Baptist Press Stories for Feb. 24 2012 --------------------------------------- Wright: Great Commission Baptists is 'opportunity to describe who we are' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37255 'Global Baptist' led the top 20 name suggestions http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37256 Judge: NYC churches can meet in schools http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37265 ERLC releases 'fact sheet' on Obama mandate http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37257 Ky. Baptists' effort helps defeat casino bill http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37258 Md. churches to unite, fight gay 'marriage' law http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37259 Southern formally opens Nashville campus http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37260 CULTURE DIGEST: Facing persecution,
Swedish homeschoolers seek American help http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37261 FIRST-PERSON: China's vanished dissidents http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37262 FIRST-PERSON: Liberal coercion http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37263 EDITORIAL: Tres Características de un Liderazgo Espiritual http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37264 --------------------------------------- Wright: Great Commission Baptists is 'opportunity to describe who we are' By Erin Roach Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37255 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- In a new video posted to Pray4SBC.com, Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright explains his perspective on the Great Commission Baptists name option to be presented at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans.
"I hope this video today will be just another way of helping you have a greater understanding of how God led in this process," Wright said in the video recorded at the SBC Building in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 21, the day after the task force he appointed to study a name change delivered its report to the Executive Committee. Wright said the task force had seen God move in a unifying way in their midst as well as when they reported to the Executive Committee. "All along it has been our hope that God would guide us in coming to a decision that would give a greater ability and opportunity for Southern Baptist Christians to reach that community where God has planted them," Wright said. "And if that regional name has been a hindrance, we were just studying how could that barrier be removed so that more people could come into the Kingdom of Christ, come to faith in Christ by a ministry that really focuses on the Great Commission," he said. Wright said he could think of no greater descriptor than Great Commission Baptists to tell who the convention is and what their mission is while maintaining the legal name of the Southern Baptist Convention. The task force started out exploring a legal name change, he said, but they began to have a "great unity" that altering the legal name was not the best approach. [IMG=29679@right@80]"Think about a couple of scenarios. First of all, our founding in 1845 was actually approved and the charter was given by the state legislature of the state of Georgia," Wright said. "Because of that, we have been grandfathered in when it comes to nonprofit regulations and what is asked for in nonprofit entities or organizations." All sorts of legal challenges could stem from a legal name change, he said. Also, what has joined Southern Baptists together has been voluntary cooperation through the years. "Say the Southern Baptist Convention in June in New Orleans and then a second year -- as it would be required to change the legal name, a second year -- say it was overwhelmingly approved by the Southern Baptist Convention," Wright said in the 12-minute video. "Because of the autonomy of our entities, of our state conventions, of our local churches, you could have 10 states that decide to adopt that new legal name of the Southern Baptist Convention, whatever it may be. You could have 20-something states that decide they're going to stay Southern Baptist," he said. "The potential for division, the potential for legal issues, the potential for problems with wills and gifts that have been designated to the Southern Baptist Convention, it just goes on and on and on. We just felt like that would not be healthy for the convention, nor would it be wise." A motion to change the name of the convention has come up 13 times since 1903, Wright said, and the task force hopes that by studying the issue and communicating the findings to Southern Baptists the idea will be settled in a lot of people's minds for years to come. At the same time, the Great Commission Baptists descriptor could give freedom to church plants and entities to describe who they are at any rate of speed they choose. It may be a 10- to 20-year process of incorporating a new name by which Southern Baptists are known, he said. [QUOTE@left@180="If that regional name has been a hindrance, we were just studying how could that barrier be removed so that more people could come into the Kingdom of Christ." -- Bryant Wright]"When you think about the legal name change of GuideStone from the old Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, the legal name change of LifeWay from the old Sunday School Board, it's been a 10- to 20-year process for those of us who grew up understanding the old names to begin to adopt and adapt in our everyday conversation the new names," Wright said in the video. "So I really believe that with God's Spirit leading, as more and more feel that this is an opportunity to describe who we are, it can become second nature in thinking of Southern Baptists." No one would be forced to use the new descriptor, Wright said. It would simply be an option for voluntary cooperation as the Holy Spirit guides, he said. "Wouldn't it be an exciting day within our convention if what people think of most of all is that those folks in their mission, in their actions, in what they are focused on, are all about being Great Commission Baptists?" Wright encouraged Southern Baptists to become more acquainted with the conclusions reached by the task force by reading coverage in Baptist Press and their state convention newspapers before gathering to vote on the issue at the SBC annual meeting in June. Task force members paid their own way to meetings, with no Cooperative Program funds for the process. --30-- Erin Roach is assistant editor of Baptist Press. To watch Bryant Wright's video on the name option, visit pray4sbc.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- 'Global Baptist' led the top 20 name suggestions By Staff Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37256 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The task force that studied changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention received 586 distinct name suggestions, with "Global Baptist Convention" leading the way and "Great Commission Baptist Convention" -- similar to the informal name that was chosen -- ranking in the Top 5, an analysis shows. [IMG=31960@right@350] The task force was appointed last September by Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright, and it asked for name change suggestions on a website, Pray4SBC.com. The task force presented its recommendation Feb. 20. As part of that recommendation, the Southern Baptist Convention would maintain its legal name while adopting a non-legal descriptor, "Great Commission Baptists," for churches, entities and organizations that wish to use it. The label is purely voluntary. The Executive Committee approved the recommendation, and SBC messengers will vote on it in June. The task force received 1,151 name change suggestions with 586 distinct suggestions (that is, not counting duplicates). An analysis of the names by Roger S. (Sing) Oldham, vice president for Convention Relations for the SBC Executive Committee, showed: -- 71 percent of the 586 distinct name suggestions included "Baptist." -- When counting duplicates, 86 percent of the 1,151 suggestions included "Baptist." -- 19 of the top 20 and 49 of the top 50 distinctive suggested names included "Baptist." -- 105 names were suggested by two or more people. The most frequent suggestion involved various forms of "Global Baptist," used in such suggested names as Global Baptist Convention, Global Fellowship and Global Baptist Network. A total of 148 people suggested 36 various combinations that included "Global" and "Baptist." The analysis showed that the top 20 suggested names were: 1. Global Baptist Convention (85 suggestions) 2. International Baptist Convention (58) 3. United Baptist Convention (30) 4. Evangelical Baptist Convention (25) 5. Great Commission Baptist Convention (23) 6. North American Baptist Convention (23) 7. The Baptist Convention (23) 8. American Baptist Convention (22) 9. World Baptist Convention (19) 10. Worldwide Baptist Convention (19) 11. Baptist Convention (13) 12. Baptist Convention of America (11) 13. National Baptist Convention (10) 14. Global Baptist Fellowship (9) 15. Baptist Convention of the United States (8) 16. Christian Baptist Convention (8) 17. Gospel Baptist Convention (7) 18. Bible Baptist Convention (7) 19. Great Commission Convention (7) 20. Universal Baptist Convention (7) --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. -- End of story -- Judge: NYC churches can meet in schools By Michael Foust Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37265 Story updated Monday, Feb. 27 with Baptist reaction, more info NEW YORK (BP) -- A federal judge has handed New York City churches a major victory, issuing a preliminary injunction that will allow congregations to meet in schools while the lawsuit proceeds -- that is, unless the city wins on appeal. Seven Southern Baptist congregations have been affected by the ongoing legal battle, according to George Russ, executive director of the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association. Dozens of other churches also have been impacted. [IMGONLY=31934@left@80]The Friday (Feb. 24) order by District Judge Loretta Preska made clear that all churches -- and not just the named plaintiff, Bronx Household of Faith -- will be able to meet in public schools. Unlike her previous order that was to last only 10 days, Preska's latest decision contains no expiration date, meaning it will remain in effect while the case proceeds -- or until a higher court decides differently. City attorneys said they would appeal. Several churches met Sunday (Feb. 26) in public schools, but others already had made arrangements to meet elsewhere -- some permanently. Congregations are attempting to overturn a New York City Department of Education rule that prevents school buildings from being used for "religious worship services." Preska's decision prevents the city from enforcing the rule against Bronx Household of Faith or "any similarly-situated individual or entity." "If a rule is unconstitutional, it is unconstitutional as to all similarly-situated parties," Preska wrote. Although her decision was a big win for churches, the Southern Baptist congregations already had found alternate locations. For instance, Crossroads Church -- previously profiled in Baptist Press -- is moving from a public school location to a theater. It met Sunday at a fellow church because the theater won't be ready until March 4. "Whether the Department of Education wins their appeal is not going to affect them for now. They've already made the move," Russ said. Preska's ruling no doubt had in mind the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals which, after she issued her temporary 10-day order Feb. 16, ruled that it applied only to Bronx Household of Faith. The Second Circuit's decision on Friday, Feb. 17 prevented dozens of churches from meeting in their normal location last Sunday. Churches now are wondering if they'll have a repeat -- high hopes that are quickly dashed. Represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, Bronx Household of Faith contends the city's rule amounts to hostility toward churches and a violation of the Free Exercise Clause, because the city's rule allows non-religious groups to meet while banning churches. An earlier round of decisions that went against NYC churches were based on an examination of the Free Speech and Establishment Clauses, not the Free Exercise Clause. That earlier round of cases ended in 2011 when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to get involved. It appeared churches had reached the end of the legal road until Preska sided with the congregations. "The city can't single out religious expression and treat it worse than the expression of everybody else," said ADF senior counsel Jordan Lorence. "The court's order allows churches and other religious groups to meet in empty school buildings on weekends just as non-religious groups do while the lawsuit proceeds. The city's view of the First Amendment is wrong, and we intend to continue to demonstrate that in court." Preska ruled that Bronx Household of Faith likely will succeed in the case and that it "will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction." "A law is not neutral if its object is to infringe upon or restrict practices because of their religious motivation," she wrote. Churches are meeting in places such as a movie theater, a private school and a community center, Russ said. The Metropolitan New York Baptist Association's building on 72nd Street in Manhattan already houses several congregations, Russ said, from church plants to a church that has been in existence for years. The association offers space for staff meetings, overnight retreats and special services. Even so, the association is prepared to help one or two more congregations in Manhattan as needed. Read the decision online at http://www.adfmedia.org/files/BronxPI.pdf --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. With reporting by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- ERLC releases 'fact sheet' on Obama mandate By Staff Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37257 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Convention's ethics entity has issued both a fact sheet about the Obama administration's contraceptive/abortion mandate and a call for support of a bill to restore conscience protections missing from the controversial requirement. [IMGONLY=32010@left@150]The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) posted the fact sheet on its website Feb. 24 and, on the same day, distributed an email alert urging Southern Baptists and others to contact their senators in support of legislation expected to be voted on soon. The efforts are the latest by the ERLC in combating a final rule announced Jan. 20 by the Department of Health and Human Services that requires all health plans to cover contraceptives and sterilizations as preventive services without cost to employees. The contraceptives, as designated by the federal government, include some drugs that can cause abortions by blocking implantation of tiny embryos. [IMG=31805@right@80]The ERLC -- as well as other Southern Baptist entities, evangelical leaders and the Roman Catholic Church -- has especially decried the Obama administration's failure to provide adequate protection for the religious freedom and conscience rights of religious institutions and other employers. The religious exemption in the rule is insufficient to protect religious hospitals, schools and social service ministries, as well as some churches, critics have pointed out. ERLC President Richard Land said in the email alert, "As we continue to emphasize, this issue is not about contraceptives. Instead, it is about conscience and religious freedom. And we must not allow this assault on our First Amendment freedoms to stand." The ERLC called for citizens to ask their senators to support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, S. 1467. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri -- a Southern Baptist -- is designed to provide conscience protections in the mandate. A Senate vote on the proposal as part of a transportation bill is expected the week of Feb. 27 to March 2. Here is the full text of the ERLC fact sheet, which is titled "The threat to religious freedom: The Obama administration's contraceptives mandate:" THE ISSUE: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MANDATE VIOLATES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Under a regulation issued in January by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), nearly all insurance plans will be forced to provide their employees with free access to all FDA-approved contraceptives. This mandate includes coverage of abortion-inducing drugs like ella and Plan B (the "morning after" pill), abortion-causing IUDs, and sterilization. This mandate will force millions of Southern Baptists and other people of faith to violate their God-given and constitutionally-protected freedom of religion and conscience. HOW THE HHS MANDATE TRAMPLES RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Not only does the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act mark the first time the U.S. government has forced citizens to purchase a product (health insurance), the HHS contraceptives mandate marks the first time the government will force people of faith to purchase products that violate their consciences. A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM While some people argue that this is a contraceptives issue, it is not. Most Southern Baptists accept the use of non-abortive contraceptives within marriage. The HHS mandate goes way beyond that. It requires that all insurance plans make available abortion-causing products. This means that employers, including religious organizations, will have to make insurance plans available to their employees that violate their religious beliefs. It also means that either the employers or the employees will be required to pay for these products through their premium payments. The Obama administration has declared that religious conviction about abortion is not an acceptable reason for exemption from this requirement. While the offense is about abortion, the dominant issue is the government's determination to violate the constitutionally-protected right to freedom of conscience. No one should be forced by the government to buy or subsidize products that result in the killing of innocent human beings in violation of their consciences. What is at stake is whether our nation will protect our God-given and constitutionally-protected freedom of religion and conscience fought for by our Baptist forebears. LIMITED EXEMPTIONS The Obama administration's contraceptive mandate represents an ongoing attempt to shrink the definition of religious exemption. Their very narrow religious exemption means that most religious groups will be required to provide access to contraceptives, including ones that cause abortions. Under the administration's reasoning, the religious exemption does not include organizations such as local Christian schools and soup kitchens or larger entities such as Christian universities. We have real concerns that evangelical churches can even meet the administration's four-part test -- especially the third prong that requires exempted groups to primarily serve persons who share the same religious tenets, since Evangelicals are focused on reaching outside the church ranks. Those religious institutions not covered by the narrow exemption will be forced to choose one of three untenable options: -- Obey the law at the expense of their conscience. -- Cease providing coverage -- which would force the employees of these religious institutions to obtain coverage with offensive provisions and could subject the religious institution employer to fines if it is considered a large employer under applicable rules. -- Provide coverage but without complying with the HHS mandate that assaults the religious institution's conscience -- which could result in fines to participants if their coverage through the religious institution employer is non-compliant. LIMITED ACCOMMODATIONS According to the mandate, the only accommodation afforded religious institutions is a one-year extension to comply. Practically, this means religious employers morally opposed to the mandate have an additional year before they must begin violating their consciences. NO "COMPROMISE" IN FORCE On February 10, President Obama announced a so-called "compromise" to supposedly exempt religiously-affiliated employers morally opposed to the mandate by allowing them to shift the burden of covering contraceptives and abortifacients to their insurance companies. This is merely an accounting gimmick. Employers will still have to make abortion-causing products available in the plans they offer their employees, and the insurance companies will be recovering the cost of these products indirectly through the premiums they charge. What's more, no such "compromise" -- even if it did resolve any religious liberty concerns -- actually exists in print. The president merely suggested the compromise. The original HHS regulation as printed remains unchanged. And even if the president's "compromise" is adopted by HHS, the violation of constitutionally-protected religious conscience remains. DIRECTLY IMPACTS SELF-INSURED RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS Neither the current HHS rule nor the so-called "compromise" provides an exemption for religious employers that self-insure, which means they serve as the source of benefit payments instead of contracting with a third party. That includes GuideStone Financial Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention's medical plan provider covering tens of thousands of pastors, church workers, professors, secretaries, social workers, missionaries, other agency workers, and their families. The HHS mandate reflects a sobering disregard for the unique and historic structure and role of self-insured medical programs like GuideStone and other large and established church health plans, as well as a shocking encroachment on religious freedom. DIRECTLY IMPACTS PEOPLE OF FAITH If the HHS mandate is not overturned or changed, many employers whose consciences are violated will have to stop providing insurance for their employees. Further, when these employees seek to purchase their own insurance plans, they will find that the Obama administration's mandate requires every insurance plan to pay for these abortion-causing products and services. This will mean that all of us whose consciences are violated by this morally reprehensible mandate will be forced to choose between paying for these products and services, whether we use them or not, or not having insurance for ourselves and our families and paying a government fine for not having insurance. UPSETS CHURCH AND STATE BALANCE In recent decades, most conflicts over the church-state relationship have had to do with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, with debates about the appropriate role of faith in public life. The HHS mandate is the culmination of a shift in church-state relations that has been emerging over the last decade or so, in which the conflict has gone from potential violations of the Establishment Clause to actual violations of the Free Exercise Clause. The HHS mandate is a direct assault on how people of faith can conduct their own lives according to the dictates of their consciences. The mandate puts the federal government in the position of imposing its will on the conscience by executive edict, casting aside individual conscience and religious freedom. SETS DANGEROUS PRECEDENT If the federal government can force religious employers and people of faith to purchase products that offend their faith and conscience, what can't it force them to do? THE SOLUTION: RESTORE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM WITH RESPECT FOR RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE ACT Jesus instructed us to "render to Caesar what is Caesar's." How now shall we respond when Caesar demands what is God's? Under an agreement reached by U.S. Senate leaders, the Senate is expected to vote the week of February 27 on the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (S. 1467), which essentially would stop the contraceptives mandate from taking effect. This would safeguard employers and individuals from being forced to violate their religious convictions on contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs under health care. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), will be voted on as an amendment to a transportation bill. With our God-given and constitutionally-protected freedoms of religion and conscience at stake, the church cannot afford to be silent. If you agree, please contact your senators immediately and urge them to support the Blunt Amendment -- the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act -- to the transportation bill under Senate consideration. You can reach them through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or send them an email through the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's website, erlc.com. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- Ky. Baptists' effort helps defeat casino bill By Staff Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37258 FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) -- Kentucky Baptists were victorious in their effort to stop seven casinos from entering the state when a bill fell short of the votes it needed in the state Senate Feb. 23. For more than a decade, Kentucky legislators have debated the idea of expanding gambling in the state beyond the lottery and horseracing tracks they already have. The measure, defeated Thursday (Feb. 23) by a vote of 21-16, would have placed the issue on the ballot in November. [IMG=32009@right@120]The day after the bill's defeat, Hershael York, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort and preaching professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, prayed Psalm 118 in Hebrew as an invocation in the Senate. In English, the Psalm begins, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." York led Kentucky Baptists' effort in stopping expanded gambling, stirring controversy in January by leading a joint session of the legislature in a prayer for God to defeat the governor's chief legislative proposal. "Help us to admit that we cannot truly love our neighbor as ourselves and then scheme to get his money by enticing him with vain hope," York prayed. York, a former president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, also organized a rally at the state capitol Feb. 21 in which about 250 pastors and concerned citizens from various denominations spoke out against gambling. "It's the one issue that unites all churches across the theological spectrum. Liberals, moderates, conservatives and fundamentalists all know that this is bad for Kentucky families, that it destroys the poor and that it will be our churches that have to be the safety net when some member of the family gambles away the milk money," York said. Adam Greenway, president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention and assistant professor of evangelism at Southern Seminary, said gambling is a wrong way for states to generate revenue.
"Given our first conviction to biblical authority and doing what is right in the eyes of God, it is our belief that the state has the mandate to promote the general welfare, not exploit people," Greenway said. "We believe with gambling that the state is failing in this aspect in how it chooses to fund state government but also the tragic consequence of encouraging gamblers in order to keep the revenue stream coming in." R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Seminary, addressed the issue of gambling in a couple of blog posts at albertmohler.com. "The Bible is clear on this issue. The entire enterprise of gambling is opposed to the moral worldview revealed in God's Word," Mohler wrote Feb. 20. "The basic impulse behind gambling is greed -- a basic sin that is the father of many other evils. Greed, covetousness, and avarice are repeatedly addressed by Scripture -- always presented as a sin against God, and often accompanied by a graphic warning of the destruction which is greed's result. The burning desire for earthly riches leads to frustration and spiritual death." Russell Moore, dean of the school of theology and senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Seminary, also highlighted the injustice of gambling. "Gambling is a social justice issue that defines how it is that we love our neighbors and uphold the common good.... Gambling is a form of economic predation," Moore wrote at russellmoore.com Feb. 15. "Gambling grinds the faces of the poor into the ground. It benefits multinational corporations while oppressing the lower classes with illusory promises of wealth, and with (typically) low-wage, transitory jobs that simultaneously destroy every other economic engine of a local community," Moore wrote. The Kentucky Baptist Convention alerted its roughly 2,400 churches throughout the state to the importance of the issue. Paul Chitwood, the KBC's executive director, said before the vote he was "very hopeful that we'll be seeing an overwhelming response from Kentucky Baptists on this issue. There are 750,000 Kentucky Baptists. That's enough to change everything." Chitwood said the KBC got involved in the fight against expanded gambling "because we understood the consequences for our state, for our government, for our children. We've been called to be salt and light. What we do is out of love, hopefully with the spirit of love, and we'll speak the truth in love. And we're here to speak the truth about gambling in Kentucky." Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, who campaigned on expanded gambling in 2007, was met with stiff opposition by the state Senate in his first-term attempts to expand gambling. He won re-election handily in 2011 and entered the 2012 General Assembly hoping to pass expanded gambling with his re-election momentum and a weakened Senate president in David Williams, his opponent in the gubernatorial election. Once the bill was voted down in the Senate, state leaders seemed convinced the gambling effort was over. "I think it's probably dead for this session," House Speaker Greg Stumbo, a Democrat, said, adding, "It got a full and fair hearing, and now it's time to move on." The Democrat-controlled House has passed such legislation in previous years but it was never heard in the Senate. Now that the Republican-controlled Senate has voted it down, the House leader didn't expect to take it up again. To pass a constitutional amendment to expand gambling in Kentucky, 23 votes were needed in the Senate. Six Republicans joined 10 Democrats in voting for the bill, and four Democrats voted against it. One senator, a Democrat, was absent during the vote. Williams, the Senate president, said, "We need to go on. People need to lay this issue down." --30-- Compiled by Erin Roach with reporting by Andrew Walker of The Family Foundation in Kentucky. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Md. churches to unite, fight gay 'marriage' law By Michael Foust Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37259 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (BP) -- Religious leaders in Maryland say citizens will get the final say on a gay "marriage" bill that is set to become law -- with churches playing a critical role in possibly overturning it. The Maryland Senate passed a bill Thursday (Feb. 23) by a vote of 25-22 that would redefine marriage, less than a week after the House of Delegates approved the same bill, 72-67. Democrats control both chambers, and Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley -- who endorsed the bill in his State of the State address -- is expected to sign it. Maryland is but the latest state to act on the issue in what has been a dizzying year on the state level: Washington's governor signed a gay "marriage" bill, New Jersey's governor vetoed one and a coalition in Maine gathered enough valid signatures to place a gay "marriage" referendum on the fall ballot. Like Washington state, Maryland law allows citizens to gather signatures in an attempt to "veto" new laws. Signature drives in both states likely will be successful. Maryland church groups must gather approximately 56,000 valid signatures for it to go on the November ballot. A coalition has been formed known as Maryland Marriage Alliance (www.MarylandMarriageAlliance.com) to fight the law, which isn't set to take effect until January 2013. [IMG=32007@left@100]"We will do whatever we can to mobilize for the referendum," Robert Anderson, pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md., told Baptist Press. "[The other side has] got all the money. But with God, all things are possible." Catholics, too, figure to be involved heavily. Baltimore Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien released a statement after the vote, saying the archdiocese will "eagerly and zealously engage its 500,000 members in overturning this radical legislation" and will join with others "throughout Maryland in aggressively protecting the God-given institution of marriage." Because of its proximity to the nation's capital, the Maryland vote figures to make national headlines. Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement shortly after the vote, saying it marked "an extraordinary victory for the people of Maryland and a critical step forward in the march for marriage equality nationwide." Anderson called the issue one that goes beyond "political lines." As an African American, he said he is aware that blacks tend to vote Democratic. But by and large, he said, African American churches have been united against the bill. He said about 500 members of his predominantly African American church signed cards opposing the bill that were given to legislators. "We're talking about something more basic to society and civilization," Anderson said. "Black churches and black clergy got involved when the homosexual community started to make it an issue of civil rights. That's a sacred cow among African Americans. We know what civil rights are. Our skin color -- we didn't have a choice. The color of your skin has nothing to do with sin. "Homosexuality is sin," he added. "To be black, to be Asian, to be Native-American, that is not sin." The state of Maryland, Anderson said, has a legitimate interest in defining marriage as between one man and one woman. "From a sociological level, it's best for the children. Every child has a right to have a mom and a dad -- to say at the end of the day, 'Good night Mommy' or 'Good night Daddy.' Every study tells you that it's better for a child, overall in the long run, to have both a mother and a father." North Carolina and Minnesota also will vote this year on the issue, although those votes will be on constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Gay "marriage" has lost in every state in which it has received a ballot vote, 31 in all. "We are not giving up on any state, or any court -- or on the next generation," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a traditional group. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Southern formally opens Nashville campus By Staff Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37260 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary held an open house for its new Nashville, Tenn., extension center Feb. 22. The campus -- located in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, just south of Nashville -- is regarded by SBTS officials as a strategic site for training Gospel ministers in the American South. In terms of theological education, it is one of the least served places in the country. "Coming to Nashville is fairly natural for Southern Seminary. We feel a strong kinship with the state of Tennessee and the city of Nashville," Southern's president, R. Albert Mohler Jr., said at the open house, noting some of the seminary's historic ties to the city, where several SBC entities are located. [IMG=32005@right@250]Attended by members of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee as well as other convention leaders and pastors from the Nashville area, the open house marked the extension center's formal opening. During the fall semester, classes met in a temporary space but were able to meet for the spring semester in the center’s completed classrooms within an office building. "The Lord's blessing on this particular project since the move to this address has exceeded all of our expectations," Mohler said in noting that the Nashville extension met its initial goals for growth within its first several months of operation. Mohler credited the leadership of Mark T. Coppenger, SBTS vice president for extension education and director of the Nashville extension center. Russell D. Moore, vice president for academic administration and dean of Southern's school of theology, expressed his anticipation for the new extension center. "I am thrilled with not only the advance in Nashville but with the vibe of the place," Moore said. "I think that the Nashville campus of Southern Seminary is not only going to be top-rate theological education in an accessible venue, but it's going to have its own student culture. This is not only a place that is serious about the Gospel; it's also a lot of fun. And there's a real commitment to community and to building up one another for the task of ministry in a way that I think is new, fresh and innovative." Frank Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, gave the prayer of dedication at the open house lunch. Also among the guests was J. Matthew Pinson, president of Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville. Students of SBTS Nashville are enrolled in classes taught by faculty members from the seminary's Louisville, Ky., campus. Along with Coppenger, who is professor of Christian apologetics in addition to his administrative titles, professor of biblical studies George H. Martin also relocated to Nashville from the Louisville campus in order to help Southern establish a permanent presence in the city. With a smaller student body than that of the Louisville campus, SBTS Nashville possesses an advantageous student-teacher ratio. "The ratios are great," said Coppenger, "with the largest classes running around 20, and many running close to 10. Slightly smaller on average than the Louisville classes, they give students good exposure to the professors. "As for the professors, they're seasoned main professors. In addition to George Martin and myself, we have a steady stream of Louisville professors teaching our courses," Coppenger said. Among the professors from the main campus who have taught at the Nashville extension center since August 2011 are Donald S. Whitney, Stephen J. Wellum, Stuart W. Scott, and Joseph R. Crider, in addition to Brian J. Vickers and Timothy Paul Jones who are teaching there this semester. Coppenger said the Nashville extension center has doubled the number of courses offered during the fall semester. The winter- and spring-term course offerings doubled as well. The seminary plans to offer the entirety of core courses required for the M.Div. degree during the next academic year. SBTS Nashville also aims to expand its course offering to include some electives. Coppenger spoke of the possibility of adding courses in such subjects as Islam, hymnody, the Psalms and apologetics. In addition to making available to students the core courses required for the master of divinity, Coppenger said SBTS Nashville administration and faculty hope the extension center will prove helpful to laity as well as those who sense a call to full-time vocational ministry, noting their exploration of adding a master of arts in theological studies program that would be more tailored to laypeople. --30-- Reported by the communications staff of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. More information about SBTS Nashville is available at nashville.sbts.edu. -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: Facing persecution,
Swedish homeschoolers seek American help By Staff Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37261 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Swedish homeschoolers are seeking help from their American counterparts as they face persecution including harassment, fines and separation of families for not sending their children to government-sanctioned schools. "We ask our fellow home educators to email the Swedish authorities on a mass scale about the situation in Sweden," Jonas Himmelstrand, president of the Swedish Association for Home Education, said. [IMG=32011@right@110]"We want to let Swedish officials know that their actions have drawn international attention. Please write to the Swedish Embassy in your country on our behalf," Himmelstrand said. More than a dozen families have fled Sweden, according to The New American Feb. 17. Himmelstrand's family is in exile in Finland, facing fines of more than $26,000 in Sweden for choosing to educate their children at home. "It makes me really angry that a country calling itself democratic can treat its people that way," Himmelstrand said. His family left behind his elderly mother as well as the children's extracurricular activities such as dancing and theater. The U.S.-based Home School Legal Defense Association and the Alliance Defense Fund have filed a brief in a Swedish court on behalf of the Himmelstrands. "Homeschooling is legal in the United States and in many other countries only after decades of tumultuous legislative and legal conflicts," Michael Donnelly of HSLDA said. "Swedish families are now fighting for their basic rights and are looking for support from other freedom lovers abroad. I am asking all of my fellow citizens to join me in supporting the Himmelstrands and other families in Sweden who want to homeschool," Donnelly said. S.D. LEGISLATURE ENCOURAGES BIBLE IN SCHOOLS -- South Dakota legislators have passed a resolution supporting the academic, "non-devotional" teaching of the Bible in public schools. The state Senate and House of Representatives declared encouragement for all five school districts in South Dakota to teach lessons "that help students become familiar with the content, characters, and narratives of the Bible and to include in such courses an awareness of the role the Bible has played in the development of literature, art, music, culture, and public discourse." Legislators intended in part to reassure school districts that they could teach the Bible without violating the First Amendment, the Rapid City Journal reported Jan. 30. Because it's a resolution, though, the measure does not have the force of law. It simply expresses the opinion of the legislature. ALA. JUSTICES POINT TO ROE'S WEAKNESS -- The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a mother may pursue a wrongful death claim on behalf of her unborn child from conception. In a concurring opinion, four justices criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's reasoning on viability -- when the unborn baby can survive outside the womb -- in its 1973 Roe v. Wade opinion, which legalized abortion. Alabama's justices ruled that Amy Hamilton could go forward with a lawsuit after her son, who had not reached the point of viability, was stillborn in 2005, according to LifeSiteNews.com. The state Supreme Court overturned a lower court, which decided she could not pursue a wrongful death claim because her child was nonviable. The high court rejected that reasoning, which was based on Roe, and quoted one of its own decisions from 1973, which found "from the moment of conception, the fetus or embryo is not a part of the mother, but rather has a separate existence within the body of the mother," LifeSite News reported. Associate Justice Tom Parker, who wrote the court's decision, also said in a concurring opinion that Roe's viability standard does not apply in areas of the law other than abortion. "Medical advances since Roe have conclusively demonstrated that an unborn child is a unique human being at every stage of development," Parker wrote in the concurring opinion. "Roe's viability rule is neither controlling nor persuasive here and should be rejected by other states until the day it is overruled by the United States Supreme Court." Americans United for Life said the Alabama high court's unanimous decision "is the most recent example of how state courts and state legislatures have given increasing legal protection to the unborn child from conception in state criminal and tort law." David Smolin, a professor at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., said the debate about the viability of the unborn child will pose difficult questions for abortion rights advocates. "It is philosophically, morally and ethically problematic to consider a human as a person for some things and not for others," Smolin told The Huntsville (Ala.) Times. TRIALS SET FOR ABORTION DOCTORS FACING MURDER CHARGES -- Trials for two abortion doctors indicted for the murders of late-term unborn babies will be held this summer in Maryland. Steven Brigham, who has operated abortion clinics in four states, will be tried June 4-15 while Nicola Riley will stand trial beginning June 27 and concluding July 18, LifeNews.com reported Feb. 16. Brigham has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder and a count of conspiracy to commit murder, according to The Baltimore Sun. Riley has been indicted on a count each of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, The Sun reported. It appears to be the first time Maryland's fetal homicide law has been used against an abortion doctor, according to the newspaper. Police raided Brigham's clinic in Elkton, Md., in August 2010 while investigating a botched abortion and uncovered frozen aborted babies as much as 35 weeks' gestation. In addition to Maryland, Brigham has operated abortion clinics in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. OKLA. SENATE DEFINES PERSONHOOD -- The Oklahoma Senate has approved legislation that would define personhood as beginning at conception. Senators voted 34-8 for the measure, which says the state's laws will recognize that unborn babies possess "at every stage of development all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of this state." The House of Representatives also is expected to pass the bill. Tony Lauinger, chairman of Oklahomans for Life, applauded the Senate's Feb. 15 action. "The Personhood Act is a strong, clear statement that it is the policy of the State of Oklahoma to protect innocent children," he said in a written statement. "It lays the foundation for legal protections for children in the womb to the fullest extent permitted under U.S. Supreme Court precedents. "There is great educational value in a law such as the Personhood Act. Most citizens instinctively respect our laws. Many equate what is legal with what is right. Our laws serve an essential purpose in teaching, in guiding our actions." Sen. Brian Crain, R.-Tulsa, the bill's sponsor, said it would not affect Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion throughout the country. He also said it would not bar birth control methods or in vitro fertilization, the Tulsa World reported. WASH. HOUSE APPROVES ABORTION WITH MATERNITY CARE -- The Washington state House of Representatives has passed a bill that will require health insurance plans to cover abortions if they provide maternity coverage. On Feb. 13, the House voted 52-46 for the controversial measure. The Senate has yet to act on the legislation. Abortion rights advocates praised the action, but pro-lifers decried the proposal. "To mandate that we violate our conscience is tyranny," said Dan Kennedy, chief executive officer of Human Life of Washington, according to The Seattle Times. "There's no subtle or soft way to put the truth." The state has a "conscience clause" law that permits insurance plans sponsored by religious organizations to be exempt from paying for abortions, The Times reported. CARE NET, HEARTBEAT LAUNCH SEPARATE HELP LINES -- Care Net and Heartbeat International, the country's leading networks of pregnancy care centers, have begun operating separate help lines for women seeking help. After sharing a joint help line for more than eight years, Care Net and Heartbeat started operating separate toll-free lines Feb. 16. Care Net's new line is 1-800-395-HELP (4357). Its outreach is operating with the name Pregnancy Decision Line. Heartbeat's new line is 1-800-712-HELP (4357). Its outreach's name is Option Line, and its website is www.OptionLine.org. Spanish-language help is available through both numbers. "At this point in time, the magnitude of the challenge, as well as the unique strengths of Heartbeat and Care Net, make two ventures, rather than one, the most effective course for the future," according to Heartbeat. Care Net and Heartbeat served more than 1.5 million people through their joint help line and anticipate continued collaboration in the future. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach and Washington bureau chief Tom Strode. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: China's vanished dissidents By Felice D. Gaer and Richard Land Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37262 WASHINGTON (BP) -- When Vice President Xi Jinping, China's future president, visited the White House recently, President Obama should have pressed him to reveal the whereabouts of China's famed human rights and religious freedom attorney and other dissidents who have disappeared while in Chinese custody. [IMG=31805@right@80]Gao vanished three years ago this month. His "crime" was defending Falun Gong practitioners and arrested Christians, while peacefully promoting democracy. Gao suffered horrendous torture which his captors reportedly videotaped and showed to other detained dissidents. Due to protests from abroad, China allowed Gao to resurface in April 2010, but he has not been heard from since. Gao's story is not unusual. China has a troubled human rights record that has worsened over the past year. Haunted by the fate of its counterparts in Eastern Europe and Russia, China's Communist Party allegedly fears that peaceful advocates for fundamental rights, especially religious freedom, will weaken Beijing's control. China has forcibly "disappeared" advocates like Gao, and it jailed its Nobel Prize laurate Liu Xiaobo and vilified the Dalai Lama as a terrorist. [IMG=32008@left@90]Religious freedom advocates are no strangers to Chinese prisons. Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, Falun Gong, and many Catholics and Protestants face prison terms and other sanctions, including destruction of property, torture and control over key doctrines and selecting leaders. China deems them a threat because it doesn't control their conscience. This reality is a continued roadblock in U.S.-China relations and for religious freedom advocacy. The visit of China's future president offers a chance to remove this barrier. Americans should call for the release of Gao Zhisheng and others who languish in prison or have "disappeared" for their religious beliefs. Among the others who have "disappeared" are Bishops Su Zhimin and Shi Enxiang, leaders of the underground Catholic Church. Both had spent decades in prison for their faith and later vanished, without notice or trial, more than a decade ago. Another example is Gendun Choekyi Nyima, who was designated in 1995 as the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the Dalai Lama had chosen him, China "disappeared" the 6-year-old boy and installed another as the Panchen Lama. Gendun Choekyi Nyima is now 22 and authorities still won't reveal where he is. Gao Zhisheng, Bishops Su Zhimin and Shi Enxiang, and Gendun Choekyi Nyima are but four individuals forcibly "disappeared" due to their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy. They are a compelling representation in the panoply of China's human rights abuses. In 2008, the United Nations Committee against Torture called on China to "adopt all necessary measures to prohibit and prevent enforced disappearances, to shed light on the fate of missing persons, including Gendun Choekyi Nyima, and prosecute and punish perpetrators, as this practice constitutes per se, a violation of the Convention [against Torture]," which China has ratified. Chinese leaders claim they arrest dissidents to keep China stable and secure. But especially in a vast and diverse nation like China, it is impossible to create lasting stability by trampling on freedom of thought, religion and conscience. Only by honoring such freedoms can China build harmony from its diversity. By citing the "disappeared" in our nation's dealings with Chinese government leaders, President Obama should stress that for China to reap the benefits of full engagement with the United States and the world community, it should give such individuals their unconditional rights to freedom. Perhaps Xi Jinping can be persuaded to break from China's past and let freedom flourish if he is shown how it is in China's best interests. From President Obama on down, he must hear that no relationship with any country can be truly productive without a mutual respect for the rights of humanity, including the bedrock right to freedom of religion or belief. --30-- Felice D. Gaer and Richard D. Land serve as commissioners on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (uscirf.gov). This commentary originally appeared in The Des Moines Register. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Liberal coercion By Kelly Boggs Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37263 ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Planned Parenthood, Vanderbilt University and the Obama administration -- what do these three have in common? Each recently has been involved in situations that address whether or not private and/or religious organizations are going to be afforded freedom and respect when it comes to matters of faith and conscience, especially by those who disagree with their beliefs. In January Komen for the Cure, which claims to be the global leader in the fight against breast cancer, announced it was pulling an annual $680,000 grant it had been giving to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer awareness. Planned Parenthood and its supporters went apoplectic over the Komen announcement. The nation's largest provider of abortion services mounted a public campaign accusing Komen of abandoning poor women. Privately, the message that was communicated was clear: If Komen did not reverse the funding decision, its days were numbered. Given the intensity of Planned Parenthood's attack you would have thought it was losing at least a quarter of its budget. But its budget is more than $1 billion. Why did it react so intensely and so publicly over the loss of .00068 percent of its budget? From Planned Parenthood's perspective, if a respected organization like Komen pulls its funding, what sort of signal would that send to the masses? Perhaps there really is something amiss with the reality of Planned Parenthood. So despite the fact that Komen is a private organization that has every right to invest its money where it sees fit, Planned Parenthood publically strong-armed Komen into submission. Vanderbilt University recently imposed a new regulation on student organizations. The new policy denies any faith group -- read, "Christian organizations" -- the ability to require any belief as a prerequisite for participation in a group. The regulation even applies to leadership of an organization. In other words, not only does a student at Vanderbilt not have to accept the basic tenets of a faith-based organization to join the group, he or she cannot be denied a leadership position because of a lack or absence of faith or belief. You might ask, "Why would a person join an organization he or she does not agree with, much less seek to be a leader in that group?" Good question. Political and lifestyle activists, who hold the opposite position of a faith group, now can take advantage of the policy at Vanderbilt to infiltrate a faith group and push their point of view. In fact, Vandy's new regulations are the result of an incident involving a homosexual student. During the Fall of 2010 a male student was a member of the national Christian fraternity Beta Upsilon Chi when he "came out of the closet" and announced he was homosexual and involved in a same-sex relationship. The Christian-based fraternity removed the young man from the group. Under pressure, the university capitulated by enacting the new all inclusive, anti-discriminatory, oh-so-tolerant regulations. Tolerant, that is, to everyone but students of faith. Vanderbilt is a private institution and thus can regulate religious groups however it sees fit, since the First Amendment does not apply in the same way it would at a publically funded university. That said, the fact that it is private is all the more reason it should not have surrendered to the demands of the homosexual student and the threat of a suit. In the cases of Komen and Vanderbilt you have two private organizations that were threatened by a liberal agenda and, as a result, capitulated to the pressure. In both instances they feared being smeared by not only political and lifestyle activists groups, but also a media sympathetic to liberal causes. The Obama administration recently took the tension between private organizations and liberal activists to a new level when it was announced that the national health care law would require even religiously affiliated organizations to provide contraceptives, including abortifacients, to all employees at no cost. Facing an outcry from religious groups, the administration seemed to change its tune and offered what it called a compromise: No longer would the religious affiliated organizations have to offer the contraception and abortifacients; the insurance carriers would be required to offer the products and/or services. Faith groups saw through the so-called compromise for what it really was -- nothing more than an accounting maneuver. Faith-based employers pay the premiums for their employees, so the end result is they are still being required to provide products and services that go against their deeply held beliefs. Many believe the attempt by the Obama administration to force religious groups to fund contraception and abortifacients is a blatant violation of the First Amendment. I agree. It also reveals a total lack of respect for Americans who are serious about their faith. What seems clear with regard to the situations involving Komen, Vanderbilt and the Obama administration is that some in America have no respect for the right of private and religious organizations to make decisions according to the dictates of their faith and conscience. Any dissenting view must be forced and/or coerced to conform or be silenced. For some liberals in America there can only be one acceptable position on any given matter -- theirs. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message www.baptistmessage.com, newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: Tres Características de un Liderazgo Espiritual By Luis R. López Feb. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37264 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Todo líder, ya sea padre de familia, pastor o misionero, empleado o estudiante encontrará tiempos que imponen desafíos. Los líderes seculares usan diversas herramientas para influenciar a otros. Los líderes espirituales pueden o no utilizar las mismas herramientas usadas por los líderes seculares. La diferencia es que los líderes espirituales tienen a su disposición herramientas adicionales que hacen una profunda diferencia y los distingue de otros. Nehemías es un buen ejemplo de ello. La Biblia nos habla de que el muro fue terminado en 52 días. Los enemigos del pueblo de Dios cuando oyeron esto fueron intimidados al darse cuenta que la tarea se había realizado con la ayuda de Dios. Nehemías 6: 15-16. ¡Qué testimonio! Hasta los impíos reconocieron que Dios les había ayudado. Estoy convencido que un líder espiritual es uno que reconoce y obedece la dirección de Dios. La historia de liderazgo de Nehemías nos anima hoy. Años antes, Babilonia había conquistado a Israel y finalmente, había destruido a Jerusalén, su templo y sus paredes. Después de 70 años, el rey Ciro de Persia permitió a los judíos regresar a Jerusalén. Grupos dirigidos por Zorobabel y Esdras llevaron al pueblo a establecerse en la tierra y reconstruir el templo. Debido a que la ciudad no tenía muros de protección, la gente seguía siendo vulnerable a los ataques y al acoso. La pregunta es ¿qué hizo Nehemías que produjo un cambio en un período tan corto de tiempo?, ¿Cómo su ejemplo de liderazgo espiritual puede ayudarnos a nosotros? De Nehemías aprendemos tres principios básicos de liderazgo espiritual. En primer lugar, el líder espiritual evalúa la situación desde la perspectiva de Dios. Para Nehemías la falta de muros alrededor de Jerusalén representaba un problema clave y crítico. El sabía que mientras la ciudad no tuviera muros de protección y puertas, el templo sería vulnerable y la gente no estaría a salvo. Muchas veces vemos los problemas desde el punto de vista personal únicamente. Las necesidades pueden ser abrumadoras. Sin embargo, Dios está en control y Sus caminos son más altos que los nuestros. Nehemías entendía que sin murallas y puertas, todo lo que había hecho, todo el buen trabajo de los últimos años, se podía deshacer. Por esto le dio a la construcción del muro una alta prioridad. El líder espiritual necesita calibrar su perspectiva con la de Dios. Debe asegurarse que al evaluar una situación tenga la visión correcta de Dios. Esto nos impulsa a tomar acción. Nos saca de nuestra zona de confort y nos lleva a actuar decididamente. Necesitamos tener cuidado de no avanzar según nuestras agendas personales. Hanani describió la situación claramente diciendo: "El remanente se encuentra en un gran problema."(Nehemías 1:1). Su evaluación estaba basada no en la perspectiva personal o en su propia agenda pero en una sincera y clara visión de lo que Dios veía. Esto lo impulso a actuar. En segundo lugar, el liderazgo espiritual fluye de nuestra relación personal con Dios. Nehemías 1:4 nos recuerda el tipo de relación íntima y personal de este hombre con Dios. "Cuando oí estas palabras, me senté y lloré. Lloré durante varios días, ayunando y orando ante el Dios de los cielos." El liderazgo espiritual es doloroso y costoso. Los líderes espirituales cuando nos enfrentamos a necesidades abrumadoras, muchas veces sentimos dolor. Al igual que Nehemías, la magnitud de este peso puede hacer que lloremos como él lo hizo y hasta perdamos el apetito. El líder espiritual no solo lidera con la cabeza, pero lidera también con el corazón. Debemos de tener cuidado de liderar con la cabeza solamente. Algunas veces las cosas de Dios no hacen sentido humanamente hablando. Nehemías 1:5-11 nos recuerda que Nehemías tenía un alto concepto de Dios. Reconoció el problema del pecado y se agarró de las promesas de Dios. Finalmente, el liderazgo espiritual requiere de riesgo personal. Nehemías conocía muy bien el riesgo de demostrar su tristeza ante el rey. Sin embargo, no podía fingir. No sabemos exactamente lo que hizo para que el rey le hiciera una pregunta. Nehemías 2:4 ¿Tendría lágrimas en los ojos? ¿Cómo reflejaría su tristeza? Cuando llegue al cielo se lo voy a preguntar. Por ahora no lo sabemos. Lo que si sabemos era que tenía miedo. Sabía que su vida era corta y que solo tenía una vida. En el momento preciso Nehemías respetuosamente explicó el motivo de su tristeza y cuando el rey le preguntó: "¿Cuál es tu deseo?" Entonces oró y hablando al rey le pidió que lo dejara ir a Judá para reconstruir el muro. Nehemías 2:1-5 nos dice que arriesgó lo que tenía por obedecer a Dios. El líder espiritual mantiene una fuerte perspectiva de los planes de Dios mientras actúa. Por eso, se arriesga y sigue lo que Dios le ha dicho. El ejemplo de Nehemías tiene mucho que enseñarnos. Su valor y fortaleza espiritual nos motiva a guiar e influenciar a otros con la valentía de Dios y en humildad. Porque El vive, Luis .R. López --30-- Luis R. López es el Director de LifeWay Español de LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn. http://www.LifeWay.com/espanol -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net