The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-05/02/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FLOYD: Racial unity & the 2016 SBC annual meeting by Ronnie Floyd Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday Ronnie Floyd is president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas. SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP) -- When I was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention in June of 2014 in Baltimore, little did I know God would take me through the open doors of addressing racial challenges in America. While racial unrest already existed in our nation, it was not until August 9, 2014, and the tragic death of a black teenager named Michael Brown, shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., that we began to see this racial unrest erupt like a volcano across our nation. God adjusted my path of understanding From my very first press conference as the newly-elected president of the SBC, I began calling upon Southern Baptists to join me in praying extraordinarily and passionately pursuing the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. When the Ferguson tragedy occurred, God burdened my heart immediately, adjusting my path of understanding. Politicians, corporate leaders, educators, religious leaders and pastors in America rarely initiate and move forward a positive agenda that leads to racial unity. We should seek to change this. While this path is still toward the next Great Awakening, God revealed clearly to me and anyone else that has been spiritually alert in America that one of the greatest sins in our nation today is the sin of racism. I encourage you to take the time to review the following articles, which will recount the journey taken to bring us to the upcoming session at our SBC annual meeting in St. Louis, "A National Conversation on Racial Unity." -- Southern Baptists: When Crises Abound, What Should We Do? -- The Wounds Run Deep: Racism and Injustice Must End and Let Grace and Love Begin -- The Spiritual State of Our Union -- 5 Actions for Southern Baptists to Take Now Due to the Conflict in Our Culture -- We Are a Country in Chaos: What Southern Baptists Should Do -- A National Conversation on Racial Unity -- Now is the Time for the Racial Crisis to End in America -- It's Time for Pastors to Lead a National Conversation on Racial Unity by Jerry Young and Ronnie Floyd -- From the New York Times: Race, History, and Baptist Reconciliation Jerry Young, Marshall Blalock, and the racial unity panel Immediately following my presidential address, we will move into our National Conversation on Racial Unity.  Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, and Marshall Blalock, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charleston, S.C., will begin the conversation. Dr. Young will speak on "Where we are today and where we must go in the future," and Pastor Blalock will speak on "The tragedy and triumph of Charleston, South Carolina." From this foundation, I will lead a panel conversation on racial unity in America. During this 55-minute section of our Southern Baptist Convention, we will be joined by the following 10 pastors: -- Marshal Blalock, pastor, First Baptist Church, Charleston, S.C. -- Jerry Young, president, National Baptist Convention, USA -- H.B. Charles, senior pastor, Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Fla. -- Joe Costephens, pastor, First Baptist Church, Ferguson, Mo. -- Timmy Chavis, senior pastor, Bear Swamp Baptist Church, Pembroke, N.C. -- D.A. Horton, church planter, Reach Fellowship, Los Angeles, Calif. -- Fred Luter, senior pastor, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans, La. -- Gregg Matte, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Houston, Texas -- Kenny Petty, senior pastor, The Gate Church, St. Louis, Mo. -- David Um, senior pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Cambridge, Mass. The entire Tuesday morning session will be powerful, so please do not miss any of it. All scheduled luncheons will occur following the dismissal of the morning session. You won't want to be late! Tuesday morning will help set up Tuesday night One of the areas we will pray about on Tuesday night of the convention in our "National Call to Prayer for Spiritual Leadership, Revived Churches, and Nationwide & Global Awakening" is the racial crisis in our nation. How do we not do this when we are meeting within 20 minutes of Ferguson, Mo.? Pray now for this national conversation Would you begin to call out to God daily by name each of us who will be participating in this conversation during our convention gathering? See graphic (included with this article) and put in a prominent place and join me in this prayer initiative. The sin of racism is a spiritual stronghold in this nation and now is the time this wall must come down. As we repent of it personally, repent of it in our churches, and repent of it in our nation, we will perhaps see the next Great Spiritual Awakening in our generation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEPAL: A year after devastating earthquake by Caroline Anderson Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday The International Mission Board released the following stories one year after a devastating earthquake struck Nepal, reportedly killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring more than 20,000. Read how local believers and Southern Baptists have helped impact lives. KATHMANDU, Nepal (BP) -- The April 2015 earthquake in Nepal was a galvanizing moment for Rajaan Chhetri,* a church planter, pastor and mentor. Prior to the earthquake, the Lord gave Chhetri and Christian worker Reece Dehn* the vision to open a water bottling plant in Nepal to create jobs for Christians as well as meet a need for clean drinking water. Though Nepal is the second water-richest country in the world, sources say 3 million Nepalese drink contaminated water and 85 percent drink water below international safety standards. The need for clean water and jobs grew post-earthquake. At that time, however, God revealed to Chhetri an even greater need. "Three days after the earthquake, I prayed to God, 'Lord, why did you spare us? It would have been better if we died because we were a whole family together, with the church, on that morning. Living and surviving after that is difficult,'" Chhetri said. Chhetri's prayer echoed the Apostle Paul's quandary in the first chapter of Philippians when he desired to depart from this life and be with Christ. Just as God answered Paul, Chhetri felt the Lord telling him he is needed here on earth to advance the Gospel. "God clearly showed me the reason. '[There] are many millions whose heart is shaken by this earthquake. My hand is upon them and I want you to take the Gospel to them,'" Chhetri said, recalling the word the Lord gave him. "I said, 'Lord, no more question[s]." Chhetri said the Lord promised him that as a family, church and nation they would be in a better place because of the disaster. The 19 church planters Chhetri mentors are ministering primarily in eastern Nepal, many in rural areas. These men, as well as many pastors and believers in Nepal, struggle to provide for their families. Many of these men want to be involved in full-time ministry but financially can't afford it, said Dehn, a ministry partner with Chhetri. "There is a great need for jobs in Nepal, and steady part-time jobs are almost non-existent," Dehn explained. "In order to survive, many men leave the country to earn money in other countries. Many who are called to be leaders in the ministry in this country struggle to fulfill their call and put food on the table for their families." Chhetri said when he visits the men he mentors, "my heart gets burdened and I cry. When I come back home, I find myself in the same situation." Many of the believers live on daily wages. Some are pig farmers and others are farmers. When medical emergencies arise, the financial strain is crippling. One of the church planters recently had a kidney stone removed. He had to sell two of his pigs to pay for the procedure. "Many times I find that there are no opportunities to work, no job creation. That's a big problem, and so we want to do something about it," Chhetri said. "For many, it's a question of survival," Chhetri added. The Lord clearly spoke to Chhetri about a remedy for this issue as well as a solution for a nationwide problem: water. He said the Lord revealed the great need for water as he read in the Gospel of John about how Jesus is the Living Water. "I felt the Holy Spirit saying, 'what does it say?'" Chhetri said. "I said, 'Yes Lord, you are the Living Water, there's no doubt about that.' And I felt the Spirit just [say], 'What about the water that people drink for living?" Chhetri said this, along with the staggering statistics, is how the vision for a water bottling plant started. Dehn said the water bottling distribution business will provide church leaders and church planters with jobs either in the main factory or distributing bottled water. Some church planters will work in Kathmandu, but Dehn said most will stay in their areas and distribute the bottled water to stores. "By the church planters staying in their areas of ministry, they will be able to continue to plant churches and be close to their families and have a part-time job that allows them to provide for their family," Dehn said. "This bottled water company can be a conduit for believers in America to be used by God to meet the needs of leaders here in Nepal so that they will not have to worry about how to earn money and do ministry," Dehn continued. Chhetri said the water bottling company will also give believers an open door to the homes and communities where they will deliver bottles. He said on average, pastors and church planters will need to work only two days a week, giving them plenty of time for ministry. Chhetri is looking forward to the company contributing to Nepal's economy. He said other water bottling companies exist in Kathmandu, but many do not treat the water, and it is contaminated. "As a Christian company, it will come with the quality," Chhetri said. He said their marketing and delivery will be different. Instead of joining the crowd of voices saying, "We are better than them," Chhetri plans for his water cleanliness to speak for itself. "When we come in the market, people can taste and feel it. In that way, with the distributors, local vendors, they will ask questions, 'Why, why are you different?'" Chhetri said. "That opens a wide gate for us to witness." Chhetri said not all of the workers in the bottling plant will be believers. "That will give us opportunity to meet [unbelievers] six days a week and share the Gospel and witness," he said. Prayer requests from Chhetri and Nepalese believers: -- Pray for funds to build the water bottling plant. -- Pray the water bottling plant will open doors to sharing the Gospel in communities. -- Pray for opportunities for believers to share about Jesus Christ, the Living Water. -- Pray for Nepalese church planters who are struggling to provide for their families and minister in communities. Pray that through this project, the believers will be able to further their witness. Giving Opportunities: To learn more about contributing to the operational costs of the water bottling ministry, click here. For more information about how you can support church planters in Nepal, visit IMB's strategic projects page and search for "South Asian people groups and Water." Please see additional stories below. *Name changed. ********** Texans & Southern Baptist women invest in earthquake survivors By Caroline Anderson NEPAL (BP) -- With a warm day ahead, believers walked on a dirt trail down the side of a mountain to reach the church. The villagers in this service reside on terraced rice slopes in the Himalayas. Seven American women joined the congregation that meets in a newly constructed bamboo church nestled in a narrow space on a ledge. The American women came to minister to Nepali women and to see Southern Baptist relief efforts that had taken place since the April 2015 earthquake. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention adopted the area shortly after the quake. When their assessment teams came to survey the damage in the villages, the Texans went from home to home -- stopping at 276 homes in total -- and met a number of believers. The Texans invited believers and unbelievers to participate in devotionals, and three people put their trust in Jesus. Teams kept coming, and in the midst of providing relief, they discipled new believers. Through each team, more Nepalis became believers. Eventually, 20 people were attending the devotionals, and a church started. "It was amazing to see the church explode over several months' time," Barry McPherson* said. Barry and his wife Laura* attend Bois D'Arc Baptist Church in Palestine, Texas, and participate in disaster relief full time. They spent four months in Nepal in 2015 coordinating disaster relief teams for the Southern Baptists of Texas. Barry said disasters show people that life is fleeting. "People are humbled so much by the big disaster, so when we come in, the Holy Spirit is already working," Barry said. "They are hungry for something else, something more." The Texans built the church building where believers now meet. Pavaan Sharma,* a new believer, donated the land for the church. After the earthquake, the pastor of the church, Aadesh Rana,* shared the Gospel with Sharma, and he believed. Sharma wanted to give back to the body of believers, so he donated the land. The gift allowed church members to use his home to store supplies. "We didn't give anything to him, but he gave back," Rana said. The village is situated down a hill at a curve of a mountain road leading north. Trucks carrying rice and relief supplies always passed their village and headed toward areas they saw in the news. Villagers tried waving them down, but they never stopped. However, Christians did stop, and their willingness to help spoke volumes to the Hindus in the village. "Why doesn't God save us from bad things like the earthquake, and what does He want us to do?" Rana asked the congregation rhetorically. He read from Job and cited several biblical examples of how God used trials and tragedies to strengthen believers' faith and increase their knowledge and understanding of Him. "If the earthquake hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met all of you," said Muni Pokhrel,* an aging woman wearing a traditional Nepali skirt and earrings. "The earthquake is what brought us together," she continued, smiling. As Rana preached, Pokhrel was fully engaged in the sermon, nodding with affirmation. When asked how long she has been a believer, Pokhrel admitted she wasn't a follower of Christ -- yet. Pokhrel said she loves coming to worship with the Christians because they are genuine and because a group of Texans came and helped rebuild her village when others wouldn't. The Hindus living in the area who were antagonistic toward the Christians let go of their angst because Christians did so much to help them. Barry said the Nepali men and women he met were amazed that the disaster relief teams didn't favor the Christians and ignore Hindus and Buddhists. "We will help anybody who needs help, not just Christians," Barry told people. The care continued with this group of women from the U.S. visiting their service. The women had time to share, encourage and pray with the congregation. "We have been praying for you after the earthquake," Virginia Gregson* told the believers. Gregson is on the board of directors of Baptist Global Response. "It is a joy to sing and worship with you." When I think about what happened here after the earthquake, [I'm reminded God] will turn our mourning into joy and He will trade ashes for beauty," Felicity Martinez* said. Martinez founded EveryDay Ministry in Broken Arrow, Okla. Martinez had a chance to pray for a number of women in the congregation. Jessica Lewis,* from Paducah, Ky., said worshiping with the believers and seeing their joy despite trying circumstances was such an encouragement. Lewis is the assistant editor for Real Truth Matters Magazine. "He will never leave you nor forsake you," Lewis told the believers. "He has not forgotten you." *Names changed. ********** Virginians are vessel for Christ's compassion in Nepal By Caroline Anderson NEPAL (BP) -- The village of scattered homes clinging to the side of a mountain is a hidden gem -- remote and difficult to access. But those who do make the journey are treated to views of carefully sculpted, mountain-terraced fields of rice and millet, and a panoramic of the Himalayas. The April 2015 earthquake couldn't destroy this region's beauty. Four Southern Baptist volunteers said the earthquake closed the chasm between Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (SBCV) convention made a one-year commitment to help a region of Nepal after the earthquake and sent volunteer teams to provide disaster relief. The volunteers' service throughout the past year spoke volumes to the village -- especially because the Baptist Global Response (BGR) teams didn't show favoritism. The volunteers helped everyone, regardless of religion. Because of this, Christians were seen by many as kind and compassionate. Stephen Cooper* was on a plane five days after the earthquake hit to help assess the damage. He and his wife Elizabeth returned several months later to spend several weeks deconstructing fallen buildings, rebuilding a school building, and passing out blankets and medicine. Fellow Virginians Mark and Diana Henderson* came to serve alongside the Coopers. Missions are a part of the fabric that bound the Hendersons together. "We met on a missions trip, we got engaged on a missions trip, now we're celebrating our first anniversary on a missions trip," Mark said. It was a no-frills anniversary with the couple camped out in a tent on the side of the mountain. To bathe, Mark held up a tarp by a public water fountain so Diana could take a splash bath. Likewise, the Coopers celebrated their anniversary on an airplane. The Nepalese director of the school said without the volunteers' help, the children would have nowhere to meet. "We are thankful for the Southern Baptist(s) of Virginia," said Muni Pariyar,* the school's director, who is not a believer. "With the grace of God and the help of Southern Baptists of Virginia and BGR, children are able to return to school." "People in this village won't forget how people from other countries came here to help," another leader from the school said. The Coopers and Hendersons said there are 300 families in this area, a total of 2,400 people, and they heard six families are believers. Through the Coopers and the Henderson's care and concern for villagers, the mood of the village changed. The tension between Hindus, Buddhists and Christians had been almost palpable. Ostracism, persecution and arguments divided the village and made life difficult for the Christians. BGR came to their village, which is off the beaten path, and SBCV faithfully sent volunteer teams. During the weeks the Coopers and the Hendersons spent in the village, they served selflessly and offered to pray for the sick. Many accepted this offer. "What we hope is that they see God's love and His compassion," Elizabeth said. Villagers asked them why they came. "Because Jesus said to help others," the Virginians answered. "We believe we are all brothers and sisters," Elizabeth told them. Villagers also saw the volunteers' devotion to the Lord. Elizabeth pointed to the spot where she had her quiet times. It overlooks a verdant valley and misty mountains of the neighboring country. As she read her daily devotion, men and women would walk by, stop, and inch forward to see what she was reading. She had opportunities to tell them. "God is so clearly working here," Elizabeth said. Before the earthquake, there was a lot of persecution. Before, Hindus wouldn't acknowledge Christians. "God really works through disasters. … He puts people in a position to listen and be open, more so than under normal circumstances," Elizabeth said. "This went from a village … against Christians to one that is open." The Coopers and Hendersons have empowered local believers. The local believers have given them an open door to their community. "We're temporary. We help encourage. We can help build relationships because they are curious, but it is the Nepalese believers who are here and going to be doing the real work," Elizabeth said. *Name changed. ********** Troubadour creates beauty from earthquake's ashes By Caroline Anderson KATHMANDU, NEPAL (BP) -- Outside the temporary tin church building, Padam Gandharva* sits on a stone and carefully chisels a block of wood that will soon be a musical instrument. Shavings of fresh wood scatter in a semicircle. He wipes his brow with his T-shirt sleeve. His face and demeanor look tired -- not from lack of sleep, but from weathering a tragedy that claimed his neighbors' lives, his church building, his home and much of his means of income. Padam lost nearly everything in the April 2015 earthquake except his faith in Christ and his ability to compose and play music that captivates a nation. Two years ago, International Mission Board personnel spent time with Padam when he provided the accompaniment as multiple people groups in Nepal wrote and composed worship songs in their own languages. At that time his demeanor was poised and stately, but not proud. Two years ago he had a coy look -- the look of someone with an encyclopedic memory who could weave a yarn the length of the Himalayas. This time, he seemed battered and worn, but not broken. Padam is from the Gandharva people, who for centuries have been the troubadours and news bearers for the nation of Nepal. His people group plays the sarangi, a stringed instrument similar to a violin. Their songs tell stories of kings, queens and ages past, of current events and folklore. Wherever the Gandharva go, a crowd gathers. The Gandharva are bearers of truth -- even after the earthquake that claimed more than nearly 9,000 lives. "We are Christian, but so many Gandharva are not Christian," Padam says. Inside the tin church building that was built after the earthquake, Padam sits cross-legged, the afternoon light coming in through the door. He plays and sings the song he wrote after the earthquake to commemorate and mourn the dead. He closes his eyes during much of the song; he knows the sarangi notes by heart. "I am looking everywhere, but there is nothing," Padam sings. A tear escapes mid-song. Several verses of the song describe how the earth shook and how people felt helpless because there was nowhere safe to hide. He sings of the thousands in the 14 districts that were affected. The song mourns the thousands who are still unaccounted for and the many orphans the quake left. Padam visits villages and plays this song. It's had a cathartic effect on the earthquake survivors, helping them grieve and mourn the loss of children, parents, best friends and neighbors. It's healing Padam's heart, too. Musical ability runs in his family. Padam's son, Samuyal, is in a band that plays a fusion of modern music and traditional sarangi music. They have visited 20 schools, playing God-centered music. Padam doesn't have much money to travel, but that doesn't stop him. If his music can bring hope and healing, he goes no matter the cost. He makes the sarangis he sells. However, demand for sarangis has all but diminished -- excess income in the nation has gone toward rebuilding. Padam's church supports him as well. However, that's grown to be more difficult because church members also lost everything during the earthquake. Padam knows healing comes from God. He had the church building rebuilt first, even before his own home, so his congregation would have a place to worship and commune. His home is makeshift and meager. The tin church building offers no insulation from the sometimes-harsh Himalayan winter. Padam is hoping to purchase the land they're currently renting for their church. Though they're struggling to make ends meet, Padam and his family pooled their funds to buy bags of rice, powdered milk for nursing mothers and chocolate for other survivors. When the earthquake hit, Padam was preaching a sermon about God's judgment day. He had just finished reading Micah 1:1-10 that talks about the mountains trembling and Amos 1:1, which talks of an earthquake to come. A monastery sits on the hill that overlooks Padam's home and church. Padam points to the hill, saying just as the verse in Micah foretold, the idols were broken into pieces. The monastery was heavily damaged in the earthquake. Kathmandu's main Tibetan temple, Boudhanath, was heavily damaged. "We [were] ready for the last prayer, and then the earthquake came," Padam says. As the wall of the church building fell in, he dove forward to use his body as a shield, saving the life of a 6-year-old boy. Padam's church also meets in another location where the pastor, his son and grandson died in the earthquake. Padam says in that location those who fled the church building died; those who stayed inside survived. Thirty-five people died near the church's main location. In that area, the death toll was much higher than in the neighborhoods of ethnic Tibetans in town. Samuyal walks through the streets in his neighborhood, pointing out the damages and giving a death toll per building. "Two people died there," he says. "One person here." Life has managed to go on, somehow, despite the absence of neighbors and loved ones. Older men in their topis -- traditional hats -- sit outside teashops, sipping their piping hot milk teas. There aren't as many smiles as there once were, and perhaps it's only a semblance of normal. But from the ashes, beauty is rising -- the beauty of new believers. "So many people believed after this," Padam says. He says seven people chose to trust Christ, and the two church locations are growing. It also solidified believers' faith. "So many Christians, believers, believed that God is Truth," he says. The Gandharva's musical storytelling is an oral history. This chapter of Nepal's history is a sad one, and it's an era that is still evolving, but hope is in the hearts of believers, and healing is coming through Padam's songs. He bears the Gospel message wherever he goes. Pray: --Pray for Padam and his church's ministry, and that they would gather the funds needed to rebuild their church. --Pray for a steady income for Padam's family. --Pray for the church to continue growing. *Surnames in Nepal are sometimes also the people group's name. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Student expelled for views on homosexuality by Samantha Gobba Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- Former Missouri State University student Andrew Cash is suing the college for expelling him from the school's counseling program based on his opposition to same-sex relationships.  Cash, who began his master's in counseling in 2007, was expelled from the program in 2014 for expressing his views on counseling homosexual couples on relationship issues.  "He never said he wouldn't counsel a gay person," Jason Craddock, a lawyer with the Thomas More Society, which filed the suit earlier this week, told WORLD News Service.  Cash told administrators he would counsel homosexuals suffering from depression and anxiety, but not couples and not regarding their homosexual relationships. Instead, he would refer them to another counselor who did not share his views.  "That still wasn't good enough for the university," Craddock said.  Cash's clash with the university began in the spring of 2011, after he started an internship with Springfield Marriage and Family Institute (SMFI). For a counseling degree, the university requires 600 hours of clinical internship, with 240 hours face-to-face with clients.  At least one other student had completed an internship through the Christian counseling agency, and the university's internship coordinator, Kristi Perryman, approved Cash's internship with the group in the fall of 2010.  As part of the program, students were required to arrange a class presentation on a counseling topic. Cash chose Christian counseling, and invited members of SMFI to speak. During the presentation on April 11, 2011, a fellow student asked if SMFI counseled gay couples.  W.K. Boyce, SMFI's executive director, said he would counsel gay people individually but not as couples. His Christian beliefs compelled him to refer homosexual couples to someone else, he said.  The next Monday in class, Boyce's response became a hot topic of discussion. That night, Cash got an email from Perryman "directing him to meet with her 'in person as soon as possible' regarding his internship at SMFI," the lawsuit states.  Perryman asked Cash about his religious beliefs on homosexuality and told him he had violated the American Counseling Association's code of ethics, which states counselors must "refrain from referring prospective and current clients based solely on the counselor's personally held values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors."  She also told him he would not be allowed to continue his internship at SMFI, and the agency was then removed from the university's approved internship list.  Cash had to write a paper on working with gay couples and seek a new internship. He also had to show that he "had learned from this experience," an email from Perryman said.  In 2012, Cash submitted an application for a new internship, but also counted the 51 hours of clinical time he'd already spent at SMFI. He also claimed "there was nothing wrong" with his internship at SMFI, according to the lawsuit.   Perryman met with fellow department heads, who agreed Cash must leave the program or go through a "remediation plan." The plan included 10 counseling sessions and re-taking classes he had already passed with "A's."  Cash appealed the decision to another professor, to a committee, to the Dean of the College of Education, and to the Provost, but was denied each time.  "The more he stood his ground, the more they started saying they had concerns about him ethically," Craddock said.  In November 2014, Cash had a 3.81 GPA, a clean record, and only a few milestones to go before graduation when school officials expelled him from the counseling program.  It's not the first time a counseling student has faced challenges for holding Christian views. In 2010, Jennifer Keeton was kicked out of her master's in counseling program at Georgia's Augusta State University for holding that homosexuality is a sinful life choice, not a biological imperative. Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom sued the school on Keeton's behalf but ultimately lost the case.  Julea Ward, initially expelled from her counseling program at Eastern Michigan University for trying to refer a client seeking advice on a homosexual relationship, had more success in the courts. The school eventually settled with Ward in 2012, paying her $75,000. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sober faith: Former drifter jailed nearly 50 times by Michael Foust/Southern Baptist TEXAN Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday RUSK, Texas (BP) -- At times, Ellis Brasher still wonders why God kept him alive decades ago when he was hopping from bar to bar, town to town, and jail cell to jail cell, wanting nothing more than another beer, another buzz. Brasher, 83, testifies today to the saving power of the Gospel from his life as a drifter. By his count, he was arrested nearly 50 times across four states, spending time in nine jails. His life was the stuff of outlaw movies: alcohol, hanging with the wrong crowd and talking to the wrong girls, with a fight or two here and there. He had trouble holding a job, and it wasn't rare for his boss or co-worker to bail him out of jail. "I firmly believe God kept me alive so that I could be a testimony to other people," Brasher says, after 51 years of marriage to his wife Irene and nearly 55 years being dry. For a long time, however, Brasher appeared headed for an early death. Raised in church and the son of a deacon, his weakness for alcohol was obvious from the moment he took his first sip. By the time of his 25th arrest at age 25, he was facing a 60-day sentence at a Mississippi jail when the sheriff -- a friend of the family -- urged him to attend a free six-week alcoholism treatment center, paid for by the state. Facing health problems and nightly 104-degree fevers, Brasher agreed, and for a while, things looked up. He got off the bottle, got on a doctor-prescribed drug and went back to work. Less than three months later, though, he was drinking again, living in his car and, eventually, he was back in jail. This time, his widowed mother intervened, and the two of them moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, a transition that Brasher favored because, he figured, there were no jobs left for him back in Mississippi. And it worked, for about 60 days. When Brasher began drinking again, this time he nearly died. One day, jail officials took him to the local hospital for an IV injection because he was in such pain they feared he wouldn't live another night. On another occasion, Brasher contemplated suicide and might have followed through if not for the fact his mother and sister needed him. Brasher had given up trying to quit drinking. "I think I may have been hoping for death," he says. When Brasher was working, he always visited the bar soon after he clocked out. One of his favorite beer joints was the Hi-Hat, which was run by a 6-foot-6, 250-pound man named Jack -- a man who Brasher accidentally ticked off once when the two were sitting together. "Without any warning he backhanded me in the face with that club of a hand, knocked me off the bar stool, across the floor and under a pool table," Brasher recounts. "… Jack is towering over me like a huge gorilla saying, 'Come on out. I'm gonna kill you.'" At 5-foot-10 and 140 pounds, Brasher didn't stand much of a chance, but he rushed the large man, knocked him over, and somehow got him in a tight headlock. Jack, desperately struggling to breathe, promised not to bother Brasher if he let him go, and so Brasher loosened his grip and then sprinted out the door. But on a different night, Brasher nearly didn't survive. While living with his mother, he came home drunk and unknowingly set the bed on fire while passed out with a lit cigarette. Smoked filled his room, but his mom woke up, dragged him out of bed and then dowsed the fire. The next morning, Brasher asked what happened. "When I finally looked in my bedroom, the mattress springs were all burned out and laying on the floor," Brasher says. Brasher took his last drink of alcohol in January 1962, crediting the power of God and an Alcoholics Anonymous group for helping end his addiction. But it was a co-worker, in 1968, who planted the seeds of the Gospel, telling Brasher about "salvation, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and many other aspects of true belief." "He witnessed to me very strongly," Brasher says. "He made the remark, 'I think the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now.' That's the very first time I had ever experienced that, and I was confused. "I began to realize that sooner or later I was going to have to do something about it," he says. Yet he delayed his personal decision more than 25 years, rarely attending church. Finally, one day in the early 1990s, he asked his wife if she wanted to start going to church with him. "Yes, I thought you would never ask," she replied. "It had been in the back of my mind all the time. A lot of times when I was traveling, I would be in a hotel and pick up a Gideon Bible and read those. I kept thinking, 'I have to do more.' I read a little of the Bible every time I was in a hotel," Brasher says. It took him a few more weeks, but Brasher finally committed his life to Christ, walking down the aisle at a church service, having been prompted by the testimony of a man the previous Sunday who had lived a similar life. Shortly thereafter, he was baptized. Today, Brasher and his wife attend Calvary Baptist Church in Rusk, Texas. Brasher wants his testimony to serve as an example of the power of the Gospel -- that anyone, even an alcoholic who has been arrested dozens of times, can be saved. But he also wants to encourage Christians to share their testimony with others, not giving up if they don't see results. To this day, the co-worker who witnessed to Brasher and planted the seeds of the Gospel, does not know how the story ended. "Miracles," Brasher says, "happen every day." -------------------------------------------------------------------- NOBTS helping police in missing student case by Diana Chandler Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is assisting police in the disappearance of John W. Russell, a 39-year-old master of divinity student reported missing April 25th. Russell was last seen April 21 at NOBTS around 7:45 p.m., and last had contact with his mother April 22, NOBTS Director of Public Relations Gary Myers confirmed to Baptist Press. NOBTS informed the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) of Russell's disappearance after receiving a call from his mother April 25th, Myers said. NOBTS President Chuck Kelley told BP, "At this time we are assisting the authorities in every appropriate way to find John Russell, and we are praying for his safe return to his family." Russell, a commuter student, is described in news reports as 5'9" tall, 190 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. According to New Orleans police, he was last seen wearing a long sleeve blue shirt and jeans, and drives a gray 2007 Chevy Silverado with Louisiana license plate C30-9240. In Facebook and Twitter posts, Russell is described as the son of Jan (Hays) Russell of Memphis suburb Collierville, Tenn. Various friends and family members have asked the public to pray for Russell's safe return. "Pray, pray, pray," Melinda Cox Hall of Collierville posted on Facebook, identifying herself as Russell's cousin. "Many of you know his family. … He is loved!" "He's such a wonderful man," read another post. "This is a Collierville family and friend of many here," posted another Collierville resident. "Please share to friends in the NOLA area." Russell's disappearance coincided with the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, an April 22–May 1 music, cultural and educational event that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and has an economic impact of more than $300 million, according to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation. Anyone with information on Russell's location is asked to call the NOPD at (504) 658-6030. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Female military draft proposal critiqued by David Roach Date: May 02, 2016 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The House Armed Services Committee's recommendation that women be required to register for the draft has provoked reactions from an array of evangelicals, including Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary first lady Dorothy Patterson and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. Though mandatory female registration for the Selective Service is still a long way from becoming law, the House committee's 32-30 approval of the idea April 27 led Patterson to note military service for wives and mothers "has never been the norm." Women generally should not participate in "military maneuvers ... not because a woman does not have the giftedness and intellectual prowess to do the job, but because her assignment in managing the home and helping her husband and nurturing her children is not only one of great magnitude but also one of overwhelming importance to the nation," Patterson, professor of theology in women's studies at Southwestern, told Baptist Press in written comments. "Contemporary efforts to eradicate the differences between the sexes and reverse divinely designed roles are causing havoc with the responsibilities women have to family and home," Patterson said. "Women have been persuaded that they are needed more everywhere but in their own homes." Ironically, the proposal to include women in any future draft was offered by a congressman who opposes the idea, Rep. Duncan Hunter. A California Republican and former Marine who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hunter proposed the measure "to prompt discussion about how the Pentagon's decision in December to rescind gender restrictions on military service failed to consider whether the exclusion on drafting women also should be lifted," The Associated Press reported. Five Republicans joined Democrats in supporting Hunter's proposal, which was attached as an amendment to the annual defense reauthorization bill. To become law, the amendment would have to gain approval from the full House and the Senate. Patterson noted that some have appealed to the Old Testament judge Deborah to justify women in combat. But she rejected that argument as "twisting the Scriptures." "Deborah has been called a warrior by some in the modern arena, but she described herself as 'a mother in Israel,' whether a descriptor of her national role or a reference to her own children," Patterson said. "She also identified herself as 'the wife of Lapidoth.' She did deliver God's words to Barak, the army commander, but she did not participate in the military operation or conduct the campaign. Without doubt she played a vital role in the deliverance of Israel from the Canaanites, but she did so within God-given boundaries." Mohler said the committee vote to approve female conscription illustrates the rapid pace of secularization in America. "We are now in a secular society that seems to have lost not only its sanity, but also to have lost any ability to make a moral argument against women serving in combat," Mohler said May 2 on his daily podcast The Briefing. "Successive generations of feminist ideology and political correctness have rendered even Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, at least some of them in this case, ... from recognizing or making or having the courage to stand by an argument that in some sense men and women are different, and that in any sense it is morally wrong to put women in combat positions," Mohler said. In just "a matter of weeks and months," Mohler said, fighting on the front lines of a war has gone from being considered a prohibited activity for women, to a right for women, and now potentially a duty for all women. Kathy Steele, professor of psychology and counseling at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told BP the issue of women in combat requires nuanced analysis. Because women possess a broad array of personality traits, it would be inappropriate to impose a blanket requirement that all of them serve in combat, she said. "In our culture we sometimes think being feminine or masculine is an either-or, but actually the traits our culture assigns to masculinity or femininity have levels of intensity or variety," Steele said in written comments. "In the same way God has given us unique physical traits, and personality traits, so we also have variation in the specific traits our culture assigns to gender." For example, Steele said, some in American culture may expect men to be more logical than women and women to be more nurturing than men. But women can be logical and men nurturing. "God loves diversity and variety, and it is important that we recognize the richness of His diversity in how He has made each one us. While I would not feel comfortable myself in a combat role, there may be women who do," Steele said. In 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution that "warn[ed] against and oppose[d] the training and assigning of females to military combat service." For the full text of the resolution, click here.