Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 24 2012 --------------------------------------- For Planned Parenthood, bad news becoming commonplace http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38326 Aurora victim: God's light outshines dark http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38327 What makes humans distinct from animals? http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38328 Poll: Minn. marriage amend. up 52-37 percent http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38329 FIRST-PERSON: The 12 lessons of fatherhood, part one (lessons 1-6) http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38330 WORLDVIEW: Want to be a leader? Then love & serve others http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38331 FROM THE STATES: Fla., La., Ga. evangelism/missions news http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38332 --------------------------------------- For Planned Parenthood, bad news becoming commonplace By Tom Strode Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38326 WASHINGTON (BP) -- There's good news and bad news for Planned Parenthood. The good news is the Obama administration continues to go out of its way to funnel money to the country's No. 1 abortion provider. The bad news is Planned Parenthood can't stop scandals and negative reports from reaching at least some of the American public. For instance: -- A 24-year-old woman died July 20 after undergoing an abortion at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago, according to the CBS television affiliate in that city. -- Sue Thayer, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director, has charged the abortion giant's Iowa affiliate with filing nearly 500,000 false Medicaid claims over a seven-year period, according to a federal lawsuit unsealed July 9. -- The North Carolina legislature voted July 2 to override Gov. Bev Perdue's veto and defund Planned Parenthood and other private family planning providers.
-- Another investigation by the pro-life organization Live Action has shown Planned Parenthood employees in four states -- Hawaii, New York, North Carolina and Texas -- on undercover videos released in late May and June seeking to help women who indicated they wanted sex-selection abortions. -- The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Planned Parenthood legal challenge July 24 when it upheld a South Dakota provision requiring pregnant women to be informed that an increased risk of suicide may accompany an abortion and thereby affirmed all of the state's informed consent law. Such reports, however, do not seem to have done much to tarnish the perspective Americans generally have of Planned Parenthood, a pro-life leader says. Planned Parenthood's "public image, unfortunately, is still good," said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee. While pro-life advocates learn about Planned Parenthood's negative news through pro-life blogs and websites, those reports do not appear to have made much of an inroad in wider society, she said. "I don't know that the general public is that familiar with what is happening, so I don't know that it's really impacting yet what the general public thinks of Planned Parenthood," Tobias told Baptist Press July 23. And the scandalous and even lethal news about Planned Parenthood has not prevented the Obama administration from coming to the rescue of its affiliates that have lost local or state funds. Twice already in July, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced grants to Planned Parenthood entities that have experienced cuts in government funding. HHS gave $3.1 million to Planned Parenthood affiliates and other family planning organizations in New Jersey, it was announced July 10. The federal government action came after Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have restored $7.5 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood and the other groups. Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis (Tenn.) received a HHS grant worth nearly $1.2 million over three years, The Tennessean newspaper reported July 5. The federal government intervened after the Tennessee legislature eliminated more than $700,000 in state funds for the Memphis Planned Parenthood affiliate and Shelby County transferred a nearly $400,000 family planning contract to another entity. Last year, New Hampshire barred six clinics of Planned Parenthood of Northern New Hampshire from receiving $1.8 million in federal and state family planning funds, but the Obama administration granted a $1 million contract to the organization three months later. "The President's loyalty to Planned Parenthood -- the nation's largest abortion business and his top political ally -- knows no limits," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, in a written statement after the HHS grant to New Jersey clinics. The pro-life effort to expose and defund Planned Parenthood faces serious disadvantages, Tobias said. "This is an organization that has an annual income of more than $1 billion, almost half of that coming from federal, state and local grants and contracts," she told BP. "They're not going to go down easily. They are going to be fighting tooth and nail to hang on, to keep getting those government, taxpayer funds. Unfortunately, this is going to be a big battle." An administration that is willing to circumvent state funding decisions on Planned Parenthood and similar organizations leaves pro-lifers with one option, Tobias said. "The only way we will be able to stop that is to put someone else in the White House," she said. "As long as President Obama and his administration have executive branch authority, they will continue to fund the nation's largest abortion provider -- regardless of what the citizens want." In the latest reported death following an abortion, Tonya Reaves, 24, died at a Chicago area hospital from a hemorrhage following a dilation and evacuation abortion, according to the medical examiner's office, Channel 2, the CBS affiliate, reported. A dilation and evacuation abortion typically takes place in the second trimester of a pregnancy and normally involves the use of a suction tube and/or forceps to remove the unborn child's body in pieces. Reaves was taken from Loop Health Center Planned Parenthood to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the pro-life activist organization Operation Rescue. Carole Brite, president of Planned Parenthood Illinois, said her organization was "shocked and saddened upon learning of a tragic development at a nearby hospital. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of this patient." Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-life Union, also expressed her sympathy to Reaves' family and friends, adding, "It is so heartbreaking and tragic that this young woman believed the continuous lies of Planned Parenthood [which state] that abortions are perfectly safe. ... I am so sad and angry about the death of this beautiful black girl and her baby." Federal family planning funds may not be used for the performance of abortions. But pro-life advocates point out that government grants free up other funds for use in Planned Parenthood's abortion business. Planned Parenthood's national organization, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and its affiliates received $487.4 million in government grants, contracts and reimbursements in 2009-10, the most recent year for which statistics are available. That money helps support an organization with clinics that performed 329,445 abortions in 2010. That was more than one-fourth of the lethal procedures in the United States for the year. Various scandals have plagued Planned Parenthood in recent years, and it is currently the target of a congressional investigation. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R.-Fla., who is leading the probe by the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, has requested Planned Parenthood audits, documentation, policies and procedures regarding such issues as improper billing, segregation of federal funds from abortion services and reporting of suspected sex abuse and human trafficking. Hidden camera investigations conducted by Live Action have uncovered Planned Parenthood workers demonstrating a willingness to aid self-professed sex traffickers whose prostitutes supposedly are in their early teens and seeking to cover up alleged child sex abuse. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Aurora victim: God's light outshines dark By Amber Cassady Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38327 AURORA, Colo. (BP) –- In the aftermath of the Aurora, Colo., theater massacre, an injured victim stands out as a beacon of forgiveness. He is Pierce O'Farrill, one of 58 moviegoers injured July 20th when a heavily armed masked gunman, now in police custody, charged into the dark theater and systematically and seemingly indiscriminately began shooting. O'Farrill was shot in the right arm and left foot, and has shrapnel lodged in his chest. Twelve others were killed. "I'm not angry at him. I'll pray for him," O'Farrill said. "This is going to be hard for people to understand, but I feel sorry for him. When I think what that soul must be like to have that much hatred and that much anger in his heart -- what every day must be like. I can't imagine getting out of bed every morning and having that much anger and hatred for people that he undoubtedly has." "There is evil in this world, and there is a darkness," O'Farrill said. "There is an enemy, but the wonderful news is there is a Light, and there is a Light that shines brighter than the darkness ever imagined." Ryan Heller, O'Farrill's pastor at The Edge Church in Aurora, said O'Farrill has opened a much-needed dialogue on forgiveness. The congregation is Southern Baptist. "Some of the other survivors have said that they can't or won't forgive. Reporters are contrasting him against other survivors so it is important to understand what Jesus says about forgiving," Heller said. "While so many people are questioning God in this time, Pierce is a light in the darkness. His faith is increasing, growing and maturing while many are in doubt. Pierce is like a rock." Heller focused on forgiveness in his sermon the Sunday following the attack. "Pierce has already forgiven him. I think that is exactly what we need to talk about this morning is forgiveness," Heller said, before explaining the Matthew 18 parable of the unforgiving servant. "God wants us to live lives of continual forgiveness. Forgiving brings strength and vitality. The reason that Pierce is able to forgive is because Jesus is in him." Colorado governor John Hickenlooper referenced O'Farrill at Aurora's prayer vigil the Sunday evening after the mass murder. "The outpouring of light and love is so much more powerful than any darkness," Hickenlooper said. John Fruend, a close friend of O'Farrill, called him "a beacon of Christianity and what it is supposed to be about -- forgiveness and making the most of every day. "Pierce believes God had him in the theater for a reason -- to tell God's message and use this as a forum. For him to say [he forgives the shooter] with all his wounds and pain is amazing. It moves me every time I think about it," Fruend said. Heller said the tragedy highlights the church's mission as the hands and feet of Christ. "In times of tragedy, we have a great chance to minister when we otherwise may not have had an opportunity," Heller said. "We are committed to sharing the light and evangelizing in our city." The Edge loves O'Farrill. "We visited him in the hospital and joined hands in prayer over him and his family. Our whole staff has been really involved in encouraging him," Heller said. "Kids from our children's ministry made him get well cards." --30-- Amber Cassady is a writer for the Colorado Baptist General Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- What makes humans distinct from animals? By Erin Roach Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38328 EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fifth story in a series of Baptist Press articles about an ongoing dialogue about evolution on the BioLogos website. To read BP's initial story, visit [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37901]http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37901[/URL] . NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Jesus' human life in Scripture indicates that the divine image is a special relationship rather than basic qualities that particularly mark humans as distinct from animals, a representative of The BioLogos Foundation said in an ongoing exchange with Southern Baptist professors. "... Jesus's humanity is never depicted as exercising extraordinary powers of rationality, freedom, creativity, and so forth," Robert Bishop, professor of philosophy and history of science at Wheaton College, wrote for BioLogos in an online series at BioLogos.org titled "Southern Baptist Voices." Bruce Little, senior professor of philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, opened the discussion with the concept of essentialism, which is the idea that for any particular entity, there are specific traits which entities of that kind must possess. "It seems that essentialism (I use this term with Christian emphasis), if true, would seriously challenge any form of evolution where different species evolve through common descent," Little wrote. "... Generally speaking, essentialism teaches there is more to reality of the thing than what is presented to the senses, which is to say there is more to reality than the biological dimension (we might say DNA). It is the material that provides a means of expression of the essence." The fact that a being is determined by its essence finds support in understanding who Jesus is, Little wrote. What made Jesus the God-Man, he said, was that He had both the essence of God and the essence of man. Genesis 1:20 notes that living creatures were created according to their own kind, which supports the idea of fixity of species, Little said. Modern science, Little wrote, has "unjustifiably marginalized essentialism because it does not fit within a purely physical understanding of reality." Metaphysical naturalism, he said, "disallows anything beyond the physical as part of any explanation of reality." "Science is good at understanding functional matters within creation but impotent to give answers of meaning," Little wrote. When Christians study science, he said, a compartmentalizing of reality "effectively translates into the idea that science is the primary agent for interpreting the truth of creation even though the transcendent is affirmed." "Practically speaking, this disallows for any serious connection between that which transcends experience and how one should understand the true nature of reality -- not just how it functions in our experience. This does not mean that the Bible is left out of any explanation, but only as an addendum made to fit what the tools of science have found. It is as if understanding of reality is shut up to the scientific method," Little wrote. In response, Bishop said metaphysical naturalism is not necessary to the practice of science, and he said essentialism is only one of the historically Christian ways to think about being human. Important intellectual developments within theism led to essentialism's replacement, Bishop said. The early church fathers believed the three persons of the Trinity were what they are and who they are "in virtue of their relationships with each other, not based on some intrinsic properties that ground their uniqueness as persons in the Godhead," Bishop wrote. "By analogy of relationship, humans are what we distinctly are in our being and personality in virtue of our relationship to God, creation and each other," Bishop wrote. "Our involvements with others necessarily shape who we are as particular persons." Bishop pointed to Jesus as an example of the image of God being based on a relationship, not on certain qualities. "If to be the image of God is to be sustained in a special relationship with the Father, each other and creation through the Spirit, then the imago Dei is not grounded in intrinsic qualities that particularly mark humans as distinct from the rest of the animals, as essentialism would have it," Bishop wrote. "... Evolution does not threaten human specialness before God unless it is viewed as a replacement for divine creative activity," he added. Christians have two options for how to understand what it means to be human, Bishop said, if they accept evolution as a "broadly right" account of the creation of all living things and if some form of essentialism is found to be consistent with such an account. "We can look for some stable, unique intrinsic features in virtue of which we are human; or we can look to the special Spirit-sustained relationship we have with God, creation and each other," Bishop wrote. "Both are biblically consistent, though I judge understanding the imago Dei as special relationship to make better sense of the whole of the Bible, as well as our experience in the world," Bishop concluded. In comments to Baptist Press, Little of Southeastern commended the BioLogos team for making such a dialogue "among concerned Christians" possible. "I think both subject matter and tone of the project speak well of how it has been organized," Little said. "I am appreciative for Robert Bishop's thoughtful and kind interaction to my article on 'Essentialism and Evolution.' "However, if I understand his rebuttal correctly to the main point of the article, I think it does not address the idea of essentialism as discussed in relationship to the uniqueness of Jesus -- true God and true man. The point being that what made Jesus God was that he had the essence of God -- He is one (ontologically) with the Father (John 10:30)," a matter that agrees with the Nicene Creed, which says the Father and the Son are of one substance (essence), Little added. "If essences do not exist, then what is to be done with the Nicene Creed? If they do exist (essentialism) this would appear a barrier to the idea of evolution," Little said. "I think Bishop shifts the discussion to person (as opposed to essence) when speaking of the Trinity in relational terms. Certainly there is a relational aspect in the Trinity, but that is another discussion. So at this time I think my point stands." --30-- Erin Roach is assistant editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Poll: Minn. marriage amend. up 52-37 percent By Staff Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38329 ST. PAUL (BP) -- A proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota that would define marriage as between one man and one woman is enjoying a 15-point lead, according to a new poll.
The amendment, which will be on the ballot in November, leads by a margin of 52-37 percent, according to the SurveyUSA poll, which was conducted July 17-19 among 552 likely voters for KSTP-TV. The proposed amendment reads simply, "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota." It would prevent gay marriage from being legalized by state judges, as has happened in Massachusetts and two other states. There currently is a lawsuit in Minnesota seeking to legalize gay marriage.
"This shows what we've always believed -- our opponents have the cultural elite, wealthy contributors and editorial writers, but we have voters on our side," said John Helmberger, chairman of Minnesota for Marriage (minnesotaformarriage.com), the group promoting the amendment. "We are particularly pleased with the lead the amendment enjoys among Independent voters and the large percentage of Democratic voters who support the amendment." Seventy-five percent of Republicans, 38 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Independents support the amendment, according to the survey.
The poll contrasts with a Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey done May 31-June 3 that found registered voters (not likely voters) opposing the amendment, 49-43 percent. The SurveyUSA and PPP surveys used similar language in their polls. SurveyUSA asked, "An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on the ballot defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Will you vote for the amendment? Against the amendment?" The PPP poll asked, "Should the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?" Thirty states have constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman. --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of Baptist Press. Read Glenn Stanton's column, "Why not legalize gay marriage?" at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37494]www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=37494[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The 12 lessons of fatherhood, part one (lessons 1-6) By Thom S. Rainer Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38330 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- I once did an interview for an online publication, and one of the questions was: "Who has been the greatest leadership influence in your life?" Without hesitation, I wrote: "My three sons: Sam, Art, and Jess." Fatherhood has been an educational journey that no school could provide. I have learned so much. And even to this day, I listen to my sons. They may think that I am offering them words of wisdom, but I am learning from them as well. I do not see myself as the great expert on fatherhood. I hope I have been transparent and honest in my self-assessment, especially with the weaknesses and faults that I have. I also realize that the far superior parent in our family is my wife, Nellie Jo. I have never seen such sacrificial and unconditional love flow from one human to another. She is the true instrument of God who raised our three sons so well. But this is a column about fatherhood. At the end of the day, I have several lessons that I have learned about the great challenge of being a dad. Thank you for allowing this fellow struggler the opportunity to share these lessons. Lesson 1: Children are precious gifts from God. If we parents ever fully recognize the incredible gift we have been given in our children, our attitude about them will be one of unceasing praise. I realize that not every couple has been given children. And I realize that I do not deserve my sons any more than husbands and wives who have not been blessed with children. They are gifts of grace. Undeserved and unmerited. Have you ever assessed a situation and realized how completely blessed you are? That is how I feel about my boys. One of the reasons that I have not failed completely as a father is that my sons know how much I treasure them. They have a confidence and assurance that they are wanted. They know that I see them as precious gifts from God. They know that I feel like I am the most blessed man in the world to have them as my sons. On those occasions where I have been weary and irritable, I often remind myself of this gift. Such thinking really puts minor issues in perspective. Children are gifts. Never, ever forget that truth. Lesson 2: We must love our children unconditionally, and they must know it. A child who grows up with unconditional love is more secure and more joyous. He or she does not have to earn the love of a parent. It is there no matter what. The analogy of the heavenly Father's love for us through Christ is a fit comparison. We did not earn His love. We did not merit His love. But we can be secure in His love. The Apostle Paul said it clearly in Ephesians 2:8–9: "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift -- not from works, so that no one can boast." Paul spoke of the security of Christ's love in Romans 8:38–39: "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!" Our children can take a lot from this world if they know that Mom and Dad are there for them no matter what. The love of Christ is the greatest security. And the unconditional love of a parent is a child's greatest earthly security. Lesson 3: Love your children's mother. I am not a perfect father. Not close. And I am not a perfect husband. Far from it. But do you know what Art, Sam and Jess know? Despite my imperfections as a husband, despite my stupid anger, despite my self-centeredness, I love their mother. I am with her until death do us part. My sons can live in the assurance and the confidence that, not only do I love them, I love and adore my wife, their mother. Nellie Jo and I are blessed with three daughters-in-law. God gave Art a wife named Sarah, Sam a wife named Erin, and Jess a wife named Rachel. These three young ladies are the answers to our prayers. They are beautiful physically but, more importantly, they are beautiful spiritually. And they love our sons. And we love them for that. I pray that my boys will show their children what it is like to love and adore their mothers. Lesson 4: Time can never be recaptured. Art often tells a story of his baseball team when he was 7 years old. One day I was coaching at third base when Art hit the ball into the infield. Seeing that he was a certain out at first base, he did not run all the way to the base, a cardinal sin in baseball. The coach gave him several sentences of reprimand, which irked me. I was about to say something to the coach when Art came running across the field, holding back tears. He looked at me with hurt all over his face and said, "Daddy, that coach hurt my feelings." I swept my son into my arms. He already knew that he had made a baseball mistake, so I did not dwell on that issue. After a few minutes, Art was fine, having fun again with his teammates. Why did I tell that story? I simply remember how good I felt when I held my son. And I remember how great it was to be able to soothe hurt feelings with a hug and a few sentences. I also remember how much fun I had coaching the team with both Sam and Art on it. That was yesterday ... or so it seems. Actually it was nearly 20 years ago. Where has the time gone? The time that we have our children at home is so incredibly brief. Make the most of it. Enjoy each year of their lives. Celebrate each moment. It will be over before you know it. Lesson 5: Discipline is a sign of love. Neither Nellie Jo nor I enjoyed disciplining our sons, but we did so anyway. To do less was to tell our boys that we didn't care what they did, that we had no boundaries. They did not like the discipline when they were children, but now they tell us how much they appreciate it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that discipline is a sign of love, and he points to God's love as a disciplining love in Hebrews 12:5–11: "My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives. Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline -- which all receive -- then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it." There were times when I was tempted to avoid the hassle and pain of disciplining Art, Jess and Sam. I am glad that I avoided that temptation. Lesson 6: Encouragement builds up a child. Sam was driving his truck one day, and I was in the passenger seat. "Dad, what one piece of advice would you give me on being a father?" Now that question really hit me for a couple reasons. First, my son was really asking for my advice. Second, I love this adult-son age where they really listen to me. I can't say that I thought through the answer with any great depth, but the answer that came most quickly to my mind was: "Encourage your kids. Let them know how proud you are of them. Many children go through their entire lives seeking and not getting their parents' approval." Sam responded, "Yeah, Dad, that's what you have done with Art, Jess and me. And it has worked!" The blessing. That's what a parent's approval is. And for whatever reasons, fathers seem to withhold such encouragement and approval more than mothers do. I thank God that I learned the lesson of the blessing. --30-- Thom S. Rainer is president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. This column first appeared on his website, www.ThomRainer.com. It was adapted from the book "Raising Dad" (B&H Publishing Group, 2007). Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- WORLDVIEW: Want to be a leader? Then love & serve others By Erich Bridges Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38331 EDITOR'S NOTE: Visit "WorldView Conversation," the blog related to this column, at [URL=http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com]http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com[/URL]/ RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- He didn't have time to encourage a confused kid, but he did anyway. He was Hoffman Harris, the busy pastor of fast-growing Briarlake Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. The confused kid was me. I was a new member of his church back in the '70s. I was finishing college and struggling with a call to serve God. Pastor Harris had sermons to write and things to do. He had hundreds of other people and priorities clamoring for his attention. But he made time on a regular basis to talk to me, patiently answer countless dumb questions and connect me to key people he knew from his many years in ministry. When I became a Mission Service Corps volunteer with the Home (now North American) Mission Board, he persuaded an understandably doubtful mission committee at Briarlake to provide partial support for an untested, untried young man. After I left the Atlanta area to join the IMB staff in Richmond, Va., he kept in touch with me -- more faithfully than I kept in touch with him. There was something about "Hoff." When he preached or talked to you, he wasn't just saying words. He was giving you his heart. You felt you were the sole focus of his attention. Jesus' disciples must have felt that way during His earthly ministry. If not for Hoffman Harris, I probably never would have gotten involved in mission communication. If not for Bill and Joyce Dillard, I probably would have quit after the first few years. Bill was pastor of Parham Road Baptist Church, the congregation I joined after moving to Richmond. The Dillards not only welcomed me as a member, but fed me countless meals (the sure way to a single guy's heart) and let me sleep on their couch when I was feeling lonely and discouraged. No advance notice was required: The door was open, the place at the table was set. They had their own sons, but happily "adopted" many guys like me through the years. I could name other friends, relatives, mentors and missionaries who have freely given me their time and wisdom, with no agenda beyond love and no expectation of return beyond the joy they received in giving. If you look back, you will find people in your life who have done the same for you. They are the people you will remember with gratitude when the finish line comes into sight. I am amazed at the number of books, articles, speeches, sermons, seminars and videos about "leadership" flooding the market these days when so little real leadership is on display. Never has so much been said about something so rarely practiced. Why are so many institutions, businesses, churches, families and relationships crumbling? There are many reasons, but one of them is lack of authentic leadership at every level of society. "Leadership is about influence," writes Jeremie Kubicek. "Influence is power. And how you use that power will affect your world and those around you. Will you choose to empower or overpower? To liberate or dominate?" Kubicek, who runs a company that coaches and develops leaders, is author of "Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving it," published in 2011. Yet another book about leadership, you groan. But Kubicek is on to something. He thinks leadership is dead because many so-called "leaders" have abandoned their real responsibility in pursuit of self-aggrandizement, which devalues others, or self-preservation, which defines mediocrity. "You don't need massive power or a prominent position to lead positive change in an organization," he says. "You need only influence: the most potent and underutilized professional resource on the planet. ... Great leaders with true influence build relationships by serving the needs of those within their spheres of influence, even as they serve the needs of their businesses. This isn't just a business tactic; it is a lifestyle." And it applies to every area of life. Influence comes from trust, according to Kubicek. No one trusts -- or willingly follows -- a leader who looks out only for No.1. But people will follow a generous influencer almost anywhere. "To have influence, you have to reach beyond your walls and give yourself for the benefit of others." That takes time, commitment and humility. Maybe this sounds familiar: "For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed -- God is witness -- nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us" (1 Thessalonians 2:5-8). That's the Apostle Paul, who knew something about leadership, and he didn't need a fancy seminar to learn it. He mastered the art of true leadership under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit -- and the guidance of faithful believers who prepared him to be the great missionary and disciple-maker he was. Above all, Paul loved and served the disciples he made. His words were powerful, his example more so. I learned that truth from Hoffman Harris and Bill and Joyce Dillard, who understood what real leadership is all about. --30-- Erich Bridges is overseas correspondent for the International Mission Board. -- End of story -- FROM THE STATES: Fla., La., Ga. evangelism/missions news By Staff Jul. 24 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38332 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: Florida Baptist Witness Baptist Message (Louisiana) The Christian Index (Georgia) Tampa church planter returns to native Cuba to teach church leaders By Carolyn Nichols TAMPA, Fla. (Florida Baptist Witness) -- Othoniel Valdes left Cuba in 1968 as an 11-year-old whose father was imprisoned for his faith. This summer he returned for the first time to the nation of his birth as a teacher and preacher. The trip sparked a desire in Valdes to plant churches in his homeland. Valdes, who works as a church planter with the Tampa Bay Baptist Association, travelled to Cuba with a team of Floridians to train pastors and lay leaders in the western part of the nation, the first time a LifeWay Christian Resources team had offered training in Havana. Team members were Valdes and his wife, Carmen; Rafael and Clysta DeArmas, former director of missions in the Peace River Baptist Association; and Carlos and Ericka Ludwig, pastor of Igreja Batista da Paz, a Brazilian congregation in the Tampa Bay association. The men of the team taught a three-day leadership conference attended by 70 from 11 churches, including nine pastors, and their wives encouraged women in the local congregations. The team worked with Pastor Ivan Elio, "LifeWay's go-to guy in Cuba," Valdes said. More than a decade ago Valdes volunteered to be a part of a Florida Baptist Convention team exploring the possibility of a partnership with the Cuban Baptist Association, but he was advised that his presence—as a Cuban native—might create problems for the team. Valdes put returning to Cuba on hold until last year when a missions conference at Bell Shoals Baptist Church put him in contact with a Cuban pastor who told him of the LifeWay projects in Cuba. "There was no reason to be involved before because I could not go. This time I could go, and it was for evangelism and teaching," Valdes said. When Valdes left Cuba with his mother, Carmen, and his three siblings, the family left behind their father, the late Benjamin Valdes, a pastor who worked with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board). He had served three years of a 12-year prison term as a political prisoner. The HMB, along with First Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., sponsored the family, allowing them to exit Cuba. They flew to Spain, and eventually to Georgia. "Thank God we were allowed to leave. This is my home now," Valdes said with a Spanish accent laced with a Georgia drawl. "I say that I am a Cuban redneck from Marietta." Benjamin Valdes eventually joined his family in the U. S. after his release from prison, and they moved to south Florida, where the elder Valdes served as pastor of Coral Park Baptist Church and Gethsemane Baptist Church, both in Miami. Othoniel Valdes' May 26-June 2 return to Cuba brought back only one memory of living on the island, he said. Now 55, Valdes recalled driving with his father on a "long avenue next to the port." He had hoped to return to the Yumuri Campground where his family vacationed, but the river was out of its banks, preventing driving into the area. He said he was never concerned about his safety in Cuba. "I wasn't sure I would be granted a religious Visa to travel, but, after I got that, there was nothing to fear," he said. Valdes was pleased to find Baptist work in Cuba thriving. "Baptist churches are very strong, aggressive and evangelistic. It was impressive," he said. Valdes was also impressed by the evangelistic fervor of a layman with whom he made visits in Bejucal. The man took off work to make visits with Valdes, one of which was to a friend in prison. The inmate is the reason the Christian man remains in his community, Valdes said. "His childhood friend is not a Christian and has lived a difficult life. We told him the plan of salvation, but his heart is hard," he said. "It was one of the saddest things I saw—the power of the evil one." The need for churches in Cuba did not go unnoticed by Church Planter Valdes. He hopes to one day plant congregations in Matanzas, the western Cuban city where he attended church with his family as a child. The city was his father's hometown. "This is one of Cuba's largest provinces—a 250,000 population with just one church. My connection with the city is not casual. It is no coincidence," he said. Although relatives he knew as a child are now deceased, Valdes and a second cousin now living in south Florida are talking about traveling to Cuba together. "I wasn't interested in going back before now, but now I know I can go back with something to help. There is a reason for me to be involved there," he said. --30-- This article originally appeared in the Florida Baptist Witness (gofbw.com), newsjournal of the Florida Baptist Convention. Carolyn Nichols is a newswriter for the Florida Baptist Witness. ********** First Ville Platte team brings Gospel to India By Rachel Ortego, Special to the Message VILLE PLATTE, La. (Baptist Message) -- Undaunted by the task of bringing the gospel to regions of India where only 2 percent of the people are Christian, eight members of First Baptist Church in Ville Platte, La., packed sausage, roux and Bible lessons for a 10-day missionary trip to the area of Valiveru, India, in late May. The trip was physically tasking and adventurous and brought them under close scrutiny by the Indian police, participants said. "Two years ago, a missionary trip like this was in none of our immediate or even long-range plans, yet God moved mightily through a new church member, Suresh Chiruguru, who joined the church in 2010," said Pastor Kevin West. "Suresh was on fire for mission work, specifically to support and encourage the little church from his home town in India where Christians were meeting in a dirt-floor hut with no air conditioning." Chiruguru was ordained as pastor of evangelism and missions at First Ville Platte, and Revival for All Ministries (RFAM) was birthed in a rent house on a back street in Ville Platte. "Suresh began to work with his Christian brothers back home to forge a connection with First Baptist in every way possible," West said. "Prayer meetings were held on Skype, videos shared and a newsletter was published. When the time came, we were able to step out in faith for this mission trip that changed lives at both sides of the globe. "It is one thing to hear about what the Holy Spirit can do on a mission trip but it's another thing to see it," the pastor continued. "It brought home to me what the first church in Acts must have been like. Even with opposition, they love the Lord and expect miracles to happen. They expect God to move. In America we go through programs rather than have expectations that God will show up and move." Pastor West said pastors of all Christian denominations attended the pastor's conference on core values that First Ville Platte led in India in late May. "They are not begging for handouts but want to learn how to stay the course and persevere," West said. "They are begging God to move." Pastor Kevin is no stranger to people in the church in India. His Sunday sermons in Ville Platte are translated in Telugu and broadcast to the church where women in colorful saris fill the floor in prayer and the men serve dutifully. Pastor John Babu Moparthy leads the congregation in India of about 500-700 on Sundays. Since the inception of RFAM, the 500-member church in the struggling neighborhood of Valiveru has moved its worship services from a thatch-roofed, door-less hut to a beautiful stone building made possible mainly by offerings from First Baptist Church in Ville Platte. Within these walls, Indian pastors are allowed to preach, but foreigners are forbidden to bring the gospel message. On the First Ville Platte mission team's second day in India, the arrest of a local political leader made the danger very real. The man was Hindu, but converted to Christianity and supports Christian communities and churches. Routinely, Indian police would visit the church during the mission trip, asking about the purpose of the Americans' visit. "We were very concerned that we would not be able to continue with our work, but the Lord prevailed," Chiruguru said. "The Christians of India put us to shame with their faith and conviction," said Sunday school director Neil Ortego, one of the members of the mission team to India. "We take so much for granted here. They don't, and they are the most servant-minded people you will ever meet. So many of them are poor, but they are content and happy in the Lord." "If you want to meet a Christian, go to India," said Lance Bertrand, another one of the short-term missionaries, speaking in a church service upon their return. At another point in his talk, he said, "Hinduism made me mad – seeing things like no funding for schools if you were Christian – but looking through God's word made me see that we need to hate the sin and love the sinner." A newsletter with articles from Ville Platte church staff members and West's Sunday messages, translated from English to Telugu, are distributed bimonthly in and out of the state of Andhra Pradesh to Telugu-reading communities. "When we started publishing the newsletter people were so hungry for the gospel message," Chiruguru explained. "We bumped the circulation from 500 to 750, then 1,000 and they kept asking for more. Right now, we print 3,000 copies and we still cannot keep up with the demand." While in India, the Cajuns joined the local clergy to visit the sick, aged and poor in the area; enjoyed a high school celebration and the birth of a new baby, ordained two pastors and taught the pastors' wives and families how to bar-be-que and make gumbo. The group also held a conference for pastors and deacons, conducted regular church services, and led a children's vacation Bible school and youth service. --30-- This article originally appeared in the Baptist Message (baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. ********** Shorter's venue for sharing the Gospel By J. Gerald Harris KINGSTOWN, Saint Vincent -- Shorter University and Carterville's Tabernacle Baptist Church invaded the beautiful island of Saint Vincent with basketballs and Bibles on a recent mission trip. Saint Vincent is the largest island of the Grenadines, a chain of over 600 islands in the Windward Islands. The beautiful tropical island, discovered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498, is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains. The island has a population of approximately 120,000 people and Kingstown is the largest town on Saint Vincent. The Anglican Church has more adherents than any other religious body, but the presence of voodoo superstitions accentuate the spiritual needs of the island. Tabernacle, having partnered with Saint Vincent's Baptist Convention for several years, has assisted in church planting efforts, Vacation Bible Schools, and community service, endeavoring in all things to be the hands and feet of Christ. When Steve McCombs, missions minister for Tabernacle, and Sabrena R. Parton, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and member of Tabernacle, approached Donald Dowless, president of Shorter University, about joining the church in the mission effort to Saint Vincent, Dowless responded in the affirmative without hesitation and provided the resources to make it happen. The Shorter president and his wife, Teresa, also became a part of the mission team. Dowless commented, "Shorter's partnership with Tabernacle Baptist Church in this mission trip was a natural outgrowth of our goal to provide spiritual as well as academic training and represents our view that Jesus Christ is Lord in every area of life. Our students returned home energized and excited, having seen the power of God demonstrated in their lives." Parton added, "There were 28 of us on the mission trip and we all loved each other, teased each other, supported each other and prayed for each other. Steve made all the arrangements for travel, lodging, meals, camps, and games. He is gifted and is the perfect mission's pastor and leader of college students. The students loved him. "I had the privilege of serving as the Shorter organizer – making sure everyone had their passports, were fed, safe, and got where they needed to be. Dr. and Mrs. Dowless and Dr. [Don] Hattaway (pastor of Tabernacle Church and vice president of the Shorter trustees) helped wherever needed. All of us took turns giving morning (7:30 a.m.) and evening (11 p.m.) devotions to the group." The primary objective of the mission trip was to use basketball as a tool for sharing Jesus with the lost on Saint Vincent's and Union Island, a smaller island about a 4˝-hour catamaran ride south of the big island. Interestingly, Shorter's men's basketball team finished third in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the women's team made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Thankfully, the teams' prowess on the basketball court was matched by their passion for Christ in the Grenadines. Since the basketball games became the primary venue for presenting the Gospel, the entire mission team spent a lot of time inviting the Islanders to the games. Parton remarked, "We went up to fruit stands and talked to owners. We walked through towns and rural areas and invited everyone we saw to our ballgames. Steve McCombs and two Shorter basketball players, Chelsea Matthews and DeVance Harris, shared their testimonies to the elementary school and middle school students on Union Island. "At basketball camp, the mission team walked and prayed over the basketball courts before the camp and before the night games. At halftime of each game one of the players would share a testimony and devotion. "While the women's team played their game, the men's team, Dr. and Mrs. Dowless, and the Tabernacle team worked the audience in the stands and those standing around the courts. We passed out embroidery threads of three colors in sandwich bags to children and would help them make bracelets, necklaces and also let them braid our hair as we talked about Jesus and God's Word. "When the men's team played we did the same thing. We didn't just sit and watch the teams; we worked the crowd for Jesus. Tabernacle supplied an electronic scoreboard for the games and left the scoreboard there on the island for them to use after we left. "After the games were over, our men's team gave their basketball shoes and shirts to the Island players to keep. Vic Mitchell, Shorter University women's basketball head coach, remarked, "The trip was everything we thought it would be and more. We had one player accept Christ and get baptized during the week and I believe we all got closer to Christ. As a team we were able to bond together in a remarkable way and I have no doubt that camaraderie will carry over with our team this upcoming season." Parton added, "The reason we took the men's and women's basketball teams was to give them the opportunity to conduct a basketball camp for all ages, play island teams in basketball games at night, and speak in the elementary and middle schools. "Through these avenues, we shared devotions, testimonies, and evangelistic services with the players and islanders. We walked through the towns and villages each day and invited people to attended. "We each had personalized cards that we gave to the islanders each night. These contained our pictures, testimonies, favorite Bible verses, physical birthdays, the date of our new birth in Jesus, hobbies, and email addresses. "I have taught many of the students that went on this trip," explained Parton. "I had the great pleasure of seeing Shelby Farrar, a student of mine for two years and a women's basketball player, ask Christ into her heart and want to be baptized. Dr. Hattaway baptized her on Friday in the Caribbean ocean off Union Island." Hattaway added, "The Shorter students did a phenomenal job of ministering to the people of Saint Vincent and Union Island. Their loving outreach impacted people of all ages. Watching them interact in the schools, on the courts, and in the streets was a blessing beyond description. "I was equally excited to hear Dr. Dowless preach a powerful Gospel message at Kingstown Baptist Church. Georgia Baptists can celebrate what God is doing at and through Shorter University." Jay Davis, Shorter basketball player, stated, "Going on the trip to Saint Vincent helped me to realize that Shorter is a caring university and the caring stretches far beyond the city of Rome." Tabernacle has been going to the island for almost four years now to engage in various mission projects. The continuing relationship is significant. Parton explained, "The islanders were happy to see Steve and Dr. Hattaway again. Dr. Hattaway could point to different people and tell the story of how he introduced him or her to Christ. They remembered him and it was like lost friends seeing each other again. "The islanders are used to people popping in for a week, leaving, and never coming back. So they take less interest in their message. But, because Tabernacle has been going to the island for almost four years now to host Vacation Bible Schools and other initiatives, the people were most receptive us. We had instant credibility. They begged us to come back." Parton concluded, "There were three truths made evident as a result of this trip. First, we discovered anew that God will equip you for the task. The trip was physically demanding, especially for the players. "The mission trip included lengthy and difficult travel, a scarcity of water, long hours, extreme heat, and even seasickness, but none of that deterred us. God gave us energy and enthusiasm for spreading His Word among the people. "Second, we also learned that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Regardless of what we had or didn't have God gave us joy. The fact that there was no television, no social media and no Internet didn't dampen our spirits. Although some were stung by sea urchins and others got blisters and we all got plenty sweaty, we sang all the time. We forgot about everything but sharing Jesus and loving each other. "Finally, we learned that to love Jesus is to desire to tell others about His wonderful grace. Our team found out experientially what it means to be Acts 1:8 Christians. "DeVance Harris, nicknamed 'Big D' because he is so tall he can dunk a basketball, wants to go on another mission trip. Shelby Farrar, who was baptized, wants to learn more about how to study the Bible. Eric Nix wants to travel the world using basketball as his tool for sharing Jesus. "Courtney Trippe is going back in August to do her missions internship by helping associational missionary David Franklin with SPLASH St. Vincent. Blake Selland had little girls rubbing their hands through his hair and putting it in pigtails as he shared the message of Christ with them. Karisma Boykin had a following of little boys who fought to sit with her and on her lap while they watched the men's team play. "Teresa Dowless shared with children how much Jesus loves them and worked with them to make bracelets and necklaces. Drs. Dowless and Hattaway played ball and worked the crowds sharing Jesus. "I am proud to work for a Christian university that is proud to share Jesus, and under the leadership of our new president, seeks to exalt the Lord. I'm grateful to be an administrator at a GBC university committed to Christ and academic excellence." --30-- This article originally appeared in The Christian Index (christianindex.org), newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. J. Gerald Harris is editor of The Christian Index. -- 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