People You Should Know #7 "John Newton"

John Newton
REFORMED SLAVE TRADER


“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”


It is probably the most famous hymn in history:

  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
  that saved a wretch like me.
  I once was lost, but now am found,
  Was blind but now I see.

Though some today wonder if the word wretch is hyperbole or a bit of dramatic license, John Newton, the song’s author, clearly did not.

Slave trader
Newton was nurtured by a Christian mother who taught him the Bible at an early age, but he was raised in his father’s image after she died of tuberculosis when Newton was 7. At age 11, Newton went on his first of six sea-voyages with the merchant navy captain.
Newton lost his first job, in a merchant’s office, because of “unsettled behavior and impatience of restraint”—a pattern that would persist for years. He spent his later teen years at sea before he was press-ganged aboard the H.M.S. Harwich in 1744. Newton rebelled against the discipline of the Royal Navy and deserted. He was caught, put in irons, and flogged. He eventually convinced his superiors to discharge him to a slaver ship. Espousing freethinking principles, he remained arrogant and insubordinate, and he lived with moral abandon: “I sinned with a high hand,” he later wrote, “and I made it my study to tempt and seduce others.”
He took up employment with a slave-trader named Clow, who owned a plantation of lemon trees on an island off of west Africa. But he was treated cruelly by Clow and the slaver’s African mistress; soon Newton’s clothes turned to rags, and Newton was forced to beg for food to allay his hunger.
The sluggish sailor was transferred to the service of the captain of the Greyhound, a Liverpool ship, in 1747, and on its homeward journey, the ship was overtaken by an enormous storm. Newton had been reading Thomas a Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ, and was struck by a line about the “uncertain continuance of life.” He also recalled the passage in Proverbs, “Because I have called and ye have refused, … I also will laugh at your calamity.” He converted during the storm, though he admitted later, “I cannot consider myself to have been a believer, in the full sense of the word.”
Newton then served as a mate and then as captain of a number of slave ships, hoping as a Christian to restrain the worst excesses of the slave trade, “promoting the life of God in the soul” of both his crew and his African cargo.

Amazing hymnal
After leaving the sea for an office job in 1755, Newton held Bible studies in his Liverpool home. Influenced by both the Wesleys and George Whitefield, he adopted mild Calvinist views and became increasingly disgusted with the slave trade and his role in it. He quit, was ordained into the Anglican ministry, and in 1764 took a parish in Olney in Buckinghamshire.
Three years after Newton arrived, poet William Cowper moved to Olney. Cowper, a skilled poet who experienced bouts of depression, became a lay helper in the small congregation.
In 1769, Newton began a Thursday evening prayer service. For almost every week’s service, he wrote a hymn to be sung to a familiar tune. Newton challenged Cowper also to write hymns for these meetings, which he did until falling seriously ill in 1773. Newton later combined 280 of his own hymns with 68 of Cowper’s in what was to become the popular Olney Hymns. Among the well-known hymns in it are “Amazing Grace,” “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,” “O for a Closer Walk with God,” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.”
In 1787 Newton wrote Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade to help William Wilberforce’s campaign to end the practice—“a business at which my heart now shudders,” he wrote. Recollection of that chapter in his life never left him, and in his old age, when it was suggested that the increasingly feeble Newton retire, he replied, “I cannot stop. What? Shall the old African blasphemer stop while he can speak?”


Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 88-90.

People You Should Know #6 "Richard Baxter"

Richard Baxter
MODERATE IN AN AGE OF EXTREMES


“I preached … as a dying man to dying men.”

Richard Baxter never received a higher commission than that of parish pastor to loom workers in Kidderminster. Still, he was the most prominent English churchman of the 1600s. He was a peacemaker who sought unity among Protestants, and yet he was a highly independent thinker—and at the center of every major controversy in England during his lifetime.

Nonconformist who sought unity
Born in Rowton to parents who undervalued education, Baxter was largely self-taught. He eventually studied at a free school, then at royal court, where he became disgusted at what he saw as frivolity. He left to study divinity, and at age 23, he was ordained into the Church of England.
Within the Anglican church, Baxter found common ground with the Puritans, a growing faction who opposed the church’s episcopacy—and was itself breaking into factions.
Baxter, for his part, did his best to avoid the disputes between Anglicans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and other denominations, even convincing local ministers to cooperate in some pastoral matters. “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity,” he was fond of saying.
The interest in cooperation was not due to a lack of conviction. On the contrary, Baxter was opinionated in his theology, which was not quite Separatist and not quite Conformist. Among his more than 200 works are long, controversial discourses on doctrine. Still, he believed society was a large family under a loving father, and in his theology, he tried to cut between the extremes. He eventually registered himself as “a mere Nonconformist” (“Nonconformist” was a technical term meaning “not Anglican”), breaking with the Church of England mainly because of the lack of power it gave parish clergy.

Persecuted moderate
Baxter also found himself as a peacemaker during the English Civil Wars. He believed in monarchy, but a limited one. He served as a chaplain for the parliamentary army, but then helped to bring about the restoration of the king. Yet as a moderate, Baxter found himself the target of both extremes.
He was still irritated with the episcopacy in 1660, when he was offered the bishopric of Hereford, so he declined it. As a result, he was barred from ecclesiastical office and not permitted to return to Kidderminster, nor was he allowed to preach. Between 1662 and 1688 (when James II was overthrown), he was persecuted and was imprisoned for 18 months, and he was forced to sell two extensive libraries.
Still, he continued to preach: “I preached as never sure to preach again,” he wrote, “and as a dying man to dying men.”
Baxter became even better known for his prolific writing. His devotional classic The Saints’ Everlasting Rest was one of the most widely read books of the century. When asked what deviations should be permitted from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, he created an entirely new one, called Reformed Liturgy, in two weeks. His Christian Directory contains over one million words. His autobiography and his pastoral guide, The Reformed Pastor, are still widely read today.
“The Gospel dieth not when I die: the church dieth not: the praises of God die not: the world dieth not: and perhaps it shall grow better,” he wrote near the end of his life. “It may be that some of the seed that I have sown shall spring up to some benefit of the dark unpeaceable world when I am dead.”


Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 86-87.

People You Should Know #5 "Ambrose of Milan"

Ambrose of Milan
MOST TALENTED BISHOP OF THE EARLY CHURCH


“When we are speaking about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ.”

“When we speak of wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking about Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. When we are speaking about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ.” So wrote Ambrose, bishop of Milan, biblical exegete, political theorist, master of Latin eloquence, musician, and teacher; in all these roles, he was speaking about Christ.

Arrested career
The first Latin church father from a Christian family, Ambrose was also born into power, part of the Roman family of Aurelius. The pope and church dignitaries visited his parent’s home when he was a child, and he was a governor in Italy’s northern provinces before the age of 30. As he was sent, the prefect gave him a word of prophetic advice: “Go, conduct yourself not as a judge, but as a bishop.”
Indeed, even as governor he had ecclesiastical problems to deal with. Orthodox Christians and Arians were practically at war at the time. Ambrose was no friend of the Arians, but he was so well regarded that both sides supported him. When the bishop of Milan (an Arian) died, Ambrose attended the meeting to elect a replacement, hoping that his presence would preempt violence between the parties. Much to his surprise, both sides shouted their wish for him to be their replacement.
Ambrose really didn’t want to be an ecclesiastical leader; he was doing quite well as a political one. And he hadn’t even been baptized yet! But the people wrote to Emperor Valentian, asking for his seal on their verdict. Ambrose was placed under arrest until he agreed to serve.
If the Arians had hoped to gain favor by supporting Ambrose as bishop, their hopes were soon dashed. The new bishop was as orthodox as could be, and he soon took the Arians to task. He refused to surrender a church for use by Arians, and he wrote several works against them, including On the Faith, The Mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation, and On the Holy Spirit.
Having been trained in rhetoric and law and having studied Greek, Ambrose became known for his knowledge of the latest Greek writings, both Christian and pagan. In addition to Philo, Origen, and Basil of Caesarea, he even quoted Neoplatonist Plotinus in his sermons. He was widely regarded as an excellent preacher.
In many of those sermons, Ambrose expounded upon the virtues of asceticism. He was so persuasive that noble families sometimes forbade their daughters to attend his sermons, fearing they’d trade their marriageable status for a life of austere virginity.
One piece of his pastoral advice is still universally known: “When you are at Rome, live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere, live as they live elsewhere.”
Ambrose also introduced congregational singing, and he was accused of “bewitching” Milan by introducing Eastern melodies into the hymns he wrote. Because of his influence, hymn singing became an important part of the Western liturgy.

The emperor repents
Ambrose’s most lasting contribution, though, was in the area of church-state relations. He wrestled with three emperors—and won each time. His relationship with Theodosius, the first emperor to try to make Rome a Christian state, is the most well-known example.
In 390, local authorities imprisoned a charioteer of Thessalonica for homosexuality. Unfortunately, the charioteer was one of the city’s favorites, and riots broke out when the governor refused to release him. The governor and a few others were killed in the melee, and the charioteer was freed.
Fuming, Theodosius exacted revenge. He announced another chariot race, but after the crowds arrived, the gates were locked and the townspeople were massacred by the emperor’s soldiers. Within three hours, 7,000 were dead.
Ambrose was horrified. He wrote an angry letter to Theodosius demanding his repentance. “I exhort, I beg, I entreat, I admonish you, because it is grief to me that the perishing of so many innocent is no grief to you,” he wrote. “And now I call on you to repent.” He forbade the emperor to attend worship until he prostrated himself at the altar.
Theodosius obeyed, marking the first time church triumphed over state.
In that event, Ambrose introduced the medieval concept of a Christian emperor as dutiful “son of the church serving under orders from Christ.” For the next thousand years, secular and religious rulers struggled to determine who was sovereign in various spheres of life.
Though there is some question about the historicity of Theodosius’s famous statement, “I know no bishop worthy of the name, except Ambrose,” the emperor continued to hold the bishop in high regard and died in his arms.
“I confess I loved him, and felt the sorrow of his death in the abyss of my heart,” Ambrose eulogized.
Two years later, Ambrose himself fell gravely ill. The worries of the country were expressed by one writer: “When Ambrose dies, we shall see the ruin of Italy.” On Easter eve, 397, the man who had been bishop of Milan for more than 23 years finally succumbed.
Only one name is more associated with Ambrose than Theodosius’s, and only one student outshined this teacher: Augustine. The skeptical professor of rhetoric had gone to Milan in 384 to hear the bishop’s famous allegorical preaching. By the time he left four years later, he had been baptized by Ambrose and given a philosophical basis he would use to transform Christian theology.












Mark Galli and Ted Olsen, 131 Christians Everyone Should Know (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 80-83.

The few people who pass through La Gloria, Texas on Hwy 755, nearly 50 miles South of Hebbronville seeing only the community post office, a closed gas station, several houses, a sign pointing the way to the local church, and the requisite small town sampling of horses, dogs, and roosters probably have no idea of the excitement generated in the Santa Maria Bullring three weekends early each Spring. The small dusty South Texas town hidden away in the mesquite and prickly pear comes alive with shouts of "El Toro!", and "Ole!" when the Matadors come to town!

The bullring sits behind the Post Office and is owned and operated by La Gloria resident Fred Renk. Renk, the father of David "El Texano" Renk, the only American bullfighter to confirm his status as a matador at the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, raises the fighting bulls and secures some of the most successful and famous matadors from across Mexico to perform at Santa Maria Bullring. The Mexican fighting bulls are selected primarily for strength, vigor, intelligence and their aggressive behavior with little or no provocation. Fighting cattle are recognized for their elegant stature. The Toro has a long curved neck and holds its head very high. The breed it noted for its superb agility, and the long slender legs allow it to generate remarkable speed (faster than a quarter horse at 100 yards). Fully mature bulls weigh about 1100 to 1600 lbs.

Renk has successfully taken this spectacle on the road pitting man against beast in venues such as the Houston Astrodome. Saturday, May 7th, at 6:30PM the contest will be played out at the Poteet Strawberry Festival Arena. Sponsored by Cowboy Fellowship of Atascosa County in celebration of their 8th Anniversary, tickets for the event will be only $5.

Featured matador of the evening will be one of Mexico’s idols of the bullring, Matador Enrique Delgado. Known by aficionados as “El Cicion de Monterrey” or “The Cyclone of Monterrey,” Delgado received his promotion to full matador at the hands of the great Eloy Cavasos and was witnessed by the great Spanish matador Nino de la Capea. Delgado has faced bulls in all of the major plazas in the Republic. On the webpage of Texas Bullfights.LLC, Delgado refers to his style of bullfighting as “the ballet of strength”. He adds, “The power and strength of the toro, and the frailty of the matador standing still and controlling this power with a cloak and stick, this is the art of the spectacle.”

A twist on the standard bullfight is that bullfights in Texas must be "bloodless" meaning that the matador must exhibit the typical bravery, flexibility, cunning and stealthy athleticism of traditional bullfighting. Plus he must show great courage in leading a dangerous, aggressive animal around a bullring to exhibit his skill and capework for several minutes before facing the animal to remove a bouquet of roses from its back that symbolizes the “kill” since bulls may not be slain or even struck in the United States. Spectators at the event can expect to cheer on cue to the rhythm of the Paso Dobles, the bullfight music playing in the background, as they listen intently to the gems of bullfighting knowledge imparted by Fred Renk, and Pro-Rodeo Hall of Fame announcer Hadley Barrett.

Barrett has been awarded PRCA Announcer of the Year numerous times, has worked many National Finals Rodeos, National Finals Steer Roping, and the Canadian National Finals. He had announced more major pro rodeos than even he can remember, including San Antonio and Houston Rodeos. He has been an NFR television announcer since 1980. Barrett's easily recognizable "voice of rodeo" will also guide spectators through the antics and heroics of American Rodeo Style Bullfighters who will be on hand to add their own type of life risking chills and thrills to the event as several American Style Bullfights are to be held throughout the evening. So mark you calendars and plan to attend an event that is yet another FIRST in Atascosa County. Practice up on your calls of "El Toro" and "Ole!" and prepare to throw your loudest gritos!

2010 WORLD CHAMPION FREESTYLE BULL FIGHTER TO COMPETE
2010 World Champion Freestyle Bullfighter to perform May 7 in Poteet
Cowboy Fellowship is hosting one of the most unique sporting events ever to come to Atascosa County. On Saturday, the audience will get to see two premier events. Starting at 6:30 PM , this event promises a night of pure excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat title at the Poteet Lions Club Arena located at the Strawberry Festival Grounds on Hwy 16 South. A bloodless bullfight with matador Enrique Delgado known as the Cyclone of Monterrey will fight three bulls and between his bullfights, the audience will experience a freestyle bullfighting competition.
Freestyle bullfighting is a style of bullfighting developed in American rodeo. The style was developed by the rodeo clowns who protect bull riders from being trampled or gored by an angry bull. Freestyle bullfighting is a 70-second competition in which the bullfighter avoids the bull by means of dodging, jumping and use of a barrel. One of the American freestyle bullfighters that will compete at the Bullfight event is Evan Allard.
Evan Allard is from Vinita, Oklahoma. He graduated from Oklahoma State University and works as a transmission electrician for Kamo Power Company when he is not fighting bulls. Evan always wanted to be a bullfighter. "Nobody in my family was big into rodeo and it's something I wanted to do. I finally started when I was 16 and my mom sent me to the Sankey Rodeo School. " The Sankey Rodeo School works with young and old cowboys in all aspects of what it takes to be successful in the rodeo business. Each student works with bucking stock to best fit the age, experience, athletic ability and goals of the participant. The only limitation to how many bulls they ride is their physical condition, ability and attitude. The school's motto is -Rodeo is NOT T-Ball!.
In just a few years, Evan has become one of the premier athletes in freestyle bullfighting. He was the 2009 and 2010 Thunder Equigames Champion. Staying mentally prepared is a key to his success. He practices with a fighting dummy, but he watches video tape and goes over each fight in his mind to prepare for each fight. His amazing athletic ability combined with mental alertness ensures that the audience is in for a fantastic show.
To relax, Evan plays a lot of ping pong. His dad plays Olympic level ping pong and there is a group that gets together every week. Competition is in his blood and he loves the thrill of the game whether it is fighting wild bulls or playing ping pong!
Bring your family and friends to see Evan perform at the Bullfight on Saturday in Poteet. Gates will open at 5:30. Seating is first come first serve. Parking is free. Admission is $5 per person aged 10 and up. No alcohol or ice chests will be allowed. Concession stand will be available during the show.

Egg Hunt!!!

Tyanna is looking forward to the Cowboy Fellowship Easter Egg Hunt to be held Friday, April 22nd at the Jourdanton City Park at 6:30 in the evening! Bring your baskets and join the fun! Hunts will be divided by age. It's all FREE and there will be plenty of fun, candy, and eggs for all!!! Please feel free to invite your friends and spread the word.

BOOST 2011 brought a fun and information filled weekend to Cowboy Fellowship. Participants were treated to the music of 'Branded' and fun times of fellowship accompanied by tasty meals and treats. The event schedule was packed with sessions that delivered on the promise of education, growth, and connection. Classes were led by Bill Claiborne, Bill Bryan, Jimmy Smith, Gene Wilkes, Joe Santee, Scott Willingham, and the members of Branded, as well as our own J.D. Dunson, John Elmore, Adam Shelburne, Scotty Smith, and Pete Pawelek. BOOST originated several years ago as a forum to train, encourage and promote unity in purpose among the leadership of Cowboy Fellowship, and has since grown to include anyone who would like to attend. This year's event drew attendees not only from among the ranks of Cowboy Fellowship, but from other cowboy churches as well.