–UPDATED MARCH 30 @ 4:00 P.M.–

SAN ANTONIO—A bus carrying senior adults from First Baptist Church in New Braunfels was involved in a head-on collision with a pickup truck Wednesday afternoon, March 29. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed that 13 of the 14 people on the bus died, and two others, including the truck driver, were injured in the crash near San Antonio.

The church members were returning from a three-day retreat at Alto Frio Baptist Encampment in Leakey. The accident occurred on Highway 83 near Garner State Park in Concan.

Three people initially survived the crash, but one died after being transferred to the hospital. Authorities said the driver of the truck was at fault, but no further details were given.

The church cancelled Wednesday night activities but opened the church sanctuary for prayer.

“We are ministering to family members to help them deal with this tragedy. Counselors will be on hand at the church tomorrow. If you’re a Christian, you can pray for those who lost their loved ones and for the church family,” said a statement on the church’s Facebook page.

A follow-up post on Facebook at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday night said, “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that thirteen of the fourteen passengers in today’s bus accident were called home to Jesus. The survivor is in serious but stable condition. Families have been notified. Out of respect for the families, we will wait until tomorrow to publish an official statement and list of names. Thank you for the outpouring of love and support. Please continue to pray.”

“Our hearts are broken as we pray for the families who lost loved ones,” said Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. “Because of Jesus, the precious saints who left this earth shed the confines of the flesh to enter the glorious presence of our Lord. We stand with the pastor and church in constant prayer.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement, saying, “Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to the victims and the families of those involved in today’s tragic event. We are saddened by the loss of life and our hearts go out to all those affected. We thank the first responders working on the scene in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, and ask that all Texans join us in offering their thoughts and prayers.”

DPS officials identified those killed in the accident as Howard Bryan Allen, 81; Rhonda Barlow Allen, 61; Harold Boyd Barber, 87; Margaret Robinson Barber, 82; Murray William Barrett, 67; Mildred Goodlett Rosamond, 87; Sue Wynn Tysdal, 76; Dorothy Fern Vulliet, 84; and Martha Holcomb Walker, 84, all residents of New Braunfels. Others killed in the crash were Avis Scholl Banks, 83, of Austin; Cristie Clare Moore, 68, of Cibolo; and Donna Elizabeth Hawkins, 69, of Schertz. Addie Maurine Schmeltekopf, 84, of New Braunfels, died at University Hospital.

The only survivor from the church bus—Rose Mary Harris, 64, of New Braunfels—was in critical condition at San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio. DPS identified the driver of the pickup truck as Jack Dillon Young, 20, of Leakey, who they said is in stable condition at University Hospital.

RELATED STORY: Read story on Pastor Brad McLean’s message to church members on the Sunday after the crash

COLLEGE STATION Pastors and pastors’ wives know the roller coaster that can be ministry, days filled with extreme joys and debilitating lows. Pastoral ministry can test the mettle of a man and a marriage. 

For this reason, Central Baptist Church in College Station is hosting the Encourager Conference April 21-22 to help pastors and their wives find renewal and joy in life and ministry. 

Five Texas pastors and their wives will lead main sessions and breakout sessions designed to provide both personal and practical ministry encouragement. Each of these couples has experienced challenges and victories, and their desire is to remind others that “we can be ordinary pastors’ wives and pastors and experience fruitful, satisfying ministries.”

Leading the sessions will be Chris Osborne, pastor of Central Baptist in College Station, and his wife, Peggy; Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, and his wife, Nicole; Matt Carter, pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church, and his wife, Jennifer; Kevin Ueckert, pastor of First Baptist Church in Georgetown, and his wife, Lynlee; and Josh Smith, pastor of MacArthur Blvd Baptist Church in Irving, and his wife, Andrea.

“Most conferences focus on church growth and how to build a big church. We want to focus on the pastors who are out there and need to be encouraged, rather than discouraged, because they aren’t drawing a massive crowd. That is the heartbeat of our conference,” Osborne told the TEXAN.

Separate breakout session options will be available for a pastor and his wife, addressing common struggles such as jealousy, resentment, loneliness, extraordinary personal trials, and maximizing the final years of ministry. Specific pastor breakout sessions will also give encouragement and best practices on preaching, handling criticism and conflicts, managing workflow, casting vision, and leaving well.

Couples can register for the conference at sbtexas.com/encourager. Cost is $25 per person ($50 per couple), with an optional dinner on Friday night for an additional $10 each. A limited number of scholarships from the SBTC Pastor/Church Relations department are available through April 14. Call 817-552-2500 for more information. 

Jason was a star high school quarterback until he was arrested for an immature prank, and now he rarely sees eye to eye with his father. His schoolmate, Billy, is autistic and mostly keeps to himself, although the school bully won’t let it stay that way. Then there’s Trini, a loner who goes to the same school, has few friends and even fewer who know her name.

They seemingly have little in common, until one night an explosion on a mountain outside of town exposes hundreds of colorful crystals—shining like fireflies—that appear to be from another world.

Our trio of students, along with two others from the same school, rush to the location and soon discover that the crystals give them superhuman powers. They now can jump over houses. They can jump over canyons. Billy even can whip the bully.

Eventually, though, they learn that their powers have a greater purpose—to defeat a witch named Rita Repulsa, who has come to Earth to find a special stone called the Zeo Crystal. If she captures it and the other crystals, we are told, the world will explode.

Power Rangers (PG-13) opens in theater this weekend, nearly 25 years after a cartoon by the same name appeared on American televisions and roughly two decades after a pair of Power Rangers films were released. This one, though, is a reboot, meaning it does not follow the storyline of those earlier films.

The latest Power Rangers film also gives us Hollywood’s first gay or lesbian superhero—if you believe the hype (more on that in a bit).

The movie targets teens and older children, although plenty of adults who grew up on the franchise will want to check it out.

So, is Power Rangers family-friendly? Let’s take a look …

The Good

Warning: minor spoilers

Much like the original TV series—remember “morphin’ time”?—the Power Rangers film promotes teamwork and selflessness. In fact, the five superheroes find it impossible to fight Rita until they put aside their differences, learn to trust one another, and become honest. The Power Rangers’ rules affirm this me-last attitude. Among the rules: never use your power for personal gain, and never reveal your identity.

The movie contains a wonderful anti-bullying message, as Jason,the most popular kid in the school, defends Billy and then befriends him. Parents of children with autism likely will appreciate how the latter is portrayed.

It also includes an apparent message about sexting, as Kimberly, one of the rangers, expresses deep regret after sending a friend’s picture (we don’t see it) to someone else. (The word “sexting” isn’t used, but the picture, by her description, is inappropriate.)

Broken relationships, including those between parents and children, are restored.

The Bad

Power Rangers has a confusing plot, even if you know the general story. It starts off with a strange science fiction scene with alien subtitles, improves a bit after that, and then goes downhill again. It just might be the worst big-money superhero film I’ve seen, and I’ve watched a lot—and liked most of them. (Its budget was a reported $100 million). The film’s antagonist (Rita) goes from scary to gross to just plain goofy, and the movie—for the most part—has the feel of an expensive made-for-TV Nickelodeon production. The story just isn’t that good. (And five more films may be in the works.)

The movie is being billed as containing the first LGBT superhero, but the scene in question is so subtle that it’s easy to miss. As the five gather around a campfire late at night, Trina is describing her frustrations in life when one of the boys asks, “boyfriend problems?” Not satisfied with her response, he then asks, “girlfriend problems?” She doesn’t answer him, though, and instead starts talking about her parents. The scene could have been interpreted as her not having any relationship problems or her simply being annoyed by the questions. Or maybe we are supposed to think she is a lesbian. It’s not clear, even if director Dean Israelite says she is “questioning a lot about who she is.”

Earlier, the five high school students get away with a crime. Their discovery of the crystals comes only after they have passed a “no trespassing” and right before they flee security by hopping in a van and speeding down a road. Billy also helps Jason disable his ankle tracking device, which apparently was court-ordered.

I counted about 19 coarse words: OMG (9), a– (4), s–t (2), b–ch (1), h-ll (1), d–n (1), misuse of God (1). There also is an unfinished “holy sh–.”

There is no sexuality, although we do see Kimberly briefly in a bra.

The violence is typical for a superhero move—plentiful but mostly bloodless.

The Worldview

Our culture’s infatuation with superhero movies begs the question: Why do we enjoy stories about Spider-Man, Superman and even the Power Rangers so much? I think it’s because—to paraphrase a quote from Blaise Pascal—we all have a God-shaped vacuum. It’s innate. As part of that, we are looking and longing for that someone who has the power to defeat evil and make everything right. But there is only One who can do that. And He’s not on the big screen.

The Verdict: OK for Kids and Teens?

The witch in Power Rangers is too scary and there is too much violence for my small children, even if we forget the other problems. As for teens, this one is cleaner than many other recent PG-13 movies, but it’s far from perfect.

Discussion Questions

Who was to blame for the poor relationship between Jason and his father? Have you ever known a loner like Trini? (And if so, how can you make him or her feel wanted?) Have you ever known of someone who was bullied? (If so, how can you help?) Is sexting a problem among your peers? What is the spiritual and practical impact of sexting? Do you enjoy superhero films? (Why? Is there a spiritual dimension to society’s superhero craze?) Did the five superheroes deserve to get caught when they were trespassing? (And did the “end justify the means”?)

Power Rangers is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, language, and for some crude humor.

Entertainment rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I took Intermediate Greek in seminary with Dr. John Polhill, and we did our work in Philippians for the entire semester. Each student had to select a passage in Philippians on which to write three exegetical papers. I grew up listening to my dad preach a wonderful message on Philippians 2:1-11, so I selected that passage for my papers. That beautiful passage that some think was an early Christian hymn tells all about the humility of Christ and how he voluntarily set aside privileges that were rightly his in order to serve humanity.

I was pumped about digging into the Greek syntax and learning more about it. I studied that passage for four months. I did lexical work, syntactical work and exegetical work. I knew the ins and outs of all the Greek clauses. In fact, I memorized the passage in Greek. You could say I was an expert on Philippians 2.

The problem is that while I worked hard to become an intellectual expert on Philippians 2, I didn’t work hard to become a practical expert on it. Far from having the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5) and far from displaying the humility of Christ, I actually became more arrogant and prideful. Despite Dr. Polhill’s best efforts to challenge the students, including me, to make this more than an intellectual exercise, I failed to adequately apply the passage to my life.

Regretfully, as a young minister, I have often been guilty of arrogance and pride. I have often thought I knew better than my elders. I have often been cocksure that my solutions to the problems were always the correct ones. I still have Philippians 2:5-11 memorized, at least in English, but I often fail in having the mind of Christ.

And yet, the other day I was convicted and challenged anew to apply Philippians 2 in my life when I got to see firsthand a brother in Christ powerfully demonstrate the humility of Jesus to me.

I met recently with some state convention executive directors. Backstory: I have at times been very critical of state conventions and state convention leaders. So, I was meeting with some men who had every reason to be upset with me.

One of the men in the room was Dr. J. Robert White, the executive director of Georgia’s state convention, and he asked to go first. I braced myself wondering what he would say. However, Dr. White turned the conversation on a dime and changed the temperature of the room with his first sentence, “Jonathan, I want to ask you to forgive me.” I was caught off guard and humbled within seconds.

Dr. White went on to say that I had written some hurtful things about the Georgia Baptist Convention, and he said that instead of doing the biblical thing that he knew to do—call me or come see me to talk it out like brothers—he chose to just be upset with me. For that he said he was sorry and sought my forgiveness.

It was such a powerful moment. I was almost moved to tears and did choke up when it was my turn to speak (especially since it’s a ministry of Georgia Baptists that led to my mom to faith in Christ while she lived at the Georgia Baptist Children’s Home). It was a powerful moment because Dr. White displayed the mind of Christ. Dr. White is a man in a very important position. He is my elder. He has tenure in ministry longer than I have been alive. He honestly didn’t owe me anything. I hadn’t had the respect or courtesy to call him or sit down with him before I wrote those things. And yet, he voluntarily humbled himself before me. He apologized to me. He sought my forgiveness. In that moment I was reminded of Philippians 2 again, and I knew that’s the kind of man I want to be.

I was staggered. I was humbled by Dr. White. Of course, I forgave him and I sought his forgiveness in return. In my zeal to see more resources get to the places with little to no gospel witness, I have sometimes been guilty of being uncharitable to other brothers and have arrogantly thought my proposed solutions are the only right ones. Dr. White graciously forgave me as well.

It was an encouraging and convicting meeting—one I’ll never forget. And it’s a reminder to me that knowing the Word is one thing but practicing the Word is quite another. I hope this will be a challenge to all students and young pastors. I know it’s a challenge to me. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5) and “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).  

Jonathan Akin, pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Lebanon, Tenn., since 2011, has been named to begin a young leader initiative of the SBC Executive Committee and North American Mission Board to better engage pastors between the ages of 25-45 [see brief on page 6]. This article first appeared in The Christian Index, newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention.