Author: amadmin

A church is more than just a crowd

First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (I Timothy 2: 1-2)

What do they teach in schools these days? Actually, what did they teach 20-30 years ago when many of our elected leaders were in college? Among the many things that had the paint scraped off them by 2020 is respect for the free exercise of religion. I’m talking about several states and cities led by those who see churches as unruly crowds, singing and hugging one another. In one egregious case, the mayor of Washington D.C. said that Capitol Hill Baptist Church could not enjoy the same rights to gather, carefully and outside, as various protests and marches held in D.C. A federal court has recently overturned the mayor’s order but it’s troubling that a court had to do so. Protests and marches are covered under the First Amendment of the constitution. But if you read the whole thing, so is the right to exercise your religion without undue government restrictions. Similar disputes have arisen in Virginian, Michigan and California. 

The most common answer to this misunderstanding is to say that churches are vital community resources. Why do people routinely show up at a church when they run out of gas, food, money, etc.? It’s normal and expected that churches look for ways to encourage the common good through the school systems, law enforcement, emergency services, voter drives, food distribution and disaster relief. Many thousands in our own state have been the recipients this year of basic benevolence from the hands of church volunteers. 

In that same vein, churches are facilitators of stability and order in communities. Church people are law-abiding and outwardly focused for the most part. And when we are not, sister churches and denominational leadership encourage greater energy toward helping those outside the church fellowship. 

But it is important, and missed by those who consider churches non-essential, to realize that people are not just needy physiques. Feeding a person is a good work but it is an insufficient work for those who profess to believe that God is a spirit and that we are made in his image. We are immortal, living, souls. 

Many people who don’t believe God suspect that I might be right about this. It is, for example, rare to have someone decline an offer to pray for them. Put them in a hospital bed, prepping for surgery, and even fewer will decline your offer to pray.

A church therefore provides something that no community benevolence is able to provide—soul care. Our generation-long experiment with pretending this is not true has been disastrous for families and for the mental health of individuals.  

Most Americans are sympathetic to the work of churches either as benevolence agencies or as a “just in case” refuge in the time of national crisis. “There’s the slightest chance that what devout religious people say is true,” they think tolerantly. At times when the activities of churches become troubling because of what they teach or what they will not do, or because they gather, sing and hug, in our current context, churches are evidently seen as less important than other First Amendment groups. 

In our nation as it is, and with our Bill of Rights as it is, this is an understandable misconception—and completely wrong. It becomes ominous when any magistrate gets this wrong. In most nations, even most democracies, the situation is different. In ours, the mysterious spiritual work of churches must not be hindered without a compelling reason, and then it must be hindered to the least degree necessary. 

It is not necessary for elected leaders or judges to understand the way a church works or even the most important things it does. Leaders who are believers understand it, and that’s a benefit, but no leader is granting us a right; they are, or should be, respecting a right clearly affirmed by the U.S. Constitution.

For our part, we must do the work of soul care—witnessing, discipleship, discipline, prayer, etc.—whether others find it acceptable or not. We must not be pressured into being only a benevolent organization whose agenda is drawn from news headlines. There are other groups and some vaguely theist denominations that will chase relevance in that way. 

Like Paul, we can use the rights granted by the laws of our country to facilitate the gospel ministry (Acts 22). But, like Peter and John, we must also do the work God has set before us—even when an authority says no (Acts 4).   

Feeling my way through a global pandemic

An African American spiritual, first published around the time of the Civil War, seems surprisingly relevant and contemporary for our times: 

“Nobody knows the 

trouble I’ve seen

Nobody knows the sorrow…

Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down

Oh, Lord

Sometimes I’m almost 

to the ground.”

Even for the most naturally optimistic among us, we may occasionally relate to feeling down and “almost to the ground.” That can be especially true during a global pandemic which, at this writing, hangs on tenaciously. 

We know what the pandemic has done to our church attendance. We have suffered through the economic impact. We have weathered the toll it took through this political season. The coronavirus has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, including how we feel. By the way, how do you feel? For many people, feeling our way through the pandemic has been rough.

Research from the CDC paints a picture of millions of Americans suffering from mental health challenges related to the coronavirus due to the lockdowns, job losses, and other factors associated with the pandemic. For example, during June of this year, 40 percent of U.S. adults were struggling with mental health or drug abuse with more than 10 percent seriously considering suicide.

Are the people of our churches at risk for mental health challenges during this difficult season? In a recent Baptist Press article, Ed Stetzer said churches are going to face “a real crisis coming very soon.” He suggests ministering to Christians with mental health issues, exacerbated by COVID-19, is as urgent as the ministries of financial management, caring for the physically ill and small groups. 

My training does not qualify me as an expert on mental health diagnosis or treatment, but as a pastor I can recommend at least three ways our churches can minister to people who find themselves struggling with anxiety, anger, discouragement, loneliness, fear, and other COVID-induced emotional reactions. 

Prayer and the Word

The Old Testament prophet recognized the relationship between our faith and mental health when he called out to God: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trust; in you” (Isa. 26:3). How can we help people keep their minds “stayed” on God? Obviously, Bible study plays a role in the spiritual growth of every believer; but the psalmist recognized a correlation between Scripture and emotional peace when he wrote: “Abundant peace belongs to those who love Your instruction; nothing can make them stumble” (Ps. 119:165). In addition to the reading of Scripture, prayer plays a part in keeping us emotionally healthy. Paul said: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). We can worry, or we can pray.  Prayer is better.

Professional counseling

At times, in addition to the spiritual disciplines, the mental health needs of our Christian brothers and sisters require the support of professionals. For those instances, we should readily suggest qualified counseling. Any church can help their people connect with the right Christian counseling in their area by contacting Tony Wolfe with the Church Health and Leadership Department of the SBTC (sbtexas.com).

Preach and teach

Finally, every church has a unique platform to help people struggling with every kind of real-life issue if the pastor will leverage the power of the pulpit. Preachers can preach a series on emotional well-being. We can invite Christian counselors to teach our congregations on the best mental health practices. We can focus attention on various resources available by posting information on our church websites, church newsletters and on social media platforms. Honestly, when we want to help people – we can find a way.

The coronavirus has disrupted and, in many ways, injured our lives. As we rebuild our ministries in the weeks and months ahead, we can help our people, many of whom may be suffering in silence, when we focus on emotionally healthy congregations. 

Louisiana hurricane survivor to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers: “This is not a coincidence. This is a God-given appointment”

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana—Pummeled first by the category 4 Hurricane Laura on Aug. 27, then inundated by torrential rains from Hurricane Delta only six weeks later, Louisiana endured a double hit prompting a multi-state response by Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers—including DR teams from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention—that is bearing fruit.  

DR crews serving in the Bayou State after Hurricane Laura paused work as Delta churned its way inland. Volunteers returned to the field Oct. 11, as a SBTC DR administrative team assumed responsibility from Louisiana Baptist DR for coordinating SBDR recovery efforts based at Philadelphia Baptist in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Volunteers from Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana reestablished operations in Alexandria, with additional teams from Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska and Texas’ Jacksonville College expected to rotate in, said Wally Leyerle, SBTC DR associate and incident leader. 

Leyerle told the TEXAN much of the work based in Alexandria is a continuation of Laura recovery efforts and expected to wrap up on Oct. 31.

A picture of ‘the big guy’

For volunteers like Tennessee’s Karen and Tommy Wilson, the deployment has brought unexpected blessings. The couple returned to Alexandria after serving two weeks there following Laura and spending a week at home in Martin, Tennessee, awaiting Delta.

Teaming with SBTC DR’s Brad Stover and Larry Mika on Oct. 15, the Wilsons paused from driving skid steers, operating chainsaws and dragging tree limbs to make the day of a little boy and his great uncle.

Karen Wilson noticed little Mykel, age six, shyly watching a DR crew at work in his neighborhood of small frame houses. She asked the man who appeared to be the boy’s father if the youngster would like to take a closer look at the chainsaws in action. Bryan Newman, Mykel’s great uncle, agreed as Karen approached.

“Bless his heart, the little boy took my hand and we walked over, hand in hand,” Karen said. She answered his questions about how chainsaws worked.

“What’s that stuff?” Mykel asked, spying sawdust, a novelty to him.

Karen explained and the team allowed Mykel to touch and smell a handful.

“Man, that smells so good,” the little boy exclaimed.

As the men on the crew paused their work to play baseball with Mykel using a pine cone and tree limb, Karen visited with Newman, who related the family history.

“I am raising him,” Newman said. “It’s just been really hard. He has so much energy.”

“God put on my heart: this is the guy,” Karen recalled. She remembered the packets of small amounts of cash and Bibles left her by a Louisiana DR volunteer who had asked her to distribute them to people in need.

“You walk into a situation and God just says this is where the need is,” said Karen, a retired physical therapist and veteran of several short-term missionary trips to Honduras. “After hearing Bryan’s story, I knew God was telling me they needed this.”

She went to her vehicle to retrieve and deliver the gift to the big man who stood speechless and then teared up.

“You don’t know how much this means,” Newman said in a voice choked with emotion. “This is not a coincidence. This is a God-given appointment.”

The fun was not over for Mykel as, with his great uncle’s permission, Tommy helped the boy climb up into the skid steer, placed a yellow DR cap on his head, and drove him around for several minutes, to Mykel’s delight.

“I want a picture with the big guy,” Mykel asked after the ride, indicating Tommy.

After selfies and photos, Karen explained about the “big guy” to Mykel.

“You called Tommy the ‘big guy,’ but there’s really another big guy and he is the reason we are here. That big guy is named Jesus. It’s because Jesus loves you and loves us and he allows us to love you,” Karen told the boy, transforming a DR break into a teachable, gospel moment.

“It was kind of a mini-VBS,” Karen said. “The look on his face was priceless.”

While Tommy, a semi-retired FedEx driver, had deployed often with Tennessee Baptist DR, the Louisiana deployment was only the third for Karen, who retired August 1.

She felt God leading her then to retire in August rather than waiting till December as planned. 

“I’m glad I did,” Karen said. “Now I am devoting my time to DR and grandkids.”

Ironically, she retired from a home health agency based in Lafayette, Louisiana, and had returned to that state to help.

“I love meeting the people and just listening,” Karen said, describing another episode from the Louisiana deployment when crews working at a home made sure to involve the male homeowner, who had dementia, in the process.

“I am so glad you are here,” the man’s wife said amid joyful tears, as she watched the volunteers carefully incorporate her husband into the day’s work. 

“Every appointment that we go to is a divine appointment…. Being able to clean things up is an added bonus,” Karen said. “I am so glad I can be here.” 

‘Baptist people like that’

For SBTC DR volunteer Hope Hext of Tyler, Texas, manning the phones in Alexandria has been daunting as the administrative team organized work orders interrupted in advance of Hurricane Delta.

“We have made hundreds of calls this week,” Hext said on Oct. 16.

After a few days fraught with computer glitches and multiple attempts to reach homeowners, Hext felt exhausted in the late afternoon of Oct. 15.

Then the phone rang once more. Hext took the call. Her spirit weary, she gave the usual greeting, offering help.

“Miss Hope, can I just tell you there were five men who came to my house and they worked nine hours,” the enthusiastic caller exclaimed, introducing herself as Chastity, a local barber and single mom with a four-year-old daughter.

Chastity praised the SBDR workers, who not only refused money and offers of food, but removed numerous downed trees from her yard about three weeks before.

Chastity explained that her neighbor had paid a private crew $1,300 to remove a single tree and marveled that the SBDR crew even refused her homemade gumbo since they had already eaten lunch.

Not only that, but the men gave Chastity a New King James Bible and recommended she start reading the Gospel of John.

Chastity told Hext she already had found a Baptist church and been saved and baptized. Now she wanted to help others.

“I want to be around Baptist people like [the SBDR team],” she said, asking, “Do y’all need help? Do y’all need free haircuts?”

Hext encouraged her to use her position in town to tell others about Jesus, starting with her clients and her daughter, who would now have access to truth. 

For nearly 45 minutes, Hext shared encouragement and Scripture with Chastity, including Psalm 119 and Romans 8:28. By the end of the conversation, both women were refreshed and the once-weary Hext knew they had enjoyed another God-given moment in disaster relief.

Boy Scouts bankruptcy could leave churches liable in future sex abuse claims

NASHVILLE—Churches who chartered or have ever hosted a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop should seek legal counsel now in case they are named in future sex abuse claims against the BSA, a Southern Baptist legal representative told Baptist Press.

The BSA filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and reorganization in February to establish a trust to pay sex abuse claims and to limit the BSA’s liability in such cases. As such, indemnification clauses would no longer apply, and liability could fall to churches associated with specific troops named in lawsuits, attorney James “Jaime” Jordan said.

“If a church five years from now gets sued by a former Boy Scout who was molested or claims to have been molested in that church’s troop, normally the church would turn to the Boy Scouts and say, ‘You guys said you would hold us harmless and insure us, so do that,’” Jordan said. “And the Boy Scouts will say, ‘Sorry, we went through a bankruptcy reorganization and we no longer have any responsibility to do that.’”

Churches can maintain their indemnification and gain access to the trust by filing a “placeholder” claim with the court by the Nov. 16 deadline, said Jordan, whose firm Guenther, Jordan & Price is outside general counsel to the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and the SBC.

“For people who don’t notify the court that they have a claim by the (deadline) of Nov. 16, there may not be any coverage,” he said. “The solution would be for churches to file a claim with the court saying, ‘We may in the future have a claim made against us by a Boy Scout, and so we’re raising our hand now, so we won’t be barred when that day comes.”

Jordan advises churches to seek individual legal counsel regarding how they should respond.

“I advise churches, if they have now or have ever had a Boy Scout troop, that they should contact legal counsel to see if they need to file a prospective claim before Nov. 16,” Jordan said., including churches that chartered or simply hosted a troop.

More information about the bankruptcy filing is available here with claims information available here.

IMB celebrates $159.5 million Lottie Moon Christmas Offering total, exceeds goal

The International Mission Board is reporting a 2019-20 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering total of $159.5 million, the second highest offering in history. This total exceeds by $4.5 million the 175-year-old organization’s budgeted goal of $155 million. IMB also received $97.2 million from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program for 2019-20.

“I’m thrilled to report that the Lottie offering is growing again,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood. “A growing Lottie offering means that more lost people, not fewer, will hear the gospel and be saved. A growing Lottie offering means that more hurting people, not fewer, will be helped and offered hope. A growing Lottie offering means more missionaries, not fewer, will go to the ends of the earth to carry the good news. Thank you, Southern Baptists, for growing the Lottie offering!”

The offering reflects the commitment of Southern Baptist churches to support international missionaries and reach every language, people, tribe and nation with the gospel. One hundred percent of gifts given to this offering are used for the support of missionaries. 

This year’s generous gift is all the more celebrated during a year in which many families worldwide experienced significant loss of income due to COVID-19. 

“Everything we thought COVID-19 would take away from us, God gave back—and more—through the Lottie Moon offering and the generosity of the Southern Baptist family,” said Price Jett, IMB vice president of finance, logistics, travel and technology. 

“God has blessed IMB the past year, just as he has for 175 years. I have to believe he has big plans in store for Southern Baptist missions,” Jett said.

Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director of national Woman’s Mission Union, also celebrated the faithfulness of churches and the way God led people to give sacrificially.

“The sacrificial gifts offered by faithful Southern Baptists this giving cycle are substantial enough to tip the scales of eternity in favor of the Kingdom,” Wisdom-Martin said. “Names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life as a result of what was stewarded well. What a privilege to join God in his redemptive work in the world.”

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports more than 3,500 full-time missionaries and their families. These personnel live among the lost in order to reach the nations with the gospel. 

IMB President Paul Chitwood spoke to trustees in the meeting of the board on September 30 about the multitudes who remain unreached. 

“As an organization representing Southern Baptists and their calling before God to share Christ among the nations,” Chitwood said, “we have felt a great responsibility during this pandemic to care for the gifts they so graciously entrusted us. To Southern Baptists, again, I want to say, thank you for allowing us to serve you in carrying out the Great Commission in partnership with you and your church. Much remains to be accomplished, but together, under the power of Christ, we can continue to welcome the multitudes before his throne (Rev 7:9).”

This year’s Lottie Moon and Week of Prayer stories emphasize God’s goodness of provision, but also the vast needs that remain. From a children’s shelter in Kenya, to fish farm in Peru, to a radio ministry in Europe and a clinic in Thailand, God is at work but also revealing the significant need of the nations to turn to Him. 

Charlie and Shannon Worthy build strong partnerships with believers in Italy to advance the gospel. They understand that working alongside local believers to plant churches and disciple believers will produce fruit long past their time there as missionaries. And the support they receive from Southern Baptists makes all the difference.

“The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is critical to what we do,” said Charlie. “We are grateful for Southern Baptists, and we are grateful and honored to be Southern Baptists.”

Chitwood urges churches to remain committed to the task, even as take time to celebrate his generous provision. 

“Please join us as we step into a new fiscal year, trusting God and calling upon you to be generous in your praying, sending, going, and your increased giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. There is no greater work than the one we share in proclaiming Christ to people groups who have never heard of his great name!”

Reaching the next generations requires love, pastor says

MALAKOFF  First Baptist Church in Malakoff is navigating a challenge common to many Southern Baptist congregations today—maintaining the strength of a faithful congregation despite the inevitable deaths of its oldest saints. 

Jody Jones, the church’s pastor, said First Baptist Malakoff, a congregation approaching 140 years of existence, has “a great history” but is focused now on growing new leaders who exhibit the commitment of previous generations in a way that is relevant to the present time.

“I think we’ve gotten so comfortable with the older generation and their consistency, their support and their encouragement that we sometimes fail to carry on the legacy that they taught us,” Jones told the TEXAN.

In the seven years Jones has been the church’s pastor, First Baptist Malakoff has hosted at least 130 funerals, he said. Not all of those funerals were for church members, but it illustrates the significant number of empty seats left as the natural course of life unfolds.

God has “brought a lot of new people” to keep the congregation moving forward, Jones said, adding that many are from the Boomer generation who find nearby Cedar Creek Lake appealing for retirement. Most of them are coming from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, he said, and they “bring a lot of new life into the church.”

First Baptist Malakoff also is seeing people begin walking with Jesus. “We’ve done, I think, a little over 140 baptisms in the seven years we’ve been here,” Jones said, adding they have 10 more lined up.

“People’s lives have been changed. That’s exciting for a small town of 2,300 people where you see that many people come to know the Lord,” Jones said. The number is a good mix of children, students and adults, he said. “It is great for our church to know that we’ve had that kind of an impact in this community.”

The older generation “left a great model for us because they were so loving, and I think the generations following them, including mine, have a lot to learn from them. I think love is the key as we move forward,” Jones said.

As churches struggle to reach new generations, “it comes down to loving them right where they are and listening to them,” the pastor said. Part of that happens at First Baptist Malakoff when the older women disciple the younger women and older men disciple younger men.

Churches run the risk of being seen in the community as pretentious, Jones said, so he urges people to do all they can to counter that impression. In practical terms, that might mean “being real with them, talking to them at the gas pump, talking to them at the pharmacy and the grocery store, making those connections.”

The Cooperative Program is a thread that runs throughout the church’s history and remains strong today, bridging the generations.

“We’re trying to focus on being kingdom-minded and not so much FBC Malakoff-minded because we know the kingdom is much bigger than our church,” Jones said.

CP giving “is just something we do,” Jones said, comparing it to a believer tithing in order to be obedient to God’s command. “Our church has that same mindset for supporting the Cooperative Program. We do it because we know we’re being obedient to the Lord.”

The church is encouraged by work that’s being done through the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, Jones said. They also appreciate the resources that come with being a part of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. In fact, First Baptist Malakoff was instrumental in the SBTC’s founding.

“We have been blessed and have used those resources quite often. … I know for cooperating and fellowshipping and getting together with other churches and ministers, it’s great to have that like-mindedness,” he said.

In recent years, members of First Baptist Malakoff have traveled to India, Costa Rica and Guatemala to serve in Christ’s name. Early in the global pandemic, they heard of some specific needs in India where people were without food, and they were able to send money that was freed up when activities were canceled at the church because of the virus. 

“We were able to send some of those funds to two different parts of India to help with feeding families and getting the gospel to those families,” Jones said.

Years ago, the church started a food pantry and clothing ministry in Malakoff called Faith in Action Outreach, which now operates independently but still draws volunteers from the church. 

The church also assists in disaster relief work when needs arise.

“For such a small community, I would say our church has had an amazing impact not only locally but around the world,” Jones said. “We’re looking forward to the years ahead.”  

Llegar a las próximas generaciones requiere amor, dice el pastor

MALAKOFF  First Baptist Church in Malakoff is navigating a challenge common to many Southern Baptist congregations today—maintaining the strength of a faithful congregation despite the inevitable deaths of its oldest saints. 

La Primera Iglesia Bautista (PIB) de Malakoff está afrontando un desafío común a muchas congregaciones Bautistas del Sur hoy en día: mantener la fuerza de una congregación fiel, a pesar de la inevitable muerte de sus santos más antiguos.

Jody Jones, el pastor de la PIB de Malakoff, una congregación que se acerca a los 140 años de existencia, dijo que la iglesia tiene “una gran historia”, pero ahora está enfocada en el crecimiento de nuevos líderes que exhiban el compromiso de las generaciones anteriores de una manera que sea relevante para este tiempo.

“Creo que nos hemos sentido tan cómodos con la generación mayor y su consistencia, su apoyo y su ánimo, que a veces fallamos en continuar con el legado que nos enseñaron”, dijo Jones al TEXAN.

En los siete años que Jones ha sido el pastor de la iglesia, la PIB de Malakoff ha organizado al menos 130 funerales, dijo. No todos esos funerales fueron para miembros de la iglesia, pero ilustra la cantidad significativa de asientos vacíos que quedan a medida que se desarrolla el curso natural de la vida.

Dios ha “traído a mucha gente nueva” para que la congregación siga avanzando, dijo Jones, y agregó que muchos son de la generación Boomer y que se encuentran cerca del Lago Cedar Creek en miras a la jubilación. La mayoría de ellos vienen del Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, dijo, y “traen mucha vida a la iglesia”.

La PIB de Malakoff también está viendo a la gente comenzar a caminar con Jesús. “Hemos realizado, creo, un poco más de 140 bautismos en los siete años que hemos estado aquí”, dijo Jones, y agregó que tienen 10 más en fila.

“La vida de las personas ha cambiado. Es emocionante para una pequeña ciudad de 2,300 personas, ver que muchas personas han llegado a conocer al Señor”, dijo Jones. El número consiste en una buena combinación de niños, estudiantes y adultos, dijo. “Es grandioso para nuestra iglesia saber que hemos tenido ese tipo de impacto en esta comunidad”.

La generación mayor “nos dejó un gran modelo, porque eran muy cariñosos, y creo que las generaciones que les siguen, incluida la mía, tienen mucho que aprender de ellos. Creo que el amor es la clave a medida que avanzamos”, dijo Jones.

A medida que las iglesias luchan por llegar a las nuevas generaciones, “todo se reduce en amarlos justo donde están y escucharlos”, dijo el pastor. Parte de eso, sucede en la PIB de Malakoff cuando las mujeres mayores discipulan a las mujeres más jóvenes y los hombres mayores discipulan a los hombres más jóvenes.

Las iglesias corren el riesgo de ser vistas en la comunidad como pretenciosas, dijo Jones, por lo que insta a las personas a hacer todo lo posible para contrarrestar esa impresión. En términos prácticos, eso podría significar “ser sinceros con ellos, hablar con ellos en la gasolinera, hablar con ellos en la farmacia y la tienda de comestibles, hacer esas conexiones”.

El Programa Cooperativo es un hilo conductor a lo largo de la historia de la iglesia y sigue siendo fuerte hoy, uniendo generaciones.

“Estamos tratando de enfocarnos en tener una mentalidad de Reino y no tanto en nosotros mismos como PIB de Malakoff, porque sabemos que el reino es mucho más grande que nuestra iglesia”, dijo Jones.

Contribuir al Programa Cooperativo “es simplemente algo que hacemos”, dijo Jones, comparándolo con el diezmo de un creyente que está siendo obediente al mandato de Dios. “Nuestra iglesia tiene la misma mentalidad para apoyar el Programa Cooperativo. Lo hacemos porque sabemos que estamos siendo obedientes al Señor”.

La iglesia se siente alentada por el trabajo que se está realizando a través de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales y la Junta de Misiones Norteamericana, dijo Jones. También aprecian los recursos que obtienen al ser parte de la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas. De hecho, la PIB de Malakoff fue fundamental en la fundación de la SBTC.

“Hemos sido bendecidos y hemos utilizado esos recursos con bastante frecuencia… al cooperar, tener compañerismo y reunirme con otras iglesias y ministros, he podido apreciar lo genial que es que todos tengamos una mentalidad similar “, dijo.

En años recientes, miembros de la PIB de Malakoff, han viajado a la India, Costa Rica y Guatemala para servir en el nombre de Cristo. Al principio de la pandemia mundial, se enteraron de algunas necesidades específicas en la India, donde la gente no tenía comida, y pudieron enviar dinero que se liberó cuando se cancelaron las actividades en la iglesia debido al virus.

“Pudimos enviar algunos de esos fondos a dos partes diferentes de la India para ayudar a alimentar a las familias y llevar el evangelio a esas familias”, dijo Jones.

Hace años, la iglesia comenzó una despensa de alimentos y un ministerio para proveer ropa en Malakoff llamado Faith in Action Outreach (Fe en Acción) que ahora opera de manera independiente, pero aún cuenta con voluntarios de nuestra iglesia.

La iglesia también ayuda en el ministerio de Alivio en Desastres cuando surgen necesidades.

“Para una comunidad tan pequeña, diría que nuestra iglesia ha tenido un impacto asombroso no sólo a nivel local, sino también en todo el mundo. … Esperamos ver más en los años venideros”, dijo Jones.  

God’s “economy” transforms giving in Wild Peach church

Mark Brumbelow peered over at his wife, Cherry, riding in the passenger seat, and uttered a simple promise. Grace Baptist Church, located in the unincorporated community of Wild Peach, a place easily missed if one blinks while driving through coastal Brazoria County, 60 miles southwest of Houston, had a history of unlikely blessings. What Cherry had burning in her heart could have been called unlikely. For a 23-member church, it was certainly ambitious. Really, it was just plain audacious.

“I’ll pray about it,” he told her. 

Mark, pastor of Grace Baptist since 2007 and a deacon there before God wrestled him into pastoral ministry like two of his brothers and his father before him, certainly knew God’s faithfulness to his flock. He had lived through it. But he could also count. 

That week in December 2013, Mark and Cherry and their youngest son, Jeremiah, had spent three days in Dallas at a new processing center for Operation Christmas Child, the annual Samaritan’s Purse ministry that Grace Baptist had participated in for 10 consecutive years. 

Cherry says she had long considered the “shoebox” gifts that churches around the world pack and OCC delivers to be a first-rate global outreach to needy children. But she left Dallas that week with a heightened sense of mission: Operation Christmas Child, above all else, is a global evangelism endeavor—an instrument God uses by way of crayons, toothbrushes and toys—to lead thousands of children and their families to saving faith in Jesus Christ each year. 

On the long drive back to Wild Peach, Cherry spilled what was welling up in her heart.

“I believe God wants us to pack 500 shoeboxes this year.”

Mark admits he was moved by the visit to the Operation Christmas Child processing center, but those 23 church members had stretched a little that year to pack those 43 shoeboxes, then pay the suggested donation per shoebox to cover shipping.

“I was proud of those 43 shoeboxes, and I’m still proud of those 43 because each one represents a soul that Jesus died for,” Mark says. “But I told Cherry, ‘You know, I believe we could pack 500 shoeboxes, but I believe it would come at the expense of our other missions causes. I believe it would hurt our Lottie Moon Offering. I believe it would hurt our Cooperative Program giving, what we give to our local pregnancy center—all these other ministries.’”

Yet Mark had promised to pray about it. 

Not long after that, he was preaching from 2 Kings 4 on the story of the widow whose sons were being threatened with enslavement because she couldn’t pay her late husband’s debts. In the passage, the prophet Elisha, having been told the woman’s only asset was a small jar of olive oil, tells her to visit all of the neighbors and to gather empty jars.

After gathering her many jars, the woman begins pouring oil into them, and the oil lasts until the last jar is filled. Elisha then instructs her to sell the oil and live off the proceeds.

“It was that widow’s responsibility to gather empty containers,” Mark says, “but it was God’s responsibility to fill them. God spoke to us just as clear as could be that night. I sensed the Lord asking, ‘Can you get 500 empty shoeboxes?’ 

“‘God, we can and we will.’ And he said, ‘You get ’em and you just watch what I do.’

“I announced to our people that we felt like God was definitely leading us to pack 500 shoeboxes the following year. They looked at me like I’d lost my mind—like a calf staring at a new gate. … But they love their preacher and they want to follow, and I praise God for that. They said, ‘Well, we don’t know about that, but we’ll try.’” 

That year, 2014, was transformational at Grace Baptist Church.

Little answers to prayer began to mount exponential results. Church members took the challenge heartily. And some members in the church discovered the economic value of couponing. 

“There were times the store was paying us to carry out toothbrushes or combs,” Cherry recalls.

The final tally was 532 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes that year—and God provided the funds to cover the shipping costs.   

Mark’s greatest fear had been that the church’s shoebox giving would come at the expense of other missions. Not only did that not happen, but giving to every ministry outside the church—including the Gulf Coast Baptist Association; the Cooperative Program missions through the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention; the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for global missions; giving to a local pregnancy center; and the port ministry in Freeport—all increased.

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, one of several the church takes up for special mission emphases in addition to budgeted giving, doubled in 2014. Total missions giving has steadily increased every year since. And it’s been common in recent years for around 20 percent of Grace’s members to spend a week working with Volunteer Christian Builders, a group that helped raised Grace’s building back in 2003.

“The change in our people from 2013 to the end of 2014, I wouldn’t take anything in the world for it,” Mark says. “We saw God move in ways that literally changed our lives. … It showed us, go to God when you have something big; don’t be afraid to step up in faith when it doesn’t make sense.”

The goal for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that year, usually a specific amount, was instead a concept: Obedience. The word was written in marker ink on the line where the goal is listed on the promotional posters that line the walls of many Southern Baptist church hallways. The people gave sacrificially from what they had, and God provided the increase, Mark says.

“God whittled me down to size that year,” he recalls. “He showed us that he was big enough to bless this ministry—and this one and this one and this one.”

The church has also grown numerically, more than doubling to 52 members. All the while, Mark has pastored the flock while also keeping a small taxidermy business afloat.

The boldness to keep boosting its Operation Christmas Child giving has grown too, in proportions the members of Grace Baptist would never have imagined.

In 2015, the church set a goal of 2,000 shoeboxes. They packed 2,172, shipping included. Storage became a challenge that year, and someone donated a 40-foot storage container, which the church insulated and air conditioned to keep things like crayons from melting during the Texas summers. 

In 2016, they surpassed their goal of 5,000 shoeboxes. In 2018, one year after Hurricane Harvey destroyed or damaged the homes of seven church members, Grace Baptist was able to pack and ship more than 10,000 shoeboxes. This year, they are aiming for 12,500. The shipping will be $108,000, Cherry says, but God has always provided—from the sacrifices of church members to people outside the church who have heard what they are doing and have wanted to help.

“What we’ve learned when you’re dealing with impossible numbers is that numbers really don’t matter because without God you can’t do it, and with God you can’t fail,” Mark says. “So the only number that matters is the number God gives you.”

Mark says he is personally motivated by a belief that Jesus is coming back soon. He says he seeks no glory for Grace Baptist but only for the Lord who has allowed them to “be in on it.” 

“We don’t know how long we’ve got. We don’t know how many more days we have to serve him, so let’s make it count and live our lives in such a way that when he comes back, he’ll find us real busy doing the right stuff.

“Whether it’s packing shoeboxes or whether it’s the Cooperative Program or it’s Lottie Moon, lay logic aside and just pray and ask the Lord what he wants you to do. If you hear something that scares you half to death, then make sure it’s him telling you. But when you are sure, then be fearless.”  

87th Texas Legislative Session Preview

The Texas Legislature does not convene until Jan. 12, 2021. But in September lawmakers and public policy advisers got a head start on discussing the issues legislators should address during a forum hosted by Texas Values, a conservative public policy advocacy organization. Speakers discussed recurring issues of concern to Christians, like education and human dignity. But new conflicts have arisen at the confluence of constitutional liberties and the government’s authority during a global pandemic.

“I think the lesson we have learned is, if we don’t have specific legislation that makes it clear what the limitations of local government are, some of these local officials are unwilling to be held accountable,” said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values.

Government overreach

“It’s gone too far,” he said. “[Churches] feel like they were duped. I think you’ll find some churches that will never close their doors again.”

Texas churches initially extended grace and agreed to comply with government shut-down orders Saenz said. But the sometimes-contradictory mandates issued by state, county and municipal governments became a source of confusion and consternation for many Texans.

Even federal attempts at financial assistance for businesses that were forced to shut down were initially problematic. Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen was prepared to challenge the Small Business Administration’s exclusion of churches from the Paycheck Protection Program. The loan program offered forgivable loans to businesses that kept employees on the payroll during the government ordered shut-downs.

“Cottonwood Creek was at the ready to help churches across the country by being a party to a lawsuit against the federal government regarding SBA regulations that would have disqualified religious institutions from participating in PPP loans,” said Scott Sanford, a Cottonwood Creek pastor and Texas Representative. “The Trump administration was able to fix the issue regulatorily prior to the need to file a lawsuit.”

The U.S. and Texas constitutions prohibit government restrictions on the exercise of religion, but government authorities either ignored or were ignorant of those rights when they issued contravening mandates in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Saenz said.

By late September, churches across the nation were either defying, acquiescing to or suing governing entities over restrictions on church attendance and in-person schooling.

In Washington D.C., Capitol Hill Baptist Church, an SBC congregation, filed a lawsuit against D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District of Columbia for declining the church’s application to meet outside for worship services. Bowser’s executive order prohibits churches from meeting in their buildings and limits outside worship services to less than 100 people. CHBC has 850 members.

In the lawsuit filed September 22, CHBC claims Bowser’s prohibition violates First Amendment rights of speech, religious exercise and assembly. It also claims Bowser violated her own executive order by permitting and attending mass protests in the District.

According to the lawsuit, when asked about the discrepancy, Bowser said, “‘First Amendment protests and large gatherings are not the same’ [because] ‘in the United States of America, people can protest.’”

The church responded, “In the United States of American, people can gather for worship under the First Amendment as well.”

During the pandemic Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and First Liberty, a Plano law firm that defends religious liberty, have issued letters warning governing entities against issuing orders that go beyond their authority. For example, on September 4, Paxton warned Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino and the county’s health authority against applying an order prohibiting in-person instruction at religious schools. Paxton said the order violates the Texas Constitution and the Religious Liberty and Restoration Act.

Similar actions by the Attorney General and attorneys at First Liberty have resolved some constitutional conflicts, but Saenz believes the Texas legislature must pass laws that limit the authority of local governments during a crisis or else the problem will persist.

“I do think that continued education about the proper role of government and their limitations is helpful. [But] we’ve been left no choice. The only way to make sure that local government does not violate the rights of churches and businesses and individuals like they’ve been doing this year is to have specific laws that say they cannot,” said Saenz.

Education

The Texas Values forum carved out two sessions for presentations about sex education. The discussions highlighted battles over “hypersexualized” sex education curriculum being introduced at the state and local level. State Sen. Angela Paxton, R- McKinney, said parents have a responsibility to educate themselves on the sex education programs taught in their school districts.

Paxton successfully sponsored a bill in 2019 that requires more transparency in the development of sex education curriculum. Still, she admonished parents to remain vigilant because school districts continue to develop curriculum without community input or even parental knowledge.

Recent successful efforts by pro-active communities and the State Board of Education at thwarting the incorporation of graphic sex education curriculum into local school districts and in textbooks should prove an encouragement to others Saenz said.

Texas lawmakers could also address another ideological battle taking place on public school and university campuses that is shutting out female athletes from competitions.

The Fair Play Act (see sidebar) would require student athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their biological sex, not their gender identity. Texas Rep. Valoree Swanson, R – Spring, and Matt Sharp, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, discussed the need for such legislation.

Reading from Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act passed in March, Swanson enumerated the physiological advantages male athletes have over women. The law cited a Duke University study: “The biological differences between females and males, especially as it relates to natural levels of testosterone, ‘explain the male and female secondary sex characteristics which develop during puberty and have life-long effects, including those most important for success in sport: categorically different strength, speed, and endurance.’”

“It’s truly a fairness factor,” Swanson told the forum audience.

Lawmakers could also address school closures forced by local coronavirus mitigation guidelines. Legislators must try to reconcile the school district concerns with the transmissibility of the disease among young people and the advantages of in-person education said Saenz.

Getting a Hearing

What bills eventually receive a hearing in the Texas House of Representatives will largely depend on the new Speaker of the House. The Speaker holds sway over what legislation makes it to the floor for a debate and vote.

Rep. Matt Schaefer, R – Tyler, would not speculate about who that might be but said if the Republicans maintain a strong majority after the Nov. 3 elections, he hopes they can appoint a “center right” Speaker who is pro-life and supports Second Amendment liberties and small government.

“Law makers are sensitive to the demands of the people who elect them. If a greater number of Christians will communicate with their State Representatives and Senators, they will get the message,” Schaefer told the TEXAN. “Far too many Christians ignore politics, but then complain about political decisions that are hostile to Christian values. Far too many pastors cannot even name their state representative, much less know them personally. I can tell you that anytime a pastor calls me it has my full attention because I know he represents the thoughts of a lot of people. Talk to your elected officials. It matters.”

As of late September, Texas lawmakers had not decided whether the 87th Session will be conducted in-person or remotely. Or, if in-person, whether constituents would be allowed in the Capitol building.

“I firmly believe that we have to have a legislative session that is no different than how we’ve operated before,” Saenz said. “Denying people the ability to appear in person in hearings will be extremely damaging to the legislative process. It will leave the public feeling shut out.”