Florida Bible Drillers, speaker head to national stage
By Carolyn Nichols
May 2, 2008
ORLANDO (FBC)—Three homeschooled teenagers took top honors in the Florida State Bible Drills and Speakers Tournament April 26 in Orlando. For hundreds of Florida Baptist youth and children, the annual event, hosted by First Baptist Church, was the culmination of months of honing Bible skills at home then exhibiting them at church and associational events.
For Bible Drillers in the 4 th-6 th grade, the Orlando drills were the second state final. Scores of children showcased their skills in Bible Drills April 19 at Baptist College of Florida in Graceville. In both finals, those who attained perfect scores were able to participate in Super Drills. Bible Drillers spend months memorizing 25 Scripture verses along with all the books of the Bible in order. In 10 seconds they must find Bible verses and identify verses that support Baptist doctrinal statements.
Youth Bible Drillers are given eight seconds to locate Bible books and verses, and must memorize 25 verses. After dozens of lightening fast searches and responses from the Williams Chapel stage, 39 competitors were whittled to the final 12.
The winner of the Youth and High School Bible Drills, along with the Speakers’ Tournament winner, will represent Florida in the National Invitational Tournament for Youth and High School Bible Drills and Youth Speakers June 20 in Atlanta. The three winners of the state events will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Florida Baptist Convention and a $1,000 scholarship from Baptist College of Florida.
“We offer the scholarships to encourage youth and provide support for them as they continue their journey in discipleship,” said Bill Carmichael, director of the sponsoring Discipleship and Family Department of the Florida Baptist Convention.
Mary Beth Majors, a member of First Baptist Church in DeFuniak Springs, was named the winner of the Youth Bible Drill. She is a 7 th grader homeschooled by her parents, Greg and Deana Majors. Runner-up in the youth event is Daniel Baer, a 7 th grader at Bell Shoals Baptist Academy in Brandon, and a member of Bell Shoals Baptist Church.
Winner of the second annual High School Bible Drill is Julia Shoucair, daughter of Chris and Peggy Shoucair of Valrico. Shoucair, a member of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, is a homeschooled senior who has participated in Bible Drills eight years. Jennifer Morton, a sophomore at Durant High School and a member of First Baptist Church in Brandon, is runner-up.
Speakers Tournament participants are required to write and deliver a 4-6 minute speech on a topic chosen from a prescribed list of 20. Eight speakers competed in First Baptist’s Williams Chapel for the honor of representing the state in the national tournament.
Abigail Lee, representing Bell Shoals Baptist Church, chose the topic, “Hope in a Troubled World.” She said one reason for hopelessness and immaturity in America is its low expectations of teenagers.
“We don’t live in a world where we are forced to be mentally mature; therefore, we don’t feel the need to be spiritually mature either,” she said.
Lee is a high school junior homeschooled by her parents Bryon and Kera Lee. Runner-up in the speakers’ event is Matthew Harper, a 10 th grader at Newsome High School and a member of South Brandon Worship Center.
The Brandon area is home to five of the six youth winners and runners-up. Gary Nichols, associate director of the Discipleship and Family Department, said the southwest Florida city “is definitely our strongest.”
“The churches in Brandon are the strongest supporters of Bible Drills and Speakers’ Tournament at this time. For three consecutive years, a state winner has come from Bell Shoals,” Nichols said. “ South Brandon Worship Center and First Baptist are also strong because of their children’s leadership in discipleship.”
