2010 SDB Directory

Every year since 2007 we have sent out forms to the Seventh Day Baptist churches for them to provide the information of their location, officers, and details of their statistics. The original letter goes out to the churches at the beginning of each year with a February 28 deadline for getting the churches information back in time for inclussion in the Directory.

The purpose for the Directory is two-fold. First, it is a document for incorporation for the State of Wisconsin and therefore becomes a legal manuscript. Secondly, it provides valuable information to SDB members on our locations, contacts, times, and pastors of the Conference, as well as the Boards, Agencies and Officers of the General Conference.

Churches that report timely information also have the benefit of having accurate numbers of their delegates at the Conference session held each summer. Those churches that do not report only get 3 delegate votes at Conference no matter the size of the membership. This has an impact also on the number of people who will be able to use expenses from attending the Conference as legal deductions. When we approved this process in 2006 we made it an authorized procedure. Therefore, if you only get 3 delegates, because you did not send in your information, and 10 adults attend then only three are legally able to take the deductions on their taxes.

Every year since 2007 we have had to spend time and energy following up those churches that do not send in their information on time. We have started putting in parenthesis the year that we last received information if they did not send it in.

As of this writing we have not heard from 57 churches! If you want to ensure that your church sent in the Directory info, check with your Clerk, Pastor, or Moderator/President.

We have also not heard from six Associations. That means only 4 did!

A big THANK YOU to those 4 Associations and 43 churches that did send in their information on time!

Good CLT and General Council meetings

The Coordinating Leadership Team and the General Council had productive and cooperative meetings in Daytona Beach, Florida. We thank the members of the SDB church in Daytona for their gracious hosting and providing healthy meals for us all. We try to schedule these mid-year meetings between the 500 Nascar race and "Bike Week." :)

The General Council (made up of elected members-at-large and Board/Agency executive officers) represents the SDB General Conference when Conference is not in session. Good discussions covered budget and policy matters and much more. Ron Ochs from the Milton, Wis., SDB Church gave an in-depth report from the "Ad Hoc 1" Committee, set up to examine and improve the efficiency of the various agency offices. He also provided a glimpse of the initial observations of "Ad Hoc 2", formed to study our Conference structure. Much of Ron's report helped to spur on further discussion and brainstorming.

God blessed us with safe travel, excellent meetings and warm fellowship.

(Photo by Gordon Lawton shows our meeting on Sunday. We gathered in the "Colony North" clubhouse, a mobile home park where many SDBs live in Daytona.)

March SR on-line

We're happy to announce that the March 2010 Sabbath Recorder is posted on-line here.

The March feature articles focus on stewardship, including a great testimony from a Milton (Wis.) church member who has struggled with an incredible amount of credit card debt. This month we're also starting to run two new columns: "The Nick of Time" by librarian-historian Nick Kersten replaces Don Sanford's long-running "Pearls from the Past"; "Center on Ministry" discusses that agency's work by director of pastoral services Gordon Lawton.

Enjoy connecting with other SDBs as you read one of the oldest continuing religious periodicals in the country, established in 1844.

Women's Society newsletter

The March 2010 on-line edition of Simply Put, the SDB Women's Society newsletter, has been posted.

Articles included in this issue:

• 2009 Love Gift
• 2010 Craft Table
• E-Gifting as a way to support SCSC
• Sponsor-A-Student: SCSC’s Conference Expense Program
• Robe of Achievement Nominations
• First-person accounts of participation in
Bible Study Fellowship, Women of Faith, and Revolve
• Featured Women’s Group: Berlin, New York, USA
• Tea Time, Potluck Picnic, and Women’s Retreat
• 2010 Women’s Banquet & More about General Conference

Click here to go to the Women's Society website.

Meetings in Daytona

Our annual mid-year CLT (Coordinating Leadership Team) and General Council meetings will be held this weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida. Yes, we're squeezing them in between the Daytona 500 race and Bike Week!

The General Council represents and works for the SDB General Conference when the Conference is not in session. Since our annual Conference sessions are held in the summer, these late-winter gatherings help to keep the work of Seventh Day Baptists on task.

We covet your prayers for God's wisdom and love to reign, and we thank the gracious hosts from the DB church!

Leadership Search in Hungry Horse

Here's a preview
of an ad in the
March Sabbath Recorder:

The Covenant SDB Fellowship, a small
group in Hungry Horse, Montana, is in need
of a pastor. If you can be bi-vocational and
have a heart for evangelistic outreach and
building new relationships, we’d love to talk
with you. Our goal is to open a youth center
and develop a music ministry outreach.

The Flathead Valley—a recreational
paradise—is ripe for revival. People here
are friendly in an eclectic and independent
way. The weather, the scenery, the pure
water: all wonderful! Glacier National Park
is only 10 minutes away.

Contact Vivian McNeme Allen at PO
Box 190278, Hungry Horse MT 59919,
ph. (406) 387-4772; csdbf@cyberport.net.

SDB Pastor to visit Haiti

From Pastor Andrew Samuels, Miami, Florida:

A way has opened up for me to make a 4-day visit to Haiti, and I will do so on Monday, February 22 - Friday, February 26.

The main objectives of this Mission will be to undertake a firsthand assessment of the needs of the Seventh Day Baptist congregation there, convey a message of hope and encouragement from God's Word, and provide limited immediate relief through items already collected by the Miami Church. I will be taking mainly toiletry items.

In communicating with Pastor Jean Lucas Julien, he has already asked me to preach on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, and conduct a 1-day seminar on Wednesday. In the midst of, and out of this colossal tragedy, there is a great evangelistic opportunity. I am moved by the fact that what is foremost on the mind of Pastor Julien--as materially needy as his people are right now--is that they hear God's Word.

I trust that when I return from this trip, I will be better able to suggest how donated funds may be used to directly bring relief to our Seventh Day Baptist brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Prayers are appreciated, as the covering of Prayer Warriors are always an integral part of any Mission such as this. Financial donations may be sent to the Miami SDB Church, 10185 NW 7th Ave., Miami FL 33150.

Calling All Crafters!

The SDB Women's Society is looking for quality, useful and saleable items for their CRAFT TABLE at Conference.

This year's Conference runs from July 25 to July 31 at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Proceeds from the craft sales go toward the Women's Society SCSC program (Summer Christian Service Corps).

Here are some crafty ideas:
• Handmade greeting cards
• Crochet and Knit items
• Stocking stuffers
• "Anything" for men
• Purses
• Table runners
• Kids' stuff

Wouldn't it be great if every SDB church sent something to sell at the table? Even if you're a non-crafter, surely you know someone who is. Please price your items and let us know if we have permission to mark them down if necessary.

How do you get your goodies to Conference?
1) Come to Conference and bring them with you!
2) Send them with someone else
3) Mail them (by July 1) to:

SDB Church of Hebron
c/o Fay Hauber
881 Whitney Creek Road
Coudersport PA 16915

Fay's e-mail is: fay.h@earthlink.net
For more info, or to add to the craft ideas list, check out www.sdbwomen.org.

Opinion: To whom much is given...

Marty Duren is a freelance writer, Southern Baptist minister, entrepreneur and co-author of the book, JOURNEYS: Transitioning Churches to Relevance. These are his reflections of a recent trip to Haiti (reported by the ABP).

Last week I had the opportunity to spend time on a medical mission in Haiti, arriving in the shaken country less than three weeks after the Jan. 12 earthquake. While the United Nations and the Red Cross have a large presence in Port-au-Prince, any kind of national reconstruction will take more than governments, the military or Halliburton can accomplish.

There is not a block in Port-au-Prince without a collapsed building. Not merely damaged, but fully collapsed. My unofficial estimate is 10,000 collapsed buildings in the capital city...

Clean-up is painfully slow. Our team saw no more than four dump-truck loads of rubble being removed over the course of four days, yet saw 25 or more dump trucks sitting idle near the airport. There are simply not enough bulldozers and loaders to keep the trucks working...

Despite news broadcasts to the contrary, there is not a nationwide or even Port-au-Prince-wide shortage of food. If anything, there is more food than the people can consume. Fruit rots at the various markets because there is an oversupply of product and too much competition. It seems as if every other person has a booth or table where fruit or candy is sold. Fresh fruit is piled on top of the rotting fruit while hogs roam freely, eating as much of the rot as they desire.

The problem is distributing the food. Supply chains for getting food to the tent cities are weak. Desperation because of death, no money and no food sets a continual stage for panicked rioting when the United Nations or military personnel finally do arrive. The week before my arrival, a food-distribution attempt spiraled out of control when 200,000 people rushed the trucks -- resulting in the trampling deaths of three people. When our team distributed food in a smaller area the stampeding effect was much the same, though the numbers were smaller. The fear of missing the blessing is a strong motivator for pushing and shoving...

Jesus said in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” For Christians the world over, many of whom have been blessed beyond measure, this is a perfect opportunity to help a struggling church.

With the eyes of believers worldwide now drawn to this easily accessible but largely unknown nation, perhaps the church will respond with compassion toward our brothers and sisters in a way that will make a temporal and eternal difference. It would be a shame and, I believe, a sin to allow this time to pass unexplored and unused.

For the entire article, click here.

"Truth For Youth"

A little over a year ago the churches in the Washington DC area got together and produced a Sabbath School quarterly for our Jr. & Sr. High aged people. The churches who used it were thrilled with the response.

At the General Conference session in Lancaster, Pennsylvania last summer, the SDB Board of Christian Education voted to make this publication available to all the Conference, and basically the world, by making a free download from the BCE web site. All you have to do is download the materials and print them.

Pastor Dave Taylor of the Central Maryland SDB Church sent out a message recently informing some that the "Truth For Youth" Sabbath School lessons for the Spring quarter will be available in the next few days as a free download at www.educatingchristians.org. I am blogging this to get it out to a bigger SDB audience.

Pastor Dave is also asking for feedback once you have used the "Truth For Youth" materials. The writers will be encouraged and be better equipped knowing what you are thinking about this new study material.

They pray these lessons will bless your high school/youth classes.

Guyana summer project

The SDB Missionary Society has an opportunity to help the Guyana SDB Conference with a building project this June and July. The project will consist of remolding the Manse (parsonage) that our missionaries used while serving there. The Manse will become a dormitory for high school students that come in from areas that do not have high schools. The lower level will be a living space for the housemother.

1. We are looking for individuals who have some building skills or can follow directions and are willing to learn. Those interested should be willing to serve for at least three weeks. The project will take at least six weeks.
2. Individuals will need to raise funds for airfare and some money to help with food costs. We estimate $2,000-$2,500 will be required.
3. Living conditions will be similar to camping, and will be in Georgetown proper.

Calvin Babcock has been designated as the lead person in charge of the group while working there.

If interested in further information contact Calvin or Kirk Looper.
Calvin 585-973-7556 cmbabcock@msn.com
Kirk 401-563-4326 sdbmissoc@verizon.net

We are seeking donations for building materials. The cost will be around $25,000.
The first $10,000 of donations will be matched dollar for dollar.

We further ask that you pray for this effort and safety of the workers.

In the U.S., the SDB Senior Saints experienced that if they took on a project that God had showed to them, He provided the necessary people and all the materials necessary to complete the task. God is still in control and He will provide if we follow His leading.

Planning for Rez Connection

From Rez Conn. missions trip coordinator Patty Petersen:

Come to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for 1-to-3 weeks beginning on June 13. Our goal is to help the Rez Connection (an SDB ministry) outreach to Native Americans.

Along with reaching out we'll help with gardening and farm work, and participate in evangelism training. Even if you can't do physical labor, we can find work for you!

We need all ages (youth under 16 should be accompanied by an adult). We will be housed in the church building next to Pastor Chet Marks' farm. There are also motels nearby in Martin, S.D.

For more information and fundraising ideas-- you'll need $200 for basic needs, plus $100 per week for local expenses, plus your travel costs-- contact trip leader Patty Petersen at 720-320-3418 (ppetersen57@hotmail.com), or the Missionary Society at 401-596-4326 (sdbmissoc@verizon.net).

Youth Pre-Con Location

I just had a call from one of our youth asking about pre-con and its location this summer. Some of our people travel from a distance, or remote locations, and it is a "journey" getting to the Conference location and/or pre-con.

A few weeks ago Andrew Camenga shared with me the location where the youth pre-con will be at. Now all of you Young-Adults and Older Adults don't be jealous...the youth are going to Windermere Camp on Lake of the Ozarks. Yes...they are right on the lake!

If you are looking at travel plans to get to the camp the details will come at a later date. However, I will share with you now to plan on those of you flying in to arrive at the Springfield, MO airport (SGF is the airport code). We will make sure you are bussed up to the camp and back. The times of the bus schedule will be posted no later than the May Sabbath Recorder. BTW, the May SR comes out on line by May 1!

I hope this helps answer some questions as far as logistics of getting to youth pre-con. If you would like further questions answered, you may contact us and we will do our best to answer them.

And thanks Rachel for starting this information flow!

BWA statement on alleged kidnapping of children in Haiti

INFORMATION SERVICE

Baptist World Alliance
Eron Henry, Associate Director of Communications
Neville Callam, General Secretary
www.bwanet.org
communications@bwanet.org
Phone: +1 703 790 8980Fax: +1 703 893 5160

February 4, 2010

The Baptist World Alliance has received a number of inquiries concerning the alleged kidnapping of children in Haiti by a group of missionaries from two Baptist congregations in the state of Idaho in the United States.
The BWA wishes to assure its member bodies, the media and the public that neither this group of missionaries nor their churches are affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance or with any of its member bodies.

Pastors' Top 10 List--of Pastors

From the Associated Baptist Press:

Protestant pastors polled by LifeWay Research named Billy Graham as the living preacher who has most influenced them. Asked to name three living Christian preachers that most influence them, 21 percent of pastors named Graham, 91, who has preached to more than 200 million people in 185 countries since bursting onto the public scene with a Los Angeles evangelistic crusade in 1949.

That is three times the number who named the second-place preacher, popular author, pastor and radio personality Charles Swindoll. The list was compiled from telephone interviews that the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing house conducted with 1,002 pastors in November.

Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, said he was surprised that most of the preachers on the list are generally regarded as theological conservatives.

"Considering our sample includes liberal and conservative, all races and ethnicities, mainline and evangelical [Protestants], we were surprised that the list looked like mainstream Christian radio and publishing and was not more representative," Stetzer said. "Of course, the majority who answer drive the final numbers, but I was expecting more diversity in the responses."

Rounding out the 10 after Graham and Swindoll were:

•Charles Stanley, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, and founder of In Touch Ministries.
•Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of the best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life.
•John MacArthur, pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., and president and featured teacher of the Grace to You ministry.
•Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, religion professor at Piedmont College in northeast Georgia and author of 12 books including An Altar in the World.
•David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego County, Calif.
•Max Lucado, minister of writing and preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio and the recipient of three Christian Book of the Year awards.
•John Piper, pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and author of more than 30 books, including Desiring God.
•Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Community Church -- all in the Atlanta area -- and founder of North Point Ministries. He is Charles Stanley's son.

Stetzer said because survey participants were not picking from a predetermined list, all of the people named must be widely known.

"Studies like these can help us see who is shaping the thinking of Protestant pastors today," Stetzer said. "Knowing who is shaping Protestant thinking shows us what type of direction to expect from the nation’s pastors."

COM Annual Meeting Report

The annual meeting of the Council on Ministry was held January 23-24, 2010 in Janesville, WI at the SDB Center. Here are some highlights of the meeting:

Two Persons admitted to the Seminary Education Program bringing the total to 12

• Joshua Michaels of the Berlin, NY, SDB Church is attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. Josh has taken three courses already and is registering as a full-time student for the spring semester.
• Johnmark Camenga of the Salem, WV SDB Church will complete his bachelor’s degree in May and plans to start seminary this fall. He is applying to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. He plans to be a full-time student.

This will bring our full-time students to five (5) this fall. David Fox is currently full time at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA, and Charles Meathrell is on campus at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC, and is ramping up to be full time in the fall. David Stall has been full time at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY and may complete in May 2011. From May 2007 until the fall of 2008 we had no full-time seminary students.

Two persons admitted to the training in ministry by extension (TIME) program

• Saul Alonzo of the Central SDB Church, Mitchellville, MD.
• Haywood Floyd of the White Cloud, MI, SDB Church.

These students will be taking Bible and ministry courses by distance from Columbia International University in SC, and Taylor University in IN. These two additions bring the number of persons in the TIME Program to four (4).

One College Summer Intern

College Students who are in their junior or senior years of college are eligible for this program, which is set in a local SDB Church and gives a summer of ministry experience and an opportunity to explore and test a sense of call to ministry. A local SDB church provides the setting, and the Pastor provides the direction and supervision for this exploration. These summer internships are jointly funded by the local church and the SDB Memorial Fund Trustees. Philip Lawton will be spending 15 weeks with the White Cloud, MI, SDB Church under the supervision of Pastor Bernie Wethington.

Values, Purpose and Goals

The Council has worked on listing our values which will inform our purpose and goals. Between Conference 2009 and our annual meeting the Council created a values statement and revised our purpose statement. At the annual meeting goals were set for 2010 and 2011. This has been a growing experience under the direction of Ron Ochs from the first Ad Hoc committee created at Conference 2008.

These goals include:

• Increasing awareness of the financial need of COM as the number of Seminary Education and TIME students increases (projected Seminary assistance to students for 2010 has doubled since August 2009. Tuition rates vary, but each full time seminary student is aided $15-20 thousand dollars per year and part timers are aided $4-9 thousand dollars per year depending on the number of courses taken. COM reserves are being depleted quickly. Without increased giving our reserve of about $130,000.00 will be gone in just over one year.)
• Revising the Summer Institute on Sabbath Theology for 2011 so as to reduce the time in class at the SDB Center from two weeks to one while not reducing the content to be learned. If successful, the SDB History will be considered followed by SDB Polity.
• Continuing to support of the three Ministry Staff Development projects (North Loup’s branch in Lincoln, NE and Pastor Steven Graffius, Berlin New York’s staff assistant, David Stall, and White Cloud Michigan’s staff assistant Haywood Floyd) with the financial aid of the SDB Memorial Fund Trustees
• Exploring the possibility of having regional Pastor’s Retreats in even numbered years, alternating with the Pastor’s Conference which is in odd numbered years

God is at work among us. Praise Him.