Month: October 2023

Texas Rangers standout rookie Carter proclaims ‘Jesus Won’

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (BP)—Jason Holly, the youth minister at First Baptist Church in Elizabethton, remembers when Texas Rangers rookie outfielder Evan Carter was a boy playing in the local Grasscutter football league for 6-8-year-olds. Holly had a tiny Superman logo printed specifically for Carter.

“I stuck it on the back of his helmet, and only his,” Holly said. “And I said, ‘You’re Superman.’ He was just that good.”

Rangers fans are starting to agree with that assessment. Carter, who started the 2023 season in the minor leagues with Texas’ Double-A squad, is finishing it in the World Series. The 21-year-old became the youngest player since Mickey Mantle to bat third in a World Series lineup in Friday’s opening game.

He made an immediate impact for Texas, doubling off the wall in the first inning to drive in the game’s first run. Texas went on to win 6-5 on an 11th inning homer by Adolis Garcia. Carter has reached base safely in all 14 games he’s played in this year’s postseason.

“It’s a dream come true,” Carter told Derek Jeter in a postgame interview about playing in the World Series. “You always want to be ready to go in the minor leagues. To think that I’d have been in the World Series this time, this is unreal.”

Holly coached Carter in youth football and baseball until Carter’s middle school years. He remembers joking with Carter’s dad that the kid would be going a long way in baseball.

“He was just that talented, at a very young age,” Holly recalled. “When he was in little league, I remember throwing the ball to him as hard as I could, and he was about 9, and he just would hit it right back at you. He was a phenomenal athlete.”

Carter’s family is part of Central Community Christian Church, a nondenominational congregation outside of Elizabethton. But he regularly attended programs and events at First Baptist Church during his childhood and teenage years.

“Evan and his family are very grounded people,” Holly said. “They’re very humble. They’re very gracious. Evan has always been this even-keeled kid. With his faith, he’s always stayed steady.”

That’s why Holly wasn’t surprised when, after Carter was called up to the Rangers in September, he took his first batting practice wearing a blue T-shirt with the message “Jesus Won” prominently displayed across his chest.

“I always felt like Evan was grounded on the Lord, and he had his eyes, his ears and his heart the right way,” Holly said.

In an interview in the dugout prior to his Major League debut, Carter wore that “Jesus Won” shirt while speaking to the media about being a part of the Rangers team.

“It’s unbelievable,” Carter said to start the interview. “I’m grateful, and I thank God for the opportunity.”

That shirt has become practically ubiquitous in Elizabethton, as Carter’s performance and profile have continued to skyrocket since his arrival with the Rangers. Fellowship of Christian Athletes sells a Carter edition of the shirt, with “EC” and Carter’s number 32 on the sleeve. Carter and his wife Kaylen shared on social media that they want to use their platform in baseball to give back to their community in Carter County, Tenn.

Proceeds from sales of the shirt benefit Central Cares, a program from their home church that helps provide for children in impoverished situations, and to help provide an environment for young baseball players in their community to succeed.

Holly said that Carter and Kaylen have been together since sixth grade.

“You can just tell how they treat each other that the Lord is front and center for both of them,” he said.

Holly, who also teaches at Elizabethton High School, said the “Jesus Won” shirt has given him the opportunity to engage a lot of students who wear it with the message. That’s just one way he says that Carter has made an impact on his community and how he is a role model to others.

“Evan’s a very humble, quiet person,” Holly said. “The thing he tells a lot of people is, ‘You can be great without being loud, and you can be great without causing problems, and you can be great without being flamboyant.’”

In that sense, Holly said Carter is similar to Elizabethton’s other star athlete, former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

“Both of those guys kind of have the same character,” Holly said. “They’re quiet, family people. They just show kids that you can be the right person and be awesome.”

Tim Ellsworth is associate vice president for university communications at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.

Pastor de Richardson deja atrás su sueño de ser futbolista para seguir el llamado de Dios al ministerio.

Cambio de jugada

José Arzate tenía una visión clara de su vida cuando era joven: quería jugar fútbol profesional en los Estados Unidos y posiblemente incluso ser entrenador.

El siguiente paso en ese viaje sería una parada en la Universidad West Texas A&M, donde le ofrecieron una beca para jugar al fútbol americano en el 2013. Arzate, junto con sus padres y hermanos, hizo el traslado de 14 horas a Amarillo para poder perseguir su sueño en Canyon.

La transición, sin embargo, fue más dura de lo que podían imaginar. Su familia no pudo encontrar vivienda ni trabajo y en ocasiones tuvieron que depender de la generosidad de otros para comer. Luego las cosas empeoraron. El entrenador que quería que Arzate jugara fútbol en la universidad se marchó y trajeron a un nuevo entrenador.

Eso cerró la puerta para que Arzate jugara fútbol allí. Él sintió que había defraudado a su familia y que su mundo se desmoronaba. Dos años más tarde, en medio de una continua incertidumbre, él llamó a su antiguo pastor, Rolando Aguirre.

“Las cosas no salieron como yo había planeado”, le dijo Arzate a Aguirre.

“Me alegro de que no funcionaran”, respondió Aguirre, “yo pude ver que eso no era para ti, porque tienes un llamado al ministerio [pastoral]”.

Nunca le había pasado por la mente ser pastor, pero después de la conversación, Arzate empezó a ver su vida con otros ojos y a sentir que Dios lo movía en una nueva dirección.

“Si no hubiera pasado por ese desierto, no habría entendido que tenía un llamado pastoral”.

—Jose Arzate Tweet

“Si no hubiera pasado por ese desierto”, dijo Arzate, “no habría entendido que tenía un llamado pastoral”.

Dios ahora estaba abriendo nuevas puertas. Arzate se matriculó en el Seminario Teológico Bautista Southwestern y respondió a un llamado para servir como pastor interino de jóvenes en una iglesia de Amarillo. Fue en esta iglesia donde conoció a su esposa, Natalie, que participaba activamente en la adoración y las misiones. Mientras servían juntos en la iglesia, vieron la necesidad en su comunidad de una congregación hispana bíblica centrada en Cristo. Ya que Dios había puesto en su corazón comenzar tal obra, Arzate se ofreció como voluntario para ayudar a su iglesia a comenzar un ministerio hispano.

Poco sabía él, que Dios pronto cambiaría el camino de Arzate una vez más.

‘Plantar es una carrera de largo tramo’

En poco tiempo, otro pastor de Amarillo, Andrew Hébert de la Iglesia Bautista Paramount, se acercó a Arzate para pedirle consejo sobre cómo iniciar un ministerio hispano en su propia iglesia. Los dos hicieron una fuerte conexión ese día, y finalmente Paramount invitó a Arzate a dirigir ese nuevo ministerio hispano.

Dios bendijo grandemente el ministerio. En menos de seis meses, 20-30 personas asistían al servicio hispano de la iglesia. Cuando se cumplió un año, ya asistían 100 personas. Los Arzate permanecieron allí por dos años antes de responder a un llamado para dirigir el ministerio en Español de la Iglesia Bautista de Travis Avenue en Fort Worth.

Fue en Travis Avenue donde Dios comenzaría a guiar a Arzate en una nueva dirección. Aunque su llamado al ministerio lo había llevado principalmente a congregaciones y esfuerzos en español, él y Natalie comenzaron a ver la necesidad de ministrar a poblaciones ignoradas, dentro de entornos multiculturales.

Lo que siguió fue otra llamada, literalmente, de la Iglesia Bautista Northrich de Richardson. Los líderes de la iglesia se pusieron en contacto con Arzate para compartir con él su visión de poder llegar a una población más diversa. Le dijeron a Arzate que esa iglesia, que había sido una sólida y conocida en la comunidad, estaba en declive. Les costaba llegar a los jóvenes. Se necesitaba una nueva visión, y le preguntaron a Arzate si quería venir a dirigir la iglesia.

Una vez más, Arzate respondió al llamado. Sólo que esta vez, en lugar de empezar una iglesia desde cero, él y los líderes de Northrich se enfrentaron a una decisión: ¿replantar, revitalizar o relocalizarse? Finalmente, se puso en contacto con la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas, que ayudó a la iglesia a tomar la decisión de replantar.

Trabajar con la SBTC aportó valiosos beneficios, dijo Arzate. Tanto él como su esposa empezaron a recibir formación para plantar iglesias. También comenzó a desarrollar una estrecha relación con Julio Arriola, quien dirige Send Network SBTC, una asociación de plantación entre la SBTC y la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas. Arzate dijo que Arriola ha servido como uno de sus mentores.

“José tiene una pasión profundamente arraigada por la plantación de iglesias multiculturales”, dijo Arriola. “Él reconoce la importancia de predicar y servir a una comunidad que abarca una variedad de etnias, no se limita a los hispanos o anglos, sino que incluye una multitud de grupos étnicos.”

Debido a su deseo de alcanzar a la comunidad, Northrich adoptó un nuevo nombre durante el proceso de replantación: The Bridge Church. Como su nombre indica, la iglesia quiere ser un puente entre las naciones y el evangelio de Jesucristo. Desea conectar a las personas con la Palabra de Dios, con otras personas y con el propósito que Dios les ha dado.

Arzate sabe que el trabajo no será fácil. Siente que otra parte de su ministerio es animar a otros plantadores que pueden desanimarse cuando no ven el progreso tan pronto como les gustaría, así como otras personas lo han animado a él a lo largo del camino.

“Cada semana he considerado tirar la toalla porque es difícil”, dice Arzate. La plantación es una carrera de largo tramo. Es para el que perdura, y no para el que [quiere ver] frutos rápidamente. Cuando una visión se trata de alcanzar a las naciones y a las próximas generaciones, el enemigo se inquieta y ataca para traer desánimo, pero Dios nos da las fuerzas para perseverar y cumplir Su propósito, mediante la oración.”

Richardson pastor with football dreams instead follows God’s call into ministry

Calling an Audible

Jose Arzate had a clear vision for his life as a young man: he wanted to play professional football in the U.S. and possibly even coach.

The next step on that journey would be a stop at West Texas A&M, where he received a scholarship offer to play football in 2013. Arzate, along with his parents and siblings, made the 14-hour move to Amarillo so he could pursue his dream in nearby Canyon.

The transition was harder than they could have imagined. His family was unable to find housing or jobs and often had to depend on the generosity of others to eat. Then it got worse. The coach who wanted Arzate to play football at the university left and a new coach was brought in.

That closed the door for Arzate to play football there. He felt like he had let his family down and that his world was falling apart. Two years later, in the midst of continued uncertainty, he called his former pastor, Rolando Aguirre.

“Things didn’t work out the way I planned,” Arzate told Aguirre.

“I’m glad they didn’t work out,” Aguirre replied, “because I could see that wasn’t for you because you have a call to [pastoral] ministry.”

Being a pastor had never crossed Arzate’s mind. But after the conversation, he began to see his life through a different lens and sense God moving him in a new direction.

“If I hadn’t gone through that desert, I wouldn’t have understood that I had a pastoral calling.”

—Jose Arzate Tweet

“If I hadn’t gone through that desert,” Arzate said, “I wouldn’t have understood that I had a pastoral calling.”

God was now opening new doors. Arzate enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and answered a call to serve as an interim youth pastor at a church in Amarillo. It was at this church he met his wife, Natalie, who was active in worship and missions. As they served the church together, they saw a need in their community for a Christ-centered, biblical Hispanic congregation. Since God had put it on his heart to start such a work, Arzate volunteered to help his church start a Hispanic ministry.

Little did he know, God would soon change Arzate’s path once again.

‘Planting is a long-distance race’

Before long, another Amarillo pastor, Andrew Hébert of Paramount Baptist Church (who now pastors Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview), reached out to ask Arzate advice about how to start a Hispanic ministry at his own church. The two made a strong connection that day, and eventually Paramount invited Arzate to lead that new Hispanic ministry.

God blessed the ministry greatly. In less than six months, 20-30 people were attending the church’s Hispanic service. By the time it hit its one-year anniversary, 100 people were attending. The Arzates remained there for two years before answering a call to lead the En Español ministry at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth.

It was at Travis Avenue that God would begin to guide Arzate in a new direction. Though his call to ministry had led him mostly to Spanish congregations and efforts, he and Natalie began to see the need to minister to overlooked populations in multicultural settings.

What followed was another call—a literal one, from Northrich Baptist Church in Richardson. Church leaders reached out to Arzate to share with him their vision of reaching a more diverse population. They told Arzate that the church, once strong and well-known in the community, was in decline. It struggled to reach younger people. A new vision was needed, and they asked Arzate if he would come and lead the church.

Once again, he answered the call. Only this time, rather than starting a church from scratch, he and church leaders at Northrich were faced with a decision: replant, revitalize, or relocate? Ultimately, he reached out to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, which helped the church make the decision to replant.

Working with the SBTC brought valuable benefits, Arzate said. He and his wife both began to receive church planter training. He also began to develop a close relationship with Julio Arriola, who directs Send Network SBTC—a planting partnership between the SBTC and the North American Mission Board. Arzate said Arriola has served as one of his mentors.

“Jose has a deep-rooted passion for multicultural church planting,” Arriola said. “He recognizes the significance of preaching and serving a community that encompasses a variety of ethnicities, not limited to Hispanics or Anglos, but embracing a multitude of ethnic groups.”

Because of its heart to reach its community, Northrich took on a new name during the replant process—The Bridge Church. As its name implies, the church wants to be a bridge between the nations and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It desires to connect people to the Word of God, to other people, and to their God-given purpose.

Arzate knows the work won’t be easy. He feels like another part of his ministry is to encourage other planters who may get discouraged when they don’t see progress as soon as they’d like—just as other people have encouraged him along the way.

“Every week I’ve considered throwing in the towel because it’s hard,” Arzate says. “Planting is a long-distance race. It is for the one who endures, and not for the one who [wants to see] fruit quickly. When a vision is about reaching the nations and the next generations, the enemy gets restless and attacks to bring discouragement, but God gives us the strength to persevere and fulfill His purpose through prayer.”

What I have learned about prayer

Have you ever prayed and felt God was directing you a certain way? I have! In May 2023, I graduated from seminary and found a number of opportunities presenting themselves to me. I had an opportunity to travel on mission, to help with Bible literacy through storytelling, and to write about hope in Christ. My family and I prayed and knew God was directing us this way. He provided the funds for me to travel, and it was only a matter of time before I could step into the other roles, as well.

However, as days, weeks, and months passed, those doors started to close, one after another. I could not travel and the Bible literacy and writing opportunities were suddenly gone. I felt discouraged, disappointed, and hopeless. I blamed myself for not trying hard enough. I felt stuck as I watched others move on with their plans. It was a difficult season.

As I look back, though my circumstances did not change, I have changed. The Lord taught me lessons about prayer I had not learned before:

Prayer teaches discernment.

Waiting can leave us vulnerable and susceptible to deception. The enemy, who is a false shepherd, is always looking to mislead us. It is only when we stay focused on Christ in prayer that we discern His voice and follow Him. Christ said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:3).

Prayer renews our confidence that God exists.

When we pray, we are reminded we are praying to a living God. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The God who created the universe and powerfully holds all things together by His Word not only exists, but He also rewards us for our persistence in prayer.

A prayer of faith begins with hearing God.

Paul said in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.” As we pray, we learn to cultivate the discipline of saying less and tuning our ears to hear God speak to us through His Word in the Bible. We learn to pray with our Bibles open. We remember that God loves us more than we love ourselves. He knows us more than we can ever know ourselves. And He always wants to give us His very best.

God always answers our prayers.

As we align ourselves to God’s will, we see our circumstances and prayers through His lens. God’s will is a done deal! While I did not go on mission that summer, I prayed for those who went. God answered, and more than 1,200 high school students came to Christ. Opportunities to teach Bible literacy to my family, church, friends, and strangers, were plenty—I just needed to see and accept them. God is using my writing, including what you’re reading, to share the message of hope. God always answers our prayers, and He shows us how if we are willing to see with His eyes.

East Texas church has one explanation for the renewal it’s experiencing—Jesus

Making the impossible possible

very morning, Scott and Brandi Plemons get on their knees and say a prayer like this: “Lord, thank you for our blessings. Thank you for our struggles. We are nothing without you. Please keep us from our addictions.”

Drugs and alcohol have been a part of their lives almost as long as they’ve been part of each other’s. They grew up in Arlington (in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) and met several decades ago as teenagers. Both grew up in the church and both ended up walking away from God.

Scott’s destructive path began around college, when he said he began to take advantage of the freedom most teens discover after high school. But his choices didn’t liberate him; they shackled him—literally—landing him in prison.

Brandi began to stray from the Lord after a crushing series of deaths in her family, including the loss of her mother when she was 13. Angry at what she perceived God had taken from her, she ran as far from Him as she thought she could.

“I just kind of went left and didn’t stop,” she said.

After trips in and out of jail and numerous failed attempts to shake their addictions, Scott and Brandi decided to flee the city and, on the advice of a family member, move to rural East Texas—where they thought they’d have a far better chance to stabilize their lives. Before long, they began attending a church, where they were saved and baptized.

But the hooks of addiction were still deep within them, so much so that they began to fear they were on a path to certain death. Scott said he has always felt like he and Brandi were meant to help others, but as they wallowed in the mire of addiction, they couldn’t even help themselves.

“I kept telling Brandi, ‘This isn’t how life’s supposed to be,’” Scott said. “‘God’s got something greater for us.’”

In their quest to get help, Scott felt led by God to find the man who had pastored him at the Arlington church he grew up in. He was Scott’s pastor from grade school through high school, until he left the church to answer God’s call to lead the First Baptist Church in Malakoff. Scott, who now lived a short drive away from FBC Malakoff, learned from a friend that his former pastor was still at the church, though no longer as the senior pastor.

So, on a Sunday morning Scott and Brandi set out for FBC Malakoff to find his former pastor, to see if maybe—just maybe—he might be able to help them break away from the bondage of addiction. When they pulled into the drive that morning, they were met by one of the church’s parking lot greeters. They explained to the greeter they were looking for a man they were told would be inside.

The man’s name was Casey Perry.

‘I was praying without ceasing’

Casey Perry doesn’t have a go-to place when it comes to his prayer life. He prays everywhere. He prays in his bedroom. He prays in his truck. He prays in public places. He prays for people he knows. He prays for strangers. The sum of all this is that he can’t begin to tell you all the places he prays or all the faces he prays for—for the most part.

Perry, who will turn 90 next April, clearly remembers the two things he was praying for most fervently as the calendar flipped to 2020: He was praying the Lord would allow him to live long enough to care for his wife, Lettie, who was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, and he was also praying for the First Baptist Church in Malakoff.

Perry served as FBC Malakoff’s pastor from 1992 until 2000. Those were good years. Among other blessings, he recalls how FBC Malakoff started eight new churches during those eight years. It was also a time of tremendous growth fueled by young families bringing their kids, who, in turn, invited their school friends.

But as 2020 wound down, and with Perry now a member having long ago stepped away from full-time pastoring, the church found itself without a senior pastor and in decline. Salvations and baptisms slumped. Attendance followed suit. There was a general sense in the congregation that the movements of God so fondly remembered by its longest-standing members were just that—memories.

“Every time I’d think of it—and I thought of it often—I’d breathe a prayer for the Malakoff church.”

—Casey perry Tweet

Watching the church struggle grieved Perry’s heart, so he did all that he knew to do. He prayed.

“It wasn’t just daily,” Perry said. “It was kind of like Paul said—I was praying without ceasing. It was a constant time of prayer. Every time I’d think of it—and I thought of it often—I’d breathe a prayer for the Malakoff church.”

Perry wasn’t praying for a return to better days. That, in a sense, would be praying backward. Instead, he prayed forward—for God to move in a fresh way, opening new doors to reach the lost through the ministry of the church. He also prayed for the man he was certain God already knew would be the next pastor to lead the church into that season.

Yes, God knew precisely who that man was. But Perry didn’t, and as the time for accepting resumes ticked down, neither did the pastor search team prayerfully sorting through them.

As it turns out, one resume made it onto the stack toward the end of the process. It was from a worship pastor with no senior pastor experience serving at a sister church 30 miles down the road. His name was familiar to some on the search team, as he had previously served as FBC Malakoff’s worship pastor.

The man’s name was Ed Fenton.

Undeniably Him

In May 2022, Ed Fenton began keeping a prayer journal. He doesn’t remember exactly what prompted him to start, other than he wanted some kind of record to help him identify and remember the work of God resulting from his own prayers and those lifted up corporately at FBC Malakoff.

The first entry is dated May 2, 2022: “Last week was one worth remembering. For seven months, we’ve been praying for God to work and move among us, and the Lord blessed in some unique ways. On Wednesday (April 27), the church celebrated its first baptism since June 2021—my first baptism as a senior pastor. On Sunday (May 1), we celebrated our second baptism. … On top of that, on Wednesday (April 27), my youngest daughter, Brenna, trusted Christ to be her Savior and Lord. He is doing a work that’s undeniably Him.”

Undeniably Him. He’s not sure, but Fenton feels like that phrase is starting to resonate with church members. Not only because it is spoken often at worship services and during Wednesday night prayer meetings, but also because members are seeing—no, experiencing—things that seem to happen only because God made it so.

After two people were baptized following nearly a year of stilled baptistry waters, three more would follow before year’s end. So far in 2023, 24 have been baptized. Worship attendance has grown from about 160 in the fall of 2022 to 250-300 this fall. The next gen departments are blossoming, with the kids ministry more than doubling and the youth growing from fewer than 10 regular attenders to 35-40 students showing up for midweek services. Weekly visitation—spearheaded by Perry and Stan Smith, the church’s missions team leader—is thriving. The church is reaching people who are subsequently joining the visitation team to reach others with the saving message of Christ that once reached them.

New leaders often bring with them a renewed sense of hope and excitement, which, in turn, can boost attendance. New ideas and textbook church growth strategies can be effective in bringing people outside the circle in. Fenton credits none of those things—nor the preaching, nor the music—for what is happening at FBC Malakoff. The church, he says, is experiencing what it is experiencing only because people are desperately and more frequently calling out to God in prayer.

Fenton the worship pastor turned to prayer before answering God’s call to leave nearby Rock Hill Baptist Church to accept a new role as senior pastor. Fenton, the new senior pastor, turned to prayer when trying to figure out how to lead the church in Malakoff.

“If it’s going to happen here,” Fenton said, “it’s going to happen because our people have been on their knees praying and asking God to do it. … We have staked the success of the ministry of this church on God answering the prayers of His people.”

For Fenton, pastoring has been an emotional tightrope—one of learning how to balance the celebratory shouts lobbed from the congregation as a new follower of Christ takes the baptism plunge with the tears of hopelessness he sees on the faces of people in crisis. It’s seeing a sanctuary filled to near capacity most Sunday mornings but knowing that same room faces no such threat during Wednesday night prayer meetings.

There is still so much Fenton feels like can happen—needs to happen—at this church.

Even so, FBC Malakoff has come a long way.

“I just believe this so much—God can take 20 serious people who are desperate for Him in prayer and He can do the impossible,” he added. “He has done that and He is doing that.”

One way God is doing that is through transforming the lives of those desperately seeking Him.

‘He can do the impossible’

It’s a Tuesday night and Scott and Brandi are sitting inside a Dairy Queen, staring across the table at a young couple they invited to dinner. A few minutes earlier, Scott and Brandi had gone to the young couple’s house during FBC Malakoff’s regular weekly visitation. Their own history of substance abuse helped them quickly recognize the tell-tale signs of addiction displayed by the young couple now sitting in front of them. As the young couple bickered, a thought ran through Brandi’s mind:

“We’re looking in a mirror at our former selves.”

Only months earlier, it was Scott and Brandi sitting in a rural diner across the table Smith and Perry—who met them for breakfast days after the pair were reunited with Perry after decades that first Sunday morning at FBC Malakoff.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Perry inquired.

“Brother Perry, we’re both struggling with alcohol,” Scott replied.

“Well,” Perry matter-of-factly shot back, “we’re going to whoop that.”

God has transformed Scott and Brandi in so many ways, not the least of which is this: they who once had a great need to be ministered to are now ministering to others as members of FBC Malakoff. Even as they minister alongside people who feel like family and under a pastor in Fenton who they say has been there for them anytime they’ve needed him, Scott and Brandi readily admit they have not conquered all their struggles.

But they’ve come a long way.

What’s your story? Never give up … God can do anything!

attended my first Southern Baptist Convention meeting in 1980 and served on the denominational calendar committee. Even though I attended the next 20 SBC meetings and served on [what is now the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission] and then the International Mission Board in later years, that was my most memorable time in the convention.

The big issue that year had to do with whether the convention would adopt a sanctity of human life Sunday on our calendar. We had never done that before, and I was surprised to find that some of our denominational leaders were opposed to it. It was my pleasure to cast the deciding vote to recommend that pro-life commemoration be added to the calendar. Convention messengers approved it in 1980.

My husband, Don, and I were also involved in the early days of starting a new, more conservative, convention in Texas. The Southern Baptists of Texas, Inc. was the predecessor to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, and I was on the board for that. In fact, I had accumulated a mailing list for my work with various causes and we used that list to help build a newspaper list for the conservative Texas group. I also edited the Plumbline [the newspaper for the Southern Baptists of Texas, Inc.] for a while. When the new convention launched in 1998, I was one of those who became part of the new executive board.

“I just love seeing how prayer is the most important thing we can do. Nothing compares to it. We just ought to be thankful God gave it to us.”

—skeet workman Tweet

I’ve been very involved in issues and public policy over the years. Don has been, as well. I’ve walked neighborhoods in support of candidates and policies. Don has lobbied in Austin to support facilities for young people who get in trouble. But none of those have turned out to be the most important thing we’ve done.

For years, Don and I have been involved in Pray America. Our group meets at our church, and we’ve had as many as 48 come to pray. We’ve had people from 11 churches involved and sometimes we have strangers come, sometimes candidates for local office come—they are starving for prayer. I’m sure not all of them are Christians so I always give them a Four Spiritual Laws tract. We just think America’s got some real problems. I was reading recently the things that Israel and Judah did when they rejected God. And the list in the prophets is exactly what we’re seeing in America. I don’t think if God judged Israel He’s going to just let us get away with the same things. We’re praying right now that God will tell us who to vote for the president. And He has a way of really showing us. We’ve seen so many miracles in this prayer group. God loves it.

Our pastor was driving with his brother from fishing late one night when someone shot at them. The bullet went right between them through the truck. He [David Wilson, pastor of Southcrest Baptist Church, Lubbock] came to our meeting and he just was so pleased. He said, “I believe y’all’s prayers saved our lives.”

Prayer is more important than [anything], and right now, God is the only one who can save America. I guess we just pray for America. That’s what we do.

I thought after my knee surgery that I might retire. And then a whole bunch of people showed up for our weekly prayer meeting and I knew I couldn’t retire. God doesn’t want it to end yet. So I’ve never told Him I was going to retire. Don and I are just going to keep on keeping on.

I guess that’s my story: Never give up! God has a time schedule, and I have seen enough miracles through this prayer group and the SBC that when it comes to God, He can do anything. And when we ask Him in faith, He may answer at a different time and in a different way, but I’ve seen Him answer many prayers. I just love seeing how prayer is the most important thing we can do. Nothing compares to it. We just ought to be thankful God gave it to us.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

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Examining social media and our motives as pastors

Pastors and social media are sometimes a dangerous duo. I am obviously not opposed to social media, as many of you would not even see this article without it. It can be a great way to stay connected with friends and family, as well as to inspire, inform, and equip your people.

Although I have used media tools extensively in my pastorates, as well as my ministry to pastors in North America, there is a blurred line between connecting and overconnecting. Let’s take a minute to unblur that line by auditing our motives with three questions:

1

Are you are overexposing your ‘acts of righteousness?

I started writing this post on an airplane after my wife Janet and I spoke at a ministry marriage retreat. That event went well, yet no one posted or tagged any pictures of it on social media. Last week, I spoke at three events in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and again, no pictures or tags were to be found on the social channels I use.

Did these events even happen if there was no evidence of it on social media? More importantly, why should I even care?

Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1 CSB).

2

Are you overconnecting to the point of not being present?

I find it ironic when older adults with Apple watches get annoyed by younger people who stare constantly at their phones, because I experience more interruptions from watch alerts than I do phones. I am not suggesting you shut everything down. Just consider dialing back your notification settings a few notches and see if it improves your conversations and thought life.

3

Are you overly concerned about what others think about you?

Everyone likes to be liked, but the Pharisees were putting on a show as they prayed, gave, and fasted. Preachers become posers when we go out of our way to draw the attention and applause of people.

“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding” (Matthew 6:1 MSG).

If you are interested in pastoring with a basin and a towel instead of a picture and a post, here are a few practical ways to help you connect with others better online and offline:

Write a note to someone who cannot help move the needle on your ministry.
Comment on a social media channel about something a small church pastor said or did that blessed you.
Practice generosity without using it as a sermon illustration.
Visit a nursing home without being asked or posting a picture.
Take a social media fast for a week and use that time to invest it in your soul.
Audit your time on media and social media this week.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment about your motives and methods of using media and social media in your ministry, then make whatever changes He leads you to make.

Lone Star Scoop • November 2023

Reach Texas giving in 2022-23 sets record

GRAPEVINE With the 2023-2024 Reach Texas State Missions Offering in full swing, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is celebrating the generosity of its churches during last year’s campaign. SBTC churches gave $1,673,560 to Reach Texas—the most ever collected in a single year for the offering. The offering period covers September 2022 to August 2023. It marked the second time in three years a record Reach Texas offering was collected. The second-highest offering came during the 2020-2021 campaign, when $1,527,969 was given by SBTC churches. SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick said giving to Reach Texas is critical for the advancement of missions and evangelism strategies across the state and expressed gratitude for yet another year of sacrificial giving on the part of convention churches. “I am so grateful for the generosity of SBTC churches and their common desire to reach Texas and impact the world together,” Lorick said. Reach Texas funds a variety of gospel-fueled efforts, including church planting, disaster relief, missions mobilization, and the annual Empower Conference, which emphasizes evangelism. The 2023-2024 statewide challenge goal is $1.6 million. For more information or to give, visit sbtexas.com/reachtexas. —Texan staff

Melton, a ‘great woman of God,’ passes away at age 90

ABILENE Mary Frances Teaff Melton died Wednesday morning, Sept. 20, in Abilene. She was 90 years old.

A Texas native, she married her husband of 72 years, T.C. Melton, in 1951. Mary Frances was a graduate of Hardin Simmons University and taught in public schools for 20 years.

The Meltons served churches in West Texas for decades as pastor and wife. Later, they became an encouragement to pastors in that part of the state and great supporters of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention as T.C. became a consultant for the convention.

Said SBTC Executive Director Nathan Lorick: “The Meltons have been such a blessing to the SBTC. Mary Frances served the Lord faithfully with such a sweet spirit. Our hearts and prayers are with T.C. and the Melton family as they grieve the loss of a great woman of God.”

SBTC Executive Director Emeritus Jim Richards, Lorick’s predecessor, knew the Meltons well.

“Mary Frances Melton was a supportive pastor’s wife and vital ministry partner for over 70 years,” Richards said. “It is impossible to tally, this side of heaven, the ways God blessed His people through her. I’m praying for my friend T.C. as we all await the day when we’ll see her again.”

— Texan staff

SBTC DR responds to Florida after Hurricane Idalia

PERRY, Fla. Though national media attention regarding Hurricane Idalia has ceased, recovery from the disaster continues. The category 4 storm slammed into Florida’s Big Bend region on Aug. 30. Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief teams answered the state’s call for assistance in late September and remained working in Taylor County in early October.

An SBTC DR chainsaw team under the direction of Monte Furrh of Bonham arrived in the Perry area first. Six volunteers worked 10-hour days for a week and completed seven time-consuming chainsaw jobs. That task included removing large limbs—known as widow-makers due to their dangerous potential to harm people if left in place—from damaged trees or helping homeowners with downed trees. Furrh’s team was relieved by another North Texas team directed by Jesse Hauptrief of Anna on Oct. 1.

Florida homeowner Randy Newman posted his thanks for the SBTC DR team’s help on Facebook. “Them showing up to our house was a godsend,” Newman wrote. “They worked all day cutting trees, most of them ‘widow-makers.’ They started the day with a prayer for safety, our community, and for me and [my wife] personally. I can’t explain the true compassion they have for all of us involved in the storm.”

— Jane Rodgers

Prestonwood’s Corredera featured in ‘I am Second’ video

PLANO Gilberto Corredera, pastor of Prestonwood en Español, was recently featured in the popular Christian testimony video series, “I Am Second.”

In the video, Corredera shares about his life journey. He accepted Christ as a teen in his native Cuba, where he also experienced his call to ministry. He eventually brought his family to America to seek a better life, but before long, found himself out of ministry and washing dishes to make a living. He says his “pride was broken” during that time, but he goes on to share how God eventually opened doors for him to minister once again.

Now the pastor of one of Prestonwood’s fastest-growing ministries, Prestonwood en Español hosts three services and ministers to people in 19 nations. It is also featured on a weekly television program on Telemundo Dallas that is broadcast to thousands of people.

“I never really imagined God was going to take me out of a broken family from a small town … to bring me to a great nation and to a great church to share my faith and be a bearer of a message of hope to the nations,” Corredera says in the video. “It is what God can do by His grace.”

— Texan staff

Renewed commitment to crying out to God is leading to transformation at FBC Troup

Prayer before progress

Preston Lindsey has worn a lot of hats in his lifetime. He’s been a logger, pipe-fitter, oil field roughneck, telephone lineman, and a shipping manager and transportation director for a grocery chain. He spent 15 years as an agriculture teacher with the Troup Independent School District before becoming its director of support services, a position he holds today.

One thing the 65-year-old never expected to be was a pastor. Yet, since January 2023, he has worn that hat as well, pastoring at First Baptist Church in Troup—where, through an emphasis on prayer, the church is experiencing new life.

A native East Texan, Lindsey was raised in Mixon—a tiny community with fewer than 100 residents located seven miles southwest of Troup—trusting Christ at age 10. He married his high school sweetheart, Kelli, attended Kilgore College, and later earned a degree from the University of Texas at Tyler. Lindsey still resides near Mixon on 50 acres with Kelli and two adult children, both with special needs. Another daughter and her family also live nearby.

“He was leading me to be a pastor somewhere. It pretty much scared me to death.”

—Preston Lindsey Tweet

No stranger to church work, Lindsey served 40 years as a deacon at FBC Mixon, where he led dozens of mission trips. Following a mission trip to Mexico two decades ago, he realized he was serving himself more than serving God.

“I realized then I wanted to serve Christ with all my heart,” he recalled. As he reached his 60s, he “really began to feel the call.” God was doing something. “He was leading me to be a pastor somewhere,” Lindsey said. “It pretty much scared me to death.”

Meanwhile, FBC Troup lost its pastor in June 2022. Lindsey understood some of the circumstances. He knew many people at the church and was saddened by its struggles. One Monday morning, Lindsey drove by FBC Troup as usual on his way to work at the school district. He pulled into the church parking lot to pray for the church, its members, and the community.

Within 30 minutes, he received a call from one of the FBC Troup deacons asking him to fill the pulpit the following Sunday. He agreed, thinking the Lord might use him to help the deacons reorganize. He preached that Sunday and met with the deacons about the church’s issues.

The next Monday morning, he once again found himself praying in the FBC Troup parking lot.

“Lord, what are you asking me to do?” Lindsey recalled praying. Within 15 minutes, another FBC Troup deacon called to ask him to preach again the following Sunday. Lindsey agreed. The deacons then asked him to serve as interim pastor until things could be “straightened out.”

Lindsey was astonished. Yes, he was a lifelong Bible student, but he had no formal seminary training. He had just gotten through studying Moses with the youth group at FBC Mixon. Was it time to step out in faith?

“I wanted to serve the Lord,” he said.

So he said yes.

What followed is a “crazy story of what God’s doing,” Lindsey noted.

A matter of prayer

If his ministry at FBC Troup was to honor God, Lindsey knew it had to begin in prayer—a truth he had learned at the 2021 Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting in nearby Flint. At that gathering, he said he heard “preacher after preacher” talking about how prayer had changed their lives and their churches.

“I brought that focus to Troup,” he said. If his involvement at the church began with prayer in the parking lot, his time as pastor would also start with prayer.

Whereas FBC Troup had once averaged around 120 in services, only 35-40 attended during the new pastor’s first month. The four deacons and Lindsey committed to pray, a commitment the church body, though small, also embraced.

They focused on 2 Chronicles 7:14-16, Lindsey said, spending weeks on that passage.

“We prayed in church services. We prayed as a deacon group. We really wanted to understand what humbling ourselves meant,” he recalled. The church held a 12-hour prayer vigil in 2022 and again in fall 2023, with people signing up for time slots and coming to the church to pray.

“After our church fell on our knees and asked the Lord for His direction, things happened,” Lindsey said.

It started in the youth department.

“We’ve had 60 baptisms so far this year. We’ve seen amazing things through our youth and the leadership. All that is of the Holy Spirit.”

—Preston Lindsey Tweet

Tragedy brings unity

“Our youth exploded,” said Lindsey, crediting youth director Matt Ranshaw and his wife, Brooke, for bringing new life to the group and encouraging mission trips. Like Lindsey, Ranshaw is bivocational, serving also as a policeman for Tyler ISD.

Students started sharing Christ with their friends. The youth brought their parents, friends, and family to church. More than 170 kids and 35 volunteer workers participated in a mid-October Wednesday night youth group meeting, Lindsey said. That increase has spilled over into the church, which now averages 200 on Sundays.

“We’ve had 60 baptisms so far this year,” Lindsey said. “We’ve seen amazing things through our youth and the leadership. All that is of the Holy Spirit.”

Some of those amazing things started after a tragedy.

Youth camp at Piney Woods in July 2022 started out as a struggle, Ranshaw said. Kids were not gelling. Groups kept to themselves. Ranshaw was discouraged. Wednesday of camp week, he called Lindsey and learned that the congregation had prayed for youth camp that evening.

“After our church fell on our knees and asked the Lord for His direction, things happened.”

—Preston Lindsey Tweet

Things started changing quickly. Kids at camp started opening up that same night: students shared their struggles, some admitted to needing salvation, and others revealed brokenness. Camp ended on a spiritual mountaintop for many, and the students wanted to continue that when they got home.

The youth group started growing in numbers and spiritual maturity, which would soon be tested. On Sept. 9, 2022, during the Troup homecoming football game, junior player Cooper Reid—Lindsey’s cousin’s son—collapsed on the field. Cooper had gone to camp with the FBC Troup kids, although he attended another church.

Instead of the planned homecoming the following night, the school held a community prayer vigil for Cooper. FBC Troup kids attended, as did pastors, kids from other schools, and community members.

Ranshaw saw his students’ faith in action.

“Sometimes you can teach kids all you want. Until they experience it, they won’t buy in,” he said, adding that he told his youth group, “Now you understand intercessory prayer.”

The youth and church continued to pray for Cooper, who has since returned home and continues to make progress.

Progress is real for Ranshaw, Lindsey, and FBC Troup. And all the progress has come as God has continued to show Himself faithful through their continued prayers.

Dockery gives trustees hopeful ‘indicators’ of God’s work in SWBTS enrollment, finances

FORT WORTH—President David S. Dockery gave a positive report of hopeful “indicators of what the Lord has been doing,” including in the areas of enrollment and finances, during the Oct. 18 regularly scheduled fall meeting of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees.

Chairman Jonathan Richard told trustees he was “thankful for the unity that has existed in this place the last few days,” and he believed “we are moving forward in a unified way and in a unified direction.”

Richard, pastor of First Baptist Church of Estancia, N.M., said the dinner between the board and faculty showed that morale seemed “higher than this time last year.” He also observed the “hopefulness” that “is resting within our trustee body” for which he offered God praise.

All votes of the board were unanimous.

At the beginning of his report, Dockery noted the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of R. Albert Mohler Jr. as president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“Southwestern Seminary sends heartiest congratulations to President and Mrs. Mohler, and the Southern Seminary community,” he said. “We are grateful for Dr. Mohler’s leadership at Southern Seminary, in the world of theological education and across the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Dockery told trustees that student headcount for the 2022-2023 academic year was 3,574, which reflected an increase of 171 students over the previous year. He also noted that full-time enrollment (FTE) was 2,317 students, which also showed an increase of 94 students.

“FTE is formed and shaped by the number of credit hours that are taught,” Dockery said, noting that credit hours taught in 2022-2023 were 34,835, an increase of 1,582 hours over the previous academic year. He cautioned that while the numbers would have a “positive impact on the SBC FTE” the impact would be “small because the SBC FTE is not a one-year snapshot,” but rather is “built on a three-year rolling average.”

Commending the “wonderful” work of Jack D. Terry, interim vice president for institutional advancement, and O.S. Hawkins, chancellor, Dockery reported that unrestricted giving was “outstanding” as more than $3 million was contributed to Southwestern Seminary during 2022-2023.

Dockery also highlighted the “improved morale across the campus” and the “evidence of collaboration,” which he said has been a “great source of encouragement.” He noted in particular the work and service of the seminary’s leadership team, including W. Madison Grace II, provost and vice president for academic administration and dean of the School of Theology; Travis Trawick, vice president for institutional effectiveness and strategy; Chandler Snyder, vice president for enrollment and student services and dean of students; Adam Dodd, vice president for campus technology; Dale Ford, interim vice president for financial services; and Terry.

Dockery said Southwestern’s leadership has been “encouraged by the fact that our credit hours are again up 488 over last fall” to 15,824 credit hours taught in the fall 2023 semester. He added “even after last year’s improvement that means we continue to take steps forward.”

“We are grateful to God for at least small markers, indicators of positive steps in terms of both enrollment and giving,” Dockery said, adding FTE numbers for the current fall semester increased by 23 students over last fall while total giving in the first two months of the fiscal year was more than $1.6 million, which “is a bit ahead of last year.”

Dockery also observed the “hopeful spirit across the campus,” which has been “manifest in so many ways throughout the fall semester, particularly in prayer gatherings.” He highlighted the weekly times of prayer, the Oct. 14 Day of Prayer, and the Oct. 17 time of prayer during the seminary’s chapel service when students, faculty and staff gathered to pray for the board’s decisions and unity. He added that God has “certainly answered those prayers yesterday and for that we give thanks to Him.”

He asked the trustees to join him in “trusting the Lord to help us be a joyful, prayerful, and thankful community,” reflecting the 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 theme verse for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Dockery also shared facts from the unaudited financial report for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, noting “the cash position has increased from $1.7 million to $2.8,” and total assets increased while total liabilities decreased which has resulted in “a difference of about $2.9 million increase in total net assets.”

“That’s a hallelujah and a wonderful thing for which we say thanks be to God for His kindness to us,” Dockery added. He noted that the Business Administration Committee has been encouraged by financial controls that are “being put in place and that expenses are being monitored carefully as we move into the year.”

Dockery highlighted that during the 2022-2023 academic year, revenue increased while operating expenses measurably decreased, resulting in a significant step forward. While the year-to-year improvement is quite significant, he cautioned that “it does not mean that we have reached what we desire for it to be. We still have a long way to go.”

Dockery said the seminary’s leadership was “looking forward and trusting the Lord” for the impending sale of the Carroll Park property, which he said they hope “will happen in the next 45 days.” He said the first phase of the sale has been completed, with five acres sold to the Presbyterian Night Shelter, and the second phase includes the remaining 15 acres of the property sold to the City of Fort Worth.

Addressing the warning given to the seminary in June by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Dockery announced the enlistment of two consultants, Ralph Enlow, past president of the Association for Higher Biblical Education, and Carla Sanderson, provost of Chamberlain University in Addison, Ill., to assist in the areas of board governance and accreditation, respectively.

About the warnings, Dockery said “it is important that we seek to address those” adding that “this is not probation, but it is a serious sanction.”

Despite the seminary’s challenges, Dockery said, “I want you to know that the main thing that happens on this campus is still being done well,” noting the “commitment to teaching” and “what takes place in the classroom in terms of student learning.”

He commended the work of the Southwestern faculty as “their efforts toward scholarship are all taking steps forward.” He said he believes “what we’re doing in the classroom,” including on campus, online, and in hybrid situations “continues to get better.”

Dockery highlighted the spring 2023 chapels which were a “unifying factor for the campus as the faculty preached through the book of Philippians.” He added the fall 2023 chapels have been “excellent” with a focus on missions and evangelism, with plans for faculty to preach through 1 and 2 Thessalonians during the spring 2024 chapels.

Dockery announced the appointment of two task teams.

A board task team, chaired by trustee Joshua Allen, lead pastor of Parkway Hills Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, will work on the board policy manual, while the institutional task team for campus utilization, co-chaired by Trawick and trustee Mike Bussey, executive pastor of WALK Church in Las Vegas, will “think about how we use the assets we have for the good of the future of this institution,” Dockery said.

He explained the board task team would report to the board of trustees and will “bring recommendations with the authority of the board” while the institutional task team is comprised of board members and seminary employees and will “bring the recommendation to the administration to bring back to you.”

The board approved three recommendations from its executive committee, including a change in bylaws regarding two committees. The board voted to change the name of the Academic Administration Committee to become the Academic and Technology Committee and to create the Enrollment, Retention, and Student Services Committee.

Additionally, the board approved an executive committee recommendation to amend the seminary’s bylaws to clarify that the seminary’s president cannot be elected as a board member and to remove the president as an ex-officio member of the board. Vice-Chairman Robert Brown noted these changes were made at Dockery’s request.

The board also approved a corporate resolution that the president and officers of the seminary, including Dockery, Ford, Grace and Trawick, are authorized with appropriate signature authority on behalf of the institution.

Additionally, the board approved a $34.5 million revised budget for the academic year and that 50 percent of the remaining proceeds of the Carroll Park sale would go to a board-designated endowment while the remaining 50 percent would go to cash reserves. The board also authorized the administration to make revisions to the 2023-2024 capital needs budget with approval of the Business Administration Committee.

The board approved the appointment of Dean Sieberhagen, interim dean of the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, to the Charles F. Stanley Chair for the Advancement of Global Christianity; Andy Jennings to the rank of assistant professor of philosophy of religion and apologetics; and renewed the presidential appointment of Dietmar Schulze as associate professor of missions.

The recipients of the B.H. Carroll and L.R. Scarborough awards were also approved by the board, as were the candidates for fall 2023 graduation.

The next board meeting is scheduled for April 8-9, 2024.