The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/04/2014 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Luter reflects on presidency, remains hopeful for future by Staff/Baptist Message Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday NEW ORLEANS (BP) –- On the cusp of completing his two-year presidential tenure as the first African American president of the Southern Baptist Convention, pastor Fred Luter sat down for a question-and-answer session with the Baptist Message, the newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. "My prayer and hope is that this diversity will continue once my term ends at the Baltimore convention," Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. "I truly feel strongly that it will." President Luter's answers to Baptist Message questions MESSAGE: Would you reflect on being president of the Southern Baptist Convention for the past two years? LUTER: It has truly been overwhelming to serve in such a position. On one hand, you are doing your best to visit as many churches, associations, state conventions, seminaries, colleges and entities as your time and schedule permit. On the other hand, you are getting phone calls, emails, texts from people all across the country making all kinds of requests from book endorsements, writing letters for all types of events, to media requests for interviews on current events happening in our country as well as throughout the world. Then, to add to that I have to still maintain my most important roles as a husband, father and pastor. Whew! MESSAGE: What do you think you were able to accomplish during your time as president? LUTER: I have been truly proud to visit a lot of smaller churches, associations and conventions where it is the very first time an SBC president has been there. I also think I was able to accomplish more diversity in meetings across the country and our convention. There is more participation from ethnic groups getting involved in the SBC. Finally, I believe I was able to remind our churches and convention of how important revival and prayer are to us carrying out the Great Commission. MESSAGE: What were the greatest challenges you faced during your terms? LUTER: My greatest challenge was trying to accommodate all of the requests for speaking engagements. I could have used at least three more of me the past two years. MESSAGE: In your opinion, what is the state of the SBC at this time? LUTER: I believe the state of our convention is good; however there is a saying that goes, "We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go." We as a convention have to address our declining numbers in church attendance, baptism, reaching our young people and CP giving. Until we can do better in those areas there will always be room for improvement. That is why revival and prayer are so critical at this time. MESSAGE: Does the Cooperative Program remain strong and viable today? How do you see the CP's future shaping up? LUTER: The Cooperative Program is not only viable but also critical to this convention if we are going to impact our world with the Gospel. Because of our CP giving we are able to put missionaries all over the world to share the Gospel with unreached people groups. We are also able to start and strengthen churches, as well as assist students at our seminaries who are being trained as future leaders in our convention. As for the future of CP giving, our churches must make our CP giving a priority because it is the engine that runs the SBC. MESSAGE: Having been the SBC's first African American president, do you think the SBC is doing a better job of becoming more diverse? Do you see this diversity continuing after you leave office? LUTER: Because I was elected unopposed as the first African American president, I have certainly seen more conversation, both written and spoken, about the importance of involving all ethnic groups in SBC activities. And to that I say, "Praise the Lord." In all of my travels across the country I have truly been impressed by the diversity at each function, whether it was a worship service or a Q & A time with the president. My prayer and hope is that this diversity will continue once my term ends at the Baltimore convention. I truly feel strongly that it will. MESSAGE: You mentioned in your first SBC presidential press conference that the president of the convention is not a position of power but of influence. How much influence do you think have you had in that position? LUTER: I think I have been able to influence more African American pastors and churches to consider becoming a part of the Southern Baptist Convention. I also think I have had an influence in showing it is possible for all of us to work together regardless of race or the size of your church or convention. MESSAGE: As president of the SBC, you traveled quite frequently. What is your favorite new city that you visited and favorite new food you ate while on the road? LUTER: I have been to so many cities and eaten so much food; however I vividly remember the bacon-wrapped shrimp in a small town in North Carolina. Being from New Orleans, I was truly impressed. The cheese biscuits at Jim 'N Nicks in Alabama however came in a close second. MESSAGE: If you could give a word of advice to the next SBC president, what would that be? LUTER: Get out of the election! No seriously, make sure he has a good staff at his home church taking care of the pastoral responsibilities while he is traveling for convention business. Also if at all possible, make a commitment to preach in your pulpit on Sunday mornings. Your church members will understand your being gone during the week however they want to hear their pastor on Sunday mornings. MESSAGE: With the changing landscape of American culture, what do you see as the biggest threat to the family structure today and what will it take to turn that around? LUTER: The biggest threat to the family structure is husbands and dads not accepting their roles as priest, protector and provider for their family. I am convinced that "as the man goes, so goes the family." A close second is the absence of discipline. Again, I am convinced that love for God, respect for mankind, values and morals start in the home. To turn this around, our churches need to challenge the men in our congregation to accept their God-given role as leaders of their families. I am convinced that our kids can never be what they have never seen. --30-- The Baptist Message is the newsjournal of the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd VIEW: CP taking church 'outside of its box' to reach world for Christ by Karen L. Willoughby Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday EDITOR'S NOTE: 2nd VIEW is a key Baptist Press story that has been posted within the past several days. For a listing of additional key stories in Baptist Press in recent days, always take a look at the daily RECENT NEWS listing. Originally posted June 3, 2014. GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (BP) -- The Cooperative Program extends worldwide the reach of the 150 or so Sunday worshippers at Monument Baptist Church in Grand Junction, Colo., who lead an assortment of diverse ministries within and outside the church. While Monument Baptist Grand Junction has been missions-minded and outward-focused since its start in 1971, pastor Ray Shirley has led it to expand its reach while also ministering within the church family. The church sends 10 percent of its undesignated offerings to missions through the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptists work together to fund missions and ministries in state conventions, North America and worldwide. "The Cooperative Program helps link us [all Southern Baptist churches] together so we can be on mission together," Shirley said. "We believe part of the commitment we make as Southern Baptists is to support the Cooperative Program. We believe it is our privilege to be part of that and to support missions locally, nationally and internationally. It really is a togetherness, and I like that." "We're the body of Christ, the family of God, and the Cooperative Program is a good representation of that," he said. "We're all going in the same direction, using our gifts differently." The church donates a total of 22 percent of its operating budget to a variety of missions causes, supporting two Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ International) missionaries, an aviation ministry, Creation Puppeteers, the Alpha and Omega Institute, the International Mission Board and local pregnancy and homeless ministries. "The hardest part of ministry is to be a healthy internal church and healthy outgoing church," Shirley said. "It's a hard battle because in mainline Christianity and even among mainline Southern Baptists, we're really good at addressing the felt needs we're comfortable with. "At our church, we face those same struggles and bridging that gap to actually being a missional person who is evangelizing and striving to take the church outside of itself, outside of its box, that has been a struggle." In addition to starting two other churches, Monument Baptist Grand Junction has developed onsite softball and soccer fields available without cost to any team that wants to use them. The fields are in use at least five nights a week. Its youth have gone on World Changers construction mission trips seven times in the last 12 years. Adults have gone on a dozen or more mission trips since 2000, when Shirley was called as pastor. A Care Team helps facilitate the church's ministerial reach. "As a church what we did to help meet the internal issue was to develop a Care Team," said Shirley, who is vice president of the Colorado Baptist General Convention and active in Grand Valley Baptist Association and the community. "I can't do all the hospital visits, for example, but we have five couples –- who minister as couples –- to meet those needs I am unable to meet." Shirley and his wife Dianna joined the local community theater group when their son, then a third-grader, showed an interest in acting. This has led to the church's unique ministry to the theater community, which Shirley said has little Gospel presence. "We discovered a half-dozen more people in the church who enjoyed performing, and more since," Shirley said. "It's developed into a safe place to learn about the arts. … The hardest part of this theatre ministry is to be genuine and real; we're all sinners. "We're trying to build a bridge to the lost," he said. "If God reveals a pocket of lostness and we're not willing to go there, then shame on us. The theatre community is a people group that has little or no Christian witness. The Holy Spirit is going to do the work; we're the instruments He uses. "We have gotten to know several people who are homosexuals," Shirley said. "The Lord has shown us you can love the sinner and not the sin." One of the church's members developed a burden for people who are deaf nine years ago after a Sunday guest speaker addressed the need. Understanding this to be a calling from God, Robin Stepanek went to school to study deaf ministry. Today, Stepanek is Monument Baptist Grand Junction's deaf coordinator, leading a ministry that reaches statewide with the church's three trained interpreters. "We host deaf conferences and deaf retreats and host a deaf conference in the fall that is attended by up to 100 from all over Colorado," Shirley said. "For the last four years we've conducted classes in three levels of sign language interpretation that up to 200 students were involved in." The church's interpreters translate for the deaf community in a variety of venues, including the local college, the university, medical and legal appointments throughout the Colorado Western Slope and sometimes as far as Denver. "With being the church comes a heavy responsibility," Shirley said. "Ministry is to be part of all our lives." One of his challenges is in helping all members of the Monument Baptist Grand Junction congregation find their ministry, and giving members opportunities to serve and learn at the same time, he said. "Grand Junction is so wide open," Shirley said. "We have so many people who don't go to church or who are disgruntled. Basically you've got to know your story; you've got to take your story into the community so they see Christ in us. "Our goal is to take the health of the church into the community," Shirley said. "As we put our feet in motion, Christ can heal from within." --30-- Karen L. Willoughby is a national correspondent for Baptist Press. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: The swap & the cross by Malcolm Yarnell Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday EDITOR'S NOTE: Seminary professor Malcolm Yarnell comments on the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The May 31 swap of Bergdahl for the Taliban detainees comes nearly five years after the Army sergeant went missing from his infantry division in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was the last U.S. soldier unaccounted for in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- The news is shocking. An Army sergeant allegedly walks away from his post; six soldiers were apparently killed trying to find him; five hardened terrorist leaders were released for him; and one U.S. president may have violated a law for him. Twelve lives affected -- a high price for one man's freedom. I pray this one man understands how grateful he should be for all those who have paid and may yet pay a price for his fleshly freedom. More than that, I pray he perceives that the Creator of the universe paid an even higher price to offer him – and us -- free redemption. When the Son of God, entirely divine, became a man, He emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives, making himself of no reputation. When the Son of God, supremely holy, took our sin upon Himself and received our death, He humbled Himself even further. Is Bowe Bergdahl worthy of the lives apparently lost and the law allegedly broken and the future lives endangered to win his release? A more poignantly personal question, however, is, Are any of us as sinful human beings worthy of the sacrifice made by a sovereign, holy God on our behalf? Indeed, we are less worthy of that perfect sacrifice, which works our spiritual freedom, than Bergdahl is of these high human sacrifices, which have worked his fleshly freedom. And this God, this man, this one we know as Jesus Christ, He made this perfect sacrifice for all of us unworthy human beings. Would that we were more indignant, not about the question of Bergdahl's freedom and worthiness, but about the eternal crisis regarding our freedom and unworthiness -- for none of us are worthy of God's love and yet love us He did. This is the most pertinent question facing us today. Even as we hear of one man's freedom for an apparently terrible price, let us rejoice more about the freedom offered to all human beings at the greatest ontological cost of that perfect God-man's life. Let this be an opportunity for us to exalt the crucified God, who is also the risen Savior. This should cause us to tremble at how great a love God has for us -- the Father sent His Son to become our brother that He might give His life for our lives. From the perspective of what it cost God, the cross is the greatest injustice. From the perspective of His character, this is the greatest justice. From the perspective of our unworthiness, this is the greatest love. From the perspective of our attitude, the cross ought to invoke wonder and worship for the God who embodies love and justice in perfection. --30-- Malcolm Yarnell is professor of systematic theology and chair of the systematic theology department at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He also directs the seminary's Center for Theological Research. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Graham marks 25 years at Prestonwood by Berta Delgado-Young Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday PLANO, Texas (BP) -- Prestonwood Baptist Church celebrated the 25th anniversary of pastor Jack Graham during special services this past weekend (May 31-June 1) that joined all three campuses for the first time. Graham, who has led the Dallas-area Prestonwood to become one of the country's largest churches, thanked the congregation for the privilege of being their pastor yet made it clear that the celebration was not about him. "I say this is a Jesus church; it's His church…. Our focus is on Him; He is the one we adore; He is the one we proclaim; He is the one we love," said Graham, 63, who was president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2002-04. "All of this is for Him, and Him alone, for He is worthy of all our praise." Graham recounted the story of the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem when He was going to give His life on the cross. People greeted Jesus with praise and adoration and "hosannas." "That donkey was smart enough to know that the praise and the applause were not for him," Graham said. "I'm just a donkey carrying the message of Jesus." In the quarter-century that Graham has led Prestonwood, much has changed. The church has grown from 8,000 members to more than 37,000 members and from one campus to three campuses, in Plano, Prosper and Dallas. In the past 25 years, more than 19,000 people have been baptized and more than 15,000 members of the church have served on mission trips throughout the country and world. At the same time, however, little has changed. "The message is the same," Graham said. "I'm still preaching the message of the Gospel and the saving grace of Jesus Christ." Graham, in an interview, spoke about the past, the present and the future as Prestonwood's pastor. BP: How would you describe the past 25 years at Prestonwood? GRAHAM: God has exceeded all I could have ever imagined. … When I came to Prestonwood, I knew the promise for great growth. It was in a great community. When I got here, the people of Prestonwood understood that they existed for those who were not yet here. I found a congregation that was already growing and had just been through a difficult time with the resignation of the pastor. It was just a matter of allowing the church to heal and providing new leadership. It was risky. I was in West Palm Beach and our church was growing and I was hopeful to stay there for my entire ministry, but this call was so compelling, and truly the people of Prestonwood prayed us here. There was never a strategic plan for this, no big vision. I remember one of the members of the pastor search committee asking me what would be my vision for Prestonwood, and I answered, "I have no idea. But I do know that if we preach and teach God's Word and are committed to reaching people for Christ locally, nationally and internationally, then God will help us to grow." BP: How would you describe the relationship between you and the church family? GRAHAM: I always have to be careful what I ask of our people because they are so ready to do whatever is needed to reach others for Christ. When we look at what God has done, this has not been the result of the work of a few but the sacrifice of many. We've had struggles along the way and difficulties to overcome, but every time, this church has responded to the challenge and the people have trusted in God and His faithfulness. The celebration of our church and what we've done together truly have been the work of the Holy Spirit and the faithfulness of God. I stand amazed at what has happened here. BP: What is the focus of Prestonwood right now? GRAHAM: Jesus said to be fishers of men, and we just keep a lot of hooks in the water. We refuse to be happy with where we are. Until the last person within the scope of our influence is won for Christ, our mission is not complete. We will continue to make the Great Commission our mission, so we will stay externally focused -- whether that is locally or expanding our global outreach. BP: What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the Christian church today? GRAHAM: Our greatest challenge is complacency and the lukewarmness that Jesus talked about to the church at Laodicea. I would also say we are facing great challenges to religious liberty, which will be increasingly more difficult on the church. But I am confident the message will prevail and the church will advance despite obstacles, but it's becoming more difficult and challenging in this generation. I don't want it to happen on our watch. I don't want to have to say to our grandchildren that we failed to stand up and speak up for the freedoms and faith that we hold so dearly. BP: What would you like your legacy to be? GRAHAM: I've always said that it's not about leaving a legacy but living a legacy. I want to be faithful with the resources God has given us -- "to whom much is given, much is required." I want my family and my children's children to carry on the message of faith. The apostle Paul said, "I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord." I want to finish my course with joy. Unfortunately, you see too many ministers who end up joyless in life. I want to be joyful in the ministry that I've been given and that I'm ready to pass the baton to someone else when the time comes. BP: Looking back, is there anything you would do differently? GRAHAM: I don't have a lot of regrets. Sure, there are some things that I would have done differently but the good hand of God has been upon us and He's led us all the way. I've never wanted to do anything but be a pastor. If I had 1,000 lives to live, I would live every one of them for Jesus and doing what He called me to do. BP: What are you thinking about in terms of the future for you? GRAHAM: Games are won or lost in the late innings or in the fourth quarter. I want to finish well and be remembered as a person who was faithful to the calling God gave me so long ago. I expect to do more teaching internationally next year. I spoke in China, Romania and the Dominican Republic over the past year and will be going to India and Brazil in the coming year. We have great young ministers in place at Prestonwood, so I am able to go abroad to teach a new generation of leaders and train pastors on the mission field. It will become a natural transition when I'm no longer the pastor here. But I intend to keep preaching as long as God gives me breath. --30-- Berta Delgado-Young is editor in Prestonwood Baptist Church's communications ministry. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dad's murder pushed Graham into the unseen by Berta Delgado-Young Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday PLANO, Texas (BP) -- In his father's hospital room, amid the whir and thunk of life support equipment, a young Jack Graham squeezed the hand of his dad -- his hero -- as he had repeatedly over the last days. This time, though, and only this time, he felt the tiniest squeeze in return, one last response from Thomas Benjamin Graham before his Lord took him home. But the horrific events that put father and son in the hospital room in Fort Worth, Texas, opened a door to an unseen spiritual war, one waged beyond the church's familiar teachings on salvation and personal evangelism and rebellion and sin. For many, including Jack Graham, church and faith existed in the natural realm and "Spirit-led anything was relegated to the snake-handlers at the church down the street." But that was before a thief bludgeoned his father with a hammer outside the hardware store he managed, and before the young preacher went to a hospital chapel, emotionally broken, asking the biggest question in life: Why Father, why did this happen? The search for answers took Graham deep into this unseen world, a world that clearly exists in the Bible but one that is unfamiliar to many professing Christians. Is Satan real or merely a representation of evil? Is the Holy Spirit a true part of the Trinity or just a symbol of God's presence? For Graham, the existence of the supernatural world is unmistakable, stirring led him to write "Unseen: Angels, Satan, Heaven, Hell and Winning the Battle for Eternity" (Bethany House Publishers, 2013), his latest book and the one he calls his most important. "There's more to life than what we see," Graham said. "And the world as we know it, as we see it, is passing away. But the invisible world with angels, demons, heaven and hell is forever." The apostle Paul warned of "principalities and powers and rulers of the dark places" in the book of Ephesians, and Graham said he sees that battle in the culture wars of America today. "I'm praying that God will use this book to wake us up to this war," he said. "Because you and in particular your family is in the killing zone…. The more you love Jesus and serve Him, the more you will find yourself in the battle." For believers, facing these unseen forces is inevitable, Graham said. "Life for the Christian is not a playground, it is a battleground," he noted. "And if we are faithful followers of Jesus, then we will face the flak, we will face the fire in our lives. Satan shows up every time we show up with the Gospel." While Americans share a fascination for the supernatural -- from angels to superheroes -- people tend to tuck those into the world of entertainment and fantasy. Preaching the reality of the unseen world and all that is at stake in the battle is a far more difficult quest. But Graham says it is crucial, and the rewards are beyond our imaginations. He offers the testimony of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, as a great hope for believers. As Stephen was stoned in the presence of Saul of Tarsus, battered with huge stones and rocks, Graham said "he's looking up into heaven and he said … 'I see Jesus standing! I see the glory of Jesus at the right hand of the throne, standing!' "He looked beyond this world into the unseen world that is very, very real. It's all around us. But by faith, with the eyes of his heart, he looked into heaven, and in his suffering, in his dying, he sees Jesus, standing!" --30-- Berta Delgado-Young is editor in Prestonwood Baptist Church's communications ministry. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- First Karenni pastor in U.S. ordained by K.Allan Blume/Biblical Recorder Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (BP) -- A handful of Karenni refugees from Burma relocated to Winston-Salem, N.C., about five years ago. Since then, Calvary Baptist Church has reached out to some of these refugees and is seeing lives impacted for Christ. About 400 festively dressed Karenni people gathered at Calvary to celebrate the ordination of Khu Htoo Gay, who is believed to be the first Karenni pastor in the United States.   Htoo Gay is the only resettled Karenni pastor teaching his congregation in Kayah, the mother tongue of his people, said Steve Hardy, associate pastor for missions at Calvary. "This is also the first time that Calvary has ordained a pastor from another culture, so we had to figure out how to do that," said Hardy, who called the April 26 ordination a "significant event."   With the help of two interpreters, an ordination council worked for more than a year to complete the process. The council included four Calvary pastors and three deacons.   The Karenni are a Burmese people group that were heavily persecuted by their government, Hardy said. They lived in the eastern part of Burma, now called Myanmar. "Many of them fled across the border into Thailand where they were protected by the United Nations in refugee camps," Hardy said.   The U.N. works with World Relief, an evangelical organization, to resettle refugees in the U.S. Since North Carolina was a target area for resettlement, World Relief contacted Rich and Barbara Warren* who were translating the Kayah New Testament. The Warrens are members of Calvary Baptist, so they asked the church to help Karenni people relocate to the state. God also was working in the lives of another Calvary couple who were instrumental in ministering to the Karennis.   Tim and Jodie Cross had just returned to their home church after 13 years as missionaries in Europe through the International Mission Board. Their work focused on the needs of international refugees in Brussels and London. They began to realize that they did not have to live in London or Brussels to work with refugees.   "God is bringing the world to us," Tim Cross said. "We began to ask, 'Why can't we do the same thing here that we've been doing in other parts of the world?'"   The Crosses decided to begin a ministry to refugees called "Open Arms Ministry," partially funded by Calvary.   "They essentially taught Calvary people how to minister to [the Karenni]," Hardy said. "Keep in mind that the Karenni people have been living in bamboo huts with no electricity and no indoor plumbing at all." They typically lived in a refugee camp in Thailand 15 to 20 years before coming to the United States.   Hardy described the plight of the refugees. "Imagine that the U.N. puts you on an airplane, sends you to a country where you don't know the language, you don't know anybody," he said.   "You don't know what a light switch is, you don't know what a toilet is, you don't know what an electric stove is. You've been cooking over an open fire. You've been using torches for light at night. You have not lived in a safe place -- there's land mines all around where you live. Imagine coming from that environment to the United States."   He credits the Warrens and Crosses with helping the church understand the Karenni people and helping acclimate them to life in the U.S. "Tim and Jodie literally spent hours upon hours upon hours just helping us navigate through the systems we have for immigration ... how to use the bus system in Winston-Salem, getting jobs and getting the children enrolled in school," Hardy said. The Crosses worked with employers in the area to provide jobs for Karenni refugees.   For the past four years the Crosses have also taken young Karennis on summer mission trips to share the Gospel with Karenni refugees in five other states.   The teams conduct Vacation Bible Schools, Back Yard Bible Clubs and worship services in their native language. This has resulted in new church plants among the Karenni in most of those cities.   Cross said, "A Caucasian church in Denver welcomed about 10 Karenni as a result of one mission trip. Today they have 90 Karenni attending that church."   Htoo Gay's ministry is expanding rapidly. Nearly 200 Karennis meet every Sunday morning for worship services in Calvary's facilities.   Calvary produces video recordings of pastor Htoo Gay and posts the video on online to share with Karenni congregations across the country. Local churches have their own music celebration and show the video of Htoo Gay preaching.   Calvary's vision is to send Htoo Gay to other states to help fledgling Karenni congregations grow and learn discipleship. He is leading weekend trips throughout the year with a few teenagers and adults.   "One of the issues we are trying to figure out is how to fund it," Hardy said. "We have some money set aside in Calvary's budget to help with the expenses, but it is not nearly enough to do the ministry and pay him a salary. We're looking for some partners who will help us."   Htoo Gay is a product of Judson Baptist Bible College in Burma. The school is named for Adoniram Judson, one of the first Baptist missionaries and the father of the American Baptist missionary movement. Judson and his wife Ann served among Burmese people from 1812 to 1845, although Ann died in 1826. The fruit of their sacrifice lives 190 years later in Winston-Salem. --30--  *Names withheld for security. K. Allan Blume is editor of the Biblical Recorder, online at BRNow.org. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).   -------------------------------------------------------------------- Greens, Abedini to be honored at SBC meeting by Staff Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission will honor at the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting a family and a prisoner who are demonstrating faithfulness to Christ in the face of governmental pressure. During its June 11 report to messengers in Baltimore, the ERLC will give this year's John Leland Religious Liberty Award to the Green family, which owns Hobby Lobby. The Greens, evangelical Christians, have refused to abide by the federal government's abortion/contraception mandate, which requires employers to provide abortion-causing drugs to their workers. Their challenge to the requirement awaits a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to announce its ruling before it adjourns in late June or early July. The ERLC will give the 2014 Richard Land Distinguished Service Award to Saeed Abedini, an American citizen imprisoned since 2012 by Iran's oppressive regime for his Christian service in that country. Steve and Jackie Green, representing their family, and Naghmeh Abedini, wife of Saeed, will accept the awards from ERLC President Russell D. Moore. The ERLC gives the Leland and Land awards annually to recipients who have shown a commitment to religious freedom and Christian service, respectively. The entity announced this year's recipients Tuesday (June 3) after their approval by its board of trustees. In a message to the ERLC trustees, Moore said the Greens were selected for the Leland honor for standing for religious liberty "against a federal government demanding that they, along with countless other for-profit businesses, provide insurance for services that violate their core religious convictions." "The Greens are, in such a time as this, standing for the religious freedom of all of us," Moore said in a June 3 news release by the ERLC. "They rightly recognize that the government is not lord of the conscience. Their allegiance, they've rightly understood, belongs first and foremost to God, not government." In the release, Steve and Jackie Green said of the award, "On behalf of the Green family we are honored to accept the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's 2014 John Leland Religious Liberty Award. We appreciate your prayers & support as we stand together for religious freedoms." The ERLC chose Abedini for his admirable service and faithfulness to God's kingdom, Moore said. "Through his story, and through Naghmeh's advocacy, millions of Americans have heard a gospel-focused plea for religious freedom," Moore said. "We are eager and grateful to have the opportunity to present Naghmeh with this award on Saeed's behalf -- so we as a Commission can show honor to this family, their witness and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." Naghmeh Abedini, who lives in Idaho with their two children, said she was honored to accept the award for her husband. "I had hoped that Saeed would be here to receive the award himself, but I know that Saeed would say that he counts it a privilege to be suffering for Christ knowing that his imprisonment is being used for the furtherance of the Gospel both inside of Iran and also across the world," she said in the release. "There is nothing more that Saeed desires than to see how his chains have chained the body of Christ together in unity and have brought boldness to believers in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ both here in the U.S. and abroad. She said, "I am thankful for [the ERLC] for recognizing the importance of religious liberty and those who give their lives for the furtherance of the Gospel. My family is humbled and grateful to the ERLC for standing with us and my husband during this trying time of suffering and persecution. " The abortion/contraception mandate challenged by Hobby Lobby is a regulation issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to implement the 2010 health-care law. The rule requires coverage of federally approved contraceptives, including the intrauterine device (IUD) and such drugs as Plan B, the "morning-after" pill. Both the IUD and "morning-after" pill possess post-fertilization mechanisms that potentially can cause abortions by preventing implantation of tiny embryos. The rule also covers "ella," which -- in a fashion similar to the abortion drug RU 486 -- can even act after implantation to end the life of a child. More than 300 parties –- some non-profit organizations and some for-profit corporations -- have combined to file 97 lawsuits against HHS, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has led a diverse effort challenging the mandate. Conestoga Wood Specialties, owned by a pro-life Amish family in Pennsylvania, is a party with Hobby Lobby in the Supreme Court case, which deals only with for-profit companies. The cases involving non-profits have yet to work their way up to the high court. The ERLC signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief filed by the Christian Legal Society in support of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; its president, Daniel Akin; and Southern Baptist mega-church pastor and author Rick Warren joined in another brief on behalf of the businesses. Steve Green, Hobby Lobby's president, is the son of David and Barbara Green, who founded the Oklahoma City-based company of 565 stores. Saeed Abedini, an ordained minister of Iranian descent, was arrested and imprisoned nearly two years ago, and a court sentenced him to eight years in prison for endangering Iran's "national security." Saeed and Naghmeh, both Muslim converts to faith in Christ, witnessed the Christian conversion of thousands and the growth of the Iranian house church movement in which they were involved. Married in 2004, they left the country in 2005 after the persecution of Christians mounted following the presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Saeed Abedini returned to Iran more than 10 times from 2009 to 2012 in an effort to build a government-approved orphanage. Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard arrested him in July 2012, when he was visiting the country in an effort to finish the orphanage. He has reported that Iranian authorities have tortured him and pressured him to deny Christ. Iranian prison officials have threatened to lengthen Saeed's sentence because he is leading fellow prisoners to faith in Jesus, Baptist Press reported May 30. Naghmeh told BP some formerly Muslim prisoners who placed their faith in Christ through Saeed's witness have already received extended sentences. Saeed wrote in a letter last year, "Because I want to serve God, I see all of these difficulties as golden opportunities and great doors to serve. There are empty containers who are thirsty for a taste of the Living Water and we can quench their thirst by giving them Jesus Christ." --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. David Roach, chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, also contributed to this story. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists' concerns nationally and globally. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRUSTEES: Golden Gate move on track by Tyler Sanders Date: June 04, 2014 - Wednesday MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP) -- Discussion of the most significant transition in the seminary's history highlighted the spring trustee meeting at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif., as faculty and students prepare to move their main campus to Southern California. President Jeff Iorg affirmed the work that trustees have accomplished in the past few years. "I congratulate you both on the decisions you have made and the manner in which you have made them. We are now on course to do something that has never been done before -- relocating a fully functional seminary," Iorg said. Golden Gate announced in April that it would sell its Northern California campus to North Coast Land Holdings. The terms of the sale agreement will enable the seminary to remain fully operational during the transition, leasing back the Mill Valley campus property and continuing present operations for at least two more academic years. After that, Golden Gate will operate a new commuter-style campus in the Bay Area, much like its current Southern California campus. Iorg reminded trustees there is still much work to do in terms of the sale and relocation. "We still have to close the sale of the Mill Valley property, purchase and develop the primary campus in Southern California and purchase the new Bay Area campus as well. And after we accomplish all of that, then we have to move one of the largest seminaries in the world over 400 miles without shutting down our academic program," he said. Iorg also reported on the seminary's Diamond Plan goals that coincide with its 75th anniversary celebration in 2020. He said he is confident of a healthy future. "In light of the sale and relocation, we are reconsidering many aspects of our Diamond Plan goals," Iorg said. "The sale of the Mill Valley property will have a large impact on our endowment and future financial strength -- including new capacity for expansion and improvement of our academic programs." Accrediting agencies have approved Golden Gate's plan for transitioning current students during the relocation, Iorg said, noting that the plan includes a pathway for every student to remain on track to graduation, Iorg said. Trustees approved a 5.6 percent budget increase from last year, bringing the operating budget to $12.6 million. Trustees also approved faculty status for two current staff members: Adam Groza, vice president for student services and enrollment; and Maury Robertson, director for online education. A re-elected slate of trustee officers included Chairman Steve Sheldon, pastor of Wrightsdale Baptist Church in Peach Bottom, Pa.; Vice Chairman Bill Moffitt, a retired businessman from Pasco, Wash.; and Secretary Greg Bynam, pastor of St. Joe Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. --30-- Tyler Sanders is coordinator for communications at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).