State Missionary Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

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Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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February 2006

Statement about church fire of Feb. 11

     News of yet another church fire in west Alabama is something that should be a matter of intense prayer for all Christians. Our prayers are with the Beaverton Free Will Baptist Church in Lamar County as the congregation must now deal with the aftermath of the destruction of their facilities. We pray that the causes of all 10 fires this month will be quickly discovered and anyone responsible apprehended.
     The State Board of Missions continues its efforts to assist congregations affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention. Also, over the course of several decades, our Convention has forged very positive relationships with predominantly African-American Baptist denominations in Alabama. Therefore we are partnering with several African-American congregations as they seek to rebuild and repair their fire-damaged facilities.
     Our prayers are with the Alabama State Association of Free Will Baptists and the National Association of Free Will Baptists as they pray for and seek ways to minister to the Beaverton Free Will Baptist Church.

From the ashes of evil, good may arise
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In recent days, I have had the touching and challenging task of visiting most of the churches in Alabama with buildings damaged or destroyed by fires seemingly set by arsonists. The scenes at each site can remind us how vulnerable our church facilities are in terms of such evil activity.

At several of the churches, I felt I was viewing a “miniature 9-11” spectacle. Smoke was still smoldering from the charred debris – once a place of worship for Baptist people in the local communities.

Admittedly when I first heard of the news I was angry, thinking "Who would do such a thing?" and "Will the perpetrators be apprehended and brought to justice?"

This initial response lasted only a few minutes. Then I began to think about how the congregations might be assisted with temporary meeting places and volunteer work teams to help in the rebuilding process.

At each church site, I encountered a resilient spirit which transcended the immediate challenges facing the people. When I made my comment that I believe "good can come out of evil," there were echoes of amens from the congregation gathered to see the results of the fires. One lady said, "I have been attending church 70 years, and I know things are going to be all right if we stay faithful to the task."

In one of the services held last Sunday afternoon, a young couple planning to be married wanted to join the church. Standing in front of the ashes and debris of what is left of the church building, they essentially said, "This is the kind of church we want as our church home." They were impressed with the faithfulness and dedication of the people and so was I.

Churches like families can go through trying times such as what was experienced in the wave of hurricanes that battered the Gulf Coast last fall. Yet there is a resilience of faith which characterizes the congregations. They personify the kind of courage and compassion I believe the Lord blesses.

Therefore, I really do believe good can come from evil. In the Old Testament, Joseph discovered that truth when his brothers foolishly sold him into slavery. Later Joseph ascended to the place of power and prominence in the Egyptian government.

When the brothers of Joseph visited Egypt to request assistance from the government seeking drought relief, they found their brother in charge of the food and other resources. They believed they were in trouble, but the outcome was more positive.

The summary of this biblical account echoes the earlier affirmation I mentioned, "You meant this for evil, but God meant it for good." This was the response of Joseph who had been wronged by his brothers. He knew to take the high road and chose not to view things as purely negative.

To those individuals who decided to perpetrate these heinous acts, I want to assure you that there are nine strongly committed congregations seeking to be certain that good comes out of evil. That is a testimony of undefeatable determination and dedication. I admire their attitude.

To them the church is the people, the facilities are what they use to worship and serve the Lord. For these churches I believe the best is yet to be because they know that "God can bring good out of evil."

Rick Lance serves as executive director and a state missionary for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, Montgomery. He formerly served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa; First Baptist Church, Cullman; West End Baptist Church, Birmingham; and Valence Street Baptist Church, New Orleans, La..

This article by Rick Lance was written as an op-ed piece for newspapers and other publications. It may also be used to quote Dr. Lance in news stories.

January 2006

The Chronicler of Narnia

In recent days many evangelical Christians have been intrigued and enriched by the reexamination of the works of C. S. Lewis. As you probably know, C. S. Lewis was among the most notable Christian writers of the 20th century. His writings include nonfiction as well as fiction. Perhaps he is best known for his fictional books in a series called The Chronicles of Narnia. During the last few months I had the opportunity to read some interesting books that have been published simultaneous to the release of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a motion picture.

Perhaps no one alive today knew C. S. Lewis as well as his stepson, Douglas Gresham. His most recent biography of the famous apologist and literary scholar is entitled Jack’s Life. The essence of this tribute is summed up in the statement: “Jack was the finest man and the best Christian I have ever known. I loved him and I cherish his memory.” This biography adds a personal flavor to the increasing amount of information written about this 20th-century Christian voice. It is well worth the time to reflect upon this immensely personal account of Lewis.

C.S. Lewis's Case for Christ: Insights from Reason, Imagination, and Faith is a book for C. S. Lewis lovers to cherish. Art Lindsley has approached the writings of the 20th century apologist with the organizational skills of a systematic theologian. In essence the book is a discussion of how Lewis balances and blends the insights of reason, imagination and faith. The unique format of the book is helpful to the learned reader and the layperson as well. In each chapter there is an imaginary discussion group featuring a Christian, a seeker, a skeptic and an atheist. Lindsley has enriched the growing corpus of material on Lewis with the addition of this book.

Narnia Beckons: C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe-and Beyond is yet another addition to the rapidly growing number of books designed to help readers understand the significance of the Christian message, which permeates the series written by the well known author, C. S Lewis. Ted Baehr and James Baehr collaborated on this project. Both of these men have dedicated themselves to leading Hollywood to make movies friendly to family audiences, and also for Christians seeking to have wholesome entertainment as opposed to the violence and promiscuous sex depicted in many current films. This book is a most helpful guide for readers of the nonfiction works of the famous scholar, C. S Lewis.

With the blockbuster movie sensation, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, popular culture has turned its attention again to the writings of C. S. Lewis. Further Up & Further In: Understanding C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, written by Bruce Edwards, is a usable companion to the original story. In this work the author proves himself adept at casting the single volume depicted in the movie into the larger context of the seven installments found in the classic series, The Chronicles of Narnia. The title of the book is an expression vital to the overall story of Narnia. If you are looking for some commentary on this series, this book will be your friend.

Currently, there is a revival of interest in the writings of G. K. Chesterton. Dale Ahlquist is a leading authority on Chesterton. His book, G. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, is an excellent overview of this creative genius from yesteryear. Chesterton had a positive influence on another literary icon of the 20th century, C. S. Lewis. He was also a writer of fiction as well as Christian apologetics.

This article by Rick Lance was originally published in the January 2006 edition of 'FOCUS on One Mission', a monthly supplement to The Alabama Baptist newspaper.\