The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-01/16/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ANALYSIS: Does Scripture address abortion? by David Roach Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (Jan. 18) commemorates 42 years of legal abortion in the United States. NASHVILLE (BP) -- The claim of some pro-choice groups that Scripture does not address abortion would have surprised both Jews and Christians living in the first century. That's because they were virtually unanimous that the Bible implicitly -- though clearly -- prohibited the killing of unborn children. Abortion advocates today tend either to deny this fact or remain gladly ignorant of it. For example, Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion provider, issued a "pastoral letter to patients" last spring stating, "Many people wrongly assume that all religious leaders disapprove of abortion. The truth is that abortion is not even mentioned in the Scriptures -- Jewish or Christian -- and there are clergy and people of faith from all denominations who support women making this complex decision." Of course, the Bible does not contain the direct commandment, "Thou shalt not have an abortion." But based on passages like Psalm 139:14-16, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Amos 1:13 and others, ancient Jews and Christians believed it was clear that God cared for the unborn and regarded abortion as a sin. Some may be surprised to learn that abortion existed more than 2,000 years ago, with surgical and chemical abortions performed in pagan cultures hundreds of years before Christ's birth. The Greeks were among the first Ancient Near Eastern people to permit abortion, with Plato arguing in "The Republic" that pregnant women over 40 should be required to have abortions. In contrast to pagan cultures, Judaism emphasized the value of unborn and pre-born life dating back at least to the time of Moses, when God's people protected infant males from being slaughtered at birth as Pharaoh ordered (Exodus 1:15-21). In fact, some scholars believe Pharaoh's command to kill Hebrew boys "on the birthstool" (Exodus 1:16) was actually a command to commit partial birth abortion, with "birth stool" functioning as a Hebrew euphemism for "birth canal." Either way, the Jewish culture of life was evident, and the Jews of Jesus' time expressed their anti-abortion convictions. The Jewish work Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides, written between 50 B.C. and A.D. 50, taught that "a woman should not destroy the unborn in her belly." First Enoch, which was written in the first or second century B.C., said it was evil to "smash the embryo in the womb." Josephus, a Jewish historian born in A.D. 37, summarized, "The Law orders all offspring to be brought up, and forbids women either to cause abortion or to make away with the fetus." Early Christians agreed. The Didache, a first-century document that some church fathers argued should have been included in the New Testament, taught, "Thou shalt not murder a child by abortion nor kill them when born." Another Christian writing considered for inclusion in the New Testament, the Epistle of Barnabas, said, "You shall not abort a child nor, again, commit infanticide." Both of these documents were read aloud in some churches. When Spanish bishops convened a council in approximately 305 in the city of Elvira, they voted unanimously to decree eternal excommunication for women who had abortions -- a decision that reflected their just condemnation of the practice though it failed to reflect the biblical promise of forgiveness to post-abortive women who confess their sin and trust Christ as their Lord and Savior. "If a woman conceives in adultery and then has an abortion, she may not commune again ... because she has sinned twice," the council decreed. Among other early church leaders whose writings condemned abortion explicitly were Tertullian (c. 150-c. 229), Clement of Alexandria (c. 153-c. 215), Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-379), Jerome (c. 347-419) and John Chrysostom (c. 349-407). Perhaps one reason the New Testament writers did not address abortion was that they did not need to. For the first 500 years of Christianity, there was a strong and practically unanimous consensus among believers that terminating a pregnancy violated Scripture's doctrine of the sanctity of human life. A thousand years later, John Calvin demonstrated that the Christian tradition of opposing abortion was still alive and well. Commenting on Exodus 21:22-23, Calvin wrote, "The fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is almost a monstrous crime to rob it of the life which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man's house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light." In the strictest sense, abortion advocates are correct: the Bible does not speak explicitly to abortion. But that should not leave believers in a state of moral confusion any more than the Bible's failure to explicitly address money laundering or Internet pornography. For more than 2,000 years, the Lord's followers have extrapolated from biblical principles that some behaviors are obviously sinful. The united witness of Jews and Christians regarding abortion is a case in point. Basil, Jerome, Chrysostom, Calvin and a host of other believers from every nation, tribe, people and tongue would scoff at the claim that Scripture is silent and that God's people historically have been divided regarding abortion. -------------------------------------------------------------------- How Southern Baptists became pro-life by David Roach Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (Jan. 18) commemorates 42 years of legal abortion in the United States. NASHVILLE (BP) -- In 1979, Larry Lewis picked up a copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and saw a full-page ad listing the Southern Baptist Convention among denominations that affirmed the right to abortion. "Right there beside the Unitarians and universalists was the Southern Baptist Convention," Lewis, a St. Louis pastor who went on to become president of the Home Mission Board (now the North American Mission Board), told Baptist Press. "... That bothered me a lot." So Lewis did something about it, proposing in 1980 the first of more than 20 pro-life resolutions adopted by the SBC over the next few decades. When Lewis became HMB president of in 1987, one of his first actions was to create the office of abortion alternatives to help churches establish crisis pregnancy centers. Thanks to Lewis and others, newspapers do not call the SBC pro-choice anymore. Before Roe v. Wade In 1979 though, it may have seemed a reasonable classification. Baptists and Roman Catholics had long agreed that life begins at conception, but Baptist scholars, unlike their Catholic counterparts, generally did not develop biblical and theological arguments regarding unborn children. By the mid-20th century, abortion rarely came up among Southern Baptists, and average church members had only "a general feeling that abortion was wrong," Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University, told Baptist Press. Things got worse in the '60s. "The whole nation and culture kind of went off the rails and lost its moral moorings, including any kind of understanding of the sanctity of pre-born life," he said. Between 1965-68, abortion was referenced at least 85 times in popular magazines and scholarly journals, but no Baptist state paper mentioned abortion and no Baptist body took action related to the subject, according to a 1991 Ph.D. dissertation by Paul Sadler at Baylor University. In 1970, a poll conducted by the Baptist Sunday School Board found that 70 percent of Southern Baptist pastors supported abortion to protect the mental or physical health of the mother, 64 percent supported abortion in cases of fetal deformity and 71 percent in cases of rape. Three years later, a poll conducted by the Baptist Standard newsjournal found that 90 percent of Texas Baptists believed their state's abortion laws were too restrictive. Support for abortion rights was not limited to theological moderates and liberals. At New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in the early 1970s, some conservative students who went on to become state convention presidents and pastors of prominent churches supported abortion for reasons other than to save the life of the mother, Richard Land, former president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told BP. "They pretty much bought into the idea that life begins when breath begins, and they just thought of [abortion] as a Catholic issue," Land, who attended New Orleans Seminary between 1969-72, said of his fellow students. A 1971 SBC resolution on abortion appeared to capture the consensus. It stated that "society has a responsibility to affirm through the laws of the state a high view of the sanctity of human life, including fetal life." But the resolution added, "We call upon Southern Baptists to work for legislation that will allow the possibility of abortion under such conditions as rape, incest, clear evidence of fetal deformity, and carefully ascertained evidence of the likelihood of damage to the emotional, mental, and physical health of the mother." Reaction to Roe When the Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand in 1973 with its Roe v. Wade decision, some Southern Baptists criticized the ruling while maintaining their support of abortion rights as defined in the 1971 resolution. Others embraced the Supreme Court's decision. A Baptist Press analysis article written by then-Washington bureau chief Barry Garrett declared that the court had "advanced the cause of religious liberty, human equality and justice." Norma McCorvey, the unnamed plaintiff in Roe v. Wade who later became a pro-life activist, made her first public statement after the ruling to BP, revealing her true identity. One of McCorvey's attorneys, Linda Coffee, was a Southern Baptist and also granted BP an interview. "It's great to know that other women will not have to go through what I did," McCorvey told BP in 1973, commenting on her experience of giving birth and placing her child up for adoption. "I'm glad the court decided that women, in consultation with a doctor, can control their own bodies." A 1981 pamphlet published by the Christian Life Commission, a precursor organization to the ERLC, spoke of "Christian concern for the value of the defenseless fetus" but went on to argue, "It is questionable that Christian love and justice would be served by extremely restrictive laws which do not give conscientious people with proper medical advice the opportunity to choose when they are faced with very grave moral dilemmas related to abortion." In a more extreme stance, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Paul Simmons argued that "God is pro-choice," and some prominent Baptist leaders were among early supporters of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights. How opinions changed Not all Southern Baptists supported abortion rights, however. Lewis became strongly pro-life in the late 1960s when he and his wife sought to adopt a child, believing they were unable to have biological children. The Lewises -- who eventually had three biological children -- were told they had to wait five years to adopt due to a shortage of children. "To me it was incongruous that people would be destroying their babies when there were [couples] who were desperately wanting children," Lewis said. For Land, a high school science class drove home the reality that unborn babies were humans worthy of protection. A classmate whose father was an obstetrician brought a fetus to school in a jar of formaldehyde as a prop for a presentation and stored it beside Land's desk. When Land told the teacher he was disturbed by the fetus, he was sent to the principal's office, where a school administrator asked, "You're not Catholic, are you?" A few months later, Land's mother told him doctors had urged her to abort him, believing he would be born with severe abnormalities. "From that moment forward, I really felt an obligation to speak up for unborn children who couldn't speak for themselves, because I had been in danger," Land, who was president of the CLC/ERLC for 25 years and now serves as president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, said. As the 1970s progressed, Land, Lewis and thousands of individual Southern Baptists -- including the organization Southern Baptists for Life -- argued for protecting unborn life in all cases except to save the physical life of the mother. Among non-Southern Baptists, apologist Francis Schaeffer and future U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop argued that abortion was immoral and gained increased support for the pro-life cause. Southern Baptists as prominent as W.A. Criswell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, began to shift from a qualified pro-choice view to fully embrace the pro-life position. Following the Roe v. Wade decision, news sources reported that Criswell said, "I have always felt that it was only after a child was born and had life separate from its mother that it became an individual person, and it has always, therefore, seemed to me that what is best for the mother and for the future should be allowed." But, according to Land, Criswell "listened intently" to pro-life arguments during the ensuing years, including arguments Land made while teaching at Criswell College beginning in 1975. When the "Criswell Study Bible" was published in 1979, Criswell included "overtly pro-life" study notes, Land said. Mirroring Criswell's change of mind were similar changes in the broader evangelical world. Theologians Carl Henry and Norman Geisler, for example, both became ardently pro-life. "Some of our pastors in those years hadn't really studied what Scripture said about abortion," Jerry Vines, former SBC president and retired pastor of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., told BP. "But I think the carnage [of increased abortion following Roe v. Wade] drove them back to their Bibles to take a further look at it." Studying a Greek word from the New Testament "really nailed down the abortion issue for me," Vines said. The word "brephos," translated as "baby," is used eight times in the New Testament, Vines said. Six of those occurrences refer to children who have already been born, but two speak of John the Baptist in his mother's womb. "That's pretty convincing evidence that Scripture looks on a baby in its mother's womb as a baby," said Vines, who also noted Jeremiah 1 and Psalm 139 as convincing pro-life passages. Moving forward When a succession of conservative presidents were selected by messengers to lead the SBC beginning in 1979, they appointed resolutions committees that consistently proposed pro-life statements. In turn, messengers to the convention's annual meetings supported those statements -- partially because some had changed their opinions and partially because greater numbers of conservative messengers were attending the meetings. Meanwhile, Land was elected chief executive of the Christian Life Commission in 1988 and made defending unborn life one of the entity's priorities. Under his leadership, the CLC lobbied for pro-life legislation in Congress and taught Southern Baptists how a biblical ethic of life applied to abortion, reproductive technology, human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. Current SBC President Ronnie Floyd told BP that Southern Baptists must build on victories of the past and rearticulate their commitment to defend unborn life in every generation. "If we continually hold high our commitment to holy Scripture, to the lordship of Jesus Christ and our commitment to human life from the moment of conception, I think we can constantly be an effective voice" for life, Floyd said. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivorian worldview meshes culture, traditional tribal religions by Elaine Gaston Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Ivory Coast was the country of focus for the 2014 International Mission Study by Woman's Missionary Union. Find resources to support the study at wmu.com/IMS and imb.org/ims. Please see two related stories below this article. ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (BP) -- International Mission Board missionary Heather McAfee told a story about a woman who came to her for prayer. The woman was worried about a snake in her house. McAfee asked if the snake was poisonous. "No," the woman answered. McAfee asked if it was still in the house. "No," the woman repeated. McAfee didn't understand exactly what the problem was until later when an Ivorian friend explained that a snake in the house represents "serious evil." The woman feared someone had cursed her. "The African is 'profoundly, incurably a believer, a religious person,'" according to African author Tshishiku Tshibangu. "To him, religion is not just a set of beliefs but a way of life, the basis of culture, identity and moral values." The author also said beliefs stemming from traditional tribal religions often underlie the spiritual understanding of those who outwardly embrace another religion such as Islam or Christianity. For example, an Ivorian says he follows Islam yet ties a magical charm on a string around his young son's bare waist to ward off evil forces. As with the vast amount of ethnic diversity in Ivory Coast, there is diversity in local beliefs among different tribal groups. Nevertheless, in African traditional tribal religions, some constants include belief in a supreme being and an invisible spirit world, as well as the ability to interact with this spirit world. The veneration of ancestors is widespread, as is the existence of good and evil spirits that can harm or help individuals. These spirits can inhabit the natural world in rivers, forests, stones, etc. Using magic for healings and curses is also a common thread. IMB emeritus missionaries Ed and Greta Pinkston served in Ivory Coast for 34 years -- 12 of those in Abidjan. They also worked in Daloa, northwest of Abidjan, among the Bete (Bay-tay) tribe. Throughout their years of service, they repeatedly saw this belief in -- and fear of -- spirits expressed in daily life, Greta Pinkston recalled. "It was not unusual for sacrifices to be placed at the foot of huge trees, rocks, or thrown into large rivers," she said. "We even saw sacrifices of eggs, feathers, bones, [and] rice piled into the middle of busy intersections in our town." She remembered sacred forests where Ivorians would go for ceremonies and to place sacrifices. Ed Pinkston described how traditional tribal religions influence people's mindset in a paper he presented to a church-planting conference in Abidjan in 1991: "In African Traditional Religion, ... everything has a spiritual cause -- sickness, success, failure, accidents, death, just as for the Western mind, everything has a natural cause. If a child died, we would ask, 'What sickness killed him? How did he get it? Could he have been saved by adequate treatment?' We might even have an autopsy to determine the cause of his death. "Most Africans' reaction would be 'Who caused him to die? What enemy used sorcery against him? What did we do that would make someone living or some ancestor's spirit or some other spirit want to kill our child?' They might consult a charlatan [a diviner, a person who divines or declares something obscure or in the future] to determine who was responsible for the death." Greta Pinkston added that this reaction wouldn't be limited to the uneducated. "People who have college or [doctorate] degrees and who are well placed in business, government or the education field will go to diviners when things get tough or serious problems arise. These things hold a tight grip on people, and they live in fear, especially of the spirits of the ancestors." ****************************** 'One city made up of 12 cities' By Elaine Gaston ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (BP) -- The Sunday service had finished at Belleville Baptist Church in Abobo, and worshippers were leaving for their walk home. Some lingered outside, talking together in the hot sun, while in the grassy field in front of the cinderblock building, children played. Suddenly several women started singing. A drummer then began to beat out a rhythm with the harmonies. As the beat picked up, the women began to dance. They weren't singing in French as they had with most of the worship songs earlier. They were singing a Baule praise song, said Heather McAfee, an International Mission Board urban church planter, along with husband Mike. Or at least she thought it was Baule because that's the tribe of many of the women taking part in this spontaneous singing. It's one of the underlying realities of working in Abidjan. While French is the language of education and government, everyone has his own tribal affiliation and "heart" language. The Baule are a large group from central Ivory Coast. They are the largest subgroup of the Akan, which includes many other people groups. There are the Bete, the second largest group after the Baule. There are the Senufo, Lobi, Dan (also called Gio or Yakuba), Hausa, Malinke and Jula. The Mossi, the ethnic group the McAfees originally came to Africa to work with, are from Burkina Faso, but more than a million live in Ivory Coast. And the list goes on and on, all groups with their specific heritages, histories, religious traditions and languages. Tribal affiliations matter And though at first glance they may seem to merge together in Abidjan's urban setting, the tribal affiliations are distinct and they matter. When Charles Kambou, a Lobi, married his wife, a Bete, her co-workers were surprised. The couple married in the midst of the civil war, and at the time, there was deep tension between the Lobi and Bete peoples. "They were hating each other, these peoples," Kambou explained. "But we are Christians." During part of the wedding, he put on the traditional Bete clothing of his bride's family, and his bride put on the Lobi clothing of his tribal affiliation. This act was highly symbolic, he said. "To make the kind of perfect union, it's like they adopted me as one of their own sons, so what is coming from them is not only their daughter that I'm taking as my wife but I'm also taking their customs, their clothes, their habits, their daily doings. I will submit myself to them." Language barrier Fortunately Mike McAfee said he usually doesn't have to worry too much about communicating with men in the various ethnic languages represented in Abidjan. He finds most men can speak French, the overarching language of the colonial past still used in schools throughout the country. Heather McAfee isn't quite as fortunate though. "If there's anybody that's not going to speak French, it's probably going to be a [woman], and the reason is just the culture of the day," Mike McAfee said. "They will send their boys to school -- almost all the boys go to a French school. If they can't afford for one [of their children] to go to school, most likely they're going to choose not to send one of their daughters." Distinct atmosphere Abidjan's diversity is seen not only in its ethnic mix but also in the layout of the city, which, as in any large urban setting, has certain quarters with distinct atmospheres. "The best [description] that I've got actually came from one of my African friends, who said, 'Abidjan is just one city made up of 12 cities.' You go up to Yopougon, which would be different than Le Plateau, and Deux Plateaux would be different than Marcory, and Marcory is different than Vridi, and Vridi is different than Koumassi," Mike McAfee said. Magnetic draw As many other urban centers throughout Africa continue to grow, pulling in the population from the countryside, Abidjan is a magnetic draw to ethnic groups from all over Ivory Coast. "There's not a whole lot of things to do out in the bush, except farming," Heather McAfee said. "When children get to university age, parents have to send them to the city. You put your kids through school because when you put your kids through school, they can take care of you [later]. ... Even a low-paying job in the city is a lot better than a decent-paying job in the country. But in the city, the food costs are higher, the rent is higher. It just makes for a big mix of people, the cultures and languages." ******************************** Migration to Ivory Coast: It's a 'jumble' out there By Elaine Gaston ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (BP) -- Understanding Ivory Coast's religious landscape is bound to be complicated with its roughly 60 languages and ethnicities. Patchy demographic information, swaths of people displaced by the turmoil of recent years and immigrants constantly flowing into Abidjan make it impossible to draw a conclusive "map" of the religious makeup of the country. "For the most part, [people live] wherever anybody can find a place to live. ... It doesn't matter if they're Muslim, Christian, Catholic, or animist," said Mike McAfee, an International Mission Board urban church planter. Broadly speaking, Muslims are concentrated in northern Ivory Coast, but the urban setting of Abidjan in the south is densely populated with Muslims as well. Martin W. Lewis, Stanford University lecturer and historical geographer, explained that in Ivory Coast, communities of faith are often mingled within one another; it is this mingling that contributes uncertainty when it comes to the demography of religion in the country. Indeed estimates differ greatly for concentrations of adherents of Islam, Christianity (Roman Catholics and evangelicals are often lumped together), and animism or tribal religions and where they reside. Lewis showed, for example, that most sources estimate Ivory Coast's Muslim population to be between 35 percent and 40 percent, but some sources put it at more than 60 percent. Sources reporting higher figures for Muslims argue that the large mostly Muslim immigrant population is systematically undercounted. Christians account for 33 percent of Ivory Coast's population, according to the CIA's World Factbook. As for the animist population, The World Factbook reports a meager 12 percent of Ivorians practice an "indigenous" religion, but considering the syncretistic outlook of many Ivorians, Lewis said that figure is misleading. "Many Ivorians are nominally Muslim or Christian yet remain profoundly animist in outlook and practices," he wrote. Lewis suggested that it is easy to convert to a "universalistic religion such as Islam," but converts may not entirely follow its precepts. "A knowledgeable acquaintance once described neighboring Guinea as '90 percent Muslim and 90 percent animist,' a joke that nonetheless conveys a grain of truth," he wrote. Lewis said it is "extraordinarily difficult" to map religion across West Africa, but Ivory Coast is particularly challenging because of the massive migration it has experienced in recent decades, which has enhanced diversity. Avoiding religious tensions Even with its jumbled religious makeup, Ivory Coast has avoided the religious tensions and violence some other African nations have experienced. The country's constitution provides for religious freedom, and local governments encourage positive relationships with those of different religious beliefs. In Treichville -- home to the port of Abidjan -- Mayor François Amichia, who is a Christian, provides gifts of sugar and milk to Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. The mayor's office also contributes a substantial amount of money to the Muslim community to allow some residents to take part in pilgrimages to Mecca. His office equally supports Christians making pilgrimages to Israel. The Christian Science Monitor published a story several years ago about a village of 2,000 to the north of Abidjan where Muslims, Christians and even animists joined together to build a Catholic church and a mosque. The Ivorian ambassador to the United Nations at that time, whose father was a village elder, contributed to the cost, as did then-President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Professionals did the masonry, welding and carpentry on the buildings; village men, women and children, regardless of their religion, did the unskilled work. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ERLC unveils leadership council for 2015 by Tom Strode Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has introduced its new Leadership Network Council. The 40 Southern Baptist pastors and leaders announced Thursday (Jan. 15) will serve as the advisory council for the entity's Leadership Network in 2015. The ERLC unveiled the network and its first advisory council last January. Most members of the council serve for one year. The Leadership Network is open to men and women who seek to identify with the ERLC's Gospel-focused approach to cultural issues in their roles as pastors, leaders or lay people. Council members -- all of whom are serving or have served in pastoral ministry -- will receive equipping from the ERLC staff and give guidance to the network. They also may provide content for the entity's website. ERLC President Russell Moore described the council as "one of the most beneficial initiatives of 2014." "It provided us a chance to invest in a strategic group of key leaders," he said in a written release. "But it also allowed us to get reporting from the front lines of ministry about ethical issues cropping up in communities around the country." He is elated to welcome the new council members, Moore said, "in order to equip them to apply the Gospel to the cultural and ethical issues they face in ministry every day." Fred Luter, the SBC's first African-American president and pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, La., is one of the new council members. In addition to Luter, other new members of the council are: -- Mike Cosper, pastor of worship and arts at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville. -- D.A. Horton, executive director of ReachLife Ministries in Atlanta and the North American Mission Board's national coordinator for urban student missions; -- Kevin Peck, lead pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas. -- Vance Pitman, senior pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas. -- Juan Sanchez, preaching pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin. -- Robbie Seay, worship pastor of Bayou City Fellowship-Cypress, Texas, and leader of the Robbie Seay Band. -- Hershael York, preaching professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. In the ERLC release announcing the new council, Matt Chandler said it was a blessing to be a member last year. "When I need help navigating the challenging ethical issues that exist in today's culture, the ERLC is a great resource for me," said Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. The benefits of belonging to the ERLC's Leadership Network include receiving unique content, gaining preferred access to commission events and securing discounts for events and materials. There is no charge to register for the network. Members of the network receive regular messages from the ERLC regarding materials and other benefits. While the network is open to all, the ERLC fills the network council annually on an invitation only basis. Registration for the network, the entire list of council members and other information are available online at http://erlc.com/network/. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO PRAYER: Promote, protect, support life by Roger S. Oldham Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is part of the call to prayer issued by Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to pray for revival and spiritual awakening for our churches, our nation and our world. Nashville (BP) -- From the earliest days of the so-called "culture war" between proponents of life and promoters of death, those who advocate for elective abortions have routinely accused those of us who value life of only caring for the infant in the womb. In fact, Baptists around the world have been caring for children of every age and in every generation. Southern Baptists are part of this caring tradition. What follows is a "Top Ten" list of ways individual Southern Baptists invest themselves in life. 1) Beginning in 1973, and escalating since 1980, Southern Baptists have used the power of relentless influence to encourage elected officials to defend and promote life. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) continues to take the initiative in keeping this topic ever before us; but the entity does not stand alone. Across the nation, millions of individual Baptists consistently vote their convictions and advocate for life in the congressional districts in which they live. Let us pray our diligence will not flag. 2) Countless Southern Baptists in thousands of communities provide financial and volunteer support for pregnancy care centers. There is no way to quantify how many Southern Baptists serve as volunteers in these centers, but evidence points to a sizable army of men and women who give of their time, talents and financial resources each week to promote life. Let us pray that their numbers will increase. 3) While the age of the orphanage has largely passed, many children are "orphans" by divorce, dysfunction or despair. Baptists continue to step forward to minister to children of every age through a network of homes for those who need a safe haven. These state-convention ministries offer residential care, promote adoption, and work to place children in loving foster-care environments. Pray for house parents, adoptive parents and foster parents alike to provide Christian nurture to these at-risk children. 4) A throng of Southern Baptists -- whose names will never be emblazoned on a marquee, but whose impact in individual lives is noted in heaven -- have chosen helping careers as a vocation. They work in social services, children's health and services organizations, juvenile justice, law enforcement, fire protection, emergency rescue, health care, independent and faith-based adoption agencies, and other areas. Pray for these unsung heroes and look for ways to affirm them in their selfless service. 5) A multitude of Southern Baptists directly impact and influence children through public and private education in our nation's schools. These educators radiate the joy of the Lord and the fruit of the Spirit daily in some of the most difficult surroundings imaginable. Given the strictures against actively testifying of the grace and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ in public schools, these educators nevertheless daily demonstrate life-changing compassion and life-giving grace. Pray for an educator by name today. If you have children in school, pray for your child's teachers by name. 6) In addition, countless Southern Baptist churches provide education services for families, including affordable daycare, mothers' day out, and Christian schools. Many of these church employees work at great financial sacrifice, performing daily acts of service as investments of love and worship, actively seeking to influence the next generation for Christ. Remember them in prayer and give them a word of encouragement. 7) One of the greatest evangelistic tools ever promoted by Southern Baptists is Vacation Bible School. VBS could not exist were it not for the willing volunteers that prepare lessons, teach crafts, provide refreshments, drive buses and vans, ferry neighbor's children, lead worship, and organize recreational activities. To look at a VBS volunteer is to see an individual who values the life of each child! Churches are already planning for this summer's VBS. Pray for volunteers and for a fruitful ministry of outreach and growth. 8) Nursery care in the church setting is perhaps the most unsung ministry the local church offers. What church would not come to a screeching halt if nursery volunteers rose up and said, "I will no longer serve"? A long-time pastor observed that many parents take advantage of the nursery service as an entitlement. Pray for your faithful nursery workers who willingly give of themselves to watch over and care for children who are not their own; and that these workers' numbers will increase! 9) It never ceases to amaze me how some homes are "kid magnets." What a wonderful blessing to provide a stable home setting where your children's friends want to congregate! Parents who intentionally create this kind of environment demonstrate the love of Christ and their desire to protect children throughout life. Pray about ways your home can be a Kingdom hub for children in your community. 10) What church doesn't have an active age-graded ministry of some kind? In the smaller church, youth and children's ministries may overlap and be led by volunteers. In larger churches, directors with specialized training in preschool, childhood, middle and high school ministries provide oversight and guidance. But even in larger congregations, the ministries would end overnight if volunteers did not make serving kids a priority of their time and commitment. Pray for these paid leaders and volunteer servants of the Lord. The list could continue, but the point is made. Simply put, Southern Baptists are involved in the lives of children of all ages. Southern Baptists care about children -- from the womb and beyond! We rejoice over the strong and successful. We receive the fallen, seeking to restore them with gentleness and love. And we grieve over the molested and abused. In fact, the Southern Baptist Convention lists resources to help protect the innocent from sexual molestation and abuse (see http://www.sbc.net/churchresources/sexabuseprevention.asp. As we approach the 42nd anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision, let us recommit ourselves to promote life; protect the innocent and unborn; provide ministries that give each child opportunities to see, hear and receive Christ; and pray, pray, pray. The ethic of life is a lifetime commitment of pointing people to the One who said, I am come to give them life; and to give it more abundantly (John 10:10). -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Mensajeros de paz y reconciliación by Octavio Javier Esqueda Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- Las noticias a nuestro alrededor pueden ser bastante desalentadoras. Por alguna razón las noticias que se publican y tienen promoción tienden a ser las negativas y las que reflejan algún conflicto social. Para los medios de comunicación y para la sociedad en general las buenas noticias parecieran no ser atractivas y solamente las negativas pueden salir de la sombra de lo cotidiano para llamar nuestra atención. Desgraciadamente, el estar rodeados de malas noticias origina un ambiente negativo en el que la vida pareciera una maraña de conflictos que crece cada vez más y a la que no se le encuentra solución por ningún lado. Si a esta situación le agregamos los actos de terrorismo de grupos radicales que se escudan en la religión para cometer atentados deleznables contra inocentes y las posturas tan radicales de políticos y grupos sociales que impiden una sana conversación para resolver sus diferencias, es fácil caer en la desesperanza y la impotencia. Los cristianos, sin embargo, estamos llamados a ser diferentes, a vivir con una perspectiva positiva y contraria a la general. Además, nuestro andar debe ser proactivo y de buenas nuevas tan necesarias como importantes para todos a nuestro alrededor. Esta actitud se deriva de algo más profundo que solamente mantener una "actitud positiva" ante la vida ya que tiene su raíz en el Dios creador del universo quien nos han reconciliado consigo mismo y que en Jesús nos han dado el ministerio de la reconciliación. Si bien es cierto que existen problemas y conflictos sociales que son reales y preocupantes, también lo es que mucha de la negatividad hacia los demás tiene su origen en el egoísmo que está enraizado en todos los seres humanos. Todos tenemos la tendencia a ver por nuestro propios intereses y a vivir para nosotros mismos sin considerar a los demás. Cristo Jesús, al morir por nosotros en la cruz, nos ha dado un nuevo propósito de vida: "y por todos murió, para que los que viven, ya no vivan para sí, sino para aquel que murió y resucito por ellos" (2 Cor. 5:15). De manera que, los cristianos ahora tenemos una razón de vida que va más allá de nosotros mismos y que se centra en Cristo. Esto solamente es posible porque Cristo nos ha dado una vida nueva que deja atrás el pasado y sus tendencias: "de modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es; las cosas viejas pasaron; he aquí todas son hechas nuevas" (2 Cor. 5:17). Dios ha tomado la iniciativa en reconciliarnos con El a pesar de nuestros pecados. Nosotros nos apartamos, pero El nos acerca y nos da una vida y un propósito nuevos:  "Y todo esto proviene de Dios, quien nos reconcilió consigo mismo por Cristo, y nos dio el ministerio de la reconciliación; que Dios estaba en Cristo reconciliando consigo al mundo, no tomándoles en cuenta a los hombres sus pecados, y nos encargó a nosotros la palabra de la reconciliación" (2 Cor. 5:18-19). Por lo tanto, en medio de un ambiente de malas noticias y de conflictos sociales, los cristianos tenemos un mensaje de buenas noticias y de reconciliación que debemos proclamar a los cuatro vientos. Nuestra responsabilidad y servicio (ministerio) es la reconciliación primeramente ante Dios, pero también hacia nuestros semejantes. Tristemente algunas personas piensan que el cristianismo "juzga" y señala los pecados de las personas sin ofrecerles amor y comprensión. Nada está más lejos de la verdad porque el mensaje esencial es de gracia y reconciliación. Dios toma la iniciativa y busca la reconciliación. Los cristianos debemos ser mensajeros de paz y concordia. Por lo tanto, el apóstol Pablo resume nuestra posición y llamado de esta manera: "Así que, somos embajadores en nombre de Cristo, como si Dios rogase por medio de nosotros; os rogamos en nombre de Cristo: Reconciliaos con Dios" (2 Cor. 5:20). Dios nos ha dado una nueva vida y ahora somos sus embajadores. Todos, sin importar nuestra posición o cualquier circunstancia, representamos al Dios amoroso que busca la paz y la reconciliación entre todos los seres humanos la cual solamente se puede lograr completamente a través de la reconciliación en Cristo. Los seguidores de Jesús somos embajadores de Cristo en todo momento y en todas nuestra actividades. Este ministerio nunca cesa y el privilegio de representar al Dios del universo es tan grande y el mensaje tan importante que debería ser nuestra prioridad suprema. A pesar del clima negativo de nuestra sociedad, los cristianos tenemos un mensaje de paz y reconciliación. En medio de un pesimismo general, nosotros podemos exclamar ¡sí se puede! encontrar la solución a nuestros problemas. De hecho, Dios ya tomó la iniciativa en Cristo y desea la paz y reconciliación de todos. He notado que quejarse se ha vuelto una costumbre común y abundan los "anti todo y pro nada" entre nosotros. Como cristianos nuestro mensaje y actitud deberían ser positivos y de refrigerio a los que nos rodean. Usted y yo somos mensajeros de buenas noticias. ¡Qué privilegio y qué necesario ministerio! -------------------------------------------------------------------- King's vision embraced by Ala. church by David Roach Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 19. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- An Alabama church whose pastor was criticized 52 years ago by Martin Luther King Jr. for contributing to the "silent -- and often vocal -- sanction" of racial segregation says today it has come to embrace the civil rights pioneer's vision for Christian fellowship among people of all races. "Fifty years ago, our church and its relationship with Dr. King reflected the divisiveness of a difficult time in American history," Jim Cooley, current pastor of First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., told Baptist Press. "Today our church reflects the inclusiveness of churches who recognize that everyone is a person Christ died for and everyone has a place within God's house." Today First Baptist has white, black, Hispanic and South Asian members and conducts outreach to people of other ethnic groups. But that was not the case in 1963, when First Baptist's pastor, Earl Stallings, was one of eight white Protestant, Catholic and Jewish clergymen in Birmingham to whom King addressed his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Amid protests of racial segregation in the city, King was arrested for disobeying a judge's injunction against demonstrating. While in prison, King read in the newspaper a statement by Stallings and the seven other religious leaders agreeing that injustice existed but accusing King of being an "outsider" who used "extreme measures" that incited "hate and violence." King responded at length, criticizing "white moderates" who claimed to favor integration but wanted blacks to wait rather than protest. He also took exception with the charge that civil rights activists were extremists. "Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: 'I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.' Was not Martin Luther an extremist: 'Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God,'" King wrote. "... So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime -- the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists," King wrote. Though criticized by King, Stallings, who died in 2006, was also praised by name in the letter for opening his church to black worshipers days earlier on Easter Sunday -- a move that drew criticism from segregationists. "I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis," King wrote. Years later, Stallings told Samford University history professor Jonathan Bass that he was harassed and threatened following his decision to admit black worshipers, and his wife Ruth feared for his life when he left home to go to his office. The experience led Stallings to vow that he would never discuss his years in Birmingham while Ruth was alive -- a promise he kept, talking about his experience at First Baptist only after Ruth died in 2001. Stallings left First Baptist in 1965 to assume a pastorate in Georgia, but racial tension persisted in Birmingham. In the early 1970s, a black woman presented herself for membership at First Baptist, and the disagreement over whether to receive her was one factor that contributed to a church split. Carlisle Driggers, who served as an associate pastor at First Baptist between 1969-71, went with the splinter group and agreed with its plan to welcome people of all races. Many of the people who remained at First Baptist "were not rabid segregationists by any means," Driggers, who went on to become executive director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, told BP. "Some of them were, but some of them were not." Yet national media reports portrayed First Baptist as opposed to integration, Driggers said. Many members "who were cast as anti-integration had hardly ever gone out of Alabama," Driggers said. "They were homegrown folks and they lived there, worked there and were educated there. And they protected Alabama fiercely, whereas the ones who were more progressive and open to interracial ministries and having the church develop outreach to blacks ... had gone off to be educated in other parts of the country" or had jobs that required them to travel and interact with persons of other races. In time, First Baptist moved from downtown Birmingham to its present location in Homewood. Cooley said few members today know who Stallings was, but they embrace King's vision of a multiracial church, a reality underscored recently by the congregation's celebration of an African American teenager's baptism as a natural part of their worship. The struggles of the civil rights era "happened to different people a long time ago," pastor Cooley said. First Baptist "decided it wanted to be a church that extended the arms of Jesus to everybody." James Dixon, an African American pastor who lived in Birmingham in 1963, urged Southern Baptists to learn from the resistance to racial inclusion of congregations like First Baptist in the mid-20th century. If churches had fulfilled their responsibility to love people of all races, the "outsiders" of whom Stallings and others complained would not have had to lead protests, Dixon told BP. Churches tend to discuss the topic of race only "when you've got a devastating situation going on, when people have lost their lives," Dixon, now the longtime pastor of El Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Washington, Md., said. "But I think the church needs to be very deliberate in embracing the Bible and let the Bible be the driving force by which we act in terms of our love." As Southern Baptists worship this Martin Luther King Day weekend, they must accompany their commitment to biblical doctrine with a recommitment to living out the Great Commandment of loving God and neighbors, Dixon said. "We need to revisit the Great Commandment and really understand what it means when we're looking at love," Dixon said. "The Great Commandment fully understood opens the door to the Great Commission." -------------------------------------------------------------------- LifeWay moves forward with possible property sale by Carol Pipes Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Based on the positive results of a feasibility study, LifeWay Christian Resources is moving forward with the possible sale of its Nashville property. Five months ago, LifeWay announced a preliminary study of the feasibility of selling the ministry's 14.5-acre campus in downtown Nashville that would allow the organization to relocate to facilities better suited to LifeWay's future. "The results of the study confirmed there was interest favorable enough for us to take another step," Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay, said. LifeWay has had conversations with local, regional and national entities about selling the property and accepted offers through mid-January. "We'll then begin an involved process of studying, comparing and considering any offers we receive," Rainer said. LifeWay's downtown campus includes nine buildings with more than 1 million square feet of office, warehouse and parking space. Rainer said reasons to consider selling the property include: -- Changes over the last 50 years in how LifeWay does ministry have created a need for workspaces that support LifeWay's technologies, strategies and culture now and in the future. -- LifeWay uses only one-third of its current space. -- The opportunity to build a new facility designed specifically for the ministries LifeWay provides now and in the future. If the property does sell, Rainer said his "very strong preference is for the ministry to stay in downtown Nashville." LifeWay is looking at several pieces of property in the downtown area as potential sites to build a new building. "Most of our current space was designed and built in the middle of the last century and for a much different work environment," Rainer said. "We need a workplace designed to support the technologies, collaboration, and culture needed for today's and tomorrow's successful national and international ministry." LifeWay hired a local design and consulting firm, Gresham, Smith and Partners (GSP), to help determine the size and type of space LifeWay needs to serve churches more effectively and efficiently. Rainer said planners estimate construction of a new building would take at least two years. "This is an exciting time that would help shape LifeWay and our ministries for decades into the future," Rainer said. "We want to be the very best stewards of what the Lord, Southern Baptists, and our churches have entrusted to our care so we might honor Him now and in the future." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Abortion wanes as sanctity ceremonies resume by Tom Strode Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The number and rate of abortions continue to decline as America again reaches the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the sanctity of human life observances that mark the ruling. Meanwhile Planned Parenthood, the country's largest abortion chain, maintains its strong share of the diminishing market. Millions of pro-life Americans, including many in Southern Baptist churches, will observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday Jan. 18. The annual observance on the Southern Baptist Convention's denominational calendar is one of many responses by pro-lifers to the Supreme Court's decision of Jan. 22, 1973, that legalized abortion nationwide and has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 57 million unborn babies. The latest statistics encourage efforts to educate Americans, help pregnant women and promote pro-life laws to reduce and end legal abortion. The annual report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) showed the abortion rate dropped in 2011 to 13.9, the lowest rate since the lethal procedure was legalized 42 years ago. The rate is the number of abortions per thousand women ages 15 to 44. The federal agency released its statistics in late November, reporting a total of 730,322 abortions from the states that cooperate with the CDC. The Guttmacher Institute provides more thorough statistics and showed in its July report a total of 1.06 million abortions in 2011, the most recent year for which numbers are available. For both the CDC and Guttmacher, the latest reports demonstrate the dramatic decline in the number of abortions from 1990, when the CDC reported 1.4 million and Guttmacher 1.6 million. Southern Baptists' lead ethicist Russell Moore commented on the rate of pro-life progress, saying, "The struggle for human rights for the unborn is a long one." "We have made progress on some fronts, but there is much to be done," said Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "For Christians, this is a matter of more than just culture and law. It's a matter of whether we will see the face of Christ in our unborn neighbors and in their mothers." Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) continues to resist the declining abortion rate. PPFA's latest annual report, issued in late December, 2014, showed its affiliates performed 327,653 abortions during the period from October 2012 to September 2013. That was an increase of nearly 500 from the previous year. PPFA also distributed 1.44 million "emergency contraception" kits, a decrease of about 150,000 over the previous year, with the "morning-after" pill designed to cause abortion. Planned Parenthood continues to flourish financially. It reported in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014: -- Total revenue of a record $1.3 billion, $528.4 million, or about 41 percent of it, in government grants and reimbursements; -- Total assets of $1.7 billion and net assets of 1.4 billion. The organization reported only 1,880 adoption referrals, a decline of more than 300 from the previous year. Randall O'Bannon, the National Right to Life Committee's director of education and research, commented on PPFA's report, "[I]n a nutshell, even as the culture around them grows increasingly uncomfortable with their signature product, Planned Parenthood is as committed to abortion as it ever was and is looking for ways to defend and expand its abortion empire." The report shows Planned Parenthood's "clear institutional bias" in favor of abortion, O'Bannon wrote. Its breakdown of services for pregnant women, he said, is prenatal care, 5.4 percent; adoption, 0.5 percent; and abortion, 94.1 percent. "For all their talk about 'choice' and allowing women to make their own determinations with regard to their [pregnancies], the services such women receive at PPFA clinics are decidedly one-sided," O'Bannon said. In other news about abortion: -- A total of 60 abortion clinics in the country closed permanently during 2014, according to a Dec. 29 report by the pro-life organization Operation Rescue (O.R.). Of those, 47 were surgical centers and 13 were facilities that provided only medication abortions. Another 13 clinics closed but were allowed to reopen during the year. Since 1991, the number of surgical abortion centers has declined by 75 percent, from 2,176 to 551, O.R. reported. -- Louisiana gained the ranking as the country's most pro-life state for the sixth consecutive year, Americans United for Life (AUL) announced Jan. 13. Following Louisiana in the top 10 states for protecting unborn children and their mothers through public policy were: (2) Mississippi; (3) Kansas; (4) Oklahoma (5) Arkansas; (6) Missouri; (7) Indiana; (8) North Dakota; (9) Nebraska, and (10) Texas. AUL ranked Washington as the least protective state for the sixth consecutive year. The next nine least protective states were: (2) Vermont; (3) Oregon; (4) California; (5) New Jersey; (6) Hawaii; (7) New York; (8) Montana; (9) Nevada, and (10) Connecticut. States have enacted almost 220 laws in the last four years to protect women and unborn children, according to AUL. -- A new approach to restricting abortion was unveiled Jan. 14 when the Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Abortion Act was introduced in the Kansas Senate. The National Right to Life Committee predicted it "will transform the landscape of abortion policy" in America. "With the discussion about, and passage of this bill, the public will see that dismemberment abortions brutally and unacceptably rip apart small human beings who have all of their internal organs and who have perfectly formed fingers and toes," Kathy Ostrowski, Kansans for Life's legislative director, said. -- Abortion training debuted on the Internet in October. The University of California at San Francisco offered a free, six-week class to train future doctors how to perform the procedure, according to World News Service. Jody Steinauer, an assistant professor and the founder of Medical Students for Choice, taught the course. Nearly 3,000 people signed up for it, according to The Daily Beast, WNS reported. Donna Harrison, the executive director of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told WNS many doctors don't refuse to do abortions because of a lack of education. "Any OB-GYN knows how to empty a uterus at any stage," she said. "It's just that most OB-GYNs recognize that there are two patients." The difference between the statistics by the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute is based on how their reports are collected. The CDC depends upon states' voluntary cooperation. It said six of its reporting areas did not provide consistent data from 2002 to 2011. Three states -- California, Maryland and New Hampshire -- made no reports to the CDC in 2011. Guttmacher compiles its statistics directly from the abortion centers. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage by Tom Strode Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court will not wait any longer to rule on same-sex marriage. The high court announced Friday afternoon (Jan. 16) that it would review an appeals court decision on the issue. The announcement came after a private conference among the justices the same day. The court will hear oral arguments in March or April and likely issue an opinion before it adjourns this summer. Depending on the justices' decision, gay marriage could be legal throughout the country by the end of June or states could maintain their authority to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. Advocates on both sides of the issue recognized the importance of the high court's order. "This case could potentially transform the cultural landscape of America," Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said. "We should pray for the court, that they will not seek to redefine marriage. Marriage was not created by government action, and it shouldn't be re-created by government action. "And even more than that," Moore said, "we should pray for churches who will know how to articulate and embody a Christian vision of marriage as the one-flesh union of a man and a woman in the tumultuous years ahead." One of the leading supporters of same-sex marriage also commented on the high court's decision to review gay marriage. "The Supreme Court's decision today begins what we hope will be the last chapter in our campaign to win marriage nationwide -- and it's time," Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, said. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 36 states, nearly three times the number of states where it was legal just 18 months ago. It also is legal in the District of Columbia. The high court granted review of a November decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals involving challenges to laws in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit, which is based in Cincinnati, was the first federal appellate body to rule states could limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman. Four other appeals courts had previously invalidated state laws that prohibited gay marriage. In its order, the Supreme Court consolidated four cases and limited consideration to two questions: (1) Does the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution require a state "to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?" and (2) Does the 14th Amendment require a state "to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?" The court set the time for oral arguments on the first question at 90 minutes. It allotted one hour for arguments on the second question. The court's decision may provide some clarity in a legal debate that has been especially active during the last 18 months. Courts have issued more than three dozen opinions in favor of gay marriage since the Supreme Court struck down a section of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013, saying it violated "equal protection" under the Constitution by refusing to recognize same-sex marriages. Though the high court refused to say states could not limit marriage to heterosexual couples, most courts have used the decision as a basis for striking down state laws that define marriage as only between a man and a woman. Only a handful of decisions have conflicted with the pro-gay marriage trend. In October, the high court denied review of federal appeals court decisions overturning laws in five states that defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. The justices' refusal to hear the appeals came in spite of requests from both sides of the same-sex marriage debate that they rule soon. The ERLC joined four other religious organizations in a September friend-of-the-court brief urging the justices "to end the divisive national debate." The current legal ambiguity is burdening religious organizations and people of faith, they said. The expansion of same-sex marriage has resulted in a clash between the supposed rights of gay couples and the religious freedom of individuals and organizations. Photographers, florists, bakers and other business owners who oppose serving in support of same-sex wedding ceremonies have been penalized or are facing penalties for their refusal. In the cases the justices will consider, the voters of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee all approved constitutional amendments between 2004 and 2006 that limited marriage to a man and a woman. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Supporters rally for fired Atlanta fire chief by Staff Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday ATLANTA (BP) -- Some 600 people gathered at the Georgia Capitol Jan. 13 to support terminated Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran and ask elected officials to preserve religious liberty. Following the rally, demonstrators delivered 40,000 petitions to Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed requesting Cochran's reinstatement. Reed fired Cochran Jan. 6 following his publication of a book that calls homosexual behavior immoral. Meanwhile, former Southern Baptist Convention president Bryant Wright warned the Georgia House of Representatives Jan. 14 that protection of so-called gay rights is threatening religious liberty, drawing criticism from an openly gay Georgia legislator. At the rally for Cochran, Georgia Baptist Convention executive director Robert White told Christians, "It is time to stand up for our faith." "We have been very courteous and quiet, but now we must become courageous and vocal about those things we hold dear as Christians and as Americans," White said. Cochran is a deacon, Sunday School teacher and Bible study leader at Atlanta's Elizabeth Baptist Church, a cooperating church with the Georgia Baptist Convention. A two-time Atlanta fire chief, Cochran also served as U.S. Fire Administrator under President Obama from 2009-10. "Mayor Reed," White said, "you have probably fired the most loyal employee you ever had." Cochran delivered the final address of the rally, telling supporters that "freedom of religion and freedom of speech are under attack." Cochran said his termination served as a warning to all city employees that "if you seek to live out the true meaning of our nation's Pledge and Constitution and have a living faith and believe that sex should be between a man and woman in the bonds of holy matrimony, ... you had better keep your mouth shut or you will be fired." He continued, "This experience has taught me that there are worldly consequences for publicly standing for righteousness, but I stand before you to tell you that the Kingdom consequences are far greater and more glorious than the earthly consequences." Among other speakers at the rally were Wellington Boone, bishop of the Father's House in Atlanta; Craig Oliver, pastor of Elizabeth Baptist Church; Ken Barun, chief of staff for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council; and Alveda King, niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In related news, Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., said while delivering a devotional to the Georgia legislature that "erotic liberty" wrongly trumps religious liberty when Christians are required to support same-sex marriage in word or deed. "We're liable to see this with our military chaplains in the years ahead if they in good conscience believe they cannot perform same-sex weddings and could be kicked out of the military," Wright said according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lawmakers should protect the principle and practice of religious liberty even if "a majority of your constituencies have embraced erotic liberty over religious liberty," Wright said. Simone Bell, one of three openly gay Georgia legislators posted on her Facebook page that she told Wright "he is a disgrace to the clergy, the Word and the state of Georgia.... "He responded that we clearly have a difference of opinion." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sondeo: El Programa Cooperativo se gana la confianza de los pastores by Por Roger S. Oldham Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Los pastores bautistas del sur apoyan fuertemente al Programa Cooperativo, según un estudio comisionado por el Comité Ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur y publicado en la edición de Invierno 2014/2015 de SBC LIFE. El sondeo muestra el continuo aumento de la confianza entre los pastores en que el Programa Cooperativo apoya los ministerios y misiones que son valiosos para sus iglesias -- subiendo del 73 por ciento en un sondeo del 2012 al 81 por ciento en el sondeo actual, donde se hicieron las mismas preguntas a los pastores. En un sondeo del 2008 hecho a pastores, laicos y personal de la iglesia, el porcentaje alcanzado fue del 71 por ciento. El estudio también indica que el apoyo de los pastores para el Programa Cooperativo sí tiene sus límites. Casi dos tercios (65 por ciento) concuerdan que las estrategias de las entidades de la CBS que reciben dólares del Programa Cooperativo marchan en la dirección apropiada, aunque uno de cada ocho pastores (13 por ciento) no está de acuerdo. Al preguntárseles si las entidades están usando efectivamente su apoyo al Programa Cooperativo, más de seis de cada 10 pastores (63 por ciento) dice que sí lo están usando efectivamente y el 13 por ciento dijo que no. "Estas son noticias bastante alentadoras," dijo Ashley Clayton, vicepresidente del Comité Ejecutivo para el Programa Cooperativo, acerca del sondeo hecho a través del correo y del internet en la primavera del 2014. "Hace unos años, un pastor de Florida me dijo que Programa Cooperativo tendría que competir por los dólares para misiones en su iglesia. Recientemente me dijo, 'Cuenta conmigo,' en cuanto al apoyo para el PC." La confianza de los pastores en el PC va en aumento a la vez que ven lo que él denomina como el "enfoque renovado" de las entidades de la CBS en respuesta a "los valores que adopta su iglesia," dijo Clayton. "Creo que este reporte muestra que él no es el único pastor que piensa así. "Sin embargo, el sondeo también muestra que todavía hay mucho por hacer para ganarse la confianza de todos nuestros pastores," dijo Clayton. La designación de fondos en el Programa Cooperativo Los pastores bautistas del sur también indicaron que en general concuerdan con la actual designación de fondos del Programa Cooperativo nacional hacia las entidades que reciben el dinero del PC: la Junta de Misiones Internacionales (IMB, por sus siglas en inglés), la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas (NAMB, por sus siglas en inglés), seis seminarios de la CBS, la Comisión de Ética y Libertad Religiosa (ERLC, por sus siglas en inglés) y el presupuesto de operaciones de la convención. Las respuestas promedio estuvieron dentro del 1.2 por ciento de variación con respecto a la designación actual de los fondos, mismas que los pastores pudieron ver mientras contestaban el sondeo. Mientras que el 15 por ciento seleccionó la actual distribución de los porcentajes como su preferencia, sólo poco más de la mitad listó porcentajes mayores para la JMN, la CELR y el presupuesto de operaciones de la CBS; mientras que casi la mitad listó porcentajes un poco menores para la JMI y para los seis seminarios. "Este es el tercer sondeo de pastores que ha comisionado el Comité Ejecutivo desde el 2007," dijo Clayton. "continuamos viendo un apoyo más fuerte para la actual distribución de fondos que ha hecho la CBS con las aportaciones al PC. En los tres sondeos, los pastores indicaron estar de acuerdo en que la JMI debe recibir cerca del 50 por ciento de los fondos del PC de la CBS, que nuestros seminarios deben recibir un poco menos, y que tal diferencia se distribuya en pequeños aumentos para la JMN y para la CELR," dijo Clayton. Una amplia mayoría de los pastores han afirmado que "el Programa Cooperativo apoya a las misiones y ministerios que mi iglesia valora" en los tres sondeos, dijo. Más de tres cuartos (77 por ciento) concuerdan con la frase siguiente, "La actual distribución de fondos de la CBS otorga una gran prioridad a penetrar la perdición espiritual en los niveles locales y mundiales." Las prioridades del ministerio También se le preguntó a los pastores que indicaran el orden de prioridades que sus iglesias dan a 12 esfuerzos misioneros y de ministerio financiados por el Programa Cooperativo. "Enviar y apoyar a los misioneros en el extranjero para alcanzar a los grupos no alcanzados con el Evangelio por todo el mundo" continúa siendo su primera prioridad. Fue el único ministerio seleccionado por más del 70 por ciento de los pastores como uno "esencial" o de "alta prioridad" (71 por ciento), un 3 por ciento más que el sondeo del 2012. Y éste es el único esfuerzo ministerial que menos del 10 por ciento de los pastores calificaron como una "prioridad menor" (6 por ciento) o "no es una prioridad" (2 por ciento). El cambio más notable se reflejó en el deseo de los pastores para que la CBS provea "una perspectiva y respuesta cristianas sobre asuntos sociales, éticos y de política pública" (54 por ciento lo seleccionó como "esencial" o "alta prioridad," comparado con sólo el 37 por ciento que lo hizo en el 2012). A continuación está el porcentaje de pastores de la CBS que calificaron como "esencial" o "alta prioridad" a cada uno de los 12 esfuerzos misioneros y ministeriales financiados por el CP: En el rango del 70 por ciento --Enviar y apoyar a los misioneros en el extranjero -- 71 por ciento (68 por ciento en el 2012) En el rango del 60 por ciento --Involucrarse en proyectos de ministerio evangelístico local -- 66 por ciento (65 por ciento en el 2012) --Desarrollar e implementar una estrategia evangelística para penetrar la perdición espiritual en Norteamérica -- 63 por ciento (59 por ciento en el 2012) --Mejorar la vitalidad y la salud de las iglesias ya existentes -- 62 por ciento (59 por ciento en el 2012) En el rango del 50 por ciento --Educar y capacitar a los futuros pastores, misioneros, plantadores de iglesias y otros líderes denominacionales -- 57 por ciento (57 por ciento en el 2012) --Proveer una perspectiva y respuesta cristianas sobre los asuntos sociales, éticos y de política pública -- 54 por ciento (37 por ciento en el 2012) --Alcanzar con el Evangelio a las personas de diversas etnias y culturas -- 52 por ciento (51 por ciento en el 2012) --Promover un programa continuo de educación misionera para todas las edades -- 51 por ciento (48 por ciento en el 2012) --Conducir un programa continuo de liderazgo y desarrollo -- 50 por ciento (45 por ciento en el 2012) En el rango del 40 por ciento --Involucrarse directamente en las misiones internacionales -- 48 por ciento (45 por ciento en el 2012) --Plantación intencional de iglesias en las ciudades y pueblos de toda Norteamérica -- 44 por ciento (44 por ciento en el 2012) --Plantación intencional de iglesias en centros urbanos mayores -- 43 por ciento (43 por ciento en el 2012) "Mientras que las misiones internacionales siguen siendo la mayor prioridad para el Programa Cooperativo, los pastores también le dan una gran prioridad a la participación en los proyectos de evangelismo local, el desarrollo e implementación de una estrategia evangelística para penetrar la perdición espiritual en Norteamérica y mejorar la vitalidad y salud de las iglesias ya existentes," dijo Clayton. "No se trata de escoger a éste o a aquel," dijo. "Los pastores ven el valor de ambos -- apoyando una visión global agresiva a la vez que fortalecen una base sólida en casa." Las diferencias estadísticas Ciertas diferencias estadísticas muy significativas surgieron entre los pastores, con base en su ubicación, su edad o el tamaño de su iglesia. Los pastores en el Noreste tienen más probabilidades de seleccionar como "esencial" el "alcanzar con el Evangelio a las personas de diversas etnias y culturas en las grandes ciudades de Norteamérica" (27 por ciento) que las iglesias en el Sur (17 por ciento) y en el Medio Oeste (11 por ciento). Los pastores más jóvenes, de entre 18 y 44 años, tienen más probabilidades de ver como "esencial" el "mandar y apoyar misioneros en el extranjero para alcanzar a los grupos que no han escuchado el Evangelio" (38 por ciento) que los pastores de 65 años o más (29 por ciento). Los pastores en el Oeste (24 por ciento) y en el Noreste (28 por ciento) tienen más probabilidades de ver como "esencial" la "plantación intencional de iglesias en ciudades y pueblos de Norteamérica" que los pastores en el Sur (15 por ciento) y en el Medio Oeste (11 por ciento). Los pastores de las iglesias cuya asistencia promedio es de 0-49 y de 100-249 tienen más probabilidades de seleccionar "mejorar la salud y vitalidad de las iglesias ya existentes" como algo "esencial" (32 por ciento y 30 por ciento, respectivamente) que las iglesias con una asistencia promedio mayor a los 250 (19 por ciento). Los pastores mayores de 65 años lo ven como una "gran prioridad" (37 por ciento) o como "esencial" (24 por ciento). En cuanto a la educación y capacitación de los futuros pastores, misioneros, plantadores de iglesias y líderes de la CBS, los pastores más jóvenes, de entre 18 y 44 años, tienen más probabilidades de decir que es algo "esencial" (33 por ciento) comparado con los pastores de entre 55 y 64 años (25 por ciento) y los mayores de 65 (23 por ciento). Cuando se les preguntó sobre la participación directa en los proyectos de misiones internacionales, las diferencias surgieron mayormente de acuerdo al tamaño de la iglesia. Las iglesias con más de 250 personas en asistencia promedio tenían más probabilidades de decir que era "esencial" (31 por ciento), mientras que las iglesias con un promedio de 50-90 y de 100-249 tenían más probabilidades de seleccionar "prioridad mediana" (24 por ciento y 33 por ciento respectivamente). Quizás la diferencia más reveladora entre las generaciones fue que solamente el 1 por ciento de los pastores jóvenes "están fuertemente de acuerdo" en que el "Programa Cooperativo apoya a los ministerios y misiones que valora mi iglesia," aunque otro 36 por ciento marcó "estoy algo de acuerdo." Por otro lado, el 53 por ciento de los pastores de 65 años o más marcaron "estoy fuertemente de acuerdo" con esta afirmación, y otro 26 por ciento marcó "estoy algo de acuerdo." Las contribuciones a través de la iglesia El Comité Ejecutivo también preguntó a los pastores sobre proceso de la decisión que toman sus iglesias en cuanto a las contribuciones a través del Programa Cooperativo en su presupuesto más reciente. La vasta mayoría de las iglesias (80 por ciento) decidió conservar el mismo porcentaje de ofrenda al PC que tenía el año pasado. El triple de iglesias aumentó su contribución al PC (12 por ciento) comparado con el porcentaje de iglesias que lo disminuyó (4 por ciento). El tres por ciento dijo que su iglesia no contribuye al PC. Entre las iglesias que han cambiado su porcentaje de donaciones al Programa Cooperativo (cerca del 20 por ciento de las iglesias sondeadas), el 5.6 por ciento lo aumentó más de 2 puntos porcentuales de los ingresos no asignados en su iglesia, con otro 9 por ciento aumentando sus contribuciones al PC del 0.1 por ciento al 1.9 por ciento de su presupuesto. Por otro lado, el 4.8 por ciento de las iglesias disminuyó el porcentaje de su contribución al PC. La última pregunta en el sondeo se refería al "Reto del 1% al PC," un esfuerzo del Comité Ejecutivo para animar a todas las iglesias bautistas del sur a aumentar un punto porcentual sus contribuciones al Programa Cooperativo. Más de un cuarto de pastores no habían escuchado sobre el "Reto del 1% al PC". El 8 por ciento de los pastores dijo haber aceptado el "Reto del 1% al PC" y otro 9 por ciento tiene planes para hacerlo en el presupuesto del próximo año. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Despido del jefe de bomberos es llamado 'intolerancia' by Por David Roach Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday ATLANTA (BP) -- Los bautistas del sur han respaldado al despedido jefe de bomberos de Atlanta, Kelvin Cochran llamando su despido un ejemplo de la intolerancia hacia los cristianos que expresan una postura bíblica de la moralidad sexual. El alcalde de Atlanta, Kasim Reed despidió a Cochran el 6 de enero luego de una investigación al libro de Cochran "¿Quién te dijo que estás desnudo?" que llama inmoral el comportamiento homosexual. Vea la historia relacionada en . Aunque una investigación de la ciudad no encontró evidencia de que Cochran hubiera discriminado en contra de los homosexuales, Reed dijo en una conferencia de prensa citada para anunciar el despido que "cada empleado bajo el mandato del jefe de bomberos merece la certeza de que es un miembro valioso del equipo y de que la imparcialidad y el respeto guían las decisiones del empleo." Gerald Harris, editor de la publicación de noticias Christian Index de los Bautistas de Georgia, escribió en un editorial del 9 de enero que la imparcialidad y el respeto no guiaron la decisión de empleo de Reed en relación a Cochran. El alcalde "tiene una visión miope de la vida por la que puede ver las faltas de otros mucho más fácil de lo que puede ver sus propias transgresiones," escribió Harris. Cochran es diácono, maestro de Escuela Dominical y líder de estudio bíblico de la Iglesia Bautista Elizabeth de Atlanta, una iglesia colaboradora de la Convención Bautista de Georgia. Dos veces jefe de bomberos de Atlanta, Cochran también fungió como administrador de bomberos de EE.UU. bajo el presidente Obama de 2009 a 2010. "Creo que este es el momento para que los georgianos marquen su postura en pro del jefe Cochran, de la primera enmienda, y de la libertad religiosa y le pidan al alcalde Kasim Reed que haga lo correcto y se arrepienta de su propia discriminación o renuncie a su puesto de alcalde de la ciudad de Atlanta de manera que la ciudad pueda verdaderamente ser un lugar que reciba bien a toda la gente," escribió Harris. Las acciones de Reed no solamente afectan a Cochran, sino que también envían un mensaje amenazador a otros empleados de la ciudad que son cristianos, escribió Harris. "La decisión del alcalde de despedir al jefe Cochran no sirve para hacer de Atlanta una ciudad más acogedora para aquellos que deseen expresar su fe cristiana," escribió Harris. "De hecho, a cada empleado de la ciudad de Atlanta que practique fielmente su compromiso con Cristo se le ha advertido: Los cristianos no deben solicitar trabajo en la ciudad con base en el despido del alcalde Reed al jefe Cochran." Roger S. Oldham, vicepresidente del Comité Ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur, llamó el despido de Cochran "otro ejemplo de intolerancia legitimada por el estado." "El jefe Cochran fue despedido por una única razón -- se atrevió a imprimir lo que él cree que la Biblia enseña sobre la pureza sexual," le dijo Oldham, vicepresidente de comunicaciones y relaciones de la convención del CE, a Baptist Press en comentarios escritos. "Según la propia valoración del alcalde Reed, el jefe de bomberos tuvo un record impecable de capacidad y un liderazgo justo e imparcial. Ninguna alegación de discriminación. Ningún ejemplo de proselitismo en el lugar de trabajo. Solamente la amenaza de una demanda de parte de un bien organizado grupo con intereses especiales." Oldham reconoció que Cochran "sirvió a la voluntad del alcalde Kasim Reed," pero lamentó que el alcalde pareció haber despedido a Cochran debido a la presión de activistas de los derechos homosexuales. "El despido del jefe Cochran ilustra la influencia en la política de la comunidad LGBT," dijo Oldham. "En su desenfrenada animosidad en contra que aquellos que abrazan los valores bíblicos de la moralidad sexual, los grupos con intereses especiales de LGBT apuntan a los creyentes bíblicos seguidores de Jesucristo queriendo removerlos de todo puesto de liderazgo público. Simplemente dicho, el alcalde Reed se rindió ante la presión." R. Albert Mohler Jr., presidente del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southern dijo que el despido de Cochran representa una "siniestra" y "absolutamente atemorizante" amenaza a la libertad religiosa. "El jefe de bomberos de Atlanta ha sido despedido no debido a que actuara de alguna manera que fuera discriminatoria," dijo Mohler el 9 de enero en su transmisión diaria El Resumen vía ipod, "no debido a que ningún empleado presentara ninguna queja contra él por actuar de manera discriminatoria, sino meramente…por haber articulado en forma impresa sus convicciones sobre asuntos de moralidad. "El libro ni siquiera se trataba de sexualidad u homosexualidad --por lo menos como se reportó en los medios -- pero sí contenía secciones que evidentemente fueron tan ofensivas que el alcalde de Atlanta tuvo que decir: 'El jefe queda despedido,'" dijo Mohler. El despido demuestra "un conflicto de libertades" en EE.UU, dijo Mohler, "con la recién definida versión de la libertad erótica que triunfa sobre la libertad religiosa una y otra vez." El presidente de la CBS, Ronnie Floyd le dijo a BP que ha hablado con Cochran. "He contactado y llamado al jefe Cochran como presidente de nuestra convención y le he extendido nuestro profundo aprecio por sus convicciones bíblicas, su liderazgo en la Iglesia Bautista Elizabeth en Atlanta y por su apasionado deseo para que Dios use esta adversidad para la gloria de Dios," dijo Floyd en comentarios escritos. "Él era un hombre humilde y devoto, emocionado por su nuevo futuro. Oré por él y compartí con él nuestro compromiso como bautistas del sur de orar por él." En una entrevista con BP el 9 de enero, Cochran dijo que está "muy seguro" de que tomará acción legal en contra de Atlanta. También dijo que obtiene ánimo de tres pasajes de la Biblia que recitaba diariamente durante ocho años -- Salmo 27, Salmo 112 y Deuteronomio 28:1-14. "Algunas veces te metes en una rutina de esas, y se convierte justo en eso -- una rutina," dijo Cochran. "Olvidas lo que estás diciendo y continuas haciéndolo. Bien, al haber pasado por esta experiencia, ahora cuando leo esas Escrituras se vuelve claro que hay porciones específicas de esas Escrituras que completamente me ministran en esta situación." -------------------------------------------------------------------- La Santidad de la Vida: Familia bendecida a través de la adopción by Por Jessica Vanderpool, Arkansas Baptist News Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday Nota del Editor: El domingo de la Santidad de la Vida, el 18 de enero en el calendario de la Convención Bautista del Sur, conmemora los 42 años del aborto legal en EE.UU. DUMAS, Ark. (BP) -- Aquellos que conocen a Haylee Kirtley probablemente la describirían como una locuaz y dulce niña de 6 años con un gran corazón. Es aplicada en la escuela, disfruta jugando futbol, y como a muchas niñas de su dad, le encanta Elsa de la película "Frozen." Y para sus padres, ella es un regalo de Dios -- un regalo por el que esperaron largo tiempo. Jada y Allen Kirtley, miembros de la Primera Iglesia Bautista, Dumas, Arkansas, trataron de tener hijos durante una década antes de que Jada Kirtley fuera sometida a un procedimiento médicamente necesario que hizo imposible que ella tuviera hijos. Hubiera parecido como el fin de un sueño para la pareja. Pero Jada Kirtley, quien funge como directora asistente de la guardería de la Primera Iglesia Bautista, sabía que Dios la convertiría en madre si esa era su voluntad. "Hemos estado orando por un hijo antes de esto, y finalmente dije: 'Bien, Dios, está en tus manos como siempre ha estado,'" recordó Jada Kirtley. "Y yo dije: 'Si he de ser madre, tú harás que eso suceda en tu propio tiempo." Un par de meses después de su procedimiento médico, una prima de Jada Kirtley le dijo de una mujer que estaba embarazada y planeaba dar a su hija en adopción. Los Kirtley se reunieron con la familia; y esperaron oír si habían sido escogidos como los padres adoptivos. Allen Kirtley dijo que su esposa estaba nerviosa ante la posibilidad de no ser escogidos. "Así que ella y yo nos arrodillamos en el piso de la sala, nos tomamos de las manos y oramos que nuestro Dios nos diera esta bebé y nos dejara ser la mamá y el papá de esta bebé," dijo Allen Kirtley. "Puedo decirte que cuando nos levantamos, Dios me dijo que ella era nuestra y yo no creería nada más de lo que Dios me había dicho." Unos pocos días después, recibieron la noticia de que habían sido escogidos como los padres adoptivos, y pocas semanas después de eso, Haylee nació. "Yo estaba en la sala de partos cuando ella nació," dijo Jada Kirtley. "Y por eso pude sostenerla primero. … La enfermera me puso una manta tibia y me la colocó en los brazos y dijo; 'Aquí.' Y así la llevé afuera del cuarto de operaciones al cunero." Allen Kirtley recordó cuando la miró en el hospital. "Puedo decir que inmediatamente supe cuánto me amaba Dios porque en ese mismo instante amé a esa pequeña niña más que nada y creo que Dios me ama más de lo que yo pueda amar nada," dijo. Jada Kirtley dijo que la adopción de Haylee cerró su historia. Jada Kirtley, misma, fue adoptada. De hecho, fue su tía -- la madre de la prima que a ayudó a los Kirtley a encontrar a Haylee -- quien ayudó a los propios padres de Jada Kirtley a adoptarla a ella. "La adopción para mí es la cosa más maravillosa del mundo…ya que esas damas pudieron haber escogido abortar en vez de adopción, y ya sabes que hay muchas…mujeres que no pueden tener hijos propios," dijo Jada. "Y todo el proceso de adopción fue maravilloso." -------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 cosas que las personas con mentalidad misionera hacen de forma diferente by Por Susie Rain Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) -- ¿Quiénes son las personas con mentalidad misionera? ¿Cómo ven el mundo? Aunque pueden encontrarse en su iglesia, lugar de trabajo o entrenado un equipo, ¿qué hacen diferente las personas con mentalidad misionera? Los misioneros de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales de todas partes de mundo ayudaron a compilar una lista de 13 cosas que caracterizan a las personas con mentalidad misionera: 1. Quieren conocer a gente que no sigue a Jesucristo. La gente con mentalidad misionera sigue el plan de Lucas 10 de ir a trabajar "a su cosecha." Activamente buscan a no creyentes para establecer conversaciones y amistades. 2. Continuamente buscan maneras creativas de compartir el evangelio. La gente con mentalidad misionera encuentra intencionadamente maneras de compartir de modo que la gente pueda entender. No es una "presentación enlatada" sino relacionada a la persona o grupo. Ellos hacen lo anormal, irracional, van en contra de la intuición y toman riesgos todo en aras de compartir a Cristo. 3. Tienen una visión diferente del mundo. Piensan más en el mundo, la cultura y los idiomas de lo que lo hacen del pequeño lugar en el que viven. Entienden que el evangelio no es solamente para ellos sino para todas las personas. Están comprometidos a llevarlo al resto del mundo. 4. Escuchan la voz de Dios y son obedientes. Las personas con mentalidad misionera escuchan la voz de Dios y obedecen cuando él les dice que vayan al otro lado de la calle, a otro pueblo, estado o país para compartir de su amor redentor. 5. ¡Oran muchísimo! Orar es un enlace directo a Dios. Creen que Dios va a hacer mayores cosas de las que ni siquiera nos podemos imaginar, y oran para que pasen. 6. Hacen discípulos. Constantemente se preguntan si lo que están haciendo dará como resultado discípulos. Si la estrategia es solamente que las personas escuchen, entonces el evangelio no se esparcirá. La gente con mentalidad misionera sabe la importancia del discipulado. 7. Llenan las necesidades de la gente mientras comparten el evangelio. Las personas con mentalidad misionera creen que no importa cuántos pozos cave una persona o cuántos huérfanos alimente si no está siguiendo el mandato de Cristo de llevarles el evangelio a aquellos que no lo han oído. Ellos afirman que si una persona no está compartiendo a Jesús, se están perdiendo tiempo y dinero. 8. Creen que tener mentalidad misionera no es una "tarea." Es un estilo de vida. Viven las misiones en su vida diaria. Desde el momento en el que se despiertan hasta el momento en el que se van a la cama, impactan al mundo alrededor de ellos. 9. Ellos se relacionan. Están dispuestos a salir de su propia "burbuja" para establecer relaciones con aquellos considerados los "más pequeños." Están conscientes de la gente alrededor de ellos y buscan maneras de establecer una relación que los guíe a compartir a Cristo y a discipular. 10. ¡Van! No importa dónde les diga Dios que vayan -- Timbuktu o Kalamazoo -- ellos crecen donde Dios los ponga. Y están dispuestos a seguir adelante cuando él dice "¡Vayan!" 11. Ellos ven futuro en la gente. Cuando miran una etnia, ven a potenciales "hermanos y hermanas" en Cristo. Ven la eternidad y el gozo disponibles para todos y están emocionados de compartirlo. 12. ¡Envían! Saben que son responsables de que TODAS las etnias oigan el evangelio. Siguen el ejemplo del libro de Hechos de "enviar" a otras personas con mentalidad misionera. Los apoyan de cualquier manera posible. 13. Entienden que "la tarea" no está hecha. Las personas con mentalidad misionera saben que una vez que hayan alcanzado a sus familiares y amigos para Cristo, no han terminado. Todavía hay billones en el mundo que no han proclamado el nombre de Jesús. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Mensajeros de paz y reconciliación by Por Octavio Javier Esqueda Date: January 16, 2015 - Friday LA MIRADA, Calif. (BP) -- Las noticias a nuestro alrededor pueden ser bastante desalentadoras. Por alguna razón las noticias que se publican y tienen promoción tienden a ser las negativas y las que reflejan algún conflicto social. Para los medios de comunicación y para la sociedad en general las buenas noticias parecieran no ser atractivas y solamente las negativas pueden salir de la sombra de lo cotidiano para llamar nuestra atención. Desgraciadamente, el estar rodeados de malas noticias origina un ambiente negativo en el que la vida pareciera una maraña de conflictos que crece cada vez más y a la que no se le encuentra solución por ningún lado. Si a esta situación le agregamos los actos de terrorismo de grupos radicales que se escudan en la religión para cometer atentados deleznables contra inocentes y las posturas tan radicales de políticos y grupos sociales que impiden una sana conversación para resolver sus diferencias, es fácil caer en la desesperanza y la impotencia. Los cristianos, sin embargo, estamos llamados a ser diferentes, a vivir con una perspectiva positiva y contraria a la general. Además, nuestro andar debe ser proactivo y de buenas nuevas tan necesarias como importantes para todos a nuestro alrededor. Esta actitud se deriva de algo más profundo que solamente mantener una "actitud positiva" ante la vida ya que tiene su raíz en el Dios creador del universo quien nos han reconciliado consigo mismo y que en Jesús nos han dado el ministerio de la reconciliación. Si bien es cierto que existen problemas y conflictos sociales que son reales y preocupantes, también lo es que mucha de la negatividad hacia los demás tiene su origen en el egoísmo que está enraizado en todos los seres humanos. Todos tenemos la tendencia a ver por nuestro propios intereses y a vivir para nosotros mismos sin considerar a los demás. Cristo Jesús, al morir por nosotros en la cruz, nos ha dado un nuevo propósito de vida: "y por todos murió, para que los que viven, ya no vivan para sí, sino para aquel que murió y resucito por ellos" (2 Cor. 5:15). De manera que, los cristianos ahora tenemos una razón de vida que va más allá de nosotros mismos y que se centra en Cristo. Esto solamente es posible porque Cristo nos ha dado una vida nueva que deja atrás el pasado y sus tendencias: "de modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es; las cosas viejas pasaron; he aquí todas son hechas nuevas" (2 Cor. 5:17). Dios ha tomado la iniciativa en reconciliarnos con El a pesar de nuestros pecados. Nosotros nos apartamos, pero El nos acerca y nos da una vida y un propósito nuevos:  "Y todo esto proviene de Dios, quien nos reconcilió consigo mismo por Cristo, y nos dio el ministerio de la reconciliación; que Dios estaba en Cristo reconciliando consigo al mundo, no tomándoles en cuenta a los hombres sus pecados, y nos encargó a nosotros la palabra de la reconciliación" (2 Cor. 5:18-19). Por lo tanto, en medio de un ambiente de malas noticias y de conflictos sociales, los cristianos tenemos un mensaje de buenas noticias y de reconciliación que debemos proclamar a los cuatro vientos. Nuestra responsabilidad y servicio (ministerio) es la reconciliación primeramente ante Dios, pero también hacia nuestros semejantes. Tristemente algunas personas piensan que el cristianismo "juzga" y señala los pecados de las personas sin ofrecerles amor y comprensión. Nada está más lejos de la verdad porque el mensaje esencial es de gracia y reconciliación. Dios toma la iniciativa y busca la reconciliación. Los cristianos debemos ser mensajeros de paz y concordia. Por lo tanto, el apóstol Pablo resume nuestra posición y llamado de esta manera: "Así que, somos embajadores en nombre de Cristo, como si Dios rogase por medio de nosotros; os rogamos en nombre de Cristo: Reconciliaos con Dios" (2 Cor. 5:20). Dios nos ha dado una nueva vida y ahora somos sus embajadores. Todos, sin importar nuestra posición o cualquier circunstancia, representamos al Dios amoroso que busca la paz y la reconciliación entre todos los seres humanos la cual solamente se puede lograr completamente a través de la reconciliación en Cristo. Los seguidores de Jesús somos embajadores de Cristo en todo momento y en todas nuestra actividades. Este ministerio nunca cesa y el privilegio de representar al Dios del universo es tan grande y el mensaje tan importante que debería ser nuestra prioridad suprema. A pesar del clima negativo de nuestra sociedad, los cristianos tenemos un mensaje de paz y reconciliación. En medio de un pesimismo general, nosotros podemos exclamar ¡sí se puede! encontrar la solución a nuestros problemas. De hecho, Dios ya tomó la iniciativa en Cristo y desea la paz y reconciliación de todos. He notado que quejarse se ha vuelto una costumbre común y abundan los "anti todo y pro nada" entre nosotros. Como cristianos nuestro mensaje y actitud deberían ser positivos y de refrigerio a los que nos rodean. Usted y yo somos mensajeros de buenas noticias. ¡Qué privilegio y qué necesario ministerio!