Diana Chandler/Baptist Press JACKSON, Miss. (BP) – The continued good health of a Mississippi baby born with HIV causes Hannah Gay, the HIV specialist who treats the child, to speak of divine intervention. The baby remains in remission more than 18 months after her last anti-viral treatment. “Hopefully we’ll be able to find out what it was about this case that was different from all the others that we’ve ever seen and be able to replicate that for other babies in the future.” The … [Read more...]
Professor highlights Spurgeon’s commitment to Bible in new book
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s commitment to live and minister in light of all Scripture provides a model for all Christians, said Baptist historian Tom Nettles, who recently published a biography on the 19th century British Baptist preacher. “Spurgeon’s ministry grew out of a love for the Scripture and a love for doctrine that everyone should share,” said Nettles, professor of church history at Southern Seminary, in an interview about his 700-page book, Living by … [Read more...]
Small church pastors vital to Southern Baptist life
Van Welton/ Pastor of Apple Valley Baptist Church BERRYVILLE, Va. (BP) – Can a small church pastor benefit the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)? Biblically and historically, the answer is a clear yes. Berryville is the county seat for Clarke County, the smallest county in Virginia. The latest census indicated that just over 4,000 people live in Berryville. It has a total of three stoplights, and the closest Walmart is 17 miles away. By many standards, Berryville is puny. In … [Read more...]
Missionaries see miracles, mercy amid typhoon
Caroline Anderson/Baptist Press TACLOBAN, Philippines (BP) – Suzie Miller sat on her mattress, floating on the second level of her flooding home, not knowing whether she and her husband would survive Typhoon Haiyan. But Suzie and her husband Carl –among 26 IMB missionaries in the Philippines – knew they were exactly where God wanted them: in their home in Tacloban during the massive storm. The entire experience, Suzie said, was a testament to God’s provision and the power of … [Read more...]
Prison transfer puts Abedini ‘directly at risk’ in Iran
Grace Thornton/Baptist Press TEHRAN, Iran (BP) – The life of American pastor Saeed Abedini is “directly at risk” after he was transferred Nov. 3 to an “even more dangerous” Iranian prison, according to Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. “Rajai Shahr Prison is where prisoners are sent to disappear – many are murdered at the hands of other prisoners,” Sekulow said. Abedini’s move to Rajai Shahr Prison – where he is being held in a cell block with … [Read more...]
BGR, Mo. Baptists bring relief to Philippines
CEBU, Philippines (BP) -- Southern Baptists spent all of Monday (Nov. 18) packing relief kits for the inhabitants of Gibitngil Island in the Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan swept over the island, leaving the community battered and without easy access to relief supplies. Students from a local university and church members of the International Southern Baptist Church of Cebu assembled the kits in the church's sanctuary. The relief kits were scheduled to be distributed today (Nov. … [Read more...]
Baptists respond quickly to Midwest tornadoes
WASHINGTON, Ill. (BP) -- An approaching tornado interrupted worship at First Baptist Church in Washington, Ill., Nov. 17, leading Pastor Josh Monda to shepherd his congregation to shelter in the basement and ensure all were out of harm's way. "We stepped outside, and you could see the updraft pulling into the storm," said Monda. "We saw the tornado form and began moving through the neighborhood where we knew several of our members live." A church member was hospitalized with injuries … [Read more...]
Seminary-educated rapper releases new album
ST. LOUIS (BP) — If it seems odd for a hip hop artist to do seminary coursework, the idea was even more foreign to veteran rapper Flame. The Grammy-nominated artist is now a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s undergraduate Boyce College, but at one point Flame (Marcus Gray) said the idea of studying the Bible in an academic setting had never crossed his mind. Flame was stirred to think about going to seminary by Christian hip hop pioneers The Cross Movement. Formed in … [Read more...]
IMB workers weather typhoon in Philippines
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines (BP) -- They chose to return. IMB representatives Carl and Suzie Miller were in another Filipino city when they heard the news that their home in Tacloban City on the island of Leyte was in the path of Typhoon Haiyan. Sustained winds of 195 miles an hour and gusts reaching 235 miles per hour made Haiyan the strongest recorded storm in the world, according to news reports. Called Yolanda in the Philippines, it registered as a Category 5 typhoon, with 25 million … [Read more...]
Research looks at bad choices, second chances
NASHVILLE (BP) – Regret weighs down many Americans. According to a new study from LifeWay Research, almost half feel the weight of a bad choice from their past, even though a vast majority believe God gives second chances. When asked to respond to the statement, “I am dealing with the consequences of a bad decision,” 47 percent of respondents agree. While self-defined Protestant or non-denominational Christians are less likely to agree (42 percent), a majority (51 percent) of those … [Read more...]
Matt Redman, wins at Doves
NASHVILLE (BP) – English worship leader Matt Redman received top honors at the 44th annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in Nashville Oct. 15, garnering the award for Songwriter of the Year and an impressive four awards for his song “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord),” which has quickly become a familiar anthem in churches around the world. Redman’s recording of the song, co-written by Jonas Myrin, received the awards for Song of the Year, Contemporary Christian Performance of the … [Read more...]
CP meets SBC budget goal; trails 2012 totals
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) met its Cooperative Program (CP) budgeted goal of $188 million, but ended its fiscal year 1.92 percent below last year’s contributions, SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page has announced. “The federal government may be facing a shutdown this week,” Page said, “but Southern Baptist missions and ministries are open for business.” The SBC received $188,001,275.70 in CP gifts during the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2012-Sept. 30, … [Read more...]