SDB Exec

SDB photo to appear on PBS Special!

2010-10-11T10:52:00.006-05:00

Several months ago, the Historical Society was contacted by Sarah Colt Productions, looking for a photograph credited to our collection. They were in the process of preparing a documentary to be shown on PBS, and wanted to include the photograph in their program. After searching for the initial photograph, which was apparently misattributed to our collection, we were able to find a photograph (at left) that they were interested in including in the documentary of the Little Prairie (Nady), Arkansas SDB church, from the early 20th century. We were happy to send them the photograph and release it for use in the documentary.

That documentary, God in America, will air over the next three nights, October 11, 12 and 13th, on your local PBS station. Check your local listings for the times closest to you, and keep your eyes our for a picture of SDB's!

The trailer for the series:

CLT to meet at Center

2010-10-07T11:34:00.003-05:00

The Coordinating Leadership Team—comprised of executives from the various SDB agencies and the president of the SDB Women’s Society—will gather October 8-10 at the Seventh Day Baptist Center in Janesville, Wis.

Ron Ochs, a member of both of the recent Conference ad hoc committees, will spend much of Friday with the CLT to discuss leadership training and implementing performance evaluation procedures. The Team will also discuss denominational activities, new contacts, communication issues and future plans.

We would appreciate your prayers for safe travel and good meetings.

"Fear Not," but some still do

2010-10-04T08:58:00.003-05:00

A challenging piece by Robert Dilday, managing editor of the Virginia Baptist Religious Herald.

"Perfect love," wrote the Apostle John, "casts out fear."

For Christians, that simple maxim would seem to be an easy formula for stress-free living. But 2,000 years after those words were written, many disciples of Christ still find their lives dominated by fear -- and worse, many Christian leaders believe, their response to it often is indistinguishable from that of the society in which they live.

“What shocks me... is that many Christians have bought into fear as a thoughtful reaction to terrorism, to immigration, to health care and to many other important issues,” Drew Smith, an ordained Baptist minister who is director of international programs at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., recently blogged.

Bill Shiell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., observed many Christians “are informed primarily by forwarded e-mails and relentlessly repetitive information, rather than the good news of Christ.”

“The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ is used 365 times in the Bible for a reason,” said Shiell. “The faithful are often the most susceptible to fear.”

For the rest of the article, click here.

October SR available on-line

2010-09-28T17:46:00.003-05:00

The October 2010 Sabbath Recorder shares a Conference delegate's report to her local church, an update on post-forest fire Camp Paul Hummel (that you regular blog readers already know about), and praying for a heart for missions reopens some old spiritual wounds. It's on-line here.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month

2010-09-23T10:38:00.005-05:00

There was a little note in the September Sabbath Recorder, at the bottom of the Pastor Profile page, that reminded us about October being Pastor Appreciation Month. This is not required but is a nice thing to do.

It is easy to forget to say "thank you" and "you are appreciated." The designation of October for this is only one of the reminders we have. Anniversaries of your Pastor's service to the congregation, ordination, accreditation, marriage or other significant event give an excuse to say "we appreciate you."

Ideas can be found on line by searching "pastor appreciation ideas" or other similar searches.

As you consider how to show your appreciation you may want to know how long your pastor has served as a pastor, your pastor's ordination date or year of accreditation. Contact the Center on Ministry (com@sdbministry.org) for these dates and other ideas about showing your appreciation for your pastor.

Of Ice Cream and Hospitality

2010-09-23T09:38:00.004-05:00

David Wilkerson, Executive Director of the Associated Baptist Press, offers this nostalgic and practical look at his homemade ice cream.

At our house, hospitality is dished out by the spoonful.

Homemade ice cream has been a staple in the ministry of hospitality my wife, Melanie, has practiced since we were married nearly 33 years ago. An ice-cream freezer was one of our first purchases as newlyweds. We’re now on our third freezer, having replaced the electric motor once or twice as well.

Although summer officially ends in September, our aging freezer doesn’t know the difference. For us, the offseason for homemade ice cream runs from about Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day -- with room for exceptions. We’ve been known to serve homemade ice cream with a fire burning in the fireplace.

UPDATE: The ABP website has been hacked and malware warnings are in place. I'll keep this post up for now, and try to provide you with the correct link once their site is free of problems. Our (and their) apologies!
DON'T Click here for the rest of the story.

Prayers or Pancakes? IHOP sues IHOP

2010-09-17T09:04:00.002-05:00

As heard on NPR yesterday:

In a lawsuit of biblical proportions, it's "Praise the Lord" versus "pass the pancakes."

IHOP, the International House of Pancakes, is suing IHOP, the International House of Prayer, for using its signature acronym, which confuses the public. Not only that, some church IHOPs serve food, and the church plans a $150 million headquarters in Grand View, Missouri, right across the road from an IHOP of the pancake persuasion.

Update from our Boulder Camp

2010-09-16T10:57:00.006-05:00

This special and personal update on Camp Paul Hummel, outside of Boulder, Colo., came last week from Ana Petersen. Her father is the camp's caretaker. We rejoice in the great news!

Dad and I made it up to Camp today. As you enter the camp and drive to the lodge, there is no evidence that a fire was even near the area. However, if you walk straight up from the upper cabin toward the towers, the fire came to within about 100 feet of the building.

The firefighters fought an incredible battle and won, which included orange slurry sprayed from above, large trees cut down in strategic spots, and a long and winding fire line that they dug by hand. The fire raged through a large part of the property through the undergrowth, leaving the tops of the tree untouched. The firefighters followed many of our trails and roads which created breaks for them to enhance.

We did a little hiking around the property, and saw the burn areas are very sporadic. Starting from the South Meadow to the road near the towers is scorched with many burned trees. However to the east and north all the way to the building area there are no burned trees. From the towers south and west–all the way to the archery range–is extensively burned. The practice range and picnic tables did not burn. The firemen said there were a few of the large animal targets left, but not very many unfortunately.

There are still spot fires smoldering all over the burn area. A crew of about a dozen firefighters from Poudre Canyon is still roaming the property putting those spots out. We heard that there is still a great danger from some of those fires that follow the root system of a tree and come out somewhere else where the wind whips it up and starts to burn again. Although the fire raged all around and right up to the tower building, we couldn't see any burn evidence on the buildings or the towers. The cables in the air burned, but not all the way through. All the power and telephone poles to the lodge are still up.

We still have an amazing piece of property with most of our trees still vibrantly growing. Thank you all for being prayer warriors this week! It is truly a miracle that stopped it from coming any closer, or from a different direction.

Keep up the prayers until all the little spots are out and all the emergency responders are called home. All across Sunshine Valley up towards Gold Hill, there were spots flaring up from the wind as we watched. The crews started fighting them almost immediately because they are all over the place, but we should not forget that the little battles continue.

Church blesses gadgets

2010-09-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

From the Winnipeg (Canada) Free Press

Blessed are the BlackBerrys.

The glow of gizmos cut through the darkness of a modest Halifax-area church Sunday as parishioners raised their cellphones, laptops and GPS units toward the heavens for a special prayer.

"Lord God, we thank you for the many gifts and tools you give us, all those electronic gadgets that make our lives easier in so many ways," Rev. Lisa Vaughn said before a small crowd at St. Timothy's Anglican Church in Hatchet Lake on the eve of Labour Day.

Vaughn said the idea to hold a blessing of electronics came after hearing about an old English tradition called Plough Monday in which farmers would drag their tools to the church's door to receive a blessing for a good harvest.

"Most of our people are commuters to the city and work in offices and labs and hospitals and that kind of thing," Vaughn, a former journalist with short, blond spiky hair, said in an interview.

"I thought, 'Wow, wouldn't it be nice for us to connect with modern-day tools; things that people use so often (that) we often take for granted?"

Parishioner Dawn Purcell said she sifts through 100 emails a day on her "crackberry" in her job as a manager at a health centre.

Purcell, 51, got her trusty device blessed twice Sunday — once in the morning and again during the nighttime service.

"I use it a lot and it needs to be blessed," she said. "I think it's a great idea."

Click here for more.

SDB Camp in Boulder spared

2010-09-08T10:20:00.004-05:00

I called Pastor Steve Osborn this morning (Wednesday) and he is praising the Lord.

A massive wildfire outside of Boulder, Colo., has consumed thousands of acres and scores of buildings, but most of the flames have apparently gone around the Boulder Heights area, home of Camp Paul Hummel.

Charring of trees occurred on the west side of the property where the archery range is. One of the radio towers (a source of income for the camp) was destroyed, but according to a local firefighter whose home is near the camp it looks like all of the camp structures were spared.

Pastor Steve noted that in recent years a fire prevention expert has helped to clear the property of hazardous brush. In addition “God’s mercy sure didn’t hurt” the current situation.

Please keep that area in your prayers. Many have lost their homes or cabins, and harmful smoke and ash is blanketing the city.

Pastors Conference Dates Changed

2010-09-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

Dates for the 2011 Pastors Conference were announced at Conference in July for May 2011. Scheduling for our guest speaker was a good reason to change the dates which are now April 26-30.

Dr. Howard Bixby (click on the name and scroll down for a short bio) will be our guest speaker and presenter on Wed and Thurs the 27th and 28th of April. Except for meals and a devotional time in the morning he will have both days to teach and lead us . The theme is Leading Through Outreach Change. We will still be hosted by the Milton SDB Church and have use of the Camp Wakonda facilities. If the prospect of being in a dorm will keep you and your spouse away, other arrangements will be made.

Reserve the dates. More info to follow.

Darkness post-Katrina

2010-09-03T09:38:00.004-05:00

Five years after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Lacy Thompson, former associate editor of the Louisiana Baptist Message, shares an opinion.

Darkness. Of all the Hurricane Katrina memories and images, the one that endures in me is darkness.

For weeks after the storm, I had to travel through New Orleans’ devastated Lower 9th Ward. Each night, as I crossed the Industrial Canal, I entered into a world that defined “surreal.”

There were no streetlights, traffic signals, porch lights or neon advertising signs, and rarely another vehicle on the road. To call it a darkness as deep as the soul is barely a clever turn of phrase. It was the type of darkness you feel when returning to a blackened house after a loved one’s funeral, knowing no matter how many lights you turn on, something and someone will be missing.

It was easy to feel isolated, forgotten, lost. Something was missing -- and maybe Someone as well.

“Do not hide your face from me,” the Psalmist cries to God. Entering the Lower 9th Ward each night it was easy to think God not only had hidden his face, but turned away completely.

Click here for the rest of the story.

Shoes for Souls breaks record

2010-08-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

From Bob Allen of the Associated Baptist Press

A Baptist church in Texas braved near-100 degree heat Aug. 21 to set the new Guinness world record for the longest chain of shoes.

South Main Baptist Church in Houston lined up 20,110 shoes side-by-side in a pattern on the church parking lot to draw attention to Buckner International's Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe drive that provides footwear to orphans around the world. The previous record of 19,856 was set in 2008.

To mark the 10th year of its participation in the drive, the congregation set a goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of shoes. After a "drive-through drop off" Thursday, Aug. 19, church members showed up for a final celebration called "Sole Chain."

Jennifer Gribble, the church's marketing coordinator, said 150 volunteers worked four hours and 15 minutes to build the chain. Participants then spent the next hour and 15 minutes packing and loading the shoes onto an 18-wheeler truck to be shipped to Dallas where they will be distributed to orphans worldwide.

To certify the chain as a Guinness record, Gribble said the congregation submitted a packet with photos, videos, news articles and reports from official unbiased witnesses on site to verify the shoe count.

Buckner International, a global Baptist organization dedicated to caring for children, families and senior adults, assumed responsibility for Shoes for Orphan Souls in 1999. The program, which began in 1995 by a Dallas radio station, has distributed more than 2 million pairs of shoes and socks to children in 68 countries.

2010 Christian Education Sabbath

2010-08-26T09:33:00.003-05:00

Promote the Christian Education opportunities in your local church with Christian Education Sabbath, the Sabbath after Labor Day (U.S)—September 11, 2010. If that Sabbath doesn't work for you, please choose another Sabbath.

Packets of material to help your church plan a Christian Education Sabbath have been mailed. You can also download the package from the BCE Website.

This material is coming to you much later than we had planned. We understand that it is arriving too close to the suggested date of use and that it would have been more helpful a month or more ago. We'd planned to send Christian Education Sabbath materials to you in June this year. However, our production schedule was disrupted by a minor flood in the office in late May. Then, other scheduled events pre-empted the timely production of this material. For 2011, it is our intent to mail Christian Education Sabbath material in June (the theme for 2011 will be Evangelism).

Biggest Losers revealed!

2010-08-25T12:07:00.003-05:00

I guess you didn't have to wait THAT long to see that the group in Boulder, Colorado won the "Biggest SDB Loser" competition.

Oh yeah, and the rest of the September Sabbath Recorder is on-line here.

Hope you enjoy the photos and wrap-up from General Conference 2010, held at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. Also included is the obituary for long-time pastor and SDB Missionary Society Executive Leon Lawton. We also welcome new Conference President Stephen Rogers (Salem, WV) as he kicks off his theme, "Living in the Fruit of the Spirit." Conference next year will be at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, July 31-August 6.

Biggest Loser preview

2010-08-24T11:07:00.004-05:00

Just okayed the final proof of the September Sabbath Recorder. As promised at Conference, the front cover displays the happy faces of the winning team among the 10 churches that participated in this year’s “Biggest SDB Loser” friendly competition.

Now, you’ll need to wait a little while longer to see that front cover (we’ll post here when the issue is on-line). In the meantime, I’m happy to announce the individual “Biggest Loser” who lost the highest percentage of body weight.

Tiffany Crowder from Boulder, Colo., trimmed 18.4% of her weight during the timeframe of October through June. Congrats, Tiffany!! You’re a winner!!

Truth for Youth for fall

2010-08-23T09:23:00.002-05:00

The next issue of Truth For Youth (Sept. - Nov. 2010) is available as a free download on the Board of Christian Education website (www.educatingchristians.org). Click on "Truth For Youth."

Truth For Youth is Sabbath School material for youth and young adults. It is written by Seventh Day Baptists for Seventh Day Baptists and follows the International Bible Lesson series (the outline of Scripture passages also used by The Helping Hand.

Please send any comments, concerns and/or questions for the writers to Pastor David Taylor at sdbtaylor@verizon.net.

Conference votes to restructure

2010-08-20T13:30:00.002-05:00

While preparing the September issue of the Sabbath Recorder, it dawned on me that we had not written here about the biggest issue facing Conference delegates this year. What happened with the Ad Hoc Committee proposal to restructure? Here's what will appear in the September SR, thanks to Nick Kersten:

Conference Votes for
Denominational Restructuring

This year’s delegates to General Conference were asked to take action on the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Denominational Restructuring. The report was circulated prior to Conference in the Sabbath Recorder (July/August issue, pages 9-11), the SDB Exec Blog through the General Conference website, as well as by the SDB E-mail Network.

After their presentation on Monday of Conference, the Committee’s report and its recommendations were referred to the Reference and Counsel Interest Committee. The five members of the Ad Hoc Committee then spent much of the week answering questions from Reference and Counsel and other interested Seventh Day Baptists.

In committee, concerns were raised and discussed, including the relatively short amount of time some had to consider the proposal. The report was sent to the Conference floor with a recommendation that it be adopted with its recommendations. Reference and Counsel also suggested that if any of the recommendations from the report passed, that the Ad Hoc Committee be requested to draft any necessary bylaw changes.

Both the report and the subsequent recommendation to refer the writing of bylaws back to the Ad Hoc Committee were adopted without discussion. We now await the proposed bylaws, which will be presented as a first reading at the 2011 General Conference session.

Scripture Memory Program 2010-2011

2010-08-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

The Scripture Memorization Program for 2010-2011 Conference Year will focus on Conference President Steven Rogers’ theme: “Living in the Fruit of the Spirit” For those who prefer to memorize contiguous sections of Scripture, this year's long text is 1 Corinthians 13.

The brochures were mailed today, August 19. So, your church should see them in the next week. If you don't want to wait, want the alternative September - May format, or would like a text file with the verses, they are available on the Board of Christian Education site.

Women’s Board unveils new logo

2010-08-13T09:01:00.004-05:00

During the Women’s Banquet at this year’s General Conference (held at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri), SDB Women’s Board President Althea Rood unveiled a new logo.

Centered on the purposes of the Women’s Society—study, sharing, service—the new logo depicts many hands responding to needs around the world.

Althea and daughter Kristin Camenga presented a series of creative vignettes during the Women’s Banquet. The skit followed the history and activities of the Society through the years. An overview of their presentation will appear in the September Sabbath Recorder. For more information about the Women's Society, go to sdbwomen.org.

The new logo was designed by Patricia Cruzan.

Wednesdays to be special

2010-08-10T20:50:00.002-05:00

From Katie Brown and Ginny Burdick:

Jesus said, “Go into all nations and make disciples.” Are we reaching even our own nation?

This year, delegates to General Conference passed an important recommendation. In response to the continuing interest and passion in church planting throughout the denomination, each Wednesday of the coming Conference year should be a day of fasting and prayer to seek God's guidance in this matter.

This day will focus on:

• Prayer that the Holy Spirit would reveal to individuals His calling to plant churches in the United States and Canada, and for a willingness to respond to the call.

• Prayer that a training program for church planting and missions reveal itself, and for the funds and manpower to be raised to establish the program.

• Prayer for the Holy Spirit to reveal locations where church plants and missions are needed.

Let’s unify in prayer. Contact Katie Brown at cb159520@reddies.hsu.edu to commit 15 minutes of your day to prayer. Let’s pray from 6:00 am Eastern time to 6:00 pm Pacific time for a renewed vision for our denomination in national missions!

Houston Spanish Church video

2010-08-10T11:12:00.003-05:00

At Conference this year there was a video shown just before the Executive Director's speech. This video was put together by Adrianna Leiva of the Iglesia Bautista del Septimo Dia church in Houston, Texas. This church has grown from 4 people in 2008 to attendance of 70 this year. They have had to change their location for their service four times in the past two years to keep up with their growth.

On Wednesday, August 11, 2010, they will begin another chapter in their outreach into the greater Houston area...they will begin a 3o minute TV show! With the help from the SDB Memorial Fund they will be able to produce a show each week for the next 26 weeks to get things started.

Look for more churches and bigger things to come from Pastor Miguel Leiva and his partner in ministry, his wife Adrianna.

John Upton is new BWA President

2010-08-09T12:22:00.002-05:00

Honolulu (BWA) -- John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) and of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board (VBMB) in the United States, has been elected president of the Baptist World Alliance during the 20th Baptist World Congress held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from July 28 to August 1.

Upton succeeds David Coffey of the United Kingdom and will serve as BWA president for the period 2010-2015.

The new president of the global Baptist organization has had a long association with the BWA. He is a member of the BWA General Council and the Executive Committee, the two governing bodies of the BWA. He has also served on the Baptist World Aid Committee, the Commission on Christian Ethics, and the Executive Committee of the North American Baptist Fellowship, one of six regional fellowships of the BWA. For the past five years, he was chair of the Congress Program Committee, which played a significant role in planning the Baptist World Congress in Honolulu.

BWA General Secretary Neville Callam gave his full endorsement of Upton's election. "God has prepared John for this role, having led Virginia Baptists since 2001, a period during which Virginia Baptists have been on the cutting edge of Christian witness and mission," Callam said. "Without a doubt, he is eminently suited to fill the position as BWA president."

Prior to being elected as executive director of the BGAV and the VBMB in 2001, Upton served as group leader of the Mission Mobilization Group of the BGAV, beginning in 1995. Earlier, he was pastor of Urbanna Baptist Church in Urbanna, Virginia, from 1984-1986 and 1991-1995. Between 1986 and 1991 he and his wife, Deborah, served as missionaries in Taiwan through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Check out Conference photos

2010-07-29T09:45:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the good work of our Tract Council photographers and our webmaster, Linda Lawton, we're able to share many pictures of General Conference 2010 being held at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.

On the front page of our website, you can't miss the link for the photos. Or click here for a direct link. The Lord is blessing us mightily at Conference-- wish you were all able to be here!

We are in Springfield

2010-07-23T10:08:00.002-05:00

All of the SDB executives (and our webmaster) are already in Springfield, Missouri, in anticipation of next week's General Conference session at Evangel University.

We've actually been here since Monday, attending CLT (Coordinating Leadership Team) and General Council meetings. At General Council, we just heard from two members of the "Ad Hoc 2" committee, learning more of what they will be presenting next week concerning the Conference restructuring proposals.

As Conference begins on Sunday, you will be hearing very little from us (on the blog) until August. We do hope to post pictures each day as the Conference week progresses so check the front page of our website.

Please keep us in your prayers. Everyone made it here safely, SCSC evaluations went well, registration activity is brisk, and the Youth and Young Adult Pre-Cons are underway. Bring on the Conference!!

How God sees the Gulf

2010-07-15T12:54:00.003-05:00

Jim Denison is president of the Center for Informed Faith and theologian-in-residence for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He provided this opinion piece (condensed below) to the Associated Baptist Press.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were flying over the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot came over the intercom, suggesting that we look through the windows on the left side of the airplane. We could see a group of ships circled on the ocean below. The pilot informed us that we were looking at the flotilla surrounding the BP Deepwater Horizon site.

From 33,000 feet above the Gulf, its waters looked tranquil. There was no evidence visible to us of the disaster continuing to unfold 5,000 feet below the surface. As many as 2.5 million gallons of oil gush into the ocean from the damaged well each day.

How does God view this ongoing tragedy?

First, He continues to grieve with the families of 11 workers killed at the beginning of the disaster, when the drilling rig exploded on April 20.

Second, He is personally concerned for the millions of people who are being affected by this disaster. Fishermen and those they support, residents along the Gulf Coast, entire towns and economies -- the list of innocent victims goes on.

Third, He holds us accountable for our management of his creation.

There is good news even in this tragedy, however. One way God would redeem this disaster is by calling His people into intercession. Have you prayed today for the families grieving those who died when the rig exploded? Have you asked God to grant His wisdom and perseverance to those trying to stop the oil spill and deal with its consequences? Have you prayed that those affected by this tragedy would turn to Him in faith?

Another way God would redeem this tragedy is to use it in exposing the fallacy of self-sufficiency. Our culture congratulates the self-dependent -- get up earlier, stay up later, try harder and you can solve your problem. The ongoing disaster in the Gulf shows us the folly of such self-reliance. What crisis is calling you to God today?

Flying above the Gulf, I could not see the oil spilling into its depths. Neither can I see the pain, grief, or worry you are hiding from the world today. But your omniscient Father can. Why not trust your secret problem to His redeeming grace?

Offering to go to COM

2010-07-13T13:43:00.005-05:00

This year's entire Conference Offering has been designated to go to the SDB Center on Ministry. The COM has a larger-than-usual number of seminary students--praise the Lord--and we need to support their valuable education.

When your local church takes up its annual Conference offering (most churches will collect it on July 31), please use these bulletin inserts to spread the word about where the funds will be going. You'll be helping to support our future pastors and leaders! Thank you.

Our 500th post!

2010-07-09T09:47:00.003-05:00

Ever since mid-January, “hits” to this blog have taken off. Why then? SDBs were concerned with providing relief following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Since then, other popular posts have included the listing of this year’s Summer Christian Service Corps teams and where they were headed; the Sabbath/Sunday debate aired on the “Iron Sharpens Iron” radio program in April; the flooding in North Loup, Nebraska; and the findings and recommendations of “Ad Hoc 2” concerning Conference reorganization.

We hope to keep providing current information and inspiration as you read this blog. If you would like to be notified of new posts by e-mail, please contact our webmaster here. Or, become a Facebook friend of “Sabbath Recorder” and you’ll hear about the latest postings.

Baptist Historian Comments on Modern Baptist 'Transitions'

2010-07-08T11:17:00.004-05:00

At a recent retreat for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) officials, Dr. Bill Leonard, long-time Dean at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, gave a presentation on the state of current Baptist life, including summaries of the long-time strengths of Baptist ideology and the subsequent challenges for Baptists today.

Seventh Day Baptists have long been a part of the Baptist community, from our earliest days in England to the present, and the strengths and challenges Dr. Leonard suggests may face us as well. In any case, the series of two articles gives us plenty to think about.

In summarizing his remarks, Leonard gives us an encouraging look forward, noting:

Baptists must confront their history -- good and bad -- while claiming the best of their traditions as rooted in a believers’ church, their sacraments/ordinances, local-church identity/autonomy, freedom of conscience, countercultural dissent, religious liberty and the witness of the minority. Given their history, Baptists should lead the way toward a renewed Christocentrism (Christ-centeredness) amid radical religious pluralism. It is our best hope of remaining a viable gospel people amid the transitions ahead.

You can find the full text of the article here.

Registration / Travel updates

2010-07-07T10:05:00.005-05:00

Pre-Registering for Conference? Gotta do it by snail-mail or e-mail now; the on-line registration process is closed.
(If you are still planning to pre-register by mail, you need to get the forms to Linda by July 16-- that's when we're heading to Springfield!) Forms are in the May Sabbath Recorder or on-line here.

If you miss the deadline, you can still register at Conference-- but you might have to wait in line for awhile.

Also, if you need RIDES to/from the Springfield-Branson airport, you NEED to sign up NOW! E-mail your itinerary to Marian Anderson at mariananderson@charter.net.

THANKS for giving to the SR

2010-07-07T09:56:00.004-05:00

I am thankful every time I look at the growing stack of ivory and green reply cards in my office.

In early June, we sent out our annual letter asking readers to support the ongoing ministry of The Sabbath Recorder. The Recorder has been the main vehicle connecting Seventh Day Baptists for over 166 years.

We are so grateful for your donations. Some of the larger “Page Sponsor” gifts arrived in time to be listed in the July-August issue. Many more names will appear in upcoming months.

Thank you for your faithful support, and may God bless you!

Discount ends Midnight tonight

2010-06-30T13:27:00.004-05:00

Your last chance to save some money on the SDB Conference Registration fee is tonight at midnight.

Click here to register (you don't have to pay now) and you can save enough to buy some meals during your travels to and from Springfield, Missouri!

The power of words

2010-06-30T13:19:00.004-05:00

(Opinion piece by Jim Denison from the Associated Baptist Press.)

President Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” in his first meeting with military leaders after taking office, according to Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The general was even less impressed with Vice President Biden’s opposition to his Afghanistan strategy: “Are you asking about Vice President Biden? Who’s that?” he laughed.

By now you’re familiar with the Rolling Stone interview in which the general and several of his staff are quoted as criticizing the president and other civilian leaders of the war effort in Afghanistan. Response was swift.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the man who recommended the general for his command, was adamant that McChrystal “made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment” in his comments. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), three of the general’s biggest supporters, called his statements “inappropriate and inconsistent with the traditional relationship between commander-in-chief and the military.”

The day President Obama met with the general, The Wall Street Journal carried an editorial that called Gen. McChrystal “a hero--a selfless, fearless and inspiring soldier,” “something of a military genius,” and “one of the fathers of victory in Iraq.” But then it stated, “President Obama should, nonetheless, fire him,” calling his published remarks “an appalling violation of norms of civilian-military relations.” The general himself responded, “It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.” After meeting with the president, he was replaced by Gen. David Petraeus.

I have no informed opinion regarding what the president should have done, nor do I think you should care what I think on the subject. My interest in the issue stems from an unnamed NATO spokesperson who called the now-infamous Rolling Stone piece “rather unfortunate, but it’s just an article.”

I beg to differ, for reasons that have nothing to do with the politics of this controversy. Words transform the world. They endure long after actions and events are forgotten.
History is not just written in words -- it is the story of words.

[Denison cites several powerful Biblical and historical examples, then concludes]:

We cannot unring a bell. The words you speak today will echo in eternity. Choose them wisely.

For the entire article, click here.
Jim Denison is president of the Center for Informed Faith and theologian-in-residence for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Registration Savings Deadline soon

2010-06-28T14:01:00.005-05:00

Who wants to save money on their SDB Conference registration?

For the weekly registration, you can deduct $14 per adult and $7 per child-- but you must register soon! The early Registration Discount ENDS THIS WEDNESDAY, June 30, at MIDNIGHT!! The discount is for ON-LINE only. (Click here to register.)

Even if you plan to spend only a few days at Conference, you can still save on the daily rate by signing up early. AGAIN, you don't need to make your payments for Conference now-- you just need to send in your information. 350 people have already done so, and SAVED MONEY!

This year's General Conference will be held at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, July 25-31.

Writing tips from C.S. Lewis

2010-06-25T12:18:00.002-05:00

An e-mail from St. Paul Press pointed to this article by Donald L. Hughes at ChristianWritingToday.com. This goes out to our big Lewis fans. (Hi Jim! Hi Nick!)

In 1959 an American schoolgirl wrote to C.S. Lewis asking him for advice on the craft of writing. He sent her a list of eight rules, and I add my own editorial comments to each of them.

1. Turn off the radio.
Today, writers also need to turn off the TV, the iPod or the music streaming over the Internet. I know that some writers claim that background sounds enhances their creativity, but I don’t believe it for a minute, and apparently Lewis didn’t either. Writing is a solitary activity, where words are formed in a special space of the brain, and anything that competes for that space will result in a decrease in writing quality. Good writers are able to be alone with their thoughts and don’t need filler or distractions.

[I’ll give you the other seven tips below without the commentary. To read Hughes’ insights, click here.)

2. Read good books and avoid most magazines.
3. Write with the ear, not the eye. Make every sentence sound good.
4. Write only about things that interest you. If you have no interests, you won’t ever be a writer.
5. Be clear. Remember that readers can’t know your mind. Don’t forget to tell them exactly what they need to know to understand you.
6. Save odds and ends of writing attempts, because you may be able to use them later.
7. You need a well-trained sense of word-rhythm, and the noise of a typewriter will interfere.
8. Know the meaning of every word you use.

And Hughes concludes:
Writing is a craft. You start as a novice before you become an apprentice and then develop into a master like C.S. Lewis. Since writing is a craft, not a gift, virtually anyone can acquire the skill and become a master over time. Remember, however, that the time must be invested in actually writing (not thinking about writing) and in reading the work of those who have mastered the craft.

Samuel Ward Booklet Available

2010-06-24T13:37:00.005-05:00

As announced in the July/August 2010 Sabbath Recorder, the Historical Society is making available again for a limited time a booklet published by the Society based on a 1967 lecture about prominent colonial SDB Samuel Ward, by Rev. Ken Smith, entitled, "Sam: Ward, Founding Father."

As is the case for the supply of back issues of the SDB Yearbook (which are still available!), quantities of the booklet are limited and will available on a "first-come, first served" basis. If you would like copies of booklet (which originally sold for $.25/each), you will be required only to pay for the shipping of the items. Shipping costs for the items would depend on quantity desired, mailing destination and shipping preferences. For those who will be attending this year's General Conference meetings at Evangel College in Springfield, MO, the booklets will also be available there for you to collect and take back to your church or group.

If you have further questions about the booklet or wish to arrange for copies to be shipped to you, please contact the Historical Society: sdbhist@seventhdaybaptist.org or by phone (608) 752-5055.

Institute wraps up soon

2010-06-24T08:41:00.004-05:00

This year’s Summer Institute (on SDB Polity) wraps up classes today, allowing students the option to travel home early tomorrow.

For the last two weeks, students have been at the Seventh Day Baptist Center in Janesville enjoying lively discussion and spirited learning. Housed in various church member homes, the men from California to New York have also added much good interaction with the Center staff. We have enjoyed their good attitudes—and good music—and wish them well as they head home.

Pictured (left to right): David Johnson, Helmer Umana, Josh Michaels, Brent Hannah, John Pethtel, Dave Stall, David Fox, Haywood Floyd and Kevin Palmiter.

SR-ious summer reading

2010-06-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

For this year’s combined July-August issue, The Sabbath Recorder presents several heartfelt stories and personal observations. Then, in addition to the usual department pages covering the work of our various boards and agencies (history, Christian Education, missions, etc.) there is an important feature outlining the results of the ad hoc committee charged with formulating a new configuration for the Conference organizational structure.

The committee has laid out nine recommendations for restructuring, plus a summary of the proposed changes with expected benefits. If you don’t have time to read all three pages, at least go to page 11 for a quick glance of the changes.

The recommendations will be discussed and voted on at our General Conference sessions at Evangel University, Springfield, MO July 25-31. We hope that delegates will come prepared to vote on these important proposals.

A BIG Thank You

2010-06-21T10:11:00.002-05:00

For those of you that have responded to the email about Conference Services...Thank You! If you want to still respond it would be appreciated.

Please send your gift to:

Conference Services

P.O. Box 1678

Janesville, WI 53547-1678

We are not out of the woods yet. Your prayers are appreciated.

Rob Appel

Executive Director

Discomfort at church: good or bad?

2010-06-18T08:20:00.003-05:00

By Bill Wilson via the Associated Baptist Press

(ABP) -- Here at the Center for Congregational Health, we spend many hours each week helping clergy and congregations navigate the tricky waters of expectations and living together in positive and encouraging relationships rather than confrontational ones. I’ve recently had three insights that bear repeating.

First, my colleague, Nelson Granade, introduced me to a novel title for a minister: The Concierge Pastor. In a superb article that first appeared on Duke Divinity School’s Faith and Leadership website titled “Congregational Concierge”, Nelson decries the tendency of clergy and congregations alike to establish a pattern of relationship whereby the minister and staff members are primarily expected to meet the needs and expectations of members of the congregation. Like a fine hotel’s concierge, the ministers are there to make church members comfortable and happy. Nelson accurately notes that clergy are often complicit in this un-biblical model, and that everyone loses in the end. Extravagant expectations are never fully met, clergy grow discouraged, and the Kingdom agenda is relegated to an afterthought. I have to admit: that has described me on occasion!

[Wilson shares the other two incidents, then concludes]:

God’s people, the church, will only be able to flesh out our Kingdom agenda ("Thy Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven...") when we accept the fact that our task necessitates each of us agreeing that we are not all that God intends us to be. What if discomfort is a necessary prerequisite to finding genuine meaning and purpose? When we understand that truth, and join with other believers to discover the joy of costly discipleship and follow-ship, then clergy and laity alike will find the harmony we seek in the midst of meeting challenges, and the discomfort they bring.

To read the entire article, click here.
Bill Wilson is president of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem, N.C.

2010 Institute underway

2010-06-16T13:11:00.005-05:00

This year's Summer Institute on SDB Polity began on Monday. Nine students have gathered at the Seventh Day Baptist Center in Janesville, Wis., to learn the governmental structure of our churches and denomination. The Center on Ministry's Dean, Gordon Lawton, and Librarian-Historian Nick Kersten are the instructors.

Photos were taken after lunch today while the students were waiting for the next session to begin. A more formal (at least posed) pic should follow within these two weeks of classes. Marian Anderson of the Milton church has graciously agreed to help feed lunch to the students and staff, and we appreciate the good cooking! Please keep the students' families in your prayers while the classes are in session and their husbands/fathers are away from home.

Committee proposes restructuring

2010-06-14T13:49:00.004-05:00

In what could prove to be a historic “summit meeting” of sorts for Seventh Day Baptists, the ad hoc Committee on Denominational Organization and Structure met this past weekend with the General Council at the SDB Center in Janesville, Wis.

The committee has been hard at work since last year’s Conference. Their task was “to formulate a new configuration for the General Conference organizational structure.”

Results of their deliberations were presented to the General Council on June 12-13. The Council was favorably impressed by the diligent and thorough work of the committee (Don Graffius, Ron Ochs, Susan Fox, Jim Skaggs and Neil Murphy), resulting in a good exchange of questions and discussion.

We present the findings and proposal from the committee here or click on the "Conference Restructuring Proposal" line on the front page of the SDB website. The recommendations would certainly reorganize and streamline the Conference’s structure.

Delegates to this year’s General Conference will be voting on these recommendations. Please review and prayerfully consider this report with your fellow church members and be prepared to discuss and vote as we gather at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, July 25-31.

North Loup flooded

2010-06-14T08:08:00.004-05:00

The small Nebraska community of North Loup—home of one of our Seventh Day Baptist churches—was evacuated this past weekend due to heavy rains and the failure of a diversion dam. The North Loup SDB Church is in the foreground of the picture.

From Lincoln’s Journal-Star:
OMAHA - Heavy rain and storm runoff that have swelled creeks and rivers briefly threatened a small hospital and forced the evacuation of a small town in central Nebraska on Saturday, officials said.
North Loup, a town of about 340 in central Nebraska's Valley County, was evacuated because of street flooding that followed the failure of a small dam, state officials said.
A sheriff's dispatcher said no injuries had been reported. Radio station KNLV in Ord said a shelter for North Loup residents was being arranged in nearby Scotia. But Sheriff Casey Hurlburt said residents would be allowed to return to town Saturday night once electricity and gas lines were checked and repaired.
Hurlburt said the floodwater was deepest - up to 4 feet - on the north side of town. A few basements had fallen in, he said, and floodwaters caused sewer problems.
He said an earthen dam holding back a private pond gave way and sent water down Mira Creek, which flows along the north side of town.
____________________
North Loup’s Village Board Chairman Jim Goodrich (and member of the North Loup SDB Church) is featured in a video interview here

Update on Monday morning:
Nebraska's Emergency Operating Center was scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Monday because most of the state is in a disaster situation.
Over the weekend, floodwaters wiped out bridges and roads and closed highways in central and northeast Nebraska.
Gov. Dave Heineman said he is concerned about water moving toward the eastern part of the state. "The Platte River has a great level of water; more than we saw in the '93 floods," he said.
Heineman expects the Platte River to be at flood level for one to three weeks.
One town, North Loup, was evacuated Saturday after a dam on a lake gave way. Beland said from Friday evening to Saturday morning, 10 inches of rain fell in North Loup. She estimated 70 homes were damaged and had basement flooding. On Sunday, traffic was still being diverted around North Loup.

Worship spaces should be sanctuaries

2010-06-11T11:57:00.005-05:00

Commentary from the Associated Baptist Press by David Stovall, facilities manager at Highland Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.

What has happened to reverence for God and respect for the sanctuary of God?

Before we can answer, we need to understand the meaning of reverence, respect and sanctuary. To have reverence is to have a deep feeling of respect or even awe. Respect is to hold someone or something in high regard or honor.

The sanctuary is designated as the holiest of holies in a place of worship -- an especially holy place in the church building.

In this day of multitasking, multimedia and multipurpose buildings, a special place for worshiping God has been pushed out. Either due to budget concerns, practicality or efforts to get the most use out of one building, the sanctuary is being replaced by the multipurpose building. In doing this, we have lost sight of the main purpose of coming to church, which is to worship God.

Instead, we have become Christian social clubs. Church is where we get our coffee, do our social networking, sing a few songs that make us feel good, listen to the preacher, and then hurry to pick up the chairs so we can use the building to have lunch, play games or any number of other events, saying we are doing God’s work. I have no problem with having meals and playing games at church in the proper place and at the proper time, but rushing the service and having these activities in a place that should be the holy of holies is not honoring to God or his sanctuary. We are not giving God the proper reverence and respect he deserves. God wants us to have communion with him. He wants us to feel his presence. He wants us to spend time with him as a congregation in worship, praise, listening to the teaching of his word and waiting to hear him.

God is jealous. He wants our devotion to be focused on him, not on rushing to finish the service so we can use the building for something else. God is the Maker of the universe. We should stand in awe of him and give him the highest place of honor. This requires a special place of worship -- a sanctuary.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Baptists prepare for World Cup

2010-06-10T13:16:00.003-05:00

From the Baptist World Alliance:

Baptists in South Africa have made preparations to use the FIFA World Cup as a mission opportunity. The World Cup is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world and will be held between June 11 and July 11, 2010, in South Africa, the first African nation to host the prestigious tournament.

Activities planned by Baptists in South Africa include the screening of all matches in churches; witnessing at soccer stadiums; the arrangement of special soccer tournaments, especially for youth and children; the publication of a special World Cup Challenge newspaper; and the distribution of the South Africa flag with gospel messages.

One initiative is the Ignite Internship Program, a ministry of Eastside Community Church in Pretoria, which aims to create a team of interns in order to partner with other churches during the soccer tournament, establish a soccer academy, and develop and implement ministry opportunities to complement the soccer ministry.

The volunteers will run street soccer tournaments. Such events tend to draw crowds and thus create opportunities for the presentation of the Gospel.

"With the prospect of hundreds of thousands of international visitors arriving for the FIFA Soccer World Cup in June 2010, the South African church is uniquely placed to impact many for Christ," the Eastside Community Church states. "Not only can the lives of international visitors be touched, but also locals, particularly those who love 'the beautiful game.'"

Baptists from the state of Virginia in the United States took a group of volunteers to South Africa to share in the Ignite Internship Program. The volunteers will help to lead soccer clinics, pick-up games, and music and drama, and will provide children's ministry with a soccer theme.

New York City SDB Dedicates Renovated Building

2010-06-09T14:51:00.008-05:00

The first weekend in June was a glorious time of celebra- tion at the New York City SDB Church (the oldest of 3 SDB Churches in NYC) in Brooklyn. Three of the four former Pastors were present on Sunday afternoon at the formal dedication ceremony. Socrates Thompson was not able to be there (served 1975-1986) but Richard Evans (1988-1991), Andrew Samuels (1996-1998) and Harold Smith (1999-2004) as well as the current pastor Ericessen Cooper (2005 to the present) all participated in the Sunday afternoon dedication service.

Pastor David Taylor, from the Central SDB Church in Maryland delivered the sermon titled " Dedication Costs" with text from 2 Chronicles 7:11-14.

Among the other people who came to celebrate with this congregation were Pastor Derek Thomas a member at Agape SDB in Queens, NY; Deaconess Dorothy Radcliffe, who had lived in NYC for 30 years and was part of the church as it grew, now from the Higgin Town SDB Church in Jamaica; Pastor Samuel West of the Faith SDB Church in the Bronx, NY; Pastor Herlitz Condison of the Toronto SDB Church; Pastor Kenroy Cruickshank from the Philadelphia SDB Church; Pastor Huethen Livingston, United SDB Church, Enfield, CT; Rev Kirk Looper, Executive Director of the SDB Missionary Society; and myself.

The renovated building allowed for an expanded worship center with baptistry, social hall, some classrooms, a pastor's office, updated restrooms, and a stair-chair lift to help those who cannot negotiate stairs to and from the basement.

On Sabbath day the Divine Worship Service was packed with video overflow in the social hall down- stairs. Pastor Andrew Samuels brought the message titled "New Wineskins Require New Wine" with a text from Luke 5:36-39. When you see him ask him about his animal illustrations.

There was great rejoicing, and there is much work to do in New York City and the surrounding areas. Many people need to hear of salvation by grace through faith alone and confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior.

Locations and Websites up-to-date??

2010-06-09T13:46:00.004-05:00

We heard from a disgruntled (and rightly so) would-be worshiper who traveled two hours to attend one of our churches last Sabbath. Unfortunately, they did not call ahead to the church, and trusted what they thought was the correct address for the church since it was listed at our website.

Oops.

The Center did not have the most recent information for the church, and the frustrated traveler discovered that the congregation had not met at that old location for some time! They never did find the church.

Please take the time to check your church’s information listed at our site. (Just click on the “Churches” tab at the top of the homepage.)

And while you’re at it, if you know that your church posts audio or video files of your services or sermons, please let us know at media@seventhdaybaptist.org. Then we could add your resources to our list, and help Sabbathkeepers who live at a distance get involved with your church and feel like part of the family. Thanks!

Some recent e-mails

2010-06-08T09:58:00.003-05:00

From Pastor Dave Taylor:

The Summer Quarter of the Youth/Young Adult Sabbath School quarterly, Truth For Youth, is now available as a free download from the Board of Christian Education web site (www.educatingchristians.org). Click on "Truth For Youth." Please send me any comments, questions and/or concerns. God bless.

Pastor David Taylor
Central S.D.B. Church
Mitchellville, MD 20721
(240) 205-3206 (Church)
(301) 262-3353 (Home)
www.centralsdbchurch.org
www.livestream.com/centralsdbchurch

______________________

From Patty Peterson of the Boulder Church:

The Rez Connection Project in Batesland , South Dakota, will begin June 13 for three weeks. Patty Peterson is the team leader. Bob Harris is returning for another Project and there also two youth from the Boulder, Colo., SDB Church.

Other team members include: a woman and a youth from Wabasha, Minn.; a man from Millersville, Md.; and four women from White Cloud, Mich.

Prayer requests for the Project: Please pray for us as we travel. Some are on the road now heading to Batesland. Please pray for our safety as we do farm and garden work. Please pray as we travel on the Pine Ridge Reservation doing community garden work, do witnessing "2 by 2" and pass out lunches to the alcoholics. Pray for the work of the Holy Spirit as hearts of LaKota and others are prepared to receive the Gospel Message.

When churches jump the shark

2010-06-04T13:23:00.004-05:00

Derik Hamby is pastor of Randolph Memorial Baptist Church in Madison Heights, Va., and a trustee of the Religious Herald. This opinion piece appeared at the Associated Baptist Press.

When does a church “jump the shark?” That phrase refers to the time Fonzi, the star of the TV comedy “Happy Days,” jumped a shark (literally) and has served as an example of a TV show that tries something strange to boost sagging ratings.

I wonder if many churches are trying to “pack the house” by doing the same thing? I’m reminded of the story from the life of fundamentalist Baptist preacher J. Frank Norris about the time he baptized a rodeo cowboy and had the man’s horse stand in the back of the church to watch. Personally I believe he jumped the shark long before the cowboy baptism, but today it seems many churches -- in the desire to be innovative and creative -- are jumping their own sharks.

[Hamby goes on to relate a number of recent church 'stunts' that have drawn attention.] He concludes:

I do want to be relevant so folks can connect and so that real needs and real people are brought to a real God. This very article used many cultural references and I see no problem with that. There just comes a time when we cross a line that makes us look very fake and quite silly. This isn’t a call to any style of worship because this happens in all styles. As worship leaders and churches we are going to have to work hard to help our folks understand worship and strive to experience a holy God who can transform lives.

It’s only a matter of time before some preacher out there literally does try to water ski over a shark to boost attendance. I just wonder if he’ll look as cool as the Fonz when he does!

Bye-bye to Bev

2010-06-03T09:15:00.005-05:00

Please excuse my recent absence from the blog. My loving stepmom, Beverly VanAlstine Gaffney Butler, died last week in Vernon, N.Y., at age 78. (Click here for the obituary.) We’re thankful that her years of suffering from diabetes and heart troubles are over as she passed peacefully on May 24. I conducted her funeral on Sabbath afternoon. The photo is of our daughter Jenny visiting Bev last summer.

We truly appreciated and felt your prayers for safe travel to New York and back. Janet and I drove straight through both ways with no hassles. (Well, there was that one warning from a trooper in Ohio at 2:00 a.m.…)

It was a bittersweet gathering in upstate NY. The three Butler siblings rarely get together, and it was good to catch up with a niece and nephew, and to meet more of Bev's extended family. We had to speed (I mean, drive) right home after the funeral luncheon, since our own kids had started a holiday reunion at our house without us. The family singing around the fire pit on Sunday night—and playing son-in-law Greg’s hand percussion instruments—made the long drive (and trooper’s warning) worth it. Oh yeah, and there's that adorable grandson...

Back in New York, Bev’s funeral was a joyous celebration of a positive and enthusiastic retired teacher, sprinkled with her trademark yell of affirmation, “Yahoo!” (That’s a lot more fun than “Amen!”) Sure hope the Lord gets used to it! :)

Bev’s passing will leave a huge void in Dad’s life. Prayers for peace and guidance are welcomed. They shared a positive and loving 17 years together. We were all blessed by having Bev in our lives. Yahoo!!

Could someone in your church use a larger print Helping Hand?

2010-06-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

A Large Print edition of The Helping Hand in Bible Study is available to churches in the USA & Canada who subscribe to quarterly. If you would like to see what a lesson looks like in large print, download a copy of the lesson for this Sabbath, June 5, 2010 and print it. The edition is emailed to qualifying churches each quarter.

To request a copy for use in your church, please contact the Board of Christian Education and ask for a copy to be sent. If you cannot print a copy from the supplied PDF, let us know and a printed copy can be sent to you for a small fee to cover the cost of printing, packing, and mailing.

A new quarter for the Helping Hand in Bible Study began this week. The lessons explore Christian Commitment by studying passages from 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Philippians. The large print lesson linked above is the first lesson from this newly started quarter.

SDB Polity Summer Institute almost here

2010-06-02T09:46:00.002-05:00

Above are some of the books to be read for this class.

At least seven students will be participating in this year's Summer Institute which will be held June 14-25, at the SDB Center in Janesville, WI. At least five are serving SDB Churches as Pastors and Assistant Pastors, and two are seminary students.
Polity is a word that denotes the way an organization operates. For Seventh Day Baptists it is a congregational form of church government. We will look at other ways that churches are organized and discuss the pro's and con's of each.
The Biblical basis for polity will be discussed as well as the organization of the General Conference and other Associations.
Please pray for the students who have been reading and preparing for this class in advance.

Librarian-Historian to Participate in Panel Discussion at Mystic Seaport

2010-05-26T08:54:00.006-05:00

Next week, on June 1st and 2nd, the Librarian-Historian, Nick Kersten will participate in a scholarly panel discussion at the Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT, as the museum is reinterpreting part of their exhibit. The current Mystic Seaport grounds are built on what was once the SDB community of Greenmanville, a shipbuilding community founded by three Greenman brothers. On the grounds of the 'living' museum, all three brothers houses are preserved, as well as the Greenmanville Seventh Day Baptist church. Though the museum has included brief notes about the Greenman's SDB faith, they are looking to expand the Greenmanville portion of the museum to include more information about their faith and how it influenced their participation in the social issues of their day--especially the abolition movement.

The Greenmanville church, founded in 1850, was a headquarters of sorts for the abolitionist movement in that area, and included in it's statement of faith an article condemning slavery. (It reads, "11th--that Slavery is a violation of the principles of Christianity and therefore a sin against God.") The original records of the church are currently a part of the museum's library, the G.W. Blunt White Library. (A copy of the records are also a part of the Historical Society's archive.)

Please pray for successful panel discussions as Nick represents the Historical Society and Seventh Day Baptists, and that the final result of these meetings will faithfully represent both the history of Seventh Day Baptists and that of the Greenmanville community for future visitors to the Seaport!

Youth Issue hits the Web!

2010-05-25T12:28:00.004-05:00

This year’s edition of the SDB Youth SR can now be viewed on-line.

Dakota Watt, our intrepid Beacon editor, gathered some great articles from Gabriela Alonzo, Amanda Brown, Timothy Lawton, Emily Watt and Rachel King. Also included are a couple of tributes to Weston McNeilus from Dodge Center, who recently succumbed to a rare form of cancer at age 20.

PLUS: more tidbits and teasers for our annual Conference, restoration of our oldest SDB meetinghouse, and why is Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill??

Click here to read the latest News for and about Seventh Day Baptists.

Dodge Center ordains Billy Edwards

2010-05-24T15:47:00.013-05:00

Towards the end of the Sabbath, May 22nd, peopled gathered at the meetinghouse of the Dodge Center SDB Church to ordain Billy Edwards. His ordination council had been held February 13.
Following a time of worship and praise, Pastor Dale Rood greeted those gathered, read scripture and affirmed the prior action of the ordination council and the church.
Pastor George Calhoun, from Milton, WI, presented the ordination sermon, noting towards the end that Billy's calling and ministry is in counseling which he is doing through Nehemiah Family Services there in Dodge Center.
Rev J. Paul Green, who was the COM Dean while Billy was in seminary and taking Summer Institutes, presented the charge to the candidate and I, (Gordon Lawton) presented the charge to the church.
Pastor Calhoun led out in the prayer of ordination and Pastor Rood welcomed Billy to the ministry. Billy closed the service with a Benediction.
A reception followed in the Church social hall where an ordination certificate was presented.

Top: Billy Edwards
L: Billy and Pastor Dale Rood
R: Sheila and Billy Edwards

A 'Dead' day at the Museum

2010-05-24T11:17:00.005-05:00

Looking for something “cool” to do on a hot Sunday in Wisconsin, Janet and I decided to head to the Milwaukee Public Museum to take in the traveling exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A generous church friend had asked if we were interested in going and sent me a check to cover the admission cost. Thank you, Laura!

Now, no one cared to tell us that it was also commencement day for Marquette University (so 2,000 graduates and their families were vying for parking spaces downtown…). But once we settled in to a nearby parking garage we were soon learning all about the history of the Qumran community near the Dead Sea, and the “chance” discovery of the first of many Biblical and extra-Biblical scrolls found in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Probably the most interesting was the very faithful reproduction of the 24-foot scroll of Isaiah. A young Bible scholar (and trained photographer) John Trever–also the first American to see the scrolls–was given permission to photograph that precious document in 1948. And he had to do it under some adverse physical and technical conditions. Those pictures remain as the most detailed images of the original.

Janet loved the fact that some later manuscripts (upon which many Bible translations relied) were the same as these more ancient finds. God had preserved the integrity of His Word.

I’m not sure where the display heads next, but if you’re in the Milwaukee area you still have a couple of weeks to see it. I heard other people say that the Milwaukee exhibit surpassed the one hosted in Chicago, with much more information and “build-up” before presenting some of the actual scroll fragments. It was an interesting and faith-affirming day at the museum.

Limited Time Offer!

2010-05-21T15:09:00.003-05:00

As many of the loyal readers of the blog are aware, the Historical Society keeps SDB-related materials for our archives, so that they will be available for generations to come for study and reflection. What some of you might not know is that the Society also has SDB-related materials that are donated to us that we redistribute back to interested SDB's and SDB churches!

Recently, the Society received a large collection of SDB Yearbooks from the middle part of the last century. Some of the volumes are a bit scuffed up, but they all are full volumes, with no pages missing and would be good for completing a collection with a hole in it! The collection included yearbooks from 1920-1957, 1960-1964, 1966-1970, and 1972. Because the Society's own collection of yearbooks during this period is complete (and our back-up sets are too!), we are offering these yearbooks to anyone interested for a limited time on a first-come, first-served basis. If you or your church is looking to complete your own collection of Seventh Day Baptist Yearbooks, please contact us by email (sdbhist@seventhdaybaptist.org) or by phone (608) 752-5055, to make arrangements for the yearbooks you desire to be sent to you! Please note that depending on the number of volumes you would like or how you would like them sent, you may need to be prepared to pay for the postage of the items.

Any yearbooks remaining by the end of our coming General Conference sessions will be 'filed' permanently away where they will be difficult to recover, so let us know soon if you are interested!

Successful Historical Society Meetings!

2010-05-20T11:20:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, May 15 and 16, the Seventh Day Baptist Historical Society held its Board of Directors and Society Annual meetings at the SDB Center in Janesville.

The Board of Directors (pictured above during the 2009 meetings--Janet Thorngate, Salem, WV; Judy Parrish, Battle Creek, MI; Norma MacLuskie, Newport News, VA; Ruth Burdick, Seattle, WA; and Paul Green, Milton, WI) held their meetings after the Sabbath on the 15th and before and after the Society's Annual meeting on Sunday the 16th. The Board reviewed all the business of the Society for 2009 and so far in 2010, set priorities for the remainder of 2010 and 2011 and began setting out a strategic plan for 2011 to 2015. In addition to this review of the Society's business, the Board also prepared a budget and conducted performance reviews of the Society's employees. Though the meetings are always filled--reviewing all the Society's work in a few short hours is tough--the meetings were a productive time of fellowship and work.

The Society's 2010 Annual Meeting was held at 2:00pm on Sunday the 16th. At the meeting, the Society formally inducted 12 new life members (!), as well as adopting the 2009 Annual Report, which will be printed in the 2010 General Conference Yearbook. Updates were given for the members in attendance about the ongoing work of the Society. In addition, the Society voted to adopt a new vision statement: "Remembering our past to inform the present and envision the future." The Society voted to make a revised version of the Society purpose statement the Society's new mission statement. Elections for officer positions, the re-election of Janet Thorngate for a 5-year term as a director of the Society, and the 2010-2011 nominating committee were also held. A brief presentation was also made about the SDB presence at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and how history is often the cobbling together of scraps of information. A time of fellowship followed the meeting.

We are grateful for the support of Seventh Day Baptists for the continued ministry of remembering our history. We thank those of you who prayed for our meetings--your prayers were answered! Please continue to pray for the work of the Society in the months ahead. If you would like to be added to an email list to receive specific prayer items for the Society's work, please send us an email (sdbhist@seventhdaybaptist.org) with your request to be added!

Conference speakers named

2010-05-18T13:14:00.003-05:00

At the risk of upstaging our own June Sabbath Recorder (available on-line early next week, Lord willing) here's a preview of President Paul Andries' list of Conference speakers he has lined up:

• Morning Bible Studies
Monday: Pastor JoAnne Kandel, Hebron, Pa.
“Diverse Ministries for Diverse Needs”
Tuesday: Minister Dusty Mackintosh
Seminary Student, Thornton, Colo.
“We’re Stewards of the Ministry, Not Lords”
Wednesday: Pastor Kory Geske, Battle Creek, Mich.
“Jesus: The Example of Ministry”
Thursday: Pastor Derrick Thomas, Guyana SDB
Member at Queens, N.Y.
“The Ministry of Mentoring”
Friday: Pastor David Taylor, Mitchellville, Md.
“Senior Servants: The Voice of Reason in Ministry”

• Evening Services
Sunday: Pastor Helmer Umana, Arlington, Va.
“The Ministry Is the Lord’s”
Monday: Pastor Ericessen Cooper, Brooklyn, N.Y.
“The Lord Calls to the Ministry”
Tuesday: Pastor Steven James, Verona, N.Y.
“Off the Sideline, Into the Game”
Wednesday: Pastor Dale Rood, Dodge Center, Minn.
“The Seasons of Servanthood: Knowing When to Step Down”
Thursday: Minister Jamaal Fyffe
Seminary Student, Toronto, Canada
“Young People in Ministry”
Friday: Pastor Alvin Bernard, Decatur, Ga.
“Servants Minister to God”

• Sabbath Worship
Pastor Paul R. Andries, Washington, D.C.
“When God’s Servants Realize the Blessings of Shared Ministry”

Our annual General Conference meets July 25-31 at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. You may register on-line at our website, or see the May Sabbath Recorder for registration forms.

Link for Radio Debate fixed (I hope)

2010-05-13T10:43:00.003-05:00

There were a bunch of frustrated people yesterday, trying to listen to the second installment of the radio debate "Saturday or Sunday: Which Day is the Christian Sabbath?"

The web-link to hear WNYG radio was changed, and we weren't notified until late afternoon on Wednesday. Apparently the webmaster for "Iron Sharpens Iron" was also in the dark since the link at the top of their page went to the old URL.

Lord willing, you should be able to listen to Rev. Rod Henry and Dr. Sam Waldron have their first point-counterpoint discussion today at 6:00 pm (eastern). Again, go to www.sharpens.org and click on the brown box at the top of the page. That should take you directly to the radio stream. In case there are problems, click here or type http://www.unored.com/canticonuevo.asx into your browser and listen in. (If you click in before 6:00, you will hear some Spanish programming; "Iron Sharpens Iron" is the station's only English-speaking program.) They will NOT be taking calls today or tomorrow.

May the Lord receive the glory and honor for this media outreach for the Sabbath and Seventh Day Baptists.

New Link for Online Sabbath Debate!

2010-05-12T17:13:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that today's portion of the Sabbath debate on the the radio program "Iron Sharpens Iron" has been changed! If you'd like to listen to the debate, please click either the title of this entry, or type: http://www.unored.com/canticonuevo.asx in your browser (or click the address above)!

As was the case with Pastor Rod Henry's presentation last night, the entire presentation will be available on mp3 after the completion of the presentation. Listen and get the "Sunday as the Christian Sabbath position."

Open your Bible, click the link, and get informed!

The Sabbath that Jesus Kept

2010-05-12T13:09:00.002-05:00

“The Sabbath that Jesus Kept” is the theme for this year’s Sabbath Renewal Day, sponsored by the Tract and Communication Council. Pastor John Pethtel, chair of our Sabbath Promotion Committee, gathered this year’s support material. Those packets have been mailed to the churches.

Many of our SDB churches plan to celebrate Sabbath Renewal Day this coming Sabbath, May 15. If you haven’t received the worship materials, there is still time to have them e-mailed to you. (There are no printed bulletin covers this year.)

If you’d like the Renewal Day packet of Word documents, please contact us at media@seventhdaybaptist.org and have a blessed Sabbath—this and every week!

Radio program starts today!

2010-05-11T14:21:00.004-05:00

Well, today's the day! We are anticipating and praying for the first of four programs on radio station WNYG-1440. "Iron Sharpens Iron," hosted by Chris Arnzen, will present "Saturday or Sunday: Which Day is the Christian Sabbath? A Debate Between Baptists."

Today at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time), our own Rev. Rod Henry will present the case for the seventh-day Sabbath. On Wednesday, Dr. Sam Waldren will talk about the Sunday-keeping perspective. Both men will be on the air Thursday and Friday.

The program will be streamed live on the web. For instructions on how to tune in, see our blog entry of May 7.

Rez Connection looking for more helpers

2010-05-10T14:02:00.003-05:00

The Rez Connection project for June is still looking for last-minute participants.

The mission to Native Americans in South Dakota has four adults and three youth planning on participating, with another four adults considering it.

Mission coordinator Patty Petersen would love to have more join in. The mission is for one-to-three weeks beginning on June 13. More details are in the March and April Sabbath Recorders.

The photo shows Pastor Chet Marks helping Native American school children to pot marigold seedlings, developing their interest in gardening. (The kids’ faces are obscured for their protection on the Web.)

Patty’s phone number is 720-320-3418. and her e-mail is ppetersen57@hotmail.com.

Radio debate moved to Tues-Friday

2010-05-07T12:42:00.005-05:00

Due to a scheduling conflict, the radio debate “Saturday or Sunday: What is the Christian Sabbath?” between Rev. Rodney Henry (from our church in Thornton, Colo.) and Dr. Sam Woldren of the Midwest Center for Theological Studies has been moved to May 11-14. (That’s Tuesday thru Friday instead of Mon–Thurs.)

The radio program is called “Iron Sharpens Iron,” hosted by Chris Arnzen in New York City. Chris broadcasts the only English-speaking program on WNYG, a station that’s part of the “Radio Cantico Nuevo” Spanish network.

If you’re in the New York City area, tune in from 6:00-7:00 p.m. each evening to station WNYG, 1440 on the AM dial. The broadcast will also be live-streamed from their station. Here’s how you can listen:

Go to www.sharpens.org. After reading about the program’s participants, click on the box near the top of the page that invites you to “Click Here to Listen Live.” When you get to the radio network’s site (www.rcnam.com), you’ll see four options of radio stations. Make sure you click on the circle that says “Long Island, 1440AM.” Your computer should load the player program and you can start listening.

You will hear some Spanish if you tune in early, but Lord willing, "Iron Sharpens Iron" will be on at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Rod Henry will be featured on Tuesday, Sam Woldren on Wednesday, and both men engaging in an informational debate on Thursday and Friday. All of the programs will take calls from listeners.

If you can’t listen to the program live on the internet, you can go to www.sharpens.org and download an MP3 recording of the programs. You can also go to that webpage and download last week’s interview (April 28) by Kevin Butler and Nick Kersten about Seventh Day Baptists.

Please be in prayer that the Lord will honor and bless these great opportunities!

Time to Pray

2010-05-06T08:44:00.004-05:00

From the National Day of Prayer website:

Why Pray?
Prayer has always been used in this country for guidance, protection and strength—even before we were a nation or a handful of colonies. The Pilgrims at Plymouth relied on prayer during their first and darkest winter. Our founding fathers also called for prayer during the Constitutional Congress. In their eyes, our recently created nation and freedoms were a direct gift from God. And being a gift from God, there was only one way to ensure protection—through prayer.

(Click on the link above for more background on prayer.)

And from Jean Jorgensen on Facebook:

No ocean can hold it back.
No river can overtake it.
No whirlwind can go faster.
No army can defeat it.
No law can stop it.
No distance can slow it.
No disease can cripple it.
No force on earth is more powerful or effective than the power of prayer.
—Linn Carlson, DaySpring writer

Please join together on this National Day of Prayer and lift up our country and our leaders before the Throne of Grace.

Could Jordan River dry up next year?

2010-05-05T07:18:00.003-05:00

from Daniel Estrin, Associated Press

QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank — Christian pilgrims who flock to the Jordan River to immerse themselves in the water where Jesus was baptized may have nothing left to dunk in next year.

A team of Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian environmental scientists says large stretches of the biblical river could dry up by 2011. And much of what remains is nothing but a canal of sewage, they said in a report released Monday.

"You can almost jump across this river. In other places, you don't need to even jump — you can just cross it. It's ankle deep," said Gidon Bromberg, Israeli director of Friends of the Earth Middle East, the organization that commissioned the report. "You struggle to see the water."

Sadly, it is one of the efforts to save the river that has helped doom it, the report said. Israel and Jordan have agreed to stop dumping waste into the river and instead treat it in plants expected to be up and running in both countries in 2011.
But if no wastewater enters the lower Jordan — the river's largest section — then no water will flow in it at all, the report notes.

According to Christian tradition, John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Typical of the region's conflicting land claims, both Jordan and Israel maintain the New Testament baptismal site stands on their soil, and the sites face each other on either side of the Jordan.

For entire article, click here.

Women's Board meets in Tomah, WI

2010-05-03T10:48:00.008-05:00

The SDB Women's Board met at Perkins Restaurant in Tomah, WI, on the evening of May 1st after the North Central Association Women's Retreat. This is a point roughly half-way between Dodge Center, MN, and Milton, WI, and some Board members not present at the retreat were able to drive to this point for the meeting.
Action items included the following:
(1) Approval of the new Women's Board logo (to be unveiled at Conference)

(2) Voted that $10,000 of income from the Larry Graffius fund be given to COM for ministerial education.

(3) Voted to help raise funds for ministerial education...fundraising campaign to be developed with other Boards and Agencies through our Alliance in Ministry.
Other topics of discussion included SCSC, Tuition Fund, the Robe of Achievement and the Conference Women's Banquet.

Women's Board President Althea Rood

Religious Freedom panel criticizes current, past administrations

2010-05-03T10:42:00.003-05:00

by Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- A bipartisan federal panel charged with monitoring religious-freedom questions worldwide blasted current and past administrations--Republican and Democratic alike-- for underemphasizing religious liberty in foreign policy.

In releasing its annual report on April 29, the independent United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) took particular aim at President Obama--for a perceived softening of his rhetoric on religious liberty and for failing to name an ambassador for international religious freedom.

The report also re-suggested the same 13 nations the panel recommended last year to the administration to be deemed “Countries of Particular Concern,” or CPCs, for particularly egregious violations of religious freedom. They are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

In addition, the panel named 12 nations to a “watch list” for countries in danger of crossing over into CPC territory under the terms of the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, which established the commission. They are Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela.

Critical of inaction
The report was highly critical of the three administrations--those of Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton--that have operated since the panel came into existence for not doing enough to take advantage of its recommendations.

“USCIRF’s mandate is to delve into the human-rights ‘hot spots’ of the world where freedom of religion is being obstructed and trampled, and to offer policy solutions to improve conditions in that small but critically important point of intersection of foreign policy, national security, and international religious-freedom standards,” the report said.

“Regrettably, that small point seems to shrink year after year for the White House and the State Department. This is a deepening problem despite the fact that religious freedom should be increasingly more important as one of the core considerations in foreign policy and national security.”

For example, the report noted, neither the Bush nor Obama administrations designated as CPCs five countries the commission has repeatedly recommended for such status: Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkemenistan and Vietnam.

In addition, the nations that have been deemed CPCs by the State Department have rarely received any additional U.S. sanctions as a result. Instead, U.S. officials have chosen to simply remain with sanctions already placed on those countries for other reasons--an option the law that created the designation allows, but one that USCIRF members say the State Department has over-used.

For the full story, click here.

Iron sharpened on the radio

2010-04-29T13:58:00.006-05:00

According to our Facebook fans, we did okay yesterday!

The live radio interview (via the phone) on radio station WNYG on Long Island allowed local listeners, and who-knows-how-many more on the web, gain a basic introduction to Seventh Day Baptists. Chris Arnzen, host of the program “Iron Sharpens Iron” interviewed Nick Kersten and myself, giving us a chance to discuss our history and beliefs.

Arnzen and several callers posed some questions that led to a good, overall discussion. While we were off the air, Chris said he appreciated the upbeat spirit of the program. I pray that the Lord was pleased as well.

This interview served as a prelude to a special four-day series coming up May 10-13. Our own Rod Henry will participate in a Sabbath-or-Sunday debate on this same venue. Please be in prayer for Rod as he prepares, that the Lord will give him the right words and that He would open up new opportunities for ministry. Those programs will run from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. eastern time.

If you want to hear Wednesday’s program, go to "www.sharpens.org." Under the listing for Wednesday, April 28, you’ll see our names and the show’s title, Seventh Day Baptists: Their History and Beliefs. As soon as you stop laughing at my picture (taken about 10 years ago), right above it you can click on the “MP3 Available Here” link. If you have the proper media player, you’ll be able to listen to the entire program. (You’ll hear about 3 minutes of Spanish music and talk at the beginning, followed by about 9 minutes of introductions and commercials. Then comes the grand introduction of a couple of nail-biting SDBs, wondering when we’d have the chance to talk!)

Enjoy! You can send your feedback to our Facebook pages at Nicholas Kersten or Sabbath Recorder.

May SR: Time to register!!

2010-04-27T09:19:00.004-05:00

The latest issue of The Sabbath Recorder is available on-line here. Our features include the “Top Ten Reasons Why I Keep the Sabbath” by Pastor Steve Osborn of Boulder, Colorado, and a Sabbath testimony from Joan Holder of the Paint Rock, Alabama church.

Our usual department pages are filled with helpful information, and this month marks the return of something we ran over 20 years ago: the “Pastor Profile.” Steve Graffius is “Mr. May.” (Sorry, Steve. And even sorrier, Emily. At least it’s a good picture of Emily. Oh, and the kids. Steve’s in there, too.)

Traditionally, the May Recorder means that the Conference registration forms are out—and this year is no different. You can print out those forms and mail them in, or you can register on-line by clicking here. There is an on-line discount if you register on-line by June 30. Remember, you don’t have to pay until you get to the campus.

General Conference will be here before we know it, July 25-31 at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Join us as “Servants Together in God’s Ministry.”

SDBs to hit the airwaves

2010-04-26T12:52:00.004-05:00

Librarian-Historian Nick Kersten and I have the opportunity to talk about Seventh Day Baptists during a live call-in radio interview this coming Wednesday (April 28).

The program is called “Iron Sharpens Iron,” hosted by Chris Arnzen in New York City. Chris broadcasts the only English-speaking program on WNYG, a station that’s part of the “Radio Cantico Nuevo” Spanish network.

If you’re in the New York City area, tune in from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday to station WNYG, 1440 on the AM dial.
The broadcast will also be live-streamed from their station. Here’s how you can listen:

Go to www.sharpens.org. A box near the top of the page will invite you to “Click Here to Listen Live.” When you get to the radio network’s site (www.rcnam.com), you’ll see four options of radio stations. Make sure you click on the circle that says “Long Island, 1440AM.”

You may hear some Spanish if you tune in early, but Lord willing, Nick, Chris and I will be on at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern time).

This is all a prelude to an on-air informational debate about the Sabbath between Rev. Rodney Henry (from our church in Thornton, Colo.) and Dr. Sam Woldren. That series of programs will air May 10-13. (More details to follow.) Please be in prayer for these great opportunities!

Obama opposes prayer ruling

2010-04-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

From Bob Allen, Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- The U.S. Justice Department announced April 22 it would appeal a federal court ruling that the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional.

White House attorneys filed a notice of appeal in U.S. District Court for western Wisconsin challenging District Judge Barbara Crabb's April 15 ruling that in mandating a National Day of Prayer Congress violated the Constitution's Establishment Clause.

Advocates of the separation of church and state hailed the ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, while those who read the First Amendment more narrowly decried it as an attack on religion. Richard Land of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention called it an "egregious and revealing decision" that he said "shows the brooding hostility toward religion that exists at some levels of federal, state and local government in this country."

The White House said previously that despite the ruling President Obama intends to recognize a National Day of Prayer, as every president has done since 1952, on May 6.

Baptist leaders applaud Advisory Council

2010-04-21T15:07:00.001-05:00

From Jeff Huett of the BJC.

WASHINGTON — Religious leaders representing the Baptist denominations and groups that comprise the Baptist Joint Committee have joined to applaud the work of a 25-member advisory council created by the President to help the administration partner more effectively with private groups — including religious ones— that provide social services.

In an April 7 letter to President Barack Obama, BJC Executive Director J. Brent Walker explained that the BJC has long affirmed both of the First Amendment’s religion clauses — no establishment and free exercise. He then acknowledged the propriety “of government and religious organizations carefully cooperating in non-financial ways and, even financially, through a separately incorporated religiously affiliated organization, which does not proselytize, require religious worship or discriminate on the basis or religion in hiring.”

“All of this background is to suggest we think the Advisory Council has done a remarkable job in balancing these considerations, exercising a lot of common sense, and upholding constitutional principles that are so important to protecting religious liberty,” Walker wrote.

The Advisory Council approved 12 specific recommendations made by a task force charged with reforming the faith-based office to strengthen the constitutional and legal footing of public-private partnerships. Specifically, it urged clarifying the prohibited uses of direct financial assistance, providing guidance on the protection of religious identity while providing social services and assuring the religious liberty rights of clients and beneficiaries of federal social service funds.

Among the 15 Baptist executives endorsing the letter was Robert Appel, Executive Director of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference.

Apollo 13 and the Gospel

2010-04-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

An opinion piece by David Wilkinson, Executive Director of Associated Baptist Press

April 17 marks the 40th anniversary of the splashdown of Apollo 13. It was a happy ending to a nearly disastrous and tragic mission. It was also a tribute to the bravery of the three-member crew and the ingenuity and teamwork of the crew, flight controllers and support personnel who brought the crippled spacecraft home.

Twenty-five years later, the events of the "successful failure" of Apollo 13 were dramatized in the movie by the same title. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, the movie has ranked among my favorites since the first time I saw it. Film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie as "a powerful story ... told with great clarity and remarkable technical detail, and acted without pumped-up histrionics." I have always been amazed by the creative genius of director Ron Howard and his ability to create tension and suspense in retelling a story to an audience that already knew the outcome.

Howard's remarkable ability as a storyteller has also provided a spiritual lesson for me. It is a reminder of the challenge that confronts every preacher, Sunday-school teacher, Bible-study leader or spiritual formation small-group facilitator: How does one take the well-worn stories of Scripture and retell and recast them in ways that are interesting and compelling? How do we, living this side of Easter and the empty tomb, retell the story of Jesus in fresh and imaginative ways to an audience that already knows the outcome?

Click here for the rest of the story.

Conference workshops planned

2010-04-16T12:04:00.002-05:00

Conference President Paul Andries has lined up a number of workshops for this year’s annual gathering (July 25-31 in Springfield, Missouri).

• “Healthy Choices for Abundant Living”
Barb Green

• “Finding Waldo” (God’s call)
Gordon Lawton

• “Finding the Sandbox [Career] God Designed You to Play In”
Jane Mackintosh

• “Discovering the Marriage of Your Dreams”
Perry Cain

• “What Makes a Christian Marriage Work? (and How Does the World Interfere?)”
Rod Noel

More details about each workshop will be featured in the May Sabbath Recorder. Conference registration forms will be in there as well! Conference is coming!!

Sabbath Renewal Day-- May 15

2010-04-15T14:38:00.002-05:00

Some folks have asked us when this year's Sabbath Renewal Day is. Our suggested date is May 15, and the emphasis this year is "The Sabbath that Jesus Kept."

Many of our local churches participate on that date (usually the third Sabbath in May), but it is up to their schedule and preference. This year there will not be any special bulletin covers, but the packets going to each church will include a Sabbath sermon, the Conference President's Sabbath testimony, worship helps, a children's sermon and an "archive" sermon.

While each Sabbath should be a day of renewal for us all, we do take this one Sabbath to emphasize God's gift in our lives. Let's celebrate together "the Sabbath that Jesus kept."

Landmark Registry trumps automony?

2010-04-15T10:11:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Associated Baptist Press

Preservationist cites need to protect structure
By Barbara O’Brien, The Buffalo News

Congregation members have told a Hamburg (N.Y.) village commission exactly why First Baptist Church should not be named a local landmark. The action, they said, violates their property rights and feels like government interference in running the church at 116 Main St.

But the Historic Preservation Commission has designated the building, which dates to 1836, a village landmark.

“That building is extremely important, both architecturally and from a historical [background],” said Damon Ayer, commission chairman, adding that the building, one of the oldest in the village, remains largely intact and similar to the original structure.
The designation “also provides some level of protection in the future to make sure that building remains,” Ayer said.

The state has listed buildings that might qualify for landmark designation, and the preservation commission has targeted the top five, Ayer said, including sites in the village business district and village neighborhoods. The local designation can be the first step toward state and federal designations, and structures receiving the federal designation are eligible for a number of grants, he said.

That’s strike one as far as the church is concerned. The Baptist church does not believe in taking taxpayer money, said the Rev. Kevin M. Leary, pastor of First Baptist.
“We believe in a strong separation of church and state. That’s in our history,” he said. “There’s absolutely no benefit for us.”

The designation also brings oversight by the commission, Ayer said.
“We are just concerned with the exterior of the building,” he said. “We’re not going to come in and tell you you have to paint your bathroom blue.”

But village code does allow the commission to determine the color on the exterior.

Click here for the complete story.

4 in 10 Unchurched Hurt by Church

2010-04-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

From Bob Allen of the Associated Baptist Press

(Ventura, Calif.) Nearly four of every 10 "unchurched" Americans avoid worship because of negative past experiences in churches or with church people, according to new research by The Barna Group.

The research firm that tracks the role of faith in America and provides ministry resources said that while many churches place high value on attracting people who do not participate in the life of a church, the unchurched may be different than they expect.

Rather than being "lost," or without faith, 61 percent of non-attending adults label themselves as "Christian." That's lower than the 83 percent of all Americans who self-identify as Christians, but it still outnumbers by a 3-2 margin the 39 percent of unchurched who do not embrace Christianity.

Instead of being foreigners to church culture, a majority of the unchurched (53 percent) have distanced themselves from being Protestant or Catholic but at one time were associated with one of those groups. Thirty-seven percent said they stopped going because of painful experiences in a church setting.

Barna's data indicates that 28 percent of adults have not attended any church services or activities within the last six months. That translates to nearly 65 million adults. Adding children under 18 who may be living with them, the number swells to 100 million. If the unchurched population of the United States were a nation of its own, it would be the 12th most-populous nation on Earth.

Barna says the demographics of the group also defy common assumptions. There are more unchurched women than men. Boomers and their elders outnumber the young. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to be unchurched, and whites outnumber minorities nearly 3-1.

Click here for the full story.

Documentary warns: "Beware of Christians"

2010-04-12T12:28:00.004-05:00

From the Associated Baptist Press

Will Bakke, director and executive producer of Beware of Christians, recognizes the provocative title of his new documentary will raise some eyebrows. He hopes it also will raise consciousness about what radical commitment to Christ really means.

"The idea is to beware of Christians like us who never really have known what it means to follow Christ,” said Bakke, a senior film major at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Beware of Christians marks Bakke’s second major documentary. The first, One Nation Under God, chronicled his five-week journey through the United States with three friends, asking people they encountered questions like, “Who do you think Jesus Christ is?” and, “What do you think happens when you die?”

The new production follows a similar format, with Bakke and three friends making a journey of discovery, this time through Europe.

But in Beware of Christians, the story centers primarily on self-discovery -- the story of four college guys who grew up in Texas seeking answers to their own questions about what being a Christian means.

For the full story, click here.

'Baptist World' E-zine online

2010-04-08T07:59:00.003-05:00

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

Included in the "32 pages of news and information about the Baptist family around the world" is coverage of BWAid workers helping victims of the Haiti earthquake.

The Folded Napkin

2010-04-07T10:53:00.004-05:00

Interesting story for this post-Resurrection season. Source unknown.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.
She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him." Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first.
He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. (John 20:1-7)

Is that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done."
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because....

The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

He is Coming Back!

2010 Directory is here!

2010-04-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

The latest SDB Directory is back from the printer--with an eye-catching goldenrod cover! The Directory lists all of our Conference churches and contact information, our Conference-elected officers, Statement of Belief, By-Laws, and much more.

The 2010 Directory is still just $7.50, plus $1.50 for shipping and handling. If you need multiple copies, please e-mail us or call the SDB Center at 608-752-5055.

April Foolishness

2010-04-01T11:41:00.004-05:00

Happy April Fool's Day!
I did a search on April Fool's devotionals and found some good ones. Here's how today's entry ends from the on-line ministry Laced with Grace:

Sweet friend, God wants to pour out His wisdom on us (James 1). He doesn’t want us to be foolish, but wise. He wants to lead us in the way of wisdom. God wants us to search for His Wisdom, His ways... trusting Him. He wants us to be surrendered to HIS WAY. He wants our hearts to be soft and pliable... teachable. And, oh the pain I could have spared myself if I just would have ASKED God and followed Him, instead of foolishly going my own way.

Father God, I love You! Thank You that You so generously pour out Your Wisdom on me. Thank You that You “give Wisdom to anyone who asks and that You give it generously.” Lord, I see that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Lord, grow in me the “fear of the Lord!” Lord, make my heart soft and teachable... pliable. Lord, give me such a DESIRE for Your Wisdom! Father, I confess the foolishness of my heart! And, God, I thank You for Your forgiveness for the times when I have been so foolish. Your grace is amazing. I love You, Lord! In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Women’s Society Robe of Achievement

2010-03-31T08:57:00.003-05:00

The deadline for Robe of Achievement nominations is today, March 31, 2010.
If you have a woman that you would like to nominate, please email your nomination resume to Karen Payne at karen.payne1127@gmail.com or apply online at www.sdbwomen.org.
Please consider a woman in your church who meets the following criteria for nomination:

* Was/is active as a volunteer in some phase of denominational effort
* Has shown evidence of special service with her family and/or community
* Must be a committed Christian
* Must be an active member of a local Seventh Day Baptist Church

A complete resume must be submitted containing a life history, including her achievements and activities. Without a resume in hand, the committee cannot make a competent choice among many nominees. If an individual has been nominated before, and you still want that person considered, please resubmit that name as well as the updated resume.

2010 SCSC teams placed

2010-03-29T10:18:00.004-05:00

The SCSC Committee is happy to announce the placement of this year’s team members (13 ‘vets’ and 4 rookies) for the 2010 Summer Christian Service Corps. Training will be at Camp Wakonda in Milton, Wis., starting June 16. The six projects will run through the week of Conference in late July.

List includes Project Site (and Project Director)
With team members (and home church)
•Battle Creek, MI
(Samantha Fick, PD):
Jonathan Lawson (Colton), Jessica Patterson (Salemville), Lauren Telford (Texarkana)
•Colton, CA
(Sandy Lawson, PD):
Elizabeth Camenga (Milton), Dorothy Noel (Alfred Station), Jasmine Patterson (Salemville)
•Milton, WI
(Kecia Thompsongordon, PD):
Katie Brown (Texarkana), Katrina Goodrich (North Loup), David Pottinger (Southeast Atlanta).
•New Auburn, WI
(Wayne North, PD):
Daniel Lovelace (Southeast Atlanta), Christopher Zema (Berlin).
•Seattle, WA
(Ruth Burdick, PD):
Amanda Brown (Texarkana), Micayla Neher (Dodge Center), Jonathan Pradetto (Riverside).
•West Palm Beach, FL
(Jennifer Dixon, PD):
Jackson Butler (Milton), Sarah Lawton (Pataskala), Lena Parrish (New Auburn).

SCSC Training Staff:
Pastor Steve Osborn, Training Director
Helen Goodrich, Pastor Andrew Camenga, Kris North, Pastor Kory Geske

For more information about SCSC, go to the SDB Women's Board website.

T.I.M.E. begins in Brazil

2010-03-26T10:17:00.004-05:00

The Brazilian T.I.M.E Program (Training In Ministry by Extension) began successfully on February 13 and 14 at a seminar in Porto União, Santa Catarina.

This first meeting introduced the students to the program's overall methodology and schedule. Pastor Jonas Sommer, working full-time on this project as principal of the Seventh Day Baptist Biblical Institute in Brazil, began by witnessing about his response to God’s call into the ministry. He also shared his current faith adventure.

For Jonas’ complete report with more pictures, go to the SDB World Federation website.

April SR on-line

2010-03-24T14:28:00.003-05:00

The April 2010 Sabbath Recorder has hit the newsstands—electronically, that is.

This month’s features address the topic of “Blended Families.” Marriage and family counselor Perry Cain promotes emotional safety in relationships, Pastor John Pethtel leads a study on Joseph’s dysfunctional family, and church member Mike Graves describes life with four grandkids in the house.

In local news, both the Little Rock church and Jersey Oaks Camp mark their 50th anniversary, and the Berlin, N.Y., church sanctuary undergoes an extreme makeover.

Planning for Conference? More details are included plus the list of this year’s Host Committee. Click here for “news for and about Seventh Day Baptists”!

Pre-Con with King Jesus!

2010-03-23T12:45:00.009-05:00

Housed on the campus of Evangel College in Springfield, MO, the 2010 Young Adult PreCon will be a great opportunity to worship God, to pray with friends from across the continent, to spend time with people you've never met, to relax from a summer of hard work, and to ponder some of what God reveals about himself.

Pastor John Pethtel is directing, and Pastor Dave Stall, Jen Stall, and Nick Kersten will provide additional leadership during the event. At least one more encouraging person will be added to the staff.

The focus of the PreCon will be on King Jesus! and the time of discussion will work to ask and answer the question, "Why is Jesus King?" and then to explore the implications of Jesus as King.

Are you ready to attend? Registration information will be available in the May Sabbath Recorder.

New exec for BH&H Society

2010-03-23T10:55:00.003-05:00

Seventh Day Baptists have worked closely with the Baptist History and Heritage Society, presenting papers at their annual gatherings. Recent presenters have included Doug Clarke, Nick Kersten, and Pat Bancroft. The Associated Baptist Press ran this story about the Society's new executive director.

Bruce Gourley, a historian and online editor of Baptists Today, has been named executive director of the Baptist History and Heritage Society, effective April 1.

He succeeds Charles Deweese, the first executive director of the society that has operated independently since a restructuring of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1995, who retired last October.

The society, which relies on contributions and proceeds from the sale of resources for revenue, has struggled financially since early in 2009. Society president Mike Williams said while finances are improved -- thanks largely to fund-raising by interim leader Walter Shurden -- Gourley will work part time from his home near Bozeman, Mont., and make trips to Atlanta, where the society's offices are located, when needed.

"He is an accomplished writer and Baptist historian," Williams said of Gourley. "He also has an entrepreneurial spirit and the technological skills to lead the society in the 21st century. He shows a willingness to be a fund-raiser and to network with Baptists who can help us financially. I feel confident that Bruce has many of the skills that we need to lead us and that he will work hard to learn the other skills that he needs."

Gourley, former associate director of Mercer University's Center for Baptist Studies, may be better known in broader Baptist life as an Internet entrepreneur who created and owns the discussion forums at BaptistLife.com. He said he was honored by his selection and looking forward to his new job.

"As an independent organization devoted to preserving and retelling the four-centuries-old Baptist story against a global backdrop, the Baptist History and Heritage Society occupies a unique and important place in Baptist life," he said. "By focusing on the collective wisdom of our common past as Baptists, the society assists in interpreting Baptist life today and preparing for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow."

Gourley, a graduate of Mercer University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Ph.D. in history from Auburn University, is the author of three books.

The Latest from Ad Hoc 2

2010-03-22T10:59:00.003-05:00

An e-mail update from Susie Fox:

Ad Hoc Committee Work Continues

On some quiet Saturday evenings, the five members of the ad hoc committee for denominational restructuring have met at the SDB Center in Janesville – in October, December, and again in March. The committee continues to move forward, with many thanks to all who participated in the survey used to collect input from local churches, Board and Agency officers, and General Council members during the end of 2009. The candid feedback received has been very useful.

The committee’s goal is to create a denominational structure that can efficiently and transparently serve the churches in local ministry as well as accomplishing those things beyond the capacity of the local church. At no point has the committee contemplated any proposal that would in any way affect the independence of local Seventh Day Baptist congregations.

The ad hoc committee has defined the following Guiding Principles as a basis for its evaluation and future recommendations:

• We believe the purpose of the denomination boards, agencies, & executives is to provide value and assistance to the local churches.
• Meeting the needs of the local church should drive the actions of the denomination – not the other way around.
• Involvement of local church members should be encouraged and increased.
• We should be good stewards of God given resources.
• Effective, responsible leadership serving churches and pastors should be promoted.
• A new structure should emphasize accountability and transparency.
• Changes will be invited and encouraged, but not forced.

The members of the committee appointed by General Council in August are: Susie Fox (Pataskala, OH), Don Graffius (Salemville, PA), Neil Murphy (New York City, NY), Ron Ochs (Milton, WI), and Jim Skaggs (Madison, WI). We solicit your input and prayers as we continue working together to evaluate the current structure and report back at the General Conference Sessions in Springfield, Missouri in July 2010.

(NOTE: You can contact the ad hoc committee at adhocsdb@gmail.com or SDB Ad Hoc Committee, 1722 Taylor Station Road, Blacklick, OH 43004.)

Haitian Leaders Tell Their Story

2010-03-18T08:32:00.002-05:00

March 18, 2010 - Eron Henry - BWA Associate Director of Communications

Washington, DC (BWA) -- Two Baptist leaders from Haiti visited the offices of the Baptist World Alliance and told the story of the devastating earthquake that struck their country on January 12.

Eugene Gedeon, vice president of the Baptist Convention of Haiti (BCH), and Edrice Romelus, superintend for evangelism and former general secretary for Baptist Haiti Mission (BHM), were part of a roundtable meeting called by Baptist World Aid to work out details of assistance that BWAid and Baptists, mainly in North America, will provide to the Caribbean country.

"People are trying to lead a normal life, but they do not have homes," said Gedeon in an interview following the conclusion of the roundtable meeting. "People are living under tents. People are sad. I can see the sadness in their faces," said the pastor.

Romelus recounted the events of the first few days in the interview. "I was in my office when the earthquake struck. I saw the building swaying. Things started falling, such as the printer. Other employees inside the building fled outside," he recounted.

"I did not know how grave the earthquake was," Romelus continued. "We have a hospital on the same compound as our headquarters, and vehicles started arriving with the injured. In a short time, the hospital was filled up. There was no place to put people. People came from all over. We even put them in the dining room of the hospital. I did not know that this thing was so big."

The next day, Romelus, whose offices are in an area close to Port-au-Prince, attempted to go downtown to the shattered city. "We had to stop, we could not continue. Houses had fallen. People were in the streets suffering. We felt lots of emotions. We saw a four year old boy and a nine year old girl wandering. We did not know what to do. We took them to the hospital, even though it was already full."

Romelus and his team made another trip into the beleaguered capital a few days later where "We saw the scale of the destruction. There were huge amounts of dead people lying around, even at the university and the state house," Romelus recalled. "There was a foul smell. Things got worse day by day."

Gedeon, whose church headquarters are close to Cap-Haïtien, the second largest city in Haiti, did not feel much of the quake. Cap-Haïtien is approximately 250 kilometers or 155 miles from Port-au-Prince. But Baptists belonging to the BCH who live in or close to Port-au-Prince, suffered badly. Two pastors, Biene Lamerique and Venel Deciain, died in the temblor. One pastor lost four children, another lost three, yet another lost two, and still another lost one child. At least 80 members belonging to the BHM died, and at least 29 for the BCH.

It is still not ascertained how many churches got damaged or were destroyed, as some are difficult to reach. The BHM had accounted for about eight churches that were destroyed and approximately 24 damaged. Many Baptists lost homes and many schools experienced destruction.

Despite the level of suffering and the extent of the disaster, Gedeon and Romelus believe that the church has been handed an opportunity. "Churches are almost full of people," said Romelus. "Churches in other provinces have received new members who have left the capital." Gedeon stated that "churches are encouraging people. This earthquake is an opportunity for the churches. Witch doctors have come to Christ."

It is also an opportunity for the country to join in solidarity and rebuild a solid infrastructure, both Baptist leaders contend. Proper roads, good electricity systems, sound universities, strong public structures, and the enforcement of building codes - all these can now be put in place during the rebuilding process, Romelus and Gedeon agreed.

But the need remains great. Hospitals are still full. There is an urgent need to reopen schools and for children to return to school. The two Baptist groups are offering scholarships to children so that they may resume their education.

Homes need to be rebuilt. Both Baptists leaders inform the BWA that a good, solid structure for a house can be built for US$3,000. BWAid, the relief and development arm of the BWA has pledged to provide 10 houses that are earthquake and hurricane resistant. BWAid will also contribute to constructing a multipurpose building in Port-au-Prince that can be used for a school, an orphanage, and a chapel. Ar center is to be secured that can be used for multiple purposes, such as providing office space for Baptist groups along with living quarters.

In the meantime, relief efforts continue as providing food, clean water, sanitation and medical help remain a priority.

Biggest SDB Loser update

2010-03-17T12:39:00.002-05:00

Peggy Chroniger of the Alfred Station, N.Y., SDB Church has been gathering weight-loss figures from our churches that are participating in the "Biggest SDB Loser" competition. The contest runs through the end of June, so those involved can still burn the calories and take off the pounds! And now that spring is coming--except in Wisconsin; SNOW this weekend--we can get outside and be more active.

Peggy lists the most current figures that she has received. The numbers show the percentage of weight loss for the church's group.

Alfred Station - 2.01%
Battle Creek - .06%
Boulder - 3.33%
Columbus - .20%
Dodge Center - 1.60%
Milton - 5.90%
New York City - 3.42%
Nortonville - 2.14%
Lost Creek - .08%
Toronto - 1.82%

Keep up the good work, everybody!!

White House Faith Council gives report

2010-03-16T09:26:00.004-05:00

Opinion piece from David Gushee of the Associated Baptist Press (pictured).
Thanks to John Pethtel for the suggestion.

Last week the White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships issued its report to the president, culminating a year of efforts in rethinking the relationship between faith groups and the federal government. Their report is a major contribution to our national life.

President George W. Bush established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the early days of his presidency. Its primary goal was to create a friendlier federal-government relationship to the thousands of faith-based community organizations addressing deeply entrenched social problems, especially in some of our nation’s most impoverished communities. Cynics suggested that its real goal was to build political relationships with valuable religious constituencies. Other critics were concerned that the entire initiative furthered a trend toward the weakening of federal social services and the romanticizing of privatization.

In my view, the idea that the federal government should make it easier for grassroots social-service organizations to receive federal dollars to do their common-good-advancing work is a good one -- at least from the government side. For decades both federal and state governments have subcontracted at least part of their social-service work to religious groups. But the working understanding of church-state boundary lines in relation to the receipt of these dollars for years was either sufficiently strict or sufficiently unclear that many religious non-profits stayed away from these funding possibilities altogether.

For the entire article, click here.

David Gushee is distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University.

March Madness

2010-03-15T10:16:00.002-05:00

Let's have some fun!

Do you think you know College Basketball? Well here is your chance to prove it.

We have set up a site on CBS that will allow 400 of us to compete with each other for supreme "madness".

Enter by clicking this link http://7db.mayhem.cbssports.com/e

Password: newport

One entry per person

Let your friends know about this.

First come first served.

Lotz to receive Human Rights Award

2010-03-11T08:13:00.004-06:00

From the Baptist World Alliance in Washington, D.C.

Denton Lotz, former general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), will receive the BWA Human Rights Award during the Baptist World Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii, from July 28 to August 1.

Lotz, who was BWA general secretary from 1988-2007, led the international Baptist organization in some of its groundbreaking actions and decisions on racism, religious freedom, and other issues of human rights.

In 1992, Lotz helped to form a Special Commission on Baptists against Racism and Ethnic Conflict, in response to race-related riots in Los Angeles in the United States and racial and ethnic conflicts in other countries. The commission produced the Harare Declaration (adopted by the BWA General Council during its meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe) in 1993, where Baptists pledged to "expose and challenge the sin of racism."

Under Lotz's leadership the BWA planned an International Summit of Baptists against Racism in January 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia. Delegates from approximately 30 countries drafted and affirmed a statement declaring a "decade to promote racial justice," beginning in 2000, and urged BWA member bodies to promote efforts to eradicate racism and fight against ethnic conflict worldwide. The "Atlanta Covenant" called on Baptists to become "agents of reconciliation" and work for integrated worship, holistic evangelism, the elimination of unfair trade and protection of the rights of aboriginal and tribal peoples.

The former BWA leader also initiated or led human rights visits to several countries, and has met a number of world leaders to discuss issues of human rights in their respective nation, such as with former presidents Fidel Castro of Cuba, Daniel arap Moi of Kenya, and Lech Kaczynski of Poland.
Lotz often protested human rights abuses to the ambassadors of countries where such human rights were undermined, and made representations to the United Nations and various government officials on the behalf of oppressed peoples.

It was under Lotz's leadership that the BWA emphasized its observation of Human Rights Day in December of each year, as well as the inauguration of an annual Human Rights Award to a Baptist who has made significant contribution in advancing human rights in his or her life, work and ministry.

New Baptist hymnal released

2010-03-10T16:44:00.002-06:00

From the Associated Baptist Press:

Bucking a trend in many churches to eschew four-part harmonies for praise choruses projected on a screen, a new hymnal released March 8 seeks to introduce both old favorites and lesser-known new compositions to a new generation of Baptist congregations.

"We were trying to create a hymnal for churches that use hymnals," said Stanley Roberts, a Mercer University professor and member of the editorial team that planned the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, "to provide a resource that our current generation and future generations could use for worship in the local church."

Tom McAfee, a Georgia layman who conceived of the idea for and oversaw development of the hymnal, said the new song book seeks to embrace a denominational identity broader than battle lines that divided Baptists in the United States in the latter decades of the 20th century.

"One of the things we did in the beginning was to intentionally be inclusive," said McAfee, chairman of a health-care company and member of First Baptist Church in Macon, Ga. "I think it's one of the things that make our hymnal unique."

Starting at the grassroots level, McAfee said, editors and board members sought input from individuals and churches affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, African-American Baptists, Canadian Baptists and the Southern Baptist Convention.

"If you had a Baptist badge, we wanted you to be involved," McAfee said. "We also wanted to incorporate some Methodist traditions, Presbyterian traditions. We wanted to be something that is, yes, Baptist, and is built by Baptists with Baptists in mind, but we also wanted to be able to bring in these other traditions so that others can use the book as well."

"It's not just a book for Cooperative Baptists or Southern Baptists or the other brands of Baptists," said McAfee, "We've got materials there that will meet the needs of a number of different denominations."

Mark Edwards, vice president of music and worship resources who oversaw the music side of the project, said Celebrating Grace was already in the works and unrelated to a new Baptist Hymnal that LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention released in 2008.

For the full story, click here.

SDBs will match funds for Haiti church

2010-03-09T12:12:00.002-06:00

From Pastor John J. Pethtel:

The Seventh Day Baptist Disaster Relief Committee will match the first $2,500 in donations made towards the earthquake disaster relief in Haiti that is specifically designated for the help of the Haitian Seventh Day Baptist church.

Pastor Jean Lucas Julien and the Seventh Day Baptist Church in Croix des Bouquets (located about 15 miles east of Port-au-Prince) will need to rebuild the church and school that has a current enrollment of about 250 students up to the 6th grade.

Thank you for considering giving to this need.
You may send your gifts to:
SDB United Relief Fund
PO Box 1678
Janesville WI 53547

Rob Appel
Executive Director
USA & Canada

Pastor John Pethtel
Chair, SDB Disaster Relief

Landslides bury many in Uganda

2010-03-08T14:36:00.002-06:00

From the Missionary Society’s Kirk Looper:

Greetings everyone. I am sending out this appeal to help Seventh Day Baptists and others in the country of Uganda, Africa. I received a message from the SDB General Secretary of Uganda, Nsubuga Daniel, in which he described the result of a landslide in the district of Bududa, Eastern Uganda.

The people affected in these areas live on the slopes of Mt. Elgon ranges. They are farmers who rely on livestock and crops located on these steep slopes. Deforestization due to the increasing population has resulted in the landslides during the recent heavy rains.

A landslide mingled with rocks and debris swept down slopes with houses, people, household property, livestock, etc and settled on top of a church, a health unit and a trading center at the bottom. This event happened on March 1, and affected nine villages. It is estimated that 3,000 people live in this area.

Death data:
They think that about 300 people are still buried under the mudslide/landslide and are feared dead. By noon on March 3, a total of 55 bodies have been recovered.

A total of 85 homes have been affected. Among the dead were 19 Christians who were carrying out an overnight prayer vigil. Four other Christians survived but are hospitalized, still unconscious. A government health center and two staff houses are buried under the slide. This included one midwife, a nursing assistant, many admitted patients, and an unknown number of primary school pupils who had taken refuge against heavy rains and impassable rivers.

An unknown number of injured survivors have been hospitalized at Bududa hospital and nearby health clinics for care. Ten students from Bukalasi Secondary School have gone missing. (Two bodies have been recovered from the school.)

Travel to the area has been hindered due to the damage or collapse of four bridges. Movement and communication is now a big problem.

The following is a list of the things needed by these people:
Shelter (tarpaulins) for erecting tents
Food, (e.g. corn flour and beans.)
Basic utensils (plates, cups jerrycans, etc.)
Water purifying chemicals
First aid kits and medicines
Blankets and bed sheets

Why the attention of Seventh Day Baptists?
The feeling is that our presence must be felt on the ground. If we cannot afford giving material things, let’s send people who will be there for the needy. They already have identified 12 willing volunteers and they are ready to be sent. At this point in time we need to serve as senders. We need immediate action and help so that the church can be represented in the rescue process and to provide temporary shelters and blankets for those people to keep warm during the night. Thank you for your rapid reaction and may God bless you richly for the help you send.

I would appreciate it if all of you could pray for those who have lost loved ones and friends. And, if the Spirit leads you to help, please send your donations to the SDB Missionary Society, 19 Hillside Ave, Ashaway, RI 02804.

Photograph: Peter Busomoke/AFP/Getty Images

Graffius Ordained in Lincoln, NE

2010-03-05T08:34:00.006-06:00

(l-r: Dr Pastor Paul Manual, John Pethtel, Steve Graffius,
Nick Kersten, Gordon Lawton, Steve Osborn and Rod Henry)

On Sabbath day, February 27, Steven Graffius, Pastor of the Living Word Seventh Day Baptist Fellowship, was ordained to the Ministry. The Council to examine him was held Friday evening and the service of ordination commenced at two-ish on Sabbath afternoon.

Delegates, friends and family were present from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. (If I missed someone let me know)

Pastor Rod Henry, Thornton, CO, chaired the Ordination Preparation Committee and was elected Moderator for the Ordination Council. Nick Kersten was the Sabbath morning worship leader with Pastor Steve Graffius bringing the morning message, "The Gospel-Centered Life" taken from Romans 1:1-17. At the end of the service, Pastor Rod officiated at a dedication for the newborn child of Pastor Steve and Emily, Annabella Noelle.

(l-r: Grampa Charles, dad Steve. son Micah, Uncle Don and daughter Annabella)

The program for the ordination service is listed here:

Ordination Service

Worship in Song -- Steven Graffius, Garrett
Hope, Becky Schauer, Sydney Looper

Special Music - Deborah FitzRandolph Williams

Affirmation

Ordination Sermon - Rev. Gordon P. Lawton

Charge to the Candidate

Charge to the Church - Dr. Paul Manual

Consecrating Prayer - Rev. Gordon P. Lawton

Welcome to the Ministry - Rev. John J. Pethtel

Benediction - Pastor Chuck Graffius

The weekend was full, a blessing to all who attended and blessed. Rev. Steven Graffius is so thankful for all who took the time and made the effort to be in Lincoln for this special time.

(Emily and Steven Graffius)