P>In 1815, not many miles from the Louisiana Superdome, the famous Battle of New Orleans was fought.   In the battle, a collection of American volunteers and recruits commanded by Andrew Jackson defeated twice as many British soldiers to save control of the Louisiana port city and the Mississippi River. In 1815, not many miles from the Louisiana Superdome, the famous Battle of New Orleans was fought.   In the battle, a collection of American volunteers and recruits commanded by Andrew Jackson defeated twice as many British soldiers to save control of the Louisiana port city and the Mississippi River.   "But there was only one problem," Southern Baptist Convention President James Merritt explained last week. "The battle was really not worth fighting. ... The war had ended two weeks earlier when the Treaty of Ghent was signed in Europe."   Therein lies a lesson for Southern Baptists, Merritt said in delivering his president’s address to last week’s Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans.   "There are battles raging outside of this arena, and we need to be on the frontlines," said Merritt, citing attacks on the institution of marriage, sanctity of life and … [Read more...]

Millions of people in North America are "lost at sea" without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ - and it is time for Southern Baptists to go on a rescue mission to save them. Millions of people in North America are "lost at sea" without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ - and it is time for Southern Baptists to go on a rescue mission to save them.   That was the challenge of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board to messengers at the 2001 Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans last week.   "Frankly, my friends, North America desperately needs more heroes - common people with an uncommon commitment to the highest of all calls - the Great Commission of Jesus Christ," said Robert Reccord, president of the convention mission board.   The North American Mission Board report to last week’s convention opened with a song by recording artist Wintley Phipps, titled, "Four Chaplains on the Sea of Glory." It described how four chaplains on a battleship during World War II sacrificed their lives to help fellow crewmen when their ship was hit and there were not enough life jackets to go around.   "Today, North America is awash with people who are lost at … [Read more...]

Leaning on a cane and gripping the hand of his wife, Southern Baptist missionary Charles Beaty listened to staccato applause swell into a standing ovation. Leaning on a cane and gripping the hand of his wife, Southern Baptist missionary Charles Beaty listened to staccato applause swell into a standing ovation.   The Beatys came to the 2001 Southern Baptist Convention to challenge pastors and church leaders to go to the mission field. But they also had another reason for coming - Charles Beaty is dying of cancer and is seeking someone to take his place as a missionary in North Africa.   "Is the Lord calling you to go to the people who have no voice?" Beaty asked. "Then my challenge is to go and not wait, because we are not promised tomorrow."   As part of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board report at last week’s convention, a video depicting the Beatys’ ministry played on large screen projectors. The couple then offered a challenge and prayer for church leaders who may feel led to participate in missions.   "My challenge to you is to continue to go and to answer the call when (God) calls you," Beaty told messengers, who later held hands and prayed for the … [Read more...]

The old joke says – often with good reason – that wherever there are two Baptists, there are sure to be three opinions. However, Southern Baptists proved the cliche wrong last week, approving nine resolutions without so much as a moment of discussion or a sign of dissent. The old joke says – often with good reason – that wherever there are two Baptists, there are sure to be three opinions. However, Southern Baptists proved the cliche wrong last week, approving nine resolutions without so much as a moment of discussion or a sign of dissent. Southern Baptist Convention Resolutions Committee Chair Danny Akin admitted that was "pretty unusual." But he also said he thought it showed Southern Baptists "are very much of one mind on the issues (the resolutions address)." The issues presented to messengers at the 2001 Southern Baptist Convention were not the headline-making one of the past – but they did focus on current and ongoing concerns. Messengers addressed those concerns in easy fashion. The whole process took less than 15 minutes, making a second session for considering resolutions unnecessary. In addition to a traditional statement of appreciation for convention organizers, the resolutions … [Read more...]

C. Lacy Thompson LBM Associate Editor A trio of efforts to make wording changes in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message were defeated easily by Southern Baptist Convention messengers last week. A trio of efforts to make wording changes in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message were defeated easily by Southern Baptist Convention messengers last week.   The efforts were among 26 motions presented by messengers during last week’s annual meeting - and the only three proposals to be considered on the floor of the convention. The other 23 motions were referred to convention agencies or ruled out of order by officials. (The Baptist Message will review some of those proposals next week)   All three motions related to the Baptist Faith and Message sparked debate - but the outcome was not close, with each one falling well short on show-of-ballots votes.   In each instance, messengers were opposed from the convention platform by members of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message committee.   In the first instance, Fred Malone sought to amend the Baptist Faith and Message article on the Lord’s Day. Malone is pastor at First Baptist Church of Clinton.   The final passage of the … [Read more...]

Southern Baptists must rescue the American family from the precipice of peril, the first report from a convention task force asserts. Southern Baptists must rescue the American family from the precipice of peril, the first report from a convention task force asserts.   "Families will not be rescued simply because we hope so," warned Tom Elliff, chair of the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life. "Families will not be rescued because we think God owes it to us. Families in America - and families in our convention - will be rescued because we decide to do something about it."   The Council on Family Life is designed to help Southern Baptists do just that, noted Elliff, pastor at First Southern Baptist Church of Del City, Okla. The council was formed last year and charged with making recommendations to the convention in 2002.   However, it offered a preliminary report at last week’s Southern Baptist Convention, one of several instances that the issue of families arose during the annual meeting. Messengers to the convention also approved a strong resolution on covenant marriages - and several speakers alluded to the need to address the peril facing the family.   "We believe … [Read more...]

Ending a human life will likely not bring "closure" for the victims of the the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrall Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Ending a human life will likely not bring "closure" for the victims of the the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrall Federal Building in Oklahoma City.   United States citizens riveted their attention to the execution of Timothy McVeigh. The crime McVeigh fomented and committed in Oklahoma City was one of the truly gripping tragedies in the history of our nation’s internal affairs.   We can hardly believe that one man could callously take the lives of 168 fellow citizens, three of whom were pregnant, whose worst offense on that day was being in a federal office building.   For three years, the media presented the graphic images of mangled, often dead, bloody bodies coming from the building Timothy McVeigh decimated that day. For three years, we heard from the people whose lives were torn by either direct contact with the explosion or having a loved one severely injured or killed in the massive explosion or by working amidst the rubble to extricate bodies, some dead, some barely alive.   Timothy McVeigh was quickly captured, then … [Read more...]

Mark Wingfield Texas Baptist Standard   It is a question some longtime Baptists have been heard to ask during more than 20 years of denominational fighting among Southern Baptists - "Whatever happened to Bold Mission Thrust?" It is a question some longtime Baptists have been heard to ask during more than 20 years of denominational fighting among Southern Baptists - "Whatever happened to Bold Mission Thrust?" The 25-year plan to take the gospel to every person on earth by the turn of the century sometimes appeared to take a back seat to controversy in the years after its launch in 1976.   But despite those appearances, denominational officials continued to keep track of goals and measure successes and failures.   Still, finding an answer to whether Bold Mission Thrust was a success or a failure is not so easy. That is due in part to a labyrinth of goals set during the 25-year period and to the difficulty in tracking numbers related to some of those goals.   The overarching Bold Mission Thrust goal was adopted in 1976 - to pray, give and work so that "every person in the world shall have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ in the next 25 … [Read more...]

The recent Southern Baptist Convention and its related meetings in New Orleans featured numerous Louisiana Baptists - as speakers, workers and participants The recent Southern Baptist Convention and its related meetings in New Orleans featured numerous Louisiana Baptists - as speakers, workers and participants   God wants his children to move "beyond belief" and add godly living and Christian service to their faith, Rhonda Kelley stressed recently.   "I understand how important it is for each one of us to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to accept him by faith," Kelley said in an address at the 2001 Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union annual meeting in New Orleans.   "But we then must move beyond belief and add to our faith godly virtues, add to our faith Christian service."   By doing so, one follows in the steps of the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well, said Kelley, an author and wife of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley. She reminded Woman’s Missionary Union participants that the Samaritan woman followed up her belief by leaving her water jar at the well and running to town to tell others about … [Read more...]

C. Lacy Thompson LBM Associate Editor   The gospel of Mark tells the story of the four men who carried their paralytic friend to Jesus, only to find they could not reach Christ because of the crowd gathered around him. The gospel of Mark tells the story of the four men who carried their paralytic friend to Jesus, only to find they could not reach Christ because of the crowd gathered around him.   As a remedy, the four men tore up the roof of the house where the crowd was gathered and lowered their friend down to Jesus, who both forgave and healed the man in need.   It is a story modern Christians must heed if they hope to reach lost people, Philip Robertson said in an address at the 2001 Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference in New Orleans.   "I can’t take a heart that’s broken and make it over again," stressed Robertson, pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville and current president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board.   "I can’t take a soul that’s sin-stained and wash it white as snow. ... But I know a man who can. And his name is Jesus Christ. And he has the authority to forgive sins.   "And he is the … [Read more...]