Baptist Press Stories for Jun. 18 2012 --------------------------------------- Crossover reaches out to New Orleans, 'a whole new city' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38072 Church plants benefit from Crossover 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38074 FIRST-PERSON: A Crossover answer to a 'Macedonian prayer' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38075 VIDEOS: Crossover New Orleans http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38071 Pastors' Conference opens with fathers, sons http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38076 WMU celebrates Jesus' story in New Orleans http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38078 Simpson thankful for grace after winning Open http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38077 In Asia, Wright sees breakthrough to unreached http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38060 Bryant Wright reflects on SBC presidency http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38061 Patterson's Revelation volume gets SBC preview http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38062 Wade Watts, former missionary to Peru, dies http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38070 Land: Mandate 'accommodation' not enough http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38068 Cigar regulation is topic of Land letter http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38069 Brad Atkins to be nominated for SBC 2nd VP http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38066 Dave Miller to be nominated for SBC 2nd VP http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38065 SBC DIGEST: At SBC: 'Folks in more casual attire' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38063 FIRST-PERSON: The Conservative Resurgence & SBC missions http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38067 --------------------------------------- Crossover reaches out to New Orleans, 'a whole new city' By Mickey Noah Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38072 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- More than 1,500 Southern Baptist volunteers from 59 New Orleans area churches and many others from across the nation shared the Gospel at Crossover, the evangelistic emphasis preceding the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Their efforts stretched from the Lower Ninth Ward outward to Metairie and Kenner. Counting 38 block parties June 16 as well as special events and door-to-door community evangelism efforts throughout the week, at least 870 people made decisions for Christ during Crossover 2012. Annual Crossover events are a partnership between local Southern Baptist churches, associations and the North American Mission Board. NAMB provides funding, strategy and coordination assistance. [IMG=32851@right@310]"We put a lot of work and preparation into it, and the churches and church planters executed the plan superbly," said Jack Hunter, director of missions for the New Orleans Baptist Association. "God did a great work at this year's Crossover." One of the 38 area churches hosting a block party was Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, pastored by Fred Luter, who is expected to be elected as the SBC's first African American president during the June 19-20 annual meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center downtown. "Our block party is a great event for the community, the city and the SBC," Luter said. "My prayer is that -- using the games and the music -- we'll be able to share Christ with folks who don't have a relationship with God so their lives can be changed. "New Orleans is not the same place as in 2005. It's a whole new city," Luter said. "That's why I'm excited the SBC is here. Baptists came in and helped rebuild our city [after Hurricane Katrina]. It's great to see Baptists come back and see the fruits of their labor." Whether it was large churches like Franklin Avenue Baptist or small congregations like Evangelistic Baptist Church on Elysian Fields Avenue, local churches offered neighborhood children bounce houses, water slides, hamburgers and hot dogs, snow cones, cotton candy and live entertainment by Christian rap artists, praise groups and strength teams on church campuses or in parks throughout metro New Orleans. Evangelistic Baptist lost 65 percent of its members after Katrina, and now it's down to about 25 members. But those surviving members, along with youth and adults from Baptist churches in Peachtree City, Ga., and DeRidder, La., hosted a block party drawing about 200 people, founding pastor Anthony Pierce said. "We didn't know whether we'd ever even have church here again after Katrina," Pierce said. Floodwaters destroyed the sanctuary of the old church, which had to be rebuilt on the inside. Local churches benefited from the outpouring of volunteer labor from across the convention. Thomas Strong, pastor of Metairie Baptist Church in Metairie, La., believes their block party represents another opportunity for the church to let the surrounding community learn more about the church. He said the Crossover volunteers played a critical role in the block party. "We're all working together at this block party," Strong said. "It's reminding our church that it's not just us. It's not just the churches in our city. It's all of us as Southern Baptists coming together to accomplish God's purpose for us in reaching out." Dustin Swanger, a member of First Baptist Church in Peachtree City, Ga., had the opportunity to lead a 17-year-old to faith in Jesus Christ at the block party hosted by Metairie Baptist. The boy told Swanger he hadn't really read the Bible and had never prayed to receive Christ. Swanger then led the young man to faith in Christ. "That hits me deep within when I think about it, to know that someone who once wasn't saved is now saved and I was there to witness it," Swanger said. For Emmanuel Spanish Baptist Church in Metairie, a weeklong Vacation Bible School culminated in a block party with close to 30 decisions for Christ. First Spanish Baptist Church in Atlanta came to help Emmanuel with VBS and the block party. Parents of children who attended VBS and others in the community were invited to the party to see the children perform some of what they learned during the week. Jonathan Sharp, the cross-cultural evangelism strategist at the New Orleans Baptist Association, said Emmanuel had been apprehensive about holding a block party since it would be new for them. But volunteers from the Atlanta church helped teach them how to put the block party together. "They've helped us do many things this week to help us better reach our community," Eric Gonzalez, Emmanuel's pastor, said. "It also helped to encourage and motivate our people to serve more." Downtown, volunteers fanned out to prayerwalk the French Quarter. Starting at the Baptist Friendship House, teams learned about the surrounding community from executive director Kay Bennett. Supplied with water bottles and tracts, a team from San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, walked down Frenchman Street stopping to talk and pray with locals. "The people who live here are looking for something to believe in," said Scott Flenniken, director of Baptist Student Ministry at San Jacinto. "They want to find a friend, acceptance." Flenniken and his wife Nicole have been to New Orleans many times, but it was the first mission trip for the students with them. "Scott and I just feel a connection to this city," Nicole said. "To see what God is doing in this city is addicting. That's why we keep coming back. You can tell God has a heart for this city." Prior to Saturday, Southern Baptists in New Orleans were making door-to-door community evangelism visits and staging special youth events. Twenty community evangelism volunteers from across the United States and 96 students from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., used Carrollton Avenue Baptist as their base from which to fan out across the Crescent City. The team of Marshall Kellett, Victor Benavides and Cameron Moore led 49 people to Christ between Monday and Friday, walking the streets and neighborhoods of New Orleans' Holly Grove community. By Friday, more than 300 people were new believers. An "Awaken the City" rally drew about 500 excited and loud high school students from the greater New Orleans area to East Jefferson High School in Metairie Friday night. The rally was cohosted by Church of the King, a church plant of 400 people that meets at the high school, the New Orleans Baptist Association and Abandon Productions. The students were entertained by Christian rap artist Trip Lee and treated to amazing feats of strength by Andy Gavin of the Strength Team, a Christian ministry of athletes. Gavin included his testimony and the Gospel in his demonstrations. His feats included breaking a baseball bat over his thigh, tearing a thick phone book and deck of cards in half, and bending rods of steel, horseshoes and frying pans. "We just want kids to give their hearts to Jesus," said Dean Ross, executive director of Abandon Productions and pastor of Lakeside Church in Metairie. "The theme, Awaken the City, is literally what we want to do in New Orleans. Events like this are great, but movements are better. We want to change the fabric of this city forever." --30-- Mickey Noah writes for the North American Mission Board. With reporting by Tobin Perry and Carol Pipes, also of NAMB. -- End of story -- Church plants benefit from Crossover 2012 By Mickey Noah & Tobin Perry Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38074 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Edith Sampson Park near the Desire Housing Project buzzed with activity June 16 as kids from the surrounding neighborhood played on a giant slip-n-slide and munched on hot dogs. The event was one of 38 block parties hosted by Southern Baptist churches around metro New Orleans during Crossover 2012. Crossover, coordinated by local associations and churches in partnership with the North American Mission Board, is an evangelism event that precedes the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. Celebration Church organized the block party in the park to support Desire Street Fellowship, its church plant located two blocks away led by pastors Richard Johnson and Oscar Brown. "We believe God has told us to grow deep before we grow wide," Johnson said. "We're trying to teach the folks around us about the eternal love of God." His mission field is big. Before Katrina, Desire Housing Project was one of the largest in the nation with 20,000 residents. Floodwaters from Katrina inundated it, and the old "projects" are being replaced with handsome townhouses. Desire now has 6,000 to 8,000 residents, which Johnson said will grow to 16,000, a city in itself. Hope Church, a two-year-old church plant in Metairie, La., hosted volunteers from four churches in four states -- Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Maryland. Volunteers handed out invitations to a family movie night that evening and painted the dance studio that has become the church plant's home. Volunteers from Gilead Baptist Church in Glendale, Ky., focused on the painting efforts. Hoping to give the dance studio's pink walls a more gender-neutral look, church planter Matt Tipton approached the studio's owner about repainting. When the owner offered to pay for the painting to be done, Tipton was able to tell her he'd do it for free as a way to build the church's relationship with the studio and give the worship space a new look. For the past two years Gilead Baptist has been an important partner church for Hope Church, providing at least four teams of volunteers along with financial support. The partnership began partly because of the desire of Gilead's pastor to engage his people in long-term work in North American missions. "When we've done one-and-done mission trips, you really don't get to see the results of that," said Sam Hinkson, Gilead's pastor. "I wanted our people see a church plant grow. I also hoped it would be good for us and for them. These trips always spark great discussion about what we can do in our own community." Talking about some of the outreach efforts the churches had participated in throughout the week, such as inviting people to the movie night on Saturday, Tipton said he sees their efforts as "tilling the soil," which he believes is essential in a place like New Orleans. Much of the outreach efforts were around a local magnet school, Airline Park Academy for Advanced Studies, where Tipton serves as the PTO president. "After the mission project is over at the school this week, it isn't over with the school," Tipton said. "I'm still PTO president. We're still building relationships and will continue to have groups loving on the school, loving on the people here." At least one New Orleans church birthed a new church campus out of Crossover 2012. A new church in Chalmette, La., had been on the heart of Horeb Spanish Baptist Mission pastor David Rodriguez since his seminary days more than a decade ago. When a meeting location at an English-speaking church in Chalmette became available, Rodriquez turned to his youth minister, who also wanted to see a Spanish-speaking church started in the Chalmette area. Horeb's main campus is in Gretna, La. Jose Lore, the youth minister who will pastor the new campus, works at a refinery near the church's meeting location. For years as he traveled to work, he prayed God would help him reach the Spanish speakers in the nearby area, knowing there were no Spanish-speaking congregations for people to attend. The block party during Crossover offered Horeb an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community a week before their June 24 launch of the campus. "This is the first time we've started something new like this at our church," Rodriguez said. "We want to see this city won for Christ." --30-- Mickey Noah & Tobin Perry write for the North American Mission Board. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: A Crossover answer to a 'Macedonian prayer' By Tim McKeown Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38075 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- When the New Orleans evacuees were stationed in the Superdome in 2005, I watched the news coverage as a woman cried out, "Why won't someone come and help us?" I felt like she was talking directly to me, reminding me of Paul's Macedonian call in Acts 16:9. I first came to the Delta as a disaster relief worker just five days after Hurricane Katrina breached the levees and much of the city was flooded. In Baton Rouge, we made 10,000 sandwiches a day for starving and stranded residents of the Big Easy. Nearly seven years later, I felt a call to come again to New Orleans for Crossover. During Crossover weekend, my wife Melissa and I connected with Crossroads Community Church in Kenner, La., and interim pastor Dan Panter. We invited neighbors of the church to a block party, where there would be hot dogs, snow cones and bounce houses. More than 20 college students and adults had come from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Hawaii to participate at the church, just one of dozens of outreach efforts through Crossover New Orleans. I partnered with Jhen Garcia, 26, a recently saved Crossroads Community Church member, and a 20-year-old Louisiana college student named Sarah. Neither had ever shared their faith. Jhen suggested we concentrate on quality rather than quantity, so we engaged neighbors directly in evangelistic conversations. After inviting them to the block party, we said, "It's important to go to church, but it is more important to go to heaven. Would you like to know what the Bible says about getting to heaven?" That question opened several doors. Surprisingly few said, "No," and most politely listened but made no response. Two opened their hearts to receive Christ. Anese lives only a few blocks from the church. "Oh, I pray all the time for my family," she said. "Those are temporary prayers," I replied, "Have you ever prayed an eternal prayer?" I explained there are countless temporary prayers, but they only have temporary answers. However, there is one prayer that lasts for eternity: the prayer to God for eternal life. That day, she prayed an eternal prayer, receiving Christ as her Savior. But it was the last house we visited I'll never forget. As we walked up, I told Sarah that this house was hers, as Jhen had already shared the Gospel a few times. Sarah was just two months old in the faith herself, yet she hesitantly agreed to share. Jessica and her neighbor, "Miss Jean," were sitting on the front porch. Miss Jean said, "I've been praying for someone to come and help me share with her about the Bible. She has never heard anything from the Bible." Another Macedonian cry for help. Sarah told her the plan of salvation was as simple as A, B, C -- all have sinned, we need to believe in Christ and call on the name of the Lord for salvation. Jhen shared Romans 3:23, John 3:16 and Romans 10:13. Jessica said she wanted to receive Christ as her Savior. Sarah asked Jessica to hold her hand, and I held Sarah's. Miss Jean took Jessica's hand and Jhen took mine. Sarah began, "Dear God," Jessica echoed, "Dear God," and then Sarah stopped, looked to me (I had not closed my eyes for this prayer). She squeezed my hand, signaling me that I had not quite prepared her for this moment. "I admit I am a sinner," I whispered to Sarah, and she repeated, and then Jessica repeated, and then followed by Miss Jean. Again Sarah squeezed my hand, and I whispered, "But I believe Jesus died on the cross." Again the prayer echoed three more times. "And rose from the dead to take away my sins," and again, the prayer echoed around the circle. The beautiful prayer of salvation continued that way until the end. After the prayer, Miss Jean asked where she could get a Bible for her new sister in Christ. Sarah smiled and gave Jessica her Bible. Miss Jean, Jessica and her six children and several other neighbors all came to the block party that night. Looking back on my experiences following Katrina, God did amazing miracles in the midst of that disaster: salvations, healings, answers to prayers and outpourings of love and help from Christians. But none was more beautiful than the four-fold prayer of salvation prayed by Jessica, Sarah, Miss Jean and me in response to a neighbor's Macedonian call for help, seven years after the disaster. --30-- Tim McKeown serves as the minister of education and administration at First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas. -- End of story -- VIDEOS: Crossover New Orleans By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38071 Exclusive Baptist Press footage from outreach events all around New Orleans during Crossover 2012. Hear from New Orleans Pastor Fred Luter and others about the importance of Crossover. Free Mission Baptist Church hosted a block party for its community as part of Crossover New Orleans. Horeb Hispanic Church hosted a block party to reach its community. Trip Lee shares his hip hop rap at Awaken the City, a city-wide youth rally as part of Crossover 2012 New Orleans. Southern Baptist Convention messengers are finding a "New Orleans" style of transportation to the annual convention. -- End of story -- Pastors' Conference opens with fathers, sons By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38076 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- A Father's Day theme marked the opening session of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference June 18, with speakers being introduced by either their fathers or their sons. JOSH SMITH Former SBC president and evangelist Bailey Smith introduced the first speaker of the conference, his son Josh. Bailey praised God for all three of his sons, each of whom are serving the Lord in Baptist institutions and churches, and gave most of the credit to his godly wife. He described his son Josh as a child as an energetic grasshopper on roller-skates, but he watched God "take his life early and really mold him into something wonderful." "I realized the first time I heard Josh preach that I wasn't hearing my son, I was hearing a man of God," Bailey Smith said. Turning to his son, he said, "Josh, I love you and I'm proud of you, not because you're a good preacher but because you're a man who loves the Lord and preaches His book." Josh Smith, pastor of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church in Irving, Texas, preached from Jonah 3 on the proper response to God's Word. Noting that most people want to experience the extraordinary instead of the ordinary, Smith reminded pastors, "Big doors swing on small hinges." The Book of Jonah, Smith said, presents an irony between the responses of God's prophet and the pagan people. Jonah demonstrated two improper responses: He ran from God's Word, and then he resented God's Word. The Ninevites, however, responded in humble faith and repentance. "Every Word of God demands a response," Smith said. "The way we begin this relationship with Him is the way we continue this relationship with Him. Our response to the Word of God determines the direction of our lives. "God will accomplish His plan, and He will accomplish it through someone," Smith continued. "The only question is will it be you? And I pray that somehow by God's grace and for His glory that as you respond properly to the Word of God that it will be." DON WILTON Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, S.C., described three pictures from 2 Timothy 2 of what it means to be strong in the grace of God. Pastors, he said, must fight like soldiers, run like athletes and work like farmers in their ministries. "[God is] calling us to become fathers to our sons and to our daughters, to lead by example and to be the kind of dads in the ministry that God has called us to be," Wilton said. The United States is facing a battle that may be unprecedented in its history, Wilton said, and the church needs men who will fight passionately for the Gospel. "It's not going to take somebody in the White House who will change these United States of America," Wilton said. "It's going to take the Lord Jesus Christ by His Spirit changing the hearts and lives of our people." Wilton warned of the dangers if the Southern Baptist Convention embraces a form of idolatry by following too closely after individuals rather than after Jesus Himself. "It is only the Lord our God that we serve," he said. Wilton's son Rob, pastor of Vintage Church in New Orleans, introduced his father by describing him as being personal, loving, challenging and encouraging. As he thought about the text from which his father would preach, Rob Wilton said he "couldn't help but pause and thank God that the Paul in my life has been my dad." RONNIE AND NICK FLOYD Father-son pastors Ronnie and Nick Floyd teamed up to preach a sermon. The two alternated turns in the pulpit, challenging pastors to develop an expanding vision for their cities. "Have we forgotten the vision of reaching our cities, our communities, our villages and our towns?" Nick Floyd, pastor of the Fayetteville, Ark., campus of Cross Church, asked. Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, lamented that many pastors have forgotten that God has called them to reach the people outside the church where they live. Pastors, he said, must see their calling theologically, providentially and purposefully. "Where you are is part of God's plan," Ronnie Floyd said. "[God's] providence has guided you, has blessed you ... and has placed you to live in this time in all of human history and to let you live where you live ... with a purpose. "God has called you to live where you live, to lead the church you lead, with the gifts you have, for one purpose: to fulfill God's vision of reaching every person in that region with the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he said. "You were made for this moment." TONY EVANS Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, preached the concluding sermon for the night with his son Anthony Evans, a gospel music artist and recent contestant on NBC's "The Voice," introducing him. Following the pattern of Psalm 128, Tony Evans preached about the effervescent results of a man who fears God. This man, who Evans called a "Kingdom man," takes God seriously, and because he does so, leads his family according to God's Word. Evans used this second point as an opportunity to speak to the current debate about same-sex marriage. "What God wants is men, partnering with their wives, who run their families according to God -- because the saga of a nation is the saga of the family, in large," he said. "Marriage is not a civil institution; marriage is a divine institution to be recognized in a civil society." A family that takes God seriously overflows into a church that submits to God's rule, he said. "God didn't come to take sides, He came to take over," Evans said. "It's time for the church to wake up and go public. We don't have time for a white church, or a black church, a Hispanic church. We need the church of the Lord Jesus Christ." --30-- Reported by Keith Collier, Aaron Cline Hanbury & Tim Ellsworth. -- End of story -- WMU celebrates Jesus' story in New Orleans By Don Graham Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38078 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- "The Story Lives On" -- Woman's Missionary Union's 2012-13 theme -- took life through the words of a New Orleans pastor, an International Mission Board missionary and others during the opening session of WMU's June 17-18 meeting in New Orleans. As noted by Debby Akerman, WMU president, "The Story Lives On" focuses on the Gospel's ability to transcend generations, transforming individuals, churches, communities and nations. Keynote speaker David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, spoke of the lasting impact of Jesus' story on New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Crosby painted vivid images of the devastation, and the Christ-centered love that's fueling the city's rebirth. "It turned our city into a lake," Crosby said. "Eighty percent of the footprint of the city of New Orleans was covered with water. Our church was an island in a flood for three weeks. And when I came in by helicopter 11 days after the storm, I wondered, 'God, will it ever come back together again?' "And then, there was a rush of wonderful love. A flood of people, thousands and hundreds of thousands, who came to help in this city that care forgot." But such love isn't easy to come by. Referencing the story of the Pharisee who tested Jesus in Matthew 22 (asking Christ which commandment was greatest), Crosby said it wasn't the first commandment the religious leader struggled with but the second. "Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, strength and mind. He felt he had that down, he was a devoted Jew," Crosby said. "He went to synagogue, he said his prayers and gave his tithe. ... What troubled his conscience, why he wanted to justify himself, was the second: Love your neighbor as yourself. You might be a little like him. I think I am." That's why Jesus gave believers the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, Crosby explained, "to help you and me understand what it means to love your neighbor." And love, he said, walks into a trial. "Love is so complicated and so difficult, it's such a mess. It's just easier to walk by the other side of the road. I mean, you got church work to do, meetings to attend -- we're busy people. "Talk about washing feet? A beautiful rendition of that story -- it's going into a stranger's house and cleaning up after the flood, and helping that poor soul deal with the fact that he brought a truck to take what he wanted to save, and [instead] he can fit it all in a 13-gallon trashcan." BIBLE STORYING WMU attendees also heard about the power of Jesus' story from Annette Hall, an International Mission Board worker who spoke about the impact of chronological Bible storying. Hall has worked for nearly 40 years with North African and Middle Eastern peoples, and ranks among IMB's top oral evangelism experts. "Two-thirds of the world's people are oral communicators," Hall said. "That means that they learn through stories or music, drama or poetry. ... If you hand them a book to read, they either can't read it or they won't read it." Hall said the process behind chronological Bible storying is simple, often using a set of 20 individual stories that move listeners through the Bible from Genesis to the second coming of Christ. "We tell them the story, and then we have them learn the story, and then we process the story by asking some very simple questions," Hall said. "Because they've learned the story, and because we use the same simple questions every time, they can reproduce this and go out to tell other people. "We don't teach. We want people to get the point of the story from the story -- they need to discover it for themselves. If I tell them the answer, it goes into their heads but it doesn't go into their hearts." Hall shared a recent success story from a Bible storying training event she led in southern Asia last year. One of Hall's colleagues, who helped with the training, met a young woman whose family had been radically changed. "The woman said, 'There were some people from my village who went to a training and they learned how to tell Bible stories. And they came and they told the story for me and my family. Now I am a believer and so is my family. All of us believe in Jesus,'" Hall recounted. She added that more than 20 people in that village have been baptized as a result of chronological Bible storying. "Chronological Bible storying is a powerful tool," she said. "God gave it to us. He gave us a book full of stories. And all we have to do is learn to use them." ACTEENS PANELISTS Sunday afternoon, WMU attendees were introduced to this year's National Acteen Panelists, young women chosen from across the United States "based on their commitment to missions and participation and leadership in their Acteens group, church, school and community," according to WMU's website. Acteens is WMU's missions organization for girls in grades 7 through 12. Mary Harper, from First Baptist Church Prattville, Ala., told WMU that she learned boldness in sharing her faith through interactions with a Korean student she met in a high school chemistry class. Harper described him as a devout atheist who would often work "page after page of physics problems that he claimed proved God did not exist." "He was so much smarter than me, but I knew that my God, the God who gave Daniel the courage to face the lion's den, and the God who gave David the strength to overcome Goliath, would give me the words to say to persevere," Harper said. She continued to share with her friend over the past two years, and though he has not yet made a commitment to Christ, Harper said he's begun reading his Bible daily and attending church. "I know that God will continue to work in his life, Harper said. "Through this experience I have learned that God calls all Christians to be missionaries, even if this simply means being willing to share His love with the people we meet in our everyday lives." Each of the six Acteen panelists will receive $1,000 from the Jessica Powell Loftis Scholarship for Acteens from the WMU Foundation. --30-- Don Graham is the International Mission Board's senior writer. -- End of story -- Simpson thankful for grace after winning Open By Tim Ellsworth Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38077 SAN FRANCISCO (BP) -- A tense finish to the U.S. Open may have been difficult on Webb Simpson's emotions, but a boost to his prayer life. "I probably prayed more the last three holes than I've ever done in my life," Simpson said after winning the tournament [Sunday] June 17. "It helped me stay calm and get in with 2-under [on the final day of the tournament]." Simpson finished at 1-over for the tournament and left the course without ever holding the lead. But Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell faltered in their own final rounds, leaving Simpson with his first major title. He watched from the clubhouse as McDowell missed a birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have tied Simpson. "He knows that his hope is not in golf," said Ryan Carson, student pastor at Forest Hills Church in Charlotte, N.C., where Webb and his wife Dowd are members. "He knows that his hope is in the Lord, and that perspective, I think, has really kept him grounded." Carson told Baptist Press that Simpson is not someone "who just calls himself a Christian then just attends church." "He's got a passionate pursuit of Jesus going on," Carson said. "It's something that is really contagious. He steers conversations back to the Lord, back to Scripture, back to experiences that he's had with the Lord or that other people have had. "He's passionate about it," Carson continued. "He's not just a nominal Christian. He's truly got a life that wants to honor and serve Jesus." Last year, after his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., Simpson said he'd "be stupid not to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because it was tough out there and I was nervous, and I felt his presence all day." On Monday, after winning the U.S. Open, Simpson took to Twitter to offer his gratitude. "Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement," he wrote. "Humbled to win the US Open!! Thankful to God for His grace in my life." A few days earlier on Twitter, Simpson notified his followers that "I'm going to tweet a lot about faith, Jesus, Bible. Also, I'm going to tweet about golf and random stuff." The 26-year-old Simpson trailed by four strokes going into the final round and was in 29th place after two days -- making him the first golfer ever to move from that far back to win the U.S. Open. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Simpson attended Wake Forest University where he studied religion. "He loves the Lord," Simpson's brother-in-law, Graham Keith, said about him in a PGA Tour video. "He tries to do everything he can when he plays on the golf course to glorify the Lord. To him, it's more about how he can use golf to reach other people." In the same video, Simpson's wife Dowd said the love of Jesus Christ pours out of him. "He's so full of joy and life and energy," she said. "I think people like being around a guy like that." --30-- Tim Ellsworth is editor of BPSports (www.bpsports.net) and director of news & media relations at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. -- End of story -- In Asia, Wright sees breakthrough to unreached By Rolan Way Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38060 SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) -- Headlights pierce the darkness of this Southeast Asian village as a Toyota truck bounces along the dirt path. American pastors have hiked for hours down the side of a mountain in extreme heat and humidity to reach the village. One of the pastors is suffering from dehydration, and the truck has arrived to transport him to the nearest hospital. But this area also is enveloped in darkness that can't be seen. The pastors sense a spiritual battle being waged on this journey to be Christ's heart, hands and voice to this unreached people group. The previous day, Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, led a young man named Hook, the group's guide, to the Lord. As far as the team knows, Hook is the first believer among his people. "Today [an IMB missionary] and I told him about the one true God that we can know through the person of Jesus Christ," Wright said. "... Hook prayed with us to trust Christ as his Savior and Lord." Early the next morning, Hook arrives at the mountain lodge where the team is staying. He is eager to learn more about the faith he has embraced. The pastors promise Hook a Bible in his own language. "When do I get the Book?" he asks, barely able to contain his excitement. "Hook was so moved with the Gospel that he was going to go and share with his family that evening," said Marshal Ausberry, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, Va. "That is just the power of God. It's like lighting a candle. It brings light into darkness. Hook is on fire for the Lord, and he is going to be a light in his village." George Wright, pastor of Cedarcrest Church in Acworth, Ga., and son of Bryant Wright, disciples Hook starting in the Book of John. Hook's eyes brighten as he hears of the promise of Christ and eternal life with Him. There are thousands like Hook in this remote, mountainous region -- people who have yet to hear the Gospel and remain in bondage to an animistic belief that leads them to make meaningless sacrifices. Desperate to appease evil spirits, they offer up their meager resources of cattle and food. They do not know that Christ already made the ultimate sacrifice. "Yesterday, we had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with a group of people," said Micah Fries, pastor of Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, Mo. The pastors asked those attending if they had ever heard of Jesus. One by one, the response was the same: No, I do not know Him. It is a response that weighs heavily on the pastors' hearts. "When I look at the people here ... when I think about their need for the Gospel and I think about the resources that we have in the United States, [it's a shame]," Fries said, his voice trailing off. Despite the distance to reach Southeast Asia's unreached people groups, Fries believes Southern Baptists can change their hopeless future. "We can do it; we have the resources," he said. "The truth of the matter is, I'm not so sure that we've believed enough the truth of Jesus' words to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him." George Wright solemnly reminds the team of why they are here -- and the message they need to take home. "The time is now.... We have the opportunity to be part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission," Wright said. "And, yes, we are standing on the shoulders of so many faithful men and women who have gone before us. But, we can do this. Let's take the Gospel to those who have yet to hear." --30-- Rolan Way is a communication director for the International Mission Board. -- End of story -- Bryant Wright reflects on SBC presidency By G. Gerald Harris Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38061 DULUTH, Ga. (BP) -- Bryant Wright has traveled more than 100,000 miles to 16 states and to 10 countries on three continents since his election as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 2010. Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., had nearly 100 speaking engagements during his two-year presidency. Wright's successor will be elected during the June 19-20 SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. Wright was interviewed about his experiences as SBC president by Gerald Harris, editor of The Christian Index, newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. The article which follows was published by The Index in mid-May. Index: You have talked much during your presidency about Southern Baptists returning to their first love. How do you think it would look if we were to achieve that goal? Wright: Obviously, it would be a hard thing to measure, but basically it comes back to every Christian. I think it will mean that the church is going to look different from the world. Our big problem now is that the church looks so much like the world in terms of materialism, heathenism, obsession with "workaholism" and busyness. We just have so little distinctiveness in our spirit, our character and our priorities. We need to be more Christ-like in our character and spirit so we will be attractive to those who are lost. Index: You have also talked a lot about the idolatry of materialism. What would you say about the problem of materialism and the challenge of Christian stewardship? Wright: Jesus said that we must choose between money and God. If the average Southern Baptist looked at their checkbook, many would be reminded that they love their money more than God. Our checkbook reveals where our heart is. Jesus made that very clear (Matthew 6:21, 24). Index: You had said that changing the name of the convention would position us to maximize our effectiveness in reaching North America for Christ. Why did you think it would make us more effective? Wright: I felt like it would help us outside the South and Southwest not to have such a regional name. It's a barrier. For example, how would we feel if someone from Boston came to the South and said they were going to start a church for the Yankee Baptist Convention? It probably wouldn't be a huge draw to southerners in Birmingham. It is just a barrier to reaching people for Christ. As we got into the study, it quickly became evident at how incredibly difficult it would be to legally change the name. With the autonomy of the local church, the autonomy of the state conventions and the authority of the entities guided by their boards, we could vote overwhelmingly to change the legal name, but we couldn't force that upon anyone because of the autonomy issue. Twenty state conventions may vote to approve the change and 20 state conventions might not. This would create a chaotic, divisive situation. So I have had to change my viewpoint on the matter. Index: Did the racial connotation of "Southern" in our name motivate you to want to change the name? After all, the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions came about as a result of the slavery issue. Wright: I did not realize how much the word "Southern" and its association with the Confederacy presented an obstacle to African Americans in our convention. I just had not realized how significant a hurdle that was for them. We had two African-American pastors on our committee and they were very helpful to us. They have been very courageous to be Southern Baptist pastors. They have not done the popular thing in regard to their peers. Index: There appears to be a changing of the guard in SBC life and the older leaders of the Conservative Resurgence seem to be taking a back seat in the discussions. In fact, your election may have signaled that changing of the guard because many young pastors were supportive of your presidency. With the way the young leaders are emerging, what do you see as the future of the SBC? Wright: Well, I am pleased, because the Great Commission is front and center in the SBC today. To me this is a direct result of the Conservative Resurgence. I wasn't that involved in the denomination in those days, but I am excited about the present health of our seminaries and the doctrinal and missional focus they have today. The Conservative Resurgence had to happen first, but now another generation has come along with a passion to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Index: What have been your greatest challenges as the president of the convention? Wright: First, my biggest hesitancy about doing this is that I knew it was a job with a lot of responsibility and very little authority. That is a bad combination for leadership. The president appoints the Committee on Committees, Resolutions Committee and a few other committees, but his authority is really very limited. Because it is hard to communicate with our people due to the autonomy of the local church and state conventions, etc., I set up the monthly "Pray for SBC" video because I thought in this modern culture it would be a way to directly share my heart with Southern Baptists on a regular basis. But I have been disappointed with the number of viewers. Index: What have been your greatest joys and accomplishments as president? Wright: It has been a joy to see the Holy Spirit leading Tom Elliff [International Mission Board president] and me in the same way at the same time without each other knowing -- that is, challenging churches to embrace unreached and unengaged people groups. When I called Tom to share my leading to challenge the churches of the convention in Phoenix [at the 2011 SBC annual meeting] to embrace all 3,800 unengaged and unreached people groups, he told me he had been meeting with IMB leadership about the same plan. When the Holy Spirit is working two places at once with the same leading, that is really exciting. We now have over 1,100 churches engaged in reaching unreached people groups. This is truly a movement of the Holy Spirit. We are going to build on that at this year's convention. Index: How do you envision the future growth of the denomination? Wright: I won't be surprised if we show some signs of decline in membership, baptisms and attendance in the next 10-15 years because about two-thirds of our churches are less than 100 people and overwhelming elderly in rural and small town areas. In the 20th century, there was a radical sociological population shift in America from rural to urban. But when you see all those seminary students who are passionate about planting churches in largely unreached metropolitan areas, I think eventually we will see a reversal of that downward trend. Index: How do you feel about the North American Mission Board's emphasis on church planting? Wright: There is a paradigm shift at IMB and NAMB. NAMB is going to assist the local church in planting churches. IMB is calling on the local church to embrace or adopt these unreached people groups. The focus is on the local church being in the lead. That's a huge paradigm shift that's happening. Index: That paradigm shift bypasses associations and state conventions. Is that something that should concern people? Wright: I do not think so. Churches can partner together within associations to start churches. Churches can work together within their state conventions to start churches. But I still think the local church should lead the way. State convention leadership has been understandably concerned about the fact that I feel like a larger percentage of Cooperative Program dollars should go out of the states to missions in largely unreached areas. This is especially true in the Deep South states where Southern Baptist and so many other evangelical churches already provide a witness. I certainly understand from their perspective, but I am trying to see the big picture. In the long run I think it will help the CP receive more dollars when a high percentage goes to domestic and international missions in largely unreached areas versus staying in the state. That is a paradigm shift that is happening. Index: Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd is serving as a liaison for NAMB with mega-church pastors to mobilize them to become active in planting churches. How do you see that working and do you know how many churches these mega-church pastors are being asked to plant? Wright: We just had our mega-church pastors meeting several weeks ago. Ronnie was there and he challenged our churches to become flagship churches and not only to plant churches, but recruit medium- and small-sized churches to have a church planting mentality and join in the effort. At Johnson Ferry we have accepted the leadership role in starting churches in San Francisco, because we are already taking part as one of the sponsoring churches of a church plant in Silicon Valley. So, now our role is to get as many churches of different sizes to join us in a kind of coalition. Index: How are you involving other churches in that effort? We have joined 14 other churches in planting the church in Silicon Valley, but we will need many more churches to help us in a church planting movement in that area. Even small churches can send five or six people on a mission trip to help. Others can help with financial support or assist with street festivals, prayerwalking and one-on-one evangelism. It is all so exciting. We need a lot of help because we want to plant 50 new churches in the greater San Francisco area over the next 10 years. When Ronnie presented the need for flagship churches to lead out in the church planting effort, he shared that NAMB has identified 29 major ... cities in the United States [for the initiative]. At that meeting, pastors stepped forward to pray and explore the possibility of leading the way in 28 of the 29 cities. Index: Would you like to conclude with a word about this year's convention meeting? Wright: Yes, I don't want to end this interview without inviting Southern Baptists to the convention in New Orleans. The previous convention in Phoenix had the feel of a missions conference. We will continue in that spirit this year. Our theme will be "Jesus to the Neighborhood and the Nations." It will also be a very historic convention as we have the opportunity to elect Fred Luter as our president and consider the recommendation of the [Great Commission Baptists] descriptor [for the Southern Baptist Convention]. I really hope many people will come. --30-- The Christian Index is on the Web at www.christianindex.org. -- End of story -- Patterson's Revelation volume gets SBC preview By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38062 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The long-awaited commentary on Revelation by Paige Patterson for The New American Commentary will be previewed during the Southern Baptist Convention's June 19-20 annual meeting in New Orleans. The 40-volume New American Commentary is published by B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Patterson is president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. "Dr. Patterson approached this assignment with his well-known theological prowess and respect for God's holy Word. His treatment of Revelation is thorough and enlightening," LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer said. "I'm confident scholars for years to come will be blessed by this commentary." B&H described New American Commentary as encompassing scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages; interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole; and readable and applicable exposition. Samples are available in New Orleans in the B&H booth. The full commentary is scheduled for release Sept. 1. "The fruition of Dr. Patterson's entry in the New American Commentary series has been met with celebration by many across the evangelical world who have been waiting for him to finish his work," Rainer, president of LifeWay. "I am far from the first to say it has been worth the wait." Patterson, in the introduction to his commentary on Revelation, observes the widespread neglect of the closing book of the New Testament. "Aside from a few journal articles and fewer monographs, few homiletical adventurers have evidenced the moxie to enter the eschatological lists and take on this book in the pulpit," Patterson writes. "This remains the case even though curiosity abounds in many congregations where parishioners fervently wish that their respective pastors would explain the book to them. "Among those who embark on this adventure, most sail no further than the message to the seven churches ... thus missing the grandeur of the promises that proliferate in chapters 4-22," he writes. In his commentary, Patterson includes pastor guidelines for preaching the book of Revelation. During a question-and-answer session with students and faculty last year at Southwestern Seminary, Patterson said he encourages preachers to preach through the entire book of Revelation, in part because it is the only book of the Bible explicitly giving a beatitude for those who read and listen to it. "When you're going to preach through the Apocalypse, you need to set aside some time where you're going to do nothing but study through it," Patterson said in an article published by the seminary. "It is a book the nature of which you can't be changing back and forth as you go through it on what your position is. "Secondly, you want to focus on the theological and practical insights that are everywhere in the text," Patterson said. "The tendency in preaching Revelation is to get bogged down in the details. ... When it comes to preaching it, you are attempting to engender hope in your people. There's hope all the way through the book. This is the story of the victory of the Lamb." Following the volume on Revelation, four more volumes remain before the completion of The New American Commentary. --30-- Reported by the communications staff of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Wade Watts, former missionary to Peru, dies By Maria Elena Baseler Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38070 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) -- Former Southern Baptist missionary Wade Watts, who miraculously survived severe brain injuries in a head-on collision in Peru in 1996, died June 6 at his Memphis, Tenn., home. He was 56. [IMG=32845@left@100]Thousands of Southern Baptists prayed for Watts, his wife Nancy and their sons Joshua and Marcus in the months after they were injured in a Feb. 1, 1996, car wreck on a winding mountain road in Peru. Nancy and Joshua suffered broken bones but fully recovered. But the accident left Wade and then 9-year-old Marcus in comas; doctors didn't expect them to live. Nine months later, Marcus made a 90 percent recovery. But Wade lingered in a coma as Southern Baptists -- and national believers in the Watts' beloved Peru -- prayed for another miracle. God answered. About a year after the accident, Watts emerged from the coma and began to speak. One of the first things he expressed -- through speech slurred by his injuries -- was a desire to return to Peru as a missionary. When Peruvian Baptists heard that news, "it was such a 'wow factor,'" said Kevin Shearer, former IMB missionary to Peru, now a Mississippi Baptist pastor. "They were amazed that someone who went through what Wade did would want to come back to Peru and continue doing ministry. The Peruvians joined him in some very emotional prayer that God would allow that to happen one day." Later Watts regained some of his mobility and much of his mental capacity but never realized his dream of returning to Peru. Yet he remained a missionary at heart, friends and family said. Although he was confined to a wheelchair, he found new ways to serve the Lord in his hometown of Memphis. "Wade had such a heart for missions," said his wife, the former Nancy Tate from Memphis. "He always wanted to do God's will. Even though he couldn't be a missionary on the field after the accident or be mobile enough to do a lot of mission activities here, he still wanted God to use him. And God did." Watts counseled Peruvians via the Internet, did Spanish-English translation projects and shared his faith with others. He was a faithful intercessor, praying daily for his country's leaders, Southern Baptist missionaries on their birthdays and many other prayer needs. He also worked with Tennessee Baptists' Royal Ambassors (RA) mission education program for boys, a ministry he volunteered with before his service in Peru. Karl Wallace, IMB missionary to Colombia who had served with Watts in Peru, told of participating in a Skype call with Watts and some boys attending a Tennessee Baptist RA event two years ago. "We had a great conference call. The boys asked multiple questions about our work in Colombia," Wallace said. "I distinctly remember one of them saying he wanted to grow up to be a missionary like Mr. Watts." Watts also encouraged fellow church members at Bartlett Hills Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn. Despite his disabilities, he and Nancy tried to attend church there every Sunday, and that in itself inspired others. So did the couple's positive attitude. The couple made a decision not to become bitter about the accident but instead to "be a blessing to others," their pastor, John Finley, said during a June 9 memorial service for Watts in Memphis. "You never heard a negative word from [Wade and Nancy] about the accident," said Tennessee Baptists' RA specialist Frank Green. "It was amazing how they maintained their missionary spirit. They continued to be missionaries even after they returned to Memphis. They just shifted their focus." Missionary colleagues who worked with Watts in Peru described him as kind, patient, gentle, easy-going, friendly and a good listener. "Wade was the most servant-minded man I knew among our missionaries," said Dan McLaughlin, former IMB missionary to Peru, now a music minister in Missouri. "He was always on the go, looking for new ways to share the Gospel," said Ken Bowie, now an IMB missionary in Chile. "He never saw the glass half empty; it was always half full." "Whenever we talk about Wade and Nancy, we always remember some funny story about them; they were just so enjoyable to be around," Shearer added. "We always felt at home with them." Colleagues also said Watts was deeply respected by Peruvian Baptists, so much so that they invited him to become director of missions and head of Baptist Men's work for the Peruvian Baptist Convention. "Out of the many missionaries who have served in Peru, I would put Wade among the top five as far as relationships with the national brethren," said Gary Crowell, a former IMB missionary who now is on staff at the Tarrant County (Texas) Baptist Association. "When Wade arrived in Peru, the nationals sort of took him in as one of their own. I never met a Peruvian who didn't like him. There was nothing about Wade not to like." Many Peruvian Baptists stayed in touch with the Watts after the accident and continued to pray for them through the years. Bowie recalled visiting the Watts family in Memphis 12 years ago, accompanied by Peruvian Baptist leader David Trigoso. The two men had been told Watts was having some memory issues because of the accident, so they weren't sure what to expect. During the visit, "Wade began asking David dozens of specific questions, all in Spanish, about pastors and laypeople ... throughout Peru," Bowie recalled. Later as they left the home, tears streamed down Trigoso's face. "They said [Wade] might not remember many things," Trigoso told Bowie, "but he remembered everything about the ministry that God gave him in Peru." The Watts were appointed IMB missionaries to Peru in 1986. Wade first served as a teacher of missionary kids (MKs) in Trujillo but quickly became involved in evangelism and church planting. He and Nancy also ministered through their local church in Trujillo, where Wade taught discipleship courses. One believer he discipled was a young Peruvian woman named Armida, who later married Wade's brother Mark. "Brother Wade loved us [Peruvians] like God loves us," Armida saikd during Watts' memorial service. "He worked hard in so many places in Peru, walking, knocking on doors, getting involved in our Peruvian culture ... I pray we all will be faithful to God and be an example like [he] was." "Wade was a man of God who followed God to the very end," Wallace said later. "He never gave up," McLaughlin said. Before missionary appointment, Watts taught high school in West Memphis, Ark., and served as a staff worker at an RA camp sponsored by the Tennessee Baptist Convention. He and Nancy also served nine months as volunteers in Burkina Faso through a Tennessee Baptist partnership. Watts earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Memphis State University. He also attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. In addition to his wife Nancy, Watts is survived by his sons Marcus of Memphis and Joshua, of Pensacola, Fla. The family suggests memorial contributions to Bartlett Hills Baptist Church, 4641 Ellendale Road, Bartlett, TN 38135 or the International Mission Board, Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230-0767. --30-- Maria Elena Baseler is an International Mission Board writer/editor living in the Americas. -- End of story -- Land: Mandate 'accommodation' not enough By Tom Strode Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38068 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration's effort to satisfy religious freedom concerns regarding its contraceptive/abortion mandate is a failure, the Southern Baptist Convention's ethics entity wrote in a new letter. The administration's proposed amendments to a rule implementing the controversial mandate "do not adequately address the issues of conscience violation and religious freedom" in the original regulation, Richard Land wrote in a June 15 letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote to the federal agency in response to a request for comment on proposed changes to a rule regarding the coverage of preventive services under the 2010 health care reform law. The Obama administration announced in January it would require health insurance plans to cover as preventive services contraceptives, including ones that can cause abortions, and sterilizations. When religious organizations and religious liberty advocates protested the mandate and the lack of a sufficient exemption for those with moral objections, President Obama announced in February an accommodation that could make insurance companies responsible for paying for the protested coverage. Critics said the move did not solve the problem, but the administration included the accommodation in the proposed amendment to the rule in March. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce a decision on the fate of the health care reform law and, by extension, the contraceptive/abortion mandate before the end of June. The mandate and the recommended amendments "continue to violate the religious freedom of both individuals and organizations," Land wrote in the letter. "In effect, the government's proposed actions have shown an intolerance of our Christian beliefs and worldview." The administration should repeal the mandate, but, at a minimum, it "should expand conscience protections to cover any organization or individual who may have a religious or moral objection to covering, providing, or enabling access to these services," Land wrote. "Failure to do so would be considered by many Christians a wholesale rejection of our constitutional rights and religious freedom." Land described three objections the ERLC has to the proposed changes: -- The religious exemption from the mandate remains too narrow and likely will keep religious organizations from providing health care. -- The "accommodation" enabling religiously affiliated employers to transfer coverage of contraceptives to their insurance companies does nothing to resolve the moral objection for such employers. -- The proposal does not exempt self-funded health care providers -– such as GuideStone Financial Services of the Southern Baptist Convention -- from the mandate. Because of these violations of religious freedom, Land urged the administration "to expand religious exemptions to cover all people and institutions with conscience claims against these drugs, devices, and services." If not changed, Land said, the restrictive religious exemption will force objecting employers to select "one of three untenable options:" -- Obey the law, which would violate their consciences; -- Stop providing health coverage, which could force employees to violate their consciences in obtaining insurance and open the employer up to government fines. -- Provide coverage without obeying the law, which could bring government fines for employees covered under a noncompliant plan. "All those whose consciences are violated by this mandate will be forced to choose between paying for these products and services, whether they use them or not, or leaving their families uninsured and paying a government fine," Land wrote. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief 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 -- Cigar regulation is topic of Land letter By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38069 WASHINGTON (BP) -- Congress should reject an effort to exclude some cigars from regulation by the federal government, Southern Baptist and Methodist ethics leaders say. In a June 15 letter, Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, joined the United Methodist Church's Jim Winkler in asking congressional leaders to oppose a bill that would exempt many cigars from control by the Food and Drug Administration. Their letter went to Rep. Harold Rogers, R.-Ky., chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, and the panel's lead Democrat, Rep. Norman Dicks of Washington. Winkler, general secretary of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society, and Land wrote on behalf of Faith United Against Tobacco, a coalition of 30 national religious groups. The attempt to pass a bill, H.R. 1639, to exempt some cigars comes three years after enactment of legislation empowering the FDA to regulate tobacco products for the first time. The religious coalition, with the ERLC as a member, actively pursued passage of that measure. The health risks of cigar smoking are not the same as those of cigarette smoking, Land and Winkler acknowledged, but they said consistent use of cigars can result in cancer. Nearly 18 percent of high school boys smoke some kind of cigar, they said in the letter. Land and Winkler urged Rogers and Dicks to oppose an attempt to add the bill to a spending measure for the FDA, saying the agency should maintain authority over all tobacco products, including cigars. Cigar manufacturers, as well as retailers, are leading the effort to exempt some of their products, they told the congressmen. While the FDA has yet to propose rules for cigars, Land and Winkler said, "Such a broad exemption would prevent FDA from implementing even common-sense rules designed to protect children and others." Tobacco companies and some retailers have argued the bill would exclude only "traditional large and premium" cigars from regulation, Winkler and Land said, but they contended it could exclude "inexpensive, fruit- and candy-flavored" cigars that appeal to kids. "The faith community spends too much time burying mothers, sisters, and brothers who die because they become addicted to tobacco products," Land and Winkler said. "We know all too well that the tobacco companies continue to spend billions of dollars to attract people to their deadly products and we urge you not to weaken FDA's authority to protect children and others from cigars and all other tobacco products." --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press Washington bureau chief Tom Strode. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Brad Atkins to be nominated for SBC 2nd VP By Butch Blume/Baptist Courier Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38066 NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) -- South Carolina pastor Brad Atkins will be nominated for Southern Baptist Convention second vice president during the denomination's Tuesday-Wednesday annual meeting in New Orleans. Atkins, 39, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C., and president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, will be nominated by Johnny Touchet, pastor of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Piedmont, S.C. "Brad has not been a pastor of a large church or written any books, but he has a heart for the Southern Baptist Convention," Touchet said in a news release provided to the Baptist Courier newspaper. "He desires to help lead the SBC into the future with unity among our members and focus within our leadership. "Now is the time for the SBC to be united in our efforts to help reach the nations with the Gospel as we all seek Great Commission living." Atkins served in successive years as second vice president and first vice president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention before being elected SCBC president in November 2011. He also served on the state convention's Great Commission Resurgence Task Force in 2011. Atkins has served at First Baptist church since 2006. Since he became pastor, the church has grown from fewer than 30 to more than 350 in average attendance, adding 183 new members and baptizing 68. The church has also increased its missions giving to 13 percent of undesignated receipts -- with 7 percent going to the Cooperative Program, 3 percent to the Piedmont Baptist Association, and 1 percent to each of three church planters/missionaries. Atkins has led his church to take part in mission trips to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and Romania. He earned a bachelor of arts in Christian studies from North Greenville University, attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's extension campus at Anderson University and completed a master of ministry degree at Andersonville Theological Seminary. He is the husband of Hayley Brooks Atkins. They have two children: Annie Laurie, 13, and Will, 11. Atkins was born in Motlow Creek, S.C., and grew up in a rural Southern Baptist church. He was saved at 17 and soon answered a call to ministry. He has served on staff at three South Carolina Baptist churches over the past 15 years. Also expected to be nominated for second vice president are Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss., and Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa. --30-- Butch Blume is managing editor of the Baptist Courier, online at http://www.baptistcourier.com. -- End of story -- Dave Miller to be nominated for SBC 2nd VP By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38065 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, will be nominated for second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during its annual meeting Tuesday-Wednesday, according to an Alabama pastor. Alan Cross, pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., announced on his blog Friday that he would nominate Miller, who also is the editor of SBCVoices.com, an SBC-centric blog. "Dave is fair, balanced, and generous in his role as editor," Cross wrote. "He also has a great wit and a fantastic sense of humor as well as a sharp theological mind and love for Christ and people. Whenever I see Dave chime in, I know that I am going to hear a perspective that is well thought out, reasonable, fair, and Christ-centered." Miller has been pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church since 2005. He previously was pastor of Northbrook Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids for about 14 years. He also served as pastor of a church in Virginia for four years. Miller is a native of Iowa, and his parents were Baptist missionaries in Taiwan. "Dave is exactly the kind of guy that Baptists need in leadership right now," Cross wrote. "... He has the background to know how the SBC functions in all respects, but he has also served outside of the South and knows where the SBC should be headed if it is going to thrive in an increasingly post-Christian America. "In addition to Dave's experience, his passion is to see Baptists continue to work together in ever increasing ways," Cross added. "Dave believes strongly (as do I) that our true unity is in Christ, that the Baptist Faith & Message (BF&M) is our standard of doctrinal unity and that all who agree with it should be able to work together in Baptist life and mission. He also believes and promotes the fact that we should cooperate in the Great Commission both locally and globally and that we should do that through the Cooperative Program. Dave's church, Southern Hills Baptist, is the leading CP church in Iowa as well as in Lottie Moon and total missions giving. Dave clearly articulates his hopes and prayers for the SBC in this post at SBCVoices. Good and needed words. Cross concluded, "Dave's heartbeat is that we would work together as Baptists according to what we already have in common to know Christ and make Him known to the ends of the earth. He provides a platform for discussion and mutual understanding every day through SBCVoices and he leads his local church in faithful mission both in Iowa and around the world. Dave is exactly the kind of leadership that Southern Baptists can hope to have to lead us forward, and for that reason, I will gladly give him my support." Miller graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications from Palm Beach Atlantic College and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Two other Southern Baptists are expected to be nominated for 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. --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. -- End of story -- SBC DIGEST: At SBC: 'Folks in more casual attire' By Staff Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38063 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans might notice fewer leaders in suits again this year, Bryant Wright, the convention's president, said. "Once again we'll have day sessions only, allowing you the opportunity to fellowship with friends and colleagues in the evening," Wright wrote in a letter to Southern Baptists. "And because of the infamous New Orleans heat and humidity you'll see folks in more casual attire, including many of us on the platform." Wright called for a dressed-down approach last year in Phoenix as well, citing the high temperatures. An elimination of night sessions also was something he implemented in 2011. More important than the attire and schedule during the June 19-20 sessions, Wright said, is the blessing Southern Baptists can expect as they hear "inspiring stories and exciting updates" from SBC entities as well as "meaningful times of worship and preaching" as they focus on the meeting's theme of Jesus: To the Neighborhood and the Nations. New Orleans, Wright said, is a "unique and historic city," and he looks forward "to the opportunity to support and encourage our local churches and ministries in the area who have shined so brightly for Christ amidst huge challenges." "We're especially thankful for the pastors, staff, and lay people on the Local Arrangements Committee who have worked countless hours to prepare for our coming," Wright wrote in the letter, which appeared in the summer edition of SBC LIFE. "We're mighty grateful for their extra-mile ministry and servant leadership." SOUTHERN SEMINARY GRAD SUCCEEDS JOHN PIPER -- The membership of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn., overwhelmingly voted to accept Jason Meyer as the church's new associate pastor of preaching and vision May 20. Meyer, a two-time graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, succeeds John Piper, longtime pastor at Bethlehem, as the church's senior leader. Piper, who has reduced his responsibilities at the church, has had a significant impact on a generation of pastors and church leaders, and his writings and sermons travel around the world to millions of Christians. "I am overjoyed," Piper wrote of Meyer's selection in a statement to the church. "Both at the process and the person. As I heard the results emerging from the various meetings there were times when I wept for joy. "A calling to the ministry is not simply equivalent to a sum of competencies. What I have been praying for the elders to have is not mainly the savvy to spot competencies (as important as that is), but, more important, the Holy-Spirit-given discernment to perceive the hand of God on Jason's life for this specific calling. That is why I wept for joy," Piper wrote. After graduating from Southern with a master of divinity in 2002 and a doctor of philosophy in 2007, Meyer served as a professor at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, an institution established by Bethlehem Baptist Church. At Southern, Meyer recounted, he sat in a class with New Testament professor Tom Schreiner and saw pastoral care coupled with excellent academic instruction, a balance that would shape Meyer's pastoral and academic ministries. "Many faculty members at Southern, like Tom Schreiner, James Parker and Eric Johnson, display a depth of pastoral care and love for students," Meyer said. "I witnessed these qualities in virtually every professor I had." Meyer also has taught for four years at Louisiana College in Pineville, La., and a semester at Evangelical Theological College of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He has been married to Cara for 12 years, and they have four children. GGBTS RECIEVES LARGEST SINGLE GIFT EVER -- Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary has received a $3.25 million gift for the David and Faith Kim School of Global Missions -- the largest single gift the seminary has ever received. The Kims commemorated Faith Kim's retirement from the seminary by giving the gift to permanently endow the school. The couple created an original fund in 1995 to establish the Kim School, which has been financed in part with the fund's earnings. "David and Faith Kim continue to invest in our future by this remarkable gift," Jeff Iorg, the seminary's president, said. "While they have long supported the Kim School, this gift makes their support perpetual and ensures the long-term success of our programs in missions and intercultural education. "We thank God for their consistent support and vision for what God can do through Golden Gate Seminary." Faith Kim, professor of intercultural studies at Golden Gate, will retire at the end of July. She has been associated with the seminary since 1979 when she began teaching Contextualized Leadership Development courses in Southern California. Appointed to full-time faculty status in 1996, Kim has served the seminary for many years, teaching at both the Southern and Northern California campuses on a weekly basis. "Drs. David and Faith Kim are incredible supporters of the mission of Golden Gate Seminary," Victor Vanloo, the seminary's director of development, said. "Though this significant gift is certainly a tangible example of their incredible generosity, it pales in comparison to their endearing love, passion and commitment to teaching others intercultural competencies that help introduce a lost world to the Good News of Jesus Christ." The seminary also received in May a $1.4 million bequest from the estate of Cecil and Josephine Osborne, creating an endowment for pastoral care and counseling. Future distributions from the estate will bring the total gift to about $2 million. Cecil Osborne, a renowned psychologist and author who died in 1999, was a pastor for more than 40 years. He established several social ministries programs and started nine churches in addition to pastoring First Baptist Church in Burlingame, Calif., for 34 years. Osborne wrote 13 books including two bestsellers, "The Art of Understanding Yourself" and "The Art of Understanding Your Mate." He established Yokefellows, Inc. and the Burlingame Counseling Center in the South San Francisco Bay Area. Yokefellows, founded in 1957, was an organization devoted to the spiritual and emotional growth of individuals through small group counseling and Bible study. Osborne assumed full-time directorship of Yokefellows in 1970, which ultimately served 90,000 persons in churches of 30 denominations in all 50 states and 14 other countries. Cecil and Josephine were married in 1986 and lived all of their married lives in California. Josephine, originally from England, was a marriage and family counselor. She died in April. "The Osbornes spent many years ministering together," Vanloo said. "This gift will extend that partnership in ministry beyond their lifetimes, and we hope it motivates others to think about what kind of legacy they can offer." Jeff Iorg, Golden Gate's president, noted that the Osbornes gave more than 90 percent of their estate to Christian causes, mostly to the seminary. "We are grateful for the Osbornes' vision for a counseling program and for creating an estate plan to fulfill their dream," Iorg said. "... We are pleased to see their true desire come to life through this donation." The seminary is designing a master of arts in Christian counseling degree. Many of the required courses for the MACC will be available in 2012-13, and students will be admitted to the program in the fall of 2013. "Students who want to begin the program immediately may take coursework in the seminary's existing counseling concentration as part of the master of divinity curriculum," Michael Martin, vice president of academic affairs, said. "Along with counseling course work, the MACC will require many of the same Bible, history and theology courses required in the M.Div. Once the MACC launches, students can transfer into the new degree and apply hours earned under the M.Div. toward receiving the MACC," Martin said. BLUE MOUNTAIN COLLEGE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT -- Barbara McMillin, Union University's associate provost and dean of instruction, has been named the eighth president of Blue Mountain College. "The thing that excites me the most is the opportunity to pursue with this group of faculty and a new group of students the integration of faith and learning, because that's a topic about which I am very passionate," McMillin said. "I am excited to partner with Blue Mountain College to consider how we can together foster the development of Christian higher education, which means that we recognize the lordship of Christ over all the disciplines." McMillin joined Union in 1992 as an English professor. She later served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences before moving into her current role in 2006. "There's no describing the extent to which I will miss my beloved colleagues with whom I have linked arms now for a very long time," McMillin said about leaving Union. "They have fed into my life and shaped me and encouraged me. They are precious to me." Union has modeled what it means to pursue Christ-centered excellence and to integrate faith and learning, McMillin said. "I will continue to watch and support and study and implement what I see happening here at this very special place," she said. Union University President David S. Dockery congratulated McMillin and Blue Mountain. "We are happy for our colleague and our sister institution," Dockery said. "Dr. McMillin will bring exceptional experience to this role, both as a talented classroom teacher and conscientious administrator. "She is a person of extraordinary character and exemplary professionalism," Dockery added. "I am excited about the fresh vision she will bring to the work of Blue Mountain College in the days ahead. The entire Union community joins me in wishing God's best for Barbara and Blue Mountain College." McMillin and her husband Larry have a 14-year-old son, Sam, and the move to Blue Mountain is a home-going for the family. A native of Falkner, Miss., McMillin and her husband both have family in the area. Blue Mountain is a college of about 500 students that is affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention. "I so look forward to working with these faculty members and these students as we consider what it means to think Christianly about the various disciplines and about what it means to take our careful Christian thinking and carry it into the culture as students go forth from Blue Mountain College with an education and become salt and light in our community and across the country," McMillin said. A Union University graduate, McMillin completed her master of arts and doctor of arts degrees at the University of Mississippi. She taught at Northeast Mississippi Community College before joining Union 20 years ago. McMillin will assume the Blue Mountain presidency Aug. 1. She will succeed Bettye Rogers Coward, who is retiring after 11 years in the position. "Union goes with me," McMillin said. "It goes with me in my heart and in my plans in terms of being able to think critically about new opportunities based on the experiences I was able to have here." LAND RECEIVES RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AWARD -- Richard Land was recognized this spring in Washington for his advocacy of religious freedom. Liberty magazine, which is published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and two other organizations with roots in the church presented the president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission with their national award at the 10th annual Religious Liberty Dinner at the Canadian Embassy May 24. Liberty magazine editor Lincoln Steed commended Land for his "incredible role" in publicly advocating for religious freedom and saluted Southern Baptists as well. In presenting the award to Land, Steed said Seventh-day Adventists "think very highly of the Baptists" for their longtime support of church-state separation and their continuing leadership as "champions" of religious liberty. In part, the award honors Land "for representing the ideals of religious freedom to Congress, before U.S. presidents and to the media.... [H]e has used his considerable energies as a radio and television host and guest as well as his skills as an author to project a vision of religious freedom that transcends his own faith identity." Land told the audience he is "very honored and very humbled to receive this award, and I receive it on behalf of Southern Baptists around the country who stand for religious freedom." "And I want to thank you for your stand for religious freedom around the world," Land said as part of his response. "Religious freedom is not an American value. It's a universal value. It's a human value. Every human being deserves the right to work out his or her relationship with their Creator without coercive interference from any government or ecclesiastical [body]." John Baird, Canada's minister of foreign affairs, gave the keynote speech at the dinner. Joining in presenting the award to Land were the International Religious Liberty Association and the North American Religious Liberty Association. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The Conservative Resurgence & SBC missions By Chuck Lawless Jun. 18 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38067 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- I became a follower of Jesus at age 13. The first church I attended was a small Southern Baptist church in southwestern Ohio. That church gave me a strong, unshakeable confidence in the Word of God that has grounded me to this day. What they ultimately gave me was a theology for doing the Great Commission. I have learned since then just how important that theology is: a biblical theology should drive us to get the Gospel to our neighbors and to the nations. That theology is unquestionably clear. All human beings are separated from the one and only true God, desperately lost and destined for hell. No person is good enough in his nature to inherit heaven, nor can any person do enough good works to get there. Apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, no man has any hope. Jesus, though, is indeed the answer. He willingly bore the sins of the world, paid the penalty for our wrong, and broke the back of the Enemy through His death. In His resurrection, He overcame death and now offers life to all who turn to Him in repentance and faith. That message is amazingly good news. Five times in the New Testament, this same Jesus -- the perfect eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity -- is recorded as telling us what we must do in response to this message. He who has the authority to do so mandated that we proclaim this message to all the people groups of the world. That we must do, for no one can be saved apart from a hearing of the Gospel. At any given point in this task, however, a faulty theology will lead to diversion from the Great Commission and disobedience to God. If, for example, the Bible is not the Word of God, why follow its teachings at all? If there is more than one God, why should we assume a need to proclaim the God of the Bible? If this God is not a perfectly holy God, why worry about sin at all? Deny the lostness of human beings, and evangelism becomes only a politically incorrect religious confrontation. Assert that Jesus is "a" way to God -- not the only way -- and missions is then only a costly and arrogant cross-cultural endeavor. Reject the truth about divine judgment, and hell is explained as a faulty first-century worldview rather than the eternal judgment of a holy God. The cross itself becomes only a bloody means of death in an ancient city if the story of the Gospel message is not truth about the one who is Truth. Thus, I am deeply indebted to Southern Baptists who led the Conservative Resurgence. As a pastor since the early 1980s, I have reaped the benefits of men and women who stood for the Word, refused to compromise, and proclaimed the truth that my home church had taught me. I pray that future generations will always learn from me what others taught me by their courage and obedience. Here is what frightens me, though: I know very few churches that would reject the biblical message, yet I know many who live as if the message does not matter. Most of us have more Bibles than people in their homes, but we seldom think about 1.7 billion people of the world who have little access to the Gospel. Dollars given to missions are often leftover funds, not a sacrifice to support God's work among the nations. And, actually going to the nations is, of course, someone else's calling. In fact, crossing the street to speak to our neighbors is sometimes seemingly too far to go. We Southern Baptists have stood faithfully for a message that we have chosen to keep to ourselves. Our inattention to the Great Commission is, despite our arguments otherwise, a practical denial of the very theology we claim to believe. Theology that does not affect the way we live is only an academic exercise -- often a prideful one. Biblical theology lived out, though, will result in denying ourselves and taking up the cross. The Conservative Resurgence rightly applied should compel us to the hard places for the glory of Christ and the sake of the nations. If you want to hear more about how the Conservative Resurgence should fuel Great Commission passion, and you'll be in New Orleans for the annual meeting, plan to attend the B21 luncheon at 11:30 CST Tuesday. Be sure, too, to experience the TENT at the IMB booth in the exhibit hall. Join us in making disciples among the nations -- no matter what the cost of Great Commission obedience may be. --30-- This column first appeared at http://www.BaptistTwentyOne.com. Chuck Lawless is vice president for global theological advance of the International Mission Board. -- 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