Depending on who one talks to, the Baptist General Convention of Texas is entering a period of redefining - or severing - its relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. Speculation about the relationship between the national denomination and its largest state convention has increased in recent weeks. In June, messengers to the annual Southern Baptist Convention approved revisions to the Baptist Faith and Message confessional statement. Depending on who one talks to, the Baptist General Convention of Texas is entering a period of redefining - or severing - its relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. Speculation about the relationship between the national denomination and its largest state convention has increased in recent weeks. In June, messengers to the annual Southern Baptist Convention approved revisions to the Baptist Faith and Message confessional statement. Those revisions were opposed publicly by some Texas Baptists before and during the annual convention. Critics said the revisions raise the Bible to the level of Jesus Christ. They also complain about other changes, such as the assertion that only men may serve as pastors. Since … [Read more...]
United with Christ
The devil is loose and doing his job well, as evidenced by the continuing controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention. He is devious in that he is dividing us on issues in which both sides are right and both sides are wrong. The devil is loose and doing his job well, as evidenced by the continuing controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention. He is devious in that he is dividing us on issues in which both sides are right and both sides are wrong. An example is in the June 21 Baptist Press release "defining moment." In this article incomplete statements and statements taken out of context give different "spins" to the same statements. I should hope that both sides realize that the words recorded in the Bible, as spoken by God, is the Word of God and that His son Jesus Christ is the Revealed Word of God. The two cannot be separated, the Bible tells of Gods Word and Jesus reveals it. Why cant we, as concerned Christians in our preciously great SBC, demand that the Convention decease in its "power play" of one side against another. Let us not align ourselves with strong fundamentalists or with strong moderates, but rather be united again on the side of Christ. Let us stop wasting … [Read more...]
Key Louisiana church-state case decided – finally
Almost 15 years ago, a group of Louisiana parents gathered in a small New Orleans meeting room to announce a challenge of federal funding for parochial education. Their challenge was encompassing - and threatened to change the face of parochial education across the nation. Almost 15 years ago, a group of Louisiana parents gathered in a small New Orleans meeting room to announce a challenge of federal funding for parochial education. Their challenge was encompassing - and threatened to change the face of parochial education across the nation. However, last month, the challenge finally was decided - with the U.S. Supreme Court deciding that federal funds could continue to be used to fund parochial education in this country. In a decision announced on the last day of the court term, six of the nine justices affirmed the constitutionality of a 33-year-old federal program that provides computers and other instructional materials to the nations public, private and religious schools. In addition to upholding the funding program, the recent decision also seemed to signal a key change in how church-state issues are viewed by the court. Opponents of the Chapter 2 funding program argued it violated the … [Read more...]
For this Louisianian, music has been a lifetime ministry
When Bob Ferrington retired from education in 1988, he was only half-way finished with his career. Ferrington was the director of choral activities at Louisiana Tech University for 19 years. He went to First Baptist Church of Farmerville in 1975 to help out as the interim minister of music. The position soon grew into a bivocational ministry and, later, into full-time service. At the end of June, Ferrington retired from his full-time ministry at the church. When Bob Ferrington retired from education in 1988, he was only half-way finished with his career. Ferrington was the director of choral activities at Louisiana Tech University for 19 years. He went to First Baptist Church of Farmerville in 1975 to help out as the interim minister of music. The position soon grew into a bivocational ministry and, later, into full-time service. At the end of June, Ferrington retired from his full-time ministry at the church. During his first 13 years at the church, Ferrington balanced his teaching responsibilities with his ministerial ones. This balance required him to adjust his priorities at the time, Ferrington says. "Im just glad I was younger then than I am now," he … [Read more...]
Hope is scarce in Chechnya – but Baptists are at work
Death, devastation and suffering are as plentiful as dirt. Hope is a scarce and precious commodity. That is how a three-man team of Southern Baptist mission workers describe life in and around Chechnya, the republic in the Caucasus region south of Russia. Thousands of persons have died and untold thousands have fled their homes after Chechen rebels waged an unsuccessful war for independence from Russia. Death, devastation and suffering are as plentiful as dirt. Hope is a scarce and precious commodity. That is how a three-man team of Southern Baptist mission workers describe life in and around Chechnya, the republic in the Caucasus region south of Russia. Thousands of persons have died and untold thousands have fled their homes after Chechen rebels waged an unsuccessful war for independence from Russia. Now, Southern Baptists will give more than $120,000 in relief aid to help Russian Baptists and local authorities provide food, clothing, shelter and rehabilitation for refugees who have flooded out of Chechnya. Missionaries Mark Edworthy and Richard Bell recently traveled with Southern Baptist International Mission Board human needs consultant Jim Brown along the outskirts of Chechnya to see wars ugly … [Read more...]
He was ready to run, primed to run, on his way to run…
Sometimes, a wonderful achievement rewards hard work. He is a runner - call him Runner, this man from another state. A real runner. Some say he is addicted to running. These wags say Runner gets his high from those endorphins, that narcotic sort of substance the brain releases after a certain period of prolonged physical exertion Sometimes, a wonderful achievement rewards hard work. He is a runner - call him Runner, this man from another state. A real runner. Some say he is addicted to running. These wags say Runner gets his high from those endorphins, that narcotic sort of substance the brain releases after a certain period of prolonged physical exertion. For decades, his idea of a wonderful Saturday was to compete in a 3 K to 20 K run, or a marathon or even a super marathon. He is a confirmed bachelor, so he did not worry about being away from home. And, running seemed to bring relief from the stresses of bachelorhood. He believed his running had reached its zenith a while back when he hit the age that qualifies him to compete in the Senior Olympics. He was regularly beating men years younger than he, and he felt in excellent condition. He found his way to the Senior … [Read more...]
WMU members challenged to shine the light of Christ
Holding up gold pen lights, Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union members embraced the Great Commission challenge to shine the light of Christ into areas of spiritual darkness last week. Marking a historic point in the mission organization’s 112-year history, the national organization installed Wanda Lee as its seventh executive director during its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., last week. Holding up gold pen lights, Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union members embraced the Great Commission challenge to shine the light of Christ into areas of spiritual darkness last week. Marking a historic point in the mission organization’s 112-year history, the national organization installed Wanda Lee as its seventh executive director during its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., last week. They also elected Louisiana Baptist church member Janet Hoffman as president of the missions education agency. The annual meeting focused on encouraging attendees to keep "Dispelling the Darkness" in a lost and hurting world. During a spotlight on international and North American missions, Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, encouraged the participants to pray for missionaries "who are … [Read more...]
It takes a village to train a 12-year-old driver
The sign warned us; we just did not take it seriously enough. The car was dead in the center of the busy intersection, stopped. A bad choice almost sent the car and its four terrified passengers the wrong way into one-way traffic. The sign warned us; we just did not take it seriously enough. The car was dead in the center of the busy intersection, stopped. A bad choice almost sent the car and its four terrified passengers the wrong way into one-way traffic. Knowing that was not the way to go, but not knowing which way to go, stopping to contemplate seemed the best course of action. Folks in a hurry to get wherever they were going became frustrated, honked and stared, but they should have noticed the sign: "Warning: Student Driver." What a shame that things have gotten so complicated - even learning to drive a car. Of course, things were different when I learned. I did not have to dodge dinosaurs, but it was different. For six months before receiving my drivers license, I drove. Our rural, agrarian town of 1200 was understanding about that sort of thing. Probably because half the adult population had never gotten around to getting their drivers licenses. Actually, that may have been … [Read more...]
Someone said for work to be enjoyable, it must be fulfilling, adequately compensated and not too much of it.
Someone said for work to be enjoyable, it must be fulfilling, adequately compensated and not too much of it. So, one wonders why anyone works as a school teacher. Certainly there must be such an abundance of "fulfilling" because the lack of adequate compensation and abundance of overwork surely do not meet the "enjoyable" criteria. Someone said for work to be enjoyable, it must be fulfilling, adequately compensated and not too much of it. So, one wonders why anyone works as a school teacher. Certainly there must be such an abundance of "fulfilling" because the lack of adequate compensation and abundance of overwork surely do not meet the "enjoyable" criteria. Maggie matriculates at Tech to one day teach children. For her, it is a calling. A friend provides Maggie the opportunity to spend two days observing a first grade classroom in a Christian academy. It is the boost the university junior needs to keep her inspired toward her profession of call. At the end of the day in the classroom, she calls her mother to share her exuberance for the experience. "Mother, it was great. The little kids were precious, and they learn so much their first year. When they entered school this year, they couldnt … [Read more...]
Adopt An Annuitant – a ministry that ‘touches the heart of God’
John Morgan followed in the footsteps of his father as a Baptist pastor - understandably, he has a heart for pastors and their families. And what touches his heart most is the plight of retired ministers and widows across the Southern Baptist Convention who live near the poverty line. John Morgan followed in the footsteps of his father as a Baptist pastor - understandably, he has a heart for pastors and their families. And what touches his heart most is the plight of retired ministers and widows across the Southern Baptist Convention who live near the poverty line. Several years ago, Morgan decided to act on his concerns. He led Sagemont Baptist Church in Houston to reach out and minister to the needs of aged ministers and their widows living in the surrounding area. The church began gathering the names of individuals with specific needs and responded by sending them $100 to $400 each month. The number grew to 13. "As our church began to invest in the lives of these dear people, we were blessed," Morgan says. "I would receive monthly thank you notes from these retired pastors with a 10 percent tithe to my church. The notes of these faithful servants touched my heart." Then, Morgan heard … [Read more...]
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