What will the seminary of the 21st century look like? NEW ORLEANS (BP) – What will the seminary of the 21st century look like? Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, set forth a vision for the seminary’s future during the NOBTS trustees’ fall meeting Oct 15. Theological education began experiencing major changes after the technological advances of the 1990s, Kelley said, and dramatic changes will continue sweeping through theological and ministry training in the years ahead. Change and innovation, he said, are new constants. In a presentation titled “Back to Our Future,” Kelley outlined his vision for a 21st-century seminary. He compared the situation in ministry training to that of a gazelle and a lion in Africa. Each day an African gazelle must outrun the fastest lion to survive. The lion, on the other hand, faces death if he does not outrun the slowest gazelle. “In Africa, it doesn’t matter if you are a lion or a gazelle, you better wake up running,” Kelley said. “That’s the way it is now in the world of theological education. “Change has become an unavoidable force that will permanently affect the shape of higher education,” he said. NOBTS is well equipped to face these new … [Read more...]

The Montpelier Baptist congregation celebrated the church’s 100th anniversary during the morning service Sept. 28. About 250 people participated in the service to give praise to God for the ministry they have experienced at the church throughout the years. MONTPELIER – The Montpelier Baptist congregation celebrated the church’s 100th anniversary during the morning service Sept. 28. About 250 people participated in the service to give praise to God for the ministry they have experienced at the church throughout the years. Learning about the church’s history was life-changing, said Patsy Addison, a member. “I was impressed by the hardships and struggles the founders and builders of the first church faced in establishing Montpelier Baptist Church,” Addison said. “They did not give up, and our church still stands 100 years later as a testimony of what they accomplished through their faith in God.” She and fellow church members Inez Tate, Charlene Addison, and W.E. Dykes were the Church History Committee; they did the research for the day’s program. When the church’s ministry was just starting out, it was only attended by local people, Addison said. “Now, people come from miles around,” she said. “The church has … [Read more...]

Much has been done in New Orleans since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina; much remains to be done. NEW ORLEANS – Much has been done in New Orleans since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina; much remains to be done. Southern Baptists, in great measure because of the work and ministry done by thousands of trained Disaster Relief and other volunteers, have acquired a good reputation in the multi-parish region covered by BAGNO, the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. The question before pastors and associational leaders – especially in light of the impending retirements next spring of Director of Missions Joe McKeever and his second, Freddie Arnold – is how best to capitalize on the good that has been done for the glory of God and in the name of Jesus. In addition to McKeever’s and Arnold’s retirements, BAGNO and the North American Mission Board are in discussion about the future management and ownership of the four mission centers NAMB owns in New Orleans, as well as the future oversight of NOAH (New Orleans Area Hope) Rebuild efforts. Further compounding the need for a new strategy: the region has about 50 fewer Southern Baptist congregations, and about 160,000 fewer area residents. Consideration of these three concerns led … [Read more...]

One Christmas a mother decided not to remind her children to write thank-you notes for the gifts they received. One Christmas a mother decided not to remind her children to write thank-you notes for the gifts they received. As a result, they never sent their grandmother acknowledgements of the generous checks she had given. The next year, things were different, however.  “The children came over in person to thank me,” the grandmother told a friend. “How wonderful!” the friend exclaimed. “What do you think caused the change in behavior?” “Oh, that’s easy,” the grandmother replied. “This year I didn’t sign the checks.” Cultivating a thankful heart in children is a difficult task in our society today. Every parent knows how challenging it is just to have children say “thank you” without being prompted. Actually cultivating a spirit of gratitude can be even more difficult. What can parents do to help children develop a thankful heart? Consider these suggestions. Serve as a role model of gratitude in your own life. Express your thanks for God’s blessings during prayer times with the children. Make a point of saying “thank you” when the children have been helpful or done a good job with school work. Show your … [Read more...]

In previous articles, I examined two major items relating to a minister’s compensation. In previous articles, I examined two major items relating to a minister’s compensation.  The first item I discussed was the procedure for setting up the minister’s compensation so that he pays the lowest amount of taxes possible while at the same time maximizing the amount of money he is able to keep in his pocket. The second item was the concept of the Housing Allowance.  Remember, the premise of this entire exercise is to lower the minister’s tax liability. As a result, a minister is able to keep more of his own money. A church is able to do this without adding a single penny to the minister’s compensation. All a church has to do is allow the minister to identify money from his salary as housing allowance.  There are two other ways the church can help the minister in respect to his finances. They are through direct payments and accountable reimbursements. Direct payments are monies that the church pays directly to a company for a service. However, the recipient of the service will be the minister.  Almost all direct payments will deal with insurances of one variety or another, and retirement funds.  As a general concept, the … [Read more...]

“Depending on the Lord. That’s been our biggest lesson over the last two years,” says Sam Allen of No Other Name. DEVILLE – “Depending on the Lord. That’s been our biggest lesson over the last two years,” says Sam Allen of No Other Name. No Other Name is to lead in worship Nov. 16-19 at Philadelphia Baptist Church, where Philip Robertson is pastor. Over the last seven years, No Other Name has experienced highs and lows, the trio acknowledges. Most have been highs, but life has taught a few hard lessons too. Money: “There were a couple of times when my husband and I looked at our bank account and wondered how we were going to pay the bills that month,” says vocalist Laura Allen, Sam Allen’s sister. “We took a step back and cried out ‘Lord, you’re going to have to make our finances work.’ Sure enough, God took control and everything worked out. God just wanted us to depend on Him.” Parenting: “Having kids has been one of the biggest and most rewarding challenges of my life,” says Chad Smith. “It’s humbling to think that God put them in our hands to raise. I learned quickly that there is no ‘how-to’ manual on fatherhood. I know; I looked. But through hard times and good, ups and downs, God has taught me not to worry, … [Read more...]

How are Christians supposed to grow, unless someone steers them in the right direction? SHREVEPORT – How are Christians supposed to grow, unless someone steers them in the right direction? That’s the essence of “Association,” the second principle of evangelism, as described by Robert Coleman in The Master Plan of Evangelism – MPE. The first principle was “Selection.” For the first two articles into this series, see www.baptistmessage.com and search for “Evangelism.” “Jesus made a practice of being with them,” wrote Coleman on p. 33 of MPE. “Amazing as it may seem, all Jesus did to teach these men his way was to draw them close to himself.” The more time his disciples spent with Jesus, the more they grew like him. Coleman pointed out that in his second and third years of ministry, Jesus spent increasingly more time with his disciples. “Jesus had virtually no time to call his own,” Coleman wrote, and later in the same paragraph added, “the only way that a father can properly raise a family is to be with it.” Jesus didn’t have time to give to all the people who wanted it, but he did impress on his disciples “the need for immediate personal care of new converts.” That’s where Coleman moved from the pulpit to the pew. … [Read more...]

Baptist Golf Fellowship Fall Tournament participants left their two-day event in late September with trophies, door prizes and the sound of nature ringing in their ears. ALEXANDRIA –Baptist Golf Fellowship Fall Tournament participants left their two-day event in late September with trophies, door prizes and the sound of nature ringing in their ears. OakWing Golf Club in Alexandria, a “must play” course on the Audubon Golf Trail, accommodated all skill levels involved and provided a blend of natural beauty of Louisiana bayous, lakes and towering tree-lined fairways with a challenge of rolling hills and undulating greens. “It was a perfect two days to enjoy one of the best courses in the state,” one participant said. “Blue skies, balmy weather, a beautiful course – it doesn’t get any better than this.” The awards banquet was hosted by Calvary Baptist Church, where an abundance of delicious food and lively fellowship were enjoyed. Wayne Taylor, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Foundation, emceed the event. He was assisted by Baptist Message Editor Kelly Boggs. The Foundation and Message sponsor the tourney. BGF Committee members Bob Braly, Bill Penny and Robert Spicer assisted in awarding trophies and door … [Read more...]

The popular notion of the “sweet by and by” is often one of clouds, pain-free bliss and not much else – except for the occasional angel floating by with a harp. If one’s idea of eternity is a happy pill, such an image might be appealing. GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – The popular notion of the “sweet by and by” is often one of clouds, pain-free bliss and not much else – except for the occasional angel floating by with a harp. If one’s idea of eternity is a happy pill, such an image might be appealing. Author Randy Alcorn, in his bestselling book Heaven, illustrates contemporary Christianity’s failure in teaching on eternal life by quoting a pastor who admitted: “I can’t stand the thought of that endless tedium. To float around in the clouds with nothing to do but strum a harp ... it’s all so terribly boring. Heaven doesn’t sound much better than hell. I’d rather be annihilated than spend eternity in a place like that.” More than one music leader has suggested, based on Bible passages that speak of music, that a believer’s eternity will be a never-ending sing-along around a celestial piano. Most people enjoy good music and everyone wants bliss, but are these accurate depictions of what heaven will be like? What is … [Read more...]

Have you ever noticed that when a discussion turns to a recently deceased celebrity, someone invariably says, “I know he’s looking down on us right now”? It doesn’t matter how godless the person was, his peers refer to him as being in a better place and then gesture skyward. GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – Have you ever noticed that when a discussion turns to a recently deceased celebrity, someone invariably says, “I know he’s looking down on us right now”? It doesn’t matter how godless the person was, his peers refer to him as being in a better place and then gesture skyward. Mark Coppenger, professor of Christian apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, sees a lamentable example of that in the 1941 poem “High Flight,” which was quoted in tribute to astronauts who died in the 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Not all the astronauts were Christians “but we were told they ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God,’” Coppenger said. Also a cartoon in a Chicago newspaper depicting the late sports announcer Harry Caray being welcomed by Saint Peter at the pearly gates, even though there was no evidence Caray was redeemed. “Everywhere you turn, culture ignores the Bible to make … [Read more...]