Disgraced Baptist Leader Vies to Head Denomination Again

Ten years after he was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in state prison for racketeering and grand theft, the former president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., is vying to lead the denomination once again and insists that he’s a changed man.

“My quest for re-election is spiritual and far beyond personal ambition,” claims Dr. Henry J. Lyons, who admits having been “at the lowest point, where ambition was absent.”

“We all, at one time in our lives, have fallen short of the Glory of God,” he adds in a statement to supporters. “My re-election to the Presidency will witness to the world just what a mighty and loving God we serve. It will be the foundation of understanding true forgiveness from Christ Jesus who is faithful to forgive all of our sins.”

More than a decade ago, Lyons was accused of spending church money on expensive jewelry, a Mercedes-Benz and a $700,000 home bought with a woman who is not his wife.

The charismatic preacher was also accused of diverting money intended for the restoration of Southern churches damaged by arson to other church expenses and swindling more than $4 million from companies that wanted to market life insurance, credit cards and cemetery plots to his convention members.

Despite the allegations and even after he was convicted of racketeering and grand theft, Lyons continued to serve as the head of the National Baptist Convention and did not resign until March of 1999 – the month he was handed his 5 1/2-year prison sentence.

The highly publicized scandal dealt a devastating blow to the denomination – one of the largest religious organizations among African Americans and the second largest Baptist denomination in the world, after the Southern Baptist Convention.

It also cost Lyons his marriage, his reputation and almost all he had.

"It cost me my life," he told the Tennessean in a recent interview. "The shame of it — I don't believe it will ever go away. There's nothing I can do about it."

But Lyons claims it was when he hit rock bottom that God saved him.

"I have suffered God's rod of correction," Lyons told First Baptist Institutional Church in Lakeland, Fla., after he was released on probation in November 2003. "I stand here today to tell you I truly, truly repented of my sins."

Since he walked out of the minimum-security state prison in Florida’s Polk County, Lyons has focused on rebuilding his life. He remarried and began preaching at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa – a church that had only about 20 members when he arrived and is today a congregation of around 500. He’s also working to repay the $5.2 million he had stolen.

Lyon’s latest effort comes as the current president of the National Baptist Convention, the Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw, draws near the end of his second five-year term and is unable to seek a third under convention rules. Lyons is hoping to take the helm again to help the denomination seize “the opportunity to operate in a great way by witnessing to the world through its actions.”

“The road ahead will not be easy,” Lyons expressed to supporters in an open letter on his church’s website. “The critics and the naysayers are ready to attack; but the blood of Jesus has washed my spirit and I am ready for the spiritual cross I may have to bear; knowing this is all for a more noble and glorious purpose.”

Lyons is running against one other candidate, the Rev. Julius R. Scruggs, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, in Huntsville, Ala., who also serves as vice president at large for the convention.

The election takes place in September.

[By Eric Young - Christian Post Reporter]

Palm Sunday - Holy Week Begins

A Church Planting Story

[by Fred Barnes]

In 2007, my wife Barbara and I left The Falls Church, which we had happily attended from the time we became Christians a quarter-century ago. It's a 277-year-old church in northern Virginia well-known for its popular preacher, the Rev. John Yates, its adherence to traditional biblical teachings and its withdrawal in 2005 from the national Episcopal church. Our three grown daughters and their families stayed behind at The Falls Church.

We didn't leave in anger. We didn't have political or theological anxieties. Rather, we left for a new church because our old church wanted us to. The Falls Church has become entrepreneurial as well as evangelical. It's in the church-planting business. And we were encouraged by Mr. Yates to join Christ the King, the church "planted" near our home in Alexandria. We were a bit ambivalent about the move, but when Christ the King opened its doors in September 2007, we were there.

Well, not quite its doors. The church began with a monthly service in a 600-seat school auditorium. About 30 people showed up, mostly members of the seed group dispatched from The Falls Church. Soon Christ the King, which was launched with a grant of $100,000 from The Falls Church, rented an assembly hall, seating about 100, in a private school and started regular worship every Sunday. Now, with 130 adults and 40 kids, we meet Sunday mornings in another church, whose own service is held in the evening.

But we don't just meet one day a week. One of the problems for a new church is that most of the parishioners don't know one another. They're not yet a community. Barbara and I knew fewer than a dozen of the original members of Christ the King. So David Glade, the 35-year-old pastor, organized everyone into dinner groups that gather monthly. Indeed, they had better gather: When our group skipped a month, Mr. Glade wanted to know why.

Three men's Bible studies have popped up along with a women's group. There is a prayer ministry, a vestry, and a choir led by a volunteer music director. A church retreat is set for August. Newcomers tend to be singles or young couples, and six baptisms are scheduled for the Sunday after next. Barbara and I are the old folks.

"It's a pretty amazing start," Mr. Yates told me. But it's not unusual. Church planting is a burgeoning movement among evangelicals who are conservative in doctrine (but not fundamentalist) and inclusive in their outreach to nonbelievers and lapsed Christians. It's a growing missionary field.

There's a theory behind church planting. It rejects the idea of trying to fill up existing churches before building new ones. Old churches are often "closed clubs" that don't attract new residents or young people or "the lost," says the Rev. Johnny Kurcina, an assistant pastor of The Falls Church. Besides, population increase far exceeds church growth in America. This is especially true in cities.

As an Episcopal Church rector, Mr. Yates began thinking about planting churches 20 years ago. But the bishop of Virginia "wouldn't allow us to discuss it," he says, fearing that new Episcopal churches would lure people from older ones. In 2001, he was allowed to plant a church, but only a county away in a distant exurb.

Mr. Yates was strongly influenced by the Rev. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan. Mr. Keller has led in creating new churches -- Redeemer has planted more than 100 churches in New York and other cities around the world. Innovative new churches, he has written, are "the research and development department" for Christianity, attract "venturesome people" as fresh leaders, and have the spillover effect of challenging existing churches to revitalize their ministry.

Leaving the Episcopal denomination (while remaining in the Anglican Communion) has given Mr. Yates the freedom to plant churches in urban areas amid many Episcopal churches. (One is next door to Christ the King.) His goal is to plant 20 churches in northern Virginia before retiring. Christ the King was the third, and a fourth was recently planted in Arlington. Mr. Kurcina, 33, who is my son-in-law, is preparing to plant a fifth in Fairfax County.

For a growing number of young preachers like Christ the King's Mr. Glade, planting and then leading a new church is an ideal option. As orthodox Anglicans, they didn't feel welcome in the Episcopal church. And they felt a strong calling to lead their own parish. Mr. Glade grew up as an Episcopalian in Jacksonville, Fla. After graduation from Florida State, he came to The Falls Church as an intern and spent four years as a youth leader before attending Trinity Seminary outside Pittsburgh. He returned to The Falls Church eager to lead a theologically conservative Anglican congregation. "In order to do that, you had to go out and do it yourself," he told me.

"Every new church has an awkward phase, figuring out who they are and getting to know each other," Mr. Glade says. That phase is over. Christ the King has also become financially self-sufficient. It aims to be a "healthy church," like its parent. "A healthy church reproduces itself," Mr. Glade says. Christ the King may soon do just that. Its assistant rector wants to plant his own church.

[The Wall Street Journal, written by Fred Barnes]

Leadership Development - Better Pastors

One day Moses’ father-in-law and mentor, Jethro, came for a visit to see how the exodus was going. He saw that Moses was overwhelmed, the people weren't being cared for, and the newly formed nation was coming apart at the seams. He gave Moses some excellent advice:

"Select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." (Exodus 18:21)

Moses saw the wisdom in his father-in-law’s advice. He broke the nation of Israel into small groups and community-size groups, and he commissioned leaders over them. He continued to be the primary vision-caster and the one ultimately responsible for the direction of the children of Israel, but he entrusted the day-to-day care and feeding of the people to trusted leaders. You might say that Moses created the first example of plurality of leadership or small groups.

The key to success for Moses’ effort is the same for any church today: leadership development.

Finding, training, and deploying effective leaders are essential to successfully building a church. It seems simple, but people often underestimate the importance of leadership.

While different churches handle staffing with a great variety of approaches, one role common to almost all successful models is that of pastor – the term most commonly used today to describe the leader who will convey the DNA of the church, recruit the core team, develop the new leaders, and carry on the ministry.

Here are some key DNA ingredients:

1. practical life-giving messages
2. a sense of God’s power in worship
3. a relaxed nonthreatening atmosphere
4. excellent children’s ministry, and
5. relational small groups

Many people feel the success of the church rises and falls on the leadership of the pastor. The importance of the effective execution of this role cannot be overstated. Following are four tips for selecting and developing better pastors:

1. Know what qualities you are looking for in a pastor. Churches with experience in developing pastors tell me they look for these qualities:
   a. A leader who completely buys into the church’s vision and is loyal to its senior leadership
   b. A team player with strong relational skills
   c. A team builder who can reproduce vision in others
   d. A pastor, someone with a desire and heart to shepherd groups and individuals
   e. A flexible entrepreneur
2. Develop an intentional and accessible process. It helps to develop a leadership pipeline that carries people from attender to member to small group leader – with continuing development to pastor. The process must thoroughly integrated use of an online strategy for greater access to the associated tools and tracking mechanisms. God has presented us the best technology today that man has ever known to accomplish this today.
3. Remember that leadership development is more relational than anything else. One error that we often make when looking at leadership development is to mistake a program or class with building leaders. When Jesus developed the 12 men to whom He would entrust the most important mission of history, he didn't send them to a class or put them through a program. Jesus developed his leaders by hanging out with them, eating with them, and experiencing life with them. The most effective means of leadership development is sitting around a dinner table, sharing the ups and downs of life. One of the reasons that development must be relational is that one of the variables in growth is timing. “Mentoring is not dumping all you know onto the protégé,” says church management consultant Bob Biehl. “It’s finding the teachable moment to ask, 'What are your plans?' and 'How can I help?'" Most leaders grow on a need-to-know or need-to-grow basis. Unless you have a pastor who understands leadership and group dynamics, the growth stops. If a ministry doesn't have strong leaders, it falters. In short, churches face a leadership-making challenge because ministries cannot grow or stay healthy without leaders. Teachable reflection is one of the factors that leads to the formation of great leaders.
4. Take advantage of the various communication tools available. Many of them are free via the Internet. Use videoconferencing and teleconferences to connect pastors and trainers located in different parts of the country. This saves travel costs and allows you to meet as often as needed, focus on upcoming concerns, and enhance the sense of community.

What say you? (Click "comments" below.)

[Based on an article by Greg Ligon]

5 Ships Needed to Take Your Church into the Future

One of the most common mistakes made by leaders is changing courses too fast. A church is a lot like a ship. If you turn too fast, you will turn the boat over.

The sea of life if full of sunken ships that would have survived if the leaders would have transitioned instead of forcing abrupt and immediate change. Change is not accepted merely because it is needed. Many people know things need to change, but would rather settle for mediocrity than venture into the unknown seas of an uncertain future. People will only accept change if their leader has enough influence, track record and integrity to ensure a safe trip into uncharted waters.

Changing a church requires at least 5 ships: Leadership, Worship, Discipleship, Stewardship and Fellowship.

1. Leadership - Unless the leaders are on board, change will be resisted and confusion is imminent. All of the questions have to be answered among the leaders, before the visions is cast to the rest of the congregation. Corporate vision casting should never catch your leaders off guard.
2. Worship - The key to a successful worship service is flow. A worship service that doesn’t have constant interruption points gives you a seamless experience with God. A service with flow gets you into His presence, and there your mind can be changed. Change must be perceived as spiritual growth. Nothing says that like a seamless flow in a worship experience.
3. Discipleship - Solve your problems in the smallest possible component. The quickest avenue of change is through small groups. Your discipleship program not only gives you the best results for personal growth, but also provided the perfect vehicle for corportate growth. Vision trinkles down from the top. As the leaders cast the vision, the small groups leaders can have unprecedented influence in creating positive momentum.
4. Stewardship - The first question concerning change is, “can we afford it.” Churches have got to start thinking outside the offering plate. Growing churches need to create income streams that fuel their ministry budgets. A stewardship plan up front makes a huge impact on how people perceive ideas for change.
5. Fellowship - The larger a church becomes, the better it has to do small. Connectivity is the key to cohesiveness. Never underestimate the power of a night of eating, laughing and enjoying each other. The church is in the relationship business. We create an environment where individuals can have a personal relationship with God and the family of God. Friends can change the hearts of another friend much quicker that the best ran campaign.
   All Aboard!

[Bryan Cutshall]

Today's Quote

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." -- Lee Iacocca, Auto Executive

Is the Glory of God Central To Your Church Plant?

I just spent an amazing week walking and worshiping God in the hill country of central Texas (which is prettier than this boy thought it would be … please forgive me, Texas!).

(Every pastor and/or church planter needs time away to recharge.) When you get away from the city, leave the laptop and cell phone at home, and run after God it’s amazing how fast He catches you!

One afternoon, while I was basking in His glory in a meadow, it struck me that I can’t honestly remember the last time I remember a Church Planter telling me, “I want to plant a church for the glory of God.”

I think we sometimes assume too much when we assume all churches are being started for God’s glory … and not our own.

Who’s getting the glory in your church plant?

[Guest Blogger: Bobby Vaughn, Church Planting Director - NorthWood Church]

Celebrate Easter at a Bible Theme Park

Fields of the Wood

Murphy, North Carolina

Celebrate Easter at Fields of the Wood!

Saturday, April 11th

All Day Singing

Easter Pageant beginning at Sunset (Activities will begin at around 11:00 AM)

Sunday, April 12th

Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM with breakfast following at the Fields of the Wood Worship Chapel

THE PARK IS OPEN DAILY FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET AND ADMISSION IS FREE

Gift Shop - Burger Mountain Café - Picnic Areas - Nature Trails - Baptismal Pool – And More!

10000 Hwy 294 – Murphy NC 28906
828-484-7855 or 423-559-5100

http://www.fieldsofthewood.net/

http://www.heritageministries.blogspot.com/

-

Six Stages of Attitude Change

1. Identify problem feelings
2. Identify problem behaviors–what actions result in negative feelings?
3. Identify problem thinking
4. Identify right thinking–what is the thinking that is right and what you desire?
5. Make a public commitment to right thinking–public commitment becomes powerful commitment
6. Develop a plan for right thinking (written definition of right thinking)
   a way to measure progress
   a daily measuring of progress
   a person to whom you are accountable
   a daily diet of self-help materials
   associating with right-thinking people

[John Maxwell]

National Day of Prayer - May 7

Greetings from the National Day of Prayer Task Force!

As Chairman, I want to encourage you to mark Thursday, May 7th on your calendar and take time to pray for our country on that day. Our theme for this year's National Day of Prayer is "Prayer … America's Hope!" It's based on Psalm 33:22, which says, "May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

This is an extremely critical time in America's history. From economic pressures, to the ongoing threat of terrorism, to the unraveling of our culture's moral fabric, many people are dealing with a deep sense of uncertainty and apprehension.

Visit http://links.mail-family.org/ctt?kn=3&m=2468257&r=MjQzNzQzMTgzMgS2&b=0&j=NzAyNTM0NTkS1&mt=1&rt=0, to find local events, connect with other volunteers in your area, download prayer resources and participate in our online video contest, where the winner and a guest will join Honorary Chairman, Beth Moore, and me in Washington D.C., for our national NDP observance. In addition, the winning inspirational video will be aired on GOD TV, which is available in more than 200 countries around the world!

The video contest begins on Monday, April 6, and concludes on Friday, April 24, 2009. Michael W. Smith will kick off the contest with a special announcement which you can watch on http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/.

There are many other ways you can get involved:
- Join our LIVE online prayer room every Thursday at Noon CST
- Request free devotionals
- Sign-up for weekly prayer tips via email
- Support Regan Smith, driver of the NDP and Furniture Row race car at NASCAR's Talladega event on April 26th
- View GodTV's LIVE webcast and television coverage of the National Observance from Washington D.C. from 9-noon EST on May 7th.

Again, I hope you will join with our Task Force and millions of other Americans on Thursday, May 7th, to observe the 58th annual National Day of Prayer.

Thank you, and may GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Shirley Dobson, Chairman
National Day of Prayer Task Force

Bishop Earl Sutton - Arrangements

The services of Pastor Earl Sutton will be handled by:

Ridouts Brown Service Funeral Home
711 Memorial Drive SW
Decatur, Alabama
256-353-1511

The family will be receiving friends Saturday, April 4, 1009 from 6:00 PM to 8 :00 PM (CDST).

The funeral service will be Sunday, April 5, 2009, at 2:00 PM.

Please continue prayer for the family.

Good Stewardship

In these times of economic challenges, every Christian must decide the prudent steps to take in order to be a good steward of whatever resources one has.

It is not the time to stop tithing and giving. We need God's blessings now more than ever. It is not the time for the windows of Heaven to be closed.

Among prudent cutbacks, there are also other areas Christians should not cut. The folks at Money Talks News advise that cutting some things may save you now but cost you later. Examples?

1. Your oil change. Skipping oil changes might save you 30 bucks today, but a seized engine could cost you $5,000 down the road. Something you might cut back on? Tune-ups. If your car is running well, it’s probably ok.
2. When it comes to car insurance, don’t cut your liability. But if your car is only worth a few hundred dollars, you might consider dropping collision. Weigh the cost/benefit.
3. Your health: many people are tempted to skip or cut doses in half to prolong prescriptions. Bad idea … even if you’re feeling fine. Good idea? Ask your doctor about generic substitutes or free samples.
4. And finally your home. Even if the value of your home is falling, the cost to rebuild it isn't: don’t lower your coverage. Do however, look into raising your deductible. Going from $250 to $1,000 can save 15% or more.

Bishop Earl Sutton Passes

Bishop Earl Sutton, life-long pastor in Alabama, passed away before Noon today. Arrangements will be announced as soon as they are made. Please be in prayer for the family.

Beautifully Singing Preachers

Recently, I read an advertisement for a person to travel to various restaurants and report on the quality of the food. Hmmmm ... thought about applying, but changed my mind! Weight control, you know.

In these tough times it would have a double-whammy effect if you took the position — give you a job and, in addition, get you a free meal every day. Not bad!

Reflecting on this task, I thought about Ezekiel. The crowds came to hear him preach. But it’s said of Ezekiel’s preaching (33:33), "Yes, to them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them."

Of course there’s nothing like that going on in the church today!

No one today would shop around for the best preacher in the community because they enjoyed his style. Of course not. They’re interested in what he has to say only because they want to learn to become more faithful Christians. Having discovered such an eloquent preacher, no one today would listen to and enjoy his sermons and then fail to go home and practice what he preached. Of course not! They all are anxious to leave the service so they can get at it!

I wonder how much of this sort of thing is actually involved in the church attendance of many today. We don’t have divine revelation on the issue as Ezekiel had, so we can’t read hearts (on this mattert see previous blogs about reading the heart).

Even if such pulpit entertainment isn’t your prime concern in attending church, even if you aren’t a sermon taster travelling about from church to church (or from Bible conference to Bible conference ) in search of beautiful singing and skillful playing from the pulpit, isn’t there at least a touch of this attitude in you? Shouldn’t we all become aware of the fact when it exists and root it out of our lives? You know we should.

[from Institute for Nouthetic Studies Blog by Jay Adams]

Global Day of Prayer Video