I love Suddern Baptists.” The words coated with a foreign accent were
surprising.
I love Suddern Baptists.” The words coated with a foreign accent were
surprising. The setting was a Chamber of Commerce banquet, and there was no
reason to expect a testimonial of religious faith.
The words came from the pastor of the African-American church with the largest
attendance in our area.
And the words were encouraging. I have received many comments from – and
about – Southern Baptists and Louisiana Baptists recently, most of them
expressing concern about Louisiana College. Hearing a really encouraging word
proved heartening.
I asked the pastor why he loved the people known as Southern Baptists.
“Who would have thought that God, in his rich mercy, would send missionaries,
and they would come to the jungles of Nigeria, Africa,” he said. “And
there, they would find a small boy and tell him about Jesus Christ, and that
young boy would accept Jesus as his personal Lord and savior.”
That alone caused me to thank God for the international missions of the Southern
Baptist Convention – and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International
Missions.
But there was more.
“Southern Baptists made it possible for me to come to the United States
to go to college,” the man added. “Southern Baptists paid my expenses
and made it possible to attend a Baptist college in California.
“And then, I went to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I majored
in communication and music, and Southern Baptists made that possible.
“I was a musician, never thinking about being a pastor,” the man
said. “But this church asked me to be pastor, and I was overwhelmed. But
God was in it.
“I became pastor, and God began blessing and people started coming like
you would not believe. I dont understand it.”
Indeed, people started coming. The congregation now has a beautiful new building
in full view of a major expressway.
“Who would have thought that a little boy from the jungle of Nigeria would
be so blessed as to be here?” the man concluded. “I love Southern
Baptists.”
In addition to his church, the pastor also uses television to share his boundlessly
enthusiastic faith every week – five minutes worth on Wednesday mornings
during prime morning viewing. His greeting for the program is well known throughout
all Central Louisiana is – “Good mornin, good mornin,
good mornin!” Then, in his infectious, pleasant, accented voice, he shares
the gospel to one and all.
Incredible. A product of Southern Baptist missions does mission work in our
state, and God is richly blessing him.
When the banquet was over, the bear of a man, with a smile bigger than he is,
said – “Let me give you hug. I love Southern Baptists.”
And you know what? I do, too. And I am thankful for this time of year when
we direct our thinking to the greatest gift that we have ever received and that
we can give others – the good news of Jesus Christ. Through the Cooperative
Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, 16
million people can have a part in sending and taking the gospel of Jesus Christ
to the jungles of Nigeria and the other uttermost parts of the earth.
We may not be doing everything exactly right, but thank God, we are doing some
things right.
I love Southern Baptists!
Merry Christmas!