By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) - The wife of imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini is on a 21-day "Daniel" fast and is organizing prayer vigils internationally Sept. 26, the third anniversary of her husband's imprisonment in Iran for his Christian faith. Naghmeh Abedini, in asking Christians to pray for her husband and the persecuted church, also is promoting a letter-writing campaign to ask United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to advocate for Abedini's release when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks Sept. 28 at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Naghmeh Abedini will attend a prayer rally for her husband and other persecuted Christians at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge, N.J. In advance of the U.N. sessions that began Sept. 15, she addressed over 100 members of parliaments from 50 nations who held a meeting on international religious freedom in New York, urging the lawmakers to take action in their home countries to encourage her husband's release. Imprisonment is taking its toll on 35-year-old pastor, his wife said on Facebook today (Sept. 16), but he was encouraged to learn of the prayer vigils today from a family member, the first visitor Iran has allowed him in … [Read more...]
The Syrian refugee crisis and you
By Travis Wussow, Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Commission EDITOR'S NOTE: A FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about the Syrian refugee crisis follows this article.</i> NASHVILLE (BP) - Turkey's shores received the body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi minutes after a small boat capsized while carrying him into the Mediterranean in early September with his father, mother and 4-year-old brother and other refugees from the Syrian Civil War. They left with hope of finding safety and security. Instead, Aylan and his brother became two of more than 11,000 children -- at least 230 of whom were also 3 years old -- killed as a result of the war, as recounted in a Washington Post report on Sept. 5. Aylan's mother also died. But Aylan will never be forgotten, because a nearby photographer made him an international symbol of the Syrian refugees' plight. Also not to be forgotten: the reports of systemic rape and sexual slavery of women across Syria and Iraq. The so-called Islamic State continues to wreak havoc in the region, its campaign of terror emanating from Raqqa, Syria, its de facto capital. The world is presented with the worst refugee crisis since World War II. Nearly 8 million Syrians have been internally … [Read more...]
Is any marriage safe in an adulterous culture?
By Erin Roach, Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) - Amid news of men, women and families being thrust into the shadow of the Ashley Madison adultery website hacking, Baptist Press asked the wives of a few longtime Southern Baptist leaders how Christian wives can feel safe in their marriages. Carol Ann Draper, Jodi Chapman and Janet Vines expressed gratitude for their husbands and discussed how the Lord has strengthened their marriages through challenges along the way. Tony Rose, a Kentucky pastor with years of pastoral care experience, also offered some reasons why wives of godly men can feel secure despite today's adultery-ridden culture. "The thing that makes me feel secure is first of all just knowing God and knowing that God put us together," said Draper, whose husband Jimmy Draper was president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1983-84 and, later, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. "We were 18 and 20 when we married, and so we literally were growing up together and we had no one else to depend on except each other." Draper realizes, though, that in many homes the trust has been broken, and in every home Satan wants to plant seeds of doubt. She can recall times when news of divorce or something in the … [Read more...]
Jenner’s view on gay marriage is lukewarm, surprising to LGBT community
By Kelly Ledbetter, Christian Examiner BURBANK, Calif. (Christian Examiner) – The former Olympian and reality television star Bruce Jenner, who has asked the media to address him as "Caitlyn," may be seeking to demonstrate a social distance between himself and the LGBT community that previously accepted Jenner as a figurehead. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Jenner said, "I'm a traditionalist." He said he was "okay" with gay marriage, but he was not resoundingly supportive, USA Today reported. Jenner has said he is a republican and a Christian, but he ascribed his views to his age: "I'm older than most people in the audience. I kind of like tradition, and it's always been a man and a woman. I'm thinking, 'I don't quite get it.'" To read more, go to the Christian Examiner website. … [Read more...]
Hamas leader calls for unified operation to free Temple Mount, Jerusalem from Jews
ERUSALEM (Christian Examiner) – A spokesman for the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which claims in its charter its desire to annihilate Israel, said Hamas militants are ready to commit "martyrdom" operations to defend the Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount, the Iranian News Agency has reported. Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said the mosque needed to be defended from the "occupiers," or the Jews, after Israeli police and soldiers raided the Temple Mount Sunday, Sept. 13, while Muslim worshippers were inside the mosque. “Any more provocation in Jerusalem will affect the relationship between Jordan and Israel.” - King Abdullah II of Jordan The police took action after Palestinian youths tried to disrupt the visit to the Temple Mount of both Jews and foreign tourists on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, which began at sunset. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.] To read more, go to the Christian Examiner website. … [Read more...]
Methodists in England encouraged to broaden definition of family
By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner NEW YORK (Christian Examiner) – A new study from the Methodist Church in Britain is encouraging church workers and ministers to adopt a greater level of understanding and inclusion for new types of "families," including those composed of same-sex couples. "What does the word 'family' mean in the twenty-first century?" A summary of the study asks. "This is challenging, as what constitutes 'being a family' eludes being clearly defined. In contemporary society family is found in a variety of places and takes a number of different forms that go beyond blood relationships and relationships established by law. It is vital therefore for us to develop a clear understanding of the kinds of families taking part in family activities and the support offered to them by churches." … [Read more...]
Carson, not Trump leading among highly and moderately religious
By Gregory Tomlin, Christian Examiner NEW YORK (Christian Examiner) – Polling giant Gallup is debunking the myth of high levels of evangelical support for presidential candidate Donald Trump. In fact, more in-depth analysis of evangelicals suggests Trump's favorability among extremely religious Republican campaign watchers is significantly lower than has been reported. Gallup's Frank Newport reports "assumptions about Trump's level of support among evangelicals appear to be based on trial heat polls wherein Republicans are forced to choose one and only one candidate for whom they would, in theory, vote." "A better view of Trump's image among this group comes from our Gallup data in which Republicans are asked about their views of each candidate individually. This provides a more comprehensive view of the candidates," Newport writes. To read more, visit the Christian Examiner website. … [Read more...]
First Baptist Doyline dedicates new children’s building
By Message Staff DOYLINE – Making a commitment to its future, First Baptist Church of Doyline dedicated a new children’s building Sept. 13. The congregation broke ground in March, two years after focusing on a week of prayer about the possibility of a new children’s building. The church set goals they met along the way and by the time of the dedication and ribbon cutting, the building was finished debt-free. Long-range planning committee chairman Larry Dean said. “We felt like the children are the future of the church,” Dean said. “If we don’t provide a place for the kids, we won’t have a church.” The new 40 ft by 100 ft building was constructed at a cost of $400,000. It includes a foyer, nursery, classroom space, an assembly room, bathrooms and kitchenette. Of the 80 who attend church services on Sunday morning, 20 are children. Dean is optimistic about what the future holds. “We want to give God all the glory,” Dean said. “We couldn’t have done it without God.” … [Read more...]
Louisiana College to inaugurate Dr. Brewer as 9th president
By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE - The inauguration ceremony of Dr. Rick Brewer is the highlight event of a two-day celebration at Louisiana College, Sept. 17-18. Scheduled for Sept. 18 in Guinn Auditorium, the inaugural service begins at 2 p.m. The celebration begins officially with a Sept. 17 student chapel service in Guinn that will feature Michael Joe Harvell, pastor of Grace Place Ministries in Greer, South Carolina. Harvell also will keynote a special inaugural worship service at 7 p.m., Sept. 17. Keynoting the inauguration ceremony will be Dr. Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. No stranger to Louisiana and CenLa as well, Wilton is a graduate and former professor of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. During the early 1980s, Wilton had an Alexandria-based evangelistic ministry. The Sept. 18 ceremony also will feature several members of the LC family, as well as Dr. David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Pineville’s Mayor Clarence Fields. “These are exciting and invigorating days for Louisiana College,” Brewer said. “Cathy and I are humbled that God has allowed the opportunity to serve at … [Read more...]
Louisiana College officials remain optimistic despite declining enrollment
By Norm Miller, Louisiana College communications PINEVILLE - The sense of confidence that buoyed Louisiana College’s employees and stakeholders when Dr. Rick Brewer arrived as president in March of this year remains intact and even thrives with the prospects of recent accomplishment and future goals. “We have hope again,” said Byron McGee, who recently became vice president for institutional advancement. “What we are hearing from pastors, business leaders and alumni in CenLa and beyond is that Louisiana College’s future looks bright with Dr. Brewer as president. We all have been waiting for a leader who is not only a visionary, but is one who seizes the dream and makes it a reality,” McGee said. Having arrived only a few months ago, Brewer said he brings “decades of experience and success in growing an academic institution as evidenced by the double-digit and even exponential categorical successes God granted.” “We are grateful for the 1,109 students now enrolled at Louisiana College,” Brewer continued. “And though our enrollment has trended downward during the last 5 years, we need to remember that an institution the size of Louisiana College can hardly reverse a trend of several years in only a few … [Read more...]
