The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-03/31/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Montana Baptists seek new executive director by Diana Chandler Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday BILLINGS, Mont. (BP) -- The Montana Southern Baptist Convention is seeking a new executive director to lead the group of about 135 churches in a state where more than a third of the people reportedly don't attend church worship services regularly -- or at all. The new executive director of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention (MTSBC) will need to be a successful pastor, an exceptional leader committed to evangelism, and must love pastors and local churches, said search team chairman Bruce Speer, who pastors Crosspoint Community Church in Missoula. "Montana is a unique state. It is made up of a lot of rural churches in small communities and yet it also has some larger cities where pastors are trying to reach white collar workers," Speer said. "It is a unique mission field because there are very few churches that are more than 40 years old and it is still a state where the average person ... would tell you they have never been to church." Less than one percent of the state's adults are Southern Baptists, and 38 percent of adults never or seldom attend church, according to the Pew Research 2015 Religious Landscape Study. Fred Hewett, retiring in October as the current executive director, describes geography as a major challenge in the state where the nearest Southern Baptist pastor might be as many as 200 miles away. The state is the nation's fourth largest in size, but only 48th in population, about 1 million people. "From the southeast corner of Montana, it's closer to Texas than it is to the northwestern corner of Montana," Hewett said. "In this state convention, the executive director will have to have the ability to relate well to the rancher and farmer, as well as the white collar professional because we run a very diverse population." Hewett is only the third person to hold the post of executive director since the convention was formed in 2002 from the Montana Southern Baptist Fellowship. Southern Baptist work only began in Montana in 1952, he said. "We are still very much a new work state, a frontier state convention," Hewett said. "Our churches are first generation Christians" who require much pastoral care. Southern Baptist church planting is a major MTSBC focus, with 23 churches planted in the past four years, according to MTSBC statistics. MTSBC President Darren Hales, pastor of Big Sky Fellowship in Helena, said an effective executive director would need "a strong sense of calling to come and serve in Montana, first and foremost," and would need to be able to connect with pastors and people in several different demographic categories. American Indians comprise four percent of the state's population and live on seven reservations. The state is home to Glacier National Park and a small part of Yellowstone. "We have a vision to reach our state for the Gospel, and we have a heart for the people who live here," Hales said. "Our executive director would need to be somebody who has a heart and a call for pastors, [and a calling] to serve in a variety of settings, from the small church that only has 10 to 12 people -- because they're a little outpost in the middle of Montana in a ranching community -- to churches of 1,000 in some of our bigger cities." The MTSBC will conduct a thorough search with the confidence that God has prepared a person for the job, Hales said. "I believe there is a qualified candidate who maybe has had a tugging or a longing to move out west and be a part of something new that God's doing out in the West," he said. "We want it to be a spiritual decision based on a clear calling from God." Montana Southern Baptist leaders describe the MTSBC as in excellent condition financially and spiritually, with a strong foundation and vision. "The candidate we're looking for will come and embrace all of the positive things that Montana is doing, while giving us, inspiring us to look ahead to the next steps," Hales said. "We're looking for someone who's going to look ahead for the next 10 years. We feel very good where we are as a denomination, the growth and desire to grow, to touch people and sacrifice for the Gospel, but a new leader is going to have to look to the next 10 years." Chad Scarborough came to Montana in 2013 to lead First Baptist Church in Shelby, the second oldest church in the state. The fulltime pastor is the only staff member of the church that averages 45 in Sunday attendance. "Probably only 10 churches in our state, maybe a little bit more, ... average over 100 people on Sunday. For the most part, all of our churches are small congregations," Scarborough said. "An executive director ... is going to have to have an understanding of how small congregations function and operate, and also the accessibility to training and resources. Many of our small churches don't have the opportunity to have resources for their pastors to have continued training." Shelby is a transient community of 3,000 residents, not counting the 500 who live in the Crossroads Correctional Center, and is located just 26 miles from the Canadian border. Many residents have never heard the Gospel, Scarborough said. Thirty miles away is the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, where First Baptist of Shelby planted Glacier View Baptist mission before Scarborough's pastorate. He characterized American Indians that the church encounters as quick to accept the Gospel but prone to dualism, placing Jesus among many other spiritual beliefs. "Montana is still the mission field," he said. "There's really no way else to say it. This is a really unchurched area.... As far as Evangelical Christians go, the work is still very new here in Montana." Among top responsibilities, the executive director will serve as the chief operating officer, the treasurer and chief financial officer, the official director of MTSBC work and ministries, the director and supervisor of MTSBC staff and North American Mission Board missionaries in the state, and the editor of the Montana Baptist electronic newsletter. A full job description and list of qualifications is available from Speer at searchteam@mtsbc.org, where the search team will receive applications through May. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SBC DIGEST: LifeWay highlights small churches; Northeastern college commissions int'l mission team by LifeWay, NEBC, Baptist Press Staff Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday Facts & Trends issue focuses on 'the power of small' NASHVILLE (BP) -- The power of small churches is the focus of the latest edition of Facts & Trends, a publication of LifeWay Christian Resources for pastors and other church leaders. "With the majority of churches in America having weekly attendance below 100, we believe this issue will hit home with and inspire many of our readers," said Carol Pipes, the magazine's editor. The magazine includes the unique opportunities and challenges small churches face on a daily basis as well as examples of how smaller churches have turned weaknesses into advantages. Readers will learn from church growth experts Bob Whitesel and Elmer Towns, as well as from Karl Vaters, founder of NewSmallChurch.com. "Large or small, rural or urban, every church can make an impact for God's Kingdom," Pipes said. "We should value healthy churches of all sizes." One of the articles in the cover section explores how megachurches are harnessing the power of "small" through small groups, multisite campuses and micro sites. The spring 2016 issue of Facts & Trends also includes an interview with pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, author of "Reviving the Black Church," as well as articles on human trafficking and the significance of music in developing disciples. Each issue of Facts & Trends includes church and culture trends, resource recommendations and columns by LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer and Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research. A subscription or copies of the magazine can be obtained by contacting the magazine's staff at FactsAndTrends@LifeWay.com or visiting the FactsAndTrends.net website. Northeastern commissions international mission team BENNINGTON, Vt. (BP) -- Praying over Northeastern Baptist College's first international mission team was among the highlights of the trustee meeting at the Vermont campus March 7-8. The commissioning service was held in the college's chapel in Bennington for the six students, two faculty members and a faculty spouse who ministered in the Gospel-bleak city of Glasgow, Scotland, March 13-19. NEBC's mission team worked with local IMB missionaries to share the Gospel and create a network base for a Bible study group and eventual church plant. For trustee Stephen Rummage, commissioning the NEBC team was particularly meaningful. Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla., where Rummage is senior pastor, started a new church in Glasgow less than three years ago. "Like much of New England," Rummage said, "Glasgow has a rich spiritual past but has grown cold and dark spiritually today. Our Northeastern students are already uniquely prepared to take the Gospel to people in that city." Academics & events Though the college is still in its beginning stages, proposals to the board during the March meeting again reflected growth since NEBC's founding in 2013. Trustees voted to establish an associate of arts program to offer more options for incoming students and also confirmed associate professor of Christian education Lorrie Francis as vice president of institutional readiness. Francis already has mapped a course for NEBC's continuing accreditation pursuits. Northeastern Baptist College (online at www.nebcvt.org) offers four bachelor degrees in biblical studies, Christian counseling, music ministry and business administration and will now also offer an associate level track in biblical studies, music ministry and business administration starting with this year's fall semester. Also during the meeting, former trustee Michael McDill was recognized for his service prior to joining the NEBC faculty. McDill, now professor of church history and theology at the college, was honored for the three years he served before rotating off the trustee board. Trustees were apprised of preparations for NEBC's first commencement exercises on May 7. NEBC President Mark Ballard noted that the college's students "are currently serving on staff in churches here in Vermont and plan to take on increased responsibilities upon graduation. In addition, one of our first graduates has already been accepted into a master's program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We rejoice at all the Lord is doing and welcome our NEBC friends to be a part of [commencement], another first, for NEBC." NEBC's vice presidents asked to establish a Founder's Day to be celebrated each year in recognition of Ballard's sacrifice and faithfulness as the college's founder. Trustees approved Jan. 18 as NEBC Founder's Day to be celebrated annually at a convenient time during the first week of each spring semester. Trustees also discussed NEBC's Firming the Foundation campaign, a year-long development initiative to solidify the college financially. Ballard and a rotating team of students, staff and trustees have been holding banquets across the United States to share the vision of the college. A Friends of NEBC banquet will be held in St. Louis at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on Tuesday, June 14. Convention participants and guests are invited to attend and hear more about God's work in the Northeast. Tickets are available through Ballard's office at 802-753-7233 or at the Northeastern Baptist College booth in the convention exhibit hall. "As churches and individual donors invest in Northeastern Baptist College, we have the opportunity to make a lasting difference," Rummage said, "not only in training future church leaders, but in bringing spiritual awakening and a strong Gospel presence to Vermont and all of the Northeast." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Replant brings children back to dying church by Meredith Yackel Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (BP) -- Nancy Elliott found herself crying alone in the nursery. She had attended Calvary Church in Englewood, Colo., since she was 14. Now, for the first time, they had no children at church on a Sunday morning. "Not one child," Elliot said. "I went into the nursery and started crying and praying to God to bring children." Little did she know her prayers were about to be answered in ways she didn't expect. After serving in youth ministry for several years in the Denver area, Mark Hallock felt God leading him toward inter-generational ministry. "A lot of youth ministries are completely separated from the larger church," Hallock said. "As I began to see kids graduate from youth group they eventually graduated from church because they were never connected with the rest of the body. I started to think about what it would be like to truly have an inter-generational ministry." Hallock and his wife Jenna began to pray and felt God calling them to a dying church they had heard of in Englewood, Colo., in metro Denver. "I had been seeing church plants pop up, and I started to think about who was going to the declining churches, because God is glorified when dying churches come back to life." Calvary Church was established in 1952, in what was once suburbia. As the demographics of Englewood changed, like many churches, Calvary did not change along with the community. Over time attendance dwindled. "I don't think churches realize how quickly you can go from 150 to 30 people," said Jeff DeClue, a longtime member and now associate pastor and elder at Calvary. "There was nothing different about Calvary from any other Southern Baptist church. It wasn't that we weren't passionate about the community -- the community around us had changed and we didn't know how to reach them. "Sadly, I was tired," he noted. "There was a big church down the road and I wanted to take my family and go where no one knew me. But Dave Elliot [Nancy Elliott's husband] was really influential and said to me, 'God is not done with this church. He put it here in 1952 for a reason.'" DeClue decided that day to trust God for a greater plan. It was the same day that Hallock was meeting with the search committee of Calvary, and feeling God's call to come and help revitalize the dying church. Although they could only pay Hallock a fraction of what he had been making as a youth minister, Hallock's previous church committed to cover what Calvary could not afford for one year. The remaining 30 members at Calvary noticed change almost immediately after Hallock became lead pastor. "Within the first month we seemed to go from 30 to 60, and then to 90, and we were over 100 in just a few months," DeClue said. "I am truly grateful that I have stayed and endured the hard times because now we have so many children we barely have room for them," he said. "To see children run up and down the sidewalk on Sunday is just amazing." Hallock has now been at Calvary for seven years and they have continued to see growth. So much so, that they have planted six other churches in the Denver area. "What is cool is that church planting was in the DNA of Calvary from the start," Hallock said. "They actually planted three churches back in their heyday, and we were really just tapping into our history. We get to continue the story of that narrative. "I love church planting, but my personal goal has always been to see churches replanted also," Hallock said. "I want to see God bring dead things back to life." This year, Calvary has had their first experience in replanting a church not far from their Englewood campus. "This church was just like we were," Hallock said. "They knew they needed radical change. We met with them and reassured them that God wasn't done with their church. We see them starting to grow now, which is really exciting. "It is exciting to see what the Lord is doing through the North American Mission Board to replant," he noted. "What a statement it is to a community when they see a dead, irrelevant church come back to life. God loves the underdog and when we surrender everything over to Him, He steps into our weakness. That is when He does some of the most amazing things." NAMB will host the National Replant Conference June 11-12 in St. Louis before this year's Southern Baptist Convention. "This gathering will connect those who are replanting with other replanters as we learn from each other how God is replanting dying churches across North America," said Mark Clifton, NAMB's senior director of Replant. "It is also to help declining churches explore next steps to finding new life and new hope." The event will feature practitioners who are successfully replanting dying churches, and offer resources and tools that have proven effective in reclaiming dying churches. Learn more about the conference here and register for free. Want to learn more about church replanting? Visit the Church Replanters Blog at http://www.churchreplanters.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Drive-by praying by Chuck Lawless Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) -- Think about how much time you and your family spend in the car. Then think about how you use that time. Whatever you typically do, I challenge you to use your time to pray as you drive -- even to pray aloud as a family as you go. Think about how many places and people you pass every day for which you might do "drive-by praying": -- Other churches. How many churches do you drive by daily, but don't think about praying for them? -- Schools. It's important that somebody be praying for the teachers, the teens and the children. If you drive by a school, be that intercessor. -- Centers of other world faiths. When you see a mosque, a temple or some other religious meeting place, pray that the leaders and the people who attend there might turn to Christ. You might be the first person and family ever to pray for them. -- Hospitals. Inside those walls are people likely to be dealing with life and death. Who's lifting them to God? -- "Pockets of sin." I don't know what that might be in your community. It might be an abortion clinic, an adult entertainment venue, a gang-ridden area or another pocket of sin. I do know that prayer for that place matters. -- Bad drivers. You know, the person who cut you off in traffic. Rather than curse under your breath, why not pray for him or her instead? -- Military bases. These men and women put their lives on the line for us. We have an obligation to pray for them and their chaplain leaders. -- Unchurched neighbors. How many neighbors do you see as you drive to church on Sunday? Interceding for them is a great idea. -- Fire stations and police departments. As a former firefighter, I'm partial to this one. In fact, every siren you hear indicates somebody may be in trouble. Let that familiar wail be a call to prayer for you and your family. -- Government buildings. The apostle Paul reminded us to pray for those in authority over us (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Do that when you see government buildings and offices as you drive. -- Truck drivers. Some drive long hours and spend days away from home. Why not say a quick prayer as you pass a semi? -- Highway workers. Only God knows what might happen if every believer who passes a highway worker prays for her or him. All of us can take this challenge. Use your drive time wisely by watching and praying. Get your family involved and I can almost guarantee that your young kids and grandkids won't miss opportunities to pray. A short ride in the car can change eternity. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: April 3, 2016 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday 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: Joshua 6:1-5, 15-25 Discussion Questions: What is the significance of Jesus having a woman in His ancestry who was once a prostitute? How is God's grace to the undeserving on display in this story? It is easy for Christians to adopt an "us versus them" mentality with the world. How does God's promise to save people -- even among His enemies -- change our mind-set? Food for Thought: The story of Jericho's fall is a spectacular example of God's power exercised on behalf of His people and His judgment of His enemies. But it also contains a thread of mercy. As the conquest of Jericho began, Joshua remembered the oath that the two spies had made with Rahab, who had given them shelter (see Joshua 2:8-21). He sent the spies to rescue her and the family members gathered in her house. Joshua 6:22-25 reads: 22Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, "Go to the prostitute's house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you promised her." 23So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel. 24They burned up the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house. 25However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father's household, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she lives in Israel to this day. When Rahab is mentioned in Scripture, she often receives an infamous designation. She is called Rahab "the prostitute" (Joshua 2:1; 6:17; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Interestingly enough, it is only when Rahab is associated with Jesus in His genealogy in Matthew 1:5 that this dubious designation is dropped. There the text says, "Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab" (not Rahab the prostitute). Boaz would marry Ruth, and they had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David, and Jesus is the Son of David, which makes Rahab a great, great, great (you get the idea) grandmother of the Messiah. Despite her sordid past, Rahab was an effective witness. She brought her father, mother, brothers and all her extended family members into her house. Because they were in the house with the scarlet cord in the window, they were spared (Joshua 2:18). What an amazing example of God's mercy! Like Rahab, believers are called to share the Good News with unbelievers. We are to call people "into the house," letting them know they can be spared from the judgment of God through the blood of Jesus if they come inside. Make no mistake. Just as God kept His promise to the Israelites in the conquest of Jericho, God will keep His promise in preserving a remnant. For this reason, we trust God and obey Him by loving the enemies of God and praying for them to become disciples of Christ. We reach out and teach through prayer, through the Word of God, and through our testimony. 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- IMB's 'quiet force' Holli Fish Lancaster, 51, dies by Caroline Anderson Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday SOUTHEAST ASIA (BP) -- Described as a "quiet force," former International Mission Board worker Holli Fish Lancaster died in Tennessee Tuesday (March 29), following a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 51. Lancaster, a native Texan, and her husband Dan served in Southeast Asia for more than 12 years. Before moving overseas, the couple planted churches in the U.S. Prior to her death, Lancaster's family and close friends gathered in her room and sang songs, prayed and shared memories. "The last few days, there was mourning and dancing, and they very much blended into one another, and although there was sadness, there was an appreciation of our lives being interwoven with hers," Kara Garrison said. The Garrisons and Lancasters are close friends. After the Lancasters' daughter graduated from high school in Asia, the family returned to the U.S. to help her move to Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and then took a leave of absence from IMB to work in the missions department at Union. The family learned of Lancaster's cancer in October. "Holli embraced the beauty of life. She loved deeply and generously," Marci Fish, Lancaster's sister-in-law, wrote. "From her beloved Texas to remote villages and refugee camps in her beloved Asia, Holli lived and loved with her whole heart.... She is forever my hero." Steve Fish, Lancaster's brother and Marci's husband, wrote in memory of his sister, "Holli, you ran your race so well. You truly lived your 51 years to the fullest. You had a wonderful marriage and raised amazing kids in some of the most challenging environments," he wrote. "From Texas churches to gatherings in remote villages of [Southeast Asia,] when God said, 'Go,' you went no matter what the cost, no matter how difficult the assignment. In the midst of earthquakes, bombings and unstable governments you went and brought the Light. You brought life, peace and freedom to so many." The Lancasters traveled and led trainings with Southeast Asian believers. The missionary couple frequently traveled with Garrison to training events designed for displaced women from a variety of ethnic groups. At one point, the Lancasters and Garrisons lived in a Southeast Asian country where living conditions were difficult, and Garrison said, "We needed each other to survive." "One thing that I will always remember is her commitment to me.... She was so supportive of traveling with me, and filling in, in a flash," she noted. On one trip, Lancaster had said she felt the Holy Spirit convicting her that they needed to train the women to use biblical storying. Garrison initially disagreed. "I prayed about it, thinking God was going to agree [with me]," Garrison said. However, Garrison felt the Lord telling her to give Lancaster the whole afternoon. The women soaked up the Bible stories Lancaster told. The women were believers, but they had very limited knowledge of the Bible. Lancaster trained the women in the country's main language, and the women were so excited by the material that they wanted to take it a step further and practice telling the stories in their individual people groups' languages so they could share them with their families and friends. Lancaster and Garrison felt they soon wouldn't be allowed to re-enter the area where these women were staying. Many of the women were hoping to be granted permission to move to other countries. But Lancaster and Garrison thought God had something else planned for them. "Many of you aren't going to be going to a third country. We sense you are going to go back to [your country]," Lancaster and Garrison told the women. Garrison said the women started weeping and they sensed the Lord had told them the same thing. Most of the women did return to their country -- to a place Westerners cannot travel -- and they returned equipped to simply and effectively share the Gospel. Sarah Garrison, Kara Garrison's daughter, called Lancaster "aunt," and she said Lancaster "has been as dear to me as my own mother the past 12 years.... Her kindness, wisdom and love live on through the wonderful memories she has left with us." Tess Rivers,* a friend of Lancaster's, said the missionary family supported her as she developed a strategy for reaching exploited women and children in Southeast Asia. "It became obvious that Holli was the quiet force that sustained them all. She was very quiet ... but she was always quick with a smile and a kind or encouraging word," Rivers said. "She was a source of quiet strength, fun and immense spiritual depth, especially to her family but also to her many friends." Bethany White,* a close friend of Lancaster's, said they regularly spent time praying in the red-light district. "It is sometimes difficult to raise children overseas, and we both had four children," White said. "We spent much time crying out to the Lord over our children and the needs of those around us. We went shopping and trying to find the goods our families needed, we celebrated holidays together, shared meals together -- we were family. When we traveled, our children stayed in each other's homes. "One of those times, my youngest had croup, and [Lancaster] held him in the shower so he could breathe. She was often ready to love and encourage others with a smile and encouraging hug. Her home was open to so many people," White remembered. Lancaster was known for her hospitality, and the family was known for their Friday pizza nights, when they would invite friends over for food, games and stories. Friends of Lancaster said she was musically gifted; she was a musician and a singer and could harmonize with anyone. The Lancasters led worship and used music to minister in the community. Friends say she tirelessly ministered to her family. Lancaster served as a substitute teacher in biology and anatomy classes at her children's international school. She devoted time to editing materials written by her husband Dan and her father, the late Roy Fish, former professor emeritus of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Lancaster and her husband met at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She graduated from Baylor with a bachelor of science degree in biology and later graduated from Texas Christian University with a master of science degree in biology. Holli is survived by Dan; children, Jeff (Linnea), Zach, Karis, Zane; mother, Jean Holley Fish; and siblings, Steve Fish, Jeff Fish and Jennifer Pastoor. Visitation is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 1, at Northbrook Church in West Humboldt, Tenn. The funeral service will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Holli Lancaster Memorial GO Trip Scholarship be sent to Union University, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305, or given online at www.uu.edu/giving/lancaster. Click "I'd like to designate my gift." Donations can also be made in memory of Holli Lancaster on an online ministry site for a memorial ministerial scholarship at Union University or to help cover hospital and burial expenses. Select which designation preferred on the donate page. *Names changed -------------------------------------------------------------------- Abortion pill guidelines: FDA eases chemical regimen by David Roach Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Food and Drug Administration has updated its guidelines concerning the abortion drug mifepristone, allowing women to take it later in pregnancy and with reduced medical supervision. The New York Times called the update "an unequivocal victory for abortion rights advocates." Previously, women were permitted to take mifepristone (formerly known as RU-486) up to the seventh week of pregnancy, but that has been extended to 10 weeks. Recommended dosage has been lowered from 600 milligrams to 200 milligrams to reflect "standard medical practice," according to The Times, and the number of visits to a health care provider required in conjunction with the drug's administration has been reduced from three to two. C. Ben Mitchell, an evangelical bioethicist, told Baptist Press in written comments, "The FDA regulates drugs based on safety and effectiveness, not other ethical factors. Unfortunately, mifepristone (RU-486) is not safe for unborn human beings though it is relatively effective in ending their lives. "One might wish there were a drug that could heal our national conscience, but that can only come about through a spiritual and moral awakening," said Mitchell, provost and Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University. The FDA approved the updated mifepristone guidelines March 29 in response to a request submitted by New York-based Danco Laboratories, the company that markets the drug under the label Mifeprex, according to the FDA website. At least six states -- Ohio, North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Arizona -- had passed laws mandating that abortion providers stick to the previous FDA protocol, the Associated Press reported. The Arkansas and Oklahoma laws were stayed pending legal challenges, and a court struck down Arizona's. The Times said the new guidelines' implications for existing state laws were "not immediately clear." Ohio's law restricting "off-label" use of mifepristone corresponded to a decrease in the percentage of abortions performed via drugs rather than surgery from 10-15 percent to less than 2 percent, AP reported. LifeSiteNews claimed prescribing a lower dose of mifepristone than the previous FDA recommendation saved approximately $200 per abortion for providers, though there is no evidence abortionists passed that savings along to patients. Mifepristone works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which "is needed for a pregnancy to continue," according to the FDA. The lack of progesterone "causes the newly implanted child to detach from the mother's uterine wall," LifeSiteNews noted. A follow-up drug known as misoprostol, taken 24-48 hours later, works with mifepristone to cause uterine contractions and expel the baby. The later mifepristone is administered during pregnancy, the greater its likelihood of failure, according to video posted on LifeSiteNews.com featuring obstetrician Anthony Levatino. At nine weeks, one in 10 attempts to induce abortion using mifepristone fails, he said. With mifepristone-induced abortions, deceased babies "often" are expelled in toilets and flushed, Levatino said. The FDA website states mifepristone "is only available to be dispensed in certain healthcare settings" and "is not available in retail pharmacies" or "over the Internet." Authorized dispensers must ensure provision of "any necessary surgical intervention" and access to "medical facilities for emergency care." The newly-approved FDA label requires a follow-up visit to a woman's health care provider 7-14 days following administration of the drug "to be sure you are well" and "the pregnancy has passed from your uterus." The label continues, "If you are still pregnant, your healthcare provider will talk with you about a surgical procedure to end your pregnancy." National Right to Life's Randall O'Bannon argued in an online commentary that even with the new guidelines' reduced dosage, chemical abortions remain dangerous for women -- not to mention the babies whose lives are taken. "For women, the mifepristone/misoprostol combination comes with significant cramping, bleeding, and other gastrointestinal side effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) that are expected parts of the chemical abortion process," wrote O'Bannon, NRL's director of education and research. "While it may be claimed that these side effects are supposed to be reduced with the new protocol, chemical abortions simply do not occur without significant bleeding, cramping, etc. That these side effects are similar to signs of ruptured ectopic pregnancy, serious infection, or may be the prelude to significant hemorrhage that could be missed by patients or even doctors expecting these as part of any chemical abortion would still appear to be a problem under any protocol," O'Bannon wrote. The FDA label confirms "cramping and bleeding are an expected part of ending a pregnancy." It adds a warning that more serious side effects may occur, including death, but notes such "problems" can also occur during surgical abortions or childbirth. O'Bannon concluded, "In the end, it is obvious that the FDA's new protocol serves only the interests of the abortion industry by expanding their base of potential customers, increasing their profit margin, and reducing the level of staff and amount of resources they have to devote to the patient." -------------------------------------------------------------------- DR worker dies of heart attack on flood recovery by Lisa Sergent Date: March 31, 2016 - Thursday LEESVILLE, La. (BP) -- A volunteer with a Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team from Illinois died of a heart attack Tuesday (March 29) while serving flood victims in Leesville, La. Don Fulkerson, 77, was a member of First Baptist Church of Galatia, Ill. He was serving with a group of trained relief workers from the church and others from churches around Illinois. "The callout to Louisiana was Don's 15th response over a period of only four years and his wife Margie was almost always by his side serving whenever the opportunity arose," said Rex Alexander, disaster relief coordinator for the Illinois Baptist State Association (IBSA). "Their faithful service," he noted, "to Christ brought great joy to both of them as they served side by side in the ministry of disaster relief." The disaster relief team members from First Baptist Church of Galatia were first responders in what is expected to be a series of assignments to aid victims of spring floods in Louisiana. Illinois teams will serve alongside teams from around the country. "Our Illinois Baptist family certainly grieves with and is in prayer for the Fulkerson family, and the entire church family at First Baptist in Galatia," said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams. "We appreciate so much Don's and Margie's service, along with so many other devoted disaster relief volunteers, and we are confident that Don's life and sacrifice will bring eternal rewards, both to him and to the lives he touched." The North American Mission Board coordinates Southern Baptist Disaster Relief on the national level. NAMB president and former Illinois Baptist pastor Kevin Ezell extended his condolences to the family of Don Fulkerson as they mourn his passing. "Don is a great example of someone who chose to stay active into his later years and to contribute in a way that truly made a difference in the lives of others," Ezell said. "I pray that his wife Margie and his entire family will feel God's love and comfort during these days and that they will also be aware of the gratitude and appreciation for them from their entire Southern Baptist family." Visitation for Fulkerson will take place Friday, April 1 from 6-9 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Galatia, 108 E. Church St., Galatia, IL 62935. His funeral will be Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m. also at First Baptist Church of Galatia. Rex Alexander, Disaster Relief coordinator for the Illinois Baptist State Association (IBSA), suggested DR volunteers attending the funeral "wear your yellow shirts in honor of Don’s faithful service to the Lord through Disaster Relief Ministry." Cards of condolence may be mailed to his widow Margie Fulkerson, P.O. Box 5, Galatia, IL 62935. IBSA has 1,600 trained volunteers who serve as part of the Southern Baptist Convention's Disaster Relief ministry, the third largest relief agency in the United States. Disaster Relief often responds to natural disasters by providing feeding stations, mobile kitchens, child care and chaplains. In the case of flooding, volunteers in their signature yellow shirts help homeowners with "mudout," clearing flooded properties of debris and contaminated building materials, so they can begin rebuilding and recovery.