ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – “I’m here to be of help. I don’t care what echelon you’re in,” Roy Fish, interim president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), told 200 NAMB staffers during a recent introductory meeting. By Mickey Noah NAMB Communications ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – “I’m here to be of help. I don’t care what echelon you’re in,” Roy Fish, interim president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), told 200 NAMB staffers during a recent introductory meeting. Admitting he was “a little intimidated, humbled, and tremendously challenged” in assuming responsibility as interim president of the agency, Fish received a standing ovation prior to the 25-minute meeting with NAMB employees, his first since being named to the position in early June by the agency’s board of directors. Fish said he felt at home at the mission agency, having attended meetings there – and at the former Home Mission Board – for 40 years. “I’ve always had confidence in what goes on here. And, it has not diminished one bit,” he said. Fish joked that “interim could be part of my name,” referring to the fact that he’s served as an interim pastor at over 50 SBC churches throughout the South and Southwest over the years. … [Read more...]

I’m directing traffic these days. By Joe McKeever BAGNO Director of Missions Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from Dr. McKeever’s blog. For more up-close-and-personal news of  New Orleans, see www.joemckeever.com. It’s updated sometimes daily. I’m directing traffic these days. “Can you tell me how to arrange for housing for our group that will be coming to work in New Orleans?” I put them in touch with Operation NOAH Rebuild, which is about to open space for 500 people nightly at the World Trade Center in downtown New Orleans. No more sleeping on the hard floors of fellowship halls, or worse, in tents on an Algiers playground. “We have some money to help a church have a vacation Bible school.” I directed the caller to Jennifer Smith, our VBS director and wife of the pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Metairie. If anyone knows a church needing that assistance, she will. A check arrived in the mail yesterday, about 600 dollars. The note said, “To help some damaged church.” We deposited the check and wrote another just like it to Port Sulphur Baptist Church where Pastor Rodrigue is working out of a tent, giving groceries to 500 families a day, and trying to rebuild a ministry in … [Read more...]

Week of July 10, 2006 Crossover Triad results in 800 salvations GREENSBORO, NC – More than 800 people accepted Christ during Crossover Triad 2006 in June, but the actual details of these life-changing conversions are only beginning to filter in – true stories made possible only because hundreds of witnesses in the Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem, N.C., areas shared their faith Darrel Davis, ministry assistant for Crossover Triad 2006 for the Baptist Convention of North Carolina, said some 2,000 Crossover Triad volunteers played a part in the more than 800 salvation decisions made during the combined Crossover and ICE initiatives, and that 26 new churches will be planted because of the effort. Crossover’s more than 30 evangelistic events were sponsored jointly by NAMB, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the 200 SBC churches of the Piedmont, Pilot Mountain and Central Triad Baptist Associations. Work has already begun on Crossover 2007, June 9-10, 2007, the weekend before next year’s SBC annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, visit the website at www.crossoversa.org. IMB kit seeks to get Southern Baptists on mission RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – The … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON (BP) – The United States Supreme Court permitted pro-life license plates in Louisiana and Tennessee by refusing recently to accept challenges to those states’ approval of such auto tags. By Baptist Press Staff WASHINGTON (BP) – The United States Supreme Court permitted pro-life license plates in Louisiana and Tennessee by refusing recently to accept challenges to those states’ approval of such auto tags. By declining to review lower court decisions, the high court allowed to stand rulings in the Fifth and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeals upholding the legality of license plates bearing the message “Choose Life” in Louisiana and Tennessee, respectively. The Tennessee pro-life plates, which cost $35 more than a regular auto tag, are expected to be available this fall, The Tennessean reported. Louisiana resumed sale of “Choose Life” tags in January after a favorable appeals court action, according to The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the cases means there are conflicting opinions in the circuit court system regarding pro-life tags. While the Fifth and Sixth circuits have ruled in favor of pro-life plates, the Fourth Circuit has ruled against them. In … [Read more...]

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Word of God. The local church. Relevance. Partnerships. LifeWay Christian Resources President and CEO Thom Rainer emphasized each point to messengers to the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, N.C., during LifeWay’s report. By Chris Turner LifeWay Christian Resources GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Word of God. The local church. Relevance. Partnerships. LifeWay Christian Resources President and CEO Thom Rainer emphasized each point to messengers to the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, N.C., during LifeWay’s report. Rainer stressed that LifeWay “does not live in a vacuum,” acknowledging the interconnectedness between the resource provider, the local church, state conventions and other SBC entities. “We aim to maintain our focus,” he said. “Unfortunately sometimes as Southern Baptists we lose our focus on what’s most important. We are people of the Book, people of missions and people of evangelism. We must never lose our focus on any of these but especially reaching people for Christ.” Rainer said LifeWay intends to focus on a few priorities to make sure the organization is most effective in areas deemed most important. The first of those priorities is the … [Read more...]

ALEXANDRIA – The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board will facilitate the Coaching Leader Workshop Aug. 11 at the Baptist Building here. By Brian Blackwell Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – The Southern Baptist North American Mission Board will facilitate the Coaching Leader Workshop Aug. 11 at the Baptist Building here. Participants will explore the roles of a coaching leader as motivator, assessor, developer and guide, said Alan Miller, Louisiana Baptist Convention director of pastoral leadership. Tennessee Baptist Convention Leadership Development Director Willie McLaurin will lead the workshop’s two sessions. The workshop will utilize video clips, power point and interaction to address four relationship cornerstones for a coaching leader, Miller explained. The conference is open to pastors, directors of missions, church staff and lay leaders. “This is another attempt to offer leadership development for ministers,” Miller said. “We have a responsibility to develop leadership among pastors and staff members. Leadership development is vital to the local church.” Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 11, with the first session beginning at 10 a.m. The workshop will end at 3:30 p.m. The … [Read more...]

JONESVILLE – Some people pay a high cost for low living and that lifestyle eventually will destroy their lives if they don’t turn to Jesus, Evangelist Bailey Smith said recently. By Brian Blackwell Staff Writer JONESVILLE – Some people pay a high cost for low living and that lifestyle eventually will destroy their lives if they don’t turn to Jesus, Evangelist Bailey Smith said recently. “The problem isn’t your attitude but your altitude,” Smith told approximately 800 people at Jonesville’s Block High School Stadium. “Some of you are flying so low that you’ll destroy your marriage and kids.” Preaching from Luke 15:11-32, the former Southern Baptist Convention president exhorted people to remember that God longs to reconcile with those who have strayed from Him. “God runs to see people saved,” the head of Bailey Smith Ministries explained. “God runs to get the prodigals home.” Smith’s message was one of six sermons he delivered over the course of the six-day revival in the Central Louisiana town. Sponsored by the East Central Baptist Association, the crusade brought together various races and denominations. In all, 35 churches from seven denominations came together for the revival. “We held … [Read more...]

Storms of life happen. Every person reading this has either faced a storm, is about to encounter a storm or perhaps is in the midst of a storm. Jesus told his disciples that in this world they would experience tribulation. Storms come to every life, they come when least expecting them and, most of the time, they remain unexplained. Storms of life happen. Every person reading this has either faced a storm, is about to encounter a storm or perhaps is in the midst of a storm. Jesus told his disciples that in this world they would experience tribulation. Storms come to every life, they come when least expecting them and, most of the time, they remain unexplained. No matter how many storms we encounter, there is one question with which we usually grapple: Why do storms occur? I would like to suggest some answers to that question. One reason storms come into our life is to test the validity of our faith. James tells us“to count it all joy” when we go through trials because they prove the genuineness of our faith. A storm, no matter how severe, cannot destroy genuine faith. To help wean us from relying on the world is a second reason storms enter our life. Storms have a way of stripping away all of our worldly … [Read more...]

Every day thousands of young women ask one of the most important questions of their lives. The question comes in the midst of a crisis pregnancy. “What am I going to do now?” Unfortunately, many choose abortion. Every day thousands of young women ask one of the most important questions of their lives. The question comes in the midst of a crisis pregnancy. “What am I going to do now?” Unfortunately, many choose abortion. Abortion is the leading cause of death in America. Every day in the United States between 3,000 and 4,000 babies lose their lives to abortion. In some areas of the country abortions outnumber live births. In Louisiana over 13,000 abortions are performed every year. Thankfully, many thousands of young women facing the aforementioned question make their way to Christian crisis pregnancy counseling centers where they find a place of help and hope. Louisiana Baptists have such a place in Sellers Maternity Home. Cara came to Sellers at age 13. Her pregnancy was the result of child abuse. Some of her family members wanted her to have an abortion, but she decided even before coming to Sellers that she was going to give her baby life. Cara delivered a healthy and beautiful baby boy who was … [Read more...]

PINEVILLE – A lawsuit filed by four Louisiana College professors has been set for trial. By Karen L. Willoughby Managing Editor PINEVILLE – A lawsuit filed by four Louisiana College professors has been set for trial. Ninth Judicial District Judge Rae Swent ruled in late June that a lawsuit alleging loss of academic freedom and emotional distress filed by two current and two former LC professors can go to trial. “The defendants had filed a number of exceptions and the court either denied them or referred them to the merits – said they would be addressed at the time of trial,” said Vic Sooter, attorney for LC professors Carlton Winbery (retired since December 2004), Fred Downing (recently resigned to be chairman of the philosophy and religion department at Valdosta State University in Georgia), James Heath and Connie Douglas. The legal action names Louisiana College, Leon Hyatt, Joe Aguillard, Allan Shoemaker, Amy Russell and Louisiana Inerrancy Fellowship as defendants. It alleges breach of contract, defamation, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of academic freedom, and violation of bylaws and the faculty handbook in effect at the … [Read more...]