By Staff, Baptist Press ORLANDO (BP) – Under the banner of “Greater Things,” speakers during the June 14 afternoon and evening sessions of the 2010 Pastors’ Conference – held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. -- focused on the Great Commission and the launch of a national campaign to help pastors adopt children. ‘A LONG-DISTANCE RACE’ Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., urged the assembly to fix their eyes on Jesus and follow His example. He used the example of a marathon, echoing the author of Hebrews, to teach on the necessity of focus and endurance to finish the life of faith. Teaching from the text of Hebrews 12:1-3, Akin said, “The Christian life is not the life of a sprinter, but a long-distance race requiring steadfastness and endurance.” The text teaches believers to find encouragement as they run the race, to focus on the essentials as they run the race and to follow the example of Christ Jesus as they run, Akin said. Southern Baptists are called to increase the great cloud of witnesses spoken of in Hebrews 12:1, Akin said. “I believe God calls us to add to this great hall of faith,” Akin said. “I believe what we’re doing as … [Read more...]

By James Dotson & Mickey Noah, Baptist Press ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) – A friendly conversation, a story, a realization and a prayer: that’s the gist of what happens when one person shares and another accepts the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ. And while the methods and venues may have varied, the scene played out more than 1,400 times June 7-12 as Southern Baptists expressed their core message of hope through Crossover Orlando. [img_assist|nid=6446|title=Evangelist Steve Hale uses a survey to witness to Shequetha during a Crossover Orlando 2010 event|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]The effort, held just prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 15-16 annual meeting at the Orange County Convention Center, involved more than 70 local churches and 1,200 outside volunteers. Venues included weeklong Hispanic Crossover and Intentional Community Evangelism (ICE) efforts, as well as a one-day blitz June 12 that included 15 neighborhood block parties, visits to homes, food distribution at five churches, free water bottles for tourists on International Drive and a huge family festival for the Hispanic community at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. “The best thing summing up the week for me was for people to see … [Read more...]

By Staff, Baptist Press ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) – After months of debate, Southern Baptist Convention messengers meeting June 15-16 easily adopted an amended version of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report and also elected a new president, Bryant Wright. It was the first time Southern Baptists had gathered in Orlando since 2000, the same year they debated and passed another significant document, the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message. The 23-member GCR Task Force, formed during the 2009 meeting by then-SBC President Johnny Hunt, released a preliminary report in February and a lengthy final report in May. Discussion on the report in newspapers, Internet blogs and social media led to the largest messenger total at an annual meeting – just over 11,000 – since 2006. In other top annual meeting news: messengers passed a resolution calling divorce a “scandal that has become all too commonplace in our own churches” and an oil spill resolution asserting that “our God-given dominion over the creation is not unlimited, as though we were gods and not creatures.” the convention voted in its first presidential runoff since 1982. the Executive Committee elected Frank Page its next president. But the GCR report … [Read more...]

[img_assist|nid=6464|title=David E. Hankins chats with Tim Johnson and Joe Aguillard|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66][img_assist|nid=6465|title=Perry Hancock visits with Leon and Anne Hyatt at Louisiana Lagniappe Breakfast|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66][img_assist|nid=6466|title=NOBTS display booth|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66] [img_assist|nid=6451|title=Cindi Walker of First Minden|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75][img_assist|nid=6452|title=Retired DOM Joe McKeever|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67][img_assist|nid=6453|title=Ko Soon Sin, a NOBTS student|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75][img_assist|nid=6454|title=NOBTS Unlimited Partnerships advertises nationwide expansion|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75][img_assist|nid=6455|title=Louisiana College display area|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66][img_assist|nid=6456|title=Phillip Williamson, pastor of New Zion Bossier City and Ronnie LaLonde of La. College at Lagniappe Breakfast|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=66][img_assist|nid=6457|title=Jeffrey and Stephanie at the National African American Fellowship … [Read more...]

By Joanne Brechtel, Administrative Editor [img_assist|nid=6467|title=Tioga First Baptist, which will host the annual Camp USA , is asking for housing for 68 Korean children and chaperones|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=67]WEST MONROE – Volunteers at Ridge Avenue Baptist are hosting a Family Promise event Sunday, June 20 - 26. The event involves providing meals, activities, laundry services and sleeping accommodations for homeless families in Ouachita Parish. David Brown is pastor. MINDEN – First Baptist plans a Family Missions Day on Saturday, June 26. Participants are to serve meals to the homeless at the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission. ZACHARY – “The Church has Left the Building,” a major outreach mission emphasis in the community, is set for June 21-27 by First Baptist. Activities include distributing groceries to hungry families, a soccer camp for kids, a community block party and repairing houses for the elderly and disabled. The church has also given $30,515 to Caring for Love Ministries to purchase an ultrasound machine aimed at convincing mothers to choose life over abortion. The church also supplies items to the Zachary Food Pantry. Reggie Bridges is pastor. NEW IBERIA – Highland Baptist conducted … [Read more...]

By Steve Lemke, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Provost [img_assist|nid=6339|title=Steve Lemke, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Provost|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]In this series of articles about the biblical reasons supporting the security of the believer, we have already seen three reasons based in Ephesians 1 that we cannot lose our salvation: (1) because salvation is not ours to lose since God provides it, not we ourselves, (2) because it is based upon a life-changing salvation experience with God, and (3) because eternal salvation is a scriptural promise. In this article we examine the fourth reason that we can have confidence that once we are genuinely saved, we are saved forever: because eternal salvation is a logical necessity. We have seen that Ephesians 1:13-14 describes the Holy Spirit as sealing and guaranteeing our salvation. On the basis of this Scripture and many others, we believe the Bible teaches that once someone has a genuine salvation experience is saved forever – sometimes described as “once saved, always saved.” However, other Christians disagree with this teaching. There are two logical alternatives to this view, both of which are held by other Christian … [Read more...]

By Bill Warren, NOBTS Professor of New Testament and Greek Question:When did fasting start, what is it about, and is it still valid to practice today? [img_assist|nid=6120|title=Bill Warren NOBTS Professor of New Testament and Greek|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]Bill Warren responds: I remember preaching on fasting at my first pastorate – on a fifth Sunday when we were having a church dinner. Needless to say I was teased quite a bit on that one and reminded Baptists and fasting don’t always mix well, especially not when a church dinner is waiting. As for when fasting originated, we don’t have firm evidence historically on a precise point of origin, but it is found in the Old Testament from the time of David forward (see the Davidic Psalms 35, 69, and 109). Fasting is linked to mourning in a spiritual sense of seeking God in repentance and contrition. The connection to mourning is understandable – we often don’t want to eat when going through the loss of loved ones with broken hearts. Likewise spiritually, fasting, prayer, and repentance are linked to the sense of loss of closeness to God that weighs heavy upon the heart and soul. In the New Testament period, the Pharisees fasted twice each week (Luke … [Read more...]

By Chad Mills, Pastor First Baptist Church, Oil City I was one of over 11,000 messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting held June 15 and 16 in Orlando, Florida. I have been asked about my perception of the meeting – how it went and what was it like? My response has been it was a “convention of contradictions.” Allow me to explain. While statistics indicate the vast majority of the churches that make up the Southern Baptist Convention run 200 or less in Sunday School, most of the speakers, if not all, came from churches that run 1,000 or more in Sunday School. Another contradiction was in the preaching style of some of the Pastor’s Conference speakers. Some preached textual sermons and never let go of their Bible. Other preachers presented topical messages and didn’t even appear to bring a Bible to the platform. I also found it ironic that the messengers passed a resolution taking a strong stand against divorce and affirming marriage. However, the previous night during the Pastor’s Conference, a special recognition was given to a well-known pastor who has been divorced. There was a contradiction in respect to the Cooperative Program. During the Annual Meeting our convention gave special … [Read more...]

By Andy Johnson, Pastor Cross Roads Baptist Church, Farmerville [img_assist|nid=6053|title=Andy Johnson, Pastor Cross Roads Baptist Church, Farmerville|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=75|height=100]There is an interesting verse of Scripture that I read in the book of Revelation recently that totally caught me off guard. Revelation 18:5 reads, “For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Allow me to set the context surrounding this verse; Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation deal with the city named Babylon – an ancient city that is the symbol of idolatry. These two chapters deal with two aspects of a system that is patterned after Babylonian concepts. Chapter 17 speaks of an idolatrous, one-world religious system that has its roots in Babylonian mysticism, while Chapter 18 speaks of the economic, commercial, one-world system of government that will dominate the last days. Both of them are abominable to God. I guess the thing that captivates me the most about Revelation 18:5 can be communicated in the form of a question: How much sin does it take to exhaust God’s mercy? It is such a startling concept that I’m not sure I can grasp it. How much sin – sin upon sin, piled up as high as it … [Read more...]

By Mark Kelley, Baptist Press [img_assist|nid=6473|title=Messengers overwhelmingly vote to adopt recommendations of Great Commission Resurgence Task Force|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=59]ORLANDO, Fla. (BP) – By an estimated 3-to-1 margin, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report was adopted June 15 by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. After the historic vote, Task Force Chairman Ronnie Floyd recalled the statement issued by northern and southern Baptists after the 1845 founding of the Southern Baptist Convention and told the assembly: “Following the pattern of our leaders of old, we also would say to the watching world that the differences between those who support the Great Commission Resurgence report and recommendations and those who do not should not be exaggerated. “We are still brothers and sisters in Christ. We differ on no article of faith. We are guided by our shared commitment to the Gospel itself and to the articles of faith identified in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches that is committed to a missional vision of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and … [Read more...]