Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, right, presents Anthony L. Jordan, BGCO executive director-treasurer, with an official citation (above) declaring May 15, 2012, “Baptist Messenger Day” in Oklahoma. Gov. Mary Fallin also signed the joint declaration. (Photo by: Brian Hobbs)

OKLAHOMA CITY—On May 15, the Baptist Messenger, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma’s statewide newspaper, reached a milestone few publications do. The Baptist Messenger officially turned 100 years old.

“We are so grateful for all of the people involved in the preparation, production and promotion of the Baptist Messenger over these 10 decades,” said Editor Brian Hobbs. “They leave us with a strong legacy and great footing for the future. We pray God continues to bless the Baptist Messenger in the years to come.”

Hobbs is the 11th editor in the publication’s history and was elected to serve in 2011. The Baptist Messenger, which is the official news publication for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, has a print circulation of nearly 60,000 and a digital version as well.

Notable leaders, such as U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, financial expert Dave Ramsey and a whole host of leaders within the Southern Baptist Convention extended statements of congratulations to the Baptist Messenger  on its 100^th Anniversary.

Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said on Twitter on May 15, “Congratulations to the Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma on the paper’s 100th birthday today. A century of service to Baptists.”

Oklahoma’s Gov. Mary Fallin and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb jointly declared May 15, 2012, “Baptist Messenger Day” in Oklahoma through an official citation.

Editor Brian Hobbs (standing) reads aloud words of endorsements from government and religious leaders at the Baptist Messenger’s May 15 Anniversary event. (Photo by: Hillary Glaze)

In conjuction with its 100^th Anniversary, the Baptist Messenger is hosting a series of celebration events that are open to the public. One was held on May 15 at the Baptist Building in Oklahoma City, where numerous former staff turned out for the celebration. Popular Baptist Messenger columnist Walker Moore, who is president and founder of Awe Star Ministries, spoke at the event. Moore is also speaking at several “homecoming” events scheduled across the state in the next few months.

The Messenger recently completed a series on the paper’s history “10 decades in 10 weeks,” featuring highlights and history from each decade. In addition, the Messenger will publish a 100^thanniversary edition magazine in time for release at the BGCO annual meeting in November.

Former Messenger Editor Glenn Brown, current associate editor Dana Williamson and former associate editor Bob Mathews give insights on the Messenger’s first 100 years during a panel discussion during the 100th anniversary celebration. (Photo by: Hillary Glaze)

“Good save, honey,” she said wryly. “How do you like it?”

“Oh, it’s gorgeous to look upon,” he said with a smile.

There is something uplifting when people take notice of something new about you. At the Baptist Messenger, we have changed a few things, too, and wanted to make sure you noticed.

For starters, we have given the cover page a new look. In this fast-paced, media saturated society, it appears a picture is now worth more than 1,000 words. We have created a new name plate; that is to say logo. We also have created color-coded short cuts on the front page, for ease of reading.

On the inside, you will notice much of the same beloved content is there. In fact, in our improvements, we tried to build on to what good was already there, rather than replace.

The most noticeable addition is on page 8. We are starting a “sports & activities” page that will feature interviews with Christian athletes, sports-related devotionals, Oklahoma Baptist University athletics and more. We know you can go to other news sources for headlines and box scores. In the Baptist Messenger, we will focus on how God is being honored through the lives and accomplishments of athletes, whether novice or pro, high school or college.

Notice also that we have created clear categories for each page. We plan to continue highlighting the great work God is doing through Oklahoma Baptists. In fact, that is our focus as much as ever. Whether it’s the “news page” on pages 2 or 12, or the “people” on page 10, you will hear first and foremost about Oklahoma.

On page 9, we plan to showcase cultural trends and information within society from a Christian perspective. This could include, but is not limited to, book reviews, movie information and more.

In addition to our popular crossword puzzle, we have offered a Sudoku puzzle, which is a popular numbers game for many. To add some levity, we plan to showcase editorial and other cartoons again.

Our creative team has also worked to make the format of the Messenger more reader friendly. Using custom fonts and layout techniques, we hope the content “pops” off the page like never before.

What you hold in your hands is the Baptist Messenger you have come to know and love throughout the years, with some fresh ideas and content that stemmed from months of research and talking to our readers through various focus groups.

We would love to hear your thoughts on what you like about what we’ve done, as well as get ideas from you. To share ideas, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/thebaptistmessenger, where you can interact with our staff and Oklahoma’s favorite columnist, Walker Moore! Or call us (405/942-3800) or write us any time (baptistmessenger@okbaptist.net or mail to 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City 73112).

As always, thank you for reading the Baptist Messenger!

I don’t know of any man who, as a boy, didn’t have a toy car or truck along with a stick to swing around as a make-believe sword. I remember taking my toy trucks, loading them up with gravel and making tracks in the dirt. Of course, I had to press my lips together to make my own truck sounds: “Putt—putt—putt.”

I liked any toy that had to do with construction. I spent hours building my empire out of Lincoln Logs. I had dump trucks, a road grader and all sorts of tools. If all my toys had been real, I would have had everything necessary to run a good-sized construction company.

As you grow and mature, the toys you choose change, too. I moved from toy trucks into bows and arrows. Before long, I was walking around wearing a cowboy hat and a toy pistol strapped to my side.

Then came the bicycle and the BB gun. Those two things made me feel even more grown up. My bike gave me freedom. I could ride to school, down to a nearby grocery store or over to a friend’s house. For my first job as a paperboy, I rode my bike twice a day to deliver papers. At that point, my bike stopped being a toy and became a way to make some spending money.

Not a Christmas goes by that we don’t watch the movie “A Christmas Story,” in which the young boy Ralphie Parker is sitting at the kitchen table when his mother asks what he wants for Christmas. Nervously, he blurts out that he wants a Red Ryder BB Gun. He risked it all by asking for such a grown-up gift. And of course his mother responds with that classic line, “No, you’ll shoot your eye out.”

You know what? Mrs. Parker had a point.

All children want gifts that make them seem like adults. When I was growing up, every little girl wanted an Easy-Bake oven that used a hot light bulb to cook with. The box was emblazoned, “Use Only with Adult Supervision,” but of course the adult activities were what made the toy desirable.

Unlike Ralphie, I did get a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun and along with it, a round tube filled with hundreds of tiny steel balls. I spent hours shooting that BB gun and going on imaginary hunts. Most of the time, all I did was scare away whatever I was hunting. But one day (this is the point in every TV show where you hear, “Do not try this at home. All the stunts are performed by trained professionals.”), my brother and I decided to play war. Our BB guns were well-used by this time and didn’t shoot as far or as fast as they did at first.

Heading into battle, I knew I needed to protect myself, so I got one of my granddad’s coal buckets to use as a helmet. After all, the last thing I wanted was to shoot my eye out. As we played, I thrilled to the “ping, ping” sound of tiny BBs ricocheting off the bucket. For all I know, my brother and I were the original inventors of the game Laser Tag … without the lasers.

When I thought the war was over, I removed my bucket-helmet and suddenly, “Phhhhht.” A BB struck me and embedded itself in my forehead just above my left eyebrow. To this day, I carry that scar. That injury marked the end of the Moore BB Wars. You guessed it. It had something to do with my mom and, “No, you’ll shoot your eye out.”

As your children grow older, take care to instruct them about the full armor of God. Until Jesus comes back, we are at war every day. That means the enemy is after your children. You can sit idly by or you can instruct them about how to protect themselves from the enemy’s onslaughts. Eph. 6:10-20 makes a good starting point. It teaches you how to cover yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Eph. 6:13a).

Be careful not to let your guard down because you think the battle is over. You don’t want to shoot your eye out … or get zinged above the left one, either.

Today, Hardimon, 31, is chaplain for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I have always had a passion for sports,” he said. “I got a scholarship to play college football (out of state), but my senior year, I felt God calling me back home (to Oklahoma).”

In addition to playing sports all his life, Hardimon is a talented musician.

“I was privileged to come home (to Oklahoma) with my wife, Megan, and get a job with Bethany, Council Road,” he shared.

Hardimon, who now  is recreation minister at Moore, First, was cross-cultural pastor and in the recreation ministry at Council Road. It was from that point that God opened the door with the Thunder.

“At that time the Seattle Super Sonics were moving to Oklahoma City, and they were filling positions including for chaplain,” he said. “Someone connected to Council Road recommended me and knew the organization was looking for people doing out of the box ministry.”

After several days of intensive interviews, Hardimon landed the job with the Thunder. He is now one of two team chaplains.

“As chaplain, it is his job to be a spiritual mentor to the players, coaches and organization’s personnel,” he said.

“We hold chapel before the games, and it is completely voluntary,” he said. “Players are not required to attend, but the Thunder has a high percentage of the team show up compared to other NBA teams, I believe.”

Hardimon has been a Christian for more than half his life, but he remembers what it was like to be lost.

“I was 15 when I accepted Christ,” said Hardimon. “I went to Falls Creek thinking I would just get to play basketball with my friends from (Oklahoma City, Brookwood) church. I went there, and then accepted Christ,” he said.

Hardimon is amazed at how God has brought him full circle. During week three of Falls Creek this summer, Hardimon will be leading worship.

Hardimon is always amazed to see how far people can come. That includes the  Thunder.

“I have been part of the team since the beginning. There was a time when we were 1-12 (record),” he said. “At that time, we did not have a lot of players coming to chapel. We are the chaplain for the Thunder and the away team for the whole arena.”

“The other chaplain is older, and I think he is looked at as a father figure,” he said. “This group is very young, almost college aged, even though they are not in college. It is like a college young group in some ways. The team calls him ‘pastor’ and call me ‘Ced.’ I talk to them like ‘Ced,’ not so much as a guy from the pulpit.”

Hardimon uses various ministry tools, such as the popular ‘I am second’ video testimonies (www.iamsecond.com).

“I showed the Tony Dungy video (from IAmSecond.com) and brought his book. That really resonated with some of the players,” he said.

“NBA chaplains are ministering to a hard group in some ways,” he added. “When you are at a low point, it is often easier to see the need for God. NBA players, though, can have almost anything they want.”

“The Thunder has a great group of guys, ones that are very humble, but we still remind them that everything they own—their talent and money—is on loan from God,” he said. “We talk about being humble and having good character.”

As a huge basketball fan, Hardimon feels honored where God has placed him.

“I think of the verse where God will give you the desires of your heart. Growing up, I knew I wanted to play in the NBA. Where I am at now, being able to be chaplain for the Thunder, being plugged into the local church, doing my music, but still having a piece in the NBA—it is awesome.”

As a Christian, Hardimon hopes to continue—win or lose—to reflect the grace and love of God.

Then you should give Lorelei Decker a bottle of nail polish.

Every week, the Oklahoma City Putnam City North High School senior paints each of her nails (both finger and toe) with a different color polish to remind her to pray for the people who gave her the polish as they pray for her.

Lorelei is probably the one who needs the prayers most. In January she was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and is in the midst of 12 chemotherapy treatments  every two weeks, which will be followed by a month of radiation.

“Lorelei has always believed prayer is the most healing thing you can do,” said her mother, Andrea.

To be around the 17-year-old, you would have a hard time believing she is sick. She will go through graduation ceremonies May 20, after finishing class work early. She will enroll at Oklahoma State University in the fall as a sophomore, because of the extra credits she earned in high school. She plans to move into the dorm just a week after completing radiation treatments.

As co-captain of the PCN golf team, she plays in two tournaments a week, walking the 18 holes and carrying her own clubs.

She is an officer in Panther Pals, an organization whose job is to encourage middle schoolers to look forward to coming into high school.

She was crowned sports homecoming queen on April 13, and attended the senior prom on April 28.

Lorelei is part of the leadership team for her youth group at Oklahoma City, Cherokee Hills, and participates in Bible studies on Tuesday nights. On Wednesday nights, she helps lead worship for the group.

On Thursdays at 5:30 p.m., she helps lead Fellowship of Christian Athletes at PCN.

She recently threw out the first pitch at a Seminole State University baseball game,  where the admission price was a bottle of nail polish, and on April 24, she was coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team for a day.

Her mother said Lorelei was struggling with breathing, was coughing and had lung issues, when doctors finally discovered an 11 cm. tumor composed of many lymph nodes on the top of her heart, pressing on her lungs. Her type of cancer has an 80 percent cure rate.

“Within nine days of the diagnosis, she started chemotherapy,” said Andrea. “That is unheard of to get it done so quickly.”

Andrea said she had no idea how to be the mother of a child with cancer.

“I didn’t know how to choose an oncologist, but I felt if I heard the name of the same doctor from three different people, that would be the one,” she related. “Lorelei’s surgeon recommended a doctor I had heard about from two others. I found out he was a Christian and prayed for his patients, but when we called for an appointment, we were told he doesn’t take patients younger than 18, because it takes a certain mind-set and maturity to beat cancer.”

But it turns out the person making the appointments for the doctor is a member of Cherokee Hills and had been praying for Lorelei, and when she discovered it was Lorelei needing the appointment, she made arrangements for her to see the oncologist.

“That’s the way God has worked through all of this,” Andrea said.

Andrea added that Lorelei has come into a celebrity status being in the middle of her senior year and in leadership roles.

“There are 2,000 students at Putnam City North who know Lorelei is a Christian, and they have seen her take something devastating and turn it into a blessing,” she noted. “Lorelei’s first questions were, ‘Will I lose my hair, and will I be able to have children?’ But her focus has changed, and God moved her in a totally new direction.”

“My views have changed,” echoed Lorelei. “I see every part of my day as an opportunity for ministry.  I would never have thought being diagnosed with cancer would make you realize how blessed you are. I now look for blessings. I don’t have side effects, other than losing my hair. There is no explanation for that. I claim John 14:27 as my verse. It says, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’”

Not only has Lorelei received blessings; she has been a blessing.

During one of her chemo treatments, she had a visitor; a man whose daughter she used to babysit. He recently became executive director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and came to ask Lorelei to represent the society as someone experiencing lymphoma. He was quiet and attentive as he spent 90 minutes with Lorelei, members of her family and her visitors, including her Sunday School teacher.

He later said those 90 minutes changed his life.

“I’ve been an agnostic for 10 years, but my wife and I are talking and we plan to go to church Sunday,” he told the Deckers.

Andrea said Lorelei has never pulled her “cancer card.”

“She realizes if something is trivial, but important to you, God cares,” she noted. “Her message to those stressed out is to take it to the Lord. No hurt is too trivial.”

Lorelei added that she has had to work hard not to feel victimized, but the Lord has given her a compassion for others and what they are going through.

Lorelei said her blond hair was her identity and losing it gives a whole new meaning to “bad hair day.” Yet the Lord has blessed in acquiring wigs to wear until her hair grows back.

“The first wig I got was a short blonde one,” she said. “I placed an order for a fancier one, especially to wear to the prom, but it kept being put on back order. Because I wasn’t going to have it in time for the prom, the wig shop gave me a $500 wig. Then I received a brunette wig from Make-A-Wish Foundation.”

Coaching the Thunder for  a day is part of Make-A-Wish, which Lorelei’s mother nominated her for.

“I always envisioned Make-A-Wish as a dying 4-year-old going to Disney World,” said Lorelei. “My attitude was ‘I’m going to beat this,’ so I don’t need it. But I love the Thunder, and realized I could turn it into an opportunity for the Lord. I got to go to the coaches meeting, practice with the players, eat lunch at the coaching facilities and warm up before the game with the players. I was court side, but not on the bench with the players during the game.”

Lorelei was also interviewed on television during the game. (By the way, the Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings that night)

The middle schoolers, who Lorelei works with, sold lime green T-shirts, the awareness color for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which people wear on the days Lorelei has chemotherapy. They also had a dance to raise money for medical bills.

Lorelei was saved when she was 7, after being involved in the “Red Book Club” at Cherokee Hills.

“We had picture books just for kids that told about Jesus, and I realized for the first time, that Jesus wasn’t just for adults,” she recalled. “I told my mother I wanted to received Jesus, and we prayed in our van in a doctor’s parking lot.”

Lorelei said she was terrified when she first learned she had cancer.

“No one wants to get cancer when you’re 17,” she said. “I never questioned, however, that the Lord would protect me. I don’t have a choice right now, so I want to use my circumstances to glorify God. If God can use this journey in my life to speak to just one person and change their eternity, it is worth it.”

Doxa Church, a Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma church plant, has been meeting at that location for more than a year and has been in existence for nearly five years. Led by Pastor Jimmy Shaw, the congregation, which hovers around 80 members, consists of predominantly young adults.

“Our average member is 24 years old,” said Shaw. “I have churches ask me all the time how they can reach young adults like we do. We did not set out to be a young church, it is just who we are.”

“Some of these younger people are confused like crazy and adrift,” said Shaw. “Many of our people were not un-churched, they were de-churched. Maybe they grew up in the church but somewhere fell out. We are helping a lot of them work through that.”

Shaw and his wife Beth, who have three young children, are often asked about the church’s name. “Doxa is the Greek word for the glory of God,” he explained.

On this particular Sunday, Shaw preached on repentance and the example of King David. Each week, the congregation takes the Lord’s Supper and has a time for worship through music and an offering.

“We started out of my house, out of my living room,” he said. “We were in an event center before moving to the movie theatre.”

“We do some things backwards in the minds of some people,” said Shaw. “We have the sermon first and the worship music at the end.”

“If our goal was to have a church of 300 or 400 young adults, we could probably do that,” said Shaw. “We are trying to ‘age up’ a little.”

Shaw said the congregation has people from every age group 50 and below, including children. Helping him expand are volunteers Andrew and Daleen Nimick. “When we made the decision to join our hearts at Doxa, it was a logical step for us,” said Andrew Nimick. “I really enjoy this age group. It has been a blessing to fellowship or hold Bible studies at our house.”

“We love the energy of the younger congregation. I also really enjoy hearing Jimmy preach,” he said. “Even before we joined Doxa, we listened to his sermons online.”

Research shows that the emerging generation of Christians has a heart for missions, and Doxa Church is no different. “I would guess we have 25 to 30 of our people going on mission this summer alone. We have a group going to Romania and Haiti for example,” he added. “Some of our people will go on mission for two weeks, some for more or less.”

Shaw and Doxa Church did not begin as a BGCO plant. “We were initially an Acts 29 church plant, but we were struggling in that,” explained Shaw. “We decided to distance from them and were solo, which is not where we wanted to be. We started an 18-month process of looking for a denomination where to belong. We came up with a list of criteria and wanted someone who believed in missions and upheld the autonomy of the local church,” he said.

“We also wanted to belong to a (denomination) that held a conservative view of the Scriptures. That left us with a few options, and we then connected with the BGCO team,” said Shaw.

Doxa Church has worked closely with the BGCO church planting office and Bo Holland, church planting specialist. “Jimmy and his ministry team are doing a fantastic work reaching the emerging adult population in Jenks and the Tulsa area,” said Holland. “Their relational approach is really resonating with young people.”

Shaw has already seen tangible benefits from the BGCO partnership. He and scores of other church planters recently took part in a two-day church planting conference sponsored by the BGCO. Shaw also is enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Golden Gate Seminary.

“We are excited to be part of this work and connected to the (BGCO),” he added.

Doxa Church is one of the many BGCO church planting partnerships that are made possible through Cooperative Program giving. For more information on BGCO church planting, visit bgco.org/ministries/church-planting.

I wish all of you could have the joy of hearing our mission leaders tell story after story of God’s mighty work. Today,  God is opening hearts to the Gospel in some of the darkest places on Earth.  Indeed, in the past, many nations and people groups have been seen not only as unreached but also unreachable. Yet, God has performed miracles and mighty deeds for the propagation of the Gospel. Nothing is impossible for God! No government or potentate can build walls high enough to stop the Gospel. He opens doors that no man can open.

One of the challenges of reporting on our international mission work through the Cooperative Program is that we cannot tell all the stories. Sixty-two percent of our international missionaries serve in high-security places. Many live in the shadow of danger every day for the Gospel’s sake. New converts often face death or severe punishment when they embrace Christ as Savior. These realities are far removed from us and are almost incomprehensible. We have no frame of reference, but be assured—multitudes in this world literally abandon all, including their lives, to follow Jesus. The blood of martyrs truly is the seed of the church.

One unique blessing of my time here at the IMB has been to meet some of the finest young adults from our Oklahoma churches who are preparing for the mission field. My heart was filled with joy to meet a young lady I had baptized when she was a child. Today, she and her husband are ready to carry the Gospel to hungry souls in need of a Savior.

This time has reinvigorated me and reaffirmed my commitment to our “together” ministry and missions as Oklahoma Baptists. Let me illustrate. One couple told a familiar story—she came to Christ at Falls Creek; he answered God’s call to ministry at Falls Creek.  Three individuals told me they received their education at Oklahoma Baptist University. Others spoke of the influence of Baptist Collegiate Ministries in discipling and helping them hear God’s voice and call to missions.

David Steverson, an Oklahoman who serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the IMB, is a trusted leader and one worthy of our trust. In presenting the financial report, Steverson said something very strong. He indicated he was very grateful for the generosity of Southern Baptists in giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, but he stressed the great need to strengthen the Cooperative Program. Why? Because the Cooperative Program is stable and undergirds all the work.

He stated he would rather see Cooperative Program as the higher percentage of the IMB budget than the Lottie Moon offering because the Cooperative Program is constant.  Don’t misunderstand; our goal should be greater sacrifice in both cooperative giving and our individual giving to Lottie.

Elliff is leading our international mission enterprise with the same integrity, passion for a lost world and dedication we in Oklahoma have observed across decades of local church ministry. I give thanks to God because He has called Elliff to lead Southern Baptist international missions for such a time as this. We are a blessed people.

Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, right, presents Anthony L. Jordan, BGCO executive director-treasurer, with an official citation (above) declaring May 15, 2012, “Baptist Messenger Day” in Oklahoma. Gov. Mary Fallin also signed the joint declaration. (Photo by: Brian Hobbs)

For a century Oklahoma Baptists have looked to the Baptist Messenger for information and inspiration, what an amazing story of stories. From horse drawn wagons to smart phones, the Messenger has shared the events, places, people and stories of God’s faithfulness. In a way, the Messenger has served as a modern book of Acts, detailing God’s work through and around Oklahoma; though I am confident that Oklahoma Baptists would not accept their writing as Scripture!

Thank you to the past and present staff and leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma who have worked so hard to keep the format relevant, the news accurate and the Messenger alive. You will never know how many lives have been impacted by the information you shared. Keep telling the story; we never tire of hearing how God is working through those who authentically serve Him. Thank you as well to the pastors and churches around Oklahoma who commit to subscribing to the Messenger so their congregation can connect with the Baptist family worldwide. As Baptists, we are all voluntarily connected with each other by our commitment to the mission for sharing the good news around the world. The Messenger helps us all keep in touch with our part of that mission.

Rep. James Lankford
Congressman for Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district

I am thankful for the faithful service the Baptist Messenger has provided Oklahoma Baptists for 100 years. My hope and prayer is that its best days are still ahead! I am confident this will indeed be the case.

Daniel L. Akin
President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Congratulations to the Baptist Messenger for 100 years of ministry, encouragement and information for Oklahoma Baptists. Having served twice in Oklahoma, I know the value of the publication and the work that goes into it. May God bless you as you continue to share the message of hope with Southern Baptists.

Michael Catt
Sherwood Baptist Church, Albany, Ga.
Sherwood Pictures

I want to offer a special word of commendation to you for this 100th anniversary of the BGCO’s Baptist Messenger. What an incredibly powerful communications tool the Baptist Messenger is. As we go into this digital age, it is great to know we have it in print and also get a digital format from the Messenger. Something many people never consider is that the absolute best and most sure way of communicating with Baptists in any state convention is through their state newspapers. There is no other tool that can effectively reach as many people as quickly as the Baptist Messenger. For that reason, I have been grateful not only to participate in interviews the Baptist Messenger has had, but I also have benefitted from the Baptist Messenger telling the story of international missions, or of churches I had the privilege of pastoring while I was in Oklahoma. To all of you who are involved with the Baptist Messenger, my hat is off to you. Thank you for keeping the Good News out there for us to read, for telling the Truth, and for keeping us together across the Southern Baptist Convention by the way you, with integrity, tell all that is happening. God bless you. 100 years? Just the beginning!

Tom Elliff
President, International Mission Board

For a century, the Baptist Messenger has delivered the news of God’s Kingdom expanding through Oklahoma Baptists. Thank God for this ministry and its important role of informing Baptists and promoting Baptist work!

Jeff Iorg
President, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary

It is with great pleasure that I write today to congratulate you and the staff of the Baptist Messenger on your 100th anniversary. Since its inaugural edition on May 15, 1912, under then-editor C.P. Stealey, the Baptist Messenger has been an indispensable resource for Southern Baptists, not only in Oklahoma, but also throughout the Southern Baptist Convention.

Richard Land
President, SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Congratulations to the Baptist Messenger of Oklahoma on the paper’s 100th birthday today (May 15th, 2012). A century of service to Baptists.

Al Mohler
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
 

Congratulations to the Baptist Messenger in this Centennial celebration! What a great milestone for a paper to reach. For 10 decades, the Baptist Messenger has been a source of encouragement to the Baptists of Oklahoma. Few states have reached the level of success and effectiveness that Oklahoma Baptists have attained. I credit this not only to the great leadership of leaders such as Anthony Jordan, but also to the faithful sharing of news by the Baptist Messenger. Should Jesus tarry, I pray that the Baptist Messenger will continue for many more decades to be a source of news, inspiration and encouragement to the dear people of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Congratulations Baptist Messenger!

Frank S. Page
President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern Baptist Convention

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and its president, Paige Patterson, congratulate our friends and co-laborers at the Baptist Messenger for one hundred years of selfless service to our Lord. As a servant to Oklahoma Baptists and the world mission enterprise, the Messenger has captured the respect and honor of us all. May the days ahead be the brightest yet for Brian Hobbs, the staff and all Oklahoma Baptists.

Paige Patterson
President, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Oklahoma is a vital partner in Southern Baptist efforts to reach the United States and world for Christ, and the Baptist Messenger is a key part of that great work. On behalf of LifeWay Christian Resources, congratulations to Anthony Jordan and the entire Oklahoma Baptist family on reaching this important milestone.

Thom S. Rainer
President, LifeWay Christian Resources

Congratulations to you and the Baptist Messenger on your 100th anniversary of publishing. Thank you for including the “Dave Says” column in your pages, and I wish you continued success in the future. God bless!

Dave Ramsey
Personal finance expert, nationally syndicated radio talk show host and New York Times bestselling author

For 100 years the Baptist Messenger has supported missions, discipleship and expansion of the Kingdom of God through effective print and now digital communication resources. Congratulations to Editor Brian Hobbs and the staff of the Baptist Messenger for achieving this significant milestone of service to Oklahoma Baptists and Southern Baptists.

Ed Stetzer
Vice President, LifeWay Christian Resources

“You are a leader, whether you like it or not,” declared Friday night’s keynote speaker Tommy Bowden, former head football coach at Tulane and Clemson universities.

Bowden, 57, the son of Florida State   icon Bobby Bowden, has been married for 35 years and spent 32 years in coaching himself, 12 years as a head coach. He spoke of the qualities it took to be a leader, as one who often worked between 90-105 hours a week as a head coach.

Bowden said it is all in the C-A-R-D-S: Commitment, Accountability, Responsibility, Discipline and Sacrifice.

The coach said while he was saved at age 12, he realized at age 42 that he had never read the Bible through in its entirety.

“I knew I needed to commit to it,” he confessed. “The first time, it took five-and-a-half years. That was because I studied it. I read it again, and it took four- and-a-half years. Then again, and it took four years. Now, I’m doing it for the fourth time. I know and believe it’s the inerrant Word of God because it says more than 2,000 times, ‘Thus sayeth the Lord.’”

As to accountability, Bowden said “God will hold us accountable to the opportunities we have to serve others and share the Gospel.”

He stressed that men have “a responsibility to care for their family and to represent the Lord Jesus Christ with honor in everything they do.”

He challenged the men to surround themselves with godly counsel to help them remain disciplined when Satan attacks.

“We must be different from the world, and we must never compromise God’s Word,” he declared.

The final element, sacrifice, is the hardest, Bowden said.

“God doesn’t want your ability, He wants your availability,” he said. “Nothing good comes easily. The Christian life was tough 2,000 years ago, and it is still tough today.”

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, exclaimed as he looked out over the crowd of men assembled in the Tabernacle Saturday morning, “this is the answer to what ails America. There is a hole in America’s heart and the hole is an absence of godly male leadership in the home, and the church and the community.

“We are suffering from a terrible deficit of men taking up their responsibility in fulfilling their destiny that God has for them to lead their families, their churches and their country.”

Quoting tragic statistic after tragic statistic about children affected by the absence of a father in the home, Land said, “God’s intention, and a child’s right, is to have both a mother and a father.

“We have conducted a 40-year experiment in this country on whether fathers are optional accessories in the rearing of healthy, well-adjusted adults. And the answer is they are not optional accessories!

“The one thing that would eliminate more poverty than anything else we could do is for fathers to marry the mothers of their children and to stay married to them.”

He then honed in on what he feels is a part of the problem.

“Too many Baptists have been quoting the Bible by the yard and living it by the inch,” he proclaimed.

Land encouraged the Rewired attendees to step up and be the spiritual leader in their home. He challenged them with this question: “Are you the kind of husband you want your daughter to marry?”

And, he urged them to remember that they are “writing the job description every day for your daughter’s husband, and the kind of father your son is going to be.”

Recalling that Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto feared the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 had awakened a “sleeping giant” in America, Land said he hopes and dreams that today’s American Christians will be like awakened giants and resolve to “take their country back to the God of our fathers.”

One of the post-event sessions was one for pastors and men’s ministry leaders titled “Sleeping Giant, Releasing the Power and Promise of Men into the Pastoral Vision,” led by Kenny Luck, men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif, where 8,000 men are connected weekly in small groups.

The session covered valuable insights from Luck’s new book, Sleeping Giant.

The essence of Sleeping Giant is about “serving the local pastor by helping him to activate his men around the vision God has called him to fulfill,” Luck says in the book’s introduction. He added that it’s essential to produce healthy men and leaders for the pastor to fulfill the vision God has given him.

“He cannot do it alone and he needs you!” he concludes.