Associated Baptist Press
January 7, 2009 · (09-2)
David Wilkinson, Executive Director
Robert Marus, Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
Bob Allen, Senior Writer
In this issue
Gaza Baptist Church caught in crossfire (543 words)
Renowned preacher, civil-rights leader Otis Moss retires (483 words)
Church adopts Hooters, both addopt Hurricane Ike victims (1,196 words)
Texas Tech kicker's rise to fame grounded in faith (1,036 words)
Editor's Note
Gaza Baptist Church caught in crossfire
By Bob Allen (543 words)
GAZA CITY, Palestine (ABP) -- Fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants has damaged a Baptist church in Gaza.
On Dec. 27, the Israeli Air Force launched a series of attacks on targets throughout Gaza retaliating against rocket and mortar fire against Israeli towns and villages by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza.
According to media reports, windows at Gaza Baptist Church were shattered when an Israeli air strike on a nearby police station killed about 40 people. All church members were reported safe, as most people are too afraid to go outside their homes.
It isn't the first time for the only Protestant church in the Gaza Strip to be caught in the crossfire between battling forces. Palestinian police have twice seized the six-story building, which also includes public library and one of the area's few breast-cancer clinics, as a sniper post.
Hanna Massad, pastor of Gaza Baptist Church, described the plight of Palestinian Christians in a message at last year's New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta. "We live between two fires," he said. "The fire of the Israel occupation; the siege we live under," he said, severely restricts travel. Israel's refusal to grant a visa to Massad's wife once kept the couple separated for 10 months, even though authorities knew he was a pastor and a "man of peace."
"Also we experience the fire of the militant Muslim, who is not happy about what we do and who we are," Massad said.
Terrorists twice bombed the building of the Palestinian Bible Society, and last year militants kidnapped and executed the manager of the society's Christian bookstore.
Massad said most American Christians know that the state of Israel was established in 1948, but fewer are aware that when that happened 700,000 Palestinians, including 55,000 Christians, were made refugees.
Massad said his father's family lived the Gaza Strip all their lives, but lost property, even though they had the official documents to prove ownership.
"Because you experience the grace of God and love of God, you are able to forgive and move on," he said. "But if you didn't experience his grace, this is going to create bitterness and hatred in your heart. And this is why the fights between the Palestinians and the Jewish people are more intense and more and more difficult."
With 1.5 million residents, the Gaza Strip is one of world's most densely populated places, increasing the likelihood of collateral damage when fighting erupts.
Jan. 6, the 11th day of fighting that began eight days after a six-month truce between Israel and the militants expired, at least 30 people died in a strike near a United Nations school where hundreds of people sought refuge from fighting.
The New York Times said Palestinian medical officials estimate the death toll so far at more than 560, and the U.N. said about a quarter of those killed were civilians.
The U.S. State Department has called for a "durable and lasting cease-fire" in the conflict. President-elect Barack Obama, who has been criticized for not speaking out on the Gaza attacks, broke his silence Jan. 6, calling the loss of civilian lives "a source of deep concern" and vowing to "hit the ground running" on brokering Mideast peace when he takes office Jan. 20.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Renowned preacher, civil-rights leader Otis Moss retires
By Bob Allen (483 words)
CLEVELAND (ABP) -- A hero of the Civil Rights Movement regarded as one of America's best African-American preachers has stepped down after 54 years as a pastor.
Otis Moss Jr., 73, preached his farewell sermon Dec. 29 to about 3,000 worshipers at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland. He led the congregation -- one of the city's largest and noted for its commitment to social justice and civil rights -- for 33 years.
A theologian, civic leader and sought-after public speaker, Moss served several churches in Georgia, including a stint as co-pastor with Martin Luther King Sr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, before moving to the Cleveland congregation in 1975.
As a young preacher in his native Georgia, Moss helped lead sit-ins at segregated lunch counters and fought for voting rights for blacks. He went to jail several times for participating in sit-ins and marches.
He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., and Washington, and urged Jesse Jackson to run for president in 1983. Moss was co-chair of the National African American Religious Committee of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and is co-chair of an upcoming black-tie African American Church Inaugural Ball celebrating election of the nation's first black president Jan. 18.
Orphaned at 16, Moss attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he became one of the most respected student activists in the struggle for civil rights. He earned his bachelor's and master-of-divinity degrees from Morehouse, and later went on to serve his alma mater as a trustee.
Moss was a special guest of President Clinton to witness the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan. He saw Pope John Paul II in a 1979 visit on the White House lawn. He finished a doctorate from United Theological Seminary in 1990 and was twice named by Ebony magazine as one of America's top 15 black preachers.
Luminaries including Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson and former congressman Louis Stokes were among 1,200 people at a December gala celebrating Moss' ministry. Obama sent a congratulatory letter telling Moss "you've left an indelible mark on all that you've touched," and "the Lord has used you mightily."
In 1997, Moss partnered with University Hospitals to open the Otis Moss Jr. Medical Center across the street from Olivet. Boasting a chapel, medical offices and seminar space, Moss called it one of his proudest accomplishments.
More than 3,000 packed Olivet for his farewell sermon, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In the homily Moss said the best days lie ahead for the church, country and himself. "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him," he read from I Corinthians 2:9.
Moss' son, Otis Moss III, is pastor of Obama's former church. He replaced Jeremiah Wright at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, who retired after a long career there.
Wright became a household name during the presidential campaign, after controversy over the pastor and some of his public statements prompted candidate Obama to resign his membership in the congregation.
Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
Church adopts Hooters, both adopt Hurricane Ike victims
By George Henson (1,196 words)
HOUSTON (ABP) -- What could bring together the members of a Houston Baptist church and employees of a restaurant known as much for its buxom, midriff-baring waitresses as for its food?
God's love -- and sharing it with neighbors in need, including hurricane victims.
The openness of Rice Temple Baptist Church enabled the congregation to partner with a group of Hooters waitresses to meet the needs of the people of Oak Island, Texas, a Galveston Bay coastal community almost completely wiped out in September by Hurricane Ike. Oak Island Baptist Church is the only building on the island still in use.
The Houston church's connection to Hooters -- a restaurant chain whose signature is waitresses in skimpy orange shorts and tight tank tops -- goes back more than nine years to a time when Pastor Clint Reiff was serving the congregation as associate pastor.
"I met a waitress while we were both pumping gas at the Shell station. We started talking. She mentioned that she was exhausted after waiting tables, and it made it hard for her to come to church," Reiff recalled.
He gave her his business card and told her to call if she ever felt the need. Two days later, the restaurant's manager called to invite the church staff and their spouses to dinner.
When Reiff said he'd check with the pastor and get back with him, the manager responded, "We're just looking for answers like anyone else."
"I didn't know if he said it flippantly or not, but I said, 'We'll be there,'" Reiff said. "I'm not sure our pastor at the time really knew what he was saying 'yes' to, but he was supportive, and a few evenings later, we were there. As I recall, most of us sat with our heads down trying not to look up, but we survived that first meal," he said.
Reiff kept going back for meals, bringing his Bible along. The workers started talking to him about concerns in their lives, asking spiritual questions and giving him prayer requests. He accompanied one waitress to the hospital to wait while her father was in surgery.
The congregation became involved with the restaurant's staff as well. A group of Rice Temple women organized a baby shower for one of the waitresses.
Reiff admits he was a bit concerned at the beginning about how some church members might accept the ministry to the restaurant's employees, but they generally have demonstrated support.
"At the beginning, I tried to always take a gift, and my ladies who are 70 years old plus made so many cookies I couldn't begin to say how many. I had thought that they might have a problem with it, but that hasn't been the case. I don't know if they saw the waitresses as granddaughters, or if some of them thought, 'That was me 50 years ago, and I wished someone would have reached out to me,'" he said.
"As you get to know these girls, you realize: 'They are just like me. They're hoping to find their way. They are real people with real needs.'
"We've had a couple who have joined [the church], and several others have visited," he continued. "But most of them can't afford to live in this area. So, we try to steer them toward a church closer to where they live so that they have a greater chance of really plugging in."
Over the years, the church has found additional ways to develop the relationship. Rice Temple has been a sponsor of an annual Hooters golf tournament, giving away Bibles. They have also worked with the restaurant's employees on Habitat for Humanity building projects.
"My thought has always been to try to include non-Christians in ministerial work, because then they get to see the church doing something," Reiff said.
The waitresses have even joined with the congregation in walking through the neighborhood singing Christmas carols.
"You could tell they hadn't gone Christmas caroling before, because they all showed up in high heels," he recalled.
Heather Suggitt, the restaurant's marketing director for the greater Houston area, initiated the ministry to Oak Island residents. "She called me because she had heard of Oak Island and that the church was only building left standing. They wanted to go and feed the people there and take the kids bikes and toys for Christmas, and wanted me to contact the church to pave the way," Rieff said.
"I called the pastor on Oak Island, someone I didn't know at all, and said: 'I'm a pastor in Houston, and I'm going to ask you something weird. We have a Bible study with some waitresses in a Hooters restaurant and a long relationship with them, and they'd like to come to your church and feed the people of Oak Island,'" he recalled.
After checking with a few of his members, Oak Island Baptist Pastor Eddie Shauerberger said that would be fine.
So four days before Christmas, about 45 members of Rice Temple Baptist Church and the waitresses, managers and cooks from Hooters blessed the people of Oak Island.
More than 400 people were on hand to eat hamburgers and chicken wings, and volunteers dispersed more than $20,000 in gifts from the church and restaurant.
Hooters restaurants from as far away as Dallas and San Antonio held bake sales and toy drives to raise money for Oak Island. Many Houston-area businesses also donated goods and cash.
The day began with a worship service at Oak Island Baptist. After the meal that followed, teenagers received gift cards, the Houston non-profit Elves and More distributed 75 bicycles, and a new sound system was presented to the Oak Island church. The church lost its sound system when Galveston Bay flooded its building, along with the town's 250 homes. The people of Oak Island are living in tents and trailers until they are able to rebuild.
The project at Oak Island marks one more reason why Rieff is glad his congregation has reached out in ministry to the Hooters waitresses.
"I frankly feel that God would walk in there and sit down, maybe more quickly than he would in some of our churches," he said. "We are to take the gospel to the world, and that's the whole world -- not just the part of the world that works they way we think it should work."
Other Christians might want to consider looking around their communities to see who is being overlooked, he suggested.
"I'd really love for other churches to do this. I think of all the ladies in seminary and think, 'If they want a ministry, go to these places.' It takes longer for a guy [to develop a healthy rapport with the waitresses] because we're already suspect: Are we there because we care, or are we there just to look?" Reiff said.
He noted a remark by the Hooters marketing director regarding the outpouring of support for Oak Island.
"I could not believe everyone's generosity. It just really came from God," Suggitt said.
"If she can see that God can plan this, maybe she can start to see God has a plan for her own life," Reiff said.
George Henson is a staff writer for the Texas Baptist Standard.
Texas Tech kicker's rise to fame grounded in faith
By Kaitlin Chapman (1,036 words)
LUBBOCK, Texas (ABP) -- When 21-year-old Matt Williams transferred to Texas Tech University last August, he was just excited about making new friends and getting involved at First Baptist Church in Lubbock, where the school is located.
But after winning a kick-for-rent contest at the Tech football game against Massachusetts on Sept. 20, Williams' life changed, and he gained a spot on the Tech football team.
Williams, a former high-school kicker and soccer player who briefly played both sports for the NCAA Division II Tarleton State University, said that he was shocked to be chosen for the contest, but just tried to do his best while he was on the field.
"Going down there was just a big rush -- being in front of all those people," Williams said. "I was just praying and talking to God while I was on the field and the week prior to that. And afterwards, I was just praising him. I went out there and just kicked the ball and did what I knew how to do."
A football fanatic, Williams had dreams of walking onto the Tech football team during spring 2009. Those dreams were jump-started when football coach Mike Leach saw Williams' leg in operation.
Leach was impressed with the lay kicker's form and sent an equipment manager to bring Williams back for a visit.
"I had no idea I would get called back down on the field to talk to Mike Leach," Williams said. "When he called me down, I was scared, because I know he really doesn't like kickers since it has been a problem for Tech in the past. Going down there was a total shock. When he asked me to be on the team, I was like, 'Heck, yeah!' And I've had a blast."
Williams gained a spot on the team and started practicing by Sept. 23, but he had to decline the free rent from the contest to be eligible for play under NCAA football rules.
He played in his first game against Kansas on Oct. 25, scoring on all nine of his kicking attempts. The Red Raiders routed the then-No. 19 Jayhawks 63-21.
Even though Williams is now living his dream, he said joining the team mid-season was a culture shock and a challenge to his faith.
"On the football field, it is really hard," Williams said. "There are only a few guys that go to church and really show it. It's hard out there to have Christian ethics, but it's something that you can use for the good of the team."
To stay strong in his faith, Williams has befriended fellow believers and teammates Baron Batch and Brian Duncan. He is also involved with Paradigm, First Baptist's Thursday night worship event for college students, as well as the church's Acts Ministries men's Bible study.
Sam Law, Williams' Sunday school teacher at First Baptist, said the kicker's commitment to Christ has strengthened despite his new fame and busy schedule.
After most games played away from Lubbock, the team "lands at 2 o'clock in the morning. He's back in Sunday school that same morning," Law said.
"I got kids who live right there on campus and didn't even come to class that morning. He is just very faithful."
Law sees God's hand in Williams' new football opportunity and has used it to encourage other students to be expectant of opportunities God brings.
"It's been a unique semester," Law said. "Before the season started, [Williams] is up in the stands. But five games into the season, he's on the field kicking. It's remarkable. We've talked about it in class -- not just to focus on Matt but because you never know what God is going to do. You never know how God is going to use you."
Williams' strong faith is not a new occurrence, but began during his childhood while attending First Baptist Church in Weatherford, Texas.
"I was baptized when I was seven, but a lot of kids can say that," Williams said. "When [my relationship with Christ] really started was when I was 12 or 13 when I went to a revival. That is when I realized I needed to get more serious about everything."
Derek Dodson, Williams' former youth minister at his home church, said the athlete always was a quiet servant and committed to church activities like Bible studies and mission trips.
"Matt is a behind-the-scenes guy and not the type to be in the spotlight," Dodson said. "He always helped out and also had a big heart for missions."
Despite his quiet nature, people always knew where Williams stood in his faith.
"By the way he lived his life, you knew what he stood for. He didn't try to push his faith on anyone, but he lived his life in such a way that others saw his faith. He is a person of integrity and solid. I would like to have a dozen Matts in my group. He's just an all-around good kid."
Dodson, who has stayed in contact with Williams through his time in college, also sees growth in Williams' faith through the way he has handled his new fame.
Dodson said he can tell "he just wants to enjoy this as long as the Lord allows this blessing on his life. He is going to do what the Lord has placed before him as long as this opportunity is here. He just wants to follow the Lord and use this for his glory."
Williams hopes that he can use this new position on the football team and his example to lead others to a relationship with Christ.
"I hope that we can get to people," Williams said. "That's something hard to do because football guys are not usually known as Christian guys unless they are really outspoken about it. You want to slowly talk to them and see if they will end up coming to church with you or the Acts Ministries or another Bible study.
"I've also met a lot of new people, and with some people, we end up talking about what church I go to. Hopefully, that encourages them to end up going to church by showing that I go to church."
-- Kaitlin Chapman is a former intern for the Texas Baptist Standard and the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
Editor's Note
Monday's e-mailed issue of Associated Baptist Press was dated incorrectly in two different ways. The subject line of the e-mail indicated it was the January 4 issue, when it was, in fact, mailed Jan. 5. In addition, the header in the message body indicated that it was the "December 30, 2008" issue, when it should have been labeled "January 5, 2008."
However, the header did contain the correct volume and issue number (09-1) for the issue.
ABP regrets the errors.
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