BAPTIST
Summer 2018
Newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware • www.baptistlifeonline.org
+ Inside:
Living (& dying) ‘on the edge’—confronting the opioid crisis... 6 Historic flooding—again!— draws disaster relief... 14 SBC annual meeting focus: Greear, Pence, #MeToo... 18
BAPTIST
Contents
VOLUME 103 ISSUE 3/ Summer 2018
(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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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.
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Features LIVING (& DYING) ‘ON THE EDGE’ p. 6 Unfortunately, the church can no longer avoid the opioid crisis RESPONDING TO A SOBERING REALITY p. 10 Remembering the hope brought by Christ through the cross. ‘CATALYTIC’ MOVEMENT OF GOD p. 12 Missions in Nicaragua focus on individuals with special needs HISTORIC FLOODING—AGAIN!—DRAWS DISASTER RELIEF VOLUNTEERS p. 14 Historic flooding in Ellicott City and parts of Baltimore open doors for ministry SOUTHERN BAPTISTS’ ANNUAL MEETING p. 18 J.D. Greear, Vice President Mike Pence, and #MeToo movement in focus
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GMB REPORT—GOOD NEWS ON THE MOUNTAIN p. 22 General Mission Board members approve new affiliations, hear reports on international, national and local efforts FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY MADE p. 26 A child with Down Syndrome brings joy TRANSITIONS/RECOGNITIONS p. 28
Perspectives Dr. Kevin Smith p. 4 Dr. Rick Hancock p. 5 Cover photo: Dr. Kevin Smith, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, leads the opening prayer of the 2018 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas on June 12. (Photo by Shannon Baker)
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.
Perspective | Dr. Kevin Smith ENCOURAGING MINISTERS Our Church Services staff provides service to our 500+ churches in three broad areas: • Pastoral Support, • Church Ministry Support, and • Church/Community Missions One element of serving churches is to encourage their pastors. It is our prayer that the Pastor Date Night (see below) will be an evening that will be a blessing to many. As a matter of fact, I am preparing to encourage ministry couples in eastern Africa - particularly, Kenya. In the New Testament, the letters to Timothy and Titus reveal that the state of a pastor’s home is important to God. Please check your calendar. Please join us! Grace to you, Brother Kevin
Kevin Smith Executive Director
https://bcmd.org/event/pastor-date-night
Dr. Rick Hancock | Pastor-to-Pastor TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD AGAIN Let’s dance! Pastors, you and I have been to enough wedding receptions to know that most people aren’t very good dancers. Most pastors don’t even try, which might be a good thing. I have promised my wife, Lisa, that I would take dance lessons before our children get married. I’d hate to embarrass her in front of family and friends. Oh, dear brother, when was the last time you cut a rug or busted a move? I’m not talking about on the dance floor, but in your ministry. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians will encourage some and convict others. He wrote, “One final word, friends. We ask you – urge is more like it – that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life” (1 Thessalonians 4:1, Message). It’s so easy to fall into the religious plod of pastoral ministry. Week after week of sermon preparation, prayer meetings, leadership development and pastoral care, which tests your capacity to care for people. Some of you faithfully print the bulletins, lead worship, teach Sunday school or lead a small group. You race for the emergency room, love on the senior adults, vacuum the floors and mow the lawn. You oversee every aspect of your church strategy. Exhausted yet? No wonder! The religious plod is real and real dangerous. If we are not careful we can lose our joy. We begin to serve out of duty and not delight. We preach without passion, we lead without being led, and we serve empty. The religious plod. Pastors, learn to dance again. Listen for heaven’s song. Discover His rhythm and keep in step with the Spirit. The living spirited dance is worth learning. It’s worth learning this summer! I know. I know. You have VBS to lead and mission trips to take. You have weddings to officiate and fall planning to do. Please stop. The music is playing, and the floor is empty. The Bride and Groom need to dance —again. Go to the closet and get on your knees. Open His Word and listen carefully not for a sermon, but for His voice. Unplug, disconnect and renew. Living spirited – Dance!
Rick Hancock Vice President
Thank you to Rick Hancock for writing this Perspective on behalf of Dr. Michael Trammell, BCM/D President.
Resolutions for the BCM/D Annual Meeting, Nov. 11-12 in Bel Air, Md.
Those who would like to submit resolutions for consideration to the BCM/D annual meeting Nov. 11-12, 2018, may send them to: Resolutions Committee, 10255 Old Columbia Road, Columbia, MD 21046-1716. The BCM/D Constitution and Bylaws state that “only resolutions presented to the resolutions committee at least 45 days in advance of the annual meeting will be considered by the committee before the first session. Other resolutions may be referred to the committee by the general body.” Resolutions coming from the floor must be ready to copy and distribute. They should have a valid reason for not meeting the 45day rule. All proposed resolutions must be received via mail or dropped off at the Baptist Mission Resource Center to Iris White by Thursday, Sept. 27. Editor’s Note: Because BaptistLIFE is now only a quarterly magazine, this notice is being posted earlier than required.
Summer 2018
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CONFRONTING THE CULTURE
Living (& dying) ‘on the edge’ The church can no longer avoid the opioid crisis
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emember when “junkies” used heroin in back streets and we shook our heads in shame and looked the other way? There’s no turning away anymore, and we can’t (we never should have!) call the users junkies. They’re our kids, our siblings, our parents, and our loved ones, from all walks of life. And they’re dying. Every day 115 people die of an opioid overdose in the United States— almost two per minute. Ask Rick Haynes, pastor of Lighthouse Mission Church about the issue. He lost his son Todd in November 2017. Todd took heroin with a large amount of fentanyl, and he died. For Rick, the wound is still raw. You can see the pain in his eyes, but he’s holding on to Jesus with all his might even as he strives to help others avoid the tragedy. “Three people overdosed this weekend,” Rick says as he drinks his coffee and eats grits at Chesapeake Grill, a local café he and his wife, Lenore, frequent. “One died.” he says. “They’re not taking this seriously. They videotaped a girl overdosing. You see they have Narcan with them.” Narcan is a drug that can bring a person back from an overdose. “In their minds, they can bring a person out. It’s not dangerous to them.” It has become a game, he adds. “I’ve had two or three people ask me so far where Todd got the heroin from because it’s a ‘good batch.’ They don’t want the stuff that’s going to get them high...They want the stuff that’s going put them ‘on the edge.’” Todd was living with his mother in New York and came to visit Rick for Christmas about ten years ago. The two strongly bonded and Todd stayed. Rick, a lifelong biker, got Todd involved in motorcycles, but unfortunately, Todd gravitated to the 6 Summer 2018
“bad biker” mystique with the guns and girls. He began snorting crushed-up pills and then met a woman who taught him to shoot up. Eventually, he went into treatment programs, including a recent sixmonth-stay at the Frederick Rescue Mission where he wrote to his dad and step-mom Lenore, “My eyes are open and I’m trying to let God run my life. I will not become another dead junkie…” When he returned from the mission, sooner than they suggested, Todd helped Rick at the church and wanted to do everything, even be a deacon, but he hadn’t made a solid commitment to Jesus. One day Rick found Todd sitting on the second row of the church by himself and asked what he was doing. “He said, ‘Just hanging out with God.’ I said, ‘Are you praying?’ He said, ‘Yeah, you said I could just come and talk to Him.’” That evening Todd committed his life to Christ. He announced his confession of faith to the congregation, and Rick baptized his son, along with four others, in the nearby river. He was doing well, Rick said. Months later, after an incident occurred that seemed to overly upset
him, Todd went home and overdosed after church. “The bag he had was 86 percent fentanyl, guaranteed to kill him,” Rick said. “He only took a tiny bit.” Rick said toxicity specialists said there was enough fentanyl in the bag to knock down a herd of African elephants. “The worse part was having to ID him.” Kim Buryon, who serves the church in a variety of capacities, says the church rallied around their pastor. “First we prayed… and we still pray and try to comfort him and encourage him.” Rick now shares his story when he has an opportunity, and it helps. He, with the church, also started, “The Yankee Project,” to raise money to make people aware of the problem. Named because of Todd’s love of the Yankees baseball team, the goal is to put the faces of heroin overdose victims on billboards with information about them to help people become more aware, compassionate and willing to do something. The church is also collecting funds to help people as needed in addition to offering a weekly grief support program for those who have lost loved ones who overdosed on drugs. This affects everyone, Rick emphasizes. “Pastors’ children are dying. Bad things happen to good pastors. We’re not exempt.” Isolation is a key factor. When you know someone is struggling, check up on them, take them out, encourage them. We have to get involved, he says. “What would Jesus do? Jesus would get involved. “Tell them, ‘You have a purpose. God has a purpose, He has a plan.’ Todd was clean for seven months. Rick says sadly, “I thought he was going to make it.”
By SHARON MAGER
He has sent me to heal the
brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom
to the prisoners ... ISAIAH 61:1
Former addict shares advice about caring for those suffering from addictions White Marsh Baptist Church member, John Burghauser, is a pastoral care worker for Stauros Ministries, providing individual care for those suffering from addictions and their families. Burghauser was addicted to drugs and alcohol for over 20 years. A user of multiple substances, including opiates, who saw his life crumbling before God saved him, he shares several
suggestions and thoughts for churches to consider when welcoming people who are or were struggling with addictions: • There is usually something lying beneath the wayward behavior; • We need to learn ‘active listening’ in order to pick up on the real issue(s); • We need to help individuals recognize and begin addressing the core issue(s); • People need to know we are with them for the ‘long haul;’ • We need to know what we can help with (and what we can’t); • We shouldn’t offer unrealistic promises (from us or from God); • They don’t need us to continually point out right and wrong; • They do need us to help set
(achievable) goals to stay on track; • They also need us to remind them, through Christ, they can stay on track; • We need to make sure we are surrounding ourselves with (peer) support (Gal. 6:1-2); • We need to make sure our body language and/or voice inflections don’t communicate a different message than the words that we say to them; and • They need a ‘safe environment’ in which to experience new life in the Lord. (For instance, don’t take it upon ourselves to ‘share’ their need in a prayer group or be too quick to suggest to them to ‘open up’ about their struggles)
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CONFRONTING THE CULTURE
Covenant Baptist Church battles to make an impact on West Virginia’s designation as number one state in opioid overdoses
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we’re taking,” Rainey says. ovenant Rainey made the contact Baptist Church, with Andrew Hanauer, One Shepherdstown, America’s director of faithW. Va., is working based collaborations, through to form a strong initiative a discussion with The Ethic & to bring holistic healing to Religious Liberty Commission people, and communities about the issue. struggling with the current Ultimately, Rainey said opioid epidemic. the church has to have a “This is a nationwide culture where it doesn’t phenomenon,” Joel Rainey, condone the behavior, but Covenant’s senior pastor offers help, to put arms says, but West Virginia ranks around the people addicted at the very top of the list in and tell them they’re opioid overdoses. welcome, and that the church Rainey is a member of wants to help them and that One America’s Leadership they won’t shame them. Circle and a leader in One “It really is a disease,” America West Virginia, Rainey said, quickly adding, an organization crossing “Now we’re followers of religious, political, Jesus. I’m not going to say geographic, and racial lines to there isn’t a moral element to combat the opioid epidemic. this, there is.” Rainey says local But he says, “The longemergency workers will term solution is removing work all night dealing with them from isolation and overdoses until they run out shame.” of Narcan. Funeral homes Education is also a key are averaging three deaths Some of the partners in One America West Virginia are: component. Rainey says a week from the opioid Kate Tromble, pastoral associate for social justice at Holy teaching children and youth addiction. Trinity Catholic Church, Washington, D.C.; Joel Rainey, is important, and bringing in “In Jefferson County, senior pastor of Covenant Baptist Church; and Rabbi Aaron professionals and people who there is a 1 in 2,000 chance Alexander, co-senior rabbi, Adas Israel Congregation, have had “street” experiences you’ll die of an opioid Washington, D.C. to share with them can help overdose. In Berkley County, teach how bad it really is. the number is 1 in 1,200. That’s The first thing they did was Rainey says the opioid unacceptable,” Rainey asserts. have a “listening session,” with first epidemic also crosses many ethnic When he introduced the responders, physicians, and educators and religious lines. The addiction is opportunity to partner with One asking, “What do you need?” killing Christians, Muslims, Jews, and America, the church was ready. They “What I heard almost unanimously atheists, and he says we must work had already buried their share of sons, was, ‘We need someone to coordinate together to fight this battle. daughters, husbands, and other loved our work,’” Rainey summarizes. That in itself is an opportunity to ones. At the session, a police officer share Christ, he adds. The church already had a said, ”I’m locking them up,” pointed Celebrate Recovery Group and was to a nurse and said, “She’s treating working with AA, NA, AL-Anon, and To learn more, listen to the them,” and an educator, “She’s other such groups, but the opioid June 19 ERLC Capitol Conversation crisis was different. It needed a unique teaching them—We’ve never, until podcast, “Pastor Joel Rainey on today, been in the same room to approach. the opiod crisis and multi-faith talk about it and how we can work “This is worse than alcohol, engagement” at https://erlc.com/ together.” cocaine, anything we’ve seen before,” resource-library/capitol“That’s the broad sort of approach says Rainey. conversations-episodes.
8 Summer 2018
Photo Credit: Ken Nolan, Cumberland Times
LaVale Baptist Church joins others in standing for hope against heroin
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aVale Baptist Church and other churches in the Cumberland area are taking a stand against the opioid crisis, and it all started with prayer. While meeting together as the local National Day of Prayer Committee, God created a bond of the likeminded pastors and lay leaders. They began meeting regularly as “Cumberland Area United Church Outreach” and began to address community issues from a spiritual standpoint. A big issue is the opioid epidemic. “We want to see people saved and their lives transformed,” says Jim Jeffries, pastor of LaVale Baptist Church (LBC). “The opioid crisis is one of the problems plaguing us out here in Western Maryland. We’re trying to see what we can do.”
The stereotype “junkie” is no more, Jeffries said. “There are a lot of folks who have fallen into addiction through injuries or chronic pain prescriptions,” he said. “We want them to know there is hope, and there is a future, and they can reach out for help.” Another member of the church outreach committee, David Hill, a member of Central Assembly of God, was addicted to heroin and has spent time in prison. He now leads an organization called, “Hope Against Heroin.” That group sponsors a march each year that draws over 1,000 people to bring awareness to the issue and help to those suffering. Marchers start from six different locations and end at the canal where there are bands, people giving testimonies, food,
and booths with various health organizations offering information and help. LaVale Baptist Church has joined in the annual march. Jeffries takes an active role each year. This year members participated in the march, and provided hot dogs, chips, and water with the help of an extended family of the Jeffries’ who lost a son last year to an overdose. Everyone is touched, Jeffries said. Every family has a connection to someone suffering from opioid addiction and most have lost a loved one or friend to an overdose. Bringing awareness is the start of dealing with the problem, he said, but ultimately Christ is the answer.
Summer 2018
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CONFRONTING THE CULTURE
Responding to a Sobering Reality By KEVIN FREEMAN ROCKVILLE, Md.–In light of recent news coming out of the Southern Baptist Convention – especially from some of our seminaries – we are driven to our knees. On our knees we express grief for those who have endured abuse and have subsequently been silenced, repentance as individuals in a denomination where these acts have taken place, and a heartfelt petition that God give us the wisdom and courage we need in the coming days. We will be tested in our actions toward our brothers and sisters directly involved in these events and in our witness to a world that lacks for examples of how to handle these situations rightly. All of this relates to the recent sexual abuse allegations that took place in SBC seminaries that were subsequently covered up by the most senior leadership. This coupled with some erroneous teaching about women has resulted in a festering wound that has only recently come to light. There is a lesson even in that fact. These hidden acts are now seen in the light of day, and our task, if Ephesians 5:11 has anything to say, is to willingly expose the “unfruitful works of darkness.” Moreover, it is the truth of God’s Word to which me must cling at this critical moment. God’s truth will clarify the errors that have been made, but will also ensure that our course correction aligns with what God has revealed and not with any other authority. With that in mind, what teachings might inform our own response?
Grieve with those who grieve People are grieving. Our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are grieving. Some – especially our dear sisters in Christ – have shouldered the 10 Summer 2018
pain of abuse coupled with abandonment. The Christians in leadership whom they trusted let them down, to put it mildly. We the Church hurt because members of our body are hurting. They most of all need to know our hearts are broken for them, too. That brokenness extends even to the victimizers who themselves are coming to grips with the insidious effects of sin. We grieve for them all. We grieve with them all.
Repentance is a right response And we grieve with repentant hearts. On this, I’ll confess, my first reaction is to say, “But I’m not the one who is involved with the sin!” Yet we all are in a sense implicated. Ephesians 5:3 says that sexual immorality must “not even be named among” us, but this is what has happened. Repentance acknowledges our own corporate share, much like Daniel confessed the sin of his predecessors as his own. This sort of broken and contrite heart pleases God and protects us from turning a blind eye, growing haughty, or committing the same sins ourselves. It is not to say we repent as the direct actors but as the church in which this has happened.
Men and women are equally created in God’s image Much of what has happened is the
result of faulty teaching that was not recognized or addressed at the time. We cannot let it persist. The plain truth is that man and woman both were created as image bearers. Whether you fly the egalitarian or complementarian banner – another discussion for another day – we must affirm that there is no difference in value of either men or women.
Submit to authority Romans 13 makes it clear that God instituted not only the church but also government as a civil institution. To skirt this authority is to skirt the commands of our Savior. The lines of authority were given as an act of grace by God. The church is able to keep to its role of making disciples in part because it is not burdened with the role of government. The attempt to handle a criminal issue “in-house” is a rejection of God’s design and the assumption of a burden that wasn’t designed for the church. To be fair, there are churches in other parts of the world where the government wouldn’t worry about these crimes. In that case, perhaps the church
would need to take an increased role. But let’s be clear. That’s not us. We thank God for the role of government that allows us to trust His wisdom while keeping to the Great Commission He has given us.
Remember the redemption of the cross Remembering our mission means we remember the hope brought by Christ through the cross. The stain of sin is removed, and the pain of sin will one day be alleviated. Following in the footsteps of Jesus means that we, too, pour out our lives for the sake of others—for the hurting, the abused, the confused, and the jaded. We live the hope that we know
is found at Calvary. Forgiveness for even the worst crimes can be found there. It’s that same forgiveness that we offer to those who have wronged. That is not the same thing as a restoration of former titles or positions. It is something much greater: restoration within the community of those redeemed by Christ. Where repentance exists, restoration is found.
Heed the warning Because of what we know now, we are responsible to take the appropriate steps to avoid the same scenario in our own churches, seminaries, and conventions. The problem of sin feels more palpable in this moment, and it is a sobering reminder that protective
measures must be taken to ensure we avoid its own deception and inevitable destruction. It’s time for introspection and action. A sure sign that we take these events seriously is our own safeguarding efforts. In doing so, we protect the vulnerable, which includes potential victims and those who would be affected by the fallout of such failures. May we be found faithful at this time. Kevin Freeman is associate pastor for discipleship, youth, and families, Redland Baptist Church, and chairman of the Christian Life and Public Affairs committee for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.
EVANGELISM/MISSIONS
BY SHARON MAGER
Cresthill Baptist Church’s special needs ministry in Nicaragua is part of a ‘catalytic’ movement of God THE NICARAGUAN WOMAN was surprised to see the visitors—Americans, who were kind, bringing soft words, praying for her and her family, giving her a Bible, and visiting her bedridden son. She watched with a smile as the boy looked up at the visitors, who were also kind to him, and they gave him a blow-up soccer ball. It was a transforming moment. The Americans included a mission team from Cresthill Baptist Church (CBC). Team member Gene Meacham emotionally recalls, “His smile was so big, and he started playing with the ball. His mom, she turned to us and said, ‘I need Jesus in my heart.’ She committed her life to Jesus right there. A lot of people turned to Jesus that week.” Meacham was part of the five-per-
son CBC team to Nicaragua in March that specifically focused on ministry to those with special needs and their families. Other team members were Greg Turner, Brenda Marston, Baron Nagel, and Tommy Rowe. Marston shares, “There was a boy named Gerson. I don’t know what his specific ailment was, but the lower half of his body didn’t develop properly. He is in a wheelchair. Gerson and his mother were so thankful and open about meeting us and getting their needs met. I don’t speak a lot of Spanish, and she didn’t speak English but we communicated through love for each another.” Rowe, church planting pastor of Cresthill Church who is starting a special needs church, The Gathering Place (TGP), in the fall, joined the mis-
sion team last year. Cresthill Church has been ministering in Nicaragua since 2000, shortly after Hurricane Mitch devastated the country, first providing disaster relief, and then after seeing the spiritual need, evangelizing and drawing thousands to Jesus. Three years ago, a Cresthill team and others began ministering at a school with a special needs area. Responding to needs, they began an “adoption”–type program with donors giving a one-time $35 that covered food, medical care, and special needs evaluations. The school requested training for parents. During a 2017 trip, Rowe and Chris Smith, director of missions for the Florence Baptist Association in South Carolina, began leading training for the parents, as
A bedridden boy in Nicaragua responds in joy when Cresthill Baptist Church volunteers ministered to him and other families with special needs.
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In June, The Gathering Place held a worship arts camp for teens and young adults, inclusive of guests with special needs. The participants particularly enjoyed a “drum circle” each night. Photo by The Gathering Place
well as teaching pastors how to begin a special needs ministry. Rowe shares, “A local news station got word about a team from the states doing special needs ministry at the school and did a video story about what was happening. That got the attention of government officials and within a year of that, when we came back, that school had gotten a makeover, money, and they gave the school a big bus, all because a small group of Baptists went in and did a little bit of teaching and offered a little help. It was a catalytic movement.” During the March trip, Rowe and his team, joined with Smith, and a West Virginia church team of over a dozen people for a special needs mission trip. Rowe and Smith shared with families who met at the churches to receive training. Other team members went to the homes, praying, sharing Christ, bringing food and toys. One of the incredible results of the trips, with special needs emphasis, was that the stigma was beginning to lessen. Rowe shared that in Nicaragua, like in many other countries, people with special needs were shunned, believed to be cursed, and so families were secluding them. “Some children had never seen the light of day,” says Jimmy Painter, senior pastor of Cresthill Church, who has been very involved in the ministry since the beginning. Rowe said that due to the teams’
teaching, and sharing Jesus, God is bringing change. Churches now want to engage the families, and the families are responding. God has been working miracles, but as of late, ministry is becoming harder due to recent changes in the political climate in the country. Presently, mission trips are on hold due to the civil unrest. Painter asks that churches pray for Nicaragua, for healing in the land, and for the door for missions to once again be opened. Meanwhile, Rowe has been steadily planting seeds throughout Bowie, in anticipation of The Gathering Place launch this fall at Cresthill Baptist Church. Focused on reaching families with special needs, interest has been building. In preparation for the launch, the TGP hosted an inclusive worship arts camp for teens and young adults with the theme, “Wonderful Maker,” based on Psalm 139 in June. Over 30 people participated. Bethel Baptist Church, Yorktown, Va., and Gunpowder Baptist Church, Freeland, sent teams to help. Each evening they had a time of worship, a drum circle, Bible lessons and an arts rotation. The evening ended with testimonies. Parents were encouraged to attend a parent support classes.
“That was a highlight of the week,” said Rowe. “It was meant to be for 45 minutes for a few nights, and they met the whole time, and they want to keep meeting.” There were many siblings who attended, so another class was formed for the brothers and sisters. Rowe said some of the volunteers were parents of children with special needs and were able to lead classes to help others because they were “living it.” From July 30 to August 3, they’ll have a sports camp for elementary school-aged children with soccer, basketball, and baseball. The Bowie Baysox mascot will be there to root everyone on. Rowe said they also plan to attend a Nationals game on July 31. On August 18, right before school starts, the church will have a back to school expo. to help families get ready for school. Bethel Baptist Church’s Jim and LaDonna Armstrong, will lead a session on helping a child with special needs prepare for school and about services provided for those with special needs. Registration for the events, and more information about the church, is online at TheGatheringPlaceMD.org.
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DISASTER RELIEF
Disaster Relief volunteers did a complete mudout/sanitation on the house on the left in 2016. At the time, the homeowner was very skeptical, but this time he stopped his car in the middle of the street to let volunteers pray for him. Photo by Ellen Udovich
Historic flooding—again!—draws Disaster Relief volunteers BY SHANNON BAKER AND SHARON MAGER ELLICOTT CITY, Md.— Constance Smith has been a resident in the community of Beechfield for over 31 years. Her neighbor Dale Collins has lived there for 11 years. Both were completely caught off guard when severe flooding devastated their West Baltimore neighborhood on May 27. By the time Smith left church, ate lunch, and got to her house, the rain was really coming down, she told Scott Isbell of THE BROKEN WALL PROJECT (BWP), a church plant in West Baltimore. 14 Summer 2018
“I went into my house, changed clothes, turned around, and there was a river,” she exclaimed, describing the unfolding scene: “There were trash cans, lawn chairs, and even a dog floating down the street.” Collins couldn’t even cross the street, Smith said. “I was in my car for two hours,” said Collins, explaining a tow-truck driver attempted to bring her across the street. “But the water was gushing so fast, I couldn’t get out!” She recalled, “It was a really scary
situation. We had a storm in 2016, but it was nothing like this.” In 2016, a severe storm flooded several lower-lying areas west of Baltimore and caused significant damage to the historic downtown area of Ellicott City. But this storm seemed much worse, again devastating Ellicott City, but also many homes and businesses all down Frederick Avenue, extending through Baltimore City and Catonsville. Almost 10 inches of water fell over a two-hour period. The overwhelming
rush of flood waters resulted in the death of one rescuer and at least 30 water rescues. “It should be called Frederick River now!” said Smith, whose backyard completely was filled with water “like a swimming pool.” She had four feet of water in her basement, where she lost everything. The water pressure was so hard that it knocked the hinges off her basement door. Her appliances—washer, dryer, hot water heater—all were knocked over. Oil leaked everywhere. “The smell was devastating,” she said. Even so, she expressed gratitude for local pastors Pastor Mike Martin, of Stillmeadow Community Church, Pastor Ron Willoughby of The Broken Wall Project (soon to be called Broken Wall Community Church), and Pastor David Franklin, Miracle City Church, and for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/ Delaware’s Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, among others, who came to survey the damage and are working to clean up the basement. Collins, too, expressed thanksgiving for the “volunteers who are professionals,” who also surveyed her basement and damaged belongings. “If it weren’t for that, I don’t know what I would do!” Collins said. “It’s been rough. But God has sent other angels from other ways to actually help us.” “It just makes my heart overflow with love for the people that are really helping us,” agreed Smith. I mean, we’re not getting the coverage like Ellicott City. But these are people’s lives. People are struggling—homeowners,
renters, you know, just trying to be a productive citizen in the country, in the city.” She added, “It kind of makes you think tomorrow’s not promised and all of this stuff can be gone. And even you!... [Y]ou think about people in our countries that are suffering and you can you say, ‘God, let me Emily Isbell (right), a mission strategist at the Broken Wall Project, stop and thank gathers information from residents affected by flooding. Photo courtesy of The Broken Wall Project. You.’” Willoughby described the scraps of equity washed away, and the “Frederick Avenue Flood of 2018” in need for people to care about us.” his email newsletter to his prayer partThe church, which gathers to ners: “At 3 p.m. on May 27, what was worship at North Bend Elementary supposed to be a 30 percent chance of School, immediately responded to the rain came as a deluge. In a matter of an crisis, said Emily Isbell, a mission strathour, storm drains were backing up in egist who serves BWP by overseeing the streets. By 4:30, roads were floodcommunity partnerships, cultivating ed. And by 5:15, Frederick Avenue, a relationships, and caring for people. major thoroughfare in our community, Like the rest of the BWP’s leadwas a river.” ership, she has a passion for spiritual Turning his attention to where restoration and development, and a he ministers, he offered, “I don’t feel God-given desire to build a thriving the need to spell out what this kind diverse community of faith. of disaster means for people who Prior to the flooding, BWP already live in substandard housing or who had an established partnership with already live by a thread. Nor do I Stillmeadow Community Fellowship, in need to spend too much time telling the neighborhood where much of the you of the frustration of trying to get severe flooding occurred. people to notice our community and Stillmeadow opened doors to the lives that have been wrecked, the emergency crews, volunteers, and representatives from many different agencies who were on hand to assist as needed for the residents. Willoughby’s role “and one of his giftings,” said Isbell, was meeting new people, connecting with them, building rapport and most importantly, advocating for their community. “As a church, we recognize we have to stand up for our community to ensure the needs of those who live there are being heard,” Isbell said, noting Willougby’s great ability to keep pressing the local politicians for more. “Yes, we have had a disaster but what do we do now?” he asks. Meanwhile, Isbell has been working with Jesse Florida, co-pastor of METANOIA CHURCH, another partner church, and other churches as well as the BCM/D’s Disaster
Maryland/Delaware Disaster Relief volunteers gather to discuss plans for cleanup in areas devastated by the May 27 floods. Photo courtesy of The Broken Wall Project.
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Relief; Team Rubicon, “It’s basically a an organization of catchall for people military veterans who affected so their deploy emergency needs can be viewed response teams; by vast organizathe International tions willing to get in Orthodox Christian and help.” Charities (IOCC), They organize who offers the data gathered emergency relief from multiple teams and development who assessed the programs. damage and coorFlorida, who also dinate the response, is now serving as which now includes disaster communicadebris removal, tear Jesse Florida is serving as disaster communication tions liaison working down of damage, liaison, connecting disaster alongside Maryland and mold remediavictims with volunteer help. VOAD (Volunteer tion. Once damaged Photo by Katie Florida Organizations Acmaterials are retive In Disaster), and moved, they will help funded by the Baptist Convention of with rebuild. Maryland/Delaware, was stunned when Several people have reghe saw that Ellicott City had flooded istered, but Isbell said she’s once again. concerned about those who have “My wife [Katie] and I were away not. when we heard about the flood. We “Many of them are used to saw footage of Main Street, and we were not being acknowledged and wrecked. This was happening again. We helped, so they don’t expect—or gathered up our things to head home even know—they can get help,” early and get to work,” he said. she said. Florida worked around the clock Many live in the basements after the Ellicott City flood of 2016, of buildings occupied by other when he organized a small army of vol- residents. One such family has unteers who served their community continued to stay in the wet tirelessly. Katie helped, and is helping basement. It’s been a week since now, with the organization and taking the flood, and they are just now care of home needs during what Jesse hearing there is help, she said. calls “crazy time.” Some residents feel they “Now I have a couple years dealing have no right to tell their landwith it, and it’s fresh on my mind,” says lords what to do. With no written Florida. “The last time I didn’t see some record of rent payments, one resof the opportunities to cooperate that ident, who once was homeless, were readily available. In some ways, I feels stuck in the house with wet was trying to reinvent the wheel. This carpet. She has asthma. Those time I have more connections, I know kind of stories compel BWP and how to get help to people, and I’m tryits partners to take action. ing to utilize that knowledge to make “All people are the quickest impact as possible.” created in God’s Volunteers from Catonsville Baptist Church and Maryland/Delaware In addition to helping in Ellicott image and should be Disaster Relief, who assisted flood survivors in Catonsville, had the opportunity to pray for a homeowner (shown wearing flip flops) City, Florida is also working with treated with dignity,” before leaving her home. Photo by Ellen Udovich the volunteers in areas of Baltimore asserted Isbell. To the County and Baltimore City that were government officials affected by the Memorial Day flood and employees, BWP couldn’t help, so I met with her and as well as those in Washington and volunteers remind them, “You need went through the necessary channels Frederick Counties, where over 2,000 to see these people and take care of to make her aware of resources availbuildings were damaged just a few them… not sweep them under the rug.” able to her.” He also provided encourweeks prior to the storm in Ellicott City Florida agrees, explaining that in agement and prayer. and Baltimore. Because of the breadth his role, in addition to making connecThrough his ministry, Florida is of the last storm, it is now referred to tions for disaster relief, he’s also called seeing God at work, especially in the as “The 2018 Maryland Flood.” to “be there” as needed—the ministry volunteers. “I’m seeing a wisdom and Using a database called “Crisis of presence. peace that’s really apparent with the Cleanup,” Isbell, Florida and others are For example, he shared, “There workers,” he says. quickly able to network with disaster was a woman who had basic needs He’s praying that peace will be relief (DR) volunteers and agencies all that went beyond the floodwaters that shared with those who have lost so around the region. Florida explains, the Red Cross and Southern Baptists much and who are discouraged. 16 Summer 2018
CATONSVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH (CBC) served as a disaster relief staging area, housing mission teams, and sending members out to work alongside the teams. CBC Pastor Christopher Snider said seeing SBC DR volunteers, along with Team Rubicon, and the Red Cross, collaborating together was very encouraging. Snider said a few CBC members are DR trained and are working in the area. “A lot of college-aged students have been jumping in to help. That’s something we want to champion,” he said. Also, seniors at the church who can’t go into the field were happy to be to be able to serve in the office and still be a part of the ministry, Snider said. Volunteers especially appreciated the showers, Snider said. In addition to the church’s facilities, they had access to the Baltimore Baptist Association’s shower trailer parked on the CBC lot. Even though the command center has been disassembled, the church will continue to house teams as needed. BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH members also responded quickly to meet the needs of flood victims in Ellicott City. Ken Cavey, senior pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Ellicott City, and a volunteer chaplain for the Howard County Police Department, arrived downtown as the waters began to recede, along with Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Senator Gail Bates, and Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman.
“Right now it’s raw and present, and there’s a huge sense of hopelessness,” he says, “but what I see is an opportunity.” He shares that God opened his eyes to see the need around him, even in his own neighborhood. Some people wanted relief from the flood damage, but some lacked the basic essentials for dayto-day living.
“I checked on the officers down there and walked through the city, praying,” he said. Having gotten to know some of the people affected by the 2016 storm, Cavey’s heart was broken. He described the scene of cars buried in mud, broken windows with debris lodged in them, the complete front of a building with a fitness center blown out and destroyed, and a shocked bridal party positioned up the hill by the Court House. Rescue personnel were checking buildings for people that may have been trapped. “I saw the devastation and knew they had a long road ahead of them. Some would not be able to come back emotionally or physically. It was more than they could handle,” Cavey said. He said one man had just arrived in Ellicott City prior to the 2016 flood and opened his business just three weeks prior to the current flood. He sold robes and slippers and other spa-type items for men and women. “He had a player piano in the window, and he had ordered wallpaper from London, and it was all destroyed,” Cavey said, sharing what he found in the city with his church, and members got to work quickly, sending teams of 10 to 15 volunteers out every other weekend as needed by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) to help gut and clean out basements, do mud-outs, and whatever else was needed. “Some basements still had seven to eight inches of sewer water and everything was destroyed,” Cavey said. The church continues to send and coordinate teams as needed, and Cavey has continued to check on folks and meet with police officers every week. They are tired. “They’ve been working extra shifts managing the perimeters,” he said. Fortunately, roads are slowly being reopened and the extra burdens are easing a bit. The town has a long way to go, and everyone needs prayer, including the people in and around Ellicott City, and the disaster relief recovery workers, who not only physically give of their talents to provide relief, but intentionally seek ways to share Christ. Florida says, “Don’t wait for a flood to be ‘on mission.’ Look for needs around you. Help where you are.” Bethel Baptist Church members responded quickly to meet the needs of flood victims in Ellicott City. Pastor Ken Cavey (center) ministered with his church and as a Howard County Police chaplain.
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Greear, Pence, #MeToo draw SBC’s focus BY DAVID ROACH, BAPTIST PRESS DALLAS (BP) -- At an annual of new motions. In addition, messenreceived 68.62 percent of the vote meeting that saw what chief parliafor president. Ken Hemphill, a North gers attempted to amend reports and mentarian Barry McCarty called an Greenville University administrator and recommendations and raised points of “extra heavy volume of business” on former Southwestern Seminary presiorder. its opening day, the Southern Baptist McCarty told Baptist Press “the dent, received 31.19 percent. Convention elected J.D. Greear as Committee on Order of Business, At a press conference following convention president and heard an parliamentarians and attorneys had his election, Greear said his priorities address by Vice President Mike Pence. as president will include Gospel focus, to work double time to process the Amid the national #MeToo movediversity, evangelism, church planthigh volume of motions. But the real ment, messengers to the June 12-13 pressure came in correctly handling a ing, collegiate ministry and engaging SBC annual meeting in Dallas affirmed younger Baptists in the SBC’s coopcouple of complex and controversial the dignity and worth of women and erative mission. He also said women motions,” including one to remove heard reports of policies SBC seminartrustees from office at Southwestern. should “sit at the seats of influence” in ies have enacted to address any allegathe convention and that Southern Baptions of sexual abuse and misconduct. Greear elected tist entities and churches must be “safe Several motions and messenger Greear, pastor of The Summit places for women to report abuse.” questions related to the May 30 firing Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., of former SouthwestPence ern Baptist Theological Pence’s June 13 address Seminary president Paige called Southern Baptists to Patterson, who allegedpray for America and comly mishandled a 2003 mended the SBC as “one of report of sexual assault the greatest forces for good” at Southeastern Baptist in the world. The vice presiTheological Seminary dent drew multiple standing during his presidency ovations as he spoke of the there. sanctity of human life and The unofficial Israel among other issues. messenger registration Prior to Pence’s appeartotal of 9,637 was up 92 ance, messengers made two percent from last year’s motions to amend the con5,015 in Phoenix and vention’s agenda to exclude marked the highest total the vice president’s address. since 2010. Messengers The first attempt was defeatNewly elected 2018 Southern Baptist Convention officers include: presented 20 motions ed by messenger vote, and (left to right) John Yeats, registration secretary, Felix Cabrera, during two 15-minute the second was ruled out of second vice president, J.D. Greear, president, A.B. Vines, second vice president and Don Currance, registration secretary. Photo by slots for the introduction order because the convenMatt Miller
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tion had already dealt with the issue. Two motions referred to the Executive Committee sought to prevent political leaders from addressing future SBC annual meetings. A point of order Wednesday expressing opposition to Pence’s address was ruled “not well taken” by the chair. Women & abuse Two resolutions addressed the dignity and protection of women: one “on the dignity and worth of women on the one hundredth anniversary of women as messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention” and another “on abuse.” Two motions on protecting churches from sexual predators were referred to the Executive Committee, as was a motion asking the EC to study biblical authority for a woman to serve as SBC president. All six SBC seminary presidents addressed the issue of sexual abuse and misconduct during their reports. Two seminary presidents -- Chuck Kelley of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and R. Albert Mohler Jr. of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary -- said the institutions they lead believe the Bible’s teaching on gender precludes women from service in some faculty roles, although women hold teaching and administrative roles at both seminaries. Kelley said women do not serve as preaching professors at New Orleans Seminary, and Mohler said women do not serve as professors in the School of Theology at Southern.
During the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission report, ERLC President Russell Moore announced the ERLC will partner with LifeWay Research to conduct a study on the extent of abuse in churches. Beyond the convention floor, a panel discussion in the SBC exhibit hall considered “sexual abuse in the church” and the ERLC sponsored a panel discussion on “Gospel sexuality in a #MeToo culture.” Southwestern Seminary In the wake of Patterson’s termination at Southwestern and his June 8 withdrawal from preaching the convention sermon, interim Southwestern Seminary president Jeffrey Bingham said his “priority is to create a safe environment and a campus culture that protects and cares for the victims of abuse.” He also expressed confidence in the seminary’s trustee executive committee, the body that fired Patterson after the full board had shifted him to president emeritus status the previous week. Some messengers, however, apparently felt the trustee executive committee overstepped its bounds. Following debate on the convention floor, messengers defeated a motion that would have removed all trustee executive committee members from the board immediately. A separate motion was referred to Southwestern asking the full board to reconsider Patterson’s firing.
Southwestern trustee Kie Bowman -- who does not serve on the trustee executive committee -- was this year’s alternate convention preacher and delivered the convention sermon after Patterson withdrew. ERLC motions Two actions by messengers dealt with the ERLC. A motion was defeated to defund the ERLC by shifting its portion of the 2018-19 Cooperative Program Allocation Budget to the International Mission Board. Later, ERLC trustee chairman Trevor Atwood moved that the Committee on Nominations’ report be amended to grant trustee Dan Anderson a second term, which the committee had proposed to deny him. Messengers approved Atwood’s amendment before adopting the Committee on Nominations report. Diversity Southern Baptists elected to committees, boards and other leadership positions included women and members of ethnic minority groups. First Vice President A.B. Vines is African American, and Second Vice President Felix Cabrera is Hispanic. Of the Committee on Nominations’ nominees elected to committees and boards, 12.6 percent were non-Anglo. Forty-three percent of the nominees not serving in pastoral roles were women. Of the Committee on Commit-
Dr. Kevin Smith, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, shared Jesus’ high priestly prayer from John 17 prior to leading the opening prayer of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas on June 12. Photo by Shannon Baker
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Photos (l to r): Ken Ledwell, minister of youth and children at First Baptist Church of Beltsville, Md.; speaking right is James Choi, BCM/D church planting catalyst, serving on an information panel at the Second Generation Asian American Pastors and Planters Fellowship gathering June 12; Joel Kurz, pastor of The Garden Church in Baltimore and director of ONE HOPE, a ministry offering life coaching, campus ministry and hope to members of the impoverished inner city; James and Mako Kneal of First Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro, Md.; Dr. Kevin Smith, BCM/D executive director, speaks during the CP Stage Panel Discussion on “Why Cooperate?” on June 12 in the exhibit hall of the SBC annual meeting; Shannon Baker, BCM/D director of communications with Liz Luter of Franklin Ave. Baptist Church, New Orleans; Montrel Haywood, assistant pastor at The Garden Church, and others from ONE HOPE share at their SBC exhibit; Jena Marie O’Brien, wife of church planter Brad O’Brien of Jesus Our Redeemer Church in Baltimore; and Byron Day, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Laurel, Md., preached his final sermon on June 11 as president of the SBC’s National African American Fellowship. 20 Summer 2018
tees’ nominees elected to next year’s Committee on Nominations, 21 percent were non-Anglo and 28 percent were women. A resolution adopted by messengers denounced the so-called “curse of Ham” sometimes used “as a justification for racism.” IMB At a Tuesday evening commissioning service, the IMB sent out 79 new missionaries and led messengers in prayer for all 11,700 people groups in the world. During the IMB report, president David Platt urged Southern Baptists to focus on the work of missionaries on the field rather than the board’s search for his successor as he transitions back to local church ministry. Missionaries “are the IMB,” he said. NAMB The North American Mission Board report included presentation of a report by a disciple-making task force appointed two years ago by NAMB and LifeWay Christian Resources. In addition, NAMB President Kevin Ezell reported that the board’s church plants are healthy and effective overall, with plants 67 percent ahead of established churches in their attendance-to-baptism ratio. In other news: -- Southern Baptists memorialized the mass shooting last summer at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, that left 26 worship attendees dead. First Baptist pastor
Frank Pomeroy spoke at the June 10-11 SBC Pastors’ Conference, and his wife Sherri addressed the June 11 Pastors’ Wives Conference. The Pomeroys also
-- Gaines, in his presidential address, encouraged Southern Baptists to renew their belief in the supernatural God. “God’s supernatural power is greater than any problem Southern Baptists have.... Stop talking about how big The Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas your problem is and start displays “Testify,” the 2018 theme of talking about how big your the SBC annual meeting, in lights. God is,” Gaines said. Photo by Marc Ira Hooks -- The SBC Executive Committee continued to promote a partnership with personal finance author and speaker Dave Ramsey to help teach believers principles of biblical stewardship. Ramsey addressed the SBC annual meeting Tuesday and participated in the president’s panel on stewardship Wednesday. -- Interim EC president appeared at NAMB’s June 11 Send D. August Boto reported that despite Luncheon. numerous indicators of health in the -- An evangelism task force apSBC, there are also causes for concern. pointed last year by outgoing SBC A “simple” remedy that would yield President Steve Gaines presented a “gigantic” increases in Cooperative report that included eight recommenProgram receipts and souls won to dations to help Southern Baptists at all Christ would be for every Southern levels of convention life become more Baptist to witness and tithe, he said. effective in evangelism. -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott greeted -- The 38 resolutions submitted annual meeting attendees, thanking to the Resolutions Committee marked Southern Baptists for their prayers and the highest total since 1997. The 16 support following a shooting at Santa resolutions adopted by the convenFe (Texas) High School last month, tion addressed sexual purity among Hurricane Harvey last year and the Christian leaders, gun violence and Sutherland Springs shooting. the proper use of social media among -- Recording Secretary John other topics. Yeats and Registration Secretary Don -- The Crossover evangelism emCurrence both were reelected without phasis preceding the annual meeting opposition. yielded a record 4,229 professions of Several related SBC stories are faith, including 2,339 at the June 10 posted on www.baptistlifeonline.org. Harvest America crusade with evangelist Greg Laurie.
Maryland/Delaware Baptists attend the 2018 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting drew 9,637 messengers to Dallas June 12-13. The unofficial total is nearly double last year’s 5,015 messengers in Phoenix, topping that total by 11 a.m. the day before the meeting even began. When registered guests, exhibitors and others are included, the count of those at the SBC annual meeting rose to 12,045. It is the highest attendance at an annual meeting since Orlando in 2010 (11,070), but fewer than in 1997 when the convention last met in Dallas (12,519). The all-time high messenger count -- 45,519 in 1985 –- also happened in Dallas in 1985. The unofficial state-by-state messenger registration numbers include Delaware, 12; and Maryland, 88. Official attendance numbers will be released later; the numbers do not include guests or children.
Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention have elected the 68-member Committee on Nominations for 2017-2018 to represent the 34 states or territories qualified for representation on the committee according to SBC Bylaw 30. The committee, with at least one layperson from each qualified state or territory, was elected during the June 12-13 SBC annual meeting in Dallas. The committee will make nominations to messengers at the June 2019 SBC annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala., for trustees to the SBC boards and committees. For Maryland/Delaware/D.C., messengers elected Pastor Jon Boulet of Sycamore Hill, Hockessin, Del.; and Larry Willis of Pleasant View Baptist, Port Deposit, Md. Summer 2018
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May GMB Report—Good News on the Mountain MIDDLETOWN, Md.—Members of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/ Delaware’s (BCM/D) General Mission Board (GMB) celebrated some good news at their May 8 meeting at Skycroft Conference Center. Members voted to welcome three churches to the BCM/D: Hillcrest Baptist, Temple Hills; Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.; and McLean Bible Church, Vienna, Va. They also heard positive updates on church planting and disaster relief as well as reports from the International Mission Board and the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. Following a time of worship led by Phil Gifford, pastor of Connecting Church, Abingdon, GMB President Curtis Hill shared encouragement from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Hill noted that many think of the passage as a “to-do” list. “But Jesus leads not with the law but with grace,” Hill said. He opens the 22 Summer 2018
Beatitudes with blessings, Hill continued. “I hope you receive the blessing Jesus pours over you.” He prayed, “We’re thankful to hear blessings. We do mourn, hunger and thirst for righteousness because we lack it and seek it.... Give us ears to hear, leadership that walks in integrity and character. We pray that we would decrease, and You would increase.” Financial Report Chief Financial Officer Tom Stolle reported that Cooperative Program (CP) receipts for the first quarter ending March 31, 2018, totaled $905,013.22. This is down ($18,894.02) or (2.0 percent) from the first quarter in 2017. We are also down from budget year-to-date, as we budgeted to receive $925,000 in CP receipts in the first quarter, he said. We are not greatly off, just trailing slightly. Stolle said the good news is that the additional churches affiliating
Curtis Hill, President of the Gen Mission Bo eral ard of the Conventio Baptist n of Maryl and/Delaw are
BY SHARON MAGER with the BCM/D will likely strengthen overall CP receipts. Receipts year-to-date from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) are slightly lower than expected. This, however, is tied to the timing of submissions for various evangelism projects we are involved in as well as receipts of requested church planting funds, he said. Regarding disbursements, as of March 31, 2018, all major areas are within budget except for the Church Planting Team, which is running slightly ahead of budget. This is due to slightly higher planter support than expected at this point in 2018. Concerning the bottom line, Stolle said the quarter ending March 31, 2018, shows a deficit of ($20,435.93) compared to ($31,366.36) last year. Management believes that assuming CP holds, operations will break even at year end. Receipts of $156,244.68 received in 2017’s State Missions Offering are
used to fund 2018 initiatives. To date, $21,152.48 has been expended, mostly on disaster relief. Regarding Skycroft Conference Center, Stolle reported income for the quarter ending March 31, 2018, totaling $677,620.42, running ahead of budget. Through March 31, 2018, overall expenditures have been less than expected. Reporting the Skycroft Conference Center bottom line, Stolle said year-to-date operations yielded a net income of $127,940.67. Barring unforeseen events, management anticipates operations to break even at year end. “The BCM/D is in a good, ready cash position with its bills paid in full and on time,” Stolle reported. Invested reserves total $2,631,611.30. Escrowed funds (funds held for a designated purpose) total $732,930.63. Of this amount, $222,546.67 is specifically designated to church planting. Regarding the Baptist Foundation, Stolle reported 15 churches have outstanding loans from the church loan fund. The income earned from the church loan fund is distributed annually to the BCM/D to start and strengthen churches. Management estimates that the anticipated distribution to total between $90,000 to $105,000. Two churches have an outstanding loan from the Arthur Nanney church loan fund. Established in 2006, the Arthur Nanney fund is used for small, emergency loans to churches. As of March 31, 2018, the market value of the investment portfolio was $8,166,063. The most recent calendar quarter portfolio performance reflected a return of (0.3) percent. The oneyear performance reflected a return of 9.6 percent, and the three-year return totaled 5.6 percent.
SBC Executive Committee Report
David Hall, who serves as an SBC Executive Committee member representing BCM/D and D.C., reported to messengers about former SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page regarding his retirement following a “morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past.” Hall said, “These are trying times. I’ve been on the Executive Committee since 2012, and this is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced.” Florida pastor, Stephen Rummage,
chairman of the Executive Committee, called a special meeting in Nashville on April 17. “We had very few absences for such a quickly called meeting,” Hall said. A search committee was formed at that time and has accepted nominations.
serving wonderfully as our president, and he will serve until his successor is chosen,” Simpson affirmed. Read Simpson’s full report on www.baptistlifeonline.org.
Church Planting Report
“Our church planting paradigm is simple: Churches plant churches,” said Michael Crawford, church planting team consultant and state director of missions. Crawford said the September church planting assessment is full, February’s assessment is filling up, and the candidates are coming from BCM/D churches. Pastors are now recognizing potential planters or couples that may be ready to go out soon or maybe in a few years. “I’m excited about the number of churches coming forward,” he said. Read Crawford’s full report on www.baptistlifeonline.org.
Disaster Relief Report
Tom Stolle, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, BCM/D
Hall asked messengers to pray for the Executive Committee Vice President, D. August Boto, who is serving as interim president.
IMB Report
Tim Simpson reported on the International Mission Board (IMB) presidential search and the unique opportunities and challenges faced by the Southern Baptists’ largest entity. Simpson, pastor of Greenridge Baptist Church and first vice-chairman of IMB’s board of trustees, said Chuck Pourciau, senior pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., is chairing the presidential search committee that is seeking the replacement for David Platt, who requested to step down as president this past February. The committee has been receiving names of potential candidates, and they are prayerfully reviewing them. They hope to have a candidate to present at the fall IMB trustee meeting in Richmond, Simpson said. In the meantime, “David Platt is
Doug DuBois, state director of evangelism and state director of disaster relief, explained that Southern Baptists have been providing disaster relief for decades. In fact, Robert “Bob” Dixon, who pioneered Southern Baptist disaster relief ministry more than 50 years ago—seeing DR deployments as “invitations from the Father”—died earlier this year at age 90. Comparing DR teams to SWAT teams or fire departments, DuBois said each volunteer is trained for specific interests. In Maryland/Delaware, DR volunteers can specialize in feeding, laundry, showers, administration, chaplaincy, and recovery work, such as chainsaw work and mud-outs and ash-outs, as well as provide temporary roof tarping. “The only people who can go are those who are trained,” DuBois emphasized. By preparing ahead of time, volunteers can choose to respond to deployment requests when the need arises. Those interested in participating can read more about DR and register on the BCM/D DR website, https://md. disasterreliefonline.com. For those who want to help for a specific event, the North American Mission Board offers opportunities through SEND Relief, a compassion ministry that focuses on disaster response, as well as ministries related to poverty, refugees and international students, foster care and adoption, and human trafficking. SEND Relief Summer 2018
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also oversees GenSend, which seeks to mobilize college students for mission projects. BCM/D Executive Director Kevin Smith said, “Nationwide we need to be more intentional about getting college students and young professionals who have some flexibility with time DR trained so when disasters happen we have people who have flexibility who can say I can take 10 days here or there. That’s the thrust behind making some of the training more mobile and virtual. “The desire is to obey our Lord as He says to love our neighbor,” Smith said.
Executive Director Report “Last year, we spent time rebooting how we plant churches, this year we’re retuning how we serve our churches, and also because of things happening globally, just making sure we emphasize how our churches can get connected to DR and SEND Relief, and to international missions opportunities,” BCM/D Executive Director Kevin Smith told GMB members. Smith said he also wants to encourage churches to have a direct engagement in their community, working with schools, or smoke detector programs through the American Red Cross. These types of activities help us to love our neighbors and meet people. Some churches are engaging their communities by reaching out to families with special needs. Smith referred to a BCM/D special needs conference at Freedom Church, Baltimore, in partnership with The Banquet Network. “It was well attended. I’m grateful for churches who are faithful to that
demographic,” he said. Smith also expressed his appreciation to BCM/D churches who participated in “Night to Shine,” an event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation each February, offering proms throughout the country for those with special needs. He also recognized Ogletown Baptist Church, who has activity rooms and sensory rooms in their buildings to minister to families with special needs. Looking ahead, Smith said the retirement rate of pastors in the next five to seven years is outpacing that of those graduating seminaries. There is a need to recruit pastors, he said. In conjunction with that, Smith is seeking unused parsonages to perhaps house interns for six months to a year. Additionally, Smith said there is a need to help pastors feel more comfortable talking about and planning for retirement. “We must create a culture of transition,” he said. Continuing an emphasis on strengthening the relationship between the BCM/D staff and churches, Smith said, “I think it’s important to be a trusted partner for churches that will be in transition before those churches are in transition.” The convention staff is much more likely to be trusted in time of transition if there have already been previously established relationships. As connections are made, staff can help assess churches, to determine their health to know how to help. Several pastors had questions regarding the recent inappropriate sexual remarks and misogyny reports regarding national Southern Baptist leaders. Smith said The Christian Life and Public Affairs (CLPA) will soon be scheduling four regional meetings around the convention to address issues of the environment of ministry regarding male and female relationships, and legal expectations requirement regarding child safety. A district attorney and police who serve in sexual assault and crimes against children will be in attendance. “It’s vital to have pastors informed of those matters,” Smith emphasized. “We’re in a hurting time. It’s a great time to be prayerful,” he shared, adding that we’re also in a humbling time. “We’re in need of grace. We’ve had leaders resign. It’s hurtful. But if you read Israel’s history, it’s never bad to be humbled by the Lord.”
President’s Remarks
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Michael Trammell, BCM/D president, said, “It’s my joy to continue to serve Maryland/Delaware Baptists. I
count it a privilege for over 26 years to call Maryland/Delaware my home, and I look forward to continuing to serve under the leadership of Dr. Smith.” Trammell asked the question “Why does the BCM/D matter?” “In moments of frustration, we may have thought or said denominations are dying and the work they do is somehow not as relevant as it used to be. I’m here today to tell you that’s not true!” Trammell said. Referring to Ephesians 4, Trammell said the world is lost without Christ. Churches need all the help they can get. Churches need what state conventions can provide—a support system, counsel, and all kinds of assistance and partnership. Trammell went on to say BCM/D matters because: Lost people are futile in their thinking. “Their thinking is such that the Bible says it’s vanity,” he said. Lost people are spiritually blind. “We live in a world where people’s minds have been darkened by spiritual things.” Lost people are excluded from God. They’re alienated, they have no fellowship. “Churches need training and support systems so they can reach these lost people whose lives are darkened,” he said. Lost people have no knowledge base at all about spiritual things. Lost people’s hearts are hardened, like a person under anesthesia—not awake to the true state of things around him. “We must remind them that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” Lost people are calloused, past feeling. They have lost the capacity to feel right and wrong. “That’s a good explanation why so much that’s unconscionable and almost unmentionable goes on without checks from society. A person who has lost the sense of pain can get hurt by putting his hand in a hot fire.” Lost people are addicted to sinful behavior. Have you ever known someone who has a child addicted to drugs? Time after time they think somehow they’ve experienced victory to find the child going through it again. Lost people give themselves over to lewdness and greediness. They give themselves over to evil. “Together, we as a convention must partner with churches—the churches that we serve, to carry the Gospel to our lost region before it’s too late. “We must ask the question again. If not us, who? If not now, when?”
WEEK OF PRAYER & STATE MISSIONS OFFERING: SEPTEMBER 9-16, 2018
Hello MD/DE Baptists! Thank you for your support of our united missions efforts! We support missions through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions and through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. And through our Maryland/Delaware State Missions Offering. Every year in September, churches in the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware unite together to pray and financially support ministries that reach people in unique ways. Did you know 100% of all funds supports local evangelism projects? Projects like camp evangelism at Skycroft Conference Center’s beautiful 300-acre campus. Here, thousands of campers meet Christ, mature in their faith, and develop into Kingdom leaders. It’s also where churches and other groups retreat and learn year-round. Did you know that church planting has been a commitment of Baptists in our area since 1836? The State Missions Offering helps church planters and replanters in ways not provided for through our national partners. There are over 400,000 college students in our area. Collegiate outreach is a ministry we value! Since this ministry is no longer financially supported by our national partners, funds from the State Missions Offering go to equipping our churches to reach this huge mission field. One of our greatest “love your neighbor” ministries is disaster relief. When we serve those affected by natural disasters we demonstrate the love of Jesus. This offering provides much needed resources for volunteer training and equipment upkeep. The State Missions Offering also helps churches serve today’s largest unreached people group: families affected by special needs. An estimated 62 million Americans have a disabling condition, yet less than 2% of American churches have any kind of disability outreach. We invite you to support your state mission efforts through prayer, using a forthcoming Maryland/Delaware State Missions Offering prayer guide, and through your united giving. Visit online at www.bcmd.org/offering to order or download materials for your church. Thank you. Dr. Kevin Smith, Executive Director, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware
Check your mailbox for an order form to receive Week of Prayer and State Missions Offering promotional materials for your church. Or visit online at www.bcmd.org/offering for downloadable materials.
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Fearfully and wonderfully made
BY SHARON MAGER
N
(l to r) Isaac, Becky, David and Noah McGaffin enjoy a summer outing.
oah McGaffin and Isaac pose for a photo, two brothers, arms wrapped tightly around each other without asking. They truly love each other. Isaac helps his brother tie his shoes and make his lunch, but in this case it’s a bit different. Isaac is three years younger than Noah, but Noah has Down Syndrome and sometimes needs a helping hand. But that doesn’t matter to Isaac.
“It was a long time before Isaac even knew his brother had a disability, says Becky, their mom, who attends Redland Baptist Church with her husband, David. Of course, Becky and David knew from the start. So how does it feel? How did you handle that? Those are questions no one really wants to voice. Becky asks me if I’ve ever read the poem, “Welcome to Holland?” No, I hadn’t, but I did, and then I almost cried. Written by Emily Perl Ingsley about the experience of raising a child with a disability, the poem says having a baby is like planning a vacation to Italy. You plan and imagine the sites you’ll see, learn a few words in Italian, then after months of anticipation a stewardess says, “Welcome to Holland.” And while everyone else is in Italy, you’re not. “And for the rest of your life, you will say, ‘Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned… But ... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.” God created us and planned for us to be who we are. “There are no mistakes,” David said. “All people are individuals. For somebody like Noah, sometimes those individualities are magnified.” And make no mistake, Noah is loved just the way he is. David says, with any baby, the parents’ concerns are whether the child is eating, sleeping, and breathing. “You can’t get overwhelmed by what could be. It’s just now. It’s always now. All you have to deal with is now,” David explains. Isaac has been very quiet, but suddenly nods toward Noah and says, “He’s a very happy 26 Summer 2018
person.” And he is. Noah continues to smile through the whole visit. “I’m cute and handsome,” he says. He likes school, “fixing cars,” and he likes big trucks. He enjoys horseback riding, karate, and playing guitar. He won a bronze medal for javelin throwing in a Maryland Special Olympics track and field event. “Noah,” I say, “Tell me about God.” “God loves people,” he answers, without skipping a beat. His favorite Bible story is about Noah, unsurprisingly. At church, Noah sings in the “Waves of Grace” youth choir, and he and Isaac both act in the church’s productions. Recently they had a program about Moses and the 10 Commandments. Each child had a number to correspond with the commandment. “I was 10,” Noah says proudly. Becky laughs, sharing how each of the kids held up their numbers, but Noah brought his number up with fanfare, and the whole congregation loved it. Dave and Becky are very appreciative to Redland Church members and how they’ve included Noah naturally in Sunday school, youth group and AWANA. “It helps when Noah’s Sunday school teachers call and, ask ‘How can we best include him?’” says Becky. “I want people to know that we’re a happy family. Having a child with disabilities doesn’t put you in a category of the family that is bawling and having difficulties every day,” she adds. “I’ve thought about what it means to be blessed. A blessing is something that brings you closer to Christ. Having a child with a disability is a blessing.”
Latest Transitions and Recognitions Longtime pastor, John Gauger, to serve in evangelism and pastoral connection efforts at the BCM/D He will fill the role vacated by Doug DuBois, who resigned in July Beginning July 9, John Gauger, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Perryville, will serve on the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware’s Church Services team as an interim church services consultant in the area of evangelism and pastoral connection. In this role, Gauger will visit and connect with senior pastors throughout the BCM/D and will assist congregations in strengthening their capacities and effectiveness in reaching their communities with the Gospel. Gauger and his wife, Linda, have served together in ministry for 40 years, 27 of which were at FBC, Perryville, where “a high percentage of those we have seen trust Christ have grown to faithfully serve the Lord,” Gauger said at his retirement. “We have seen a number become pastors, pastors’ wives, missionaries, and one campus missionary.” Under Gauger’s pastoral leadership, the church ministered in four countries, developing especially close connections with churches in Mexico and West Africa in addition to several local missions efforts, including a Celebrate Recovery ministry, annual block parties, and various ministries of compassion. They also partner with their local middle school and even with church plants in Baltimore. Doug DuBois announced his resignation in June to pursue opportunities with PBI Restoration, a company based
in Hunt Valley, Md. DuBois, whose last day in this role was July 8, will continue until the end of the year in a contract role as Skycroft consultant for the BCM/D. There, he will be responsible for working with the Skycroft Conference Center staff to provide staff training, knowledge of facility and business operations, and other duties. Emily Reedy will continue leading the day-to-day operations at Skycroft. Over the years, DuBois has successfully and tirelessly led as the director of Skycroft, the state director of evangelism, and the state director of disaster relief. Most recently, DuBois served in Puerto Rico, setting up operations for the North American Mission Board’s SEND Relief response in the wake of Hurricane Maria, as well as other disaster relief projects. For the short-term, Ellen Udovich will be the BCM/D staff person leading disaster relief. Denise, DuBois’ wife, also will continue serving as BCM/D’s senior staff accountant. “Doug possesses a wealth of knowledge and a servant’s heart. He has served this Convention faithfully for 22 years,” shared Tom Stolle, CFO/ COO for the BCM/D. He has spearheaded several evangelism projects, most notably the “sixsimplesteps” strategy, and is known for
his faithfulness in praying weekly for hundreds of pastors and their families throughout the convenJohn Gauger tion. “Doug didn’t just minister to our pastors; he ministered to our staff and to me and my wife Shelley,” Stolle added, emotionally explaining how DuBois came numerous times to his house to repair things Stolle’s son Doug DuBois Jimmy broke while aggressing in his autism. “Doug’s servant heart was more than a 9-to-5 job. It is just the fabric of who he is,” he said. “He will be sorely missed.” The BCM/D staff celebrated DuBois’ many accomplishments during a special luncheon on July 5. Read more online at www.baptistlifeonline.org.
Michael Trammell named Cooperative Program Ambassador The General Mission Board’s Administrative Committee of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) has named Michael Trammell as Cooperative Program Ambassador. Trammell retired on Dec. 31, 2017, after serving as pastor of Mt. Airy Baptist Church for 26 years. He also is serving his second consecutive term as BCM/D president. He’s served on the BCM/D General Mission Board through various terms for 14 years. He was the president of the BCM/D’s Pastor’s Conference in 1996. In addition, he was chair of the “Advancing Christ’s Kingdom,” effort under the tenure of former BCM/D Executive Director Charles Barnes. On the national level, Trammell has served in multiple committees with the Southern Baptist Convention through the years, including ten years on the SBC Executive Committee. He’s ministered throughout the world on mission trips. In this new role, Trammell will relate primarily to BCM/D churches on the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Delaware, visiting them on Sunday mornings and thanking them for their support of the Cooperative Program. Trammell will bring greetings to churches on behalf of BCM/D Executive Director Kevin Smith and will highlight many of the ways the Cooperative Program is supporting ministry locally, nationally and worldwide. He also is available to preach if pastors so desire. Ultimately, Trammell says he seeks “to strengthen those bonds that already exist between the local church and the BCM/D.” Excited about his new role, he says he believes in the power of the Cooperative Program and looks forward to championing it throughout the year. Summer 2018
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Latest Transitions and Recognitions NEW ASSIGNMENTS ARUNDEL BAPTIST NETWORK recently welcomed Grace Eppard as their new administrative assistant. Eppard is the daughter of Thomas Han, pastor of Living Water Baptist Church, Severn. She and her husband, Earl, have two children, Derek and Jason. Her office hours are 10 am to 2 pm Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 am to noon on Fridays. The ABA email is arundelbaptistnetwork@gmail.com. The phone is (410) 647-0507. FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH, KNOXVILLE, called Kevin Marr of Memphis, Tenn., to be their senior pastor. Marr is joined in ministry by his wife, Jill, daughter, Kati, and son, Connor. He most recently served as pastor of LifePointe Baptist Church in Hernando, Miss., and director of Veritas Classical Schools for the past 13 years. He graduated Valedictorian with a master of divinity degree in 2008 from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis and has over 25 years of ministerial experience. The church had an installation service April 29, followed by an open house. WESTMINSTER BAPTIST CHURCH called Matt McMillan as senior pastor. McMillan formerly served as a teaching/student pastor at Five Stone Church, Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in Christian studies with a dual emphasis in theology and ministry, and a master of divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and now is pursuing his doctorate in Christian leadership from Southeastern. His father, Bart McMillan is a chaplain through the North American Mission board and an intentional interim pastor in various churches. Matt’s wife, Rachel, is a full-time mommy to their two-year-old daughter, Everleigh.
OBITUARIES CAROLYN J. CHAVEZ, passed away at the age of 73. Carolyn was the wife of Richard Chavez, who pastored Burtonsville Baptist Church for 25 years. In addition to serving alongside her husband as a pastor’s wife, Carolyn was very active, ministering as an adult 28 Summer 2018
Sunday school Church of Hagerteacher, a conferstown. He also ence leader, and a served several choir member. She years as a General also served in Mission Board women’s minismember for tries, including the the Baptist ConWomen’s Missionvention of Maryary Union (WMU). land/Delaware. She especially Wendell enjoyed planning graduated from outreach events, Allegany High including the School in 1950 and church’s annual went on to comHalloween Alternaplete degrees at tive. In addition, Mars Hill University, Carolyn was active Furman University, in the community, and The Southern serving as a board Baptist Theological Carolyn Chavez member of the Seminary. Laurel Pregnancy Blue Ridge Center. Baptist Association Director of MisWhen she and her husband moved sions Bruce Conley said Wendell was to Tennessee, she continued serving in his pastor at Beltsville Baptist Church. a variety of ministries at First Baptist Conley grew up in the church and Church, Seymour. attended the youth group. In her spare time, she enjoyed “Once I surrendered my life to doing crafts, cooking, and gardening. Christ, he baptized me, and because of She was preceded in death by her my musical talent and interest, he mother and father and is survived by immediately put me to work leading her husband, two adopted boys and ‘Singspiration’ (a hymn sing time grandchildren, as well as a sister, where everyone picks their favorite Patricia Nichols. hymn and sings one verse) in the A funeral service was held at Sunday evening services. That later Atchley’s Seymour Chapel with interled to me becoming a choir/music ment in Atchley’s Seymour Memory director in several SBC churches and Gardens. Condolences may be made at eventually becoming ordained as a www.atchleyfuneralhome.com. bi-vocational minister of music. In lieu of flowers, donations may “Wendell was a great leader and be made to Seyencourager. He loved mour FBC Terminal reaching people with Illness Ministry, 11621 the truth of the Chapman Hwy, Gospel and seeing Seymour, TN 37865 their lives (865) 577-1954. transformed.” WENDELL In his spare time, GROSS died on May Gross enjoyed 1. He, with his wife spending time with Joyce, ministered for his family. He was 40 years in Maryalso a model train land, where he enthusiast and loved pastored First mission trips. Baptist Church of He is survived by Mardela Springs, Imhis wife, Joyce, his manuel Baptist daughter, Gayle Church, Salisbury; Gross; three sons, Edgewood Baptist Greg Gross (CharChurch, First Baptist lene), Gilbert Gross Church of Beltsville, (Cindy) and Gary Wendell Gross and First Baptist Gross (Sammy); and
Former BCM/D Executive Director Kenneth Lyle Sr. remembered as a visionary ABILENE, Texas— Kenneth (Ken) Lyle Sr., Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCM/D) executive director from 1983 to 1993, died on April 10. Lyle was known as a visionary who loved missions and listened to people. In addition to his ministry in Maryland, he served as director of missions for the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association from 1970 to 1979, and later as director of the New England Baptist Convention from 1993 until his retirement in 2000. He also pastored churches in Mississippi, New York, Georgia, and Texas and he and his wife Judy began serving with the North American Mission Board (NAMB), then known as the Home Mission Board, in 1963. Lyle was also a veteran of the United States Army. Lyle was born in Houston, Texas, in 1936. After high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College, a Master of Divinity from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and an honorary doctorate from Georgetown College, Kentucky. He and his wife, Judy, married in 1957. In Maryland/Delaware, Lyle is remembered as a leader who was a dreamer with a passion for missions. John Roberts, Woodbrook Baptist Church Pastor Emeritus and Baptist historian, said that for Lyle, the calling came first, then the administration to implement it. God used Lyle to lead the convention through a structural organization, overcoming financial challenges, streamlining staff, and transitioning offices from Lutherville to Columbia. Roberts was a part of the search committee that recommended Lyle. The men became friends, and for
Kenneth Lyle Sr.
awhile, Roberts was Lyle and his family’s pastor. Roberts said Lyle and his wife were fun people, who truly cared for others. Extending that care to the world, Lyle led the convention’s partnership missions to Africa, resulting in seventy-nine churches and 7,400 public decisions to follow Jesus, and later under his tenure, the BCM/D entered into a Latvia partnership. According to W. Loyd Allen’s book, “You Are A Great People,” one of the most important contributions to future Baptist work during Lyle’s tenure was his work with contextualized theological education. He was especially concerned about bi-vocational pastors, Roberts said, “He had real sympathy for what bi-vocational pastors were up against in sermon preparation with limited theological education resources to draw on.” Lyle, along with Roberts, David Flumbaum (a former BCM/D president), and BCM/D Staff Member Ron Brown, were part of the Northeast Task Team for
Theological Education (NETTE), partnering with conventions in Pennsylvania-South Jersey, New York, and New England to provide contextualized ministry training for ministers in the Northeast. By 1995, NETTIE had centers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts and produced 30 graduates. Lyle was also admired for his ability to listen to friends and colleagues and consider and implement their ideas. Roberts said Lyle had a “program of listening,” which included going to association leaders and pastors and asking, “What can the convention do for you that we’re not doing?” During his retirement years, Lyle served as a consultant to the Mississippi Baptist Convention in Jackson, Miss., and as interim pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, in Sweetwater, Texas. Reflecting on Lyle’s ministry, Flumbaum said, “He loved to preach, he loved to teach, and he was a good spiritual leader.” He is preceded in death by his brother James, his mother Lucy and his father Oscar Lyle. He is survived by his wife, Judy, his children, Christy and Bobby Waddail; Sandy and Duane Hammack; Ken and Anita Lyle, Jr., and Scott and Missy Lyle, as well as eleven grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Visitation was held at the Welcome Center of First Baptist Church, Abilene, and the funeral at the church on April 14. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to City Light Ministries of First Baptist Church, Abilene.
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Latest Transitions and Recognitions grandchildren Benjamin, Anna, Gretchen, and Kurtis. A memorial service was held May 7 at Faith Christian Church in Williamsport, Md. Conley and Gordon McDaniel, lead pastor of Faith Christian Church, officiated. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Washington County, 747 Northern Ave., Hagerstown, MD 21742. A former Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware President, DR. WILLIAM (BILL) HILLIS, died on April 26. He was a member of Seventh Baptist Church, Baltimore (now Seventh Metro Church) during the time of his presidential tenure from 1977-78. He also served as chairman of the board of Baptist Home in Maryland, a retirement home to over 50 residents. Hillis was an esteemed medical doctor and researcher. He and his wife, Argye, who died in 2017, also a noted Ph.D., known for her work in mathematics and ophthalmology, traveled the world together as researchers living in Baltimore, Denmark, India, the Congo, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Hillis majored in chemistry at Baylor University before completing his medical training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He served in the AFROTC program at Baylor and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He was a virologist, and according to an article in a Baylor blog written by Lori Fogleman, discovered “the first primate model for Hepatitis B, a key to developing an effective vaccine,” while he and Argye were raising their children in the Congo during a revolution. He was a nephrologist and epidemiologist and became the first director of the internationally acclaimed Moore Clinic at Johns Hopkins. He later returned to Baylor and became the Cornelia Marshall Smith Distinguished Professor of Biology, he chaired the Biology Department, and later was the college’s vice president of student life. VICTOR (VIC) SIMPSON, pastor of Emmanuel Church, Huntingtown, died peacefully on June 4, at the age of 59. He and his wife Janice, who preceded him in death in 2015, spent 31 years ministering together in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Maryland, where
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Victor (Vic) Simpson
Vic served as pastor for 16 years. Rick Hancock, who serves as the Emmanuel Church’s pastor of discipleship and family ministry, said the church grew to nearly 500 in attendance on Sunday mornings under Vic’s leadership and is best known for reaching the unchurched and “dechurched” in the region. “Pastor Vic became a close friend to Pastor Stan Beall (Emmanuel’s interim pastor of mobilization and missions) and me,” Hancock said. “He demonstrated a high level of faith both in life and in the process of death. His faith never wavered. He often said, ‘I’m living between two worlds. My faith teaches me He can heal my body and that heaven awaits.’ He led well, served sacrificially, and was a fully developing follower of Jesus Christ. He has been reunited with his late wife Janice Simpson in glory.” Vic is survived by his children, Christian and Victoria, a sister, Connie Patrick, and her husband Ed, of Bastrop, La., and two nieces Karen and Cheryl Watson of Shreveport, La. A Celebration of Life was held at Bethel Way of The Cross, Huntingtown, Md., on Saturday, June 9. The family asks for donations to their various missions projects in lieu of flowers. Please send to Emmanuel Baptist Church, P.O. Box 99, Huntingtown, MD 20639.
RECENT GRADUATES Congratulations to the following
graduates from SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: Jean Frénel Mésidor of Bowie, Md., who earned a master of arts degree in Christian studies, and J. Eric Sorrell of Baltimore, who earned a master of divinity degree in Christian ministry. Congratulations, also, to the following who graduated from THE COLLEGE AT SOUTHEASTERN: Jordan Taylor Nerney of Bel Air, Md., who earned a bachelor of arts in global studies; and Margaret Rose Kelly, also of Bel Air, who earned a master of arts in intercultural studies. Congratulations also to the following SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY and BOYCE COLLEGE spring graduates: Brian Dempsey, from First Baptist Church of Perryville, who received a Doctor of Ministry degree; Douglas Hess of Derwood Bible Church, who received a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies; John Joseph of Cheverly, Md., who received a Master of Divinity degree; Jason Nathaniel Manry, North Harford Baptist Church, who received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Counseling; Justin Samuel Manry, North Harford Baptist Church, who received a Master of Divinity; Patricia Lynn Manry, North Harford Baptist Church, who received a Bachelor of Science degree in Humanities; Steven Mason, Redeeming Grace Baptist Church, Lexington Park, who received a Master of Divinity degree; Blair Radney, Friendship Baptist Church, Sykesville, who received a Master of Arts degree in Church Ministries and Charlie Roland of Grace Church of Wilmington, Del., who received a Master of Divinity degree. Glenn Swanson, the pastor of BAYSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, had the incredible opportunity to graduate from Liberty University along with his sons, Matt, who earned a doctorate, and Luke, who earned a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. His daughter Anna also received her high school diploma. Glenn completed his master of theology (Th.M.) degree. To read the full stories of the above, as well as other local news, visit online at www.baptistlineonline.org.
BCM/D Events (www.bcmd.org/events or 800-466-5290 + ext. below)
August
CentrePointe Counseling celebrates 40 years of ministry COLUMBIA, Md.—At its recent “Day of Hope” gala, CentrePointe Counseling celebrated a significant milestone—40 years as a counseling agency, providing Christ-centered professional counseling services in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia to men, women, adolescents and children. At the gala, which featured keynote speaker Stacey Stone from WGTS 91.9 (pictured above) and live worship music by Jason Brown, Kaely Linker shared a word picture, “When you drop a pebble into the center of a pond the resulting change in the water is felt all the way to the edges of that pond.” Linker, digital media coordinator for CentrePointe, explained, “At CentrePointe, our mission is to create a ripple effect of change in every individual couple, family, church, organization and community throughout the state.” To that end, she said CentrePointe Counseling’s staff and board remain committed to helping “the least, the last and the lost” by providing affordable Christ-centered professional counseling to all in need regardless of their ability to pay. Accordingly, CentrePointe is one of the few agencies that accepts insurance and offers sliding scale rates and scholarships, flexible appointment hours and conveniently accessible sites at over 25 locations throughout Maryland and Virginia. In 2017, counselors provided over 10,000 hours of services to clients of all ages and backgrounds from the Mid-Atlantic region, reported Executive Director Kim Cook. To do this, the agency raises funds to offer subsidized scholarships and reduced fees to clients through generous donors and special events, such as the gala. CentrePointe also seeks to partner with churches of all denominations through its Church Partnership Plan, which offers vouchers, priority access to services, and other benefits for participating churches. This program is sustained through financial contributions from churches throughout Maryland and Virginia. In other CentrePointe news, Cook announced the retirement of Tom Rodgerson from consultant work with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/ Delaware churches. Rodgerson served as the clergy and congregational care coordinator for CentrePointe through a contract with the BCM/D. Rodgerson will still be available as a CentrePointe staff counselor accepting new clients on a limited basis. As always, BCM/D continues to subsidize and promote the Ministers Counseling Service to ministers and their immediate family members. CentrePointe will continue to oversee this program, and participants can see any counselor on CentrePointe’s staff. Arrangements can be made to use the program funds to see other local Christian counselors as well. To obtain approval to utilize these funds, ministers should contact Kim Cook at (800) 491-5369, ext. 102. CentrePointe will handle the billing, ensuring confidentiality of the participants. To learn more, call Cook at (800) 4915369 x102, or visit online at www.centrepointecounseling.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CentrePointeCounseling.
2-5 Boys’ Camp, Camp Wo-Me-To (x226) 4 Disaster Relief Training, Lexington Park Baptist Church (x226) 18 English as a Second Language, Part 1, FBC Laurel (x216) 20 Church Planter Family End-of-theYear Party, Cresthill Church (x222) 25 English as a Second Language, Part 2, FBC Laurel (x216) September 3 Labor Day, BMRC Closed 7 Church Planting Cohort, BMRC (x222) 9-16 Week of Prayer and Offering for BCM/D State Missions 11 Healthy Leaders for Healthy Churches (SitLead), TBD (x217) 12 Healthy Leaders for Healthy Churches (SERVE-1), TBD (x217) 13 Healthy Leaders for Healthy Churches (SERVE-2), TBD (x217) 14 Church Planting Cohort, Freedom Church (x222) 20 Kids’ Ministry Seminar, BMRC (x233) 21 Church Planting Cohort, FBC Easton (x222) 22 Breathless, Colonial Baptist (x263) 27 Pastor Date Night, FBC Laurel (x217) October Cooperative Program Month 16 Interim Pastors Best Practices, BMRC (x217) 18 AWAKEN 2018 Cohort (Project closure meeting), BMRC (x217) 25-27 Restore My Soul/Ministry Couples, Black Rock Retreat Center (x217) 26-27 Church Planter/Wives Retreat, Ocean City (x222) Please note: Dates and events are subject to change
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BaptistLIFE 10255 Old Columbia Road Columbia, MD 21046-1716