February SR feedback

The February Sabbath Recorder (posted on-line) about "Careers" has already received some good reviews.
Here's a note from Pastor Bill Burks in Texas:

Brother Kevin,

I just wanted to send a note to tell you how much I enjoyed the last "Pearls" article. It was a privilege to know Don Sanford [pictured]. He and Ilou will hold fond memories throughout the rest of my life.


Don had a sharp wit and a keen eye. He knew of my interest in history and theology and helped my library to grow. He and Ilou provided a place for me to stay, and many hours of conversation on my trips to Janesville/Milton over the years.

Don once let me wear his Alfred graduation cap and gown when I spoke to a group of graduates from Church Planters school; that will always be a treasured memory.

Don's "Pearls" column was the first thing I would read when I got my SR. I will miss it greatly. Don was a man I always respected, even when we viewed a topic differently. He added to my knowledge, challenged me, and inspired me.

The last "Pearls" for me is sad, but a fond farewell to a good friend and mentor.

In His Service,
Bill Burks

Consider this please...

INFO

What we have seen and heard coming out of Haiti these past weeks have been heart wrenching as we have watched the events of the unprecedented tragedy unfold. We have seen families torn apart as they continue to search for missing loved ones. The most basic things that we take for granted; food, water, medical assistance, shelter are basically nonexistent. The latest estimates put the death toll at 200,000 and approximately 70,000 have already been buried in mass graves. More than one million Haitians have been left homeless.

It is estimated that over one million children have lost at least one parent and between 60 and 80 percent of the buildings in Port-au-Prince were either destroyed or rendered unusable and the city continues to be plagued by food and water shortages. The short supply of fuel has caused the price to quadrupled.

THE CONSIDERATION

So the thought I had was this that I want you to consider; What if over the next two Sabbaths your church was to take up a special offering, or even more radical, donate your entire offering to the earthquake victims in Haiti.

You see, whether our gift is $10 or $10,000, our prayers, time and money are needed for our hurting brothers and sisters in Haiti. And remember, this is our current disaster...unfortunately we will have others. The church is all about helping. Let's make sure we are doing our part in Jesus' mission.

Thanks for prayerfully considering this.

BWA Rescue24 Team from North Carolina

January 27, 2010

TV news report on members of the BWAid Rescue24 team from North Carolina in the United States returning home from Haiti: http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/haiti/video/6870523/
The BWAid Rescue24 team included persons from Hungary, the United States, and Haiti. A second BWAid Rescue24 team is already in the Caribbean country.

Those of you that have sent in contributions to the Seventh Day Baptist Center for the Haitian Relief efforts, please know that this is where the funds have been sent. We are working with BWAid because they sent a team(s) so quickly in the efforts down in Haiti.

You may still contribute by sending funds to the SDB Center for the Haiti Relief, and we will be quick in getting these contributions to BWAid.

Thank you all who have contributed to this noble effort to help the people in Haiti.

Rob Appel

Executive Director

February SR covers careers

This month’s Sabbath Recorder carries features about “Careers” written by SDBs Stephanie Sholtz, Rod Noel, Luis Lovelace, Jim Skaggs and George Cruzan.

In the department pages, we found Don Sanford’s already-written “last Pearls” on his desk after his passing—quite a summation of his own life. Andrew Camenga shares a history of SDB education; Rob Appel challenges us to do some “Visioneering”; and a cast member from “Survivor: Australian Outback” visits the Battle Creek church.

Enjoy your monthly visit with the SR! Click here to get your pdf copy.

Tax break for Haiti donations

Breaking news from the IRS:

A new tax relief law allows people who contributed in 2010 to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return instead of their 2010 return.

This means you can receive an immediate tax benefit, rather than having to wait until you file next year’s return. Certain requirements apply:

* Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.
* The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
* You may deduct these contributions on either your 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.

The complete details of this law can be found here.

Haiti remains desperate

From the Baptist World Alliance:

The situation in Haiti remains desperate, according to the Baptist World Aid (BWAid) Rescue24 team that has been in the country since January 15, three days after a massive earthquake devastated much of the island nation.

Latest estimates put the death toll at 200,000; approximately 70,000 have already been buried in mass graves. More than one million Haitians were left homeless. Between 60 and 80 percent of the buildings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, which bore the brunt of the earthquake, were either destroyed or rendered unusable.

Port-au-Prince continues to be plagued by food and water shortages. Fuel, also in short supply, has quadrupled in price. "There are extremely long lines at the few petrol stations" that are opened, said Bela Szilagyi, director of Hungarian Baptist Aid and a leader of the BWAid Rescue24 team.

The BWAid team, consisting of two Hungarians, five from North Carolina in the United States, and three Haitians, provided medical treatments for several hundred persons at a community clinic in Pétionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. "Hundreds of people have been waiting for medical care in the hall and even in the parking lot at the clinic," said Szilagyi. Many, he said, had broken limbs and pelvises, fractured skulls, and badly injured ankles and feet. "Most of the injuries were already infected because of not having medical care for such a long time," Szilagyi reported.

The Baptist World Alliance continues to make appeals to Baptists around the world to donate funds for Haitian relief.
_____________________

Seventh Day Baptists continue to donate to the SDB United Relief Fund (PO Box 1678, Janesville WI 53547). These funds are funneled through Baptist World Aid. Thank you for your help.

Matching Gifts for Malawi

In the last Sabbath Recorder, I advertised how you can give toward the education of SDB pastors’ children in Malawi, Africa. The gifts can also go toward bicycles for the pastors to reach their churches and people.

These funds for Malawi will be matched, thanks to the generosity and vision of the SDB Memorial Fund trustees.

I did not specify where you can send the donations.
You actually have three choices: the SDB Missionary Society, the Miami SDB Church, and the Metro Atlanta SDB Church are all accepting donations for Malawi. (Their addresses are below.) Make your check out directly to the Society or church, and please be sure to designate your gift as “Malawi Matching” in the memo.

Your gifts for Malawi will be doubled by the Memorial Fund through the end of July. Thank you for helping our sister Conference.

SDB Missionary Society
19 Hillside Ave.
Ashaway RI 02804

Metro Atlanta SDB Church
P.O. Box 1104
Dallas, GA 30132

Miami SDB Church
10185 NW 7th. Ave
Miami, FL 33150

Why do Baptists associate?

Neville Callam, General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, recently spoke to leaders of the North American Baptist Fellowship, one of the BWA’s six regional fellowships, in Dallas. This excerpt from Callam's talk was shared by the Associated Baptist Press.


The principle of associating rests on the nature of the God in whom we believe.

When 3,000 Baptists from 26 countries gathered in London in 1905 for the inaugural congress of the Baptist World Alliance, they performed one corporate act of worship that was meant to affirm what those who gathered believed -- and what they wished to communicate to fellow Christians around the world -- about themselves. They stood together and repeated the words of the Apostles’ Creed -- a creed structured on the conviction of faith in the Trinitarian nature of God.

Relating is part of God’s nature. When the Father acts, the Son is acting and the Holy Spirit too. When the Son acts, the Father is acting and also the Spirit. When the Spirit acts, the Father and the Son are also at work. Any successful attempt to characterize the relations in the Trinity must necessarily reflect the love that binds Father, Son and Spirit in a relationship that is indivisible.

If the church is the body of Christ, then, we cannot escape the responsibility to reflect the characteristic of the inner life of God. We are a people who belong to each other, who are called to live in love with each other and who have an obligation to enter into partnership with each other.

(For the rest of Dr. Callam's speech, click here.)

Council On Ministry Gathers

The Council on Ministry's annual meeting is to be held this weekend in Janesville, WI. Most Council members are traveling today with meetings to begin at the end of the Sabbath and carry over into Sunday afternoon. (Yes they will have time to sleep Saturday night). The Council members (as pictured to the right) are Rev. Charlotte Chroniger, Shiloh, NJ; Barbara Green RN, Janesville, WI; Pastor Steven James, Verona, NY; Rev. Dr. Dale Thorngate, Salem, WV; Pastor Kenneth Burdick, Seattle Area SDB Church, Auburn, WI; and Pastor Steven Crouch, Bay Area SDB Church, Pinole, CA.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we consider applications for the Seminary Education Program, the TIME Program and a Summer Internship as well as wrestle with budget issues.

BWA Rescue24 Team in Haiti

Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications for the Baptist World Alliance, has posted a photo gallery of the Baptist World Aid Rescue24 team in Haiti.

The team arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Friday, January 15, and began work right away in a local clinic.

To view the photo gallery of the team at work, click here.

Most of the SDB United Relief Fund gifts received will flow through the relief work of Baptist World Aid. Thank you for your generosity.
You may send donations to the SDB Center, PO Box 1678, Janesville WI 53547.

Some answers from Haiti

This update from Pastor Andrew Samuels, Miami:

At 4:24 this afternoon (Monday), I was finally able to have an extended telephone conversation with Pastor Jean Lucas Julien, Pastor of the SDB Church in Haiti. The conversation was facilitated by the multi-lingual translation skills of Dr. Romulus Honore, a Haitian Medical Doctor living in Miramar, Florida, and who has accompanied me on most of my trips to Haiti.

There is no physical harm or loss of life to his immediate family, or Church family. So far however, he is aware of a cousin and a niece who have died as a result of the earthquake. In addition, 9 Church members have suffered the loss of relatives, several more have had homes destroyed, the school he operates and the temporary Church structure have been destroyed, and his house is damaged. He and his family have been sleeping outdoors because of the potential danger of more tremors.

The food situation is critical. They do not have food readily available, and there is no certainty about the next meal. There is nothing normal in and around the city of Port-au-Prince.

Pastor Julien confirmed what I suspected, which is that at present there is no way for us to get anything to him - neither supplies, nor money. We will simply have to wait for the ways and means for such avenues to open up. That is of course indefinite, and adds to the agony of the crisis.
We must continue to be in prayer.

_____________________

We thank Pastor Andy for keeping us up-to-date on the situation in Haiti.
As a reminder, we are accepting financial gifts to the SDB United Relief Fund (memo: Haiti). You may send your donation to SDB Center, PO Box 1678, Janesville WI 53547. May God bless you as you reach out to our brethren.

SDB Connections in Haiti

From Pastor Andrew Samuels, Miami SDB Church:

I have been trying since Wednesday to reach on the phone Pastor Jean Lucas Julien, the pastor of the SDB Church in Haiti. There has been no success, so we have no word as yet from him, his family, or his Church. I'll keep trying to make contact.

In the meantime, both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale SDB Churches are collecting non-perishable food items, clothing, toiletries, and cash which will be sent as soon as relevant information is ascertained.
Our main prayer request at this time is to hear from Pastor Julien, and that he, his family, and people are safe.

The Miami Church has 3 members who are of Haitian background and origin, and several others who are regular attenders. All of them have been affected in some way. One of our attenders has lost at least two cousins, one of whom was a 6-year old girl. This attender also knows someone who lost their home, who lives very close to where Pastor Julien's Church and school are.
Another attender's home that was in the town of Carrefour, the earthquake's epicenter, has been destroyed. For others, they have relatives missing.

The disaster is one of monumental proportions, but we have a Sovereign God, who is still in control.

Prominent pastor dies in quake

From the Baptist World Alliance:

Washington, DC (BWA) --Biene Lamerquea, a prominent Baptist pastor in Port-au-Prince, died in the earthquake that shook the capital of Haiti on the evening of January 12.

Gedeon Eugene, a vice president of the Baptist Convention of Haiti, informed the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) that Lamerquea is still buried under the rubble. Other Baptist members also perished in the quake, which measured 7.0 and destroyed much of the city, directly affecting an estimated three million people and killing tens of thousands of persons.

Several Baptist pastors and members are still unaccounted for, while others are homeless. "A lot of church members are now homeless," wrote Eugene. "They spend nights in the streets. They are starving."

At least one Baptist church building, First Baptist Church in Port-au-Prince, was damaged by the tremor.

The Baptist Convention of Haiti, a BWA member body, has started to organize support for its members and others who are suffering, providing food, water, and medical care, utilizing the convention's hospital ambulance as the main means of transportation.

"You can imagine their urgent need. They cannot cook, they are thirsty, they are injured. The children and old persons are more fragile," Eugene told the BWA.

Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the BWA, is mobilizing search, rescue, and relief teams. A team from BWAid Rescue24, the search and rescue arm of the international Baptist aid organization is in Florida in the United States awaiting clearance to fly into Port-au-Prince, or to travel via the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Negotiations are under way to have another BWAid Rescue24 team of 12 persons, who are experts in search and rescue missions, to travel from Hungary to Haiti. They are expected to travel with dogs and special equipment that can detect and find persons who may still be alive but are buried underneath the rubble.

(Web) Posting our mailings

Have you ever wondered whether you received a letter you were supposed to get? Have you ever known that you received a letter, but couldn't find it when the time came to do something with it? Have you ever felt frustrated because of the misplaced mail?

I know that feeling. I have misplaced mail at home—only to discover it long after I'd dealt with its loss in another way.

So, I thought it might be nice for the Board of Christian Education to put pdf copies of each "every church" and "every mailings" that we do on our website. That way if you feel like you've missed something or know that you've misplaced something (related to BCE), there will be a way to get a copy. Just go to our Mailings page. There, beginning with this year's Sabbath School Survey, we will post of copy of each mailing that is going out to the churches and also our annual "every member" mailing.

Organ Donor

FREE: Lowrey Organ

Do you know of a church that needs an organ? I am told it is in good working shape and is easily shippable.

Email Rob for more details. robappel@seventhdaybaptist.org


http://www.lowrey.com/

2009 Sabbath School Survey

The 2009 Sabbath School Report Form was mailed to today. We send a copy to each church's clerk, pastor, Sabbath school superintendent, or Christian education committee chair.

You can see if your church has already reported. We have set a deadline of February 28, 2010 for submitting this data.

If you are responsible for filling out the form and submitting the data, please note: you may submit the information by email — or by completing an online form. Information about these options is in the letter and also on this linked page.

Another Way to give to the Haitian Relief

January 13, 2010

Washington, DC (BWA) --Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), is coordinating Baptist response and relief efforts to victims of the devastating earthquake that affected Haiti on January 12. BWAid made an initial pledge of $20,000 to two conventions and unions in the Caribbean country, and is accepting donations from Baptists from throughout the world on the BWA website, www.bwanet.org.

Already, a team from BWAid Rescue24, the search and rescue arm of the international Baptist aid organization is traveling to Haiti to assist in search for possible survivors. The team of two from Hungary is linking up with rescue groups within the United States, including North Carolina Baptist Men. (Who are part of the NABF and are organized for events such as these)

Communication with Baptist groups in Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, has been difficult. Reports out of Jamaica, a neighboring island, are that the mother of a Haitian Baptist student at the United Theological College of the West Indies is missing. Other Haitian students of other church traditions at the ecumenical institution are anxious to receive news from or about their families. "We are frantically trying to extract as much information out of Haiti as we speak," wrote Karl Johnson, general secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union. "Understandably communication has been quite a challenge...and to this point we haven't been able to make contact with [our] partners there." The BWA office has received enquiries from several countries, including the United States and Panama, seeking information and exploring opportunities for assistance.

The BWAid funds are to be shared equally with two BWA member bodies, the Baptist Convention of Haiti and the Haiti Baptist Mission. "We must make a generous response to this massive catastrophe," said Paul Montacute, BWAid director.

It is estimated that as many as three million people may be directly affected by the earthquake, which occurred close to the densely populated capital of Port Au Prince. The death toll, difficult to estimate, is believed to be in the tens of thousands and possibly several hundred thousand.

Many buildings, including the presidential palace, were destroyed or suffered severe structural damage. The quake, measured at 7.0, was followed by approximately 30 aftershocks measuring as much as 5.9.

Further information may be had by emailing bwaid@bwanet.org.

SDBs involved in relief for Haiti

The SDB Christian Social Action Committee for Disaster Relief has been working to address the dire needs of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

While there is no official SDB church there, our people are still calling the Center and wanting to help.
If you want to donate funds for this disaster relief, please make your checks out to "SDB United Relief Fund," and earmark your gift for Haiti. Thank you.

Send those gifts to:
Seventh Day Baptist Center
PO Box 1678
Janesville WI 53547

Also, SDB Pastor Andy Samuels of Miami, Florida, who has ministered in Haiti, has been trying to contact his friends there. There has been no response to those calls, so please keep those people --and all those affected-- in your prayers.

Earthquake devastates Haiti

Mission of Hope Responds Quickly
from Assist News Service

Forwarded from our SDB World Federation Caribbean Vice-President, Claudia Ferguson, who adds: "Let us do all we can. Remember also that prayer changes things."


PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (ANS) -- An estimated 1.8 million residents were violently shaken by an earthquake affecting the densely populated areas near Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Mission of Hope (MOH), a ministry who serves the hurting and less fortunate in Haiti , is quickly organizing its “first responder” teams. Many of its staff are already providing healthcare in its medical clinic to those injured by the quake.

“Our staff on the ground reports that this looks really bad, but we’ve been here before with the hurricanes two years ago,” said Brad Johnson, Mission of Hope president. “We have the infrastructure in place and prepared to serve.”

Johnson says the MOH warehouse is stocked with 1.5 million meals which will begin to be distributed immediately.

Fortunately, the North American Mission of Hope staff and families and orphanage children have been spared major calamity, though buildings and other facilities have yet to be surveyed for damage. There has been no report from most of the 150 Haitian staff or the 1200 students.

Ruben Cenea, a seminary student and MOH staffer was in class when the earthquake hit. He says a concrete roof collapsed on at least 20 students.

“By God’s grace I got out,” said Cenea. “God saved me.”

Cenea says while as he was trapped in the debris he watched his fellow classmates dying.

Haiti is already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere , with 8 out of 10 people living in extreme poverty. Johnson says donations of cash and medical supplies are needed to support the many needs affecting those devastated by the 7.0 earthquake.

“ Haiti is a difficult place to live on a good day,” said Johnson. “Pray for the funds and resources to provide the needed assistance.”

The Mission of Hope Complex now sits on 76 acres of land. Approximately 1,200 children are enrolled in the School of Hope and the Hope House Orphanage houses and cares for over 40 children and the Hospital of Hope will soon be operational. Over 600 adults, youth and children come from surrounding villages to attend the Church of Hope . In addition, the Mission of Hope assists close to 200 children in four other orphanages in nearby villages through the Feed A Child program. The Mission of Hope is able to contribute to the local economy by employing over 150 Haitian women and men.

For more information on Mission of Hope go to www.mohhaiti.org and www.haitione.org.

Accident at Yakima job site

From Pastor Stan Fox, in Yakima, Washington:

(Received on Monday)
We need prayers for one of our men who was working on our new church building. This afternoon (Sunday) he fell off the roof and is in the hospital. He has broken ribs, spinal injury and head injury. He will be operated on as soon as a team comes in from Seattle to work with the doctor on Monday or Tuesday.

His name is Wolfram Holt and his mother is a member of our church. While he is not a member, he has been very faithful and committed to the building project. Please remember him and his mother in prayer.

(Received today, Wednesday)
Thanks for the prayers. They operated on Mr. Holt yesterday and it was very successful.
His mother was elated as so were we. Keep us in your prayers that the rest of our building project will go without such incidents.

God bless,
Stan Fox

Looper back to work

God is good!

Less than a week following his heart attack, Missionary Society Executive Director Kirk Looper is back to his duties in Ashaway, Rhode Island.

The doctor told him that the heart attack occurred in a very "forgiving" part of the heart (in the back of the lower ventricle). With only two restrictions--no shoveling snow and no lifting over 10 pounds--Kirk is thankful for all the prayers and messages of concern.

We praise the Lord for His watchcare. I just hope Vivian can get used to not being carried over the threshold at home...

Looper has heart attack

SDB Missionary Society Executive Director G. Kirk Looper suffered a mild heart attack just after midnight Wednesday morning, January 6. The Loopers went directly to the Westerly, R.I., hospital (thankfully near their home) and after being stabilized, Kirk was transported to the state's premier heart hospital (Miriam) in Providence.

Two stents were put in. Due to the quick assistance, little permanent damage is expected. As of this morning (Friday) Kirk's wife Vivian said that they are awaiting the results of one more test while the discharge orders are being processed. He should be home later today. Let us continue to pray for a full recovery and Praise the Lord for His care.

Baptisms in Brazil

From Pastor Jonas Sommer in Brazil:

On the first Sabbath of December we celebrated eight baptisms at our new branch Church in Tubarão. We started to plant this Church last March.

With three families living there, it was a good start. Now we have 22 members and the attendance is about 30 people every Sabbath. Praise be to the Lord.

(Pastor Jonas is at the far right in the photo.)

New BWA E-zine on-line

The January-March 2010 issue of Baptist World, the quarterly magazine of the Baptist World Alliance, is available online at www.bwanet.org.

The "e-zine" carries 32 pages of news and information about the Baptist family around the world. This issue features reflections of previous Baptist World Congress meetings.

Pastor Appreciation

On January 18, we have a national holiday which honors a Baptist pastor. Martin Luther King Jr. is not honored because he was Baptist or a pastor, but those two elements of who he was contributed greatly to his non-violent leadership in the cause of racial equality.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, but there are other times we can show appreciation to our pastors. Anniversaries are a great time. The SDB Church in Plainfield, NJ, had a special celebration in December honoring their pastor for 25 years of service to that congregation. Anniversaries of ordination, accreditation, and marriage are also great times to say "we appreciate you."

And, if you need a reason to love on your pastor, the Sabbath before Martin Luther King Jr. day is as good as any. That weekend you can honor more than one Baptist pastor.