Melissa Baxter becomes the first female Deacon Chair of Baptist Temple

After serving a year as Deacon Chair Elect, Melissa Baxter became the first female Deacon Chair in the 109 year history of Baptist Temple. Ordained a deacon in 2018 at Baptist Temple, she is the third of five generations whose faith was formed at Baptist Temple. Melissa has been active in Baptist Temple life for many years and currently serves as an adult Sunday school teacher and has completed 50 hours of Stephen Ministry training.

She is relieving Ernest Cruz, who had served multiple terms as Deacon Chair. Ernest was raised in a Christian home and was ordained a deacon at Baptist Temple in 2010 and has competed 50 hours of Stephen Ministry training. He will serve for a year as Past Deacon Chair on the Deacon Leadership Team.

Steven Grinnell has been elected as Deacon Chair Elect. He, too, has completed 50 hours of Stephen Ministry training and will serve on the Deacon Leadership Team. He will take over as Deacon Chair in 2021.

The Deacon Leadership Team helps to coordinate Baptist Temple's deacon ministry.

Deacon Spotlight: Melissa Baxter

Guest Blog by Robert Newman

Melissa Baxter was born in New Jersey and moved to San Antonio in 1965, which now calls home. She is the second oldest of six children, raised by a single mother only a block from Baptist Temple Church. She is the third of five generations in her family to be members of Baptist Temple. 

As a child and in her youth, Melissa was involved in many ministries at Baptist Temple. She accepted Christ as her Savior as a teenager at Alto Frio Baptist Encampment youth camp, and began serving at Baptist Temple as a youth in the bus ministry. Along with adults, she went out on Saturdays to visit the families who were picked up in Baptist Temple’s bus. She was also active in GA’s where she learned to love God’s word and to share God’s love with others. Her passion for music came from being a part of the very active youth choir at Baptist Temple. 

After high school, Melissa was told by her mother that she had three choices: get a job, get a college scholarship, or go into the military. With no job skills and no response to her applications for scholarships, her only choice was to join the army. It was there that she met the love of her life, Billy. They married and celebrated 38 years together until his death in 2013. 

From her childhood, Melissa dreamed of traveling, but that had to wait. It wasn't until her youngest was in high school that she was started on the path to international travel. She and her family hosted 13 exchange students over the years, some for just a few weeks, but most for 10 or 11 months. She made many lifelong friends who have opened their hearts and homes to her on several trips to Europe. The students she hosted and gotten to know over the years have made a lasting impression on, and have forever changed, the way that the Baxter family looks at the world. 

Melissa has three grown sons, Billy, Brandon and Brad, all of whom grew up in Baptist Temple. She has five grandchildren. Two of them, Landen and Sydney, often accompany her on Sundays. 

Melissa and Billy were coaches of the youth volleyball teams and played on adult softball and volleyball teams. Melissa has taught Sunday school, from the nursery level through adult, and loves to serve wherever there is a need. Her ministry extends to her work environment as well. She leads a Bible study each week for her coworkers.  

Having served a year-long internship, Melissa was ordained as a Deacon on May 27. She is an exemplary servant of Jesus Christ, encouraging the sorrowful, visiting the sick, recruiting and developing leaders, serving wherever needed and supporting all the ministries of Baptist Temple. 

Deacon spotlight: Ernest Cruz

Guest Blog by Robert Newman

Ernest Cruz is our current Deacon Chair. He was raised in a Christian home with five brothers and a sister; attending Prospect Hill Church of God.

Ernest’s love of music was inspired by his brother, Robert, and his sister, Bertha. He excelled at playing the trumpet at Brackenridge High School, starting his first band in 1973, but had no real success. Not knowing what else to do, he joined the Marines in 1974.

While in the Marines, Ernest was quickly promoted to Lance Corporal. He was stationed first in Washington DC, then at Camp David under President Ford. Ernest tried out for the Marine Corp Band, but was not accepted.

He was discouraged by his lack of music education and, on returning to San Antonio, he enrolled at St Mary’s University, where he majored in music and minored in education. While there, he met many local artists, and joined and soon took over his second band, “Amity Band”. He then began a long, hard road of success and failures in the music industry.

Ernest played in bars, clubs and private parties, and soon found work as a DJ. In a world of dark and dangerous situations, sin filled his disappointing life. His first marriage ended because of the musician’s lifestyle

His parents never gave up on him. They prayed continuously, knowing that Jesus was his only hope. When he met Charlotte, Ernest's father helped both Ernest and Charlotte commit completely to the Christian life. They were married at Hot Wells Baptist Church, and became immersed in church life.

It was while Ernest was at Hot Wells that he started his music ministry and taught himself to play the guitar. God eventually led Ernest and Charlotte to Baptist Temple, where he leads the band. Ernest wrote the words and music to the song, “Welcome to the House of the Lord”, which he often sings to start the service.

Ernest was ordained a deacon at Baptist Temple, and has served as the Deacon Chair for the past three years. He also leads worship and preaches at the Lighthouse Rescue Mission downtown.

Ernest is a living testimony of how the power of prayer can take a life that is out of control and change it to a life of service to God.

The Deacon Family Ministry Plan

The early church ran into a conflict that threatened to destroy the fellowship. It was believed that the food rations for the widows were not being distributed equitably. The problem was so significant, that the Apostles were brought in. (Acts 6)

The Apostles instructed the church to select seven of their number, known for their spiritual maturity and wisdom, to coordinate the distribution of food. These seven deacons would take direct care of the people and the Apostles would dedicate themselves “to the ministry of the Word.” They had three duties: take care of the widows, protect the harmony of the church, and support the leaders.

The results of this calling-oriented, gifts-based teamwork are recorded in Acts 6:7, “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Deacon ministry is as needed today as it was in the First Century. In order to ensure the best care for our membership, we are instituting the Deacon Family Ministry Plan at Baptist Temple. Each deacon will directly care for an assigned a group of families. They will be the first line of ministry to their families.

Another significant move will be the recognition of the currently serving deacon's wives as deacons in their own right. The level of caring expected of our deacons will often require woman to woman ministry. Deacons are usually accompanied by their wives on hospital calls and other visits and often are the ones who make calls and write letters. Their acknowledgment is long overdue.

Ongoing training will enhance our deacons' ministry. Classes will include understanding life stages and using the Bible to help people during crisis moments. Prayer and spiritual development will also be part of a deacon's continuing education.

Loving the unlovable

Mark 1:40-42
 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 

Leprosy was a particularly horrible disease in the Bible. There was visible deterioration and open sores and it was untreatable. Insult was added to injury as the leper was cast out of society; away from his home, his family and his friends. The the loneliness & isolation seem worse than the disease itself. The smell, the deformity and the fear of contamination made a leper untouchable and unlovable. In fact the very word leper is still synonymous with untouchable.

Unexpectedly, Jesus reaches out and touches the leper. We know that he could have healed the man without touching him. He healed the servant of a Roman officer and a Syrophoenician woman's daughter from a distance. Jesus' touch showed genuine love and may have been as important as healing for this leper. 

Jesus showed love to other untouchables including the woman at the well, tax collectors and those who were demon possessed. Jesus loved them all; reached out to them all.

Some of the unlovable people we encounter in our desire to minister to the community include those who look, dress and act differently than us. Then there are the immoral (especially those whose behavior we find particularly distasteful.) Also, there are some who just have poor manners. The latter also can appear ungrateful.
 

Ministry in the name of Jesus includes serving the unlovable, the untouchable and the ungrateful. Jesus said, “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mt 20:28, TLB).

It is normal for Christians to serve those outside the church. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” (James 1:27, NIV).

Acts of kindness demonstrate God’s love in a practical way and builds bridges to the lost. Jesus identified devotion to him with service to others especially ministry to the least in society. That means giving to those who cannot give back. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5: 43, NIV).

Remember when you get tired of giving and not getting back and being the object of gossip by those you help; remember that when you love the unlovable, when help the ungrateful, when you pray for those who hurt you, you are most like Jesus.

When we serve others we are most like our Lord

I recently performed a graveside service for one of our church members. I never met her as she had been in a nursing home in another city for many years. Her children had moved away decades ago and only a few church members remembered her.

Her daughter told me that she and her mom appreciated the cards and newsletters that had been sent over the years. It kept her connected to the love of her church and reminded her of the love of our Lord.

Caring for our shut-ins, widows and sick is a major part of the ministry of Baptist Temple. Our deacons and their wives take the lead but other partners in this task include our Seniors Ministry, Sunday School and Youth. These caring individuals make hospital visits, send cards of encouragement, make minor repairs, clean homes and yards, visit the home bound and so much more.

A few years ago one of our Sunday school teachers was concerned that an elderly class member was absent. She never missed class and was not answering her phone. A home visit after church that Sunday revealed that the woman had fallen and injured herself. The Sunday school teacher's timely visit, saved the woman's life.

The Bible is filled with admonitions for God's people to care for widow's and orphans, visit the sick, and remember the elderly. This type of ministry is vital to the life of a church.

A widow once told me that she had once been very active in her church but, when her husband became sick with the ailment that eventually took his life, she had to cut back her involvement. Her church friends kept up with her for awhile but began to drift away as they became busy with their own lives. She was eventually forgotten and, after her husbands death, she never went back. She was not bitter; it was just one of those things.

In order for such a ministry to function, it must be intentional and keep the group from becoming focused on side issues that are less important.

1. Mission Statement: There must be a clearly stated mission to care for the widows, single moms, elderly, home bound and hospitalized.
2. Encouragement: Testimonies from individuals who are performing this ministry will serve as role models and encourage others.
3. Training: Regular training in such areas hospital visitation, counseling, conflict resolution, understanding the needs of the elderly, grief, etc. will improve the ministry.
4. Accountability: Members of this ministry need to report on activities and hold each other accountable.
5. Record Keeping: A list of home bound is a minimal requirement to help ensure that no one is forgotten. Other records include visits made, cards sent, elderly and single moms needing help with house repairs and cleaning.

When we serve others we are most like our Lord.

  

 The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."  Matthew 25:40

Frontline caregivers

In Exodus 18 we learn that Moses dealt with his endless counseling needs by enlisting the help of qualified people. He set up one leader for every ten and set up a chain of support for groups of 50, 100 and 1000. Moses would handle the tough cases.

The same principle can help a growing church to meet the needs of its members better than a frantic pastor trying to chase after every pain and problem. The New Testament (written before we had paid, professional clergy) encouraged believers to minister to one another.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up… 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Sunday school teachers, small group leaders and deacons ought to be trained as the frontline caregivers. The tools of the Christian caregiver are the Bible, prayer and listening.

More about Basic Caring Skills