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Baptist TrumpetVolume 75 April 29, 2015, Little Rock, Arkansas Number 30

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF ARKANSASwww.baptisttrumpet.com

See MEETING, Page 2 See CASINO, Page 8

See NEPAL, Page 7

Movingwith ministers

and staff

The BMA of Arkansas Mis-sionary Committee will con-sider two new missionary ap-plicants at a called meeting on Tuesday, May 12, at 11 a.m. in the chapel at Temple Baptist Church in Little Rock.

Special Called Meeting

By The Editor Last week in Springfield, Mo., the weather was about like it was here in Arkansas — cold and very wet, then cool and sunny; but the atmo-sphere during the BMA of America meeting was consistently warm and exciting. The theme was “We’re All

University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, Mo.

“We’re All In This Together”In This Together,” and that unity was evident as every motion passed unanimously and every director was re-elected. The only disappointing aspect I noticed was that we did not have any petitioning churches this year. The proposed amendment to the Doctrinal Statement (Article III) concerning marriage was presented and a motion was made and sec-onded to adopt it. There was no dis-cussion, and the amendment will be voted on at next year’s meeting. The attendance this year (656) was about the same as last year (645), but the format was quite different in that the program included three elec-tive sessions where attendees could choose from six different topics. In order to allow time for those ses-sions, the department directors vol-untarily condensed their reports dur-ing the business sessions and made themselves available at allotted times in the display area. The comments I heard about the elective sessions, which were well attended, were all positive and many said, “Let’s do this again!” As always, the music was very good and included the Jacksonville College Choir (led by Tim Tim-mons) and praise teams from An-tioch Baptist Church at Conway (led by Travis Sellers) and Keltys First Baptist Church at Lufkin, Texas (led by Dave Vandergriff ). The current associational officers

Devin DiGuilio, a senior at Central Baptist College, is the new minister of youth at Calvary Baptist Church in Fairfield, Texas. He has been serving as student ministry as-sistant at Oak Park Baptist Church in Little Rock. Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church at Plumerville is seeking a pastor. Re-sumes may be sent to the church, 896 Hwy. 92, Plumerville, AR 72127 or [email protected].

By Samantha Sykora EIM Fundraising/

Promotion Coordinator Saturday, April 25th, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Nepal leaving widespread devastation in its wake. The death toll is over 5,000 and continues to rise. Entire sections of Katmandu, the capital city, were flattened. Adding to the havoc, avalanches were set off around Mount Everest and powerful aftershocks continue to strike fear in the hearts of survivors. This was Nepal’s worst natural disas-

EIM to Respond to EarthquakeDisaster in Nepal

ter in more than 80 years. Evange-listic International Ministries’ (EIM) National Director in Nepal, David Sambahamphe, has described the situation as follows: “My family, children and the whole congregation are very fine by the grace of God. But it is very bad news that some churches have com-pletely collapsed with pastors and the believers all together. A church with 20 believers in Lamosanghu of Sindhupalanchowk district, a church

were re-elected: President Jason Aultman, First Vice President Paul White, Second Vice President Jeff Swart and Recording Clerk Greg Medenwald. James Ray Raines and Jerome Cooper will also continue to serve as recording clerks. Jeff Swart was also chosen to bring next year’s annual message, and James Ray Raines will serve as alternate. The three sermons from this year’s meeting were by Dr. Jason Aultman, Dr. Mark Livingston and Dr. Ronnie Floyd and will be run in upcoming issues of the Trumpet. Another highlight of this year’s meeting was that photos were taken of BMA pastors, preachers, mission-aries and directors of music, youth and education for a new ministerial directory. These directories are pro-duced every five years by the Trum-pet at no cost to the ministers and no profit by the Trumpet. We sponsor the directory so we will have up-to-date photos and as a service to our ministers. Each minister will receive a free copy of the directory and ei-ther a printed 8x10 or a digital copy of their picture. The 2016 BMA of America meet-ing will be held April 25-27 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The 2017 meet-ing will be May 1-3 at the Arling-ton Convention Center in Arling-ton, Tex.; and the messengers chose the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Miss. as the site for the 2018 annual meeting.

By Larry Page, Exec. Dir.Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council

Is Las Vegas-style casino gam-bling in the works for Pulaski Coun-ty? I hope not; but the best answer right now is probably maybe.

We will do all we can to prevent the establishment of a full-blown destination casino with all the trap-pings that go along with that. How-ever, as I explain below, what we are able to do in this area is limited. The purpose of this article is to give you a

Vegas-Style Casino in Arkansas?“heads up” in case you aren’t aware of recent developments and to set out some basic facts. As this matter pro-gresses (assuming for the time being that it will), we will provide more de-tails and updates. The following is a brief factual summary. The Quapaw Indian tribe, head-quartered on the Kansas-Oklahoma border, purchased 160 acres (80 acres in 2012 and another 80 acres in 2013) southeast of Little Rock near the Port of Little Rock indus-trial area. Late last year, the tribe asked the federal government, via the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), to accept a transfer of the land into a federal trust to be held for the use and benefit of the Quapaw tribe. The major benefit for the tribe of having the land in a federal trust is that it would remove the land from local jurisdiction. That, in turn,

-2- BAPTIST TRUMPET, April 29, 2015

Family ArkMinistries

Travis Plumlee, DirectorP.O. Box 163 • Mountain View, Arkansas 72560

www.travisplumlee.comCentral Baptist College1501 College Ave. • Conway, Arkansas 72034

(501) 329-6872 • (800) 205-6872 • www.cbc.edu Twitter: @CentBaptCollege and @tkimbrow

Terry KimbrowPresident

PROFILE

See MEETING, Page 4 See PLUMLEE, Page 3

MEETING(Continued From Page 1)

Parenting is the most important job you will ever have, and God takes this job of yours very seriously be-cause those kids of yours belong to Him. He created them for His pur-pose and His glory, and your job is to raise them and teach them His ways. Parents are commanded by God to make sure that their children honor and obey them so they will grow up to honor and obey Him. We are to teach, instruct and ingrain the Word of God into our children. We are to diligently teach Scripture to them. That word “diligent” is done with hard work and passion and see-ing it as a priority. We are to cause our children to grow toward the Lord. That is what the word “nur-ture” means in Eph. 6:4. Parents are to love their children unconditionally — no matter what and with no strings attached. Chil-dren should be told, “I love you, and there is nothing you can ever do to make me not love you. I can be disap-pointed in you, mad at you and hurt by you; and I can and must discipline you for wrong or sinful choices. But I must always love you.” Some parents get this idea con-fused. They think loving the child means you don’t discipline them, but Proverbs states that if you love your child you will discipline them on an on-going basis. It further states that to not discipline them shows hatred toward your child. Don’t try to be your child’s friend. It will render you totally ineffec-tive as a parent. Your children have friends. They need a loving authority in their life. You are not equal. You are the parent and their overseer. No leadership on the part of the parent means no respect. My job is not to bend over backwards to ca-ter to every fleshly, selfish desire my child has. My job is to love them, forgive them, communicate with them and provide for them, but also to set rules and guidelines about life. I am to teach them right from wrong and discipline them for wrong behavior. When I discipline my child or set some new rules that I think are best for the family, it does not mean my child will always like them. I don’t owe my child an expla-nation for everything I do, but if I feel so led, I can give the child my reasoning behind a rule so they will understand that I am trying to help them in life. Rules in the home are not just arbitrarily set to make their life miserable or take away fun. There

Principles Of Parentingis a purpose for the rules — to teach them and instruct and help them grow into the person God would have them to be. I do not expect my child to un-derstand or appreciate all the things I ask of them, but I do expect them to honor and obey me with the right attitude regarding those rules. Fail-ure to have an honoring attitude will have a consequence. Consistency is another principle of parenting. Some parents discipline and run the home based upon their stress level for the day and how much they are pressed for time. One day the child is yelled at or disciplined for something because the parent is hav-ing a bad day and can’t put up with some things. The next day the child does the same things and nothing happens. This confuses the child and makes them insecure. If the house rules are constantly changing, they do not know what is expected of them. Moral rules about daily living based upon our Christian faith do not change, regardless of what is go-ing on in the home that day and that should be applied to all of the family, regardless of age. Other rules, such as chores and responsibilities, can be flexible and changed based upon age and capabilities. All privileges should be directly tied to work and chores being done. You should not have to nag your kids to clean their room or do other tasks. They should have the chores listed so they know what is expected of them; and if they choose to sit around and play video games all day or text friends and do not do their chores, then there will be no privileges. If friends come over to get them, you simply tell them no because there are no privileges un-til work task are completed. You are not the bad guy. They made the choice to lie around and sleep and goof off all morning, and now they can’t go anywhere that af-ternoon. Stick to your guns and don’t be manipulated by your child. Help them learn one of the most impor-tant lessons in life — the choices we make determine the outcome of our life. Even on a simple day-to-day basis, the choices they make set the pathway that they will travel that day. A critical parenting principle is to encourage your kids. There is a difference between praise and en-couragement. If we give too much gratuitous praise, it will create self-

The following are excerpts from the various reports given during the meeting, in the order they were pre-sented:

Clerk’s Report Although the report showed a bal-ance of over $19,000 as of Dec. 31. However, Recording Clerk James Ray Raines noted that $14,000 has since been paid out in connection with this meeting and other expenses since then. He also noted that producing the yearbook in a CD format instead of in printed form has saved the asso-ciation about $8,000.

WMA President Janet Widger reported an attendance of 106 messengers and 33 visitors at the annual WMA meet-ing the previous day. One auxiliary petitioned — Cornerstone Baptist Church WMA in Jacksonville, Tex. A total of $35,759.43 was col-lected for this year’s annual project, and 80% of that will go to the BMII Laos Nutrition Program. The Presi-dent’s Award, which is given to the WMA that contributes the most to the project, was given to First Bap-tist Church at Springhill, La., for contributing $6,071. The 2015/16 WMA project is major renovations, expansion and furnishing of the existing buildings at the BMA Bible College in Ne-gros Occidental, Philippines under the direction of Missionaries Doug and Diane Lee. (The minutes of the annual WMA meeting will be run in an upcoming issue of the Baptist Trumpet.)

Moral Action Executive Director Dr. John Ad-ams said, “At times, I’m afraid I’m dealing with politicians who are very hard-of-hearing because it’s hard to get them to hear and understand what we, as Baptists, believe. I want to see our nation return to those ‘old time ways’ that honored and glorified Jesus Christ.” He noted that he will be in Wash-ington, D.C. beginning May 20 and will have an opportunity to speak to three U.S. Senators and four Repre-sentatives about “the blatant attitude that is going on in Washington, D.C. and around out nation concerning Christians — how everything is seemingly positive for the Muslims and everything is seemingly down for the Christians.” He also highlighted Moral Action Resolution #5, which states that “we strongly protest and disagree with the proclamation of the president of the United States that the month of June be declared Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender Pride Month.”

I am pleased to announce the es-tablishment of The Rufus and Mil-dred Crawford Endowed Scholar-ship. Mrs. Crawford initiated the creation of the scholarship after Bro. Crawford’s passing on March 8, 2015. Bro. Crawford graduated from Jacksonville Baptist College, Stephen F. Austin University and attended the BMA Theological Seminary. He served with the BMA of America for 67 years as an evangelist, teacher, radio speaker, pastor and missionary to Brazil and Portugal. He also had a long tenure in the field of education as a teacher at a Seminary in Brazil and as president of Columbia Chris-tian School in Magnolia. All five of the Crawford children (Stanley, Di-ann, Kay, Dixie and Telma) attended and graduated from Central Baptist College. The Rufus and Mildred Crawford

Rufus & Mildred CrawfordEndowed Scholarship Established

Endowed Scholarship will give pri-ority to licensed ministerial students majoring in Bible or Missions whose goal is to serve on the foreign mis-sion field. It is such a blessing that Mrs. Crawford chose to honor the memory of Bro. Crawford by creat-ing a scholarship that will continue Bro. Rufus’ legacy by helping stu-dents whose goal is to serve on the foreign mission field. Central Baptist College has over 60 endowed scholarships represent-ing over $2,000,000 in contribu-tions. Endowed scholarships serve as a lasting tribute, and as with all of the endowed scholarships at the institution, the initial donation will be placed in the permanent en-dowment. The principal will never be spent; only the interest will be awarded as scholarships. The scholarship will be awarded by vote of the CBC Scholarship Committee, taking into account the qualifications and eligibility of the applicants as detailed in the scholar-ship agreement. Memorial gifts to the Rufus and Mildred Crawford Endowed Schol-arship Fund can be sent to Central Baptist College, 1501 College Av-enue, Conway, AR 72034. Checks should be made payable to Central Baptist College with “Crawford En-dowed Scholarship” indicated on the memo line. If you have questions or need additional information please contact Sancy Faulk, Vice President for Advancement, at (501) 205-8799 or [email protected].

First, Magnolia, June 8–12. Bodcaw #1, Bodcaw, June 7–12,

6:30–8:30 p.m.; theme: Camp Coura-geous.

Temple, Fordyce, June 15–19; 6–8:30 p.m.; dinner, 5:30–5:50; theme: Everest.

Zion, Fordyce, June 22–25, 8:30–11 a.m.; 4-years-old – 8th grade; theme: Everest.

Shiloh Lamartine, Waldo, June 22–26, 8:30–11:30 a.m.; theme: Camp Kilimanjaro.

Springhill, Greenbrier, June 22–26, 6–8:30 p.m.; for more information con-

tact Katie Patrom at (501) 679-2320; theme: Everest.

Union Grove, Blevins, June 22–26, 6–8:30 p.m.; theme: Camp Courageous.

County Line, Marvell, July 6–10, 9 a.m.–noon; ages 3 through teens; for more information, call (870) 829-3103.

First, North Lewisville, July 13–17, 6:30–8:30 p.m.; Pre-school–6th grade; For more information, contact Michelle Richards (870) 949-4755 or Carol Ruple 703-8149.

Oak Grove, Jonesboro, July 13–17; theme: Armour of God.

Immanuel, Greenbrier, July 19–23, 6–8:30 p.m.; theme: Everest.

First, Buckner, July 20–24, 6–8:30 p.m.; theme: Camp Courageous.

Shady Grove, Prescott, July 27–31, 6:30–8:30 p.m.; for more information, call Kristi Neal (870) 703-3902; theme: To the Edge: God of the Universe.


CHURCH HEALTHP.O. Box 878 • Conway, Ark. 72033-0878

(501) 455-4977 • [email protected] BARKER

Director of Operations North AmericaBMA of America Missions Department

At the end of the movie Schindler’s List, the man who was personally responsible for saving 1,100 from the concentration camps is being thanked by those he rescued. They give him a ring that is engraved in Hebrew saying, “He who saves one life saves the world entire!” You would think he would have been very satisfied and maybe even a little proud of what he had accomplished. Instead, he says, “I could have got more out! I could have got more!” Oskar Schindler begins to weep as he considers how he could have sold his car to the guard and maybe gotten 10 more out. He then real-izes he could have sold his lapel pin and gotten one more out. He is bur-dened and brokenhearted with the reality that he could have gotten one more person. While being thanked for the sacrifices he made and the generations he has preserved, he is overwhelmed with the thought of how much money he had wasted and says, “I didn’t do enough!” Three years ago we cast the vision to plant 100 churches in three years. The deadline has come and gone, with a grand total of 88 churches planted. This was only possible be-cause of so many working together to accomplish this goal. There are many exciting stories of God do-ing great things in the lives of many communities, but let me say it loud and clear — it’s not enough! We can and should desire to do far more be-cause people are lost, Hell is real and Jesus is coming back some day! In Church Zero Peyton Jones says this: “Why did God hardwire each piece of fruit for multiplication, yet when we bear fruit, we see it as the endgame? If we were following God’s design for fruit, we’d know that, like fruit, churches are packages for spreading seeds — for planting multiple churches. One seed be-comes a tree, which becomes another seed factory... That’s what disciples do — they reproduce.” Jones goes on to say, “Staying fo-cused is a challenge, but if you keep breaking off church-planting seeds, seeking, like a piece of fruit, to be a seed-bearing package, then you’ll have no problem. Whether it’s the birds, wind or weather, something will carry those seeds to another destina-tion where they will be needed. Stuff doesn’t grow where it’s not needed, and this world is one needy place.” Here are some observations about our on-going church planting efforts: • Let’s celebrate the victories!

“I Didn’t Do Enough”Let’s make sure we stop and praise the Lord for what He has done and for what He is doing. Sometimes we are not the best at celebrating, but 88 new churches is something to celebrate. These plants are not only reaching English-speaking people groups, but also Russian, Spanish, French, Creole, Erdu, Arabic and the Deaf ! Hallelujah! • Let’s pray and ask God to send the next great awakening to Amer-ica! Revival comes when we begin to cry out to Him with a holy despera-tion. All of the other great awaken-ings were birthed with people on their knees, crying out to God for their nation. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; it is the greater work!” • Let’s remain committed and passionate about our church plant-ing efforts! The temptation is to think we have enough churches and we should focus on strengthening the churches we have. We need more churches (estimated 650,000 more by 2050 just to keep up with popu-lation growth) and we need healthy churches to reach their communities with the gospel. • Let’s encourage and help one another! We really are better to-gether, and we must be careful to not see this as a competition. It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. If a gospel-preaching church opens next door to us, we should rejoice in the truth that more people will probably hear the truth and respond to it in faith. • Let’s make sure our churches are outwardly focused! There is always one more person out there that you can reach. We can make a difference for Christ! If we are not burdened for lost souls, we need to ask God to burden our hearts once again. Every church must get out of their foxhole and once again get out on the offensive. Pew sitting is not a spiritual gift, no matter what you may have heard! • Let’s be willing to give and sac-rifice more! Have we done all that we can? Is there not more we can do? Should church planters be struggling to meet salaries and budget while so many churches have far more than they will ever need? Is there a planter that has been by your church that would be greatly encouraged by your generosity? Has our prosperity caused us to become complacent? • Let’s do more in the next three years! Let’s pray more, witness more, give more and plant more church-

es. If we were totally transparent and honest, would we not say just like Oskar Schindler, “I didn’t do enough!” C.T. Studd put it this way: “I pray that when I die, all Hell will have a party to celebrate the fact that I am no longer in the fight.” Healthy churches reproduce and we are never more like the church in the book of Acts than when we are directly involved in church planting!

PLUMLEE(Continued From Page 2)

centered praise addicts and they will become like trained dogs responding to a praise prompt to do things. Encourage them in doing right things by saying, “I appreciate you picking up your clothes without me having to ask you; that showed me that you are really growing up.” Praise would be more along the lines of, “You’re so cute and smart. You are just the smartest kid in the world.” There is nothing wrong with praising your children, but it needs to have limits and be genuine. All people, adults and kids alike, thrive off of encouragement, and no one gets enough. Discouraged kids fall prey to destructive lifestyles. These are some important verses on parenting to study: Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:1-4; I Thes. 5:11; I Cor. 13:7 and Prov. 23:13-14.

MORAL ACTIONP.O. Box 305 • Mantachie, Miss. 38855

(662) 231-3863 • www.macbma.netDR. JOHN M. ADAMS

Executive [email protected]

Mrs. Adams and I have repre-sented the BMA of America and BMA of Mississippi at the Annual “Watchmen on the Wall” confer-ence in Washington, D.C. on sev-eral occasions. We saw thousands of Christians from all walks of life join together in prayer and praise for our nation. We all share a common con-cern of “reminding spiritual leaders of our nation’s Judeo-Christian heri-tage.” Many churches and Christians are misinformed about their “rights” re-garding political activism in relation to the church. Pastors and churches may speak in regard to social and moral issues. They may speak about the actions of government officials in public offices and the positions of political candidates in regard to reli-gious, social and moral issues. Pastors and ministers who are act-ing as individual citizens and not as an official church leader, have the same rights as every other American citizen to involve themselves in po-litical activity. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prohibits churches from partic-ipating in or intervening in a politi-cal campaign. The IRS Code requires that churches refrain from supporting or opposing a candidate’s campaign and they may not make direct contri-butions to a candidate/political party. Thus the church may not contribute anything of value to a candidate (eg: the church mailing list). Many Christian leaders, including pastors, ministers and associational leaders, are concerned about the legal consequences of political in-volvement in relation to the church. Be aware that you do not have to be passive and silent.

Political Activity Guidelines The following is a guideline list for “Political Activity” by churches and pastors published by the Alliance Defending Freedom: • Discuss the positions of candidates on issues (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Endorse or oppose candidates (church, no; pastor, yes) • Financial contributions to candi-dates (church, no; pastor, yes) • In-kind contributions to candi-dates (church, no; pastor, yes) • Contributions to political action committees (PAC) (church, no; pas-tor, yes) • Payment of expenses for atten-dance at a caucus or state/national political party convention (church, no; pastor, yes) • Appearance of candidate at

Voting Politics and My Churchchurch meeting or service (church, yes) • Non-partisan voter registration activities (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Non-partisan voter identifica-tion activities (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Non-partisan get-out-the-vote activities (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Non-partisan voter education (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Lobbying for or against legisla-tion (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Expenditures related to state ref-erendums (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Distribution of candidates sur-veys (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Distribution of voting records of incumbents (church, yes; pastor, yes) • Distribution of candidate cam-paign literature (church, no; pastor, yes) • Distribution by others of politi-cal materials in church parking lots (church, yes)

Vote! I encourage our pastors, ministers and laity to get ready to vote your Biblical values and follow a long line of Spiritual leaders who engaged their culture, including: • Moses petitioned Pharaoh for the liberty of God’s people • Nathan confronted King David for his sinful actions as a leader • Elijah faced off against King Ahab who promoted idolatry and immorality • Isaiah condemned moral decay in the culture • Amos was against injustice in so-ciety • Daniel pronounced judgment on King Nebuchadnezzar for promot-ing idolatry • John the Baptist pointed out the adultery of King Herod • Peter stood up to the Jewish leadership who restricted his free-dom to preach Be silent no more — vote and voice your values!

By Drs. Philip Attebery, Dean Jesus Christ commissioned His followers to make disciples. Since 2011, the BMA Theological Semi-nary in Jacksonville, Texas has used the BMA’s DiscipleWay process to assist local churches and their mem-bers to equip themselves for the work of making disciples. More than 600 individuals have completed DiscipleWay training since the initial training session held in May 2011. The Lord has used many of those individuals to disciple multiple generations of individuals throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. Spanish versions of the entire DiscipleWay curriculum also exist and have found use throughout North, Central and South Americas. The next DiscipleWay training is scheduled for June 8-11 at the Semi-nary. Although participants will need to pay for their study materials, the seminary will offer the training itself without charge to those interested in earning DiscipleWay certification. Space is limited, so contacting the seminary dean’s office soon will help ensure a place for participants: BMA Theological Seminary, PO Box 670, Jacksonville, Texas 75766; (903) 586-2501; (800) 259-5673; www.bmats.edu.

Seminary OffersDiscipleWay Training

DISTRICT CALENDAR

Greenbrier Men, May 9, 7:30 a.m.; Charles Costa, guest speaker; Needs Creek, Greenbrier.

Jonesboro Brotherhood, May 12; Pros-pect, Jonesboro.

Mt. Vernon Brotherhood, June 8, 6:30 p.m.; Central, Hughes.

Central WMA, July 11, 10 a.m.; Temple, Little Rock.

Jonesboro WMA, July 11; Prospect, Jonesboro.

Greenbrier WMA, July 16, 10 a.m.; Spring-hill, Greenbrier; Jordan Bowen, speaker; Project: Baptist Trumpet.


Baptist Trumpet (USPS 043-720) (ISSN 0888-9074) Published by the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas; sponsoring Missions, Benevolence and Christian Education.

MRS. DIANE SPRIGGS, Editor and Business [email protected]

P.O. Box 192208 • Little Rock, Arkansas 72219-2208Telephone (501) 565-4601 • Fax Line (501) 565-NEWS

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Price: $18.50 per year; Church Plan: 36 cents per copy Published weekly except for one week in April, May, July, Sep-tember, November and December. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas. Editorial offices at 10712 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Arkansas 72209. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Bap-tist Trumpet, P.O. Box 192208, Little Rock, Arkansas 72219-2208. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the churches of the BMA.

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See MEETING, Page 5

Coordinating Council Chairman Ed Stephenson stated that the purpose of the Council is to “cast a unified vision and promote cooperation between the depart-ments and/or agencies of the BMA of America.” He noted that the Council has met with the depart-ment leaders, workers and agencies and “they blessed our hearts as we listened to their passion, the plans and their commitment as they all work together for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He also said, “After going over their budgets with them and listen-ing to their burdens, we know they are committed to sound financial stewardship and they are to be com-mended for their use of the Lord’s financial resources. “It is amazing what we are able to do with the funds that are being given because, quite honestly, some of them are not increasing a great deal, but the people in these departments are doing an outstanding job of working with the resources they have.” He also encouraged each church to adopt the amendments concern-ing biblical marriage into their lo-cal church’s doctrinal position. “We are living in a time when the local church, perhaps very soon, will be challenged and targeted by the Gay Agenda to use their facilities. If you already have this to cover you in your Doctrinal Statement, you will be on good ground; but if you wait, you could be dealing with some lible suits coming against you.” He also encouraged churches to


Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life (ARTL) sent me the following information that will be valuable to anyone who cherishes the life of the unborn.

Memorial Garden A Memorial Garden is located behind the Life Center on our back property at 1515 South University Ave. in Little Rock. It is open to anyone who wants to enjoy the gar-den and remember unborn lives lost due to abortion or natural causes. The purpose of the garden is to bring healing and reconciliation to parents of aborted children, to parents who have lost an unborn child and for those who love and work to protect unborn children from legal abortion. Phase 1 was funded by donations and Father Thomas Keller. The art-ist/contractor, Joe Barnett of Little Rock Land Design, also donated his talent and skills in designing and contracting the work. We are still planning Phase 2, which will include planting of bush-es and flowers to bloom different seasons. Phase 3 will be an area of the property dedicated for remem-brance of those lives lost at the abor-tion clinic next door over the years or possibly lost within Pulaski County since 1973. That part will be under the direction of the Rachel Memo-rial Foundation and will include a plaque. We are relying on donations and volunteers for the completion of the Memorial Garden to the Unborn. We hope that men’s/women’s groups or possibly Eagle Scouts can help with service projects to help com-plete the work.

Letter to a Mother The Arkansas Catholic did a recent article that prompted a critical letter about the Memorial Garden to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette from a mother that had lost a child. This is a portion of my response to her: “My deepest sympathies go out to you and to all mothers who have suf-fered the loss of a child. The Memo-rial Garden will be open to the com-

Right To Life munity for all to enjoy as a place of prayer and reflection for those who have suffered the loss of a child but also stands as a memorial to remem-ber all those lives lost as a result of legal abortion. “The Life Center was built in 1995 by Father Thomas Keller because the property was located next to a very busy abortion clinic. The Life Center houses the state office of Arkansas Right to Life and has included both physical and spiritual life activities over the years. For many years, the lives of thousands of unborn babies came to an end at 1529 South Uni-versity. “The killing next door stopped in 2004. Father Keller has graciously agreed to allow his back property at the Life Center to be developed into a place to remember and pray for life, where all who respect life may come to share in the beauty of the garden. I know that some women live to regret their abortion decision and may seek reconciliation with their child. The Memorial Garden is a place dedicat-ed to remembering unborn lives lost and those who suffer from their loss. When it is finished, all are welcome to visit to find rest and peace.”

Crosses For Life

The Crosses for Life Memorial is a traveling display of 4,000 small wooden white crosses to represent the number of unborn children killed by legal abortion everyday in America. Churches throughout Arkansas are invited to participate in the Crosses

for Life Memorial by hosting it on their property or property in their community to bring awareness to this tragic loss of human life. There is no cost for use of the display but the hosting church has to be responsible for setting up the display, holding a Dedication Service, dismantling the display and doing an inventory of any crosses that may need to be re-placed or repaired to keep it in good order for the next host. ARTL was recently contacted by a young man from Hot Springs who was working on his Eagle Scout proj-ect. We told him about our Crosses for Life outreach and asked if he would build crosses to replace ones that were broken. He agreed and built and painted about 200 small white crosses and delivered them to ARTL Board Member Marianne Linane. The Teen Challenge group in Hot Springs also has assisted us this past summer with doing an inventory, re-placing and repainting the display of about 4,000 small wooden crosses. For more information on ARTL, Contact Rose Mimms at (501) 663-4237 or visit their website at www.artl.org.

place the BMA Foundation in their monthly budget to help cover their monthly operating expenses.

Lifeword Media Ministries During a video, it was noted that this ministry began in September 1965 with one broadcast on one station in St. Louis, Mo., by Harold Morris as director of what was then the Harvest Gleaner Hour. Lifeword now reaches over 100 countries on 5 continents in 38 languages to a potential audience of billions. The department’s vision remains the same: “To use media to reach the world for Christ.” According to the video, “If Face-book users were a country, that country would be the largest in the world… Through their new ‘Stories’ Series, and with the help of BMA church members who agree to be-come media missionaries, Lifeword is responding to the needs of a new media culture.” During his report, Executive Di-rector Steve Crawley said, “To be-come a media missionary, take out your phone and text the word ‘stories’ to 99000. Then as we release these stories monthly, we simply ask that you share those with your friends and acquaintances through social media and allow God to do the rest. “We have partnered with need-him.org who will help us with the follow-up as people hear these per-sonal testimonies which point them to the greatest story ever told — the story of Jesus and His love.” Chaplain Scott Carson, the high-est ranking BMA chaplain, spoke briefly and assured the association that “your chaplains still enjoy com-

plete religious freedom while serving in the United States Army.” Another highlight of this year’s report was a special in song (“Never Once”) by former members of the Lifeword Singers and led by Jerene Reddin, the former director of music ministries at Lifeword.

BMA Seminary “I firmly believe that no other school in the United States has the same emphasis that we have in preaching and presenting the min-istry of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ,” said President Dr. Charley Holmes. “If you want to learn to study and learn to preach and present the gospel and preach God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation with that strategy of honoring Christ, BMA Seminary in Jacksonville is where you need to be. “The second most important thing in a pastor’s ministry beyond presenting the Word is being able to make disciples — being able to teach others how to teach others how to transmit Christian life skills to other people. I think we do a better job of that than anybody in the United States.” Testimonies were then given by three former seminary graduates who finished their doctoral degrees this year — Scott Attebery, Steve Crawley and Philip Attebery (who finished his second doctoral degree). “About 55 years ago, BMA Semi-nary awarded four Doctor of The-ology degrees,” said Drs. Attebery. “When we became accredited, we



See MEETING, Page 6

Antioch East, Magnolia, report-ed one by baptism. Ron Owen, pas-tor; Barbara Knight, reporter.

Bethlehem, Greenbrier, added five by letter. Dr. Martin Jameson, pastor.

Brister, Emerson, welcomed two by baptism. Dr. Eric Goble, pastor; Becky Fitzpatrick, reporter.

Bodcaw, Bodcaw, accepted two by baptism. Lane Garner, pastor; Russ Carlton, reporter.

Calvary, Warren, witnessed three professions of faith. Aimee Morgan, reporter.

Fairview, Blytheville, received one by baptism. Coy Camp, pastor.

Fairview, Jonesboro, gained three by baptism and two by letter. Paul White, guest speaker; Brenda Woodbury, reporter.

First, Bald Knob, added one by letter. Mike Ball, pastor; Marlene Barnes, reporter.

First, Buckner, accepted one new member. Andy Hawkins, pastor.

First, Magnolia, accepted one by letter. Brent Summerhill, pastor.

First North Lewisville, Lew-isville, added three by letter. Dee Ruple, pastor; Michelle Richards, reporter.

First, Waldo, welcomed two by letter. Shane Crank, pastor.

Grace, Russellville, received two new members. Roger Pearce, pastor.

Immanuel, Jonesboro, reported

two by baptism. Marvin Tate, pastor. Landmark, England, gained one

by baptism. Reagan Shearer, pastor; Alyssa Doughty, reporter.

Missionary Grove, Prescott, gained two by letter and one by state-ment. Lenora McWilliams, reporter.

Mt. Pleasant, Plumerville, ac-cepted two new members. Stacey Bell, reporter.

Park Ave., Searcy, received one by baptism. Keith Lunceford, pastor.

Park View, North Little Rock, welcomed one by letter. Dr. Brian Sheppard, pastor.

Pleasant Grove, Annieville, added two by baptism and witnessed other two professions of faith. Jerry Clements, pastor.

Prospect, Jonesboro, received one by baptism and witnessed four professions of faith. Mike Book, pas-tor; Michelle McCrackin, reporter.

Union Grove, Blevins, witnessed one profession of faith. Ann Woods, reporter.

Victory, Gentry, reported two by letter and two by statement. Dennis Taylor, pastor; Jean Yount, reporter.

Western, Emerson, gained one by letter. Tommy Parker, pastor.

Zion, Fordyce, received two by letter. Nick Flowers, pastor.

Magnolia, Hattiesburg, Miss., added one by baptism and two by letter. Greg Medenwald, pastor.

had to back off of that a little bit due to resources and things and it be-came obvious that we were not com-pletely credentialed to continue of-fering those doctoral degrees. Since that time, we have relied upon other schools and all of us have graduated from other schools, not from BMA Seminary, with our doctorates. But we are now seriously considering of-fering a Doctor of Ministry degree at BMA Seminary, and that is exciting. Our goal is, in 2017, to have a Doc-tor of Ministry program, and we’ll need your support, encouragement and prayers that our accreditation entities would favor that.”

DiscipleGuide Church Resources During a video, Executive Direc-tor Dr. Scott Attebery noted that 80% of churches in the United States are either “stagnant or in decline” and “over 4,000 churches close every year and there are less than half the num-ber of churches in America today as there were 100 years ago. There isn’t just one reason why this is happen-ing — there are many… at Disciple-Guide, we see these challenges as a call to prayer and to action. “As the needs of small churches across the BMA have changed, Dis-cipleGuide is changing, too. We have become a ministry whose total focus is all about meeting the needs of the local church with relevant solutions. “DiscipleGuide will always re-main your trusted resource for help-ing you make disciples through Sun-day School and other small group venues,” he continued. “But Disci-pleGuide has grown into something so much more than that.” Daniel Springs Camp Director Jason Prewitt, DiscipleGuide Man-aging Editor of Compass Dr. Mark Livingston and Church Solutions Director Todd West spoke briefly. Then Dr. Attebery noted the follow-ing “numbers:” 9 new writers who are developing new adult Sunday School material, which is due to be shipped

Raines to be Honored North View Baptist Church (for-merly Lynch View) in North Little Rock will honor James Ray Raines for his many years of service on Sun-day, May 3, beginning with a meal at 11:45 and followed by a time of tribute at 1 p.m. The program will include an open microphone type forum for anyone who would like to speak. Bro. Raines, who served as the church’s pastor for over 24 years, from December 1990 until his retire-ment Feb. 22. He now serves there as pastor emeritus. He surrendered to the ministry July 26, 1953 and was ordained in October 1953. When he was a junior in high school, he started pastoring three churches — Sulphur Springs at Fordyce, Chapel Hill at New Edin-burg and Zion at Fordyce — before he accepted the full time pastorate at Chapel Hill. His other pastorates include First Baptist Church in Gur-don and Immanuel Baptist Church at Camden. He is a graduate of Central Bap-tist College, served as president there from April 1984 until August 1990 and was named CBC Alumnus of the year in 1981. He also attended Columbia Bible School. For several years, he has served as recording clerk for the BMA of America and has held many other associational offices, including: BMA Committee on Arrangements; chairman, Arkansas Missionary Committee; State Missions Advi-sory Committee; chairman, BMA of Central Arkansas Missionary Com-mittee; advisor, BMA of Central Ar-kansas Youth Hour; camp director, BMA Camp at Budd Creek; and vice chairman of the board of the El Samaritano Clinic. In 1957, Bro. Raines married Ann Oldner, and they have three children

Leo and Dorothy Franks, long time members of Macedonia Bap-tist Church at Magnolia, celebrat-ed their 72nd wedding anniversary on April 13.

Bro. & Mrs. Harold A. Holifield celebrated their 67th wedding anni-versary at lunch April 17 with their children, Charles (Kathy) Holifield and Pat (Sidney) Davis. Bro. Holifield pastored BMA Baptist churches for 70 years but is now retired and serves as pastor emeritus at First Baptist Calhoun, Miss., and still fills the pulpit for his pastor, Leon Carmical, occasionally. He is also retired from Jones Junior College as a vocational instructor of Automotive Machinery. Mrs. Holif-ield is the former Annie Pearl (Ann) Graham. They have four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. The Ho-lifield’s address is 89 Floyd Walters Rd., Laurel, MS 39443.

Holifields Celebrate67th Anniversary

Willie Ray Bond, 81 of Green-wood, died April 20 at Mercy Hos-pital in Fort Smith with a brain bleed. He had been a BMA minis-ter for 42 years, serving churches in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. He was “a scholar of the Bible” from Mount Olive’s Seminary and was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Survivors include his wife, Stella Bond; three children, Tony (Steila) Bond of Wynne, Timmy (Fran-

Ray Bond, BMAMinister, Dies

cis) Bond of Marvell and Tammy (Charles) Jones of Greenwood; two sisters, Catherine Ladner and Doris Cameron both of Mississippi; and 14 grandchildren. Funeral services were held April 24 at Denver Street Baptist Church in Greenwood with George Reddin and Ronnie Deal officiating. Inter-ment was at Liberty Cemetery under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood. Memorials may be made in his name to Minister Resource Services, c/o Denver Street Baptist Church, 1413 W. Denver St., Greenwood, AR 72936. (mcconnellfh.com)

Mary Ann Perry Casey, 73 of Caldwell, died April 23. She had been in poor health for the past several years. She was a member of Rondo Baptist Church at Lexa, where her husband, Jim Casey, serves as pastor. Mrs. Casey was a lifelong resident of St. Francis County and was a floral designer. Other survivors include: two

Casey, Pastor’s Wife, Dies

— Tommy, Mike and Kim — and four grandchildren. The Raines’ address is 5300 Tim-ber Creek Cir., North Little Rock, AR 72116.

daughters, Terri Hughes of Caldwell and Shawn Hartman of Forrest City; a sister, Bobbie Crisp of Caldwell; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held April 25 at Stevens Funeral Home in Forrest City and interment was at Hughes Cemetery. (stevensfuneral-home.net)

Pilgrims Rest, May 3–8, Sun-day, 10:30 and 6 p.m.; weeknights, 7 p.m.; Randy Click, evangelist; Kevin Edwards, pastor.

New Liberty, Emmet, April 27–May 1, 7 p.m.; speakers (in order by night), Donnie Dillard, Randy Cox, David Dillard, Cary Cox and Dewayne Dillard; James Cox, pas-tor.

Plainview, Jay, Okla., May 17–20; Sun. 10 a.m., 5:30 p.m.; weeknights, 7 p.m.; Kim Schmiet, evangelist; Conley Chesney, pastor.

Bodcaw #1, Bodcaw, July 27–31, 7 p.m.; Ron Owens, evangelist; Lane Garner, pastor.

County Line, Marvell, Aug. 2–5; Jerry Goodwin, evangelist; Joey McIntosh, pastor.

Oack Grove, Jonesboro, Aug. 9–12, Jerry Jolly, evangelist; Wyn-del King, pastor.


Church at Willow Beach in North Little Rock is seeking a part-time youth minister. Resumes may be sent to the church at 11200 Hwy 165, North Little Rock, AR 72117. For more information, contact pas-tor Roy Tilley at (501) 955-7679 (office) or 425-9685 (cell).

Missions Month, April 29, 6:45 p.m., Jeff Franks; May 13, 6:45 p.m., Sam Freeman; May 17, 5 p.m., Doug Lee, meal after service; for more information, contact Pat Douglas at (870) 637-5522.

Yard Sale for Trenton WMA, May 1–2; 8 a.m.–2 p.m.; at the corner of Hwy 49 and Airport Rd. in West Helena; proceeds go toward new carpet for the church.

Pastor/Bible conference, May 1–3; seven sermons in three days: Fri., night, Rocky Good-win, Roger Copeland; Sat., David Dillard, James Ray Raines, Mitch Dulaney, Glen E. Tropp; will conclude Sun. morning; special music by Cap-tain Smead; Zion, Fordyce.

Southern Jubilee Gospel Singing Con-vention, May 1, 6 p.m.; May 2, 5 p.m.; Shady Grove, Piggott; Robert Gunnels, pastor.

Family & Friends Day, May 3, 10 a.m.; Leonard Knight, message; “Called to Stand,” special music; morning and after lunch at the church; Fairview, Jonesboro.

13 Lessons Vital ToEvery Church Member DiscipleGuide believes in the local church. After all, Jesus estab-lished, commissioned and contin-ues to rule the church. Therefore, it should be of utmost importance to all believers. That’s why the summer 2015 quarter of lessons in the Com-pass adult Sunday school curriculum is vital to every church member. In this last edition of the “We Believe” series, Dr. E. Harold Hen-derson focuses on what we believe about the church. Topics include: the

out in the winter of 2016; 20 college students will be working in various capacities at Daniel Springs Camp; 9 free “Tuesday Talk” webinars online at 10:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month; and 6 local churches on the “Activate Church Revitalization Program” with 10 on a waiting list.

(Continued Next Week)


D e a t h sPhyllis Glover Kinley Case, 93

of North Little Rock, died April 27. She was a member of North View Baptist Church.

Betty J. Crow, 64 of Crossett, died April 26. She was a member of Beech Street Baptist Church.

Elzia Lee (Pete) James, 83 of Brad-ford, died April 25. He was a member of Russell Baptist Church at Russell.

Maxine Toth, 97 of Hot Springs, died April 16. She was a member of Charity Heights Baptist Church.

Tami Suzette Ward, 51 of Conway, died April 14. She was a member of Central Baptist Church and was the daughter of Bill Ward, who previously served at Lifeword as director of devel-opment and of television production.

Effective this May, Jacksonville College ( JC) in Jacksonville, Texas will begin offering its first fully on-line associate degree program. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Col-leges (SACSCOC) has approved Jacksonville College’s request to offer 50% or more of the credits for degree and diploma programs via electronic distance learning (online courses). According to JC Academic Dean Lynn Nabi, “This approval from SACSCOC shows their faith in the educational degree we are provid-ing to our students. This will provide long-term stability and growth for Jacksonville College.” The new online degree program will benefit students who have dif-ficulty physically commuting to classes. The flexibility of being able to arrange classes around their own schedule and from any location will allow many students to earn a degree while saving time and money that would otherwise be spent commut-ing to and from campus. Individuals with difficult work demands, family responsibilities, physical limitations or generally busy schedules will be able to attend virtual classes on their own schedules. Students from all over the world will now be able to earn an associate degree from Jack-sonville College without stepping on campus. Be sure to take advantage of Jack-sonville College’s online courses. Registration is ongoing, and tuition rates are reduced for Maymester and Summer I and II. Summer Pell Grants are available for those who qualify. All Maymester courses will be online courses. The Summer I and II and Fall 2015 terms will offer online

Jacksonville College Offers Online Degrees

and traditional face-to-face courses. Maymester courses are scheduled for May 14-29. Summer I will run from June 2 to July 2, Summer II will run from July 8 to Aug. 6, and Fall 2015 will run from Aug. 17 to Nov. 24. Full course schedules are available at www.jacksonville-college.edu. Online application for admission is available for new students, and current students may register for classes online. Jacksonville College subscribes to the Texas Common Course Num-bering System, and core course cred-its easily transfer to participating institutions. As a faith-based junior college with a state based curricu-lum, JC also offers a solid foundation for ministerial students who wish to complete the Texas Core courses necessary to pursue a degree at the BMA Theological Seminary in Jack-sonville. Jacksonville College exists to pro-vide a quality education from a bibli-cal worldview that challenges minds, transforms lives and equips students for servant leadership and lifelong learning. The college is owned and operated by the Baptist Missionary Association of Texas and has been affiliated with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention since 2004.

founding of the first church, the officers of the church, guard-ing the purity of the church, the ordinances of the church and the destiny of the church. New church members will be strength-ened and long-time church members will be encouraged by these lessons. For more information or to order curriculum, go to discipleguide.org or call (800) 333-1442.

Fairview Baptist Church at Jonesboro is seeking a bivocational pastor. Resumes may be sent to Richard White, 3216 Neil Circle, Jonesboro, AR 72401.

Twin Oaks Baptist Church at Clarks-ville is seeking a bivocational pastor. Re-sumes may be sent to Pulpit Committee, PO Box 1306, Clarksville, AR 72830.

Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church at Plumerville is seeking a full time pastor and accepting BMA applicants at this time. Please send resumes to [email protected].

Dorotha Evans, 87 of New Edin-burg, died April 10. She was a member of Chapel Hill Baptist Church.

Simple Salvation: Back to the Basics Crusade, May 4–9, 6–8 p.m.; El Dorado/Union Co. Recreational Complex, sponsored by Mt. Union and Murmil Heights Baptist Churches; nightly speakers (in order) Terry Smith, Si Duke, Mike Roberson, Danny Kilcrease, Joey Lisemby, Mike Wallace; For more information, call Mike Roberson at (870) 862-6830 or 814-1748.

Pancake Breakfast, May 16, 8–11 a.m.; adults, $7; 10 and under, $4.50; Fairview, Jonesboro.

Know the Truth Prison Ministry Presen-tation and Message, May 24, Sunday School, 10 a.m.; worship at 11 a.m.; presentation by Joy and Eddie Kelso; Landmark, Elizabeth.

Upcoming Events


P.O. Box 195514 • 10712 Interstate 30 • Little Rock, AR 72219 Office (501) 565-4601 • E-Mail: [email protected]

MissionariesHERSHEL CONLEY, The Bridge, Mountain Home;(870) 656-4080 MICHAEL HIGHT, Hispanic Outreach, Little Rock; (501) 326-0198

JIM TOLLISON, Mustard Seed, Alma; (870) 370-3938CHAD WHITE, Connection Point, Brookland; (870) 243-4683

Associate MissionariesJORGE VASQUEZ, El Faro, Little Rock; (501) 575-2720

www.bmaofarkansas.com

PAUL WHITEExecutive DirectorFacebook.com/ArkansasMissions

Seeking Director of Annual Fund GivingGeneral Responsibilities: The Director is responsible for the planning, coordinating, and directing the annual fund of the College including, but not limited to, special fundraising projects. The Director will work under the direct supervision of the Vice President for Advancement in coordination with the College President to manage a comprehensive, strategic, and integrated effort to build CBC’s base of donors and increase the level of support to annual giving and special projects.

Qualifications: Minimum Bachelor’s Degree and the ability to manage donor relations with a high degree of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality. The ideal candidate should also have exceptional oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects/deadlines and possess a service-oriented, team player attitude. Fundraising experience preferred. Travel required. Candidate must support the Christian identity of the College and demonstrate mature faith, Christian lifestyle, and a strong belief in Baptist Doctrine.

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Application review will begin immediately and continue until position is filled

Interested candidates must send via e-mail a cover letter as an attach-ment addressed to Central Baptist College, Attention: Sancy Faulk, Vice President for Advancement, 1501 College Avenue, Conway, AR 72034. The e-mail must also include a brief statement of faith and resume (in-cluding references). Electronic submissions only. No phone calls please.

Workers reach the highest peak of Connection Point’s building this past week.

Patience, according to Webster, is “the ability to accept without com-plaint an inconvenience or delay. My definition is the art of putting up with people in general. Like all the traits, patience begins with attitude. In our culture, we are not trained to be patient. We are more like the person who prayed, “Lord give me patience and give it now.” The message is clear — there is no time to waste. We seek instant grati-fication. Just waiting on a computer to boot up is annoying. We use cred-it, even though it will cost us more later, and we pay more for overnight delivery. If we are prone to be so impatient with things, it is no surprise that we become impatient with people. We will see that patience is one of the traits of a loving person. “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men” (I Thess. 5:14). Now individu-ally, determine in your mind which of these commands you feel you can obey fairly easily and the ones with which you might struggle. There are two keys to developing the attitude of patience in everyday life: • We must have realistic expecta-tions. If you expect a lot out of peo-ple, you will be disappointed most of the time because, after all, they are just human. • Being patient means loving a person even when they make choices with which you disagree. That is one way love will manifest

Ingredients for a Successful Fruitful Christian Life

Patience: Part 1 itself. I know it is hard to accept, but not everyone operates according to our priorities. When we stick to our beliefs and refuse to be drawn into a confrontation over our differences, we will most likely have a greater bearing on the outcome. We do not control other people, but we do in-fluence one another. Patience creates an atmosphere that makes a positive influence possible. (To be continued.)

Ain’t God Good! Sunday, I had the privilege of filling the pulpit at Fairview Bap-tist Church in Jonesboro, the first church I ever pastored. God’s Holy Spirit filled the house as a father, his teenage son and another lady came forward to receive Christ and two more came by letter. Wow, Old Brother Paul almost lost his dignity! I encourage each of you to go back to the time you were saved and to be sure what you need is what you have. You see, two of these had thought that they were saved years ago. Think about it, you cannot afford to be wrong! Praise His Holy Name.

From Our Missionaries Connection Point, Brookland: Chad White writes, “It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at Connection Point. We have been able to continue to make progress on the construction of our building. “I want to say a special ‘Thank you’ to Sonny Lingenfelter for allowing us to use some of his equipment. I also want to thank Barry Holt for working with us on the project. Additionally, I want to thank Richard Belk for go-ing above and beyond in every way, including getting us a driveway into the jobsite. While I am passing out thanks, I want to say a special ‘Thank you’ to the members of the ‘Pairs and Spares Class’ at Unity Baptist Church in Hope. They sent our mission a generous offering to help us purchase chairs for our new worship center. May God bless you. “Sunday was an exciting day. We heard a report from some of our members about their recent mission trip with EIM to Honduras. What a blessing it was to hear about what God is doing there in the lives of so many. Also on Sunday, we had sev-eral of The Master’s Builders with us.

It was incredible to have them come and worship with us. They have come to help us with the construction of our new building, and we couldn’t be more excited to have them here. You can read more about the work they are doing in next week’s article.” The Mustard Seed, Alma: Jim Tollison writes, “We have been busy over the last couple of weeks. Becky and I attended the United Associa-tion WMA quarterly meeting held in Russellville at a local fish house. The program was both fun and infor-mative. “Last Sunday afternoon, Becky spoke at a ladies tea held at Hat-tieville Baptist Church. “We have had some really good services the last couple of weeks. The Lord was with us in special ways during our worship services. This last Sunday we had about 30 folks at the service. Some of our members we had not seen for a while came back and the fellowship was sweet. “Please pray for Lisa Hall, one of our members, who broke her arm in a four wheeler accident. Keep pray-ing for the family of seven to join the work at Mustard Seed and for the fa-ther to find a good job in the area so they will not have to relocate. Thank you for your continued prayers for us and may God bless each of you.” El Faro, Little Rock: Jorge Vasquez writes, “Thank God for His grace and mercy. Yesterday, we were very blessed with 108 people in the Mission Lighthouse. God refreshed us with the great purpose He has for our lives and we recalled the urgent need to carry out the Great Com-mission in Jerusalem and worldwide. Many brethren responded to the call of God to do His will. “At the last clinic, two people ac-cepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Thank God for the work He is doing in our mission. Thank you for your prayers, and for your support. May God continue to bless you.”

NeedPrinting?

Trumpet Printingcan help. Call(501) 565-0479

NEPAL(Continued From Page 1)

with almost 160 believers in Ree vil-lage of Dhading, a church with 80 believers in Kapan of Kathmandu and a church with around 70 in Si-tapaila of Kathmandu have been col-lapsed all together with the pastors and the believers. “Most of the people in Kath-mandu are in the streets, roads and stream beds where there is available open place. We are distributing wa-ter and instant noodles to the people who are staying surrounding our church. Regarding the distribution to the other public places in Kath-mandu, we need a very big range of stuff as well as enough volunteers be-cause there are many more people. “I would like to inform you the ex-act situation here in Kathmandu and outside of Kathmandu in remote ar-eas that more people have been killed in Kathmandu valley. It is the most affected area. Most of the NGO and INGOs as well as governments facilities are here first to serve the people, but here in Kathmandu, the rescue work still is not completed. Some people are still alive but they are under the collapsed buildings. “In some areas, the dead bodies are still not taken out and have be-gun to smell in the whole area. You may guess how much need is still here in Kathmandu. Regarding the remote areas, even the rescue team still has not reached most of the area there. There is no stuff (tents, food, etc.) for those who are alive because most of the foods and clothes have

been collapsed with the houses. They have nothing. You may know that there are no banks in the villages and the villagers have no bank balance. In this situation, we have to do in both places as much as we possibly can. We need sufficient funds.” EIM is partnering with Breedlove Foods of Lubbock, Texas once again for immediate disaster relief. Breed-love has donated a 40 ft. container of Dehydrated Vegetable Blend soup that will provide over one million servings for those suffering from shortage of food. We need financial help to be able to offer immediate response to those impacted by this devastating tragedy. In the next two weeks, we need to raise $20,000-$30,000 to help in shipping and distributing the food and other relief supplies as needed. Many have faithfully given over the years as EIM has responded to natural disasters in countries like Ghana, Pakistan, Honduras and the Philippines. Once again, we call on our friends and partners to help us. EIM is a 501 (C)3 non-profit orga-nization, and all donations are tax-deductible. If you would like to make a donation, please make checks pay-able to: EIM Nepal Relief, P.O. Box 297, Magnolia, AR 71754. You may also donate online via our website at www.eimworldwide.org. If you have any questions, please contact Michael Goodwin at our Magnolia office at (870) 234-5318, or Rocky Goodwin at our Warren office at (870) 226-3626. All funds will be directly applied to the ship-ping and distribution of food as well as other relief supplies in Nepal.


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would allow the tribe to engage in a number of business enterprises, some of which, for example, casino gam-bling, might be limited or restricted by local and/or state laws and regula-tions if the land was not placed in a federal trust. The tribe already owns and oper-ates two Las Vegas-style destina-tion casinos in Oklahoma and has announced plans to build another in Kansas. The tribe does not have to disclose how it will use the land. Its spokesman won’t say if the tribe plans to construct a casino, but nei-ther has he denied it. One reason-able inference is that if and when the tribe gets the land into a federal trust (essentially making it a reservation and sovereign land for the tribe), it will eventually petition the National Indian Gaming Commission for permission to construct and operate a casino. Strengthening the appeal of the tribe’s request for placing the land in a federal trust are the following facts: • The land in question was once (early 19th century) part of a tran-sitional reservation granted to the Quapaw tribe on its migration west to its eventual destination of Okla-homa. • A Quapaw burial site was discov-ered on the land. Additionally, it was found that the same area was used as a cemetery for slaves. The tribe has indicated its intentions to preserve and memorialize these grounds. Obviously, the tribe could do many things, including preserving and maintaining the Indian and slave burial sites and engaging in any number of commercial enterprises, if it kept title to the land in its name and did not place it in trust with the federal government. However, that would leave the tribe’s activities subject to state and local jurisdiction and laws, including anti-gambling laws. That is why eyebrows are raised when the tribe says it does not pres-ently plan to pursue a casino, but will not say definitively that it will not do so in the future. Before making a decision about accepting the land into a federal trust for the benefit of the Quapaw tribe, the BIA has asked for comments from local and state government of-ficials and agencies. That is the next step in this process.

Depending on facts yet to be determined regarding the various reservations in Arkansas that the Quapaw tribe occupied and when and how those reservations were terminated, the state may be able to play a larger role and influence the outcome in a greater way. Also, if the BIA grants the tribe’s request and places the land in federal trust, the Governor may have the ability to ne-gotiate a compact with the tribe, but that depends on many factors, such as the intended purpose or purposes that the tribe has planned for the use of the land. Please understand that this is fun-damentally different than most of the gambling issues with which we deal. There won’t be a statewide elec-tion for which we can wage a cam-paign and prevail. And neither are there compelling reasons to lobby members of the General Assembly since they have no ability to decide the issue. The decision regarding the tribe’s authority to own and operate a des-tination casino in Pulaski County will be made by federal agencies that are essentially immune to any lobby-ing or campaigning in which we can engage. Our local and state govern-ment officials and agencies can make comments about the adverse impact on regulatory jurisdiction, tax collec-tions, zoning and infrastructure is-sues and similar concerns; but there is a limit on how much the federal agencies are influenced by those kinds of concerns. Stay tuned, and as developments warrant, we will provide updates on this matter. If we discover more significant ways in which we here at AFEC, along with all of you in our grassroots network, can impact this issue and help resolve it favor-ably, you can be sure we’ll advise you about them.

homecomings107th Homecoming, May 3, 10:30 a.m.;

potluck after message; Jerry Evans, message; David P. Heckman, pastor; White’s Chapel, Bodcaw.

Woodberry, Hampton, May 3, 10 a.m.; Dwayne Inzer, guest speaker; Robbie Dun-can, pastor.

130th Anniversary, May 17, 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch; Missionary Grove, Prescott.

90th Anniversary Service, June 14, 10 a.m.; Immanuel, Nashville.

Bodcaw #1, Bodcaw, July 26, 10:30 a.m.; Nick Flowers, homecoming message; Bo Mur-phy, devotion; potluck and singing following morning service; Lane Garner, pastor.

14th Anniversary, Aug. 9, Oak Grove, Jonesboro.

BMAA Meets in Springfield

baptist trumpet -...

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