Bible verse of the day

Ethics Daily

Anniversary of Bailey Smith's Harmful Moment in Baptist-Jewish Relations
Bailey Smith, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention, claimed 30 years ago that God "does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Today, other Southern Baptist leaders have rhetorically followed his lead.

A 'Transformative Moment' in SBC Political Activity
Ronald Reagan, then the GOP nominee for president, joined a who's who of conservative Christians on a Dallas stage 30 years ago, convincing many Southern Baptists and other evangelicals to join the Republican cause.

Muslim Documentary Accepted at Festival
"Different Books, Common Word: Baptists and Muslims," the most recent documentary from EthicsDaily.com, has been officially selected as part of the International Black Film Festival of Nashville.

British Churches Focus on 2012 Olympics in London
The London 2012 Olympics are less than two years away, and churches in Great Britain are beginning to develop plans for outreach, hospitality and service during the event.

Ken Starr Joins Baptist Church – Without Attending
Ken Starr, the new president of Baylor University, promised to join a Baptist church once he was on the job in Waco. He kept that promise, joining a church without even being present for the service.

Witty British playwright and writer Oscar Wilde, perhaps best known for his play The Importance of Being Ernest, often used misunderstandings to create humorous situations. As a result of inaccurate judgments or miscommunication, his characters mistakenly say or do things that turn out to be quite problematic.

One of Wilde's plays that showcases his wit and ability to create confusion is Lady Windermere's Fan. The play features a couple, Lord and Lady Windermere, and some of their friends. The 2005 movie A Good Woman, starring Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson, was an adaptation of the play. The plot focuses on false accusations of infidelity based on gossip and misunderstandings, which causes some of the characters to consider making decisions they would greatly regret. Everything resolves itself in time as the main characters learn that they misjudged others and said wrong things about them.

Sometimes it seems that Missouri Baptists are stuck in an Oscar Wilde play as miscommunication and false claims often lead to inaccurate judgments and poor decisions. Windermere Baptist Conference Center has been the victim of false statements and mean-spirited gossip that has led some to believe things that are not true. Interestingly, both Wilde's characters and Windermere Baptist Conference Center are named after the same lake in England. Before the Baptists established campgrounds at Windermere, it had already been called "Windermere Club" because of resemblance to Windermere Lake in England.

Perhaps you have heard some of the crazy and untrue claims about the life-changing ministry of Windermere Baptist Conference Center. Like the one about them just being about money because they allow secular groups to come, even though some of the same groups have come for many years and follow the rules that help create the Christian atmosphere and thus allowing ministry opportunities to those that might not normally go to a Christian camp or even a church. Or maybe you heard the one about Wiccans worshipping at Windermere, which is so crazy that not even wild Wilde could have made it up. Or maybe you heard the one about Windermere cutting down all the trees, even though you would be hard-pressed to find missing trees and it was actually stewardship based upon recommendations from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Or maybe you heard the one about how Windermere was shutting down, even though they actually just finished off their best year ever.

Hopefully, you did not believe any of these and other false claims made about the important life-changing ministry of Windermere. Despite the innuendo and attacks, the ministry continues. Windermere has remained focused on building lives despite lawsuits filed to harm their ministry. Fortunately, a judge recently offered a careful analysis of the merits of the case and ruled for Windermere. Hopefully, the legal and other attacks will end soon. The Baptist General Convention of Missouri gladly supports the life-changing ministry of Windermere. Individuals and churches cooperating with the BGCM have been able to help thousands of individuals make decisions at Windermere that have changed their lives forever.

I am one of those whose life has been changed because of Windermere. I have many fond memories of RA camp and other events there. My walk with God grew during quiet times in the woods and my friendship with others began or improved as we enjoyed the water and other outdoors activities. I first felt the call to ministry around a campfire in the woods at Windermere. You could say that I am a fan of Windermere.

Although there are some who have attempted to harm the life-changing ministry of Windermere, I am extremely grateful that the BGCM has faithfully supported Windermere. We should continue to support them with contributions, prayer, and by attending events there. In particular, it should be exciting in September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Windermere. Maybe your church will even offer its public support for Windermere and appeal to Missouri Baptists to come together for healing and reconciliation.

Hopefully, we can put aside the gossip and inaccurate claims so that we can work together to share the love of Jesus. When we hear false gossip and attacks against Windermere, we should remember what Lady Windermere declared at one point in the play: "there is not a word of truth in this stupid story." It is time to focus on ministry and not legal conflicts. It is time to focus on changing lives and not falsely accusing others. It is time for each of us to be a fan of Windermere Baptist Conference Center.