Vol. 16, No. 3, 1999

Articles on Other Religious Topics

Watchman Fellowship Ministry Updates

Please allow me to share some recent developments in our ministry.
1999 has seen a number of significant changes in the ministry of Watchman Fellowship.  Thus far we have had to say goodbye to a long-time friend, staff member and board member, Craig Branch.  We have also made some important additions and expansion to our staff - including opening a new office in California.

Our Alabama director and vice president, Craig Branch, resigned from the staff of Watchman Fellowship at the end of last year to begin a new ministry.  Craig felt the Lord wanted him to establish a general apologetics ministry with a more local flavor.  His new ministry, Apologetics Resource Center (ARC), focuses less on counter-cult issues and is centered more on general apologetics issues and world religions.  He plans to work primarily with six local churches in the Birmingham area.
Craig invested over 15 years of dedicated service and ministry through Watchman Fellowship. We certainly miss the knowledge, talent, and devotion he brought to our fellowship.  Our staff and board of directors wish God's best for him and trust that his new ministry will strengthen the cause of Christ.
Our Alabama office is now under the capable direction of Bob Waldrep who continues to serve along with the rest of our Birmingham staff including: Rob Bowman, Bonnie Bradford, Ron Carter, Freddy Edgerton, Clete Hux, and Allan McConnell.

Rob Bowman has recently joined our staff as publications editor. Rob has earned a reputation throughout the evangelical apologetics community for his commitment to scholarship, careful research, and quality writing.  I personally believe that Rob is one of the top Christian counter-cult apologists in America today.  I feel that he is superbly qualified for this calling and I look forward to working with him.  I believe he will be an important part of our ministry's strategy and a valuable addition to our team.

He has previously served as the Research editor and speaker for the Christian Research Institute and as Director of Research at the Atlanta Christian Apologetics Center. He has authored numerous books in the several books including: Orthodoxy and Heresy: A Biblical Guide to Doctrinal Discernment, Understanding Jehovah's Witnesses: Why They Read the Bible the Way They Do, Why You Should Believe in the Trinity: An Answer to Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of John.

Mr. Bowman holds a B.A. from California State University and an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Westminster Theological Seminary. center>

TruthQuest Joins Watchman as New California Office

I am also pleased to announce that TruthQuest Institute has become part of our team at Watchman Fellowship.  TruthQuest is a well-respected ministry with similar goals and objectives. This expansion gives us an important West Coast presence and provides some top-notch, quality additions to our research and writing staff.

Everett Shropshire

The director of Watchman's Sacramento office is Everett Shropshire who co-founded TruthQuest Institute and served as its president.

Everett is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and holds a BA in Political Science from California State University, Long Beach, and an MA in theology from Fuller Seminary. He has done post-graduate study at California State University, Sacramento and National University. He currently is an adjunct faculty member at Capital Bible College in Sacramento.

John Morehead

TruthQuest cofounder John Morehead is also now part of the Watchman team. Mr. Morehead was a member of a Mormon sect, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), for seven years.

John left the RLDS in 1983 as a result of reading works on Mormonism by the late Walter Martin, and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He has studied cults, apologetics and comparative religions for over 15 years.

He regularly writes, lectures, and is interviewed by the media on related subjects. He has completed training and is certified as an Interfaith Witness Associate with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board.

Dick Baer

Also joining the Watchman staff in our new California office is Dick Baer, a former Mormon.  Dick was born to a Mormon family, held the Mormon Melchizedek priesthood, and participated in Mormon temple ceremonies.

After leaving the Mormon Church and becoming a Christian, he founded Ex-Mormons and Christian Alliance (EMCA), an evangelical Christian ministry reaching out to Mormons with the true gospel. EMCA recently merged with TruthQuest Institute.

Dick is considered to be one of the leading Christian authorities on the Mormon faith. He began full-time Christian ministry in 1981 and has given over 2,500 presentations in approximately 2,000 churches throughout the US and internationally. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a B.S. in sociology.

I thank the Lord for His continued blessings. Watchman Fellowship now has offices in eight states. I have the privilege of working with a dedicated staff of 25 men and women who are faithfully serving the Lord through this ministry. If you want to know more about our staff, a more complete list with further biographical information is available on this site at wfistaff.htm.

I also want to thank each of you, our readers whose continued prayer and financial support make this ministry possible.  As our ministry grows and expands, your ongoing support becomes even more important to the continued success of our evangelistic and apologetic efforts.

Your prayer support and financial investments provide spiritual and economic sustenance to our work.  More than that, it is also a tremendous encouragement to each of our staff.

Would you please take a moment to jot us a note and let us know that you are praying for us?  It will mean so much to us to know that you are part of our team.