THOMAZEAU, Haiti (BP) — Near anarchy in Haiti surrounding the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse has escalated the risk of starvation but has also increased a hunger for the Gospel in some areas, according to Christian workers in the country. “Persecution in whatever form typically produces faith. And it’s interesting, with the lack of persecution sometimes faith is a little weak,” said David Vanderpool, a surgeon who leads LiveBeyond, a Gospel, medical and humanitarian group … [Read more...]
125 Baptist high school students kidnapped in Nigeria
KADUNA, Nigeria (BP) – About 125 students kidnapped from a Baptist church school in northern Nigeria are especially in danger because of their Christianity and the unwillingness of local authorities to pay a ransom, a leading persecution watchdog group told Baptist Press. “There have been many kidnappings of school children over the past few years,” said Nathan Johnson, International Christian Concern’s (ICC) regional manager for Africa. “In this case it is a Baptist school, so most of … [Read more...]
EC to elect new vice chair after messenger’s failed attempt to retain Tucker
NASHVILLE (BP) – South Carolina pastor Tom Tucker’s reelection, June 14, as vice chairman of the SBC Executive Committee became moot, June 16, when messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting rejected a motion to nominate him to a second term on the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee elected Tucker to a second term as vice chair during its meeting Monday with the knowledge that while eligible to serve, his term was expiring and he was not among nominees to the Executive Committee … [Read more...]
‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’
CHICAGO (BP) – Southern Baptist Messianic Jewish believer Ric Worshill received prayer requests from those in danger as fighting between Israel and Hamas raged earlier this month. “Some of our friends and SBC missionaries over there actually had to leave,” Worshill said. “One of them left, with the neighbors upstairs, and just as they left the rockets started coming again. They’ll go back and they won’t know if their homes are there.” Worshill, a Chicago-area police chaplain who serves as … [Read more...]
USCIRF: COVID-19 used as ‘excuse’ in religious persecution globally
WASHINGTON (BP) – Countries used COVID-19 as an excuse to persecute religious minorities and sometimes blamed certain religions for the pandemic itself, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its 2021 Annual Report. USCIRF’s report focuses on religious freedom violations and progress in 26 countries in the calendar year 2020, identifying severe violators of the International Religious Freedom Act and other countries that should be monitored. USCIRF … [Read more...]
MBC’s John Yeats to be renominated as SBC Recording Secretary
NASHVILLE (BP) – Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director John Yeats has served 23 terms as Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) recording secretary. He'll be renominated as recording secretary during the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting June 15-16 in Nashville. Jonathan Hayashi, lead pastor of the Northern Hills Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo., announced the upcoming nomination Friday (April 23). “I have had the great privilege of witnessing Dr. John Yeats’ leadership and shepherding … [Read more...]
Floyd urges Great Commission vision
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd urged Southern Baptists to return to unified Great Commission cooperation as he lamented “a sound of war in the camp” of Southern Baptists and issued an updated Vision 2025 tonight (Feb. 22) at the EC meeting in Nashville. Before laying out the details of Vision 2025, Floyd urged EC members to put aside pride, anger and personal independence and to “lead the way in helping create a Bible-based, … [Read more...]
Circuit court reverses ban on counseling for teens with same-sex attraction
BOCA RATON, Fla. (BP) – An appeals court reversal of laws in Florida banning counseling for teenagers experiencing same-sex attraction has the potential to overturn such bans nationwide, the winning attorney told Baptist Press. In a 2-1 decision, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned separate bans in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, Fla., Friday (Nov. 20), deeming them unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which … [Read more...]
New mandated sex education in Washington state bucks biblical teaching
OLYMPIA, Wash. (BP) – Newly mandated sexual health education in kindergarten through senior high public schools in Washington state includes guidance contrary to Scripture, according to several groups opposing the change. Referendum 90 passed with 57 percent of the vote Nov. 3, despite opposition from a coalition including pro-life and pro-family advocates, leaders of five public school districts and Republican legislators. Those opposed decried what they called the “early sexualization” … [Read more...]
Voters approve Louisiana abortion restriction and Alabama church gun laws
BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) – Louisiana’s new constitutional amendment restricting abortion is especially close to Louisiana Baptist Executive Director Steve Horn’s heart. His adopted 10-year-old son Dru was born after the birth mother sought help at a pro-life pregnancy center. “It’s hard to get my head wrapped around what could have been,” Horn said Wednesday after the passage of Louisiana Amendment 1 declaring no state constitutional right to abortion nor abortion funding. The pro-life … [Read more...]
Worship God by tithing, Floyd says in free biblical stewardship resource
NASHVILLE (BP) – The financial offering is an exciting part of worship deserving preparation and exhortation on par with sermons, SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd believes. That’s a main point of the new resource he authored, “Ten percent: A Call to Biblical Stewardship,” available in digital format and in print at sbc.net. “Giving is an act of worshipping God; therefore, as we give, we should give our best with a pure heart,” Floyd said. “Pastors are privileged … [Read more...]
CP feeds international students during COVID-19 economic slump
EDITOR’S NOTE: October is Cooperative Program Emphasis Month in the Southern Baptist Convention. BATON ROUGE (BP) – Longtime Baptist collegiate minister Steve Masters received a call from an international student at the start of the COVID-19 economic shutdown. The Louisiana State University student’s job was no longer available. “He wanted to know if we could provide him with some money or some food. So I gave him some personal money and I provided him with some direct food,” Masters … [Read more...]
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