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Anthony John Thornton

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Posts posted by Anthony John Thornton

  1. I like this thread!

     

    Mississippi:

     

    The worst parts: It's hot, guys. Super hot. Heat index was around 115 for several days here. We aren't used to it being THAT hot. There are too many flies, wasps, tornadoes, hurricanes, and did I mention the heat? Winter is basically most people's fall. It's lacking in beauty. Maybe that's a shallow narrative but not much can be said of the "beauty" here.

    The best part: Really, not much lol. Maybe the cost of living? I live in Hattiesburg, so a larger city than most in MS.

     

     

    If you guys know of a church needing a pastor in a beautiful state like CO, NH, WY, or MT, let me know...!

  2. 5 hours ago, Pastor Matt said:

    Does Ct count? I've lived in New England my whole life, what would you like to know? I pastor in Ct and traveled all over New England as a child as my father is an evangelist here. I been to probably 95% of all IFB churches in NE.

    Amazing! CT does count lol. I was just wondering about the prospects of soul-winning/evangelizing etc. My SIL lives in Alfred, ME. I was in the NE over Christmas. Perhaps the Lord would call me to NE in some capacity. 

  3. 4 hours ago, Jim_Alaska said:

    Just the fact that he left is grounds for serious discipline, but coupled with what you described, this church needs to take action. (not my call, just my opinion)

    Allowing a member that is this far out of line can be extremely dangerous to the whole congregation. 1 Corinthians 11:30 (KJV) For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
    1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
     

    Yep, I tried to restore him (Galatians 6) after I reproved, rebuked, and exhorted (2 Tim. 4) him. I took it directly to him (Matthew 18:15). Now I am at 2 Thessalonians 3:14 "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed" unfortunately. I'm not as heavy burdened for it as I was when this all started. I do want him to get right but it's out of our hands now.

  4. 8 hours ago, SureWord said:

    Don't let him back in until he repents. Being tolerant is what has destroyed many churches.

    No doubt. His supposed repentance is what allowed him to come back the first time. It just boggles my mind how a Christian (perhaps in name only) can live like that and think it's ok.

  5. 1 hour ago, PastorMatt said:

    Thankfully we've not had to deal with this yet. I'll be praying for you guys. Let us know how it all works out. 

    So far he says he won't come back because we won't accept him. It's his lifestyle we don't accept. I told him he could come back to church but just not serve. He left on his own volition. He says we "ran" him off, which isn't true. We never told him to leave. What's incredible is, he has a huge knowledge of the Bible. I'd say he's one of the more astute Bible studiers (if that's a word) we have at the church. It just shows, though, that it's all head knowledge and no heart knowledge. His defensive reactions are reflexive because he knows it's wrong but his flesh is overriding the Spirit.

  6. I realize this may be a somewhat questionable question because of the topic, but I feel it's necessary to ask. Here's some back story before I ask the question.

     

    I'm an assistant pastor at my church. I'm also the RU director. I had a guy, last year, get busted for being in town in drag. People told me they saw him. I confronted him, not in a harsh way, but in a Biblical way. He told me it was true. I've been working closely with this guy for a year now. Very few people knew about it. He came to me later and thanked me for confronting him and said the Lord was dealing with him. I thought "amen, that's what we are supposed to do."  He's got 15 months sober from alcohol. Two weeks ago, he showed up to a church function, in a service capacity (usher/security) with makeup on. Some of our members asked him if he was wearing makeup, which is a legitimate question to ask as far as I am concerned. He denied it. Essentially, I have confronted him and his sin again, but he has dug his heels in and says he sees nothing wrong with it. Of course I showed him from the Bible from Old Testament to New Testament how it's not of the Lord to do it. It's not just the blurring of gender lines but also the rebellion, disregard of God's word, and literal pride associated with him wanting to "express" himself. He also has a homosexual-encounter past. I believe the Lord can deliver anyone from anything, truly. There are tons of layers here from his wife, who I think is a lesbian, to him replacing alcohol with being in drag, to him watching porn etc.

     

    My question is, has anyone else had to deal with this? I know adultery is pretty typical but cross dressing is a new one for me. I know it's wrong Biblically, both the cross dressing and gender bending, but it's also pride. I wonder if anyone has any advice on it. He "left" the church but I still have hope and faith the Lord will drive him back to Him.

  7. It's been a while since I've posted, but I suppose it's time to get back involved. Matter of fact, last time I posted, I wasn't in the ministry yet. ?

     

     

    I'm the administrative pastor (not that title matters to me) of my local IFB church. Some would call me the associate pastor. All I know is I am an assistant pastor. I suppose it could be said we are in a luxurious spot for paying staff. There's the pastor, me, children's pastor, congregational care pastor being paid as pastoral staff. There's also the music director and media director. All of these positions receive pay. My pastor took less than his predecessor, on purpose, and I did the same thing with my predecessor, also on purpose. We vote on a budget each year, with the staff salary lumped into one portion of the budget. We support 157 missionaries. We are very frugal with our money, even more so with our present pastor.

     

    Some of you would be familiar with our previous pastor. I loved that guy to death. He is the reason I am in the ministry, essentially; however, he had a larger portion dedicated to staff. It really boils down to the congregation/deacons/pastor as to who gets paid what, etc. etc. Some have rightly pointed out the beauty of being independent.

  8. On 2/26/2019 at 9:39 PM, DaveW said:

    Can I just make a small correction - unless I am mistaken Brother Gibbs is not a Pastor. A good preacher, and as far as I could tell a godly man, and does a great work with the Christian Law Association and has done so for many years, but not a Pastor.

    A technicality (unless something has changed over the years since I met him, in which case I apologise), but one that he himself made at the meetings I went to.

    But he has a way in his preaching of making issues of life very relatable. Actually many of his messages are really very simple, you just don't realise that when you are sitting there - and sometimes the simple stops us from getting clouded with too many thoughts and ideas. 

     

     

     

    And to the brother who posed the original question - first, immerse yourself in the Bible, then make prayer a solid part of your life, after all:

    Heb 4:12
    (12)  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
     

    But sometimes we need an example to follow:

    1Co 11:1
    (1)  Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
     

    This is Paul speaking and saying that he would serve as an example for other to follow, but his second phrase includes a proviso "even as I also as of Christ", which indicates that they could follow him AS HE FOLLOWED CHRIST.

    Find a godly man to follow by example, AS THAT MAN FOLLOWS CHRIST.

    Php 3:17
    (17)  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

    Paul again - not only him but there are others who walk the right way and are worth following (Again, as they follow Christ).

     

     

    Brother, you are correct. He’s not a pastor. It definitely was a good message though. ?

  9. I listened to a pastor, who's actually the President of the Christian Law Association, preach at my church a few nights ago. He preached Psalms 1, particularly about the seat of the scornful. Brother, it changed my life. Literally. The Holy Spirit had been convicting me of my complaining and BOOM, Brother Gibbs preached on that. It may be available somewhere online too. 

  10. 10 hours ago, Rebecca said:

    I'm a missionary sent out of my local church.  My home church receives and handles all my support and transfer funds to me as needed (bi-monthly set amount or as I request additional funds). My church set up a bank account with my name on it, but the finance team has access to it so they can transfer the funds as needed. Other than that they don't touch the money in that account.  The church handles my income tax forms and helped with the legal paperwork that I needed to get my missionary visa, and as it was a learning experience for both the church and myself, there were some hiccups along the way as we learned what each of our legal responsibilities were. 

    Whether a missionary chooses to go through a board, clearinghouse, or local church, they should put a lot of prayer into that decision and allow God to direct their steps.

     

    Did you find receiving support difficult? 

  11. 3 minutes ago, Salyan said:

    Yes! Really? That would be very cool. There's a lot of empty spaces between churches up here. Any particular area?

    I don't know whether you have contacts up here already, but I can give you some contacts if you'd like, or steer you toward any western Canadian events that may be useful to attend (if you come for a survey trip). Our church has done some church planting - we've reproduced five Alberta churches over the past twenty years or so - and our pastor emeritus, Dave Harness, serves on the board of the Baptist Church Planting Ministry Canada. About ten years ago, we got to help a US missionary coming to Alberta by being their home base for a year while they got acclimatized to Alberta, and then helped with the new church plant. I still go visit them in Hinton any chance I get. 

    What an incredible blessing on all fronts! Any information would be invaluable! I have no contacts but some I will be contacting soon. I have had, on my mind, Calgary. The Drop-In Rehab Centre (Center lol) is located in Calgary, and I believe that to be an incredible segue into giving the Gospel AND being a servant. Old Paths Baptist Church is a church I plan to contact soon. I'd go on deputation, link up with a church in the area, work with them, and perhaps begin a church plant in due time. The other thing that I believe the Lord is leading me towards is teaching, in a literal sense. It could very well end up as both. The Lord's will be done! 

  12. 1 hour ago, Salyan said:

    I took over the Secretary/Treasurer position in our church a couple years ago. Something I can't figure out is - in this day and age of electronic communication, WHY are our churches still sending cheques? It would be so much faster and more efficient to use eTransfers, credit cards, and other forms of electronic payment. It would be especially nice when sending support funds to US-based missionaries. US banks are woefully behind when it comes to handling out-of-country cheques. 

    Alberta, Canada? If so, I believe the Lord to be possibly calling me there. 

  13. 15 hours ago, Alan said:

    Jim brought up a valid point that I am compelled to add thereunto.

    1. Some boards require the missionary to set apart, usually every month, funds for retirement. These funds are usually either kept by the board or in an account set up by the board. Depending on the board, if the missionary leaves the board before his retirement the funds are forfeited.

    2. Some boards require the missionaries to set up other funds: housing, furlough, emergency funds, etc. Depending on the rules of the board, the board, or its representative,  has the final say so if the missionary receives these funds when the missionary requests these funds.

    3. If the missionary purchases a house on the foreign field, some boards require the missionary to have the house in the name of board, or its legal representative on the field.

    For your information. Most boards have a "Field Representative," or some other setup, in order to have personal contact with the missionary. The "Field Representative" is in effect a controlling factor over the missionary. For Taiwan, most boards have a "legal" representative that holds title to the house and not the missionary.

    Depending on the board, if the missionary leaves the board than the house is not his. In other words, he loses the house.

    4. Insurance. Most boards require the missionary to have Health insurance through the board or a Insurance Company recommended by the board. If the missionary leaves the board than there is a strong possibility that the Health Insurance is forfeited and the missionary may be required to pay for medical expenses out of his own pocket.

    5. Most boards have the final say so in any situation not covered by the rules.

    Conclusion.

    Just about every board has its own rules. The missionary normally learns of these rules at Candidate School. If the board changes in doctrine, integrity, or in organization, than the missionary either changes with the board or he is asked to leave and forfeit his benefits accumulated during his tenure with the board.

    Alan

    Literally everything you mentioned in your points is reason enough to not use a board. One board I just talked to said their administrative fee is 300 a month. That could be rent on the field. The changing of doctrine scares me most. Also, one consideration in favor of using a board is having that "clout" or vetting while on deputation. I would imagine it would be harder to get support without a board's backing. 

     

    I thank the Lord He has given me much over my life. I don't have to worry about insurance (but then it could always change) because after I was wounded by an IED in 2005, I was put on medical hold. I was medically retired years later with Tricare Select. It used to be called Tricare Standard. 

  14. 4 minutes ago, Alan said:

    Under the "FAQ" the CMC states:

     3. WHAT IS CMC'S PHILOSOPHY OF MISSIONS?
     
    Basic to the philosophy of CMC is the concern that a missionary be sent to the field without control by outside organizations of people, other than his home church, his supporting churches and the Holy Spirit. In practice, this means we do not dictate to the missionary how he spends his money, how much money he can receive, or how or where he works. Agreement between CMC policies and the missionary requires certain divisions of income, such as personal support, ministry support and ministry expenses, which are for the missionary's protection. Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men." (2 Cor. 8:21) The missionary's financial arrangements are confidential to us and any information must be given by the missionary, not by our office.
     
     
    4. WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS FOR MISSIONARIES?
     

     There are no qualifications such as age limit, health, education, etc. The procedure for using CMC’s services is as follows: A missionary is sponsored by the church where he is a member. He is recommended by his own pastor and commissioned by his home church. In addition, he must have the recommendation of two other fundamental Baptist pastors. These three pastors (that he has chosen) become his “Mission Board.” Each missionary candidate is screened and qualified based upon the recommendation of his sending and sponsoring churches. The integrity and character of every missionary is of vital importance to CMC.

     
     
    5. WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF CMC?
     

    CMC exists to serve the churches and missionaries by processing funds for missionary endeavor. We receive gifts from the donors, issue tax-deductible receipts, accumulate the funds in each missionary’s account, prepare complete reports for the missionaries and in every way we know, provide information for the missionary that will be helpful in his relationship with the churches. Our ministry includes getting the funds to the missionary by the last business day of the month, using whatever method agreed upon with the missionary. On the missionary’s instructions, we maintain savings accounts, building funds, furlough funds, emergency funds, etc.; we make bill payments, insurance premium payments and keep up hospitalization and retirement programs, as well as making quarterly tax payments. We also provide legal documentation that is necessary on the field in which they serve, as well as verifying the financial information needed by the missionary and validating their income as required in their personal and professional endeavors.

     

    A personal Note. Please notice the highlighted red ink portion of their statement.

     

    There are some countries that require a "legal" missionary board. The CMC supplies that need.

     

    FYI. Our support as missionaries is through our home Church and the CMC.

     

    Alan

     

    Man alive I am glad I found this site. I believe this site will be an incredible resource to me in the next few months. This is good stuff right here. 

  15. 2 minutes ago, Alan said:

    The Central Missionary Clearinghouse is a ministry from a local church, the Central Baptist Church, Houston, TX, Pastor Larry Maddox, and  operates as a "mission handling agency" and not a "board." https://www.cmcmissions.org/

    The CMC does have no "Candidate School," and no control over the missionary family.The CMC helps with the "funds handling only." The is no "board" at the CMC.

    Apart from the local church supporting a missionary directly from their local church as Jim Alaska wrote, the only other method I would even suggest is the Central Missionary Clearinghouse.

     

    That's really interesting! 

  16. 9 hours ago, Jim_Alaska said:

    Why a mission board at all? It is the responsibility of your local church to send you as well as help support you. Do your own deputation, have your sending church collect the mission offerings and disperse to you. You really don't need middlemen in the mix.

    And I have strongly considered this aspect of it as well. I have an older missionary in my church whom I consider a friend and this is what he does. Well, mostly. He doesn't use a board. He does go from church to church periodically raising funds. I believe the sending church being responsible is the most Biblical way of doing it for sure. 

  17. 4 minutes ago, HappyChristian said:

    "get to" - not "have to." =D  It is a privilege and you will find a joy beyond words to be able to school your own children. And you will find, too, that it isn't as much work as most people think. Especially with the younger kids. There are all kinds of games you can play with your kids as you drive along that will be fun and educational. You can even make up games to play in the car, focusing on a particular need.

     

    I loved schooling our son. And I am finishing up schooling one of my nieces - have taught her for all 4 of her high school years. What a blessing, now, to see her ready to head into life as an adult prepared in a way that the public school here just does not do.

    Good rephrasing lol. I actually relish the thought of being there every step of the way. I currently work offshore and am gone two weeks at a time. What an incredible privilege it will be to be there all the time! 

  18. Lookingfortruth, I am partly ashamed to admit this but at the same time hoping to encourage you on the same level. When we were looking for churches, my wife actually led the charge. She found a church she liked. We had been there before. I had family who attended it. I had no clue what their doctrine was at first, just that it was a Baptist church. I didn't learn it was independent until a year or so later. I had a thirst for knowledge. I had my thirst quenched at this church and haven't looked back. I am ashamed that my wife led the charge when it should've been me but it was HER faithfulness to truth that brought me along. 

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