Richard Land did not present the typical agency report to messengers
at the recent Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans.
Richard Land did not present the typical agency report to messengers
at the recent Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans.
Instead, Land recognized several Louisiana Baptists as “champions
for the faith” during his report as president of the Southern Baptist Ethics
and Religious Liberty Commission.
“How will our less fortunate neighbors know that we truly
love them while we often ignore their struggle with gambling, drug and alcohol
addiction, homelessness and hunger?” Land asked during his report. “How
will underprivileged children ever know the rich promise of this great nation
while they languish in the despair of abject poverty, oblivious to the hope
found in the gospel of Jesus Christ?
“How will we ever transform families, churches and communities
while our nation is held hostage by a contemporary culture of convenience,
where the sanctity of human life is wantonly discarded and the very foundation
of the family – the covenant of marriage – is crumbling?”
The task will be accomplished through the efforts of champions
for the faith – “ordinary Christian men and women who are doing extraordinary
things in obedience to their Lord,” Land said.
These include Arcurtis Shanklin, whose ministry field is at
the Brantley Baptist Center, he noted. Shanklin once wandered the streets of
New Orleans lost and alone – until he found hope in the gospel, Land recounted.
Now, instead of being served at the Southern Baptist ministry center, he is
the facilitys services supervisor, serving men and women who come in off
the street just like he once did, he said.
They also include Perry Hancock and Dale Stone of Creative
Ministries for the Children. Land praised the pair for their work in addressing
the immediate needs of some of the more than 65,000 children living in poverty
in New Orleans, for helping their families to help themselves and for providing
a positive Christian witness through unique social services. Hancock is a dean
at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Stone is a student at the seminary.
They also include Mike and Kelly Johnson of Baton Rouge, who
understand the importance of viewing marriage as a sacred covenant before God
– not a negotiable contract, Land noted. “Inspired by their strong Christian
faith and a deep personal commitment to one another, they have responded to
Gods call by championing the cause of covenant marriage at home, in church,
in the classroom, in the courtroom, at the state legislature and across the
nation,” he said.
“Solutions to the many serious problems that destroy peoples
lives, torture their spirits and tear apart their families can only be found
in Jesus Christ,” Land added, calling persons to do as those he had cited.
“Take a stand, speak the truth and make a difference. Together, we can
transform our families, our churches, our communities and our nation.”