JOURNAL OF THE BAPTIST MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION OF MISSISSIPPI

www.msbaptist.orgApril 15, 2016 VOL. 70 NO. 8

State Association Set For Amoryby Matt Hudson, Presidentby Matt Hudson, Presidentby Matt Hudson, Presidentby Matt Hudson, Presidentby Matt Hudson, President

BMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiBMA of MississippiIt is hard to believe the month of May is almost here. With May approaching

comes a lot of associational activities. Departmental trustee meetings, the NorthMississippi Senior Adult Conference, and the BMA National meeting are a few whichtake place prior to May.

The bi-annual meeting of the BMA of Mississippi will be meeting May 16,17 at EastAmory Baptist Church in Amory. These fine folks are diligently making things readyfor our meeting. Pastor Roger Akers shares motel information in this issue for yourconvenience.

The meeting will begin on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. with the Brotherhood andWMA. The Tuesday meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. with singing, preaching by Bro.Ed Steele, and reports from our departments. If you need help with issues beforethe meeting, feel free to call me at 662-260-0244 or Bro. Akers at 662-231-4025.I look forward to seeing you in May at East Amory Baptist Church.

Reaching Muslims throughLifeword Community Radio

“Searching in a

trash heap ...

he found an

old book with

no cover.....”

In 2003 after years on the run, aprominent Muslim soldier, EmirHashim (not his real name), surren-dered himself, his band of renegadesand his firearms to the government(country withheld for security purposes),all for enough money to live peacefullyin an area that is a Muslim stronghold.Prior to the surrender, they were madeto understand that life would always behard for him and his group if they didn’ttake advantage of this “governmentreconciliation program.”

By 2007 it became obvious that the

government would not keep their prom-ise of livelihood-support money. SoHashim went back to his former head-quarters planning to gather firearms,soldiers and resources to resume his lifeas a wanted man and Muslim leader.

Plotting his next move, he returned

to his secluded hut, but mosquitoes kepthim from sleeping. Searching in a trashheap for something to burn so theywould go away,he found an oldbook with nocover and wasabout to throwit into the firewhen he felts o m e t h i n gstop him.Without real-izing it was aBible, he readthe Old Testament, then the New Tes-tament and the story of Jesus in theGospels. With conviction from the HolySpirit, he surrendered his life to IsaAlmasih (“Jesus Christ” to Muslims).

For eight years after his conversion,he searched for understanding of Godand Scripture, associating himself withpastors and missionaries from variousChristian denominations. However, his

Enjoy the highlights of the2016 BMA National Meeting!

BMA Productions will broadcast por-tions of the 2016 Baptist MissionaryAssociation of America National Meet-ing from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, livevia online video April 25-27. Viewersmay access content by navigating tobmalife.com/tv during the followingtimes:

Monday, April 25, 7 p.m. - FirstGeneral Session (President’s Message) -

Tuesday, April 26, 7 p.m. - ThirdGeneral Session (Annual Message) -

Wednesday, April 27, 7 p.m. - SixthGeneral Session (Missions Commission-ing & Johnny Hunt).

experience with them was more de-structive than beneficial; they used himto raise funds intended for his livelihoodwhich he never received. He had everyright to be discouraged but somehownever turned away from God.

A year ago Bro. Hashim met a mis-sionary working with Muslims. At greatrisk to himself, this missionary hadsettled in the town to penetrate this

Muslim area with the gospel. Throughthe power of God, he crossed paths withHashim, who had decided to work aloneand attend church planting classes. Astheir association grew, Hashim wasagain challenged to continue his Mus-lim work.

In November 2015 at a BMA associa-

Three Things Churches Love That Kill Outreach

continued on page 2

by Ed Stetzer

(Stetzer is president of Lifeway Researchand has spoken at the BMA Nationalmeeting on a couple of occasions. He isconstantly looking at church growthissues.)

All churches love certain things. Somelove fellowship, some worship, someprayer. Those are good loves. Some areneutral loves. Some are not. Otherchurches love their building, their his-tory or their strategy.

Those can be good or bad, dependingon what we mean by love and how wevalue those things. But, some thingsthat churches love hurt their missionand hinder their call. Here are threeI’ve observed from my work with thou-sands of churches.

1. Too many churches love past1. Too many churches love past1. Too many churches love past1. Too many churches love past1. Too many churches love pastculture more than their currentculture more than their currentculture more than their currentculture more than their currentculture more than their currentcontext.context.context.context.context.

It’s remarkable, and I’ve said it manytimes: If the 1950s came back, manychurches are ready. (Or the 1600s, orthe boomer ’80s, depending on yourdenomination, I guess.)

There is nothing wrong with thefifties, except we don’t live there any-more. We must love those who live here,now, not yearn for the way things usedto be. The cultural sensibilities of thefifties are long past in most of theUnited States. The values and norms ofour current context are drastically dif-ferent and continue to change. The taskof contextualization is paramount to themission of the church because we arecalled to understand and speak to thosearound us in a meaningful way. We can

learn much from the Apostle Paul’sexample recorded in Acts 17:16-34.

So, a church on mission — in thistime and place — engages the peoplearound it. Yes, in some ways, it re-sembles its context — a biblically faith-ful church living in its cultural concept.But, if your church loves a past eramore than the current mission, it lovesthe wrong thing.

2. Too many churches love their2. Too many churches love their2. Too many churches love their2. Too many churches love their2. Too many churches love theircomfort more than their missioncomfort more than their missioncomfort more than their missioncomfort more than their missioncomfort more than their mission.

The fact is, your church probablyneeds to be less focused on what makesit happy and more focused on whatpleases Jesus. This is an easy trap to fallinto because it happens very subtly.

Most churches have worked hard to

continued on page 5

2 April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

tion meeting, Hashim shared his pow-erful testimony, challenging attendeesto help him reach Muslims in his areawith the gospel. After the meeting, alocal pastor told him about LifewordCommunity Radio and how it couldeffectively reach his Muslim brothersand sisters. Hashim became very ex-cited, believing that, given the danger ofhis work, it wouldbe the best way toreach them. Pas-s i o n a t e l y ,Hashim told hisnew friend that hewould willinglygive his life forsuch a work.

This pastorsaid of Hashim,“God has openedthe door for us to reach Muslims withChrist’s saving power. He is the modernApostle Paul sent by God to us. Wecouldn’t penetrate the gospel to theMuslim world without this convertedbrother. For years Christian groupshave worked to reach Muslims withoutsubstantial results. God has given himto lead us to them. We might not haveanother opportunity as this. God hasgifted us with LPFM technology(Lifeword Community Radio) and pre-paring me and my trained leaders andEmir for a great harvest of souls in thisMuslim area.”

Hashim returned to the area with agreat excitement for his ministry andseveral media tools (a used video projec-tor, DVD players and films produced inthe dialect) given to him by area pas-tors. Hashim thanked them for the giftsand said they he would use them forhouse-to-house and group evangelisticmeetings with Muslims.

Lifeword is currently working withHashim to determine the type of broad-cast to best reach this volatile area.Local Lifeword trainers and leaders aresurveying the area, and plans are beingmade to possibly use a combination oftraditional broadcasting and strategi-cally-placed Lifeword Community Ra-dio equipment in “more favorable” Mus-lim areas. Please pray for this ground-breaking effort and a harvest of souls.

ReachingMuslimsfrom page 1

And he said unto them, It is not for youto know the times or the seasons, whichthe Father hath put in his own power.But ye shall receive power, after thatthe Holy Ghost is come upon you: and yeshall be witnesses unto me both inJerusalem, and in all Judaea, and inSamaria, and unto the uttermost partof the earth. Act 1:7-8

3April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

Serving Christ With a Biblical World View In A Christian Atmosphere

Danny Pitts - President4229 Highway 15 North, Laurel, Mississippi 39440, (601) 426-6346

SoutheasternBaptist College

Danny Pitts

College Recognizedfor On-line Program

We received word recently that BestColleges has selected their list of bestschools in a number of categories. South-eastern Baptist College was chosen theNumber One Best Online Bible Collegein the nation. Below is part of theinformation included on their page.

In a world where alarming headlinesare an everyday reality, there is a grow-ing need for clergy, counselors and oth-ers who can restore calm, encouragehope and bring people together tostrengthen their faith. Bible collegesare designed to help students achieve adeeper understanding of theology andpursue vocations that allow them toserve through ministry, communityoutreach or missions. The focus on reli-gious studies without the distractionsand demands of a more traditional uni-versity puts students on a fast track toan online degree in Biblical Studies orMinistry.

The best online programs for earn-ing a bachelor’s or associate’s degreefrom a bible college are listed below.Snapshots of each college include an

overview of academic strengths, learn-ing goals and statistics. Several of thecolleges offer a combination of distancelearning classes with classroom instruc-tion, while others offer all online pro-grams. Southeastern Baptist Collegeoffers a handful of online courses eachterm. The classes incorporate a biblicalworldview in a Christian setting, anddistance learners can choose fromcourses on Christian doctrine or take amarketing class presented within a bib-lical context. Each course counts forthree credit hours and can be takeneither independently or to fulfill a re-quirement for an SBC degree program.

Online courses at Southeastern Bap-tist College are open to professed Chris-tians; applicants are considered on acase-by-case basis according to previousscholastic accomplishments and futureacademic potential. SBC's onlinecourses, accessed through the the Populistudent portal, offer modular study op-tions to first-time freshmen and return-ing students who are interested in learn-ing about Christian concepts or aspir-ing to a career in biblical studies orministry.

Go to http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top-online-bible-colleges/ or tothe link at www.southeasternbaptist.eduto see the list. This honor is the resultprimarily due to the special efforts byDr. Aaron Parker and Amy Hinton inplanning the program. We thank all ofour online teachers and students. Maywe grow even more in ministry onlinethrough online degrees.

GMAs Support CollegeGMAs Support CollegeGMAs Support CollegeGMAs Support CollegeGMAs Support CollegeSoutheastern Baptist College was the

2015-2016 project of the BMA of Missis-sippi State GMA’s. They raised$3,591.33. We thank these young ladiesand their leaders for their efforts inraising such a substantial amount. Thearrival of the check was very timely.Southeastern has also received somespecial offerings recently which havebeen great blessings. Some of themhave been from folks who requestedanonymity. We honor that request, butquote Jesus: “thy Father which seeth insecret himself shall reward thee openly.”May the Lord bless you in this worldand in the one to come.

New Dean IntroducedNew Dean IntroducedNew Dean IntroducedNew Dean IntroducedNew Dean IntroducedDr. Scott Carson, who will be the

Academic Deanat SBC, will beon campus as ofthe first of May.He had his offi-cial retirementceremony onApril 4th com-pleting 30 yearsas a chaplain inthe army. Be-cause many donot know him, I include this articlewritten about him a few years ago fromSouth Park Baptist Church in FortWorth , Texas

Serving Spiritual Needsby Susan Huseman(June 6, 2006) The BMAWebThe BMAWebThe BMAWebThe BMAWebThe BMAWeb—Whilechaplains don't carry weapons, theynevertheless can find themselves inharm's way.

U.S. Army Garrison Hessen Chap-lain (Lt. Col.) Scott Carson found him-self in the thick of enemy activity whileassigned to the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air-borne Division.

He deployed to Afghanistan from July2002 to February 2003 and to Iraq fromJuly 2003 to March 2004. Last monthCarson was awarded the Combat ActionBadge.

Of his time downrange Carson said,"We were mortared and rocketed moretimes than any of us could remember. .. on a nightly basis." The enemy missedmost of the time, he said, but "we tooka direct hit just before I left [ForwardOperating Base St. Mere Eglise, Iraq]and a couple of medics were killed."

Chaplains are considered noncomba-tants, said Carson, and the GenevaConvention does not allow them to be

issued or use a weapon. "But I felt veryprotected. My assistant, Staff Sgt.Jarmon, was very serious about hismission as my bodyguard. Every timewe went outside the wire he was veryserious, very alert." As the brigade chap-lain Carson said he and his chaplainswere downrange to minister to woundedand dying soldiers at the FOB medicalclinic.

"We conducted a great deal of minis-try at our medical clinic. An R&R Chi-nook was shot down," said Carson. "Ithad about 30 people aboard. All of themwere brought to our clinic. Many sur-vived, but it was a very tragic event.

"Shortly after that a medic chopperwas shot down. And several convoystraveling through our sector were hitand the casualties were brought to us,"said Carson.

Carson speaks highly of the medicalteam he worked with. "I was extremelyimpressed by the professionalism andthe morale of Charlie Med," said Carson."The way they handled the crises bothduring and after. . . they were wellprepared to do their work; mentally,emotionally and spiritually.

"They worked hard to save lives, andwhen a Soldier didn't make it, they weresaddened," he said. "They didn't disen-gage from the human side of what wasoccurring."

Losses in an organization have agreat affect on those who survive, saidCarson, and his team supported thepsychologists and medical personnel."We conducted a crisis interventionministry. We would gather the soldierswho had experienced the loss firsthandand have them talk it out and supportthem."

The brigade chaplains also minis-tered to the living with worship servicesand counseling, he said. "We preparedthe soldier's soul for combat.

"Our soldiers have to do what has tobe done, and they are doing it quite wellunder unique situations," he said. "It isa difficult balance - being combat sol-diers, yet trying to win the hearts andminds of the Iraqi people.

"One morning on my way to break-fast I passed a National Guard convoygetting briefed," said Carson. "The lastthing they did was assemble around asergeant who led them in prayer. Theywere all gathered around and not an-other chaplain was in sight. I was im-pressed to see they were seeking spiri-tual guidance before going out on amission.

"There is no denying the importanceof the spiritual side of a soldier beforethey risk their life for their country," hesaid.

"That's what chaplains do - we help toprepare the soldier's spiritual dimen-sion as they try to prepare themselvesfor what might happen to them," saidCarson. "I'm convinced a soldier who isspiritually prepared is a better soldier -not just for combat, but for all parts oflife."

Dr. Scott Carson

CHURCH NEWS

Oak Grove AssociationOak Grove AssociationOak Grove AssociationOak Grove AssociationOak Grove Associationby Ed Steele, Reporter

The Oak Grove Association met withWestover Baptist Church in Hattiesburgon March 17. The service was openedwith Scripture and prayer by Bro. BlakeMcCain. Bro. Estuardo Maroquingave a report on the Hispanic minis-tries in South Mississippi. Bro. PhilipBurns spoke on behalf of his missionarywork with the Day Star Baptist Missionin Sumrall. Bro. Danny Pitts gave areport on Southeastern Baptist College.After a special in music by Bro. SamOglesby, the evening message wasbrought by Bro. Danny Pitts.

Westover provided a wonderful mealprior to the meeting. This was the firsttime we have had the time of food andfellowship before the service and every-one seemed to enjoy the change. Thenext meeting will be with Calvary Bap-tist Church in Purvis on May 12. Theywill begin serving the food shortly after6:00.

Church SeeksChurch SeeksChurch SeeksChurch SeeksChurch SeeksMusic DirectorMusic DirectorMusic DirectorMusic DirectorMusic Director

Lebanon Baptist Church is in need ofa part-time music director. This personwould be over leading worship serviceSunday morning and night, as well asdoing cantatas and other special music.We are looking for someone who is ableto incorporate both hymnals and con-temporary style music. All interestedpersons who have questions or wouldlike to send their resume may do so byemailing Adam Parker atparkeradam288@gmail.com.

North MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiNorth MississippiChurch Seeks PastorChurch Seeks PastorChurch Seeks PastorChurch Seeks PastorChurch Seeks Pastor

Tombigbee Baptist Church inMantachie, Mississippi, is seeking apastor. Those interested are asked tocontact James Jones at 662-871-8824(redjones@nexband.com) or Sid Kirkseyat 662-401-5888(kirksey@nexband.com).

4 April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

Opinion PageJournal of the Baptist Missionary Association of Mississippi

Don Brown - EditorDon Brown

www.msbaptist.org

Sofilthy's Atticby Barbara White

Don J. Brown, EditorE-Mail - editor@msbaptist.orgWeb site www.msbaptist.org

USPS 353-960P.O. Box 8181

Laurel, Mississippi 39441-8000

Phone 601-426-3293

PRICE$20.00 Per Year by Mail

$15.00 Per Year by EmailCHURCH PLAN

$ 1.30 Per Month per Family

Published on the 1st and 15thof each month by the Baptist Mis-sionary Association of Mississippi.Periodical postage paid atHattiesburg, Mississippi 39402.

Postmaster: Send addresschanges to the Mississippi BaptistPaper, P.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS39441-8000.

Baptist MissionaryAssociation of Mississippiwww.bmaofmississippi.com

DEPARTMENTS & COMMISSIONS

Mississippi Baptist PaperP.O. Box 8181, Laurel, MS 39441

601-426-3293

Southeastern Baptist College4229 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-426-6346

State Youth Department4226 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440662-397-6832

Baptist Children's Home118 Lowe Rd., Laurel, MS 39443

601-426-3928

Missions & Revolving Loan Fund4226 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-428-8616

Commission on Senior Adults4226 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-729-2613

History & Archives Commission4229 Highway 15 North

Laurel, MS 39440601-729-8098

Moral ActionP.O. Box 88, Mantachie, MS 38855

662-282-7425UpcomingEvents

BMA of AmericaApril 25-27

Gatlingburg, Tennessee

Missions ConferenceMay 6

South Forrest Mission760 Church Well Rd.

Hattiesburg

North Senior AdultConference

May 10East Fulton Baptist Church

Fulton, Mississippi

BMA of MississippiMidyear Meeting

May 16East Amory Baptist Church

State Youth CampJune 6-8

Waukaway SpringsVossbur, Mississippi

SOARJuly 6-8

Dallas, Texas

Prior to our recent trip to the Philip-pines we were in constant contact withmissionaries Doug and Diane Lee. Theirministry is with the Philippine BibleCollege Music department. As is thecase with many in the ministry, theyare involved in a variety of projects andministries.

We were constantly getting adviseand instructions while preparing forour trip. Most things covered personalmatters such as clothing, expenses,events, etc. During one of our conversa-tions Bro. Doug asked if we could locateand bring some Vacation Bible Schoolliterature with us. We quickly madesome contacts and were able to get someused literature thanks to the good folksat Big Creek Baptist Church, Soso.

We stuffed this small amount intoour luggage and hoped we were not"overweight". During one of our visits tothe Bible College the Lee's introduced

An Easy Helping Hand & Missions Projectus to the younglady who willspend her sum-mer going tovarious villagesand along withothers, teach-ing VBS to thechildren.

The amountof literature wewere able totake was muchless than ourchurches hereare used to hav-ing, but theyoung lady whowill use it wasoverjoyed to have it. She will be able tohave lessons, a theme, and a morecomplete VBS with this literature thanshe would have otherwise.

We all know that quality literature isexpensive and a professionally preparedcurriculum makes the teaching muchmore effective. Due to the expense, mostof our missionaries and small churchesin the Philippines (and surely on otherfields) cannot afford or do not haveaccess to good materials.

Many churches give their old litera-ture to other churches for their VBS.This is a great opportunity for churchesto be a blessing to our churches in thePhilippines and other mission fields. Iurge each of our churches who have

Bonnie and I delivering some VBS literature during our recent trip

VBS to save your literature and makearrangements to send it to the Philip-pines and other mission points aroundthe world who will put it to good use.

Not everyone speaks English there-fore groups and churches could seek outVBS material in the language of par-ticular mission fields.

Another way to be a special blessingand to support individual missionarieswould be to find out some of the personalpreferences of individual missionariesand provide items that they do not haveaccess to on their fields. Here are a fewthat I have heard of - Dr. Pepper,Twinkies, & Grits.

Contact a missionary and see howyou can bear a little of the burden!

The Center of the BibleThe Center of the BibleThe Center of the BibleThe Center of the BibleThe Center of the BibleI came across this the other day and found it pretty interesting so

thought I'd pass it on.This is pretty strange or odd how it worked out this way:

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalms 117What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalms 119Which chapter is in the center of the Bible? Answer Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118.Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118.Add these number up and you get 1188.What is the center verse in the Bible? Answer - Psalms 118:8Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?

The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their livesand that they want to be in the center of His will, just sent them to the center of HisWord!

Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?

5April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

get to a place where congregationalcustomers are happy — their needs aremet. The problem is that we are notcalled to cater to customers. We arecalled to equip co-laborers. When wewin the affections of those inside ourcircles, it becomes hard to pull awayfrom the affirmation we receive. Again,this only becomes a problem when theaffirmation of those on the inside worksto the detriment of our mission to thoseon the outside. It is a lot easier to settledown with the people who are like usthan to reach the foreigner or alienamong us.

So, a church does not exist for thecomfort of its people. Actually, the Biblereminds us again and again that we areto “provoke one another to love and gooddeeds” (Hebrews 10:24), to “bear oneanother’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), andmore. But, if your church loves itscomfort more than caring for others, itloves the wrong thing.

3. Too many churches love their3. Too many churches love their3. Too many churches love their3. Too many churches love their3. Too many churches love theirtraditions more than their chil-traditions more than their chil-traditions more than their chil-traditions more than their chil-traditions more than their chil-dren.dren.dren.dren.dren.

How can you tell? They persist inusing methods that are not relevant totheir own children and grandchildren.Far too often, church leaders, in aneffort to protect the traditions of theircongregations, draw lines in the sandon nonessential issues.

This is not to say that “tradition” iswrong. It depends on how you define it,

but I think most will know what Imean. Christian scholar JaroslavPelikan said, “Tradition is the livingfaith of the dead, traditionalism is thedead faith of the living.” Churches thatlove tradition that way will choose theirtraditions over their children every time.

Too often, churches allow traditionsto hinder their ability to humbly assesstheir missional effectiveness. Moreover,they allow traditions to trump the fu-ture trajectory of their demographic. Iknow of several young pastors who havebeen exiled from their local congrega-tions because they didn’t fit the mold ofwhat had always been the ethos of theleadership. Sometimes this is becauseimpatient pastors try and force changetoo quickly. Other times it’s becausesettled churches resist change so force-fully.

Undoubtedly, there are always timesto defend the traditional stances of es-sential doctrines in the local church.But we should not have a cultural elit-ism that hinders passing the torch to anew generation of leaders. If your churchloves the way you do church more thanyour children, it loves the wrong thing.

It’s time to evaluate your church.It’s time to evaluate your church.It’s time to evaluate your church.It’s time to evaluate your church.It’s time to evaluate your church.Love is good, and everyone wants a

loving church. However, loving thewrong things leads you the wrong way.Loving what is good, including our con-text, Jesus’ mission and the next gen-eration (to name a few things), moves

Three Things Churches Love the church in the right direction. Thechurch should be always reforming,that is, humbly looking at itself andassessing its ability to reach people withthe good news of Jesus. Sadly, many ofthe people Jesus devoted His time towould not feel welcome in our churches.

What about your church? What doesits posture, behavior, practices and ac-tivities communicate to your commu-nity? I think all of us want to under-stand the culture and community weare ministering in so we can communi-cate the gospel with absolute clarity. Todo this, we need to ask ourselves thehard but needed questions.

Who are we reaching?Who are we reaching?Who are we reaching?Who are we reaching?Who are we reaching?Are we primarily reaching people whoare like us? Are we primarily reachingpeople who are already believers? Arewe primarily reaching people who un-derstand Christian subculture and ta-boos? What about the people who don’thave a church background? What aboutthe people who are unfamiliar withChristian beliefs? What about the peoplewho don’t understand church subcul-ture and behavioral taboos?

To say we are unable to reach the lostbecause of our traditions or preferencesis simply unacceptable and antitheticalto the mission of God.

Adams Opens Mississippi House in Prayer

Rev. John Adams (far right) , Pastor at First Baptist Church in Mantachie and directorof Moral Action for the BMA of Mississippi and BMA of America led Mississippi Housemembers in a word of prayer to open a recent session.

continued from page 1

Carl Sookraj Family

Church Endorses Ministry - Urges SupportTo the Churches of theBMA of MississippiGreetings in the awesome name of Jesus!

Things are going well at Central inSouthaven, Mississippi! We are beingblessed tremendously in the work. Wewant to thank you for your support inprayer and finances!

One of the great things that is hap-pening in our midst is with the Sookrajfamily. Carl & Dana Sookraj have sur-rendered their lives to mission work inIca, Peru. They know they are called ofGod to begin an orphanage that willwork with and compliment the work ofchurch planting missionaryJohnmichael Poulin.

The Sookraj’s own their own busi-ness in Olive Branch. It is for sale! Praythat it sells soon! They are walkingaway from it and giving their lives tothis new cause that God is calling themto! J&B Towing has been a very suc-cessful business for over 10 years. Theywill be missed greatly in their commu-nity as they contribute a great deal tothe city network.

The Oversight Team and Motherchurch of Central fully endorse this newministry. The Missions Advisory Com-mittee of the National Missions Workhas unanimously recommended themto our churches already. They will bepresented as a new mission work to beapproved by the churches of the BMA atour national meeting in Gatlinburg,Tennessee. They will be available to youat the meeting in the missions display

area.We recommend that you invite the

Sookraj’s to your church to share thisnew work in the BMA. They are raisingfunds to begin the new work. All of thefunds will go towards the purchase of anew facility there that will house chil-dren. Once approved you can give to thisfund through the national mission’soffice. You can join churches that arealready giving to this ministry. There issuch a great need in that area as thereare many children without care andlove! Thank you for considering thisministry! Pray for them! To contactthem you may call Carl Sookraj at 901-488-5266 or email him atcarl.jbcollision@yahoo.com.

His Therefore Yours,Anders Lee, PastorCentral Southaven, Mississippi

Summer ’16 CompassFocus on New Testament Message and Messengers

DiscipleGuide is pleased to continueoffering Compass Bible study users asurvey of the entire Bible throughour “Big Picture” series. For the pastseveral quarters, Compass has surveyed

individual books of the Bible in an at-tempt to give readers a bird’s-eye-viewof Scripture. As with any genre, book, orpassage of Scripture, a lifetime could begiven to explore the depths of God’struth. The goal is to provide believerswith a better understanding of the wholeof Scripture. Sometimes seeing a largemap helps younavigate specificterrain.

The summerquarter will focuson the messageand messengersof the Gospel ofM a t t h e wthrough SecondThessalonians.Special emphasiswill be given to the heart of Christ’ssaving message and how rapidly it trav-eled throughout the world after hisresurrection. Lessons centering onepistles will highlight the gospel foun-dation, purpose, and mission of the localchurch.

For more information or to orderCompass, go to discipleguide.org or call800.333.1442 today.

6 April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

Women's Missionary AuxiliaryPresidentLinda Smith

2816 Old Bay Springs Rd.Laurel, MS 39440

601-470-1398

Corresponding SecretaryMrs. Shirlene Smith

730 Hwy 533Laurel, MS 39443

601-729-5638

WMA State ProjectWater for Christ

by Chris Smith & Marilyn WelbornState WMA project promoters

Water for Christ is our state WMAproject this year. Brother Tim Tyler isthe director of W4C and has been drill-ing wells in Africa for the past fiveyears. The cost of a well is about$5,000.00. Wouldn’t it be wonderful ifour State WMAs raised enough moneyfor several wells!

We here in America take our cleanwater for granted. The need for cleanwater in Africa is great and one well willprovides water for a whole village. Notonly is Water for Christ providing physi-cal water, it is also providing spiritualwater - the word of God. Individuals go

to assist with the wells and ministers goto preach the word. Brother Tyler saysthe Lord is blessing Water for Christ byproviding their needs.

What a blessing to be part of thisproject. We are told that the peoplejump for joy as water gushes from thewell. More importantly people respondas the word of God is presented. Praisethe Lord for such a great opportunity toprovide such a need - physically andespecially spiritually.

Please pray for Water for Christ andgive as the Holy Spirit directs. Jesussaid in John 4:14 - “Whosoever drinkethof the water that I shall give him shallnever thirst; but the water that I shallgive him shall be in him a well of waterspringing up into everlasting life.”

Big Creek DistrictBig Creek DistrictBig Creek DistrictBig Creek DistrictBig Creek DistrictWMA & Brotherhood to meetWMA & Brotherhood to meetWMA & Brotherhood to meetWMA & Brotherhood to meetWMA & Brotherhood to meet

by Bonnie Brown2nd Vice President

The Big Creek Association WMA &Brotherhood will meet May 2, 2016, atFirst Calhoun Baptist Church, Laurel.Please put this on your calendar andplan to be there. You will be blessed byattending the meeting.

Oak Grove District WMA ReportOak Grove District WMA ReportOak Grove District WMA ReportOak Grove District WMA ReportOak Grove District WMA Reportby Betty Kendrick, reporter

The Oak Grove WMA held its quar-terly meeting at Pine Grove BaptistChurch in Purvis on April 8, 2016. Thetable decoration centerpieces on each

table for our meal related to the parableof the sower and the seed. John 4:36-37says, “And he that reapeth receivethwages, and gatherest fruit unto lifeeternal: that both he that reapeth mayrejoice together. And herein is thatsaying true, One soweth, and anotherreapeth.”

Trevor Morris from Bassville spokeof the various mission trips that she andher husband have taken. She hastraveled on different types of missiontrips and since her field is in education,she is placing emphasis in her futuretrips on teaching.

Beth Haden dismissed the programwith prayer.

SOAR 2016 Concert to Preview a Taste of Heaven…by Jonathan Wilson, Director of Marketing

DiscipleGuide is pleased to announce that We The Union will perform Concertfor the Nations at SOAR 2016. Concerts have always been a highlight of SOARstudent conference. However, nothing will compare to what We the Union has instore with Concert for the Nations.

The Bible describes the throne room of heaven as a place where people from everytribe, tongue and nation join together praising the Lamb who was slain before the

creation of the world. During Concert for the Nations, We The Union will leadstudents to sing in languages from many tribes, tongues and nations. It will be asmall preview of what awaits in heaven.

For over three years now, We The Union has served as SOAR band. Accordingto DiscipleGuide Director Scott Attebery, “We can’t imagine a more fitting artist forthis year’s concert. SOAR conference owes so much to the commitment We TheUnion has made to our students over the years.” Aaron Williams, lead singer of WeThe Union, attended SOAR as a youth group member and later as a member ofSOAR worship band. Now as lead singer, he continues to bless SOAR with thetalents God has given him. We The Union is in the process of recording a new albumthat will be released later this year. They also have an EP (extended play) availableon iTunes.

For more information on SOAR 2016 and to register your group, visit gosoar.comtoday. Conference registration is $110 until June 10, 2016. Hotel booking is also nowopen for the Hilton Anatole, Dallas, Texas, at gosoar.com. For the latest news andupdates, follow @soarconference on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Come See and Experience Daniel Springs.Thanks to the dedication of churches, youth groups and college ministries, the

following improvements and enhancements to Daniel Springs have been made overthe past few months. Several open-air tabernacles have been remodeled. The maintabernacle interior drop ceiling was raised, painted and insulated and new lightingwas installed, all of which will keep everyone cooler and reduce energy costs. Thedining area received new paint on the inside and outside, and the popular canteenarea was painted as well. All work was done to make sure every camp attendee hasthe best experience possible.

In 2015, Daniel Springs was blessed to have a summer work staff of twentystudents. The 2016 goal of thirty students is almost complete. All female staffpositions have been filled; however, male staff positions are still available. If you areinterested or know someone who is, applications can be found atdanielspringscamp.com. You can also contact Jason Prewitt at (903) 685-2433.

Registration for camp is open with many options to choose from. Listed below arethe 2016 Summer Camp experience options:

June 7-10 - GalileanJune 14-17- GMAJune 21-24 -Student Camp I (7th grade-College)June 28-July 1 -PreTeen I (4th-6th grades)July 12-15 -PreTeen II (4th-6th grades)July 19-22 -Ark-La-Tex Family CampJuly 26-29- Student Camp II (7th grade-College)Schedule your camp experience today. For more information and to register your

church, visit danielspringscamp.com or call (903) 685-2433.

Daniel Springs Gets a “Face-Lift”by Jason Prewit

Director of Camp MinistriesDaniel Springs has been in need of a

‘face-lift” for several years. Thankfullyduring the month of March, manychurches supported financially and vol-unteered their time to give DanielSprings a new and improved look.

The week of March 6th brought mem-bers from Mount Olive Baptist Church,Scurry, TX; Union Hill Baptist Church,Brownsboro, TX; and Springhill Bap-tist Church, Springhill, LA to camp.They constructed new open-air taber-nacles, sealed cabin windows, paintedthe inside and outside of the cafeteriaand helped with the main tabernacleremodel. Everyone had fun while work-ing even though it rained over 8 inches.

The week of March 14th brought thestudent ministries from Davis StreetBaptist Church, Sulphur Springs, TXand Farley Street Baptist Church,Waxahachie, TX to camp. They fin-ished the open-air tabernacles and thesealing of windows and doors on cabins.They also painted and cleaned up work

areas. All of this was ac-complished in 2 ½ days.

During these twoweeks, an enormousamount of improvementswere made to camp fa-cilities. Everyone workedwith great mindsets,willing hands, and ser-vant hearts. The workdone by these churcheshas made a lasting im-pact on Daniel Springs.There are projects stillneeding to be completedbefore camp seasonstarts. If you or your

church would like to be a part of helpingwith the lasting legacy and ministry ofDaniel Springs, please call 903-685-2433 or emailJason@danielspringscamp.com.

Come see the new and improvedDaniel Springs. Register by visitingdanielspringscamp.com/register. It isgoing to be a great year at Daniel Springs.Come be a part of it!

New Tablernacle at Daniel Springs Camp

7April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist

MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST

CHILDREN'S HOME118 LOWE ROAD, LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI 39443 - (601) 426-3928

SIDNEY DAVIS - DIRECTOR SIDNEY DAVIS

Let Us Worship the LordLet Us Worship the LordLet Us Worship the LordLet Us Worship the LordLet Us Worship the LordPsalm 100 gives us some good in-

structions on our worship to the Lord.“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, allye lands.” Verse 1. God wants the wholeworld to worship Him and give thanksto Him.

Verse 2 says, “Serve the Lord withgladness: come before His presence withsinging.” It is good we are able to servethe Lord gladness, because there is joyin our hearts, and the joy of the Lord isour strength.

“Know ye that the Lord He is God: itis He that hath made us, and not weourselves; we are His people, and thesheep of His pasture.” Verse 3. We canlook to the Lord and submit to Him, tofollow Him, and obey Him.

We worship the Lord as we, “Enterinto His gates with thanksgiving, andinto His courts with praise: be thankfulunto Him, and bless His name.” Verse4. Why do we worship the Lord in thisway? “For the Lord is good: His mercyis everlasting, and His truth endures toall generations.” Verse 5.

May the Lord help us as we humblyseek Him in worship. May our heartsbe joyful and thankful. May the Lordgive us grace to serve Him and submitto His will for our lives.

Final Progress ReportsFinal Progress ReportsFinal Progress ReportsFinal Progress ReportsFinal Progress ReportsBefore Summer BreakBefore Summer BreakBefore Summer BreakBefore Summer BreakBefore Summer Break

Well, there are just a few more weeks

of school before this school year will behistory. Our girls and boys continue todo well in their studies. Our fifth gradegirl made the Principal’s List (all A’s)

again and also was selected as Studentof the Month recently. Our first gradeboy, second grade boy, and third gradegirl all were on the Honor Roll (B’s orbetter) this past nine weeks. We arethankful and grateful for their progress.

Remember in Prayer and FocusRemember in Prayer and FocusRemember in Prayer and FocusRemember in Prayer and FocusRemember in Prayer and FocusVersesVersesVersesVersesVerses

Continue to remember the girls andboys and the ministry of the Home inyour prayers. Read and meditate onPsalm 100.

From The Mindof Chuck Lee

Lee pastor's Pine GroveBaptist Church, Purvis.He may be reached by emailat leecharles47@yahoo.com

The Call To PreachWe live in a world today that puts

great emphasis on education. Now thatI am out of school with nobody to tell meI have to return, I can also say thathaving an education is a valuable asset.However, when we use that as a re-quirement to go into the ministry, weassume to know more than God. I knowsome of you may think this is a bold andwrong statement to make…but you arewrong.

You must also know how to dress.The night before I announced my call topreach, I went to Wal-mart and boughta pinstriped suit jacket and a tie to goalong with a pair of gray slacks I al-ready owned. With the standard, but-ton-down white shirt, you might say Iwas a frontrunner in the fashion worldof young ministers. My wife wouldn'tlet me wear my brown work boots, butI still looked pretty classy in a pair ofRockports her Uncle had convinced meto buy a few weeks earlier. In retro-spect, I probably shouldn't have optedfor the button in the tie that played"Achy, Breaky Heart", but hey, you liveand learn.

Being an eloquent speaker is also amust. The best way to practice speak-ing is by standing in front of a mirrorand just start talking. I would pretend

like I was preaching. It worked welluntil the security guards came andasked me to leave. They claimed I wasscaring the customers that were tryingto buy lipstick. This method also pre-pares you for rejection, which you mustbe able to endure if you plan on preach-ing the truth. One man seemed to thinkthat once I got rid of my heart wormcough (I was just really nervous), that Iwould do alright.

As glamorous as I make it sound, theministry isn't all glitz and glimmer.There are countless sleepless nights,back problems from carrying aroundcommentaries, and making yourself eatMrs. Hugsalot's mystery casserole sim-ply because she made it "just for you".Yeah, when it's all said and done, youmight want to be sure that your callingis from God. You will need all the helpyou can get.

Roy Derfelt Diesby Bro. Jeff Swart

Deacon Roy Derfelt, of First BaptistChurch of Galena, Kansas, went hometo be with his Lord on Wednesdayevening April 6th at the age of 93. Heleaves behind his bride of 73 years,Virginia, and four children and moregrandchildren than I can count. Hewas a faithful deacon for over 60 yearsand very active in our associations—

local, state, andnational. He wasa founding boardmember of theMinister’s Re-source Agencyand gave $1,000to help get the de-p a r t m e n tstarted. He wasa faithful andgodly man who

will be missed by this pastor!Editor’s Note: I met the Derfelt fam-

ily through their friendship with Dr.and Mrs. Gerald Kellar. Bro. Derfeltloved the Lord and was a loyal supporterof his church and our association. Hewill certainly be missed.

Roy Derfelt

A Successful Annual Ministryby the Editorby the Editorby the Editorby the Editorby the Editor

Each year the Big Creek Association

holds an Association-wide revival. Theattendance has been very good over thepast few years and the spirit of fellow-ship and worship enhances the workand minstry of each church and theassociation as a whole.

The revival rotates each evening be-tween cooperating churches. This yearthe meetings were held at TempleChurch, Laurel; First Baptist, BaySpring; Parkview Church, Laurel; andBig Creek Church, Soso.

Bro. David Watkins, former presi-dent of the BMA of America and former

pastor of First Baptist, Magnolia, Ar-

kansas wasour guests p e a k e r .Bro. Bran-don Wilsonled the mu-sic and anassociationwide choirperformedeach service.Special mu-sic washeard dur-

David Watkinspreaching at Temple

A crowd of over 300 at Big Creek Church, Soso

ing each service along with great con-gregational singing.

This effort has worked well for theBig Creek Association. Other local asso-ciations also hold revivals. If your localwork has not considered this, I recom-mend it.

North MississippiSenior Adult Conference

East FultonBaptist Church

Fulton, Mississippi

May 10, 20169:30 AM

Food, Fellowship,Music, Door Prizes,

And Worship

8 April 15, 2016 • Mississippi Baptist