So long to a friend

I received word today that fellow Baptist journalist Jim Newton died on Jan. 16 after complications from leukemia.

Jim Newton was not only a friend and colleague, he was a mentor to me and countless others who came through the Baptist journalism ranks in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.

A former associate editor of Baptist Press, Jim worked for many years with the former Southern Baptist Convention Brotherhood Commission and later the Home Mission Board.

Jim Newton was an excellent journalist. He won countless awards for his writing. Jim also had a heart and passion for missions. Many of his feature articles shared stories of national and international missionaries.

We have all heard about “Timbuktu.” Jim actually wrote a book entitled “The Way to Timbukto” which was used as the basis for the 1981 foreign mission study on “French-speaking West Africa.”

In the mid-1980s, Jim interviewed me for a position at the Home Mission Board. It would have been an honor and privilege to work with him, but it was not in God’s timing. I hated to tell Jim “no” but he understood and wished me well.

Pray for Jim’s wife, Pat, and their children. Jim impacted many people during his ministry as a Baptist journalist. He will be missed.

It’s okay to root for Tim Tebow

I have been amazed with the reactions to Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow is a devout Christian and a member of a Southern Baptist church — First Baptist in Jacksonville, Fla.

Tebow is blasted by some people for his Christian convictions and beliefs. I can understand the dislike of Tebow by people who profess no Christian faith, but there are people of faith who dislike the former University of Florida star.

As a fan of another SEC school (University of South Carolina) that Tebow used to beat with regularity, I was not a big Tebow fan while he was in college. And, I am not a huge Denver Broncos fan either. But I do root for Tebow to do well. He is not a great NFL quarterback. Some would say he is not even a good or average NFL quarterback. But what I like about Tebow is his desire to compete to the best of his ability each time he steps on the field. The bottom line is that Tim Tebow is a winner.

As a Christian, I want Tebow to succeed. Why? Because he never fails to give credit to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In last Sunday’s dramatic overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tebow thanked God before millions of viewers on national television. He has a platform that most of us will never have.

Christians don’t have to become fans of the team Tebow plays for or pull for him when he is playing their team, but it is okay to root for him individually. He is a Christian role model in a society where good role models are desperately needed.

May his tribe increase.

Still Can Be Shocked

I am almost 54 years old. I thought I was at the stage in my life where nothing in this world would shock me any more.

I was wrong.

When I read a story entitled “Girl Scouts’ admitting of boy draws backlash” posted by Baptist Press on Dec. 13, my mouth fell open. I discovered quickly that I can still be shocked by what is being allowed to happen in the nation in which I live. How can rational people allow things like this to occur.

Read the story for yourself. You will probably be shocked too, but in reality we should not be surprised by news such as this. And, what’s more it is our own fault. We (Christians) have allowed our nation to fall into such depravity because we have remained silent far too long. We are reaping what Christians have sown for the past 50 years.

May God forgive us.

Pray for our nation. I thought we couldn’t drift any further from God. I was wrong.

The one thing I do know for sure is that God is still in control. And, His Son, Jesus Christ is our only hope.

How Can You Not Have Church on Christmas Day?

Just received a story from LifeWay Research entitled “Pastors plan to host Christmas services despite busyness of Christmas Day.”

The survey revealed that 9 percent of the Protestant pastors did not plan to have services on Christmas Day. While 9 percent may seem low, it is mind-boggling. How can any Christian church not have a service on one of the holiest of all days — the day that commemorates the birth of our Lord and Savior.

I understand churches cutting back their schedule to have one major service mid-morning. I have no problem with that, but to not have a service at all? That just does not make sense.

I need to be thankful for the 91 percent of churches that will open their doors on Christmas Day, but I can’t help but feel sad for those churches that do not. They are “missing the boat.”

Hard to Beat Southern Gospel Music

I love Southern Gospel music. And for those who have the same taste in music, let me remind you that one of the best Southern Gospel groups around today will be in concert during the Tennessee Baptist Pastors Conference next week at First Baptist Church, Hendersonville.

Greater Vision, a trio based in Morristown, will kick off the Pastors Conference at 12:55 on Monday, Nov. 14.

I have been to several Greater Vision concerts and have never left disappointed.

In addition to Greater Vision, the Pastors Conference will feature some excellent speakers throughout the afternoon and evening.

It will be a good prelude to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention which begins the following day.

All’s Fair in Love, War and Yard Sales

I learned a very valuable lesson this week.

When you go to yard sales, don’t trust those other bargain hunters.

I recently began a new hobby of buying stuff, anything from collectables to old items, and seeing if I can re-sell them later. My rule of thumb is anything I can buy cheap, I will consider it.

I stopped by a yard sale on my way to work recently and people were out early. This particular yard sale actually had some things I was interested in, so I started picking up some items. A couple of the things were bulky, so I started my own stack away from the items being sold. Several other people did the same thing.

One woman even asked another if a certain pile was hers. She didn’t want to get something that had been claimed. That was a neat gesture.

Finally, I gathered all my treasures (my wife would call it junk) and went to the lady in charge to purchase. As we were going through my stuff, I realized, to my chagrin, that one of the items I had put in my pile had mysteriously disappeared.

I have always heard that all is fair in love and war. I guess now we have to add yard sales to that list.

Back in the Saddle Again

I am embarrassed. I have written that I will blog regularly (which means to me at least once a week), yet I have not done so in several weeks.

We all have time constraints, so “too busy” is not a good excuse.

I have made an “October’s Resolution” (New Year’s is too far away) to write at least a weekly blog. I ask for people to hold me accountable if I go more than a week without a new posting.

Just so you know I have not been completely lazy, we have been busy the last few weeks, introducing the online version of the Baptist and Reflector. We hope you enjoy it along with our print version. Keep in mind that our print version drives the online, so keep those print subscriptions coming in!

My weekly (at least it needs to be) blog and my Twitters are designed to keep the Baptist and Reflector more relevant. Feel free to send me any suggestions of how I can do this better to lwilkey@tnbaptist.org.

Meanwhile, I am “back in the saddle again.”

Now, that is commitment!

A story from LifeWay Christian Resources came across my desk last week.

The story told of a woman named June Harrison. Seventy-five years ago, June’s mother took her to a family gathering instead of going to church. That one Sunday has turned out to be the only Sunday she has missed since then.

Harrison told the LifeWay writer that her mother told her that she “cried all day because I had to miss Sunday School.” She also told her daughter that she would never take her out of Sunday School again.

Harrison, now 80 years old, is a member of Community Southern Baptist Church in Clay City, Ill. She marked her 75th year of perfect Sunday School attendance this past summer. Her church held a celebration in her honor, but she viewed it as “just another Sunday.”

And, for those who are wondering, Harrison never stayed home. They had family vacations and other events, but they would always find a church nearby and go to Sunday School. She even went to church the day after her mother died because her mom made her promise she would go.

What commitment. Christians today miss church for a variety of reasons. Some miss just because they want a “day off.”

I am sure there are others with a rich history of perfect Sunday School and church attendance over a number of years, but I fear those people are becoming scarce.

June Harrison’s life should be an inspiration and challenge to us all.

One of God’s finest goes home

Over the years I have been blessed beyond measure with the opportunity to get to know so many of God’s choice Christian servants.

One of those faithful servants was George Williams, who served as pastor of several churches in the Knoxville area for more than 60 years.

Bro. George, as he became known to me, died on Sept. 7 at the age of 99. What is so amazing about him is that he continued to serve as pastor of a church until just a year or so ago.

I am blessed to have gotten to know and become friends with Bro. George. He loved being a Southern Baptist pastor. You could always count on seeing him at annual meetings of both the SBC and the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He always had a smile on his face and a good word. He loved the paper and was always supportive.

Bro. George was a beloved figure in East Tennessee. The Clinton City Council named a day this year in his honor: “George W. Williams Day.” He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 by the Boys & Girls Club of North Anderson County.

It’s sad to know that he will no longer be around. Our loss is heaven’s gain!

Remembering a tragedy

With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 just around the corner, I had the opportunity this week to remember another national tragedy.

While in Oklahoma City I visited the National Memorial and Museum which details the events of April 19, 1995. On that day a bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people.

It is an incredible museum. Walking through a timeline of events, it provides a complete look at what happened immediately before the explosion and in the aftermath.

It also honors the 168 people who lost their lives, including the babies and small children who were in the nursery at the building.

Each person killed had a photo in a display case along with a few personal items. As I walked down the line, looking at those displays, I saw a photo of a baby girl. In her case was her pacifier. I had to leave as tears began to form.

To say the whole experience was emotional is an understatement, but it is something I needed to see.

We must never forget the tragedies that have happened during our lifetime. With the events of 9/11, it would be easy to forget the Oklahoma City bombing, but we can’t.

What happened there was a signal that Americans must always be on guard, even on our own soil. Six years later an even more horrific act of terrorism happened.

As Americans we can’t take our freedom for granted. As Christians, we need to continue to pray for God’s protection on our country. History has proven America is not exempt from the evil in our world. God is truly our only hope.