Framing A Legacy
Contemporary Christian artist Nicole Nordeman introduced the song "Legacy" several years ago. In the song, Nordeman acknowledged the attractiveness, appeal, and anticipation of the awards, 'atta boys' and other accolades offered by the world for outstanding and significant accomplishments. Despite the many pats on the back that may be forthcoming, the lyrics underscore the temporary and fleeting nature of these recognitions. The chorus of thesong points to a more lasting reality for the life that is well-lived for God with a focus on God's people.
"I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name
unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy."
Against the backdrop of the theme "Legacy" and the challenge presented in this song, please receive this edition of Foundation News not only as a personal testimony of sorts, but also as a reminder of the legacy of Jim Futral...a legacy that is highlighted by his influence on, investment in, and involvement with people.
Receiving a Legacy
I suppose that all of us receive a legacy of one type or another from those who have preceded us. In most cases, I would further suppose that parents are the ones who have provided the legacy framework for most of us. Certainly, such would be the case for this writer as my parents invested in me, instructed me, and influenced me both verbally through their words and visibly through their actions and deeds.
I would submit that James Robert (Jim) Futral received a legacy of investment, instruction, and influence from his parents also. His father, Guy Futral, Sr., was a Southern Baptist pastor for churches in several states including Arkansas, F lorida, and Mississippi. In all likelihood, the legacy that Jim received from his parents may find certain parallels with the legacy that his own father and mother received from their respective parents years earlier.
Receiving a godly heritage from Christian parents who strive to raise their offspring in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" may be the greatest blessing of a lifetime for children. I believe that Jim Futral is a testament of a godly heritage and that he would readily acknowledge the blessing for his life and ministry through the legacy that he received from his parents.
Weaving a Legacy
The spiritual framework received by young Jim through the legacy of Guy and Mary Sue Futral helped him sense God's call upon his life and respond to this divine invitation. He sought biblical and theological training from Clarke College (Newton) and at Blue Mountain College. At Clarke, Jim met and later married Shirley Moore.
While a college student, "Jimmy" was ordained into the gospel ministry by the Hickory Flat Baptist Church where his father was pastor. The June 25, 1964 edition of The Baptist Record presented Jim's ordination. This same edition also introduced my father as the new Church Music secretary for Mississippi Baptists. In a unique way, this publication may represent the first occasion whereby some early threads of the legacy that Jim was now weaving was introduced to and interwoven with the fabric of my life and the life of my family.
Over the next several years, Jim completed college and seminary, began raising a family, and served as pastor for several churches. All the while, God supplied both the thread for Jim's ministry legacy and the loom on which this legacy would be woven.
The fibers of the legacy that Jim was weaving began to intersect once again with my life during his tenure as a student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. While there, Jim sat under the capable tutelage of an Old Testament professor named Billy K. Smith. In God's providence (and my good fortune), Dr. Smith would later become my father-in-law. (I am aware of one occasion when the scholarly Dr. Smith reflected on the legacy of Jim's academic standard as observed through his classroom performance.)
In August 1985, I married Dr. and Mrs. Smith's oldest daughter Joyce. We settled in Jackson where I was employed and she was in law school. Joyce and I visited several churches before uniting with the Broadmoor Baptist Church in October. Broadmoor did not have a pastor at the time but the search process was well underway. Then, in December of that year, the Futral family moved from Texas to Jackson as Broadmoor called Jim as pastor.
As a young married couple, Joyce and I benefited greatly from Dr. Futral and the capable staff that comprised the Broadmoor ministry team. Over the next six years we were involved in Sunday School leadership, the music and recreation ministries, mission projects and trips, outreach efforts, family ministry, and a host of other special opportunities.
During this same time, I was gaining valuable investment and finance experience while moving up the proverbial "corporate ladder" at Deposit Guaranty National Bank. I reached the conclusion, however, that although I was not unhappy at the bank, I simply was not satisfied. Through the legacy of ministry that both Joyce and I had received from our parents, our background in church during our formative years, and the blessings that we experienced from Dr. Futral and others as members of Broadmoor Baptist Church, we began to sense that God might be leading us to begin a new chapter in our lives.
Into the fabric of Dr. Futral's ministry has been woven numerous highlights and hallmarks. Perhaps the two most noted and admired hallmarks for most folks would be Doc's focus, fervor, and faithfulness to "rightly divide the word of truth" and his diligence, dedication, and determination to pastor his people as a shepherd gathers, guides, and guards his sheep.
Although these two aspects of Dr. Futral's ministry legacy certainly represent qualities and skills that parishioners admire and fellow preachers desire (although not many acquire), perhaps the most significant hallmark of Dr. Futral's legacy is the "calling out of the called:' I am one of those "called out" individuals whose life and ministry has been shaped through the influence of Jim Futral. Gary Richardson, Lloyd Sweatt, and Rob Futral represent others who answered the call to vocational ministry under Doc's leadership.
As Joyce and I began turning the pages for a new chapter in our lives, each page seemed to represent a significant life change. These changes included the death of my dad (October 1987), beginning seminary at the NOBTS extension center in Clinton (Fall 1988), being licensed to the gospel ministry at Broadmoor (January 1989), the birth of our first child (February 1989) and his dedication at Broadmoor, being ordained as a deacon at Broadmoor (January 1991), accepting the pastorate at Salem Baptist Church in Raymond, MS (September, 1991), and being ordained to the gospel ministry by Broadmoor (December 1991). From time to time, Joyce and I will reflect on our journey in ministry. Invariably, one of us will comment "Broadmoor was our training ground:' We both agree that Dr. Futral's interest in us, his involvement with us, andhis influence upon us helped shaped the ministry legacy that God continues to weave through our lives.
Leaving a Legacy
In the process of weaving his own legacy, Dr. Futral was simultaneously leaving a legacy for the future by continuing to weave his life and legacy into others. As a student at NOBTS, I enrolled in a course entitled "Pastoral Work." I was thrilled to learn that Dr. Jim Futral would facilitate that particular course as an adjunct professor. I was convinced then and I remain convinced to this day hat no full-time professor from the main campus or anyone else could improve upon the quality of instruction that Doc provided as he taught us from his vast and varied experiences as a preacher and pastor. (I worked really hard and was pleased to receive an "A" in the course. Years later I learned that Dr. Futral awarded an "A" to everyone.)
Admittedly, I don't remember everything that he said but I do recall one significant and prophetic word that he uttered. He stated, "When you begin a new pastorate, you will be six months behind at the outset and the first action that you will take is to purchase a new copy machine:' Well, when I began my first pastorate at the Salem Baptist Church, I did not knowif or how much I might be behind. The first action that we took, however, was to purchase a new copy machine! In each of my pastorates, my notes from the Pastoral Work class would prove beneficial. In addition, the sermon notes that I had taken every Sunday at Broadmoor also came in handy on certain occasions. Of course, I had to improve upon the quality and edit the length of Dr. Futral's sermons as I reshaped them for presentation to my congregation. (I am confident that I have not been the only young preacher who has sought assistance in sermon preparation from Dr. Futral and his pertinent, powerful, and oft-protracted messages.)
Although they were unaware, each of the three churches where the Lord led me to serve as pastor received a piece of Dr. Futral's legacy as I was able to weave into the fabric of those churches many of the significant and meaningful threads that Doc had woven into me. For instance, reciting Luke 2 at the Christmas Eve vesper service while holding a newborn baby became a Christmas tradition. Establishing F.O.C.U.S . teams to evaluate both the facilities and ministries of our church reflects an approach that Dr. Futral took at Broadmoor. [Incidentally, F.O.C.U.S. stands for "Future, Opportunities, Christ (at the center of all we do), Unity, and Souls (why we exist)]. In other words, in addition to the churches that Doc served as pastor, the imprint of his legacy is reflected on numerous other churches and congregations because of the impact he has had on the lives of countless preachers and students like me.
Hitting the "fast forward" button moves this testimony to June 2004 when I began my service as the Executive Director of the Mississippi Baptist Foundation. I had struggled mightily for several weeks with the idea of shifting my focus from the pastorate in general, and from my then current pastorate in particular (FB C Crystal Springs), to accept this new opportunity. One of the comforting features of that decision-making process, however, was the fact that Dr. Jim Futral was at the helm of the Mississippi Baptist Convention as the Executive Director/ Treasurer. From my past experience and friendship with Dr. Futral, I was aware of his stature among Mississippi Baptists and the integrity, wisdom, and consistency with which he led. I have not been disappointed as his advocacy of all things Mississippi Baptist has been a blessing to the Mississippi Baptist Foundation. All readers of The Baptist Record are familiar with Directions authored each week by Dr. Futral. Referencing Revelation 14:13 in an October 2003 article entitled "Lightning Bugs Among Us;' Doc underscored the last part of the verse (" ... and their works do follow them:') as he outlined ways in which Christians can leave their light on even after death. Pointing to the Mississippi Baptist Foundation as a means by which Mississippi Baptists can leave their light burning, Dr. Futral wrote: "The Foundation is an integral part of the work of Christ in our state. More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that when they are gone, they are able to leave in place investments that can go on touching lives, helping our institutions or agencies, caring for children, scholarshipping students, and supporting our missionaries. The Mississippi Baptist Foundation is not just a financial institution; it is a ministry that enable us to leave the light on when we are gone.
" ... The beautiful thing about it is that anyone is able to set up
an account with even a small amount of money. It can, in time,
grow to be a brighter and brighter light. All you need to do is
contact the Mississippi Baptist Foundation. ..and they will help
you. The Foundation is not just about money, it is about leaving
your light on."
Dr. Futral presented a similar emphasis in a 2014 Directions article entitled "What You Leave Behind." The article began with the story of two men watching the funeral procession of a very wealthy man as family and friends headed to the cemetery. One man pondered, "I wonder how much he left behind?" The other man responded, "All of it:'
Toward the end of the article, Doc wrote:
"While there are probably hundreds of thousands of different
foundations and opportunities for charitable work, for the
believer it might be the greatest blessing to think about your
church and its ministries and missions and how your resources
could reach far beyond your lifespan to make a difference in
people's lives just as your life has been blessed."Keep in mind that the principles by which you live and the
biblical guidance in your daily stewardship can go on blessing
the work of God by what you leave behind. You may wonder
how you can go about doing that. The Mississippi Baptist
Foundation exists in part to help you think through what you
want to do. You are the decision maker that controls what you
have now and what will be done with what you leave behind. It
might be worth a call (to the Foundation) today as you think
about the day that you are on the way to the cemetery. Someone
may ask, "I wonder how much he left behind?" The answer can
be, "All of it, but oh what a difference it is going to make!"
Cleaving a Legacy
Often translated as "cleave" in the Bible, the Hebrew word ddbaq expresses "keeping close;' "joined and sticking together;' "permanence;' "abiding in and remaining with;' "to adhere closely or firmly, "loyal and unwavering;' etc. In Romans 12:9, Paul used a similar Greek term to depict unwavering adherence to good and right principles for living.
One word that surely must be at the top of any list characterizing Jim Futral, that not only represents his unwavering adherence to the good and right principles for Christian living but also describes his legacy of life, love, and leadership, would be "servant:' Anyone who knows anything about Doc or has witnessed him in action, attitude, word, or deed recognizes that he is first and foremost a servant of the Lord.
In recognition of the servant leadership of Dr. Futral and two former MBCB Executive Directors, the trustees of the Mississippi Baptist Foundation renamed the former "MBF Shepherd Servant Scholarship and Ministry Fund" to the "Kelly-Causey-Futral Shepherd Servant Scholarship and Ministry Fund" in honor of Drs. Earl Kelly, B ill Causey, and Jim Futral. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarship assistance to shepherd servants whose ministry career is near the starting line while also providing financial assistance to retired shepherd servants and their families.
With his retirement as the Executive Director /Treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, Jim Futral is closing a significant chapter of the legacy that he "received, weaved, leaved, and cleaved." (Don't judge me... I learnt outlining from Doc.) He has been a tremendous ambassador for our Lord within Mississippi and beyond while framing a special legacy among and for Mississippi Baptists. As I reflect on Doc's legacy, I revisit the lyrics introduced earlier:
"I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name
unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy."
How will you frame your legacy?
– Daniel C. Hall