AUGUST 15, 2007 VOL. 61 NO.16

MississippiBaptistBaptistJOURNAL OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI

Important DatesImportant DatesImportant DatesImportant DatesImportant Dates

September 14-16, 2007ONE

National Singles ConferenceHilton DFW LakesGrapevine, Texas

September 28 & 29, 2007Mississippi Ladies Retreat

Jackson HiltonJackson, Mississippi

October 9-11, 2007Pastors Oasis

Hilton Branson Convention CenterHotel

Branson, Missouri

October 22-24, 2007BMA of Mississippi

Annual MeetingSoutheastern College

Laurel, Mississippi

October 30 - November1, 2007National Senior

Adult ConferenceHilton Convention Center

Branson, Missouri

Register Now for Walk of Faith

Get Your Walking PapersDo you need materials for your church’s

Walk of Faith? Call Lifeword and registeryour church to receive a packet by returnmail.

Each packet contains a video about theWalk, a free t-shirt for the church coordina-tor, a walker sign-up kit, posters and promo-tional information and clip art.

This is the second year that Lifeword hassent packets only to churches which call inand sign up to Walk. Before that, the mate-rials were sent to all the churches in theBMA of America, but the procedure hasbeen changed to eliminate waste by limitingthe distribution of materials only to thosewho request them.

Diane Ward, national Walk of Faith coor-dinator, said the change has created someconfusion in spite of all efforts to notify thechurches.

“We mailed cards in May to all BMA

now down to a manageable level and we areable to dream again,” Reddin said. “God hasgiven us new tools, and we desire to use themfor a more effective ministry to reach morepeople with the gospel.”

Reddin said he is pleased with the up-grades underway with the ministry’s inter-national outreach and is excited about thepotential for a revitalized thrust here at home.

“The United States is as much a missionfield as Africa or Afghanistan, and what isneeded here is the same as there, and that isa clear presentation of the gospel. What thiscountry needs is not our cleverness but ourChrist,” Reddin said. “That’s why we arewalking. We need money to broadcast themessage.”

The Walk of Faith, begun in 1980 by PaulL. Bearfield, who served as director of theradio ministry from 1972 until his death in1986, has generated more than $8 million todate to boost the ministry’s outreach fromfive languages to 24. Two additional lan-guages are scheduled to go on the air laterthis year in Nigeria and Romania, Reddinsaid.

pastors and 2006 church coordinators toremind them to register their church if theywanted to receive a packet of materials, andwe have run notices in our denominationalpapers,” Mrs. Ward said. “We want ourchurches to participate, but we do not wantto waste the Lord’s money by mailing out alot of materials to churches who do not usethem.”

New Focus BeginsFor several years Lifeword had operated

in crowded quarters and had to give atten-tion to providing adequate facilities. Therelocation process has been a drain on theministry financially, but the staff is nowturning its attention to expanding its out-reach, according to Executive DirectorGeorge Reddin.

“The move is behind us, most of therenovation is completed, our debt load is

Christmas in Cambodiaby Ralph Izard, M.D.

BMMI Director

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmasin the BMA of America warehouse in LittleRock, Arkansas! Pictured above are volun-teers packing shoe boxes on pallets to beshipped to Cambodia.

At the recommendation of MissionaryDoyle Moore, Edmund Neil Mamon, a Fili-pino, moved his family to Banlung in theprovince of Rattanikiri to establish a missionwork in this part of Cambodia. When BrotherMamon read about the Christmas Shoe Boxproject, he requested 3000 of these boxes tobe used to help introduce Jesus to villagesalong the Cambodia-Vietnam and the Cam-bodia-Laos borders. The boxes will be

placed on a container in Little Rock, sent bytruck to California, and then to Cambodia byship. Upon their arrival in Phnom Penh,Cambodia, they will be transported by truckto Brother Mamon in Banlung, where theywill be distributed to the children of thevillages along the Seis San River. Due to theamount of time required to make all thenecessary arrange-ments, IT IS VERYIMPORTANT THATTHE SHOEBOXESARRIVE IN LITTLEROCK BY SEPTEM-BER 15!

The shoe boxesshould be mailed to theBMAA Missions De-partment at P.O. Box30910, Little Rock, AR72260, or if sent bysome other carrier, to9219 Sibley HoleRoad, Little Rock, AR72209. Please remem-ber to enclose $5.00 per

box to cover shipping costs. (This may bepaid by one check from the church or indi-vidual.) If you need additional information,please call Jamie, Doris, or Judy at 501 4554977.

Thank you for having a part in carryingthe message of Jesus Christ to children whohave never heard of Him.

Study showsmany Christianstoo busy for GodOneNewsNow.com - Christians are too busyfor God, says the findings in a new "Ob-stacles to Growth" study. One Christian pro-fessor says that points to the need for a newway of thinking among believers.

The "Obstacles to Growth" study gath-ered information from 20,000 Christians innearly 140 countries. According to the study,more than four in ten Christians worldwidesay they "often" or "always" run from task totask. And six in ten say it is "often" or"always" true that a hectic life keeps themfrom going deeper in their walk with God.Mike Zigarelli, who conducted the study, isdisturbed by the findings.

"More than 50 percent of the 300-pluspastors in this data set say that this is usuallythe case for them," he observes, "and that isjust tragic and even scandalous, becausethese are folks who need to be significantlyconnected to God and to be developing theirrelationship with God, if in fact they aregoing to be teachers of the gospel," says theassociate professor of management atCharleston Southern University's School ofBusiness.

Zigarelli says there are steps Christianscan take to overcome what he says is anepidemic of busyness. "It's easy to say weneed to reorder our lives around God, or weneed to just change our behaviors or makeGod a higher priority in our lives, or whathave you," he says. "But that kind of effortdoesn't really get us very far."

Simply reordering one's life does not leadto permanent change, he asserts - noting thatin order to achieve that, individuals need to

heed the teachings of the apostle Paul, whosaid that permanent change comes by therenewing of minds. (Romans 12:12) In thatlight, Zigarelli says Christians must stopconforming to the culture and adopt a Chris-tian worldview in all aspects of life.

2 August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

Family ArkMinistriesTravis Plumlee

www.travisplumlee.com

News articles shouldcontain information that willbe of interest to the generalpublic who are not members

of the church that is reporting.

CHURCHNEWS

Short Message Series by Rev. Grover Laird

Grover Laird

There Is Power In His Name"And in that day ye shall ask menothing. Verily, verily, I say untoyou, Whatsoever ye shall ask theFather in my name, he will give ityou." (John 16:23)

It could be that the most impor-tant thing to remember in seekinghelp from our Heavenly Father isto ask in Jesus' Name. One of thestrongest promises that Jesus madeto those who pray, was made tothose who pray in the Name ofJesus - "And whatsoever ye shallask in my name, that will I do, thatthe Father may be glorified in theSon. If ye shall ask anything in myname, I will do it." (John 14:13,14)

But what does it mean to prayin Jesus' Name? It means to comeby His authority. It means thatsince we have so little to our creditthat would help us to get throughto the Father, we come in the Nameof Him Who is worthy. It meansthat since we have received Jesus

as our Savior and taken our standwith Him, we have the right to askfor help in the merits of Jesus. Itmeans to ask inHis interest andfor His glory. Itmeans that webelieve Jesus willhave a part in theanswer, and theFather will be glo-rified in the Son.(John 14:13,14)

When Peterhealed a lameman in Jesus' Name, he said itworked because he had faith in thePower of that Name - "And hisname through faith in his name hathmade this man strong, whom ye seeand know: yea, the faith which is byhim hath given him this perfectsoundness in the presence of youall." (Acts 3:16) I think the results

we will get from praying in Jesus'Name will depend on the faith wehave in the power of that Namewhen we use it, as well as thesincerity of our hearts when we useit.

The Bible teaches that if we willlive a righteous life it will addpower to our praying - "And what-soever we ask, we receive of him,because we keep his command-ments, and do those things that arepleasing in his sight." (I John 3:22)When Hezekiah was seeking God'shelp, after Isaiah had told him hewould die, he sought help on thebasis of his obedient life and ithelped. (Isaiah 38:1-5) If askinghelp of the Lord on the basis thatwe are trying to live for the Lordwould help, what could we expectif we ask on the basis of everywonderful thing about Jesus?

When we therefore come to theLord in prayer, we should come inthe Name of Jesus. But more thanthat, we should come with an un-derstanding of what we are saying,and with faith in the power of thatName.

Rocky Branch plans revivalRocky Branch Baptist Church,

Sumrall, Mississippi, will hold re-vival services August 19 - 24. Ourguest speaker will be Bro. DanielPurvis, pastor of Lighthouse Bap-tist Church. Services will beginnightly at 7:00 p.m.

Tombigbee Association MeetsGreenwood Baptist Church wel-

comed 77 members of theTombigbee Association wi th a goodmeal on Augus t 9, 2007 followedby a devotional from Bro. DannyPitts (Colossians 2:16,17) at 7:00P.M.

We were reminded of the needfor Christmas shoeboxes for Cam-bodia, Laos, and Vietnam; encour-aged by the report of growth of theRipley mission by Bro. Garcia; andblessed in song by Kathy Long sing-ing "Just Praise His Name."

Bro. Jackie Gray, reading fromPsalm 84:1-4, asked, "Does thethought of Heaven motivate you toserve with delight?"

Mark your calendar now to at-tend and be blessed at the next meet-ing with Hopewell Baptist Churchon September 6 at 6:00 P.M.

Roger Akers, presidentBeth Haden, assist. reporter

Corinth Baptist ChurchCorinth Baptist Church will hold

a revival beginning on Sunday, Sep-tember 16 -19, or as the Lord maylead to close. Bro. Ed Steele will beour guest speaker. Sunday morningservices will begin at 10:00 A.M.with lunch being serve at noon. Wewill begin afternoon service at 1:30followed by a Gospel Sing. We in-vite everyone to come and be a partof worshiping the Lord. Bring yourCD's or tapes. We are located at thecorner of Highway 42 and CorinthChurch Road near Runnelstown.

Marion Greene, pastor

Good Hope, ColumbiaGreetings from Good Hope. In

the last few months we have hadwonderful Fifth Sunday sings, VBS,district and state meetings, rummagesales, great meals, SOAR, the Lord'sSupper and have just finished a spiritled revival. We all enjoyed mes-sages by Bro. Ed Steele and re-joiced to have three saved and one

that united with us by letter. Therewas one saved the Sunday beforeour revival started and the Sundayfollowing our revival a couple unitedwith us by letter and four precioussouls were baptized. We are thank-ful to the lord for these additions toour church family.

Bro. Denny and Debbie havebeen beaming over the birth of theirsecond granddaughter. Bro. Dennyis planning some bonding time inthe next few weeks.On August 18th our JOY group isplanning a gospel Blue Grass sing.Shallow Creek from Picayune andthe Mississippi 5 with Bro. HaroldFloyd will be our entertainment.We will also be serving brisket platesand po’ boys. We are having thefund raiser to help send our oldfolks (I can say that because I amone of them) to Branson.We hope you have a blessed week.

Bro. Denny Patterson, pastorJudy Sylvest, reporter

Dykes Chapel sets homecomingOn Sunday, August 26th, Dykes

Chapel Baptist Church, Richton,Mississippi, will have homecomingservices. After our morning wor-ship service we'll have lunch in thefellowship hall. At 1:30 p.m. theDon Freeman family will presentspecial singing. Music will also beenjoyed with members, visitors, andfriends that wish to participate. Pastmembers, pastors, family, andfriends are invited to join us for ajoyous occasion. For more infor-mation call Linda Dykes at 601-788-9348.

Homecoming at Temple, BiloxiTemple Baptist Church will be

celebrating its 54th Homecomingon Sunday, August 19. The churchis located at 1860 Popps Ferry Road,Biloxi. The pastor, Bro. KeithOwen, will be preaching on thisspecial day at Temple. Special sing-ing will be by the group "Decision".Our song director, Bro. Tony Shoe-maker, will also bless us with spe-cial music.

Temple is rejoicing over 18 pro-fessions of faith and baptisms sincethe beginning of 2007. What anexciting time we are having in theLord! Come join us for a great timeof preaching and singing on August19.

Services will begin at 10:00 a.m.Lunch will be served after the morn-ing services. We are looking for-ward to seeing you. For questionsand/or directions call 228-388-3077.

Dena Ellzey, Public Relations

Helping Your Kids Back to SchoolThere are some basic things par-

ents can do to insure that their chil-dren are adequately prepared to faceeach new day at school. Rememberthat your kids need to be fully func-tional in all 3 areas of our triuneexistence - body, mind and soul.Here are some basic things to helpyour kids be successful this year atschool before they leave home.

M a k esure theyget enoughsleep. Youknow as anadult, whenyou aresleep de-prived, youbecome ir-ritable andt h i c kh e a d e d .Many of thechildren today who have behavioralproblems, whining issues and tan-trum throwing tirades need moresleep. Children should not sit up aslate as adults. They must have a bedtime. All kids! Even your teens needa bed time. The older they are, thelater they can stay up. While allpeople have different amounts oftime needed to function well, as ageneral rule, elementary studentsneed 9 to 11 hours of sleep pernight. No matter how old your chil-dren become, the minimum time torest each night should be 8 hours.Teens need a lot of sleep for thosegrowing bodies.

Don't skip breakfast. Some kids

don't like traditional breakfast foods.Some don't want to eat as soon asthey get up. All of this is okay, butplan accordingly. A child whodoesn't eat as soon as they get up,should get completely ready and eatbreakfast last. There are simply toomany studies that prove that break-fast helps all people function betterand have a greater use of their brain

by eatingbreakfast.Insist on it.Find some-thing theylike. Youdon't haveto have ba-con andeggs, butthings likeo a t m e a l ,fruit, breadand some

protein are important. A cookie asyou go out the door is not breakfast.They need some thing that will re-lease carbohydrates slowly. Acookie is gone by first period.

Lay out clothes the night before.Gather all books, reports and home-work and place in your child's spe-cial spot. Our son is in college, andstill has his square wooden box onthe end of the counter top where heputs his reports, billfold, keys etc. Itis written on the side, "Austin'sstuff". Small children would love tospend a Saturday decorating theirown box. Be creative. It avoids thestress of tearing the house apartlooking for something before school.

Large items such as back packs canbe placed all in a row by the door thenight before. Organization doesn'ttake a great deal of time, but savesan enormous amount of anguish be-fore school.

While there will always be somemornings where things fall apart,make sure YOU don't. No amountof planning can avoid some dayswhen things just fall off the hinges.Don't get stressed. Pray. Ask God tospeak peace to your heart, and to notbuy into the chaotic, loud riot that isabout to ensue. You're not a failureif you are not a perfect parent. Pleaseget rid of that notion all together.There are no perfect parents, andthere are no perfect children. Justremember that the devil is for chaosand confusion. God is not the authorof confusion. He is the God of or-der. Jesus is the prince of peace.Seek them diligently to establish ahome of peace and order.

Finally, after everyone is well-rested, fed, bathed, dressed andready to head out the door, STOP!Your children are about to be sentout naked to school. Your childrenare about to be like little lambs

continued on page 5

MississippiLadies Retreat

Jackson HiltonJackson, Mississippi

September 28 & 29, 2007

3August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

SoutheasternBaptist College4229 Highway 15 NorthLaurel, Mississippi 39440, (601) 426-6346 Dr. Medrick Savell

President

Serving Christ With a Biblical World View In A Christian Atmosphere

being turned out into a pack ofwolves where they will be devoured.You must prepare your childrenspiritually. Put on the whole armorof God. You must pray with eachchild individually. A family verseof scripture at the breakfast table isgreat. However, each child is uniqueand should be recognized. It doesn'thave to be a lengthy prayer, but eachchild should be prayed over beforethey head out the door. Too manykids don't want to go back homebecause of what they face. If yourchild is yelled at, talked down to ormade to feel bad before school, even-

Back to Schoolfrom page 4

tually they will start drifting awayfrom home and turn towards soci-ety. Keep the home fires burningbrightly with spiritual warfare pray-ing. We used to always put ourhands on our kids head and just prayover them before they went out thedoor.

If you don't know what to prayfor them, then ask them at nightduring your nightly devotion. Say,"Okay, what can I pray for youtomorrow morning." If they don'thave anything, ask them what isgoing on tomorrow in the way oftests, etc. If little ones still don'tknow, then be wise and pray to God

and let the Holy Spirit teach yourtongue what to pray. Most Christianhomes are not doing consistent,nightly devotions with their chil-dren. Most Christian homes are notpraying over their kids before theyare turned out into an evil world.Perhaps that is why so many Chris-tian homes are in trouble. It is notyour church's job to teach your chil-dren the ways of the Lord. Accord-ing to scripture it is the parent’s job.You are to bring them up in thenurture and admonition of the Lord.As Christians, all the education inthe world is meaningless unless it isbrought under the authority of Christ.He is everything to us. Spiritualeducation is so much more impor-tant than academic education. Takecheer. God is on your side.

ThanksI find myself saying “Thanks”

and “Thank You” very often. I thankmy heavenly Father each day for along list of things He does for me,such as my salvation, health, fam-ily, job, ministry, friends, provisionof every need, direction, His pres-ence, answered prayers, and manymore specific things. I thank Himfor things I am sure He does that Idon’t know about. Then I have somany friends to say “Thank you” to.

This is very true about the col-lege also. He is doing so much forthe college. It is evident that Hishand is upon this institution. All thegood things we see happening andimproving would not be if He didnot do it. It is good to know that Hecan use people like us. He is sogood!

Then there are all the friends ofthe college who do so much whomwe want to thank. The associations,churches, and friends who are goodto send financial support are appre-ciated. Many are willing to volun-teer their labor and time to do thingsthat need to be done around thecollege. The work days on August10 and 11 were successful. Much

work was done, and much more is tobe done. I plan to give later a com-plete list of names and work donerecently.

Fall SemesterWe are anxious for the registra-

tion on August 16-17 and the nexttwo weeks to get here so we canknow what the enrollment will be.Everyone at the college is busy get-ting ready for the new year to begin.Classes begin on August 20.

Memorial GiftAnother gift has been sent to the

college Foundation in memory ofBro. Merle D. Bradley. May theLord’s special blessings be on theBradley Family.

Special EmphasisContributions are coming in well

for Special Emphasis and the LandFund. We appreciate this response.To those who have not sent theiroffering, we ask that each one dowhat you can. We cannot out giveGod. He will repay and He willbless what is given to supply theneeds in His work. Pray that He willgive us wisdom and make us goodstewards of what He gives us.

Muslims benefiting from doublestandard, says Christian law firmOneNewsNow.com - The chief counsel of a Christian law firm says it isbecoming increasingly apparent that there is a double standard when itcomes to accommodating religious practices at public schools and univer-sities.

USA Today recently reported that some public schools and universitiesare granting Muslims' requests for prayer times, prayer rooms, and ritualfoot baths. Richard Thompson, chief counsel for the Thomas More LawCenter, cites one example - Carver Elementary School in San Diego, wherehe says officials created an extra recess to accommodate Islamic prayers.

"Muslim students were allowed to go into this room, the door waslocked, and a Muslim teacher led the students in prayer," says Thompson."The Supreme Court of the United States - in case after case [over] the last50 years - has forbidden those kinds of activities for Christians."

Ironically, the legal group filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against SanDiego's Poway Unified School District in May after school officialsordered a veteran teacher of 30 years to remove from his classroom wallsbanners they said promoted a "Judeo-Christian" viewpoint. Carver El-ementary is not in the Poway District.

Thompson says at places like the University of Michigan - Dearborn,Muslim students have also been given preferential treatment. He says it isall part of a concerted effort to force everybody else to accept their religion.

According to Thompson, Muslims are interested in ultimately creatingan Islamic state. "They said even ten years ago, we are not here in Americato be equal with other religions. We are here to make Islam dominate andhave an Islamic country in this nation," he says.

The Thomas More Law Center hopes to file lawsuits in both the CarverElementary School and University of Michigan - Dearborn cases.

4 August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

Church of the Covered Dish BY THOMAS TAPP

Don J. Brown, EditorE-Mail - editor@msbaptist.orgWeb site www.msbaptist.org

USPS 353-960P.O. Box 8181

Laurel, Mississippi 39441-8000(601) 426-3293for Voice & Fax

601-342-9443 Cell

PRICE$20.00 Per Year by Mail

$10.00 Per Year by EmailCHURCH PLAN$ 1.20 Per Month

Published on the 1st and 15th of each month by the Baptist MissionaryAssociation of Mississippi. Periodical postage paid at Hattiesburg,Mississippi 39402.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mississippi Baptist Paper,P.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS 39441-8000.

Opinion PageJournal of the Baptist Missionary Association of Mississippi

Letters FromOur Readers

Letters reflect the opinion of thewriter and not necessarily this

publication or the BMA of Mississippi

Don BrownEditor

O.D. Christianpasses away

Funeral services for Odis DwainO. D.” Christian, 85, of Kirvin, wereat 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 11,2007 at Calvary,Fairfield withBrethren JackMcDaniel, TerrySkinner andOrval Barger of-ficiating.

Bro. Christiandied Wednesday,August 8, 2007,in Groesbeck. Survivors include hiswife Francis “Beth.”

He served as pastor of churches inFreestone and Dallas Counties. Hislongest pastorate was 22 years at Ce-dar Creek, Teague, Texas. He alsoserved as recording clerk for the BMAof Texas and the BMA of America forseveral years.

-from Baptist Progress

O. D. Christian

Military PrayerList Needs Updating

We have been running a list of military servicepersonnel for quite some time. We have made afew changes (additions and deletions) as webecome aware of changes. I received a note froman individual recently pointing out that some ofthe names listed were out of the service, etc.

We are discontinuing the detailed list of indi-vidual names. All of our nation's military mem-bers, military leaders, and political leaders are in need of ourconstant prayers. We will be reminded from time to time toremember to pray for our nation and our service members -especially in this time of war.

May God bless those who give their time and lives in the serviceto our country.

Group of pastorssupport using‘grace & love’Dear Editor,

On June 15, 2007, Editor DonBrown encouraged all of us to becareful in our expressions about fel-low brothers in the BMA. He indi-cated that an individual had com-pared some of our brethren to the“whore that rode the beast in thebook of Revelation.” He sharedthat others had written quoting Scrip-ture which equated those who dif-fered to heretics, devils, and onesspeaking lies. In his article the Edi-tor avoided personal identificationand pled with everyone to use “graceand love” when dealing with thesehighly emotional issues.

In a letter on July 1, 2007, abrother identified himself as the onewho called some of our brethren as

“being the same as the ‘whore thatrode the beast in the book of Rev-elation,’ if they continue down acertain path.” He proceeded to givea lengthy defense of his using suchexpressions, writing “I do not apolo-gize for my statements.” He con-cluded by quoting Revelation 18:4.This verse urges folks to come outof the end-time whore. Surely noone would want to be in the BMA ifhe believed it a part of that group.

Because no one has responded tothe letters, the brethren listed belowdesire to support Bro. Don’s posi-tion. The questioning of a brother’ssalvation or the impugning of hismotives has never been tolerated inour associational business. Regard-less of your passionate convictionsconcerning these important issues,we admonish everyone to speak andwrite with “grace and love.”

Signed by the following:Danny Pitts

Dr. Doug WilsonGary O’NealRoger Akers

Royce HawkinsRover FranksMilton Wright

A.J. LeslieWexford Parmer

Lavon HadenBryon Wilson

Kerry Lee PedenJackie L. GrayFrank Panzrino

Brian IsaacEddie BoutwellDr. John AdamsLloyd M. Minor

Ricky JonesMavous Phifer

Tim Nall

EIM says ‘thanks’Dear Friends:

We want to take this opportunityto thank those who were involved inthe Shepherd Bags that Bro. MikeGoodwin picked up in Soso, Mis-sissippi, a couple of weeks ago. Thebags will be going to Romania forour Christmas In Romania trip.

We only wish that each one whoparticipated in putting those bagstogether could witness the expres-sions on the children’s faces as theyreceive them. We had set a goal of5,000 and you have helped in beinga part of that goal.

We ask that you please keep EIMin your prayers. At this time bothBro. Mike Goodwin, his dad Bro.Rocky, and several others from vari-ous churches are in Romania con-ducting VBS and crusades at night.This part of Romania has no trueBaptist churches and is new groundfor EIM.

Again, God BlessMrs. Rocky Goodwin

Pastor asks for helpfor member in needBro. Don,

Debbie Rutherford is a very spe-cial member of our mission who hassuffered a difficult loss and needsthe help of some wonderful peoplelike those found in BMA of Missis-sippi. Debbie’s husband, Randy,died suddenly a few weeks ago.While Randy had been sick for sometime, his death was a shock to every-one. Due to his illness, Randy wasunable to put back any money toprepare for this moment, so Debbiewas left with the task of paying fora funeral. With the help of friendsand our mission, she was able to putdown enough money to have thefuneral, but she still owes about$5,000.00 to the funeral home.

LifePointe is committed to help-ing Debbie pay off this money, andwe are seeking the help of our friendsin the BMA of Mississippi. We areasking churches, Sunday Schoolclasses, or individuals to considerhelping us help Mrs. Debbie Ruth-erford. We have set up a specialfund for any monies that come in forher. Every dime received will godirectly to help pay off her funeralexpenses.

If you can help, please send youroffering to LifePointe BaptistChurch, 50 Getwell Road S.,Hernando, MS 38632. Thanks inadvance for your generosity.

In His love,Kevin MarrBMA of Mississippi Church

PlanterLifePointe Baptist MissionHernando, MS

Student Missionaryseeks financial supportDear Friends and Brethren in Christ,

As you may already know, I’mcurrently living and ministering inthe heart of Asia-Pacific as part ofthe Operation New Generation team.We are in the midst of our fifth weekof training, anxiously anticipatingdeployment to the field.

God has given me an overwhelm-ing calling to reach my generationwith the Good News of Jesus. Thatcalling is directed toward collegestudents in other countries, so I’mlearning all I can to sharpen myabilities. The process of minister-ing cross-culturally has been a tre-mendous challenge, but God ismolding and stretching me with eachnew day.

My calling to be part of the Op-eration New Generation team is solidand sure. God has given me peaceto know and see this phase of Hisplan for my life clearly, so I’m com-mitted to follow this path no matterthe cost. However, there are a fewobstacles I’m currently facing.Nearly $12,800 has been raised.$8,000 of that amount has been des-ignated for airline tickets, insurance,and living expenses while in train-ing. For me to continue into a cre-ative access nation in September Imust raise another $8,000.

The immediate needs that lieahead are the expenses of relocatingto the field and one year's tuitionand dormitory fees, amounting to$5,700. At times I feel overwhelmedby the amount yet needed, but Iknow nothing is impossible for ourgracious God.

If you feel God leading you topray and give to this mission en-deavor, that would be greatly ap-preciated, but if you’re unable togive at this time would you considerpartnering with me in prayer over

continued on page 5

5August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

the next year?I’m currently seeking 40 people

who would consider giving $20.00a month until June of 2008. If youcan be one those 40 people, I rejoicein your generosity.

If you are led to give, please sendyour offering to BMA MissionsDepartment, PO Box 30910, LittleRock, AR 72260. On the memo lineof your check write ONG-JASON.

If God directs your heart to par-ticipate in this mission in any capac-ity, I would like to hear from you.Please contact me atJasonPoints@dalcoac.com.

Thank you for your support andencouragement.

Jason Points

Lettersto Editor

from page 4

Listing of names does notindicate endorsement.

This column is forinformation purposes only.

AVAILABLEFOR SERVICE

Aubrey CookBro. Aubrey Cook is available

for pastoral work and pulpit supplyas the Lord leads. He may be reached601-735-9884.

Arkansas churchseeks pastor

First Baptist Church, CaveSprings, Arkansas is seeking a full-time pastor. Please contact FBC, P.O. Box 175, Cave Springs, AR72718 or e-mail umpbrian@aol.comor phone 479-750-0166.

Commission on Senior AdultsVern D.Holifield, Director

4226 Highway 15 NorthLaurel, Mississippi 39440

Here we are, at this writing, inmid August. Summer is swiftlypassing. I am reminded of the Scrip-ture in Jer. 8: 20, "The harvest ispassed, the summer is ended , andwe are not saved." It seems that fewpeople are saved in the summerrevivals any more. In fact, in ourBaptist Churches at least, I don'thear of many souls being saved atany time.

Most all church going people saythey believe the coming of Christ isnear. However, It seems that toofew are working to win lost sinnersto Christ. I heard that someone saidrecently there was no use trying towin lost souls in these last days. Thesinfulness of our day, nor the near-ness of Christ's coming are no rea-sons to stop trying to reach the lostfor Christ.

As I visit our BMA Churchesover the state, I am made to knowthat if we don't begin to reach oth-ers, many churches will be in realtrouble in a very few years. As ourcountry ages, so do our churchesage.

Another real problem that hasbeen addressed by others is theshortage of God called preachers inour BMA Churches. I seldom hearour people pray that God wouldsend labourers into his harvest. I am

guilty too. Jesus told His disciplesto pray for labourers. (Matt. 9: 37-38). I believe God still calls men topreach the gospel. Many churcheshave problems finding teachers andother workers. God not only callsmen to preach, He calls men andwomen for other areas of service.

My recent church visits includeEvergreen, Seminary; Good Hope,Stringer; Calvary, Taylorsville inrevival; Temple, Laurel; Bethel,Louise in revival.

We welcome Calvary BaptistChurch, Taylorsville as a new sup-porting church. The list of support-ing churches is growing slowly, butgrowing. It is budget time in thechurches. It would be good if eachchurch would vote to place theCommission in their budget at someamount.

Activities among the seniorAdults are limited during these hotsummer months. The next big eventwill be the National Conference inBranson. Many of our MississippiChurches are making plans to at-tend. This will be a great meeting.We expect one thousand people toattend.The date is October 30 - November1.

I will be staying close aroundhome for some time now. I have a

cancer on my lower lip. I am undertreatment for several weeks. Hope-fully I will not have to have surgeryto remove the affected area. Prayfor me.

By Judge Roy MooreDuring the War of 1812, Com-

modore Thomas McDonough wasin charge of an American naval fleetdefending Lake Champlain in NewYork against the attacking Britishforces. A report of the Committeeon the Judiciary of the House ofRepresentatives in 1854 tells thestory of one memorable morning:September 11, 1814.

[J]ust as the sun rose over theeastern mountains, the Americanguard-boat on the watch was seenrowing swiftly into the harbor. Itreported the enemy in sight. ...[Y]oung McDonough summonedhis officers around him, and there,on the deck of the Saratoga, read theprayers of the ritual before enteringinto battle. . . . "Stir up thy strength,O Lord, and come and help us; forthou givest not always the battle tothe strong, but canst save by manyor by few." It was a solemn, thrillingsight, and one never before wit-nessed on a vessel-of-war clearedfor action. . . . Of the deeds of daringdone on that day of great achieve-

ments, none evinced so bold andfirm a heart as this act of religiousworship.

The battle that day nearPlattsburgh, New York, would beone of the crucial and decisive battlesof the war, preventing the Britishfrom entering and controlling north-ern New York.

When we were attacked 187 yearslater on September 11, 2001, thepresident, Congress, and many inour land again turned to God inprayer. Now six years later, on Sep-tember 11, 2007, we will witnessanother tragic offensive on our coun-try when criminal trials will com-mence for three brave individualscharged with allegedly disruptingCongress. Their so-called "crime"was that they spoke in protest as theUnited States Senate recentlyopened with a Hindu ritual andprayer to an unknown god.

One of those individuals, AntePavkovic, audibly prayed on thatoccasion that the Lord would have"mercy on our nation." "We have noother gods before you," he contin-ued, "You are the one true and liv-ing God." Ante's stepdaughterChristan also prayed, "Lord Jesus,forgive us for betraying you, theonly one who can save us from oursins." Ante, his wife Katherine, and

Christan were all arrested for sim-ply demonstrating the courage andfortitude of CommodoreMcDonough and the men andwomen who gave birth to our na-tion.

I recently had the pleasure ofmeeting the Pavkovic family andfound them to be sincere, humble,and dedicated individuals. Whilesome will smugly dismiss them as"intolerant" or "radical," their ac-tions reflect the patriotism of ourfathers for which they should becommended, not convicted of acriminal offense. They certainlyunderstood the Christian heritage

By many or by few

"The only thingnecessary for the

triumph of evil is for good mento do nothing."

of our nation much better than ourUnited States senators.

At times, God has often used afew to be a righteous example tomany. In ancient Babylon when threeHebrew men were ordered by KingNebuchadnezzar to fall down andworship his golden image they con-tinued to stand and suffer the conse-quences. God delivered them fromthe fiery furnace and even the kingwas forced to recognize their Godand the fact that no other god could"deliver after this sort." Like thePavkovic family, Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego refused toshrink from their duty to God nomatter how hot the fires they wouldendure.

Edmund Burke, a well-knownBritish statesman and orator, oncesaid, "The only thing necessary forthe triumph of evil is for good mento do nothing." A number of goodmen and women serving as UnitedStates senators did nothing as RajanZed for the first time in our historysprinkled "holy water" from theGanges River around the Senaterostrum and then uttered a Hinduprayer to an unknown god. In fact,perhaps because of timidity or apa-thy, very few senators even both-ered to attend, and none voiced anobjection to this official govern-ment recognition of a false religion.

For whatever reason, it was leftto Ante, Katherine, and Christan tostand for our country and our faithin God and face the raging fire ofcriticism, intimidation, and perse-cution which has followed. For mypart, I admire and appreciate theircourage. I believe that God whosaves "by many or by few" answeredthe prayers of CommodoreMcDonough and our forefathers,and He has heard those of Ante,Katherine, and Christan. May theirexample encourage and inspire oth-ers to take a stand.

6 August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

P.O. Box 4247, Laurel, Mississippi 39441 • (601) 649-0502Email - bmayouth@comcast.net

LATRELLE WINDHAMDIRECTOR

"Redeem the Time"Camp Season 2007

Our summer camps went well!Every summer I notice differentthings in the way our camps flow.From the very first camp, theTombigbee - Judson, I saw Godmoving in our camp through theattitudes of our sponsors, pastors,kids, music and speakers.

A lot of things go together tomake camp what it is. On thing Inoticed this year and it was evidentin camp, was the good sponsors.Our sponsors who brought our kids,it was evident, to see these peopleworking hard with their kids. Notonly in their quite time, but in eachactivity, there was a genuine con-cern about the kids.

We had a total of 700 people that

registered for full-time at camp. Wehad at least 300 to 400 visitors atnight and during the day services inall four our activities. We had 36professions of faith at camp withothers being saved after returninghome.

Thanks to churches who do nothave kids to bring, but support usfinancially and prayerfully. Thanksto the churches and sponsors whotake time to come with your kids tocamp.

Thanks to our musicians, at eachcamp and our speakers who taughtthe word of God. Thanks for theHoly Spirit and power of God'sWord that convicted and saved ourkids.

Thanks for safety and protectionof our kids.

Here are photos of many of those savedat our 2007 summer camps

Registration fee must be sub-mitted in the form of a check ormoney order payable to the Mis-sissippi State WMA (no cashplease). Mail registration fee andthis form to:

Peggy Thomaston, 20600Busyby Road, Vancleave,

MS 39565

Room reservations must bemade directly with the Hilton bySeptember 6, 2007, at the tele-phone or fax number listedabove. (Unreserved room as re-leased at that date). Please ad-vise the hotel personnel that youare with the BMA Christian La-dies Retreat in order to receivethe discounted room rate. Roomsmust be guaranteed to a creditcard or by advance deposit.

If additional information isneeded, you may contact PeggyThomaston at 228-826-2230 or228-990-9311, or Jean Knight at601-928-3764.

Don’t forget to bring items forthe silent auction!

Where is the outrageover fate ofChristian hostagesOneNewsNow.com - An officialwith the Institute on Religion andDemocracy (IRD) wonders wherethe outrage is over the recent mur-der of two South Korean missionar-ies at the hands of Taliban terrorists.

Earlier this month the Talibanmurdered two missionaries from aSouth Korean church after they, and21 others, were taken hostage. Theterrorists have said they will killmore hostages unless the U.S. andAfghanistan swap them for terroristprisoners.

Faith McDonnell is the IRD'sdirector of religious liberty programsand she says the persecution ofChristians does not to seem matterto national media.

"We like being amused and en-tertained more than we [want] tohave put in front of our faces thingsthat are going to make us uncom-fortable," says McDonnell.

She says that it is disturbing atthe lack of media coverage over thehostages, while entertainment starssuch as Paris Hilton and LindseyLohan receive wall-to-wall cover-age. McDonnell says the situationalso shows the true face of radicalIslam.

She says that if people look at thesituation, it is a case of radical Islamattacking Christianity and the West.According to McDonnell, the ter-rorists see the lives of Christians asunimportant and just another bar-gaining chip.

Registration form

Registration fee - $60.00 (non-refundable) due by September 6,2007 (early registration appreciated)Time of Registration - 3:00 p.m. -September 28, 2007

Church Name __________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________

Telephone _____________________________________________

Name Address Telephone (for contact person only)_______________________________________________________

Name ______________________ Name ____________________

______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________(Use additional pages as needed)

Total Number Registered _____ Total Amount Submitted ________

Mississippi BMAChristian Ladies Retreat

September 28 & 29, 2007

Key Note SpeakersRita Sweat and Kim Dillard

Hilton Hotel, Jackson, Mississippi601-957-2800 or 1-888-263-0524

Fax 601-978-2242Rita Sweat Kim Dillard

7August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

Mississippi State W.M.A.Mrs. Jean Knight, President

27 Paramount Church Rd.Perkinston, MS 39573

601-928-3764

Corresponding SecretaryMrs. Shirlene Smith

730 Hwy 533Laurel, MS 39443

CHILDREN'S HOME118 LOWE ROAD, LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI 39443 - (601) 426-3928

SIDNEY DAVISDIRECTOR

The Lord Is GoodWell, summer it seems is in full

swing as far as hot temperatures inthe Laurel area are concerned. Therehas been a lot ofactivity in the gar-den this summer.It all started withthe pea crop. Wewere able to har-vest a good pick-ing of them. Thetomatoes, peppers,squash, cucum-bers and okra were good also. Wehad several to bring vegetables tothe Home for which we are grateful.We thank the Lord for His blessingson the garden this year. “Oh givethanks unto the Lord, for He isgood.” Psalm 107:1.

Recent Visits to the HomeOn July 12, we had the youth

from Calvary Baptist Church nearLeakesville along with other youthworkers to make a visit to the Home.

Then on July 31, we had the youthfrom Canaan Baptist near Richtonwith a number of youth workers toalso make a visit. We enjoyed thistime with each of these youth groups.For many of them it was their firsttime to visit the Home and see thefacilities here.

Back to SchoolWell, the children are back in

school. Everyone is getting back inthe routine of getting around in themorning before having to catch thebus at approximately 7 A.M. Ouryoungest child at the Home startedkindergarten this year and is excitedabout going to school. We alsohave a first grader, second grader,and fourth grader attending elemen-tary school along with our highschool and college students. Keepeach of our girls and boys in yourprayers as they go to school eachday that the Lord will guard, pro-tect, and surround them with Hislove, mercy and grace.

WMA NewsflashThe theme that has been chosen for the work of the WMA for this year

is "She hath done what she could." Jesus spoke these words in Mark 8 aboutthe woman who had anointed him with precious ointment. He also said thatwe would still be talking about it today. And we are.

Ladies of the WMA have the opportunity to have this said of each ofthem, "She hath done what she could." Will they rise to the challenge andtruly do all they can to help reach the goal of the National WMA which is$80,000 to be divided between the BMAA Theological Seminary MissionsVideo Conference Classroom and the purchase of an ambulance to be usedin China by BMMI and the Youth Fund and General Fund of the WMA?

Send all funds designated for National Project to: National WMA ofBMAA, c/o Glenda Tipton, P.O. Box 95274, No. Little Rock, AR 72190

National Project Promotion Committee

Ten Mile WMA meetsThe Ten Mile WMA. held their

meeting on July 9, at VardamanStreet Baptist Church, in Wiggins.After the meeting was called to or-der by the President Mrs. JeanKnight we were led in singing byMrs. Anderson and Mrs. MyrtisMallett.

After a devotional the minuteswere read and roll call was taken.Mrs. Louis Crawley gave her reporton the State Mission Project andencouraged all the churches to give$100.00. toward the project.

We had the election of officesand the following positions werefilled: President, Myrtis Mallett; 1stVice President, Cathy Rhodes; 2ndVice President, Louise Crawly; 3rdVice President, Geraldine Necaise;Sec/Treasurer, Cherie Breland;Asst. Sec/Treasurer, Jean Knight;Reporter, Maria Ochoa; SongLeader, Alana Woods;, Pianist, SueDuncan; Historian, Rose MarieStephens; District Project, PatJohnson; State Project Promoter,;Carolyn Robinson; Sunbeam Pro-moter, Diana Williams; Asst. Sun-beam Promoter, Angela Givens;GMA Promoter, Paula Prickett;Asst. GMA Promoter, NancyBrewer.

The District Project for the yearwill be MIssionary Ed Duvall. Mrs.Cathy Rhodes gave the installationof the officers and we had prayerrequests and asked God to bless theofficers as they do their jobs. Weenjoyed a great fellowship after ser-vices with Vardaman St. Church.Our next meeting is on October 15at Orange Grove.

Maria Ochoa, reporter

2007 Ladies Retreatto be held at Jackson Hiltonby Chris Smith

LADIES, are you just plain tiredfrom all that shelling and peelingand canning and freezing?

Here's an opportunity to get re-freshed, renewed, revitalized andrevived! The Mississippi State La-dies Retreat is coming up Septem-ber 28 & 29, 2007.

You'll hear good speakers: Mrs.Steve (Kim) Dillard from Arkansasand Mrs. Lloyd (Rita) Sweat fromAmory, Mississippi. There'll begood music led by Mrs. Roger(Anita) Akers, also of Amory.

This Retreat will be held at theJackson Hilton, 1001 E. County LineRoad, just off Interstate 55. Youshould make your own reservations

by calling 1-888-263-0524 or 1-601-957-2800.

The registration fee is $60.00 perperson and should be sent to: PeggyThomaston, 20060 Busby Rd.,Vancleave, MS 39565. (The ad-dress in the August 1 issue waswrong - Please send all registrationinformation and fees to Peggy).

You are encouraged to bringitems for the Silent Auction. Theproceeds from this will go towardthe State WMA Project which is ourMission work in Cleveland, Missis-sippi. The auction is a fun time andit usually generates a good amountfor the project. If you can't bring anitem, just come prepared to bid big!

See you there the 28th of Sep-tember, 2007.

Mississippi BMA Christian Ladies Retreat

Friday, September 28, 20073:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Registration (Regency Hall)4:00 p.m. Session I (Penthouse)5:00 p.m. Break, browse, and prepare for dinner

(Silent Auction items in Salon A)6:00 p.m. Blessing and dinner (Salon A)7:00 p.m. Session II (Penthouses)

Saturday, September 29, 20078:00 a.m. Breakfast (Salon A)9:00 a.m. Session III (Penthouse)10:30 a.m. Session IV (Penthouse)

(Complete program available in registration packet)

Attention All WMA OfficersAll officers should furnish a door prize for the Ladies

Retreat. These should be valued at least $10.00. If you canget something on sale, that is okay too.

Calling All Ladies -The Call Has Come In

“Also I heard the voice of theLord, saying Whom shall I send,and who willing of or us? Then saidI, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:8)

We have heard the call fromCleveland, Mississippi. What is youranswer to the call? Our missionaryin Cleveland, Bro. Edward Duvall,is in need of a building to worshipin. He is doing a great job there andneeds our help. Please take this as apersonal call and seek out ways youcan be of help.

There are many ladies in ourchurches that would be willing touse their God-given talent for theLord. Maybe they would be willingto help make something for the si-lent auction. Proceeds go to ourstate project, which is to help theCleveland Mission. Some times allwe hae to do is ask. Please ladiesmake this a matte r of prayer. Let’sclaim our middle name - Mission-ary!

Saudis Might Take Biblesfrom Christian TouristsGovernent official: Every country has its rules

SAUDI ARABIA - Christian trav-elers to Saudi Arabia should be fore-warned to leave their Bibles at home,according to an article in the Jerusa-lem Post.

The Post reports that despite aseries of initiatives aimed at gener-ating foreign tourism, the SaudiArabian government continues tobar Jews and Christians from bring-ing items such as Bibles, crucifixesand Stars of David into the countryand is threatening to confiscate themon sight.

"A number of items are not al-lowed to be brought into the king-dom due to religious reasons andlocal regulations," states the Website of Saudi Arabian Airlines, thecountry's national airline.

After informing would-be visi-tors that items such as narcotics,firearms and pornography may notbe transported into the country, theWeb site adds: "Items and articlesbelonging to religions other thanIslam are also prohibited. These mayinclude Bibles, crucifixes, statues,carvings, items with religious sym-bols such as the Star of David, andothers."

Contacted by the Post, an em-ployee of Saudi Arabian Airlines inNew York, who would only give her

name as Gladys, confirmed this rulewas in force. "Yes, sir," she said,"that is what we have heard, that it isa problem to bring these things intoSaudi Arabia, so you cannot do it."

An official at the Saudi Consu-late in New York, who declined togive her name, told the Post thatanyone bringing a Bible into thecountry or wearing a crucifix or Starof David around their neck wouldrun into trouble with Saudi authori-ties.

"You are not allowed to bringthat stuff into the kingdom," theconsular official said. "If you do,they will take it away," she warned,adding, "If it is really important toyou, then you can try to bring it andjust see what happens, but I don'trecommend that you do so."

Asked to explain the policy, theofficial said, "Every country hasrules about what can or cannot en-ter."

Over the summer, the Saudi gov-ernment-run Supreme Commissionfor Tourism announced a number ofsteps, such as issuing group visas toforeigners through tour operatorsand granting longer entry visas, inthe hopes of boosting the number offoreign tourists to 1.5 million annu-ally by 2020.

8

Sofilthy'sAttic

by BarbaraWhite

August 15, 2007 • Mississippi Baptist

BMA of Mississippi

MISSIONS DEPARTMENT4226 HIGHWAY 15 NORTH, LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI 39440 - (601) 428-8616

Rayburn Freeman, Director

Ed Duvall Family

FamilyEntertainment

Sometimes I hear "It's 10:00 o'clock.Do you know where your children are?"Well, son, my mama knew where I wasand later I knew where my children were- especially in the summertime. Wewere sitting around in a circle with a dishpan full of peas or butterbeans or stringbeans in our laps shelling or snapping forall we were worth!

Now you can't beat that for fine familyentertainment and when you kick in afew pea-hull fights you've got it! Or youcan watch a melt down when a brotherthrows a green bean at his sister andyells "lizard".

At this time of year there's a lot ofpickin' and peelin' and shuckin' andshellin' going on and I think it should bea family affair. Go get you a bushel ofpeas and pass out the dishpans!

Ed Duvall, ClevelandDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings from my family and me and therest of our church family . We are doing fineand hope that you all are the same. We hada great month of July. We experienced oursecond VBS with the help of Movella Bap-tist Church, Canaan and Holmes Baptistchurches. Bro. Donald Brown and his churchdid an excellent job of ministering to ourkids. We had an average of approximately33 kids per night and a total of 44 childrenthat came during our three day VBS. I got achance to meet some new families and amfollowing up with a home visit. We receivedmany compliments from several parentsabout how they appreciate what we did withtheir children.

I am continuing to build relationship withadults who come to our Bible study, but have

not committed to our ministry. The Word ofGod is goingforth and we areseeing some im-pact.

We are wait-ing for Bro.Freeman and theRevolving LoanFund Subcom-mittee to comehere and look atsome propertywith us verysoon.

Thank youvery much for all that you are doing and wepray that God will reward you for your work.Continue to pray for us and for the peoplethat we are trying to reach.

Thorntons ToCelebrateGolden Anniversary

Former BMA Missionaries Dale and Bar-bara Thornton will be honored at a receptionhosted by their children September 8, 2007from 2:00 - 4:00p.m., at FirstBaptist Churchof Las Colinas,Irving, Texas.The couple wasmarried August9, 1957 atBethel BaptistChurch inAbilene, Texas.He was or-dained to theministry in October 1956 at Friendship Bap-tist Church at Goree, Texas, his first pastor-ate. Prior to serving 40 years as BMA mis-sionaries and church planters in Taiwan hepastored two other churches in Texas: En-terprise at Jacksonville and Friendship atMt. Pleasant. During an extended furloughhe pastored Zion Baptist Church in Fordyce,Arkansas. Dale is a graduate of BMA Theo-logical Seminary with a M.Div. degree andhas taught missions there during a furloughfrom the mission field.

Mrs. Thornton is the former BarbaraStringer, daughter of the late BMA Pastorand Mrs. J.M. Stringer who pastored inMississippi, Texas, and Arkansas. TheThorntons have one son, Andrew Thorntonof Lewisville, Texas; and four daughters,Mrs. Robert (Judy) Rohlin, of Mansfield,Texas, whose husband is a BMA pastor;Belinda Thomas, of Arlington, Texas; andJoanna and Rebecca Thornton, who livewith their parents in Lewisville.

The couple requests no gifts, please. Notesof appreciation may be sent to First BaptistChurch of Las Colinas, 1930 Gateway, Irv-ing, TX 75038; or robertrohlin@charter.net.

Stephensons ToCelebrate Anniversary

Ed and Sarah Stephenson will celebratetheir 40th wedding anniversary at a receptionhosted by their children and church family.

The event will take place Aug. 26, 2-4p.m. in the Burgess Family Life Center atSpringhill Baptist Church in Greenbrier,where he serves as pastor.

They were married Aug. 25, 1967 at Por-tage Baptist Church in Portage, Mich. withMarvin Owens offi ciating. He graduatedfrom Central Baptist College in 1978 and haspastored churches in Arkansas, Missouri andTennessee. He also served as executive di-rector of BMA of Arkansas Missions from1995-1999.

Mrs. Stephenson is the former SarahAdams. She has operated a daycare for thelast 33 years. They have two sons: Eddie(Amy) Stephenson of Conway; and Chad(Jae) Stephenson, who serves as minister ofyouth and education at Temple Baptist Churchin Rogers. They also have one granddaugh-ter, Madison.

The Stephensons’ address is 93 ElliottRd., Greenbrier, Ark. 72058.

Pastor's Oasis set for October

Deacons Urged toSend Pastors to ConferenceDear Deacon Chairman:

I hope this letter finds you and your churchfamily enjoying the very best of the Father’sblessings. On behalf of Donny Parrish, KevinClayton and the entire DiscipleGuide staff, Isay “thanks” for the faithful service you giveto Christ and His church. The churches of theBMA of America are blessed to have menlike you assisting pastors in the work ofministry.

Not only has God blessed His churcheswith faithful laymen like you, He has alsogiven us wonderful, God-called pastors whofaithfully and unselfishly lead His churches.Many times we take for granted the sacrifi-cial service they render to the Father and tous. We may never know, this side of Heaven,how many times our names are called out toGod in prayer by our pastor-shepherd as he“stands in the gap” for us. I, for one, am verythankful to have a God-called and God-anointed man to call my pastor.

How can we express our appreciation,thanks and love to our pastors? There aremany ways, but I want to mention just one.October has been designated as “PastorAppreciation Month” across our nation. It isa special month set aside to let our pastorsknow how much they are loved and appreci-ated. In recognition of Pastor AppreciationMonth, DiscipleGuide Conference Ministryhas scheduled our annual Pastors Oasis forOctober 9-11. Pastors Oasis is three days ofinspirational teaching, outstanding music,relaxation and wonderful fellowship. Thelocation for this year’s Oasis is the brandnew Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotelin Branson, Missouri. The cost for the con-ference is $50 per person by September 14($60 after September 14 or $70 off site).Additional costs for your church include:

hotel ($119 per night for 2 nights), travel,and a few meals. Hotel accommodations canbe secured by calling the Hilton at (417)336-5400. Please call by September 14 toreceive the special reduced rate.

Because your pastor would never ask thechurch to send him and his wife to the Oasis,we are asking you, as the chairman of dea-cons to lead your church in sending them.Would you please use your leadership andinfluence to lead your church to present thistrip as a gift to your pastor? A gift such as thiswill mean more than anything for your pas-tor. At Pastors Oasis your pastor will enjoythe inspiring teaching of Dale Burke as hespeaks on the topic: “How To Lead And StillHave A Life.” In addition to the great teach-ing, we will enjoy inspirational singing anda banquet to honor our pastors and theirwives. We will also be having a specialmystery guest that is so “top secret” wecannot even announce his presence! It’sgoing to be a special time and we want yourpastor to be a part of it.

We invite you to prayerfully considersending your entire paid staff to the Oasis.To register your pastor and staff for PastorsOasis, fi ll out the registration form and mailto DCM by September 14 or you may regis-ter online at www.bmadcm. org. Please callthe DiscipleGuide offi ce with any questionsat (501) 513-3726 or e-mail triciak@conwaycorp.net. DCM will send your churcha special certificate to present to your pastorduring a worship service.

Thanks in advance for honoring and bless-ing your pastor and his wife in this specialway! We look forward to hearing from you.

Kirk Shelton,pastoral ministries andchurch growth consultant

China worried aboutevangelism during OlympicsOneNewsNow.com - An official with a min-istry that seeks to raise awareness of perse-cuted Christians worldwide believes thingswill get worse for believers in China as thatcountry prepares to host next year's Olympics.

Christians in China are encouraged to jointhe "official" government church, known asthe Three Self Patriotic Movement. ManyTSPM churches must have sermons approvedby government authorities, and pastors at thosechurches are not allowed to preach on thereturn of Christ. Individuals who do not joinTSPM churches often form "underground" or"house" churches.

Paul Estabrooks, a minister-at-large withOpen Doors International, says the persecu-tion has increased against those who do notjoin the official church in China. "Those in thehouse-church movement who refuse to regis-ter are the ones who are kind of left out, hungout to dry there a little bit," he explains. "And... in some areas where local authorities espe-cially are antagonistic, they are experiencingtremendous challenges and pressure and op-pression from those in authority."

The communist Chinese government hasexpelled more than 100 Christian missionariesthis year, and reports of government crack-downs and raids on house churches are in-creasing. Estabrooks says it appears govern-ment officials see Christians as a threat to theirimage, as the country prepares to host nextyear's Olympic games, beginning August 8,2008.

"This year, in May, the Associated Press dida major feature on mission organizations plan-ning to evangelize in the Olympics - organiza-tions like the Southern Baptist denomination,Campus Crusade, YWAM, and others," notesthe Open Doors spokesman. "So China's con-cerned that Christians are going to try and takeover the Olympics for evangelistic purposes."