G.ocToBER ,1975

OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREE WILL EAPTISTS

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lN THIS ISSUE:Education Comes in lllany Forms

AREYOU READY TOSTARTBy Blaine Hughes

Before starting any school butespecially a Christian school, a person

ought to consider the question: Am I

ready to begin such an endeavor?Serious consideration of this questionshould cause a person to examine hisunderstanding of several aspects ofChristian education.

Among the areas of concern for theprospective founder of a Christianrhool, several emerge as being uniquelyimportant. These areas are as follows:the purposes of a Christian school, thefacilities of a Christian school, thefinancial basis of a Christian school andthe staff and faculty of a Christianschool.

ln finding relevant information aboutthese 4 major areas, the prospectiveeducational leader is well advised toconsu lt a variety of educationalresou rces; e.9,, boards, agencies,organizations and existing Christianæhools.

Let us briefly look at what we mightexpect to learn from these sources.

BOARDS AND AGENCIESState and local boards of education

can be very helpful in starting a

Christian school. They not only provideinformation concerning teachercertif ication, school accreditation andtransfer students, but they also

ACHRISTIAN

SCHOOL?disseminate materials concerningtextbooks, equipment and school lawsinvolving such questions as attendance,zoning and acreage requirements.

Agencies within a state orcommunity are important sources ofinform ation also. Tax agencies areparticularly useful when it comes toquestions related to local, state andfederal taxes. The local fire departmentis able to clarify building codes as wellas explain the types of furniture andequ ipment that are permisible.Sim ilarly, health department off icialsprovide instructions on zuch points as

food preparation, sanitation and relatedquest¡ons.

ORGANIZATIONSEducational organ izations are

designed to assist schools in a number ofways. Of particular value to individualsand churches that are interested inbuilding a Christian school are Christianorganizations. These organizationsfrequently supply materials on many ofthe previously discussed topics in

addition to the following areas ofconcern: legal advice, group insurance,

Christian textbooks, teacher placement,

financial problems, educational aims.

While the best known Christianorganizations have both weaknesses and

strengths, each association offersvaluable information in both theorganization and the continuat¡on of a

Christian school. ln anwvering the

(Please turn to page 4)

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CHR ISTIAN SCHOOL I N FORMATION

FREE WILL BAPTIST SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL

SPONSORINGCHURCH

AND PASTORGRAOESTAUGHT

AME B ICAN CHR ISTIAN SCHOOL3241 Argonne AvenueNorfolk, Va, 23509

A. B. Brown FAIRMOUNT PARK FWBDal€ Burden K-8

BEAUFORT CHRISTIAN ACADEMYP.O. Box 4O9Beaufort, N,C, 28516

Dsnnis Wiggs FIRST FWBDênnls Wiggs K-8

BETHANY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY2430 Azelea Garden RoadNorfolk, Va. 23513

J. E. Windom BETHANY FWBGalen Dunbar K-6

BETHEL ACADEMYRout€ 2, Box 385K¡nston, N.C. 28501

William Buffin BETHEL FWBDavid Pâramore K-12

BRUNSWICK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY4109 Altoma AvenueBrunswlck, Ga.31520

Horace Gaskins FIBST FWBPâul Davls K-7

CENTRAL CH RISTIAN SCHOOL2OO5 Rochester RoadRoyal Oak, M¡. 49073

Bob Matthews CENTRAL FWBRaymond Rlggs K-8

COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOLP.O. Box 817Deerfleld Bۉch, Fl, 33441

Mr. Weaver FIRST FWBRoger Fìussell K-6

FAITH CH RISTIAN ACADEMYP.O. Box 1159Goldsboro, N.C. 27530

Lorenza Stox FAITH FWBFrank Davsnporl K-12

FELLOWSHIP CHR ISTIAN ACADEMY3Ol3 lndependence Ave.Durham, N.C, 27703

Ronnie Da¡l FELLOWSHIP FWBLonnie Gravgs K-12

F LORENCE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY44f 7 Florence Blvd.Florence, Al. 35630

Cliff Holland FIBST FWBTom Malon€ K-',12

LI BERTY CH RISTIAN SCHOOLS160O L¡berty StrôEtDurham, N.C. 27703

Milton E, Wíndhåm LIBERTY FWBGuy Owêns K-12

MARANATHA CH R ISTIAN SCHOOL1507 King AvenueFlorence, S.C. 295O1

Gary Donlca FIRST FWBW¡llie Just¡cg K-12

MOODY CHRISTIAN ACADEMYRoute 3L€eds, Al. 35094

Walter Bell FAIBVIEW NO. 1 FWBLarry N ix K-9

MT. CALVERY ACADEMYP.O. Box 157Hookerton, N.C. 28528

Donald O. Shuð MT. CALVERY FWBJack Cox K-7

RANDALL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY2898 South PerkinsMemphis, Tn. 38118

Don Edmonds BANDALL MEMORIAL FWBDann Patrick K-'12

RUTH'S CHAPEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL27O9 Oaks BoadNew Bern, N.C. 28560

Nell H€arn RUTH'S CHAPEL FW8S¡gb€e Dilda K-7

WELCH FWB CHRISTIAN SCHOOL47O East Welch AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43207

Mlchael Boggs WELCH AVENUE FWBPaul Thompson K-8

WEST DUPLIN CHRISTIAN ACADEMYRoute 2, Box 136A-1Warsaw, N.C. 28398

John Rêed WEST DUPLIN FWBEugene Hales K-1 'l

WOODBINE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY2204 Fostar AvenueNashvllle, Tn.37211

Stophen M. Ange WOODBINE FWBCharles Thigpen, ¡nt€r¡m K.10

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November is

NATIONAL HOII{E MISSIONS MONTH

fi27.90$14.00$76.40$45.90

$33.00$26.00$34.6

$43.20$90.80$16.40[04.60$42.30$17.60$22.60

231

$35.4053.70

Whatever amount you give onNovember 23

NATIONAL HOME MISSIONS SUNDAYwill benefit

0. ll. lt.lì:,The C.E.L.F. (Church Extension Loan Fund) program is designed

to help a new church obtain property and construct thefirst unit of ¡ts bu¡ld¡ng.

lgTl Gonl - $1110,000.01)

r nd ¡v¡d u# ã,îlåi":,T"oj;ek,s pay !

Ghurches: Give the entire Sunday offering on November

NATIONAL HOME MISSIONS DEPARTMENTP.O. Box 1088, Nashville, Tennessee 37202

ARE YOU READY TO STARTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL?(Cont. from page 2)

question "Am I ready to begin a

Christian school?" a great deal ofpert¡nent information may be gained bywriting the ensuing associations:

American Association ofChristian Schools6601 N.W. 167th StreetHialeah, Florida 33015

National Association ofChristian SchoolsBox 550Wheaton, I llinois 60187

National Union of Christian Schools865 28th Street S.E.Grand Rapids, Michigan 49508.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLSlf you wish to get fresh, firsthand

information about developing a

Christian rhool, you should conzultwith a well-qualified Christian educatorin a nearby æhool. A leader in any kindof Christian æhool will give insightfulsuggestions, but an educator in a FreeWill Baptist school will be able to pointout problems that are distinctivelyfound among us. A list of Free WillBaptist Christian day schoolsaccompanies thís article. Write theprincipals for further information orconsu lt the leaders of a recentlyorganized group: Fellowship of FreeWill Baptist Christian Day Schools, c/oExecutive Office, P.O. Box 1088,Nashvil le, Tennessee 37 2O2.

After having consulted with as manyboards, agencies, organizations andrhools as possible, you will no doubtstill think you are not ready to start a

Christian school. Most people feel thisway, but many of them understandenough to begin the establishment of a

Christian school. Some wisely postponethe decision. Your final decision shouldbe an ¡ntelligent one based uponthorough study and under the guidanceof the Spirit of God.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Mr. Hughes isMinister of Music at Bethany Free Will BaptistChurch, Norfolk, Virginia. The layman is agraduate of Free W¡il Eaptist Bible College,Nashville, Tennessee, This art¡cle waspresented as a paft of the Educatíonal StudyCommittee's report at the 1975 session of thenational body. a

CONTACT VOL. XXll, No. 10

Published monthly by the National Assoc¡at¡on of Free Will Baptists. Post Office Box1@8, Nashville, Tennossae 37202. Address all correspondence and subscr¡ptions to th¡saddress. Subscription rates: 1 year, $4.0rO;church family plan.93.48 per year; churchbundle plan, 31 cents p3r cog-y.Second cl6ss postagp paid at Nashville, Tennessee.Copyright pr¡v¡leges, resorv€d. G) 1975 Member of the Evangelicsl Pross ,qssociat¡on.

: the Sunday morningtute, the Christian workers

Bible institute, the collegiate Bibleinstitute, the church Bible institute andthe noncolleg¡ate B¡ble insritute.

The Sunday morning Bible instituæis a rather recent development. Folkswho use the term in this manner see theSunday school as more than a time toteach the Scriptures themselves. Thisbroader interpretation of the role of theSunday school suggests that it may beused to impart any truths that are

çecifically related to a local group ofChristians in their pursuit of worship,fellowship, edification, wangelism andserv¡ce.

A second usage of the words "Bibleinstitute" is that of the Christianworke¡s BÍble instituæ or simply theChristian workers institute. Thisunderstanding of the term pictures theBible institute as a means of meeting theçecific needs of a local church or agroup of churches. Classes are uzuallyheld for a week or so for 2 hours eachweeknight. Only a coupleof coursesareoffered in this type of institute.

The collegiaæ Bible instiaæ conceptis identical to the notion of a Biblecollege. The only difference worthmentioning ¡s that the word "institute"is employed in a school's name ratherthan the term "college." Unlike theSunday morning Bible inst¡tute and theChristian workers Bible institute, the

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THEBIBI.'E INSTITUTE:A SIGNIFICANT FORGE

By Ansel SmithBible inst¡tutes have become a

significant force in Christendom overthe past several decades. The rapidgrowth of Bible institutes will probablycont¡nue for a number of years in thefuture since ínterest in them has notwaned. People who are only slightlyæquainted with the Bible institutessometimes wonder, 'l/tlhy are so manychurches starting Bible institutes?" I

hope th is article will ans/ver theguestion as well as clarify additional

quest¡ons. ln particular, some of theareas of importance to individuals andchurches that may be consideringstarting a Bible institute will beexamined.

CONCEPTS OF BIBLE INSTITUTESWords in general connote different

üings to people; therefore, we mightexpect to find several different conceptsof a Bible institute. Althought there areprobably 6 or 8 different uses of theterm "Bible institute," we will mention

(Please turn to page 6)

THE BIBLE INSTITUTE:A SIGNIFICANT FORCE(Cont. from page 5)

collegiate Bible institute offers a

full-time approach to study. ln addition,the institute offers a number of degreesand a variety of majors for students. Asin the Bible collegè the collegiate Bibleinstitute requires a Bible major of allgraduates.

Some folks conceive of the Bibleinstitute in a fourth way. That is to say,they apply the term to the total churchprogram. Thus, we may refer to this

AEOUT THE WRITER: Mr. Smith is pastorof the South Avenue Free Will EaptistChurch, Lancaster, South Carolina, He is an¡nstructor at the Beaver Creek Bible lnst¡tutewhich is sponsored by South Carolina'sBeaver Creek Association. This article waspresented as a part of the Educational StudyCommittee's repoÍt at the 1975 session of thenational body,

usage as the church Bible institute.Children, youth and adult act¡v¡ties areseen as progressive steps toward buildingmature Christians. Programs are carefullyplanned and evaluated to insuremaximum effort and results.

The final use of the term that we willexam¡ne is of special importance to us:the noncollegiate Bible institute. Fromone perspective the Sunday morningBible institute, the Christian workersBible institute and the church Bibleinstitute may be said to be noncollegiatein nature. But we are referring to an

extensive program of study (usually 3years) that leads to either a diploma orto a nonacademic degree; r.e., the Th.A.and the Th.G. This type of institute ls

much like the collegiate Bible institute,but it sometimes differs in that it offersmajors only in church vocations. Littleattent¡on, if any, is given to the study ofthe sc iences, history, philosophy,literature and related studies.

Before we examine in more detail thenoncollegiate Bible institute, let us

briefly point out that some institutes go

through transitions. For example, a

church may first establish a Sundaymorning Bible institute and later feelthat the church Bible institute is betterfor them. Eventually the church maY

start a noncollegiate Bible institute and

finally a collegiate Bible institute.

THE NOÎJCOLLEGIATE BIBLEINSTITUTE

ln examining the noncollegiate Bibleinstitute, it is important to recognizethat not all churches or areas need one.On the other hand, some churches orgroups of churches feel that there is

such a great need in their area fordeveloping capable Christian leadersthat they should start a Bible institute.Whenever a real need is perceived by agroup of Christian and they feel that theBible institute is the most appropriatemeans of meeting that need, they*rould carefully plan the developmentof one. Among the more importantaspects to keep in mind are the

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FREE WILL BAPTISTBIBLE INSTITUTES

GEORGIA

Little R ¡ver I ible lnstitutsWilliam H, Cooper, DirectorRoute 4, Box 137Tifton, Gsorgiô 3l794

Union Association Bibl€ lnstitute8ay Fr€e Will Bapt¡st ChurchDamon Dodd, D¡rectorP. O. Box 1203Moultri€, Goorgia 31768

IDAHO

Gem Bible lnstituteAirport Fr€e Will Baptist Church757 South Wash¡ngton StreetTwin Falls, ldaho 83301

ILLINOIS

Benton Bibl€ lnstituteBenton CampgroundsW¡lliam Mishler, Director704 East 9th StreetJohnsron City, lllinois 62951

KENTUCKY

K€ntucky B¡ble I nst¡tuteEdd¡e Dollar, Director2121 29th Stre€tAshlând, Kentucky 41101

MICHIGAN

Great Lakes B¡ble lnstituteRaymond Fìiggs, Director2005 Rochester RoadRoyal Oak, Michigan 48O73

MISSO U R I

Missour¡ B¡bl€ ¡nst¡tute'Chesley Hill, D¡rectorRoute 3, Box 95Mountain Grove, M¡ssour¡ 65711

'locat¡ons rotate within state

NORTH CABOLINA

Failh B¡ble lnstituteRashie Kennedy, DirectorP. O. Box 1159Goldsboro, North Carol¡na 27530

Piedmont Bibl€ lnst¡tuteRoy Bikard, D¡rêctor426 Woodlawn ExtensionCramgrton, North Carol¡na 28032

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Ohio Srate Bible lnsritute"Alton Lov€less, DirectorP. O. 8ox 7759Columbus, Ohio 43207

..ERANCHES:

"Akron Frss W¡ll Baptist ChurchKen Fr¡sbe6, lnstructor1802 EastwoodAkron, Ohio 44305

¡'First Free Wlll Bapt¡st ChurchHobart Ashby, lnstructor1661 Brandt PikeÞayton, Ohio 45404

" Harrlson Free W¡ll Baptist ChurchRoger Johnson, lnstructorBoute 1, Box 331-AMunford, Oh¡o 45653

SOUTH CAROLINA

Beaver Creek Bible lnstilute"'Allen L€mons, Bus¡noss Managsrc/o PostmasterLockhart, South Carolina 29364

... BRANCHES:

"'F¡rst Fr€e Will Bapt¡st ChurchEarl Hendr¡x, lnstructorRoute 4, Box 6lnman, South Carol¡na 29349

" 'South Avenu€ Fre€ will BaÞlist ChurchAnsel Smith, I nstructor78 Brooklyn Avenu€Lancaster, South Carolina 29720

TE N N ESSEE

First Free Will Baptist ChurchHorace Teague, D¡rectorBoute 3, Box 53-ANewport, Tennessee 37821

following: administrative matters,learning resources, curricular offerings,and financial concerns.

Ad m in istrati ve M attersDue to the complexity of society,

anyone anticipating starting a Bibleinstitute is well advised to obtain soundadvice on a number of administrativematters. One such matter is that of legalresponsibilities. ln many cases wisdomilggests that a lawyer with expertiseconcerning government guidelines foreducational institutions be consulted.Advice may be sought on a number oftop¡cs; such as, tax deductible programs,veterans' benefits, institutional records,degree and diploma regulations, andhealth and fire guidelines.

lf a board of trustees is required bylaw or desired by the founders of a

Bible institute, particular thought willneed to be given to its responsibilities,the duties of the president or director ofthe institute and other parties (e.9.,pastor, church association) that maV beinvolved in the administration orsupport of the institute. Clarity of rolesin this realm is essential to a properlyfunctioning institution. Responsibilitiesthat need special attention include thearthority to hire teachers, develop thecurriculum, set policies, select a site forclasses and do promotional work.

Learning ResourcesThe primary learning resources, if we

may refer to them as such, in anyinstitution are teachers. This being thecase, careful attention ought to be givento the selection of institutioninstructors. The administration is

normally responsible for seeing that themembers of the faculty of a Bibleinst¡tute both personally and verballycommunicate those truths for which theæhool was established.

Beyond the selection of teachers it is

also of importance to provideappropriate facilities for an institute.Unless an institute has an unusualministry, the facilities of a local churchare adequate. Most churches that arekeenly interested in a Bible institute arewilling to furnish rent-free buildings.Likewise, they are glad to sharewhatever audiovisual equipment thatthey own. Textbooks and libraries,hows/er, are also important matters.Attention to these realms is normallygiven by the business manager ortreasurer of a Bible institute. Both ofthese items in add ition to facu lty

salaries need to be considered whendecisions are being made about studentexpenses.

Curricular OfferingsNaturally, the curriculum should be

designed to promote the aims of theinstitute and to meet the needs ofprospective students. Some basiccourses to offer are as follows: Biblesrrvey, Bible doctrines, homiletics.biblical ethics, church history andanalytical studies of particular books ofthe Bible.

Once these foundational courses areoffered, an institute may wish to teachcourses that are designed to enable anyC h r istian to more ef f ectivelycommunicate biblical truths. Coursesthat fall into this category may rangefrom teaching methods to audiovisualsin the local church. Certain topics inpsychology are beneficial too in helpinga person clearly impart Christian ideas.

Financial ConcernsThe financial concerns of those who

operate a Bible institute fall into at leasta couple of realms. One of these areas isrelated to student fees. As a rule ofthumb it is wise to charge a small fee forcourses so that the money can go

toward expenses that arise inconnection with custod ial services,teachers' salaries and administrativeexoenses,

One other matter of considerableimportance in this sphere is that theoperating expenses of a Bible institutedo not become a f inancial burden to theupporting church or churches. Thosewho are involved in surveying the needsfor a Bible institute should get a realisticestimate of the amount of supportneeded for such an endeavor. This typeof information as well as manyadditional insights may be gained byconu lting with off icials of a B ibleinstitute that has been operating forseveral years.

Although there are many other areasof importance in starting and continuinga Bible institute. we have hopefullytouched upon the key points. Thesebasic considerations may be summarizedin the enzu ing statement: A B ibleinstitute should be well within the legalrequirements of an area, educationallyappropriate for the people being served,financially secure and committed to theSc r ip tu res. When combined thesefactors ensure that the institute willindeed be a Christian Bible institute. a

BILLY GRAHAM SAYSFIRST LADY MAYREGRET TV STATEMENTSM ONTR EAT, S.C. (EP)Although Evangelist Billy Grahamsays he disagrees w¡th statementsby Mrs. Betty Ford regardingpremarital sex and marijuana, he

suspects the First Lady nowwishes she had not made themuch publicized statements on a

CBS telecast."l k now that on many

occas¡ons I have put my own footin my mouth and wished I couldretract a statement," he said."And I think maybe she doestoo."

"She is a remarkable motherand wonderful wife," Dr. Grahamadded, "and her character is

reflected in her family. But I feelthat after reflection she wouldhave said it differently."

Mrs. Ford was quoted as sayingshe would not be surprised tolearn that her 18-year-olddaughter was considering havingan affair and that if mariiuana had

been popular when she wasyoung, she probably would have

experimented with it.Speak ing of his own 5

children, Dr. Graham said: "lf oneof them told us they had.. . I

think my wife and I would be intears. We would expect them tochange and to turn to the Lordand ask God's help."

"When lfirst heard (thecomment) I thought l'd lost 10million votes," President Fordsaid about his wife's televisioninterview with Morley Safer."When I read it in the paper thenext morning," he added, "lraised it to 20 million."

Michael Ford, at 25 the oldestchild, was quoted as saying he wasnot sure he agreed with hismother's views on premarital sex.Michael is married and is studyingfor the min¡stry atGordon-Conwell TheologicalSem inary, a conservativeevangel ical school in SouthHamilton, Mass.

"l guess l'm moreold -f ashioned," he reportedlycommented. a

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By Malcolm C. FryIt has been my privilege to conduct

Leadersh ip Training Seminarsürroughout our denomination for thepast couple of years. One of the 4æssions in the æminar is entitled"Developing the Family TrainingHour," which deals basically with CTSdistinctives and resources. lnvariably thequestion arises, "ln your opinion, whichis the best time to conduct theinstruction period, Sunday night orWednesday n¡ght?" Ouite diplomatically(but with tongue in cheek) I normallyreply, "Whatever works best for thelocal church. However, I ha¡e madeæveral observations in which you maybe interested." Freedom is normallythen taken to share theæ observations:

(1) One of the primary profitsof aneffective Church Training Service is thereproduction of new leaders, which intrrn multiplies the ministry of the localpætor. When CTS is conducted onWed neday night, the adults arenormally in a Bible study conducted bythe pastor ¡nstead of in a training group.Conæquently, no adult group exists toproduce more leaders.

(2) The leaders presently working inCTS are "stuck" there becausereplacements are not available.

Additionally, no new groups can bestarted very well with adequatelyfrained leadership due to the lack of a

training group through which potentialleaders could have evolved.

(3) The CTS leaders are deprived offellowship with the adults sharing in theBible study and more or less become anisolated group.

(4) Personally, it is my candidopinion that a Biblical principle isviolated when adults are not involved inthe Church Training Service program.The Lord Jezus taught and trainedadults. Where were the children, andwhat were they doing? Why, they werewith the¡r mothers and were playing. Onoccasion Je$s used children as anillustration or object lesson, but Hespent H¡s time training adults. We havegone overboard in providing for childrenwhile letting the adults play!

Overall, I believe that CTS fits wellinto the Sunday æhedule prior to thewening service ¡ust æ Sunday schoolprecedes the morning worship service.

AEOUT THE WRITEî: Dr. Fry serves asdìrector of the Church Traínìng Serviceæpartment, a posìtion he assumed in 1972.He holds an earned master's degree fromUniversiry of Arízona and an honorarydoctorate f rom Clarksyille School ofTheology, Clarksville, Tennessee. He is amember of Woodbìna Free Mll BaptistChurch, Nashvi I le, Tennessee.

Granted, there may be advantages bothways. Some belierre that CTS onWednesday night rezults in bettermidweek attendance, whereas othersbeliare that CTS on Sunday nightproduces similar results. A few areopposed to lengthy services on Sundaynight as a rezult of adding another hourto the schedule. My prayer is that thet¡me may soon come when wery FreeWill Baptist church is lighted everySunday night with the Church TrainingSeruice light.

Free Will Baptists made a great stepforward a few years ago when the CTSconcept was expanded to includetraining at t¡mes other than Sundaynight. Howwer, this changed conceptbrought about a lessening of emphasison Sunday night Church TrainingService. This was unfortunate becausethe Sunday night CTS isthe foundationand focal point for training at othertimes during the week. lf the Sundaynight training organization goes downthe drain, there will inwitably be anultimate lessening of other trainingætivities.

As Free Will Baptists we must makeup our minds that CTS is vital to thework of a Free Will Baptist church. lt is

not opt¡onal if we take the GreatCommision seriously.

Sunday school is the outreach andBible teaching agency of a Free WillBapt¡st churcfi. This is gpod and right.

The Woman's Auxiliary and the Master'sMen organizations are committed inlead ing Free Will Baptist churchmembers in missions study and action. .

The church music program has itsleg¡timate function in a church. TheChurch Training Service supports all ofthese organizations. lt is essential to thedevelopment and training of Christiansand the growth of other organizations ina Free Will Baptist church.

True, first-century churches did nothave an organization called CTS.However, without question the principleof a Church Training Service program isa basic New Testament concept. Andthe 4 Gospels reflect the fact that JesusChrist H imself instituted the f irstChristian training program. The LordJezus had a tremendous task for Hisdisciples to perform; thus He çentseveral years specifically training themfor the task that was to be theirs afterHe went back to the Father.

Sometimes their tra¡ning was in theform of teaching as he called them asideand taught them verbally. At other

.timæ He trained them by sending themout on specifíc missions. Because there

'was a world to "gospelize," He took rawrecruits and trained them for thespecific task of going into all the world

. with H is saving grace. Peter was afisherman, and Christ trained him to bea fisher of men. Paul was a builder oftents, and he was trained to be a builderof churches.

We need to face the fact that we FreeWill Baptists have reached out about as

far as we can until we do better w¡ththose we already have. lt could well beüat 1/3 of all Free Will Baptists harrenot moved their church memberships tothe places where they now live.Basically, these people are useless to thecause of Christ.

It might be safe to say that aboutanother 113 ol Free Will Baptist churchmembers are pretty well uncommitted.These are the people who keep asking,"What can the church do for me?" Mostof them do not tithe or wen giveregularly to the Lord's work throughtheir churches. lf they are enrolled inSunday school, they attendpasmodically. They normally do notattend on Sunday evening, and theyare not involved in revival meetings orprayer services. They probably call uponthe pastor only when they are in

(Please turn to page 10)

Yoq CaD'l PostponcnistDìas

by Mae Fry. Biblical and contemporary setting . Evangelistic thrust

. Scenes can be simple or elaborate

. 10 major roles; 1 1 minor roles which may overlap

. Suggested choir music and special numbers included

NOTE: There is no royalty charge for the use of this play, but suffic¡ent copies shouldbe ordered for the d¡rector, prompter. cast and cho¡r.

Single preview copy - $1.25 / 5 or more copies - $1.00 eachPlus postaç

0rder from:CHUBCH TRAINING SEBVICE / P.0. Box 1088 / N¡C¡ville, Tennæsæ 31202

EIGHT.ACT CHRISTMAS PROGRAM

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From Free lÏill Baptist AuthorsORDER FROM

FREE WILL BAPTISTSUNDAY SCHOOL DEPT.

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CTS: SUNDAY NIGHTOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT?(Cont. from page 9)

trouble. Many of them are like sponges

- soaking up the vitality of theirchurches, rather than contributing to ¡t.Most of these people have probablymade professions of faith, but they are

uncommitted and undeveloped. Theywould constitute a vast reservo¡r ofKingdom energy if enlisted and trained.

About 1/3 of our people are prettywell committed to Christ and theirchurches. These people ask thequestion, "What can I do for mychurch?" Each one of them needs to be

enlisted in the Church Training Seruiceprogram so that he may becomeincreasingly effective in his Christianlife.

What will a great Sunday night CTSdo for your members? lt will have a

good influence on new Christians. Weneed to recognize that when we lead a

person to salvation, we have not donefor that person all that we ought to do.As you know, the new birth is not the"end" experience in the Christian life.but the "beginning" experience.

New Christians need adequatetraining in order to be effective in theMaster's service. What kind of trainingdoes it take to develop new Christians?

They need a knowledge of the basicbiblical doctrines; this they get in CTS.

They need an understanding of themission of their church; this they get inCTS.

They need to be familiar with howFree Will Baptists voluntarily cooperatein denominational enterprises; this theyget in CTS.

They need to be trained in

witnessing; this they get in CTS.There are many things that Free W¡ll

Baptist churches can afford to be

without; but there is one thing everyFree Will Baptist church rr?ust have - a

bibl ical ly-based training program.It is alarming to observe that many

churches today though claimingvigorously to follow the New Testamentpattern are tragically neglecting thisbasic function of training. Let no onethink that CTS is iust a "busy activities"organization or primarily for youthinvolvement. lts f¡rst concern is thedeepening of the spiritual lives of itsmembers. lts ultimate objective is a

disciplined laity. a

EXTERNAL EDUCATION.BANEORBLESSINGP

By Roger C. Reeds

The term "external education" isrelatively new although the type ofeducation that it represents is over 100years old. The word "external" is beingused to replace the word"correspondence." Yet, the term is evenbroader than that of correspondence,for external education may includeæminars, workshops, in-service, etc.External education is education apartfrom the standard classroom procedure.

The first correspondence plan wasinitiated in England in 1868. Thismethod of instruction found a greaterpopularity in the United States. ln 1883a "Correspondence University" was setup in lthaca, New York. When WilliamR. Harper became president of theUniversity of Chicago, he added a

correspondence d ivision. Otheruniversities and colleges were not longin adopting this plan. The NationalHome Study Council was organized in1926. This organization has served as apolicing agency that promotes soundeducational standards and businesspractices.

Many colleges and universities beganextension classes in areas removed fromtheir regular campuses. Some of theseextension classes grew until a

full-fledged college or university came¡nto existence. The huge University ofTennessee has spread its giant tentaclesacross the state of Tennessee so that it is

now possible for many Tennesseans toreceive their degrees from thatuniversity without ever setting foot onthe home campus at Knoxville.

Many religious institutions offer a

correspondence program or extensionclasses. The leder in correspondence

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EXTERNAL EDUCATION -BANE OR BLESSING?(Cont. from page 1 1)

work for years has been the MoodyBible lnstitute of Chicago, lllinois.Thousands have completed Biblecourses through th¡s ¡nstitution. Manypeople experience conversion in thelatter period of their lives. By the timethey are converted and called to service,they are already settled in their lives'work or pattern. lt is very difficult forthem to attend some distant Biblecollege or seminary. Thus a

correspondence program helpsthousands of such willing workers.

The term "correspondence" is beingdiscarded, and the term "external" is

replacing the word in educationalcircles. Perhaps this has been caused bythe embarrassment brought about bythe many diploma mills that have comeinto existence. Unscrupulous individualshave taken advantage of persons seekingsme form of external education.Others seeking the prestige that comeswith a degree have been more thanwilling to buy degrees at almost anyprice.

Earlier this year I received a

telephone call from a seminarypresident. He stated that his seminarywanted to honor me with an honorarydegree. He told me that the particularsabout the degree would follow in a

letter. When the letter arrived, I

discovered that this "honorary degree"would cost me $360.00 in a variety offees. I ansruered the letter immediatelyand rejected the degree. I am notadverse to the idea of an honorarydegree, and I am always pleased whenany deserving person is so honored;however, there should never be a feeattached to such an award.

One school in the West advertised itsprogram of external education in theWall Street Journal. I wrote and secureda catalog. One section of the catalogstates, "lt has been our policy to awardHonorary Degrees in all fields to eligiblecandidates in recognition of theiraccomplishments and achievements.Those interested should write theRegistrar for full details." The cataloglater lists the costs of tuition and places

a $400.00 fee on honorary degrees.Any honest student should be wary

of such institutions or of diploma mills.Usually they are easily identifiable.They offer a degree of some type withlittle or no study programs. Any degreestrould be earned. lt is either earned bystudy or earned by achievement.

On the other hand, we should be fairin our appraisal of external education.Because of the stigma of diploma mills,some are willing to brand all externaleducation as being bad, I have receivedmy education by the classroom methodand by external education. I can assureyou that external education whenproperly administrated is far mored em a nd in g than many classroomsituations. The discipline required byzuch study is healthy, and I have foundit very rewarding. lt is my convictionthat the Christian should always be a

student. Why not then be a studentunder some external plan? The degreemay be an ultimate goal, but theknowledge atta¡ned should be an

immediate goal.

The winds of change are blowing ineducation and especially highereducation. The changes are healthy. Olddegree titles are passing from use, andnew degree titles are coming into view.One of the more popular new degrees is

the doctorate of ministries degree. lt is

now being offered by a number ofseminaries and is available by bothexternal and internal studies. The degreehas a tendency to be broad and isgenerally designed to meet the needs ofthe individual. The usual languagerequirements of the Ph.D. program aredone away with as well as therequirement for a dissertation.

One of the reasons that these changesare healthy is the area of specializationüat is permitted. ln this computerizedage a need exists for specialization. Thefacets of Christian service are so manyand varied today that there is a need forçecialization, The goals of winning thelost and teaching the saved have notchanged, but the means by which these2 tasks can be accomplished havechanged considerably over the years. Wehave many more teaching tools at our

ABOUT THE WRITER: Mr. Eeeds receivedhis doctorate from Luther Rice Seminary,,kcksonville, Florida. The Missouri native,who is general director of the Sunday SchoolDopartment, is an active member of DonelsonFree Will Eapt¡st Church, Nashville,Tennessee.

disposal than did our forefathers.Another reason that I am so pleased

with these changes is that education is

now available for some who previouslyhad been denied the opportunity foradditional training. I have been amazedat how God has opened doors ofopportunity for me in my educationalprogram. I am grateful for the internaltraining that lhave received. lamequally grateful for the external training$at I have had. My bachelor's andmaster's degrees came from internaltraining. My doctorate came fromexternal training. W¡th jobresponsibilities and family obligations I

don't think I could have earned a

doctorate any other way. I do not lookupon my receiving a doctorate as theultimate. I plan to continue my studiesthroughout my lifetime.

Perhaps you have decided thatexternal education is for you. How canyou get started? I believe the choice ofschools is important. You should seek aschool that is going to give the bestvalue for the dollar invested. Externaleducation will cost you about the same

arount of money as internal education.Most charges are based upon thenumber of hours you take.

lf the reader is interested in pursuing

external education, he may write thef ollowing institutions for catalogs:Luther Rice Seminary, 1050 HendricksAvenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32201 ;

Nova University, College Avenue, FortLauderdale, Florida 33314. Tuitioncosts at Luther Rice Seminary will beapproximately $20.00 per semesterhour. Tuition costs at Nova Universityare based on the degree program ratherthan the semester hour.

For other institutions andinformation write to the NationalUniversity Extension Association, OneDupont Circle, Washington, D.C. 20036.Ask for the Guide To lndependentStudy Through CorrespondenceInstruction. The cost of the guide is

$1.00.The greatest problem you will have

with external education isself-discipline. Since you will be

operating at your own pace, it will bevery easy to procrast¡nate.

Exploring the new horizons ofeducat¡on is exciting and challenging.The discoveries are many, and therewards are great. Such exploration willenable you to be a better qualifiedservant of the Lord. Â

FREE WILL BAPTISTSTO APPEAR ON PROGRAMOF SUNDAY SCHOOLCONVENTIONDETROIT, MICH. - Six Free WillBaptists have been invited to conductworkshops at the Mid-America SundaySchool Association which convenes hereOctober 23-25. The conclave willassemble an estimated 50,000 delegatesfrom all parts of North America andfrom 50 denominations, according toDirector Clate Raymond.

Representing Free Will Baptists willbe Malcolm Fry, general director ofChurch Training Senrice; JonathanTh igpen, assistant to the general

director of CTS; Mrs. Mae Fry, CTSwriter of Junior Adventurer materials;Mrs. Yvonne Thigpen, CTS editorialassistant; Roger Reeds, general directorof Sunday School Department; andH arrold Harrison, manager ofPromotions and Sales for the SundaySchool Department, Each will conduct2 to 3 seminars on a one-time basis.

Over 200 workshops will be offered.Widely known speakers will

participate in 7 free general sessions allcentered on the bicentennial theme. "lLove America."

DEATH CLAIII/IS RETIREDMISSOURI MINISTERMOUNTAIN GROVE, MO. ThEReverend Fred Amos Wynn died July13, 1975, in a Springfield, Missouri,hospital at the age of 72.

The native Missourian professed faithin Christ in October, 1931, at the Mt.Zion (Coon Creek) Church. Five yearslater he was ordained as a Free WillBaptist minister, Until his retirement in1973 he pastored churches in Missouriand California almost continuously.After retiring he served as an interimpastor and preached the last Sundaybefore his death..

Funeral services were held July 15 inthe First Free Will Baptist Church ofMountain Grove where Rev. Wynn was amember. Pastor Lynn Wood conductedthe services.

ln addition to his wife Gladys, Mr.Wynn is also sr¡wived by 4 daughters.Son-in-law Charles Harris is pastor ofthe Harmony Free Will Baptist Churchin Fresno, California.

FREE WILL BAPTIST

newgfrontvOKLAHOMA GIRL SURPASSES FUND RAISING GOALFOR TENNESSEE CHILDREN'S HOME

SEMINOLE, OKLA. - Cynthia DeniseLaffon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. SamLaffon, has exceeded her goal by raising$ 1 05 for the Free Will BaptistChildren's Home in Greeneville,Tennessee,

Challenged by the project which waspresented by the president of thechu rch's Woman's Auxiliary, thel3-year-old member of the First FreeWill Baptist Church in Seminole firstsought to reach her goal of $100 byselling brick donations. Theæ donationswere the price of the supplies and laborrequired to lay one brick in the currentbuilding project of the home. "Brick"sales were moving slowly, so Cynthiadecided to branch out into Christmascards. She saved her profits from thecard sales but again felt the need toexpand. This time a local businessmanagreed to supply her with air fresheners.Her share of the proceeds also went ¡ntothe fund for her special project.

While on vacation in Greenevilleduring August, Mr. and Mrs. Benny

Mn. Hines and Cynthia

Hines. also of the Seminole Church,hand delivered the check representingCynthia's earnings to the Tennessee

children's home.

OHIO CHURCH SETS RECORD ATTENDANCE

WH EELERSBURG, OHIO Over1,200 people from I d¡fferent statesattended the third annual EvangelisticOutreach Fellowship Sunday at theUnion Free Will Baptist Church nearWheelersburg on July 20. This crowd seta new attendance record for the118-year-old congregation. ln order toæcommodate the overflow crowd, a

large tent was set up adjacent to thechurch.

Rev. Homer Willis, Nashville, Tenn.,and Andrew Workman, an Ohiowangelist, were guest speakers for thisspecial fellowship Sunday. The all-day6/ent was çonsored as a part ofEvangelistic Outreach, lnc., a weeklyrad io-TV program broadcasted byss/eral area stations. Rev. Calvin Evans,pastor of the Union Church, is also thedirector of this ministry.

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CALIFORNIA COLLEGEENROLLS 93 FOR FALLSEMESTER: NAMES 7 NEWFACULTY MEMBERS

FRESNO, CALIF, According toCalifornia Christian College Registrar E.T. Hyatt, 93 students have enrolled forclasses during the fall semester. Theæhool year began with a Spiritual LifeConference held on the Fresno campusAugust 20-22. CCC alumnus RichardKennedy, who is pastor of Temple FreeWill Baptist Church in Greenville, NorthCarolina, was the featured speakerduring the 3-day conference.

The administration also announcedthe additíon of 7 new faculty membersto the college staff for the 1975-76academic year. The former pastor ofAirport Road Free Will Baptist Churchin Twin Falls, ldaho, Dr. Daníel Parker,has assumed the positions of Dean ofStudent Affairs and college instructor.He holds degrees from Free Will BaptistBible College, University of Oklahoma,Northern Arizona University, andUniversity of ldaho.

Abe and Verleen Baerg, whopreviously served in the MusicDepartment of Free Will Baptist BibleCollege, are coordinating thatdepartment at CCC this year. Mr. Baerg,who received his B.A. and B.M.E.degrees from Tabor College, is currentlystudying at Mennonite Brethren BiblicalSeminary in Fresno. Mrs. Baerg has amaster's of music degree from WichitaState University.

The present pastor of Harmony FreeWill Baptist Church, Charles Harris, is

the new coordinator of the Pastorallnternship Program for the college. Henow serves on the national ChurchTraining Service Board.

Also holding extension classes in theLos Angeles and Sacramento area, CCChas employed 3 local pastors as

¡nstructors for these evening classes.

CCC graduate Tom Hampton, whopastors the Bell Gardens Free WillBaptist Church, and Charles Marshall,pastor of the Pioneer Free Will BaptistChurch, are working in cooperationwith the college administration toprovide educational opportunities in theSouthern Extens¡on of CCC in the LosAngeles area.

ln the Sacramento area Larry Conditconducts extension classes. Larrypastors the Capítal Free Will BaptistChurch, Sacramento.

FWBBC RECORDS ENROLLMENT INCREASE

NASHVILLE, TENN. Free W¡llB aptist Bible College enrolled 540students, slightly more than last year,according to Registrar Robert Picirilli,when the school opened for classes forthe 1975-76 year in late August.

Students from 26 states and Japanwere part of the student body as thecollege began its 34th year. Of those

who enrolled, 197 are attending theBible College for the first time. This is

also up from last year. There are 173ministerial students and 40 missionarystudents now in college. By classes, thestudents number 194 freshmen, 128sophomores, 105 juniors, 69 seniors,and 44 special students.

CHURCH PERSONNEL CHANGES

These changes ¡n Free Will Baptistpastoral and other church personnelare provided by CONTACT Magazineas a service to its readers. No personwill be listed as having left a place ofserv¡ce until he is called offic¡ally toserve with another congregation.

PASTORATES

ALABAMAChester O'Donnell to Pleasant

Grove Church, AshvilleBurble Alexander to First Church,

Pleasant Grove

,ARKANSASJim Chronister to Slaty Crossing

Church, Dardanelle from WoodlawnChurch, Russellville

CALIFORNIANuel Brown to Garden Grove

Church, Garden Grove from KermanChurch, Kerman

FLORIDARoger Russell to First Church,

Deerfield Beach from First Church,Jacksonvil le, North Carolina

GEORGIAAllen Colson to Oak Grove Church,

Baxley

IDAHODarwin Kelton to Burley Church,

Burley from faculty of CaliforniaChristian Colleg€, Fresno, California

tLLtNOtSDavid McDaniel to First Church,

gpringf ield

lvan Ryan to Arnold View Church,Creal Springs from Oakwood Church,Woodlawn, Tennessee

Gerald Musgrave to St. CharlesChurch, St. Charles

MICHIGANEugene Richards to Grace Church,

Taylor from Fellowship Church,Bryan, Texas

MrssrssrPPrWilliam Atkinson to Pearce Chapel

Church, Smithville from Winf ieldChurch, Winf ield, Alabama

Herman McFadden to Free WillBaptist mission, Smithville from PearceChapel Church. Sm¡thville

MISSOURITom Owens to Free W¡ll Baptist

mission. Union from New Life Church,Licking

OKLAHOMAJack Richey to Newcastle mission,

NewcastleBob Ketchum to Free Will Baptist

mission, Broken ArrowLeon Sheppard to Central Church,

Tulsa from Blue Bell Church, SapulpaRichard Gallant to First Church,

Cushing from First Church, Healdton

TENNESSEEDwight F letcher to Manchester

Church, Manchester from Maple GroveChurch, Madison, Alabama

Elmer Turnbough to OakwoodChurch, Woodlawn from First Church,Houston. Missouri

Don Lamm to Faith Church,Morristown from Cross TimbersChurch, Nashville

David H icks to First Church,Dickson from First Church, McEwen

TEXASB¡ll Haynes to Free Will Baptist

Mission, Lewisv¡lle

WEST VIRGINIAWilliam E. Bare to Buffalo Valley

Church, Lundale from Taplin Church.Taplin

Henry Damron to ShamrockChurch, Swilzer

Arvel Williamson to Godby He¡ghtsChurch, Godby

TELEPHONE CALLERSREMINDED OF NATIONALOFFICE NUMBERS

NASHVILLE, TENN. _Telephone callers to the NationalOff ices are reminded that thephone number of the SundaySchool Department is615/242-2624 while the numberfor all other departments is

615/244-347 0. These lines arenofconnected to the sames1,\ritchboard as the Sunday SchoolDepartment is located on BushRoad approximately 3 míles fromthe National Office Building onMurfreesboro Road. lt will mean2 long distance tolls to pay if a

caller telephones the NationalOffice Building receptionist whenit is necessary to speak tosomeone in the Sundav SchoolDepartment.

Those wishing to telephone theadministrative offices of Free WillBaptist Bible College may do soby dialing 6151297 -467 6.

by the writer and include thename and address of the churchw¡th wh¡ch he is affiliated. Allreplies must reach the editor bythe f irst day of the monthfollowing the date of the issue inwhich the question is presented.Address all replies to Editor,CONTACT Magazine, P.O. Box1088, Nashville, Tennessee 372O2.

fhe CONTACT staff is pleasedto announce this new feature forthe reading enjoyment of thesubscribers of the denominationalmagazine. This feature will replacethe monthly column, "l/ì/hat'sYour Problem?" in November.

The SoundinÉ BoardWe are interested in your

opinion! One of the best ways weknow to learn what you th¡nk isto ask questions. So we atebeginning a new feature,"Sounding Board," which willpresent a different question eachmonth. The purpose of the newfeature will be for reader¡nteract¡on and the presentationof different views. Ouestionsmainly will originate from articlescarried in CONTACT.

Readers are invited to sharecomments concerning the cJb¡ectunder discr¡ssion in 3ü) words orless. All comments must be signed

FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION

Should a minister limit his reading of the Word in the pulpit to the KingJames Version of the Bible?

What Has

Become of Christian Conduct ?

By Betty Boothln our world today, I believe that

one of the biggest hindrances to thework of God is the way people who callthemselves Christians act toward eachother. True Bible.believing Christiansare seeking to serve the same God andto reach that eternal place calledheaven. Why is it that we don't behavetoward each other in such a way that wecan be a help not a hindrance to oneanother in reaching that goal?

lnstead many people fuss over thenames of churches or the color for thenew carpet or paint, Some people refuseto visit in their friends' church for aspecial service because they insist thattheir church is the only one whichfollows God's Word. Maybe the pastorof another church doesn't conductservices like your own pastor; maybeyour friend's church is not as emot¡onalas yours. But that church can still bespreading the Gospel in its outreach.

When a school teacher asks a class to

read a book and write a report on it,the students' reoorts will be made fromdifferent v¡ewpoints. They won't all bealike. Each student will not write in thesame style or use the same thoughts orwords. But the differences do notmean one student will necessarily get a

WORDS FOR WOMEN

good grade and another a poor grade.Grades will be based upon the quality ofthe report not the differences. Eachreport is judged on its own merits. Theapplication can be made to theChristian's behavior. Some Christianstoday often act like children playing agame: "lf you don't play like I do, I

won't play with you." They don'trealize there can be differences amongChristians and their churches that don'taffect the salvation experience. God is

the judge; therefore, we should leave in

His hands those nonessentials andconcentrate on serving Him and helpingothers. Even if we can't do much, ourgrade will be based on whether yve doour best according to our ability.

Recently, someone asked my opinionof different denominations and theways of some people in those groups. I

answered that I didn't have anything tosay because if I watch myself and keepmy life straight, I don't have time topick out the other person's wrongs. Nomatter how close we live to our Lord,we are not perfect. lf everyone who is aChristian would keep a constant look athis own life and try to be a friend toChristians and non-Christians, this worldwould be a happier place. God would begreatly pleased with that type ofconduct. lt would be such a changefrom what He usually sees.

Ask God to help you honor yourfellowman in all your relationships.This type of conduct will also honorHim. ln setting this example, you canhelp others to see Him in you and leadthem to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

AEOUT THE WRITER: Mrs. Booth is amember of the Thomas Memorial Free WillBapt¡st Church, Huntington. West Virginia. A

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SAINTS T\TEED TO BE EQUIPPEDPART I

By Robert Picirilli

The theme of our 1975 nationalconvention was "Equlpping the Saints."Those wordswere taken from Ephesians4:12, where the King James Versionreads "perfecting" the saints.

The Greek word translated "perfect-ing" is katartismos. "Equipping" is agood translation. This Greek root isused a number of times in the NewTestament in a number of differentways. Sometimes the word means to f ixor repair or restore to a working, usefulcondition. For example, in Matthew4:21 we read that the disciples-to-bewere "mending" their nets. That is thesame root in Greek.

Sometimes the word means to makecomplete or finish. For example, inl Thessalonians 3:10 Paul expresses a

desire to revisit the Thessalonians and"perfect" that which was lacking indreir faith. They were still only partlytaught, and Paul desired to finish the

job, That is the same Greek root again.Sometimes the word means to make,

cleate or prepare for a particular pur-pose or end. For example, in Hebrews11:3 we read that the worlds were"framed" by the word of God, and thatis the same Greek root too. Or inRomans 9:22 reference is made tovessels "fitted" to destruction, the sameGreek root once more. ln both of thesethe idea is that things were made to bewhat they are by God for the purposethat su¡ted H¡m.

Sometimes katartismos means tofashion, ordain, determíne, construct. lnMatthew 21:'16, for example, we readthat God has "perfected" praise forHimself out of the mouths of babes andercklings. Yes, this is still the sameGreek root.

Now, what do all these uses have incommon? They all suggest that some-thing is being mde whole and completeand thus well suited for the purpose orfunction it is intended to serve. Twoideas are always involved: wholenessand purpose.

This is what is meant ¡n Ephesians4:12, then, The saints are to be madecomplete and whole, thoroughly out-fitted with all they need to fulfill thepurpose God intends them to fill. This is

equipping the saints.

9ern3from the

Greek New Testament

Then what is the purpose they are tofill? The verse ansvvers this question:"for the work of the ministry." Now be

s¡,¡re you read the verse right; don't letthe commas lead you astray. (TheY

aren't in the Greek; and as you haveprobably noted in various places, theKing James translation was made in a

day when people believed in using a lotof punctuation to separate clauses.)Read the verse this way: "For theeguipping of the saints for the work ofthe ministry for the edifying of thebody of Christ." More about this innext month's column. a

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MADEINI HIS IMAGE

PART I

By Leroy Forlines

ln Psalms 8:4 the psalmist; afterviewing with amazement the universe as

the product of God's creation, asked thequestion, "What is man, that thou aremindful of him?" He was amazed thatthe creator of the uhiverse would beinterested in man. This interest in manís not simply an interest in the race as a

whole, but each individual. lt is amazingto us that God would have specialinterest in us when we view Hisgreatness.

Even after anwvering the question"ì/Vhat is man?" we may still be filledwith wonder about God's concern, butwe can at least get some insights intoGod's concern by knowing who man is.

Man has been created in God's image(Genesis 1:26). This places a high valueon man. God instituted capitalpunishment in Genesis 9:6 because ofthe value that belongs to man as onewho is created in God's image.Slanderous talk about human beings is

considered by James to be seriousbecause of the fact that man is "madeafter the similitude of God" (James

3:9). Concerning the_ value of man,

CIIRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Jesus said that we are better than thefowl of the air (Mattew 6:26) and thatwe are of more value than sheep{Matthen/ '12:11-121.

lf God places a high value on manbecause we are made in God's image, itbehooves us to learn what is meant bybeing made in God's image. Accordingto Colossians 3:10, the image of Godincludes knowledge. This means that thefact that we are rational beings is a partof what ¡s meant by God's image inman. ln Ephesians 4:24 we learn that

righteousness and holiness are involvedin the image of God in man. This meansthat the fact that we are moral creaturesis a part of the image of God in man.

The word that embraces the fact thatwe are both rational and moral is theword "personal," God is personal. Man

is personal. A person is one who thinks,feels, and acts. As persons, we have theability to do right or wrong. We have

the ability to please or displease. We are

capable of being creative. We are

creative, not in the sense that Godcreates, but in the sense that we can putot¡r minds and our imaginations to workand produce things that show ingenuity.

When God made man, He did notmake a machine that operated by simplecause and effect. Rather, He made us as

persons who operate within theframer¡rork of influence and response.

God is intensely interested in the waywe respond. This makes us far moreimportant to God than the physicaluniverse.

Future articles will elaborate on thedoctrinal and practical implications ofthe fact that man is made in the image

of God.

SaddlebagsYield19th CenturyMinutes

By Robert PicirilliThings for the Free Will Baptist

Historical Collection sometimes showup in strange places like thesaddlebags of a preacher long since goneto be with the Lord!

That's what happened. Not long agothe fam ily came across the oldsaddlebags of the Reverend NathanBradshaw, an Arkansas Free Will Baptistpreacher who died about 70 years ago.ln those saddlebags were some Arkansasminutes: the 1896 minutes of theCarroll County Association and the1898 minutes of the old Mt. ZionAssociation.

HISTORY CORNER

Reverend Gordon Bradshaw, one ofour preachers in Santa Paula, California,ü.¡rned over these m¡nutes to us at th¡spast session of the National Association.Brother Bradshaw is a grandson of theReverend Nathan Bradshaw, whosename appears in those 1896 CarrollCounty minutes. What's more; BrotherBradshaw's wife is a great granddaughterof the Reverend James Curnutt, whosename also appears in those minutes.

Actu ally, according to theConstitution of the Carroll CountyAssociation, ¡t was "composed ofs.rndry churches in the State ofArkansas and Missouri." So far as I

know, this association does not stillexist. The churches listed in 1896 wereLiberty, Low Gap, Center Point, BigSprings, Oak Hill, Pleasant Ridge andPrairie Grove. Some or all of thesechurches may still exist.

The Carroll County Association wasdef initely in "correspondence" withother Free Will Baptists in 1896,sending a letter to the Old Mt. ZionAssociation (and the 1898 Old Mt. Zionminutes show a corresponding lettersent to the Carroll County Association).

I was attracted by the Articles ofFaith íncluded in the Carroll County

minutes, especially article number 9,conditions of salvation: "These arerepentance, implying Godly sorrow for,open confession and utter renunciationof s in; faith, of the unreservedcommittal of the mind and heart to

receive, obey, and trust in Christ; andregeneration by the Holy Spirit,whereby the soul is freed from thedominion of sin, and brought into theglorious liberty of the children of God."Not bad. a

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COOPERATrVE PLAN OF SUPPORTAugust 1975

August'75 Auguet'?4Co-op Design.

$ 569.?0 $

2,838.58659.?8

1,6?9.?6305.74

L,247.63It2.701ã6.88264.07

291.5050.31

too.riril,t t r:11,

1 r.citi I

$ 1,414.?6

t,2L9.29442.9t803.62216.0211 5.00ttt:11

164.76

øz.iz

Yea¡to Date

1,785.64800.07

12,575.164,?68.668,300.20L,065.77

38?.1 810,685.39

573.05156.88

1,648.2388.80

6?6.16188.r 1

RECEIPTS:

State

AlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyMarylandMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNew MexicoNorüh CarolinaNorthwest Assoc.OhioOklahomaTennesseeTexasVirginiaïVyoming

Totals

DISBUBSEMENTS:Executive OfficeForeign MissionsBible CollegeHome MissionsChurch Training Ser.Retirement & Ins.Layman's BoardCommission on Theo-

logical LiberalismMiscellaneous

Totals

4'.1.703,020.34

76.32177.62

82.O9774.76

3,645.18168.55895.69

25.!0

(8,020.34)

(60.00)

:::(3,518.89)

$ (965.45)(2,11.43)

(L,t87.44)(1,108.15)

(680.62)(448.30)(214.50)

(63.3e)(8?.65)

129.493,367.t2

133:dd22.88

1,633.9 24,151.18

799.2125.0034.6225.O0

7t4.2224,221 .46

162.68828.23397.07

6,885.3638,630.21

2,777.701,930.43

210.86

s15,?5?.89 $120,413.õ1$1?,089.00

$17,089.00

$ 5,801.623,509.232,616.922,Lzt.941,293.811,161.49

406.62

90.828?.65

$ 5,075.803,5?4.802,456.232,027.601,253.12

888.19381.33

100.82

sl6,757.89

$ 46.319.4624,947.!815,985.18t4,203.29

?,951.896,628.?32,695.18

633.791,048.81

$120,413.õl

\^/hat's vourpro6lerTr?

By R. Eugene Waddell

OUESTION: ln Ephesians2:2 is the phrase "accordingto the prince of the power ofthe air." I suppose this refersto Satan, but why is he calledthe prince of the power ofúe air?

OUESTION: What do FreeWill Eaptists believe abouteternal security? We believe aperson can backslide, but ourpastor who is a Free Willpreaches eternal security. Weare concerned and havemixed emotions of this typeof preaching.

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ANSWER: There are 3 possible explanations as

to why Satan is called "the prince of the powerof the air."

Some believe that "the air" here is

synonymous with those Scriptures which referto Satan's dom inion as "darkness" (Luke22:53; Eph. 6:12; Col. 1 :13).

A second exolanation identifies the atmos-phere as the specific location where demonpowers dwell. We know that evil personalitiesmust live somewhere, and according to thisinterpretation. the air or atmosphere is thatregion God has permitted them to occupy.

A third interpretation takes the phrase "ofthe air" to refer to the nature of demonic exist'ence instead of the actual location. ln otherwords, as spiritual beings demons do not bynature belong to the earthly order. This inter-pretation is supported by Ephesians 6: 12 whichrefers to "spiritual wickedness in high places"(the heavens) . ln his commentary on the Epistleto the Ephesians Dr. Charles Hodge states, "Bypowers of the air, according to this view, we are

to understand, unearthly, superhuman, incor-poreal, spiritual beings over whom Satan reigns(p. 101)."

I prefer the last explanation.

ANSWER: The Free Will Baptist position on

security and backsliding is set forth on pp.

30-31, 41 of the treat¡se (1974 printing):"There are strong grounds to hope that thetruly regenerate will persevere unto the end,and be saved, through the power of divine grace

which is pledged for their support; but theirfuture obedience and final salvation are neitherdetermined nor certain, since through inf irmityand manifold temptations they are indanger offalling; and they ought, therefore, to watch andpray lest they make shipwreck of their faithand be lost . . . . We believe that a saved

individual may, in freedom of will, cease totrust in Christ for salvation and once again be

lost. This we hold in distinction from thosewho teach that a believer may not again be

lost." These statements make it obvious thatone who preaches eternal æcurity is notpreaching Free Will Baptist doctrine.

Go to your pastor and express your concern.lf perchance he has been misunderstood, he wilrappreciate the opportunity to clarify hisposition on this subject. lf, however. he is

indeed preaching eternal security, I feel that theleast he can do is turn in his credentials. a

GHR[STIAN

EDUGATICIN:

A PRICIRITV

By Executive SecretaryRufus Coffey

A major challenge confronts ourdenomination: the task of clarifying therole of Christian education as it relatesto the church and the home. But wenmore important than spelling out theconcept and scope of Christianeducatíon is the responsibility ofimplementing an effective plan toadvance the thrust of Christianeducation in both areas.

ln serving the National Associationof Free W¡ll Baptists, the gecialEducational Study Committee' is

exploring the ramifications of Christianeducation. When the committeereconvenes this month, the 5 menserving will come to gr¡ps with an area

that needs extensive planning in orderto equip our churches to fulfill theireducational mission and to focusattention on the home as thefou ndation of Christian education.

Because the home has so woefullyfailed, the church needs to teach moreforcefully and faithfully those principlesthat will produce revival in the home.While the ultimate responsib¡l¡ty fallsupon parents to teach God's word, a

local church can become the catalyst toan¡aken parents and motivate them to:ìssume their God-given responsibility.The church which fulfills its mission inChristian education will naturallyfortify the home.

The church is under a divine mandateto direct and participate in the task ofChristian education. Christ paved the

*NOTE: The Educational Study Comm¡ttæ iscomposed of Dr. Douglas Simpson (TNI,Chairman; Clarence Hearron (OK); BlaineHughes IVA); Anel Smith (SC/.; and JækWilliams (CAI.

way for an educat¡onal program in thechurch by His example. Preceding Hisascension, Chr¡st the Master Teachercalled the disciples together for asignificant briefing session. His directivewas clear and implicit:

Go ye therefore, and teach allnat¡ons, baptizing them in the nameof the Father, and of the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost: Teaching them toobserve all things whatsoever I havecommanded you.

Thus, Christ laid at the door of thechurch the solemn obligation to teach!The life of the church depends uponChristians' carrying out th¡s command.The success and effectiveness of thechurch hinges upon the extent of ourobedience.

The church that does not maintain azufficient program of instruction andindoctrination should not expect toflourish. In fact, failure to teach willresult in immaturity, carnality, idlenessand backsliding. Lack of Christianeducation makes the church weak,opens the door to erroneous doctrineand paralyzes the w¡tness of the church.

A sound program of biblical¡nstruction is absolutely essential.Otherwise, the congregation w¡ll beshallow, superficial and zubjected toperilous problems stemm¡ng from anignorance of God's word.

The Old Testament is filled withillustrations of how God'scommandments and precepts weretaught in the home, synagogue, æhooland public gatherings. Prophets, priests,scribes and even kings were outstandingteachers.

J esu s i nstructed individuals, H isdisciples and the multitudes. He trainedthe 12 and the 70 through in-servicesess¡ons, retreats and example.

Phillip taught the Ethiopian. Petertaught Cornelius and the multitudes.And Paul was constantly involved inteaching individuals, small groups andchurches.

Christian education follows thepattern of the New Testament. lt was apart of the apostolic church programand contributed largely to its virilityand effectiveness. The cont¡nuingministry of the church must conform tothis pattern ¡f ¡t is to achieve its divinepurpose. Yet too many churches havetaken this responsibility lightly, or elsethe ministry of teaching has been by-passed for a more spectacular emphasis.Nevertheless, there is no shortcut to the

task of enlisting the entire church in atotal teaching and training program thatproduces strong and mature believerswho are totally committed to Christ andwho conform to Christ in their totalpersonalities, conduct and lifestyles.

The essence of Christian education islearning the truth of the Chr¡stian faithas revealed in God's word and applyingthis truth in weryday líving experiences.The process begins with leading peopleinto a transforming experience of thenew birth. Secondly, it is nurturingthem through a full knowledge of God'sword into a rich spiritual life whichconforms to the whole counsel of God.Thirdly, it is equipping believers withskills, knowledge, values and attitudeswhich will enable them to rendereffective seruice in the will of God.

Christian education involvesanangelism, instruction, study, teaching,train¡ng and learníng whereby believersare inculcated with a sense of moral,ethical, social and spiritualresponsibility.

But it is not enough to merelydiscuss the purpose of education. Wemust set goals and design a practical andworkable program which can beimplemented in the church and in thehome.

The church has developed numerousagencies to carry out the work ofevangelism, worship, fellowship andservice. Some of the prominent areas ofChristian education include the Sundayschool, Chu rch Training Service,Master's Men, the Woman's Auxiliary,vacation B ible school, camping,weekday act¡v ities and Christianliterature. However, it seems that eachphase of Christian education isimplemented without enoughconsideration of how each is related tothe other and to the total learningprocess. ln other ¡nstances there isunnecessry overlapping of the variousdepartments.

The time is overdue for a reappraisalof the effectiveness of our presentChristian educational efforts. Withdevelopment of improved methods,mater¡als and organization areevaluation is needed to see if we aredoing our best with what we have.

lnasmuch as Christian education ismultidimensional in its æope, we needto understand it as a whole rather thanmere fragmented parts. A properlycorrelated program will enable us to seehow each agency is related and howeach compliments the other.

Trad¡t¡onally, the Sunday school hasbeen the hub of Christian education inthe local church. While we canappreciate the value of a strong Sundayschool, we must also recognize thatChristian education is not limited to th¡sone area. Unless we see how eachagency becomes an effective part of atotal educational program with eachwork s.rpplementing and complimentingthe other, the effectiveness of aChr¡stian education program will bestymied.

ln order to unify and expedite a totalChristian educational program in thechurch with meaning and purpose, weneed to blend and correlate the presentefforts ¡nto one beautiful, harmonioussymphony that is working together forone grand effect.

Can you imagine a group ofmusic¡ans in an orchestra attempting toplay solo parts on their variousinstruments simultaneously? Obviously,the disastrous results would be a

confused clamor of distorted sounds.Yet Free Will Baptists have beenattempt¡ng to carry on a program ofChristian educatíon in our churcheswithout any unifying aims.

The central thrust which will givedirection and purpose is to establishclear objectives and provide a practicalprogram that our pastors can use indeveloping a greater depth ofspirituality within the church. ln turnChrist and His values should become anintegrated core of the believer's life.Also, the educational ministry mustfocus on the central role of the home as

an educational force and provide thesupport and equipment parents need tofulf ill their God-given ministry ofnurture. By linking the church and thehome together in one educationalthrust, we will see Christian educationas the total life of the church workingtogether as a body, rather than separate¡nst¡tutions doing their own things. a

rott¿oot-oF-zoC)olv&@wP@eryæ

CONTACT

P. 0. Box 1088

Nashville, Tennesee 37202

Second-class postage pard at Nashv¡lle, Tennessee

ConfenfsocroBER ,1975

Are You Ready to Start a Christian School?

The Bible lnstitute: A Significant Force

Church Training Service: Sunday Night orWednesday Night?

External Education - Bane or Blessing?

Free Will Baptist Newsfront

Sounding Board

What Has Become of Christian Conduct?

Saints Need to be Equipp€d

Made in His lmage

Saddlebags Yield 19th Century Minutes

What's Your Problem

Christian Education: A Priority

Our Readers Comment

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Artwork in this issueby Dean Shelton

Editor-in€hief : Rufús Coffev / Administrative Editor: Eugene Workman

Editorial Assistant: Susan Burgess / Circulation: Carolyn Rhodes

OtlRr READERS COMMENTREADER CONTENDSART¡CLE USES,,HALF-TRUTHS ANDHEARSAY"

I haue enjoyed our CONTACTouer the years and haue beenblessed by a number of goodarticles. It k sad that when Ifinally chose to comment ít ís onthe negatiue side. But say it Imust. Else how'll I live with myconscience.

Using half-truths ønd hearsayto bring home a point has alwayswent against the grain, but to findthís method of argument used byone of our leading preachers isindeed deplorable. Mr.McAllister's article, "AC o nsciousness of Ownership"(August, 19 7 5 ), incorporatesseueral such statements inreference to the Full GospelBusiness Men's Fellowship.Apparently, this is due to a lach offírsthand hnowledge of the subiect.

Seueral items stand out. TheFull Gospel Fellowship is winningsouls, I personally hnow seueralwho'd been in maínlinedenominational churches all theirlíves finally to be saued throughthe influence of the FGBMF. TheFull Gospel Business Men'sFellowshíp is not out to steal folhaway from the local church. It isstated and stressed policy of theFGBMF to encourage theirmembership to actiuely labor inthe local church. The extremelyliberal view that Mr. McAllisterwould have us believe that theFull Gospel people share is indeedfarfetched. Saluation - throughthe Blood - is a prerequísite tomembership in the FGBMF jusú osin the local Free WíIl Baptistchurch.

To throw the FGBMF in withthe Mormons, Jehovah Witnessesand others and label the entireoutfit as "of the Devil" appears tobe walhing on some mighty thinice. I agree that our people must

Blaine Hughes

Ansel Smith

Malcolm Fry

Roger Reeds

Staff

Staff

Betty Booth

Robert Picirilli

Leroy Forlines

Robert Picirilli

R. Eugene Waddell

Rufus Coffey

Readers

be made aware of the groups andinfluences which seeh to get us todilute the fundamental message,and praise God for those men inthe watch tower. But no matterhow strongly we feel on an issue,to tell only half the story orrepeøt hearsay is not the way. Ifour pastors will follow the aduicein the rest of the artícle and fug!the floch as the Lord intended,they'll not haue to worry aboutmembers beíng stolen away.

By the wøy, I øm not, norindeed can be, a member of theFull Gospel Business Men'sFellowship.

Ted James, memberSpring Grove FV|B Church

Jesup, Georgiø

MESSAGE A BLESSINGI re ally e ni oy ed the

message. .. "A Consciousness ofOwnership" [AugustJ bY Mr.McAIIíster. It seemed I couldalmost hear him preach and I haveneuer seen hím. It reølly blessed,

Mrs. Oscar HintonBailey, North Carolína

me,