By Steve Lemke, Provost at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary The most insightful article I have ever read on pastoral leadership was written years ago by Calvin Miller in Leadership Journal. Entitled “Growing Pains,” it is crucial reading for every pastor. In it, my old racquetball partner Calvin Miller (he might look nice, but he’s mean on a racquetball court!) surveys the changes in his own leadership style that were required as he led Westside Baptist Church in Omaha from being a church plant with a half dozen families to a megachurch. The first stage, while it was a church plant begun by a half dozen couples, Miller describes as the “You Get the Pizza, and I’ll Bring the Guitar” stage. Every charter member had immediate and virtually unlimited access to the Pastor for counsel on any issue or answers to any questions. Everyone knew all the details about the church, and was involved in every decision the church made. Fellowship was the hallmark of this almost cliquish group. Everyone knew each other intimately, and there were many times of fellowship at the Pizza Hut after church or at the Pastor’s house. As the church began to grow, Miller found himself in the … [Read more...]
Questions We’ve Pondered: Archie England
By Archie England, NOBTS Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Question: What happened to the rest of Solomon’s 3,000 proverbs (cf. 1 Kings 4:32)? Archie England responds: Added together, there are 1,015 verses in the Book of Proverbs. Assuming that each verse (and that’s not the best assumption) equals a proverb would leave nearly 2,000 proverbial sayings unaccounted. More interestingly, the current form of the Book of Proverbs reflects a three part structure: (1) chapters 1-9 are a single literary unit that compare and contrast Wisdom and Folly; (2) chapters 10-24, entitled as “the proverbs of Solomon,” consist of mostly short, proverbial sayings; and (3) a final three sections attributed to a) proverbs of Solomon preserved (or transmitted) by Hezekiah’s men, chapters 25-29; b) the words of Agur, chp. 30; and c) the words of King Lemuel, chapter 31. Such structure exposes us to a wealth of differently styled proverbial sayings, and it further indicates that some three hundred years after Solomon, his sayings were still being preserved, copied, and arranged (25:1). So, is this a problem? Not at all. Consider for instance that 1 Kings 4:32 informs us that Solomon … [Read more...]
LBF Board learns Foundation continues to enjoy positive earnings
By Jerry Love, Louisiana Baptist Foundation ALEXANDRIA – After posting positive returns for the year 2010, the Louisiana Baptist Foundation continued with positive earnings in the first quarter of 2011. This news greeted the Foundation’s Board of Trustees in their quarterly meeting held on April 26 at the Baptist Building. The investment committee met during the early part of the morning and discussed the various LBF portfolios. Lee Morris with Graystone Consulting presented the Foundation’s performance returns and gave an economic outlook for the coming months. As of the quarter ending March 31, 2011, the LBF equity fund gained 5.27 percent, with the Fixed Income Fund posting a slight 0.92 percent increase. The Group Investment Fund, which is a blend of the Equity Fund and Fixed Income Fund along with smaller amounts invested in other market segments, returned 3.09 percent for the quarter. The Group Investment Fund is the main vehicle for investing long term endowment money. In his report on general economic conditions, Morris relayed that his firm’s analysts feel that the longer-term prospects for multi-year global business expansion are good. Also they feel that the U.S. … [Read more...]
Youth in Jeff Davis parish to reach their own communities
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor JENNINGS – Youth from a dozen or more churches plan to go on mission this summer. They’re not going out of state or out of the country. They’re going to minister in Jefferson Davis Parish. For most, it’s their figurative “back yard.” “About a year ago, several of us got to talking,” said Blaine St. Germain, associate pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Jennings, referring to a group of people who lead youth. “We felt like – Ephesians 4 – our job as ministers is to equip the saints for ministry. We do all these other things [mission projects elsewhere], but are we equipping our students to do the work of a minister? “We decided we needed to do things – train and equip them to do this as a part of life – that they would develop a lifestyle of mission work,” St. Germain continued. “The whole concept of the 410 Project is being the church, showing the community the love of Christ outside the four walls of the church.” The 410 project – the name comes from 1 Peter 4:10 – is set to take place June 13-16. Teens – junior high and high school students – will pay $100 each for food, lodging, morning devotions and training, plus evening … [Read more...]
Flag of Father comes to TV
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor [img_assist|nid=7335|title=Flag of My Father|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=70|height=100]MONROE – On the heels of its top prize win at the May 18 GI Film Festival in Washington DC, Flag of my Father is to air May 30, Memorial Day, on Legacy Television Network. The television debut of the feature-length, faith-based film produced by R-Squared Productions of Monroe – which touts the values of family, country and strong moral character – also follows Flag of my Father’s May 1 national/international release on DVD through Bridgestone Multimedia Group. The DVD is on sale at LifeWay Christian Stores through the end of the month, and online at r2films.net. On May 18, Flag of my Father was honored as the Best Narrative [feature] Film of 2011 at the GI Film Festival in Washington D.C. One of the film’s stars, Hollywood Actor William Devane, was presented the Choice Award earlier in the week-long festival for his positive portrayal of a GI character – Vietnam veteran Jake in Flag of my Father. “To go and actually win was indescribable,” said writer/director Rodney Ray, a member at First Baptist Church of West Monroe and owner of R-Squared … [Read more...]
Wild Weather: Louisiana Baptist can spring into action across the country
Compiled from State Baptist Newspapers [img_assist|nid=7337|title=A tear and a hug|desc=More than 150 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Chaplains are deployed in Alabama.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66]Monday morning’s destruction in Joplin, Mo., with three-quarters of the town gone in the wake of a 6 p.m. Sunday tornado, follows on the heels of a series of tornados in late April that left more than half of Alabama reeling. Other states dealing with tornado damage include at least Mississipi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Flood damage starts with the Ohio River Valley and flows into all the states connected to the Mississippi River. In addition, heavy rains in eastern Montana and western North Dakota have put those two states into flooding conditions. Making the situation worse, neither state has a Disaster Relief mud-out unit, so Southern Baptists won’t be able to provide assistance in this area. What does the national picture look like as the Baptist Message goes to press? Following are some examples, as space is available. ALABAMA [img_assist|nid=7338|title=A Solemn … [Read more...]
Open house unveils details about Caskey School of Divinity
By Kelly Boggs, Editor Baptist Message PINEVILLE – Interested individuals and potential students from Central Louisiana attended an open house held by Louisiana College May 12 in the school’s Granberry Conference Center. The event was designed to provide details about LC’s new divinity school. [img_assist|nid=7341|title=Chuck Quarels|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=78|height=100]Chuck Quarels Ph.D., dean of the new Caskey School of Divinity, presided over the meeting that provided specific information about program offerings, admission procedures and finances. The Caskey Divinity School, which is being funded primarily by an anonymous donor, is slated to begin operation in August. “By the time the school opens,” Quarels said, “it will have received $4.1 million dollars from the donor’s foundation.” Joe Aguillard, president of LC and who is recovering from heart surgery, made an appearance at the gathering and welcomed those in attendance. “I’m so glad you’ve come this evening,” he said. “We are looking to train warriors for the Lord at the Caskey School of Divinity.” During the informative meeting, Quarels said the school of divinity will focus on five areas and … [Read more...]
Ribbon cutting ceremony opens nurse-led facility on LC campus
By Staff, Baptist Message PINEVILLE – In the course of two semesters, Loving Care, a nurse-led clinic open to the community and staffed by nurse practitioners, emerged from nursing faculty conversation to full-blown endeavor at Louisiana College. [img_assist|nid=7342|title=Ribbon Cutting|desc=Kimberly Sharp, dean of the LC School of Nursing and Allied Health, leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony May 12 for the new Loving Care nurse-led clinic at Louisiana College.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility, located in the front portion of the LC Nursing Skills Lab, took place May 12, with Mayor Clarence Fields and the Pineville Chamber of Commerce on hand to mark the occasion. “This is a gift from Louisiana College to the community,” said LC President Joe Aguillard, in one of his first public appearances since his heart bypass surgery in early April. Looking a bit frail – but exhibiting a burst of resonant energy when it was his time to speak – Aguillard spoke of his appreciation for being part of the Pineville community, and of the benefit the Nurse-led clinic will be to Central Louisiana. “We’re bringing the world to Pineville,” the LC … [Read more...]
Gordon Fee donates specialized library to New Orleans Seminary
By Staff, NOBTS Communications NEW ORLEANS – After a half century of service to the church and the academy, renowned New Testament scholar Gordon D. Fee has donated his specialized textual studies library to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). Designated as “The Gordon D. Fee Collection on the New Testament Text,” this significant donation contains books that Fee amassed in his half century of textual studies as well as extensive files with Fee’s notes and data for textual projects realized over the years. An internationally acclaimed textual scholar and passionate evangelical, Fee has contributed significantly to ensuring the accuracy of the New Testament text. His studies led him to oppose various viewpoints in the field that he saw as inadequate for explaining the history of the transmission of the New Testament text. Two such examples were his opposition to those preferring the less well-attested texts and those overplaying the role of theological motivation in explaining the rise of variant readings. His methodological contributions to the study of the New Testament text in the writing of the Church Fathers have paved the way for many advances in that field, and the text-critical notes in his articles and … [Read more...]
First Sulphur scores with Native American basketball court
By Karen L. Willoughby, Managing Editor SULPHUR – It’s not just teenagers who are enjoying the new community basketball court at Nahodishgish, N.M. Little kids like it too. So do moms and dads. [img_assist|nid=7345|title=Play Ball|desc=Members of a prep team from First Baptist Church Sulphur drove 2,200 miles round trip to prepare the ground for a concrete foundation for a basketball court on a Navajo reservation in northern New Mexico in mid-April.|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]First Baptist Church of Sulphur, La., made it possible. David Holder is pastor. “God amazingly provided the right experts in the field at the right time who became available to travel out there with us to donate their time and efforts to do the job with excellence,” said Tom Bruce, who celebrates 10 years with the church May 29. He was minister to youth and families for eight years, and minister of education, missions and outreach the last two. God also provided a congregation where about 300 participate in Sunday morning worship to give, over and above their regular tithes and offerings, $30,000 over the course of a year – the initial goal was $12,000 – for construction of the … [Read more...]