by Keith Bassham
I was enjoying some vacation downtime when word came that former Tribune Editor James Combs had been taken by the Lord. As readers will note, Mr. Combs had been with the Fellowship since the beginning as a young pastor, and then later his talents and gifts brought him to the fore many times. His contributions to our Fellowship are incalculable. Much of what we do at the Tribune today, including the magazine format itself, rests on his genius, hard work, and sensitivity to God’s leading. We felt it appropriate, then, that we say our earthly goodbyes with a worthy tribute in this issue of the Tribune.
• • •
In the meantime, our nation has slouched a bit more in terms of morality. In June, the United States Supreme Court issued its judgment on same-sex marriage, and while the near-term results are somewhat murky, advocates of marriage redefinition appear to be in charge of the end game. Churches and advocates of traditional one man-one woman marriage are being told to “get over it,” and indeed, not a few churches have gone further and celebrated the change.
The Tribune has covered this territory (articles can be found in the Tribune archive at www.tribune.org), and there is no room here for extensive analysis, but this latest decision will have ramifications for churches and pastors going beyond who gets married where. I’m not given to alarmism, but I know some history. When social policy becomes government-enforced dogma (whether religious or secular, it makes no difference), dissenters become de facto criminals. Again, Christians who honor the teaching of the Bible will find themselves in a situation not unlike the earliest Christians in the Roman Empire. I am encouraged by the fact that they did pretty well in those circumstances, and I hope we can be as courageous and adept as they.
• • •
A few days before press time, two of our BBFI missionaries were battling for their lives. Vicki Weaver, wife of Dan Weaver and missionary in Belize, was evacuated to the U.S. for medical treatment. The couple was in an auto accident that left Vicki in a coma and a life-threatening situation. According to reports, Dan and Vicki narrowly escaped a carjacking, and in his attempt to speed away, Dan ran his vehicle off the road and crashed. This is a reminder that our missionaries are often in need of prayer.
The second missionary is Keith Gandy in Germany. Keith suffered a stroke caused by an arterial blockage. The block was opened and a stent placed, and Keith is hospitalized. He regained consciousness in a day or so, and movement is gradually returning to his left side, the one affected. At press time, he is reported to be awake and conversing, showing improvement each day. He and the medical team are preparing for rehabilitation and training.