The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-05/23/2017 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: When a good man stumbles by Jeff Struecker Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday COLUMBUS, Ga. (BP) -- It's frustrating when you break a tool from your workshop. Most of us have been working away diligently in the backyard only to have a tool break when we needed it most. The frustration is even greater when you never imagined it would break on you. Deep in the back of our mind we all know that any tool can fail at any time. But often we use the same tool repeatedly and subconsciously start to believe it will never let us down. This is just a subtle example of what happens when a "good man" stumbles. The term "good man" I'm using here doesn't mean perfect. We all know there is no such thing as a perfect man apart from Jesus Christ, the only perfect man who ever lived. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. He, according to Hebrews 4:15, never stumbled in his faith or ever committed a sin. The term "good man" I'm referring to is a guy who generally delivers in a specific situation. Maybe it's a baseball player who never drops a fly ball. Maybe it's the guy at work who never shows up late or your neighbor who always mows his lawn on Saturday mornings. When that ballplayer drops the easy fly ball, everybody in the crowd moans. Any ballplayer can miss the fly ball but when this guy misses it's highly unusual. If your coworker shows up 30 minutes late to work, it's probably going to get your attention. If you wake up next Saturday morning and the neighbor isn't mowing his lawn, it's going to make you wonder what's wrong with your neighbor. Likewise, when a good man stumbles, it catches our attention. We're caught off-guard and often not sure what to say. That's a natural response. However, what's the appropriate response? The obvious answer is to go help him up. When your coworker is running 30 minutes late to work, stop him at break and ask if anything is wrong or if there is anything you can do for him. It shows your coworker that you care. When your neighbor didn't mow his lawn on Saturday morning, why don't you find out if there's anything you can do for him? Go knock on his door and ask if you can mow the lawn for him. When a good man stumbles just a little bit it hurts us all because we all believe in the good man. We all want to see the good man get back up, brush himself off and restore what he lost when he stumbled. There's a brief example of this in Luke 23:26. Jesus has been sentenced to death. Crucifixion is the method that the Roman government will use to execute Him. This was a notoriously painful process. If you were to read between the lines in this verse, Jesus had been brutally beaten. The good man who did nothing wrong was sentenced to die for our mistakes (Isaiah 53:5). After the beating, Jesus was forced to carry his own means of execution up a hill to the outskirts of town. This cross would have been large, heavy, rough-cut wood. Somewhere along this route Jesus stumbled. He no longer had the strength to carry the wooden cross to the top of Mount Calvary. The Roman executioners were not about to give Him any mercy. They weren't willing to slow down the pace of Jesus' execution. They grabbed a man in the crowd by the name of Simon and forced him to carry Jesus' cross. Imagine that you're one of Jesus' followers. You have believed Him to be the Son of God. You have staked your life on the claims that He's making as God's anointed. Maybe you and I can get a small glimpse at the shock Jesus' disciples would have experienced when they watched their Savior stumble under the weight of that cross. When they saw this good man stumble it must have been devastating. Notice, none of Jesus' disciples ran over to help Him. They were terrified for their own lives and ran away instead of running to help their Savior. That's why the Roman guards had to force an unknown man to carry Jesus' cross. When you see a good man stumble, rush over to help him up. When you stumble, be willing to lean on somebody to help you get back up and get on your feet. It's part of the common human condition -- we all have stumbled in the past and will stumble again in the future. We all need somebody like Simon to be there when we can't bear the weight anymore. If you have stumbled and made a big mess of your life, it's not too late for you. This is the very reason Jesus was willing to carry His cross in the first place. His death and resurrection make it possible for sinful men and women to be made right with God through repentance of their sins and faith in Jesus Christ. Only when people surrender their lives to Him can they stand before a holy God. -------------------------------------------------------------------- PrayerLink expresses its mission in logo's redesign by Roger S. Oldham Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Calling on the Southern Baptist PrayerLink leadership team to "fan into flame a passionate pursuit of God in prayer," Chris Schofield opened the group's winter meeting as PrayerLink's first executive director. "The Lord is not through with what we began years ago," said Schofield, director of the Office of Prayer for Evangelization and Spiritual Awakening for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. "This ministry cannot be about us. It must not look to the past, but adapt to changing realities and press on to what lies ahead," Schofield said, according to a report in SBC LIFE's pre-convention 2017 issue released earlier this month. SBC LIFE is the journal of the SBC Executive Committee. The PrayerLink leadership team settled on four verbs during its two-day meeting that convey its mission and voted to redesign its logo to reflect its mission. The new logo incorporates the group's global prayer focus; its passion to lift up Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17:20-21; and its desire -- by praying, connecting, resourcing and serving -- to join hands with people of every race and kindred. "We [primarily] serve through praying," Schofield said. "Then we serve the greater group by putting together the logistics of our meetings" so others have a model to emulate in their respective settings, whether churchwide prayer services, small group gatherings or associational meetings. PrayerLink is composed of prayer coordinators from Southern Baptist entities, WMU, state Baptist conventions and Southern Baptist ethnic and language fellowships. Working in collaboration with associations, state Baptist conventions and SBC entities, PrayerLink seeks to foster a Great Commission prayer mindset among Southern Baptists and other Christ-followers and promote Great Commission prayer ministries woven throughout the Southern Baptist network of churches. NAMB prayer initiatives The North American Mission Board hosted the PrayerLink leadership team's Jan. 9–10 meeting in Alpharetta, Ga. William Brown, NAMB's supporting church coordinator, and Maggie Green, endorsed missionary services coordinator, introduced two prayer resources designed to undergird church planters: -- PrayerConnect, "a weekly prayer email sent to subscribers with prayer requests submitted by NAMB missionaries," Brown said. -- Pray for Planters, an initiative to enlist at least 10,000 churches to pray for North American church planting missionaries. Pastors and individuals can register at PrayforPlanters.com to pray through a list of planters in a specific city, state, province or on college campuses. "Every believer can pray, and every church can help plant churches," the website states, encouraging churches to "take the first step" by "choosing a location and committing to pray for church planters there," asking God to "save lives and transform communities through church planters across North America." Church leaders can complete an online form to indicate their desire to pray. NAMB will send a list of planters to pray for and occasional updates of what God has done through their prayers. PrayerLink fall meeting Under the theme "God Is Greater Than," PrayerLink's Oct. 5–7 meeting will consist of three components: -- Two "10-20-30 Prayer Experiences" hosted by First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Ga., a one-hour service on Thursday evening and an extended season of prayer on Friday morning. -- A PrayerLink Forum of invited prayer leaders from across the United States. -- A Saturday Prayer Vision Tour to pray on-site for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, NAMB, Atlanta "Send City" leaders, local church plants in pockets of lostness, university campuses and church revitalization needs. Members of this year's PrayerLink leadership team, in addition to Schofield, are Jerry Dixon, Baptist Resource Network of Pennsylvania/South Jersey; Claude King, LifeWay Christian Resources; Phil Miglioratti, Illinois Baptist State Association; Roger S. Oldham, SBC Executive Committee; Darrell Webb, Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia; Eleanor Witcher, International Mission Board; and Marty Youngblood, Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Rick Shepherd, minister of prayer and spiritual awakening at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., where SBC President Steve Gaines is pastor, also participated in the planning and strategy session. -------------------------------------------------------------------- American views of shame, guilt studied by Bob Smietana Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Many Americans are more worried about their reputation than their conscience, a new study released today (May 23) shows. They worry less about guilt and fear and more about avoiding shame, according to the study from LifeWay Research that was conducted Sept. 27–Oct. 1, 2016. Shame has become particularly powerful in American culture in the internet age, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. A single mistake or embarrassing moment posted on social media can ruin a person's life. "What's our biggest cultural fear?" he asked. "Shame." McConnell added, "What's surprising is not that personal freedom, ambition, and doing the right thing are valued by Americans. It's that risk to our reputation is what matters most." Mixed motivations Shaming has been a part of American life since the days of "The Scarlet Letter." Set among the Puritans, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young mother forced to wear a scarlet "A" after committing adultery, considered a crime at the time. But Americans gave up on public shaming of criminals in the 1830s, according to journalist Jon Ronson, author of "So You've Been Publicly Shamed." Since then, Americans have been more concerned about issues like guilt over wrongdoing, McConnell said. That's shaped how churches have presented their faith to the public, he said. McConnell said LifeWay Research wanted to know if guilt is still a major issue for Americans. That might affect how Christians talk about their faith, he said, since Christianity also addresses needs such as shame and fear. "We wanted to know: are churches addressing the issues Americans care about most?" McConnell said. Researchers asked 1,000 Americans three questions to discover their feelings about fear, shame, guilt and other issues. -- Which of these feelings do you seek to avoid the most? -- Which of these desires is strongest in your life? -- Which of these directions do you value the most? Thirty-eight percent of Americans say they avoid shame the most. Thirty-one percent say guilt, while 30 percent say fear. Education and age play a role in what feelings Americans avoid. Those with graduate degrees (44 percent) are more likely to avoid shame than those with high school diplomas or less (34 percent). Americans ages 25 to 34 avoid guilt (37 percent) more than those 55 and older (27 percent). Middle-aged Americans -- those 35 to 54 -- are the most likely age group to worry about shame at 44 percent. Nones -- those who claim no religious identity -- avoid guilt (35 percent) more than those who are religious (30 percent). Those who are religious avoid shame (39 percent) more than nones (33 percent). Those from non-Christian faiths are most likely to avoid shame (48 percent). McConnell wonders whether Americans see shame as a bigger threat to their reputation or self-worth than guilt. "Guilt says, I deserve to be punished," he said. "But shame says, I am worthless." Personal freedom still crucial LifeWay Research found Americans still prize independence. When asked to name what they desire most from a list of options, 40 percent name personal freedom. Thirty-one percent say respect, while 28 percent say they desire to overcome. Men (44 percent) are more likely to choose personal freedom than women (37 percent). The nones -- those with no religious affiliation -- are more likely to choose personal freedom (50 percent) than Christians (38 percent). Personal freedom also matters most for those 18 to 24 (51 percent). The more Americans attend religious services, the less they value personal freedom. Among those who attend services less than once a month, 44 percent value personal freedom most. That drops to 36 percent for those who attend more than once a month. Americans without evangelical beliefs (42 percent) are also more likely to value personal freedom than those with evangelical beliefs (32 percent). The desire to overcome, the study shows, matters more to Hispanic Americans (37 percent) than to white Americans (25 percent). Those from non-Christian faiths (40 percent) value overcoming more than Christians (27 percent). Christians (35 percent) were more likely to desire respect than nones (21 percent) and those from non-Christian faiths (22 percent). Make Mom proud Some of the most interesting findings, said McConnell, came when researchers asked Americans, "Which of these directions do you value most?" Their options: -- Reaching my potential -- Bringing honor to family and friends -- Having friends in high places Almost no one (3 percent) chose having friends in high places. Instead, Americans were split almost down the middle between reaching their potential (51 percent) and bringing honor to family and friends (46 percent). McConnell sees a link between the two. Americans are ambitious, he said, but it's not always ambition for its own sake. "We want the people we love to be proud of us," he said. "Few of us want to let our family and friends down." Among other findings: -- Those with a graduate degree (57 percent) value reaching their potential more than those who are high school graduates or less (47 percent). -- Nones (63 percent) value reaching their potential more than Christians (46 percent). -- Christians (52 percent) value bringing honor to family and friends more than nones (33 percent). -- Those without evangelical beliefs (53 percent) value reaching their potential more than those with evangelical beliefs (42 percent). -- Those who attend a religious service once a month or more (56 percent) value bringing honor to family and friends more than those who attend less than once a month (42 percent). McConnell is skeptical of one finding in the survey -- the idea few Americans value having friends in high places. He wonders whether some Americans are ashamed to admit they want to be well connected. Perhaps, he said, making Mom proud is more powerful than having rich friends. "We all want to be appreciated by the ones we love," he said. Methodology LifeWay Research conducted the study Sept. 27–Oct. 1, 2016. The survey was conducted using the web-enabled KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Initially, participants are chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. People in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the web-enabled KnowledgePanel. For those who agree to participate but do not already have internet access, market research company GfK provides at no cost a laptop and ISP connection. Sample stratification and weights were used for gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, metro/non-metro, education and income to reflect the most recent U.S. Census data. The completed sample is 1,000 surveys. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 3.1 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups. LifeWay Research is a Nashville-based, evangelical research firm that specializes in surveys about faith in culture and matters that affect churches. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TN passes viability test for abortions after 20 weeks by Samantha Gobba/WORLD News Service Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill May 12 that requires abortionists to evaluate unborn babies for their ability to live outside the womb after 20 weeks' gestation. The new law bans abortions on unborn babies shown to be viable and requires medical opinions from two abortionists. Violators could be slapped with possible felony charges, sent to prison for up to three years, and have their medical licenses revoked. The law makes exceptions for cases in which carrying a baby to term endangers the mother's life or vital organs. Last month, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery called the bill "constitutionally infirm," but more recently said he would defend it, Haslam said. Tennessee's new law follows the example of Ohio's 2011 ban on abortions after 20 weeks unless a doctor proves the baby isn't viable. Since the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision, states have been allowed to ban abortion after viability, which the court considered to be as early as 24 weeks' gestation. But Tennessee Right to Life's policy director Will Brewer said recent advances in medical technology have pushed viability back to 23 weeks or earlier. "So because of this increase of technology and awareness of when babies can become viable, we wanted to clarify our law in Tennessee to meet those technological increases," he said. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) delivered a letter to Haslam on Friday, calling the bill unconstitutional and urging him to veto it. After he signed it into law, ACLU of Tennessee Executive Director Hedy Weinberg expressed disappointment in a statement: "While we may not all agree about the right to abortion, it is important that we support a woman and allow her to make the best decision for her health and personal circumstances -- without political interference." But pro-lifers rejoiced. "We're thrilled with [Haslam's] support, we're thrilled with the overwhelming vote by the legislature in Tennessee, and we really feel like the legislature this year was extremely successful in answering the desires and the needs of the people of Tennessee, and we hope that other states will follow suit," Brewer said. While it is not yet clear whether the law will face legal challenges, pro-life leaders are optimistic it will stand up to judicial scrutiny. Deanna Wallace with Americans United for Life referenced the 1989 Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Missouri law that required viability testing after 20 weeks' gestation. "Requirements requiring viability testing at 20 weeks are not new, but it is certainly feasible that Tennessee's passage of the requirement could bring renewed attention to the concept," she said. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TX governor signs bill to 'shield' pastors' sermons by Bonnie Pritchett/Southern Baptist TEXAN Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday AUSTIN (BP) -- Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation Sunday (May 21) that prohibits Texas government agencies from subpoenaing the sermons of religious leaders. In a ceremony choreographed to highlight the bill's benefactors Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick signed the bill surrounded by Houston area clergy during the May 21 worship service at Grace Church, Woodlands, Texas. Four of the five Houston pastors whose sermons became the target of a sweeping 2014 subpoena "fishing expedition" by City of Houston attorneys and then-Mayor Annise Parker joined the signing ceremony. In messages emphasizing spiritual and political courage, Abbott and Patrick also spoke of their Christian faith before signing the legislation that gives pastors protection from future incursions by the government into Texas houses of worship. "We're grateful for the bill," Steve Riggle, one of the subpoenaed pastors, told Abbott and Patrick. "Thank you for that backup. We never thought we'd need that but this is a crazy day. We never thought we'd have to define 'men' and 'women' either but here we are." Whether or not men who identified as women could use women's public restrooms, locker rooms and showers -- and vice versa -- became the key issue during the 2014 fight to repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). A diverse contingent of Houston pastors had rallied their congregations, unsuccessfully, to fight passage of the ordinance that gave protected class status to gays, lesbians and transgender persons, including access to public restrooms according to gender identity, not biological sex. Parker and then-City Attorney David Feldman thwarted a repeal effort and the pastors sued. During the pre-trial investigations, attorneys representing the city served the subpoenas which requested material in 17 categories including "all speeches, presentations or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by or approved by you or in your possession." The pastors refused to relinquish the sermons. The city balked and withdrew the subpoenas but not before the incident gained national attention as an apparent example of government overreach and an affront to First Amendment liberties. "You are freedom fighters," Abbott told the congregation at Grace Church, Woodlands, a non-denominational multi-site church. "You realized that when subpoenas were issued on your own pastor, when you had to fight against your own government right here in Houston for your freedom -- your freedom of religion," Abbott said. The controversy sparked a national furor and pleas from Houston's gay-affirming pastors before Parker and city attorneys withdrew the subpoenas. But the fact that they had been issued at all disturbed religious liberty proponents. Senate Bill 24, authored by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, protects clergy from government overreach in civil investigations. No governmental agency can force religious leaders to turn over their sermons or compel clergy to testify about their sermons according to the bill. "You will be shielded from any other efforts from any other government official anywhere in the state of Texas from having subpoenas trying to pry into what you are doing here in your churches," Abbott said. Patrick cited several Bible verses to encourage the congregation to seek God's wisdom and then ask for the courage to act upon it. A small band of protestors stood at the church driveway holding signs that read, "Church in state is unpatriotic," and "God and politix [sic] don't mix." Critics questioned the propriety of mixing a church service with a bill signing ceremony. But governors and presidents often take the occasion of bill signing to surround themselves with the people the bill is drafted to help. "Freedom of religion is the most sacred of our rights -- it is what makes us America and is what gave our nation its start," said Abbott in a statement following the signing. "Efforts to erode religious liberty are a threat to all liberty, and our religious leaders must be absolutely secure in the knowledge that religious freedom is beyond the reach of government. I am proud to sign this bill to shield our pastors' sermons from subpoena and their right to speak freely about their faith." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Rural Bapt. church sees 900 baptisms in 6 years by Grace Thornton/The Alabama Baptist Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday GADSDEN, Ala. (BP) -- In 1995, Joey Hanner was a trucker who was about to give up on his marriage -- and he was one Sunday service away from giving up on church too. "We were going to give church one more try and then we were going to end our marriage," he said. They were so mad at each other they hadn't even realized that day was their 12th wedding anniversary, Hanner said. And they had no idea it was about to become an even more significant date. During the altar call, Hanner and wife Connie both separately ran down the aisle, only to look up from tearful, broken prayers and see the other one kneeling there too. "We both got saved that day," Hanner said. "God healed me and He got me out of my truck and into ministry." And ever since then, he's had no problems telling anybody and everybody about the hope that Jesus offers. Something missing But when Hanner became pastor of Union No. 3 Baptist Church near Gadsden, Ala., six years ago, he knew he and his church were missing something important. He went to an event in North Carolina where discipleship was emphasized, and with a burdened heart he came back and asked a question to the congregation of about 130 people. "I asked them to stand if they had been discipled one on one before and only two people stood up," he said. That lit a fire in Hanner and it kicked off a movement toward discipleship in the rural church, which sits on 82 acres "15 minutes from everything," he said. They've seen 900 baptized in the past six years and grown from averaging 130 to 700 on a Sunday morning. And they've moved from one service to two. "We're a very strong evangelistic church," Hanner said, noting that about 50 people go out every Sunday and Thursday from the church to make visits in the community. One on one But not only that -- they follow it up with discipleship, he said. Hundreds have been discipled one on one by other members of Union No. 3 Baptist since he asked that question years ago. "Since we started discipling, our church has matured. We've caught the vision of what a true Acts 1:8 church should look like," Hanner said. "When you cross those borders, when you begin to really get into God's Word, you get to the point where you will go anywhere, say anything and talk to anyone for the sake of the Gospel." That's why Dan Garland, director of pastoral ministries and church consulting for LifeWay Christian Resources, said he recommended Union No. 3 Baptist to be featured in a video at the 2017 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 13–14 in Phoenix, Ariz. "I was impressed with the number of young men who are being discipled at the church," Garland said. "We're talking about a church in the middle of nowhere ... and some people drive more than a half hour to be a part. It's a great church and God is doing amazing things there." The key to all of it has been the church growing and maturing in Christ, Hanner said. "It's been humbling and phenomenal to see what God has done. We're just trying to stay out of His way." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: Okla., Ariz. and Fla. evangelism/missions news; 'If we don't show the love of God ... who will?' by Staff Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday Today's From the States features items from: The Baptist Messenger (Oklahoma) Portraits (Arizona) Florida Baptist Witness ********** Okla. pastor shines light on Asian 'hidden harvest' By Chris Forbes LAWTON, Okla. (The Baptist Messenger) -- It's 6:30 a.m., Monday. Chunhai Li is loading up his car with Bibles, Christian literature, song sheets and heading out with a few faithful members of Oklahoma City-area Chinese churches toward Lawton. Chunhai is a worker in Oklahoma's Chinese Hidden Harvest, one among several of Oklahoma's underserved, overlooked people groups or population segments. Li is pastor of the Northwest Mandarin Church in Oklahoma City, but every other week he is leading a church planting ministry in southwest Oklahoma. The idea for this ministry began unexpectedly. "In the summer of 2015, an opportunity came up for me to translate for a Chinese chef at a hospital in Lawton," Pastor Li said. "His eyes were injured, and (he) needed to visit his eye doctor. After the translation, I visited two church friends. They brought me to a local Chinese restaurant, Asian Buffet. Once there, I was pleasantly surprised to find three Chinese Christian women working in the restaurant." "We feel so thirsty and hungry spiritually," the ladies told Li. "Last night, we asked God to send a pastor to come here and visit us, and now you are here. You are an answer to our prayers." "Yes, I believe I must be," Pastor Li beamed. "Ever since then, our church has come down to Lawton to have fellowship with them, encouraging the Christians and reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ." In August 2016, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) began supporting the ministry as a church plant. First Chinese Church in Lawton, Okla., is still building and discipling their core group. In less than a year, the group has grown to 15 people who are active with another 15-20 prospective contacts from Lawton's Asian population of 3,268. "Most of our active members own or work in Chinese restaurants," Li said. "They are very busy, so it works out better for them if we meet in their restaurants. We rotate our meeting location between two restaurants, Hibachi Sushi & Buffet and Asian Buffet. We have a bi-weekly worship service at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays before the restaurants open." After a time of worship, Pastor Li leads a small group to do outreach to workers in all the Chinese restaurants. "A little while after we began, I realized that a group of overlooked people needed our ministry, the women who work in Lawton's massage parlors," Li said. "I spoke to my wife about this need, and she said, 'If we don't show the love of God to these women, who will?'" Each week, Pastor Li and his group of faithful witnesses can be seen traipsing from restaurant to restaurant, and massage parlor to massage parlor to meet with, witness to and pray with workers there. Sometimes the team visits the same location a few times as other workers to whom they minister are arriving for work. "We also make home visits with people who contact me via social media," he explained. The harvest work continues. Pastor Li is praying that God will raise up some faithful local leaders. "We also are praying that God will lead some of our faithful Chinese Christian families to move to Lawton for two or three years to help us win and disciple new believers who can become leaders in this new church. And they can continue to spread the Gospel for His Kingdom," he said. --30-- This article appeared in The Baptist Messenger, newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Chris Forbes is the church planting strategist for the BGCO. ********** Navajo Nation 'little white church' lives again in Ariz. By Jean Bihn TUBA CITY, Ariz. (Portraits) -- A small white church off a newly-paved road is heated by a wood stove and lit by sunlight coming through its few windows. Worship music is led by a Navajo couple -- the husband sings as well as strums his guitar. The pastor, Jesse Billy, grew up in the Navajo Nation, where his grandfather was a medicine man. "My mother was born into a very traditional Navajo home and, at times, depended on medicine men," Billy says. "But then my aunt was saved, and she led my mother to the Lord." Witnessing did not stop there -- Billy's mother led him to Christ when he was nine. Jesse Billy eventually moved his young family to southern California, specifically East Los Angeles, so he could study at The Master's University. In 1992, they decided to return to the Navajo Nation. "We moved back because our roots are here," says Billy, who was a high school science teacher. After renewing his relationship with the Lord in 2004, Billy began teaching Sunday School at First Southern Baptist Church of Tuba City. Then, he was asked to provide pulpit supply for Kayenta Bible Church and was later called as pastor of First Southern, Tuba City. From the beginning of his Tuba City pastorate, he dreamed of the little white church about 40 minutes away. It had been the home of Coppermine Baptist Church, where his mother had been a member, before it disbanded. He had a vision for restarting the church. Today, as he continues as pastor of the Tuba City church, he also leads the group that meets in the little white church, now known as First Windmill Baptist Church. Billy says he hesitates to use the name "First Windmill Baptist Church," as he wants its members -- in what he calls a sign of ownership -- to determine a name for the new work. As a church planter, Billy's salary is supported by the North American Mission Board through the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, which means it comes from the giving of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. A few additional organizations and churches in the state also contribute to his support. Billy recently helped First Southern, Tuba City, establish a Bible institute "to train men to serve in churches that have been planted and carry on the work," he says. Tuition is kept at a minimum, he adds. A few churches have been known to mix some traditional Navajo philosophies with Christian worship, Billy says. "Some church pastors haven't studied the Bible and don't know where to draw the line." But this self-described "Rez preacher" clearly separates the two: "This is not the god of the trees, or the god of the wind or the god of the mountains," Billy preached recently. "The God of the Bible is God! He comes as light into the world." --30-- This article appeared in Portraits (portraits.azsbc.org), newsjournal of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention. Jean Bihn, a freelance writer and photographer, is a member of Mountain Ridge Baptist Church, Glendale. ********** Fla. church's 'Come to the Cross' emphasis bears fruit By Michael Smith BRANDON, Fla. (Florida Baptist Witness) -- Mary had tried to share the Gospel message with her stepfather Peter for several years, but he never seemed interested in hearing about the things of God. So, earlier this year, when Bell Shoals Baptist Church Senior Pastor Stephen Rummage shared during a worship service about the opportunity for the congregation to "Come to the Cross" to pray for unsaved friends and family members, Peter's name came to mind for Mary and her family. During the four-week emphasis on the church's five campuses and at Bell Shoals Baptist Academy, believers wrote down the names of lost family and friends on a piece of paper and "nailed" the paper to large wooden crosses. They also committed to pray for and witness to the people whose name they wrote down. When George Thomasson, pastor of multisite development at Bell Shoals, had visited Mary's stepfather in the hospital last August before his surgery for a tumor on his bladder, Peter saw no need for God in his life. Following that surgery Peter found out that a second surgery would be necessary. Pastor Thomasson again visited him in the hospital, but he still wasn't interested in being prayed for. Mary didn't give up on him. She continued to pray for him and with him -- always making sure to share the Gospel in her prayer -- while he was in the hospital for several weeks and after he was able to come home. Mary continued to visit her stepfather in his home, and even after he moved to Tennessee earlier this year. Slowly, he started to become more open to her praying with him. A few days before Peter's birthday, Mary found out that his cancer had spread to his brain. When Mary called Peter on his birthday she prayed with him, and after the prayer he said, "I do believe, Mary." He told her he wanted to pray to receive Christ as his Savior. That week Peter had to be hospitalized again and doctors discovered that the cancer had spread into his blood and the tumors in his brain had grown. While in the hospital he slipped in to a coma and he passed away at age 76. The Sunday before Peter passed away, Mary and her family were able to place yellow and red ribbons on his name on the cross at Bell Shoals, signifying that he had heard the Gospel and received Christ as his Savior. Mary offers this encouragement to people who are praying for friends and family members to be saved: "Never, ever give up." --30-- This article appeared in the Florida Baptist Witness (gofbw.com), newsjournal of the Florida Baptist Convention. Michael Smith is a freelance writer living in the Tampa area. ********** EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump's Israel trip sparks 'revival of encouragement' by David Roach Date: May 23, 2017 - Tuesday JERUSALEM (BP) -- President Trump's visit to Israel this week drew praise from some Southern Baptists and led some of them to renew calls for moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "For several years the Jewish people in America and Messianic Jewish communities have been pleading with our government to bring back the relationship that we once had with Israel and the Jewish people," said Ric Worshill, president of the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship. "Israel has never stopped supporting the U.S. Now that President Trump is fulfilling his promises to rebuild our relationship and support of Israel as our main ally in the Middle East, we are seeing a powerful revival of encouragement among Jewish people and Messianic Jewish worshipers [Jews who follow Jesus as Messiah] in the U.S.A. and all around the world," Worshill told Baptist Press in written comments. During Trump's May 22-23 visit to Israel, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Trump promised to "stand with Israel" and expressed optimism regarding "a renewed effort at peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians," according to media reports. No previous American president has visited Israel this early in his first term, The New York Times reported. Trump is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Old City, the walled section of Jerusalem claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians. The Old City was captured by Israel in a 1967 military conflict with Jordan and remains under Israeli control. Among Trump's stops on the trip were the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site traditionally regarded as the location of Christ's death, burial and resurrection; the Western Wall, the only portion of the Jewish Temple left standing after its destruction in A.D. 70; and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. Worshill called Trump's visit "an answer to many years of prayer" and "an important signal to the Middle East nations that the U.S. boldly stands with Israel." "Like myself, many Messianic worshipers and Jewish believers feel that President Trump will work hard to help illustrate the truth that Israel desires safety and freedom for all of its inhabitants, including all faiths and ethnic backgrounds," Worshill said. "Like the U.S., Israel is a melting pot of people from all over the world." Worshill added that while "the killing of innocent" Muslims, Christians and Jews in Israel must stop, "I don't believe there will be true peace in Israel or on the earth until the Lord returns." U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, a Southern Baptist and an Arizona Republican, said Trump's Israel visit signals "a new day has dawned" in U.S.-Israel relations after some tension between Israel and the Obama administration. At a May 22 press conference in Washington, Franks called on the Trump administration to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Such a move would be controversial because the United Nations and many countries regard portions of Jerusalem as Palestinian territory. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem likely would be viewed as an endorsement of Israel's claim to the entire city. "Jerusalem should never have been a bargaining chip to bring Palestinians to the negotiation table," Franks said at the press conference according to prepared remarks provided by his office. "Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and Israel the world's only Jewish state. America stood with the Jewish people in restoring their ancient state. It is now time to truly recognize her ancient and eternal city as her eternal and undivided capital," Franks said. A May 16 letter to Trump from the American Christian Leaders for Israel coalition noted that the Jerusalem Embassy Act, adopted by Congress in 1995, declared the U.S. embassy should be moved to Jerusalem by 1999. The move has never occurred, the letter stated, because each U.S. president since the legislation was adopted has exercised a provision of the law allowing him to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv if "necessary to protect the security interests of the United States." "Now we ask you to send a message early in your administration that the United States will indeed honor its strongest and only true democratic ally in the Middle East by respecting its capital city -- Jerusalem -- and immediately moving the U.S. Embassy there," the letter stated. The letter's signatories included at least five Southern Baptists: Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters; Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta; Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel; Tony Crisp, pastor of Eastanallee Baptist Church in Riceville, Tenn.; and Dean Haun, pastor of First Baptist Church in Morristown, Tenn. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said he would move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told CBN News May 16 she believes "that the capital should be Jerusalem and the embassy should be moved to Jerusalem." In 2016, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution "on prayer and support for Israel" that "commit[ted] to bless Israel" and supported its "right ... to exist as a sovereign nation." The resolution added, "We recommit ourselves to pray for God's peace to rule in Jerusalem and for the salvation of Israel, for the Gospel is 'God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew' (Romans 1:16)."