BSCNC News

Best of the Blogs

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:13:00 -0400

Best of the Blogs is designed to help connect you with insightful and edifying blog posts from the past week. The post will include a brief summary of a blog or article we found particularly helpful, accompanied by a link to direct you to the full post. These bloggers may or may not be Baptists. Regardless of denominational affiliation, we'll link to articles or blog posts which we hope will help you as you seek to follow Jesus and serve His church. Reflecting on 17 Years as IMB President
With Jerry Rankin's retirement effective August 1, Alan James reflects on some of the highs and lows during Rankin's 17 years at the helm of the International Mission Board. 'In the mid to late '90s, Rankin and the organization grappled with new ways to get the Gospel into tougher, more restricted places. In 1993 when Rankin began his tenure as president, the organization saw nearly 4,000 missionaries and their Baptist partners help start more than 2,000 churches in 142 countries. In 2008, more than 5,500 IMB missionaries helped plant nearly 27,000 churches and engage 101 new people groups for a total of 1,190 engaged people groups," James writes. Rankin's ability to anticipate and adapt to a rapidly changing world is a defining aspect of his years as president. "Rankin has often said he hopes his presidency will not be judged for the accomplishments of the organization under his leadership but for how the organization is poised for the future," James writes. To read more go here To read the transcript of Rankin's final address to the IMB Board of Trustees go here Glorifying God in the midst of suffering,
The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., had a really rough week. Pastor J.D. Greear describes three events that rocked the church family. "First, our beloved Helen Young, a matriarch in our church, passed away this afternoon. Helen had struggled with a severe case of cancer for some time…and went home to be with Jesus at about 4 p.m. Helen was our church's backbone… Secondly, Chai Atwood, the son born 14 weeks premature to our college pastor Trevor Atwood and his wife Keva on Sunday, went home to be with Jesus… Third, we found out today that Nate Henn, the son of Summit members Bob and Julie Henn, was killed by a terrorist bomb in Uganda yesterday." To read the full post go here To read more about Nate Henn and the terrorist bomb in Uganda go here Although the week has been hard for Summit, God is still good and He continues to receive glory. For example, here are a few of the twitter posts written by Trevor Atwood (tmatwood) since his son went home to be with Jesus: July 12: Today much changed, Jesus did not. The gospel is true in the face of death. Thx to the 1st born among many brothers. Chai Samuel is yours. July 13, 1 Cor. 15:54-57: Good try, death. Not anywhere close to enough, though. Victory is Chai's in Christ Jesus. Never been more sure of anything.

July 13: What is eternal always outweighs what is light and momentary. Do you live like it's true? Will you die like it's true? 2 Cor. 4:16-18.

July 14: I just wrote my son's eulogy. I am reminded that God is so good. Suffering should drive us to God, not away from him. Romans 8:24

July 15: Tomorrow I will bury my youngest son. As I looked at his grave today, I pictured him busting out of it at the resurrection. Made me smile. Serious Disciples
Over at Today's Disciple, Brian Upshaw highlights the helpful ministry called Serious Disciple Webinar. "Francis Chan, Matt Chandler, Mark Dever, David Dockery, Timothy George, Alan Hirsch, H.B. London, David Platt, Alvin Reid, and Dallas Willard. What do these pastors/authors/professors/leaders have in common? They probably share lots of the same traits, but one point of convergence is that they have each been featured in one of our Serious Disciple Webinars." Upshaw writes: "These webinars are interactive. Not only do you get to hear great teaching, you get to comment and ask questions of these leaders. You can listen live to upcoming webinars or you can scroll through the archives to hear past guests." You can check out his full post here. Go here to access the archive of Serious Disciple Webinars Man on a Global Mission
This week the News & Observer featured an article on Dr. Daniel Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reporter Yonat Shimron writes,"unlike some seminary presidents who focus solely on fundraising, management and scholarship, Akin has assumed a larger public role. Beyond the magnolias and red brick buildings of the Wake Forest seminary, Akin is known as the architect of a bold new vision for the Southern Baptist Convention. Known as Great Commission Resurgence, the vision refocuses the nation's largest Protestant denomination on its No. 1 priority - making converts to Christianity. At a time when many denominations are declining, Akin thinks the Southern Baptist Convention can grow by redoubling efforts to spread the gospel to the globe's farthest reaches. Convention-goers agreed, overwhelmingly approving the plan this summer." Read more here Can one be both "Baptist" and "Reformed"? (this reading recommendation is only for those who like their theological coffee served up strong) The question has been around for a very long time. In recent years the debate has been stirred up thanks to a Colin Hansen article in Christianity Today, which turned into a book by the same title, Young, Restless and Reformed. Michael Horton, professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary in California, critiqued Hansen and his use of the word "reformed" in his widely read article The Hallway and the Rooms. Even more recently, North Carolina Baptists weighed in on the discussion. For example, over at Les Puryear's blog, he asks the question: Can One Be "Reformed" and "Southern Baptist" at the Same Time?

Also commenting on the question is Southeastern Seminary's Assistant Professor of Church History, Dr. Nathan Finn, he seeks to answer the question in a three part series of posts.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The discussion is an interesting and educational one. Put on your thinking cap.

Discounted hotel rate available for BSCNC messengers

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:22:00 -0400

This year messengers to the 2010 Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) annual meeting will be able to stay at the Headquarters Hotel, the Sheraton Four Seasons in Greensboro, for a discounted rate of $99 per night, $112.61 including tax. This pre-pay rate, which is the same for king and double rooms, is only available at the BSCNC annual meeting Web site. Reservations cannot be made by calling the Sheraton or the BSCNC. A reservation is refundable if notice of cancellation is given at least 24 hours prior to time of check-in. All messengers staying at the Sheraton receive free wireless Internet. This year's annual meeting will be held, as it was last year, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. The Sheraton Hotel is located on the same property as the Convention Center. "We are grateful to be able to offer this negotiated rate. Our desire is that more North Carolina Baptists will take advantage of this special discount," said John Butler, BSCNC Executive Leader for Business Services. "We enjoyed our accommodations last year at the Koury Convention Center. By staying at the Sheraton, messengers have everything – their hotel room and access to all the meeting halls – under one roof. You never have to leave the Convention Center. I believe North Carolina Baptists who stay at the Sheraton will find this set up very convenient." Butler also said making room reservations online, as opposed to mail-in registration or even phone and e-mail registration, greatly reduces cost and time spent by staff processing the reservations. Reservation deadline is Oct. 31. Reservations made after Oct. 31 must be made directly with the Sheraton Hotel at their normal rate. For reservations, click here.

NC drillers take national honors

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:45:00 -0400

This summer three students represented North Carolina in the National Bible Drill Finals in Mesquite, Texas. These students made it to the national tournament by coming in first in their division at the state Bible Drill Finals at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church in Pleasant Garden, N.C.

More than 850 students participated in church and associational level drills, with about 575 advancing to state drills. The winners from the six state drills advanced to the state Bible Drill Finals.

Britney Strickland of Mt. Airy Baptist Church in the Burnt Swamp Association finished third in the national High School Bible Drill.

Coming in second in the national Youth Bible Drill was Paul Summerville of Salem Baptist Church in the Raleigh Baptist Association.

Luke Roberts competed in the Youth Speakers' Tournament. Roberts is from Clarks Chapel Baptist Church, Caldwell Baptist Association.

Associations: Changing lives with NCMO funds

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:07:00 -0400

Pastor Francisco Ortiz is quite healthy, but thousands of North Carolina Baptists help him step into the pulpit each Sunday. His small but growing congregation is "Iglesia Bautista Hispana Cristo el Salvador," or Christ the Savior Baptist Church, in Jefferson. Most of the Spanish-speaking members are from Mexico, Ortiz said. They meet Sunday afternoons in the building of partnering Fletcher Memorial Baptist Church in Jefferson and are receiving start-up funds from Ashe Baptist Association, the local fellowship of 44 Baptist congregations. Ashe, in turn, has received the funds from North Carolina Baptists through their North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO). Each year 10 percent of the North Carolina Missions Offering is distributed to the state's 79 Baptist associations for use in area missions and ministry projects. If North Carolina Baptists meet or surpass the NCMO goal of $2.1 million this year, $210,000 or more will be sent to the associations, distributed on the basis of how much churches in each association contribute to the offering. Here are samples of the diverse and life-changing ways associations put those NCMO funds work. NCMO: New churches
The Cooperative Program provides 2/3's (two-thirds) of the funds used by the Baptist State Convention for church planting. The NCMO supplements Cooperative Program funds by providing the other 1/3 (one-third) used in church planting. Together, these funds supported 98 new churches in 2009. But associations also use NCMO funds to start other new churches locally. Greater Gaston Association, based in Gastonia, was one of the leaders in church planting - they worked with 19 new church plants in 2009, said Larry McElreath, associational missionary. "Some of these received NCMO funds. Thousands of people's lives were impacted with the Gospel message. These mission dollars were very much needed and appreciated. Without these funds, we as an association could not have made much of an impact in the community," McElreath said. NCMO funds also helped Greater Gaston send out summer missionaries to hold Vacation Bible Schools and Backyard Bible Clubs. "They also helped with summer camps and other summer community outreach events sponsored by the association. I am more thankful every year that we have an opportunity to be part of the NCMO. I believe that doing together what we can’t do alone makes a huge difference in Kingdom growth," McElreath said. Sandhills: New church plant in Pinehurst, new Hispanic ministry in Robbins, plus lifestyle evangelism training for pastors. Sandy Creek: New cowboy church and purchase of witnessing tracts for use in public events. Raleigh: New church plants: The Creek Church in Cary and The Passage Church in Wendell. New churches are needed throughout the Raleigh area as the capital city’s population has topped 400,000, making it the nation's 45th biggest city by population. That means Raleigh has more residents than such nationally-known cities as New Orleans, LA; Tampa, FL; Minneapolis, MN.; St. Louis, MO.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Newark, NJ. NCMO: funds for outreach and ministry
Yancey: Witnessing booth and diaper-changing station in downtown Burnsville for the Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair last year. "We had 33 professions of faith," said Harvey Sharpe, missions director. Catawba River: Ministered at the Historic Morganton Festival last September, partnering with volunteer teams from Hull's Grove Baptist Church, Vale. "Hull's Grove sent their Horseshoe Ministry Team and we passed out over 600 horseshoes, each with the person's name stamped on it. While they waited (on the stamping), we were able to share the Gospel message," said Phil Oakley, associational missionary. "We had 28 people to pray to receive Christ that day. A week later, our evangelism team joined Hull's Grove to do the same thing in Lincolnton and 40 more people were saved," Oakley said. Catawba River also used NCMO funds to support their annual Christmas toy store. In 2009 the association helped 504 families and gave toys to 1,069 children. "But even more important, we had 49 people to pray to receive Christ as Savior. Each family that we served had the Gospel presented to them and we had 203 homes that were to be visited for follow-up," Oakley said. South Yadkin: Christmas toy store ministry, purchase of Bibles for distribution in local food and clothing ministry. Rowan: Will mobilize 20 churches to visit 5,000 homes for door-to-door witnessing in July this year, part of an ongoing "Reach Rowan" summer missions blitz. Randolph: Held a Sports Expo in March which drew a whopping 1,200 hunters and fishermen for a meal and evangelistic message. "Sixteen were saved and about 13 made rededications to Christ at the event," said Steve Sells, director of missions. Also bought "Celebrate Recovery" workbooks for ministry to those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups. Ashe: Along with supporting the Hispanic church plant, sponsored a National Day of Prayer observance in May on the steps of the Ashe County Courthouse, Jefferson. Robeson: Supported Hispanic mission in Raeford, constructed wheelchair ramps and repaired roofs on area homes. Metrolina: Supported three college students for 10 weeks to work with Vacation Bible Schools, youth camps, outreach projects, ministry in multi-housing areas. "NCMO has been the primary funding tool for our summer missions effort in Metrolina Association. A special thanks to our churches that gave to NCMO, which made possible the return of money to our association for local missions ministry," said Bob Lowman, missions director. Green River: Sponsored worship services during the summer at two campgrounds in the Chimney Rock recreational area. NCMO: Missions trips
Stanly: Sent dozens of area Baptists on their first missions trips, including some to overseas. New South River: Helped high school seniors make mission trips with Baptist Student Union, sponsor a youth crusade, bought resources for churches. West Chowan: Sending missions team to Quebec, Canada, this summer. Beulah: Sending missions team to Rhode Island; supporting a local pastor and his family serving two years in Turkey. Sent pastor on missions trip to Peru. "Each of these has produced Kingdom purpose results and we are so grateful we were able to help," said Danny Glover, associational missionary. NCMO: Meet needs
South Fork: Funded local missions projects by Baptist Men. "So far, we have helped purchase a used mobile home and renovate it for a woman," said associational missionary Bob Wise. Her previous house was in such poor condition that Social Services deemed it unsafe; the agency took the woman's children. "The family is now reunited in their new home, thanks to the NCMO and many, many local volunteers," Wise said. Three Forks: Local missions projects, including home repairs, handicap ramp construction, roof repair and providing food and heating costs to needy families. "The majority of our funds are set aside for our Oct. 2 Operation Inasmuch Community Blitz Day," said Barry Neely, associational missionary. Macon: Planted garden to feed needy families; ministered to carnival workers. Columbus: Bought Bibles for disaster relief teams to distribute; provided services for senior adults. Surry: Supplemented support for their Surry Christian Counseling Center, seeing more people because of high unemployment. "Thanks for helping us to help our community with Christian counseling," said Billy Blakley, associational missionary. Tar River: Bought equipment to improve missions training; provided youth workers to area churches for summer. Photo information: Pastor Francisco Ortiz preaches at Cristo el Salvador, Jefferson. Chris Melton preaches in the game room of a campground at Chimney Rock, work supported by Ashe Association, using NCMO funds.

Hal Bilbo, right, has been very pleased at the good results Stanly Association has seen from using NCMO funds to help local Baptists make missions trips. Bilbo is associational missionary for Stanly. Rev. and Mrs. Ron Nichols, left, made a missions trip to Macedonia, where the association has a long-term partnership. Nichols is pastor of West Stanly Baptist Church, Albemarle.

Woo headlines multicultural ministries conference

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:21:00 -0400

GREENSBORO – Church leaders from around the state recently gathered at Immanuel Baptist Church for the "Color of Church" Conference. The event was sponsored by the Multicultural Ministries Team of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and featured Dr. Rodney Woo, who taught principles from his book, The Color of Church: A Biblical and Practical Paradigm for Multiracial Churches. Woo is the former pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, and will soon begin serving as pastor of International Baptist Church in Singapore. His heart for multiethnic ministry is a part of who he is: his father was half-Chinese, his mother was German-American, he grew up in a predominantly African-American community, and his wife is of Latino origin. He shared that that his multiethnic experiences greatly benefited him in ministry to diverse groups of people. When he resigned from Wilcrest earlier this year after 18 years as pastor, the congregation represented more than 45 different ethnic backgrounds. International Baptist Church is equally diverse. During two plenary sessions and a Q&A session during lunch, Woo shared biblical, theological and practical implications related to multiethnic ministry. Real-life examples and illustrations from his experiences at Wilcrest provided glimpses into the nature of church life that transcends cultural boundaries. A brief video was shown featuring a segment from PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly in which Woo and Wilcrest were shown as leading the way in Christian racial reconciliation. Woo stressed that multiethnic ministry requires the power of God in order to be effective. The process in establishing such a ministry may be long and difficult, but Woo assured it is worth the sacrifice and effort. Even after 18 years at Wilcrest, the pursuit of multiethnic ministry could never run on "autopilot," Woo said, as it is human nature to drift toward homogenous groups with similar preferences when the multiethnic vision is not constantly restated and prioritized.

Asked about how to reach out to people of different ethnicities, Woo said the most effective way, more so than a church’s programs, is to establish personal relationships with people of different backgrounds. Woo encouraged church leaders to remember that success cannot always be gauged on the response of those the church is trying to reach, but should be seen in the church's faithfulness to reach out to them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

According to Woo, two key areas where change is needed in order to pursue multiethnic church ministry are worship and leadership. However, Woo warned that worship must be authentic, meaning that churches cannot "contrive" diversity in worship until there is diversity in the congregation. One step in moving toward a diverse congregation is diverse church leadership. Woo challenged leaders to focus on God’s Word, for it they do that, they will not be able to avoid the multiracial emphasis woven throughout the Scriptures. Audio recordings of the sessions are available for download at www.ibcgso.org. The Multicultural Ministries Team and Immanuel Baptist Church will collaborate again September 25 for the Ethnic Blends Conference, featuring Mark Deymaz. This conference will be based on Deymaz’s book, Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church. For more information on this event e-mail ktan@ncbaptist.org Reaves is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Greensboro.

Reflections from Honduras

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:24:00 -0400

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS – As the pilot got closer and closer to the runway the plane tilted more and more to the left until I felt like if I could just stretch out my arm a little I could touch the housetops. From where I sat I enjoyed a great view of our landing in Tegucigalpa. I admit I was less excited about the takeoff to come home. The pilot gunned the engine so fast and so hard that I wondered if he had noticed, like I had, the giant mountain staring directly at us. The city really does sit tucked away in a giant bowl, with clouds hovering over the top of lush green mountains. At night, when all you can see no mater which direction you turn are the street lights dotting the mountains, the city seems like it’s dancing and you can't help but smile. Neither can you help but smile after digging into the warm chips and hot dip just before eating a pupusa in the Valley of the Angels. The pupusa was great, but the dip was even better. The plantains are also wonderful, although I suggest leaving off the mysterious white sauce. Never have I seen rain like I did in Honduras. I didn't know water could fall from the sky that hard. The rain usually came in the evening, and while the dampness made it impossible to feel like any of our clothes were ever actually dry, the morning after a rain came with an unusual sense of cleansing. I recently spent a week in the rural areas of Tegucigalpa, reporting on the weeklong Deep Impact mission trip (click here for related articles). One of the team leaders who helped the construction crew was a man well into his 70s. His wife also came to Honduras. This husband and wife team travel throughout the year serving on mission projects. The high school guys on the construction team couldn't say enough about how this 70-year-old man worked harder than anyone and kept them pushing hard all week. If I live that long, I hope the Lord will grant me that same ability to keep on serving others. One of the first sights I saw early in the week that I won't soon forget was that of a young girl, no shirt on, scrubbing with all her might the shirt sprawled out on a rock. Or mothers and grandmothers learning how to wear ChapStick. On our last day in Honduras while driving back from the mission sites I passed the time by reading some in "What difference do it make?" The book is the follow up to the best-selling novel "Same kind of different as me," by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. If you haven't read these books, I highly recommend you do. I was late getting to the first one; it came out a few years ago. When I read it earlier this year I stayed up late one night and sobbed through just about the entire second half of the book. One of the lines I read that day driving back to the camp was this: "to love a man enough to help him, you have to forfeit the warm, self-righteous glow that comes from judging." I didn't have time to catch my breath before turning the page and reading this: "was I so shallow, my do-gooding so superficial, that I could only set judging aside and help a person as long as his sins didn't affect me?" Those two sentences alone gave me way more to chew on than I wanted. It seemed that after a week of seeing extreme poverty the tough questions were being thrown right in my face. Honduras was not the first time I saw poverty in a Third World country, but it was one of the first times I saw it so close up. And one of the first times I sensed the Lord pricking my heart to begin making changes in my life. In David Platt's "Radical," Christians are challenged to abandon the American dream for the sake of taking up their crosses daily to follow Jesus. Platt writes, "I pray we will be a people who refuse to gorge our spiritual stomachs on the entertaining pleasures of this world, because we have chosen to find our satisfaction in the eternal treasure of His Word." If I really lived in pursuit of the Gospel above all else, I dare say life would look different. Radically different. I pray that by God's grace the fleshly desires will fade and the desire to know Him more will overwhelm my soul. Related articles
Medical team makes deep impact in Honduras
Grateful hearts worship in El Tablon
Honduran pastor leads charge to change community
Camp Betel: A miracle from God

Camp Betel: A miracle from God

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 08:33:00 -0400

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS – Outside during play time, Cristian held both ends of the string and tried to make the green button spin around fast on the string. Most of the children got the hang of it and Christian did too, with a little help. When a Deep Impact participant gently moved Cristian's hands close to the left side of his face, up next to his left eye, his spinning got faster. Cristian usually stood outside his house as the Deep Impact teams drove out from camp each day down the long windy road covered in so many bumps that even a seat belt didn't do a thing to stop the rocking and swaying and jerking down the mountain. At home Cristian didn't wear his bandana, exposing the tumor that caused discoloration on his face, the right side of his face around the eye to swell and his right eye to remain shut. Regardless, with a little extra care, Cristian participated in the fun just as did the other children. Cristian is one of about 30 children who attend a preschool hosted at Camp Betel and who came to a week of Vacation Bible School led by Deep Impact students and leaders. The VBS at Betel was one of six mission projects during the weeklong mission trip in Tegucigalpa (click here and here for related articles). The children learned Bible stories and did arts and crafts. Perhaps some of the most fun they had all week came when the leaders made balloon animals. Once the children discovered that rubbing their finger up and down on the balloon produced a loud squeaking sound they proceeded to keep it up the rest of the morning, laughing hysterically every time. While one team led VBS, another team worked with the children's mothers and grandmothers. The mothers and grandmothers also heard Bible stories and did crafts, their project for the week being cross-stitching. Although many of the ladies had never cross-stitched and learned for the first time, by the end of the week they arrived early to start work on their projects and worked until the children came by after VBS. Some of the older ladies couldn't see as well as the younger ladies, so they helped keep the babies entertained while the younger ladies cross-stitched their bookmarks. Deep Impact is hoping the ladies can sell their bookmarks and use their new skill to earn money to help their families. Flash is required!
A Deep Impact construction team also worked at Camp Betel all week, hauling cinder blocks and sand and laying mezcala in order to build a new preschool building. The building replaces the current rundown building being used for children's ministry and the feeding program run by Elva and Ignacio. For two days a medical team set up a free clinic at Betel before moving to El Tablon (click here for related article). The husband and wife team of Elva and Ignacio own and operate Camp Betel. "It was a vision God gave us," Elva said. Twenty-six years ago they began the camp as a place to train pastors and leaders, and as a place for pastors to meet and fellowship. Many pastors who come to retreats at Betel serve in areas where they are the only pastor and the loneliness can become hard to overcome. Camp Betel is what it is because Elva and Ignacio practiced tremendous faith. "We prayed," Elva said very matter-of-factly, as if that's all that was necessary for vision to become reality. Within three months of deciding to buy the property, an anonymous donor from the United States gave Elva and Ignacio the money they needed. Every other building on the property was built the same way – they prayed, God supplied donors and volunteers and funds. "Everything we started here was out of nothing," Elva said. Camp Betel runs a feeding program for children and their mothers five days a week. They also teach the children Bible stories, celebrate birthdays and teach good habits, such as saying "good morning" and washing their hands before they eat. Elva also reaches out to the mothers on Mother's Day by providing a food basket with basic items such as beans and sugar. Elva and Ignacio and their son, Sonny, used to live in the city, but moved out to the rural area to be closer to the camp. While Elva grew up in a Christian home, Ignacio did not. Ignacio lived with his grandmother awhile before turning to life on the streets. Eventually he moved in with his sister and her husband, who is a pastor. In their home Ignacio learned about God and through the pastor's mentoring God changed his heart and he came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Ignacio enjoys working with the pastors who come to Betel. Pastors and leaders often invite friends who are not believers and when they come to Betel, they hear the Word of God. "When they come here, something happens," Elva said. "That's a blessing to us." This is the fourth in a five-part series about the Deep Impact mission trip in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. For photos, click here. Related articles
Medical team makes deep impact in Honduras
Grateful hearts worship in El Tablon
Honduran pastor leads charge to change community

Honduran pastor leads charge to change community

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:54:00 -0400

SAN MIGUEL, HONDURAS – "Let's roll," said pastor Oscar to the group of students and youth leaders gathered in front of Emmanuel Baptist Church with their hygiene kits. Oscar doesn't waste any time when it comes to getting out in the community and ministering. Oscar is pastor of Emmanuel in San Miguel. San Miguel is a municipality in Francisco Marazan, one of 18 departments that divide the country of Honduras. The municipality is extremely poor. Oscar said not until this year did the government start pouring cement onto some of the streets that were nothing but mud and dirt. Although the community is poor the people try to help raise funds for the work, and Emmanuel also pitches in with street repairs, street cleaning and trash pick up. Recently San Miguel has seen many cases of dengue fever, and Emmanuel members seek to reach out to those who are sick and to help with disease prevention. As Oscar led the team from home to home passing out the hygiene kits the poverty of his community is undeniable. He pointed out a dirt patch where a house once stood before the river washed it away. One home sits just a few feet from the edge of a cliff, overlooking a river, with tarps spread out in front of the door in attempt to keep the heavy rains from coming inside. With much more rain, the little house itself has a good chance of being gone. Most homes the team entered consisted of one room and no electricity. Still, the houses felt like homes, as the families put pictures on the walls and had everything neat and tidy. The Hondurans are very hospitable people. Even if the home is so small there's no way the entire team can fit, they still invite the team inside to sit down and pray. Two teams of Deep Impact participants spent their weeklong mission trip in Honduras serving in San Miguel. One team led basketball clinics in the morning and passed out hygiene kits in the afternoon. A second team led Vacation Bible School at Emmanuel. Other teams worked in El Tablon (click here for related articles) and at Camp Betel. Flash is required!
Flash is required!
The first afternoon of hygiene kit distribution the sun seemed to beat down unmercifully. Pastor Oscar never tired. The team started by winding down a mountain of steps to the bottom of a hill and from house to house, not skipping over a single one, they worked their way back to the top. An elderly woman greeted the team at the first home they visited. Her home sat at the bottom of the hill, out of sight until the team squeezed around a mound of rocks. She asked the team to pray for her health because she often faints. When Oscar first came to Emmanuel the church was a mission of another local church and met in a small wood building with few people attending. Over time the church grew and its influence in the community increased. Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem helped build a new building for Emmanuel and in 2001 celebrated with Oscar at the building’s inauguration. The impact made when believers are willing to sacrifice to help others is not easily forgotten. Oscar still has a framed photo in his office of Max Furr and his family, from Calvary Baptist, who helped with the new building. He also has a Bible signed by Mark Corts in 2001, on the day of the inauguration. Corts, who died in 2006, pastored Calvary Baptist from the age of 25 until he retired in 2002. Oscar, 50, grew up in south Honduras in Choluteca. In the 1980s, Oscar was heavily involved in drugs and alcohol. His family members were not Christians, but he had friends who were. Although he showed no interest, friends persistently stayed after Oscar to join them at church. When Oscar finally relented, a friend picked him up and they went to church together. Oscar showed up to church that day with long hair, baggy pants and sat in the last row. "Young people still came up to me after the service," Oscar said. "And I liked that." Oscar came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at that church. He also met his wife at church and they have been married 24 years. The kindness shown to a stranger that day meant more than those young people could ever have imagined. This is the third in a five-part series about the Deep Impact mission trip in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. To view photos, click here. Related articles
Medical team makes deep impact in Honduras
Grateful hearts worship at El Tablon
Camp Betel: A miracle from God

Grateful hearts worship in El Tablon

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:25:00 -0400

EL TABLON, HONDURAS – Pastor Benjamin pulled the photo out from between the pages of his Bible and before he could flip to the next photo the Greenes were wiping away tears. Mike and Ginger's daughter Stephanie is now a senior in college and she hardly recognized herself in the eight-year-old photo, back when the Greenes (now NC Baptist Men on-site coordinators) worked with Deep Impact to build a building for Iglesia Bautista Restauracion. The building took several years to complete, but the congregation of about 45 has moved in and children, youth and adults gather together each Sunday to worship. During the Deep Impact week in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, high school students, college students and youth leaders made the village of El Tablon and R church a focus of ministry. One team did Bible studies, games and crafts in a public school just down the street from the church and another team set up a free medical clinic at the church (click here for related article). Flash is required!
Pastor Benjamin remembers when the spot where the church building now sits was empty. His dad was a member of the church that bought the property, which for 11 years sat abandoned. Finally, his dad helped lead the charge to get a ministry started in El Tablon. When Benjamin's dad died last September, Benjamin stepped up to help lead the mission church. Benjamin lived in Choluteca until age 18, when he moved to Tegucigalpa. His enjoys teaching the congregation and wants to help them learn that "it's the job of everyone" to be on mission for God. Benjamin grew up in a Christian home and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior during a Vacation Bible School. Several students at the school in El Tablon prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior during the Vacation Bible School led by Deep Impact participants. One day during the week the Bible study was about prayer and the team asked the students to write down specific prayer requests. Some students asked the team to pray that they would have food to eat. One student prayed for his dad to come home. Other students asked how they could know Jesus Christ. The students at the school don't have much. They give their full attention to simple crafts and coloring sheets because they rarely see them. Just listening to their excitement playing soccer and one would never know they were playing on a cement slab full of cracks with no nets for the soccer goals. The classrooms are simple, with white walls, exposed wooden beams, nothing for decoration except a few faded posters and a few vocabulary words, and no air-conditioning. One room didn't have lights. If the students mind, they certainly don't show it. Nor does Benjamin's congregation seem to mind worshipping in a building without pews, or a choir loft, or stained glass windows, or even a bathroom. None of that matters to them. They shout praises to God and worship as if this Sunday may be their last Sunday. The church sits at the top of a hill, past the school with its thick black gate and wrought iron looking bars over all the windows. The road is dirt and gravel, the homes close to the school hardly looking like homes at all with their tin roofs and structures that seemed to be made out of whatever material people could find. But the landscape is breathtaking. Walk around to the back of the church and as far as the eye can see are lush, rolling green mountaintops. Tegucigalpa sits in the bottom of a bowl with mountains on every side. On the way to the school, driving through curve after curve and looking down below at the brightly colored buildings, homes and mountains that seem to go on forever underneath the earth, it seems unfair for such extreme poverty to exist in the midst of such beauty. Yet, pastor Benjamin and those who gather each week for worship in El Tablon bring a beauty to their village that may very well surpass the grandeur of the mountainous terrain. Brothers and sisters run and play together outside the church before service starts. An older woman sitting in the back of the church takes the hands of a child sitting next to her on her mother’s lap and helps her make the hand motions to the song. A young girl makes her way up and down each row, shaking the hands of the Deep Impact team members joining them for worship. When the church begins the service singing "How Great is our God," there is no doubt that they truly know what it means to rely on God for even the most basic needs - and they still proclaim how great is the Lord God. This is the second in a five-part series about the Deep Impact mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. To view photos, click here. Related articles
Medical team makes deep impact in Honduras
Honduran pastor leads charge to change community
Camp Betel: A miracle from God

Medical team makes deep impact in Honduras

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:09:00 -0400

EL TABLON, HONDURAS – She tried to wipe her face with her cream colored blouse but the tears kept coming. She sat sideways in the white plastic chair to face Larry Doyle, who held her hand and prayed with her while she waited with her grandchildren for their medicine. She is a Christian, but her son, who is dying of cancer, is not. Larry blinked away a few tears himself after their prayer. One by one families came through the doors of Iglesia Bautista Restauracion and waited in line to see the doctor. Some walked miles to get to the free clinic. Some children enjoyed saying "ah" for the doctor and having him listen to their heartbeat. Others, like Jared, seemed frightened at all the excitement. Jared buried his head in his mom's shoulder and she held his shirt up while the doctor pressed the stethoscope against his back. Respiratory problems are one of the most common reasons people came to the clinic. Many came to be treated for illnesses caused by parasites, which come from Hondurans not having access to clean drinking water. In Honduras, a country of 6.6 million and one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, 80 percent of illnesses could be prevented if clean drinking water was accessible. Nearly 1.1 billion in the world do not have clean drinking water and about 2 million children suffer each year with water-related diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization, one quarter of the world's population lives in developing countries with water shortages. Flash is required!
Doyle and the Deep Impact team did their best to comfort. One member rubbed a little girl’s back as she sat in her mother's lap and tried to receive a breathing treatment through a nebulizer. She gently waved the tube back and forth under the girl’s nose so she could inhale the medicine, trying to help soothe her and end her screaming and squirming. Doyle moved around the room, talking with those in line and helping explain how to take their medication. The free medical clinic is one of six mission projects carried out by Deep Impact participants in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. High school and college students and youth leaders from across North Carolina spent a week in July ministering in rural areas in the country's capital city. Deep Impact began 13 years ago at the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell in Brunswick County, and in Tegucigalpa. This is the third year Deep Impact expanded to include camp weeks at other locations. Deep Impact was also held in Red Springs, Greensboro, Shelby, Fruitland and Eastern Canada. Doyle, who is a former missionary in Ecuador and now Director of Missions for Piedmont Baptist Association, has been to Honduras with Deep Impact several times, helping build the very church where the clinic was held. He and his wife also served as on-site coordinators for NC Baptist Men the year following Hurricane Mitch. Over the years Doyle has built relationships with national believers in Honduras, one being Benjamin, the pastor of Restauracion. Doyle said Benjamin shared with him how the clinic gave him opportunity to get to know the people in his community. The church's evangelism coordinator, Rosa, certainly took advantage of the clinic. Thursday was the largest turnout with 157 patients, and Rosa shared the Gospel several times that day with the group as they waited to see the doctor. As evangelism director Rosa gets the congregation out in the community, going home to home in order to get to know people and share the Gospel. "This clinic lets people know we care about them," she said. Rosa enjoys going home to home because "you really find out about people." Nineteen years ago, in the midst of a family crisis, Rosa came to know Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. Now, she is investing in reaching out to others. The Deep Impact team reached out to share the Gospel and to provide physical care that at times seemed too easy. The doctors prescribed over-the-counter cough medicine and vitamins. Or pain reliever for a woman who complained of shoulder pain that shot through her body when she bent over to scrub her clothes. For the people living in the village of El Tablon, nothing is as easy as it should be. They don't run over to the pharmacy for basic items to treat a cough or an ear infection because most can’t afford it. It's hard to avoid water-borne disease when all the laundry, bathing and drinking water is contaminated. Rob Williams remembers the first time he saw parasites on someone's skin. Williams, a physician's assistant from Faith Baptist Church, came to Honduras in 2001 and worked in the medical clinic. Williams has learned to treat things he doesn’t see in his office, such as parasites and scorpion stings. "I came back this year for the same reason I came on the first trip," he said. "I am reminded that God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve." Williams worked alongside Dr. Antonio, a Honduran doctor who has worked in years past with North Carolina Baptists. Dr. Antonio lives in Tegucigalpa and decided to become a doctor when he saw so many people hurting in his city. "They broke my heart," he said. "I had to do something." One couple came back later in the week to get medicine for their son who has Hepatitis. Doyle got to pray with the couple and when he finished, the dad was in tears. "I knew he was hurting," Doyle said. Doyle shared the Gospel and the boy's parents prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. For the people Deep Impact ministered to through the medical clinic, little "somethings" added up to something big. This is the first in a five-part series about the Deep Impact mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. To view photos, click here. Related articles
Grateful hearts worship in El Tablon
Honduran pastor leads charge to change community
Camp Betel: A miracle from God

Ex. Committee considers changes in how NC Baptists do business

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:50:00 -0400

The Executive Committee of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina took up some weighty issues during its meeting on July 15, 2010. Among these issues: a realignment of the offices that plan and coordinate missions partnerships; approval of the 2011 budget which will be presented to the messengers for a vote at the Annual Meeting November 8-10, 2010; and discussion of a proposal to restructure Convention budget allocations within the Cooperative Program budget in North Carolina. Office of Great Commission Partnerships established
A recommendation was brought before the executive committee that the office of Partnership Missions be renamed and transitioned into the Office of Great Commission Partnerships. This move signals a new approach to partnership missions that is more strategy-driven while allowing the continuation of Baptist Men’s partnerships that are more project-driven. For the past 14 years, Richard Brunson has served as director of Partnership Missions in addition to his duties as director of NC Baptist Men, an auxiliary to the BSCNC. Under the new arrangement, Brunson will relinquish his title as it relates to Partnership Missions and a new team leader will be hired to take that post. According to Brunson, this move will allow NC Baptist Men to concentrate more on what they do best. The new team leader overseeing the Office of Great Commission Partnerships will be part of the Church Planting and Missions Development group, which is led by Executive Leader Chuck Register. Register explained to the Executive Committee that the new model of strategic partnership missions will have three main focal points:

Unreached and underserved people groupsDeveloping missions strategies
Developing missions strategies
Developing missional leaders

The strategy will include establishing Global Impact Networks, which will attempt bring together churches across the state which are already doing ministry and outreach in a particular part of the world or with a particular people group. In essence, the office will serve as a liaison to connect these existing works. In addition, the Office of Great Commission Partnerships will work toward assisting pastors to be missions strategists and next generation leaders to develop a heart for missions. As part of the recommendation, NC Baptist Men as an organization will move under the Administration and Convention Relations group in the organizational structure of the BSCNC. This should allow them more latitude to work with agencies, institutions and the BSCNC staff. The Executive Committee unanimously approved both recommendations. Executive Committee approves budget
The Executive Committee of the BSCNC Board of Directors unanimously approved the Cooperative Program budget for 2011. The budget of $32,685,480 is a 6% decrease ($2.1 million) from the 2010 budget. However, the proposed budget includes an additional one-half percent increase in the dollars that are sent to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The proposed allocation to SBC will be 35%. The BSCNC has been increasing this percentage by one-half percent each year for the past six years.
Meanwhile John Butler, executive leader of Business Services reported that BSCNC continues to operate “in the black” despite the fact that giving as of June 30, 2010 was 7.63% below giving compared to this point last year and approximately 11% under the 2010 budget. Butler said that as of June 30, the BSCNC was $34,000 in the black, what he called “a razor thin margin”. However Butler said, removing all seasonal considerations, we are $100,000 in the black and he considers this “a very good place to be considering the tough economic times”. Executive Committee considers Austin Rammell motion
The Executive Committee considered an item that was introduced by Austin Rammell during the May Board of Directors meeting. Rammell is pastor of Venture Church in Dallas, North Carolina and was invited to speak to the Executive Committee regarding the motion. After addressing the Executive Committee, sharing his purpose and rationale behind the motion, Rammell stayed to answer questions pertaining to the motion. In his motion, Rammell requests that the Executive Committee investigate “the feasibility of moving the items currently in the North Carolina Missions Offering into the annual budget funded by the Cooperative Program.” Furthermore, the motion asks that the Executive Committee study “the feasibility of moving non-mission and/or non-high-priority items out of the budget funded by the Cooperative Program and into a new statewide offering that would replace the current North Carolina Missions Offering.”
Rammell said he would like to see Cooperative Program money in North Carolina more closely aligned with core principles that he believes are most essential; he identified disaster relief, church planting, and international missions as those most essential. Rammell suggested the establishment of an evaluation system or formula by which to define what is most effective. “People are going to be more excited about giving to CP if more of the money they give leaves the state and we are convinced that what stays in NC is going toward the most essential and effective ministries,” said Rammell. When asked what he considered to be non-high priority items in the budget, Rammell said these would be things that can be easily handled by local churches working with other local churches, and things that are already being done by churches and other groups within the state. “I want to get a conversation started and create some healthy tension. This is not a young people movement. We learned it from gray-haired people in seminaries that told us that this is how to change the world.” When asked what he thought would happen if the Executive Committee studies the motion and does nothing, Rammell replied, “In the coming months, if there is not a sense that North Carolina is not partnering with the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force recommendations and becoming a great deal more effective with CP, I believe CP will shrink massively and people will begin making direct-giving to IMB.” The Executive Committee directed Chairman Bobby Blanton to appoint a committee to study this recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Embrace takes mission team to Argentina
Ashley Allen, director of Embrace Women’s Missions and Ministries, shared with the Executive Committee about the Embrace mission trip to Argentina this summer. Ashley led a team of nine women and one man (Church Planting and Missions Development Executive Leader Chuck Register) to Buenos Aires, which is the capital and largest city of Argentina. Allen explained the vastness of the need in Buenos Aires. There are 14 million residents of Buenos Aires and only 4% are thought to be believers. That leaves 13.5 million lost people in that city alone. The Embrace team worked with International Mission Board Missionaries Mark and Melissa Hobson. They participated in several outreach efforts during their trip. They hosted eight English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at two local schools and were able to share Christ with 100 students during that time. The team visited an orphanage and took Bibles, toys and hygiene products to 21 children. They hosted a ladies’ tea and participated in a block party attended by 200 people. Five new Bible studies will be started as a result of the block party.

NC Baptists featured on Time Warner Cable’s Faith on Demand

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:30:00 -0400

One evening last week, John’s family gathered in the TV room to find a movie to watch together. They were flipping through the On Demand section on Time Warner Cable and stumbled across the Faith on Demand channel. It was there they found a beautiful but tragic story of the earthquake in Haiti. People in many parts of our state are able to witness the good work that North Carolina Baptists are doing in Haiti from their living rooms. They can sit with their families and watch a video which paints the picture of hope being rebuilt in that tiny, impoverished and now earthquake ravaged country. They can see little Haitian children hovering around their new temporary home as it’s being assembled by volunteers. They can see the children claim their beds—mere plywood bunk beds—and try to climb up on them before the roof even goes on. In another residence in North Carolina, someone bored with ordinary television can watch, rewind, watch again the stories about medical teams who continue to minister to earthquake victims and provide medical care to many others who continue to fall ill due to their extreme circumstances. For those viewing, it is absolutely free and there is no limit to the number of times the video can be watched. The Haiti video has been available on Time Warner Cable’s Faith on Demand channel #1083 since early June and will continue through the end of July. Take a moment to watch the video and share it with your friends and family. It’s certainly a story that’s worth sharing. It’s North Carolina Baptist volunteers and giving at their very best.

Fort Caswell: Why they keep coming back

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:16:00 -0400

At the mouth of the Cape Fear River stands Fort Caswell, once a barrier for North Carolina’s coast against enemies on the sea. The Fort is named after Richard Caswell, North Carolina’s first governor, and was used during the Civil War and both World Wars. In 1949, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) purchased Fort Caswell, which was designated as war surplus and assigned for disposal. Today, the NC Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell on Oak Island is open year-round for conferences and retreats. Throughout the years summer camp quickly proved one of the most popular events at Caswell, and the summer camp ministry has only continued to increase its influence. During the 2009 summer, about 7,000 students attended camp, known as Youth Weeks. Last summer alone 400 students received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and 71 students surrendered to the call to full time Christian ministry. For many North Carolina Baptists, Caswell is a place of spiritual renewal and a place they call “home.” What is it about Caswell that keeps them coming back? During a recent summer Youth Week, a few people shared what the Caswell experience means to them. Karen Pruette
For 19 years Karen Pruette has served as youth minister at Fork Baptist Church in Mocksville and nearly every year brings her group to Youth Weeks at Caswell. Pruette went to Caswell several times as a teenager and now, serving at the church where she grew up, is making sure the next generation experiences Caswell. Pruette knew as a teenager she wanted to serve in youth ministry. Thirty years later, “God is still calling me into youth ministry,” she said. Caswell is one place where, year after year, God affirms this calling on her life. Pruette watches as the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes the hearts of youth she had almost given up on. Each year Youth Weeks focus on a theme, such as discipleship or evangelism. This year the focus is on apologetics and teaching youth how to be grounded in their faith. “Youth are looking for more concrete proof about everything,” Pruette said. “They don’t just take your word for it. They need to be able to answer for themselves. We want them to know the Bible is true, and not just be something they heard or something I told them.” Jackson Perry
Jackson Perry is 22 years old, and for 21 of those years he has spent a week at Caswell. Perry’s dad served bivocationally as the youth minister of Oak Dale Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, so when the youth went to Caswell, Perry went to Caswell. He made his first trip at six months old. “This is where I grew up,” Perry said. Perry learned many things during summer camp at Caswell, one of the most important being how to serve others. He also learned what it means to be someone who seeks after the face of God and longs for the character of Christ. Perry worked the past three summers at Caswell doing a job far from glamorous: cafeteria dish room staff. The job was long, hot and came with little recognition. Yet, Perry made friends with other staff and learned what it means to serve others with little regard for self. This year Perry returned to Caswell, but in a different role. This year marks his first year at Caswell as a chaperone with the Oak Dale youth group. The youth group is in transition as the church seeks a full time youth minister, and Perry said he couldn’t leave them without help. Perry didn’t just commit to working with the youth at Caswell; he committed his entire summer to serving. Andrew Burnette
Not until Andrew Burnette came to Caswell did he learn how to and even want to grow his relationship with Jesus. Burnette, now a junior at Campbell University, still remembers as an 8th grader sitting outside Hatch Auditorium and reading in Luke about passion week. He came to the part when Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In that moment Burnette understood that in his own strength he could not forgive like that. The Lord opened his heart to get a glimpse at just how much he was loved by his Heavenly Father. This is Burnette’s second year serving on the recreation staff at Caswell. Coming into his first summer on staff Burnette said he was “weighed down by a lot of stuff.” Within the first three weeks the Lord used Matthew 16:24 to change his heart. “I was putting my own dreams and desires ahead of God,” he said. “I broke down and said, ‘God, I give it to you.’” Kylie Nall
When Kylie Nall enters UNC-Charlotte this fall as a freshman she plans to focus her studies on nursing. Nall wants to be a “nurse missionary” when she graduates. For now, Nall is using her time on staff with Coastal Explorers to focus on the missions part of her future career. “I’m learning more about my faith,” she said. “Right now I’m working on growing in my faith.” Coastal Explorers at Caswell is a day camp for middle school students. From leading devotions to crabbing and kayaking, Nall builds relationships with the campers and looks for opportunities to share the Gospel. Nall came to Caswell Youth Weeks five years as a camper. Last year she worked in the Drift-in, the Internet café at Caswell. Around the time Nall was preparing to come to Caswell last year her parents were going through a divorce. Being at Caswell, enjoying fellowship with staff and attending worship services “brought me peace,” Nall said. “You can feel God’s presence here.” Dwight and Lissa Munn
In 1985, Lissa Munn and her parents set out to make the drive from Louisiana to Fort Caswell so Lissa could begin her summer job in the cafeteria. Lissa had not heard about Caswell until a friend recommended she apply for summer staff. When Lissa and her friend arrived they planned to spend their free time at the beach and had no intentions of trying to invest much time in getting to know anyone else. They certainly didn’t expect to meet their future husbands at Caswell. Lissa met Dwight her first summer at Caswell, which was Dwight’s second year on staff. Dwight was about three years older than Lissa and after Caswell they parted ways. Four years later they were engaged, and when it came time to celebrate their 15^th anniversary, they headed back to Oak Island. Of course meeting his wife was the highlight of his Caswell experience. But Dwight, now minister of education at First Baptist Church in Monroe, La., still values the “deep and abiding friendships made in a key juncture in life.” He also learned to “pick up the towel and the basin and serve people.” Dwight and Lissa knew their work behind the scenes, whether in the cafeteria or guest services, helped facilitate a setting where youth could experience a week of life change. For more information about Caswell visit www.fortcaswell.com

Best of the Blogs

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:50:00 -0400

This is the second installment of "Best of the Blogs" a new series at ncbaptist.org. Our goal is to help connect you with some insightful and edifying blog posts from the past week. We'll post most Fridays and include a brief summary of a blog or article we found particularly helpful, accompanied by a link to direct you to the full post. These bloggers may or may not be Baptists. Regardless of denominational affiliation, we'll link to articles or blog posts which we hope will help you as you seek to follow Jesus and serve His church. The gospel Spreads in North Korea
North Korea is one of the world's most closed countries to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is especially closed to outside missionaries. But, as the AP reports, progress is being made. Here is an excerpt from the story of Son Jong Nam:

"Like most North Koreans, Son Jong Nam knew next to nothing about Christianity when he fled to neighboring China in 1998. Eleven years later, he died back in North Korea in prison, reportedly tortured to death for trying to spread the Gospel in his native land, armed with 20 bibles and 10 cassette tapes of hymns. He was 50." Read the full story here. One of the Worst Verses in the Bible
Why Pastor Furtick of Elevation Church considers Jeremiah 29:11 "one of the worst verses in the Bible." Here is his introduction:

"If you've been in or around a church for more than two weeks you're probably tempted to label me a heretic right now. Because that verse is the golden child of the Christian universe. It's the place we go to in the midst of chaos to reassure ourselves that God has our back. It's the promise we claim when we're worried about the future. In fact, it's probably the most popular promise of God in the entire Bible."

Later in the blog post he goes on to write, "What makes Jeremiah 29:11 one of the worst verses in the Bible has nothing to do with the verse itself. It's the imposition of our timetable onto it. We expect the utterance of this verse to calm the chaos now." Read the post in its entirety here. Radio Days: Lessons Learned Behind the Microphone
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., brought his long standing radio program to a close this past week.
"Last Friday marked the final live broadcast of The Albert Mohler Program. Delivering that program was one of the great privileges of my life, and one for which I will always be thankful. Day by day, coast to coast, individuals and families welcomed me into their lives and joined in what we sincerely hoped was "Intelligent Christian Conversation About the Issues That Matter." Mohler goes on in the post to identify 10 lessons he learned while hosting the show:
1. Christians Are Starved for Intelligent Christian Conversation
2. Time Passes Quickly — On and Off the Air
3. Words Matter — All of Them
4. Issues Come and Go, but the Gospel of Christ Remains
5. The Church in this Generation is Confronted with Tremendous Challenges
6. The Church Has Ample Reason for Hope
7. The Young Are Bearing the Greatest Burden
8. You Should Never Take Yourself Too Seriously
9. Family, Friends, and Colleagues are Precious and Indispensable Gifts
10. There is a Time and a Season for Everything Read the full post here. It’s Not Either/or, it's Both/and
Not to brag on the blogs hosted at ncbaptist.org…but this is good stuff and Chuck Register is cranking it out. Register writes about how he used to view missions and his role as a pastor of a local church. "To be honest, I thought we were a good missions-minded Southern Baptist church," he writes. But God used an international mission trip and "radically changed my thinking about missions giving." Register recounts his realizations from that mission trip and how it changed him as a pastor. The blog posts are in a three-part series and tell a compelling story of a pastor’s journey towards a "holistic, 'both/and' missions funding strategy." Read all three posts here. Theology of Multi-Ethnic Church
With the increasing diversity of North Carolina's population, the BSCNC understands the importance of multicultural ministry. The BSCNC Multicultural Team will host the Ethnic Blends conference September 25, 2010. The conference gets its name from a book written by featured speaker Dr. Mark DeYmaz. Over at OutofUR is a very helpful interview with DeYmaz on the topic of multi-ethnic churches. Answering one question DeYmaz states, "For eighteen years prior to planting Mosaic I served homogeneous congregations. Like my friends and colleagues serving such churches today, I was blessed on numerous occasions to experience God working in and through me for his glory. Nevertheless, my wife and I have found an inimitable dimension of the Holy Spirit, a unique power and pleasure of God, that dwells in the midst of a diverse people seeking Christ as one." Part 1 of the interview: here. Part 2 of the interview: here.

N.C. couple to manage New York mission house

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:02:00 -0400

When Lynette Lawrence got a text message from her husband during a vision trip in New York City she thought his excitement would translate into leading mission teams to the city. She wasn't expecting her family to be that team. In March of this year Barry Lawrence joined a group of North Carolina pastors and Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) staff on a two-day visit to New York City. The BSCNC entered into a partnership this year with Metropolitan New York Baptist Association (MNYBA), and the vision trip allowed North Carolina pastors and New York pastors to meet and get a feel for how they could work together. The trip was Barry's first visit to New York, although he was close last year when he led a team from Antioch Baptist Church in Goldston, N.C., where he served as pastor, on a mission trip to Philadelphia. After that trip and seeing firsthand the vast lostness in the cities, he felt that he needed to lead his church back to the northeast this year on another mission trip. The Lawrence family has always been missions-minded. "Missions has always been a thread in our life," Barry said. Barry and Lynette have gone on mission trips together and separately. Barry was called by God to do more for missions when, after 15 years in the textile industry, he quit his job in Sanford and moved the family to Wake Forest so he could be a full time student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. After seminary he served three years as pastor of Antioch. Barry had a good thing going at Antioch. His congregation was on mission for Jesus Christ and his passion was for the local church. But something happened during those two days in New York. "While I was here God stirred that fire within me even more to reach out to the nations," Barry said. George Russ, MNYBA Executive Director, shared with Barry and the team about an immediate need for the association. The couple managing the David Dean House in Brooklyn would soon be leaving to pursue another ministry opportunity and Russ needed a couple to step in. "Something in my heart just lept," Barry said. "The Holy Spirit was just pounding on me." The David Dean House is used to house short-term volunteers who come to serve in New York City. The dormitory-style accommodations can house up to 50 volunteers at a time. Throughout the vision trip God was at work in Barry's heart. A "defining moment" came when Barry and the group met a pastor from Ghana serving in the Bronx. The pastor recently purchased a three-story building, a former casket factory built in 1926, with the goal of using the facility as a means to reach out to immigrants from Ghana and other parts of Africa. "Can't you see it?" the pastor kept asking the group. Standing there on the first floor, with water seeping in from all the rain that day, Barry's response was only natural. "See what?" he asked the pastor. All he saw was a building in desperate need of repair. The pastor described his vision for where the congregation would sit and how a choir would look standing up there and praising God. "Through his faithfulness and passion, I could then see it," Barry said. In the pouring rain, the team joined the pastor on the roof and prayed for the congregation and the city. As Barry looked out over the city and saw all the apartments "just a shout" from where he stood, he thought about all the nonbelievers represented in those homes. Barry shared that moment with his 18-year-old son, Micah. Micah, who begins college this fall at Barton in Wilson, N.C., joined the vision team and "God was working even in his heart to see what He would eventually do," Barry said. God was also at work in Lynette's heart and in the hearts of his two daughters, ages 9 and 14. Just two and a half weeks after coming home from New York, Barry returned, this time with Lynette and the girls. They met with Russ and the current David Dean House managers, and talk of moving north got serious. During that trip Lynette saw that there would be challenges in New York, such as learning the subway system and how to make routine errands. She worried about failure and not being able to guide her children through the transition. Unlike Barry, who grew up in a military family and moved often, Lynette was not used to the city life. Yet, even in New York, "the Lord spoke to me about not settling," Lynette said. Staying in North Carolina with all their family would be the easy thing to do. But she knew the Lord was calling them to New York and she was ready. After that trip to New York, it was "undeniable that this is where God would have us come and minister," Barry said. Barry began working in New York May 27, just two months after the vision trip. His family joined him June 17, all except Micah, who is living this summer with family in North Carolina since he starts college in August. Their house is still on the market, but they have sold most of their furniture and car and are now working to make their new 900-square-foot apartment feel like home. Their van came with them to New York, but it hasn't taken long for the Lawrence family to realize the best home for a van is not New York City. Barry and Lynette are M.O.S.T. (missions on short-term) missionaries with the North American Mission Board. They receive some funding from NAMB but will also be responsible for raising missions support. The Lawrences have already hosted five mission teams at the David Dean House. They work to build relationships with the teams and to work alongside them. They are also working to build relationships with New York business owners and to take advantage of opportunities God gives to share the Gospel. Their passion is to grow the Kingdom of God, and their excitement for seeing the Lord's work accomplished is the driving force behind their new journey in New York City. For more information about missions in New York City and the David Dean House, e-mail daviddeanhouse@gmail.com or visit www.mnyba.org.

Hulls Grove ministers to skaters, bikers

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:50:00 -0400

After exiting I-40 the drive to Vale, N.C., is anything but direct. One turn after another, one country road after another. The scenery, though, is breathtaking. The mountains in all their splendor follow along with every curve of the highway. Open pastures, green fields and a country store or two are not uncommon. By all accounts of a first impression, Vale seems like a quaint, peaceful little town. An unlikely candidate to claim a church that hosts ministries for motorcycle riders and skateboarders. Pastor Marcus Redding and Hulls Grove Baptist Church in Vale have learned they don’t always pick the people they serve. Sometimes God brings opportunities along and it’s up to the church to be faithful and respond, even when the task is unexpected and outside the boundaries of what is familiar and comfortable. Hulls Grove started The Way Skate Ministry about four years ago. "I thought it was crazy," Redding said. "I didn't realize skateboarding was back. We're out in the country. I thought, 'no one is going to skate here.'" The skate ministry began as a Bible study in Seth Barkley's backyard. Seth, a skateboarder himself and member of Hulls Grove, started doing a Bible study with a few teenagers who enjoyed skateboarding. Seth and his dad built a half pipe ramp in the backyard and the group of teenagers at the Barkley home started increasing week after week. Hulls Grove saw how Barkley ministered to teenagers and the congregation was ready when asked to help him do even more. The church funded the building of portable skateboard ramps and started The Way Skate Ministry, which now meets in a 5,000 square-foot building. On Tuesday nights middle school students come out to skate and hear a Bible study. On Thursday nights students high school age and older get to skate. "The youth are used to being rejected at school," said Bobby Farmer, pastor of evangelism and missions at Hulls Grove. Farmer is providing oversight to the skate ministry as Barkley is now serving the Lord on the international mission field. "They try different things not because they are against God, but to push the envelope. To see if people will really get to know them and love them. They just want to be accepted." Most of the youth who come to skate are local. Some are involved in church and others are not. Farmer said some of the students are agnostics or atheists. Regardless of where they come from or where they are now, the skate ministry seeks to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ. Farmer has watched as youth go from questioning God and the Bible to trusting in Him as personal Lord and Savior. Hulls Grove uses skateboarding as a way to extend ministry beyond their community. Church members travel across the state, as well as to South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana and Canada, with the portable ramps, especially during the summer months, participating in block parties and special events. "The Lord is letting us have interaction with the lost community," Redding said. Although The Way Skate Ministry was totally different from any kind of ministry Hulls Grove had ever done before, Redding said the congregation was onboard and supportive from the get-go. When another unique opportunity came along more recently the church was ready to get behind it. Greg Spurling is pastoring Freedom Biker Church in Hickory. Spurling served four years as minister of education at Hulls Grove before taking the lead at Freedom last August. The congregation meets in a warehouse building off I-40. Freedom Biker Church began with Spurling and six other people from Hulls Grove. Now as many as 50 have come on a Sunday to worship with Freedom Biker Church. The congregation represents a wide range of ages. Two years ago Spurling was invited to go on a mission trip to Canada. He joined others who decided to ride their bikes to Canada. While on that trip teammates asked him to consider starting a biker church. "I kept telling them no. For about a year I kept telling them no," Spurling said. "God changed my heart." At Freedom, "we try to be as transparent as possible,” Spurling said. "Our focus is building relationships. At some point in their lives they have been to a church and haven’t been received well." Not at Freedom Biker Church. All are welcome to come, as they are, to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information about Freedom Biker Church of Hickory visit www.freedombikerchurchhickory.com

Best of the Blogs

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:22:00 -0400

We're starting a new series here at ncbaptist.org called "Best of the Blogs." Our goal is to help connect you with some insightful and edifying blog posts from the past week. We'll post most Fridays and include a brief summary of a blog or article we found particularly helpful, accompanied by a link to direct you to the full post. These bloggers may or may not be Baptists. Regardless of denominational affiliation, we'll link to articles or blog posts which we hope will help you as you seek to follow Jesus and serve His church. Life in Those Old Bones by Ed Stetzer
Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research, wrote this article for Christianity Today. It starts out a little depressing, especially for those who, say, love and serve a denomination like the Southern Baptist Convention. For instance, Stetzer writes that, "membership in 23 of the 25 largest Christian denominations is declining…" and in 2009, LifeWay Research conducted a study which showed that of the 100 largest churches in the United States, half call themselves "nondenominational." But Stetzer does not believe that denominations are worth closing the book on. In fact, part of his conclusion is this: "Through a denomination, we can provide resources to people we will never meet, reach places we will never go, and preach the gospel to lost souls who are beyond our personal reach. We can find what we need and give as much as we want - because the key to cooperation is to both give and receive." Read the full article here. Book Review of The Great Commission Resurgence
Over at the Betweenthetimes blog, Dr. Bruce Ashford writes, "The 429 page treatise, edited by Chuck Lawless and Adam Greenway, has just now been released and is worth your time reading if you are interested in the SBC and GCR. The Great Commission Resurgence includes essays written by pastors (David Platt, J.D. Greear, Al Jackson, Tom Ascol), entity heads (Danny Akin, Al Mohler, Thom Rainer, Jeff Iorg, Jerry Rankin, David Dockery), and seminary profs (Russell Moore, Nathan Finn, Bruce Ashford, David Allen)." Go to the full blog post here: BetweentheTimes You can order the book here: LifeWay Christian Bookstore SBC Round Up
For those who did not attend the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Fla., this year (or, even for those of you who did) here are a few thoughts/summary remarks by Baptists: J.D. Greear
Danny Akin
Trevin Wax

For the official SBC wrap up visit: SBC Annual Meeting.

On An Adoption
"I was across the hall from my office and I heard my phone ring, but I didn't make it in time. Before I could see who it was it started ringing again and I saw the famous 817 area code. I immediately started shaking and my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I answered and Kristin, our caseworker, told me she had our referral ready for us. All I could say was 'Oh my gosh' like a million times."

Read this personal and emotional post from Matt and Laura Capps. Just because it's cool, here's a great video on adoption you may not have seen on the Web this week:

Wednesday update from the SBC

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:36:00 -0400

ORLANDO – Mac Brunson delivered a Convention Sermon Wednesday morning that was not the easiest message to hear, as it called Southern Baptist Convention messengers to examine their hearts and ask some tough questions. Brunson’s sermon spoke straight to the heart of what messengers approved yesterday during the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report – taking the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Brunson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., spoke on the necessity of making the preeminence of Jesus Christ the focus in every area of life. In order for Jesus Christ to be the focus of ministry efforts, He must first be most important in a believer’s own life. Believers, especially pastors, must remember that "their" ministry is not really theirs. "What we have is what God has given us," Brunson said. "We are saved solely by God's grace." Believers are God's servants, and even if one has "degrees like curtains in a mansion," the fact is the same: Christians are servants of Jesus Christ only by His grace and mercy. Brunson spoke of how, in John 3, John knew his position. He knew he was not the bride or the bridegroom; his role was to turn hearts toward the bridegroom, which is Jesus Christ. Christians will never reach the world for Jesus Christ if their focus is self. Brunson also encouraged pastors to make the preeminence of Christ central to their preaching. GCR recordings
On Tuesday messenger Jay Adkins of Louisiana made a motion to allow immediate public access to audio recordings of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force deliberations, rather than waiting 15 years as requested by the Task Force. Of 30 motions this was the only one brought before the Convention for consideration. Al Mohler spoke against the motion, saying that promises of privacy and confidentiality would be broken. The Task Force brought in various entity heads to their meetings, with the promise of confidentiality, and those conversations would not have been possible had privacy not been promised. Mohler also explained that the Task Force discussed personnel matters which required confidentiality to be maintained. Greg Wills, professor of church history and associate dean at Southern Seminary, also spoke against the motion. Wills called the 15-year period "entirely reasonable" and one that if not honored would "sacrifice history on the altar of politics." Speaking for the motion was James Smith, editor of the Florida Baptist Witness. Before the Task Force began meeting last year Smith encouraged the group to allow press to attend the deliberations, a suggestion not taken by the Task Force. One messenger tried to have the Convention amend the motion to allow selected segments of the recordings be released immediately. The amendment failed. After more discussion, Adkins' motion failed. Officer Elections Second Vice President: Eric Moffett. Moffett, 26, is pastor of First Baptist Church in Sparkman, Ark. Recording Secretary: John Yeats. Yeats is director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention and has served as recording secretary since 1997. Registration Secretary: Jim Wells. Wells is director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association in Nixa, Mo., and has served as registration secretary for eight years. LifeWay Christian Resources
Much of the report from LifeWay Christian Resources focused on "Transformational Church," a new book/DVD resource about principles guiding transformational churches. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, said the study will "change the scorecard" when it comes to evaluating transformational churches. LifeWay conducted 7,000 phone interviews with pastors and 250 face-to-face interviews. The study found that transformational churches are those that discern a missionary mentality, embrace vibrant leadership and engage in worship. "This is more than a book, DVD, diagnostic tool, or another resource," said Thom Rainer, LifeWay president and CEO. Rainer said "Transformational Church" is an initiative to shape LifeWay’s vision. Rainer also introduced the movie "Courageous," the next film from Sherwood Productions due out next year. LifeWay is partnering with Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., to make the film possible. Committee on Resolutions
Messengers approved the adoption of seven resolutions. Those resolutions are: On the Centrality of the Gospel, On Family Worship, On the Scandal of Southern Baptist Divorce, On the Gulf of Mexico Catastrophe, On Homosexuality and the United States Military, On the Employment Non-discrimination Act, and On Appreciation. North American Mission Board
Interim president Richard Harris introduced different stories of how God is at work across the country. In New York City, in the Bronx, Andrew Mann is serving at Graffiti 2 and working with many children and teenagers. Mann is an example of how one person really can change a community – and in this case, also a family. Mann shared the Gospel with teenager Desean. Desean received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior, and then shared the Gospel with just about anyone who would listen. His mom, brother and best friend are now believers in Jesus Christ. Seminary Reports
Messengers heard from Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Seminary; Phil Roberts, president of Midwestern Seminary; and Chuck Kelley, Jr., president of New Orleans Seminary. Click here for photos. Flash is required!

Tuesday update from the SBC

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:19:00 -0400

ORLANDO – Today all eyes were on the Tuesday afternoon session and the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report (click here for related article). In other Southern Baptist Convention news, Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., won the election for SBC president. Wright won in a run-off election with Ted Traylor. Ron Herrod was elected first vice president. Elections for other SBC officers take place Wednesday. The day began with an opportunity for messengers to introduce motions for consideration by messengers. Motions included increasing the percentage of small church pastors serving on SBC committees; encouraging churches to host a solemn assembly in January 2011; and asking the Executive Committee to consider churches aligning with the Alliance of Baptists as violating the SBC's position on homosexuality. Of 30 motions introduced Tuesday, 12 were ruled out of order, 17 will be sent on to the SBC Executive Committee and SBC entities, and only one will be brought before messengers Wednesday morning. This motion deals with whether or not the recordings of the GCR Task Force will remain under lock and key for 15 years as the Task Force has requested. Frank Page brought the Crossover Evangelism Report from the North American Mission Board. This past weekend, volunteers descended upon Orlando to participate in evangelistic efforts. The total number of people who heard the Gospel during Crossover and received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior is 1,505. Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary, brought a report from the seminary and spoke to the need for Southeastern to partner with more local churches. "Some things seminaries only do well in partnership with local churches," he said. Johnny Hunt focused his President's Address on Kadesh-barnea using Joshua 14 and Numbers 13-14. Hunt talked about how Caleb and Joshua were not like the 10 other spies who went out into the land God had promised them and came back discouraged at the seemingly impossible task of conquering the land. When the 10 reviewed the past, they longed for a return to the past. They missed all that God had done for them in the past, even though they had "experienced personally God's power." Caleb and Joshua looked at the past, were reminded of God's faithfulness, and this sparked an attitude focused on a brighter future. They were not afraid to move forward. Hunt reminded the messengers that because of their unbelief, God’s people who had wandered in the wilderness never saw the Promised Land. "What a price for unbelief," Hunt said. Hunt challenged the SBC to trust God, to dream big, to invest in the lives of others and to not miss out on anything because of a failure to trust God. Tuesday's sessions included several recognitions. Bobbye and Jerry Rankin were recognized, as Dr. Rankin retires soon after 17 years as president of the International Mission Board. Morris Chapman, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Committee, is also retiring and was recognized. Other reports included an IMB report from Rankin, a Southwestern Seminary report from president Paige Patterson, and a Southern Seminary report from president Al Mohler. Richard Land also brought the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Presentation.

N.C. reacts to GCR vote

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:48:00 -0400

ORLANDO – For 12 months now Southern Baptists across the country have been talking about and gearing up for what would take place Tuesday afternoon on June 15 in Orlando, Fla. The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force brought its report, which includes seven recommendations, to messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for their consideration (click here for the report and click here for related article about appointment of the Task Force). Leading up to the 2:45 p.m. slot messengers were reminded Tuesday that what was coming carried with it great significance, and several speakers referenced this day and this Convention as "historic." Morris Chapman, Executive Committee president and CEO, spoke adamantly against the GCR report during the Executive Committee report. Chapman has made his position clear on the GCR report in articles such as "A better way ahead." He noted before the messengers his disagreement with the Task Force on all the recommendations except the first two and gave special attention to addressing recommendation three, which focuses on the Cooperative Program and Great Commission Giving. Chapman called the report a "wrong road" at this point in the life of the SBC, and a road that will lead the Cooperative Program away from its one-of-a-kind stature. According to Chapman, the last five recommendations represent "more chaos" to come in the SBC and require more study and thought than what the Task Force has allowed. He said these five recommendations would never "bring us to our knees," much less get us to the nations with the Gospel. Chapman made some strong statements against the report, comparing the Task Force's work with that of rearranging chairs on the Titanic while the ship goes down. Quite a different atmosphere could be found during the sold-out Baptist21 panel. About 1,000 people packed into the room for lunch and a panel discussion hosted by B21, a group of young Southern Baptists "pursuing Gospel-centrality through the local church among the nations…" This crowd certainly favored the GCR report and was just as passionate about sharing why. The panel, which included Al Mohler, Ronnie Floyd, David Platt, Matt Chandler, Jimmy Scroggins, Danny Akin, Ed Stetzer and Johnny Hunt, answered questions about the GCR report and the future of the SBC. Akin fielded the first question about why the need for a task force and a GCR report. "Business as usual isn't working well," he said, and while the SBC has been losing ground for years, it has become more apparent in recent years. Thus, something must change in order for the SBC to make a difference in its efforts to penetrate lostness. Hunt spoke about how his heart has been changed because of the GCR report and discussions it has evoked. A change in the heart of individuals across the Southern Baptist Convention is the greatest change that could come from the report, Hunt said. Hunt urged "more emulation with our exhortation," as Southern Baptists need to consider this question: "What are we going to do with what we believe?" Floyd spoke about the importance of reaching the cities and the need to get more resources into underserved parts of North America. Southern Baptists must "get dollars and cents to one thing: penetrating lostness," he said. To do that will require, as Jimmy Scroggins said, the cutting back of some good things being done in the Southern Baptist Convention in order to do the best things. "It’s not about keeping good people onboard,” he said. The GCR report is about keeping what is most important, which is penetrating lostness, the main priority. Mohler responded to a question about recommendation three and the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program is not something that needs defending; it is strong and can stand on its own. This recommendation and use of the term Great Commission Giving will not encourage or result in a societal method of financial giving. In fact, this language places more limitations on what will be recognized as designated giving for missions in the Annual Church Profile, as only dollars given to SBC causes will be counted. Akin asked those in attendance to make sure to get into the meeting hall to vote, and to support the Task Force as the report’s seven recommendations would be presented in a single motion with the hope of requiring only a single vote by the messengers. Mohler made the same request on behalf of the Task Force in the presentation of the report to the messengers. The Task Force made it clear that their recommendations are a “vision for the future” and that the responsibility of implementation falls to the SBC entities. Messengers cast their final vote on the report as a single motion and overwhelmingly adopted the report. Much discussion came before messengers were ready for the final vote, however. Messengers were provided opportunity to speak both for and against the report. One messenger made a motion to indefinitely postpone voting on the report, an action that would prevent the report from being brought back for consideration, but messengers overwhelmingly defeated the motion. Another messenger made a motion to receive the report, take no action, and then send the report to the EC; messengers overwhelmingly defeated that motion as well. The greatest point of discussion surrounded recommendation three. Messenger John Waters of First Baptist Church in Statesboro, Ga., brought a motion to amend the report by striking the Great Commission Giving language from the report. The vote on the amendment was too close to call. In an effort to avoid a lengthy ballot vote and in a spirit of unity, Task Force Chairman Ronnie Floyd brought before the messengers a modified recommendation three that said Southern Baptists will "continue to honor and affirm the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach." Messengers overwhelmingly seemingly voted to revise the language of recommendation three in this matter. However, more discussion related to recommendation three, and the parliamentary correctness of the Task Force’s revision resulted in a more official revision of that particular recommendation. Messengers formally adopted a second amendment to recommendation three that added the following: "We affirm that designated giving to special causes is to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving." The Great Commission Giving language remained in the recommendation but a clearer statement related to designated gifts was added with approval by the messengers. Just after the vote, Milton A. Hollifield, Jr., Executive Director-Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, and several North Carolina pastors gave their reactions to the report: Milton A. Hollifield, Jr.: What we saw in the convention hall today was the best of the Southern Baptist decision process. It’s obvious that there has been a lot of emotional feeling surrounding the GCR Task Force recommendations. Southern Baptist people are passionate people, and one of the things they are passionate about is getting the gospel to lost people. Even though there might have been differing opinions in the room today, it became very obvious through all the discussion that there’s such a tremendous commitment on the part of Southern Baptists to get the Gospel to people who don’t know Christ as Savior, whether they’re in North America or whether they’re part of the nations around the world. I felt that there was a flexibility with the Task Force, that they were willing to listen and even modify one of the recommendations in order to accommodate what they felt the messengers of the house wanted to be the decision of the Southern Baptist Convention. There was a clear voice in the majority speaking, saying that we support the recommendations that the Task Force has presented to us. What this means is that we are at a new point of beginning as the SBC. This is not the end, this is the beginning. What we’re going to be watching now is to see how committed Southern Baptists are to carrying the Gospel around the world, and how committed Southern Baptists are to supporting missions through the Cooperative Program. Flash is required!
Flash is required!
Mark Harris: I’m excited in what just came out of that convention meeting. I think a pivotal moment was when the passionate plea was made for the Cooperative Program being given some sense of priority. I think the real heartbeat of the Great Commission Task Force started to be seen at that point. Bobby Blanton: I was a little surprised given the amount of the discussion prior to the session – it seemed to go over stronger than what some of the discussion had indicated. I could not vote for this unless I am also willing to experience a resurgence in my own commitment to the Great Commission. Flash is required!
Gerald Hodges: I was pleased to see that many people with differing views were given the opportunity to discuss their differences. I really sensed that the Holy Spirit brought unity there. I think that as a convention we have a generation of pastors and a lot of churches who want to move forward, are passionate about the Great Commission, and want to be involved in it, maybe in ways differently from some of the older pastors and older churches, and there’s room for everybody at the table. I think this affirms that and I really believe it’s going to set a different direction for us.

NC Pastors anticipate SBC Annual Meeting events

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:14:00 -0400

Three North Carolina Pastors, who we intercepted as they were entering the General Session room on Tuesday morning, talk about what they anticipate will be the highlights of the SBC Annual Meeting just getting underway in Orlando, Florida. Flash is required!

Monday update from the SBC

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:57:00 -0400

ORLANDO – On the day before the 2010 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) meeting officially begins, Frank Page was named the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the SBC's Executive Committee (EC). The EC went into executive session for two hours Monday afternoon before voting to name Page president. Page, 57, succeeds Morris Chapman, who will retire after 18 years as EC president. Page, who is a native North Carolinian, is a former SBC president, serving from 2006-2008. He served as pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., for nine years and most recently served as vice president of evangelization for the North American Mission Board. "One of my goals is to be a unifier. We've got to, based on John 17:21," he said. "It is imperative for our evangelistic efforts that we be unified, and that is extremely important to me," Page told Baptist Press after the vote. Pastor’s conference
The Pastor’s Conference was held Sunday, June 13 and Monday, June 14, and focused on the theme “Greater things.” This year’s president, Kevin Ezell, helped assemble a cast of speakers focused on teaching the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Speakers included Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Seminary; Francis Chan, founder of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif.; Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Highland Village, Texas; Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas; Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn.; David Landrith, pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn.; C.J. Mahaney, founder of Soverign Grace Ministries; Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary; Russell Moore, senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Seminary and preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church; David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala.; Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Ga.; David Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando; Ken Whitten, pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla.; and Ravi Zacharias, founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Mohler kicked off the last session of the conference with a message on the passage in John 3 when Nicodemus comes to Jesus asking what it means to be born again. Mohler explained that being born again means being born of the Spirit; there is no "fleshly provision to save sinful flesh." No amount of good deeds or theological understanding can save a soul. Only God can awaken a dead heart and save a dead soul. Mohler encouraged those in attendance to never get tired of preaching the Gospel - and what it means to be born again - and to never assume a person understands the Gospel. Although conservatives hold fast to inerrancy and divine authority, the "haunting question" as Mohler said comes when one thinks about how many conservative pastors are not converted. The answer is probably more than we realize. A person may hear the Gospel all their life, even hold a "favorable disposition toward" Christ," and not be born again. The task of believers is to keep preaching the Gospel. David Platt also encouraged, rather, he passionately pleaded, for believers to keep on preaching the Gospel, especially to those who never heard it before. "Are we going to settle for maintenance as a convention of churches or sacrifice everything we have?" he said. With about 16,000 unreached people groups in the world representing 1.7 billion people, believers are obligated to do whatever it takes to share the Gospel. "God's Word is going to call us to sacrifice our lives," Platt said. Every person on earth is guilty before God because every person's "knowledge of God is only enough to damn them to hell." Thus, they need the grace of God to save them from sin and save them to an eternal life with Christ. When Jesus Christ went to the cross he became the substitutionary atonement for sinners. "In that holy moment, Jesus Christ took all the wrath due you and me on himself. He drank the very last drop, turned that cup over and cried out, ‘it is finished,'"Platt said. This is the savior people must hear about, and this is the savior we must go and proclaim. What’s stopping believers from doing that? “The greatest sin in our day is the self-indulgence of the Gospel saturated people of God in a world of urgent spiritual and physical need,” Platt said. Follow North Carolina Baptists at the SBC
We'll provide North Carolina Baptists with a perspective unique to our state. We’ll get interviews from Convention and Board officers and other pastors who are here to participate and get their reactions to what's happening. This first video below is an overview of what’s to come. It includes an interview with Brian K. Davis, Executive Leader of Administration and Convention Relations.

Flash is required!

We also spoke with Ed Rose, Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in Wendell, on why he and his family are attending the event.

Flash is required!

Continue to follow us through these Web videos which will be part of our SBC news articles posted on our news page, and you can follow ncbaptist on Twitter as we tweet about events as they unfold.

Reflections from tango town

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:34:00 -0400

BUENOS AIRES – Even after walking around awhile in Plaza de Mayo I hadn't really noticed the white shawls painted on the ground. But once Mark Hobson (click here for article about the Hobsons) explained what they were it was hard not to notice them. The white shawls represent Argentine mothers whose children and grandchildren disappeared during the seven-year "Dirty War." Every week for more than three decades mothers have gathered in Plaza de Mayo, the main square in downtown Buenos Aires, to protest and demand answers about what happened to their abducted children. I can't imagine what those mothers must feel like. To still be hoping for a reunion with their children after all this time and to have so many questions left unanswered. Standing there in the square and looking ahead at Casa Rosada (the American equivalent of the White House) I also wondered what it must have been like 65 years ago when Eva Peron addressed the crowd from the balcony, rallying the people to demand her husband's release from prison. So much history and so much emotion in this one place. I felt sad thinking about the white shawl mothers, but not as sad as I felt inside the national cathedral. Of course the first few minutes inside were spent getting over the shock and awe of the huge statues and paintings and cross. Then, over to our right, I saw a group chanting a prayer to a statue of Mary. In the back of the cathedral people sat waiting their turn to enter the confessional booth and meet with a priest. That's when I really thought about how sad this all is. People confessing their sins to another person and praying to a man-made statue, somehow believing this was enough. I felt very grateful that day for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Next to the cathedral is the national bank. Between the bank and all the pigeons meandering around the Plaza I had to fight back the urge to break into a chorus of "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins. Before heading to Plaza de Mayo we ate lunch at Café Tortoni, the oldest café in Argentina. On the way to the café we saw another "claim to fame"- the widest street in the world. Stretched out across about 460 feet, Avenida 9 de Julio is something else. I can now say I have crossed the widest street in the world not once, but twice (we got a little turned around going to the café). Another first for me on this trip was going to language schools. On our second day in Argentina my group went to a language school in Martinez, a city in San Isidro. Martinez is much more affluent than the school we went to the third day in Monroe. At the school in Monroe we spent six straight hours in the classroom and led four different English as a Second Language classes. Flash is required!
I thought the time would go by quite slowly. We certainly had a long day, but I never really found myself looking at the clock. With each class of new students came new energy, and I so admire their dedication to learning a second language. Especially students like the retired French teacher learning English. During these classes our team took turns sharing about a difficult time in our life and how God still remained faithful. We shared Scripture and shared the Gospel with these students. Only the Lord knows what seeds were planted that day, but we trust that His Word does not return void and we were faithful to sharing truth. Flash is required!
We didn't eat dinner until about 9:30 that night and I thought that was late. Little did I know about Argentine eating habits. Friday evening after the ladies' tea (click here for related article) we didn't arrive at the restaurant until after 11:30. Meals in Argentina are worth the wait, though. Argentines are known for their beef and I was not disappointed. Argentina is also known, of course, for the tango. No, we did not take lessons, but we did see people dancing in the street when we visited La Boca on our last day in Argentina. La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio, in the Buenos Aires capital and sits at the mouth of the Riachuelo River. The neighborhood is a popular tourist spot, with many local shops and markets and colorful houses. Before heading to La Boca we ate lunch in the Recoleta neighborhood. While waiting for our food Ana (click here for related article) came by my table with a bag. We thought she was going to show us what she bought at the market that morning. Instead, she began passing out a small gift to each team member. Ana did not have the financial means to do that, yet she chose to anyway. When I think of Argentina one of the things I will remember is the desire of national believers, and our missionaries, to serve others before serving themselves. I pray the Lord will create in my heart a desire for the same. This is the fifth in a series about the Embrace Women's Missions and Ministries mission trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for photos. Related articles:
A bold voice in Buenos Aires
Little victories add up for Hobsons
Prayers answered in Beccar
Pastor, chess player reaches out in Martinez

Pastor, chess player reaches out in Martinez

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:35:00 -0400

BUENOS AIRES - "I have something very important to tell you," Alberto said as he leaned in closer and hunched over his lunch plate. He put down his fork and without ever losing eye contact said, "Without God's revelation, faith doesn't work." Chatting over empanadas and steak at a local parrilla restaurant, this Argentine pastor of 47 years shared how God took a teenage boy ignorant of the Bible’s truths and gave him a heart of faith. Alberto, who introduces himself just as "pastor," first heard the Gospel from a Canadian woman. As Alberto met with her to learn English, she explained that her husband pastored a local church and she told him what it meant to trust Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. So, Alberto began studying the Bible. "I thought, 'these people are crazy. Who can believe in a book?' When I studied the Bible I found many wrong things," he said. Or so he thought. The woman and her husband practiced much patience with Alberto as they helped him understand what the Bible had to say about his life and about Jesus Christ. "I learned it is impossible to find any mistakes in the Bible," Alberto said. When Alberto finally believed the Bible, "that changed my thought, my everything.' At age 17 Alberto became a Christian and by age 22 a pastor. Alberto now serves as a pastor at International Bible Church in Martinez, a city in the San Isidro partido in Buenos Aires Province. The church includes an English service as well as a Spanish service. The congregation, especially those attending the English service, can be very transient. Many are from the United States or other countries and are only in the city a few years before work calls them elsewhere. Alberto has served bivocationally, only retiring from his job at a local hospital five years ago. Martinez is one of the more affluent cities in San Isidro. Unicenter, a major shopping center, is in Martinez and just across the street is the only IMAX theatre in Argentina. Downtown Martinez boasts many shops, cafes and a language school. Education is important to people here, and they are willing to pay for it. Serving among the affluent comes with its challenges. "They think they need nothing. But they do," Alberto said. Alberto continues working to build relationships with people and to tell them that no matter what job they have or how important they think they are, it will all "one day be trash" when it comes to the matter of their salvation. Alberto does not get discouraged and he does not lose sight of his purpose: "I'm responsible to give the Word of God." And that's what he does faithfully week after week. In addition to being a pastor at International Bible Church, Alberto finds himself pastoring and witnessing in a rather unique role as a chess teacher. Alberto teaches chess at a school in Buenos Aires. Alberto, or "Mr. Chess," even coached the great Bobby Fischer when he came to Argentina for chess matches. Fischer won the World Championship in September 1972 after beating a Russian player. Alberto first met Fischer in the 1960s and beyond helping him prepare for chess matches, he shared the Gospel with him. Sharing the Gospel is what Alberto is all about. After lunch at the parrilla he led a team prayer walking in an apartment complex and passing out flyers for the family fun night (click here for related article). "Nobody knows what the Lord will do," Alberto said over and over again after the team left an apartment. "Nobody knows what the Lord will do," he kept saying as the team passed out Gospel tracts. No one knows how or when the Lord will work in peoples' hearts. Alberto's right – the task for believers in Jesus Christ is to faithfully "give the Word of God" and watch as the Lord brings Buenos Aires, and the nations, to Himself. This is the fourth in a series about the Embrace Women's Missions and Ministries mission trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for photos. Related articles:
A bold voice in Buenos Aires
Little victories add up for Hobsons
Prayers answered in Beccar

Prayers answered in Beccar

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:58:00 -0400

BUENOS AIRES – Although it is a fairly chilly evening, inside the building for the family fun night it gets warmer and warmer as the night goes on and more and more people pack inside. Dust from the street outside makes its way inside the building, which stands on a street corner in Beccar, in one of the poorer neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. The garage door size entrance makes it easy to see cars whizzing past and people looking inside. The plain white building isn't much to look at. Paint is coming off the walls, the concrete floors are old and worn, and the faucet in the bathroom is barely hanging on. A few dusty tables and chairs are scattered throughout and a chalkboard is propped up against the back wall. Yet, on this particular Thursday night, the building is a sight to behold. Adults and children are packed in so tightly it's standing room only. The line to get in is steady throughout the night. Children walk around clutching their balloon and candy. They crowd the games, trying to use a fishing pole baited with a gummy worm to hook a pretzel or trying to beat their opponent at tic-tac-toe. The face painting station is never without a line, and parents are busy snapping pictures of their kids as Superman. When it comes time for door prizes the children swarm the front of the room, hoping their names will be called. When it comes time for testimonies to be shared and the Gospel to be presented, the crowd at the front is ready to listen. Ana* runs the check-in desk, making sure everyone signs in and receives a Gospel tract. She is the first person families see when they walk in and for many, her face is a familiar one. Ana knows everyone. Or at least it seems that way. This is Ana's neighborhood. It is her home and where she is burdened to see people come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This is why missionaries Mark and Melissa Hobson (click here for related article) are working to start a Bible study in Beccar. This is why the Embrace volunteer mission team from North Carolina helped the Hobsons host a family fun night in Beccar. Ana wants a Bible study in her neighborhood, and it looks like that's exactly what she is going to get. After the family fun night a woman who lives close by came up to Mark and said she is a believer and wants to host a study in her home. This week, less than one week after that Thursday evening, Mark began a Bible study in that neighborhood and 15 people attended. Contractors and fumigators
For about nine months now Ana has faithfully attended the house church Mark and Melissa started in their home. Ana learned about the house church because her brother served as the contractor for Mark's house when his family moved to Buenos Aires. Since coming to the house church Ana has seen family members, such as her mom, turn back to God. "The Holy Spirit is speaking through Mark," Ana told a translator Friday evening during an interview after the ladies' tea (click here for related article). Ana does not speak English, but every word that leaves her lips seems to be offered with a smile and from a heart passionate about helping others. "She loves opportunities to serve Christ," the translator said. As the translator speaks, Ana holds back tears. Just talking about what Jesus means to her stirs up emotion. Ana served alongside the Hobsons and the volunteer team all week. She helped with the ladies tea, prayer walked and passed out flyers for family fun night, and secured the location for family fun night. Earlier in the day, before heading to family fun night, Ana met up with the team at an orphanage. About 20 children call this small highlighter yellow house their home. A sheet serves as a wall for one of the rooms. The boys' room includes bunk beds positioned so close together there is hardly room to walk in between. The room is bare except for the beds and the beds are bare, no blankets or sheets. A sheet hangs over the window and some of the ceiling panels sit on the floor. The team shared the Gospel and spent time doing puzzles and playing with the children. They passed out Bibles and stuffed animals. All the while, Ana was there helping. Flash is required!
Ana's family does not have a car, so she took the bus to get to the orphanage. Actually, she took the bus to most of the ministry sites that week. Her family doesn't have much, but what they do have they share. Before the family fun night, the team enjoyed a traditional Argentine meal cooked by Ana's mom. After the meal the team prayed with Ana and her family, and her daughter could not contain her tears. Sometimes the very presence of fellow believers, especially in an otherwise sea of lostness, is a sweet but overwhelming gift. Ana is just one of the Argentines the Lord has brought to the Hobsons. Carlos* also came out to help with family fun night. Mark met Carlos when Carlos showed up one day to fumigate his house. The house church is Carlos’ first experience with church and his first opportunity to learn about the Bible. His family is not religious, and before meeting Mark, Carlos would have called himself an agnostic. Carlos has not received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, but now "my heart is open," he said. He said those words with such sincerity and gentleness it must be true. Carlos also meets with Mark regularly to study doctrines of the Bible. Mark has been able to visit in several language schools, in part because of Carlos. Carlos introduced Mark to a school director and that opened the door for Mark, and the North Carolina team, to visit and share how truths from the Bible changed their lives. The Lord is at work in Buenos Aires. As Ana told the team at the airport as they prepared to leave, "the Lord was magnified this week." Ana calls the Hobsons a "huge gift from God," as she "always prayed for missionaries to come." Ana's prayers are being answered. So are the Hobsons', as they are finding more and more opportunities to share the Gospel. And so are the prayers of believers around the world, as laborers are being sent out into the Lord's harvest in Buenos Aires. *Names have been changed for security purposes. This is the third in a series about the Embrace Women's Missions and Ministries mission trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for photos. Related articles:
A bold voice in Buenos Aires
Little victories add up for Hobsons Flash is required!

Little victories add up for Hobsons

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:43:00 -0400

BUENOS AIRES – Six-year-old Claire is a cute little blonde-headed girl who likes Barbie dolls and using the reclining chair at home to practice gymnastic moves. She is bashful at first, but it doesn't take long before she is singing "First grade, first grade," a song her kindergarten teacher wrote to the tune of "New York, New York" in honor of Claire's class graduating and moving on to first grade. Big sister, eight-year-old Olivia, is a whiz at Nintendo Wii and her Spanish keeps getting better and better. About a week ago Olivia was baptized in a swimming pool in her home during a service with members of the house church her parents started. Until two and a half years ago Claire and Olivia Hobson's grandparents would never have dreamed of missing milestones such as baptism and kindergarten graduation. They saw their grandchildren all the time. That was when the Hobson family still lived in Pine Bluff, Ark. For Mark Hobson, telling his wife Melissa’s parents that the family was moving from the only place Melissa had ever known to Buenos Aires, Argentina, was one of the hardest things about transitioning into career missionaries with the International Mission Board. Yet, "it was exciting enough to me that we picked the family up and came down here," Mark said. As family in Arkansas adjusted to life without grandkids and the Hobsons close by, the Hobsons had adjustments of their own to figure out. A rural town of 55,000 people has little in common with a city of nearly 14 million. They learned bus routes and subway routes, and how to drive in a city of one-way streets where three left turns equal a right. Mark and Melissa sold most of their belongings before moving overseas and in Argentina had to make a new house feel like a home. They attended language school for a year in Costa Rica before moving to Buenos Aires and from time to time still struggle with the language. A desire to be obedient to the Lord's call on their lives to share the Gospel kept the Hobson family pushing forward through the transition. Out of 14 million, about four percent are believers in Jesus Christ. "It's a city full of religion," Mark said. "They respect the Bible, but they know little about it," Mark said as he walked down a busy street in downtown Martinez. Just watching people pass by on the street, watching the way they walk so tall and with an extra pep in their step, Mark has gotten good at identifying native Argentines. In the short time his family has lived in Argentina, Mark has also gotten a good feel for the spiritual pulse of the country. While most Argentines say they are Christian, what they really mean is they are Catholic, which translates into widespread worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Argentina is also home to the largest mosque and Jewish population in South America. A few years ago Mark would not have picked his family to be living in another country as career missionaries. Mark worked as an industrial electrician, Melissa as a nurse. Mark was a deacon and Sunday School teacher. In 1999, at Melissa's insistence, they went on a mission trip to Romania. The next year they went to Brazil and before long Melissa started coordinating mission trips for their church and association. In the beginning Mark's contribution to the trips consisted of being an extra pair of hands to haul supplies. Yet, the Lord began to burden his heart for the nations and Mark began understanding the need for missions and how his family fit into the global missions picture. The Hobsons answered God's call to church planting and when the door opened for them to serve in Argentina they obediently said yes. The Hobsons work in an area of Buenos Aires that includes about one million people. Instead of focusing on the enormity of that figure, the Hobsons break that number down into smaller units. Argentina is divided into 23 provinces, Buenos Aires Province being the largest. Within the Buenos Aires Province are partidos, such as Vincente Lopez and San Isidro, where the Hobsons live. Both partidos include various suburbs, or neighborhoods, and the Hobsons are working to start a Bible study in each neighborhood. They already have a church of about 17 meeting in their home in Martinez. The goal is to raise up national believers to lead Bible studies in various locations. From there, house churches across the area will form and eventually these house churches will meet together once a month. The Hobsons have made contact with interested Argentines in at least four other neighborhoods and Bible studies are underway. In these Bible studies Mark shares the Gospel and he shares what the Bible has to say about life issues, from dealing with guilt and shame to family problems. In just 18 months Argentina has become home. The Hobsons may be just as excited as the nationals are over the World Cup. They can now say they know why Argentina is known for its beef, and instead of pointing through the glass at it in the supermarket Mark knows how to order exactly what he wants. Eighteen months ago the Hobsons were ordering furniture off craigslist and working on household repairs. Now they are building relationships and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now they are watching as the Lord uses a family from rural Arkansas to proclaim His name among those who have never heard before. This is the second in a series about the Embrace Women's Missions and Ministries mission trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for photos. Related articles:
A bold voice in Buenos Aires

A bold voice in Buenos Aires

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:39:00 -0400

BUENOS AIRES – Just a few seconds into Mrs. Han's flute solo and the ladies recognized the tune to the hymn "Because He Lives." Across the room, North Carolinians and Argentines began providing the vocal accompaniment to the closing song of the evening. Hearing ladies sing, each in their heart language, of the glorious truth of a risen Savior is an experience Dr. Ashley Allen, Director of Embrace Women's Missions and Ministries, will not forget. Allen recently led a team of 10 to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the inaugural Embrace international mission trip. The team worked alongside International Mission Board missionaries Mark and Melissa Hobson (click here for related article about the Hobsons). A ladies tea concluded the week of ministry. Argentine women from different churches invited women to the tea who were not believers in Jesus Christ. Allen described the event as "very intentionally evangelistic." Three team members, including Allen, gave testimony of how they came to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Allen shared that as a sixth grader she realized she was a sinner and needed Jesus Christ to save her. At the time Allen served as secretary of the youth group and was embarrassed to admit she was not saved. Not until nine months later did she receive Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. Allen read from Ephesians 2:8-9 and shared with the ladies how the Lord used His Word to convict her heart of sin and her need for a Savior. Although the ladies sitting around the tables spoke different languages and represented different parts of the world, some things, like the joy of talking about family and friends, are universal. Allen was encouraged to see the North Carolina team "turn those conversations around to focus on the Lord." Turning conversations around was a priority from the trip’s inception. From language schools to an orphanage, the team took advantage of opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "If we're not sharing that message, we're not doing missions as biblically defined," Allen said. Allen's three-fold prayer for the trip came from Matthew 9:36-38. She asked the Lord to grant the team compassion, that they might see nonbelievers as He sees them – as sheep without a shepherd. She prayed for the Lord to use the team in a way that brought Him much glory, and "I prayed that the Lord would break our hearts for the nations," Allen said. "Only when our hearts are broken for the lost will we reach the 5.5 million lost in North Carolina." The Embrace team, which included ladies ranging in age from early 20s to late 50s, is the first team the Hobsons have hosted since they arrived in Buenos Aires as career missionaries. Allen worked with the Hobsons to plan mission projects that fit into the Hobson’s overall strategy for reaching the Argentine people. For example, Mark is working to start Bible studies in different neighborhoods, and by the team leading classes in various language schools they were able to invite people to the Bible studies. The team prayer walked neighborhoods where the Hobsons hope to start Bible studies. Later this year two more teams will work with the Hobsons and will build on the work done by the North Carolina team. During their time in Argentina Allen saw God work not only among the team, but in her own heart. She was reminded that God has a heart for the nations and is using national believers to spread the Gospel. "Their passion to do whatever it takes to share the Gospel is very humbling," she said. "The nationals are very bold in their witness and a deep joy permeates their lives." Some of the national believers working alongside the Hobsons live in poverty and some live as one of the only believers in their family and among their friends. To them, it doesn't matter. What matters to them, and what kept the Embrace team focused on their mission, is a faithfulness to the Gospel and willingness to serve however the Lord commands. "We were faithful to plant seeds," Allen said. "The reaper can’t reap unless the sower has sown." This is the first in a series about the Embrace Women’s Missions and Ministries mission trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for photos. Related articles:
Little victories add up for Hobsons Flash is required!

Executive Director-Treasurer speaks on GCR

Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Milton A. Hollifield, Jr. delivered a long-awaited response to reports issued by the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force as he addressed members of the Baptist State Convention (BSCNC) Board of Directors during their May 2010 meeting. He spoke about the need for the exercise and specifically addressed the seven recommendations in the May 2010 report. Hollifield said he has supported the process as necessary and has prayed for the GCR Task Force and urged North Carolina pastors to do the same. “Southern Baptists are not reaching the nations effectively and the nation we are most ineffective in reaching is our own!” Despite the fact that North Carolina saw growth in baptisms in 2009, Hollifield cited an overall trend of decline in “evangelistic effectiveness” for the Southern Baptist Convention over the past 20 years.

Hollifield said he appreciates the importance that the report placed on “lostness” not just overseas but in our own communities, particularly when it comes to reaching younger generations. The report states, “We desperately need to reach our communities for Christ – and this starts with our own young people. Furthermore, we must see this generation of young Baptists take their places on the front lines of a Great Commission Resurgence.” To which Hollifield added the exclamation, “if we lose North America, there will be no money to get the gospel to the nations.”

Hollifield discussed recommendation number three in the report which introduces a new term in regard to giving, that of ‘Great Commission Giving.’ “I readily admit to you that this section of the report caused great concern for me when I heard the report as it was presented in February because of my personal appreciation of Cooperative Program,” He said. However, he said he has received reassurance from several of the Task Force members that the Cooperative Program would remain the top priority in giving under any new structure. After emphasizing his great appreciation for all that has been accomplished through the Cooperative Program, Hollifield also referred to the importance of the autonomy of the local church and said that he believes “it is the right of each local church to determine how they will choose to support missions – even if their first choice is not the same as my first choice. It is the right of the local congregations.” Hollifield did express concern about one issue not addressed in the GCR Task Force documents. He said that “the plight of the many unhealthy churches currently in North Carolina and across the Southern Baptist Convention is not being addressed sufficiently. I will admit that I bristle about the implication that fills the blogosphere that the Southern Baptist Convention is full of thousands of unhealthy churches that simply need to die!” Hollifield said he did not see that attitude toward unhealthy churches reflected in any New Testament writings. On the contrary, Hollifield expressed his conviction that the epistles of the New Testament were written to unhealthy churches not to help them die but rather to direct them to the source of new life in Jesus Christ.

Finally, Hollifield indicated that when the vote is taken in regard to the recommendations made by the Great Commission Task Force, he plans to vote yes. “My rationale is very simple. The charge for the Task Force has been to make recommendations related to how, ‘Southern Baptists can work more faithfully and effectively together in serving Christ through the Great Commission’ and I believe that the Task Force has accomplished this task.”

He said the final report laid to rest some concerns that people might have had over the motivation of the GCR Task Force. “I affirm the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force’s passion, purpose, and prerogative and I believe that their work has begun a critical discussion among Southern Baptists related to numerous issues that impact our effectiveness, or lack thereof, in fulfilling the Great Commission.” Hollifield reiterated that a yes vote on the Task Force recommendations is a nod toward continued discussion and negotiations on how best to work out the specifics of changes outlined in the report.

You can read the full transcript of Milton Hollifield’s address to the BSCNC Board of Directors in regard to the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force here. A downloadable version is also available.

Other news from the May 2010 Board meeting:

2010 NCMO launched
Chuck Register, executive leader of Church Planting and Missions Development, introduced the 2010 North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO) theme: “Every nation…our generation” based on Acts 1:8. The goal this year is $2.1 million. Church planting will receive 28% of the offering, NC Baptist Men will receive 41%, Mission Camps receive 15%, associational projects 10% and missions education and promotion 6%.

Register led the Board as they made their individual NCMO pledges, calling this “an act of Great Commission leadership and obedience.” NCMO pledges were collected from 75 of the Board members totaling $12,810. All pledges are to be given through their local churches with the hope that members of the Board will be advocates for the NCMO in the churches they represent.

Haiti update
NCMO funding helps facilitate disaster relief such as the work that NC Baptist Men is coordinating in Haiti in the wake of a devastating earthquake. On that day in January 2010, 230,000 people lost their lives and 250,000 houses were destroyed. Even before that tragic day there were 380,000 orphans; no one can estimate the number of orphans in that country now. Haiti is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Richard Brunson, Director of NC Baptist Men, presented a progress report on their work in Haiti. Disaster relief and medical teams have served 22,754 meals and have built 210 temporary houses since the earthquake. Just last week, North Carolina Baptists built 24 temporary houses for displaced families. The medical team saw 1,536 patients last week in various clinics around Haiti, a total of 15,503 patients seen to date. This does not include the many people seen outside of clinics. Most importantly, North Carolina Baptist volunteers witnessed 14 salvations last week and 243 total to date.

Church plants, baptisms and giving
The Church Planting and Missions Development Committee reported that 112 churches were planted in the first quarter of 2010. That’s an increase of 8% over the first quarter of 2009. In regard to baptisms occurring within church plants, 209 were reported in North Carolina Baptist churches for the first quarter of 2010. That’s a 44% increase over the first quarter of 2009. The Evangelization Committee reported that North Carolina Baptists baptized 26,584 people in 2009, a 20% increase over 2008 and the highest total number of baptisms in over seven years. Cooperative Program giving for first quarter of 2010 was 55% higher when compared with the first quarter of 2009. In 2010, first quarter giving was $47,497.

Army chaplain welcomed
Tommy Watson, chaplain to the North Carolina Army National Guard, recently served as chaplain in Iraq and returned home in late January. His wife, Jackie, spoke during the 2009 Annual Session about her challenges as the wife of a deployed military personnel. Watson told the Board that churches have an awesome opportunity to minister to families involved in armed services in our state. On the deployed side, Watson saw the pain that soldiers endured due to problems out of their control both at home and in the battlefield. On the home side, families struggle to keep the house running, take care of the children and cope with any emergencies that might arise while their loved ones are deployed. Watson said that North Carolina Baptists don’t have to live on or near a military base to be involved in reaching out to military families. Reservists live in all parts of North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Larry Jones, Senior Consultant for Military Chaplaincy Ministry, will take a four-month military leave of absence from his duties at the BSCNC to oversee a pilot project funded by the U.S. government’s National Guard Bureau. Chaplain Jones is a Colonel in the NC National Guard and leads the chaplaincy work for NC National Guard units. The study will investigate how soldiers and their families might receive better support through the hiring of more chaplains or through assistance from faith-based groups. The project will run from June through September 2010.

Worship and Music leader introduced
The new Senior Consultant for Worship and Music, Kenny Lamm, was introduced to the Board. Lamm served as minister of music at Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville for 23 years. He begins the new position June 1.

Fruitland satellite campuses
Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute President David Horton announced three new satellite campuses to be established around the state. The first will be in Monroe in the Union Baptist Association. Classes will be offered beginning in October on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The cost is very affordable: $150 per course, which includes the cost of textbooks. Two Hispanic campuses will also be established in 2010: One in Winston- Salem at Calvary Baptist Church and one in Warsaw at Eastern Baptist Association. Fruitland has plans to launch two more satellite campuses in 2011, locations to be announced at a later date.

Motion to study restructuring methods of giving in North Carolina
The two-day board meeting ended with a proposal from Austin Rammell, pastor of Hardin Baptist Church in Dallas. Rammell made a motion that called for the Executive Committee to study the possibility of restructuring how offerings are collected in North Carolina. The motion, which passed in a divided vote, requests that the Executive Committee study “the feasibility of moving the items currently in the North Carolina Missions Offering into the annual budget funded by the Cooperative Program.” Furthermore, the motion asks that the Executive Committee study “the feasibility of moving non-mission and/or non-high-priority items out of the budget funded by the Cooperative Program and into a new statewide offering that would replace the current North Carolina Missions Offering.” The motion states that the Executive Committee would report back at the September 2010 meeting.

Rammell said he would like to see Cooperative Program funds used to support what many consider to be the essential work of North Carolina Baptists. He mentioned church planting and disaster relief as two examples. When asked to elaborate on which programs were considered less than high priority, he said he would prefer that the Executive Committee make that determination.

Executive Committee reports
Larry Jones, shared about a new opportunity to do missions in North Carolina. Operation Crossroads is an outreach that seeks to minister to wounded soldiers and their families. Volunteers may sit in the hospital waiting room with a soldier's family or visit the soldier in the hospital. Or, they may bring meals to the family waiting at the hospital or help with childcare. The goal is to provide support during a very uncertain time in the life of a military family.

Ed Yount, chair of the Committee on Nominations, made three recommendations to the EC regarding candidates to fill unexpired terms with a Board of Directors. Sharon Raye, member of Deep Springs Baptist Church in Marshville, will fill the unexpired term of Michele Rummage for the BSCNC Board of Directors. Helen Harris, member of Wise Baptist Church in Norlina, will fill the unexpired term of Robert Hatcher for the Baptist Children’s Homes of NC Board of Directors. David Smith, member of First Baptist Church in Lenoir, will fill the unexpired term of Howard Candler for the Baptist Children’s Homes of NC Board of Directors.

Steve Hardy reported that the Budget Committee has met and will meet several more times before a proposed 2011 budget is presented to the EC and Board of Directors. Earlier this week the Budget Committee met with representatives from institutions and agencies in order to get input regarding their financial needs for next year.

Hardy also made a motion, and the EC approved, to move $100,000 from the BSCNC fund for church loans to the NC Baptist Foundation to help in the establishment of the Foundation’s church loan program.

Aaron Wallace, chair of the Evangelization Committee, noted that in 2009 North Carolina Baptists baptized 26,584 people-the highest number recorded in more than seven years and a 20 percent increase over 2008.

As a matter of new business, Brian Davis, BSCNC Executive Leader for Administration and Convention Relations, brought to the EC a request from GuideStone for contact information for new church planters affiliated with the BSCNC.

Last year, the EC voted to adopt a policy that addresses the increasing number of requests from various entities for church contact information. The policy requires that requests be made in writing to the EC for consideration.

RA winner fighting terminal disease

Mon, 24 May 2010 15:02:00 -0400

"There's me giving him a high-five," Zackary said pointing to a picture of him and Buzz Lightyear. Buzz, the character from Disney's Toy Story, is the Disney star he was most excited to see during his trip to Disney World last year. Zackary flipped through each page in the album his mom made, giving extra commentary when he came to photos of his favorite rides and Disney characters. Zackary loved the Tower of Terror ride and the ride that let him pretend to drive a car. The whole McGowan family – two sisters, a brother, mom (Patsy) and dad (Scott) – joined Zackary for his trip to Disney World, made possible because of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. At two months old doctors diagnosed Zackary with neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerve endings anywhere in the body. Zackary's tumors, two of them, are on his brain. For Zackary, now eight years old, the disease is terminal. Zackary has already lived longer than doctors anticipated. Living with NF means Zackary tires easily and sometimes uses a wheelchair. Visits to the doctor for MRIs and other procedures are common for the McGowan household. Seizures are nothing unusual for Zackary. While Zackary is often in a lot of pain, he rarely asks for pain medication. Mom and dad know when he does ask, the pain is at its worst. Since Zackary is very sensitive to light, temperature changes and loud sounds, the McGowans brought the outdoors indoors by putting a swing and a slide in Zackary's room. Scott and Patsy are honest with their children, and with Zackary, about the severity of NF. "He knows everything," Patsy said. At age 8, Zackary knows that no one is really sure how much longer he has to live. The fear of death has not crippled Zackary. Just a few months ago Zackary’s army tank won Best in Show at the state Royal Ambassador (RA) Racer Day at First Baptist Church in Salisbury. "He wanted to make something different from everyone else," Scott said. Dad helped with some of the gluing, but other than that, the tank is all Zackary. Twenty hours worth of work to earn Best in Show. Zackary enjoys participating in RAs at First Baptist Church in Mebane because "they talk about the Lord." Talking about the Lord is something Scott and Patsy say their son has always been doing, for as long as they can remember. In fact, it's because of Zackary that the McGowans started going back to church after being away from church for awhile. Zackary wants to help others. He participates in service projects with RAs, such as making care packages for shut-ins. He also raised money for Songs of Love, a nonprofit organization that creates personalized, original songs for children and teenagers with a life-threatening illness. Zackary got inspired to help when he received his own song from the group. Earlier this year Zackary was baptized at First Baptist. Scott remembers the day when Zackary went to talk to the pastor about being baptized. "He was so weak that day," Scott said. Scott wanted to carry his son down the aisle, but Zackary insisted on doing it himself, even if it meant holding onto the pews to get there. "He said he wanted to be baptized before he died," Scott said. Zackary's family, doctor, dentist and school teacher all attended his baptism. Scott understands some of what his son endures on a daily basis, as he also lives with NF. Scott battled acute leukemia for about 10 years as a child and was diagnosed with NF at age 12. Although not as severe as Zackary's case of NF, Scott has his own challenges. The disease has gotten worse in recent years, forcing Scott to quit work and have his driver's license revoked. His memory is getting worse and so is his reading ability. For Scott, on a bad day the pain is like having needles all over his body. "I don't know how Zackary deals with it," he said. In 2004, Patsy quit her full time job so she could devote her time to caring for her family. Although it’s close every month, and not much is left, if anything, the bills get paid and the Lord provides. Next month, on June 19, the McGowans are hosting a Ride for Life to help raise money for medical treatments for Zackary. Zackary is already hard at work himself, contacting classic car owners and motorcycle riders and asking for their participation. For more information call (336) 512-7045 or e-mail daisyjean132@yahoo.com. The McGowans do not know how much longer they have to spend with Zackary, but the uncertainty of the future does not cloud their joy for living now. They have learned to be thankful. Every morning when they wake up and hear Zackary say "good morning" they are reminded to be thankful. Photo cutline: Zackary McGowan with Rodney Poston, RA director at Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Shelby. Poston was one of the volunteers helping during RA Racer Day.

Campbell Law School Celebrates Building Dedication

Mon, 24 May 2010 14:38:00 -0400

May 19, 2010, marked the formal dedication of 225 Hillsborough Street as the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. The event was well attended by faculty, staff, students, business leaders and supporters of the Law School. The program focused on the tremendous work that led to the move from Buies Creek, N.C., to Raleigh and the successes the school has realized in its first academic year in Raleigh. High-profile speakers including N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Sarah Parker, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper and First Citizens Bank Chairman and CEO Frank Holding, Jr., spoke about the positive economic effects the Law School has already had on the area, the excitement for a new generation of servant leaders in the Triangle, and an overall sense of welcome and community Campbell Law has found in the state capital. Campbell Law Dean Melissa Essary noted, "Those who worked on the project knew it was much larger than any of us, much larger than just this building. But we made it, and the school is here to endure." On Friday, May 21, Campbell Law held its first graduation ceremony in Raleigh, where nearly 110 students received their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees. For details on the Law School in Raleigh, including specifics on the state-of-the-art building, visit http://law.campbell.edu/news/raleigh_campaign/. About Campbell Law School
Since its founding in 1976, the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University has developed lawyers who possess moral conviction, social compassion and professional competence, and who view the law as a calling to serve others. The School has been recognized by the American Bar Association (ABA) as having the nation's top Professionalism Program and by the American Academy of Trial Lawyers for having the nation's best Trial Advocacy Program. Campbell Law boasts more than 3,200 alumni, including 2,200 who reside and work in North Carolina. For 21 years, Campbell Law's record of success on the North Carolina Bar Exam has been unsurpassed by any other North Carolina law school. In September 2009, Campbell Law relocated to a new state-of-the-art building in downtown Raleigh. For more information, visit www.law.campbell.edu.

Campus connect site wants your input

Thu, 20 May 2010 12:01:00 -0400

Baptist campus ministers at colleges and universities across the country want to connect with incoming freshman students, and one way they are doing this is through www.sbccampusconnect.net. Youth ministers, parents, Sunday School teachers and church staff are encouraged to visit the Web site and enter contact information for high school seniors headed off to college. This information is then sent to the Baptist campus minister of the school the student will be attending. The campus minister can also help connect the student with churches in the area. "It will be helpful to have this information by the first of August," said Rick Trexler, campus ministry team leader for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC). "Most studies tell us that the first one to three weeks a student is on a college campus they set their pattern for the next four years." The campus connect Web site is one attempt to help students set a pattern that includes local church involvement. The pattern right now on college campuses is one that needs reversing. "Seventy to eighty percent of the students coming out of high school will drop out of church for at least one year sometime between their 18th and 22nd birthday," Trexler said. This can happen for various reasons, one being that far too many churches do not recognize the meaningful leadership and service students can provide. Merrie Johnson, senior consultant for youth ministry for the BSCNC, said, "students, as they grow older, are not just looking to be entertained but are looking for a way that they can serve." Too often families and youth groups do not help students get involved with ministry; instead, the focus is on keeping students entertained and out of trouble. If students start out their college years by making a connection with a campus ministry and a local church, they are less likely to walk away from the faith they have been taught. Click here to help make sure a student you know gets connected with a campus minister and campus ministry. Click here to listen to a podcast with Trexler and Johnson about student/collegiate ministry.

Denson recognized for lifetime of ministry

Wed, 19 May 2010 14:26:00 -0400

Nineteen people showed up at Southview Baptist Church in Charlotte to hear Joe Denson preach his first sermon in that pulpit. For most pastors, looking out at an audience of 19, that first sermon would have been the last sermon at the church. But not Denson. He couldn’t get there fast enough. "I just could not turn it down," he said. His "instinct to try and help" led him to accept the job as Southview pastor. "It was about this time of the year," Denson said as he reminisced back to the day 34 years ago when the Director of Missions called and asked him to come preach. Just a week before that phone call Denson and his wife decided to pull into the Southview parking lot one day on their way home from K-mart. Denson just wanted to check it out, as they often passed by the church but never paid much attention to it. "Not much to that," Denson told his wife after scoping out the little white church with a gravel parking lot. He never imagined one week later his heart breaking over a church with "not much" to it. He certainly never thought he’d still be there 34 years later. An Early Call
As a high school sophomore Joe Denson knew he wanted to be a preacher. "That's all I ever wanted to do," he said. That may be all he wanted to do, but it took Denson a little while to get there. After graduating from Wake Forest University Denson served two years in the army. After that he was ready to head to a local church, but instead started working with different oil companies. He stayed at Exxon about 14 years, work travels taking him from Wilmington all the way to Blowing Rock. Quite a few of his customers were also Christians. It was not uncommon for them to call Denson to request prayer or to share updates on life. When he left to take a job as education director at Wilmont Baptist Church, his home church from the time he was a child, family and co-workers didn't make it easy. They couldn't understand why he would leave a good paying job to go into the ministry. His boss at Exxon even asked him to stay on part-time. Denson agreed, but it wasn't long before he knew he must give Wilmont all his attention. "I've got to do it," he told his boss. From Wilmont Denson landed at Southview, where he and his wife Edith have been ever since. On May 28, Joe and Edith will celebrate 55 years of marriage. Southview Peaks
Southview grew from 19 to about 180 by 1985, when the church saw its highest membership. Young adults and young couples began coming to Southview. For 20 years Southview ran a kindergarten and daycare, some of the most enjoyable years for Denson because he got to know families in his church and community. "I can hardly go to the grocery store without meeting someone who went there or knows someone who did," he said. Denson said the kindergarten was something where "you could see something happening every day." His door was always open and children were always in and out to visit. Fast forward to 2010 and Southview is now a church of mostly older adults and their primary ministry is to senior adults. To help keep the struggling church alive, Denson stopped drawing a salary in 2000. In a Biblical Recorder article Denson tells the story of how Southview recently sold their building to another church but is staying, for now, in the facility rent free. Hanging On
Even after 34 years in the same place, through all the ups and downs, Denson's passion for ministry has not waned. He still loves to preach, although he calls himself a better pastor than preacher. Caring for others is what Denson does; it just comes natural. Although he can’t run up the steps of the local hospital like he once could, his face is more familiar on those halls than some of the doctors. Denson has been involved with his local association as well as the Baptist State Convention, serving on the Board of Directors and Program, Place, and Preacher Committee. He also worked with the NC Baptist Foundation. His life of service was recognized earlier this year when he was awarded the Homer Lindsay Lifetime of Ministry Award at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., pastors’ conference. Denson has attended the conference for 24 years. The award presentation began three years ago, and as Denson named previous award recipients, "I'm not in that league," he said. Denson is humble, never looking for the spotlight. He continues to pastor because, "I've seen transformed lives. I've seen real victory." Throughout his ministry Denson never wanted to be in the headlines, he just wants to "continue serving in the place God called me to serve." Ministry never turned stale because Denson never lost sight of his purpose. "Just do everything you can to minister to the people," he said. In all his time at Southview Denson never looked to go anywhere else because, "this is home," he said. "I'm just satisfied."

NEWSBRIEF: Color of Church Conference

Tue, 18 May 2010 13:34:00 -0400

The Color of Church conference will be held June 26 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Greensboro. Rodney Woo, author of The Color of Church, is the featured speaker. Woo is half Anglo-American and half Chinese. He grew up in a predominately black neighborhood with black friends, attended a predominately black school and married Sasha, a Latino. Woo's book establishes a biblical foundation for multicultural ministry and details the current landscape of multicultural ministry. His book also tells the story of how Wilcrest Baptist Church, which he has pastored for 18 years in Houston, Texas, became a multicultural congregation. When Woo came to Wilcrest the church averaged 200 people on Sunday mornings and was 98 percent Anglo. Woo began teaching the congregation what it means to serve the nations. Now, the congregation of more than 450 is less than half Anglo and 44 different countries are represented. Woo recently announced he is resigning as pastor of Wilcrest and is headed to Singapore to pastor International Baptist Church. Singapore is about 43 percent Buddhist and 15 percent Christian. Ken Tan, multicultural team leader for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, invites all North Carolina Baptists to attend the conference and learn biblical principles for multicultural ministry, as well as ideas for working toward a more multicultural outreach. "The conference will help create a healthy awareness about the multicultural challenges we face in North Carolina and will help us learn how to respond to these challenges," he said. Registration is $25. For more information call (800) 395-5102 ext. 5641. To register click here.

The new south: Not what it once was

Wed, 12 May 2010 13:34:00 -0400

The South is changing and it's doing so fast. The South is growing at a rate five times faster than the midwest and northeast, and during the next 30 years the South will become the most populous region in the nation. Tyler Jones told the group gathered for the Advance the Church conference at Summit Church in Durham that evangelical churches are nowhere near close to keeping up with this type of growth. Jones, pastor of Vintage 21 Church, described the South as a region becoming increasingly less religious and more "post Christian" at a rate far faster than anywhere else in the country. More than half of the people in the South who say they are evangelical believe that many religions can lead to eternal life. Only 36 percent of southern evangelicals believe their religion to be the "one, true faith that leads to eternal life." Advance the Church seeks to start and revitalize churches in the South. Last year's conference focused on the resurgence of the local church and this year's conference addressed the topic of contextualizing the Gospel in the new urban South. Quoting Billy Graham, Jones said that in the South, "we have become inoculated to the gospel." Many Christians "claim it but don’t live it" is one way to look at what is happening in the South, but Jones believes a better description is "quaint moralism." People strive to behave morally, but morality has no capacity for transforming lives. "Our goodness is our own poison," Jones said. "We think we can demand that God owes us because we have been good and moral." Rather than being inoculated by the gospel, Jones said some in the South misunderstand the gospel. "We have reduced Christ and the gospel and it has affected our churches in every aspect," he said. Some churches are full of Christians who, although they are regenerate, have never been challenged to apply the gospel and are more moralistic than gospel-centered. Other churches are full of people who think they are Christians but are actually unregenerate. "At the heart of the issue is restoring the gospel in our churches," Jones said. Jones challenged every church represented at Advance to work toward planting or revitalizing a church in the next three to five years, which reflects the mission of Advance to serve local churches. Advance has a vision to "assist local churches in planting healthy, gospel-centered churches and revive the boneyard of dead or dying churches – beginning in the context of the urban South and continuing to all parts of the world." For more coverage of Advance the Church visit www.advancethechurch.com
For a blog post from Jones about moralism visit www.theresurgence.com/quaint_moralism

The Gospel, A mission unchanging

Fri, 07 May 2010 16:04:00 -0400

The South isn't what it once was and churches can no longer pretend that it is. The South is increasingly becoming more urban, more educated and more representative of various cultures and religions as people from across the country, and the world, move to the region. These changes insist that congregations pay attention in order to know how to serve in their community and whom they are serving. This requires intentionality - and some hard work. "We need to learn the culture and apply the Gospel without changing the Gospel or watering it down," said Tyler Jones, pastor of Vintage 21 Church in Raleigh. Jones was one of several keynote speakers at the April 26-27 Advance 10: Contextualizing the Gospel in the New South Conference at Summit Church in Durham. Conference topics included Keeping the Cross at the Center of the Church; Gospel Community in Context; Old Mission, New South; Contextualization without Compromise; The Gospel Advanced: Radical Service; and Cultures Reconciled. Jones began the conference by laying the groundwork for the need to take a closer look at culture in the new South. He said the South is growing five times faster than states in the north and out west. During the next 30 years the South will become the most populous region in the nation. Yet, evangelical churches are nowhere near ready to keep up with this type of growth. By 2050, 81.7 million people living in the South will not know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. "Many of us grew up in southern churches, even conservative churches, where something besides the gospel was at the center," said J.D. Greear, Summit Church pastor. "What was emphasized or what the church was known for was not the gospel. These were not necessarily bad things that they were known for, and it doesn’t mean that they didn't believe the gospel, it's just that their identity and what they emphasized was not on the gospel. The gospel has to be the center of the church in order for the church to advance in the South again. Anything, no matter how good, that replaces the gospel ultimately leads to death." When churches don’t keep the cross at the center of the church, churches can begin teaching moralism and not justification and sanctification according to the Gospel. "The gospel not only saves us from our past and secures our futures, but it sanctifies us in our present," he said. "The gospel changes us from within. It changes us by changing our hearts." Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research, further explained the problem of moralism. In the South, where more are de-churched than unchurched, the gospel tends to get confused with legalism and moralism. Stetzer said the mindset needs to be changed from "building plus clergy plus programs equals the church. We have to redefine it as a body sent on mission for the Kingdom." Knowing how to combat legalism and moralism and how to interact with a changing culture starts by wearing the hat of a missiologist. Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Wash., challenged every believer to think like a missiologist instead of assuming that job is reserved for the pastor. Driscoll put forth a framework for learning to live as missiologists: Go, See, Feel, Do. Going requires believers not to rely solely on an attractional model of ministry (inviting people to church). The church must get out into the community, into the culture-making cities, and share the Gospel. Going also requires the church to not shield itself from culture, such as television, magazines and social media, but to understand how it shapes worldviews. Driscoll then urged the audience to see the community and by that he meant observing, interpreting and looking at culture through a "worship/idolatry lens." "We all worship – who and why is the difference," Driscoll said. True missiologists will go into the culture for the purpose of understanding the idols that have taken hold of hearts and minds. Going and seeing aren’t enough. "The Holy Spirit will cause you to feel," Driscoll said. "Ministry is birthed out of passion." Missiologists who make a difference are the ones whose passion leads to action in an effort to “get underneath the culture to the idols." A missiologist's work is never done. Johnny Hunt addressed conference attendees on the topic of remaining faithful to the Gospel mission. "Can we do this day in and day out and still be in love with Jesus and be passionate about the ministry God has given us? I believe we can," Hunt said. Hunt is pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., and president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Hunt recounted specific stories of how the Lord has allowed him to share the Gospel and how he has seen people come to faith in Jesus Christ. "When you get involved in life change nothing else will satisfy you," he said. Hunt said he prays his later days will be his "best days" because "I feel as strong today as when I started." In order for believers to remain strong in the Gospel mission Hunt said they must constantly check their motives. The goal is to share the Gospel and allow Christ to be on display. "We deliver what we've received," Hunt said. "The emphasis is on the message we share – not the bearer of the message." Keeping the passion for the mission requires believers to see culture as something to be reconciled. "Cultures need to be redeemed back to the Lord," said Jerome Gay, pastor of Vision International Church in Raleigh. "It's God who determines our context. Ultimately, God is going to send to us who He wants." Gay warned against "contextualization void of the Holy Spirit" as that only leads to social confinement. Contextualizing does not mean limiting the people a church reaches; instead, it means applying the Gospel and explaining the Gospel so that people can understand. "The power is in the Gospel – not in our methods," Gay said. "If the Spirit of God has not moved in our hearts we’ll not see cultures reconciled." Instead of pointing to the problems in culture, Gay suggested pointing people to the One who can change it. "Our burden for the culture must outweigh our bias against it," he said. "God has prepared us for a face, not a mission field. We can't forget we were once in their place." For free audio downloads of all conference messages visit www.advancethechurch.com

Healthy leaders mark healthy churches

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:23:00 -0400

In his book Comeback Churches, Ed Stetzer writes that 3,500-4,000 churches close each year in the United States and 70-80 percent of churches in North America are stagnant or declining. "Millions of Christians attend churches that demonstrate little concern for the lost around them," writes Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research and LifeWay's Missiologist in Residence. Many of these stagnant churches have the resources to make a difference if they committed to becoming "more than museums of past glory days." While more church plants are desperately needed, existing churches also need to turn around and get back on track if nearly 1.6 billion people in the world, or 5,000 people groups, are going to hear the Gospel for the first time. The foundation for doing both and seeing any measure of success is really the same: spiritually healthy leaders. Pastors and church leaders can’t expect the congregation to be healthy if they themselves are not healthy. Returning spiritually mature leaders to the pulpit is the focus of one-day Church Health Institutes being held across the state. Neal Eller, Church Health Team Leader for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC), began the May 4 Church Health Institute in Cary by asking pastors, church leaders and Directors of Missions to consider the state of congregations they serve. Are they barren, with no fruit for the Kingdom of God? Do they look healthy only from the outside? Are they producing disciples who are producing disciples? Eller reminded leaders of Revelation 2:2-5 and how the church in Ephesus "abandoned the love" they once had for God. Leaders must anchor their lives on love for God and the Gospel or they will never be healthy leaders with healthy congregations. Who Are You?
Church leaders sometimes give in to the unhealthy habit of trying to please everyone around them. When that happens, the vision they have for the church, or the direction they sense God leading, can get sidetracked by other priorities. David Moore, BSCNC Pastoral Ministries Consultant, asked attendees to think about the people they listen to. "Ministers lose their joy because they feel like they are subject to other people’s voices," Moore said. John 10 describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd and believers as those who hear His voice and follow Him. His voice is the voice leaders listen to and His priorities are the priorities leaders value. "Who you are and what you value will determine what you do," Moore said. Who a leader is depends on whether or not the leader truly believes that self-worth and value are validated in a relationship with Jesus Christ and not in trying to please everyone. Church leaders, especially ministers, can fall into the trap of saying "yes" to everything and before long have no time for family or even themselves. "What are you saying yes to that you really don’t have to," Moore said. "What do you need to say no to in order to say yes to the right things?” Values First
Proverbs 29:18 is a text familiar to most: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Vision is important, yet "the presence of a vision statement doesn't automatically mean a shared understanding and commitment," said Russ Conley, BSCNC Leadership Consultant. Nor does it automatically mean a healthy church. The reason is because values drive vision. If a leader's values are not aligned with Scripture the most eloquent church vision statement means nothing. Conley said pastors must face the reality that often a gap exists between the stated values of a congregation and their actual values. Pastors must help their congregations understand who they think they are and who they actually are. With values in place, churches can move forward in the process of re-thinking structure and strategy. "We often don't give a lot of thought to why we're doing the things we're doing," Conley said. "A busy church is a happy church. We lose sight of the bigger picture." The Great Commandment
In Matthew 22:20 Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. Healthy churches do both. Healthy churches understand that a shared sense of values among the people is fostered when leaders put a high value on making disciples committed to Matthew 22:20. "You can't change the values in your church without discipling people," said Rick Hughes, BSCNC Discipleship Consultant. Hughes explained that healthy churches do not see church or worship as something just for them; healthy churches engage in Gospel-centered worship and engage others with the Gospel. Hughes encourages churches to begin Acts 2 disciple-making groups. Groups of about 8 or 10 meet weekly and focus on four areas: learning Biblical truths, building relationships, community missions and spiritual growth. These groups are intentional about praying for nonbelievers, sharing the Gospel with nonbelievers and serving others. Although it is easier, as Hughes said, to "grow a church than to grow people," healthy churches are committed to spiritual maturity and reaching people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For more information visit www.ncbaptist.org/chi

Operation Inasmuch blitzes Wendell community

Tue, 04 May 2010 08:39:00 -0400

On a hot Saturday morning Rhonda and Kent Lambert made their way down the street in a neighborhood not too far from Central Baptist Church. The neighborhood wasn't on the original list of areas to be prayer walked during the May 1 Operation Inasmuch, but a church member's burden for this particular area put the neighborhood on the list. The Lamberts walked by each home on the street, leaving a flyer about the church at each home and praying for the families represented in that neighborhood. They stopped and talked with two people out for a morning walk and talked with another woman working in her yard. Their purpose for prayer walking that morning goes beyond the one-day Operation Inasmuch. The Lamberts are hoping to join other members of their Sunday School class and begin a Bible study in the neighborhood later this year. They know that a Bible study will not happen overnight, and so they are beginning with prayer and with a mission to be intentional about building relationships with people in the neighborhood. "This is the greatest opportunity for us to do what we say we want to do," Rhonda said. That's what Operation Inasmuch is all about – local churches getting out in the community and serving others. Operation Inasmuch began in 1995 at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville. Since then, Operation Inasmuch has become a one-day missions blitz in communities across North Carolina and in other states as well. The missions outreach takes its name from Matthew 25:40, "Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Rhonda said Central is a church growing increasingly missions-minded globally and locally. Overseas mission trips and trips within the United States are not uncommon for Central, and local missions is something the church is realizing they cannot neglect. Church members are understanding the need to not only serve their community in deed, but by verbal witness. "We have gone from raking leaves to knocking on doors," Rhonda said. From children to senior adults, volunteers met together for prayer at 8 a.m. before heading out to their various project sites in Wendell. Tammy Johnson and her daughter Lauren, who is in elementary school, served at two local assisted living facilities. Tammy and Lauren visit assisted living facilities several times throughout the year. Tammy hopes that by involving Lauren in such a ministry at a young age will "instill in her that this is what we’re here for." Tammy knows that with her busy schedule it would be easy to forget that serving others needs to be a priority in life – and so she must be intentional in teaching that to her daughter. At the assisted living facility church members passed out pillows and walker aprons they made several weeks prior to Operation Inasmuch. They also visited with the residents. One team visited a couple no longer able to attend services at Central. Within a few minutes of the team arriving the couple was reminiscing about time spent with people at the church and sharing how much they missed being able to attend services. Other Operation Inasmuch projects included construction and roofing on a facility at a local park and packing boxes of food to give to families in need. Central's youth took the lead in adopt-a-highway clean up in front of the church. Pastor Ed Rose spent most of his time helping with construction and yard work at the home of a single mother. The woman is someone a church member has gotten to know over the past 15 years. While she is very much against anything to do with the Bible or the Gospel, church members are praying that as they continue to reach out she will come to know Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. Rose wants Operation Inasmuch to be the "springboard" for other opportunities of community outreach. "We want our identity to be missions and evangelism," he said. In a day when churches are not always known for these two things, Rose wants Central to be a noticeable presence in the community. "If the church left in some communities, no one would miss it," he said. Operation Inasmuch is a chance for churches across the state to "go beyond missions giving to missions going," Rose said. "And that starts here. We want to be a people who are constantly looking and planning to serve the community."

Campbell calls for life on life mentoring

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:52:00 -0400

Regi Campbell grew up going to church and became so familiar with church he described his life as having been "vaccinated" by the church. "But I never really had a relationship with Jesus," he confessed to a group of North Carolina pastors who recently met for a "Mentor like Jesus" seminar. Campbell lacked a relationship with Jesus Christ so he turned elsewhere for satisfaction and fulfillment. He didn't need to look far, as the fast track to a buzzing career awaited to envelop his life. He took a job with AT&T right out of school and "thus started the worship of career," Campbell said. Campbell moved five times in nine years for the sake of career. The breaking point came when he accepted a job offer in Atlanta without consulting his wife. Campbell continued to pursue career above all else and it nearly cost him his marriage and his family. With his marriage in shambles and the possibility of slipping down the corporate ladder due to changes at AT&T, Campbell experienced what he called the "crucible of about a week." In that week "I surrendered," Campbell said. "I had taken everything in my life for granted." God changed his heart, and his commitment turned from pursuing worldly success to pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Campbell left AT&T and began his own business. He and his wife began serving in the singles ministry of their church. It wasn't long before the single men in the class, most in their mid-20s, learned about where Campbell had come from and how God turned his life around. Campbell soon began meeting with the young guys to answer questions and talk about life. He did this for a number of years until he heard a speaker say something that changed his approach to mentoring: More time spent with fewer people equals greater kingdom impact. Campbell realized he could invest more time and dig deeper if he committed himself to a few men and focused more on truly doing life with them. Campbell began meeting with eight guys once a month in his home. They met for three hours each time and prayed, memorized scripture and read through a different book each month. Campbell laid out a few ground rules for his mentoring group that eventually turned into a covenant signed by each mentee. Each member of the group agreed to attend the meetings, be on time for the meetings and, most importantly, promised to "pay it forward" one day and mentor eight men. In 10 years of leading a group of eight men, Campbell has seen only five absences and seven tardies. This is proof, he said, that influence really has more impact than authority. What began as eight guys meeting at Campbell's home turned into Next Generation Mentoring, a ministry Campbell started to help churches understand what it means to mentor and how to start a mentoring ministry. Campbell also released the book Mentor Like Jesus, a resource explaining his vision for mentoring and the principles driving his approach to mentoring. In the book Campbell suggests that his take on mentoring is really not unique; he is just following the model set by Jesus. "Jesus and his disciples were steeped in prayer and Scripture was the core," he said. Jesus did mentoring "along the way," meaning he shared His life with His disciples. "You have to respond to people where they are," Campbell said. "You go through the issues of life." Essential characteristics of next generation mentoring, and a few good tips for new mentors, include: ·      Purpose – Focus on Jesus Christ and Kingdom building
·      Selfless – Mentor out of obedience to Christ, not because of what you expect in return
·      Group context – Your mentees will become accountable to one another, not just to you
·      Handpicked – Pray about who you should mentor
·      Mutual commitment – Never give up on your mentees
·      Multiplication – Mentoring should produce disciples makers Multiplication is one of the most essential ingredients for Campbell when it comes to mentoring. "You haven't made a disciple until that disciple makes a disciple," he said. "The Great Commission is at the core of this." To learn more about mentoring, visit www.nextgenmentoring.com.

Faithful servant stands strong in the storm

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:51:00 -0400

Mount Vernon Baptist Church on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh once sat in a rural part of town. The two-lane road out in front of the church didn’t seem to lead much of anywhere, and city planners said the area would never grow and the 35-member church would always be a rural church. That was 32 years ago. The two-lane road turned into a four-lane road leading to shopping malls and restaurants, and 35 members turned into more than 600. Shannon Scott is the first and only full time pastor of Mount Vernon. When he met with church leaders 32 years ago they told him their church would die soon if something did not change. Scott did not let their honesty and a seemingly unpromising situation turn him away. "Do I know God called me here? Absolutely," Scott said. When he came the church did not have a big facility or many ministries; they didn't really have much at all. Yet, Scott said during those early years "God was building a base of dedicated people. They came because God called them." Scott can still look out Sunday mornings and see scattered throughout the congregation leaders who have been with him for nearly 32 years. When Scott arrived at Mount Vernon he preached God's Word, and people came to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. When he first arrived the church had no Sunday School teachers, but after praying for laborers to be sent into the field, Sunday School teachers came. "God's hand was on it," Scott said. "The Lord saved us." Throughout the years Scott faithfully served the Lord, and the Lord has changed lives through the ministry of Mount Vernon. The church is now intentional with their evangelism efforts and people are being called out to share the Gospel in areas of the world with no Gospel witness. Scott continues to watch as new families come into the church and God grows them up to be leaders in the church and community. Change did not happen overnight and at times Scott did consider leaving. When God never provided a way out Scott knew he needed to stay where he was, for God had work left for him to do. Scott encourages younger pastors not to get discouraged when life is hard, for sometimes the church needs to see that the pastor "can take a storm. Sometimes God's people need to see if this man is going to stand up in trouble." Serving in one place so many years has challenged Scott to "dig personally." "I can't preach the same sermons I preached 10 years ago," he said. Preaching to the same congregation week after week requires even greater Bible study and sermon preparation. "You've got to give them something new. You can't live off what you've gotten in seminary or at a Bible conference." Scott plans to continue serving the Lord many more years. "I'm ready to do whatever He wants me to do," he said. "With God, you can't dream big enough."

UPDATE: Compensation survey deadline extended

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:31:00 -0400

The deadline for pastors and employees of North Carolina Baptist churches to complete the online compensation survey for Southern Baptist churches has been extended to May 15. The survey, provided by LifeWay Christian Resources and GuideStone Financial Services, is available here. In 2008, when the survey was last taken, more than 13,000 Southern Baptists participated. Results from the bi-annual survey allow church administrators, personnel and finance committees, and minister search teams access to an accurate baseline by which they can compare their own church's salary and benefits with similar churches across the country. Answers to the survey are kept confidential and are not reported individually. The survey takes, on average, less than 10 minutes to complete. In addition to salary and benefit information, participants in the survey will need to have available their church's average weekly worship or Bible study attendance, resident membership and annual budget. "The survey is only valuable if we have many SBC churches participate," said Johnny Ross, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) GuideStone representative. "The more churches participating, the more accurate picture we have of baseline compensation across the country, as well as across North Carolina." Survey results will be released by mid-June. A paper copy of the survey may be obtained by calling the BSCNC at (800) 395-5102 ext. 5595.

Joe Brown named Heritage Award winner

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:12:00 -0400

GREENSBORO – Joe Brown, senior pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, is the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina 2010 Heritage Award recipient. Brown was honored April 20 at a luncheon at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center. The Heritage Awards recognize individuals and couples who represent exemplary service and giving to organizations associated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC). Brown was one of 14 recognized at the luncheon. Other organizations participating include the Baptist Children's Homes, Biblical Recorder, Campbell University, Chowan University, Gardner-Webb University, Mars Hill College, Meredith College, NC Baptist Foundation, NC Baptist Hospital, NC Baptist Men, Wake Forest University, Wingate University and WMU NC. Brown was selected because of the leadership he has given during his time as senior pastor of Hickory Grove, and because the church has become a "forerunner of a lot of churches in North Carolina," said BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield, Jr. As an example, Hickory Grove began a satellite congregation in 1995. Brown led the church to become multi-site before many in the area had heard of a multi-site church. Since Brown came to Hickory Grove in 1984, church membership has increased from 2,155 to 14,734. In 1988, Hickory Grove was the eighth fastest growing church in the country and is now the largest Southern Baptist church in the state. "I have great respect and appreciation for Joe because of his integrity, his faithful commitment to proclaim and teach the Word of God, and his emphasis on the Great Commission," Hollifield said. "He is a man who spends time in the presence of God and seeks to walk in obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit." Each year Hickory Grove witnesses hundreds of people profess faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Brown and Hickory Grove continue to lead the way in their work with the international community, music ministry and overseas mission efforts. Hickory Grove was one of the first churches to commit to the Acts 1:8 Challenge, and under Brown's leadership has consistently been one of the BSCNC’s top contributors to missions. Brown and the congregation of Hickory Grove are examples of what it means to make a wise investment. In his keynote address, Hollifield shared what it means to live wisely. He said that all the Heritage Award winners are individuals who "have followed the admonition in the Bible where Jesus said that we are to lay up treasure in heaven. When we stand before God, I believe the only thing we can retain and that which will remain is that which we have given to Him for His glory and what we have done for others." Hollifield urged those in attendance to continue investing their time and material possessions in what is of benefit to God’s Kingdom. "Make a wise investment in a cause greater than temporary self-gratification," he said. The Heritage Awards honor humble servants who would never seek such recognition. "We give thanks and praise to God for what He will accomplish in the days ahead because of the generosity of these people," Hollifield said. "Today we want you to know that you are appreciated for who you are."

Living stones follow Christ’s example

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:06:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE – One by one stones dropped into buckets, as hearts finally relinquished control of sin held so close for so long. People lined up in the aisles waiting their turn to drop a stone in the buckets, symbolic of a commitment to put to death sin and to focus on the glory of Jesus Christ. Terry Rae, director of Africa for Christ and a keynote speaker for the NC Baptist Missions Conference earlier this month at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, spoke the first evening about stones Christians need to get rid of in their lives. Rae built on the conference theme "Living Stones," based on 1 Peter 2:5. The first stone Rae challenged those in attendance to let go of is fear, and he spoke of how David put aside fear and trusted God to get the victory over Goliath. "We need to get rid of the stone of fear and replace it with a heart of faith," he said. "Fear is a debilitating emotion" and "fears are always attached to something." From fear about the future of the country to fear about a current family situation, Rae reminded the audience that faith is better than fear. After all, Jesus told His disciples 36 times not to fear. The second stone Rae focused on came from Ezekiel 11:16-20. "Sometimes we have such stony hearts we never feel God's presence," Rae said. Hearts of stone need to be transformed into hearts of flesh that are alive to God’s presence and to His righteousness. Rae closed by telling the story of the adulterous woman, a woman about to be stoned had it not been for the mercy of Jesus Christ. A critical spirit is a spirit ready to condemn the sin in others. A critical spirit is one unwilling to forgive and one that leads to a hardened heart. Whether fear or a heart of stone or a critical spirit or any number of things, Rae asked North Carolina Baptists to give it up. As those stones fell into the buckets, the sound of forgiveness rang forth loud and clear. When participants arrived the next morning they were handed, just as they were the night before, a stone. Only this time, they got to keep the stone. Rae began by speaking about Joshua 4 and the importance of passing on stones to the next generation - stones representing a legacy of faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "There is an unreached people group in North Carolina right in your homes – your children," Rae said. Parents must be intentional and dedicated to telling their children truth from Scripture. One generation is all it takes for a family to lose sight of the Gospel. Rae also spoke about keeping the stone of baptism, a "witness to the fact that we have died and are living stones," he said. As believers think back to the day of their baptism Rae said they should be reminded that, "God has rolled away your sin through the blood of Jesus Christ." The people living as living stones are those willing to fight against sin and fight for the Gospel – for themselves and for the next generation. The living stones are the people telling what it means to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. "We love telling people what we have done for God," Rae said. "Let's tell more of what God is doing." Click here for related article about conference break out sessions.

EC hears ministry reports, update on church planting networks

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:36:00 -0400

During its April 15 meeting on the Baptist Children's Homes campus in Thomasville the Executive Committee (EC) of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) heard committee reports, financial reports, a church planting update and approved a recommendation from the Position Evaluation Committee. The meeting began with a Vision Fulfillment Story from NCBAM (click here for related article) and the approval of Kenny Lamm as Senior Consultant for Music and Worship (click here for related article). Chairman Bobby Blanton presented his slate of nominees for the Caraway Capital Projects Steering Committee: Ed Coates, chair, retired executive director of the NC Baptist Foundation; Don Warren, former president, BSCNC Board of Directors; Kendell Cameron, pastor, First Baptist Church in Mount Holly; Dale Duncan, former president, NC Baptist Men; Margene Troutman, longtime Caraway volunteer and supporter; Marty Jacumin, pastor, Bay Leaf Baptist Church; Margaret Joyce, longtime Caraway supporter. The Articles and Bylaws Committee reported that a subcommittee was formed to study the notice requirements related to the articles and bylaws. That subcommittee includes Aaron Wallace, Phil Qualls and Cindi Stevens. Mark Blair, chairman of the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee, reported that the committee is working to make North Carolina Baptists aware of the Healthy Youth Act, which regulates how sex education is taught in the state's public schools. The new law, which takes effect at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, continues to emphasize abstinence until marriage. However, it also opens the door to allow the teaching of more radical concepts. The committee recently sent a letter to all principals and school superintendents across the state to encourage their continued use of sound abstinence curricula. The committee is seeking volunteers who are willing to contact their local school districts with information and recommendations in regard to curriculum choices for the next school year. The update from the Communications Committee is that a survey is now online at www.ncbaptist.org/ccsurvey. The 14-question survey asks North Carolina Baptists for their input about the types of communication tools they find most helpful. All pastors, church leaders and church members are encouraged to complete the survey. A $50,000 loan was approved for Greater Joy Baptist Church in Oxford. The church started last year as a church plant. The EC also approved a recommendation from the Position Evaluation Committee that will "narrow their responsibility" and provide the "right balance of what is prudent from a cost and time standpoint," said John Butler, Executive Leader for Business Services. Prior to last week's meeting, the Position Evaluation Committee was responsible for approving all program staff level positions and approving job descriptions for all staff. In order to approve program level positions, candidates were required to be presented before the committee, which in some situations meant added Convention expenses for travel and lodging for the candidate. Under the new guidelines, the Position Evaluation Committee will be tasked with approving only team leader and executive leader level positions, rather than all program staff level assignments. The change will also reduce the number of committee meetings, thus reducing Convention expenses. The committee will consider any request for additional full time staff at all levels of employment, and will work with Convention leadership to reassign duties of eliminated staff positions and revise affected job descriptions. Chuck Register, Executive Leader for Church Planting and Missions Development, shared details of a new model for partnerships between the BSCNC and church planting networks. The model currently used by the BSCNC as related to recruiting, assessing, training and funding church planters does not change. Register explained that the North American Mission Board asked the BSCNC to develop and pilot the model. The BSCNC did so in consultation with directors of missions from across the state. The model defines a network as a group of established churches that come together for the primary purpose of enhancing the ability of churches to collectively fulfill the Great Commission in a specific region, community or among a specific people group through the planting of new congregations. In order for the BSCNC to recognize a network, the network must: be comprised of seven churches that affirm the Baptist Faith and Message and cooperate with the Convention; be registered as an incorporated non-profit organization in North Carolina; have identified a network facilitator to serve as liaison with the BSCNC; and understand that partnership with the BSCNC is subject to annual review and may be terminated immediately. Once the BSCNC has recognized a church planting network, funded church plants will be handled in identical fashion to plants funded through associations. Thus, church planters from a network will need to complete the same church planter application, assessment and basic training/coaching as is required for current planters funded by the BSCNC. David Phelps, president of the North Carolina Baptist Associational Missions Conference and Director of Missions for Atlantic Association, expressed his support of the model, saying it will be a benefit to associations and churches. The meeting concluded with the financial report given by Robert Simons, BSCNC comptroller. Simons reported that Cooperative Program funds total $7,340,684.63, or 8.61 percent lower than last year at this time. The next Executive Committee meeting is May 25 at Caraway Conference Center. The Board of Directors meets May 25-26 at Caraway.

NCBAM dedicates facility in Thomasville

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:18:00 -0400

On Thursday, April 15, staff from the Baptist Children's Homes, North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry (NCBAM) and Baptist State Convention of North Carolina gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of the NCBAM facility on the Baptist Children’s Homes campus. A building that began as a print shop in the 1950s for Charity & Children and later housed an alternative school program has been remodeled and is now the base of operations for NCBAM. NCBAM, begun in 2008 as a statewide ministry, is operated by the Baptist Children’s Homes and funded by the Baptist State Convention (BSCNC). Dr. Michael Blackwell, Baptist Children's Homes president, and Milton A. Hollifield, Jr., BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer, participated in the ribbon cutting. Blackwell described NCBAM as an outreach that seeks to provide for senior adults "ministry on every level." He said NCBAM is built on a spiritual foundation with a purpose of sharing with senior adults why Jesus Christ came to earth to die. Hollifield noted that NCBAM represents a paradigm shift regarding senior adult ministry. At one time residential care was the primary means of caring for aging adults. While this is still an important facet of ministry, it is not the only way. Only a small percentage of senior adults live in residential care facilities, as more and more senior adults want to live in their homes longer and many cannot afford residential care. NCBAM offers churches, associations and individuals with resources for caring for senior adults. The ministry will "communicate the love of Christ and the gospel of Christ. That's why I believe in what we are doing," Hollifield said. Blackwell also unveiled the new Partners Library and Resource Center. The library is named as such because of the "dynamic and ongoing" partnership between the Baptist Children's Homes and the BSCNC. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held in conjunction with the BSCNC Executive Committee (EC) meeting (click here for related articles). After the ceremony Blackwell addressed the Executive Committee during the Vision Fulfillment portion of the meeting. At every meeting Hollifield invites someone to share about how God is working in ministry and in the lives of individual North Carolina Baptists. "It is exciting to be in on the beginning of something," Blackwell told the EC. The fact that "we have come so far in such a short time is a tribute to the Lord and following His guidance and leadership," he said. NCBAM already has a director (Sandy Gregory), elder care coordinator (Jennifer Shore) and director of public relations (Jim Edminson). Blackwell and the NCBAM staff keep busy speaking in churches, associational meetings and at senior adult events about all NCBAM has to offer. In April of last year, NCBAM awarded its first grant to help Brookwood Baptist Church in Jacksonville expand its ministry to senior adults. In addition to providing ministry grants, the NCBAM facility hosts a call center for North Carolina Baptists to inquire about resources and ministry needs. NCBAM helps churches as they develop new ministries and expand ministries, and connects churches with resources. For more information about NCBAM visit www.ncbam.org. Photos courtesy Blake Ragsdale, Baptist Children's Homes

Lamm tapped to lead music and worship ministry

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:19:00 -0400

Kenny Lamm has been named Senior Consultant for Worship and Music for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC). The BSCNC Executive Committee (EC) approved Lamm to the position last Thursday during its regularly scheduled meeting. Lamm, 49, comes to the BSCNC after 23 years serving at Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville. For the past two years he served as missions and worship pastor, and prior to that as worship pastor. Lamm is involved in the South Yadkin Association, currently serving as the associational worship resource leader. He is also on the Board of Directors for the association. Previous denominational posts include vice moderator, South Yadkin Association; music director, South Yadkin Association; Program, Place, and Preacher Committee, BSCNC; and Senior Adult Choir Festival Director, Greater Gaston Association. As a worship leader and consultant Lamm has traveled the state participating in various events. In 2003 he led worship for an Experiencing God weekend with Avery Willis and in 2004 was the worship leader during a North American Mission Board national renewal conference. He has taught worship classes, led conferences and led worship for NC Baptist Men conferences. Lamm's ministry has also taken him to international fields of service. Twice he has led an evangelism team to Brazil and in Honduras led a medical missions team. In 2009 Lamm went with SCORE International and led a medical/evangelism/construction team in Costa Rica and later the same year co-led a youth team in the Dominican Republic. On multiple occasions he spent time during the summer in Malaysia working with the International Mission Board as a worship consultant and worship team leader. "Kenny Lamm has a great heart for lifting up worship among the congregations. He is an individual with the ability and credibility to speak into the variety of worship/music environments found in North Carolina Baptist church life today. He also has a great heart for incorporating missions involvement in the local church through music ministry," said Lynn Sasser, BSCNC Executive Leader for Congregational Services. Lamm joins the Congregational Services Group and the Church Ministry Team, led by Brian Upshaw. Upshaw told the EC he is confident of Lamm's ability to help "bring the emphasis to equipping worship leaders. Performance and excellence is critical, but it is secondary to the importance of putting the focus on the Lord." Lamm will also give emphasis to training small church music pastors. Lamm earned a bachelor of arts in music from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a master of church music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This appointment ends a 16-month search for a worship and music consultant, a position vacant since Dan Ridley retired in 2008. BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield, Jr., described Lamm as "a real asset to our work" and a leader he could present to the EC with "great expectation and admiration." Hollifield said the wait to fulfill this position has been worth it, as the Convention now has the right leader, God's choice leader, to step into this role. Lamm told the EC parting ways with a congregation he has invested so much in will be hard, yet he knows "God has placed a clear vision and calling in my heart to this position." He is married to Sandra and they have two children, Kevin and Katie. Lamm begins June 1.

Coalfields ministry to meet greatest needs

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:16:00 -0400

CHARLOTTE - Growing up in the Appalachian region of the country Dewey Aiken can relate to the people he now serves. Though the Aiken family did not go without food, "we came real close sometimes. I know what it is to be poor," he said. Thirty-seven of the top 100 poorest counties in the United States are in Central Appalachia. In some areas 45 percent of the population lives in poverty. Dewey Aiken and his wife Kathie are Mission Service Corps missionaries with Appalachian Regional Ministry (ARM), which serves not only Central Appalachia, but the entire 12-state Appalachian region from New York to Alabama. ARM operates as a ministry of 13 Baptist state conventions in partnership with the North American Mission Board and Woman’s Missionary Union. The ministry works to meet physical and spiritual needs of the people in Appalachia, strengthen existing churches and start new churches. During a break out session at the NC Baptist Missions Conference, the Aikens explained that for the last seven years they have served in Vermont. Half their time was spent in Vermont, the other half at their ministry base in Brevard, N.C. The Aikens also served as coordinators of the NC Baptist Men partnership in Vermont. The Aikens did not expect to become full time missionaries. They both had good jobs, Dewey at Duke Energy and Kathie as a nurse. Yet, "the Holy Spirit moved us," Kathie said. Now, the Lord is moving them again. This year the Aikens transition into a new role as coordinators of the Coalfields Ministry. NC Baptist Men, in partnership with ARM, developed the new ministry. While some projects will migrate south, most of the ministry will be targeted in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia. Mark Abernathy, NC Baptist Men Consultant for Men's Ministry and Adults, said the Coalfields Ministry seeks to specifically address poverty issues. Item distributions will be important, such as food, clothing, baby care items and school supplies. Other needs include construction and repair, sports ministry, children's ministry and Vacation Bible School. One mission team has already been to help and another 24 teams are signed up to go serve. Teams are needed all throughout the year. Teams have input regarding the duration of their mission trip. Some will spend a week or more in Appalachia, others just a few days. The Aikens emphasized the importance of relationship building when it comes to effective ministry in the Appalachian region. While churches are certainly encouraged to send food and baby care items, the Aikens encourage churches to go one step further and make the trip north to pass out those items. This allows churches to get to know the people they are serving and to begin earning their trust. One way for teams to build relationships is to serve in the same community or with the same church for several consecutive years. While serving in Vermont the Aikens knew people who committed nearly 10 years to serving in the same area. For the North Carolina Baptists who go, it won't take long for them to see the people in Appalachia as Kathie sees them - "they are precious, precious people." For more information visit www.ncmissions.org.

Mother's Day Offering lifts a burden

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:51:00 -0400

Times were tough for Teri Beck even before her daughter Stephanie got sick last spring. At the time Teri worked as a teacher's assistant, but paying the bills each month was hard. Teri's husband, Eric, is a truck driver and work did not come in as regularly as they would have liked. They were still paying off medical bills from a few years ago when Teri spent five days in ICU. She was between jobs and without medical insurance. Last year seven-year-old Stephanie needed an endoscopy at Baptist Hospital. For several years nausea and stomach pain plagued her life and it just got to be too much. Taking care of Stephanie took Teri away from work and unpaid leave did not help their financial situation. Teri's mother-in-law, Gail, saw the difficult spot the family was in and decided to make a phone call. As a retired secretary of the Liberty Baptist Association, Gail had heard Paul Mullen speak at associational meetings about the Mother's Day Offering, and she inquired about the possibility of the Beck family receiving financial help. Mullen is Church and Community Relations Director for Baptist Hospital. Every year the Mother's Day Offering helps patients pay hospital bills for care received at Baptist Hospital. These patients receive a letter that begins something like this: "Your hospital bill has been paid by compassionate and mission-minded North Carolina Baptists in the name of Jesus Christ and His love." Teri said when she received that letter "it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders." Teri called the gift from the Mother’s Day Offering "an absolute blessing" and she is still amazed that "people out there who didn’t know us cared enough to take care of this for us." In 2009, North Carolina Baptists gave $663,013 to the Mother's Day Offering so that more than 150 patients could be helped. Not long after Teri got her letter in the mail she learned she would not have a job when the new school year started in August. Teri, like many other teachers across the state, lost her job due to the economic situation and budget cuts. Teri is picking up some substitute teaching work here and there, but it is not steady. "I desperately need a full time job," she said. Eric's workload has picked up, and for this the family is grateful, but the long trips mean he is often only home on weekends. Despite their struggles, Teri can now enjoy seeing a healthy daughter head off to school every morning like a normal child. For the first time in a long time, Stephanie's not feeling sick. The Becks are grateful to God for providing for their needs and they trust He will continue to provide. The Mother's Day Offering is all the evidence they need. For more information about the Mother's Day Offering, visit www.mothersdayoffering.org. To order a free copy of the 2010 Mother's Day Offering promotion DVD, write pmmullen@wfubmc.edu. Bulletin inserts, posters, magazines and offering envelopes can also be ordered by e-mail.

Communications survey online

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:00:00 -0400

The Communications Committee of the Board of Directors of the Baptist State Convention is asking North Carolina Baptists for their input about the types of communication tools they find most helpful.

A 14-question survey recently released by the Committee asks North Carolina Baptists about their preferences when it comes to Web and print communication. All pastors, church leaders and church members are encouraged to complete the survey. The survey is available at www.ncbaptist.org/ccsurvey

Leaderesource encourages missional approach

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:26:00 -0400

A new resource from the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) is aimed at helping local churches strengthen their efforts to be missional in the way they do Sunday School and small groups. Leaderesource is a leadership development initiative that offers free downloads of training modules for Sunday School and small group leaders. Phil Stone, Senior Consultant for Sunday School Ministries for the BSCNC, has enlisted a team of pastors, education ministers, student and children's ministers, and lay leaders from across the state to write training guides that will be available for leaders of preschoolers, children, youth and adults. Although the training can take place any time, churches are encouraged to plan their event between August 15 and September 18, 2010, and use the event as a kickoff to the Sunday School or small group year. Here's how Leaderesource works: 1. Sign up online as a participating Leaderesource church at www.leaderesource.org. Each participating church will receive a free Ed Stetzer DVD about missional small communities. 2. Visit www.leaderesource.org and download the free training modules for your church to use in training your leaders. Each module includes a teaching outline, listening guide, handouts and PowerPoint presentation. 3. Plan at least one day for a Leaderesource training event in your church or association 4. After the training, go online and report the number of leaders you trained 5. Follow up on what you learn in the Leaderesource training by doing a mission project in your community "By doing a class mission project and letting the class or small group choose and organize the project through their group, the church is likely to have more people engaged in missions than ever before," said Brian Upshaw, Church Ministry Team Leader for the BSCNC. "Now, imagine the impact of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of class mission projects occurring in your town. Your community will begin to see local churches that are interested in them and care about their community. The church becomes relevant. Couple this relevancy with the new Bible training your leaders are receiving through Leaderesource, and you have the makings of spiritual transformation in your town." Jean Willoughby is one of the curriculum contributors. Willoughby has 37 years of experience in working with preschoolers and children. Her husband is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Mills River, a new church plant that leases building space on Sunday mornings from another church. Willoughby has served in churches described as small, large, rural, city, poor and rich. “Now I'm in a church where I have Sunday School in my suitcase," she said. The focus of her curriculum is developing Sunday School for preschoolers. She writes about tips for teaching preschoolers, such as how to be a growing teacher and how to make biblical concepts the foundation of the Sunday School. Willoughby's training guide will help teachers get prepared, because all too often "teachers think because it's a two or five-year-old they don't have to prepare and they'll wait until the last minute." Teaching children is more than babysitting - this is a season of life full of teachable moments if leaders are willing to invest time into the lives of children. Another curriculum contributor is Eric Davis, family pastor at Green Street Baptist Church in High Point. Prior to coming to Green Street two years ago Davis was on staff 12 years at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Davis is writing material to help adult classes be more intentional about doing life together, rather than just coming together for an hour or so each week for a lesson. When class members are in each other's homes and encouraging one another and providing accountability, "the class becomes an extension from just that Sunday morning hour," Davis said. Davis also wants parents to understand the vital role they play in the lives of their children. Parents help shape their children's character, worldview and perspective on what is important in life. "The family schedule drives everything," Davis said. "Whatever drives the family schedule will be influencing a child to help them see what is important and what is not." The online curriculums will be available in May. For more information visit www.leaderesource.org

MNYBA receives $50,000 for church planting

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:02:00 -0400

This year the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) entered into a partnership with the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association and the BSCNC is wasting no time in sending help to New York Baptists. Teams of Convention staff and North Carolina pastors have been on vision trips to New York, and churches are already signing up to participate in mission projects. The BSCNC recently contributed $50,000 to the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association, or MNYBA, to help with church planting in New York City. These funds are unspent BSCNC church planting funds from 2009. "I am so appreciative for the Kingdom-minded leadership of the BSCNC that allows us to make an eternal difference in the lives of New Yorkers through church planting. Only eternity will reveal the spiritual dividends of souls through this $50,000 investment," said Chuck Register, BSCNC Executive Group Leader for Church Planting and Missions Development. Ed Yount, BSCNC President, presented the check to MNYBA Executive Director George Russ during the NC Baptist Missions Conference in Charlotte. Russ shared about the work of MNYBA and led a break out session during the conference. The funds will help five association churches, such as Graffiti II in the Bronx. Graffiti II, led by church planter Andrew Mann, began 18 months ago in one of the poorest, most violent neighborhoods in New York City. "Andrew will need assistance for quite some time as he grows a church comprised of a low-earning, multi-ethnic demographic," Russ said. Graffiti II is a church plant of Graffiti. Graffiti began in the 1970s and ever since has increased its outreach to the community. Graffiti sponsors a soup kitchen, after-school program, clothing closet, computer classes, English classes and summer programs for children. Other church planters receiving assistance from these funds include: Karim Camara, a 35-year-old bi-vocational African-American church planter who launched Crown Heights Church in Brooklyn in late January. The church averages 50-60 in worship services. Won Kwak, who is planting a multi-ethnic English-speaking church in a very diverse and densely populated community just across the George Washington Bridge in Ft. Lee, NJ. The church launched in early January and averages 75-80. Richard Perez, 29, a Dominican who grew up in the predominantly Hispanic Washington Heights area of Manhattan. He attended college and seminary outside New York City and returned home to start a church. Perez is also a bi-vocational pastor, working as a pastor and school teacher. Vladimir Danaila, a Russian-speaking Moldavian and an experienced church planter and evangelist. "I have been working for a year to bring Vladimir to New York City as a catalytic church planter amongst Russians and Jews," Russ said. "Vladimir needs local sponsorship - and this is in progress - but he will also need partnership support to enable him to be catalytic. We have rigorously assessed him and are eager to deploy him for the first of what we hope will become multiple church planting endeavors." BSCNC Executive Director-Treasurer Milton A. Hollifield, Jr., said he is excited about the possibilities for Kingdom growth in this partnership. "New York City is one of the most influential cities of the world. I trust we can add to the wonderful things God is already doing through Baptist churches in this great city. I hope we can affirm and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ who live there and have such a great heart for claiming that part of our country for Christ." Hollifield also looks forward to the two-way nature of the partnership. "Our Convention will be blessed because Baptists from this huge metropolitan area will be able to teach Baptists in North Caroling how to be more effective in reaching the cities and urban parts of our state. I am elated God has called George Russ to lead this work. We have been friends for several years and I know he has a big heart for evangelism. George is a native of New York City and he understands the people who live there. God is doing great things through the leadership George is giving to Southern Baptists in the Metro New York Baptist Association."

MNYBA serves everywhere within a 50-mile radius of Times Square. Eighty percent of the churches in MNYBA are ethnic churches. To learn how to get involved with ministry in New York, visit www.ncmissions.org For more information about the partnership with MNYBA, visit www.ncbaptist.org and click on the News tab.