The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-02/03/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- In prison with her daughter, mother cries out to God by Kayla Rinker Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- Sandy Harrell had been in prison for a few months when a guard told her that her daughter Casey would be there soon. And not just for a visit. Harrell's youngest child was about to join her at Missouri's Chillicothe Correctional Center. The chaotic life of using and selling methamphetamine had caught up with them -- again. "I'd been in jail before, but never with my daughter. That's when reality slapped me in the face," Harrell said. "She and I were in our cell one morning and I was drinking coffee and watching her sleep. Soon she woke up and we were sitting there together and she said, 'Look Mom, isn't this great? It's the first time we haven't fought over a meth pipe even once!'" Harrell's heart instantly broke. After her daughter left the cell to take a shower, Harrell remembers crying out to God for help. In that moment she realized that the life of drug abuse is the only life her daughter, now 30, had ever known. "I remember asking God to help me because I had lived no other life and something had to change," she said. "I felt His presence and a kind of peacefulness and I remember a warm sensation covering me. I knew He was listening. "I was raised in a good home; I just wish I could say the same for my own children," Harrell said. A single mom of three kids, Harrell started doing meth after having her second son, Chad. She started using it as a way of losing some weight after having a baby, but it turned into years of drug abuse. Harrell said she even used meth while she was pregnant with Casey. "Because of my drug use with Casey, I didn't even discover I was pregnant until I was seven months along," she said. "I didn't stop using even then. My baby, my youngest child, had never seen me clean." Though Harrell always believed in God, she never believed she was worthy of His love. But she knows God saved her at the Chillicothe Correctional Center. But Harrell had no idea how to live a different life than the one she had been living for the previous 34 years. Then she had to do one of the most difficult things she's ever done: "I had to leave my daughter in the prison when I was released on July 2, 2014." Harrell had only one friend who was "clean" and living a godly life, but was in another town. At first she stayed with her son, Chad, who miraculously escaped the life of drugs and crime that was normal to the rest of the family. But it wasn't long before she moved to her own apartment. Harrell was alone for the first time in her life. "I was worried," she said. "I didn't have a church or any clean friends yet, so I read my Bible and prayed -- a lot. I checked out a couple of churches, but I couldn't find a place where I fit in." Then she received a call from her cousin, Barry Agee, who asked if she had being doing any meth since she got out of prison. "I told him I didn't want to get high anymore," Harrell said. Agee then invited her to a Saturday night gathering at Freeway Ministries, a ministry funded in part by Crossway Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo., and founded by a CBC member. Freeway Ministries focuses on assisting the local church with hard-to-reach men and women, setting forth the Gospel in a way they can relate to -- by people who have been in the same circumstances. "It was exactly what I was looking for. I loved it," Harrell said. She started a 20-week discipleship class at Freeway that answered many of the questions she had about God. She also met women who showed her how to live a life without drug abuse. "I always went to church with my mom," Harrell said, "but I never had a relationship with Jesus Christ. "With Jesus," she said, "even the worst days I have now are better than the best days of my old life." Since first walking through the doors at Freeway more than a year ago, Harrell has been baptized, she has become a member of Crossway and she volunteers at Freeway and at Clarity Recovery and Wellness, a drug addiction treatment center. "I have been able to get involved and see lives changed every week at Freeway," Harrell said. "God always shows up on Saturday nights." "Sandy is a bright light," said John Stroup, ministry planter and evangelist for Freeway Ministries. "God has done a great work in her heart and life." But there is still pain and consequence to sin. Harrell's daughter, her oldest son and her husband remain in prison. She prays for them daily and writes letters to them, sharing her newfound faith and knowledge. And God is working. Recently her husband Gary, who had never read a Bible since Harrell had known him, was saved in prison and has been reading his Bible daily. "God restores families and I am waiting on that day that we are all together again," Harrell said. "In the meantime, God has filled the void in my life with an awesome church family." And when Harrell thinks back to her past and some of the dark and dangerous situations her choices led her to, she is always reminded of Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (NIV). "My former chaotic lifestyle led me to houses where there were gun fights and where people were stabbed ... when I should have been home with my kids," Harrell said. "God protected me through it all; He always provided a way for me to get out; I see that now. I am so excited to see what His plans are for me. I just have to be obedient." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Ministry & family time by Jason Allen Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday Jason Allen is president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- How does a pastor most healthily balance ministerial service with family time? This tension is felt by all who serve the church, just under the surface in many congregations. Sadly, many men leave the ministry due to erring one way or the other in what is often a delicate balance. I was struck anew by this tension while interviewing a potential staff member a few years ago. The interview was going smoothly until a committee member inquired about the role the candidate's wife would play in his ministry. The young man became defensive, insisting the church was hiring him, not his wife. That brief exchange nearly torpedoed his candidacy, and it left me puzzled. In the previous months, I had gotten to know the couple personally. He was a great guy and his wife struck me as one who fully supported her husband. In fact, in many ways, I viewed them as a model couple, well balancing ministry and family. That is why I was surprised by the young man's response. After further conversation, I discovered the couple was not reticent to give themselves to the church. Both husband and wife were eager to serve. Rather, he had been coached by others in ministry to protect his wife -- an appropriate concern that was inappropriately expressed. That scenario was indicative of a longstanding concern for the pastor and the church alike -- how do we rightly balance ministry and family expectations? A swinging pendulum In the mid-20th century -- during the heyday of programmatic and event-driven ministry -- churches prioritized pastoral presence. In many churches the pastor was expected to be virtually omnipresent. The dutiful parson was always roaming hospitals, making house calls to church prospects, and presiding over every church function. In addition to limiting his time for sermon preparation, it often compromised his ability to lead his family. In its most excessive forms, congregations expected their pastor to lead ever-growing ministries, even at the expense of their family. In fact, one of the 20th century's most famous pastors once remarked, "A man has to choose. He can have either a great family or a great ministry. He cannot have both." Other, more budget-mindful churches, may expect a "buy one get one free" scenario. If you hire a man to pastor, surely his wife will play the piano, coordinate the nursery or direct the children's ministry for free, right? In other words, the pendulum needed to swing the other way and, thankfully, in most contexts it has. Yet, at times I fear the pendulum has swung too far the other direction. We must protect our families, but we need not sequester them. Balance is hard to find, but perhaps these five principles will help. Ministry is life on life We must remember that ministry in the New Testament is life on life. For the apostle Paul, the church was not a distant group before which he occasionally appeared. They were his spiritual family, with whom he lived and ministered. Oftentimes the most fruitful ministry is organic. It happens when church members are in your home, and you are in theirs. Maximum fruitfulness in ministry requires life on life -- and often family on family -- engagement. There simply is no shortcut. If the church is so burdensome that you feel the need to erect barriers between God's family and yours, it likely points to deeper issues of concern either in your family or theirs. You are inseparable from your family The pastor is not an autonomous agent, hired by the church without consideration of his family status. If that is the case, the church merely wants a clergyman to deliver chaplain-like goods and services. The New Testament picture of the pastor is much more inclusive and robust. Though the church does not hire our wife and children, it is entirely appropriate for them to expect us to lead biblical families. This does not mean we exhibit perfection, but that we handle our imperfections in biblical ways. The simple fact is if our household is not in order then our entire ministry is in question. Our household cannot be fully in order unless they are actively engaged in the local church. You can minister with your family Many of my fondest family memories have been in the context of ministry, and many of my fondest ministry memories have occurred with my family present. I have made a thousand hospital visits, knocked on hundreds of doors and shared the Gospel countless times, all with a child or two by my side. Over the years my kids have heard me preach hundreds of sermons, sat through scores of seminary chapel services and participated in countless church outreach projects. We've always sought to make such outings enjoyable, so that they made the body of Christ more attractive to our kids, not less. If we really believe in the glory of the church and of the splendor of God's call to ministry, then it is not something from which we shield our families. We should expose them to it. I have learned that oftentimes choosing between family and ministry is a false choice. Why not just bring them along? Know your wife and kids The wise man is always observing, always learning his wife and children. Different life stages, particular ministry contexts, and the relative bandwidth of the minister's wife will all impact their participation. If your season of life is particularly challenging, just be up front and state plainly your needs to the church. Most likely they will understand. Over the years my wife has been a wonder woman, resolutely supportive of my ministry. Yet there have been seasons -- like when our five kids were ages 5 and under -- that required unique energy and attention at home. That required me, and my places of service, to understand. You have more time than you think Over the years I've learned that we have more time than we think. Adrian Rogers counseled pastors that the larger God grows your ministry, the less "me time" we will enjoy. Often, the key to giving our ministry and our family more time is giving ourselves less. If you question this assertion, ponder how much time you have given social media, leisure, recreation, sports, entertainment, idle chatter and various other distractions this past week. Make sure your ministry and your family win, even if you have to lose. Brother pastors, if a church expects us to win at ministry while losing at home we are right to push back. Let us not neglect our families, but let us not hide behind them either. We can have -- indeed we must have -- strong families and strong ministries. And let us be willing to die to ourselves, forgoing some of our personal pleasures and privileges, so that we can have just that. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Feb. 7, 2016 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum. Bible Passages: Exodus 25:1-9; 39:32-43; 40:34-38 Discussion Questions: How would God's presence filling the tabernacle have affected your understanding of God's character; of His greatness? What does God's presence among the Israelites teach you about His desire to dwell among you and your fellow Christians? Consider yourself as a mini-tabernacle. In what ways do you see God's glory in your life? Is there any visible or sensory evidence of God's presence in and through you? Why or why not? Food for Thought: God filled the tabernacle with His presence. He had manifested His presence earlier to the Israelites through a pillar of cloud. A cloud was visible over the temporary tent of meeting outside the Israelite camp, where Moses and the Lord talked (Exodus 13:21; 33:7-11). But now something new and fantastic happened. God visibly showed up in the heart of the camp above the tabernacle, the newly constructed tent of meeting, as Exodus 40:34-35 indicates: "The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud rested on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." Twice in these verses "the glory of the LORD" is emphasized. The term translated "glory" carried ideas of both "weightiness" and "brightness." With reference to the God of Israel, glory referred to the overwhelming manifestation of His presence. Thus, Moses had a continuing desire to see God's glory (Exodus 33:18), even after conversing with God "face to face" in the tent outside the camp, "just as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11). In response to this request, God gave Moses a partial display of His glory -- "you will see My back, but My face will not be seen" (Exodus 33:23; see Exodus 33:19-34:8). Yet in Exodus 40, with God's glory filling the tabernacle, even Moses was unable to enter. Ultimately, the brilliance subsided so that the priests could fulfill their responsibilities inside the tent of meeting. The cloud, however, remained above the tabernacle as permanent evidence of God's presence in the Israelite camp. The entire Book of Exodus concludes with this summary: "The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle throughout all the stages of their journey. If the cloud was not taken up, they did not set out until the day it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night, visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey" (Exodus 40:36-38). The entire tabernacle section of Exodus, but particularly these concluding verses, proves conclusively that God wanted to be with His people, and He wanted them to know that He was with them. The same is true today. The greatest evidence of this truth is the incarnation; God Himself took on human form. In Israel's history, the portable tabernacle was eventually followed by the permanent temple, both understood as the earthly dwelling place of the Lord. In fact, throughout the ancient world, a "temple" was a god's house. Israel's temple never had a physical image of God as pagan temples did, but nevertheless functioned as the place, the sanctuary, where the Lord's holy presence was manifested. The apostle Paul took up this language to remind early Christians, and us, that we are indwelt by God's Spirit. Therefore, we are God's temple and so we manifest His presence to others in the world: "Don't you yourselves know that you are God's sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). In conclusion, consider the following ways in which Scripture helps us think about the concept of tabernacle as the dwelling place of God among His people: -- The garden of Eden was a tabernacle where God manifested Himself to Adam and Eve; -- The tent in the wilderness was a tabernacle where God demonstrated Himself to Israel; -- Jesus was (and is) the preeminent tabernacle, where God displayed Himself in fullness to humanity; -- Believers today are a tabernacle that manifests God's presence in the present age; -- The New Jerusalem will be the tabernacle where God is forever present to His people. The Gospel Project The Gospel Project is a Christ-centered curriculum that examines the grand narrative of Scripture and how the Gospel transforms the lives of those it touches. Through a three-year study plan, participants are immersed in the Gospel through stories, theological concepts, and calls to missions from Genesis to Revelation. Separate study plans for kids and students/adults ensure the proper focus and depth. The Gospel Project is designed to unify an entire church under a single Christ-centered curriculum. More information, free samples, and The Gospel Project blog can be found at gospelproject.com. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Church retirement plans aided by 2015 legislation by Roy Hayhurst Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday DALLAS (BP) -- Legislation signed into law in December will have a positive impact for those who participate in and those who operate church retirement plans. Provisions of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, commonly referred to as the PATH Act, will allow church retirement plans to include automatic enrollment features in their retirement programs regardless of various states' wage withholding laws. The legislation -- long sought by a broad coalition of large and historic denominational retirement plan providers -- took three Congresses to consider before being tacked onto the PATH Act in December 2015. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law on Dec. 18. "This bill has been a long-awaited and hard-fought bill to pass," O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources, said. "We appreciate all who made this bill a reality." A major "win" in this new legislation is leveling the playing field between secular employers' plans and church-related employers' plans when it comes to offering automatic enrollment plans. Among the provisions in the law is a component that pre-empts any state law that interferes with the ability of a church plan to offer automatic enrollment programs. Under automatic enrollment programs, employees automatically enroll in the retirement plans at a preset level. Employees have the option to opt out or make changes to the amount deferred for retirement contributions, and certain notice requirements must be met. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, up to 30 percent of eligible workers choose not to participate in an employer's retirement plan. Less than 15 percent of eligible workers, however, opt out of an automatic enrollment plan, improving those workers' chances of a more financially secure retirement. Congress made a similar provision affecting for-profit organizations' 401(k) employer-sponsored plans in the Pension Protection Act of 2006, but had not expressly included 403(b) plans, leading some to believe that state wage garnishment laws might impact the ability to automatically enroll workers into a 403(b) plan. "Benefit decisions can be overwhelming," said Joy Roberts, executive director of retirement relationship management at GuideStone Financial Resources. "New employees are asked to make impactful decisions about their retirement plan at the same time they are starting a new job. Many delay getting started or don't contribute adequately. "This new legislation will give employers the option to automatically enroll their employees, giving their employees greater financial security in their retirement and making sure that their employees are accessing the full scope of benefits that help retain great employees." The legislation also offers additional clarification on control group rules that cause employers to be aggregated for certain benefit purposes such as retirement plan nondiscrimination testing and allows transfers among certain kinds of plans of the same employer. Roberts said GuideStone relationship managers will continue to reach out to affected employers to discuss how this legislation may benefit their organization and employees. The PATH Act was known as the "taxibus" bill that Congress passed to keep the government running through the 2016 budget year. Sens. Ben Cardin, D.-Md., and Rob Portman, R.-Ohio, along with Reps. Pat Tiberi, R.-Ohio, and Richard E. Neal, D.-Mass.) served as cosponsors on the church retirement plan portion of the PATH Act. -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Super Bowl: Does God care who wins? by Bob Smietana Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- An old gospel hymn says God's eye is on the sparrow, but what about panthers and broncos? When it comes to the ones from Carolina and Denver matched up for Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, most Americans are skeptical about divine intervention on the football field, according to a new survey from LifeWay Research. A phone survey of 1,000 Americans found nearly 9 out of 10 respondents (85 percent) said "no" when asked, "Does God determine winners and losers in the Super Bowl?" About 1 in 10 (11 percent) said "yes." One in 25 (4 percent) didn't know. Americans who are a bit more likely to say God determines the Super Bowl winner include evangelicals (15 percent), members of a non-Christian faith (18 percent) and those who attend a religious service at least once a week (13 percent). So are those with graduate degrees (15 percent). In popular culture, God gets some credit for two of the most well-known plays in NFL playoff history: the 1975 "Hail Mary" pass from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson and the "Immaculate Reception" caught by Pittsburgh Steelers' fullback Franco Harris in 1972. Still, most Americans don't believe God even cares about the outcome of the NFL's big game, now at its 50-year mark. Nine out of 10 (88 percent) said "no" when asked, "Does God care who wins the Super Bowl?" Almost 1 in 10 (8 percent) said "yes." One in 20 didn't know (5 percent). Christians (89 percent) are more likely to say God doesn't care about the Super Bowl winner than those of other faiths (79 percent). Those with some college (91 percent) are more skeptical than those with graduate degrees (81 percent). Americans who attend a religious service at least once a week (10 percent) are more likely to say God cares than those who attend once or twice a month (3 percent). Those with evangelical beliefs (83 percent) are less likely to answer no when asked if God cares about the Super Bowl winner than other Americans (90 percent). They are also more likely to be unsure (7 percent) than other Americans (3 percent). Americans remain devoted to pro football -- especially the Super Bowl. Last year, a reported 114 million Americans tuned in to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots. And while faith and football sometimes go together -- NFL players often form prayer circles after the game ends -- few fans admit seeking divine aid for their teams. A 2014 LifeWay Research survey found only about 1 in 8 Americans (13 percent) say they have prayed for a sports team. "Our previous research has shown most Americans think God is concerned with their day-to-day decisions," said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research, based in Nashville. "Yet this survey shows Americans do not see God as interested in their favorite sport." Methodology: The phone survey of Americans was conducted Sept. 14-28, 2015. The calling utilized Random Digit Dialing. Fifty percent of completes were among landlines and 50 percent among cellphones. Maximum quotas and slight weights were used for gender, region, age, ethnicity and education to more accurately reflect the population. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.6 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups. -------------------------------------------------------------------- First pro-life bill enacted in Ky. in 12 years by Todd Deaton/Kentucky Western Recorder Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) -- Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed a bill -- as soon as it arrived in his office Feb. 2 -- amending the state's informed consent law to give women patients and doctors the option of consulting in person or by video conferencing. Since 1998, Kentucky law has required women to meet with a doctor, or a doctor-designated representative, before having an abortion, but some physicians purportedly have been circumventing the rule by using pre-recorded phone messages. The new measure, Senate Bill 4 -- the first signed by Bevin since taking office and the first pro-life measure enacted in 12 years -- requires women seeking abortions to be informed of medical risks and benefits at least 24 hours prior to consenting to a procedure. A delegation of lawmakers, including the bill's sponsor, Sen. Julie Raque Adams of Louisville, walked the bill to Gov. Bevin's office on Tuesday. Bevin indicated he will sign the bill again ceremonially at an upcoming right-to-life rally at the Capitol, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. The new pro-life law was met with enthusiastic support from Kentucky Baptist leaders, who applauded the legislative action as "a step in the right direction." Kentucky Baptist Convention President Kevin Smith cited Genesis 1:27 in stating that "Kentucky Baptists believe that all life is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, I am thankful that the legislature of this commonwealth has passed this measure, and the governor expressed his eagerness to sign it. "Prayerfully, this will provide helpful information for mothers and save lives," said Smith, teaching pastor at Louisville's Highview Baptist Church. Neal Thornton, chairman of the KBC Committee on Public Affairs, said the bill is "a victory for every woman and child of Kentucky." "Pregnancy represents the stewardship of a life made in God's image," said Thornton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Mount Vernon. "This bill will provide mothers with the knowledge needed to make an informed decision on behalf of their unborn child." In passing the bill, Kentucky lawmakers ended a stalemate by agreeing to allow live video consultations as an option to fulfill "informed consent" requirements. In January, the Republican-controlled Senate passed the bill requiring face-to-face consultations. After the Democratic-controlled House voted 92-3 to pass the bill in late January but proposed the option of allowing video consultations, the Senate accepted their compromise language by a vote of 33-5. The bill maintains a 1998 provision allowing doctors to be represented by a licensed nurse, physician assistant or social worker. The addition of a live video option potentially paves the way for Kentucky to be among the first states to incorporate a telehealth component in its informed consent law. Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer of Georgetown told The Associated Press, "It is my hope that [with] the information provided to these women, these mothers who are considering an abortion, that they will think twice about the action they are about to take." Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky convention, noted, "Information is vital in all decision making, and providing women with information about the little child inside them would most certainly cause many to rethink their decisions to have abortions." The new law comes on the heels of a "cease and desist" order directed at a Planned Parenthood facility in Louisville that began performing abortions in January. And, shortly after approving the informed consent bill, the Senate passed a bill that would prohibit state funds from being used to provide abortion services. Planned Parenthood currently receives no state funding. The Planned Parenthood facility "brazenly set out to conduct abortions without a license in clear violation of Kentucky law," Gov. Bevin stated. "The commonwealth acted swiftly to end these unlawful procedures, and we will continue to investigate the matter thoroughly." State officials said the Louisville facility's application in November to perform abortions was deficient, lacking agreements with an acute care hospital and an ambulance service in the event of unforeseen complications. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, however, maintained it was working to correct the problems and had been given permission in December to provide abortions. A top lawyer for Bevin's administration, though, disputed Planned Parenthood's claim that it followed state guidelines in opening the clinic while its application was pending. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky has since said the clinic will refrain from performing any abortion procedures until it has been issued the appropriate license. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Female military conscription 'absurd' but likely by David Roach Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- A Feb. 2 proposal by two top U.S. generals that women be required to register for future military drafts represents what a former Army chief of chaplains called the unfortunate end result of the Obama administration's decision to abolish all gender-based restrictions for military jobs. "The sad fact is," said former Army chief of chaplains Douglas Carver, "that our national leaders have championed gender equality in the Armed Services, specifically in the Special Operations and combat duty positions, without fully considering its impact on combat readiness, teambuilding, military recruiting for an all-volunteer force and the stability of military families." Carver's comments, which parallel a 1998 Southern Baptist Convention resolution opposing "the training and assigning of females to military combat service" on theological and strategic grounds, came in response to a query from Baptist Press a day after Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the Army, and Gen. Robert Neller, Marine Corps commandant, both told the Senate Armed Services Committee they favor a change in America's Selective Service System requiring young women to register for the draft along with their male counterparts. In December, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced women would be permitted as of Jan. 2 to enter elite combat forces "as long as they qualify and meet the standards," according to a Washington Post report at the time. Milley and Neller's appearance before the Armed Services Committee was occasioned by a hearing on implementation of that decision. Neller told The Post following his Senate testimony, "Now that the restrictions that exempted women from [combat jobs] don't exist ... [it] doesn't mean you're going to serve, but you go register." In Carver's opinion, "Congress now has no legal option to prevent the conscription of women since the Commander in Chief has directed that the Armed Services become a level playing field for all military duty positions." Carver, a retired major general and the North American Mission Board's executive director of chaplaincy, said he "fully expect[s]" Congress to follow the generals' recommendation and amend the Military Selective Service Act to require virtually all females between ages 18 and 25 to register for the draft. Carver added in written comments, "I can only imagine the chaos to military communities should our nation reinstate the draft due to a threat to our national security. In the words of an old World War I song, who will 'keep the home fires burning' when both moms and dads are required by law to go to war?" Mark Coppenger, a retired Army infantry officer and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor, in comments to BP, raised a question about the deeper motives of Milley and Neller. He argued they may have made their statements to highlight the absurdity of opening all combat roles to women. "I have no idea what those service chiefs were thinking when, yesterday, they urged that women be required to register for the draft," Coppenger said in written comments. "But I have a flicker of hope that they were trying to embarrass the social engineers who've foisted female 'grunts' upon us (a term of endearment for the infantry)." The generals, Coppenger said, may have been stating implicitly, "You want equality/identity. Okay, you've got it. How does that feel?" "Of course, social madness has proceeded apace since the 1970s," Coppenger added, "and we have more people willing to embrace absurdities and abominations for the 'great' ideological causes of the day, but maybe this latest move will help stir the voting populace to sanity." Last year, then-Marine Corps commandant Joseph Dunford, who is now chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recommended women continue to be excluded from some frontline combat jobs. When Neller took over as commandant, he vowed to implement the Obama administration's decision. Coppenger recalled his final year of college when a draft for the Vietnam War was instituted and American views on women in combat were much different. "I may have missed it, but I don't remember a man ... arguing that it just wasn't fair that all those able-bodied women went scot-free," Coppenger said. Consensus existed "that it would be absurd, even despicable, to force our nation's mothers, daughters and sisters suit up for 'Nam." The SBC's resolution "on women in combat" argued females should not be assigned to combat units because doing so: -- "Rejects gender-based distinctions established by God in the order of creation"; -- "Undermines male headship in the family by failing to recognize the unique gender-based responsibility of men to protect women and children"; and -- "Subordinates the combat readiness of American troops, and the national security of the United States, to the unbiblical social agenda of feminism." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Veto override on PPFA defunding fails in House by Tom Strode Date: February 03, 2016 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. House of Representatives failed Tuesday (Feb. 2) to override President Obama's veto of a bill that would have largely defunded Planned Parenthood, but pro-life advocates remained hopeful about future success. The House voted 241-186 for the override, falling 45 votes short of the two-thirds majority required. The failure was not a surprise, considering the margin by which the proposal originally passed. Supporters of the legislation actually lost ground from the House's original passage vote, which was 240-181. Only two days after the House vote in early January, the president vetoed the budget-related bill, which would have cut nearly 90 percent of federal money in the next year for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its affiliates. The legislation also would have essentially gutted the controversial 2010 health care law opposed by nearly all pro-life organizations. Obama's veto protected the interests of the country's leading abortion provider, which performs more than 300,000 abortions a year, receives more than $500 million from the government annually and continues to be plagued by scandal. The latest in a growing list of black eyes for Planned Parenthood's reputation came in last year's revelation through undercover videos that it trades in baby body parts. Southern Baptist public policy specialist Barrett Duke said the surprise was both chambers "were able to pass this bill in the first place," since the measure "was working against two entrenched, impassioned interests Congress is very divided about -- health care and abortion." "Defunding Planned Parenthood and sending those taxpayer dollars to health providers that do not perform abortions is especially high on our list of things to do," said Duke, vice president for public policy of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), in written comments for Baptist Press. "The initial passage of this bill tells us we are very close to achieving this goal." Pro-life leaders expressed their hope the election of a pro-life president this year could result in PPFA's defunding. "[W]e've proven that if the American people will give us a willing partner in the White House, we can indeed defund Planned Parenthood and dismantle Obamacare with the support of a simple majority in Congress," said Rep. Diane Black, R.-Tenn., a leading proponent of the measure. Pro-life leader Marjorie Dannenfelser said only Obama "stands in the way," meaning the defunding of Planned Parenthood "could be a reality in 2017." "His veto was a call to action to the pro-life grassroots. This year we must elect a president who respects life and will protect the conscience rights of taxpayers," said Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, in a written statement. "With a pro-life president in the White House, there will be no need for an override vote." Planned Parenthood will use its resources to prevent such an election result. It has endorsed abortion-rights supporter Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Despite the failure, Black said the defunding effort "was a fight worth having." The House Republican majority "kept the story of Planned Parenthood's brutalities alive, despite the mainstream media's best efforts, and we've encouraged more Americans to watch the recent undercover films for themselves," Black said in written comments. Congressional passage of the legislation apparently marked the first time a bill to cut funds for PPFA had reached the president's desk. The Senate had approved the proposal in a 52-47 vote in early December. As in early January, a single Democrat -- Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota -- voted for the override, while only three Republicans -- Reps. Bob Dold of Illinois and Richard Hanna and John Katko, both of New York -- voted against it. Backers of the attempt to defund Planned Parenthood used what is known as the reconciliation process in their latest effort to cut money for the organization. Reconciliation enables the Senate to pass a budget-related measure without the need for 60 votes to overcome a filibuster attempt. The legislation vetoed by Obama would have redirected funds to approved community health centers instead of Planned Parenthood. PPFA and its affiliates received $553.7 million in government grants and reimbursements, according to its latest annual financial report (2014-15). Planned Parenthood affiliates performed 323,999 abortions during 2013-14, the most recent year for which statistics are available. The latest congressional effort to cut federal funds for PPFA came after secretly recorded videos released beginning in July showed various Planned Parenthood officials in different locations discussing the sale of organs from aborted children. The videos included acknowledgements by Planned Parenthood employees of their willingness to manipulate the abortion procedure to preserve body parts for sale and use. The Center for Medical Progress, which produced the undercover videos, released one the day of the House override vote that it says demonstrates a PPFA affiliate in Houston used an accounting scheme to conceal the illegal sale of fetal tissue. ERLC President Russell Moore and 37 other pro-life leaders wrote congressional leaders in October to encourage them to use the reconciliation process in an attempt to defund PPFA. The reconciliation bill would have crippled the 2010 health care law, eliminating penalties for individuals who refuse to buy health insurance and employers who choose not to provide it. The legislation also would have repealed other taxes in the law. Pro-life organizations opposed the health care law because of its support of subsidies for abortions. A federal regulation implementing the law also requires employers to provide coverage for contraceptives with potentially abortion-causing properties.