Bloct13

New Exec: Bernard Fuller, pastor

of New Song Bible Fellowship in Bowie, Md., congratulates

Will McRaney (left) on his new role as the executive director of

the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

—p. 3, 12-15

INSIDE: CONNECT 2013 ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW

October 2013

®

Newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware • www.baptistlifeonline.org

October 2013

VOLUME 98 ISSUE 5/ October 2013

FeaturesBCM/D’S NEW EXEC p. 3Will McRaney, former church-planting and evangelism director, NOBTS professor named executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.

CHURCH AT LOMA p. 7Hockessin Baptist Church starts the Church at LOMA, a coffeehouse in the downtown lower market area of Wilmington.

FEED MY SHEEP p. 8Feed My Sheep ministry at Landover Hills Baptist Church fights hunger in their community.

SBC ANNUAL MEETING p. 11 The Southern Baptist Convention is coming to Baltimore in June 2014. Are you ready? These tips might help you get ready.

GENERAL MISSION BOARD p. 12GMB members elected BCM/D’s new executive director, approved the 2014 budget and a recommendation to sell land in St. Mary’s County.

PerspectivesBOB SIMPSON p. 4

ROBERT ANDERSON p. 5

KEVIN MARSICO p. 9

MITCH YOUNG p. 9

p. 8

CONTENTS

p. 12

BaptistLIFE (ISSN 331-640) is published bimonthly except for January as a Cooperative Program ministry of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.

BaptistLIFE 10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046-1716

(Phone) 800-466-5290, ext. 245(Fax) 410-290-6627

Send address changes &advertising questions to:

[email protected]

BaptistLIFE StaffBob Simpson Executive EditorIris White Managing Editor/Mailing Shannon Baker Design Editor/ BCM/D National CorrespondentSharon Mager BCM/D Correspondent

Address change: Send the new address with the old mailing label at least three weeks prior to move or send an email to [email protected] with your old and new information.

Advertising rates are available. We do not automatically accept all advertising. We typically accept ads for services provided to Maryland and Delaware Baptists related to or assisting in starting new churches and strengthening existing ones. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser’s products or services. The deadline for news and advertising is the first day of the month preceding the next issue.

Free Subscription by request

Press Releases and Photos: We welcome letters from readers, press releases and photos of topics of interest to Maryland/Delaware Baptists. Digital photos sent electronically are preferred. If you send glossy prints, please include a SASE for return.

Letters to the Editor (LTTE) do not reflect the views or opinions of BaptistLIFE. We prefer letters from Maryland and Delaware. Only letters marked clearly for publication as a LTTE, signed with addresses will be considered. Please include a daytime telephone number for verification purposes. Letters may not exceed 300 words. Letters attacking churches or individuals will not be published. Letters will be edited for clarity, BaptistLIFE style and space considerations, but not for content. We regret that we cannot respond to all letters not accepted for publication.

BaptistLIFE is a member of the Association of State Baptist Papers, Baptist Press News and Evangelical Press Association and is printed by Carroll County Times, Westminster, Md.

BCM/D ANNUAL MEETING p. 16The theme for Connect 2013, BCM/D’s annual meeting, is Gather 2 Scatter. We’ll gather Nov. 10-12 at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Del.

BAPTIST FAMILY CHANGES p. 19BCM/D seeks to honor request by Baptist Family & Children’s Services to be an autonomous agency.

TERRITORIAL REALIGNMENT p. 20SBC Attorney addresses BCM/D and D.C. Convention’s territorial realignment.

NEW SKYCROFT ASSOC. p. 23Jason Ferrell is named Associate Director of Skycroft Conference Center.

p. 7

October 2013 Page 3

Former church-planting and evangelism director, prof named exec at BCM/D

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

COLUMBIA, Md.— Will McRaney, former Florida Baptist Convention church-planting and evan-gelism strategist/director and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor, has been named the new executive director of the Baptist Con-vention of Maryland/Delaware.

On Sept. 10, 2013, the BCM/D General Mission Board voted unani-mously to call McRaney to fill the position vacated by David Lee, who retired from the Columbia, Md.-based convention on July 31.

The search team consisting of Charlie Brown, associate pastor of Dunkirk (Md.) Baptist Church; BCM/D president, Robert An-derson, pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md.; past convention president Ken Stalls, pastor of South End Baptist Church in Frederick, Md.; Bernard Fuller, pastor of New Song Bible Fellowship in Bowie, Md., and Jim Jeffries, pastor of LaVale (Md.) Baptist Church, “wholeheartedly” recommended him to the General Mission Board.

McRaney, 50, sees his new role as an executive missional strategist.

“While there are organizational and legal matters that impact our churches, our primary purpose as churches and the BCM/D is to be on mission in expanding God’s Kingdom for His glory,” McRaney said. “I am excited about the journey I will share with our churches and their leaders.”

Since 2011, he has served as team strategist for the English-speaking church planting team for the Florida Baptist Convention in Jack-sonville, Fla. Before that, he directed the convention’s evangelism strategy department.

McRaney’s “work started in evangelism and finalized in church planting—two of the Florida Baptist Convention’s top priorities,” said Dr. John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention. “He has proven to be a wonderful and productive servant of the Lord. He has a great work ethic and a very bright mind. Dr. McRaney will do well in his new assignment

leading Maryland-Delaware Baptists. We will miss him.”

He moved back to his native Florida to return to field ministry after weathering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at New Orleans Seminary. At the seminary, he served as professor of evangelism, occupying the Max and Bonnie Thornhill Chair of Evangelism, 2001-2007, and the Cecil B. Day Chair of Church Planting, 1996-2000. He taught multiple evangelism and church planting courses for master of divinity students as well as professional and research doctoral candidates.

Originally from Dade City, Fla., McRaney is the co-founder and senior consultant for the Ministry Enhancement Group, which exists to increase the effectiveness of Christian leaders, church planters and churches by providing them with biblically based and cutting-edge methods, strategies, and training.

A church planter assessor and training system designer, McRaney has researched, written about and spoken extensively on personal and church evangelism, church growth and health, church planting, leader-ship, revitalization, church models, postmodernism and cultural trends.

Describing it as “the greatest overall contribution the Lord has led [him] to make to date,” McRaney created “Love Your Neighbor – Share Christ,” a church evangelism strategy design model to assist churches in designing their holistic model for evangelism in any context. This model, which addresses the major challenges of evangelism, has helped boost evangelistic efforts in Asia, In-dia, Brazil, Haiti, Cuba and all across Florida, among other places.

It was during the development of this model that McRaney was in a life-threatening head-on car accident with a drunk driver. He suffered criti-cal injuries, including broken legs and a broken arm, but has since made full recovery.

McRaney has written several ar-ticles and books, including the widely used “The Art of Personal Evange-lism: Sharing Christ in a Changing

Culture,” published by Broadman and Holman.

McRaney also has experience in the pastor-ate. He was founding pastor of Life Church in Mandeville, La., 1997-99, lead pastor at Daybreak Community Church in Littleton, Colo., 1992-96, and pas-tor of Jackson Avenue Baptist Church in Pasca-goula, Miss., 1987-91.

The first time McRaney ever preached outside of his home church was at First Baptist Church in Moss Point, Miss., in March 1987. A seminary student at the time, McRaney was filling in for David Lee, who was serving there as pastor.

McRaney holds two degrees from New Orleans Seminary: a doctor of philosophy degree in evangelism and discipleship, 1992; and a master of divinity degree in biblical studies, 1989. He earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from Missis-sippi State University, where he played both football and baseball.

He has also served as adjunct professor of evangelism and church planting at Liberty Baptist Seminary in Lynchburg, Va., and as adjunct professor at Denver Seminary and Colorado Christian University in Denver, Colo.

He and his wife, Sandy Vandev-ender McRaney, have three children, Blakeney, Hadley, and Macy.

When asked about his initial thoughts about the future, McRaney said, “Sandy and I are looking forward to seeing the hand of the Lord move in our churches and across Maryland and Delaware in the coming years.”

“It is a brand new day for Mary-land/Delaware Baptists. We are grate-ful to God for leading us to Will and Sandy McRaney,” said Bob Simpson, BCM/D’s associate executive director. “They will bring new energy and fresh eyes to help us amplify our impact in this region. We are praying for them as they make their transition.”

October 2013Page 4

With an optical illusion, you tend to see one

thing upon first glance. But as you look at it a little longer, and from a different perspective, you then see something entirely different. Often with optical illusions, you see only the more mundane thing and miss the larger picture completely. This happens sometimes with the Bible. There are some truths in the Bible that are just, by any measure, really big truths. But, if you are not very careful, these biblical truths can be so big, and so overarching, that you can miss them completely.

I came to know Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior when I was a seven-year-old boy. I surrendered all I knew about myself then to all I knew about the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Twelve years later when I was 19, I was an undergraduate student at Oklahoma Baptist University. One Sunday morning, Dr. Jimmy Draper, the pastor

of my church there, shared a biblical truth that I’m sure I must have heard many times before. But it had never really gripped my heart like it did that day! The truth he shared that day was the truth of the ultimate Lordship of Jesus Christ! JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! It is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) truths in the entire Bible!

Yet, sadly, I have come to believe that it is one of the most neglected truths in the Bible. Jesus is referred to as “Savior” 24 times in the Bible. But, He is referred to as “Lord” 747 times! When you fully understand and surrender your life to the truth that Jesus is Lord, you have begun to get the big picture!

I am not a prophet (or the son of a prophet), but I agree with the statement made years ago by Dr. Vance Havner. He said, “Churches in America have become ‘non-prophet institutions.’” He was right. We are in desperate need of the next generation of Billy Grahams who will once again call us to the high demands of His lordship over our lives.

Pollster George Barna says that 50 percent of all adults in America say that they are “born again” in

evangelical terms. Why, then, in America, where so many people say that they have received Jesus as their Savior, are we facing such a moral, ethical and spiritual crisis? I mean, if so many people profess that they have faith in Jesus Christ, why are the moral and ethical standards in this country at an all time low?

I think the answer lies in the fact that a lot of folks make an artificial distinction between believing in Jesus as their “Savior” and acknowledging Him as their “Lord.”

Some people even mistakenly think that they can receive Jesus as their Savior and then they have the option of making Him their Lord at some later date. However…when you study the Bible you will find that these two truths are inseparable. They are opposite sides of the same coin! They are

inexorably linked like both perspectives of an optical illusion.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (NLT).

No person can knowingly receive Jesus as Savior and reject Him as Lord. You just can’t use Jesus as your Savior and refuse Him as your Lord.

When I came to understand this truth it totally changed my life! It did at age 19 and it is still doing it today!

Say it when the tough times come. Say it when disappointments prevail. Say it when friends forsake you. Say it when your future is uncertain. Say it when life is short. Say it at all times: “JESUS IS LORD!” Period.

An optical illusion...or absolute reality?PERSPECTIVE BY BOB SIMPSON

Bob SimpsonBCM/D Associate Executive Director/Chief Operating

Officer and Editor of BaptistLIFE

October is Cooperative Program Month

bcmd.org/cp

Robert AndersonBCM/D President and

Pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, Md.

Page 5October 2013

Fall has now settled in and we are well into our busy schedules.

However, there are several things that I wish to share with Maryland/Delaware Baptists this month, so bear with me as I share some things that are on my heart.

First, I am concerned about the Cooperative Program (CP). We as Southern Baptists have the great privilege to partner together in giving to mis-sions through CP giving. However, my heart is really disturbed when I see so many churches with zeroes or close to nothing in CP giving. This is shameful! Please allow me to provoke you to love and good works in the area of mission giv-ing. It is not right for some to give sacrificial-ly, while others do nothing. We are a part of a family and each member must do their part. The Philippians were not a large church and they were not a rich church, yet they gave to Paul out of their poverty, to which Paul declared “that my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

A couple of years ago in our national conven-tion we were challenged as Southern Baptists to increase our CP giving by one percent. Hence, the challenge is still applicable today, and I believe that BCM/D churches can do this and more. In fact, all of us can do better! The

harvest is great, but the laborers are few, so let’s pray to The Lord of the harvest to not only send forth la-borers, but help us to trust Him to raise the bar in our CP giving for the sake of the Gospel in supporting these laborers.

Secondly, our State Convention Annual Meeting is just around the corner. Our theme this year is “Gather 2 Scatter.” What a great theme! We come together to be strengthened and edified in order that we depart to spread the glorious good news of the Gospel of Christ. Wonder-ful speakers are lined up like Dr. James Merritt, Dr. A.B. Vines, and others to open the unsearchable

riches of God’s Word. Furthermore, a variety of challenging workshops are scheduled...folks, you will be blessed. So please make plans NOW to come and be a part of what looks to be an outstanding conven-tion.

Thirdly, there needs to be a new push to give to the Hunger Fund both at home and abroad. It is our goal to raise $10,000 for the Hun-ger Fund in the coming year starting with our state convention. Fifty-one per-cent of the funds will go to International Missions, and 49 percent will go to local church hunger ministries in MARYLAND /DELA-

WARE. Please pray that the Lord will help us to reach our goal to feed the hungry around the world with the chance to share the love of Christ and His Gospel. The verse that the Lord has impressed upon my heart is Luke 6:21, “Blessed are you that are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.” Admittedly, this is an unusual verse and is quite different from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, which focuses on spiritual hunger for God and His righteousness, while Dr. Luke focuses on bodily hunger needs. However, why would God describe them as “blessed?”

Quite frankly, I am not altogether sure, but this

I do know, that the God of the Bible cares about the poor, the needy, and the hungry! So much so that He promises to satisfy their appetites. Is it any wonder that our Lord would teach us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3)? By giving to the Hunger Fund, you become a helping hand in being an answer to someone’s prayers for “daily bread.” Please consider taking advantage of the Oct. 13, 2013 Feed the Hungry Sunday on the SBC calen-dar and take up a special offering for this noble and compassionate cause. For more information, please

go to www.bcmd.org/worldhunger.

By the way, we thank the Lord for all the church-es that have some kind of hunger relief outreach, and we encourage them to keep up the good work. We look

forward to the oppor-tunity to strengthen your hands to even do more. God bless you as you give.

Lastly, we are looking for volun-teers to help us as hosts and ushers for the 2014 SBC convention next year in ‘Charm City’, a.k.a. Baltimore. We may also be looking for singers to participate in a mass choir, so please let us know of your willingness to help assist in either of these areas by calling the state office or signing up online.

It is a joy to be a part of such a super state con-vention. Keep us all in your prayers as we likewise pray for you, that we all may hear His voice and follow.

God bless and keep you in all your endeavors to exalt the King of kings.

The President’s potpourriPERSPECTIVE BY ROBERT ANDERSON

October 2013Page 6


HARRINGTON, Del.—For the past five years, 11th grader Jake Stolle could not play football because his Christian school did not have a football program.

But on this cloudy day, on a practice field owned by Harrington (Del.) Baptist Church, he is suited up, listening intently as head coach, Dan Young, discusses their first game.

The Eastern Shore Bucks will play Mid-Atlantic Christian Confer-ence teams as well as other teams from schools in Maryland and Virginia.

Affiliated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Bucks are a Christian varsity football program for homeschool and private school students in grades 9-12 who do not have access to a football program.

Young wanted to give “kids a chance to have their choice of educa-tion and still play football.” Young is a physical education teacher at George-town (Del.) Elementary School.

“Football is a sport that takes dedication, commitment, sacrifice and passion. The goal of this program is to teach these great qualities with

an emphasis on Christian faith as well,” said Young.

“Our success will not be deter-mined at the end of the season, but years from now when our players are adults with careers and families. Our prayer is that they will be Christian leaders, fathers and husbands who are dedicated, committed, sacrificial and passionate about their faith, family and careers. If we can get that, we know we are succeeding,” he said.

So far, there are 20 athletes, who are either homeschooled or come from four area schools, including Delmarva Christian High School, Greenwood Mennonite School, and even the public schools, Mardela Middle and Mardela High.

Some students and their families drive an hour one way—from Salis-bury and Queen Anne’s County—three days a week for team practices.

Xavier Townsend’s family is among them. Xavier recently started attending Mardela High, which is “a less intense environment” than where he previously attended, said Greg-ory Townsend, his father. A strong Christian, he was concerned about the extreme competitiveness and the challenges of his son’s previous larger high school.

“We were going to forego the football season, but I now have peace about where Xavier is going,” he said.

For Stolle, son of Tom Stolle, the chief financial officer for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, this is a great opportunity to have football as a part of his teen’s schedule.

“Football is a collision sport, and every player will be challenged,” shared the elder Stolle. “Because there are only 20 players, that means the players all get to play!”

Before practice, Cameron Manaraze, a 12th grade homeschool student from Greenwood, Del., voiced his gratitude in an opening prayer. “Thank you for putting this on Coach Dan’s heart to do this, so we can go to our schools and still play football,” he said.

“It’s a proud moment, just to get a team on the field for their first game,” wrote fan David Van Risseghem on the team’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Eastern-ShoreBucks). “Many boys will live out dreams they never dared to hope for. Delaware is a better place to live, because of the effort being put into the next generation of leaders.”

Football program gives homeschool, Christian school students opportunity to play

Page 7October 2013

By Sharon MagerBCM/D Correspondent

WILMINGTON, Del.—On any given Sunday someone will wander off the street into the Church at LOMA. Often, they don’t know there’s a church service going on. Why? Because it’s in a coffeehouse. Worshippers meet for Sunday school. The adults meet in the upper area, near the coffee bar; youth meet in the lower section and the children in the back. Then they all gather for worship. Coffee and pastries? You bet!

Hockessin Baptist Church plant-ed the new church and the two are connected, but the staff says it’s not really a multi-site, or one “church in two locations.” The leadership prefers to call it a “grove” approach–differ-ent trees planted in the same “grove,” sharing the same “Son” and soil and both producing like fruit.

Hockessin Baptist Church owns LOMA, the coffeehouse situated in the downtown lower market area of Wilmington. Hockessin Senior Pastor Jon Boulet said LOMA was a God-given vision and in 2010, when the shop opened, Boulet said it was a heroic step for Hockessin Church. They could have expanded their own building, but chose to minister through buying a coffeehouse and operating it.

Working in partnership with Embrace Wilmington and the BCM/D, Hockessin wanted to em-brace a small part of the city with the coffeehouse–through the connections with the city and local leaders and meeting the community.

The coffeehouse, though pur-posed to share Christ, is not overtly Christian. It’s similar to many upscale coffeehouses with modern decor,

a guitarist in the corner or Beatles music playing in the background. Sandwiches, pastries and coffee drinks are top notch and not cheap. There are no tracts hiding in corners or in

the bathroom. There is, however, a mission state-ment on the back of the menu.

Ben Cordova, ministry director of the coffeehouse, is intentional in his ministry as he directs the day-to-day operations.

“The single most effective min-istry is the kindness behind the coun-ter,” Boulet said. The coffee workers’ care for those who enter says more than anything else. Regular customers know the staff cares for them.

“It says a lot more than a cup of coffee in Jesus’ name,” Boulet said.

After the coffee shop success-fully opened and began to thrive, the church decided to expand, with more seating that could also be used as a ministry area for meetings and small groups. What evolved was a church.

Terry Foester, Hockessin’s executive pastor, explained that when Hockessin took over the coffee shop, the plan was always kingdom growth. Hockessin began a planting and spreading committee to plan how to intentionally use the coffee house for the purpose of kingdom growth.

“The funny thing is that they (the planting and spreading team) became the core team for the church plant. The vision was fueled by a church planting conference in Wilm-

ington. Hockessin sent a core group of 40 people to help, including half of their worship team.

In the fall of 2012, they called Jeff Keith, a pastor in Fulton, Ky.,

who was feeling led to do urban ministry. He didn’t know it was going mean bringing his wife, Sarah and their daughters, Karis, Eliza, Raley, and Leah to Wilmington, Del.

The three men laugh together about how they’re

working through the logistics of

being two churches that are linked, but

separate. They have

some planned events together and they

have their own. The culture in each church is

different. Hockessin Church is in an old refurbished school building that is located in an area that does not get drive-by, stop-in visitors. Visitors are invited by friends or discover the website and listen to podcasts.

The Church at LOMA, now averaging 70, draws from the locals—the workers, the residents and those who come for entertainment. There are also 7,000 college students who attend nearby Delaware Technical Community College.

“We don’t have to put on big events to draw people. We just con-nect with the events being publi-cized,” Keith said. The coffeehouse, and thus, the church, is always a stop in during events such as the “Ladybug Festival” or the “Art Loop.”

Now the Church at LOMA is doing outreach working with the local Salvation Army and ministering at emergency shelters.

Interestingly, the men acknowl-edge, Hockessin didn’t have inten-tional plans to start a church, but God did.

New ‘Church at LOMA’ and Hockessin Baptist thrive as a ‘Grove’


LANDOVER HILLS, Md.—When Sandra Griesemer and Lisa Shutak go shopping, it’s not unusual for their shopping carts to contain 1,100 pounds of produce, 100 pounds of bread and 50-60 gallons of milk.

And that’s just for one week!

That’s because they direct a Feed My Sheep food pantry at Landover Hills Baptist Church, a church located inside the Washington, D.C., Beltway.

The church offers a client-choice pantry, which offers guests the op-portunity to pick one thing of their choice from each of the 10-plus cabi-nets of food, which are organized by food types—pasta, canned vegetables and fruit, breakfast items and more. Occasionally, toiletry products and other items, such as cleaning supplies and over-the-counter medicines, are made available as well.

That means their guests—it is free to all who wish to receive the benefits regardless of income—leave with three-to-four bags of food, “from produce to eggs to bread” and non-perishable items, Griesemer said. Sandra is the wife of Pastor David Griesemer.

The food is a mixture of free leftovers from Panera Bread as well as purchased food from the Capital Area Food Bank, where the church has been established as a part-nering agency.

The church budgets $110 a week to shop at the food bank, which charges by the pound. There, Griesemer and Shutak do not know what the quantities or the items available until the afternoon of the dis-tribution. In addition, the time to shop at the food bank is limited so they have fine-tuned their weekly

excursions to be able to purchase as much as they can.

“We always manage to have enough!” Shutak marveled. “Each week we see God’s blessings.”

The pantry is open on Wednes-

days in the morning and evening and is led by at least 30 volunteers, from ages 4 to 80-something. Surprisingly, most volunteers are church members who aren’t otherwise volunteering in the church.

“As volunteers lead each ‘shop-per,’ they’re not just saying, ‘One here. One here,’” Shutak said, explaining the church’s desire is to build personal relationships with each of the guests. “They are getting to know each person.”

And rather than offering bags of pre-selected food items, the church

volunteers “actually listen to their needs and concerns and try to accom-modate them,” she said.

The volunteers also share recipes and other information to help the guests make their food go further. In

the future, they want to host cooking classes.

The guests are re-ally responding. Some-times there are long lines of people waiting for the doors to open.

According to the Capital Area Food Bank’s 700 partner agencies, there is a tremendous increase in those seeking food assistance in the area—from 30 to 100 percent.

Much of this is due to job loss, the economy, high cost of housing, lack of health care and other issues.

So far, several of the guests have started coming to the church worship services, and one person has made a decision to follow Christ. In addition, several of the guests go to the Iglesia Bautista Torre Fuerte, the Hispanic ministry of the church.

Leftover perishable items are given away at the local Laundromat, which gives another opportunity for

the church to connect to the community.

In addition to the food pantry, Landover Hills offers annual clothing and school supply giveaways. This year the church shared with 267 area residents, a much higher number, compared to their humble beginnings when only 50 guests came five years ago.

“It’s neat for me to see all these backpacks that I know came from the church on kids walking up the sidewalks to their bus stops,” said Pastor Griesemer.

“It touches my heart what happens here,” Sandra Griesemer agreed. “You thank God, not the church. He provides!”

To learn more, visit www.lhbcmd.org.

October 2013Page 8

Feed My Sheep ministry at Landover Hills Baptist Church fights hunger in their community

Sandra Griesemer and Lisa Shutak of Landover Hills Baptist Church

You can fight hunger, too!

At Connect 2013, the annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, this year’s offering will go to hunger causes. The BCM/D Order of Business committee voted for 51 percent of the offering to go to the SBC World Hunger Fund (now called Global Hunger Relief); the other 49 percent will go to the BCM/D Hunger Fund, which functions to help churches start or develop food pantries or different hunger-related ministries. In addition to the offering, which will be taken on the evening session on Monday, Nov. 11, messengers will be asked to donate non-perishable food items, also to be evenly distributed between Maryland and Delaware food banks.

Page 9October 2013

By Mitch Young, Pastor of Maryland City Baptist Church, Laurel, Md.

Summer is all but over for the most part. Soon the leaves will begin to change and we will know that fall has

begun. Fall is a time that often reminds me about the things that God is changing all around us, as well as the things that He is changing within us.

These things, some of them are noticeable, and some not so noticeable, but all of them equally significant.

That’s what I would like to share with you today. I’d like to tell you about some things that God is changing in and through a small body of believers at Maryland City Baptist, and mainly in and through my life.

It was late May, early June during a normal afternoon in my office. I was mak-ing some calls to some sister churches concerning the opportunity of passing our VBS props and material to them once our VBS was finished.

I received a couple of calls back say-ing that there had been an interest. One of those churches that had responded was Faith Baptist Church in Laurel, Md.

Dr. Mathenia expressed that they would love to receive the props and mate-rial from us when we were finished with our VBS.

Through the phone conversations that followed, it was expressed that there was another need. They were looking for additional teachers and helpers to staff their VBS.

I remember the Wednesday night that followed that conversation with Dr. Mathe-nia, I shared the need with those at our Bible study, and God blessed us with a Spirit of unity that we needed to go and help.

The week of VBS finally arrived, where we had the wonderful privilege to meet some fantastic people.

These were people a lot like us, go-ing through trials, experiencing blessings, and desiring that God would be glorified in and through their lives.

God blessed that trip. Not only did He work through the children in VBS, He also changed the hearts of the adults as well.

I remember a woman that week, who said to me, “Pastor, where are we going next?” And it wasn’t just one; there were several, asking, are there other churches that we can help?

Or the woman who said VBS had taught her what leadership is truly about: serving others selflessly.

Please don’t miss this. God is in the business of changing His people into the image of Christ.

“For we are His workmanship, cre-ated in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Paul reminds us that as believers who have been saved in Christ, we are to live out our lives reflecting Christ’s love to others. What does that look like in our life? 1. We need to be SURRENDERED to the

Holy Spirit’s leading and direction.2. We need to LOVE others.3. We need to have a willingness to

SERVE others selflessly. 4. We need to be AVAILABLE for His use. 5. We need a DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, for

God to bring changes in my life that honors my heavenly Father.

6. We need to have AN EXPECTANT HEART, desiring God to move in ways that only He can.

In conclusion, are we looking for changes that God is in the midst of doing all around us and through us? What about sister churches in our association or in the state convention? How can we come alongside them to accomplish kingdom things?

Vacation Bible School changes lives

By Kevin Marsico

Living in this region near D.C. and Baltimore, it should be easy to see the

brokenness of our cities. Poverty is a significant issue. Crime contin-ues rampantly. The family seems to be disintegrating. Jobs can be tough to find and our personal security often seems threatened. And let’s be honest, our govern-ment really can’t provide answers to the issues.

But our God can! And He can use us to play a part.

The biblical record is clear. God loves to work through His people to accomplish His purpose in each generation. He could do it in spite of us, but He seems to enjoy working in and through us.

So what could we do today?What questions do we need

to be asking about our cities or communities that we have not recently asked? How do we look at or understand something that might seem very familiar, in a whole new perspective? In what ways will we allow our hearts to be broken for our communities as we understand them from a new perspective? Will we allow God to let us see what He sees? Broken people and communities, desper-ate for a Savior, even if they do not know He is the answer to all their questions.

Maybe I am the right leader at this right time in history to ask the right questions and see my community the way God sees it. Maybe I am the one He wants to send to do something about it for His glory. It might be a history-changer. In fact, I am sure it will be. But first, I have to see my “ordinary” world with a whole new perspective.

So, ask new questions. Allow God to work in your soul. Be willing to respond when God asks

Baltimore and Washington: ‘Send Cities,’ but send whom?

you to. And get involved in Baltimore or in Washington, “our” cities, as God sends you or your church to join Him in the work of city transformation.

You can be used to make a dif-ference. The only ability you need is availability. “Here, I am, LORD,

send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

Kevin Marsico is the Northeast Regional Mobilizer for the North American Mission

Board and the founding pastor of Northstar Community Church in Monrovia, Md. Contact him

at [email protected] or (301) 748-6113.


The Church of “Tell the Good News” sends a team to help Missionary Mike minister to a particular people group in a foreign country. Souls are saved,

lives are changed and the team is pumped. They come home and share the excitement. They post their pictures and stories on Facebook and Twitter. One of the team members writes a story for the church newsletter and it goes on the website. People are praising God.

Back in the city after the team leaves, a few curious locals do a search on some names they’ve heard. People friend each other on Facebook. Word gets around that these friendly visitors were Christians. In a country hostile to Christianity, this could cause significant damage. The new believers’ lives have changed–yes, they’re new creatures in Christ, but now, their family and friends may have turned them out if they’ve shared their new faith. But with the new infor-mation made public, it’s possible they may face serious persecution.

In addition, Missionary Mike’s ministry is compromised. He and his family may be in danger or they may lose their ability to be a presence for Christ to that people group.

In many places around the world, mission-ary activity is not welcomed by the government, by the leaders of other religions or by the local communities. “This means that you must care-fully consider what you say publicly, especially electronically, about how God is using your church to reach an unreached people group with the Gospel,” says Wendy Norvelle, spokes-person for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.

“Pause before you post, think before you tweet.”

Note also that the risk isn’t just for overseas missionaries. With evolving demographics, missionaries are targeting people groups in all locations and often that means in the United States.

So how do we tell stories without putting people at risk? • Seek Guidance. Ask the missionary about the sensitivity of his or her work, specifically asking what can be shared electronically. For general information about sharing information, contact the IMB, www.imb.org.• Consider using “publicity names.” Choose a name that your church will understand but that doesn’t link the church’s initiatives to the actual people and places.• Train your church members what they can say about how God is at work. Some of the most amazing things God has and is doing may

never be able to be told on the front cover of your newslet-ter or on your website, but there are effective ways to share without putting believers at risk. • Be careful with prayer requests. It’s important to stop and think. Often, security breaches happen in the form of prayer requests. In a crisis, it’s human nature to tell someone what we experience and it’s cathartic to tell what’s going on. But it can be detrimental if transmitted electronically and that request is passed on and on.

Remember, Norvelle said, “Anything you write elec-tronically can be seen anywhere else. Other countries have sophisticated techniques for data mining.”

Think about it. “If I knew a customs agent or immi-gration official in this location was reading the story, would it cause difficulties to national believers or any team?” she said. “And, once something moves into the electronic world, it can NEVER be completely erased or recalled.”

October 2013Page 10

Keeping our missionaries safe: ‘Pause before you post, think before you tweet’

50 ways to honor your pastor in October

At namb.net/honoring_pastors, the North American Mission Board provides a variety of resources to help churches honor their pastors. Posters and bulletin inserts at the website share 50 practical specific ways lay leaders can lift up and “bless” their pastors and their families. The ideas range from encouraging a pastor’s marriage and celebrating his children to support-ing his ministry. Some of the ideas are activities for the entire church to do together while others are ministry ideas that a lay member or a family might do on their own.

The Southern Baptist Conven-tion (SBC) is coming to Baltimore, Md., June 10-11, 2014. Is your church making plans to attend?

When SBC President Fred Luter, Jr., was asked why BCM/D churches should attend the SBC annual meet-ing, he responded:

“The churches of Maryland/Delaware should participate in the SBC meeting first of all to show the great hospitality of the churches in the area. Because the SBC is not normally in the Northeast area of the country, the churches of Maryland/Delaware can show the rest of the country what we have been missing out on for all these years.

“It will also be an opportunity to share the great work that the churches in that area are doing to

impact the Kingdom of God. “Finally, the churches of Mary-

land/Delaware should participate

because of the wonderful fellow-ship that always happens when the Body of Christ called Southern Baptists come together!

“The annual SBC meeting is important because messengers from all of our churches will get an op-

portunity to see and hear about all the great things that our convention is doing across our country and the

world. “Each day mes-

sengers will hear reports from the Executive Committee, the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, Woman’s Missionary Union, and all six of our seminaries. As a result of these reports, they will get to see first hand the impact our convention is making in carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ and how our Coopera-tive Program contributions are be-ing used. In addition to the reports, there will be times of inspiration through worship in music and the Gospel preached each day.”

--By Sharon Mager

Page 11October 2013

Now is a good time to let church members learn more about the SBC and its affiliated agencies. There are great downloadable

resources you can share with others to explain who Southern Baptists are, what we believe, what we do and why we do it.

For a general overview, you can usewww.sbc.net/PDF/MeetSouthernBaptists.pdf

If you want to explain at a deeper level, including more information about the Cooperative Program, and a look at our entities and agencies, use www.sbc.net/PDF/ACloserLook.pdf

These can also be ordered in packets of 100 for $18. This is just 2 cents more than the SBC pays, thus covering shipping costs. The SBC website, www.sbc.net, is full of helpful information. We’ll

keep you up to date as the countdown to June begins.

SBC President Fred Luter Jr. urges BCM/D churches to attend 2014 meeting

ROCKVILLE, Md.—“We are a church of many cultures,” says Jean Durscher, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at First Baptist Church, Rockville. Durscher teaches four classes a week.

“It began with Brazillians. Two came and they brought friends, then more friends came. Then two came from Taiwan. From there on, differ-ent cultures came.”

She began teaching classes dur-ing Sunday school, but when the bell rang for church the class was disap-pointed. “They would groan and say

‘not long enough!’” Durscher said. In response, she offered mem-

bers to come to her house for three-hour classes.

“I didn’t even know if they understood, but I got ready and made snacks, and the cars began to roll in.”

Durscher was surprised that some people had only been in America for three days.

“I jokingly said they must have a sign in the airport that says, ‘Free Eng-lish classes at the Durscher’s house.’”

She began serving dinners on her Friday evening classes, but had to stop

when attendance soared to 60 people. Classes include Bible lessons–picking a story and discussing it.

In addition to the ESL classes, Durscher teaches one-on-one classes to help immigrants pass their citizen-ship classes. Thirty people who have studied with Durscher went on to pass their tests.

Since 2000, there have been 40 professions of faith from the class. Some have joined the church. One man, who speaks Farsi, used to trans-lates on Sundays. Several sing in the choir. -- By Sharon Mager

From ESL classes at First Baptist, Rockville: 40 confessions of faith

October 2013Page 12


COLUMBIA, Md.—General Mission Board (GMB) members met on Sept. 10, in an historic meeting prior to the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware annual meeting in November. Members approved a recommendation by the executive director search committee to call Will McRaney as BCM/D’s execu-tive director. They approved the 2014 budget and a recommendation to sell land in St. Mary’s County.

Bill Archer, missionary for music and worship, led a time of praise, leading “Desert Song” and “Let Praise Arise.”

Kerry Hinton, GMB president and pastor of Lynnhaven Bap-tist Church, opened the meeting referencing 1 Peter 5, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing...”

BCM/D’s associate executive director Bob Simpson presented cer-tificates to outgoing GMB members and thanked them for their service.

Financial ReportBCM/D Chief Financial Officer

Tom Stolle said Cooperative Program (CP) receipts totaled $2,434,745.75 as of July 31. Year-to-date receipts are running 1.1 percent behind budget, a deficit of approximately $44,000 and about 2.3 percent behind last year-to-date, a deficit totaling $57,800.

Total year-to-date receipts were $3,142,575.10, which exceed disbursements. “We are in the black, $43,684.47 in July,” Stolle said. He cautioned that expenses are likely to increase as the fall approaches.

Concerning expenses, conven-tion operations are running ahead of budget. The main reason is the legal costs from the sale of the easement at Skycroft Conference Center. Mes-sengers at last year’s annual meeting

voted to disallow the use of easement proceeds to pay for the financial costs of the transaction, resulting in legal costs in excess of what was antici-pated when the original budget was approved.

Stolle explained that funds received for the State Missions Of-fering in the prior year, mainly from

September to December, fund the current year expenses. State Mis-sions offerings from last year totaled $187,984.

Skycroft income exceeded the budget by $236,957.44 to date. Stolle said income is not earned evenly throughout the year. Approximately 75 percent of Skycroft income is gen-erated from May through September. Management anticipates Skycroft will break even by year-end.

Funds from the sale of the Sky-

croft easement have not been received because settlement has been delayed. The most recent communication indicates that settlement will occur in October.

Stolle said the BCM/D is in a good “ready cash” position with bills paid in full and on time.

Strategy Focus Area Reports Randy Millwood, strategist for

Church Wellness, challenged GMB members to work in groups and agree on three qualities or character-istics of healthy churches. Answers included: Gospel preached; disciple-ship; purposeful evangelism; peaceful conflict resolution; vision; unity; godly leadership; church multiplica-tion; demonstration of love, hope and faith; Christ-centered; obedience to God, effective mission strategy with action now; outward focus; passion-ate worship and purity.

“When we (the Church Well-ness group) sit down and start talking we have the same problem...the list goes on and on. What does a healthy church look like?” Millwood asked.

The group’s “working definition” is: A healthy church is purposefully transforming... “We are transforming and we are making a transforming difference in this region.”

Millwood said that means be-ing transformed increasingly to the image of Jesus—people are walk-ing out of darkness into light, from disappointing habits to freedom and experiencing a New Testament kind of transformation in their lives.

Millwood said the Church Well-ness group is working to discern how

to impact the region by impact-ing churches.

Jim Jeffries, pastor of LaVale Baptist Church, prayed for the team. “We want to make an impact on the kingdom... and may we indeed work together so Your king-dom is expanded and looks more like Jesus every day.”

David Jackson, strategist for Church Multiplication told GMB members, “The

Sharing the Gospel is the single greatest act of love, says new BCM/D exec director

Randy Millwood

Jim Jeffries

Page 13October 2013

BCM/D doesn’t start churches. As-sociations and networks don’t start churches. In essence, Jesus is the one who starts churches. ‘I will build my church’ (Matt.16:18). As His Bride, the church has an opportunity to partner with Him in this endeavor.”

Currently there are about 30 new church planting projects occur-ring in almost all of the Maryland/Delaware Associations. Before the year-end, Jackson said the team is hoping to see new works begin among the Romanian, Mongolian and Thai populations in the area.

Jackson reported that the team has shifted the focus of their efforts for qualitative and quantitative multiplica-tion to the parent or sponsor churches.

“In addition, we are developing a new ‘team’ church planting approach, especially for our ethnic churches. This will focus us on greater involve-ment with the parent church, as well as producing a different church planting assessment process. Also on the horizon are multisite church training opportunities and efforts to help revitalize churches, using church planting characteristics.

“We have assessed more can-didates this year than virtually any previous year, through the end of August.” Jackson said, “Our training methods continue to expand, with online, classroom and written materi-als. We have placed about two dozen students, interns and apprentices into the field (what NAMB is calling ‘the farm system’) for the first time ever.”

Ken Stalls, pastor of South End Baptist Church, prayed for the team. Stalls thanked God for the excitement, for how groups are being touched. “Continue to keep the vision flowing and expanding...,” he prayed.

Ellen Udovich reported for Missions and Evangelism. Udovich shared the vision of the group: “That every church will actively engage in mission strategies that lead to every believer sharing the Gospel, every person hearing the Gospel and new churches being planted as lost people experience a saving relationship with Christ.”

Udovich said God has been at work and just in the past 30 days has been doing “amazing things.”

Doug DuBois, missionary for student evangelism and director of Skycroft Conference Center, shared

about “reCHARGE” summer camp. The staff bussed 840 students to Fred-erick to do outreach ministry.

BCM/D LoveLoud Missionary Grace Schofield shared about mission camps at Skycroft. Teams slept at the conference center and worked in Frederick. They started tutoring programs in inner city schools and had op-portunities to share the Gospel off school grounds.

BCM/D Collegiate Church Planting Mission-ary Mike McQuitty said 3,794 students were im-pacted through collegiate ministry throughout the last school year. Nearly 600 were involved regularly in discipleship. Two hundred nineteen students shared Jesus with another person. “We’re teaching them how to share the Gospel,” McQuitty said. Fifty-seven students made confessions of faith.

Grace Schofield led summer missionary orientation in Ocean City. Campus ministers participated and took students out to practice hands-on witnessing.

In Annapolis, the new semester began with 113 Midshipmen in Bible study at the Naval Academy.

At Salisbury State, three young men who graduated are now leading the ministry and 40-50 students are participating.

McQuitty said Baptist Col-legiate Ministry is committing to a minimum of 1,500 Gospel presenta-tions from students and staff. “We believe this is the time of harvest.”

Udovich encouraged churches to be prepared for the impact of the

Nov. 7 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s initiative, “My Hope.” People are praying all over the world for this effort, Udovich said.

Joseph Blanton, pastor of Cobb

Island Baptist Church, prayed for the team. “Thank you for these initiatives ...help us to be bold... give us wisdom to implement things for Your glory to reach the lost for Your kingdom so the population of hell will be minimized.”

Reports from Agencies and Convention Committees

Baptist Foundation Presi-dent John Schoff reported that 17 churches have outstanding loans from the church loan fund through the end of June. The Foundation earned a net income of $102,808. The income will be used to start and strengthen churches. Current estimates indicate earned income will total between $130,000 and $140,000 at the fiscal year end Sept. 30. Currently, the fund is exhausted, but the Foundation expects to be able to offer loans again near the end of 2013.

Five churches have outstanding loans from the Arthur Nanney fund, established to provide small emer-gency loan funds for churches. These funds are still available.

The market value for investments as of June 30 was $6.9 million, which reflects a three-month portfolio performance of 0.3 percent. The one-year portfolio performance reflected a return of 12.3 percent.

Reports and Recommendations from Convention and GMB Committees

Ron Smith, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Havre de Grace, reported for the Constitution and

(l to r) John Heavey, Victor Kirk

John Schoff

Page 14 October 2013

Bylaws Com-mittee.

GMB members ap-proved two ad-ditions to the Bylaws regard-ing Article III Avoidance of Illegal Action: “No action of this Convention will be construed as authorizing its committees or related agencies to take any action that may be contrary to the law.” The addition is: “...unless such laws are contrary to the Convention’s statement of faith. Specifically, the Convention will not allow any Con-vention property or facilities to be used for the purpose of solemnizing or celebrating any same-sex marriage.”

The second addition was regard-ing Article III Section 3 Membership: “The membership of this Convention will consist of messengers who are members of Baptist churches which are in friendly cooperation with this Convention and sympathetic with its purpose and work, and which have during the preceding 12 months (October 1 through September 30) been bona fide contributors to the work of this Convention.” The addi-tion is: “Among churches not in cooperation with the Convention are churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.”

Smith told messengers legal counsel has been consulted regarding the changes.

BCM/D messengers will vote on the recommendations at the annual meeting in November.

Administrative Committee Report

Tom Stolle presented a detailed analysis of the proposed 2014 budget.

The budget combines both BCM/D and Skycroft. The BCM/D total budget is $6,078,040 and the Skycroft budget is $2,010,017 for a combined total of $8,088,057.

Stolle shared that 70 cents from every dollar the BCM/D receives comes from Cooperative Program (CP) giving.

“This is why CP giving is so important. If we have a number of

churches cut back giving, it hits us hard. If several [churches] ramped up their giving, it would affect us positively,” Stolle said.

The next larg-est contributor is

the North Ameri-can Mission Board

(NAMB), which contributes approxi-mately 15 cents of every dollar.

“NAMB provides almost one million dollars. They are a good part-ner,” Stolle said.

The 2013 budget reflects $4,250,000 in anticipated receipts. Based on year-to-date dollars, man-agement believes it is likely receipts for the remainder of 2013 will fall a bit short of budget expectations.

The proposed 2014 budget incorporates no change from the 2013 budget concerning the percent-age of CP dollars leaving Maryland/Delaware. The proposed percentage split remains at 56.5 percent staying

in Maryland/Delaware and 43.5 percent sent to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for distribution to missions, seminaries and agencies.

Stolle explained that BCM/D’s goal is to increase one percent each year until 2020 with the ultimate goal of 51 percent leaving the convention. Accomplishing the task is a coopera-tive effort, tied to churches’ increase in CP giving. Declining CP receipts have hindered the effort.

A new BCM/D ad hoc commit-tee is being formed to help promote CP giving.

Regarding the Skycroft budget, the income reflects serving 22,350 guests staying at least one night paying user fees. Camps serve 2,200

students. Skycroft will support BCM/D

missions causes in 2014, contributing $125,000.

Jon Boulet, pastor of Hockessin Baptist Church, said that as a result of the recent sale of a conservation easement, Skycroft would be receiving the funds it desperately needs to make needed repairs and should be retain-ing the funds for depreciation rather than giving them away.

Stolle said they’ve started a “jour-ney” to ensure Skycroft has the funds to maintain improvements. Funds will be set aside by Skycroft each year designated specifically for future improvements to the property.

Concerning the Cooperative Program, Boulet, expressed disap-pointment that BCM/D was not continuing the one percent increase as originally planned. Boulet said regardless of the financial situation, BCM/D should still give the addi-tional amount. Boulet made a motion to give the one percent as committed.

Bob Simpson explained to GMB members that the original motion was contingent upon churches increasing their CP giving.

Steve Fehrman, pastor of Southern Calvert Baptist Church, calculated that if 500 churches gave an additional $84 annually, the CP goal of increasing one percent to SBC would be met.

GMB members rejected the recommendation to send the one percent now, but approved a recom-mendation that if budget receipts exceed the budget amount, the

extra funds would go toward the one percent increase.

Sale of St. Mary’s County Property

GMB members voted to sell land the BCM/D holds in St. Mary’s County that was donated by Norris Pyles. The property consists of 45 acres located on the north and east sides of Bay Forest Road in Lexington Park, Md., east of Route 235. All of the parcels would have to find perco-lation sites to be buildable. Some have failed “perc” tests in the past. Some are sufficient to meet standards for a “mound” septic system.

The appraised value is $457,000. With commission and fees, the esti-mated net cash to BCM/D upon the

Bob Simpson

Tom Stolle

Page 15October 2013

sale would be $404,315. GMB members voted to ap-

prove the listing of the property and to approve the adjustment of the sale price if the $450,000 is determined too high or a viable offer is received for less than the list price. An adjust-ment greater than a reduction of $50,000 in list price would be brought back to the Adminis-trative Committee for approval.

Funds from the sale would be set aside to fund Church Wellness initiatives. Church Multiplication and Missions and Evangelism receive sig-nificant dollars from NAMB. Church Wellness receives no NAMB assistance.

BCM/D listing of the property does not require BCM/D messenger approval. However, the sale of the property does require approval.

GMB members also approved a motion to allow Baptist Family & Children’s Services (BFCS) to become an autonomous agency. The change comes at the request of BFCS. “The requested change would ben-efit BFCS by allowing us to extend our efforts, outreach and working relationships to evangelical Chris-tian churches other than Baptists,” explained Sandy Wehunt, chairman of the BFCS trustee board in a recent BaptistLIFE article. (See article on page 19.)

Executive Director Search Committee Report

Charlie Brown, reporting for the ex-ecutive search committee, recognized those on the committee and behind the scenes who, “sacrificed ministry hours and days searching for an executive director.”

Brown explained that the search began in 2013 with prayer, seeking God’s wisdom. Simpson and Stolle were approved to run the day-to-day business in the interim.

“On Aug. 13, Dr. Will McRaney and his lovely wife Sandy came to Maryland to meet with the Administrative Team and spend some time with the executive staff and search team. Today the administrative

team is wholeheartedly recommend-ing McRaney to the General Mission Board for your consideration as the

next Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.”

Members unanimously approved the recommendation and welcomed McRaney with a standing ovation.

McRaney said he has a love for the church and a love for servants.

“The hardest job in America is to pastor a church,” McRaney said. He told GMB members that he and the BCM/D staff are here to make the task slightly less difficult.

He and his wife, Sandy, have three daughters, Blakeney, Hadley and Macy and, Sandy added, a male dog named Sonny.

Sandy said she’s always made it a

point to try to follow God and when she met Will, she made it a point to follow Will. She said she is looking forward to working with the people of Maryland/Delaware, “...the things that await, the partnerships that will come about. I am very proud of my husband.”

John Gauger asked McRaney about his leadership style.

McRaney said he will lead as a

servant and as a collaborator–listen-ing to the Holy Spirit, discerning and making decisions.

“We need courageous leader-ship,” McRaney said.

We have a misconception about what it means to be a shep-herd. Shepherds were courageous, he said.

“I’m not afraid to do hard things. We know who the winner is in the end.

“I’m a strategist. I understand organizational alignment around a mission.

“It’s going to be a pretty excit-ing time,” McRaney said. “It’s not for the faint of heart.”

Samuel Cho asked McRaney what vision he has for minority ministry. McRaney responded that though he has no set agenda regard-ing minority ministry, he’s “excited about what I read and hear about what’s taking place.”

McRaney was asked, “If you had one word for pastors and lay leaders to encourage us going forward regard-less of the decisions made today what would be your word for us?”

He responded, “God is still on His throne, still using His church and people desperately need Christ. I think sharing the Gospel is the single greatest act of love there is.”

President’s Remarks “Sometimes ministry is a

struggle,” BCM/D President Robert Anderson said.

When Israel was going through a tough time, struggling with idols, God gave Ezekiel a vision of God. He saw the glory of Christ in the hardest days of economic ruin with no politi-cal hope. But God was there.

“When Israel was in slavery in Egypt, God said, “I AM who I AM.” God was there.

“God was there in Assyrian captivity. He even raised up Jonah to remind the Gentiles that God was there.

“Whatever burdens or challeng-es you’re going through, remember the last words in the last chapter of Ezekiel, the last verse - remember the last words,” Anderson said, “Jehovah Shammah.”

“...And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There.”

Sandy and Will McRaney

(l to r) John Gauger, Robert Anderson and Samuel Cho


CONNECT 2013: THE 178TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BAPTIST CONVENTION OF MARYLAND/DELAWARE

“SO THOSE WHO WERE SCATTERED WENT ON THEIR WAY PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF THE GOOD NEWS.” - ACTS 8:4

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES: Connect is not only the annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, but also is an opportunity for Maryland and Delaware Baptists to gather for inspiration, fellowship and free ministry training. The meeting features worship, ministry reports, an exhibit hall featuring resources for churches, business sessions, and plenty of opportunities to connect. Here are several of these networking opportunities (in alphabetical order):

• African American Fellowship Dinner • Children’s Ministry Brunch• Crossover Baltimore Luncheon• Language Pastors Dinner• Lay Leaders Brunch

• Ministers Brunch• Ministers’ Wives Brunch• Music Ministers Brunch• New Orleans Alumni Dinner• President’s Breakfast

• Send Baltimore• Send DC• Youth Ministry Brunch

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

ROBERT ANDERSON is the current BCM/D President and is in his 17th year at Colonial Baptist Church. He received a B.B.E. degree from Carver Bible College in Atlanta, Ga., and a Master of Divinity degree from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind. Anderson has been married to Jacqueline Sullivan for 33 years, and together they have four children.

MICHAEL KELLEYis the Director of Discipleship at LifeWay Christian Resources whose previous works include the recently released “Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life.” He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., and lives in Nashville, Tenn., with his wife and three children. Connect with Michael online at michaelkelleyministries.com or on Twitter at @_michaelkelley.

JAMES MERRITT is the Pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Ga. He has been interviewed by media outlets, including 60 Minutes, Time Magazine, and Hannity & Colmes. Merritt earned his bachelor’s degree from Stetson University and his Master of Divinity degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Teresa, have been married for over 36 years, and have three sons, one grandson and one granddaughter.

JOSE NATERhas been a bi-vocational pastor and church planter with BCM/D and the EBA for seven years. Nater has planted and leads simultaneously three churches on the Eastern Shore, one in Cambridge, one in Easton, and another one in Seaford, Del. He is currently developing a Church Multiplication Center in Cambridge with a Hispanic Ministry Training Center. Nater is a family man who enjoys music, golf and fellowship.

A.B. VINES, SR.serves as Senior Pastor of New Seasons Church in Spring Valley, Calif. Dr. Vines has studied at Point Loma University, Andersonville Theological Seminary and the Southern California School of Ministry. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree. He and his wife, Karen, are the proud parents of four gifted children and have been blessed with seven grandchildren.

KAREN VINESdiligently serves alongside her husband, Dr. A.B. Vines Sr., the under-shepherd of New Seasons Church, located in Spring Valley, Calif., with purpose and precision. An insightful speaker, Vines draws heavily from her education and family background. She is a graduate of National University with a Bachelor of Science-Allied Health Care degree. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in clinical information studies. She is also the mother of four children.

Page 17October 2013

CONNECT2013NOVEMBER 10-12, 2013

OGLETOWN BAPTIST CHURCH316 RED MILL RD • NEWARK, DE 19713

FOR MORE ANNUAL MEETING INFO, VISIT WWW.CONNECT.GATHER2SCATTER.COM


Sunday School teacher Margaret Farley recognized at Dunkirk Baptist Church for 50 years of service

On Sept. 8, Dunkirk Baptist Church recognized church member Margaret Farley for serving faithfully in a variety of ministries for 50 years.

Margaret Farley (pictured below with husband Frank and Pastor Rick and Lisa Hancock) grew up attending Grace Baptist Church in Cumber-

land. She was baptized at the age of seven and married Frank Farley in 1951 while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force. The couple travelled to the Middle East, to East Africa, France, England and Belgium.

When they returned to Mary-land, they began attending Parkway Baptist Church in District Heights. At Parkway Baptist, Margaret was a deaconess, served as a member and a director of the choir, taught Sunday School and even served as the church secretary.

In 1983, the couple moved to Huntingtown and became members of Emmanuel Baptist Church where Margaret served as a deaconess, sang in the choir, taught Sunday School and served as the church secretary.

The couple have been members of Dunkirk Baptist Church for over ten years where Margaret continues to serve, teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir.

Mission Team surprises North Point Baptist Church

Mark Swan, pastor of North Point Baptist Church, was amazed when he received a call from Stoney Hill Baptist Church asking if they could send a 40-person mission team to help North Point. The church had sent a team during the Embrace Balti-more effort and wanted to return.

The team remodeled and painted the church youth room, worked on

the exterior of the church and par-sonage, restored the church sign and landscaped.

In the late af-ternoons, they did backyard Bible clubs at Battle Grove Park. Forty-five youth attended.

The team slept at the church and used disaster relief shower trailers.

Woodbrook celebrates

ministry of Gregory Cochran On Sept. 8, Woodbrook Baptist

Church celebrated the 25th anniver-sary of Gregory A. Cochran, associate pastor for children, youth and spiri-tual formation.

Cochran began his career at Woodbrook Baptist in 1988 as the minister of Christian education and has been instrumental in the administration and growth of the Woodbrook Early Education (WEE) Center, a National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited preschool founded by Woodbrook Baptist the same year that Cochran joined the pastoral staff. For a quarter of a century, he has guided the WEE Center, Wood-brook’s Sunday School program and youth program for middle and high school students. He has also worked with hundreds of youth, leading weekly meetings as well as ski trips, church “lock-ins,” summer camp trips

and other formational programs. “Greg Cochran is an exemplary

minister whose care for people mani-fests itself in all his living. His long tenure here at Woodbrook testifies to his commitment to relationships through time and to deep roots that have now extended themselves throughout our community. We at Woodbrook are by no means the only ones celebrating his years here in Towson,” said Woodbrook Pastor John Ballenger.

Joel Rainey appeared on Al Jazeera network program

Joel Rainey, director of missions for the Mid-Maryland Baptist As-sociation, appeared on “The Stream,” a national news program on the Al Jazeera America Network, on the 12th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

He was featured alongside reli-gious leaders of other faiths, exploring the role of faith leaders in fostering peace and reconciliation in a post-9/11 age.

Church partners to make block party success—20 professions of faith

Allen Memorial Church, Salisbury, sent 50 volunteers to help Grace Place, Dundalk, with a block party last month. William Warren, pastor of Allen Memorial, said he knew some would volunteer to help, but he was amazed when 50 people signed up.

Grace Place’s “Grace in Your Hood” drew over 300 visitors. There were moon bounces, a giant slide, free food, two bands and a booth offering coupons for free Chic-fil-A food as a reward for taking a survey. The survey led to opportunities to share the Gos-pel. Over 80 people participated and 20 made confessions of faith in Jesus.

Montgomery Baptist Association Fall Revival, Oct. 18-20

Montgomery Baptist Associa-tion will host a Fall Revival at Mon-trose Baptist Church, 5100 Randolph Road, Rockville, Md., on Oct. 18-20 at 7:30 nightly.

Dunkirk Baptist Church Pastor Rick and Lisa Hancock with Frank and Margaret Farley

News from our churches and associations

Page 19October 2013

COLUMBIA, Md.—General Mission Board (GMB) members of the Baptist Convention of Mary-land/Delaware (BCM/D) voted at its last meeting to recommend that messengers honor a change in status request from Baptist Family & Chil-dren’s Services (BFCS), said Kerry Hinton, GMB president.

The recommendation will be brought to messengers during the BCM/D’s annual business meet-ing on Nov. 12 at Ogletown Baptist Church in Newark, Del.

In an official letter of request to the BCM/D, BFCS requested a change in status as an “agency” of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware to the status as an indepen-dent faith-based non-profit organiza-tion with its own 501(c) (3) status. This will allow the organization to expand its services in the Christian social service field and receive access to larger grants and designated fund-ing opportunities.

“This requested change would benefit BFCS by allowing us to extend our efforts, outreach and working relationships to evangeli-cal, Christian churches other than Baptists,” explained Sandy Wehunt, chairman of the BFCS trustee board. “With a change in status, BFCS would continue to honor our history as a Baptist entity with a defined Baptist heritage, a faith-based

organization true to our founding principles.”

Wehunt added, “BFCS is grate-ful for our history of connection and support through a relationship with

BCM/D and convention churches. That history would not change but continue with a strong commitment to serving our churches and working alongside the convention as we have done in the past.”

The status change would also mean election of trustees would be-come an internal process rather than a BCM/D function.

“Without an identified ‘parent organization’ such as the BCM/D, opportunities become available for a non-profit such as ours to seek grants and designated allocations to aid in ministry efforts,” Wehunt said. “In fundraising, the assumption is often made that the parent organization is capable of providing all the funding necessary to support programming.”

Wehunt said the goals, mission and ministry efforts of BFCS have always been and would continue to focus on giving children and families a new start with the ultimate purpose of pointing them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

“It is our prayer that as we expand services and move forward under God’s direction, the arms of Jesus will continue to touch lives and reach souls in distress. We are com-mitted to answer God’s call to service and to follow as He leads.”

“We appreciate the work of the Baptist Family & Children’s Services and want the very best for them,” said Hinton.

-- By Shannon Baker

EDITORS NOTE: This article first appeared on BaptistLIFEonline.org on Sept. 3. Please see the article, “Sharing the Gospel is the single greatest act of love, says new BCM/D exec director” on page 12 for details on the most recent General Mission Board action.

BCM/D seeks to honor request by Baptist Family & Children’s Services to be an autonomous agency

Dr. Robert M. Smith, Jr., profes-sor of Christian Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., will be the guest speaker.

Childcare through kindergarten will be provided.

Prince George’s Association Holy Convocation, Oct. 25-26

Prince George’s Baptist Associa-tion will hold its third annual Holy

Convocation, “Time of Gathering,” at the Church of the Great Commission in Camp Spring, Md., on Oct. 25-26.

The guest preacher for both services will be Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

A youth and young adult praise service will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday. Saturday’s service begins at 10 a.m.

A love offering will be taken.

Chestnut Ridge Men’s Bible Conference, Nov. 1-2

Chestnut Ridge Baptist Church will host its Second Annual Mid-Atlantic Men’s Bible Conference on Nov. 1 - 2, 2013. The conference will be held at Chestnut Ridge,1010 Saters Lane, Lutherville, MD 21093. Please call (410) 374-9908 for more details.

News from our churches and associations (continued)



NASHVILLE —The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention approved a recommenda-tion at its June 10, 2013 meeting in Houston to designate the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware as a “defined territory” to determine eligibility for representation on SBC committees and entity boards. Re-cently, BaptistLIFE sought clarifica-tion from D. August Boto, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. Here is a shortened version of the interview.

First, could you please explain what it means to “designate the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware as a ‘defined territory’ to determine eligibility for representation on SBC committees and entity boards”?

Sure. Anyone can get a bet-ter grasp of why the term is used, and of the effect of the change, merely by going to this link at SBC.net and then scrolling down to SBC Bylaw 30, Paragraph A - http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/legal/bylaws.asp.

In Bylaw 30, the term “defined territory” is used to denote areas that cannot be adequately described by the boundaries of a single U.S. state. Actu-ally, specific reference to the District of Columbia was first made long ago in the SBC’s governing documents for that very reason, rather than to guarantee D.C. any kind of special or exclusive status. Puerto Rico would be another area that is better referred to as a “defined territory” than it is a “state.” So the change is not a demo-tion at all, and no one should jump to that sort of conclusion about it. Putting the two states and the District in one “defined territory” is merely an exercise which makes evident the fact that the Southern Baptist Convention

defines its own regions . . . regions which may be different from those recognized by the United States or by any Baptist state convention.

What prompted this particular action?

One church was getting most of the D.C. trustee appointments, and that sort of concentrated influence was deemed in need of correction. There is a Southern Baptist tradi-tion of spreading responsibility and involvement over as many churches as possible. I should also make clear that the church itself thought some corrective action ought to be taken,

so the pastor (Mark Dever) and the church (Capitol Hill Baptist Church) are not in any way to blame for the problem. Rather, it was the territorial selection of the SBC, coupled with its trustee appointment processes, which rendered the church one of the very few qualified churches from which D.C. trustees could be selected. That anomaly has now been corrected.

If D.C. trustees had been selectable from a greater array of D.C. churches, would the territorial adjustment have been made?

Probably not, as long as the trustees actually selected came from that larger assortment of churches. I would also point out that in the future, as more churches in D.C. fit

the parameters of trustee selection, the territory can be realigned to allow D.C. to stand on its own once again.

Does combining D.C. churches with BCM/D churches now limit BCM/D’s involvement on SBC committees and boards?

Strictly speaking, no. The BCM/D itself technically has no such involvement, but its churches have. State conventions do not select SBC trustees, but messengers from churches that are also aligned with various state conventions do, when they attend the SBC and vote on the Committee on Nominations report.

But let me answer the question I think you meant to ask, which is “Might MD/DE churches end up having fewer trustees on the boards of SBC entities than they did before?” The answer to that question is yes, they might. So might D.C. The latter is more likely, however, than the former because there are fewer qualified churches in D.C. from which to select trustees than there are in MD/DE.

Should either convention have any concerns about this change?

Again, I do not think so, but I am aware that some folks are con-cerned. I believe their concerns are borne out of uncertainty more than they are out of experience. Rather than it being a negative indicator, I would hope that the change would signal several positive things, namely:1. The SBC wants to spread out

influence and participation, not concentrate it.

2. The SBC chooses its trustees from SBC-supporting churches. Participation matters.

3. The SBC will take action to rectify its own shortcomings.

4. The SBC is adaptive and respon-sive.

For the complete interview, go to www.baptistlifeonline.org.

SBC Attorney addresses BCM/D and D.C. Convention’s territorial realignment

BCM/D President Robert Anderson will hold a President’s Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 during this year’s annual meeting

for convention messengers to hear directly from the SBC Executive

Committee on convention matters relevant to BCM/D. RSVP at www.connect.gather2scatter.

com/#networking.

Page 21October 2013


MILTON, Del.—“The Pursuit,” an experience for students and young adults who want to pursue God’s call, engage their culture and impact their world with the Gospel, is coming to Delaware in February 2014.

The experience is scheduled for Feb. 7-8 at Eagles Nest Church in Milton, Del. The event is open to any college student, middle school, high school student or young adult, especially those considering ministry leadership. The cost is $40 per student.

These emerging leaders are introduced to networks of exist-ing ministry leaders, coached in such a way that their God-given uniqueness is drawn out and are empowered to step into real-world leadership responsibilities in order to gain experience.

This year’s conference features Kneeland C. Brown, executive director of the Focus Leadership Institute at Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Jeff Iorg (pictured above), president of Golden Gate Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., as well as other speakers from the region.

Past speakers have included Der-win Gray, pastor of Transformation Church, Charlotte, N.C.; J.D. Greear, pastor of Summit Church, Durham, N.C.; Frank Page, president and chief executive officer of the South-ern Baptist Convention Executive Committee; and Tony Beam, leader of the Christian Worldview Center in North Greenville University, S.C., among others.

The main sessions will focus on

knowing God and doing His will, confirming the call, and accepting God’s chal-lenge. Ad-ditionally, students will attend five break-out sessions of their choice, ranging from financially preparing for ministry, purposing marriages for ministry, developing leadership in a postmodern world, and understanding and con-firming God’s call on one’s life.

Altogether there are 20 breakout sessions from which to choose.

Students also will have ample time to hang out with conference faculty to pursue any questions they may have.

“If we don’t equip students and young adults, what will our church look like?” asked organizer Jack Eason, executive director of The Crossover Group, who backs the conference.

His passion is to ensure the next generation is prepared to lead, he said,

adding it’s not unusual for only a few students from churches to attend the conference.

“Most of these students feel isolated and alone because most of the youth group participants don’t share in this calling,” Eason explained.

“The value in having a few hundred students in one place at one time who are focused on a calling and ministry leadership is huge.”

The Pursuit Experience was originally established in 1996 as a strategy of Crossover Ministries to provide a framework for develop-ing emerging leaders to successfully answer God’s call to any ministry leadership role. It later emerged as

Kaleo through the North American Mission Board, but has returned to Crossover Ministries after NAMB’s restructuring to focus on church planting.

Registration includes the conference sessions Friday-Saturday, breakouts, goodie bag, and lunch on Saturday.

For more information, visit online at www.thepursuitexperience.com, email at [email protected], or

follow on Twitter @thepursuitexp.

Teens and young adults urged to pursue calling through ‘The Pursuit’ experience

Doug DuBois, missionary for student evangelism at the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, will

teach a session on “Avoiding the spotlight: Following the example of Christ in being a

servant leader.”


CHURCH SECRETARY—First Baptist Church of Savage is looking for a church secretary to work 20-25 hours a week. Must be a Christian and an active member of good standing with an evangelical church. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office 2007 with strong organizational skills. For more information, send an email to [email protected] or call (301) 725-3944.

FREE PEWS—Cobb Island Baptist Church in Southern Maryland has 7 free 10 ft. pews to share. Please call (301) 259-4106 if you are interested.

INTERIM OR FULL TIME BIVOCATIONAL PASTOR—Eastport Baptist Church, 208 Chesapeake Avenue, Annapolis, Md., is looking for an interim pastor or a full-time bi-vocational pastor. For more information, please call (410) 707-2392 or send an email to [email protected].

MUSIC WORSHIP LEADER—We are looking for a musician to lead our traditional Sunday morning service and

special services throughout the year. Must be able to play piano and lead with love and joy for the Lord with both traditional and blended music. Electric keyboard is a plus. We hope to start an evening praise service in the future. Please send your resume to: The First Baptist Church, 300 State Street, Stevensville, MD 21666 or e-mail to [email protected].

OFFICE MANAGER—CrossRoads Community Church, located at 2830-D Churchville Road in Churchville, MD 21028, seeks a part-time church office manager to support the church’s ministries and support the senior pastor and staff as an administrative assistant. Send resume and introductory letter to Bob Bullis at [email protected].

PART-TIME WORSHIP LEADER—North Point Baptist Church is looking for a part-time (15 hours) worship leader who can effectively lead a blended worship service. North Point Baptist Church, 4201 North Point Blvd, Dundalk, MD 21222 (443) 570-1211.

Dear Counselor,I have a church member who is requiring an inor-

dinate amount of energy. It seems with her that I can never get it right or never give her enough time. While she holds only a minor position on one of our church committees, she turns every meeting into a complaint session about me and no one will take the initiative to stop her. How might I deal with this person?

— A Frustrated PastorDear Pastor,

Your observation of “inordinate” demands for time and energy rightly raises the curiosity that what you are dealing with is more than an “ordinary” relational issue or personal conflict. While it is important not to quickly label someone with a mental health issue, it is also wise to pay attention to signs that something unusual is going on. In this case it would be wise to consider if the person has a personality disorder, or personality disorder traits. If this is the case, “normal” responses to attend to the relationship or work through difficulties will not work.

We may all have heard terms like antisocial, border-line, histrionic, or narcissistic personality disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–5 defines a personality disorder as, “. . . an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates mark-edly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.”

As to the impact we might see in a church setting, Carol Schweitzer (2011, p. 279) says, “. . . individuals who suffer with these types of personality disorders are

often impulsive, angry, lying, needy, reactive, and have relationships marked by instability. They desire to be the center of attention, but have few close friends. Family members are often worn out by frequent emotional explosions. . . . They are not receptive to constructive criticism and generally go into attack mode when they find themselves at the center of criticism. These individu-als are among the most destructive in terms of collateral damage caused in congregations.” I would add that the most damage is done when these persons with intense inner needs get matched with a church that has intense needs and leadership that desires to please and is afraid to confront.

Most of the time, these persons do not want, or feel that they need, help. However, the greatest chance for help comes in an environment that is clear and consistent. Your ability to set boundaries on your time with this person; your ability to be clear about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior; your ability to consistently refer them to professional help; your ability to consistently be non-reactive and not hooked by their emotions; and your ability to set limits on the positions held by this person in the church, will give the best opportunity for change not only for this woman, but also for the church system, and perhaps for your own leadership style.

— Tom Rodgerson

Send your questions by email to [email protected]. For appointment information, call (800) 491-5369

or visit www.centrepointecounseling.org.

“Dear Counselor” with CentrePointe Counseling, Inc.

“How do I deal with a difficult church member?”

CLASSIFIEDS Visit online at www.baptistlifeonline.org/advertise to learn how to place your next ad.

Page 23October 2013

October-November 2013

BCM/D Events (www.bcmd.org/calendar or 800-466-5290 + ext. below)

OCTOBER _________________3-4 Quiet My Soul Retreat

(x219)4 Building on Purpose,

Annandale, Va.11-13 Collegiate Fall Retreat

(x222)12 Pinewood Derby Field

Day (226)16 Multiplying Church

Overview (x222)21 Weekday Ed. Directors

Network (x218)24 Soul of the Servant

Retreat for Ministry Couples (x219)

28 Church Planter Training Summit (x222)

NOVEMBER _______________1 Next Steps for Church

Planters (x222)2 Disaster Relief Training

(x226)10 WMU Annual Meeting,

Newark, Del. (x218)10-12 BCM/D Annual Meeting,

Newark, Del. (x202)

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminaryand the Church Wellness team at the

Baptist Convention of Maryland/DelawareAnnounce a fully accredited

Doctor of Ministry degree in Great Commission LeadershipContextualized to life and ministry

in the Mid-AtlanticDelivered in the Mid-Atlantic

Contact: Randy Millwood [email protected] | (443) 878-4587


MIDDLETOWN, Md.—Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware have announced a fully accredited Doctor of Ministry degree in Great Commission Leadership, contextualized to life and ministry in the Mid-Atlantic and delivered in the Mid-Atlantic.

Students would need to travel to Southeastern’s campus at Wake Forest, N.C., for one, one-week seminar near the end of their seminar track, and for graduation, upon completion.

All other seminars will be delivered here in the Mid-Atlantic,

including four one-week seminars at the Skycroft Conference and Retreat Center, with one or two additional elements delivered online.

Faculty will include staff from BCM/D, local associations, and local churches, as well as selected

guest lecturers and faculty from SEBTS.

The four locally delivered seminars are as follows:

• Contemporary Issues Facing the Church (April 7-11, 2014)

• Recovering the Heart of the Great Commission: Disciple-making (October 13-17, 2014)

• Strategic Leadership in the Church (April 20-24, 2015)

• Leading Change and Managing Conflict (October 12-16, 2015)

A fifth seminar will be personally selected by individual students and delivered on

campus in Wake Forest, further customizing this contextualized degree track.

To learn more, contact Adele Millwood

at [email protected].

Southeastern Seminary and Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware team up to offer Doctor of Ministry seminars in the Mid-Atlantic region

An INFORMATIONAL CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST is set for Tuesday,

November 12, at 8 a.m. at Ogletown Baptist Church

(during the annual meeting of the BCM/D). To register for the

breakfast, register online at www.connect.gather2scatter.com.

Non-profitU.S. Postage

PAIDColumbia, MD

Permit #350BaptistLIFE10255 Old Columbia RoadColumbia, MD 21046-1716

Since 1865, BaptistLIFE has been publishing the Good News about God’s work in our multi-state convention and beyond. A trusted and established newsjournal, BaptistLIFE has a rich tradition as a great source of relevant news, information, ideas and

encouragement among Maryland and Delaware Baptists and is now expanding in the virtual world as well. Be a part of our tradition. Visit online at BaptistLIFEonline.org and subscribe to our weekly digests and/or daily RSS feeds.

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS DECEMBER 1–8WEEK OF PRAYER FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS DECEMBER 1–8

TOT Y HISA

7

lH E A R T , H A N D S , V O I C EH E A R T , H A N D S , V O I C E

L O T T I E M O O N C H R I S T M A S O F F E R I N GN AT I O N A L G O A L : $ 1 7 5 M I L L I O N

2013L O T T I E M O O N C H R I S T M A S O F F E R I N G®

H E A R T , H A N D S , V O I C E

®

IMB is supported by the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program.Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® is a registered trademark of WMU®.

ENGLISHW131001

CHURCH GOAL:

Matthew 22:36–39

For more information about the offering and week of prayer, go to imb.org.

®

Date post:	06-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	baptist-convention-of-marylanddelaware
View:	215 times
Download:	1 times

Bloct13

Documents