Suzii Paynter Recommended as New CBF Executive Coordinator

January 17, 2013

Suzii Paynter speaks to a press conference while George Mason looks on.By John Pierce 

Baptists Today

ATLANTA — Susan (Suzii) Youngblood Paynter, executive director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission will lead the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), pending final approval by the group’s governing body next month. She would become the first woman and the third Texan to hold the top leadership position in the 21-year-old moderate Baptist organization.

“ I feel like God has brought me here with gifts from my times in the past…” said Paynter, who has been active in CBF since its founding. “I promise to give my gifts to this body through leadership, service and organization.”

Read the rest of the story.

Baptists Today News

News journal to celebrate 30 years of freedom, expansion

MACON, Ga. —Throughout 2013 the independent, national news journal Baptists Today will celebrate 30 years of publishing. The highlight will be a dinner event at the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Ga., on Thursday, April 25.

A reception time for fellowship, book signings and visiting exhibits begins at 5:30 pm. The dinner starts at 6:30 and will feature recognitions, a media presentation, and music by singer/songwriter Kate Campbell of Nashville. Participants will receive a copy of Bruce Gourley’s upcoming history of Baptists Today.

Reservations can be made soon at this web site or by calling the Baptists Today office (1-877-752-5658) and paying by credit card. Individual reservations are $25. A designated table for eight is $250. The church is located at 751 Green St., N.W., in Gainesville.

Baptists Today is also seeking organizations and individuals as sponsors for the event. The $1,000 sponsorships will be customized regarding dinner tickets, exhibit space and recognition. Call the Baptists Today office or email Ben McDade (ben@baptiststoday.org) for details.

The inaugural issue of what was then known as SBC Today rolled off the presses in April 1983. The publishing ministry was the first of many new moderate Baptist organizations to form in the decades during and after the Southern Baptist Convention’s turn toward political and theological fundamentalism.

Since founding editor Walker Knight and a horde of volunteers, many from Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., where the publication was first housed, brought the first issue to life, the news journal has experienced many changes over the past three decades.

In addition to multiple redesigns and new focuses through ongoing denominational and cultural shifts, Baptists Today has relocated offices, found leadership from numerous directors and staff, and more recently expanded its mission to provide Bible studies, books and other church resources.

In addition to the April 25 event and publication of the news journal’s history, a series of articles will appear each month in 2013 focusing on how Baptists Today has recorded and helped shape the moderate Baptist movement.

The memoirs of Walker Knight will be published as well through Nurturing Faith, Inc., the book-publishing arm of Baptists Today. He and all other Nurturing Faith authors are invited to participate in the book signings on April 25.

Baptists Today News

PRIORITIES & PROCESSES

Baptists Today directors, staff focus on expanding publishing mission

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Twenty cake boxes were stacked in pyramidal form at the beginning of the Baptists Today Board of Directors meeting Sept. 20-21 at First Baptist Church of Pensacola. The boxes represented varied projects that the news journal and its new publishing subsidiary, Nurturing Faith, Inc., are undertaking.

            In June 2011, Baptists Today launched a Bible study curriculum for adults and youth. Contributing editor Tony Cartledge, who also teaches at Campbell University Divinity School, writes the Nurturing Faith Bible Studies that appear in the center spread of the news journal with free online teaching resources at nurturingfaith.net.

            These Bible studies, used by many Sunday school classes and other weekly study groups, are provided in partnership with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation.

            Also last year, Baptists Today leadership formed Nurturing Faith, Inc. to publish books and future church resources. The first Nurturing Faith titles were released in June. Using the latest publishing technology, Nurturing Faith books are produced in collaboration with Faith Lab, a creative services firm, and are available as downloads or in print at nurturingfaith.info.

            Director Toni Clevenger hosted the two-day meeting that included a fish fry and an interview with Alan Scott, whose son Hunter’s research and persistence led to the exoneration of a World War II ship captain. (See stories on pages 4-6.)

LEADERSHIP

Walter Shurden of Macon, Ga., who was elected to a second one-year term as chairman, reminded fellow directors and staff that it is the “ministry” of Baptists Today, not the expanding business that is most compelling. “If we were publishing a journal about agriculture, for example, most of us wouldn’t be here,” he said.

            Other officers elected to second terms were Robert Cates of Rome, Ga., as vice chair, and Charles Schaible of Macon, Ga., as chair of the Budget/Finance Committee.

            Executive Editor John Pierce recognized longtime directors Winnie Williams of Clemson, S.C., Mary Etta Sanders of Dalton, Ga., Jimmy Allen of Big Canoe, Ga., Tommy Boland of Alpharetta, Ga., and Gary Eubanks of Marietta, Ga., for their service.

New directors attending their first meeting were Cynthia Holmes of St. Louis, Vickie Willis of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Frank Granger of Athens, Ga., and Roger Paynter of Austin, Texas. Jack Glasgow of Zebulon, N.C., was also elected to the Board.

            In addition to the officers, the Board approved Kelly Belcher of Asheville, N.C., Don Brewer of Gainesville, Ga., Nannette Avery of Signal Mountain, Tenn., Kathy Richardson of Rome, Ga., Cathy Turner of Clemson, S.C. and Tom Waller of Alpharetta, Ga., for one-year terms on the Executive Committee that also serves as the Nurturing Faith, Inc. Board.

            Along with Schaible and Waller, Kenny Crump of Ruston, La., and Huey Bridgman of The Villages, Fla., serve on the Budget/Finance Committee.

            Chairman Shurden commended directors for their vision, commitment and financial generosity through the Moving Forward Together initiative that allowed for filling a crucial staff need. He urged continued support for the organization as it grows in circulation and expands its resources

            Executive Vice President Ben McDade, who joined the staff in July, shared with the Board about why he was attracted to the work of Baptists Today and how “authentic relationships” and integrity will guide and grow support for the news journal and other projects.

PROJECTS

In addition to the national news journal that contains the Nurturing Faith Bible Studies for adults and youth, and the new book publishing initiative, directors and staff discussed other church resources in various stages of development

Rights have been acquired to a biblically comprehensive curriculum for students in grades one through six. Plans to test and develop the church-based children’s curriculum are underway.

Much discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities that come from taking advantage of the latest publishing technologies while still providing users with familiar resources.

Pierce told directors that the growing publishing efforts of Nurturing Faith are designed to enhance the effectiveness of Baptists Today news journal, not diminish it.

“The Nurturing Faith Bible Studies by Tony Cartledge have given the circulation of Baptists Today a big boost and we have only touched the surface,” he said.

He added that book publishing and future church resources will provide needed support for the news journal and raise the visibility of the organization’s primary publication.

Also he updated directors on a major celebration of the 30^th anniversary of Baptists Today set for April 25, 2013 at First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Ga., A 30-year history of the news journal, written by online editor and historian Bruce Gourley, will be presented to attendees at the dinner event.

The anniversary will also be marked by a special series in the news journal, a Baptist heritage tour in the fall of 2013 and other activities scattered throughout the year.

PERSPECTIVES

Charlotte Cook Smith of Winston-Salem, N.C., and David Turner of Richmond, Va., gave testimonies about why they support the expanding mission of Baptists Today. Both emphasized the reliability of information and the eagerness to work in collaboration with other organizations.

            Smith said she carries copies of Baptists Today to various churches, where her husband, Roy Smith, a former Baptist State Convention of North Carolina executive, speaks, in order to introduce them to the news journal and the Bible studies.

            “Many of them don’t know about it,” she said.

            Turner, pastor of Richmond’s Central Baptist Church and a member of the first class to graduate from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, said he discovered Baptists Today when a donor provided gift subscriptions to students. The news journal, he said, helped him to understand the broader Baptist world.

            “I also support the mission of Baptists Today because it doesn’t try to be sensational in an effort to gain readers,” said Turner. “But the main reason I personally support and believe in the mission of Baptists Today is because of relationships; and because its leadership and its board is made up of people I trust.”

PRIORITIES

Pierce reported that a staff retreat held Sept. 11-13 at Lake Burton in Northeast Georgia provided an opportunity to prioritize the multiple projects and to streamline processes. He commended the staff, spread from Montana to North Carolina for their giftedness, commitment and hard work.

            He also thanked directors for their representation (“showing up”), encouragement and support. Baptists Today has been able to “seize the moment” when opportunities arise, said Pierce, because the organization is “nimble” enough to move quickly and is supported by faithful Board members, cooperative partners and generous contributors.

            “While we followed no long-term, strategic plan for Baptists Today to evolve as it has, we are now strategically placing Baptists Today/Nurturing Faith to be a trusted publisher of news, Bible study curriculum and other resources for churches that value honest inquiry and serious study,” said Pierce.

            He added that the model of collaboration that has emerged from Baptists Today is consistent with the recent report of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s 2012 Task Force.

            “Churches are better served when we work with others to provide what they need,” he said. “We are eager to partner with others where there is trust, competence and mutual benefits — that ultimately benefit congregations.”

Ben McDade to join staff of Baptists Today

MACON, Ga. — Benjamin L. McDade Sr. will become executive vice president of the national news journal, Baptists Today, on Aug. 1. He comes from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) where he has worked in communications and advancement since 2002.

McDade will direct all development and marketing efforts and help give strategic direction to the expanding organization. The news journal, which has grown in circulation since adding the Nurturing Faith Bible Studies in 2011, recently launched a subsidiary to publish books, additional curriculum and other church resources under the Nurturing Faith imprint.

“With a background in journalism and advancement, and a knowledge of the Baptist people, Ben McDade is a natural to help lead Baptists Today,” said Board Chairman Walter B. Shurden, minister at large for Mercer University. “Our Board of Directors is thrilled to have him on board.”

Founded in 1983, Baptists Today is a fully autonomous, national news journal headquartered in Macon, Ga., and guided by an independent Board of Directors. McDade will work out of Atlanta, while other staff is spread from Raleigh, N.C., to Bozeman, Mont.

“Ben brings the right gifts, experience and energy to Baptists Today at just the right time as we grow and expand our ministry,” said Executive Editor/President John Pierce. “He will be a vital part of a dynamic team of talented and committed people with whom I’m privileged to work.”

Because of its independence, Baptists Today relies on mutually beneficial partnerships with other organizations and the strong support of individuals who value the mission of the news journal, said Pierce. McDade will help expand those partnerships and solidify the support base as well as broaden awareness of the news journal, books, curriculum and other resources being produced now and in the future.

McDade called his 10 years at CBF “among the most rewarding and challenging days of my career.” CBF leaders acknowledged his contributions in advancing the Fellowship’s work.

“Ben McDade has been tireless in his efforts to ensure CBF has the resources to carry out its mission,” said Pat Anderson, interim executive coordinator. “He has faced the challenge of trying to help undergird CBF’s financial footing at the exact time that the economy has slipped. We will never know how much more difficult these days would have been for CBF without Ben’s energy, leadership and passion.”

Daniel Vestal, CBF’s recently retired executive coordinator affirmed McDade’s contributions as well.

“It was my privilege to work with Ben McDade for 10 years,” Vestal said. “He is an incisive thinker and visionary leader who has been able to communicate the mission and message of CBF. He is one of the most principled and passionate persons I know, as well as a valued colleague and friend.”

McDade expressed deep appreciation for both the Fellowship and the partnering organization with which he will now work. He noted that the news journal predates the creation of CBF and provided unrestricted coverage of Baptist life during a tumultuous shifting of the denominational landscape in which the Fellowship was born.

“While we all owe a debt of gratitude to those who were committed to keeping Baptists informed with unvarnished news and information during those days, it’s the continuing innovative vision, passion, enthusiasm and commitment to excellence of Baptists Today’s staff and board leadership that call me to this next phase of ministry,” said McDade. “I am most pleased that my work will allow me to continue serving within the greater Fellowship community as Baptists Today builds on its proud tradition — and to be a part of the new publishing venture Nurturing Faith.”

Baptists Today News

‘Historical fact differs from myth,’ said historian Lambert

By John Pierce

MACON, Ga. — “Most countries construct myths of their origins … and speak of those myths in divine hues,” said Franklin T. Lambert, professor of history at Purdue University, during an April 18 lecture at Mercer University.

The United States is no different, said Lambert, who focused his concluding presentation during the annual Walter B. and Kay W. Shurden Lectures on Religious Liberty and Separation of Church and State on the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

The four-month gathering in Philadelphia that produced the U.S. Constitution has been called “the miracle of 1787,” Lambert noted. But that may have been overstated.

“Historical fact is always a bit different from the myths,” said Lambert. He acknowledged that the gathered delegates were “principled, yes, but protecting private interests” as well.

The religious orientation of the delegates has been misrepresented at times, he said. Nearly everyone in the hall was a professing Christian — with the possible exception of Benjamin Franklin who denied the divinity of Jesus.

“They were neither Bible-thumping evangelicals or Deists,” he said, as they are sometimes portrayed.

The physically diminutive James Madison played a very strong role, said Lambert, in raising the question, “How do you balance power and liberty?” — and in answering it: By the separation of powers that led to three branches of government.

The “nominal Anglican” who had been at the forefront of the religious liberty battle in Virginia was also the most vocal proponent of a federal commitment to the separation of church and state. Madison was “even more consistent and insistent than Jefferson.”

Aware that dissenting groups like Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians were growing faster than the Anglican Church, and with a commitment to religious freedom, the delegates embraced the “radical” notion of church-state separation while personally believing that God’s law is the highest law and that morality flowed from Christian teachings.

Recordings of the lengthy discussions and debates reveal very few references to religion, said Lambert. And the rare mention of “God” was used more in vain to express dismay with another delegate’s opinion than to honor the Creator.

Likewise, delegates rejected the idea of imposing a religious test for officeholders — which some states embraced. South Carolina, for example, required an affirmation of belief in Jesus Christ, said Lambert.

The convention was held in secrecy with no room given for amendments. The final draft — containing “no mention of God at all” — was sent to the states for an up-or-down vote on ratification.

And while the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear in the Constitution, Lambert said the delegates clearly embraced that concept. Yet some state convention delegates wanted a more explicit commitment to religious liberty.

So Madison sent a signal to the state conventions: if they would ratify the draft, he’d personally see that a Bill of Rights was added that guaranteed religious freedom.

“In Madison’s view, separation of church and state worked for the benefit of the spread of the gospel,” said Lambert.

While not everyone agreed with Madison and Jefferson, the Constitution was ratified — miraculously or not.

Lambert said there is a lot of concern today about America as a divided nation.

“We’ve always been divided,” said Lambert. “…I worry when we’re not divided.”

However, he added that the value of dissenting opinions suffer when not expressed with the right spirit — a concern within the American political climate today.

-The Shurden Lectures were established through a gift to the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (bjconline.org) that coordinates the annual series.