By LifeWay Christian Resources Staff NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Randy Parks remembers the music, the games, and the wacky events from the first summer he attended Centrifuge in 1979. But most of all, he remembers the clear message of the gospel and the strong conviction that a life following Christ was exciting and worth living. That summer at Glorieta, New Mexico, when Parks was only a high school junior, laid the foundation for his future as a hospital chaplain. “Centrifuge changed the direction of my life,” said Parks, now a chaplain at Newton Medical Center in Newton, New Jersey. “It was there I answered what I believed to be a call to follow God in the path of Christian ministry. “Since that time, I have lived out that calling through the local church, in university chaplaincy and for many years now as a health care chaplain.” Parks credits his summers at Centrifuge for helping him develop a regular quiet time and sparking a passion for evangelism. “It changed my life forever.” Parks is not alone. Since 1979, LifeWay’s FUGE Camps have seen God work in the lives of more than 1.7 million students and adults across the nation. This summer more than 55,000 students and adults will attend a FUGE Camp. That includes more … [Read more...]

WASHINGTON, DC—First Liberty Institute today sent a letter to the U.S. Army urging it to reverse an investigator’s decision and recommendation that First Liberty client, Army Chaplain Scott Squires, be disciplined for following both Army regulations and the religious tenets of his endorsing denomination. Earlier this year, an Army investigator concluded that Chaplain Squires discriminated because his chaplain endorsing agency, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), forbids its chaplains from facilitating marriage retreats that include same-sex couples.  Doing so would violate “The Baptist Faith and Message” adopted by the SBC, and could result in a chaplain losing their endorsement.  The Army requires its chaplains to adhere to their endorsers’ rules and religious tenets. “Chaplain Squires should not have his career ruined for following the rules of both his faith and the Army,” said Mike Berry, Deputy General Counsel and Director of Military Affairs at First Liberty. “Federal law protects Chaplain Squires and prohibits the military from punishing any chaplain who acts in accordance with their religious tenets.  We urge the Army to follow the law, just as Chaplain Squires did.  … [Read more...]