Good and Faithful Servant' Year in Review: Church in America, by Allie Martin and Jody Brown, Agape Press, December 30, 2005

Good and Faithful Servant'
Year in Review: Church in America

By Allie Martin and Jody Brown
Agape Press
December 30, 2005

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/302005c.asp

(AgapePress) - Dr. Adrian Rogers, a three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and pastor emeritus of the 28,000-member Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis, Tennessee, went home to his eternal reward on Tuesday (Nov. 15). Tributes are pouring in from around the United States for the man many credit for helping the SBC remain faithful to its conservative roots.

Dr. Rogers, 74, passed away on Tuesday after battling cancer and double pneumonia. He had been hospitalized earlier this month for treatment. In addition to pastoring Bellevue for 32 years, he also founded Love Worth Finding Ministries, which produces broadcasts heard on Christian radio and television stations around the world. Bill Skelton, executive vice president of Love Worth Finding, says Rogers wanted the broadcasts to continue after his home-going.

"He told me a short time ago, 'You know, Bill, when my time comes, don't grieve for me -- I'll be kicking up gold dust.'" Skelton recalls fondly. "So he left a wonderful legacy behind.

Dr. Adrian P. Rogers

"The Bible says to whom much is given, of the same shall much be required. And so the board of directors and staff of Love Worth Finding are committed to keeping this broadcast on the air as long as God provides the platform," he continues. "And as long as there are unsaved souls throughout the world, we are committed to doing everything we can to reach them for Christ."

The LWF spokesman says Rogers had one main goal in ministry: to preach the full gospel of Christ. "He never preached a message that there wasn't a gospel invitation -- nor have we ever broadcast one on radio or television where there wasn't that opportunity for people to pray to receive Christ," says Skelton. "Christ was his vocation and avocation, and he pursued it with excellence all the days of his life."

Dr. Rogers' body lies in state this evening (Wednesday) and Thursday afternoon at Bellevue, and a memorial service is set for 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.

A 'Gentle Giant' of the Faith

Fellow Southern Baptist Dr. Richard Land describes Rev. Rogers as "one of the giants of the faith of any era of the Christian church."

"[He] was perhaps the last half century's premier example of an expository preacher who used his gifts to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ and His victory for humanity on the cross," Land says in a press statement. "If there were a Mount Rushmore for Southern Baptists, Dr. Rogers would certainly be on it."

Tony Perkins of Family Research Center in Washington, DC, recalls Rogers' involvement with a simulcast produced from Bellevue Baptist. Perkins describes Rogers as a "gentle giant" who had the God-given ability to make one feel good just by being in his presence.

"His thundering voice captivated millions as he stood uncompromisingly for the truth and led untold numbers to the cross of Jesus Christ," writes Perkins. "Yet I've watched him as he took the time to express genuine interest in those he did not know as they shared with him matters of importance to them."

Perkins adds: "There is no doubt that the joy of the Lord was his strength -- and as a result of his life we are all stronger in our faith."

The founder and chairman of Concerned Women for America, Beverly LaHaye, echoes Land's and Perkins' sentiments. "Adrian Rogers was a true spiritual giant," she says. "[His] life and ministry were a blessing to many."

And Dr. Janice Crouse with CWA offers praise for Rogers' role as a stalwart leader in the battle for conservative values. "He dramatically encouraged one of the nation's top churches back to its foundational faith and brought the passion of a prophet to his leadership of the [Southern Baptist] Convention," says Crouse. And to many, she adds, "he modeled excellence in ministry and an exemplary personal life."

Adrian Pierce Rogers is survived by his wife, Joyce, four children and their spouses, nine grandchildren -- and his first great-grandchild, who was born on November 14.