Baptist identity is the subject of the annual meeting of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, at Second Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.
Craig Sherouse, pastor of the host church, will share what he has discovered about Baptist identity from meeting Baptists of other countries. Bill Tuck will give the keynote address in which he will reflect upon the 24 individuals whom he believes most influenced Baptist thought in America during the last century.
Fred Anderson
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In the program the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies will release Tuck’s new book entitled Modern Shapers of Baptist Thought in America. The Center commissioned him to write the book and he spent much of the last three years researching and writing about these fascinating individuals. He chose a variety of individuals, including theologians, educators, a musician, a missionary advocate, renowned preachers and even a United States president.
Through its annual Roots & Wings Young Scholars Essay Contest, the Heritage Center offered high school students the opportunity to consider who most influenced them in their Baptist thinking. At the meeting on May 22, three essayists will be recognized for their writing.
They could have chosen an historical personage, but as might be expected, the young essayists chose someone they personally knew. Perhaps most Baptists have been consciously or unconsciously influenced the most by a friend, a Sunday school teacher, a youth leader or a pastor. The key influencer for most of us has been a person whose life intersected us at a critical point in our life’s journey.
Christopher Hill, a senior at Charles City (Va.) High School, wrote his essay on his pastor at New Vine Baptist Church, Burrell A. Smith Jr.
“Pastor Smith is more than just a pastor to me,” reflected Hill. “He truly is a man of God. He is a great friend and someone that you can always trust and depend on. He is always there to talk when you are going through troubles or just need some advice. He looks at your problems as if they are problems of his own.
“One thing that makes me proud to have a pastor like mine is the support he shows the youth ministry at my church. At most churches, people don’t take the ideas of the youth into consideration. However, Pastor Smith ensures that we know our young voices are heard in our church. He supports decisions we make as young adults to better ourselves in educational or Christian ways. Because of Pastor Smith’s influences in my life, I am proud to a Baptist.”
Mollie Luck, a senior at Monacan High School in Richmond, chose to write about an influential layperson at her church, Webber Memorial Baptist Church. She crafted her essay by beginning and closing with references to the words of old Baptist hymns. She showed how Lynette H. Loftus, “the person who encouraged me to play these classic hymns, is the same person who has strongly influenced my thoughts as a Baptist.”
She traced the web of influence through Girls in Action. “Miss Lynette made Wednesday nights fun while allowing us to immerse ourselves in Baptist heritage. I studied historical women in missions such as Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon. We learned about modern-day missionaries as well. Baking in the church kitchen to send cookies to Richmond International Raceway ministries was one way we support mission work close to home. There was a year we had secret sisters in Woman’s Missionary Union and this allowed for a better understanding of the older women in our church.
“Lynette Loftus has impacted my Baptist beliefs regarding ministry, evangelism and a personal relationship with God through Christ Jesus. She leads by word and deed. She has been part of my life since first grade. From Girls in Action, music and countless outreaches, she has helped shape my Baptist thought. If I were to choose a hymn representing her it would be Have Thine Own Way, Lord.”
Rachel Cook, a member of Northstar Church in Blacksburg, Va., is a homeschooled 11th grader. She wrote about Melissa Cheliras, a family friend and former co-worker with her father, Darrell Cook, the Baptist collegiate minister at Virginia Tech. Melissa died earlier this year of cancer at age 33. She influenced the college generation at Virginia Tech and, at the time of her death, the University of Richmond.
“Three traditional Baptist characteristics really stood out in the way Melissa lived her life and has genuinely influenced my thinking,” wrote Rachel. “Baptists are a people on mission. Melissa led a missional life and always was ready and willing to share Christ. Her relational skills and ability to reach out to anyone never ceased to amaze me. She was never too busy to comfort someone who was hurting. She selflessly poured herself into the lives of others. She truly understood that all Christians are missionaries for Christ. Melissa was always on the mission field … and led teams of students to Kenya, London, Chicago and Arkansas. She encouraged others to always be on a mission for Christ.
“Baptists cherish the authority of the Bible. She used the Bible as a tool of hope and encouragement. Last summer I was working on a Bible study about living a Christian life in a secular world. I flipped through my Bible trying to find the verse about not conforming to the world, but I could not seem to find it. Melissa walked into the room and asked what I was doing. I explained and asked her if she knew what verse I was talking about. She replied, ‘I think you are looking for Romans 12:2.’ Melissa knew her Bible well and always was encouraging others with Scripture and urging them to read it themselves.
“Baptists lift up the centrality of Jesus Christ and the freedom that can be found in him. Throughout her life, Melissa kept Jesus as her focal point. Regardless of her circumstances, Melissa strove to please God with her life. It was obvious that she had a strong sense of freedom in Christ in how she entered into worship and how she lived out her faith. Even in her battle with cancer, Melissa kept her trust in Jesus.
“She had a huge impact on how I think about and live out what it means to be authentic and what it means to be a Baptist in today’s world.”
Fred Anderson ([email protected]) is executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies.