"Right on," brother. (Re: May 6 issue of Louisiana Baptist Message) "Right on," brother. (Re: May 6 issue of Louisiana Baptist Message)   We appreciate your article concerning our conventionwide obsession with focusing on the "star-quality" pastors of our large churches who are noteworthy and quoteworthy. At the same time, relegating the role of our "smaller" church pastors to simply preaching "The Word," instead of performing in some production number - how quaint and how awesome the "calling" to do just that.   Don’t get me wrong, folks - mega-churches may be important, but will they _ or can they - ever minister to the real-life needs of Shongaloo, Turkey Creek or Hosston residents in a one-on-one setting?   There’s a ministry for each of us to do for the glory of God! Anything more or less is just window-dressing.   Louis Bradford Bossier City, La. … [Read more...]

Starting a ministry to special-needs individuals is as simple as a smile, handshake or hug, those who lead such efforts in their churches say. Starting a ministry to special-needs individuals is as simple as a smile, handshake or hug, those who lead such efforts in their churches say.   Parents of a disabled child often feel awkward in a church setting because they fear their child is bothering the rest of the congregation, said Michelle Guppy, a leader in the special-needs ministry at Graceview Baptist Church in Tomball, Texas.   They notice church members acting uncomfortable around their children, Guppy explained. Sensing this, many of the families choose not to attend church.   However, by greeting the child and touching his or her hand during conversation, church members go a long way to overcoming the discomfort, said Guppy, the mother of a 10-year-old autistic boy.   "As a parent, all they want is to feel welcome," she added.   "We’re not going to church to be healed but to be welcomed. We want to go somewhere our children will be welcomed, and someone will tell them about Jesus."   Many special-needs families know each other, Guppy said. Thus, … [Read more...]

If the experience of the Charlie Warren family is any indication, churches must take care when dealing with special-needs children. If the experience of the Charlie Warren family is any indication, churches must take care when dealing with special-needs children.   If it were not for his family’s deep commitment to Christ and the church, they would have stopped attending long ago because of frustrations with special-needs ministries, said Warren, editor of the Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine.   Warren has a 20-year-old daughter, Jan, who is autistic, legally blind, hearing impaired and non-verbal.   Attempts to keep her involved in church life often have proven frustrating and even hurtful, he said.   At times, it was "like pulling eye teeth" to find someone else willing to take care of his daughter, Warren said.   Also, at one church, the girl was assigned to a cleaned-out closet at the end of a long hall that got little traffic.   Warren said two things eventually became obvious - the church was trying to keep the special-needs girl out of sight, and she was a low priority.   Finally, the Warrens became so frustrated, they changed … [Read more...]

My wife, Leah, works among people who are deemed profoundly limited mentally and physically. My wife, Leah, works among people who are deemed profoundly limited mentally and physically.   One of the men she helps comes to her office area regularly to have copies of a simple paper puzzle made. Other puzzles are available to him, but he likes this particular one and takes great delight working it again and again. Perhaps he thinks, "I can work this one - why waste time trying others?"   The time had come for his regular "copy visit," and he entered the door like clockwork.   "Hey, Jimmy, how’s it going?" asked the ladies who office in the large, open area.   He had little time for chit-chat. He was out of copies of his puzzle and needed an immediate refill.   "Hey, Jimmy, can you catch a lizard?" one of the ladies asked. "We have one in here that is driving us to distraction, and none of us can catch it."   Indeed, the lizard had. For days, the highly-educated ladies had tried everything from stomping to sweeping to swatting. Still, the lizard eluded them and their steely, dangerous efforts and continued to menace them as only a lizard … [Read more...]

For the week of June 10, 2004 Cooperative Program   Gifts through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program totaled almost $16.7 million last month, a decrease of $124,570 (0.7 percent) from the previous May. For the year, gifts total almost $129.7 million, an increase of $5.7 million (4.6 percent) from the same time last year. With four months remaining in the Southern Baptist Convention fiscal year, gifts also stand $8.1 million (6.7 percent) ahead of budget. Meanwhile, designated gifts totaled almost $21 million last month, an increase of $3.2 million (18.6 percent) from the previous May. For the year, designated gifts total $152.5 million. An increase of $23 million (17.8 percent) from the same time last year.   Trouble in Sudan   Sudan’s government and a major rebel group have signed a peace agreement that could lead to the end of that country’s 21 years of civil war. However, a region of the country facing alleged ethnic cleansing has been left out of the accord. The agreement between the Arab-dominated Muslim government and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army in southern Sudan does not encompass rebels in the country’s western region of Darfur. And Darfur could become "the … [Read more...]

When the Southern Baptist Convention meets next week, one of the actions taken by messengers will undoubtedly be to sever all ties with the Baptist World Alliance When the Southern Baptist Convention meets next week, one of the actions taken by messengers will undoubtedly be to sever all ties with the Baptist World Alliance. The reason that Southern Baptist Convention leaders have given is what they call the theological liberalism of some of the efforts sponsored by the Baptist World Alliance. And, there is no doubt that this is a sincere reason on the part of some. But the generally unspoken yet major reason is the fact that the executive council of the Baptist World Alliance allowed the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to join the organization.   Years ago, there was a rather common saying, "Do not bite your nose off to spite your face." It seems to this editor that by withdrawing from the Baptist World Alliance, Southern Baptists will be doing just what that saying implied. We will be depriving ourselves of our relationships with many Baptists around the world and we will be the poorer for it.   This editor’s association with the Baptist World Alliance has not been extensive over the years-as … [Read more...]

When he was 21, Graham Taylor woke from a night of heavy partying in his London flat, took a look in a mirror, and said, "Oh, God, there has got to be more to life than this." When he was 21, Graham Taylor woke from a night of heavy partying in his London flat, took a look in a mirror, and said, "Oh, God, there has got to be more to life than this."   Taylor says he did not expect God to answer - but God did. Taylor says a voice inside told him to make peace with his parents, whom he had hardly seen since running away at 16. "Go home, and I’ll find you a job, and I’ll find you a wife," Taylor says the voice told him.   "I’ll tell you - I didn’t want the job in my hometown, and I didn’t want the wife," Taylor notes from his home in the Yorkshire village of Cloughton, where he now is the local vicar. "That was off the agenda."   But within a few days, Taylor had packed his bags and headed home. To his surprise, he found a job and a wife in short order. He also found a calling as an Anglican priest, a career he started after working his way through school for 10 years as a police officer.   Then came the surprise of his life.   Last summer, at age 43, Taylor … [Read more...]

What would drive someone to spend 14 years, four nights per week in rain, snow or shine, knocking on doors to find where God might be at work? What would drive someone to spend 14 years, four nights per week in rain, snow or shine, knocking on doors to find where God might be at work?   For Phil Duncan, it is the day in 1954 when he saw a car hit his brother. Two days later, his brother was dead, and Duncan says he understood that life has no guarantees. That same month, he gave his life to Christ.   "When I watched my brother die, I realized I didn’t know where I would go when I died," says Duncan, 62, associate pastor at Jersey Baptist Church in Pataskala, Ohio.   Immediately following Duncan’s salvation at age 13, he says God burdened him for his unsaved family members. For years, on every visit to his grandfather, Duncan says he would sit by his grandfather’s chair and ask him to invite Christ into his life.   For years, his grandfather said, "Nope."   But at age 88, in a tearful conversion, Duncan’s grandfather finally said yes.   Duncan says he has had similar experiences with cousins, aunts and uncles.   In high school and college … [Read more...]

Paralysis may be a handicap for certain individuals, but Terry Taylor has refused to let that prevent him from preaching every Sunday or participating in lumberjack competitions. Paralysis may be a handicap for certain individuals, but Terry Taylor has refused to let that prevent him from preaching every Sunday or participating in lumberjack competitions.   "I don’t have the ability to walk, but that doesn’t mean I can stop," says Taylor, pastor at Crews New Salem Baptist Church in Montgomery.   Taylor was injured Aug. 18, 1993, when a tree fell on him while he was working as a logger.   Nevertheless, Taylor still "stands" to preach - thanks to a motorized wheelchair that elevates his body vertically.   It is not the career Taylor anticipated, even after he began his career in the ministry two years after he married his wife, Beverly, in 1976.   At that time, Taylor served as minister of music and youth at Sikes Baptist Church.   He remained with that congregation until he accepted the call to Atlanta Baptist Church to lead music. Taylor remained at that church for 13 years.   While Taylor was serving at Atlanta Baptist Church, he was … [Read more...]

Several issues of moral and social concern continue to draw interest as the Louisiana Legislature nears close of its regular session. Several issues of moral and social concern continue to draw interest as the Louisiana Legislature nears close of its regular session.   With the legislature set to close later this month, issues related to alcohol use, gambling, human cloning and same-sex marriage remain to be decided, said Ken Ward, executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation.   "It’s coming down to the final days - and there is still a lot to be determined," Ward noted.   "Things will happen very quickly now. Concerned citizens have to be vigilant and monitor issues carefully."   Key issues include:   • Same-sex marriage. Both the Louisiana House and Senate have passed bills that would allow state voters to cast ballots on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. The amendment would prohibit same-sex marriages in Louisiana from recognizing same-sex marriages that were performed in other states as well.   However, it still has not been determined when Louisiana voters will have a say on the amendment. One version of the … [Read more...]