Pan Dulce

Why I am attending the New Baptist Covenant Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia

Today I am attending the New Baptist Covenant www.newbaptistcovenant.org meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. I was part of the first few planning meetings held in the Carter Center in Atlanta, George. President Jimmy Carter and Dr. Jimmy Allen were gracious to invite me to this historic gathering while I was president of Baptist University of the Americas.

I thought it was a good idea to attend this meeting back then and I have not changed my mind. I know that this meeting has been criticized from its inception due to the potential of the gathering being misconstrued as a political event. I have worked hard to encourage the planning leadership to include and invite high profile political leaders from both political parties as well as other high profile Baptist leaders who might be blessed by this meeting and to exclude presidential candidates. Perhaps it would be difficult to avoid criticism since the meeting is held during the first month of a presidential election year but it would be extremely unfortunate to dismiss the potential good from this meeting due to some of the criticisms that have been articulated by bloggers and other folks who have chosen not to attend. So why am I attending?

The NBC is a historic meeting.
For the first time in history, some of the largest Baptist denominational bodies who have not historically worked together are meeting in Atlanta. Over 30 racially, geographically, and theologically diverse Baptist denominations from North America representing over 20 million members will meet to consider the biblical mandate to promote peace and justice, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to shelter the homeless, to care for the sick and the marginalized, and to promote religious liberty and respect for religious diversity.  Leon McBeth, my Baptist history professor at Southwestern Seminary taught me that there were over 300 different types of Baptists in the United States. Too bad we could only attract 30 of them.

The NBC is place to network.
This gathering will undoubtedly provide numerous opportunities to meet Baptist brothers and sisters from across the diversity of the national Baptist family. I think it is critical to meet these Baptist friends and leaders who may be interested in the Buckner mission. Given the growth plans we have announced previously, this meeting will provide ample opportunity to connect with other Baptists interested in serving the 143 orphans in the world today. I am willing to meet with Baptists that may see things differently than I do if it means finding a new friend who wants to serve children. Buckner already works with friends from other denominations. Father Buckner included Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Jewish friends at the very outset of the Buckner ministry.

The NBC is a rehearsal.
I am the kind of Baptist that does not require everyone to believe exactly as I do on non-essential issues. So I have room in my life to share fellowship with Baptists to believe differently than I do. Good grief! If I cannot enjoy the fellowship of Baptists and Christians of other denominations while I am still living I will not be prepared to enjoy that kind of fellowship when people from different tribes, languages, nations, and tongues gather around the throne to sing worthy is the lamb. Of course, I know there are differences and some hard to reconcile when we gather with Christians from the Baptist family and from other denominational families. But, you know, I don’t even agree with everything my own state Baptist family does and I don’t really agree with everything the national expressions of Baptists do. I thought that was being a Baptist meant. That is, allowing for some space to disagree and allow dissent.

On Friday, I will blog about my impressions of the NBC. You will hear from folks who chose not to show up to the family reunion. You will hear from me while I am in Atlanta.

Go Be Do, A Buckner Global Missions Conference: Direct Connect with the Field

This week I have been writing about the Go Be Do Buckner Global Missions Conference set for April 12, 2008 at Park Cities Baptist Church. Today I wanted to provide you with an idea of the kinds of workshops that will be featured by Buckner staff from eight countries as well as our mission support staff and our Border and Mexico Team led by Dexton Shores. Here is what you can expect:

A World of Hope: Doing Missions with Buckner
This introductory breakout gives you an overview of how doing missions through Buckner is a meaningful way to help orphan children in other countries know they are loved by God…and you.

Africa: Stepping in for a Lost Generation
The AIDS epidemic in Africa has nearly wiped out an entire generation of adults and left an entire generation of orphans in its wake. You can be a loving heart and a helping hand to children in Ethiopia, Kenya and, soon, Uganda.

Medical and Dental Missions: Healing Hearts, Bodies
One of the most critical missions needs in other countries is for skilled medical and dental practitioners to provide their talents and knowledge. It’s a way to make a physical and spiritual impact on at-risk families.

Bringing Support, Faith to Orphan Children in Europe
Buckner has been conducting mission trips to orphan children in Russia, Latvia and Romania for many years, and we’re still going strong! Our mission teams penetrate the darkness of orphanages and bring the light of Christ to children.

Missions without a Passport: Doing Community Ministries
Think you need a passport to do missions? Think again. Missions can happen when you step out your door through church social ministries and mentoring programs that let you go into communities and schools to transform lives.

Mexico and the Border: So Close to Us, So Far from God
Our closest neighbor may also hold the greatest need. You can learn how a short international mission effort can yield long-term results in Mexico and along the U.S. and Mexico border.

Be a Sole-Mate: Shoes for Orphan Souls Changes Hearts
Buckner International’s largest and most popular humanitarian aid drive celebrates its ninth year by being as strong and as relevant as ever. Be a shoe coordinator and start changing children’s hearts from the feet up.

In Central and South America: Loving the Forgotten Children
Like many children in orphanages, children in Peru, Guatemala – and soon, Honduras – are placed in orphanages and forgotten. Will you be the one to travel to their country and tell them they are loved?

Exhibits- Will feature missions opportunities and personnel in Kenya, Ethiopia, Russia, Romania, Latvia, Mexico, Guatemala and Peru, as well as domestic community ministry leaders.
Why not sign up today? See www.buckner.org/GoBeDoConference to register today!

Go. Be. Do Global Missions Conference: Standing in the need of prayer

You may or may not be making plans to attend the first Go. Be. Do. Buckner Global Missions Conference. What I am asking you today is to consider praying to support the effort. This is our first missions conference that we host and I know that we will not be effective unless this effort is bathed in prayer. Everything I have ever tried to do in ministry that ended up pleasing the Lord was preceded by prayer.

At the bottom of the Go. Be. Do. Missions Conference website www.buckner.org/GoBeDoConference you will find a link to sign up to pray for this event. I need your help. Would you agree to sign up to pray for this convocation of missional leaders?

Would you agree to pray for our planning team?

Would you agree to pray for our speakers and break out leaders?

Would you agree to pray for those who are considering participation in this event?

Would you agree to pray for God to work in the hearts of those who attend?

Would you pray for traveling safety for those who will plan to travel many miles to participate?

Would you pray that learning, talking, gathering of hearts, planning, and discovery will happen on April 12th for the least of these?

Nothing can stop the movement of the church at its redemptive edge. Through the Go Be Do Global Missions Conference, Buckner seeks to enhance the church’s mission to practice pure religion (James 1:27) while at the cutting edge of God’s redemptive work in history. I am certain the world will not be the same after this event because we will not be the same.

I am asking you to consider taking some time each day or week between now and April 12th to pray for this effort. Will you sign up today?

Go, Be, Do, Buckner Global Missions Conference April 12, 2008

Buckner is a Social Service Ministry and Missions Agency! That is, we are on mission to serve children at risk, orphans, and families in Texas, the USA, and beyond. What makes it “missions” is that our mission extends to 15 cities in Texas, Washington, Oklahoma, and Tennessee as well as eight countries. Our work is missional and cross-cultural. We serve children and families in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ethiopia, Kenya, Russia, Latvia, and Romania. And we have work pending in several other countries. With 143 million orphans in the world today, we are attempting to get to as many as possible by maximizing kingdom resources and leadership to serve these children and families.

The time is right for us to host a Buckner-specific missions conference right here in Dallas for those who already work with us as well as new friends and churches who have thought about connecting with Buckner through missions. While our mission is not to plant churches, evangelism and church planting tends to happen as a result of our presence. In places where church planting has preceded Buckner presence, the call for humanitarian aid and social ministry quickly follows. We thought it was time to host a missions conference and invite individuals, ministries, and churches to join us in creative collaboration for the least of these.

The conference will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas from 9am to 4pm. This event will follow our annual Founder's Banquet and board meeting. You will not want to miss this event, especially if you have wondered how you might plug into missions on the US-Mexico Border, in Texas, and Mexico as well as the states and countries I have listed above. We are already sending over 3,000 short-term mission volunteers on 140 trips this year but we still have room for others to join us. We will be hosting all of our country directors from the countries we serve. The conference would be worth your time even if you only came to meet them.

You can register online and learn information at the following site: www.buckner.org/GoBeDoConference or call us directly for more information at 800-442-4800, Ext. 8061. The Go Be Do website has driving directions as well.

Today, I am extending this invitation to you and those in your circle of influence. Take a minute and sign up today. Tomorrow, I will write about what you can do to help launch this conference.

The Least of These on Both Sides of the Border

My wife and I lived on the border for about 7 years from 1992 through 1999 when I served as a church planter in that region. In fact, our three boys were born there. Belinda was in a tenure track position at the University of Texas at El Paso. Omar Pachecano was our Director of Missions and then was followed by Lorenzo G. Pena. We came to love that part of the state. It is much different kind of place than any other part of Texas. The border is neither here nor there. My first exposure to the border was in 1977 when I served as a River Ministry Summer missionary under the leadership of Elmin Howell. Those were foundational days in my formation as a pastor.

Of course, the border extends along 2,000 from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas. Buckner started serving border communities about 1997 and then began to collaborate with CBF with KidsHeart Activities and later a more permanent presence. The Rio Grande Children’s Home is another expression of Buckner’s ministry on the border. Jorge Zapata has spear-headed border missions and has done an excellent job coordinating ministry efforts with churches from Texas and all across the United States.

Dexton Shores, formerly of the BGCT River Ministry and later called Border and Mexico Missions, currently leads Ministry Development along the border and in Mexico. But our horizons have expanded to the entire US-Mexico Border. While we continue to concentrate most of our efforts along the Texas-Mexico border, we have begun to explore efforts on the border beyond Texas.

Living in Texas and serving on the border raises significant questions about undocumented immigration. I have written and posted a paper on this issue on this blog entitled: “Does Jesus Still Have a Mission to the Poor?” This article became a chapter in a book published by The Reform Institute. A link to the Reform Institute is also on this blog on the right hand side of the page or you can go directly to the www.reforminstitute.org and look for the eBook entitled “One Dream, Many Voices: A Collection of Insights and Recommendations for Achieving Meaningful Immigration Reform.” This is an eBook and it is available to you at no cost. The material is excellent. One of my favor writers is Dr. Oscar J. Martinez, Regents Professor of History at the University of Arizona, author of Border People: Life and Society in the U.S. – Mexico Border.

In six short months with Buckner, Dexton Shores has demonstrated a tremendous capacity, love, and passion for the Border and Mexico. This passion predates my involvement on the border in 1977. For more than 30 years Dexton has labored in this region. His heart is also in Mexico among indigenous people. You can learn more at www.itsyourmission.com if you are interested in planning a trip to serve the least of these just south of the border.

BCFS Strategic Plan 2008

Just this morning I received a “hot off the press” copy of the BCFS Strategic Plan for 2008. Melissa Opheim has worked hard to produce this working document with the help of members of the BCFS Executive Leadership Team. Those of you in BCFS Leadership will be seeing a version of this plan the first of February. The plan will be the subject of a conference call we will host for BCFS leadership.

I wanted to share the basic contents of the plan. This past summer the BCFS Leadership team introduced a $40 million, 48 month growth plan. The following four priorities have been selected from this plan as priorities for 2008:

Priority One
Become a premier children and family social services and missions agency.
We want to increase our level of expertise and service to children and families through residential and transition care services, foster care and adoption, and church and community collaboration. Our growing level of expertise and effectiveness provides additional credibility from 128 years in ministry in Texas, the nation, and across the globe.

Priority Two
Aggressively pursue state, national, and global expansion.
We have a plan to expand our three networks from 15 to 18 cities in Texas, from 4 to 10 states, and from 7 to 15 nations. We will see some of this growth happen in 2008.

Priority Three
Develop sustainable resources for domestic and international ministries.
We need provision for the vision. I don’t have any concerns about the availability of resources. We need to do our part to attract available resources to our vision and mission. We are working with the Buckner Foundation to secure needed resources for our future.

Priority Four
Connect congregational passion and resources for children, families, and communities.
The church is the leading edge of redemptive reality. Our goal is to connect the resources resident in local congregations for children and families. We believe if we focus on enhance the mission of the local church we will find our way to serving children in those communities and in communities around the world.

That’s it. This is what we are going to focus on this year. Pray that the Lord will bless our steps, actions, and efforts to serve the least of these.

Making the Dream a Reality

I spent part of my weekend at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas with Pastor Michael Evans. My younger sons, David and Thomas went with me. Bro. Michael was so gracious to invite me to be the guest speaker on MLK Weekend. This was to be my second opportunity to preach at an African American church but it was the first time I have ever preached on MLK weekend.

Where have I been all my life on MLK weekend? There was something special about this Sunday. The people were ready to celebrate, to worship, to seek the Lord. They sang loud with all their hearts. It was easy to join in the worship. When we sang the old spiritual “We Shall Overcome,” I was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down my cheeks. I could hardly hold back the emotions enough to sing. Why was I tearing up? I am not sure. Maybe it was because I sensed the pain of the past and the hope of the future in the spirit and lyrics of the song for these, my brothers and sisters. Maybe the images of the 1950’s and the 1960’s, the era of my formative years, finally came crashing down on my heart in those moments. To stand on the platform and hear the joy, the hope, and the exhilaration of the moment was too much for me to handle. I felt I was on holy ground.

Unworthy…Perhaps I felt unworthy to be in that sacred place on this high and holy day. But the pastor and the people would not let me be anything less than I was on any other day. They welcomed me, embraced me, and made me feel at home. By the time I stood to preach, I was ready, I was calm, and I had a message.

I really don’t remember MLK weekend at other churches I have attended accept one, Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio. My former pastor, Charles Foster Johnson, was quite vocal and open about the experience of our African American brothers and sisters. In fact, he hosted an MLK Celebration Service at Trinity Baptist Church on a Sunday afternoon, the first time in the church’s history.

The vision and passion of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resonates with the mission of Buckner. If you did not reflect on the memory of MLK this past weekend, you missed something special. Buckner exists to serve the needs of children at risk, orphans, and families. We serve the least of these…the poor, the blind, the prisoner, the oppressed. You might be surprised to know that in some countries where Buckner serves we have medical clinics and schools for children and families. We work to address justice issues, especially as they relate to the child, the orphan, and the family. We stand against human trafficking and oppressive systems that manipulate the poor. We provide solutions and adhere to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, an international standard for adoptions.

In an effort to avoid re-preaching my sermon, look on this blog under “sermons and speeches” for the manuscript. Where have I been all my life on MLK Sunday/Weekend? Maybe we need designate a Sunday to reflect on the experience of children at risk, orphans, and families. I think Dr. King would be honored if we did.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is MLK Day. A day to remember the legacy of our brother, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a Baptist minister, a preacher, orator, civil rights leader, and moral voice for our nation during one of the most turbulent times in our nation's history. I celebrated MLK Sunday with Pastor Michael Evans and the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas. I will reflect on that experience on Tuesday on this blog. Today...let's just remember, reflect, and consider how the dream can become a greater reality.

It’s Fiesta Time! Kingdom Party Time that is…

Jesus started out his ministry by quoting from the Prophet Isaiah when he said these words: The Spirit of the Lord is on me and has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, to give sight to the blind, freedom for the prisoners, liberty to the oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of our Lord’s favor (Luke 4:14). Then later in his ministry he taught about how judgment day will reveal those who were his followers (Sheep) and those who claimed to be his followers (Goats) as found in Matthew 25:31-46. He said if you have done it (provide food, clothing, healing/care, and visitation to prisoners) to the least of these, you have done it to me. That is what sheep do.

Like bookends on a the life and ministry of Jesus, serving people by bringing good news to the poor, healing and sight to the blind, visiting the prisoner, over-turning oppressive situations, and proclaiming the Lord’s favor are unmistakable actions that people who follow Jesus typically do.

So it does not surprise us when we are doing these things among the least of these that they begin to ask us questions like…“Why would you come to help us?” “What’s in this for you?” “Why have you traveled so far to help my family?” “How did you know we needed help?” and “How can we ever repay you?”

We simply respond with the reason for our hope…”Because God loves you and so do we,” or “We came to demonstrate God’s love in a practical way.” What tends to happen next is not a miracle…it is what is supposed to happen and it happened lots of times along the Texas – Mexico Border this last year through a collaborative effort with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist Churches throughout Texas and the United States.

Jorge Zapata, Cheyenne Soliz, Omar Chavarria and Mario Garcia recorded 717 professions of faith in 2007 in Border Ministries, an increase of over 120 professions of faith over 2006. 138 church groups and over 2,300 volunteers served through Buckner’s KidsHeart Program and churches that came at other times of the year. It is the work of sheep serving the least of these. Lambs are born into the kingdom as a result of this labor of love…684 last year along the border alone.

At Buckner we throw Kingdom of God Parties. We go into a community, find needs, meet needs, and people get saved. Why? Because the Kingdom of God comes near. If you are a Kingdom-Party Person, you are invited this year to come to be part of the Fiesta on the Border. Contact Dexton Shores dshores@buckner.org or Jorge Zapata jzapata@buckner.org for your invitation.

Humanitarian Aid Center…Good news to the poor

I have asked Andrew Knight, Director of International Aid to write today to feature the ministry of giving a cup of water in Jesus’ name.

The Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid (CHA), opened in April of 2007 includes:
* 7,000 square feet of climate-controlled space for volunteer training and processing for over 100,000+ pair of shoes collected each year.
* 20,000+ square feet of warehouse storage space - complete with pallet racks and a state-of-the-art computer inventory system.
* Over 10,000 square feet for the Crisis Relief Center which receives and distributes donations of food, clothing, and household items to local families in need.

How has the new facility affected our ministry?  In 2007, Shoes for Orphan Souls utilized over 6000 volunteers (an increase of more than 25% from 2006) to process more than 100,000 pair of shoes.  By combining these shoes with remaining inventory from 2006, Buckner was able distribute more than 165,000 pair of shoes and 200,000 pair of socks to more than 30 countries.  85% of the shoes were distributed in foreign countries while 15% was used domestically - in Dallas, along the Texas-Mexico border, in rural America, and in other parts of the U.S.

While providing an important service to our clients both here in the Dallas area and around the world, the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid also serves as a resource for individuals and organizations looking to donate their time, money, or goods to make a difference in the lives of others.  More than 500 volunteers come to the warehouse each month to help process shoes, sort clothing or food, or assist with other jobs.  Some come one time with a school, church, company, or civic group.  The center also offers opportunities for volunteers to spend several days at the center on a "mission trip", volunteering their time and learning about international and community missions.  No passport required - and you can drink the water!

We have an outstanding staff that works diligently to deliver aid to people in need. They are Jackie Belt - Director of the Center for Humanitarian Aid, Cindy Sorrels – Receptionist, James Patton, Kevin Jones, and Eric Kline - Humanitarian Aid Workers,
Andrew Knight - Director of International Aid, Matt Asato - Humanitarian Aid Coordinator, and Eushunda Kennedy - Shoes for Orphan Souls Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteers and donations are accepted year-round.  For more information contact the center at 214-367-8080 or at jbelt@buckner.org  or aknight@buckner.org .