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by Todd Nettleton Editor’s Note: June 29 has been set aside as Day of the Christian Martyr. For more information, visit Voice of the Martyrs. John Chau’s murder by tribesmen on North Sentinel Island in 2018 drew worldwide media attention, most of it critical if not downright mocking. The young Christian missionary was called a fool, a colonialist and an adventure bro. He was mocked in memes and ridiculed by comedians for cheap laughs. And the criticism didn’t come only from unbelievers. Christians piled on, too, passing on the memes and arguing that John’s approach to fulfilling the Great Commission was outmoded and wrong. Jim Elliott, who was killed in 1956 while trying to share the gospel with members of the Huaorani people in Ecuador, famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” So John Chau was no fool. Nor was he a colonialist, adventure bro or unprepared, amateurish missionary. John Chau was a hero. The funny thing is that the false story so many heard after his death was the one John wanted us to hear. He had left a breadcrumb trail on Instagram and other social media that led away from the truth of his dangerous mission. He wasn’t out for “credit” and didn’t worry about being misunderstood. He cared only about the mission to which God had called him — taking the gospel to the Sentinelese people. John had counted the cost and found it worthwhile. “You guys might think I’m crazy in all this,” he wrote the night before his death, “but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people.” Trusting the promise of Revelation 7:9–10, John knew there would be Sentinelese people gathered around the throne of Christ for all eternity. If his mission were cut short by a Sentinelese arrow, disease or anything else, he knew someone else would take up the call to share Christ with the Sentinelese. The Voice of the Martyrs is honoring John’s inspiring example on this year’s Day of the Christian Martyr. While writing an article about John for the June issue of VOM’s magazine, I read many previous articles about his life, mission and death. I spoke with his friends and with leaders of the mission that commissioned and sent him to North Sentinel Island. I watched video of a memorial service for John as well as a video he had recorded for a supporting church just months before his death. I don’t think the criticism would bother John. And he might find it humorous that the most sympathetic article appeared in GQ, a magazine in whose pages he probably never imagined his name and picture appearing. What would bother him, I think, is how quick Christians were to criticize. Many adopted the narrative that he was unprepared and foolhardy; he woke up one morning, got on a boat for North Sentinel Island and got himself killed. “What was he thinking?” seemed as common a sentiment among Christians as non-Christians. John prepared for nine years to go to North Sentinel Island. Every decision he made was with the goal of reaching the island, learning the language, serving the Sentinelese and eventually being able to tell them about God’s love for them in sending His Son to die on a cross for their sins. John’s story challenges Christians to look in a mirror and ask some uncomfortable questions. Was there an expiration date on Jesus’ call to “go into all the world” (Matthew 28:18–20)? Is there some sort of exclusion clause for places governments don’t want us to go or where the inhabitants have previously attacked and killed visitors? Does God still call people to dangerous places? Would He ever ask us to do something that might cost us our lives? And, if I call myself a follower of Christ, what part am I supposed to play in going into all the world? In John’s final hours, he wrote letters to his family and Christian friends. He encouraged them to forgive the Sentinelese if he were murdered and told them he wanted his body left on the island (it was). For the witnesses he knew would inevitably follow in his footsteps, he prayed that God would “give them a double anointing and bless them mightily.” He also left a challenge: “I pray that you will never love anything in this world more than you love Christ.” John Chau’s life and death are proof that he lived up to that challenge. May his example inspire us to do likewise. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Todd Nettleton is the host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio and the author of When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians, a 2022 Christian Book Award winner. He has interviewed hundreds of Christians who have been persecuted for their faith and Christian witness during 24 years serving at The Voice of the Martyrs. #JULY22

by Diana Chandler NEW ORLEANS, LA (BP) – Fred Luter, the lone African American to have served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, sees great opportunity in the Unify Project, a new national grassroots racial unity initiative he’s leading with former SBC President Ed Litton and Dallas-area pastor Tony Evans. “It would allow us to show that it is possible, according to the Scripture, for brothers and sisters to come together — of different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures — and be the church that Jesus died for,” said Luter, senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. “He died for everyone.” Luter, Litton and Evans announced the Unify Project at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim with plans to launch the pastor-driven program in the fall, backed by a diverse core steering committee. Litton, pastor of Redemption Church in Mobile, Ala., said the initiative extends beyond Black and white cultural groups. “It’s important to stress too, because we have received some questions about this, that this isn’t just an African American (and) Anglo American experience,” Litton said, but includes Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans and “all sorts of divisions racially in our culture.” Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas and a noted author, theologian and radio host, will help lead the Unify Project in concert with The Urban Alternative, a ministry he co-founded in 1981 with his late wife Lois. Within a short time following the announcement in Anaheim, Litton said, the initiative drew more than 2,000 requests for information on the program (available by texting Unify to 63566), and more than 1,000 requests for information registered at Unifysbc.org. “I think it expresses what has been a deep current within the SBC for the last five years, and that is people see this. They have a desire for it, but they lack a plan and a strategy,” Litton said. “And one of the things we set out to do was to say, let’s not talk about, let’s not over-debate the subject as it is in our culture. Let’s just see what the Gospel tells us to do. What does the Gospel expect the Lord’s church to do?” Luter describes Unify as an opportunity for the SBC to lead in unity at a particularly divisive time in the U.S. “This is one that every one of us who are real true believers in Jesus Christ can come together and support. It would be great that the Southern Baptist Convention would be known for a convention that comes together to unify people, and not to divide people,” Luter said. That’s what I hope would happen. Because this racial issue is something that’s happening across the country.” The program will allow pastors to build meaningful cross-cultural relationships that could impact the nation, Luter said. Litton saw the fruits of such a program in Mobile through The Pledge Group, which he helped launch with an ecumenical Christian group of pastors and leaders in the city after the murder of George Floyd. The Mobile group has seen positive progress in confessing hidden racism and building Gospel-unified cross-cultural relationships, Litton said in a video shared in the SBC annual meeting. Evans had laid the fault of racial disunity at the doors of the church. “When it comes to our racial divide, it was the failure of the pulpit and the failure of the church, which has put us in this ignominious situation today,” Evans said in Anaheim. “And we are told in 2 Chronicles (Chapter 15) that only when they came together in unity did God bring them rest, verse 15 says, to the distress that was in the land. “The political, the social, the racial, the class distress that we are facing, that has helped to be caused by the church, can only be properly dissolved by the church,” Evans said. “If God can’t get the church right, the culture can never become right.” Luter encourages pastors to register for the program and lead their churches in building cross-cultural relationships. “In 2012 (the first year Luter was elected SBC president) that was one of the main things we tried to encourage,” he said of the SBC. “And unfortunately, it comes and goes, comes and goes, comes and goes. But we’ve never really put any teeth to it, never really put any boots to the ground. So I think I would encourage pastors, listen, it’s time to stop talking this unification thing and let’s start walking it. And this is a way that we can make it happen.” Details of the Unify Project are available at unifysbc.org, and by texting Unify to 63566. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #JULY22

by Timothy Cockes CONCORD, TN (BP) – On the Sunday after the Supreme Court’s historic overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on Friday (June 24), Southern Baptists across the country took time both to rejoice in the ruling and to discuss how Christians should respond. Many Southern Baptist leaders not only celebrated the Court’s decision, which returns the policy issues regarding abortion back to the state level but also took time to discuss ways to minister to women who may be considering an abortion. One such example came from First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tenn., which hosted a panel discussion on Sunday about the decision featuring several pro-life advocates. Among the panelists were John Mark Harrison, pastor of First Baptist Concord, Chris Johnson, vice president of church partnerships and government affairs for Lifeline Children’s Services, and Elizabeth Graham, vice president of operations and life initiatives for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). Harrison opened the panel by explaining the importance of the conversation. “What I want to do in this moment is move us past the politics of this, and talk about how we should respond as a church and as individual Christians,” Harrison said. “This is a very important moment for us not to miss personally and as a local church.” Graham then spent time addressing the ERLC’s role in advocating for pro-life issues, and how local churches can think of addresses these issues in their local communities. “As a part of the Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics and public policy arm, we get to advocate for policies that protect and defend life as well as speak on behalf of churches and then speak back to churches,” Graham said. “I think of a church congregation’s role in this in the same way as a baby dedication. When someone has a baby and wants to dedicate that child to Christ, this is a life-long journey that the church is taking. We should think about serving vulnerable moms and moms in crisis in the same way,” Graham said. “This is not just like a single decision of we want to see this baby rescued. We do want to see this baby rescued, but we want to provide a continuum of care. We want to bring Mom into the church, share the Gospel with her, and walk alongside her in very this difficult journey,” Graham told the congregation. Johnson spoke about his work with Lifeline, a Christian foster care and adoption agency, and said Christians have a big responsibility to step up in this area. “We know that this decision is going to affect the foster care system and there are going to be more children who are susceptible to coming into care,” he said. “Of those children who are lingering in care, if someone doesn’t step in and welcome them into their family those young people are going to eventually age out of the foster care system. “Those young people are then going to be more suspectable to homelessness, incarceration, trafficking and all of these things that really put them back in that cycle of being a part of unplanned pregnancies. Church, we can make a difference, and we must make an impact here.” First Baptist Concord was not the only church to speak on the historic Supreme Court decision. J.D. Greear, former president of the SBC and pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., spoke about the ruling during The Summit’s Sunday service. “This past Friday was a day that I thought I might not see in my lifetime,” Greear said during the service. He told Spectrum News 1 RDU that conversations with his congregation have reflected gratefulness, but also awareness to the difficulty of the topic. “In the conversations I’ve had, people have been grateful for the Supreme Court recognizing the mistake from 1973 of saying this (right to abortion) was included in the constitution,” Greear said in the Spectrum News interview. “They’re grateful that this has been turned back over to the people to decide. “We also recognize that for many women in our congregation and in our community, this is a part of their story and it’s very difficult to talk about. We want them to know that this is a safe place for them to be able to tell their story here. We also want to work in the societal factors that create that situation where someone would feel like that’s their only alternative.” Bart Barber, SBC president and pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville in Texas, focused his church’s opening prayer time on the news of the decision. Three areas of prayer Barber said he wanted to concentrate on were rejoicing, mourning and commitment. Rejoicing over the news of the decision and that lives that will be saved, mourning for the continued death toll from abortions and for women who have previously had an abortion as well as a commitment to the work that’s left to be done by both his local body and all believers, he told the congregation. “We’re just thankful anytime that anybody gets to live, and this decision is something many of us have prayed for a long time for,” said Barber. “There are people who conceive in all manner of difficult moments in their life, and we want to be a church that’s there to point people to God’s love and also to demonstrate God’s love in what we do. We commit to ourselves to continue to help people who are around us.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press staff writer. #JULY22

by Diana Chandler NASHVILLE, TN (BP) – The work of a yet-to-be-appointed Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) is likely to take years, with an initial report ordered to be given at the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans next June. Marshall Blalock, vice chairman of the Sex Abuse Task Force (SATF) that recommended the new group, said guidelines are in place to allow as long as three years for some of the work. “We anticipated it would take the implementation task force at least one year, maybe two years, and on the outside maybe three years,” Blalock said. “We’re hoping this next year is extremely productive and that (SBC) president (Bart) Barber is able to have a task force that’s ready to go to work and understands its responsibilities and can see some of these things move at a good pace.” Barber expects to name the members of the task force by the end of July after a debriefing by the SATF, he tweeted from his Farmersville, Texas, farm June 22. “After that’s all finished, then I’m going to be moving forward quickly to name the members of this task force and get them started. I expect that I’ll have that done before the end of July, because it’s just going to take some time to process through what the task force tells me and to turn that into recommendations for people to serve,” Barber said. “Pray for me, because this is going to be one of the most important things I do this year.” The new implementation task force, as approved by messengers, is authorized to work for one year, with the term renewable annually as needed. “We originally were thinking that it was going to take longer than a year because we’ve had nine months, and we just got started in some respects. But we don’t know how long it will take,” said Blalock, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Charleston, S.C. “And one of the good things that we’ve already learned is that many of our state conventions are already acting on some of the (challenges and requests) we have made. And the local church and the local associations and the local Baptist conventions, that is the state convention, (have) a more grassroots ability to help affect things at the local level.” The SATF hopes, Blalock said, that local associations, churches and state conventions will help create a culture that enables people to prevent sex abuse, policies that prevent the crime, a system that provides care and help for abuse survivors, and a society where sex abuse is no longer tolerated. “We hope that happens at a grassroots level,” he said. “There’s no way to know how long that part will take, but what we’re seeing so far is really good progress.” The implementation task force is charged with work the SATF clearly delineated in its two recommendations approved by messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, with the added stipulation that the new task force adheres to “best practices in keeping with Southern Baptist church polity.” The implementation task force is to: Study the Guidepost recommendations for feasibility and bring an initial report to the 2023 annual meeting on which reforms could be adopted by the convention and how they should be implemented, including Guidepost’s recommendations for a survivor care fund and a memorial, auditing the Caring Well curriculum, and the possible creation of a permanent committee or entity. Assist SBC entities in studying the recommendations from Guidepost and provide advice on voluntary implementation of reforms relevant to each entity’s ministry assignment. Serve as a resource in abuse prevention, crisis response, and survivor care to Baptist bodies who voluntarily seek assistance. Such assistance may include providing a list of recommended independent, qualified firms for training and inquiries and will include assisting state conventions with any of the recommendations each chooses, as the state conventions request. In consultation with the Credentials Committee, revise the evaluation and submission process for complaints of noncooperation due to sexual abuse and publish those revisions. For example, when a church acts in a manner that is inconsistent with the Convention’s beliefs regarding sexual abuse, such as showing an unwillingness to cooperate in an inquiry of an accused individual, then the church shall be submitted to the SBC Credentials Committee for consideration in accordance with SBC bylaw 8. Work with the SBC Executive Committee and Credentials Committee to select an independent, qualified firm or firms to assist the Credentials Committee by providing factual findings for complaints of noncooperation due to sexual abuse. The (Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force) will report back any actions to the 2023 annual meeting regarding this selection. This expense shall be funded by the sexual abuse reform allocation. In addition, messengers ordered the implementation task force to, in coordination with the SBC Executive Committee, create a Ministry Check website to publicize, and a process to maintain, a record of “pastors, denominational workers, ministry employees, and volunteers who have at any time been credibly accused of sexual abuse and who have been or are associated with a cooperating Southern Baptist church or entity.” The implementation task force will work with the Credentials Committee to choose an independent firm to maintain the website, with website guidelines approved by messengers. The implementation task force will monitor the website annually for compliance with guidelines. The SATF made its recommendations after receiving Guidepost Solutions’ report of its independent investigation of the Executive Committee’s handling of sex abuse complaints spanning 2000-2021. Guidepost, in its lengthy report following a months-long investigation, recommended several changes to the SBC. The implementation task force might not recommend to 2023 messengers all of the recommendations Guidepost Solutions included in its report, Blalock said. “Guidepost sent us a long list of recommendations, some of which probably don’t work out with the way we govern ourselves as Baptists,” Blalock said. “But there may be some information there that the new reform implementation group finds and says this is a step we believe is right to take and they may bring those recommendations to New Orleans in 2023. “We didn’t give them any particular priorities, we just said look at all of these and then see what can be done next year, if anything needs to be done next year,” Blalock said. “What we hope happens is the two recommendations that we’ve got in place now, that they can make sure that those actually become reality. We voted on it. We all agreed to it. Now, that group’s got to help find the right people to put it in place and help work with the Executive Committee to see that it’s done.” The implementation task force’s work will be extensive and would benefit from a full-time staff person devoted to the task, Blalock said, emphasizing one of several proposals the SATF made as “requests” accompanying the report’s two recommendations approved by 2022 SBC Annual Meeting messengers. “That’s one of the requests we made, that the Executive Committee would actually hire someone, that that is their main focus at least for the next two or three years. And someone who’s trained in understanding trauma of sex abuse and who understands the legal realities of it, understands the process of how to help prevent it,” Blalock said. “That’s someone on the staff at the EC who’s able to sort of guide that effort and work with the Credentials Committee as a staff helper.” The SATF made several requests of state conventions, SBC entities, and other related Baptist bodies, forming them as suggestions since the bodies are ruled by individual boards of trustees rather than SBC messengers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer. #JULY22

“State-by-state, mother-by-mother, heart-by-heart we will continue our sacred work,” says Barber FARMERSVILLE, TX – Bart Barber, pastor and newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest Protestant denomination, provided comments today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the abortion case, Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization: “Southern Baptists rejoice at the ruling that the United States Supreme Court has delivered today in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Since 1980, the Southern Baptist Convention has passed more than 20 resolutions on the question of abortion. We have consistently held these principles: That from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death all human beings are made in the image of God. That every human being is valuable and deserves to be loved and protected, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, socio-economic status, disability, intelligence, or utility to society. That elective abortion should be prohibited by law except in cases wherein the life of the mother is endangered by carrying the baby to term. That expectant mothers facing difficult circumstances deserve the love and support of the church, the community, and society. These principles have motivated both our consistent support of the pro- life movement and our consistent support of crisis pregnancy centers, ministries to low-income families, foster-care and adoption agencies, and other ministries of mercy to people in need. As we stated just days ago in a resolution at our 2022 Annual Meeting, in a post-Roe United States, “We commit to stand with and pray for abortion-vulnerable women, to eliminate any perceived need for the horror of abortion, and to oppose Planned Parenthood and other predatory organizations or institutions who exploit vulnerable women for profit.” State-by-state, mother-by-mother, heart-by-heart, we will continue our sacred work toward this goal.” Barber was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention June 14 in Anaheim, CA. More information about Barber can be found here. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination, with nearly 14 million members and a network of over 50,000 cooperating congregations. #JULY22

by Rick and Cindy Truesdail Hello MI COMers! We are headed to the 2022 COM National Rally in Tallahassee FL this week and are excited to share with other chapters what we are doing here in Michigan! We anticipate learning much more from break-out groups at National Rally as well as glean ideas from other leaders and members. God has truly been the guide of our chapter and we look for the doors to continue to open up for greater opportunities to labor in His vineyard. There are changes happening in MI COM as we learn and grow. We are separating MI COM Rally from the Bambi Lake Baptist Camp Work Weeks. The Rally (September ) will be a weekend to relax and bond with other MI COMers. We will hold our annual meeting and schedule entertaining/spiritual events. The Work Weeks (Spring & Fall) will allow you to rest and fellowship in the evenings. We will close out our Work Weeks with a Praise Service. Election of Board Members will take place at the Rally in September. If you desire a position with MI COM, contact us and let’s talk about it. As always, we look forward to seeing you all soon! God bless you as you travel and continue on mission! Sharing Christ as We Go, Rick and Cindy JACHIN ABC Youth Program Weekday evenings in the month of July 2022 Plan to be involved with MI COM and Jachin Baptist Church ABC Youth Program outreach in July – working with boys and girls in Flint to learn carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and sewing skills; AND telling them about Jesus! You will be able to work each weekday evening or pick a day(s) that suits your schedule. Even if you can come just one day, you will be blessed to see what this exciting ministry offers to Flint youth who really need this! More information to follow soon. MI COM 2022 Annual Rally Bambi Lake Baptist Camp Roscommon, MI September 8-10, 2022 Thursday - Saturday Contact Rick & Cindy Truesdail to register. (810) 869-4716 Come to our 1st Annual Rally weekend at Bambi Lake Baptist Camp! This is not a work week, so we must provide for ourselves. Bring your RV or stay in the lodge or cabin. We have a list for each one to bring food and will cook together as a group in the campground area. There will be time for campfires, s'mores and music around the fire. Bambi Rates $25 RV electric & water $35 RV electric, water & sewer $69 Lodge - linens provided, coffee at lobby $69 Mini cabins - mini fridge, microwave & linens provided Ladies' Luncheon - Friday, 9/9/22 @ 1:00pm Special guest speaker, Darlene Walsh, will set up the More Beautiful than Diamonds Boutique jewelry table for you to shop. 100% of all proceeds go to Christian Women's Job Corp, which she will tell us about. If you would like to donate jewelry, purses, shoes, and scarves to this ministry, bring them with you to the luncheon. We are working on several plans to make this a very enjoyable event, so keep up-to-date with the next couple of months announcements. Fall Work Week Bambi Lake Baptist Camp Roscommon, MI October 24-29, 2022 Monday Noon - Saturday AM Contact Rick & Cindy Truesdail to register. (810) 869-4716 MI COM will be actively involved to help close Bambi Lake Camp for the winter. We will have a list of construction and maintenance jobs needed to be done. Our 3 team leaders for Construction, Beautification & Grounds, and Sewing will be getting more information to you soon. Bambi Lake Work Week - Spring 2022 Praise God for His many blessings and for each one who came to work at Bambi Lake Baptist Camp in May. We had a smaller group but accomplished much! Here's a few pictures to share what we did. Chaplain's Corner Have you ever noticed the connection between these two verses in Genesis? Genesis 1:26 — And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 5:3 — And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image .... Hmm ... it would appear that in the same way we are made in our heavenly Father’s image and likeness, we are also made in the image and likeness of our earthly fathers. Not to slight Eve, but she is simply not included in the text here before us. So, as we celebrate Father’s Day this month, let us honor our earthly fathers (whether alive or dead, or even whether or not we even know who they are) for their part in our existence and being. And let us as earthly fathers be honorable men. After all, even more than Eve, the mother of all living, we and our earthly fathers represent the One and True Father of all ... To the Praise of His Glory, Chaplain Chip MI COM Tees & Hats For Sale We have fun things and essentials for you to let others know you are a MI COMer!!! We encourage you to wear the tees whenever you are working or on a COM event. Tees are printed on the front and the back Patches are iron-on or easy to sew onto your shirts or jackets Key Chains are plastic on metal holder Hand-held fan is paper on wooden handle Hats are gray with embroidered logo, adjustable Lapel Pins are easily attached to a suit jacket or coat. Stickers to put on notebooks, computers, etc. Pens to accent your writing Contact Cindy for your purchase. MI COM Officers & Executive Board Presidents/Project Coordinator: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Vice-President/Project: Tony Morningstar Hospitality/Food Coordinator: Kim Norrington & Maria Hannuksela Sewing Project Coordinator: Cindy Truesdail & Terry Simmons Cleaning & Beautification Coordinator: Sharon Hessling & Ruth Farwell Secretary: Brandi Dyke Treasurer: Gary Hannuksela Chaplain: Pastor Chip Collins Historian: Cindy Truesdail Disaster Relief Liaison: Warren Hessling Networking Center Keep checking at our online Website and Facebook for announcements! Website: www.michigancampersonmission.org Facebook: Michigan Campers on Mission For more information, contact: Rick & Cindy Truesdail Phone: (810) 869-4716 Email: michigancampersonmission@gmail.com #JUNE22

by LifeWay staff NASHVILLE, TN – In the summer of 2012, Bryant Wright sensed God was telling him to prepare for his next season of ministry. Wright, the founding pastor of Atlanta’s Johnson Ferry Baptist, had just completed 30 years of ministry leading the church and was preparing for his fourth decade at Johnson Ferry. His new book, “Succession: Preparing Your Ministry for the Next Leader,” shares not only the personal lessons Wright learned, but practical advice for churches and church leaders as they plan leadership transitions. "Succession" released June “When I turned 60, I realized there were limited days left in my ministry,” Wright said. “And a number of people in the church began to ask, ‘how long are you going to stay?’ ‘Are you going to hang it up soon?’ Those two factors caused me to start thinking about retirement and next steps. I knew we needed to develop a succession plan.” Wright’s book tells the story of how he and the leadership team at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church walked through an intentional, leadership succession process and provides suggestions for churches and church leaders nearing the next phase of ministry leadership. “Succession” discusses this journey in a way that shows the leadership of an experienced pastor, the wisdom of a knowledgeable shepherd, and the humility of an obedient servant. This book not only displays the heart of a man who loved and led his church well, but also serves as a model for those preparing for a similar journey. “There is a tidal wave of Boomer pastors who are about to retire in the next five to 10 years, and there aren’t many younger pastors identified to take their place,” Wright said. “In addition, most churches don’t have a succession plan in place for when the time comes. I’m hoping this book will help pastors—both those leaving and their successors—as well as the lay leaders in our churches to help prepare for this very significant transition.” Wright said he doesn’t expect all churches to follow the same timeline and game plan as Johnson Ferry. But churches of all sizes and contexts will find insight from the book they can adapt for their own situation. “Every church is unique and will need to develop a plan that fits their context,” he said. “No pastor is going to stay forever; having a succession plan in place contributes to the overall health of the church. The health of the church is the priority.” About Bryant Wright Wright has served in Southern Baptist life as both a pastor and SBC president before becoming the first president of Send Relief in 2020. He retired as the founding senior pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church on December 15, 2019, where he pastored for 38 years. In addition to his role at Send Relief, Wright serves as founder and chairman of Right From the Heart Ministries, a media ministry with an international presence, and continues to mentor younger pastors through this platform. He and his wife, Anne, live in Marietta and have three grown sons, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren. About B&H Publishing Group B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of Lifeway Christian Resources, is a team that believes Every Word Matters. We seek to provide intentional, biblical content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, cultivating lifelong relationships with Jesus Christ. We publish (print and digital) in the trade, church and academic markets, as well as the CSB translation. About Lifeway Christian Resources In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, Christian music and movies, Vacation Bible School, and church supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway is the world’s largest provider of Spanish Bibles. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Lifeway operates as a self-supporting nonprofit. #JUNE22

by Shawn Keener When we come to the subject of church revitalization, there is a natural tendency to camp out. This is less than optimal because revitalization is all about continually driving forward with indomitable courage and iconoclastic temperament. Camping out is the opposite. Camping out on a path toward revitalization is the equivalent of attempting turn-by-turn board game strategy in a live online game. It ends up being hopelessly artificial. Camping out wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, except for the place we tend to camp out. On a path toward authentic church revitalization, we tend to camp out on analysis. We analyze what went wrong, or what is going wrong, or what ticking time bomb is just waiting to blow it all up. We call in consulting crews. We read books on the ingredients of a healthy church and compare them to our church. We take church profile tests. We read books on how it has all gone wrong historically. We strengthen all these arguments with a host of statistics. All of this is good. It is crucial. We are fools to set a course for revitalization in our churches before we have first analyzed our present predicament, how we got here, and what factors brought about our decline. But Mater only gets it half right when he quips in the Cars movie to Lightning McQueen, “Ain’t no need to know where I’m goin’; just need to know where I’ve been.” Obviously, Mater’s plan is ill-advised. The problem is not with exhaustive analysis. The problem is that we camp out there. In fact, very often, we think we’ve done all we can do simply by completing the exhaustive analysis. This is a grave, and pervasive, error. In fact, I think it is a worse crime to analyze without converting to a plan than it is to make a plan without first having analyzed! “The problem is not with exhaustive analysis. The problem is that we camp out there.” If my church is struggling or dying, it’s doing so for good reason. It’s never struggling because of forces inherent to the outside culture—it’s always because of problems in our internal church culture. And a very necessary, careful analysis will always reveal that the things that need changing are not little tweaks but big things that are exceedingly difficult to change. Big, systemic changes like these won’t ever happen without a soberly realistic plan. And here is my fear for church revitalization, both at the conferences and talks, and inside the churches that need it: I’m afraid it’s far too easy to analyze and discuss and identify and clarify, but then never take actual steps to make certain the supremely-difficult, high-risk changes that need to happen actually do happen. “I’m afraid it’s far too easy to analyze and discuss and identify and clarify, but then never take actual steps to make certain the supremely-difficult, high-risk changes that need to happen actually do happen.” So where are you on the path toward church revitalization? If your church is doing well, you might be at the most dangerous stage of all where your growth masks underlying off-course ministry philosophy or even theology. If you realize your need for church revitalization and are somewhere in the fact-finding stage … that’s good. You recognize you have a problem and you’re figuring out the “why.” But refuse to be content there. Be all-fired determined to convert your findings into action—the more difficult and risky this action is, the greater the chance that you’ve truly isolated one of your church’s fundamental revitalization needs. Demand a holistic, coordinated plan and strategy for effecting these difficult, risky changes at your church. Because at the end of that path is authentic church revitalization. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shawn Keener is the pastor of Brookville Bible Church in Holbrook, MA and is the author of Nimble Church. #JUNE22

by Billy Walker SOUTHGATE, MI – Ok, so as Father’s Day approaches, I have to share this memory from childhood. My dad would kill me, but here goes. I distinctly remember as a child, pre-school, and kindergarten age, cuz I’m home for lunch. My dad was a full-time evangelist. For those who wonder what that means, he went to different places and preached every night for a week, aka Billy Graham – but it was more Pontiac than Poland, and Grand Rapids more than Great Britain. He was, however, pretty successful, and gone quite a bit. But he made it a point to come home every night. No matter how far away he was, he was home at some point so that he was able to get up and spend some time with his family before leaving again in the afternoon. Now, the memory is this – every day for lunch, mom would make something for him to eat and he would enjoy it while watching, wait for it… “The Days of our Lives!” And every day I would hear, “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives!” Now for the life of me, I can’t remember one storyline from that show, but I sure do remember that tagline… “So are the days of our lives.” At age 5 or 6 I am thinking that sand passes through like molasses. I remember sitting in class on some days in school and thinking “never mind making it to the end of the day, how will I make it through this class? When will this hour end?” The older we get, the faster the sand seems to travel. What do we do when our kids are wanting life to speed up and we are begging for time to slow down? In a whirlwind of warp speed that a decade provides, parents wind up experiencing driver’s licenses, open houses, graduations from high school, moving out and on to college, senior recitals, more graduations from college, first cars, first jobs, first loves, dating, engagements, weddings, and on the list could go. Having gone through that period, I admit that I sometimes live vicariously through my oldest, Whitney, as she seemingly travels the world with a carefree spirit, writing, singing, and leading worship with Michael W. Smith. (True story!) She’s a wonder! Have you ever seen “Father of the Bride?” Awesome movie, but man, do NOT watch it when the sand is pouring through the hourglass as your youngest prepares to walk the aisle and marry the love of her life. I could so relate to the Steve Martin character. Trying to figure out how to pay for the whole thing yet wanting it to be the reality of the dreams Kaylie, our youngest had since she watched Cinderella! This incredible sense of pride, while at the same time this piece of your life that feels like it’s being taken away. What in the world is that and where did it come from and can anything be done about it? Let me try to summarize with hopefully a glimmer of spiritual encouragement. I remember the experience of graduations, both high school and college, and the perpetual smile and sense of “That one’s mine” that we felt as we watched each of those girls receive that diploma. It really isn’t much different than when they were kids on a stage for a musical performance. They would come on the platform and look for us – and once spotted, we couldn’t help but wave and smile, as if to say, “That one’s ours!” I believe that pride we feel for our children is something that was created in us by the very one who feels pride for HIS children. It’s hard for us to imagine, isn’t it? The God of the universe pointing us out to some angels and saying, “that one’s mine!” Now, were our girls perfect growing up? Far from it – made some mistakes, had some missteps, and were part of their share of misunderstandings. But none of that mattered in the overall scope of things. Especially on these special occasions when parental pride is not only accepted but expected. So, God, in His incredible grace, accepts us with our imperfections and loves us unconditionally, while still pushing us to be better not only FOR Him, but THROUGH Him! (Philippians 4:13) The emotions we go through are emotions He gave us! He is an emotional God! (John 11:35) We were created in HIS image and that image gives to us the emotion that travels with us through this life, and I believe on into the next. Part of heaven’s greatness is the lack of longing that will accompany it! We’ll never have to say good-by again. One more thing, as the sands of time pass through life’s hourglass, I believe God’s intention is for us to move from season to season…continuing to GO, continuing to GROW. Sometimes the pace will be frantic and frenetic with no time to think towards the future, let alone remember the past. At other points, it slows down a bit, giving us the opportunity to look back and remember the seasons that have been, but also looking forward to the seasons that are yet ahead. And in the midst of it all, remember the most important thing is to live in the moment that we have been given. Life is a series of seasons, seasons are years, years are months, months are weeks, weeks are days, days are hours, hours are minutes and minutes are seconds which hold the moments that we call NOW. Oh, there goes another one! See how quick they are? Let’s make them count. Let’s enjoy not only the destination occasions that come for our family, but the life travel that moves us to those points. Whatever season you find yourself in – the sands of time continue to pass through the hourglass (James 4:14). Make each grain count! Not just for ourselves, but for our families, for our communities, for our world, and most importantly, for our God. Ok, I’m done – think I’ll go grab some lunch while taking in an episode of “Days of our Lives!” Nah! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Billy Walker became Lead Pastor of Calvary Church Southgate in 2006. He also serves as the Vice President of the Billy Walker Evangelistic Association and Hiawatha Youth Camp. Billy and wife Laurie have two adult daughters, Whitney and Kaylie, and a son-in-law, Eric. #JUNE22

by John Babri SALINE, MI – Churches have begun to recognize that Mother’s Day is a day of mixed emotions for women the day may be hard for, like those who never became moms or those grieving a loss.Yet Father’s Day is another day that can be hard, too. It can highlight tough memories of fathers who weren’t there or even those who were there but not all they should be. Since I became a Christian from atheism as an 18-year-old, Father’s Day has been a reminder of the lack of closeness with my dad. My dad, an avid atheist, has never fully accepted my coming to Christ. When your dad can’t accept the most important part of you, you feel that loss. There’s a closeness that’s missing. As an imperfect father with my own imperfect dad, I can still praise God on Father’s Day. So let me share 4 reasons to praise God on Fathers’ Day even when there’s mixed emotions. 1. Praise God that God Himself is your father! Ps 27:10 says, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” The reality is the best earthly dad will fall short. But the beautiful thing about the gospel is that we receive a perfect dad who will never let us down, leave or forsake us, or disown us! He knows us more fully than any earthly dad could, yet He still loves us with a perfect love! Praise God for His adoption of us! 2. Praise God for being a father! If God has blessed you with children, you can praise God for the gift of being a father and praise God for your children! Also, praise God for how being a father helps you understand your father’s love. Awareness of my sin can make me feel like God just tolerates me, like I am a C- student. Yet, after becoming a father, I learned that is not how fathers think! When my two kids do something wrong, that never tempts me to stop loving them; my heart does not grow cold toward them. I still love and adore them. That reality helped me see God’s own love for me in a new way. Yes, I still need to confess sin and repent, but God is a much better father than me and still loves me! Becoming a father helped me see the unconditional love of the Lord. 3. Praise God for father figures in your life. In 1 Timothy 5:1, Paul tells Timothy to treat older men as fathers. Some of the blessings of the church is the new family you have in Christ. I’ve been blessed with a man I call “Papa Joe.” He and his wife, “Mama Becca” adopted my family as their Michigan children when I came to serve at my church. I am not handy in any way, but I remember Papa Joe coming over to show me how to patch drywall. He was a gentle and patient teacher as he took me through that process. I remember thinking, “Why is he being so nice to me? This is what it must be like to have a Christian dad.” When the Lord provides a father figure in your life, be thankful for that blessing, whether he’s an older mentor at church or a Christian father-in-law who will always have your back. 4. Praise God for your earthly father. Even if your dad was not everything he should’ve been, you can still praise God for common graces in your dad! When I lift my children in the air, put on a goofy voice, or let my kids beat me in play-wrestling, I see my dad in me in how he played with me. My dad never pointed me to Jesus, but he still left a mark! And I can praise God for common grace blessings even from a father that does not know God. If you have Christian dad, praise God for the blessing many don’t have! Either way, pray for your dad on Father’s Day! These are 4 ways we, as imperfect dads with imperfect dads, can give thanks to the perfect dad on Father’s Day! ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Babri is the Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Saline and an alumnus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to his beautiful bride Katherine and is the proud father of two energetic boys. #JUNE22

by Jim Stolt PLYMOUTH, MI – Last Father’s Day my college-aged son had a friend over after church. He attends our church as well, and he said something to me that has stuck with me since that day. “Pastor Jim,” he said, “I noticed that on Mother’s Day the moms are encouraged and celebrated, but on Father’s Day you always challenge them and beat on them a bit.” He then laughed nervously, unsure if he had crossed a line. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I wanted to respond with a retort, but found that I couldn’t. He was right and I let him know it. We definitely celebrate our dads as well, but I have been harder on our men than I have on our women. Allow me to illustrate. This past Mother’s Day, my main point was, “Even though I’m a hot mess, God can still use me.” The main point for the Father’s Day sermon my son’s friend referenced, based in 1 Kings 2:1-4, was, “Be strong, show yourself a man and keep the Lord’s charge.” Notice the difference? Why is that? I must say that I prefaced the Mother’s Day sermon with the intimidation that the Proverbs 31 woman causes every woman and tried to encourage them with the fact that they didn’t have to compete with the Proverbs 31 woman to be used of God—God used women that were a complete hot mess, too. But that compassion is glaringly absent when it comes to the men. Should I change and ease up a bit on the guys? Men are called to serve their families as the head of the household. As I began to prepare for Father’s Day and I began to write this article, I tried to bang two brain cells together, and I asked the Lord for help in answering that question. As a result, I came up with a few thoughts and the Holy Spirit reminded me of some key Scriptures. Men are called to serve their families as the head of the household. Headship is about responsibility and accountability to God, not power or control. As the firstborn of God’s creation, Adam was the original model of headship. Though it was Eve who initiated the Fall, it was Adam who was held accountable, “The Lord God called to the man” (Genesis 3:9-10, emphasis mine). As Christ is the head of the church, His body, the husband is called to serve his family by sacrificially leading them (Ephesians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3). As sinful, selfish creatures, men need to be reminded of this responsibility. There is no greater day to drive that home than on Father’s Day. Men need to be challenged. There is a reason that there is an expression of “deadbeat dads” and not “moocher moms.” Most moms take care of business and provide for their children, no matter what it costs them and without being asked to do so. Moms don’t need a kick in the pants, they need a pat on the back. Guys often are the opposite. Too many dads are willing to walk away from their families and the responsibility that God has placed on them. Even if they don’t walk away, guys tend to get distracted and forget what is truly important—myself included. We need to be reminded and refocused. Perhaps that is one reason why there are so many challenges in the Bible that are addressed to men. Besides, men love a good challenge, and often rise to the occasion when the challenge is placed in front of them. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jim Stolt has been in full-time ministry for over twenty years in youth ministry, music ministry and pastoral ministry. He has been the Senior Pastor at Praise Community Church in Plymouth, MI for four years. He and his beautiful wife, Karyn, have two incredible college-aged children, Jacob and Sarah, and two adorable dogs, Scout and Ender. #JUNE22

by Dr. Tony L Lynn PLYMOUTH, MI – “Don’t be that 98-pound weakling,” was the message Charles Atlas advertised in comic books during the sixties and seventies. The comic strip ad was direct. A skinny guy is on a blanket, on the beach, with his girlfriend. A muscle-packed bully kicks sand in his face and makes fun of his boyish, scrawny build. The 98-pounder loses his girlfriend to the bully and is ridiculed by everyone on the beach. The self-loathing little man returns home, kicks the chair at his house, then vows to take a stand sending off a request for Charles Atlas’ training manual. Later, after a period of muscle training, the 98-pounder is shown admiring his newly strengthened form in the mirror promising to return to the beach to teach the bully a lesson. That sacred showdown day arrives, and the former 98-pound weakling now bulked-up, punches the earlier bully in the chin. Immediately, the former small guy wins his former girlfriend back who is seen hanging on his now sculpted shoulders and biceps, while the onlookers at the beach gush aloud, “Gosh! What a build. He’s already famous for it.” The Charles Atlas ad is the classical American way to face a bully. Is it not? With Father’s Day upon us it may be a good time to look at how we define weakness, strength, and masculinity. Sons, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, brothers, and friends identify and react to bullies with a heavy push from the other men around them. Men’s Bullies Ask men to list the bullies in their lives and most, with their words, will decorate a room with dartboard images of the bullies they believe have kept them from a summit of success: tyrannical bosses, caged-conditions, bitter betrayals, unrecognized talents/strengths, missed opportunities, un-offered advantages, being unappreciated, over-demanding spouses, a neglected or abusive childhood, addictions, and on and one. WARNING: Men’s Biggest Bullies Are Inside of Us! However, men be warned! The Holy Spirit, the world’s best strength coach behind the writing of the world’s best strength training manuals of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, would like to rip down those man-made, dartboard decorations of imagined bullies and replace the entire room with mirrors made of Bible verses so that each one of us could see ourselves for who we are and pinpoint our areas of vital development. Let’s admit it, men can be jerks and we can shrug our shoulders when asked why we did what we did with a mumbled response of, “I dunno why?” 2.5-pound Plates You might be saying, “If only men tried harder.” Trouble is even though many men attempt to get stronger on their own it does not work. We need a training coach in the Holy Spirit. Check-out the short, strength-training manuals in the Bible, and we are told repeatedly that we cannot do it on our own. Every man, every father, every husband, every son needs a training partner in the Lord. When I was younger, in much, much, much better shape, and spent more time lifting weights in the gym, the 2.5-pound plates, in manner of speaking, were my best friends. I referred to them as barrier-breakers. Mentally and physically, I would reach a previous lifting goal at a certain weight in my bench press, my squat, or my curl. I could add an additional ten to twenty pounds to the bar, which is normal in weightlifting, striving for a new personal best. The surprise? Try as I might, I could not get a new personal best by jumping up an additional ten to twenty pounds. I would try for seven to fourteen days but to no avail. I would hit a barrier. Disappointed that I could not make a 10-to-20-pound improvement, I would instead add a small, 2.5-pound plate on each end of the bar. In my hands they almost felt invisible and weightless, but together the two plates represented five more pounds. I would wave them in my hands, reminding myself of how small and insignificant they were. It was a ritual just before sliding the plates onto the bar. It was my way of breaking a previously set mental and physical barrier. A Spotter The other important element was adding a spotter or training partner the day I wanted to advance up in my strength or lift. I would ask someone to stand nearby ready to assist if I couldn’t lift the new, additional five pounds. If you’ve ever been to a gym, most assists start-out with the “eight-finger-lift-assist” where the spotter will place his or her fingers under the bar, on both ends, so the assist is ready but only used in desperation. Sometimes spotters will fake-assist letting the lifter know at the finish of the successful lift that no assist was necessary. The spotter will usually scream-out, “It was all you, Man, that was all you! I didn’t even help!” The power of the 2.5-pound plates and a spotter is incredible! Previous barriers can be broken when even small strides forward are marked and celebrated. That is what we men need to return to in our lives. Our 2.5 lb. barrier breakers or spotters could be the next memorized, recited Bible verse that gives us strength the next time we want to act more like the Holy Spirit. Look at these “eight-finger-lift-assists” and imagine the Holy Spirit spotting you the next time you’re tempted to act like a jerk. These four little training manuals consist of only 20 chapters. Perhaps while the month of June warms-up and suns-up, you and I could read and reread these manuals until they train us up to become more of what the Lord knows we can become – if we will let him spot us as we try to break the next barrier. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5:16-17 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. Ephesians 5:1-5 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. Philippians 3:17-21 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Colossians 3:5-10 I promise, I will read and reread these four books all during the month of June. I hope you will join me. Let’s get stronger together. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Tony L. Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe. #JUNE22