A team from Lancaster Baptist Church and I, along with a few other pastors, were able to participate in the twenty-seventh annual Pastors’ Conference at the Ilo Ilo Baptist Church in the Philippines, September 19-21.

The trip began with a layover in Seoul, Korea, that included two hours of training for pastors as well as a wonderful service at the Bible Baptist Church. A good number of pastors were in attendance for the training sessions at which I was privileged to speak. We were able to encourage those present to continue reaching out for souls and developing a strong missions program. The message emphasized the importance of maintaining strong conviction while doing the work of the Lord. On Wednesday morning the group traveled to Ilo Ilo and was greeted by monsoon rains! Dr. Rick Martin and his church family did a wonderful job hosting the conference. There were a number of missionaries and a few other churches from the United States represented.

The primary purpose of this conference was for the eight hundred plus senior pastors who came to receive training. I preached on Wednesday night a message entitled “Stephen, a Man Full of Faith and Full of the Holy Ghost.” On Thursday, other pastors and I conducted training sessions. I preached a message on seven principles for building a team concept within the local church. The premise of this lesson was: “Strong convictions precede great actions.” I challenged the pastors to remain strong in their convictions in order that they might do great things for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The meeting concluded on Thursday evening as I preached a message, challenging the pastors and Christian workers to build strong soulwinning churches in their cities. Despite torrential rains, several thousand people sat with tremendous attentiveness to hear the preaching of God’s Word for many hours throughout the conference. It was truly humbling to see the dedication and desire on the parts of the Filipino Christians!

One of the great highlights of the trip was for the group to meet Brother Clark and Rachel Graham. Clark and Rachel are graduates of West Coast Baptist College and Brother Clark grew up at Lancaster Baptist Church. Along with their children, Charlie and Shannon, they are serving the Lord there in Ilo Ilo with Brother Rick Martin. Brother Clark’s father, Curtis Graham, was also able to be a participant on the trip.

Lancaster Baptist Church supports over 170 missionaries. Presently, the church supports more missionaries to the Philippines than any other field. We recognize the great opportunity to reach souls for the Gospel in this open area, and the church family is happy to be involved in supporting these wonderful missionaries.

Training national missionaries has been one of my passions for several years. I have conducted Spiritual Leadership Conferences in Asia and I count many of these pastors as dear friends and co-laborers for the Gospel ministry.

As the group traveled home, the final layover was in Beijing, China. During our brief stay in Beijing, we were able to meet with a number of American missionaries and Christian servants who are serving in China.

Two of the men who are working with house churches had police officers in their services the previous Sunday telling them to disband their services. While many thought the Chinese would be less active in hindering the works of Christian ministry in China prior to the Olympics, it seems just the opposite is coming to pass. The missionaries with whom we met seemed very concerned about this pattern.

Another one of the highlights of the time in China was meeting a Christian business man whom I was able to lead to Christ, personally, several years ago here in Lancaster. He was able to host the group and provide a meeting space where I shared in a time of prayer and devotions with a good number of Christian workers. Please pray for these who labor to share the Gospel in the needy land of China.

On Saturday, our group flew home and was able to arrive in Los Angeles that same evening and be present for church services on Sunday.

We believe missions is truly the heart of God and it is a special joy to encourage missionaries as they labor for the Lord!

Just over a week ago, I had the privilege of spending several hours with Dr. Don Sisk, as we waited for his dear wife, Virginia, to come through brain surgery. Mrs. Sisk had been told a few days prior that there was a tumor on her brain that would require removal.

Thousands of people around the world were praying and by the grace of God, the tumor has been removed and Mrs. Sisk has begun on the road to recovery.

Dr. Sisk has been a great motivating and mentoring influence in my life since 1991. As a former missionary to Japan and General Director for Baptist International Missions Incorporated, he has seen thousands of people saved literally around the world. He and Virginia have traveled to dozens of countries preaching the Gospel and encouraging missionaries.

The last several years they have been members here at Lancaster Baptist. I must say they are some of the sweetest members I have ever pastored! Dr. and Mrs. Sisk are faithful soulwinners and real Christians. So many times I meet people who feel they have come to a place in their lives or ministries when they can “take a pass” on the basic things of the Christian life. Dr. and Mrs. Sisk have remained faithful well into their seventies in the areas of soulwinning, tithing, forgiving, serving, and loving the Lord Jesus Christ.

We often talk about the “greatest generation.” When we do, we speak of the men and women who served in World War II and helped rebuild America during that era. I believe we must tip our hats today to those who have served the Lord in ministry during the same long period of their lives. Thank you, Dr. and Mrs. Sisk, for your faithfulness!

I was talking with my wife Terrie this morning and she shared with me that the Ladies Bible Study began with nearly two hundred ladies in attendance. Terrie loves the fall season, and she has always enjoyed teaching God’s Word to children and ladies.

This morning I had the privilege of teaching soulwinning principles to a wonderful group of pastors in the state of South Carolina. This was a Striving Together Meeting hosted by Pastor Brent Armstrong.

I always miss my wife and family when I am preaching, but it is a joy to know that we are laboring together for the Lord, as we teach His Word and encourage His people.

As our assistant pastor, Brother Jeremy Whitman, helped me this morning, we were able to encourage God’s people through teaching and through a video presentation about West Coast Baptist College.

This Friday, I will have the privilege of teaching the Practical Theology class of West Coast Baptist College, and then of course, the joy of preaching and teaching God’s Word at Lancaster Baptist on Sunday. Second Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Thank you for your interest and prayers in our life and ministry as we labor to teach God’s Word in this needy hour.

As we enter this thirteenth year at West Coast Baptist College, I recently spent some time to reflect on the some of the basic core values that were important as we established this institution thirteen years ago. I shared these principles recently with our staff and some college supporters, and I thought I would share it with you today.

Greetings from Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College! We are praying that God will bless your fall season of ministry with His power and with many souls for the harvest!

This year, West Coast Baptist College enters its thirteenth year of ministry. We are thankful to the Lord for His blessings and the privilege we have to enter into the labors of hundreds of pastors across America as we train the next generation of Christian leaders for the glory of God.

As we entered the “teen years” of the college, I recently shared ten core values with our staff and faculty which we have emphasized throughout the years and will continue to emphasize in the days ahead.

A college is a place for learning. We have done our best to develop strong academic standards, but I am convinced that without a Bible-based philosophy of education, academics alone will never bring revival to our land.

As you pray for the ministry of West Coast Baptist College or consider sending young people to this place, it is our heart’s desire to communicate to you the values and principles that are emphasized here for the purpose of glorifying God.
The ten core values I recently reviewed with our staff are as follows:

We must uplift sound doctrine.
1 Corinthians 14:8 — For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

We are committed to rightly dividing the Word of Truth in the pulpit and in the classroom. We believe biblical preaching will present strong doctrinal content in a fashion which is not confusing. Furthermore, we will not follow the current trends that diminish doctrine in order to make the truth palatable to the unregenerate man. It is vital that we teach and preach sound doctrine, which includes our biblical Baptist distinctives and the biblical principles for ecclesiastical separation.

We must emphasize servant leadership.
2 Corinthians 4:5 — For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

We believe in the biblical role of the pastor as the overseer of the church. We also believe that godly pastors should follow the example of our Lord Jesus (Philippians 2:6-7), by modeling servant leadership in their congregation and in their communities.

We must model Christian teamwork.
Philippians 1:27 — Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

It is imperative that we recognize God’s desire for us to strive together, as a team, for the faith of the Gospel.

As a college we must strive together with the home pastor.

It is our belief that we are entering into the labor of the home pastor. We will not attempt to replace his role in the lives of the students. We are privileged to have great influence on the lives of the college students, but we are not the only influence.
Furthermore, we must have a spirit of teamwork with the parents of the students. The parents who send students to this college deserve to hear from us when their students excel or have a trial.
Finally, it is our desire that the students will observe—in our faculty and church family—the joy of serving together as a team in ministry.

We must strive for biblical balance in ministry.
Proverbs 11:1 — A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
All of us have observed the tragedies of imbalanced lives. We believe that Jesus Christ must be at the center of all Christian ministry. It is our desire that the Word of God will bring a proper balance into the lives of our students. We will do our best to balance grace and truth, rules and relationships, holiness and helpfulness, and doctrine with obedience.

We must maintain sincere approachability.
Titus 1:7 — For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Self-willed leadership is limiting and unapproachable. We believe spiritual leaders in this era must be easily approached. It is our desire that pastors know we want their input, and we welcome their phone calls. Furthermore, we want students to sense that they can come and ask questions or seek counsel throughout their years at West Coast Baptist College.

We must model consistent soulwinning and discipleship.
Matthew 28:19-20 — Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
We believe soulwinning is not only to be “taught,” but it must also be “caught,” as the leadership provides the example in faithfulness. Therefore, as a college, it is our philosophy that the faculty will model soulwinning through their faithful, weekly involvement in reaching others. We have no interest in lifting up musicians or theologians who are not actively involved in reaching the lost. It is our desire that instructors be soulwinnners who bear fruit that remains. Furthermore, it is our prayer that these soulwinners be motivated by the Holy Spirit as He develops a disposition of compassion and faithfulness within their hearts for the Saviour.

We must cultivate hearts for God.
Psalm 57:7 — My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
While we do not apologize for the old-fashioned guidelines and rules that exist on our Bible college campus, we also must not be so foolish as to believe that outward conformity will lead to a spiritual heart. Our primary goal is not outward conformity. Our primary goal for West Coast students is that they would have yielded hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that they would leave West Coast Baptist College “doing the will of God from the heart” (Ephesians 6:6).

We must model Christian living before our students.
Philippians 4:9 — Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
We believe in the necessity of modeling the Christian life and mentoring our students in the service for the Lord. It is vital that our students observe the leadership around them “doing the work of God.”

We must lovingly lead our families.
1 Timothy 3:4-5 — One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Ephesians 5:25 — Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

We want our college students to see that God requires ministry families to be spiritually healthy and vibrant. Let us remember that our first ministry is in the home—to our spouses and children. We do not believe the concepts of a vibrant, growing church and a loving family are mutually exclusive.

We must walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We cannot, by ourselves, produce the fruit that evidences mature Christianity. Each of us must yield to the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is a holy life, and as we endeavor to take the “high road” in the Christian life, we will only find true success in the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit. We must be dead to self in order to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit. We will walk in the Spirit as we die to self, yield to God’s Holy Spirit, and emphasize the necessity of spiritual music in our lives.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but I do believe it shares the heart and core values of the ministry at West Coast Baptist College. This is a local church Bible college. It is a place where students learn the truths of God’s eternal Word and then experience those truths in the local body of one of America’s dynamic, soulwinning churches.

I truly covet your prayers as we plan to occupy the new academic building on October 12. This building will house nearly one thousand students per hour and will allow us to continue training young people in this needy day.

Thank you for your kindness in reading this lengthy letter. Your faithfulness to the Lord and prayer on our behalf are greatly appreciated. May God richly bless you as you serve Him!

For the Faith,

Dr. Paul Chappell
President

Terrie and I enjoyed a different Labor Day yesterday. Our married children, Larry and Danielle, spent the day with their spouses, and our younger children, Kristine and Matt, traveled with the student body from West Coast Baptist College to the Los Angeles Angels baseball game in Anaheim. Terrie and I stayed at home with our dog Krispy and Danielle and Peter’s dog Rusty. We enjoyed time together and caught up on some reading, fellowship, and rest. Terrie loves tennis so we also watched some of the US Open.

Amongst the top stories of the day was the President’s visit to Iraq. I was glad he was able to support our troops, and I pray daily for our President and the troops. The press emphasized the fact that the President’s trip was very secretive. His arrival in Iraq was sudden and unexpected. I certainly understand the security purposes for a surprise visit and I appreciate our President’s desire to maintain peace here in our homeland.

As I heard about his trip, I immediately thought about the return of our Lord for His bride. His return will be unexpected by the saved, but I pray we as believers will be ready!

1 Thess 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

May God bless you today!

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