February 14, 2013 • ISSUE 3
Likeness to ‘Father of Our Country’ opens ministry doors for Texas pastor
+ Boy Scouts delay + Couple with Texas ties planting decision on homosexuals gospel hope in Chicago neighborhood NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS
Contents 2
A still-odious mandate
The Obama administration’s Feb. 1 clarification of the contraceptive mandate included in the Affordable Care Act changes nothing significant.
5 In their words
SBTC’s Nathan Lorick talks about the central role of evangelism and an upcoming panel discussion.
9
The disciplined life is a useful life The path to a disciplined life isn’t painless, but it is both possible and necessary if we hold any hope of usefulness.
3-4 Briefly 6 COVER STORY Yorktown pastor has an alter ego Mark Collins had no idea that a narrative presentation as George Washington at his church would lead to movies cameos, documentaries and an evangelistic ministry.
Reaping what they sow
10
As rural church rebounded, spiritual fruit and record giving went hand in hand.
13
When the world comes to Wicker Park Couple with Texas ties planting gospel hope in eclectic Chicago neighborhood.
TEXAN Digital is e-published twice monthly by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, 4500 State Highway 360, Grapevine, TX 76099-1988. Jim Richards, Executive Director Gary Ledbetter, Editor Jerry Pierce, Managing Editor Russell Lightner, Design & Layout Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions Contributing Writers Bonnie Pritchett, David Roach, Sharayah Colter, Tobin Perry To contact the TEXAN office, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC)
Gary Ledbetter
A still-odious mandate
I
agree with the pro-abortion lobby on
one thing at least. The Obama administration’s Feb. 1 clarification of the contraceptive mandate included in the Affordable Care Act changes nothing significant. You recall that last year more than 40 lawsuits were filed by religious institutions over the HHS requirement that all employers other than churches and groups of churches provide free contraceptive products, including those that cause early abortions, to all employees. Baptist colleges and Catholic hospitals were prominent in the challenges to the regulation. The lawsuits were put on hold while the administration provided clearer guidelines regarding application of the rule. Of course, the hope was that the need for the lawsuits would disappear. That’s not happened. The latest explanation still only relieves employers of direct responsibility for providing contraceptives and abortifacients. Instead, the agent of the institution, the insurer or the administrator of the health care plan would find a policy for all employees of a qualified dissenter. Our disagreements are mainly threefold, in ascending order: Least significant, from a religious liberty perspective, is the notion that access to free contraceptives is a basic American right. My government has declared it so by fiat. Now, in my name, our leaders have declared that even drugs that cause an abortion will be provided, even if public funds must provide them. Of course, the abortion industry thinks this is just ducky. It is a complete adoption of their view of life. More significantly, the exempting of churches but not of other confessional religious institutions from the mandate shows a faulty understanding of religious liberty. Our liberty does not end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday (or Saturday, 2 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
if you prefer). Our liberty is not to gather and worship, it is to live out our devotion as citizen Christians in everything that we do. The convictions of a Christian college administrator should not be different at work than they are at church. Those who observe him on Tuesday should be able to tell that he is a Christian because of what he does or does not do that day. Of course, this is inconvenient and abridging that right continues a liberal theme that religion unleashed, in its fundamental form, is dangerous because its adherents insist on giving Caesar everything that is his but only what is his. Religious liberty doled out here and there or now and then is not liberty at all; it is a reward (or punishment) according to the magistrate’s opinion of your doctrine. Most significantly, American religious institutions, otherwise scrupulously seeking to obey the ordinances of God and man, are being forced to conform their behavior, and thus their consciences, to political expediency or secular religion. Now, I don’t object to contraception in principle though I do object to the legality of abortion-causing drugs sometimes called “contraceptives.” And I serve an institution that is exempt from the HHS mandate. But it is easy for this Baptist denominational worker to see that the abridgement of the harmless religious convictions of Catholics today can be the abridgement of harmless Baptist convictions tomorrow. It is the definition of religious liberty that is changing. Only a silly person thinks the changes will end here. I grant that those who find our objections puzzling sincerely miss our point. The worship of one god or another is ubiquitous; the devout worship of the immutable Creator is a bit quaint to modern eyes and, as I said, eventually inconvenient. But it’s immaterial that their confusion is sincere and that their commitment to another god is as devout as mine to the God who is. Our relationship with our Creator results in our view of the significance of those things he counts as significant. In this case, the value of human life and the freedom of a human conscience makes a lot more sense if we believe that we bear the image of God. If one does not believe that, he is looking in a completely different direction and walking a different path. We cannot agree. This is not the last act in the efforts of religious people to maintain liberty in the face of an odious mandate. The lawsuits will continue now that the issue is a bit clearer. We could win some of those. We have some great people watching the law and contending for our rights. Our servants at GuideStone are monitoring this, as is our Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission staff. But this is not only their issue. Never doubt that true religious liberty is of basic importance to your church and your family. Those who say we’re making too much of the thing will try to herd you back into your private sanctuary where you will inconvenience no political agenda. Don’t go quietly if you ever plan on coming back out.
Briefly TEXAS
Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit finishes strong The final stretch of the Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible exhibition at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary saw record numbers of visitors come to see the scrolls. In its final two and a half weeks, nearly 27,500 guests visited the exhibition, with more than 7,200 of them coming on the final weekend. Some visitors came from out of state and drove hours the same day simply to gaze upon the ancient artifacts on display. Yet even through the lines, patrons patiently waited. One guest tweeted, “Stood in line today for 3 1/2 hours, but it was well worth the wait. Such a blessing to see indeed.” With the scrolls, exhibit director Bruce McCoy said exhibit staff were able to reach a world of tourists and field-trippers, world-renown scholars and dignitaries and “the gospel went out.” In fact, five people made professions of faith after hearing a gospel presentation during their tour.
TEXAS
SEAL sniper wanted to be remembered for ‘people I saved’ At an appearance at Fellowship Church in Grapevine last summer, celebrated Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle told Pastor Ed Young that his father instilled in him a respect for authority. Kyle, of Midlothian, and his neighbor Chad Littlefield, were shot dead on Feb. 2 while trying to help a troubled Marine veteran, Eddie Ray Routh, who is charged with two counts of capital murder. Talking to Young about respect for authority, Kyle said during a patriotic service in July, “The biggest part of that, I believe, is Christianity—you believing in God and you have that faith. It will fix most things.” He said poor parenting is the cause of many social problems. The author of “American Sniper,” Kyle was remembered in a public memorial service on Feb. 11 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Littlefield’s funeral was Feb. 8 at First Baptist Church of Midlothian. Speaking of his 160 confirmed kills as a sniper during four Iraq tours, Kyle told Young: “Whether I killed one person or a thousand, that doesn’t make me any more of a man. I’d love to be known for the number of people I saved.” Kyle, 38, leaves behind a wife, a son and a daughter. Littlefield is survived by a wife and daughter. Littlefield’s obituary noted, “As he tried to help another, his life was taken from him suddenly and unexpectedly. But, Chad was a Christian and spoke of his Savior often, so Jesus was there waiting for him and took him to the mansion He had prepared for him.”
NORTH AMERICA
Packing heat in church increasingly allowed As gun control takes high priority on Capitol Hill, state legislatures increasingly are allowing concealed guns in our most sacred place, the church, either for personal protection or for worshippers designated as church security personnel. Arkansas, on Feb. 4, became the eighth state to pass legislation allowing concealed guns specifically in churches. In a lopsided bipartisan vote, state legislators voted to allow
each church to decide whether individuals with concealed carry permits could take guns in church for personal protection. Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming also have laws allowing concealed guns specifically in churches, with varied stipulations. In the past year, at least 75 people were violently killed on church and faith-based property in the U.S., setting a new national record, according to Jimmy Meeks, a Southern Baptist preacher and Texas police officer who conducts seminars encouraging and training churches to properly arm themselves with guns. FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 3
INTERNATIONAL
Pastor Saeed is being tortured, ACLJ says An Iranian-born pastor who is a U.S. citizen is undergoing physical and mental torture in a notoriously brutal Tehran prison while an international campaign for his release mounts, according to the American Center for Law and Justice. Saeed Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison for establishing a network of Christian house churches years ago and for “attempting to sway Iranian youth away from Islam.” Since his conviction Jan. 27, Abedini has not been allowed to communicate with his wife and two children who live in the United States. The pastor’s Iranian relatives were allowed to visit him in prison Feb. 4, according to FoxNews.com, and he expressed apprehension and concern about his future. Abedini asked if there were international efforts to secure his freedom, the news network said, adding that his downtrodden spirit “is due to abuse and brainwashing techniques used by prison officials.” “It is no surprise that the Iranian prison guards are engaging in this kind of psychological abuse,” Jordan Sekulow, ACLJ’s executive director, told FoxNews.com. “We know that Pastor Saeed is undergoing physical beatings and torture. And we know there is growing concern about his health. “Now, a troubling report that the guards are trying to take away his hope by feeding him false information about his fate—trying to convince him that no one cares, that efforts to secure his freedom have ceased,” Sekulow said. ACLJ is leading international efforts to secure the pastor’s release, including launching the website SaveSaeed. org and on Twitter promoting #SaveSaeed. 4 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
INTERNATIONAL
UN convenes panel to monitor ‘gay conversion therapy’ Religious leaders and mental health and human rights advocates have convened a panel at the United Nations to discuss the efficacy of gay conversion therapy. Panel co-organizer Bruce Knotts, director of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office, expressed hope the conversation would be the first of many official discussions on the controversial treatment, the Huffington Post reported. Joining Knotts was Mordechai Levovitz, LGBT advocacy coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist office. He and Knotts are openly gay and have had unsuccessful brushes with conversion therapy, the Huffington Post reported. New reports indicated most speakers at the event were against the therapy, but a letter was read from an ex-gay man who wrote that the therapy “saved my life.” Results of a study published in 2011 in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy indicated 23 percent of study participants reported successful conversion to heterosexual orientation and function, and another 30 percent reported stable behavioral chastity with a significant dis-identification with gay orientation. Twenty percent of the subjects had given up and embraced a gay identity. The study involved 61 voluntary participants and tracked their progress over six to seven years. At the U.N. panel, Jack Drescher, a psychoanalyst and member of the American Psychiatric Association, said any real debate about the treatment is cultural, not clinical. “The truth is we actually don’t know why people are gay, or straight,” Drescher told the group. “But polls tend to show that the more someone believes that sexual orientation is innate, the more likely they are to believe in civil rights [for gay people].”
Catholics, four denominations reach baptism pact Catholics and four Protestant denominations in the Reformed tradition have publicly agreed to recognize the validity of each other’s baptisms, citing a desire for unity and to accommodate families with more than one faith tradition. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops signed an agreement with the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Christian Reformed Church in North America, the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ Jan. 29 at the annual meeting of the ecumenical association Christian Churches Together in Austin. To be considered valid, baptisms must be performed “with flowing water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
In their words Nathan Lorick, SBTC director of evangelism Lorick began as SBTC director of evangelism last September after serving as pastor of First Baptist Church of Malakoff for five years. The following are a few of his thoughts on the Empower Evangelism Conference, plus what can be gained from a cross-pollination of pastors from several generations.
ON THE EVANGELISM CONFERENCE ... The evangelism conference is a great time to be encouraged and inspired and also a great opportunity to develop relationships with other pastors and ministry leaders, to learn from each other. We decided to put together an interactive panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon specifically on evangelism—what it looks like today in churches, what it needs to look like, how we get there. And folks in the audience may tweet in questions. We have these four guys from four different perspectives, a great panel that represents an evangelist (Ronnie Hill), a professor (David
Wheeler), a pollster/statistician (Ed Stetzer), and a seminary president (Daniel Akin). For church staff we will have coffee and conversation with Ed Stetzer on Tuesday night, 9:30 p.m.
ON CROSS-GENERATIONAL DIALOGUE ... I call it the “Why Generation,” not Generation Y. No matter what your life experience—married, kids, single, no kids, pastor, lay person—we’re all here because people need Jesus. We’re here because the gospel must go forward. I would say to young pastors, it’s very easy to buy into methods that produce results instead of the methods that produce life transformation. I want my generation to remember that the convention is relevant. It is not just something from the days of old; the convention is something that is very much relevant to where they are today and how we can help them connect with their own mission field. The generations that went before were “how generations,” how do I please God? For them there were clear markers of discipleship that played out through the local church. Those generations were so faithful to walk through that process. So I think the younger generation can learn about faithfulness and courage and conviction from the older generation. I think the older generation would be pleased that so many of the younger generation of believers have that same passion centering around the gospel, centering around the very heart of the Great Commission. This “Why Generation” says if you can biblically justify it, they are all in. Overwhelmingly, they so desire to see God do something great.
ON LOCAL CHURCH EVANGELISM ... The catalyst for evangelism in the local church is the pastor. The church will follow the heart of the pastor. I think people are hungry to be involved in the Great Commission and I also think people have certain barriers to their involvement in the Great Commission. Oftentimes people are fearful of rejection, but also I think they are fearful of success: “What do I do if someone says they want to accept Christ?” or “What do I do if I mess up the prayer?” “What if?” They are hungry for Great Commission involvement, they just don’t know how. So the pastor models that, and of course that is one area where the convention and local churches can work together to teach and train people how to share the gospel. FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 5
By David Roach
hen he agreed to play the part of George Washington for a July 4 worship service 11 years ago, Texas pastor Mark Collins didn’t know that his life was about to change forever. He looked so much like Washington and gave such an excellent performance that his inaugural portrayal of America’s first president at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, where he was then associate pastor, catapulted him into a career of Washington reenactments. 6 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Today his resume includes appearances in the movie “National Treasure 2,” a 13-part History Channel mini-series and several other television and movie roles. He has also performed live at the National Cathedral, Mt. Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, the Republican National Convention and various political gatherings. Best of all, he has seen hundreds of people worldwide come to faith in Christ as a result of his portrayals of Washington’s faith. “It’s been such an amazing thing to see how the Lord has used it,” Collins told TEXAN Digital in an interview. “He’s allowed me to get into doors that as Pastor Mark Collins I could never get open.” When he first portrayed Washington in 2001, Collins had long been involved in drama, but it had been decades since he did any serious acting. Nonetheless, he decided to go all out for the role. Over four months, he grew his hair out from a flattop to the traditional length for men in colonial America and he began to research Washington. On the day of the performance, the pastor introduced the worship service’s guest speaker as the president of the United States, adding, “His close friends call him G.W.” Then he paused dramatically. Naturally, some in the congregation thought George W. Bush was about to appear and were surprised when Collins emerged in full Washington garb. He shared in first-person about the first president’s Christian faith, including his commitment to spend the first and last hour of every day in prayer, and closed the address by kneeling and reciting a prayer from Washington’s prayer journal. “I was just having a good time,” Collins said. “This was a good, fun thing to do on a Sunday. But when I stood up from that prayer and opened my eyes, about
a third of the people in the church were weeping. And I was stunned, [wondering], ‘Lord, what did you just do here?’” His new career had begun. The following week the pastor of nearby First Baptist Church in La Vernia invited Collins to present the same performance in his church, and the ministry of Washington reenactments snowballed from there. Collins’ speaking schedule became so full that he did not attend his own church again for four months. Eventually he spoke as Washington all over the world and appeared in numerous movies and television programs. His physical resemblance to Washington is remarkable. A plaster mask was made of Washington’s face when he was age 53, and from it historians know exactly what he looked like. When a photo of one side of Washington’s mask is lined up with a photo of half of Collins’ face at age 43, it almost appears to be one photo of the same person. “I’m 51 now,” Collins said. “So when I’m 53 ... I want to go back and do it again [have another photo lined up with Washington’s face] and see how close it is.” First Baptist Church in Yorktown, where Collins is pastor, regards the Washington portrayals as a ministry and allows its pastor up to 12 Sundays away each year. The results of the ministry can only be attributed to God. For instance, while speaking at Nassau Bay Baptist Church in the Houston area, he met two men from Kenya. They told him that their nation was writing a new constitution and needed to hear his presentation about the U.S. Constitution’s basis in Judeo-Christian values. Not realizing the men were serious about his coming, Collins casually agreed to visit Africa. Two months later an official invitation came, and Collins flew to Africa to speak as Washington to the government
In Kenya and Zimbabwe, Collins saw hundreds come to faith in Christ using the faith of George Washington as a springboard for explaining the gospel. He said citizens in those African nations are very familiar with American history and government.
FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 7
leaders of Kenya and Zimbabwe in January 2012. Zimbabwe’s Council of Education was so impressed with his presentation that it asked for copies of the “New England Primmer”—a Bible-based reading textbook used in colonial America—and had plans to use material from it in the nation’s schools. In addition to African government venues, Collins spoke as Washington in evangelistic settings as well and showed the Jesus Film. As a result, hundreds came to faith in Christ during his three-week trip. Africans “wanted George Washington,” Collins said. “I brought George with us, George in a bag, because I knew I was going to be speaking to parliament and all of the different agencies. But the churches wanted George, and I was blown away at how much knowledge they have of the political environment of the United States.” His presentations have borne evangelistic fruit in America too. Recently, after a presentation at Roma High School, a student asked Collins why Washington’s faith was so important to him. Collins directed her to a local pastor, who led her to Christ. At churches he brings the gospel into his presentation explicitly and has seen many people saved as a result. “National Treasure 2” was perhaps Collins’ most prominent Washington reenactment. Though he appeared in only one scene, playing the part of a fictional Washington reenactor at a U.S. president’s birthday party, the role opened many doors. The actress who played Martha Washington in the same scene was well known as a professional Washington reenactor and helped Collins get invited to perform at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., during a ceremony honoring the state of Virginia. Later, she invited him to perform with her at Colonial Williamsburg. As Washington, Collins has also appeared at Gov. Rick Perry’s Prayer Breakfast, the Focus on the Family National Day of Prayer chapel service in Colorado, a Washington celebration in Mexico and in programs on the Discovery Channel and Spike TV. Through it all, he says his mission is to teach people how important Christianity was to Washington and call them to a similar faith in Jesus. While some Christians in previous generations wrongly portrayed America’s first president as a super-Christian, in the last 50 years the pendulum has swung too far the other way, Collins said, with secularists attempting to erase Washington’s Christianity from historical memory. When the real story is presented, God uses it to draw people to himself, he emphasized. “It’s wonderful to see God use what you would think would be more of a political message,” Collins said. More on Collins can be found at beholdapalehorse.tv. 8 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
George Washington Resources Surf the Internet for books and resources on George Washington and you will find many options if you seek a broad treatment of “the Father of our Country.” Here are a few best bets, based on name recognition of the authors: “1776” by David McCullough This thoroughly researched and documented book by the wellknown biographer is not strictly about Washington, but he is a central figure. “Washington: The Indispensable Man” by James Thomas Flexner This one, along with “1776,” shows up in nearly every “best of” list. Flexner wrote a four-volume biography of Washington that won a Pulitzer citation, and this is a one-volume distillation of that. “George Washington: A Biography” by Washington Irving If proximity to the events and personal contact with key figures is how you judge a biography, then this one by the 19th-century writer Irving is the one for you. One review describes this one “as foremost a work of literature.” For kids: “George” by Frank Keating, former two-term Oklahoma governor This 52-page hardcover was written in 2012 and is geared for kids ages 6-10. Includes a page of author notes, artist notes and bibliography.
Jerry Pierce
The disciplined life is a useful life
S
ocrates is credited with the quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The apostle Paul likely would have argued a similar thing about the undisciplined life. The singleminded missionary knew well the temptation to let up or quietly fade rather than face the beatings, chains and humiliation of unfettered obedience. But he’d set his course: To live is Christ but to die is gain. He almost gave up on one undisciplined young man, however. I’m thankful John Mark’s story didn’t end there. Every time I read Paul’s plea in 2 Timothy 4 to “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry,” I take heart. It’s a lump-in-the-throat passage, Demas having abandoned Paul for temporal lusts and others going elsewhere. John Mark has become a “go-to” guy. Early on, we see John Mark’s lack of personal discipline, having abandoned the mission for the comfort and perceived safety of home. Sometime between Paul’s quarrels with Barnabas over John Mark’s fitness for duty and Paul’s request for his company in his waning days, John Mark grew up. He got discipline. He became useful. Paul knew the dangers of letting laxity win the day. His writings refer to his intimate knowledge of his flesh: “Oh, wicked man that I am!” Our current tendency in the church mirrors the culture’s quest for the path of least resistance in nearly all pursuits. The easy path—that which is natural to my flesh—is comforting in the short-term but it eventually breeds failure on the micro and the macro levels of society. Look at us. Our government’s long-term
failure to deal meaningfully with the national debt or the willingness of married couples to divorce rather than do the hard work of restoration, or, as increasingly is the case, the unwillingness to even begin to journey of marriage. I’ve read of the bewilderment of demographers and young women who lament the “extended adolescence” of young men who reach their 30s with little accomplishment or future plans save for a round of the latest version of “Call of Duty.” To quote a song from the 1970s, they are “comfortably numb.” But this lack of private discipline is also toxic for the life and vitality of the church body, much like a staph infection in the toe posing danger for the physical body. In the gathering of believers, and in the home and in our personal devotions before we gather, godly discipline is a necessary ingredient for being consistently “useful” in God’s economy. The Lord redeems our failures, but much better to avoid those failures with the single-mindedness that Paul and Jesus himself exemplified. Often, we see Jesus rising early while his friends sleep to seek the Father’s strength and direction. This type of radical intentionality is especially difficult with a million amusements at our fingertips via our devices and HD big screens. This is a threat in my home, these seemingly harmless things that become obsessions in my children and sometimes me. When self-denial slowly gives way to self-indulgence in a believer, it can manifest itself in the form of moral failure by a leader or infighting among church members. All the while, the church’s testimony is damaged. More fundamentally, families are damaged. And the problems began as the Christian virtue, the habit, of self-discipline was diminished. The breathtaking truth of it is that the path to ruin is subtle and incremental. No one wakes up one day and decides to cheat or grow cold in his faith. It’s likely Demas was looking longingly towards worldly trappings long before he jumped ship. Those little things that kindled affection for God were scuttled along the way and those “little foxes” from Song of Solomon crept in. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27 said he disciplined his body and brought it into subjection to avoid, after preaching to others, his own disqualification. Beating his body, as it were, paid kingdom dividends. Conversely, overindulging the body is the enemy’s windfall. We are too accomplished at the latter. In an age when personal discipline is a foreign concept—or at best directed merely towards temporal pursuits of money or physical fitness—we may too easily neglect the things Billy Graham said he regretted not doing more of: Bible study and prayer. We are too easily distracted. We need Paul’s singlemindedness. The path to a disciplined life isn’t painless. But John Mark is encouragement to us that is it both possible and necessary in order to be useful to God. We too can become “go-to” people. FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 9
Reaping what they sow Change of missions-giving approach and emphasis on ‘being a better Christian’ gave rural church new life, bountiful missions offerings
By Sharayah Colter A few recent years of economic uncertainty have
led to a decidedly consistent downturn—or stagnancy at best—in tithes and offerings among many churches. Yet one South Texas congregation, small in number but mega in heart, belies that trend and joins a small group of outliers, reporting a 300-percent increase to its missions offerings through a revamped giving schedule over the past three years. Fay Carter, financial secretary at Bethel Baptist Church in Warren, about 90 miles northeast of Houston, recalls that before Pastor Larry Staggs led the church in overhauling its missions giving plan, the congregation had a missions speaker in to address the church three times a year to rally giving through three missions efforts: Annie Armstrong, Reach Texas and Lottie Moon. The congregation set church-wide goals for each, aiming to give $1,500 to both Annie Armstrong and Reach Texas and $2,000 to Lottie Moon. “Larry said, ‘We can do better than that. We should do better than that,’” Carter recalled. The timing of those large, goal-setting mission emphases strained the pocketbooks of the members. They wanted to give, but when each offering came around on the calendar, so did other financial obligations. “Annie Armstrong comes at a time when all of our people with little kids have got to buy new Easter outfits,” Carter said. “Reach Texas is in September, 10 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
and everybody’s got to be buying school supplies—and it costs a small fortune to buy school supplies. Lottie Moon comes at Christmastime, and Christmas is expensive.” So Staggs, who accepted the call to pastor Bethel in July 2010, implemented a year-round, monthly missions giving approach he calls “4M: My Monthly Missions Ministry.” With this approach, Staggs emphasizes the importance of missions and supporting missions the first Sunday of each month. So church members give to missions monthly instead of waiting for a few big pushes each year. Carter said the people don’t miss the $40 or $50 each month as they did the money they used to shell out in only three concentrated chunks. She said the church is excited about how their collective giving has increased and that excitement continues to fuel more giving. “I think each time we made a report, they have been encouraged,” Carter said. “They see the report in our monthly financial report, so I think that’s the reason it’s increased every year. They’re excited about it.” The increase has been substantial. Carter reported that between September 2009 and August 2010, the church gave $1,615 to Annie Armstrong, $1,360 to Reach Texas, $2,172 to Lottie Moon and $0 to World Hunger. The following year trended similarly. But between September 2011 and August 2012, the church gave $4,707 to Annie Armstrong, $4,707
Pastor Larry Staggs of Bethel Baptist Church in Warren baptizes Ben Carrell. With a renewed spiritual focus, the church also saw record financial giving and numerical growth in the last three years. They also adopted a year-round missions giving approach that benefits Reach Texas and international and North American missions.
“We have to make a diligent effort to make sure missions is on everybody’s heart. They’re more conscious of missions [now], and it has really blessed our church.”
to Reach Texas, $4,707 to Lottie Moon and $1,631 to World Hunger. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention also recognized Bethel this year, for the first time ever, among the state’s top 50 Reach Texas givers. Carter added that the church also gave nearly $7,000 to its food pantry ministry and that general undesignated offerings have not suffered because of the increased missions giving but have continued to increase as well. Membership, too, has risen, she said. “From the day that [Staggs] and his wife joined until the end of our church year, we had an even 100 new members,” Carter said. “From 2009 to 2010, we had a record number of baptisms.” Carter credits much of the missions giving increase and membership increase with which the Lord has blessed the church to the work and leadership of her pastor. “We have a jewel,” Carter said of her pastor, “a Godsent jewel. He has made being a better Christian a priority. I can’t thank the Lord enough for all our growth and the Lord sending [Staggs] to us.” Staggs, who pastored seven churches before accept-
ing Bethel’s call, says any church can adopt the yearlong missions giving approach. “It’s not anything new,” Staggs said. “It’s something I’ve done at a couple of other churches, and it wasn’t even my idea. This is a rural community and a rural church, primarily of senior adults. This kind of thing can happen anywhere, and the Lord will bless.” Staggs said to make the monthly giving approach work, he works to emphasize missions from the pulpit and to keep the need for giving at the forefront of members’ minds. “We have to make a diligent effort to make sure missions is on everybody’s heart. They’re more conscious of missions [now], and it has really blessed our church.” Staggs said of Bethel, which was on the brink of closing its doors a few years ago. Carter agreed and said the encouragement she and other members receive from the pulpit and the life of their pastor helps to remind them that each dollar they give reaches the world. “It’s not just an offering we send to Grapevine,” Carter said. “It goes to the world.” FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 11
Boy Scouts from the Dallas area gathered near the podium at a rally on Feb. 6 to show their support for the traditional policy of the Scouts, which encourages them to be morally straight. The Scouts do not allow homosexuals to serve as leaders or troops.
Boy Scouts delay decision on homosexuals By Bonnie Pritchett & Jerry Pierce IRVING
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) voted Feb. 6 to delay a deci-
sion on allowing homosexual Scout leaders and troops until May when the organization’s 1,400-member National Council meets, citing more time needed “for a deliberate review of its membership policy.” The board of the 103-year-old organization directed national committee leaders to “engage” Scouting members “and listen to their perspectives and concerns,” a press release issued by the BSA shortly after their vote said. The vote followed almost two weeks of controversy and “an outpouring of feedback” after the Scouts announced they were considering, once again, removing the policy barring openly homosexual boys and adults from membership and positions of leadership. The proposed policy change brought out enough questions in BSA committees regarding the legal and social implications of such a move to prompt a vote to delay their decision. Chip Turner, chairman of the BSA’s Religious Relations Committee, said he was pleased with the decision as it reflects a resolution passed by committees representing all 109,000 Boy Scout troops in America. Turner said there was only one dissenting vote as the resolution passed through three committees on its way to the executive board. The resolution asked the 12 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013
executive board to table a vote on the matter pending further discussion. BSA’s top leadership presented the proposed membership policy change to the Religious Relations and other committees, opening the issue for discussion. Though no official polling was done within his committee, Turner said he believes the majority would have voted for a resolution maintaining the standards. But, he added, it would not have passed unanimously. The resolution to table the issue passed without dissent. About 70 percent of Boy Scout troops are related to a church or faith-based institution. At a rally outside of Scout headquarters the same morning as the BSA board vote, several hundred people gathered to pray, hear speakers and hold signs proclaiming such things as “Keep BSA morally straight” and “Keep God In, Sin Out!” Darmonica Alexander of Lancaster said he was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout growing up in Dallas. He said the Scouts were a positive influence in his upbringing and he couldn’t
sit by without speaking up. Allowing gay Scout leaders would bring the potential for lawsuits when abuse occurs, he added. “To allow homosexuality in the Scouts is one way of seeking and destroying the youth from the inside,” he said. “Nobody’s looking out for the kids.” Susan Fletcher of Frisco said her son is one rank away from Eagle Scout and although she has nothing against homosexuals, “I just didn’t want them in leadership positions in the Scouts. This is America. They have a right to their own worldview. But I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be camping out with Boy Scouts.” Dave Welch of the U.S. Pastor Council in Houston told the crowd, “This is about the tyranny of the few to silence the many.” He encouraged those attending to “walk the grounds and pray and pray and pray.” Jonathan Saenz of Texas Values said the victory for traditional values is temporary. “Let us not wait until the last day of April to get involved,” he added, alluding to the National Council meeting in May. Saenz said a website, saveourscouts.net, would include updates as the issue continues to be debated. Pressure from homosexual activists to overturn the prohibition of homosexual Scout leaders and troops has been applied for several decades. A 2001 Supreme Court decision gave the Scouts legal standing, but social pressure on sponsoring corporations has increased. Two prominent members of the BSA board—AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and Ernst & Young CEO Jim Turley—have publicly supported a policy change.
When the world comes to Wicker Park Couple with Texas ties planting gospel hope in eclectic Chicago neighborhood. By Tobin Perry
Look around Chicago’s Wicker Park and you’ll find just about every kind of person you can imagine. You may meet 44-year-old Maurice Burr, the one-time high school football star who spends his days in a wheelchair because of gang violence. You may meet Charlie the drifter, the homeless man who wanders through the neighborhood warning people of government conspiracies. You could run into the young highly educated, well-dressed couple who come to the park to walk their dog and let their young son play. There’s also the senior citizen couple that sit at the park to get some fresh air before heading back to the nearby assisted living center. And thanks to the generosity of Southern Baptists, there’s a North American Mission Board church planter there, too. “It’s the most eclectic place you can imagine,” said NAMB church planter Scott Venable. “It has drug dealers and businesspeople. When we prayerwalked as we were looking for a place to start the church and we got to Wicker Park, we just knew it was it.” FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 13
3Ashley Venable reads a Bible story to a group of children during an after-hours outreach event at a local school in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. Ashley Venable and her husband Scott are featured missionaries during the North American Mission Board’s AAEO Week of Prayer, March 3-10. The annual offering helps support churches like Mosiac Chicago, where the Venables serve. In the photo on the previous page, Scott Venable, pastor of Mosiac Chicago, got a taste for urban ministry while ministering in Dallas. Here, he speaks to a group of men during an outreach event. The church, supported by gifts to the Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions, serves an eclectic mix of urban poor and upwardly mobile in Chicago’s fashionable Wicker Park neighborhood.
Wicker Park is both a large park off of Chicago’s North Damen Ave. and one of the most famous neighborhoods in the Windy City. Called by Forbes the fourth coolest neighborhood in the United States, it’s the kind of place where million dollar homes are just a few blocks down from government housing. It’s also a place that needs churches. Chicagoland— the 10 Illinois counties that surround the city—has one Southern Baptist church for every 31,791 people. Evangelicals make up just 10 percent of the population. The Wicker Park neighborhood itself had just four small evangelical churches for about 23,000 people before
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Venable’s arrival. And it was just the right place for him. The inner city had long been within his sights. He remembers serving in the Dallas inner city as a young person—and feeling a kinship to the culture, music and speed of urban life. With a vision for starting a church that would change its city, Venable and his then fiancé, Ashley, began praying about where God might want to use them before they even married. When the couple visited Chicago around Easter 2009—and Wicker Park specifically—God spoke clearly to both of them. Before the two said “I do” that
May, they decided Chicago would be their new home. After arriving in Chicago, the Venables went first to a local school in the Wicker Park area and offered to serve. The offer first took the principal by surprise. She was accustomed to having church plants want to use their facility to host church services—not offer free help. “We’re a new church here and really small,” Venable told the principal. “We want to help this school become what you want it to be. We want to invest in the community. I like your vision. I like your dream. We want to help pour into the life of these kids.” The flabbergasted principal took him up on the offer. Every day in the beginning, Venable showed up at the school to help—everything from tutoring to coaching sports to providing playground patrol. Through its engagement with the school, Venable started a “Kidz Club” and “Friday Night Live” for children and youth on Friday evenings. Instead of roaming the streets, teens come for free food, basketball and a short Bible story. On average 50 youth and 20 elementary students attend. And the community has taken notice. A local reporter discovered the young church plant was cleaning the toilets of businesses near Wicker Park. Soon Mosaic Chicago became known as “the toiletcleaning church”—a nickname welcomed by Venable because it demonstrates the community involvement and ministry he desires.
“Our measurement—instead of asking how is our church doing—is how is our city doing?” Venable said. Yet most important, Venable wants to see people come to faith in Christ. He points to one particular local grandma as an example. Venable first met her grandson—one of the most troublesome kids in school—in the principal’s office. The boy started coming to Mosaic Chicago’s Friday evening Kidz Club after seeing Venable carrying a stack of pizzas out of a carryout restaurant the day of the event. Through her grandson’s involvement, the grandmother began attending regularly and has even gotten involved in a small group and mission projects through the church. “That’s what we want to see in all these people’s lives—to go from not knowing Jesus to fully following Jesus and carrying out the kingdom-disciple-society DNA in their lives,” Venable said. Venable said he realizes that kind of ministry has only happened because of Southern Baptists’ faithful giving through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) for North American Missions. “During these first three years of our church plant, Annie has been the biggest part of our support,” Venable says. “It’s allowed me to live here and support my family. Without NAMB and Annie, we wouldn’t be here.” The annual Week of Prayer for North American Missions is March 3-10. The AAEO provides support for Venable and other missionaries like him who serve on behalf of Southern Baptists in North America. With a goal of $70 million, this year’s offering theme is “Whatever It Takes – Reaching the One.” For more information about Scott Venable and Mosaic Chicago, visit anniearmstrong.com/scottvenable or mosaicchicago.org. For more information about how you can get involved in reaching Chicago with the gospel, visit namb.net/Chicago. FEBRUARY 14, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 15
“THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM NOT ONLY MAKES GOOD SENSE, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF REACHING THE WORLD THAT I HAVE EVER OBSERVED.” —QUINCY JONES, STUDENT, SWBTS
JESUS TOGETHER, BUT
GETTING THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST TO THE LOST PEOPLES OF THE WORLD IS DAUNTING
WORKING THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS
Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Toll free 1.877.953.SBTC (7282) www.sbtexas.com 16 TEXANONLINE.NET FEBRUARY 14, 2013