Baptist Press Stories for May. 14 2012 --------------------------------------- In India, songwriter nurtures worship for a diverse culture http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37822 NAMB to link churches & mission field http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37823 Ezell introduces missionary development plan http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37824 Romney: Mormons, evangelicals can work together http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37827 Exhibit hall to show SBC's 'voice' for CP http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37826 BP Ledger, May 14 edition http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37828 FIRST-PERSON: 'Kids need a mom & dad' shouldn't be controversial http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37825 --------------------------------------- In India, songwriter nurtures worship for a diverse culture By Torie Speicher May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37822 INDIA (BP) -- Jeff Bourque made his way to India from Music City USA to share the basics of songwriting. His mission: to help musicians from several churches in India write songs that speak to their highly diverse culture. In a nation where only one of every 70 people believes in Jesus, Indian Christians are surrounded by Hindu temples full of idols and such sounds as the Muslim call to prayer. Ethan Leyton*, an ethnomusicologist, and Mani Dutta*, an Indian pastor, invited Bourque, worship leader for Grace Community Church in Nashville, to conduct a songwriting workshop for 18 young men and women from several Indian churches in urban settings. Leyton and Dutta "dreamed and prayed," as Leyton put it, "that instead of [English-speaking] Indian believers singing Hillsong and Chris Tomlin songs all the time, perhaps they could begin writing their own English songs for worship." These believers have much to offer Christian music, with their distinctive identity in living out their faith in India, Leyton said, voicing a hope that their songs also might be used in American churches one day. Leyton has organized 20 songwriting workshops for believers around southern Asia during the last seven years. Bourque's workshop, however, is unique because it's the first one in English. In mega-cities where multiple languages are spoken, many Christians and young professionals are more comfortable communicating in English because it's the language they have in common. Bible college student and church worship leader Amit Dhawan* had struggled to write songs long before the workshop, where he worked with three others to write the song "The Lord is Good." "Many times I came to know the truth about God through worship songs, and it encouraged me to come closer to God," Dhawan said. "[As a songwriter,] I want people to understand that God still saves, heals and delivers people from darkness." Like Dhawan, the other budding songwriters also had some musical skill, but almost no experience writing songs centered on God for the purpose of building up the church. Among the participants were a former drug addict, a software developer, a banker, an engineering student, a pastor and the grandson of a witchcraft-practicing village elder. Bourque, fueled by his 22 years of songwriting experience and a passion for the local church, became interested in teaching a workshop like this in 2005. While leading worship overseas for a group of cross-cultural workers, he heard about the importance of equipping new believers to communicate their experiences with God through song. Believers from different cultures should be able to sing songs that relate to their experiences, rather than importing songs from other cultures, like the Western-sounding songs sung in American churches, Bourque said. "When you have an experience of salvation, everyone is saved to Christ, but everyone is saved from something, and that looks different," Bourque said. "So, the people of this country will have a completely different perspective on what it means to be a believer." Although the workshop was conducted in English, the language barrier was somewhat present, but it didn't stop Bourque from connecting with the students from not just from India but also from Bhutan and Africa. Impressed by how quickly the group built trust, Bourque credits their bond -- and their readiness to learn -- with knowing that their lives had been greatly impacted by Jesus. "I mean, it was two straight days of thinking of nothing but songs and songwriting and I started to get fatigued," Bourque said. "But rather than taking a break, the students said, 'Let's write another song!'" Sanjeet Devar*, a church worship leader, worked with three others to write the song "You're My Friend," expressing God's nature as an approachable friend, drawing from the John 15:13-15 passage in the New Testament. "He created everything that we see and know and chooses to call us His friend," Devar said. "God is nearer and more approachable than what most people in my culture think." The last night of the workshop ended with a time of worship. Together, various participants sang the four songs they had completed. No one noticed the myriad of mosquitoes or the building's flickering electricity as they praised God with their voices and with shakers, djembe, guitar and keyboard. "I looked around the circle as we were worshipping one night just playing guitars and banging on instruments and singing songs," Bourque said, "and their hearts were so humble and filled with love that came from an understanding of who God is and a desire to know more [of Him]. They were just obviously committed followers of Christ, without any pretense or shells, and that was such a blessing for me to spend time with them." The experience sparked a prayer in Bourque for the seeds of God's truth in the songs to bear fruit in the church in India. And in his own interaction with the students, Bourque said, "Their excitement to write songs motivated me to write more." To listen to the songs created by the south Asian songwriters, go to [URL=www.go2southasia.org/?p=6152]www.go2southasia.org/?p=6152[/URL]. -—30-- *Names changed. Torie Speicher is a writer serving among South Asian peoples. Jeff Bourque is online at http://congregationalsongs.com. -- End of story -- NAMB to link churches & mission field By Adam Miller May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37823 ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Dean Sisk is bringing four men to Georgia in July from Belle Aire Baptist Church hoping they gain new vision and new connections for expanding their reach. "We came to a conclusion that our primary focus in missions needed to be on planting churches," said Sisk, who has led the Tennessee congregation in assisting a half-dozen church starts across North America. [IMGONLY=32599@right@370]Belle Aire began seeking out ways to engage its people in reaching out locally and globally a number of years ago. This led the Murfreesboro church into sponsoring new churches and sending out its people to start new works. "I grew up in a generation whose concept of missions was giving and praying," Sisk said. "The personalized concept of missions has caught on and we've had hundreds of people go on dozens of mission trips. "But we also want to be strategic in sending people and resources long-term to the places with the greatest needs," the pastor said. Sisk and the other Belle Aire leaders will join hundreds of leaders in an effort to refine their strategy for the difficult, heavily populated areas of the continent. This could mean sending members or it could mean supporting a missionary already working in a critical area. "There are very few of us who are truly original thinkers, and often a mission strategy will be the result of putting together bits and pieces of lots of conversations," Sisk said, noting what he sees as a key need to interact with leaders and planters. "I think the relationships are a big part of what makes the mission effort work." And relationships are a key ingredient to the Send North America Conference July 30-31. Designed to draw leaders interested in partnering to reach North America, the North American Mission Board's Send North America Conference at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., will feature leading practitioners in church planting and other key ministry areas. Send North America is NAMB's strategy to mobilize Southern Baptists to share Christ and start churches in 29 major cities and elsewhere throughout North America. The Send North America Conference will provide a new focus for leaders who have attended the Church Planting Missionary Forum and Summer State Leadership Meeting in the past, and will engage a broader range of lay leaders. "We hope this gathering will inspire and inform leaders who are seeking to plant healthy, evangelistic Southern Baptist churches," said Aaron Coe, NAMB's vice president of mobilization and equipping. "When you can get key people under one roof for a few days praying, learning and networking together, God can work in some pretty big ways. And not just for church planters but for anyone who wants to plug into this strategy." Among the keynote speakers at the conference: David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, Ala.; Vance Pitman, pastor of Hope Baptist Church, Las Vegas; Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church, Woodstock; Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research; Louis Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church, Atlanta; Matt Redman, Dove Award-winning songwriter and worship leader; and Kevin Ezell, president of NAMB. A schedule of workshops will include breakout sessions on church planting, evangelism, leadership, effective partnerships and role-specific training. "This year's conference will also seek to involve people from all walks of SBC life, including pastors, churches, church planters, missionaries and denominational leaders," Coe said. "If a church is thinking about planting a church or has already committed to doing so, this conference will provide the next steps in the church planting process." The Send North America Conference is the first in a series of gatherings planned for 2012-13 to train, equip and involve Southern Baptists in the Send North America church planting strategy. For more information, visit [URL=namb.net/SNAconference]namb.net/SNAconference[/URL]. --30-- Adam Miller is a writer for the North American Mission Board. -- End of story -- Ezell introduces missionary development plan By Adam Miller May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37824 ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Having enough missionaries to support the Southern Baptist effort to impact lostness in North America will require intentional missionary development. Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, addressed that need during his monthly webcast with Baptist directors of missions and church planter catalysts May 1.
Ezell signaled a missionary development system that will begin in 2013 to provide a way for high school, college and seminary students interested in ministry to gain experience through summer/semester missions, internships and apprenticeships for hands-on experience in North American missions. "We're re-doing the summer mission program so [summer missionaries] actually do missions activities," Ezell said. "They're not just answering phones. "We had some tell us they typed pastors' sermon notes the entire summer," Ezell added. "That doesn't give them a very good impression of missions or how they can help penetrate lostness themselves for a summer. We want them to have some mission experience so we can develop missionaries." After serving as a summer missionary, a student wanting to pursue ministry in missions could apply to become an intern. These would be one-year paid positions for more focused ministry experience working directly with a pastor, church or associational leader. Internships could lead to an apprenticeship for those who qualify and want to move further toward planting a church. These would be one-year paid positions specific to a city in which the apprentice works directly with a church planter and gains hands-on church planting experience. "The reason we're doing that is to hopefully protect churches and associations and states as they invest in [church] planters," Ezell said. "We would rather a planter be on the field, see if he's actually going to fit and that it's the right fit for him. Then the compensation for being a church planter and the investment churches might make would start the year later. This also means that the planter would get on the field without the worry that he has to start immediately developing something because time is running out. "So we're very excited about developing a farm team that will hopefully help produce hundreds and hundreds of missionaries every year," Ezell said in the live webcast for the 1,200 directors of missions and church planter catalyst missionaries who serve throughout the United States and Canada. Participants have the opportunity to email or text questions in before or during the webcast. Afterward, an archive version of the program can be viewed online and shared. STRATEGIES Responding to a question, Ezell said NAMB's church planting strategy fits "very easily" with state or associational church planting strategies. "In every one of our Send [North America] cities, we go to the association and the state and say, 'What is your church planting strategy for this city?' If they don't have one, we ask them if [they] would come up with one overall master plan," Ezell said. Ezell stressed that these 10-year strategies place a greater emphasis on need than on available funding. "In the past, typically, we look and say 'Okay. How much money do we have? Now what can we do with this money?'" Ezell said. "That's a spending plan. What we want is a strategy of what really needs to be accomplished. Forget the resourcing. What needs to be accomplished? And then let's prioritize." MISSIONARY RELOCATION Ezell addressed another question regarding how NAMB plans to transition missionaries to under-reached and underserved areas of North America. "I could go on and on about [places where] we do not have any –- zero -- full-time NAMB missionaries," Ezell said. "So what we are trying to do is to ... move some of those positions." In some cases, that could mean relocating a missionary from a position in the South to a position in an under-reached region. "If a missionary is in one particular area and ... meets the qualifications for what we're seeking in, say, a Connecticut or a Maine, then they'll have the opportunity to shift, to move and to be a church planter catalyst, say, in Maine," Ezell said. "We'll make those positions open, available and transition them where we can." Not every missionary would be qualified for a new role or necessarily fit with work in another state, Ezell acknowledged. "But obviously, we want to go to our missionaries and if they qualify and they really want to accomplish that task in that particular state, then we absolutely would love for them to do that and be a part of that process." SEND NORTH AMERICA Responding to another question, Ezell said NAMB's Send North America strategy is not only about church planting. While his first 18 months at NAMB were spent bringing more focus on church planting, he said the mission board also continues to assist Southern Baptists in other evangelistic efforts, including God's Plan for Sharing, disaster relief and Love Loud ministries. Ezell also emphasized the evangelistic nature of Southern Baptist church planting. "When I say church planting, I'm saying evangelism. We're not talking about church splitting here," Ezell said. "We're wanting to reach people. When you go to a Boston or you go to a Connecticut or a Rhode Island ... you've got to reach people, and when we say church planting that's what we mean. "Every mission effort we do in North America and internationally should ultimately be to reach someone so they come to know Christ," Ezell continued. "It's an evangelistic focus and strategy. You reach someone, they're discipled and they become a part of a local body of believers." BIVOCATIONAL PASTORS The final question Ezell addressed involved NAMB's support for bivocational pastors, whom Ezell described as key to the future of the church in North America. "In order for the Southern Baptist Convention to see a real movement of church planting and a real movement of evangelism, we're going to have to get out of the mindset that it's going to have to be by a full-time church planter. It's absolutely going to happen through bivocational ministers, bivocational pastors." Ezell said NAMB is working with some schools about a pilot program with educational opportunities for bivocational pastors that NAMB would help fund. He said he will share more detail about this and several other opportunities during the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans, where NAMB will spotlight bivocational work and the men who tirelessly reach their communities while leading a family and working in another career. "We're going to honor them because honor is due," Ezell said. "These are the true iron men of the Southern Baptist Convention." A full version of the webcast and previous webcasts can be viewed namb.net/webcast. --30-- Adam Miller is a writer for the North American Mission Board. -- End of story -- Romney: Mormons, evangelicals can work together By Michael Foust May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37827 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney acknowledged to a crowd at Liberty University's commencement that Mormonism and evangelicalism are different faiths, but he said people in both camps can work together on issues of "shared moral convictions." Romney's invitation to speak at the evangelical university was controversial in some circles, mainly because of Romney's religion. Yet Romney's speech at Williams Stadium -- where the football team plays -- seemingly was well-received. The values-laden speech May 12 touched on the issues of gay "marriage" and abortion, and Romney also listed a number of leaders admired by evangelicals: Chick-fil-A's Truett Cathy, author C.S. Lewis and evangelist Billy Graham, among others. "People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology," Romney said. "Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview. The best case for this is always the example of Christian men and women working and witnessing to carry God's love into every life -- people like the late Chuck Colson." Romney recounted a story Colson told about the days after Colson left prison: "He was assured by people of influence that, even with his prison record, a man with his connections and experience could still live very comfortably. They would make some calls, get Chuck situated and set him up once again as an important man. His choice at that crossroads would make him, instead, a great man." The graduates, Romney said, will enter a world where Christian beliefs are not always embraced. "Your values will not always be the object of public admiration," Romney said. "In fact, the more you live by your beliefs, the more you will endure the censure of the world. Christianity is not the faith of the complacent, the comfortable or of the timid. It demands and creates heroic souls like Wesley, Wilberforce, Bonhoeffer, John Paul II and Billy Graham. Each showed, in their own way, the relentless and powerful influence of the message of Jesus Christ. May that be your guide as well." Romney said "central to America's rise to global leadership is our Judeo-Christian tradition with its vision of the goodness and possibilities of every life." "The American culture promotes personal responsibility -- the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and at the foundation, the pre-eminence of the family," Romney said. "The power of these values, this culture, is evidenced by a Brookings Institution study that Sen. Rick Santorum brought to my attention. For those who graduate from high school, get a job and marry before they have their first child, the probability that they will be poor is 2 percent. But, if those things are absent, 76 percent will be poor. Culture -- what you believe, what you value, how you live -- matters." Romney then briefly touched on the definition of marriage. His speech came three days after President Obama declared his support for gay "marriage." "As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman," he said to a standing ovation. Religious liberty, Romney said, has "also become a matter of debate." "It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of being blessed with," he said. "Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government. "But from the beginning, this nation has trusted in God, not man. Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution. And whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action." R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., applauded Romney for acknowledging that Mormonism is different. "It was a healthy and honest and I would say necessary thing for Gov. Romney to say that," Mohler said on his podcast May 14. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Romney hit the right notes for evangelicals. "Mitt Romney picked up on the message that energized Rick Santorum's campaign: America's financial greatness is directly tied to moral and cultural wholeness," Perkins said. "Mitt Romney's address gives me a sense of hope that he will build on this message at a time when millions of voters are reeling from President Obama's endorsement for redefining marriage." --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 -- Exhibit hall to show SBC's 'voice' for CP By Staff May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37826 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The Cooperative Program will be a key focal point in the exhibit hall at the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans. The beauty of the CP lies not in the amount of money each church is able to give, but in the voice it provides every believer in SBC missions and ministry, said Ashley Clayton, associate to the SBC Executive Committee president for the CP and stewardship. "Every gift is an investment in ministries and missions," Clayton said. "What we try to communicate in the exhibit hall is that every Southern Baptist has a voice about the Cooperative Program. We're all vested in missions and ministries." The 1,500-square-foot CP booth will be positioned next to the International and North American mission board areas, and will highlight the CP's integral support of CP entities, state missions, theological education and evangelism. "These are things that Southern Baptist know and love," Clayton said, "and they fuel that through the Cooperative Program. We believe it's in the heart of every Southern Baptist to be generous and to be on mission." The CP booth will feature a platform stage area and two large high-definition video screens displaying live interviews, panel discussions and Twitter feeds. Attendees are encouraged to visit the booth as early as 9 a.m. Monday, June 18, to hear interviews featuring pastors, church planters, missionaries, professors and key SBC leaders through Wednesday afternoon, June 20. View interview schedules in the daily bulletins and on the new SBC Annual Meeting smartphone app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry users, available for download at [URL=http://m.core-apps.com/sbc2012am]http://m.core-apps.com/sbc2012am[/URL] from a smartphone or by typing in "SBC Annual Meeting 2012" in the smartphone's app store. SBC entities and WMU (Woman's Missionary Union) also will have exhibit hall space at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD -- A unique prayer experience awaits SBC messengers at the IMB's exhibit hall booth highlighting Matthew 16:24-25: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.'" Housed inside a re-creation of a Bedouin tent, IMB invites Southern Baptists to deepen their commitment to be Christ's heart, hands and voice, following His plan for their life no matter the cost. The prayer tent will pinpoint each of Jesus' commands in Matthew 16: come [with me], deny yourself, take up your cross, follow [me] and count the cost. Messengers will receive prayer journals and learn of opportunities to share the Gospel among unreached and unengaged people groups as well as ways to connect with IMB missionaries and mission board leadership. NORTH AMERICAN MISSION BOARD -- NAMB's Send North America exhibit will depict the harvest field in major U.S. cities alongside Southern Baptist efforts in evangelistic church planting and local church evangelism. NAMB church planters and staff will answer questions and mobilize individuals and churches in reaching North America with the Gospel. A separate NAMB exhibit will showcase the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief partnership between NAMB and the 42 state conventions, sharing disaster relief volunteers' personal experiences and information on DR training and mobilization. The latest DR vehicles and equipment will be on display. "The Many Faces of the SBC," a separate NAMB-sponsored exhibit, will highlight the outreach of ethnic fellowships and networks in reaching all peoples. Representatives of the SBC's 27 formal ethnic and language fellowships will staff the exhibit. LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES -- LifeWay's exhibits will feature the popular 9,000-square-foot LifeWay Christian Store and interactive displays highlighting LifeWay's various divisions, including research, church resources and direct sales, Ridgecrest Conference Center, B&H Publishing Group and CrossBooks. Of special interest: -- Within the Digital Church Services exhibit, consultants will demonstrate WORDsearch tools. -- Church Resources will offer ministry experts for one-on-one discussions and provide information on the new Gospel Project curriculum. -- B&H Publishing will highlight and sell products related to the movie "Courageous," including New York Times bestsellers "Resolution for Men," "Resolution for Women" and "Courageous Living." -- Several authors will sign books, including Ed Stetzer ("Transformational Discipleship," "The Mission of God Study Bible," "Compelled by Love" and "Subversive Kingdom"); Eric Geiger ("Transformational Discipleship" and "The Mission of God Study Bible"); Michael Kelley ("Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal"), and Diana Davis ("Deacon Wives," "Fresh Ideas"). -- Put your name in drawings for gift certificates for overnight stays at Ridgecrest. GUIDESTONE FINALCIAL RESOURCES -- GuideStone's wellness center will again provide a free health check valued at $150. Messengers and family members can have their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose measured and receive a free summary. In the main booth, GuideStone representatives will be available for a personal review of participants' retirement accounts and to answer questions about GuideStone's life and health plans as well as other GuideStone services. Attendees can receive a free copy of GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins' latest book, "Fear Factor." Churches also order materials for Mission:Dignity Sunday highlighting GuideStone's ministry to needy retirees and widows. GuideStone will offer several breakout sessions discussing Medicare, GuideStone's benefit options for those nearing retirement, compensation planning for smaller churches, investing wisely for the future and protecting children from abuse at church. Times and locations will be available in the SBC Bulletin and can be obtained by visiting GuideStone's booth or at [URL=www.GuideStone.org/SBC2012]www.GuideStone.org/SBC2012[/URL]. Additionally, during the SBC, Hawkins will be signing copies of his books, "The Pastor's Guide to Leading & Living" and "The Joshua Code: 52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know" at the LifeWay store. All royalties and proceeds from the sale of these books will benefit Mission:Dignity. ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION -- The ERLC will be sharing God's truth for the family through a two-area convention presence this year. In one section, staff from the Washington, D.C. office will be available to discuss their work on Capitol Hill. Interviews also will be conducted with Southern Baptist leaders from the stage. The ERLC Nashville staff will be hosting a New Orleans-style park-themed booth. In addition to learning more about the ERLC's efforts to share biblical truth for today's moral and social issues, visitors will be entertained by caricature and balloon artists. Messengers also will be encouraged to learn more about the upcoming 40/40 Prayer Vigil in anticipation of the 2012 presidential election. WOMAN'S MISSIONARY UNION -- WMU's "Missions for Life" exhibit, named after WMU's new tagline, will feature missions opportunities for preschoolers, children, youth and adults. Visitors can enter a drawing for one of three $500 WMU Foundation grants for church missions. New Hope Publishers and WorldCrafts will sponsor adjacent booths. New Hope Publishers will partner with WMU to communicate radical commitment to God's mission, featuring "The Story Lives On: God's Power throughout Generations," the 2012–13 WMU emphasis book by Wanda Lee. New Hope has partnered with Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation to release "Compelled: Living the Mission of God" to coincide with publication of the Holman Mission of God Study Bible. Visitors to the New Hope booth also can enter a daily drawing to receive a set of five new titles. WorldCrafts will display products supporting impoverished people groups and offer drawings for daily giveaways. Educational materials will detail WorldCrafts' ministry partnering with artisans to develop and support sustainable businesses in more than 30 countries. Many WorldCrafts partners work to free women from human exploitation and sex trafficking. SOUTHERN BAPTIST HISTORICAL LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES will display images and documents illustrating significant people, places and events in Baptist life and history, including Vacation Bible School, baptisms, worship and special events. Learn how to microfilm and archive church records and history, and receive information on the Baptist History and Heritage Society and the International Conference on Baptist Studies. SOUTHERN BAPTIST FOUNDATION will focus on planning for eternity, showcasing resources and services to facilitate giving, glorify God and advance His Kingdom. The foundation's work is to assist believers in quality estate planning as an act of stewardship and generosity. SEMINARY EXTENSION will display course examples, highlight its diploma and certificate programs and distribute copies of its catalog. The booth will spotlight Seminary Extension's commitment to making theological education available to pastors, teachers and other leaders unable to attend traditional seminaries. Vivian Buttrey, who is retiring after nearly 36 years with Seminary Extension, will be on hand to greet alumni, students and volunteer faculty. GOLDEN GATE BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY will highlight its new master's degree in Christian counseling and its new Korean-English bilingual program. Themed "Biblical, Missional, Global," the booth will tell the benefits of the Golden Gate education offered at its five campuses in northern and southern California, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. MIDWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY and COLLEGE will showcase its fully online master's and bachelor's programs Tuesday, June 19, at 12:15 p.m. and will give away a Kindle. Return to the booth Wednesday, June 20 at 11 a.m. for a forum with four Midwestern doctoral studies leaders discussing "Historical Truth and New Perspectives." Enter your name in a drawing for a free set of academic books. Faculty, staff and students will offer information on the missions-oriented "Fusion" undergraduate curriculum track. MBTS' booth theme will focus on its core values of "Veritas (knowing), Pietas (being), and Missio (doing)," reflecting commitments to knowing the truth; modeling and instilling in students devotion to the Lord; and evangelism. NEW ORLEANS BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY faculty will welcome attendees to the school's home city and answer questions about degree programs and new initiatives at the main campus and extension centers. In keeping with tradition, NOBTS will give away small bottles of Louisiana hot sauce. SOUTHEASTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY will utilize Ipad kiosks to receive information from prospective students, distribute information about the seminary and accept alumni luncheon reservations. Emphasizing Southeastern's mission of equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission, the booth's compact space will allow more funds to be allocated for that mission. SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY will provide complimentary copies of "A Guide to Adoption and Orphan Care," a new resource edited by school of theology dean Russell D. Moore, and the latest issue of Southern Seminary Magazine featuring articles by Moore, SBTS President Albert Mohler Jr., Boyce College dean Dan DeWitt, professor Gregory A. Wills and associate professor Denny Burk. Connect with alumni, friends and prospective students at the booth's seating area. SOUTHWESTERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. View several seminary-produced videos reflecting Southwestern's passion for taking the Gospel to the world's unreached peoples, along with students' experiences, Southwestern's heritage and a campus tour. Seminary representatives and faculty will discuss the Southwestern's programs and answer questions. Learn about the school's upcoming six-month exhibit, Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible, opening July 2. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Diana Chandler and BP editor Art Toalston. -- End of story -- BP Ledger, May 14 edition By Staff May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37828 EDITOR'S NOTE: BP Ledger carries items for reader information each week from various Southern Baptist-related entities, and news releases of interest from other sources. The items are published as received. Today's BP Ledger includes items from: Campbellsville University Union University Compass Direct News International Mission Board Campbellsville grads hear US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom By Joan C. McKinney CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (Campbellsville University)--Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, United States ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, addressed the 248 students who received undergraduate degrees May 5 at Campbellsville University. Johnson Cook, discussing religious freedom in the world, noted that the U.S. Constitution holds religious freedom to be a fundamental human right, with many of the nation's founders having fled their countries to escape religious persecution. "Many of my foreparents, as well as others in the Black church, were brought here against their will and experienced persecution on these shores," Johnson Cook said. "They were not always free to worship where or when or how they wanted -- nor even with whom. Many were relegated to the balconies or separate areas of a church, required to listen to a message preached by those who enslaved them." As an African-American, she said, "We understand what religious persecution means. And we understand that freedom of religion is not just for people who believe like us." Johnson Cook became ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom May 16, 2011. "I am committed to advancing religious freedom for everyone in every part of the world," she said. "I travel overseas promoting religious tolerance and helping to build bridges between people of different faiths-whatever that faith may be. Our country holds that the freedom to believe, or not to believe, is a fundamental human right which transcends faith, background or tradition." Johnson Cook said religious freedom matters more than ever around the world. She said she was pulled into a direction she never imagined on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. She was in the Bronx, returning from voting, when she heard about the first airplane striking the World Trade Center. "Being a NYPD chaplain, I was soon asked to report to police headquarters -- 10 blocks from Ground Zero. Families of officers who were missing in action after the collapse of the towers had gathered there and I and the other seven chaplains prayed, counseled and consoled them," she said. She went to Ground Zero to work with police, firefighters and medics as they searched for survivors. "When rescue personnel saw I was a chaplain, they paused to catch their breath and to pray -- regardless of their religion," she said. "At that moment I saw the unifying power of religion -- almost in direct contrast to those who tried to use religion as an excuse to commit violence against innocent people. In the face of adversity, Americans prayed together and we were even more unified." She said during and after 9/11, "We found our common humanity and sought to find common ground. We formed municipal, national and international faith coalitions to build bridges of understanding, respect, and tolerance to push out suspicion, prejudice, and intolerance." Johnson Cook said religious intolerance is not a thing of the past. "Even as we speak, there are thousands around the world being persecuted, imprisoned and harassed on the basis of their faith," she said. She said Pew statistics show 2.2 billion people face social hostility because of their religion or where their governments restrict their worship. She said, "It is our core conviction that religious freedom and respect for diversity is essential for a peaceful society. And research shows that where there is religious freedom, there is more stability in the country." Johnson Cook said, "Regardless of tradition, people of faith can work to build peace and strengthen civil society – and to model for society the values of tolerance, dialogue and respect." Johnson Cook has traveled to five continents promoting religious tolerance and helping to build bridges between people of different faiths. "I have seen that great things can happen when members of different faith communities come together to share ideas and to grow a vision of harmony together through relationships that stretch beyond borders, beyond religions." She told the graduates, as members of a faith community, they play an essential role: "to build bridges across religious differences, to work together against religious hatred, violence and repression." "As members of a faith community, each and every one of you can work to promote mutual respect and freedom for people of your own faith, for people of other faiths, and for people who don't belong to any religious group," she said. She urged the graduates to think of some of the ways they can take a leading role in serving others who face persecution due to their religious beliefs. She urged them to be informed, get involved and volunteer their time. "As young people, you have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference in the world around you," she said. "Take a moment to appreciate what your hard work has accomplished," she said. "You stand poised to live your values, and to work for your values, on a much larger stage." She was presented an honorary doctorate degree of public service during the ceremony. --30-- Joan C. McKinney is news and publications coordinator at Campbellsville University. ********** Bradshaw address highlights Union's Golf and Gala event By Tim Ellsworth JACKSON, Tenn. (Union University)--On a night when Andrew Luck was the first selection in the 2012 NFL draft, a former top pick told stories of his own playing days to a crowd of Union University supporters. Terry Bradshaw, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and current FOX Sports analyst, was the keynote speaker for Union's fourth annual Roy L. White Legacy Golf and Gala at the Carl Perkins Civic Center April 26 in Jackson, Tenn. "You should be eternally happy that God has given you a life and given you happiness, I hope," Bradshaw said. "He's given you an understanding of how to accept the grace that he's given you. He's also given you an understanding of how to accept the failures in our life." Bradshaw was the first player chosen in the 1970 NFL draft after his collegiate career at Louisiana Tech University. He finished 4-0 in Super Bowl play -- a feat duplicated only by Joe Montana. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. After his playing career ended, Bradshaw moved into broadcasting. In an address filled with humor and antics that those familiar with Bradshaw's personality might expect, the former quarterback told about his life growing up in Louisiana, where he was raised by Christian parents who taught him about the importance of family. "We accomplish nothing in life if we don't turn around and say 'Thank you' to somebody else," Bradshaw said. Bradshaw encouraged listeners to surround themselves with good people, to find a reason to live and a purpose to get up in the morning. "You've got to have a willingness to overcome mistakes," he said. "You've got to be able to deal with failure. You've got to find your way." Bradshaw poked fun at his intellectual prowess, saying that he graduated with a degree in physical education and a 2.2 grade point average. "And two of that was given to me," he said about his GPA. "You figure out which two." He talked about some of the challenges he faced in Pittsburgh, with fans who didn't always appreciate him and who questioned his intelligence. "You ever been booed when you got to work?" Bradshaw asked. "You ever walked in your doors at work -- 'Boo!' It ain't a good feeling, people, and it hurt my feelings. The Pittsburgh people were nasty." Between funny stories that brought laughs from the audience, Bradshaw offered moments of serious reflection and counsel. "It's in the quiet crucible of our personal private suffering that our most noble dreams are born, and God's greatest gifts are given," he said. "We are measured so often by our status in a community, our enrollment at a university, the money that we have, the car that we drive, the club that we're a member of. But really, what's more important, all of that or what kind of person you are?" The Golf and Gala event featured a golf tournament earlier in the week, with the team of Jimmy Kostaroff, David Salyers, Chris Tursky and Brad Tursky taking first place. --30-- Tim Ellsworth is director of news and media relations and Union University. ********** Egyptian Judge Frees Attackers Who Knifed Christian By Wayne King/Compass Direct News ISTANBUL (Compass Direct News)--A judge in upper Egypt has dismissed all charges against a group of Salafi Muslims who cut off the ear of a Christian in a knife attack and tried to force him to convert. The Salafists, who say they base their religion on the practices of the first three generations of Muslims after Muhammad, had falsely accused 46-year-old Ayman Anwar Metry of having an affair with a Muslim woman, the Christian told Compass. On April 22 the judge exonerated the assailants only after Metry, under intense pressure in a "reconciliation meeting," agreed to drop charges, said his attorney, Asphoure Wahieb Hekouky. "Him dropping the case and accepting the reconciliation meeting is shameful," Hekouky said of the Egyptian justice system. The same Salafi Muslims who attacked Metry terrorized him and his family for a year, Hekouky said. The Attack On the afternoon of March 20, 2011, in Qena, in the province of the same name, a group of about 20 Salafi Muslims attacked Metry. Earlier that day, someone had set fire to an unoccupied rental apartment he owned in the city. While waiting in another part of the city for workman to arrive to fix a metal door on the burned-out unit, two men approached Metry and convinced him that he needed to go back to the remains of his apartment. After his arrival, the Salafi Muslims pounced on him. They accused him of having an inappropriate relationship with one of his former female tenants and began beating him. "I didn't know that there were any more of them than the two who were talking nicely to me at the beginning, so I was shocked when I went with them to the flat," Metry said. "There were 20 more waiting for me there, and they caught me and started beating me up." The men interrogated Metry as they beat him, demanding he "confess" to the affair and tell them where the woman was. Metry said he told them he didn't do anything wrong and didn't know where the woman was, but the Salafists were able to find her and brought her to the charred apartment. They demanded that the woman admit to an affair of some sort, but, like Metry, she said they had never been romantically involved. Then the men broke into two groups; one set upon the woman, and the other began beating Metry. During the beating, the men restrained Metry, took a knife and began sawing open the back of his neck. They told the woman that they would kill him if she didn't say she had had some type of affair with him. She did as they ordered. Metry said his attackers demanded he say the Shahada, the Islamic creed for conversion, and that when he refused, they cut off his ear. Covered with puddles of his blood, the apartment looked like a slaughterhouse, Metry said. "If you saw how I looked then … My shirt, if you squeezed it, it dripped an unbelievable amount of blood. With all the blood that was on the floor, it looked like there was a sheep slaughtered there," he said. "They thought that I was dead, so then they called the police and said, 'We took our sharia [Islamic law] rights, now you come and take your civil rights from him.'" The police came and took Metry and the woman to the hospital. The two, along with a Muslim friend of Metry's who witnessed the attack and happens to be a police officer, were then taken into police custody. "Officer Khaled was with me and worked hard to help me – he witnessed the whole thing and he testified at the police station," Metry said. "Also, the girl came to the police and said that there was nothing between me and her. She said that the Salafi men forced her to say there was." Somehow the Salafists found out what the woman said to police, and when officers released the woman after questioning, the hard-line Muslims caught up with her, Metry said. "Then when they heard that the girl didn't say what they wanted her to say, they beat her up again and broke one of her fingers and threatened her and told her if she didn't change what she said at the police station, they would kidnap her sister," Metry said. None of the Salafi Muslims who committed the attack were arrested. Intimidation Almost as soon as the police questioning ended, the assailants began pressuring him not to prosecute anyone, Metry said. "They used all sorts of ways to persuade me to let it go and drop the case against them -- they shot at us; about 500 Salafi gathered around the house trying to set it on fire. When they threatened to set the house on fire and kidnap my sisters, I had to drop the charges against them," he said. As the date for a hearing drew near three months ago, the Salafi Muslims shot at Metry's house in Qena and at his brother's car, he said. "I went to see the police to get them to do something, and nothing at all was done to arrest anybody," he said. "It seemed like they were the police and the controllers of the city, those Salafis." The attackers threatened all his family members, he said, including his brothers and sisters, to try to force him to drop the charges, he said "Some of my brothers and sisters emigrated and left the country – they went to Italy," he said. "I tried to, but I wasn't allowed to leave the airport." Metry said he informed criminal prosecutors what was happening, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. "During the first reconciliation meeting, I told the attorney general everything and told him that I am dropping the charges under the Salafi threats," he said. "After all that, I saw that the police did nothing to arrest any of them, and they are all free." A final factor was a request from Bishop Sharoubeem, the Coptic Orthodox bishop of Qena, who asked him to drop the case, according to Metry. "He asked me to drop the case, but I insisted on not dropping the case at all. I insisted on getting my rights back," he said. "But when a bishop comes and asks you to drop the case, what else could you do other than following his advice? He told me that they might try and attack or burn the local church if I didn't drop the case." Metry said the bishop, speaking for the Coptic Orthodox Church, agreed to compensate him for the property he lost in the fire and attack. The bishop could not be reached for confirmation. Still, Metry said he was robbed of justice. "They are free in the street threatening us when we come or go," he said. "Even when they shot at us, and we called the police and security forces thinking that they would arrest them, nothing was done at all." Emotionally 'Below Zero' The recovery for Metry and his family after the attack has been difficult, but he said it has brought him closer to God. The Salafists were trying to beat him to death, Metry said, so they could "kill the facts" of the attack. In addition to slicing off his ear, they cut him all over his body and left bruises from a beating that "would have killed a camel," he said. In total, he had to have 35 stitches and two reconstructive surgical procedures where his ear once was. The ear was too badly damaged to be reattached. "It took me three months to recover from all the injuries and the two plastic surgeries on my ear," he said. Metry and his immediate family spent most of the year after the attack fleeing from one part of Qena Province to another, making it impossible for his three children, ages 6 to 12, to attend school. Because his employer cannot or will not transfer him, he has had to take a year off from work and support himself with savings and what rental income he has left. The attacks and the changes of residence have scarred his children, too, with his 6-year-old girl probably suffering the worst, he said. "She shakes if she sees a bearded man walking down the street, because of what happened to me," Metry said. "The little girl asked her mother to let her take a knife with her to her kindergarten class in case somebody attacks her, so she can defend herself." Metry's wife, Thanaa Yakoub Gerges, concurred. "We were living well, the children and us, but after what happened emotionally we are below zero," she said. "It made us hate the house, the city and the whole country. Imagine when you lose your reputation and can't move. We were destroyed gradually, this happened more than a year ago, and the children are being destroyed gradually. I am willing to die for Christ, but these are my children who are being attacked." Through it all, however, Metry said he found a glimmer of faith he previously had not known. "I am not saying this to puff up my spirit, but at that moment when they were attacking me, I couldn't believe the faith that was in me. I couldn't believe that I actually had this faith, it was a testimony -- I won, I didn't lose," he said. "They tried everything to convert me to Islam, but I didn't care. I said they could do anything they wanted to me, I wouldn't convert." --30-- Compass Direct News (www.compassdirect.org), a news service based in Santa Ana, Calif., focusing on Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Used by permission. ********** ASIA PRAYER REQUESTS, INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD SOUTH ASIA (International Mission Board)--Brief items reported by South Asia News (http://www.go2southasia.org) in May include: BANGLADESH. "Political agitation is not new to Bangladesh, but recently the strikes called hartals here have turned violent. It is felt by the tribal team that the agitation will increase leading up to the time monsoon starts. Violent hartals make travel dangerous and disrupt ministry plans and teams coming into the country to work with us. Those of us living here are use to this reality, but we would truly appreciate your prayers that the violence relating to any upcoming hartals will be kept to a minimum." A city team writes, "Please continue to lift up this land before the Lord. We are fine but the inconvenience and frustrations just mount for citizens each day, not to mention the loss in productivity and income. Pray that God would bring about a solution to the current issues and bring long-term peace to Bangladesh as people turn to Him." http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ BHUTAN. Pray for the Kurtopa (Gurtu) people who live in the Lhuntse District in northern Bhutan near the China border. Numbering approximately 16,000, they are one of the few people groups in Bhutan yet to be engaged with the Gospel. It is estimated that at least 80 percent of the Kurtopa have never heard the Good News. Known for their embroidery and basket-making, the Kuropa count it a privilege to send their sons to the monastery for a time. The royal family traces their ancestry to this area. Pray that the Kurtopa would soon become "children of the King!" http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ DIASPORA. "As we drove home from church last Sunday, we passed an ox-driven cart carrying a Hindu idol with dozens of worshippers bringing offerings. As we turned the corner from that ceremony, we passed a mosque and heard the call to prayer. Further down the road, we passed Buddhist cemeteries where graves of loved ones have been weeded and cleaned, and offerings of paper money and joss-sticks can be seen. Buddhists believe these offerings help the departed to make purchases where they are and be more comfortable. In a span of 20 minutes we were acutely reminded of the great deceptions of various types all around us. Ask God to keep our hearts tender to the spiritual needs around us and yet grounded firmly in the truth. Pray we will speak boldly as he gives opportunity." http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ INDIA. This month please focus your intercession on pregnant women who are seeking to find out whether they will have a boy or a girl. It's illegal in India to have a sonogram to find out the sex of a baby because of the huge program of female feticide. Many women will have illegal sonograms and after finding out they are having a girl, they will abort the baby. The world average is 1000 girls for every 1050 boys. In Delhi, the average is 866 girls for every 1000 boys. Pray that these mothers and fathers will see each life as precious and a gift from the One True God. Pray that they and their daughters will understand how God knit them together tenderly and lovingly and is calling them unto Himself. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ MALDIVES. It is against the law to bring God's Word into the Maldives. Pray that God will reveal Himself in the Maldives through dreams, visions, radio broadcasts, and a bold verbal witness by the few Christians living there. Pray that the Maldivians who travel abroad would seek the Truth and be exposed to the Scriptures in Dhivehi (their language). http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ NEPAL. A Christian executive in Nepal is calling for prayer for their country regarding the issue of Freedom of Religion in Nepal which is being threatened by a draft law (Article 160) that "makes it illegal to do anything which might be construed as influencing someone to change their religion." He writes, "Despite concerns which have been raised, this article is a clear breach of basic human rights, and undermines both Nepal as a secular state and the progress made on freedom of religion." Pray God's Word would go forth throughout Nepal, that His people would stand strong in their witness throughout this beautiful land. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ PAKISTAN. Pray for new believers that they would have full assurance of the truthfulness of the Gospel and that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ. One day, the truth will be plain to all. May believers have the boldness to make the truth known while people still have a chance to believe in the Gospel. May new believers have confidence in the promise that if they do not deny Christ, then one day Jesus will acknowledge them in the presence of God. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ SRI LANKA. Pastor M believes that greater things are yet to come in Sri Lanka. For the past nine months, he and approximately 10 leaders from the church have been obediently following the pattern set before them. In January, they began meeting daily for worship, prayer and Bible study. Since then, they have seen people come to faith weekly and new discipleship groups are being formed. A handyman and gardener for the church shares this report: "As I was working one day, I asked the Lord to bring me someone to disciple. 'I'm a simple man, Lord, but I want to be obedient and disciple someone.' A short time later, a man came walking up the hill, looking for the pastor. I shared the Gospel with him, and he prayed to receive Christ. I asked him if I could teach him more, and he said yes. I praise the Lord!" This church could very well be witnessing the beginning of a church-planting movement. Ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit and bring many to faith. Pray for the new believers to be formed into house churches and for each leader to take on the responsibility of leading these house churches and training future leaders. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ MUSIC, ART and STORYTELLING. "Around 250 people from throughout the area, representing at least nine languages, attended a songwriting workshop led by a team of American songwriters. We lost track of the number of songs written, but praise God that the workshop went really well. One group of attendees has since written 10 more songs in their heart language after going home. Pray that these mostly young, new songwriters will establish a pattern of "singing new songs to the Lord" for the building up of believers around them and the spreading of the Gospel." http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ SOUTH ASIAN HINDU FESTIVALS. Amayavasa is the Indian word for "new moon." Traditionally, every new-moon day is an auspicious day for worshipping the forefathers, and special "poojas" (prayers) are made. Religious Hindus are not supposed to work and are to concentrate instead on the rites of Amayavasa, which includes presenting black sesame and water as offerings to departed forefathers. As Hindus in South Asia focus on discarding the old and embracing the new, pray that God will reveal the new life He has promised to them in Christ Jesus, who is the only way, truth and life (see John 14:6). http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ SOUTH ASIAN UNENAGED PEOPLES. The Pattanavan people of the coastline of Tamil Nadu, India, number more than 130,000 and are generally sea fishermen who catch their fish by casting nets from catamarans. The nets are made by the Pattanavan people, who are experts at weaving. The Pattanavan have been known for their weaving skills for centuries, with a Pattanavan legend telling of how they supplied silk thread to the Hindu god Shiva. The Pattanavan people of Tamil Nadu remain Hindus, with no known believers among them. Please pray for these dear people to allow the one true God, who knitted them and formed them in their mothers' wombs, to draw them to Himself. Pray for national and international Christians to have a desire to live among the Pattanavan people and share Truth with them. http://prayerthreads.imb.org SOUTH ASIAN UNREACHED PEOPLES. Spending most of the time in their homes, South Asian Muslim women are considered to be one of the world's most unreached people groups. As you celebrate Mother's Day this month, pray for doors - both physical and spiritual - to open so that God's Light may enter into the homes where Muslim women live and work. http://prayerthreads.imb.org Praying for Mothers Prayer Guide. Specific prayer requests voiced by mothers working among South Asians. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ Praying for Mothers 31 Day Prayer Guide. Pray daily for mothers and grandmothers working among South Asians. http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ New in 2012 is a monthly South Asia Prayer Guide. This can be ordered from www.imbresources.org or downloaded as a pdf at http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/ --30-- -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: 'Kids need a mom & dad' shouldn't be controversial By Joseph Backholm May. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37825 Editor's note: Joseph Backholm is executive director of a pro-traditional marriage organization in Washington state, where citizens likely will vote on the definition of marriage in November. LYNWOOD, Wash. (BP) -- According to the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers held certain truths to be self-evident. By my understanding, that means that there were some things we could agree were true even if millions of dollars had not been spent studying the subject. For many of us, that list would include the idea that drugs are bad, nice people have more friends, and that it's a good thing for kids to have a mom and dad. Curiously, what used to be self-evident is apparently quite controversial. In March I was part of a forum during which I was accused of bearing false witness for saying it is preferable for kids to have a mom and a dad. On one hand it concerns me that otherwise intelligent adults would argue that it isn't at least desirable for kids to be connected to their mother and father. But as someone interested in winning a public debate on the marriage issue, it encourages me when the other side forced to defend the absurd. The other side counters the idea that kids should have both a mom and dad by pointing out that some moms and dads are bad parents. While unfortunately true, this response misses the point. The point is not that every man and woman are great parents, but that it is ideal if the great parents we hope for are that child's biological mom and dad. If that is impossible, an adoptive mom and dad are the preferred alternative. Historically, this has not been an outrageous thing to say. Many people don't feel passionately about the same-sex "marriage" issue. They may be sympathetic to the so-called gay rights movement because they think everyone deserves to be treated fairly. But fairness cannot be defined as the right to marry whomever you want, because not even those pushing to redefine marriage believe there should be no restrictions on who can get married. In their pursuit of fairness, I don't think the average voter is willing to abandon the idea that it is preferable for kids to have a mom and a dad. Unfortunately for them, supporters of same-sex "marriage" must make that argument. In order to argue that marriage should be redefined, they argue that homosexual relationships are in every way the equivalent of heterosexual relationships. In order to believe that, you must conclude that it is unimportant for children to have a mother and father -- otherwise, the presence or absence of both a mom and a dad would represent a relevant difference between the relationships. But because their position requires them to deny any meaningful difference, they are forced into arguing that moms and dads, and men and women, are interchangeable and independently insignificant. Logic suggests that when one conclusion requires you to believe something that is obviously untrue, you should reconsider your conclusion. But for those who disagree with us on the marriage issue, they don't have that option. Yet for the casual observer of the debate, I still believe logic can prevail. So stick with what works. Moms and dads are preferable. Most people recognize that. And once people come to terms with the fact that the redefinition of marriage requires people also to conclude that moms and dads are simply one of many acceptable options, I think we win. After all, most people still understand that some truths really are self-evident. --30-- Joseph Backholm is executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, online at fpiw.org, where this column first appeared. -- 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