To get right to the point, this January/February issue is my last as editor of the Baptist Times. Thirteen years ago, Global Independent Baptist Fellowship (GIBF) Moderator Frank Wood asked me if I would be interested in becoming the next editor after Bro. Dave Lydick. While I indicated I was honored and interested, I knew I had to decline because my oldest son was graduating from high school and I didn’t want to miss out on that part of his life. Fortunately for me, Bro. Wood asked again the next year, and I started on this almost 12-year journey that is now drawing to a close.
As I come to the realization that my number of effective years is shrinking, I desire more clarity from the Lord concerning how I should spend them. How should I invest my time to still accomplish as much of what He desires as possible? I still have passion and energy left for the life God’s blessed me with, and I want to focus it on what He wants most from me.
It has been an honor to pour my heart into the Baptist Times for over a decade. This magazine isn’t secular, with an effectiveness measured by advertisers and the number of copies distributed. Its effectiveness is more subjective and, therefore, more difficult to measure. It isn’t like a sermon, in which you see and hear results both during and after you preach. The amount of time, energy, and resources that go into producing one issue of the Baptist Times is significant, and that level of investment no longer feels justifiable at this stage of my life with so little by which to measure its impact. I am thankful for all the good that has been done and for any ways that the Baptist Times has enhanced the pastors and church members who might read it.
I am excited for Pastor Billy Ingram as he assumes the role of GIBF moderator. He has benefited from many men who fellowship with the GIBF, and he has a desire to strengthen it so it can help many others. I regret the timing of my resignation in light of Pastor Ingram’s taking over, as it is a deep joy to me that he considers me his pastor. There is no correlation between his accepting the moderator’s position and my resignation; actually, the opposite is true, as his accepting of the moderator’s role made my decision to step down even more difficult. I informed Moderator Aaron Denson and Vice Moderator Dan Preston in February of 2022 that I was considering relinquishing the reins, and I encouraged them to consider who else might be a good candidate for assuming the editorship of the Baptist Times. I am looking forward to helping Pastor Ingram in any way I can, despite not having the Baptist Times to do so. He has a lot of energy and passion to give to the position of moderator.
I owe appreciation to a lot of people for helping make the Baptist Times what it has become. Several contributors have written for about as long as I have been the editor. Bro. Dean Herring has provided the best writing in the magazine, and I lament the loss of his wordsmithery. My father, Dave Hardy, is another writer who chooses his words carefully and has provided solid content for preachers to chew on. Bro. Rick MacQueen brought his passion for church planting to the table by organizing the church planting section. In addition, there are over 25 members of Bible Baptist Church who give of their own varied skills every issue to help us produce as professional and clean a magazine as possible. Harry and Carol Hix were priceless in using their newspaper and journalism skills to instill an excellence that has carried over to this day. Kandra Stukenborg added her experience at the Sword of the Lord and her passion for proper grammar to help keep us proper. The proofing rounds that we go through each issue are meticulous, and over a dozen of our members have taken it seriously in being sure the GIBF sounds credible. Evelyn Ferchau pored over every missionary letter in order to provide readers a summary of good missionaries. Kim Strecker took our photography to another level by giving two weeks out of every year to attend the GIBF meetings and try to capture the spirit of each church and their willing servants. Walt Sumner and Karl Strecker wrote stories and illustrated points so that every child could understand his or her own version of that issue’s content. So much credit goes to those who developed the graphical layout skills to make this publication look good. Chrissy Eberle was the first one I depended on to help transform the format. Kristen King came along next and helped give it a consistent, professional appearance. I owe the most debt and gratitude to the gift that Amanda Howerton has been for several years as exactly who I needed to take the magazine this far. The only thing that excelled her graphics was her spirit. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
I am grateful to those on our staff who fit the Baptist Times into an already packed calendar. Levi Pelletier helped me in content the way that Amanda helped in graphics. He always seemed to perform the miracle of reading my mind and helping convey my heart for each issue. We are definitely kindred minds. Al Roberts somehow took his F-16 skills and used them to organize the countless details involving publication dates, contributors, printers, bundles, subscriptions, travel, etc. He has been the one making it all work together in recent years. Both of these men were my co-laborers who willingly gave their best to every issue.
Finally, thank you to the pastors of the GIBF who allowed me the honor of representing this fellowship for almost a dozen years. I’m uncertain as to how much good I did, but I can sincerely say I gave my very best to represent the quality of men and churches who fellowship with the GIBF. I am deeply convinced that America needs good independent Baptist churches that not only hold good positions but can also passionately defend those positions in the midst of all the cultural and ecclesiastical drift taking place.
I have no regrets for giving so much of my last 12 years to this cause and for leading Bible Baptist Church to share the vision. No two independent Baptists agree with everything that goes into a 50-page publication, but my heart always desired to articulate my thoughts with a mind that made readers take my points seriously and a spirit that I hope at least a few will consider gracious.
With that, I lay down the pen of the Ready Writer and pray that some fruit remains from the words offered up.
Wayne Hardy
In order to cover the remaining Baptist Times costs, we are asking churches to continue monthly payments through February. The January issue is covered by the giving from these two months. We are in the process of refunding any churches or individuals who have paid anything beyond the January issue.
There are no planned future issues of the Baptist Times unless Moderator Billy Ingram and the GIBF appoint a new editor.