Pastor of my dreams - Baptist Bible Tribune

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IndianapolisComebackBy Keith BasshamEight years ago this February 13, at8:40 a.m., United States Marshalsentered the property of IndianapolisBaptist Temple in Indianapolis,Indiana, with the intention of seizingthe church property on behalf of the InternalRevenue Service for the allegedfailure to withhold and pay income andsocial security taxes for employees ofthe church. The judgment eventuallycame to something between five millionand six million dollars.The church, pastored at first byGreg J. Dixon and then later by his son,Greg A. Dixon (since 1996), had arguedfor several years that a New Testamentchurch was not subject to federal taxlaws, and it continues to maintain thatposition. In fact, taxes were paid by theindividuals who had received incomefrom the church and school, and thegovernment never disputed that. Thechurch never taught that Christiansshould not pay taxes. The church alsoattempted to change its corporate statusin efforts to satisfy lawful demandswithout compromising church integrity.In short, the arguments failed topersuade the court the church was inthe right, and after all appeals were exhausted,the church’s physical propertywas seized for the debt. That property,including furniture and books, was soldat auction March 23, 2001. Thus endedthe case United States of America vs.Indianapolis Baptist Temple. At least,that ended the court case, and in theeyes of many, it was the end of thechurch. But for Dixon and the Templechurch, it was a new beginning.For example, today, on the formersite of the church stands a charterschool, Christel House Academy. Insidethe school, members of IndianapolisBaptist Temple teach regular Bibleclasses. Not too far away, other IBTmembers are involved in inner-cityministry among children, and a littlefurther down the street, IndianapolisBaptist Temple is helping sponsor aHispanic congregation. On the weekends,the IBT members gather Sundaymornings and evenings at The LifeCenter at Southport for regular worshipservices, and during the week,the Life Center is host for communityevents. That is hardly the stuff of afailed church.On the contrary, in a conversationwith me in late 2008, Dixon said, “If theIRS had nottaken the property,I don’tknow that wewould be thechurch we aretoday.”But that’s running with the storya bit. Ecclesiology 101 for Baptiststeaches that people are the church, andbuildings are not. That said, in manycases, the loss of property would beconsidered a deathblow. Dixon had evidentlyplanned for the eventuality. Serviceswere held the next Sunday, andfor several months after, the churchmet in a local school building, and thenlater a banquet facility in a hotel. Gregpreached in a conference later that yearabout being a church without walls,and he and his congregation were livingout the sermon.Eventually, however, they foundan alternative. Today, they lease (theydo not own) a 76,000-square-foot facilityinto which the congregation pouredtens of thousands of dollars in renovationswith the idea that they would notonly have a home for their church andactivities, but a place for ministering16 Baptist Bible Tribune [ February 2009 ]
to the community. The Life Center atSouthport became home for the maincongregation of IBT, but the very largebuilding is at work nearly every dayof the week hosting a 6,000-foot youthcenter with a café and meeting rooms,sports (racquetball, tennis, etc.), acheerleading school, counseling rooms,offices, and events for home schoolgroups. Sunday afternoons, a BurmeseBaptist church meets at the Life Center.Income from these activities makesthe lease payment for the church.The Sunday services at IBT havea contemporary feel in an attractive,modern auditorium. Four hundred tofive hundred people gather for Sundaymorning worship. The people sing.They teach. They support missionaries,and they had just completed a successfulmission conference just daysbefore my visit. Four students from IBTattend Baptist Bible College in Springfield(Dixon and several staff membersare BBC alumni). There is no hintamong them that the church ever hadany struggles — no anti-governmentrhetoric, no trace of bitterness. Andwith a joy that is plainly visible to anyobserver, Indianapolis Baptist Templeand Pastor Dixon are focused uponreaching their city with the gospel.Five ministries are functioningIBT Staff Men and WomenFront RowWanda BrittConsuelo StoferKim DzulaShannon HunsleyAnna Biddinger2nd rowDoug ThompsonCarole SparksDennis StoferGreg DzulaScott HunsleyChad BiddingerBack RowMatt RollerBekah RollerEllery HunsleyJeannie HunsleyKathy DixonGreg DixonToby Digrugilliersnow, and Dixon plans for 20 more in aplan he calls Operation Saturation. Hesays, “What we’re doing in the city ischanging hearts, changing lives, changingdestinies.”Crown of Life Baptist Church, ina high-poverty, high-crime area on theeast side, began with 12 or 13 peoplemeeting. They have reached a highattendance of 158. Ministries under theleadership of Greg Dzula include outreachto children through Bible classesand youth camp.Soon after, IBT began a Hispanicchurch at the Crown of Life propertycalling it Iglesia Bautista BetesdaCorona de la Vida meeting on Sundayevenings. Immigrants from Mexico, ElSalvador, and Colombia make up thecongregation led by Pastor HerminioLopez.West Side Baptist Church began ina converted house. According to leaderToby Digrigulliers, it has a laid-backand casual approach. He said, “We’vehad to become missionaries in our ownland.” Dixon says by beginning withIBT people in these new congregations,the church is doing far more than ifthey had stayed on one property. Hesaid, “We would not have reached thesepeople by simply adding. We had todivide in order to multiply.”The church also has a children’soutreach in a property owned by IndianapolisArea Youth Ministry neardowntown. IBT staff and memberstravel to the area Sunday afternoonsto provide activities and worship forinner-city youth. Noting that mostindependent Baptist churches are notactive in inner-city ministry, Dixonsays, “I think that if murders and othercrimes go down, and there are fewerteens having babies, and fewer drugson the street,that would bea good thing,right?”Plans forthe futureinclude 25churches inthe Indianapolisurban area,100 Bible studies,and more.Dixon says,“The Lordhas blessedus beyond ourexpectations.”Baptist Bible Tribune [ February 2009 ] 17
Page 2 and 3: PastorAppreciationpricingThank You
Page 4 and 5: from the editorOn the TableBy Keith
Page 9 and 10: Spurgeon’s words still true 130 y
Page 11 and 12: Photographer Alexander Gardner capt
Page 13 and 14: and die a happier and better man.
Page 15: toward an acceptance of God’s sov
Page 19 and 20: families and one single missionary,
Page 21 and 22: NCPO projects hit 2009 runningWayne
Page 23 and 24: URBANCURRENTPreview of a Postmodern
Page 25 and 26: N E W Sview from bostonDavid Melton
Page 27 and 28: N E W SSchool Fellowship NewsNewsMi
Page 29 and 30: Fellowship NewsMissionary lettersBa
Page 31 and 32: Ohio PastorsHost RegionalChurch-Pla
Page 33 and 34: N E W SFellowship Newsday who has b
Page 35 and 36: With the LordCamille MayOzark, MOCa
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Page 40: WILL THEY BEREADY TO MEET REAL-LIFE

Pastor of my dreams - Baptist Bible Tribune

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