February 2013 BaptistLIFE

February 2013

®

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

Inside This Issue:Human Trafficking, p. 6 • Hurricane Sandy, p. 8 • Muslims, p. 10 • Sikhs, p. 12

February 2013

VOLUME 98 ISSUE 1/ February 2013

FeaturesLOVING THE HURTING: HELPING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING p. 6The Samaritan Women (TSW) operates a residence program in Baltimore for women recovering from trauma and trafficking.

LOVING THE HURTING: HELPING HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS p. 8A team from South Columbia Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church and Crossroads Church worked along side Samaritan’s Purse to mud-out homes, ripping out water-damaged walls and dis-carding ruined belongings.

LOVING PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS: MINISTERING TO THE SIKHS p.10International ministry can be as close as your backyard, or in the case of Grace Place, across the park-ing lot.

LOVING PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS: MINISTERING TO MUSLIMS p. 12Joel Rainey and other pastors’ dialogue with local Muslims leads to an interfaith tour of Turkey

PerspectivesDAVID LEE p. 3

BOB SIMPSON p. 4

ROBERT ANDERSON p. 4

DAN HYUN p. 5

p. 8

In a month dedicated to many expressions of love, this edition of BaptistLIFE focuses on God’s charge for Christians to love our neighbors—more specifically, the hurting, and people of other faiths.

ON THE COVER:Joel Rainey, director of missions for the Mid-Maryland Baptist Association, on a vision tour of Turkey, hugs Ramazan, who owns a pharmacy in Sanliurfa. The men experienced a shared hope for their country’s future.

CONTENTSp. 6

p. 10

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Have you ever heard the old saying, “Your ears must

have been burning. We were just talking about you”? People talk. They talk about you, and they talk about me. And regardless of what we say, most of us think it is important what people say about us. Companies, for example, spend millions of dollars trying to find out what people are saying about them and their products.

I even know of churches that have invested in research as to what the people in their communities were saying about them. What do you think people in your community are saying about your church? I hope they are saying the same things that were said about the churches in the First Century.

I hope they are saying what people said about the church at Antioch in Acts 11:26. There, the believers were first called “Christians.” The people in the community were mocking them. But in mocking them, they paid them the greatest of compliments. These early believers were behaving so much like Jesus that the people who saw them associated them with Him.

I hope the people in your community are saying about you what was said about the men sent forth from the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15. “These men risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Literally, they “gambled away their lives.” Imagine what could happen if every believer in our churches put it all on the line for Jesus.

I hope people are saying about your church what Paul said about the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8. Paul’s collection for the struggling saints in Jerusalem in the predominantly Gentile churches is a prototype for our Cooperative Program. Even in the midst of hard times and persecution, the Macedonian churches gave liberally to the point of sacrifice. It was a spontaneous giving motivated by the grace of God and their sensitivity to the needs of others.

I hope your community is saying about your church what Paul said about the Corinthian church’s effect on the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 9. Again, the backdrop is the collection. Because of the Corinthian believers “enthusiastic” giving, they had inspired other believers in Macedonia to give sacrificially. “Enthusiastic and cheerful giving” is contagious. We should be at least as enthusiastic about Christ and the work of his church as we are about the Ravens and the Redskins!

I hope they are saying about us what they said about Paul and Silas in Acts 17:6. The King James Version refers to them as “these who have turned the world upside

down.” The impact the early church made on the First Century world is amazing. I wish we were so vibrant, so Spirit-led, so committed to Christ, that our churches would become the primary topic of conversation—not because of our problems, but because of our impact on peoples’ lives.

T. R. Glover, in his book The Jesus of History, discusses the triumph of Christianity over the ancient world. He said that those early believers were enabled by the grace of God to do three things: 1) They out-lived the world. 2) They out-died the world. 3) They out-thought the world. That may still be our best strategy.

I have an idea. Why don’t we start living such Christ-like lives that folks identify us with Him? Why don’t we take some risks for the kingdom? I mean let us actually do some things that may cost us and may not even work! Yet, we are willing to be obedient and take the risks anyway. Why don’t we motivate statements from our community such as, “You are not going to believe what those Baptists are doing now”? Why don’t we become so generous that our churches become known throughout the region as “churches that really care”? Why don’t we get so excited about the work of Jesus that the biggest thing happening on the weekend is not a sporting event but worship at our churches? And why don’t we set out today to turn this world upside down for Jesus Christ whatever it takes?

Enough said!

February 2013

David LeeBCM/D Executive Director

Page 3

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February 2013

February has always seemed like an odd month to me, nestled

in between dark January and blustery March at least in the Northeast where I live and write this. It’s that strange time between football’s playoffs and the beginning of baseball’s spring training.

February is known as the “Love Month.” Saint Valen-tine’s Day, commonly known as Valentine’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on Feb. 14 each year.

As a child growing up in the late ’50s and early ’60s, early Valentine’s Day memories were of the big decorated box in our grade school class-room that became the repository of little envelopes from friends. I learned early that the number of Valentine cards that one received measured one’s popularity.

As I got older, it became all about romance and that special someone in my life. The commercialism surround-ing the holiday grew to epic proportions, as did sales of chocolate, red roses and romantic greeting cards.

February is also National Heart Month. The heart is my favorite part of the body. It’s where we feel love.

Everyone wants and needs love. It is the universal medium of exchange. Is there anything more satisfying than being fully present in the moment, with the people that we care about?

I read about a woman who told her husband, “Bill, I’ve been watching that young married couple across the street. Every morning when the husband leaves the house he kisses his wife good-bye, and every evening when he gets home he kisses her again and hugs her affectionately. Now why can’t you do that?” Bill replied, “Well, honey, I can’t do that. I hardly know her.”

He missed the point, but a lot of us miss the point. Best-selling author, Gary Chapman, reminds us in his book The Five Love Languages that there are five love lan-guages that human beings use to communicate their love. While all people enjoy each of these languages to some degree, a person will usually speak one primary language. One of those five is ‘physical touch.’

Loving words and actions reach faster and go farther when they are delivered live. In Mark 3:10 it says, “All who had diseases were pressing toward Him to touch Him.”

Now I realize that some people are “huggers” and some are not. But I’m sure that Jesus was one. He knew the power of an appropriate, human-to- human, affectionate touch. Make a point this month…this week…this day to hug your parents, your spouse, your kids, your grandkids or even a good friend who needs a warm hug from you! They will not always be there for you to hug.

Loving through words and actionsPERSPECTIVE BY BOB SIMPSON

Bob SimpsonBCM/D Associate Executive Director/Chief Operating

Officer and Editor of BaptistLIFE

Page 4

Love strong!PERSPECTIVE BY ROBERT ANDERSON

February is a month known for love. Thanks to Valentine’s Day, we are forced to remember the one we love in very tangible ways, and whether it is

through a card, flowers, chocolate, jewelry or a night out on the town, these expressions of love are treasured and appreciated. However, as I reflect on this, the question that comes to my mind is, how can we communicate love for our spouse in a stronger way? Perhaps, on a lighter note, the late Milton Berle illustrates love, “Love is when a man takes out the garbage and his wife goes with him!” Being together and doing things together, no doubt, helps to foster stronger love. Nevertheless, the Bible lays out a beautiful picture of love in Song of Solomon,

“Set me as a seal on your heart,as a seal on your arm.For love is as strong as death;ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.Love’s flames are fiery flames-- the fiercest of all.Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;rivers cannot sweep it away.If a man were to give all his wealth for love,it would be utterly scorned.” (8:6,7 HCSB)

This glorious passage is the equivalent of 1 Cor. 13:1-8, and it points out four aspects of love: First, love is relentless in marriage, as death is to life (we can’t quit loving!); Secondly, love is intense as fire (we can’t quit fanning the flames); Thirdly, love is unstoppable, even in the worst of times (remember, “love never fails” 1 Cor. 13:8); and lastly, love is so invaluable that it can not be bought, it must be freely given away. To this point, an unknown author said, “Love is the only service that power cannot command and money cannot buy.”

As we think about loving others, and our spouses in particular, let’s remember to ‘love strong’ and grab every op-portunity to let God’s love flow through us making our mar-riages, churches and communities a much better place.

Robert AndersonBCM/D President and

Pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, Md.

Page 5February 2013

By Dan Hyun

The Village Church came to life when 11 of us, sent by Grace Life Church in 2008,

started a new faith community centered in the Hampden neigh-borhood of Baltimore. Hampden is culturally rich, represented by an eclectic mix of hipsters, urban professionals, young families and multi-gen-erational locals in a burgeoning dining and indie music scene. However, it has also been known as an area of extreme spiritual darkness. To us, this was all the more reason why we were led to plant a church there.

We pur-posely imple-ment a simple approach hoping that our strength is not found in glitz, but in the experi-ence of genuine gospel movement one person at a time. So our story is not the sexy church bursting at the seams overnight, but rather a tale of steady faithfulness in transformed disciples who make God famous. From humble beginnings and through both victory and challenge, we praise God that we recently celebrated our fourth anniversary as a growing community with some good, humbling lessons learned along the way.

One is the nature of disciple-ship. My personality is to desire results instantly, whether losing weight or seeing my daughter learn how to read. I often bring this same mentality to making disciples. Don’t misunderstand: I fully believe God can transform someone in an instant. However, the process of sanctifica-tion into a mature follower of Jesus will require more than a powerful Sunday sermon.

One man discovered The Vil-lage before we even had public wor-

ship and immediately joined us. He was active in serving, invited friends and was baptized. Then literally he disappeared, not responding to any efforts to contact him. We didn’t see his face again . . . until two years later when he asked to meet. His words to me: “I want to come home.” Since then, he has re-engaged The Village community and is being trained as

a leader, almost as if the previous two years didn’t occur. Discipleship with young Christians is a day by day battle, trudging through the trenches arm in arm, celebrating their highs and wrestling through their lows. We’re discovering that in our envi-ronment, this is more the norm than the exception. We must keep this in mind, both for our own perseverance and also so that we will give continu-ally, persistent grace to others.

Another lesson has been the call to reach those very different than ourselves. Realistically, my most effec-tive plan for church growth would have been a strategy on how to best reach those fairly similar in demo-graphic makeup to me and our core group: Asian or white, middle-class, suburban roots, educated, etc. How-ever, we decided early that we would preach the gospel and love whom-ever God led our way. As a result, we have made intentional decisions to reflect this philosophy.

I would love to say this choice led to rapid overnight growth, but it didn’t. In fact, growth has

sometimes seemed painfully slow because of these choices. Idealisti-cally, we dreamed of a wide diversity of people brought together in the gospel, but we were confronted with the inherent, practical challenges this presented.

Still, I look around our com-munity today and here’s what I see: there’s an older, blue-collar, newly-

saved local, sitting next to a churched Asian-American student chatting with an African-American woman who is curious about our com-munity. There are clean-cut Ph.D. candidates eating lunch with 8th grade level educated ex-cons. There are men with 401Ks, listening to those wondering how to buy dinner for the family that night.

And there are parents, wondering which charter school to choose, who are praying with a single mom who hopes to reunite with her kids lost because of her long drug history.

It’s not easy. At times I look around with the crazy realization that there are really very few people like me in my own community. Realistically we understand that some people feel uncomfortable in a setting like ours and as a result, they purposely choose not to join us. But we also know that some people are drawn to The Village precisely because of the unique nature of our community. We give praise for a powerful God who gathers together those who have no other reason to be together than Jesus and their unity in Him. It’s the gospel displaying itself through a community.

Dan Hyun is the church planter/pastor of The Village Church in the Hampden neighbor-

hood of Baltimore. Dan can be reached via phone or text at (443) 534-4593 and via email

at [email protected].

No other reason but Jesus

Page 6 February 2013

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

BALTIMORE—In a self-described Solomonic moment, Jeanne Allert hit “a wall of affluence.” She amassed a great deal of worldly success, but inside was wres-tling with, “What’s the point?”

The former Internet consultant realized she had experienced much entitlement and joy, but what was she doing to help others?

Surrendering all that she’d ac-cumulated, she sought to purchase 23 acres of disheveled farmland, tucked inside the Baltimore city line, with the goal of creating a place of heal-

ing for women.The property appraised for $14

million, but was put on the market for $1.6 million. Allert and her business partner offered $550,000. But, three days before the settlement, Allert’s

business partner excused herself from the deal.

“I went to my knees and bawled for two days,” Allert recalled. She herself was prepared to walk away, but God—and the landowner—had other plans. The owner was moved by the mission, accepted her price, and pro-ceeded with Allert on a good

old fashioned handshake.That weekend, Allert blurted out

a confession of what she’d done during an adult Bible study. There, a 20-year old woman offered to help.

The following Saturday, the

woman brought 30 people to work on the property. The group, growing in number, came every Saturday for the next two years, clearing the land and repairing the old farmhouse and former nursing home on the property.

Other volunteers heard of the ef-fort and soon, churches and corporate giants, such as the U.P.S., Constella-tion Energy, T. Rowe Price and Johns Hopkins University, were sending volunteers.

Thousands of volunteer hours lat-er—already 457,000 volunteer hours clocked in the past six months!—The Samaritan Women (TSW) now oper-ates a residence program for women recovering from trauma and traffick-ing, one of the only programs of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic.

The non-profit also offers a vocational program in culinary arts and manages the large urban farm,

The Samaritan Women provides refuge for victims of human trafficking

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” (Prov. 31:8)

Page 7February 2013

Need help? Know someone who does? Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888

Want to learn more? The Maryland Coalition will host a free Church United seminar on Feb. 23 at Heritage Community Church, 8146 Quarterfield Rd., Severn, Md., for congregations to learn how to be involved. Email Melissa at [email protected] or visit http://thesamaritanwomen.org for more details.

Also. the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware provides four Introduction to Human Trafficking training videos by The Samaritan Women’s Jeanne Allert: Definition and Scope; Victims and Perpetrators; The Church’s Response; and Talking to Youth about Human Trafficking at http://bcmd.e-quip.net.

complete with greenhouses, to grow produce to support their programs.

TSW expanded its scope through the Maryland Rescue & Restore Coalition (marylandcoali-tion.org) to provide public awareness, caregiver training, and collaboration with law enforcement on prevention and intervention of exploitation. Their ultimate goal is to unify the Church around a shared vision of eliminating slavery and exploitation in our lifetime.

Included in the education: BWI Airport in nearby Linthicum is one of the United States’ largest hubs for moving human trafficking victims (surpassed only by New York and Chi-cago). The newly voted-in casino in Hanover, Md., will invariably result in an increase in sex entertainment, and the demand for illicit services.

Since opening, TSW has expanded its staff to include former trafficking victims who have a unique ability to minister to hurting women. Allert is the first to tell you loving hurting women isn’t easy. She offers these lessons learned:

Love with less. With a culture of accumulation

and possession that is particularly skewed for those who have had less, victims try to hoard whatever they deem necessary for their survival.

“We have to prove that such thinking is faulty, and it’s antithetical to Scripture,” Allert said, adding they can learn to trust in His provision.

Rules mean love. Our impulse as care-givers is to

freely and abundantly allow whatever the survivor says she wants. But she may not yet understand structure and boundaries are also forms of love.

The best advice I ever heard from a survivor was, “Rules mean love, because if you care enough to have boundaries, then you must really care about the person.”

Let her do it for herself—even if it seems small.

It is arrogant to assume women have been taught even the simplest things, like how to vacuum or care for their bodies. If she’s struggling, we have to first ask, “Does she know how?”

Teach them how to do it. Find ways for them to serve alongside you. During their period of victimization and trauma, so much of their own autonomy and agency was taken away. Help them rebuild confidence and strength by patiently guiding her to self-sufficiency.

Keep a long view. If she’s been trafficked since she

was five years old, Allert said, “We have to be patient. In many ways, she’s going through those childhood devel-opmental stages as a grown woman.” We need to be patient and celebrate simple milestones.

Right:Jeanne Allert

February 2013Page 8 February 2013

Ministering to victims of Hurricane Sandy

By Shannon BakerBCM/D

National Correspondent

COLUMBIA, Md.—When Hurricane Sandy mostly dodged Maryland, Brian Paskill felt im-mediate relief. But as news reports revealed extensive damage in New Jersey and New York, he wanted to help. The Mid-Maryland Baptist Association offered the perfect opportunity.

From Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Paskill traveled to Long Island, N.Y., with others from South Columbia Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church and Crossroads Church. His brother even flew in from Corpus Christi, Texas.

The team worked along with Samaritan’s Purse to mud-out homes, ripping out water-damaged walls and discarding ruined belong-ings. “I felt I was throwing away memories,” Paskill said sadly, a deacon at South Columbia.

Joe Andrist, South Columbia’s head trustee, led prayer at each home. When the team offered Bibles and Wal-Mart and Lowes gift cards, the home-owners often broke down while expressing thanksgiving.

One international couple (pictured above) was hungry to learn about Jesus. The team shared their

faith, and the couple accepted Christ as their

Savior.But it wasn’t just the home-

owners who experienced such gifts. Paskill’s brother, Robbie, was touched so deeply, he surrendered his life to Christ. Stuart Pulliam, who had just started attending South Columbia and had accepted Paskill’s challenge to “get out of the pew and do something,” also accepted Christ, as did another man from Friendship Baptist.

Paskill’s team crossed paths with a Delaware church serving there. It was Brandywine Baptist Church—the same church his wife had tried to drag him to earlier in their marriage.

“It was God’s funny joke of put-ting into perspective where I was and where I am now,” Paskill said.

This effort was one of many touches from Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware churches. For instance, Maryland City

Baptist Church in Prince Georges County set up as a storm shelter at the request of the county emer-gency management office. Deep

Creek Baptist and Pleasant View Baptist in Garrett County opened as warming centers/overnight shelters, and provided meals for people who lost power during the snowstorm following Hurricane

Sandy. On Maryland’s

lower Eastern Shore, which sustained the most local damage from the hurricane, Marion Baptist prepared and served 300 meals for storm survivors at the Crisfield Civic Center.

Bayside Communi-ty Church in Pocomoke, Md., did mud-out work

and other ministry in Crisfield. First Baptist Church of Princess Anne helped a family affected by the storm.

Lynnhaven Baptist Church volunteers also did mud-out and housed Disaster Relief teams from Maryland/Delaware, Virginia, and Florida for two weeks. The BCM/D Disaster Relief mobilized Incident Command volunteers, damage assessors, recovery, feed-ing, shower/laundry and chaplain volunteers. Community feeding

and mudout operations were coordinated with the Town of Crisfield, Somerset County Emergency Operations Center, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, Mary-land Department of Human Resources, the Virginia towns of Sanford and Saxis, and faith community partners.

Command Incident Officer Carl Brill noted there was quite a bit of reluctance from Crisfield residents when offered assistance “notwith-

standing the fact mold was already growing.” Many residents, who live well below the poverty line, knew to remove carpet, but Brill equally

“You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm…” (Isaiah 25:4)


The Mid-Maryland Baptist Association and Samaritan Purse team members minister to a couple affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Page 9February 2013 Page 9February 2013

The Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware provides Disaster Relief training videos, including: Before Disaster Strikes: Basic Preparedness for You and Your Family and Maryland/Delaware Disaster Relief Overview at http://bcmd.e-quip.net. W

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Photo courtesy of Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia

was concerned about the damaged walls.

“It is concerning because we don’t like leaving work undone,” agreed Terry Davis, a volunteer from Florida. But she held onto hope. A fellow team member, when cutting a tree, discovered a “pancake-sized chunk” of the tree with a red cross in the center, she said.

Other Disaster Relief volun-teers assisted several local churches in ministering to their communi-ties. The Eastern Shore feeding unit served meals at the Red Cross

emergency shelter in Salisbury before, during and after Hurricane Sandy; two small feeding teams deployed to New York supporting Red Cross mass care community feeding; and two small recovery teams deployed to New York, supplementing teams from other states.

First Baptist Church, Wal-dorf; Emmanuel Baptist Church, in Huntingtown, Md.; and Dunkirk Baptist Church, among others, also sent teams. The Arundel Baptist Association assisted the Sector N.Y.

Coast Guard unit in distributing donated items to families in need.

Presently students from area colleges are ministering in Staten Island through a North American Mission Board project.

Ellen Udovich, BCM/D Mis-sions Involvement team leader, feels strongly God was really working through the storm, especially in the larger metropolitan areas. “God opened amazing doors. We were praying hard for spiritual opportu-nities in [New York]—a city that is very hard to reach,” she said.

Page 9February 2013

Loving people of other Faiths

By Sharon MagerBCM/D Correspondent

DUNDALK, Md.—Interna-tional ministry can be as close as your backyard, or in the case of Grace Place, across the parking lot. Troy McDaniel, pastor of Grace Place began ministering at the church a year ago. Just before he officially began his work at Grace Place he discovered a Sikh Temple adjacent to the church’s parking lot. He watched as men with turbans came and went. McDaniel was intrigued, and began praying

about how God

wanted him to minister to these unique neighbors. He discovered that barriers had to be torn down before he could form any relationships with the Sikhs.

McDaniel tried to make contact waving and sending over food, but the response was nonexistent as the Sikhs would look away. Some of the church’s congregation had grown to distrust the Sikhs, believing them to be associated with Muslim extremists. There were even rumors of the Sikhs praying against the church.

“Their attitude toward us was a result of our attitude toward them,” McDaniel said. In the past, years before McDaniel became pastor, the church put up “no parking” signs in

their lot and even called the police to tow the Sikhs and others who

disobeyed the signs. “It sent a contrary mes-

sage to what we, as Chris-tians, are really about: ‘We don’t want you here.’”

Now, the church welcomes the Sikhs and oth-

ers to park in their lot, and they’re intentionally opening

their arms to others in their neighborhood. Change came

unexpectedly. McDaniel was in the parking lot the same evening as the

Sikh priest and was amazed when, after months of avoidance, the priest waved, and the two met face-to-face at the border of their property lines. He looked McDaniel in the eye and told him, “We are Sikh. We are not Islam.”

McDaniel told the priest he was sorry for how his people had been treated in the past and that “Our book tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We want to serve you and be your friends.”

McDaniel said the corner of the priest’s mouth turned up slightly in a small smile. McDaniel mir-rored the priest, shook hands, and remained reserved. He laughs as he said afterwards he walked in the church and jumped up and down with excitement while thanking God.

Slowly, the two leaders began to talk, chatting about their families and friends and everyday life stuff. McDaniel prayed for God to open doors.

The real turn came when McDaniel spoke with


Grace Place ministersto Sikhs in Dundalk

Lisa Mele. Mele leads the South Asian Fellowship in partner-ship with the North American Mission Board and the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Dela-ware. NAMB Missionary Aslam Masih encouraged Mele to find partners and build relationships.

“Aslam challenged Lisa to find a Sikh temple in Baltimore that NAMB could visit and con-duct a Vision Tour. At the same time, I had been in the church parking lot for six or seven months trying to connect with the Sikh priest,” McDaniel said.

In a three way conversation between Masih, McDaniel and the priest, Masih asked the priest if McDaniel and Mele could bring a few from their churches to visit the temple and learn about the Sikh religion. The priest immediately accepted.

In August, Grace Place hosted a Sikh Temple Vision tour. Masih led a brief introduc-tory session, before leading the group of about 20 across the lot to the temple. Participants hesitantly entered the Gurd-

wara. The Sikhs provided head coverings for everyone before

entering the worship area - a large open room with sheet type floor covering on each side. Women sat on one side, men on the other. Masih translated as the priest shared Sikh beliefs and answered questions. After-wards, the Sikhs provided light re-freshment and Indian tea.

Last year’s shooting in the Wisconsin Sikh temple offered another opportunity for Grace Place to reach out to the Sikhs, offering prayer and support.

“We extended our con-dolences for their people and explained how that action, in no way represents what we’re about as we offered our support,” McDaniel said, noting the Sikhs were very appreciative.

On Dec. 23, the Sikhs initi-ated and attended a joint prayer service at Grace Place to pray for the victims and families of the Connecticut shooting.

The next joint event is a dinner Grace Place has planned for Sikh Temple leaders. Lisa Mele and volunteers from her church, Maple View Baptist, where her husband Craig is the

pastor, will work with Grace Place members to host the event. The dinner will be catered, prepared

according to Sikh dietary requirements as the atmosphere will be established with the Sikh’s customary Indian music. The two groups will fellowship and share ideas for continuing to build the relationship.

“I want to erase any previ-ously erected walls,” McDaniel said, adding that his next step is to bring the congregations together. “I believe they want to do the same thing now. Then, I want to work on evangelizing and bringing souls to Christ.”

The Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware provides several evangelism training videos, including: Becoming an Externally Focused Church by Eric Swanson and From Mormonism to Christianity by James Walker at http://bcmd.e-quip.net.

Want to learn more?

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)

Page 11February 2013

(Photo above) A leader of Dundalk’s Sikh Temple shares about the Sikh religion. (Photo inset) Troy McDaniel (right) and Aslam Misah (center) enjoy a light snack after a vision tour of a Sikh Temple

By Shannon BakerBCM/D National Correspondent

PIKESVILLE, Md.—It was an opportunity of a lifetime.

On Nov. 29, Joel Rainey, direc-tor of missions for the Mid-Mary-land Baptist Association, presented the gospel freely in a room full of Muslims, secularists, state politi-cal leaders, educators—and some invited Christians, too.

Rainey was one of several interfaith speakers at the fifth an-nual dialogue dinner sponsored by the Maryland Turkish American Inhabitants (TheMARTI.org), one of a number of institutions inspired by Fetullah Gülen, a Turkish author/educator, Muslim scholar and founder of the Hizmet (or Gülen) movement. Of note, Gülen believes the Muslim commu-nity is obliged to conduct interfaith dialogue with “People of the Book” ( Jews and Christians).

Previously, a Mary-land state legislator who is a member of one of Mid-Maryland’s churches traveled to Turkey as part of an even-tual “sister-state” agreement between Maryland and a Turkish province.

In the process, she learned many Muslims believed Christians hated them. Concerned, the legislator con-tacted Rainey and challenged him to help change this perception. Over time, Rainey met Murat Ozbas, an engineer who works just around the corner from his office in Eldersburg, Md. A student of the Hizmet Move-ment, Ozbas was equally desirous of countering wrong perceptions between the two faith groups.

“There’s a thousand-plus years of history between these two reli-gions. We haven’t always been nice to each other,” Rainey admitted. “We just wanted to eliminate that, if we could.”

Rainey was all in, given one condition: that he would be able to express his faith freely. He explained, “We want to reach out to people. That is in our nature as evan-gelicals. We want the gospel to

go forward. But how can you possibly share your faith if you don’t know them, and they don’t know you?”

The two men became fast friends, ultimately leading to an invitation for Rainey to join Ozbas in a Cultural-Touristic-Dialog-Education-Media tour of Turkey. Six pastors from the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware also were invited to the tour, which covered four cities—including places of significance to Christians—as well as hospitality visits with Turkish professionals.

Jim Edmonson, senior pastor of Elders Baptist Church in Sykesville, Md., went because he felt he was get-ting a slanted view of Islam.

“What we are hearing is not the full story,” he said. “I wanted to go and experience the Muslim culture and meet Muslim people because they are a growing influence in our nation, and Chris-tians and Muslims, as well as other religions, are going to have to learn to get along and be able to dialogue together and discuss different viewpoints.”

Chris Grella, associate pastor at Westminster (Md.) Baptist Church, had just completed a “Finding Com-mon Ground” training in his church. When

he learned of the opportunity and heard about the number of Muslims living in Maryland, he felt chal-lenged, “What do I really believe and how do I communicate it?”

For James Pope, senior pastor of North Arundel Church in Glen Burnie, Md., the appeal of the tour came down to peacemaking.

“In the Beatitudes, Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they’ll be called the sons of God’ (Matthew 5:9),” said Pope, who saw the role as peacemaker a repeated pattern in his life. He was thrilled to “be invited to the table of dialogue

Loving people of Other Faiths

February 2013Page 12

Pastors’ dialogue with local Muslims leads to

tour of Turkey

Above photo: Joel Rainey hugs Ramazan, who owns a pharmacy in Sanliurfa.

Left photo: (back row) James Pope, Jim Edmonson, Joel Rainey, Paul Viswasam, and Chris Grella, (front row) David Jackson, John Gauger and Murat Ozbas


Want to learn more?The Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware provides several

mission training videos, to be viewed individually or in groups, including IMBConnect: Connecting Your Church With Missions. and Kingdom Matrix: Kingdom Principles Reaching a Secular World at at http://bcmd.e-quip.net.

with Muslims, who in American culture and press have been sort of disenfranchised because of the radical element of their faith.”

John Gauger, senior pastor of Perryville (Md.) Baptist Church, had traveled to West Africa a number of occasions to minister among Muslims. He joined this group out of his growing love for the people whom he calls “incred-ibly hospitable and warm.”

Others who traveled included David Jackson, BCM/D church multiplication team strategist, and Paul Viswasam, senior pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Ellicott City, Md. All the men were blessed immensely to see places where the Apostle Paul traveled as well as other biblically historical sites.

Through the tour, Ozbas learned about Christianity; in particular, he never knew Chris-tians knew about the story of Job (“Eyyub”) until the team visited a place in Turkey, “the Place of Pa-tience,” where it is said Job suffered.

“There’s so much similarities between us,” Orbas said.

Rainey also stressed, “Obvi-

ously we have some very strong beliefs—on both sides—and we’re honest about those differences and have been since the beginning, but not to the exclusion of saying, ‘We can be friends, and we can walk together as leaders. Everything from poverty to pornography, we can battle together.’”

He added, “We have com-municated clearly to our Muslim friends that our greatest desire would be for them to know Jesus Christ as we know Him. But we have also committed to not allow our mutual friendship to be af-fected, regardless of whether they decide to become Christian. After all, Murat isn’t my project. He is my friend.”

Rainey shares three dominant principles for loving people of other faiths:

Don’t compromise your faith.

“What I’ve found in this experience is that our Muslim friends have much more respect for you if you are simply honest about

what you believe. Just be sure when that truth comes out that it is accompanied by the ‘gentleness and respect’ 1 Peter 3:15 demands,” Rainey said.

Seek to understand the real distinctions.

When it comes to people of other faiths, spend time with them. Live life with them. Assume you don’t understand where they are coming from, ask them questions, and LISTEN.

Commit to a friendship that is unconditional.

We are tied together by our common humanity. They are created in God’s own image and likeness, and we should love them unconditionally. That kind of love and acceptance is the ideal atmo-sphere in which genuine friend-ships can be developed, and our faith can be shared.

To learn more, contact Rainey at (410) 549-7156, [email protected].

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)



COLUMBIA, Md.—BCM/D Executive Director David Lee la-beled 2013 as “The Year of Adven-ture,” at the General Mission Board meeting on Dec. 4 at the Baptist Mission Resource Center.

Robert Anderson welcomed returning and new General Mission Board members.

Mitch Camp, South Columbia Baptist Church’s Minister of Music, led GMB members in worship, singing a medley of “Glorious Day,” “One Small Child,” “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” and “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Darline Ballou, GMB Nominat-ing Committee Chair, recognized Administrative Committee mem-bers.

Kerry Hinton, Administrative Committee President, introduced BCM/D Executive Director David Lee.

Executive Director’s Report Lee reiterated BCM/D’s

mission statement. “We exist to intentionally assist in the starting and strengthening of congregations so that together we can accomplish the Great Commission as given to us by our Lord in Matt. 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8.

“We are about proclaiming the message of hope. That message is amplified this season of the year as we celebrate the birth of hope,” Lee said, referring to a message he recently heard preached by The Church at Severn Run Senior Pastor Drew Shoffner.

Lee said the convention’s meth-ods and approaches will change, but all change must by gauged by the Word of God.

“I have always contended as a leader that the Word of God is never open to compromise or change, but all of our methods must be placed on the table for constant evaluation. We have this moment. We cannot afford to waste it or to miss opportunities to witness for Him because of our stubbornness or unwillingness to change, even when change is uncom-

fortable,” he said. Lee said he appreciates the

openness of the GMB to change. “There is a world to be

changed,” Lee said. “This is a time of transition,”

Lee told GMB members, referring to his recent announcement that he will retire effective July 31. “I am at peace with that decision, believing that it is the right time for me and for this convention. It has not been easy. Disconnecting from this tremendous opportunity to serve will not be easy. I am convinced, however, that God knows exactly what is best for all of us.”

Lee told board members that it will be part of their responsibility to hire a new executive director. “We need to begin now covering that process with prayer. God gives His people leaders with just the right gift mixes to lead in His time.

“God is already preparing that person,” Lee said.

Lee announced the resignation of BCM/D missionaries Freddy and Gayla Parker. Freddy will serve as pastor of Lifeway Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark.

“We will miss Freddy and Gayla. They have left an indelible imprint on the cause of missions in our convention,” Lee said.

“As is our practice, we will evaluate the positions vacated by the Parkers before proceeding,” Lee said.

Progress is being made with an African American Church Planting missionary candidate. There is also an evangelism position to be filled, funded jointly by BCM/D and the North American Mission Board. The GMB administrative committee will work with the BCM/D on these searches.

“I choose to call the coming year ‘A Year of Adventure,’” Lee said.

“We are at a good place as a convention. I am not satisfied. I hope you are not either. There is so much work to be done. It will require that we work together. I appreciate so much the prayerful support of all our churches. I will always contend that we can do more together than we can individually.”

Kerry Hinton, returning to the

podium, smiled and said, “Welcome to the adventure!” Hinton intro-duced BCM/D Chief Financial Officer Tom Stolle.

Financial Report Stolle said the numbers are

encouraging. Cooperative Program receipts of $3.5 million trail $33,000 from last year, which is .9 of 1 per-cent, almost tracking with last year. Stolle projects that by the year’s end, CP, if the giving level for November and December approximates 2011, will trail the budget at about 4.2 mil-lion, a little less than last year.

Stolle said the good news is that all major ministry categories are within budget with the exception of the Baptist Mission Resource Center operations, which is running barely ahead by 1.6 percent or $4,650. This is primarily due to technology upgrades including a transition to extensive use of Macs rather than PC laptops.

“That is actually at a pace a bit better than last year,” Stolle said. ”I do expect operations will break even, assuming CP receipts run the same way as 2011 for the remainder of this year. So much hinges on that seventy cents on every dollar that comes from CP.”

Stolle explained that last year’s state missions offering funds this year’s efforts and that the BCM/D is on track to expend what has been taken in.

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

Concerning Skycroft Confer-ence Center, its current earnings are $20,252.49, through ten months. Stolle said management expects that barring unforeseen events, Skycroft operations are expected to break even at the year end.

“It has been a good year. God has blessed. I pray that God is pleased at what’s happening in His convention.”

Messengers discussed how to address the legislation regarding same-sex marriage. Hinton said he believes if churches do not have something in their bylaws stating that they refuse to perform same-sex

Lee declares 2013 as the ‘Year of Adventure’


marriages, that they should do so as soon as possible.

In other business, BCM/D’s attorney, Jeffrey Agnor, said the law making same-sex marriage legal has a strong exception for churches.

“Any church can refuse to marry people of the same sex,” Agnor said, adding that there is a “huge carve-out” for churches.

Steve Hokuf, pastor of First Baptist Church North East, asked about the conven-tion’s policy.

Agnor said if someone is in a ministerial role, there would not be a problem. Be-yond that, Agnor said it is some-thing he will need to deal with.

Hinton asked the Bylaws Committee to consider those issues in their discus-sions.

Strategy Team Reports David Jackson, reporting for the

Church Multiplication Team, said God is doing “marvelous and won-derful things,” with a banner year of over 50 church planting efforts underway. All eleven associations were involved in one or more church plants for only the second time this century. New works are reported in a variety of ethnic groups including African American, Anglo, Filipino, Haitian, Hispanic, Korean and Nepalese.

Jackson, quoting Theologian Peter Wagner, said, “Church plant-ing is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.”

Jackson told of new churches bearing fruit almost immediately. Steffan Carr, who planted “Bruce Outreach,” had 105 in attendance at their November launch. Campus Pastor Adam Muhtaseb baptized seven new believers in December.

Phil Meekens, who began New Beginnings Church in Elkton, started a church through a ministry-based operation. Amazing Grace

Ministries was a food ministry for the poor, serving 220 to 250 people and out of that ministry came a church.

Ken Stalls prayed for the church planting ministry. “Let us never hesi-tate to follow you eagerly. Bless our efforts to plant churches. We know

this is your will.”Ellen Udovich reported for

the Acts 1:8 Missions Involvement Team.

“Our team assists churches in developing and implementing effec-tive missions strategies so together we can fulfill the Great Commission and Acts 1:8. Our goal is to see every church involved in “glocal” missions – that is, reaching lost neighbors wherever they are: next door, across the state, across the na-tion, around the world.

“Effective mission strategies engage the giftedness, the passion of every believer,” she said. The team wants to help churches lead their members to see themselves on mis-sion for Jesus at the ballfields, in the schools, at work, wherever they are.

Udovich said we share the love of God in practical ways because effective missions follows the model of Jesus, who met people’s physical as well as spiritual needs. But mis-sions doesn’t stop with good deeds alone—people need the gospel as well.

“Good deeds are good things but we’re not the Girl Scouts, we’re the people of God,” Udovich said.

“Effective strategies win people to Christ, disciple them, plant church-es.”

Udovich said some may think their church is too small, too poor or not ready to plant churches.

“But if you’re giving to state missions, Annie Armstrong Easter

Offering, or the Cooperative Pro-gram (CP), it’s too late. You’re already part of church planting!” she said.

“We can help you discover the people groups in your community, she said. Are they the guys at the firehouse, the nursing home, military families, teens? How do you learn about them and their culture? Why do you hire a youth pastor - because we

need someone who can understand teenagers and speak to them “in their language.”

A lot has changed in the last generation. There was a time when we thought of ministry to people from other countries, we though of getting on a plane. Now, if you want to do international missions you can go to West Africa. But we also have a congregation of West African people right here; the same people group, but here in our backyard. Instead of ministering to them in Africa for a week, you can minister to them on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The people in our language churches need help with English, Sunday school and leadership devel-opment. Those are things you are al-ready doing in your own church—it’s just another step to come alongside and assist a church plant with these things.

“There are many ways to be involved in missions. Expand your vision...what is God putting on your heart?

“The world is a really big place, and if we’re to share the gospel with every single person, hit or miss ran-dom

Ken Stalls, Pastor of South End Baptist Church, Frederick, prayed for the church planting ministry.

(Continued on page 16

acts of kindness are not going to do it. We need every church to be actively engaged in effective mission strategies.”

Randall Blackman, pastor of Faith Baptist Fellowship, Cam-bridge, prayed for the team. “Lord, we don’t know what to do but our eyes are fixed on You...help us not to feel timid or to shrink back in what You’re calling us to do...help us lean solely on You for power...Lord, we need Your power to reach these people.”

Agency & Committee Reports Robin Shifflett, chairman of the

History Committee, reported for the committee.

Shifflett told GMB members they need volunteers to help get historical material catalogued in the computer database. They are hoping to bring youth groups in to do the work.

They are also working to develop policies about what material people can and can’t check out.

Shifflett said every church has a file in the history room. What’s in that file depends on what material churches have sent in through the years.

“We encourage churches to send us information,” Shifflett said. If a church burns down, those records could be lost, but hav-ing them in the history room is great backup, Shifflett said.

John Schoff reported for the Baptist Foundation. Schoff reported 16 churches have outstanding loans from the church loan funds. Six have outstanding loans from the Arthur Nanney fund, which is used for small emergency loans to churches.

As of Sept. 30, the market value of the investment portfolio was $6.8 million, reflecting a 10.4 percent

return on the portfolio. The one-year profile performance reflected a return of 17.2 percent.

The Foundation has grown from 2008 to this year from $5.2 to over $6.8 million.

“That’s a good feeling, but God gives us more not to be independent, but to be dependent,” Schoff said.

Schoff said that over the next two decades, as baby boomers age, more assets will be available. We should not let those assets drift away from our churches, he said.

Other BusinessMitch Dowell, executive direc-

tor of Embrace Wilmington and Delaware Baptist Association Direc-tor of Missions gave his final Em-brace Wilmington report. Dowell said, “God is doing great and mighty things” in the city. Dowell said God has answered prayers to send church planters.

Dowell said Hockessin Baptist Church commissioned and sent out their core team to begin worship services at The Church at LOMA on Market Street. They conducted their first service in LOMA Lounge in October. On Dec. 2 they called Jef-frey Keith to pastor the new church.

LifeHouse Church outgrew

their space at the Townsend firehouse and now meet at Everett Meredith Middle School. They have baptized over 60 believers this year and will have another baptismal service in January.

Dowell introduced Rashad Gib-son, a young man in the final stage of church planter assessment, who wants to plant a church in Wilming-ton and needs a site and a sponsoring church.

Gibson said he feels called to build community within a church, a church on mission where every dis-ciple is a missionary. “We’re going to be aggressive. We have to be aggres-sive in Wilmington,” he said. Gibson said before launching he wants to work getting the church known through street evangelism, door to door ministry and other outreaches.

Responding to Mitch Dowell’s statement that Wilmington earned the distinction of the most violent

city under a popula-tion of 100,000, Gibson said he knows about rough areas, having grown up in North Jersey.

Gibson said he needs churches to partner with him.

Bethany Baptist Church sponsored Embrace Wilmington’s first Hispanic work under the leadership of church planter Alexis Vides. His church “Nuevo Amanecer” contin-ues to grow as they meet in homes for Bible study and at Bethany Baptist for worship. 2013 will

mark their second year.Mike Solomon, a new church

planter, recently completed his assessment, and hopes to plant the “Rock Church” in the Newark area.

“Embrace Wilmington officially ends in 2012; however, our desire and efforts to embrace the city will not end,” Dowell said. “I’ve seen the

Lee declares 2013 as the ‘Year of Adventure’(Continued from page 15

Mitch Dowell, Director of Missions for Delaware Baptist Association, introduced Rashad Gibson, a young man in the final stage of church planter assessment, who wants to plant a church in Wilmington and needs a site and a sponsoring church.


Lord do some amazing things in the Metro Wilmington area, and I’m convinced that that He’s not finished yet.”

Remaining Embrace Wilming-ton funds have been redirected to church multiplication.

“It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as Embrace Wilmington’s director, and it will be am honor to continue to serve this great convention in its continued efforts to reach the lost of our cities,” Dowell said.

Skycroft Conference Center GMB members voted to call a

special meeting of messengers for the purpose of considering the sale of a perpetual conservation easement on the Skycroft Property to the State of Maryland.

The meeting will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, January 14, 2013, at the South Columbia Baptist Church.

The State of Maryland has offered $1.1 million for a perpetual conservation easement on the Sky-croft property. This offer is due to Skycroft’s land being the location of the historic battle of South Moun-tain. In September 1862, General Robert E. Lee led the southern army into western Maryland as Stonewall Jackson tried to capture the north-ern arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. Union Commander George McClellan discovered Lee’s mislaid battle plans, and McClellan forced his army through three passes in the South Mountain range. The armies fought in the areas of Fox’s, Turner’s and Crampton gaps. The Union army gained control of the passes, but the southern resistance allowed Lee to regroup and set the stage for the Battle of Antietam.

Skycroft is located on Turner’s Gap, a 1,500 foot elevation–the highest spot looking down on two roads. David Sutherland, a represen-tative of the Civil War Preservation Trust, said the perspective helped the Confederate army block the trans-portation of the Union trying to get to Antietam.

“What we presented here has been a conservation easement with an historical twist. It affects the entire property. Skycroft would con-tinue to operate and expand to ben-

efit the operation,” Sutherland said. The only limitations are whatever the state and county allows, which are the current limitations.

This refers to the developmental envelope - ap-proximately 25 acres that the facility now occupies. Under the easement, BCM/D would still own all of the property, but could only expand within the “develop-ment enve-lope.” All of the property could still be maintained.

The prop-erty could not be subdivided. If the property is sold, it must be sold to an organization that will operate it as the same type of business it is now.

Sutherland said the historic areas would have markers with maps, for Civil War enthusiasts. Skycroft’s Executive Director Doug DuBois said Civil War buffs visit the Sky-croft area regularly and never cause problems.

The first motion is: “Motion to refer to the messengers at a called meeting on January 14, 2013 that we agree to the sale of a perpetual con-servation Easement on the Skycroft property to the State of Maryland for $1.1 million, in accordance with the terms presented to the General Mission Board by a representative of the Civil War Preservation Trust.”

The second motion is: “Motion to put $1.1 million (less transaction costs) into the Skycroft Develop-ment fund to be used for Skycroft maintenance and development as authorized by the General Mission Board.”

President’s Remarks BCM/D President Robert An-

derson referenced Micah 5:1, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one

who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

In a time of despair, Micah wanted to give hope, Anderson said.

Bethlehem means “house of bread,” he explained. Ephrata means “fruitful, fertile.”

Here’s a little town, little in ge-ography in popula-tion and yet...hope is on the way.

“It’s going to come out of this little place called Bethlehem,” Anderson said. Bethlehem where “...from you shall come one who will be ruler in Israel who comes from and is of old—

from ancient of days,” Anderson said. “Wow, I’m not a Greek or

Hebrew scholar but this excites me. From eternity past, someone is going to come at a time of desperation, and they’re going to change the way things are.”

“People need hope today...,” Anderson said.

“I don’t know how it all works. I just know God said that His Holy Spirit would hover over a young teenage girl, a virgin, and that she will give birth to a little baby who is from eternity. Folks, can you get that!”

“Something infinite became finite and found a resting place in a little girl...”

That would change the hope of the world.

“If God can do something like that, He can do something in your life, in your ministry.

Wherever your Bethlehem is, it’s significant, Anderson said.

“Christmas is about Someone coming, stepping on eternity, land-ing on this planet and changing the world for His glory.”

BCM/D President Robert Anderson



Messengers approve perpetual conservation easement at Skycroft


COLUMBIA, Md.—Messen-gers met for a special called meet-ing on Jan. 14 at South Columbia Baptist Church. They voted to approve a motion to allow the sale of a perpetual conservation easement on the Skycroft property to the State of Maryland for $1.1 million, in accor-dance with the terms presented to the General Mission Board by a represen-tative of the Civil War Preservation Trust.

They also voted to put $1.1 million, less transaction costs, into the Skycroft Development fund to be used for Skycroft maintenance and development as authorized by the General Mission Board.

BCM/D Executive Direc-tor David Lee thanked messengers for making the effort to attend the meeting. He shared that the special meeting was necessary due to the BCM/D not receiving the formal final offer until immediately before the annual meeting. With the need to prepare documentation and get it to the lawyer, Lee said they just couldn’t complete the process and have full information and disclosure at the an-nual meeting.

Skycroft Executive Director Doug DuBois gave messengers an overview of Skycroft’s history and the proposal of the easement. There has been discussion about finding a way to sell the land as part of a historical trust for over a decade but it wasn’t possible. Now, the state has ap-proached Skycroft.

DuBois said the land where the easement will be effective will not pass a perc test, which determines suitability for a septic system, due to very stringent state standards. The property also lacks public water.

The closest public sewer and water is five miles away in Myersville, which would cost approximately $5 million to pay for the easements to cut across the land. DuBois also said he wasn’t sure if Myersville’s facility

could handle the addition of Skycroft. Regardless of the easement, Skycroft, as it stands now, would not be able to make improve-ments/build in those areas. areas.

DuBois said if the easement was signed in the mid-seventies, before the motels were built, there would be no changes.

With the easement, Skycroft can develop area within the 27-acre development envelope. Skycroft can also maintain the property in the remaining 250 acres, they just can’t improve it.

It can never be subdivided and if the property is sold, there are only four uses allowed:

• it can be sold as one single fam-ily dwelling;

• it can be used in a similar man-ner as Skycroft–like a camp, or boy or girl scout groups;

• it can be used for light com-mercial business, such as a retirement home;

• It can be used for agricultural purposes.

DuBois contacted a real estate agent who said if the property was sold, it would possibly be worth up to $8 million.

There were several questions about whether receiving state funds would require the convention to permit same sex marriage at Skycroft. BCM/D’s attorney, Jeff Agnor, said no, the referendum makes it clear that religious orders of all kind are not required to offer marriage ceremonies or receptions.

Regarding the second motion, DuBois said he roughly estimates

needing approximately $750-800,000 to upgrade Skycroft. That includes replacing kitchen equipment made in the 1970’s, new mattresses, beds, roofing, siding, asphalt parking lots and audio visual equipment.

Joseph King, messenger from First Baptist Church, North East, proposed using men and women throughout BCM/D churches who can expertly provide those services. DuBois said directed messengers to a link on the BCM/D website to volunteer (http://bcmd.org/iso).

Mike Logsdon, pastor of First Baptist Church, Easton, made a mo-tion to send 10 percent of the final cost to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.

“We would still have $990,000,” Logsdon said. “We will have an in-credible opportunity to do something amazing with billions in darkness.” Logsdon referred to missionaries ready to go into the field but lacking funding.

Jim Jeffries, pastor of LaVale Bap-tist Church, spoke against the mo-tion. Jeffries said Skycroft is a mission. “I feel we are investing 100 percent to missions on our local mission field.”

Messengers voted to use the funds for Skycroft maintenance and development, as authorized by the General Mission Board.

Doug DuBois explains, with the easement, Skycroft can develop the area within the 27-acre development envelope (green circle).


Northpoint Church reaches community for Christ

Northpoint Baptist Church in Dundalk, Md., had several goals for using Strengthening Churches Grant funds: to promote a new website and to obtain resources that would help the church become intentional in outreach.

After receiving the funds, North-point bought a banner for the church sign structure, advertising their new website, http://npbcdundalk.com. They also bought 1,500 door hangers directing neighbors to the new web-site and they bought Bibles.

The results from the sign were almost immediate.

“It has been really effective,” Swan said. “We have had visitors who saw the banner, went to the website, liked what they saw and decided to come and check out the church.” Some have become regular attenders.

The door hangers, also promot-ing the website, also brought results, including a visit from a 20-year-old man who made a commitment to follow Jesus.

A group from the church can-vassed the community, chatting with neighbors, and leaving door hangers. Swan said almost everyone they spoke with was welcoming.

Dundalk resident Tom Dimattei said the door hanger was confirma-tion to him that he should visit the church. He drove by several times, thought about visiting, but hadn’t taken that step.

Dimattei called Swan and asked him about the church. Swan invited Dimattei to come to the church for a tour. Dimattei said that helped allevi-ate his anxiety about visiting. Swan spent three hours with Dimattei, told him everything Dimattei wanted to know about the church and shared the plan of salvation with the young man.

“I felt comfortable,” Dimattei said. We talked for a long time and he asked me if I wanted to accept Jesus in my heart. I didn’t feel pressure. I felt comfortable doing it.

In addition to reaching out to the community, Swan said distribut-ing the hangers is helping the congre-gation become intentional in reachingtheir community.

Sharon Bible Fellowship Church’s Lighthouse Ministries of Compassion

Sharon Bible Fellowship Church in Lanham, Md., used Strengthening Churches Grant funds to help start Lighthouse Ministries of Compas-sion, a 501c3 ministry designed to help people in transition.

The church is partnering with Global Mission and New Re-vival Center to provide resources for people coming out of incarceration or rehab.

Victor O. Kirk, pastor of Sharon Bible Fellowship Church, said the church wants to be a resource center, helping people get back on their feet by assisting through tutoring, helping them get social service assistance and clothing.

“We also want to help with housing. That’s one of the biggest needs,” Kirk explained.

Kirk said the ministry includes entrepreneur training. “One thing we found out it is that many of them can’t get blue or white collar jobs, but they can start their own business.”

“We just became a 501c3 last year so we’re still growing and tran-sitioning into what we would like to become,” he said.

Kirk is also working on en-couraging the church to be a healing community, open to ministering to those who have made mistakes in their lives and are trying to get back on their feet.

Kirk said the church has been inspired by several church members who have seen their lives change through the love of the church and committing their lives to Jesus.

Diana Brown is one of those individuals. Brown said she struggled with drugs since she was 17 years old. She hit rock bottom 32 years later and ended up at a detox program

in Washington, D.C., who referred her to Fulton House of Hope. That’s where she discovered Sharon Bible Fellowship.

“Every Sunday they would come and minister through the Word and in singing and praise. They brought my attention to God.”

As Diana worked through the drug program at Fulton House, she was allowed to pick a church to at-tend. It was an easy choice. She chose Sharon Bible Fellowship.

Brown made a commitment to follow Jesus and has been sober for five years.

“This is not just a ‘three hots and a cot’ program. My pastor’s goal is to give strengthening tools...to be there for them and keep them lifted up.

Sherrise Hall was released from prison in 2007.

“When I got out of prison, they didn’t give me a handout; they gave me a hand up,” Hall said.

She said the church helped her find a job when she had exhausted all of her possibilities and cried out to the Lord. A “wounded women” ladies group helped her form relationships and provided accountability. “They became my sisters,” she said.

She and Diana Brown both minister at Fulton House, sharing their stories and sharing Christ. Both women are anticipating seeing the new ministry be a true lighthouse, leading struggling, hurting people to Jesus.

Strengthening Churches Grant recipients focus on outreach

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR

TO APPLY FOR A STRENGTHENING

CHURCHES GRANT, go to http://bcmd.org/

financial

Maximum amount per grants: $4,000. Deadline for

submission: 02/13/13



COLUMBIA, Md.—Following seven years of faithful service, Freddy and Gayla Parker have resigned from the Baptist Convention of Mary-land/Delaware effective December 31. Freddy has served as BCM/D missionary for Acts 1:8 and church ministry relations. Gayla has served a dual role as executive director of the BCM/D Women’s Missionary Union and as missions innovation specialist with the national WMU. She has also served BCM/D as mis-sionary of missions education and customization.

Ironically, the couple is return-ing home to pastor the very church where they met. Freddy grew up attending Lifeway Church in Little Rock, Ark. Gayla was invited to attend the church as a teen, and it was there she made a commitment to follow Christ. She was in her last year of high school, and Freddy was graduating college.

“We’re coming full circle,” Gayla said.

Freddy left to study at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and two years later returned to Little Rock and married Gayla. They moved to Kentucky then to Alabama, where Freddy pastored his first church.

At the encouragement of an IMB missionary, Freddy began praying about international missions and felt God’s draw. God led them to choose the Philippines.

Their oldest son, Allen, was eight; Nathan was five and their youngest son, Jesse, was 18-months old.

They ministered there for 14 years. In that time, they planted 13 churches within the indigenous B-laan people groups in southern Mindano and started an association of 23 churches. The couple also min-istered to a small Philippine Muslim group, teaching life skills and values education using chronological Bible stories to share biblical values.

Due to health issues in Freddy’s family, the couple returned to Arkansas where Freddy pastored a church, and Gayla began working with the Arkansas WMU.

In 2006, Freddy and Gayla came to Maryland to serve the BCM/D. Gayla smiled as she told how BCM/D Executive Director David Lee called WMU Executive Director Wanda Lee, asking if she would consid-er partnering with the BCM/D. David Lee told Wanda Lee he was looking for someone who had lived overseas and “thinks differ-ently” and perhaps was married to a man who would be interested in serving with the BCM/D. She immediately thought of Freddy and Gayla.

“I’ve really enjoyed our time here, helping people be aware of how they can be a part of what God is do-ing world-wide,” Freddy said.

Freddy said he also working with boys in the Royal Ambassadors, and boys’ camps, and watching boys mature both physically and spiritu-ally.

Gayla said she too enjoyed watching young women grow and mature. She, like Freddy, saw girls who were campers grow to be camp counselors.

Her most visible role has been leading the WMU. “It has been a lot of fun to work with women, putting a new face to WMU and seeing WMU, Women’s Ministry and Ministers’ Wives come together and see themselves as not separate teams but as one holistic team. Gayla said part of that change has been through “Breathless,” a women’s conference that helped change how women perceive WMU.

“It was exciting to see the new WMU groups that have come out of

that as women began to realize that is what WMU is. The basic idea of WMU is for women to be involved through praying, giving, and going locally, nationally and internation-ally.”

Gayla also noted that the part-nership between the national WMU

and BCM/D was the first of a con-vention partnering with the national WMU, but it prob-ably will not be the last. Having some-one on the field to help determine what programs and materials “work” and which don’t is valuable, especially in a non-Bible belt area.

In reflecting on the past years in the Baltimore area,

Gayla said that this is a challenging area of the country to minister.

“I’ve been blessed to watch dedicated believers as they try to reach an area that is incredibly lost and diverse...and have tried to live out their faith. Often times they are in very small churches making very small salaries in an area that requires more dollars than most any place else to live. When you’re not in this region, you don’t realize the sacrifice by the men and women living and serving here. I’ve been blessed by their dedication.”

Freddy and Gayla both said the friendships they’ve developed while serving alongside churches have been incredibly special.

“God has used them to bless our lives, all the way from Western Mary-land to the Eastern Shore,” he said.

The couple is excited to begin their ministry in Little Rock. Inter-estingly, Little Rock is now more diverse with a growing population of South East Asians, and the Parkers are looking forward to developing an international ministry.

Freddy and Gayla Parker return ‘home’ to pastor a church in Arkansas


BaptistLIFE recently con-tacted BCM/D’s attorney, Jeff Agnor, regarding the recently approved law permitting same-sex marriages in Maryland. In particular, we asked how this new law will affect churches.

What are the key points in the same sex marriage law that pastors and church leaders need to know?

On November 6, 2011, Mary-land voters approved Question 6, thereby allowing the Civil Marriage Protection Act to become law on January 1, 2013. The Act allows individuals of the same sex to marry in a civil ceremony and enjoy all of the benefits of a married couple. The law, however, includes strong protections for churches and religious organiza-tions. A pastor or other church offi-cial cannot, under any circumstances, be required to perform a marriage ceremony for same-sex couples. The Act unequivocally states that “Each religious organization, association, or society has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine, policy teachings, and beliefs regarding who may marry within that faith.”

Should churches add anything to their bylaws in response to the new law?

That would be an internal deci-sion to be made by the individual church. There is certainly no legal requirement that a church’s govern-ing documents contain any particular provision. That said, it may be good practical advice for a church to amend its constitution or bylaws to state that the church will only recognize a mar-riage between a man and a woman and that the church will not solem-nize or celebrate same-sex marriages. This would be particularly important if the congregation is divided on the issue of same-sex marriage. A minister should feel he is on sound ground in refusing to marry same-sex couples if that is the church’s policy, without fear of reprisal from a faction within the church that may oppose that doc-trine. Of course, any such division in

the church would come to the surface in the process of approving the policy statement.

Will this law affect the renting of church fa-cilities? Can churches choose not to rent to same-sex couples who want to use the facility for weddings or receptions?

The Civil Marriage Protection Act clearly states that churches and other religious organiza-tions cannot be required to provide any facilities or services for the purpose of performing or celebrating same-sex marriages. In fact, this provi-sion extends not only to churches but also to any other “religious organiza-tion, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by a religious organization, association, or society.” This would include, for example, facilities (including camps) owned by the Baptist Convention as well as the various Maryland Baptist associations and agencies. A church can refuse to allow its facilities to be used for same sex marriages even if the refusal would otherwise violate public accommodation laws. It does not matter if the church routinely rents out its facilities to secular orga-nizations, such as scouting or school groups.

Will it affect pre-marital counseling?

Under the Act, no minister or other church official can be required to provide pre-marital counseling to same-sex couples. For the same reasons discussed earlier, it may be advisable for the church’s govern-ing documents to make clear that premarital counseling will not be provided for same-sex couples, if that is the church’s policy.

How does this affect chaplains? Chaplains can refuse to perform

same-sex marriage ceremonies if this would be contrary to their religious beliefs. Any chaplain recognized by a religious order or body to perform marriage ceremonies would be treated the same as the minister of a church under the Act.

Would the result be different if a church had accepted state or federal funds?

A church would not be required to perform or allow its facilities to be used for same sex marriage ceremo-nies simply by accepting government funding. If a church accepts state or federal funds for a specific program or service “related to the promotion of marriage,” that government-funded service or program would have to be made available to same-sex couples. For example, if a church provides a marriage counseling program and accepts a state or federal grant for that program, the church would have to allow same sex spouses to participate in that program. This requirement, however, would be limited to the spe-cific program for which the grant was received. It would not extend to any other programs, services or facilities of the church. It would also not apply to any government-funded program that is not related to “the promotion of marriage.”

Jeff Agnor is an attorney with the firm of Davis, Agnor, Rapaport & Skalny, LLC

in Columbia, Md. He can be reached at (410) 995-5800 or by email at

[email protected]

New law on Same Sex Marriage — How will this affect your church?


NEWS BRIEFSThe Storyteller by Lois Marciniak

Lucille Johnson from Beacon Baptist Church, White Marsh, is the ‘storyteller lady’ at LifeWay Christian Bookstore in White Marsh every Friday at 11 am. Johnson has been the resident storyteller for six years. At-tendance and participation continues to grow.

Children of all ages ar-rive with parents or daycare providers to sit and listen to ‘Ms. Lucille,’ as she sits in a big rocker and shares the story of the day. Johnson sometimes uses puppets to add a bit to the story.

The kids also enjoying singing their special songs. Lots of ‘Jesus Loves Me,’ and ‘My God Is So Good,’ can be heard through the store.

Johnson gives each child lollipops and stickers as they leave and invites them back for the next week.

Missions Conference Colonial Baptist Church, Ran-

dallstown, will host its 14th annual Missions Conference Saturday, Mar. 9, through Monday, Mar. 11, 2013. This year’s Conference theme is, “God’s Call: Wanted......Committed Christians (Isaiah 6:8.)” The guest speaker will be Keithley Saunders, Pastor of The Lighthouse Baptist Church, St Kitts, Caribbean.

The conference will feature international Missionaries serving in Kenya, St. Kitts, the Central African Republic, the Congo, and more. In addition, many local Missions efforts will be represented including Child Evangelism Fellowship and Mission Possible. Other workshops will be conducted by IMB missionaries Keith and Debbie Jefferson; Pastor John Geeter, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Vickie Stewart, Morgan State University campus minister; and many oth-ers. Workshops will be available for adults, children, and youth.

For more information, contact Colonial Baptist Church at (410) 655-1080.

Sportsman’s Banquet Hughesville Baptist Church will

have its third annual Sportsman’s Ban-quet on Mar. 9. Guest speakers will be R.G. Bernier and John Akehurst.

Bernier is an award winning sports writer and photographer. His articles have appeared in “Qual-ity Whitetails,” “North American Whitetail” “New England Game and Fish,” “Outdoor Life,” and “Field and Stream.”

John Akehurst began an orga-nization called “A Higher Calling Huntin’ Team.” The “team” goes to churches and other venues to share goose hunting and other hunting related seminars and to share Jesus.

For more information, call (301) 274-3672.

Chemical Dependency Recovery

Bruce Outreach Center has a chemical dependency recovery group that meets at 7 pm on Mondays.

Concert Faith Baptist Church, Glen

Burnie, will host the band Sanctus Real, with JJ Heller, Unspoken and Bread of Stone in concert on Feb. 25. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $17 at the door. Tickets are available at http://itickets.com, at the Faith Baptist Church of-fice or at His Way Christian Book-store locations.

Grief Share Program Pleasant Valley Baptist Church,

Port Deposit, has a grief share program on Mondays from 6-8 pm beginning Feb. 18.

Women’s Fellowship Clothing Exchange

The Village Church had a women’s fellowship clothing ex-change. The ladies cleaned out their closets and exchanged them with each other. Everyone enjoyed a time of fun and fellowship and left with a “new”

wardrobe.

Ministering to Muslims The Maryland Bible Society,

Christ Fellowship Church, and Grace Community Church, will host “The World of Muslims,” a conference covering the fun-damental beliefs and practices of Islam and how to share the Gospel to and disciple Muslims. The conference will be from 9:30 am to 4 pm at Grace Community Church, Bel Air. The speaker is Asif Mall. Mall To register, go to http://engagingwiththeworldof-muslims.eventbrite.com.

GED Classes First Baptist Church of Suit-

land offers GED preparation classes from 6:30 to 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Unplugged Baltimore The Mid-Maryland Baptist As-

sociation is partnering with Freedom Church of Baltimore to present a one-day conference designed to equip Christians to understand, serve, and positively impact the city of Baltimore.

There will be breakout sessions with urban and suburban pastors, sharing effective strategies for reach-ing the lost.

For more information, see https://www.wecare.org/unplugged.

Simple Giving - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Members of Cresthill Baptist Church, Bowie, meet every other Monday and make over 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to support SOME (So Others Might Eat), an interfaith community based organiza-tion that exists to help the poor and homeless in Washington, D.C.

Lucille Johnson from Beacon Baptist Church is the ‘Storyteller Lady’ at LifeWay Christian Bookstore in White Marsh.

Photo by Rachelle Miller

February - April 2013 BCM/D Events (www.bcmd.org/calendar or 800-466-5290 + ext. below)

FEBRUARY ___________________2 Kids’ Ministry Conference, The Church at Covenant Park,

(x218)5 BCM/D Tour for Language Pastors, BMRC (x222)8-9 Leadership Lab for student leaders, Skycroft (800-536-6759)10 Racial Reconciliation Sunday11-17 Focus on WMU (x218)23 VBS Expo/Celebration, The Church at Severn Run (x218)24 The Baptist Foundation of Maryland/Delaware Sunday25-26 Soul of the Servant Retreat: Spiritual Leadership, Skycroft

(x217)

MARCH ___________________1-2 Women on Mission Retreat, Camp Wo-Me-To (x218)3-10 Week of Prayer for North American Missions (x218)8 African American Awareness Conference, BMRC (x218)15-16 RA Congress, Middle River Church (x226)21-22 Free My Soul Retreat, Skycroft (x217)24 Language Music Celebration, Global Mission (x222)29 BMRC Closed - Good Friday31 Easter Sunday

APRIL ___________________5-6 Ministers Wives Retreat, DoubleTree in Annapolis

(410-977-9852)14 Cooperative Program Sunday (x207)15 Weekday Education Directors Network, BMRC (x218)18-19 Restore My Soul Retreat, Skycroft (x217)19 VBS Rally, First English, Frostburg (x218)20 Medical Missions, The Church at Severn Run (x226)29 AISI Pastor Appreciation Golf Tournament (x245)

CHURCH MAINTENANCE— We do anything that your Building and Grounds people can’t , such as , siding, windows, painting, carpentry and roofing. We will respect your budget. References. ames Dean, Unique Construction (301) 258-2819

DIRECTOR OF MISSIONS— The Potomac Baptist Association (PBA) located in Hughesville, Maryland is searching for a Director of Missions. The PBA consists of 37 churches and missions and serves Charles, St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties in Southern Maryland. Qualifications include a proven abil-ity to strengthen existing churches, to lead in the church multiplication process, and to develop an Acts 1:8 mission strategy. The PBA is affili-ated with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and the South-ern Baptist Convention. For more information about the PBA and the ministry opportunity please visit www.potomacbaptist.net. Resumes should be submitted to the website or by mail to Potomac Baptist As-sociation, 8468 Leonardtown Road, Hughesville, MD 20637.

MAIL, E-MAIL OR FAX YOUR AD: Deadlines are the first day of each

month for the following month’s issue. Classified advertising is 75 cents per word ($18.00 minimum) for BCM/D churches and church members; 85 cents per word ($20.00 minimum) for non-profit organizations; and 95 cents per word ($25.00 minimum) for commercial organizations. Word count does not include words with two letters or less. Contact us for display ad pricing. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any advertiser’s products or services.

CLASSIFIEDS

INTERESTED IN TAKING A SEMINARY CLASS, BUT CONCERNED THAT THE COST OR TIME

REQUIRED IS TOO GREAT A SACRIFICE? Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is now opening up its extension classes to anyone interested in taking them. The classes are taught at the Baptist

Mission Resource Center in Columbia by SBTS pro-fessors and offered free of charge to anyone who wants to audit them. Prior reg-istration is required.

Baptist Mission Resource Center • Columbia, MD

SPRING 2013Session 1: Jan. 25-Feb. 16Leadership & Family Ministry

Session 2: Mar. 1-Mar. 23Intro to MissiologySession 3: April 8-May 4Biblical Hermeneutics

For more information: contact Ken White 443-745-2904 or [email protected] or go to:

www.sbts.edu/extension/centers/columbia-md/

Fridays 7:00-9:30 pm • Saturdays 8:30 am-4:30 pm

Columbia Extension Center


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