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1988 Psstor Appreciøitíon Issue

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREE WILL BAPTISTS

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By Ruth Creech Mullen

t f lhat are you running, a homeIf,, or a hatrack? Which do youU\U wish vou ran? We allwant a

home, but find ourselves operating a

hatrack.Sometimes I feel like Paul in Romans

7:19, "For the good that I would, I donot: but the evil which I would not, thatI do.'l really believe in the home. I wantto maintain a good home atmosPherefor the well-being of my family. I amcommitted to home life. Yet, before Irealize it, my home reverts to a hatrack!

You know how it works. They rushhome, grab a bite to eat, dash to a meet-ing, catch a few winks, change clothes,carry out breakfast to eat on the way,and hurry to join the rat race again.With minor variations for husband, wifeand each of the kids, that's life thesedays. I think it's worse at the parsonage,but I would think that. I live there.

TeamworkI decided to convert my hatrack into

a home. I tried, really tried. I fussed

about our schedules and activities. I

planned family outings which werepostponed. I complained about Jimbeing gone every night. Not muchchanged. It takes teamwork.

Finally I explained my frustrationsover our busy lives and the lack of timetogether as a family. We began a jointeffort to correct the problem.

First, we moved family to the top ofour priority list, right after God. Wescheduled a family night for the nextMonday. (l stillremember Family Nightsfrom my childhood. They were specialbecause Dad was gone a lot at night.)

"Now the only problem is doing thislsaid Jim.

'What could possibly happen to inter-f.ere?" I asked.

"Oh. the usual-death ... " hereplied.

"No one is going to diei I assuredhim.

But someone did die that Mondayand there went our first family night.You can't renovate the hatrack over-night. Sometimes the events of life getin the way of living.

For a while we attempted a weeklyfamily night without involving ourchurch in the idea. It was hard to main-tain and. if we missed the schedulednight, hard to replace.

When we moved to our next pastor-ate, Jim instituted Family Night forevergone. We plan no church activities(baby showers, class parties, etc.) onMondays. Of course, revivals are anexception. Folks are encouraged tospend time with their family. Jim asksthem not to call us unless it's a reolemergency.

Our Family Nights vary. Sometimeswe go out to eat. We check out free car-toons from the library for the VCR. Insummer we go to the park. In winter wepicnic on a blanket in the living room.We play games, which is a challengewith seven years age difference in ourchildren.

It works. If something does interruptour plans, the kids are disappointed andask about rescheduling Family Night.

TimeFamily Night was a start, but one

night a week isn't enough. It takes timeto build and maintain a home-timespent in shared activities with interac-tion among family members. Anyactivity involving the entire familystrengthens the ties that bind us. Qual-ity is necessary . . . in large quantities.

We sought pockets of time we couldshare. We combined family excursionswith Jim's work. When he goes to theairport, we visit the zoo. Someone'shospital stay provides a stop at themuseum. If he returns a film, we all goalong for the hour's ride. Over schoolvacation the whole family visitedshut-ins.

We had to do something about sup-per which was often cold because Jimwas detained. We frequently ate with-out him. So we moved supper to 3:00p.m., right after school lets out. Now thekids eat when they are hungry andsnack later in the evening. Jim is free

to visit without a 5:00 p.m. intenuption.And I'm not angry over his tetentions."

We talk at supper. Each one tellswhat happened during the day. (ltworks better with the TV. off.)

Jim uses the ride to and from schoolfor one-on-one contact with Laura. Hetakes Luke on short trips to the store.Kids see Mom allthe time. They needDad too.

Books read aloud become familyfavorites. We all laughed and cried withLaura Ingalls through the Little Houseon the Prairie series.

Every night before bed we read theBible and pray together. This draws uscloser to God and each other. Nothingcompares to hearing your child pray.'Lord, help me remember my multipli-cation tablesl "Lord, help me under-stand Your Word."

TerminationSome things have to go. For us it was

my job away from home. (l know thereasons mothers work these days.Sometimes it is not necessary for thefamily to eat, but rather to eat out.) Wesubstitute or do without extua things thatmoney would buy. I believe childrenneed parents who are available morethan they need materialthings beyondthe necessities of life.

Some activities have to go. Jim pro-tects Family Night from church activities.We carefully evaluate commitments thatwould put added strain on ourschedules.

Even our L0-year-old had to say,"Noi recently. She dropped gymnasticslo free her afternoons some.

TenacityThere's a constant assault on family

time at our house. Even though we arecommitted to preserving our home, out-side forces sneak up and rob us ofshared memories. Church, work,school, community service, sports-allcompete for family time.

We intended to draw a line in indeli-ble ink agäinst busyness, but we musthave used a pencil. Someone keepserasing the line.

We fight a constant battle to preventthe return of the hatrack. but our homeis worth it.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Ruth Creech Mullen ís

a busy mother ol two child¡en. Her husbond, Jim,postors Fírs! Bible Free Will Baptíst Churcl¡, NeuCastle. Indîona.

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August 1988

2 Home or Hatrack?Ruth Creech Mullen

4 The Star TrapRobert Roberg

5 Brielcase: Thank God lo¡ the PastorJack Williams

6 The Pastor and His Other JobDavid Shores

8 Leaning on the StallJames McAllister

9 Pasloral Author¡tyLarry Hampton

'lO Pastor, Would You¡ WiÍe MarryYou Again?Sandra Atwood

12 Burglary and Yout ChurchDan Farmer

13 He Gol Three TodayAlton Loveless

14 Seyen Ways to Help Your PastorWendell Leckbee

15 Frce Wiil Bapt¡st Newslront'|-7 Currently

18 The Department Pages

25 On Little LanesDonna Mayo

26 Top ShellThomas Marberry

27 Teen Scene

28 Green Tree Bible StudyRobert E. Picirilli

29 Especially For Young PreachersDennis Wiggs

30 ße/þious Community News31 Homiletics Anyone?

Melvin Worthington

Editorln-chief: Dr. Melvin WorthingtonEditor: Jack WilliamsEditorial Asslstant: Marilyn PritchardCirculation: Geneva TrotterFronl Cover Leta Welch

Volume XXXV, No. 8

CONTAGI (ISSN 0573-7796), pub-lished monthly by the National Associ-ation of Free Will Baptists. 1134Murf reesboro Road, Nashville, Tennes-see 37217. Address all correspon-dence and subscriptions to Post OfficeBox 1088, Nashville, Tennessee 37202.Phone 615/361-1010. Subscrlpt¡onrates: 1 yea[ $9.50; church family plan$8.00 per year; church bundle plan$8.50 per year. Second class postagepaid at Nashville, Tennessee. Copyrightprivileges, reserved @, 1988 Memberof the Evangelical Press Assoc¡at¡on.POSIMASIER: Send address changesto CONTAGÍ, P.O. Box 1088, Nashville,Tennessee 372O2.usPS 130-660

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The Star IìrapBy Robert Roberg

P:äl"å:ff,ilH';,i:l'åT,Ji.11,:What exactly is astrology? And whatshould be the Christian's response to it?

Astrology is the study of the astros(the stars). Astrology differs fromastronomy in that ashonomers study thestars for scientific reasons whileastrologers do so from an occulticviewpoint.

Astrology was first practiced in Baby-lon around 3,000 B.C. by the priests.They claimed that the stars were godswho controlled lives. By studying thepositions of the stars and planets onecould avoid failures and achievesuccess.

From Babylon, ashology spread overthe earth. so that it is found in mostmajor societies. The average NorthAmerican newspaper carries a dailyhoroscope column based on Babylo-nian astrology.

Is there any harm in reading yourdaily horoscope? And is there any harmin studying astrology?

Yes, there is a terrible danger in thepractice of astrology. It is so serious as

to be listed with witchcraft.The Bible says: "l will cut off witch-

crafts out of thine hand; and thou shalthave no more soothsayers [astrologers]'(Micah 5:12).

Isaiah said that God had forsakenIsrael and brought calamity upon thembecause they had become "soothsayerslike the Philistines" (lsaiah 2:6).

The law given to Moses on Mt. Sinaispecifically forbade astrology: 'Ye shallnot eat anything with the blood: neithershall ye use enchantment, nor observetimes" (leviticus 19:26). To observetimes was to try to predict the future bystudying the stars.

God condemns astrology because itcauses people to trust systems insteadof trusting Him. God and God aloneknows the future and controls it. Ourhope lies in prayer, not in the stars.

Once people are seduced into believ-ing that the stars instead of God con-trol their destiny, they soon begin toworship the creation instead of the Cre-ator. This was a recurring sin among thechildren of Israel.

The daily horoscope in your localnewspaper is not an amusing and harm-

less column to be read out of curiosity,but a deadly satanic trap. It is witchcraftand must be exposed for what it is.

Isaiah warns that sure deshuction willcome swiftly to those who practiceastrology:

"Therefore shall evil come uponthee. . . . Stand now with thine enchant-ments. and with the multitude of thv

sorceries. . . . [€t now the astrologers,the stargazers, the monthly prognosti-cators stand up and save thee. . . .

Behold they shallbe as stubble; the fireshall burn them" (lsaiah 47:11-14). 11

ABOUT THE WRITER: Robert Roberg ís o freelonce wríter tofio resides ín Noshuille. 'Iënnessee.

Cooperative Channel ContributionsMay 19EE

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for the PastorThanh God

Yi:"Tlli{H"*iri'lîname? It doesn't really matter. Mostfolks just call him "Preacher." They allknow him as the pastor of the localchurch.

He's like a dozen others whopreceded him and like allthose who willcome after him. He's somewherebetween 25 and 65, married, with acouple of kids. His car has more mileson it than a Greyhound bus. He chewsbreath mints all day and his calendarresembles an explosion at a dictionaryfactory.

His phone never stops ringing. Healways has a kind word and a smile. Thelights burn late at his house. And there'susually somebody in the neighborhoodwho amuses himself by tossing emptybeer cans in his yard.

Heb in â serious business. but hedoesn't take himself too seriously. Helaughs frequently, especially at himself.He's on a first-name basis with theundertaker, the doctor and the countysheriff. Insurance agents fight over hismailing list. The local florist thinks,"moneyf when he drives by.

He's predictable in an unpredictableworld. He never misses church evenwhen it rains or when friends drop inunexpectedly. He cares when nobodyelse cares-about the unlovely, thelonely and those of questionablecharacter. From yuppie to nobody, theyall recognize his dark suit and well-wornBible.

Everybody needs him sooner or later,for he deals in things not temporary buteternal. He's a champion to the right-eous and a friend to sinners. Friend andfoe alike call h¡m at all hours. That's theway he wants it. He's available; he'sapproachable. He's seldom home butalways nearby.

Thereb an air of mystery aboutthe pastor. He arrives from somewhereelse claiming a divine call even though

the congregation voted 87 for and 23against his coming. Yet when he stepsinto the pulpit with that certain snap inhis voice, not even the skeptic can doubtthat at least the preacher believes he'son a special mission. He takes ordersfrom nobody but he listens to evety-body. Somehow he balances a proph-et's mantle with a shepherd's sensitivity.

His influence in the communityseems to sanctify the unrighteous andspur the saints. He defends the weakand encourages the strong. When hewalks down the aisle at the grocerystore, everybody watches to see if herubbernecks at the tabloids on the newsrack, and what brand ofbacon he buys.

At times his mere presence cleans upfoul language at the service station. Themail carrier soon learns what he readsand tells his friends that Pastor sub-scribes to a sports monthly! His nameusually only appears in print as the min-ister who officiated at the wedding, thefuneral or some other event.

Caught between the horse-and-buggy era and the computer age,he's one of the last professional menwho still makes house calls. While thephysician can't haul his equipment fromhouse to house, the pastor can. For hetraffics in truth. What he dispensesworks in filthy slums as well as quietsuburban cottages-he distributes hope,a second chance. He brings a word ofcomfort and terms of peace from God.

He uses a language all his own. Hecalls old ladies and young women "Sis-ter" and men from 12 to 82 are"Brotherl He's full of dreams and idealsand ways to make people better. Heknows a hundred funny stories aboutbaptisms and revival services; he tellsbelly-laughing anecdotes involving mis-chievous campers, and he can breakyour heart when he talks about themighty who have fallen.

Brlefcase

Wherever he shows r¡phe's in charge. He doesn't necessarilyplan it that way; people just assume thathe should lead. They stand where hepoints, sit where he says and speakwhen he asks a question. He seldomdemands anything except the right todo his duty.

Men may set their watches by thetown clock, but they set their lives by thepastor's consistency. He's the standardfor the good, the right and the just. Heis sought out by the hurting and thegrieved, admired by those whose liveswhirl out of control, and trusted bythose who've been betrayed by dearestfriends.

Children share with him their fearsand their golden laughter. Teens squaretheir shoulders when he listens andbelieves they can turn their dreams intoreality. Young parents radiate when thepastor stops by for coffee, a few minutesof small talk and a prayer. The agedknow that he understands life's secrets,that true value and stability come notfrom glitter and volume but from asteady and loving heart.

Dependable as the seasons.Protective as an aroused mother bear.Yet so human that he spills gravy on hisbest tie and can't understand why any-one objects when he preaches untilquarter past the hour.

When Jesus ascended to Heaven.He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us,the Bible to teach us and pastors to loveus. Thank God for pastors-one ofGod's precious gifts to the church. g

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The Pastor and HisOthet Job

By David Shores

firlhe pastor is a man selected byI the church membership toI preach Sunday sermons. He also

teaches Wednesday evening Biblestudy, leads the visitation program,trains new converts, ministers to thechurch and community in times of joyor so¡row, and helps with a number ofother tasks that end up on his desk.

With so much responsibility, the pas-tor's job is certainly a full-time vocation.lf. every pastor shoulders such loads,why are some men referred to as full-time pastors while others are classifiedas part-time pastors?

In order to keep the ministry in per-spective, consider this statement; Full-time service and part-time service havenothing to do with a preacher's call fromGod. When the Lord chooses a manand calls him into the ministry, that manis responsible to answer the call andserve the Lord to the best of his ability.The full-time and part-time to which weaddress ourselves deals not with thepreacher's calling but with his means offinancial support.

Among Free Will Baptists, a full-timepastor is one who serves a local churchand is sufficiently compensated for hislabor that he does not have to seekother employment for income. A part-time pastor also serves his church, butbecause of circumstances, or by choice,must earn extra dollars to supplementthe salary paid him by his congregation.

Results of the 1987 Roll Call Sundaypublished by the Home Missions Boardproved one thing to Free Will Baptists:we are a small denomination of smallchurches. Of the 2,594 churches report-ing in the survey, only 642 congrega-tions numbered over 100 in attendanceon that special day.

A look at those figures shows us thatmany of our churches have to employpart-time pastors to minister in theircommunity. Some smaller churches do

have full-time ministers, but many con-gregations simply do not have enoughpeople to generate enough income tosupport the pastor and his family. Thisis a problem we must try to resolve inour denomination and among ourpreachers.

Shall the pastor try to live on aninsufficient salary? Shall he seek outsideemployment? Will he find the situationso unsolvable that he leaves the minis-try or goes to another denomination?

Since the work of the pastor is aspiritual task. each one must decide

how he can best handle his responsibil-ities. Good men must never feel guiltyabout their labor for the [.ord if it's doneto the best of their ability. No one cando better than his best.

The DutyThe church does have a duty to sup-

port the pastor financially. Paul statedthis in no uncertain terms when he toldthe CorinthianS, u . . the [.ord ordainedthat they which preach the gospelshould live of the gospel" (l Corinthians9:I4).

In spite of that bold statement, we seethis same apostle working as a tentmaker, laboring with his hands to sup-

port his own ministry in order to preachthe Word and "make the gospel ofChrist without charge" to the church (l

Corinthians 9:18). He decided to workand support himself so that the Corin-thians could not accuse him of beinglazy or preaching for the money.

Our preachers might follow his exam-ple and realize that the minister whoworks is not laying aside his preachingresponsibilities. He is simply makinghimself available to a church that can-not pay a full-time wage.

The preacher's duty cannot be dis-missed because he serves a churchwithout sufficient income to pay hiswages. Duty demands that each con-gregation be served. As the faithful pas-tor labors, it is God who gives theincrease. The hard work of the pastoris building his congregation into a sta-ble, self-supporting church. There's nopastoral virtue in shopping around fora larger group of people when there are

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so many smaller churches that need aleader and a builder.

Many fine men have labored at theirplace of employment as they performedtheir spiritual duties, and strong, full-time churches are memorials to theirlabors.

The DisciplineMost part-time pastors must compart-

mentalize their lives so that enough timeand energy is allocated after work hoursto study, prayer and visitation. Again,it was Paul who said to the chu¡ch atThessalonica, 'For ye remember, breth-ren, our labour and travail: fo¡ labour-ing night and day, because we wouldnot be chargeable unto any of you, wepreached unto you the gospel of God"(l Thessalonians 2:9).

Any man who can discipline himself,as did this apostle, to do the work of theministry and work to support himself isto be commended. It takes a specialperson to handle such a heavy respon-

sibility. The big problem those preachersface is finding time to do the manythings demanded by their office.

Visitation must be done after workand on days off. Prayer time is short-ened and must be made up during freehours. Study time is squeezed inbetween the job, recreation and thefamily. Conferences must be set up onweekends and holidays. The man whoworks and pastors can do the job, buthe must be a man of strict discipline.Such a man is to be admired.

The DÍgnityThe man who rubs elbows every day

with working people has a great oppor-tunity to study the characteristics of hiscommunity. He can establish rapportwith people he might otherwise neve¡

meet. He learns to meet others on theirlevel and minister to that need.

A wise working pastor maintains hisdignity both on and off the job. He isa representative of Jesus Christ wher-ever he is and whatever he does. Thereis nothing wrong with honest work.Jesus was a carpenter and He lived asinless life. It is not beneath our dignityto pick up the tools of our trade and goto work if the need demands it.

People respect a man who earns hiskeep, but not many have confidence inthe man who thinks the world owes hima living. Paul lived a life of dignity andchallenged anyone to fault his lifestyle."For yourselves know how ye ought tofollow us: fo¡ we behave not ourselvesdisorderly among you; neither did weeat any man's bread for nought; butwrought with Iabour and travail nightand day . . .' (ll Thessalonians 3:7-B).

The DedicationSome may sneer at the working

preacher, but in most cases, a tip of the

hat should be given to him. Many of ourchu¡ches would go begging if dedicatedmen were not faithfully preaching theWord to small groups of Free Will Bap-tists across our nation.

Paul asked, "Have I committed anoffence . . . because I have preached toyou the gospelof God freely?' (ll Corin-thians 11:7).

Every morning the alarm clock callsour preachers from a night of rest and

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out into the rush of the day! work.These men will be tired and probablygrumble a little, but their dedication topreaching the gospel carries themonward.

Thanks to dedicated men, whenSunday rolls around, people will gather

in their churches, expectant hearts willturn to the man in the pulpit, and thatman will give his full time to preachingthe gospel of Jesus Christ. At that timeof worship, his other job fades into thebackground. This is God's work; this ishis duty. He has disciplined himself sothat he is prepared in the Word. Nowhe ministers with dignity and dedication.No man can do morel hà

ABOUT THE WRITER: Reuerend Douid Shorespostors Ino Free Will Baptist Church, Ino, lllinois.

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By James McAllister

fn Exodus 17 Israelcame up againstlAmalek in Rephidim. Moses toldJoshua, "Choose us out men, and goout, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I willstand on the top of the h¡ll with the rodof God in mine hand."

Joshua did his¡ob; Moses'stood hold-ing the rod, and the battle went accord-ing to plan. However, during the day,in the heat of the battle, Moses' handsgrew heavy and the battle turnedagainst Israel.

Sq "they took a stone, and put itunder him, and he sat thereon; andAaron and Hur stayed up his hands, theone on the one side, and the other onthe other side; and his hands weresteady until the going down of sun.'

Moses literally leaned on his staff!One staff member was leading in thebattle, and two were holding up hishands.

The Apostle Paulalso "leaned on hisstaff.' In Acts 18 Paul met two disciplesnamed Aquilla and Priscilla in Corinth.In that same chapter this husband andwife team took Apollos and instructedhim in the ways of God, just like Paulwould have done had he stillbeen withthem in Corinth. As one studies Acts hefinds numerous times that Paul leanedon Luke, Timothy, Titus or one of theother members of his "staff."

During my years as pastor, I have hadmy share of dependable men andwomen as staff members. I have alsohad my share of those whq like ch¡l-dren, couldn't be tusted out of my sight.I have had those I could conf¡de in withtotal trust, and those who told every-

ABOUTTHE WRITER: Reuerend James McAI-lßter ls president of Californía Christían College,Fresno, Colifornía, ond pastor ol Harmony FreeWill Boptíst Church in F¡esno.

thing. I have had those who worked justas I worked, and some who had toconstantly be told what to do.

Staff members come in every style,and during the last 16 years I have hadalltypes. There were times I wept witha dedicated man of God as I sharedwith him my own personal hurts or heshared with me. A oneness developedbetween us. I could depend on him andhe could depend on me. We shared thesame burden for the church. Webecame partners in the lord's work.

God's church progressed, my minis-try was enhanced, and he learned vitallessons to be used later when he wouldbe a senior pastor. I look back on thosedays with a sense of satisfaction, andwatch these men of God today as theysuccessfully lead their congregations.

Then there have been those times Ishared my fears, my concerns, my bur-dens and he ran and told, ruining myrelationship with precious members ofthe church. I look back on those dayswith an ache in my heart.

However, like a song I heard yearsagq I've had enough success to makeme "keep trusting on.'My experiences

with dedicated staff members have beenso sweet, they far outweigh the disap-pointments. The fact that I know I havefailed often and made my share oferrors causes me to keep on trustingother men who work with me in theministry of the church.

ShareThe pastor must share his ministry

with his staff. That can be dangerousbecause he is so vulnerable. Hisinfluence can be shattered with certainmembers if they are told of staff conver-sations. But if these meetings arentheld, if staff meetings become bland andmeaningless, before long the work ofthe lord goes undone. The pastor andstaff will be foreigners to each other'swork and ministry.

The pastor must be fair, honest andreliable in his dealings with the staff.they must know he keeps confidences.He must demand the same of them.One time to betray trust is too much.There should not be opportunity for asecond chance. The damages are toodestructive.

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Aum#,å"31J'"*i#**;þ should not be taken lightly. However,a finite human being is ill-advised todemand power that scripture no wheregrants to a pastor.

In recent years some pastors havesought unchallenged control in theirchurches. This approach is purportedlybased on the biblical concept of pastoralauthority. Such a philosophy seemsdiametrically opposed to Jesus'response to disciples determined to befirst in the kingdom.

'But Jesus called them unto him, andsaid, 'Ye know that the princes of theGentiles exercise dominion over them,and they that are great exerciseauthority upon them. But it shall not beso among you: but whosoever will begreat among you, let him be your min-ister; and whosoever will be ch¡efamong you, let him be your servant''(Matthew 20:25-27.)

One wonders how the proponents ofthis school of thought interpret I Peter5:2-3.

The New Tþstament teaches servantleadership. Paul described the ultimateServant-Leader. He nmade himself ofno reputation, and took upon h¡m theform of a servanf (Philippians 2:7). Ourlord exemplified this style of leadershipwhen He washed His disciples' feet.Jesus is the pattern for all who are inchurch leadership.

The Apostle Paul was an exemplaryleader. Without question he hadauthority, and he did not shrink fromusing it. However, Paul was an apostle.Today's pastors are not.

Despite Paul's apostolic authority, he

PastoralAuthoriry

By Larry Hampton

did not run roughshod over people. Helived among them. He nourished them,encouraged them and prayed for them.His love for them permeated his letters.

Paul's approach to leadership is evi-dent in this admonition to Timothy."Rebuke not an elder, but entreat himas a father; and the younger men asbrethren; the elder women as mothers;the younger as sisters, with all purity"(l Timothy 5:I- 2).

A pastor who loves his people andsets the right example before them will

find them to be cooperative and highlysupportive of his minishy among them.In most instances, his people will dowhatever he asks. In those instanceswhen they cannot or will not follow hisleading, it is wise for the man of Godto remember he could be wrong.

The pastor, though he is God's man,is not infallible. He can make mistakes.His judgment can be faulty. He caneven fall into sin.

For the pastor to demand compliancewith the teaching of God's Word isproper. Ïb expect enthusiastic accep-tance of every idea he proposes isegotistical. The rejection of a pastor'srecommendation is not a repudiation ofpastoral authority. Sometimes it isnecessary.

A pastor need not fear a godly manwho thinks for himself. Often he can seepitfalls in a program that its initiator (thepastor) overlooked.

Timing is important. Deacons whocounsel delaying the start of a courseof action may be wise rather than non-progressive.

Every man should be accountable tosomeone. Of course a minister isaccountable to God. He is also account-able to the church over which God hasplaced h¡m. Church members must seethat he is sound in faith and practice.

The pastor is chosen by God to leadHis people. His authority is based uponthis calling. It is to be exercised in lov-ing service to God's people. OABOUT THE WRITER: Reue¡end Lorry D.

Hampton ís soles moncger ot Randoll House Pub-lico!íons, Nosl¡uÍlle, Tënnessee. He is o memberol Coferb Chapel Free W¡ll Boptist Church,Noshuille.

DelegateThe pastor must delegate. Frankly, I

don't like being boss. I prefer to do myown work and let everyone else dotheirs. But that seldom works. Someonemust be in charge. That's the pastor'sduty. He should select and hire the staff,and he should controland dismiss. Heanswers to the church board. The staffanswers to him. Therefore, he must bewilling to delegate.

Failure here can be tolerated longerthan in the area of confidentiality. Workschedules should be dispersed daily orweekly and accountability required. If itbecomes certain that staff members cantbe relied on to do the job delegated,then the pastor must bite the bullet anddismiss the worker.

CompensateThe pastor must compensate. Those

serving on the staff must be fed spiritu-ally. Daily or weekly staff meetings canconsist of Bible studies taught by thepastor to encourage, strengthen andenlighten the worker. Appreciation,both private and public, must beadministered to and for the staff mem-ber by the pastor. Financial rewardsmust be extended if the staff is to con-tinue to feel appreciated and excitedabout their work and the ministry. Thestaff member must feel loved by boththe pastor and the church.

ProtectThe pastor must protect the staff.

Some people thrive on abusing assistantpastors. They may do this in severalways: gossip, hateful comments, sar-casm or open opposition. The pastorshould prevent this. He can protect thestaff by requiring they be selected, hired,disciplined and fired by him alone. A jobdescription for each staff member willhelp immensely.

As Moses and Paul relied on theirstaff for success, so a busy pastor willbe able to point to his staff and relatehow they helped him become a suc-cessful pastor. Thank God for thosemen and women who make up thechurch staff. They are indispensable.God's work is enhanced by theirfaithfulness. (D

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lilt Would she jump at theU\ü cndnce ro marry you agaln,

or have her years as a pastor's wife beenless than ideal?

I've been married to a preacher 10years, and I know marriage is not onebig Sunday School picnic. Some dayswe're so tired from listening to others'problems that we don't want to listen toeach other. Some nights I wish he werehome more.

But there have been many morenights we were too excited to sleepbecause of a service where people wete

Pastor,WouldYourWife

MarryYou

Again?By Sandra Atwood

saved. Attimes wewere overwhelmedby our church's goodness to us. Some-times, we had to stop and laugh at ourmistakes.

On October 8.7977. we made a vowto each other. Maybe you made a simi-lar vow. You know the one-about lov-ing, comforting, honoring each otherand forsaking all others.

The vow has not always been easyto keep, but living it out each day keepsimproving our marriage. Husbands, ifyou want to be sure that your wifewould marry you again, practice livingthis vow each day.

To Love.

Wives love to be loved. WhenRichard and I dated, he tried to win myheart. He couldn't do enough for me.No gift was too expensive. He hung onmy every word. He häld my hand. Heopened the car door. He took me outto dinner. He wrote me love notes. Hecomplimented me. I still love all thosethings, and your wife probably does,too.

Lave shows itself through gooddeeds. Susan glows as she tells thisstory, "By the time I picked the kids up

H. Armstrong Roberfs

from ball practice, made a dessert forAuxiliary and threw dinner on the table,there was no time to do dishes beforethe meeting. When I came home andsaw the dishes done and the kids in bed.I realized what a lucky woman I am tobe married to David."

It's an adored husband who is willingto vacuum the floor or help with home-work. A wise pastor discerns the needsof both his family and his congregation,and schedules time for each.

To Comfort.

A Good Housekeeping survey indi-cated that seven out of 10 women weresatisfied with their husband's monetarycontribution-they didn't want morethings. But only one in four felt theyreceived enough emotional support.

When I've had a rough day andRichard says, "l dont know how you doit" or "You do such a good job with thebaby," I bubble over with love for him.It doesn't make the work any easier, butI dont mind it nearly as much.

When a wife is frustrated. hurt or dis-couraged, what she wants most fromher husband is comfort. Many husbandsthink she's asking for advice and pro-ceed with, "Well, honey, if you wouldjust get a little more organized" ornmaybe your devotional life needsworkl

A lecture puts her on the defensive.(This isn't to say there isnt time forspeaking the truth in love, but it mustbe done with extreme care.) She reallywants you to hold her and listen. Whenyou do this in a tender, caring way, itopens her spirit to you and encouragesher.

To Honor.

Wives love to be honored. Godthought this was so important that Hesaid not honoring your wife would hin-der your prayers from being answered(l Peter 3:7).

To honor is to value, esteem or showreverence. A thoughtless joke aboutyour wife's cooking, a sarcastic remarkabout her appearance, neglecting toprovide for her emotional and physicalneeds dishonor your wife.

Is your wife valuable to you? Tell her!Tell her why. Tell her how she hasenriched your life. Compliment themeal. Tellher what a good job she does.Thank her for ironing your shirt. Praiseher often in front of your children. I

treasure letters of praise I have receivedfrom my husband.

To Keep Her and Forsake All Others.

Infidelity is all too common even inpastors' homes. Because of the natureof his job, there are many opportunitiesfor a pastor to be tempted.

Counseling a distraught woman whois unhappy in her own marriage canlead to serious trouble. Many pastorsmake a policy to never counsel or visita woman alone. Pastors must be care-ful even in the way they shake handsor greet women. No matter how athac-tive or alluring a situation seems, it is

never worth the destruction of a minis-try or the hurt it causes.

The Other Side

Wives, you can do something tomake marriage happier and ensure anyes" answer to being a pastor's wife.

To l-ove.

Husbands love to be loved. Every daytellhim you love him. Never quit hyingto find new ways to say I love you.

A young preacher asked an olderpastor what kind of girl he shouldchoose for a wife. "Should I choosesomeone who can play the piano?"

'Nol replied the pastor, *You can hiresomeone to do thatl

"Should I choose someone who isgood with children and teenagers?"

nNo, you can hire a second man forthat.'

"Should I choose a girl who cantype?

"No," answered the wise pastor, "Youcan hire a secretary. Choose someonewho loves you."

To Comfort.

Just as scrubbing a leopard with a

Brillo pad will not rub off his spots, nag-ging will not change your husband. (lt

only irritates.) Spend 10 minutes a daypraying for him, and you just may besurprised what God will do.

To Honor.

All husbands love to be honored. Isyour husband a priceless treasure? Tellhim. He will go for days on thoseencouraging words.

Don tells of the special evening hiswife planned, "When I came to the din-ner table set with the good china andcandles, I knew something was up.Linda had prepared my favorite meal.She made a crown for me to wear andproclaimed me King of the Castle. Afterdinner she and each of the childrenaffirmed their love to me and told thequalities that were valuable to them. Itmeant more to me than any award I'veever received!'

Lift up your husband in front of yourchildren and they will honor him. Nevercriticize or correct him in front of others.

To Keep and Forsake All Others.

Every husband needs to know thathis wife is his alone. Every word,thought and action should show yourdevotion.

The seed of discontent began inMary's heart when she began wishingLloyd would be more thoughtful likeRuth's husband. Guard what goes on inyour mind. Screen books or songs.orTV shows that contain lustfulthoughts.Keep yourself for you husband as longas you live. Don't consider divorce anoption.

Husbands, or wives, do somethingtoday to invest in your marriage. Justmaking the effort may cause your part-ner to see what they saw in you on yourwedding day. 0Husbands need to be comforted.

Does your husband know when hecomes home discouraged that you willbe there to comfort and encourage him?Are you in his corner cheering him on?

Jerry, a pastor, says, nl dreaded get-ting into the car after church on Sun-days because Jane started in on mymistakes. There was always somethingshe didnt likel

Many people in the congregation canpoint out mistakes. Your husband needsyour encouragement. L,et the HolySpirit bring about the needed changesin his life.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Sondra Atwood soid she

woutd gladly marry him ogoin. She spoke ol herhusbond, R¡chotd, a Free W¡ll Bapt¡st postor ínNew Castle. Delaware.

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Burglary and Your ChurchBy Dan Farmer

fhere was a time when the man whoI robbed God's house did so through

withholding tithes and offerings. Not sotoday. In a survey conducted in theOklahoma City area including Free WillBaptist churches, I learned that manychurches have had several burglariesand lost public address systems, com-puters, typewriters and office equip-ment, cameras, VCR's and microwaves.The church where I pastor was burgla-rized three times last fall.

losses range from money in con-tainers for missions to thousands of dol-lars. At Kingsgate FWB Church inSouth Oklahoma City burglars enteredthrough one of two small windows andtried to carry out the organ as well aseverything else.

A Costly ProblemDue to periods of non-occupancy,

church buildings are accessible and aprime target for thieves, arsonists andvandals. More than 3 million burglariesare committed each year; one in everysix homes will be burglarized this year.That's an average of one every 10seconds.

Crime is increasing in the suburbs atthe fastest rate with burglary as thefastest growing felony. In all, businesseslose an estimated $30 b¡llion each yearto crime, more than the total annualsales of several national departmentstore chains. Of the billions lost, part is

from failure to protect property from ille-gal entry.

The FBI states: "Crime is a hazardthat every citizen faces and, regrettably,it is a hazard that cannot be completelyeliminatedl

No city has enough police officers toeliminate burglaries. Burglaries oftenresult from failure to protect churchproperty from illegal entry, a costly fact.We need to take steps to make ourchurch buildings less vulnerable tocrime.

Burglarb Eye

Take a look at your church buildingas a burglar might. Look for easy waysto get in-ineffective door locks, easy-to-open windows. A professional bur-glar won't be stopped by a door or win-dow, but good locks do discourageteenage criminals-the snatch and runkids.

We should have minimum securityfor our buildings, which means prevent-ing enhy by a burglar through any dooror window except by means of destruc-tive force. Begin your security check atthe front door and work around thebuilding.

Carelessness now costs Americans anestimated billion dollars a year in sto-len property. While any loss is tragic,loss which might have been preventedby exercising relatively simple precau-tions is doubly tragic.

Remember, burglars try the easiestentries first-doors and windows. Ifyour doors or windows cant be quicklypried open, chances are the burglar willmove on.

Practlcal Helps

Locks.

Simple spring locks are easy to openwith a plastic card. An experienced bur-glar can do it in only a few seconds. Thebest locks have one common feature:a dead-bolt, a steel bar, at least one inchlong, which extends from the door intothe frame when the door is locked.

The double cylinder dead-bolt lock,requiring a key to open from either side,prevents the burglar from breaking glassin the door and reaching through to turnthe knob from inside. It also ¡rreventshim from exiting through the door if heentered through some other means.

Doors.

Burglars can virtually walk through aweak door by kicking it in. Hollow coredoors should be replaced with solid coreor steel, or strengthened with metalsheets. Reinforce or replace weak doorframes with steel or concrete.

Glass in the door should be unbreak-able safety glass. Glass can also be pro-tected with steel bars or mesh, or by

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Windows.

Protect windows by putting grates,grillwork or bars over them (if permit-ted by police and fire departments). Orplace polycarbonated sheets over theglass on the inside. Sheets shouldextend 1 tá inches beyond the perime-ter of the glass and be attached to asolid surface with bolts or screws placedevery three inches.

If a window frame has rotted, itshould be replaced. If the window is nota fire exit, drive a nail in the channel sothe window cannot be opened (raised)more than four inches, not wide enoughto allow an average adult to climbthrough. Make sure windows and doorsare closed and locked after each serv-ice or each time the room or buildingis in use.

Alarms.

Since there are many types of intru-sion alarms on the market, you maywant to secure the services of a reputa-ble alarm company regarding yourneeds. Highly effective electronic bur-glär alarm systems are now available inthe $200 to $500 range that can pro-tect an average building. Many requireno wiring or other difficult installation.

An alarm should include a batteryfailsafe back-up in case of power failureor cutting of outside wires, a delayed-action switch, and the capacity to addas many door or window sensors asneeded,

Some units are made so that firesensing capabilities can be added. Mosthave read-out ability to determine if thesystem is working and may come witha horn sounding device that can beinstalled in the attic to alert area resi-dents. Some more expensive units mayautomatically dial the police.

Some churches use systems that alerta security company or police. Thesevary in type and price but start locallyat about $40 a month. You willneed todetermine if the system will causeannoying false alarms. Also, check thewarranty and what maintenance youcan expect from the manufacturer.(Note, none of these systems are com-pletely free from mechanical or humanerror.)

You can help prevent church bur-glaries with cylinder dead-bolt locks,protection over glass in doors and win-

dows, and also by listing and identify-ing your merchandise by joiningOperation I.D. Unidentifiable propertycannot be traced to its rightful owner.Identify property; list serial numbers ofitems; take photographs if necessary;

keep a written inventory in aplace.

[¿t's all help stop burglaries!

ABOUT THE WRITER: Reverend Dan Farmerpostors First Free Will Baptist Church, Moore,Okldhomo.

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He GotThreeÏodayBy Alton loveless

[s a young preacher I wasflintroduced to the sport of deerhunting while pastoring in southernArkansas.

At that time it was an unspoken butaccepted rule that if you hunted in adeer camp you could killadditionaldeeruntileveryone in the camp had used histag or had it used by another. Then thecamp would break up and everyone gohome.

One day I was on a deer stand in atree house I had built for the deer sea-son. The dogs were barking while stillin their cages on the back of the truck.Darkness was just giving way to lightwhen a four-point buck followed 10 orL2 does into the clearing. I lifted my30-30 and shot him.

While preparing to bleed him I heardleaves rustling and discovered anotherdeer with his nose to the ground com-ing down the path I had taken to get tothe slain one. I had no choice since Iknew he was going to charge me. I

raised my gun and set the sights on theforehead of an eight-point buck.

Now what was I supposed to do? Ionly had one tag. Then the driver wholet out the dogs stopped in the road andshouted, 'Hey preacher! Did you gethim?'

As he approached he exclaimed,"Why, you got two! Here's my tagl Whata relief, as I relaxed. While getting themready to carry to the truck he whisperedto me. "Look over yonder. See thatbuck? Shoot him!My gun's in the huck.'Now there were three. My excitementturned to near panic.

The camp rule worked and I usedanother hunter's tag for the third deer.But down at the general store my wifewas asked by the county transmitter,"Did your husband killa deer yet?" Myyoung and naive wife said boldly, "Yes,he got three this morning!" OABOUT THE WRITER: Dr. Alton Loueless isP¡omotional Director lor the Ohio Stote Associo.tion ol Free Will Baptísß.

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ff,Iffli;s*ï:rx,æeasy! There are so many ways the aver-age layman can assist his pastor that tocondense the list to a select few is some-what of a problem.

There's an interesting story in Exodus77;17-72 about conflict and victory.Moses and the Israelites won a decisivebattle over Amalek because two menstood faithfully and did what they could.

It may well be that your pastor'shands are not heavy. It is quite likelythat his heart is heavy. Nothing short ofGod's presence encourages a down-hearted pastor any more than the sup-port of loyal men.

Here are seven ways you can makeyour pastor's job easier.

1. Be what vou're supposed to be.When it comes to helping the pastor, wethink of things we can do. While that'sgood, our first consideration shouldfocus on what we can be.

What a boost to the pastor to knowhe can count on you. But what a blowto him and the church when we rnissthe mark on right living. There's noth-ing more important than being our best.

2. Perform accordinq to vour profes-sion. Did you know that when youmake a profession of faith certain stan-dards of conduct are expected? Everymember of a Free Will Baptist churchprofesses to believe the doctrines andstandards of conduct portrayed in ourTieatise.

As you go about your daily routine,you demonstrate what a Free Will Bap-tist is. It may well be that you are theonly representative of a Free Will Bap-

Your PastorBy Wendell M. Leckbee

tist church that some people will everknow. To that person, you represent thelocal church and denomination

It's important that we live up to ourprofession. The heartthrob of every pas-tor can be read in III John 4. 'l have nogreater joy than to hear that my childrenwalk in truth."

3. Be a supporter. A supporter of thepastor supports more than just the man.The true success of a pastor's ministryis revealed in how well his people sup-port the totalFree W¡llBaptist program.

My pastor would be deeply disap-pointed if he moved on and left usdoing less after his departure. The great-est evidence of support is personalgrowth and knowledge of Jesus, notpersonal attachment to the pastor.Remember, God's man spends his lifetrying to draw men close to the Master,not to himself.

4. Be a friend. Friends do more thantheir duty. A true friend is there whenneeded most. A friend may often stayin the background and out of sight, butwhen he's needed he steps forward tolend a hand or shoulder a burden.

Friendship means more than beingan acquaintance. Real friendship mustbe earned. Your pastor will learn toknow you and appreciate you as afriend when he sees you there throughgood times and bad.

5. Be dependable. Be where you aresupposed to be. This includes beingpresent for every service, unless provi-dentially hindered. Be in SundaySchool, morning worship, Sunday nightservice, CTS, prayer meeting, visitation,Woman's Auxiliary meetings (for the

ladies) or Master's Men, revival and spe-cial church functions.

If you have special responsibilities,such as teacher, be there early. Don'tburden the pastor with the task ofexplaining to a visitor why the teacheris not there. No matter what office orresponsibility you fill, it is most impor-tant to be there. What a help to a pas-tor to know that workers are indoing their jobs at all times. What anadded burden to the pastor when lay-men offer half-hearted and irregularservice.

6. Do work. Work in the churchinvolves so many different things-teaching, ushering, music, nursery,maintenance of property, serving on aboard. visitation and a host of otherthings.

The point is, there's something thatyou can do. You can help lighten thepastor's load and at the same timestrengthen the church by doing yourpart of the work.

7. Do prav. Your pastor needs andappreciates your prayers in his behalf.L¿t him know that you're praying forhim, not just on Sunday in a public serv-ice, but all week long in your own pri-vate prayer time. This area of helpingyour pastor may be the least visible, butit is vital.

I love and support my pastor becausehe lives what he preaches. He has seenmen grow because of his influence. Ipledge to be more help! O

ABOUT THE WRITER: Wendell Leckbee, o dea-con at Fîrst Free Wîll Baptist Church, North LittleRock, Arkonsos, olso serues on the nationalMoster\ Men Boord.

mLEE WHALEY, PIONEEN MISSIONARY, WITH THE IÍ)RD

KINSTON. NC-The Reverend D. L.([¿e) Whaley,74, died May 16 at his

.farm home in Kinston. Funeral serviceswere conducted May 19 at BethelFWBChurch in Kinston. Reverend DavidParamore off iciated, assisted byReverends Nathan Eason, GordonSebastian and Jack Williams.

Atthe time of his death, Rev. Whaleywas associate pastor and minister to theaging at the Bethel Church. Ordainedas a Free Will Baptist minister in 1948,he served 40 years as a churchorganizer, pioneer missionary and pas-tor in North Carolina and Alaska.

He resigned as pastor of First FWBChurch, Jacksonville, NC., in 1957 andmoved his family to Anchorage, Alaska,where he established churches atAnchorage and Fairbanks, and eventu-ally became director of Alaska Free WillBaptist Missions. Brother Whaleyserved in Alaska I957-L966, duringwhich time he also conducted twice-weekly radio broadcasts.

After completing his work in Alaska,Whaley returned to North Carolina inL966 where he pastored Bessemer CityFWB Church until 1979. At age 65 hebegan a new ministry with older adultsin Kinston at the BethelFWB Church.His "Senior Saints of Bethel' included

nearly 150 older adults.He attended Free Will Baptist Bible

College, Nashville; the Kings College,Wilmington, Del.; and Atlantic ChristianCollege, Wilson, NC. He served in theU. S. Army in the South Pacific and wasa World War II veteran.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Ethe-line'Ethel' Pike Whaley of Kinston; adaughter, Mrs. Betty Jean Dills of Bes-semer City, NC.; two sons, Dr. VernonM. Whaley of Moore, Okla., and Rev.Rodney D. Whaley of Stockton, Calif.;and seven grandchildren.

FREE wlLL BAPÎIST

newsfrontBIBLE COLLEGEGNADUATES 47

NASHVILLE, TN-Free Will BaptistBible College graduated 47 studentsfrom 17 states and one foreigncountry-Brazil-in commencementexercises held in the school's MemorialAuditorium on May 12. Degreesawarded included 16 B.Als, 24 B.Sls,three A.C.M.'s, one A.A. and threeA.S.Bls.

Dr. Robert Picirilli challengedgraduates to all be engaged inministry'l-5s¡v¡ç. to Jesus Christ,regardless of whether they were calledto preach or to missionary service.nEvery Christian is called to be a servant,a slavel he told them.

Five seniors-Don Worrell (NC),Vicky Christy (TN), Mike l¿wis (AR),Shelly Coyle (CA) and Fred Hoffman(TN)-gave testimonies and tributesconcerning their time at FWBBC.

Ten students graduated with honors:Vicky Christy (TN), cum laude;Suzanne Franks (Brazil), magna cumlaude; Dean Jones (lL), magna cumlaude; Jim LaBerge (lN), cum laude;Mike l.ewis (AR), cum laude; Julie Mar-tin (TN), magna cum laude; MichellePolk (TN), magna cum laude; WaynePrice (KY), cum laude; Colleen Spears(TN), summa cum laude; Karen Tippett(TN), cum laude. Three seniors werealso inducted into Delta Epsilon Chi, thehonor society of Bible colleges. Theyare: Colleen Spears, Julie Martin andSuzanne Franks.

The Outstanding Student, selected bythe faculty, was Dean Jones. The BestAll Around students, selected by thestudent body, were Scott Bullman andDeanna Greenwood.

thethe

The William Henry Oliver Scholar- honored Rev. Tom Malone for 16 years

ship ($4,000) was awarded to Tämara of service on the Board of Jì'ustees. Rev.

Walley, a junior physical education Malone went off the board in July whenmajor. new members were elected at the

President Charles Thigpen also national convention in Kansas City.

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4OO ATTEND CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATTON

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CNISWELL TO MODERATENOmHWEST ASSOC.

SALEM, OR-Delegates to the North-west Association elected Oregon pastorMike Criswellas moderator during theMay 13-14 session. Reverend Criswellpastors Northside FWB Church inEugene. He also moderated the 1988session.

Some 138 delegates, ministers andvisitors registered for the two-day meet-ing at First FWB Church, Salem. JeffHalliburton directed the music program.

Two Home Missions Departmentstaffers preached sermons on theassociation theme, "Renewing OurSpirit." Home Missions Director RoyThomas and Associate Director TiymonMesser spoke Friday evening and Satur-day morning.

Delegates accepted the ordinationpapers of Reverend Paul Wood at hisrequest. Wood formerly served asmoderator of the association.

The 1989 session will meet Mav72-73 at First FWB Church, Salem.

BAKERSFIELD CA-Th e 45th annuatsession of the California State Associa-tion met May I9-2L at First FWBChurch in Bakersfield. Clerk RickScroggins reported that while 240 reg-istered, at least 400 delegates, ministersand visitors attended the Friday eveningworship service.

Four ministers preached sermonsdeveloping the association theme,"Growing Together." The speakersincluded California pastor ShelbyFarmer-rGrowing Together in Christ;"Oklahoma pastor Jack Richey--rcrow-ing Together in Stewardship;' FWBExecutive Secretary Melvin Worth-ington--rGrowing Together in Grati-tude;" and Missouri Executive SecretarvClarence Burton --jGrowing Together iÁServitude."

Delegates re-elected Paul Kennedy asmoderator and Nuel Brown as execu-tive secretary. They also voted supportfor the American Federation forDecency (AFD). Executive SecretaryBrown challenged the state to start 10new churches by 1993 and increaseCalifornia Christian College enrollmentto 100 students.

In other action delegates expandedthe California Christian College Boardof Tiustees to include a representativefrom the Northwest Association, theArizona Association and California'sHispanic Association.

The 1989 state association will meetMay 18-20 at Village Chapel FWBChurch in Ceres.

NONTH CAROLTNA TO JOIN'ADVANCE' PROGRAMGREENVILLE, NC-The North Caro-lina State Association passed a resolu-tion accepting the report of theindependent study committeeappointed by the Foreign MissionsBoard regarding problems in IvoryCoast. Promotional Director Tom Lillysaid the resolution means that NorthCarolina churches will be encouragedto participate in the Foreign MissionsAdvance project.

The 26th annual session met June6-7 at Parker's ChapelFWB Church inGreenville. Clerk E. E. McMillenreported 242 registrants including 113ministers, 39 lay delegates, 3 mission-aries and 87 visitors.

Moderator Dann Patrick was re-elected with Ted Reynolds elected asassistant moderator. Delegates voted todissolve the Board of Retirement andSuperannuation. The benevolence pro-gram operated by that board will besupervised by the state promotionaldepartment.

Three North Carolina ministersbrought messages on the associationtheme, "North Carolina First." MinistersBilly Bevan, Frank Davenport and RoyRikard shared the preaching platform.

The 1989 session will meet June 5-6at Swannanoa FWB Church inSwannanoa.

WEST VIRGTNIA RE.ELECTS Jllll VARNEY

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CHARLESTON, WV-After Pastor JimVarney moderated West Virginia's 43rdannual session state association,delegates re-elected him to the moder-ator's post for 1989. Varney pastorsMcCorkle FWB Church in McCorkle.

The June 10-11 session met atLoudendale FWB Church in Charlestonand registered 274, according to officialreports. Delegates approved a statebudget with funds to be disbursed as fol-lows: General fund (10%), 799LNational Convention (8%), State Paper(18%), Missions (46%), Christian Edu-cation (15%) and National CooperativePlan (3%).

Seven devotionals and three sermonsdotted the two-day meeting. The threemajor addresses were preached by Wil-liam Sandy, pastor of Long Run FWBChurch, Simpson, W Va.; A. J. Looper,superintendent of the Free Will BaptistHome for Children in Greeneville,TÞnn.; and Randy Sawyer, chairman ofthe music department at SoutheasternFWB College.

The 1989 session will meet June9-10 at Ward Road FWB Church inCanvas.

CONTESTSponsored byRandal I House Publications

Slx Cafegories

1-Exegesis/Sermon 4-Tract2-Short Story S-play/Skit3-Poetry 6-Book

$10.00 Entry Feee

Enlries recelved lrom July 1, 1988lo deadllne June 1, 1989.

Write for rules of entry to:

Rev. Harrold D. Harrison,Writers' Contest Director

P.O. Box 17306Nashvílle, TN 372L7

Currently . . .

Pastor Jack þoaler and members atFlrot Flf,fB Church, Dublln, GA, con-ducted a bond burning service April 30 toconclude a $65,000 bond program. Thechurch began as a mission in 1970, pur-chased land in 7974 and completed theirbuilding in 1975.

Georgla home missionary lltherBurno broke ground May 1 to build onproperty located in north Fayette County.The name of the new church will be NorthFayette FIUB Chu¡ch.

Pastor Davld ilcKnlght reports thatmembers of Purltan FIUB Church,Hamden, OH, began worshipping in theirnew building on April 10. The structureincludes a sanctuary as well as SundaySchool classrooms.

Pastor Roy Roach reports 14 conver-sions at Llghthouoe FWB Church,Zaneovllte, OH.

Shortly after Pastor John lteade cameto Southrpcatcrn FWB Church,Columbuo, OH, attendance leaped. Offi-cials report 18 conversions, six rededications,1.0 baptisms and 36 new members.

Attendance at Llberty FWB Church,Norton, OH, increased from 70 to L2T inthe past year. The group listed eight conver-sions, seven baptisms and six new members.Iletyl Cun¡r pastors.

Robert Plclrllll, dean of Free lf,llllBaptlot Btble Cotlege, reports 88 stu-dents on the Dean's List as the spring semes-ter ended. Fifteen of the 88 maintained an"Éf average for the semester.

Pastor Claudle Hameo says FlrotFtlrB Church, Bahercñeld, CA, has 39Sunday School classes. Hames said, 'Vr/e stillhave 10 rooms empty ready to be used forthe Lord.' The church averaged 752 thisspr¡ng.

Sunday School attendance at Countrlrclde FWB Church, Vloalla, CA,increased so much that two classes meetoutside due to lack of rooms. Pastor Donlllnl¡ler reports five conversions and fourbaptisms.

Members of Portervllle Ftf,tB Church,Portervllle, CA, report nine baptisms andseven new members. Jacl¡ Cravenspastors.

Members of Falth FWB Church,Glenpool, OK, celebrated their fifthanniversary with 290 present, including 81visitors. The service resulted in three con-versions, nine rededications and a missionsoffering of more than $1,000. DavldArcher pastors.

Pastor Terrell Holtand now wears anew watch, courtesy of Flrot FWBChurch, Haskell, OK. The churchlogged seven conversions, six baptisms andL6 new members.

Members of Calvary FWB Church,Norman, OK, dedicated a 600-seat sanc-

tuary this spring. Pastor ltll¡e Wade saidthe sanctuary completes the third phase ofCalvary's building program. The churchbegan 10 years ago with 30 charter mem-bers. Hillsdale President Edwln Wadedelivered the dedication message.

Pastor lUllbur DuBolo, Jr. and mem-bers of Flr¡t FtltB Church, Andcrcon,lN, conducted a long-awaited mortgagebuming ceremony this spring. Guest speakerGeorge Crlop of Brotherhood FWBChurch, Glasgow, Kl brought the morningmessage. Pastor DuBois said, 'For the firsttime in our church's 34 l/z-year history, weare debt ftee!" He reflected that three yearsago the church was behind on mortgagepayments and averaged 1.5 people in atten-dance. Since then, they remodeled andaverage more than 100 for Sunday School.

Officials at Southeaotern FtltB Col-lege, Wendell, NC, report that 724 peo-ple attended the school's April 14-16 GetAcquainted Days. That number included102 prospective students and22 sponsors.College Dean Lorenza Stox saidthe par-t¡cipants came from 35 churches in fivestates. Another 75 prospective studentsvisited the campus later. The school's nextGet Acquainted Days are set November77-79.

Pastor Davld Shore.¡ reports that mem-bers of lna FWB Church, lna, lL, willsupport 15 missionaries with a total of$1,497 per month for the next year. He saidthat if the church's faith promise offeringscontinue as planned, the group will givealmost $18,000 to missions by June 1989.

Members of Adn¡olfc F[f,IB Church,I[arlon, VA, presented missionaries Johnand Pancy ilurray of France with a checkfor $1,207. The church also pledged twopercent of total church offerings to the Mur-rays. Tommy Strcet pastors.

Pastor Loy Counto said members ofFlrot Ftf,tB Church, Rogers, AR, voted

You support your stateunlvel3lty

wlth your taxes.

to participate in the Cooperative Plan ofSupport.

Pastor Johnny Conyero and membersof Centcr Polnt FWB Church, Vllo-nla, AR, burned the mortgage this spring.Visiting minister Stdney Saq¡rlc broughtthe message. Arkansas Promotional Direc-tor Davld Jootln presented a challenge tothe church.

The Sunday School Board of theAd¡ancao State A¡ooclatlon providethe adult Sunday School lesson on tape asa minisüy to aid those who have touble see-ing and ,/ or reading. The board encourageschurches to purchase tapes for memberswho are blind, elderly or anyone who hastrouble reading the lesson in print. Boardspokesman Larry Hughes said the lessonsare taped as they appear in the adult BtbleScholor student book. They are available for$7 per set of two tapes.

Principal Dlark Harrloon reports thatfive of nine students who graduated thisspring from Bethel Chrlotlan School(Bahersfleld, CA) plan to attendCallfornla Chrlctlan College. BethelSchool is a minishy of Flrot FIUB Chu¡ch,Bal¡ersñeld.

Oklahoma's South Grand RlverAcsoclat¡on raised more than $7,900 inmissions support during its spring missionsconference, according to mission boardtreasurer Franclc Berlra, S¿ The associ-ation conducted two rallies at Pryor andBixby. Four missionaries participated in theconference: Ruc¡ell Johnoon, Hou¡ardGwartne¡r, Jet4r Banls and RobertBryan.

Wanda Shatp, a member at DenareeFWB Church, Vlsalla, CA, drove aschool bus for the Visalia school dishict. Shewon the driver of the month award. Officialsreport that in L5 years, Wanda drove337,000 miles and hansported 202,000 stu-dents. She retired in June.

Pastor Edd Grcen reports that specialrecognition was given to two ladies in llt.Can¡el FWB Church, Per4l, FL. Pas-tor Green said the two ladies have beenmembers of the church for a total of 103years! lera Mac Davlo has been a mem-ber for 49 years and Ruby Grubbs for 54years. The church presented a plaque tothem for their commitment to Christ and thecommunity.

Pastor ll. C. Ponrell reports that mem-bers of Berean FWB Church, Albany,GA, paid off a M5,000 mortgage two yearsearly. The church began as a mission underthe sponsorship of Georgia's lùtidwayAcooclatlon 13 years ago.

Pastor Brlan Atn¡ood celebrated his10th anniversary at Emmanuel FWBGhurch, Wabaoh, IN, in a special way-the church received 26 new members. ¡þ

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Boord of Retirement

Herman L. HersegDirector

AT YOI.]R SEIiVICE

hich is best for the pastor and the church? Providing a parsonage

or a housing allowance? Historically, most churches furnished a par-

sonage. But, now for a number of years more churches pay their pastor

a housing allowance to enable him to purchase his own home. This plan

gives him the freedom to live where he chooses and to accumulate equity.

For severalyears I have advocated a housing allowance, but I am taking

a second look. There are advantages and disadvantages in both provisions

for the pastor and the church.I lived in two parsonages for a total of 20 years. Yet, when I moved

to Nashville for this position, I had not a penny of equity when I needed

to find housing.Another disadvantage for the pastor is that most churches tend to lower

his salary disproportionately when they provide a parsonage. This makes

it impossible for him to save toward future housing.

At least two problems have arisen with a housing allowance. The minister's

freedom to go when and where God calls may be limited or delayed. I

know of three pastors who are called to new pastorates yet ate unable to

sell their homes. They have been trying to sell for one to three years.

I know of two instances when the pastor's wife stayed in the home to

try to sell it while he moved on to fill his new position. Such a dilemma

creates tension and financial nightmares for the family. It hinders the pas-

tor's ministry to the church.Another problem is that when the pastor is comfortable in his home he

may lose some sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit in leaving a f¡eld

of service. One brother confided in me that for three years he knew he

ought to leave his pastorate, but he did not because of owning his home.

What's the answer? One solution some churches find satisfactory is toprovide a parsonage and set aside a certain amount as "housing equity."

The amount ranges from one to severalthousand dollars yearly. The pas-

tor receives that equity when he leaves for another field of service. The

Board of Retirement can handle this money for a church through a trust

agreement.I-et me know your ideas on this subject. I would like to hear from our

pastors and lay people. I have an open mind and am stillthinking it over.

Housing Allowance Vs. Parsonage

A Second Look

Disadvantages andProblems

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ITIIllllWoman's W¡ndow

From My WindowWhat is your chief business in life?How would you answer if someone

asked you that question?When we joined a Free Will Baptist

church, we agreed to abide by a churchcovenant. That covenant binds us to"count it our chief business in life to extendthe influence of Christ in society."

Does anyone know about Christ todaybecause of me?

When Chrlst chose us as his own, heintended that we produce fruit, fruit thatwill remain.

Our lives should be revealing the fruitof the Spirit-love, joy, peace, longsuffer-ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek-ness, temperance. Those close to usshould see something of Christ in us.

How's our influence?In the covenant we agree to camT out

this "chief business" by laboring to promoteeducational and denominational enter-prises and support missions.

How are we doing at our chief business?

Eunlce Edwards FundJune 1, 1988-$11,707.43

Provlsion Closet Has Good YearThe Provision Closet is now well

stocked. Missionaries have a broad selec-tion of items, thanks to the generous giftsof Free Will Baptist women.

The urgent need is financial support formissionaries. Some are having to takeearly furlough. Some are extending theirdeputation time because they lack support.

Instead of items for the Provision Closet,why not send offerings for deficit mission-ary accounts.

Send through the usual channels andmark them clearly for deficit missionaryaccounts. Indicate clearly how much goesto Home Missions and how much to For-eign Missions.

on the WorldBy Mary R. Wisehart

August-WNAC Emphasls MonthWoman's Auxiliary Emphasis gives the

whole church an opportunity to supportWNAC with an offering.

Once a year women help acquaint thelocal church with the purpose and workof the Woman's Auxiliary.

A special emphasis program is includedin the July/August issue of the Co-Laborer magazine.

Special helps are available from theWNAC office.

Organization with A PurposeThe purpose of Woman's Auxiliary is

clearly stated: to help each woman fuffillher part in the great commission.

The Co-Laborer, other publications,recommended study books and meetingsaredesigned tohelp the woman grow inChrist, to heighten her awareness of theworld's need, and give her tools to reachout with the gospel.

Some women may reach out by help-ing to teach and tain young people.Others minister to those in their ownneighborhood.

Some may go abroad or to a distantstate to cany the gospel.

All can pray and give and witness ofChrist's love where they are.

If your church does not have aWoman's Auxiliary, write to WNAC for acomplimentary packet and heþ in organ2-ing. Join 10,223 women in this work forChrist.

WNAC's Fifth National RetreatRidgecrest, North Carolina

September 8-10, 1988For more information write

WNAC RetreatP. O. Box 1088

Nashville. TN 37202

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PULSE or Free will Boptist Foreign Missions

iffio"*IIf n* I was saved, God madeUU a drastic change in my

life. No one would ever suspect Iwould do anything so drastic as "killa missionary."

Oh, I'm not any'holier than thou"type of Christian. I have my faultsand God is teaching me to dealwithlife on a day-to-day basis.

I'm faithful in church attendanceand I am always ready to help at thechurch when needs arise. I like to bewith people and I enjoy Bible study.

When the church needed to bepainted, I was there right on sched-ule. And when the pastor hurt hisleg, I was happy to help out with hislawn and lend a hand when his carwouldn't start.

My tithes are set aside withregularity and they go to my church.Revivals find me always present andmy contribution can be counted onto help pay the evangelist. This hasbeen my Christian lifestyle for manyyears.

I was doing well, I thought, untilone day we had a visiting speaker.He was a missionary from SouthAmerica. With a compassion thatwas evident to everyone present, theyoung envoy for Christ challengedmy heart: "God has opened thedoor to preach nowln he claimed.uWe can live there cheaper than hereand the cost of winning a soulthereis about a tenth as much as it costsin the U.S.A.'

"What a bargaini I thought tomyself. "That's the kind of ministryI want to have a part in.' Sq I mademy commitment to give regularly.

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A few months later, another mis-sionary came by. He was serving inAfrica. God was really providing fruitin that ministry. Naturally, I wantedto have a part, so I made anotherfaith promise.

'Oh, no!' I thought.'\Ãlhercwìll ít end? Well, itb golngto end ríght herc wlth me!'

Yearly we had different foreignand home missionaries, representa-tives of national departments, etc.Somehow, costs no longer seemed"reasonablel I thought, "Where is thisgoing to end?'And the pastor statedfrom the pulpit that we were givingtoo much to outside causes. Iagreed.

Then, it happened! I got a letterfrom a missionary I had been sup-porting. uPlease, we need your helpin order to remain on the field," themissionary pled. "The dollar valuehas dropped drastically against thenational cunency, causing our coststo triple since we came to the field.Can you help?'

uOh, no!' I thought. "Where willit end? Well, it's going to end righthere with me!' I exclaimed. l{s far

as l'm concerned, he willjust haveto do without. . .or come homelThe more I thought about it, theangrier I became.

I decided not to increase my giv-ing. I even thought, "These mission-aries, national agencies, etc., are allcrying'wolf and I think they are allout just to get money. I'm going toshow them. I'lljust cut out most ofmy outside giving. . .especially tothat high-priced missionary.'

At first I felt guilty for not continu-ing my missionary support. But thenI reassured myself that it was notgood stewardship to spend that kindof money just to keep one witnesson the mission field. "After all,' Ireasoned, nwe could have twochurches here in the United Stateswith full-time pastors for what it iscosting to keep him and his familyon the field."

One day a few months later I gotthe news. Missionary J. A. Pan was.dead! He could not survive on thefunds he had received. His messageof hope for those idolatrous peoplewas silenced. Allhe had needed was$50 per month from me and a fewothers. Just the amount I had beengiving and wellwithin my reach. ButI could not see the value of a humansoulthrough the cloud of "too manyappealsl

Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hitme! As sure as my name is ImaChristian, I killed that missionary. Imguilty and I'm accountable! I cant geth¡m off my mind, but even worse,the scripturaladmonition rings in myears: 'Their blood will I require at thyhandl

I killed a missionary! But please,[ord, don't let me kill another norrob the unevangelized millions oftheir chance to live. Olma Christian is any Free Will Baptist who has cut outmiss¡ona¡y support because of too many appeals or whothinks God has reversed His command to preach thegospel to every creature. 'Forcing a missionary to leavethe field kills his missionary m¡nisky on that field, thusthe missionary is dead!

What Does Free W¡lt Baptist Bible CollegeHaveARightlb Expect

From Free Will Baptists?by Dr. RobertPicirilli

Academic Dean, FreeWill BaptistBible Cotlege

Second of a two-part serles.

If Free Will Baptists have a right to expectcertain things from Free WillBaptist BibleCollege, then turnabout is fair play.

After all, the Free Will Baptist peoplegave birth to the college. She has a right,then to expect them to stand by her.

And that includes many things.

Pride of OwnershlpFree WillBaptists should have pride of

ownership. If you are a Free Will Baptist,then Free Will Baptist Bible College isyoura. Surely you can be glad of that: to bepart of a people that sponsor for its youngpeople such a distinctive kind of college.FWBBC has arightto expecta//Free WillBaptists to identify it as theirs, and to showthe kind of interest and concern that thisimplies.

Dally PrayerThen the college has a right to expect

Free Wiil Baptists to pray for its minishy.Prayer means that we need God to be atwork. Perhaps it doesnl matterwhethertheSpirit of God works on a state universitycampus. But it matters at Free WillBaptistBible College! If He isnt at work here, wecant do the work you founded us to do.And He works in response to the prayersof His people.

Its Young kopleFurthermore, Free Will Baptist Bible

College has a right to expect the denomi-

nation's young people as its students. If FreeWill Baptists founded the college for itsyoungpeople, if they believe thatthis kindof education is good for them, then FreeWillBaptistsshould investthe lives of theiryouth in this work. Not a// of them, per-haps: some are not really interested inspiritual things. But the brightest and best,the ones serious about living for Jesus-these are the onesthat will make FWBBCwhat Free WillBaptists mean for it to be.The college needs more of these.

Generous, Regular SupportFinally-yes, you knew it was coming

-the college has a right to expect gener-ous financialsupport from Free WillBap-tists. FWBBC isnt going to be supportedby tax money: they say that's unconstitu-tional. Nor by rich philanthropists: theyarent interested in what we're doing. Thenwe're all we've got.

If we dont support us, no one will.It takes a lot of money to operate a col-

lege. Frankly, Free Will Baptists havenïfullyrealized that yet. Free Will Baptist BibleCollege has had to operate allthese yearson lessthan enough. Onlyatight-fisted effi-ciency has made this possible-not tomention faculty and staff who are willingto work for less than typical fulltime pastors!

Put it this way: Surely FWBBC has arightto expect everysingle Free WillBap-tist church to take this seriously. To searchits own soul. To make sure it give liberallyand regularly. To challenge individualswithin the church, who are able, to give.

If every Free Will Baptist and every FreeWillBaptist church gave and prayed andencouraged young people towardFWBBC like you dq what kind of collegewould we have? Seriously now, just howmuch do you believe in Christianeducation?

Dr. Robert Pícírilli

Dn Picirillí, a natíue of South Carolina, hasminístered at the Bible College since 1955.He receiued his B.A. at FWBBC ¡n 1953ond his M.4., Ph.D. and D.D. atBob JonesUniuersíty. He has serued as moderator olthe National Associorion of Free Will Baptisßond is cunently a member ol the Boord ofRetircment ond lnsurance. He hos writtenseueral books and bookleß, íncluding thenew Randall House Commentory on FirstCorinthians.

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i.. Dauld the ktng sald unta all the congegatlon.... I høoe preparcdwtth all my mtght lor the house of my God. . . . I hooe of mlne oun , , .gold and slluer . . , gluen to the house of my God. . . . The people rcJolced,for thot they olfercd wllllngly ... to the Lotd ... Daold the klng alsorcJolced wlth geatJoy. . . . Dqttld blessed the Lotd beforc all the congte'gatlon. . . . And all the congtegatlon blessed the Lo¡d God of thelr fatherc,and bowed down thel¡ heods, and worchlpped the Lo¡d. . . .' (Excerptsfiom I Chrcnlcles 29:7-20)

-- heFfee ur¡ll

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fs giving of tithes and offerings a ful-Ifilling experience of thanksgiving andrejoicing for your church? Is it a time ofworship? Or, has your church driftedinto a casual meaningless perfunctoryritual of "taking the offering."

To worship is to honor, offer thankstq sing praises to, celebrate, laud, mag-nify. Read I Chronicles 29 and studyhow Israel worshipped God with gifts forthe building of the temple. How doesyour church measure up?

I)o you give sufficient t¡meand attentlon to thls part ofyour worsh¡p?

Dont skimp on the time. Allowenough time for an unhurried offeringfor the congregation to express theirgratefulness to God.

Prepare the congregation to givereverently and joyfully with their heartsand minds centered on God. Read por-tions of scripture. Pause to acknowledgeGod, His presence and His ownershipand provision of everything.

Do new converts, unbelievers andchildren understand what you are say-ing? (Bless-collect-tithes-take theoffering-receive-give back?) Dontassume everyone understands, thateveryone knows what giving is all about,or why you give, and what God saysabout giving. Tþstimonies and prelimi-nary remarks along with scripture teachand clarify why and how one gives.

Giving and Worship

Offertory selections should take asecondary place. The musician(s) mustbe careful to direct the congregation'shearts and thoughts away from them-selves and solely toward God, movingthe worshiper toward thanksgiving andpraise.

Devote time and attention exclusivelyto worshipping God through gifts andthanksgiving. L¿t nothing else, evenother worship activities such as specialmusic, interfere. Certainly announce-ments or welcoming of visitors shouldbe planned for another time.

Do you dedicate yourtithes and offerings toGod?

To dedicate is to set apart for God'sspecial use. Have you noticed that yourjoy in giving is dampened when youroffering is "taken" hurriedly and carriedout the back door? Tithes and offeringsshould be dedicated at the altar,presented to God for special use withthanksgiving and praise. (Then, ifprecaution is necessary, remove giftsfrom the sanctuary.) Study David'sprayer in I Chronicles 29:L0-L9.

Receive offerings and gifts reverentlyat all services and meetings-SundaySchool, CTS, Auxiliary, Master's Men.Only after a group has been called toorder should an offering be received.Pause and take time to give with thank-ful and worshipful hearts centered on

Herman L. HerseyExecutive Secretarl"Treasurer

God.Think about it. The way you give

matters. If you were giving your gift toGod face to face, would you toss it toHim while chatting and visiting withfriends, not even acknowledging Hispresence? Would you honestly be thatcasual, even giving to a friend? Makeevery giving opportunity a worshipexperience.

Does the congregatlonpartlcipate in thanksgivingand praise?

[¿t the people give thanks and praise

God. Silent participation and unsungwords of praise give little joy and fulfill-ment. Having another, such as anusher, always offer the only expressionof thanksgiving cheats the worshiper.And, it cheats God of His rightfulpraiseand honor from His people.

L¿t the people rejoice and let themexpress their own thanksgiving andpraise. Have the congregation standwhen the offerings are brought to thealtar and dedicated; have them sing theDoxology or a hymn of thanksgivingand praise. At least include them insome active expression of worship dur-ing this time. Make sure that any prayeroffered is audible to the entirecongregation.

Think about lt.As stewards do you really give unto

the Lord joyfully out of a willing heart,truly worshipping Him? As a congrega-tion do you give Him the honor, glory,praise and thanksgiving due H¡m? Doyou give to God with thoughtful rever-ence and adoration? Or do your praise

and thanksgiving to God remainunspoken and unsunga 6

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Th" Home Missions Tiaveling TizamI just returned from a 6,600 mile

automobile hip visiting missionaries andchurches in the West. My heart was bur-dened again for the needy cities with noFree WillBaptist churches and few othergospel preaching churches.

ïiymon Messer and I left Nashville,Tennessee, and traveled west where wepicked up I-70 at St. louis. We havefew Free Will Baptist churches north ofI-70 in Missouri, and only two inNebraska.

After services with the Nebraskachurches, we continued north on l-29on our way to visit Îm and Kathy Coatsin Rapid City, South Dakota. More than600 miles separate Omaha where JerryMcClary serves and Rapid City whereTim Coats labors, with no Free WillBaptist churches between!

As we haveled north on l-29, wepassed through Council Bluffs and

Sioux City, Iowa, two large cities in astate with only one Free Will Baptistchurch. At Sioux Falls, SouthDakota-the largest city in the state-we took I-90 west, passed the BadlandsNational Monument to Rapid City.There we had services with the RapidCity congregation in this growing citysituated in the beautifulBlack Hills nearthe "Shrine of Democracy" . . . Mt.Rushmore.

When we left the mission church inRapid City, we did not pass anotherFree Will Baptist chürch until we cameto Rupert, Idahq over 700 miles away.Tim and Kathy Coats truly serve in anisolated area.

The next day while traveling acrossnorthern Wyoming we went throughBaker, Sheridan, Worland and Cody.We were amazed at the number of Mor-mon churches along the highway, andthe scarceness of f undamentalchurches.

How fb Win The West!By Roy Thomas

As we ventured into ldaho, we cameto the Snake River at Idaho Falls andfollowed it to the state of Oregon alongI-84. We passed through Huntington,Baker, La Grande, Pendleton and TheDalles, all good-sized cities in Oregonwith no Free Will Baptist churches.

After attending the Northwest Associ-ation of Free Will Baptists in Salem,Oregon, we backtracked through Ore-gon and ldaho, and passed the hugecity of Ogden, Utah, home of Hill A¡rForce Base. We caught I-80 acrosssouthern Wyoming, passing throughEvanston, Rock Springs, Rawlins andLaramie. There are no Free Will Bap-tist churches between Rupert, Idahqand Cheyenne, Wyoming, a distance of600 miles.

Almost allthe people in the West livein or near the largest cities of each state.If we had at least L2 preachers whowould go to each of these states andclaim one city for Christ and Free WillBaptists, we could do much to help getthe gospel to the vast majority of thepeople in these isolated states.

We saw frequent reminders along thehighway of the Oregon Tiail. We weremade to think of those men and womenof yesterday who endured the hardshipsof cold, hunger and sickness to settlethat vast territory. What a price theypaid. A 600-mile section of the OregonTrail has 15 grave markers per mile.These were people who were willing torisk their lives to settle a land they hadnever seen.

May God give Free Will Baptists a"pioneering spirifl like this, not to die insome distant land, but to go to large,growing, modern western cities in theUnited States to win people to Christand plant churches. Will you be will-ing to help us 'Win the West" for

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Benefits of Masterb Men

To the individual.

Involvement in Master's Menencourages each man to be a betterman in several areas of life: physical,social, mental and spiritual. Hedevelops faithfulness to God, to church,to family and to country. He has a

stronger witness in his community.In 29 months,2T4laymen preachers

and missionaries have joined togetheras LifeMembers. Their commitment tothe work of the Lord will last into eter-nity. They care about the denomination,the churches and other fellow laborers.

To the church.

More workers are added to the coreof laborers who make programs of thechurch go forward. The church enjoysa broader base of finances through dedi-cated tithers. Entire families serve Godtogether. Mature leadership is possiblewhen trained laymen serve together asmembers.

Churches with strong Master's Menchapters have no problems accomplish-ing tasks and finding willing workers.The laymen will lead in the efforts.

To the denomination.

New laborers are added to the divinevineyard. Mature leaders can be chosenfrom the laity for board positions anddenominational leaders. More work is

accomplished on all levels of service.Churches can be built with great mone-

tary savings. Missionaries receive morehelp. The denomination is able to usewise investments of resources of person-nel and manpower. Yielded laymenaccept God's call into the ministry andinto mission work. Using qualified laityin key leadership positions freespreachers for pulpit ministries.

Through the Master's Hands Projects,in four years 16 new worship and serv-ice structures have been built. Thedonated efforts resulted in constructioncost savings of nearly $400,000.

Master's Men are beneficial to theefforts of the denomination. They arethe supply source of funding, man-power and leadership. They are simply. . . the men of the Master. Like theMaster, this organization is looking fora few more good men. Join today!

înd the things that thou has heardof me among many witnesses, the samecommit thou to faithful men, who shallbe able to teach others also" (ll Timo-thy 2:2).

LifeMenrbershlp Tops 2OO

Jack Daniel, a member of First FWBChurch in Albany, Ga., became the200th LifeMember on April 10. Danielis a member of the Board of Retirementand Insurance. He was in Nashville fora board meeting when he made thecommitment to join.

By the end of May the LifeMemberlist contained 214 names in addition toL8 women as LifeFriends. Fifty men areon the LifeCommitment list, payingmonthly to reach the $100 deposit fee.

The last three names added to theLifeMember listing are from a newchapter at Northside FWB Church inStockton, Calif. They have 18 men in

the group, with six on the LifeCommit-ment list.

Three new LifeFriends joined the list-ing during the 10th Annual Master'sMen Conference. Their husbands madethe deposits.

Deposits in the Master's Men Endow-ment Tiust Fund now total $24,819.19.These funds will never be spent. Theywill earn interest until the lord returns.That interest will help fund the work ofMater's Men.

Information about how to becomeLifeMembers and LifeFriends is availa-ble from the Master's Men Department.Memorialgifts and fübute gifts may alsobe placed in the Endowment lust.Appropriate cards will be sent to fami-lies notifying them of memorialand tib-ute gifts.

Master's Men welcomes the followingLifeMembers and LifeFriends:

LlfellembersBobby L. Dauphinais, TXJack L. Daniel, GAHarvey JonesClarence M. Johnson, OKGeorge Gray, ARIæwis ïurner, FLErnie Taylor, lLGeorge T. Muse, TNLarry Claypool, MITony Claypool, MlL. Michael Phillips, ARElmer Þrrell. MIDarrell M. Alvis, lNTony Braun, CAEd Gray, CALarry Wilson, CA

LlfeFrlendoKathryn Johnson, OKBetty Ray, OKEthel McJenkin, ALRuth Orr, KY (D

BY DONNA MAYO

No Power,, No LightlÙf,",åi-îî:#','j'ilå :" 33i ry;:ture of a basket of puppies. She wasalmost finished when Jeff boundedthrough the door and upset thepuzzle.Marty was right behind him.

'You little dummy!' screamed Megan."[¡ok what you've done.'

"l sorry,' said Jeff, nMe not mean to.'"Wellpick it up right nowi demanded

Megan. She turned to Marty and said.?nd you ought to put it back together,you blockhead.'

'Megani called her mother from theden. "Come here, please."

Megan walked slowly to the den. Sheknew what her mother was about tosay. "Megan, you know we dont allowname-calling in this house. I want youto go back and apologize to JelI andMarty."

"Yes, Motherj' answered Megan.i\fter all, it was an accident,'said Mrs.

Lane.'But I had been working on that puz-

zle lor an houri said Megan."That is still no reason to lose your

temper and say mean things to yourbrothersl said Mrs. Lane.

"Yes, maämi answered Megan.

M"sun told her brothers she wassorry. And she truly was. She lovedMarty and Jeff dearly. She didnt knowwhy she got so mad at them sometimesand yelled at them the way she did.

For a few days Megan tried hard notto lose her temper. But it seemed theharder she tried, the more things hap-pened to make her angry.

One night after Megan finished hermath homework-16 mult¡plicat¡onproblems, she went to get ready for bed.She thought she put the paper in hernotebook, but she accidentally droppedit under the table. Jeff found the paperand colored all over it.

"Look at my homework!" criedMegan. Teff, you are so stupid!'

"Megan Lane," scolded Mrs. Lane."You tell Jeff you're sorry."

nBut now I'm going to have to copyit overi griped Megan.

"You ought to be spanked for talkingto Jeff that way. Remember, he's justthree. He had no way of knowing it wasan important paper. And it was on thefloor,'said Mrs. Lane

The next afternoon Marty asked if hecould borrow Megan's bike. His had aflat tire.

"Okayi said Megan, 'but huny. Sally,Jenny and I are invited to a tea partyat Mrs. Douglas' at 3:30."

Megan waited for Marty to get back.Sally and Jenny arrived on their bikes."Ready to go?" called Sally.

'Marty's gone on my bikei answeredMegan. "But he'll be back soon. ThenI'll be ready.'

The girls sat down on the porch towait for Marty. After 15 minutes Sallyand Jenny decided to go on to Mrs.Douglas'house.

Megan waited another 15 minutes.Then she caught a glimpse of Martywalking her bike down the street.Megan screamed, "lf you've hurt mybike, Ill. . . . 'Then she looked at Marty.The knees of his pants were ripped, andthere was a big cut on one knee. Hiselbow was badly scraped and his facewas smeared with teárs, blood and dirt.

"Your old bike's not hurt, but I suream," said Marty. 'l had a bad wreckl

"You've made me late,' shoutedMegan. "Look, you've scratched thefender. I hate you Marty Lane. I hateyou!" Megan grabbed the handlebarsaway from her brother, jumped on thebike, and pedaled toward Mrs. Douglas'.rrrI he party was almost over when

Megan got to Mrs. Douglas' house. The

sweet old woman, Sally and Jennywere sitting on the front porch of Mrs.Douglas' farmhouse eating cookies anddrinking lemonade. Megan sat downand began absentmindedly nibbling ona cookie.

When Sally and Jenny had left, Mrs.Douglas said, "Now, Megan, why don'tyou tell me what's wrong?'

"What do you mean?" asked Megan.nHoney, I've known you long enough

to know when something is botheringyoui answered Mrs. Douglas. "Tell meabout it. Maybe I can help.'

"l got mad at Marty for wrecking mybike and making me latei said Megan."l said some awfulthings to him. I didntmean them, but I lost my temper-again. I try so hard not to get mad, butsometimes I can't help itl

"Quit trying," said Mrs. Douglas."What?" asked Megan,"That's right. You might as well quit

trying because you will never be able tocontrol your temper and tongue. Butthe Lord can. You can't be patient andloving in your own strength. You haveto depend on the Holy Spirit. He cangive you the power to do anythingi saidMrs. Douglas.

"Now, Honey, go in my bedroom andbring me the flashlight from my night-standl said Mrs. Douglas.

When Megan handed her the flash-light, Mrs. Douglas said, "Now go downin the basement for me and bring up ajar of blackberry jam to take yourmama. Take the flashlight-those base-ment steps are awfully dark."

egan went back inside the house tothe kitchen and opened the door to thebasement. At the top of the staircaseshe could see fairly well, for there wasenough light shining in from the kikhen.

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But after she had gone down five or sixsteps, it was dark.

She pushed the button on the flash-light. Nothing happened. She pushedthe button again. Still nothing. Sheshook the flashlight. Then she tightenedthe two pieces. But it wouldnt come on.Megan knew it was useless to go intothe basement without the flashlight.There were no electric lights downthere, and she would never make itsafely to the bottom of the steps andfind her way over to the right shelvesand jars.

Megan went back up the steps,through the kitchen and onto the porchwhere Mrs. Douglas was waiting. "Whathappened, child? Where's the jam?"asked Mrs. Douglas.

'The light wouldnt worki answeredMegan. "l couldn't get it to shine. I

couldn't see to go down the steps."Mrs. Douglas reached for the flash-

light. She took it apart and turned thetwo pieces upside down. "No wonder,'exclaimed Megan. "lt doesn't have anybatteries."

"Well, Ill bej'said Mrs. Douglas, whohad known allalong that the flashlightwas empty. "The l¡ght wouldnt shinebecause there was no power inside."

'Are you trying to tell me something?"asked Megan.

"Yes, honeyi said Mrs. Douglas. Tustlike a flashlight needs power inside, sodo you. Go back to my nightstand, andthis time, bring me my Bible.'

Megan brought the large, worn Bibleto Mrs. Douglas. She turned to Philip-pians 4:J.3 and read, 'l can do all thingsthrough Christ which strengtheneth mel

"You quit trying so hard," continuedMrs. Douglas, "and let the lord live bigin you. Memorize this verse. And thenext time you're tempted to say meanthings, say this verse instead."

Megan read the verse. She askedJesus to forgive her for trying to makeit on her own. Hope filled her heart.She would quit trying (and failing) andlet Jesus control Her. And Jesus can'tfail.

It wasnt always easy after that. ButMegan was learning. And when Martygot the bathroom first or when Jeffspilled milk in her lap or when her dadwanted to watch a ball game on TVwhen her favorite show came on.Megan took a deep breath and said,Tesus, please help me say and do whatYou want me to." O

Marle Butler, The Wedglng(Kansas Clty: Trotka lllnistries'19t6, lOl pp., paperback,$4.e5).

" Wå*:i,'¿' Tåîi,i:-îåï' ",1î

shaping, is a fitting title for this book. Itdescribes how God prepared, shapedand molded the life of a woman whohad lost her l7-year-old son, Ron, tocancer.

In the autobiographical book, Mrs.Butler outlines the fear, anger and frus-hation which she experienced when herson died of cancer during his senior yearin high school. With brutal frankness,she discusses the resentment she feltwhen a thoughtless teacher remarkedthat her brother had recovered fromcancer "because we had the right peo-ple praying for us."

This is not, however, a book aboutsorrow. It is a book about healing. Thedeath of Ron was a tenible, but not fatalblow. Life had to go on; broken liveshad to be brought together again. For

Director¡¡ Update

ALABADIATom Scott to Red Bay Church, Red Bay

from Bethlehem Church, Ashland City, TN

E. B. L¿dlow to First Church, Mobilefrom Unity Church, Sylacauga

ARKANSAS

Eddy Campbell to Cedar HeightsChurch, Quitman

John Ballard to Phillips Chapel Church,Springdale from Bixby Church, Bixby, OK

MISSOURT

lonnie Skiles to Bethel Church, Þstusfrom Sylvan Park Church, Nashville, TN

NOBíTH CAROLINAClyde Nations to Fairview Church,

Marion from North Spartanburg Church,Spartanburg, SC

Eugene Hales to Matthews to start newchurch from Jasper Church, Jasper, AL

OKLIIHOMARussell l¡we to North McAlester

this author, writing provided a most use-ful therapy.

She began to write articles short sto-ries and poetry. She received manyrejection slips, but she did not give up.As time passed, she learned to writeand to write well. Her articles foundacceptance and she began lecturing atwriters conferences. She even wrote abook about Ron and his story.

In this work, the author offers practi-cal suggestions for those who want towrite for publication. She gives thenames and addresses of organizationsto which beginning writers can turn forhelp.

This book illushates so wellhow Godcan bring something good and beauti-ful out of the worst of tragedies. Mrs.Butler lost a son, but the Christian worldgained an outstanding writer.

Free Will Baptists are a smalldenomi-nation, but we have a significant con-tribution to make to the work of Christ.Writing is one tool which we can useand are using. This book can help usalong the way. (D

Church, McAlester

Bill Kirk to Hoyt Church, Hoyt

Edgar Beavers to Barnsdall Church,Barnsdall

SOUTH CAROLINAlzroy lowery to First Church, Chester

from Deep Creek Church, Midville, GA

Phillip Jones to New Town Church,Lake City

Teny Dennis to Williams Hill Church,Hemingway

VIBGINTA

David Nobles to Bethel Church, Wood-bridge from Meadowbrook Church, BlackMountain. NC

OTHEN PENSONNEL

Mark Brawley to Þllowship Church,Bryan, TX, as associate pastor

Mike l¿wis to Victory Church, Golds-borq NC, as minister of youth and music

Craig Shaw to Hanah Church, Hanah,OK, as assistant pastor

o

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Itllnlotry through VldcoThe youth of Bethany FWB Church

in Broken Arrow, Okla., submitted thefirst multi-media entry at the 1988 NYCMusic and Arts Festival.

The Youth Production Class pro-duced a 46-minute video titled, "NoGreater [ove,' and 10 minutes of"Bloopers'that occuned during the tap-ing of the project. In September L987,the class began forming ideas for thestory. Through their Wednesday nightmeetings they combined different ideasinlo the main story line.

TÞrry VanWinkle, youth minister atBethany, wrote the screenplay and thenthey had tryouts for the acting parts.From friends at school to cheerleadersto the Sunday School class, the actorsin the video were all people of thechurch.

The group scheduled the filmingdates and spent six weeks filming thedifferent scenes. After many hours ofediting, a video was born! Congratula-tions to the Youth Production Class ofthe Bethany Church for a job well done.

The category of multi-media wasintroduced at NYC '86 in Tulsa, thenwas open for competition at NYC '87in Birmingham. There were no entriesin this category that year.

There are six different divisions in thiscategory for the Heralds, Crusaders andAmbassadors. There is an any-combination division for only those inthese three grade levels. The six divi-sions are:

Division l-One-Minute Radio SpotDivision 2-Ten-Minute Radio SpotDivision 3-Slide PresentationDivision 4-8mm FilmDivision 5-VideoDivision 6-Multi-lmage Presentation

For more information concerning thiscategory, please contact:

NYC OfficeP. O. Box 77306

Nashville, TN 37277

From Arkansas and TennesseeCamp Beaverfork in Conway, Ark.,

had a heavy missions emphasis this

summer says Camp Director Jim Pur-sell. Foreign missionaries from the stateof Arkansas were profiled and studiedduring the four weeks of camp. Eachmorning for 45 minutes to an hour,campers learned about the manyaspects of foreign missions.

Also each week a missions offeringwas taken for the National YouthProject-Aim for Uruguay. Their goalwas to raise $1,000 for AIM.

The youth choir of Woodbine FWBChurch together with some youth fromSylvan Park FWB Church and Donel-son FWB Church joined to raise moneyfor AIM for Uruguay. The group per-forms the musical drama, "Positive ID."Their goal is to raise $1,000 for the pro-ject. They scheduled five services thissummer in the local area.

The program is geared to teenagers.It süesses the need to be positively iden-tified as a Christian, the importance ofprayer and the necessity of a Christ-centered life. Sue Smith of Woodbinedirects the musical drama and is assistedby Don and Kathy Draughn also ofWoodbine.

What is going on in the youth minis-try in your area of the country? Let usknow.

Youth DivisionP. O. Box 17306

Nashville, TN 372L7 cb

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Qometimes a thematic approach to9a Bible passage yields good results.This psalm, thought to be written byDavid when facing the rebellion ofAbsalom, is a good example. There arethree pairs of hands "at work" here.

(7)The psolmisf's hands, lifted to God(vv. L-2). Here is the true Christian atti-tude: utter reliance on God. Lifting hishands to God in prayer, he shows thathe does not depend on what he can dofor himself but on what God can do forhim.

Thus he addresses God as his"rock?-his rock of strength, the immov-able foundation that he firmly standson. In confidence,.then, he calls out toGod (v. 1), he lifts his hands in suppli-cation "toward thy holy oracle" (v. 2).This is the Holy of Hol¡es, the innermostsanctuary, the place where God dwells;compare Psalm 5:7.

His prayer that God will not be silentwhen he calls (v. 1)ido not turn a deafear to me,' (NIV)-is, implicitly, anexpression of confidence that God will,in fact hear his voice (v. 2).Indeed, herecognizes that here is the very differ-encebetween himself, as one of God'speople, and the wicked. A personwhom God does not listen to is nodifferent from those who þo down intothe piti who perish in hell. He doesn't

Three Pairs of Hands

want to be associated with them (v. 3a).(21 The hands of the wicked, work-

ing theír own woys (vv. 3-5). And thisis the opposite, a sad picture of thosewho trust in "the work of their [own]hands" (v. 4). Instead of looking to God,they look to themselves and go theirown way. See how clearly this is put:"they regard not the works of the [ord'(v. 5). Spurgeon notes that God worksin creation, providence and redemptivegrace; never mind: "the ungodly refuseto see the operations of the [ord."

Instead, they work iniquity-overt evil(v. 3). For example, they speak peaceto their neighbors, as though "on goodterms" with them (Keil and Delitzsch),but harbor n.lschief, malice, in theirhearts.

Therefore, the psalmist is not hesitantto ask God to give such people whatthey deserve. If they insist on their ownworks rather than God's, they must beallowed to reap the fruit of their works(v. 4). One is sure that God willdeshoythem and not build them up (v. 5). (This

would have specialsignificance to Davidwhen Absalom was attempting to takehis throne.)

(3) God's hqnds, working grace forthosewholookto Him (vv.5-9). Whatthe wicked ignore, in depending ontheir own hands, is the work of God'shands (v. 5). By His own gracious oper-

ation, God does many things for thosewho lift their hands to Him.

He builds them up, as He does notdo for the wicked (v. 5b). He hears thevoice of those who make supplicationto Him (v. 6). He is "strength andshieldl-a source of strength and adefence-for those who hust in Him (v.

7 a) . He helps them (v. 7a) . Not only isHe strength for His people, He is theirsaving, delivering, power (v. 8)-averitable "fortress of salvation' (NIV).("His anointed onel in this case, is Davidhimself as the anointed king of Israel.)He saves and blesses His people asthose who are His heritage (v. 9a).Indeed, he feeds and lifts up-bears,carries-them (v. 9b).

Such are the works of God's handsthat the Christian can look to andexperience if he willsimply not rely onthe works of his own hands. Davidknew this right well, and so he trustedin God (v. 7), h¡s heart exulted (v. 7),he sang praises to God (v. 7).

This is the pleasing and positive out-come of David's meditation on the threepairs of hands. Our experience shouldbe the same as his. In that same depen-dence on the work of God's handsrather than our own-that is what wemean by faith-we will offer the sametribute of praise and joy. (D

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fïNEWS OF THERELIGIOUSCOMMUNITY

ST'PNEME COUNT UPHOLDSIrlAIrA'POnN BAN

WASHINGTON, DC. (EP) -The Supreme Courtrejected a challenge to an fu2ona telephone com-pany's policy prohibiting sexually explicit telephoneservices. ln its first action on dial-a-pom, the Courtrefused without comment to hear arguments thatMountain Bell's refusal to carry sexually explicitmessages constituted a violation of free-speechrights.

The Court's action came one week after Con-gress approved a billthat would ban alldial-a-pomservices, which are currently available through'976 exchanges and through AT&Ts 900" num-ber long-distance service.

The Courfs action was praised by Rep. ThomasBliley, who pushed the dial-a-porn amendmentto an education bill in the House. "lt indicates thethinking of the Court, which is that this kind ofspeech is not protected by the First Amendmentihe explained.

Mountain Bell is a U. S. West company. U. S.West has services in 13 other states, but is not con-sidering extending its ban. Instead, the companyis offering its customers a one-time free opportu-nity to block all such services, is dropping billingservices for dial-a-porn services, and is establish-ing a separate telephone prefix for such services.

BENSON CODIPANY DROPSSWAGGART I'TSTRIBUÏION

NASHVILLE, TN (EP)--The Benson Companydecided to discontinue its distribution agreementwith Jim Records and Shiloh Records, two divi-sions of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

Jerry Park, general manager of The BensonCompany, attributed the decision to "certain deci-sions made and actions taken by Jimmy Swag-gart Ministriesi a veiled rele¡ence to Swaggart'sdecision to spurn his denomination's discipline andreturn to preaching shortly after being caught insexual sin.

fucording to the CCM Updaæ newsletter, Don-nie Swaggart (Jimmy's son) says a tentative dis-tribution deal with anotheÌ company had beenreached prior to Benson's decision.

Park said Swaggart's staff has been "verycooperative'and added, 'Our hopes and prayers

are with the people at Jimmy Swaggart Ministriesas they work through this challenging periodl

Swaggart is a leading gospel recording artist,and is related to secular music stars Mickey Gil-ley and Jeny [¿e L¿wis. (D

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FEDENAL PURGE OF RELTGIONGROWS BOLDER, SAYS ARITSTRONG

CHAPPAQUA, NY (EP)-Rooting out all spiritualinfluence from American public affairs "is becom-ing fashionable policy' in Washington, says U. S.Senator Bill Armstrong in the May issue of Chris-tian He¡ald.

The federal government, from Congress to thecourts, is "twisting freedom of religion into isola-tion from religioni says the Colorado senator. Reli-gious organizations involved in social work arebeing excluded from federal funds unless theyoperate in a totally secular manner, he says.

"Our society should not be forced to make achoice between publicly-funded services and theprivate commitment of faith," Armstrong argues."[ong before official Washington got involved,churches were fighting poverty, hunger, childabuse, alcoholism and every other ill now watchedover by a federal bureaucracy. For the last quarter-century, government has been elbowing out relig-ion. Now it's going a step further to exclude relig-ion from federal social programs."

Armstrong continues, "The scope of this mind-boggling hend isnt confined to churches and reli-gious institutions. A judicial, legislative andadministrative net has been cast far and wide torope in all spiritual influence and authority.Government is hying to purge religion from com-munity groups, humanitarian organizations andcolleges as welll

Armstrong concludes with a warning: i{nimportant principle is at stake, and America's reli-gious institutions had better wake up to itsimplicationsl

WORLD VISTON TO RESUME WORK TNVTETNAI¡

HANOI, Vietnam (EP)-World Vision PresidentRobert Seiple r€cently returned from a visit toNorth and South Vietnam where he met withgovernment officials who encouraged the returnof the international humanitarian agency to thewar-torn country. World Vision has not been inVietnam since 1975, when the organization pulledits workers out of the county as North Vietnamesemilitary forces entered Saigon.

'Vietnam is worse off today than it was 20 yearsagoi said Seiple, who flew 300 combat missionsover North Vielnam as a U. S. Marine pilot dur-ing the war. His week-long visit to the southeastAsian counhy in mid-April was his first since 1968.

Seiple met w¡th sen¡or officials in the depart-ments of labor, health and rehabilitation in theVietnamese capital of Hanoi in the north and HoChi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in the south.They encouraged World Vision to resume workin the country, suggesting Da Nang, in the cen-ter of the L,240-mile long coast, as a re-enby post.

"The cities are decayingi said Seiple, whodescribed the living conditions as "tenuous." Hereported seeing 120 people crammed into onehouse in one area, and said major metropolitancenters are in danger of turning ¡nto massiveslums. "Despair is beginning to s€t in. This is acountry that essentially won the war and is losingthe peace."

Seiple plans to send a World Vision survey teamto V¡etnam to assess needs in Da Nang and else-where. The agency has made an initial commit-ment to relief that will cost from $150,000 tos250,000.

According to a recent report issued by the U. S.

State Department, at least 300,000 Vletnamesepeople are disabled. Many have been injured dur-ing decades of war against Japan, France and theU. S. ln an attempt to relieve the suffering of thedisabled there, Seiple, during his visit, made animmediate commitment of 25 tons of plastic mate-rial for use in the manufacture of artificial limbs.

Att¡ch your mril¡ng label to all cor-rotpondcnco.

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SERVICE

Hom¡leticsAnyone,?

books, magazines, newspapers, radioand tv seem to make preaching lessimportant.

Paul's admonition to Timothy to"Study to show thyself approved untoGod, a workman that needeth not to beashamed, rightly dividing the word oftruth" (ll Timothy 2:15) remains anunceasing challenge to every preacher.The Christian pulpit has exerted a far-reaching and beneficent influence onhuman society throughout history.

Unger declares, iAmerica, in partic-ular, with its enviable heritage ol lree-dom and individual opportunity owesan incalculable debt to the Christian pul-pit. Perhaps no other one factor hasbeen more potent in moldingdemocracy and shaping the develop-ment of our free institution than thevoice of the man of God preaching theWord of God from the pulpits of ourland.'

The preacher dare not substitutehuman eloquence, men's philosophies,Christian ethics, social betterment, cul-tural progress, psychological principlesor any other subject for the Word ofGod,

The ThreatsIn some circles, the pastor comes

across as a bland composite of the con-gregation's congenial, ever helpful, everready boy scout; as the darling of theold ladies, and as fhe affable gladhander at teas and civic functions.

Preaching takes place in an overcom-municated society. Some preachers fall

The Sccret¡4/o SchcduleAuguot l-t Evergreen FWB Church

lola, ÎÞxas

Auguct t-14 Peaceful AcresAyden, NC.

Auguct ló.lt Arkansas State Association

Auguot 22-2E Easley Chapel FWB ChurchComanche. Tþxas

THE SECRETARY SPEAKSBy Melvin Worthington

llo man knows how to preach.

lf This disconcerting fact is con-a ! firmed by testimony from someof the great preachers who confessedthemselves bunglers groping after anideal which eluded them forever.

The TruthPreachers learn to preach by preach-

ing, and the life-long process neverceases. Although few ministers realizethe value of homiletics while still inschool, after a few years in the pastor-ate they wish they could take a refreshercourse.

Methods change, but the principles ofeffective preaching remain the same.Homileticalmethods need to be revisedthrough the years, for preaching, like allother skills, is achieved and retained bydiscipline, hard work, continuous prac-tice and revision of procedures.

Broadus declares, "Preaching ischaracteristic of Christianity. No otherreligion has ever made the regular andfrequent assembling of the masses ofmen, to hear religious instruction andexhortation, an integral part of divineworship. . . . Neither Jewish religion norGreek philosophy gave to preaching thesignificance it has in Christianity whereit is a primary function of the church."

Preaching was central in Jesus' lifeand ministry. He called and commis-sioned His disciples to preach. Theyfaced the pagan world with the messageof salvation and a theology and ethicthat in three centuries made Christianitythe foremost religion in the RomanEmpire. Through the centuries the qual-ity of preaching and the spirit and lifeof the church have advanced ordeclined together.

The TaskPreachers must not neglect preach-

ing even though the vast output of

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prey to fads in communication. Mul-timedia presentations, filmstrips, shar-ing sessions, blinking lights andup-to-date music may be symptoms ofeither health or disease. Modern tech-niques must not be substituted for themessage.

Social action appeals more to a seg-ment of the church than talking orlistening. What good are the words offaith, they ask, when society demandsworks of faith? People with this mind-set judge that the apostles had thingsturned around when they declared, "ltis not reason that we should leave theWord of God, and serve tables" (Acts6:2).

Robinson says, "ln a day of activism,it is more relevant to declare, 'lt is notright that we should forsake the serviceof tables to preach the Word of Godl "

The day of preaching is not over.Never mind that some claim it is out ofplace, out of step, offensive or boring.God's way remains the preached Word.

The TrainingEffective preaching does not just hap-

pen. It is the result of diligent, dedicated,determined and disciplined work.

Davis said, 'There is no substitute forthe study, analysis, and evaluation ofactual sermons, lots of them. A mancan no more develop his best skill inpreaching without having studied thework of great preachers, than he couldfind his own best way of painting pic-tures, designing buildings, or writingplays or symphonies without knowingthe great works of human spirit in theseformsl

[¿t's not be satisfied to be mediocreministers but mighty ministers demon-strating expertise and efficiency asskilled craftsmen effectively preachingthe Word of God. o

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CONTACT

P. O. Box 1 088

Nashville, Tennessee 37202

Second class postage paid at Nashville, Tennessee

W'NAC'sEmphasis Pro$ram

for L988

B RII{GII{ G #,1#a;*ffiï"xï#is:"v"#äåiriiiGod." However, a new theme is chosen each year.

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OUTSIDT

THT

FOLD

The theme for 1988, "lhem Also t Must Brlng" andbased onJohn IO:16,dominates WNAC ac-tivities and publica-tions.

Although thefocus has been on the lost sheep on our mission fields,we have not neglected those on our doorsteps- theinternational among us, the cultist, those in institu-tions, the abused and battered \Momen and children,or any outside the fold.

ol-,/a ugust is Emphasis Month on theAuxiliary calen-dar. At this time a special program is given, usuallybefore the entire church, which promotes the work ofthe Woman's Auxiliary. This year's program, "Brlng-tngThose Outslde The Fold," highlights some of ourmission fields and themethods used to bringthe unreached chil-dren, teens andwomeninto the fold.

"Bringing Those Outside The Fold" along withvisual aids and suggestions for presentation is in-cluded in the July-August issue of CO-I'ABORÐRmagazine. To receive your free copy and trial sub-scription, write:

W'oman's Natlonal Auxillary ConventionP.O. Box fO88

Nashville, TN 37202

THEM ALSOI MUST BRING

Theme of the Year

BRINGING THOSEOUTSIDE THE FOLDEmphasis Program