Following is an email that was sent by Randy White: Pastor of the First Baptist Church - Katy, Tx to Greg Warner at apbnews.com regarding Bob Reccord.

From: Randy White
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 10:51 PM
To: greg@abpnews.com
Subject: Bob Reccord

Greg;

Your article today about Bob Reccord was pure “politics of personal destruction”. Who would not think that more than a year after leaving NAMB Bob Reccord would not be accepting speaking engagements in local churches, and that those local churches would not generously give honoraria and love offerings.

You know that what Reccord has done in his speaking since NAMB is completely normal and that what Calvary Baptist Church did in taking a love offering was completely customary. I would suppose you have received love offerings and honoraria yourself, and would continue to do so even if you left ABP with a handsome severance.

I encourage my church to give generously for love offerings for visiting preachers. When we do not take a love offering, I give a very generous honorarium from our church budget. I do so regardless of what kind of salary (or severance) the individual may have from their church or
denominational entity. This is the right thing to do.

Your article should have been praising Bob Reccord for being willing to go to smaller congregations to preach the Gospel after having opportunities to speak to tens of thousands. Too many, after serving “in the temple holy” never again go in “the homes of the poor and lowly”. Rather, your writing used the size of the congregation to make a snide remark. Shame on you for showing disrespect to the tens of thousands of congregations the size of Calvary that are being used of God to win our nation to Christ.

This kind of vindictive, agenda-driven “journalism” is unbecoming of you and of Associated Baptist Press. Bob Reccord and the Calvary Baptist Church deserve an apology.

In His Grace;
Randy White,
Katy, TX

By: Robert Tenery

Thanks Dr. Reccord for a Celebrate Life weekend that made a difference at Calvary Baptist Church! The changes for good that took place in our Church were very obvious:

(1) I saw the attitude of an entire church change as they came to the real conviction that they can and must be the church in this area and in this era in which a correspondent of the New York Times and a Harvard Divinity School graduate has just written a book entitled, “American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America”. It is a cynical book that compares Evangelical Christians in America to the old Nazis in Germany. While us older Christians know better the young people do not remember the days of Hitler and the Nazis but we have a new determination to minister in a cynical world.

(2) I saw Church Members wiping tears as you promoted the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions and shared with the people in such a touching way some of the things that were done by the Annie Armstrong Offering.

(3) I saw individuals come to Christ when they realized that the life with Christ is the only life worth living and the only journey worth taking is the one we take with Him.

(4) I saw a new warmth of fellowship within our church and a new caring for those outside our church. Our people developed a new commitment to “go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in”.

I appreciate your spirit. I never heard you utter a word of bitterness but only uplifting words of encouragement and challenge to be all that God would have us to be and all that we can be through Him. You have made a difference in our church that will not soon be lost.

by: Bob Reccord

For several years now I have been watching with saddened amazement at the press, the growing realm of blogs, and public communication in general. It seems we as a society have not only shifted, but perhaps more accurately, been swept in a “mud” slide into a focus on what’s wrong with something or someone. And no one is immune…especially if someone is in any leadership role. Look at our President, our Attorney General, those running for either Democratic or Republican presidential nominations, local state or municipal leaders, or even NFL coaches (whom I am told now have about an average stay of two years!). What a pressure cooker of negativism we live in these days. As one person recently said, “It is much easier to find fault than anything else in life.”

The blogs world is burgeoning but I notice that much of what is written on many of them is acidic, pejorative, and demeaning. As it has become so epidemic we now have a term for it…”ranting on the blogs.” Since when was “ranting” about anything a character trait to be treasured and sought?

There just seem to be some people who are born in the objective case and the kickative mood! We had one of those (a reporter) call our home recently. My wife answered and found every question from Mr. Warner laced with innuendo, assumption of the negative, aggressive and accusatory. And the amazing reality was that the subject matter he was probing was and issue regarding a church’s autonomy, not a press issue! And the last time we checked, the churches in our denomination are fully autonomous. She felt like saying, “How dare you invade the privacy of my home and address me with an attitude of superiority and condescension.” But, catching herself and being unwilling to lower herself to the reporter’s level, she turned the conversation to a totally positive direction…

“Let me tell you of some wonderful life-impact that happened recently in a ministry in the church you mentioned. Wouldn’t you love to write about that?

No answer!

“By the way,” she asked, “who was the last person you shared Christ with and what was the outcome?”

Stammering, he could only say, “That’s not what this call is about.”

“Why not,” Cheryl replied, “isn’t that what Christians should be talking about with each other…changed lives?”

No answer!

So, we all have a basic decision to make. Are we going to be part of the problem or part of the solution? James 1: 26 warns, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” Are you willing to help turn the tide? Let’s start finding what’s right…what we can build up…what is good! And let’s not allow anyone to get us off task!

Author: Unknown

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college.

He is brilliant, kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion When the minister gains control, he says, “What I’m about to preach,
you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.”

“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!”

by: Bob Reccord

In a previous post I shared about the joy I had speaking to leaders on mentoring. My outline actually used the word M-E-N-T-O-R as an acrostic of key components to effective mentoring. Allow me to share one with you that I share with them…

M—MAKE INVESTMENTS THAT COUNT

In speaking and pouring into the life of another, it is key that the one being mentored is hungry to learn.

Have you seen the movie Zorro with Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins? Hopkins believes that Banderas can succeed him as Zorro….but he realizes the young man has a lot to learn. Asking if he knows how to use a sword, he watches amused as Banderas shows off with his sword…all motion with not much skill. Then, like lightening, Hopkins easily knocks the sword out of Banderas’ hand…and with a sigh mutters, “This is going to be a looooooong process!”

But then he utters a line that captured my attention, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” When the student is ready…that is key to mentoring. That person needs to feel they want to improve, grow, deepen and stretch in their life and leadership arenas…and that they want someone who is a few steps further down the road of life and leadership to help the get there.

Tim is one of those. He called me about 3 years ago and asked if I would consider mentoring him. I was shocked. He lived 5 hours from my home!! As we talked and I raised the challenges involved, he committed to drive with his wife and kids to my home monthly! And that he did…for two years!!!! Cheryl and I were able to pour into their lives…and they poured into ours. Today, he is a GREAT friend, a partner in ministry and hardly two weeks go by that he is not calling and encouraging me!!

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear!” Who is ready…right where you are? Then what are you waiting for?

by: Bob Reccord

This weekend I have been in a semi-rural church in the Salisbury and Winston/Salem area of North Carolina. Great folks! Salt of the earth! And the backbone of faith in America. This is what constitutes the foundation of our land.

One man has imprinted himself on my mind. His name is Larry, 61 years of age, who walks with a cane. But as he told me his story, I stood amazed…

When Larry was growing up his step-father was an alcoholic constantly beating Larry. Many were the days when Larry wore a jacket just to cover the blood that seeped from the wounds left by the attacks. But it was as a young teenager that, in a drunken rage, he placed a .22 caliber gun between Larry’s eyes. In fear Larry turned his head as the gun discharged, hitting him in the temple area. He would lay for hours before being discovered and rushed to the hospital. He showed me the entry wound.

For 32 days he would be in a coma. When he came around it was his faith in Christ, whom he had accepted at age 9, that got him through. BUT…he lost his right eyesight. As a result he never learned to read…until he had a daughter, who couldn’t read either. When asked by a teacher to help his daughter learn to read he had to embarrassingly admit he could not either. So…at 53 years of age Larry entered the battle to learn. After starting in 1999, four years later, he had won the battle. Not to coast, he began his GED, and in 2004, to the pride of his daughter—and Larry himself—he graduated. Now, at 61, Larry’s next goal is to go to college! At 61 years of age!!! You’ve got to love it!!

Now he speaks at schools and events telling his story and encouraging others that, with faith in our Lord Jesus, there is nothing that is impossible. And speaking of Jesus, Larry says the best part of everything is that he can now read the Bible for himself.

So, what do you know that God is calling you to do—but you’ve been telling yourself, “it’s too late,” or, “I’m too old… too young….too ill-equipped …to do? Maybe, like Larry, you just need to get started, and see what only God, through you, can do!

Thanks Lord, for the hope found in a story like this. I trust it has been a HOPE PACKAGE for you, today! How about it?
(For the complete story be sure and visit www.salisburypost.com and look in archives for article titled “What a Diploma Means”)

by: Bob Reccord

Driving through the green pastures and rolling hills of central Georgia in the early fog-drenched morning Friday, I couldn’t wait to arrive at my destination. A bucolic retreat center that is also a working ranch, would serve as our home away from home for the day.

I was meeting with leaders from well-known programs that build into the lives of kids, student leaders and adults through programs such as camps, marriage retreats, student leadership programs…just to name a few. They were being pulled together by my friend John White. And the topic: mentoring the nest generation. A topic I love and try to actively participate in as much as possible.

As we gathered around a conference table with a view through the windows of hundreds of acres of cattle, deer, wild turkey and goats it was like escaping to another world (especially from the norm of car-clogged Atlanta!!!!). We dove into 2 Timothy 2:1-5. There Paul implores Timothy to pour his life into the lives of others, just as Paul had poured his into Timothy. Then, in context, Paul reminds him that this is not easy work. He likens it to the discipline needed by a soldier, the tenacity and focus of a trained athlete, and the perseverance of a farmer. Above all, mentoring has to be intentional…it doesn’t just happen.

And I was reminded how glad I am that people like Bill Hogue, Roy Fish, Bill Bright, Leighton Ford, D. James Kennedy and Jack Johnson intentionally invested in me.

So, here’s my question. Who are you intentionally investing in according to the instruction of Paul? And if it takes you a while to answer….then why not start now? After all, all you need to mentor is a heart for God, an intentional focus, a person who is hungry…and for you to be only a step ahead of where they are in their journey. Try it….it’s one of the best experiences you’ll have.

More tomorrow.

By: Dr. John Hull

My friend Bob Reccord is a world-class Christian leader!

His experiences - from a local church pastor to denominational executive, to parachurch visionary - are a great gift to the Kingdom. Bob has the capacity to identify with people’s needs, give them hope and most importantly, give them the plan they need to make their lives better. Bob is a people developer! He inspires and equips. He listens and evaluates
before offering a solution. In addition, he is one sensational communicator!

I consider Bob a friend and mentor. I value his advice and his thinking. He makes me better when I’m with him. And when I am with him, I feel accepted and respected. He has a big vision to help others in North America and around the world with the values and virtures rooted in faith, hope and love.

Bob is sterling in character, compassionate in heart, and joyful in spirit.

Dr. John Hull
President/CEO
EQUIP - John Maxwell, Founder

by: Bob Reccord

If you play athletics, you’ve heard the term. Sweet spot. In Tennis, the sweet spot is the area of the string bed that produces the best combination of feel and power. In life, your sweet spot comes when your gifts, passions, calling, and opportunities come together and you feel as though, w/ God’s help, you are operating in “your zone.” You sense that you’re doing what you were born to do.

This weekend, I had that kind of experience. It began in the small town of Jessup, Ga where I spoke to a fund-raising dinner for the local CareNet Crisis Pregnancy Center. I realized anew as I spoke that helping women make the choice for Life is so incredibly important. We were thrilled to see that this center will probably make their goal—which will enable them to continue to minister to women in crisis and literally see lives saved…both babies and mothers. That’s worth everything.

From there, I traveled to Asheville, NC, and both spiritually and literally had a “mountain-top experience.’ Speaking to and engaging with almost 500 men from the eastern part of North Carolina and surrounding states about core issues that every man deals with absolutely energized my soul. I readily admitted that I was not one who had all the answers, but had found THE ANSWER as a fellow struggler, in Jesus Christ.

Sunday morning was capped by a Lord’s Supper remembrance. Following this celebration, we invited every father and son present together to come forward so that Ken Smith, a wonderful friend and fellow speaker, and I could pray for them specifically. I wish you could have seen it. Men poured forward. Some were three generations together!! I’ll never forget one man helping his dad out of a wheel chair and helping his dad make his way down the steps to the front…leaning his weight on his son. What a picture. Tears flowed down my face…and Ken’s…and it was one of the most powerful times of commitment I have been involved with in a long time.

And, God in his kindness had some of His own be an encouragement for me–, here are some excerpts from the emails in my inbox:

Subject: Thank you for this weekend!

Bob,
Yes, God was the highlight of this weekend. Yet, I have come to know and Love Him again with all my heart through your works. I am SO excited about my renewed desire to grow in love and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for providing me with the message that rearranged my priorities……

It is rare to meet one who really connects to your heart immediately. You do. I will always remember this weekend and the words and emotion we shared. Perhaps we met so that I can connect and feel a pull that I can serve God fully again. I was overcome with powerful emotion last night when I recalled the Payne Stewart illustration last night….. I sat back and reflected a minute while they were playing and felt I am finally heading back in the right direction.
Love, your new brother in Christ!

-Mark

From: Andy
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 11:13 AM

Bob,

This email comes with many thanks and prayers that God will continue to use you in a powerful way as He did this past weekend…… Bob, you are truly a gifted speaker and a powerful communicator, and God has used you to touch and move others in ways that you’ll never know about.

Thank you Bob, for allowing God to use you in a mighty way to change the lives of many, including my own. (1 Cor 1:9.) I pray that your ministry will be blessed and that we will share some time together in the future.

-Andy

by: Bob Reccord

This last weekend I found myself in one of the most beautiful after of the country…Ashville, North Carolina. And at a beautiful and breathtaking retreat center. And men from across eastern North Carolina, and several states (including California) flooded into a Spring Men’s Conference led by two of the finest men I know…Leon and Joel. Just under 500 of them.

And we got down to business. We dealt with issues like “When Your Outgo Exceeds Your Intake” in life, and “Forgiveness.” Issues that men struggle with all the time. Going, going, going….and not taking time to refuel. And holding hurts, grudges, wounds, and memories that have left the soul battered and bruised. The need to forgive fathers who hurt us…intentionally or unintentionally. Forgiving business colleagues who let us down. Those who threw mud with us as the target. Family members who left us hanging on broken dreams and hopes…which they had helped fracture.

And we focused on Finishing Well….making it to the finish line so that the Master can say “Well done!” But that takes some intentional decisions now…so that we can be standing strong then.

And men responded overwhelmingly. One said, “I have be able to forgive others but this weekend I have been able to forgive the hardest person to forgive…me!” Another said, “I almost didn’t come…just due to some last minute tension in my family. But I came any way…with some of them…and accepted Christ’s invitation to be part of His family. And that’s going to change my family.” And a doc said his whole priority system experienced an “extreme makeover” and that is already impacting his family!

The hills were indeed alive…with the presence of God impacting lives. How has He impacted you lately? Even if you haven’t been in the hills!