VOL 5, ISSUE 3
SUMMER 2020
Serving Amid COVID See how churches and individuals are responding to the call to serve during the pandemic // pg 15
Annual Meeting to be Held Virtually
Race Relations and the Church
Missions Offering Changes Focus
Read about BGAV’s decision to meet virtually this November
Learn how the local church can take strides toward racial reconciliation
This year’s Alma Hunt Offering designated for COVID-19 projects
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THE DAY THE CHURCH WAS BORN by John Upton During this time of simultaneous crises, I find myself revisiting scripture because the moment offers fresh eyes with which to see familiar texts. One of those was the day the church was born. Let me share just a few of the interesting insights I have discovered in Acts 2.
JOHN UPTON is the Executive Director of the BGAV.
1. The Holy Spirit got hold of a group of Jesus followers and made them into a new kind of community that would come to be called church. The New Testament Greek word for church is ecclesia, which means, “those who are called out.” It dawned on me that word was both spiritual and literal. The Holy Spirit was a new wind blowing literally pushing them out of the house they were in. The Spirit took them out of the house into a waiting world full of opportunities. Truly, they were the “called out ones.”
...the Spirit is offering new opportunities, pushing us out, giving us new language, new power, and a new sense of being brothers and sisters with all people. behind him on foot from village to village. You heard him speak, and you witnessed the wonders he performed. Everyone spoke a similar language and were from the same general area. You helped where you could.
2. On that morning, the disciples heard a strange, loud noise—a violent blowing of the wind. They began to see something that looked a lot like fire in the place where they were. The fire divided like a light over each head and danced like a flame. Outside, the streets were filled with people from all over the world. There was even a man there from Africa—Ethiopia—who later would be joined by a long-time disciple. The Gospel from the beginning valued all people, all nations. From the beginning, the church has been multiracial, multicultural, and multilingual. Everyone in that crowd heard the voice of their own language speaking Good News. Today, many are hearing the Good News in the voice of their daily language of technology; they were just waiting for us to be called out.
Now, Jesus is physically gone, and you cannot walk behind him. Jesus knew this would be a challenge for his followers, so he told them to do something. He told them not to go back to where they came from. He told them to stay in the new place where they were. Stay here. They stayed, and they were astonished. A new Spirit descended upon them for a new kind of day. Leave your enclosures, go to strangers, share new ways. Men and women together proclaimed. Old and young were speaking. There were new outcomes, too. Three thousand from that diverse crowd said “yes” to this Good News and were baptized. It was a kind of drive-in church that first day.
3. There had been followers of Jesus prior to the day the church was born. What had it been like to be a follower of Jesus before this day? What is different now? Well, before this day you followed Jesus literally. You followed
4. The world changes, and the church creatively adapts. The church adapts in how we extend the love of Jesus. Can’t be in the sanctuary? Then get online, learn new platforms, use technology, and do it with all your heart. You lose a lot of what you cherish, but you also find yourself happily surprised by new gifts, new people joining in worship and prayer, new ideas of what ministry can be, and a renewed love of each other at church. So much of that first day the church was born feels like today. In an otherwise awful time, the Spirit is offering new opportunities, pushing us out, giving us new language, new power, and a new sense of being brothers and sisters with all people. We are being called to new ways of thinking, to a new sense of ourselves, to new imagination, to new ways of welcome, to new ways to bear witness. What a day! 2
See how churches and individuals are responding to the call to serve during the pandemic
Serving Amid COVID // pg 15 5 // BGAV News & Notes 6 // A Letter from the BGAV President 7 // Reflections from a Pastor & Crisis Care Chaplain During the COVID-19 Pandemic 9 // Students Connect at Virginia Tech BCM via Virtual Opportunities for Worship and Bible Study 10 // Making a Difference During COVID-19: Stories of BGAV Grants
12 // BGAV Partners Serving Refugees in a Time of Crisis 15 // Serving Christ Amid COVID 16 // What Can Churches Do to Overcome Racial Injustice? 19 // Latest Ministry Jobs 20 // Annual Offering Meets Real Needs in Real Time: This Year’s Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions
BGAV Advancing the Kingdom Together
ISSN 2573-5101 (print) ISSN 2573-511X (online)
A publication of the Baptist General Association of Virginia Volume 5, Issue 3 Summer 2020 BGAV Express is published quarterly by the Baptist General Association of Virginia, 2828 Emerywood Parkway, Henrico, VA 23294.
Send subscription requests and address changes to: Jennifer Law jennifer.law@bgav.org 800.255.2428, ext. 1223 BGAV Express Baptist General Association of Virginia 2828 Emerywood Parkway Henrico, VA 23294 toll-free 800.255.2428 Or visit BGAV.org/Express.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John V. Upton, Jr. BGAV EXPRESS EDITOR: Jennifer Law ART DIRECTOR: Meghan Wilson
THE BGAV’S SEMINARY PARTNER FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION Northern Seminary delivers accessible, affordable theological education to students in Virginia via interactive live-streaming classes and local cohort gatherings. • Learn how to exegete your local context and lead your church wherever you live • Complete your degree entirely from home • Scholarships for students from BGAV churches • Access to veterans benefits at home or deployed
seminary.edu/virginia
NEWS + NOTES BGAV Executive Board Announces Changes to Upcoming 2020 Annual Meeting
Event Calendar July
The Virginia Baptist Executive Board, President, and Officers of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) have decided to make the 2020 annual meeting of the BGAV a virtual meeting, deferring all matters of business to next year’s annual meeting, which will take place November 16-17, 2021. This year’s virtual meeting will take place November 9–10, 2020. There were numerous reasons for this decision and its timing. Making an immediate decision allowed for conversations to take place with the Hampton Roads Convention Center and for consideration of available potential dates for our 2021 meeting to be rescheduled there. Some of the concerns were as follows: • It is unclear if a thousand-person gathering will be permissible in November • Whether social distancing is possible/feasible for the breakout sessions, exhibition area, main meeting area, hallway traffic, restrooms, etc. • Many people who attend the annual meeting are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and the BGAV wants to make a responsible decision on their behalf • Many churches may not have the resources to send messengers to the annual gathering, reducing the participation of churches in the decision-making process of the BGAV The Parliamentarian, Beth Fogg, was consulted for an interpretation of the BGAV Constitution/Bylaws. We decided that the Executive Board was the best body to make this decision, given that it is the BGAV in recess, and it includes all the officers of the BGAV. Since there are no provisions in the Constitution for electronic voting at this time, all business items must be deferred until the next annual meeting, on November 16-17, 2021. The Constitution states that all officers will remain in office until their replacements have been elected. Also, the Executive Board members and all committees will remain in place. The BGAV will declare this a bonus year to keep rotations on schedule.
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Independence Day Partnership Missions: Thursday Reflections on our Worldview (Part 2) For Coaches: Empower Coaching Monthly Coaches’ Conversation
August 3 4
Ministry Equipping Network: The Family of God Ministry Equipping Network: The Role of The Church Treasurer, Giving, Spending, and Saving 8 Ministry Equipping Network: Developmental Ages and Stages 15 Ministry Equipping Network: Bible Study Basics 18 Ministry Equipping Network: Managing Your Financial Records 20 For Coaches: Empower Coaching Monthly Coaches’ Conversation 21–22 AAFVA Preaching Camp, Raleigh, NC 24–26 Empower Class 501: Building Blocks for Powerful Coaching
Complete list of events at BGAV.org/Events
Green
The Executive Board makes this announcement to enable SHOOTS the Program Committee Isaiah 43:19 of the BGAV to shift their planning to prepare for a virtual gathering of celebration and worship. Already amazing plans are shaping up for the meeting, and those will be announced soon. As each church has adjusted to this COVID-19 world in which we now live, so the BGAV will adjust with enthusiasm and creativity. The Program Committee is seeking ways to make this meeting available to all churches, including those where internet access is challenging. Visit Meeting.BGAV.org for details about this year’s meeting. For more BGAV news, visit BGAV.org/News 5
A LETTER FROM THE BGAV PRESIDENT by Adam Tyler
ADAM TYLER is the 2020 BGAV President.
On July 16, I will turn 38. Far more importantly, my daughter Phoebe will turn 1 year old. A year ago, in the early morning hours of my 37th birthday, my wife gave birth to our second child. What a moment that was! Since that incredible day, so much has happened that we never would have foreseen, and as we prepare for our first joint birthday celebration, we are pondering what it means to rejoice on a birthday with family and friends when we are restricted and leery of gathering. And, of course, the most important question: how do you blow out candles through a face mask?
for many. COVID-19 has sent shockwaves through our local, state, national, and global consciousnesses. Churches are among the many social organizations who have had to cease physical gathering for a time, and even now are gingerly approaching regathering with new safeguards and cautions in place. Some of our churches may be mourning the deaths of members to the COVID virus, and even as we rejoice with brothers and sisters who have recovered, we hold them close in prayer, because there may be complications from their illness. We have been mourning with others in this era of Coronavirus, as we should.
Despite the difficulties, we will take time to celebrate, and we already have heard from many family and friends who will celebrate with us in some manner, even if it is physically distant. Why? Because they want to rejoice with us in our times of joy. We want to rejoice with them as well. And in times of sorrow, of fear, of anxiety, we want to walk with them and they with us. We do this out of love, and so do they. And I can tell you, having the support of friends in good times and in bad makes a world of difference.
Likewise, we have been in mourning these past weeks and months for the continued concerns surrounding racism and equality in our country. Though the problem is nothing new—systemic racism has been part of the U.S. culture since before the nation existed—a recent spate of unjust murders of fellow Americans has driven it back into our awareness, if we were ever privileged enough to forget it for a time. We mourn with our black brothers and sisters as they cry out for justice, for dignity, and for equality. This, too, is right for the people of God to do in this time of loss and pain.
In Romans 12:15, Paul tells the Roman church, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” It is his instruction to us, as well…and it is a word we need this summer. It’s fairly easy—not always, but most of the time—to rejoice with those who are rejoicing. But 2020 has been a year of mourning
May we rejoice with those who rejoice. May we mourn with those who mourn. May we be people who stand in solidarity with all who are in need—for there, we will find Jesus himself.
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REFLECTIONS // by Richard Sandberg
FROM A PASTOR & CRISIS CARE CHAPLAIN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
April 28, 2020 // In the midst of the greatest crisis that has occurred in our lifetime, I have been so proud to see the BGAV leading the way in helping our churches make an impact in local communities like mine. As a chaplain with the BGAV Crisis Care team, I have had the opportunity to not only help distribute food at the Louisa County Resource Council to those in need (funded in part by a BGAV COVID-19 grant) but also to pray with many of them. When I asked how I could pray, I spoke to a dad who had just lost his job, a mom whose son was sick, a nurse who was concerned about infection, a grandparent who was struggling to raise her grandkids, a senior whose brother had just committed suicide, and a little boy who asked me to pray his mom wouldn’t die like his dad had a few years ago.
boy said, “I’m scared. I don’t want my mother to die like my dad did.” In shock I stared at the little boy as he began to tell me how his father had heart issues several years ago and died unexpectedly. His mother sat in the front seat silently, and I could see her eyes welling up. Silently I asked God to help me hold it together, and I began to pray. I prayed that God would protect them, to help him not to be afraid, and to trust the God who loves him. After the prayer, the look on his face changed as if he had just accepted by faith that God was going to protect his mother. He had a big smile when his mother thanked me for the prayer and invited us to come see them sometime at their restaurant. That day I was reminded once again that what we were there to give was a lot more than food. We were offering hope in the midst of fear.
One story I’d like to share demonstrates how much this crisis has turned people’s hearts towards the hope that we have. Last week I looked up and knew something was wrong because our security officer pulled a car from the regular pickup line. A little while later the car came back. Immediately the security officer was on alert and approached the car, thinking there would be an impending confrontation. He motioned me over and asked if I could speak with the woman in the car. As a chaplain, I have had the opportunity to bring calm to other tense situations and diffuse hostility with a smile and kind word. When I approached the window, I was surprised at what came next. She said her daughter had been through the line earlier in the day and I had prayed with her. It meant so much to her that she had called her mother to tell her. When the mother heard that, she turned her car around. Even with ice cream and grandkids in the back, she wasn’t going to miss out on being prayed for. What started with anger and hostility earlier in the day ended with a sense of release, comfort, and joy that you could see in her eyes. This is one story of many that I could share of the impact that is being made for the kingdom of God. Thank you, BGAV, for partnering with us as we offer help at our community’s point of need and hope in Jesus’ name.
May 14, 2020 // As crisis care chaplains, our focus is often on the “victims” we have been sent to minister to. I am often reminded, however, that our ministry to the responders is just as important. Since all this began, there has been one volunteer I see every time I go to serve. As a retired cop, he serves as a security officer for our community food pantry; and as you might expect, he sometimes has a gruff exterior. There have been moments over the past few months where things have gotten a little intense, and some moments where I kind of wondered if he liked me very much. Through it all, I decided that I was determined to just be patient, shrug off tension, and go out of my way to show I cared. Today was a little slower than most, which gave the volunteers a little more time to talk between cars. In the void he mentioned that his daughter, a manager at a nursing home who has been devastated with the virus, is waiting for results to see if she is sick. When I walked over to ask him if I could pray for her, he said, “What I didn’t tell everyone else is that I am in a dark place. I had to put my mother in a nursing home, and it’s killing me. I can tell I’m taking it out on my wife, and I know I’m struggling, but I don’t know how to get out of it.” I listened, shared a few words of encouragement, and we prayed. Nothing I said magically made the weight of his burdens go away, but I hope he felt a sense of release in speaking them out loud and a sense of comfort to know that others cared. The world is looking for helpers, but we should always remember that the helpers need help too.
May 11, 2020 // Most of my ministry as a crisis care chaplain has been to adults, but we should never forget the toll disasters like these take on children. I recall two moms that pulled up to the food pantry who were managers at a local restaurant with their kids in the back. When I see kids, I often try to ask about where they go to school, as my wife is a fourth-grade teacher in the area. Most of the time the kids are shy and let their mothers answer, but not today. A boy in about first grade (the age of my son) piped up and started to talk about his school, his teacher, and what he missed while away. He was so anxious to retain my attention that he practically climbed over the back of his mom’s seat so he knew I could see his face and so he could see I was listening. I spent the next few minutes listening as he talked as fast as he could get the words out when I knew it was getting close to time for their groceries to come out and the next car would need to pull up. So as I always do, I turned to the ladies and asked if there was any way I could pray for them and their families. Without skipping a beat the
Some days ministry is fun. Other days you have to choose to have joy when it doesn’t come naturally like those days it is cold and rainy, when your back is hurting, and especially when the people you are serving don’t always appreciate your sacrifice. I recall one day when a woman drove up the wrong direction in the pickup line. Our security officer asked her to turn around, and she didn’t see or hear him. He finally got her attention, but by that point his 7
urgency to protect everyone had definitely rubbed her the wrong way. When she circled back around, I walked up with a smile from ear to ear and introduced myself with all the enthusiasm I could muster. This immediately took her off guard. I knew she was ready to blast the first person she spoke to, but I could tell it was hard for her to yell at someone who was smiling. She started to lower her tone while attempting to complain about how she was stopped. I continued to smile, nod my head, and affirm her until she stopped in her sentence and asked, “Do you always smile like that?” “A lot of times I can’t help it,” I replied, “because it is a joy to show our love for God as we serve our community. While our team is getting your groceries, I was wondering if there is any way I can pray for you and your family.” At this point she just looked dumbfounded. She knew I had heard the words that had just come out of her mouth a few minutes before, but my joy wasn’t a fake or forced kind. I knew I could rejoice in serving God and loving her on her bad day no matter how she treated us. Suddenly all her defenses dropped and she said, Yes…my son is in the hospital and was just diagnosed with COVID, and I would love it if you would pray for him.” As she left that day with a smile, I was reminded that you never know what is going on in someone’s life when you encounter them on one of their worst days. When life squeezes us, the world sees what is truly inside. As Christians filled with the Spirit of God, we have the most contagious thing in the world… joy.
are in our county, or the latest death toll or unemployment rate, but we sometimes forget about the silent enemies many face… depression, loneliness, and a loss of hope. When I ask people how I can pray for them as they wait for their groceries at the food pantry, I expect people to ask for prayers for protection, healing for family members, or daily provision, but one request took me off guard. An old truck had pulled up with an elderly gentleman inside. He was wearing his navy cap, and I knew this frail and aging man had seen more than his fair share of tragedy. I thanked him for his service and asked how I could pray for him. He said, “Last week my brother committed suicide. I guess he just didn’t feel like there was anything left to live for. As a family it is hard to even grieve, because we can’t even have a funeral.” I could see in his eyes the look of loneliness and quiet desperation he was describing in his brother. I listened, and we prayed. As he was driving off ,I prayed that he would not fall to the same foe his brother had. This man’s brother was a casualty of a war that has an enemy we can’t see. It is a battle that is fought with compassion and hope. You my not think that you are in the front lines because you aren’t a doctor, but when you pray, reach out, and encourage, you are bringing a voice to a silent enemy that is rarely counted but has claimed too many. Richard Sandberg is Senior Pastor at Louisa Baptist Church and also serves as a BGAV Crisis Care Chaplain.
May 16, 2020 // In the middle of a pandemic, much of our focus is on the enemy we can see. Many of us could say how many cases
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laughter and a little nervousness that this will all work out. We set up our computers and waited. As the time grew near, students began to log in, and chatter filled the virtual room. Our hearts were warmed to see over 90 students excitedly connecting over Zoom, filling the otherwise darkened building with the sound of excited voices. There was something wildly purposeful about these faces on a screen; spirits were being uplifted, burdens were being borne, and we were being reminded of the power and transcendence of the gospel that is untouched and unaffected by COVID-19. It was a light in what felt like ever-increasing darkness.
Students Connect at Virginia Tech BCM via Virtual Opportunities for Worship and Bible Study // by Scott Anderson Will students be interested in meeting online? What if our students become disengaged? What will this do to our ministry? These are some of the questions that raced through my mind as we began to realize that college ministry would no longer be an in-person activity for the foreseeable future. Our 50 newly minted student leaders had not signed up for digital Bible studies. Questions and uncertainties abounded as we began to realize the realities of COVID-19.
We also took up this format for our Bible studies. Before COVID-19 reared its head, 44 student leaders had agreed to lead small groups; now they would be doing so over Zoom. Much to our joy, our students were up for the challenge, and we worked together to consider what it might look like to create biblical community over the internet. As it turns out, students are creative: they host joint online games, watch movies together online, do show-and-tell over Zoom, and much more. To our surprise, we have had at least 100 students participate in Bible study for each of these past six weeks. We are amazed at what the Lord has done!
Amidst these concerns, we got back to basics: we prayed for God’s guidance and started calling people. We touched base to hear about ruined plans, fears, loneliness, and frustration. We listened, counseled, and offered our friendship. We quickly realized that though we could not gather, our roles as ministers had not changed in the sense that we needed to be spiritual guides in what feels a lot like exile to many of these college students. So, with many questions on our minds, we stepped into the world of digital worship services and Bible studies.
We also had to be creative in some of our other outlets of ministry. We were primed to host “Engaged Couples Weekend” this April. This weekend, aimed at premarital counseling, typically involves a warm, friendly gathering at Darrell Cook’s house with food, fellowship, coffee, and teaching sessions for marital preparation. Instead, led by Darrell, we recorded the teaching sessions beforehand and hosted a follow-up discussion over the course of a Friday night and Saturday morning for the nine couples involved.
I won’t bore you with the details of setting up for a digital worship service, but suffice it to say that it takes a village (a very small village, with less than 10 people, of course). We moved our stage backdrop to about 10 feet in front of our sound booth, and some alumni helped set up lights, sound, and a camera. Instead of using YouTube or Facebook Live, we decided to host our service over Zoom to allow for interaction amongst the students and for breakout room options. We planned a simple service of musical worship, a short teaching, and breakout questions for students to answer in smaller groups, and we prayed for minimal technical difficulties.
Now this is not to say that everything has gone perfectly. We have had times when technical difficulties didn’t resolve until moments before the service. We have had tons of audio problems and more awkward moments than I care to remember. But all in all, we are making the most of a bad situation, and the Lord is showing once again that he is the Redeemer who makes beauty out of ashes.
It’s eerie showing up for a worship service where only six people are present. There is no buzz in the air, no atmosphere, just some
No one thinks any of this is ideal; we would, of course, much rather be hugging one another, shaking the hands of newcomers, and watching Bible study groups eat brownies and play train wreck. But for now, this is what it looks like for us to be adaptive–not because we wanted to prop up our programs–but because these students, like everyone else, need one another in order to be stirred up to love and good works (Heb. 11:25). At the end of the day, if we’ve offered space to connect with one another and the Lord, guided by God’s word and God’s Spirit, we have lived out our calling. May we all seek to be creative and in step with the Spirit during these hard times. Scott Anderson is Associate Baptist Collegiate Minister at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.
Scott Anderson leads an online worship service for Virginia Tech BCM students during Spring 2020. 9
MAKING A
DIFFERENCE DURING COVID-19 STORIES OF BGAV GRANTS As an immediate response to COVID-19, the BGAV made $100,000 available to congregations in order to assist them in reaching the most vulnerable people in their communities affected by the pandemic. In early May, the BGAV became aware of the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund, which is a grant offered by the Community Foundation of Greater Richmond. Knowing that there were still churches in the central Virginia area seeking funds to reach their communities, the BGAV applied for and received $25,000 to distribute to churches located within the region. We hope to reapply for another grant in the near future as these funds are distributed. We are excited to partner with yet another group that has a concern for its community and can assist us in reaching them.
Elk Creek Baptist Church Louisa, VA by Mickey Robertson First, on behalf of Elk Creek Baptist Church, Goshen Association, and the community of Louisa, allow me to express my gratitude to the Community Foundation of Greater Richmond’s Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund, administered by the BGAV, for the recent grant of $1,000 to battle hunger during this crisis. It has taken more than local efforts to fill the many voids showing up in the wake of this virus. Regional partners have filled the gaps as well, and this case is proof. We applied for the grant for the Resource Council of Louisa County’s Food Bank. It has continued to function through the crisis. The needs it addresses are critical. In an average week, hundreds of people have their food needs covered through the generosity of businesses, of civic foundations, and the generous donation of time by volunteers. Twelve hundred people a month would normally visit the food bank, having been already cleared by the county for need. From the month of March, need has grown by 25%. The 1,500 or so people the past few months who have depended on the Food Bank represent around 15% of the county’s total population. Situated between three cities— Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, and Richmond—the need in rural Louisa stands out. As a chaplain for the Sheriff’s Office, I see on every ride-along the crying need firsthand. When we hand out gifts to people in need at Christmas, our church is always overwhelmed by someone they come into contact with who needs help. There is a handful of our members who have donned masks and gloves for months now and witnessed firsthand the explosion of need.
Elk Creek Baptist Church partnered with the Resource Council of Louisa County’s Food Bank to serve over 1,500 people in their local community since March 2020. The Food Bank is facing a money problem by the end of July. Part of that centered around a program that feeds children-funding for which was due to run out at the end of June. We offered the grant money to continue the program. With it, the Food Bank can feed 400 children through Labor Day, as they can buy in bulk at 19 cents per dollar. The gift will therefore allow them to bridge the gap until (hopefully) schools start up again and their programs can help fill the need.
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From all of us at Elk Creek, and I know expressing the gratitude of the Food Bank and the surrounding community, we say once again thanks for being there in such a harsh time.
Kilmarnock Baptist Church Kilmarnock, VA by Marty Sutherland Kilmarnock Baptist Church Food Pantry has seen a 20% increase in number clients since March. Thanks to the grant received from BGAV, the food pantry (which relies on donations) has been able to procure at least an additional 1,000 pounds of food from the Food Bank each month and expects to continue for the next few months. The food pantry instituted a drive-thru food pantry in March to meet the social distancing guidelines and expects to continue that process for the near-term. Although we all miss the more personal interaction with clients coming into the church’s fellowship hall to talk and also select many of the foods available, the clients along with the 25 volunteers feel that the drive-thru process is the best solution during these difficult times. In addition, our local library has partnered with us to provide “activity bags” for children of our clients. The bags include small books, coloring pages, and crayons.
Food pantry volunteers serve drive-thru visitors at Kilmarnock Baptist Church.
Kilmarnock Baptist Church is blessed for the grant you provided. The ability to provide additional food to our clients during this time is very much appreciated!
Arise RVA Church Richmond, VA by Jeremy Chambers Since the grant for $1000 to be used for food has been approved, I want to share a bit about how some of the house churches are using the funds we already have and how they intend to use some of these additional funds! 1. They are purchasing food stuffs and toiletries for some young immigrant families with babies. 2. They are purchasing groceries for some individuals who are directly effected by this crisis (loss of jobs, etc.). 3. The one food pantry (for those in need) was low and they are filling it up! 4. One community has an unusual number of people who were laid off recently; that community is providing small meals to send out to the individuals day by day (someone is driving the food to them).
Members of Arise RVA gather during Summer 2019. Many of these members volunteered at the Arise RVA food pantry in response to COVID-19 needs. I had a fearful friend who warned me to “leave the city due to this crisis; save yourself!” But why would we leave all those who we love so much and who are lost and hurting? We are here because Jesus is at work in this place, and God has called us to serve and love those around us! This is exactly where we need to be! Praise the Lord!
I keep getting more reports of how the house churches are springing to action! What an incredible time when the church is able to rise up and bless people and show the love of Jesus, the hands of Jesus, and the feet of Jesus in action! The beautiful thing is that these actions have also opened doors for prayers and words of encouragement and the direct sharing of the gospel in certain circumstances!
For more information, visit BGAV.org/COVID 11
BGAV Partners
Serving Refugees in a Time of Crisis by Will Cumbia It’s astonishing how quickly the world can change. Looking back, it is almost difficult to remember what the world looked like before the COVID-19 crisis. In only a matter of months, our reality has completely changed along with any certainty of what the future may look like. Though the present circumstances are very different, much of our global experience sounds familiar to me: disruption, displacement, fear, distance, uncertainty, pain, innovation, prayer. These are the themes that run consistently through the stories of refugees with whom I have the privilege to interact. The rest of the world is only now getting a taste of the reality of the world’s millions of displaced people.
through the crisis to distribute food and hygiene materials to vulnerable refugees and other marginalized groups within Lebanon. Though there were relatively few cases reported within refugee communities, the squalid conditions within which many refugees live exposes the inability to contain the virus should it spread.
In these difficult days, we have much to learn from refugees. Many refugees have had to live creatively and innovatively for years in order to survive. Faced with constant uncertainty and no promise of security, safety, or health, refugees have had to build up incredible stores of resilience. For many refugees, this resilience is drawn from deep wells of faith and prayer. Refugees around the world hold profound wisdom that testify to the tenacity of the human spirit when faced with hardship.
While public health remains an important area of concern, it is the economic repercussions of the global pandemic that presses more heavily on the Lebanese. Before the health crisis hit, Lebanon was already experiencing one of its worst economic crises in decades, including widespread unemployment. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the situation, causing the value of the Lebanese pound to plummet and prices for goods to skyrocket. These developments will continue to especially impact refugees and other vulnerable people as the purchasing power of what little they have decreases.
Yet, refugees, especially those recently displaced and on the way, are particularly vulnerable in this time of global pandemic. BGAV’s focus:refugees mission partners are continuing to tirelessly serve refugees even in the midst of crisis.
The next months will be extraordinarily challenging for our brothers and sisters in Lebanon. Yet, they continue to ground their hope in a resurrected king, trust in God’s grace, and remain steadfast in serving and uplifting the least of these. For the Lebanese Baptists, dark days are an opportunity for Christ’s Church to shine brighter.
Lebanon: A Crisis Within a Crisis
The Lebanese Baptists are accustomed to trusting God in the middle of uncertain circumstances. From 15 years of civil war to foreign occupation to hosting millions of Syrian refugees to recent mass government protests and economic crisis, the COVID-19 crisis is just the latest occurrence in a string of challenging circumstances. Indeed, the Lebanese Baptists are well practiced in trusting in God as their constant no matter how difficult the reality.
Croatia: Shaken Foundations
At 6:30am on March 22, 2020, Croatia was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake. Only days into government ordered lockdown, the country was rattled. Even in the midst of crisis, the Croatian Baptists doubled down on their mission of preventing human suffering and serving those in need. While travel across the border into neighboring Bosnia was limited, this meant serving the elderly in their community and caring for refugees in a refugee housing center in Zagreb. Though COVID-19 has been
During the lockdown, Baptists did their best to continue to serve their communities through the work of the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development (LSESD). MERATH, the relief and aid branch of LSESD continues to work tirelessly 12
back in their home country, but scattered along the way. I know one man that has family in Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Greece, Germany, and Sweden, most of whom he has not seen in years. Digital contact was already crucial to survival. COVID-19 has made these distance relationships even more challenging as refugees have had to watch situations unfold from afar, especially where the virus hit hard, such as Iran. Many lost friends and loved ones. While in-person community is still limited in Austria, the Austrian Baptists have worked hard to maintain connection and community for refugees in the time of crisis, through weekly digital church services, digital Bible studies, and check-in calls. However, as many churches are realizing, though digital contact with communities is a gift, it has its limitations. As society slowly begins to reopen, the Austrian Baptists will face many challenges in caring for refugees whose already precarious mental health situations have worsened by the added stress and isolation of the global pandemic.
Clockwise from left: Lebanese Baptist volunteers distribute food aid (photo courtesy of LSESD); Church services have resumed in Austria, but with masks and limited capacity (photo courtesy of projekt:gemeinde);Elzis Džafić from Croatian Baptist Aid buys supplies to support refugees in Bosnia.
Richmond, VA: Serving Refugees at Home
a challenge within Croatia, the situation of refugees across the border in Bosnia is dire.
While our Baptist partners abroad work hard to serve refugees, Virginians at home are working diligently to serve refugees in this time as well. ReEstablish Richmond, our non-religious nonprofit partner in central Virginia, continues to connect resettled refugees to relevant resources and support refugees so they can thrive in their new homes. ReEstablish moved some of their regular trainings online, such as virtual driver education courses, provided emergency rent assistance to those who lost wages, and compiled a wealth of online resources and translated information to ensure that refugees can stay up to date on the COVID-19 situation. The ReEstablish Richmond staff and networks of volunteers continue to advocate for recently resettled refugees and ensure that they are as well equipped as possible to face the unfolding crisis. ReEstablish Richmond’s annual World Refugee Day events will consist of a series of virtual events to connect their clients and the larger Richmond community to resources, cultural activities, and storytelling.
Croatian Baptists shared in an update that migrants and refugees in Bosnia “…are faced with serious barriers in access to basic aid, as well as a limbo in the justice department, unfavorable socioeconomic status, not knowing the language, and a lack of cultural knowledge which is key to understanding the predicament they are in. All this makes their situation alarming.” Croatian Baptists are working tirelessly to address the needs of refugees inside and outside camps in Bosnia, especially through setting up adequate hygiene centers. Though they are working tirelessly, they are at risk of burnout as COVID-19 has led to a severe lack of volunteers and human resources to address the magnitude of the situation. Toma Magda, director of Croatian Baptist Aid, reflected on the situation, saying, “With this ministry, with the acts of mercy we do and show in various situations, we are allowing God to use us in the building of his Kingdom on earth. Even though we are faced with challenges from all sides, we are grateful for the opportunity to be hand in hand with our Lord, sharing his yoke and his burden.”
The next months and even years will be challenging for the world as we recover from this crisis. However, the challenges are even greater for refugees and those who were already in precarious situations before the pandemic. BGAV partners are ensuring that refugees are not forgotten in this difficult time. Though we are not able to physically connect with our partners abroad at this time, there are a host of digital ways to connect with the important work that our brothers and sisters are doing to minister to refugees in their contexts. Learn more about the needs and challenges of each context here and how you can prayerfully and financially support our partners.
Austria: Distance and Patience
For many refugees in Austria, prolonged waiting is simply a fact of life. From the first instance of applying for asylum in Austria, refugees can wait up to three to four years before hearing a definitive answer about their asylum status. COVID-19 has already delayed this process even further as asylum hearings have been delayed or even canceled. Community then is vital to survive in this in-between space.
Will Cumbia is BGAV’s Field Coordinator for the focus:refugees missions partnership.
For most refugees, building virtual community was already a fact of life before COVID-19. Many refugees not only have family
For more information, visit BGAV.org/FocusRefugees 13
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Responses printed as received.
“The Franklin County Baptist Disaster Response Team emptied its disaster response trailer of all the usable supplies it contained and donated it to the Carilion Clinic (Roanoke Memorial and Franklin Memorial Hospitals). The donated items included N-95 and surgical masks, hazmat suits, and other items needed to help fight the COVID-19 virus.” - Doris Morgan Franklin County Baptist Disaster Response Team Pastor Tom Stocks holds a sign during Bon Air Baptist Church’s drive-through Easter parade in Richmond, VA.
With the help of the Lynchburg and the Appomattox Baptist associations, Glenn Memorial Baptist Church in Prospect, VA has increased resources for its food ministry, The Red Truck Ministry, to help the local community during the pandemic.
“One way I have found to minister to my congregation is by making drive-by visits. I simply drive to a church member’s house and make a visit from a distance. I don’t go in, and I don’t touch anyone. Sometimes I leave a gift (like strawberries) on their doorstep and then call them and tell them I have left them a gift. My church family appreciates the visits. I feel connected to my congregation while being safe.” - Jerry Stanfield Childrey Baptist Church Nathalie, VA
Serving Amid COVID See how churches and individuals are responding to the call to serve during the pandemic
“Our church is a small-town church, but in the present time, we are possibly reaching more people than ever in different ways. Quickly ramping up our online presence has been a learning experience for our staff and leaders, but worth the effort to keep our ministry functioning in worship, faith formation, and outreach. Our reach and engagements on Facebook have increased nearly 6000% and 3800%, respectively.” - Jonathan Davis Beale Memorial Baptist Church Tappahannock, VA WMU ladies at First Virginia Baptist Church in Springfield, VA, pulled together to make masks and meals. Those masks and meals were provided 15 to local senior adults and medical staff.
“[In March 2020], we created an interactive Prayer Fence outside our church for the community to write prayers on ribbons and tie on the fence.” - Charles Cook Cook Memorial Baptist Church Pineville, WV
“Twenty-five percent of our church family has suffered either loss of their income completely or partial decrease in income. We spent the first week [in March 2020] grabbing grocery orders and delivering them, filled the fuel tanks of a few family vehicles, etc.” - Dan Magan The Well Church of Nelson Lovingston, VA
Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Glen Allen, VA, held weekly drive-in services since May 2020. The service was also streamed live through social media and the church website.
WHAT CAN CHURCHES DO TO OVERCOME
RACIAL INJUSTICE?
This article grew out of a video conference with NorthStar Church Network in early June 2020. I was asked to lead a session on the theme “What Churches Can Do to Overcome Racial Injustice.”
1. One of the first steps for churches is to help the congregation understand what is meant by racial injustice. If we can’t define something, we will not be able to identify or rectify it. There are times when we may see racial injustice but may ignore it, because we are not sensitized to perceive it for what it is.
As I have personally observed and talked with several pastors in Virginia and around the country, there is a recurring response about what is going on: “This seems different.” This moment that we are in—where racial injustice is the focal point—just seems different.
A simple definition of racial injustice is “when an individual or group, because of their race, is mistreated by someone of another race. Racial injustice is evident when one is treated unfairly with disparity, when compared with the treatment of others of a different race.” 2. Racial injustice shows up in racial profiling, when someone is judged to be a criminal, inferior, or treated with suspicion simply because of the color of their skin. Racial injustice shows up in employment discrimination when someone is denied a job, denied a promotion, or not paid equitably when compared to their counterparts of another race. 3. We see racial injustice in prison sentencing when people of color receive longer jail and prison sentences for the same or similar offenses as others of a different race. Racial injustice is observed in the manner of treatment when people of color are arrested. Observations are that people of color are treated more harshly with more verbal, physical, and emotional abuse than their white counterparts. 4. The placement of abortion clinics in urban centers where there are heavy concentrations of African-American and Hispanic people results in a higher number of abortions in those communities. While African Americans represent 13% of the population, they represent 36% of all abortions (according to the CDC, 2015). Since 1973, 19 million black babies have been aborted. It is often thought that the placement of abortion clinics in urban centers is a deliberate modern-day genocide of black and brown people. 5. We see racial injustice when one’s race is used as a weapon against them. You may have seen the video of the black man in New York City who asks a white woman to put her dog on a leash—consistent with the leash law for that area of Central Park. She refuses and is captured on video calling 911 to say falsely that a black man is attacking her. This is a classic example of weaponizing one’s color to falsely accuse them of a crime. A system of racial injustice creates an environment where one’s color is used to assert a plausible threat when there is none, thus potentially jeopardizing the life of the person of color. Some people might ask why is this important? Why are we still talking about racism and racial injustice? In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (in Letter from Birmingham Jail): “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are
I believe the response is different because it is as if God allowed the whole world to be shut down for such a time as this. We are not distracted with our own personal agendas. We are not distracted with sports, parties, school, work, shopping, vacations, and a host of other things that normally capture our attention. So when the video of the death of George Floyd was broadcast around the world, the harsh reality could not be ignored. It gripped our attention like never before. It is different because this time it not only gripped the black community, but moreover, it has gripped the white community. The white community has largely been repulsed and disgusted with the lack of human dignity shown to George Floyd. I believe the white community has felt the emotional trauma, pain, and disgust like never before. This time I see that our white brothers and sisters and our black brothers and sisters are linking arms together to declare unequivocally that racism is wrong, and we will not tolerate it anymore. Now let me say a word about law enforcement. There are many men and women who serve in law enforcement who are good and decent people. They do their jobs well. I have several law enforcement personnel who are members of Antioch, and they proudly protect and serve. However, law enforcement agencies are not exempt from persons who go too far in policing to the point where people are abused, harassed, and even killed. Those cases get highlighted, as they should, in order to bring about fair and equitable policing in all communities. I respect law enforcement, and when I dial 911 I am glad they respond quickly to protect and serve. I encourage law enforcement as they examine their history and practices to make necessary improvements. Here are some of the suggestions I shared during the NorthStar briefing. I do not profess to have all the answers; no one does. But I hope this may stimulate discussions that generate other ideas for churches to consider. Each church community is different, so their needs and responses will be different.
BY MARSHAL AUSBERRY
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caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” We keep talking about racial injustice because it is increasingly showing up in the day-to-day lives of black Americans, to their detriment.
One of the biggest errors when it comes to racism in the U.S. lies at the doorstep of the church. When we investigate the history of the church in this country, we discover that there was a deafening silence when it came to racial injustice. Most churches were strong proponents of slavery and strongly embraced and perpetuated racism. If the pulpits were embracing racism, it was lived out by those in the pews.
What can churches do?
Currently, I serve as the First Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) which was founded in 1845. The SBC was largely founded out of the regrettable position defending missionaries owning slaves. The church was either silent on this issue or overtly endorsed slavery. The ills of the church were perpetuated by men like George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards, who both condoned and owned enslaved persons. The church even propagated the lie that blacks were inferior to whites and incorrectly used the Bible to justify it.
PRAY We are a praying people. It is always a good time to pray. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he is consistently found engaged in prayer. If Jesus is often praying, then you and I should also be engaged in prayer. We should pray individually, and we should pray together.
I believe that much of the racial injustice we endure now is the result of the ungodly positions of the church back then. We are still recovering from the vestiges of slavery, racism, oppression, and hate toward people of color because the church was silent.
We should pray for God to help us identify and confront racial injustice. We should ask God to show us in our own lives where we have contributed knowingly or unknowingly to racial injustice. We should repent of our own personal sin of racial injustice. We should pray for God would to give us a heart like his—that the things that grieve God would also grieve us. We should pray for those who are disadvantaged and mistreated because of the color of their skin.
In 2020 God’s church can no longer remain silent. I believe that God is challenging the Church to preach and proclaim that we are all equal in God’s sight no matter the hue of one’s skin. The church must preach that racism is sin and the church will no longer wink at the sin of racism.
We should pray that God would break our hearts as Christians so we would be more aware, more sensitive to the mistreatment of those around us.
When it comes to overcoming the ills of racial injustice, I believe the church is the last best hope for America. God has given us a sacred duty at such a time as this to preach the truth like never before in order to transform the world around us.
We should pray for an end to racism in our country. We must bring the power of heaven to our earthly situation. We need God to help eliminate racial injustice in our nation. In addition to prayer, we need to engage the power of the pulpit in preaching.
We must preach that racial injustice is sin and that the church will no longer tolerate that sin.
PERSONAL CONVICTION
PREACH
No matter what anyone else does, make a personal conviction that as far as you and your household are concerned, you will not tolerate racial injustice. I encourage you to model intolerance of racial injustice in your home and church. When you see racial injustice do not remain silent and do not simply go along to get along. To borrow a phrase, “If you see something, say something!”
There is power in the pulpit. Holy Spirit-filled preaching will bring about transformation. Powerful preaching brings about transformation in our personal lives, in our marriages, in our parenting, and in many other areas of our lives. Through powerful preaching we also have an opportunity to effect change in the hearts of those in the pews. God has called us to preach the full counsel of the Bible. The pulpits of the U.S. must not be silent. The pulpits must not repeat the mistakes of the past; that is the mistake of silence. The pulpits must loudly and unequivocally declare that racism is wrong! Racism inside and outside the church is wrong. The pulpit is the platform from which the prophetic message is to be declared to the world.
For example, if you are in a private group and someone tells a racially offensive joke, just don’t laugh, instead address it. Share that their comments are offensive. Don’t stay in the group, make an exit—and tell them the reason you are exiting. This kind of response may seem small and insignificant, but it has the power of one thousand sermons. Changed hearts begin one heart at a time. Let God use you to change the hearts around you. 17
them in how you see them in positions of authority simply because of their race. When you promote from within or hire from without, do you typically hire or promote people like yourself? • If you have a racially diverse church, do you have nonwhites in significant leadership and management roles? If not, ask yourself why you don’t. Be honest with yourself. Most people whom I’ve spoken with just don’t think about it. But now is the time to think about it. We may be missing the full beauty and benefit of the diversity of God’s kingdom. • Do you have any black friends? And if you are black, do you have any non-black friends? Why not? Don’t put a sign out, “Wanted: Black Friends.” But instead, begin to pray and ask God to begin to put potential friends in your path—black and white. Don’t force it; let it be organic and if a friendship takes root, praise God. • Don’t be afraid to tell someone that their experience is not your experience. You can tell them that you are sorry for the unfair treatment they have experienced. That alone will mean so much! It sends a message that you care. The old phrase still applies, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much your care.” • Be willing to hold law enforcement accountable on behalf of others. If you do not already have one, consider developing a group from several churches in your community to periodically meet with law enforcement to discuss community concerns, and let it be an open, twoway exchange. Ask law enforcement how your group can help to make community policing more effective and less threatening to black and brown citizens. • Be willing to have some uncomfortable conversations as brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t know what we don’t know about each other. But if we never have any uncomfortable conversations, we may never truly understand and appreciate our differences. God deliberately has not made all of us identical. God loves variety. And let God’s variety enable God’s Church to thrive.
LOVE We need to be able to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to love the world around us with the same type of love that Christ showed toward us. When we have a heart that loves people, our actions will follow. We can love others who are different from ourselves when we remember that Christ first loved us. God is love, and God’s love compels us to love others. We can love others because they also bear the image of God. Let us show our love for God by loving others who are different from ourselves.
ACT Over the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to share some thoughts on what churches can do. There is one question that continually comes up with my black and white friends. They both ask, “What’s next; what can we do?” For this season God has us not just to talk as means of expressing our deep grief and concern for what we have seen and heard. We all can do something to make our communities better places. So in closing, I have noted below some things to consider to help make this world a better place—or, at least, our little piece of the world. • Consider acts of kindness. If you are white, consider reaching out to a black person in your neighborhood or community and just share with them that you are grieved at what has been happening in our nation. Have a conversation, and do a lot of listening. Do not try to fix the situation in that conversation; just be a listening ear. Listening will show that you care. Be authentic, as you may have no idea what some of your black and brown residents have been enduring for years. But take the posture to listen. Don’t make excuses or try to explain or justify—just listen. Consider praying for them after you listen. • View people who are different from you—black or white— as fellow image-bearers of God. The person who may be of a different color, nationality, or ethnicity is just as much an image bearer of God as you are. View that person as your equal--not inferior, not subservient, and not undeserving of God’s grace and your respect. • If you are an employer or manager, examine your perception of others. Are you reluctant to hire or promote someone who is of a different race than you? Do you unknowingly view them as inferior or not deserving of a promotion or a raise in pay? Make sure you don’t use their skin color against
I love God’s church and God’s people—all of God’ people. Our purpose statement at Antioch is “Loving God, Loving Others.” Antioch, from her founding over 30 years ago, has been a part of the Virginia Baptist family. We celebrate the diversity and the goal of reaching men, women, boys, and girls for the cause of Jesus Christ. We have traveled around the world with many of our Virginia Baptist partners. I see even better and brighter days ahead as we continue to love each other and work together for the furtherance of the gospel. I am convinced that God has not brought us this far to leave us, and God’s got work for us to do together for his glory. Marshal Ausberry is Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, VA.
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LATEST MINISTRY JOBS • Executive Director @ www.HeRestores.com, Culpeper, VA • Senior Pastor @ Mount Hermon Baptist, Moseley, VA • Senior Pastor @ Chester Baptist Church, Chester, VA • PT Financial Secretary @ Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church, Henrico, VA • PT Organist @ May Memorial Baptist Church, Powhatan, VA • PT Music Minister @ May Memorial Baptist Church, Powhatan, VA • Director of Music and Youth Ministry Assistant @ Lebanon Baptist Church, Lebanon, VA • PT Pastor @ Browntown Baptist Church, Bentonville, VA • Associate Pastor @ Salt and Light Church, Vienna, VA
• PT Worship Leader @ Community Heights Church, Cedar Bluff, VA • Student Pastor @ Iron Bridge Church, Chester, VA
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Annual Offering Meets Real Needs in Real Time
The Alma Hunt Offering for Virginia Missions will look different in the coming year, reflecting the changing world in which we live as we face the challenges of a global pandemic. As always, this critical offering seeks to meet real needs of real people by funding ministries in a variety of specific areas. For the rest of 2020 and looking toward 2021, the allocations of this offering are being redirected in a way that will allow us to focus on human needs arising from the COVID-19 crisis: • WMUV-directed projects related to camp scholarships, mental health/domestic violence, and outreach missions ministries • BGAV-directed projects related to church planter financial relief, church Child Development Center scholarships, church hotspots for student internet access, and international partners • All projects have a direct correlation to COVID-19 relief efforts Funds will be distributed monthly and will begin in Summer 2020 in order to respond more quickly to immediate needs. View anticipated allocation projects for this year’s distribution at AlmaHunt.org. Because of the time-sensitive nature of many of these critical needs and the plan to distribute funds monthly, we ask that you consider sending your offerings as early as possible this year. This annual state missions offering is a joint venture of Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV) and the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV).
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