SBC name change: what might happen? Mark your calendar! Iowa pastor Dave Miller shares some Learn more about upcoming Baptist State insight on the challenges of the SBC Convention events through “Year-at-a- name change committee and predicts the Glance.” Events planned should help your possibilities of a change. Page 16 church and its ministries. Pages 10-11 FEBRUARY 18, 2012 • News Journal of North Carolina Baptists • VOLUME 178 NO. 4 • BRnow.org South African couple follows New Orleans ‘A CRAZY LEAP’ call to U.S. pastor to get By Sara Shelton ORWICH, Conn. (BP) – No one un- Armstrong Easter Offering® (AAEO). heard SBC leader derstands doing whatever it takes The offering helps fund Pillay and other about Nto reach people for Christ better missionaries like him who are serving the nomination than Shaun Pillay. Born and raised in for Southern Baptists in North America. need, South Africa, he and his wife, Deshni, With a goal of $70 million, this year’s I just By GARY D. MYERS| Baptist Press arrived in the United States in 2007 as AAEO theme is “Whatever It Takes.” felt newlyweds. Having sold their posses- Pillay was called to missions at a God red Luter, pastor of Franklin sions to finance their move, they brought missions conference in Birmingham, telling me, ‘Shaun, you go.’ And I said, Avenue Baptist Church in New only two pieces of luggage, a Bible, their England. “I remember one speaker say- ‘Yes, Lord, I will go wherever you FOrleans, will be nominated for wedding album and a resolve to follow ing, ‘We need you to come to Europe send.’” president of the Southern Baptist Con- God’s call wherever it led them. and America. Our churches are dying,’” God sent Pillay and his wife to the vention (SBC) by David E. Crosby, pastor “It was a jump, a crazy leap,” Pillay Pillay said. He was surprised when he small town of Norwich, Conn., a far cry of First Baptist Church in New Orleans. explains. “Everything was so differ- heard of the need for missionaries in from the home they’d known in South “Fred has been among Southern ent here but Jesus remained the same the United States. Even more surprising Africa. With a population of 40,000, Baptists for more and He saw us through. Every morning was the fact that he knew God was call- the city is full of history and diversity. than 20 years as when we woke up we knew that this is ing him to be one of them. Once marked by money and influence, a pastor. He has where God wanted us to be.” “I never thought of it to be honest,” it is now equally marked by economic taken a church Shaun and Deshni Pillay are among Pillay said. “We hear of all that God is struggle, homelessness and drug use. that was at death’s five North American Mission Board doing in Africa and other places like “We looked at the homeless popula- door to the largest (NAMB) missionaries featured as part that, but it’s sad to see tion, the drug problems in Norwich and worshipping con- of the annual Week of Prayer for North what’s going on in just knew there needed to be a light in gregation in the American Mis- places like Europe the city,” Pillay says. state of Louisiana sions, March and America “We had compassion as Jesus did, among Southern 4-11, 2012, with regards looking on the multitudes and seeing Baptists,” Crosby said. and An- to church. them just waiting like sheep without a FRED LUTER nie When I shepherd.” “He has been Since their arrival, this has been the a great evangelist goal of Shaun and Deshni: to lead and and has baptized thousands of people love the people of the community just through these years of ministry.” Luter, the SBC’s current first vice president, told his congregation Jan. 29 See Crazy leap page 4 he is willing to be nominated for presi- dent of the Southern Baptist Convention. Crosby cited Luter’s diligence and de- termination as a pastor, Bible expositor, evangelist and spiritual leader as charac- teristics that qualify him to lead Southern Baptists. Luter’s family life – his love for his wife Elizabeth, and his two children, Kimberly and Fred “Chip” III – is a See Fred Luter page 7 NAMB missionary Shaun Pillay, right, pastor of Cornerstone International Church in Norwich, Conn., prays with Tim Cable, a new believer and member of Cornerstone. Pillay Q & A with Fred Luter and his wife Deshni, above right, came to the United States from South Africa. (Photo by Peter Field Peck) See page 6 BR design by Carly Conley 2 FEBRUARY 18, 2012 • BIBLICAL RECORDER • News Journal of North Carolina Baptists N.C. churches share Lottie Moon offering updates By SHAWN HENDRICKS| BR Managing Editor High Point, $121,300; First Baptist funds,” Davis told his congregation that Godwin Heights Baptist Church in Church, Cary, $115,314.83; Henderson- averages around 720 in worship each Lumberton – another similarly sized lthough the focus on missions ville Baptist Church, Hendersonville, week. “These are not the days to be congregation of about 160 people – gave giving is beginning to turn $108,000; First Baptist Church, Durham, drawing back. The needs of the world $10,300, which is $300 over their goal. Atoward North America with the $107,974.70; and First Baptist Church, have never been greater.” Center Road Baptist Church of Blad- Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, many Charlotte, $100,000. At press time, the church had raised enboro – a church of about 100 people – North Carolina Baptist churches are $49,572.85, which is more than enough to beat their goal of $6,300 by giving $9,903. sharing their 2011 Lottie Moon Christmas One year’s support support one family. Offering results. Other churches around the state also The cost of ministry While each church has their own ap- shared their offering results and their ‘The best plan’ It’s this support that helps ministry proach – year-round giving, fundraisers passion for international missions. Brushy Fork Baptist Church in North efforts around the globe. Every penny or a big push in December – the focus In early December Scott Davis, pas- Vilas – that averages about 130 people in given to the offering is used to support on helping the gospel reach the ends of tor of Pitts Baptist Church in Concord, worship – shattered their goal of $4,000 IMB missionaries. the earth remains the same. The offering presented an IMB (International Mission by raising $8,500 for international mis- For example, one Southern Baptist supports the work of nearly 5,000 IMB Board) chart to the congrega- sions. The past two years the worker in a European city, shared how (International Mission Board) mission- tion. The chart showed that the church has given an average of the offering supports his work at a refu- aries overseas. The national goal for the average dollar amount it takes $1,500. gee center that feeds people both physi- 2011 Lottie Moon offering is $175 million. to support one IMB mission- Pastor Toby Oliver credits cally and spiritually. About 500 refugees ary family each year is about the results partly to “heavily visit the center each week. Top-giving contenders $48,000. publicizing” the offering. They According to IMB figures, rent for Last year, 18 of North Carolina’s Bap- Davis encouraged the con- also invited an IMB couple, the center is $1,840 per month. A bag of tist churches ranked in the Top 200 for gregation to keep that amount serving in Hungary, to share groceries provided to refugees is $7. Each the 2010 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. in mind as they gave their 2011 about their overseas work. hot meal costs less than a $1. A complete Some of those top-giving churches offering. Because of economic “We saw the impact that Bible in the local language is a little more shared their results for the 2011 offering. challenges in the community, TOBY OLIVER [the offering] makes across than $16. The Lottie Moon offering helps Those reports included: Calvary Bap- Davis said the church decided the world and what we can make all of this possible. tist Church, Winston-Salem, $504,855; to keep their goal at $35,000, which was do to spread the gospel,” said Oliver, a For more examples go to imb.org/main/ Parkwood Baptist Church, Gastonia, the goal for 2010. But he encouraged bi-vocational pastor who also works in give/lmw/. To learn more about the offer- $289,986.06; Mount Vernon Baptist them to give above the $39,497 raised the insurance. He became the church’s pastor ing, go to imb.org/offering. Church, Boone, $235,798.26; Hickory year before. in August of 2011. “I believe the Southern (EDITOR’S NOTE – Laura Moore, editorial Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, “We’ve had missionaries ready to go, Baptist Convention has the best plan to aide for the Biblical Recorder, and figures $132,200; Green Street Baptist Church, but they [couldn’t] because of a lack of give to missions,” he said. from imb.org contributed to this story.) FEBRUARY 18, 2012 • BIBLICAL RECORDER • News Journal of North Carolina Baptists 3 OPPORTUNITY CORNER Nominations still needed The Baptist State Convention of North vacancies; Region 8: three vacancies; Carolina Committee on Nominations has Region 9: four vacancies; Region 10: two Call 2 Ministry targets next generation ized location to store medicine. The bags extended its deadline for recommenda- vacancies.