ATHENS, Texas – Sixty-six people made professions of faith during a “Honoring the Biblical Gift of an Evangelist” conference, Feb. 7-10, hosted by the Henderson County Southern Baptist Association and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. The four-day conference also produced numerous rededications, conference organizers reported. Thirty vocational evangelists and twenty-one churches participated in the conference.
“The purpose of the conference was to honor God’s gift of vocational evangelists and to encourage churches to pray and plan for revival services,” said Mike Smith, director of missions for the Dogwood Trails Baptist Area, who planned the conference with Dale Norris, team leader of the associational evangelism team.
Smith said he experienced growing concern at the lack of scheduled revivals meetings among churches in the area. “I can remember a time when almost every Baptist church held at least two revival meetings every year,” he said. “Today churches might have one four-day revival a year. Some go two to three years without having a revival meeting.”
Smith said the evangelism team wanted to plan something to encourage the churches to become better acquainted with vocational evangelists and schedule annual revival meetings.
The conference began with a rally on Friday evening at Dogwood Baptist Church in Athens. Another joint session was held on Saturday morning at the Dogwood church. Four vocational evangelists preached and eighteen different vocational evangelist singers brought special music at the two rallies.
On Saturday evening a youth rally was held on the campus of Trinity Valley Community College in Athens.
During the youth rally, Smith said a college football player walked by the auditorium and heard the music. Not knowing what was taking place, he sat at the back to listen.
“After listening to the Ricky Davis Band sing and evangelist Jared Douglas share, he publicly responded during the invitation to receive Christ as his Savior,” Smith said. “He was one of ten saved at the youth rally.”
On Sunday the vocational evangelists participated in worship services at two churches. The conference concluded with a joint breakfast of evangelists and pastors on Monday morning featuring reports from the weekend event. During this time, First Baptist Church Eustace reported that 10 were saved over the weekend events. Another pastor reported that he had been praying for a number of years for a policeman in the community to be saved and during the revival service he stepped forward to make a decision. Another pastor reported that their services lasted two-and-a-half hours and that the church recommitted itself to evangelism. One pastor reported that many in church would not respond to altar calls and after the first revival service, 40 people knelt at the altar in prayer and nine people made professions of faith.
“This cooperative evangelistic effort was a new venture for the association and churches,” Smith said. “The result was souls were saved, lives were changed, and there is a renewed emphasis on honoring the biblical gift of an evangelist.”

ODESSA, Texas – “It’s about one soul coming to know Jesus – that’s why we do what we do.” These words, from Ruben Hernandez, director of missions and evangelism for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, stood as a rallying cry for Texas Baptists in West Texas on Feb. 9. “We should pray, we should work, we should testify, we should preach expecting souls to be saved,” he said. This was the goal of the SBTC’s regional evangelism rally, held for the fourth year at Sherwood Baptist Church of Odessa.
About 15 churches from Odessa and surrounding towns brought approximately 325 adults, 160 youth and 40 children to Sherwood Baptist for a night of worship and preaching anticipated yearly by Baptists in the community. Because the conference included a separate meeting for each of the three age groups, entire families received encouragement to win others to Christ.
Jerry Dennis, pastor of Bible Way Family Baptist Church in Athens, spoke to adults, calling pastors to be both morally and doctrinally pure despite great pressure to conform to the world’s standards
“Don’t go along to get along with the world,” he urged the audience, which included about fifteen pastors. He then encouraged church members to follow their pastors as they stand for truth in their churches.
Because of its prophetic tone, Dennis called his message “The Sermon I Didn’t Want to Preach.” However, Tom Hiser, pastor of host church Sherwood Baptist, felt the message was right on target, especially for him and his fellow ministers. He said that Dennis encouraged reaching out to the community but still drawing the line on sin. “I thought it was an excellent presentation,” Hiser noted.
The next featured speaker was Stan Coffey, pastor of San Jacinto Baptist Church in Amarillo and who served as the first president of the SBTC in 1989. Coffey gave an expository message from Revelation 1, describing in detail the significance of John’s vision of Jesus. When one really gets a clear view of Christ, Coffey claimed, he will always want to share him.
Hiser described this message as “right on point, because he spoke right where we are. He just gave us an insightful view into who Jesus really is.”
Coffey ended his message with a challenge to the congregation. He asked to see the hands of all those pledging “to lead somebody to Jesus in 2003.” Hundreds of hands went up across the auditorium, a testimony to God’s work through the conference.
If each person there led one person to Christ, hundreds of new souls would be added to the Kingdom, said Hiser who was astounded at the power of this commitment
Throughout the course of the adult conference, Don Thornton led the congregation in three praise and worship sessions. Thornton, a fulltime music evangelist from Fairfield, mixed well-known hymns with praise choruses and performed solos as well.
The main message of the night was highlighted by one young man at the close of the service. The man, who for a time had been homeless, was led to Christ by one of the church’s evangelism teams the previous Monday. After finding him at an apartment complex, the members presented the gospel to him and purchased food for the man. At the conference, the group surrounded the young man as he professed his new faith.
While adults participated in the conference in the church’s auditorium, the youth piled into the gym. Nationally-known speaker Bill Gravell presented an evangelistic message that included humor to the large crowd and several personal experiences. He called students to be sure of their salvation. Knowing that many in the crowd may be depending on a false “aisle walking” experience in the past, he urged the students to make sure they had made Jesus their own. He also targeted those brought by other youth who may have never heard the gospel at all.
Worship band Destination Known led the youth in contemporary worship, but they also included a hymn portion in their music set. Sherwood Baptist Youth Minister Dennis Houston appreciated this mix and felt that the band led into Gravell’s teaching with great skill. “After that, the students were willing to hear anything,” he said.
Houston noted that the youth portion of the annual conference is also highly anticipated in Odessa and the surrounding communities. “It’s growing more and more every year,” he said. “We had good participation from other churches, including Spanish Baptist churches.” Sherwood’s own youth group brought 50 to the conference as well. “The kids liked it,” Houston said. “Those are messages and songs that everyone that can hear should hear.”
Houston rejoiced over the decisions made by youth at their portion of the evangelism conference. At the end of the night, five students made decisions – four of which were professions of faith.
A new addition to the annual conference was the children’s event, held in the church’s FAITH evangelism program training room. Jon Merryman spoke to the children about his own testimony and encouraged them to trust in God in all circumstances. Merryman had experienced a plane crash earlier in life, and his story of the experience grabbed the kids’ attention
Cara Nelson, a Sherwood Baptist fourth grader, hoped to have the same level of trust in God. “His experience was scary,” she remembered. “So he kept asking God to save him.” When friends ask her about the evangelism conference at school, she hopes to tell them about Jesus if they don’t already know, she said.
“Jon Merryman really impressed our people,” Pastor Hiser said. “He should be dead, but he survived and is helping other people.”
This year’s evangelism conference at Sherwood Baptist was the biggest yet. Hiser has enjoyed facilitating the conference for the past four years at his church, but he also looks forward to visiting other congregations in the community in future years.
“It’s like having a family reunion, and the main event is Jesus at our reunion,” he said. “We were thrilled to death to be the host church, but we’re looking forward to going to other churches so we can participate with them. It’s not an ‘us and them’ deal; it’s a ‘we’ deal.”

CLOVERLEAF – Celebrating its six-year anniversary in February, Project Cloverleaf has been meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of local residents with plenty of success stories to back it up.
Founder and executive director of the program, Cyndi Burks, a missionary for the North American Mission Board working through Woodforest Baptist Church, says she’s just doing God’s work.
“The goal of the program is to lead people to the Lord,” she said. “To make a long-term change in their life, it requires meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs. If you only provide the physical needs, and don’t treat the body as a whole, everything is only a short fix.”
Project Cloverleaf offers a variety of different programs including housing a food pantry, which serves 450 to 500 families per year and a clothes closet, which often aids fire victims.
There is a uniform recycling program in which the organization accepts used uniforms for area schools and distributes one used uniform and one new uniform to each needy student per school year. Last August, 457 students received school uniforms as well as supplies for their trek back to school.
In July, the organization holds a major health fair. Last July, more than 1,000 people received immunizations, hearing examinations, eye examinations and other testing. In November, the mini health fair is held which provides flu vaccinations, HIV testing, glucose and cholesterol testing.
At Christmas, Project Cloverleaf participates in Adopt-a-Child. More than 135 children received at approximately 7 to 12 gifts each. Two children from one family even received 27 gifts each. Christmas dinners donated by the organization fed 49 families during the holidays.
By far, the most popular program offered by Project Cloverleaf is the GED program, which offers high school equivalency tutoring. Since 1999, Burks has personally tutored more than 600 students.
Burks, who became a Mission Service Corp missionary last year, says Project Cloverleaf provides the hope and encouragement some people were never provided.
“We give them a reason to believe in themselves. Sometimes, we create a different person. Then, they can pick themselves up off of the group and provide a better life for themselves,” she said.
Burks has won two Bell Ringer Awards, which is the most prestigious award offered for literary. She also received the Dorothy McClinton Award for more than 1,000 hours given to literary per year.
With eight computers, Project Cloverleaf also offers Microsoft Office and general skills training.
“We train them on some minimums of Word and Excel?just some basic computer skills for a receptionist or date entry clerk job,” said Burks, working out of her office at Woodforest Baptist Church.
In addition, the organization makes thumbprints and photo identification for children. This program called “Kid Proof,” was added six months ago and has serviced more than 2,000 children.
Project Cloverleaf helps the low-income family, no income family, homeless or according to Burks, the spiritually lost.
“We have applications and conduct personal interviews. We try to find out why we need to help them and the reason for their financial situation. Sometimes we’re misled, but everything is in the name of Jesus,” Burks said. “We try to take people for their word.”
Burks said though the organization does not push religion on anyone who seeks help, they do speak about it to them.
“We always speak about Jesus to these people. We tell them ‘no glory goes to us, it goes to the Lord. You’re getting this because Jesus loves you,'” Burks said. “You can’t talk about Jesus to people who are hurting or in need. You have to show them the love of the Lord. When Jesus fed the multitudes of people, they followed him for days and when they finally stopped for him to give his sermon, the first thing he did was feed them because he knew they were hungry. He met the physical needs first, then was able to share his message.”
“I want people to know the Lord Jesus really loves them. It’s amazing what God has done with this ministry,” she added.
More than 100 people served by Project Cloverleaf have had a profession of faith, Burks said.
“Some people come in and work in the church nursery, some have gotten saved and become members of the church. Some just help out when we need it,” added Burks.
One of these cases is 23-year-old Sunshine Goode. More than two years ago, Goode began working with Burks to get her GED. Goode, who is planning on becoming a bilingual elementary teacher, also received help from Burks with her 1-year-old baby.
“Cyndi is like a second mother to me. She takes all her time to help me improve my self-esteem,” Goode said. “I got saved at the church. I go every Sunday, and I also help them in the daycare.”
In an interview with the Southern Baptist Texan, Burks unveiled plans for a 10th ministry of Project Cloverleaf, called “Beating Heart.” This ministry, a crisis pregnancy center will offer pregnancy tests, sonograms, counseling, and parenting classes. Women will also receive referral information for maternity homes, shelters, financial resources, and adoption agencies. The target date for the center, Burks said, is April 1.
“We can sit back as a church and talk about how wrong abortion is, but what are we doing to step up to the plate to make a difference?” she asked, adding that it is only Jesus that can make a difference in the lives of women. “But we must be willing to open our doors and heart with these young women to show them there is a light.”
Debbie Byerley, mother of 21-year-old Chris, also credits Burks with helping her family.
“We took our three kids in as foster kids 17 years ago. Because of their living conditions, they were behind. They call it environmentally retarded. Because they were behind, they had no self-esteem. I home schooled them,” Byerley said. “When Chris was turning 18, we took him to the social security office and he was two points shy of receiving social security for a mental disability. Now, with Cyndi’s help, he’s two points shy of receiving his GED.”
Byerley added that her children volunteer at the church and help with the organization when needed.
“For Christmas, my oldest daughter helped wrap presents. After [a] recent flood, my kids were up at the church sorting out clothes and helping when they could. Cyndi is good at building self-esteem and reaching out. Cyndi believes in people and makes them believe in themselves. She believes nobody is worthless,” she said.
Burks said though sometimes the situations are uncomfortable for families, Project Cloverleaf tries to assist as best as they can.
“We’re not judgmental. We go into some really bad situations. People are really leery about letting us in, at first. We go in and I think they’re amazed because we make them feel comfortable about where they are in life. We don’t belittle them. That really surprised some people,” Burks said.
This article used with permission from the North Channel Sentinel. Texan staff contributed to this article.

IRVING, Texas – With sights set on the second largest population center in the Pacific Northwest, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention entered a partnership with the Interstate Baptist Association (IBA) in Portland, Oregan, for the purpose of strengthening existing churches and planting new congregations in the pioneer area.
The three-year partnership seeks to connect SBTC churches with the frontier of evangelism in the United States, said Robby Partain, SBTC senior associate for church planting.
The IBA is a fellowship of about 78 churches, of which more than a half average fewer than 50 in worship services. The mission statement of the association, “carrying out the great commission through strengthening and starting churches,” also serves as the strategy for the partnership.
SBTC churches will be encouraged to connect with a partner church within the IBA, said Robin Butler, executive director of missions for IBA, who hopes the relationships between churches will facilitate vision trips and short-term mission trips.
“My hope is that the partnership will help Interstate accomplish their vision, every IBA church connected to a partnership church, and mission of starting and strengthening churches,” Partain said. “I would like to see church-to-church relationships develop that lead to specific missions endeavors over a period of years. What a great expression of Empowering Kingdom Growth that would be!”
Mission ventures between churches of the two groups would target the association’s community which includes two major metropolitan areas including Portland and Vancouver, Washington. According to the North American Mission Board, an estimated 90 percent of the 2.2 million population of the Pacific Northwest do not possess a relationship with Jesus Christ.
An IBA fact sheet about the region reports that several of its areas with a population of 50,000 or more do not have a Southern Baptist church. The ratio of resident Southern Baptist church members to the total population in Lubbock, Texas equals one SBC church member to four people. Compared to Portland, the ratio is one Southern Baptist church member to 210 people.
“These folks are certainly lost, but it isn’t a belligerent lost,” Butler said, of the population of the Greater Portland Metroplex. “It is more like when Paul walked into Athens and he said to those Athenians, ‘I see that you have many, many gods and I notice your statues. You have this one to the unknown god.’ That is where our people are.”
Butler also noted that even though the area has a spiritual climate, it is not a Christian climate.
“The people are spiritual enough, but it just not the Christian faith. It is not much of anything. It is kind of a mix of new age, a little eastern mysticism and a little bit of Christianity kind of thrown into the blender together. It is an amalgamation of spiritual beliefs,” he said.
Although the area follows the trend of mixing beliefs from different religions, Butler said traditional ministries will be utilized to reach the lost.
“The greatest way churches can have an impact in their community is the same way any other church can – there isn’t a different formula. It is about talking to people about Jesus,” he said, naming door-to-door interaction through the FAITH evangelism strategy, Vacation Bible School clinics, sports camps, and other Southern Baptist outreach efforts. Short term trips will help IBA “work the field and to be the field hands for Jesus.”
SBTC churches have already committed to partner with IBA congregations. Butler said a group from the Dogwood Trails Area in Henderson County has already committed to bring a group of about 90 people this summer. This group, led by Area Director Mike Smith and First Baptist Church Malakoff Pastor Robert Webb, will conduct backyard Bible clubs, prayer walk, door-to-door surveys, and train members of IBA churches to strengthen their church. Butler also added that some groups will help with church construction and remodeling needs.
Using the motivation of the Dogwood Trails Area as an example, Partain said it is urgent for SBTC pastors and church leaders to embark on vision trips to Interstate Association. “If the partnership works, it will work through relationships,” he said. “SBTC churches need to help IBA plant the new churches that will reach lost people,” Partain added. “I would love to see every church that is planted in IBA in coming years have at least one SBTC church partner.”
Butler said he hopes to see significant kingdom advances through the partnership.
“If I can get pastors here and in Texas building a friendship and entering into partnerships that runs three or four years, then some significant things can happen out of that,” Butler said, citing a hypothetical example of a SBTC youth participating a short-term trip and returning to the Portland area 10 years later to become a strong pastor. “There is a chance of long-term return.”

When considering a Christian school for one’s child or children, parents would be wise to consider the following factors in making that decision, especially if there is more than one option. No school is perfect, but these factors are critical in defining an effective Christian school.

Centrality of Christ
–Obsession about making Christ preeminent in all the school’s operation and programs
–Interviews give some evidence of that obsession

High view of the Scriptures
–Read school’s mission statement
–Ask about spiritual qualifications in its faculty hiring policy
–Ask how the Scriptures are integrated into the curricula
–Observe a few classes if permitted

Serious commitment to academic integrity
–Find out what textbooks the school uses; if all come from one Christian publisher, be cautious
–Ask about faculty hiring policy
–Teachers’ academic credentials to teach the subject/s assigned, e.g., the mathematics teacher has a mathematics major
–Operation monies and plan for faculty enrichment, e.g., workshops, advanced degrees, seminars

Discipline policies and procedures
–Awareness of dangers of legalism in disciplining children and young people
–Commitment to exhibiting grace in the context of maintaining discipline

The role of the board in the operation of the school
–Does the board empower the administration to hire and fire?
–Does the board empower the administration to handle discipline, especially suspension and expulsion?

Understanding of the role of a Christian school in supporting its families
–Evidence of cooperation with feeder churches
–Understanding that the Christian school is not to replace the local church in lives of its students and families
–Understanding the strategic role of the Christian school in providing Kingdom education for its students

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Planting a church is not as easy as it sounds. Success in forming a healthy congregation that seeks to reproduce itself is founded upon solid leadership and training skills, prayer and access to beneficial resources.
The third annual Church Planter Conference held Feb. 7 -8 in San Antonio at Castle Hills First Baptist Church offered Texas Baptist church planters a weekend retreat to ensure success in planting a church through training sessions and networking with other planters around the state. About 60 planters and their wives attended the retreat hosted by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
“The purpose of this conference is to give planters and their wives a weekend away,” said SBTC Senior Associate for Church Planting Robby Partain. “Our vision for this event is that it would speak to the planters’ hearts through inspiration, encouragment and fellowship.”
“We want church planters to connect with other men and women who are experiencing the same ups and downs in the planting venture. This weekend affords them time to fellowship and share ideas,” Partain added. “Church planting can feel awfully lonely at times. Planters and their wives need to know that others are in it with them.”
Partain also said he hoped the retreat spoke to the planters’ heads through planting training.
Main speaker Pat Abbott strove to help the planters develop skills by focusing on leadership that changes lives. Abbott, a member of Fellowship of the Metroplex in Arlington, is a former Marine officer and a business entrepreneur.
As a highlight to the event, Texas church planters Paul and Teresa Gomez were commissioned to plant churches in New York. The native-Texan couple, who currently live in North Richland Hills in North Texas, have been called to start new congregations in Manhattan.
Gomez shared with the church planters about his new mission field and God’s calling on their lives. As a testimony to using unique outreach efforts in church planting ventures, Gomez said dogs are used to break down barriers between city residents. This ministry tool allows him to share the gospel with city residents in Manhattan, he said, because dogs are popular in the city.
“Paul has been a successful church planter and effective church planter coach through the Metro Center for Church Planting,” said Partain. “Now God is sending these two Texans to minister elsewhere.”
As an example of their commitment to beginning new works, the church planters prayed over the couple and took up a love offering for the Gomez family totaling $304.
In 2002 the SBTC entered a partnership with New York. The partnership, which will extend into 2005, includes missions and church planting ventures.
Church planters also heard about the experiences of the new church start The Austin Stone, planted by Matt Carter. The church is located in the heart of inner-city Austin, is successfully reaching out to students of the University of Texas.
Through training, encouragement, testimony, and worship, church planters were given an opportunity to refresh their spirits and renew their commitment to church planting.
For information about church planting contact the SBTC office at (972) 953-0878.

AUSTIN–Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick released a draft of a letter Feb. 6 in response to invocations that prompted some legislators to feel left out when offered in the name of Jesus. On the same day, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst insisted the Senate reinstate a prayer offered by a Jewish rabbi that had been stricken from the official record due to its political overtones, believing prayers should not be censored.
Seven of the House’s first 17 sessions included references to Jesus Christ, including one offered by Canton pastor Mark Moore of Lakeside Baptist. The House letter asks that “the tone and content be respectful of the diverse nature of the body, such that all members of the House, whatever their respective faith, may add their voice to the collective ‘amen’ that begins our day’s work.”
Offering his prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Moore asked God to “influence this distinguished group to lead with uncompromising integrity” and “with righteousness which is derived solely from you.” Other than a reference to the challenging budget shortfall, Moore did not address any political issue, focusing instead on the need for God’s wisdom.
However, San Antonioan Rabbi Barry Block’s Feb. 5 prayer applied the seasons of Ecclesiastes 3 to current events that state senators will address. He cited “a time to speak” to encourage lobbying for resources to protect “women’s well-being.” Block prayed, “Planned Parenthood saves lives. Reproductive freedom is a cherished American liberty.”
The Senate’s parliamentarian and secretary excluded the text of the prayer from the official record due to its political nature, noting simply that Block offered the invocation. Dewhurst intervened, ruling that “all prayers will be printed as they were given,” according to an article in the Austin American-Statesman, quoting spokesman David Beckwith. “We said we shouldn’t be in the business of censoring prayers,” Beckworth said.
That drew praise from the Jewish rabbi who was quoted as saying, “I am well-versed in the difference between political statements and speaking out on moral issues. I would never offer a prayer that mentions any partisan political matter or an elective race. However, I would not accept any invitation to pray if I were told that the prayer could not address either spiritual or moral issues such as the one addressed.”
Democrat Scott Hochberg objected to Moore’s prayer because “there are a lot of us who do not pray in Jesus’ name.” Such a reference “cuts us out of the loop and that very much says we are not expected to participate,” he was quoted as saying.
The impact of such a House letter is dubious. Even Craddick’s spokesman, Bob Richter, acknowledged, “Once they get up there, they can say what they want,” calling the letter an attempt to set some ground rules. While Craddock, a Catholic, was not offended by references to Jesus Christ, he indicated that he understood why others were.
Hochberg, who is Jewish, said he was uncomfortable participating in a prayer that ran counter to his beliefs. “The purpose is to pray with us and the people of this state, and not at us.”
Moore disagrees. He told the Southern Baptist Texan, “The purpose of prayer is to get God involved in our lives and for his will to be done here on earth.” When praying before the House, Moore said he asked God to give wisdom, power, strength, boldness, compassion and endurance to all of the representatives. “If by praying that God would give these qualities to each representative was viewed as me praying at them or trying to proselytize them, then I don’t know what else some would want to be included in a prayer.”
The Canton pastor habitually ends every prayer in the name of Jesus, believing the Bible clearly states the only way to the Father is through Christ. “My prayer would be nullified if I did not pray in Jesus’ name.”
Moore questions whether religious freedom is fully understood by all concerned. “If I am attending an event where a Muslim was invited to pray, then I would fully expect that individual to pray an Islamic prayer,” he said, expecting the same approach by adherents to other faiths. “In fact, I would be disappointed in that person’s faith if he prayed contrary to his beliefs.”
For Moore, it seems that the only religion not being tolerated in America is the Christian faith. “You can call out name after name after name and hear no response, but the moment you bring up Jesus’ name, you have gone too far,” he argued. “In our society, the name Jesus is simply not politically correct.”
Both the Texas Senate and the House invite religious leaders from various Protestant, Catholic and Jewish groups to offer prayers, though no other religions have been represented thus far in 2003. All but one of the Baptist pastors invited before the House prayed with reference to Jesus, as did an Episcopalian, Church of God in Christ minister and a religious broadcaster. Some religious leaders danced around the divine references, preferring terms like “Creator of us all” and “Author of liberty” and “God of wisdom.”
Moore does not believe a political agenda should be promoted in prayer. “We need to get plugged in to God’s agenda and not man’s and this will not be accomplished by praying some generic prayer which gives everyone a warm fuzzy feeling.”
He added, “Christians should not be ashamed that Jesus Christ is the answer to our country’s problems,” thus praying in the name of Jesus. “These are serious times requiring serious leadership and this is no time for Christians to shirk their God-given responsibility to lead. It no longer is enough that Americans sing ‘God Bless America,’ but it is time for America to bless God.”

Invocation of Mark Moore

Our most gracious Heavenly Father, today I stand before not only you our Father, but also these men and women who have been elected by the citizenship as well as appointed by you to lead the great State of Texas. It is my hope and prayer for each of these representatives that they acknowledge your supremacy in all things. You have declared concerning your Son that, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him,” (Colossians 1:15-16). So therefore, under divine appointment and mandate, the members of this House of Representatives are subject to your kingdom.
You, our Father, have blessed this lone star state beyond measure. Texas has been a major launching pad which has provided dynamic and courageous leadership not only throughout these United States, but the world as well. We thank you for men and women of courageous faith who have dared to stand up and be counted, even in the face of great opposition. May you strengthen and empower these leaders to be the driving force for the welfare of every citizen of this state, whether rich or poor, weak or strong, educated or uneducated, young or old. Father, please place within each of these representatives the stamina to fight for that which is right and holy. No doubt, every single member of this select group will come under intense scrutiny and harsh criticism in the hours, days, and weeks to come. I ask in your son’s name, Jesus Christ, that you breathe within each of these the qualities and traits needed to govern in such a way as to not leave one single citizen behind. May each and every one of their votes be cast in such a way that their decisions will always make Texas a better place to live and to raise our families.

I ask you Father to influence this distinguished group to lead with uncompromising integrity.  Impress upon their hearts and minds that the oath of office which they took requires them to govern with righteousness.  And may they lead with righteousness which is derived solely from you.  This House of Representatives mush also be empowered to lead with a fierce compassion.  A compelling compassion that causes them to defend those who weep and to find out who or what is causing them to weep and put a stop to it.

And Father, may these men and women, who have come from every corner of this immense state, have an enthusiastic endurance.  Our state’s problems, which are numerous, especially the multi-billion dollar budget shortfall, desperately call out for leadership.  May you give wisdom to this legislative body to remain faithful to their high calling until they get each and every decision right.  We acknowledge that this type of wisdom surely must come from you as stated in your holy word, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him,” (James 1:6).  Father, we ask for this kind of inspired godly wisdom upon each of these legislators.

Thank you, Father, for these who have committed their time, talents, energy, and resources to serve the people of Texas.  Thank you for raising each of these individuals up “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).  May you bless them individually and as a corporate body as govern in these pivotal and decisive days.  We not only call out for you our God to bless Texas, but it is equally my deliberate and steadfast prayer that Texas might bless you.  I pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord.  Amen.

Invocation of Rabbi Barry Block

To everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven.  A time for despair: For weeks, even month, senators struggled.  So many needs, too few resources.  A time to die:  Saturday morning, our world stopped; last week’s concerns, suddenly supplanted.  A time to mourn:  Yesterday, the Senate joined our state and our nation, America, Israel and India, indeed all the world, in a gathering a grief; daily duties delayed.  A time to work:  Healing is incomplete; but business and budget beckon; the Senate returns to order.  A time to serve:  Even at an hour of tragedy, we preserve perspective on priorities — healing the sick, educating our children, protecting America’s freedom, the Senate’s sacred calling.  A time to speak out:  Delegates descend upon Austin, demonstrating democracy.  Lobbying legislators:  Women’s well-being requires resources, Planned Parenthood saves lives, reproductive freedom is a cherished American liberty.  To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  As each of us directs ourselves differently toward the Diving, may we search for the sacred in every time. in every season. Amen.

Since 1925 Southern Baptists have said, “The cause of education in the Kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the liberal support of the church.” More recent versions of Article 12 of the Baptist Faith and Message add, “An adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ’s people.”
In June of 1999, an SBC Resolution on Christian schools acknowledged competing worldviews in America and reiterated the primary responsibility parents have to educate their children. Messengers commended LifeWay for its emphasis on “kingdom education” and the development of curricula designed to teach children and youth from a biblical perspective. Included was an appeal to all Southern Baptist churches to support educational programs that follow biblical principles, whether they are implemented in Christian, private, public or homeschools.
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools Executive Director Ed Gamble sees the BF&M statement as a mandate to take Christian education seriously. However, among the nearly 42,000 Southern Baptist churches, only 600 or so operate Christian schools on the elementary or secondary level.
“You can’t tell me we have a serious commitment to kingdom education when we only have a little over a dozen schools per state, most of them kindergarten and elementary.”
College and graduate level studies from a Southern Baptist perspective have flourished, with nearly 13,000 students studying in the SBC seminaries and 129,210 in the 54 Baptist colleges, universities, institutes and academies. While Southern Baptists have rallied to fund colleges and seminaries, funding for K-12 education is absent on a national scale.
“If you want your child to have a musical worldview, you have him start taking piano lessons when he’s four, put him in the kiddy choir, youth choir, take lessons and try out for the band,” Gamble outlined. “And yet we say, you go to this public school and get a secular worldview, then go to a Baptist college. That’s too late!”
Gamble sees the job of SBACS as carrying out the mandate of the Baptist Faith and Message article on education. “We need to create a system of schools like the ones that Catholics have, so that every community you go into has a Baptist school. It cannot be done without the support of people, churches and the denomination.”
Kids who are not attending a Christian school typically receive less than an hour of biblical instruction, Gamble said, up against 40 to 60 hours of secular education, depending on the extent of extracurricular participation. With few of those families spending time at home to make up the difference, Gamble said, “The vast majority of Baptist kids are being educated by the Chaldeans. So we shouldn’t be real surprised when they act like Chaldeans” and ultimately quit going to church altogether.
Gamble said parents have three options in providing a Christian education:
–homeschooling that is uniquely Christian,
–a Christian school that property integrates biblical truth into the curriculum, or
–a Christian education that occurs because parents take a vigorous, active role in discipleship, mentoring, worldview instruction while sending their kids to a public school.
The decision is largely economic, Gamble said, because the denomination has made no commitment to elementary and secondary education.
Gamble is grateful for Southern Baptists who serve as educators in the public school system, believing they are missionaries in a culture that does not know Christ. “When you get a principle that is a devout, godly Christian you can create a climate of Christian tolerance, but you’ll never be able to create a climate of Christian education. You’re not allowed to. The situation that existed when most parents went to school doesn’t exist anymore.”
He labels the argument that children provide “salt and light” in the public schools as “nonsense.” Instead, Gamble said, “mostly what happens is the salt and light of the enemy winds up infecting our kids.”
In order to train up the next generation of Christian disciples, Gamble said parents have to change their attitude and understand the compelling nature of Christian education and the result of not providing it. “Once parents make that commitment, it’s fair to say that eight to fifteen percent of their income ought to go toward the education of their children in a Christian way.”
Ultimately, Gamble longs for a day when the denomination creates an offering to fund the establishment of more schools. “I’m proud to be a Southern Baptist,” he said, praising the work of the denomination in the areas of missions, benevolence and higher education. “We say that Christian education is co-ordinate with missions and general benevolence. Our job is to make [what’s stated in] the Baptist Faith and Message a reality.”