SBC Life - Summer 2023 (Vol. 31, No. 3)

Southern Baptist Distinctives AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

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Table of Contents 6

SBC Life is published by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

901 Commerce Street Nashville, Tennessee 37203 615-244-2355 E-mail: sbclife@SBC.net

SBC President—Bart Barber

F E AT U R E D A R T I C L E S

Willie McLaurin Interim President and CEO

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Despite Diversity, Southern Baptists Find Unity in the Authority of the Bible

Jonathan Howe Brandon Porter Executive Editors Andy Beachum Creative Director

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The Priesthood of the Believer is More Than Personal Access to God

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‘What Are These People Doing?’: The Baptist Distinctive of Church Membership

SBC Life is published three times per year: Fall, Spring, and Summer. It is distributed to pastors, ministers of education, ministers of music, full-time denominational workers, chaplains, missionaries, and vocational evangelists.

Workers retiring from any of these groups may continue to receive the magazine upon request. Subscriptions are free of charge. Bulk subscriptions are available at reduced prices.

For SBC Life subscriptions, call 866-722-5433 (toll-free).

Any article without attribution is by SBC Life staff.

S B C U P D AT E S

28 Abuse Reform Continues in States, Nationally

52 ERLC Trustees Elect Mullin as Chief of Staff

32 Changes in Key GuideStone Leadership Roles

54 After Christian School Mass Shooting, Woodmont Baptist Provides Sanctuary

38 Gateway Seminary to Fund Short-Term Mission Trips for All Students 44 California Baptist University Receives Historic $28.5M Gift 46 NOBTS’ Sold-Out Abide Conference Inspires Women to Live ‘Missionally’

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60 Spurgeon College Basketball Coach Billy Livezey Wins Coach of the Year Award

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SBC Life (ISSN 1081-8189) Volume 31, Number 3 © 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee

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FROM THE SBC PRESIDENT

Reflecting on a Year as SBC Presidnt

BY BART BARBER

I

will spend the rest of my life reflecting upon the privilege of having served Southern Baptists as president this year. I could easily write six thousand words about the godly people I have encountered and the divinely empowered ministries they are performing with the support of millions of Southern Baptists across the country.

Indeed, that’s the article I almost wrote.

Would you instead give me a few minutes of your time to demystify something for you and to give you the answer to a question that you might have—a question that I, too, had—that is important to the future of our Convention? I will even give you the answer right up front: You, too, could serve as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, no matter the size of your church or the condition of your bank account.

The president of the SBC is not required to speak anywhere except at SBC Executive Committee meetings, but I have accepted some invitations. I preached at all six seminaries and at number of association and state convention meetings.

In addition to the required appointments, I appointed the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF). So, even with some unforeseen matters added to your plate, you could serve well in this role.

How? Because the leadership of the SBC is an “us” thing, not a “me” thing. I have had so much help. My local church has helped me. True, the pastor of an average-sized or smaller Southern Baptist church could not serve in this role unless your local church takes it on as a ministry and supports you, but then I doubt that any mega-

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church pastor has ever succeeded in this role without local-church support, either.

The other SBC officers, the staff of the SBC Executive Committee, and the volunteers of the SBC have helped me. The Committee on Order of Business has given amazing leadership in putting together the plan for the Annual Meeting.

The staff of Baptist Press and the other members of the communications team at the SBC Executive Committee have shepherded me through a national TV interview and a dozen other media events. From the ARITF to the Credentials Committee, when Southern Baptists link arms and serve together with the Lord’s help, even the largest tasks become achievable.

Several former SBC presidents have also helped me, and several mega-church pastors in the SBC have helped me. If someone led you to believe that this is a small-church-versuslarge-church thing, let me say that I have not seen it. Rather, I have received from other Southern Baptists of all stripes just what I have needed: support, encouragement, advice when requested, and prayer when needed (which is all the time).

I am optimistic about the future of the Southern Baptist Convention. You should be, too. Future leaders of this Convention will include mega-church pastors and pastors of churches like mine. Committed lay leaders in the SBC will serve in various roles. The size or financial health of your church need not shut any doors. So, dare to dream a dream for the SBC, and dare to say yes when God calls you to serve.

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Despite Diversity, Southern Baptists Find Unity in the Authority of the Bible

BY TOBIN PERRY

I

f you looked closely at the Montgomery Baptist Association in Montgomery, Alabama, you would see a diverse group of churches.

Among the 75 churches that partner together for the sake of the Gospel in Montgomery are ones with long established histories, along with brandnew congregations. There are Spanish-speaking churches and English-speaking churches.

The Bible stands at the heart of that diverse cooperation.

“We’re diverse, but we have a huge respect for one another, and a high degree of honor and respect for the Bible. That’s what holds us together,” said Neal Hughes, the executive director of the Montgomery Baptist Association. “I think I could speak on behalf of our family of churches that we all begin with the authority of God. It was God who created the heavens and earth. It was

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Holy Scripture was taken to be God’s infallible revelation in words. What God said, Baptists believed. No creed held them together, though Baptists never hesitated to write and affirm their doctrinal confessions. No church covenant was mandatory for all Baptist churches; yet hardly a church has not adopted strongly worded covenants. Scripture has been the cornerstone, the common ground, the point of unity.”

Tom Nettles, author Baptists and the Bible

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Him who created us in His image. It was God who inspired the Bible.”

What’s true in Montgomery is true of Southern Baptists throughout the United States. As Southern Baptists have grown more diverse in recent decades, a commitment to the authority of Scripture and the Great Commission has unified the convention.

In The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Southern Baptists overwhelmingly affirmed a confession of faith that says: “Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.”

WHAT AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE MEANS TO SOUTHERN BAPTISTS

Baptist convictions about biblical authority drove its earliest churches. Many broke with established churches in Europe because they sided with the Bible over church traditions on topics like believer’s baptism.

Other than the Bible, it’s possible no book has had a bigger impact on Baptist understanding of the authority of scripture than Tom Nettles’ Baptists and the Bible, which provided a historical and theological defense for the high view of Scripture at the center of the Conservative Resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Historically, Baptists have built their theology from a solid foundation,” Nettles wrote in the book’s 1999 reprinting. “Holy Scripture was taken to be God’s infallible revelation in words. What God said, Baptists believed. No creed held them together, though Baptists never hesitated to write and affirm their doctrinal confessions. No church covenant was mandatory for all Baptist churches; yet hardly a church has not adopted strongly worded covenants. Scripture has been the cornerstone, the common ground, the point of unity.”

We’re diverse, but we have a huge respect for one another, and a high degree of honor and respect for the Bible.

That’s what holds us together. I think I could speak on behalf of our family of churches that we all begin with the authority of God. It was God who created the heavens and earth. It was Him who created us in His image. It was God who inspired the Bible.”

Neal Hughes, executive director Montgomery Baptist Association

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Ken Keathley, the senior professor of theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, notes that Baptist beliefs on biblical authority line up squarely with historic Protestant beliefs, namely that the Bible alone is sufficient in all matters of faith and practice.

“We affirm sola scriptura,” Keathley said.

“That is that the Bible alone is sufficient in all matters of faith and practice. So therefore, we affirm the authority of Scripture in relationship to the other claims of authority and other realms of authority, such as tradition, reason, experience and community or culture. All these areas of knowledge do inform us, so we don’t say it’s the Bible only. We say it’s the Bible ultimately.”

MAKING THE C ASE FOR BIBLIC AL AUTHORITY

In their introductory chapter to The Authority and Sufficiency and Scripture by Seminary Hill Press, David Dockery and Malcolm Yarnell say that a commitment to the Bible’s authority begins with God Himself.

“The key to God’s authority is His revelation,” Yarnell and Dockery write. “In this manner, revelation and authority are seen as two sides of the same reality. God thus declares His authority in His revelation, and He alone is the ultimate source of authority for all other lesser authorities.”

Keathley says that making the case for the authority of Scripture is different for believers than unbelievers. For believers, it’s based upon who Jesus is—and how He viewed the Bible.

“It was Jesus who endorsed the Old Testament and promised the New Testament would be delivered through the apostles,” Keathley said.

“As Christians, we are all obliged to follow Jesus in every aspect of life, as He is our Lord. Thus, His views on the Bible inform the appropriate stance we should adopt. Since Jesus confirms the Old Testament as the Word of God and promises the New Testament through the apostles, I choose to

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follow Jesus in recognizing both the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God.” For someone who doesn’t have a relationship with Christ, Keathley wants him or her to read the Bible. If the person refuses, he says, progress will be limited.

“While there are numerous books discussing the Bible’s origins and providing reasons to have confidence in it, ultimately, convincing someone of its authority requires the work of the Holy Spirit,” Keathley said. “After presenting the best historical arguments, it is the Holy Spirit who does the convincing.”

Alan Bandy, a professor of New Testament and Greek at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, believes the authority of the Bible means more than just affirming Scripture’s truth. It’s possible for Baptists to have the right beliefs about the Bible and not firmly sit under its authority.

“Submitting to Scripture is essential, even when there are parts we wish it didn’t say,” Bandy said. “In today’s culture, it might be easier to follow the status quo or rely on personal opinions. However, since Scripture governs our conscience and convictions, we must acknowledge its authority. As we wrestle with theological issues, there may be times when we prefer to believe something else, but we must ultimately affirm what Scripture says. Adopting an attitude of submission, we are obliged to conform our lives, beliefs and practices to its teachings.”

TOBIN PERRY is a writer and member of Center of Hope Church in Evansville, Indiana.

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The Priesthood of the Believer is More Than Personal Access to God

BY SCOTT BARKLEY AND BRANDON PORTER

T

he priesthood of the believer is such an important doctrine for Southern Baptists that it is mentioned in the preamble of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000. “We honor the principles of soul competency and the priesthood of believers, affirming together both our liberty in Christ and our accountability to each other under the Word of God,” the preamble says.

Based on passages such as Isaiah 61:6, 1 Peter 2:9, and Revelation 5:10, this biblical concept teaches how God utilizes the redeemed to serve as priests in His church and for His kingdom.

To be clear, though, a member of the BF&M 2000 team says the doctrine isn’t aimed at leading Southern Baptists toward the creation of a papacy. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the

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No Baptist conducts any kind of sacrifice of mass or sacrament claiming that (it) is a priestly function in which this human being is representing us before God. That is a heresy. We believe in no such priesthood. And yet in the spirit of the Reformation, we claim . . . that we are priests to each other. (We are) not priests delivering atonement, but priests ministering to each other in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our great High Priest.”

R. Albert Mohler Jr., president The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary A Hispanic ministry team from Houston, prays in an open market in the remote village of Noa on the island of Flores in Indonesia.

Image Courtesy of IMB

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priesthood of the believer is a directive for believers on how they serve Christ and His church.

A 2000 Baptist Press article titled “Mohler: Question should be over faith in Baptist message, not simply BF&M” quotes Mohler as saying, “No Baptist conducts any kind of sacrifice of mass or sacrament claiming that (it) is a priestly function in which this human being is representing us before God. That is a heresy. We believe in no such priesthood. And yet in the spirit of the Reformation, we claim . . . that we are priests to each other. (We are) not priests delivering atonement, but priests ministering to each other in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our great High Priest.”

The Spring 2019 Southern Baptist Journal of Theology echoes similar tones from generations past. In it, Jonathan Leeman says 17th century Baptist pastor John Smyth “ . . . argued that the priestly work of the saints consists in offering spiritual sacrifices through prayer, praise, and obedience. Their kingly work involved them in admonition, examination, excommunication, and absolution.”

A report adopted by SBC messengers at that 1994 SBC Annual Meeting sought to clarify the doctrine. It defined “the priesthood of all believers” as the principle that “every Christian has direct access to God through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, the sole mediator between God and human beings.” The report goes on to say, “However, the priesthood of all believers is exercised within a committed community of fellow believers-priests who share a like precious faith. The priesthood of all believers should not be reduced to modern individualism nor used as a cover for theological relativism. It is a spiritual standing which leads to ministry, service, and a coherent witness in the world for which Christ died.”

The issue of soul competency, introduced by E.Y. Mullins in 1908 in his book The Axioms of Religion: A New Interpretation of the Baptist Faith, has caused debate over the definition of the priesthood of the believer.

Leeman, in the 2019 journal article, said Mullins’ doctrine of soul competency “treated direct access to God as the right of all souls apart from the interference of any church, pastor, or creed.”

Influential Southern Baptist theologian and former SBC president (1961–1963) Herschel Hobbs “pushed the message of soul competency well into the middle of the twentieth century,” Leeman wrote, “helping to ensure it appeared in The Baptist Faith & Message 1963.”

Baptist historian Malcolm Yarnell says debate surrounding the doctrines was no small squabble.

“It was a major discussion for Southern Baptists in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s,” Yarnell said.

“On one hand, there was a strong sense of individualism, on the other, a sense to preserve pastoral authority. That diametrical opposition is what dominated people’s minds and drove me to my research.”

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary theology professor Adam Harwood said in an interview that soul competency refers to “an individual’s ability to relate to God directly, without a human priest.”

“The significance for Southern Baptists is that we believe Jesus is the only proper and authorized mediator and priest between humans and God,” Harwood said. “We don’t access God through other humans, and we don’t need anyone to interpret the Scripture for us.”

Debate swirled again at the 1998 SBC Annual Meeting in San Antonio, leading the SBC Committee on Resolutions, chaired by Nashville pastor Jerry Sutton, to present a resolution it believed could balance the longstanding Baptist views of the role of a pastor and the priesthood of the believer.

“We felt like the priesthood of the believer— that doctrine—was being used to undermine the God-given leadership capacity of the pastor of the church. . . . And I do not believe Jesus would contradict Hebrews 13:17,” Sutton said of the resolution.

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Church authority is not finally about budgets or buildings or staffing or Sunday School curriculum. It’s about confessions and confessors, because this is how we mark off the temple, consecrate a people to the Lord, and maintain the line between clean and unclean, holy and unholy. And whoever possesses the authority to answer those questions possesses the most crucial authority in a church, because this is what makes a church a church.”

Jonathan Leeman, editorial director 9Marks

While the resolution was passed by messengers, Randall Lolley, then-president of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), was so angered by it that he led a group of messengers to the Alamo where they ripped up copies of the resolution.

In the book Perspectives on Church Government, current SEBTS president Danny Akin writes, “The priesthood of all believers . . . means that in the community of saints, God has constructed his body such that we are all priests to one another. Priesthood of all believers has more to do with the believer’s service than with an individual’s position or status. We are all believer-priests. We all stand equally before God. Such standing does not negate specific giftedness or calling. It rather enhances our giftedness as each one of us individually and collectively does his part to build the body (Eph. 4:11-16). We are all priests. We are all responsible.”

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Leeman sees the priesthood of the believer essentially connected to the Baptist conviction that the church be congregational.

“Church authority is not finally about budgets or buildings or staffing or Sunday School curriculum,” Leeman writes. “It’s about confessions and confessors, because this is how we mark off the temple, consecrate a people to the Lord, and maintain the line between clean and unclean, holy and unholy.

“And whoever possesses the authority to answer those questions possesses the most crucial authority in a church, because this is what makes a church a church.”

SCOTT BARKLEY is national correspondent for Baptist Press.

BRANDON PORTER is associate vice president for Convention news with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

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‘What Are These People Doing?’: The Baptist Distinctive of Church Membership

BY DAVID ROACH

J

oining a Baptist church could be an extraordinary step of faith in the early years of the Baptist movement. It was for a certain Capt.

Langdon of the British army around the year 1650.

Despite Langdon’s severe case of tuberculosis, he became convicted he needed to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism, joining the local Baptist church in his region of Cornwall. He also believed God might heal his disease following the baptism to show His approval of Baptist ecclesiology—a despised way to conceive of the church at that time.

The local Baptist pastor, Abraham Cheare, had his doubts. Baptism likely would kill Langdon, Cheare thought. Plus, trying it seemed like tempting God. But on the appointed frigid January day, the ailing Langdon was carried to the water on horseback, propped up by a man riding behind him. Because Cheare “had not faith,” according to his account, another man in the church baptized Langdon before hundreds of curious onlookers.

Upon coming out of the water, Langdon stood on his own strength and ran up a 50-foot hill. He ate a beef dinner, slept all night, and his health continued to improve in the coming weeks.

“Hitherto God hath helped us,” the once-skeptical Cheare concluded.

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A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.”

The Baptist Faith and Message Article VI

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Nothing like that occurred in England’s state churches. Even when it wasn’t accompanied by healing, joining a Baptist church was an amazing spectacle. So was the Baptist notion that a church is a body of baptized believers voluntarily covenanting to serve God together. In the prevailing Anglican culture, everyone baptized as an infant was considered a Christian and a member of the local parish church.

The world wondered, “What are these people doing? Why are they doing it?” said Michael Haykin, professor of church history at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Baptists did it because “this is the New Testament model. This is the apostolic model, and they were following Jesus in the waters of baptism.” Joining a Baptist church involved “a public witness” and “took a certain amount of courage.”

That wasn’t only true in 17th-century England.

For most of the past 400 years, Baptist doctrine of the church has represented a departure from the majority view.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 explains the church like this: “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth” (Article VI).

That’s how Baptists have defined a church since their origin in the early 1600s. Baptists’ First London Confession stated in 1646 that a church is “a company of visible saints, called and separated from the world by the word and Spirit of God, to the visible profession of faith of the gospel, being baptized into that faith, and joined to the Lord, and each other, by mutual agreement.”

By the 1800s, the Baptist vision of the church still was considered remarkable. Some Baptist churches had hundreds more attendees than

The world wondered, ‘What are these people doing? Why are they doing it?’

This is the New Testament model.

This is the apostolic model, and they were following Jesus in the waters of baptism.”

Michael Haykin, professor of church history Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky

members because many people liked Baptist preaching but couldn’t bring themselves to embrace the demands of covenanting with a local body of baptized believers. Baptist missions pioneer Andrew Fuller preached to 1,000 people in Kettering, England, each Sunday before his death in 1815, but the church he pastored had only 150 members.

Baptists’ doctrine of the church remains remarkable in parts of the world dominated by other religions and other Christian denominations.

Jacob Boss, the International Mission Board’s affinity leader for European peoples, said an autonomous local church of baptized believers seems foreign in nations of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and Lutherans.

Other denominations “have very strong centralized authority within their church polity,” Boss said. “What we’re trying to do as the International Mission Board would be a distinctive.” Sometimes it results in ridicule for Baptist believers.

Image Courtesy of Rolling Hills Community Church

Image Courtesy of Hope Church Las Vegas | Instagram

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The church is the sustainable piece of the Kingdom in any location.

[If] we just go in with evangelism and we never follow up with discipleship or church formation, evangelism is going to end up dying out very quickly.”

Jacob Boss, affinity leader for European peoples International Mission Board In war-torn Ukraine, reestablishing Baptist churches is among the IMB’s priorities. Many churches have been disbanded (at least temporarily) by the military conflict with Russia, yet Baptistic churches are essential to undergird missions and evangelism, IMB workers have found.

“The church is the place where disciples grow in health and maturity,” Boss said. “The church should be the place where all believers are being equipped to go out and share the Gospel.” Without a healthy church, “your evangelism is definitely going to suffer.”

In the Muslim world, Baptists sometimes risk their lives to live out their vision of the church.

Fifteen years ago, Haykin received word from the Kurds of northern Iraq—his father’s people group—that a local woman had become a Christian. When she decided to be baptized, her brother threatened to kill her with a machine gun.

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“She took the machine gun and pulled it right up to her face,” Haykin said. “She said, ‘You might as well pull the trigger now because I’m going through with baptism.’”

Does the contrast between Baptist ecclesiology and other groups’ view of the church persist in modern America? Maybe. Lifeway Research’s 2022 State of Theology Study found that Baptists in the United States feel greater obligation than other Christians to join a local church. Half of Baptists (50 percent) agree that every Christian has an obligation to join a local church. Just 42 percent of other Christians agree.

More Baptists (36 percent) than Christians from other groups (28 percent) disagree that “worshiping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.”

Still, Baptists in the modern West don’t stand out at much as they used to. Haykin believes there are at least two reasons why: (1) Other denominations have started behaving in a more “baptistic” manner, granting local congregations a measure of autonomy. (2) More significantly, Baptists have stopped stressing the extraordinary nature of believer’s baptism and covenanting with a local church.

Reemphasizing those realities, Boss said, is essential for Baptist churches across the world to make an impact.

“The church is the sustainable piece of the Kingdom in any location,” Boss said. If “we just go in with evangelism and we never follow up with discipleship or church formation, evangelism is going to end up dying out very quickly.”

DAVID ROACH is a writer and senior pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama.

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Marshall Blalock, Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force chairman, presents an update to the SBC Executive Committee on February 20, 2023, in Nashville.

Image by Brandon Porter | Baptist Press

Abuse Reform Continues in States, Nationally

BY SCOTT BARKLEY & BP STAFF

A

buse Reform and Implementation Task Force chair Marshall Blalock announced Tuesday (April 4) the task force will no longer recommend Guidepost Solutions to establish and maintain a database for those credibly accused of sexual abuse. Messengers approved the creation of a “ministry check” website at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California.

The move comes after continued concerns were expressed by Southern Baptists to the ARITF in connection to a Guidepost tweet last June during gay pride month in which the group stated it was “proud to be an ally” to the LGBTQ+ community.

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The ARITF had recommended in February that Faith-Based Solutions, a new division of Guidepost run by Southern Baptist Samantha Kilpatrick, be secured for the role, but in an update posted to the group’s website, they will “consider alternative pathways (dividing the work among smaller firms which share [Southern Baptists’] values) to establish and maintain the Ministry Check website. The ARITF is presently sourcing and evaluating additional firms to assist with the Ministry Check process who meet our qualifications for the highest professional standards.”

That Ministry Check process of evaluating allegations of sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches

is expected to include two parts—an independent assessment and an independent verification. This two-part approach “will offer a multi-tiered system of checks and balances to justly evaluate evidence.”

According to the update, “if there has been no criminal conviction, civil judgment or confession, then the initial assessment of the credibility of an allegation will be performed by an independent, qualified firm. Each local church has full autonomy in selecting an independent, qualified firm.”

Then “a review panel comprised of qualified experts will review the records of conviction, civil judgment, confession, or the independent assessment performed by the firm voluntarily retained by a local church to verify that the standard has been met.”

Finally, Tuesday’s update also called Southern Baptists to stand firm in their support of the Convention’s Sexual Abuse Hotline saying that due to “the sensitive and confidential nature of these submissions, and the significant privacy issues involved, it is paramount that the current process for receiving disclosures and securely maintaining these records remain in place.”

Calling the hotline “not merely a stopgap measure but rather a means of building trust with survivors” as more permanent solutions for abuse reform are created, the task force said that “by transitioning the hotline to another provider at this critical time, the SBC would forfeit the trust of survivors and hinder our efforts to make our churches the safest place to encounter the Gospel.”

SBC Executive Committee interim president Willie McLaurin affirmed the recommendations of the ARITF saying “continued sexual abuse reform is imperative for our Convention—and so is appropriate care for survivors. The progress Pastor Blalock and the task force have made are encouraging steps toward safer Southern Baptist churches that care well for those who have been abused. We continue to work toward establishing more permanent solutions, providers, and processes to resource our churches in sexual abuse prevention and survivor care.”

The ARITF is expected to give a more formal report and update at the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting in New Orleans June 13–14.

ARITF, STATE LEADERS DISCUSS REFOR MS, PATH FORWARD

State convention representatives from around the country met with members of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) March 28 to share the status of their state conventions’ responses to sexual abuse prevention reforms and learn from others.

The meeting was held at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

A majority of Southern Baptist state conventions were already active as of late last year in taking measures to prevent sexual abuse and care for survivors. Currently, each one “has some kind of task force or team to work on these issues,” ARITF chair Marshall Blalock told Baptist Press, with 24 of them attending March 28.

Participants shared how they established their groups, the successes and the challenges.

Differences included the time frame, with some only having been formed recently, to the number of members serving on each task force.

“I was extremely pleased with the meeting,” said ARITF co-chair Mike Keahbone. “It was a refreshing reminder that a vast majority of our churches are passionately unified in hating sexual abuse and doing their best to prevent it. I also felt very encouraged by the support of those in attendance.”

Keahbone pointed to a spirit of unity he observed in promoting sexual abuse prevention and survivor care while being “intentional in fostering collaboration.”

A lunchtime panel hosted by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) discussed sexual abuse and legislative issues. ERLC vice president and chief of staff Miles Mullin led the panel and was joined by ARITF member Brad Eubank (also the chairman of Mississippi’s task force) and Tony Beam, director of church and community engagement for North Greenville University.

Smaller churches aren’t going to respond as well unless it’s a local presentation. I’ve got 55 bivocational pastors in my association. They’re probably not going to go to the ARITF’s website for information or maybe even the state convention. But they’ll listen to someone they know. . . .

I can take what Oklahoma or North Carolina did and make it Alabama-friendly. We’re not having to start from scratch.

That kind of camaraderie shows that we are working together.”

Craig Carlisle, director of missions Etowah Baptist Association

Craig Carlisle has been active over the last year in his roles as director of missions for Etowah Baptist Association (EBA) and chair for the Sexual Abuse Advisory Task Force in Alabama.

He has spoken to fellow association leaders at a statewide gathering, and the EBA hosted a symposium on sexual abuse prevention. Before completing his drive home to Gadsden, Ala., Tuesday night, Carlisle first stopped in Cleburne County to talk about the subject in a scheduled meeting with local pastors.

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He told BP that Tuesday made him realize that there was much more to do.

“It was encouraging to see the activity of the other conventions,” he said. “Alabama was ahead of the game initially. But I was blown away by how much others are doing and realized we have some catching up to do.”

Those changes include providing more printed resources. There will also be a booth at the state convention’s annual meeting this fall.

Carlisle said he was reminded communicating on the local level is crucial.

“Smaller churches aren’t going to respond as well unless it’s a local presentation,” he said.

“I’ve got 55 bivocational pastors in my association. They’re probably not going to go to the ARITF’s website for information or maybe even the state convention. But they’ll listen to someone they know.”

Keahbone said the meeting matched what he and other ARITF members have experienced in similar discussions with their own local associational leaders and pastors.

“They’re taking this seriously and doing a good job in equipping their churches,” Keahbone said. “Their attendance and implementation of their ideas and plans spoke volumes.”

Carlisle said meetings like the one in Atlanta can help task forces everywhere—regardless of their starting point or stature—do more to protect the vulnerable.

“The materials shared are transferable,” he said. “I can take what Oklahoma or North Carolina did and make it Alabama-friendly. We’re not having to start from scratch. That kind of camaraderie shows that we are working together.”

Versions of this article were published in Baptist Press on March 29 and April 4, 2023.

SCOTT BARKLEY is national correspondent for Baptist Press.

STUDY BILLY GRAHAM’S PERSONAL NOTES FROM HISTORIC CRUSADES

At the Billy Graham Archive and Research Center, researchers and students can browse through the evangelist’s personal notebooks as they study his Biblical message and ministry. Come be inspired and equipped for the work of the Gospel.

Learn more about study, research, and training opportunities at BillyGrahamArchiveCenter.com or by calling 704-401-3200.

Billy Graham’s sermon notes from the historic 1957 New York Crusade.

A M I N I S T R Y O F B I L LY G R A H A M E VA N G E L I S T I C A S S O C I AT I O N

©2022 BGEA

“Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” —2 Timothy 2:2, NLT

S B C U P D AT E

Changes in Key GuideStone Leadership Roles

BY ROY HAYHURST

C

hu Soh, who joined GuideStone in June 2020 as chief insurance officer, was unanimously elected chief operating officers

by GuideStone trustees during their regular meeting February 27-28, 2023.

Prior to coming to GuideStone, Soh served as chief operating officer of Christian Care Ministry, growing it from 23,000 households in 2013 to more than 150,000 in his final year. He is also a retired US Air Force officer.

“I could not be more excited about Chu Soh joining us as chief operating officer,” GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck said. “I thank God for equipping Chu for this role. He is passionate about our ministry assignment and he is passionate about our mission.”

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I could not be more excited about Chu Soh joining us as chief operating officer. I thank God for equipping Chu for this role. He is passionate about our ministry assignment and he is passionate about our mission.”

Hance Dilbeck president and CEO GuideStone Financial Resources

Mission:Dignity® serves retirement-aged ministers, workers and widows as they face advancing age, illness, infirmity, death of a spouse and even natural disasters.

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Pastor’s Widow. More than 40 Years of Ministry

Before my husband died, he took my hand and he just said, ‘Babe, I’ve done the best I can to provide for you, but I know it’s not enough. And when you have a need, remember the videos we showed in church of the widows.’ And I knew that my husband was talking about Mission:Dignity. He said, ‘Get in touch with them and they can help.’”

To refer someone in need visit, GuideStone.org/Assistance.

To give or for more information, visit MissionDignity.org.

To order Mission:Dignity Sunday materials, visit MDSunday.org.

I am excited to join with Hance in leading GuideStone into its next era of service. Our members and ministry partners can rest assured of our commitment to them, to the Lord and to this ministry we have received through Southern Baptists from Him.” Chu Soh chief operating officer GuideStone Financial Resources

Soh succeeds John R. Jones, who has served as chief operating officer for 25 years. Jones will become special assistant to the executive office and will retire fully at the end of 2023, having served 35 years at GuideStone.

“I hand this torch to Hance and Chu, totally confident in the future of GuideStone, and excited with what God will do through you” Jones told Soh during the trustee meeting. “I’m going to be cheering from the sidelines and relishing and observing what God will do in the future.”

Trustees affirmed Soh in his new role by laying hands on him and voiced prayers for wisdom and discernment in his new role.

Soh earned his Bachelor of Science in biology from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science in sports medicine from the University of Florida College of Medicine and a doctorate in physical therapy from Baylor College of Medicine. He retired after 21 years in the Air Force; in his last role, he served as deputy group commander—equivalent to a civilian vice president—where he led 115 professionals in 10 departments at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.

In addition to serving at Patrick AFB, Soh served in Germany, Japan and South Korea.

Soh came to Christ as a fifth-grade student.

After moving to Kansas from South Korea as a 4-year-old boy, he began attending a Southern Baptist church each Sunday and on Wednesday evenings through its bus ministry, as his parents,

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Buddhists, thought it would be a good way for their children to learn English. A fifth-grade Sunday school teacher provided him with his first Bible and prayed over him and encouraged him to give his life to Christ. Ultimately, Soh’s parents came to know the Lord as their Savior as well.

Soh and his wife Karyn have four children, ranging in age from 24 to 8.

“I am excited to join with Hance in leading GuideStone into its next era of service,” Soh said.

“Our members and ministry partners can rest assured of our commitment to them, to the Lord and to this ministry we have received through Southern Baptists from Him.”

GUIDESTONE TAPS NADEENA KERSEY AS NEW CHIEF INSUR ANCE OFFICER

GuideStone trustees unanimously elected Nadeena Kersey as chief insurance officer during their regular meeting February 27–28, 2023.

Nadeena is a proven leader and has already begun positively impacting GuideStone’s insurance team. She has a heart for our members and ministry partners, and we are thankful for the Lord’s direction in leading us to her.”

Hance Dilbeck

Kersey succeeds Chu Soh, who was promoted to chief operating officer.

In her role, she will provide executive leadership and oversight to the insurance line of business, including product development, sales and marketing, services and operations of life and health plans, property and casualty coverage and ancillary products. She joined GuideStone in 2022.

“Nadeena is a proven leader and has already begun positively impacting GuideStone’s insurance team,” GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck said. “She has a heart for our members and ministry partners, and we are thankful for the Lord’s direction in leading us to her.”

Kersey came to GuideStone in July from her position as the chief financial officer at Point University in West Point, Georgia. There, she led the effort in a university-wide health care benefits change, navigated fluid federal and state regulations during the pandemic and reinstituted the school’s commitment to career development for its student body. Before joining Point University, Nadeena worked at Christian Care Ministry for

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15 years. During that time, she served as the vice president in various roles, including medical bill processing, business intelligence and business operations. Kersey devoted herself to improved processes, employee development, streamlined customer experience and ministry revenue growth. In each of those areas, her leadership and passion showed sustained numeric results, including, but not limited to, a 70 percent-plus improvement in service levels, a 110 percent increase in revenue,and the highest turnaround in “trusted leadership” by employees.

She holds an MBA from Campbell University and a bachelor’s in applied mathematics from Georgia Tech. Kersey attended high school in the Dallas area.

Kersey has three sons: One is a senior at Auburn University, another is in medical school, and the third is a second lieutenant in the United States Army. She has served the Lord as a consistently active member of her church with 20-plus years in youth and children’s ministry and more than 10 years teaching adult small groups.

“I’m looking forward to serving our members and ministry partners as we offer the insurance solutions they need in today’s world,” Kersey said. “Joining GuideStone is a dream, and I’m excited for the stewardship the Lord has entrusted to me.”

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on March 3, 2023.

ROY HAYHURST is director of denominational and public relations for GuideStone Financial Resources.

WHERE

passion

MEETS

purpose

Since 1841, Samford University has remained steadfast in its mission of preparing students in a Christian environment through the development of intellect, creativity, faith and personhood. Across its 10 academic schools, students are equipped with this powerful preparation to pursue the calling God has on their lives. samford.edu/go/discover

S B C U P D AT E

Gateway Seminary to Fund ShortTerm Mission Trips for All Students

BY TYLER SANDERS

G

ateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg announced a major gift received by the school to fund short-term mission trips for students. The GoGrant will cover travel, housing, food and tuition costs for one shortterm mission trip for master’s and diploma students at Gateway Seminary.

“When I first became Gateway’s president almost 20 years ago, one of my dreams was for every student to have an international missions experience while they were enrolled at Gateway,” Iorg said.

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“God has provided a way to give future missionaries, pastors, youth ministers, and worship leaders an invaluable experience on the mission field as a part of their education.”

Iorg made the announcement during Gateway’s annual mission conference which, this year, was offered in partnership with the International Mission Board. IMB President Paul Chitwood was present for the event. He shared results from a research project the IMB conducted with Barna Group on the impact of short-term mission trips. The two factors that most influenced

When I first became Gateway’s president almost 20 years ago, one of my dreams was for every student to have an international missions experience while they were enrolled at Gateway.

God has provided a way to give future missionaries, pastors, youth ministers, and worship leaders an invaluable experience on the mission field as a part of their education.”

Jeff Iorg, president Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention

an individual’s commitment to the Great Commission were participation in a mission trip and a personal relationship with a missionary. Chitwood said the research indicated these factors lead to a 400 percent increase in the likelihood a person will commit to career missions. Additionally, these factors lead to fourfold increases in lifetime giving to missions and commitment to prayer for the nations.

“If you are a student at Gateway, do not pass this up—this will potentially forever change your life,” Chitwood said.

“It certainly will deepen your heart for the nations and continue to fashion your heart after God’s.”

Qualified students can begin to receive the grant in the 2023–24 academic year. For

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decades, the seminary has sent students on short-term mission trips, most recently through the Beyond Teams program. Beyond Team trips are hybrid classes that allow students to earn course credits.

Short-term mission trips to Southeast Asia and Honduras are planned for the spring and summer Beyond Team trips in 2023–2024. Iorg predicted the seminary could offer up to 10 trips a year as the program grows. Potential destinations include countries in the Asian Pacific Rim region, South Asia, Central America, South America, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The initial $2 million donation represents the largest single monetary gift and the second largest general gift the school has ever received.

“A few months ago, a generous couple approached us about setting up an endowment fund to expand our missions training by providing students hands-on international experience,” Iorg said.

“We have continued to experience God’s provision at Gateway Seminary. We are thankful for faithful partners who invest alongside us in God’s kingdom.”

As an endowment, the fund will continue to financially support short-term mission trips for generations of Gateway students.

Iorg said there are three primary goals for the GoGrant program.

“First, we believe every student, regardless of their ministry context, will benefit from participating in God’s global work. Their preaching, teaching, leadership, counseling—every part of their ministry can be deepened by serving in the mission field,” he said.

“Second, we want more students to sense and answer God’s call to reach the nations by committing to career missions. Being on the field alongside missionaries will give students an opportunity to explore their calling.”

“The third goal is to prepare students called to stateside service to be passionate advocates for missions,” he said.

C la im M y FREE R es ou rc es an d Im pa ct P la n cef on lin e.c om /SB S

Gateway Seminary president Jeff Iorg speaks during convocation in January 2023.

Image Courtesy of Gateway Seminary

We believe every student, regardless of their ministry context, will benefit from participating in God’s global work. Their preaching, teaching, leadership, counseling—every part of their ministry can be deepened by serving in the mission field.”

Jeff Iorg

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To qualify for the grant, a student must have completed at least 20 credit hours in a master’s or diploma program.

“Hundreds of students will be placed on frontlines of missionary service through the GoGrant funds,” Iorg said.

“They will be sharing the Gospel, helping grow churches, developing local leaders—ultimately they will be obeying the Great Commission.”

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on February 27, 2023.

TYLER SANDERS is director of communications for Gateway Seminary.

S B C U P D AT E

The Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center at California Baptist University.

Image Courtesy of California Baptist University

California Baptist University Receives Historic $28.5M Gift

BY CBU STAFF

N

California Baptist University will receive the largest gift in its 73-year history—$28.5 million—from real estate developer Dale E. Fowler and his wife, Sarah Ann. CBU will name its 5,050-seat campus events center in their honor.

“We are extremely thankful to Dale and Ann for their generosity and support,” said CBU President Ronald L. Ellis. “This gift will be instrumental in our ability to continue delivering upon our mission to help students live God’s purpose in their lives. The Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center will be a reminder of how their generosity will impact CBU for generations to come.”

The Fowlers were originally introduced to CBU by their friends Billie Yeager and her late husband, Gene, who were early and significant

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supporters of CBU. Dale and Ann also have two grandchildren who graduated from CBU. Dale Fowler is an Orange County native and businessman. The couple divide their time between residences in Massachusetts and Southern California.

“Supporting education is a priority for us,” Dale Fowler said. “It’s an honor to contribute to a university that makes a lasting impact on the lives of its students and in the areas they go on to work, serve and live. CBU is a remarkable Christian institution and we are proud to support the important things happening on campus.”

The Fowlers have donated to CBU and other colleges in Southern California and in Massachusetts. Their previous gifts to CBU supported endowed and general scholarships and the Endurance Fund, created to help the university through the pandemic. The couple’s latest gift is not designated to a particular project, university officials said.

“Working with Dale and Ann over the years has been a blessing and I am thrilled their legacy will be on full display at the events center,” said Paul J. Eldridge, J.D., vice president for University Advancement. “Friends like the Fowlers who invest in future generations unlock tremendous opportunities to enhance the student experience and impact student lives. It is exciting to think of the many ways Dale and Ann’s gift will help future students reach their educational goals.”

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on February 27, 2023.

EVENTS THAT INVITE YOUR CHURCH TO SEEK AND RESPOND TO GOD. Each Life Action conference is designed to be a catalytic event in your church that allows people to encounter God and His Word in a fresh, concentrated way.

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S B C U P D AT E

The 2023 Abide Women’s Conference drew 1,200 women from 15 states and 250 churches to worship, study, and learn how to live as “Women Living Missionally.”

Image Courtesy of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

NOBTS’ Sold-Out Abide Conference Inspires Women to Live ‘Missionally’

BY MARILYN STEWART

T

he voices of 1,200 women from 15 states and 250 churches—a sold-out crowd— filled the chapel at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as they gathered to praise, learn and fellowship at the Abide Women’s Conference, February 3–4.

Kelly Minter, Lifeway author, Bible teacher, and podcaster, headlined the third annual event that came days before the launch of her latest book, the 90-day devotional “The Blessed Life.”

“It has been our prayer that God would ignite a passion in the hearts of all that came for His glory,” said Tara Dew, wife of NOBTS President Jamie

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Dew and one of three plenary speakers. “Whether in our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, or among the nations, God wants to use His children as missionaries so that all may know Him.” “Women Living Missionally” was the conference theme. Co-sponsoring aspects of the event with NOBTS and Leavell College were the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. The partnering entities provided exhibits, door prizes, swag items, and other gifts.

Other partners and exhibitors included: Lifeway; WorldCrafts, the compassion ministry of the National WMU; the Woman’s Missionary Union

Every journey begins with one small step.

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Four quarterly issues • $16.99 per year Missions Journey: Kids Leader Missions Journey: Kids Leader is your guide to leading children in missions discipleship with three monthlong units, each focused on the work of missions personnel in North America and throughout the world. Weekly lessons focus on different aspects of missions discipleship, including Scripture memorization. Purchase one for each leader.

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Missions Journey: Kids Leader Kit Missions Journey: Kids Leader Kit contains full-color posters, games, and activities that coordinate with the lesson plans in Missions Journey: Kids Leader. In addition to the maps, photos, and Scripture posters, leaders will appreciate having a variety of readymade, reusable fun games and activities to engage their children’s imaginations as they learn about missions around the world. Purchase one for each class.

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(WMU) of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions; the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board WMU; and the Women’s Missions and Ministry team of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.

Among the 10 breakout session leaders were Sarah Farley-Beall, IMB’s Southeast/Gulf Coast regional mobilizer and next gen strategist on the Student Team, and Kay Bennett, Send Relief missionary and executive director of the Baptist Friendship House (BFH), in New Orleans.

“We are grateful for the partnerships of other entities and state conventions in this great event,” Jamie Dew said. “It is exciting to be a part of a conference that is encouraging and equipping women to be all God has called them to be.”

Worship was led by NOBTS assistant professor of music and worship Nate Jernigan with guest vocalist Jaleesa McCreary, worship leader and worship team manager at The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas.

JESUS’ TOUCH CHANGES EVERYTHING

Kelly Minter pointed to the literary device “inclusio” found in Matthew 4:34 and 9:35 that “bookends” the Sermon on the Mount and 10 accounts of healings and miracles. The inclusio shows that Jesus lived out what He preached, Minter explained. “[Matthew] is showing us on both sides— in-between those verses—what Jesus just told us,” Minter said. “Matthew showed us what Jesus taught, he showed us what Jesus did, he showed us how Jesus preached the Good News.”

In Matthew 8 and 9, Jesus restored the “unclean” and marginalized in society, a reminder for what it means to live “missionally,” Minter said.

“Jesus’ touch makes clean the unclean,” Minter said.

In her Saturday morning plenary address, Minter drew from Matthew 6 to remind listeners that in order to reach “the last, the least, and the lost,” believers must treasure God’s kingdom over earthly possessions.

Minter urged listeners to remember that God will provide for their needs.

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Minter told of her work with Justice and Mercy International in the Amazon jungles of Brazil and showed a video clip of a Brazilian family who recounted having no food in the house one Sunday morning. Rather than going out to find food, the husband insisted they go on to church, though hungry.

In the video, the husband grinned as he related that as they boated over the swollen, flooded river a three-pound fish jumped out of the water and into their boat. The fish was big enough to feed his family not only that Sunday, but for the whole week.

“To seek God’s kingdom is to know God’s provision,” Minter said. “It is to experience the provisions of God. URGENT

Stephanie Lyon, NOBTS Women’s Life coordinator and a plenary speaker, challenged listeners to remember they are ambassadors for Christ in world of need.

“Why the theme ‘Women Living Missionally?’” Lyon posed to the crowd. “Because there is an urgency. There is epic lostness all around us, hopelessness all around us . . . But He is alive. He has risen from the dead.”

Lyon, wife of Larry Lyon, associate professor of ethics and vice president of business administration, reminded listeners that their lives were a testimony to the “power of His resurrection” and encouraged them to use every opportunity to reach out to others with the Gospel.

“Many women are hungry to be used by God ‘as they go’ (Matthew 28:18-20) in their daily spheres of influence,” Lyon said reflecting back on the conference. “We are praying that our lights (Matthew 5) will shine more brightly in the spheres of influence of the 1,200 women . . . and for God’s kingdom to be eternally impacted by our time in worship and fellowship together.”

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‘WHAT IF?’

What if this is more than just a two-day conference?

What if this is more than just a theme of ‘Women Living Missionally? What if God wants to transform our homes, our families, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces, and the nations through you? What if this weekend conference is the beginning of a missional movement?”

Tara Dew, speaker ABIDE Conference

WHAT IT TAKES TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Kay Bennett, in a breakout session, shared stories of BFH’s work among the city’s unhoused population, people in poverty and trafficked individuals.

One man who had lost his family in a house fire and was angry at God slowly came to faith as BFH workers loved him and walked beside him as God worked in his heart.

Bennett also told of a nightclub dancer who came to BFH for help and found new life. The woman asked to cut up her dancing clothes in front of her new friends, a moving moment Bennett described as depicting that “old things are passed away” and a new life had begun.

Bennett encouraged listeners to remember they can “meet a need, build a relationship, and change a life for Christ.” She added, “It takes all of us, with all our gifts, to change the world.”

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Abide is “rich” in worship experiences, Bible study, fellowship and fun, Dew said.

“This conference truly meets a need for women,” Dew said. “The women who come each year are hungry to know God and to be like Him. We count it such an honor to serve them, to encourage and equip them, and then to send them back out into their churches and communities.”

In the closing plenary Saturday afternoon, Dew challenged the women to consider a question.

“What if this is more than just a two-day conference? What if this is more than just a theme of ‘Women Living Missionally?’” Dew said. “What if God wants to transform our homes, our families, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces, and the nations through you? What if this weekend conference is the beginning of a missional movement?”

Dew urged listeners to leave the conference devoted to the task God called each to do.

“God wants to use you, His power is greater than your own, your King is coming back,” Dew said in her closing charge to listeners drawn from Acts 1:4–11. “Let’s get to work.” “Women of Prayer” is the theme for next year’s Abide, February 23–24, with plenary speakers Donna Gaines, Bible teacher and wife of Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee; Andrea Lennon, Women’s ministry specialist for the Arkansas Baptist Convention; Heather Johnson, Bible teacher and wife of Mark Johnson, professor of pastoral ministries, and Tara Dew. A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on February 7, 2023.

MARILYN STEWART is associate director-news for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

CHRIST-CENTERED GIRL-CENTRIC OUTDOOR ADVENTUREFOCUSED AHG’s volunteer-led program offers girls the opportunity to develop a Biblical worldview and learn valuable life skills through robust programming that will help you reach your ministry goals.

Counter the culture girls are facing today by bringing the AHG ministry to your church.

Learn more at sbc.americanheritagegirls.org

S B C U P D AT E

Image Courtesy of the ERLC.

ERLC Trustees Elect Mullin as Chief of Staff

BY ERLC STAFF

V

eteran Southern Baptist academic Miles Mullin is the new chief of staff and vice president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

The ERLC’s trustees elected Mullin unanimously upon the recommendation of Brent Leatherwood, the commission’s president, in a special called meeting January 26. Mullin became the first addition to the ERLC’s senior staff since Leatherwood’s election as president in September 2022.

Mullin taught at seminary and university levels in Baptist life for 17 years prior to his current

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role as leadership development strategist in the church revitalization network of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC).

He served as assistant, then associate, professor of church history from 2005 to 2015 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Houston campus and professor of religious history and Christian studies from 2015 to 2022 at Hannibal-LaGrange University, an MBC-affiliated school in Hannibal, Missouri. While at Hannibal-LaGrange, Mullin also was vice president for academic administration and dean of the faculty for four and a half years and founding director of the university’s Center for Christian Worldview.

Leatherwood said in an ERLC news release, “Our mission calls us to assist our churches and it is from the service we render that we speak to the important issues of the day. I can think of no one better than Miles Mullin, and the deep well of experience serving churches he draws from, to help us accomplish this vital work. His strengths in leadership and administration will enhance an already strong team at the ERLC. “Moreover, he has a deep appreciation for the role of healthy institutions in SBC life and the broader culture,” Leatherwood said. “From his time supporting local churches, to the guidance he provided in academia, to his passion for developing leaders, Miles’ knowledge and expertise will help ensure this Commission continues to bring a distinctively Baptist voice” into the public arena.

An ERLC trustee since 2019, Mullin said in the news release, “Since I was a teenager, my relationship with Jesus Christ has been nurtured in Southern Baptist congregations, and so I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve the churches of the SBC in this way.”

Citing the ERLC’s “important role in Baptist life,” Mullin said, “I am glad to be joining such a great team under the leadership of Brent Leatherwood and am looking forward to what we can accomplish together.”

Mullin preaches regularly and has served the Southern Baptist churches he has been a member

of in various teaching and leadership roles. He is a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Hannibal.

Lori Bova, chair of the ERLC’s trustees, said in the news release she is “overjoyed with our trustees’ affirmation” of Mullin in the online meeting.

He “brings a wealth of expertise and exemplifies Christ-centered leadership,” she said.

In the news release, other SBC leaders also commended Mullin’s election.

MBC Executive Director John Yeats described Mullin as “a man of honor and noble character.”

“While thoroughly equipped to teach in the sphere of academia, he has a heart to serve pastors and their local churches,” Yeats said. “He is staunchly prolife but is articulate in a number of ethical concerns.”

Nathan Finn, provost and dean of the faculty at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C., called Mullin “the ideal choice.”

“Miles is a thoughtful historian of American Christianity, a seasoned academic leader and a

committed Southern Baptist churchman,” Finn said. “He cares deeply about the mission of the ERLC, and he knows how to lead teams and develop other leaders around him.”

Mullin and his wife Jenny have two adult sons.

He received a Bachelor of Arts in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy, both in religion, from Vanderbilt University.

The ERLC’s trustees elected Leatherwood unanimously at their annual meeting in September after he had served for a year as acting president.

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on January 26, 2023.

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After Christian School Mass Shooting, Woodmont Baptist Provides Sanctuary Image Courtesy of Metro Nashville Police Department

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hey had never ridden a bus before, youth minister Beth Howe said of preschoolers bussed to Woodmont Baptist, a Southern Baptist Church in Nashville, after an active shooter targeted their Christian elementary school.

One little girl asked why there were bad guys.

Howe bandaged the scratches on the arm of

BY DIANA CHANDLER

another who had been at recess when the shooting began.

“She jumped in the bushes to hide when they heard the gunshots,” said Howe, Woodmont’s minister of students and discipleship.

Daystar Counseling Ministries arrived with therapy dogs at the fellowship hall of Woodmont

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Baptist Church, where students of Covenant School gathered, waiting to be reunited with their families.

About 10:13 am, 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale had entered the Covenant School with two AR-style guns and a pistol. Hale, a biological woman who identifies as male, killed three 9-year-old students and three adults before police shot her dead 14 minutes after receiving the emergency call, Nashville police said. No other injuries were reported.

Anthony McGowan, facilities manager at the school run by Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA), took it upon himself to tell police officers to take the children to Woodmont Baptist. And they did, no questions asked or notification given to the church.

Howe saw on a Twitter thread that Woodmont Church was the designated reunification center and informed Senior Pastor Nathan Parker, fellow ministers, and church staff.

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Parker welcomed the opportunity to serve the community.

“I was so grateful for our staff and just for the honor of serving in that position of helping to reunify families,” Parker said. McGowan greeted him at Woodmont during the reunification process.

“He’s an older gentleman who’s deeply respected in the Covenant community, and he sought me out. ‘I’m the facilities director at Covenant,’” McGowan told Parker, “and when they asked me where we should send these kids, I said Woodmont Baptist Church.”

Parker inquired why.

“He said, ‘Well I’ve been driving by this church for 18 years and I’ve seen the work you’re doing.’ And he said I just knew you were a good church. I think he said that we’re a Bible-believing church and I just thought that was amazing that Woodmont had had this reputation, before my time. I mean over decades of faithful service and ministry from this corner that had built that reputation in our community.”

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With Woodmont as the reunification center, police and church staff escorted about 200 kindergartensixth grade students to the church’s fellowship hall. About six busloads of students arrived. Parents rushing to the church were placed in the sanctuary. Each group had to wait a couple of hours before police began reuniting one or two parents at a time with their children, with counseling encouraged onsite.

With Woodmont as the reunification center, police and church staff escorted about 200 kindergarten-sixth grade students to the church’s fellowship hall. About six busloads of students arrived. Parents rushing to the church were placed in the sanctuary.

Each group had to wait a couple of hours before police began reuniting one or two parents at a time with their children, with counseling encouraged onsite.

“The parents graciously waited very long for that reunification process to take place, hours. They called painfully few names at a time. They checked every kid off the bus,” Parker said. “They had people in the sanctuary who checked the names of parents; parents lined up and gave them their names, and they would take one parent at a time downstairs to be with their kid.

And they would meet in a counseling room, and that was a slow process.”

Neighbors, church deacons, community leaders, professional counselors, Covenant School alumni, churches, and nearby businesses and restaurants sprang into action.

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They offered consolation and prayer. They brought snacks, full meals and bottled water, helped set up tables for the food. Church staff and police officers guided people to designated spots.

Church staff kept restrooms stocked and cleaned.

Daystar Counseling Ministries of Nashville arrived with therapy dogs.

Parker and Clay Stauffer, senior minister of Woodmont Christian Church across the street from Woodmont Baptist, periodically spoke words of comfort to parents through the church’s public address system in the sanctuary.

One mother with family members was praying prostrate on the floor of a counseling room near Parker’s office “They didn’t know if their child was OK, hadn’t heard, and I’m not sure the outcome of that meeting. I was not in the meeting when she met with the chaplains and metro PD,” Parker said. “I just asked if I could pray with her and of course they said yes. We just prayed together and those words

don’t come easy in those times. But we trust in the Lord’s goodness and in His sovereignty.”

Police identified those murdered as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9; Katherine Koonce, 60, head of Covenant School; school custodian Mike Hill, 61, and school substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61. Scruggs is the daughter of Covenant Presbyterian Lead Pastor Chad Scruggs.

It was the deadliest school shooting in the US since 22 students were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, 10 months ago.

The killer left a manifesto of sorts at her home, police said, but have not released the details or determined a motive. Hale was an alumna of the school.

Many area churches held prayer vigils that were well attended across Nashville, The Tennessean reported.

Howe encourages parents, whether or not their children were directly impacted by the tragedy, to

S B C U P D AT E

In that moment our sanctuary was really a place of refuge and safety, and I was just so grateful that it could be used as not only a holy sacred place, but also to be a place of refuge for those grieving panicked families.”

Daystar Counseling Ministries of Nashville arrived with therapy dogs at the fellowship hall of Woodmont Baptist Church, where students of Covenant School gathered, waiting to be reunited with their families.

Image Courtesy of Baptist Press.

Nathan Parker, pastor Woodmont Baptist Church Nashville, Tennessee

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help their children process their feelings. She recommended the resource, “What Am I Feeling,” by Josh and Christi Straub. Howe encourages parents to discuss conflict resolution with their children.

“I feel like, as a parent now, we have got to talk to our kids and do a better job,” she said.

“That when someone hurts you, you go to them and deal with it, and you talk with them, and you use words.”

Teach children that their “hurt and anger against someone, even if it’s in revenge, should not have hurt other people.”

Parker sees a spiritual purpose in the church serving as a reunification center.

“Reunification is kind of a theological term for Christians. We think about what was lost in the Creation, Genesis 3, and how since that time God has been about the work of reunifying what was lost, back to Himself through Jesus,” Parker said. “That’s just Gospel work that we were able

to put into practice of connecting families who were separated from their children.

“Every Christian should be about that work of reunification at any time. And I think that’s what . . . hit me hard last night.”

Parker appreciates that a grieving community found sanctuary at Woodmont Baptist.

“In that moment our sanctuary was really a place of refuge and safety, and I was just so grateful that it could be used as not only a holy sacred place,” he said, “but also to be a place of refuge for those grieving panicked families.”

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on March 28, 2023.

DIANA CHANDLER is senior writer for Baptist Press.

S B C U P D AT E

Spurgeon College Basketball Coach Billy Livezey Wins Coach of the Year Award Image Courtesy of Spurgeon College

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he National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Southwest Region has announced its selections for the 2022– 2023 men’s basketball honors. Among the recipients are Spurgeon College coach Billy Livezey, who was named Coach of the Year. Two players on the team also received national honors.

Livezey, who completed his first year as head

BY BRETT FREDENBERG

coach at Spurgeon College this year, led the men’s basketball team in a historic season.

“Thanks to the coaches who accepted me into their league, my players for trusting me from day one and fervently buying into our faithful culture, Coach Risher for taking a chance on me, and most importantly my beautiful wife for serving me and the team all year,” Livezey said of the honor.

MBTS President Jason Allen said he was encouraged to see Livezey receive the recognition, adding: “It is an honor well deserved. We are so proud of Coach Livezey and our team for a great season. It was an exciting year, and this award and the two other awards given to our players serves as a fitting conclusion.”

Livezey led the Spurgeon Knights to a 14–9 record this season. At several points throughout the season, the team led the nation in rebounding and scoring, averaging more than 100 points per game.

“The Lord has been too kind and gracious,” Livezey said. “Not many people believed what we could do this year, but these players did. This coach award is the player’s award. They are the ones who put in the work every day and proved a lot of people wrong, and some people right. I’m thankful for these men who are in this program.

“Above all else though, all glory and praise be to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. To Him be the glory.”

This coach award is the player’s award. They are the ones who put in the work every day and proved a lot of people wrong, and some people right. I’m thankful for these men who are in this program.

Above all else though, all glory and praise be to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. To Him be the glory.”

Billy Livezey men’s head basketball coach Spurgeon College

Before joining Spurgeon College as head coach, Livezey spent seven years in college athletics and has been a part of six conference championships and four NCAA national tournament appearances.

TEAM AWARDS

In addition to Livezey’s Coach of the Year Award, two Spurgeon College basketball players received national honors as well. Junior Jude Warren was named first team all-region, and sophomore Drew Middleton was named second team all-region.

Throughout the season, Warren received the National Player of the Week Award twice. He averaged 23.78 points per game, finishing the season with a 53 percent shooting average. Defensively, he amassed 16 blocks, 67 steals and 129 rebounds.

Middleton also received the National Player of the Week Award this season. He finished the season averaging 20.48 points per game with a 44 percent 3-point average, one of the top shooting percentages of players across the country.

“I’m so proud of all my players and all their hard work this season, and that goes for Jude [Warren] and Drew [Middleton] too,” Livezey said. “They worked every day and earned everything that came to them. I am so proud of them and each member of this team.”

Spurgeon College Athletic Director Matthew Risher said of Livezey: “Coach Livezey is a proven winner on and off the court. He is the perfect person to grow Spurgeon basketball into one of the best programs in the NCCAA.” The NCCAA basketball season begins in October. Livezey and the Spurgeon Knights look forward to building on their success next year.

A version of this article was published in Baptist Press on March 3, 2023.

BRETT FREDENBERG is content strategy coordinator for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

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