Texan Digital • Sept. 3, 2014 • Issue #36

September 3, 2014 • ISSUE 36

Criswell College student Travis Hester has combined business acumen with a passion for the gospel to impact the economic and spiritual needs of Honduran coffee growers.

DAVID PLATT NAMED NEW IMB PRESIDENT

DEACON MIRACULOUSLY HEALED FROM ALS TAKES ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

Keith Collier

If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball

M

y 10-year-old son Will and I share a common love— baseball.

While he’s not naturally gifted at playing the game, Will loves to be part of the team, and as with most kids his age his skills have progressed each year through repetition and practice.

This past spring, Will graduated from coachpitch to kid-pitch, which brought with it both excitement and anxiety. However, after only a few games I could see that anxiety largely overshadowed the excitement.

Will hit the ball well during practices and pregame warm ups, but as soon as he stepped in the batter’s box, fear froze him in his tracks—so much so that he would not even move when an errant pitch came right at him.

In the very first game, he was hit in the arm by a pitch. The painful experience only served to make him more fearful of batting. I joked with him after the game, “I know it hurt, buddy, but at least you didn’t get hit in the face.” And, wouldn’t you know it, the very next game, a wild pitch hit him square in the face.

Added to this, he struck out several times because he never swung the bat. This only intensified his timidity. Soon, whenever his turn at bat approached, he complained of feeling nauseous.

Following one of his games, I asked, “Will, what goes through your mind when you’re up to bat?” Will replied, “I’m afraid I’m going to strike out or get hit by the ball.” He was so afraid of pain, failure and embarassment that he did not even want to try.

I then gave him some baseball advice that eventually became a mantra we would repeat before every game and every at-bat: “If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball.”

I encouraged him to swing at every pitch, even if it was outside the strike zone.

Over the course of the season Will began to swing the bat more and more. Yes, he still struck out on occasion, but he also began to put the ball in play and advance his teammates around the base paths.

And then the big moment came—Will got a base hit. The look of excitement on his face was priceless. And, of course, this success strengthened his resolve to swing again during his next at-bat.

Our mantra—If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball—reminds me of a similar statement by Southwestern Seminary evangelism professor Matt Queen to those who fear the pain of failure, rejection or embarrassment when sharing their faith: “Not every time you share the gospel will someone profess Christ, but if you never share the gospel, you’ll never see anyone profess Christ.”

For many Christians, especially those of us who are not naturally gifted evangelists, the prospect of sharing our faith leaves us terrified and frozen in our tracks. Even the thought of it brings a nauseous feeling. Rather than risk “striking out” in a witnessing encounter, we sit idly by and refuse to say a word.

Maybe the remedy is simply to start swinging. Thankfully, God measures success in evangelism by obedience, not decisions. A rejection of the gospel is a rejection of Jesus, not of us. So, in a sense, we never strike out when we evangelize.

We must faithfully obey our Lord’s Great Commission and let the Holy Spirit do his work. Sometimes, we swing and miss. Other times, we plant or water gospel seeds, advancing a person’s understanding of his need for the Lord. Given enough swings, eventually we will experience the exhilarating joy of seeing someone come to faith in Christ. And with every swing we gain confidence for future opportunities.

Last week, the tables turned—Will became the teacher; I became the student. As the first day of school approached, Will said, “I can’t wait to start school so I can tell my friends about Jesus.”

He will likely never be a professional baseball player, but Will understands what it means to overcome his fears and swing for the fences when it comes to sharing his faith.

What if Christians took the Great Commission seriously and decided to risk failure, rejection and embarrassment to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ? What if we intentionally sought out opportunities to share the gospel with family, friends, co-workers or those we meet as we go about our daily lives?

This week, pray for opportunities to share your faith, pray for boldness to witness when God brings someone across your path (and he will), and pray that the gospel would show its power.

If the thought of this makes you nauseous, remember: If you never swing the bat, you will never hit the ball.

CONTENTS ISSUE #36 /////////////////////////////////////////////

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Trustees elect David Platt as new IMB president

The board of trustees for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention elected Alabama pastor David Platt as the new president for the missions agency during its meeting, Aug. 27.

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Texas trustees assess election of Platt

Texas trustees rallied around the unanimous recommendation of David Platt by the presidential search committee of the International Mission Board, pledging their prayerful support.

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COVER STORY Between trips to Nepal and Honduras, Travis Hester sipped coffee in the student center of Criswell College. For Hester, coffee represents an open door for international missions.

Former drill instructor surrenders, now on the ministry road As a drill instructor, Brandon Graham barked orders, broke recruits and turned out battle-ready Marines. He was fierce, tough and fearless, with crass language and harsh treatment all part of the package.

Deacon healed from ALS participates in ice bucket challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has swept the world by storm, raising more than $100 million dollars in donations in less than a month, but few participants can say they have already been cured of the lethal disease. JJ LaCarter can.

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Driscoll takes break from pastorate

Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, announced to his congregation Aug. 24 that he is taking a break from the pastorate while the church conducts a review of recent accusations against him.

TEXAN Digital is e-published twice monthly by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, 4500 State Highway 360, Grapevine, TX 76099-1988.

Jim Richards, Executive Director Gary Ledbetter, Editor Keith Collier, Managing Editor Sharayah Colter, Staff Writer Russell Lightner, Design & Layout Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions Contributing Writers Paul F. South, Scott Colter, Tammi Reed Ledbetter, Jane Rodgers To contact the TEXAN, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC).

Briefly /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BOKO HARAM SETS UP ISLAMIC CALIPHATE Boko Haram has established its own government in Gwoza, a Nigerian city it captured in early August by killing perhaps 1,000 residents and overcoming the Nigerian military, a legislator displaced from his home there has confirmed.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

‘AWAKENING’ OCCURRING ON RACIAL DISPARITY, ERLC’S MOORE SAYS Evangelical Christians are becoming aware of the racial disparity in American culture, Southern Baptist ethicist Russell D. Moore said in the wake of unrest over the police killing of an African-American teenager in suburban St. Louis. The funeral for Michael Brown, 18, was held Aug. 25 at St. Louis’ Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, which is near the suburb of Ferguson where Brown was shot to death Aug. 9.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

FLOYD: IRAQ CRISIS CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION Christians in Iraq are the targets of a “horrific injustice,” and immediate action is required to help them, said Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, in an Aug. 25 statement. Floyd, pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, called on political leaders in the United States “to stand strong for international religious freedom” and urged followers of Jesus to take action themselves, “both prayerfully and compassionately.”

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

SOUTHERN BAPTISTS NOT SATISFIED WITH NEW HHS RULES ERLC President Russell Moore calls the Obama administration’s eighth and latest rule change on the abortion/contraception mandate a “revised attempt to settle issues of religious conscience with accounting maneuvers.”

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

DRISCOLL TAKES BREAK FROM PASTORATE Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, announced to his congregation Aug. 24 that he is taking a break from the pastorate while the church conducts a review of recent accusations against him. Driscoll and Mars Hill were recently removed from the Acts29 Network, and Driscoll’s books have been pulled from LifeWay stores. Driscoll apologized to his congregation for any harm he has done to them and recounted past “sins, shortcomings and missteps.”

View video and read Driscoll’s words to his congregation here.

HARDING RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AFTER ALKALINE-BASED CLEANER BURNS ESOPHAGUS

MISSIONARIES CURED FROM EBOLA INFECTION RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

The wife of a leading Southern Baptist in Utah was released from the hospital Aug. 23 after nearly dying 13 days earlier when she took one sip of lye-tainted sweet tea. Jan Harding, 67, was released from the University of Utah Health Care’s burn center on the 46th anniversary of her wedding to Jim Harding, retired executive director of the Utah/Idaho Southern Baptist Convention.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

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Both Christian missionaries who contracted the Ebola virus while ministering to patients in Liberia have been released from an Atlanta hospital. Kent Brantly, 33, was released Aug 21. Nancy Writebol, 59, was released two days earlier. Brantly called it a “miraculous day.”

TILT TOWARD GAY MARRIAGE HITS HICCUP Southern Baptist public policy specialists have welcomed a rare court decision out of step with the same-sex marriage juggernaut while reaffirming the need for an ongoing defense of the God-ordained institution.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

CARSON WINS STRAW POLL IN LANDSLIDE Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson won the Iowa straw poll with 62 percent of the vote Aug. 24, taking a large lead over other potential presidential candidates.

Carson says he is raising money now to be prepared if indeed he decides to run for office.

Read the story from The Christian Post here.

BOLIVIAN LAWS THREATEN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Evangelical Christians in Bolivia have begun their battle against new measures that could result in the dissolution of Protestant denominations and other religious groups in the heavily Catholic Andean country.

Organizations that fail to comply with the new government measures will lose their legal standing.

In response, the National Association of Evangelicals of Bolivia (ANDEB) on July 30 presented a Petition of Unconstitutionality to the country’s Constitutional Tribunal seeking repeal of the measures.

GUIDELINES FOR PRE-BOARD MEETING PRAYER APPROVED

BY NEW YORK TOWN After its unofficial prayer policy was defended by the Supreme Court, a New York town has codified its practice to open board meetings with prayer by adopting an official prayer policy.

The policy limits prayers to those given by a representative of an “established assembly” within the town or one outside the town that one of the town’s residents attends.

Read the story from The Christian Post here.

ATHEIST GROUP THREATENS LITIGATION OVER PASTOR SPEAKING AT REQUIRED TEACHER MEETING A teacher in a Mississippi school has contacted the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center—a Washington D.C.based atheist organization—to alert them that a mandatory convocation at his school featured a pastor as speaker. The organization sent a letter to the school instructing them to respond with a plan to remedy the practice within two weeks in order to avoid legal action.

Read the story from The Christian Post here.

GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST LACRAE TO COHOST DOVE AWARDS WITH MERCYME’S BART MILLARD Lacrae and Millard will co-host the 45th annual Dove Awards Oct. 7 in Nashville. Millard told The Christian Post that he and Lacrae are a poignant example of how the Dove awards highlight the great diversity of musical styles but also the great unity they all share in Christ.

Read the story from The Christian Post here.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

—Briefly section compiled from Baptist Press, other news sources and staff reports

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 3

A Marine’s new mission

Former drill instructor surrenders, now on the ministry road

By Paul South FLOWER MOUND

As a drill instructor, Brandon Graham barked orders, broke recruits and turned out battle-ready Marines. He was fierce, tough and fearless, with crass language and harsh treatment all part of the package.

That all began to change, though, when driving to work one day Graham had what he calls a “Damascus Road experience” that left him weeping on the side of the highway.

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The journey there, however, began long before he got in the car that morning. Graham, a 34-yearold Oklahoma native who now serves as assistant pastor at RockPointe Church in Flower Mound, said news that he and his wife would become parents is what first pointed their lives in a new direction.

“My wife and I began going to church before our first child was born in an effort to ‘clean ourselves up,’ as if going to church would make us better parents,” Graham said. “It was while attending church in San Diego that God began to work on me. … The Scripture was coming alive for the first time in my life.”

Shortly after their return to church, the Grahams received devastating news. Brandon’s close friend, Marine Sgt. Mark Adams, had been killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq.

“His death rocked me to the core,” Graham said.

“For the first time in my 25 years of existence, I realized I was mortal. The Marines train the fear of death out of you. A Marine infantryman is taught, ‘We don’t die; we just go to hell to regroup for a counter-attack.’ Death was never an option.”

God used Adams’ death as well as the unshakable faith of Adams’ parents in the wake of the tragedy to get Graham’s attention.

“I began to wonder what else there was in this life, other than doing 20 years, getting out and getting another job somewhere. I really started to search.

There had to be more out there than just this.”

For Graham, the man accustomed to harsh language, loud orders and the thunder of a .50-caliber machine gun, a still, small voice deep in his spirit on his daily commute provided the answer to his search and a new mission.

“I was driving to work on California State Highway 163 in San Diego,” Graham said. “I heard God speak to me in a way I’d never heard before.

I won’t use the word ‘audible.’ I didn’t hear it out loud but in my spirit. It was one of those things that was not of me. ‘It’s time,’ it said.

“I just broke down. It was such a humbling experience because I knew what ‘It’s time’ meant.

God broke my spirit right there and called me to salvation. I prayed to receive Christ right there.

I just said, ‘I don’t know what you have for me. I don’t know what you want me to do, but I’m going to follow you.’”

Graham initially argued with God. With a young family, this was not the best time to leave the Marine Corps. And for a few moments, he resisted.

“I was overwhelmed, but I couldn’t not follow him,” Graham said. “I said, ‘God, whatever you call me to do, I’ll do it. I’m yours.

I surrender my life to you, and whatever you say, I’ll do.’ That’s what I consider my moment of conversion.”

That evening, some six hours after his roadside encounter, Graham received a tearful phone call from his wife, Crystal, who had just completed a devotional.

“We need to talk,” Crystal said.

Brandon imagined the worst: a divorce, trouble with one of their kids, something dire. But the Graham family had new orders.

“I just finished a Bible study, and the Holy Spirit clearly told me you’re supposed to go into the ministry,” Crystal said, with no idea of what had happened six hours earlier. For all she knew, Brandon said, he was still a “reprobate.”

He recounted the roadside testimony, and together they wept.

Real Change Graham completed his military commitment but not before his fellow Marines noticed a transformation.

“All of a sudden I started carrying my Bible. I was reading it in my duty hut. Other DIs were going out to party, but my desire was to be home with my family,” Graham said.

“I really started to transform from the inside out. The old was truly dying away. I’d like to say my language got perfect overnight.

It didn’t. But people could see a distinct difference right away.”

That change led Graham to help a backslidden fellow DI return to faith. Graham was also able to come alongside another believer

“THE OLDER I GET AND AS EACH DAY GOES BY, I REALLY FOCUS ON MAKING EACH DAY COUNT AND MAKING EACH DAY PURPOSEFUL, SO AT THE END OF 70, 80 YEARS OR HOWEVER MANY GOD HAS FOR ME, I’M NOT LOOKING BACK AND WISHING I’D DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.”

in Company E as a source of encouragement.

The change was made manifest not only to new drill instructors and recruits but to a Marine in combat half a world away.

“I made sure I treated my guys with the utmost respect. I made sure they got plenty to eat, plenty of sleep. It’s very rare. But part of it was because of the mercy and grace extended to me by Christ,” Graham said.

When dealing with new recruits, Graham would share Heb. 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (NIV) Graham had signed a recruit’s Bible and included that verse.

Later, he received an email from the recruit, now home from battle.

“While he was at war, when things got tough, he kept going back to that verse. And he knew he was going to be OK,” Graham said.

Years removed from Graham’s roadside conversion, when he

argued with God about the cost of discipleship, he’s OK, too.

According to senior pastor Ron Holton, Graham, who is also studying for an advanced Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, fills a utility role at RockPointe. His tireless work ethic and sterling integrity have made an impression.

The Marine Corps motto–Semper Fi, Always Faithful–is at work.

“There’s not a specific thing that he does,” Holton said. “But he is just so talented. He has the confidence that if you were looking for an example of a person that said, ‘God, just use me, and I’ll do whatever’—that’s Brandon.

Brandon’s not afraid to try.”

These days, Graham’s mission is simple.

“The older I get and as each day goes by, I really focus on making each day count and making each day purposeful, so at the end of 70, 80 years or however many God has for me, I’m not looking back and wishing I’d done something different.”

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 5

SBC LEADERS AFFIRM PLATT AS IMB’S LEADER RICHMOND, Va.—Southern Baptist leaders expressed confidence, elation and prayerful support upon the International Mission Board’s election of David Platt as the new IMB president. Read More

Trustees elect David Platt as new IMB president

TRANSCRIPT: DAVID PLATT PRESS CONFERENCE ROCKVILLE, Va.—David Platt, as the new president of the International Mission Board, spoke with Baptist media representatives in a telephone press conference shortly after his election to the position Aug. 27. Read More

By Keith Collier RICHMOND, Va.

The board of trustees for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention elected Alabama pastor David Platt as the new president for the missions agency during its meeting, Aug. 27.

Platt, 36, has served as pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham since 2006 and has authored several bestselling books, including “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream,” which sold more than 1 million copies, and “Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live.”

Platt replaces current IMB President Tom Elliff, who asked trustees in February to begin searching for his successor. “[God’s] telling me that this is the time to leave,” Elliff told trustees, “and that if I will obey Him and ask the board of trustees to appoint a search team ... that is the surest way to ensure a smooth transition.”

Platt earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (A.B.J.) from the University of Georgia and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Theology (Th.M.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). Prior to his time at The Church at Brook Hills, he served as dean of chapel and assistant professor of expository preaching and apologetics at NOBTS and as staff evangelist at Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans.

Read the IMB news release on Platt’s election and watch a video message from Platt to Southern Baptists here.

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PLATT LOOKS AHEAD TO MISSION CHALLENGES RICHMOND, Va.—After a whirlwind week, what’s next for newly elected IMB President David Platt?

Read More

FIRST-PERSON: 10 THINGS WE OWE DAVID PLATT FORT WORTH, Texas—Seminary president Paige Patterson, putting aside reservations he had about David Platt to lead for the International Mission Board, voices 10 things “all Southern Baptists owe” the IMB’s new president. Read More

Texas trustees assess election of Platt

By Tammi Reed Ledbetter RICHMOND, Va.

With Aug. 27 election of a new president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Texans serving on the board of trustees shared their thoughts on the selection of David Platt by a vote of 70-5.

Search committee member John Meador of Euless told the TEXAN, “After all the Q&A, all the concerns and prayer, the Spirit moved affirmatively for David Platt. I’m behind him all the way.”

Byron McWilliams of Odessa echoed that sentiment, stating, “I gladly support David one hundred percent as the next president of the IMB.” Trustee John Mann of Springtown said, “With David’s commitments to champion the Cooperative Program and his passion to share Christ with every person on earth, I pray that the SBC will see the greatest movement of missions and the Kingdom of God will be flooded with new followers of Christ.”

Dr. John Ross of Longview told the TEXAN, “I voted for David Platt, a man anointed by God to make Jesus known to every person on the planet.”

Trustee Robert Welch said Platt’s heart for missions and leadership in getting the gospel to the lost had greatly impacted his own life. “Arguably, he has been the most influential voice for global missions both in and outside the SBC.” Welch praised Platt for leading his church “in radical and sacrificial ways” with the entity he will now lead.

“He has led his church to generous giving toward Southern Baptist causes, especially with the IMB.” He anticipates “some incredible days ahead for the cooperative work of Southern Baptist churches” under Platt’s leadership “as we partner together to accomplish the Great Commission.”

Geronimo Disla of Bedford said, “The best man for the IMB now is David Platt. He has the passion and grace to lead us to great things with God’s power.”

Attending her first meeting since her election to the board in June, trustee June Richards of Keller said, “I am definitely going to support him and pray for him every day,

as well as for his family,” noting that Platt and his wife have four young children. “I see his passion for souls.”

Trustee Mike Simmons of Midlothian entered the initial closed-door presentation by the search committee on Aug. 26 with questions on his mind regarding the candidate’s lackluster support for undesignated giving through the Cooperative Program, as well as his views on limited atonement and free will.

After several hours of committee members fielding questions and additional time spent with Platt, Simmons said his concerns were addressed sufficiently. “He addressed the issue of the Cooperative Program in the sense that he stated as he looks at it now he knows that he was wrong, and if he had it to do over again he would have been much stronger” in CP giving.

“On the issue of limited atonement I heard him address that Jesus did die for the sins of the whole world,” Simmons added. “On those issues [related to Calvinism] I began to be satisfied in my spirit.”

Further confirmation came to Simmons when he heard several search committee members explain how they had come to support Platt’s nomination after hesitating initially. “They were unanimous and that spoke pretty strong to me as well [as a sense] that God’s got his hand on David Platt.”

Search committee member Jay Gross of Conroe said he was among those “not favorably inclined” toward Platt’s nomination at first. “As we talked several times in the interview process I discovered my preconceptions were based on misinformation about his theology and ecclesiology.”

Gross said Platt “loves the SBC, his theology is biblically sound and he has led his church to be a strong Great Commission giver.”

What impressed Gross the most was Platt’s “insatiable, unflagging, contagious passion for the lost.” He added, “I have great hope that God can use him to build bridges generationally and lead us to cross the finish line in reaching the unreached, unengaged people groups.”

Trustee Nathan Lorick of Fort Worth told the TEXAN, “We’re living in a day where we have the opportunity to penetrate lostness like never before. In order to do that we need a man who is driven by brokenness and a burden for the lost in order to lead us to accomplish the task of reaching the world for Christ,” he said, adding, “I believe David Platt is that man and I look forward to taking the gospel to the ends of the earth with him.”

Search committee member Jaye Martin of Houston said, “David is anointed by God to lead the IMB for this generation.” She encouraged Southern Baptists to “get behind him for the nations.”

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 7

Houston deacon healed from ALS participates in ice bucket challenge

By Keith Collier HOUSTON

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has swept the world by storm, raising more than $100 million dollars in donations in less than a month, but few participants can say they have already been cured of the lethal disease.

JJ LaCarter can.

LaCarter, a deacon at Houston’s First Baptist Church, joined pastor Gregg Matte in the fountain outside of the church’s Loop Campus Aug. 25 to raise awareness for ALS and to tell the story of his miraculous healing. Houston’s First posted his story along with a video of Matte and him participating in the ice bucket challenge on the church’s website.

LaCarter was diagnosed with ALS in 2008 following extensive tests by a neurologist at the Texas Medical Center. He then underwent additional testing by one of the world’s foremost ALS research doctors, who confirmed he had the disease.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal condition that affects more than 30,000 Americans, with no known cure.

“Over the course of about 2-5 years, ALS progressively paralyzes all the muscles in the body, including the muscles that control speaking, breathing and eating—eventually resulting in death,” LaCarter says.

“Barbara and I were in total shock.”

LaCarter says his church family rallied around him in support and prayer.

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Houston’s First Baptist Church pastor Gregg Matte and deacon JJ LaCarter take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in a fountain outside the church’s Loop Campus, Aug. 25, to raise awareness for ALS and to tell the story of LaCarter’s miraculous healing. PHOTO COURTESY OF HOUSTON’S FIRST

“I’M FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THIS MIRACLE AND FOR THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO TELL OTHERS WHAT GOD HAS DONE.” “People would stop me in the hall just to tell me they were praying for me,” LaCarter recalls.

“I know that when you ask people at Houston’s First to pray, they really do. My own prayer was for me to continue to walk, talk and breathe. Each Sunday I thanked the Lord that he allowed me to walk up the stairs to our Life Bible Study that met on the second floor.”

In spring 2009, Matte was on a tour of Israel, when a tour guide at the Pool of Bethesda encouraged him to pray for someone in need of healing. Matte sensed the Lord laying LaCarter on his heart, so he prayed for LaCarter’s complete healing from ALS.

Seven months later, during a scheduled visit, LaCarter’s doctor told him he did not have ALS anymore.

Shocked, LaCarter’s wife, Barbara, asked the doctor if it was a misdiagnosis, but the doctor was certain that he did indeed have the disease.

“We immediately told him that it was answered prayer and God’s healing,” LaCarter says. “(The doctor) said, ‘Maybe so,’ but we knew it was. I asked him if he had ever told anyone else this before, and he replied, ‘Only three patients since 1982.’

“I’m forever grateful for this miracle and for the many opportunities for me to tell others what God has done.”

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a social media-driven initiative sponsored by the ALS Association (ALSA) to raise awareness and financial support for ALS research. Participants douse themselves in a bucket of ice water and donate money to ALS research before challenging a number of their friends to follow suit. The initiative has been fueled by online videos of high-profile athletes, politicians and celebrities participating in the challenge.

Many pro-life advocates have raised ethical concerns about donating to the ALSA because the organization has funded embryonic stem cell research, which destroys unborn humans. A full FAQ on these ethical implications has been created on the website of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The website includes a list of alternative organizations recommended by Christian bioethicist David Prentice that do not fund embryonic stem cell research.

Along with the story and video of Matte and LaCarter’s participation in the ice bucket challenge, Houston’s First included on their website a list of these alternative ALS research organizations and a link to the ERLC website. The church also included an online prayer request form and the phone number to its Prayer Line, offering to pray for those with ALS or other illnesses.

Is it ethical for Christians to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?

With the popularity of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge overtaking Twitter and Facebook feeds, some Christians have voiced pro-life concerns over participation in the challenge and donating to the ALS Association, which has received more than $100 million for ALS research as a result of the campaign and supports embryonic stem cell research.

To help explain the ethical crisis and provide Christians with alternative organizations that only use adult stem cells in research, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has posted an article on its website called “The FAQs: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.”

Click here to read the ERLC article on the Ice Bucket Challenge.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 9

Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation welcomes new executive director

By Sharayah Colter GRAPEVINE

Bart McDonald has settled into his new position as executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation.

“With the stable footing established through the exemplary work of Dr. Johnathan Gray, the Southern Baptists of Texas Foundation faces unlimited opportunity as we seek to come alongside churches and assist them in planned giving, church stewardship, financing and investments,” McDonald said. “I feel blessed to serve in this capacity in this season.”

McDonald comes to the foundation from Walnut Ridge Baptist Church where he served as executive teaching pastor and where he led the church to restructure its budget and reassess its financial priorities.

He succeeds previous executive director, Johnathan Gray, who accepted a position with the Georgia Baptist Convention earlier this year.

As executive director for the foundation, McDonald will help Texas Southern Baptists by guiding them through bequests, planned gifts, church loans and fund management services.

McDonald’s financial experience includes president of Collateral & Portfolio Services, senior vice president of Creekwood Capital Corporation, vice president of First City National Bank in Houston and financial consultant to Criswell College.

From a ministry perspective, in addition to his most recent service at Walnut Ridge, McDonald served as senior pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church, pastor of church growth and development at First 10 TEXANONLINE.NET SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Baptist Church of Colleyville and as a financial consultant and assistant at First Baptist Church in Pearland. During his service at FBC Pearland McDonald responded to a call to ministry and began attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Houston.

When McDonald accepted the Lord’s call to ministry, he sold Collateral & Portfolio Services, a company through which he served four of the six major Texas Bank Holding Companies, the FDIC and several independent Texas and Louisiana banks.

As senior pastor of Tate Springs, McDonald led the church in budget and attendance growth, conflict resolution and expansion of the weekday education ministry budget from $250,000 to $1 million. McDonald employed his financial training during his service at Walnut Ridge as well, overseeing a $400,000 renovation, a $1.1 million construction and the sale of a secondary campus for $2.5 million. He also implemented stewardship programs that increased giving trends over a 36-month period and led a recommitment to Cooperative Program giving.

McDonald is married to Laura, his wife of 27 years, and they have two daughters—Brunson Mae and Zoey Grey.

Find resources for will planning, charitable giving, stewardship, fund management, church financing and more at sbtexasfoundation.com

By Jane Rodgers

etween trips to Nepal and Honduras, Travis Hester sipped coffee in the student center of Criswell College.

For Hester, coffee represents an open door for international missions.

An independent contractor for Baptist Global Response, the entrepreneurial 38-year-old Criswell PPE (politics, philosophy and economics) student is spearheading a design to impact how BGR responds to the needs of impoverished peoples worldwide while proclaiming Christ.

After closing a recycling business and retiring its debts during 2007’s economic downturn, Hester and his wife, Julie, prayed for direction. Pastor Jimmy Pritchard of Forney First Baptist advised pursuing God and education.

Some Criswell graduates also invited the Hesters to visit them in Honduras, where Hester agreed to manage an agricultural project on lands belonging to a seminary for a year. The project produced food but changed few lives.

“I went to share the gospel and see transformation in the community,” recalled Hester. For him the old adage “Teach a man to fish ... ” appeared woefully inadequate as the surrounding culture remained unengaged and overtones of paternalism spawned local resentment.

“Much of Honduras is trapped in wellintentioned dependency upon NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and non-profits,” said Hester, who determined to engage locals in a mutually beneficial way while also glorifying Christ.

In Honduras, Hester contracted with a small coffee NGO to do analysis; through those contacts he encountered Ebenezer Church and its Cultivadores del Reino— Kingdom Growers—outreach.

Cultivadores del Reino developed after traditional efforts by Ebenezer Church

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to evangelize surrounding Honduran communities failed. With many successful coffee farmers in the congregation, the pastor and elders realized coffee could impel evangelism.

“The mission became ‘Let’s talk to people about quality, pruning, fertilizer and engage the lost that way,’ ” Hester said. “I was very much a learner from them.”

Hester appreciated how Cultivadores del Reino integrated work and ministry so much that he patterned BGR’s coffee initiative after its model.

Hester’s knowledge of a Peruvian NGO refined the vision that would eventually interest BGR. Hands for Hope, a knitting initiative, involved the talents of women in the crowded barrios of Trujillo, Peru. With the addition of microfinancing to provide alpaca instead 12 TEXANONLINE.NET SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

Travis Hester leads a microfinance training session in South Asia. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAVIS HESTER

of cheap, synthetic yarn and access to higher-end U.S. markets, Hands for Hope has improved the lives of hundreds of impoverished Peruvian women.

“The key was adding value to a skill the women already possessed,” Hester said.

When the National University of Trujillo rejected Hester’s research proposal for an economic development project, Hester contacted BGR to present the model, which had been reviewed by Christian leaders, economists and professors, including Criswell’s Dr. Joseph Wooddell, who expressed enthusiasm for its emphasis on sound business practices.

“Jesus said to help the poor. We ought to do that while we share the gospel. We have a heart for

the poor, but we need to have a mind for the poor so that the things we do help rather than hurt,” said Wooddell, noting the shortfalls of traditional “fair trade” practices that often do more harm than good.

Hester’s model identified components of communities: people, environment, product, market and income, providing methods to analyze and engage communities in areas of felt need. BGR contracted with Hester in 2013 to focus on the implementation of development, microenterprise and microfinance tools on the mission field. Target people groups included more than coffee farmers.

“Now I am working with handicrafts and chicken farm projects in Asia,” Hester laughed.

“The world is getting harder to reach. There are countries you cannot go to as a religious worker. This forces missionaries to go there to do business as part of companies or development projects.”

The BGR coffee initiative fits with modern evangelistic methods, Hester said. Globally, 250 million people are involved in the coffee industry. Coffee is grown in 70 countries, many in the 10/40 window.

“The coffee industry has grown 17 percent in the U.S. in the last 10 years, with increasing interest in direct trade. It’s just a matter of how we tap into this growing industry,” Hester said.

Hester likened missionaries to brokers working with farmers, with a U.S.-based company providing the market.

“A missionary in, say, Honduras, lives in a village where he builds relationships with farmers,” Hester explained. “He promotes quality standards, keeps track of the coffee year and communicates information on crop conditions. He is known as a direct trade representative sourcing coffee. He monitors milling and drying. He provides microloans to farmers for seedlings and fertilizer.”

Hester believes the development of cooperatives to process greater volumes of coffee and reduce business costs is essential to the BGR effort.

“By linking area farmers together in cooperatives, you create an economy of scale,” Hester said. “This is happening with Cultivadores del Reino, where 200 farmers depend upon a cooperative in a small area.

We are duplicating this elsewhere in Honduras, working with missionaries and national partners.”

“THE WORK OF OUR HANDS IS WORSHIP. PEOPLE ARE CREATED IN

THE IMAGE OF GOD. WHEN WE EMPOWER THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR CREATIVE CAPACITIES, WE REACH THEM ON A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL. OUR VERBAL

TESTIMONIES BECOME MORE POWERFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE

RECOGNIZED THEM AS INDIVIDUALS.”

Plans are underway for the coffee initiative to spread across Central America to Africa and Southeast Asia, Hester added.

What’s next?

“An army in our pews wants to be involved in missions. They cannot go overseas, but they deeply desire to do kingdom work. We must mobilize that talent,” Hester said.

“We need help with distribution, warehousing, marketing and packaging. We will offer a good product, not something purchased only for reasons of fair trade or sympathy.”

Hester and BGR are looking for roasters in the U.S. willing to buy and roast the coffee for sale. Negotiations are underway with LifeWay stores to market the coffee.

“The work of our hands is worship. People are created in the image of God. When we empower them to achieve their creative capacities, we reach them on a fundamental level. Our verbal testimonies become more powerful because we have recognized them as individuals.”

Unlike brokers who find other sources, BGR missionaries will partner with farmers to raise crop

quality. Also essential will be the development of group savings plans and microfinancing, which Hester started in August in Honduras.

“Participants support their communities,” Hester said. “They maintain control of the money; it does not go out of the community but is dispersed through an application process.”

Thus, Hester hopes to empower people. BGR will also provide grants to cooperatives. A pilot grant and microloan awarded to Cultivadores del Reino facilitated its purchase of high quality, late-harvested coffee from farmers who would otherwise be subject to unscrupulous buyers.

“That coffee is on its way now to be roasted, packaged and sold in the U.S.,” Hester said. He plans for these business relationships to lead to connections of a more spiritual sort.

Plans are in the works for additional BGR enterprises in handicrafts, aquaculture, specialty foods and other agricultural projects worldwide, with ethical brokers who are also missionaries spreading the gospel along with good business sense, improving people’s lives and winning souls for Jesus.

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Scott Colter

Brothers, we are not professionals …

But we are called to reach them.

T

he current trend in ministry is to move away from the professionalization of the church.

John Piper has been a leader in this effort with his book, “Brothers We Are Not Professionals,” and makes several good points, one of which is that ministry is a calling more than a job. In this area, I agree completely. It is often said that ministry is a horrible vocation but a magnificent calling, and it is true that ministers, and specifically pastors, need to be called of God to their place of service. Piper writes, “The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ. Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry.” To that end, I say “amen.” However, while the pastor is not a professional, he is trying to reach professionals.

This past Sunday, I did what I do most Sundays. From my pew on the front row, I heard the choir and music minister in front of me and more than a thousand voices behind me singing praise to the Lord. As I turned and looked over the congregation, you know what I saw?

Professionals.

All kinds of professionals—bankers, lawyers, architects, dentists, secretaries. I saw white-collar and blue-collar professionals. I saw men and women who have little in common except for faith in Jesus Christ.

This is what the church is called to be— people from every walk of life gathering for the cause of Christ. And we, brothers, are called to minister to those very people. As many aim to “de-professionalize” the ministry, we are 14 TEXANONLINE.NET SEPTEMBER 3, 2014

praying for God to enable us to reach those around us who more often than not are professionals.

I began to wonder if this is a disconnect. Are there certain elements of professionalism that might be helpful to incorporate in ministry? Here are a possible few: Quality. A successful professional knows how to do things with a certain level of quality—a quality that his customers expect and a quality that speaks to his character. If he is going to do something, he is going to do it well.

If we are ambassadors for Christ, then shouldn’t we attempt to do the things we do to the best of our ability?

Yes, that means presenting quality ministry opportunities. Just because it is at the church doesn’t mean it has to be second-rate. That means the choir must rehearse. The preacher must try to eliminate the “umms” and “uhhhs” from his vocabulary. The tech team needs to proofread those slides just one more time before displaying typos for the whole congregation to see. Simply said, if we are going to do something, we need to do it well.

Appearance. This one is a touchy subject and will aggravate many, I’m certain. But it is undeniable.

Our appearance sends a message. We are in a time of “comfortable” church—“Come as you are …”—which many times means leaving as you were.

The professional understands his dress represents something greater than himself. It represents the thing for which he stands and those for whom he works. It conveys that he is serious about what he does. If he wears a suit and tie to the office because he understands the significance of selling auto-insurance, then what does it say about the way we view ministry when our “Sunday best” is a pair of cargo shorts and a V-neck?

Yet, appearance extends beyond our dress and into many facets of ministry. How about clean buildings and restrooms?

A neat, orderly office? Visually appealing slides and bulletins? How about mowed grass and weeded flowerbeds by the entrance? All for the glory of God? I think so.

Work Ethic. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard (and you have too!) that the pastor only works on Sundays, I would be driving a Lamborghini. This statement is often meant in jest—probably by the best-meaning of church members. Likely, we will never escape those who are convinced we don’t have a “real job.” But, on the other side of the coin, we don’t need to hand them any more ammunition. Our churches are full of people who work 8-5, who work overtime, who work nightshifts, who work second jobs. They are professionals, and they are doing what it takes to get the bills paid.

Pastor, don’t give them opportunity to think you don’t work as hard as they do. Don’t find reason to spend three days a week on the golf course. Don’t return emails four weeks later.

We are surrounded by people who are forced to operate in a world of deadlines, meetings and overbooked schedules. Ministry is certainly flexible, but let’s do all we can to avoid the appearance of taking advantage of our calling.

Time. Make the most of it. While Sunday is the crescendo of a minister’s week, it is still everyone else’s day off. If you commit to end your service at a certain time, don’t continually run late. (Certainly I am not saying the Holy Spirit cannot move. If you sense that is happening, by all means wait.) But 10 minutes of announcements might be a little overkill. Make

your services tight. When one person is done, have the next ready to go. Don’t waste people’s time. You might get your most serious members for three hours a week. Make that time count.

The list could go on and on. I am not advocating that the church be run as a business with the pastor as CEO. That model is dangerous and presents problems on many levels. But, the church consists of the redeemed, many of whom are professionals. Let’s conduct ourselves as ministers in a way that honors and exemplifies the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Scott Colter serves as a pastoral ministry assistant at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth and is in his final year of study for an Advanced Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This article first appeared at scottcolter.com.

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