The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-04/30/2018 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Too much is at stake by Nathan Lorick Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (BP) -- It's a great day to be a Southern Baptist! We are the largest Protestant denomination in America on mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We have six of the greatest seminaries in the world. We are experiencing a church planting movement that is nothing less than amazing. We have the missions funding mechanism in place that is the envy of other denominations. We have a doctrinal statement that allows us to be narrow enough to hold fast to Scripture, yet broad enough for us to work together to change the world. How can you not be excited about the SBC in these days? Yes, we have our challenges. All organizations of our size have obstacles to overcome -- we even more so since spiritual warfare is involved. However, we must remember that God has placed us here together for such a time as this. There has been a significant amount of discussion regarding the upcoming SBC annual meeting in June. Some of this discussion has been helpful and healthy; some has not. Discussing the issues at hand in our annual meeting is not a bad thing. In fact, having these conversations is evidence that Southern Baptist pastors and leaders genuinely care about our cooperative work and are committed to our future together. As we move toward the SBC meeting in Dallas, may I suggest we keep a few things in mind for the sake of unity? 1) We are not the enemies. It is easy and natural in an SBC presidential election year to pick or choose a candidate who best aligns with your preferences. This is expected and is why we have the opportunity to vote. However, it is not healthy to tear down brothers in Christ to make a point. We must remember in expressing differing opinions or preferences that we are not each other's enemy. We have an enemy that not only wants to destroy us, but takes joy when he doesn't have to work at it because we are destroying each other. May we remember that our mission is not self-destruction, but Kingdom advancement. We only do this when we are focused on the task and realize we are in this together. 2) We must be burdened for the mission. Do you remember the time when God called you to serve Him in ministry? What a powerful and joyful moment we get to experience as ministers of the Gospel. I can still remember the exact place I was when I began to feel that call. We must keep in mind that God called us to serve His Kingdom, not ours. We must find ourselves more concerned with the work of the ministry than with the ever-passing issues of an annual meeting. I am not implying the SBC annual meeting lacks significance. It is absolutely essential. However, we must remember we are not politicians. We are preachers. We must be burdened for our communities, cities, nation and world. We must keep in perspective that God has called us to advance His Kingdom, and the best way we can do that is together. Can we really expect God to bless our convention if we are more bothered by the issues we will face in Dallas than we are burdened for the mission for which He has called us? We must not spend more time on articles, blogs, emails and voter guides about an election that will be over in a few weeks, than we do leading the people we have been entrusted with to live on mission for Christ. I implore us to come to Dallas so burdened for a move of the Holy Spirit that all these other things will fade into the distance. 3) The time for unity is now. We are at a crucial time in Southern Baptist life. Two of our entities are seeking leaders. We can't afford to be divided into factions over secondary issues. Too much is at stake. I humbly call on all of us to realign our hearts and minds to that of our Lord Jesus. We are privileged to be a part of a body that gives us ballots to vote. This is what we should do and move forward together. We need God's man, whoever that may be, but we need him through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, not manipulative efforts on any side. Friends, we need a move of God among us. We cannot expect such a move of God if we are not emptied of ourselves. Let's come together in unity in Dallas, burdened together for a spiritual awakening. We are living in exciting times. We have the honor of being part of such a great denomination. However, it is time to lay down our arrows and seek the face of God together. There are millions whose eternities hang in the balance of us being united in the mission and task that God has created for us. Will you join me in praying for a move of God among us? Will you join me in relentlessly loving each other and moving forward together on mission? I believe that greatest days for the SBC are ahead. My prayer is that we will move forward and experience it together. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mac Brunson concludes 12-year FBC JAX pastorate by Joe Westbury/Christian Index Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday UPDATED, 3 p.m. Central time April 30 with statements from First Baptist Church in Jacksonville and co-senior pastor Heath Lambert. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) -- When Mac Brunson, co-senior pastor of 10,000-member First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, stepped into the pulpit Sunday, it began as any other worship experience. But by the time the April 29 service ended, Brunson had announced his immediate resignation from his pastorate of a dozen years and left the sanctuary with his wife Deb. Heath Lambert, a counseling professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, joined Brunson last fall as senior co-pastor of the Florida church. Lambert, in a statement to Baptist Press, said Brunson has served First Baptist "with faithfulness inside and outside of our pulpit. He has remained faithful to the Word of God and the centrality of Christ in a generation that has found it easy to sacrifice those realities. "A huge reason I came to First Baptist was for the privilege of serving with such a man," Lambert said. "As he goes to his next assignment he leaves behind a church that is grateful for his service and committed to praying for him, Debbie, and their family." The FBC JAX congregation was stunned by Brunson's announcement, sources told Georgia Baptists' Christian Index. In his announcement Brunson noted there is no place of ministry awaiting him and his wife, but they are "excitedly waiting for the Lord to show us His perfect will for our lives." In a letter of resignation posted online, Brunson, 60, who was the 2003 president of the SBC Pastors' Conference, stated that while "Deb and I are stepping away from the church at the end of the month [April 30]; my last Sunday to preach will be next Sunday morning, May 6." He recounted that "Deb and I have sensed for the last six or seven months that the Lord was bringing our ministry to a close here in Jacksonville. ... We believe, as the Lord has confirmed in our hearts, that some of our most productive and fruitful days of ministry are ahead of us." First Baptist, in a statement issued Monday, noted, "Whenever a pastor leaves a place of service it is common for rumors of a scandal to circulate. We want to be clear that no such scandal exists at First Baptist, or in the ministry of Dr. Brunson. Dr. Brunson’s service has been characterized by moral and ministerial faithfulness, and no individual or group within our church asked him to leave. "On the contrary, we are grateful for the years of service rendered by Dr. Brunson and his wife Debbie," the FBC JAX statement continued. "We wish them all the best in their future ministry endeavors, and Dr. Lambert hopes to welcome them as guests at First Baptist very often in the future. The church also stated that Brunson's announcement was in keeping with a transition plan for him and Lambert approved last September. Brunson, who came to First Baptist in February 2006 after seven years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, told in his resignation letter of spending "these last days and weeks of ministry" with his wife looking "in three directions -- inward, outward, and upward. Allow me to reminisce as we look back over our ministry here." Inward -- First Baptist Academy, launched under his pastorate, "has become one of the top Christian Academies in north Florida. My heart's desire these last few years has been to expand the Academy and start a high school. After much prayer and planning, the high school will open next fall." -- He reminisced that as he first drove around town with retiring pastor Jerry Vines, he sensed the need for a satellite church in the area south of downtown. "Our South Campus began on Easter Sunday morning, eight years ago. ... The groundbreaking for our newest Campus is in a few weeks. This past year the Lord, once again, miraculously provided as we raised over seven million dollars in gifts and pledges." According to the church website, the groundbreaking is slated for 5 p.m. May 20. Brunson detailed how the downtown facilities "have seen tremendous change" as the sanctuary was renovated, Sunday School classroom space was upgraded for access by senior adults and the youth area was refurbished. He also listed improvements to the Lindsay Memorial Building and how "doors of opportunity" were opened to the Ortega Campus and the College Campus. He celebrated the lives that had been reached and families strengthened through those advancements. Outward Brunson noted how the congregation, in its commitment to missions, has become one of the top giving churches in the SBC to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. He lauded the church for expanding its missions footprint around the world. "The sun never sets on the ministry of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville" due to God calling out "young and not-so-young in our church to serve Him in places literally around the globe." Upward He closed his comments by stating that he prays he has "pointed the church to Christ these past twelve years by opening God's Word week by week. Every decision we have made here has been bathed in prayer, seeking the Lord's guidance and direction. "Now, Deb and I look to our Father for guidance and direction in our own lives … and we pray His continued blessings on this wonderful, historic church. In the days ahead, in everything, in every way, I challenge you to look upward and seek the Lord's will for your own life, for your family, and for this great lighthouse called First Baptist Church Jacksonville. "We love you. We leave a little of our hearts here with you. We take a part of you with us as we look to the future. We trust that the greatest days are ahead for First Baptist Jacksonville," Brunson wrote, quoting Numbers 6:24-26: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." Florida Baptist Convention Executive Director-Treasurer Tommy Green said he is thankful for the friendship and partnership he’s had with Mac Brunson. “He has been a strong leader in Florida Baptist life and I appreciate his faithful service at First Baptist Jacksonville,” Green said. “I pray for God’s continued blessings upon him in this season of transition.” Brunson, a native of Greenwood, S.C., holds doctorate and master's degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas; a bachelor's degree from Furman University and an associate degree from North Greenville University, both in South Carolina. After seminary he became pastor of South Norfolk Baptist Church in Chesapeake, Va., and then Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, N.C., before being called as senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas in 1999. Brunson and his wife are parents of three children: Courtney, Trey and Wills. Lambert, who has held pastoral ministry positions in Kentucky and North Carolina churches, has been First Baptist's associate pastor since January 2016. He joined Southern Seminary's faculty in 2006 and also serves as executive director of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, with members in 18 countries, and is a founding board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Family, supporters mourn death of Alfie Evans by Lynde Langdon/WORLD News Service Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday LIVERPOOL, England (BP) -- Alfie Evans, the sick toddler at the center of a legal battle over his treatment in Britain, died early Saturday (April 28). "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30," his father, Tom Evans, 21, said in Facebook post. Doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, England, discontinued Alfie's life support Monday against his parents' wishes. Evans and Alfie's mother, Kate Jones, lost appeal after appeal in court for the right to take their 23-month-old son to a hospital that would continue his treatment for a degenerative neurological condition. The Italian government granted Alfie citizenship and supported his transfer to a hospital in Rome, and Pope Francis made public appeals on the boy's behalf. Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted Saturday, "Goodbye, little Alfie. We loved you." In Alfie's final days, Tom Evans said he was working with doctors at the hospital to give his son "dignity and comfort" and thanked the staff "for their dignity and professionalism during what must be an incredibly difficult time for them too." The case is similar to the one involving Charlie Gard, who died July 28, 2017, in England. Charlie died in hospice care a week short of his first birthday, Aug. 4, after being removed from a ventilator, Baptist Press reported. See related story on http://www.bpnews.net/49285/infant-charlie-gard-dies-after-parents-futile-pleas. Gard was born with a rare condition known as mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. His parents -- Chris Gard and Connie Yates -- fought numerous legal battles for their son's life and raised about $1.7 million for an experimental treatment in the United States that he never was permitted to receive. Also see related information on the Alfie Evans case released April 27 by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/how-to-understand-the-alfie-evans-controversy. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Beleaguered church buoyed by water from 'cursed' land by Casey Watson Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday WEST AFRICA (BP) -- In the Bible, God demonstrates His power through water. Jesus turned water into wine and then walked on top of waves. He even compares Himself to water. God still uses water as a conduit for miracles. Last year, He blessed a small well in the desert of West Africa. Shadrach Black, West Africa project coordinator for the Baptist Global Response humanitarian aid organization, recounted the miracle a beleaguered church experienced when it partnered with BGR to provide its village with a fresh water source. At the time, the pastor and congregation craved hope. "It's difficult to endure in an area where you are not wanted and where you are mocked and scoffed," Black said in a phone interview. The small band of believers had suffered persecution from their surrounding community. Locals responded to the church's message with scorn. Husbands mocked Christian wives for their faith. Black said the pastor, Adama Diallo*, did his best to encourage his congregation amid the oppression. They believed a new well could make a difference in their bleak circumstances by improving life in the community and demonstrating the ability of the Christian God to meet needs. The church had placed so much faith in the BGR project that its members felt overjoyed as soon as they saw the drilling equipment arrive. "The women of the church are coming and greeting us," Black recalled. "The pastor has tears in his eyes as we just bring in rigs ... because of the hope that brought in." And the area desperately needed fresh water. Black described the ground in the region as sandy and insufficient for farming. There's so little moisture that people slave to coax any vegetation from the soil. They mostly grow millet because it requires small amounts of water. People barely survive, living in mud-brick homes with thatch or tin roofing. The only significant income for villages often comes from young residents who find jobs in cities and send money back to help their communities. Although the church was seeking to improve life for their neighbors, prejudice seemed stronger than thirst. Instead of supporting the project, the community had given the congregation a "cursed" tract of land for the new well. Black said locals believed multiple spirits fought over that patch of dusty soil, and the supernatural struggle prevented anything from growing. But the church decided to proceed anyway. Supported by BGR funds, the drill team set up its equipment and began to work. Team members drilled 10 meters, then 20, and then 30. They found only dust. Finally, workers drilled 40 meters and still the well was dry. The team began the laborious task of packing up the equipment and moving it to another spot on the tract of land to try again. The congregation began to despair, Black learned after his visit to the village. Christian women had to return home where unbelieving husbands mocked the failure. As a result, the project's success became even more important. "And so, the women are coming to the pastor as we're trying to pull up the rig [and] giving these testimonies of what they're enduring in their homes," Black said. "And [they're] just saying, 'Pastor, we need this. We can't endure without this.'" The pastor responded by gathering these women together to pray. With renewed hope, workers began the drilling process again. They saw signs of water before the end of the first day. On the second day, mud and water shot high in the air. God had provided! "It was an amazing fountain of testimony to God's power in this place," he said. "And the celebration ... of God's provision wasn't just one of physical relief, it was one of justification in the midst of persecution and of trial." While the miracle filled Diallo and the church with joy, it horrified some in the village. Their hate ran too deep. Black said one witch doctor began spreading the rumor that the well was "poisoned," and its clear, clean water would turn anyone who drank it into a Christian. Yet, the church didn't mind the gossip. Their God had shown His might, and His love had flowed over them like the water from their well. Baptist Global Response hopes to see more stories like this happen in the coming year as a result of its second annual Well Dig Dare, a six-week initiative challenging donors to raise the $1,000 needed to fund one well. Although the Well Dig Dare was slated to conclude at the end of April, BGR still encourages individuals and churches to support clean water efforts by gifts and/or prayer. Online gifts can be made at www.gobgr.org/welldigdare. Pray, meanwhile, that more drill teams will find fresh supplies of water for thirsty communities, demonstrating Christ's love for those who have yet to experience it. *Name changed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NAAF links with Prison Fellowship to reach community by Diana Chandler Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Racial disparities within America's criminal justice system are spurring black Southern Baptist pastors to work more closely with the national evangelical Prison Fellowship ministry, a pastors' group told Baptist Press. The National African American Fellowship (NAAF) of the Southern Baptist Convention is dialoging with Prison Fellowship to study ways pastors can cooperate with the national prison ministry to better serve congregations, NAAF Executive Director Dennis Mitchell said. "With the staggering number of African Americans incarcerated, the social, educational and economic repercussions continue to adversely impact the communities our churches minister to," Mitchell said. "And while many of our churches are making great efforts to address the issues associated with this crises," he said, "we feel a formal relationship with Prison Fellowship will enable our churches to be even more effective in their ministry to prisoners by tapping into the resources of one of the world's largest ministry to prisoners, former prisoners and their families." NAAF member Darron LaMonte Edwards, pastor of United Believers Community Church in Kansas City, Mo., hosted a Prison Fellowship ministry training workshop April 21. About 50 community and religious leaders attended the event, Edwards said. "We believe this a perfect fit within the objectives of NAAF as we find ways to improve and empower the communities we serve," Edwards told BP. "For starters, we will participate in the Angel Tree program. … We will soon after participate in their Second Chance campaign and in prison ministry opportunities." Edwards referenced Prison Fellowship's Second Chance Month campaign for policies and programs to rehabilitate prisoners and help them reenter society as productive citizens. Supporting the campaign are President Trump, the U.S. Senate, at least eight states, and 150 religious and secular organizations including the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Edwards' church is in Jackson County, where the 1,000 or so children whose parents are incarcerated is the highest concentration in the state, Edwards told BP. Through Angel Tree, the church can began building relationships with families suffering incarceration by giving children Christmas presents and continuing outreach year-round. With Prison Fellowship, Edwards said he hopes to begin "a movement in the state of Missouri to restore and reconcile families who are impacted by crime and incarceration. With our church involvement and other like-minded congregations who were present (at the workshop), that number should be drastically reduced." Edwards and the nearly 4,000 other pastors who comprise NAAF minister to congregations that are overwhelmingly African American and thereby disproportionately impacted by the prison system. African Americans are adversely impacted at every level of the criminal justice system, according to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit national group that has worked for justice reform since 1986. Blacks comprise 13 percent of the population but accounted for 27 percent of arrests in 2016, according to Sentencing Project 2016 statistics. "African Americans are more likely than white Americans to be arrested; once arrested, they are more likely to be convicted; and once convicted, they are more likely to experience lengthy prison sentences," the Sentencing Project said in an April 19th report to the United Nations on such racial disparities. "African-American adults are 5.9 times as likely to be incarcerated than whites and Hispanics are 3.1 times as likely," the report states. "As of 2001, one of every three black boys born in that year could expect to go to prison in his lifetime, as could one of every six Latinos -- compared to one of every seventeen white boys." Juveniles are also adversely affected. In six states in particular, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Montana, Delaware, Connecticut and Massachusetts, black youth are at least 10 times as likely to be placed in juvenile detention than white youth, the Sentencing Project said in its 2017 Annual Report. The impact of incarceration on communities continues after prisoners are released. Nationwide, as many as 60 percent of ex-prisoners are unemployed one year after their release from prison, according to Prison Fellowship statistics. Prison Fellowship advocates for justice reform at the state and federal levels, but also works evangelistically through various programs to spread the Gospel among prisoners and help them thrive after incarceration. "We see Prison Fellowship as an Evangelical-based organization that has a long track record of advocating for a more restorative criminal justice system," Mitchell said, "as well as working with churches, community groups and local service providers to support former prisoners, their families and their communities." The details of NAAF's full cooperation with Prison Fellowship are still being developed, Mitchell told BP. "We feel very strongly that one of the greatest benefits we can provide to our members is to use our vast network of ministry relationships to help our churches discover and connect with mission/ministry resources and opportunities in the Body of Christ," Mitchell said, "both within and outside the SBC." See BP's April 27 story on Prison Fellowship's Second Chance Month. -------------------------------------------------------------------- GuideStone, ERLC defend ministerial housing allowance by Tom Strode Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Two Southern Baptist entities have urged a federal appeals court to uphold the constitutionality of the ministerial housing allowance. GuideStone Financial Resources and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief filed April 26 that asks the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to reverse a lower court decision invalidating the exemption. In October, federal Judge Barbara Crabb of Wisconsin ruled the allowance is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment clause that prohibits a government establishment of religion. It is the second time in four years Crabb ruled against the allowance. The Seventh Circuit Court, which overruled Crabb's original opinion in 2014, will decide on a section of a 1954 law that permits "ministers of the gospel" to exclude for federal income tax purposes a portion or all of their gross income as a housing allowance. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has interpreted "ministers of the gospel" to include leaders of other religious faiths. The church or church-related employer must designate the amount of the allowance for each pastor or leader. The lawsuit does not affect the part of the law that enables tax-free use of a parsonage or other home owned by a church or other religious body. GuideStone Financial Resources -- the SBC's health and financial benefits entity – is a member of the Church Alliance, which filed the brief in the case. The alliance is a broad coalition of denominational pension programs that cover ministers who qualify for the housing allowance. "We have always felt that the cash housing allowance offers a level playing field, ensuring the government does not favor secular employers over churches or churches who provide their ministers a physical dwelling at the expense of those that do not," GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said in a written statement for Baptist Press. GuideStone is still committed as a member of the Church Alliance and in unity with the other Southern Baptist entities "in advocating on behalf of pastors and other ministers eligible for the housing allowance," he said. ERLC President Russell Moore said the commission signed on to the Church Alliance's brief "for the sake of religious liberty, the freedom of the church and also the flourishing of local communities." "As the brief argues, leaving religions alone actually respects the separation of church and state," Moore told BP in written comments. "More still, eliminating the allowance would have the effect of penalizing thousands of small congregations and their leaders across the country. We will continue to fight to protect the housing allowance because we believe clergy are essential for flourishing, vibrant communities." In the brief, the signers contend the housing allowance does not violate the First Amendment clause prohibiting a government establishment of religion. The provision permissibly accommodates religion by passing the Supreme Court's Lemon test, according to the brief. That formula, presented in a 1971 opinion by the high court, said a law must have a secular purpose, not primarily promote or restrict religion and "not foster an excessive entanglement with religion." The brief says the Supreme Court "has long distinguished between affirmative assistance to religious organizations and merely lifting government-imposed burdens so as to allow those organizations to exercise their religious mission more freely." "When Congress chooses not to impose a burden on religious organizations -- whether by means of tax exemption or regulatory exception -- it honors, rather than transgresses, this Nation's long tradition of separation between church and state," according to the brief. "Leaving religion alone does not establish it." In their brief, supporters of the allowance argue, "Unlike most secular employees, ministers perform many of their duties at home, or away from the house of worship. They are often expected to be available at all hours in response to personal crises, and they frequently use their residences for church functions such as counseling, fellowship gatherings, prayer groups, Torah study, and the like. "Functionally, the minster's residence, whether owned by the church or not, is an extension of the church and its ministries." GuideStone and the ERLC also opposed Crabb's 2013 decision striking down the housing allowance. The entities issued a joint news release to protest her ruling at that time, then signed on to separate briefs urging the Seventh Circuit Court to strike down her opinion. The Seventh Circuit Court overturned Crabb's ruling, finding the atheist organization that brought the lawsuit lacked the legal right -- known as "standing" -- to challenge the allowance. This time, changes in the facts of the case may give Crabb's decision more hope of surviving the appeals court. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) -- which also sued in the 2013 case -- argued in its latest challenge that the IRS violated the Constitution by rejecting its leaders' efforts to claim the ministerial housing allowance. FFRF has met the Seventh Circuit's prerequisites to gain legal standing, Crabb said in her opinion. In December, Crabb issued a stay postponing enforcement of her October opinion until after the appeals process is concluded. Federal law also permits housing allowances for certain employees, including members of the U.S. military, workers living overseas and employees of educational institutions. GuideStone advised ministers to consult the entity's annual tax guide, available at GuideStone.org/taxguide, and its housing allowance information, available at GuideStone.org/housingallowance, to ensure they are properly documenting housing allowance and reporting it properly on their income tax returns. The case is Gaylor v. Mnuchin. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Patterson clarifies domestic violence stance by David Roach Date: April 30, 2018 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated April 30 at 5:37 p.m. Central time in paragraph five to reflect Patterson’s intent, as expressed in a follow-up communication. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Paige Patterson has clarified his view on domestic violence and voiced regret "that the way I expressed that conviction has brought hurt." Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, issued a written statement Sunday (April 29) amid discussion on social media of an audio clip from 2000 in which he said the proper response of a wife to domestic abuse "depends on the level of abuse to some degree." In his April 29 statement, Patterson said, "For the record, I have never been abusive to any woman. I have never counseled or condoned abuse of any kind. I will never be a party to any position other than that of the defense of any weaker party when subjected to the threat of a stronger party. This certainly includes women and children. Any physical or sexual abuse of anyone should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities, as I have always done. "I have also said that I have never recommended or prescribed divorce," Patterson said. "How could I as a minister of the Gospel? The Bible makes clear the way in which God views divorce. I have on more than one occasion counseled and aided women in leaving an abusive husband. So much is this the case that on an occasion during my New Orleans pastorate, my own life was threatened by an abusive husband because I counseled his wife, and assisted her, in departing their home to seek protection. In short, I have no sympathies at all for cowardly acts of abuse toward women." In an interview with Baptist Press, Patterson said he doubts "seriously" that a person of either gender experiencing physical abuse ever would be morally obligated to remain in the home with their spouse. Yet, he said, "minor non-injurious abuse which happens in so many marriages" -- and which does not make the wife fear for her safety -- might spur a woman to "pray [her husband] through this" rather than leave. "Am I going to tell a woman like that she is wrong to take the matter to God?" Patterson asked. "I don't think so." The 18-year-old audio clip that generated social media discussion was posted April 28 on a blog that has been critical of Patterson. Information from that blog was tweeted the same day by a writer for Religion News Service. Amid the ensuing social media discussion, The Washington Post reported on Patterson's April 29 statement. In the audio clip at issue, Patterson was asked his counsel to women "who are undergoing genuine physical abuse from their husbands." Patterson replied, "It depends on the level of abuse to some degree. I have never in my ministry counseled that anybody seek a divorce, and I do think that's always wrong counsel. There have been, however, an occasion or two when the level of abuse was serious enough, dangerous enough, immoral enough that I have counseled temporary separation and the seeking of help. I would urge you to understand that that should happen only in the most serious of cases." Moments later in audio clip, Patterson told about a woman at one of his pastorates who "was being subject to some abuse and I told her ... 'Every evening I want you to get down by your bed. Just as he goes to sleep, get down by the bed and when you think he's just about asleep, you just pray and ask God to intervene -- not out loud, quietly.' But I said, 'You just pray there.' "And I said, 'Get ready because he may get a little more violent, you know, when he discovers this,'" Patterson said. "And sure enough, he did. She came to church one morning with both eyes black. And she was angry with me, and with God and the world for that matter. And she said, 'I hope you're happy.' And I said, 'Yes ma'am I am.'" Patterson went on to explain his happiness stemmed not from the abuse, but from the man's presence at church that day for the first time, his brokenness over the abuse and his decision to trust Christ as Lord and Savior. The abuse stopped, Patterson said in the audio clip, and "he's a great husband today." "Remember," Patterson added in the audio clip, "when nobody else can help, God can. And in the meantime, you have to do what you can at home to be submissive in every way that you can." Patterson clarified to BP he did not suspect any physical abuse in the relationship prior to the episode he recounted. Any hint in the audio clip that he did suspect prior physical abuse was an error in the recounting, he said, adding, "I'm sure I didn't tell it as well as I should have." "For sharing this illustration," Patterson said in his statement, "especially in the climate of this culture, I was probably unwise. However, my suggestion was never that women should stay in the midst of abuse, hoping their husbands would eventually come to Christ. Rather, I was making the application that God often uses difficult things that happen to us to produce ultimate good. And I will preach that truth until I die." He added to BP that he may have shared publicly the story of the abused woman on other occasions, though he did not recall doing so. A March 2018 "statement on abuse" by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), Patterson said, agrees "entirely" with his views. CBMW called abuse "not only a sin but ... also a crime" that must be reported "to civil authorities" by "church and ministry leaders." Patterson's statement concluded, "To all who love me and have supported me across the years and to those who have been wounded by these accusations, I express my deepest regret. I do not apologize for my stand for the family and for seeking to mend a marriage through forgiveness rather than divorce. But I do greatly regret that the way I expressed that conviction has brought hurt. I also regret for my own family this deliberate misrepresentation of my position as well as the hatred that lies behind much of it." The complete text of Patterson's statement follows this story. ********** Press release from Paige Patterson: "For the past several months, my life and the lives of my family have been subjected to rigorous misrepresentation. Even had I done some hideous wrong of which I am accused, my wife, children, and grandchildren have not and do not deserve such mischaracterization. "For the record, I have never been abusive to any woman. I have never counseled or condoned abuse of any kind. I will never be a party to any position other than that of the defense of any weaker party when subjected to the threat of a stronger party. This certainly includes women and children. Any physical or sexual abuse of anyone should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities, as I have always done. "I have also said that I have never recommended or prescribed divorce. How could I as a minister of the Gospel? The Bible makes clear the way in which God views divorce. I have on more than one occasion counseled and aided women in leaving an abusive husband. So much is this the case that on an occasion during my New Orleans pastorate, my own life was threatened by an abusive husband because I counseled his wife, and assisted her, in departing their home to seek protection. In short, I have no sympathies at all for cowardly acts of abuse toward women. "Many years ago in West Texas, a woman approached me about the desire of her husband to prevent her attendance in church. He was neither harsh nor physical with her, but she felt abused. I suggested to her that she kneel by the bed at night and pray for him. Because he might hear her prayer, I warned her that he could become angry over this and seek to retaliate. Subsequently, on a Sunday morning, she arrived at church with some evidence of physical abuse. She was very surprised that this had happened. But I had seen her husband come into the church and sit down at the back. I knew that God had changed this man’s heart. What he had done to his wife had brought conviction to his heart. I was happy -- not that she had suffered from his anger, but that God had used her to move her husband to conviction of his sin. I knew that she was going to be happy for him also. That morning, he did make his decision for Christ public before the church, and she was ecstatic. They lived happily together from that time on in commitment to Christ. There was no further abuse. In fact, their love for one another and commitment to their home was evident to all. She herself often shared this testimony. For sharing this illustration, especially in the climate of this culture, I was probably unwise. However, my suggestion was never that women should stay in the midst of abuse, hoping their husbands would eventually come to Christ. Rather, I was making the application that God often uses difficult things that happen to us to produce ultimate good. And I will preach that truth until I die. "The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood released a statement regarding abuse with which I agree entirely. I do not believe there is a woman or girl ever associated with me who would allege any abuse on my part. To all who love me and have supported me across the years and to those who have been wounded by these accusations, I express my deepest regret. I do not apologize for my stand for the family and for seeking to mend a marriage through forgiveness rather than divorce. But I do greatly regret that the way I expressed that conviction has brought hurt. I also regret for my own family this deliberate misrepresentation of my position as well as the hatred that lies behind much of it."