7-30-15 ABN Now

EWS

Telling the story of Arkansas Baptists since 1901

Inside: – Scouts continue shift on LGBT issue – Gospel focus of 2015 YEC gathering – Standing for Christ in culture – Magnolia Baptist churches unite – Old Austin BC reflects on 180 years

See PRAYER page 9

Dozens of churches participate in annual workshops

page 8

July 30, 2015

Volume 114, Number 15

Arkansas pastor witnesses at PP

Ark. Baptists to gather for prayer, revival LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Baptists’ focus on prayer, revival and spiritual awakening continues during a two-day prayer gathering Aug. 31-Sept.

1 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.

“A Call to Pray for Revival and Awakening: A Gathering for Pastors and All Ministers” will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude by 10 p.m., Monday, Aug. 31 and will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by noon, Tuesday, Sept. 1. A light breakfast will be served on Tuesday prior to the session.

The event is being sponsored by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) Prayer Task Force, Immanuel Baptist Church and Cross Church of Springdale.

A similar event was held in April 2014.

“The last prayer event for pastors and staff triggered a movement of prayer in our

WorshipWorks trains 675

Jessica Vanderpool Arkansas Baptist News

John Rech, pastor of New Hope Baptist Mission in Marion, preaches and witnesses outside the Planned Parenthood building in Memphis, Tenn. New Hope is a mission of First Baptist Church, Marion. Photo by Jessica Vanderpool

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – On Friday mornings between 9 and 11, you can find Pastor John Rech on the sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood in Memphis, Tenn.

While this may not be where you would expect to find an Arkansas Baptist pastor, Rech has a heart for this particular location and the people who come and go from the building.

Each week Rech – who pastors New Hope Baptist Mission in Marion, a mission of First Baptist Church in Marion – crosses the state line to street preach and witness in front of the Planned Parenthood building on Poplar Avenue.

Along with housing Planned Parenthood, which offers abortions, Rech said the building houses a probation office. In addition, he said it is

in proximity to a bus stop. So he sees it as a prime location for sharing the gospel.

His weekly witnessing is done through Seminarians Against Abortion, which is a registered practical mission of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and he said seminary students join him.

Rech is site coordinator for Seminarians Against Abortion. Often, other groups are at the Planned Parenthood location as well.

“The good news is there is forgiveness for the sin of abortion in Jesus Christ,” Rech said, adding that he got involved in this endeavor after preparing a pro-life sermon several years ago.

“As I studied (to write the sermon), I got under conviction that abortion wasn’t something that I just needed to preach about once a year; abortion wasn’t something

See WITNESS page 3

Hutchinson announces ‘faith summit’ Planned Parenthood caught LITTLE ROCK – An inter- purpose is to inspire greater infaith summit later this month volvement, set goals and idenhopes to encourage faith-based tify barriers. The event, which communities to help will be held Aug. 25-26 find homes for foster at the Little Rock Marcare children and help riott Hotel, will focus departing inmates renarrowly on the issues enter society. of foster care and prisIn announcing on re-entry. the Governor’s ReThe faith-based store Hope Summit: community is being A Call to Action for enlisted because the Hutchinson Faith Leaders on Fosneed is greater than ter Care and Prison the state can address Re-Entry, Arkansas Gov. Asa on its own, said Hutchinson.

Hutchinson said the summit’s Currently, there are 4,400

POSTAGE INFORMATION

children in foster care but only 2,500 approved beds where they can stay, according to the governor. At the same time, he said 6,000 inmates will leave prison and re-enter society this year. The unemployment rate for ex-offenders is 47 percent, while the recidivism rate is more than 40 percent. The Arkansas Legislature this year funded 500 re-entry beds to help prisoners re-enter society, which is not nearly enough to

See SUMMIT page 6

pricing body parts in video NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A second undercover video released July 21 by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) appears to show a Planned Parenthood doctor negotiating the price of baby parts obtained through abortion and discussing the possibility of varying abortion procedures to harvest intact organs.

At one point in the video, a woman identified as Mary

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Gatter, former president of the Planned Parenthood Medical Directors’ Council, speaks of using “a less crunchy technique” of aborting babies to preserve “more whole specimens.” She also jokes, “I want a Lamborghini,” when negotiating the price of baby parts, though she also says, “We’re not in it for the money” and “we

See CONTROVERSY page 7

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July 30, 2015

Digest Stories of interest to Arkansas Baptists

GuideStone appeals over abortion mandate DALLAS (BP) – GuideStone Financial Resources has filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court against the government’s contraceptive mandate that will require certain ministries served by GuideStone to provide abortion-causing drugs and devices in their employer health plans or risk crippling fines.

GuideStone, along with churches and integrated auxiliaries of churches, are exempt from the mandate and not at risk of penalties. For certain religious employers other than churches and their integrated auxiliaries, however, the government has argued that it offers an “accommodation” to religious employers who object to the mandate.

Iran deal not contingent on release of Americans WASHINGTON (BP) – Renewed discussion of the prisoner releases, which were first reported years ago, has spurred fresh criticism of the Obama administration for not securing the release of American Pastor Saeed Abedini and three other Americans as part of a nuclear deal.

Obama said July 21 that his administration is “not going to relent until we bring home Americans who are unjustly detained in Iran,” Fox News reported. “It would be unacceptable not to get these Americans home,” said Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice, noting that Congress has begun its 60-day review period of the nuclear agreement.

“What would the incentive be” to release them if Iran received “the sanctions relief they’re looking for?”

For more ABN Digest, go to arkansasbaptist.org/abn-digest

Scouts continue to shift on LGBT issue Caleb Yarbrough Arkansas Baptist News IN ALVIN TOWNLEY’S 2007 book “Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America’s Eagle Scouts,” he writes that the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was founded in 1910 in an effort to teach boys “patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred values.”

W h i l e many Americans still agree on the value of patriotism, courage and self-reliance, the concept of kindred values, values that Americans universally share, is becoming increasingly difficult to discern as the country continues to split over moral and ethical issues, including homosexuality.

On May 21, in light of political, social and organizational pressure, Robert Gates, president of the BSA, urged the organization to amend its membership policy, which denied homosexual adults participation, during the BSA’s annual business meeting in Atlanta.

“We must deal with the world as it is, not as we might wish it to be,” said Gates. “The status quo in our movement’s membership standards cannot be sustained.”

On July 13, the BSA announced that the organization’s executive committee had unanimously voted in favor of rescinding its ban on nonheterosexual unit leaders and employees. The resolution, approved July 10, protects churches and religious organizations by allowing them the option to bar homosexual adults from serving as leaders within their specific chapter.

The final hurdle for the resolution will come July 27 when it will be voted on by the BSA’s 70-member national executive board. If passed, the policy change will become effective immediately (a decision was not available at press time).

In 2013, the BSA received both praise and criticism when its national council voted to remove restrictions that denied membership to young men based on their sexual orientation, while emphasizing that sexual conduct was still prohibited. Open homosexual adults were prohibited from participating in the organization.

Many Christians were vocal about their disapproval of the BSA’s policy change, some going so far as to cut ties with the organization.

First Baptist Church Gravel Ridge in Jacksonville, was the first church to end their relationship with the BSA based on the organization’s sexual orientation policy change. “ T h i s year's BSA decision to move toward having homosexual troop leaders came as no surprise to our leadership. We knew in February 2013 that this was their ultimate goal,” said Tim Reed, pastor of First Baptist.

Following First Baptist’s decision to end their relationship with the BSA, Reed said he, the church and those affiliated with the church’s Scout troop received hate mail, angry phone calls and multiple death threats. However, the pastor said, many others called giving their support for the church’s decision.

Reed said the best response he received in the wake of the church’s departure from the BSA was from an Army colo-

NEWS ANALYSIS

Gates

Reed

nel who had struggled with the issue of homosexuality for many years.

“I was able to counsel him and share Christ with him.

That seemed to put everything in perspective. With all the hate and persecution, at least one found forgiveness through Jesus Christ,” said Reed.

Ernest L. Easley, then pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., was an outspoken critic of the BSA’s 2013 policy change, leading Roswell Street Baptist to cut ties with the BSA after nearly 70 years of participation.

Easley predicted in 2013 that the BSA’s policy change regarding members would eventually lead to the chang-

ing of their policies regarding openly homosexual adult leaders.

"Having made this decision, the Boy Scouts will face all kinds of pressure and litigation to accept openly gay leadership in troops across America. I can't see now how the Boy Scouts legally can prevent homosexual leadership from invading the ranks of the Boy Scouts of America," Easley told Baptist Press in 2013.

"My greatest concern is the protection of boys," Easley said. "This decision opens the floodgate for a potential in-

Easley

Hibbard

crease in sexual abuse of children."

Doug Hibbard, pastor of East End Baptist Church in Hensley, is an Eagle Scout, father of a Cub Scout and an adult BSA volunteer. Hibbard serves on the Arkansas Baptist News Board of Directors.

Hibbard said much of the BSA’s issues in recent years should not come as a surprise.

“The Boy Scouts, while supporting an overall ‘duty to God and country,’ are not an explicitly Christian organization. Throughout all my years with Scouts, there has been little more than a generic religious sense,” said Hibbard.

“A simple look at the variety of religions for which one can earn the ‘Religious Knot’ to

wear on one’s uniform should clear up that question – there are dozens.”

Hibbard said that at this time much of the authority regarding who can serve as adult leaders within BSA troops is left up to the chartering organization, and while this will most likely change in the future, at this time, it allows Christians the ability to choose a troop which best suits their worldview.

“Many of us Baptists are rightly concerned about the outcome, long-term, of this priority structure. Should we, then, withdraw from Boy Scouts?” asked Hibbard.

He said that the decision to either continue participation with Boy Scouts or withdraw participation based on the organization’s policy changes is one best left to each person and “subject to individual liberty of conscience.”

Hibbard suggested parents and churches debating their participation with the BSA consider four things: (1) Examine the chartering organization of their Scout unit; (2) examine the actual leaders participating in the Scout unit; (3) keep a careful eye on the overall national policies and realize that, in time, they do trickle down, and (4) understand that it is the parents who are responsible for who they invite to partner with them in their God-given responsibilities.

“This year's ‘we have to consider this’ is next year's pilot program, and in time, likely becomes the standard,” said Hibbard. “Eventually, any organization that does not hold Scripture as its highest authority will devolve to a worldly standard.”

Contact Caleb Yarbrough at caleb@arkansasbaptist.org.

www.arkansasbaptist.org

‘Gospel’ the focus of 2015 YEC gathering LITTLE ROCK – The gos- students leave YEC with an pel – that is the focus of the awareness of the lostness upcoming 2015 Youth Evan- around them,” Gasaway said. gelism Conference (YEC) set “One of the deterrents of sharto take place Aug. 7-8 at Im- ing the gospel, especially in the manuel Baptist Church, Little Bible Belt, is the assumption Rock. that most folks know about “We don’t have a Jesus and have been intheme for YEC. Our vited to a life-changing focus is always sharing relationship with Him. the gospel, inspiring That’s just not the case. and equipping stuMany people in their dents to do the same,” circles need to know said Warren Gasaway, more than ‘cultural Arkansas Baptist State Christianity.’ They Convention (ABSC) need to know the true King church health team gospel.” member.

Daniel Johnson, Hundreds of youth will minister to students at First gather for a time of worship Baptist Church, Dover, said and learning at the event, his church has taken students which will feature speakers, to YEC for several years.

Christian bands, a comedian “It is a solid back-to-school and breakout sessions for event that helps our students adult workers. refocus on the commitments The conference, sponsored they have made during sumby the Arkansas Baptist State mer student ministry events as Convention (ABSC) evange- they prepare to walk back onto lism and church health team, their primary mission field – is for all students entering 6th the local school,” he said, addthrough 12th grades and their ing, “I would like our students leaders. to walk away from YEC with “Our team hopes that a confirmed commitment to

WITNESS

continued from page one

that I needed to just do in the voting booth and vote for a pro-life candidate or write my congressman and senators or my state representatives,” he said, noting the large number of deaths that have resulted since abortion was legalized in the U.S. in 1973 – estimated in excess of 58 million by at least one pro-life group.

So he took action and has been witnessing in front of Planned Parenthood since 2012.

“Pastor John has a tremendous burden on his heart for unborn children and the parents of these children,” said Clay Hallmark, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Marion. “God has called him to this ministry of showing Jesus’ love, concern, mercy and forgiveness. What better place could this be done than standing within the shadows of Planned Parenthood? This is not an easy task or assignment, but it is one that Pastor John faces with courage and conviction. God has certainly blessed his efforts as a missionary to

be campus evangelists; I would from northwest Arkansas and also like to see the fruit of their the Rhett Walker Band. Cocommitment as the school year median Jonnie W. will also starts.” perform.

YEC participants will also While students are learntake part in a special prayer ing and growing, their leaders time for revival and spiritual will have the opportunity to awakening at the event. do so as well through “As our state and breakout sessions. national leaders have These will be led by drawn particular emJohnson, speaking phasis to this, we also on Teaching Students want our students to be to Share Their Faith; part of the movement Johnny Derouen, of to pray,” Gasaway exSouthwestern Baptist plained. “Along with Theological Seminary, Jonnie W. the senior adults who speaking on Intenhave had prayer confertional Youth Ministry, ences, the pastors who have and Ben Phillips, of the Arkanhad a prayer conference, the sas Baptist State Convention, churches that have devoted speaking on Parents as Primary services to prayer and the na- Disciple Makers. tional SBC (Southern Baptist “These breakouts will give Convention) meeting, we want parents, volunteers and youth our students to know the im- pastors resources needed to do portance of prayer, especially dynamic student ministry and in conjunction with evange- have impact for the kingdom lism, as prayer is the starting in this culture,” said Gasaway. point for evangelistic success.”

Displays will be set up for This year’s speaker will be participants at the event. Early evangelist Clayton King, and registration deadline is Aug. 1. worship will be led by the For more information and to Cross Church Worship Band register, visit yecarkansas.com.

these parents and unborn chil“Even though we are in dren.”

Memphis, this is an Arkansas For every four man-hours issue,” he said, noting he sees spent at the location, Rech license plates from Arkansas said one person makes a pro- and surrounding states in the fession of faith or chooses not parking lot of Planned Parentto have an abortion. hood each week.

Rech’s heart is for not only Rech encourages the Body the lives of unborn children, of Christ (1) to remember that but also the souls of their par- God hates the killing of chilents. He mentioned dren, (2) to repent the recent claims that of being passive and Planned Parenthood has accepting abortion of sold body parts of abortany type, (3) to reflect ed babies (see related on the prevalence of story, Page 1). Rech laabortion and stand mented the tragedy and strong in the convicnoted that his heart has tion against abortion always been and continand (4) to fight aborues to be for presenting tion.

Rech the gospel in order to “As a Church, we reach the hearts of those con- continue to uphold the Truth sidering abortion and anyone of God’s Word concerning the else who will listen. sanctity of human life from “First and foremost, my goal the moment of conception,” is to share the gospel; this is Hallmark said. “Likewise, the just the location where we do Church must be open and willit,” he said. ing to provide comfort, shelter He added that while he and help for women facing the wants to abolish abortion difficult decisions of life. Adand save the lives of children, ditionally, women who have that won’t happen until God chosen the course of abortion changes parents’ hearts. must find in the church a place Though he witnesses in of healing, mercy, forgiveness Tennessee, Rech is quick to and renewal.” point out abortion affects He noted that women often many Arkansans. aren’t told of the emotional,

physical and spiritual results of abortion.

“Therefore, we as the people of God must be there to help these women and parents to find their way to the Truth and healing that God has for their lives,” Hallmark said. “Finally, we as a Church need to be willing to promote, pray for and help support families who are in the process of fostering and adopting children, which gives many of these women a better choice than choosing abortion.”

Rech said he wants to see abortion completely abolished – not just limited to a certain time frame as heartbeat bills do.

“Looking at Old Testament revivals, God always required a complete turn (from sin),” Rech said, adding, “We are to remember what God has done, repent and turn completely from our sin, and then there is revival.”

He concluded, “Abortion is sin, and the gospel is always the remedy for sin. Any kind of sin problem somebody comes to you with, … the answer is always found in the gospel.”

Contact Jessica Vanderpool at jessica@arkansasbaptist.org.

3

Digest Stories of interest to Arkansas Baptists

LifeWay’s offer for new Nashville site accepted NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – LifeWay Christian Resources’ offer to purchase 1.5 acres in downtown Nashville for a new office building has been accepted, the Southern Baptist entity announced July 21. The city’s Metro Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), which owns the property, unanimously approved sale of the site for $12.7 million, with a tax incentive of $4.9 million that can fund specific aspects of the construction, effectively reducing the purchase cost to less than $8 million. Meanwhile, LifeWay is moving toward finalizing the sale of its current 14.5-acre campus, with more than 1 million square feet of office space, to a consortium of local and national developers later this summer. The sales price of LifeWay’s present facilities has not been released by the buyers. Thom S. Rainer, LifeWay’s president, said in a letter to employees that the new location “will be exciting for our employees and visitors, and will provide us opportunities to serve the millions of people who work, live, and visit Nashville’s central business district each year.”

Jeannie Elliff dies of cancer at age 69 RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – Jeannie Elliff, wife of former International Mission Board (IMB) President Tom Elliff, died July 20 at her home in Oklahoma City following a long struggle with cancer.

She was 69. “The entire IMB family and I praise God for Jeannie Elliff,” said IMB President David Platt. “To use Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 6:10, we are filled with sorrowful rejoicing.”

For more ABN Digest, go to arkansasbaptist.org/abn-digest

Editorial&Opinion 4

I

July 30, 2015 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have...”

The depravity of man in full view

f there was ever any doubt should be ashamed of how we that America has lost have allowed our country to its moral compass, we only fall so far, and so quickly. have to look to the disgusting Think about what has hapand evil revelations coming pened here and in our world from undersince the year cover videos began.

Pressing On of Planned – The fight Tim Yarbrough Parenthood in Arkansas Phil. 3:14 workers. and across our For those nation around Americans over there who the controversial gender wanted the United States of equality ordinance granting America to be a truly secular rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual society, there you have it, and and transgender (LGBT) among the outcomes is the people. selling of human body parts – The aggressive rise of vioof aborted babies. lent and radical Islam abroad What is more sickening and on our soil. is the same abortionists at – Middle Eastern nations Planned Parenthood who and other groups professing classify an unborn baby as a to one day eliminate the State “fetus,” have no problem sellof Israel as the U.S. stands by. ing “human” parts to make – The widespread persecumoney. tion of Christians throughout It is the depravity of man the world. in full view in 21st cen– Protests against the pastury America, and all citizens sage of Religious Freedom

Restoration Act in Arkansas and other parts of our nation.

– Weakened and collapsing economies throughout the world, including in Greece, Puerto Rico and China.

– Rulings in favor of homosexual marriage, but against religious groups opposed to providing contraception.

I am not one to embrace prophetic predictions, but recently I watched a video of Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish Rabbi who is author of the best selling novel “The Harbinger.”

I won’t go into it here, but basically Cahn believes the United States will soon face God’s judgment for turning away from Him, and he makes a convincing argument for a “great shaking” to take place in 2015. It’s a time line that is based on the biblical principle of the Shemitah, which was given to ancient

Israel, when God told Moses in Deuteronomy 15:1-2 that the Israelites were to observe a Sabbath year once every seven years. If you want to know more about Cahn’s ministry, Google him.

But the point I want to make is that Christians have every reason in the world to “get their spiritual house in

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

Cartoon by Gary Thomas

order” without delay.

If there ever was a time when you felt you were closer to God than you are now, rectify it immediately. Witness to your family and friends, asking them to get right with God today.

Now is the time for Christians to stand tall. If not us, then who? If not now, when?

A depressing reality T

oday I drove by a church that would normally bring sign that said, “Too about a certain level of happiblessed to be depressed.” It’s ness or at least complacency a catchy phrase, but it made for others. me stop and think. I wonder Often, well-meaning pashow many tors or preachpeople in our ers attribute churches are depression to Viewpoint living with the effects of Kim Reeder chronic depressin in a persion. I don’t son’s life. Of mean the kind of depression course, this is true. Scripture that we experience as a part is clear that the end result of of the “ups and downs” of sin is death, and there are a life. Death, the loss of a job, host of psychological probdivorce, empty-nest syndrome lems that people experience or the discovery of a serious because of sin. For example, medical condition are all if we have an unforgiving situations that may cause a spirit or hold a grudge against person to experience normal another person, it will have seasons of depression. Some a real tangible effect on our people, though, experience psyche and even our bodies. depression even during events If we are involved in sexual

Telling the story of Arkansas Baptists since 1901

Volume 114, Number 15 USPS08021 Member of the Association of State Baptist Publications and the Arkansas Press Association

Tim Yarbrough, editor/exec. director Jessica Vanderpool, senior assist. editor Caleb Yarbrough, assistant editor Jeanie Weber, administrative assistant Becky Hardwick, business manager Advertising: ads@arkansasbaptist.org Phone 501-376-4791, ext. 5161 Toll-free 800-838-2272, ext. 5161

sin, Scripture says there is inherent damage that comes as a result. Those who live without Christ will certainly experience depression as a result of their lifestyles.

Sometimes though, Christians who love Jesus and are faithful in their walks succumb to depression, even when there is no obvious reason for it. What is wrong with them? Has God abandoned them? Could they get rid of depression by reading the Bible and praying more? I’d like to suggest a few ways to deal with it.

(1) Look for spiritual causes. Are you living in some known sin? Have you refused to forgive someone who has wronged you? Is Jesus the

Lord of your life? If any of these are out of sync, dealing with them will lift the emotional weight from your shoulders.

(2) Explore your life experiences. Because we live with broken people, we often experience situations in our lives that have lasting negative influences on us.

For example, adult children of divorce often report that the aftermath of that tragedy lingers well into adulthood.

(3) Recognize the reality of chemical imbalance.

Let’s face it. We live in dying bodies, and we experience all kinds of physical challenges. The medical field boasts an array of specialties

from podiatry to neuroscience and everything in between. Our bodies are broken, and physical ailments are the norm, rather than the exception. One of those is that our brains often refuse to produce the chemicals we need to function healthily. There is nothing “wrong” with recognizing this and taking advantage of the medical treatments available. So if you struggle with depression, explore the spiritual and emotional causes first. Then, when all else fails, it may be time to see a doctor.

Kim Reeder is pastor of Barton Chapel Baptist Church in Tyronza and a frequent contributor to the Arkansas Baptist News.

Arkansas Baptist News (ISSN 1040-6056) is published bi-weekly except the last issue of the year (25 issues) by the Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine, Inc., 10 Remington Drive, Little Rock, AR 72204.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Lyndon Finney, Little Rock, president; Jeff Thompson, Fort Smith, vice president; Mary Kisor, Pottsville, secretary; Bob Beach, Little Rock; James Bryant, Harrison; Jennifer Bryant, New Edinburg; Stephanie Copes, Crossett; Carl A. Garvin, Omaha; Jennifer Booth, Little Rock; Rickey Rogers, Arkadelphia; Troy Sharp, Desha; Doug Hibbard, Almyra; Mike Sheets, Texarkana; Mike Vinson, Corning; Juel Zeiser, Hot Springs Village.

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What was the “strange fire” that Nadab and Abihu offered (Lev. 10:1)?

Baptists Ask Ken Gore

A

fter Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s oldest sons, were consecrated as priests, they offered “strange fire” to the Lord, and they died. The Hebrew term for “strange” evokes the idea of unholy or unauthorized. God was definitely angry with them, but what actually happened?

Perhaps their personal behavior caused God’s anger. Because Moses prohibited the priests from drinking wine when they entered the Tent of Meeting (Lev. 10:9), Jewish rabbis surmised that Nadab and Abihu were drunk in God’s presence. Psalm 15 states that only those “whose walk is blameless” may dwell in His sanctuary.

Their deaths may have occurred because of a flippant attitude. Perhaps the young priests were halfhearted in their responsibilities. They may have turned something sacred and profound into something dull and mundane. Ecclesiastes reminds worshippers at the Temple to guard their steps, be silent and stand in awe of God (Eccl. 5:1-7).

Perhaps the priests did not follow God’s detailed instructions.

They may have taken fiery coals from some other location besides the altar (cf. Lev. 16:12). Placing these coals into their own censors, they brought them to God, only to die for their disobedient act.

Though the specific reason is unknown, Nadab and Abihu simply failed to revere God when they approached Him (Lev. 10:3). The Lord’s presence is like electricity: without great care, sobriety and attention to detail, an encounter with God can have deadly results (cf. 2 Sam. 6:7; 2 Chron. 26:1620; Acts 5:1-11).

God is approachable, but He is also holy. God wants His followers to be honest, attentive and respectful of Him. He calls them to be silent, to listen and to know that He is God (Hab. 2:20; Psa. 46:10). When Christians draw near to God, He will draw near to them (James 4:8).

Ken Gore is chairman of the department of Christian Studies at Williams Baptist College.

5

Stretching R

ecently, my husband, son and I piled into the car year’s efforts, was what truly moved me. and headed down to Arkadelphia for a very special It also convicted me. So often it is very easy to just plug performance. As Ouachita Baptist graduates, my husband along in my safety zone. I can do my jobs and do them and I love to return to the campus whenever possible. But well. There are times, though, when I need to do more. there was something extra special about this particular trip.

I need to choose to stretch.

This time, we had the opportunity to go hear our daughStretching does not mean doing something we don’t ters share what they had worked on all week in JoyWorks like to do. It doesn’t mean maxing out our lives and schedand PraiseWorks, which are worship arts ules. (In fact, we should do the very opposite, camps (see related story, Page 8). but that’s another conversation for another When we arrived, one of the sweet Uncovered Dish day.) Stretching instead means taking what friends who had taken the girls to camp we already know and diving deeper. LearnAnn Hibbard leaned over to me and asked if I’d ing more. Making those muscles work a little brought tissues. After hearing the chilharder. dren and youth practice all week, she knew I’d need them!

Of course, the most important stretch is a spiritual one – And she was right. The combined effort of hundreds of digging deeper into our intimate relationship with Christ children and youth lifting up their voices in praise was than we ever have before, diving further into His depths, powerful. surrendering more of ourselves, choosing to be more willBut, in all honesty, the emotions I felt were only partly ing to step out of that spiritual comfort zone. related to the beauty of the performances. You see, I knew Just like with physical exercise, I’m not always motivated what had gone into the preparation. Last year, I was the to stretch spiritually. It hurts a bit, especially if I have let one to take a group of young women to PraiseWorks. I sat myself get lazy. Yet, it also feels good. It meets a deep need in the practices and heard those students go from disjointin my spirit. And it prepares me for the rigors of what is ed stumbling to flawless performance. I visited the various ahead of me. tracks and watched our girls learn drama, photography, I’m ready to follow the example of those amazing stuguitar and sign language. But most of all, I watched them dents from all over our state and stretch just a bit this stretch. month, and I look forward to the results of my effort!

That memory, combined with the final result of this Ann Hibbard is a member of East End Baptist in Hensley.

‘Back to Church Day’ effective tool V

ery soon, summer break will come to an end and company in the United Kingdom has started a “National students, teachers and administrators across the state Back to School Day” – set to be celebrated on Sept. 20 – will get back into the “school routine.” This is a great time that thousands of churches in America are planning to to get both marginal churchgoers and non-churchgoers participate in that day. It does not matter when, so choose going to church. Families, communities, civic clubs, sports your own Sunday. For most Arkansas churches, Sept. 20 leagues, health clubs and churches build their calendars will fall well after those new family routine patterns are around the “school year.” Just as retailers have learned already reset. An ideal Sunday for this event is the one imto attract “back-to-school shoppers,” many churches have mediately following the first day of school. Too often, the learned to successfully attract newcomers during this seaSunday before school starts families are busy with their son of routine readjustment. own end-of-summer activities.

As parents and grandparents are readAfter the date is set, advertise it both interAnswering justing their morning driving routes and nally to your congregation and externally to the Call even their “getting-to-work times” so they the community. As you advertise it to your Eric Ramsey can drop children off at school or at a congregation, enlist church members to invite school bus stop, many churches have disfriends, neighbors and co-workers to church covered that people are also much more inclined to adjust on that day. Advertising it heavily in the community will other patterns as well – even including church as a new greatly help it to not feel so weird for the invitee when item in their schedule. asked to attend. Social media is a great tool for this! SatuMore than a decade ago, I researched this phenomenon rate Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with Back to Church as Ed Stetzer – now president of LifeWay Research – and I Day information. were writing a manual to assist churches with public comOn your Back to Church Day, consider hosting a church munication and marketing. We discovered that during the wide lunch following the worship service; or perhaps for first week of back-to-school pattern adjustments, family your congregation, it might work better to encourage each routines are very pliable and subject to change. During the family who invited guests to personally treat them to an second week, those routines become more set; then, after after-church lunch. Do what would work best in your setthe third week, driving routes and family schedules are very ting. Then, make sure that warm personal invitations are firm and not likely to change until the Christmas holidays. extended for the following Sundays. If you can get a family So there is a very small window of opportunity if a church to attend three Sundays in a row, there is a very big chance is going to take advantage of this phenomenon. But with that you will retain them for a longer period of time. good timing, promotion and member participation, your Back to Church Day is a simple, but effective way for church could experience great success in attracting some your church to increase awareness and get more guests newcomers. coming in the door. However, the window of opportunity First, choose a Sunday on the calendar to be “Back to is small, so plan now.

Church Day” – or whatever you would like to call it. A Eric Ramsey is president of TCWM in Mountainburg.

Support the ABN Endowment Fund An endowment fund for the Arkansas Baptist News (ABN) has been established at the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. Consider helping to secure the future of official news journal of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention for years to come by including the ABN in your will or by making a contribution to the ABN Endowment Fund. Please contact Bobby Thomas at the Arkansas Baptist Foundation at 501-376-0732 or 800-798-0969.

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Editorial & Opinion

July 30, 2015

‘Stand for Christ’ amid our changing culture FOLLOWING THE Supreme Court’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage, Southern Baptists are holding fast to the biblical definition of marriage.

Robbie Jackson, pastor of East Mt. Zion Trinity Baptist Church, Clarksville, pointed to the importance of standing on the supremacy of the Bible, despite what society says.

“Regardless of what five justices have declared, God’s Word has not changed, nor will it change,” he wrote recently. “When it all comes down, God’s definition of marriage and of sin is what counts. Never should humanity or political correctness define our faith or change our beliefs.”

David Mitchell, associational missionary for Bartholomew Baptist Association, was on a mission trip to Croatia and Hungary when the Supreme Court’s decision was announced.

“I wondered what sort of country we would be coming back to when we returned home,” he said.

“Our time in Hungary these past few years have reminded me how precious freedom and liberty truly are, and how completely they can be taken away.

It has taken Hungary over 20 years to breathe free again as a

country, but the fallout from their oppression is still being felt. Religion, church, God, sin, responsibility for conduct and behavior have become things of the past. It is a very long and hard process working with the Hungarian people regarding their spiritual health.”

Mitchell said on the trip four students accepted Christ during a camp they held – but they had been working with these students for years. Mitchell said that they rejoice in these salvations, but they recognize that many more have not yet accepted Christ.

“I concluded that the church today is right where the first century church was 2,000 years ago,” he said Mitchell recalled a recent sermon he preached at Westside Baptist Church, Warren, about Peter and John’s experience in Acts 4 when they were imprisoned and threatened because they were preaching the gospel.

“I told Westside, in my 46 years in the ministry, I never dreamed I could face the same sort of stuff here in America,” he said, adding he now thinks that – with all that has been happening in America lately – such things could be possible.

“My conclusion was and is

this,” said Mitchell. “We are right where Peter and John were on that day in Jerusalem, having to make a stand for our faith and for the name of Christ. ... I believe we, as ministers and servants of Christ, must make the same stand today.”

Mitchell went on to call all ministers to make a stand for Christ.

“All across our state, in every county seat city, call every Christ-honoring pastor, and associational missionary to make a public stand for

Christ, for us to make a public declaration of where we stand and who will we ultimately serve – Christ or the government.”

He added, “I personally will not bow my knee to the U.S. Supreme Court when they make a decision which calls my love and faithfulness to Christ into question. I can do nothing but make my stand for Christ.”

Jackson encouraged people to remember that the Church is supposed to “be the agent of change in culture, by proclaim-

ing the life-saving, changing gospel of Jesus Christ, instead of being a Church changed by culture.”

“In order to be that kind of church, you must be that kind of Christian,” he wrote. “Will you be an agent of change, by sharing your faith, or will you allow culture to change you?

When you stand before God, He will not measure your life by culture, He will measure and bring judgment and reward according to His Word.

Therefore, stand firm in the faith!”

SUMMIT

5,000 houses of worship will be invited to participate, he said.

Dubs Byers, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dumas and a member of the Arkansas Board of Corrections, is among the members of the steering committee for the Restore Hope conference.

Charles Flynn, program director for the Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries (ABCHomes), said he and David Perry, ABCHomes executive director, and some of the staff will attend the summit.

“We want to have a seat at the table,” Flynn said. “We want to be a part of the solu-

tion, and more than that we want to help our churches to address the crisis in foster care.”

He said that is the goal of the new Connected foster care program established by ABCHomes.

Hutchinson said the summit is privately funded and did not constitute an endorsement of religion, but he acknowledged that faith-based communities’ activities will have a religious component. Additionally, public agencies are involved, including a state agency managing the event’s website at http://governor.arkansas.gov/ restorehope.

context in which it was given?

“MulleTopia” would thus receive a failing grade in the classroom. Why would you separate a biblical narrative from the rest of the Bible? Camp Siloam changed the ending of the story to be more appeasing.

How is this not adding to and taking away from Scripture (Rev. 22:18-19)? Do we think we can give a better ending than God did?

The children’s hit movie, “VeggieTales,” gave a more biblical account of Jonah then did Siloam. At what point is changing a biblical account to fit personal preference not blasphemy?

My burden is this: Is this another example of a new SBC trend to make concession on clear biblical teaching if it will indeed boost our numbers? If this is what is meant by the new Christian phrase, “Radical,” maybe we need to examine ourselves.

Jamie Freeman Greenwood

continued from page one

meet the need. Hutchinson called on employers to hire departing inmates and “help those who are trying to get a second chance in life.”

“It is about inspiration, it is about engagement, it is about action and it is about followup,” the governor said.

Many of the members of a steering committee planning the summit come from Christian backgrounds, said Hutchinson, but he added the group includes two Jewish rabbis and an Islamic imam. In the coming weeks,

Letters to the Editor ‘Offensive’ articles With reference to your editorial remark about the offensive LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) flag: Please cite any location where this “offensive” flag is displayed upon public property by government authority (“Is the cross the next target?” ABN, July 16, page 4).

With reference to Larry Page’s remark about “obeying an unjust and unrighteous law,” please ask Mr. Page to cite the specific law that imposes incarceration or other punishment upon ministers or churches for refusal to obey (“Baptist leaders react to SC ruling,” ABN, July 16, pages 1, 7).

As I understand it, the Supreme Court of the United States decreed that state laws forbidding same-gender couples to marry are unconstitutional. I am not aware

that any law has been enacted – at either the state or federal level – requiring any minister or church to perform any marriage ceremony for any couple of any gender or racial combination.

I have been authorized (permitted) to perform marriage ceremonies in behalf of five different states. I have never encountered any law requiring me to perform a ceremony in any state. It is my understanding that one cannot be punished for failure to obey a law that does not exist. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Bob Hartsell Hot Springs

‘MulleTopia’ concerns I was deeply troubled as I read about Camp Siloam’s “ M u l l e To p i a ” (“Camp Siloam goes ‘Mulletopia’” ABN, July 16, page

1, 8). My concern wasn’t over using creative themes or unique approaches in presenting the gospel.

As a 29-year-old, I’m all for that. My concern is if the gospel was even truly presented.

Allow me to explain. First, it was noted that the story of Jonah was presented outside of its traditional, “Hebrew context.” This seems alarming on multiple levels. First, taking Scripture out of its Hebrew context implies that salvation isn’t “to the Jew first” (Rom. 1:16), thus classifying it as “another gospel” (Gal. 1:8). Second, as a theology graduate from a SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) school, I was taught that context is everything when seeking to understand and teach a text. How are we going to understand the message that is being given in Scripture if we ignore the

Editor’s Note: The ABN contacted Jason Wilkie, executive director at Camp Siloam, for his response to Jamie’s concerns. Following is his response: “I want to reassure Jamie and all Arkansas Baptists that the drama we write and perform each summer is supplemented with eight strong biblical, gospel-centered messages taught by pastors. I understand Jamie’s concern with the idea of taking a ‘story out of biblical context.’ In no way do we present our story as Scripture. Perhaps it would be better to describe what we do at Camp Siloam as ‘writing and performing a story which parallels a biblical story and reveals God’s Truth in a fun and exciting way.’ This is a technique that has been used by writers for years and years to help people see God’s Truth in a new and fresh way.”

www.arkansasbaptist.org

7

Magnolia Baptist churches unite congregations MAGNOLIA – Three South- services, a time that has been ern Baptist churches in Mag- dubbed “Summer Sunday nolia have joined toNights.” The third gether this summer and final service will for shared evening be held at Immanuel worship services to enBaptist at 6 p.m. Aug. courage unity among 2. their sister congregaEach church has tions. Central Baptist a different area of reChurch, Immanuel sponsibility for each Baptist Church and service. One church Launius Rugged Cross Cowboy hosts the event and Church have made felprovides the main lowship and worship a prior- course for a fellowship potluck ity by organizing three joint meal. Another church sup-

plies the music and worship, while the third church’s pastor preaches. Each service, the churches trade jobs so every church plays a part in each role. Nearly 300 people have attended the first two services and stayed afterward for food and fellowship.

“Instead of each church having a regular Sunday night with a small gathering, we all decided it would be encouraging to do something different,” said Michael Seabaugh,

pastor of Central, who started Jesus,” said Mike Launius, the initiative. pastor of Rugged Cross. “We An obser vation worship and serve God from one of the servicdifferently and reach es was the uniqueness different folks, but of each congregation. kingdom work is our “I have seen focus.” that, even though Launius noted the we are three joint effort has been different churches, fun and that he looks folks from all three forward to the next opSeabaugh have realized that each portunity. of us has our own style of wor“Worship, fellowship and ship and doing church but our eating are three of our favorite objective is the same: Share things,” he added.

Living Portraits: Bryants make history come alive Jessica Vanderpool Arkansas Baptist News

portray characters in their fundraisers and events.

James Bryant said they desire to communicate “the gospel of Christ, through lives of faith that have lived it.”

He said performances generally begin with an introduction of the character and period, his or her personal biography and lifestyle. Each character has his or her own unique focus. When portray-

In addition to pastoring multiple churches, James Bryant has served as an internaHARRISON – James and Virtional missionary and director ginia Bryant appear to be a of missions, and he currently normal Arkansas Baptist passerves as adjunct professor at tor and wife – until they step North Arkansas College in into costume.

Harrison. He has also served James Bryant, who serves as president of the Harrison as pastor of Gaither Baptist Art League. Virginia Bryant Church, Harrison, has been has served as a public school portraying historical figures teacher and as an internationsince the mid-1990s. It wasn’t al missionary. They have two long before Virginia children and five Bryant joined her grandchildren. husband in this enJames Bryant said deavor, and a minishe hears feedback try called Living Porabout how audienctraits was born. es felt like they were The couple has with the historical developed about figures during pertwo dozen characters formances. ranging from early “We were able to missionaries and put them into the prayer warriors to place and time where songwriters and even these people couraan American author. geously served,” he These include Wilexplained. “If they liam Carey, Annie can find this and Armstrong, Lottie take just a little of Moon, Luther Rice, James and Virginia Bryant perform in character dressed as George the challenge home, John Newton, Mark and Martha Washington. we’ve been rewarded and Olivia Twain for our work.” and George and Martha Wash- ing missionaries, the couple Virginia said, “What I enjoy ington. They can develop spe- portrays their calls to missions about presenting the dramas cific characters upon request, and the results. When portray- is that they increase the eduthough these require extra ing songwriters, the couple cation of people, young and time to develop. tells the stories of how the old, in our country’s history The Bryants have traveled songs were inspired. Martha and our Church’s history of to multiple states – as far away Washington might ask her missions. It is exciting to see as Massachusetts and Washing- husband about his military ex- faces of school children light ton – and have performed in ploits. And Mark Twain might up and for history to come more than 300 venues, includ- slip some of his humor into alive for them in the characing public schools, churches, the conversation. ters of George and Martha state conventions, missions “Usually, every presentation Washington. It is also exciting retreats, local civics clubs, will end with a challenge and for missions to become real nursing homes, community some invitation to learn from in the lives of church people celebrations and more. They history some lessons that we through the portrayal of charwork annually with the Boone often forget,” James Bryant acters such as Lottie Moon County Historical Museum to said. and Annie Armstrong. It is

very rewarding when people comment, ‘I was there with you. I thought you were really Lottie Moon!’”

James Bryant noted how supporting his wife is and her gift for writing and memorizing scripts.

He said he enjoys the behind-the-scenes aspects, such as development of the script and voice adjustments for accents.

He said that it might surprise people to learn he grew up shy and introverted.

“But it is true,” he said.

“And I find that stepping into costume and another’s life a freeing process that allows me to step forth and say the things that convey truths in a different manner and tone than

perhaps I would otherwise.

One very common occurrence when I am getting into costume (is that) I find my character beginning to emerge as I prepare.”

James Bryant said the Living Portraits ministry allows he and his wife to bring Christian themes into the public arena in a nonthreatening way, as well as to “share some basic values and morals that are much needed on the part of our youngsters in their formative years.”

“Once beginning the ministry, it began a life of its own, so to speak,” he said, adding, “‘The rest,’ as they say, ‘is history.’”

Contact Jessica Vanderpool at jessica@arkansasbaptist.org.

CONTROVERSY

Owen Strachan, associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote in a blog post that Gatter’s statement about “a less crunchy technique” may be “the worst” thing he has ever heard.

“She says it without emotion,” Strachan wrote. “She herself does not look like a monster. If you walked past her on the sidewalk, you wouldn’t think she was involved in diabolical work. But she is. The banality of evil is real. Ordinary people do terrible things.

They speak openly and without any shame of the bodies of little children. Their desire is not to protect and cherish these bodies, but to break as few bones and body parts as possible in order to get maximum bang for the buck.

continued from page one

don’t want to be in a position of being accused of selling tissue.”

Gatter appears to settle on a price of $100 per “specimen,” but says she wants to investigate what other abortion providers are receiving. The video includes text stating it was shot Feb. 6 by investigators posing as a fetal tissue procurement company.

David Daleiden, senior investigator for the CMP, told LifeSiteNews CMP’s latest video suggests Planned Parenthood violated federal laws that prohibit profiting from the sale of human remains and altering abortion techniques to obtain tissue.

8

July 30, 2015

WorshipWorks teaches children ‘art of worship’ at OBU ARKADELPHIA – Christcentered music and how to effectively utilize it in worship was taught to nearly 675 children and students from dozens of churches during WorshipWorks, which was held on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University.

Children and students across the state gathered to hone their musical abilities and better grasp the art of worship during WorshipWorks, a worship arts camp offered through the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ASBC) that actually consists of two camps held simultaneously.

PraiseWorks, for students completing grades seven through 12, was held July 13-17 and drew in 491 students and 48 churches.

JoyWorks, for children completing grades four through six, was held July 14-17 and had 184 children and 23 churches in attendance.

Offering two separate camps allows students and children to interact with individuals their own age and ensures that all instruction and activities are well-suited for each age level, said Larry Grayson, ABSC music and worship consultant. Additionally, Grayson added that hosting both camps simultaneously has added a convenience factor, enabling church groups to

bring two groups at once without having to plan for separate weeks of camp.

Both JoyWorks and PraiseWorks offered tracks that students of all skill levels could participate in to enhance their abilities in a worship setting.

These tracks spanned anywhere from sign language to song writing to video production. JoyWorks offered generalized tracks in which every child participated. PraiseWorks tracks are more intensive so students choose only one, said Grayson.

Additionally, both camps also had a mission project this year. PraiseWorks students gathered toilet paper, paper towels and diapers for hunger sites partnered with Arkansas Baptists and pregnancy care centers. JoyWorks students donated 32 boxes of necessities and $280 in gift cards for the Arkansas Baptist Home for Children in Monticello.

Grayson said JoyWorks had a superhero theme, based out

of Romans 15:1, emphasizing that “strength is for service, not status.”

Jon Merryman, director of Ouachita alumni at Ouachita Baptist University, served as JoyWorks camp pastor. He used Jesus as an example of the ultimate Superhero, noting that Christians are also superheroes for the world, equipped with special gifts and talents with which to reach out. Consumed was the theme for PraiseWorks; and Chad Hampton, PraiseWorks camp pastor and student pastor at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church, Little Rock, explained to students what a life consumed

by Christ looks like and how it is different from one of the world.

While m a ny camps are available to churches during the summer, Grayson believes a camp with Christ-centered musical emphasis is valuable.

“Music is a vitally important part of all of our lives, and we all have our preferences and our tastes. That’s not what it’s about, but the bottom line is music-worship is the way that we express ourselves back to God and so (students) need a deeper understanding that is incredibly helpful to the local Church and their individual lives,” he said.

Almost 700 children and students learned how to utilize music in worship during WorshipWorks held at Ouachita Baptist University.

“There really is a shortage of great worship leaders out there right now; so many worship leaders are coming up specific with their skill set,” he added. “This (camp) offers a much broader approach, and for a worship leader to be equipped to handle the local Church, they can’t be quite so in a niche all their own. … It’s equipping worship leaders and it’s growing worshippers and, I mean, what more do we need as far as giving our churches the energy and the vitality and the focus that they need.”

Merryman added that WorshipWorks also offers a great opportunity for personal, spiritual growth.

“I think specialized camps are important to encourage

and strengthen the gifts and abilities God gives each child.

The kids at JoyWorks are gifted musically and seemed to be typically the core kids from their churches – coming to church multiple times a week, getting involved in children’s choirs, etc.,” he said.

He added, “I know that training up these children to be worshippers and worship leaders is important, but it was really powerful for them to encounter Christ through things they love to do. Learning songs with words about God’s faithfulness, His power – memorizing those words and singing them with passion – those concepts sink in to their hearts and minds. They’ll remember this week for a long time.”

More than 2,600 students participate in Super Summer ARKADELPHIA – Thousands of students took part in Super Summer Arkansas, held at Ouachita Baptist University in June.

There were 1,268 students in attendance at junior varsity camp held June 20-23 and 1,359 senior high students at varsity camp held June 23-27. A total of 121 college students served as staffers and 103 churches registered, but many more were represented when taking into account staffers and some executive staff.

Students’ lives were changed throughout the week as they explored the concept of being “Rooted”

in Christ, which served as this year’s camp theme, said Warren Gasaway, camp director and a part of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention church health team.

“Considering the topics we tackled in the curriculum and the messages delivered from the platforms, discipleship and leadership were clearly the emphases this year,” said Gasaway. “While a deepening and solidifying of faith cannot be reflected in numbers, I believe hundreds of students were challenged to root their faith in the doctrines of Christ, which is especially important in a relativistic culture that seems to tear at those very foundations. Our camp

took on the emphasis of our theme verse: ‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness’ (Col. 2:6-7).”

There were more than 100 salvations, more than 200 recommitments/repentance decisions and seven calls to ministry. More than 100 students attended the Kaleo introductions and roundtables dealing with calls to ministry, and more than 200 seniors attended “Camo School,” which dealt with apologetics, worldview and transition into young adulthood.

To get students excited about camp and keep the flame burning once they left, Super Summer introduced the “Super Summer App.” “On our new app, a student can access a 30-day Bible reading plan that corresponds to the lessons of Super Summer. Students can access 20 devotionals that also correspond to our theme, helping them to establish that habit,” said Gasaway. “There is also a section for students to submit prayer requests and praise reports. Several have already been submitted. Our app also had several days of prayer emphases preparing us for Super Summer. As of midJuly, the app has almost 2,500

downloads, with 22,400 launches and 127,568 impressions.”

Adult training was also provided, ministering to more than 300 volunteers, pastors and youth pastors who attended the sessions over the spread of both camps. Brent Crowe, camp speaker, led several sessions on developing a biblical ethic that will assist ministries in dealing with various cultural issues, and Richard Ross led three sessions on developing a strategic student ministry for discipleship and family involvement.

The adult training information is also available on the Super Summer app.

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July 30, 2015

Old Austin Baptist Church reflects on 180 years of ministry Anna Hurst Arkansas Baptist News AUSTIN – In the early 1800s, Baptist settlers from the Carolinas arrived in the town of Austin and established a small church. Fast-forward 180 years – through name changes, building projects, monumental moments in history – and stop. What began as “Atlanta Church” still exists today, as Old Austin Baptist Church.

In 1984, Jim Edwards, former pastor of Old Austin, compiled a record of the church’s history using associational minutes, public records, libraries and personal interviews. He discovered the church was not only admired for its longevity, but for its role in molding the concept of what it means to be a Southern Baptist in Arkansas today.

What’s more, it was in 1853 at Old Austin that the Caroline Baptist Association was organized, according to Edwards.

In years to follow, the church was the host to many a Caroline Baptist Association Annual Meeting. The church was home to pastors who would go on to play notable leadership roles within the convention, such as R.J. Coleman, pastor of Old Austin in 1888, who

PRAYER

continued from page one

state like nothing we have seen in the last 60 years,” said Don Moore, former ABSC executive director, retired pastor and member of the ABSC Prayer Task Force.

“We have had programs promoting prayer, but we left that meeting with a passion more so than a program. Pastors returned to their churches with a burden for prayer that spilled over into the lives of their people. However, it was just a beginning. This event should allow for a rekindling of that fire and should reinforce our awareness that our only hope as a ‘Church’ and as a nation is the supernatural intervention of God.” Manley Beasley Jr., pastor of Hot Springs Baptist Church in Hot Springs, and a member of the ABSC Prayer Task Force, noted the importance of Christians crying out to God in “humility and repentance.”

had been a leader and messen- pastor of Old Austin for the Austin remains excited about ger in the organization of the past 15 years, attests to the ful- the future and is currently havstate convention and preached fillment of Edwards’ view of ing a growth spurt amid the the state convention sermon the church’s future. congregation. in 1879 and 1890. The church Explaining that the town of According to Martin, Old building was damaged, rebuilt Austin was once a major hub Austin is often referred to as and relocated multiple times “the little church with a big due to factors ranging from heart,” and the emphasis on the Civil War to natural direlationship building affirms sasters, and they experienced that title. numerous shifts in leader“The community is growship. However, as Edwards ing out toward us, and lots of discovered, the congregation people, even more so today, remained grounded in faith are looking for the intimacy and “the work continued, of that type of a church; and with souls being added into God has blessed us with that the kingdom.” and allows us to provide “Thus, Old Austin has that, and so He’s growing had a long, fruitful and lastour church and He’s growing ing ministry which spans in His way and in His time,” close to 150 years. Many Martin said. “You know, I souls have come to a saving believe that every church has knowledge of Jesus Christ, a purpose whether it’s a big many young men and ladies church, a small church or a have surrendered to special middle of the road church. service within her walls.

He has a purpose for all Many young ministers re- Old Austin Baptist Church, Austin, is celebrat- churches, and God has a ceived their ordination and ing its 180th anniversary this year. niche for us right where indoctrination into the paswe’re at in our community. torate,” Edwards said. “Old and at one time vied for the It’s kind of a rural community Austin has ministered, is min- title of state capital and home but God gives us people to istering, and will continue to of Ouachita Baptist Univer- serve in this community, and minister; which is God’s pur- sity, Martin said the town lost He just continues to bless us pose for its existence. Truly, influence over time due to with the opportunities to do God has been with this church its size and commute times that.” and its greatest years are ahead to larger towns and churches.

Martin first credits the and in the future. Amen, He acknowledged that smaller grace of God as to why Old come, Lord Jesus! Maranatha.” churches have been struggling, Austin has outlived so many Mark Martin, bi-vocational but went on to say that Old other churches.

“It’s miraculous when you think about it. … Obviously God’s not done with us yet and He still has a purpose for us. That’s one of my prayers all the time, just that the Lord would continue to show us His purpose for His church at Old Austin and just make us mindful that it is His church. We’re His people and we are to do what He calls us to do, faithfully, and do it daily and be submissive to His role and His will for our church,” he said.

Martin noted that the diligence and humility of past members helped sustain the church.

“I credit the people with that long before I came because there were definitely times before I ever got there that they could’ve closed the doors. (They went) through some very lean years, … but they stayed faithful, they persevered and when others may have been saying, ‘Hey, you guys just need to close up shop and move on,’ they said, ‘No, we’re going to hang in there; we’re going to keep going.’

And as a result of that, God has blessed that church in ways that we would’ve never thought.”

Contact Anna at anna@ arkansasbaptist.org.

“Since our gathering last year, we have seen God move in a powerful way across our state and nation in a grassroots prayer movement and are convinced that now is the time to press on as we challenge one another to pray for spiritual awakening,” he said.

“We don’t need to be reminded of God’s many promises for renewal and restoration; we must humble ourselves, turn from our sin and pray. If we will meet a holy God’s conditions, then we should expect to see Him manifest His glorious presence among us. The question isn’t, ‘Why should we have this meeting?’ but, ‘What could be more important than having this meeting?’”

Pastors, ministers, ministry staff members, staff members of ABSC agencies and institutions, associational missionaries, retired ministers and ABSC staff members, students training for ministry and itinerant ministers are all invited to take part in the gathering.

The event will be led by

tist churches, institutions and agencies in our own extraordinary prayer meeting,” said Blackwood, who is currently missions and ministry coordinator at Family Fellowship Baptist Church in Jonesboro.

“Our leaders are calling us to the most important work that we can do to change our world: pray. Yes, we can give; we can go; we can teach and preach.

But first we must pray.”

She called the event a “precious opportunity to agree with men and women from all over our state that with God, all things are possible; that God can do more in a moment than we could accomplish in all our lives; that God, and God alone, can heal our hearts, our country and our world.”

There is no cost to attend but everyone is responsible for his or her own travel and accommodations. Registration is required by Aug. 24. Call 800-838-2272, ext. 5103, email gmccallister@absc.org, or visit PrayArkansas.com to register.

Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas; the praise and worship team from Cross Church; a special guest; Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn., and several other pastors.

“Carnality abounds in life and church,” wrote Floyd in a recent email about why Christians should pray for revival and spiritual awakening.

“Evangelism is lagging. Over 70 percent of our churches are plateaued or declining….We need to pray and fast. We need to ensure we are right with God and get right with one another. When we are repentant, we will become flexible to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, be set on fire by the Spirit, and change whatever needs to be changed to reach our town, city, nation, and world with the gospel of Christ.”

J.D. “Sonny” Tucker, executive director of the ABSC, said, “One of the distinguishing marks of great leaders is

their willingness to humbly and courageously step to the plate when needed. I believe Arkansas is full of great ministry leaders, and we need to unite like never before in praying for revival and awakening.

I am inviting you to join us, if possible, in another statewide prayer gathering as we seek a movement of God in Arkansas and America.”

Jimmy Sheffield, executive administrator for the ABSC, said the 2014 prayer gathering proved to be an “incredibly powerful event.” He said the prayer and hope for the 2015 event is that the participants will have an incredible encounter with God again.

Diane Blackwood, a former president of Arkansas Woman’s Missionary Union and member of the ABSC Prayer Task Force, recalled the prayer event that took place at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in June and how powerful it was.

“I am excited to join pastors and ministers from Bap-

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Elliott Baptist marks 125 years Aug. 16

ARKANSAS NAMB TRUSTEE RECOGNIZED – Ronnie Toon (second from right) associational missionary with Independence Baptist Association and a member of First Baptist Church in Batesville, was among those recognized at the June 15 North American Mission Board (NAMB) Board of Trustees meeting for concluding his term on the board. Others recognized included from left: NAMB President Kevin Ezell, Carroll Vaughn, Steve Mayes, Steve Holdaway, John Wenberg, Doug Dieterly, Larry Gipson, Pat Adams, Toon and James “Bud” Parrish. Photo by the North American Mission Board

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CAMDEN – Elliott Baptist Church has served as a light for the gospel in the city of Camden for 125 years. To mark the anniversary of the church, a special celebration will be held Sunday, Aug. 16.

Bob Harper, team leader of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention missions team, will speak in the morning service and present the church with a certificate to mark the occasion. After the morning service the congregation will have a meal and fellowship, followed by a time of special music.

“We didn’t go all-out or anything. We just want to remember where we’ve been and how God’s kept us together as a church for that long, and we’re just looking … for many more years of His blessing,” said Paul Easter Jr., who has served as the pastor of Elliott Baptist for two years.

Easter said an invitation is being extended to past pastors in hopes that several will attend along with the current congregation and guests.

Elliott Baptist’s longevity is something “amazing,” said Easter.

“It’s been through a lot of different changes. Lots of ups, lots of downs, but still here and still hopefully making a

Elliott Baptist Church, Camden, will celebrate its 125th anniversary Aug. 16. difference in our community.”

He added that the ultimate goal of the celebration is to not merely reflect on the past, but to learn and grow from it.

“I’m proud of what’s happened in the past, but for me, I’m looking to what He’s going to do from here

on out. So that’s kind of where my focus has been,” he explained. “I have probably not been too good on the history part. Yes, I want to celebrate that, but I don’t want to live there. I want to look … forward, to what He’s going to do from here on out with our church.”

ABSC motorcycle ride rescheduled LITTLE ROCK – The third Arkansas Baptist pastor/staff motorcycle ride has been rescheduled for August 27-28.

The ride was previously scheduled for May 28-29 but was canceled due to rain.

Registration for the ride is required. To register, visit arkansasbaptist.org/ride15.

For more information, contact Marcus Brown at 501-376-4791, ext. 5128, or email mbrown@absc.org.

You don’t have to see the ABN to hear its stories!

Do you know a friend or family member who is legally blind? If so, they can receive an audio CD featuring stories read by ABN Podcast host Bill Bumpas shipped to their door free of charge through the ABN’s Blind Tape Ministry!

For more information on the ABN’s Blind Tape Ministry email abn@arkansasbaptist.org or call 501-376-4791, ext. 5153.

11

July 30, 2015

Crystal Hill Baptist Church innovates, plans own church camp LITTLE ROCK – Every summer, churches flock to in- and out-of-state, student-oriented camps to revive and encourage community within their youth groups.

For the second year, Crystal Hill Baptist Church, Little Rock, has broken the mold, creating its own personal church camp for students.

This year the church took 60 students in grades six through 12 and 18 adult counselors and cooks to Shepherd

of the Ozarks in Harriet July 7-11.

“There are so many wonderful church camps across our state and nation, but we really just wanted to customize our camp to fit our specific needs.

This provided us with great flexibility (in) curriculum and recreation,” said Jody Hurst, music minister at Crystal Hill who co-directed the camp with Matt Brown, youth pastor at Crystal Hill. “It also provides our adults (with) a wonderful

opportunity to get to know our students in a deep and meaningful way.”

Shepherd of the Ozarks served as a great location for group interaction and recreation, offering numerous unique activities for the group to enjoy, said Hurst. It offered students activities such as Frisbee disc golf, hiking, paintball, horseback riding, a giant swing and a high ropes course. The group also got to float the Buffalo River and visit Blanchard

Acts 1:8 events set for Sept., Oct. TWO ACTS 1:8 One Day Mission Trips are set for September and October. The first event will take place Saturday, Sept. 12 in the Red River Baptist Association, based in the Arkadelphia and Hope area.

The second event will be Saturday, Oct. 3 in the Greene County Baptist Association, based in the Paragould and Marmaduke area.

Multiple ministry opportunities are available, including prayer walking, evangelism, medical and dental clinics, block parties, children’s sites, home repair, cowboy ministries and much more.

“We hope your church

plans to attend one or both of the Acts 1:8 One Day Mission Trips,” said Breck Freeman, assistant missions team leader for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC). “The One Day experience will give many of your church members their first taste of a mission trip and how the kingdom can be impacted by being on mission for Christ. Your church will also bring back many ideas on how to do missions from the doorsteps of their church to the ends of the earth.”

Tracy Archibald, Acts 1:8 One Day Mission Trip coordinator for the ABSC, discussed reasons for churches to partici-

pate in the Acts 1:8 events and what churches generally take away from them.

“Churches realize that the One Day experience is a beginning of the calling … placed on their lives,” he said. “They see that these ministries can be carried back to the local church where they begin to put into place an ongoing ministry of their own and partnering with other churches and their local association.”

Families, small groups and even entire churches are welcome.

For more details and to register online visit, absc.org/ communitymissions.

Springs Caverns.

The camp theme was Renew from Romans 12:2.

For 12 students, the intimate camp experience truly proved to be transformational.

Eight students responded for assurance of salvation and rededication to Christ, two were saved, one surrendered to fulltime Christian ministry and one surrendered to full-time medical missions.

Hurst noted the “create-acamp” strategy might not be for everyone, but it has served their church well, “(impacting) the students, adults and ultimately the entire church family.”

“We provide all the adult leadership, food, cooks, curriculum and activities,” said

Hurst. “It’s a lot of hard work, but we have a lot of committed adults that make it possible.

We also have a very generous church family who strongly support our student ministry.”

The cost of camp was around $25,000 for 80 participants, said Hurst. Many students received scholarships from the donations of church members, and those who did not paid about $125 per person. Aside from helping fund the camp, members of the church who did not attend camp prayed daily and wrote notes for each student and adult who did.

“Prayer has been the key to our camps’ success over the last two years,” Hurst said.

“God truly changed lives.”

Across Arkansas

www.arkansasbaptist.org

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Witcherville church sends team to Nebraska WITCHERVILLE – Fellowship Baptist Church of Witcherville, located near Huntington, recently sent a team of 18 members to help Ogallala Community Church, a small, young congregation in Ogallala, Neb., with two sports camps.

On one day, the team led worship at three locations.

Other days they helped with sports camps in Big Springs and Ogallala.

Twenty-five people were enrolled in the Big Springs camp, and five made decisions for Christ. About 50 people were enrolled in the Ogallala camp, and 18 made decisions for Christ. There is no Southern Baptist church in Big Springs and only one Southern Baptist congregation in Ogallala.

“I have to say you could not have asked for a better team,” said Doug Lee, church planter catalyst for the North American Mission Board. “They came with a servant’s heart, a love for the local people and ready to sow and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This team has

helped in several other communities in Nebraska over the past few years: Hastings, Kearney and Holdrege. Teams coming from churches like Fellowship Baptist … enable church planters to plant churches in new communities across Nebraska.” Children take part in sports camp.

Pastor Gary Mar tin and Larry D. Brown, mission team chairman, coordinated and led the mission team.

Martin said his church has gone to Nebraska multiple times through the years and he sees it as an

“outstanding mission field opportunity for Arkansas churches.”

“We’ve enjoyed going up there,” he said, adding, “For us, these mission trips serve better than revival meetings.

We go on so many mission trips (that) all of our people have the opportunity to go on one. I hear good feedback from all who go.”

Student resources directory Aug. 27 THE AUG. 27 issue of the Arkansas Baptist News (ABN) will feature a special directory of student ministry resources.

Ads will be sold at a discounted rate and will be further offset by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention evangelism and church health team.

To schedule an ad for the special directory, contact jessica@arkansasbaptist.org.

Find the Arkansas Baptist News online at arkansasbaptist.org

Classifieds PASTOR Calvary Baptist Church, Osceola, is seeking a full-time or bi-vocational pastor. Please send resume to Pastor Search Committee, Calvary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 825, Osceola, AR 72370 or email cbcosceola@sbcglobal.net.

Cocklebur Baptist Church, Ward, seeking bi-vocational pastor. Parsonage provided. Email resumes to blakeduvall2000@ yahoo.com.

Cedar Glades Baptist Church in Mountain Pine is seeking a conservative full-time pastor. Please send resume to Cedar Glades Baptist Church, Pastor Search Committee, 303 Gum Springs Road, Mountain Pine, AR 71956.

Trinity Baptist Church, Fort Smith, is seeking a bi-vocational pastor. Please send resume to Trinity Baptist Pastor Search Committee, 3619 N. 6th, Fort Smith, AR 72904 or email mackjoretta@gmail.com.

Armorel Baptist Church is renewing search for full-time pastor. Please submit resumes, CDs or websites for review.

Pastor Search Committee, linda@Armorelbc. com.

Bigelow Baptist Church is prayerfully seeking to fill the position of pastor. Email resumes to brandonrakridge@gmail.com.

First Baptist Church, El Dorado, is prayerfully seeking to fill the position of senior pastor. Email resumes to fbceldorado201@gmail.com or mail to Pastor Search Committee, 100 E. Peach St.,

Suite 350, El Dorado, AR 71730.

Reynolds Baptist Church, Little Rock, is a small church in search of a bi-vocational pastor. Mail inquiries to Reynolds Baptist Church, 7111 Fourche Dam Pike, Little Rock, AR 72206, Attn: Pastor Search Committee.

OTHER STAFF POSITIONS Illinois Baptist Children’s Home seeks an executive director to replace current director’s retirement the end of 2016.

Applications are to be received by January 2016 to fill the position by October 2016.

Go to www.bchfs.com/employment.html for details.

Bayou Meto Baptist Church seeking a paid part-time children’s minister. Great for a college student. Must be 21 years of age. No particular education requirements but preference given to those seeking an occupation working with children. School year hours would consist of a 2-hour Sunday evening class, a possible Wednesday evening class, Bible Drill competition and social events. Summer hours and events include 20-hour week to include a Sunday evening class and Wednesday evening class. Two 40hour weeks each summer for vacation Bible school and camp. Additional summer activities as needed. Please contact the church office at 501-988-1966 for additional information or send resume to Bayou Meto Baptist Church, 26200 Highway 107, Jacksonville, AR 72076.

Calvary Baptist Church is seeking an energetic, creative college minister and media specialist. This individual needs to have a committed, growing relationship with Jesus Christ, an interest in serving college-age individuals in the unique transition from high school to adulthood and a working knowledge of church-related technology needs, such as sound setup, projection and other computer needs. Other duties and responsibilities include working closely with other members of the staff and community in order to support the total church ministry of lifting up Jesus. A college degree is preferred and other experience will be considered. Full benefits included. Mail resumes to Paula Word, Calvary Baptist Church, 319 Highway 278 E., Camden, AR 71701 or email paula@calvaryofcamden. org.

Music/education: Aspen Park Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, Okla., is seeking God’s man to lead our worship arts ministry/education ministry.

Located in suburban southeast Tulsa area and poised for growth. Resumes may be emailed to dcrump@aspenpark.net.

Atkins First Baptist Church is seeking a part-time worship leader. Send resumes to 201 N. Church St., Atkins, AR 72823 or atkinsfbc@gmail.com.

Executive director, (DOM). Noonday Baptist Association, Marietta, GA 30127. Ethnically and economically diverse partner churches and missions are search-

ing for a leader for one of the SBC’s leading associations. Skill sets include strategist, consultant, administrator and collaborator.

Resumes accepted online through July 31. www.noondayba.org.

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Sardis seeking part-time minister of music.

Please send resumes to PHBC, Attn: Resumes, 24310 N. Sardis Road, Bauxite, AR 72011 or phbc.music@gmail.com.

First Baptist, Ward, is seeking a parttime youth minister. Send resumes to Dr. Mike Montalbano, P.O. Box 240, Ward, AR 72176 or email us at mpmontalbano@ gmail.com.

Desire to serve as worship leader and/or pianist on interim basis or as needed. Also available for women’s conferences, youth events, special events and revivals. Brenda Doty: 870.926.9935.

First Baptist Church, White Hall, is seeking a full-time minister to children and preschool. Send resumes to paul@ fbcwhitehall.com or Children Search Team, P.O. Box 20307, White Hall, AR 71612-0307.

First Baptist Church of DeWitt is searching for a bi-vocational music minister.

Responsibilities include leading worship and choir. Please submit resumes for FBC-DeWitt, 322 W. First St., DeWitt, AR 72042 or brojimmyalbrecht@yahoo.com.

The North Central Baptist Association is prayerfully accepting resumes for an associational missionary. Resumes will be accepted until Aug. 1, and they can be mailed to the attention of the search

committee at 268 Main St., Clinton, AR 72031. For more information, please email Chairman Billy Reece at billytreece@hotmail.com.

Southern Heights Baptist Church is currently seeking both a full-time youth pastor and a full-time worship leader. Resumes may be sent to shbc@windstream.net or to 279 Highway 221 S., Berryville, AR 72616.

Union Valley Baptist Church of Beebe is seeking a full-time minister of music to lead our blended worship services.

Located in central Arkansas, Union Valley has an average worship attendance of 500. This individual will be responsible for directing adult and youth choirs, as well as the praise band. Send resume to timsparks@centurytel.net.

MISCELLANEOUS For sale – 25-passenger church bus: automatic, gas, 67,612 miles. Good shape. Call Steve –501-773-7331.

Two condos for rent in Destin, Fla. Book now for August-December: lbrammer@charter.net, 423-309-4422.

Davis Church Pew Upholstery, 30-plus years experience. Melton and Sandra Davis, Quitman, Miss., 601-7766617.

Advertise with us: arkansasbaptist.org/ad

13

Across Arkansas

July 30, 2015

Arkansas, Georgia churches partner together for missions MOUNTAIN PINE – In 2010, First Baptist Church in Mountain Pine and Veal Baptist Church in Roopville, Ga., met on a mission trip in Alabama. The groups clicked, and it turned into a unique friendship. The churches decided to partner together each year for missions. But rather than take teams to outside locations, they dedicated to stay in their own communities, taking turns going to each other’s own towns.

That tradition continued this year with a dozen volunteers from Veal Baptist Church traveling to Mountain Pine and teaming up with two dozen First Baptist volunteers with the goal of “Turning the World Upside-Down,” the theme – taken from Acts 17:6 – of this year’s mission event.

Church life First Baptist Church, Flippin, will host a retirement celebration service on Sunday, Aug. 16 for Steve and Judy Martin. Martin has served in Flippin as pastor for 30 years.

First Baptist Church, DeWitt, will host Ladies Night with Lori at 6 p.m. Aug. 14.

The women’s ministry event will be held at the church and feature keynote speaker Lori Merrill, team leader of Keeper’s Ministry. The event is free and all women, high school age and above, are invited. The event will feature a time of worship, a message by Merrill and a light supper and meet-and-

Volunteers minister to community members in Mountain Pine.

Darren Green, pastor of First Baptist, said the churches planned to go to Alaska this year, but they revamped their thinking when they realized teams go to that area of Alaska every week of the summer.

“We asked ourselves how many mission teams come through Mountain Pine, Ark., greet following the message.

Childcare will not be provided.

Balboa Baptist Church in Hot Springs Village will host two public events at the church in September, both featuring author and speaker Liz Curtis Higgs. Good Clean Fun – An Evening Bathed in Laughter will take place at 7 p.m. Sept.

18. Tickets are available by calling 501-922-0155. A women-only retreat will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 19.

Higgs will share insights from her book “It’s Good To Be Queen” based on the Queen of Sheba. The women’s event will also include a style show, skits, lunch, music, door prizes and more. For more information or

or Roopville, Ga., through the course of any given summer – only ours,” he explained. “So with that in mind, we have decided to continue going back and forth to serve in each other’s communities.”

During the week of July 13, volunteers – some as young as 5 years old – completed work at 25 job sites. Projects included building wheelchair ramps, hauling junk, doing yard work, painting and more.

Green said the main goal was witnessing. Volunteers handed out tracts and New Testaments and prayed with people. Several visitors attended Wednesday night worship.

One salvation was reported with many other seeds planted.

Wesley Boatman, pastor of Veal Baptist, said the partnership has “engaged a lot of

people that normally probably wouldn’t have been engaged in so-called ‘mission work.’”

He said people tend to think of mission work as doing things like “preaching and standing on a street corner,” and while that is good, oftentimes church members shy away from it. They will, however, get involved in physical ministry projects, he said.

“So in essence, the physical part of it has led folks into a door to the spiritual side of it,” he said, noting it has opened up witnessing opportunities.

He said it also impacts communities and shows them the churches care for them.

Green said it has been “amazing” to see both churches’ mission visions grow since the partnership began in 2010.

Since Veal Baptist’s first trip

to Mountain Pine, total combined participation has more than doubled.

“This has made a major impact on the way members from both church families look at our communities and our neighbors,” he said. “The mission outreach has become more than just a one-week-ayear event; it has become a way of life that continues throughout the year. What excites me the most is to see how God can accomplish great works through small congregations – 50 or so for Sunday worship service – when we are willing to submit ourselves to His plan and are willing to partner with others to do so. Our God deserves all of the glory, honor and praise for what was accomplished during this mission week.”

to register for the retreat, visit arwomensretreat.com.

Pine Grove Baptist Church, Little Rock, will celebrate its 146th anniversary at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 9. Elbert Warren will speak, and Bobby Jeffers will serve as worship leader. A potluck will follow.

New Fellowship Baptist Church, Pine Bluff, will hold

revival services at 7 p.m. Aug. 4-5. Robert White will serve as speaker.

Humphrey Baptist Church, Humphrey, will hold revival services at 6 p.m. Aug. 9-11. Eddie Douglas will speak, and Dewayne Tanton will lead worship.

Park Hill Baptist Church, North Little Rock, will host

Guy Penrod in concert at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30. For more information, contact the church at 501-753-3413.

On the move Jonathan Morris is serving as pastor at Union Baptist Church, El Dorado, coming there from O’Donnel, Texas.

∏a m p Sil oa m P sal ms 34:5

GIRLS RETREAT October 16-18, 2015 • $95

LOVE OVER GLENWOOD – First Baptist Church, Glenwood, held its Love Over Glenwood mission outreach July 16. The day included a pancake breakfast, block party and more.

Faith&Culture www.arkansasbaptist.org

14 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...”

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Bonnaroo’s ‘Jesus Tent’ draws 13,000-plus MANCHESTER, Tenn. (BP) – Among 80,000 people at Bonnaroo – an annual camping and music festival in Tennessee – quite a few trekked to “The Jesus Tent.”

An estimated 13-17,000 Bonnaroovians visited The Jesus Tent for its 24/7 offer of shade cooled by fans, snacks, water, smartphone charging stations, WiFi and conversation – a peaceful oasis at a festival featuring 150-plus acts, ranging from Billy Joel and Earth Wind & Fire to Childish Gambino and Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, over four days at a 700-acre farm near Manchester, Tenn.

While at The Jesus Tent, many visitors had life-changing conversations, several Baptist volunteers reported. Though many Bonnaroovians held the belief that all paths or religions lead to God, there was openness to talk about it.

The large response to The

Jesus Tent makes it the largest evangelistic event of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (TBC) and possibly of other denominations in the state, said David Evans, the TBC’s evangelism specialist.

Jake Dorak, who directed the outreach, said so many Bonnaroovians visited The Jesus Tent because of what was offered free of charge in contrast to the expensive Bonnaroo vendors offering food and even showers and because the tent was open 24/7. Many concerts are offered at night and into the morning, and fans often stay up to attend them, said Dorak, associate pastor of missions and evangelism at First Baptist Church in Manchester.

“The nations are coming to us, and we have an obligation to tell them about Jesus,” Dorak said of the music fans who flock to Bonnaroo from across the U.S. and from other countries.

Making the 24/7 schedule

Brady Wood (left), pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Hixson, Tenn., prays with a young man and woman in “The Jesus Tent” during Bonnaroo, a camping music festival that drew 80,000 people to the four-day event in June.

Photo by Connie Davis Bushey possible were 13 students from Tent from Texas, New HampSoutheastern Baptist Theologi- shire, Iowa, Kentucky and cal Seminary in Wake Forest, Ohio.

The pastor also liked the N.C., who worked the night shifts along with five members name of the ministry, saying of a Tennessee traveling sum- it harkened back to the “Jesus mer missions team coordinat- Freaks” of decades ago.

“In the culture, the world ed by TBC staff.

A total of about 150 Bap- we’re living in, we don’t have tists served as volunteers at time to be subtle,” Wood said.

The use of social media was The Jesus Tent.

First-timer Brady Wood, a new feature of the ministry pastor of Pleasant Grove Bap- this year, including Twitter, tist Church in Hixson, Tenn., Instagram and Facebook, “to noted that Baptists go on mis- continue the conversation sions trips beyond Middle Ten- after Bonnaroo,” said Dorak.

“This is servant evangenessee to do what they can do at Bonnaroo. Wood recounted lism that anybody can do,” meeting people at The Jesus Dorak said.

US views on same-sex marriage divided by faith, friendship NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Americans who say they have homosexual friends are twice as likely to say same-sex marriage should be legal.

Fewer than half of Americans say homosexuality is sinful.

And evangelicals are increasingly at odds with American culture over same-sex relationships.

Those are among the findings of a phone survey of 2,000 Americans about same-sex marriage from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. Researchers found that friendship and faith play an influential role in how Americans view same-sex marriage.

“When it comes to support for gay marriage, a lot of it depends on who you know,” says Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research.

“Those who say they have

gay or lesbian friends are the most open to gay marriage.

Also, regardless of friends, evangelicals are more likely to consider homosexual behavior sinful.”

Following a 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that the fundamental right to marry must be extended to same-sex couples, same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the nation June 26.

Overall, half (50 percent) of Americans agree with the statement, “I believe gay marriage should be legal.” That number jumps to 6 in 10 (60 percent) for Americans who say they have homosexual friends.

Among Americans who say they have no homosexual friends, only a third agree same-sex marriage should be legal.

Evangelicals, defined here

as those who identify themselves as a born again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christian, are least likely to support same-sex marriage. Less than a third (30 percent) say samesex marriage should be legal.

This compares to 38 percent of evangelicals who say they have homosexual friends who agree same-sex marriage should be legal.

By contrast, 6 in 10 (59 percent) non-evangelicals support same-sex marriage. Just over a third (38 percent) say sex be-

tween people of the same gender is sinful.

“Culture is dramatically shifting on the issue,“ explained Stetzer.

“Yet, evangelicals are the most resistant group to that change.”

“Church leaders have traditionally been seen as the champions of all things moral in society,” said Stetzer. “As public perceptions of morality change, pastors find themselves in an increasingly unpopular position.”

The Watercooler “Failure to now recognize polygamous marriage will reveal the supposedly legal basis for permitting same-sex marriage as the politically-correct sham it has always been.”

– Jeff Iorg, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary WRITING for Baptist Press, Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminar y, argues that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent redefinition of marriage on the grounds of providing same-sex Americans “equal dignity” opens the door for polygamy becoming a legally recognized form of marriage. “I have resisted every redefinition of marriage and continue to advocate for marriage between one man and one woman as best for the people involved and our society as a whole. While polygamous marriage is an unhealthy model (which is why it is has long been outlawed), there is no legitimate legal objection that can be raised if the Supreme Court’s reasoning behind their recent decision is consistently applied.”

“The people of America need to wake up and see this for what it is ... a violation of the Constitution.”

– Ronnie Floyd, Cross Church A PENALTY of $135,000 and a gag order against Oregon bakers who declined to provide a cake for a samesex ceremony have evoked protests and concerns from Southern Baptist leaders.

“Let’s be clear: this family is being threatened with financial ruin not because they were impeding anyone else’s freedom, but simply because they could not in good conscience participate in something they believe would be morally wrong. ... Such bullying is neither right nor American,” said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

www.arkansasbaptist.org August 9, 2015 Revelation 5 continues John’s spec- 5:2). There was no one in heaven or tacular vision in heaven’s throne room. on earth who was worthy to open it.

John’s attention is drawn to the throne John is overcome with emotion and where God Almighty sits with a scroll begins to weep (Rev. 5:4). Perhaps in His right hand. As a paleography and John thought the righteous would codicology student not be vindicated and enthusiast, I and the wicked find this chapter so would go unpunExplore the Bible fascinating because ished. As long John describes a as this scroll rescroll unlike any mained sealed that I will ever get there would be Revelation 5:1-14 to view and study. no hope for the The scroll is in churches in Asia the right hand of Minor.

God. The right hand is sigOne of the elders told nificant in that it symbolJohn to stop crying. Why? izes the place of authority.

Because there is One This scroll contains God’s who is worthy, “The Lion authority. The writing on from the tribe of Judah” both the front and back (Rev. 5:5). When John signifies that it is full and looks to see the Lion, he complete. Seals always sees “One like a slaughsymbolize the authentictered Lamb” (Rev. 5:6).

Gerald Nash ity and authority behind The Lion and the Lamb Conway the scroll. This scroll is exconverge. The Lamb beceptional with seven seals came the conquering affixed to it, preventing Lion through suffering the further unrolling of the scroll. The and death (Rev. 5:9). John witnesses contents, which lie hidden beneath the the Lamb taking the scroll from the seven seals, will be opened one-by-one hand of God the Father. The scene as God has determined. This seven moves from agony to adoration as sealed scroll cannot be open by just the worshippers in heaven sing a new anyone. song. The new song celebrates the reIt is asked,“Who is worthy to open demptive work of the Son as the basis the scroll and to loose its seals?” (Rev. of His right to judge.

The worthy Lamb

Bible Commentary

15

It is not surprising that Nehemiah 8 God could have communicated opens with a manifestation of a great with us in some form other than writhunger for the Word among the peo- ing, but He chose to put it in written ple of Jerusalem. Notice that this seems from. to be a spontaneous gathering.

We live in a culture where almost all People were of us know how to hungry for answers read or can readto their problems ily learn. We have Bible Studies for Life and guidelines multiple translafrom the Word tions of the Bible of God, and with in our language, one accord, they and yet many of us Nehemiah 8:1-8 gathered in this find other things great square beto do instead of fore the Water Gate (Neh. reading and studying the 8:1). They asked Ezra, the words that God has given priest, to read the Law of us in the Bible. the Lord to them. They I’ve always wanted my listened, while standing, boys to cherish God’s from daybreak until noon Word, to make sure (Neh. 8:3)! they have a copy of this Certainly, this long grand Book. Memories attention indicates how are flooding my mind of deeply they were aware of their small hands clutchCindy James their ignorance about life ing their little blue New Camden and how much they needTestaments headed to the ed answers from God. nursery. I want to have a They were simply crying out for the desire to read and reread the Bible all Word. It would be accurate to call it the days of my life. If we want spiritual a revival or a time of spiritual renewal. renewal, it will come through God’s At the center of this revival was the Word. And it must be read daily and exposition of Scripture. not find a permanent place on our Our text teaches us that a strong nightstands. emphasis on God’s Word is a primary “Lord, create in me a hunger for mark of spiritual renewal. Revival ensues Your Word. Forgive me for so often when God’s Word is read and obeyed. taking it for granted.”

Return to God’s Word

August 16, 2015 There are things you see and hear These creatures are so grotesque. They that immediately strike fear in the core look like mighty warhorses decorated of your being. I have witnessed first- for battle with iron breastplates and hand horrific vehicle accidents, plane teeth like a lion. They have long, flowcrashes and railroad accidents. As a ing hair with gold crowns on their health care worker, I have become a heads. The flapping of their wings little desensitized causes a deafening to the initial shock. noise.

I still have a certain They are sent Explore the Bible level of fear. What with the power of causes me the greatscorpions to sting est fear are those and inflict pain Revelation 9:1-12 words “unknown but not to kill. contagion.” Things They cannot harm like SARS and those whom God Ebola can create a great has sealed, nor harm nasense of fear. ture. They will be active Revelation 9:1–12 defor only five months. They scribes a very haunting will cause such intense scene. An angel comes pain that people will want down from heaven and to die and cannot. It is opens the pit. Smoke rises usually our nature to want from the pit and darkens to live. The locusts attack the sky. A swarm of deand inflict pain on people Gerald Nash monic locusts arises from whose hearts are so dark Conway the bottomless pit and with sin that they would inflicts judgment on the prefer death over repenunrepentant. One of the tance. first things I notice in the Book of RevThis was just the first of three woes. elation is that man’s rebellion against Things are going to get worse. God ofGod gets progressively worse and so do fers mercy and forgiveness of sin. He these judgments. desires to see people avoid His coming Notice the appearance of these lo- wrath. custs. John uses the word “like” to help This warning is an invitation to his readers understand that he is mak- repent and trust in Christ now while ing a comparison to things he knows. there is time.

Redeeming judgment

The truest and deepest unity we can and told the Church what happened. experience on this earth is the unity in The believers responded, saying, “Lord, Christ we share with other believers. consider their threats, and grant that The early Church in Acts was a great Your slaves may speak Your message example of this unity. with complete boldness” (Acts 4:29).

We unite with others over the strang- The early Church faced much persecuest things. Considtion, yet they never er sports. People ran. Instead, they Bible Studies for Life in the stands are came together. strangers. But ralActs 4:31-37 lied around a fasays they were vorite team they “filled with the Acts 4:31-37 become family.

Holy Spirit,” Your one common “were one in heart interest unites you. and mind,” shared The Church takes unity to everything and testified a different level. to Christ’s resurrection.

The Church is very diWhat united them? verse, but we come togethTheir faith in Christ and er because of our shared desire to spread the gosfaith in Jesus Christ. It’s a pel. When God’s people unity grounded in who we unite together, extraordiare. In the Book of Acts, nary things happen. Their we see a group of believunity around the cause of Cindy James ers who changed the world Christ inspires Christians Camden because they lived in unity. to fulfill the Great ComIn Acts 4:1-12, the relimission (Matt. 28:19-20). gious authorities had Peter Unity may happen in a and John arrested for preaching about moment, but the results last for eternity.

Jesus’ resurrection. They boldly spoke When strangers meet and discover of Jesus as the only way to salvation. they share a common interest, a quick The rulers demanded that John and bond can develop. We crave those Peter never speak of Jesus’ resurrection kinds of connections. When Christians again, but they could not keep their individually experience a renewed love mouths shut (Acts 4:20). and unity with Christ, they can’t help Later Peter and John were released but experience a unity with each other.

Return to unity

16

July 30, 2015

26-year-old in face-off with Planned Parenthood ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) – A 26-year-old activist with a video camera has moved to the forefront of cultural challengers to the nation’s largest abortion provider.

David Daleiden and his group Center for Medical Progress are in the process of releasing a much-publicized series of videos he says show Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) senior executives involved in selling baby body parts.

The first video, released July 14, showed PPFA Senior Director of Medical Services Dr. Deborah Nucatola admitting to using partial-birth abortions to get intact body parts to sell. Daleiden released a second video July 21 showing another PPFA senior executive – Dr. Mary Gatter, president of PPFA’s Medical Directors’ Council – haggling over the price of body parts and offering to use abortion methods that will not destroy the parts – what she called “less crunchy techniques.”

Questions of federal law surround both the sale of fetal tissue as well as abortions in-

volving fetal tissue collection.

How did Daleiden get these videos? “We conducted a 30-month-long investigative journalism project,” he told WORLD News Service.

Daleiden said he spent months networking and building relationships, noting, “You can’t just walk in off the street and get meetings and lunch dates with these people.”

Daleiden, the only full-time employee of the Center for Medical Progress, said he attended six different abortion industry trade shows, including a March 2015 event hosted by the National Abortion Federation, an association of abortion providers.

He also printed business cards and letterhead and created a fictitious business designed to convince PPFA officials he was in the business of fetal tissue procurement.

“We established a front company, including a website,” Daleiden said. “We modeled ourselves after existing companies in the industry that were ... harvesting fetal body parts.”

One of those companies, California-based StemExpress,

David Daleiden, of the Center for Medical Progress, speaks to Fox News about the organization’s release of video evidence of Planned Parenthood senior executives involved in the selling of the remains of aborted children. issued a statement “regarding recent media reports,” saying in part, “StemExpress prides itself on complying with all laws.”

The 30-month undercover effort cost about $125,000, Daleiden said.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said funding for Daleiden’s video investigation came from Operation

Rescue and a small number of “pro-life benefactors.”

Newman is one of three members of the board of the Center for Medical Progress.

The other two are Daleiden and pro-life activist Albin Rhomberg, who is no stranger to undercover photo projects.

In 1982, Rhomberg gained entry to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office and

took photos of aborted babies seized in a raid on an abortion facility. The photos were some of the first to expose the practice of late-term abortions.

If the two videos already released don’t do the job, Daleiden told WORLD, “We have thousands of hours of video and audio. This is not all we have. This is just the beginning.”

One month later: Evangelicals continue marriage advocacy WASHINGTON (BP) – A month after the Supreme Court’s nationwide legalization of gay marriage, evangelicals continued raising objections to the ruling.

Commentators to offer analysis included National Religious Broadcasters President Jerry Johnson, Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions Executive Director Rick Lance, Christian authors and speakers Rosaria Butterfield and Christopher Yuan, and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Provost Jason Duesing.

Johnson, in the first two articles of a three-part series, called the court’s decision a “supreme shame” and a “supreme sham.” The third and forthcoming article will address practical considerations associated with the ruling under the heading “supreme shambles.”

The high court’s June 26 majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges offered “a moral argument for ‘gay marriage’

as opposed to a legal one,” Johnson wrote. While the Supreme Court is well-equipped to adjudicate legal matters, “as a Christian, for moral issues, I rely on Holy Scripture,” he wrote, noting that the Old and New testaments regard heterosexual marriage as the only appropriate channel for sexual expression.

Johnson countered several common objections to biblical teaching posed by gay marriage advocates. In response to the charge, “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality,” Johnson countered, “I could equally say He did not support homosexuality because there is no specific record of it in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.” To argue for gay marriage from Jesus’ silence is “not a weak argument; it is no argument.” Johnson added that Christ referred to marriage as between a male and female in Matthew 19:4-6.

Responding to the argument that men and women each are capable of playing

the roles of both wives and husbands, Johnson cited 1 Corinthians 6:9, where Paul used specific Greek words to condemn both the active and passive partners in male homosexual acts. “Paul was aware” that individuals in same-sex relationships commonly played roles that did not correspond to their biological genders and condemned such behavior as sinful, Johnson wrote.

The desire of homosexuals to mimic male and female roles in their relationships “just proves the gold standard of male-female sexuality, marriage between husband and wife,” Johnson wrote. The Supreme Court, however, “must destroy that desired thing by redefinition to let gays and lesbians in.”

In his second article, Johnson called the court’s ruling a “sham” because the five justices in the majority – Anthony Kennedy, Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor – contradicted their own legal

argument from 2013, when they overturned the Defense of Marriage Act by finding that “states, not the feds, have authoritative jurisdiction over marriage.”

“It is time for this Supreme Court to stop the sham pretense of objectivity or adherence to the Constitution and return to the rule of law, not of opinions,” Johnson wrote. “If not, these Justices should trade their judicial garb for that of a typical politician, setting aside their robes for business suits. If their outfits match their politics, we should not be surprised to find the majority – along with other politicians celebrating Obergefell – dressed in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.”

Butterfield and Yuan, in an article posted on the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s website, disagreed with the majority opinion’s claim that marriage “embodies the highest ideals of love.”

That claim misses the fact that “the pinnacle of love is God’s

love for us in Christ” and leads to an unbiblical view of singleness, Butterfield and Yuan wrote.

“Defining marriage as being between a husband and a wife appears unfair to the LGBT community, in part because a life of singleness is viewed to be crushingly lonely,” Butterfield and Yuan wrote. “Have we in the church inadvertently played into that lie with our idolatry of marriage while being pejorative and silent toward singleness? If singleness is unfair, then it is no wonder that marriage has become a right. Just as the LGBT community appealed to the rest of the world for dignity and respect, it is time for the church to fight for the dignity and respect of single women and single men.”

Christians should reject an idolatrous view of marriage and “point people – whether married or single – to a life of costly discipleship pursuing the embodiment of love, Jesus Christ Himself,” they wrote.

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