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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Paul Chitwood elected unanimously as IMB president

By David Roach, Baptist Press ROCKVILLE, Va. (BP) -- About a decade ago, Paul Chitwood became convinced God was calling him to mobilize missions and missionaries, he told International Mission Board trustees. That call culminated today (Nov. 15), he said, with his election as president of the International Mission Board. "Being a member of this board for eight years changed my ministry and it changed my life, so much so that [my wife] Michelle and I questioned whether God had called us to overseas missions," Chitwood, who served as an IMB trustee from 2002-10 and chaired the board from 2008-10, said upon his election. "During that time on the board of wrestling with that call, it became clear that God's call upon our lives was to be mobilizers of the mission and of the missionaries. And what an incredible privilege it is to have that role. To be able to now see the culmination of that role by sharing in the work of the IMB and leading the IMB is overwhelming to us," Chitwood said. The IMB trustees elected Chitwood unanimously as the entity's 13th president during a 20-minute executive session at the IMB's International Learning Center near Richmond, Va. They also elected IMB interim president Clyde … [Read more...]

Blue wave, red wall collide in national elections

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA (LBM) — The 2018 midterm elections will be remembered as historic as much as for what happened as for what did not take place, with voters turning out in record numbers and a divided Congress being elected. An estimated 113 million voters participated in the midterm elections, the first midterm in history to exceed 100 million voters, amounting to nearly 49 percent of eligible voters in this “off-year” election. This compares to 41 percent participation, almost 82.5 million voters, in 2010, the first midterm of then-President Obama’s eight-year tenure. Democrats secured control of the House, but not in the blue wave they had expected. They appear to have won about 12 seats more than the 218 needed. But, political observers label a number of these newcomers as “moderates” who supposedly will not support the obstructionist strategy in play by the Democrats the first two years of President Trump’s administration. According to the latest CNN count, Democrats will seat 230 members and Republicans will muster 205 when Congress convenes in 2019. Republicans strengthened their power in the Senate, adding two more seats, meaning the president likely will succeed to name federal judges in … [Read more...]