May 15, 2014 • ISSUE 30
+HOUSTON
NONDISCRIMINATION VOTE DELAYED TWO WEEKS
When Brian Hull made a singing video for a Disney contest using his remarkable voice for 21 different characters, he never dreamed of 11 million YouTube hits.
+PASTORS’ TASK FORCE RELEASES REPORT ON DECLINING BAPTISMS
Gary Ledbetter
Eat the peach, spit out the pit
I
’m not sure just everybody should give parenting advice, though many of us are tempted. The amazing mélange of experience, revelation, inspiration and providence that makes up a parent-child relationship is hard to turn into a science or technique. As I listen to the struggles of younger parents I hear familiar strains of our own days with a houseful of kids, but also I hear unique challenges that grow out of the unique traits of individual parents and children. Although any wise parent will approach his own role with a good deal of godly humility, those who would advise parents should have a double portion. In my own generation I give credit to two such advisors who impacted my work as a father more than any other professional advisors—James Dobson and Bill Gothard. Gothard has been in the news recently amid allegations of sexual harassment of his co-workers. That’s unfortunate regardless of what’s true, but in the 1970s his teaching was used of God to help me understand my relationship with my parents and others placed in legitimate authority over me. That carried over to my kids though they may not know Bill Gothard’s name. James Dobson has been a blessing to thousands of families with his books “Dare to Discipline” and “The Strong-Willed Child” and of course with the various resources provided by Focus on the Family. Dobson lent many parents the confidence to displease their kids with godly intent. But … some of what Bill Gothard taught seemed to go beyond the authority of Scripture without finding refuge in observable truth. I rejected (and still do) his teaching on music and contraception, to name only two matters. And James Dobson sometimes ventures into political commentary beyond what he knows or at least beyond what I accept. No problem, really—a peach has delicious flesh and a less delicious pit. I eat the peach and spit out the pit. It’s that way with the teaching of men. I’m grateful for any number of men who are wrong on a couple of important things. The point is that I’m often enriched and less often choked.
OK, an article crossed my desk this week on Michael and Debi Pearl and their successful parenting guide “To Train Up a Child.” The book has sold nearly 700,000 copies and has become notorious in some quarters because a few disturbed families have begun with the Pearls’ teaching on discipline and moved far beyond into monstrous brutality, even murder of their own children. Because the idea of corporal punishment does not on its own give me vapors, I’m not quick to blame the Pearls for the crimes of others—they do clearly warn against discipline in anger or excess. Some hate them because they homeschool and others because they teach complementarianism. I disregard those criticisms as being off subject. But except for agreement with the use of carefully administered corporal punishment as a tool in parenting, I wouldn’t turn to the Pearls for advice. Those who know them say they have been successful in raising happy and independent kids of their own but there is something Pavlovian, formulaic, about their approach to parental training. I prefer Dobson’s approach. He maintains, like the Pearls, that parents must win their battles of the wills with the small people they are raising, but his approach seems to be more adaptable to the diversity of families and individuals. It also seems to more effectively convey grace and mercy alongside the need for order in the family. Granted, Dobson’s books were a lifeline for parents of my generation; the Pearls’ book is more an academic thing to me. That leads to my final point of this meandering piece: Be discerning in the sources you turn to and the way that you implement the counsel of experts. There are all manner of helps for parents today and none of them is perfect. If you are going online to find out why your toddler is slobbering, fussy and feverish you may be told that he is teething. But you’d check things more completely before medicating. With the millions of resources on all subjects available to parents today, you are likely in the habit of getting a second opinion when you find a solution in a book or online. Great, don’t buy much advice you get uncritically (except from the grandparents, of course), and this is perhaps even more crucial when it comes to discipling and disciplining your children. Buying wholesale into the approach of another, and someone unknown to you at that, is unnecessary and often foolish. This is a place where Titus 2:3-4 comes into play. Are the younger mothers in your church learning from the older women “to love their husbands and children”? Does your church do anything to provide for this kind of interaction? In a day when many young parents don’t have good parental role models to call on, it’s more crucial than ever. If you’ve successfully (so far) negotiated parenthood, you can no doubt call the names of several brothers and sisters who lent a timely hand. Consider families in your church to whom you might in this stage of your life offer the same kind of encouragement.
Contents
6 COVER
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CROSSOVER BALTIMORE: Evangelism outreach marks 26 years
STORY
For the past 25 years, Southern Baptists have begun each annual meeting by celebrating hundreds— sometimes thousands—of new souls won for Christ. This year marks another chapter in a largely unreached city.
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Nigerian Christians standing strong amid persecution Pain, suffering and loss have left scars on the church in Nigeria, yet hope sustains them. Many appear to be standing strong. In fact, the church seems to flourish with many Muslims coming to saving faith in Christ.
Brian Hull had one goal in mind when he posted his rendition of “Let it Go” on YouTube: Win a Disney Store gift card. He missed the entry deadline, but he did get a phone call from Disney.
In Houston, embattled ordinance delayed again
A vote on the controversial nondiscrimination ordinance in Houston was delayed again, until May 28, but not without disagreement, public outcry and honest talk from the mayor about what the measure means for her.
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One man, 21 voices, 11 million followers and growing
Pastor employs disappearing act to explain how Christ can remove sin guilt In one moment, Rene Lopez is a professor. In another, he’s a pastor. In a third scene, Lopez pulls a wardrobe change and appears as an illusionist named Ariel. It’s all in a day’s work.
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Church accepts pastor’s ‘50/50’ challenge
When Pastor Beaux Hinote arrived in the summer of 2011 to Central Baptist in Luling, it was clear that some renovations were in order. The church took his challenge to heart, going above and beyond their church walls.
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 Sharayah Colter, Staff Writer Russell Lightner, Design & Layout Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions Contributing Writers Rob Collingsworth, Joe Conway, Mike Gonzales, Bonnie Pritchett, Jeff Robinson, James A. Smith Sr. To contact the TEXAN office, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC)
Briefly ////////////////////////////////// ‘TO TRAIN UP A CHILD’ AUTHORS’ DISCIPLINE METHODS QUESTIONED Between 2006 and 2011, three children in devoted homeschooling families died while being disciplined by their parents, professed Christians who reportedly read or followed Michael and Debi Pearl’s controversial parenting book, “To Train Up a Child.” The parents are now behind bars, and their living children are with family members or in foster homes. No court has ever found the Pearls liable for child abuse, but lingering questions remain about whether there is a torturous underbelly to the parenting tactics of To Train Up a Child. Twenty years ago Michael Pearl printed 30 copies of a patched-together book on parenting, taken from a variety of letters he wrote about how he and his wife, Debi, were using “traditional child training” with their five children. When the 30 copies were gone, he borrowed enough money to print another 3,000 copies, thinking they would last the rest of his life, “stuck away in the back of a closet full of old hunting gear,” Pearl said. He sold them for $1.50 each. Today, the Pearls have sold more than 685,000 copies of the slim book with its 22 short chapters of no-nonsense recommendations on household rules and discipline. The book instructs parents to set strict boundaries, using the rod to “chastise” children, but admonishes parents not to discipline in anger and to build relationships with their kids. It also advocates creating a submissive and obedient will in children by “switching” them quickly and often, but not too hard and only when parents are calm. But many outspoken parents and media voices call the book abusive and say it is the immediate cause in at least those three cases of fatal child abuse and torture. A petition with more than 100,000 signatures is prodding Amazon to remove the book from its website. Joy Havlik heard about To Train Up a Child when she was homeschooling six of her children. A friend from Havlik’s homeschooling group told her about the Pearls’ book and she tried some of its teachings with her two youngest, but now worries that she was too harsh. She says parents should look at their motives, and remembers feeling that her family was supposed to look perfect: “It’s not just about having your family like ducks in a row. Each child is different, you don’t want them to be so overly controlled, overly disciplined that you haven’t really built a relationship with your kids.” She fears too many rules and too much control can also give kids a skewed idea about God: “They see God as a harsh taskmaster. They don’t want anything to do with God or church. That’s the tragedy.” Havlik says parents should spank with caution and carefulness: “Stay away from formulas. Parenting is way more complicated than that.” She also approaches her kids with humility: “I want to have more talks with my kids and ask their forgiveness for times I was harsh.” —Kiley Crossland for World News Service 2 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
CROSSOVER BALTIMORE: EVANGELISM OUTREACH MARKS 26 YEARS
For the past 25 years, Southern Baptists have begun each annual meeting by celebrating hundreds—sometimes thousands—of new souls won for Christ. This celebration is the result of Crossover, the evangelistic outreach initiative preceding the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Each year, North American Mission Board partners with state conventions, associations and local churches to saturate the host city of the Convention with evangelistic events. Volunteers from across the country arrive in the city a few days prior to the annual convention to participate alongside local church members. Last year, Crossover Houston marked the 25th year of outreach. In 1983, when messengers approved Las Vegas as the 1989 SBC annual meeting site, they adopted a recommendation to add “a strong evangelistic emphasis in connection with the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1989.” From a practical standpoint, Crossover teams can assist churches with projects or events that they may not have the manpower to complete on their own. The teams also advertise church events door-to-door, which increases the church’s visibility in the community and creates new opportunities for church members to develop relationships. After Crossover, local church members are emboldened to go out sharing the Gospel on their own. Church members and volunteers learn from each other during outreach events, and once the teams have left, the local church members continue that vision. As a result, churches often see increases in baptisms for years after Crossover. Much like in Las Vegas, there are opportunities to serve churches in unreached areas during Crossover Baltimore next month and Crossover Columbus in 2015. Since 1989, NAMB has reported more than 30,000 professions of faith in Jesus Christ as a direct result of Crossover activities. Thousands more have been put in contact with local Southern Baptist churches. The Baltimore Baptist Association, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, and local churches continue to prepare and pray for Crossover Baltimore in 2014. For more information Crossover Baltimore, click here.
NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS FIND HOPE AMID PERSECUTION
Nigerian Christians have endured persecution for many years, but not without loss and sacrifice. As the radical Islamist group Boko Haram has gained the spotlight for abducting more than 200 school girls, Christians share the reality of ongoing persecution. IMB PHOTO
The Nigerian church leader was secretly housing new followers of Jesus, former Muslims. When the time came for his second child to be born, he left his house to carry his wife to a clinic. “While he was away with her, his home was attacked and the group scattered throughout the area,” said Aaron Bryson,* an International Mission Board worker in Nigeria, recalling the situation in 2010. One man was killed at the scene and the group leader’s son, who was about 7, had his leg broken during the fight. The child was left lying unattended in the home while the attackers waited to ambush the father once he to returned. “We were able to get a friendly Muslim to go to the home and carry the boy to a clinic for treatment,” Bryson said. Pain, suffering and loss have left scars on the church in Nigeria, yet hope sustains them. Many appear to be standing strong. “Parts of Nigeria are in crisis due to the violence of Boko Haram and their attacks on churches and schools. They also
DISASTER RELIEF RESPONDING TO PANHANDLE WILDFIRES Disaster relief volunteers from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention are responding to needs near the Panhandle town of Fritch, where at least 89 homes were destroyed by wildfires with many more in the path of the blazes. According to the Associated Press,
kill other Muslims who do not agree with them. However, the work of the gospel goes on and goes forward,” Bryson said. Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group, is responsible for the most recent abduction of more than 200 girls, aged 16–18, from a Nigerian school. The girls were a matter of prayer during the recent 100th anniversary of Baptist Convention Meetings in Nigeria. Charlotte Cearley, IMB prayer strategist for sub-Saharan Africa, along with more than 10,000 participants, gathered together to worship and pray for Nigeria. “The persecution of believers and the abduction of the school girls from the north highlighted several times in prayer reminded participants of places in Nigeria where celebration of belief in Christ is not celebrated, but cursed,” Cearley said. Though persecution remains, God is using it to bring Nigerians to himself, Bryson said. “[Persecution] is making the church stronger,” he said. “We are hearing reports of large numbers of Muslims coming to Christ in spite of these persecutions.” Bryson praises God’s works among Nigerians. He also noted the great need for many more to hear the Good News. “Muslims are coming to Christ and we are grateful for the way God is working here,” he said. “We need serious help [in northwest Nigeria] due to the large numbers of UUPGs (unengaged, unreached people groups) yet remaining to be engaged with the gospel.” Bryson and the IMB team in Nigeria encourage U.S. churches to adopt UUPGs to consistently pray for them and engage with the Gospel and to receive training provided by the team. “God is calling out committed churches to do this work [and] we need help on this team to facilitate those churches,” Bryson said. To learn more about how a church can become involved, contact affinity connections strategist Greg Queen at ssapconnecting@imb.org. —William Bagsby for IMB
more than 2,100 people were evacuated from 1,300 homes as of May 12. Fritch is 30 miles northeast of Amarillo. SBTC DR volunteers are feeding, doing cleanup and recovery, assessing damage and offering chaplains for those affected and for first responders, said Jim Richardson, the convention’s DR director. First Baptist Church of Fritch is housing the volunteers. Feeding teams are serving with The Salvation Army to prepare and serve
—Briefly section compiled from Baptist Press, World News Service and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary news services.
meals to families affected and volunteers. Richardson encouraged trained DR volunteers to serve if they are available. Also, he said prayer is needed for the families affected by the fires, for first responders, and for the volunteers. For information on disaster relief ministry training, visit sbtexas.com/dr. Information on giving toward disaster relief ministry is accessible here. MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 3
SBC report addresses fall in baptisms TASK FORCE CALLS FOR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL RENEWAL, RECOMMITMENT TO EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP By Joe Conway NASHVILLE
A task force designed to address declining baptisms among Southern Baptist churches released its full report May 12. An urgent, immediate call for spiritual renewal and personal commitment to evangelism and discipleship are the common threads among five recommendations made by the Pastors’ Task Force on Evangelistic Impact and Declining Baptisms. The national task force, aimed at addressing the continued decrease in baptisms among Southern Baptist churches, was convened last year by the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Most task force members are pastors. The full report may be read here. “Southern Baptists’ downward spiral in baptisms is the fruit of our spiritual lukewarmness,” task force member Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla., said. “I am greatly encouraged by the stirring I see among us toward spiritual awakening and the need for the resurgence of the Great Commission. This task force’s work and report gives me hope.” The group was formed, in part, because the 2012 Annual Church Profile (ACP) reported a drop of 5.52 percent in the number of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches, confirming a two-decade downward trend. Al Gilbert, vice president for evangelism at NAMB, facilitated the group’s meetings. LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer assisted the task force with research support. 4 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
Southern Baptist church planter Patrick Coats (right) baptizes Andrew Fellas, a new member of Miami’s Kingdom Covenant Baptist Church, where Coats pastors. A task force of mostly pastors convened to address the issue of declining baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention. NAMB PHOTO BY TED WILCOX
“Recognition and ownership of the issue are keys to reversing the decline,” Gilbert said. The task force identified five key areas, described as problems, that pastors and churches must address to reverse the baptism decline: 4Spiritual: “With urgency, we must join together in fervent and effective prayer for spiritual awakening in our churches and our nation.” 4Leadership: “As pastors we must intentionally model and prioritize personal evangelism while providing clear pathways for our congregations to follow.” 4Disciple-making: “As pastors we must create a disciple-making culture—focusing on multiplying disciples who know how to grow in Christ and lead others to Christ.” 4Next generation: “As pastors we must leverage our influence, activity and resources to reach and make disciples of the Next Generation.” 4Celebration: “As pastors we must celebrate new life in Christ as people publicly profess their faith through baptism. We must establish an ethos of joy that celebrates the practice of personal evangelism and its fruit.” Task force member Manpoong “Dennis” Kim, pastor of Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Md., said, “I am grateful for this endeavor’s commitment to renew the passion for evangelism that ultimately begs the question, ‘How then should we proceed?’” Task force member Roger Spradlin, pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, Calif., summed up the conviction of the group. “I think all Southern Baptists were aware that our baptisms were declining, but seeing the actual stats was both shocking and heartbreaking. Continuing as we are yet expecting a different result is not an option. We must address this issue now,” Spradlin said. From 1950-2011 Southern Baptists baptized an average of 379,711 people annually. Only twice during that time did the num-
bers dip more than 10 percent below that average. But in 2012 the decline was 13 percent off the average—the worst drop in 62 years. The report itself takes an even more sobering view of the issue. The report states: “SBC baptisms reached a plateau in the 1950s, peaked in the 1970s, and have stayed fairly constant since that time ... The problem is even greater than these numbers indicate. Considering how the North American population has increased substantially between the 1950s’ baptism peak and today, these figures indicate how much ground we have lost and are losing.” Gilbert said, “The recommendations are unanimous, but more than that, these men have made this a personal statement of action and they are hopeful that every pastor will review the list and see if they can identify with it. Our hope is that pastors will join us to make these recommendations personal and take action to affect change.” Task force members included two Texans— David Galván, pastor of New Life Hispanic Baptist Church in Dallas, and Carlos Navarro, pastor of Iglesia Bautista de West Brownsville.
NOTABLE BAPTIST HISTORIAN NETTLES RETIRES By Jeff Robinson & James A. Smith Sr. Thomas J. Nettles, professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since 1997, is retiring from full-time teaching after 38 years in the classroom, including time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth during the convention’s struggle over biblical authority. Nettles’ teaching has involved “areas which I have thought are important and even critical for the health of Christianity and for the health of Baptist churches,” he told Southern Seminary Magazine as the spring semester came to an end. Before joining the faculty at Southern nearly 17 years ago, Nettles spent 21 years at Southwestern, Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Donald S. Whitney, a fellow professor at Southern who was among Nettles’ students at Southwestern, has since developed a decades-long relationship with him. “Tom has shepherded me countless times, both when I was pastoring and during the past 19 years as a professor,” Whitney said. “On so many occasions when I was burdened, I made my way to Tom’s office, where he always welcomed me, listened as long as I needed to talk, offered counsel and prayed with me.” Nettles’ students can attest that his classroom is a place of joy and song. A gifted singer, he often breaks spontaneously into a song or hymn. He is renowned for a particular song, Whitney said, recounting, “No matter how many classes you have had with Tom Nettles, you’ve never really had him as a professor until he has sung in class ‘Ya Got Trouble’ from ‘The Music Man,’ a musical in which he played the lead when he was in college.” Nettles never planned on being a seminary professor. Nettles entered Southwestern Seminary as a student during a tumultuous time in the SBC over the question of the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture. The
Tom Nettles, professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary since 1997, teaches his final class session as a full-time faculty member at the school. The “legendary” professor has taught for more than 38 years, including time at Southwestern Seminary.
Lord would eventually insert Nettles and a fellow Southwestern student, Russ Bush, into the front lines of the denominational battle. During his second year as a master of divinity student, Nettles accepted the challenge of a moderate professor to defend biblical inerrancy in a class session. The experience was pivotal to his ministry future. Nettles eventually completed a doctor of philosophy degree in historical theology, still at least partly convinced that his future lay in the pulpit of a local church. But in 1976, Southwestern hired him to a teaching position in the history department. In 1980, Moody Press published the landmark study by Nettles and Bush on the historic Baptist view of Scripture, “Baptists and the Bible.” The book crystallized and strengthened the case for inerrancy as they showed how thoroughly Baptists had adhered to that fundamental doctrine in the past. Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said Nettles is a “legendary” Southern Baptist professor, citing his crucial role to the SBC’s Conservative Resurgence. “When he and Russ Bush penned “Baptists and the Bible,” they put to rest the argument that Baptists had ever held historically to anything other than the total truthfulness and trustworthiness of the Word of God,” Mohler said. MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 5
Houston nondiscrimination vote delayed two weeks Mayor, begrudgingly, votes with majority to take it back up on May 28 following more public outcry. By Bonnie Pritchett HOUSTON
Calling a controversial nondiscrimination ordinance “intensely personal,” Houston Mayor Annise Parker begrudgingly voted Wednesday (May 14) to delay consideration of the proposal that would give protected status to people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Houston City Council will consider the measure when it reconvenes May 28. But Parker, an open lesbian, suggested the main point of contention is irreconcilable. “The idea that we’re going to be able to resolve an issue where someone can come before this body and say ‘I must have the right to discriminate in order to follow my religion,’ I don’t think you’re going to be able to resolve in the next two weeks. And so we are going to have to make a hard vote.” The 12-5 vote delaying consideration came after three public hearings on the proposed nondiscrimination ordinance, which confers protected status based on “sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital 6 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
Pastor Willie Davis of the Houston Area Pastor Council tells the protest rally Tuesday, “[Mayor Parker] didn’t come to the religious community or the NAACP. The mayor has got to stop trying to promote things without consulting the city.” At front left in the photo is 86-year-old Houston pastor F.N. Williams Sr., who held his Bible high as he reminded the crowd minutes earlier that the civil rights struggle was fought for racial equality, not sexual behavior. PHOTOS BY BONNIE PRITCHETT
status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy.” Proponents say it is unconscionable that Houston is the only major American city without such a code. But opponents argue the proposal merely duplicates existing state and federal laws, calling it a “Trojan Horse” and a “smoke screen” that surreptitiously codifies protected status for homosexuals and transgender people in ways that encroach on the rights of others. The most hotly-contested portion of the ordinance would allow transgender men and women to use the public bathrooms and locker rooms for the gender with which they identify. Although Parker removed one section of the public accommodation code that explicitly made such allowances, another section
remains that would still allow a man who identifies as a woman to use a women’s public restroom and vice versa. Dave Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council, which represents 300 churches, called the move a “bait and switch.” Opposition to the proposed ordinance comes from a racially diverse group of pastors and citizens, including a former Southern Baptist Convention president. Calling the proposed ordinance a “staggering moral issue,” Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston, said in an open letter to his church and community, “The verbiage of the proposed ordinance is couched in non-discrimination language but, without question, discriminates against people, like you and me, who want to live by our own personal convictions.”
Pastor Khanh Huynh of Vietnamese Baptist Church in Houston addresses the rally on Tuesday, noting his flight from communism in Vietnam to find religious liberty in the United States. He said the proposed ordinance threatens that liberty.
The ordinance, Young contends, seeks to elevate sexual orientation and gender identity to a constitutionally protected class. A call to action by Houston area pastors drew an estimated 2,000 people to the steps of City Hall at noon Tuesday (May 13) prior to the regularly scheduled public hearing. “We should not even have to be here,” Max Miller, pastor of Mount Hebron Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Baptist Ministers’ Association of Houston and Vicinity told the crowd. Miller called the ordinance an insult to the intelligence of those who fought for civil rights in America. Eighty-six-year-old pastor F.N. Williams Sr. of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church told the rally, “Civil rights was a movement for racial equality, not sexual choices.” Miller said gay rights advocates charged opponents with being divisive. Gesturing to the crowd of African Americans, Asians, Anglos, and Hispanics, Miller said, “As you have seen we stand together.” Khanh Huynh, pastor of Vietnamese Baptist Church and an advisor for Houston Baptist Uni-
versity, told those gathered that he represents 13 people groups and he fled communist Vietnam as one of hundreds of thousands of “boat people” seeking freedom of speech and religion in America. But the proposed ordinance, Huynh said, threatens those liberties. “It is worse than communism, which I have run away from,” he said. Huynh later asked the City Council how they could justify violating the rights of one group in the cause of “equal rights” for others. Critics said the ordinance would force Christians, especially business owners, to choose between biblical convictions and the law. Testimony during Tuesday’s public hearing carried on into the evening. On Wednesday morning, the council spent 90 minutes discussing and passing five of eight proposed amendments to the ordinance. Another amendment, dealing with the public accommodations, was tagged for later consideration. Before the council voted to delay a vote of the ordinance, Council-
man Dwight Boykins said the two-week interim would allow the council to confer with their constituents. During Tuesday’s public hearings many speakers criticized the process as much as the content of the ordinance, noting frustration at the lack of public input. Boykin said the city would heal from the divisiveness and no one should take personally the differing opinions of others. But Parker took exception to his comment. “It is my life that is being discussed,” she said. Noting that the ordinance applies to a range of protected groups, Parker concluded, “The debate is about me. The debate is about two gay men at this table. It is very intensely personal and I do not think it is appropriate to forget that.” Parker did not name the two councilmen. “I know you say it’s about you, but, mayor, this is really about all of us,” said Councilman Michael Kubosh to cheers from the council chamber. “It’s not really about you, it’s about everybody here. It’s about everyone in the council chamber one way or the other. It’s going to have an impact on us.” Kubosh, an at-large council member, said he was left out of the loop and not consulted about the ordinance until its 14th or 15th draft. He said some of his information about the proposal came from business leaders who had already discussed the measure with City Attorney David Feldman, who drafted the ordinance. “I’m voting on this. Why wasn’t I brought in?” he asked. Calls coming into his office are 6-1 in opposition to the proposal, Kubosh said. MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 7
One man, 21 voices, 11 million followers
and growing
Rendition of ‘Let It Go’ in 21 voices opens platform for sharing faith, Dallas college student says. By Sharayah Colter rian Hull had one goal in mind when he posted his rendition of “Let it Go” on YouTube, March 14: Win a $100 Disney Store gift card so that he could buy two new Disney films, “Frozen” and “Saving Mr. Banks.” Unfortunately, he didn’t win the contest seeking the most creative cover of the hit song. In fact, he didn’t even get his video submitted before the deadline passed. But he did get a phone call from Disney. Hull’s video, which featured him singing in the voices of 21 different Disney characters, from Winnie the Pooh to Mickey Mouse, missed the contest deadline, but it quickly swelled in views and shares around the Internet. A few hundred at first. Then thousands. Then millions. Ten million, then 11 million. 8 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
Somewhere in that swell, the video crossed a computer screen at Disney’s headquarters where someone was intrigued enough to pick up the phone to find out about the person behind the voices in the viral video. The Disney folks were so struck by Hull’s ability to sing remarkably like so many beloved characters that they flew him and his family out for a meet and greet and even gave them park passes to use during their stay. Since then, life at home in Texas has been a whirlwind for Hull, a senior vocal performance major at Dallas Baptist University. Though he was accustomed to being beckoned from lunch table to lunch table to do impressions in his middle school, high school and college cafeterias, Hull said the broad exposure has been astonishing and surprising. “The only reason I put it on YouTube in the first place was that those were the rules of the contest,” Hull said. “You must put it on YouTube—it must be
public—otherwise you can’t be in the contest. So that was the only reason I did it, or I would have put it as unlisted, because honestly, I didn’t think it was that great. I had fun with it, but there were a couple of characters that just weren’t quite there.” He only allowed the post to appear on his Facebook so that he could get the honest feedback of a few friends, Hull said. But those friends shared with their friends, who shared with their friends and so on and so forth, and before Hull knew it, millions of people had seen his video. The Internet sensation said he might not have even pursued the contest without the encouragement of his mother who told him she loved his idea for the cover and even made a pan of brownies for his recording major roommate, Seth O’Neal, to help him get it done. “They’re the reason it went viral, because I did nothing,” Hull said of Facebook friends who began viewing and sharing the video. “I didn’t ask for views, I didn’t ask for subscriptions. That night it reached 5,000 or 6,000. Four days later, it was already at 5 million. It just passed 11 million [on May 1].” Hull said he wants the video to be a platform for the gospel and he credits the Lord for giving him his talent and the open doors to use it. When people ask why 11 million hits on the video and overnight fame haven’t made their way to his head and chiseled away at his humility, Hull responds that he simply sees nothing about which to boast. The Lord gave him the talent, and the Lord is letting him use it. “I didn’t do anything,” Hull said.
“I didn’t promote this video. I made it just so I could make a couple extra dollars so I could buy these Disney movies, and God took it and blew it up, so I’m just sitting here going, ‘I have no reason to get a big head. I have no reason to do anything like that, because I’m just riding God’s coattail right now.’” Hull, who serves as a volunteer in the children’s ministry at Fielder Road Baptist Church in Arlington where he is a member, said that even before the clamor surrounding the video began, he’d been telling the Lord about his desire to be a vehicle to get the gospel to the masses. He had no idea how that might happen or if it even would, but simply recalls his heart yearning in that direction. “Coincidentally, before all this, I was talking with God one day and was like, ‘You know, I’d love to do something like the Duck Dynasty guys are doing now,’” Hull said. “They have a show where they’re impacting not just a Christian audience, but culture as a whole, and they’re doing it in a positive way, going around speaking at different locations. And people are coming strictly because they’re the Duck Dynasty guys, not necessarily because of what they’re saying. So they’ll come, and then typically when they go speak somewhere, they deliver the gospel. So it reaches a wider audience, and that’s something I’d love to do, is to be able to use this as a platform. If God’s going to give me this opportunity and things keep happening the way they are, and if for some reason I do have a lot of fame, I’d love to be able to use it for that purpose. Because I’ve never wanted fame. It’s just something God
has now thrown in my lap. So if I’m going to use it, I might as well give it back [to the Lord].” Hull said he’s already seeing that happen with invitations to sing at churches and other venues, drawing people who might not normally come to church. “They’re going to come hear me, and then they get the gospel, and I’m just like, ‘I love that, I love that, I love that!” said Hull, who recalls being a “closet atheist” for about three years before giving his life to Christ at age 16. Hull’s vocal talents expand beyond Disney impressions into opera and musical theater. He said he hopes his story encourages others, and especially children, to pursue the passions the Lord has given them, even if it means tuning out some naysayers. “I had so many people tell me, growing up, ‘This is not something that an 18-year-old should be doing. You shouldn’t be watching Disney. You shouldn’t be trying to sound like Winnie the Pooh.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t care. I’m passionate about it, and that’s what I love, and I feel like God put that in me for a reason. God can use anything, and he will use anything. He used one guy doing 21 different Disney characters, and as far as I know he’s not done using me yet—at least I hope not.” As for not winning the contest and the gift card, Hull said he’s not too bummed about it. “Let me give you this example: I wanted a Willy Wonka chocolate bar, but I was invited to go to the factory. I want the second.” And about the two new movies he was hoping to add to his Disney collection—he got those as well. MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 9
Church accepts pastor’s ‘50/50’ challenge By Rob Collingsworth In the 1940s, members of Central Baptist Church in Luling partnered to construct their own church building. When Pastor Beaux Hinote arrived in the summer of 2011, it was clear that some renovations were in order. “The cost for our congregation would be demanding, but nothing that they were not willing to invest in,” said Hinote, serving in his first pastorate at Central Baptist. “The facilities were in bad condition and it was reflecting badly on our church. And yet, in my heart, I knew God demands that we love others as we love ourselves.” It was this truth, Hinote said, that spurred him to challenge his congregation with what he refers to as the “50/50 rule.” “The 50/50 rule is that we spend 50 percent of what God gives us inhouse for the necessities of ministry in our local body and 50 percent for missions and outreach, building the kingdom outside the walls of our church,” Hinote said. “And since our vision for our church is ‘Love God, Love Others, Live Holy,’ I told the church we would only go forward with the renovations if we did for others to the same measure. The cost for the physical renovations would be about $15,000, so I challenged the church to raise an additional $15,000 for local ministry and missions.” It took just over two months for the congregation to raise the sum. 10 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
The stately abode of Central Baptist in Luling needed some upgrades when Beaux Hinote arrived in 2011. But the church responded above and beyond.
“THE 50/50 RULE IS THAT WE SPEND 50 PERCENT OF WHAT GOD GIVES US IN-HOUSE FOR THE NECESSITIES OF MINISTRY IN OUR LOCAL BODY AND 50 PERCENT FOR MISSIONS AND OUTREACH, BUILDING THE KINGDOM OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF OUR CHURCH.” In addition to funding the renovations for their church building, the church was able to begin a new ministry partnership in Honduras. The challenge has already taken root with the people of the church. “We ask the congregation to give lovingly more than just the bare minimum of the tithe. They do and are very generous with what God has blessed them with,” Hinote said. “If I am doing my math right, we are a little less than halfway to our goal of the 50/50 rule.” Hinote credits his passion for missions to his involvement in local and global missions projects
throughout his life. “From the border cities in Mexico to the seawall of Corpus Christi, I have seen the joy and growth that comes with being obedient to make disciples,” he said. “Missions is necessary because there are those who do not know the God who loves them.” Hinote grew up the son of a plumber in the southeast corner of Texas before graduating from East Texas Baptist University and Southwestern Seminary. During that time he served on staff at several Baptist churches in associate positions, all while dismissing his
“THINGS ARE VISIBLY DIFFERENT. WE HAVE GROWN CLOSER AS A FAMILY, AS WELL AS GROWN NUMERICALLY AND FINANCIALLY. WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE COME TO CHRIST, STARTING A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SAVIOR. FAMILIES ARE BEING RESTORED. THE GOSPEL IS BEING SHARED. OUR COMMUNITY IS SEEING THE EFFECTS OF A CHURCH OBEDIENT.” own call to pastor. “I once used to look down the hall at the pastor’s office door and smile to myself, giving God thanks that I did not have to do that job in the kingdom. I simply wanted to remain in the background, with less exposure,” Hinote recalls. “But he had different plans.” Since answering the call to pastor and arriving at Central Baptist, Hinote said he has seen God work in incredible ways. The church has
responded to his challenge not only with their giving, but also with their time. In addition to helping establish infrastructure and support a church plant in Honduras, Central also started a local mission that provides the Luling community a hot meal twice a month. Last summer, the student ministry took a trip to do missions training. Also, the church has helped plant two churches through their local as-
sociation. “God is working in the lives of our people and they are building the kingdom in so many ways,” Hinote said. “I cannot begin to recount all the ways he is changing hearts to be bent toward missions and outreach, with evangelism at the forefront.” Since seeing the church latch onto the 50/50 challenge, Hinote said that Central Baptist is an entirely new church. “Things are visibly different. We have grown closer as a family, as well as grown numerically and financially. We are seeing people come to Christ, starting a relationship with our savior. Families are being restored. The gospel is being shared,” he said. “Our community is seeing the effects of a church obedient.”
MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 11
DALLAS PASTOR EMPLOYS
By Sharayah Colter
I
DALLAS
n one moment, Rene Lopez is a seminary professor reading dissertations. In another, he’s the pastor of a Spanishlanguage congregation in Dallas. In a third scene, Lopez pulls a wardrobe change and appears as an illusionist answering to the stage name Ariel. It’s often all in a day’s work for Lopez. Lopez, pastor of Iglesia Biblica Nuestra Fe, also serves as an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and assistant professor at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Online while also running a ministry he began in 2005— Scripture Unlocked Ministries. Through Scripture Unlocked Ministries, Lopez began his “illusions with a message” gospel presentation that he now presents across Texas and much of the nation. “Besides my primary passion for God’s Word, I always had another passion that now I’ve been able to develop, and that is doing illusions and mixing
DISAPPEARING ACT TO EXPLAIN HOW
CHRIST CAN
REMOVE SIN
GUILT
CURIOUS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CHRISTIANS’ INVOLVEMENT IN MAGIC? READ AN ARTICLE BY ROBERT HILL ON LOPEZ’ WEBSITE AT SCRIPTUREUNLOCKED.ORG.
12 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
Illusionist and pastor Rene Lopez and his team pose for a picture before a show. Lopez explains at the end of his presentation that his tricks are illusions but the real miracle worker is Jesus Christ who can take nothing and make it into something.
it with an evangelistic message at the end,” said Lopez, who began his ministry work in the mid-1990s. He said it was five years ago that he and his wife purchased a briefcase full of beginner magic tricks while on vacation in Nevada. “That night I must have stayed up till two or three in the morning looking at that like a little kid,” Lopez said. “I thought, ‘Why not incorporate this into the ministry?’” He eventually grew the evangelism-illusion program from a few small tricks into a full lights, sound, smoke and stage performance. The entire show is laced with gospel nuggets, and at the end, Lopez gives a clear gospel presentation. Lopez said that since he is meticulously careful to never give someone the chance to accuse him of “selling the gospel,” he adapts the end of the program depending on whether tickets have been sold for the event or if a church or organization has offered free admission. “If a church decides that selling tickets to provide such a show is the way to go, we always advise to separate the show from the message at the end, so as not to be accused of selling the gospel,” Lopez said. “I’m
THROUGHOUT THE SHOW I MAKE BIBLICAL REFERENCES, LIGHTLY, USING ILLUSTRATIONS, BUT AT THE CONCLUSION I GIVE THE PUNCH LINE IN HOW ALL THOSE MARVELOUS ILLUSIONS WITNESSED ARE NOT REAL, BUT ILLUSIONS. I THEN INTRODUCE EVERYONE TO THE REAL MIRACLE WORKER, JESUS CHRIST, WHO CAN TAKE NOTHING AND MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING AND WHO CAN MAKE THINGS WE WANT GONE FROM OUR LIVES DISAPPEAR.
very sensitive to that. Throughout the show I make biblical references, lightly, using illustrations, but at the conclusion I give the punch line in how all those marvelous illusions witnessed are not real, but illusions. I then introduce everyone to the real miracle worker, Jesus Christ, who can take nothing and make it into something and who can make things we want gone from our lives disappear.” Lopez said he then goes on to use small illusions to demonstrate the necessity of being a part of a local church and preparing to meet Christ face-to-face. At the conclusion of a show for which tickets have been sold, Lopez tells the crowd that the show is over and that they may leave, but that he has a short message he will share if anyone would like to stay to hear it. “A handful of families get up and leave,” Lopez said. “Most people stay.” When a church pays for the program and offers it as a part of its ministry and outreach, Lopez said he includes more of the gospel message throughout the show, still stopping to give a clear presentation at the end to invite people to
accept Christ as Savior. He said he has seen people come to faith in Christ and recommit their lives to him through the evangelismillusion shows. The churches then assume the task of following up with those people from their own communities, he said. In addition to the shows being an evangelistic tool, Lopez said they simply provide family-friendly, wholesome entertainment that is “lacking in today’s culture.” “Obviously it’s entertainment,” Lopez said of the show, which includes him slicing someone in two, escaping from a padlocked box, making a girl disappear and getting a table to float in mid-air. “But the end is where the punch is. I think doing something like this in churches will not only go over big with the youth and adult believers in the church as being great wholesome entertainment, but even better and more important, this is a venue to attract non-believers to a non-threatening setting.” Lopez is bilingual and presents the evangelism-illusion show in either English or Spanish. His ministry website is scriptureunlocked. org. MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 13
Kentucky pastor is second SBC president nominee announced By Baptist Press Jared Moore, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, Ky., is the second announced nominee for Southern Baptist Convention president, joining Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd as a candidate. In a May 5 blog post announcing his willingness to be nominated during the June 10-11 annual meeting in Baltimore, Moore, the current SBC second vice president, said he wants to represent rural Southern Baptists. Moore will be nominated by Paul Sanchez, pastor of Willow Baptist Church in Brooksville, Ky. “I was saved in a rural Southern Baptist Church, and I’ve primarily served rural Southern Baptists ever since,” Moore wrote. “Where I live now, the nearest gas station is 7 miles away. My church is a small church made up of about 60 people. They’re a loving, caring, godly group of people. Some of the godliest people I’ve met in my ministry worship here ... I want to represent Southern Baptists like the ones I serve on a daily basis who may not have the opportunity to attend the convention or serve at the convention level.” The 33-year-old Moore noted he would accept the nomination because of his desires to serve Southern Baptists, promote unity in the convention and promote the Cooperative Program. New Salem, by a congregational vote, gives 16 percent of its undesignated receipts through CP and another 3 percent through its local 14 TEXANONLINE.NET MAY 15, 2014
association. “Apart from cooperating with other SBC churches through the Cooperative Program, our small church could not support as many Jared Moore ministries on our own,” Moore wrote. “I realize the Cooperative Program and the ministries it supports are not perfect, but New Salem Baptist Church believes in the Cooperative Program. I hope to encourage churches to begin, continue, or increase their support of the Cooperative Program. It’s still the best way available for supporting the equipping of Southern Baptist ministers to take the gospel locally and abroad, and to train other Southern Baptists to do the same.” Regarding his goal of promoting unity in the SBC, Moore wrote, “I think Traditionalists, Calvinists, and everything in between in the SBC can work together. Since the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptists of different stripes have been able to work together. There’s no reason to divide beyond the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. I believe we’ll accomplish far more together than we will if we’re divided. “In order to accomplish such unity, we must accurately represent what one another believe, lovingly debate, and line up behind Scripture. Our disagreements should not be ignored, but they also should not divide us. Hopefully, this year
“IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH UNITY, WE MUST ACCURATELY REPRESENT WHAT ONE ANOTHER BELIEVE, LOVINGLY DEBATE, AND LINE UP BEHIND SCRIPTURE. OUR DISAGREEMENTS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED, BUT THEY ALSO SHOULD NOT DIVIDE US.” will be one of renewal as Calvinists and Traditionalists reach across the aisle for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of the future of the SBC,” he stated. Moore holds a bachelor of arts from Trinity College of the Bible, a master of arts in religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and a master of divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a doctor of philosophy student at Southern majoring in systematic theology. He has authored “10 Sacred Cows in Christianity that Need to Be Tipped” and “The Harry Potter Bible Study: Enjoying God Through the Final Four Harry Potter Movies.” Moore and his wife Amber have three children, Caden, Ava and Ian. Floyd, pastor of CrossChurch in Northwest Arkansas, was announced in February as a candidate after Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. announced plans to nominate Floyd.
MIke Gonzales
Vida Abundante
M
uchos viven en estos días con un sin números de preocupaciones. Hay muchas vicisitudes que van atacando a la familia de hoy; como preocupaciones financieros, problemas con miembros de la familia, dificultades en el trabajo, y muchos otros conflictos que surgen en la vida diaria de uno. Como seguidores de Cristo no estamos exentos de estos tipos de dilemas. Romanos 12:2 dice—”No os conforméis a este siglo, sino transformaos por medio de la renovación de vuestro entendimiento, para que comprobéis cuál sea la buena voluntad de Dios, agradable y perfecta.” Vivir en este mundo requiere que hagamos frente a todas las presiones que puedan venir a uno. Sin embargo, como creyentes y seguidores en Cristo, podemos vivir una vida abundante. Nosotros vivimos en el mundo pero no somos del mundo. Podemos estar en un lago y no mojarnos porque estamos en un barco. Y ese barco se llama Cristo. La verdad es, como cristianos no podemos evitar las presiones y las tentaciones que se nos presentan cada día. Pero el Señor nos ha llamado a vivir una vida abundante en medio de todas estas situaciones. Juan 10:10b dice—”... yo he venido para que tengan vida, y para que la tengan en abundancia.” ¿Cómo podemos vivir una vida abundante viviendo en este mundo? 4Sabiendo que la vida abundante empieza cuando aceptamos a Cristo como Salvador y Señor de nuestras vidas. Esto significa experimentar un arrepentimiento espiritual porque nos damos cuenta que somos pecadores y no podemos salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Romanos 5:12 dice—”Por tanto, como el pecado entró en el mundo por un hombre, y por el pecado la muerte, así la muerte pasó a todos los hombres, por cuanto todos pecaron.” Tenemos que reconocer que la salvación sólo viene y es exclusivamente por medio de Cristo. Romanos 10:9 dice—”... que si confesares con tu boca que Jesús es el Señor, y creyeres en tu corazón que Dios le levantó de los muertos, serás salvo.”
Conociendo esta verdad, entonces podemos empezar a vivir una vida abundante aquí en la tierra. 4Sabiendo que las promesas del Señor son para nosotros en cualquier momento de nuestras vidas. En las buenas y en las malas, Cristo siempre está con nosotros. Dios nunca nos dejará solos. Romanos 8:28 dice—”Y sabemos que a los que aman a Dios, todas las cosas les ayudan a bien, esto es, a los que conforme a su propósito son llamados.” En medio de nuestras tribulaciones y sufrimientos podemos vivir una vida abundante, sabiendo que cuando muramos, nos espera estar en el cielo con nuestro Dios para toda una eternidad. Apocalipsis 1:17 al 18 dice—”Cuando le vi, caí como muerto a sus pies. Y él puso su diestra sobre mí, diciéndome: No temas; yo soy el primero y el último; y el que vivo, y estuve muerto; mas he aquí que vivo por los siglos de los siglos, amén. Y yo tengo las llaves de la muerte y del Hades.” Esto nos da pie para vivir una vida abundante aquí en este mundo. No debemos dejar que Satanás haga su obra en nuestras vidas porque esto va a impedir que vivamos una vida abundante. Comparta el mensaje de nuestro Señor con alguien hoy y empiece a vivir esa vida abundante en Cristo delante de todos. ¡Dios es bueno, todo el tiempo! —Mike Gonzales director de los ministerios Hispanos de la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas.
2014 SBTC MISSION OPPORTUNITIES LONGVIEW JULY 12 MOBBERLY BAPTIST CHURCH
Come learn to think and live missionally
SEND MONTREAL
Evangelism & church planting. Planned 2014 vision tour dates: Sept. 8-10 and Oct. 27-29 Contact Barry Calhoun at bcalhoun@sbtexas.com or 817.552.2500
SEND BOSTON Evangelism and church planting.
Planned 2014 vision tour dates: Sept. 30-Oct.1 Contact Barry Calhoun at bcalhoun@sbtexas.com or 817.552.2500
ECUADOR Evangelism and church planting.
Planned 2014 vision tour: Aug. 16-23 Contact Barry Calhoun at bcalhoun@sbtexas.com or 817-552-2500 15 MAY 15, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET
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