The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-04/22/2002 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jewish evangelism summit sees Jews as distinct 'people group' by Tammi Reed Ledbetter Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday DALLAS (BP)--As diplomats worked to end hostility between Israel and their Arab neighbors, 15 Southern Baptists gathered in Dallas to forge a strategy for offering eternal peace to Jews wherever they live. The April 15-18 Summit on Jewish Evangelism drew participation by church planters, evangelists and ministry leaders who share a common burden for God's chosen people. Throughout the meeting, times of prayer focused on the conflict involving Israel. One participant asked God to "give us another time of peace that we may share the gospel freely." Another prayed for Southern Baptists working in the region to have "the wisdom to decide how to keep their own families safe." Underlying every petition was the recognition "that Jesus is the only hope for real peace." Jim Sibley, coordinator of Jewish ministries for the North American Mission Board's interfaith evangelism team, convened the meeting at Criswell College, inviting Southern Baptist representatives from several overseas regions and three Messianic Jews engaged in planting congregations in Chicago, New York City and Atlanta. Together, they identified areas where sizeable Jewish populations exist, evaluated the effectiveness of current outreach to Jews and considered a joint vision for Jewish ministry within the SBC. Sibley defines the Jewish people as an ethnic group made up primarily, though not exclusively, of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. "They are unique among the peoples of the world, in that God has specially chosen them for His purposes in history," he wrote in a recent article. By the end of the week, summit participants left with recommendations they will share with the entities to which they relate, laying the groundwork for a network for partnering on a global basis. "We're arguing for taking a more unified approach to reach the Jewish people rather than considering each on a country by country or city by city case," Sibley told a luncheon audience of guests from churches, colleges and seminaries. "Not only is Israel at the center of current events," Sibley said, "Israel is at the center of the Great Commission. In our evangelistic and missionary efforts, however, so often we operate as though God had made no lasting covenant with the Jewish people. Tragically, I think Jewish people are often seen as one of thousands of people groups and a rather insignificant one at that." Seminar participants, though, reasoned that all Jews should be regarded as a people group in order to frame effective evangelistic ministry. Church planters working in major U.S. cities agreed that they share much in common with Southern Baptist representatives who relate to Jews in a particular overseas region. Through stronger ties to the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship, participants hope to improve communication regarding all Jewish outreach by Southern Baptists. Discussion also addressed how to utilize volunteers to establish a long-term interest in providing short-term support for a region where Southern Baptists are ministering to Jews. "People are only as good as you train them to be, and if you have a project that is well thought out, volunteers will have a clear direction of what they're to do," one experienced leader explained. "And you'll get the same people back over again who are then trained in such a way that you do not have to train them again." In churches that are unable to send volunteers to an area, members can still provide important prayer support, increasing their awareness of the 25,000 Jews living in a French city or 1,300 living in Ireland. "There may not be enough to establish a resident missionary" in one of the many cities with a smaller Jewish population, one worker said, "but a team of people could say for the next 10 to 20 years we're going to have a heart to pray for that people group." "No Jewish community is too small for us to be concerned about," added another representative. Workers were encouraged to post requests for personnel to serve in such regions even if the positions go unfilled for four or five years. "It's important to put those requests up there because you never know when God is going to send someone to that small town in Ireland." Sibley added, "In many of the regions, countries and cities where there needs to be work, the Jewish population may be relatively small, but the significance and influence is out of proportion to the numbers," he said, arguing for establishing a ministry among Jews wherever God leads. In his role with the North American Mission Board, Sibley provides training in evangelizing Jews during seminary J-term classes, as well as in churches, associations and state conventions. "I'll teach anybody that will ask me from 30 minutes to a whole semester. If there's a volunteer group or a pastor's fellowship -- any venue -- I'm ready to come and provide the training." Others commended groups that decide to spend the first year of a partnership in prayer walking, followed by involvement in specific projects in subsequent years. "By the time volunteers go over for projects, the group has a very good understanding because the ground was already softened by prayer and we have tremendous results," a participant stated. "Sometimes we almost underestimate the potential, the importance and the power of people coming to pray," Sibley said. "Once they come, they pray and go back with a vision that will not be equaled. They will be your engines for enlisting volunteers." Another Southern Baptist representative encouraged the use of volunteers for short-term remodeling and building projects. "They build relationships and help me even though they are only there for a short time." Southern Baptist laypeople in particular professions can network with their counterparts in another country or city over a period of months and then visit to teach seminars in their field of expertise. Ultimately, many are able to share their faith one-on-one or even in the context of a meeting as they explain how they work in line with biblical principles. "You may need to be innovative in finding the people, recruiting the people to do this," Sibley said, "but it can be done especially if you feel the Lord has led you to do it. It's a matter of being a catalyst to put them together. It takes creativity." Between 1867 and 1921 the SBC adopted 10 resolutions that dealt with Jewish evangelism. Work among Jews began in Israel in 1922, long before the birth of the nation. Since 1975, three more SBC resolutions were passed defending religious liberty in Israel, opposing anti-Semitism and urging the evangelization of the Jewish people. Sibley credited Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Philip Roberts for returning Southern Baptists to an emphasis on Jewish evangelism when he led the interfaith witness department of NAMB. The broader attention to various faith groups originally grew out of the Home Mission Board's department of Jewish work. Through partnering with Messianic believers in evangelism and outreach, several congregations have been started. In 2000 the SBC set a goal of starting a Messianic congregation, providing support for weekly prayer meetings and teaching seminars and assisting with translating at a Jewish institute. The "Jesus" video is being distributed in Hebrew and Spanish to Jews in many regions of the world as a further effort toward sharing Christ. Reaction in the Jewish community and secular news media to the SBC resolution on Jewish evangelism was "vociferous and prolonged," Sibley stated. And yet, the publicity clarified the need for all Southern Baptists to share their faith with those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. "Grassroots Southern Baptists have also been strengthened in their conviction that the gospel is for the Jewish people -- a conviction that compels a greater willingness to face the hostility of the secular press," he added. Professors representing three SBC seminaries, Midwestern, Southeastern and Southwestern, as well as faculty from Criswell College and Oklahoma University joined with ministers from Texas Baptist churches in Carrollton, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Plano, Richardson and Rockwall to hear Jewish ministry representatives share descriptions of their work. In addition, interested church leaders from South Carolina and Oklahoma also attended. "Right now with the situation in the Mideast, it's hard for people to think about going there," one Southern Baptist representative said. "So I highly encourage you to visit Chicago and New York and some of the other areas and get started reaching Jewish people here in the United States." Although serving in a specific country with a strong Jewish population, he said, "My main call was to the Jewish people. I hope some of you who are thinking of coming to our country will start right here in America and reach some of the fields we have here." Another worker encouraged leaders who work with volunteers to continue to consider a ministry in countries currently experiencing conflict. "If you want to have an impact, then come now. They'll wonder what you're doing there and you'll get to tell them that you're there to stand with them and tell them some very good news, for a change." A fifth-generation Messianic Jew who is planting a Southern Baptist church spoke of his own desire to "stir the hearts of the Jewish people as well to reach their own people" with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sibley concluded, "If we would have the heart of the Father, follow the mind of Christ, follow the example of the apostle Paul, then we must have a burden and a concern for the salvation of Jewish people," Sibley told those attending the April 18 luncheon. Quoting from Isaiah 62, he asked, "Can we not ask God to move in our hearts, our churches and seminaries so that we can say with Isaiah, 'For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning'." --30-- (BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: SIBLEY AT SUMMIT. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Volunteers encouraged to join in sharing gospel with Jews by Tammi Reed Ledbetter Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday DALLAS (BP)--Southern Baptists are forging "a network of compassionate witness" by inviting volunteers to participate in outreach to Jewish people throughout the world. During the April 15-18 Jewish Evangelism Summit in Dallas, representatives of ministries in eight Jewish population centers described the work they are doing to share the gospel message. Although evangelical work has existed for at least 20 years among Jewish people, the Southern Baptist Convention began in 2000 to lay the groundwork for starting a Messianic congregation in the United States. Jim Sibley of Dallas serves as coordinator of Jewish Ministries on the North American Mission Board's interfaith evangelism team, providing training for Messianic church starts and volunteers. Within Chicago, Lake County is a microcosm of Jewish life throughout the country. Within the city limits of Chicago are 400,000 Jews with no established Messianic work. "There are secular and well-to-do Jews who attend synagogue on the High Holy Days, mixed-marrieds with an assortment of spiritual ties, as well as Orthodox Jews," said Steve Barack of Wheeling, Ill. In 1999, the SBC planted a Messianic congregation to be a witness to this community. After several months of Bible studies, B'nai Ohr Beth Tefilah held its first public service for Yom Kippur. Currently, the congregation has an attendance of more than 60. Barack, a bivocational pastor, encourages volunteers to consider conducting prayer walks, music festivals and neighborhood surveys. "Our biggest issue is basic education. Grounded folks are what we need more than anything else. We need them to be able to mentor our Messianic Jews with sensitivity to where they come from. All of the folks that we've established as our core group are new believers," he said. "We need all the help we can get -- bar none." The 3.5 million Jewish residents of New York City are quite diverse, from ultra-Orthodox to radically secular humanist, Buddhist and New Age, said Steve Fenchel, a church planter there. Although Southern Baptist work in New York City began in 1957, work with the Jewish people is just getting started, he said. Prayer walks, canvassing of colleges and universities, as well as street evangelism provide avenues for outreach by volunteers. Southern Baptists employed in professional occupations are often able to attract the interest of Jews in a city like New York City. "I network with California doctors and Dallas cardiologists -- those guys can go into New York City and speak the same language. That kind of thing appeals to me," he said. Around the world, the regions populated by Jews are changing as more people are emigrating to escape collapsing economies where they live. Rick Kunz, a Southern Baptist representative serving in Argentina, related that 20 percent of the 300,000 Jews are predicted to return to Israel in the next few years due to economic conditions of his country. "We work with all groups that are working with the Jewish people in a partnership with God's chosen people," Kunz said. "Our overall goal is that every Jewish person hear the gospel message completely and that we begin Messianic congregations throughout those areas." By contrast, the majority of the 80,000 Jews in South Africa are middle- to upper-class professionals, living in the urban areas of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Evangelical work among the Jewish people there has existed for more than a century. Opportunities exist for prayer walks, evangelistic drama and music performances, tract distribution and other forms of mass evangelism, as well as evangelistic seminars on secular topics conducted by business professionals. Approximately 700,000 Jewish people live in France, predominantly in Paris. There is strong anti-Semitism in France, a Southern Baptist worker reported. "Jews have suffered many attacks, especially during the last two years, as a result of the escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians." Although evangelical work has been active in France since 1936, SBC outreach to Jews began last year. Volunteers are encouraged to consider prayer walking as an initial ministry to the area. The 5.5 million Jewish population of Israel is as diverse as the population of Jews scattered throughout the Diaspora. Israeli Jews have an ability to maintain a sense of normalcy in very difficult circumstances, Southern Baptist representatives report. For many years, Baptists have participated in evangelism and outreach with Messianic Jews and several congregations have been started through such partnerships. Workers encourage volunteers to consider opportunities through sports camps, guided tours, direct evangelism and prayer support. Of ministry to Jews in England, a Southern Baptist representative said, "Prayer and the building of relationships are going to be the keys to reaching this people group." Prayer walks, prayer advocates and people "on the ground" to build relationships are encouraged among the 300,000 Jews living in England. For more information about these and other opportunities email 4zionsake@mindspring.com --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- GGBTS trustees hire five professors, OK balanced budget by Mark A. Wyatt Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--Trustees of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary approved a balanced budget and hired five new faculty members during their regular spring meeting Apr. 15-16 in Mill Valley, CA. The $8.8 million spending plan for 2002-03 is 3 percent larger than the current operating budget. A budget summary presented to trustees described the new budget as "very conservative" and noted it "reflects lower distributions from the Cooperative Program." The budget summary stated additional resources for the coming year are committed only to salary adjustments and higher utility and insurance costs. "We are operating under a balanced budget for this year and we have a lot of confidence that we will finish the year that way," said Joe Panter, chairman of the trustee's finance and property committee. The seminary's fiscal year runs from Aug. 1 through July 31. Panter, a trustee from Paradise Valley, AZ, said indications are "favorable" that the seminary will finish the current fiscal year with a slight budget surplus. But he noted circumstances might change that outcome. "We're just not getting it done financially," Panter declared. "We need more money." The projected drop in CP funding at Golden Gate Seminary is based on flat enrollment at the institution's main campus. A dip in the number of "full-time equivalent" (FTE) students at the northern California campus in recent years resulted this year in a $150,000 reduction in CP allocations compared to 2000-01. Under the funding formula for the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, Cooperative Program dollars are allocated on the basis of a three-year rolling average of FTEs at each seminary's main campus. Thus, Golden Gate receives no CP funds for hundreds of students enrolled at campuses in southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and Colorado. By hiring five new professors, Golden Gate trustees trimmed the number of faculty vacancies to three. Rick Durst, academic dean, said the five were selected from more than 100 applicants for eight teaching positions. Two of the newly hired professors will teach at Golden Gate's Arizona campus. Harry Hahne, New Testament professor at Tyndale Seminary in Ontario, Canada, will become associate professor in New Testament studies in Phoenix. Hahne received the Doctor of Theology degree from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. Paul Smith was elected as assistant professor in Old Testament studies and will also teach in Phoenix. Smith received the M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He currently is pastor of Dayton Avenue Baptist Church in Peoria, IL. Earl Waggoner, pastor of First Baptist Church in Morgan City, LA, was named assistant professor of theology and church history for Golden Gate's Rocky Mountain campus in Denver. Waggoner received the M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Richard Gregg Watson was elected to join the Mill Valley faculty as assistant professor in Old Testament studies. Since 1995, Watson has been a teaching fellow at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, where he received the M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees. Trustees named Karen Elaine Jones as associate professor of Christian education to teach at the Mill Valley campus. Jones currently is assistant professor of educational ministries at Huntington College in Huntington, IN. She received the Master of Arts in Religious Education and Ph.D. degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Several trustees voiced concern about low salaries paid to seminary faculty and staff in pricey Marin County, home to Golden Gate's main campus. Seminary officials said the starting salary for a professor typically is well below $40,000 a year. "I was surprised to learn our youth pastor makes more than a professor here," remarked Kenneth Long, GGBTS trustee and senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Moriarty, NM. In earlier remarks to trustees, President William O. "Bill" Crews identified faculty- and staff pay as one of five issues the seminary needs to address in the near future. "We're embarrassed at times to tell people what we can offer but we offer it anyway because that's what we have," Crews told trustees during the discussion about salaries. In other business, a pair of bylaws changes designed to "satisfy the accrediting agency" received trustees' approval. One of the amendments removed a requirement that the president of the seminary preside at faculty meetings. The other changed the title of the seminary's second highest-ranking officer from provost to executive vice president. Trustees accepted "with appropriate expressions of appreciation" the resignation of Kenneth Carpenter, a trustee from Waskom, TX. Carpenter was elected in 2001 to a five-year term but has never attended a meeting and recently notified seminary officials that he was unable to fulfill the responsibilities of a trustee. Trustees named Jerry Stubblefield as senior professor of Christian education. Elected to the faculty in 1977, Stubblefield is retiring from active teaching at the end of the current academic year. He has occupied the J.M. Frost Baptist Sunday School Board Chair of Religious Education while serving at Golden Gate. Trustees also re-elected three of their number to continue as officers for another year: David George, pastor of Lake Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, TX, chairman; Gary Black, a retired insurance executive from Novato, CA, vice chairman/chairman-elect; and Steven A. Cavanaugh, pastor of Reynoldsburg Baptist Church in Reynoldsburg, OH, secretary. The next meeting of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary trustees is scheduled Oct. 7-8, 2002 at the seminary's Southern California Campus in Brea. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohler: Baptist forefathers never questioned value of confessions by Michael Foust Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Confessions of faith are a necessary and historical element of Southern Baptist life, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said at the seminary's spring board of trustees meeting April 16. Mohler spoke about doctrinal confessions while referencing the recent controversy surrounding IMB and NAMB missionaries who have been asked to sign the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. IMB and NAMB officials say they are protecting the doctrinal reputation of their respective institutions; opponents call the practice creedal and intolerant. Mohler, though, said that such Baptist forefathers as James P. Boyce and E.Y. Mullins never questioned the usefulness of doctrinal confessions. "Those who say that Baptists have always had an aversion to confessionalism ... must deal with the reality of the record that our forefathers and foremothers have left us," Mohler said. Mohler said the question should not be, "Why confessionalism?" but instead, "How can one remain Baptist without a confession of faith?" He cited Mullins, who served as Southern Seminary's fourth president from 1899-1928 and as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1921-24. He was also the chairman of the committee that wrote the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message. Mohler quoted Mullins as writing, "Baptists have always insisted upon their own right to declare their beliefs in a definite formal way and to protect themselves by refusing to support men in important places as teachers and preachers who do not agree with them. This right of self-protection is as sacred as any individual right." Mohler noted that the founders of Southern Seminary -- such as James P. Boyce and Basil Manly Jr. -- supported confessions by signing the "Abstract of Principles," the seminary's confession of faith, in 1859. To this day tenured faculty members are required to sign the same document, while other faculty members must agree to teach "in accordance with, and not contrary to" the Abstract of Principles. Boyce, Mohler said, viewed the signing of the Abstract of Principles as a privilege. Boyce believed the professor should "sign it not only to say, 'I'm willing to teach this,' but he must sign it saying that, 'This is what I believe the Bible to reveal.'" Mohler also quoted the minutes from an 1831 meeting of the Long Run Baptist Association, the Baptist association for the Louisville area. "We adopted the confession of faith as our constitution because it expresses generally our views of the truth of the inspired word, and esteem it most of all because it disclaims equality with the Bible and professes to derive all that is valuable from the Scriptures," he quoted the minutes as reading. "... That these are and always have been the views of the Baptists on this subject is too well-known to require a moment's attention to prove." Confessions, Mohler said, are an integral part of Baptist heritage. "You can look at all six seminaries of the Southern Baptist Convention, and at least as an officially stated policy from the beginning of each of those schools they have identified themselves as confessional institutions," he said. "The idea that this kind of confessionalism is something new betrays either an abysmal ignorance or a willful misrepresentation of the Baptist heritage." Confessions, he said, must be used if doctrinal accountability is to exist. While critics respond that there should be "no creed but the Bible," Mohler said that the diversity of biblical interpretation among Christians makes confessions necessary. "Virtually anyone who claims to be a Christian will sign the Bible," he said. "As a matter of fact, if signing the Bible is the only issue -- and there is no common understanding of what the Bible teaches -- then one might as well be a member of any denomination or of any church or teach in any institution." Theological schools, Mohler said, are divided into two camps: confessional and non-confessional institutions. While confessional institutions are in a small minority, he added, Southern Seminary will gladly remain among them. "The Abstract of Principles to us is not an imposition," he said. "It is a sacred stewardship. The Baptist Faith and Message, as revised by this convention ... is not an imposition upon this institution or its faculty. It is a blessing, a gift, for the health of the institution. "We need to encourage Baptists. We need to encourage Southern Baptists in particular to recover what true confessionalism is all about. It is not imposed. It is rather willingly affirmed by those who believe these things to be true. Those who do not believe them to be true should be clear that they do not believe such things to be true." Mohler outlined the process by which faculty are chosen at Southern. Trustees, he said, are careful to hire only professors who embrace the school's confessions. By doing that, he added, no professor is forced to teach something with which they disagree. Questions are asked to protect the integrity of both the school and the person being interviewed. "We ask of them, 'Is this something being imposed on you, because if so we would not want to embarrass you by bringing you on this faculty. ... Is this something you would joyfully express as your own summary of what you believe the Bible to teach?'" Trustees have the responsibility to hold the faculty accountable, making sure they teach and joyfully embrace what is included in the Abstract of Principles and the Baptist Faith and Message, Mohler said. Paraphrasing the late W.A. Criswell, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Mohler reminded board members that theological institutions fall not by external assault but rather rot from within. It is, Mohler said, "an indistinguishable, unseen process that comes incrementally, by which unbelief creeps into the life of an institution. "We must keep at this," Mohler said, "until the Lord comes, knowing that our stewardship is not for a season, but for the entirety of our lives ... [And] knowing that the very process about which Dr. Criswell warned is something that can happen to us just as easily as any other -- unless we are careful." --30-- (BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: CONFESSIONS OF FAITH. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnson named Boyce College dean at Southern trustees meeting by Michael Foust Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--A man who has played a key role in the recent history of the Southern Baptist Convention is set to become the next dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's undergraduate school. Thirty-seven-year-old Jerry Johnson, a trustee at Southern Seminary from 1989-98, will take over as dean of Boyce College Aug. 1. President R. Albert Mohler Jr. announced Johnson's appointment during Southern Seminary's spring board of trustees meeting April 16. Johnson will succeed Ted Cabal, who resigned as dean and took a teaching position last year for health reasons. David DeKlavon had been serving as acting dean. "This is an historic event and development," Southern President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said. "I believe he is God's man for the hour for Boyce College. I have no doubt about the quality of leadership he will bring to that school." Johnson, a Texas native, served as a board member during what is commonly referred to as the "conservative resurgence." He was a board member when Mohler was elected president in 1993 and served as board chairman from 1996-98. Johnson is currently teaching Christian ethics at Boyce. Johnson is also well known among Southern Baptists for his role at the annual conventions. For three years he served on the committee on order of business, including as chairman in 2000 and 2001. He also served on the convention's credentials committee in the late 1980s. "I am grateful for this appointment and thrilled about the opportunity to serve Boyce College and Southern Seminary," Johnson said. "The students of Boyce College are enthusiastic about preparing for ministry. We have a wonderful teaching faculty to show them the way. I look forward to working with them both as dean on Aug. 1. "Until then, my prayer is that I may lead Boyce College to serve our Lord and His church by equipping ministers of the gospel for more faithful service." Johnson is scheduled to complete his Ph.D. at Southern Seminary this spring. He earned his master's degree at Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary and his bachelor's degree at Criswell College. "Jerry is a proven leader," Mohler said. "He has extensive experience in the pastorate and he has had very important responsibilities in the Southern Baptist Convention. ... He's a young man who has been appointed to lead a young school. I think that means a very promising future." In other action, the seminary's trustees voted to trim the board from 65 to 45 members. The action must be approved by Southern Baptist Convention messengers in June. The downsizing would be accomplished over several years, and no current board member's term would be shortened. The decision to reduce the total number of trustees came at the conclusion of a process of self-study first prompted by the "Covenant for a New Century" adopted by the SBC in 1995. "The goal of this reorganization is increased effectiveness on the part of the board of trustees," Mohler said. "... The board undertook a study in a very responsible way to determine what would be the most appropriate size that would increase deliberation and enhance effectiveness and also allow each trustee to be even more involved in the process of governance." Trustees also elected four professors to the faculty with tenure: Peter Gentry, associate professor of Old Testament interpretation; Kenneth Magnuson, assistant professor of Christian ethics; Stephen Wellum, associate professor of Christian theology; and David Puckett, professor of church history. Trustees approved a $23,158,333 budget for 2002-2003, which represents an 8.1 percent increase over the current year. "In the next year we will be adding significantly to the budget of this institution, [which is] made possible in a remarkable way by the health of the school, by the generosity of our supporters and by the support of the Southern Baptist Convention," Mohler said. Trustees chose a pastor from Alabama, two pastors from Georgia and a layman from Kentucky as the board officers for 2002-03. Buddy Gray, pastor of Hunter Street Baptist Church of Hoover, Ala., was elected board chairman. He will replace outgoing board member David Wilson of Lubbock, Texas. John Pennington, pastor of First Baptist Church of Douglasville, Ga., was elected first vice chairman, while Jerry Peele, pastor of First Baptist of Eastman, Ga., was elected second vice chairman. Byron Boyer, a retired teacher who resides in Louisville, was re-elected secretary. In other matters, Mohler reported that: -- construction is well underway on two major construction/renovation projects. Mohler said that the Rice-Judson project -- which includes the renovation of two buildings in order to provide guest housing and conference rooms -- is scheduled to be completed by Oct 1. Mohler added that a 70-unit apartment construction project is "moving along." It is located on the south side of Grinstead Drive, which provides the back entrance to the seminary. -- the seminary has taken steps in recent months to help students better engage the culture. One way this is being done, Mohler said, is through the seminary's Carl F.H. Henry Institute for Evangelical Engagement. In February the center sponsored a conference on peace and war, focusing on the war on terrorism. In May the center will hold another conference, titled "Whose Holy Land? An Evangelical Conversation on Israel, the Church and the Battle for Palestine." It will be the first of what Mohler called "quick-response" conferences on timely issues. He also told trustees about a recent four-hour workshop held on campus by a senior team from Focus on the Family. The conference addressed current issues related to homosexuality with an aim toward formulating a biblical response. Attendance by students was mandatory. Mohler said the purpose of the conference was to help students better "understand the issue and how we would minister to homosexuals." He added that Christians must not back down from biblical teachings on the subject. "The first act of compassion is telling the truth," he said. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- New Mo. convention, CBF share similar core values by Todd Starnes Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday ST. LOUIS (BP)--The Baptist General Convention of Missouri, a newly formed group of moderate Baptist churches that professes support for the Southern Baptist Convention, appears to have more in common with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a national shadow denomination made up of churches opposed to the SBC. All but the third of the BGCM's core values, unveiled at the new Missouri convention's April 19-20 organizational meeting, are taken directly from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri's core values statement. Core values of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri are as follows: 1. A commitment to the history and heritage of Baptist life in Missouri. 2. A commitment to financial support for all of our Missouri Baptist institutions. 3. A commitment to cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention. 4. A commitment to the Bible as the Word of God. 5. A commitment to missions and evangelism worldwide. 6. A commitment to priesthood of the believer. 7. A commitment to the autonomy of the local church. 8. A commitment to the inclusion of all Baptists interested in cooperating for missions. 9. A commitment to the church as God's primary agent of his redemptive work. 10. A commitment to religious liberty for all people. Except for the third core value, the others match up identically and numerically with those listed in an advertisement for the CBF Missouri that appeared in the April 18 edition of Word & Way, formerly the Missouri Baptist Convention's newsjournal. Roger Moran, research director of the Missouri Baptist Layman's Association, a conservative pro-SBC organization, said the nearly identical value statements should be a sign of caution to Missouri Baptists. "I think beyond any doubt the Baptist General Convention of Missouri is saying they are the same as the CBF," Moran said. "There is no difference. Our point is if these core values took the CBF to where they are, why would it not take the new convention to the same place? "It took the CBF to the point where they were willing to look the other way and ignore the most rank forms of moral, social and theological liberalism that permeates CBF," Moran said. Leaders of the BGCM were unavailable for comment. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mo. speaker says Old Testament stories can't be taken literally by Todd Starnes Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday ST. LOUIS (BP)--Some Old Testament Bible stories, including the account of Jonah, cannot be taken literally, said a Southwest Baptist University Bible professor who led weekend Bible studies for the new Baptist General Convention of Missouri. Scott Langston, an associate dean and professor of biblical studies at Southwest Baptist University, shared his views following an April 19 meeting of moderate Missouri Baptists who are forming a new convention. In a letter that appeared on the BGCM's website, Langston noted in a "testimony" that he has reservations about continuing to support the Southern Baptist Convention and the Missouri Baptist Convention. "Fundamentally, I disagree with the Christianity that is espoused and acted out by those in the leadership of these organizations [SBC and MBC]," Langston wrote, suggesting that the new convention take on the role of a "social agency or a think-tank." When asked to explain his comments, Langston told Baptist Press that he was referring to what he called slanderous statements labeling some moderates as individuals who don't believe the Bible. "It makes my blood boil because of how people have been treated," he said. Langston said he does not use the idea of inerrancy to describe his interpretation of Scripture. "I don't like to use that term," Langston told Baptist Press. "I prefer to use the term totally trusting." While Langston said he believes in the virgin birth and the resurrection, there are some accounts in the Bible that he said should not be taken at face value. "When you say you want to believe everything in the Bible, you have to ask if we are applying a modern standard of literature to an ancient text," Langston said. "To me, part of a literal interpretation is to take seriously the ancient context." For example, does Langston believe the account of Jonah and the fish really happened? No, he replied. "I think there is a possibility that it didn't happen," he said. "If it could be proven that it never happened, my faith is still strong," Langston noted. Langston, who was only identified as a Bible professor at a Missouri college, noted that he attended the meeting as an individual, not as a representative of Southwest Baptist University. "The university is neutral in this and I am only here to represent myself," he said. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Senate version introduced to preserve clergy allowance by Staff Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP)--Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to preserve a longstanding housing tax exemption for ordained ministers and other clergy. Sen. Max Baucus, D.-Mont., introduced the Senate version, S. 2200, April 18, only two days after the House of Representatives approved the Clergy Housing Allowance Clarification Act with a 408-0 vote. The Senate and House bills are designed to protect the exemption by amending the Internal Revenue Code to make clear the allowance should not exceed the "fair rental value" of a house, including furnishings, accessories and utilities. "It is a very simple bill that confirms established Internal Revenue Service policy that has lacked the force of law," Baucus said on the Senate floor while introducing the legislation. "Without this clarification, we risk losing a longstanding benefit that is terribly important to hundreds of thousands of ministers, priests, rabbis and other clergy all across America." The legislation has been on a fast track since Rep. Jim Ramstad, D.-Minn., introduced it in the House April 10. The speed with which Congress has moved so far came in reaction to a threat by a federal appeals court to strike down the allowance as unconstitutional. A panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals announced in March it is reviewing the constitutionality of the allowance. "The court could invalidate the clergy housing allowance any day, and that's why today's speedy consideration of my legislation by the House was so crucial," Ramstad said after the House vote. "The House has done its job in a bipartisan way, and now the Senate needs to step up to the plate, pass this bill and prevent a disastrous tax increase on America's clergy." Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has said it is "important to get this in the black-letter law and thereby put the full force of Congress behind the clergy housing allowance." Lawyers from the SBC's Executive Committee, Annuity Board and ERLC, as well as other religious organizations, have worked to see the exemption is preserved. While the legislation would not settle the issue of constitutionality, its supporters hope it will end the Ninth Circuit's threat to the allowance by codifying the "fair rental value" language formerly used by the Internal Revenue Service. The legislation's backers believe it could provide a way for both sides in the case to resolve the dispute. Since 1921, pastors and other religious leaders have been able to deduct from federal taxes a portion of their income for housing. This allowance has been especially helpful in enabling small churches to have a fulltime pastor. It has been estimated loss of the allowance would result in members of the clergy paying an additional $2.3 billion in taxes during the next five years. The question of the allowance's constitutionality came when the Ninth Circuit received the case, Warren vs. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. A divided three-judge panel from the San Francisco-based court announced it would consider whether it should weigh the exemption's constitutionality and, if so, whether the allowance would pass the test under the First Amendment's ban on government establishment of religion. Neither party in the case, however, has challenged the exemption's constitutionality. Friend-of-the-court briefs are due in May. In May 2000, a U.S. Tax Court in California ruled against the IRS in a 14-3 vote. The court ruled the exemption in the code is limited "to the amount used to provide a home, not the fair market rental value of the home." The IRS appealed the ruling. Those interested in contacting their senators about the legislation may do so by accessing www.erlc.com/capitolhill. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Take steps for good health by Branda Polk Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Would you like to reduce your risk of certain types of cancer and diabetes by 50 percent? If so, studies show that beginning and maintaining a regular exercise program may be just what the doctor needs to order. One of the best and most accessible forms of exercise is walking. Walking increases leg strength, builds bone density and is a recommended activity for reducing your risk of certain types of cancer and other diseases as well. It requires no new skills or expensive equipment; it can be done with or without a partner and almost anywhere and any time. While walking at any speed will burn calories, fitness walking can strengthen your cardiorespiratory (heart/lung) system, burn fat and help you maintain a healthy weight. Fitness walking involves walking at a speed and intensity level to get your heart rate into your target training zone. (To find out your target training zone heart rate, log onto www.fit4.com and click on the "Health Calculators" in the "Strength" section.) Fitness walking uses muscles in your legs, back, abdomen and upper body. Fitness walking can have fitness benefits no matter what your fitness level. If you have not exercised regularly within the last year, consult your physician before beginning any exercise program to be sure it is medically safe for you. Follow any instructions that your doctor gives you. Then, begin your walking program slowly. Map out a relatively flat path for you to walk. If you walk at night, take someone with you for safety and stay in well-lit areas. Begin walking at a slower pace for 5-10 minutes. Then gradually increase your speed and walk for 10-15 minutes. Be sure to stand tall as you walk to allow plenty of oxygen into your lungs. As you walk, take the talk test. If you cannot talk while you walk, you are working too hard. If you can sing a song or carry on a full conversation with ease, you are not walking hard enough. As your fitness level increases, vary your fitness walking routine by adding hills, increasing your speed, or walking further distances. Walking provides spiritual benefits as well as physical benefits. Walking outside allows you to appreciate God's creation and thank God for the body he gave you. You can use your walking time to pray for others and give your concerns and worries to God. And, consider this, walking was Jesus' primary form of transportation while on earth. So, you can actually "follow in his steps" as you walk to properly care for your body. Consider 1 John 1:5: "... Walk in the light as He is in the light..." --30-- Branda Polk is a certified fitness instructor and the Fit 4 Coordinator at LifeWay Christian Resources. The Fit 4 Fitness Study can help in developing a personalized fitness plan to reach your wellness goals. For more information on Fit 4, go to www.fit4.com. To receive a packet of information about Fit 4, email your name and address to fit4@lifeway.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CBF, Mainstream leaders fill leadership of new convention by Todd Starnes Date: April 22, 2002 - Monday ST. LOUIS (BP)--A former board member of Mainstream Missouri Baptists, an organization critical of the Southern Baptist Convention, was elected president of the new Baptist General Convention of Missouri, a group that says it wants to cooperate with the SBC. Richard Lionberger of Savannah, Mo., was unanimously elected president of the new convention during its organizational meeting April 19-20 at the St. Louis-area Fee Fee Baptist Church. Lionberger, a former board member of the now-defunct Mainstream Missouri Baptists, led his church to reduce Cooperative Program giving by 50 percent in 2000 and allowed members of his church to send money directly to Mainstream Missouri Baptists and the CBF, according to the March 2001 issue of a Mainstream publication. Owen Taylor of St. Louis was elected vice president of the group and Sondra Allen was elected secretary. Noting their frustration with what they called denominational politics, about 350 Missouri Baptists gathered at the BGCM's organizational meeting. Registration officials said they were not sure how many of the 350 were actually voting messengers and how many were observers. Randy Fullerton, pastor of Fee Fee Baptist Church, presided over the meeting. Organizers originally expected hundreds of participants. More than 300 chairs set up in an overflow room were left unused. "This is going to be a convention for people who don't want to fight anymore," Fullerton said in his opening remarks. He said the new convention expects to provide financial support to the SBC. However, SBC Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman has indicated that he will recommend against doing the same with the BGCM, noting that it is in competition with the Missouri Baptist Convention. Just how supportive the new convention will be to the SBC remains unclear. During one business session, Paul Powell, a member of Third Baptist Church in St. Louis, called for removing the SBC funding portion of the budget. "It's almost for sure we are going to be rejected by the SBC," he said. "I think many of us here are tired of being kicked around by the fundamentalists. "I think a lot of us are disappointed we are not making the statement we need to be making," Powell added. "I really regret that the incorporators are asking us to support something we don't want to support." The new convention also featured a number of Mainstream Missouri Baptists and CBF participants. Glen Haddock, Charles Davis and Martin Barker, three Mainstream board members, were elected to the BGCM's board of directors, along with Nan Olmsted, a former member of the Missouri Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Coordinating Council. Charles Wade, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, was a featured speaker for the convention. Wade, who spoke about Baptist history, told Baptist Press he welcomed the opportunity to work with the new convention. "I'm really puzzled about why the Southern Baptist Convention has turned its back on this new convention," Wade said. "Why has the SBC isolated them?" The BGCT, Wade said, "has always partnered with everyone and we would be open to working with them." In recent months, however, the BGCT has been critical of the Southern Baptist Convention of Texas, a group of pro-SBC churches that broke away from the more moderate BGCT. Since 1998, more than 1,000 churches have joined the conservative convention. Wade said the situations are different. "These Missouri churches felt pushed away ... ," Wade said. "In Texas, we did not push them out." Wade wasn't the only individual with ties to the CBF present at the Missouri meeting. Also seen at the meeting were: -- Mike Olmsted, pastor of University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo., a prominent Missouri CBF congregation. Olmsted served on the Missouri CBF Coordinating Council. -- Rudy Pulido, pastor of Southwest Baptist Church in St. Louis and longtime president of the St. Louis chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. -- George Noble, CBF regional representative in charge of pastoral placement. -- Bart Tichenor, former Missouri CBF moderator. -- Harold Philips, coordinator of the Missouri CBF. -- Harlan Spurgeon, former associate coordinator of the national CBF. -- Cynthia Holmes, former Missouri CBF moderator, Americans United trustee and national CBF Coordinating Council member. -- John Hughes, former national CBF Coordinating Council member. -- Pete Hill, former CBF national Coordinating Council member and brother of former MBC Executive Director Jim Hill. -- Doyle Sager, former president of Mainstream Missouri Baptists. -- Scott Shaver, former coordinator in Louisiana for Mainstream Baptists --30--