More than 8,700 messengers attended the 152nd session of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting June 23-24 at the Kentucky Exhibition Center in Louisville, KY.
With the goal of finding ways Southern Baptists “can work more faithfully and effectively” together in fulfilling the Great Commission, messengers to the convention’s annual meeting gave the green light to a task force to examine the denomination for one year and report back to the 2010 meeting in Orlando, FL.
The messengers overwhelmingly supported the task force via a motion that gave Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt authority to appoint the panel—something he did on the meeting’s final day, naming 19 members.
“I feel like the Southern Baptist Convention is in what we call a defining moment,” Hunt said. “We are defining our priorities and…we’re saying to our 43,000 churches: The Great Commission needs a resurgence….We need to be more intentional with the GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing)”
R. Albert Mohler Jr., added, “This is not an effort to reinvent the Southern Baptist Convention. There is a generation ready and waiting to be challenged to do something great for the cause of Christ. I say we take this opportunity.”
Posted by Bill F. Aven
Saturday, June 27, 2009
RAWLINGS FOUNDATION TO DISPLAY ANTIQUE BIBLES AT SBC EXHIBIT
Most seminary students have a Bible within easy reach and many more on bookshelves or scattered throughout their homes. The same can be said of the thousands of messengers and guests who will attend the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Harold Rawlings knows how to increase the value of those Bibles that are often taken for granted.
Midwestern Seminary’s SBC exhibit will feature a collection of ancient Bibles dating as far back as the 13th century as Rawlings shares the story of how a few determined men risked their lives to produce Bibles in everyday, easily understood English in spite of laws forbidding it.
“It was a costly struggle that resulted in the torture and death of hundreds of brave men and women who refused to buckle under threats of punishment.” Rawlings shares when presenting his collection of Bibles to schools, churches and other institutions. “We are the privileged recipients of their noble deeds.”
After retiring from a lifetime of pastoral ministry, Rawlings began thinking of how he might encourage Christian people in areas they know little about. “We all believe the Bible to be the most important book in the world, but few of us know how it came to us.” By taking his collection of ancient Bibles on the road, Rawlings offers a visual illustration of the story he shares of “lives lost in trying to get the Bible into English.”
“People have taken the Bible for granted because they’ve always had one or can easily get one if it is lost. Because of its availability, we’ve lost a sense of its importance,” he added. “That’s what prompted me to gather this collection.
Among the Bibles to be displayed are:
· A Latin Vulgate that was handwritten on vellum around A.D. 1230 and served as the basis for John Wycliffe’s translation.
· The last of five editions of Erasmus” Greek New Testament printed in A.D. 1535.
· William Tyndale’s New Testament dated 532 which served as the basis for all subsequent English versions for the net 400 years. Many of these were confiscated and burned.
· A very rare 1553 edition of Miles Coverdale’s first complete Bible in the English language. It was the first Bible to be licensed by the King for distribution, completing the work of Tyndale who was martyred.
· A first edition of Matthew’s Bible of 1537 produced by John Rogers, an associate of Tyndale who adopted a pseudonym in order to distribute the Bible.
· The Great Bible, a 1562 edition which revised Matthew’s Bible. Described as ‘great’ because of its size, it was produced under the guidance of Coverdale. It is also called the Chained Bible because copies were chained to the lectern or table in every parish church in England so people could either read it or hear it read.
· A first edition of the Geneva Bible printed in 1560 was made by William Whittingham and other English exiles in Geneva, Switzerland, during Queen Mary’s reign in England. It was the Bible of Shakespeare, the Puritans and the Pilgrim Fathers.
· The Bishops Bible, first printed in 1568, was translated by a committee comprised largely of English bishops but never replaced the unauthorized Geneva Bible in the hearts of the people.
· The third edition of the King James Bible which remains popular today.
Rawlings is the author of two books. Basic Baptist Beliefs which addresses the doctrines that distinguish Baptists from most other religious groups, and Trial by Fire about the struggle to get the Bible into English. He received a PH.D. from Louisiana Baptist University.
He currently serves on Midwestern’s Board of regents and has spoken on several occasions to chapel audiences. The Rawlings Foundation which he directs continues to support the school financially.
“One reason I accepted the position of regent was that I felt the school’s position on the Bible was very similar to mine. I was pleased that they were using it as the official textbook of the seminary, not questioning it, but being judged by the Scriptures,” he said.
“Midwestern Seminary is strategically located in our United States and Dr. Roberts is an excellent leader with a wonderful staff. I appreciate what he
Is doing and am fully in line with them.”
This is from an article that appeared in The Midwestern magazine, written by Tammi Ledbetter.
Posted by Bill F. Aven.
Midwestern Seminary’s SBC exhibit will feature a collection of ancient Bibles dating as far back as the 13th century as Rawlings shares the story of how a few determined men risked their lives to produce Bibles in everyday, easily understood English in spite of laws forbidding it.
“It was a costly struggle that resulted in the torture and death of hundreds of brave men and women who refused to buckle under threats of punishment.” Rawlings shares when presenting his collection of Bibles to schools, churches and other institutions. “We are the privileged recipients of their noble deeds.”
After retiring from a lifetime of pastoral ministry, Rawlings began thinking of how he might encourage Christian people in areas they know little about. “We all believe the Bible to be the most important book in the world, but few of us know how it came to us.” By taking his collection of ancient Bibles on the road, Rawlings offers a visual illustration of the story he shares of “lives lost in trying to get the Bible into English.”
“People have taken the Bible for granted because they’ve always had one or can easily get one if it is lost. Because of its availability, we’ve lost a sense of its importance,” he added. “That’s what prompted me to gather this collection.
Among the Bibles to be displayed are:
· A Latin Vulgate that was handwritten on vellum around A.D. 1230 and served as the basis for John Wycliffe’s translation.
· The last of five editions of Erasmus” Greek New Testament printed in A.D. 1535.
· William Tyndale’s New Testament dated 532 which served as the basis for all subsequent English versions for the net 400 years. Many of these were confiscated and burned.
· A very rare 1553 edition of Miles Coverdale’s first complete Bible in the English language. It was the first Bible to be licensed by the King for distribution, completing the work of Tyndale who was martyred.
· A first edition of Matthew’s Bible of 1537 produced by John Rogers, an associate of Tyndale who adopted a pseudonym in order to distribute the Bible.
· The Great Bible, a 1562 edition which revised Matthew’s Bible. Described as ‘great’ because of its size, it was produced under the guidance of Coverdale. It is also called the Chained Bible because copies were chained to the lectern or table in every parish church in England so people could either read it or hear it read.
· A first edition of the Geneva Bible printed in 1560 was made by William Whittingham and other English exiles in Geneva, Switzerland, during Queen Mary’s reign in England. It was the Bible of Shakespeare, the Puritans and the Pilgrim Fathers.
· The Bishops Bible, first printed in 1568, was translated by a committee comprised largely of English bishops but never replaced the unauthorized Geneva Bible in the hearts of the people.
· The third edition of the King James Bible which remains popular today.
Rawlings is the author of two books. Basic Baptist Beliefs which addresses the doctrines that distinguish Baptists from most other religious groups, and Trial by Fire about the struggle to get the Bible into English. He received a PH.D. from Louisiana Baptist University.
He currently serves on Midwestern’s Board of regents and has spoken on several occasions to chapel audiences. The Rawlings Foundation which he directs continues to support the school financially.
“One reason I accepted the position of regent was that I felt the school’s position on the Bible was very similar to mine. I was pleased that they were using it as the official textbook of the seminary, not questioning it, but being judged by the Scriptures,” he said.
“Midwestern Seminary is strategically located in our United States and Dr. Roberts is an excellent leader with a wonderful staff. I appreciate what he
Is doing and am fully in line with them.”
This is from an article that appeared in The Midwestern magazine, written by Tammi Ledbetter.
Posted by Bill F. Aven.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Baptisten Gemeinde (Baptist Church) of Aschaffenburg, Germany
It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power. Alan Cohen
August 15 – 17th, 2008, Al Houck, missions director of Broadway Ave. Baptist Church and I had the privilege of attending Revofest, a new approach to evangelism and church planting, hosted and facilitated by the Baptisten Gemeinde (Baptist Church) of Aschaffenburg, Germany, Keith Gandy, BBFI Missionary and Pastor.
Last year Keith and his leadership team were challenged to step out and go beyond themselves by finding a way to export and expand their approach to church planting. The seed for Revofest was planted. The idea was to host a music festival featuring German, American, and European Christian bands to attract Christian and lost youth. Through this venue they would be able to present the gospel, and enhance the value of the local church to a youth culture that hasn’t been exposed to an effective church ministry. “ Bob Hines visited our leadership team in the summer of 2007 and challenged us to export our DNA. The church has grown 15% annually for over a decade and he felt that Germany needs just this kind of church. Our burden became to bring a young demographic together and challenge/resource them in order for them to create platforms of ministry that would be effective in impacting their own generation. If we reach them at the end of schooling, but before they fully enter the workforce and begin a family, we seek to inspire them to assume responsibility for reaching their communities for Christ and plant a church.” Keith Gandy
This was a grand task for a church of 300, for it required a budget beyond their means, and a work force of at least 100. With a gift from the Rawlings Foundation and the help of two churches in the states, they set out by faith to make this event happen….AND IT HAPPENED WITH EXCELLENCE!!!
With 16 bands that included Six Pence-None the Richer, Salvador, FireFlight, and Sarah Hughes, a work staff of 130, and the Lord’s leadership, Revofest was a resounding success. With approximately 900 total teens and young adults in attendance, it was held over a three day period, Friday through Sunday, with the music starting at 5:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday evening. Classes and seminars were held on Saturday morning and afternoon. The young adults camped on location, were fed from a well organized feeding center, had excellent restroom and shower facilities, attended classes in buildings set up for teaching, and were all exposed to the beautiful 16th century Chateau that housed the entire event. “We desire to create a new movement, so it will require targeting innovators and early adopters, rather than those that simply duplicate or model what already exists. The entrepreneurs will be the ones to take risks, which is the requirement for creating new movements. The challenge of this, to spark their interes,t requires very trendy, inspirational platforms. Anything less than creative excellence will pancake among such minds.
Our leadership team thinks that exposing young people to experienced and proven leadership in a speaking venue is where the information can be conveyed. The challenge is to attract them to that environment. To target the 20-24 year age category we selected the platform of a major music festival. This is the only tool known to us that will presently attract major numbers of young people.” Keith Gandy
There was a constant flow of teens and young adults to the counseling area and reports are still being gathered on the number that were dealt with and saved.
Everyone that attended was impressed with the wonderful spirit that was present, how well everything was organized, and the quality of the music and classes. Keith brought a good message at the Sunday morning service where the gospel was clearly presented.
This festival was a new approach to the traditional youth camp held during the summer. “We know that many of our future pastors, church planters, and missionaries come from youth camps and we just haven’t had much success in reaching German youth with the traditional model, so we wanted to try something new.” Denny Gandy.
Was it successful?…Here are some comments of some of the participants:
Derrick Webster, Missionary from Switzerland : “This impact is going to be felt for the– next five years – It is huge for believers to create this kind of Synergy for the future.”
Andra – “This is Church reaching out to the community to bring souls in.
The impact is awesome, because they are reaching young people and our generation.”
Jo Anna – Reporter for German radio station– “I think it’s very great in a Christian way. I have never heard of any festival with a Christian emphasis.”
Tim Downs BBFI Missionary – Impact – The impact on the Church is significant. Young people are being impacted that wouldn’t have been associated with the church in any way. Many young people don’t think about church, even though they may think about God, and this is a way for the church to connect with them. I think this approach is going to be a stretch for some people, but the reality is if we are going to reach them, we have to connect with them where they live.
Denny – A lot of things surprised me. It has been really great for our church but especially for church growth in the future. Our people got a vision for the importance of the church and what a church can do. Many of the people that have been saved in our church have come from State churches (Catholic) and have never seen a church that has a passion for people or passion for a project like this. I think this is a very good start for what God is wanting to do in Germany.
One teen who confessed he was not a Christian said “This is so fantastic, this has to spread”
Keith and Debby Gandy have been BBFI missionaries to Germany for 28 years and have built a great church and ministry in Aschaffenburg. All three of their children are active in the ministry, with Denny, their oldest son serving as Associate Pastor and is involved in planting a new church in the area. Their son-in-law, Christoph is their worship leader and their daughter, Lisa, and youngest son, Robert are actively involved in the ministry of the church. Keith is also aided in this ministry by Renea Thompson and Linda Fitzgerald, two BBFI missionaries. Frustrated by the inability to build a ministry that was effective in evangelism and church planting, Keith decided to change his methods and began using a more contemporary approach to worship with an emphasis on young couples and youth. The results have been a church averaging 280, a facility that the church has built valued at more the 1 million euros, and a passion for evangelism and church planting. They are committed to creating a model for evangelism and church planting in Germany that will accelerate the fulfilling of the Great Commission and make an impact on Germany and the rest of Europe.
If you would like for Keith and Debby to come to your church and share the vision and opportunity this ministry presents, please contact him at the following address:
Keith Gandy
Schweinheimerstr. 13
63743 Aschaffenburg
Germany
Church Phone – 001 49 6021 218415
Bob Hines
iMap
August 15 – 17th, 2008, Al Houck, missions director of Broadway Ave. Baptist Church and I had the privilege of attending Revofest, a new approach to evangelism and church planting, hosted and facilitated by the Baptisten Gemeinde (Baptist Church) of Aschaffenburg, Germany, Keith Gandy, BBFI Missionary and Pastor.
Last year Keith and his leadership team were challenged to step out and go beyond themselves by finding a way to export and expand their approach to church planting. The seed for Revofest was planted. The idea was to host a music festival featuring German, American, and European Christian bands to attract Christian and lost youth. Through this venue they would be able to present the gospel, and enhance the value of the local church to a youth culture that hasn’t been exposed to an effective church ministry. “ Bob Hines visited our leadership team in the summer of 2007 and challenged us to export our DNA. The church has grown 15% annually for over a decade and he felt that Germany needs just this kind of church. Our burden became to bring a young demographic together and challenge/resource them in order for them to create platforms of ministry that would be effective in impacting their own generation. If we reach them at the end of schooling, but before they fully enter the workforce and begin a family, we seek to inspire them to assume responsibility for reaching their communities for Christ and plant a church.” Keith Gandy
This was a grand task for a church of 300, for it required a budget beyond their means, and a work force of at least 100. With a gift from the Rawlings Foundation and the help of two churches in the states, they set out by faith to make this event happen….AND IT HAPPENED WITH EXCELLENCE!!!
With 16 bands that included Six Pence-None the Richer, Salvador, FireFlight, and Sarah Hughes, a work staff of 130, and the Lord’s leadership, Revofest was a resounding success. With approximately 900 total teens and young adults in attendance, it was held over a three day period, Friday through Sunday, with the music starting at 5:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday evening. Classes and seminars were held on Saturday morning and afternoon. The young adults camped on location, were fed from a well organized feeding center, had excellent restroom and shower facilities, attended classes in buildings set up for teaching, and were all exposed to the beautiful 16th century Chateau that housed the entire event. “We desire to create a new movement, so it will require targeting innovators and early adopters, rather than those that simply duplicate or model what already exists. The entrepreneurs will be the ones to take risks, which is the requirement for creating new movements. The challenge of this, to spark their interes,t requires very trendy, inspirational platforms. Anything less than creative excellence will pancake among such minds.
Our leadership team thinks that exposing young people to experienced and proven leadership in a speaking venue is where the information can be conveyed. The challenge is to attract them to that environment. To target the 20-24 year age category we selected the platform of a major music festival. This is the only tool known to us that will presently attract major numbers of young people.” Keith Gandy
There was a constant flow of teens and young adults to the counseling area and reports are still being gathered on the number that were dealt with and saved.
Everyone that attended was impressed with the wonderful spirit that was present, how well everything was organized, and the quality of the music and classes. Keith brought a good message at the Sunday morning service where the gospel was clearly presented.
This festival was a new approach to the traditional youth camp held during the summer. “We know that many of our future pastors, church planters, and missionaries come from youth camps and we just haven’t had much success in reaching German youth with the traditional model, so we wanted to try something new.” Denny Gandy.
Was it successful?…Here are some comments of some of the participants:
Derrick Webster, Missionary from Switzerland : “This impact is going to be felt for the– next five years – It is huge for believers to create this kind of Synergy for the future.”
Andra – “This is Church reaching out to the community to bring souls in.
The impact is awesome, because they are reaching young people and our generation.”
Jo Anna – Reporter for German radio station– “I think it’s very great in a Christian way. I have never heard of any festival with a Christian emphasis.”
Tim Downs BBFI Missionary – Impact – The impact on the Church is significant. Young people are being impacted that wouldn’t have been associated with the church in any way. Many young people don’t think about church, even though they may think about God, and this is a way for the church to connect with them. I think this approach is going to be a stretch for some people, but the reality is if we are going to reach them, we have to connect with them where they live.
Denny – A lot of things surprised me. It has been really great for our church but especially for church growth in the future. Our people got a vision for the importance of the church and what a church can do. Many of the people that have been saved in our church have come from State churches (Catholic) and have never seen a church that has a passion for people or passion for a project like this. I think this is a very good start for what God is wanting to do in Germany.
One teen who confessed he was not a Christian said “This is so fantastic, this has to spread”
Keith and Debby Gandy have been BBFI missionaries to Germany for 28 years and have built a great church and ministry in Aschaffenburg. All three of their children are active in the ministry, with Denny, their oldest son serving as Associate Pastor and is involved in planting a new church in the area. Their son-in-law, Christoph is their worship leader and their daughter, Lisa, and youngest son, Robert are actively involved in the ministry of the church. Keith is also aided in this ministry by Renea Thompson and Linda Fitzgerald, two BBFI missionaries. Frustrated by the inability to build a ministry that was effective in evangelism and church planting, Keith decided to change his methods and began using a more contemporary approach to worship with an emphasis on young couples and youth. The results have been a church averaging 280, a facility that the church has built valued at more the 1 million euros, and a passion for evangelism and church planting. They are committed to creating a model for evangelism and church planting in Germany that will accelerate the fulfilling of the Great Commission and make an impact on Germany and the rest of Europe.
If you would like for Keith and Debby to come to your church and share the vision and opportunity this ministry presents, please contact him at the following address:
Keith Gandy
Schweinheimerstr. 13
63743 Aschaffenburg
Germany
Church Phone – 001 49 6021 218415
Bob Hines
iMap
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tennessee Temple University Schedule
Registration & Information
Registration for Summer and Fall 2009 begins March 31. University and Seminary students will need to download the appropriate forms listed below starting with the Registration Instructions.
Tennessee Temple University
- Registration Instructions
- Course List (by Time) (by Course)
- Student Information Form
- Summer Course Module List
- Student-Advisor Checklist
- Fall Module Registration
- Schedule Planning Form
- Summer Module Registration
Temple Baptist Seminary
- Registration Instructions
- Course List (by Time) (by Course)
- Student Information Form
- Summer Module Course List
- Schedule Planning Form
- Fall Module Registration
- Summer Module Registration
General Forms
- Change of Program
University Seminary
- Approval for Independent Studies
University Seminary
- Transient Studies Approval Form
University Seminary
- Vehicle Registration Form
- Academic Information Release Form
- Online Registration Tutorials
- Residential Students Portal Instructions
- Undergraduate DE Approval-Residential Students
Registration for Summer and Fall 2009 begins March 31. University and Seminary students will need to download the appropriate forms listed below starting with the Registration Instructions.
Tennessee Temple University
- Registration Instructions
- Course List (by Time) (by Course)
- Student Information Form
- Summer Course Module List
- Student-Advisor Checklist
- Fall Module Registration
- Schedule Planning Form
- Summer Module Registration
Temple Baptist Seminary
- Registration Instructions
- Course List (by Time) (by Course)
- Student Information Form
- Summer Module Course List
- Schedule Planning Form
- Fall Module Registration
- Summer Module Registration
General Forms
- Change of Program
University Seminary
- Approval for Independent Studies
University Seminary
- Transient Studies Approval Form
University Seminary
- Vehicle Registration Form
- Academic Information Release Form
- Online Registration Tutorials
- Residential Students Portal Instructions
- Undergraduate DE Approval-Residential Students
221 Saved and 69 Baptized in Sierra Leone
Dear Friends
This past Sunday we held our second combined service with the two house churches, and had our highest attendance thus far. There were 178 in the worship service with 8 adults accepting Christ as Saviour. At the close of our service I had the privilege of baptizing 48 people from the two churches. One of our men expressed what all of us were feeling when he said, “Pastor, the spirit is too high this morning.” Although I did the preaching, the rest of the service was conducted by the nationals themselves. You would be so pleased with the quality of the people God has given to this ministry. We all went away thanking the Lord for meeting with us in such a wonderful way.
So far we have 221 people saved in our churches and 69 people baptized in these last eleven weeks. A young lady from the Salem Baptist Temple in Salem, Oregon, has been working with us since the eighth of April. Her goal was to establish a children’s Sunday school in both of our churches, train teachers, and mentor someone to head up the children’s ministry. She has trained five teachers, and mentored one of them to become the children’s ministry director. We had a total of sixty children last Sunday. She and my grandson, who just arrived, have been developing a college ministry program which will begin this Friday night. I have been so thankful for their dedication and commitment to this ministry.
Discipleship has been a focus in both of the churches. It has been a slow but steady process. We now have several that I have taken through the lessons and two weeks ago they themselves became disciplers. We have our discipleship classes following the Sunday morning service with over forty of our people engaged in intense Bible study. We want both of the churches to be biblically solid before we launch into the establishment of more churches in September.
I will be returning to the states in July for six weeks of deputation. I simply do not have enough monthly support coming in to sustain Diane and myself and the ministry. Bill Dougherty is helping me to fill the schedule with new churches.
Thank you for being so faithful to us. We are partners in one of the most wonderful harvest fields in the world.
In Christ,
Mike and Diane Peper
Bill Aven, reporter
This past Sunday we held our second combined service with the two house churches, and had our highest attendance thus far. There were 178 in the worship service with 8 adults accepting Christ as Saviour. At the close of our service I had the privilege of baptizing 48 people from the two churches. One of our men expressed what all of us were feeling when he said, “Pastor, the spirit is too high this morning.” Although I did the preaching, the rest of the service was conducted by the nationals themselves. You would be so pleased with the quality of the people God has given to this ministry. We all went away thanking the Lord for meeting with us in such a wonderful way.
So far we have 221 people saved in our churches and 69 people baptized in these last eleven weeks. A young lady from the Salem Baptist Temple in Salem, Oregon, has been working with us since the eighth of April. Her goal was to establish a children’s Sunday school in both of our churches, train teachers, and mentor someone to head up the children’s ministry. She has trained five teachers, and mentored one of them to become the children’s ministry director. We had a total of sixty children last Sunday. She and my grandson, who just arrived, have been developing a college ministry program which will begin this Friday night. I have been so thankful for their dedication and commitment to this ministry.
Discipleship has been a focus in both of the churches. It has been a slow but steady process. We now have several that I have taken through the lessons and two weeks ago they themselves became disciplers. We have our discipleship classes following the Sunday morning service with over forty of our people engaged in intense Bible study. We want both of the churches to be biblically solid before we launch into the establishment of more churches in September.
I will be returning to the states in July for six weeks of deputation. I simply do not have enough monthly support coming in to sustain Diane and myself and the ministry. Bill Dougherty is helping me to fill the schedule with new churches.
Thank you for being so faithful to us. We are partners in one of the most wonderful harvest fields in the world.
In Christ,
Mike and Diane Peper
Bill Aven, reporter
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