Barnabas File

Generations of students benefitted from the leadership of Fred S. Witty, Jr. I knew Fred as colleague, friend, and mentor.   Fred passed away on August 12 this year after a brief illness.   His obituary shares the basic information about life, death, family and career, but this just scratches the surface of Fred’s impact.  A veteran of World War II, Fred returned to New Mexico State University to complete his education and take a leadership role in the Baptist Student Union there when the director left.  He found his calling in that role and pursued his graduate degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  While the BSU director at the University of Louisville, he invited Emmanuel McCall, one of the first African-American students on campus to become involved in the student ministry.  This did not go down well with some local Baptist pastors and churches and (I understand) led to his departure from that position.  Of co...

Ed Rollins passed away on Tuesday.   Ed was who I wanted to be when I grew up.   Shortly after Charles Roselle became the director of National Student Ministries at the Baptist Sunday School Board, he asked Ed (then state director of student ministries in California) to join him as manager of the department.   Charlie was “Mr. Outside” and Ed was “Mr. Inside.”   They were a well matched team who trusted and supported one another. Many knew Ed as committed family man, Sunday school teacher or faithful church leader, but to me Ed was the consummate administrator. He was the person who “made the trains run on time.”  Despite his task-oriented side, Ed was respected and loved by those who worked with him.  Some called him a true Christian gentleman.  They knew that he expected the best of them, but he walked with them every step of the way.  This was especially important when staff began to cross barriers related to sensitive issues like race a...

Have you ever had something you wrote come back to haunt you?  About 20 years ago, I was asked to write an article for The Campus Minister journal on “Where are We Going in Student Ministries?” and did so.  I had long forgotten this but it was brought to my attention recently by friend Wanda Kidd who sent me a copy.  As I reflect now on the ten observations in that article, I realize that some were general enough that I could not miss by including them. I am also reminded about how much things have changed in Baptist life since 1990, changes that led me to leave employment by the Executive Board of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and cast my lot with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  So where did I get it right and where did I miss the mark? One prediction was, “We will use ‘high tech’ equipment and resources, but it will not take the place of ‘high touch’ activities.”  I was pretty much on the mark there.  I even commented that “we will ...

Most of my early years in ministry were invested in college students on three campuses—Middle Tennessee State University, Mississippi State University, and Carson Newman College. I learned very soon that if you want to build an organization on student leadership, you have to work quickly.  They come in as freshman or transfer students and before you know it, they are gone!  You have to recognize potential and gifts in these young adults and find places for them to use those abilities while providing coaching and support.  And they are volunteers, so you have to know how to motivate and encourage them in meaningful ways. Even though most churches don’t have the kind of turnover that one experiences in a collegiate ministry (some may argue with me about that!), the challenges are similar: recognize a person’s potential, find a place for him or her to serve, support their service, and provide reinforcement and appreciation. With tighter budgets, many churches are ...

According to a person who has the opportunity to observe what is going on in theological education across the country, there are an increasing number of students in graduate theological education who haven’t grown up in the church, so they need spiritual formation while in seminary.  I don’t question the need, but I question the premise that those who HAVE grown up in congregations have been spiritually formed.  This is an unwarranted assumption.  Some have and some haven’t. I spent almost thirty years working with college and university students.  Many came from strong church backgrounds.  They were regular participants in worship services, youth programs, and summer camping programs.  Many were healthy, growing believers, but many had much to unlearn.  Although most of these young adults had sat through hours of Bible study, they did not know how to study the Bible for themselves.  They knew what their pastor or youth minister believe...

Where will we find the next cohort of church leaders?  Traditionally, our leaders grew up in the church, were nurtured by youth ministries and collegiate ministries, responded to “the call” to ministry, and then prepared themselves through graduate theological education.  Although there were certainly exceptions to this pattern, most current leaders followed this path. Of course, this is no longer a truism. A recent article fromLeadership Network addresses significant changes in church leadership.  Two items caught my attention.  First, the article states that “an increasing number of key implementers and team leaders are coming from business vs. ministry backgrounds.”  I agree and could add that many are coming from other backgrounds as well, such as education and the not-for-profit sector.  These folks have unique skill sets that are needed by the church at this particular point in time, and their selection for such roles should be encouraged. ...

Pictured above (L to R): TCBF Coordinators Ircel Harrison, Jr., September 1998-2008;  C. William Junker, January - April 1996; Lila Anderson Boyd, January 1997-August 1998; and Lloyd T. Householder, Jr. November 1994-1995.  Writing is both a discipline and an outlet for me.   I learned this by having opportunities to write!   When I was a young campus minister, I was surprised and a little proud when Bill Junker asked me to write my first article for THE STUDENT magazine.   His recognition and encouragement meant a lot to me. I had first met Bill at Ridgecrest when I was a student and came to admire his measured yet prophetic work with the publications of the Student Department of the Baptist Sunday School Board in the late 60’s and early 70’s.   When I became campus minister at Middle Tennessee State University in 1970, I had the chance to “hang around” some of the staff at the Sunday School Board.   I learned a lot about Bill including ...