May 15 2011 - Mississippi Baptist Archive€¦ · Justin Rhodes, pastor of Oakland Baptist Church, Vicksburg, rose and nominated Bro. Larry Geraldson. Bro. Coy Rice, pastor of Pleasant

JOURNAL OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI

MAY 15, 2011 VOL. 65 NO. 10

Special Session Ends WSpecial Session Ends WSpecial Session Ends WSpecial Session Ends WSpecial Session Ends With No Electionith No Electionith No Electionith No Electionith No Electionby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editor

The special session of the BMA ofMississippi called in conjunction withthe 2011 Midyear meeting held atParkview Church, Laurel, ended withno decision made concerning a newDirector of Missions.

By joint request of the Missions and

Revolving Loan Fund Trustees, thespecial session was called for the pur-pose of considering their nominee, Bro.Shane Singleton. At this point, Single-ton, who serves as president and mod-erator of the Association turned dutiesover to First Vice-president Ken Riley.

After the Missions & RLF reportwas given and at the reading of their

recommendation for director, they re-quested that the matter of the office ofdirector be considered as a separatematter.

The Missions and RLF report wasaccepted as presented and then themessengers took up the matter of di-rector. Their recommendation ofSingleton as their nominee was pre-sented and Moderator Riley asked ifthere were other nominations.

Justin Rhodes, pastor of OaklandBaptist Church, Vicksburg, rose andnominated Bro. Larry Geraldson. Bro.Coy Rice, pastor of Pleasant Hill Bap-tist Church, Saucier was subsequentlynominated (this editor was unable todetermine who placed Rice's namebefore the body). Bro. WillieOldenquist, pastor of Helton RoadBaptist Church, Theodore, Alabama,placed the name of Bro. Arthur Smithbefore the body. Smith is pastor ofHopewell Baptist Church, Laurel.

It must be noted that the atten-dance for this meeting was very goodand certainly this is attributed to thematter before the body. It is thiswriter's observation that the greatmajority of messengers had come tothe meeting with their minds made upconcerning the direction to be taken.

After the nomination of these fourindividuals a number of people spokeconcerning the matter of electing anew director. Bro. Billy Huffmaster, amember of the missions committeeaddressed the association and said thatthe committee felt the Lord's leader-ship in the matter and that their votewas after serious consideration andprayer.

A request was made from the bodyto have each nominee share their vi-sion concerning the office and the fu-ture of the department. Coy Rice cameto the microphone and spoke and an-swered some questions. No other nomi-nee chose to address the messenger

Native Mississippians honoredby BMA Theological Seminary

Honored by BMA Seminary at the 2011 graduation are (left to right)Bro. Vern D. Holifield, Bro. Grover Laird, and Bro. James Blaylock.

At the 2011 graduation exercises ofthe BMA Theological Seminary inJacksonville, Texas, honorary Doctorof Divinity degrees were awarded tothree native Mississippians. Thesedegrees are awarded to individuals forscholarly achievement, attainmentswhich demonstrate unusual creativ-ity, or distinguished service.

The three recipients were honored

for their life’s work in the Baptist Mis-sionary Association of America and fortheir deep Christian dedication to theLord’s work. Information about theseindividuals and their ministries sharedwith those attending the graduationservices on May 14, is listed below.

A hearty Amen is extended to thesecontinued on page 2continued on page 2continued on page 2continued on page 2continued on page 2 continued on page 4continued on page 4continued on page 4continued on page 4continued on page 4

MidyearMeeting Livelyand Informative

by Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editorby Don Brown, Editor

The recent midyear meeting held atParkview Church, Laurel, was lively.The anticipation of the special calledsession seemingly increased the at-tendance. Read about the special ses-sion beginning on page one of thisissue.

Parkview Church was practicallyfull as the midyear meeting got under-way. After an opening song and prayer,President Shane Singleton appointedDr. John Adams as the parliamentar-ian for the day.He read therules of orderand declaredthe associationin session forbusiness. Twopetitionary let-ters were pre-sented andboth churcheswere acceptedinto fellowshipwith the statework. They areMaple StreetBaptist Church, Columbus, Bro. Jo-seph Oyeleye, pastor and the Out-reach Ministry For The Lord Chapel ofMeadville, Mississippi, Bro. RichardArceneaux, pastor.

Bro. Steve Crawley, newly electedExecutive Director of LifeWord Broad-cast Ministries, Conway, Arkansas,was present and gave a report andappeal for support. He stated the min-istry was in transition and building anew vision. They are working on in-cluding 7 new languages in the world-wide ministry of broadcasting. He also

continued on page 5continued on page 5continued on page 5continued on page 5continued on page 5

LifeWord DirectorSteve Crawley

2 May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

men and their faithfulness tothe Lord and His work downthrough the years. May Godcontinue to bless them. Theyeach are worthy of this recogni-tion.

James BlaylockJames BlaylockJames BlaylockJames BlaylockJames BlaylockOur first recipient is from

Jacksonville, Texas (and a na-tive Mississippian). He is mar-ried to Jo Ann Blaylock and hastwo children. He celebrated 50years in the Gospel ministry in2010 and has served four Texaschurches as pastor. He ap-peared in Personalities of theSouth in 1974, Who’s Who inthe Southwest three (3) times,

Seminary honoreesfrom page 1from page 1from page 1from page 1from page 1

and to Who’s Who in Religionfour (4) times. He is author ofnumerous articles and fourbooks: most of these dealingwith Baptist or local churchhistory. He retired as editor ofthe BMA of America’s BaptistNews Service in 1999 following30 years of service as editor orassociate editor.

He earned an Associate ofArts degree from Southeast-ern Baptist College, Laurel,Mississippi, a Bachelor of Artsfrom the University of Texas atTyler, a Master of Science inLibrary Science from EastTexas State University, and aBachelor of Theology and Mas-

ter of Religious Education de-grees from BMA Seminary. Hebegan serving the BMASeminary’s Kellar Library in1966 and this year completes45 years of distinguished ser-vice to BMA Seminary.

Vernon D. HolifieldVernon D. HolifieldVernon D. HolifieldVernon D. HolifieldVernon D. HolifieldOur next recipient is from

Laurel, Mississippi. He is mar-ried to Dorothy Holifield andhas three sons. He was or-dained to the Gospel ministryin 1950 (61 years ago) andearned an Associate of Artsdegree from Jacksonville Col-lege. He is a veteran of WorldWar II, has pastored churchesin Mississippi and Texas andserved as moderator of theBMA of Mississippi and sev-eral local associations. Heserved the BMA of Mississippi

Department of Missions as botha missionary and as secretary/treasurer. He was influentialin establishing the State Re-volving Loan Fund which con-tinues today as a significantand successful endeavor, evenbeyond the state of Mississippi.He currently serves as directorfor the Mississippi BaptistCommission on Senior Adults.

Grover T. LairdGrover T. LairdGrover T. LairdGrover T. LairdGrover T. LairdOur next recipient is from

Fulton, Mississippi. He is mar-ried to Esther Laird and hasfour daughters. He holds anAssociate of Arts degree fromSoutheastern Baptist Collegeand served the North Ameri-can Baptist Association (BMA)as an interstate missionary toPaducah Kentucky. He haspastored a number of churches,

has contributed articles to nu-merous papers and is editor ofthe Revivalist publication thatpromotes revival and devotionto the Lord. His past speakingengagements include the Jack-sonville Bible Conference andthe Seminary’s Spiritual Em-phasis Week in 1972. In 1975,he was elected by the BMA ofAmerica to preach theassociation’s Silver Anniver-sary message.

Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:Editor’s Note:I was privileged to attend

this service and am grateful toour Seminary for their recog-nition of these three outstand-ing individuals. May God’sblessings continue on the BMATheological Seminary as theytrain men and women for Hisservice.

Thirty-three individuals re-ceived degrees from the Bap-tist Missionary AssociationTheological Seminary duringits 2011 commencement exer-cises on Saturday, May 14.First Baptist Church of Jack-sonville hosted the event.

The Diploma of ChristianLeadership was awarded toBetty Wilkinson of Rusk, Texas.The Associate of Divinity de-gree was awarded to LindaBouwer of Bronkhorstspruit,South Africa.

The Bachelor of Arts in Reli-gion degree was awarded toMilan Bulak of Decin, CzechRepublic; Christopher L.Chadwick of Troup, Texas;Steven Benjamin Clark ofTyler, Texas; Amanda Ericksonof Maydelle, Texas; Cody Flo-

BMA Seminary's 54th Commencement

rence of Orange, Texas; Roy T.Grammel of Montalba, Texas;Thomas E. Harkness, Jr. ofPflugerville, Texas; DaleHigginbotham of Montalba,Texas; Herman F. Johnson ofNacogdoches, Texas; ThomasE. Kwabena of Gambaga,

Ghana, West Africa; Eric Bran-don Lingle of Henderson,Texas; Dennis D. Morris, Jr. ofHouston, Texas; Matthew P.Sharrock of Leona, Texas; andWilliam Jacob Waller of Hope,Arkansas.

Master of Arts degrees were

awarded to Eddie A. Ballard,Jr. of Lindale, Texas; MichaelBattenfield of North LittleRock, Arkansas; Jeffrey W.Herring of Maumelle, Arkan-sas; Myron Milholland ofGreenbrier, Arkansas; Dr.David Satava of Victoria,Texas; Bobby A. Sullivan, Jr.,of Conway, Arkansas; GregoryH. Workman of Jacksonville,Arkansas; Wilbert C. Baker ofHumble, Texas; Gino A. Ellis ofLittle Rock, Arkansas; SusanE. Satava of Victoria, Texas;and Tad W. Traylor of Jewett,Texas.

The Master of Divinity de-gree was awarded to XipingChen of China; Jacob W.Gucker of Houston, Texas; andJonathan Montgomery ofSpringhill, Louisiana.

The Doctor of Divinity de-gree was awarded to James C.Blaylock of Jacksonville, Texas;

Vernon D. Holifield of Laurel,Mississippi, and Grover T.Laird of Fulton, Mississippi.

Dr. Tony Cleaver delivered

the commencement address.Cleaver is an adjunct-profes-sor and M.Div. graduate ofBMA Seminary. He retiredfrom the United States Armyas a chaplain and the rank lieu-tenant colonel. He also servesas Director of Skills CenterCounseling /Tech Prep at Cen-tral Texas College in Killeen,Texas and is author of the col-umn "Leave it to Cleaver"and the eBook Window to MyWorld. His wife is the formerJerrie Sue Kellar, daughter ofthe seminary's first presidentDr. Gerald Kellar

BMA Seminary provides ac-credited theological educationto qualified individuals by seek-ing to equip them for Christianservice and leadership roles.The seminary supports the edu-cational needs of the BaptistMissionary Association ofAmerica and other groups whoshare a like commitment to theauthority of Scripture.

Dr. Tony Cleaver2011 commencement speaker.

Gospel SingMay 22, 2011 at 5:00 pm

The Cameron FamilyPine Ridge Baptist Church

220 Service Road Laurel,Mississippi

For more information call 601-649-6111

DiscipleWay Training Schedule Releasedby Tommy and Judy Wallaceby Tommy and Judy Wallaceby Tommy and Judy Wallaceby Tommy and Judy Wallaceby Tommy and Judy WallaceTraining CoordinatorsTraining CoordinatorsTraining CoordinatorsTraining CoordinatorsTraining Coordinators

In order to inform our peopleof the upcoming DiscipleWaytrainings, we have added a'training' link to theDiscipleWay website. TheLouisiana Training of Train-ers is filled but there will beother general trainings in fourdifferent regions of our work.

These dates are tentativeand the venues have not yetbeen set. We will know moreon how to best organize theupcoming trainings after wehave gone through the one inMay.

Probable dates are as fol-lows: July 21-23, DFW

Metroplex Texas; August 25-27, Hattiesburg, Mississippi;September 15-17 ,Central, Ar-kansas; October 27-29, Okla-homa City, Oklahoma.

The May training has beenscheduled for a Mondaythrough Wednesday timeframe to accommodate theregular meeting of the Coordi-nating Council and the depart-ment directors. The othertrainings will be on a Thursdaythrough Saturday to hopefullybetter meet the schedulingneeds of bi-vocational pastors.

The general format of themeetings will be similar to theprogram schedule shown on theLouisiana training link. The

difference being that the re-gional meetings will includethe EV2 Share Your Faithtraining all day Thursday.Participants that have alreadybeen trained in EvangelismExplosion or Everyday Evan-gelism would not have to at-tend this day meeting, butwould come on Thursdayevening to begin the actualDiscipleWay Training. Ourplans are then to offer the com-plete two day EV2 Training inthe same areas in four to fivemonths. It will be at least thatlong before a disciple makerreaches the witnessing disci-pline with their disciple.

As mentioned earlier, we will

be better able to plan and sched-ule after we “get our feet wet”so to speak, with this first train-ing. Continue to check thetraining link for more informa-tion that will be posted as avail-able - probably toward the firstof June.

Thank you for your patienceand understanding throughthis process and as always, ifyou have further questions con-tact us at any time [email protected].

3May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

SoutheasternBaptist College4229 Highway 15 NorthLaurel, Mississippi 39440, (601) 426-6346 Dr. Medrick Savell

President

Serving Christ With a Biblical World View In A Christian Atmosphere

Leave ItTo Cleaver

Tony Cleaver

Bro. Danny Pitts, pastor of FirstBaptist Church of Shady Grove, Lau-rel, brought the commencementaddress at Southeastern College.

Our 2011 Graduates

Those receiving degrees are listed below.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - Patrick H. Brown, Chase Elkins,Jason O. Howard (High Honors), Matthew Dayne Pittman

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS - Bible - Delicia McCormick Henderson,Jason O. Howard (High Honors), Charles McNeil, Adam ThomasParker (Honors), David Harmon Parker, Genita Meria Pugh(Honors), Tracy D. Warren

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS - Gen-eral Education - June MarieBuckingham, Anna Clark, Kim-berly Michelle Glenn, AmandaJean Guy (Honors), DeliciaMcCormick Henderson, SonyaLafferty, Adam Thomas Parker(Honors), Hunter MatthewPittman, Genita Meria Pugh(Honors), Jared Bo Stockman.

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS - Busi-ness Administration- AutumnNicole Allbrooks, June MarieBuckingham, Anna Clark, Mariade los Angeles Estes, KimberlyMichelle Glenn, Sonya Lafferty.

CERTIFICATE OF CHRIS-TIAN LEADERSHIP - Elijah W.Davis, Homer E. Kemp, MarshallMason, Jr., Mossie RedmondPhipps, Billy Prestage

DIPLOMA IN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP - Elijah W. Davis.

DIPLOMA IN BIBLE - Annie Clayton-McLean

Is the Second Time Around Different?Luke 12:35-48Luke 12:35-48Luke 12:35-48Luke 12:35-48Luke 12:35-48

I guess I knew it. The wordswere in the small print, and Idid not pay much attention tothem. I simply got out, retiredfrom the US Army. Elevenyears later, I received a tele-phone call informing me I wasbeing called back to active duty!Certainly when I retired theundersized printwords were there in the officialdocuments to state somethinglike "you can be called back toactive duty." Well, I was beingcalled back much to my sur-prise, but not without plain andclear information in the papersI was given upon retirement.

It should not have surprisedme. All around me at thatparticular time, many reserveforces were being activated.The media was full of storiesabout "war and conflict" andthe need for additional troops.I had the information beforeme, but I failed to make per-sonal application to my ownlife. By the way, I'm glad I wascalled back to active duty toserve my country. It is a privi-lege to serve with men andwomen who put it all on theline for our nation.

Jesus tells his disciples, andby the Gospel tells us, He iscoming back. Perhaps, like Hisstory of the master returning,it seems to be in small print tothose the message is intendedto impact. The servants paidno attention to the master'swords and were caught offguard at this return. The ser-vants paid no attention. Theywent on about their own busi-ness, not the business of themaster.

Jesus is coming back to thisearth! That is what He tells usand that is the story of the NewTestament, and that is thisstory of Luke. Will His Secondcoming be different from thefirst? I think so. The differ-ences will be noticeable even tothe unregenerate. The Masterof the universe will come totake His rightful place. Hisservants will give an accountto Him. He will be the judge ofthose who have served Him.He will be the final decision ofwhat is good and what is notgood.

I hope I don't get lost in theend time charts of the hyperand pseudo end time prophets.They have the answer for ev-erything as to when and howJesus will return. They havethe scheme all worked out withgreat detail of His return and

how He will do this at a certaintime and do something else atanother time. They carefullybring all the Old Testamentapocalyptic passages to dove-tail with any New Testament

passages that suit their ownfanciful ideas.

Jesus is plainly speaking toHis followers in this passageabout a return of a master tohis own place to evaluate thework done in his absence. Iknow the Master has assignedme much to do and has givenme great ability to do it. Thatis the point of this story. Hewill make eye contact with meand I with Him. I will knowwithout His saying one wordhow well or how poorly I havedone.

It should not surprise any ofus that Jesus will come againto evaluate our work. It is notin small print. It is not hiddenanywhere within Christiancircles. He is to return. Hisreturn will involve my account-ability to Him. Will it be differ-ent the second time around?Yes, I think so. Because it willbe different, my behavior mustbe different today.

Luke 12Luke 12Luke 12Luke 12Luke 1235 Let your loins be girdedabout, and your lights burn-ing;36And ye yourselves like untomen that wait for their lord,when he will return from thewedding; that when he comethand knocketh, they may openunto him immediately.37 Blessed are those servants,whom the lord when he comethshall find watching: verily I

say unto you, that he shall girdhimself, and make them to sitdown to meat, and will comeforth and serve them.38 And if he shall come in thesecond watch, or come in thethird watch, and find them so,blessed are those servants.39 And this know, that if thegoodman of the house hadknown what hour the thiefwould come, he would havewatched, and not have sufferedhis house to be broken through.40 Be ye therefore ready also:for the Son of man cometh at anhour when ye think not.41 Then Peter said unto him,Lord, speakest thou this par-able unto us, or even to all?42 And the Lord said, Whothen is that faithful and wisesteward, whom his lord shallmake ruler over his household,to give them their portion ofmeat in due season?43 Blessed is that servant,whom his lord when he comethshall find so doing.44 Of a truth I say unto you,that he will make him rulerover all that he hath.45 But and if that servant sayin his heart, My lord delayethhis coming; and shall begin tobeat the menservants andmaidens, and to eat and drink,and to be drunken;46 The lord of that servant willcome in a day when he lookethnot for him, and at an hourwhen he is not aware, and willcut him in sunder, and willappoint him his portion withthe unbelievers.47 And that servant, whichknew his lord's will, and pre-pared not himself, neither didaccording to his will, shall bebeaten with many stripes.48 But he that knew not, anddid commit things worthy ofstripes, shall be beaten withfew stripes. For unto whomso-ever much is given, of him shallbe much required: and to whommen have committed much, ofhim they will ask the more.

Singing school setShady Grove Baptist Church in Tishomingo County will

host a singing school June 13th thru June 17th, starting at7:00. Sandra Smith will be the instructor. There is nocharge for attending. We will end the singing school witha fish fry and singing on Saturday the 18th. Food will beserved at 4:00 and singing will begin around 6:00. PastorMike Smith and congregation invite everyone to attend.

4 May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

Opinion PageJournal of the Baptist Missionary Association of Mississippi

Letters FromOur Readers

Letters reflect the opinion of thewriter and not necessarily this

publication or the BMA of Mississippi

Don J. Brown, EditorE-Mail - [email protected] site www.msbaptist.org

USPS 353-960P.O. Box 8181

Laurel, Mississippi 39441-8000

Phone 601-426-3293Fax 601-763-4430

PRICE$20.00 Per Year by Mail

$10.00 Per Year by EmailCHURCH PLAN$ 1.30 Per Month

Published on the 1st and 15th of each month by the Baptist MissionaryAssociation of Mississippi. Periodical postage paid at Hattiesburg,Mississippi 39402.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mississippi Baptist Paper,P.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS 39441-8000.

Church of the Covered Dish BY THOMAS TAPP

Listing of names does notindicate endorsement.

This column is forinformation purposes only.

AVAILABLEFOR SERVICE

Don BrownEditor

body. Geraldson was not at themeeting.

ApplicantsApplicantsApplicantsApplicantsApplicantsThis editor is aware that

there were a number of appli-cants for this position and thatmany were interviewed. Thesearch committee did interviewboth Geraldson and Rice.

In his presentation Ricestated (and this is not a directquote) that he felt he was theperson for the job and that theassociation had a 'choice' forthis position.

UncertaintyUncertaintyUncertaintyUncertaintyUncertaintyAgain, the perception by this

editor and by the statements ofmany present, it was obviousthat the majority of the mes-sengers were not in favor ofany one candidate.

A number of individualsspoke concerning the proce-dure. Dr. John Adams, pastorof First Baptist, Mantachie,addressed the moderator andsaid "I am not ready to vote".He asked the moderator to callthe association to prayer. Thealtar was filled with manymessengers for special prayerand for the Lord's leadership.

After prayer there stillseemed to be uncertainty. Bro.Leon Carmical, pastor of FirstBaptist Calhoun, near Laurel,stated "God is not the author ofconfusion". He further statedhe could vote for 2 of the candi-dates, but felt it best to stop atthis point.

Carmical made a motion totable this matter until the Oc-tober meeting. After consult-ing the parliamentarian it was

Special Session Heldcontinued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1

determinedthat this mo-tion wouldhave to carryby 2/3 major-ity.

The votefor the mo-tion to tablewas 80 forand 57against, thusfalling shortof the 2/3needed to pass. Dr. Adamscommented after this vote that"We are a divided house andthis presents a problem."

After consultation and dis-cussion, it was determined thatto 'postpone' the matter of elec-tion of the director of missions,a simple majority would carrythat vote. It being obvious thatthe clear majority did not wantto proceed with the vote on thepresented candidates this mo-tion was made by Bro. SamFreeman, pastor of CommunityBaptist, Poplarville. After a sec-ond, this motion passed by avote of 91 to 52.

ObservationObservationObservationObservationObservationThere certainly was tension

and a divided mentality amongthose present. It is the obser-vation of this writer that manyof the rumors leading up to thismeeting were true. A largenumber of messengers werepresent who supported the can-didacy of Bro. Coy Rice. Theywere not in the majority and itis clear that they could not pre-vail in electing Rice. It is alsoapparent that the majority ofmessengers did not wish to elect

either of the other nominees.Had that been the case, thenthe body would have continuedwith the vote and someonewould have been chosen.

Before the final vote, Bro.Joseph Oyeleye, pastor ofMaple Street Baptist Church,Columbus, addressed the asso-ciation. He stated that he wasnot happy with what was hap-pening. He asked the question,"Why should we be divided?"and further stated, "Are weworking as politicians? Let usremember this is the Lord'swork and if we make a mis-take, the Lord will correct it."He then stated that we should"go back and ask the Lord toget us to cooperate and worktogether".

Also, before the vote wastaken to postpone this decision,Parliamentarian John Adamsstated that if the motion to post-pone passed, there would be nonominees on the floor and thematter would be back in thehands of the Missions Commit-tee to continue their search.

After the vote to postpone,the special session was endedand the rest of the regular busi-ness was cared for.

A number of messengers leftat this point and did not returnfor the afternoon session.

John MillerBro. John Miller, former pas-

tor of Parkway Church, Petal forover 16 years, is available forpulpit supply. If you can use himplease contact him at 601-545-7179 or 601-520-4736,

Dale WirickDale Wirick is available for

pulpit supply whereever the Lordleads. He may be reached at228-249-3731 or 228-474-8886.

Thankful forThankful forThankful forThankful forThankful forBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiDear Editor,

I pastored in the ABA inLouisiana for over 15 years. Isaw some state meetings thatwere much more "animated"with vigorous debate. I haveseen men cross aisles pointingfingers in the faces of peoplewith opposing views.

I felt that everyone handledthemselves in an honorableway in Laurel today. While itmay upset some, vigorous de-bate can be good for clearingthe air, if there is enough spiri-tual maturity to come togetherafter the decision has beenmade.

I was a little confused todaythough. I thought we were go-ing to vote on the nominee fromthe Missions Committee andRevolving Loan Departments.There should have been a voteto accept or reject their nomi-nee. If he was rejected, thenand only then should anotherperson be considered.

It is confusing to considermore than one candidate at atime. I teach churches to voteon pastoral candidates one at a

time, instead of window shop-ping.

Sorry to be so long, but I justhad to share this. Watch thoseIED's.

God Bless You,Vernon Watts, pastorFirst Baptist Church of

Henleyfield

Wedding InvitationWedding InvitationWedding InvitationWedding InvitationWedding InvitationExtendedExtendedExtendedExtendedExtendedDear Editor,

We would like to send out aninvitation for the wedding ofJoshua Phil Spiers and Mel-issa Lynn Westbrook on Satur-day, June 18, 2011, at 2:00 pmat Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

Thank you,Glenn & Patricia WestbrookParents of the bride

Reader repliesReader repliesReader repliesReader repliesReader repliesto editorialto editorialto editorialto editorialto editorialconcerning attendanceconcerning attendanceconcerning attendanceconcerning attendanceconcerning attendanceDear Editor,

I do not want anyone to feelthis article is written with ar-rogance nor finger pointing forthis is surely not my intention.

To fully answer the questionI must go back to the begin-ning. In 1945 returning homefrom WWII I resumed pastoralwork. Tired of fighting, I waslooking forward to serving withour churches. Attending ourNational Associational Meet-ing that year I found no peacethere. Three groups of ideaswere in the American BaptistAssociation. One group wouldremain with present ideachurch membership was notrequired in the church forwhich they were voting, one

letters continued on page 6letters continued on page 6letters continued on page 6letters continued on page 6letters continued on page 6

5May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

Commission on Senior AdultsVern D.Holifield, Director

4226 Highway 15 NorthLaurel, Mississippi 39440

Midyear Meetingcontinued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1continued from page 1

spoke of a closer relationshipand cooperation with the na-tional missions department. Heand Missions Director JohnDavid Smith are working onways to integrate the opera-tions for the purpose of fulfill-ing the great commission.

Crawley also spoke promot-ing the new DiscipleWay train-ing program. Training sessionswill get underway in May andin a number of locations laterin the year.

ReportsReportsReportsReportsReportsReports were given by each

commission, department andfellowships. BMF directorBryson Haden offered the ser-vices of the Music Fellowshipto any church or group thatneeded help and input.

The Brother-hood report wasgiven by RoyCaldwell in theabsence ofP r e s i d e n tRoger Jefcoat.The WMA re-port was givenby Christie Lee.Written reportsfrom these twogroups will bepresented in alater edition.

SoutheasterCollege Presi-dent Dr.Medrick Savellpresented thecollege report. The recentgraduation ceremony conferred28 degrees on 19 individuals.He shared that finances arestrained by the economy andsaid the number one need atthe college is increased enroll-ment. He announced that thecollege has expanded its onlinecourse offerings to a total of 18.He encouraged our pastors andmembers to take advantage ofthese offerings.

Dwight Lindsey, director ofthe Youth Department urgedparticipation in the upcomingcamp season and all the activi-ties. Lindsey requested inputand encouragement from thechurches in ways to better min-ister to our youth. He hadBryson Haden, youth pastor ofOakland Church, Vicksburg,present the BRAG Conferenceto be held in July at OaklandChurch. Be Real About God(B.R.A.G.) Others churches are

encouraged to bring their youthto this event.

Bro. Lavelle Lee presentedthe Missions and RLF report.Ray Boone, missionary pastorof New Heart Mission,Hattiesburg, reported on theirprogress, both spiritually andon their new building. Reportswere also given concerningFirst Hispanic Church, Ripley,;El Camino Church, Laurel;Maple Street Church, Colum-bus; and Homestretch Missionin Cleveland.

Stirring MessagesStirring MessagesStirring MessagesStirring MessagesStirring MessagesBro. Elvis Garcia, mission-

ary pastor of First HispanicChurch, Ripley and Bro.Estuardo Marraquin, pastor ofEl Camino Mission, Laurel,brought the morning ‘message’.

Both preached powerful mes-sages and thrilled the hearts ofthe association.

After a good lunch providedby Parkview Church, reportsin the afternoon session in-cluded the Publications Depart-ment, Senior Adult Commis-sion, Moral Action, Commis-sion on History and theChildren’s Home.

The churches were encour-aged to make sure their mem-ber families received the Mis-sissippi Baptist. The editorthanked those who regularlycontribute columns, news, andreports as well as their goodfinancial support.

Glen Shoemake encouragedchurches to save their recordsand have a copy, either elec-tronic or hard copies, stored inthe archives for their protec-tion and for the benefit of theassociation.

Dr. Adams, director of Moral

Action, urged our people to stayin contact with our politicalleaders and let them know ourdesires concerning the moralcondition of our nation. He andMrs. Adams will be travelingto Washington, D.C. for a

Watchmen On The Wall con-ference and to meet with a num-ber of elected officials.

Bro. (Dr.) Vern Holifield re-

ported on the Senior AdultCommission and the two con-ference held this Spring. Hereported a total attendance ofaround 500 at both meetings.He said that the finances of theCommission were holding welland thanked the churches fortheir support. He encouragedchurches to continually makeministering to their senioradults a priority.

Children’s Home DirectorSidney Davis shared his re-port. Finances are good and hethanked those who supportedthe Home’s special emphasisdrive and the rallies for theHome. He said the three el-ementary school students weredoing very well academicallywith all having a B or betteraverage. The middle school stu-dent excels in the school bandwas asked to join the HighSchool marching band. Davisstressed that all four of thechildren at the home have madeprofessions of faith.

The Association will meetagain in October for the annualbusiness session.

Bro. Harold Floyd welcomes Bro. & Mrs. RichardArceneaux of Meadville into the Association.

Christy Matthews speakingat the midyear WMA meeting

Roger Jefcoat presides overBrotherhood meeting

It is good to greet our friendsaround the country through thepages of the Mississippi Bap-tist paper. We are now sailingon stormy seas in our politicalworld. The moral sea is stormy.The Spiritual seas are troubledas well. It seems that trouble iseverywhere. Let us not forgetwho we are and whose we are.Jesus knows what is going onearth. We should understandthat He knows how committedwe are to His Cause. (SecondChronicles 7: 14) is still in theBible and I believe it fits orapplies to us as it did to Israel.

It seems to me that we Bap-tist should keep our eyes on theLord and the work He has leftus to do. We spend a lot of timethese days debating, judging,and pushing for, it seems to,our own agenda. Someone saidrecently that often we folkssearch for methods while weshould be searching for God.Where is God in much of ourdiscussions? Where is God inmany of our desires and no-tions? "God is not the author ofconfusion, but peace, as in allchurches of the saints" (1 Cor.24: 33). None of us should havea personal agenda that we de-mand on others. Churches andAssociations are made up withpeople of different God giventalents. We are not all alike inthought, we are different butthe Holy Spirit can make allthese differences work in har-mony for the Glory of God andthe advancement of His cause.After all it is His cause, Hischurch, His work, NOT yoursor mine.

National MeetingNational MeetingNational MeetingNational MeetingNational MeetingDot and I had the privilege

of attending the national meet-ing in April. I have missed onlythree of four National Associa-tions since 1949. The 2011meeting was one of the best. Agood spirit was enjoyedthroughout the meeting. Thepreaching was simply great.The Jacksonville choir wastops. One of the highlights wasthe Commissioning of the Mis-sionaries. Brother Dale Broomand his wife were elected to aforeign field. Last year threeor four BMA of Mississippi la-dies were elected to serve onforeign fields.

We have those who neverfind good things to say aboutour BMAM work. The Lord

has blessed our BMA of Missis-sippi churches to produce sev-eral missionaries through theyears. There of the major De-partments of the BMAA haveMississippi men as ExecutiveDirectors. Dr. John DavidSmith BMAA Missions; Dr.John Adams BMAA Moral Ac-tion and Dr. Kevin ClaytonBMAA Disciple Guide. BrotherGreg Medenwald is one of theRecording Secretaries. Don'tsell BMA Baptist short. Don'tsell BMA Baptist in Mississippishort. We are God's people.We are not the only people thatGod is using, but we are in thebattle for truth and right. Per-fect, no, but the Doctrines weespouse to are perfect. Wedon't have to defend the Bibleand its doctrines. We have topreach and teach them. Goddidn't tell His Church to de-fend the Truth, but to declareit.

ConferencesConferencesConferencesConferencesConferencesGod gave us two great con-

ferences. Many said they werethe best ever. They were amongthe best we have conducted.We registered 340 in the SouthConference and 150 in theNorth. Forty plus churcheswere represented in the Southand 18 in the North. Just thinkif 75 or 100 churches wouldrepresent in the South confer-ence. Just think if 40 or 50churches would represent inthe North Conference. Thecombined conferences wit-nessed about 490 in attendance.It is sad that many of our dearseniors missed a wonderful dayof good things.

I say a great big thanks to allthose who were on the pro-grams. I say a big thanks to allthe pastors all who attendedthe conferences. Big CreekChurch and Pastor BrotherDon Brown, and First Baptistand Pastor Dr. John Adamswere perfect host.

Thanks to all who sent uskind notes about the Confer-ences. Many had positive thingsto say about the Conferences.

Note: A Photo look atthe North Senior Adult

Conference held at FirstBaptist, Mantachie isdisplayed on page 8

6 May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

Mississippi W.M.A.Blinda Lee, President

77 Morrow Rd., Purvis,MS 39475601-596-3417

[email protected]

Corresponding SecretaryMrs. Shirlene Smith

730 Hwy 533, Laurel, MS 39443601-729-5638

2012012012012011-2012 National WMA1-2012 National WMA1-2012 National WMA1-2012 National WMA1-2012 National WMA Project Project Project Project Projectby Shirlene Smith, Editorby Shirlene Smith, Editorby Shirlene Smith, Editorby Shirlene Smith, Editorby Shirlene Smith, Editor

National WMANational WMANational WMANational WMANational WMAAt the recent National WMA meeting at Wichita

Falls, Texas, the WMA ladies selected as their projectfor the coming year the following: 40% Haiti ReliefFund under the direction of Bro. Mike Poirier; 40%ISHELP under the direction of Bro. Tony Crocker;15% Youth Fund;and 5% General Fund. All fundsfor Haiti and ISHELP will be directed through theBMAA Missions Department in Little Rock, Arkan-sas.

Bro. Mike Poirier and Sis. Ruth Poirier haveprovided us with information that will help us betterunderstand the work that is being done in Haiti."The Haiti relief is organized by the BMAA for thepurpose of:

1. Bringing hope to unsaved people that they maycome to know the Lord by the preaching of theGospel. Every time there is a trip planned to Port-au-Prince the Gospel is the first priority. PastorPoirier has won souls on every trip made and now isteaching a national how to win souls and teachothers. This teaching is going on via Internet andmeetings each time Haiti is visited.

2. Evaluate the situation of the people in need bymeeting them one by one and giving consideration totheir need for: a. shelter, b. food, c. clothing.

3. Orphanage: A family of Port-au-Prince hastaken in children into their home after the earth-quake and has given all the basic needs to save theirlives from the hardship of hunger, etc. This is not anorphanage registered with the government and isworking alone with the help and generosity of thepeople. Bro. Poirier's duties when he goes to seethem are: a. visiting the children and talking to themabout the Lord, b. verifying their needs in order tosee where help is needed, c. providing cash for themto buy food (sometimes it is cheaper to buy the foodthere).

4. Work from home: We organize and collectclothing, food, toys, and hygiene products which arethen put into a container and shipped to Port-au-Prince. It takes a couple of months before reachingthe destination."

ISHELP is an interactive self-help English learn-ing program to help reach others with the Gospel ofJesus Christ. Bro. Tony provided the followinginformation for us: "ISHELP International Incorpo-rated is a new platform established to assist groupsassociated with the BMA of America make the mostof their global opportunities through the effectiveuse of English as a second language. ISHELP wasestablished in late 2009 and is a registered 501c3non-government, non-profit organization. ISHELPprovides volunteer teams of college students andadult professionals the necessary tools and interna-tional connections to conduct English Second Lan-guage teacher training and interactive learning ser-vices in secondary schools, colleges, and universitieswhere opportunities to interact with native Englishspeakers are limited.

We hope that ISHELP will function as a long-

short term support program to our professionalsliving overseas, and provide opportunity for thoseconsidering long-term overseas service to receivetraining that will increase their chance for a success.We offer three training modules that address themost common challenges that go unanswered in anEnglish Second Language Program, as well as crosscultural training for each volunteer.

Our highest goal is that ISHELP will be a bridgeof understanding between our people in the UnitedStates and the friends we make in schools aroundthe world. This year we are sending our first teamsto Beijing, China, and Bangkok, Thailand. Already,we are seeing the need among our contacts as wehave started communicating with personnel in fournew nations for 2012. If your group or organizationis looking for an opportunity to build meaningfulrelationships overseas, please contact us now aboutour 2012 opportunities."

I pray that this information will stir and challengethe hearts of our WMA ladies to begin NOW to raisefunds and give liberally that Haiti and the nationstouched by the ministry of ISHELP will experiencethe love of Jesus and be saved. "That thy way maybe known upon Earth, thy saving health (salvation)among all nations, Psalm 67:2."

Please send your contributions to - NationalWMA, Pat Duncan, P.O. Box 30, Hardy, AR 72542-0030.

group wanted to wash feet and have no designatedsalary for the pastor and one group wanted to let thechurch pay the pastor as the church desired and anindividual had to be a member of the church forwhich they were voting.

From 1945 to 1949 these differences and otherssimmered. In the 1949 Associational Meeting arequest was made for a motion that no one could bea messenger outside the church of which they werea member. You may ask voting outside your churchmembership was an issue. Yes, when there aredivisions everything becomes an issue.

The motion was tabled until the 1950 Associa-tional Meeting. As the gavel sounded in the 1950Associational Meeting the moderator ask for a mo-tion all regular business be dispensed and move toelect a moderator for the 1950 meeting. The tabledissue of the 1949 meeting was to be the first issue ofbusiness in our 1950 meeting. As soon as the mod-erator knew he had votes the opposite side haddifficulty getting recognized.

During the meeting after a LONG wait BrotherD.N. Jackson’s son rose and ask this question, isthere anyone here who will admit they are voting fora church of which they are not members? I can see itas if it were yesterday. A man, his wife and daughterrose and stated they were living in Florida andvoting for a church in Arkansas. Did they not knowthis was wrong?

There are preachers to day who remember thedetails. Anything put into my computer that impor-tant can never be forgotten.

How does this compare to our work now?As it was then there are those who are determined

to have their way regardless how others feel. If yourchurch does not agree with us shame on you. Manychurches have left our Associational Meeting feelingas if they were unwanted and not needed.

I have had my hands on the pulse of many smallchurches and their answer is the same. Why shouldwe spend time and money going when we will nei-ther be heard nor needed?

As the issue of the vote came in 1950 churches

LETTERS TO THE EDITORcontinued from page 4continued from page 4continued from page 4continued from page 4continued from page 4

were made fun of because of their stand, the samehas happened today over the version of the Bible.Churches in opposition are being made fun of be-cause they are narrow-minded thinkers. Seemssome would rather have their way at the risk ofdestroying the Associational work. I Corinthians8:13 in my Bible (KJV) that tells us if meat makes mybrother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the worldstandeth, lest I make my brother to offend. Brethrenare you going to continue having your way even ifyou offend your brother in the process?

Churches what you do is between you and God.Don’t try to force what you do on others. This isexactly what brought the first division. When yousay use other versions and in our literature do notgive options to our churches in some of your litera-ture knowing many churches are against what youare doing, is not your meat offending others?

Doctorial(sic)issues are different.Let the churches choose. Just think sixty-one

years ago American Association split three waysover issues of how to pay their pastor, washing of feetand church membership required in the church forwhich you are voting. I would certainly be disap-pointed to live through another split over whichversion of the Bible a church uses.

J.B. StonecypherLucedale, Mississippi

Preaching Conference InvitationPreaching Conference InvitationPreaching Conference InvitationPreaching Conference InvitationPreaching Conference InvitationDear Editor,

Please put the following info in the paper if youcan. I would appreciate it.

The 4th Annual Reviving the Passion of Preach-ing Conference will be held on November 4-5, 2011.More information on the website atrevivingthepassionofpreaching.tripod.com.

Thanks.Josh Spiers

North MississippiSenior Adult Conference

Photos by Bro. Eddie Boutwell(Photographer Extroidinaire)

7May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

CHILDREN'S HOME118 LOWE ROAD, LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI 39443 - (601) 426-3928

SIDNEY DAVISDIRECTOR

Homecoming ServicesHomecoming ServicesHomecoming ServicesHomecoming ServicesHomecoming ServicesOn Sunday, April 17, we

were with the Hopewell Bap-tist Church near Fulton andPastor Matt Hudson for theirHomecoming services. It wasmy privilege and honor not onlyto be reared in this good church,but also to serve as its pastoron one occasion. This yearHopewell celebrated 168 yearsof ministry in the service of theLord. I would like to thank thechurch and Pastor MattHudson for allowing me to bethe guest speaker for this year’sHomecoming.

GardeningGardeningGardeningGardeningGardeningWell, at this time of the year

a lot of activity takes place out-doors. Besides cutting grass,another important activity in-cludes planting a garden.

As one takes those pottedplants and places them in thesoil, excitement takes place asyou begin to consider the timeof harvest. We have the gar-den planted at the Home andnow we look to the Lord for Hissunshine and rain from abovefor His blessings. As we watchthe plants grow and the seeds

sprout and produce may weever be mindful that we have afaithful Heavenly Father wholoves us very much and wantsto see us grow in Him.

Remembering ThoseRemembering ThoseRemembering ThoseRemembering ThoseRemembering ThoseWho Have Gone Before UsWho Have Gone Before UsWho Have Gone Before UsWho Have Gone Before UsWho Have Gone Before Us

On May 30 we will honor themany who have given theirlives to preserve the libertiesand freedoms that we enjoy asAmericans on this MemorialDay holiday. May we neverforget the price they paid andgive God thanks for the ulti-mate sacrifice they gave.

As we honorthe patriots ofAmerica it isalso fitting toshow our heart-felt apprecia-tion for themany soldiersof faith. Onesuch true pa-triot of the faithwas the ApostlePaul. He gave his farewellwords to us in 2 Timothy 4:6-8.“For I am now ready to be of-fered, and the time of my de-parture is at hand. I havefought a good fight, I have fin-ished my course, I have keptthe faith: Henceforth there islaid up for me a crown of righ-teousness, which the Lord, therighteous judge, shall give meat that day: And not to me only,but unto all them also that lovehis appearing.”

Paul was able to look back onhis life and say, “I have foughta good fight.” We too need totake time to look back. Havewe fought a good fight? Are wedoing the will of God in ourlives from our heart?

One day life is going to endfor you and me. I trust we willbe able to look to the Lord JesusChrist just as Paul did. PraiseGod for the memories of themany patriots of faith who havegone before us.

School Will Be OutSchool Will Be OutSchool Will Be OutSchool Will Be OutSchool Will Be OutIn A Few DaysIn A Few DaysIn A Few DaysIn A Few DaysIn A Few Days

The children are anxiouslyawaiting for school to be out forthe summer. Summer timealways accounts for a busyschedule and summer vacationwill be over before one realizeswhat has taken place.

Continue to remember theHome in your daily prayers andpray for God’s protective careupon the activities of the chil-dren during the summer break.

Change Made inDistribution of Directories

Bobby L. HudgensBobby L. HudgensBobby L. HudgensBobby L. HudgensBobby L. HudgensDiscipleGuide Church ResourcesDiscipleGuide Church ResourcesDiscipleGuide Church ResourcesDiscipleGuide Church ResourcesDiscipleGuide Church Resources

In just a couple of monthsthe 2011-12 edition of theBMAA Directory and Hand-book will be ready for distribu-tion. In recent years we’ve madea number of improvements incontent and eye appeal and thisyear will be no exception. Wehave continued to group de-partment information togetherto make it easier to find theinformation you need. We areincluding photos for the firsttime of the ABS directors. Thebook sports a beautiful newcover showing the sun risingon a new day. We feel this isappropriate in light of bold andpositive new changes we arebeginning to see in our associ-ated work.

We are now taking a newlook at how we can continue toprovide the BMAA with thisextensive information resourceand remain financially solvent.Until recently we were able tosend out two books to eachBMAA church and then liber-ally supply the churches withadditional copies as needed. We

no longer have that luxury.At the end of 2010 we were

in the red by $2,500. We keepour expenses as low as pos-sible. Other than expenses di-rectly related to printing and

mailing the Directory andHandbook, we only have onepart-time salary and generalpostage to pay. We are creatingthe church directory, preacher,and staff sections in-house thisyear rather than outsourcingthem as has long been the prac-tice. This is a considerable sav-

ing.Why is it necessary to make

changes in the publication anddistribution of the directory?Over the last few years print-ing costs have soared while of-ferings from the churches havefallen. More than two-thirds ofBMAA churches give no offer-ing to this work. We are beingsupported by less than one-third of the churches. The bot-tom line is that we have toincrease income and lower ex-penses.

This year the Directory andHandbook will be available onlyby purchase and must be or-dered. Copies will not be mailedout to all churches automati-cally as in years past. Pleaseplace your order now. If youneed one book, order one bookfor $20 plus shipping and han-dling, two books for $40 plusshipping and handling, etc. Forshipping and handling add 10%of your total order. There’s aminimum charge of $5 if the10% is below $5. The number ofbooks we print will be based onthe number of copies ordered.

Call customer service at 800-333-1442, or order online atwww.DiscipleGuide.org andclick on “Information Services.”ORDER DEADLINE: June 15.

CHURCHNEWS

Springhill ChurchSpringhill ChurchSpringhill ChurchSpringhill ChurchSpringhill Churchto host Gospel Singto host Gospel Singto host Gospel Singto host Gospel Singto host Gospel Sing

Springhill Baptist Church inLaurel will be hosting a gospelsing Saturday, May 28, 2011,at 7:00 pm featuring TheBibletones Quartet. A love of-fering will be taken. For moreinfo call 601-729-8019.

Tombigbee Association reportTombigbee Association reportTombigbee Association reportTombigbee Association reportTombigbee Association reportThe Tombigbee Baptist As-

sociation met with The LoneOak Baptist Church on May5th, 2011. There were 40 mem-bers with 3 visitors from 8churches. Bro. Bryan Wilsonopened with prayer, with thewelcome from Lone Oak. Ms.Kerrie Smith and Bro. RogerFranks brought the specialmusic. The message was by Bro.Rodney Lindsey with his sub-ject "May God's People be MoreUnified for the Lord" from Ro-mans 15:1-5.

Reports were by Bro. LavalleLee and Bro Elvis Garcia.

Moderator Matt HudsonReporter Debbie Franks

Participants, Winners, and Honorees

8 May 15, 2011 • Mississippi Baptist

Family ArkMinistries

Travis Plumlee

As You GraduateFinally! Praise the Lord. Gradua-

tion is here. It is an exciting time, afearful time, a sad time, a stress reliev-ing time. There aremany emotions thatpeople have when theygraduate. It is okay tofeel whatever you want.Some of you are justthrilled it is all finallyover. There may be somethat are kind of sad be-cause of friends movingaway, and the end of an era. Stillothers of you may be a little anxiousbecause you are facing an uncertainfuture. And still others of you mayhave everything already planned outfor your immediate future, yet youwonder if you are going to be able tomake it.

Whatever the mood right now, youneed to know some things to help youin this transition period. People havemany chapters in their book of life.

You are now closing one of those chap-ters in your book, and getting ready towrite a new one. Quit looking back.

Turn the page and be-gin a new chapter. Youwill write this one your-self. Chances are, it maybe the first chapter inyour life that you writeby yourself for the mostpart, without the assis-tance of your parentstelling you what to

write. Know these facts about life.

1. Don't be fearful of the future.1. Don't be fearful of the future.1. Don't be fearful of the future.1. Don't be fearful of the future.1. Don't be fearful of the future.If you are a Christian - God is going

with you. He is already out ahead ofyou making your way straight. If youleave home, or just move out - God iswith you. If you join the military andmove far away, take a job in a newtown, or just start on your own - God iswith you. There is a great deal ofcomfort and peace knowing that no

matter where I am in this old world -God is going with me. Joshua 1:9

"Have not I commanded thee? Bestrong and of a good courage; be notafraid, neither be thou dismayed: forthe Lord thy God is with theewhithersoever thou goest". See! Godhas promised you that he will be withyou no matter where you go in life. Youwill always go with God. So, don't beafraid or discouraged as this scripturestates. Go with God and you will beokay.

2. Don't be afraid of the future. Don't2. Don't be afraid of the future. Don't2. Don't be afraid of the future. Don't2. Don't be afraid of the future. Don't2. Don't be afraid of the future. Don'tregret your past.regret your past.regret your past.regret your past.regret your past.

"What if." "But." Common com-ments about the future and the past.Stop fearing the future. Trust God.He is already in the future. He has hadplans for you since before you wereborn. These plans are good. His plansfor your future are for good and to giveyou hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.Learn from your past. But then leaveit and grow on. Never let your pasthold back your future. With God, wecan always have a brand new start. Heis the God of a second chance. People

Sofilthy'sAtticby Barbara White

Surprise Me!

At a meeting I went to not longago, the very staid and stoicalpreacher quoted that very famousand well-loved comedian, BobHope. The story goes that whenBob's time to go seemed emi-nent, his wife, Delores, asked himwhere he wanted to be buried.Bob looked up at her and said,"Surprise me!"

I don't think humor is listedamong the spiritual gifts, but Ihave found that it's a very handytool to help us get through somedifficult times in our lives.

"He who hath a merry hearthath a continual feast." Proverbs15:15

may not forget your past, but God has.It is covered by the blood of the Lamband you bear it no more. Philippians3:13,14 "... this one thing I do, forget-ting those things which are behind,and reaching forth unto those thingswhich are before, I press toward themark for the prize of the high calling ofGod in Christ Jesus.

3. Scripture also tells you to be your-3. Scripture also tells you to be your-3. Scripture also tells you to be your-3. Scripture also tells you to be your-3. Scripture also tells you to be your-self.self.self.self.self.

Don't conform to all the other youngpeople around you. Dare to be differ-ent. Dare to live for Christ. God's willfor your life, whether you understandit or not, is good and perfect for you.Romans 12:2 "And be not conformedto this world, but be ye transformed bythe renewing of your mind, that yemay prove what is that good, and ac-ceptable, and perfect, will of God."

4. Always remember that you can4. Always remember that you can4. Always remember that you can4. Always remember that you can4. Always remember that you canbeat anything that you face.beat anything that you face.beat anything that you face.beat anything that you face.beat anything that you face.

Life is hard many times. There willbe some things or some people thatwill come into your life and knock youdown. But you can have victory. Youare not going to just cope or manageyour problems as a Christian. You willconquer them in Jesus name. Romans8:37 ' Nay in all these things, you aremore than conquerors through himwho loved you.".

5. Don't be afraid, but release the5. Don't be afraid, but release the5. Don't be afraid, but release the5. Don't be afraid, but release the5. Don't be afraid, but release thepower you already possess.power you already possess.power you already possess.power you already possess.power you already possess.

You will never go as far as Goddesires for you to go if you always areafraid to step out. Sometimes, deci-sions will be done not because theymake sense, but because you are fol-lowing God's will for your life. Youhave the greatest power on the face ofthe earth living inside of you. All yourpower comes from God and not frommoney, fame, education or anythingelse. But what a power it is! Live outthe power you possess and don't befearful. II Timothy 1:7 "For God hathnot given us the spirit of fear, but ofpower, and of love, and of a soundmind."

6. The devil can't defeat you.6. The devil can't defeat you.6. The devil can't defeat you.6. The devil can't defeat you.6. The devil can't defeat you.He has no power over you unless

you allow him. He is already defeated.Don't let him whisper defeat into yourears. I John 4:4 "Ye are of God, littlechildren, and have overcome them:because greater is he that is in you,than he that is in the world." Eph.6:10" Finally, my brethren, be strong in theLord and in the power of His might."

7. Always remember who you are.7. Always remember who you are.7. Always remember who you are.7. Always remember who you are.7. Always remember who you are.A son or daughter of the Most High

God. You are royalty. Never forget it.And you will always be loved if you area Christian. Romans 8: 38,39 "For Iam persuaded, that neither death, norlife, nor angels, nor principalities, norpowers, nor things present, nor thingsto come, nor height, nor depth, nor anyother creature, shall be able to sepa-rate us form the love of God, which isin Christ Jesus our Lord." Now getgoing. Vaya con Dios.

The Mississippi Classic Builders and The Master's Builderswork on New Heart Baptist Church Buildingby Nelda Malone, reporterby Nelda Malone, reporterby Nelda Malone, reporterby Nelda Malone, reporterby Nelda Malone, reporter

Builders from six states traveled toHattiesburg, Mississippi, the last ofMarch to help with the building of themission New Heart BaptistMission.Two weeks were spent fram-ing the building, putting the metal onthe outside and framing up the insideclassrooms, fellowship hall, and sanc-tuary. Members of New Heart Missionhelped in the building and put up theinsulation.

On April 25th, many of these build-ers returned to New Heart to resumework. The men wired the building andput up sheet rock on the ceilings andwalls.

The builders would like to expresstheir gratitude to Bro. Ray Boone andhis wife Joann , all the wonderful mem-bers of New Heart and to Bro. Vernon

Lee for taking such good care of uswhile we were there.

For those who do not know, theMississippi Classic Builders and TheMaster's Builders are volunteers whotravel to churches that have buildingneeds. We travel in our RVs or stay inmotels at our own expense. On eachjob lasting friendships are made. Thatis only one of the many benefits for themen and women who travel whencalled. We serve the Lord and theongoing of His Kingdom in this minis-try.

Two couples in our group need yourprayers in a special way at this time.Please pray for Bill and Anita Deesand Jack and Shirley Taylor. We missbeing with them so much.

If you are looking for a way to servethe Lord and you think you would

enjoy working alongside of us, contactJohn Mangum, Office Coordinator forThe Master's Builders at 318-205-5155or Jack Mitchell, Office Coordinatorfor the Mississippi Classic Builders at228-627-1316.

New Heart Mission, Hattiesburg benefited from the help ofThe Mississippi Classic Builders and The Master's Builders