
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-05/20/2015

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Ethnic summit seeks to reach diverse population
by K. Faith Morgan
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- People-group ministry is often viewed as an international concern, but the executive leadership at the North American Mission Board is seeking to highlight this ministry's importance and develop the scope of Southern Baptist people-group efforts in North America. 

"The ethnic population is growing faster than the Anglo population in the United States," said NAMB senior assistant to the president, Kim Robinson. About 58 percent of the new churches added to the Southern Baptist Convention in 2013 and 2014 are reported to be minority congregations, he noted. 

Robinson and NAMB president, Kevin Ezell, hosted a two-day summit at NAMB's Alpharetta, Ga., building to address this growing need. More than 20 Southern Baptist leaders representing several different ethnic groups sat down to discuss current outreach efforts and explore how NAMB could effectively help plant churches for diverse populations in cooperation with ethnic Southern Baptist groups like the National African American Fellowship, the Vietnamese Baptist Fellowship of North America, the Native Fellowship of Christians, the Chinese Baptist Fellowship of the U.S. and Canada, and others.

"We did not invite you here just to get to know you. We didn't invite you here just to come and share the particular needs of each area. We're really ready to stand with you. To speak up at the appropriate time, and to sacrificially, come together to have a shared goal of how we're going to get this done," Ezell said during the April 23-24 meeting. 

Robinson told the group in his opening remarks, "We have a very strong desire to accelerate ethnic church planting, but we know we can't do that by ourselves."

He said, "That comes from pastor-led churches leading their congregations into church planting. So we want to partner with you to help plant more than we could if we tried to do it alone. It's not that you need to join forces with us, and we are your leaders. We want to join forces with you."

Throughout the two days, participants spent time in both large group sessions and small-group meetings where they explored ways that their respective fellowships could work symbiotically. 

"We would like to advocate the potential of partnership with other ethnic groups, so that we could add value to the kingdom work here in the U.S.," said Filipino leader Jerry Lepasana. 

Dennis Manpoong Kim, pastor of Global Mission Church in Silver Springs, Md., agreed. "It is encouraging for me and for my congregation to cross over the ethnic boundaries to help other people start new churches," he said. "I have a clearer understanding of what we are trying to do together, and I give thanks to God."

One of the major organizational instruments introduced at the summit was the NAMB Church Plant Map at namb.net/map. This interactive online tool allows pastors, planters and church members to see both current church plants and potential plants by ethnic group alongside census statistics. The data presented is the result of research and on-the-ground expertise from missionaries and pastors living in the area. 

"We constantly update these maps," Ezell said. "We don't just come up with these numbers arbitrarily. We meet with people locally who have investment and expertise there, and we put the information on the map for everybody to see." 

Many leaders echoed a desire for increased collaboration and communication between their organizations and NAMB, too. The tools and initiatives presented by NAMB's mobilization team sparked enthusiasm for the potential to partner in ministry and magnify the groups' respective strengths -- especially as it relates to the specific cultural context of each ethnic group. 

"You've got dots on the map, and so do we," said Emmerson Falls, chairman of the Native Fellowship of Christians, in reference to NAMB's extensive map of target church plants. "Where they overlap, let's partner together -- it just makes sense." 

The meeting also stressed the bond of fellowship forged through prayer.  K. Marshall Williams, Sr., president of the National African American Fellowship, said "If we don't dialogue with the divine -- if dust doesn't talk to deity -- nothing is going to happen." 

Ezell said, "I really believe that God has brought us together for such a time as this. God has brought us together for a purpose, and it's not just to grow in fellowship with one another but to leave here with some action points. What are we going to do, and what are we going to do together?"


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Pastors' wives need outside support
by Erin Roach
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Pastors' wives overall are happy with their roles, but it's imperative that they build a support network outside the church for seasons of conflict, a study of pastors' wives found.

Amy Stumpf, professor of religion and society at California Baptist University in Riverside, Calif., and a pastor's wife herself, was stirred to study Southern Baptist pastors' wives after she read a Time magazine article lamenting the unique struggles of being married to a pastor.

"Overall, there was a notably negative tone to the 'lot' of most pastors' wives," Stumpf said of the Time article.

Eager to compile her own data, Stumpf took an audio recorder to an annual retreat for pastors' wives in the California Southern Baptist Convention during the summer of 2013. She expected to beg the women to tell their stories, but she ended up having to turn away just as many as she could fit into three solid days of interviewing.

"They wanted their stories told, and they weren't all bad stories," Stumpf, whose husband Paul Stumpf is pastor of Colton Community Church in Colton, California, told SBC LIFE.

One of the main takeaways from the interviews, Stumpf said, was that the pastors' wives who worked outside the home, either part-time or full-time, had higher levels of satisfaction with their role, "partly because they had a broader sense of their own life and connections outside of the church.

"Particularly when there were seasons of conflict, that provided some helpful resources to them," she said.

A main concern of the pastors' wives who were interviewed -- about 35 in all -- was that so much of their family's eggs were in the basket of the church, Stumpf said. Their husband's job, their friendships, their children's friendships, and more were centered in the church.

"While that's wonderful, they all had experiences of conflict where they realized how very vulnerable their whole life is," Stumpf said. "If something goes bad at the church, it's not just that their husband lost his job but they lost their entire community.

"So even those that were very happy with their church realized that there's an extra burden of having your work and your ministry and your primary community all in the same place," she said.

Women who worked outside the home, even just part-time, had a sense that they had eggs in other baskets, Stumpf said.

As an example of why solid friends outside the church are needed, she told of one woman whose husband had been a pastor for years and whose son was gay.

"They had to deal with that completely apart from their life in the church because they felt like that would break the relationship of that community," she said. "They felt so much stigma, which was interesting because normally you would take those deep concerns about those you love the most to the church.

"But because he was the pastor, they didn't know if it would go over well."

Stumpf's study also included written surveys from about 100 women at the retreat, and she found that pastors' wives at churches where there was more than one staff member -- and pastors' wives at larger churches --perceived that their churches were healthier. "That makes sense because the conflict is spread out," she said.

At the church where Stumpf's husband is the only pastor, she said it "doesn't matter if it's about the water fountain, the toilet, the paint on the wall, or some theological issue, 100 percent of that conflict comes to my husband.

"So I can imagine if other people are helping to defray some of that, then that can really help a lot to make them perceive that things are healthier," Stumpf said. "It makes sense that in larger churches the pastors and their families are sharing the burdens and the stress."

Another surprising finding, she said, was that the longer a woman was married to a pastor, the more she perceived negative effects of the ministry on her marriage.

"You can figure out the ramifications. If we want healthy churches, we probably need to figure out how this is affecting the women in the church," Stumpf said.

Despite the challenges, most of the women did not regret being pastors' wives. Stumpf recalled a woman who told her a terrible story about being run off by a church.

"At the end, I said, 'If you could do the whole thing over, would you do it?' She was one of my highest on 'I love being a pastor's wife. That's what God has called me to do. I wouldn't change it for anything.'"

Stumpf found it interesting, she said, that the women differentiated between their feelings about being a pastor's wife in general and their feelings about their specific experience with a specific church.

"They didn't globalize or generalize that specific experience," she said. "They still liked the role. They just thought that church had a problem."
Women who claimed to have experienced a call to the role of pastor's wife had higher perceptions of their own influence in the pastoral ministry of their husbands, Stumpf said, and they were more content. They didn't mind their primary identity being as a pastor's wife.

"A lot of the ones who didn't mention a call tended to be the ones who said, 'That's what my husband does and that's a hat I wear, but it is not who I am and it's not my primary identity,'" Stumpf said.

The women who mentioned a call tended to be older, whereas the younger wives tended to say, "I married a guy who is a pastor," Stumpf said.

"It tells me that our church culture has changed," she said. "Our church culture is increasingly aware that many of the pastors' wives will work outside of the home and won't make their primary place of vocation the church."

Churches that hired younger pastors tended not to have expectations of pastors' wives focusing on the church, Stumpf said.

Regarding what the pastors' wives in the interviews said they wanted their churches to know, "Mostly it was, 'Just be a loving, kind church. Don't get bogged down in conflict. Be kind to my husband,'" Stumpf said.

A structured and formal system of support outside the church would help, Stumpf concluded. Many of the women felt like they and their husbands were ministering all alone, and in a lot of cases they were.

Churches with multiple staff members would have a great ministry, she said, if they would reach out to single-pastor churches and include them as honorary staff members -- affording them the benefits of camaraderie.

"Most of the pastors' wives really were very happy. So contrary to the article that started me questioning, they did experience isolation, they did experience stress, but overall they were quite happy," Stumpf said. 

"They loved their churches. They were proud of their husbands and very fulfilled."

The study underscored for Stumpf the importance of pastors' wives developing relationships outside the church "because conflict will come, and when your primary support people are also the people who are in conflict with your husband then it makes it really hard.

"So they need to be very intentional about developing a good support network outside of the church."


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FIRST-PERSON: Blooming blessings
by Diana Davis
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP) -- When our children were small, we'd stop by the garden store each spring to select packets of zinnia seeds to plant outdoors. We'd wait in amazement as big, colorful blooms began to appear. 

Then we'd watch for opportunities to use the flowers in ministry. Just as another bloom would appear, a need seemed to arise -- a troubled neighbor, a discouraged acquaintance, a child with a broken arm, a friend in the hospital -- and we'd share a flower.

Whether you have a rose garden, hydrangeas, or a favorite local florist, it's remarkable how a simple flower can provide a tangible reminder of His love. Why not use God's lovely creation to minister in His name? Try some of these fresh ideas. 

-- Prepare cards with a Scripture, and attach with a ribbon to gift flowers. Handwrite a note: "This flower's from my garden! Remember that God loves you and so do I. Get well soon." 

-- Collect inexpensive bud vases. Clip a couple of flowers, add a green sprig from a bush, and you've got a personal gift for a friend.  

-- Help your child deliver a flower to a teacher, school nurse, grandparent, dentist, librarian, postal carrier or sick friend. 

-- Make tiny vases of flowers for the ladies' restroom counters at church on Sundays. 

-- For long-term illness, deliver a few flowers in a vase, and assign different church members to bring an additional flower or two to add to the bouquet each day.

-- Recycle altar flowers. Divide them into bouquets and deliver to sick, homebound, hospitalized or nursing home members or friends. 

-- Present a bouquet of her favorite flower to your Bible teacher, minister's wife or church administrative assistant on her church anniversary or birthday.  

-- Allow green-thumbed church members to help with church landscape. Host an annual garden party to prune and plant, or organize a group of flower-lovers to meet Saturdays for an hour's work.
  
-- Your small group could plant flowers for homebound members or elderly church neighbors.

-- Plant bulbs at a local nursing home, hosting a spring tea or hymn-sing when they bloom. 

-- Enhance a church buffet dinner with wildflowers, garden flowers and vines from your yard. 

-- Does your church deliver Bibles to homes in your community? Add a flower. On delivery days, bring stemmed flowers or wildflowers, and deliver one with each Bible. Print 1 Peter 1:24-25 as a reminder that flowers fade, but God's Word remains forever. 
  
-- Do a "God Cares" project for neighbors within a few blocks of your church. Prepare notes about how much God cares about them, quoting Luke 12:28 (NLT). Participants bring lots of cut flowers, tie them with twine, and deliver to neighbors with an invitation to worship.  

So clip some wild sunflowers, prune your roses, or visit your florist. And as you admire God's beautiful creation of flowers, watch carefully for ways to use them to honor Him. I'm planting zinnias again this spring with my little grandson, and thanking God in anticipation of sharing His creations. 


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Missions fuels Jimmy Draper scholarship recipient
by Aaron Earls
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Not long after LifeWay Chistian Stores associate Anna Dible began asking customers if they would like to purchase a Bible to send to South Asia, she asked God a question as well: "Can I go?" 

Dible believes God called her to go and used her selection as the recipient of LifeWay's Jimmy Draper Mission Scholarship to make it possible. 

In April, Dible was part of a team of LifeWay employees who distributed 5,000 Thomas Project Bibles in South Asia. The Thomas Project is LifeWay's initiative last year to encourage customers to purchase Bibles to send to South Asia. "I loved sharing with our customers about this awesome opportunity to reach people with the Gospel and put Bibles in their hands," she said.

Store manager Scott Glover says Dible's passion was contagious in the Reynoldsburg, Ohio, store. "Anna was instrumental in our store selling the Bibles," he said. Along with inspiring customers to donate them, Dible helped train other employees on the Thomas Project.

Dible said she "couldn't stop smiling" when she found out she had been chosen for the scholarship. "It was such an honor to receive this scholarship and be part of what God's doing in South Asia," she said.

Part of what struck her during her time overseas was the importance of the Bibles. "It is such a treasure," she said. "We were able to give people their very first Bible. We were able to equip them with their own copy of God's Word and allow them to grow closer to God as they read and study their own Bible."

At 19, Dible is the youngest recipient of the scholarship that is awarded each year to an employee participating in a LifeWay mission trip for the first time. The scholarship is named for former LifeWay president, Jimmy Draper. In her application, Dible explained she had recently graduated from high school and "funds are pretty tight." But she said, "God calls us to things beyond our wildest dreams."

After reading an article in LifeWay's employee magazine last year, Dible began to pray about going on an international mission trip with LifeWay. 

"I find it awesome to be part of an organization that not only provides Bibles and biblical resources here in the United States," she said, "but also impacts other countries with the Gospel."

After her trip to South Asia, she said she is looking forward to sharing with customers "how God is using LifeWay to impact other cultures."

Glover noted, "Anna was a leader on our team in getting those Bibles donated," he said. "... She is an outstanding, exemplary employee."

Dible said, "one of the most powerful prayers we can pray to God is 'Here I am. Send me.'" For anyone else thinking about going on a mission trip, she said to pray about it and then step out in faith. "If we offer ourselves up to be used by Him, He will use us," she said. "And it is such a tremendous blessing to work with God Almighty."

Her favorite memories from the trip were being able to share the Gospel and seeing how receptive the people were. "It's crazy to realize there are still so many people who have never heard the Gospel and need to hear about Christ," she said. "Someone just has to go and tell them." 

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'Family Guy' jokes called 'troubling'
by Staff
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

LOS ANGELES (BP) -- The "Family Guy" animated comedy series increasingly jokes about sexual violence against children and teens, with nearly 80 percent of all such scenes in the past three years perpetrated against that population group, a Parent Television Council (PTC) study found.

Jokes or humorous depictions of rape, statutory rape, molestation or pedophilia against children were included in 91 percent of the series' scenes depicting sexual violence in the 2014–2015 season, up from 75 percent in 2012-2013, according to the PTC study.

"Why would we ever want to be in the position to laugh at humanity's wors&#91;t&#93; offenses against children?" PTC President Tim Winter asked in a May 19 press release. "And at whose expense are we being asked to laugh? Our research report should give every parent cause for concern. At a time when nearly one in three women in America is sexually abused, why would a television network air a primetime program that routinely asks us to laugh at sexual violence?"

On any given Sunday evening, half a million children watch the series, Winter said. Fox Broadcasting, which airs the series, rated all shows in the study period as appropriate viewing for a 14-year-old.

"All of this content aired in the early hours of primetime, when the network knows that millions of children are watching television. We are deeply troubled by the potential impact to children who may become desensitized to, or who will trivialize, real-life consequences of such horrendous conduct," Winter said. "Family Guy has been given a pass for too long, and it's time for that to change."

The PTC will contact corporate sponsors of every episode that included jokes about raping children, Winter said.

"We hope our report is a clarion call for parents who are unaware of the troubling content on Family Guy," he said. "We call on the Fox Broadcast Network to cease using the publicly-owned airwaves to trivialize sexual violence -- especially sexual violence against children."

Viewing such media is harmful to children, giving them the message that sexual violence is not offensive, said Mary Anne Layden, a psychotherapist and director of education at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Cognitive Therapy.

"Media makers may call what they make 'entertainment' but everything a child sees is actually 'education' -- for better or for worse. If they &#91;children&#93; hear jokes about sexual violence, they 'learn' that sexual violence is not much of a problem, not much of a crime, and doesn't really hurt anyone," Layden said in the press release. "Research indicates that children who watch media with sexualized content are more likely to engage in sex of all sorts and to engage in it earlier and suffer the consequences, whether it be pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases or engaging in non-consenting sex. Media makers must take responsibility for the outcomes their products produce in children."

Of the 21 episodes from the 2014-2015 season included in the study period, there were 23 scenes containing some form of sexual violence, 21 of which were jokes and humorous depictions regarding sexually violating children, the PTC found.

Writer and producer Coleman Luck, a PTC Advisory Board member, said "over the past decades, a kind of darkness has settled over much of the storytelling in American television and it is having a deep effect on the audience."

In the study, the PTC analyzed the content of every first-run Family Guy episode that aired between Feb. 16, 2012 and Feb. 15, 2015, examining the type, quantity and graphic nature of content. All of the scenes aired between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Eastern Time.


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Statewide day of prayer planned in S.C.
by Staff/Baptist Courier
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) -- Evangelicals from across the state of South Carolina plan to gather at the North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center for a day of prayer and fasting called by Gov. Nikki Haley. 

The June 13 event, "The Response South Carolina: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis," will mirror a similar emphasis on prayer to be held during this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 16-17 in Columbus, Ohio.

"The Response is an evangelical all-day event of worship, fasting and prayer to intercede for a nation in crisis," said Brad Atkins, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C., and chairman of The Response South Carolina planning board. "The event is open to all those who believe that salvation is found only through Jesus. It is not a time for preachers to pontificate or politicians to make political speeches. It is a called time of repentance and worship." 

During the day-long event, sponsored by the American Renewal Project, various evangelical speakers will lead a series of 45-second prayers interspersed with Scripture and worship music. There is no scheduled lunch break and participants are urged to fast during the day's events. But coliseum concessions will be available. 

Approximately 10,000 people are expected to attend.

"Our nation and state are in crisis," said Mark Hendrick, director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention's Office of Public Policy. "Prayer and the Lord are what will bring us back; we should humble ourselves and seek Him."

The concept of the event, organizers note, is based on biblical accounts in Joel 2 and 2 Chronicles 7:14, which outline a sacred and solemn assembly intentionally called to seek God's intervention in times of crisis. 

Prayers during the event will focus on areas of repentance, reconciliation, revival, reformation and refreshment. Hendricks said issues specific to South Carolina will be prayed for throughout the day including human trafficking, education and church awakening. 

Atkins said he attended a similar event in Louisiana that was held in January and he participated in training leading up to the event. 

"Our state and nation are at a tipping point," he said. "It is time for the church to unite and stand for righteousness. This is not about a denomination or a personality; this is about creating a posture of prayer before God and interceding for our nation's future."

Hendrick noted, "We have prayer events generated from within the church and faith community, but it is refreshing to see a secular public entity recognizing the need for prayer and calling for this day to happen in South Carolina. It is great to see a governmental leader step out and stand with Christians in this way."

Atkins said what excites him most about the event is that it is expected to cross over denominational lines and racial barriers. "We will see generations and various evangelical denominations rallying together under the banner of Jesus," he said. "The hope for our nation will not be found in a political group or a politician's office; our only hope is in a restored relationship with our Creator." 

There is no registration fee to attend The Response South Carolina, but seating is reserved. 

For more information, go to theresponsesc.com or contact Hendrick at markhendrick@scbaptist.org or by phone at 803-227-6105.


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Jindal signs executive order for religious liberty
by Philip Timothy & Brian Blackwell/Baptist Message
Date: May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) -- Hours after a religious freedom bill was struck down in committee Tuesday (May 20), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal quickly signed an executive order that afternoon which appeared to capture the intent and much of the language of the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act.

"In Louisiana, the state should not be able to take adverse action against a person for their belief in traditional marriage," read a statement issued from the governor's office. 

"That's why I'm issuing an Executive Order this evening to prevent the state from discriminating against people, charities and family-owned businesses with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman," Jindal said. "We don't support discrimination in Louisiana and we do support religious liberty. These two values can be upheld at the same time.

"Indeed, we celebrate diversity of belief in Louisiana. Diversity of belief and religious liberty are the foundation of our law and Constitution and they should be protected. As long as I'm Governor, we will fight to protect religious liberty and not apologize for it," he said. 

The executive order means the 20 agencies that fall under the executive branch, including the Department of Revenue, Insurance, Transportation and Development and Health and Hospitals, must abide by the rules set forth in it. 

The intent bill (HB 707) was designed to block the government from pulling licenses, tax benefits, and the like from a company because of the owner's view of same-sex marriage. The sponsor of the legislation, State Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, said Jindal's executive order reflects parts of an amended version of his bill.

"I applaud Gov. Jindal for this executive order. It will go a long way to preserve the most fundamental freedom of all Louisianians which is our religious liberty," Johnson said.  

With the Supreme Court's imminent ruling on a landmark same-sex marriage case set for June 18, Johnson said he felt his legislation was necessary as there would be an increasing number of conflicts "between the old idea of religious freedom and new changing ideas about marriage."

"As was just mentioned a few weeks ago in oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court, it is incumbent upon every state to address this important issue as soon as possible," Johnson said. "This is a good resolution for our state for now and we intend to bring this legislation back again at the earliest opportunity."

However, the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee did not agree and defeated the measure when legislators voted 10-2 to return the legislation to the calendar after hours of testimony from both sides including Louisiana Baptists' Executive Director David Hankins and Louisiana Family Forum's President Gene Mills.

"Thank you to all who signed the petition and supported the position statement put forth by me, Dr. (Steve) Horn, and Dr. (David) Goza," Hankins said. "While the hesitancy of our representatives is disappointing, I am thankful the governor signed an executive order which will provide protection for people of faith who live out their convictions."

Gene Mills, president of Louisiana Family Forum, said, "We are very disappointed in the fact Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans and chairman of the committee, did not even extend the courtesy of allowing Rep. Johnson to place his amendments on the bill.

"Rep. Johnson did everything possible to answer the spectacular claims of the opponents and to make his bill clear and concise, but the chairman, aided by Rep. John Bel Edwards (D-Amite), motioned to return the bill to the calendar before the author could amend his bill," Mills said.

"By voting with the chairman today, the House Civil Law committee effectively ignored two-thirds of Louisiana voters, endorsing both the state's ability to discriminate and the LGBT advocacy groups. The website www.LA4Liberty.com has registered over 500 businesses and 1,000 citizens in Louisiana in support of the bill. These voices were ignored by today's committee vote," he said.

In response to the executive order, Rick Edmonds, vice president of Louisiana Family Forum, thanked Louisianians who have expressed their support for biblical marriage. 

Edmonds wrote, "While religious freedom in America is being attacked on every corner, believers like you in Louisiana continue to make a difference. Many of you have been praying, signing petitions, speaking to legislators, informing friends and even making your way to Baton Rouge to make a difference. Congratulations, your hard work and prayers have paid off." 

LGBT advocacy organizations Equality Louisiana and Louisiana Progress Action issued a joint statement condemning Jindal's Executive Order saying it would only hurt the state's economy.

"It is shameful that Gov. Jindal has decided that abusing his executive power to accomplish the goals of House Bill 707, even after it was tabled indefinitely by our legislature today, is worth more effort than fixing our disastrous state budget. He may have forgotten what every day Louisianians value the most, but the testimony today against HB 707 should have reminded him. Discrimination is not a Louisiana value."

However, a poll taken by Louisiana Family Forum on May 14 and May 17 indicated that a majority of voters in Louisiana supported the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act by a margin of over two to one (67 percent to 25 percent). Moreover, voters from nearly all key demographic groups in Louisiana overwhelmingly supported the Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act.

In July 2014, the CDC reported 1.6 percent of U.S. adults identified themselves as homosexuals and another 0.7 percent described themselves as bisexual.

In 2004, 78 percent of Louisianians amended the constitution to affirm traditional marriage.

However, officials from both the Louisiana tourism and business industry strongly opposed the bill according to a story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. In testifying against the bill, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Stephen Perry called it "a radioactive, poisonous message for (tourism)." 

"The state could lose millions -- up to $65 million a year -- in state tax revenue because of lost business as a result the bill and perceptions that it is discriminatory," Perry said. "Let's not create discriminatory elements in the marketplace that destroy our economy."

Johnson, though, was skeptical about Perry's loss projections. "Those numbers are unsubstantiated," he said. "So much of this is based on mischaracterization of the bill." 

Louisiana Baptist Convention President Steve Horn said in recent days he has been holding to Proverbs 24:10, which states "If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited."

"As we await a decision by the Supreme Court in just a few weeks now, I am thankful for leadership in our state that would have the courage to do something in a difficult time," said Horn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lafayette. "I fear that once again we have allowed the minority position to speak for the majority. Instead of continuing to have an honest debate about a matter that is going to define our culture, the Committee's decision yesterday disallows the debate to continue."

Johnson said he plans to reintroduce the bill during next year's legislative session.

"All of this effort has been about one simple thing –- the need to preserve the most fundamental of all human rights, which is our right of conscience and the freedom of belief," Johnson said. "Everyone in our society deserves dignity and respect, but part of that is upholding the right of people to adhere to their faith."



