October 29, 2014 • ISSUE 39

Anglo church plants Hispanic congregation to reach growing community

UNA NUEVA FAMILIA

SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWS TEXAS ABORTION CLINICS TO REOPEN

CITY OF HOUSTON REVISES SUBPOENA BUT NOT ENOUGH

Gary Ledbetter

B ased on nothing but a decent imagination, I believe that Houston Mayor Annise Parker was surprised at the blowback she is receiving for her

administration’s effort to intimidate pastors who have spoken against that city’s ordinance giving preferred status to homosexuals. She doubtless knew that some disagreed with her, but I think she underestimated the level of outcry that followed the subpoenas issued for the sermons and other communications of five pastors who’d disagreed with her “personal” campaign to normalize what is not normal. She may have not intended, as she says, to issue such broad subpoenas, but I cannot believe she had any regrets prior to the bipartisan clamor.

Houston’s mayor is one of our current crop of liberal politicians who sincerely do not understand religious liberty. To these leaders, we have the freedom to wor-ship in the privacy of our homes and church build-ings, but our freedom to live as transformed people in our weekday life is more inconvenient to a pluralistic culture. Freedom of worship makes more sense to them than actual religious freedom.

It seems to me that we have been Mirandized—read our rights. Are we willing for anything we say to be used against us in a court of law? We should be, and we should position ourselves for more direct threats than the one we see in Houston. One author I’ve been reading suggests that “homophobia,” which may be defined in our culture as “disagreeing with popu-lar culture about sexual morality,” could one day be classed as a psychopathology. Tyrannical regimes of the 20th century used such a diagnosis broadly against dissenters of any sort. They were drugged, re-educated or just locked up until they were no longer a threat to the state dogma. So how do we prepare; how do we behave wisely in an age when unpopular ser-mon topics are reasonably seen as actionable by some public officials?

4Be wise as serpents. One thing that can make trouble for us is foolish talk. Can you adopt the dis-

You have the right to remain silent

cipline of speaking in email, social media, prayer meetings, sermons and Sunday School lessons in a way that you’d be willing to see it in the public record? Because it is part of the public record and available to those who do not like what you stand for. This wisdom is James’ counsel in James 3:1.Carefully draw your lines in the sand. We all need convictions but sometimes boast of too many—more than we’ll actually stick to. Avoid boasting of more courage than you have as Peter did in John 13:37. Think about your priorities. Which things are more important than your wealth, comfort, physi-cal freedom or even your life? The list will likely be pretty short. Now stand. 4Be innocent as doves. 1 Peter 2:20 says there is a difference between suffering for the gospel and suffering because we forgot or refused to pay our taxes. Not everything is a conflict over religious liberty. Peter and John refused to stop preaching in the face of threats from the authorities, but they didn’t disdain law and courtesy generally. 4Be at peace with all people, if you can. Some of us love a fight and others fear it above all things. Both the bellicose and the irenic among us must stifle the urge to always respond as we prefer, with a fist or a hug, as the case may be. Peace with oth-ers should be our intent, not at all costs but in most cases. 4Pray God’s best on would-be enemies. That’s not the same as praying that they will get what they want or succeed at what they attempt—we should be careful about praying those things for anyone—but God’s best may be conviction, judg-ment or prosperity. Those determined to oppose righteous things you do cannot make you hate them, by the way. They can hate you, but you have the power to love them.

The current situation in Houston is not the big test of our era, I predict. It’s startling to see the disdain of public officials expressed toward Christians in Hous-ton, but this is an early birth pang. To me, it’s a warn-ing to get my own house in order—to consider the trials of those like Saeed Abedini, even as that situa-tion seems remote from here. If persecution intensi-fies in the U.S. or if it does not, we are foolish to be too comfortable or feel too safe in a world that hates our Lord and his righteousness. This is not our home, and we are blessed to be reminded of that.

CONTENTSISSUE #39

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

Gary Ledbetter, EditorKeith Collier, Managing EditorSharayah Colter, Staff WriterRussell Lightner, Design & Layout Stephanie Barksdale, Subscriptions

Contributing WritersRob Collingsworth, Mike Gonzales, Dwayne Hastings, Bonnie Pritchett, Erin Roach, Alex Sibley

To contact the TEXAN, visit texanonline.net/contact or call toll free 877.953.7282 (SBTC).

/////////////////////////////////////////////

14

A lawsuit challenging abortion regulations in Texas is being fast-tracked through the appeals process and most likely will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorneys for both sides of the abortion debate must navigate uncharted waters as one provision of the law has never been effectively challenged in court.

Supreme Court ruling allows Texas abortion clinics to reopen

Special panel on ‘The Church and Homosexuality’ added to Annual Meeting schedule

6In light of recent events, a special panel discussion on ‘The Church & Homosexuality” has been added to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting schedule. The panel—scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 9-10 p.m. at MacGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth—will feature prominent Southern Baptist ethicists and pastors discussing how churches should respond to same-sex marriage legal issues and how to minister to those with same-sex attraction.

Jose and Melissa Medina arrived in the U.S. from their native Puerto Rico in January 2012 with their two young children, two suitcases and a small amount of money. Around this same time, Normandale Baptist Church in Fort Worth desired to start a Spanish ministry to reach the growing number of Hispanics in its community but lacked financial resources and someone who could lead the effort. What God did next was a “miracle.”

UNA NUEVA FAMILIA

COVER STORY:

10‘Great Trip’ to Ecuador far more than good weather, friendly folks7

Majestic mountain views, balmy weather, hospitable locals and a room in the only air-conditioned hotel on the beach would typically amount to a “great trip.” Those elements, though, while true of Barry Calhoun’s recent trip to Ecuador, do not actually top the list of what made it a “great trip.”

City of Houston revises subpoena but not enough, ADF says16

After several days of national criticism aimed at the city of Houston for what critics called an abuse of power, City Attorney Dave Feldman struck the word “sermons” from a subpoena that ordered five local pastors turn over their sermons, speeches, and communications with church members as part of an ongoing legal dispute with the city. The revision was submitted Oct. 17.

2 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

Briefly ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

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

FLOYD: STAND UP FOR HOUSTON PASTORS

Baptists must let their voices be heard, said Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd.Floyd is one of several

speakers from across the nation slated to speak Nov. 2 at the “I Stand Sunday” gathering at Grace Church in Hous-ton. The event, hosted by Family Research Council and other partners, will be simulcast online and was organized in response to five Houston ministers being issued subpoenas by the city’s attorney to turn over sermons and other pastoral com-munications (see story on page 16). Confirmed speak-ers include Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee; Todd Starnes of FOX News; Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston; Phil Robertson from the hit-show Duck Dynasty; and others. For more information, visit istandsunday.com.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

BOKO HARAM TRUCE, GIRLS’ RELEASE UNLIKELYDivisions within Boko Haram weaken the credibility of

a reported cease-fire announced Oct. 17 to secure the release of more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in April, an expert in Nigerian relations told Baptist Press.Nigeria’s military announced the agreement with Boko

Haram in which the jihadists agreed to release the girls, but many analysts and others questioned the credibil-ity of the announcement after suspected Boko Haram terrorists raided three communities in Borno state Oct. 18-19. 

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

JACK GRAHAM NAMED HONORARY PRAYER CHAIRMANThe National Day of Prayer Task

Force has named Jack Graham, who served two terms as presi-dent of the Southern Baptist Convention, as honorary chair-man for the 2015 National Day of Prayer. Graham leads the 37,000-member

Prestonwood Baptist Church, which includes three locations in the Dallas area.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD FOR PAKISTANI MOTHERIn spite of protests within

Pakistan and abroad against the country’s blasphemy laws, the Lahore High Court upheld Oct. 16 the death sentence for a Christian mother accused of insulting Islam’s prophet Mu-hammad.Aasiya Noreen, commonly known

as Asia Bibi, is the first woman to be sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan. The mother of five was arrested in June 2009 after Mus-lim co-workers beat her when she refused to convert to Islam; her death sentence was an-nounced in November 2010.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

MICH., S.C. BAPTISTS NAME INTERIM EXECSInterim executive directors have been named

by two state conventions: Michigan and South Carolina.James “Jimmy” Jones, a Detroit native with

more than 50 years of ministry in Michigan, is serving as the state convention’s interim exec, while Richard Harris, a retired vice presi-dent from the North American Mission Board, is the interim for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

MCDONALD’S, STARBUCKS ASKED TO FILTER WI-FIA campaign requesting that McDonald’s and

Starbucks implement pornography filters in conjunction with their free Wi-Fi service at U.S. locations is “righteous” and should receive enthusiastic support from “people of faith,” a leader of Southern Baptists’ anti-pornography initiative told Baptist Press.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 3

CITY ORDERS MINISTERS TO PERFORM SAME-SEX MARRIAGEAn Idaho city has threatened ministers

who run Hitching Post Weddings with jail time and fines if they continue to refuse to perform same-sex marriages. The ministers, both Christians, say they are committed to marrying only heterosexual couples and have denied about 15 requests to perform same-sex marriages since 1989.

Read the story from World Magazine here.

CHURCH’S WEDDING VOTE STIRS KBC OPPOSITIONA Kentucky Baptist Convention commit-

tee has voted to recommend severing ties with a Louisville congregation that voted to ordain people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and to perform same-sex marriages. The KBC’s Commit-tee on Credentials took the action Oct. 9 in regard to Crescent Hill Baptist Church.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

CATHOLICS’ REVISED REPORT SHOWS ‘DEEP DIVISION’

Differences between the interim and final reports from a meeting of Catholic bishops in Rome reflect “deep division” within the church’s hierarchy regarding homosexuality, a seminary professor has noted.“Deep division appears obvious,” Jeffrey

Riley, professor of ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press in written comments. “How broad the division is difficult to say. ... Some bishops appear captured by western cultural no-tions that stress sexual freedom rather than a freedom that comes by obeying the clear teaching of Scripture.”

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

MORE CHURCHES USING BACKGROUND CHECKSAn estimated 1-in-5 background checks processed through Life-

Way Christian Resources’ program with backgroundchecks.com reveals a conviction of a felony or other serious offense.This may be part of the reason why a growing number of

churches use background checks as a way to better protect chil-dren and others involved in ministry.After a six-year partnership between LifeWay and background-

checks.com, the number of churches that say they are benefiting from the screenings continues to grow. Since last year, 50 percent more churches and organizations have used the service.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

MARRIAGE ‘NON-DECISION’ DRAWS ROE COMPARISONThe Supreme Court’s

refusal to rule on same-sex marriage amounted to a stealth version of Roe v. Wade on the issue, Southern Baptist ethicist Russell D. Moore told a national televi-sion audience. Appearing on C-SPAN Oct.

14, the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) said the justices’ decision not to review lower-court invalidations of state laws ban-ning gay marriage “was essentially an under-the-radar Roe versus Wade for marriage.” Roe v. Wade was the high court’s 1973 opin-ion that struck down all state bans on abortion.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

MISSION:DIGNITY PAYOUTS INCREASE TO RECIPIENTSMission:Dignity recipients received a welcome increase in their

October assistance payments with the neediest among them seeing their monthly grant amounts grow by 12 per-cent to $450 for singles and $600 for couples.Qualified individuals

receiving the largest payouts must have at least 25 years of Southern Baptist ministerial service and must meet guidelines for income and assets. Eligible recipients with at least 10 years of full-time, salaried Southern Bap-tist service receive $225 per month, if single, and couples receive $300.

Read the story from Baptist Press here.

4 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Rob Collingsworth

A sold-out crowd of 19,000 gathered at the American Airlines Center Aug. 5 for the third-annual Harvest America event, which featured live music from Christian artists MercyMe, For King & Country, and Phil Wickham and a gospel presentation by Greg Laurie. Laurie is pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California. Another 3,900 venues across the country hosted the live simulcast.

This year, Laurie surprised some by stating that he believes all roads lead to God. He followed that up, however, with an important caveat.

“I don’t care if you’re a believer, agnostic or an atheist. I believe whatever road you’re on, you will get to God one day and you will stand before God one day,” Laurie said. “All roads lead to God. But only one road leads to heaven, and that’s the road through Jesus Christ.”

While final numbers are not yet reported from all of the venues, the visible response to the gospel at

Harvest America presents gospel to sold-out crowd at American Airlines Center in Dallas

Thousands watch the large screen outside a packed American Airlines Center. (PHOTO BY TREVER HOEHNE/HARVEST MINISTRIES)

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 5

American Airlines Center was significant as more than 1,000 flowed down the aisles to respond to the message preached by Laurie.

Local churches were asked to participate in this year’s event in a number of ways. In addition to promoting the event in their communities, volunteers from local churches were given the opportunity to visit the Harvest America website in the days preceding the crusade and sign up for various service opportunities, from ushering to working as decision counselors.

Stuart Pendell, minister of couples and assimilation at North Richland Hills Baptist Church, helped coordinate details for his church’s participation in Harvest America.

“We were able to go on the website and choose which areas to serve in, and then our people could select the exact area where they wanted to be involved. Then Harvest America did all the training,” he said. “The great thing is that everyone was utilized—all of our ushers and greeters. Everyone was involved.”

Prestonwood Baptist Church has served as a simulcast venue for Harvest America in the past and provided significant local ground support for this year’s Harvest America. According to executive pastor Mike Buster, in addition to providing 118 of the 268 ushers for the event, two of their laypeople coordinated the prayer ministry that prayed during Harvest. More than 100 church members and staff were on hand to serve as decision counselors both in the venue and among overflow crowds outside.

“I’m so grateful for the way our church family truly engaged in Harvest America in the weeks leading up to it and on the evening of the crusade,” pastor Jack Graham said. “We were blessed to witness the fruits of our labor as hundreds of people streamed toward the stage at American Airlines Center to accept Christ as their Savior. To God be the glory!”

Pendell stated that his church is looking forward to being even more involved next year as Harvest America plans to host its 2015 event at Globe Life Park in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers.

Harvest America held its first nationwide event two years ago in Southern California, the birthplace of Harvest Ministries, and last year’s event was held in Philadelphia. Between the two, the organization recorded a total of more than 28,000 first-time professions of faith.

For information on this year’s crusade or updates on next year’s event, visit HarvestAmerica.com.

Greg Laurie speaks at Harvest America 2014. (PHOTO BY TREVER HOEHNE/HARVEST MINISTRIES)

Pastor Jack Graham addresses the Dallas crowd. (PHOTO BY TREVER HOEHNE/HARVEST MINISTRIES)

More than 1,000 come forward to make a profession of faith at American Airlines Center. (PHOTO BY TREVER HOEHNE/HARVEST MINISTRIES)

6 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Keith Collier

Given the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling to uphold government recognition of same-sex marriages in more than 30 states as well as the threat to religious liberty faced by Houston pastors over a city ordinance granting civil rights protections to homosexuals and transgender individuals, many churches are left wondering how they should respond.

For this reason, a special panel discussion on “The Church & Homosexuality” has been added to the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Annual Meeting schedule in November. The panel—scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 9-10 p.m. at MacGorman Chapel on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth—will feature prominent Southern Baptist ethicists and pastors discussing how churches should respond to same-sex marriage legal issues and how to minister to those with same-sex attraction.

Panel speakers include Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; Barry Creamer, president of Criswell College and host of the radio program “For Christ and Culture;” Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church; Evan Lenow, assistant professor of ethics and director of the Richard Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary; and Jim Guenther, senior

member of the law firm Guenther Jordan & Price of Nashville, Tennessee, and general counsel for the Southern Baptist Convention as well as the SBTC. The panel will be moderated by Gary Ledbetter, SBTC director of communications and ministry relationships.

For more information, visit here.

Special panel on ‘The Church & Homosexuality’ added to Annual Meeting schedule

2014 SBTC ANNUAL MEETING

November 10-11Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

THE CHURCH+ HOMOSEXUALITY

Ministry + ResponseSpecial Panel Discussion

Tuesday 9pm - 10pmMacGorman Chapel

1 Russell Moore 2 Barry Creamer

3 Nathan Lino 4 Evan Lenow 5 Jim Guenther

6 Gary Ledbetter Moderator

for more info visit sbtexas.com/am14

1 2 3 4

65

Contact the SBTC with questions(817)-552-2500 or sbtexas@sbtexas.com

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 7

Story by Sharayah Colter | Photos by IMB

M ajestic mountain views, balmy weather, hospitable locals and a room in the only air-conditioned hotel on the beach would typically amount to a “great trip.” Those elements, though, while true of Barry Calhoun’s recent trip to Ecuador, do not

actually top the list of what made it a “great trip.” Calhoun, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention director of mobilization

and fellowship, traveled to the South American country this summer with a mission team of 14 people as part of a three-month sabbatical allotted to him by the SBTC. The trip was indeed great in the typical sense, he says, but

‘GREAT TRIP’ TO ECUADOR FAR MORE THAN GOOD WEATHER, FRIENDLY FOLKSPastors, SBTC minister return from South American trip with renewed zeal, plans for missions.

8 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

so many other aspects of the time spent in Quito, Ecuador, made the trip truly “great”—a response he continually finds himself giving when asked, “How was the trip?”

“What I mean is that all of the team members want to return, the leaders of the town have opened the door for us to return and to share the gospel and teach English, three people on the streets prayed to receive Christ, one pastor has already begun to learn Spanish by enrolling in a community college course, and one pastor wept on the plane ride back,” Calhoun said.

“When you get that and all of the 40 people that participated in the English as a Second Language (ESL) training wanting you back, it’s a ‘great trip.’ When you are tasked to mobilize a state the size of Texas, and you see the eyes of leaders opened to missions opportunities, most of whom had never traveled internationally before, it’s a ‘great trip.’ When you have one pastor say that now he sees the importance of giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) and the Cooperative Program (CP), it’s a ‘great trip.’”

In November of 2013, the SBTC entered into a three-year partnership with the Republic of Ecuador in the northwest part of South America with the purpose of encouraging member churches to adopt unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPGs). There are approximately 11,250 people groups in the world. Out of those, more than 6,500 people groups remain unreached. About 3,000 of those are unengaged, meaning no one is working among them at all.

“... The team members want to return, the leaders of the town have opened the door for us to return and to share the gospel and teach English, three people on the streets prayed to receive Christ, one pastor has already begun to learn Spanish by enrolling in a community college course, and one pastor wept on the plane ride back.”

This trip set out to make a dent in that reality and to move Christians one people group closer to sharing the gospel with all nations.

The SBTC, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Dallas Baptist Association all worked together to coordinate the trip to make it a logistic success and a spiritual victory. Calhoun’s own church pastor, Tony Mathews of North Garland Baptist Fellowship, who had previously gone to Ecuador in 2013, also joined the team as well as Raymond Perry, pastor of Trinity Friendship Baptist Church in Wylie, for whom the trip was his first mission endeavor outside the

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 9

United States. Perry, who had always been supportive of the CP in the past, expressed that the firsthand experience gave him an even better understanding of the importance of Southern Baptists’ cooperative giving strategy.

Calhoun said Perry’s response is typical of people who venture out of the country for the first time in an intentional missions effort.

“For me, discipleship is about having a heart for what God has a heart for, and that is the nations of the world,” Calhoun said. “When people go on a mission trip for the first time, there is no need to [convince] them. Simply allow them to experience it in person, and they’ll develop a heart for the nations.”

Calhoun said another highlight of the trip that places it in the “great” category, is that an IMB journalism team captured much of the trip on film and will incorporate it into this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering material. That material will help churches inform and remind members about the great need to share the gospel with the peoples of the world and will motivate them to give and to go.

The ripple effects of the trip will continue even beyond the work done this summer and the dissemination of the offering material, Calhoun said, pointing to the brimming and bubbling over of greatness coming through the trip.

“We are planning a 2015 Ecuadorian Summit that will hopefully mobilize other pastors across the state,” Calhoun said. “Additionally, I am headed to Houston to train a pastor and some of his members about mission trips and IMB strategies as they prepare to go to Ecuador in October. This pastor will be one of two African-American pastors trained to lead trips as part of this SBTC partnership.”

Calhoun says they plan to host two or three trips in 2015—ventures he prays will also be “great trips” just like this recent one.

—With reporting by Dwight Baker

10 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

Jose and Melissa Medina arrived in the U.S. from their native Puerto Rico in January 2012 with their two

young children, two suitcases, a small amount of money and hopes for Melissa to become a schoolteacher in Dallas and Jose to attend seminary in Fort Worth. However, when those plans never materialized, the couple was left waiting on God’s direction.

The Medinas began attending North Richland Hills Baptist Church,

where church members welcomed them in like family, helping them find jobs and a home. Jose began working as a Spanish-speaking counselor, where he taught classes on domestic violence, substance abuse, and theft prevention.

Medina was also introduced to Hector Mendez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Central in Fort Worth and church starting center Hispanic consultant for Tarrant Baptist Association. Mendez invited him to serve in his church’s youth ministry

and even gave him occasional opportunities to preach.

Around this same time, Normandale Baptist Church in Fort Worth desired to start a Spanish ministry to reach the growing number of Hispanics in its community but lacked financial resources and someone who could lead the effort. So John Mark Yeats, then-pastor of Normandale, contacted SBTC Church Planting Lead Associate David Alexander for help.

UNA NUEVA FAMILIA: Anglo church plants

Hispanic congregation to reach growing

communitySTORY BY KEITH COLLIER | PHOTOS BY ADAM TARLETON

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 11

UNA NUEVA FAMILIA: Anglo church plants

Hispanic congregation to reach growing

community

A short time later, Medina found himself sitting at a table with Mendez, Alexander and Yeats to discuss the ministry at Normandale. All agreed it was a needed ministry and that Medina would be a great fit to lead it.

When he was told that the church had limited funds for the ministry, Medina simply replied, “OK. I’ll do it without money. I’m going to do it for free.” Members at Normandale, however, insisted on taking up an offering and were able to provide some financial support for Medina and his family.

Medina and his wife started Normandale Espanol, a Spanish ministry of the church, in February 2013. They led a Spanish-speaking Bible study on Sunday mornings and connected with Hispanic families involved in Normandale’s soccer ministry for children in the community.

Through Medina’s connections at the counseling center, he also began to receive referrals for Hispanic families who could not afford the services but were open to free pastoral counseling. As he counseled families, he invited them to the Bible study at Normandale.

Spanish Ministry or Church?As the group grew, Medina and

the pastors at Normandale were faced with a choice.

“At some point, we had to make a decision,” Medina recalls. “Did we want to be a church, or did we want to be a counseling ministry?”

Through discussions with Alexander at the SBTC, they agreed that the best decision was to transition Normandale’s Spanish ministry to a church plant sponsored through a partnership with the SBTC and the North American Mission Board. They believed this strategy would best meet the long-term vision of reaching Hispanics while avoiding common concerns of a Spanish ministry becoming over-dependent on the Anglo church, which often results in a lack of indigenous leadership and weaker financial commitment among the ministry’s members.

Iglesia Bautista Una Nueva Familia—One New Family Baptist Church—officially launched in January 2014. Una Nueva Familia uses Normandale’s facilities, shares ministries to children and youth, and maintains a close relationship with Normandale, but it is an autonomous church.

In addition to financial support, the SBTC provides ongoing coaching, resources and encouragement to Medina and Una Nueva Familia. Medina says the SBTC is “always open to help” when he calls.

In describing the SBTC’s role, Alexander says, “We’ve trained Jose as a church planter. Our church planter training is principle-based, so the planter can take the principles and address them to their context. Our coaches are able to help the planter deal with those contextual issues.”

Throughout the year, Alexander says, “Jose has grown in his ministerial experience and his ability to disciple somebody. Those things will continue to grow as he gets more experience with the work.”

Medina uses his training as a counselor to care for his congregation.

“I go to their houses, eat with them, have fun with them. I am their pastor, but I want them to see that I care,” Medina says.

Still, the work is not without its challenges, as Medina strives to overcome cultural barriers and to help those from a strong Catholic background understand the gospel and what a relationship with Jesus is really about. Despite difficult days, he’s encouraged by lives that have been changed by the gospel, as church members shed the problems of their past and embrace new life in Christ.

As examples, Medina points to men in his church who are being discipled and growing as leaders in the church. He also notes the 17-year-old single mother who came to faith in Christ at the

“God is showing us that we don’t need money, we don’t need spaces, we don’t

need materials; we just need the heart.”

Pastor Jose Medina

12 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

church and is now actively connected with her church family. She was the first person baptized at Una Nueva Familia, and they’ve seen six others follow in her footsteps this year.

Rapid GrowthIn less than a year, the fledgling Hispanic church has

grown rapidly to around 50-60 people on Sunday mornings. In fact, they continue to outgrow classrooms at Normandale, but the limited finances and space concerns don’t seem to affect Medina, who says, “I just want to see the change in their lives.”

Medina calls what God is doing in Una Nueva Familia “a miracle.”

“God is showing us that we don’t need money, we don’t need spaces, we don’t need materials; we just need the heart,” Medina says.

“If God touched me to do this, he will open the doors financially. I tell people not to put up barriers. Sometimes we put up the barriers.”

If it’s just for one family, Medina says, it’s worth it. “We’re not thinking in material stuff; we’re thinking in

how God changes lives. When I see families changing, when I see every Sunday the people are happy, why would we say we’re not going to do the church because we don’t have enough space or enough money to pay me per month—that does not make sense. Jesus didn’t pray in pretty places; he didn’t charge money to anybody; he did it for free.”

Brent Lightsey, youth and missions pastor at Normandale, is excited about what God has done over the past year.

“Each week there are 50-60 Spanish speakers coming to

our building, growing in their relationship with Christ, who were not coming here a year ago,” Lightsey says.

“Our church has a huge desire to reach our community. The language barrier does prevent many of us from actually talking to our Spanish-speaking neighbors about Jesus, but Iglesia Una Nueva Familia allows our church a practical way to still impact our community.”

“Our church has a huge desire to reach our community. The language barrier does prevent many of us from actually talking to our Spanish-speaking neighbors about Jesus, but Iglesia Una Nueva Familia allows our church a practical way to still impact our community.”

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 13

Reflecting on the picture presented in Revelation of every tribe, tongue and nation being represented around the throne of God, STBC Church Planting Associate David Alexander says, “In heaven, we won’t have a language barrier, but we still have it here on earth. As much as we want to be ‘all things to all people,’ there is a heart language barrier that we will never get around while we’re here on earth.”

Alexander grew up as a missionary kid in Mexico and has planted several Hispanic congregations in Mississippi and Texas. For Anglo churches interested in reaching Hispanics in their community, Alexander offers this advice:

4Pray: “Begin to prayer walk the community and find out who in your church is already building natural relationships among the community.” 4Try to find bi-lingual people to start Bible studies: “If God brings in a bi-lingual person to your staff or to your church, even if that person has no calling to be a pastor, we all have the calling to be disciple-makers, so how can this person help you to begin making disciples through small group leadership.”4Develop the core group: “Develop a Spanish-language small group that would begin to morph itself into something larger,” such as a “celebration service with a teaching time.”4Determine your end goal: Does the Anglo church simply want a Spanish ministry as an extension of the church, or do they want to plant an autonomous Hispanic church? Alexander recommends the latter, saying the Anglo church must allow the Hispanic church to establish its own identity while also providing mentorship, encouragement and support along the way.

While Alexander sees the church planting approach as optimal, he says the Anglo church’s vision for the ministry and context will dictate the strategies for reaching Hispanics in its community. Regardless, he says, the SBTC stands ready to help churches navigate the ministry.

“We have seen enough of the different strategies out there that we can come alongside any of our churches and dialogue with them to see what best fits their context,” Alexander says. “The whole hope is making disciples of these other peoples, so how are we going to do that and then empower them to multiply themselves?”

Likewise, Brent Lightsey, youth and missions pastor at Normandale Baptist Church in Fort Worth, offers advice from his church’s experience in planting Iglesia Bautista Una Nueva Familia.

“Find a quality leader who speaks Spanish, and step out in faith,” Lightsey says.

“Make sure your church is ready to make sacrifices to help them grow. Like any new ministry, there will be bumps along the road. You have to remember why you exist as a church. If God wants you to be a light in your community and your community has a lot of Spanish speakers, you need to do your best to share Jesus with them. If you can’t speak Spanish (like most of our church), then support and partner with someone who does.”

Is Your Church Interested in Reaching Hispanics in Your Community?

IF YOUR CHURCH IS INTERESTED IN STARTING A SPANISH WORK, THE SBTC CAN HELP. CONTACT DAVID ALEXANDER AT 817-552-2500, EXT. 233 OR DALEXANDER@SBTEXAS.COM

14 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Bonnie Pritchett

A lawsuit challenging abortion regulations in Texas is being fast-tracked through the appeals process and most likely will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorneys for both sides of the abortion debate must navigate uncharted waters as one provision of the law has never been effectively challenged in court.

As Whole Woman’s Health vs. Lakey is bandied in the appeals process, Texas abortion clinics were opened, closed, and then opened again since Sept. 1. In the latest iteration, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that two provisions of the disputed House Bill 2 (HB 2) cannot be enforced while the legislation is appealed. The case is now being expedited. Briefs

should be filed before year’s end and oral arguments heard as early as January before the U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit according to Denise Burke, an attorney and vice president for legal affairs for Americans United for Life, a non-profit organization that drafts pro-life public policy and law.

Burke said she was confident the contested provisions would stand up to scrutiny before the appellate court. But she would not presume to “read the tea leaves” about a Supreme Court ruling based on their Oct. 14 decision.

In its five-sentence statement vacating the lower court’s ruling, the Supreme Court named the dissenting justices, an unusual move when considering emergency applications. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and

Samuel Alito voted to deny the hearing. A majority decision to deny would have left the 5th Circuit’s judgment in place and all but eight abortion clinics closed in Texas.

Some of the clinics forced to close Oct. 3 due to full implementation of the law began to open again following the high court ruling.

“The fight isn’t over, but today we are relieved,” Amy Hagstrom Miller, owner of Whole Woman’s Health and a plaintiff in the lawsuit, tweeted Oct. 15.

The post included her statement from a New York Times article, “Our entire Whole Woman’s Health team is bruised and battered from the year of battle, but today we all know in our hearts and minds that it has been worth it. Tonight, our reality in Texas was recognized by SCOTUS and they ruled on the side of Texas women.”

Supreme Court ruling allows Texas abortion clinics to reopen

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 15

The ruling reinstated an injunction imposed by Federal Judge Lee Yeakel Aug. 29 halting the implementation of a provision requiring abortion clinics meet ambulatory service center (ASC) standards. The provision was due to go into effect Sept. 1.

Only four other states have a similar provision. Missouri’s law was challenged and upheld. Alabama and Pennsylvania ASC laws have not been challenged. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, will likely roll back the provision in that state Burke said.

Abortion providers claim the ASC regulations—like the rest of HB 2—are unnecessary and created solely to make operating abortion clinics in Texas untenable. But Burke said the provision forces clinics to operate according to the same standards as other out-patient clinics in Texas.

Americans United for Life is working with state legislators across the nation, including Texas, to draft laws establishing inspection guidelines. Failure to adequately inspect abortion clinics in Pennsylvania led to the atrocities of abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murder in May 2013 for killing babies born alive in his Philadelphia abortion clinic. That state’s ASC law, established in the wake of the Gosnell controversy, most likely will not be challenged in order to avoid bringing to light the lax inspection standards Burke said.

But Hagstrom and other abortion proponents charge the ASC laws are purely political and created, not with women’s health care in mind but with the goal of closing clinics.

In the Texas lawsuit, Yeakel also ruled the admitting privileges requirement could not be applied to two clinics in McAllen and El Paso. The combined impact of

both provisions forced the closure of the two far-flung clinics imposing an “undue burden” for women seeking abortions in those regions of the state the judge argued.

And therein lies part of the problem.“The courts have struggled since [Planned Parenthood

vs. Casey] with ‘undue burden,’” Burke said referring to the 1992 Supreme Court case establishing the term.

The court’s invention of the term “has created an unworkable standard,” Burke said. Judges, establishing their own interpretation of the subjective term, have issued a myriad of rulings with a host of meanings for “undue burden.” Burke predicted that somewhere along the HB 2 appeals process the court is going to be asked for a concise definition.

She also said courts might also consider access to abortion facilities outside a state when quantifying undue burden. In assessing Yeakel’s undue burden conclusion, the 5th Circuit’s three judges did not consider the fact that women in El Paso can drive 50 miles to the newly opened Whole Woman’s Health abortion clinic across the border in Las Cruces, N.M. Instead they chose to consider the impact of the law only as it applies within Texas.

Similarly, the same court did not consider the ability of Mississippi women to obtain an abortion in nearby states when they refused to apply that state’s admitting privileges law earlier this year. Application of the law would have closed Mississippi’s lone abortion clinic.

“I argue that is not what the Supreme Court had in mind when they argued for the undue burden test,” said Burke.

The 5th Circuit, she said, will be asked what they mean by “undue burden.”

16 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Bonnie PritchettHOUSTON

A fter several days of na-tional criticism aimed at the city of Houston for what critics called

an abuse of power, City Attorney Dave Feldman struck the word “sermons” from a subpoena that ordered five local pastors turn over their sermons, speeches and com-munications with church members as part of an ongoing legal dispute with the city. The revision was sub-mitted Oct. 17.

However, attorneys for the pas-tors said the move was not enough and nothing short of a complete withdrawal of the documents would suffice.

“The city of Houston still doesn’t get it. It thinks that by changing nothing in its subpoenas other than to remove the word ‘sermons’ that it has solved the problem,” Alli-ance Defending Freedom wrote in response to the city’s actions.

The revision was a preliminary response to ADF’s brief calling on the Harris County 152nd District

Court to quash the subpoenas. In the city’s brief, Feldman tried to justify the original demand calling the requested material “relevant” because of the pastors’ involvement in the referendum process that is at the heart of the lawsuit.

The petition to repeal a contro-versial ordinance granting civil rights protections to homosexu-als and transgender individuals was thrown out by Feldman, who claimed the signatory process flawed. The coalition of pastors re-sponsible for the petition sued. The subpoenaed pastors are not part of the lawsuit.

“As we have stated many times, the problem is the subpoenas themselves; they must be rescinded entirely,” the ADF press release stated. “The city must respect the First Amendment and abandon its illegitimate mission to invade the private communications of pastors for the purpose of strong-arming them into silence in a lawsuit that concerns nothing more than the authenticity of citizen petitions.”

In an attempt to clarify the rea-

soning for the subpoenas, Feldman stated in the revision, “The non-party recipients of these subpoenas assisted in organizing the referen-dum petition drive and are believed to have made presentations to circulators and petition signers

City of Houston revises subpoena but not enough, ADF says

“As we have stated many times, the problem is the subpoenas themselves; they must be rescinded entirely. The city must respect the First Amendment and abandon its illegitimate mission to invade the private communications of pastors for the purpose of strong-arming them into silence in a lawsuit that concerns nothing more than the authenticity of citizen petitions.”

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 17

concerning how to complete the petition forms or other relevant representations concerning the HERO ordinance or petitions. That information is discover-able and not privileged.”

Criticism over the original subpoena came from far and wide, including from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who called for Feldman to withdraw the subpoena.

“Your aggressive and invasive subpoenas show no regard for the very serious First Amendment consid-erations at stake,” Abbott wrote in an Oct. 16 letter addressed directly to Feldman.

News of the subpoenaed sermons broke Oct. 14. Within 24 hours nationwide blowback began to re-verberate in City Hall. In an Oct. 15 press conference, Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Feldman only admitted the subpoenas were poorly written and even blamed their critics for creating the controversy.

When asked why the city attorney she hired deemed it necessary to subpoena pastors’ sermons, Parker chuckled and dismissively answered the question.

“Let me just say that one word in a very long legal document—which I know nothing about and would never have read—and I’m vilified coast to coast. It’s a normal day at the office for me,” she said.

Parker went on to accuse her detractors of deliber-ately misinterpreting the intent of the subpoenas.

Although she claimed ignorance about the subpoe-nas, a day earlier she posted on her Twitter feed, “If the 5 pastors used pulpits for politics, their sermons are fair game. Were instructions given on filling out anti-HERO petition?”

Her tweet, which has since been deleted from her Twitter account, spurred hundreds of responses from across the nation and political divide. Most disagreed adamantly with the ideology behind her post.

Critics nationwide called the subpoenas a “fishing expedition” that will have a chilling effect on anyone seeking redress with city hall. And the move illustrates

a key objection members of the No UNequal Rights Co-alition have with the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO)—government intrusion into the life and work of the local church.

“It certainly serves as another example of the disre-gard the Parker administration has for the rule of law, and we knew that the ordinance was placing the puni-tive power of government over the religious beliefs of citizens, business owners, property owners and even-tually the church,” Dave Welch told the TEXAN.

Welch, executive director of the Houston Area Pastor Council, is one of the subpoenaed pastors along with Hernan Castano, of Rios de Aceite; Magda Hermida, of Magda Hermida Ministries; Khanh Huynh, of Viet-namese Baptist Church, and Steve Riggle, of Grace Community Church. The pastors are not plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the city but have been outspoken in their opposition to the ordinance as members of the No UNequal Rights Coalition, a racially diverse asso-ciation of pastors united in their effort to repeal HERO.

Unable to stop its passage by the city council in May, the No UNequal Rights Coalition was formed to orga-nize a referendum to put the ordinance to a vote by the city. More than 50,000 signatures were gathered in the petition drive—far more than the 17,269 needed to put the issue on the November ballot. City Secretary Anna Russell certified the requisite number of signatures, but three days later, with only hours left in the city’s deadline for certifying the petitions, Feldman sum-marily disqualified thousands of signatures alleging they did not meet city charter standards.

The referendum failed and the coalition sued the city demanding Russell’s certification protocol be followed. The case goes to trial in January. The subpoe-naed sermons and pastor-church member communi-cations are part of the city’s discovery proceedings.

In a call for churches to stand with the Texas pastors, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore wrote, Oct. 14, “A government has no business using subpoena power to intimidate or bully the preaching and instruction of any church, any syn-agogue, any mosque or any other place of worship.”

Moore challenged pastors to preach about or at least address the issue from the pulpit and for all Christians to pray and educate themselves about the perils of los-ing religious liberties.

“The separation of church and state,” Moore wrote, “means that we will render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and we will. But the preaching of the church of God does not belong to Caesar, and we will not hand it over to him. Not now. Not ever.”

18 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Keith CollierFORT WORTH

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ethics professor Evan Lenow recognized the risk of inviting Michael Saltsman, co-founder of Evangelicals for Marriage Equality

(EME), to his seminary classroom to discuss whether evangelicals should support same-sex marriage but also viewed it as a learning opportunity for those called to ministry. Lenow and Saltsman dialogued on the topic in front of Lenow’s Bible & Moral Issues class at the seminary, Oct. 15.

“It’s humbling to invite someone into my classroom whose goal is to convince my students that I am wrong,” Lenow, who holds the traditional view of marriage, said in an Oct. 14 blog post. “But it is a healthy exercise for both student and professor.”

Saltsman, who serves as research director at Employment Policies Institute and vice president of a research and communications firm in Washington, D.C., grew up in a conservative, evangelical family. He is married, and he and his wife have a 2-year-old daughter. Although he held to a traditional view of marriage in college, he said, discussions with friends who were in same-sex relationships and readings on both sides of the issue caused him to reconsider his position.

“I was very concerned about the way the debate was moving,” Saltsman said. “On the one hand, I really felt like this was an issue on a civil marriage point that the church was wrong on, but on the other hand I was really concerned about the way that people who had reservations about abandoning a traditional view of marriage were being treated.”

This concern led him to co-found EME.“The idea behind Evangelicals for Marriage

Equality,” Saltsman told Lenow’s class, “was to have an organization that said you can be a faithful Christian and a faithful evangelical that supports civil marriage equalities as the government provides a certain set of benefits and tax treatments to opposite sex couples

that they would also provide them to same-sex couples. But at the same time, that we could have a respect and understanding for those folks who (disagree).”

Saltsman said EME’s board members—which include author and former pastor Brian McLaren, who has been widely criticized for his departure from orthodox Christianity—would largely identify themselves as “evangelicals.” When Lenow asked him to define the term “evangelical,” Saltsman defined it as someone who

focuses on “the authority of Scripture, the inerrant word of God, a personal relationship with Christ, evangelism and sharing the gospel.”

Saltsman said members of EME’s board fall along the spectrum of views on whether or not homosexuality is a sin—some believing it is, while others say it is not—but, he added, “I would count myself as one of the people who is still undecided on the issue.”

Thus, Saltsman claimed, EME’s argument for civil same-sex marriage is more a legal position than a theological one.

Lenow, who serves as director of the Richard Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern, countered with Scripture he believed clearly defined homosexuality as sin and asked, “If there really is a spectrum of belief across your board of advisors—you actually have people on your board who would say homosexual behavior is sinful and the Bible clearly condemns it as sin—how do you get to the point as evangelicals of saying, ‘This is a sinful behavior that God judges and condemns, yet we want to support it?’”

“We’re protecting a principle rather than promoting

SWBTS professor holds classroom dialogue with Evangelicals for Marriage Equality co-founder

Michael Saltsman

Evan Lenow

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 19

a behavior,” Saltsman argued, adding that Christians often “stand for the rights of people who we either think are heretics or whose beliefs we don’t believe in.” He said EME advocates “equal treatment under the law.”

Lenow pushed back, saying he did not understand how evangelicals could give “hardy approval to something God says is sinful.”

“Is that a theologically consistent (position to take)?” Lenow asked.

“In a pluralistic, religiously diverse society such as ours,” Saltsman replied, “I will always stand up for equal protection under the law, even for people who I disagree with and who disagree with my point of view.”

Lenow also asked Saltsman to give his definition of marriage, to which Saltsman gave two definitions—the church’s definition

and the government’s definition—a dichotomy that allows for him to have one position theologically and another legislatively.

The two also debated whether or not recognition of same-sex marriages would open the door in the future for other redefinitions of marriage, including polygamy and incest.

Saltsman agreed that polygamy could “denigrate society” but was dismissive about the potential for society to accept it, adding, “Polygamy isn’t even a discussion,” to which Lenow cited groups already pushing for acceptance of polygamous cohabitation and the potential for polyamorous relationships with multiple husbands and wives.

Lenow argued that opening the door for same-sex marriage becomes a “slippery slope” toward other perversions of traditional marriage. Saltsman said, “In any place where we draw lines … there’s always a way you can say there’s a slippery slope.” He argued that polygamy does not have widespread support by the majority of the population.

The two ended the dialogue with a discussion of whether Christian businessmen and businesswomen should be forced to offer wedding services and venues to same-sex couples. Both agreed this is a religious liberty issue and that Christians should not be persecuted for holding to their religious convictions. Lenow encouraged Saltsman and EME to take a stronger stand on this side of the religious liberty argument.

Following the dialogue, both Saltsman and Lenow expressed appreciation for the opportunity to discuss the issue with civility and Christian character. Students were

given the opportunity to dialogue further with the two after class was dismissed.

“Today’s conversation in Fort Worth might not have solved the marriage equality debate, but it still provided an important opportunity to explain that it’s possible to be a faithful evangelical and a supporter of civil marriage equality,” Saltsman told the TEXAN. “I appreciated the back-and-forth with Dr. Lenow, who initially proposed this conversation and was kind enough to host it in his classroom.”

Lenow expressed appreciation for Saltsman’s willingness to join his class.

“Too often those on different sides of an issue talk at each other rather than with each other,” Lenow told the TEXAN. “This discussion demonstrated that two people can disagree on a significant topic and still have a civil conversation.

“There was a great risk in bringing Michael Saltsman into my classroom because he had everything to gain while I had everything to lose. However, I am confident that the biblical design of marriage is able to withstand critique from both inside and outside the church. In addition, my students need to know what people on the other side of the debate are actually saying. I hope my students benefited from the discussion and are more prepared to engage in similar discussions on their own.”

“The idea behind Evangelicals for Marriage Equality was to have an organization that said you can be a faithful Christian and a faithful evangelical that supports civil marriage equalities as the government provides a certain set of benefits and tax treatments to opposite sex couples that they would also provide them to same-sex couples. But at the same time, that we could have a respect and understanding for those folks who (disagree).”

“This discussion demonstrated that two people can disagree on a significant topic and still have a civil conversation.”

20 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Dwayne HastingsDALLAS

If anyone left the inauguration service of Barry Creamer as president of Criswell College unsure of the new president’s

direction for the school, they weren’t paying attention.

The college’s new leader outlined a vision focusing on equipping students to be “transformative agents for the culture” and using the current facility to its maximum capability. And he’s confident God has great plans for Criswell.

“Our objective is to grow our curriculum and grow our program so that students are graduating and influencing the culture for Christ,” said Creamer, who has managed the school’s day-to-day operations since being named as the school’s chief operating officer last November.

During an Oct. 2 chapel service at the Dallas college, Creamer promised to usher in the same kind of change the college helped bring the Southern Baptist Convention over the last 40 years. The board of trustees officially installed Creamer as the school’s seventh president during the service.

Criswell trustees tapped Creamer as president in July. The school’s former president, Jerry Johnson, left to take the helm of the National Religious Broadcasters organization last November. LifeWay Christian Resources president emeritus Jimmy Draper served as interim president.

Creamer, who earned his master of divinity degree at Criswell, holds

a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has served as Criswell’s vice president of academic affairs since 2011 and as a professor of humanities since 2004.

The SBC is Different Because of Criswell

Criswell College has a rich history of leadership, Creamer noted, saying: “We succeeded. The convention is different; the seminaries are different. The denomination is different because of Criswell College.”

W.A. Criswell, known as the patriarch of the “conservative resurgence” in the Southern Baptist Convention, founded the school that bears his name in 1970. He was the longtime pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas at the time.

Creamer said his desire was to build on that success by “expanding our curriculum, strengthening our campus and transforming what we are doing here so that we bring that same kind of transformation to the culture.”

Creamer’s hopes for the school are not surprising. He’s well known in evangelical circles and beyond as a well-spoken apologist for the Christian faith and is a leading voice on cultural and theological matters. Creamer hosts a radio program, “For Christ and Culture,” on KCBI-FM in Dallas-Ft. Worth.

Creamer said he understands some who look at the size of the school and do not believe it possible to have such an impact. Giving credit to God, he continued, “We look at where we are, and we think we can get to the point where we

Creamer envisions students who transform culture

Criswell College trustee John Mann congratulates Barry Creamer on his inauguration as president of the school, Oct. 2. (PHOTO COURTESY OF CRISWELL COLLEGE)

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 21

graduate students who are influential in this culture and who actually bring about transformation.”

Biggest Need is AlignmentDuring meetings held on the same day, Creamer told

trustees the college’s biggest need is “alignment,” that is, “making sure that every part of the school is going where the whole school is trying to go.”

“We want every person who is serving in any way on this campus to have in mind that their goal is to provide every student a way to move forward to graduation,” he promised, noting there must be awareness and agreement on the school’s goals among faculty, staff and students.

Creamer said the administration has reasonable goals for growth over the next several years, with hope the school would exceed these goals.

The administration set a benchmark 7-percent growth rate that envisions the school with a headcount of 600 students in 8 years and over 1,000 students in 16 years, he explained. The school has goals to establish a balanced cash flow, driven in part by the plan to sell non-essential property, freeing up $400,000 annually that is now dedicated to debt service.

Creamer said the school must be intentional in its outreach to churches, prospective students and people who want to support what Criswell College is doing. The school also needs to increase its endowment, he said, noting a strong school is most often built on a healthy endowment.

Not Just Surviving But ThrivingCreamer said he didn’t want Criswell to be just

another school students can choose from. “For 40 years this school has been at the center of the denomination,” he said, insisting the school can’t be content to rest on its laurels.

Creamer said his long-term goal for Criswell was to be “one of the premier schools in the country with exactly the same values commitment we have now.” He said he looks forward to a day in which “people are begging to get in here” to study so they can excel in their chosen field.

“It doesn’t matter if we teach well or not,” Creamer said. “What matters is if students have learned well and actually are equipped to go out and change the culture.”

Creamer said recruitment has to improve as well as student retention, calling the school’s current nearly 80 percent freshmen retention rate “fantastic.”

“We are a totally different type of school than before,” Creamer said.

“We must refocus our attention on the short-term intermediate goals we have right now and how we rebuild our reputation,” he continued, explaining he hoped his statements wouldn’t be negatively construed.

“We want people to know we are not just surviving but that we are thriving. We want to build confidence in our donors that what they are investing in is long term, not just immediate survival.”

Plans to Leverage Existing PropertyIn a change of plans from the previous

administration, Creamer said his plan is to maximize use of the school’s current campus. He told the trustees he was confident the college could grow into what it needed to by remaining in its present location for the foreseeable future.

“It means we have to leverage our resources to do that,” Creamer said. “It means we ask someone who is an expert on what is the best use we can get out of these facilities so that in 10, 15 or however many years we are in a good position to do whatever it takes to become the college God wants to make us then.”

Staying in place makes sense for the school, Creamer insisted, saying, “Dallas is a good fit.”

“I am not committed to a piece of land. At some point I think the vision does include a piece of land. But now the vision is to become a great school,” Creamer said.

Trustees affirmed Creamer’s vision, reversing an October 2012 vote that gave permission for the school’s former leadership to consider moving the college to a “new location.” The trustees’ 2012 directives to “expand the current college curriculum toward a university model” and for the school to establish a “residential campus” remain unchanged.

The school is actively working to sell “non-essential properties” to eliminate the college’s only remaining debt, Creamer explained. He anticipates having a detailed proposal available for the trustees’ consideration in the spring. Tentative plans are for a residential campus with a 180-bed dorm on the downtown Dallas campus in place for the 2016 fall semester.

Other Board DecisionsDuring their meeting, Criswell’s board of trustees

also elected Joe Wooddell as vice president for academic affairs and Bill Watson as assistant professor of Greek and New Testament.

22 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

By Erin Roach & Tammi Reed Ledbetter

FORT WORTH

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees affirmed Houston pastors in response to subpoenas, clarified how they’ll address the admittance of a Muslim student

and dealt with various academic matters at their fall meeting on campus, Oct. 22.

After five Houston pastors were given court-ordered subpoenas for sermons and speeches, Southwestern’s trustee board urged pastors “anywhere and everywhere to stand strong on biblical issues” without being intimidated by courts, politicians or other groups.

“We go on record supporting Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd in his efforts promoting ‘I Stand Sunday’ on Nov. 2 designed to bring attention to this matter and support these and potentially other targeted pastors,” the trustees said.

The board also said they’ll consider changes next spring to address inconsistencies in the seminary’s bylaws and the admittance of a Muslim student into the biblical archeology doctoral program.

“While not compromising the missional purpose” of the seminary, the trustees aim to “improve accountability that will allow for flexibility in pursuing ministry opportunities.”

Trustees approved six faculty to occupy academic chairs: Karen Kennemur to the Bessie Fleming Chair of Childhood Education; Steven Smith to the E. Hermond Westmorland Chair of Preaching; Michael Wilson to the Fred M. and Edith M. Hale Chair of Prayer and Spiritual Formation; Mike Morris to the Ida M. Bottoms Chair of Missions; Frank Catanzaro to the Hope for the Heart Chair of Biblical Counseling; and Chris Shirley to the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education.

Paige Patterson, Southwestern’s president, noted that endowed chairs help relieve the pressure on the seminary’s overall budget—particularly at a time when

Cooperative Program giving is down—by paying the professor’s salary.

In cases where an endowed chair provides a sufficient amount of money, Patterson said, it may also pay secretarial support for the professor and may provide funds for special projects.

The board also elected three professors to the seminary’s faculty: Candice Finch as assistant professor of theology in women’s studies; Kelly King as assistant professor of childhood education; and Sarah Spring as assistant professor of English in the College at Southwestern.

Six faculty members were promoted from associate professor to professor: John Babler to professor of counseling; Frank Catanzaro to professor of adult education and counseling; Johnny Derouen to professor of student ministry; James Wicker to professor of New Testament; Michael Wilson to professor of pastoral and applied ministry; and Joe Hardin to professor of jazz and instrumental studies.

Eight faculty members were promoted from assistant professor to associate professor: Robert Caldwell to associate professor of church history; David Hutchinson to associate professor of New Testament; Karen Kennemur to associate professor of children’s ministry; Thomas Kiker to associate professor of pastoral theology; Mark Leeds to associate professor of systematic theology; Mike Morris to associate professor of missions; Matthew

Southwestern trustees stand with Houston pastors, address admissions policy

Candice Finch

Kelly King

Sarah Spring

OCTOBER 29, 2014 TEXANONLINE.NET 23

Queen to associate professor of evangelism; and Chris Shirley to associate professor of adult ministry.

In other business, trustees approved several new degree plans, including a bachelor of music in performance and a bachelor of music in worship leadership at the College at Southwestern.

Trustees also approved recipients for the upcoming B.H. Carroll and L.R. Scarborough Awards and appointed members to the Southwestern Seminary Foundation and the board of the Seminary Development Foundation.

Steven Smith, vice president for student services and communications, reported a 10 percent enrollment increase for incoming students in the fall semester and a 12 percent increase in overall enrollment, which he said indicates the seminary’s retention rate is strengthening.

Patterson presented his responses to two items that were referred to the six seminaries by the Southern Baptist Convention in June. Regarding a motion for seminaries to survey the views of faculty and students about tithing, Patterson declined a survey and said Southwestern teaches “tithing here very strongly.”

“We feel like probably we have actually a better

percent of our faculty and probably even students that are tithing than is the case in the local churches,” Patterson said.

Regarding a motion for seminary students enrolled online to receive assistance from the Cooperative Program, Patterson said online students do get a break at Southwestern Seminary and the institution’s online courses “are much more reasonably priced” than those offered at non-SBC schools.

Patterson ended the meeting with a plea for trustees to attend the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention next June in Columbus, Ohio.

“We have a strong Baptist convention there, but that is what we have normally called one of the frontier areas of the country,” Patterson said of Ohio. “You’ve got your huge cities—Cleveland and other places up there where we’re trying to do church planting work. It will be a big, big boost to Ohio Baptists if we can go in there.”

Patterson said he has been urging people to take their families to the convention and afterward travel to northern Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum developed by noted creationist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis.

By Alex Sibley | SWBTSFORT WORTH

Harold Mathena announced in chapel, Oct. 16, that he is bestowing to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary a $12 million gift for the construction of a new building for The College at Southwestern and the Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions. Other gifts are already in hand for the project, and this lead gift will cover roughly half the cost of construction.

The new building will be located on the immediate west side of Pecan Manor. In addition to housing the college and the school of evangelism and missions, Southwestern President Paige Patterson says the building will contain up-to-date classroom facilities and a memorial to Lottie Moon, a Southern Baptist missionary who spent nearly 40 years teaching and evangelizing in China. The memorial will contain some

of Moon’s belongings as well as her Chinese home. Patterson says ground could be broken on the new building as early as the spring of 2015.

To view a rendering of the new building as well as information about Southwestern’s college and school of evangelism and missions, visit swbts.edu/mathenahall.

Southwestern receives $12 million lead gift for construction project

24 TEXANONLINE.NET OCTOBER 29, 2014

Mike Gonzales

Y a se aproxima la fecha de nuestra reunión Anual de la Convención de los Bautistas de Sur de Texas (SBTC). Los días son el 10 y 11 de septiembre

de 2014 en la Capilla del campus de nuestro seminario Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary en Fort Worth. El lema de nuestra convención para este año es “Buscad al Señor, mientras puede ser hallado...” basado en Isaías 55:6-7, 12-13.

Cada año antes de la convención de la SBTC siempre celebramos nuestra Sesión En Español. Este año la Sesión En Español será el domingo, 9 de septiembre de 2014 en Truitt Aduitorium que está localizado en la entrada principal del seminario SWBTS. La sesión empezará a las 6 de la tarde y con nosotros este año estará como orador principal, Roberto Amaya. Él es actor y es conocido por hacer el papel de Javier en la película, “Corageous.” El Hermano Amaya compartirá su testimonio cómo vino a conocer a Cristo como salvador y señor de su vida y después traerá el mensaje principal. También tendremos un tiempo de alabanza y adoración por Christian Soto y su grupo que son de la First Baptist Church de Euless en Español. Al principio de la sesión tendremos música especial por Eric Robert que nos va a deleitar con música Mariachi. Después tendremos un tiempo de compañerismo. Haga todo lo posible para estar con nosotros y favor de orar por esta convención anual. La Sesión En Español siempre es un tiempo para que las congregaciones de habla hispana puedan celebrar y ser inspirados por la Palabra de Dios.

El Departamento de los Ministerios Hispanos existimos para servir a las iglesias Bautistas hispana de Texas. Nuestro lema convencional siempre ha sido: “Alcanzando a Texas, Tocando al Mundo.” Con las más de 2,500 iglesias de la SBTC con el cual contamos con 200 iglesias

Ministerios Hispanos al Día

hispanas estamos haciendo esta misión gracias al Señor por las ofrendas dadas al Programa Cooperativo. En el 2013 las iglesias afiliadas a la SBTC dieron $25.9 millones de dólares a través del Programa Cooperativo; 55 por ciento de esas ofrendas fueron enviadas más allá de Texas para financiar ministerios Bautistas en todo el mundo y 45 por ciento de esas ofrendas se quedaron en nuestro estado para ganar a Texas para Cristo.

Y en todos estos años como convención estatal, nuestros valores esenciales no han cambiado. Nuestros valores esenciales son:

4Somos bíblicamente fundados: creemos en la infalibilidad de las Escrituras que es un elemento fundamental. 4Tenemos nuestro enfoque en el reino: ponemos en primer lugar el evangelismo (ganar almas para Cristo) y en las misiones (plantar nuevas iglesias para Cristo). 4Somos motivados por las misiones mundiales: apoyamos a la Convención Bautista del Sur a través del Programa Cooperativo.

¡Qué el Señor bendiga la obra que tenemos aquí en Texas!

Hampton Inn4799 Southwest Loop 820Fort Worth, TX 76132(817) 346-7845Rate: $84Cut-Off Date: Oct. 19

Holiday Inn Express + Suites4609 Citylake Blvd WestFort Worth, TX 76132(817) 292-4900Rate: $95Cut-Off Date: Oct. 9

TownePlace Suites SW4200 International PlazaFort Worth, TX 76109(817) 732-2224Rate: $99Cut-Off Date: Oct. 9