Author: Baptist Press

Lifeway’s 2022 VBS theme sparks kids’ creativity

NASHVILLE (BP) – Next summer, kids will let their imaginations and ingenuity run wild at “Spark Studios,” Lifeway Christian Resources’ 2022 Vacation Bible School theme that explores the creativity of God and His image bearers.

At “Spark Studios” kids will learn how they were created in Christ and designed for God’s purpose. Throughout the week, kids will sample different forms of creative expression – from painting and sculpting to robotics and inventing – to explore ways they can use their own talents to bring God glory.

“God’s creativity didn’t stop in Genesis. He is redeeming and reclaiming His creation and gives us an incredible gift in allowing us to be creative too,” said Melita Thomas, VBS and kids ministry specialist for Lifeway. “There’s something for everyone in this theme because every person is creative in some way or another. That’s one of the ways we are made in God’s image.”

Thomas said “Spark Studios” has a broad appeal across the gamut of creative expression, including classic fine arts like painting and sculpting, creative and dramatic arts like playing instruments and producing music, STEM-related arts (science, technology, engineering and math) like bringing inventions to life, and more.

“‘Spark Studios’ is home to every creative outlet and is a place where kids, and adults too, can get their creative juices flowing and enjoy the process of making something incredible,” Thomas said. “Along the way, they will learn that God is the infinitely creative Master Artist who is transforming His creation.”

“Spark Studios” uses the motto, “Created! Designed! Empowered!” and features Ephesians 2:10 as its theme verse, which refers to Christians as God’s workmanship, created for good works. The weekly Bible lessons will explore the life of David, both before and after he became Israel’s king.

“David was known as a mighty warrior and king, but he was also a musician and poet. He wrote psalms proclaiming the majesty and glory of God the Creator,” Thomas said. “God gave David the talents and skills he’d need when he was king, and David used them throughout his life to bring glory to God.”

As kids learn about David they will also be introduced to stories about Jesus – God’s forever King – with nods to David’s lineage and writings interspersed to help kids connect threads between the Old and New Testaments. They will discover that people in the Bible had expectations for a kind of king they thought they wanted, but that God had His own creative plan in sending His Son as the King who would lay down His life and pick it up again to save sinners.

“‘Spark Studios’ will help kids see that becoming a Christian is not the end of a journey, but the beginning,” Thomas said. “We are being reshaped and reformed by the Potter to become more and more like His Son.”

VBS remains one of the most popular church programs in the U.S., Lifeway Research shows. Six in 10 Americans say they went to VBS growing up, and 95 percent of parents whose child attended VBS say it provided a positive experience.

“Spark Studios” was revealed through a Facebook Live event today (June 8). More information can be found at lifeway.vbs.com.

Acting president: ERLC will keep focus on Great Commission

NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will maintain the same aim in its work while the search is underway for a new leader, acting president Daniel Patterson said.

Daniel Patterson

Acknowledging it is “a time of change” at the ERLC, Patterson said in written comments Friday (June 4), “[T]he primary thing remains the same: Our commission is relentless in our focus on the Great Commission. So whether it’s standing for life, advocating for religious freedom, engaging in courts and Congress, or equipping the church, we’ll continue to serve Southern Baptists by speaking from our churches into the public square for the sake of the Gospel.

“It’s a privilege to do so with the convictional and Christ-like team we have at the ERLC.”

Patterson’s remarks came after the ERLC’s presidential post became vacant June 1, when Russell Moore’s resignation became effective. Moore, who served eight years as president, announced his departure May 18 to become public theologian for Christianity Today and lead the evangelical magazine’s new Public Theology Project. Additionally, Immanuel Church in Nashville announced June 1 that Moore would become a minister in residence with the non-denominational congregation.

David Prince, chairman of the ERLC’s trustees, echoed Patterson’s comments.

The ERLC’s record during the last eight years “speaks for itself,” Prince said in a written statement. “Much of that was due to the leadership of Russell Moore, but, as our trustees recently discussed, it is also a credit to the talented staff serving Southern Baptists at the commission.

“I have no doubt, during this interim period under Dr. Patterson, the ERLC will continue to equip the church, apply the moral demands of the Gospel to issues in the public square and promote religious liberty and human dignity in ways that Baptists have come to expect.”

Prince, pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., said, “As trustees, we have a significant task in front of us to find the next leader of the ERLC who can continue this track record of excellence, but I am confident the Lord is already moving to identify that person for us in the months ahead.”

A presidential search committee from the ERLC trustees has not been named, but recent efforts to find SBC entity leaders have succeeded within a year.

The ERLC trustees elected Moore as president in March 2013, nearly eight months after Richard Land announced his retirement to complete 25 years in the post. A review provided to Baptist Press of transitions at six SBC entities since 2018 showed those searches for and elections of new presidents required from eight months to a year.

A review of the ERLC’s ministry during Moore’s presidency demonstrated a focus on applying the Gospel of Jesus, including on contentious issues in the culture. That concentration was displayed in multiple ways, such as the themes of its national conferences – including “The Gospel, Homosexuality and the Future of Marriage” in 2014 and “The Cross-shaped Family” in 2018, its “The Gospel for Life” book series and in spoken and written messages from Moore and others.

Moore made the entity’s Gospel focus clear at his presidential inauguration in 2013.

The mission of the ERLC, as well as God’s people, “is not simply to speak of the ethical norms that the Scripture has given to us,” Moore said. “It is to speak primarily with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

In two letters released within the last week – one addressed to ERLC trustees’ executive committee in 2020 and one sent to SBC President J.D. Greear only days ago – Moore outlined the pushback he said he faced from some SBC leaders in his attempts to address racial justice and sexual abuse in the SBC.

During the last eight years, the ERLC expanded its reach to young pastors and church members, women and ethnic minorities while seeking to guide Southern Baptists to think in a Gospel-focused manner and advocating for biblically based policies regarding such issues as abortion, freedom of religion and conscience, sexuality and marriage, racial reconciliation, parenting, adoption and immigration.

Included in the ERLC’s work and accomplishments the last eight years were:

A national conference annually from 2014 to 2019 that was attended by as many as 1,650 people and addressed topics including homosexuality and marriage at the height of the same-sex marriage debate, politics, parenting and the sexual abuse crisis in the church.
Advocacy in Congress, the federal executive branch and states for such positions as implementation or protection of pro-life policies and abortion funding bans; defeat of the pro-gay and transgender rights Equality Act; support for international religious freedom; reform of the criminal justice system; defunding of Planned Parenthood; defense of faith-based, child-welfare agencies from government discrimination; and a permanent remedy for undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children.
An Evangelicals for Life conference each January from 2016 to 2021 that was co-hosted with Focus on the Family the first three years and was held in conjunction with the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
“MLK50: Gospel Reflections From the Mountaintop,” a conference on racial unity attended by about 4,000 people and co-hosted with The Gospel Coalition in Memphis upon the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
Friend-of-the-court briefs at the Supreme Court and lower courts in defense of such causes as religious free exercise, freedom of conscience, pro-life laws, the ministerial housing allowance and conscientious objections to the abortion/contraception mandate.
The Caring Well Challenge, an endeavor that began in 2019 in partnership with the SBC Sexual Abuse Advisory Group to confront church sexual abuse and to guide congregations in enhancing their efforts to prevent abuse and care for abuse survivors.
The ERLC Academy, an annual event held in either or both Nashville and Washington, D.C., to equip the next generation of leaders to apply the Gospel to the moral and ethical issues facing the church.
The continuation and expansion of the Psalm 139 Project, the ERLC’s ministry to help place ultrasound machines in pro-life pregnancy centers.
Leadership summits on “The Gospel and Human Sexuality” and “The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation” in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The yearly Leadership Council, consisting of Southern Baptist pastors and other church members whom the ERLC spent time training through regular meetings to apply the Gospel to all areas of life.
Capitol Hill events regarding religious liberty in Southeast Asia and North Korea that accompanied the State Department’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
“The Gospel for Life” nine-volume book series, a partnership with B&H Publishing Group that addressed such issues as racial reconciliation, same-sex marriage, religious liberty, abortion, adoption, parenting and pornography.
Publication in 2015 with Alliance Defending Freedom of a legal guide to help protect Southern Baptist churches and other evangelical institutions in the face of the advance of same-sex marriage and the enactment of sexual orientation and gender identity laws.
Periodic Capitol Conversations panel discussions in Washington, D.C., and Leadership Luncheons interviews in Nashville.

Atheist accepts Jesus in public confession of faith in Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya (BP) – “Praise God. God is good all the time,” Seth Mahiga proclaimed at the altar of Life Church International in Nairobi, Kenya. Just two days earlier he announced his resignation as general secretary of the Atheists in Kenya Society.

“I’m just grateful to tell you I was the … general secretary of the Atheists in Kenya Society. It is the largest in Africa. … It represents more than around 5 million atheists in Africa,” Mahiga said in the Apostolic church. “I think a couple of days ago I’ve been going through some difficulties in life, and then I decided to resign as the secretary. I’m so happy to be here.”

Mahiga is now in the majority in the country of about 55 million people. More than 85 percent of Kenyans are Christian, according to 2019 numbers from Statistica, with more than 20 percent of Christians there described as evangelical, and more than 33 percent identifying as Protestant. Statistica counted 1.6 percent of Kenyans as “nones.”

Mahiga’s May 30th profession of faith was broadcast live on the church’s Facebook page and Elevate TV, which regularly broadcasts the church’s services.

As the church prayed for Mahiga, Pastor Mark Mutinda described Mahiga as “a point of contact (for) all those people who are in darkness and all the atheists who say there is no God,” and encouraged prayer that “the grace of God reach out to wherever they are.”

As Mahiga prayed the sinner’s prayer, led by a member of the church’s pastoral staff, he described himself to God as “a new creature no longer doubting about your existence. Indeed you are my God, and I will forever confess you are God. In Jesus’ name I accept you and I give my life to you.”

Atheists in Kenya was formed in 2016 in Nairobi, but suspended for two years after Christians complained. It regained active status in 2018 and describes itself as an organization of secularists who believe no deity exists.

The secular group announced Mahiga’s resignation in a press statement, including a link to a portion of the May 30th worship service.

“Seth’s reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting Atheism in Kenya,” group chairman Harrison Mumia said. “We wish Seth well in his newfound relationship with Jesus Christ. We thank him for having served the society with dedication over the last one and a half years.”

Kaunitz to be nominated as SBTC president

HOUSTON Jarrett Stephens, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, has announced his intention to nominate Todd Kaunitz, pastor of New Beginnings Baptist Church in Longview, as convention president during the SBTC annual meeting in November. Kaunitz has served New Beginnings since 2010.

Stephens formerly served as teaching pastor for Prestonwood Baptist Church and came to know Kaunitz while in that role. “What I love most about him is his passion for the local church,” Stephens told the TEXAN. “Todd is about evangelism. His church has grown from averaging 450 to nearly 2,500. He has baptized 1,400 people there during his tenure at New Beginnings. He is passionate about church planting. I think they partner with about six other churches and have planted 25 churches
internationally.

“He understands the importance of denominational work at all levels, from the local level to the national level,” Stephens added, noting that Kaunitz “at his core is about relationships. He is about making sure that churches are partnering together for the purpose of reaching people for Christ.”

Kaunitz is a current member of the SBTC Executive Board and is the board’s elected secretary. He has been a speaker at multiple SBTC training events during his time at New Beginnings. He is a graduate of East Texas Baptist University. Kaunitz and his wife, Adrian, have three children.

New Beginnings contributed $90,783 through the Cooperative Program in 2019. The church’s 2020 CP giving was $103,217.

“[Kaunitz] is a younger leader in the SBC,” Stephens added, “He is just so faithful to the Scripture. He is passionate about the local church, missions and evangelism … that’s what we’re about. I think it’s time for a guy like Todd.”

Endowment to help non-South state conventions

FORT WORTH—Nathan Lorick, SBTC executive director-elect, knows the challenges of sharing Christ in areas of the country lacking a wealth of Southern Baptist churches. He returned to the SBTC after serving more than three years as executive director of the Colorado State Baptist Convention. On April 20, Lorick proposed to the SBTC Executive Board a plan to endow a fund to help state conventions outside the South. The plan was approved.

“There was great joy in serving in a highly unreached area; there were also incredible challenges due to the lack of resources,” Lorick wrote in submitting the initiative for board consideration. “While our hearts wanted to see the gospel advance in unparalleled ways, often we didn’t have the people, partnerships or finances to support this goal,” he added.

The approval of the revocable State Convention Ministry Endowment set in motion a six-year strategic initiative whereby the SBTC will assist its sister state Southern Baptist conventions outside the South.

The endowment creates a funding mechanism to supply ongoing, board-approved ministry grants to qualified recipients who affirm the Baptist Faith & Message. Funded with an initial $800,000 contribution from SBTC reserve funds, the endowment is expected to reach $3,000,000 with annual contributions, subject to the SBTC’s financial position. Once that level is reached, $150,000 per year would be available to invest in the ministries of sister conventions, including but not limited to church planting, evangelism and revitalization.

In addition to the endowment, the board approved a reserve fund grant of $200,000 to provide immediate grants to SBC conventions outside the South.

Southern Baptist work in some parts of the country is relatively new since an agreement between Southern Baptists and American Baptists limited the work of Southern Baptists in the North and West until the middle of the 20th century. Those conventions generally have fewer and smaller churches than older conventions located in the South and Southwest. The SBTC historically has opened partnerships with cities and conventions outside the areas of greatest Southern Baptist strength in recognition of the great need.

Nueva Vida Dallas hosts 25 years of daily prayer, May 8 evangelism conference

DALLAS—David Galvan, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida (New Life in Christ) in Dallas for 39 years, has seen many blessings through the transforming power of prayer. Early in his ministry, he realized that “the church needed to have a covering of prayer” to reach its community. That was 25 years ago.

On Feb. 1, 1996, a daily prayer meeting began from 6-7 a.m. Monday-Sunday at the church. They called it Morning Prayer, or Oración Matutina in Spanish. The bilingual group ran up to 12 participants on campus. But, to Galvan’s amazement, COVID opened an unexpected new door. Because of the shift from in-person meetings, Morning Prayer now draws a daily crowd averaging 55, with the highest virtual attendance at 63.

Nelson Fonseca, minister of evangelism at Nueva Vida, said Morning Prayer has impacted his own life since moving to the Dallas area two and half years ago. Both individual and corporate prayer are necessary for a healthy spiritual life, Fonseca said. Morning Prayer allows the church as a body of Christ to pray for one another and for missionaries who share the gospel daily.

“I set my alarm every day at 5:50 a.m., but I must admit that from time to time the Lord wakes me up earlier so I may start reading a portion of Scriptures,” Fonseca said, offering the following example of how God has worked in his life through Morning Prayer.

“Last year I started praying for the salvation of my brother Cesar who is a U.S. Marine. I specifically asked that God would open a door to start a conversation with him, especially that his heart will soften because he’s been going through some post traumatic disorder in war. He is also experiencing physical ailments.

“The Lord heard our prayers and even though Cesar has not made a profession of faith, he is now open to expressing how he feels and I am trusting the Lord that Cesar will surrender his life to Christ,” Fonseca said. “That type of intimacy is created … when the body of Christ comes as one and shares requests.”

The whole church benefits. “As a result of intercessory prayer, God gave us the location where we are at today, as an answer to prayer, debt-free,” Galvan said.

Galvan became Nueva Vida pastor in 1981. The congregation filled its Garland location, and he began praying whenever he drove past the old Second Baptist Church of Garland. After Second Baptist voted to disband in 1993, the Dallas Baptist Association facilitated the transfer of the property to Nueva Vida.

“If I prayed 13 years for that location, one of our deacons, Jesse Flores, prayed for 21 years,” Galvan said.

In 2009, in another answer to prayer, the growing church purchased its current campus from the former Casa View Baptist and paid for the balance through the sale of the Garland facility.

Bold to Evangelize conference May 8

The church’s upcoming evangelism conference, Bold to Evangelize, scheduled May 8 at Nueva Vida was born out of Morning Prayer. The free event will be in English and in
Spanish.

“There is definitely a connection between this conference and what we are already doing during morning prayer. For example, so far, we have had 40 professions of faith for the glory of God. One of those was my mother-in-law. These are answered prayers of people who are sharing Christ and others need to be equipped as well,” Fonseca said.

This conference will allow believers to overcome obstacles as they share the gospel. The event will be held in person and will also be available via YouTube live.

See newlifedallas.org for more information.

SBTC Executive Board approves grants, honors Richards

FORT WORTH—The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Board met at the Riley Center on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary April 20, marking the first regular board meeting held entirely face to face since November 2019. Members approved grants and a resolution to honor Jim Richards, SBTC executive director who is stepping down from that role in 2021.

In his report, Richards announced that the Woman’s Missionary Union had approached the SBTC to formalize a relationship between the two organizations. The WMU, an SBC auxiliary, joins the 11 national Southern Baptist Convention entities in recognizing the SBTC.

Richards will work with staff to determine “what, when and how” the relationship with the WMU will proceed.

July 1 will complete Richards’ service as executive director of the SBTC and will mark the start of Nathan Lorick’s official assumption of duties, Richards said.

“It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to serve God through this opportunity,” Richards told the board of his tenure at the convention.

Lorick addressed the board, calling for the SBTC to continue to have a “prophetic voice” and “servant’s heart,” noting Richards’ announcement that the SBTC had planted more churches in 2020 than in 2019, despite the pandemic.

Regarding the future of the SBTC, Lorick expressed commitment to doing “everything we can to be who we have been,” and also “to take even greater steps in the gospel’s impact across Texas” with a view to the future.

“I wake up thinking that God is bringing the world to Texas,” Lorick said. “We’re going to do what it takes to be ready to reach them.”

New endowment

The board approved motions to give $2,400,000 of the convention’s reserve funds to a variety of projects, including $1,000,000 to support the work of Southern Baptist state conventions located outside the South. Part of the million dollars will fund a grant of $800,000 for the creation of the revocable State Convention Ministry Endowment to be invested and managed by the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation.

A $200,000 reserve funding grant was also approved for non-South SBC ministries to provide immediate direct ministry grants to sister conventions to be used for the same purposes as future endowment grants.

Other grants approved

The executive board further approved a $500,000 grant to the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention for the SBC allocation budget, with more than 50 percent going to the International Mission Board and 45 percent to support North American missions and theological education.

Also approved were grants of $300,000 to Jacksonville College for campus renovations, $100,000 to the Montana Southern Baptist Convention for Yellowstone Christian College, and $500,000 to cover possible costs of air conditioning and roof repair at the SBTC building.

Joe Davis, chief financial officer, reported that at the close of February 2021, the SBTC had $10,343,186 in operating reserve, 10.4 months of in-state operating expenses, $4,374,731 above the six-month reserve goal threshold in the convention’s business plan. Grants were issued from this reserve.

Convention finances

Regarding the convention’s overall budget and finances, Davis noted the convention was $2.3 million under budget in receipts for 2020 but underspent the budget by $3 million for that year with ministry events held online rather than in-person.

Davis also said that the SBTC building has been listed for sale at $9.2 million.

Marie Bosillo of PSK Accountants & Advisors presented results of the 2020 audit of the SBTC, resulting in a “clean opinion” affirming the sound financial condition of the convention and the strength of its “internal control structure.”

Other business

The board declined to pursue the implementation of the DBA “Great Commission Baptists,” a motion introduced at the 2020 annual meeting and referred to the board for consideration. However, the Executive Committee stated it recognized that future review of the convention’s title may be beneficial and encouraged the executive director to explore DBA options for the future.

The board received an update on a motion approved in early March by the Executive Committee and Administrative Committee by email ballot in response to the unprecedented winter storms which hit Texas in February. The committees authorized a reserve funding grant of up to $100,000 to assist with damage to affiliated churches and pastors’ homes caused by the storms. In addition, the convention has received $105,000 in winter storm grants from Baptist state conventions in Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and Georgia. A committee of three SBTC board members reviews grant requests; to date, the SBTC has assisted 12 churches, five pastors and three associations with funds totaling approximately $115,000. Additional requests for funds are expected.

Sixteen churches were approved for affiliation with the SBTC while 10 were removed: two had merged with other churches; five disbanded and three expressed the desire to no longer affiliate. As of April 2021, the SBTC has 2,682 affiliated churches.

Wittman appointed Church Health and Leadership associate

In other business, Calvin Wittman of Duncanville was elected as ministry associate for Church Health and Leadership. He will fill the vacancy created by Jeff Lynn’s move to senior strategist of that department, following Tony Wolfe’s becoming SBTC associate executive director and senior strategist for Cooperative Ministries as of May 1.

Wittman pastored Baptist churches in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s. Before pastoring Applewood Baptist Church in Denver, he served with the IMB in Spain from 1995-1998.

Jim and June Richards honored

Finally, the board approved a resolution of its “deepest appreciation and gratitude” to Jim and June Richards, designating the convention’s founding executive director as Executive Director Emeritus.

The resolution, read aloud by board vice chairman Caleb Turner, recognized Richards’ 22 years at the helm of the SBTC, honoring the outgoing director for “for his fidelity to the inerrant Word of God, his capable and godly leadership, and his service to the kingdom of God and to the churches of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,” and June Richards for “the vital role she has played in supporting, praying for and participating in the ministry of her husband,” and for her own ministry of encouragement.

This was the final board meeting at which Richards made the executive director’s report.

Unity for empowering missions would be key Ed Litton SBC aim

SARALAND, Ala. – Ed Litton envisions nurturing relationships in the Southern Baptist Convention to strengthen unity of mission if elected as SBC president during the June 15-16 annual meeting in Nashville.

One of four announced nominees for SBC president, Litton was the convention’s first vice president in 2001-2002 and president of the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference in 2009. He has been pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Ala., since 1994. The Mobile-area congregation, online at goredemption.com, was known as North Mobile Baptist Church until 2014.

Litton is a former Arizona Southern Baptist Convention evangelism staff member; Arizona and Alabama pastors’ conference president; and trustee of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

His wife Kathy was elected as SBC registration secretary in 2019 but has resigned since the Registration Committee oversees balloting for SBC president and other officers during the annual meeting.

Litton addressed the priorities he would set forth as SBC president in answer to questions from the Southern Baptist TEXAN:

1) Four proponents of biblical inerrancy have declared their willingness to serve as SBC president. What is distinctive about your vision for serving in this role?

First of all, I am thankful that the foundations of the SBC are not shaking like the foundations of our culture when it comes to truth. We’re people of the Book. I’m so grateful that all four people seeking this office believe in the inerrancy, infallibility and sufficiency of God’s Word. If our messengers elect me as president, I hope they will see that God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will be my guide.

God’s Word highlights that the world will know we love him by the way we love one another. I want us to be a convention unified in his love and unified in his gospel. God’s Word tells us that we are to make disciples. So we must be a convention that plants churches and sends missionaries. I think one of the signs that God is moving among a people — a sign of genuine biblical revival — is that there is visible unity. Revival is not so much a tent meeting as it is repentance, seeking the Lord, and being unified in the gospel.

2) What are two of the foremost challenges facing the SBC today?

It concerns me that our growing divide in the SBC mirrors the political culture we live in, and not a focus on God’s call to missions and church planting. Nor is our unity in our sameness or complete doctrinal alignment on every issue. Our doctrinal alignment is aided by the Baptist Faith & Message, but our unity is based in the gospel. And we must be unified in this mission, church planting, revitalization and training the next generation.

Ken Burns’ documentary on the Vietnam War quotes a General Wilson who said, “Americans fight their next war the way they fought their last war. We thought that we could defeat the Vietnamese with raw power and then rebuild them.” He said, “We were ignorant and arrogant.” Then he said, “You cannot dispel ignorance until you deal with your arrogance.” I think we need to deal with our arrogance first through repentance. We are a warrior tribe and I believe that God would rather have us fight for love.

My second serious concern is the failure of our churches to robustly engage lostness. In the face of a rapidly growing secular culture, many believers are sequestering within the walls of the church. In the face of increasing globalization we are not seizing the opportunities among those who are coming to our shores. We must to learn to live as exiles in a world foreign to us. We need to abandon nostalgia and embrace and adopt an aggressive love to reach as many as possible with the gospel. I often encourage my church family to “engage with those who don’t look like you, think like you or vote like you.”

3) Has the COVID pandemic amplified or accelerated these challenges?

COVID has certainly accelerated the challenges facing our churches. While everyone has been affected by the pandemic, some have been crushed by it. We’re looking around in our community for those who need encouragement and help. I think that’s something churches, associations and state conventions can do, and we as a national convention of churches likewise can care about each other because a lot of people have suffered loss.

4) How would you hope to use the SBC president’s influence/bully pulpit to impact these major challenges?

If God were to put me in this role, I believe in being honest and open with people about our unity and disunity, and helping bring our focus back to our mission. I will lead us to catch a vision for what we can cooperatively do together. It’s just too easy, in our autonomy, to turn away from each other. We must strive for unity. It will take all of us committed to this task. We truly are better together.

5) What would you say to those, particularly Black pastors, who are considering leaving the SBC because of discouragement over racial tensions?

I can certainly understand why some are exhausted. It can be very exhausting when you feel like people don’t grasp what you’re facing. It can be crushing when others appear not to care. My years of experience in diversified relationships in my own community has brought these realities into light for me. Listening and learning has changed my heart, and the heart of so many other Southern Baptists, pastors and leaders. For those who are wondering, “Why should we stay?” I want us to envision a better future together for the gospel to the nations. We need all hands on deck for this great heroic battle against darkness. We cannot spare one soul that God has called for this fight. This convention needs all people to reach all people. The fastest-growing demographic in our SBC family is among our brothers and sisters of color, and I celebrate that. It will be exciting to see more of these men and women on our committee appointments and taking leadership roles in the SBC.

In my local racial reconciliation experience we have discovered how many ways we are alike and how many ways we are different. We’ve learned to give honor to one another. We’re seeing God heal wounds and strengthen fellowship and relationships among Black and white pastors as well as civic leaders. The gospel has been the center of the whole thing.

6) Why should any pastor or church remain with the SBC, or join it – what is good and strong about our convention right now?

I don’t think I could answer any better than my friend Fred Luter when he was asked this question recently. He said, “I don’t remain in the SBC because we’re good at racial reconciliation, because we’re not.” He said, “I choose to stay in and work through those issues because this convention is the best at training evangelists, planting churches and sending missionaries.” I would add that, while I agree with Fred, we have to do better at reconciliation. We have serious work to do together. We need more people joining the dialogue, more people reaching across lines. We need to humble ourselves and develop deeper relationships with each other. Jesus said, ‘By this they will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another.” We need visible expressions of that. It needs to be a reality, not something we do because it’s politically correct or trending. It’s something we do because the Scripture commands us to do it. We glorify Jesus when we do this together.

“Product of CP” leads Mabank church to health

MABANK—When Southern Baptists tithe, the emphasis usually is on what they can give to support ministries throughout the world, but sometimes it’s worth considering what churches receive from the Cooperative Program.

At Grace Community Church in Mabank, pastor Michael Cooper explained one way CP dollars that went out from his church circled back to benefit the congregation.

“I would say that I am a product of CP, so in a sense I owe a debt to those who have given,” Cooper, a two-time graduate of Criswell College and a student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, told the TEXAN.

CP dollars support Criswell and Southwestern, among other entities. These schools educate leaders like Cooper who was only 24 when Grace called him in 2013. Then the 13-year-old church had members with an average age of 70 and attendance of around 30.

“The group just loved the Lord. They were older saints, but they had a desire to grow spiritually and reach the community,” Cooper said.

The Cedar Creek Lake area southeast of Dallas has hundreds of churches of various sizes, Cooper said, but finding a church that prioritizes the gospel is not easy. Some people have come to Grace Community after having bad experiences at other churches, he added.

“One of the things we’ve really tried to do here at Grace is to cultivate a focus on gospel community both within the church and outside the four walls,” Cooper said.

Grace Community has three core values to guide their focus: Christ-exalting simplicity, biblically-faithful worship and family-oriented community. In his first few years at the church, Cooper led the congregation to a healthier culture primarily through preaching and small group discipleship, he said.

Church attendance reached 140 before COVID hit, the pastor said, and since then it has backed down to around 100. As the church gained some health, more people were saved and baptized, Cooper said, and last fall, despite the pandemic, the church paid off its debt. Now they’re in a good position to build a new sanctuary for the years ahead.

“I’m convinced we’re at the precipice of really seeing good gospel growth and gospel transformation within our church but also within our community,” he noted.

Within the next two years, experts predict Mabank will see a population increase of 1,500 people, Cooper said. “For us as a little rural town, that’s big time.”

Most of that growth is headed toward Grace Community.

“There are about 300 homes that are being built less than 500 yards away from our church,” Cooper said. “We already have plans in place to make sure we knock on every single one of those doors so that every person in that home receives a personal invitation to church and a personal invitation to come to Christ.”

At Grace Community, the pastor envisions a funneling discipleship process where people start by attending a worship service and then go deeper by branching off into small groups. Beyond Sunday School and Wednesday nights, people can join Ladies of Grace or Men of Grace Bible studies offered on weekdays.

The Ladies of Grace and Men of Grace ministries identify and cultivate gifts and train leaders for service, Cooper said. “For us, that is one of the identifying marks of discipleship, when our leaders are training up new leaders for various ministries.”

Grace Community forwards 7 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program and gives another 5 percent to its local Baptist association.

“If a normative size church like Grace Community Church can impact darkness all around the world through the Cooperative Program, then I’m going to support that,” Cooper said.

“I’m thankful that our convention forwards 55 percent on to the Southern Baptist Convention. That’s one of the dominant reasons I love being a Southern Baptists of Texas Convention pastor—we believe in CP,” he said.

When Grace Community called Cooper as pastor, he remembers the search committee telling him they didn’t want to hire a pastor just to benefit from him; they wanted to be a blessing to that pastor.

“I can say from that time to now, being 32, nearly eight years of pastoring a single church, I would not trade any of it for anything,” Cooper said, adding that he has done a lot of funerals of saints who laid the groundwork for the fruit that is visible now.

The vision of Grace Community is not just something the congregation made up, he said.

“It goes back to Jesus—to be a blessing to our community, to be a blessing to the nations, to see people come to know him, to be baptized, to be taught. It ultimately goes back to the Great Commission. We’re called to something bigger than ourselves.”

The longest year: 6 ways to stay resilient

It was a challenging year. An unprecedented year. A year of loss, isolation, uncertainty, but also discovery.

Twelve-plus months of disruption: a global pandemic, a heated national election and just when things seemed to be looking up, a February deep freeze and snowstorm that put Texas on an icy pause. The one constant in times like this is that God is always with us … ALL of us, not just pastors.

That’s why the TEXAN asked some everyday people to relate their experiences coping with the past year. These Christ-followers are husbands/wives, parents, business owners and friends—you know, people like those who used to sit next to you at church before services were streamed. They shared their tips for reliance in the hopes that their advice might help you, too.

Bridget Jones and her husband, Jonathan, opened a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in her hometown of Brownwood, Texas, in November 2020. Mark McNeill, of nearby Bangs, is a corporate executive who has a financial responsibility ministry at his church. Amanda Jouett is a mom, wife and attorney in College Station.

Read on for ways to maintain hope and optimism under the unique circumstances of the “longest year.”

Bridget Jones – business owner, mom, wife
Coggin Avenue Baptist Church, Brownwood

Think outside the box

Moving your family and opening a new restaurant in the middle of a pandemic is no picnic. Nothing has gone as I planned it, but God was there guiding me the whole time. He brought godly people to speak truth when I panicked and thought the world was falling apart. I learned to think outside of the box, because let’s face it: there’s no more box.

For example:

Since the restaurant couldn’t have a traditional “grand opening” where we give out 100 gift cards, we decided to honor local teachers and school district personnel, choosing 100 at random to receive free Chick-Fil-A for a year. This time last year they were in the midst of trying to figure out how to help their students feel secure and not forgotten, let alone teaching classes online.
When the big snow and frigid temperatures came in February, not everyone had electricity to make food. The restaurant had electricity, so our employees made sandwiches to give away. This served two purposes: 1) it allowed employees to get hours and not suffer financially and 2) it helped out our community.
With everyone home literally all of the time now, it’s hard to find alone time. That’s important in my family. It’s when we rejuvenate. Sometimes I was so desperate for alone time with God that we’d drive two cars to the restaurant or to church—my husband and the kids in one car and me in the other, spilling my guts in prayer.
Social distancing and masks can make it hard to feel connected to people, especially when every employee is new. I’ve never seen our team members without masks. It’s a barrier and I hate it! With COVID, most bonding opportunities were taken away. I had to become more purposeful in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships. I used my purse as a visual cue for team leaders to not interrupt with “business.” If it was on my shoulder, I was left alone to talk to employees or customers. Once I set the purse down, we were back to business.

This first year of business wasn’t what I imagined but I learned God loves working “outside of that box” … if you just let him.

Amanda Jouett – wife, mom, homeschooler, criminal defense attorney
Central Baptist Church, College Station

Respect others with Jesus’ love

This last year has been filled with a lot—the pandemic, an election, snow and freezing temperatures, and we even opened a dental practice for my husband. It has been difficult to navigate family situations and relationships with friends who disagree with our take on things.

At one point, I remember feeling angry at one of my friends who was on the opposite side of a debate. I realized that we are all coming from a different background and live in different situations, so our areas of focus and what’s important to us differ. We ended up setting boundaries on what we discussed and remained close friends.

This year has given me the opportunity to talk to my kids about putting others above themselves and doing things that are uncomfortable in order to show Jesus’ love to others. It’s easy in our minds to think that those who don’t agree with us are misinformed or acting out of fear, but that may not be the case at all. We never know what’s going on in the lives of others or what motivates their decisions. Regardless of where someone stands on an issue, he or she is a person who is loved by God.

Remember God provides, we don’t

As the wife of a small business owner, I was once again reminded that it is God who provides, not my husband or his business. We opened a brand-new dental practice in January 2020, then COVID hit. We know God’s timing was perfect, but it made no sense to us why God would allow the office to shut down so soon after it opened and there was so much overhead to pay.

Despite the practice being closed for a month, no one was laid off on the team. It came to a point when we knew that the last check we wrote would bring the bank account down to zero. Our application for the PPP loan came through right before the very last check was written! It seems God always waits until the last minute to increase our faith. When we reopened, we made up for the month we were closed. That can only be attributed to God.

Mark McNeill – CPA, financial security consultant, husband, father
Coggin Avenue Baptist Church, Brownwood

Set up an emergency fund

People in the last year have wanted to talk more about money and how to manage it than in the past. I feel that money is there for the glory of God, so the first thing I tell anyone is that an emergency fund is critical. It is the cornerstone of your financial stronghold. Those who had it called to say “thank you” for the advice.

Start out with an automatic deposit for every payday to accumulate $1,000 and let it keep growing to three months of living expenses. A good way to jumpstart it is with your tax refund. Such a fund will turn an emergency into an inconvenience.

Recognize debt is servitude

During 2020, most people weren’t worried about being able to put food on the table. They were worried about not being able to pay their debts. Proverbs 22:7 gives us good advice: the borrower becomes “the lender’s slave.” This means, don’t live beyond your means.

We all know credit card debt is dumb. Just don’t go there. Don’t get a mortgage more than 2.5 times your annual income or car loans totaling more than three months of your income.

Make an aggressive plan to pay off your debt by a certain date and put that plan into action.

Give to those in need

We must be prepared to bond together when another “once in a lifetime” event comes around again … and it will! God tells us to “behold a brother in need” (1 John 3:17), so prepare for that. Set up another account for future charity and put money in the account monthly. God will make opportunities available to you.

It’s amazing to see people faithfully helping others in need. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this blessing.

–Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.