Dr. Louis C. Baldwin

Why Fundamentalism Needs COEBA
Sermon preached by COEBA Founder, Dr. Lou Baldwin
July 8, 1999

I believe, without a doubt, Fundamentalism needs COEBA.  There's just no question about that.  For me, the most difficult thing is trying to get Fundamentalism to understand that it needs COEBA.  I was talking to several preachers, even last night. Some people get it, and some people just don't.  But we just keep trying, keep hoping and keep praying, that, eventually, we will all get it.

In my past twenty-three years of being a Fundamental, Independent Baptist Christian and preacher, I have never considered myself an expert on Fundamentalism.  I do believe I'm as "fundamental" as any preacher in here.  But I don't claim to be an expert on the church or soul winning or missions or anything like that.  But there's one area that I believe that I excel in, probably as much as any preacher in America, and, that is, dealing with the establishing and building of Fundamental, black churches in America.  I believe that there are some things that I can say about that, because of my experience, that even the greatest of Fundamental leaders in American would not know.  I've sat with the greatest leaders in America, and a number of them are good friends of mine.  There have been things shared with me, one-on-one, that have never been said publicly by these men.  Many of the things that I'm going to share with you today are not things that I've read in a book, outside of THE BOOK. So based on a combination of the Bible, experience, and sincerity, I want to share the subject, "Why Fundamentalism Needs COEBA."

Take your Bibles and turn with me to Acts chapter fifteen.  We church planters spend a lot of time in this book.  I'm going to begin reading in verse number one.  "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."  Look down in verse nineteen as we read, "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:"  Father, I thank you so much for the opportunity we have to be in this conference.  I thank you for the men, women and young people who have come and sacrificed to be here.  One of the purposes of the conference is that we might educate the saints as to what God is doing in Black America.

We want to encourage those servants who have stood faithful in the fundamentals of the faith.  And we want to enlist support.  So, help us in this segment to be able to share some things that will cover those areas.

Speak to my heart; challenge me; cleanse me of any sin; fill me with your Spirit; help me, I pray, to speak as you would have me to speak.  In Christ's name we pray, Amen. You may be seated.

In Acts fifteen, we see the meeting of the first church council.  Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch to give report as to what God had done with their ministry to the Gentiles.  Multitudes of Gentiles had been saved through their fervent preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, in verse one, the Bible says, "And certain men which came ...and said... you cannot be saved."  Now, this caused a problem, because some of these people felt that the Gentiles needed to do more than the Jews in order to be saved.  It brought about a dissension and a problem; therefore, a meeting took place with the leaders there.  Then Peter got up and began to speak in verses seven through eleven.  "Let me tell you something," he said, "God showed me that He is no respecter of persons.  God wants to save everybody the same way."  So Peter got up and gave his testimony as to what God had showed him back in Acts ten.  And then, after that, in verse twelve, all the multitude kept silent and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, as they declared what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.  Then Paul got up and said, "We want to substantiate what Peter said.  We went out and we started preaching the Word of God, and God brought about miracles, and multitudes of Gentiles got saved."  Paul was saying that God had authenticated what He was doing through their ministry and their lives.  Then, we find, that James, the brother of the Lord, settled the matter in verses thirteen through twenty-one.  He said in verse nineteen, "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God."  At this council, these men were establishing something - that God was no respecter of persons.  In other words, God had saved the Jews, and now he was incorporating into His church, the Gentiles.  The same Holy Spirit that had saved the Jews was the same Holy Spirit that saved the Gentiles.  The Gentiles didn't have to become Jews in order to be saved.  They simply had to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  So, as Peter stood up in verse eight, he said, "And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us."  Peter established the fact that God had put no difference when it came to salvation between the Jews and the Gentiles, and that God expected out of the saved Gentiles, the same things that He expected out of the saved Jews.

Now, listen to me very carefully as I say something that I know is true, with which most of you will probably agree.  For years, we as Fundamentalists have propagated the idea that there is a major difference between Fundamental Christianity among black people than that among white people.  Now, why that has happened, I don't know.  To be very honest, I'm not really concerned how we got there.  But I know for a fact, that we, somehow, have come to the conclusion that Fundamental Christianity, the black community and the "black church" is to be so different than that which we have in the "white church."  Now, let me say this, Fundamentalism is a Biblical philosophy, not a cultural philosophy.  I believe that with all of my heart.  There are certain things that are "Fundamental" and Christian (regardless of whether it's dealing with white people, black people, Asian or Hispanic people) that the Holy Ghost of God just does in a life that ought to produce the same results.  I believe there's no difference in God's man as a preacher.  It's not a "black preacher" or "white preacher."  It's a God-called, God-constrained, God-compelled, God-changed man.  I believe there ought to be no difference in the manual we preach.  I don't believe black folks ought to preach just John 3:16, and white folks ought to preach Genesis to Revelation.  I believe the same manual ought to be preached to all people.  Black folks ought to know how to get saved, know they're saved, know how to be leaders, know how to lead their own, know how to be soul winners, know all the things in the Bible.  I believe there's no difference.  I believe there's no difference in the mission we propagate.  I believe that in any church of any color, the mission ought to be the same.  We ought to reach our Jerusalem.  We ought to reach Judea.  We ought to reach Samaria.  We ought to reach the entire world, and of every church - whether it's in the black community or the white community - God expects the same.  I even believe that the music we project ought to have the same principles.  The melody and the message of the music ought to honor the Lord regardless of the "color" of the church. Now, if there's any difference, it may be in the means that we practice to get the job done.

God has raised up a movement called COEBA, where the preachers are Fundamentalists, the manual is the same, the mission we propagate is the same and the music we project is according to the Word of God.  Now, the means that we use may be a little different.  The means, God has raised up for the first time - and I don't mean that we're the first Fundamental black preachers in America - but this is the first time in the twenty-three years that I have been a Christian that we have had a significant effort among Fundamental black men being assisted by Fundamental preachers to go into Black America and establish Fundamental churches.  This effort exists today, and God has raised up a movement, that we call COEBA, and we are right in the middle of it.  There are other efforts that are attempting to do the same thing.  But this movement is called COEBA, and I believe it has been raised up, authenticated, set aside, put in a person's heart - this movement is of God.  I believe He has raised it up, not as a black movement, but as a Fundamentalist movement.

Because God has raised up this movement, we have an effective means for reaching forty million black people that Fundamentalism has never been exposed to or had the opportunity like it has today to get the job done.  For that reason, I believe that Fundamentalism needs COEBA.  The opportunity is here.  Now, I've preached about this many times before.  I've preached in Bible colleges, and I've preached in meetings.  I've preached the message entitled, "The Role of Fundamentalism in Black America," which starts out saying we've been given basic scriptural orders.  When you look at the Great Commission it's very clear.  I also say we have blown this sacred operation.  We haven't fulfilled it the way God gave it to us.  But I also say, we have a blessed second opportunity.  COEBA is a movement of God that has given Fundamentalism a second opportunity to do that which we have blown, even though it was very basic in the Scriptures.

Now, let me also say this, I do not believe that Fundamentalism will ever evangelize Black America without joining hands with a movement like COEBA.  I don't care if we go out into the community, put signs all over our churches that read, "We want Black people in" or "We're not prejudiced" - and, by the way, our guys preach in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, I mean, we preach in all kinds of places - and we're welcome there. That is not the problem.  The question is not whether or not black people can go to white churches. The question is whether or not black people, in large number, can be as effective for God in doing that.

Now, there are all kinds of exceptions, but we are talking about forty million people.  How can we in this little season be most effective in reaching the most people for God? How can we do it?  I'm convinced.  It can only be done when Fundamentalism joins hands and hearts with a movement like COEBA.

Now, let me give you five reasons why Fundamentalism needs COEBA.  These are reasons from my perspective.  I believe they are scriptural.  They are from experience.  I just want you to listen.  Listen to them.

Fundamentalism needs COEBA, first of all, to accomplish the Great Commission.  Now, the Great Commission is recorded five times in the Scriptures.  When Jesus Christ was speaking to his Church, he gave a mandate.  This is why, in our COEBA churches, we believe in missions.  Take Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where it is so segregated, or Memphis, Tennessee, where there are nearly one-half million black people (you can go to a community or into a shopping center in Memphis, Tennessee, where there's a Sears and a Penney's; and in all the stores, you can see that the manager is black, the sales people are black, and all the people that are shopping are black).  I've never seen anything like that in my life.  That's how segregated Memphis, Tennessee is.  Yet, Clenton Patterson in Memphis, where he's reaching black people, must tell those people who've lived that way all their lives, that the mission of the church is missions and that, "We must reach the world."  That's not an easy thing to do, but the reason he does that, is because he believes, like I believe, that nearly 2000 years ago, there was a man by the name of Jesus, Who was God, Who established His local church, and before He ascended to Heaven, looked down at that Church - not a black church or a white church, but a New Testament Church.  He told them to take this mandate of going out and preaching the gospel to every creature - not just to the blacks in Memphis, Tennessee.  Clenton Patterson has to teach that. It's the mandate given to the church by Christ, and if Clenton is going to pastor a New Testament Church, they must follow that.  The ministry of every church is to win souls, baptize the saints and teach them to serve.  But the mission of every church is to take its ministry to every person and every place.  Fundamentalism needs to realize that the Great Commission was to take care of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.  Jesus showed that five times.

Now, I believe that we, as black people, probably fit in Samaria.  And I'll tell you something. Just as those Jews Jesus time, Fundamentalism has not gone to Samaria in our time.  And the problem is that it's gotten so bad now, it might not be safe for them to go down into Samaria.  It may not even be possible to go down into Samaria.  It may not even be the best thing to go down into Samaria.  So we may have to come to the point where, like the Air Force, the Army, the Navy and Marines, we must join together to get the job done.  We Fundamental black preachers are like the Marines.  We go down into the trenches.  We need the Navy and the Army and the Air Force to bring in those attack helicopters and drop the bombs.  We'll go down into the trenches and fight the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

Now let me show you how God has prepared us and why it will work.  Look at the military when the soldiers go down to fight. The white soldiers must paint their faces and disguise themselves to get down among the enemy.  We came out naturally camouflaged to do the job.  You try to take on the enemy and go in the jungles, leaving out the Marines, and you've got big time problems.  And where we are today, in order to evangelize Black America, you need the Marines to get it done. Well, we are the Marines.  COEBA is a group of Marines that God has "camouflaged" (and, by the way, we fight very well), and we know exactly how to get the job done.  Fundamentalism needs that today.

Samaria, which today, I believe, symbolizes Black America, will never be reached by this generation unless we join hands and hearts with something like COEBA.  You know, the amazing thing about it is, I don't understand what it is that Fundamentalists fear so much about what we are doing.  I've preached in places where I'm not even allowed to mention COEBA, where you can't even deal with church planting.  Tell me what is so wrong with a group of Fundamental black Christians deciding they're going to go down in the trenches and fight and let you safely fly over in the air?  Keep in mind that when I say this, that I'm not just saying this to you.  I'm saying this on tape because we're going to send it around to every Fundamentalist to hear this.  So, I've got to get it in just right.  That's also what these other preachers are doing.  We're not just preaching to you; we're preaching to America.  And since we can't always get people to come here, we have to tape it and spend money to send it out.  But we want to get the message out.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to accomplish the Great Commission, which was given to every New Testament church by Jesus Christ.  Fundamental Baptists pride ourselves in saying we're the most scriptural, New Testament, missions-minded, missions-hearted churches in the world.  But when we look at Acts 1:8, we're kidding ourselves, if we say we have really fulfilled it.  Well, COEBA is a movement that can help us accomplish that.

The second reason I believe that Fundamentalism needs COEBA can be found by looking at Ephesians chapter two.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to help accomplish the Great Commission, and I believe Fundamentalism needs COEBA to add all races to our churches.  In Ephesians 2:12, Paul here writing to the church of Ephesus, says that, "At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."  The wall  had separated the Jews and the Gentiles.  Paul is saying, let me tell you something.  Now that Christ is come, there is no longer Jews and Gentiles.  We're all one in this new entity, the local New Testament church.

Fundamentalism now has an opportunity to see a movement that is breaking down the walls between us.  Now here's what COEBA can help to do.  COEBA can help abolish "segregation" in our churches.  I believe it's the greatest integration tool we have ever seen.  COEBA churches are churches that will help to add all races to our churches. 

Now let me say something to you. It is not unusual for a black person in America to go to a predominantly white Fundamental church.  But if you reverse it, it is very unusual, and has been all twenty-three years as a Christian, for white people go to black churches.  I used to hear preachers say, "Man, I love to go to those black churches 'cause I sure like the way they sing and the way they move and the way they do some things."  But they'd never go there to become a part of one.  In other words, they would say, "Man, they sure got spirit there, but they don't have a whole lot of truth."  But let me tell you what COEBA is doing.  We've still got some spirit, but these COEBA churches sure have some truth.  I believe every Fundamental black church represented here has white members in it.  In 1990, I was sitting in a restaurant with a preacher friend -- he wasn't really a friend at the time because I didn't really know him -- but he is a well-known Fundamentalist leader.  Also there was a black preacher friend of mine, and we were sitting there preparing to have a meeting concerning the upcoming International Conference on World Evangelism (Fairfax Baptist Temple hosted that meeting in 1990).  As we were sitting in the restaurant, I was talking to this college president, this great Fundamental leader, about what God was doing.  I made a statement, and it blew my mind as to how he reacted.  I said, "One of these days, white people will feel comfortable coming to black churches."  He jumped up from the table and said, "Boy, you've gotten too big for your britches now!" and walked out.  That was in 1990.  In 1995, I preached in his church and college, because he had a difficult time reaching the black people in his school and his church and a preacher friend of mine suggested that he get me to come and sit down and talk with him.  So, I did that and preached there several times.  He's been a great supporter ever since.

But you know the amazing thing, when he said that, the very next week, Bob Jones IV joined our church.  He even sang in our choir.  Now, that broke down a lot of barriers, and that is happening in Fundamentalism today, because people are learning to go where the truth is.  And, by the way, there's nothing wrong with having truth and spirit.  They that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying Christianity.  You see, the problem with Black America for so long is that we've had all of this emotionalism but no truth.  We've had the choirs jumping and everybody just having a good time; but when it came down to the preaching, there was nothing.  Now all of a sudden you hear men like you've heard this week open up the Word of God, and you have truth being preached.  All of a sudden people are saying that Christianity is not dead; it is alive, and you can enjoy being a Christian.  All of a sudden, they're realizing that they're going where the truth is.  It is removing segregation and isolation, and we're finding that people can come together and worship together; and Fundamentalism needs that.  It's wonderful!

We were up at the Valley Forge Baptist Temple. The COEBA team went up there, and we had a meeting.  There was a lady there in Pastor Scott Wendal's church that came to me and said, "I'm glad that my children had an opportunity to experience something like this."  That's Christianity.  You know, if we want to accelerate it, then we need COEBA to help us establish churches all over America where all people can go.  Mark it down.  Every time a white person joins a Fundamental, predominantly black church, they are making a statement that, whether we accept it or not, it's all right (by the way, every one of our COEBA churches has white families in them).  This is helping Fundamentalism solve a problem in which we are so, so, so far behind.  The Charismatics are doing it.  The Catholics are doing it.  But we seem to be the last ones to get the message.

Thirdly, turn to Acts chapter thirteen.  We're talking about why Fundamentalism needs COEBA.  I hope everyone here understands the sense of sincerity in which I am saying this.  I'm not trying to beat anybody across the head, but I want us to understand this.  They say I'm direct in my preaching.  I think I'm one of the kindest people in the world.  But I want you to understand that this will help.  It will help Fundamentalism.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to help accomplish the Great Commission.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to add all people to our churches.  Then, Fundamentalism needs COEBA, to attract black students to our colleges.  That's why we try to invite Bible colleges here, and I'm glad we have a great number of them represented.  I've preached in five of them in the last several months, and am scheduled to preach in a couple of others.  In fact, the college presidents of two colleges recently asked me this, "Why don't we have more black students in our colleges?"  I turned around and asked the question, "Where do they come from?"  On both occasions they both said, "From the local churches."  My answer was obvious:  "If we don't have Fundamental churches producing black servants, then how do you expect to have black students in your colleges?"

"Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."  Here in Acts chapter thirteen, we find that Paul and Barnabas were sent out of a local church to go to the mission field to do the work of God.  Local churches produce servants.  They produce young people that can be sent to our colleges to be trained to fulfill the call of God.  Secular and traditional black people are not lining up to send their children to Fundamental Baptist colleges.  As a matter of fact, when we Fundamental black people do that, they look at us like we're weird.  We're almost afraid sometimes on a Sunday morning, when we have visitors to mention where our kids go to school because of the attitude that people have.  Black folks - and there are exceptions - are few in Fundamental colleges.  They are very few, and the numbers are not growing.  Where are they going to come from?  They come from churches.  Don't you understand that if we have Fundamental churches with a lot of black young people that have been called into the work of God, that they will be attracted to our colleges?  After all, they hear preaching telling them that they can be of use, and because we are Fundamentalists, COEBA churches will assist them in getting in school.  Because we are Fundamentalists, COEBA churches will assign them to schools that are Fundamentalist.

Fundamentalism needs COEBA churches if our Fundamental colleges will ever be populated with black students.  It's not just going to happen by accident.  In America, the colleges that pay for a bunch of tuition and advertise in the black communities, get the black students.  But when you try to attract them by the fundamentals of this Book, they don't come.  We need young people who are brought up in Fundamentalism and understand why it is necessary to go to a Bible college where they're going to get the truth, so that when they're trained they'll go out and put to practice what they've learned. This will never happen until we have good Fundamental churches reaching black people. Fundamentalism needs COEBA to attract black students to our colleges.

Fourthly, look at Matthew chapter nineteen.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to accomplish the Great Commission.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to add all people to our churches.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to attract black students to our colleges.  Matthew 19:13, "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  I  believe that Fundamentalism needs COEBA because of the advantages provided to our children.  I'll tell you something. Sometimes I get a lot of criticism.  I carry a lot of burdens, and I put up with a lot of junk.  Well, I don't do it just for these preacher guys, and I don't do it only for the churches that we've started.  I do it because of the children.  We have some of the finest children I've ever seen anyplace in the world.  Do you know what is so amazing about our children?  I got saved at the age of thirty.  I went to an all-black school all through high school.  I studied out of second-hand textbooks.  I never had a racial problem, even though I grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, in the South.  You know why?  Because I saw way back then, that no matter where you are, God has people.  My daddy will tell you now "I don't care where you move" I just moved him Monday into an all-white neighborhood.  I guarantee you that already he's made friends with the neighbors.  He's been like that.  He used to always say when we were growing up, "If I want to get some help, I'm not going to the black man, I'm going to go talk to the white man, 'cause he understands me."  Now, I don't understand all that.  The point is that my daddy has never had a problem with white people.  And I got that - I guess - growing up.

But, I got saved at thirty, so I learned a lot of things about the black community.  And when I got saved and I came here, I learned a lot of things about the white community.  I'm kind of like an old car.  That's the way a lot of us are.  You take an old car, and you put a lot of new parts on it.  You put new tires on it.  You may even put a new engine in it.  But, sometimes, you are driving down the road, and it has a little slack in it, a little play in it.  It just doesn't seem to run like a new one.  When I got ready to trade in my Lincoln last year, it had almost 60,000 miles on it.  Then I started to compare it with one with three or four thousand miles on it.  There was a big difference!  This one with three or four thousand was tight.  Now, my wife didn't notice the difference, but I did.  I could feel it.  I knew there was something different about this thing.  That older one had a little wear on it.  We have a little wear on us.  Some of us have a little bit of traditionalism in us and a little bit of fundamentalism in us - I mean - we run like a car that's been rebuilt. But we are raising up a generation of children.  They're on an assembly line.  It's just like looking at General Motors - I mean - they are coming off the assembly line.  Every part on them is brand spanking new!  Their character is molded in Fundamentalism.  We've got two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten-year olds that can give you a better definition of Fundamental Christianity than some of these that have been out there for awhile, because their character has been molded in nothing but Fundamentalism.  Instead of being saved at the age of thirty and called at the age of thirty-two, we've got kids in our church that have been saved at the age of four and called at the age of five, six or seven.  These kids are growing up in our church and their consciences are totally clear of any racial hang-ups.

You ought to take a tour of our child development center, and you'll see the white kids, the Korean kids, the Hispanic kids and the black kids all playing together.  You don't have to warn them not to play with their "little buddy."  They don't have any of that.  We're raising up a generation that's competitive with their peers.  Our kids go to school and are not forced be put in a position to be a token. They compete because of the way they are trained. 

And then I think about the choice of mates they have.  My grandson, Cameron, is ready.  We're grooming Dee Dee Patterson for him from the cradle.  We've got kids that are two, three, four, five-years old, that already have a choice of playmates and permanent mates.  All of us know that that issue has been a real hang-up with Fundamentalism.  Well, we're helping to solve your problem.  When Mike went off the school, we prayed and prayed and sought and looked for somebody to marry our son.  You know, when Michael went to kindergarten there were twenty-six kids in his kindergarten class.  He was the one black and there were twenty-five whites.  On one Christmas, we were with my boss, who was a white fellow. By the way, I did everything for him.  He had so much confidence in me. I wrote his paycheck.  I paid his bills. I did everything. I even counseled him when he got married.  He was 47, and I was a young fellow, twenty-three or twenty-four years old.  But we went to his house one Christmas eve.  Michael was four, maybe.  So, my boss is sitting there, and we're all sitting around the fire, just relaxing.  In fact, we spent the night at his house, and he asked Michael, "If you could have anything for Christmas, what would you like to have?"  Michael said, "I'd like to be white."  The nuns couldn't comb his hair the same way.  He didn't understand why his hair didn't flow back and everything.  Thank God, with much prayer, much patience, Lora came into the church.  But his son, Cameron, his daughter, Casey " we must have two hundred little kids " they are right off the assembly line.  Smart.  Wanting to be missionaries.  We go before the county on August tenth to get approval for our Christian school.  We're going to start a school for the purpose of training servants for the work of God.  We're going to take them from the cradle into the school, into college, and right on the field; and were going to train servants for God because I'm indebted.  You know, that the people who have stayed around and listened to my narrow-minded fundamental preaching for eighteen years, I owe them something.  You know, when I get discouraged sometimes in the office - if I get a phone call and somebody just upsets me - I drop everything and walk down to the child development center, and just stand up, and they yell, "PASTOR", and they all run and grab me.  The children in our COEBA churches look up to me as "Grand Pastor."  I owe them something.

And Fundamentalism needs COEBA, because Fundamentalism needs to tap in to the generation of leaders that we are producing.  Mark it down.  Black people have influence in this nation.  We might as well direct it the right way.

Fundamentalism needs COEBA to take advantage of what's provided through our children.

And then, fifth, look at Galatians chapter three, verse 25.  "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."  Fundamentalism needs COEBA to help advance Bible Christianity around the world.  God wants all people involved in His program.  The world is not going to become a better place.  It's only going to get worse.  Only the gospel can change it.  Politics will not change our world.  It takes the gospel to change the heart of mankind.  COEBA is helping to advance Bible Christianity around the world.  We are educating these saints of God for the first time.  We?re getting people to stop focusing on the problems of Black America and start focusing on the potential.  We are so blind in Fundamentalism.  All we know is what we see on television, and we can?t look beyond that to see the potential of forty-million black people.

Years ago, I had a friend of mine from Cleveland, Ohio tell me that she thought all black people were like the inner city.  We get so narrow minded, we fail to understand there is potential.  We must be educated.  COEBA is educating the saints of God as to what God can do.  It's taken us away from focusing on the problems.  There are problems in our society, and, by the way, the same problems that white people are concerned about, we are concerned about as well.  We finally have come to the point where there is a movement where some Fundamental men will stand up and share their hearts, their passion, and, like Manuel Gregory say, "I thank God for my Fundamentalist heritage.  I thank God that he moved me all the way out to North Dakota, and I heard the Gospel.  But I now have a responsibility to go back and do something, so the little black boy on the bus or the little troublemaker can turn out to be something for God."

The Apostle Paul, who chased down Christians and threw them in jail, became a great servant for God.  Some of these little black boys and girls and men can be great servants for God if they could ever get  a hold of the fundamentals of the faith.  There is nothing that changes a community like a good Fundamental Baptist church.  You put a church like that in a community, and it will change that community like nothing else.  It is a living organism.  That thing is so powerful and so wonderful.  It can take the person who is down-and-out and the person who is in the highest social position and put them both on the front pew in the same place.  The preeminence is not given to an individual, but it is given to Christ. COEBA helps to advance that.  COEBA is encouraging the servants. 

I talked to a lady here yesterday who told me that she's from North Carolina.  She's in an Independent Baptist church and is a Bob Jones graduate.  She was the only black person in that church for fifteen years, and, until she came here, she thought there were no others like her.  Can you imagine going fifteen years, enjoying your church and you're serving, but thinking there's nobody else like you?  Now, I'll guarantee you, she'll stand here today and say she'll go back and be a greater servant because she was encouraged in this place.  COEBA is encouraging blacks all over America who stand for the fundamentals of the faith.  You're not standing alone.  You're not the only crazy person in the world.  There are a whole bunch of us.  And there are going to be a large group if we hang on for another ten years. Oh, mercy!  What's going to be out there - especially if we keep producing them like the Gregorys'   They've got five now.  There must be thirty kids among just these preachers that are up here.

COEBA is educating the saints about Biblical Christianity and advancing it around the world.  COEBA is encouraging the servants of God as to what we can do.  But COEBA is enlisting support.  COEBA is bringing hands and hearts together in Fundamentalism like no other movement has ever done.  We're not saying that to brag.  I'm saying that because it's true.  I've been trying this for twenty years.   For the last two years, we've had the greatest coming together of Fundamental Christians I've ever seen in my life.  COEBA is doing that.  COEBA is enlisting support.

We're having ministers called into the ministry.  Where's Ivan Carey?  Stand up, son.  Twenty-seven trips I've made to Nassau.  My wife and I together have made twenty-six since 1991.  He was just a young Christian.  I remember him singing in the choir.  He'd just been saved when I went there in 1991, and we'd been praying and praying for a good, Bible-believing church.  When I met these people - the Fergusons - their desire was to have a church in Nassau, Bahamas, that would raise up leaders to reach the entire country.  They were saved in a missionary Baptist church years ago.  So, we've been trying to find the right leader.  Ivan is a businessman - he owns a store.  His daddy, who is a very successful businessman, owns shopping centers and stores, and even the store that Ivan has. He is working for Ivan this week so that he could come to this conference.

Now, let me tell you what happened.  Yesterday, as he was up here giving a testimony - he was the fourth one - he walked up here and he opened his Bible to II Timothy chapter four.  I could tell there was something about him.  He read, "Preach the Word!"  He then said, "I'm accepting the challenge."  We've been sending a couple over there every month to work with him.  We've been praying and begging God.  He has so much leadership potential.  That's what COEBA is doing.  He's going to go back and become one of the great leaders in Nassau for church planting in that country and around the world.

Linda Green is here.  She's out of the Jacksonville Baptist Temple - used to be in our church.  When she was at Crossroads she sang in the choir.  She was a soul winner, one of our best givers (sure hated to see her leave).  She's in the Navy.  She has driven two-and-a-half to three hours, one way, every service, to serve in the Jacksonville Baptist Temple.  Recently, in their missions conference, she surrendered to be a missionary.  COEBA is helping to produce missionaries to be sent around the world.

And money?  You know, when I got saved twenty-three years ago I was told that all you ever hear out of black preachers is a request for a handout.  "Give them something and they'll participate."  But we've raised up a generation of preachers today that are not just doing this.  They're giving it out.  Money is not a problem in the black community.  We believe - I know you may think it's foolish - that one of these days we'll reach someone like Michael Jordan or Whitney Houston.  We're going to reach somebody that's got some money, and they're going to get right with God.  Look, if it worked on you and worked on me, why can't it work on them?  Black folks just haven't had the exposure.  They don't know what it is to be involved in God's program.  For the first time, we are seeing that blacks can be missionaries around the world.  There are going to be men and women called of God who will give their resources.  In our church, 90% of our members pay tithes and offerings, building fund, missions, and special projects.  A church our size could never have what we have without people giving 25-45% of everything they earn for the work of God.  When we tap into the resources in Black America, money will not be an issue.

We talk about needing more missionaries on the field. Here's a source. We talk about needing more money to put them on the field. Here's a source. These little churches, collectively, give a half a million dollars a year to missions and support over 250 missionaries around the world while being church planters and raising money for buildings and all of that.  Thank God that there are churches like Valley Forge Baptist Temple that would lead their people to support COEBA $1000 a month.  Thank God for Buckley Road Baptist Church and what they do along with 180-plus other churches giving to this cause.

Fundamentalism needs COEBA. You've heard it from Lou Baldwin's perspective.  I believe COEBA is biblical.  It's definitely sincere.  It's based on experience.  If Fundamentalism doesn't attach itself to something like this, we're going to continue to have the problems that we've had for so many years, that we've tried to solve by so many ways except God's way.  I'm not doing anything today that I wasn't taught twenty-three years ago.  I'm just practicing it with the Marines instead of the Air Force, the Army and the Navy; and it's working.  May God help us to realize, Fundamentalism needs COEBA if we are going to accomplish the Great Commission, attract all people to our churches and if we are going to attract students to our colleges.  We need to take advantage of what's provided to our children and advance Biblical Christianity around the world.  Let's join hands and hearts together to do something to reach this world for Christ.  I say it again.  Fundamentalism needs COEBA.  The difficult task is convincing Fundamentalism of what it really needs. Let's bow our heads in prayer.

"Our Heavenly Father, I never, ever feel or sense satisfaction whenever I speak on this subject, but I've done my very best. I pray that what has been said, in some way, will help us. I know, you've already convinced my heart. You've already shown me enough to authenticate what we are doing, but I'm burdened not just for church planting in Black America. I was reached, saved, trained, called to preach, discipled in a Fundamental Independent Baptist church; I believe it's the greatest church on the face of the earth.  I believe it's New Testament.  I believe in the Fundamental movement.  I'm willing to accept the fact that we have blown a very sacred operation, but I'm so excited about this blessed second opportunity.  And I pray that you will help all of us as Fundamental Christians to realize that we need each other for the sake of reaching the world.  Thank you so much for those that you have raised up in Fundamentalism to stand with COEBA.  Many, many, many others heard about it, know about it, but for whatever reason, choose not to be involved. Please, please, in the short time that we have, help us to join hands and hearts to reach forty-million black people, establish good Fundamental Bible-believing churches and raise up good Fundamental black leaders that, together, we can reach six billion people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name we pray, Amen."