE. “Why Country Church is Still Cool! The Miracle at Marion Continues.” Written by Butch Ikels, PO Box 421, Marion, Texas 78124. $10.00 + $2.95 shipping. u CUSTOM SCREEN-PRINTED T-SHIRTS FOR CHURCHES Great prices and free shipping across the state! Small and large orders welcome. Printed by Christian owned and operated business. Call Southeast Texas Printing Co. 409-622-2197.

A PA I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T

1. God said to be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6-8; 1 Peter 5:8). 2. We are to love God with all our minds (Mark 12:30). Alcohol impairs that mind. 3. It is expensive (Proverbs 23:21). 4. It makes you do foolish things you would never do in your right mind (Proverbs 23:29-35). 5. It is dangerous and addictive (Proverbs 20:1). 6. It hurts your testimony; you influence others to drink; you often harm others (Romans 14:21). 7. Drugs should not be used for recreation and pleasure. 8. Never take that first drink, and you will never become a problem drinker. 9. Drinking supports an industry that has destroyed untold thousands. 10. Not drinking is prudent and wise (Proverbs 20:1; 22:3). 11. You should rely on God, not drugs (Psalm 11:1). -David R. Brumbelow, author of Ancient Wine and the Bible: The Case for Abstinence. gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com (Permission granted to reprint.) Got questions about the Bible and Alcohol? Find answers in “Ancient Wine and the Bible.”

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H.B. CHARLES TO BE PASTORS’ CONF. NOMINEE By David Roach Baptist Press PHOENIX Oklahoma pastor Brad Graves has announced the withdrawal of his candidacy for Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference president to clear the way for Florida pastor H.B. Charles Jr. to be nominated as the first AfricanAmerican to hold that office. Graves told Baptist Press no one pressured him to withdraw and “it’s never a loss when you can join God in his work.” Former Pastors’ Conference president Ken Whitten announced his intent to nominate Charles May 11, noting he is a “preacher extraordinaire.” The decision to nominate Charles stemmed from an informal gathering of past Pastors’ Conference presidents May 2 at which the group expressed a desire to nominate someone representing the numerous qualified pastors from ethnic minority groups, Whitten told BP. Multiple qualified pastors were discussed, he said, and eventually the group sensed God’s leading to Charles, pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. “We thought it was time to stop talking about racial unity

in positions of leadership within our c o nve n t i o n” and “put a president out there at the H.B. Charles Pastors’ Conference” from among the “African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians who are pastoring great churches and are very worthy of being in positions of leadership in our convention,” said Whitten, pastor of Tampa-area Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla. Charles’ nomination, which will occur June 12 at this year’s Pastors’ Conference in Phoenix, “was never about trying to find a candidate better than Brad Graves,” Whitten said. “Brad Graves is a class-act pastor and is worthy of being a Pastors’ Conference president.” Graves, whose candidacy was announced April 17, told BP the decision to withdraw from the election was “a big God moment,” adding no one pressured him to withdraw—except the Holy Spirit after a season of prayer. Graves was notified May 9 that Charles also would be nominated. So he prayed, sought wise counsel and had a phone conversation with Charles dur-

ing which he shared his intent to “step aside.” “I don’t want to be anything divisive” in the SBC, said Graves, pastor of First Baptist Church in Ada, Okla. “I think it’s time to show the culture that there is something that unites [Southern Baptists] more than just a Cooperative Program or a mission statement, but that we really do care for one another. We really are brothers in a fraternity.” Graves added, “Our convention is very diverse,” and Charles’ nomination “will help show how diverse we really are.” Charles has served as pastor of Shiloh since 2008. The church averages 4,000 in worship across two campuses and began cooperating with the SBC in 2012 at Charles’ urging, Shiloh reported. The church reported giving $9,000 through the Cooperative Program in 2016, and the SBC’s Annual Church Profile database reflected a similar total. Shiloh, which also cooperates with the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., reported a total of $21,000 in Great Commission Giving last year. Great Commission Giving is a category of giving established by SBC action in 2011 that

encompasses giving through CP, Southern Baptists’ unified program of funding state- and SBC-level ministries, as well as direct gifts to SBC entities, associational giving and giving to state convention ministries. Shiloh, formerly a vastly African-American congregation, became more racially diverse when it merged in 2015 with the predominantly white Ridgewood Baptist Church in Orange Park, Fla. While the Jacksonville campus remains predominantly African-American, as much as 40 percent of Shiloh’s campus in Orange Park is Anglo, with a smattering of other ethnicities. Previously, Charles pastored Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles for nearly 18 years, succeeding his father H.B. Charles Sr. The younger Charles began his pastorate in Los Angeles at age 17. Charles is the author of four books and has contributed to three others. He is a frequent preacher at SBC entities and conferences hosted by Southern Baptists, including two appearances at the SBC Pastors’ Conference. Charles also will be nominated at this year’s SBC annual meeting as a trustee of Southern

Baptist Theological Seminary. “I am grateful, honored and privileged to be considered for this important role” in the Pastors’ Conference, Charles told BP. “My prayer, if elected, is that we will have a conference that will encourage pastors and churches to be about the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ in these important times that we live in.” The potential of being the first black Pastors’ Conference president “made the opportunity all the more overwhelming and humbling,” Charles said. “It would be a privilege to have such a signal honor to be the first to serve in this important role in our convention. And I hope and pray that, if elected, it will signal unity among us as brothers and sisters in Christ.” Charles and his wife Crystal have three children. The Pastors’ Conference will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center June 11-12, prior to the SBC’s June 13-14 annual meeting there. Next year’s Pastors’ Conference and SBC annual meeting will be in Dallas. With Graves’ withdrawal, Charles’ nomination is the only one announced for the Pastors’ Conference at time of publishing.

SEBTS’ Strickland to be 1st VP nominee By David Roach Baptist Press PHOENIX Walter Strickland, a leader of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Kingdom Diversity Initiative, will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention first vice president, former SBC President James Merritt announced May 9. Strickland, an African-American, has been special adviser to the president for diversity at Southeastern since 2013. He also teaches theology at Southeastern and since 2015 has oper-

ated a consulting service to assist churches and other organizations with diversity-related issues. Walter Strickland S o ut h e a s t ern’s Kingdom Diversity Initiative seeks in increase the seminary’s ethnic minority and female enrollment and equip students for multicultural ministry. “As our nation and our convention become more diverse, it is imperative that our leader-

ship reflect the diversity that marks the kingdom of God and heaven itself,” Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga., said in a news release. “Beyond that we need people in leadership that reflect the best of Southern Baptists theologically, spiritually and personally. During Strickland’s tenure at Southeastern, non-Anglo students have increased from 10 percent of the student body to 16 percent, according to Merritt’s release. During that time, the number of African-American students has doubled and

the number of Hispanic students has tripled, Merritt said. Merritt said Strickland also has worked to “strengthen partnerships with diverse churches and ministries,” facilitate campus conversations on racial and cultural issues and launch a program to offer financial assistance to minority students for mission trips. Strickland is a member of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C., which told Baptist Press it gave $88,234 in Great Commission Giving for 2016. Strickland holds Master of Theology and Master of Divinity

degrees from Southeastern and a Bachelor of Arts from Cedarville University in Ohio. He is scheduled to graduate this spring with his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Author of the forthcoming book The Story of Black Christianity, Strickland has coauthored, edited and contributed to numerous other volumes. He has served on staff at two North Carolina churches. Strickland was the first and only announced candidate for first vice president at time of publishing.

FLA. PASTOR JOSE ABELLA TO BE 2ND VP NOMINEE By David Roach Baptist Press PHOENIX Florida pastor Jose Abella will be nominated for second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Georgia pastor Michael Lewis announced May 10. In 2010, Abella planted Providence Road Church, a bilingual congregation in Miami, and has served as pastor ever since. He is a preacher for this year’s SBC Pastors’ Conference, a former second vice president of the Florida Baptist Convention and a council member for the Hispanic

Baptist Pastors Alliance. “Jose is a loving picture of what Southern Baptists are working to Jose Abella b e c o m e ,” Lewis, pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., said in a news release, “effective in an urban context, multiplying churches, reaching different generations, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups, all while being faithful to Scripture.”

The nomination will occur June 12 at the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix. Lewis said Abella “is fully bilingual, preaching each week in both English and Spanish, and leads Providence Road to effective cross-cultural outreach in Miami.” During Abella’s pastorate, Providence Road has planted a sister congregation in Miami and increased in average worship attendance from approximately 65 to some 250, the church reported. Providence Road baptized five people last year and 17 in 2015. The Flori-

da Baptist Convention and the SBC’s Annual Church Profile reported similar data. Providence Road reported Great Commission Giving last year totaling 19 percent of its undesignated receipts. That total included 4 percent through the Cooperative Program. The church’s 2017 budget includes 5 percent giving through CP, Providence Road reported. Abella is a leadership team member of the Pillar Church Planting Network, Lewis said, and “models biblical expository preaching and a firm commitment to the inerrancy and au-

thority of Scripture.” “With Jesus and the gospel at the center,” Lewis said, “Jose goes across people groups, languages, ethnicities and calls people to Jesus. We need that perspective. We need Jose’s voice.” Abella holds a Bachelor of Biblical studies degree from The College at Southeastern, the undergraduate school of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Southeastern. Abella was the first and only announced candidate for second vice president at time of publishing.

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2017 SBC: EXEC. COMM., BOARDS, COMMISSION, SEMINARIES, COMMITTEE NOMINEES ANNOUNCED NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD (54 trustees): 14 nominations conNASHVILLE Nominees to serve on the sidered—10 new trustees, 4 renominations. Southern Baptist Convention Executive Nominees from Texas with terms to Committee, the four denominational expire in 2021 replacing trustees ineliboards—International Mission Board, gible for re-election include Kenneth W. North American Mission Board, Life- Priest, Plano, replacing Heath C. PeloWay Christian Resources, and Guide- quin, Flower Mound; and Clark ReynStone Financial Resources—the Ethics olds, layperson and member of First Bap& Religious Liberty Commission, the six tist Church, Houston, replacing Mark J. seminaries, and the Committee on Order Dyer, Plano. of Business have been selected by the LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES 2017 SBC Committee on Nominations. (53 trustees): 12 nominations considered— Nominees will serve if elected by the five new trustees, seven renominations. messengers to the annual meeting of the There are no nominees from Texas up Southern Baptist Convention, June 13- for election or re-election. 14 in Phoenix. SOUTHERN SEMINARY (43 trustees): EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (82 mem- 11 nominations considered—5 new trustbers): 27 nominations considered—16 ees, 6 renominations. new members, 11 renominations. Nominees from Texas with terms to Nominees from Texas include Mi- expire in 2022 replacing trustees inelichael L. “Mike” Lawson, Sherman, for a gible for re-election are Sally M. Ramsay, second term. layperson and member of Champion GUIDESTONE FINANCIAL Forest Baptist Church, Houston, replacRESOURCES (45 trustees): 10 nomina- ing Joseph M. “Mike” Mericle, Austin. tions considered—seven new trustees, SOUTHWESTERN SEMINARY (40 three renominations. trustees): Eight nominations considered— There are no nominees from Texas up four new trustees, four renominations. for election or re-election. Nominees from Texas with terms to INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD expire in 2022 replacing trustees ineli(78 trustees): 20 nominations consid- gible for re-election include J. Kie Bowered—10 new trustees, 10 renominations. man, pastor, Hyde Park Baptist Church, Nominees from Texas include Austin, replacing Lash T. Banks, MurGeronimo M. Disla, Grand Prairie, for a phy, and Charles W. Hott, layperson second term. and member of Forestburg Baptist

By Baptist Press

Church, Forestburg, replacing Gary W. Loveless, Houston. Nominated for a second term is Don Whorton, Dallas. NEW ORLEANS SEMINARY (40 trustees): Seven nominations considered—one new trustee, six renominations. There are no nominees from Texas up for election or re-election. SOUTHEASTERN SEMINARY (30 trustees): Eight nominations considered—3 new trustees, 5 renominations. There are no nominees from Texas up for election or re-election. MIDWESTERN SEMINARY (35 trustees): Nine nominations considered—four new trustees, five renominations. Nominees from Texas with terms to expire in 2022 include David C. Shanks, layperson and member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church, Fort Worth, replacing K. Wayne Lee, Euless, who resigned. GATEWAY SEMINARY (39 trustees): Nine nominations considered—five new trustees, four renominations. There are no nominees from Texas up for election or re-election. ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION (34 trustees): Nine nominations considered—five new trustees, four renominations. There are no nominees from Texas up for election or re-election. COMMITTEE ON ORDER OF BUSINESS (7 members): two nomina-

GuideStone: resources, wellness & retirement checkups at SBC By Roy Hayhurst PHOENIX GuideStone will once again make available its popular Wellness Center during the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting June 12-14. But this year, rather than having participants move from one station to another, the Wellness Center will offer participants one-stop biometric readings. Additionally, GuideStone staff will be available during all exhibit hall hours to meet with participants about their retirement plans or insurance coverages. Messengers can visit the GuideStone Wellness Center in the exhibit hall to take advantage of the free services that

P STOH E BY TTC SB TH BOOSBC AT

are valued at $150. The wellness screening offers blood-based screenings for cholesterol and glucose. For best results, fast at least the previous 12 hours. Participants will receive a personalized report suitable to take to their family doctors. Additionally, materials for Mission:Dignity Sunday can be ordered by visiting the GuideStone booth in the exhibit hall. Mission:Dignity Sunday is the fourth Sunday of each June on the SBC’s annual calendar—this year it falls on June 25—though materials are undated and can be used throughout the year. Mission:Dignity provides financial assistance to more than 1,800 retired Southern Baptist workers, ministers and

their widows who are in critical financial need. Materials can be ordered in advance by visiting MDSunday.org. For more information on Mission:Dignity, visit MissionDignity.org. While supplies last, free, advance copies of The Christmas Code: Daily Devotions Celebrating the Advent Season will be available. The 68-page devotional is designed to guide readers from December 1-25. The new book, along with The Believer’s Code: 365 Devotions to Unlock the Blessings of God’s Word, both by GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins, debut October 24 in bookstores and online. All author proceeds from sales of the books benefit Mission:Dignity.

tions considered—2 new members. There are no nominees from Texas up for election or re-election. To read the entire list of nominees from all states for all entities, visit texanonline.net/archives/5647.

Seminary lunches at SBC SOUTHWESTERN North Building, Room 120D. Tickets may be purchased for $20 per person online at swbts.edu/sbclunch or by calling 1-877-GO SWBTS (467-9287). Tickets will also be available during the SBC annual meeting at Southwestern’s booth in the exhibit hall. SOUTHERN West Building, Room 301A. Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase on Southern Seminary’s website at sbts.edu/sbc and at the seminary’s booth in the SBC exhibit hall. SOUTHEASTERN West Building, Room 301D. Admission is $10 per person, and space is limited. Email [email protected], call 919-761-2293, or visit sebts.edu/sbc17 for more information and to register. NEW ORLEANS North Building, Room 120A. Tickets are $20 per person if purchased by midnight May 27 (the last day of online sales), $25 at the convention. To purchase a ticket before the convention, visit nobts.edu/alumni. All luncheon tickets may be picked up or purchased at the seminary’s booth in the exhibit hall. MIDWESTERN North Building, Room 120C. Learn more at mbts.edu/ sbclunch. Early bird tickets are $20 purchased in advance online by May 28 or $25 purchased online or at the Midwestern Seminary booth. GATEWAY North Building, Rooms 129A and B. Tickets are $10 each. Seating is limited and can be reserved at www.eventbrite.com/e/ sbc-alumni-and-friends-luncheontickets-32860175670.

Co m e s e e u s in th e e xh ibit h a ll ne xt t o t he L i feWay C hr i s t i an Re s our c e s s t or e and the New Orleans Seminary booth .

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TEXAS BOARD OF EDUCATION REVISES SCIENCE STANDARDS, ADOPTS ‘COMPROMISE-LANGUAGE’ ON EVOLUTION By Jane Rodgers TEXAN Correspondent AUSTIN The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) approved streamlined Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) science standards for grades K-12 at its April 21 meeting, a move that placated both conservative and progressive constituencies concerned with the teaching of evolution in Texas public schools. “It’s pretty interesting that people on both sides of the issue like the revised standards,” Barbara Cargill of The Woodlands, SBOE member for District 8 and former board chair, told the TEXAN. In the second of five scheduled meetings this year, the 15-member elected board adopted “compromise-language on two high-profile standards,” after considering comments from teachers and a variety of speakers, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) posted on its website. Changes to TEKS biology standards (4)(A) concerning cellular complexity and (6)(A) concerning DNA and scientific theories of its origin occasioned the compromise. Instead of “evaluating” scientific theories, Texas students must now “compare and contrast” theories regarding cellular complexity. Rather than “evaluating” scientific explanations for the origin of DNA, students now must “examine” them. Scientific explanations include “theories and hypotheses,” Cargill said, adding that the 2009 requirement that students examine “all sides” of scientific arguments was found “confusing” and dropped from TEKS standards. The new “compromise” language addresses “both the need to streamline content while encouraging critical

“Science should be open to close scrutiny and debate, no matter where the evidence leads. Only then can we hope that our students will become great thinkers.” —BARBARA CARGILL OF THE WOODLANDS, SBOE MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 8 AND FORMER BOARD CHAIR

thinking by students,” SBOE chair Donna Bahorich said in a statement cited by TEA. Streamlined standards go into effect in the 2018-19 school year. For proponents of evolution, the changes signaled victory. The Texas Freedom Network posted on Twitter: “SBOE votes & for the 1st time in 30 years, standards are free of junk science designed to cast doubt on evolution. No, for real!” The Austin Chronicle reported that Southern Methodist University evolutionary anthropologist Ron Wetherington, a member of the SBOE’s science review committee tasked with recommending changes, praised the deletion of the term “evaluate,” which he deemed a “dog whistle” enabling creationist agendas. The Houston Press hailed the changed language as a sign of “real progress,” since students must no longer “evaluate evolution and creationism” but “compare and contrast” them, ending years of controversy by allowing students to “learn high school biology without being required to challenge evolution.” Nonetheless, the terms “analyze, evaluate, and critique” have not gone away. The streamlined TEKS biology process standard (3)(A) requires students in all fields of science to “analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reason-

ing, and experimental and observational testing, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student.” Sarah Chaffee of the Seattle-based Discovery Institute discussed the SBOE changes in an April 26 article posted on evolutionnews.org, pointing out that the SBOE kept requirements emphasizing “critical inquiry on such topics as the origin of DNA—life’s code—the intricacies of the cell, natural selection, and other subjects relating to biodiversity and evolution.” Furthermore, TEKS biology standard (7)(B) calls for students to consider extraevolutionary theory: “Examine scientific explanations of abrupt appearance and stasis in the fossil record.” Claiming such concepts were “developmentally inappropriate” for ninth graders, the biology review panel initially recommended deleting the subjects of stasis, sudden appearance, cell complexity, and origin of life from the standards entirely, Cargill said, adding that SBOE reinserted these concepts following input from teachers, the public, and scientists. The hotly-contested “analyze and evaluate” phrase was also retained in TEKS standards dealing with natural selection and common ancestry, Chaffee and Cargill confirmed. Noting that many media outlets have given “erroneous information about the revised standards,” Cargill explained in

a written statement that the “streamlined TEKS in biology continue to call for critical thinking in the study of theories such as evolution.” The use of the word “examine” is meant to encourage students to “take a deeper look at scientific evidence and to analyze, evaluate and critique theories, whether that theory is evolution or any other theory,” Cargill stated. Before the April vote, the SBOE heard from concerned Texas parents, educators, scholars and scientists. The science review committee included fellows from the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture as well as teachers, university professors and evolutionary biologists. Despite much ado from proponents of evolution, the words “creation theory” and “intelligent design” do not appear in TEKS standards. Even the Discovery Institute’s science education policy calls for a “common ground approach” for public school science curriculums emphasizing the “strengths and weaknesses of neo-Darwinian and chemical evolutionary theories” rather than the teaching of alternative theories such as intelligent design, Chaffee stated. “Science should be open to close scrutiny and debate, no matter where the evidence leads,” Cargill argued. “Only then can we hope that our students will become great thinkers.”

Criswell graduates urged to not be ‘incognito’ By Rob Collingsworth Criswell College

Dante Wright, pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Round Rock and SBTC vice president, delivers a commencement address at Criswell College, May 13. PHOTO COURTESY OF CRISWELL COLLEGE

DALLAS At Criswell College’s annual spring commencement exercises May 13, SBTC Vice President Dante Wright urged the 47 college and master’s graduates not to be “incognito” as they move into their next season of life but to make clear to those around them that they belong to Christ. A Criswell alum and member of the school’s Board of Trustees, Wright serves as the pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Round Rock. Wright congratulated the graduates on their academic achievement, challenging them to “make a difference in the world for the cause of Christ.” Preaching from Matthew 5:13-16, he reminded the graduates that, “If you don’t know your purpose when you walk out of this place today: you are called by God to be salt and light to this dark and decaying world. “Don’t be afraid to tell someone that you love God. They may say you’re dif-

ferent or that you act different,” Wright said. “You just tell them you’re just acting the way God has created us to act.” Wright posed the question, “Once you graduate, then what?” He warned the graduates not to fall into the traps of procrastination or indecision, noting that “we have no time to contemplate indecision because Jesus has already told us what our call and role is.” Reflecting on his own time at Criswell, Wright also advised those attending to beware of the difference between memorizing Scripture and internalizing it. “As a Criswell student, I memorized the Sermon on the Mount,” Wright said. “But there’s a difference between memorizing and internalizing. Once I received the grade, it was almost like the Sermon on the Mount was no longer in me. And yet when I began to move into the real world, I missed out on some of its great biblical truths and principles because I had been so busy trying to memorize for a grade.”

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In conclusion, Wright urged Criswell graduates to engage with issues such as marriage, racial reconciliation and abortion, reminding them that wherever they go and whatever they do, they will always have the tools they received at Criswell to be salt and light in the world. Among those commissioned for ministry at commencement was Bryan LeCompte, Outstanding Graduate and winner of the W.A. Criswell Honors Award. LeCompte urged his fellow graduates to appreciate the legacy of those who have gone before and enabled them to receive the unique education afforded them at Criswell. “You were equipped here at this college for one central purpose: to love the church and to serve her with your newly acquired skills, following the example of Christ’s service to her,” LeCompte said. “Do not assume that you will change the culture for Christ divorced from his bride.” Criswell College is one of two schools affiliated with the SBTC.

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