The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/10/2013 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lottie Moon mission gifts grow to $149.3M, third-largest ever by Erich Bridges Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: 2nd VIEW is a key Baptist Press story that has been posted within the past several days. For a listing of additional key stories in Baptist Press in recent days, always take a look at the daily RECENT NEWS listing. Originally posted June 6, 2013 RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Southern Baptists gave $149.3 million to the 2012 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. The 2012 Lottie Moon Offering, finalized June 5, totaled $149,276,303.72. It surpassed last year's offering of $146.8 million by more than $2.4 million and marked the third-highest amount given in the offering's 124-year history. Speaking on behalf of missionaries across the globe, International Mission Board President Tom Elliff expressed gratitude to God for the generosity of Southern Baptists. "The significance of the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions, promoted each year in partnership with Woman's Missionary Union, can only be understood in light of eternity," Elliff said. "This year's offering, showing an increase during financially challenging days for our nation, is a reminder that missions is the stack pole around which Southern Baptists place their hearts, afire for the Gospel." Southern Baptists' missions giving is "the clear, undeniable barometer of our passion," Elliff said, noting that "nothing would so urge God to turn His face away from our convention, its churches and people as a loss of zeal for fulfilling the Great Commission." Although recent statistics show a decline of 2.4 percent in overall giving among Southern Baptist churches, Elliff expressed optimism about this increase in their continued missions support. "I pray this year's offering is an unmistakable indication that in coming days Southern Baptists will give, go and carry the Gospel together -- to the ends of the earth," he said. Wanda Lee, executive director-treasurer of Woman's Mission Union, also expressed gratitude to Southern Baptists for the increase. "We were excited to hear about the significant increase of $2.4 million over last year's receipts for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering," Lee said. "How exciting, after four years of economic challenges, to see Southern Baptists continue to increase their giving to our international missions offering. While we are grateful for this third-largest offering in our history, we are still praying for individuals and churches to understand the biblical call to stewardship and sacrificial giving that will enable more to go and more to hear the wonderful story of Jesus." Along with Southern Baptists' regular giving through the Cooperative Program, the Lottie Moon offering, named for Southern Baptists' most famous missionary, supports nearly 4,900 missionaries worldwide. It funds salaries, housing, medical care and children's education. Supporting one missionary overseas costs an average of nearly $50,000 per year -- or $136 per day. Most important, Lottie Moon support made it possible for IMB missionaries, working with their ministry partners around the globe, to communicate the Gospel to more than 1.4 million people, lead more than 337,000 to faith in Christ, baptize 266,451 new believers and start more than 24,000 churches, according to IMB's most recent annual statistical report in 2011. Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, said of the $149.3 million offering, "Let's see this as but a stepping stone toward far more sacrifice and passion so that men, women, boys and girls across this globe will be won to Christ." Page acknowledged that the offering "could have been better" but added that "it is exciting to see the expression of a mission-minded passion on the part of Southern Baptists." Though the 2012 offering fell short of the $175-million national goal, "We are grateful first and foremost to the Lord for all that He provides," said David Steverson, IMB treasurer and vice president for finance. "We have confidence that He knows just exactly what we need and also knows exactly when we need it. We are grateful that He chooses to use Southern Baptists in such a great way to provide the support we need." The IMB's purpose is to serve Southern Baptist churches and assist them in obeying the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to make disciples among all peoples. But the marginal level of increases in mission support in recent years -- balanced against the sheer number of lost people worldwide -- led Elliff to issue an "urgent appeal" in May to Southern Baptists to "carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth -- now." "There are over 7 billion people on this globe, and unless something changes drastically, radically, it is estimated that fewer than half will ever have the slightest connection with evangelical Christianity in their lifetime," Elliff said during the IMB trustees' May 14-15 meeting in Rogers, Ark. "Why would God entrust to us the greatest lostness in all of history if He did not expect us to do something about it?" The combined effect of a five-year decline in missions giving through the Cooperative Program and modest increases in Lottie Moon giving has resulted in static or declining support, which has affected the number of missionaries serving overseas. The IMB missionary count dropped below 5,000 to 4,850 at the end of 2012. But the drop wasn't for lack of qualified applicants, Elliff emphasized. Many missionary candidates have been and will continue to be put on hold until a position becomes vacant or significant additional funding becomes available. The trustees approved a resolution urging Southern Baptists to rally around Christ's Great Commission challenge. The resolution appealed for greater commitments to pray and give and asked the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee for an "aggressive, proactive and prompt" response to the challenges of missionary mobilization and support. It also asked the Executive Committee to offer "thoughtful and substantive proposals" as early as the SBC's 2014 annual meeting that will enable the convention to "operate at maximum effectiveness in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth." The Lottie Moon Offering goal for 2013 is $175 million. --30-- Erich Bridges is IMB global correspondent. VIDEO: How your giving can make the greatest impact globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Barber, J. Moore, Cass join list of nominees by Staff Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday Originally posted June 8, 2013. HOUSTON (BP) -- Texas pastor Bart Barber will be nominated for first vice president at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting next week (June 11-12), while Kentucky pastor Jared Moore and Texas denominational leader Don Cass will be nominated for second vice president. Barber, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, will be nominated by Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn. "He has faithfully served our Lord, local churches and our convention for many years in various capacities," Gaines said of Barber in comments to the Southern Baptist TEXAN. "His church is committed to the Cooperative Program and to SBC missions. He is well-qualified to help our president, Dr. Fred Luter, as we all seek a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and revival on our churches and our institutions. I pray that others will join in support of Pastor Barber's nomination." Barber, 43, has led the Farmersville church since 1999, after serving pastorates across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. According to Annual Church Profile (ACP) statistics, last year FBC Farmersville had an average Sunday School attendance of 292, with 10 percent of its undesignated giving directed to the Cooperative Program. The church also gave more than $33,000 to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. FBC Farmersville has developed a presence among an unengaged, unreached people group in Senegal. Over the course of three visits, the church has seen 17 professions of faith among tribes that had no evangelical presence only a year ago. Barber earned an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996, and continued there to earn a Ph.D. in church history in 2006. He served as an adjunct professor at Southwestern from 2006-09. Currently, Barber serves as a trustee of Southwestern Seminary and was selected last year to chair the board's academic administration committee. He also serves as vice chairman of the executive board of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Barber also has served on the Southern Baptist Convention's Committee on Committees. Born and raised in Lake City, Ark., Barber came to Christ at the age of 5 and was called to preach when he was 11. He was ordained to preach and graduated from Baylor University in 1991 and married his wife Tracy a few months later. They have two children: Jim, age 10, and Sarah, age 6. "I'm deeply moved by the confidence placed in me by Steve Gaines and, should they concur with him, by the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention," Barber said in response to the announcement by Gaines. "Any role I can play in carrying our cooperative mission work into the coming decades is something I can get excited about." Barber is on Twitter @bartbarber and blogs at www.praisegodbarebones.blogspot.com. Jared Moore, second VP nominee Moore, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, Ky., will be nominated for second vice president by Jeff Wright, pastor of Midway Baptist Church in Cookeville, Tenn. "Jared is passionate about the gospel and committed to the Cooperative Program," Wright wrote on his blog June 3. "Jared's interest in the SBC stems from his concern that the convention be growing toward greater and greater health." Wright noted that Moore's ministry has been "given to the out-of-the-way places which comprise the bulk of Southern Baptists historically. Over nearly thirteen years and from Baxter, TN to Hustonville, KY (look those places up; not exactly the fashionable sectors to pastor in …) Jared's life has been given to churches which those eager for fame and career advancement would consider too obscure." Wright also took note of Moore's turn to faith in Christ. "I remember still the day I saw the change of regeneration evidence itself in my friend's life. At that time I recollect thinking I had never seen such an immediate and radical change in an individual life as I did in Jared's conversion. As nearly fifteen years have been added to that day I am happy to say the Lord has allowed me to see others whose conversion has been as profound as Jared's but they are nonetheless extremely rare." The 32-year-old Moore wrote on his blog that he will accept the nomination because he wants to represent rural Southern Baptists, support the Cooperative Program and promote unity within the SBC. "I hope to encourage churches to begin, continue, or increase their support of the Cooperative Program. It's still the best way available for supporting the equipping of Southern Baptist ministers to take the Gospel locally and abroad, and to train other Southern Baptists to do the same," Moore wrote. "Apart from cooperating with other SBC churches through the Cooperative Program, our small church could not support as many ministries on our own." Regarding his hope to promote unity in the SBC, Moore wrote, "I think Traditionalists, Calvinists, and everything in between in the SBC can work together. Since the founding of the Southern Baptist convention, Southern Baptists of different stripes have been able to work together. There's no reason to divide beyond the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. I believe we'll accomplish far more together than we will if we're divided. Hopefully, this year will be one of renewal as Calvinists and Traditionalists reach across the aisle for the sake of the gospel, and for the sake of the future of the SBC." The 284-member church, by a congregational vote, gives 16 percent of its undesignated receipts to the CP. The church recorded a weekly worship attendance of 50 and weekly Sunday school/Bible study/small group attendance of 39. According to the 2011 and 2012 ACP reports, the church has had four baptisms. "I was saved in a rural Southern Baptist Church, and I've primarily served rural Southern Baptists ever since," Moore wrote. "I want to represent Southern Baptists like the ones I serve on a daily basis who may not have the opportunity to attend the convention or serve at the convention level." Moore holds a master of theology degree in systematic theology and an M.Div. in Christian ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where is enrolled as a systematic theology doctoral student. He also holds a B.A. from Trinity College of the Bible and a master of arts in religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has authored "The Harry Potter Bible Study: Enjoying God Through the Final Four Harry Potter Movies." Moore and his wife Amber have three children, Caden, Ava and Ian. Don Cass, second VP nominee Cass, longtime pastor and denominational leader in Texas and New Mexico, will be nominated for second vice president by Bob Pearle, pastor of Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Pearle told the Southern Baptist TEXAN. Cass has been a member of Birchman Baptist since 2004. Cass directed evangelism at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) from 2004-12 after completing a pastorate at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. In addition to pastorates in Lubbock, Abilene and Plainview, Cass also pastored in the smaller Texas towns of Tahoka, Aledo, Josephine and Dimmitt. "Don's vast experience and love for Southern Baptists makes him eminently qualified for this honored position," Pearle said. "Don knows well the value of Cooperative Program giving through his pastoral ministry and then leading in the evangelism division of three state conventions." Reflecting on Cass' commitment to evangelism, Pearle said, "He has instilled a culture of evangelism in the churches he pastored and the state conventions he served. His life and experience in evangelism are a model for our denomination to emulate, particularly in this period of declining baptisms." During his tenure at the SBTC, attendance for the Empower Evangelism Conference grew from 1,500 to more than 3,200 and the Student Evangelism Conference more than doubled and expanded to two locations. He received the W. A. Criswell Lifetime Achievement Award for Pastoral Evangelism and the Roy Fish Lifetime Achievement Award for Vocational Evangelism from the SBTC. Cass authored manuals and Gospel tracts to equip laymen to share their faith, including his most recent work, "All Things New," a discipleship study for new Christians. Cass served nine years as associate evangelism director at the Baptist General Convention of Texas and six years as director of evangelism at the Baptist Convention of New Mexico. He graduated from Wayland Baptist University and holds a master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and doctor of divinity from Criswell College. Cass and his wife Barbara have a daughter and three grandchildren. He continues to serve SBTC as a consultant in evangelism. Birchman Baptist contributes 13.6 percent of undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. --30-- Based on stories by Rob Collingsworth and Tammi Reed Ledbetter of the Southern Baptist TEXAN ( http://texanonline.net/) and Diana Chandler, staff writer for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey protests: Strangely festive mood as violence, tear gas loom by Staff Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday Originally posted June, 2013. ISTANBUL (BP) -- Taksim Square in the heart of Istanbul seems like ground zero of the biggest party in Turkey. Groups of students dance hand-in-hand. Local musicians gather for impromptu open-air performances. Women hand out sesame-covered biscuits to anyone in arm's reach. The mood is strangely festive, but the tens of thousands of people assembled are not revelers -- they are protesters. On May 31, a peaceful protest over the destruction of a city park turned violent as riot police attempted to drive protesters from the area. The air in Taksim, recently saturated with pepper spray and tear gas, is now charged with hope and energy, but there is an undercurrent of danger. Street vendors sell a bizarre mix of Turkish flags, surgical masks and swim goggles. The flags signal nationalistic pride, while the masks and goggles are intended to deflect gas used by riot police to disperse crowds. One vendor darkly quips, "The tear gas is coming to Taksim; you'll need these." Some protesters wear badges, sarcastically claiming they are looters. Others more ominously don "Guy Fawkes" masks, often the symbols of political activism. Spontaneous chants for the resignation of Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan erupt from every corner of the square. But a question lingers, "What happens after the party is over?" When asked what they hope the protests will achieve, Turkish demonstrators provide a range of responses. A well-educated elderly couple -- a university professor and a doctor -- replied simply, "We want freedom and peace." A young woman who was in the park when police confronted the protesters enthusiastically stated, "Erdogan should publicly apologize." She then admitted an apology is unlikely and darker days are probably coming to Turkey. The exuberance on display in Taksim seems to mask a deeper uncertainty about the future of a country with a staunchly secular political system and a deeply religious Muslim majority population. The size and scope of the protests have surprised many, but they have not shaken the faith of Turkish believers. Amir*, a Turkish pastor, said he had never seen anything like the recent demonstrations. He is confident that even if things turn out badly, God will prevail. He prays that human rights will be protected and that democracy will lead to an acceptance of others -- specifically believers so they can share their reason for hope. Mehmet*, a Turkish believer, said, "Jesus had similar experiences. He lived under oppressive leadership, but He walked among the citizens of Israel and addressed the real issue. The real issue isn't about the government -- it's about salvation." Mehmet said he hopes discussions about freedom will open doors to share about the freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ. He said he recognizes it is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of protests. He prays Turkish believers will have wisdom to discern the spiritual needs of their fellow citizens. Join with Turkish Christians as they pray for the future of their country. Pray for Turkey Cities is a prayer guide that encourages in-depth prayer for the cities and peoples of Turkey. Order online from the Resource Center of the International Mission Board here: http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/4100/page/1. --30-- *Names changed for security reasons. Compiled by International Mission Board communications staff. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Boy Scouts defenders leave concerns unanswered by By Erin Roach Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP) -- A statement by the Association of Baptists for Scouting has urged churches to continue their involvement with Boy Scout troops without addressing cautions noted by key leaders over the BSA's acceptance of homosexuality.
Among the concerns addressed by Southern Baptist leaders are whether churches should embrace an organization that openly opposes biblical standards for morality, whether churches will be caught up in litigation resulting from the policy change and how the Scouts will protect boys from a potential increase in sexual abuse of children. In an official statement of the Association of Baptists for Scouting released to Baptist Press June 6, A.J. Smith, the organization's president, set forth four points interpreting the change in the Boy Scouts' membership policy. National Scouting officials, he said, signed off on his interpretations. The BSA policy change approved in May, Smith said, "clearly states that sexual activity among Scout-aged youth is contrary to Scouting virtues." Therefore, he concluded, a Scouting unit "could have in its statement a list of behavioral expectations regarding sexual abstinence as a condition of membership." The new BSA policy "does not say that a youth may not be denied membership if his behavior becomes a distraction to the program or the performance of the unit," Smith said. A third interpretation Smith set forth is that the new policy "does not require that a church-chartered unit affirm the moral acceptability of same-sex attraction." Churches, Smith said, retain the right under the resolution "to ask adult leaders to exemplify by word and example the positive nature of traditional, heterosexual marriage as their recognized standard [of] what it means to be morally straight." Officials from the Boy Scouts of America, including their general counsel, told Smith his interpretations were correct as long as a charter organization did not try to exclude a boy solely on the basis of his perceived sexual orientation. "In short, Baptist churches that charter Scout units have the power to enforce a code of conduct on the boys that precludes their ability to engage in any kind of sexual activity and to bring disciplinary measures to bear on youth who violate the code of conduct," Smith wrote in asking churches to continue to participate in Scouting as a way of reaching youth who might not otherwise be reached with the Gospel. R. Chip Turner, chairman of the Boy Scouts of America Religious Relationships Task Force and a past president of the Association of Baptists for Scouting, wrote an open letter to Southern Baptists in the same spirit as Smith's statement, encouraging Baptists not to pull out of Scouting. "As 'fishers of men,' are we not to go where the fish are located? In the case of church-based Scout units, there are unreached people already in your buildings," Turner wrote, adding that Baptists should be "at the forefront in helping youth find answers which are biblically-based." "Shall we abandon an organization which needs our influence now more than ever?" Turner wrote. The Atlanta-area church led by former SBC president Bryant Wright has announced an end to its affiliation with the Boy Scouts over the BSA acceptance of openly homosexual members. "One of the reasons we’ve loved Boy Scouts is because so many non-Christians and unchurched people have come into our Scout troop, and then some of those -- not many, but some – do wind up not only coming to Christ, but coming into the church," Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, told Baptist Press June 10. "So it’s with great grief that we’ve made this decision. It’s frustrating to us because it’s been forced upon us because of the actions of the Boy Scouts." Wright said other churches may have a different view about whether to break relations now with the Scouts or continue their partnerships and see what direction the BSA takes in the future. While Johnson Ferry will continue to work with boys to help them finish as an Eagle Scout with the church’s troop, Wright said the church decided it needed to take action now. Wright explained the decision to Johnson Ferry members in a video posted on the church's website, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. "Unfortunately, the recent decision to affirm participation by homosexual Scouts puts Johnson Ferry in a very challenging position. And here's why: As followers of Jesus Christ, we have committed our lives to become more and more like Him...," Wright said. Acceptance of people, Wright said, does not entail "affirmation of their sin. When a young boy, who is struggling with sexual identity or feels he is gay, comes to his Scout leader for counseling and advice, we're committed to pray with that young man and urge him to live a life of sexual purity consistent with God's Word. "Obviously, he would not be expelled from our troop, as would be the case with a young man struggling with alcohol abuse," Wright said, "... But if the young man who is engaging in alcohol abuse has no desire to change, then he would be expelled from the Scouts. And if a young man feels he is gay and is unwilling to lead a life of sexual purity according to Scripture, then he would expelled. The key is a willingness to repent or to change." Ernest Easley, pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., which has sponsored a Scout troop since 1945, urged parents to pull their sons out of Scouting in a May 26 sermon. In a June 9 statement to Baptist Press, Easley noted that the BSA was "cautioned regarding the response of many SBC churches and their possible severing of sponsorships. Had the BSA stood true to their historic moral convictions, they would not now be pleading for SBC churches to continue their relationship." Easley is chairman of the SBC's Executive Committee. "We can effectively do evangelism without partnering with organizations that openly embrace what God's Word opposes," Easley said. "I encourage churches to consider starting an RA [Royal Ambassadors] program as a biblical alternative to Scouting or to strengthen or expand their current RA program." RAs is the Southern Baptist missions organization for boys in grades 1-6, with the tandem Challengers program engaging young men in grades 7-12 in missions education and involvement. RAs, on the Web at WMU.com/ra, is sponsored by Woman's Missionary Union. Roger S. Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations at the SBC's Executive Committee, said the appeals by Smith and Turner are "persuasively crafted" but "many see this policy change for what it is -- the first step toward the ultimate goal of bringing the Scouts into line with the prevailing culture on the issue of homosexual identity and conduct. We grieve that the Scouts have planted the seed of their eventual destruction. It won't happen overnight, but the course has been set." In an earlier Baptist Press story, Oldham had noted that Southern Baptists' intent "to show the love of Christ will not be hampered by choosing not to expose our children to an organization that has taken the first step toward a worldview at odds with biblical morality. ... "The Boy Scouts have planted the seed of their own destruction. It may take a while for the seed to germinate fully, but when it does, its flower will not bear the pleasant aroma of the Gospel. As 'fishers of men,' we are to rescue men and women and boys and girls from the destructive consequences of sin, not subject them to it." Easley, in an BP story May 28, said his greatest concern is the protection of boys. "This decision opens the floodgate for a potential increase in sexual abuse of children," he said. The new membership policy weakens the credibility of the Boy Scouts, Easley said, gutting the strongest language of their pledge which speaks of being "morally straight." "We are not going to put our arms around organizations that openly oppose the moral guidelines taught in God's Word," Easley said. Southern Baptist leaders who earlier expressed concern surrounding the vote of the Boy Scouts' national council May 23 to allow openly homosexual members included: -- Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, who said the vote "ushers in a sea-change in the credibility of the Boy Scouts of America as a viable boys' organization for millions of Americans who believe strongly in the principles of biblical morality." -- Russell Moore, the ERLC's new president, said the membership decision lands the "sexual revolution's onward march" squarely in the middle of Scouting. "Few, if any, are suggesting the Boy Scouts kick out boys based on their particular temptations. We don't, and shouldn't do that in our churches, much less in the Scouts," Moore said. "But this change is more than this. It doesn't speak in terms of temptations but in terms of the claiming of a sexually politicized identity as morally neutral." Moore added, "Our voluntary associations, even the most venerable of them, are increasingly ambiguous about what it means to live a good life rooted in the permanent things." Moore noted: "Our churches cannot, and will not, share that ambiguity." -- David Tarkington, pastor of First Baptist Church in Orange Park, Fla., said there is a difference between lending the church's facilities to local groups and sponsoring a Boy Scouts troop. "The difference here is that, in a very real sense, we 'own' these [BSA] groups. The name of our church is printed on every Boy Scout's neckerchief. T-shirts for Pack 20 have 'First Baptist Church of Orange Park' emblazoned on them," Tarkington said. "... Even if the groups remove our name, we would still be the charter organization." -- Bill Bunkley, president of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and an Eagle Scout, said the decision reached beyond allowing homosexual boys to be Scouts; it was a decision to inject sex and politics into the Boy Scouts' value system. "This was a political statement and a vote to allow open, homosexual expression and activism in the presence of kids as young as age six," Bunkley said. -- Richard Land, immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the "supposed compromise" satisfies no one and signals the BSA will only become more inclusive of gays. "The supposed compromise takes away their best defense. In the year 2000, the Supreme Court ruled the Boy Scouts did not have to have homosexual Scoutmasters because the homosexual lifestyle was contrary to the core values of Scouts. If you're going to allow openly gay Scouts to participate in Scouting, then it's no longer a core value," Land said. "And so what we're going to see now is a flood of litigation by pro-homosexual groups arguing that the continuing ban on gay Scoutmasters is ... prejudice and they will win. They will win, because the Boy Scouts have stripped themselves of their defense the Supreme Court used." Land also noted, "If the BSA takes one step in compromising a long-held core value, what would prevent it from soon taking a second step to abandonment of the value altogether?" Land said. Moore, of the ERLC, told The Oklahoman newspaper the Boy Scouts matter could come up at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston June 11-12. "I would bet there would be a resolution expressing disappointment with the Boy Scouts' decision and calling on Southern Baptist churches to prepare for the need for alternatives," Moore said. "How quickly that happens will probably differ from congregation to congregation. I do think most Southern Baptists see the Boy Scouts moving in a direction that's not going to be consistent with our beliefs." Such a resolution, if introduced and passed, would come 20 years after the SBC, in the 1993 annual meeting in Houston, completed a two-year process to amend the convention's constitution to decline membership to churches that affirm or condone homosexuality. --30-- Erin Roach is assistant editor of Baptist Press. BP editor Art Toalston and Tim Ellsworth of Union University contributed to this article. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Crossover: 'a visible example of God's love' by Tobin Perry & Sara Shelton Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP) -- A sun-soaked day broke over Houston Saturday (June 8) as thousands of volunteers scoured the city hosting block parties, renovating schools and homes, and sharing the Gospel. It was all part of Crossover, the intentional evangelistic outreach in the host city of the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. The day also served as a celebration point for Loving Houston, a community transformation movement headed by the Union Baptist Association.
Churches across Houston witnessed firsthand the power of partnership as volunteers shared Christ in word and deed. Pastor John Neesley and his team at Lazybrook Baptist Church, for example, hosted a block party for their community. Their prayer for partners brought in teams from Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina and North Carolina. Volunteers spent the afternoon running games, cooking hot dogs, making crafts and voicing their faith to receptive hearts. "Sometimes you look at the community around you and you're not sure how you're going to reach them all," Neesley said. "Then God sends partners to help you in that work. Our church is humbled to have people partner with us to host these block parties and reach our neighbors." One such partner was Clint Smith, pastor of Town Creek Baptist Church in Akin, S.C., participating in his first Crossover. Together, Neesley and Smith presented the Gospel and saw more than 13 people turn to Christ. "It requires a lot of energy to do something like this and pour into a community," Smith said of the block party, "but it's worth it when you see lives changed and someone says, 'Yes, now I belong to Christ.'" In the parking lot of Holman Street Baptist Church, pastor Al Payne led a team of volunteers in prayer and offered a word of encouragement before sending them out to serve the city of Houston. "The work you're doing to help us serve the community today -- cutting grass, pulling up weeds, working on homes -- that's all physical labor," Payne told the team, "but it will help us connect people to the spiritual, and that's what's most important." These volunteers were just a few of many representing churches across North America who came to partner with Houston-area churches to love and serve the city as a part of Crossover. Holman Street alone saw teams from churches in Ohio, Texas and Wyoming joining them for a day of community transformation projects in conjunction with the Loving Houston vision cast by Union Baptist Association director of missions Tom Billings and his team. Chris Rhodes, pastor of Dover Baptist Temple in Dover, Ohio, who brought a team of 13 from his church to be a part of the day, said they wanted “to be a part of Crossover to partner with our brothers and sisters serving in Houston." Elias Montalvo, a church planting specialist for the North American Mission Board, traveled from Wyoming to participate. "This initiative allows us to show people that we're here to serve them because we serve the Lord," Montalvo said. "Then we can point them back to Him, too." Nathan Lorick, state director of evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, described Crossover as "a great day for the SBC and for Houston." "Of course the greatest aspect was seeing people come to faith in Christ, that's the best result we could ever ask for. To see so many churches mobilize their people, and Southern Baptists from around the country, helping churches connect with their communities with intentional evangelism, honoring God with their service, it was so exciting," Lorick said. "It was a joy to see the SBTC partner with NAMB to help facilitate intentional community evangelism. It was a true joy to see pastors so encouraged by seeing their people mobilized. Apart from seeing people come to faith in Christ, that gave me the greatest joy of the day," Lorick said. More stories of life change were flowing out of Clay Road Baptist Church's block party, one of more than 20 held across the city. Led by pastor Bruce Northam and youth pastor Jacob Shelton, the event saw volunteers from several Texas-area churches joining them to host games, play music, paint faces and share the love of Christ. "We really encouraged our congregation to step out of their comfort zone, out of our building and into the community," Northam said. "We want people to know that our church is here for them but, more importantly, so is Christ." At their event, Northam saw more than a half-dozen professions of faith, the importance of which is certainly not lost on his team. "Lives are changing," Shelton said. "That's why we're here." As Crossover Houston was unfolding, leaders were already looking ahead to Baltimore, host city for the 2014 SBC annual meeting. Baltimore director of missions Bob Mackey spent Saturday visiting block parties and service projects around Houston in an effort to get a feel for the outreach. "It's been a real blessing to see what's happening in Houston," Mackey said. "Our prayer is that God will start preparing these same hearts for service in Baltimore next year." As part of its Loving Houston efforts for the past two weekends, Horeb Iglesia church and Clear Lake Baptist Church have helped paint and repair the roof of a house in the city's historic fifth ward. Clear Lake pastor Glenn Young said it has been a great opportunity to get the church out into the community and involve itself in community transformation. "It doesn't matter what we do at the convention, I think the [secular] reporters are going to be focused on the wedge issues," Young said, noting that Southern Baptists have little control over how the media describes them. "When they hear that, I want Houston to see the love aspect of us. This is a visible example of God's love for the city of Houston." Homeowner Stella Rochon said she is grateful for the work on her house by Southern Baptist volunteers. "I didn't have any money to do all they are doing," Rochon said. "I think it's great -- really great that they come out and help people do things like this." Denise Aguilar, also of Clear Lake, volunteered on the project with her mother, brother and sister for the second straight weekend. "The Bible says do unto others what you want them to do to you," Aguilar said as she helped her mother and younger sister tape a door of the house before painting it. "We've had a lot of people from our church come and help us when we've needed it. This is our way of giving back." Though the efforts of the Clear Lake and Horeb Iglesia team were focused on meeting the practical need of repairing the home, they also appreciated the opportunity to show Houston how much God loves the city. "I hope Houston will see Christians helping other people, and it will bring more people to Christ," said Linda Daniel of Clear Lake. Crystal Healer was invited to be a part of the project by her boyfriend. She said because of work commitments and being a student she often doesn't get an opportunity to serve with the church as much as she'd like. She noted that the church reached out and helped her with a variety of financial needs. She likes having the opportunity to help others just as Clear Lake has helped her. "I want people to see the Lord Jesus in us," said Healer, who has been at Clear Lake for the past year and a half. "Some people have a stereotype based on the media and television. But Jesus was a carpenter. He would be out here sweating with us. He says to help the poor and the underprivileged. I think this helps people see Jesus in us. Then they are more apt to ask questions about our church and what we believe. You get a lot people saved that way." --30-- Tobin Perry and Sara Shelton write for the North American Mission Board. NAMB writer Joe Conway contributed to this story. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- New births emerge from Crossover witness by Staff Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP) -- As Southern Baptists gather in Houston to conduct the business of the convention, the power of believers working together to intentionally share the Gospel is being felt in the SBC host city, with nearly 400 new believers recording faith decisions.
The annual "Crossover" event featured 25 block parties on Saturday (June 8) and had reported more than 200 professions of faith as of Monday afternoon. In addition, 182 salvation decisions were recorded through door-to-door contact by local churches. For the previous week, David Mills was guiding a group of students from several campuses of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and The College at Southwestern to share their faith door to door and on the streets of Houston. The SWBTS evangelism professor encouraged the students to make prayer a priority as they set out across the city, sharing their faith in very diverse settings. "We have found where there has been intense and fervent prayer there is an openness to the Holy Spirit with humility and repentance," Mills said. "Otherwise, it's almost a hostility to the Gospel." Students Benjamin Smith and Harrison Chow saw the results of prayer as they welcomed Jose and his son Fernando who had followed signs to a block party hosted by Northeast Houston Baptist Church. "One student led that same dad I had prayed for to the Lord while the other student led the son," Mills said, noting his awe in the way God had directed them to the home where he had seen them earlier that wasn't even near the neighborhood. Lazybrook Baptist Church sponsored two block parties as part of the outreach. The first was held at Colonial Apartments, a largely Hispanic low-income apartment complex. Pastor John Neesley said residents were surprised to see the church there. One resident told Neesley, "I can't believe you came here because it's kind of dangerous. That's why most people don't want to come here." The willingness of Lazybrook members and volunteers from Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida as well as seminary students led 13 people to profess faith in Christ. Neesley recounted leading a boy to Christ who went back to his apartment and returned with his brother, who also prayed to receive Christ. They went back home and brought back a third brother who also was saved. In door-to-door outreach, church members and volunteers at First Baptist Church in Pearland handed out more than 10,000 door hangers advertising their block party and shared the Gospel as they went. Worship Pastor John Godby shared with a mother and son on their front porch. He asked if they wanted to pray to receive Christ and they said yes but also asked if a friend who had been listening from inside the house could also pray. "I said, 'Of course she can.'" "God has been moving in amazing ways," said James Jordan, a member of Northeast Houston Baptist Church who coordinated four block parties and the participation of the Southwestern students. "Our pastor's focus in 2013 has been on prayer," Jordan noted, describing hour-long sessions on Sunday evening and corporate prayer during morning worship. Longtime Crossover's visionary Darrell Robinson said the prevailing attitude that door-to-door outreach no longer works is false. What is needed, he said, are pastors who not only exemplify personal evangelism but convince laypeople it is their job to win souls and then equip them to do it. As with any evangelistic endeavor, fervent prayer and a humble spirit must precede door-to-door evangelism, he added. A come-hear-my-preacher approach isn't enough, Robinson said, adding, "We must convince the people that it is their job" to evangelize as they go about their daily business. --30-- Compiled from reports by Tammi Reed Ledbetter and Stephanie Heading of the Southern Baptist TEXAN newsjournal. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Luter: afflictions in ministry in God's script by Keith Collier Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP) -- Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter brought a rousing close to the first night of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference, with an encouraging message for discouraged pastors. Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, preached from Psalm 34, with particular emphasis on verse 19, and addressed how pastors should handle difficult times, or what he likes to refer to as "the other side of ministry." "I have one purpose and one purpose alone for tonight," Luter said in the introductory remarks for his June 9 message. "That is to encourage pastors and pastors' wives. In this last year that I've traveled the country as SBC president, I've run into so many pastors and pastors' wives who are discouraged or ready to throw in the towel or ready to give in." Luter described the joys and blessings that come along with the task of pastoral ministry. "[But] then one day," Luter said, "everything falls apart, and now you are facing the other side of ministry. For whatever reason, brothers, the blessings have stopped flowing." Luter shared from his own personal experience of pastoring a thriving church in his hometown of New Orleans to standing in a line for government assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Pointing to Psalm 34, Luter said even King David, who was considered a man after God's own heart, faced affliction. After praising God in the first four verses, David describes his afflictions in subsequent verses. "In just a few short verses, David has gone from divine preservation to human persecution," Luter said, noting that no one in ministry is exempt from hardships. He also explained his own struggles with the passage in that David says a multitude of afflictions are inevitable for those who are righteous. "The struggle I have with this text is that the words 'afflictions' and 'righteous' are in the same verse," Luter admitted. "I could have handled the text better if the Bible would have said 'many are the afflictions of the [sinner] ... because then I could have come to the conclusion that what goes around comes around, ... that they're reaping what they've sown. But the Bible doesn't say that." Luter explained that Job was a righteous man who faced unwarranted affliction, who was "picked out to be picked on." Yet, through it all, Job continued to praise and trust God. Luter concluded his message with an encouragement from the end of verse 19: "But the Lord delivers him out of them all." He emphasized that the negative conjunction "but" wipes away everything that is said before it. "Just when it looks like things are bad, just when it looks like things are hard, just when it looks like you're about to go under, God can put a 'but' in your situation," Luter exclaimed. "Your affliction is temporary. Your affliction is for a specific time. Your affliction is for a specific season. Your affliction is for a specific reason. It's only a test. It's only a trial. It's the other side of ministry. But always remember pastors and pastors' wives, this too shall pass." In a closing illustration, Luter described his great love for James Bond movies as well as his longtime curiosity over how Bond was able to escape precarious situations. Finally, one day while watching a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the Bond films, Luter realized the reason. "You know what I found out?" Luter asked. "It will blow you away. ... It was written in the script!" "I've come here tonight to tell every pastor and pastor's wife, 'You know how I know you'll make it? It's in the script!" --30-- Keith Collier is director of news and information for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (www.swbts.edu/campusnews). Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Land honored for courage at ERLC by Tom Strode Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP)—The current president, as well as former presidents, of the Southern Baptist Convention commended Richard Land for his courage and faithfulness as head of the denomination's ethics entity for a quarter of a century in a dinner in his honor. Current SBC President Fred Luter and the former presidents joined others -- including seminary presidents, entity heads and state Baptist leaders -- in celebrating June 8 Land's 25 years of leadership of and retirement from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). The dinner, sponsored by the ERLC's trustees, occurred as Southern Baptists began gathering in Houston for the convention's 2013 meeting June 11-12.
Having announced last year his intention to retire from the ERLC, Land, 66, became the commission's president emeritus June 1, when Russell Moore moved into the president's role. The ERLC trustees elected Moore as president in late March. On July 1, Land will become president of Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. Elected as president in 1988, Land led the transformation of the ethics entity during the SBC's conservative resurgence. He directed the commission as it became a stalwart advocate for the sanctity of human life and religious freedom while it maintained its biblical stances on such issues as racial reconciliation and marriage. Jimmy Draper, the keynote speaker and a former SBC president, said, "No one in our lifetime has had a greater impact on the social and ethical attitudes and actions of Southern Baptists than Richard Land." Luter, the SBC's first African American president and pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, thanked Land for being a personal blessing to him through the years. Luter also told Land his faithfulness meant he "will go down in history as one who stood up when other people did not, one who spoke up when other people did not. ... There was no challenge you did not take on." Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston and a former SBC president, told the audience of about 100 people, "Richard Land has never lacked for courage. He'll stand when all the rest of us are seated." Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee and another former convention president, commented on the "rapid decline in our culture," adding he once told a non-Southern Baptist in seeking to describe the ERLC's work, "I shudder to think what it would be like had it not been for the salt and light influence of Dr. Richard Land and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission." In his keynote speech, Draper used 1 Timothy 6:11-12 to describe Land's track record of "avoiding the traps that Satan has placed before him" while pursuing such traits as justice, love and persistence in fighting for the truth. Draper, former president of LifeWay Christian Resources, cited the following as examples of Land's enduring work: -- His decade of service on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. -- His key role in the SBC's 1995 resolution on racial reconciliation. -- His co-leadership with Draper of the SBC Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals. In response, Land said it has been "the blessing of a lifetime" to serve Southern Baptists. When people ask him what he did "to serve God, to defend the Gospel and defend soul freedom in the last part of the 20th and first part of the 21st century, I'll tell them I served the people called Southern Baptists," Land said. "That was my part." The dinner came not only in a year marking Land's 25th anniversary as head of the SBC's ethics entity but his 50th anniversary in vocational Christian ministry and the 60th anniversary of his conversion to Christ. It also took place in the city where he grew up and became a Christian. During the dinner, the ERLC's trustees presented a check for $250,000 to representatives of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to go toward the Richard Land Center for Cultural Engagement. The seminary is the center's home. Other honors for Land during the dinner included the reading of excerpts from letters by former President George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, video testimonies by pro-family and SBC leaders, and resolutions from the SBC Executive Committee, ERLC and Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The ERLC trustees also presented gifts to Land and his wife, Rebekah. Among family members attending the dinner were the Lands' children -- Jennifer, Richard Jr. and Rachel -- and their spouses. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Directors of missions change name, structure by David Roach Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday HOUSTON (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions changed its name and organizational structure during its annual conference, June 9 at Second Baptist Church in Houston. Now called the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders, the group eliminated the offices of president, first vice president, second vice president and editor, replacing the old structure with a team ministry model that will double the number of elected leaders and include in leadership representatives from the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, GuideStone Financial Resources and Woman's Missionary Union. The new name reflects the reality that paid associational leaders are not all called directors of missions, with many carrying titles like executive director and associational missionary, according to outgoing president Johnny Rumbough. The team ministry structure "will help the organization to be able to make decisions more expediently and put the emphasis on the missionary equipping component, which is what we're about," said Rumbough, director of missions for the Lexington Baptist Association in Lexington, S.C. In team ministry, leaders make decisions and carry out ministry tasks rather than making decisions then directing other people to do the work, he said. Speakers at the conference included IMB President Tom Elliff, NAMB President Kevin Ezell, GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins, WMU Executive Director-treasurer Wanda Lee and NAMB vice president of mobilization Aaron Coe. Among the topics of breakout sessions were "partnerships among associations," "reaching the nations that live in your association," "training pastor search committees" and "the missionary role of the director of missions." The new organizational structure includes an executive team and a nominating team, each elected by the conference for three-year terms. A recording secretary is elected annually. The executive team will elect a conference team leader who will be responsible for planning the annual conference and appointing a team to assist him. The position of executive director-treasurer is eliminated under the new structure. The constitution and bylaw changes that create the new structure also allow the group to hold its annual conference at a time not in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. The changes will result in a larger team planning the annual conference in order to accommodate growth, Rumbough said. From the 1,000-plus Baptist associations in America, fewer than 200 leaders have attended the conference in recent years, but Rumbough said potential attendees number 2,000-3,000. "The challenges that associations face are in the area of missions strategy," Rumbough said. "So we're wanting through this conference to provide the kind of equipping that will help our associational leaders be better prepared to reach the communities where they live." The constitution and bylaw changes were presented at last year's annual conference before being voted on this year, according to organizational policy. Hawkins told directors of missions that they are like the biblical character Barnabas, providing encouragement to those in ministry. Barnabas only "has center stage four times in the Bible," Hawkins said. "And every one of those times he's like a DOM. He's out there having to deal with issues and he's encouraging people." Coe told DOMs that they play a key role in NAMB's Send North America strategy for planting churches and reaching people for Christ across the U.S. and Canada. He added that by hosting one of NAMB's Churches Planting Churches training sessions an association can help its pastors think like missionaries. "One of the biggest reasons our churches are in decline is that the neighborhoods around our churches have changed, and our churches have lost their missional vision on how to reach the communities that are right around them," Coe said. The training sessions help churches "think missionally." --30-- David Roach is a writer in Shelbyville, Ky. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: 10 ways to grow a small group by Chuck Lawless Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) -- Small groups matter in the church. Regardless of a church's size, the small group is a place of teaching, fellowship, prayer and pastoral care. The adage, "A church must grow smaller as it grows larger" is more than a church growth cliché; it is a principle of Great Commission growth. Many small groups, though, turn inwardly. Here are some ways to strengthen the outward focus of your church's small group ministry. 1. Be clear about the purpose of the group. Every small group exists for some reason. Some focus on evangelism. Others emphasize discipleship. Some are short-term focused studies, while others have an ongoing curriculum. The problem is that many small group leaders and participants don't think about, aren't clear about, or they even disagree about the group's purpose. Unfocused small groups -- like unfocused churches -- often plateau or decline. 2. Make sure the teachers/facilitators are good teachers. This point might seem obvious, but I cannot make this statement strongly enough: bad teachers/facilitators produce weak small groups. Being unprepared or boring is inexcusable -- especially if the goal of the small group is Bible teaching. Don't be surprised if groups with poor leaders don't grow. 3. Enlist teachers/facilitators who want to multiply the group. The leader's influence here is huge. If leaders want only to grow a crowd to hear them teach, the potential for producing Kingdom growth will ultimately be weakened. If the goals of a leader are to grow a group, raise up new leaders, and send them out to reach others, the group will likely catch that vision. 4. Train teachers/facilitators to think as guests. No longer can we assume that guests -- or group members, for that matter -- have even basic biblical knowledge. Guests may not understand our Christian terms or denominational lingo. The best teachers/facilitators recognize these truths and adjust their teaching accordingly by explaining basics and defining terms. 5. Be aware of the 80 percent rule. At least in North American culture, physical space matters. When a group reaches 80 percent of its space capacity, numerical growth is likely to plateau or decline. Outreach often becomes less of a concern when group members perceive the space is already full. 6. Use nametags. Some groups provide a nametag only for guests. I understand that thinking, but it actually puts the guest at a disadvantage. Others may call her name, but she cannot respond in kind if the "regulars" aren't also wearing nametags. At the same time, the group that says, "We don't need nametags because we already know everybody" is likely not thinking about growth. 7. If your group uses written curriculum, have extra copies available for guests. Suppose new guests attend, but you have no copies of the study for them. You have essentially said to them, "We weren't thinking about the possibility of others coming. We weren't prepared for you." A lack of material for guests indicates a lack of expectation among the group members. 8. Train a pastoral care team for each small group. Get ready for growth by putting a small group pastoral care infrastructure in place. Small groups do not automatically follow up with and care for their members. The cracks through which members fall are sometimes quite wide. A strong pastoral care team (perhaps as few as two people) can help correct this problem. No small group member should be absent without follow-up, ill without care, or needy without assistance. 9. Enlist an outreach leader for each small group. Few small groups default into an outward focus. Instead, they turn inwardly, often without recognizing the resulting stagnation. A strong outreach leader can continually remind the group of the need to do personal evangelism and guest follow-up. Intentionality is important, and the outreach leader can lead in developing a strategic growth plan. 10. Lead groups to pray for people who have never attended. We most often pray for people who regularly attend -- that is, for those we know and see. The most Great Commission-focused small groups, though, pray also for those they are trying to reach. A quick review of these suggestions should show you this point: The one who leads the small group matters. Good teachers will teach anywhere. They will take bad curriculum and make it interesting. They will figure out how to address a group member who dominates discussion. They will enlist and organize other members for outreach and follow-up. They will lead the group to multiply itself. Getting the right leaders will take your church a long way toward growing effective small groups. --30-- Chuck Lawless serves as professor of evangelism and missions and dean of graduate studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake, Forest, N.C. This column first appeared at ThomRainer.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: What Solomon (& Johnny Cash) can teach us about life by Allen Raynor Date: June 10, 2013 - Monday THORNTON, Colo. (BP) -- Life is filled with hurt, pain and regret. There are so many things each of us would do differently if given the opportunity to change the past. But, as we well know, time marches on and there is no going back. The best we can do is learn from the past and try to avoid making the same mistakes again. It makes no difference whether a person is a prince or a pauper, we face the same ultimate reality -- our own mortality. The wise King Solomon had quite a bit to say about this issue as he contemplated in the book of Ecclesiastes. He compares the pursuit and accumulation of this world's goods as "grasping for the wind/air" in Ecclesiastes 1:14. When you look at his life, it is not difficult to conclude that if happiness and satisfaction could be found in the things this world has to offer, then Solomon would have been the happiest man who ever lived. When it came to wealth, he was rich beyond measure. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He had the utmost in power, position, wisdom and influence. If ultimate satisfaction could have been achieved through the things of this life, Solomon would have certainly possessed it in abundance. Singer and songwriter Johnny Cash was one of the most legendary music and cultural icons of the 20th century He sold millions of albums, had multiple number one hits, and even his own television show for a while. He possessed all the wealth and fame that goes with such great accomplishments. But, on Sept. 12, 2003, Johnny Cash died. In just one instant all that he had accumulated over his 70-plus years was left to someone else. Illness and death should not be among earth's surprises but these tend to shock, nevertheless. Cash seemed to have a perspective that most do not. He had traveled a long way with God over his years from the depths of drug and alcohol abuse, a failed marriage, and a Christ-haunted existence, until ultimately coming to peace with God in mid-life. Later, as his death drew near, he recorded and released a song which became something of a strange capstone to his stellar career. Stricken by this time with diabetes, Parkinson's, and other maladies, he recorded a song simply called "Hurt," which was his adaptation of a 1994 song by Nine Inch Nails. Cash alludes through his personalization of this song that he is at the point in his existence where he questions if he still has the ability to feel. Pain assuredly has now become his focus, and the only thing that hardly seems real. Trying to forget the past becomes something of a curse to his mind as he "remembers everything." He asks rhetorically "What have I become?" As he reflects, "Everyone I know goes away in the end." Certainly he had lost friends and loved ones. He even lived long enough to experience the painful death of his beloved wife June. Cash sings, "You could have it all," which indeed, he must have felt that he did. Interestingly he sings of his "empire of dirt." Indeed this will "let you down" in the end. He sings "I wear this crown of thorns" an obvious allusion to his identifying with Christ and to the fact that He matters when we do not and that life can only be truly understood in the context of the certainty of earthly death juxtaposed with the hope of eternal life through Christ. Solomon concluded the book of Ecclesiastes by writing, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man's all" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). I believe Cash sought to convey that, as human strength fades and ultimately fails, the dependence upon the person of Christ must grow stronger. He reflects that "If I could start again a million miles away I would keep myself, I would find a way." I believe he is expressing his belief he had lost himself somewhere along the way; that he had sold out to a multitude of earthly pleasures and pursuits, plus the expectations and demands of others upon him when, in the end, it should have been exclusively about Christ. We can certainly enjoy the things God has given, but what are the most important things to you? The simplest things in life are best. I would, quite frankly, rather spend an evening with my wife and kids than go on an expensive cruise. I would truly rather open the Bible and read than spend time watching a multi-million dollar Hollywood production. I would rather spend an evening talking and laughing with friends over dinner than to vacation in the world's most exotic places. When people are near death, they prefer close family and friends around. They do not ask for big and important things, but rather the simple (a glass of water, a squeeze of the hand, a prayer, and maybe a smile). The gentle comfort of a loved one means more than if the president of the United States were to call on the phone. I believe Cash, by the end of his life, wished he had not wasted so many years chasing after the things most people spend their lives pursuing. In the end, many are left with emptiness. Jim Elliot, the slain South American missionary of the 1950s, said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Scripture is clear: It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:17). How much better our lives might be if we discovered this truth sooner, rather than later. May we all learn from those who have lived and died before. --30-- Allen Raynor is interim pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Bailey, Colo. He previously served at churches in Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado. 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