Hawaii Pacific Baptist March 2015 Issue

March 2015Vol. 45, No. 2

in this issue

Moving? See page 2 (0401)

Churches in the Pacific impacting the world B A P T I S T

WMU Annual MeetingSee a reacp of the meeting in Honolulu.Page 5

New IMB strategy, structureIMB President David Platt lays out the new plan.Page 9

SBC Presidents send letter to ObamaRonnie Floyd and other former presidents encourage taking action against ISIS. Page 11

Seafarer’s Ministry begins in Honolulu

Chris Evans and his wife, Judy, arrived in January to begin a new ministry to the ports in Honolulu.

They immediately set out to introduce themselves to the workers on the boats at Pier 38. Pastor Jerry Saludez of Waipio Community Church accompanied them since they found many of the fishermen were Filipino.

Pastor Saludez and his wife, Stella, had an instant connection with the fisher-men. They have provided meals, clothes, and other necessities for the workers.

Chris Evans is no stranger to the seafarer’s ministry. He and Judy served at the Seafarer’s Cen-ter in American Samoa for more than two years and his reports were filled with

connecting with the fisher-men from different coun-tries and leading them to a faith in Jesus. His vision was to evangelize the men and help them to reach the other workers as they were on the boat.

As they visited Honolulu, Chris became burdened for the hundreds of ships and boats in Honolulu Harbor. After two years of wading through the visa process and North American Mis-sion Board applications, the Evans’ arrived ready to begin this new ministry.

Preparation for this min-istry began months before with Waikiki Baptist Church sponsoring the Sea-farer’s Ministry. Pastor Andrew Large and his staff also took on the responsibil-ity of securing the visas for the Evans’ to work in

Hawaii. Waipio Community Church provided an apart-ment and a van for their use. The Hawaii Woman’s Missionary Union asked churches to sew toiletry bags and collect items for the bags. The Oahu Baptist Network provided Tagalog-English Bibles. The Hawaii Chinese Baptist Church pro-vided a room to have Bible studies and a place for fellowship.

After the Evans’ arrived, the boats were contacted and one of the first needs was a home-cooked meal. Many of the fishermen are Filipino so it was natural to provide Filipino dishes. Stella Saludez, wife of Pastor Jerry Saludez, is well known for her Filipino cooking and the meals they served were

By Faith McFatridge

See SEAFARER..Page 3

A primer on the SBC’s Cooperative Program

As Southern Baptists, we are often asked by those outside the denomination, “What is the Southern Baptist Convention?”

That question brings many differing answers, usually depending upon the experi-ence of the responder. Some may say that we are Biblically-based, while some may say that we are missional. Other responses may center around a common confession of faith. All of these are true, but probably the strongest factor remains the Cooperative Program.

If you are not aware of what the CP is, you are not alone. The fact remains that many of our churches and pastors have little or no under-standing of what the CP is or how is works for us all. With that in mind, join me in a quick CP lesson.

According to sbc.net, “The Cooperative Pro-gram is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giv-ing through which cooperating Southern Bap-tist churches give a percentage of their undesig-nated receipts in support of their respective state convention and the Southern Baptist Con-vention missions and ministries.” That means that without requiring any church to give, Southern Baptist churches voluntarily give a portion of their weekly offerings to coopera-tively support work throughout the convention and the world. In 2013 giving amounted to an amazing total of over $482 million dollars.

Through a very unique birth, the CP was designed against the odds. From www.sbc.net: “In 1919, the leaders of the SBC proposed the 75 Million Campaign, a five-year pledge campaign that, for the first time, included everything - the missions and ministries of all the state conven-tions as well as that of the Southern Baptist Con-vention. Though falling short of its goals, a God-given partnership of missions support was con-ceived: The Cooperative Program. Since its launch in 1925, the effectiveness of the Coopera-tive Program has been dependent upon indi-viduals, churches, state conventions, and SBC entities cooperating, working toward a common goal of sharing the gospel with every person on the planet.”

In an unbelievable way, cooperative work is

By Chris Martin

See COOPERATIVE PROGRAM..Page 3

The Gathering was held on the Big Island of Hawaii at Kilauea Military Camp in February with about a 100 students and leaders attending the three-day camp.

Over one hundred college students living on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii, The Big Island,’ came together Feb. 20-22, to attend the Hawaii Baptist Collegiate Ministries’ annual event known as The Gathering.

This year’s event theme was “Live Big” and was hosted by BCM Hilo at Kilauea Mili-tary Camp located in the world famous Volcanoes National Park.

Guest speakers included

Gus Hernandez, Jr., with Dar-rell and Teresa McCain.

Hernandez, who currently serves as the college Pastor at Christ Fellowship Miami and Florida International Univer-sity BCM, encouraged stu-dents to go out and make dis-ciples through a three day course.

He provided students with the tools to successfully evan-gelize to any one by focusing on God’s plan, living beyond earthly standards,

A Gathering to rememberBy Amber Nunn Kahn

See GATHERING..Page 4

2 HAWAII PACIFIC MARCH 2015

As I look upon the churches of our conven-tion, I am always excited to know that in spite of the challenges that we all face, the

desire to connect and serve Christ together motivates us to break down all barriers to see God’s vision pursued.

Knowing that we all serve the One true God, inspired and strengthened by the same Holy Spirit, and striving to be obedient to the commands of the only Anointed Christ draws us into an active relationship

as His Church with many members in many different locations. This is the fulfillment of the design for the Body of Christ that God so perfectly constructed for us to be, in Christ, before He spoke into existence any of His

incredible creation.And it comes to life through us!Now, I realize that this body is not perfect,

nor will we ever be, as long as we are on this side of the return of Christ. But, I am so blessed to be a living part of His Church, with you, every day.

As we continue down this journey together, let us be driven to see God’s will accomplished in us, through us, and around us as we follow His plan to allow our com-munities to be transformed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There will never be another design for transformation – no president, king, financial power, educational system, government pro-gram nothing else will ever come that will bring true transformation. The only gateway to true transformation is in Jesus Christ and this is the message of hope for all.

Mahalo for the wonderful privilege to serve you as the Executive Director of the

Hawaii Pacific Baptist Conven-tion. My goal is to mobilize your HPBC staff and help connect you to the churches of the HPBC and her partners to assist you in faithfully fol-lowing the vision that God has placed in your heart to be transformed. We want to see you maximized in all of your efforts to pursue Christ and see His Kingdom revealed.

We are the convention! Together! Mahalo and God bless you!

Chris Martin is the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention executive director.

HAWAII PACIFIC BAPTIST2042 Vancouver DriveHonolulu, Hawaii 96822(USPS 237-540)

CHRISTOPHER MARTINEditor

FAITH McFATRIDGEAssociate Editor

The Hawaii Pacific Baptist is published bi-monthly by the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention. For general information, call (808) 946-9581. Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawaii, and additional mailing office.

To subscribe: Send request to the Hawaii Pacific Baptist at the above address. Subscriptions for non-resident members of the HPBC are $12 annually.To register a change of address: Send the mailing label from page 1, along with your new address, to The Hawaii Pacific Baptist at the above address.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HAWAII Pacific BAPTIST, 2042 Vancouver Dr., Honolulu, HI 96822-2491To give news tips: Call the editor at (808) 946-9581.To submit a letter: Letters on any subject will be considered for publication if sent to the above address, provided they do not make a personal attack on anyone. Letters are limited to 250 words and may be edited for length.Publishing services provided by Western Recorder Inc., Box 43969, Louisville, KY 40253.

Join us on FacebookBe part of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention via Facebook. Already have an account? Simply type “Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention” in the search box.Then click the “Like” box on the right side of the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention header. It’s that easy. Followers of HPBC will receive all the updates and be current with the events and activities as they are posted. Let’s keep connected. For more information, contact Faith McFatridge at [email protected].

Chris Martin

Being the body of Christ togetherBy Chris Martin

Pensacola, Fla.—A stunning fact you may not know: According to U. S. Census data, more than one-fourth of all adults have never

been married (27 percent). Another 6 per-cent are widowed and 12 percent divorced or separated.

Most churches minister well to adults who are married. But, do we also acknowl-edge the great

value and importance of that “invisible” multitude of unmar-ried adults?

In interviewing several unmarried Chris-tian friends, I discovered 10 tips for loving and ministering to single adults who are members or guests at church.

1. See each single adult as a valued indi-vidual, ready to meet God and serve Him, with or without a boyfriend or girlfriend, fiancé, spouse or three kids in tow.

2. Train greeters at church. Comments such as “Are you here alone?” or “Is it just

you?” may give the implication that he or she is incomplete.

3. Acknowledge single adults as full-fledged members, not just as sideline people. Plug them into leadership and ministry roles to fit their spiritual gifts. Encourage them to serve

on important church commit-tees, projects and men or wom-en’s ministry teams.

4. Involve singles in small groups. Many singles enjoy a small group with similar mari-tal status and life stage. Most singles I interviewed, however, are involved in a small group of both married and unmarried. Offer choices.

5. Encourage them to make the most of their singleness. Rec-ognize the extra gifts they may

bring to the church, such as more freedom to serve and travel, and sometimes more finan-cial freedom, etc.

6. Unless he or she personally requests it, don’t set them up with your cousin or recom-mend online dating services. Avoid communi-cating, “It’s God’s will that you find a mate.” That’s not necessarily true.

In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul taught that singleness is a gift. Most singles aren’t

coming to church to find a mate. They’re here to worship, to serve, to support.

7. Intentionally encourage single adults to participate in church events and ministries, such as Vacation Bible School and church din-ners. Include them in your church traditions. For example, invite singles to light an advent candle.

8. A church may provide some quality, uniquely single events targeted to specific life circumstances. Examples: a single parents Bible study, singles mission trip, young singles retreat, single adult outreach event, mature singles’ Christmas project.

9. Connect with single adults personally as a friend. Encourage them. Invite them to din-ner or dessert. True fellowship often happens across the dinner table.

10. Be constantly aware of single adults all around you at work, in the grocery line, at the ball game, in your neighborhood. Invite them to your church.

As an individual member and as a church, how are you doing at including adults who are unmarried? See them. Pray for them. Love them wholeheartedly. God does. (BP)

Diana Davis is the author of “Fresh Ideas” and “Deacon Wives” and wife of North American Mission Board Vice President for the South Region Steve Davis.

Diana Davis

By Diana Davis

Fresh Ideas: 10 ways to serve singles at your church

CorrectionsThe January issue of the HPBC paper left out several churches from the giving report. Those churches are as follows:

Church/Mission CP AA LM HPBC WH

Lihue Baptist $12,906.56 $2,186.66 $290.00 $1,585.00 $1,015.00Lanai Baptist $4,045.03 $456.94 $496.26 $0.00 $0.00Pali View Baptist $24,398.68 $2,771.36 $4,155.00 $2,197.00 $0.00Pali View Japanese $633.10 $30.00 $0.00 $60.00 $0.00

KEY

CP: Cooperative ProgramAA: Annie Armstrong Easter OfferingLM: Lottie Moon Christmas OfferingHPBC: Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention WH: World Hunger

“Now, I realize that this body is not perfect, nor will we ever be, as long as we are on this side of the return of Christ. But, I am so blessed to be a living part of His Church, with you, every day.”

Most churches minister well to adults who are married. But, do we also acknowledge the great value and importance of that “invisible” multitude of unmarried adults?

HAWAII PACIFIC MARCH 2015 3

met with great excitement. The men aren’t allowed to leave the pier so everyone gathered around the cars parked close to the boats.

As the fellowship progressed, the men began to open up about other things that they could not get while on board the boats. They explained that while they are at sea and hauling in the fish, the lines sometimes bring up jellyfish and the tentacles stung their arms but because of the intense work, they could not stop to put medication on their arms. Long sleeved shirts were needed so that their arms could be protected from the jellyfish stings. Other things like lip balm, band-aides, beanie hats and small tools were put on the list. (See the article below on Adopting a Boat and Crew for more information.)

Other church members from Waipio Community, Mililani and indi-viduals have become involved in this ministry which has grown to more than 20 boats (as of March). Supplies purchased with funds from the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention’s Hawaii Pacific Missions Offering, have almost been depleted in the two months Chris Evans has been working with the fishermen. The ministry is looking for churches or individuals to help in providing basic necessities and meals whenever the boats dock in Honolulu.

A brochure produced for the Seafarer’s Ministry asks about sponsoring one or more ships visiting the harbors of Honolulu and “Experience the joy of sharing God’s blessings with our Seafarers.” The brochure asks for prayer “for their safety and good catch. Remember their families far from them. Pay for some gifts that we bring to them like jackets, socks, long-sleeve t-shirts, Chap Stick, cookies, gum, etc. They don’t earn much and they’re not allowed to leave the pier. Play with a team that visits them whenever they arrive from their fishing expedition. Bring dinner and spend time fellowshipping with them, becoming their family away from home.”

If you are interested in adopting a boat, providing needed items, or knit-ting beanies, please contact Chris Evans at 808-772-1423 or email [email protected].

SeafarerContinued from page 1

“Praise the Lord for the anointed ministry of Rev Jerry Saludez to the Filipino seafarers on board the F/V PRINCESS JASMINE on Feb. 20,” Chris Evans reported. “After our dinner fellowship and gifts, 16 longline fishermen prayed to receive Christ, and also one recommitted his life to Christ as Pastor Jerry shared the Gospel Message in Tagalog using 16 Tagalog/ English Seafarers New Testaments as teaching aids.” Evans added, “This photo captures the moment of celebration and wonder and awe when they had just finished their prayer to accept Christ. Each one had lifted their hands high in the air to pray to the Lord with Pastor Jerry as he prayed the sinner’s prayer. Praise God for opening Heaven above Pier 38 that evening! They were from 7 different fishing boats!”

Adopt and Become a Crew’s Family Away from Home, serving them in Christ’s Name:

Whenever a fishing boat returns from fishing every three weeks or so, they will phone if they have free time in the evening while at Pier 38 and they will ask for a hospitality visit with din-ner brought to them, and they may ask for a Bible study on board after dinner and fellowship.

It will be a privilege and one of the most rewarding experiences in life to be their family in Christ while they are here in Hawaii working so hard for their families back home (mostly they are from the Philippines, and some are also from Indonesia).

Gifts you can bring them on these hospitality visits are toiletry items in Ziploc or cloth bag, and thick socks & beanie hats, long-sleeved T-shirts (to protect arms from jellyfish on the line), long neck towels, soft jackets, discount phone cards, John’s Gospel & New testaments, in Tagalog or English, Gospel tracts.

Come along as an observer on one or two of the ship visits before you make up your mind to sponsor. The sponsors should ideally be a born-again Christian team of at least three including a husband and wife, or a family or three friends, who each have already received Christ themselves.

The meal should be for 12 people as the crew of 5 to seven often invite friends who are crew of sister or other boats.

Bring any practical help that you can offer as well (see separate list of items that can be included in seafarer’s gift bags).

Bring a digital camera that can be used to take photos and upload and send to me for post-ing in the Seafarers Church closed Face book group.

Bring a Gospel Message with invitation to pray to accept Christ.

Pray that this ministry will result in sharing the ABC for Life: Admit you are a sinner; Believe in Christ, Crucified and Resurrected Son of God, Savior and Lord; and Commit your life to the Lord.

ABC: Adopt a Boat and Crew• Cloth bag (preferably Hawaiian cloth) or a zip-lock bag• Toothbrushes• Razors• Soap• Thick socks (long)• Face cloths• Deodorant• Hand cream• Neck towels

• Long-sleeved t-shirts (could be Sec-onds, Medium and Large)• Discount international calling (phone) cards• Soft jackets with or without hoods• Over-the –counter medicine for coughs and colds and mild pain relief• Gospel of John or other Gospel booklets in English or Tagalog

• Pocket-sized New Testaments in English or Tagalog (preferably Taga-log) or Indonesian• Four Spiritual Laws Gospel tracts bilingual in English and Tagalog and bilingual in English and Indone-sian and bilingual in Vietnamese and English, downloaded free from Here’s Life Australia website: http://www.hereslife.com/dev/tracts/

Items needed for Seafarer gift bags

funded and the results are incredible – just in 2014 alone, your IMB missionaries shared the Gospel message 1,747,631 times with 324, 811 individuals responding to that message by con-version with 190,957 being baptized! And you supported that work by giving through the CP!

Your CP giving also supported the funding of 2,324 North American Mission Board missionar-ies and their families, the resourcing for 3,514 chaplains, 1,255 student missionaries, 44,024 Disaster Relief volunteer days and over 400,000 meals prepared by Southern Baptist DR teams. Your six Southern Baptist Seminaries recorded enrollment of over sixteen thousand students with over 1,300 in master’s-level programs gradu-ating last year!

And we have not yet begun to speak of how the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention has supported evangelism, discipleship training, church plant-ing, collegiate ministries, women’s ministry and more through your CP giving. For each dollar contributed to the CP through the HPBC, 68.5% remains in our convention for work in our Hawaii, South Pacific and Asian churches.

When reflecting on the the CP’s power, it becomes obvious that no one church can do as much wonderful Kingdom work as we can all do together. Please continue to give through the CP – if you or your church may ever need our assis-tance in explaining more of the benefits of CP, please call or email our offices. Your HPBC staff team is honored to serve you.

Cooperative ProgramContinued from page 1


and maintaining a servant’s heart. Hernandez used social media to con-nect with the college level and deliver his message in a fun and cre-ative way.

Darrell and Teresa McCain are Mission Service Corps missionaries that have been serving in Hawaii since 2009. Darrell McCain is the Dis-ater Relief Coordinator for the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention and Teresa McCain serves as Oahu’s Baptist Student Dorm manager. They provided the students with disaster relief training and registration.

“The main idea of disaster relief is the coming together of the different churches and Baptists, to be equipped and mobilize in times of

disaster,” said Arjay Gruspe, the Oahu BCM Director. “So we feel like the college generation is perfect for that, they’ve got the energy, the’ve got the muscle power, they’ve also got flexibility of time. So that if a disaster should hit, we could quickly mobilize the trained up ones to get on the ground and helping as soon as possible, so that they can be there both to help and encourage.”

The Gathering included outings to hikes and beaches for the students to explore, and games and downtime for students from both islands to get to know each other as a family in Christ. BCM Oahu is hosting Next year’s Gathering and the group wel-comes all college students who are interested.

Amber Nunn Kahn is a BCM writer.

GatheringContinued from page 1

What’s with the neon Cody shirts?

Campus ministries at the University of Hawaii Manoa campus united together in March to get their message out in a cheap and creative way.

If you’re a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, then it’s hard to miss the students wearing bright yellow T-shirts with the words “I Agree With Cody” printed on them. They were all over campus from Feb. 24 until March 5.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries-Oahu has joined Cru (Campus Crusades for Christ) in an outreach campaign called “I agree with Cody,” this semester to increase a campus-wide conversation about God and to bring awareness about the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is meant to give students the oppor-tunity to ask questions about God and other spiritual topics that would other-wise be difficult or awkward to talk about.

“Sometimes, especially in college, there is fear of asking about someone’s faith or spirituality,” said Kelly Zakimi, a student and member of the leadership team of Cru. “So we want people to feel comfortable and open to be able to do that, especially through hearing other students’ stories.”

Navigators and Chi Alpha campus ministries are also participating in the campaign.

WHAT ARE THEY AGREEING ABOUT?“It is based on the premises that

‘Cody’ believes that you can have a per-sonal relationship with God,” Cru staff member Kimiyo Brown said.

Cody Nakamori is a senior that has been a member of Cru since his fresh-man year at UH M noa and has been cho-sen to be the figurehead of the move-ment this year.

“He was chosen because his presence on campus, his passion for people and his powerful testimony,” Brown said.

“It’s called I agree with Cody,’ but it’s not really about me,” Nakamori said. “It’s about God. It’s really about God. It’s really about having a relationship and letting students know that they can have a relationship with Jesus, with God,

through Jesus. That’s our main goal. “Even though it says ‘Cody’ on the

shirt, it’s really that the people wearing that, they have Jesus in their hearts.”

A board was set up on campus that allowed people to share their thoughts and engage themselves throughout the campaign.

“There were two main goals for the event,” said John Allison, BCM-Oahu associate director. “The first was that we share the hope we have in Jesus with as many friends and classmates as possible. The second is that we wanted to chal-lenge our students to take a step of faith by wearing a shirt to identify with this group of people who believe that Jesus offers the best hope and happiness.

“We want our students to feel confi-dent and comfortable talking about their faith with their friends, so we have been teaching them how to easily talk about what God has been doing in their lives.”

The campaign led up to a March 5 gathering where Nakamori shared his story of finding God along with other students who shared their beliefs through song, dance and poetry on campus.

A NATION-WIDE CAMPAIGNThe event was based on similar ones

that have been done on other college campuses and participants have said that it has been effective in stirring conversation.

The campaign began in Humboldt University in 1999 with “I agree with Tom” and grown to over 200 campuses that have since participated in the “I Agree” campaign.

“It has been different on every cam-pus,” Brown said. “Some people have got-ten really pumped about it and others got really angry. The leader of the Atheist club on another campus stepped up and

wrote an article questioning why every-one was so angry about it and why every-one was okay with the presence of a min-istry, but not okay with them promoting it, when really nothing changed.”

“I was able to share my testimony with a classmate, justby wearing my shirt to class,” said Kaiini Aranaydo, BCM student. “It opened the door for me to invite her to the Cody event and to come visit my church. This past Sunday she showed up at church and loved it.”

BCM-Oahu is hoping to unite the dif-ferent campus ministries and give minis-try students the opportunity to take per-sonal steps in their faith by coming out of their comfort zone and talking with their peers about faith and other spiri-tual topics.

“We want to see our campus impacted for God’s glory.” says Aranaydo.

Amber Nunn Kahn is a writer for the BCM.

Campus Ministries at the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus sponsored a campaign to get students talking about faith. Following a campaign that started on the mainland, students wore shirts printed with “I Agree with Cody.” In this photo are Jess Henry and Jessia Reyes, BCM student intern.

By Amber Nunn Kahn

The HPBC office has been re-modeled and painted in a three-month makeover.The HPBC staff and volunteers did most of the work. A contractor installed more efficient windows. In this photo, Perry Looney, a volunteer, and Darrell McCain hang canvas framed enlargements of photos that Clyde Kakiuchi took with his camera.

Photo by Clyde Kakiuchi


David Petherbridge, a member at University Ave-nue Baptist Church passed away Jan. 25 in Honolulu.

David Weems Petherbridge was born in Haddon-field, New Jersey. His father was a dentist and a leader in their local Methodist church. It was here that David made a commitment to follow Christ.

After graduating from Haddonfield High School he and his parents moved to Southern California. David got a job as a civilian office worker on a mer-chant marine ship. They transported troops throughout the Pacific Basin.

In 1942, David left the ship in Honolulu and got a job as maintenance worker at the Sacred Hearts Academy, now Hawaii Baptist Academy Elementary campus. He lived just down the block on Bates Street from Sacred Hearts and Nuuanu Baptist Church, which was then in a tent.

Tired of trying many different churches, he lay

in bed one Sunday morning and stumbled on a preaching program on the radio. At the end of the program he learned the preacher was Victor Koon, who later became his father-in-law. The Baptist churches of Hawaii sponsored the program. He learned the church at the corner in the tent was Nuuanu Baptist Church. He jumped out of bed, dressed, and walked down to the church. He began attending faithfully.

At Christmas time he attended the combined Baptist Churches Christmas program at Olivet Bap-tist Church where he met Betty Koon, his future wife. At Olivet, David began preparing to become a preacher. After graduating from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, he went to Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, for his Bachelor of Divinity degree. He and Betty married at the end of their sophomore year.

Honolulu —The Hawaii Woman’s Mis-sionary Union held its Mission Celebra-tion and Annual Meeting at the Ala Moana Hotel in February. The two-day event registered 160 which included a dinner on Friday night and workshops on Saturday.

The theme mirrored the national WMU theme, All For You: Surrender Sac-rifice Serve based on Mark 8:34 : “Then

he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” (NIV)

Guest speaker was Debby Ackerman, current national WMU president. Friday testimonies included Alan Tamashiro, pastor of Puna Baptist Church, and Rob-ert and Donna Thommarson, Interna-tional Mission Board missionaries in

Russia. Steve and Dee Ann Gray led in worship.

An offering for the Alice Newman Touch Tomorrow Today Fund was col-lected. The fund is administered by the WMU Foundation and the interest from the fund is used to help Hawaii WMU in missions education for the churches.

During the program, Darrell McCain was able to present Norm Oka with the DR Regional Award from the national DR program. Norm and his wife, Gayle, were hard-working volunteers when the hur-ricanes swept over the Big Island. They helped house, feed and provide transpor-tation for the volunteers that came to help after the disaster.

The annual meeting portion of the program included the election of the 2015-16 Hawaii WMU Council. Elected were: Diane Hom-President, Sharon Walsh-Vice President, Shirley Yuen-Recording Secretary, Delna Okazaki-Big Island Representative, Beverly Nagano-Garden Island (Kauai) Representative, Darlene Ronquillo-Maui County Repre-sentative, Liana Benn-Oahu Baptist Net-work Representative, Teresa McCain-Mis-sion Friends Consultant, Charlene Vaughn-Girls in Action/Children in Action Consultant, Darrell McCain-Royal Ambassadors Consultant, Ten Mendoza-Acteens Consultant, Emiko Takaki-Women on Mission Consultant, Trisha Lee-Member at Large, Prayer Consultant, Carlye Lawrence-Member at Large, Mis-sion Innovator, Diana Ventura-Member at Large, Ministry Consultant.

Participants were asked to write down on cut-out hands ministries they were involved in or would like to participate in and a circle of hands around the room was made at the end of the program.

Debby Ackerman (Missions for Life), Leah Boling (Post Traumatic Stress Disor-der, or PTSD), Darrell and Teresa McCain with Alan and Marlene Tamashiro (Disas-ter Relief), Rob and Donna Thommarson (Finding Your Place in God’s Story) led Saturday workshops.

Several ministries were able to have booths showcasing information about their ministries. Highlighted were recipi-ents of allocations from the Hawaii Pacific Missions Offering: Crisis Preg-nancy on Kauai, Seafarer’s Ministry on Oahu, Multi-housing Ministry on Oahu, International Ministries on Oahu, Disas-ter Relief Ministries and Mission Adven-ture Camp. A World Craft sale was popu-lar as well as a book sale.

PEOPLE AND CHURCHES

Hawaii WMU annual meeting held in February

Hands of Ministries were made at the end of the program. Debby Ackerman, national WMU president talks with retired WMU director Deanna Aoki in front of the Ministry booths. Also pictured is Fuyoo Matsumura of Pearl City.

Darrell McCain presented Norm Oka with the DRCertificate of Recognition for his work with the DR teams on the Big Island.

Four women attended the WMU Western Regional WMU Training held at Del Norte Baptist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico in February. Megan Sanford (Girls in Action leader) and Ashley DeMatos (Acteens leader) from Kaunakakai and Darlene Ronquillo (Maui County WMU leader) attended the training. With help from the WMU Second Century Fund, the women were able to afford the trip to the mainland. Pictured here are: Magan Sanford, Faith McFatridge (Hawaii WMU Director, Debby Ackerman (national WMU President), Ashley DeMatos, and Darlene Ronquillo.

Sympathy: David Petheridge

David Petherbridge, retired minister and member of University Avenue Baptist Church, passed away Jan. 25. A memorial service was held at University Avenue Baptist Church Feb. 21. In this photo is David Petherbridge and his wife, Betty Koon Petherbridge. See PETHERIDGE... Page 12


Survey: 81% of Americans favor religious freedom on marriage views

Nashville—Contrary to the “inevitability” narrative most Americans have accepted of same-sex marriage, a new survey released Feb. 24 finds broad support for traditional marriage and protection of those who hold such views.

The survey, commissioned by Family Research Council in partnership with National Religious Broadcasters, found that 81 percent of Americans agree that government should “leave people free to follow their beliefs about marriage as they live their daily lives at work and in the way they run their businesses.”

Additionally, 61 percent support the right of states and citizens to uphold traditional marriage, affirming the statement: “Supreme Court should not force all 50 states to redefine marriage.” The survey also found 53 percent of Americans agree marriage should be defined only as the union of one man and one woman.

The survey of 800 registered voters conducted by WPA Opinion Research was released at a news conference in conjunction with the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Nashville.

With the Supreme Court poised to rule this year on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, FRC President Tony Perkins said the court “will be at a point of overreach if they impose a one-size-fits-all definition of marriage on the nation by redefining it.”

Major policy decisions should not be made without broad social consensus, Perkins said, noting the continuing cultural debate about abortion more than 40 years after Roe v. Wade.

“It’s clear, based on (this) polling, that Americans have not reached a broad social consensus that marriage should be redefined,” Perkins said.

Calling the findings “incredible,” NRB President Jerry Johnson said it is a “slam dunk” that more than 80 percent of Americans agree that citizens should be free to practice their faith—including in their businesses. Even 80 percent of those who never attend church agree, he noted.

“Government has no right establishing speech codes or business codes on marriage and 81 percent of Americans agree entirely,” Johnson said.

Johnson noted that NRB is an organization concerned with First Amendment rights of religion, speech and press.

Joining Perkins and Johnson at the news conference were the former owners of an Oregon bakery and a broadcaster who have been discriminated against for their support of traditional marriage.

Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Gresham, Ore., could face $150,000 in fines because they declined to bake a same-sex wedding cake. In the wake of controversy, thet closed their business.

Aaron Klein, who now drives a garbage truck, underscored “an obligation to the next generation to stand up for our constitutional freedoms, not given by man, but given by God,” whatever the cost resulting from such a stand.

Craig James, a former Fox Sports football analyst, was fired by the network in 2013—24 hours after being hired—when the network learned he supported traditional marriage as a 2012 U.S. Senate candidate in Texas.

“We have to be as bold and tenacious as those who are trying to trample” religious freedom, James said. “If we don’t, we will lose it.” (BP)

Jefferson City, Tenn.—Carson-Newman University’s Appalachian Cultural Center has announced that Lawrence and Martha Baldridge, of Pippa Passes, Ky., are the recipients of the 26th Annual Outstanding Educational Service to Appalachia Award.

Sponsored by the University’s Appalachian Cultural Center, the honor will be presented to the couple March 17 during a 7:30 p.m. event in the Appalachian Cultural Center on campus.

“Rev. and Mrs. Baldridge’s lifetime of service to the people of Pippa Passes and to Appalachia is inspiring,” said Jennifer Hall, director of the University’s Appalachian Cultural Center.

“Whether serving in the capacity of minister, teacher, poet, nutritionist, or environmental steward, the Baldridges teach us to celebrate Appalachia’s strength, wisdom, sense of community and true beauty. The Appalachian Cultural Center is honored to recognize their servant leadership and their love for the people and land of Appalachia.”

The Baldridges were appointed Southern Baptist home missionaries to Pippa Passes in 1974.

Under their leadership, they brought a Headstart Program to Pippa Passes on two different occasions, and they also started a Senior Citizens Nutrition Program in the basement of Caney Baptist Church, where Lawrence has served as pastor since 1964.

Martha served as primary cook/dietician for the program, which served the needs of the elderly for 15 years.

The couple has been involved with the North American Mission Board for more than 30 years, and this mission work has also taken them to Brazil, Mexico and Romania.

A native of Garrett, Ky., Lawrence has been a servant-leader in his community,

Lawrence helped establish a community Kiwanis Club, Head Start Program, Senior Citizens Program and the first Baptist Student Union at Alice Lloyd College.

Warning about the dangers of strip mining and mountain top removal, he was also an early advocate for environmental preservation and stewardship of the Appalachian landscape, hills and mountains.

A respected educator and poet, Lawrence also coordinates summer activities for Baptist and Leader Trek groups who donate their time to construct and repair area housing and church facilities and to provide summer programs for youth.

Martha Baldridge was born in Jaguaquara, Brazil, a daughter of Southern Baptist missionaries.

Along with a lifetime of service work with her husband, she is the primary pianist for Caney Baptist Church, where she also teaches Sunday school and gives piano lessons.

She has served as a 4H leader, teaching such skills as cooking and sewing, and as a substitute teacher.

Most recently, she retired from her position as head dietician at a local nursing home. (CNU)

Carson-Newman honors Baldridges for lifetime of service to Appalachia

Floyd on CNN: ‘We can’t be silent amid ISIS’By Diana Chandler

Springdale, Ark.—Southern Baptist leaders are imploring President Obama to act against ISIS not only for global security, but to enable themselves to give a proper account before the Lord on Judgment Day, Southern Baptist President Ronnie Floyd said March 4 on CNN.

“We need to understand that each one of us, we believe, as Christians and followers of Christ who believe in God’s Word, will one day stand in front of God Himself. And we will give an account of ourselves before God,” Floyd said on the Carol Costello show. “And I along with these other (SBC) presidents do not want to say that we were silent, but we had simply the heartbeat and the goal to say, ‘Mr. President, we’re behind you. Let’s go and do whatever is necessary to bring an end to this crisis globally.’”

Floyd spoke on the show after he and 16 former SBC presidents signed a March 1 letter “humbly” urging President Obama

“to take the necessary actions now in this urgent hour” to end the human atrocities the terrorists have committed, including brutal murders people of all ages.

Southern Baptist leaders are not telling Obama how to fight the terrorists, Floyd said, but are respectfully urging Obama to act within his power to get the job done, whether by diplomacy, economic sanctions or war.

“Our decision is not the how. That’s the role of the president and the leaders of our country. He can use diplomacy; he can use economic sanctions; and if need be, he can use war,” Floyd said on the broadcast.

“The president is empowered by the people and empowered by the powers that be in this nation to bring action. And we need to do everything we can to always preserve nationally and globally, for every person in the world, to have the freedom to believe...

“We are simply humbly requesting of the President of the United States to take strong, clear, firm leadership in

relationship to doing everything he can do in today’s world to put an end to the crisis of ISIS.”

ISIS, thought to have grown out of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has worked since April 2013 to establish an Islamic emirate in Syria and Iraq. They claim to have fighters from around the world and have worked to recruit fighters and teen girls from the U.S., according to news reports.

“ISIS is still growing, obviously there are people joining the movement, according to news accounts, and obviously people are still being brutalized and murdered across the world, which we believe that due to the tragedy of this, that these human atrocities must come to an end,” Floyd said, “and whatever role the president would so choose to do that, it is our heart and our goal is to support him and say, ‘Mr. President, we’re behind you. Take the needed action to do what needs to be done to bring an end to this global crisis.’”

ISIS recently beheaded 21 Egyptians,

killed an American aid worker, and burned alive a Jordanian pilot. ISIS captured more than 200 Assyrian Christians in a Feb. 23 attack on villages in northern Syria, CNN reported. Women, children and the elderly were among those taken captive, according to the report. About 20 hostages have been released, according to media reports, but the rest remain captive.

“The purpose of the government is to award those who do good in living right and good. And the purpose of government as well—according to Scripture—would be to punish those who are doing evil,” Floyd said. “... The United Nations believes that every person in the world has the freedom to believe and that in and of itself is a human right, and that human right is being violated right now, not simply behind the scenes, but it’s being violated for all of the world to see.”

Floyd appeared on CNN from his office at Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, where he is pastor. (BP)

Lawrence and Martha Baldridge, of Pippa Passes, Ky., are the recipients of the 26th Annual Outstanding Educational Service to Appalachia Award.


By Tobin Perry

Cincinnati—Eric Tuffendsam had a problem. Though he believed God had called him to be a pastor, he knew he wasn’t ready. With a growing family, a new business and tight resources, the Cincinnati resident didn’t know where he’d find the additional hands-on training he needed.

But over the past six months, with the help of a 5-year-old church plant in Cincinnati and support of the North American Mission Board, Tuffendsam has found practical pastoral training without moving his family or closing his business.

“Ministry isn’t all flowers and birds chirping,” said Tuffendsam, who is a NAMB church planting intern. “The way people see a life of ministry from the outside—even those who have gone to seminary—is very romanticized. I had never seen how real the job of ministry is until this residency, and I’ve been doing ministry for years within the local church.

Christ the King, a multi-campus Southern Baptist church plant that started in downtown Cincinnati, is in the middle of its second year of a residency program at the church. The North American Mission Board provides funding for three of the eight residents in the program. One of them is a lead planter and the other two are church planting interns. Most of the current crop of residents came from within the church.

Through its Missionary Development

Farm System, NAMB funds four levels of church planting engagement—student missionaries, interns, apprentices and church planters. The farm system is expected to prepare future generations of church planters and help the missions agency reach its goal of partnering with local churches to start 15,000 Southern Baptist churches before 2022.

Michael Clary, Christ the King’s pastor, describes the church’s residency program

as a mix between the theological and the practical.

Residents spend the first half of their year focused mostly on studying Scripture and books on theological and ministry development. Residents discuss what they are learning with one another in a group setting and with one of the church’s pastors. Each resident is assigned a pastor as a mentor.

The second half of the residency is devoted to providing opportunities for ministry development. Residents participate in ministry leadership at the church and receive input from their coach and the other interns along the way.

“If it were not for the NAMB internships, this would be much more difficult to get off the ground,” Clary said. “It has been a huge blessing.”

Tuffendsam says the residency has impacted on his future ministry capacity.

“It’s like looking into a huge mirror of God’s glory and His church that He has established and seeing this is exactly what I need to be prepared and until I get that I’m not ready,” Tuffendsam said. “Then they give you what you need to get there.”

As Tuffendsam transitioned into the ministry development portion of the residency, he was given the responsibility of coordinating the church assimilation process—including everything from designing the process to leading volunteers in the effort.

Along the way, his pastoral mentor and his residency peers get opportunities to

speak into what he’s doing. As an intern he has also helped to lead a person to faith in Christ and has also been discipling a couple of college students.

Clary has spent the past year developing a discipleship plan that mirrors the residency program but seeks to disciple the church’s lay people. The church began the program, called Element, last fall.

Just like the residency program, the discipleship plan included required readings and ministry development. The five-month plan (which will likely be stretched to eight months next time) centered on five core identities of a disciple—worshiper, family, learner, servant and missionary.

“The Great Commission says it’s our job to make disciples,” Clary said. “But I felt like we needed to define what it means to be a disciple. What does it mean for a new Christian to become a fully functioning disciple? That’s where the core identities language comes from. A disciple will worship Jesus from the heart, they’ll learn what it means to be a part of a church family, they will learn about the Bible and basic theology, they will learn to serve in the community and they will learn to share their faith with others.”

Clary and Christ the King have played an active role in NAMB’s Send North America efforts in Cincinnati. Send North America is NAMB’s effort to help local Southern Baptist churches plant new churches in 32 of the largest and most influential cities in North America. (BP)

Church plant, NAMB farm system prepare future leaders

GenSender intersects with world in New York CityBy Jim Burton

Brooklyn, N.Y.—Austin Coleman has spent each of the last two summers in New York City looking for intersections.

If ever there was a city where finding an intersection would be inevitable, America’s largest city would be that place with its blur of 24-hour activity, endless maze of intersections populated by yellow taxicabs, limousines, delivery trucks and personal vehicles. But through a special internship opportunity, Coleman has navigated the city he loves in hopes of intersecting with people to tell them about Jesus. And he has a desire eventually to return there to live and plant churches.

Coleman’s father is a pastor and a church planter, and the family made frequent moves during his childhood. For most of his formative years, his father served First Baptist Church in Trenton, Tenn., in the western part of the state. While there are far fewer intersections there, it served as a launching pad nonetheless for engagement in New York.

When he was in the eighth grade, his family volunteered to help with a Billy Graham crusade. His home church started a series of block parties and food and clothing drives, called “To Trenton With Love,” meant to give back to the community. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, Coleman volunteered through the North American Mission Board’s Project NOAH Rebuild initiative that worked to restore 1,000 homes. More recently while studying at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., he spent two summers as an intern with a ministry that sponsors youth camps in

Georgia, Texas and Costa Rica.

GenSend BrooklynThen came

Generation Send (GenSend), NAMB’s collegiate summer missions initiative tied to the Send North America church planting effort. See related story. There was no mass crusade, construction or camp management. Instead, the assignment this past summer for Coleman as a mobilizer, and the 10 fellow students he recruited, was to walk the streets of District 2 in Brooklyn, a New York City borough, and connect (or intersect) with every person possible.

“With GenSend there’s not going to be a lot of structure,” Coleman said. “We’re going to show you what it really is for you to drop into a city and plant the gospel to see a church come from that, and to see how difficult that can be.”

GenSend is part of the NAMB Farm System, aimed at assisting churches in discovering, developing and deploying the next generations of missionaries. “We are pushing forward the Great Commission,” Coleman said. “It fit better with my personality. I wanted to pioneer something.”

There are no church plants in District 2 of Brooklyn, Coleman says.

“It’s like a dot on the map where they want to plant a church,” Coleman said of a NAMB map with dots covering the major metropolitan areas, indicating communities needing new churches. Through “gospel conversations,” Coleman and his team were able to gain a greater understanding of the people inhabiting District 2. This will help inform future church planters.

Coleman discovered people were more willing to talk than he imagined. As with most inner cities, Coleman has not found hostility toward the gospel as much as ambivalence or self-determined spirituality.

There is a young man from Belize, who regularly joined the team for cookouts. While walking back to Long Island University where the team stayed, Coleman asked about his story.

He had been raised in a Christian home

and had a grandmother who was particularly committed to her faith. But his mother and grandmother died, and he walked away from the faith. Coleman said he steered the conversation back to Jesus. “We can have spiritual beliefs,” he said. “But if they aren’t pointed back to a true hope, they mean nothing.”

Having a “gospel conversation” with people is an art, Coleman said.

“If you are listening well and being intentional, people bring up things that parallel who Jesus is and what the gospel means,” he said. “It looks different every single time. I’ve never had a gospel conversation in New York that looked the same as the next.”

Hoping to returnNow with a master’s degree in church

planting and evangelism from Liberty University, Coleman foresees returning to New York City someday to start a church.

Coleman and his fiancé, Sara Wallman, were married in October. She was among his first recruits for the Brooklyn GenSend team. He accepted a position as youth pastor with Second Baptist Church near Knoxville, Tenn. That church is interested in possibly starting a church in an urban area. After spending several years in Clinton, the Colemans hope God will take them back to New York.

“One of my greatest prayers for this summer is that God would make both of us fall in love with New York,” Coleman said. “If God called us back to New York to be part of a church plant, then we’d both have that urge and that urgency.

“I do believe God is changing the world from New York.” (NAMB)

Austin Coleman, youth pastor at Second Baptist Church in Clinton, Tenn., is a 2015 Week of Prayer missionary for The North American Mission Board’s Send North America effort. (Photo by Gibbs Frazeur/NAMB)

Michael Clary planted Christ the King Church in Cincinnati, five years ago. Christ the King now has more than 400 people in attendance most weekends.


By Jim Burton

Herriman, Utah—You’ve looked out the front window of your home and seen them coming. Two young males wearing white shirts and black ties are riding bikes in the neighborhood. When they knock on your door, what do you do?

North American Mission Board missionary Travis Kerns would encourage you to love them. That’s what he has learned to do.

His love for Mormons grew to the point that he now lives 35 miles from downtown Salt Lake City and serves as city missionary for NAMB’s Send North America: Salt Lake City.

Kerns has something most Southern Baptists don’t have, a Ph.D. in applied apologetics with a focus on Mormonism from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his undergraduate studies in 1996, he had a class on new religious movements, and Mormonism was the first they studied.

“It took hold of my heart,” Kerns said of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “In school, every paper I wrote was geared toward Mormonism.”

When he began teaching at SBTS in 2007, Kerns started taking students to Salt Lake City. On the flight home after his sixth trip there in 2012, Kerns said there were fires on the mountains.

As he viewed the smoke filling the Salt Lake Valley during the plane’s ascent, it became a fresh vision.

“What it said to me was that this city is on fire and burning,” Kerns said. “I just lost it, started crying like a baby.”

Deep Southern Baptist roots Kerns grew up in Greenville, S.C.,

where his family attended First Baptist Church of Taylors. He’s the product of missions education, having been a Royal Ambassador.

“I was Baptist born and Baptist bred and when I die I’ll be Baptist dead,” Kerns said. His dad led him to Christ in their home when he was 9 years old.

“I wasn’t baptized until I was 14,” Kerns said, as his pastor wanted him to be sure of his decision. “I saw a lot of my friends walk the aisle and get baptized and nothing really changed in them. So I didn’t want to do it for the sake of doing it.”

Kerns chose to attend nearby North Greenville University. He enrolled as a business major, but that soon changed.

“In my freshman year of college, something in me just clicked, and I fell in love with the New Testament, Jesus and people in the church,” Kerns said.

Being Southern Baptist in upstate South Carolina had its advantages, as there were many relationships and connections. That same dynamic is true for Mormons in Salt Lake City.

“Utah is 70 percent LDS,” Kerns said. “LDS members run the state government. The majority of judges, police officers, firefighters, lawyers, real

estate agents and bankers are LDS. Almost everyone here is LDS.”

When Kerns moved into a home with his wife, Staci, and their son, the neighbors already knew it was the “NAMB” house.

“The LDS Church does research when real estate transactions are done,” Kerns said. “Plus, we didn’t show up at the meeting house on Sunday.”

Mormons attend meeting house (comparable to church) meetings based upon their residence. Between Logan and Provo, Kerns estimates there are 4,164 meeting houses or halls.

“It’s so Mormon here, many have never met or heard from anybody who is not Mormon,” Kerns said.

Church planting challengeSouthern Baptists are the largest

Protestant denomination in Utah, but the presence is minimal. Most Protestant

churches run between 50 and 100 people.

“The hardest part about any Christian church (in Utah) is that the average tenure for pastors is 14 months,” Kerns said. One key to success, he believes, is to keep showing up.

As city missionary for Send North America: Salt Lake City, one of 32 Send North America cities, Kerns oversees church plants in the metropolitan area.

“The Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist

Convention has a goal that by 2020 they

want to double the number of churches (in the two-state convention),” Kerns said. “That means another 150 churches. We want to be one third of that number, 50 new churches by 2020.”

By 2014, there were 18 active Southern Baptist church plants through Send North America: Salt Lake City, with 12 having started within the year.

Kerns spends much of his time mentoring the current church planters while recruiting and assessing future church planters.

Utah County, which Kerns calls the cultural capital of Mormonism and the home of Brigham Young University, garners most of his attention.

The cultural challenges translate into logistical challenges. Whereas in most major cities church plants can meet in public schools, that does not happen in Utah.

The new churches spend much money on rent, typically commercial space. The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and

Cooperative Program help new churches meet those challenges.

“That money goes directly to our church plants to help them reach people,” Kerns said. “Without CP and AAEO, there would be no Send North America: Salt Lake City.

“There’s been no shortage of resources when I’ve asked. It’s because of the generosity of Southern Baptists.”

Kerns was close to tenure at SBTS when he accepted the call to lead Send North America: Salt Lake City. Through his research, Kerns has built relationships with many LDS leaders.

“In 18 years of doing this, I’ve only seen two people convert from Mormonism to Christianity,” said Kerns who notes that on average it takes from two to seven years for most Mormons to convert, the majority being much closer to seven years. “Being around leaders of the LDS church to share my faith with them drives everything that I do.” (NAMB)

SBTS grad driven by love in LDS dominant Utah

Top, 2015 Send North America Week of Prayer missionary Travis Kerns (standing) meets with (from left) Phil and Ashley Smith, Staci Kerns and Kristen Helton as his son, Jeremiah, plays. The Smiths moved from Texas to help lead worship and serve with the church planting launch team for Lifestone Church in the city. Helton is working with Lifestone, too.

Right, Kerns (left) meets with James Thompson, a former neighbor. Their sons are friends and attend church with the Kerns. Kerns is a city missionary for Send North America: Salt Lake City. (NAMB photos by John Swain)

“Utah is 70 percent LDS. LDS members run the state government. The majority of judges, police officers, firefighters, lawyers, real estate agents and bankers are LDS. Almost everyone here is LDS ... Many have never met or heard from anybody who is not Mormon.”Travis Kerns NAMB missionary to Salt Lake City


Nashville—This year LifeWay Christian Resources is celebrating 20 years of ministry partnership with author and Bible study teacher Beth Moore.

“Today we are honoring Beth Moore, but more important than that we are giving glory to God for His work through this ministry,” said LifeWay President and CEO Thom Rainer at a special chapel celebration Feb. 11.

“Beth Moore’s ministry has reached millions,” Rainer said. “Untold men and women have come to Christ because of her influence both directly and indirectly.

“She has been a stalwart for the word of God, never compromising. And when all is said and done, the impact of Beth Moore can only be measured in eternity’s grasp. We are privileged to honor her this day.”

Rainer presented Moore with a piece of art created from tiny pieces of paper from the covers of each of her Bible studies.

The artwork represents two decades’ worth of work and biblical inspiration.

A little known fact is Beth Moore’s first manuscript was turned down by LifeWay, then the Baptist Sunday School Board.

But that decision didn’t hold for long.

Lee Sizemore, then a video producer at the Sunday School Board, made a trip to Texas to hear the young, energetic Bible study teacher at Houston’s First Baptist Church. Moore was soon asked to give the manuscript back.

LifeWay published Moore’s first Bible study—A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place—in 1995. Today, her studies have reached more than 21 million women worldwide.

Over two decades, Moore’s ministry has extended to 17 Bible studies translated into 17 languages, along with numerous books and 166 Living Proof Live events.

During the celebration, Moore reminisced about the first study.

Her husband Keith surprised her by taking her to the Houston LifeWay store and showing her the finished product on the shelf. “There it was, the ugliest cover I ever loved,” Moore said. “We bought every copy in the store.

“What began as a publishing relationship turned headlong and heartlong into a ministry partnership,” Moore told employees.

“I’m so filled with memories and thankful for all the people who I’ve worked with over the years. I can’t thank you enough for the joy to partner with you.”

Through tears and laughter, Moore thanked her family for their support and encouragement through the years.

And she thanked LifeWay for standing with her and allowing her to do the one thing she feels most called to do—teaching women how to love and live on God’s Word.

Referring to Acts 20, Moore pointed to the Apostle Paul as an example of how to live out God’s ministry calling.

To fulfill our calling, she said, we must make an emotional investment, be compelled by the spirit, and be determined to finish the task.

“Our temptation is to be compelled by our culture,” Moore said. “But if you and I are compelled by culture and not by the spirit of God, whatever we produce will have the shelf life of a head of lettuce. Only what is compelled by the spirit will last.”

Printed with permision from Baptist Press.

Beth Moore celebrates 20 years with LifeWay

By Carol Pipes

LifeWay President and CEO Thom Rainer presents Beth Moore with a collage created from the covers of each of her Bible studies. The artwork represents two decades’ worth of work and biblical inspiration. (Photo by Kent Harville)

By Anne Harman

Houston—International Mission Board President David Platt proposed streamlining the mission agency’s strategy and structure—in keeping with his desire for IMB to exalt Christ and work more effectively toward accomplishing the Great Commission—during IMB’s Feb. 24-25 trustee meeting in Houston.

“We want to empower limitless missionary teams to make disciples and multiply churches among unreached people,” Platt said. “We need a strategy that doesn’t cap our number of missionaries merely based upon how much money we have.”

Platt noted the IMB operated “in the red” last year, with the agency’s operating expenses exceeding income by nearly $21 million.

“Right now our funnel is really small ... such that we’re turning people away,” Platt said. “And what I’m saying, what we know, is that we need to blow open this funnel and create as many pathways as possible for Christians and churches to get the gospel to unreached people.”

IMB must creatively consider how to leverage the avenues God has given for limitless men, women and families to join together on missionary teams to make disciples and multiply churches among unreached people groups, Platt said.

Since his election in August 2014, Platt has stated his five biblically based desires for IMB are to exalt Christ, mobilize Christians, equip the church, facilitate church planting and play its part in completing the Great Commission.

As a result of these desires, Platt recommended to IMB trustees a “reset” of the agency’s strategy, and realignment of its structure, to focus on five main areas:

n Global Training, led by Zane Pratt, who was named vice president of global training during the November 2014 trustee meeting.

n Global Engagement, which entails work formerly called “global strategy,” to be led by John Brady. Trustees elected Brady, current vice president for global strategy, as vice president of global engagement.

n Operations and Finance, which consolidates the current offices of personnel, logistics and finance into one team.

Trustees affirmed the search for a person to lead the newly formed operations and finance work.

Randy Pegues, vice president of global logistics support; Tom Williams, vice president of global personnel; and David Steverson, vice president of finance; will step out of their current positions and into other assignments to be determined.

“In the meantime, they will continue to function in their current roles,” Platt said, and Steverson will continue his chief financial officer responsibility.

n Mobilization, which “re-envisions” the current Church and Partner Services team to more effectively mobilize Christians and churches for global mission, to be led by a to-be-named vice

president of mobilization. Ken Winter, vice president of church and partner services, plans to return to work in a local church.

n Strategy, which overarches all the areas with a “relentless” focus to unify IMB culture. As a result, the current Office of Global Strategic Mobilization, currently led by Scott Holste, will fold into the new strategy in various ways.

Some areas will move under Global Engagement; other areas will report directly to Platt and Sebastian Traeger, IMB executive vice president. Holste will work in one of these areas.

The current Office of Prayer, led by Gordon Fort, will be “infused across this entire strategy,” Platt said.

Fort, who has served as senior vice president of prayer mobilization and training, will work alongside Platt and Traeger to help fuel the overall strategy with a focus on relating to key IMB partners and constituents.

Clyde Meador, executive advisor to the president, noted IMB has gone through many minor and major “resets” in its history to adjust to changing needs.

Each “recalibration” of the organization “has been used by God” to advance His church, Meador said.

While changes can be difficult and painful, they are necessary for the survival of any organization, he added.

Platt said the changes are intended to be reproducible through the IMB’s national partners around the world: making disciples among unreached people and seeing churches established, then seeing those churches, in turn, send Christians to unreached people, training them and supporting them as they engage the world with the gospel.

“We want to fuel movement like this all over the world!” Platt said. “But let me be clear. Strategy and structure are not the ultimate answer to seeing Christians and churches engaging unreached people with the gospel....

“What that means is that more than we need a streamlined strategy or a simplified structure, we need the power of God to do what only He can do.

“This is why I am calling everyone across our IMB family—from trustees to personnel or otherwise—to fast and pray, because only God can do this work....

“Let’s get down on our knees, then get up from our knees and do whatever it takes, no matter what that means, to set the sails for God to empower limitless missionary teams who are making disciples and multiplying churches among unreached people for the glory of His name.”

During the meeting, IMB trustees also appointed 25 new missionaries to serve around the world, joining a total missionary force of approximately 4,800.

The missionaries were commissioned during an appointment service at Sagemont Baptist Church of Houston.

The next IMB trustee meeting is May 12-13 in Louisville.

The next missionary appointment service is May 13 at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville.


Platt unveils ‘reset’ of IMB strategy, structure


Length of creation days draws debateBy David Roach

Nashville—An article by a popular evangelical blogger arguing that the six “days” of creation in Genesis were not literal 24-hour periods has prompted discussion among Christians about the earth’s age and whether orthodoxy necessarily entails believing in a young earth.

Justin Taylor, senior vice president and publisher for books at Crossway, posted a blog article Jan. 28 arguing that there are “biblical reasons to doubt the creation days were 24-hour periods.” The article, which was shared online 15,000 times in two weeks, also noted famous people from church history who do not believe Genesis describes six 24-hour days.

“I want to suggest there are some good, textual reasons—in the creation account itself—for questioning the exegesis that insists on the days as strict 24 hour periods,” Taylor, a Ph.D. student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote. “Am I as certain of this as I am of the resurrection of Christ? Definitely not. But in some segments of the church, I fear that we’ve built an exegetical ‘fence around the Torah,’ fearful that if we question any aspect of young-earth dogmatics we have opened the gate to liberalism.”

“Defenders of inerrancy” who did not believe in six 24-hour periods—like Augustine, J. Gresham Machen and Carl F.H. Henry—”show that this is not the case,” Taylor wrote. “And a passion for sola Scriptura provides us with the humility and willingness to go back to the text again to see if these things are so.”

The BF&M & creationSouthern Baptist seminary professors—

though divided on whether Taylor’s conclusion is correct—agreed that old-earth creationism falls within the bounds of the Baptist Faith and Message. However, they distinguished old-earth creationism from theistic evolution.

Old-earth creationism contends that God brought the world into existence from nothing by His direct action and not evolution. Old-earth creationists say the earth is billions rather than thousands of years old and that the “days” of Genesis 1 were not 24-hour periods. Theistic

evolutionists claim God used evolution to create, directing the process but not simply speaking things into existence. Young-earth creationists believe God created the world from nothing between 6,000 and 50,000 years ago in six literal days.

Jason Duesing, provost at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press he disagrees with Taylor’s blog post but believes it “is helpful because it reframes a well-worn debate topic back to what the text actually says.”

“As the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 does not specifically address the age of the earth, much like the finer points of eschatology, it is a secondary matter to determine what SBC seminary professors believe about the issue. I do not mean to imply it is not important for under the BF&M, SBC faculty must affirm the creation and existence of a literal Adam and Eve and see no room for the affirmation of theistic evolution,” Duesing said. “Personally, I remain convinced that the young-earth view best accounts for the plain reading of the Bible, and while I have not polled the faculty at Midwestern on this topic, I suspect the majority of the faculty would as well. For those who hold to an old-earth view, I support the legitimacy of their doing so and enjoy the sharpening that comes from healthy dialogue, even as their conclusions and implications do cause me some good natured head-scratching.

“In the end, I see this as an intramural discussion among creationists and hope that such only serves to bind us closer together in refuting that which is clearly contrary to Scripture, the theory of evolution,” Duesing said.

An old earth?Taylor presented biblical considerations

that lead him to believe the “days” of Genesis 1 were longer than 24 hours:

n “The seventh ‘day’ is not 24 hours long.”

God’s creation “rest” was not limited to a 24-hour period, Taylor wrote, noting that Hebrews 4 underscores this point.

n “The ‘day’ of Genesis 2:4 cannot be 24 hours long.”

“After using ‘the seventh day’ in an analogical way ... we read in the very next verse, Genesis 2:4: ‘These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day (yom) that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,’” Taylor wrote. “The precise meaning of this is debated. But what seems clear, if we believe the Bible does not contradict itself, is that this (singular) ‘day’—in which the creation events (plural ‘generations’) occur—cannot refer to a single 24-hour period.”

n Genesis 2:5-7 assumes that the “day” described in Genesis 2:4 was longer “than an ordinary calendar day” because it included natural “seasons and rain cycles” that take longer than 24-hours.

Taylor argued that God does not want readers of Scripture to substitute the word “eons” or “ages” when they see the word “day.” But neither does He want readers “to think of precise units of time, marked by 24 exact hours.”

Ken Keathley, professor of theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and coauthor of “40 Questions About Creation and Evolution” (Kregel), told BP he agrees with Taylor and is “convinced that the 24-hour interpretation does not do justice to all that the text says.”

The old-earth interpretation of Genesis 1-2 is becoming increasingly popular among Southern Baptists, Keathley said.

“A significant change is happening now.

The arguments in ‘The Genesis Flood’ have not stood the test of time, and very few young-earth advocates use them. More and more pastors and leaders are realizing that the Genesis text does not lend itself easily to the young-earth position. Many of the strongest proponents of the old-earth interpretation are Old Testament scholars,” Keathley said.

A young earth?James Hamilton, professor of biblical

theology at Southern, disagrees with Taylor.

In a Feb. 9 blog article responding to Taylor, Hamilton cited as a key passage in the debate Exodus 20:10-11—”But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. For the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six says; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”

The “most natural reading of Exodus 20:10-11 seems to be that the six days of creation followed by the Sabbath day of rest was a cycle of the same kind of seven day week that was to become the pattern of Israel’s experience,” Hamilton wrote.

“It’s hard for me to imagine someone coming to some other kind of conclusion unless he seeks to accommodate extra-biblical considerations from philosophy (a la Augustine) or science (a la contemporary old earthers).”

Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, wrote in a blog that Taylor’s “real motivation is that outside influences have already led him to postulate whatever reasons he can try to muster not to be adamant about six literal days of creation in Genesis 1.”

Ham added, “When Christian leaders today are rejecting a dogmatic stand on six, literal, 24-hour days of creation and a young earth, if you search their writings or question them, you will find that ultimately their thinking is being controlled by the belief in an old earth/universe (billions of years). … You simply do not get the idea of millions or billions of years from Scripture—it comes from outside Scripture.” (BP)

Petersburg—Answers in Genesis is suing the government of Kentucky for alleged discrimination in refusing to extend a sales tax rebate incentive program to the Ark Encounter theme park the apologetics ministry is building in northern Kentucky.

The state’s decision to deny the tax incentive based on AiG’s status as a religious organization is against the law and violates legal precedent, the lawsuit asserts.

“The state was so insistent on treating our religious entity as a second-class citizen that we were simply left with no alternative but to proceed to court,” AiG president Ken Ham said. “This is the latest example of increasing government hostility towards religion in America, and it’s certainly among the most blatant. Our organization spent many months attempting to reason with state officials so

that this lawsuit would not be necessary.”Freedom Guard, a non-profit law firm

dedicated to freedom of religion, and the Center for Religious Expression are providing free legal representation to AiG in the case.

“It’s very well established in federal and state law that religious organizations get to be treated just like any other in a program like this,” said Freedom Guard chief counsel Mike Johnson, “when you have a facially neutral … tax incentive program, that the government effectively opens it to all applicants. Just because an applicant happens to be religious does not mean that they can be treated differently. They can’t be excluded from a program just because of their viewpoint.

The AiG website includes a video clip from a December, 2012 press conference, in which Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear

called the Ark Encounter “a huge deal,” and said “the law doesn’t allow us to discriminate about the entertainment subject matter of theme parks as long as it’s legal and in good taste. … I think it’s clear that this is an economic development project that our laws don’t allow us to discriminate as to the entertainment subject matter of a theme park and as long as it is legal, and it meets all of our criteria, I think it’s clearly constitutional.”

Kentucky granted preliminary approval in 2014 for AiG to receive a rebate of some of the new state sales taxes the Ark will generate after it opens in 2016, but “secularist organizations exerted tremendous pressure on state officials” to rescind approval,” AiG’s press release said.

“Anti-Christian groups objected to AiG’s statutory right to limit its hiring to people of the Christian faith, and to the content of

the messages that will be presented at the Bible-themed park. Bowing to this pressure, state officials (including Gov. Beshear) announced a reversal on Dec. 10,” the press release reads.

Beshear and Robert Stewart, secretary of the tourism, arts, and heritage cabinet, are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

State officials have not commented on the lawsuit. Gil Lawson, spokesperson for the tourism cabinet, provided a copy of a Dec. 10 letter to an AiG attorney explaining denial of tax incentives.

“There are two reasons for this conclusion,” the letter reads, “1) the Commonwealth will not grant incentives to a company that intends to discriminate in hiring its employees based on religion; and 2) It is a violation of the Constitution for the Commonwealth’s incentives to be used to advance religion.” (BP)

Answers in Genesis files lawsuit against state government


By Art Toalston

Orange Beach, Ala.—David Platt has “five desires that are driving me” as president of the International Mission Board.

Platt, speaking to editors of Baptist state papers Feb. 10, listed the desires that are key to him at the six-month point of his leadership of Southern Baptists’ overseas missions initiatives:

1. “to exalt Christ”2. “to mobilize Christians”3. “to equip the church”4. “to facilitate church

planting”5. “to play our part in the

accomplishment of the Great Commission”

“It’s not tolerable” that billions of people have never heard the name of Jesus, Platt said with resolve, or for children to be unreached by the gospel while facing a life expectancy of less than eight years in parts of the world—or for 10-year-old children to face the horror of sex trafficking.

While the IMB supports 4,800 missionaries with a budget of nearly $300 million a year, Platt noted, “I’m convinced it’s a critical time for the SBC and IMB.”

The missionary force is down from a record 5,600 missionaries less than a decade ago. Unless Southern Baptists make sacrifices to rise to God’s call to reach the nations, to “think creatively” in their missions methods and to build on the blessings God has given the Southern Baptist Convention, Platt said.

Platt spoke of his view of the Cooperative Program channel by which Southern Baptists support missions globally, nationally and in their states.

“... I’ve been reminded in a fresh way, in a needed way, of the stewardship God has entrusted to the SBC and the value of the Cooperative Program,” Platt said.

To young pastors who might voice uncertainty about an “institutional” SBC compared to other missions networks, Platt reflected, “I praise God for continuing to grow relational networks to get the gospel to people who have never heard.

“And the same time, can you realize what God has given to the SBC?” he said, pointing to “conventions of churches, united

together, with six strong seminaries who are raising up and training thousands of leaders every year (... and) the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board that are together spending half a billion dollars on the spread of the gospel and the planting of the church in North America and the nations (... and the) ERLC” as an advocate for religious liberty.

“And the Cooperative Program,” Platt said, “(is) an engine that fuels all that.”

Platt said he believes in the unique stewardship that God has given to the SBC and the Cooperative Program. He set forth his key desires as IMB president:

“to exalt Christ”“We are tempted at every turn at

church and in missions to do things in man-centered ways instead of Christ-guided ways ... to develop our own plans and then go to God’s word for permission to justify the plans we’ve come up with,”

Platt said. Rather, “our responsibility is to go to the word for direction. ... We don’t exalt Christ by pragmatic methods that are just focused on what we think works (but on) what God has said in His word that lasts throughout time.” Scripture, he said, must drive “the content of what we preach and the methods by which we spread (His) word.”

God has provided a plan for how the gospel is to spread, he said, by making disciples and forming them into churches that are “reproducing by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

“to mobilize Christians”Platt said he prays for followers of

Christ to increasingly realize “that global missions is not just a compartmentalized program of the church for a select few people. ... It’s the very purpose for which we were created.”

God’s intention should stir people to consider: “How does that affect the way I pray? How does that affect the way I give? How does that affect opportunities I seek out to go and be a part of what God is doing around the world? And even if I don’t move somewhere else, how do I deliberately stay to spread the gospel among the nations.

“There are ways that God in the global marketplace has sovereignly ordained for opportunities and avenues to be opened up,” he said. “I don’t want the IMB to be a funnel that ... only a few people can squeeze through in order to get involved in God’s global plan.”

“to equip the church”“When you look at the New Testament,

the local church is the agent that God has promised to bless for the accomplishment

of the Great Commission. It’s the churches sending out missionaries,” Platt said.

The IMB can help churches as they pray “to send out people and to shepherd them as they go,” Platt said. “It makes all the difference in the world when those who go overseas are intimately connected with a local body of believers to pray for them, loving them and sending them.”

The IMB must not say to churches, “We can do this mission. If you’ll just send us missionaries and money, we’ll take care of it for you,” Platt said. “There’s a more biblical way. That’s to come alongside a local church and say, ‘Actually, you can do this. And here’s how we can help.’”

“to facilitate church planting”The IMB can provide critical

coordination for churches in sending missionaries, he said, citing two examples:

n matching missionaries from various churches—couples, retirees, singles—to where the need for the gospel is greatest.

n helping churches with “how we most wisely get there” and “once we get there, how we best share the gospel.”

“to play our part in the accomplishment of the Great Commission”

The Great Commission “can be accomplished and one day will be accomplished,” Platt said, citing the book of Revelation, chapters 5 and 7.

“As president of the IMB, I’m not living or leading for the perpetuation of this organization. I am living and leading for the day ... when we’re not talking about unreached peoples anymore; instead, we’re talking about the return of the King.” (BP)


Platt compelled by ‘5 desires’ for International Mission Board

By Shawn Hendricks

Nashville—In an open letter, Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd, along with the support of 16 former SBC presidents, called on President Obama to “take the necessary actions now” against ISIS terrorists.

The open letter comes in the wake of numerous reports of ISIS killings that include the beheading of 21 Egyptians—reportedly Coptic Christians—the death of an American aid worker, and a Jordanian pilot being burned alive.

ISIS also captured more than 200 Assyrian Christians Feb. 23, CNN reported. Women, children and elderly were among those taken captive during an ISIS attack on villages near Tal Tamer in northern Syria, according to the report.

SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page said he is often asked about ISIS.

“People are frightened, people are concerned. We need (President Obama) to act and to act decisively,” he said. “I join with the other SBC presidents in supporting our current (SBC) president’s call to action.”

Bryant Wright, former SBC president and pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga., described the letter as “a plea to the president to take a stronger leadership role” against ISIS.

“It will be important to join with Egypt and Jordan and others in that part of the

world to show this is not just the defense of Christians but you’re talking about religious liberty for all,” said Wright, who was among some Christian ministers invited to Washington D.C. to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference March 2.

“The government has been ordained by God to use its might, be it military might, police power, whatever it is to defend the citizens and to uphold justice and punish evil,” Wright continued.

James Draper Jr., a former SBC president, said decent nations all over the world should be outraged at ISIS’ barbaric actions that are a threat to everyone.

“I don’t think America can avoid taking leadership in it,” he said. “It’s who we are, and it’s an opportunity for us to take the lead in something that should be widely embraced by other nations.”

Former SBC President Bobby Welch noted, “While we do pray for an attempt to win the world to Christ, it is also our God-given responsibility to speak out and take actions in opposition to the barbaric assaults of ISIS and all its ungodly like-minded counterparts.”

During a Feb. 16 report at the semi-annual SBC Executive Committee meeting in Nashville, Floyd told Southern Baptist leaders they “must speak for those who are unable to speak up for themselves.”

Southern Baptists “need to stand for the children, the women and the men

who are being brutalized and abused and murdered globally, all in the name of religion,” Floyd said during his EC report. “We need to champion, as Southern Baptists, religious liberty globally.”

He noted Southern Baptists also must never compromise their No. 1 goal to “penetrate and push back the lostness in this world.”

Floyd urged EC members to call on their churches “to join in this valiant effort of deep prayer for men and women and children who are being abused and murdered in all kinds of ways.”

The letter reads as follows: Dear President Obama:Since ISIS is a continuing threat to world

peace in a way unknown to us since the Nazis of World War II, we humbly call upon you to use the influence and power of your distinguished office to take the necessary actions now in this urgent hour to bring an end to these human atrocities. The abuse, brutalization, and murder of children, women, and men that is occurring before the world calls our country to lead forward to bring this to an end.

As you do this, please know that we are not only praying for you, but assure you that you will have the unequivocal support of the vast majority of America’s largest, and some say most multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, Protestant denomination in America. The world will applaud your courage and compassion as you defend those that Scripture calls “the least of these.”

Mr. President, just as Esther led forward for the deliverance of the Jews in her day, we believe you also “have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.” You have been given an historical moment to lead in protecting the people and the principle of religious freedom in the world. We are praying for you to have wisdom and courage in this hour.

These former presidents of our Convention join me, the current President of the Southern Baptist Convention, in making this humble, but urgent appeal to you. In the letter, Floyd told Obama that Southern Baptists are praying for him.

Along with Floyd, these former SBC presidents signed the letter:

Bailey E. Smith (1980-1982)James T. Draper, Jr. (1982-1984)Charles F. Stanley (1984-1986)Jerry Vines (1988-1990)Morris H. Chapman (1990-1992)H. Edwin Young, Sr. (1992-1994)James B. Henry (1994-1996)Tom Elliff (1996-1998)Paige Patterson (1998-2000)James Merritt (2000-2002)Jack Graham (2002-2004)Bobby Welch (2004-2006)Frank S. Page (2006-2008)Johnny M. Hunt (2008-2010)Bryant Wright (2010-2012)Fred Luter (2012- 2014)

Shawn Hendricks is managing editor of Baptist Press. Printed with permision from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com)

SBC presidents send open letter to Obama

“I’ve been reminded in a fresh way, in a needed way, of the stewardship God has entrusted to the SBC and the value of the Cooperative Program.”

David Platt, International Mission

Board President

12 HAWAII PACIFIC JANUARY 2015AROUND THESE ISLANDS

prayer calendar

MARCH17 Betty Petherbridge – Retired, Oahu19 Jared Lawrence – International Fellowship19 Emily Hew – Kahaluu, Oahu20 Dick Bento – HBA, Oahu21 Grace Phillips – Chaplaincy, Oahu21 Ralph Honjo – Retired, Oahu23 Tupe Sovea – Seafarers, AmSam24 Song Sakai – Waikakea Uka, Big Island26 Dee Ann Gray – FBC Wahiawa, Oahu27 Lydia Gomintong – Hawaii Christian, Oahu28 Shane Sowers – Central, Oahu29 Cindy Gaskins – University Ave., Oahu

APRIL1 Won Lim Lee Kim – Guam FBC, Guam1 Faith Shiroma – Retired, Oahu2 Ken Newman – Retired, Oahu2 Heeran Schoenhoff – Puuanahulu, Big Island2 Stanley Togikawa – Retired, Oahu3 Alice Bento – HBA, Oahu5 John Allison – BCM, Oahu5 Tae Bok Kang,– Retired, Oahu5 Julie Nagamine – Chaplaincy, Oahu6 Harlan Nakasone – Fellowship, Oahu7 Ken Suesz – Waialae, Oahu7 Joyce Sulliban – HPBC, Oahu7 Marlene Tamashiro – Puna, Big Island8 Stanley Shiroma – Retired, Oahu8 James Shiroma – The Gathering, Oahu10 Michael Abagon – HPBC, Oahu10 Darrell McCain – MSC, Oahu11 Ray Kitagawa – Chaplaincy, Oahu12 Julie Shiroma – The Gathering, Oahu12 Joan Togikawa – Retired, Oahu15 Bob Duffer – Retired, Big Island16 Divina Eder – Hilo Ilocano, Big Island16 Vera Okamura – Olivet, Oahu16 Lisa Tabuldo – HPBC, Oahu16 Charlene Tagami – Kaumana Dr., Big Island17 Makito Watanabe – Olivet, Oahu18 Ashika Filipo – Faleniu, Am. Samoa

18 Marty Sprankle – FBC Waimanalo19 Sun Young Kim – Korean Pearl Harbor, Oahu19 Robert Nagamine – Chaplaincy, Oahu19 Alex Hazlett – HPBC, Oahu21 Lana Oshiro – Retired, Oahu22 Arielle Adenew – Olivet, Oahu23 Dan Armistead – Seoul Intl, S. Korea23 Paul Oyer – HB Foundation, Oahu24 Mary Eleanor Kong – Retired, Maui24 Raul Martinez – Iglesia Bautista, Big Island25 Samuel Yoon – Retired, Oahu26 Sharon Park – New Community, Oahu27 Katy Ching – Mountain View, Oahu30 Lynn Marie Lara – Waikoloa, Big Island

MAY

1 Jeri Evans – Pali View, Oahu 1 Robert Miller – OBN, Oahu4 Danette Abe – Makakilo Preschool, Oahu5 May Chong – Retired, Oahu5 Sophie Esah – Sapuk Chuukese, Oahu5 Suzanne Large – Waikiki, Oahu6 Lita Carino – Haleiwa Filipino, Oahu7 June Duffer – Retired, Big Island7 Beverly Miller – OBN, Oahu7 Richard Uejo – Retired, Big Island8 Dennis Chong – Retired, Oahu8 Blane DeLoach – Palisades, Oahu16 Sovechana Khuy – Khemaras, Oahu18 Melanie Basuel – Village Park, Oahu20 Alberto Camacho – Filipino Intl, Oahu21 Derek Schoenhoff – Pu’uanahulu, Big Island23 Joeli Sovea – Pago Pago, Am. Samoa23 Meripa Poch – Sonshine Hilo, Big Island24 Iris Lazor – OlaNui, Oahu25 Charles Beaucond – Pearl Harbor, Oahu26 Andrew Large – Waikiki, Oahu27 Jae Young Koo – Cornerstone Korean, Oahu27 Sean Lathrop – NAMB, Oahu31 Richard Murray – Kaanapali, Maui

MARCH 19-21 Children’s Mission Adventure Camp – Puu

Kahea22 Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday26 Prince Kuhio Day28 Vacation Bible School Training, Mililani BC

APRIL3 Good Friday5 Easter12 Cooperative Program Sunday17-18 HBEEA Leadership Conference19 Baptist Doctrine Study23-26 Wives in Ministry Retreat

26 SBC Seminaries Sunday27-29 Church Planter & Team Builder Training, Puu

Kahea

MAY3 Senior Adult Sunday10-17 Christian Home Week23 Executive Board 17-23 Baptist Association Emphasis25 Memorial Day26-29 Missionary Orientation30 Developing and Managing People, HPBC

Office31 Life Commitment Sunday

HPBC-sponsored events in bold

calendar

During the last semester at seminary Betty and David were turned down as missionaries, because of a physical problem of David’s. They found jobs in Hawaii at the newly opened Hawaii Baptist Academy. David was called to become pastor of the Waikiki Baptist Mission sponsored by Olivet Baptist Church. It became an organized church in 1952 with David as pastor. David then pastored the Kaumana Bap-tist Church in Hilo in 1957 until he went to be pastor of Kaunakakai Baptist Church from 1960-1964. God called David back to Honolulu in 1964 where he pastored Palolo Baptist Mis-sion sponsored by Waialae Baptist Church. The mission closed because no property could be found to purchase.

David served as editor of the “Hawaii Bap-tist” paper from 1951 to 1957. In one of the ear-lier papers, David recalled, “at that time, the Hawaii Baptist Convention office was located in the Baptist Book Store on Merchant Street.

The “Hawaii Baptist” was produced and mailed from there. The convention’s first exec-utive secretary-treasurer was Victor Koon. His secretary, Grace Sharp, folded and inserted the Hawaii Baptist in envelopes, which she addressed on her typewriter. One of the first things I did as editor was the purchase of an Addressograph and eliminate the envelopes.”

After he retired, he and Betty taught Eng-lish as a Second Language for several years and went on mission trips. In 1966 David got a job teaching English at Kapiolani Community Col-lege. Then he taught at Oahu Correctional Community Center, in the prison, where he continued until the school closed in 1980. David suffered from peripheral nerve atrophy and his legs could not support his body, so he was confined to a wheel chair. He spent the last 15 months of his life at Leahi Hospital. He died peacefully in his sleep from pneumonia Jan. 25. He is survived by wife Betty K., sons Sidney and Nathan, six grandchildren and a great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by son, Douglas.

PetheridgeContinued from page 5

Documents

Hawaii Pacific Baptist March 2015 Issue