HUMBLE – Texas pastor Nathan Lino will be nominated to the office of first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the annual meeting in New Orleans this summer. Ken Whitten, pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla., told Florida Baptist Witness of his intention to nominate Lino, stating, “I believe Nathan’s vision and leadership are exactly what we need in Southern Baptist life.”

Lino, 35, has served as senior pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, for 10 years and has formerly served as first vice president of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

Whitten, who served with Lino as a trustee of the International Mission Board, said he has “witnessed a man who has a deep commitment to Southern Baptists, and an even deeper commitment to the Lord and to the gospel being taken to all the peoples of the world, beginning in his Jerusalem – Houston.”

According to Whitten, Lino will be nominated as IMB trustee chairman at its May meeting. Previously he served as moderator of the South Texas Baptist Association.

“He has proven he can lead,” Whitten said.

“Nathan would describe Northeast Houston Baptist as a church of 1,000 people with a heart for the city and the nations,” Whitten said. “They are a giving church both in possessions and people.”

Whitten also noted that Lino’s congregation has planted seven churches in Houston and overseas. The church has baptized 46 people over the past year.

“The church’s desire, through Nathan’s leadership, is to give away 2,000 people in the next ten years through church plants and struggling local churches in the Houston area,” Whitten said, noting that Lino’s goal of sending 2,000 members to other congregations is equivalent of a megachurch.

Born in South Africa, Lino's family immigrated to the United States when he was 11, settling in Texas where he attended Humble schools. He received his B.A. from Texas A&M University. After completing his M.Div. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lino returned to Texas and pastored Union Baptist Church in Normandy before planting the church he currently serves.  He is completing a D.Min. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Lino serves on the editorial board for www.baptisttheology.org, a department of The Center for Theological Research at Southwestern Seminary. He has traveled to 26 countries for mission trips and preaching engagements.

According to church sources, a fourth of the $1.8 million budget of Northeast Houston Baptist is allocated to missions. In addition to Cooperative Program contributions, the church gives directly to Southwestern Seminary and IMB causes such as Baptist Global Relief. SBTC reports receiving $116,881.99 from Northeast Houston Baptist in 2011, which amounts to 6.49 percent of the church's budget.

“With the joy and excitement of the possibility of electing Fred Luter as our first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I am delighted to add to that team of officers the name of Nathan Lino,” Whitten said.

Lino and his wife, Nicole, have been married 13 years and have four children.

Everybody has a head. Maybe not two kidneys or hands, maybe not a spleen or appendix but everyone has that center of knowing and doing that usually rests atop the shoulders. That’s why Paul’s description of Jesus as the head of the church in Colossians 1 and Ephesians 1 works as a picturesque and universal portrayal of our place of submission under our Lord.

Groups of humans have a head also. A football team has a quarterback and devotes a lot of manpower to guarding him, and to attacking the quarterback of the other team. Armies have generals, countries have kings or presidents, churches have pastors, companies have CEOs, and so forth. All of those entities devote a lot of effort to the nurture and protection of their respective heads. Without those individuals the corporate body will not function well, or long. I suppose that’s one reason you can’t turn around without stumbling over a pile of leadership books or a cluster of people taking a leadership seminar. The importance of leadership implies something that many Americans have trouble grasping. In fact, I think the frantic emphasis on leadership we’ve seen for 20 years or so reflects a problem more subtle than ignorance about how to lead people.

Our culture has too little respect for authority. And the necessity of a leader means that he must have authority over those he leads. Disrespect is reflected in the way we speak of and to our leaders, in the way we complain and express our expectations, and in the way we honor our own feelings above any established ethical code. I think our people struggle to be leaders because we have never learned to be followers. We can train, clone, or rear effective leaders forever and they will still fail if placed before a group of people who will not follow.

I confess to being part of the problem. Something as simple as how we address people can reflect inadequate respect for necessary roles. I grew up addressing those older than myself (aunts, uncles, and family friends) by their first names, as if we were peers. My teachers were “Mr.” or “Mrs.” and clearly not my peers. As a high school student, my pastor was called by his first name, as were my Sunday School teachers and youth leaders. We did that to flatten our social or generational differences, to our detriment—it made those people less effective leaders. My gaggle of high school and college students had plenty of buddies. What we needed was experienced people to be respected role models and leaders. A trend toward irreverence is not self-correcting. The problem has grown as we self-absorbed baby boomers took charge.

A whole generation of Americans now cannot remember television shows or movies where kids did not crack wise and treat their parents horribly. I remember “Father Knows Best” and I remember “All in the Family.” The former program (notice “Father”) portrayed Dad as wise, kind, winsome, and appropriately stern. He usually wore a suit to work and a tie to dinner. The latter program portrayed Dad as a bigoted wiseacre who drank a lot of beer and ridiculed his wife. Since that day, portrayals of families have become increasingly toxic. Because we scorned the old “square” model of family and were amused by the new “hip” model, we got what we wanted in entertainment and in reality.

In politics we’ve gone in my lifetime from “President Eisenhower” and “JFK” or “President Kennedy” to “Tricky Dick,” “Slick Willy,” “W” and “Barack.” Even if some of those monikers are intended affectionately, and some are, it is a slide in respect for a necessary role and for the authority required to fill that role.

And I certainly, as a part of the problem, understand why this is tempting. We are a democratic, congregational, egalitarian culture. No kings here. A person is not superior in essence just because he’s lived longer or attained a higher standing. What seemed more evident to me then than now is that older people are not necessarily smart or right. Why respect an accident of birth order or the compromises that a long life accumulates? I like the idea of respecting people who deserve it and treating the rest in whatever way I think they deserve. That’s the problem. I thought it was a fine idea that I would decide who deserves my respect and who does not. It’s not only a modern idea or an American idea; it is a very human and ungodly one.

About the time I received the right to vote I was introduced to a passage of Scripture I’d never seen before. First Samuel 24 tells the story of an unrighteous king of Israel who sought to kill the righteous future king. As Saul (the bad king) found himself at (good future king) David’s mercy, David stayed his hand because Saul was his “master” and “God’s anointed,” even in the midst of his decline and sin. Saul did not deserve respect in my view, but he did in the view his Master (and mine), the Lord who appointed him king. This view of authority as derived from God was revolutionary to me at the time. Who else has God appointed over me? He’s appointed pastors, presidents, parents, board members, supervisors, congressmen and a host of people with authority delegated by one of the above for one purpose or another. It is not for me to judge their worthiness for the role.

This should be a no-brainer for God’s people. Clearly we have people at every stage of life who have been set in place by God for the common good. Nearly all of us find also ourselves in the role of leader to at least one other person. The respect we need is the respect those in authority over us need also. In fact, we must occasionally cordon ourselves off from familiarity and fellowship so as to better fulfill a vital role in the lives of others. This too is a decidedly un-baby boomer instinct. There is a time to be “Gary” and a time to be “Dad” or “Mr. Ledbetter” or even on rare occasions “Rev. Ledbetter.” As I say, it goes against the grain to give or receive the trappings of office. Part of being a leader requires sometimes going against the grain.

Maybe we should dial back the wit and arrogance so popular in our public and private dialog. Could we even stop letting Hollywood script writers set the tone for our families? It is appropriate that we spend less time deciding how much respect to give those God has already appointed over us. A counter-cultural move toward what used to be called common respect will benefit our communities and churches more than we can imagine. I believe it would also solve part of our leadership vacuum. The real problem may have been a followship vacuum all along.

April 22 is Cooperative Program Day in the Southern Baptist Convention. This is an excellent time to share with your congregation about how we work together through combining our financial resources. Let me share with you some of the personal involvement you have through the Cooperative Program.

Over 100,000 evangelistic packets were delivered to homes in the McAllen area. The packets had the gospel in Spanish and English. More than 2,300 people attended a special outreach effort in the State Farm Arena. Four-hundred-three precious people filled out cards saying they prayed to receive Christ. There were many adults and entire families who came to Christ. Pastor Loui Canchola of Cornerstone Church reports that existing churches are following up on those who made decisions. Plans are being made to start new churches as well. You have a part in all that God is doing through the Cooperative Program.

Texas is a multi-cultural mosaic. Extreme Teams are going into the major cities of Texas to reach ethno-linguistic people groups. Over 100,000 East Indians live in the Lone Star State. Refugees from around the world resettle here. For security reasons, I can’t give you the names of some of the SBTC missionaries working among the Muslim, Hindu and Buddhists here. But you are having a part in their work through the Cooperative Program.

Churches like North Euless Baptist Church want to move from a plateau to a growth trajectory. They are beginning to see God’s blessings again because of the workable plan they receive through the Ezekiel Project. Scores of churches come back strong to reach their communities with the gospel when they get evaluation and direction. The Cooperative Program makes this possible.

Students at Criswell College, like Bethany, get a portion of their education paid through the SBTC. She is learning on-the-job training through an internship with the convention. Young men and women are ready to contribute in ministry. Your church has a part in preparing people for ministry through the Cooperative Program.

The churches of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention send their Cooperative Program gifts with a desire to see the Kingdom of God advance. Forty-five percent of the SBTC Cooperative Program is invested in Texas. Your SBTC staff is doing more with less in Texas so others in North America and around the world may hear the name of Jesus.

Fifty-five percent of Cooperative Program giving goes to the Southern Baptist Convention. About 5,000 international missionaries are penetrating lostness around the world. Southern Baptist missions have been the envy of other denominations and para-church organizations for decades.

David and Peggy are reaching the unreached and engaging the unengaged in South Asia. They are on the field because of our funding system, the Cooperative Program. They have a safety net most independent missionaries do not have. You are holding the rope while they go over the edge.

The North American Mission Board is transitioning to a major focus on church planting. The areas with the least evangelical presence are the places where the efforts are focused. Chuy and Maria Avila have shown what working together can accomplish. They are SBTC/NAMB missionaries in Laredo. New churches have been started and existing churches have been strengthened. You make their ministry possible through the Cooperative Program.

Fifteen thousand seminary students receive a quality biblical education at a reduced cost because of the CP. Every church that gives through the Cooperative Program is investing in the lives of God-called servants.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission speaks to Southern Baptists and for Southern Baptists on social, moral and first amendment issues. We desperately need this voice for the life of the unborn and for marriage between a man and woman. Freedom to practice our beliefs in the public square is a major assignment funded through the Cooperative Program.

The Executive Committee is the administrative arm of the SBC. It operates on a minimal part of CP contributions. All of these SBC ministries are a part of the Cooperative Program story. Real people make up those stories.

Percentage giving in the local church budget through the Cooperative Program is the best way to participate. The local church decides how much should be forwarded to Texas and Southern Baptist causes. I ask you to consider the genius of the Cooperative Program, which is undesignated giving.

Giving and Going is the balance. Local churches are doing more “hands-on” missions than ever before. It is commendable to involve church staff and members in direct missions. Funds should be directed to underwrite these efforts. I would encourage churches to continue to send their gifts through the Cooperative Program. Reducing CP giving will have an unintended consequence on SBTC/SBC missionaries and ministries. Hands-on missions and hands-on giving through the CP are complementary, not in competition.

You have heard how the Cooperative Program can be personalized by the stories in my column. These are real live people who minister because of your gifts through the CP. There are literally thousands of stories that could be told about how the Cooperative Program is a tool that advances the Kingdom of God. No church is so large that it can reach Texas or touch the world by itself. No church is too small that it can’t have a part in a great work for God that impacts millions of lives.

Your church recently received a packet of information about Cooperative Program Day, April 22. I ask you to share with your church how we can Reach Texas and Touch the World together. It is important that the people in the pew understand the Cooperative Program. Years ago someone said that denominational leaders made a “sacred cow” out of the Cooperative Program. It is not a sacred cow but it is a “sacred how.” God has used the CP to build a platform like no other for the furtherance of the gospel. Please share with your congregation the most unique networking tool available for carrying out the Great Commission. Tell them the stories of the Cooperative Program. Join with others through the CP in Reaching Texas and Touching the World.

MCALLEN—Cheers and applause arose from the crowd of 2,348 people who gathered in McAllen's State Farm Arena to watch the elite athletes of Team Impact perform feats of strength, but the response of 403 youngsters and adults to a gospel invitation provided the greatest demonstration of power.

“There were many adults and entire families who came forward,” reported Jack Harris, SBTC associate for personal and event evangelism. He met with pastors from participating churches on April 2 to distribute decision cards so they can follow-up on those who responded to the gospel.

Area Southern Baptist churches and volunteers from Laredo, Brownsville, Farmersville and Dallas laid the groundwork weeks earlier, distributing evangelistic materials and tickets to the April 1 evangelistic rally to 108,000 homes, more than double the goal.

One woman who received the material on her door knob told her daughter about the event, after being unable to persuade her to attend church with her. Her daughter and son-in-law took their five children with them to see Team Impact, and then walked forward in response to the invitation.

Michelle Canchola of McAllen prayed with the family as the woman’s daughter and three of her children professed faith in Christ.

Team Impact athletes also spoke in 25 schools prior to the event, presenting Positive Behavior Support (PBS) assemblies on bullying and respecting authority. Canchola's husband, Loui, pastor of Cornerstone Church in McAllen, spoke with two teenage boys who made professions of faith at the rally after hearing the team's presentation at their school.

“They were blown away by the feats of strength,” Canchola told the TEXAN. “I spoke with them to make sure of what they had done and they were very sincere. I'm just overwhelmed at what God has been doing.”