SEMINOLE, Okla. (BP) – Mary Emarthle, an Oklahoma Seminole Creek grandmother, became enamored in her childhood with the similarity between English and Muscogee when her mother read Scripture to her in their native tongue. Her father had always told her never to stop speaking Muscogee, rendered Mvskoke, and she had spoken it exclusively until she entered first grade in Seminole County public schools, where she was required to speak English. “I began to look at the (Mvskoke) Bible and … [Read more...]
ARITF pivots, moves away from Guidepost Solutions
CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) – Abuse Reform and Implementation Task Force chair Marshall Blalock announced Tuesday (April 4) the task force will no longer recommend Guidepost Solutions to establish and maintain a database for those credibly accused of sexual abuse. Messengers approved the creation of a “ministry check” website at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. The move comes after continued concerns were expressed by Southern Baptists to the ARITF in connection to a … [Read more...]
SBC EC calls May 1 special meeting to consider presidential candidate
NASHVILLE (BP) – The search for a new president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee (EC) may be nearing a completion. The EC will hold a special-called meeting on May 1 in Dallas to consider a recommendation from the search team. “Over the last 14 months, the search team has diligently prayed, discussed, and worked to identify the person to best lead the SBC Executive Committee through its present challenges and into a brighter future for our Committee and Convention,” search team … [Read more...]
Missourians bless Montana Baptists during statewide MPACT conference
HELENA, Mont. – The annual MPact Conference of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention was again provided for their pastors and church leadership with the help of several Missouri Baptist volunteers. The conference was held in early March in a hotel conference facility in Helena. It aimed at training and providing fellowship for the Montana Baptist church leaders. The conference theme was “Walking in the Lord: Spiritual Health for Ministry Effectiveness.” The Crossway Baptist Church of … [Read more...]
Sons to lead 2023 Committee on Resolutions
FARMERSVILLE, Texas (BP) – SBC president Bart Barber has named South Carolina pastor David Sons as the chairman of the Committee on Resolutions for the 2023 SBC Annual Meeting to be held in New Orleans this June. Sons, lead pastor of Lake Murray Baptist Church in Lexington, S.C., was a member of the 2022 committee in Anaheim and serves as the vice chairman of the SBC Executive Committee. “I’m humbled and honored to have been asked to serve our Convention of churches as chairman of … [Read more...]
MBTS trustee meeting features Getty concert, institutional updates, H.B. Charles Jr. in chapel
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) – Midwestern Seminary Trustees gathered on March 27-28 to receive an array of seminary updates, celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness in worship and prayer, and to approve several matters of key institutional business. During his President’s Report, Jason Allen reminded the trustees of the importance of faithfulness and sanctification in the ministry. Speaking from 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Allen said, “Each of us will be judged not by how big our enrollment is or … [Read more...]
After Christian school mass shooting, Woodmont Baptist provides sanctuary
NASHVILLE (BP) – They had never ridden a bus before, youth minister Beth Howe said of preschoolers bussed to Woodmont Baptist Church after an active shooter targeted their private Christian elementary school two miles away. One little girl asked why there were bad guys. Howe bandaged the scratches on the arm of another who had been at recess when the shooting began. “She jumped in the bushes to hide when they heard the gunshots,” said Howe, Woodmont’s minister of students and … [Read more...]
Nashville grieves shooting at Christian school
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptists are among those in the Nashville community grieving after a mass shooting at Covenant School, a pre-K through sixth grade private Christian school in the Green Hills neighborhood, left three students and three staff members dead. The shooting took place Monday, March 27, just after 10 a.m. The 28-year-old shooter, Nashville resident Audrey Hale, was killed by officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department 14 minutes after beginning the … [Read more...]
With 21 dead, churches respond to tornado damage amid personal tragedies
ROLLING FORK, Miss. (BP) – Pastor Bob Gilliland’s son Roger called and told him to turn on the weather; a tornado was approaching. “I was getting ready to go to bed and she was watching her Hallmark,” the 81-year-old Gilliland said of himself and his wife Betty, 79. “We turned on the weather and they were showing pictures of the tornado and said it was heading towards us. She got in the bathroom and I stood in the hall. The tornado came through and shook the house but neither one of us … [Read more...]
Johnny Hunt sues SBC, EC and Guidepost
NASHVILLE (BP) – Longtime pastor and former SBC President Johnny Hunt has filed suit against the SBC, the SBC Executive Committee (EC) and Guidepost Solutions. The suit seeks unspecified damages related to allegations of defamation and the invasion of privacy based on accusations made against Hunt in the 2022 Guidepost report stemming from an investigation into the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse by the SBC EC. Hunt filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville on March 17. Hunt … [Read more...]
McRaney/NAMB court date moved to August
OXFORD, Miss. (BP) — A U.S. District Court agreed with attorneys representing the North American Mission Board on March 3 that a continuance was necessary to complete the discovery process in a case brought against the entity by former state executive Will McRaney. Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson signed the order moving the court date to Aug. 7 from the original date of June 5. March 3 was the previous discovery deadline. NAMB attorneys filed the motion for continuance on … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptists praying for ‘huge’ Gospel impact during SBC annual meeting
NEW ORLEANS (BP) – Louisiana Baptists say prayer is key to a pair of evangelistic efforts preceding the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for June 13-14 in New Orleans. The Send Relief Serve Tour, an effort that seeks to involve participants in service projects in Houma and New Orleans as the foundation for evangelism, will take place June 9-10. A celebration service will be held June 10 at First Baptist Church of New Orleans, with a meal at 5 p.m. and … [Read more...]