Someone asked me… August 24, 2007

Do you feel called to be a pastor’s wife, and as a pastor’s wife, what do you feel your role is in the ministry?

I have to admit that no one has ever asked these questions before, so it took me by surprise. I never really thought of myself as being “called.” But once I had a chance to think about it, I guess the best answer is as follows:

When God called my husband to be a pastor, He called me to be a “pastor’s wife.” I think God has been preparing me for this calling even before we knew we would be called to full-time ministry. God has prepared me by giving me the ability to listen well, to encourage, and to teach. I have a burden for people, and a desire to help them transform into the image of Christ (to become Christians). I want to encourage Christians, in particular, to “never give up,” even if they feel they have disappointed God by their actions. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.

I feel my role is to support my husband—to be his “help-mate” (Genesis 2:18). I think God has prepared me for my role as a pastor’s wife by equipping me through education (I think the MA in Christian Counseling has trained me to see harmful behavioral patterns in people, and the PhD I am working on getting is helping me to understand how to address basic needs and guide people in the right direction). My husband and I have a burden to help marriages in crisis (Malachi 2:16). In addition, I want to help women grow to be more godly (Titus 2:3-5).

So, to answer the question, I feel that God has called me to be a pastor’s wife and my role is to support my husband in bringing people to Christ.

 

Nothing in this world lasts forever… June 29, 2007

 

I came across these pictures a few days ago. My high school was located on Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines. The volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo damaged the base in 1991, which led to its closing.

 

As I look at the decrepit conditions of my old high school one Scripture verse comes to mind:

 

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

 

I’m sure graduates thought the school would be around “forever.” After all, the school had its beginnings in the 50’s. However, things don’t necessarily work out or last the way we expect. There is more to life than accumulating possessions or acquiring wealth. Buildings can be blown away in an instant, but the Word of God is everlasting.

 

This gives new meaning to what Jesus said in John 6:27- “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…”

 

Let these pictures be a reminder of Isaiah 40:6-8- “…people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Cling to what is good—God is good.

(Photos from www.gdhs.org)

gdhs-then-and-now.ppt

The Demise of a Great Educational Institution May 16, 2007

references.docHistory of the School

In an historical document from 1967, Stetson University is noted as having its beginning on a four acre plot of land that was sold to the Florida Baptist Convention for $10,000 from Mr. DeLand in 1883. The school was to be a women’s college. Mr. DeLand had a desire to see the school succeed so he donated a $10,000 endowment. In 1889 the school was officially named “John B. Stetson University” after Mr. Stetson, a businessman who donated large amounts of money to the school (Bowen, 48).

In 1920 the Florida Baptist Convention became responsible for approving persons to the Board of Trustees (no one could get elected to the Board without the approval of the Convention) (Bowen, 50). The Florida Baptist Convention had all intentions of making the school into a “great” Baptist institution of “moral, religious, and financial influence” (Bowen, 51).

Mission Statement 1980

The mission statement closest to 1976 is the one from 1980 which was provided by the archives department of the school. In the document, the purpose of the school was to “promote excellence in education…prepare its students for purposeful life experiences…build and maintain an environment where the Christian ethic may nurture the development of meaningful personal and societal values.” This environment consisted of a learning community of faculty and students that emphasized “open communication” and “search and inquiry” since “man’s understanding can never encompass all truth.”

The image of Stetson University in 1980 was “a Christian university at the highest possible standards of academic excellence, one that encourages free and honest inquiry, and acceptance of responsibility.” The school’s main purpose was not only to “educate young people to take their places in the world adequately prepared in their vocations,” but it was to provide a foundation of Christian faith that stems from the knowledge of God and man. This foundation promised to help students in their “fulfillment of their obligations” and be reactive to the “needs of the world in which they live.”

The school expressed in their 1980 mission statement their gratefulness to the Florida Baptist Convention and to the churches it represented since the inception of the school, and hailed the school’s motto, “For God and Truth” as its “vital principle” that showed their commitment to spiritual values.

Mission Statement 2006

The 2006 mission statement is drastically different from the 1980 version. The most glaring is that the school no longer promoted a Christian faith foundation. In fact, the motto, Pro Deo et Veritate (Latin translation of “For God and Truth”), is deemed a symbol of the “commitment and determination to integrate the pursuit of a liberal education with the search for meaning.” The “God” part of the motto is said to represent “the importance of spiritual life” and the “Truth” part stood for “the quest for truth in educational mission.”

In the 2006 mission statement, the school gives credit for its “inclusive community” to the “historical relationship” Stetson University had with the Baptist denomination. The school proudly proclaims the following:

“Today, the University includes people from diverse religious, ethnic, cultural, economic, and intellectual backgrounds. The art of teaching is practiced through programs solidly grounded in a tradition of liberal learning that stimulates critical thinking, imaginative inquiry, creative expression, and lively intellectual debate…We embrace diverse methodologies that foster effective communication, information and technological literacy, and aesthetic appreciation. It is thus from varying perspectives that members of the University community have joined together to affirm collectively the centrality of knowledge, examined ideas, and independent judgment in the life of an educated person;

¡ The inherent dignity, worth, and equality of all persons;

¡ The importance of community in human life;

¡ The role of religious and spiritual quests for meaning in human experience;

¡ The value of diverse persons and differing ideas in an educational community;

¡ The responsibility we share to work toward social justice;

¡ The necessity for decisions to be guided by ethics and social responsibility;

¡ The obligation of individuals and communities to act as responsible stewards of the natural environment” (2006-2007 Catalog, 4).

The student handbook reiterated the same thoughts but in a more condensed manner: “We aim to infuse liberal education with the values of religious and spiritual life, ethical decision-making, human diversity and commonality, gender equity, community service, environmental responsibility and health and wellness” (Student Handbook 2006, 6).

Missional Shift of Stetson University: April 1997 Article

The article posted on the Stetson website (http://www.stetson.edu/tools/articles/view. php?type=oldnews&id=1003) claimed that the “transition” of the university from its Baptist identity to one that reflected a “diverse interfaith” started in the early 1990s. The Florida Baptist Convention actually parted from the school in 1993, but the school did not consider the split “official” until the “Trustee Religious Life Council” allowed representation from various religious groups. The objective was to show “diversity” and “inclusion” from all faith groups, hence groups such as the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship—the rogue group that formed their own convention after the “Conservative Resurgence” took place within the Southern Baptist Convention (3/201%20fuss.htm) and the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida—a known religious liberal organization (div_epis.htm) now played an important part in the school.

This transition was led by the school’s president, H. Douglas Lee, who said that the future of Stetson was to become an “independent” university. Lee claimed that the separation from the Baptist convention only made the school “stronger” because it was more religiously diverse. He justified the split by pointing out that only 17 percent of the undergraduates were Baptist. Lee also said that religious diversity actually reflected the original mission of the school, which he claimed was “a commitment to excellence in education and to liberal learning, faith and ethics.” He shared that various religious viewpoints were “fundamental” to the “evolution of the human community.”

The article quoted Rabbi Barry Altman, who supported what the school had done, “Stetson has seized the unique opportunity to build on its heritage and become a model for religious and cultural acceptance” (News Release, oldnews&id=1003).

College Guide Information 2006

Stetson is advertised as a private institution with a reputation for “excellent liberal arts teaching” and proudly claims the title of “Florida’s first private university.” On the college guide website, Stetson University lists no religious affiliation (Guide, CollegeID=105).

In its advertisement, the school highlighted three verbs: “Intimate. Interactive. Inclusive.” They promised a “challenge” for those who “pursue intellectual endeavors while exploring new worlds beyond the classroom” (Guide, CollegeID=105). Not only does the school tout their academics (which centers on “teaching/mentoring…that encourages students to take an active role in their learning”) but they also appeal to the student’s need for socialization: “Lifelong relationships…close-knit community—with more than 100 student organizations to choose from” (Guide, CollegeID=105).

The Future of this Institution

Riley’s book, “God on the Quad,” illustrates that the purpose of a college is to indoctrinate its students. Indoctrination at Stetson is no longer based on Christianity, but rather on a “liberal” philosophy that focuses on feminism and gay/lesbian issues. Stetson University is not listed in ChristianCollegeGuide.net. It is predicted that the school will no longer mention its historical Baptist roots in any school publication. Stetson is currently a quasi-religious institution, but if the trend continues, Stetson University will simply be a private secular college with no religious offerings of any sort.

Since Stetson severed ties with the Florida Baptist Convention, there has been an increase in feminists, and gay and lesbian activity at the school. The college library has a subscription database that lists the “Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History.” The Librarian’s “Top Internet Picks for Women and Gender Studies” include links to “QueerTheology.com,” “The Feminist Majority Foundation Online,” and “Gay and Lesbian Politics & Law” (Ryan, gender.html). Stetson University is featured as a gay-friendly school and is said to be listed in the current “Lesbian and Gay Studies Newsletter” (Younger, lgbtqprogs.html). The “Women and Gender Studies” department at Stetson University publishes a newsletter online and offers classes such as: “Gender and Film: Cross dressing on the Screen,” “Feminist Philosophy,” “Outlaw Feminists Connect with Girl Power,” and “Feminist Ethics” (Women, offerings.php).

Stetson University was the first contributor to the “Journal of the Association for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling” (a division of the American Counseling Association) (Burnett, ID=71203). Stetson’s Law School trained its students to defend gay and lesbian rights, and was active in gay adoption debates and issues (Palmer, news.asp?id=204).

The school has steadily declined, having gone from a strong religious base, to the elimination of Baptist doctrine that allowed for the inclusion of all faiths, to the welcome of feminists, gays and lesbians. Its moral decay cannot get any worse. Stetson will continue their reputation as a prestigious private college, even though students who graduate from the institution are only prepared to help people on a secular level rather than a spiritual one. It is predicted that Stetson University will become an outspoken advocate for the gay, lesbian, transsexual and feminist community. This alliance will increase the number of the gay, lesbian, and feminist student population in the school. The presence of a small conservative Baptist student group as a moral compass will be eradicated and the remaining students will be completely left to their own devices as the presence of God departs (Jude 18, Gal. 5:19-21, 1 Jn. 2:16, Eph. 2:3, Phil. 2:21, Jer. 17:9, Rom. 1:22-32).

(SEE REFERENCES)

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti

The Meaning of “Abiding in Christ” November 22, 2006

The word, “abide,” means: “To wait for, to endure without yielding, to bear patiently, to accept without objection, to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place” (Merriam-Webster online).

In the Book of John, Jesus says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me (Jn. 15:4)…If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you (Jn. 15:7)…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32).

Axiom seven of the Christian worldview states, “The Church is the fellowship of the redeemed, bearing witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and worshipping the one true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Church being the body of Christ)” (Mohler, 2001). In Colossians, Paul expresses, “And He (meaning Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).

For me, abiding in Christ means to understand that Christ lowered Himself to become a Man to teach us about God, and then took our place in death. I must never forget what God has done for me. If I remember Christ’s death on the cross, follow His teachings, and lean only on Him, I would be abiding in Him. In an Old Testament class, it was pointed out that God, in His covenant with Abraham, promised His own death if either party broke the terms of the covenant (Gen. 15). The promise of that covenant was fulfilled with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and His death marked the beginning of a new covenant.

Copyright © 2007 M. Teresa Trascritti