Bible study in a garage: At 83, he fills a niche
DOWNEY, Calif. (BP) -- Harold Neal, 83, a retired airplane builder and bivocational pastor, as well as the caregiver for his wife of 66 years, has found "what the Lord wants me to do" in leading a Bible study in his garage for 15 years. Says Neal, matter-of-factly, "What else could I do that could please the Lord? Teaching is God's calling. I can't do anything else. If I can't teach or preach the Word of God, I think I might as well go on to be with the Lord." Through the years, the class, attended by 8 to 12 people each week, has studied much of the Bible verse by verse. Neal produces all the teaching materials himself, from detailed outlines of each passage to large charts, maps and timelines. Some students in the class have amassed literally years' worth of Bible outlines at their fingertips.
Campus ministry at USC: ‘up close & personal’
MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (BP) -- Neil Walker is practically a fixture at the University of Southern California -- his "home base" for 28 years of student ministry. "His longevity is just amazing," said Daryl Watts, California Southern Baptist Convention student and family specialist. Walker puts it a little differently, with a sage reflection: "Most of the time what we want is a plastic surgeon ... but spiritual growth is more like physical therapy. We want a quick fix on the surface, but growth usually happens slowly with a lot of work."
Calif. migrant ministry takes year-round effort
FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -– Each summer, thousands of migrant families take up temporary residence in one of California's 24 migrant centers. The California Southern Baptist Convention reaches out to those families through its Feeding Those Who Feed Us ministry.
Migrant worker outreach reaches 10-year mark
FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Nearly 200 pairs of boys' jeans for $4 each. Nine hundred backpacks for $4.20 each. Nearly 900 patients receiving free medical and dental checks.
Missions video stirs husband to new birth
HAWTHORNE, Calif. (BP)–Forget art imitating life. Try art ushering in new life. That’s what happened when Arturo Carrillo showed a segment of the 2008 California Mission Offering video to a man in his church he had been counseling. After viewing the video and hearing Carrillo explain that “Jesus is your answer,” Carrillo recounted that the […]
Collegians exhorted to seek God’s power
MILL VALLEY, Calif (BP)–The world doesn’t need more religion and attending a missions conference doesn’t make someone a missionary. Nearly 200 collegians from across the West heard these and other pointers during the 47th annual missions conference at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary’s Northern California campus in Mill Valley. Bruce*, an International Mission Board strategist […]
Faith, ‘cultural fusion’ explored at GGBTS
MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)–With dozens of brightly colored and patterned tapestries from all over the world draped behind him, Mark Tichenor explained the meaning of “Faith and the Cultural Fusion,” the theme of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary’s 2007 Intersect conference. “What gives value to weaving is color and pattern,” said Tichenor, Golden Gate’s vice […]
Armed forces chaplains honored at GGBTS
MILL VALLEY, Calif., (BP)–U.S. Army Chaplain Col. Clarke McGriff said he is “proud to be a part of the Golden Gate legacy” in an Armed Forces Chaplaincy Day message at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif. “Twenty-six years ago you sent me out and I’ve come back to report that all is […]
Scholar lists reasons for Gospels’ reliability
MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)–Between the “newfound” Gospel of Judas, the soaring popularity of “The Da Vinci Code” and the “discovery” of Jesus’ family tomb, the public is subject every year or few years to sensational claims that call into question the fundamentals of the Christian faith, Craig Blomberg recounted in a special lecture at Golden […]
TRUSTEES: Board meets at Pacific campus
VANCOUVER, Wash. (BP)–Trustees of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary met at the seminary’s Pacific Northwest campus Oct. 8-9 for their annual fall meeting. Trustees heard reports from various committees and from seminary staff, visited with students and staff at the Pacific Northwest campus and attended a banquet as part of Golden Gate’s Partners for the […]