Can ministerial students be pastorized?

A recent article posted at Associated Baptist Press documents a trend that folks in seminaries and divinity schools have been noticing for some time: the number of students who want to do ministry is rising, but the number who aspire to be pastors is falling.

At Campbell University Divinity School, for example, only 20 percent or so begin their divinity school trek with the idea that they are preparing to become a pastor, according to dean Mike Cogdill. The number is a bit skewed, he says, because many of those who express a desire in youth ministry will ultimately become pastors. Even so, the percentage remains far less than half.

Students love God and love the idea of ministry. They want to make a difference in the world, but don't necessarily see the church as the best place to do it. Many can still see themselves serving in church staff positions, but others prefer institutional roles such as chaplaincy ministries in a hospital, hospice, retirement home, or military setting. Others want to do hands-on missions, either through traditional channels or humanitarian organizations like Habitat for Humanity or Samaritan's Purse.

Why is it that students have a heart for God, but not for church?

Some speculate that it has something to do with a rise in conflict in church life, at least among Baptist churches. Church conflict is nothing new, but the theological conflict among Baptists during the past thirty years -- and the promotion of a more authoritarian leadership style for pastors -- is at least one contributor to an apparent increase in the number of pressure-cooker conflicts and forced terminations among Baptist congregations.

Students who grow up in a dysfunctional church are less likely to imagine themselves occupying the hot seat behind the pulpit, and may pursue what are seen as "safer" ministries with lower profiles and lower pressure.

But, the rise in conflict is certainly not the only issue. We're still on the cusp of postmodernity, and the cultural shift has given us a generation of young adults who have little allegiance to institutions, including the church. They're more interested in relationships -- including their personal relationship with Christ -- than in supporting an institution that may not appear very healthy to begin with.

Should we then expect an upcoming crisis, a plethora of pastorless churches?

Not necessarily. It is nothing new for students who are interested in ministry to gravitate more toward pastoral ministry as they grow older, more experienced, and more confident in their abilities.

But, that doesn't mean we can rest easy. One option I hope more seminaries and divinity schools will explore is finding ways to tap into the postmodern interest in relationships -- and demonstrate that the core call of a pastor is to build relationships.

The pastor is not to rule the church, but to love the church, remembering that Jesus taught us to love even our enemies. True pastoral leadership is earned through committed care for the congregation, rather than inherited by virtue of the office.

In the 26 years I served as a pastor, there were conflicts, to be sure, but there were also tremendous rewards. Among those rewards, none were more gratifying than the opportunity to build relationships with others, to watch children grow and flower, to walk with adults through the transitions of life, to sit with those on the path to decline and even death.

Ultimately, if we truly believe in the concept of a divine "call," then we must trust that God will call out those who are needed to provide leadership in the churches -- and pray that those who are called will answer.

There are many forks in the road of ministry, and all are to be celebrated. The road branches in numerous directions, but the various paths often intersect, and many of those forks in the road will ultimately come to the pastor's parking spot.

So we pray.

School days and different ways

August 27 marks the first day of class for many students across the Southeast. It's not a major day for our family, because Samuel attends a public year-round school (our choice), and started his school year back in July.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is marking the event by sponsoring a two-day conference designed to promote church-sponsored schools. Called "Christian Schools 101" and led by the Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools, the seminar was also promoted by the Baptist State Convention of N.C. (BSC), and reflects a movement among many Baptists to retreat from public schools -- maligned as "anti-God" -- and establish private schools designed to protect children from secular influence and indoctrinate them in a Christian worldview.

Such schools are inevitably far more segregated than the average public school, and largely insulated from the realities of contemporary society.

Others will take the effort a step further and teach their children at home.

I don't want to suggest a blanket criticism of either course -- I'm sure that Christian schools or home-schooling are probably the best option for some children.

On the other hand, I can't go along with the blanket assertion that Christians should abandon public schools because they are perceived as hostile to Christianity.

Christian parents have a responsibility to teach and train their children in Christian virtues and values, and there is no better place to do that than at home and at church.

Jesus did not call his followers to cloister themselves into separatist communities, but sent them from Jersusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Agreed, public schools are not a petri dish for culturing Christian values, as they were when I started in the 1950s -- and they're not supposed to be. We live in a pluralistic society, designed by the founding fathers to be that way because only in such a society can people be truly free.

For both Christian teachers and Christian students, public schools are a mission field where the love of Christ can be shown to people who otherwise might never have close contact with people of faith.

To me, that sounds like exactly where Jesus calls us to be.

CBF of North Carolina embraces state WMU group, seeks emergency funds to help with transition

By John Pierce, Executive Editor, Baptists Today

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — On the heels of news that Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU-NC) is loosening ties with the Baptist State Convention (BSC) and taking on operating expenses formerly provided by the BSC, the coordinating council of the state’s Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBFNC) has announced a special offering to help fund the longtime mission-focused organization during the transition.

“WMU of North Carolina has been the missions backbone for Baptists in North Carolina for over 120 years,” said CBFNC Coordinator Larry Hovis. “… CBF of North Carolina wants to help ensure their legacy of missions leadership and empowerment will continue in the future, and stand with them in a special way during this critical time of transition.”

On Aug. 21, WMU-NC Executive Director Ruby Fulbright announced that the group’s executive board had voted overwhelmingly Aug. 16 to move their offices out of the state convention’s headquarters in Cary, N.C. In addition to finding their own office space, she said, WMU-NC would begin shouldering other expenses traditionally provided by the BSC such as employee benefits and automobiles.

Several entities related to the conservative-controlled BSC have been exploring ways to partner with the convention while retaining a large degree of independence to avoid the kind of takeovers that occurred — through trustee appointments — in all Southern Baptist Convention agencies and many other state conventions over the last two and a half decades.

In 2006, WMU-NC members voted to change governing documents to define the organization’s relationship with the state convention in terms of being a “cooperative partner” rather than an “auxiliary.” WMU leaders also sought to clarify that the organization has sole responsibility for employing staff.

But BSC Executive Director Milton Hollifield argued that, since WMU employees require his approval in order to receive benefits, they are technically employees of the BSC. Attempts at compromise failed to reach any accord on the central issue of hiring. Feeling that such an arrangement intruded on WMU-NC’s autonomy, the group announced plans to move out of its current offices and accept the additional financial burdens.

In quick response, CBFNC — which already provides some financial support to WMU-NC through the CBFNC Mission Resource Plan — has established an emergency fund and issued a call for churches to make a special offering to assist WMU-NC in the transition.

Hovis said gifts to assist WMU-NC can be sent between now and Oct. 31 to CBF of North Carolina at 8025 North Point Blvd., Suite 205, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.

In a statement, WMU-NC Executive Director Ruby Fulbright expressed appreciation for CBFNC’s concern and support.

“We are grateful for the partnership we share in missions education and involvement,” said Fulbright. “Now, I am overwhelmed by your kindness in helping us to meet practical needs — paying the bills.”

The primary source of funding for WMU-NC is the annual North Carolina Missions Offering that also supports North Carolina Men and other mission-related projects.

NC WMU opts to go office-hunting

Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina (WMU NC) is looking for a new place to live following an August 16 vote by its executive board that was made public August 21 after a meeting between WMU NC executive director Ruby Fulbright and Baptist State Convention executive director Milton Hollifield.

Neither of the parties really wanted to see WMU NC leave the BSC offices in Cary -- a move that adds another crack to fracturing relationships among BSC entities, and will require WMU NC to shoulder a heavier financial burden.

But, times are changing among North Carolina Baptists, particularly in the area of trust. For the past two decades, at least, WMU NC, though an autonomous organization, has lived within the BSC structure and had offices in the Baptist Building. While salary funds have come through the North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO), WMU employees have received their paychecks and benefits through the same system as other employees, with the BSC footing the bill for health insurance, retirement benefits, and fleet cars.

Through the years, however, WMU NC maintained a level of independence, including the right to hire and manage its own employees. Via both tacit agreement and a written letter of understanding, past BSC executive directors "signed off" on WMU employees to get them into the payroll system, but trusted WMU leaders to make good choices and voluntarily excused themselves from active involvement in the selection or management of WMU employees.

That system worked smoothly until the spring of 2006, when WMU NC members approved changes to its governing documents, opting to be known as a "cooperative partner" rather than an "auxiliary," and moving employment policies from the bylaws to the WMU NC employee handbook to allow for greater flexibility.

Newly elected executive director Milton Hollifield took exception to the changes, believing that they created new liability concerns for the BSC. As negotiations proceeded, Hollifield also staked out a position that WMU NC employees are really BSC employees, and therefore must be subject to approval by the executive director.

A stalemate ensued, with WMU NC determined to maintain control of its staff hiring and management, and BSC administrators equally adamant that the Convention's executive director must have ultimate authority over WMU NC employees so long as they technically remain BSC employees, too.

WMU offered to compromise in some areas, though not in the area of responsibility for its own staff, but the BSC Executive Committee rejected the offer.

Having reached an impasse with little hope that either side would budge, WMU NC's executive board decided that the only way to retain meaningful autonomy was to move out of the Baptist building and assume responsibility for its own finances. That could burden WMU NC with a heavy financial load, but its leaders evidently believe that freedom is worth the pain and the price required by the move.

This unhappy turn of events leads to a number of questions.

First, when will this happen? WMU NC has asked BSC administrators for a nine month transition period for financial matters, according to a press release, though Fulbright said it would not necessarily take that long to leave the building. Whether the transition period will be granted remains an open question.

Where will WMU NC go? The organization has received a preliminary offer of adequate office space in the Raleigh area at a very reasonable cost, Fulbright said.

Will there be any change in what WMU does or how it relates to the churches? Not according to Fulbright. "We intend to continue working with the churches. We intend to keep praying for, promoting, and supporting the offerings, as well as providing missions education resources and training," she said. "We also plan to continue participating and cooperating with North Carolina Baptist Men, church planting efforts, and other groups in doing missions."

How will WMU NC obtain needed finances? The organization hopes to continue receiving funds through the North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO), an annual state-wide offering that provides funds for WMU NC, North Carolina Baptist Men, church planting, and a few other projects. If the 2007 NCMO reaches its goal of about $2.5 million, WMU NC would receive around $850,000 (33.6 percent) of the total.

For many years, WMU NC received all of its funding through an annual "Heck-Jones Offering." In 1977, however, the BSC voted to combine the offerings received by various entities into a single campaign, and WMU NC agreed to join the combined effort, which became effective in 1979. The social service agencies received less money and later reinstituted their individual offerings, but WMU NC has remained a supportive participant in the combined offering.

If worse comes to worst, WMU NC could resurrect the Heck Jones Offering. My guess is that many churches and individuals will be unhappy with the circumstances leading to WMU NC's impending move and almost certain loss of some BSC funding, and will contribute directly to the organization. Some churches are already asking if they can designate their gifts through NCMO.

Will WMU NC continue to support and work with the BSC? Fulbright says yes: "It has been our purpose and our joy to use our gifts and skills to be a resource for, a support of, and a helper to the Baptist State Convention in the cause of missions," indicating that WMU NC has no plans to change that. "Each entity gave to the other. Through the years, the relationship worked like it was supposed to work with an organization (WMU) that wanted to help the cause of missions and was allowed to do so." Fulbright said WMU NC wants to be perceived as an asset to the BSC, not as a liability.

How much cooperation WMU NC will have from the BSC is unclear. In a statement posted on the BSC website shortly after the meeting with Fulbright, Hollifield spoke of WMU NC's decision to move its offices as a "desire to separate" and of its interest in providing missions assistance to other Baptist groups (like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship or other denominations affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance) to be "a clear departure from the historic focus of the mission and ministry of WMU of NC."

While Fulbright has made it clear that WMU NC wants to remain in partnership with the BSC, Hollifield implied an uncertain future, saying "rest assured there will be missions education ministries and women’s ministries provided through BSCNC with or without WMU of NC’s cooperation."

We may rest assured that if there is a lack of cooperation, it won't be on the part of WMU NC, unless "cooperation" is defined as "under BSC-mandated conditions."

Both Fulbright and Hollifield expressed mutual appreciation for the organizations they represent. "We wish to affirm an ongoing relationship," Fulbright said. "WMU NC is appreciative of the history and heritage of our relationship with the BSCNC. We are very grateful for the benefits that have been provided for us through the years."

For his part, Hollifield said "WMU of NC has taught generations of young people in BSCNC churches about missions and inspired many to answer the call to missionary service and to support and participate in missionary endeavors. ... WMU of NC has my deepest respect and appreciation for their past labors, and my commitment to pray for their future.”

Let's hope and pray that common commitments to Christ's call will win out, and all that mutual appreciation will lead to continued cooperation, without regard to WMU NC's mailing address.

Dirty laundry, desperation, and the World Wide Web

Among the troublesome trends in Baptist life is the growing use of the Internet as a tool for airing grievances arising from church conflict.

Church conflicts -- especially those related to the congregation's satisfaction with the pastor -- are nothing new. The rising tide of "pastoral authority" in some circles has caused natural consternation for churches that are accustomed to congregational church government and a freedom of access to church records, especially finances.

What is new in the arena of church conflict is that dissident groups who are unable to gain a hearing within the church have begun using websites or blogs to ratchet up the pressure on the stonewalling pastor and those who enable him.

For some reason, this has been particularly true in the state of Tennessee. When Steve Gaines followed the long-tenured Adrian Rogers at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, near Memphis, it took less than a year for serious conflict to arise. Opponents charged that Gaines was being paid half-a-million dollars in salary per year (the actual numbers remain secret) and had intimidated church members. Unable to redress the issue within internal church channels, they contacted local media and started an opposition website. Even Baptist Press took notice, as did bloggers. Gaines remains in the saddle, though still under fire.

At Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, pastor Steve Shaw's determination to institute the rule of elders led to deep conflict. Opponents started a website (www.savegbc.com, now defunct) to air their concerns, and Shaw ultimately resigned.

The latest newsmaker is Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, home of the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters. Pastor Jerry Sutton, a prominent leader among conservative kingpins within the Convention, has come under fire for spending more than $4,000 of church funds on a wedding reception for his daughter, improperly meeting with representatives of a resort hotel who wanted to buy some of the church’s property, being autocratic in his leadership style and attempting to keep church members in the dark about his finances.

A website arose to voice concerns, but it reportedly "crashed" and has not returned, though cached copies of the homepage and the group's concerns can still be found.

My purpose in writing this is not to pass judgment in any of the situations, though I have little sympathy for autocratic pastors.

I'm writing, I suppose, to bemoan the state of any church which has become so dysfunctional that its members and staff cannot work out their differences, but feel compelled to raise the conflict exponentially by broadcasting it on the Internet.

Traditional Baptist polity calls for transparency and integrity and congregational involvement. When secretive salaries and back-room deals and the election of a power-elite to run the church become the norm, conflict becomes inevitable and folks who once could ask questions at a monthly church business meeting now feel that they have to start a website.

Everything surrounding such conflicts, of course, brings harm to the cause of Christ, rather than advancing the kingdom of God. People on both sides of the issues, no doubt, will claim to have Christ on their side and accuse the other of doing the damage.

Ultimately, leadership must come from the pastor, but it must be servant leadership, leadership that comes from paying dues of love and care and concern for the church, rather than from position or precepts.

I'm convinced that we have too many "leadership" conferences for pastors, and not enough "servanthood" conferences.

Within the church, you can't truly have one without the other.

New every day

I like to think that every day brings something new for those who pay attention. Some days are just new all around.

The past few days have been like that for me ... somewhere around nine months ago I agreed to leave the work I'd grown to love as editor of the Biblical Recorder and exchange it for a classroom at the Campbell University Divinity School, along with a post as contributing editor for Baptists Today.

After phasing out at the Recorder in late July, I dove into life with Baptists Today by simultaneously starting a blog on the BT website and covering a Baptist history celebration in Charleston.

The following week, I started moving into my new office at Campbell, part of a former classroom on the third floor of Taylor Hall, overlooking the future site of Butler Chapel.

I should be able to keep an eye on anyone using the prayer garden for unintended purposes.

This week, I've gotten my first taste of faculty orientation at Campbell. In addition to my office, I have a nifty I.D. card I can use to buy lunch, a parking sticker, and an e-mail account.

More importantly, I have nine new teaching colleagues in the Divinity School and four in the school of religion, along with half a dozen other staff members who round out the Divinity School family. They've gone the extra mile to help me feel at home.

Campbell is in the process of re-instituting football after a 50-year absence. I grew up in a football town and put in my time as a "Mighty Red Devil" in Lincoln County, Georgia (2006 state champs, by the way). I then attended the University of Georgia and strengthened my allegiance to the Georgia Bulldogs.

I'm learning to love Campbell, and I may get one of the "Campbell Football: Undefeated" T-shirts in the bookstore, but it's going to feel mighty awkward shouting "Go, you hairy Camels!"

The devil you say!

Did Time magazine intentionally undercut its intriguing story about Billy Graham's amazing string of relationships with eleven U.S. presidents by portraying him on the cover as the devil in disguise?

I read the copy that came to our mailbox last week soon after it arrived, and found the story to be both complimentary and sympathetic toward Graham. The only thing I noticed about the cover photo of Graham is that it was an older one, made during his pompadour days.

I didn't realize until I glanced through Tuesday's newspaper that the cover had stirred up a bit of a hornet's nest.

At least one conservative blogger noticed that the points of the "M" in "Time" sprouted like horns from Graham's head, and smelled a liberal conspiracy.

Give me a break.

I can make out the image they see, once the points have been pointed out, though they look more like Batman ears than devil horns to me. And, since Graham is in profile, if you assume the "M points" are horns, it would appear that one juts from the crown of his head while the other sticks out of the back.

I suppose it's possible that someone in Time's graphic arts department may have been having a little fun, but it's hard to believe the magazine's editors would have been twisted enough to purposefully portray a horned Graham ... unless the devil made them do it.

Will the fourth time be the charm for First Dallas?

On Sunday, members of First Baptist Church in Dallas confirmed earlier speculation by calling Robert Jeffress to become the church's new pastor. Jeffress is the fourth pastor chosen in hopes of finding a long-lived successor to the legendary W. A. Criswell, who led the church for 50 years, succeeding George W. Truett, who was pastor for the previous 47 years.

In addition to providing strong leadership to First Baptist, both Truett and Criswell were larger-than-life figures in Southern Baptist life, Truett as a prime mover in the development of the "classic" SBC during the first half of the twentieth cetury, and Criswell as chief cheerleader for the conservative revamping of the SBC during the last quarter of the century.

As Criswell began to make noises about retirement in the early 1990's, there were several less-than-successful attempts to replace him with someone who could carry on the legacy. Joel Gregory, was called to serve as "co-pastor" in 1990, but found it difficult to live in the shadow of a legend and abruptly resigned in 1992. He later wrote a book about the experience: a second edition of Too Great a Temptation: the Seductive Power of America's Superchurch is slated for release this year.

Ft. Lauderdale pastor O. S. Hawkins doubled Gregory's tenure but still stayed just four years, leaving in 1997 to lead the SBC's Annuity Board, now called GuideStone Financial Resources.

A low-key North Carolina pastor, Mac Brunson, was tapped as pastor in 1999. Brunson remained in the pressure cooker for seven years before moving to another super-pulpit, First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fl.

Now, however, First Dallas seems to have found the legacy link it has been looking for. Jeffries grew up at First Dallas, preached his first sermon and was ordained there, and served as a youth minister at the storied church. After the vote on Sunday, Jeffries revealed a long-kept secret, the belief that he received a direct communication from God while still a student a Baylor. "God said to me, 'One day you will be the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas.'"

Having served a successful 15-year stint as pastor of Wichita Falls First Baptist, which earlier served as a launching pad for Landrum Leavell (to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1974), William Pinson (to Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in 1977) and Morris Chapman (to become president of the SBC Executive Committee in 1992).

Jeffries has served the Wichita Falls church since 1992 and, following Criswell's lead, has published numerous books. He seems both poised and prepared to spend the rest of his career at First Dallas, which could be a dream come true for both him and the church. "I will pour my life – everything I have – into building this church for the glory of God," he said, according to the Dallas Morning News.

There's some building to do ... First Dallas has lost thousands of members from its glory days and has been eclipsed in numbers by several Baptist megachurches. Jeffries has his work cut out for him, but is the first new pastor who doesn't have to worry about either W.A. or Mrs. Criswell looking over his shoulder. At 51, he appears to be both capable and committed to building a lengthy legacy of his own, and we wish him well.

Stealth denial

The August 13 issue of Newsweek magazine carries an impressive story about the length to which well-paid spin-meisters will go to deny the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is a real and present danger to the earth and its inhabitants, and getting more dangerous all the time.

Those who deny global warming, of course, are those who stand to profit from the increasing extravagant use of oil and other fossil fuels, or who profit in other ways from activities that threaten the planet.

The article demonstrates how conservative "think tanks" (translate "propaganda incubators") have carefully developed strategies to derail any U.S. action on global warming by trotting out contrarian scientists who deny global warming in order to broadcast a message that the science behind global warming is uncertain, or to claim that the unmistakable temperature trends are just part of a natural cycle.

Don't think for a minute that such scientists are not rewarded for their contributions to the big-money shell game.

The facts, for those who are willing to confront the evidence, overwhelmingly indicate that human activity plays a major role in global climate change that could wreck the world for our children and grandchildren, even as it contributes to drought and suffering in many parts of the world already.

Sadly, some conservative Christian groups, blindly loyal to their political heroes, have followed in the parade, casting doubt about human responsibility for the global disaster-in-the-making. Fortunately, many evangelicals are beginning to take more proactive positions.

The Bible is very clear in teaching that God entrusted the earth to humans and told them to "fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:28). That doesn't mean humans are to devastate the earth and use it up: the context makes it clear that the earth is given into our care as good stewards of its resources.

The Bible also makes it clear that economic and social justice are near the top of God's agenda, and any actions that profit the rich at the expense of the poor are anathema.

Both wealth and power are immensely corruptive influences, and the behavior of wealthy and powerful people who cast doubt on a legitimate global concern for the sake of their own profit is nothing less than despicable.

The well-paid deniers of truth may be slick and stealthy, but those who believe God has a better idea for the global community don't have to give credence to their drivel.

If truth can't stand up to power, and if American power-mongers don't get out of the denial business and take the lead in showing a bit of concern for someone other than themselves, we may be destined to encounter hell on earth.

Teachers in space

After more than two decades of waiting, teacher Barbara Morgan is orbiting the earth, getting accustomed to zero gravity and preparing to conduct three live classes as part of NASA's troubled teachers in space program.

The program has been troubled, not because of the concept or the difficulty of finding teachers, but because the first effort at putting a teacher in space turned into an unmitigated disaster: teacher Christa McAuliffe was aboard the Challenger, which broke apart during launch and killed all aboard in January 1986, side-tracking the entire U.S. space program for years -- and the teachers in space program for even longer.

Morgan was McAuliffe's backup for the Challenger flight. It would have been tempting, surely, for her to turn in her astronaut wings and settle back into a nice, safe classroom.

But, Morgan stuck with it. She continued to train, continued to represent NASA to schools and educators, continued to talk up the importance of space education.

More than 20 years later, she's now ready to call class to order from the space station, 140 miles above the earth (learn how to participate here).

Words like patience, perseverance, and determination can easily be overused in motivational speeches, but Morgan can testify that persisting in those values can get you more than a speaking gig -- they can take you out of this world.

The power of McWorship

I suppose it shouldn't be surprising to learn that most preschoolers would think food tastes better if it comes in a McDonald's wrapper. Or, so says a scientific study that made the newspapers this week.

The study, which offered children samples of the same food wrapped in plain or McDonald's packaging, found that kids think even carrots and apple juice tastes better if the believe it comes from McDonald's.

Don't underestimate the power of advertising.

We see it in other ways, as well -- how many of us routinely choose "name" brands of canned vegetables or soups, even though the cheaper store brands are often made by the same companies, but with a different label?

The outside package or package can have a tremendous influence on our perception of what we can expect on the inside.

That even works for churches, to some degree. Folks who grow up in a county seat, red brick church may be more inclined to look for the same thing when they move to another town. People who grew up in a small country church may feel lost if they move to the city, because they can't find a church that looks like the one back home.

Denominational labels seem to be losing a bit of their power, however. There was a time when most Southern Baptists or United Methodists, for example, would automatically stick with the denomination of their youth. But, study after study shows that denominational loyalty has hit the skids: people are more likely to choose a church based on whether it really suits their taste or meets their needs, with little regard for labels.

For churches seeking to reach out to new people, that trend is both a challenge and an opportunity. A Baptist church can't assume that all new Baptists moving to town will choose their church, for example, or even give it a try. On the other hand, it may have a better chance of attracting newcomers who grew up in different traditions ... unless they've already been won over to the fast-growing nondenominational church on the outskirts of town.

I have to wonder what would happen if McDonald's franchises divided into factions and went into competition with each other, criticizing other McDonald's stores as being too liberal with the salt or too slow to change the french fry oil?

Think it might impact the power of the label?

What to read?

There is a biography of John Adams on my nightstand. It's been there, mostly, for more than a year. It's one of those Pulitzer Prize winning books that are good for you, and I'm determined to finish reading it, but it's a slow process.

I'm all for intellectual rigor and I suppose the personal bickering between Adams and Ben Franklin while both were representing the colonies in Paris should be fascinating to me, but it's still like wading through mud.

It's taken months to reach page 362 of David McCullough's 751 page tome (counting the index): I pick it up for evening reading, and most of the time, quickly fall asleep.

In contrast, I raced through the 759 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in less than a week.

Of course, those who brag about the length of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books often fail to note that the publishers use fairly large print and an almost double-spaced format, yielding far fewer words per page than more intellectual fare.

But, it's not just the easy-reading format that makes the Harry Potter books move more quickly. Despite periodic pauses for annoying displays of teen angst, Rowling's books mingle action, suspense, and meaningful relationships in a way that draws the reader to care about the characters and cheer for good to win over evil. Despite her much-ballyhooed lack of specific references to God, there's no question that good and evil exist in Harry Potter's world, that good is better, and that love and self-sacrifice will ultimately conquer evil.

McCullough's biography of John Adams, on the other hand, is largely carried along by citations from the voluminous hand-written correspondence that he, his wife Abigail, and others such as Thomas Jefferson were prone to carry on, each apparently trying to outdo the other in their florid use of the language.

When a young man asked of Adams what sort of manners he should cultivate before venturing to Europe, for example, Adams offered a loquacious response, including this advice: "But you may depend on this, that the more decisively you adhere to a manly simplicity in your dress, equipage, and behavior, the more you devote yourself to business and study and the less to dissipation and pleasure, the more you will recommend yourself to every man and woman in this country whose friendship or acquaintance is worth your having or wishing. There is an urbanity without ostentaion or extravagace which will succeed everywhere and at all times."

Consider yourself instructed on manly manners for the international traveler.

I don't intend to demean Adams' advice or the importance of learning about him and other heroes of American history: I wish the average American had half the command of the English language that Adams' son John Quincy displayed at the age of eleven.

I'll finish the Adams biography, along with a large stack of academic works helping me get ready for fall semester at Campbell University. But, I'll still read the funny pages and the occasional fantasy novel, too.

A man's gotta breathe.

"I don't belong to me..."

Campbell University celebrated graduation day for chancellor Norman A. Wiggins Aug. 5 in a two-hour service characterized by admiration, humor, and praise. The program featured hymns typically sung during Campbell's graduation ceremonies, and more than one speaker noted that Wiggins spoke of death as "graduation."

Wiggins, 83, who served as president for 38 years before "retiring" to become chancellor, was known for his devotion to Christ and to his wife, Millie; to Campbell and to his country.

He was a member of "the greatest generation," noted multiple speakers, a Marine who participated in the capture of Iwo Jima. Jack Britt, vice-president for advancement at Campbell and a personal friend, spoke of Wiggins as a "living legend," a "statesman," and an outstanding professor of law.

David Courie, a nephew, spoke of Wiggins' love for his family, and his ability to put others first and to give others his full attention.

Roy J. Smith, former executive director of the Baptist State Convention, recalled Wiggins' tenure as president of the BSC. He was a great Christian educator, a great Baptist statesman, and a man of great humor, Smith said.

Jerry Wallace, who worked closely with Wiggins for 35 years before succeeding him as president, spoke of how Wiggins saw his tenure at Campbell as a divine mission, a calling from God. For that reason, he said, Wiggins turned down multiple opportunities to go to larger and more prestigious schools, devoting himself to growing Campbell from college to university status. The addition of graduate schools in law, pharmacy, and divinity all faced opposition, Wallace said, but all have proven to be impressive success stories.

Wallace highlighted a little-known aspect of Wiggins' legacy, Campbell's adoption of Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Seeing the opportunity as both a missionary and academic enterprise, Wiggins worked diligently to develop a partnership through which more than 11,000 Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent have received Campbell degrees, and many have become Christians.

Of all the impressive statements made about Wiggins during the service, two were particularly memorable. Michael Simmons, Wiggins' pastor at Buies Creek Baptist Church, recalled a visit with Wiggins shortly before his death. Wiggins acknowledged that he might not live to leave the hospital, Simmons said, but was satisfied to leave it in God's hands. "I don't belong to me," Wiggins said, "I belong to him."

And, in a brief eulogy, Norman Ajiboye spoke of how Wiggins helped his father come from Nigeria, receive a first-rate medical education, and return to Nigeria to help underserved people. The Ajiboyes became so close to the Wigginses that they often spent Christmas together, and Ajiboye called them "Grandma and Grandpa Wiggins."

Ajiboye, who is now a neurosurgery resident at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, spoke of Wiggins' tireless work ethic and said "he showed us that the price of greatness is responsibility."

From his early-rising habits to his indefatigable efforts in behalf of Campbell University, Norman A. Wiggins truly demonstrated both responsibility and greatness, and people the world over are better because of it.

Particularism and pluralism

Baptist historian Bill Leonard, dean of the divinity school at Wake Forest University, is a prolific writer who has the ability of writing in both an entertaining and thought-provoking fashion.

During a Baptist History Celebration in Charleston Aug. 1-3, Leonard presented a paper on the global witness of Baptists. In doing so, he focused on ways in which modernity impacted the Baptists understanding of and involvement in missions.

Technological innovations, the increased ease of travel, the success of trading companies in developing relationships with people of other lands, increasing globalism, and the involvement of women all helped to shape both missions and Baptists, Leonard said.

The world's growing globalism and unavoidable pluralism provide ongoing challenges to people who have a particular understanding of salvation. I'd like to share two paragraphs from the conclusion of Leonard's paper:

A global witness no doubt requires all Protestants to ask how they will deal with the challenge of pluralism in the world. Is there a via media for the Christian message between rabid particularism and paternalistic universalism? Can religious people affirm the uniqueness of a specific faith perspective while respecting the rights and voices of multiple faiths in the pluralistic marketplace? Shall we, like Carey and others of his day, re-form the boundaries of the faith we have inherited?

Finally in attempting to do that, Baptists might struggle with the unceasing paradox of conversionist particularism and pluralistic libertarianism, knowing that many persons in other religions will struggle to do the same. This effort will require a certain theological and cultural messiness that involves continued reflection on the nature of faith and interfaith relationships.

Pluralism may well be the door, not the death knell, to spiritual vitality for all religious groups.

Now those are thoughts were thinking for Baptists and for others who recognize that the whole world is now just an airplane ride -- or a walk next door -- away.

Not a controversy?

Readers who have followed our blog accounts of the Baptist History Celebration in Charleston this week will know that both Bruce Gourley and I have noted that the meeting has incorporated a diversity of Baptists, but with a distinct Calvinist flavor.

While former Baylor University professor Bill Brackney emphasized that Calvinism is not a monolithic Baptist belief and Wake Forest University divinity school dean Bill Leonard pointed to ways in which Calvinism has adapted to culture and technology, the majority of speakers appeared to assume that Calvinism is normative theology for Baptists.

I was particularly surprised that one speaker didn't even rank the Calvinist/Arminian (or Particular/General) debate among the top five controversies experienced by Baptists.

Jim Renihan, of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies at Westminster Seminary in California, led a breakout session on Baptist controversies. He chose five, beginning with a Christological debate among English General Baptists in the 17th century and conflict over hymn-singing among Particular Baptists of the same period, but didn't mention the bitter antinomian debate among Particular Baptists of the same period.

Renihan discussed the struggle for religious liberty in 18th century America under the rubric of "Baptist theological controversy," though that conflict is generally seen as between Baptists and the state more so than within Baptist circles. Finally, Renihan pointed to the conflict between northern and southern Baptists in 19th century America and the fundamentalist/modernist debates of the 20th century.

While the last two should probably be in the top three of any list of Baptist controversies, it's hard to imagine that the long-running Calvinist/Arminian divide could fail to make the same list.

Then again, I suppose the fact that we see could things differently and still speak cordially is one of the clearest signs that we're truly Baptist.

Going Primitive

I've never been around so many Primitive Baptists as I have been at the Baptist History Celebration being held in Charleston Aug. 1-3.

I haven't been avoiding Primitive Baptists, but there just aren't many of them around. Come to think of it, prior to this week I'd only known one person who was outspoken about his Primitive Baptist beliefs, and he went on to his predestined reward some time ago.

Many towns have a Primitive Baptist Church somewhere around - it's usually small, often with less-than-weekly services. Some just hold a homecoming service once per year because there are so few people left.

I always figured it was because Primitive Baptists, being staunch Calvinists, believed firmly in predestination and thus practiced little or no evangelism - a sure way to smallify a church.

The Baptist History Celebration was the brainchild of a strict Calvinist, so it's not surprising that many of the speakers have either espoused Calvinism or highlighted Calvinist beliefs of early Baptists, or both.

During a breakout session on Primitive Baptists Aug. 2, Lasserre Bradley, Jr. (above) -- who has preached Primitive Baptist beliefs on the "Baptist Bible Hour" for 50 years -- said Primitive Baptists adopted their name because they believe the doctrines they hold are the same as the earliest (most primitive) Baptists, whom they hold were Calvinistic.

There is some variety among Primitive Baptists (like whether they allow musical instruments in worship or not), but many of them do practice evangelistic preaching and some measure of missions work.

When I ask why someone who truly believes in predestination and irresistible grace should bother with preaching, the answer is usually two-fold: preaching is a matter of obedience and it brings glory to God, whether it's really necessary for the elect to hear it or not.

While Primitive Baptists do believe in preaching, they generally don't believe in working together through any sort of central organization or mission board, but hold that all mission efforts should spring from the local church. It's at that point, it seems, that they diverge most sharply from more prominent Baptist groups, who believe it's a good thing to cooperate together for mission efforts that are bigger than any one church.

"Reformed" theology of some form is hard to avoid these days: the "Founders Ministries" organization has been promoting Calvinism among Southern Baptists for some time. Schools like Southern Baptist Theological Seminary actively promote Calvinistic theology.

LifeWay Christian Resources of the SBC conducted a study of Calvinism last year, and has announced that it will host a conference on Calvinism at Ridgecrest this fall, to be called "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism." The conference, co-sponsored by the Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, is reportedly not to promote Calvinism, but to provide a venue for candid and friendly debate between Calvinists and non-Calvinists.

All of the above give Calvinism a much higher profile in Baptist life than it has known for more than a century: the apparent full-court press to promote the doctrine follows a century in which the "free will" theology of Arminianism became so dominant that many people discounted Calvinism altogether.

Whether you find the "doctrines of grace" to be appealing or appalling, a discussion of them is getting harder and harder to avoid.

Surrounded by history

Attending a Baptist history conference in Charleston is a bit like learning anatomy in the operating room -- the city reeks of history, and First Baptist Church of Charleston is at the heart of it.

A plaque embedded in the front wall of the sanctuary building notes that it was founded in 1682 by a group of Baptists in Kittery, Maine, who relocated -- church and all -- to Charleston, in 1699.

The current sanctuary dates to the 1820s. Its pews are on a platform several inches higher than the wooden floor, and organized in boxes, with a swinging door leading into each one. The high pulpit area is covered with marble. Large commemorative plaques recalling significant church members line the walls on either side. Most prominent, to the left of the pulpit, is one dedicated to Richard Furman, a long-time pastor (1787-1825) for whom Furman University is named.

The streets of Charleston are lined with homes and churches from ante-bellum times. A wharf and an old slave market are reminders that Charleston has been home to suffering as well as celebration.

Some say there are ghosts here.

I don't know about ghosts, but there's no question that the past is all around.

Coming up: getting acquainted with Primitive Baptists, who are not all history, but still alive and well in many parts of the country.

You have to love history

As a Baptist History Celebration got underway in Charleston Aug. 1, about 120 participants faced a nearly two-and-a-half hour session comprised mainly of four lectures, lasting until 10:00 p.m.

You have to love Baptist history to get excited about topics like "British Baptist Confessional History and Its Impact on American Baptist History." Bill Brackney's paper on that subject contained a wealth of interesting information. Unfortunately, the late hour and the profusion of fumes from the newly repainted sanctuary of Charleston's First Baptist Church made it heavy going for listeners.

Previous lectures had included profiles of early Baptist leaders John Gill and John Gano, and a lengthy walk through "Seventeenth Century Old World's Contribution to Baptist Hymnody in the New World," an exercise that included the singing of what seemed like a dozen hymns -- all the verses, of course.

I should have eaten dinner before the meeting.

The main organizer of the event is Gary Long, a strong Calvinist and the publisher of Particular Baptist Press, and there is a particularly (though not uniquely) Calvinistic slant to the meeting, as Bruce Gourley's blog shows.

Both Gourley and I are covering/blogging from the event, a new venture for Baptists Today. As we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Philadelphia Association, the first Baptist association in America, the opportunity to visit with Baptists of so many different backgrounds is worth the effort, we think. Watch the BT website for periodic, paint fume-free updates from the meeting, and possibly a vicarious taste of South Carolina barbeque.

History: a place to begin

Today marks the debut of the "Baptists Today blog, something that will offer BT readers a daily tidbit of news, commentary, or a devotional thought to go along with all those spiffy links to news items from other sources.

We hope it'll give you more incentive to visit the site more often, and to tell your friends about it, too.

Today marks not only the debut of the BT blog, but also my first official day as "Contributing Editor" for Baptists Today. My first assignment is to cover a "Baptist History Celebration," being held Aug. 1-3 in Charleston, S.C.

I haven't quite figured out the history of the history celebration yet -- groups I know like the Baptist History and Heritage Society were apparently not invited to participate, but prominent Baptist historians like Bill Brackney, recently of Baylor's Truett Theological Seminary, and Bill Leonard of the Wake Forest University Divinity School were invited to speak.

Go figure.

Sponsors/organizers of the celebration include a variety of Baptists groups that aren't well known to folks more familiar with Cooperative Baptists and Southern Baptists, such as the General Association of Regular Baptists.

The program gets underway with a discussion of "British Baptist Confessional History and its Impact on American Baptist History," which should be of some interest given the current debate over how credal Baptists should be, and whether something like the "Baptist Faith and Message" is a confession or a creed, or if it's a matter of interpretation.

One should note that today marks history of another kind, as Norman Wiggins, who attended and later presided over Campbell University for 36 years, died early this morning, at 83.

I've never known a man who more thoroughly identified with his job: Dr. Wiggins was history walking, and it was a privilege to have known him.