NASHVILLE (BP) – Contributions to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries through the Cooperative Program totaled 98.38 percent of the budgeted goal through the third quarter ending June 30, SBC Executive Committee President Frank S. Page has announced. The $141,298,445.60 the Executive Committee received during the first nine months of the fiscal year, Oct. 1 - June 30, for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget is 1.62 percent short of the $143,625,000 year-to-date budgeted amount. The total represents money received by the close of the last business day of June and includes receipts from state conventions, churches and individuals designated for global and national Southern Baptist ministries. The total is $776,707.46 or 0.55 percent less than the $142,075,153.06 received through June 2013 of last fiscal year. Designated giving of $173,373,521.37 for the same year-to-date period is 1.89 percent, or $3,335,228.70, below the $176,708,750.07 received at this point last year. Designated giving only includes monies received and distributed by the Executive Committee and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Taxpayers could soon be paying for federal employees’ sex reassignment surgeries after the Office of Personnel Management lifted its ban on insurance coverage for the procedures. The June 13 directive surfaced quietly as a letter to insurance providers, citing an “evolving professional consensus” on whether the surgery is “medically necessary.” The bureaucratic change came just two weeks after the Department of Health and Human Services authorized Medicare to cover the same surgeries. For men, they can involve castration and genital reconstruction. For women, they can involve mastectomy and the implantation of a prosthetic. LGBT activists praised the ruling, but some argued that giving providers a choice isn’t good enough. “We think it’s illegal sex discrimination if they exclude care for trans-people that they allow other people to have,” said Mara Keisling, executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality. Failing to cover the procedures, Keisling and other activists say, would be at odds with executive orders that attempt to rewrite anti-discrimination laws. “Policy makers and the media are doing no favors either to the public or the transgendered by treating their confusions as a … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Fri, 07/11/2014 - 11:26 Tom Lambert, pastor of Community Baptist Church in Lafayette, has overcome bouts with cancer and a near-death experience thanks to his wife and God’s grace. By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer LAFAYETTE – Tom Lambert is alive but believes he really shouldn’t be. Called the Miracle Man by some, Tom Lambert’s journey has taken him from overseeing a multi-million dollar sales force to overcoming bouts with cancer to surviving a near-death experience. But through it all, Lambert said his faith and congregation of Community Baptist Church where he serves as pastor has helped him navigate each difficult situation, the most recent an incident in December when he believes he caught a literal glimpse of heaven while dying from surgery. “I was dying and the first thing I saw was a dark place, then the most beautiful place I ever saw in my life,” Lambert said. “I didn’t want to come back but God said I’m not through with you yet. It was amazing how things turned around after that.” What followed were months of rehabilitation on a path to recovery. Lambert called relearning how to walk one of the most difficult things he has ever accomplished. “The doctors told me I wasn’t … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 12:55 Instead of presents for their seventh birthday, twins Chloe and Sidney Burlew asked people to donate money for the Main Street Mission in Pineville. The two gathered more than $640 dollars which they donated to the Mission. By Hannah Boggs, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – Some young children may have trouble understanding the concept of donating money to a worthy cause but not twins Chloe and Sidney Burlew. For their seventh birthday instead of bringing birthday gifts to their party, the twins asked people to bring donations for the Main Street Mission. Because of their unselfish act, the two little girls were able to gather more than $640 dollars and donate it to the mission. “We saw a movie about a little girl who for her birthday asked everybody to bring kids’ shoes instead of toys,” the sisters said when asked where they got the idea to raise money for those who are in need. “So, one day when we went to the Mission to drop off some donations, we came up with the idea. Instead of asking for shoes, we would ask for money.” The girls knew about Main Street Mission from their grandmother, who regularly volunteers there. “There are people without houses, clothes or … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 12:58 The Main Street Mission in Pineville provides people with essential food items and clothing while also helping to take care of their spiritual needs as well. By Hannah Boggs, Message Staff Writer PINEVILLE – To find churches who are trying to “be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ” one needs to look no further than the Main Street Mission in Pineville. Located at 312 Main Street in downtown Pineville, the Mission is a homeless shelter and ministry of First Baptist Church Pineville. And it has been meeting the needs of the homeless for more than 20 years. “Main Street is a place that not only takes people in to meet their needs but also to share the gospel,” Mission Director Sam West said. “It is our goal to give these people hope and hopefully lead them to Christ. “It is a place where people from all walks of life can serve and grow together as part of the body of Christ,” he continued. And churches from across Central Louisiana share West’s vision. Fourteen churches partner with the Mission and 50 to 65 people weekly volunteer their time and efforts to cook, serve breakfast and lunch, help with the clothes and work with any of the needs of the clients … [Read more...]

Submitted by philip on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 13:03 Angola lifer Brandal Albin looks into the face of his daughter, Jocelyn, 8, at the end of the day of Awana Lifeline’s Returning Hearts event at Angola prison on July 14. Around 200 children spent the day with their incarcerated fathers renewing and refreshing their relationships. By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter ANGOLA – Around 200 children got to spend the day with about 100 of their incarcerated fathers during the second Awana Lifeline’s Returning Hearts event held in 2014 on July 14, (the first was in mid-May) and along with finding forgiveness and reconciliation between the children and their fathers, 40 children accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, according to prison Chaplain John Toney. “It’s been a great day – a great success,” Toney said as activities wound down around the Louisiana State Penitentiary’s rodeo arena and the merry-go-round and ferris wheel fell silent. “I never lose the joy of watching the child connecting with their fathers.” Mike Broyles, Awana’s executive director of the Lifeline prison program, said, “The purpose of Returning Hearts Celebration is reconciliation between an incarcerated father and a child for healing and hope and … [Read more...]

By Kelly Boggs, Message Editor There are atheists and liberals, some who are both, who believe there is no need for God in order for morality to be maintained in a society. They argue that people can act morally apart from a supreme authority. I agree that people can act morally apart from God’s standard. However, the real question is why should they? If there is no supreme authority – no God – then why behave morally? If there is no God, there are no objective standards for moral behavior. The logical progression leads to anarchy. Everyone does what is right in his or her eyes. This is clearly seen in the area of sexual expression. If there is no God, then there is no objective, authoritative standard when it comes to sexual expression. The logical result is sexual anarchy. I attended a debate in downtown Portland, Ore., more than a decade ago regarding whether it was appropriate for Oregon public schools to promote homosexuality as natural, normal and healthy. At some point during the discussion someone suggested homosexuality and incest were morally equivalent. When the debate ended, I was confronted by a woman who identified herself as a lesbian. She was furious that we “Bible-thumpers” were ignorant enough to equate … [Read more...]

By Erich Bridges, IMB World Correspondent Jacob (not his real name), age 8, probably isn’t up to speed on the cultural and spiritual struggles going on in America. He’s a kid, for one thing. He doesn’t live in the United States most of the time, for another. His parents are Southern Baptist workers in North Africa and the Middle East. He doesn’t understand why far more violent conflicts are exploding around him and his family, either. He just knows that he misses his friends. See, Jacob is sort of a refugee. His family had to leave the country where they were serving because of potential threats. They’re serving in another place for now, but leaving the home and people they love has been hard on all of them – especially Jacob. “This past year I have had to move around a lot,” Jacob wrote in a recent prayer message to American kids. “I love playing sports and meet lots of friends by playing sports at clubs. I have lived in three different countries in [North Africa and the Middle East]. In each of those countries I have friends that I have made by playing sports. “These friends are just like me,” Jacob said. “But they don’t know about Jesus. Please pray that these friends of mine would come to know Jesus. Also pray for them … [Read more...]

By Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Seminary A new television show, “Naked Dating,” recently debuted. In each episode, a man and a woman dates two different suitors – with the goal of deciding by the end of the episode if any of the relationships will continue. And, as the name of the program implies, everyone is naked from first meeting until final credits. This new naked show joins a lineup of other recent shows with characters in the buff. “Naked and Afraid” drops two survivalists – a man and a woman – into rough country and expects them to live off the land. The pair is, as they say in the country, “buck-nekkid,” but who wouldn’t be? It makes perfect sense to plunge into the Amazon rainforest or the African desert without any clothes (Sarcasm intended). Beyond these two shows, there is the equally implausible “Buying Naked” about searching for real estate in clothing-optional communities. The clients show up for home tours and serious discussions about a major life purchase missing something – their clothes. Again, makes perfect sense. Who doesn’t go house hunting in the nude? (See previous note concerning sarcasm). Disclaimer – apart from about five minutes of watching “Naked and Afraid,” just to be sure it … [Read more...]