Baptist Press Stories for Jun. 21 2012 --------------------------------------- WRAP-UP: Historic meeting sees messengers elect 1st black president, approve descriptor http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38113 At Avanze Hispano, Robert Amaya of 'Courageous' urges 'Live the truth' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38114 Hispanics pray for SBC during Pastors' Conf. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38115 Resolutions address sinner's prayer, gay marriage http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38120 19 motions presented at New Orleans SBC http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38116 Both sides claim victory in court's FCC decision http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38125 Uth urges messengers to 'see those around you' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38118 Unofficial New Orleans total: 7,868 messengers http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38117 Luter, Lino, Miller elected SBC officers http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38119 Hawkins reminds messengers of founder's pledge http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38127 Retirees' hardships eased by Mission:Dignity http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38128 WMU notes benefits of RA, Challenger role http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38121 SBC seminary presidents report to messengers http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38126 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, June 24, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38122 FIRST-PERSON: God's courtroom http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38123 --------------------------------------- WRAP-UP: Historic meeting sees messengers elect 1st black president, approve descriptor By Michael Foust Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38113
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NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- In one of the most historic meetings in the Southern Baptist Convention's 167-year history, messengers meeting June 19-20 elected the body's first African American president and voted to keep the convention's name while approving a descriptor, "Great Commission Baptists," for those churches that wish to use it. The momentous occasion in New Orleans brought media from across the nation to see the election of Fred Luter, a descendent of slaves who now is the president of a convention whose founders, in 1845, defended slavery. The convention officially repented of its racist past at the 1995 meeting, and has seen the percentage of non-white churches grow, from 5 percent of the SBC in 1990 to 19 percent in 2010. Last year, messengers approved a landmark report encouraging ethnic diversity in committee appointments. Luter, who was unopposed and received a lengthy standing ovation from messengers when elected, told media at a news conference that he sees his election as being a turning point for blacks and other ethnic groups.
"Here is a convention that has been talking this racial reconciliation thing and now they're putting their money where their mouth is," said Luter, pastor of New Orleans' Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, whose building was flooded after Hurricane Katrina but has been rebuilt into a mega-church amid the city's much-reduced population. Luter called his election "a genuine, authentic move by this convention that says our doors are open." He also said he hopes to see minorities promoted to other positions within the convention, "and I'll be a cheerleader promoting that." About 7,900 registered messengers attended the annual meeting, and nearly every one of them -- plus family members and several dozen media representatives -- were in a packed convention hall when Luter was elected. New Orleans pastor David Crosby nominated Luter, and recording secretary John Yeats cast the convention's official ballot.
"It is my high honor to cast this historic ballot of the convention for Dr. Fred Luter as president of the Southern Baptist Convention," Yeats said before adding, "Hallelujah!" Yeats' expression seemed appropriate for a historic day, and messengers responded with an emotional 70-second standing ovation. With cameras flashing as Luter walked to the podium, he pointed heavenward and, while wiping away tears, said simply, "To God be the glory for the things that He has done." Outgoing SBC President Bryant Wright then put his arm around Luter and prayed for him. Luter's election came with a historical coincidence: He was elected on June 19, or "Juneteenth," a yearly date in which many African Americans celebrate the emancipation of slaves. His election also came as Americans commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
"This is not just an Anglo convention," Luther told media members. "... I'm Exhibit A that this convention is serious about saying that our doors are open to everyone. I hope to be a spokesperson to that, because let's face it: There are some African Americans, maybe Asians or Hispanics who for years felt that they were not welcome in the Southern Baptist Convention. That's not the case anymore." Two days prior to Luter's election, several hundred Southern Baptist messengers visiting New Orleans -- most of them white -- attended Luter's church, wanting to see him and the congregation he had helped rebuild. At the close of the second service, Luter called on Jimmy Draper, former president of LifeWay Christian Resources, to pray. Prior to his prayer Draper addressed Franklin Avenue church members, referencing Luter's pending election and telling them to applause, "This is not tokenism. ... We're electing a great leader who happens to be black." The convention has made several moves in recent years in an attempt to reach out to ethnic groups, including the establishment -- by the Executive Committee and the North American Mission Board -- of an African American Advisory Council and a Hispanic Advisory Council. Last year's ethnic diversity report cited the "need to be proactive and intentional in the inclusion of individuals from all ethnic and racial identities within Southern Baptist life." Luter told the media he wants to see the convention become even more diverse during his presidency. He also said he wants to spotlight evangelism and missions and help bring together factions within the convention. 'GREAT COMMISSION BAPTISTS' Passage of the descriptor "Great Commission Baptists" also was momentous, although the vote total was closer than some had expected. The proposal came via a recommendation from the Executive Committee, which had proposed it after a task force -- appointed by Wright -- studied whether to change the name of the convention. In the end, the task force recommended the convention keep its name but also adopt a descriptor, "Great Commission Baptists," that can be used by any church. Usage is voluntary. Messengers debated the descriptor for about a half-hour before approving it, 53-46 percent. The task force said the descriptor would be beneficial to churches and church planters outside the South -- some planters say the convention's regional name is a barrier -- as well as to ethnic churches whose members might view the name "Southern Baptist" negatively. CALVINISM The issue of Calvinism also was addressed from the platform several times, with each speaker urging messengers to remain united for the Great Commission. Executive Committee President Frank Page -- who said he's not a Calvinist -- addressed each side of the debate. He told the non-Calvinists: "There seems to be some non-Calvinists who are more concerned about rooting out Calvinists than they are about winning the lost for Christ." He then addressed Calvinists, some of whom he said "seem to think that if we do not believe the same thing about soteriology that they believe then somehow we are less intelligent or ignorant." Soteriology is the study of the doctrine of salvation. "I do believe we can find some ways to work together better," Page said, "and I believe that the leaders of both of these groups can come together to say, 'Here's how we can return to working together like we once did.'" Page confirmed again that he plans to assemble a group of advisers to help chart a way through the division surrounding Calvinism. But that will not include revising the Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptists' statement of beliefs, he said. Wright also addressed the issue in his convention sermon. "Our calling is to be centered on Christ and grounded in the Word, while agreeing to disagree on the finer points of theological issues," Wright said. "May we all agree that Christ ... has given us a very clear message and mission for the church." Wright added, "If we pride ourselves more on being a traditional Southern Baptist or more on being a Calvinist or a Reformed theologian, more than we are thankful that we are Christ-centered and biblically based ... then it is time to repent of theological idolatry." Messengers also overwhelmingly passed a resolution "On Cooperation and the Doctrine of Salvation," which said in part, "We affirm that The Baptist Faith and Message provides sufficient parameters for understanding the doctrine of salvation, so that Southern Baptists may joyfully and enthusiastically partner together in obedience to the Great Commission." In other matters: -- More than 1,100 decisions for Christ were made during Crossover, the yearly evangelistic emphasis prior to each annual meeting. -- International Mission Board President Tom Elliff reported on the progress of IMB's Embrace challenge, issued at the 2011 SBC in Phoenix, where he called on Southern Baptist churches to claim responsibility for evangelizing all of the world's then-3,800 unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPGs). He said 1,281 Southern Baptist churches and entities have indicated an interest in embracing a UUPG. Of that number, 474 churches and entities have taken steps to go deeper in that commitment. "It means some of you are taking this really seriously, and you're saying we want to count the cost, we want to see what's involved," Elliff said. "I want to tell you on behalf of the International Mission Board, we're absolutely thrilled. We welcome you to the field, we rejoice that you've taken up this mantle and we praise God that the Kingdom is being expanded because of your involvement." -- North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell encouraged congregations to get involved in planting churches and supporting church planters. To underscore the urgency he quoted statistics showing that in some states in the Northeast, Midwest and the Northwest, there is only one Southern Baptist church for every 20,000-plus people. In Canada, it's one in 117,000, he said. By comparison, the ratio in the South is one in less than 10,000. "Church planting is an evangelistic strategy," Ezell said. NAMB has a goal for Southern Baptists to plant a net of 5,000 new churches by 2022, Ezell said. When including churches that die each year, that means Southern Baptists must plant 13,500 new churches. "We will never be able to plant that many churches unless God does a work in His people," Ezell said. -- Messengers passed nine resolutions. A resolution on the sinner's prayer said the prayer is "not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel." It further said that messengers "promote any and all biblical means of urging sinners to call on the name of the Lord in a prayer of repentance and faith." A resolution on gay marriage and civil rights rhetoric declared: "We deny that the effort to legalize 'same-sex marriage' qualifies as a civil rights issue since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender." The resolution also said messengers "stand against any form of gay-bashing" and that messengers "express our love to those who struggle with same-sex attraction and who are engaged in the homosexual lifestyle." The resolution was submitted by two African American pastors. -- Nathan Lino, senior pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, Texas, was elected first vice president, while Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, was elected second vice president. Yeats was re-elected recording secretary and Jim Wells re-elected registration secretary. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. With reporting by Erin Roach of Baptist Press and Don Graham of the International Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- At Avanze Hispano, Robert Amaya of 'Courageous' urges 'Live the truth' By David Raul Lema Jr. Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38114 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Robert Amaya, one of the stars of the movie "Courageous," was among the featured speakers at "SBC Avanze Hispano" (SBC Hispanic Advance) June 18, attended by 200 Hispanic pastors and leaders from 20 states and several countries prior to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in New Orleans. Amaya, worship and drama leader at Miami's University Baptist Church who played the role of "Snake King" in Courageous, led one of the conferences in the half-day gathering sponsored by several Southern Baptist entities, including LifeWay Christian Resources, North American Mission Board, International Mission Board and GuideStone Christian Resources. Luis Lopez, director of LifeWay Español, voiced enthusiasm "to see how God is working in our people to use a person like Roberto Amaya to serve as a positive role model for our children, youth, and adults." The film star did not take long to get noticed. A lady accompanied by her adult son walked up to Amaya and teared up while hugging him in the hallway while he was on his way to the conference at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Marlene Mayer, a member of Iglesia Bautista Buenas Nuevas in Slidell, La., told Amaya the movie Courageous changed her son Antonio's life. "He has changed so much that he is with me here today," she told the actor. Antonio Mayer confirmed what his mother said. "The message of the movie was so powerful that it changed my life," Antonio told Amaya. "It led me to come closer to God and become a better father and husband." Amaya posed for pictures with participants after leading a conference on Impacting the Culture through Christian Witness. Amaya said in the conference that Christians need to be real in their culture and drop all masks of sin. "Don't let this day pass," Amaya challenged, "without turning your back to sin. Live the truth." Patrick Regalado, consultant with LifeWay Español, led a conference on the new online materials available in Spanish for churches and leaders, with more information available at www.lifeway.com/espanol. Joshua del Risco, director of Hispanic evangelism for the North American Mission Board, led a conference on Effective Evangelization and Growth. Drawing from the book of Acts, Del Risco listed "effective ways to deal with seven major barriers to successful evangelism." The International Mission Board was represented by Jason Carlisle, IMB director of Hispanic mobilization who led a conference on Becoming a Church Without Frontiers. "This is the Hispanic century," Carlisle said. "This does not mean that Hispanics will be on the receiving end of ministry but instead Hispanics will be the instruments used by God to reach the unreached in a miraculous and wonderful way. "More than 100 Hispanic IMB missionaries are making a difference in the world today," Carlisle noted. "Hispanics are very effective missionaries in the Muslim countries, in India, in Southeast Asia due to the similarities in cultures and even in the color of the skin." Carlisle said new IMB resources in Spanish are available online at http://hispanos.imb.org. Guidestone representative Miguel Perez answered participants' questions regarding retirement or investments posed to him in both Spanish and English. Printed and promotional materials in Spanish from Guidestone were distributed. Juan Perez, bivocational pastor of Iglesia Bautista Jesucristo Rey de Reyes in Miramar, Fla., said he is thankful he was able to attend the conference and the SBC in New Orleans. And he is grateful God gave him an opportunity that wouldn't overburden his church. "I worked extra hours on a roof job just to get the funding to come," Perez said. "It was worth it." --30-- David Raul Lema Jr. is a Baptist Press correspondent in Miami. -- End of story -- Hispanics pray for SBC during Pastors' Conf. By David Raul Lema Jr. Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38115 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Several dozen Hispanic pastors and leaders met in the SBC Prayer Room to pray during the June 18 evening session of the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference. The annual prayer gathering is sponsored by the National Fellowship of Hispanic Churches of the SBC. Leaders said their belief in the power of prayer motivated them to gather for nearly two hours to pray for the June 19-20 SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. Elias Bracamontes, Hispanic church planter from Topeka, Kan., and current president of the fellowship, said he is glad the group has continued to come together to pray. "It was an opportunity to be a blessing to the SBC by covering the events and people with prayer," Bracamontes said. "As the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if we humble ourselves and pray, God will answer and bless us. "We blessed the SBC and were blessed ourselves through the experience of prayer and being obedient to the Word," Bracamontes said. Humberto Medina, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Cristo Redentor, Mandeville, La., described the prayer time as personally meaningful. "It was a great blessing to pray so that our lives reflect the glory of God and show our dependency in Christ," said Medina who believes "there would always be a need for fervent prayer for the SBC, the churches, the leaders, and all the people." Hector Mendez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Central in Fort Worth, Texas, described the prayer time as "a beautiful experience." "We had a great time of spiritual fellowship in prayer," he said. Mendez also said he believes the time together not only gave strength to the Hispanic pastors, but allowed them to express their need for "more encouragement and strength in ministry for all the pastors and leaders of the SBC." While Hispanic leaders were praying for Fred Luter Jr. as the Pastors' Conference concluding speaker, some of the pastors took note that it was "providential" that Luter was preaching prior to his June 19 election as the new president of the SBC. --30-- David Raul Lema Jr. is a Baptist Press correspondent in Miami. -- End of story -- Resolutions address sinner's prayer, gay marriage By Tom Strode Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38120 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention approved resolutions Wednesday reaffirming their convictions regarding the means of salvation and the inerrancy of Scripture while indicating their intention to continue cooperating in the Great Commission despite some theological differences. [QUOTE@right@225="The committee "wanted to 'demilitarize' the resolutions process." -- Jimmy Scroggins]Among the nine resolutions passed in two sessions were ones: -- Identifying what is frequently described as a "sinner's prayer" as a biblical way of expressing repentance and faith while providing some careful descriptions of what that means; -- Reaffirming the belief the Bible is without error and attesting to the direct creation of and historicity of Adam and Eve; -- Agreeing to continue to work together to spread the Gospel with an understanding that the Baptist Faith and Message, the convention's confession of faith, sets "sufficient parameters for understanding the doctrine of salvation" among Southern Baptists. The resolution on cooperation addressed some pre-convention "verbal sparring" between non-Calvinists and Calvinists, Resolutions Committee Chairman Jimmy Scroggins acknowledged afterward. Messengers also approved resolutions: -- Opposing efforts to use the rhetoric of the African American civil rights movement in the attempt to legalize same-sex marriage; -- Protesting the Obama administration's attempts to subvert religious freedom in such arenas as health care, marriage and the military; -- Acknowledging and expressing gratitude for the role of African Americans in Baptist work in the United States; -- Affirming community and human needs ministries by churches; -- Celebrating the 200th anniversary this year of Baptist ministry in Louisiana; -- Expressing appreciation to God and all those who helped with this year's annual meeting. Messengers approved the resolution on a "sinner's prayer" with what appeared to be at least an 80 percent majority. The other measures gained passage in unanimous or nearly unanimous votes. The committee sought to emphasize cooperation, said Scroggins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Fla. That seemed obvious in the resolutions on a "sinner's prayer" and cooperation between Calvinists and non-Calvinists. The explicit intention "from the time our committee started meeting was to try to present resolutions in a way that we could be winsome, that we could say strong things in a winsome way and do it in a way that promoted unity among Southern Baptists," Scroggins said at a news conference after the completion of the resolutions reports. The way the committee put it was it "wanted to 'demilitarize' the resolutions process," he told reporters. "We just felt like we wanted to affirm our commitment to the Baptist Faith and Message as our unifying confession of faith," he told reporters. "Southern Baptists are going to have to agree on the essentials. We're going to have to disagree on certain things, but what we really want to do is lock arms and fight the darkness. We want to lock arms and cooperate to win the nations to Christ, to win our communities, to make a difference for Jesus, to push back the darkness with the light of Jesus. And that's really what we think most Southern Baptists would like to focus on." The resolution on cooperation and the doctrine of salvation gained approval without any verbal opposition expressed from the floor, but debate on the measure on a "sinner's prayer" consumed much of the 30 minutes allotted for the morning report, necessitating an afternoon report. The resolution, which survived two amendment efforts, affirmed the concept of a "sinner's prayer" while reiterating the belief that "repentance from sin and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation." It said such a "crying out for mercy and a calling on the Lord," which constitute what is often described as a "sinner's prayer," are a "biblical expression of repentance and faith." The resolution also said "a 'sinner's prayer' is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel." It also urged Southern Baptists to continue to take the Gospel to sinners of "every tribe, tongue, and language." Two African-American pastors -- Dwight McKissic of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, and Eric Redmond of Reformation Alive Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Md. -- submitted the resolution objecting to misappropriating civil rights language in the cause of legalizing same-sex marriage. The resolution provides encouragement to black pastors, said Kevin Smith, an African American who was a member of the committee. Smith is pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., and assistant professor of Christian preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. "During this season, black pastors will have to speak about this issue in a way that white pastors won't," Smith said at the news conference. Referring to President Obama's recently announced support for gay marriage, Smith said, "They'll speak against the first black president and his personal views on marriage while affirming biblical authority." Black pastors already are taking a clear stand on the issue, but "it's just good to have the affirmation of your brothers and sisters" in the denomination, Smith said. The resolution on the use of civil rights rhetoric on the same-sex marriage issue was "beautifully crafted," Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land told reporters. "I think it's important that the largest Protestant denomination in the country made it clear where they stand on this issue." Part of the resolution on religious freedom urged Obama to tell his administration to back down from its requirement that health plans cover contraceptives, including ones that can cause abortions, and sterilizations. It also called for a sufficient exemption for all people and organizations with a religious objection. It "is so important that our people understand and that the country understand that this debate is not about reproductive freedom. This is about religious freedom," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "It's about all people of faith and whether or not the government can coerce them to pay for that which they find unconscionable." Seventeen resolutions were submitted to the committee for consideration. In addition to Scroggins and Smith, other members of the Resolutions Committee were: Stephen Farish, senior pastor of Crossroads Church, Grayslake, Ill.; Cheri Jimenez, pastor's wife and member of Taylors First Baptist Church, Greer, S.C.; Manpoong Dennis Kim, pastor of Global Mission Church, Silver Spring, Md.; Gary Lowe, member of Alta Canyon Baptist Church, Sandy, Utah; Tim Ohls, senior pastor of Believers Southern Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.; Kevin Ueckert, senior pastor of South Side Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas; Stephen Douglas Wilson, member of First Baptist Church, Lone Oak, Ky., and dean emeritus and chair of the social studies/history department at Mid-Continent University, Mayfield, Ky., and Joe Wright, director of missions for Dyer Baptist Association, Dyersburg, Tenn. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- 19 motions presented at New Orleans SBC By David Roach Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38116 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Messengers offered 19 motions during the opening day of the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in New Orleans June 19. All but one were referred to SBC entities or ruled out of order. A motion by Richard Tribble of Emmanuel Southern Baptist Church in Decatur, Ill., to prohibit messengers from using a platform microphone when debating motions or making nominations was defeated on a show of ballots June 20. Tribble said during debate on his motion that requiring all speakers to use floor microphones would increase the fairness of convention deliberations. "The implication comes that everything that's said from the platform carries with it great authority and the implication that this is what the leaders want to present," he said. Stan Buckley, chairman of the Committee on Order of Business, argued that the convention's rules for debate and nominations were already fair. Requiring all speakers to use floor microphones would "waste the convention's time," he said, adding that nominations already could be made from a platform microphone. "Think just a moment about the consequences if the convention were to adopt the Tribble motion," Buckley said. "If a messenger were to offer an amendment to a resolution offered by the Resolutions Committee chairman during the resolutions report, the chairman would then have to leave the platform, run around to find somewhere an empty floor microphone and then wait for the president to find him before being able to give the Resolutions Committee's response to the amendment." Motions referred to the Executive Committee included: -- that the EC "be instructed to schedule future annual meetings during the last week of June so as not to conflict with Father's Day" and that it attempt to change the dates of annual meetings already scheduled that conflict with Father's Day, submitted by Tribble. -- that SBC meetings be held every two years rather than annually, submitted by Daniel Palmer of Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C. -- that the SBC bylaws be amended to require that nominating speeches for convention officers include at minimum the nominee's name, the office for which he is being nominated, the name of his church and the percentage of undesignated receipts given by that church to the Cooperative Program, submitted by Tribble. -- that the convention "establish a process and curriculum for properly training and equipping" entity trustees "that is preliminary to and separate from the individual agencies' processes of orientation," submitted by David Atchison of Grace Community Church in Nashville, Tenn. -- that the 2015 SBC annual meeting be moved to Memphis, Tenn., to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Cooperative Program, which was established in Memphis, submitted by Gary Griffis of New Church Memphis in Memphis, Tenn. -- that the EC develop a policy and procedures manual for convention officers, including procedures to investigate allegations of misconduct by officers and remove them from office if necessary, submitted by Tribble. A motion by Brad Atkins of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C., that SBC seminaries consider allowing their portion of the CP Allocation Budget to be reduced from 21.92 percent to 21 percent and request that the EC allocate the remaining .92 percent to the International Mission Board was referred to the EC and all six seminaries. A motion by Tim Overton of Halteman Village Baptist Church in Muncie, Ind., that LifeWay Christian Resources reconsider its decision to sell the 2011 New International Version of the Bible in its stores was referred to LifeWay. The motion asked trustees to allow Paige Patterson and Louis Markos to address trustees on the matter, and it said Patterson and Markos have agreed to speak. A motion by Richard Sandberg of New Zion Baptist Church in Kentwood, La., that the convention ask the North American Mission Board "to reconsider their decision to scale back disaster relief funding" was referred to NAMB. A motion by Channing Kilgore of South Whitwell Baptist Church in Whitwell, Tenn., that the convention establish a "historical research committee" to study the views of SBC founders "regarding predestination and election and how they understood these terms" was referred to the six seminaries. The Committee on Order of Business considered a motion from the 2011 annual meeting calling for future meetings to include at least one evening session and reported that attendance data from the New Orleans meeting will "yield more feedback upon which to base plans for future annual meeting programs." Seven motions were ruled out of order by SBC president Bryant Wright, acting on the recommendation of the Committee on Order of Business. Among them: -- that the convention "seek God for mercy corporately" in light of the moral decline in America, submitted by Dan Biser of Zoar Baptist Church in Augusta, W.Va. Buckley explained that messengers had already adopted the convention's agenda, "which includes time for prayer." -- that the convention agree with Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, that statements he made regarding the Trayvon Martin killing were harmful and that the convention "publicly affirm the reprimands" of Land by ERLC trustees, submitted by Todd Littleton of Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Okla. Littleton appealed the chair's ruling, but messengers sustained the chair. -- that the convention ask its newly elected president to study imprecatory prayer in the Bible and report his findings at the 2013 annual meeting, submitted by Wiley Drake of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif. -- that the referral of a motion concerning biennial SBC meetings be reconsidered, submitted by Palmer. -- that salary packages of all SBC entity and state convention employees be disclosed to Southern Baptists and that annual salaries be capped at $150,000, submitted by Luke Johnson of Highland Baptist Church in Laurel, Miss. -- that the SBC president appoint a committee to audit NAMB's "Mega-Focus Cities: San Diego" program, submitted by Ron Wilson of Wynnbrook Baptist Church in Columbus, Ga. -- that "no entity of the SBC be allowed to use the name Great Commission," submitted by Steve Bailey of Earle (Ark.) Baptist Church. -- that the convention commend Billy Graham "for his continued burden for evangelism and his love for Jesus Christ" and pray for the success of his "My Hope with Billy Graham" outreach campaign, submitted by Jim Wood of Covenant Community Church in Sevierville, Tenn. --30-- David Roach is a writer and pastor in Shelbyville, Ky. -- End of story -- Both sides claim victory in court's FCC decision By Michael Foust Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38125 WASHINGTON (BP) -- In a narrow decision that did not address the major constitutional questions, the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday tossed out the FCC's penalties against ABC and Fox for broadcasts that included expletives and brief nudity, saying the two networks were not given fair notice that "brief" moments of indecency could be fined under federal policy. Significantly, though, the high court left open the door for the FCC to tweak its policy to appease the justices' concerns. The 8-0 decision allowed both sides to claim victory. At issue were broadcasts on Fox from 2002 and 2003 in which the "f-word" and "s-word" were said on live television, and a scripted ABC broadcast from 2003 that included partial female nudity. The FCC found that both broadcasts violated the commission's indecency policy, and the broadcasters responded by filing suit, arguing they were not given fair notice and that the policy was unconstitutionally vague. For instance, the broadcasters argued, networks in the past have not been fined for airing "Schindler's List," despite its scenes depicting wartime nudity. The FCC agreed with the broadcasters, but it did not toss out the policy, as ABC and Fox had requested. Instead, it found that the indecency policy was unconstitutional "as applied." "The Commission failed to give Fox or ABC fair notice prior to the broadcasts in question that fleeting expletives and momentary nudity could be found actionably indecent," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the court's opinion. "Therefore, the Commission's standards as applied to these broadcasts were vague, and the Commission's orders must be set aside." A "fundamental principle in our legal system," Kennedy wrote, "is that laws" must give "fair notice of conduct that is forbidden or required." In a key sentence that conservative groups highlighted, Kennedy added later, "This opinion leaves the Commission free to modify its current indecency policy in light of its determination of the public interest and applicable legal requirements." It also "leaves the courts free to review the current policy or any modified policy in light of its content and application." Broadcasters had asked the Supreme Court not only to toss out the policy but also to reverse one of the court's own opinions, the 1978 FCC v. Pacifica opinion, which helped form the basis for giving the FCC the authority to protect the airwaves from indecency. Justices, though, did not address the Pacifica case. Backers of the federal government's indecency policy have said the Supreme Court's failure to uphold the commission's authority would unleash a flood of graphic nudity and harsh profanity on broadcast television in prime time. Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council -- which supports the FCC's policy -- applauded the ruling. "Once again the Supreme Court has ruled against the networks in their years-long campaign to obliterate broadcast decency standards," Winter said in a statement. "The Court ... specifically acknowledged the FCC's ability to continue broadcast decency enforcement as part of its public interest obligation. Winter added, "Broadcast decency rules have existed to protect children since the dawn of the broadcast medium. It is for their sake that there will still be decency rules and the TV networks will be required to abide by them." The decision was 8-0 because Justice Sonia Sotomayor recused herself from the case. The case was FCC v. Fox Television Stations. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. -- End of story -- Uth urges messengers to 'see those around you' By Barbara Denman Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38118 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- David Uth called Southern Baptists to a fresh understanding of the depth of the love of Jesus Christ, urging them to "love loud and love much because of all that He has forgiven." The pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando delivered the convention sermon during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans June 19-20. As Uth cited Luke 7:36 and following, an ensemble of actors dramatized the Scripture. In the portrayal, a woman poured an alabaster jar of perfume and wept over the feet of Jesus at the home of Simon the Pharisee. The story offers an "incredible lesson," Uth said, about a woman with a past who was overwhelmed by the forgiveness of her sin. "Jesus had changed her life, and she had to thank Him" by her actions. Uth emphasized the reaction of the Pharisee who asked, "Do you see this woman?" "Simon was so wrapped up in legalism that the law was more important than people," Uth said. Then he asked those in attendance, "Do you see those in your life, those around you?" He told of an earlier SBC meeting in New Orleans when he took a cab to the convention site. When the cab driver picked up a "friend" to ride along, Uth realized the woman was a prostitute and was embarrassed that other pastors might see him with her when he arrived at his destination. "I panicked" and quickly climbed out the cab, Uth recalled. But God has since broken his heart over the incident and his refusal to share Christ's love with her. "I did not give a rip about her," he said. "I was only concerned about my reputation, not her eternal destination or lifestyle." Explaining that the costly oil poured on Jesus' feet and letting down of the woman's hair expressed the depth of her gratitude for His forgiveness, Uth asked, "Why are we not more extravagant in our love and more passionate for others?" He shared two examples of how First Baptist Orlando has sought to demonstrate a passion and see others in their community. Each year, the church holds a "Queen Celebration" when the congregation seeks to minister to the city's prostitutes, strippers and dancers by bringing them to the church, serving a meal and showering them with clothes, makeup and other gifts. The first Queen Celebration was attended by 300 women and resulted in 20 of them giving "their heart to God," including one who continues to bring her friends to church. The church also began "Love Orlando" to share Christ's love throughout the Central Florida city and in one instance pledged $5 million -- of which $4 million has been collected -- to make a difference among the homeless population. Uth reminded the group that all believers are recipients of God's overwhelming forgiveness and grace, saying, "You don't really see others until you see yourself." Telling of his journey to Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake where he saw children and adults lacking clothing, Uth said he had to wonder why God chose him to live in a land of abundance. "Everything we have that is good comes by grace from the Father above," he said. Despite the woman's actions in the passage, Uth told messengers, she was not the biggest sinner in the room. That instead was the Pharisee. Concluding his sermon, Uth told of his father who served as the pastor of an Arkansas church when blacks in the community began attending. Refusing to acquiesce to members' demands that they be asked to leave, members of the Ku Klux Klan visited him with threats. In the end, his stand cost him the pastorate. Recalling his father's apology for losing his church, Uth said he assured the older man, "You may have lost a church, but you have won a son." His father loved much, Uth said, because he had been forgiven from an earlier life addicted to gambling and alcohol. Jesus forgave him and changed his life. "It is time to love, love loud and love much because He has forgiven much," Uth told messengers. --30-- Barbara Denman is director of communications for the Florida Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Unofficial New Orleans total: 7,868 messengers By Brian Koonce Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38117 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Attendance at the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 19-20 tallied 7,868 messengers from the nation's 45,000 Southern Baptist churches. Official numbers will not be released until later in June. In 2001, the last time Southern Baptists gathered in New Orleans, 9,584 messengers were in attendance. "We were expecting 8,000 to 8,500," said Don Currence, acting registration secretary for the SBC, "so it's about what we thought we'd get with the economy the way it is. There was also a lot interest because of who we elected as president." Messengers June 19 elected Fred Luter Jr., pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, as president of the SBC, marking the first time the convention has had an African American president. Last year in Phoenix, 4,852 messengers gathered for the lowest attended annual meeting in six decades. This summer's meeting beat that mark before the opening gavel fell on the first day. As expected, Louisiana churches turned out in force for the meeting in their backyard; their 943 messengers represented the largest number from any state. Next year, with the convention gathering in Houston, Currence said he personally anticipates another jump in attendance. The unofficial state-by-state messenger registration numbers are as follows: Alabama, 610; Alaska, 13; Arizona, 49; Arkansas, 248; California, 107; Colorado, 44; Connecticut, 4; Delaware, 1; Florida, 507; Georgia, 644; Hawaii, 9; Idaho, 5; Illinois, 145; Indiana, 91; Iowa, 9; Kansas, 49; Kentucky, 354; Louisiana, 943; Maine, 1; Maryland, 97; Massachusetts, 4; Michigan, 36; Minnesota, 4; Mississippi, 792; Missouri, 210; Montana, 7; Nebraska, 4; North Carolina, 445; Nevada, 34; New Hampshire, 4; New Jersey, 18; New Mexico, 41; New York, 28; Ohio, 95; Oklahoma, 203; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania, 16; Puerto Rico 4; South Carolina, 335; Tennessee, 668; Texas, 571; Utah, 12; Vermont, 1; Virginia, 253; Washington, 6; Washington, D.C., 14; West Virginia 30; Wisconsin, 9; Wyoming, 10; other, 63. Jim Wells, the elected registration secretary, was unable to attend the convention due to surgery for cancer. Wells said he expects to make a full recovery and attend next year's meeting in Houston. Wells was first elected registration secretary in 2002 and was re-elected to another term June 20. He serves as the Missouri Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program missionary for strategic partnerships. Currence is minister of administration at First Baptist Church in Ozark, Mo. --30-- Brian Koonce is a staff writer for The Pathway (www.mbcpathway.com) newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Luter, Lino, Miller elected SBC officers By Karen L. Willoughby Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38119 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- In a historic vote, Fred Luter was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 19 at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. He is the convention's first black president. Luter, who was unopposed, is pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, one of the largest churches in the Louisiana Baptist Convention. He was elected last year as first vice president of the SBC. Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, Texas, a congregation he founded 10 years ago, was unopposed for first vice president. Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, was elected in a runoff as second vice president. Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss., and Brad Atkins, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C., also were second vice president nominees. When no one received a majority of the votes, Hankins and Miller were in a runoff. Miller won with 1,202 votes, or 59.5 percent of the ballots cast, to Hankins' 798 votes, or 39.5 percent. Two men from Missouri were re-elected to their longtime posts. John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, was re-elected for his 15th year of service as recording secretary. Jim Wells, a state missionary for the Missouri Baptist Convention, was re-elected for his 11th year as registration secretary. In other action, messengers elected Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, to preach the convention sermon at the 2013 annual meeting in Houston. David Allen, dean of the school of theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was elected as the alternate. Charles Billingsley, worship pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., was chosen as the 2013 music director. PRESIDENT Some mentioned the coincidence of Luter's election on "Juneteenth," a day celebrated as the day in 1865 that Texas slaves finally heard -- two and a half years after the fact -- that they were free. Luter was nominated by David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, whose three-minute nomination speech was interrupted four times by applause. "[Luter] would likely be a candidate for sainthood one day if he were a Catholic," Crosby said in describing Luter as "the fire-breathing, miracle-working pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church." Luter grew Franklin Avenue from a remnant 65 people in a white-flight neighborhood to a congregation of more than 8,000 before "Hurricane Katrina plowed through this part of the world, destroying their facilities and scattering their people all across America," Crosby said. "Franklin Avenue is now [once again] approaching 5,000 worshippers each Sunday despite the depressed population of our city," Crosby said, "and last year they baptized more than 200. Fred is the only mega-church pastor I know of who has had to do it twice, and he did it against the trends and against the odds." First Baptist New Orleans took in the Franklin Avenue congregation for two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina left the worship center in 13 feet of water for three weeks amid flooding across New Orleans and the surrounding region in late summer 2005. The two pastors, Crosby and Luter, both with a heart for the city, began to work together in recovery of the devastated city and its returning residents. Out of that relationship, Luter asked Crosby to nominate him when in January -- after prayer and a word from the Lord pointed out to Luter by his wife Elizabeth -- the Franklin Avenue pastor stepped forward to be a candidate for the SBC presidency. "He is qualified in every way to hold this office," Crosby said of Luter. "He fully supports world missions through the Cooperative Program. ... He is a man of integrity with a loving family and an unblemished, untarnished reputation in this community where he has lived all his life." Southern Baptists "are already a convention with great diversity in our membership ranks and our churches. If we are faithful in our work, this diversity will continue to grow," Crosby said. "We need Pastor Fred at the head of the table, helping us understand our mission field and our mission. It is time to tap the great resource of his experience, wisdom and passion for this wider purpose.... "Messengers, we have the opportunity to make history, to show a watching world the truth about our Savior and ourselves and to affirm again the mission that undergirds everything we do," Crosby continued. "Let's give our ballots a voice and shout out to the world: Jesus is Lord. This is our president. We are Southern Baptists." Luter, on stage already, could be seen wiping tears from his eyes at the extended applause that followed the conclusion of Crosby's nomination speech. It's customary, current SBC President Bryant Wright said, when there is only one candidate for elective office, for the SBC recording secretary to cast one vote for everyone. "However, this chair on this occasion believes this historic moment should fully belong to the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention," Wright said. He instructed the messengers to stand if it was "their pleasure" that Luter be elected president. It was. As Luter came to the podium, he wiped more tears from his eyes, pointed toward heaven, and wiped his eyes again. "To God be the glory for the things He has done," Luter said with a choke in his voice. "God bless you. I love you." In 2011 Luter became the SBC's first African American first vice president; in 2001 he had been the first African American to preach the convention sermon. He also served on the committee that proposed a revision of the Baptist Faith and Message in 2000. Luter is a popular preacher at revivals, state conventions, evangelism conferences and other Southern Baptist gatherings. VICE PRESIDENTS Lino, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, immigrated with his family to the United States when he was 11. Northeast Houston Baptist -- where about 1,000 people participate in Sunday morning worship -- has planted seven churches in Houston and overseas and plans to start another 10 in the Houston area over the next decade, sending out 200 or more members each time to do so. Lino, working on his doctorate in ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been on mission trips to 26 nations. He was elected this spring as a trustee of the International Mission Board. Miller, who holds a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Seminary, was born in Iowa to parents who had been missionaries in Taiwan. He has served the past 21 years as a pastor in Iowa -- 14 as pastor of Northbrook Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids and seven as pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, where about 225 people participate in Sunday morning worship. Previously he served four years as a pastor in Virginia. More than two years ago Miller became the editor of a blog -- www.sbcvoices.com -- that has become known for its collegial conversation. --30-- Karen L. Willoughby is managing editor of the Baptist Message, newsjournal for the 1,600-plus churches in the Louisiana Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Hawkins reminds messengers of founder's pledge By Roy Hayhurst Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38127 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins, in his report to messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention, cited GuideStone founder William Lunsford and his first report to messengers. "In 1918," Hawkins said, "our founder William Lunsford stood before this group and made this pledge to the pastors, 'Give yourself wholeheartedly to the work. We'll stand back of you. If you fall in the work we'll care for you; if you die, we will not allow your family to suffer. If you grow old in the work, we'll comfort you in your declining years.' "And we've never gotten away from our founder's vision," Hawkins said. INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE The Wall Street Journal, Thomson Reuters and Investment News honored GuideStone Funds March 8 in New York City with the 2012 Lipper Award for Best Overall Small Fund Group in the U.S., rating the funds No. 1 out of 182 eligible companies with up to $40 billion in assets. "William Lunsford would rejoice with us today in the incredible investment success that God has given to GuideStone, receiving the highest honors in the investment world," Hawkins said. Additionally, ratings firm fi360 ranked GuideStone Funds No. 1 out of 223 mutual fund families for the quarter ending March 31, 2012. HEALTHCARE While citing the addition of Cigna to the group plan options offered by GuideStone, Hawkins acknowledged that the biggest news regarding healthcare revolved around the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as ObamaCare. "Many of you know that the Catholics have taken a litigation route related to this," Hawkins said. "We're taking a legislative route with other denominational pension funds, working side-by-side trying to get legislation that is going to fix some of the things that are involved in this. We're also trying to work with the administration." While emphasizing that GuideStone seeks to work legislatively and administratively, Hawkins said GuideStone would not compromise its core convictions. "I was talking to our new [SBC] president a moment ago and I asked Fred Luter when he goes to Washington, as he surely will very soon, to take a message from us, and that is: GuideStone Financial Resources will never allow this administration to tell us that we have to provide abortive drugs like morning-after pills or provide for same-sex marriages," Hawkins said to applause in the hall. PROPERTY & CASUALTY Hawkins discussed a new partnership with Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company to provide property and casualty insurance. "We found a real partner in Brotherhood Mutual," Hawkins said. Citing their similar age and heritage to GuideStone and calling them "our Anabaptist cousins," Hawkins said Brotherhood Mutual is one of the top property and casualty leaders in the nation. MISSION:DIGNITY June 24 marks Mission:Dignity Sunday across the SBC. Hawkins said last year's giving set new records, including 1,000 new first-time givers, even in a bad economy. Mission:Dignity provides for retired SBC ministers and their widows, providing financial support for those in need. "If you're here today and a pastor and seated by a sweet lady who has served with you for decades, and God takes you to heaven, we're going to take care of her until she meets you there," Hawkins said. In comments at the close of the report, outgoing SBC President Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., said his church has embraced a giving method for Mission:Dignity as part of their benevolence offering. "Whenever we have the Lord's Supper, which is about once a month, we have a benevolence offering for people inside and outside the church who have come upon difficult financial times," Wright said. "We have been able to allow for a portion of that offering each year to go to Mission:Dignity. It is something your church can easily do if you have a benevolence offering to designate a portion to Mission:Dignity." In addition, Hawkins announced that two books, "The Pastor's Guide to Leading & Living" and "The Joshua Code: 52 Scripture Verses Every Believer Should Know," are available through Christian and online retailers, with all royalties and proceeds benefitting Mission:Dignity. Pastor's Guide is available now; Joshua Code will be available in August, but is available for pre-order at popular online bookstores. Hawkins also made reference to GuideStone's expanding presence in social media. Twitter users can follow @OSHawkins for ministry tools, tips, sermon outlines, personal reflections and links to helpful educational materials. --30-- Roy Hayhurst is editorial services manager at GuideStone Financial Resources of the SBC. -- End of story -- Retirees' hardships eased by Mission:Dignity By Judy Bates Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38128 DALLAS (BP) -- Ten dollars a month. That's all Gordon and Alice Burks had left from his salary after paying rent of $65 for their little place in Home Gardens, Calif. The small church Gordon had agreed to pastor couldn't pay them more than $75 a month, but he followed the Lord's calling in spite of the hardships it might entail. Ten dollars went a lot further in the 1950s than it does today, but it still wasn't much to buy groceries and pay other bills. The Burks' story is not unlike that of nearly 2,000 retired Southern Baptist ministers and their widows in financial need. June 24 is Mission:Dignity Sunday across the Southern Baptist Convention. Like the Burks, many of those who depend on Mission:Dignity served small rural churches with meager salaries and little, if any, retirement contributions. Today, they struggle to pay for food, utilities and medications. "We didn't have a refrigerator or a stove," Alice Burks said. "We cooked on a little hot plate. Then, finally, one of the members gave us a stove. It didn't have any handles on it. We turned it off and on with our pliers. But it cooked." Though times were hard and money scarce, Gordon and Alice never complained. Through more than 40 years Alice worked alongside Gordon as he pastored churches in California, Oklahoma and Texas. She fondly remembers Gordon's love of preaching. "He preached and preached," she said. "He really loved to preach. At one of the churches that he pastored, they said, 'Gordon, if you don't quit preaching so hard you're going to drop dead in the pulpit.' He said, 'I don't know of a better place to drop dead than preaching God's Word.' He was always studying and reading and praying." After Gordon's death in 1993, Alice started receiving $75 a month from the Mission:Dignity ministry. Through the years, as the program changed, the assistance amounts increased, and she now receives $400 each month. "I feel especially blessed that I have been privileged to receive the Mission:Dignity grant," Alice said. "It helped me pay for my first hearing aid and also to get my teeth. Receiving this money has helped me to not be a burden on anyone." Mission:Dignity receives no Cooperative Program gifts. Most support comes from churches, Sunday School classes and individuals -- 100 percent of which goes to help those in need, with nothing deducted for administrative expenses. One of every four recipients is a pastor's widow age 85 or older. Qualified recipients are eligible to receive grants of $200 to $530 each month. "GuideStone was founded on the idea of serving those who gave sacrificially to spread the Word of God," said O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources. "It's easy to look at GuideStone and see a broad-based financial services organization, serving more than 200,000 people worldwide. While that is an important part of the ministry, the DNA of GuideStone rests with dear soldiers of the cross who served out at the crossroads, ministering, many times in anonymity. It is these very people this ministry was founded to assist some 94 years ago. We gladly join in caring for these faithful servants, helping to provide some financial dignity in their retirement years." To request a Mission:Dignity DVD and other resources, visit www.MissionDignitySBC.org or call 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433). --30-- Judy Bates is the financial assistance department head at GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- WMU notes benefits of RA, Challenger role By Julie Walters Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38121 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Missions education and involvement for boys, a new tagline and social media were the focus of Woman's Missionary Union's report to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. WMU Executive Director/Treasurer Wanda Lee said the return to WMU of responsibilities for Royal Ambassadors and Challengers will benefit local churches, providing a more coordinated curriculum for children in missional discipleship and streamlining requests for resources. "Over the last few years, NAMB [North American Mission Board] and WMU staffs have collaborated on resources for Girls in Action and Royal Ambassadors, but this transition presents the opportunity to do even more," Lee said in her June 19 report. "Beginning in September, each month RA and GA will share the same missionary feature and Bible story, but the teaching plans and overall look and feel will be very gender-specific. "We recognize there is such a short window of opportunity for shaping young minds to be missions-focused and we are fully committed to effectively discipling children and students in Southern Baptist missions," Lee said. WMU President Debby Akerman said WMU offers missions education for all ages and both genders, including involvement through Mission Friends, GA, RA, Acteens, Challengers, Women on Mission and other missions organizations. "'Missions for Life,' WMU's new tagline, speaks to the fact that whatever your age or stage in life, WMU has missions resources just for you," Akerman said. "While missions education is vitally important as we train the next generation to serve Christ, WMU seeks to equip all ages for missions involvement so others may hear of Jesus, the giver of eternal life. "Missions discipleship through WMU helps instill serving others and sharing the love of Christ as a part of our daily lives." WMU is actively using social media to keep missions at the forefront of people's minds and lives, Lee said. In addition to print and online resources, every team at national WMU has embraced social media -- including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram -- as a means for sharing missions information. "Whatever method of communication you prefer, we want to engage you in a two-way conversation about missions," Lee said. "We are here to serve you and to help you and your church be involved in the mission of God and stay informed about the many ways God is at work around our world." During this year's WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting on , June 18, Akerman was unanimously re-elected to a third term as national president and Rosalie Hunt of Guntersville, Ala., to a fourth term as national recording secretary. --30-- Julie Walters is the corporate communications team leader for WMU. -- End of story -- SBC seminary presidents report to messengers By Staff Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38126 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention were reminded of the importance of theological education through reports from the convention's six seminaries during the June 19-20 annual meeting in New Orleans. MIDWESTERN -- Robin D. Hadaway, interim president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, updated messengers on the school's activities in training men and women for ministry and announcing a special honor in memory of a Midwestern alumnus. Referencing his years of service with the International Mission Board, Hadaway said he likes rivers -- having worked near both the Nile and Amazon. Now, as interim president and missions professor at MBTS, he expressed his interest in another body of water, the Missouri River, which flows only six miles from the school's Kansas City campus. Hadaway related Midwestern's mission of educating God-called men and women to be and make disciples of all nations to Psalm 72:8-9, which says, "May He also rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. Let the nomads of the desert bow before Him..." "I believe this symbolizes the mission assignment of Midwestern Seminary," Hadaway said. "Our campus faces the states of the Midwest. Our slogan is 'from the heart of America to the hearts of the world.' In other words, from the river -- the Missouri River – we go to the ends of the earth." Hadaway said he was proud to report that Midwestern continues to surpass previous enrollment marks, enrolling nearly 1,200 students in nearly 8,000 credit hours -- "our highest ever." Speaking of the school's 100-percent online master of arts in theological studies and bachelor of arts in biblical studies, Hadaway said the programs were extremely attractive because "pastors, educators, missionaries and laymen are able to earn their bachelor's and master's degrees in their ministry locations." Hadaway said one of the seminary's strongest areas continues to be the doctoral studies program, which serves 350 students in English, Spanish and Korean-language tracks. Midwestern, on April 25, established the fully funded chair of missions and evangelism with a gift of nearly $600,000 from the Missouri Baptist Convention, entering an agreement with MBC Executive Director John Yeats. Hadaway said the chair will be named for the late Gary Taylor, an MBTS graduate a longtime MBC evangelism strategist. "The Gary Taylor Chair of Missions and Evangelism embodies the ideals of sharing the Gospel in the Midwest and throughout the world," Hadaway said. "The focus of this year's annual meeting is 'Jesus: to the Neighborhood and the Nations.' Our part in that is 'from the river to the ends of the earth.' We at Midwestern Seminary pledge to witness in our neighborhoods and train the next generation of Christian leaders, so the Midwest, the U.S. and even the nomads in the desert will bow before Him." NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley used his report to messengers as a testimony of God's provision. Because of that provision, Kelley had good news. Starting in early 2011 and extending past the 2011 annual meeting in Phoenix, Kelley wondered if he would have good news to share at the New Orleans annual meeting. For it was in 2011 that the grip of the global recession made its way to the NOBTS campus. The worldwide economic slowdown, coupled with decreased Cooperative Program giving began taking its toll on NOBTS -- a school that was still recovering from blows dealt by Hurricane Katrina six years earlier. The low point for the seminary family came last spring when Kelley had to make the difficult decision to cut three faculty positions. "The first six months of 2011 were the hardest months we have ever had other than Hurricane Katrina," Kelley said. "It was a heart-wrenching time on the NOBTS campus." In this difficult time, the seminary family chose to focus on the work and mission that God has given NOBTS, Kelley said. Starting in July 2011 the tide turned and Kelley credits God's provision for what has become a complete turnaround. Faithful donors stepped up their giving efforts with sacrificial gifts. Several key scholarship funds were strengthened and new scholarships were established. Kelley singled out two of the new scholarships that gave him special encouragement. One new scholarship fund, founded in honor of Fred Luter, the SBC's new president, allocated $100,000 to help African American pastors and church leaders receive ministry training. Another $100,000 was given to establish a scholarship for bivocational pastors. The blessings continued throughout the summer, including a $2 million gift which allowed the seminary to build an eight-unit student apartment building debt-free. The apartments will be complete and ready for student families to occupy this July. The good financial news was met by equally good academic news. Enrollment continued to grow and the school celebrated two historical graduations. The December 2011 commencement was the largest fall graduation in school history. In May 2012, NOBTS celebrated the largest graduating class in the school's 95-year history. "Southern Baptists, you have a seminary with the Great Commission as its daily task," Kelley said. "We live in a city that is very un-Baptist, in case you haven't noticed. We have the opportunity to get our students immersed in a city and a culture that is nothing like the place where they grew up." Students are actively involved in ministry in the seminary's laboratory for ministry -- the city of New Orleans. NOBTS students are seeing firsthand how God can work, even in a place that is so unique and different, he said. "We are on mission. We are not waiting to do the Great Commission after our students graduate; we are in the Great Commission right now," Kelley said. According to Kelley, NOBTS is a seminary with a deep commitment to the local church. Most of the professors who join the NOBTS faculty bring with them extensive church experience as pastors or church staff members. The seminary works closely with local churches in the educational process. Churches host the various extension centers throughout the Southeast and in the master of divinity degree ministry track, church leaders mentor students who gain hands-on ministry skills in a local church setting. "The real focus of everything we do is keeping theological education accessible," Kelley said. "Geography is no longer essential for theological education. We are doing everything we can to strengthen and improve our on campus program, but doing everything we can to take everything we do and make it available to any God-called man or woman anywhere on the face of the earth." This commitment to accessibility impacts every level of training at NOBTS, including the highest academic degrees. NOBTS recently launched a creative way for students to earn a doctor of philosophy even if they cannot relocate to campus, Kelley said. The program is available for students majoring in biblical interpretation, Christian education and preaching. In closing, Kelley shared what he considered the best and most important news to the pastors and church leaders at the annual meeting: "The grip of God is on your life. "You are in the grip of the same God who has sustained us," Kelley said. "We hope that our story will look an awful lot like your story and you will experience the same grace of God that we have had." SOUTHEASTERN -- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin focused on the faithfulness of God, increased enrollment numbers and intentional partnerships for theological education during the seminary's annual report to the SBC. Akin, elected to preach the 2013 convention sermon, thanked messengers but said he wasn't worthy of such an honor. Akin told messengers, "Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a Great Commission seminary and that mission is embedded in Southeastern. … Simply put, our prayer at Southeastern is to send out Great Commission graduates to live Jesus' command to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We greatly believe that every tribe and nation should be represented before King Jesus' throne worshipping Him. Southeastern acts in order to make this possible." Referring to a major historical transition at Southeastern 20 years ago, Akin said the seminary's enrollment was fewer than 600 when both accreditation agencies placed it on probation and some questioned the school's survival. "Currently," Akin said, "Southeastern has 2,957 students. We anticipate the best fall semester ever with more than 3,000 students. The seminary and college have a deep love for Jesus, a conviction for the nations and a great reverence for the infallible Word of God." Speaking about the Great Commission Equipping Network program at Southeastern, Akin said he believes the best theological education takes place between a seminary and a local church. "The seminary is a place we can teach Greek, philosophy and a few other subjects the church isn't able to teach. As we instruct these students they can then serve the local church utilizing what they learned in the 'laboratory' of the classroom," Akin said. Southeastern's Equip program currently has partnerships with more than 70 churches and expects over 100 partnerships in the next year. "Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary loves the Southern Baptist Convention and we desire to serve the SBC in whatever ways we can serve churches and members of the SBC," Akin said. He noted another important component to Southeastern -- its commitment to expository preaching. Just recently, he said, Southeastern has added to its faculty another valuable asset, Jim Shaddix, former senior teaching pastor at Riverside Baptist Church in Denver. Akin closed his seminary report by thanking the SBC for its financial giving and prayers. "I know that being in the center of God's will is not the safest place to be, but it is indeed the best," he said. "We at Southeastern want to continue fulfilling the Great Commission and make great the name of King Jesus." SOUTHERN -- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary equips men and women to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations, seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Southern Baptist Convention messengers during his report at the 2012 annual meeting. "We are doing our best to raise up a generation at Southern Seminary to take the Gospel anywhere, anytime," he said. To illustrate Southern's heart for missions, John A. Folmar, a 2005 SBTS graduate, told the story of his being a self-absorbed career-minded lawyer in Washington, D.C., before God intervened in his life. Folmar, one of this year's two SBTS distinguished alumnus recipients, is now pastor of United Christian Church of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Folmar's church recently began another church in Dubai and called an SBTS graduate to pastor the new congregation. Mohler announced the seminary's embracing of an unengaged, unreached people group scattered across the Russian Federation, the Meskhetian Turks. At the SBC 2011 annual meeting in Phoenix, International Mission Board President Tom Elliff and then-SBC President Bryant Wright jointly called on Southern Baptist churches and institutions to "embrace" an unengaged, unreached people group for the purpose of spreading the Gospel to the nations. The IMB estimates that roughly 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups exist around the world. The IMB defines "unengaged" as a people group with no identifiable Christian presence and for whom no mission strategy exists and "unreached" as a people group with less than 2 percent evangelical population. Through strategic research, short-term and long-term mission trips, Southern Seminary will reach out to the Meskhetian Turks with the Gospel, including outreach to a community of this people group living in Louisville, Ky., SBTS's home. "I'm glad to tell you that The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is on the front lines of reaching unreached people groups around the world," Mohler said in closing his report. GOLDEN GATE -- Jeff Iorg, president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, began his report by telling the messengers, "We are delighted to be on the program just before what I hope will be an historic moment for the Southern Baptist Convention. I am speaking, of course, of the election of Dr. Fred Luter as our next president. We are particularly thrilled because Golden Gate is a diverse, multicultural community and we welcome the possibility of this momentous occasion." Iorg explained how Golden Gate has long been on the leading edge of multicultural ministry among Southern Baptists, and has been called the most multicultural seminary in the United States. "For many years, Anglo students have comprised only about half of our student body. The other half is Asians, African-Americans, Hispanics and peoples from the nations of the world. This diversity is also reflected in our faculty and staff. If you add in our CLD [Contextualized Leadership Development] students studying in more than 13 different languages, we are even more diverse," Iorg said. Golden Gate in 1987 became the first Southern Baptist seminary to elect an African-American faculty member, Leroy Gainey, Iorg said. "We were the first to elect an African American [trustee] chairman, Dr. E.W. McCall, who served with distinction. Dr. David Gill, a former trustee of Golden Gate and now a faculty member, was the first Korean elected as a vice president of this convention. Golden Gate was the first Southern Baptist seminary to require an intercultural communication class for every master of divinity graduate, and we've done that for well over a decade. We are proud to model and lead multicultural ministry for Southern Baptists." Multicultural ministry is often seen as welcoming a church of a different color or language into your association, Iorg said, noting that "many of you have moved beyond this to welcome members from different races into your churches. But here is the hidden assumption we must overcome. Many Southern Baptists welcome diversity as long as the minorities join the majority's way of doing things. As long as the worship style, the organizational plan and the financial decisions remain the way the majority wants them -- all are welcome." He said Golden Gate has moved to another level. "We have embraced what it means to live and work in a multicultural environment. This shows up in everything from the ethnic food served at presidential events to the varieties of worship styles featured in chapel, to the normalcy of interracial and multicultural marriages on our campuses," Iorg said. "The demographic changes in North America will ultimately mandate these changes across our denomination if we are to reflect the communities we are trying to reach, particularly in urban areas. The Golden Gate family will tell you -- it's a great choice to make and we challenge you to follow our example." Iorg focused on two endowment gifts Golden Gate received. In the 1990s David and Faith Kim created a fund to support intercultural education and missional training at Golden Gate, and for 15 years they have contributed all the earnings from that fund to the seminary. Golden Gate named the David and Faith Kim School of Global Missions in their honor. While they intended to give the fund to Golden Gate as part of their estate plan, the couple gave the fund to the seminary upon Faith Kim's retirement, Iorg said, making it the largest single gift Golden Gate ever received. "This gift added $3.25 million to our endowment and will sustain this part of our training into the indefinite future. We thank God for this gift," he said. Within a few days of the Kims' gift, the seminary received another major endowment gift from the estate of Cecil and Josephine Osborne. When Josephine died, Golden Gate received an immediate $1.4 million and will receive about $600,000 more when the estate obligations are resolved. "These two gifts added $4,650,000 to our endowment. When finalized, the total gifts will exceed $5 million," Iorg said. Golden Gate Seminary continues to expand its academic programs to meet the training needs for global ministry leaders. The Osborne gift, along with another $200,000 gift received last October, has funded the launch of a master of Christian counseling degree, with the first classes set for this fall. This is the most often-requested degree by prospective students. As part of this new department, the seminary is also launching a concentration in chaplaincy. Golden Gate also is expanding its doctor of divinity program to include theology as a major field. "When we launched our Ph.D. program in 2007," he said, "we focused on biblical studies -- Old and New Testaments. We have filled our program to capacity every year since we started. By adding theology, we can increase the number of students permitted in the program as well as broaden the program's impact. We have already admitted a full cadre of theology students for this fall." The seminary is significantly expanding its ministry in the Korean community, Iorg said. Many of Golden Gate's Korean students have not been able to meet the graduate school prerequisite of English-language proficiency. "To meet their need, we are starting a new Korean-English bilingual program with the entire M.Div. delivered in Korean," he said. "We have employed additional faculty and will admit the first of these students this fall." Golden Gate is also rapidly expanding its online program. "Beginning tomorrow, our national accrediting agency, the Association of Theological Schools, will have its biannual meeting," Iorg said. "They will probably amend the accreditation standards to permit offering fully online degrees. If they do, we will be at the forefront when those changes are adopted. Golden Gate already offers extensive online coursework and will offer fully online degrees as soon as they are permitted by national accrediting standards." While there is much to celebrate about what is happening at Golden Gate, there are also challenges, Iorg said. "On a daily basis, we work in the largest and most unchurched urban centers in the American West. The spiritual strain on our team is real and constant. Pray for our faculty, staff and students to maintain biblical fidelity, moral purity and spiritual vitality when so many oppose or abandon those values," he said. Golden Gate's biggest challenge is the legal and political struggle to develop the Northern California campus property, Iorg said. "The issues are too complicated to detail in this brief report, but the bottom line is this: We are trying to reshape our primary campus for the 21st century. We are facing daunting opposition to any further development in our area," Iorg said. "The opposition is well-funded, politically connected and philosophically opposed to our plans. We have an outstanding legal and land planning team working on our behalf. Our trustees are fully briefed on our options and are guiding us wisely to know when to negotiate and when to stand our ground. We need your prayerful support. God knows our need and He knows what's best for our long-term future. Pray for his will to be done no matter the obstacles." Iorg concluded by thanking messengers for supporting Golden Gate over the years. "Thank you for your Cooperative Program gifts, for sending students our way and for countless prayers you have offered on our behalf. "Thank you for standing with us as we fulfill our mission of shaping leaders who expand God's Kingdom around the world," Iorg said. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary is a Cooperative Program Ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention and operates five fully-accredited campuses in Northern and Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Arizona and Colorado. --30-- Based on reports from Pat Hudson of Midwestern Seminary, Gary D. Myers of New Orleans Seminary, Michael McEwen of Southeastern Seminary, Aaron Cline Hanbury of Southern Seminary and Phyllis Evans of Golden Gate Seminary. NOTE: The report from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is in progress. -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, June 24, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38122 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum. Bible Passages: Joshua 13:1 - 22:34 Discussion Question: What are the characteristics of faithful people that inspire you? Food for Thought: In just over a month, many of us will be glued to the television watching the Summer Olympics in London when the torch is lit on July 27 in Olympic Stadium. Each time we gather for these games, at least one great story emerges. It may be a dad helping his injured son finish a race or an underdog pulling off the improbable. The story may simply be of a particular country even having a team. We don't know what yet, but there will be one photo, one victory or one story that will inspire us and challenge us to action. Someone somewhere will take up that sport simply because of what they saw watching the competition. They want to be "that guy" or "that girl." Caleb was one such person who inspired. Only he and Joshua survived the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness. They had no other peers. Caleb had remained faithful through all those years and had never forgotten the promise made to him. He was a worthy example not because of what he did, but rather because he never lost sight of God and His promise. The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers to "carefully observe the outcome of their lives [the leaders], imitate their faith" (Hebrews 13:7). It is this kind of faith that makes one a worthy inspiration. Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping on pace to study through the entire Bible in eight years. The eight-year plan and more information can be found on the Internet at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. --30-- -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: God's courtroom By Bruce Kugler Jun. 21 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38123 SHERMAN, Ill. (BP) -- Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was a defendant in a high-profile legal case where, once again, a politician was convicted on criminal charges. What really sealed the governor's conviction: Blagojevich's own words allegedly attempting to sell an appointment to the U.S. Senate. Blagojevich had no idea that his telephone conversations were being recorded. What the governor thought he was saying in private was eventually presented to a jury in a public trial. Historically, criminal trials were not always public. The founding fathers of our country, however, were keenly aware of the abuses associated with secret trials, including the English Star Chamber and the Spanish Inquisitions. Thus, under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution you have a right to a public trial. The U.S. criminal justice system has flaws, but it strives to give an accused, not a perfect trial, but a fair trial. Having trials open to the public furthers this goal. One day each person will stand trial in God's courtroom. Some will be surprised that these trials also will be public. God wants to establish to all of humanity that He is righteous and fair, and His judgments are perfect and flawless. Thus, God is likely to accomplish these goals if the trials are public. The most detailed descriptions of the trials that will take place in God's courtroom are set forth in Daniel 7:9-11 and Revelation 20:11-12. The prophet Daniel, for instance, stated that "myriads upon myriads" were standing before God at the Great White Throne Judgment (Daniel 7:10). In Daniel's day, if a person wanted to describe a vast number of people, millions or billions, the phrase "myriads upon myriads" would be used. It is the type of phrase to describe the sands on a seashore. Attending these public trials will be the largest gathering of people ever assembled in human history. Many may also be surprised to learn that God has been recording their entire lives, not just a few telephone conversations like Governor Blagojevich experienced. It is as if God has a special videotape that records not only actions but also words, thoughts and attitudes. As the Bible states, "And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). Your secret thoughts, including those violent, greedy or immoral thoughts will be put into evidence. As the Bible states, "God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus" (Romans 2:16). These thoughts and other actions are most likely contained in the "books." Again, as the Bible states, "The dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds" (Revelation 20:12). There is a strong possibility that at your trial the entire tape is going to be replayed in its entirety for every minute of your life. You are not going to be able to hide anything. There is a definite possibility that your spouse, children, co-workers and friends will hear all of the evidence that is presented. Fortunately, for those who accept God's offer of a pardon though Jesus Christ, all of their sins will have been erased and God will drop His hammer and declare, "Not Guilty!" --30-- Bruce Kugler, on the Web at www.godscourtroom.org, is an attorney in Sherman, Ill., who has written and produced an evangelistic film, "God's Courtroom," which will be aired at 9 p.m. June 25 on the NRB TV Network, carried on DirecTV channel 378 and Sky Angel channel 126. -- 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