The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-05/13/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- White House transgender order called 'outrageous' by Tom Strode Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Obama administration directed public schools and universities today (May 13) to permit transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity instead of their biological sex. The across-the-board guidance met quick protests from Southern Baptist leaders. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, described the federal guidance as "an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, human sexuality and morality, and an advancement of the attack against religious freedom." "Gender is not fluid ... but a gift from God to each of us," Floyd said in written comments for Baptist Press, adding the directive "contributes to the continual chaos in our society." "This is a flagrant and despicable attack on not just the present generation, but also the next generation," Floyd said. "Every Christian in America or anyone who has any conviction about morality needs to rise up and say, 'Enough is enough!'" Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, described "the decree from the Obama Administration [as] a stunning misuse of power." "Children are not pawns of the state, to experiment with on behalf of the latest fashionable 'right side of history' cause," he said in a written statement. "Christians must continue to insist that the worldview of the Sexual Revolution harms men and women, and advocate for the inherent dignity of all." Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, called the directive "an obvious attempt to obviate the will of the people to accommodate an agenda [President Obama] has sequentially followed since his election." "In one inappropriate and most likely illegal action, he has put children at risk and bears sole responsibility for any child harmed as a result of this order," Page said in a written statement for BP. "My hope and prayer at this point is that somehow the Supreme Court might recognize the inappropriateness of this action. God help us all!" Messengers to the 2014 Southern Baptist Convention approved a resolution regarding transgender identity that "affirm[ed] God's good design that gender identity is determined by biological sex and not by one's self-perception." The resolution "regard[ed] our transgender neighbors as image-bearers of Almighty God and therefore condemn[ed] acts of abuse or bullying committed against them." The resolution also said, "We invite all transgender persons to trust in Christ and to experience renewal in the Gospel." Estimates of the U.S. transgender population vary. The Williams Institute's estimate that .3 percent of the population identifies as transgender suggests at least 950,000 Americans perceive their gender identity as not matching their biological sex. Directive details The Obama administration guidance -- which came in a letter signed by officials with the Departments of Education and Justice -- does not have the authority of law but implicitly threatens the loss of federal aid if a school does not obey. A school "may not require transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do so," the letter says. It permits, though it does not require, a school to "make individual-user options available to all students who voluntarily seek additional privacy." The letter says a school's duty under federal law "to ensure non-discrimination on the basis of sex requires schools to provide transgender students equal access to educational programs and activities even in circumstances in which other students, parents, or community members raise objections or concerns. As is consistently recognized in civil rights cases, the desire to accommodate others' discomfort cannot justify a policy that singles out and disadvantages a particular class of students." When a student or his parent notifies the school that student will declare a different gender identity, the school is to treat the student according to this gender identity with no requirement of a medical diagnosis or identification document in support of the assertion, according to the letter. Regarding sports, the letter says a school is allowed to sponsor sex-separate teams when membership is based on "competitive skill or when the activity involved is a contact sport." A school is not permitted, however, to enact requirements "that rely on overly broad generalizations or stereotypes about the differences between transgender students and other students of the same sex (i.e., the same gender identity) or others' discomfort with transgender students." The letter to school districts is the latest step in the Obama administration's promotion of transgender rights and goes along with its argument that Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, which prohibits sex discrimination, also protects transgender individuals. That issue, however, has not been settled in the courts, and Title IX makes no explicit mention of gender identity. Last year, the administration required a suburban Chicago school district to allow a male transgender student to use the girls' locker room. It sued North Carolina May 9 because of a new state law that requires individuals in government buildings to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates rather than the gender with which they identify. Republicans respond Texas Gov. Greg Abbott voiced his support for North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory -- who responded to the federal government's position with his own suit -- during the general session of the Texas GOP Convention May 12 in Dallas. "I am working with the governor of North Carolina and we are going to fight back," Abbott said to thunderous applause. Later in the day, Abbott tweeted his opposition to the Obama administration's transgender directive. "I announced today that Texas is fighting this. Obama can't rewrite the Civil Rights Act. He's not a King," he tweeted. On May 10, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for the removal of Fort Worth's superintendent of schools after he issued guidelines for transgender students. Kent Scribner "placed his own personal political agenda" before students, Patrick said. The impact of the Obama administration's sweeping declaration -- which was accompanied by a document providing examples of school policies and practices which already support transgender students -- remains to be seen in the presidential race. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, did not directly criticize the transgender order in a May 13 appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I think the state should make the decision. I think they're more than capable of making the decision. I felt that from the beginning," Trump said, according to the website Mediaite. When asked if he opposed the directive, Trump said, "I just think it should be states' rights." Both Democratic candidates -- Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders -- are on record in support of transgender rights. Other reactions The new directive may cause some parents to reconsider whether their children should remain in public schools. Some have speculated that Christian and other private schools, as well as some homeschooling co-ops, may experience sudden interest from public schooling families. A request for comment from the Association of Christian Schools International was not returned prior to BP's publication deadline. In other comments regarding the transgender directive: -- Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate school of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, called it "jaw-dropping." "This radical directive is a heavy-handed, unconstitutional overreach in order to force Americans to pretend that some boys are girls and some girls are boys," Burk said. "It is absurd and wrong. And I wonder if this may not be a bridge too far even for people who are otherwise liberal." -- Andrew Walker, the ERLC's director of policy studies, said the country has entered "a world of groupthink." "This policy is going to require active suppression of the view that men and women are intrinsically different and complementary," Walker said. "Official government policy is now denying that there's anything unique or objective about our biological sex because it is superseded by the authority of psychology and self-description." -- Gary Ledbetter, editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN newsjournal, called the Obama directive "a political decision based on almost no science, little history and scant legal authority. He will get away with it unless we in flyover country just say 'no,'" which would involve resistance from governors, state attorneys general, school districts and parents. -- Jim Denison, head of the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture and a former Southern Baptist pastor, said the directive "unnecessarily imposes federal authority" when alternatives exist. "A transgender student could be provided a single-stall bathroom or private-use shower," he said. "Transgender advocates will claim that this approach violates these students' civil rights. But what about the civil rights of students who are not transgender?" -- Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said, "Solutions exist to accommodate everyone without violating anyone's privacy rights, but the administration won't entertain those solutions because of its preference to unlawfully impose its political will through threats and intimidation." -- Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest organization advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, said it is a "truly significant moment not only for transgender young people but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Campus ministry at USC: 'up close & personal' by Amanda Phifer Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (BP) -- Neil Walker is practically a fixture at the University of Southern California -- his "home base" for 28 years of student ministry. "His longevity is just amazing," said Daryl Watts, California Southern Baptist Convention student and family specialist. Walker puts it a little differently, with a sage reflection: "Most of the time what we want is a plastic surgeon ... but spiritual growth is more like physical therapy. We want a quick fix on the surface, but growth usually happens slowly with a lot of work." And he's intent that it take place "up close and personal." "You don't develop people from 30 feet away, you do it up close," Walker said. "If you're going to see college students' lives changed, you have to spend time with them. It's very time-intensive, reshaping, building. They need motivation and help and such, but they really need someone to walk alongside them and encourage them." One of Walker's favorite topics -- more than changes in student ministry, more than issues of political correctness -- is the long-term trajectory of students who grow in their faith. He tells of a student who came to USC from Texas, with not much more than a sentimental attachment to God. She threw herself into her studies and found herself a long way from God, and in crisis. One of Walker's students reached out repeatedly to her and eventually developed a friendship. The student came back around to her faith, got involved with Christian Challenge (as many student ministries are called) and became so close to Walker and his wife Melinda that she was "like an older sister to our kids, like a daughter to us." The young woman joined Walker's staff after graduating, led a mission team to China, went back to China as a missionary for two years, came back to the States and got married, and now serves full-time in China. Another student, a New Yorker with a Catholic background, arrived at USC with the primary goal of having fun and playing in the band. As they talked over lunch one day, the young man decided to follow Christ. "While we're talking, his girlfriend from New Jersey walks by -- actually, they'd just broken up -- and she sits down and half an hour later makes a decision for Jesus," Walker said. The couple became active in student ministry, graduated, got married and now are serving as small group leaders at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. "Their kids get to experience an entirely different father than they would have," Walker said. The need in student ministry is immense. There are more than 100 four-year colleges in California; one out of every seven college students in the United States is in California; and USC boasts more than 10,000 international students -- nearly a fourth of its student body. Campus ministry, by many accounts, gets harder as the decades proceed. For better or worse, colleges are increasingly protective of their students. They limit access not just to dorms but public campus spaces as well; they closely scrutinize student organizations; and many of their administrations are, in Walker's words, excluding USC, at least mildly antagonistic toward Christian groups. And students enter college now with far less biblical literacy -- no real understanding of the Bible, even among many who have grown up in church. "It's viewed by many students as a sentimental book," Walker said. "It's 'nice,' but not practical or alive, or really makes a difference. There's a strong sense with students of relativism, a, 'That's nice for you, I'm glad that works for you.'" Many students, he said, have been so focused on getting into college -- "they've checked every box, done every activity" – that they are poor at relational connections. "They're more jaded," Walker said. "They've grown up where they could access anything in the world on Google, but ... they've been inoculated a bit. "And as campus ministers, we have to step back and meet students where they are instead of where we wish they were. We have to hold on to truth and still help students respond to situations with love and grace and kindness." Students are still "very hungry," he added. "They really want to learn and discover who God is and what life is about." College was where God began to shape Walker's life. "It seems like that's the time of life when so many folks are making irreversible decisions -- who to spend life with, what to give their life to. It's so pivotal, such a turning point. To be able to reach them when they are at this point ... and to see them walk with God and change -- nothing's better than that." Watts, who has worked with Walker for nearly a dozen years through the California Southern Baptist Convention, said the USC campus minister "knows how to build networks, how to raise money, and has a laser-like focus on developing students. He's one of those guys who's sold into student ministry." It's working. Just ask USC students who have been directly touched by Walker's ministry for nearly three decades. Or those across California who have been touched by his training efforts. Or the dozens of campus ministers serving across the country who've been mentored by this veteran of student work. Amid the challenges of campus ministry, Walker noted, "There's such a need.... If you're gifted to do it, then go for it. Go for the hard, the unknown -- sometimes it is really the best." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Lessons from a farmer by Christine Hoover Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (BP) -- My brother-in-law Travis, a farmer, daily dips his hands in the fertile south Texas soil that is his family's very provision. He and his farmer-father and farmer-uncles have turned, tilled and molded the soil into neat rows, with acres and acres now fertilized and implanted with various species of seeds: sorghum, sugar cane, cotton, sesame or cabbage. After planting, they scrupulously monitor the soil, coax it with aeration, search it for even the smallest of weeds or pests. And then they will wait for the sun and the rain and the miraculous work of seeds becoming sprouts becoming stalks. A farmer, perhaps more than most, knows something about faith. It's no wonder that Scripture encourages us to look to the farmer as an example. When the apostle Paul tells Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ, he points to the hard-working farmer (2 Timothy 2:6). When he exhorts the Galatian churches toward endurance, he speaks of perennial planting and patient waiting for an inevitable harvest (Galatians 6:9). In my own life, I recognize my need to look to the farmer. My husband and I have been married and in ministry for 16 years. We have parented for 13; we're completing our eighth year of planting and growing a church; and I'm staring ahead at years of more cultivating, weeding and watering. At times, I feel trapped by the everydayness of life and how much work there is yet to do. I stand with the soil cupped in my hands, wondering if my labor will amount to anything in the end. How do I continue in all God has called me to do without growing weary, especially when the work is demanding and the harvest appears so far into the future? I look to the farmer for answers: A farmer has an unwavering commitment to the harvest. Travis tells me farming is not a typical job where you can give your two-week notice and walk away. When you farm, you're connected to a specific land and you've invested in expensive equipment, a community and oftentimes previous generations of your family who have farmed. In other words, the farmer is covenanted to his work for a lifetime, working his land with the yearly harvest ever before him. Every investment in equipment, every decision regarding the precise planting time, every weed uprooted -- all of it is done with the harvest in mind. This reminds me that I too am called to a lifelong commitment to the harvest, one that is played out in everyday acts of devotion. At its very center is a commitment to self-death -- to a deep-root, big picture where instant growth, instant fruit, instant reward can never be the goal but rather a steady pace over the long haul. A farmer lives and works by faith. Farming is backbreaking work -- dirty, detailed and, most of all, risky. A few years ago, Travis reminds me, when the crop stood bountiful in the fields, ready for harvest, a hurricane blew through the Rio Grande Valley and wiped it away. All that labor, all that waiting, for nothing. We might ask, Why would we invest everything in a risky venture? The farmer, however, looks at his failed crop as a tangible reminder that the harvest inevitably belongs to the Lord. The farmer must be faithful to lay the groundwork for the harvest, but the harvest cannot be forced; it can only happen through the Lord's providence. A farmer enjoys a unique reward. I ask Travis if he thinks about the harvest every day. He says most days he does. On the days when you're knee-deep in manure? "Yes." When the irrigation line bursts? "Yes." When you're working sun-up to sun-down in the summer? "Yes, especially then. It's the time of the year that we work the hardest, but it's the most satisfying. You've made it another year, you've grown another crop. It's financially rewarding, but it's also the satisfaction of knowing that you've put it into the ground and you've harvested it." There is joy in the harvest, and the greatest satisfaction belongs to the one who carefully cultivated it all along the way. The hard-working farmer, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:6, is the one "who ought to have the first share of the crops." I've taken that to mean that the farmer eats of his labor, but, in talking to Travis, I see that it means so much more. Joy results from his long-term faithfulness. He is content in his work and in seeing what it's produced over the years. He has learned the secret joy of trusting in God's providence. But there is also joy for Travis in what he cannot see. He explains how one tiny seed becomes a huge plant that produces seeds a thousand fold. The harvest multiplies itself and goes out into the world in a way that he will never see with his own eyes. In our work and in our weariness, let us look to the farmer. Let us keep the big picture in mind. If we don't give up, one day we will enjoy the final harvest and its bountiful rewards. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Un cheque en blanco by Luís Lopez Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol. SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (BP) -- En Mateo 15:28 leemos 'Entonces respondiendo Jesús, dijo: Oh mujer, grande es tu fe; hágase contigo como quieres.' Con estas palabras nuestro Salvador dio a esta mujer un 'cheque en blanco'. Le dijo que lo llenara poniendo la cantidad que necesitaba. Tanto le impresionó la fe de aquella madre quien tenía una hija endemoniada que el Maestro no pudo ignorar su atrevida insistencia y artera sabiduría. Hablamos de un 'cheque en blanco' para referirnos a 'dar carta blanca' para actuar y movernos en base a una premisa segura. Una vez que colocamos el monto en el cheque podemos llevarlo al banco y canjearlo sin problemas. ¿Necesita usted de un cheque en blanco en estos días? La fe de la mujer cananea registrada en Mateo 15:21-28 nos recuerda el milagro del exorcismo del demonio que atormentaba a su hija. Aún desde lejos, Jesús sanó la hija de esta mujer. En los últimos días he estado meditando en este pasaje. Dios ha estado inquietando mi corazón en relación a la iglesia en nuestra nación. La gran angustia y fe que esta madre mostró me llevan una y otra vez a los pies del Maestro. Siento que nuestras iglesias serán renovadas cuando renovemos nuestro concepto de la misión que Jesús nos ha dado. Debemos reconocer que este relato fue escrito en un momento muy particular de la historia judía. La gente cananea, sabemos, eran viejos enemigos de los judíos. El hecho presenta a Jesús ministrando en un territorio extranjero en las regiones de Tiro y de Sidón, al norte de Galilea. Para los religiosos de aquel día, este territorio era impuro. Los prejuicios no son de estos tiempos solamente. Sin embargo, la angustia y la fe trascienden cualquier barrera geográfica, social o étnica. La gran angustia de esta madre por su hija era evidente. ¿Podemos imaginar su vida cotidiana? Los que somos padres sabemos lo que significa tener a un hijo muy enfermo. En el original griego se recalca la conexión entre los demonios y las fuerzas del mal. La madre dice que su hija está 'endemoniada malamente' ¡Cuán difícil debe haber sido esto! Me pregunto cómo era la relación de esta madre con su hija. ¿Qué tal con su esposo y otros hijos? Si viviera en nuestra calle, ¿cómo actuaríamos si fuéramos sus vecinos? Pienso si a veces se culpaba a si misma por la situación en que se encontraba su hija. La angustia y la desesperación tienen muchas vertientes. La iglesia necesita preguntarse continuamente quiénes son las personas en nuestras ciudades que tienen en su corazón angustia como la de esta mujer. Reconocer esa angustia es parte de lo que Dios quiere hacer alrededor nuestro. La comodidad del cristianismo moderno ha llevado a muchos a pensar que evangelizaremos al mundo sentados en nuestras bancas en un cuarto con aire acondicionado o calefacción. Es necesario identificarnos con los que sufren y comunicar las buenas nuevas a los afligidos. El interés de Jesús por los marginados se manifiesta al ir a visitar intencionalmente las regiones de Tiro y de Sidón ubicadas en la periferia. Necesitamos como iglesia salir a la periferia y encontrarnos con la mujer cananea. Nuestras ciudades y pueblos hoy tienen unos cuantos Tiros y Sidones en su derredor. Es imperativo visitar estos lugares alejados en donde hay necesidades profundas. Escuchemos su clamor, atendamos su necesidad y reprendamos con la autoridad de Dios, Hijo de David, las fuerzas que oprimen a su descendencia. La fe de esta madre en Jesús y la compasión por su hija desencadenó finalmente su sanación. Quiero tener ese tipo de fe y ser parte de una iglesia que va a la periferia. Necesitamos una fe que nos impulse a ir mas allá del contorno cómodo y seguro en donde nos encontramos. La misión de la iglesia es para los marginados, para los 'de afuera', para los oprimidos y para todo aquel que es rechazado por la sociedad. Jesús ya está esperándonos allí. Salgamos y al encontrar su paso gritemos, 'Señor, ¡socórrenos!' El cheque en blanco ya está firmado. A nosotros nos toca ponerle la suma y cumplir nuestra misión. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptist association unites large, small churches by David Roach Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Baptist Association Emphasis is May 15-22 in the Southern Baptist Convention. COLUMBUS, Miss. (BP) -- The Golden Triangle Baptist Association defies the stereotype that large churches tend not to be involved in their local Baptist associations. Large and small churches cooperate eagerly in this three-county association in eastern Mississippi. Last summer, Shawn Parker, pastor of a church with 600 in worship, preached a revival at a church of 60; the pastor of a church with 1,100 in worship, Chip Stevens, serves as the current associational moderator; and pastors of churches ranging in size from 30-250 meet weekly for fellowship. In terms of financial support, two of the association's largest churches -- First Baptist Church in Starkville and First Baptist Church in Columbus -- each give approximately $15,000 annually to the Golden Triangle Association's work, with First Baptist Starkville contributing an additional $19,000 to the Mississippi State University Baptist Student Union, a joint ministry of the association and the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. Two churches with fewer than 100 in worship told Baptist Press they support the association with 3 and 4 percent of their undesignated receipts respectively. And such cooperation continues despite the current lack of an associational missions director to coordinate the effort following the retirement of Dan Robertson at the end of 2015. Parker, pastor of First Baptist Columbus and immediate past associational moderator, told BP First Baptist is involved in the Golden Triangle Association because no church is large enough reach its community for Christ alone. "We have three to five larger churches in the Columbus/Lowndes County area," Parker said. "But not everybody's interested in that kind of church. A lot of people are more interested in a smaller church that has more of a family feel. "So if we here at First Baptist Church Columbus are really interested in reaching Columbus and Lowndes County, we need those kinds of churches. It's in our best interest therefore, so far as the Kingdom is concerned, for us as a larger church to make sure that those kinds of smaller churches exist," Parker said. One smaller church Parker has personally assisted is Faith Baptist Church in West Point, Miss., which averages 50-60 in worship. When Parker preached a three-day revival there last summer, "the church enjoyed it," Faith pastor Ben Yarber told BP. Out of Yarber's 44 years in the pastorate, 28 have been at Golden Triangle Association churches. Of the approximately 30 men called to ministry under Yarber's pastorates, three pastor in the Golden Triangle Association currently. Parker "calls me a legend," Yarber said, though he is quick to deflect praise to God, joking that Parker's compliment merely reflects the fact "I'm old and gray and decrepit." Doran Henry, pastor of Siloam Baptist Church in West Point, which averages approximately 60 in worship, told BP the Golden Triangle Association benefits small churches significantly. The 4 percent of undesignated receipts Siloam gives to ministry through the association is "pretty significant for a church of our size," Henry said. "When we try to do things on our own, we're not as capable of doing that as when we pool our resources together through the association." Associational Vacation Bible Schools in under-reached neighborhoods, a Christian Women's Job Corps hosted by First Baptist Starkville and an International Friendship House at Mississippi State to reach international students and their families are among the associational ministries cited by Henry. He also noted the association plays a role in supporting BSUs at Mississippi University for Women and one campus of East Mississippi Community College. Financially, Henry said, larger churches have the opportunity to be special blessings to the association when they support such ministries. Even though associational work "is not about money," he said, associational ministries require money to continue. Larger churches can contribute more money while sacrificing the same percentage of their receipts as small churches. Stevens, pastor of First Baptist Starkville and chair of the associational missions director search committee, told BP the congregation "has always been heavily involved" in the Golden Triangle Association. He believes an association's larger churches have a responsibility to steward their resources to benefit other congregations in the area. "A large church is fortunate enough to be able to assist in ways that maybe smaller churches can't," Stevens said. "To whom much is given, much is required. I believe in churches partnering together and cooperating with each other. Larger churches generally do have larger facilities, so they can host things. Also, in a larger church like ours, we have multiple staff members ... who can share some of the training they have with other churches." Conversely, Stevens said he receives benefit from the association as well. On a personal level, interactions with small church and bivocational pastors have made him more effective in ministry, he said. "There's a lot of wisdom that comes from the bivocational pastor," Stevens said. "I've picked up some things from the guy who works a different job during the week but who pastors in addition to that. That person brings something completely different to the table and helps you learn the perspective of the people in the pew much better than we in fulltime ministry are able to understand." Parker, of First Baptist Columbus, spent nearly an hour during the past month meeting with a smaller church pastor and discussing a challenge at the man's church related to leadership structure. "He needed somebody to talk to," Parker said. "He left feeling better, and he left with me feeling better as well" for the opportunity to help a brother in Christ. The Golden Triangle Association's sense of comradery makes Parker hopeful for the future. "We've had a very vibrant associational work during the 13 years that I've been here," Parker said, "and I think it's going to continue." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Calif. leader Fermín Whittaker to retire by Terry Barone Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Fermín A. Whittaker, executive director of California Southern Baptist Convention since 1995, announced May 13 he will retire next February upon completing 22 years of service. In his announcement to the CSBC Executive Board during its regular spring meeting, Whittaker said that since his early call to ministry "I have known the blessings of being a servant of God. I find it amazing that God could take a stuttering kid like me [to be] a pastor of His church." "I've served Him in Panama, Canada and Georgia. But for the past 21 years He has allowed me to lift His name and proclaim 'every man, woman, boy and girl' as a rallying cry for California Southern Baptists to reach our state and world for Jesus. I have been blessed by our God." Whittaker thanked board members for allowing him to serve and for their support and prayers over the years. "But now it is time for new beginnings for me and for our great convention," he said. Noting that he and his wife Carmen are in the "process of moving to Southern California," Whittaker said he would "complete my service with the convention by commuting to Fresno." In challenging the board, Whittaker encouraged members to call a new leader "who will lead California Baptists to fulfill our purpose of serving churches as they fulfill their mission of winning their communities and the world to Jesus." He also encouraged the board to call a "man who will keep the 'main thing the main thing' as he leads our great convention to new frontiers." When Whittaker retires March 1, 2017, he will have completed 22 years of service, the longest tenure of any CSBC executive in the 76-year history of the convention. He succeeded C.B. "Bill" Hogue, who retired after 10 years. Both served with the Home (now North American) Mission Board in Atlanta before assuming the California post. After Whittaker's announcement an eight-member search committee was elected to recommend his successor. One of the primary areas of growth during Whittaker's tenure has been the number of new churches started in partnership with NAMB. When he assumed the post in 1995, CSBC had 1,586 congregations, according to the 1994 CSBC Annual. Today that number totals 2,267, according to current CSBC data, an increase of 681, or 43 percent. Another key transition during the Whittaker years was moving from a "church growth" to a "healthy church" platform, under the belief that a healthy church is a growing congregation. CSBC was a pioneer in the SBC in adopting such a strategy, now widely espoused among conventions and national entities. Migrant ministries, predominately through "Feeding Those Who Feed Us," have flourished under Whittaker's leadership. CSBC has been involved in migrant work for decades, but with the advent of ministries moving onto California migrant center properties, it took off in a variety of ways -- food for residents, new clothes and shoes for children, backpacks with school supplies, medical and dental services, and evangelistic outreach opportunities. Since its beginning more than a decade ago, Feeding Those Who Feed Us has recorded at least 1,000 professions of faith annually. Closely associated with migrant ministries are the CSBC Mobile Medical and Dental Units that are used primarily with Feeding Those but also are available to any convention congregation. Early in Whittaker's tenure and under his leadership, CSBC underwent a six-month strategic study by a 40-member committee to identify the convention's "vision, purpose, values priorities and processes" to help guide CSBC into the next millennium. It had been more than 35 years since such a study was undertaken. In September 1996 when Whittaker called for the study, he said, "I have been praying and seeking God's direction for the California Southern Baptist Convention and its ministry. God has given me a vision of a convention of churches focused on the high purpose of reaching our state for Christ. God has called me to say to the lost there is hope in Jesus Christ." During his tenure, CSBC and its entities came of age as the convention celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015; California Baptist Foundation, California Baptist University and Jenness Park Christian Camp all observed 60th anniversaries. Whittaker is a champion of the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists' unified budget to support missions and evangelism through state, national and international missions. A native of the Republic of Panamá, Whittaker is a product of Southern Baptist missions. He was saved in a Baptist church under the leadership of a Southern Baptist missionary. For his education he moved to Canada and then to the United States, becoming a naturalized US citizen in 1969. Whittaker has preached evangelistic crusades in the United States and other nations, been a guest lecturer at several Southern Baptist seminaries, and been involved in denominational and civic affairs. His ministry began as a summer missionary for Southern Baptists in New York and California. He served as pastor of First Bilingual Baptist Church in Pico Rivera before becoming a missionary for the then-Home Mission Board and serving CSBC. At the HMB in Atlanta, Whittaker was assistant director of the language missions division, director of the ethnic church growth department and a regional coordinator for the planning and finance section. He holds bachelor and master's degrees from Toronto Baptist Seminary, a bachelor's degree from California Baptist College (now University) and a doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He also received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from CBU. The Whittakers have two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Canada's 'Beast' wildfire launches DR crews by Jim Burton Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta, Canada (BP) -- The "Beast," a Canadian wildfire that has scorched an area larger in land mass than New York City, forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray in the oil-rich sand reserves of northeast Alberta and spurred Baptist Disaster Relief workers into action. With Canadian Baptist Disaster Relief workers already on site, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams are standing by to deploy if necessary. Although firefighters and favorable weather conditions have helped stem the fire's growth, it continues to burn vast acreage of forest. The oil-sand reserves are one of Canada's major energy sources and provide jobs for most Fort McMurray families. The wildfire halted oil production and forced evacuation of the entire city of 80,000 people. Fort McMurray evacuees are pouring into major cities like Edmonton, which is five hours away, leaving virtually all possessions behind after officials locked down the city. The Canadian National Baptist Convention is responding to the evacuees' needs through the Canadian Global Response (CGR) organization by assembling baskets with basic items such as dishes, glasses, cutlery, toilet paper, dish soap, PowerBars, sponges and kitchen towels, said Sarah Ruiz, a CGR administrator. Volunteers assembled about 100 kits at Dover Court Baptist Church in Edmonton, which church planters and pastors distributed to evacuee families, Ruiz said. Fort McMurray homeowners may have to wait up to two months before they can return and assess their property damage. Gerry Taillon, CNBC national ministry leader, said there are two churches in Fort McMurray that cooperate with the convention, and the families of both ministerial staffs evacuated safely. "Right now we are having conversations with the government and Red Cross Disaster Relief coordinators," Taillon said. "It is our hope to be of maximum benefit to the relief operation and to involve as many volunteers from our churches in Canada and also from our sister churches in the United States." David Melber, vice president of Send Relief for the North American Mission Board said "the devastation of this wildfire is impossible to explain in words." Melber toured the area May 11-13. "The sheer size is massive," Melber said. "But more than that, the trauma to the people of Fort McMurray and the surrounding area is heartbreaking. We are so thankful for the volunteers with the Canadian National Baptist Convention Disaster Relief teams." As Canadian officials continue their assessment of infrastructure damage, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief leaders are in Edmonton on standby to offer help to the Canadian NGO Council, which coordinates non-profit activity in disasters. On Thursday (May 12), the Fort McMurray municipality requested SBDR laundry and cleanup crews to assist first responders in a 700-bed basecamp but later redirected that request to a contractor. Mickey Caison, NAMB's national Disaster Relief director; Sam Porter, Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma Disaster Relief director; Abraham Shepherd, CGR director; and Melber visited a shelter for 4,500 people today (May 13) in Lac La Biche, an Alberta hamlet about 140 miles northeast of Edmonton. Melber said the fire response has highlighted CGR's need for a shower trailer and laundry units -- items necessary to support volunteers as well as those affected by the fire. Ruiz said existing Southern Baptist mobile shower and laundry units are available to serve first responders in Fort McMurray. Ash-out crews -- similar to mud-out crews -- may also respond if requested. The provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan are susceptible to summer wildfires caused by lightning strikes. But Mike Flanagan, a wildfire professor at the University of Alberta, told the Canadian Press humans likely caused the "Beast" as no lightning strikes occurred in the area. Midwest tornadoes Violent spring weather continues to wreak havoc on America's midsection, with a series of tornadoes stretching from Oklahoma to Kentucky. "We had two days of tornadoes, just back to back," said David Karr, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma's state Disaster Relief training director. Seven tornadoes struck Oklahoma, killing two people and leaving about five towns with 25-30 damaged homes each, Karr said. Damage assessors and chainsaw crews are working along I-35 from the southern to northern state lines. Southern Baptists' mass-feeding units are not active, as the American Red Cross is not operating shelters in Oklahoma. Karr said the BGCO has an assistance hotline for victims to request help: 405-516-4822. The storm system continued east to Kentucky and on May 10 caused EF3 tornadoes in Mayfield, Greenville, Morganfield and Hartford with winds up to 140 miles per hour that injured 10 people, said Coy Webb, Kentucky Baptist Convention Disaster Relief director. The tornado in Mayfield, which made national news, was captured on a cell phone video showing a funnel cloud approaching a car lot. Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief has deployed three chainsaw units with volunteers, two chaplain teams and some machinery to assist with clean up and ministry there. In Ohio County, Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief has deployed a tarping unit and a chainsaw unit with volunteers. The tarping unit worked May 11 placing tarps on damaged roofs of homes and assisting an independent Baptist Church. Chainsaw units began assisting homeowners May 12. Webb estimates response teams will spend four to 10 days in western Kentucky communities. Those wishing to donate to SBDR can contact the Baptist convention in their state or visit https://donations.namb.net/dr-donations. For phone donations, call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for "Disaster Relief." NAMB coordinates and manages Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through partnerships with 42 state Baptist conventions and the CNBC, most of which have their own state disaster relief ministries. Southern Baptists have 65,000 trained volunteers, including chaplains, and 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained Disaster Relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Does transgender bathroom policy enable predators? by Diana Chandler Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- In the battle across the U.S over providing transgender access to public restrooms, key groups are divided about the effects of such a policy. Opponents of transgender access say it would increase sexual assaults and abuse, enabling predators to claim a specific, perceived gender identity to access bathrooms used by potential victims. Proponents say such a policy is necessary to prevent discrimination against transgender individuals, defined as those who perceive their gender to be different than the gender of their biological sex. Opinion columns and video interviews on the Internet spotlight women survivors of abuse who say sexual predators would be eager to use perceived sexual identity as a camouflage to gain access to potential victims in restrooms and locker rooms. Conversely, other victims say such reasoning is based more on fear than truth. Professional counselors and advocates for abuse victims from various walks of life also disagree on the efficacy of such a policy, news reports show. The debate continues as President Obama issued a directive today (May 13) advising public schools to allow students who identify as transgender to use bathrooms aligning with their perceived gender identity. Opponents The Obama directive sparked an outcry among an array of elected officials and conservative leaders. Some of the first to express concern include Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas, Matt Bevin of Kentucky, Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Phil Bryant of Mississippi; U.S. Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and David Vitter and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana; former Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee; Penny Young Nance, president of Concerned Women for America; and Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. One school superintendent in Texas told a local TV station the directive "is going straight to the paper shredder." The Alliance Defending Freedom, a leading religious freedom organization, is promoting its campaign, "It's common sense: No men in the women's restroom," seeking signatures for a petition at the group's website. ADF posted a video on its website of three female survivors of sexual abuse as well as a person identified as a transgender woman who oppose transgender bathroom laws. "I think it all boils down to that right of privacy and is this something worth preserving," Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Matt Sharp said on the ADF video. "It's just students and parents wanting what's best for their kids and wanting to know that when they drop them off, they're not going to be exposed to someone of the opposite sex in the restroom or locker room. "And the courts have recognized that right to privacy," Sharp said. "Our laws recognize the right to privacy, but we're seeing more and more school districts and even our own Department of Education, neglecting and trampling on that right to privacy." Texas Baptist culture commentator Jim Denison, in his commentary today (May 13) at the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, linked to a YouTube video he described as "documented cases" of transgender sexual predators. The 23-minute video, "Women Decide for Yourselves," posted by someone identified only as Jane Williams, names 26 such perceived predators, many of whom are documented by media reports from local and national news agencies. Offenses cited in the video occurred in toilets, locker rooms and showers in such locations as retail stores, schools and prisons, the video asserts. "We will be accused of cherry picking the worst of the worst, but we did not. This film could have been hours long," the film's narrator states. "For each offender here, there are dozens more we could have chosen. And for each offender, there are victims. There are women and children who have been terrorized, violated and even murdered. "Yet these men and their advocates keep telling us that this never happens," the narrator said, "that men who wear women's clothing never commit sexual crimes, and that women have no right to privacy." Denison, in his commentary, said he believes the video shows such a transgender bathroom policy would be counterproductive. "A study by the Williams Institute estimates that 0.3 percent of the population identify as transgender," Denison said. "What about the vast majority of students who are not transgender, many of whom are not comfortable taking showers or using bathrooms with people who claim to be transgender?" Southern Baptist Bob Stith, founder of Family and Gender Issues Ministries in Southlake, Texas, told BP in written comments, "If our president is genuinely concerned about transgendered people he would be seeking a middle ground that acknowledges the concerns of these women as well. While some activists would oppose this, it would be more likely to unite the nation rather than furthering the radical divide his current policy will most assuredly bring about." Proponents Transgender bathroom laws have the support of many, including the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women. Composed of 250 national, state and local organizations supporting victims and advocating for prevention, the group has signed a "national consensus statement" supporting "full and equal access for the transgender community." The task force is opposed to what is termed "anti-transgender initiatives," with a membership including such national groups as the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, the Battered Women's Justice Project, the FaithTrust Institute, the National Organization for Women and the YWCA. "As organizations that care about reducing assault and violence, we favor laws and policies that protect transgender people from discrimination," the statement reads, "including in accessing facilities that match the gender they live every day." According to the task force, more than 200 cities and 18 states have nondiscrimination laws protecting transgender access to bathrooms and similar facilities. Among other proponents, Media Matters for America posted an April 12th video showcasing transgender men and women who fear for their safety if forced to use the bathrooms of their biological gender. The video, whose narrator uses profanity, knocks the supposed "bathroom predator myth" with a quote from transgender American Civil Liberties Union attorney Chase Strangio. "So basically the idea is you can't protect trans people because if we do, everyone's going to pretend to be trans so they can go into the bathroom and assault the people they've really wanted to assault, but they can't because there is no legal mechanism for them to do so," Strangio said on the video. "That's ridiculous." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Encuesta investiga la postura de los pastores sobre el manejo de la mala conducta by Por Bob Smietana Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- No hay consenso entre los pastores protestantes sobre si un colega acusado de mala conducta debería renunciar al púlpito por un tiempo, de acuerdo a la encuesta de Investigación LifeWay divulgada hoy (10 de mayo). Pocos encuestados, sin embargo, dicen que a los pastores que cometen adulterio debieran permanentemente prohibírseles el ministerio, reportó Investigación LifeWay sobre los hallazgos de una encuesta telefónica a 1.000 pastores protestantes sénior. "Los pastores creen que los líderes eclesiásticos deberían someterse a altas normas," dijo Ed Stetzer, director ejecutivo de Investigación LifeWay, con sede en Nashville. "Ellos también quieren protegerse en contra de alegaciones que pudieran ser falsas." La encuesta de Investigación LifeWay les preguntó a los pastores sobre su postura al manejar alegaciones de mala conducta; el tipo de mala conducta se angostó a adulterio en una de las preguntas. Cuarenta y siete por ciento de los encuestados dicen que un pastor debe renunciar mientras los líderes de la iglesia investigan la alegada mala conducta. Alrededor de un tercio (31 por ciento) dicen que la iglesia debe dejar al pastor en el púlpito; uno de cada 5 (21 por ciento) no está seguro. Los pastores mayores (aquellos mayores de 65 años) son más propensos a querer que el pastor se quede en el púlpito (36 por ciento). Los pastores más jóvenes (aquellos entre 18 y 44 años) son menos propensos a tener esa postura (27 por ciento). Los pastores afroamericanos (50 por ciento) son más propensos que los pastores blancos (30 por ciento) a querer que los pastores permanezcan en el púlpito. Más bautistas (35 por ciento) y pentecostales (43 por ciento) quieren que el pastor permanezca que los metodistas (24 por ciento) o los pastores presbiterianos y los reformados (24 por ciento). Entre los hallazgos: -- La mayoría de los pastores son cautelosos acerca de compartir detalles de una alegada mala conducta con toda la congregación. Pocos encuestados (13 por ciento) dicen que las alegaciones debieran ser compartidas con todos los miembros de la iglesia. La mayoría (73 por ciento) dicen que los líderes de la iglesia debieran mantener las alegaciones confidencialmente durante la investigación. Catorce por ciento no están seguros. Los pentecostales (85 por ciento) son más propensos que los metodistas (63 por ciento) a decir que las alegaciones debieran mantenerse confidencialmente. Los pastores están más cómodos compartiendo los detalles con la congregación si un pastor ha sido disciplinado por mala conducta. La mayoría (86 por ciento) dicen que en tales casos es esencial que los líderes de la iglesia le permitan a la congregación saber. Stetzer dijo que los pastores y las iglesias por igual luchan con cuánto detalle deben compartir con la congregación, especialmente acerca de una alegada mala conducta. "No tenemos muchos modelos de cómo tener una conversación transparente," dijo. Las iglesias y los pastores también necesitan estar conscientes de las incumbencias legales Una falsa alegación podría llevar a una demanda por calumnia, especialmente si el pastor niega las alegaciones, dijo Frank Sommerville, abogado con sede en Houston que se especializa en asuntos legales que enfrentan las iglesias. "Se camina en la cuerda floja esos primeros días," dijo Sommerville. "Es fácil si el pastor dice sí. "Sí, tuve una aventura amorosa.' Si el pastor niega la alegación, se necesita alguna clase de investigación para resolver quién es el que más probablemente esté diciendo la verdad." Sommerville sugiere que la iglesia tenga en funcionamiento un proceso para manejar alegaciones de mala conducta, incluyendo apoderarse del correo electrónico del trabajo del pastor, el teléfono celular y la computadora. El proceso debiera tomar alrededor de 10 días, y Sommerville sugiere que el pastor dimita con goce de salario durante el proceso. "Es fácil explicar que el pastor no está disponible por una semana," dijo. "Es más difícil explicar si el proceso toma tres meses." Él sugiere que los líderes de la iglesia – la junta de la iglesia, el presbiterio, el concilio u otro grupo de liderazgo – mantengan las alegaciones en forma confidencial hasta que la investigación haya terminado. Después de que se haga la decisión, pueden informar a la congregación acerca de algunos de los detalles. -- En aquellos casos específicamente en relación a alegaciones de adulterio, los pastores están divididos en relación a cuánto tiempo un predicador debe dimitir del ministerio público si ha tenido una aventura. Uno de cada 4 (24 por ciento) apoya un retiro permanente del ministerio público. Un número similar (25 por ciento) no están seguros. Cerca de un tercio (31 por ciento) dicen que un pastor debiera dimitir entre tres meses a un año. Los pastores mayores (aquellos mayores de 65 años) son más propensos a querer una prohibición permanente del ministerio (28 por ciento) que los pastores en edades de 55 a 65 (19 por ciento). Los pastores de mediana edad (aquellos entre los 45 a 54 años) son más propensos a decir que de tres meses a un año es más apropiado (38 por ciento). Los pastores afroamericanos (45 por ciento) son más propensos que los pastores blancos (30 por ciento) a decir que un pastor debe salir de tres meses a un año. Los luteranos son menos anuentes a reintegrar, con la mitad (47 por ciento) que dicen que un pastor adúltero debería dejar el ministerio permanentemente. Los bautistas (30 por ciento que demandan una salida permanente) son menos anuentes a reincorporar que los metodistas (13 por ciento), los pentecostales (13 por ciento) y los pastores presbiterianos y los reformados (11 por ciento.) "Las Escrituras dicen que los pastores deben ser irreprochables," dijo Stetzer. "Así que no es sorprendente que algunos quieran ver que los pastores caídos sean vedados del ministerio. Sin embargo, los pastores son también personas que hablan del perdón regularmente, en general, desean ver que aquellos que han caído tengan la oportunidad de restaurarse." Metodología: La encuesta telefónica a los pastores protestantes fue realizada del 9 al 24 de marzo de 2016. La lista de llamadas fue un muestreo aleatorio estratificado tomado de una lista de todas las iglesias protestantes. Fueron usadas cuotas por tamaño de la iglesia y por denominaciones protestantes negras. Cada entrevista fue realizada al pastor sénior, ministro o sacerdote de la iglesia a la que se llamó. Las respuestas fueron ponderadas por región para que reflejaran más exactamente la población. El muestreo completo es de 1.000 encuestas. El muestreo provee 95 por ciento de confiabilidad de que el error de muestreo no excede más o menos 3.2 por ciento. Los márgenes de error son más altos en los subgrupos. Investigación LifeWay es una firma evangélica de investigación con sede en Nashville que se especializa en encuestas acerca de la fe en la cultura y asuntos que afectan a la iglesia. -------------------------------------------------------------------- La tasa de embarazos entre adolescents a la baja, enfoque en el carácter by Por Erin Roach Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -– La tasa de embarazos entre adolescentes estadounidenses ha disminuido al menor nivel desde que el gobierno comenzara a guardar un registro de ellos, y los observadores están señalando como una de las causas los programas de educación sexual enfocados en el carácter. Habiendo llegado a un extremo hace 20 años, la tasa de embarazos entre adolescente cayó 60 por ciento, de ser 61.8 nacimientos por cada 1,000 en 1991, a ser 24.2 nacimientos por cada 1,000 en el 2014, según un análisis provisto el 28 de abril por los Centros para el Control y Prevención de las Enfermedades. El periódico The Washington Post señaló que los programas de educación sexual han ido cambiado en el transcurso de los años, con menos lecciones crudas sobre el uso de los anticonceptivos y más lecciones sobre el desarrollo general del carácter de un niño, "enfoques que algunas investigaciones han demostrado ser más efectivas." Richard Ross, cofundador del movimiento True Love Waits y profesor de ministerio estudiantil en el Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, dijo a Baptist Press que él está muy de acuerdo con la idea que las lecciones sobre el carácter son más efectivas. "Intentar hacer el sexo premarital un poco menor riesgoso no es la respuesta definitiva," dijo Ross. "El enfoque principal debe centrarse en los corazones, las mentes y el carácter de los adolescentes." Tal enfoque, dijo Ross, es mucho más común hoy en día que antes del advenimiento del movimiento True Love Waits, patrocinado por LifeWay Christian Resources. "Numerosos miembros del Congreso me dijeron a mediados de la década de los 90 que True Love Waits cambió la conversación en Washington," dijo Ross. "El crecimiento explosivo del movimiento reveló a los líderes que los adolescentes están abiertos a considerar la pureza moral y que un número sorprendente elijaría ese estilo de vida." Valerie Huber, presidenta de Ascend (anteriormente conocido como National Abstinence Education Association), dijo a Baptist Press que el uso de los anticonceptivos entre los adolescentes se ha estancado y que "hay un fenómeno prometedor que da esperanza." "Esperar para tener sexo es un mensaje que está resonando con los jóvenes," dijo Huber. "Es relevante. Y necesitamos encontrar más y mejores maneras de animar y reforzar este comportamiento saludable en vez de animar y normalizar el sexo entre adolescentes." Según el Centro para la Prevención de las Enfermedades, dijo Huber, en los últimos 20 años disminuyó más del 15 por ciento el número de adolescentes que tenían relaciones sexuales, algo que ella calificó como altamente significativo. "Más adolescentes están esperando," dijo. Ascend colaboró con The Barna Group para preguntas a los adolescentes por qué estaban esperando para tener relaciones sexuales, y el miedo a salir embarazadas estaba muy abajo en la lista de razones, dijo Huber. El estudio, que pronto será publicado, reveló que: -- 42 por ciento espera debido a valores personales -- 42 por ciento espera debido a tener una relación comprometida -- 30 por ciento teme un embarazo -- 22 por ciento teme contagiarse de alguna enfermedad transmitida por la vía sexual En su análisis más reciente, el CPE dijo que a pesar de la baja en los embarazos entre adolescentes, sigue habiendo disparidades según la raza/etnicidad o la geografía. Las intervenciones a nivel comunitario que abordan las condiciones sociales asociadas con las altas tasas de embarazos entre adolescente pudieran reducir más estas disparidades, dijo el CPE. Ross identificó tres necesidades en el camino por recorrer: "Primero, nuestros pastores de jóvenes recién graduados de la universidad estaban en pañales cuando el movimiento de TLW arrasó por el país y por el mundo. Muchos no han visto la manera en que los creyentes adolescentes adoptan este mensaje," dijo Ross. "No han visto el poder que experimentan los adolescentes cuando descubren que grandes cantidades de sus colegas están eligiendo los mismos valores y estilo de vida." Los líderes experimentados necesitan ser los mentores de los más jóvenes, dijo Ross, para abrir sus ojos ante el valor que tiene el abordar el tema con una nueva generación de adolescentes. Él señaló el Proyecto TLW de LifeWay como una manera ideal de enseñar y guiar a los adolescentes en este tema. "En segundo lugar, la iglesia debe encontrar nuevas maneras de capacitar a los padres para ser los líderes de este tema en sus hogares," dijo Ross. "Las investigaciones muestran consistentemente que Papi y Mami casi siempre son las voces e influencias más poderosas. En cuanto al tema de la pureza sexual, los padres no pueden sentirse satisfechos delegando toda la enseñanza a la iglesia." También, los líderes de la iglesia y los padres tienen que hacer un mejor trabajo conectando el tema de la pureza sexual con Jesús, dijo Ross. "El moralismo no es un motivador. La religión fría tampoco. Necesitamos una nueva generación de creyentes adolescentes que dicen, 'Yo vivo una vida pura porque amo y adoro a Jesús.' ... Incluso dentro de una cultura en decadencia, los adolescentes pueden vivir en pureza si lo hacen por el Rey Jesús," dijo Ross. Huber dijo que los adolescentes merecen recibir información y refuerzos a nivel cultural sobre el mensaje que los capacita y les da el poder para esperar antes de tener relaciones sexuales. "Más adolescentes están esperando a pesar del hecho que casi todos los mensajes que ellos reciben en cuanto al sexo son los expresan una expectativa de que ellos son -- o que ya falta poco para que lo sean- sexualmente activos," dijo Huber. Pero si los mensajes que envía la sociedad ponen la expectativa de que los adolescentes no deben involucrarse en relaciones sexuales y luego los adultos que los quieren refuerzan estas decisiones saludables en cada coyuntura, los números positivos serán aún más positivos," dijo Huber. "Aunque es grandioso que haya una baja en los embarazos entre adolescentes, esto solamente es una parte de una visión completa y saludable de la sexualidad adolescente," dijo Huber. "solamente al evitar todos los riesgos del sexo, un adolescente puede disfrutar de una salud sexual óptima." Huber citó "un progreso tremendo" este año en la política federal de la educación sexual. Entre las ganancias figuran: -- Un análisis publicado en marzo en el Journal of Adolescent Health donde se indica que menos comunidades se sienten cómodas con la instrucción sobre los anticonceptivos, con el enfoque del programa de Prevención de los Embarazos entre Adolescentes de la administración de Obama. Un sondeo encontró que ha disminuido la instrucción sobre el control de la natalidad, ha aumentado la instrucción sobre los beneficios de esperar hasta el matrimonio para tener relaciones sexuales, y la educación sobre evitar los riesgos del sexo disfruta de un fuerte apoyo. "Los autores aceptaron a regañadientes que el aumento en la educación para evitar el riesgo sexual, a pesar de estar financiada con fondos federales, 'muestra la continua salida de este acercamiento a la educación sexual," dijo Ascend en un comunicado de prensa en 21 de abril. -- Ascend y el Family Research Council presentaron un reporte congresal titulado "La Educación para Evitar el Riesgo Sexual: Ignorando el Camino a la Pobreza," que atrajo una multitud de personal congresal provenientes de ambos lados de los partidos en febrero, dijo Ascend. El reporte enfatizó que la educación sobre los riesgos del sexo es vital para ayudar a los jóvenes a evitar el potencial del impacto devastador de la pobreza en un futuro exitoso. -- En marzo, una coalición de partidarios del mensaje de evitar los riesgos sexuales felicitó a los Comités de Apropiaciones de la Cámara y del Senado por tres cambios específicos en la política de la educación sexual: darle un nuevo nombre al programa de Educación sobre la Abstinencia Competitiva como el programa para Evitar los Riesgos Sexuales; insertar conceptos claves de la Ley de las Relaciones Saludables para servir como la definición legislativa para la educación sobre los riesgos del sexo; y duplicar los fondos para el programa mencionado sin hacer incrementos similares para el programa de Prevención de los Embarazos entre Adolescentes propuesto por el presidente Obama. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Moore concuerda con Trump: Él es 'despreciable,' necesita el evangelio by Por Tom Strode Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Russell Moore finalmente ha concordado con uno de los insultantes tuits de Donald Trump. Moore, presidente de la Comisión de Libertad Religiosa y Ética de los Bautistas del Sur respondió en una entrevista en televisión el lunes en la noche (9 de mayo) al siguiente comentario de tuit de ese día temprano del presunto nominado presidencial republicano: "@drmoore Russell Moore es verdaderamente un terrible representante de los evangélicos y de todo lo bueno que representan. ¡Un hombre despreciable sin corazón!" En una aparición en el programa "Meet the Press Daily" (Reúnase con la prensa diariamente) de MSNBC, Moore dijo que estaba de acuerdo con Trump. "Soy un hombre despreciable sin corazón, y es por eso que necesito el perdón de los pecados y la redención a través del evangelio de Jesucristo," dijo. Más tarde en "Anderson Cooper 360" de CNN, Moore le dijo a Cooper: "Cantamos cosas peores de nosotros mismos en nuestros himnos los domingos en la mañana." Y citó la letra del himno "Sublime Gracia," añadió, "Somos miserables y necesitamos la gracia de Dios." Trump publicó el último de su larga lista de duros tuits durante la campaña del partido republicano después de que Moore lo criticó en "Face the Nation" (Enfrente la nación) de CBS el 8 de mayo y en la columna de opinión en línea en el New York Times el 6 de mayo. En una aparición con otros conservadores en "Face the Nation," Moore dijo que Trump y Hillary Clinton –- la probable nominada demócrata –- reflejan "la adopción de toda clase de decadencia moral y cultural de la que los conservadores han venido diciendo por largo tiempo que es el problema." En la columna de opinión del Times, él hizo una aparente referencia a la campaña de Trump cuando escribió: "Esta elección servirá para aclarar la oscuridad del nativismo y la intolerancia contenidas en todo el país. No hay sollamados mensajes codificados que denuncien a los afroamericanos y a los inmigrantes; la preocupación sobre la justicia racial y la unidad nacional es ridiculizada como 'corrección política.' Las minorías religiosas son el chivo expiatorio por los pecados de otros, con las libertades religiosas para ellos puestas en duda." Moore continuó expresando la misma clase de preocupaciones en televisión el 9 de mayo. "Cuando vemos la clase de racismo y la clase de misoginia que hemos visto a través de este año, si se tienen cristianos evangélicos que no están dispuestos a levantarse y decir: 'Las cosas que hemos dicho sobre decencia y justicia y moralidad, aplican a todos, no solamente a nuestros oponentes políticos, 'no nos queda ninguna credibilidad para el futuro," le dijo a Cooper. Cuando se le preguntó en "Meet the Press Daily" por quién votaría, Moore reafirmó que no respalda candidatos. "Mi preocupación ahora mismo no se trata de quién va arriba o quién va abajo en esta elección presidencial," dijo. "Mi preocupación ahora mismo es asegurarnos de tener iglesias y cristianos evangélicos que estén dispuestos a mantenerse en nuestro compromiso fundamental con Jesucristo y su Palabra y asegurarnos de no canjear eso por algún intento en el poder político que termine negociando nuestra conciencia en la oferta." Varios líderes bautistas del sur le tuitearon apoyo a Moore después de los comentarios de Trump en Twitter. Incluidos estaban Kevin Ezell, presidente de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, y Daniel Akin, presidente del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southeastern. Mientras tanto, un prominente pastor bautista del sur, quien oficialmente no ha apoyado a un candidato pero ha hablado con actitud de apoyo a Trump expresó una opinión diferente. Robert Jeffress, pastor sénior de la Iglesia Bautista First de Dallas, le dijo a Baptist Press, "Si sigues hincando al oso, no debieras sorprenderte cuando el oso te muerda." -------------------------------------------------------------------- El gobernador de Carolina del Norte defiende la ley de los baños en proceso de demanda by Por Tom Strode Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- El gobernador de Carolina del Norte fue a la corte federal el lunes (9 de mayo) para defender la nueva ley de la privacidad en los baños de su estado en contra de una amenaza de la administración Obama. El litigio del gobernador Pat McCrory le pide a un juez que declare que la Ley de Seguridad y Privacidad de las Instalaciones Públicas, también conocida como H.B. 2, no viola las protecciones antidiscriminatorias federales al requerir que los individuos en los edificios gubernamentales usen los baños correspondientes al sexo que aparece en su certificado de nacimiento. El Departamento de Justicia (DOJ por sus siglas en inglés) les había escrito a McCrory y a otros dos funcionarios estatales el 4 de mayo que hacer valer la H.B. 2 violaba la ley federal. Amenazaba con una demanda –- y aparentemente la pérdida de millones de dólares en asistencia de educación federal –- si Carolina del Norte no indicaba para el 9 de mayo su intención de cambiar la medida del uso de los baños. Líderes en la Convención Bautista del Sur y en el estado acogieron la acción de McCrory. Russell Moore, presidente de la Comisión de Libertad Religiosa y Ética de los Bautistas del Sur, llamó la ley de Carolina del Norte "una medida de sentido común que protege a los individuos además de a la conciencia." "Contrario a lo que la Casa Blanca ha dicho, el proyecto de ley de Carolina del Norte no es discriminatorio ni está lleno de odio," dijo Moore en comentarios escritos a Baptist Press. "La intimidación a la legislatura estatal por parte del gobierno federal es el gobierno involucrándose en la guerra de la cultura, y los derechos de aquellos que disienten con la principal opinión cultural deben ser protegidos." Tami Fitzgerald, directora ejecutiva de la Coalición de Valores de Carolina del Norte, dijo en una declaración escrita: "No es el papel del gobierno federal ordenar políticas radicales y extremas del uso del baño a un estado como Carolina del Norte forzando a nuestros ciudadanos a darles acceso a los hombres a baños, duchas, vestidores de mujeres y de niñas." Tami Fitzgerald, bautista del sur, describió la demanda de McCrory como un "acercamiento de sentido común" que solicita "que un juez federal determine si la administración Obama puede unilateralmente cambiar el significado del término 'sexo' en las leyes antidiscriminatorias de nuestro país para incluir transexual." En su carta, el DOJ decía que las leyes federales que la medida de Carolina del Norte viola incluyen el Título VII de la Ley de Derechos Civiles y la Ley de Reautorización de la Violencia en contra de las Mujeres (VAWA por sus siglas en inglés). Carolina del Norte "está involucrándose en un patrón o práctica de discriminación en contra de los empleados estatales transexuales," decía la carta. La ley, que entró en efecto el 23 de marzo, "es facialmente discriminatoria en contra de los empleados transexuales con base en el sexo," de acuerdo a la carta. "Bajo la H.B. 2, los empleados estatales que no sean transexuales pueden entrar a los baños y a los vestidores que sean consistentes con su identidad genérica en los edificios públicos, mientras que los empleados estatales transexuales no pueden." Una decisión de abril hecha por la Corte de Apelaciones del Cuarto Distrito de EE.UU. en Richmond, Virginia, precedió las cartas del Departamento de Justicia. El panel de la corte de apelaciones mantuvo que la ley federal podría ser interpretada para incluir discriminación de identidad de género. La demanda de McCrory decía que el estado "no amenaza a los empleados transexuales diferentemente de a los empleados que no son transexuales. A todos los empleados estatales se les requiere usar el baño y los vestidores asignados a personas de su mismo sexo biológico, sin tener en cuenta su identidad genérica, o estatus transexual." La demanda decía que el gobierno ha dirigido a las agencias estatales a proveer acomodo razonable ofreciendo baños individuales. McCrory y su codemandante, el secretario de seguridad pública Frank Perry, "desean implementar políticas estatales que protejan los derechos de privacidad corporal de los empleados del estado en baños y vestidores," de acuerdo a la demanda. "Los querellantes también desean acomodar las necesidades de los empleados estatales con base en circunstancias especiales, incluyendo pero no limitado a empleados transexuales." En una declaración escrita del 9 de mayo, McCrory dijo: "La administración Obama está eludiendo al Congreso al intentar reescribir la ley y establecer las políticas de los baños para los empleados públicos y privados en todo el país, no solamente Carolina del Norte. Este es ahora un asunto nacional que aplica a cada estado y necesita ser resuelto a nivel federal." El DOJ envió cartas no solamente a McCrory y Perry sino también a la presidenta de la Universidad de Carolina del Norte, Margaret Spellings. Varios músicos – incluyendo a Bruce Springsteen y la banda Pearl Jam – han cancelado conciertos en Carolina del Norte desde que la H.B. 2 fue promulgada, y PayPal y Deutsche Bank han detenido añadir empleados en el estado. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Un cheque en blanco by Por Luís Lopez Date: May 13, 2016 - Friday SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (BP) -- En Mateo 15:28 leemos 'Entonces respondiendo Jesús, dijo: Oh mujer, grande es tu fe; hágase contigo como quieres.' Con estas palabras nuestro Salvador dio a esta mujer un 'cheque en blanco'. Le dijo que lo llenara poniendo la cantidad que necesitaba. Tanto le impresionó la fe de aquella madre quien tenía una hija endemoniada que el Maestro no pudo ignorar su atrevida insistencia y artera sabiduría. Hablamos de un 'cheque en blanco' para referirnos a 'dar carta blanca' para actuar y movernos en base a una premisa segura. Una vez que colocamos el monto en el cheque podemos llevarlo al banco y canjearlo sin problemas. ¿Necesita usted de un cheque en blanco en estos días? La fe de la mujer cananea registrada en Mateo 15:21-28 nos recuerda el milagro del exorcismo del demonio que atormentaba a su hija. Aún desde lejos, Jesús sanó la hija de esta mujer. En los últimos días he estado meditando en este pasaje. Dios ha estado inquietando mi corazón en relación a la iglesia en nuestra nación. La gran angustia y fe que esta madre mostró me llevan una y otra vez a los pies del Maestro. Siento que nuestras iglesias serán renovadas cuando renovemos nuestro concepto de la misión que Jesús nos ha dado. Debemos reconocer que este relato fue escrito en un momento muy particular de la historia judía. La gente cananea, sabemos, eran viejos enemigos de los judíos. El hecho presenta a Jesús ministrando en un territorio extranjero en las regiones de Tiro y de Sidón, al norte de Galilea. Para los religiosos de aquel día, este territorio era impuro. Los prejuicios no son de estos tiempos solamente. Sin embargo, la angustia y la fe trascienden cualquier barrera geográfica, social o étnica. La gran angustia de esta madre por su hija era evidente. ¿Podemos imaginar su vida cotidiana? Los que somos padres sabemos lo que significa tener a un hijo muy enfermo. En el original griego se recalca la conexión entre los demonios y las fuerzas del mal. La madre dice que su hija está 'endemoniada malamente' ¡Cuán difícil debe haber sido esto! Me pregunto cómo era la relación de esta madre con su hija. ¿Qué tal con su esposo y otros hijos? Si viviera en nuestra calle, ¿cómo actuaríamos si fuéramos sus vecinos? Pienso si a veces se culpaba a si misma por la situación en que se encontraba su hija. La angustia y la desesperación tienen muchas vertientes. La iglesia necesita preguntarse continuamente quiénes son las personas en nuestras ciudades que tienen en su corazón angustia como la de esta mujer. Reconocer esa angustia es parte de lo que Dios quiere hacer alrededor nuestro. La comodidad del cristianismo moderno ha llevado a muchos a pensar que evangelizaremos al mundo sentados en nuestras bancas en un cuarto con aire acondicionado o calefacción. Es necesario identificarnos con los que sufren y comunicar las buenas nuevas a los afligidos. El interés de Jesús por los marginados se manifiesta al ir a visitar intencionalmente las regiones de Tiro y de Sidón ubicadas en la periferia. Necesitamos como iglesia salir a la periferia y encontrarnos con la mujer cananea. Nuestras ciudades y pueblos hoy tienen unos cuantos Tiros y Sidones en su derredor. Es imperativo visitar estos lugares alejados en donde hay necesidades profundas. Escuchemos su clamor, atendamos su necesidad y reprendamos con la autoridad de Dios, Hijo de David, las fuerzas que oprimen a su descendencia. La fe de esta madre en Jesús y la compasión por su hija desencadenó finalmente su sanación. Quiero tener ese tipo de fe y ser parte de una iglesia que va a la periferia. Necesitamos una fe que nos impulse a ir mas allá del contorno cómodo y seguro en donde nos encontramos. La misión de la iglesia es para los marginados, para los 'de afuera', para los oprimidos y para todo aquel que es rechazado por la sociedad. Jesús ya está esperándonos allí. Salgamos y al encontrar su paso gritemos, 'Señor, ¡socórrenos!' El cheque en blanco ya está firmado. A nosotros nos toca ponerle la suma y cumplir nuestra misión.