wfn.org | AMERICAN BAPTIST NEWS FOR JULY 2, 1997

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American Baptist News Service_____________________
Office of Communication / American Baptist Churches USA
P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851
Phone: (610)768-2077 / Fax: (610)768-2320 
Richard W. Schramm, Director (E-mail:
RICH_SCHRAMM.PARTI@ECUNET.ORG)

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UPDATE: JULY 2, 1997
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o  Dr. Gordon E. Smith has announced that he will retire
as executive director of The Ministers and
Missionaries Benefit Board (M&M) on Dec. 31, 1997, a
position he has held since 1990.  Smith began his
M&M service as assistant treasurer in 1975 and was
elected treasurer in 1977.  While continuing to serve as
treasurer, he was appointed deputy executive director in
1986.  Smith hold degrees from the American Baptist
Seminary of the West (B.D. and Th.M.) and Sioux Falls
College (B.A. and D.D.).  He also completed the
Advanced Management Program of Harvard University's
Graduate School of Business Administration.  Following
graduation from seminary in 1952, Smith served on the
administrative staff of two American Baptist seminaries,
American Baptist Seminary of the West and Central Baptist
Theological Seminary.  For the 12 years prior to
joining M&M he was director of Education and Development
of the Baptist Hospital Fund, Inc., of St. Paul,
Minn., which sponsored Midway and Mounds Park hospitals. 
Commenting on Smith's retirement, M&M
President Mary H. Purcell, said, "During Gordon Smith's
tenure, innovative changes were made to better serve
members.  This required difficult but necessary
decisions.  He provided steady, solid leadership
throughout this
period in spite of personal tragedy and prolonged
illness.  Gordon Smith will be sorely missed by the Board
of
Managers and staff."  American Baptist Churches General
Secretary Daniel E. Weiss said, "Gordon Smith has
provided outstanding service and leadership within the
American Baptist Churches.  Gordon is a close personal
friend as well as a partner in ministry, and his
colleagues on the National Executive Council join me in
thanking
him for his service and wishing him many fulfilling and
happy years of retirement."

o  In a joint address at the International Ministries
Luncheon at the Biennial Meeting in Indianapolis June
27, Desmond Hoffmeister, general secretary of the Baptist
Convention of South Africa, and Terry Rae, general
secretary of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa, shared
about their journey toward reconciliation.  The Baptist
Convention, comprised primarily of black Africans,
withdrew from the predominantly white Baptist Union in
1986 because of apartheid within the union.  The struggle
toward repentance and forgiveness has been facilitated
in part by prayer conferences and meetings sponsored by
both the Southern Baptist Convention and American
Baptist Churches USA.  Of these meetings, Rae said:
"Des[mond Hoffmeister] and I met each other as we met
with God.  It was a moment in which our bitterness and
anger dissolved as we met together at the feet of our
Lord Jesus.  And we forgave one another just as God in
Christ forgave us.  It was a moment...that I will never
forget...our praying together has brought new hope for
the future."  Rae also remarked, "Thank God for the
prayers of Christians around the world for us and our
country, divided on the basis of race.  Thank God for
sanctions against South Africa which hurt both black and
white economically.  Blacks suffered most, but knew
how to survive because of the hardships they were used
to.  Whites didn t know how to survive.  Thank God for
our first democratic elections in 1994....  Thank God for
Jesus who breaks down dividing walls."  Commenting
on the now unified South Africa, Hoffmeister said: "We
are here today to say that we appreciate the support of
the international community....  The precious gift that
we have is a gift from God....  Today Terry and I stand
here as citizens of one united, democratic South Africa,
under one constitution, defended by one army,
supporting one team, having one parliament, under one
flag, and just one president....  We call that the South
African miracle."

o  Dr. James W. Didier, president of American
Baptist-related Judson College in Elgin, Ill., has
announced his
intention to retire by June 30, 1998.  Didier's career at
Judson has spanned 30 years.  He began there in 1967 as
dean of student affairs.  In 1980 he was named executive
vice president, in which position he directed
institutional planning and assumed additional
responsibilities for the college's daily operations. 
Didier succeeded
Dr. Harm A. Weber as president in 1992.  During his
five-year tenure the school inaugurated the AIM program,
a degree completion program for adult students; student
enrollment has doubled to 1,200; and several buildings
and other facilities have been renovated.  This fall
Judson will launch a bachelor's degree program in
architecture, the only program of its kind in the
95-member Coalition for Christian Colleges and
Universities.
Dr. Roy R. Carpenter, chair of Judson's Board of
Trustees, commended Didier for "outstanding leadership
during
a critical growth period."

o  Word has been received that the Rev. Leonard
Ballesteros, who has served as an area minister and
coordinator of Hispanic Ministries for the American
Baptist Churches of New Jersey, was hospitalized June 29
and is being treated in a cardiac care unit.  He is
expected to remain hospitalized for at least two weeks. 
ABC
of New Jersey Executive Minister Roy Medley has requested
that messages and cards be sent to the region
office, 3752 Nottingham Way, Suite 101, Trenton, NJ
08690-3802; phone (609)587-8700; fax (609)587-7474.

97U72(E)_________________________________________________
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