Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine, 1980-1984 Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine 8-16-1984 August 16, 1984 Arkansas Baptist State Convention Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/arbn_80-84 Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons August 16, 1984 On the cover God's call 'merits fines t preparation' Moore calls LR seminary program 'vital' Having a semi na ry program close to home The class will meet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at ca n be important to many Arkansas little Rock's Imman uel Church. The course ministers, according to state executive will cover religious development and diver­ secretary Don Moore. sity in England and then America since the " Information from the Uniform Church 16th century emphasizing Baptists, and Letter in Arkansas indicates that 57 percent Southern Baptists in particular. of ou r pastors have not st udied at a McBeth, a 1961 Th.D. graduate of seminary," Moore said. " While seminary Southwestern, also has studied at Union seems to be more necessary for some than Th eological Seminary and Columbia Univer­ fo r others, surely everyone could benefit sity ih New York and at Oxford Unive rsity from the experience." in England. He has taught at the seminary " That is why the Seminary StudieS pro­ since 1960. gram in Little Rock is so vital,'' Moore con­ The third course, Church Staff Develop­ tinued. " It pu ts seminary training within ment, will be taught from 5-8 p.m. by Jim ­ reach of sco res of people who could never mie Sheffield, administrator at Park Hill move their families or leave their ministries Church in North Little Rock. The course will to move to a campus." coric'entrate on how a churCh builds and Moore's remarks came in a prepared state­ maintair1S aprofessional staff and provides ment in anticipation of the beginning of the for staff supervision and support. program's fall term Sept. 17. Sheffield, a master of religious education Conferences at Ridgecrest and Glorieta The Little Rock Semi nary Studies Program graduate of Southwestern, has se rved as Conference Centers provide single began in the spring of 1982 under the leader· minister to youth and as ministe r of ed uca­ adults like Sherry Upshaw an oppor· ship of Midwestern Baptist Theological tion and music in churches in Texas and tunity to share with others how they Seminary. In 1963 it came under the joint louisia na before coming to Park Hill. He is are involved in their churches. Upshaw sponso rship of all six Southern Baptist author of articles and books on diurch is a member of First Church of seminaries, administered through their administration. Shreveport La. Churches are encourag­ Seminary Studies Department in Nashville, l eh man Webb serves as local coordinator ed to highlight single adults as part of Tenn . fo r the Little Rock program. He ca n be con­ the church family on Singfe Adul! Day, " Baptists believe in an ed ucated ministry;' ta cted through th e Arkansas Baptist State Sept 9. Moore feel s. "While education does not take Convention, P.O. Box 552, Li ttle Rock, AR the place of natural abilities, spiritual gifts, 72203 , or by calling (501) 376-4791. and personal dedication, man's highest ca ll­ ing would seem to merit the finest prepara­ tion possible, both spi ritually and intellec­ tually:· In this· issue Courses offered this term are Old Testa­ ment St udies (spotlighted in the ABN issue 7 ACTS picks Magnolia of Aug. 2), English and American Baptist Central Church at Magnolia is the third Church History, and Church Staff Develop­ Southern Baptist church to have services ment. Classes meet on Mondays for 12 broadcast over the American Christian Televi­ weeks. sion network as part of the "Great Churches The history course will be taught by leon of America" series. McBeth, professor of church history at Southwester:1 Baptist Theological Seminary. McBeth Sheffield 10 Christ and country Missionaries' son undergoes heart surgery at LR Many Baptiru in the Soviet Union open their fives to public scrutiny by living out their faith The 20·month old son of Southern Bap­ tor heard a heart murmur then, and tests while working within the system they must tist missionaries to Brazil is doing very well eight months later confirmed the problem, live under, report.s a writer who visited the following heart surgery in Little Rock, accor­ known as Fa !lot's Tetralogy. country's registered congregations. ding to his fathe r. Shawn Town se nd, who The Townsends returned to the United will be two in November, had procedures Sta tes at the end of July, stopping first in to repair an opening between the chambers Arkadelphia. While Shawn is hospitalized, of his heart and to correct a narrOINing of a they are staying in a missionary residence blood vessel from the heart to the lungs. provided by Immanuel Church, little Rock. The su rgery was performed at Children's They will go to Fayetteville to complete Hospital where he and his mother came for furlough after Shaw n is released, about Sept. a heart catherization diagnostic procedure . 1, and live in a house provided by Universi­ in November. His mother, the former Sharon ty Church. Kluck, grew up in Arkadelphia w here her Town send, a professor of religi9us educa­ father is pastor of Second Church. tion at Baptist Seminary in Sao Paulo, said John Townsend said Shawn's problem sur­ Shawn's surgery had been the object of faced at two·weeks of age when they took prayers from everywhere, " literally around him to a pediatrician in Sao Pau lo. The doc- th e world." Page 2 ARKANSAS BAPTIST NEWSMAGAZINE Money: curse or .bless in g? The editor's page J. Everett Sneed The use of money provides direct insight into one's character. ing his salary, paying his debts and supporting his dependents. Prosperity has been va riously rega rded, in the Old Testament, as This was Jesus' own way of life during the 30 yea rs in which the blessing of God and, in the New Testament, as the very adver­ he was living at home in Nazareth. Even after he began his earth· sary of righteousness. Depending upon the purpose to which per­ ly m1 1'J istry, he paid taxes to both the Roman government and the so nal wealth is employed, either may be true. Money possesses Jewish Temple. To Jud as' safekeeping the purse was entrusted no inherent quality of goodness or badness but represents. mere­ which represen ted the collective savings of Jesus and the apostles. ly, a medium of exchange w hich may be used to effect great good The scripture clearl y indicates that Jesus and the 12 were accustom­ or serious harm. To the Christian, all that one holds belongs to ed to assuming their own financial responsibiliti es. God, to be used for his purpose and glory. The second princ:iple which is evident in the Sc ripture is that. We are living in what ha s been called ''the affluent society." besides meeting their own obligations, Christians are to uplift those This is not to deny that, in the midst of our wealth, dire poverty who are less fortunate than themselves. The New Testament never stilll"xists. Yet, to Christi a ns, the challenge of prosperity is direct­ condemns a person for possessing great wealth. H owever, the ly proportional to one's own comn1itffient to God. Scripture does condemn many persons for greed and neglect of Most of us would not consider ourselves wealthy. Yet. com­ the needs of others. .. pared to most of the world toda y, Americans are ext remely for­ One of the dear lessons to be observed in the story of the tunate. Even by our own sta ndards of 50 yea rs ago, we live in ab­ ri ch man and l azaru s (lu)u\. 16: 19·301 is the irresponsi ble lack of so lute luxu ry. Fine homes, ai r conditioning and automobiles are concern and awareness of the needs of other"'s. There is no indica· just a few of the advantages that place us among the affluent. Yet . tion that the rich man was cru el to lazarus, only that he was so in the hands of the uncommitt ed and the uncaring. affluence is unconcerned that he failed to even notice him. Christians have the curse of an ungodly society. an obligation to help those who are in need oft he substance of life. There is no doubt that affluence has made our lives much The third principle is that Christians are stewards of the posses­ easier. The list of conveniences found in most hom es today didn't sions that God ha s entrusted into their care. The psa lmist said, even exist 50 years ago. There are limitless opportunities for " The earth is the lord's and the fu lness thereof; the world, and ac hievement, increased productivity, higher wages anci leisure they that dwell therein" (Ps. 24:1). time. The word "steward " as used in the New Testament, portrays Society is flourishing. Yet, on every hand, we see this very the concept of God's total ownership of all that we have. In the prosperity producing drug addiction, juvenile delinquency. New Testament era , a steward was the servant or a free man who venereal disease and crim e. had full charge of his master's affairs and could use his master's W e have been lEd to believe th at there is a sense of sec urity money for his own pe rsonal advantage, if he so chose.