The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-04/12/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BAPTISTS: Reporting on the SBC by Gary Ledbetter Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) -- Right before the Southern Baptist Convention met in Orlando in 1994, the little paper I edited ran an investigative piece about a far-reaching policy at one of our SBC entities. It was an embarrassment to the entity's president and he responded by calling our state convention's executive director and asking in a loud voice, "Can't you control those people?!" The exec backed us – "those people" -- in that case, and the entity president took his lumps. It doesn't happen every year, but I've seen a version of this struggle between reporters and administrators for how the news is told many times and at all denominational levels. What is the legitimate role of the denominational press such as Baptist state publications when the leaders of our work and the constituent churches attempt to communicate with one another? A bit of the answer is presupposed in my question -- the publications pass information to and from both parties in various ways. Because state papers are positioned to know the churches of our state conventions better than national leaders, we ask questions or seek information we believe will be beneficial to our churches' stewardship of SBC work. These questions, and some editorial content, help alert leaders to how churches in different parts of the country understand their ministries. And because journalists have opportunities to observe the work of our SBC leaders, we can interpret their work to our churches in a way that makes sense and usually encourages them. This interpretation is more crucial and difficult when the news is less encouraging. Most recently, for example, the "less encouraging" news came from the International Mission Board as it completed the hard work of cutting personnel in order to balance the budget. Something had to be done, and it was a challenging way for David Platt to begin his tenure as IMB president. In the midst of conference calls, press conferences and other contacts between IMB leadership and the denominational press, there was a bit of a struggle over the message. Is the headline "IMB brings expenses into line" or "IMB cuts 1,132 missionaries and staff"? That's the struggle. It's nearly always a disagreement made inevitable by the differences between the role of news writers and that of visionary leaders. Though passions may run high, it's rarely a matter of good guys versus bad guys. But someone will almost always speak as if it is. Here are some thoughts on the responsibilities of the denominational press telling difficult stories and a couple of ideas for those who find us frustrating. Journalists should ask about issues or decisions we don't understand or that should be more completely told. Sometimes asking questions is seen as malicious or an effort to trip up a spokesman. This happens and probably explains why some folks won't talk to reporters. But asking is not by definition contrarian, although it may turn that way when a reporter is biased or when a leader keeps too many secrets. Baptist papers should provide information and examples that spur churches to support Southern Baptist work worldwide. These stories are crucial and gathering them requires full cooperation from our leaders. I add here that the IMB has been exemplary in cooperation with the denominational press as we seek missions stories. Baptist journalists must give churches a clear understanding of why things are not going according to plan and what is being done about it. This is tricky for both parties, but if we don't do it, church leaders become cynical or immune to our calls for support. That has happened at times over the past 40 years. Journalists should not, however, be recreationally suspicious of those who lead ministries broader than our own. It can become a lazy man's version of "objectivity," but suspicion, snark and insinuation are death to our work. Neither should we be an uncritical extension of someone's public relations team. We do wish our leaders well but cannot become habitual boosters of every plan or leader. Leaders, tell it all, unless you can share a good reason to keep something secret. Confidentiality should be the exception rather than just the easy option. When a reporter seeks access to your business, see her as representing thousands of readers with whom you'll never have any other contact. She does. Would you treat hundreds or thousands of Southern Baptists attending your meeting as intruders? When a leader shares a vision or plan at a press conference, he must remember that he is not the only person in the conversation who talks to God. Someone who asks, "How will this work?" or "What will this cost?" is seeking information, not trying to undermine God's Kingdom. Similarly, leaders are not the only people in the room who want the mission of the SBC to succeed. Baptist editors and reporters are committed to the prospering of God's work through Southern Baptists. Unity in purpose does not mean we ignore hard questions. "Good journalism" is not necessarily telling the story a reader wants told in the way he wants it told. Of course it follows that "poor journalism" is not simply defined as a story we wish were not true. Poor journalism exists, of course, but it's sloppy, even sinful, to slander a writer just because his perspective or the news he tells annoys us. This tense interplay between newsmakers and those who tell and explain the news is not a recent phenomenon, and it will not end. When Christian brothers are on both ends of the communications process, we are obligated to treat one another with the kind of respect we don't always see in the culture at large. "Respect" does not mean we must agree. It does require news people to think carefully about what is edifying as well as what is true. It requires that both parties develop thick skin and a bit of grace. We will not always agree on what's true, much less on what is edifying to the Kingdom. I believe newsmakers and news reporters have distinct and important roles within the Kingdom of God. We each have responsibilities, and we can provoke one another to fully live up to our Great Commission ideals. Perhaps it can be a mutually edifying relationship if all parties approach it that way. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Malaysian court approves landmark Christian conversion case by Julia A. Seymour/WORLD News Service Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday MALAYSIA (BP) -- A Malaysian court affirmed the right of a former Muslim to convert to Christianity in a landmark ruling handed down just before Easter. Rooney Rebit converted to Christianity in 1999 and was baptized at age 24, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM). But he was officially considered Muslim due to his parents' conversion to Islam when he was 8. Rebit asked authorities to legally declare him a Christian and affirm his right to believe in Jesus. He also wanted the National Registration Department to change his identity card and for his state's religious department and Islamic Council to officially release him from Islam, WWM reported. All Malaysian national identity cards list religion. Malaysia has secular and Islamic Sharia courts. It often is difficult for Muslims to change their religion because they are sent to Sharia courts for permission, Malay Mail Online reported. Because he did not challenge his conversion to Islam, Rebit was able to petition the secular court, which ruled in his favor on March 24. "His conversion to the Muslim faith was not of his own volition but by virtue of his parents' conversion when he was a minor," Judge Yew Ken Jie of the High Court in Kuching, Sarawak state, said in his ruling. "He is not challenging the validity of his conversion as a minor. But having become a major, he is free to exercise his right of freedom to religion and he chose Christianity. The National Registration Department had not acted fairly towards the applicant by insisting on a letter of release and order from the Sharia Court." Yew ordered the agency to modify Rebit's identity card. The National Registration Department is often unwilling to change the religious status on ID cards without Sharia court permission, according to UCA News. Christian and Muslim groups supportive of the ruling said it affirmed the federal constitution's religious freedom protections, but some were less optimistic about the ruling's overall effect. "This judgment reaffirms the supremacy of the federal constitution, which under Article 11 defends every Malaysian citizen's right to freedom of religion," Muslim NGO Sisters in Islam said in a statement. Article 11 reads, "(1)Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it," according to the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs. One local priest called the ruling "good news ... but for how long?" The priest, who did not want his name used out of concern for his safety, said he hoped it would set a precedent for future legal battles. Social worker Steven Chu hopes the ruling will be a turning point for those in "conversion limbo," but told UCA News it is not certain the decision will stand. Rebit's lawyer hopes the National Registration Department won't appeal the decision, according to WWM. In practice, decisions from Islamic courts often overrule the federal guarantees of religious freedom. The courts can make it difficult for converts through bureaucracy and penalties for "apostasy." Malay Mail Online reported that between 2000 and 2010, Islamic courts approved just 135 out of 686 applications to change Muslim identity to another religion. Another Christian convert from Islam, Lina Joy, unsuccessfully fought a six-year court battle to have her conversion legally recognized. She is thought to have fled the country after losing that fight in 2007, Malay Mail Online reported. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chinese scholar finds Bible 'persuasive, beautiful' by Erich Bridges Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Tao Lu never laid eyes on the Word of God until he came to the United States to study advanced computer engineering. That's not unusual in China where Tao grew up, even though his father taught English in a major city. The Chinese Christian movement may be growing rapidly amid periodic crackdowns, but it has yet to reach hundreds of millions of people in the vast communist nation. "Not only did my father never mention the Bible to me, but as far as I can remember my high school and college English teachers never talked about it either," recalls Tao, 30, now a doctoral student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., where he lives with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. "As a result, in the first 26 years of my life ... I never even saw a Bible." One of his English textbooks mentioned Christmas and Christianity as a part of "Western festivals," but that was about it. Tao wasn't hostile toward Christianity or any other religious faith; they just seemed irrelevant to his life. "Marxism is the dominant philosophy of China," he explains. "Believing in God was beyond my understanding and even considered ridiculous. I didn't try to seek God because I didn't realize that I was a sinner or that I needed a Savior. You tell me there's a God? Unbelievable." When Tao arrived in Richmond, he sought out a Chinese Baptist church and began attending a Bible discussion group near the university -- but only to practice his English and socialize with other Chinese. Or so he thought. The more he read the teachings of Jesus Christ, the more intrigued he became. He was amazed by Jesus' command to "love your enemies and do good" to them (Luke 6:35). The question Jesus asked in Luke 6:41 -- "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that in your own eye?" -- challenged him to stop judging others so harshly. He was moved deeply by Christ's teaching not to be anxious about our needs, since God arrays the lilies of the field in grandeur and loves us much more (Matthew 6:28-32). "These teachings are not only persuasive, they are beautiful!" Tao marvels. But becoming a believer is not easy for a modern Chinese scholar. "If Christianity is correct, that means the things we learned in China are wrong," he says. "They are two totally different systems. One claims Marxism and atheism. The other claims [Jesus is Lord]." Tao studied apologetics. He examined the lives of the disciples before and after Jesus' resurrection. He read "From Pagan to Christian," a book by Lin Yutang, a renowned Chinese author who embraced faith in Christ. He systematically listed the teachings of Jesus and found he agreed with all of them. He also experienced the love of God in the lives of people who had befriended him: a pastor at the Richmond church where the Chinese fellowship meets; a Christian couple who welcome and mentor Chinese students at Virginia Commonwealth University; and a Christian lawyer, Jim Fiorelli, who volunteered time weekly to help hone his English. Their textbook: the Gospel of John. "He was obviously a very sharp guy," Fiorelli recalls. "He was ready to grab hold of the truth. There's almost no substitute for giving someone the chance to read Scripture, think about it and talk through it. If you can get people into the Word, to read it for themselves, the Word will speak for itself and go deep into a person's heart." The time had come for Tao to make a decision. In June 2015, he made it. He prayed the sinner's prayer with his pastor friend and immediately shared the news with the couple who welcomed him and with Fiorelli, who led him through a series of lessons on assurance of salvation. "Now I realize that it was the Holy Spirit's work that helped me finally decide to follow Jesus," Tao reflects. "It was not based purely on my rational, logical consideration. There was also emotion. I knew that I was a sinner. I believed that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for me and His blood cleansed my sins, and I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I was sure that I had eternal life." Meanwhile, his day-to-day life has changed radically. He hungers for prayer and has seen his prayers answered. He helped lead his wife to faith in Christ. Their marriage has become stronger. His studies are more fruitful. And he is discipling other young Chinese believers in Richmond. Whether Tao returns to China or stays in America, he's now a committed follower of Christ. There are hundreds of thousands of other international students like him on U.S. campuses, waiting for someone to tell them spiritual truth. "So many here are open to being reached," Fiorelli says. "There's nothing more fulfilling than seeing people like Tao come to Christ and grow in their faith." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Women's roles in SBC focus of advisory council by Staff Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday ATLANTA (BP) -- A diverse group of 18 women is studying the perspectives and strategies women in Southern Baptist churches bring to the God-given task of fulfilling the Great Commission. They comprise the Women's Ministry Advisory Council appointed by Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. The council joins a list of advisory councils Page has appointed to provide insight into the needs, desires and goals of the many groups represented in SBC life. "We are excited about encouraging our leaders in women's ministries across our convention," Page said when he announced plans to form the council. "Women, we appreciate you, and you are not alone! "In each [advisory council] meeting, we have sought to educate and encourage various demographic subsets about the 'proven and effective cooperative framework' of our Southern Baptist Convention, foster open dialogue, and instill the essence of any and all concerns," Page said. "We have sought to encourage confidence in the SBC way of doing missions." Advisory council member Chris Adams, senior lead women's ministry specialist with LifeWay Christian Resources and a member of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., praised Page's efforts. "Many women in Southern Baptist churches do not feel valued as leaders though they want to make a Kingdom difference," she noted at the advisory council's first meeting. "The fact that the SBC Executive Committee has asked about women in our churches is huge. Thank you for affirming the value of women and encouraging the use of our spiritual gifts in ministry." Rhonda Kelley, an adjunct professor of women's ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where her husband Chuck Kelley is president, chairs the council. "While the SBC has always valued the worth of women and followed the biblical guidelines for female roles in the church," Rhonda Kelley said of the group, "there is a sincere desire to increase the involvement of Southern Baptist women in biblically appropriate ways at all levels of the convention and to provide the support services to maximize their service." Kelley, a member of First Baptist Church in New Orleans, referenced LifeWay Research indicating women comprise about 52 percent of church congregations. Historically, she said, women have often been the majority in church attendance and in participation in service projects. Southern Baptist women are encouraged to participate in the advisory council's online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SouthernBaptistWomen. In addition, comments may be emailed to sbwomen@sbc.net. Kelley described input from women across the SBC as "essential for the task force to complete its important assignment." The advisory council will work throughout 2016 and present its findings to Page in an official report, expected to focus on ways to increase women's participation in church and SBC life. The inaugural meeting was held Jan. 7-8 in Atlanta, convened by Ken Weathersby, SBC Executive Committee vice president for convention advancement. Questions considered by the council at the first meeting centered on the ministries, training and resources the SBC provides for women; effective evangelistic methods and resources in reaching women with the Gospel; any additional support women might need from the SBC, and recommendations regarding women's ministry to be made to the SBC Executive Committee. Women from 14 states comprise the council, representing different age groups, stages of life, ethnic backgrounds, and ministry positions. Joining Kelley and Adams are: Jacqueline "Jacki" Anderson, pastor's wife, Women in Ministry director and executive assistant, Colonial Baptist Church, Randallstown, Md.; Tabitha Barnette, pastor's wife and speaker, Peace Baptist Church, Decatur, Ga.; Brandi Biesiadecki, pastor's wife, writer, speaker and women's minister, First Baptist Church, Bartlesville, Okla.; Linda Cooper, Woman's Missionary Union president and a member of Forest Park Baptist Church, Bowling Green, Ky.; Lourdes Fernandez, an attorney and a member of Riverside Baptist Church, Miami; Candi Finch, professor of theology in Women's Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of Hope Church, Fort Worth, Texas; Ann Iorg, wife of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary President Jeff Iorg and a member of First Baptist Church, San Francisco; Elizabeth Luter, wife of Southern Baptist Convention immediate past president Fred Luter and Women's Ministries director of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans; Davee Ly, pastor's wife, school teacher, speaker and Sunday School director at First Hmong Baptist Church, Morganton, N.C.; Ana Melendez, Hispanic State Women's consultant and a member of Iglesia Cristo Es Rey, Bolingbrook, Ill.; Mary Mohler, wife of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler and a member of Third Avenue Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky.; Trillia Newbell, director of Community Outreach for the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and a member of Redemption City Church, Franklin, Tenn.; Rhonda Rhea, pastor's wife, columnist and speaker, and a member of First Baptist Church, Troy, Mo.; Myra Sermon, registered nurse and nursing consultant, and a Sunday School teacher at Grace Filipino Church, Woodbridge, Va.; Ashley Unzicker, church history songwriter, rapper, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student, and a member of The Summit Church, Durham, N.C.; Angela Um, founder and CEO of Boston Academic Consulting Group, and wife of the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, Cambridge, Mass. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Climate change critics perceive threat from AGs by David Roach Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- An effort by 17 state and territorial attorneys general and former vice president Al Gore to find "creative ways to enforce" laws related to climate change has been characterized as contrary to the spirit of a 2007 Southern Baptist Convention resolution "on global warming." Evangelical climate change experts have added that the coalition of attorneys general from 15 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands seems to have made assertions in conflict with constitutional principles and sound scientific procedure. New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced at a March 29 press conference that the coalition is working to find "creative ways to enforce laws being flouted by the fossil fuel industry and their allies in their shortsighted efforts to put profits above the interests of the American people and the integrity of our financial markets," according to a YouTube video of the event. He added according to The Daily Signal, "The bottom line is simple: Climate change is real." Schneiderman specifically mentioned a joint effort among some coalition members to investigate the Exxon Mobil oil company for possibly committing fraud. He said the company, among other actions, used "the best climate models" to prompt adjustment of their oil rigs in preparation for rising sea levels while simultaneously telling the public there were "no competent models to project climate patterns." The New York attorney general referenced a "relentless assault from well-funded, highly aggressive and morally vacant forces that are trying to block every step by the federal government to take meaningful action" to fight climate change. The attorneys general -- 16 of whom are Democrats and one of whom is an Independent according to The Daily Signal -- also announced their support of the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, The New York Times reported. The announcements drew criticism from political and social conservatives. Martha Lawley, a member of the 2007 SBC Resolutions Committee, told Baptist Press the potential persecution of those who question human-induced climate change runs contrary to the convention's most recent statement on the matter. "The resolution was based on the fact the science is not settled and left open for individual Southern Baptists to determine for themselves what they felt in terms of what the science established or didn't establish," said Lawley, a women's ministry author and speaker and retired attorney. She stressed that she spoke only for herself and not the Resolutions Committee or the convention. The resolution stated "many scientists reject the idea of catastrophic human-induced global warming" and "urge[d] Southern Baptists to proceed cautiously in the human-induced global warming debate in light of conflicting scientific research." Lawley said "the science remains unsettled" nine years later. "Declaring the science settled as a political matter seems to violate the very essence of scientific inquiry, as I understand it." The potential prosecution of climate change critics "raises some serious concerns for me personally about constitutional protection of free speech and free thought." Calvin Beisner, founder and national spokesman of The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, told BP the idea oil companies can be found guilty of fraud related to climate change is "naive to ridiculous." To commit fraud, Beisner said, is to "knowingly [convey] a falsehood with the intent of enriching [oneself] or harming others financially." In climate science, there are "literally thousands of different opinions" on the amount, causes and impact of global warming. That makes it virtually impossible for an objective court to declare any one of those opinions false, he said. The freedoms of speech and inquiry are grounded in a Judeo-Christian worldview, Beisner said. "Christians, therefore, should line up firmly in favor of this freedom. But this effort by the Attorneys General United for Clean Power [the coalition's official name] will put a chilling effect on that kind of debate by threatening people ... for voicing their skepticism about dangerous, man-made global warming." John Christy, a former lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told BP more than a third of the members of the American Meteorological Society disagree with the view that "climate change is happening now and is dangerous," according to one survey conducted by the society. That, combined with the variation among climate change models, should debunk the notion that "virtually every scientist agrees with the [Obama] administration on climate change." The initiative of the attorneys general appears designed to "intimidate those who disagree with the administration on climate issues," said Christy, a distinguished professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and former Southern Baptist missionary. "Climate science, as almost everyone knows, is a pretty murky science. We don't predict it well at all. "... To stifle those like me, who spend a lot of time actually building data sets and looking carefully at the global data ... and come to different conclusions than the administration, is an attack on free speech and free thought," said Christy, who testified before Congress in February that "extreme climate events" are not increasing due to human-induced climate change. Jeffrey Riley, professor of ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, said the 17 attorneys general are not proposing "the best way forward" in the climate change debate. "Few deny that the climate is changing -- it always has," Riley told BP in written comments. "The debate is on the cause. In spite of the public rhetoric that declares scientific consensus, the debate is still out. Public and political rhetoric on this issue is neither truth nor an argument for truth. Christians who hold that we are stewards of the earth ought to be interested in truth, and for that reason should not support any action that stifles legitimate scientific and economic debate. "These state attorneys general (attorneys general don't even agree), who are not experts in the science and appear only to listen to the loudest and best funded proponents of human-caused climate change, are not acting on all the evidence," Riley continued. "They should know better than to act essentially on hearsay or, more importantly, without a legitimately established law to guide prosecution. Threat is not the best way forward. The better way is to continue to research clean and efficient energy, support a clean use of fossil fuels, and let the scientific method continue to work on determining cause for current climate trends." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Miss., Ky., Ala. evangelism/missions news; '... [A]nyone with a testimony could be a part of it' by Staff Date: April 12, 2016 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Baptist Record (Mississippi) Western Recorder (Kentucky) The Alabama Baptist ********** Miss. rodeo exhibit spot offers witnessing, blessings By William H. Perkins Jr. JACKSON, Miss. (The Baptist Record) -- With cowboy clothes to the right, grooming reproductions from the past to the left, and jewelry made from silverware across the aisle, members of local Mississippi Baptist churches earlier this year shared the Gospel with people strolling through the Equine Expo in the Trade Mart at the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo on the Jackson Fairgrounds. The witnessing effort was sponsored by the Evangelism Department of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB) and made possible by gifts to the Mississippi Cooperative Program. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes was a partner. The smell of leather and barbeque filled the building, said Don Lum, MBCB director of evangelism. "Folks from all over Mississippi stopped by. They would listen to us and often would share their own testimony. We just encouraged folks and prayed with them. We were the only religious group in the exhibit area of the Expo." David Hamilton, pastor of West Heights Church in Pontotoc and former two-term president of the Mississippi Baptist Convention, said three men from West Heights conducted a similar evangelism effort last year at the National Finals High School Rodeo while on a mission trip in Wyoming. "All three came back saying, 'We need to do this in Mississippi.' There were more than 125 volunteers from our Mississippi Baptist churches, and the Gospel was shared 1,115 times in five days. This was a 'mission trip' close to home, and anyone with a testimony could be a part of it," Hamilton said. One man who stopped at the booth asked if the volunteers were selling time shares, Hamilton recalled. "Craig Farley from our church said, 'Man, no. I just want to share with you how Jesus changed my life.' Afterward, the man said, 'Well you are selling time shares -- they're just eternal.' The good news is that someone else bought it for us." Jeff Walker, pastor of Grace Church in Brandon, led a number of church members to volunteer to share their testimony at the exhibit. "I was amazed at how quickly the conversation changed to spiritual matters when I shared my story of how Christ changed by life. "I was blessed by the number of people of all ages and different churches who were excited about sharing the Gospel with anyone who would listen. I was blessed by the willingness of strangers to work together as brothers and sisters in Christ to share the Gospel. "My greatest blessing came by seeing God work in the hearts of people from many different states to expand His Kingdom." For more information on the ministries of the MBCB Evangelism Department, contact Lum at P.O. Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205-0530. Telephone: (601) 292-3278, or toll-free outside Jackson (800) 748-1651, ext. 278. E-mail: lburris@mbcb.org. Web site: mbcb.org. For more information on the Cooperative Program, contact MBCB Stewardship Director Rick Blythe at P.O. Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205-0530. Telephone: (601) 292-3347, or toll-free outside Jackson (800) 748-1651, ext. 347. E-mail: lleavell@mbcb.org. Web site: mbcb.org. --30-- This story appeared in The Baptist Record, newsjournal of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (mbcb.org). William Perkins is editor of The Baptist Record. ********** Ky. volunteers help women, children heal in Nepal By Lily Jameson WADDY, Ky. (Western Recorder) -- On a sunny day in December, a Nepali child colored a picture of Jesus. Through the young artist's creative license, the Messiah grew blue hair and donned crimson robes. The young boy drawn beside Christ was holding a bowl of loaves and fishes and had been colored red from head to toe. That simple coloring book picture of a Bible story was supposed to help Nepali children heal from the shock of last year's earthquake and to allow them rest from daily chores. "The children's lives there are so hard, you know, from what I was able to observe," Susan Bryant, member of Graefenburg Baptist Church in Waddy, said. "When I got up at 7 o'clock in the morning to have breakfast, the children were already taking the goats up the mountains. They work very, very hard. They don't have a lot of time to play or to be children, really," she said. Bryant, president of the Kentucky Woman's Missionary Union, traveled to the Sindhupalchok District in Nepal at the end of 2015. She joined Joel Catron, member of First Baptist Church of Monticello, and Wanda Lovely, from Urbancrest Baptist Church in Lebanon, Ohio. Operating in partnership with Baptist Global Response, Lovely and Bryant worked with trained national partners to help women and children process their emotions after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the area in April 2015. The disaster destroyed a large percentage of homes in two districts and killed thousands. While Bryant and Lovely counseled, Catron spoke to the local men about spiritual matters. The trip's therapeutic focus, Bryant said, fit well with WMU's four-year emphasis on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the organization's website, the WMU committed to helping Baptist churches address PTSD through its Project HELP initiative. In Nepal, Bryant worked with children who had suffered similar trauma during the quake. She said the therapy sessions, held in schools and churches, looked a lot like general playtime. In addition to distributing coloring sheets, Bryant and a national volunteer also played games with the children that involved balls or bubbles. During the program, kids had opportunities to write about the disaster, as well, and they delved into questions about where they were when it hit and how it made them feel. "This would be an opportunity for them to have playtime and for them to talk to other children and to discuss what happened -- give them an opportunity to really decompress, I guess, after the earthquake," she said. While Bryant played with children, Lovely assisted women's therapy sessions and said she also spent her time playing games and encouraging women to participate in simple group activities. In the midst of all that rubble and reconstruction, Lovely and other volunteers told Nepali women to blow up balloons until they popped. "The thought behind all of it is: this is the same thing that goes on in our hearts," Lovely said. "You know, we carry these burdens and these pains and these worries and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and finally, it just explodes. ... You have to be able to share your thoughts before you explode." She said games and questions provided a framework, allowing women to talk about heartfelt matters within a light and fun context. She believed the jobs she and Bryant performed filled a particular need for women and children -- groups of people who didn't always have emotional outlets. And, although both the women and children seemed to love the games and conversations, Lovely believed the team also impacted Nepali villagers by simply showing up. "When you go halfway around the world, you've already done a great deal to lift someone's burden because just by default, your presence in their life says, 'I care,' because you didn't show up by accident," she said. Lovely said she clearly remembered how Bible stories affected villagers, as well. She acted out the story of the sick woman, told in the fifth chapter of Mark, who received healing from Christ merely by touching his robe. An old woman in the crowd cried. That biblical story of healing had given her hope. Anyone who wants to follow in the footsteps of this team and help other disaster survivors recover can volunteer through BGR. Email disaster@gobgr.org for more information. Or, visit www.gobgr.org/volunteer/requests to read about other ways to volunteer. (WR) --30-- This article appeared in the Western Recorder (westernrecorder.org), newsjournal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Lily Jameson* is a staff writer for Baptist Global Response. ********** One Athens, Ala., church brings new life to another By Anna Keller ATHENS, Ala. (The Alabama Baptist) -- Clements Baptist Church, Athens, had been familiar with the city's Poplar Creek Baptist Church for quite some time. After all, the churches are located just five miles apart from each other. But it wasn't until the Poplar Creek Baptist congregation started to wane significantly that the churches decided it was time to partner. "The Poplar Creek congregation has been declining for several years and they were down to just seven people last fall -- all senior adults," said Tim Anderson, who has served as Clements Baptist's pastor since it was planted 21 years ago. "I knew of their struggles and approached them about the possibility of us taking the church over and they were more than ready to do so" since they'd been without a pastor for eight months. Not only did Anderson feel the church needed support from Clements Baptist's congregation (which has an average of 750 each Sunday), he and his church also felt the Poplar Creek building needed to be renovated. Clements Baptist purchased the church building and financed its renovation work and Anderson became pastor in August 2015. They also renamed the church Clements Baptist Church at Poplar Creek to maintain the church's history (Poplar Creek dates back to the 1800s) but also create a distinct link between the two congregations. In need of renovations "The church was in need of major repairs and now they have been made," Anderson said, noting that renovations began in October 2015. "The entire church now has a more modern look and has been brought up to speed as far as its facilities and interior look and design." Clements Baptist then turned their attention to other ways to support the growth of the new campus. The church identified 60 members who would be missionaries at the Poplar Creek campus for one year. While the missionary program was officially kicked off on Easter, a "trial run" took place March 13. The trial run gave members a chance to "celebrate the opportunity to be a part of keeping a church open," Anderson said. "The 60 Clements Baptist missionaries are all people that felt the leadership of the Lord to move over to the Poplar Creek campus when I first cast vision of this project," Anderson said. "Those 60 people consist of pre-school teachers, children's teachers, adult life group leaders, praise team, greeting team and more." Brian Murphy, education and campus minister at Clements Baptist, said one thing that's been especially interesting throughout the process has been uncovering the strong ties that already existed between the two congregations. "We were shocked at the number of people who are members of Clements who at one point were members of Poplar Creek," Murphy said. "They were baptized there, married there, their parents were members there. We're hearing things like, 'I left my home church but now my home church has come back to me.'" For now, Anderson will lead both church campuses as pastor, since the buildings are so close to one another. He will preach first at Clements and then deliver a sermon at the Poplar Creek service. The future plan is to place a pastor at Clements Baptist Church at Poplar Creek to be dedicated to that campus. "The entire process has been a real joy and a sweet process over the last six months," Anderson said. "Our people have been absolutely wonderful and the community was buzzing to see the church reopen March 27. Poplar Creek's seven members have been very involved during the project, and they are simply thrilled to see the church remain open and once again become a vital church in the community." Dedication service On April 10, Clements Baptist Church at Poplar Creek will host a service of dedication. Murphy said, "During that service we'll dedicate the building, reflect back on its long history and look forward to a new day. It's been great to see how our community has really stepped up to the plate to help with this project. Everyone was so excited to see life at this church again." Anderson emphasized his excitement in getting to be involved in this true community effort to help revitalize a church that has been such an important part of their community for so long. "I have such respect for Poplar Creek and see this as an incredible opportunity for us to partner with the community," he said. "I feel privileged and honored to be a part of this revitalization process." --30-- This article appeared in The Alabama Baptist (thealabamabaptist.org), newsjournal of the Alabama Baptist Convention. Anna Keller is a correspondent for The Alabama Baptist. ********** EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published.