The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-01/05/2015 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Huckabee ends TV show, weighing presidential bid by Art Toalston Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP) -- Former Arkansas governor and Baptist pastor Mike Huckabee ended his Fox News TV show Jan. 3 in view of a possible run for the White House in 2016. Huckabee finished second in 2008 to Sen. John McCain for the Republican nomination to face then-Sen. Barack Obama. He is a former pastor of Southern Baptist churches in Pine Bluff and Texarkana, Ark., and a former president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention; a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia; and a former student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. "As much as I have loved doing the show, I cannot bring myself to rule out another presidential run," Huckabee, 59, said in a news release prior to his Jan.3 “Huckabee” airing. Huckabee has hosted the weekend show for the past six and a half years. Huckabee delved into politics, faith and family values in the hour-long talk show, which was taped in New York for airing on Saturday and Sunday evenings. National media quickly reported on Huckabee’s decision; a CNN headline stated, “Huckabee gets serious about a second presidential run.” Huckabee, in the news release, said the cable TV show had been “the ride of a lifetime.... But I also realize that God hasn't put me on earth just to have a good time or to make a good living, but rather has put me on earth to try to make a good life.” He acknowledged "a great deal of speculation” about his intentions for 2016. “If I were willing to absolutely rule that out, I could keep doing this show,” he said. “But I can't make such a declaration.” Huckabee said he will make a decision in late spring, “but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that is not fair to them nor is it possible for me to openly determine political and financial support to justify a race. The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox.” The RealClearPolitics.com website, in an analysis of various polls for the Iowa caucuses in February 2016, placed Huckabee in the lead with an average of 15.7 percent among respondents from July through October, followed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential nominee in 2012, at 9.5 percent; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, 8.5 percent; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, 8.3 percent; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 8.0 percent; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, 6.0 percent; former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, 5.8 percent; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, 5.8 percent; and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 5.5 percent. Huckabee served as Arkansas governor from 1996-2007 and as lieutenant governor from 1993-96. As a pastor, he led Beech Street Baptist Church in Texarkana from 1986-92 and Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff from 1980-86. In both churches he engaged in local TV ministry. He was president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention from 1989-91. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Four considerations for Southern Baptist churches by Ronnie Floyd Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) -- As we near the coming of the Lord, we should be more focused than ever before. As our 50,000 plus churches and congregations partner together in Gospel causes, the time is now for us to rise up like never before. I want to ask you to consider these four things with me in 2015. 1. Personally, collectively, and cooperatively, we need to own the Great Commission. As Southern Baptists, our missional vision is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. There is not one of us that can escape this vision, not because it our vision as Southern Baptists, but because it is the vision of Jesus Christ for each of us as His disciples. When I challenge us to own the Great Commission, I mean we must own this responsibility personally. This means that my church and your church must own the responsibility of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person and make disciples of every people group in our own region. It also means we must work cooperatively to reach the world for Jesus Christ. Our church cannot do it by ourselves. Your church cannot do it by yourselves. Our 50,000 plus churches and congregations must cooperate like never before through our 1,100 associations, 42 state conventions, and 12 Southern Baptist entities. As Southern Baptists, we must own the Great Commission in every way possible. 2. Increase your financial support of our Great Commission work together. Unashamedly and unapologetically, I humbly request that each local church increase their giving through our Cooperative Program. I have never been more convinced that each church must give more than we have ever given before through our Cooperative Program. Whether your practice is to give by percentage or dollar amount, I call upon each of our churches to increase our giving. This is imperative if we are going to see all of our Great Commission ministries advanced regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' unified plan of giving through which churches give to reach the world for Jesus Christ. As Southern Baptists, I have heard us talk about our great commitment to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Friends, we must renew and increase our financial commitment to seeing the Gospel advanced throughout the world. Therefore, consider this strongly and urgently. Tell the story. Trust your people. I believe they will step up in an unprecedented manner. 3. Plan now to have your church represented at our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on June 16-17, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio. Since the moment I was elected as SBC president, I have extended a clear calling to Columbus, Ohio, for our annual gathering in 2015. Regardless of the size of your church, we need your church represented. Why is this so important? We need our Southern Baptist family in one place, praying, worshipping, and working together to see the Great Commission completed in our generation. Soon, I will begin to talk about many more specifics of our upcoming gathering, but right now, do all you can to be in Columbus, Ohio. If you have questions, go online to our annual meeting website or call 615-244-2355 to have your questions answered. Remember, we would like to see every church represented in Columbus. Join me. I believe this will be one of the great spiritual highlights for each of us this year. Come early! Help us in Crossover Columbus on June 13, participate in our pre-convention gatherings like the Pastors' Conference, the Women's Missionary Union, the Pastors' Wives session and others. We need to come to Columbus on June 16-17, in clear agreement, visible union and in extraordinary prayer for the next Great Awakening and to reach the world for Christ. 4. Join many of us that are praying and seeking the face of God daily for the next Great Awakening and to reach the world for Christ.   Our beloved nation and world needs the next great move of God to come upon us more than anything. Our churches in America need a mighty spiritual revival. Disunity needs to cease and unity in Christ's community must begin to prevail. Spiritual awakening is our greatest need in America. We need to see places, regions, and prayerfully even nationally, a sweeping, God-sized moving of God. It has happened before. It can happen again. America's need has never been greater. We must reach the world for Jesus Christ. This is why we are praying and seeking the face of God for the next Great Awakening. A massive harvest is needed and every people group in the world deserves the privilege to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Join others who are downloading, reading, and sharing this special and free ebook, "Pleading With Southern Baptists." Please consider sharing it with your church and others. Southern Baptist family, we can do this We can do this together. Pastor and leaders, you are not in this quest alone. Take these four considerations to the Lord in prayer, then take them to your church. The need is now. The urgency is upon us. This is our time. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Small, rural church gives 30% through CP by Karen L. Willoughby Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday ALMYRA, Ark. (BP) -- Some might say trusting God comes easily for the farming families who make up the majority of the members of Almyra First Baptist Church. They watch rice emerge from flooded fields, soybeans grow in carefully weeded rows, and cotton blossoms nearby. They know from this that God gives the increase in His time, when they're obedient to do His work, says Doug Hibbard, who has served as pastor of First Baptist in Almyra, Ark., the past four years. The congregation averages about 55 in Sunday morning worship. "These are people who want to hear the Word, and want to do what they can do to serve," Hibbard said. "Because of what they do for a living, many of them can't go [on mission trips,] but they want to be supportive of what Southern Baptists are doing around the world." Almyra First Baptist has given 30 percent of undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program for about 60 years. "The Cooperative Program is the most efficient way to keep missions funding going," Hibbard said. "I am married to the daughter of CP-funded missionaries. She grew up on the field and we know the stories [of non-Southern Baptist missionaries.] We like the fact that through the Cooperative Program we let missionaries be missionaries and not have to stress about going back home and raising money so they can stay on the field." The congregation is intentional in keeping Cooperative Program giving at 30 percent, the pastor said. "Here in a rural environment it can take years for us to really see a lot of fruit," Hibbard said. "We have to think long-term. That's why, when it comes to our missions giving, we don't need immediate results. We can't say, 'We didn't see fruit so let's try some place else.' "That's part of what we are as a church, and that's one of the benefits I see in the Cooperative Program," Hibbard said. "We give to support missionaries who are faithfully serving the Lord wherever they are, even when they're not in man's eyes being highly fruitful." About 500 people live within a five-mile radius of Almyra First Baptist Church, 319 in the town itself. The square-plotted rural village of 12 blocks began in 1891 as a railroad stop and farming village. A Baptist church was organized in 1896. "There's not a lot of community growth and change," Hibbard said. "We're creeping up, hoping for 60 [in worship attendance] in the coming year. "We're doing a whole lot of prayer, doing what's in front of us, strengthening our children's programs and keeping them strong," he said, "because parents who won't come to church want to send their kids to church." Wednesday evening activities are one way Almyra First reaches the local community. A church-wide meal follows the children's Bible study, and plates are delivered to the homebound. "It's a great opportunity for us to serve kids and serve adults," Hibbard said. "It's great for relationships in the church; people can sit around and talk." In other local outreaches, church members volunteer for a month each year at a food bank in nearby DeWitt, Ark.; the congregation worships at Thanksgiving and Easter with the local Methodist congregation, and the church conducts outreach ministry to an elementary school in Dewitt. "A lot of it is, 'Here's an opportunity; let's grab hold of it,'" Hibbard said. "That's what we do." Hibbard's personal blog and his occasional presence on SBCVoices.com stretch and expand the church's ministry, as do his sermon audio podcasts and videos of services posted to YouTube.com. "To have 35 to 50 audio downloads of a sermon is gratifying," Hibbard said. Hibbard is also called upon regularly to minister to community members who do not attend his congregation, and two years ago was named associational team leader for the Centennial Baptist Association, which covers about 1,000 square miles of southeastern Arkansas. Several hundred members from the association's 15 congregations participated in a major evangelistic block party, home repair, yard work and door-to-door visitation in 2013 in the southern part of Arkansas County, and a similar event in 2014 in the northern part of the county. "I'm hoping to do something similar in 2015," Hibbard said. "It's strengthening the fellowship in the association, and [has] involved two churches that previously hadn't seen the need to be part of the association." Jonathan Hillman, the church's deacon chairman, is the only member who has taken a short-term mission trip in recent years. In partnership with First Baptist Church of nearby Stuttgart, Ark., Hillman traveled to a church near the Ural Mountains in Russia. "It's a place the International Mission Board doesn't have a presence," Hibbard said. "It's been a good opportunity for us to have someone involved internationally." While Almyra First Baptist members may be able to take a mission trip in the future, the church will continue to serve the Lord, understanding His presence in their everyday lives, Hibbard said. "This is how we define faith," he said. "It's obeying God and trusting Him with the outcome. That's really what we do; we obey and trust God. It may seem like it's not the easiest way to do something, but it's the best way." -------------------------------------------------------------------- WMU leader Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler dies at 84 by Staff Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) –- Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler's desire to dedicate herself to Christian service is one that lasted until the day of her death on Jan. 2. Her joyful spirit and cheerful attitude will be sorely missed by those who knew her. She served as executive director of national WMU from 1974 to 1989. Mattie Carolyn Weatherford was born to farmers Rufus Clark and Doris Elizabeth Sansing Weatherford on Jan. 17, 1930. The Weatherfords made their home in Frostproof, Fla., but were in House, Miss., when their daughter was born. Crumpler grew up in a household devoted to missions, as her mother involved Crumpler and her siblings in as many activities as their Baptist church offered. She professed Christ when she was 12, and following the example of her mother, a GA (Girls in Action) leader, Crumpler became a GA counselor by the time she was 14. Her service at such a young age did not go unnoticed by visiting WMU leaders, and at the age of 16, with the invitation of a Florida WMU state officer, Crumpler and a friend were off to Ridgecrest, N.C., for a young women's conference. Crumpler taught her community's first Vacation Bible School, and, as a junior in high school, she became the associational officer for Baptist Training Union (BTU), later serving as her church's BTU director for all age groups. She added adult choir director to her list of activities. Crumpler studied library science at Florida State University, and was a high school librarian for five years. However, her desire to commit to Christian service on a full-time basis would not subside, so she entered New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where she earned a master's degree in religious education. Crumpler began her career with WMU in 1958 after being denied foreign missionary candidacy because of hypertension. Crumpler did not let that stop her from serving in WMU. From 1961 to 1963, she worked with GAs through Florida WMU, and from 1963 to 1967, she served in Alabama as WMU promotion director. Next, she took on the position of executive director of Florida WMU. After representing Southern Baptists in the Women's Continental Assembly of 1972, Crumpler became chief executive of national WMU. During her tenure, she coauthored "My Life More Fit for Him," a book on physical and spiritual well-being, with staff member Barbara Massey, and wrote a number of other works. "When Carolyn was elected as executive director, she came with years of experience in state WMU work," reflected Wanda S. Lee, executive director of national WMU. "Working with a board composed of many state staff members, she brought an understanding of the challenges of their work and fresh ideas for new ways to work together. She laid a strong foundation for the partnership that exists today between the national office and our state WMU partners. Her love for missions and missionaries will continue to inspire all of us who lead today to stay faithful to the purpose of WMU." During the years she led national WMU, the organization experienced growth in church missions organizations; began several initiatives including Acteens Activators, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, and New Hope Publishers; and moved from downtown Birmingham to its current location at 100 Missionary Ridge. She had an intense desire to help children of missionaries (MKs), and invited many of them to dinner at her house when they were in Birmingham for school. Starting in 1980, she served on the Baptist World Alliance's (BWA) General Council and became chairman of the Baptist World Aid Committee in 1985. She attended BWA meetings faithfully, and was the first woman to chair the North American Baptist Fellowship. When she became president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary National Alumni Association, 1984–85, she became the first woman to chair a Southern Baptist seminary's alumni association (other than the WMU Training School/Carver School of Missions at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). She was awarded honorary doctorates from William Carey College, Mobile College, Campbell University, Georgetown College, and Houston Baptist University. In 1989, Crumpler retired from WMU and married James Joseph ("Joe") Crumpler, a widower who was then pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. She moved to Cincinnati and continued to be active in missions work, both nationally and with local ministries in the Cincinnati area. After her retirement, Crumpler became involved with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, serving as moderator in 1995-96. In recent years, despite many health problems, Crumpler remained active in missions and sharing the love of Christ. She is survived by her husband and a host of family members. Visitation will be Jan. 23, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 8645 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio. The family will also receive visitors at the church on Jan. 24 at 9:30-10:30 a.m., prior to a memorial service at 11 a.m. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Porn 'damages & degrades' relationships by David Roach Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday NASHVILLE (BP) -- A new study concluding that pornography use leads to decreased enjoyment of sexual intimacy for men illustrates "the detrimental effect" obscene images have on "a male's sexual health," a leader of Southern Baptists' anti-pornography campaign told Baptist Press. "The study reinforces the fact that pornography writes a sexual script that leaves out God, unconditional love, respect for each other and honoring each other," Jay Dennis, co-sponsor of the Join One Million Men campaign, said in written comments. "Parents should take heed that the younger a male views pornography the more he will use pornography for sexual stimulation. The study underscores that pornography lessens enjoyment with a real-life partner." Launched at the 2013 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Houston, Join One Million Men is seeking commitments from 1 million men to live pornography-free lives. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and the Woman's Missionary Union sponsored the initiative along with Dennis, pastor of First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. Researchers Chyng Sun, Ana Bridges, Jennifer Johnason and Matt Ezzell wrote in the December issue of "Archives of Sexual Behavior" that "pornography is sometimes dismissed, celebrated, or problematized as fantasy, and many consumers may access pornography explicitly as a form of entertainment, but pornography is also much more. What happens on the screen may implicate life off of it." The researchers asked a sample of 487 males ages 18-29 a range of questions regarding the frequency of their pornography use, their use of pornography in conjunction with sexual encounters and their enjoyment of sexual intimacy. The research team found "significant positive association" between pornography use and "reliance on pornography to obtain/maintain sexual excitement." Use of pornography also made men more likely to "view pornography during sexual activity" with a real-life partner. Porn use correlated with less enjoyment of sexually intimate behavior. "Our findings are consistent with a theory suggesting that pornography can become a preferred sexual script for men, thus influencing their real-world expectations," the researchers wrote. Only 10.9 percent of the men surveyed reported that they did not currently use pornography. A mere 1.3 percent of men surveyed said they had never encountered pornography. The vast majority of study participants (97.9 percent) were unmarried, but 75.4 percent reported having engaged in sexual intercourse. Participants reported on average that religious faith was only moderately important to them, suggesting that the study results may not apply to men in committed relationships with Christ. All participants were college students. Donna Rice Hughes, president and CEO of the anti-pornography organization Enough Is Enough, said the study proves that pornography "is not just harmless fun." "The science proves exactly how harmful porn is to relationships and society," Hughes said in a news release. "Which is why we are fighting so hard to educate the public about how to prevent this toxic material from its devastating harms to children, women, men, marriages and our culture. At Enough Is Enough, we bring this research to the public, to Congress, to leaders." The study also found that 48.7 percent of today's college males were first exposed to pornography prior to age 13. Researchers claimed that "current sex education models -- in the schools and in the home -- do not seem well-equipped to assist boys in navigating or critically engaging the messages of pornography." The study's authors criticized abstinence-only sexual education programs, which teach teens to delay sexual activity until marriage, as "ineffective in helping adolescents make informed and healthy sexual choices." But Dennis agreed with the principle of sexual abstinence until marriage, noting "the boundaries God has set for our safety and enjoyment." Pornography ignores those boundaries and depicts as normal "degrading and humiliating acts along with physically aggressive behavior toward women," he said. Dennis concluded, "Parents must begin educating their children, especially their sons, on why pornography is not God's plan and how it damages and degrades real relationships. Education, information, accountability and biblical truth communicated by a loving parent can help turn the tide." -------------------------------------------------------------------- CP 3.11 percent ahead of 2013 pace by Staff Date: January 05, 2015 - Monday NASHVILLE (BP) --Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's portion of the Cooperative Program are 3.11 percent ahead of the same time frame at the end of 2013 and 3.84 percent under the SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget projection for the year according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief Executive Officer Frank S. Page. The $45,193,980.71 received by the Executive Committee from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2014, for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget represents 96.16 percent of the $47,000,000 year-to-date budgeted amount to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America. The total is $1,364,185.10, or 3.11 percent, ahead of last year’s decade-low total through the first quarter of the fiscal year of $43,829,795.61. The year-to-date total represents money received by the Executive Committee by the close of the last business day of December and includes receipts from state conventions, churches and individuals for distribution, according to the 2014-15 SBC Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. Designated giving of $11,481,207.91 for the same year-to-date period is 4.00 percent, or $441,545.65, above gifts of $11,039,662.26 received at this point last year. This total includes only those gifts received and distributed by the Executive Committee and does not reflect designated gifts contributed directly to SBC entities. Designated contributions include the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions, Southern Baptist Global Hunger Relief (formerly the World Hunger Fund) and other special gifts. December's CP allocation receipts for SBC work totaled $13,234,621.75. Designated gifts received last month amounted to $4,165,776.17. The Cooperative Program is Southern Baptists' channel of giving through which a local church is able to contribute to the ministries of its state convention and to the missions and ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention with a single contribution to its state convention. State conventions retain a portion of church contributions to the Cooperative Program to support work in their respective states and forward a percentage to Southern Baptist national and international causes. The percentage of distribution from the states is at the discretion of the messengers of each state convention through the adoption of the state convention's annual budget. The SBC allocation budget is distributed as follows: 50.41 percent to support more than 4,800 overseas personnel with the IMB, 22.79 percent to help fuel North American evangelism and church planting through NAMB, 22.16 percent to help underwrite low-cost ministerial preparation and theological education through six SBC seminaries, 2.99 percent to the SBC operating budget and 1.65 percent to promote biblical morality and religious freedom through the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Month-to-month swings reflect a number of factors, including the number of Sundays in a given month, the day of the month churches forward their CP contributions to their state conventions, the percentage of CP contributions forwarded to the SBC by the state conventions after shared ministry expenses are deducted and the timing of when the state conventions forward the national portion of Cooperative Program contributions to the Executive Committee. CP allocation budget receipts received by the Executive Committee are reported monthly to the executives of the entities of the convention, to the state convention offices, to the state Baptist papers and are posted online at www.cpmissions.net/CPReports.