Blaring rap music, yellow crime scene tape, open-hooded vehicles on ramps and young children running in the streets is an all-too-common scene throughout much of inner city America. Blaring rap music, yellow crime scene tape, open-hooded vehicles on ramps and young children running in the streets is an all-too-common scene throughout much of inner city America. A similar scenario played itself out recently at the Cloverleaf Terrace apartments in Indianapolis during the communitys annual luau festivities. However, this year, Southern Baptist volunteers from across the Southeast joined in on the celebration. They hosted childrens games and crafts and provided free car washes, oil changes and other maintenance. The rap music was of the Christian variety - and the yellow tape sectioned off part of the parking lot where groups of Baptist men serviced the vehicles while sharing the gospel. The Cloverleaf outreach was just one of nearly 40 evangelistic block parties held June 11-12 throughout metropolitan Indianapolis as part of Crossover Indiana. Crossover is an annual Southern Baptist evangelistic effort held prior to the annual Southern Baptist … [Read more...]
Leader reviews progress, costs of international missions
The Southern Baptist International Mission Board is taking the gospel to more people, but it has not been without personal and financial costs, President Jerry Rankin said last week. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board is taking the gospel to more people, but it has not been without personal and financial costs, President Jerry Rankin said last week. Speaking at the closing session of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Rankin thanked Southern Baptists for raising the necessary funds to send more approved candidates to the mission field. Last year, the mission board appointed only 100 long-term missionary candidates due to financial constraints. In 2003, churches collected a record $115.1 million for the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions. But that total did not match the needs to send 308 missionaries who applied for service, he said. Missions leaders called for an increase in giving through the offering, which closed in 2003-2004 year on May 31. "You heard the appeal and, in a phenomenal response, demonstrated that the hearts of Southern Baptists are devoted to our great mission task," Rankin said. "This has enabled us to remove restrictions on missionary appointments … [Read more...]
Messengers use resolutions to address timely issues
Southern Baptists adopted resolutions lamenting Americas "cultural drift toward secularization" and urging Christians to engage culture and vote "biblical values" last week. Southern Baptists adopted resolutions lamenting Americas "cultural drift toward secularization" and urging Christians to engage culture and vote "biblical values" last week. However, in a much-publicized action, they stopped short of calling for a full-scale withdrawal of children from public schools. Eight resolutions were adopted with little debate or opposition by the 8,500 messengers attending the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis. The statements were presented by a 10-member committee and included resolutions supporting the Federal Marriage Amendment, promoting Christian citizenship, honoring the military, and praising the life and presidency of Ronald Reagan. But the convention committee declined to act on a resolution proposed by T.C. Pinckney of Virginia and Bruce Shortt of Texas, asking Southern Baptists to remove their children from "godless" and "anti-Christian" public schools. When his resolution was not reported out by the committee, Pinckney … [Read more...]
Messengers ask NOBTS to adopt sole membership
Southern Baptist Convention messengers joined the "sole membership" debate last week, respectfully requesting that New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary adopt that model of corporate organization. Southern Baptist Convention messengers joined the "sole membership" debate last week, respectfully requesting that New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary adopt that model of corporate organization. The action is the latest in an ongoing saga regarding the school and how it will tie itself to the convention. Since 1997, Southern Baptist leaders have sought to tie entities more closely to the denomination. Their motivation has been to ensure that no entity could follow the lead of some state agencies and leave the control of the convention. Their chosen tool for accomplishing this has been a legal structure in which an entity alters its charter to make the convention the "sole member" - or single controlling member - of the corporation. Thus, the convention has ultimate - but specific - authority. As designed, the entity then cannot leave the denominational fold without explicit convention approval. So far, all convention entities have agreed to the sole … [Read more...]
New SBC president sets sights on 1 million baptisms a year
New Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch pledged to go to great lengths - literally - to encourage the denomination to baptize a million people each year. New Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch pledged to go to great lengths - literally - to encourage the denomination to baptize a million people each year. Late this summer, Welch will embark on a 25-day bus tour to all 50 states, he announced. From the bus, he will urge grassroots Southern Baptists and their leaders to do more to lead people to faith in Christ and to bring about a transformation in the nations largest Protestant convention. The bus-a-thon will be part of a multi-faceted effort to reverse the conventions decline, Welch said following his election as president at last weeks annual convention. That reversal is vital for the future of both the convention and the nation, stressed Welch, pastor at First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla. "As the Southern Baptist Convention celebrates the 25th anniversary of the conservative resurgence, I believe it has also crossed the threshold toward its next great transition," he said. "In all likelihood, this coming transition will … [Read more...]
SBC votes to withdraw from Baptist World Alliance
Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted overwhelmingly last week to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance, ending a 99-year relationship. Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted overwhelmingly last week to withdraw from the Baptist World Alliance, ending a 99-year relationship. Southern Baptists helped found the alliance, a fellowship organization that includes 211 member Baptist conventions. "(But) We have noted, with sorrow in our hearts, a continual leftward drift in the BWA," Paige Patterson said last week. Patterson is president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and one of nine leaders named to a committee formed in 1997 to evaluate the relationship between the convention and the alliance. In performing its task, the study committee has voiced concerns about the alliances perceived anti-American stances and its tolerance of liberal theology. Then, in 2003, the alliance accepted the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member - in what convention leaders called a violation of established procedure. Convention messengers responded to the acceptance of the fellowship as an alliance member at last years … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists decline to study possible name change
Southern Baptists will remain Southern Baptists - indeed, after a lively debate, Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted last week against forming a study committee to consider changing the conventions name. Southern Baptists will remain Southern Baptists - indeed, after a lively debate, Southern Baptist Convention messengers voted last week against forming a study committee to consider changing the conventions name. The proposal to create a study committee was the only motion to make it to the floor for debate out of a record 29 offered. It was defeated on a vote of 1,731 (55.4 percent) to 1,391 (44.6 percent). "I brought the motion to this body ... because we have gone beyond our southern regional characteristics, ..." Claude Thomas of Texas said. "It is wise to appoint a committee to study our present name. Does it communicate who we are and serve us well, or would there be a better alternative?" Southern Baptist messengers lined up on both sides of the issue and were still lined up at microphones to debate the matter when time for the session expired. Those opposing formation of a study committee questioned the cost, both to study the name … [Read more...]
Weekly Briefs
For the week of May 6, 2004 Baptist death in Iraq A 1989 graduate of East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas, has been killed in action in Iraq. The Department of Defense announced late last month that Army Capt. Arthur Felder, 36, of Lewisville, Ark., was one of four soldiers killed in Taji, Iraq, when mortar rounds hit their camp on April 24. Felder played basketball for East Texas Baptist from 1985-1988. He was a member at St. Luke Baptist Church in Little Rock, where he served as youth director. Protest of proposal A broad array of secular and religious nonprofit groups recently told the Federal Election Commission that labeling them political committees would stifle the voice of the nations "conscience." At issue is a Republican-backed proposal to tighten fund-raising rules for so-called "527" groups that have raised millions of dollars for Democratic causes and ads that attack President George Bush. The Federal Election Commission proposal would put caps on the unlimited contributions currently allowed for such tax-exempt advocacy groups. Critics say the "527" groups are being used as a loophole for the campaign finance reforms. They want them subjected to the … [Read more...]
Denomination should spotlight pastors of ‘smaller’ churches
Last weeks editorial attempted to address the fact that most Southern and Louisiana Baptist churches have smaller memberships while fewer pastors desire to serve smaller congregations. Last weeks editorial attempted to address the fact that most Southern and Louisiana Baptist churches have smaller memberships while fewer pastors desire to serve smaller congregations. This weeks looks at what the denomination - local associations, state conventions and Southern Baptist Convention - can do to affect the situation. Last weeks editorial states that the Baptist world has the attitude, "The better the pastor, the larger his congregation." Such an attitude may be true and in keeping with some New Testament teachings, such as the parable of the talents, but not all the teachings. Jesus spoke clearly to his disciples desires to be "above" the other disciples. The earthly ambitions of James and John and their mother were not pleasing to Jesus who, as the Lowly Galilean, established no institution and served no synagogue as leader and established no religious order. Jesus emphasis is upon what has been called "the level ground at the foot of the cross." Obviously, … [Read more...]
Dream come true – LC player makes it to the NFL
As a child growing up in Louisiana, Matt Miller dreamed of playing in the National Football League. Last week, that dream became a reality. As a child growing up in Louisiana, Matt Miller dreamed of playing in the National Football League. Last week, that dream became a reality. Signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, Miller participated in the teams mini-camp - four days of meetings, physicals and fine tuning football skills - last week. He is the first Louisiana College football player to sign an NFL contract since the Baptist school resurrected its football program in 2000. "Its kind of surreal," says Miller, a member at First Baptist Church of Lafayette. "It hasnt sunk in yet. I was excited when the Chiefs called (after the draft), but I was more excited when I signed the contract." Miller says the worst part of the experience before mini-camp was waiting to see if a team selected him during the NFL draft, held over a two-day period recently. "I had never watched so much television in one day in my life," Miller says. "My eyes were very red by the end of the afternoon." On the second day, in the sixth round of the seven-round … [Read more...]