Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 11 2012 --------------------------------------- Iranian pastor, facing death, passes 1,000th day in jail http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38244 160 chaplains to serve Olympians in London http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38236 'Obamacare' repeal passes House again http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38243 Senator's resolution applauds Luter election http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38242 Suit against Ky. children's agency to proceed http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38241 Alliance Defense Fund changes its name http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38240 FROM THE STATES: S.C., Okla., Ky. evangelism/missions news http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38245 WORLDVIEW: Fear not -- God commands it http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38238 TECH: What if you could record your entire life? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38237 --------------------------------------- Iranian pastor, facing death, passes 1,000th day in jail By Michael Foust Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38244 WASHINGTON (BP) -- Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, arrested in 2009 and later handed a death sentence simply for being a Christian, has now been in prison 1,000 days. Nadarkhani marked his 1,000th day in prison Sunday (July 8), a marker that his supporters hope serves to keep his case in front of the international community. The Jerusalem Post ran a story on him marking the anniversary, and it quoted Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law & Justice as saying Nadarkhani's next court date is scheduled for Sept. 8. The U.S. State Department also released a statement marking Nadarkhani's 1,000th day. "Pastor Nadarkhani still faces the threat of execution for simply following his faith, and we repeat our call for Iranian authorities to release him immediately," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Pastor Nadarkhani is not alone in his suffering. The Iranian regime continues to deny and abuse the human rights of its citizens, in particular those of its many ethnic and religious minorities." The State Department's message mentioned several other Iranian cases, including the reported execution of four members of the Ahwazi Arab minority group. "We call upon Iranian authorities to respect and protect the freedoms and dignity of all its citizens, and to uphold its own laws and international obligations which guarantee such rights to all Iranians, regardless of their religious or political beliefs," Nuland said. Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 while registering his church in Rasht, Iran, although he initially was arrested for protesting his children being taught Islam in school, ACLJ reported. He was charged with apostasy for supposedly abandoning Islam and later was given a death sentence. Sekulow told The Post that while Nadarkhani's next court date is Sept. 8, Sekulow does not know "the purpose of the appearance or the likelihood of new charges." Nadarkhani's supporters have said Iran could bring up false charges, knowing that an execution for supposed apostasy would lead to an international outcry. "We want to dispel any rumors that his current apostasy charge, for which he was sentenced to death, has been removed," Sekulow wrote. "Until the regime unconditionally exonerates and releases Pastor Youcef, his apostasy charge stands." Nadarkhani's stance against Iranian officials has inspired Christians worldwide. In September, Nadarkhani was given four chances to recant his faith in court and refused each time. The American Center for Law and Justice reported one of his court exchanges. "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?" Nadarkhani asked. "To the religion of your ancestors, Islam," the judge reportedly replied. "I cannot," the pastor responded. --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 -- 160 chaplains to serve Olympians in London By Ava Thomas Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38236 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (BP) -- John Boyers' gig as interfaith chaplaincy coordinator at the 2012 London Summer Olympics might seem overwhelming, if not for his normal digs. His "office," home of the Manchester United soccer club, is nicknamed the Theatre of Dreams. For 20 years, he's rubbed shoulders with thousands who pay $25 each to tour Old Trafford, one of the world's most visited stadiums. And that's not counting game days, when 76,000 fans show up. During the Olympics and Paralympics, Boyers will manage the deployment into the athletes' village of 160 chaplains from five major world religions of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism. On any given day, Boyers is a constant in a place of perpetual turnover, and he'll tell you that's just the way he likes it. "Being sensitively present in people's lives and being found trustworthy over time are so important," said Boyers, chaplain for the 647 full-time staff members and players of Manchester United. "I come alongside people to be a supportive friend, providing spiritual and pastoral care when they need it." He doesn't proselytize. He has his reasons. "It's different from being a chaplain in the United States," Boyers said. "In English sports, a secular culture, people are suspicious of keen Christians." In England, opportunities for overt evangelism are restricted and a "hard sell" just doesn't work well, he said. "So chaplains are accepted by clubs as those who serve, offering pastoral and spiritual care sensitively to all people employed by a club," Boyers said. "That's the deal. If you don't like the deal, don't sign up." That means there are no organized prayer times before games or chapel services for players, but near Easter and Christmas he leads Bible studies for Christian staff. As for his regular weekly work, Boyers said, "I pray that the Lord will go before me, be with me and direct me, causing people to ask the questions which produce significant conversations." A number of players and staff dealing with problems, crises and life questions seek him out to talk. Others shake his hand in the hallway and know he's there if they ever did decide to chat. "At the heart of U.K. sports chaplaincy is one concept: trusting relationships," Boyers said. "When people get to know you and trust you, they open up to you, often when they need help." Boyers invades their space on purpose, an effort he said staff and players value. "Chaplaincy is incarnational ministry, what Jesus did to identify with us," he said. "The church can't hide behind its lovely windows and doors. It's got to get out there into the wider world. "It's messy work, but if the incarnation of Jesus means anything to us, we have to identify with people as He did and meet them where they are." It was that truth that got Boyers out of the church and into chaplaincy in the first place, and motivated him to pilot the nation's chaplaincy program on behalf of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The program now has 230 chaplains of different Christian denominations placed in professional sports from soccer to horse racing. David Coffey, global ambassador for BMS World Mission and past president of Baptist World Alliance, has known Boyers for many years and considers him UK's doyen of sports chaplains. "He has a winsome way of opening doors that were previously closed," Coffey said. "The fruitfulness of his ministry over the past 21 years is a testimony to God's faithfulness and John's persevering spirit. His considerable experience will be a great asset to the chaplaincy at the London Olympic Games." There, Boyers and other Christian chaplains will hold optional services and lead Bible studies for athletes and others working in the village, as well as be available to talk or pray with anyone who requests it. Proselytizing is prohibited in Olympic areas. "But when people ask questions, we have every right to respond," Boyers said. So he keeps praying that same prayer, that God will prompt questions that allow him to tell how Jesus Christ changes lives. And whether those opportunities come, he said he'll serve with love and compassion. --30-- Ava Thomas is an International Mission Board writer and editor based in Europe. For more information about chaplaincy work in the U.K., visit sportschaplaincy.org.uk. For more information about ministry efforts surrounding the Olympics, visit morethangold.org.uk. -- End of story -- 'Obamacare' repeal passes House again By Staff Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38243 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. House of Representatives again has voted to repeal the 2010 health care reform law, and the Senate again is expected to reject the proposal. [QUOTE@right@250="Whatever the problems with our current health care system are, Obamacare is not the answer to any of them." – Richard Land]The Republican-controlled House voted 244-185 Wednesday (July 11) to rescind the controversial measure for the second time in 18 months. The roll call was almost totally along party lines, with only five Democrats joining all Republicans in supporting the repeal. The Democrat-controlled Senate undoubtedly will turn back the legislation. It did so in early 2011 shortly after the new GOP majority took over the House and approved repeal of a law that was enacted less than a year before. President Obama also is committed to vetoing the repeal effort. Since January 2011, the House has voted more than 30 other times to strip funding from the law or repeal portions of the measure only to have the Senate refuse to approve those efforts. Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land strongly supported the House's vote for repeal. "Our health-care system needs reform, but whatever the problems with our current health-care system are, Obamacare is not the answer to any of them," Land said Wednesday. "We need to repeal Obamacare and start over with step-by-step measures to meet specific needs rather than continue with a more than 1,000-page law with countless regulations that no one fully understands." In a July 10 letter, Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), commended Speaker of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor for bringing repeal to the floor. On the same day, he urged ERLC constituents in an email alert to ask their representatives to vote for the bill. The latest House vote for repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act came only two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in a 5-4 vote. The high court ruled the law's "individual mandate," which requires almost all Americans to purchase health insurance, is a valid exercise of Congress' power to tax. The ERLC and other pro-life and religious freedom advocates oppose numerous aspects of the law and regulations issued to implement it, including: -- Its federal subsidies for abortion. -- An abortion/contraceptive mandate critics say violates religious liberty. -- A requirement that insurance plans in state exchanges refuse to disclose their abortion coverage until people are enrolled. -- A monthly "abortion surcharge" on each person enrolled in a plan that covers the procedure. The abortion-contraceptive mandate -- which requires all plans to cover contraceptives and sterilizations as preventive services without cost to employees -- has been in the spotlight of criticism since a federal rule to that effect was announced in January. The mandate includes coverage of contraceptives that can cause abortions of tiny embryos. The rule regarding that mandate has a religious exemption critics find woefully inadequate and has elicited ardent opposition from church groups and religious freedom advocates. The ERLC and GuideStone Financial Services of the Southern Baptist Convention have protested those provisions and others. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has led a charge against the abortion/contraceptive mandate and the failure to protect freedom of conscience and has been joined by pro-life and religious liberty organizations. Multiple lawsuits challenging the abortion/contraceptive mandate have been filed in federal courts. The ERLC posted on its website July 10 a fact sheet on the law titled "What Obamacare Means for You." It may be accessed at [URL=http://erlc.com/article/what-obamacare-means-for-you]http://erlc.com/article/what-obamacare-means-for-you[/URL]. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Find out how your representative voted Wednesday at [URL=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll460.xml]http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll460.xml[/URL] Find out why pro-lifer oppose the law at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38172]http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38172[/URL] -- End of story -- Senator's resolution applauds Luter election By Staff Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38242 WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) -- U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D.-La., has introduced a congressional resolution congratulating the Southern Baptist Convention for electing as president Fred Luter Jr., the first African American to hold the post. Landrieu notes the historical significance of Luter's election and honors the SBC's commitment to ethnic inclusion. Luter is pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. "Whereas the election of Reverend Luter brings great pride and honor to the membership of the Southern Baptist Convention," the resolution reads in part, "be it resolved that the Senate congratulates the Southern Baptist Convention for electing Reverend Fred Luter, Jr., as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention; acknowledges Reverend Luter's unique role as the first African-American leader of the Southern Baptist Convention; and honors the commitment of the Southern Baptist Convention to an inclusive faith-based community and society." Landrieu notes the SBC's 1978 resolution against racism and its 1995 resolution apologizing for slavery as well as Luter's role in resurrecting Franklin Avenue Baptist Church from the destruction of 2005's Hurricane Katrina. The June 29 resolution, the full text of which follows, was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and does not require the approval of the House of Representatives. RESOLUTION Congratulating the Southern Baptist Convention for electing Reverend Fred Luter, Jr., as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, acknowledging Reverend Luter's unique role as the first African-American leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, and honoring the commitment of the Southern Baptist Convention to an inclusive faith-based community and society. Whereas the Southern Baptist Convention formed in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia, in opposition to the abolition of slavery; Whereas the Southern Baptist Convention supported racial segregation for much of the twentieth century; Whereas the Southern Baptist Convention issued a resolution stating that the Convention sought to purge itself and society of all racism in 1978; Whereas the Southern Baptist Convention issued a resolution denouncing racism as a deplorable sin in 1995; Whereas, in 2012, the Southern Baptist Convention is a cooperative of more than 45,000 churches that seek diligently to bring about greater racial and ethnic representation at every level of Southern Baptist institutional life; Whereas Reverend Fred Luter, Jr., was born on November 11, 1956, in New Orleans, Louisiana; Whereas Reverend Luter preached his first church sermon in 1983 at the Law Street Baptist Church in New Orleans, Louisiana; Whereas Reverend Luter became the pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in 1986; Whereas, under the leadership of Reverend Luter, the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church community grew from 65 members in 1986 to more than 7,000 members in 2005; Whereas the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and lost approximately 2,000 members; Whereas Reverend Luter, in cooperation with Reverend David Crosby, found a temporary home for Franklin Avenue Baptist Church during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; Whereas, continuing that spirit of cooperation, Reverend Crosby nominated Reverend Luter to become president of the Southern Baptist Convention; Whereas Reverend Luter was elected to be the first African-American president of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 19, 2012; and Whereas the election of Reverend Luter brings great pride and honor to the membership of the Southern Baptist Convention: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the Senate congratulates the Southern Baptist Convention for electing Reverend Fred Luter, Jr., as the president of the Southern Baptist Convention; acknowledges Reverend Luter's unique role as the first African-American leader of the Southern Baptist Convention; and honors the commitment of the Southern Baptist Convention to an inclusive faith-based community and society. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Diana Chandler. -- End of story -- Suit against Ky. children's agency to proceed By Drew Nichter/Western Recorder Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38241 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- A federal judge has ruled that millions of dollars in state funding received by a Kentucky Baptist children's agency can be challenged in court once again. Judge Charles Simpson of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky wrote in a July 5 ruling that plaintiffs in the 12-year-old case against Sunrise Children's Services can proceed in filing suit against the agency over allegations that it uses state funds to coerce children's religious beliefs. Sunrise, which changed its name from Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children in 2007, had fought to have the case rejected in federal district court after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear it last year. The case stems from a 2000 lawsuit brought by Alicia Pedreira, a former KBHC employee who was fired in 1998 after it was discovered she is a lesbian. Pedreira claimed discrimination by the agency, an allegation that was rejected in 2001. Despite the discrimination claim being thrown out, a second claim that Sunrise uses state funds to promote religion among the children it serves was allowed to proceed. Sunrise President Bill Smithwick estimated that 70 percent of the agency's $24 million annual budget comes from the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the form of reimbursement payments. Smithwick said the contract between Sunrise and the state includes a provision that the agency address the spiritual needs of the children it serves without being coercive in doing so. Sunrise serves more than 2,000 children each year through its residential and foster-care programs. "We are in compliance with our contract to the state to provide religious, spiritual opportunities to the kids. We do that," Smithwick told the Western Recorder, newsjournal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. "We're not coercive. Faith, by definition, is a choice." Smithwick said Judge Simpson's decision is "nothing new" for Sunrise, which has been battling the case for a dozen years. "This is just the case being revived again after it was denied a hearing at the Supreme Court," he said. In 2008, Simpson threw out the case against Sunrise, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision a year earlier in the Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation case. That ruling stated that taxpayers could not challenge religious-based activities, such as faith-based social services, that are funded on the federal level. Seventeen months later, a federal appeals court overturned Simpson's decision, stating that while federal taxpayers did not have standing to file suit, state taxpayers did. Last year, Sunrise took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it declined to hear it, thus returning the case back to the U.S. District Court. Smithwick acknowledged his disappointment in the decision but said he is confident Sunrise will ultimately claim victory in the prolonged case. As for when that will be, "I have no idea," he said. "All I can say is it's closer now to conclusion than it was 12 years ago." Three other individuals are listed as plaintiffs in the case along with Pedreira. Among them is Paul Simmons, a former faculty member at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who is president of the Louisville chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. --30-- Drew Nichter is news director of the Western Recorder (www.westernrecorder.org), newsjournal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Alliance Defense Fund changes its name By Staff Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38240 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP) -- The Alliance Defense Fund, one of the nation's leading Christian legal groups, has a new name -- the Alliance Defending Freedom. The organization switched to its new name Monday (July 9) in a change that accompanied a new logo and a tagline: "For Faith, For Justice." The new name will allow it to keep its often-used acronym, ADF. The new name, ADF says, better communicates its purpose. "Our mission remains the same -- defending religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family. Only our name has changed," ADF President Alan Sears said in a statement. "The change is to help more people easily understand the work that we do and why it matters." Sears added, "The emphasis remains on the word 'alliance.' Continuously building an alliance of attorneys and like-minded individuals and organizations is absolutely essential to our mission. 'Defending Freedom' communicates the essence of what the alliance does: legally defending and advocating for religious freedom." In a list of questions and answers on the ADF website, the legal group said the old name "confused people more than it clarified what the ministry is and what it accomplishes." "This new name helps communicate who we are, our priorities and how we go about achieving those priorities," the website said. --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. -- End of story -- FROM THE STATES: S.C., Okla., Ky. evangelism/missions news By Staff Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38245 EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published weekly by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. Today's From the States features items from: The Baptist Courier (South Carolina) The Baptist Messenger (Oklahoma) Kentucky Baptist Convention Embracing Every Tribe and Tongue: Spartanburg church aims for ethnic 'accommodation' SPARTANBURG, S.C. (The Baptist Courier) -- In 2005, Jim Goodroe was on a quest. In his position as director of missions for Spartanburg County Baptist Network, he needed to find a replacement pastor for a Cambodian ministry. He went to Dallas to attend an ethnic ministries summit in hopes he would find what he needed. "I did not find a single Cambodian at the summit," said Goodroe, "but what I did learn about was multiethnic ministry, and [there] the Lord gave me the vision for Kaleidoscope Multiethnic Fellowship." With more than a few bumps and detours along the road, the church finally launched in 2009. The church could not take its first baby steps until it had at least three ethnicities represented in its leadership team. Among the Caucasian members of Kaleidoscope, there is more than a tolerance for different cultures — there is a deep love and respect as well as a commitment to unity. Kaleidoscope's pastor is Derrick Smith, who is also a full-time teacher and small business owner who was raised in Spartanburg in a "typical church-life environment." "What most people don't understand is that white American males don't ever wake up thinking about their ethnicity or their race or their gender. They don't ever wake up thinking, 'Oh, no, I'm white,' or 'Oh, no, I'm male.' They don't think of it at all. "When I was [studying abroad] in France, that was my first experience — oh, I'm an outsider. People looked at me differently, and it changed something in my brain. I've since traveled to India, Papua New Guinea, and places where white skin is strange. You're stared at, and you start to get a feel for how people of color feel in the United States. There is something about that that makes you learn to feel for people." One of the factors that proved to be an obstacle to Kaleidoscope's founding was the time frame. Most churches meet on Sunday morning, and Kaleidoscope originally intended to do the same. The dilemma was that internationals who were already believers were already involved in a church on Sunday morning. "And we had the added factor that the large numbers of internationals who are college students tend to be out of town or in bed on Sunday morning," said Goodroe. "Those factors led us to make Kaleidoscope a Sunday-night congregation. Once we did that, it allowed us to pick up several ethnicities on our leadership team. "We may average about 30 in our congregation, but among them we will have eight ethnicities. Some activities will attract more than 100 people from 16 nations. Though our worship services are in English, we often have Scripture reading in many languages. Our songs will be interspersed with other languages as well. "Matthew 13 is a chapter where Jesus gives parables about the kingdom of heaven. In one of those, he says, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which, when cast into the sea, brings forth all kinds of fish.' Much of evangelism or mission work is like casting a rod and reel where you are targeting one type of fish. We are to be fishers of men. Multiethnic work is more like a dragnet. You throw it out there and you don't know who you are going to get. So it has been an interesting and broadening experience for me." Pastor Smith has a burden to see change in U.S. churches. "The American church has to change or die," he said. "You've seen the demographics and statistics that show white people will cease to be the majority by the year 2038. They will still be the biggest plurality, but the church has to prepare for that. The multiethnic church is the way to do it. "It is obedient to the Great Commission. If you are making disciples of all nations, all nations will be among you. In a nutshell, it is the difference between an assimilating church and an accommodating church. "There are many churches in South Carolina that would love to assimilate people who are different into themselves. They would say, 'You are welcome here. Come, and you do things this way. This is how we do them and you can stick around.' "But in an accommodating church, the attitude is different. It says we're all different. 'If you are different, then come in, and we will all learn to change together.' That's what we are trying to do. It is slow and it's hard, but it's our call and we have to do it." That accommodating spirit is part of the reason Casey Burnett and his wife, Judith, were drawn to the congregation. In his travels with his ministry, Cup of Hope, Burnett met his wife in the Philippines. They are now ministry partners. "My wife and I got used to small-group worship while we were in the Philippines," Burnett said. "When I came back to Spartanburg, it was hard to adjust to a large and monoethnic church. Since we are a multiethnic couple, we fit in really well in a small church with nine ethnicities. Half of them have immigration problems just like us. We have community." When God gave John a glimpse of the future, he described it in part in Revelation 7:9-10: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, were standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb' " (NASB). One day, believers everywhere will worship God with a unity that disregards any ethnic differences. Multiethnic churches like Kaleidoscope are leading the way. --30-- This article originally appeared in The Baptist Courier (baptistcourier.com), newsjournal of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. ********** Captives set free: Oklahoma Baptists and others rescue girls in Africa By Dana Williamson TULSA, Okla.(The Baptist Messenger) -- Traveling T-shirts have raised enough money to free 20 girls from human trafficking in Ghana, West Africa. A combination of events occurred to make it possible for these girls to receive a life of independence after being involved in slavery, some since the age of 5. It started with a T-shirt company that incorrectly printed an order for I.D. Ministries, headed by Courtney Bullard. To correct the mistake, the company gave the Tulsa-based ministry 125 free shirts. "We were praying about what to do with the free shirts," said Courtney. "I was reading in the Bible the parable of the talents, and tried to come up with a way to multiply the shirts." Bullard's church, Tulsa, Southern Hills, where her husband, Steve, is youth minister, has taken mission trips to Ghana on an ongoing basis since 2008. While in the country, they were made aware of a practice that goes on there called trokosi. "It is a small practice in the tribal life with a few thousand girls caught up in it," said Steve. "Ghana has outlawed the practice, but the law isn't enforced." As Steve explained, back in the deep bush, if someone in a family commits a crime, no matter how insignificant, to pay for the crime, one of the daughters must be given to a trokosi priest, who takes control of her. She becomes a slave to the priest, although he does not take care of her. The family still has to support her. Steve said the girl may work in the fields, or she may be a sex slave, but if she bears a child, she must take responsibility to care for the child. The priest doesn't take any parental ownership of the child. Steve noted that different ministries have tried to strike a deal with the priests and shrine owners to buy the girls. "Sometimes, they will pay the priests in assets such as cattle to replace income these girls provided," Steve disclosed. "A lot of the priests want to get out of it. It's just tradition, they know it's illegal and they are afraid of getting caught." So, Courtney, with the idea of raising money to buy these girls out of slavery, had the free T-shirts printed with "Buy this shirt to help stop slavery." The shirts, sold last year at Super Summer at Oklahoma Baptist University, cost $15 each. The premise is that you wear the T-shirt with another shirt underneath, and people literally buy the shirt off your back. "There's a QR code, which you can run your phone over, and it tells you where the proceeds from the shirt go," explained Courtney. "We tracked the sales on Facebook, and found the shirts traveled lots of places—Florida, North Carolina, California. It was interesting to see how much each shirt would bring in." Through that effort, enough money was raised—about $2,000—to free 20 girls. Kamie Sager, a member of Ardmore, First, said buying the shirt (actually she bought several) was exciting for her because she felt she was contributing to something that had purpose. She said she took one of the shirts to a retreat, hoping to sell it to one of the students. "But when no one wanted to buy it, I was crushed," admitted Sager. "As I was feeling defeated, I discovered one of the sponsors wanted to buy the shirt. When I sold it, I knew we were united as one mind with one purpose, and it was as if I was physically a part of the Body." Another shirt Sager bought was purchased by State Rep. Pat Ownbey from House District 48. "I believe the shirt is an effective way to raise money as well as awareness," Ownbey said. "These shirts have been a great way of calling attention to a problem that most people aren't even aware of." Ownbey, also a member of Ardmore, First, said a bill was signed into law during the last legislative session that closed loop holes traffickers often slip through. "I'm proud to be a part of a legislature that realizes the importance of attacking this issue head on through effective legislation," he added. "I believe these shirts are a tool in God's hands to bring about freedom in places that have only known slavery." This year at Super Summer, Courtney gave a report every Tuesday night on how much money was raised and told the students that they played a major role in helping to rescue the girls in Africa. "The place erupted when I told them how they had helped," said Courtney. On one of the trips to Africa, the Bullards visited Frankadua Baptist Vocational Training Center, which takes the girls after they are rescued from the priests and gives them a life of independence through a three-year program. The girls are taught about Jesus and educated academically and vocationally. "The girls can choose a trade, such as sewing, catering or making fabric, and at the end of three years, they are given seed money to help them get started in a career," said Courtney. "If they become a seamstress, they may be given a sewing machine so they can live independently and don't go back to the former lifestyle." Courtney emphasized that when the girls are taken from the priests, the priests sign a treaty that they aren't going to get another girl to replace her. "It's not like you are feeding the system," Courtney said. "They are very superstitious about appeasing the gods, so they believe if a transaction is made for the girl, the debt has been paid, and the priests are happy." Steve said negotiating the girls away from the priests is a fluid and ongoing situation. "So far, we have eight girls who have been rescued and we are working on 12 more," he said. In all of this, the Bullards said the Lord has given them a vision of building a home modeled after the home in Frankadua. "We already have the land and plans for the building drawn up," said Courtney. "We are now in the fund-raising process." The new ministry—called Pearl House—is from the parable of the merchant who sold all he had to purchase the pearl, Courtney said. She said when she was in Winneba, Ghana, where the home will be built, last March, she realized they were going to have to have an American living in the house. "I didn't know anyone who would go to live in Africa," she said. "But God did." Steve took some of his youth on a mission trip to Memphis, Tenn., and met a youth minister, who is 33 years old and single. She told Steve that God told her she was to move to Africa and work with teenage girls, and there would be some sort of home she would be living in. She didn't know what that meant until she met Steve. Courtney said Steve is currently looking for a house to rent so they can begin taking in girls while they are in the process of raising funds to build Pearl House. She said they are looking for churches and individuals to partner with them or sponsor a girl. "We also need people willing to donate items to furnish the home once it's built," she said. Courtney said proceeds from bracelets sold at Super Summer this year will go to help build Pearl House. "We have collaborated with Kairos10 (www.kairos10.com)," said Courtney. "With each bracelet sold, a mosquito net is purchased and profits go the Pearl House." Also a percentage of the sale of The Same Page Book (www.thesamepagebook.com) that Courtney coauthored with Shauna Pilgreen, will go to the Pearl House. She added that the "Buy This Shirt" campaign will be kicked off again in 2013. For more information on rescuing the girls or on Pearl House, contact the Bullards at info@idministries.com. --30-- This article originally appeared in The Baptist Messenger (baptistmessenger.com), newsjournal of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention. Dana Williamson is associate editor of The Baptist Messenger. ********** By trailer, by Bus, Simmonses take Gospel on the road By Shirley Cox EKRON, Ky. (Kentucky Baptist Convention) -- Jack and Wilma Simmons first heard God's call to missions more than 20 years ago when they met an associational missionary who told them about the needs in Indiana. "After looking over the area for a time and trying to get something started, it seemed we just couldn't get it done," Jack said. Eventually, they realized God was calling them back to Wilma's Kentucky hometown, West Point. "In West Point, we felt a need to start mission work with the people who lived in the trailer parks because the churches weren't reaching them," Jack said. "We began meeting with the kids in one of the trailer parks each week even though we had to meet outside." With help from the Kentucky Baptist Convention, Jack and Wilma purchased a mobile home to use as a meeting place. After floods destroyed the first two trailers, a third one was donated by Ron Morgan, a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Frankfort. The Simmonses also converted a school bus into a "mobile chapel" so they could minister to residents of two other mobile home communities in the area. The children's program includes Bible stories, crafts, play time and refreshments. Services that include adults are held in the evenings and on Sunday morning. Wilma prepares and shares Bible presentations with the children who attend the bus ministry, and she prepares a craft project for all three mission points each week. "Each week, I pray and ask God to give me the scripture verse or Bible truth He wants to send into the homes of these children and then to give me an idea for a craft to go with it," she said. "He has never let me down yet. "I use flannel graph stories, magic and science-related items to present a Bible lesson. The children who attend our bus ministry range in age from preschoolers to teenagers. They do not relate well to just listening to a Bible story since most of them have never heard one." Wilma said a volunteer helps with the children's program at the West Point Mission. "When the children first attend, sometimes they won't share or they hit each other or throw things all over the floor without picking them up," Wilma said. "After a while, they begin to share with each other and even start to help me clean up." Even without a traditional church facility, the Simmonses have become pastoral leaders of their flocks. "We also minister by providing food, performing weddings and funerals and making hospital visits," Jack said. "Each Christmas, we distribute over 400 shoebox gifts." The couple says that as they serve, they watch God use their efforts to transform lives. "When Dallas began coming to the chapel at West Point, he was failing school and was always in trouble," Jack said. "After a while, he began listening and reading the Bible. Finally, he committed his life to Christ. Before long, Dallas was on the honor roll and was one of the best behaved kids in our meetings." Jack also watched God change the life of a man who had a reputation of being the meanest, toughest person in town. "It was said people walked on the other side of the street when they saw Danny coming because they were afraid of him," Jack said. "Somehow, we made friends with him and he asked me to perform his wedding. His children came to the chapel, but we could never get him to attend anything." After Jack visited Danny for months to talk about the Bible, Danny accepted Christ. "He did a complete turnaround," Jack said. "He became the most gentle, loving person. His brother later became a Christian because of his testimony." In addition to their work at the three mission points, Jack farms and pastors a small rural church. "I continue to serve the Lord through ministry because I don't believe God expects us to quit just because we get older," he explained. "Don't forget, Moses was 80 years old when God called him." The Simmonses are among dozens of Mission Service Corps missionaries serving in Kentucky. MSC missionaries are self-funded servants who assist churches, local Baptist associations and individual ministries. For information about Mission Service Corps, visit www.kybaptist.org/msc. The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. --30-- News release from the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Shirley Cox is a missionary. -- End of story -- WORLDVIEW: Fear not -- God commands it By Erich Bridges Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38238 Editor's note: Visit "WorldView Conversation," the blog related to this column, at [URL=http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com]http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com[/URL] Listen to an audio version at [URL=http://media1.imbresources.org/files/156/15646/15646-86331.mp3]http://media1.imbresources.org/files/156/15646/15646-86331.mp3[/URL] RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq was known as "the republic of fear" among opponents -- those who were still alive, that is. The deposed dictator, who was hanged in 2006, so effectively instilled dread among Iraqis during his decades in power that the mere rumor of a visit from his henchmen was enough to make most citizens tremble and submit. It's an old tactic in the tyrant playbook: Rule by fear. Spill plenty of blood early on. Pit various social, ethnic and religious groups against each other. Crush any hint of resistance. Later, you can make a bloody example of the odd rebel here and there -- or even a random victim plucked off the street -- to keep the rest of your subjects anxious. They must believe that you have eyes, ears and knives everywhere. If you're a good tyrant, you probably do. Arab strongmen who have fallen from power more recently used the same methods to greater or lesser degrees, until their populations had enough. "[T]he Arab awakenings happened because the Arab peoples stopped fearing their leaders," writes New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman of the Arab Spring revolutions. "But they stalled because the Arab peoples have not stopped fearing each other." The dictators carefully nurtured the culture of fear and ran their countries like Mafia dons, Friedman observes, "doling out patronage and protection, while ruling with an iron fist. But it will take more than just decapitating these regimes to overcome that legacy. It will take a culture of pluralism and citizenship. Until then, tribes will still fear tribes in Libya and Yemen, sects will still fear sects in Syria and Bahrain, the secular and the Christians will still fear the Islamists in Egypt and Tunisia and the philosophy of 'rule or die' will remain a potent competitor to 'one man, one vote.'" Fear runs deep in human hearts and minds -- and not just in tough neighborhoods like the Middle East. A few years ago I wrote about the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina's glittering capital, economic hub, cultural center and home to a third of the nation's 40 million people. If you look beneath Buenos Aires' frenetic pace, wide avenues, trendy bars, tango cafes and European atmosphere, you find deep undercurrents of isolation and fear. "In a big city, the spiritual strongholds are loneliness and fear," said a missionary based there. "People live their lives scared. They're afraid to go out at night. They're afraid someone is going to take something from them. People who don't have anything are afraid they're not going to eat the next day. Fear drives people to do irrational and immoral things. It makes the wealthy become reclusive. It makes the poor get involved in crime or drugs to find an escape." The crime rate in Buenos Aires is no higher than in other major world cities. The metal bars guarding doors and windows there represent something deeper than simple fear of crime. Waves of political violence, economic chaos and social turmoil experienced by Argentines since the 1970s have left a legacy of suspicion, disillusionment and cynicism. "People just don't trust anyone anymore," explained the missionary. "They don't trust their government. They don't trust the police. They don't trust the mechanic they take their car to. … It's a huge barrier to the Gospel, because it makes it very difficult to approach people and share. You've got this priceless gift you'd like to give everybody, but fear keeps them from being open to even talking about it." What if fear paralyzes not the person you want to tell about Christ, but you? Another missionary believes that's one reason many Christians don't reach out to the spiritually hungry immigrants and refugees who come to America. "God is … bringing the nations to us," he says. "But the thing that is driving the church is fear. Until we get over our fear, we will not welcome the lost in our midst. We're afraid of Muslims, and we're afraid of foreigners. … We're in a free country, and yet we're not exercising our freedom to witness to the nations in our midst." Fear poisons relationships or prevents them from ever beginning. It sabotages families and nations, motivates murders and sparks wars. It infects whole cultures. Believers should be immune, but we are not. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt told a nation mired in the Great Depression that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he put his finger on a spiritual reality rarely acknowledged by political leaders. Roosevelt urged Americans not to succumb to the "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." He challenged the country to keep its face turned outward, meeting the needs of others also caught in the global economic crisis: "These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellow men." The devil loves fear. He is a master at using it to manipulate, hurt and destroy. But he cannot succeed unless you submit. That's why the Lord tells His children again and again throughout Scripture to "fear not," to trust Him, to be strong and of good courage. It's not simply a reassurance; it's an order. "Jesus said, 'Let not your heart be troubled,'" Oswald Chambers writes, referring to Christ's words in John 14:1. But it's up to you. "God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command -- 'Let not …' Haul yourself up a hundred and one times a day in order to do it, until you get into the habit of putting God first and calculating with Him in view." Fearing not is a crucial part of obeying God, which means loving Him. And love casts out fear. --30-- Erich Bridges is IMB global correspondent. 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 -- TECH: What if you could record your entire life? By Aaron Linne Jul. 11 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38237 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The greatest struggle the rising generation will have is knowing too much about the world around them -- and so little about their own lives. With a few taps on a phone, we can call up the exact population of Lincoln, Neb., or find out what the purpose of our pancreas is. More importantly, we can jump to any verse in the Bible and find a wealth of commentary about it. This world of knowledge, however, comes with its own psychological and intellectual issues. Specifically, we don't have to remember stuff. We can skate by with a cursory knowledge of things and -- when we need to -- dive deep into a topic and have full knowledge of facts, stats and figures. As our minds, education and cultures adapt to this expansive yet unretained knowledge base there is a critical issue at hand: Forgetting the details of our own lives. If we don't have to retain knowledge about how to make bread or some other random piece of hand-me-down information, we become accustomed to not needing to remember anything. And that goes for our personal lives. Do you remember the new guy at church last week? Do you remember the name of the random couple you went to lunch with last month? Do you know the exact date and time you led someone to Christ? Surprise, surprise: technology has an answer for that.
This year, two key pieces of technology have been announced that will change the way we remember our lives forever. One is for capturing our memories, one is for organizing them. Of course, they are both in prototype stages. But what if you could record every moment of your life? At the 2012 Google I/O conference, Google revealed that the Google Project Glass was a real device. Originally unveiled as a concept video earlier in the year, at the I/O conference a live stream was sent from a variety of people wearing the glasses jumping from a helicopter, rappelling down a building, and doing tricks on bikes until they landed on stage. All live, streaming from a camera on their glasses. Google announced that early next year, prototypes of the device will be available to developers who want to start creating apps. The glasses contain a camera, a microphone, headphones, a touch pad, hard drive and, of course, a display that you can see for interacting with the device. The device can automatically capture photos, take video, give heads up display information like a text message and even show maps for directions. Of course, that's what it can do today. In the future, the device is expected to be able to do facial recognition, letting you know who you are talking to. It will be able to give augmented information, so you can just look at a restaurant and it will automatically pull up ratings from Yelp. You'll be able to video conference, flipping the view between your phone camera's facing you and showing off what you are seeing. In short, it's going to change the way the real world interacts with our digital world. Microsoft, on the other hand, has been building a prototype software called Lifebrowser. In this project, researcher Eric Horvitz has been chronicling his life the past several years by taking pictures, adding in calendar entries or scanning Facebook status updates. The Lifebrowser software automatically detects key events that happened in your life and can create "landmark events" to help organize your life dynamically. You are then able to zoom in and out of your own personal timeline to see what occurred when. In short, two of the major technology companies in the world are working to automate the memories of your life. In a time when our ability -- and even our need -- to recall knowledge about the world around us is decreasing, tools are being put into place to help us digitally retain our experiences. Imagine when we'll be able to video our full day. What does that even mean for society? How would you talk differently if someone was recording you? What magazines would you look at if someone else could see a live feed of your glasses? What would you share if you could stream your life? How do we hold on to memories, when every one of them can be shared? If our personal interactions are broadcast to the world, does it make them superficial? At the same time, if we could hold on to our cherished moments forever, how could we risk not recording them? How could I ever choose to not recall the first dinner with a new friend or the first time my child hit a home run? We live in a world where, in just a few years, there will be companies eager to record and organize our every moment. Where if there isn't a digital element to an event, the timeline of our lives won't have record of the landmark occasion. Will this make us better people, or simply better at forgetting? --30-- Aaron Linne is executive producer of digital marketing for the B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. He writes a monthly technology column for 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 -- 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