BA1-2010 EN

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Nº 1/2010

May 2010

New Begginings...On its February 27

thmeeting, the Board of the Azorean Baptist Association decided to

resume the publication of this associative bulletin, whose edition was suspended in 2006. In

order to accomplish this, the Board has decided to accept my offer to ensure its realization.

I did not make this offer lightly, either because I like to suffer or have a crush on unfeasi-

ble projects. I did it, because I think that a Newsletter which combines Information and Re-

flection has its place and is a useful vehicle for the spreading of knowledge, even in these

days of increasingly digitized and shared information, shared with light speed velocity, with

“Internet”, “Facebook”, ”Twitters” , “Hi5's” and so on ... (not everyone has access to these

new technologies and a sheet of paper, like it or not, is an effective way of sharing informa-

tion).

If nothing else, because having arrived recently to this denominational and associative

reality, I know I still have much to learn about our reality as Baptist Churches in these Azor-

ean islands. Incidentally, and just out of curiosity, I even liked to be able to do a simple sur-

vey among members of our churches in order to know how many members of our communi-

ties have a notion, even if dim and diffuse, of the reality experienced by the “other”, the otherbrothers and sisters members of other Churches in our Association. I am sure that, except for

some (few, very few ...), most would not have much to say about this.

However, knowing the other and share their life and simultaneously the life of Christ is

the greatest challenge to a voluntary project which aims to “... the development of the Baptist

work in the Azores, through the implementation of common purpose activities leading to the

maintenance of the associated churches and the promotion of the Evangelical worship, Mis-

sionary Work, welfare, care and education,” (Chapter I, Article 3, A.B.A. By-Laws).

It is part of our foundational values, as Baptists, the notion of the fullness of the Local

Church as the full expression of what is the intention of Jesus when He spoke of and estab-

lished His church (Matthew 16:18). However, being faithful to this biblical standard does not

exempt us to recognize, embrace and cultivate the cooperative and associative matrix whichis also the hallmark of Churches which follow the New Testament model.

Today, the struggle that we, as believers in the Lord Jesus face in these islands is some-

thing that we can enjoy better, if we can recognize that we’re not alone in this fight. How

many times, the Holy Spirit of God works in us, showing us that others, living under the

same circumstances, fighting the same struggles than us are conquerors through Him who

loved us?!?

To know more, to grow up stronger, it’s challenge that lays before us, Baptists believers in

the Azores. This is what I intend to facilitate trough the edition of this Bulletin, as long as

this is the wish of our Association Board. And I don’t expect to do it alone, by myself! The

pages of this bulletin are open to all those who want to collaborate, within our associative and

doctrinal standards, even if in this first issue, there has been only a “volunteer” whose work is on the second page.

In the Master's service,

Sérgio Paulo S. Furtado, pastor, Baptist Church in Ribeira Grande

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P a g e 2 O B a p t i st a A ç o r ia no M a y 20 1 0

The Honor in Sharing LivesPastor Ruben Jorge M. Couto Evangelical Baptist Church in Praia da Vitória

So, what turns a baptist into a baptist? (Part I)Pastor Sérgio Paulo S. Furt ado Baptist Church in Ribeira Grande

In recent months, the Baptist Church in Praia da

Vitoria lived some very special moments of its exis-

tence. In about a six months interval , we’ve experi-

enced the departure for the Lord of three of our mem-bers - brother Alvarino, sister Natividade and brother

José (Massa Cevada). At first glance, it may seem

inappropriate to write a text for the “O Baptista

Açoriano” on the death of church members. However,

I feel I must share with you some of the thoughts and

feelings that these occasions have made us live. First

of all, I want to stress the honor that is the fact that we

can share each other's lives. The life we have is un-

doubtedly the most precious gift we received initially

from the hands of the Lord. Then, for all those who

have already delivered this life in the hands of theSavior, it is assumed a greater gift from the love of

God, eternal life itself. And the fact is that God gives

us the privilege and honor to be able to take part in

the lives of each other. The joys we live together, the

moments of pain, of learning and growth, struggles,

victories, failures, and so on, make our lives inter-

twine one with the other, so that we no longer get to

see ourselves closed and isolated individuals but as a

real live and fully connected body! At the moment

when the departure of one of the members of this

body happens, no doubt suffering touches all othermembers in a more intense way. However, simultane-

ously, the intertwined lives establish a true tapestry

where those who suffer most are received and in-

volved. I could see this network of links between the

members of this body, in each of these situations of

pain and longing. And I could see how God used

these links to bless all the members and therefore the

whole body. For this reason, I am grateful to God, not

only for the fact itself, but also for allowing me to be

part of this unique organism.

One of the texts that most vividly touched me in

recent times regarding the departure of the servants of

the Lord is found in Psalms 116:15: “Precious in the

sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” There

are few things in the Bible referred to as “precious in

the sight of the Lord.” No doubt that this expression is

loaded of a deep sense of inestimable value, almost as

if it were a valuable treasure the departure of the

saints of the Lord. The time when each one of theseservants departed was the last step of their walk close

to God. With this departure, we have the culmination

of a unique intimacy with the Father. For these broth-

ers, nothing will be the

same as before, nothing

will be more transient,

nothing will be more

painful, nothing will be

more difficult, because

the sublime presence of

God involves and fills insuch a way that we can

only imagine. No wonder

that God declares the pre-

ciousness of the moment

of their departure. When

we speak of the departure

of men and women of

God, we are not referring

to a misfortune, a tragedy

or some kind of loss. Not

at all! The departure of one of the Lord’s saints is

not a disgrace, nor some-

thing to regret. It is some-

thing very precious and

with all the value in the eyes of God. To leave with-

out God, that’s rather a disgrace and something

deeply regrettable.

To share life with these (and others) that departed

in the Lord and have been honored with an experience

as close as their departure has been and always will

be something that marks my life and this church in-

delibly. Let us praise the Lord, each day, for who we

are and by those with whom we share our lives with

and for the lives of those who already are with our

Father.

“Precious in

the sight of the

Lord is the

death of his

saints.”

Psalms 116:15

I’m sure that it’s public knowledge that I was born into

the world and to the Faith in Jesus Christ within the Evan-

gelical Presbyterian Church and that now, thanks to a bib-

lical reflection and intellectual awareness I’m integrated

in the service of a local Church inserted in the commun-

ion of the Baptist Churches.

When on October 31st 2009, the First Evangelical

Baptist Church in Ponta Delgada and the community I’m

serving, the Baptist Church in Ribeira Grande, decided to

join together to celebrate the “400 Years of Baptist Wit-

ness in the World”, I was asked to make a presentation on

the topic.

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P a g e 3O Ba p t i st a A ço r i a no M a y 20 1 0

Now, this was a moment of challenge and discovery.

Challenge, because it led me to pursue the path of intel-

lectual inquiry and discovery, because I came to better

understand the richness of a church tradition of which, I

confess, I didn’t had a very deep knowledge.

At the time, and after annoying the worship partici-pants for about an hour with the historical path that led to

the emergence in 1609, of the first church that we can

properly designate to be a Baptist church, I finished my

presentation with a question: “So, what turns a baptist

into a baptist?”

The answer, I’ve presented it in the form of an expla-

nation of those who are generally known as the “Biblical

Distinctives of Baptists,” i.e., biblical doctrines consis-

tently maintained and asserted by Baptist Churches inde-

pendent of each other and conjoined together in a com-mon witness of the Gospel of Jesus.

We all know that as Evangelical Christian Baptists,

there is a common heritage of biblical doctrines that unite

us to all other Evangelical Christians regardless of de-

nominational origin.

Among these is the Inspiration and Authority of the

Scripture, the Virgin Birth of Jesus, His eternal Godhead,

His vicarious death, His bodily Resurrection and His Sec-

ond Coming.

There are, however, specific biblical doctrines thatBaptists assume and that have marked its history on the

last 400 years. That was the personal learning I did during

the preparation of this Worship Service and I want to

share them here, with you.

I do so with the notion that today, there are voices be-

ing raised against an emphasis on the doctrinal tenets of

our denomination. There are brothers who think that by

highlighting what sets us apart and particularize, this

weakens our witness, causing isolation and sectarianism.

There are others still who express concern that when we

state In what we believe, this will stop us to the show In

Whom we believe.

I do not think so. Rather, I believe that in this global-

ized world without barriers of ours, it’s important to re-

spect our past, the path to which we are debtors, which

was passed over to us by others. Not because this way

makes us better and more deserving than others but be-

cause it is the fruit of a sincere and honest biblical reflec-

tion and, in the limit, points not to our Baptist denomina-

tion as the center of everything, but for Jesus!

Or, if you will, as once said the great servant of God

from the past, the Baptist pastor and preacher of great

power, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, on March 25, 1861 in

the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle of London: “I

am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist;... I do not

hesitate to take the name of Baptist; but if I am asked

what is my creed, I reply, ‘It is Jesus Christ’... Christ Je-

sus, who is the sum and substance of the gospel; who is in

himself all theology, the incarnation of every precioustruth, the all-glorious personal embodiment of the way,

the truth, and the life.”

In this spirit of acceptance of the past and in it sup-

porting our future, I share briefly those who are Biblical

Distinctives of Baptists, reserving for a later occasion fur-

ther reflection of each:

I: The Authority of the Bible - the Scriptures of the

Old and New Testaments are the sole and final authority

in all matters of faith and practice.

II: The Local Church Autonomy - the local churchis an autonomous body, answering only to the Lord Jesus.

III: The Universal Priesthood of Believers - every

believer is a priest and may enter directly into God's pres-

ence through the High Priest Jesus.

IV: Two Ordinances - the Believers Baptism by im-

mersion and the Lord's Supper.

V: The Individual Soul Liberty - everyone is free to

choose their religious choice and nobody should be

forced. Freedom does not preclude accountability before

the Creator.VI: A saved and baptized membership - in the local

church, membership is restricted to those who give a testi-

mony of personal faith in Jesus Christ and publicly iden-

tify with Him by Baptism.

VII: Two Ministries - Pastors and Deacons are the

two biblical ministries. Both exist in the local church and

don’t have hierarchical characteristics.

VIII: The Separation of Church and State - God

established the church and civil government and gave

them distinct spheres of action and intervention.

In his letter, the apostle Jude wrote in verse 3: “... I

was constrained to write unto you and exhort you to

contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.”

I am increasingly convinced that the time we live in, is

a time to fight for the Faith and the Truth that is Jesus.

Looking back and to the (brief) history of Baptist

Churches, I look to the past in the context of the present

struggle and positive affirmation of our faith - a time both

inspiring and challenging to our courage and boldness to

assert, without hesitation, that only Way is Jesus!

The way we tread this path, that way we receive from

those who walked it before us in faith and remained faith-

ful. That we might be faithful, too.

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Board MeetingHélia Relvas Pereira Board Sexretary

The Azorean Baptist Association (ABA) was officially organized in 1978 due to the vision

of the Azorean Baptist Church, who in 1974 wrote to the Foreign Mission Board in Rich-

mond, Virginia, asking them to send a missionary to the Azores. The Foreign Mission

Board then contacted the Board of Missions from the Brazilian Baptist Convention. That’s

how the Souza family came to us, and so become the pioneers of the Baptist work in the

Azores. This family came to the island of Terceira in November 23, 1974. I thank God for

their obedience and faith that led them to leave their land and embrace a completely un-known culture. (Note that in 1974 there was no internet , and they were unable to find any

references to the Azores quickly!)

My first memory of watching and participating in the Assembly as a ABA messenger, had

I about 15 or 16 years, and I learn a whole new and fascinating world! The Evangelical Baptist Church of Praia

da Vitoria prepared itself to receive all the messengers of the members’ churches. It was a lot of effort and work

in the preparation of all the details and to receive the brothers. I remember walking back and forth to serve, to

get it, to do it ... ah... new legs that could run!

In the Assembly were the church leaders who founded the association: Pastor Francisco de Souza, his wife

Marcia de Venturini Souza and their children, the pastor of the Church of Faial, at the time, Francisco Nico-

demos Sanches and his wife; Lucy Guimarães who was at the time missionary in Ponta Delgada; also present

other brothers, members of local churches, for whom, too, all this was completely new.The environment was rich in heated discussions of ideas and opinions, bold projects were proposed and you

could perceive the different visions of how some projects should be undertaken ... Anyway, I was so captivated

that now, at 47 years old, yet here I am, and now, as President of the Board. I have witnessed and participated as

a messenger in all Assemblies since.

Having this job is something I must confess, was never in my horizons. Although I had plenty of experience

as a messenger, I am aware of the responsibility I have towards our brothers and before God: – to be faithful to

Him, honoring Him as He deserves, just do His will, meet Him and embrace His work!

In Isaiah 42:12 we read: “Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.”

Let us all together, my dear brethren of the churches here in the Azores, glorify the Lord and continue to pro-

claim his praise in the islands...

Declaring His Praise in the IslandsDélia Roxo Silva Board President

On February 27th, met for the first time the Board of the Azorean Baptist Association, elected at the last Gen-

eral Assembly in July 2009. Among the subjects discussed at this meeting, we note:

- The work of the various associated churches proceeds as planned, with moments of conquest but also of

occasional difficulty. We emphasize the working with couples and catechumens in the Evangelical Baptist

Church of Horta, the growth of Sunday school classes at the Evangelical Baptist Church of Praia da Vitória and

also the work with the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Central Europe and the involvement of the Azorean

Baptist Church in it. The Board became aware of the change of pastoral ministry in the Evangelical Baptist

Churches of Angra do Heroísmo and of Praia da Vitória. An invitation was made to a worker to assume the pas-

torate of both these two churches, and an answer his expected soon. Although it does not seem for the time be-

ing necessary, the Board expressed its support in principle to provide financial assistance for the livelihood of the worker, if requested by the churches and the need arise. The First Evangelical Baptist Church of Ponta

Delgada is also faced with the urgent need to carry out works in his temple, which will somewhat constrain, for

some time, their involvement in the association work. In the Evangelical Mission of Graciosa, the work still

proceeds satisfactorily, having been present for Christmas Worship Service around 30 people.

- As a project for the immediate future, it has been

approved the idea of a Youth Camp at the Azores, to

be held between 12 and 16 July, prior to the conveying

of this year General Assembly. The details will be

worked out by Pastor Rui Sabino and a formal ap-

proval will be made at the next Board meeting.

We hope to continue to serve the Lord and also tobe able to count with the prayers of our brothers for the

work in which we serve the Lord Jesus.

Property of the Associação Baptista Açoriana (Azorean Bap-tist Association)Edition: Board of the Azorean Baptist AssociationResponsable: Pr. Sérgio Paulo S. Furtado

Headquarters: Rua da Estrela, 41; Santa Cruz9760-455 Praia da Vitória, Azores, PortugalContacts: 919 194 966 [sister Délia Silva, Board President]E-mail: [email protected]: www.conceptus.net/aba

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