
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-03/25/2019

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. 

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Ponds, lakes, oceans, pools:  Baptism around the world
by Rachel Cohen
Date: March 25, 2019 - Monday

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- A number of years ago, a man named Philip had an encounter with an official from Africa. After Philip shared the Gospel with him, the official believed in Christ and desired to be baptized. The two men came to the only body of water at their disposal -- presumably a stream or pond -- and the official was baptized in front of an audience of One.

In 21st-century America, baptisms often look quite different. Although the outward demonstration of faith is the same, many are immersed in a baptistery situated at the front of our church, maybe even in heated water.

But in many places around the world, people are baptized under the same circumstances as the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 -- in whatever water is available and at times in front of only a handful of people. Some do so in relative secrecy to avoid persecution by governments or their community.

Though baptisms can vary, the same God is glorified by the visible reminder that someone has gone from death to life and now lives in a restored relationship with their Lord.

Here's a look at baptisms around the world in praise of God for His transformation of people's hearts and lives.



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Learn more about how IMB trains and works alongside indigenous peoples for the spread of the Gospel, and consider how to become part of that effort.

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W. Mark Tew to lead Judson College in Alabama
by The Alabama Baptist Staff
Date: March 25, 2019 - Monday

MARION, Ala. (BP) -- W. Mark Tew has been elected as the 23rd president of Judson College, a four-year women's college founded in 1838 and affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention.

Tew has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, since 2007. Tew began his career in higher education in 1987 at Judson as a religion professor. In the 20 years that followed, he served as the college's chief finance officer, chief development officer and chief academic officer.

He succeeds David E. Potts, who led the 375-student college in Marion, Ala., from 1990 until he transitioned to chancellor in March 2018 and died later that month from illness at age 67.

Tew, in his service at Judson, supervised $8 million in campus renovation, restoration and construction initiatives in the 1990s and 2000s, including the renovation of its main building, Jewett Hall; the development of the Charles F. Dunkin Athletic Complex; construction of Marian Acree Tucker Hall; and restoration of Judson's Carnegie Library, now known as A. Howard Bean Hall, which houses the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame.

Tew also led the campus-wide team that developed the strategic plan for the years leading up to Judson's 175th anniversary. Just before his departure from the college in 2007, he led the faculty in developing the bachelor of social work program, now one of the college's fastest-growing majors.

Judson offers 20 majors in liberal arts and the sciences, 10 pre-professional degree programs and an associate degree in nursing.

"Ann &#91;his wife&#93; and I are deeply honored to be asked to return to Alabama and render service to Judson College, Alabama Baptists and the Kingdom of God," Tew said after his election by Judson's trustees. "Education that is taught from a biblically informed Christian worldview is more necessary in today's society than ever before. To that end, we will cherish the prayers of all who believe Judson's future is even brighter than her glorious past."

Daphne Rudicell Robinson, a Judson alumna, search committee member and vice chair of the board of trustees, said Tew "clearly emerged as the right person at the right time," citing his experience in higher education and love of Judson's Perry County community as "invaluable" characteristics of the incoming president.

At Howard Payne under Tew, the Baptist university added pre-licensure BSN and post-licensure RN to BSN programs, a bachelor of science in engineering science and five master's degree programs, including the master of education in leadership, master of business administration and master of arts in theology and ministry.

Tew also supervised a number of physical plant improvements, including the $3.5 million restoration of the circa-1920s Mims Auditorium and the $1.5 million renovation and expansion of the Jane and Paul Myers Faith and Life Leadership Center.

In higher education, Tew has served as the chair of 20 onsite reaffirmation committees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the regional body that accredits hundreds of colleges and universities in the southeastern United States.

In addition to his work at Baptist colleges, Tew has served as pastor, associate pastor or interim pastor at nine churches in Alabama, Texas and Louisiana. He is the author of "Luke: Gospel of the Nameless and Faceless," published by Wipf and Stock.

Tew and his wife of 36 years have three daughters who are Judson graduates, Elyse Weeks, Clara Owenby and Nicole Bean, and seven grandchildren. 

Ann Tew currently directs the health science technology program at Brownwood High School. She holds a master of arts degree in higher education administration from the University of Alabama and is a registered nurse and registered pharmacy technician.

A welcome reception for the Tews will be held in the Gladys Hale Dunkin Parlors of Jewett Hall on Friday, April 5, from 3-5 p.m.

The search committee, in addition to Robinson, included three current Judson employees and four trustees. Four members of the committee were Judson alumnae and one was an Alabama Baptist pastor. Tew was unanimously recommended by the committee prior to the full trustee vote March 8.

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LifeWay store closures lamented as 'a great loss'
by David Roach
Date: March 25, 2019 - Monday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Sarah Beth Van Dyke shopped at LifeWay Christian Stores during her childhood when they were called Baptist Bookstores. She worked in a LifeWay store in graduate school, and now she takes her two children to LifeWay to spend their allowance money. Generally, she shops at a LifeWay store multiple times every month.

With all 170 LifeWay stores set to close this year, Van Dyke said Christians will lose "a unique chance to shop for Christian books, Bibles, studies, music and gifts with confidence, knowing that the &#91;re&#93;sources &#91;have&#93; been through a vetting process before making it onto the shelves for purchase."

As LifeWay stores begin to disappear, LifeWay supporters and critics alike say the brick-and-mortar book market will lose an important means of theological quality control. They also wonder if another theologically trusted brick-and-mortar option will emerge.

"I enjoyed being able to take my children to LifeWay to participate in their summer reading program and various other children's events, and they too have come to love the store as I do," said Van Dyke, a member of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn. "They look forward to going in LifeWay stores to spend their hard-earned allowance money, and I have been able to rest in the assurance that items my children pick are biblically sound."

For Van Dyke, the physical LifeWay stores are important, especially when shopping for a Bible, because they allow her "to thumb through the Bible physically before purchasing to see the layout and flow of the study notes, etc. This same process cannot be achieved through online stores or with the limited selection of other brick and mortar stores."

Rachel Held Evans, a Christian author who says LifeWay stores opted not to carry her 2012 book "A Year of Biblical Womanhood," tweeted March 20-21, "The average reader has no idea just how large LifeWay loomed over Christian publishing, and just how many voices and ideas it managed to stifle" with its "strict, fundamentalist standards" for the books sold in LifeWay stores.

Over the years, LifeWay has opted not to carry books on visiting heaven and books by Jen Hatmaker, Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald among other authors, Christianity Today reported.

Indiana pastor Tim Overton agreed LifeWay stores are known for their theological standards. But he sees that as a positive.

"In the information age, the difficulty is not finding material," said Overton, pastor of Kingston Avenue Baptist Church in Anderson, Ind. "It's finding quality material. I think one of the greatest competitive advantages LifeWay could have had, and had in some ways, was being trustworthy, where pastors could tell their congregations, 'You can go into the store, and anything you buy is trustworthy.'"

Overton is among a group of pastors who have gone to microphones "numerous times" at Southern Baptist Convention annual meetings over the years, he said, to make motions and offer resolutions asking LifeWay to pull from its shelves material the pastors viewed as theologically suspect. While LifeWay has not always done what Overton wanted, "there's no doubt LifeWay did a better job of &#91;selling trustworthy resources&#93; than other retailers."

Because of its status as an SBC entity, LifeWay "was unique &#91;among bookstores&#93; in holding very high standards and not simply allowing a profit to motivate all choices," Overton said.

In the end, however, profit margin was precisely the problem for LifeWay stores.

By late 2018, LifeWay leaders realized revenue declines at stores "had not reversed" despite efforts to revamp retail locations, former LifeWay President Thom Rainer told trustees in February. The closing of an unnamed number of LifeWay stores was announced in January, with the closure of all stores announced this month by acting president and CEO Brad Waggoner.

Rainer called LifeWay stores "the last man standing" among major Christian bookstore chains after Family Christian Stores closed two years ago.

Steve Christensen, owner of the independent bookstore Bibles Plus in Albuquerque, N.M., told Baptist Press "peak" sales for Christian bookstores came in 2002-2003. Bibles Plus has "been able to weather these 17 or 18 years of this kind of &#91;industry&#93; decline" by "maintaining a lower overhead." Still, the store's sales volume is 40 percent of what it was in 2002-2003.

Most Christian bookstore customers seem to be between ages 50 and 80, lack "tech savvy" and do not want to buy online, Christensen said, though "a few" younger customers still want to handle books before they purchase them.

As Christian bookstores inevitably close, Christensen said, a major loss is the ministry that occurs with customers. "You try to really see what their needs are," he said. " ... There are opportunities to pray with people that are going through crisis situations."

Yet Rainer told LifeWay trustees in February even the volume of ministry testimonies from stores is shrinking as brick-and-mortar sales decline.

When LifeWay stores close and the SBC's publishing entity shifts entirely to online sales, some customers see no alternate venue for the ministry and theological quality control offered by LifeWay stores.

"The closing of LifeWay stores will be a great loss to my family," Van Dyke said. "While almost all of the products LifeWay offers can be purchased at other retailers or online, we have continued to shop at LifeWay Christian Stores exclusively and will not be taking our business to another retailer or to an online platform."

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Credentials Committee chair, vice chair named
by  BP Staff
Date: March 25, 2019 - Monday

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- Betsy Gomez of Irving, Texas, has been named to chair the Credentials Committee for the June 11-12 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala., SBC President J.D. Greear announced today (March 25).

Muche Ukegbu of Miami will serve as vice chair.

"The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention exists for the messengers from our churches to meet together for the sake of our shared mission, and the Credentials Committee plays a vital role in facilitating that," said Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area. "I could not be more excited to have Betsy as chair and Muche as vice chair of the Credentials Committee this year.

"They are both incredibly sharp leaders who will bring the experience, wisdom and integrity needed to give us a Gospel-focused meeting in Birmingham," Greear said.

Gomez is part of Aviva Nuestros Corazones, the Hispanic outreach of the Revive Our Hearts women's ministry. Her husband Moises serves as the Spanish pastor at First Baptist Church in Irving.

Gomez is pursuing a master's degree in women's ministries through Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she is the mother of two boys and is expecting her first daughter.

"I am grateful to serve with the members of the Credentials Committee in order to help provide a smooth and organized experience to all the attendees," Gomez said. "It is my prayer that during that week the Lord will stir our hearts with great love and passion to make the Gospel known in our areas of influence and to the end of the earth."

Ukegbu is lead pastor of The Brook Church in Miami. He is married to Diamone and has three children.

"I am honored to be appointed to serve with humble and authentic leadership desiring to see a move of God in our generation," Ukegbu said.

The full Credentials Committee is set to be announced by Greear in the days ahead.

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Will Brazil honor Jerusalem as Israeli capital?
by  Diana Chandler
Date: March 25, 2019 - Monday

BRASILIA, Brazil (BP) -- Newly elected Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may withhold recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during his upcoming visit to the Middle East, possibly reneging on a campaign pledge.

Opposition from military officers in Brazil’s cabinet may hinder Bolsonaro from relocating Brazil’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, JewishPress.com has reported.

Bolsonaro, supported by evangelicals who comprise about 27 percent of Brazil’s population, is among a small list of nations who have pledged to honor the Israeli capital of Jerusalem in diplomatic relations, although some have stopped short of relocating their embassies there.

Bolsonaro will visit Israel March 31 – April 2 in the last leg of his first official international travel as president. He met with U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he has praised, at the White House March 19 before visiting Chile.

Brazil is the world’s ninth-largest economy and, according to the U.S. State Department, the U.S. is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner.

Trump in May 2018 relocated the U.S. Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, drawing criticism from the United Nations but praise from evangelicals in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Guatemala followed Trump’s example just two days later, becoming the second nation to desert the widely held consensus in international law that Jerusalem’s status must be settled in negotiations between Israel and Palestinians, both of whom claim ownership of the holy city.

Jerusalem is the God-given capital of Israel, evangelicals widely believe, but Israel has existed as a modern state only since 1948. Modern Israel has occupied the entire city of Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez verbally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in remarks at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference March 24 in Washington. Hernandez will open a trade office in Jerusalem, he said at AIPAC, but will retain the Honduran Israeli embassy in Tel Aviv.

Romania is studying the possibility of moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said at AIPAC, but Romanian President Klaus Iohannis opposes the move. Dancila’s announcement “shows complete ignorance regarding foreign affairs,” the French news agency AFP quoted Iohannis today (March 25) as saying.

Moldova President Igor Dodon said in December 2018 he would “very seriously consider” moving the nation’s embassy to Jerusalem, AFP reported.

As many as a dozen nations are considering officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.


