Karen L. Willoughby/Baptist Press MESQUITE, Texas (BP) – Accepting the 1% CP Challenge to increase giving by 1 percent to the Southern Baptist Convention Cooperative Program wasn’t enough for Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. They decided to give 2 percent instead. The congregation of more than 1,400 Sunday morning worshippers gives a standing ovation each time founding pastor Terry Turner announces that the good work Southern Baptists are doing is partly funded by … [Read more...]
Thinking about Q Nashville: Reflections from a Gen Xer
Hunter Baker, Associate Dean of Arts & Science Union University Jackson, Tenn. The organizers of the Q conferences recently convened an event in Nashville. If you don’t know what Q is, all you really need to do is to think about the TED Talks. Q = Young evangelical version of TED. An organization offered to pay my entry fee ($500), so I took the opportunity to spend a day. Andy Crouch, a solid Christian writer and executive editor of Christianity Today, kicked things off with what I … [Read more...]
State judges grant ‘divorces’ to two same-sex couples
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri circuit court judges have granted “divorces” in at least two cases involving female couples who were “married” in other states that, unlike Missouri, recognize same-sex “marriages.” The controversial rulings signal a new line of attack by same-sex marriage advocates against the Missouri Constitution which was amended by voters in 2004 by a 71-29 percent margin defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage proponents’ inability to convince … [Read more...]
With God’s help, no limits to what we can achieve
MAY 20, 1927, at 7:52am, one of the greatest feats in aviation began as 25-year-old Charles A. Lindbergh left Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, in his silver monoplane named The Spirit of St. Louis.Thirty-three and a half hours later he landed in Paris, completing the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.Lindbergh was decorated by the president of France, the King of England and President Calvin Coolidge.The son of a Congressman, Charles Lindbergh was a test pilot for a St. … [Read more...]
Bivocational ministry not a stretch for those called
Scott Barkley/The Christian Index DULUTH, Ga., (BP) – Wesley Thompson would probably contend he’s devoted to ministry. A student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he’s pursuing a degree in church ministries, with an emphasis on students and families, to improve his ability at presenting the gospel. Wesley Thompson also might say he is devoted to being a better educator. A teacher at a small private school about 20 minutes from Southern’s campus in Louisville, Ky., Thompson looks … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists share gospel through ERC hotline
JEFFERSON CITY – Ryan Stiffler, a member of Southridge Baptist Church here, has shared the gospel with an orthodox Jew in New York and a college student from Portugal – all from the comfort of his home. Stiffler serves as a facilitator in Missouri for the Evangelism Response Center (ERC), a nationwide ministry organized by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) that trains Southern Baptists to share the gospel and counsel with people on the telephone or through online chat. Every year, … [Read more...]
National Day of Prayer at a glance
The Pew Research Center provided the following facts about the National Day of Prayer: • The National Day of Prayer (May 1) was enacted in 1952 by Congress and President Harry S. Truman. • In 2011, The Freedom From Religion Foundation unsuccessfully challenged the National Day of Prayer in federal court. • Some 55% of Americans said they pray every day, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey, while 23% said they pray weekly or monthly. Another Pew survey conducted in 2012 found that 76% … [Read more...]
Local canvassing, revival prepare church for work along I-29 corridor
GRAY SUMMIT – Members from the First Baptist Church (FBC) here canvassed their community in preparation for their “Hopefest” revival services, March 22-23. The church distributed 500 bags to households in the town of nearly 3,000 during the weeks leading up to the revival services. The bags contained the Gospel of John, a tract, an invitation to the “Hopefest” revival services, a letter about the church’s preschool program, a church pen and business card, some hard candy, and various … [Read more...]
ERLC’s Moore responds to Christian talk radio concerns
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), recently responded to the concerns of Christian talk radio industry leaders, who challenged Moore’s apparent criticism of the industry in April. During an address at the ERLC’s Leadership Summit here, April 21-23, Moore made a statement about Christian talk radio that drew strong reactions from professionals in Christian talk radio. In his address, called … [Read more...]
Yeats’ SBC nomination to be made by MBTS’ Allen
BALTIMORE (BP) – Jason K. Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, will nominate John L. Yeats for an 18th term as recording secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) at the June 10-11 annual meeting in Baltimore. As executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention since 2011, Yeats has demonstrated leadership and love of Southern Baptists, Allen said. “Since coming to Midwestern Seminary, one of my great joys has been getting to know John Yeats and to … [Read more...]
MBTS president interviews Ronnie Floyd about SBC
Dr. Allen: It is a joy to welcome to the Spurgeon Room today Dr. Ronnie Floyd. Dr. Floyd, you are a friend, a colleague, a gospel laborer, and it is a joy to have you here today visiting about the Southern Baptist Convention. Welcome to the Spurgeon Room. Dr. Floyd: Thank you, Jason. It is great to be with you. I am so excited about all that God is doing at Midwestern, so it is a real privilege to be able to sit down and talk “Southern Baptist” with you and the future of the SBC. Dr. … [Read more...]
HIS task force plans a pair of ‘Heartland’ vision tours
Lee Warren/contributing writer Sioux Falls, S.D. – In its first meeting since paring down to one representative from each participating state convention, the Heartland Interstate Strategy (HIS) task force made two key decisions at a meeting on April 23 at Cross Pointe Baptist Church that will take the gospel message to the heartland. Task force members in attendance included Jeffrey Chavez, HIS coordinator, Garvon Golden of the Dakota Baptist Convention, Steve Melvin of the … [Read more...]
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