Contains MAY Nurturing Faith Lessons Q&A with Tony Campolo 6 APRIL 2012 baptiststoday.org Pastoral Perspectives He with George Mason | 34 is Wendell Griffen Minister-Judge | 38 RALEIGH’S TWO FIRST BAPTIST Risen CHURCHES TAKE CENTER STAGE indeed 42 ™ BIBLE STUDIES for adults and youth 17 MAY lessons inside April 2012 Vol. 30, No. 4 baptiststoday.org John D. Pierce Executive Editor [email protected] Julie Steele Chief Operations Officer [email protected] Jackie B. Riley 38 Managing Editor [email protected] LITTLE ROCK’S PASTOR-JUDGE PROCLAIMS JUSTICE Tony W. Cartledge Contributing Editor [email protected] Bruce T. Gourley PERSPECTIVE Online Editor [email protected] Overturning tables — and misconceptions 5 John Pierce David Cassady Church Resources Editor [email protected] The next generation speaks 9 Terri Byrd Tony Campolo Contributing Writer Vickie Frayne Baptists visit White House to discuss Art Director concerns 15 Jannie Lister Elizabeth Evans Hagan A case for ministry 36 Customer Service Manager [email protected] Church’s future tied to interactive Kimberly L. Hovis communications Marketing Associate 16 [email protected] Natalie Aho Walker Knight, Publisher Emeritus 42 Remembering Melissa: A well-lived life 37 ‘Two Jack U. Harwell, Editor Emeritus Tommy McDearis Buildings, BOARD OF DIRECTORS One Heart’ Walter B. Shurden, Macon, Ga. (chairman) Robert Cates, Rome, Ga. (vice chair) IN THE NEWS Jimmy R. Allen, Big Canoe, Ga. BUBBA, others rejected in SBC name search Nannette Avery, Signal Mountain, Tenn. 12 Kelly L. Belcher, Spartanburg, S.C. Thomas E. Boland, Alpharetta, Ga. American Baptists gather pennies Cover photo: By John Pierce. The amphitheater Donald L. Brewer, Gainesville, Ga. at Highland Hills Baptist Church in Macon, Ga., Huey Bridgman, The Villages, Fla. to help children 12 Mary Jane Cardwell, Waycross, Ga. site of an annual Easter sunrise service, shows its Jack Causey, Statesville, N.C. spring colors. Anthony D. Clevenger, Pensacola, Fla. Analysis: Re-branding religion is hard to do 13 Kenny Crump, Ruston, La. Quotation Remarks 4 James M. Dunn, Winston-Salem, N.C. Mormon leaders seek end to proxy baptisms Gary F. Eubanks, Marietta, Ga. R. Kirby Godsey, Macon, Ga. of celebrities, Jews 14 Editorial 5 Ben Gross, Chattanooga, Tenn. Leslie D. Hill, Lexington, Ky. Classifieds 11 Fisher Humphreys, Birmingham, Ala. Atheists likely to outnumber Christians in Michael M. Massar, Baton Rouge, La. England in 20 years 32 In the Know 11 William T. Neal, Stone Mountain, Ga. Roger Paynter, Austin, Texas Media 29 Michael G. Queen, Wilmington, N.C. BWA picks new relief director, Kathy B. Richardson, Rome, Ga. human rights award recipient 33 Baptists and the Civil War 30 Lee Royal, Greensboro, N.C. Mary Etta Sanders, Dalton, Ga. Lighter Side 31 Charles Schaible, Macon, Ga. Forwarding political emails can bear Macon Sheppard, Folly Beach, S.C. false witness Charlotte Cook Smith, Winston-Salem, N.C. 41 Reblog 40 David M. Smith, Houston, Texas Leo Thorne, Valley Forge, Pa. Cathy Turner, Clemson, S.C. An autonomous, national David Turner, Richmond, Va. news journal since 1983 Tom Waller, Alpharetta, Ga. Winnie V. Williams, Seneca, S.C. Cynthia Wise, Birmingham, Ala. 2 | Feature READERS SERVICES Mission Statement Baptists Today serves churches by providing a reliable source of unrestricted news coverage, thoughtful analysis, helpful resources and inspiring features focusing on issues of importance to Baptist Christians. Advertising in combination Individual and Gift Subscriptions Baptists Today Group or Bulk Subscriptions pd. by single check or credit card Bulk sent to single address Single Issues Baptists Today Tax-deductible Gifts Baptists Today [email protected] organization. Letters to the Editor Writing Submissions ™ Contact Information Baptists Today Baptists TodayBaptists Today Baptists TodayAll rights reserved. Information | 3 quotation remarks “We both grew up in a Baptist “Even the animals deserve a day church… It was our private bond.” “In the current climate of of rest.” —Actor Kevin Costner at the Feb. 18 funeral of evangelical higher education, —Director Eddy Aliff of the Virginia Assembly of Whitney Houston at New Hope Baptist Church the virtue of courage grows Independent Baptists, defending the state’s ban on in Newark, N.J., sharing how he helped construct ever more important. Leaders Sunday hunting (Fox News) the sanctuary where his family worshipped in must find ways to educate their Paramount, Calif., and at age 6 was caught “The promise of the SBC’s conservative “knocking back” leftover Communion cups while colleges’ constituents rather resurgence was that we would pretending to be a cowboy (CNN) than being obsessed with eventually agree on enough to simply avoiding conflict and, cooperate for global missions. Well, “Being Southern Baptist isn’t a problem when will that day come?” in Fairhope, Alabama. It’s a proud thing. in extreme cases, driving away [But] if we were to say the Yankee the more intellectual leaders of —Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, Baptist Church here, that would be a their communities. They must in a Baptist Press column real turnoff.” balance concern about donor “We like to use biblical analogies, and —Pastor Jerry Henry of First Baptist Church of pocketbooks and faithfulness this is a year of biblical proportions. As Fairhope admitting that the Southern Baptist to an institution’s particular we would say in Christendom, it’s like Convention name can be an obstacle in other parts of heritage with a still deeper an early rapture. We spent 40 years the country (RNS) faithfulness to the Christian wandering the wilderness. I hope this is our exit.” “If we could convert political hyperbole faith itself and its profounder to cash, this debate would have intellectual traditions.” —Baylor regent Buddy Jones on the university’s eliminated the national debt.” new prominence in intercollegiate athletics —Science-and-religion scholar Karl Giberson (New York Times) —Baptist Standard Editor Marv Knox on strong who conducts a writing workshop at Gordon reactions to an HHS ruling calling for employee College in Massachusetts (Huffington Post) “We are excited about the prospect insurance plans to cover contraceptive costs of being a stronger voice in the community to meet the needs of “If we emphasize Jesus’ death, cut out people and do what churches are from the whole tapestry of his life, we supposed to do.” reduce his crucifixion to perverse ritual rather than a direct consequence of “A healthy, strong and vibrant civil —Joe Fitzpatrick, worship and music pastor at his confrontation with the powers of society can only exist where freedom of Nashville’s First Baptist Church, on a newly approved master plan that includes a Christian music venue his day.” religion is respected and protected.” and additional space for Room in the Inn, a homeless —Baptist minister Suzan Johnson Cook, —Greg Carey, professor of New Testament at shelter that also offers computer classes U.S. Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom, Lancaster Theological Seminary (Huffington Post) (The Tennessean) telling Baptist World Alliance leaders that religious freedom creates stability (BWA) “Candidates do not have to check their “For whatever reason, some U.S. religion at the door of the offices they “The only people I had in my place — Christians need to think and feel that seek, but they need to understand that and you will love this — was my wife’s they are persecuted. Maybe it makes they serve people of other faiths and of Bible study group.” them believe they are more akin to no faith.” figures of faith in the Bible.” —Jimmy Pierson on a mid-afternoon visit by a —Brent Walker, executive director of the Warner Bros. crew preparing to shoot a Clint —Robert Parham, executive director of the Baptist Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty Eastwood movie scene in his bar (Macon Telegraph) Center for Ethics (ethicsdaily.com) 4 | Perspective Editorial By John Pierce Overturning tables — and misconceptions My parents, other relatives, neigh- be both socially refined and ugly toward others. On the other end, Jesus can get por- So the manners of my upbringing were trayed as meek, mild, and accepting of any bors, teachers and church leaders rooted in the idea of kindness that is expressed and all beliefs and behavior. He becomes the by treating all people in considerate ways. quiet philosophical Jesus. However, it became taught me to value good manners. Therefore, it is not surprising that I grew obvious to me long ago that a soft-spoken phi- I still do (except when driving). up with an image of a well-mannered, very losopher who wanders the countryside while polite Jesus. Our Jesus was sweet. telling heart-warming stories doesn’t end up on anners can take on various forms and “Sweetest name I a cross. have evolved since Emily Post’s defini- know.” “’Tis so sweet to Since such various images of Jesus Mtive statement on the subject in 1922. trust in Jesus.” abound, it is no wonder that he was compelled However, basic respect and kindness, more Jesus’ hard rhetoric to ask even those closest to him: “But who do than formal etiquette, marked the behavioral toward the religiously you say that I am?” Apparently, the confusion standards that were conveyed to me since table pious — though quite has been going on for a long time. settings were simple and hot tea’s only use was obvious in the Bible we For us, this is a good season to reflect to dissolve sugar before being poured over ice. read and loved — didn’t on the full person of Jesus in the Gospels — Those home and community efforts to get a lot of our attention. passed down through the ages by those who teach basic social behavior did not totally fail. That would hit too close witnessed and recorded his life and teachings.