Five years ago, Jack and Joni were living the “American dream” – great careers, comfortable home, predictable future. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) – Five years ago, Jack and Joni were living the “American dream” – great careers, comfortable home, predictable future. Their dream changed radically during a short-term mission trip overseas. “God revealed to me the needs among unreached peoples,” said Jack (last name not used for security reasons). “On a mountaintop overlooking God’s creation, yet seeing the lostness, I knew that I needed to be a part of God’s plan for the nations.” Joni admitted she wasn’t sure about becoming a missionary. “Then I attended a missions meeting at our church,” she recalled. “A mother of two who had been a (two-year missionary) journeyman said, ‘Being a missionary is not a sacrifice but an honor –an honor that God has called you to work for Him all day, every day.’” Now, with their two daughters, Jack and Joni are going to share the Gospel with an unreached people group in a tough part of Asia. They were among 49 new Southern Baptist missionaries appointed March 21 by International Mission Board trustees during a service at Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn. IMB missionaries are funded by the … [Read more...]

The Perry R. Sanders Center for Ministry Excellence is home to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s doctor of ministry and doctor of educational ministry programs. NEW ORLEANS – The Perry R.Sanders Center for Ministry Excellence is home to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s doctor of ministry and doctor of educational ministry programs. Named in honor of Perry Sanders, long-time pastor at First Baptist Lafayette and NOBTS alumnus, the center promotes the “integrity of heart and skillful of hands” mentioned in Psalm 78:72. The center seeks to inspire church leaders to exhibit the same type of excellence in ministry that characterized Sanders’ 47 years as pastor of First Lafayette. “Dr. Sanders is someone who patterned what it means to be a Southern Baptist pastor, not by what he said, but by what he’s done” said Dr. Jerry Garrard, vice president of institutional advancement at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. “His influence through the years, his steadfastness and his unceasing and tireless devotion to building the church” is a pattern the center seeks to promote. The PerryR. SandersCenter for Ministry Excellence is scheduled to be dedicated on April 11 with a ceremony in … [Read more...]

Administrators of two nursing homes presented a check for $3,500 recently to Mike Hedrick, pastor of First Baptist Church of Ball. PINEVILLE – Administrators of two nursing homes presented a check for $3,500 recently to Mike Hedrick, pastor of First Baptist Church of Ball. The money is to be used for the purchase of audio-visual equipment that will better enable senior citizens in the church to participate in worship services, Hedrick said. The same health care facilities – Tioga Manor and Heritage Manor – donated a van with a wheel chair lift last summer. “We had a great need and God supplied,” said Hedrick, a barber by trade and bivocational pastor at First Ball since 1990, where about 40 people attend Sunday worship services. About 35 youngsters each week participate in Team Kid at the church on Wednesday nights.  Team Kid is a discipleship-based Bible study program developed by Lifeway Christian Resources for K-5 through sixth grade, during which God’s word is studied from a practical point of view. A Bible drill, missions study and related play are included in the Sunday evening/midweek curriculum. Teens at First Ball take a leadership role in Team Kid as part of their discipleship training. … [Read more...]

When the 1857-8 revival swept across the northeastern United States and much of the South, Louisiana missed it. PINEVILLE – When the 1857-8 revival swept across the northeastern United States and much of the South, Louisiana missed it. There may have been the preaching of the Gospel in the state but the spiritual awakening experienced in many parts of the country did not occur, records indicate. “Our prayer is that when God sends revival to America, Louisiana Baptists not miss it this time,” said Wayne Jenkins, director of evangelism for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. About 350 pastors and lay persons met March 22-23 at Kingsville Baptist Church of Pineville to not only hear and sing, but most importantly to humble themselves and pray. While individual and corporate prayer punctuated the schedule, three speakers addressed the conference: John Avant, vice president for evangelism at the North American Mission Board; Roy Fish, professor of evangelism, retired, from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Sammy Tippit, international evangelist. “We tasted what He would have us eat everyday,” said Dick Debusk, LBC prayer and spiritual awakening strategist. “The Lord desires our presence. It … [Read more...]

Evangelist Bill Britt of Gallatin, Tenn., and a Haughton, La., native, is to be nominated as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 12-13 annual meeting in San Antonio. DALTON, Ga. (BP) – Evangelist Bill Britt of Gallatin, Tenn., and a Haughton, La., native, is to be nominated as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 12-13 annual meeting in San Antonio. Brian Fossett, vice president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists and president of the Conference of Georgia Baptist Evangelists, announced Britt’s nomination March 29. Britt is the immediate past president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists and president of Compel Outreach International, through which he averages more than 40 revivals annually in Southern Baptist churches and oversees indigenous missions in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, India and the Philippines, in addition to leading other international revivals and crusades. He is a veteran of more than 800 campaigns, including more than 70 conducted overseas. Britt indicated he would serve if elected. “SBC officers and leaders must be undisputed, passionate soul-winners for Christ,” Fossett … [Read more...]

An estimated 2,000 Southern Baptist volunteers will join forces for “Crossover San Antonio” prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 12-13 annual meeting at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (BP) – An estimated 2,000 Southern Baptist volunteers will join forces for “Crossover San Antonio” prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 12-13 annual meeting at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Crossover – now in its 19th year – officially is June 9-10 and will be a comprehensive campaign to reach a significant segment of San Antonio’s unchurched population, said Don Smith, national Crossover coordinator for the North American Mission Board. NAMB is jointly sponsoring Crossover San Antonio with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the San Antonio Baptist Association. During the week and weekend leading up to the SBC’s annual meeting, volunteers representing dozens of SBC churches in San Antonio and around the nation will take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the streets, parks and plazas of San Antonio, a city of some 1.8 million people and the second-largest city in Texas. About 60 percent of the population … [Read more...]

Southern Baptist ministers’ wives will celebrate the culture of the Southwest and enjoy centerpieces provided by International Mission Board workers at their 52nd gathering Tuesday, June 12, in San Antonio. SAN ANTONIO (BP) – Southern Baptist ministers’ wives will celebrate the culture of the Southwest and enjoy centerpieces provided by International Mission Board workers at their 52nd gathering Tuesday, June 12, in San Antonio. The theme of this year’s Ministers’ Wives’ Conference is “Revive, Renew, Rejoice,” based on Psalm 85:6, which says, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” Nancy Leigh DeMoss, an author and women’s ministry leader, will speak on personal revival, and comedian Dennis Swanberg will provide entertainment during the luncheon in Ballroom A at the Henry B.Gonzales Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. “From the moment you enter the ballroom, you’ll feel like you have entered a Mexican village,” Debbie Brunson, president of this year’s conference, said. “There will be mariachi musicians and festive decor to set the mood. Lunch will include favorite dishes that will be reminiscent of an authentic Mexican fiesta.” Brunson, whose husband, Mac Brunson, is pastor … [Read more...]

Moviegoers buy tickets to see Hollywood’s finest actors come heroically to the rescue to save helpless people. Moviegoers buy tickets to see Hollywood’s finest actors come heroically to the rescue to save helpless people. Patrons of the theater flock to witness well-trained thespians portray roles in which love triumphs over heartache and good vanquishes evil. Bookstores aggressively promote the latest romance novels which allow the readers to experience vicariously a person’s committed love for his or her soul-mate. People enjoy love stories. As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, we commemorate not just a religious event, but instead the greatest love story ever told. In our contemporary culture, Easter is a holiday and an overblown commercial event, but, lest we forget, at its very core Easter is a love story. To remind ourselves of central truths of this love story, let’s begin with the characters. In this drama, the leading Man is a Jewish carpenter, with no acting experience. He is born to a teenage Jewish girl in a borrowed barn. Not exactly Broadway, is it? This unlikely Hero, born in a small town to a rather insignificant family, became the world’s greatest and most … [Read more...]

It happened again this morning. In the pre-dawn hours I lay awake, unable to sleep. Anxieties were filling the room like ghosts in the night, trying to frighten and alarm me with varying degrees of success, and successfully robbing me of sleep. As always, I lay there sending up little prayers to the Father. It happened again this morning. In the pre-dawn hours I lay awake, unable to sleep. Anxieties were filling the room like ghosts in the night, trying to frighten and alarm me with varying degrees of success, and successfully robbing me of sleep. As always, I lay there sending up little prayers to the Father. “Forgive me of my sin, Father. Help me. You are my Rock. You are my strength.” Lying there,  I thought of all the reasons the Lord has for not hearing me. I’m such a poor Christian. My prayer life is so shallow. I read the Bible in the mornings and rarely give it another thought in the day. He takes care of my financial needs and still I worry. What kind of Christian am I? Why should He forgive me? What if the people I work with knew what a poor Christian I am? And then this morning, He sent an answer. I heard the garbage truck outside, running its usual early Saturday morning route. The motor … [Read more...]

“No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown,” observed William Penn. The founder of Pennsylvania well understood that the marvelous resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be separated from the cruel cross of Calvary. “No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown,” observed William Penn. The founder of Pennsylvania well understood that the marvelous resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be separated from the cruel cross of Calvary. At Easter celebrations, Christians around the world revel in the reality that Jesus was raised from the dead. And rightfully so, since the Apostle Paul made it clear that if “Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins.” If Jesus had remained dead, if His tomb were still occupied, then He would be like so many other religious figures of history. His teachings would be considered insightful and His wisdom might help us cope with life, but, at best, Jesus would be nothing more than just another self-help guru. The resurrection is the exclamation point that validates and positively proves that Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be. He was - He is - the Way, the Truth and the Life and … [Read more...]