Steve and Ann Corbin say they have the gift of hospitality – a handy gift for entertaining many strangers, especially when the strangers do not speak English.     RESERVE – Steve and Ann Corbin say they have the gift of hospitality – a handy gift for entertaining many strangers, especially when the strangers do not speak English.   As Mission Service Corps missionaries with Global Maritime Ministries, serving at the port of Reserve, La., the Corbins open their doors weekly to seafarers who come from around the world, bringing the international mission field "to their doorstep."   Mission Service Corps personnel are self-funded – essentially ‘faith missionaries’ dependent on the financial support of family, friends, church, retirement income or however God chooses to provide – volunteer missionaries who are commissioned for service by their home church and endorsed by the North American Mission Board. The International Mission Board has a similar group called Global Service Corps.   Assignments last from four months to open-ended; MSC volunteers work a minimum of 20 hours a week at their missionary assignment.   "We didn’t really know anything about working with seamen," Ann says. "But we knew God was leading us … [Read more...]

Warden Burl Cain credits moral rehabilitation efforts with the transformation of Angola from the bloodiest prison in America to a peaceful farm.     COVINGTON – Warden Burl Cain credits moral rehabilitation efforts with the transformation of Angola from the bloodiest prison in America to a peaceful farm. Centered around six inmate chapels, faith-based classes and worship services provide opportunities for inmates to experience a "heart change."   "A prison can change, but only with God almighty and moral rehabilitation," Cain told the members of First Baptist Church Covington in a recent morning service. He was present to challenge the congregation to support efforts to build a chapel at Rayburn Correctional Center in nearby Washington Parish.   "They need to have a church at RCC," he said. "A chapel draws them (inmates) like a magnet. They are islands of freedom."   Cain said the idea that you can change a prison from the inside out was not his, but was the vision of Chuck Kelly, President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.   NOBTS established a Bible College inside the Angola compound after PELL grants were discontinued and Cain went looking for a way to fund higher education at the prison. He said he had no … [Read more...]

On Super Bowl Sunday for the last five years, North Monroe has invited a special guest speaker for what the church calls its "Day of Champions." MONROE – On Super Bowl Sunday for the last five years, North Monroe has invited a special guest speaker for what the church calls its "Day of Champions."    The pre-event started a week early this year. More than 1,000 people in the worship center of North Monroe Baptist Church watched a showing of the new film Facing the Giants Jan. 28. One week later, the church hosted its fifth annual "Day of Champions" with Alex Kendrick as special guest. Kendrick wrote, directed, and starred in Facing the Giants, which was produced by Sherwood Pictures, a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga. Kendrick is Sherwood’s media minister.   The church staff had arranged in October for Kendrick to speak at the Day of Champions event; the invitation was made about a month after the release of the film and before he was inundated with speaking requests, church leaders said.   Kendrick spoke for about 20 minutes in each of three worship services to a combined congregation of more than 1,725 people. He then spoke for another 30 minutes at each of two luncheons that took place in … [Read more...]

The 2007 Princess Retreat sponsored by Lambda Chi Girls’ ministry at First Baptist Church was amazing. With over 165 girls, in addition to their mothers, adult sponsors and several ladies from FBC, the church was full. Not only was it full of people, but it was also filled with learning, laughter, fellowship and the Holy Spirit. NATCHITOCHES – The 2007 Princess Retreat sponsored by Lambda Chi Girls’ ministry at First Baptist Church was amazing. With over 165 girls, in addition to their mothers, adult sponsors and several ladies from FBC, the church was full. Not only was it full of people, but it was also filled with learning, laughter, fellowship and the Holy Spirit.   As everyone registered for the day, girls packed into the fellowship hall to meet new friends and eat about 30 dozen donuts! The day got off to a perfect start with NSU volleyball coach, Brittany Uffelman, getting everyone to their feet with a competitive game of Simon Sez. The winner was able to choose a door prize from the many gift baskets donated by Sunday school classes in the church.   Next, Sara Beth led the girls in a fun song where they were able to "zoom" around the entire sanctuary before settling down with the first speaker, Wendy Troxclair. Wendy … [Read more...]

State Acteens receive national recognition   BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) – Tara Hammett of First Baptist Church, Minden, La. is among the eight teens who have been selected as 2007 National Acteens Panelists by Woman’s Missionary Union, based on their missions commitment and involvement in their school, community and church.   "Without a doubt, these eight young women represent the very best of their generation," said Kym Mitchell, national WMU’s student resource team leader and design editor. "They are not only leaders in their schools and in a variety of community service arenas, but they are also committed to their families, involved in the ministries of their local churches and are strong missional leaders, setting an example for us all as they actively live out God’s call on their lives."   Suzanne Reece, ministry consultant for WMU’s student resource team, said the selection process was very challenging this year, as numerous applicants were involved in an abundance of missions opportunities and experiences.   "Many of them are responsible for initiating, planning and executing mission projects in their own church and community," Reece said of the panelists. "They appear to be a group of girls who will take it upon … [Read more...]

A pastor in South Africa who had partnered with North Carolina Baptist volunteers was shot and killed Jan. 22 as he led a Bible study at Masiphumelele Baptist Church in Fish Hoek. From Baptist Press and other sources   SOUTH AFRICA PASTOR MURDERED DURING BIBLE STUDY – NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – A pastor in South Africa who had partnered with North Carolina Baptist volunteers was shot and killed Jan. 22 as he led a Bible study at Masiphumelele Baptist Church in Fish Hoek. Phillip Mokson, founding pastor of the congregation, died and a woman was seriously wounded by a man who was baptized in late 2006 but struggled with depression. The woman apparently had rejected his romantic overtures.   The gunman, known as Vusi, took his own life after the shootings, according to the Biblical Recorder, newsjournal of the Baptist Convention of North Carolina. Masiphumelele township’s 20,000 residents are predominantly young and poor. As many as 25 percent of them are HIV-positive, according to John Thomas, pastor of Fish Hoek Baptist Church, which sponsors the work Mokson led. The gunman reportedly had attempted suicide at least twice, and on one occasion Mokson had rescued him. TURKISH PASTOR THREATENED, BUILDING VANDALIZED – … [Read more...]

Registration opened Feb. 1 for the SBC Youth Ministry Survey, designed to be a comprehensive guide for Southern Baptist churches across the nation to garner crucial, fresh information about teens, their families and youth ministry.     FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Registration opened Feb. 1 for the SBC Youth Ministry Survey, designed to be a comprehensive guide for Southern Baptist churches across the nation to garner crucial, fresh information about teens, their families and youth ministry.   The free survey will be open for people to complete online April 1-8. Coordinators are particularly seeking churches to help provide input from youth, parents of youth, youth ministry volunteers and youth ministers.   "Churches and individuals tend to keep doing what they have been doing unless something prompts them to change," said Richard Ross, project coordinator and professor of student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. "In some churches, if attendance is OK, if parents and teens are reasonably happy with activities, then no one is motivated to think carefully about how ministry should be changed in the future."   The survey consists of 125 queries designed to measure each group’s attitudes on subjects … [Read more...]

The presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board and International Mission Board simultaneously hit buttons to launch the new North American People Groups website (www.peoplegroups.info) on Feb.7 during a joint ceremony. ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – The presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board and International Mission Board simultaneously hit buttons to launch the new North American People Groups website (www.peoplegroups.info) on Feb.7 during a joint ceremony.   With interim NAMB President Roy Fish in Alpharetta, Ga., and IMB President Jerry Rankin in Richmond, Va., to "throw the switch," the new interactive website -– developed and funded jointly by the SBC’s two mission boards -– now offers a wealth of data to Christian users and the public at large.   "The North American Mission Board has a long history of evangelism and church planting among the variety of language and ethnic groups in North America," Fish said during the launch ceremony.   "Out of the 1,725 churches Southern Baptists started in 2005, 59 percent were either African American or ethnic congregations. We are a denomination committed to reaching across racial, ethnic and cultural lines with the … [Read more...]

Music experts charged with the task of setting criteria for which the hymns, worship songs and praise choruses should be part of an upcoming project concluded that a song’s theology is more important than its sound.     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) – Music experts charged with the task of setting criteria for which the hymns, worship songs and praise choruses should be part of an upcoming project concluded that a song’s theology is more important than its sound.   A Hymnal Summit hosted by the LifeWay Worship Music Group in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 12-13 drew 100 participants selected because of their expertise to provide feedback on potential content for "The Worship Project," which includes a hardback hymnal to be released in 2008 and a 1,000-song digital hymnal repository to be released shortly thereafter.   "We have music professors from all of our Southern Baptist seminaries and 21 Baptist colleges, as well as church musicians and worship leaders and local music industry leaders," Mike Harland, director of the LifeWay Worship Music Group, said. "We also have invited people who worked on the 1991 Baptist Hymnal and our own LifeWay people who are devoted to this project."   Participants attended sessions on educational … [Read more...]

When time came for the mission offering, a young Cuban Christian took the patched shirt off his back, came forward and put it in the box.     ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) – When time came for the mission offering, a young Cuban Christian took the patched shirt off his back, came forward and put it in the box.   It was all he had, but he gave it gladly.   Another believer gave his socks. Several offered their watches and rings. Another contributed a handkerchief with words from the Bible written on it: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."   A Southern Baptist missionary witnessed this scene on a recent visit to Cuba, where he spoke at a mission training conference involving more than 300 mostly young home missionaries from around the island nation.   "I have never seen that kind of sacrificial giving – not in my country or any other country where we’ve served," the missionary told International Mission Board trustees during their Jan. 29-31 meeting in Ontario, Calif. "They gave what they had."   The impromptu mission offering had come after the missionary finished his planned participation in the conference. The Cuban Baptist pastor who organized the annual session unexpectedly announced, "We’re … [Read more...]