By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor   MONTANA CITY, Mont. (BP)--South Hills Baptist Fellowship in Montana City, Mont., got its start 14 years ago with help from the Cooperative Program, but it didn't take the congregation long to forget its Southern Baptist heritage.   [img_assist|nid=7153|title=Pastor Steve Young|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=80|height=100]By the time Steve Young was called as pastor in 2008, the church had decreased its CP giving to 2 percent of undesignated offerings, down from its original 10 percent in 1998 to help support Southern Baptist work in Montana, across North America and around the world.   "The church went through some hard times, and the Cooperative Program was the easiest place to trim some dollars," Young said. "They went a year without a pastor. The men of the church took on the responsibility, and financially things began to turn around. By the time I came, finances weren't a problem, but they hadn't put that money back to work for God."   Young led South Hills, located in the suburbs of Helena, Montana’s capital city, to increase CP giving to 4.5 percent that first year and to 6 percent his second year.   "Hopefully in one to two … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby   OKLAHOMA CITY – The difference between reaching Native Americans in the past and in the future could well be determined at The Gathering, in early March.   At this gathering of Native American leaders of Southern Baptist churches across the United States and Canada, the discussion will center around how to more effectively than ever before reach Native peoples on reservations and in urban areas with the gospel of God’s personal love for them.   “Southern Baptists have been working with us for more than 100 years, and we are still an unreached people group,” said Eddie Lindsey, a Creek Indian and church planter strategist with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, in a conversation with the Baptist Messenger. “No way can the gospel that was brought to us be bad, but there are better ways to do it” that would be more effective than previous efforts.   “Now, when we reach one Indian it [the gospel message] stops,” Lindsey continued. “Awakenings come when we reach one Indian who reaches another Indian with the Gospel, and the gospel continues on. … We are trying to learn why Indians don’t share Christ with others when God comes into our life. Living without … [Read more...]

y Karen L. Willoughby   OKLAHOMA CITY – Eddie Lindsey, a church planter for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and a Creek Indian, says he sees at least two barriers to reaching the 67 tribal groups across Oklahoma, 39 of which are federally-recognized.   “We have tried to change him [the Native American who comes to Christ] but God is the one who changes him,” Lindsey said. “The problem we have faced was dealing with our culture. We were taught, to become a Christian, you had to put away your culture. … One man told me the other day that his father-in-law said, ‘if they didn’t want us to throw everything away, we would have become Christian a long time ago.’   “The thing we have to understand is that not all pow wow is bad,” Lindsey said. “We have to look at all cultures individually. Some dances are social, while other dances have a form of worship. Indian churches have struggled in addressing this problem.”   Jewish Christians faced the same situation, and lost out on a blessing, Lindsey said.   “If you read the book of Acts, the Jews had a terrible time going to the gentiles,” he pointed out. “The Jerusalem church couldn’t do it, so God raised up the Antioch … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby   OKLAHOMA CITY – Because they made their presentations in story form, non-Native speakers resonated with the Native American and First Nations participants in The Gathering March 2-4 in Oklahoma City.   Many expressed appreciation for the insights brought by the speakers who are experts in their fields.   “The scales fell off my eyes when Dr. Iorg spoke,” said Pandora Watchman, a Navajo member of Gateway Community Church in Window Rock, Ariz. “He showed how in the Bible times about how the gospel was given to the gentiles and the Jews didn’t like it. That made an impact, with what we go through here on the Navajo Reservation.   “A lot of people here are traditional,” she continued, referring to people’s Native belief mindset. “If a problem happens, they go to the Medicine Man. A lot of people feel a Medicine Man is more powerful than their own prayers to God.”   Iorg spoke about the need to stay true to the gospel without compromise, but to be gentle about it.   “My husband is a new Christian,” Watchman said. “He agreed with me about how the missionaries came across and how the missionaries did it all wrong – cut their hair, boarding school … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – To first-century Jewish Christians in Acts 15, there was just one solution to the problem of gentile believers: they had to become circumcised. [img_assist|nid=7159|title=Jeff Iorg|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=80|height=100]The uproar caused by the spread of the gospel to gentiles in Antioch provides a case study of how issues related to the gospel and culture should be handled, said Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, the most multi-cultural seminary in the world, the president said. He discussed “The Gospel and Culture” at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. Natives understood what he was saying because he used a story that they could relate to in their cultural context, several said later. “The scales fell off my eyes,” said Pandora Watchman of the Navajo nation. Was circumcision a matter of doctrinal conviction, spiritual commitment or personal preference? Heated debate surrounded the question, said Iorg in pointing out that confronting believers is sometimes part of preserving fellowship. Frivolous reasons, sinful choices and … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby   OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – People view everything they see and hear through their cultural worldview, through the understanding they have acquired from living the life they have lived. While similarities exist in people born within a 10-year period in the same geographic area and same economic level, each individual’s perspective on life is forged by what they personally have gone through.   Jay Jackson talked about this at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. The title of his two-hour keynote address: “On becoming agents of redemption in a cross-cultural context.”   It was a talk relevant to people from any cultural background, which resonated with Christian Native Americans desiring to reach their family, friends and neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.   “My ability to communicate effectively is entirely dependent on my understanding of the person I’m talking with,” Jackson said. “We take for granted when we share the gospel that the hearer shares our understanding of the nature and character of God … of inevitable judgment and inescapable eternal … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby   OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – Inherent multiplication is the difference between starting a church and a church planting movement, said Bill Fudge at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America.   [img_assist|nid=7162|title=Bill Fudge|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66]Fudge served as a missionary through the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board for 34 years. The title of his two-hour seminar: Training for Trainers, or T4T. It’s a process used successfully in East Asia for at least 15 years, which could be used by people from any cultural background, which resonated with Christian Native Americans who were at The Gathering to hear of new ways of reaching their family, friends and neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.   The concept is that people will invite friends, family, and others they know to their home for a lay-led time to worship Jesus. The following week, some of the original group will spin off and start their own lay-led times to worship Jesus, and the multiplication of trainers continues indefinitely.   “Don’t invite … [Read more...]

By Karen L. Willoughby OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (BP) – When Grant Lovejoy was a professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a student’s comment led him to the conclusion that two-thirds of the world’s population would not understand a clear gospel presentation even if it were given to them in their language. [img_assist|nid=7164|title=Grant Lovejoy|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=67|height=100]“It was an ‘aha’ moment,” Lovejoy said at The Gathering for Spiritual Awakening, which took place at Southern Hills Baptist Church March 2-4 for Native Peoples from across North America. The title of his two-hour keynote address: Bible Storying. It was a concept particularly interesting to his Native American listeners, who come from an oral culture and thought, rather than the abstract thinking of gospel-spreading Westerners. “We have spent most of the time imposing our oppressive and culturally destructive ways on tribal people,” Lovejoy said. “We’re like King Saul, who said, ‘Wear my armor’ to David. David used what God gave him, and that was more than enough in the hand of God.” The Bible is basically a story of God relating to His people, Lovejoy said. “If the Bible is a story, why is a sermon a list? Let’s reclaim the … [Read more...]

By Quinn Lavespere, Message Intern Writer   COLFAX – There was a time when it looked like David Smith’s life would end early.  Today, though, the Grant Parish School Board worker is living better than ever.   [img_assist|nid=7166|title=David Smith|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=72]Having triumphed in a life-or-death battle with esophageal cancer, Smith gratefully repays the Lord today through ministries that aim at giving encouragement to others and bringing salvation to the unsaved.   “My aim is to show kindness to others and let the love of Jesus shine through my behavior,” Smith said.  “After what the Lord has done for me, I feel obligated to repay Him the best ways I can.”   Smith said he works in the technology department at the Grant Parish School Board and is the media specialist for the Grant Parish school system.   “My role in that is I support the teachers as they integrate technology into the classrooms,” Smith said.   Smith talked about the ministries he is involved in and God’s role in these ministries.   “Probably the most important ministry I do is my devotional ministry,” Smith said.  “In 2007, I was diagnosed with esophageal … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Editor   PINEVILLE – The Town Talk, the daily newspaper of Alexandria, La., reported Feb. 20 on portions of a draft document that is part of a study being assembled by Louisiana College to assess the status of its infrastructure.   According to The Town Talk, the draft document produced by Aramark Higher Educationindicates the LC infrastructure has some significant needs.   “One portion of a project, commissioned by Louisiana College in 2010 to study the status of its infrastructure, was intercepted and stolen from the college,” said Tim Johnson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at LC. “Evidently working with the person or persons who stole the ‘in process’ study, The Town Talk ran an article in an apparent effort to damage the college,” Johnson added.   “The first time I saw some of the specific pieces of the report were on the front page of The Town Talk. The attack on the college was unbelievable, especially using unconfirmed and stolen information.” Joe Aguillard, president of LC, said. “At this point, there is probably nothing that The Town Talk can do to make us think any less of them.”   Aguillard added, “There is a great spiritual battle … [Read more...]