VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS – 7/17/09)—The problem with Christians today is “heart failure,” according to Dr. Robin Smith, speaking Sunday evening, June 28, at the closing worship service of the Biennial meeting of American Baptist Churches USA.
“It gets in the way of us being healthy hands and feet of Jesus. Compassion has to run through your hands and feet,” she told American Baptists from across the country and around the world.
“Christ said ‘I am sending you.’ It doesn’t matter if you like who’s at the party…it’s not your party,” she reminded them.
“If it’s gotten hot in your life, it’s time to clean off all the gook so Christ can see himself in you,” Smith urged.
Smith speaks as both an American Baptist minister and a psychologist. Her book, Lies at the Altar has been a #1 bestseller and she has appeared on numerous shows including Larry King Live, NBC/The Today Show, ABC News/Good Morning America, CBS/The Early Show, MSNBC, and the Fox News Channel. Her call-in radio program, The Dr. Robin Show, can be heard on Oprah Radio on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.
Smith said that, through Christ, these “cracked, fragile hands of ours are transfigured from common to sacred.”
She spoke to a congregation, filled with special guests, that crowded First Baptist Church of Pasadena.
One such special guest was Rick Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest—just south of Los Angeles—and the author of The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church. He came, he said, to be with American Baptists during their gathering and support them in their ministry. Warren has partnered with ABC congregations in his Purpose Driven programs, and has two American Baptist pastors on his staff.
Dr. Jerome Del Pino, general secretary for the United Methodist Church General Board for Higher Education and Ministry, also brought greetings. He lifted up the covenant that has developed between ABCUSA and the Methodist board, which has made it possible to provide insurance for ABC-related colleges and universities.
“The relationship between ABC and UMC,” he noted, “is evidence of our support for church-related higher education and a clergy that is prepared to serve the church in this era.”
Dr. Jimmy Allen, coordinator for the New Baptist Covenant movement, also brought greetings. American Baptists have been strongly involved with The New Baptist Covenant, an informal alliance of more than 30 racially, geographically, and theologically diverse Baptist organizations from throughout North America.
One of the current initiatives of ABCUSA has been New Life 2010, focusing for the past 12 years on making new disciples, new churches, renewed congregations, and new community-based caring ministries.
As representatives of the many pastors and congregations that have participated in the New Life 2010 emphasis, Revs. David and Maureen Freshour, of the Chevy Chase Baptist church in Washington, D.C., were presented with the New Life Award by Dr. Jeff Johnson, director of the National Ministries program.
The evening worship ended with The Hallelujah Chorus, the final song of celebration and praise as American Baptists returned home.
American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.