October 30, 2013 • ISSUE 19
Garland church sets pace among African American churches in engaging unreached people group in Madagascar.
SBTC ELECTS FORNEY PASTOR, APPROVES $27.1 MILLION BUDGET
ABBOTT VOWS TO FIGHT COURT RULING AGAINST ABORTION LAW PROVISION
Gary Ledbetter
In praise of boredom
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ren’t we restless people? I think that restlessness has expanded with our ability to go and know and hold long-distance conversations. When we can do something, we want to do it and eventually feel like we must. That’s what I think when I see people sitting at a nice restaurant under romantic candlelight punching their phones. Some fuss about this latest technology and how it changes our brains, but I do think that is not a new thing. We long for something more. On the surface this seems like the opposite of contentment. Paul’s famous statement in Philippians 4 sets a high standard for satisfaction apart from circumstances. Does that mean that Paul would have been equally happy with or without an iPhone 5? While I don’t rage against our current level of “connectedness,” I do think we’ve crossed a line of immediacy and unlimited access that’s revolutionary. What we’ve lost is down time, or boredom, if you prefer. Boredom was the bane of childhood by the middle of July each year. Parents were oppressed by whiny kids who didn’t like any of the choices available. There was “nothing to do.” The choices have exploded in number and scope but I still hear of children with nothing to do. We want more. At this stage of life I’m never bored. The mid-summer experience of childhood looks remarkably like peace from this view. Let me recommend boredom to you. This is the time when you can hear the still, small voice in your head. It’s the time when you are convicted, encouraged and reminded by the Holy Spirit of those things you’ve learned during busier times. Quiet periods can be the times when you plan or think creatively about things you’ll need to do another time. With practice it can be a time when trivial things like viral videos no longer break in to your awareness. My boring time is often during a road trip, driving
or even waiting for a plane. My co-workers experience this by receiving several annoying calls from me as I have ideas or just-remembered commitments to address. It’s productive and reflective. The urge to reach out to someone distant can be curbed until you actually have something to say. The need to be affirmed or amused by others can be set aside for increasing periods of time, with practice. Unless you learn to do this I’m not sure how a person even prays or worships. I’ve seen folks come to worship with Bluetooth devices in their ears; others text sermon quotes or send photos of the music service. How do they stay where they are mentally if they never stop thinking of all those people “out there”? It’s an honest question because I know mature and godly people who do stuff like this. It doesn’t work for me. The desire for more is not bad. Improvement is a byproduct of a specific dissatisfaction, as is innovation. These are God-given urges that reflect his image in us. We were made to improve broken creation. Men and women should not be comfortable with broken or unfinished things. But maybe the constant amusement available to us is like junk food that fills up our desire for something more without satisfying the appetite. It seems that way generally. Here are some ideas from someone who neither affirms nor denies being a reluctant Luddite: 4Unless you’re a Navy SEAL or on call for a heart transplant, consider leaving your phone in the car during church, or at least powered off. 4Ban electronic friends from meal times, that is, if you are eating with someone in whom you have some interest. 4Try turning off the radio for an hour or so while driving. Just think about stuff, listen and pray (with your eyes open please). A bonus might be that you begin to notice all the ominous sounds your car makes to warn you of its impending demise. 4Kill the beeper that announces new emails. It’s Pavlovian, I swear. 4Read a book (one made of paper) written by someone who died before you were born. 4Take a walk without ear buds. 4Consider a tech-free night each week, especially if you have kids in the house. 4Stop texting while you’re driving. OK, I know none of you do but somebody sure does. There is no irony in the fact that this column is in Texan Digital. I have no essential beef with technology or even the newest tech, but I am concerned at the price we often pay for non-stop stimulation. If our marvelous inventions are worth using, they are worth using wisely and to our spiritual benefit.
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Hobby Lobby asks Supreme Court to hear case Oklahoma City-based retailer Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. has asked the United States Supreme Court to review its case against the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate that requires it and other employers to cover emergency contraceptives that can cause early abortion despite the employers’ religious objections.
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B&H presents Paige Patterson with Anabaptist book in his honor B&H Academic Vice President Jim Baird presented Southwestern Seminary President Paige Patterson with a copy of the recently published book, titled “The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists, Restoring New Testament Christianity: Essays in Honor of Paige Patterson,” during a seminary chapel service, Oct. 15.
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SBTC elects Forney pastor president, approves budget The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention elected Forney pastor Jimmy Pritchard as president and approved a $27.1 million Cooperative Program budget during its meeting in Amarillo on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 28-29).
Texas AG Abbott vows to fight court ruling against abortion law A federal district court on Monday (Oct. 28) ruled as unconstitutional a provision in state legislation passed last summer requiring abortionists to have privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their practice. Attorney General Greg Abbott has vowed to appeal the ruling, which was expected, to a federal circuit court.
Trustees adopt response to SBC mental health motion, decide on tenure Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees responded to a Southern Baptist Convention messenger’s request regarding mental health ministries, adopted bylaw and policy changes regarding faculty tenure, elected faculty and recognized President Paige Patterson for 10 years of service at their fall meeting on Oct. 16.
Among the 759 unreached people groups engaged in the past two years by Southern Baptists are the Antandroy people of Madagascar, whom North Garland Baptist Fellowship has committed to engage. In doing so, North Garland became the first African American church in the SBTC to engage a people group designated as unreached and unengaged.
Front cover photos courtesy of Southwestern Seminary
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 Jane Rodgers, Keith Collier, Paul South, Denny Burk To contact the TEXAN office, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC)
Briefly //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// HOBBY LOBBY JOINS FEDERAL GOV’T IN ASKING SUPREME COURT TO HEAR APPEAL IN HHS LAWSUIT
Oklahoma City-based retailer Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. has asked the United States Supreme Court to review its case against the Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate that requires it and other employers to cover emergency contraceptives that can cause early abortion despite the employers’ religious objections. Hobby Lobby’s petition joined the federal government’s request for appeal regarding a lower court decision, according to a story in the Christian Post. Hobby Lobby won a temporary exemption before the full court of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals late last summer, but the company believes that the Supreme Court should review the case. “The issues presented in the government’s petition are indeed important, and the circuits are now hopelessly divided on critical questions of standing and religious liberty,” the petition says. A year ago, Hobby Lobby sued the federal government over the HHS mandate due to religious objections the company’s owners had to providing pills that can cause abortions.
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STUDY: YOUNG ADULTS WHO ABANDON FAITH MAY HAVE HAD ‘LUKEWARM’ UPBRINGING The idea that young adults are abandoning their faith in droves may be widely accepted but isn’t fully accurate. So says a Focus on the Family study that casts light on trends among young adults that may contradict doomsday predictions for the Christian faith. The study, titled “Millennial Faith Participation and Retention,” tracked the religious trends of Millennials (usually those born between 1980 and 2000) and found that only a fraction are leaving their childhood faith—usually because they may not have had much of one to begin with. The study utilizes data from the Pew research sources and the National Science Foundation’s annual General Social Survey. About a fifth (18 percent) of young adults raised in homes with any measure of religious influence are now unaffiliated with a specific faith, according to the Focus on the Family analysis. Sixty (60) percent of Millennials categorize themselves as “keeping faith.” Of those who are unaffiliated, only 11 percent said they had a strong faith as a child and lived in a home where a vibrant faith was modeled. “Parents who provide a home where faith is vibrantly practiced—even imperfectly—are remarkably likely to create young adults who remain serious Christians, even as they sometimes go through bumpy spots in the road,” the study said. The study also found that 20 percent of young adults are switching affiliations, with most of the transition being from one Christian denomination to another. Among denominations, the study showed significant decline for mainline Protestant churches. Meanwhile, more conservative evangelical churches gained slightly. The GSS also indicated a commonly reported growth in the number of Americans claiming no particular religious affiliation (from 8.1 percent in 1991 to 19.7 percent in 2012). Among Millennials, however, the study says that many of these “nones” have not abandoned faith altogether but rather turned to a more generalized spirituality. The study, which was released in August, cited some leading theories as to why “nones” have risen in number among Millennials: Young adults tend to engage less in community participation (which includes church); are more likely to view religious people as insincere, hypocritical or judgmental; and are increasingly breaking from churches and people who practice “what they see as strident conservative political rhetoric.” To view the complete report of the study, click here.
N.J. IS 14TH STATE TO RECOGNIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS HIGHLIGHT UNIVERSE’S DESIGN, PROFS. SAY
New Jersey has become the latest state to recognize same-sex marriages. The practice became legal Oct. 21 in New Jersey without further argument when Gov. Chris Christie dropped his appeal of a judicial ruling in support of such unions. The announcement of the Republican governor’s action came hours after gay couples began exchanging wedding vows with the approval of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Christie’s decision not to continue with an appeal to the state’s high court removed any doubt New Jersey would become the 14th state to legalize samesex marriage. The state Supreme Court had signaled the governor’s appeal had little chance of success when it refused Oct. 18 his request to block a lower court’s order for New Jersey to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Oct. 21. The justices unanimously denied Christie’s request for a stay of the order and said his appeal had no “reasonable probability of success.” Christie decided his appeal likely had little chance of winning, a spokesman for the governor indicated. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner “left no ambiguity about the unanimous court’s view on the ultimate decision in this matter,” the spokesman said, according to The New York Times. “Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law,” a Christie spokesman said in a note to reporters, The Times reported. In a later story, The Times quoted Brian Brown of the conservative National Organization for Marriage as saying, “The mark of a leader is to walk a principled walk no matter the difficulty of the path. Chris Christie has failed the test, abandoning both voters and the core institution of society: marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
Discovery of the so-called “God particle” not only helped two physicists win this year’s Nobel Prize, it also unwittingly bolstered the arguments of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, according to Southern Baptist scientists. The particle, whose scientific name is the Higgs boson, derives its popular name from the title of the 1993 book “The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?” by atheist physicist Leon Lederman and science writer Dick Teresi. Theoretical physicists Peter Higgs, 84, and Francois Englert, 80, were announced as this year’s Nobel Prize winners in physics Oct. 8 for proposing the existence of the Higgs boson nearly 50 years ago. The particle was finally discovered last year at the world’s most powerful particle accelerator in Switzerland. But “a closer consideration of the function and properties of the Higgs boson is very enlightening from a theistic perspective,” Bruce Gordon, associate professor of the history and philosophy of science at Houston Baptist University, told Baptist Press in an email interview. “In direct opposition to Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg’s remark that ‘the more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it seems pointless,’ we can only recommend the more obvious and rational view that the greater our comprehension of the universe, the more we should be given to doxology: The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork (Psalm 19:1),” said Gordon, who also is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank that plays a leading role in the ID movement. ID argues that the universe is the product of intelligence rather than blind chance. (A boson is one of the two classes of known particles. Bosons are distinguished from fermions based
This simulated image of a Higgs boson particle (popularly called the “God particle”) is based on data from the Large Hadron Collider of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. PHOTO CREDIT: CERN, HTTP://CDS.CERN.CH/RECORD/628469
on the type of spin they have. Generally, fermions make up matter while bosons transmit forces that hold matter together.) The Higgs boson is significant for the Intelligent Design movement because its mass and interaction strength are fine-tuned to accommodate the existence of life, which points to the particle’s being the product of a rational creator rather than an undirected natural process. If the subatomic Higgs boson had even five times its measured mass, it would render life impossible, Gordon said. William Nettles, physics professor at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., noted that if not for scientists who understood quantum mechanics—the field of study in which the Higgs boson was discovered—”there would be no lasers, no transistors, no cell phones, no personal computers and no large jet airplanes.” But the discovery “does not detract from the faith-held fact that God created the universe, and all things hold together in the Son,” Nettles told Baptist Press. “We just have a better picture of God’s details.”
OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 3
B&H PRESENTS PAIGE PATTERSON WITH ANABAPTIST BOOK IN HIS HONOR
B&H Academic Vice President Jim Baird presented Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson with a copy of the recently published book, titled “The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists, Restoring New Testament Christianity: Essays in Honor of Paige Patterson,” during a seminary chapel service, Oct. 15. “Obviously, Dr. Patterson, this book is to honor you for the work that you’ve done with the Anabaptists and all the insights you have brought,” Baird said. “But I want to tell you that it is also for your service to our Lord and to his church, and it is to thank you for having the courage and character to lead sometimes when others would not.” The volume is largely composed of essays presented at Southwestern’s conference on Anabaptists in January 2012, with many of the authors being current or former doctoral students under Patterson. “I’m well aware of the fact that (the book) represents my antiquity,” said Patterson, “and I nevertheless appreciate it. “For a festschrift volume—which is a German word that has to do with an anniversary volume normally put together by the students of a professor—this is the most beautiful volume I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s incredible.” Unique to the book is a section with photos taken from a spring 2012 Anabaptist study tour through Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, which was led by Patterson and Malcolm Yarnell, a professor at the seminary and editor of the book. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., contributed a preface for the book, and Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, N.C., wrote the introduction. Southwestern’s Fall 2012 issue of Southwestern News magazine featured stories on the Anabaptists and the study tour, which can be viewed at swbts.edu/southwesternnews/snfa12. 4 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 30, 2013
AS AMERICAN METHODISTS DRIFT TOWARD SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, INTERNATIONAL UMC MEMBERS APPLY BRAKES United Methodist pastor Stephen Heiss conducted his first same-sex marriage in 2002, wedding his daughter Nancy to her lesbian partner. Heiss calls that event “the highlight” of his career. Since 2011, when the state of New York legalized samesex marriages, Heiss has presided at seven more ceremonies, including five at his church. By doing so, Heiss is openly violating United Methodist Church (UMC) law. In May, Heiss formally notified his bishop, Mark Webb, that he was performing gay marriages, and in June, Webb replied with notice of a complaint against the pastor. On Sept. 20, Heiss and the bishop met but agreed to wait a month before the bishop decides whether to proceed with a church trial. Heiss has become a hero to Methodist supporters of gay marriage, such as the leaders of the University UMC of Syracuse, New York, which hosted a prayer vigil for the dissident minister when he met with Webb. (University UMC features a gay pride flag on its Twitter profile photo.) To traditionalists within the UMC, however, Heiss is a troublemaking radical. John Lomperis, United Methodist Director for the Institute on Religion and Democracy, describes Heiss as a “renegade pastor” who is turning his “destructive energies” against the UMC. But activists insist that Heiss represents a rising tide of clergy who are conscientiously breaking the UMC’s prohibition on gay marriages. Andy Oliver, director of communications for the Reconciling Ministries Network, told Religion News Service that his organization counts 569 Methodistaffiliated “churches or communities” and at least 1,500 clergy supporting full acceptance of noncelibate gays. Backing for gay marriage certainly exists in the UMC, but the denominational picture looks different from a global perspective. The UMC is shrinking in America but growing in other parts of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. The 2012 UMC General Conference, its quadrennial global assembly, rejected efforts to modify the denomination’s stance that homosexual acts are “incompatible with Christian teaching.” Some 40 percent of conference delegates were from outside the United States, and they overwhelmingly supported the traditional UMC position. —Briefly section was compiled from staff reports and Baptist Press
WORLD-CLASS DINOSAUR DONATED TO THE CREATION MUSEUM The array of exhibits at the Creation Museum is about to see the addition of a world-class dinosaur skeleton. An impressive allosaur—donated to the museum located near the Cincinnati Airport—is believed to be one of the four bestpreserved Allosaurus skulls ever discovered. Allosaurs, sometimes confused with a T. rex, were large theropod dinosaurs. The museum’s new dinosaur probably stood 10 feet high and 30 feet long. It is one of many Allosaurus fossils uncovered in the Morrison Formation of North America. This allosaur is exceptional because rather than mixed and scattered as almost all the Morrison fossils are, the bones were found together, with many in their articulated position. Ken Ham, president/founder of the Creation Museum and its parent organization Answers in Genesis, stated that this skeleton, dubbed Ebenezer, “fulfills a dream I’ve had for quite some time. For decades I’ve walked through many leading secular museums, like the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and have seen their impressive dinosaur skeletons, but they were used for evolution. Now we have
one of that class for our museum.” The Creation Museum is an outreach of the apologetics organization Answers in Genesis. The AnswersInGenesis.org website, which is currently displayed on billboards in Times Square, the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles, has been voted “Best Ministry Website” two times as determined by the National Religious Broadcasters. (The site attracts more than 1 million Web visitors a month.) Its “Answers” magazine has twice picked up the highest award for magazine excellence by the Evangelical Press Association. AiG’s high-tech Creation Museum has drawn almost 2 million visitors in six years, and next year AiG will start construction on a full-size, all-wood Noah’s Ark. For more on AiG, see AnswersInGenesis.org.
OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 5
SBTC elects Forney pastor, approves $27.1 million budget Also embraces ‘Look Like Heaven’ emphasis to encourage cross-cultural relationships and witness By Sharayah Colter & Jerry Pierce
T AMARILLO
he Southern Baptists of Texas Convention elected Forney pastor Jimmy Pritchard as its new president, approved a 2014 Cooperative Program budget of $27,149,526—a 3.06 percent increase—and embraced a five-year “Look Like Heaven” emphasis from its Executive Board and its outgoing president. Messengers to the convention elected Pritchard, pastor of First Baptist Church of Forney, by acclamation. In nominating him, Byron McWilliams of First Baptist Church of Odessa pointed to Pritchard’s service in local churches, involvement in denominational work and leadership qualities as the reason he believed Pritchard a good choice for president. Under Pritchard’s leadership, FBC Forney has given more than $6.1 million to missions, gained more than 4,100 new members, baptized more than 2,100 and seen 38 of its congregation surrender to ministry. McWilliams cited Pritchard’s service on the boards of Criswell College and the International Mission Board as further evidence of his heart to serve and share the gospel. Overall, McWilliams said Pritchard’s leadership prowess would enable him to guide the convention well. Messengers also elected James Egan, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gainesville, as vice president, and Dante Wright, pastor of Sweet Home Baptist Church in Round Rock, as recording secretary. The convention’s Executive Board, taking the lead of outgoing President Terry Turner of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, is leading the convention to embark on a five-year “Look Like Heaven” emphasis to spur cross-cultural worship 6 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 30, 2013
The Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church choir, under the direction of Kenosha White, leads in worship on Oct. 28 during the opening session of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention annual meeting in Amarillo. PHOTO BY GARY LEDBETTER
and cooperation within the convention. In his President’s Address on Monday night (Oct. 28), Turner quipped, “Now don’t come to the black church and act like you’re black, come to the black church and act like you are. … Let’s everybody be ourselves” while celebrating the unity that exists in Christ. Turner is encouraging churches to exchange preachers and host joint worship services, to set aside July for special efforts to foster cross-cultural relationships, and to work together in developing greater missional cooperation year round. “The good news is God has brought the nations to us,” David Fleming, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, told messengers during the Executive Board report. Fleming is the Look Like Heaven committee chair. “The diversity of the nations lives within the borders of the state of Texas and our communities. As a convention, we understand we can more effectively reach our communities for Christ when we more intentionally reflect the diversity that is in our communities.” Messengers also approved nine resolutions addressing religious liberty in America; violent and sexual content in video games; immigration reform; commending Texas lawmakers for protecting women via pro-life legislation; worldwide Christian persecution; Cooperative Program and missions giving; Billy Graham and commitment to evangelism; the “Look Like Heaven” emphasis; and appreciation for Turner, the outgoing president. The meeting drew 1,002 registered messengers and guests. The 2014 annual meeting and Bible Conference will be Nov. 9-11 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
Draper, Melton share ministry wisdom at luncheon By Tammi Reed Ledbetter AMARILLO
Veteran Texas pastors Jimmy Draper and T.C. Melton looked out at the youngest pastors attending a luncheon in Amarillo and expressed enthusiasm for their ministry among Southern Baptist churches. “Without apology I’m very encouraged,” Draper told the Ministry Café luncheon during the annual Bible Conference hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. “I really believe the younger generations of 20- and 30-somethings make one of the greatest generations ever seen.” “Men coming out of our seminaries today can preach the Word of God,” Melton added, praising their faithfulness to Scripture. For over an hour the two men drew from their experiences to answer questions posed by two of their younger counterparts in ministry—Wes Hinote, pastor of First Baptist Church of Plum Grove in Cleveland and John Powell, pastor of First Baptist Church of Hamlin. Draper pastored six churches in Texas, including First Baptist Church of Euless for 16 years. Prior to being called to Euless, he served as associate pastor to W.A. Criswell at First Baptist Church of Dallas. In addition, he led Lifeway Christian Resources as president from 1991 to 2006. Melton served in pastorates across Texas, including 30 years at Elmcrest Baptist Church in Abilene. He has spent the past decade serving in various capacities with the SBTC, primarily as an area ministry coordinator for churches in West Texas. Additionally, he has served as interim pastor of more than 15 churches, many of them in rural communities. “God saw something in us that would meet the needs for the time in which we pastored,” Melton said. Looking to the younger men at the table, he said, “I believe God saw something in you guys specifically designed for a ministry today. Rather than feeling second class, you should feel something very special. I would not be nearly as successful today.” Hinote and Powell led off by asking how to guard against moral failure and gain wisdom by being mentored by older pastors.
Longtime pastor T.C. Melton (center) speaks during a question-and-answer time at the Ministry Café of the SBTC’s Bible Conference. Fellow pastors Gil Lain (left), John Powell (second from left) and Wes Hinote asked questions of Melton and beloved Texas pastor Jimmy Draper, both of whom served many years as pastors and in denominational service.
Melton told young pastors to be careful “never to take that first step” in succumbing to temptation. Draper agreed, adding, “It’s not rocket science. If you don’t want to get wet, don’t go out in the rain. It’s your choice,” he insisted, encouraging ministers to avoid situations where “it’s your word against someone else’s.” Draper and Melton agreed to the priority of a pastor loving his own wife and including her in ministry. “Your wife is your greatest protector,” Draper said. “There are two reasons to take your wife with you when you visit— they will be nicer to you and she will be your protection against any kind of advance women may make toward you or you feel tempted to make.” Melton said he had never heard his wife speak a negative word about the churches he served. “That probably has done more to keep me encouraged than anything.” Both men said they sought to maintain contact with and to encourage friends who had failures in ministry. “All of us are going to fall sometime,” Draper said. “It’s not whether we are going to fall, but whether we get up when we fall.” “A lot of times when a preacher does fail we tend to forget that person,” Melton said, recalling a friend who admitted feeling abandoned. “One day I just got him on my heart and called him up. “Don’t give up on people. Look them in the eye and say, ‘You may never be able to pastor again, but God still has a purpose for your life.’” Melton also encouraged older ministers to make the time to befriend and encourage younger pastors. “You don’t know what it means to a young pastor in a small church for you to call him up and say, ‘Let’s go to lunch.’” “I think you’d find that most older, more established pastors would welcome the opportunity,” Draper said, recalling the time he asked Oklahoma City pastor Herschel Hobbs to meet with him. “We built a relationship we maintained all through the rest of my ministry and until his death.” OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 7
North Garland Baptist Fellowship first among African American churches in SBTC to commit to reaching unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPGs). By Sharayah Colter
T
GARLAND
wo years ago when International Mission Board (IMB) President Tom Elliff challenged churches to embrace an unengaged, unreached people group (UUPG), 3,800 people groups lacked a gospel witness. By last June, 759 had been adopted and 3,041 remained by IMB’s count. Among those 759 people groups engaged in the past two years are
Photos courtesy of Southwestern Seminary
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the Antandroy people group of Madagascar, whom North Garland Baptist Fellowship has committed to engage over the next five years. In committing to engage the “Tandroy,” the North Texas church became the first predominantly black church in the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to engage a UUPG. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth has also committed to reach the Antandroy people, so IMB strategist Adam
Hailes, stationed in Madagascar, has directed North Garland’s efforts toward one portion of the people group and SWBTS’ efforts toward another portion about two hours away. Together, North Garland and SWBTS hope to help the IMB see the Antandroy people become a “reached” people. Tony Mathews, pastor of North Garland and an SWBTS trustee, said it’s a joy and privilege to share the gospel with whomever the Lord allows, including those among the
“To see our teams travel to the ‘uttermost’ parts of the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ with people, many of whom have never heard the gospel, is nothing but the grace of God and one of the highest honors for me as a pastor.” —TONY MATHEWS, PASTOR OF NORTH GARLAND AND AN SWBTS TRUSTEE
Antandroy people group, most of whom have never heard of Jesus. “Whenever we reach people around the neighborhood and around the world for Christ, it gives me a great sense of fulfillment as a pastor,” Mathews said. “To see our teams travel to the ‘uttermost’ parts of the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ with people, many of whom have never heard the gospel, is nothing but the grace of God and one of the highest honors for me as a pastor.” Barry Calhoun, missions director at North Garland and director of mobilization with the SBTC, led the church’s first trip to Madagascar in June to make contact with the people. The team of three will now prepare others from the church to make subsequent trips. “The first team sent by North Garland has a vast amount of mission trip experience and now has the responsibility to train all others who will go,” Calhoun said. “It is important to prepare all subsequent teams for the work ahead and make sure they are knowledgeable of the strategy to reach the Tandroy.” Julie Cummings, a homeschooling mom and 22-year-member of North Garland, was one of three people on the church’s first trip to Madagascar. Though she had long since been passionate about evangelism and missions, the trip to work with the Antandroy deeply captivated and intrigued her, she said.
“I was not prepared for what God was going to teach and show me,” Cummings said. “The Tandroy people were so hungry for the truth and so ready to hear the stories we were there to tell. I remember we were talking with a group of people— maybe 15—and when we were done telling our story, one young man, about mid-20s, stood up and told us, through the translator, that he had never heard this name, Jesus, before but that he wants to follow him the rest of his days. It overwhelmed me to think and even more to experience someone who had never heard that name. What an overwhelming feeling.” That experience of sharing Christ with unengaged peoples is not as common as it should be. Calhoun said small congregation sizes, lack of funds and a focus on looking inward to maintain the church instead of outward to reach the nations have precluded many churches from fully engaging in the evangelism task. By partnering together, though, and purposing to have a heart for the salvation of people throughout the world and not just the community, even small churches can help further the gospel, Calhoun said. “The work requires commitment and change of priorities for many churches if they are to mobilize for missions,” Calhoun said. “Many of the UUPGs are in hard-to-reach places like the Tandroy, but God has
not given us—the church—a task that cannot be done. If you want to really see God at work, then you will go and take the gospel to the uttermost parts. If you want to fulfill the Great Commission, the harvest is now. God is at work in bringing the nations to himself, and he has invited—rather commissioned—us to join him (Matthew 28:19-20). “Together, we can do it. Small churches can join with other churches to reach the same UUPG, and the task becomes that much easier when they work together to touch the world. Every believer has a mandate to carry out the Great Commission; the good news is that we can do it together.” Mathews said he is praying for and counting on that kind of cooperation to see North Garland and others reach the Antandroy people. “We are praying and trusting God to supply more churches to partner with, which will enable us to do our small part in reaching this people group and assisting our missionaries for years to come,” Mathews said. Mathews said that one of the ways he is helping spur other churches to reach the unengaged is through a free workshop sponsored by the Dallas Baptist Association at which he plans to speak directly to pastors and leaders. Through the workshop, scheduled for Nov. 16 in Dallas, Mathews said he hopes to encourage pastors to challenge their churches toward global engagement. “Pastors are great people with great ministries, and the workshop’s aim is to move them from doing great things to greater things, namely, global missions,” Mathews said. For details on the workshop “Maximizing Pastoral Impact,” based on 2 Timothy 4:5 and “The Senior Pastor as Mobilizer for Missions” by Mathews, visit here. OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 9
Urban Missions Conference continues to bear fruit among African American congregations in Texas 75 North Texas churches heard challenge to reach the nations. By Jane Rodgers
T GARLAND
he first DFW Urban Missions Conference, sponsored by the International Mission Board and held at North Garland Baptist Fellowship last February, continues to bear fruit among African American congregations. The conference involved some 75 participants from predominantly African American congregations in North Texas and was aimed at spurring urban churches to greater missions involvement. “Our church has responded remarkably to the missions emphasis,” said Tony Mathews, North Garland Baptist Fellowship pastor. “The idea of following the Matthew 28 mandate to take the gospel into all the world is catching fire in our church.” The conference also “encouraged us to learn more about what African Americans have done historically” in world missions, said Mathews, adding that his congregation’s exposure to historic links between African Americans and global missions was “beyond motivating.” North Garland Baptist Fellowship participates in an annual outreach to India. Since the Urban Missions Conference, the church’s mission emphasis has also spread to Africa. 10 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 30, 2013
Bill Smith, pastor of North Buffalo Community Church in Buffalo, N.Y., calls urban churches to international missions at the DFW Urban Missions Conference.
In fact, three members of North Garland, including Barry Calhoun, SBTC director of mobilization, recently returned from a shortterm trip to assist IMB missionaries working among the Antandroy people group of southern Madagascar. Known as the “people of the thorns,” the Antandroy have only recently been exposed to the gospel. Another congregation, Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, has expressed interest in partnering with North Garland to further minister to the Antandroy, Calhoun said. Getting churches to consider God’s work around the world is a major goal of the Urban Missions Conferences, said Keith Jefferson, IMB African American church missional strategist and conference planner. “In the past, many African American churches and multiethnic churches have felt that the communities around them had enough problems of their own, but as we know, missions doesn’t stop with Jerusalem, it only begins there. Charity doesn’t stop at home; it only begins there,” Jefferson told the TEXAN at the DFW conference. “African American churches are growing in the SBC. We want them to grow internationally,” continued Jefferson, who noted that as of February, fewer than 30 of the IMB’s nearly 5,000 missionaries were black, about “half of 1 percent of the missionary force.” It is a statistic he is working to change.
“In the past, many African American churches and multiethnic churches have felt that the communities around them had enough problems of their own, but as we know, missions doesn’t stop with Jerusalem, it only begins there. Charity doesn’t stop at home; it only begins there.” —KEITH JEFFERSON, IMB AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH MISSIONAL STRATEGIST AND CONFERENCE PLANNER
“We want to encourage more African Americans to be on the field through the IMB and local churches. It’s got to be both. It cannot be either or,” Jefferson said. He hopes to mobilize black Southern Baptists for both short- and long-term missions work. When asked if the African American missions effort is targeted chiefly at Africa, Jefferson explained, “Yes and no. There are people in Africa who are waiting for African Americans to get there. They have heard about us and when we get there, they are saying, ‘Where have you been?’” Still, “Christianity is for all the people of the world.” The need is universal, according to Jefferson. “We want African Americans to go to China, Asia, India. In India there are millions and millions of people of color. Soon India in the next 30 years will
have 2 billion people. Those are people of color,” he said. Pastors like Mathews are vital in encouraging African American involvement in missions, Jefferson noted, referencing Mathews’ workshop “The Senior Pastor as the Mobilizer for International Missions.” At the conference, Bill Smith, pastor of North Buffalo Community Church in Buffalo, N.Y., delivered a motivational address chronicling his background as a former Dallas-Fort Worth resident and seminary student and challenging congregations to participate in global missions. Scott Holste, IMB vice president of global and strategic mobilization, presented the challenge of reaching unengaged, unreached people groups. Mathews, Jefferson and Smith led breakout sessions, as well as Leroy Fountain, NAMB national coordinator of church mobilization; Robert Williams, president and CEO of Miracle Making Ministries; and Rick Armstrong, evangelism and missions pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington. February’s event was the second of its kind. The first was held in Chicago in September. A third conference was conducted in Dayton, Ohio, in March with another planned for Philadelphia this fall. A second DFW Urban Missions Conference is in the works for February 2014, although neither venue nor date has been finalized. Of the 2013 DFW Urban Missions Conference, Mathews said: “We gained great insight into the IMB’s global strategies for reaching people groups around the world. But simultaneously what made the conference unique is that we were also encouraged to reach people around the block, around the neighborhood and around the state and nation. We are mission minded and thank God for it.” OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 11
Texas abortion law goes into effect, minus one provision targeted by federal judge By Bonnie Pritchett AUSTIN
A PROVISION IN A TEXAS pro-life law was struck down Monday by a U.S. district judge who declared the provision unconstitutional, just hours before the overall law went into effect. While media attention emphasized the presumed demise of what they called a key facet of the bill, the heart of House Bill 2—protection of babies from abortion after 20 weeks of gestation—quietly became the law of Texas. “That’s going into effect today. We’re very excited about that,” said Emily Horne, legislative associate for Texas Right to Life. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott immediately filed an emergency stay against Judge Lee Yeakel’s ruling, calling on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to allow the bill to go into effect, full force, while pending an appeal. A decision was possible at press time. Yeakel declared unconstitutional the requirement of HB2 that abortion doctors receive admitting privileges to local hospitals. Rep. Jodie Laubenburg, R.-Murphy, author of HB2, said she is not surprised by Yeakel’s ruling but is confident it will not hold up on appeal. She issued a statement via her chief of staff, Suzanne Bowers: “It’s a good bill that was carefully written to meet the challenges of protecting life and at the same time offering safety and protection for women seeking an abortion.” Texas joins a band of states whose recent legislative restrictions on abortion procedures, abortionists and their clinics have come under judicial scrutiny. Planned Parenthood and a host of Texas abortion providers and physicians challenged the admitting privileges requirement and restrictions placed on the dispensing of the abortion-inducing medication RU-486. HB2 stipulated that abortionists attain admitting privileges to a hospital within a 30-mile radius of the abortion clinic. Doctors also would have to oversee the 12 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 30, 2013
use of abortion-inducing drugs instead of prescribing them for home use. Yeakel, in his ruling, wrote that the admitting requirement was “without a rational basis and places a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion.” His ruling on the use of RU-486 is a little vague though, Horne said. Yeakel wrote that the law’s restrictions “do not rise to the level of an undue burden.” But he later qualified that statement, writing that the medication abortion restriction may not be enforced if, in the judgment of the attending physician, the life or health of the mother is at risk. Supporters of the legislation, though disappointed with the ruling, were not surprised and are confident the bill will hold up in the appellate process. Sen. Glenn Hegar, R.-Katy, who authored the Senate version of the bill, voiced “absolute confidence that they will continue the legal fight to ensure the enactment of this legislation in its entirety and will ultimately be successful in their efforts.” Pro-choice advocates often successfully challenge pro-life legislation in the lower courts, yet Texas has a track record of winning on appeal. Keith Sanders, pastor of First Baptist Church in Keller, said, “I would encourage all of our pastors to lead our churches to pray for the appellate process since in this case, as in the past, one local judge may seek to overturn a law, then there’s a favorable ruling at higher level.” Sanders recently heard Abbott, the Texas attorney general, address the issue and expressed confidence that Abbott is willing to pursue the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. Sanders addressed the issue from Amarillo where the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is convened for its annual meeting. The convention passed without opposition a resolution affirming the work of the 83rd Texas Legislature and its members who support life.
Trustees adopt response to SBC mental health motion, decide on tenure By Keith Collier FORT WORTH
SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY trustees responded to a Southern
Baptist Convention messenger’s request regarding mental health ministries, adopted bylaw and policy changes regarding faculty tenure, elected faculty and recognized President Paige Patterson for 10 years of service at their fall meeting on Oct. 16. During the SBC annual meeting in June, Ronnie Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in Springdale, Ark., presented a motion requesting SBC entities to report on past, present and future efforts to assist churches in ministry to people who suffer with mental health challenges. Trustees adopted a response to the motion, noting the seminary’s graduate and post-graduate coursework in biblical counseling and pastoral ministry. In addition to coursework, trustees said the seminary “provides for the churches counseling workshops in which the laity come to be trained in how to respond to the difficult problems that people face. So in this way Southwestern not only trains its students but also reaches out to provide help for the churches. Further, our faculty in counseling spends a great portion of its time counseling the counselors from the churches who frequently call on us for help with various kinds of problems.” Trustees also unanimously approved changes to the seminary’s bylaws and policies, eliminating the future extension of tenure to faculty. Elected faculty who have already been granted tenure are unaffected and will retain the rights and privileges of tenured faculty. The decision comes after ongoing dialogue among the board. At their spring
SWBTS trustees hear from seminary President Paige Patterson during their fall meeting on the Fort Worth campus.
meeting in April, trustees passed a motion requesting the policies & bylaws subcommittee to bring recommended revisions to the fall meeting. Trustees also elected two new faculty members, both of whom were serving under presidential appointment. Scott Aniol was elected as assistant professor of church music in the School of Church Music, effective Jan. 1. Dean Sieberhagen was elected assistant professor of missions and Islamic studies in the Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, effective Jan. 1. During a chapel service Oct. 16, trustees recognized Paige and Dorothy Patterson for 10 years of service at Southwestern Seminary. “As a young pastor during the early ‘80s, I had the opportunity to watch Dr. Patterson from afar, to watch him move about in our convention with integrity, tenacity and theological insight. I saw a man that was bigger than life, robust and fearless,” said Steven James, chairman of the board of trustees. James recalled hearing Patterson preach in 2011 during the dedication of the seminary’s MacGorman Chapel. He told Patterson he was impressed during the sermon with “the mercy, humility and compassion that you have in your heart, especially for those who are lost.” “That’s when my spirit—even with all we went through in the ‘80s—really connected with your spirit.” James read an official proclamation from Texas Gov. Rick Perry and another proclamation from the City of Fort Worth declaring Oct. 16, 2013 as Paige Patterson Day. OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 13
SBTC DR wraps up in Colorado By Jane Rodgers SOUTHERN BAPTISTS OF TEXAS CONVENTION Disaster Relief efforts to aid victims of September flooding in Colorado are wrapping up. SBTC teams have focused on assisting the Estes Park, Loveland, Longmont and Jamestown communities, SBTC DR Director Jim Richardson said. “We plan to finish work in Jamestown by Nov. 3,” Richardson said. The work has included cleanout operations as volunteers have helped clear more than 20 homes of sand, river rocks and other flood debris. Workers also have removed damaged sheetrock, furniture and flooring, sanitizing many structures to prevent mold and mildew. In Colorado, SBTC DR volunteers have donated more than 200 work days (calculated per person), served some 400 meals and provided laundry resources, according to Richardson. Nearly 100 spiritual contacts had been made as of Oct. 18, with 23 presentations of the gospel. “When we plant the seeds [of the gospel faith], we don’t always know how they will grow. We will know one of these days. We are sometimes planters, not always harvesters,” said Doug Scott, whose team of seven worked in the Boulder and Jamestown areas. Most of the residences that Scott’s team cleared near Boulder were built next to, sometimes even into, mountainsides. The team cleared a driveway of debris 14 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 30, 2013
DR volunteer Jim Howard, pastor of West Side Baptist in Atlanta, Texas, cuts a limb from a tree that was felled by floodwaters over the Big Thompson River.
and then cut up fallen trees clogging rivers. Significant effort was given south of Longmont on homes clustered along Boulder’s Fourmile Canyon Road. Accessing the homes proved challenging. “When the water made a turn, it ate out the road. Many places were reduced to one lane,” Scott said. On Gold Run Road, off Fourmile Road, Scott’s team encountered a family of seven whose nightmarish ordeal during the September flood had given all room for pause and reflection. The family had been asleep when floodwaters rushed through their historic home, trapping two family members under piles of debris. The woman’s husband was trapped for two hours. “She had to hold his head up to keep him from drowning,” Scott said. “But they all got out and proclaimed it a miracle. It was a miracle. We made sure we reiterated that the miracle was from God. “I don’t know if the lady was a believer. But that experience probably changed her thinking to some degree.” Homes in Jamestown are located in a deep valley. “The floods had pretty much washed a lot of the town away. Houses were still in the river,” Scott said. One resident repeatedly expressed his appreciation to Scott and crew for their work. “We are doing the work Christ asked us to do,” Scott told the gentleman who stood on a bridge. The man appeared to agree, Scott said. “There are things going on spiritually in Colorado, as in every disaster,” Scott said. “We don’t always see the results right away.”
Baptist scholars: Pray for peace during ongoing crisis in Syria By Paul F. South AS THE NATIONS WRESTLE with the Syrian civil war,
two leading Southern Baptist scholars offer spiritual counsel about the Christian response to the ongoing crisis: Pray for the peace of Damascus even as it becomes less prominent in the news. Craig Mitchell of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and Michael Edens of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary urged Christians to seek God’s wisdom and pray that world leaders do the same. The expertise of Mitchell, director of Southwestern’s Land Center for Cultural Engagement, centers on issues at the intersection of church and state. Edens, associate dean of graduate studies at NOBTS and a 23-year International Mission Board missionary, is a former Texas pastor and a professor of Islamic Studies who spent many years in the Middle East. “There are so many different factions involved that it’s like trying to untangle the Gordian knot,” Mitchell said in a phone interview. “I think a lot of people—and especially Christians in Syria—are just going through a very difficult time. I think we need to pray for the Christians in Syria in particular because some of the rebellious elements are associated with al-Qaida, that are trying to wipe (Christians) out.” Complicating things for Syrian Christians, Edens said, is that the Assad regime, part of the Alawite minority in Syria, has included other minorities—including Christians—in the government. As a result, they fear Islamist elements within the rebel movement. While the numbers aren’t hard and fast—census data in Middle Eastern nations isn’t always exact—Christians comprise about 5 percent of the Syrian population. “Some of them want to defend and stand with the government,” Edens said. “That position has been strengthened, if you would, by some of the rebels drawing support and being bolstered by Islamist financial resources and ideological positions. The Saudi government is in support of some of these rebels, and individ-
uals in Saudi Arabia are in support of rebel factions.” The use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people further heightened tensions. While the United States and some of its allies believe the Assad regime is responsible for the chemical attack, other nations are not so sure. Last year, President Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would serve as a “red line,” triggering an American military response. But faced with a divided Congress, public opposition and tepid international support, the Obama administration backed off before the United Nations stepped in with a resolution calling on Syria to destroy its chemical weapons. Washington blamed Assad’s government for the sarin nerve gas attack on a Damascus suburb that killed hundreds on Aug. 21. The Syrian government and ally Russia blamed anti-government rebels. If Assad ultimately spurns U.N. demands and the U.S. still fails to act, America’s moral leadership will be further damaged, Mitchell said. “But that can happen no matter what we do. If we intervene in this situation and say powers favorable to al-Qaida take over as a result, that’s not going to make anybody here happy. We’re not likely to help Bashar Assad. The man is obviously a tyrant. So, exactly what should we do?” Given Assad’s opposition, ranging from secularists to Christians to Islamic militants, Mitchell said it’s hard to OCTOBER 30, 2013 TEXANONLINE.NET 15
“I can tell you who the good guys are. They don’t have guns. They’re not pro-rebels or pro-Assad. They simply want a better life for their children. And they are being trampled by the civil war. They ascribe to the values of Islam, but the heart of their life is their life, not their religious expression.” —MICHAEL EDENS OF NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
know who the good guys are. But there are white hats to be found in Syria, Edens said. Borrowing a phrase coined by Richard Nixon, these Syrians represent a “silent majority” in the country, as are 60 to 80 percent of Muslims in the Islamic world, Edens said.
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“I can tell you who the good guys are. They don’t have guns,” Edens added. “They’re not pro-rebels or proAssad. They simply want a better life for their children. And they are being trampled by the civil war. They ascribe to the values of Islam, but the heart of their life is their life, not their religious expression.” Some Christians, particularly those who favor the regime, would fall into the same category, Edens said. Some would side with the rebels, but there is concern that the movement is being co-opted by Islamic militants. So, how should American Christians respond? “Prayer and an inquiring mind—thinking about what God would have us learn from this situation—are our most fundamental tools,” Edens said. “By prayer and study of God’s Word and an inquiring, open, discipled mind, the individual Christian has access to the wisdom of God. The Bible says if you need wisdom, ask and God will supply. We as Christians need God’s wisdom in this.” Mitchell agreed. “There is no substitute for prayer,” he said. “There is great suffering going on over there right now. We need to pray for those people and especially the Christians in Syria. We also need to pray for our leaders, that God gives them wisdom, not only that he gives them wisdom, but gives them the desire to follow it. Right now, that’s the best thing that we can do.” Edens said no matter how the Syrian crisis unfolds, it is far from solved. “What I think our primary responsibility as Christians is in this terrible situation in this ancient country of Syria is that we need to pray to the God of heaven to help individual Syrians and families in Syria to know that he has love for them and that he has provided for them a Savior in Jesus. The best thing that can happen to anyone in Syria right now is to have a peaceful relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s not going to remove what I think will be 10 years of war in front of them, but it will answer a more basic need that God has provided a savior for them.” And regardless of who emerges in power in Syria, Edens said, God is sovereign over world events. “Whoever is on the throne in Syria, the people of Syria have one overriding need. They need to hear who Jesus is, and what he has provided for them. God will use this event however it morphs, to let this happen. We need to be in prayer for that also,” Edens said. “The world is moving in God’s direction. Most people don’t recognize that, but it is.”
Denny Burk
Mutilation vs. sanctification
J
ames Kushiner of Touchstone magazine asks an insightful question that exposes the moral confusion of our day. In essence he asks why it is legal to change a child’s sex but not his gender “identity.” The question is provoked by the bill signed into law in August by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie prohibiting licensed counselors from attempting to change a child’s “gender expression.” That means that if a parent has a young boy who likes to put on dresses and wear makeup, counselors are prohibited under New Jersey law from helping that boy. They must approve and support whatever gender that child chooses regardless of the child’s sex. This law reveals the rising social stigma in our culture against anyone who attempts to alter a child’s gender identity. But what about altering a child’s sex? While there is a growing stigma attached to altering gender identity, there is a growing acceptance of surgical procedures to “alter” a child’s biological sex. The New Yorker, for instance, reports on a suburban teenage girl who wished to embrace a male gender identity. Her parents allowed her to begin testosterone therapy when she was 14, and just before her 17th birthday they allowed her to get a double mastectomy. Now she is living out a male identity, although she says she still prefers to date boys. Kushiner puts a fine point on the issue: “So if a professional can’t talk to a minor about sexual orientation (because it’s fixed and messing with it is harmful?), then why was a professional doctor allowed to alter something as fixed as a biological body of a minor?” So here’s the fundamental moral inconsistency that the sexual revolutionaries have sold to us. It’s not OK to change a child’s mind, but it is OK to mutilate his body. If gender and sex
are to be in harmony, surgical manipulation must be preferred over mental alteration. But why allow the one and not the other? This inconsistency testifies to a much deeper spiritual rot. It exposes what has always been at the heart of the sexual revolution: The Creator’s purposes for male and female must give way to the creature’s autonomous will (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4). If a guy feels like he’s a girl, then he is one even if his biology says otherwise. The Creator’s distinction between male and female must bend to accommodate the sovereign will of the creature. Thus changing the body is better than changing the mind. The gender confusion that characterizes our day tells us a lot about the human condition. God made men upright, as Ecclesiastes 7:29 puts it, but they have sought out many schemes. By nature, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness and have become futile in their speculations (Romans 1:18, 21). And today the fashion is to deny the fundamental sexual difference that God has written into every cell of our bodies. There’s nothing new under the sun—just new incarnations of the ancient heresy, “Hath God really said?” And now to their own hurt, people prefer the mutilation of the flesh to the sanctification of their minds. They would offer up the bodies of their own children to the gods of sexual liberation. —Denny Burk is associate professor of New Testament at Boyce College, the undergraduate school of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He also serves as associate pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
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