BAPTIST
Fall 2017
Newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware • www.baptistlifeonline.org
FEATURING: -- Shortened format -- Expanded childcare -- Engaging learning opportunities See p.12-13
2017 Annual Meeting, November 12-13 Kettering Baptist Church, Upper Marlboro, Md.
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BAPTIST
Contents
VOLUME 102 ISSUE 3/ Fall 2017
(ISSN 331-640) is published quarterly as a Cooperative Program ministry of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. BAPTISTLIFE 10255 Old Columbia Road Columbia, MD 21046-1716 (Phone) 800-466-5290, ext. 245 (Fax) 443-378-7373 Send address changes & advertising questions to: iwhite@bcmd.org
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BAPTISTLIFE Staff Shannon Baker, Editor/Director of Communications Iris White, Managing Editor/Mailing Sharon Mager, BAPTISTLIFE Correspondent
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Features ADOPTION/FOSTER CARE p. 6 These superhero families see adoption and foster care as the visible Gospel. DEFENDING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY p. 10 Two Supreme Court cases seek to preserve freedom of religion UNITED IN PRAYER p. 12 BCM/D’s Nov. 12-13 annual meeting has a shortened format, expanded childcare and engaging learning opportunities DOLLAR DEVASTATION p. 14 Retired missionaries remember fighting hunger in Zimbabwe
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MINISTRY ON THE MIDWAY p. 15 Ministry at local fairs opens doors for Gospel conversations RECLAIMING CITIES FOR CHRIST p. 16 These inner city ministries are making an impact for the Kingdom CONVENTION NEWS p. 20 GMB members approve 4.5 percent increase in CP funds to int’l /nat’l causes
Perspectives Dr. Kevin Smith p. 4 Dr. Michael Trammell p. 5
T HANK Y OU
for your gifts to the your State Missions Offering and for ! pel Gos the partnership in
Address change: Send the new address with the old mailing label at least three weeks prior to move or send an email to iwhite@bcmd.org with your old and new information. Advertising rates are available. We do not automatically accept all advertising. We typically accept ads for services provided to Maryland and Delaware Baptists related to or assisting in starting new churches and strengthening existing ones. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser’s products or services. The deadline for news and advertising is the first day of the month preceding the next issue. Free Subscription by request Press Releases and Photos: We welcome letters from readers, press releases and photos of topics of interest to Maryland/Delaware Baptists. Digital photos sent electronically are preferred. If you send glossy prints, please include a SASE for return. Letters to the Editor (LTTE) do not reflect the views or opinions of BaptistLIFE. We prefer letters from Maryland and Delaware. Only letters marked clearly for publication as a LTTE, signed with addresses will be considered. Please include a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. Letters may not exceed 300 words. Letters attacking churches or individuals will not be published. Letters will be edited for clarity, BaptistLIFE style and space considerations, but not for content. We regret that we cannot respond to all letters not accepted for publication. BAPTISTLIFE is a member of the Association of State Baptist Publications, Baptist Communicators Association, Baptist Press News, and Evangelical Press Association and is printed by Delmarva Printing in Salisbury, Md.
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Perspective | Dr. Kevin Smith “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He [Jesus] said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matthew 22:36-40 (CSB) As we head into the fall season, MD/DE Baptists will have various opportunities to love our neighbors through acts of service, in obedience to the command of Christ. Locally, nationally, and globally, we have the ability (and structure) to address real needs, serve others, and be Acts 1:8 witnesses. I pray that God will give us hearts of compassion, faithful stewardship to share our resources, and many volunteers. Locally, here in MD/DE, we have the opportunity to show mercy through various SEND Relief efforts – ESL, smoke detector installation, public school partnerships, and many more. Currently, we are highlighting our efforts to serve recent Kevin Smith immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa through the Salaam Center in Executive Director, East Baltimore (see http://www.baptistlifeonline.org/?p=22237). Baptist Convention of Globally, we can serve victims of hurricanes, flooding, and mudslides through Maryland/Delaware Baptist Global Response (goBGR.org). This allows Southern Baptists to serve and assists those affected by recent natural disasters in the Carribean, Asia, and Africa. Additionally, on an on-going basis, we have an opportunity to address hunger and medical issues in many developing countries. Nationally, our efforts are focused on recent hurricanes in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida (Hurricanes Harvey and Irma). This recovery effort will be ongoing. It is my prayer that God will raise up many volunteers to serve – retirees, working folk with flexible schedules, and students that will desire to serve next summer. Mobilizing volunteers and resources to respond to disasters is one of the distinct functions of state conventions in Southern Baptist life. May MD/DE Baptists respond to the cry of those affected by these recent events with compassionate hearts, sacrificial giving, and willing-worker hands! Financially, we support Disaster Relief efforts through our State Missions Offering and designated gifts specified for Disaster Relief. This allows us to purchase and maintain needed equipment, train and mobilize volunteers, and purchase needed items to serve those affected by natural disasters. One hundred percent of donations given to Disaster Relief go to relief efforts. If you need any information, please visit our website, https://bcmd.org/what-we-do/disaster-relief, or contact your convention staff. This is a great day to be a MD/DE Baptist!
Photo: Texas National Guard soldiers arrive in Houston, Texas to aid citizens in heavily flooded areas from the storms of Hurricane Harvey. By Lt. Zachary West , 100th MPAD
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Grace to you, Brother Kevin
Dr. Michael Trammell | Pastor-to-Pastor WHY I BELIEVE IN EXPOSITORY PREACHING Jeff Campbell, assistant professor of preaching and dean of students at Criswell College, wrote a great article in the March/April 2016 issue of PREACHING magazine. The purpose of the article was to develop a working definition of expository preaching. He uses quotes from a number of names we all know – Phillips Brooks, John Broadus, Haddon Robinson, Peter Adam, and others. Needless to say, there were a lot of opinions. But the one I most closely identified with was by R. Albert Mohler Jr. His work, He is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World, published by Moody Press in 2008, deserves to be required reading for every preacher of the Gospel. Campbell cites several of Dr. Mohler’s statements like, “…the text of Scripture has the right to establish the substance and structure of a sermon.” Also, says Mohler, “Many preachers - from Harry Emerson Fosdick onward - assume they must begin (their sermon preparation) with a human problem or question and Michael Trammell then work backward to the biblical text. On the contrary, expository preaching President, begins with the text and works from the text to apply its truths to the lives of the Baptist Convention of believer.” Maryland/Delaware I heartily agree. I am amazed at the number of young preachers who Senior Pastor, succumb to the popular view of needing to craft their messages around felt Mt. Airy Baptist Church needs. That approach, it seems to me is by nature highly subjective. Again, quoting Mohler, “Preachers only have authority when they speak for God.” Then he adds, “…preachers do not speak for God unless they speak the words of God. The words of God are found in the Word of God. This type of preaching is exposition.” Campbell then acknowledges the presence of text-driven preaching as a movement within the realm of expository preaching. This is well-presented by Akin, Allen, and Mathews in their work, Text-Driven Preaching: God’s Word at the Heart of Every Sermon. “Text-driven preaching,” Campbell concludes, “endeavors to submit the will of the preacher to the meaning of the text.” Men, simply put, let the biblical text guide you. Submit to the wisdom of the One who wrote it. The late Adrian Rogers used to say, “The Bible has sixty-six stenographers, but only one Author.” In the final analysis, what you and I think is not worth much apart from what God’s Word says. So preach the Word!
Essay by Kevin Smith included in new CSB Study Bible An essay entitled, “The Bible and Civil Rights,” by Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Executive Director Kevin Smith is one of the many articles in the new Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Study Bible published in 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Included with over 16,000 study notes, tools, and word studies, these essays give in-depth coverage to major biblical/theological issues. One such issue is the topic of civil rights, as acknowledged in the book of Philemon, which inspired Smith’s article. He noted that “the Bible was central to the thought, rhetoric, and development of the Civil Rights Movement,” pointing to the example of popular civil rights’ “I Have a Dream” speech, which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963. “The speech reflected King’s criticisms and hopes for America set in the language of the prophets of the Old Testament,” Smith writes, pointing to the biblical phrase, “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24) included in King’s speech. Even more powerful was when King said he dreams of a day when “every valley shall be exalted and every hill and
mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:4-5). “It should not be taken for granted that the celebrated leader of the Civil Rights Movement was a black preacher,” Smith says, stressing its importance. “The central intellectual strain behind the movement focused on the issue of the equality of all humans, since they were ‘created… in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).’” Smith asserts: “It would not be a stretch to suggest that the Civil Rights Movement would have lacked moral fiber (and one might further say divine blessing) without the underlying truth claims drawn from the Bible.” A revision of the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), the CSB strives to be “meticulously faithful to the ancient Scriptures and exceptionally clear to understand.” For over 20 years, more than 100 Bible scholars from 17 denominations translated the HCSB from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. Learn more at https:// csbible.com. -- Shannon Baker Fall 2017
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CARING FOR ORPHANS
By Shannon Baker and Sharon Mager
True Superheroes: Families who adopt or provide foster care see their faith grow through welcoming children into their homes, lives and hearts
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hen Kevin Freeman started working at Redland Baptist Church in 2009, he served as a youth minister. But over time, he has grown into the role of family minister, serving as an associate pastor working with youth and families. As he has grown in his ministry, so has his family. He and his wife, Karen, now have six children, including two sets of siblings, whom they adopted (or are in the process of adopting) through the CHOSEN foster care program at Building Families for Children (www.buildingfamiliesforchildren.com). Kevin is the chairman of the Christian Life and Public Affairs committee for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. God softened the Freemans’ heart for foster care when they were serving at their previous church in Halethorpe, Md. Kevin, then a youth minister, and Karen welcomed in the children who lived near them, often sharing meals and otherwise giving them the love and attention they seemed to miss elsewhere. “These kids had rough home lives,” Karen shared. “They always knew when to show up for dinner!” The growing need in their own neighborhood around them overwhelmed them. As a teenager, Kevin had been interested in one day adopting children, and now as an adult, the idea floated again in their minds. They began to look into foster care as a solution. What they learned astounded them. According to to organizers for the annual National Adoption Day (www.nationaladoptionday.org), which is celebrated on November 18 this year, there are more than 110,000 children in the U.S. who are in foster care
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waiting to find permanent, loving families. Moreover, the average wait for a child in foster care to be adopted is nearly three years. And more than 23,000 children age out of the foster care system each year with no family or permanent home. While Kevin was in seminary, the couple decided to attend the CHOSEN foster care training. Afterwards, in 2012, while at Redland, the Freemans welcomed siblings Dustin and Trinity into their home. “That was when our hearts got into it,” Kevin remembered. Yet the Freemans initially decided they would stop fostering after Dustin and Trinity. The uncertainties and emotional upheaval that come with foster care were taking a toll on them. They decided not to accept future foster placements. Fortunately, God had other plans. Kevin’s seminary class happened to focus on the theology of foster care and adoption. He shared his lessons with Karen. They were struck with how, as unbelievers, they once were outside of God’s family. But Jesus enabled them “to be in God’s family.” “When we understand what God has done for us, orphan care is just a natural extension of what we do,” Kevin said. Soon, the social worker asked the Freemans to consider taking in other children. It would mean rearranging rooms and rearranging their lives. Kevin and Karen talked with Dustin and Trinity, and the family decided to do it again. “That’s when foster care stopped being a thing we did and became a mission we were on,” shared Kevin. They fostered 11 children, knowing they were there temporarily. But, then the family took in a seven-year-old twin, hoping over time the girl’s sibling would soon join them. They waited 11 months. Photo on previous page (l to r): Kevin Freeman and family: Olivia, Trinity, Dustin, Kevin, wife Karen, Wesley, and Ibeth.
Kristie and Phil Graves with daughter Elliana
CHILDREN OF THE WORLD... DID YOU KNOW? -- In the world today there are 143 million children who have lost one or both parents. That is almost one half of the population of the United States! -- Every 14 seconds an AIDS death leaves another child orphaned. -- Every year 12 million children around the world become orphans. -- 87.6 million orphans live in Asia. -- 43.4 million orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa. -- 12.4 million orphans live in Latin America and the Caribbean. -- In Ukraine and Russia, 10%-15% of children who age out of an orphanage commit suicide before age 18. Source: Jamesone27 Orphan Care, a ministry of Bayside Baptist Church, Chesapeake Beach, Md.
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Mark and Amy Swan with children Andrew and Gracelyn
They bought a new, larger house. And then they got the devastating news. The other foster family would not release the sibling. The other family even discredited the Freeman’s faith, ultimately taking their young girl, leaving them in deep pain. “It was as if God wanted us to experience the pain and loss the foster care kids feel when they go into foster care and lose their parents and siblings,” Kevin said. Soon, while the Freemans adopted Dustin and Trinity, Karen became pregnant with Olivia. Two months later, the Freemans took in a teenage girl named Ibeth, who was separated from her brother, Kevin. Ibeth and Kevin reunited a year later, and the Freemans welcomed Kevin into their home as well. But before Kevin arrived, Karen became pregnant with Wesley, which was significant to the younger Kevin. His other foster care mother was pregnant and did not want to keep him. “But we were saying, ‘We are having a baby, and we still want you to come in,” Karen said. Soon Kevin will be adopted.
He has chosen to be named after his new father: Kevin Michael Freeman Jr. “I never knew I wanted a Junior until I got one,” dad Kevin said. All the while, Redland Baptist Church members have watched and supported the Freemans as their family has grown. Others in the church are encouraged to do the same. “As Christians, we should be leading the charge,” Kevin said. “A church family makes all the difference for foster families.” GRAVES FAMILY Elliana Mae Graves looks like a little baby doll, with dark hair and eyes and a smile that lights up the room. She climbs up next to me, scrunches up her nose, and pats my computer, saying, “Pictures!” She loves electronics, said Phil Graves, pastor of First Baptist Church, Brunswick. In July 2017, he and his wife, Kristie, adopted Elliana from an orphanage in Armenia. The couple began talking about adoption as soon as they got married, but Kristie got pregnant quickly. First Kara was born,
followed by Ethan and Owen. In 2015, they felt it was time to begin considering adoption once again. They have friends who adopted two boys from Ukraine through “Reese’s Rainbow,” a charitable organization that advocates for the adoption of children with special needs. Discovering Elliana has spina bifida, they were hesitant to move forward at first, but after speaking with friends, Summit Trace Church members Stephan and Kim Romanchuk, Phil and Kristie were reassured. The Romanchuks’ son, Daniel, now a Paralympian, also has spina bifida. After a conversation with the Romanchuks, “it didn’t seem as scary,” Kristie said. When Phil and Kristie decided to move ahead, God opened all the doors, including providing the necessary $35,000 in funding needed to adopt. They fundraised 90 percent of that cost. Friends gave, strangers with a heart for orphan ministry gave, and even an old high school friend provided a huge amount to cover their traveling expenses. Daniel Romanchuk also contribut-
ed some of his prize earnings he received after he won his first major road race. The church also has been very supportive, and now has an adoption fund for other families to adopt. “We were thinking, how are we going to do this, and it all fell in place,” Kristie said. “Money was one of the biggest concerns but it turned out to be the least of our worries,” Phil said. The Graves family is thankful to God for His provisions. Even Elliana’s name is a praise. Her birth name, “Oksana,” means, “Praise Be to God.” Her new name means “My God answers.” SWAN FAMILY Mark Swan, pastor/planter of Fire & Light Church, Reisterstown, and his wife, Amy, share that their adoption story has been a long journey. In fact, it led them to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Mark and Amy were newlyweds when their doctor informed them that they wouldn’t be able to have children. They prayed about their options and chose international adoption. “Russia was a country open at that time, and it was one of the fastest countries to adopt from,” Mark shared. As they navigated the adoption process, they were shocked when their adoption counselor asked them their choices—eye and hair color, complexion, and ethnicity. “As Christians, we said, we just want the privilege of being able to raise a child in a Christian home,” Mark stressed. “We weren’t going to the store for something to purchase,” Amy added. They flew to Moscow then to Krasnoyarsk, which is near China, a longer flight than flying across the United States, Amy explained. There, in an orphanage with 30 other babies, lay their little 10-month-old Andrew. “He was a tiny little baby, the size of a four month old, but he was very happy to meet us,” Amy smiled.
“The hardest thing we ever had to do was leave him there for six weeks,” Mark said. They flew home to make arrangements then back to Krasnoyarsk to pick up Andrew. They spent weeks in a Russian hotel room with a new baby going through the red tape—doctor visits, court, visas, embassy visits, passports—and then they brought him home. In 2006, a year later, the family had a surprise. “Miracle of all miracles, Amy got pregnant,” Mark grinned. Andrew had a little sister—Gracelyn. The Swans quickly discovered that Andrew had multiple health problems. He required four eye surgeries and had braces on both legs for years in addition to many developmental disabilities. “That’s what brought us to Maryland in 2010—Kennedy Krieger, Johns Hopkins and the Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia,” Mark explained. Before moving, he was pastoring a church in Appalachia in Kentucky. The family loved it there, but Andrew’s needs were pressing. “We were having to drive eight hours round-trip to go to a doctor’s appointments,” Mark said. Mark answered a call to pastor Northpoint Baptist Church, where he baptized Andrew and Gracelyn. Later, when they began Fire & Light Church, Mark said they were surprised to find that the area has a strong Russian immigrant population. It’s a perfect fit. Andrew loves knowing he’s from Russia and he likes learning about the country and learning Russian words. Both children enjoy helping with the church plant, handing out water at the nearby metro station and helping with backyard Bible clubs. Gracelyn enjoys singing. Reflecting over the years, Mark said, choking up a bit, “We really believe that if God would have answered those fertility prayers, then we wouldn’t have adopted Andrew.” Amy nods in agreement. “We really believe that if he wasn’t adopted he probably would have died in that orphanage over there.”
JAMESone27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27 NLT).
Bayside Baptist Church, Chesapeake Beach, has a JAMESone27 orphan care ministry, raising awareness and understanding about the biblical imperative to love orphans and widows. They teach that even if you can’t adopt (and not everyone should), you can help someone who is adopting or fostering. What can you do? • Open your heart to God’s heart for the orphan. • Recognize your responsibility to find permanent families. • Prevent children from being orphaned. • Help orphans in ways that move them out of orphanhood. • Affirm loving, legal and lasting families by preservation, reunification, or adoption. • Never forget the local church is key. Source: https://www.baysidebaptist.com/ jamesone27-orphan-care
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DEFENDING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Trinity Lutheran case is a win for religious freedom By Sharon Mager WASHINGTON—The recent 7-2 Supreme Court ruling for Trinity Lutheran Church in the case of “Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v Comer, Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources,” is being seen by many as “monumental,” and a big win for religious freedom. Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Executive Director Kevin Smith, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) President Russell Moore, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Senior Counsel David Cortman, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., discussed the case during a June 2017, “Capitol Conversations” with the ERLC and ADF at the Rayburn
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House Office Building, sponsored by the ERLC. David Cortman explained the case. Trinity Lutheran Church’s Child Learning Center has a playground with tiny pebbles under the equipment. They applied for a grant to replace the gravel with a poured rubber surface, participating in the state’s scrap tire program run by Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Though they ranked fifth out of over 40 applicants, the DNR denied the application because the preschool was sponsored by a church. Cortman, who argued on behalf of Trinity Lutheran before the Supreme Court, said ADF looked at the case and saw that they were indeed being disquali-
fied solely because they’re run by a religious organization. The ADF filed and lost the case in federal court and again in the court of appeals, then amazingly, the Supreme Court took the case. “When you ask the Supreme Court to take a case, the odds of them taking it are less than 1 percent,” Cortman explained, but there were bigger principles at stake—more than skinned knees. Cortman said the court held, “If there is any kind of government program, and it’s opened up under any criteria to a group of organizations…if you qualify for that program and the only reason that you are excluded from it is because of your religious status, because of who you are as a person or organization, that is no longer allowed.” Smith said he hopes to enlighten pastors on how this and similar issues and rulings matter, and to bring attention to the fact that there are brothers and sisters advocating on behalf of the church. “We have churches really seeking to love their neighbor and bring community goods to their local context,” Smith said, explaining sometimes those resources are available to them but they’re not aware, or don’t move forward because they feel they would be shunned. “This case will be helpful,” he said. In Baltimore and some Washington suburbs, there are some areas that are especially challenging. “If those resources are there to provide community goods, then I want our churches to feel free to pursue those things in light of the free exercise clause.” While celebrating the victory, Smith reminded believers, “These cases are extremely important, but however they are decided, our mission, and our status as a
church still doesn’t change. We’re still strangers and foreigners passing through a barren land. I try to anchor pastors…so we are aggressively trying to enjoy the full liberty of the constitution but at the same time our stability as followers of Christ, thus our peace, our joy, our contentment, is not altered by every single court decision.”
(ADF) will represent Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd., arguing that Phillips has the right to use his God-given talent in a way that is consistent with his beliefs. Forcing an artist to create a cake for a same-sex wedding in contradiction to his beliefs is a “de facto religious test” that violates the First Amendment, the ERLC has told the U.S. Supreme Court. “No person should be required
MASTERPIECE CAKESHOP
to use their gifts and calling in a way that violates their fundamental beliefs, and the Supreme Court’s responsibility is to protect Americans from governments and agencies that demand this,” said Moore.
According to Baptist Press, the ERLC — joined by seven other organizations and an individual — urged the Supreme Court to reverse a lower-court ruling against Colorado cake artist Jack Phillips and his Masterpiece Cakeshop in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Sept. 7. In the case, Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd., vs. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, scheduled to begin in October 2017, Phillips will defend his decision to refuse to make wedding cakes for same-sex weddings. He also refuses to make cakes for Halloween, adult-themed events, and anti-American cakes or cakes containing alcohol. Alliance Defending Freedom
Photos: (l) Panelists discuss religious liberty during a Capitol Hill conversation sponsored by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and Alliance Defending Freedom. Photo by Brady Weller; (r) Travis Wussow, Vice President for Public Policy & General Counsel, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; Kevin Smith, Executive Director, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware; Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., and Russell Moore, President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Photo by Sharon Mager.
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2017 BCM/D Annual Meeting, November 12-13 Kettering Baptist Church, Upper Marlboro, Md.
THE BCM/D ANNUAL MEETING: A GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME by Kevin Smith, Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Once each year, the churches that support the work of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware send messengers from their congregations to set the future course for their cooperative ministry. This year we will gather at the Kettering Baptist Church on November 12th and 13th. We thank the Lord for the hospitality of Pastor Bucas Sterling and the members of the church. We have made some adjustments to (hopefully) increase participation. First, the length of the annual meeting has been shortened – Sunday evening and Monday. Hopefully, this will reduce travel costs and time away from regular life for our messengers and guests. Second, childcare options have been expanded to serve attendees with small children. We pray that this new formatting will encourage messengers and guests, pastors (especially bivocational) and church members to eagerly participate in this year’s annual meeting.
The annual meeting accomplishes at least four major things that benefit our missionary efforts: WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP Bible study, preaching, music, shared meals, and exhibits provide an atmosphere of spiritual encouragement and challenge. This is a significant aspect of our annual meeting as relationships are built and strengthened around the Word of God.
PRAYER Our gathering theme is “United in Prayer, seeking Christ’s Spirit,” so we will pray, extensively. As a matter of fact, we will have very focused corporate, small group, and individual times of prayer that will focus on the health and fruitfulness of our churches – both established
churches and newer churches. In a world of pride, overconfidence, and self-sufficiency, MD/DE Baptists will cry out to God in prayer! We realize that we can do nothing without Him (John 15:4).
TRAINING A selection of breakout sessions, auxiliary meetings, and after-hour fellowships are a highlight of the week. These training opportunities are geared to various aspects of church life, both for church members and pastors. For example, there will be a breakout session on financial controls and financial issues that will be open to pastors, treasurers, and finance committees. We hope that churches will send teams of members to benefit from the training sessions offered at the annual meeting.
BUSINESS The election of officers and committees, the passage of a budget and a variety of other decisions make possible the ministry done
between sessions. While these times of discussion and voting usually take only a small portion of the time the convention is gathered, they are indispensable to the work of the convention. Also, it is important for us to receive reports from ministries we support all year. The plural person (we, you all, they) is prominent in the Bible. God redeems His people. In our individualistic society, we need to remind ourselves about the communal nature of Christ’s followers – the Church. It is good for us to gather together to praise Christ, pray, and share meals and time together. It glorifies Jesus and provides a needed testimony in a divided society. As different MD/DE Baptists gather – different congregations, ethnicities, languages, geographic areas, styles, ages, socio-economic statuses, cultures – in one accord, in the Spirit of Christ, it gives testimony to the marvelous grace of God (Ephesians 2). Brothers and sisters, please make plans to gather with other MD/DE Baptists at our annual meeting.
RSVP at www.bcmd.org/annual | (800) 466-5290
FEATURING:
“They all were continually united in prayer...” (Acts 1:14)
The devastation of the Zimbabwean dollar: Retired missionaries remember fighting hunger in Zimbabwe
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young woman with braided hair and a thin, white shirt rested her back against an iron fence in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Her baby son sat quietly on her lap, watching a smile spread across his mother’s face. This woman felt overwhelmed because two Baptist missionaries from the United States had given her a box full of what she desperately needed—food. “When she realized that we were serious, that this box of food was for her and her family, just the joy that she felt knowing that somebody cared—it was a blessing to us,” Martha Morgan said as she recounted the moment. The food distribution happened around the fall of 2008, and Quinn and Martha Morgan, who were working as International Mission Board missionaries at the time, had just started partnering with a new Southern Baptist relief and development organization called Baptist Global Response (BGR). The nonprofit sent items like sugar, rice, 14 Fall 2017
cooking oil, cornmeal, tea and salt by the ton to Zimbabwe where the Morgans distributed the aid among impoverished and starving people. Soaring inflation had rendered local currency essentially useless, and families throughout the nation struggled to afford food. “It got so bad, there was very little food in the shops,” Quinn said. And in the schools, students couldn’t find the required notebooks for their classes. The country simply didn’t have enough to meet demand. The Morgans did what they could to help. At the time, they had helped run the Baptist Publishing House in Bulawayo for roughly 30 years, and with BGR funding, the facility began printing exercise books for children as fast as they could. It also put Christian messages on the front and back covers, encouraging students to find comfort in God. But, the spiraling economy even affected the publishing house employees. The couple instructed them to spend paychecks immediately—before currency value could plummet again. “A trillion dollars in a week’s time was worth a loaf of bread, so things got really tough for people,” Quinn said. As the situation grew worse, Martha admitted, she sometimes hoped the Lord would call them back to the United States. “It was hard to see a beautiful country deteriorate so much and see the people suffering, but that was where God wanted us,” she said. And so, the missionaries stayed and watched their Zimbabwean friends struggle to care for their children. But, the Morgans had to
do something. So, they began a partnership with BGR and requested food. Quinn and Martha carried boxes of BGR aid items throughout villages, identifying the families in the most need. And when they gave food to Christian church members, those believers then shared it with others, spreading the impact made by BGR donors in the U.S. “What was planned for one family for a month—they would divvy it out so that lots of families would have it at least, for maybe, a week,” Martha said. “It was neat to see how they shared.” Two or three widows once felt so grateful for the food they walked a 16-kilometer roundtrip to help assemble school exercise books at the publishing house. “The ladies were so excited to be a part of giving back because they had received the food … they were there all day Saturday, and they were singing the whole time,” Martha recalled. The Morgans saw the country through several years of economic downturn before returning to the United States in 2011. In all, they had spent more than three decades serving Zimbabwe, creating Christian materials in more than 20 African languages—and those last few years were, perhaps, some of the hardest. But, Martha said they were also the most spiritually fruitful because God provided everything they needed, often through the partnership with BGR. Now retired, the Morgans have made a new home in Parsonsburg, Md., and have joined Immanuel Baptist Church in Salisbury, Md. But, their memories of Zimbabwe remain clear. As BGR celebrates its 10th anniversary, the Morgans look back on their first experience with the organization and feel grateful that God could use it all those years ago to ease the suffering of people they loved. To learn how you can give other people a hand up and out of poverty through BGR, visit www. gobgr.org. -- Baptist Global Response
MINISTRY ON THE MIDWAY I
By Sharon Mager
t’s a sweltering day at the Allegany County Fair in Western Maryland. Director of Missions Kenny Heath, along with volunteers Walter and Darla Lewis, Abbie Ridgeley and others, are literally wiping sweat from their brows as they serve fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans to exhausted fair workers who labor for long hours, day after day, in the hot sun, travelling from show to show. The venue is unique—colorful funhouses, rides and food stands against a mountain backdrop. One carnival worker, aka “carnie,” easily in his mid-to-late 50s, tosses a piece of chicken meat to his dog scurrying around his leg. He grins wide, patting the dog’s head and says he loves God and he loves the yearly dinners. While the folks ate, John Wyrick, pastor of Rush Baptist Church, led worship, and Ron Yost, pastor of Cumberland Community Church, preached a sermon in English and then for the many Hispanic workers, in Spanish. Afterwards, volunteers provided hygiene kits and Bibles. Kenny Heath says this annual dinner is one of the few homemade meals these folks get for weeks at a time. Some fair workers bring their families with them as they travel. Jim Jeffries, pastor of LaVale Bap-
provide opportunities to chat tist Church, shares about a little with people and to plant spiritual girl who came to him one year seeds. Heath is also quick to add balancing a full plate of food. that the value is for both the fair “She looked up and said, workers and attendees, as well as ‘Thank you! This is the best meal I the church members who get the ever had!’ It broke my heart,” said evangelism experience. Jefferies. “I thought, ‘Thank you, Second Baptist Church memLord!’” ber Abbie Ridgeley agrees. Western Association (WBA) “Our church churches are members enjoy among the many in working togeththe Baptist Coner and talking vention of Maryto people. It has land/Delaware that really opened join together and them up to a use fair ministry to lot of boldness love their neighand confidence bors, build relationin their witnessships, and share ing…,” she said. Christ as the Holy Ridgeley, Spirit leads. who has served They man baby for many years, comfort stations, said their relagive away free tionships with homemade crafts, visitors have children’s books, deepened after Bibles and other seeing them literature along year after year. with the constant Ron Yost “We see some flow of cold water. the same people Some churches come to the baby stations, and offer face painting, braid hair, we’ve seen some of those babies do evangelistic surveys, and this grow up,” she says. “Those ‘kids’ year, the WBA had a “selfie staare bringing their babies in now.” tion” where fair goers could take Jeffries says the fair ministry pictures with silly backdrops. is also a chance to fellowship with Many churches provide music local churches. “It unites us,” he and preaching at the fair’s Vesper said. services. Heath explains that all of the Fall 2017 15 giveaways and activities are to
RECLAIMING OUR CITIES FOR CHRIST By Sabrena Klausman
T
“The places I once traveled were undesirable and grim; Surrounded by self-loathing, hurting people. Drenched in drugs and sin.”
hese words, penned by Debra, a mentee from Curtis Bay, Md., capture the before-essence of thirty diverse women—old and young—all congregated into one of the ministry’s side rooms. Not one of them looked undesirable or grim. Instead, their faces were split with radiant smiles. Their welcoming voices resonated throughout the space. Some were occupied with setting up a luncheon of sandwiches and chips. While they worked, one teased another for bringing a bag of chips so small that it would never feed the whole group. Together they chuckled and continued their work. Others were cuddling children on their laps, wiping snotty noses as they laughed and hugged other arriving women. This was The Well, a safe community space that had served over 800 people in 2016 through programs, classes, and counseling. On one wall of the room, a talented artist had fashioned a mural displaying a large ceramic jar spilling out
water. Scripted upon the water were Jesus’ words from John 4:14, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” As if to punctuate this truth, a floor-to-ceiling wooden cross rested against the olive-hued walls next to the verse. Before long, a woman named Mandy Memmel positioned herself at the back of the room, before a screen projecting announcements, and welcomed the loud gaggle of happy women. She spoke with gentle authority and genuine affection when she asked the women to turn off their phones and minimize distractions. In her words, “It was time for the Women of Hope to pray and worship.” Some stood, while others sat, but all sang out the words to the worship song, “Your Love Defends Me.” As they worshipped, the freedom in the room became tangible. Many lifted their hands with tears flowing freely, and
others prayed in the corners of the room with other women. After a time, the worship paused and a sacred time of prayer commenced. Memmel prayed that the room in which we were seated would be a safe place for fellowship and worship. She interceded for the mentees in the room, some of whom would graduate this very day from the program. Throughout her prayer, the women audibly agreed with her, so that “Yes, Jesus” rebounded off the walls of the small room in a cacophony of praise. Memmel introduced the study for the day and the women dug into their Bibles to learn how to better control their emotions. They communicated how they felt safe doing this because The Well provided them a place where they could develop friendships and discover value as women of God. Each week, these women do more than just study their Bible together. Mentees also attend year-long life and job skills training courses. As they are discovering their great value in the
kingdom of God, they also are navigating out of poverty, crime, drugs, sex trafficking, domestic violence, and unemployment. Memmel founded The Well to help the women of this underprivileged, industrial community find their value. The program began as a simple, weekly women’s Bible study, attended by a few women in a nearby recreation center. Before long, the word began to circulate that The Well offered hope. The demand became so great that the programs exploded to include mentoring and life-skills classes. One mentee from the The Well described Curtis Bay as many people’s “rock bottom.” She said, “That is all they have. That is all they know. But now a lot of people know that The Well is here, and they can come here for help.” She further insisted that The Well arrived right on time. She had lost hope. Like so many others in Curtis Bay, she was at her rock bottom. Another mentee, Victoria, disclosed that her mother used to sell her for drugs. Through her words and actions, Victoria’s mother convinced her that her worth was found in her body. Now Victoria is a mother herself and through her time at The Well, she learned to be strong and to find her identity in Christ. Sharon shared her similar story of a drug-addicted mother and absentee father; a situation which led to Sharon raising her younger sister when she was merely a child herself. Required to grow up too fast, Sharon witnessed much as a child that traumatized her into adulthood. Thankfully, Sharon’s story, like so many others, doesn’t end there. Sharon found herself at the end of her rope at The Well. The Well demonstrates to woman that these challenges are merely a symptom of their greater need to understand their identity and giftedness in God. The Well encourages the women to live transformed lives by maintaining long-term mentorships and attending classes. The community they offer is ultimately purposed to lead these women to their true mani-
festation in Christ. In 2016 alone, The Well held over 600 mentoring sessions and transformed countless lives in the process. Sitting at the Bible study table, conversing with this small group of women, it is impossible not to recognize the fruit of The Well’s work in their lives. A small group mentor, Jan, spoke of how King Solomon entitled a person’s heart, “the well-spring of life” (Prov. 4:23). As a group, the women chuckled at the irony of finding themselves at a center named The Well, while speaking about living water. As Jan opened the topic, the women
the Holy Spirit, began to interpret the words of the Scripture. Before long the hour had flown by. It was now time to celebrate the graduation of two of the mentees. A beautifiul turquoise and white cake was set up in one corner of the room. To the cheers of all the women, Memmel called the two graduates to the makeshift stage in the room and presented them with special sashes. One of the graduates was Sharon, the women raised by a drug-addicted mother. As someone played Pomp and Circumstance on a nearby phone, the two graduates walked proudly to the
at the table shared their own experiences of how, even in living with the consequences of their actions, God was still redeeming their lives. There was no judgment; only raw comradery born out of a shared suffering. While some were at different places in their redemptive journey, they were still all in it together. They cracked opened Bibles collectively and, in the power of
front of the room, bombarded with hugs and high-fives each step of the way. When they finally made it to the front and put on their sashes, they were each presented with an award that celebrated their unique giftedness. Sharon received a certificate for “Ambition,” and Brenda (“Brett”) received one for “Serving.” Both were visibly trembling with a burgeoning,
Photos: (l) Sharon Brown and Brenda (“Brett”) Long receive recognition from Mandy Memmel, executive director of The Well for completing their mentorship program. (r) Memmel teaches 30-plus women who attend the weekly Bible study at The Well. Fall 2017
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yet unfamiliar, sense of self-confidence. As the ceremony concluded and most were crying out for cake, one of the graduates called out in tears, “This is our sisterhood in the hood!” Sharon was evidently emotional. Her sister she had raised when she was merely a child herself was there to celebrate this accomplishment with her. In Sharon’s own words, “The Well made me feel loved and empowered.” So empowered in fact, that for the last few weeks Sharon had become a conduit of that encouraging power to the other mentees. “The Well is a great place to get great love,” Sharon stressed. In her case, The Well is also a powerful space to learn how to demonstrate that great love to others. As the women mingled together—mentees and mentors—they discussed the upcoming driving school, resume-writing classes, and financial workshops offered through the program. They were more than just classmates; they were dear friends. Love had become both the great leveling field and a powerful catapult into a new life. Many who attend The Well also call Restoration Church, a church plant that meets in the facility, their home
church. Led by Pastor Anthony Petini, the church regularly prayerwalks throughout the inner city streets at night, begging God to save those who reside there. They also host free movie nights, block parties, and ongoing outreaches. The Well is one of many such non-profits and faith-based organizations that are rising up to boldly address the needs of underprivileged members of society. HAVEN CITY CHURCH Haven City Church is another such organization, whose core values reveal that they “value the city where we live and believe that faithful obedience to Christ will manifest itself in a care for justice and mercy. We express this value by speaking up on behalf of the weak and vulnerable. We seek to relieve those in need and influence policy that will provide justice and mercy.” Led by Josh Turansky, a church planter from Southern California, Haven City Church is launching in southeastern Baltimore, in the neighborhood surrounding Fells Point, Harbor East and Patterson Park. Currently, they are locking arms with other active churches in the neighborhood through ser-
vice projects to help meet the needs in those urban areas. Out of that service, the Lutheran Mission Society has granted Haven City Church the management of one of their thrift shops, affectionally dubbed the Compassion Center, in Fells Point, in exchange for the church using the facility. The center is nonprofit and accordingly, hosts an easily identified gathering area near the entrance of the building. There, on Wednesday mornings, Turansky leads English chapel services for members of the community, many of whom are homeless or finding difficulty making ends meet. A former Bible college professor, Turansky says this teaching time is the “funnest thing” he does. He’s had as many as 15 people at one time asking for help as they navigate through the Bible together. After each service, guests take home a full outfit and a bag of groceries. Turansky also sits down with each person to learn how they got to where they are in their lives and what their ongoing needs are. On Sunday evenings, Haven City Church hosts services on the second floor of the building, which has plenty of meeting space for worship services
and for children’s ministry. Mostly young working professionals who live in the area are a part of the church plant’s core group. Some knew Turansky, who previously hosted Pastor’s Perspective, a national radio program that fields questions about the Bible and the Christian life. That program became instrumental to Turansky’s call to Baltimore. “Some of the most sincere raw questions that came to my radio show came from Baltimore, and that really touched my heart,” he said. The Compassion Center provided the perfect opportunity to not only have a larger space for worship but to help meet immediate needs in the community. “This [place] is the perfect intersection of what young working professionals care about... if they are going to be attracted to a church, it will be a church that goes,” he stressed. Many of the young members feel drawn to reaching those in the community and have spent much time in renovating the center, bringing a more polished look and feel to it. Several church volunteers from other churches also came to fix up the place, cleaning, painting, renovating, and sorting merchandise. Among the group was Pastor Mark Dooley, who brought volunteers from his church, Leonardtown Baptist; Pastor Jeremy Rhoton and a team from Redeeming Grace Baptist, Lexington Park, Md.; and a whole other team from Summit Church, Durham. N.C. “The long-term neighbors love this place. There is a lot of foot traffic,” Turansky said. “One of the big things we need over the next few months is a new influx of volunteers” to sort clothes and interact with the guests. TRANSFORMATON CENTER Likewise, the Transformation Center of Brooklyn, Md., led by Brian Zimmerman, longs to come alongside of lives with their Christ-centered approach. They strive to address five giants that haunt the city: poverty, addiction, poor education, unemployment, and family and social dysfunction. They address these needs though community hunger and homelessness programs. The core values are reflect
respect of the people by first meeting in this statement from their website: “Hunger is a major issue in our city. their physical needs and then attending to their higher emotional, mental, We believe that there is no shortage and spiritual needs through relationof food; it is actually a matter of food ships. distribution. In a city like Baltimore, By doing these things, places like where the poverty level hovers around Haven City Church, The Transformation 20 percent, we want to be on the foreCenter, and The Well are offering comfront of ensuring that people not only munities hope and restoration. One have food but also the opportunity to city at a time, the church is uniting— have well-balanced meals.” According to Zimmerman, one in every four children in this area are hungry. Lilie’s Place is the foundational ministry for the center, offering hunger relief and spiritual connection for the weak and vulnerable in the surrounding areas. The run-by-volunteer center strives to be a kingdom place. As such, they seek and cultivate partnerships with local churches to collect one high-demand food item each month. For example, one church partner in Virginia is their “Tuna Fish Church.” This partner collects and donates all the Tuna Fish that the center requires to feed the recipients for an entire month. Recently, they added another church partner, whom they affectionately named the “Spaghetti Sauce Church.” Through the hard work of 30 weekly volJoah Turansky unteers and the engageHaven City Church ment of church partnerBaltimore ships, the Transformation Center has been empowered to meet needs and partnering together—to take back the build relationships with over 3,000 streets of Baltimore from the darkness members of the Brooklyn Community. of drug addiction, crime, homelessZimmerman mentions that the center ness, and human trafficking. would like to add even more church In the poetic words of Debra at partnerships so they can continue to The Well, she found unconditional love be a “repairer of the breach” in the and acceptance: “No one is turned Brooklyn community. away. I have learned God’s purpose Nonprofits and churches are for my life, and that I am forgiven stepping up all around Baltimore to today.” become, as Isaiah 58:12 states, “the With additional reporting by restorer of the streets.” OrganizaShannon Baker tions such as these earn the trust and Spring 2017 19
CONVENTION NEWS
GMB members approve 4.5 percent increase in CP funds to int’l /nat’l causes By Sharon Mager COLUMBIA, Md. -- Taking a historic leap of faith at their Sept. 6 meeting at the Baptist Mission Resource Center, members of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware’s General Mission Board approved a 4.5 percent increase in the percentage of Cooperative Program (CP) funds sent to national and international Southern Baptist Convention causes. They approved a $7,729,121 budget, which includes increasing the Cooperative Program (CP) funding split from 43.5 percent to 48 percent of the CP receipts forwarded to the SBC to fund international and national missions, Southern Baptist seminaries and the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Messengers at the annual meeting in November will have the final vote on the budget. Board members also met a new church planting catalyst and heard reports regarding church strengthening and planting, evangelism, disaster relief and Skycroft Conference Center. BCM/D Music and Worship Strategist Phil Gifford led in a time of worship and GMB President Curtis Hill welcomed GMB members and shared a greeting he recently received from a fellow pastor— “How are you doing with the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ? We have many things that are priorities,” Hill said, but nothing will surpass knowing Christ. It has been over a year since Kevin Smith became BCM/D’s executive director. In the executive director’s report, Smith said he’s met with many pastors and church leaders, and he’s energized, enthusiastic and encouraged with what God has and is doing throughout the convention. “I want you to know, there are brothers and sisters all across our convention, in all 11 associations, who love the Lord deeply, who love their communities deeply. To hear some members and pastors of different churches talk about the mission field around their 20 Fall 2017
church is just so encouraging—to see people with that kind of passion for their area!” he said, encouraging the pastors and church members to be faithful to the Word and to be fruitful in discipleship. Smith strongly and enthusiastically urged GMB members to attend and bring their congregations to the BCM/D’s Nov. 12-13 annual meeting at Kettering Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro. This year’s meeting features a shorter format (ends on Monday evening), expanded childcare (offered even during shared mealtimes), and powerful messages from speakers D.A. Horton, pastor, Reach Fellowship, North Long Beach,
Calif.; Jarrett Stephens, teaching pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas; and Dr. Frank Page, president and CEO, SBC Executive Committee; as well as worship led by the Dove Award winning Nelons. BCM/D Chief Financial Officer Tom Stolle, in his financial report, said CP offerings for the quarter ending July 31, 2017, totaled $2,073,158.25, about 3.4 percent behind last year’s receipts. Stolle shared that CP giving is directly tied to church giving. Churches
often have “summer slumps,” when people are away on vacation. Management anticipates increased CP receipts in the fourth quarter. In addition to a financial report, Stolle gave a detailed overview of the 2018 budget that incorporates the increased percentage of funds going to national SBC. “It’s a big jump. But it’s hard to get to [the previously expressed goal of] 51 percent/49 percent if you only do a half a percent a year. We want to take a bold step of faith” said Stolle, explaining that in 2012, BCM/D messengers voted to increase CP giving one percent (contingent of churches’ increased CP giving) to the national SBC per year until the year 2020 to ultimately reach the 51/49 percentage split. BCM/D State Director of Missions Michael Crawford introduced James Choi (read about James Choi on page 23) as a new church planting catalyst. Choi will work with the entire church planting team, though he will strategically build relationships with Asian churches. “I am very excited to serve,” Choi said. Crawford said 2017 has been a year of transitions. Marcus and Chrissie Redding, who formerly served with the church planting team, relocated to North Carolina. Ron Larson transitioned from a “Send City” missionary for the North American Mission Board to becoming a church planter in Columbia. Clint Clifton, Send City missionary of Washington, D.C., is now additionally serving that role in Baltimore. In addition, Crawford reported that Support Specialist Margot Painter has transitioned to the church planting team. Church Strengthening Team Strategist Randy Millwood shared that in the summer of 2017, the Church Strengthening Team has been in meaningful contact with almost half of the supporting BCM/D churches through on-site visits, camp experiences, ongoing coaching, customized equipping events, and long-term church revitalization relationships, helping churches
discover and engage their local community, and assisting churches in transition, between pastors. Doug DuBois, State Director of Disaster Relief, said volunteers throughout the SBC and BCM/D are fully engaged and are prepared to deploy when called to respond to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Stolle, reporting for the convention operations team, in a written report, shared that renovations on the classroom at the Baptist Mission Resource Center, are underway, including furniture replacement and upgraded technology. He said the classroom will ultimately showcase missions and ministries throughout the convention to those who visit. Stolle also recognized DuBois for his work at Skycroft Conference Center, where 2,070 young people attended seven weeks of camp. Thirty-six people made decisions to accept Christ, and many more rededicated their lives. GMB members approved an affiliations committee recommendation granting Crosspoint Fellowship Church, Columbia, as a cooperating church with the BCM/D. Paul Viswasam is the pastor. Tim Simpson, senior pastor of Greenridge Baptist Church, reporting for the Skycroft Committee, said, “[My] Dad was part of the team that walked that mountain with Dr. [Roy] Gresham and others. Many of us have been on the mountain and the Holy Spirit has
touched us up there. Many of us believe it’s a really valuable resource, but it won’t continue to be valuable if we don’t really tend to it,” he said. Simpson shared that Skycroft has many challenging issues that will need to be considered as the convention moves forward. These include a fresh vision and clarification of purpose, needed upgrades and future staff. BCM/D President Mike Trammell in his closing remarks, urged GMB members to pray for Kevin Smith. “It’s not an easy job. He has a lot of opportunities to tell about the work of Maryland and Delaware and he does that,” Trammell said. Trammell spoke on Colossians 2:1-7 and the Apostle Paul’s love of the church. “You can be the most gifted preacher, the most talented leader, but if you don’t love your people you’re not going to have a successful ministry,” Trammel said, additionally emphasizing unity of the body. “Francis Schaeffer called unity in the church the ‘final apologetic’ to a watching world,” Trammell said. The world looks to us as to how we relate to one another to determine whether this “Christian thing” is real, he added. Trammell encouraged members to additionally be overflowing with gratitude.
Fall 2017
21
Latest Happenings Donna Jefferys, Gail Noda, two long-time BCM/D employees, retire
Two long-time employees have retired from the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, including Donna Jefferys, who retired in June to care for her mother after the loss of her husband, and Gail Noda, who retired on October 6 after 20 years of service. Donna served the state convention for over 15 years, most recently as executive office coordinator, supporting the convention’s boards and committees as well as providing administrative support to the executive director. Prior to serving in that capacity, Donna provided support in the areas of children’s ministry, Cooperative Program promotion, Christian Life & Public Affairs, church planting, deaf ministries, disaster relief, evangelism, language churches, missions, partnerships, prayer, senior adults’ and men’s ministries. Prior to working with the BCM/D, Donna worked in accounting, apartment management and banking. She was also an independent business owner while homeschooling her children. Donna still remembers how God orchestrated her hiring at the BCM/D to serve alongside former employee David Jackson and the church multiplication team. She had developed three resumes of varying lengths for potential job interviews. She gave copies to her church friends to review: a three-page version to Del Morgan, a one-page version to Bonnie Bigham, and a twopage version to Pastor Danny Crow. Morgan happened to meet for lunch with then associate director Bob Simpson, who was searching for a new church multiplication employee! And what’s more? David Jackson felt drawn to hire Donna because of the third page of her resume: she had home-schooled her three children (in different grade levels), a difficulty the Jacksons understood because they homeschooled, too! In that same way, Donna says she senses God’s hand in allowing her to care now for aging mother. She is preparing to
move to West Virginia, where she can care for her full-time. “My ministry at the BCM/D was an ‘organized’ ministry,” she said. “My new chapter will be a ‘hands and feet’ ministry—a ‘peace and security in the Lord’ ministry.” Gail Noda serves as a ministry assistant for the BCM/D Church Strengthening team and for the convention’s Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU). For 20 years, Gail has assisted in planning camps, retreats and conferences for multiple teams: African American Fellowship, children’s ministry, church ministry relations, church strengthening, communications, Cooperative Program promotion, deacon ministry, family ministry, ministry wives, music and worship, Operation Jumpstart, Southern Seminary extension program, stewardship, Sunday school, women’s ministry, and WMU. She prepares mailings about upcoming events, including missions materials for Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon, ensuring they go out in a timely manner. She does it all while balancing the budget of her department and keeping a good sense of humor. “I have so many happy memories, but one of my favorites was a trip to Nashville to learn updates on ScanUS demographics for which I was the point person,” Gail said, sharing she loved meeting people from all over the SBC at LifeWay. “I took this new girl with me who needed to learn the program as well for church planting, and the rest is history. Donna and I have been friends ever since!” Before coming to the BCM/D, Gail served five years as a church secretary (where she heard the Lord telling her that He wanted her to go to BCM/D), and prior to that as an accounts receivable clerk for a medical lab, a manager of a fast food restaurant, a shoe store manager, daycare mother, clerk typist in the Army Reserve and a supervisor in the check processing department of the Federal Reserve Bank, where she met her husband, Ken. In retirement, Gail plans to enjoy her family, especially her six grandchildren. She also plans to return to sewing. “I had begun a ministry of toy-making for children in crisis, but I was not able to keep up with it recently. I plan to begin again.”
Thank you for representing Maryland/Delaware! EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE David A. Hall Havre de Grace, MD (Term expires 2020)
INT’L MISSION BOARD Tim Simpson Gaithersburg, MD (Term expires 2019)
General Boards
LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES Robert M. Simpson Odenton, MD (Term expires 2020)
GUIDESTONE FINANCIAL RESOURCES Randall T. Blackmon Cambridge, MD (Term expires 2020) NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD Jon K. Anderson Waldorf, MD (Term expires 2020)
22 Fall 2017
SOUTHERN SEMINARY John W. Manry Jarrettsville, MD (Term expires 2019)
SOUTHEASTERN SEMINARY Todd Jones Silver Spring, MD (Term expires 2020)
Glenwood, MD (Term expires 2020)
MIDWESTERN SEMINARY Phyllis J. Mason Owings Mills, MD (Term expires 2019)
MARYLAND-DELAWARE-DC
GATEWAY SEMINARY Mark Trammell Knoxville, MD (Term Expires 2021) ETHICS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION Brian M. Corrick
2017-2018 SBC Committee on Nominations
Mark Dooley Leonardtown Baptist Leonardtown, MD Larry Wilhelm (lay person) Hampstead Baptist Hampstead, MD
In Remembrance Rev. Rene Edgardo Luna Bonilla
Mrs. Annie Mae Carswell
Rev. Rene Edgardo Luna Bonilla, pastor of Iglesia Torre Fuerte, Bowie, died on July 28, 2017. Pastor Bonilla was born in San Vincente, El Salvador and worked as an engineer before committing his life to the ministry of the Gospel. He was a graduate student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and was scheduled to graduate in December, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Concepcion (Conchy) Rodriguez, his children, Carlos Stanley, Octavio Salvador and Rene Edgardo, and grandchildren Daniel Alejandro, Mateo Eduardo and Nury Sarai. Mrs. Rodriguez said her husband had a passion to share the Gospel of Jesus, especially with those suffering from cancer. Rev. Bonilla was buried in El Salvador on August 6.
Annie Mae Carswell passed away on Saturday, September 2 at the age of 93. She was the beloved wife of the late Hollis Lamar Carswell; mother of Steve J. Carswell, Arlene M. Burton and the late Keith Lamar Carswell. She is also survived by six grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren. Carswell was a teacher of children in Sunday school, discipleship and missions at the Viers Mill Baptist Church, Silver Spring, Md., for over 50 years. In addition, she was a trainer of teachers for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. “She became my teacher, my friend and my mentor,” shared June Holland, BCM/D consultant for children, Bible teaching, and VBS. “My call to children’s ministry was strengthened by my long friendship with Annie Mae,” she said.
James Choi named BCM/D Church Planting Catalyst James Choi, an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., has been named church planting catalyst for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, where he will assist with coaching and training church planters. He began August 16. Like his predecessor, Robert Kim, who retired in 2016, Choi also seeks to develop strong relationships with the convention’s Asian churches. Choi has been a member at Capitol Hill Baptist Church since 2015, when he participated in a pastoral internship under Dr. Mark Dever, president of 9Marks Ministry. Through it, he gained a “robust ecclesiology” and an appreciation for building healthy biblical churches and raising up leaders for the next generation, particularly in the Asian-American church. For over 7 years, Choi served as an associate pastor, primarily ministering to English-speaking second generation Korean-Americans at Global Mission Church in Silver Spring, Md., after serving churches in Texas in worship and youth ministry. Ordained as Southern Baptist minister in November 2011 at Global Mission Church, Choi holds a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is pursuing a doctor of ministry degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, focused on researching and developing a helpful resource for next generation pastors to help establish healthy churches. He and his wife, Jeri, have two children.
BCM/D Events (www.bcmd.org/events or 800-466-5290 + ext. below)
October (Cooperative Program Month) Oct. 5, Fall Worship Cohort, Eastern Shore, (x218) Oc.t 8, World Hunger Sunday (SBC) Oct. 10, Developing a Worship Planning Team Seminar (x218) Oct. 12, Fall Worship Cohort, Western MD (x218) Oct. 18-20, DCPI Training, Baptist Mission Resource Center (x222) Oct. 26, Fall Worship Cohort, Southern MD (x218) Oct. 26-27, Ministry Couples Retreat (x217) November Nov. 8, Weekday Education Directors Network, Baptist Mission Resource Center (x218) Nov. 12, WMU Annual Meeting, 3pm (x218) Nov. 12-13, BCM/D Annual Meeting, Kettering Baptist Church (x202) Nov. 23-24, Thanksgiving (Baptist Mission Resource Center closed) December Dec. 3-10, Week of Prayer for International Missions (x218) Dec. 22-Jan 1, Christmas/New Year’s (Baptist Mission Resource Center closed) Please note: Dates and events are subject to change
Fall 2017
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BaptistLIFE 10255 Old Columbia Road Columbia, MD 21046-1716
Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware
How to help victims of
EMERGENCY ALERT
Hurricane Harvey & Irma Recent hurricanes have caused widespread damage to Texas’ Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula, Gulf and Atlantic Coastal areas. How can you help?
>>> PRAY:
>>> GIVE
>>> DEPLOY
• For the survivors and families • First responders and families • Local churches • Local, state and national government leaders • Destroyed businesses • Other volunteer organizations
• Financial gifts: Toward BCM/D’s and the North American Mission Board’s disaster relief: bcmd.org/give • Material gifts: Prepare Crisis Buckets or collect specific items to share: bcmd.org/ what-we-do/disaster-relief
• Prepare your credentials to volunteer in the areas of chaplains, recovery/mud-out, feeding, shower, & laundry: md.disasterreliefonline.com