There is nothing like a good cop show, whether it is on the big silver screen or the blinking eye of a television. Cop shows abound, and in some seasons, rule.   And why not? Cop shows are natural harbingers of drama, suspense, action, romance. There is not a better entertainment setting for the struggle of good and evil, right and wrong. There is nothing like a good cop show, whether it is on the big silver screen or the blinking eye of a television. Cop shows abound, and in some seasons, rule.   And why not? Cop shows are natural harbingers of drama, suspense, action, romance. There is not a better entertainment setting for the struggle of good and evil, right and wrong.   Since the early days of movies, good guys have struggled to overcome bad guys. Who can, to this day, resist stopping the channel flipping at a Humphrey Bogart kind of guy, a pompadour hat with the brim turned down, standing in the shadows, doing his detective work?   So, who is your favorite cop character? Humphrey Bogart whose storyline always had more romantic interest than struggle with a bad guy? Or maybe you are of the Dirty Harry generation. You still like to see Clint Eastwood do his … [Read more...]

Southern Baptists across the nation sit by and watch the battle of the Titans as officers of the Southern Baptist Convention and the leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Texas clash. What may very well be at stake is the future of the Cooperative Program, which has been the funding engine that has driven the work of national Southern Baptists and the Baptists of 34 state conventions since 1925. Southern Baptists across the nation sit by and watch the battle of the Titans as officers of the Southern Baptist Convention and the leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Texas clash. What may very well be at stake is the future of the Cooperative Program, which has been the funding engine that has driven the work of national Southern Baptists and the Baptists of 34 state conventions since 1925. In the last 22 years that the controversy has rattled the Southern Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has gone its own way. While Texas Baptist churches have provided some of the key leadership of the movement to take the Southern Baptist Convention in a more conservative direction, the state convention overall has not been in lockstep with the national … [Read more...]

With the growth of technology, other issues are arising in the church office as well.   For instance, computer software is protected by copyright law just as any other original creation. Most programs sold through retailers come with a single-use license, said Dan Barry, an information services representative for the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. With the growth of technology, other issues are arising in the church office as well.   For instance, computer software is protected by copyright law just as any other original creation. Most programs sold through retailers come with a single-use license, said Dan Barry, an information services representative for the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.   Even so, it is common for users to install software on more than one computer – something that infringes on the copyright owner’s rights. By law, software that comes with a single-use license can be used only on one computer. Additional copies or licenses must be purchased to use the program on other computers.   "If you’re buying it out of a box, you have to buy it for each person," said Julie Bloss, an attorney for the Annuity … [Read more...]

Two Louisiana Baptist bodies have selected 85 persons as nominees to serve on state convention boards and committees. The Louisiana Baptist Convention Committee on Nominations and Committee on Committees agreed on their lists of nominees during meetings earlier this fall. The 85 nominees will be presented to messengers at the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention on November 14-15 in Alexandria. Nominees must be approved by messengers before they are eligible to serve as board trustees or committee members. (Two vacancies still must be filled prior to the annual meeting.) Two Louisiana Baptist bodies have selected 85 persons as nominees to serve on state convention boards and committees. The Louisiana Baptist Convention Committee on Nominations and Committee on Committees agreed on their lists of nominees during meetings earlier this fall. The 85 nominees will be presented to messengers at the 2000 Louisiana Baptist Convention on November 14-15 in Alexandria. Nominees must be approved by messengers before they are eligible to serve as board trustees or committee members. (Two vacancies still must be filled prior to the annual meeting.) This year’s nominees represent the range of Louisiana Baptist life and come … [Read more...]

Just six days after American voters engage in the business of electing a new president, Louisiana Baptists will gather in Alexandria to decide their own key items.   The annual Louisiana Baptist Convention is set for November 14-15 at the Riverfront Convention Center in Alexandria. As always, its schedule features fellowship, inspiration - and plenty of business. Just six days after American voters engage in the business of electing a new president, Louisiana Baptists will gather in Alexandria to decide their own key items.   The annual Louisiana Baptist Convention is set for November 14-15 at the Riverfront Convention Center in Alexandria. As always, its schedule features fellowship, inspiration - and plenty of business.   The list of items even includes election of a state convention president, although Louisiana Baptists certainly have not engaged in the type of contest seen on the national scene.   Indeed, current President Tommy French is eligible for re-election to a second one-year term. Traditionally, presidents are granted the second year without opposition - and French has no announced opponent this year.   Still, as a struggle continues for the … [Read more...]

Is youth ministry a tenable career - or should it serve as a mere stepping-stone for young men who seek the pastorate?   It is a career, insisted David Adams, associate dean of students at Boyce College - the undergraduate program of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - and director of the National Center of Youth Ministry.   Is youth ministry a tenable career - or should it serve as a mere stepping-stone for young men who seek the pastorate?   It is a career, insisted David Adams, associate dean of students at Boyce College - the undergraduate program of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - and director of the National Center of Youth Ministry.   Today’s youth pastor has a task similar to that of a missionary to an unreached people group and must be a person who is not only educated, but dedicated long-term to reaching youths, Adams emphasized recently.   "There’s an emergence of demand from the local church, ..." he said. "These kids today are worried about the destruction of the world, being murdered at school, dealing with real issues and real fears. You can’t just put unqualified, well-intentioned leadership in front of them."   The … [Read more...]

Bob Dylan is older and continues to practice his musical craft, and his classic song from three decades ago remains true - the times, they still are "a-changing." However, in the view of many Christians, those changes are none too welcome. Culture is in decay. The moral climate is chilling.Christianity is losing ground fast. Or is it? Bob Dylan is older and continues to practice his musical craft, and his classic song from three decades ago remains true - the times, they still are "a-changing." However, in the view of many Christians, those changes are none too welcome. Culture is in decay. The moral climate is chilling.Christianity is losing ground fast. Or is it? Noted evangelical commentator Charles Colson is not as pessimistic as some on that question. Indeed, he recently suggested that the cultural decay of the past 30 years has begun to come full circle. Colson was a political figure in the 1970s and has become a popular author and speaker since his conversion during the days of the Watergate scandal. In comments at a recent Southern Baptist conference, Colson acknowledged that Christians often appear to be losing ground in society at large. At the same time, he stressed that the worst thing they can do … [Read more...]