Immoral system of death
I would like to applaud Daniel Bagby for writing “Re-examining capital punishment” [Herald, Oct. 27]. As a Baptist and a field organizer with People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, it was very encouraging to see a fellow Baptist speak out against this unjust and immoral system of death.
find it heart-breaking that many of my fellow Christians support this cruel and inhumane system and do so with great passion. When I read Jesus’ instructions to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek when struck, to forgive those who sin against us, it is obvious to me that he is teaching us something different about justice. That is, it is better to give justice and mercy than to receive it.
We, as the body of Christ, should be about restoration and reconciliation, not revenge and retaliation. When we convince ourselves that taking another human’s life is justified and commit “legal” homicide, we not only poison our fellow man, but we poison our hearts and our minds as well.
Justin Harvey, Richmond
Lead Like Jesus
After studying leadership for over 35 years, I am convinced that the greatest leadership role model of all time is Jesus of Nazareth. As a result, I co-founded the Center for Faithwalk Leadership with a mission to inspire and equip people to “Lead Like Jesus.” I am excited to tell you that we are coming to Richmond. This celebration, held in conjunction with the 21-C Leadership Conference of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, will change your leadership definition and help you see leadership from the perspective of the Master.
On Feb. 3, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Reggie McNeal, author and director of leadership development for the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and I will co-host a Lead Like Jesus Celebration at St. Paul’s Baptist Church, 4247 Creighton Road in Richmond. Our guests will include Bob Buford, Leadership Network and author of Halftime; Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team; Spencer Tillman, CBS sportscaster and former NFL player; Tami Heim, Thomas Nelson Publishers; Lance Watson, senior pastor, St. Paul’s Baptist Church; Matthew Kelly, noted author and motivational speaker; Bob Pike, president, the Bob Pike Group; and Jim Amos, chairman, SonaMed Spas.
Two local folks will be on the program as well—Bobby Ukrop, president, Ukrop’s Super Markets and Kim Newlen, founder and president, Sweet Monday. Also participating will be two Lead Like Jesus team members—Phil Hodges, co-founder and director of product development, and Phyllis Hendry, president.
Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time will be available in stores in January 2006 and available at the celebration. You won’t want to miss the information and inspiration contained in the pages of this new book. It contains our best understanding, to date, of how we can lead like Jesus in every area of our lives.
Leading like Jesus is a mandate that cannot be ignored! Think of the possibilities if every church and Christian organization was led by a Jesus-like leader and every believer was taught to be a Jesus-like leader and if Jesus was adopted as a role model for all leaders. How different would Richmond and the Commonwealth of Virginia be if denominational, racial and socio-economic lines were erased?
I look forward to seeing you there! For more information or to purchase your ticket please visit www.21-c.org or www.leadlikejesus.com. Tickets are $65, which includes the Celebration, materials and lunch on Friday, Feb. 3, and a day of training offered by RASNet on Feb 4. For additional promotional materials, please call 1-800-255-2428.
Ken Blanchard
The rest of the story
I was visiting in a hospital room in Memphis, Tenn., this afternoon when Sue Stancil showed me Fred Anderson’s article about the young people in the Fieldale Baptist Church who had responded to the call of Christian service [Herald, Nov. 17]. The room was occupied by Hadley Stancil, brother of Ryburn Stancil, pastor of Fieldale at the time of the photo accompanying the article.
The other person in the room was Henry Martin, who was in the center of the back row of the photo. Henry went from Fieldale to graduate from Southwestern Seminary, then started and served a church in the Washington, D.C., area. From there he and his wife, Margaret, moved to Nigeria and served the Foreign Mission Board of the SBC for nearly 25 years. When their triplets (three of four children ) reached college age they moved to Memphis and were committed workers on the staff of First Baptist Church. Today in retirement Henry continues his wonderful Christian ministry.
The three people I was with, all in their 80s or 90s, have truly followed the call to Christian service on their lives. I thought your readers may be interested in this follow-up to a wonderful story.
Turner Hopkins, Memphis, Tenn.
Response to CBF
I am concerned about some CBF leaders’ response to my comments regarding the radical sacrifice necessary in order to fulfill the Great Commission [“Radical we are not,” Herald, Sept 1]. I believe Jesus teaches this, and that if young missionaries are called to “sacrifice everything” for the gospel, they will respond in kind. However, going on short-term mission trips is not that sacrifice. Missiologists and missionaries overwhelmingly agree that volunteers are not the answer to the general task, and yet, millions of dollars are diverted from the effective, long-term work. The CBF’s statement that over 6,500 volunteers go annually shows that point. The Offering for Global Missions could be funded twice over this year, if those volunteers gave the money through the CBF. Wouldn’t the CBF be able to send so many more long-term missionaries with those funds? Consider also the thousands of missionaries who come from India and other parts of Asia, and do global missions on one-tenth of the budget we do it on in the CBF.
Our CBF leadership should call us to radical lifestyle giving. e must make a radical call to sacrifice. If CBF administrators would give one month of their salaries to the OGM, I believe donors would follow in kind. There are millions who have not yet heard the good news.
Was there nothing the CBF could agree on from my piece? The CBF took the “all or nothing” approach that is so familiar with the SBC. Surely, the CBF honors dissent. We are Baptists. When CBF folks disagree with policies or approaches at CBF meetings, are they called “offensive” in public forums? I used no such language.
I hope the CBF will also listen to the people who truly care about what is going on in the CBF. I received overwhelmingly support after I invited comments and suggestions, many of whom came from members of the CBF’s own Coordinating Council. “Criticism from a friend is better than praise from an the enemy,” Proverbs says.
Kevin D. Rutledge, Harrisonburg
Appreciates new look
As a Christian, interested in factual spreading of the good news and as a former resident of Virginia for 24 years, former trustee of the Religious Herald, former moderator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, former member of Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, a supporter of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and a paid life subscriber to the newsjournal of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, I look forward to the 40 issues of the Religious Herald published annually and read its contents with great interest.
So it is with pleasure this communication is written to commend you, your staff and trustees for the excellent new look of the publication. The font selections, additional color and redesign generate greater interest and provide, in my opinion, easier readability. Keep up the good work.
N. Eugene Brymer, Lexington, S.C.