‘Sincerely,
Ty Cobb’
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DECEMBER 2011
ALABAMA baptiststoday.org
Passport readies for 20th summer 4 ‘How am I doing?’ By William E. Hull
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BIBLE STUDIES for adults and youth JANUARY lessons inside
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Alabama pastor’s calling reaffirmed years later December 2011 Vol. 29, No. 12 baptiststoday.org John D. Pierce Executive Editor editor@baptiststoday.org
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Julie Steele Chief Operations Officer jsteele@baptiststoday.org Jackie B. Riley Managing Editor jackie@baptiststoday.org Tony W. Cartledge Contributing Editor cartledge@baptiststoday.org Bruce T. Gourley Online Editor gourley@baptiststoday.org David Cassady Church Resources Editor david@thefaithlab.com
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Desmond Tutu responds
Steve DeVane Contributing Writer steve@baptiststoday.org Terri Byrd Contributing Writer
FEATURES
Vickie Frayne Art Director
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Jannie Lister Customer Service Manager jannie@baptiststoday.org Kimberly L. Hovis Marketing Associate kim@baptiststoday.org
Q&A with Archbishop Desmond Tutu 34 By Adelle Banks American Baptist missionary honored by Chinese government 35 By Bob Allen
Walker Knight, Publisher Emeritus Jack U. Harwell, Editor Emeritus BOARD OF DIRECTORS Walter B. Shurden, Macon, Ga. (chairman) Robert Cates, Rome, Ga. (vice chair) Jimmy R. Allen, Big Canoe, Ga. Nannette Avery, Signal Mountain, Tenn. Kelly L. Belcher, Spartanburg, S.C. Thomas E. Boland, Alpharetta, Ga. Donald L. Brewer, Gainesville, Ga. Huey Bridgman, The Villages, Fla. Mary Jane Cardwell, Waycross, Ga. Jack Causey, Statesville, N.C. Anthony D. Clevenger, Pensacola, Fla. Kenny Crump, Ruston, La. James M. Dunn, Winston-Salem, N.C. Gary F. Eubanks, Marietta, Ga. R. Kirby Godsey, Macon, Ga. Ben Gross, Chattanooga, Tenn. Leslie D. Hill, Lexington, Ky. Fisher Humphreys, Birmingham, Ala. Michael M. Massar, Baton Rouge, La. William T. Neal, Stone Mountain, Ga. Roger Paynter, Austin, Texas Michael G. Queen, Wilmington, N.C. Kathy B. Richardson, Rome, Ga. Lee Royal, Greensboro, N.C. Mary Etta Sanders, Dalton, Ga. Charles Schaible, Macon, Ga. Macon Sheppard, Folly Beach, S.C. Charlotte Cook Smith, Winston-Salem, N.C. David M. Smith, Houston, Texas Leo Thorne, Valley Forge, Pa. Cathy Turner, Clemson, S.C. David Turner, Richmond, Va. Tom Waller, Alpharetta, Ga. Winnie V. Williams, Seneca, S.C. Cynthia Wise, Birmingham, Ala.
cover photo IN THE NEWS News digest 10 Some U.S. seminaries consider radical changes 11 Nurturing Faith Bible studies for 2012 36 Documentary, dialogues debunk immigration myths 38
Cover photo by Colleen Burroughs. Passport is gearing up for its 20th summer of camps that combine discipleship, Story on page 4 worship, missions and fun.
Quotation Remarks
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Editorial 9 Classifieds 16 In the Know
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Reader’s Response
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Media 31 Baptists and the Civil War
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Reblog 33
This month’s Alabama edition of Baptists Today is sponsored by Cynthia Wise and Fisher and Caroline Humphreys in memory of Philip Wise
Lighter Side
An autonomous, national news journal since 1983
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The next morning, Jonathan Ivy, pastor of Woodland Forest Baptist Church, a small congregation in Tuscaloosa called. He asked Mary An if she would be willing to help him in ministry at Woodland Forest. “I asked, ‘With what?’ He said, ‘Everything.’” Jonathan called Mary An for 10 days in a row, and she finally agreed to meet with him. After three hours of drinking coffee at Cracker Barrel, she agreed to try it for six months. She began as associate pastor in October1999 and was ordained the following year. She and Jonathan worked together until he resigned early this year. In September, Woodland Forest called Mary An to be pastor. The April 27 tornadoes that ripped across the Southeast tore through Tuscaloosa, killing dozens and leaving thousands without homes. The Woodland Forest facilities were left intact, but homes all around them were destroyed. “Thankfully, Marsha Sprayberry, director of Project Blessings, had recently renovated the home of one of our church families,” said Wilson. “She said that she decided to join our little church because she was looking for a church that helps people.” When the tornadoes came, Woodland
Forest opened up the church building and Marsha and Mary An organized the efforts of Project Blessings and the church family from the church’s old gymnasium. “For days we had 18 wheelers arriving from all over the U.S. bringing supplies to the area,” said Wilson. “We fed 2,000 people a day for the first couple of weeks and then fed hundreds for weeks after that. We clothed hundreds of people and gave away supplies (food, personal hygiene items, diapers, etc.) in the tens of thousands.” “For a church that has only 45 to 50 people on Sunday morning,” she added, “God gave us the resources to help thousands in our community when tragedy came.” Clothing left over from the tornadoes response could have been given to another agency, but after prayer and conversation the church decided they had been given an opportunity to continue a ministry. Various agencies in Tuscaloosa now refer people to Woodland Forest’s clothes distribution. “We have a long way to go,” said Mary An. “We’re a small, multi-ethnic church with few financial resources. But we have an energy to move forward and continue to be the presence of God to this community.” Mary An said the church is beginning to
see growth from youth and young families. “I’m praying that God will show us the changes we need to make and the courage to make them.” Walking around the church grounds, she has a twinkle in her eyes and a spring in her step. She is here for a season and intends to do all she can to minister with the people of Woodland Forest during the time at hand. “I feel so blessed,” she said. “I walk around and feel God is in this place. Who would have ever thought that this little church could do so much to help so many and that I would be here to be a part of it?” “I always knew that God had called me to be a pastor,” she said with a smile. “It just took me 55 years to get here.” BT
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