Author: Jayson Larson

EMPOWER ’22: Asian congregations urged to pray fervently

CARROLLTON—Fifteen ethnic groups were represented at the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s Asian Evangelism Conference held Feb. 27 at Semihan Baptist Church.

SBTC Executive Director Dr. Nathan Lorick served as keynote speaker of the conference, which was organized by Dr. Hyoung Min Kim, a longtime SBTC leader and pastor of Saebit Baptist Church in Euless.

The event started with a dinner, and Pastor Jacob Vo of Sachse Vietnamese Baptist Church opened the session with prayer. The Asian pastors introduced themselves one by one and briefly shared what God is doing in their ministries. Some of the pastors were accompanied by their church members who came to celebrate together as followers of Christ.

Lorick preached about “The Power of God and the Prayers of his People.”

“The greatest tool in a Christian toolbox is to get on our knees and pray. We need to go beyond our commonalities and not build fortresses for ourselves but break down fortresses in our community for Christ,” he said. “Let’s go beyond these barriers and pray.”

He encouraged pastors by citing Peter’s narrative found in Acts 12:1-12. “The people of God prayed so fervently for Peter, who was in jail, that when Peter showed up at the door, they could not believe that it was him. Even Peter was surprised,” he said.

Lorick emphasized the fact that the people of God were hopeless and decided to pray. He demonstrated how the church in Acts was praying in unity, earnestly, devoutly, and faithfully. He challenged the pastors by saying, “Pray like you never prayed before, lead your churches to be praying churches because prayer changes everything, and when there is an absence of prayer there is an absence of God.”

Dr. Bruno Molina, SBTC language and interfaith evangelism associate, challenged the attendees regarding the urgency of evangelism in the Asian community. He pointed out that most of the roughly 1.5 million Asians in Texas do not know Jesus and that the Asian population is expected to increase to 6 million by 2050.

“The hour is late and the need is urgent,” Molina said, “so, let’s get after the lost together with Jesus!”

Chris Cooper, president of Bless Every Home, encouraged Asian pastors to “love God, love your neighbors, and grow your faith.” He also asked them to pray for, care for, and share their faith with their lost neighbors by using the Bless Every Home app, which is free to all users.

With the help of pastors from the different people groups, Dr. Kim led the multilingual gathering in a concert of prayer. Everyone prayed aloud using their own native language. Lorick called the multilingual prayers “a glorious time.”

They prayed for Ukraine and Ukrainian Christians; for repentance and revival; for Asian pastors and their wives; the advancement of the gospel; courage and faith to share the gospel; laborers for the harvest; and for Asian churches to live for the glory of God. Each prayer segment was led by an Asian pastor: Darrel Vang, pastor at Unity Point Church; Ed Kho, pastor at CrossCity International; Young Geun Yoo, pastor at Rejoice in the Lord Church; John Henry, pastor at Dallas Tamil Church; and Fortunato Zamora from Great Commission Church.

EMPOWER ’22: Prayer, practical ministry helps mark Apoderados Spanish session

ARLINGTON—The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention hosted Apoderados, the Spanish session of the Empower Conference, at Fielder Church Feb. 25-26.

The gathering brought together Hispanic pastors and leaders from all over Texas. There were professions of faith, powerful prayer times, and tremendous times of praise and worship led by Los Hermanos González, a praise team composed of the three brothers originally from Mexico now living in Kansas City, Kan.

Dr. Jorge Enrique Diaz, former director of Editorial Mundo Hispano (also known as Casa Bautista), professor, author, and mentor to many Texas pastors and leaders was given an award in honor of the late, great evangelist Rudy Hernández. The award was given in recognition of his evangelistic service in the Hispanic community. Miryam Picott received the award for her father, who was unable to attend due to health issues.

Picott is following in her father’s footsteps, evangelizing and encouraging women to walk with God. She is an author and women’s conference speaker, and also taught a workshop during the conference.

Dr. César Vidal was the keynote speaker on Friday night. Vidal, originally from Spain, is a world-renowned lawyer, historian, and author of more than 200 books. His radio program, La Voz, has millions of daily listeners on both sides of the Atlantic. He encouraged more than 50 pastors and their wives to understand that being a pastor is a worthwhile investment of their lives.

“Being a pastor derives directly from God through the blood of Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit,” Vidal said. “Being a pastor is a gift bestowed by God, is a noble, sublime profession. It comes with the privilege of administrating the house of God with godly pride and dignity, and it also has its rewards in heaven.”

The children at the conference received a gospel challenge from “Chagy the Messenger,” a clown played by evangelist and pastor Eugenio Adorno Espinell. He has been sharing the gospel with people all over the world as Chagy for the last 30 years.

Various evangelistic workshops were also offered at Apoderados, led by SBTC Hispanic leaders and pastors. Those included Christian counselor and pastor Eric Puentes, who taught participants how to disciple and evangelize children; Chuy Avila, SBTC church planting and En Español lead associate, who spoke on ministry lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic; Over Ochoa, who encouraged all to live a life free in Christ and share the gospel; and Miguel Faúndez, who trained attendees on virtual discipleship. Rafael Rondón, a native of Puerto Rico and Hispanic pastor for two of the three Fielder campuses, hosted the event along with Fielder staff and 11 volunteers. Rondón and his wife, Marilyn, have three children of their own and are very active in adoption/foster parenting ministry. At the moment, they are foster-parenting two toddlers.

Additionally, Dr. Bruno Molina—SBTC language and interfaith evangelism associate who helped coordinate the conference—led a stimulating panel discussion about evangelism in the Hispanic context that included Dr. Vidal and the workshop leaders.

Fielder Church will also host next year’s Apoderados conference, scheduled for February 2023.

 

 

10 pilares del fundamento de un matrimonio lleno de amor y que honra a Dios

Nota de la editora: Considerando el Día de San Valentín, un día en el que Estados Unidos celebra el “amor”, se les pidió al Dr. Bruno y Clara Molina que compartieran aspectos de un matrimonio amoroso y piadoso. Han estado casados durante 36 años y continúan aprendiendo y creciendo en su relación.

El pilar principal de los 10 pilares para el fundamento de toda relación matrimonial Cristo-céntrica es la entrega individual de la pareja al señorío de Jesucristo. El segundo pilar se basa en el Salmo 34:3, “Engrandeced a Jehová conmigo, y exaltemos a una su nombre” (RV1960). Al poner a Dios primero, le dará al matrimonio el enfoque adecuado y la capacidad de comenzar con una visión saludable y piadosa en mente. Este es el versículo bíblico que Bruno Molina le dio a su esposa Clara como tema de su boda, y ha sido el objetivo de su matrimonio a lo largo de su colaboración en el ministerio durante los últimos 36 años.

Han experimentado buenos y malos fases en su matrimonio cuando solo su relación con Dios los mantuvo unidos. A través de los años, descubrieron que hay 8 pilares adicionales que son cruciales para un matrimonio saludable. En la siguiente entrevista me enteré de los otros pilares que ellos consideran esenciales para profundizar el amor a Dios, a su pareja, a su familia y a sus amigos:

Bruno, después de una relación reconciliada con Dios, ¿cuál es el pilar más importante en un matrimonio?

Yo diría transparencia vulnerable. Cuando regresamos de nuestra luna de miel, recuerdo haberle dicho a Clara que quería que viviéramos casados y no solamente que viviéramos juntos. Con esto quería decir que quería que nos amáramos unos a otros, con verrugas y todo, y que tuviéramos una relación auténticamente íntima en la que fuéramos honestos y transparentes el uno con el otro. Había visto a demasiadas parejas “hacer algo por inercia” o simplemente  “desempeñar el papel”. Doy gracias a Dios, y a Clara, que aun cuando nos ha dolido ser honestos y transparentes, la experiencia nos ha hecho crecer en nuestra intimidad y disfrutar de nuestro matrimonio.

Clara, ¿cuál consideras que es el cuarto pilar más importante en un matrimonio?

Creo que el cuarto pilar más importante de una relación matrimonial no es el amor sino el compromiso. Dios se comprometió a amarnos, y envió a Jesús para salvarnos y redimirnos (Juan 14:6). Cuando su cónyuge inevitablemente le falla, su compromiso cede el lugar al deseo de intimidad, pero la intimidad es una expresión de amor que debe ser precedida por el compromiso. La falta de compromiso con Dios y con los demás resulta en pecado sexual, divorcio, irresponsabilidad e hijos que nacen fuera del matrimonio.

Bruno, ¿qué ha salvado tu matrimonio a lo largo de estos años?

Yo diría que nuestra dependencia en la gracia de Dios. Me di cuenta de que si no fuera por la gracia y la misericordia de Dios, no sería el tipo de persona con la que nadie, incluso a Clara, le gustaría vivir. Si no fuera por la asombrosa gracia de Dios que salvó a un miserable como yo, ¡incluso yo mismo no quisiera estar conmigo! Han habido momentos en que, debido a nuestra obediencia a Dios, Clara y yo hemos estado casi en la ruina económicamente. Durante esos momentos, recuerdo dirigiendo a nuestra familia en oración con gozosa anticipación de la provisión de Dios. Dios siempre se ha manifestado a nosotros en formas milagrosas que expresan su favor inmerecido; incluyendo impulsarnos a través de Su espíritu a extender gracia los unos a los otros y a los demás.

Clara, ¿qué te ha pedido Dios que hagas por tu esposo?

En Efesios 5:33 el Señor me instruyó a respetar a mi esposo como a él se le instruyó a amar a su esposa como Jesús amó a la iglesia (Efesios 5:25, 33). El respeto mutuo es un aspecto importante de tener una relación sana. El respetarlo a él no es una opción para ejercer solo cuando es conveniente. Tengo un letrero en mi oficina de Yoda que dice: “Hazlo o no lo hagas, no hay intento” que me recuerda de esto. El respeto se da libremente y honra a Dios. Es importante reconocer que el respeto no consiente el abuso por parte de ninguno de los cónyuges. Hay abuso físico, sexual, verbal, emocional/psicológico, espiritual y financiero, así como abandono y negligencia que son causados ​​por una falta pecaminosa de respeto hacia Dios y los demás.

Bruno, ¿en qué ha sido difícil para ustedes dos trabajar durante su matrimonio?

 Comunicación. ¡Cómo deseamos ambos que nunca haya mala comunicación o malentendidos! Ambos hemos aprendido que nos comunicamos de manera diferente debido a nuestro género, crianza, educación, experiencias de la vida, y hasta nuestro estado de ánimo. Hemos aprendido a hablar el idioma del otro, tal cual, para comunicarnos más claramente. Cuando nos ofendemos el uno al otro, lo que el 99,9% de las veces no es intencionado, optamos por disculparnos por nuestras ofensas y pedir perdón si es necesario. La comunicación clara y precisa es crucial porque, aunque podemos discernir o inferir lo que la otra persona quiere y necesita, Dios no nos hizo adivinos.

Clara, ¿qué necesitas tener para mejorar la relación de tu matrimonio?

Constantemente me recuerdo a mí mismo que necesito tener un corazón perdonador como el que Dios tiene para mí. Perdonar puede ser difícil, pero siempre es posible. Es importante saber que cuando perdonas no significa que olvidarás de inmediato, pero perdonar es el primer paso en el camino para restaurar una relación matrimonial. Es importante recordar que Jesús dijo que debemos perdonar a una persona setenta veces siete (Mateo 18:22). También he aprendido a no ir a pescar en el mar del olvido a los pecados perdonados y sacarlos a la superficie de nuevo porque esto me impide a olvidar la ofensa e impide que mi esposo se sienta perdonado. También recuerdo las palabras del rey David cuando dijo, “Tan lejos como está el oriente del occidente así hizo alejar de nosotros nuestras rebeliones” (Salmo 103:12-RVA), y nosotros deberíamos de hacer lo mismo.

Bruno, ¿qué es lo que más valoras en tu matrimonio?

Creo que es pasar tiempo juntos. No solo estar en la misma casa o habitación, sino involucrarnos en conversación: explorar por qué pensamos como lo pensamos, por qué diferimos en nuestras opiniones o convicciones, o qué nos está mostrando Dios. Cuando somos intencionales para sacar tiempo el uno para el otro, disfrutamos cosas como los chistes que provienen de un marco de referencia común, una buena película, o escuchar música que nos conmueve (no puedo confirmar ni negar si esto puede implicar bailar juntos).

Clara, ¿cuál ha sido la mayor bendición que Dios les ha dado a ustedes dos en su matrimonio?

Dios ha profundizado nuestra comprensión del significado del amor incondicional a través de nuestra relación y al darnos hijos y nietos. Creo que nadie puede entender completamente el amor incondicional de Dios, pero lo entendemos mucho más cuando tenemos hijos. Amar a alguien incondicionalmente significa hacerlo sin importar lo que haga, al igual que Dios nos ama. Un gran ejemplo del amor incondicional de Dios es el hecho de que Él rescató a la humanidad de la esclavitud del pecado al dar a Su único Hijo. “Pero Dios demuestra su amor para con nosotros en que, siendo aún pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros” (Romanos 5:8-RVA).

Baptist editors honor Ledbetters at annual gathering

KEY LARGO, Fla.—Editors at the Feb. 7-10 annual meeting of the Association of State Baptist Publications issued a resolution honoring Gary Ledbetter upon his transition from serving as longtime editor of the Southern Baptist Texan.

The resolution acknowledged Ledbetter’s involvement as a “noted editor and writer in Southern Baptist life” for more than 45 years, including 21 as editor of the Texan and communications director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Other career highlights recognized in the resolution included Ledbetter’s tenure as ASBP president in 2009; serving as Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary vice president for student development from 1995-2000; and his work with the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana in the late 1980s and early 1990s; as well his other various SBC national roles.

Calling Ledbetter’s marriage to his wife, Tammi, “a storied communications career partnership with his wife of 45 years (and friend since high school),” the resolution also recognized her contributions as a “noted writer and editor in her own right.”

Acknowledging that Ledbetter’s role in Baptist communications will continue as he serves as adviser to the Texan and project manager and senior editor for the Missouri Baptist Convention’s High Street Press, the resolution conveyed the organization’s deep appreciation for his contributions to Southern Baptist communications and signaled a commitment to pray for the couple as they enter a new season of ministry.

“Through the years, Gary has passionately used his giftedness in communications to serve the kingdom of God,” ASBP Executive Director Margaret Colson said. “As president of the Association of State Baptist Publications in 2009, Gary was a leader among his peers. He encouraged and inspired his fellow editors to adhere to the highest standards of journalism as they communicated trustworthy and compelling stories of faith.

“As emerging technology provided new methods of communications over Gary’s decades of service to the denomination, he embraced the opportunity to cast a wider net in reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Brian Hobbs, editor of the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger and 2021 ASBP president, said: “Gary and Tammi Ledbetter are an amazing ministry team. I’m so thankful to the Lord for their service. Gary has been a great example through the years, a real source of encouragement and inspiration to many in the ministry, including me. His impact through his service in Texas and beyond will be felt for generations to come.”

Mr. Ledbetter said he has viewed the work of Baptist publications as “crucial to our cooperative work.

“It’s been an amazing privilege to be a part of that,” he added. “ASBP members have been friends and helpful colleagues to me at many points along that way. I am grateful for the kind expression of their resolution for Tammi and me, and also for their prayers for us as we walk new ministry paths. I certainly wish them God’s best as they publish stories of God’s work among his Southern Baptist people.”

The resolution was presented by Jennifer Rash, editor of The Alabama Baptist, and unanimously approved by the editors. Terry Barone, retiring editor from the California Southern Baptist Association, was similarly honored. The ASBP resolutions committee was comprised of Rash and David Williams, editor of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist.

The one goal no pastor should have

In his book The Imperfect Pastor, Zack Eswine describes how the realization of what it means to be a pastor—the hard, gritty, patient work required of shepherding real people through messy problems amid the brokenness of life—changed his false perception of what ministry would be like:

I didn’t envision this kind of daily life. I thought of a pastor as something akin to an itinerant conference speaker, prophetically originating and preaching vision for large crowds and organizations, so that I can constantly demonstrate that we are not like other churches, and I am not like other preachers. Weekly, I would mobilize and manage programs, hiring, firing, and training personnel, so that by the force of my personality, the expertise of my organizational leadership, and the savvy uniqueness of our brand presence, I (I mean we, of course) can build a more notable gospel platform from which I (uh, I mean, we) can rise into greater gospel prominence, and then I (I don’t mean we) can leave and move on to bigger and better gospel things for God.

The expectations he’s describing are, of course, those of a “celebrity pastor.” The celebrity pastor mindset—what Eswine elsewhere calls the desire to do “large things famously” as fast as possible—has pervaded the culture of American evangelicalism. The way some pastors describe themselves reinforces what has become normal in American churches: pastors are visionaries, catalysts, thought leaders, social media influencers, motivational speakers, and change agents.

Pastors work to expand their platform, broaden their reach, and leverage their brand. The desire to be known, to be popular, to be successful, to be cool, and to be adored is ingrained deeply in the human heart, including in the hearts of pastors.

The celebrity lure

For many pastors, the temptation to idolize prominence and success has always been there but has intensified during the pandemic. Pastors have watched members leave their churches during the pandemic to join the megachurch down the road that has a more engaging pastor, better music, more flashy stage set-up, or fill-in-the-blank. It’s tempting to want to compete by mimicking whatever the successful pastor down the road is doing.

Pastors can be jealous of the celebrity pastors who write best-selling books, are invited to preach at conferences, and need 12 multi-site locations and 34 weekend services to accommodate the number of people who want to hear them speak.

But here’s the deal: celebrity pastor culture is crushing. You can’t keep up with the celebrity pastor down the road. What’s more, Jesus never intended for you to do that. No pastor should make it their goal to be a celebrity pastor. What matters most in pastoral ministry is not your likeness to the cool pastor down the road but your likeness to Christ.

Christlike character

This realization is freeing because it releases you from the pressure of living under the burden of comparison. You don’t have to live under the burden of celebrity. You don’t have to live under the burden of being cool and having the most attractive ministry in town. Instead, what matters is your Christlikeness. What matters is your character.

Jesus taught his disciples Christlike character in the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. Before the Sermon on the Mount was given to us, it was given to the men who would lead the early church and ignite the explosive growth of Christianity. If Jesus ever had a leadership manual, the Sermon on the Mount is it.

What’s striking is what you do and don’t find in the sermon. Notably, Jesus never taught the disciples how to preach better sermons or how to attract large crowds. Instead, he taught them how to follow. He taught them how to pray. He taught them how to love. He taught them how to forgive. He said that you are blessed when you are poor, when you mourn, when you are humble, when you hunger for righteousness, when you are merciful, when you are pure, when you are a peacemaker and when you endure persecution (Matthew 5:3-12).

In other words, you’re blessed—not when you’re cool or celebrated—but when you’re Christlike in character.

What makes a real difference in ministry isn’t our charm, charisma, or leadership capacity. Rather, it’s our humility, brokenness, mercy, and hunger for righteousness. What matters most is not how many social media followers we can get but what kinds of disciples of Jesus we are. What matters most is our character.

A higher calling

Relax, pastor. You don’t have to be cool to be a good pastor. The expectations are much higher than that. You are called to exhibit nothing less than the righteousness of the kingdom through the power of the Spirit. Christlike character is the one thing without which your ministry cannot be successful.

If you are a great preacher, an in-demand conference speaker, or a best-selling author but lack character, you’re missing the most essential element of pastoral ministry. On the other hand, if you’re an “average” preacher, not the most gifted leader, and your ministry is conducted in total obscurity but your character is shaped and formed by Christ and you strive to represent him well, you will have succeeded in that which matters most.

Andrew Hebert is the lead pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo and the author of the forthcoming book “Shepherding Like Jesus: Returning to the Wild Idea that Characters Matters in Ministry.”

This article originally appeared on Lifeway Research.

SBTC pastors connect at Arabic Baptist Pastor’s Conference

Arabic Pastors Conference

SAN ANTONIO—A group of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention pastors and leaders attended the second-annual Arabic Baptist Pastor’s Conference held Feb. 15-18.

The event was sponsored by the San Antonio Baptist Association (SABA) and the SBTC. Arabic pastors from California, Canada, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and other states gathered to worship, network, and encourage each other to reach fellow Arabic-speakers for Christ. These pastors came from different countries to serve in the U.S. and, despite being natives of Ethiopia, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries, are united by their language, their love for Jesus Christ, and their determination to reach the Arabic community with the gospel.

“We want to work, connect, and partner with you to advance the gospel,” said SABA Executive Director Dr. Darrell Horn, adding that his association is planning to strengthen its relationship with Arabic pastors and will stay in touch through monthly Zoom meetings.

The conference’s main organizers were SBTC Pastor Ra’id Al Safadi and his wife, Lana—who are originally from Jordan. Ra’id is the bi-vocational pastor of the Arabic Baptist Church in San Antonio, and he and his wife also own a restaurant. Their desire is to have a network of Arabic pastors meet yearly to minister, equip, serve each other, and plan how to reach the lost Arabic people groups in the U.S.

The SBTC was also represented by Eritrean pastor Danial Habte and his wife, Weini, who are from Ethiopia and serve Kingdom Gospel Church in Amarillo; and Egyptian pastor Said Tharwat and his wife, who serve at Arlington Arabic Baptist Church. Pastor Said appears in a video on the SBTC’s multilingual 1CROSS app sharing the gospel in Arabic.

Dr. Stephen Napier, from Global Outreach International—whose ministry is multiplying church leadership among native populations—came from Alaska to encourage the Arabic pastors. He led them through Nehemiah’s journey and told them, “Nehemiah accepted his weaknesses, was moved to compassion, prayed, took action, knew that God can do supernatural things, and moved forward and shared with the king,” and he asked them to follow his example. He also communicated the importance of having a yearly budget, setting up their finances, having a well-thought-out financial plan, and being ready.

Dr. Bruno Molina, SBTC’s language and interfaith evangelism associate, encouraged the pastors by telling them, “Continue praying, preaching, and reaching, because we are ambassadors of Christ. In spite of God appearing to Muslims in their dreams, he has not removed human agency from sharing the gospel.” Molina preached about how Christians, like the apostles in Acts 4:20, cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard. He also shared the various resources available to them developed by the SBTC in their own language, as a well as tools on the SBTC website, the 1CROSS app, and the FIRE initiative which connects local churches with professors and students at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Criswell College, and Jacksonville College for the purpose of engaging in evangelism in their communities.

One of the pastor’s wives present said that, “The pastor’s wives felt valued, precious, and validated” by the gathering because they are often working alone. Lana Safadi, an Arabic women’s conference speaker who helped translate at the conference, said, “This type of conference is a new beginning, a new dream, and it would be wonderful and a blessing to have this conference here every year. Pastors and their wives need each other.”

Pastor Al Safadi reminded pastors, “Please take care of yourselves. We are here to serve the Arabic community, but don’t overwork yourselves thinking that you are a failure because you only visited 10 people per week.” He encouraged them to rest and also to “spend time with God, start small, think of partnering with the English-speaking churches, spend time together with them, share your passion, develop relationships, find new opportunities to meet pastors from other cultures, reach out to the local Baptist associations, find people that are spiritually supportive to pray for you and for accountability, use technology, have a financial plan, and don’t work alone.”

13 months of joy, an eternity of impact

Lottie Sandusky

WICHITA, Kansas—Lottie Elizabeth Sandusky charmed everyone she met in her mere 13 months of earthly life. After her unexpected death Feb. 5, she continues to touch lives through a memorial fund established by her parents, Ethan and Maggie, with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Lottie, her name evoking Southern Baptist missionary Lottie Moon, is drawing people across the world to Jesus.

David Crowther, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas, where Ethan serves as student and life groups minister, described Lottie as an “incredibly joyful baby” with a “big adorable toothless grin whenever you looked at her” at her memorial service. Nursery workers loved taking care of her. Her immediate and extended families adored her.

“Lottie was a gift from God,” her mom, 32-year-old Maggie Sandusky, said, an easy baby compared to Lottie’s four-year-old twin sisters, Cora and Adelaide, who spent a month in NICU as infants born at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

“She was just a very joyful baby. We had the twins first and they were a blast in their own way, but they were hard … they were twins! And so we just always laughed about how [Lottie] was kind of our reward, a very easy baby, very mild-tempered, easy to get along with.”

In early February, Lottie came down with the flu and was taken to the hospital twice during a short illness, first for a breathing treatment and then back overnight for two days. She was discharged the second time after her breathing improved enough that she no longer needed oxygen and had slept well the previous night. Doctors sent the family home with breathing treatments to administer. Lottie slept peacefully in her crib after her scheduled treatment, having enjoyed a reunion with her doting big sisters.

Her parents discovered the unthinkable the following morning.

“She just passed in her sleep. We went in early, thinking she was still asleep, to give her the next [treatment] and…found her. She had probably passed a couple of hours before,” Maggie said.

Their hearts broke.

Lottie the missionary

Little Lottie Sandusky was not specifically named after the legendary Southern Baptist missions pioneer Lottie Moon, but Ethan and Maggie didn’t mind it when people made that connection.

“We liked the name,” Maggie said. “We both have a heart for missions and had grown up hearing about Lottie Moon, and so it was a fond correlation. We had older-style names for both of our older daughters.”

She added, “We grew up doing Mission Friends and GAs. It was definitely a big part of our lives and something we wanted to instill in our kids. These [missionaries] are heroes in our family.” Both Ethan and Maggie have served as short-term missionaries overseas—Ethan in Belize; Maggie in Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic and Poland; and both in England.

During the Christmas season, the twins relished the frequent mentions of the “Lottie” offering—LCMO—at church. “It was fun at Christmas as the twins both thought everyone was constantly talking about Lottie, our Lottie,” Maggie said.

When tragedy struck, the grieving couple thought of the Lottie Moon offering and the IMB as a trustworthy recipient for memorial gifts. 

“As Ethan and I have talked about our goals for parenting—we serve in youth ministry … it’s been important to us that our goals for our kids not be just good grades and success. Our hope was that they would love and honor Christ wholeheartedly. We wanted to entrust our kids to God’s will, knowing that that could mean our kids could end up on the other side of the world rather than down the street with our grandkids.

“Lottie’s life hasn’t exactly gone the way we hoped and planned, but we believe she is loving and honoring Christ now more wholeheartedly than we ever could have imagined,” Maggie added, her voice cracking.

The Sanduskys hope that gifts to the IMB in memory of Lottie will make a global impact for eternity, she said. The Lottie Sandusky campaign was started to do just that and to facilitate good coming from tragedy.

“We just wanted it to be able to go and allow God’s word to spread around the world,” Maggie said.

The fund

At their request, Maggie’s mother, Tammi Ledbetter, contacted IMB President Paul Chitwood to set the wheels in motion for the account. The fund’s goal of $13,000 would remind all of Lottie’s 13 months of life. Chitwood and his wife not only matched the grandparents’ initial gift, but he quickly connected the Ledbetters, former editors of the Southern Baptist Texan, with IMB advancement officer Chris Kennedy, then tweeted news of Lottie’s death and the fund.

Contributions started flowing in. To date, the trust fund has received more than $15,000 and continues to grow.

Kennedy said of the fund, “Lottie’s parents recognize her time on earth as a gift of God’s grace. We are humbled they would allow us to help steward that grace so others can know Christ. Every cent given in her honor is sent overseas to support and sustain IMB missionaries serving the least reached peoples of the world with this same grace. I can think of no greater way to honor a life shared.”

Friends and family in many churches across the years where they served on staff or simply as members have embraced the challenge, including Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Calvary Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, and now Immanuel Baptist Church in Wichita, the three congregations for the Sanduskys since their 2014 wedding. Westgate Baptist Church in Beaumont (where the Sandusky grandparents have served for decades), and First Baptist Church of Fayetteville, Ark., (where the Ledbetters are active members) have also prompted folks of every age – from children to 95-year-olds to give anywhere from $13 to $1,300 – whatever God led them to do to honor little Lottie’s memory.

Remembering Lottie

Ethan and Maggie have found comfort in the words of friends, some of whom they had not talked to since high school, who have called, written, or messaged to express their condolences after reading of Lottie’s transition to heaven as posted by the family via Facebook and Twitter.

Ethan and Maggie Sandusky, Lottie and twins (L-R) Adelaide and Cora pose before the 2021 holidays.

Folks like their friend Texas pastor Bart Barber picked up on the tragic news and carefully retweeted the request for prayer. Others like SBC President Ed Litton spread the request even further and the story of Lottie quickly reached more than 100,000 people worldwide within 36 hours as friends and alumni from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ethan and Maggie’s alma mater, also shared the news. The Feb. 10 memorial service, livestreamed and archived by Immanuel Baptist Church, touched thousands.

“People … have been impacted by the witness of her service. As we’ve walked through this, we’ve just tried to point others to Christ who is our hope,” Maggie said, adding that family conversations have also occurred with their twins facing things they were not expecting to face at their young age.

“This has given [the twins and others] the opportunity to see firsthand where our hope is. [Our faith] is not something we just say. It’s the only thing keeping us going,” Maggie said.

At Lottie’s memorial service, Ethan read from Psalm 119:25-32, noting that Maggie and he identified with the psalmist: “Our life is in the dust and we are weary from grief, but here we have a choice. We can be angry. We can be bitter. We can curse God, but that will not bring healing. That will not bring peace.”

Indeed, as Ethan continued, he reminded the congregation that “there is only one place that we can go. And that is into the arms of our Lord.”

For more information visit https://www.imb.org/campaign/honoring-lottie-elizabeth-sandusky/ or call the IMB at 1-804-353-0151.

SBC Pastors’ Conference releases theme: ‘We Proclaim Him’

First, can you believe we are already two months into 2022? Second, that also means it is time for another monthly update.

Gathering

We are exceedingly grateful for Southwestern Seminary’s partnership and rolling out the red carpet for us this week! On February 17, the SBC Pastors’ Conference preachers will gather for a time of brain-storming, equipping, and fellowship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

After chapel, we will feast on good ol’ Texas BBQ with Dr. Adam Greenway before afternoon preaching workshops with Drs. David Allen, Matthew McKellar, Deron Biles, and Chris Osborne. After the workshops, the preachers will have more time to connect and fellowship over dinner and TopGolf.

Theme

Shortly after Josh Reavis announced his intention to nominate me, I began to release a few pillars or principles behind my vision for the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference if I was elected. The first was Everyday Pastors, followed by Expository Preaching, and concluded with Engaging Worship and Embracing Endurance. The third principle, however, was Encouraging Unity. In a sense, that was the linchpin.

I truly wanted to bless the boots, Cole Haans, or Crocs off those that would gather with a clarion call to unity. Our list of everyday pastors who would preach expository sermons to everyday pastors would encourage unity. Our time of engaging worship with guys who have embraced endurance in front of thousands of everyday pastors who have done the same would encourage unity.

Well, I was elected, and it was off to the races. As I listened to sermon after sermon to select our preachers, a phrase kept coming to mind: “We proclaim Him.” So many differences among the hundreds of sermons, but they all had something in common: proclaiming Christ. After all, that is what we do––week in and week out, everyday pastors all over our convention proclaim Christ. The pastors may be in suits, or they might be in skinny jeans; they might be in mega-churches or tiny churches––the differences are endless, but the call is universal: proclaim Christ. Rallying ourselves around this linchpin of our ministries is a great way to encourage unity.

So, I began to prayerfully search the Scriptures for a book that would highlight that call, and that is when I landed on Colossians. In June, as we gather for the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference, we will have 12 men who affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message and the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy preach through Colossians, verse-by-verse. In addition, we will have some special guests offer short but timely messages to inspire and encourage all who are in the trenches of gospel ministry––all getting to the heart of our call to proclaim Christ.

Fundraising

We crossed the $300,000 mark late last month, and are sitting around $320,000 for #SBCPC22 in Anaheim with recent gifts from churches like Shades Mountain, First Baptist Plant City, and Champion Forest, as well as a few generous individuals who gave anywhere from $50 to $10,000. We are also grateful for the willingness of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to join in on the fun in the exhibit space, and are waiting to hear from a few others.

In other words, we’re almost there, and you can help! No matter how big or small, every gift will help––and we mean that. If you can spare a few bucks or a few thousand, it will be used––and used well:

https://www.sbfdn.org/ways-to-give/give-now/donate/?hash=7409570231424287db30abbb7fc19aab&id=208

Socials

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for steady encouragement and equipping. We also have an online presence that will soon host announcements and details for the Pastors’ Conference.

Sutton remembered as cherished friend, passionate servant of Jesus

Sutton

MCALLEN—Pastor William “Bill” Blaylock Sutton, 79, of McAllen died from complications of pneumonia on February 2.

A longtime resident of McAllen, he most recently pastored Trinity Baptist Church until his retirement in 2021, helping a 75-year-old church relocate from a landlocked urban site to 10 acres along prime frontage property donated by a deacon while attendance and giving doubled.

Prior to what he considered a “nine-year interim pastorate” at Trinity, Sutton was the longest-tenured pastor of First Baptist Church of McAllen, where he served from 1986 to 2008 and was named pastor emeritus upon his retirement in 2008. Current staff members shared that Sutton was best known for his passions—Vacation Bible School, stewardship, and missions. With hundreds of VBS volunteers, thousands of children have been reached for Christ locally and in mission settings in New Hampshire, Arkansas, Oregon, and beyond.

To help teach God’s economy, Sutton offered members a “Money-Back Guarantee” on their tithe if they experienced regret, hardship, or no blessing. “Unnumbered families now experience the joy of giving taught through this discipline,” shared Steven Gaither, current lead pastor of First McAllen, describing Sutton as “a gifted administrator under whose leadership the church completed his campus vision without debt.”

To this day First McAllen remains among the top givers in the SBC to offerings for international and North American missions.

Other pastorates included North Hopkins Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs, Texas; First Baptist Church of Pine Hills in Orlando, Fla.; and Windsor Park Baptist Church in Fort Smith, Ark.; as well as associate pastor of Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala.

Sutton often described himself as “tied” to Southern Baptists, explaining that he was born in a Baptist hospital in 1942, grew up in a Baptist parsonage as a preacher’s kid, and eventually attended a Baptist college. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1967, meeting his future wife, Martha, just before his final semester. He received a Th.M. from International Theological Seminary in Orlando in 1982 and D.D. in 1984.

His devotion to Southern Baptist causes remained a priority all his life, leading churches to excel in evangelistic outreach, baptismal growth and missionary endeavors.

Upon hearing of the death of the friend he had known since the 1980s, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Director Emeritus Jim Richards praised Sutton’s “compassion for those without Christ as evidenced by his personal evangelism and worldwide mission support.” A strong supporter of the formation of the new Texas state convention in 1998 and the second vice-president in 2004 and 2005, Sutton “never wavered through the years,” Richards said.

“Bill was a man of rock-solid convictions about the inerrancy of the Word of God,” he added. “Within the Southern Baptist Convention and in Texas, he stood in the face of a liberal downgrade when many would not. I sorrow at his passing but rejoice in his legacy.”

Nathan Lorick, who succeeded Richards as SBTC’s executive director, said, “Bill Sutton was a longtime friend and supporter of the SBTC. The wisdom and insight he brought to our convention helped lead us to where we are today. We are grateful for his life and ministry and are praying for his family.”

In addition to serving on the SBTC Executive Board from 1998 to 2008, Sutton was known nationally for having served two tenures on the International Mission Board and on the Board of Visitors at Criswell College in Dallas. He helped launch the Southern Baptist Journal in the early 1970s to plead the cause for a return to biblical orthodoxy and rallied pastors between Orlando and Atlanta to jump aboard his church bus in order to serve as messengers at the annual meeting.

Choir members at First McAllen remember closing the evening service by singing, “Now the Day is Over” while Sutton summed up the events and teachings of the day. As he and fellow members prepared to leave for the night, he would add, “‘[We will] fluff our pillow just the way we like it, close our eyes, and know that our Heavenly Father is wide awake.”

Staff recalled hearing that in response, the choir completed the song with, “When the morning wakens, then may I arise pure and fresh and sinless in thy holy eyes.”

Stephen Sutton, Bill’s youngest son, remembered his dad as “totally concerned with sharing the good news with lost people.” He added that his dad also had a reputation for practical advice: “A man in his church came to him once and asked for advice for staying in his marriage. Dad asked him, ‘Can you make it one more day?’ The man said that he could. Dad just left him with that.”

Sutton is survived by his wife of 54 years, Martha; and sons William Blaylock Jr., Richard Bryan, and Stephen Davis. The Suttons additionally have eight grandchildren.

Funeral details will be updated as they are confirmed by the family. For a recent feature on Bill Sutton’s perspective on ministry visit this link: Catching up and looking up with Bill Sutton – TEXAN Online

Worship service invitations take center stage at pastor breakfast

Casey Perry pastor breakfast

MABANK—Call it an invitation to an invitation.

Casey Perry, a longtime Southern Baptists of Texas Convention pastor, recently hosted 11 pastors at his home to share about the importance of offering an invitation after preaching God’s word. The breakfast meeting was also attended by Jim Richards, SBTC’s executive director emeritus, Ronnie Yarber, another longtime SBTC pastor, and Wayne Livingston, an SBTC field representative whose area spreads across East Texas.

Richards, Perry, and Yarber were instrumental in the formation of the SBTC two decades ago, but on this morning, their focus was on the future of gospel invitations—which are not as much a staple of worship services as they once were.

Perry, 87, shared about a number of invitations that have either had a personal impact on himself or others. When he was 9, he recalled seeing a young man walk the aisle at church and give his life to Jesus. That moment had such an impact on Perry that he continued to think about it and, about a week later, gave his own life to Christ one evening while working cows in a pasture. The next meaningful invitation happened soon after, when he went forward to announce his decision to the pastor and the church.

At age 12, an invitation provided him the opportunity to proclaim his desire to follow in obedience to the command of Christ regarding baptism and, three years later, he walked the sawdust aisle at a Baptist youth camp in New Mexico to surrender his life to the ministry during a time of invitation.

“It would not have happened without an invitation,” he said.

SBTC pastor breakfast
Those attending the breakfast fellowship were (front row, from left) Ronnie Yarber; Daniel Stone; Wayne Livingston; Casey Perry; Nick Apperson; Josh Hebert; (second row, from left) Ed Fenton; Matt Cass; Matt Scott; Michael Criner; Jerry Horine; (back row, from left) Bryce Nalley, Jim Richards, and Drew Boring. Texan Photo

Perry said an invitation should plainly and clearly call people to accept Christ, give listeners an opportunity to join the church, or re-dedicate their lives to the Lord. “I think one of the things we really miss with our invitations today is, I don’t think we’re calling out the called” to ministry service, he added.

Each pastor on hand was given a copy of Roy Fish’s book, “Coming to Jesus: Giving A Good Invitation” provided by the SBTC. Fish was a lifelong pastor who was committed to personal soul-winning and evangelism education. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s school of evangelism and missions is named for Fish.

Later, in giving a brief sketch of SBTC’s history, Yarber expressed the convention’s heart for assisting its pastors much in the way that was happening on this particular day.

“The fact is, if you’re affiliated with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention,” he said, “you’re affiliated with a body of believers and churches that cares for you, that wants the best for you, that prays for you, and that has a ministry to offer you.”