Mission: Brownwood update

When I was 17, I drove my truck down a red muddy road one night on my way to a friend's house. While I didn't get stuck, and my 1983 F150 continued forward, we did get bogged down a little bit.

That's how I feel the progress toward getting on the field in Brownwood, TX, is going.

Bro. Swilling and I are continuing to develop a working agreement between me and Rocky Springs MBC. There is one sticking point. Bro. Swilling wants the mission to be developed in a traditional way. The people are evangelized, baptized, and become members of Rocky Springs until organization. My objection is that it is difficult (for me, at least) to teach landmarkism under this organizational structure. Furthermore, I want to teach the new church how to be a church and not let them have an opportunity to become dependent on the sponsoring church or any supporting churches. My plan would be to take the recently baptized believers and form them into their own church. I would still be accountable to Rocky Springs because I would still be their missionary. Of course, this situation has not been helped by the rash speech on church planting that has taken place at some of our associational meetings. While the concept may be correct, the attitude can create suspicion among our senior pastors. Bro. Swilling has the best intentions in his heart. He wants to see the work, missionary and sponsoring church protected and successful, and has seen great successes with mission work done the traditional way. I just can't do it that way.

The bad thing about this whole process is that it stresses Bro. Swilling out, and I did not want this to be a stressful time for him.

God is honoring our extended time of discussion by not allowing my prospective employer to hire me just yet. I don't know what the hold-up is, but I received an email from them apologizing for leaving me in limbo this long, and they still want to hire me. I was hoping to be able to join them at the end of football season. Then I was hoping to join them at the end of November. Now, I am hoping to be able to join them sometime in January, maybe.

Things are not totally frustrating. I was blessed with money from Heaven when a $200 love offering check appeared in the mail from Wyndrock MBC of Abilene, TX. Brethren, I greatly appreciate your support and encouragement. It is great to know that we will have a supportive (prayer and emotional if not financial) church nearby. We are also looking forward to a similar working relationship with Beacon Baptist Church of San Angelo.

The main thing is to get to Brownwood and get the work started. I will post my thoughts, plans and vision for the work at a later time. Thank you, please pray for me and Rocky Springs, and God bless you.