The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/06/2013 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1913 Southern Baptist Convention's long reach: missions, social concerns, cooperation by Stephen Douglas Wilson Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday 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 4, 2013. MAYFIELD, Ky. (BP) -- One hundred years ago Southern Baptists met in St. Louis to conduct their business. Surprisingly, this particular convention would extend a long reach into the future of both the convention and even the nation at large. With the exceptions of 1845 and 1979, few SBC annual meetings produced the long reach that this one possessed. Because of the importance of this particular convention, this article could be expanded into a work of some length. Each one of the following sub-components could be a separate work. Nevertheless, both time and space constraints dictate that only the highlights of the 1913 convention be summarized in this piece: Death of Lottie Moon and her impact on international missions It was the 1913 convention when the death of Lottie Moon was reported. Her life and mission in China were examined at length or in passing in three different sections of the 1913 Annual. The Annual read: "Miss Lottie Moon, a queenly saint among missionaries, passed to her reward on the 24th of December 1912." Moon's inspiring example of a lifetime spent serving in missions continued to be honored by Southern Baptist leaders and prompted the Woman's Missionary Union to rename their Christmas offering taken up to support foreign missions "the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering" in 1918. Since that time Southern Baptists have contributed more than $1.5 billion to International missions in her name. From the Social Service Commission to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission In the 1913 Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Baptists saw the need for addressing various social concerns and causes in a more systematic fashion than had been done in the past. A committee was authorized and appointed as the Social Service Commission (SSC). In 1914 this committee gave its first full report to the convention. For a number of years, the committee remained as a standing committee of the convention, but it eventually became a convention entity and was renamed the Christian Life Commission (CLC) in 1953. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard Land, the CLC became a strong voice for biblically-based values and took its present name in 1997 as the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. On June 1 of this year, Dr. Russell Moore assumed the mantle of leadership for the ERLC, inheriting a 100-year legacy of addressing social, ethical and religious liberty concerns and causes that can be traced back to the 1913 convention. The road to the formation of the Executive Committee and the birth of the Cooperative Program The 1913 Annual in various places notes the tension in Southern Baptist life in the early 20th century -- the mission to evangelize both America and the world for Christ, but concern about how to organize and fund these Great Commission activities. In addition, the SBC by this time was managing an unwieldy proliferation of committees to fill and operate. These multiple tensions prompted the convention in 1913 to form the first of many committees between 1913-1925 to study these concerns and make recommendations. A 1913 resolution authorized the appointment of seven men to study the convention organization. Reporting back to the convention in 1914, this multi-year undertaking eventually led the convention to approve the formation of the Executive Committee (EC) in 1917. The EC was charged with managing many aspects of the convention once allotted to various committees. Eventually the EC was authorized to act for the convention when it was out of session. The birth of the EC became the primary accomplishment of SBC reorganization efforts in the aftermath of the 1913 convention. Nevertheless, funding concerns remained and these concerns continued even after reorganization efforts during this period. The Annuals of this period noted the same funding concerns that the 1913 convention detailed. Therefore, the 1919 convention inaugurated the "75 Million Dollar Campaign" that ambitiously sought to raise that amount in the five-year 1919-1924 time frame. Although unprecedented funds were raised, the convention fell short of its goal by about $16 million. While still in this campaign, the convention in 1920 appointed yet another committee to make recommendations for a permanent means of funding convention work. Launched in 1925, the Cooperative Program (CP) provided for both state conventions and Southern Baptist entities to share the revenues collected from the various Southern Baptist churches. Although early financial success with the CP eluded Southern Baptists, the CP over time funded a major portion of the budgets of Southern Baptist entities and mission work. Indirectly, the institution of the CP owed its existence to the 1913 convention. Recognition of the vital work of the WMU The WMU, organized in 1888 and experiencing its 25th anniversary in 1913 as an important auxiliary of the convention, finally achieved some important recognition at the St. Louis convention. For years the convention had noted the importance of the WMU Christmas offering for funding missions, but the 1913 convention conceded some important milestones for the organization. The Annual noted in the report of the Foreign Mission Board, "It is worthy of note that while the contributions of the past year have fallen off, the offerings of the WMU have increased over last year more than eleven thousand dollars. Our women are to be commended for their activity … and their progress in systematic benevolence." A grateful convention also began turning its gratitude into important concessions for the Baptist women's organization. For the first time in the history of Southern Baptists, the convention allowed Kathleen Mallory (WMU corresponding secretary) and Fannie Heck (WMU president) to submit a formal written report to the convention. Given special badges for the submission of the report to the convention, the ladies commented on the work of the WMU and its impact on missions as a whole. In a further concession, the Annual also noted that WMU representatives would be allowed to interview all unmarried women candidates for the mission field. These recognitions highlighted the special relationship that the WMU had fostered with the SBC in the early 20th century. This relationship endures to the present day as the WMU celebrates its 125th year of service. Southern Baptists and race relations It was thought that Southern Baptists possessed a poor record in race relations during this period, and such evidence certainly existed, but you would not have gathered that from the 1913 Annual. The 1913 St. Louis convention signaled the beginning of some hopeful signs in the relationship between white Southern Baptists and the African American community. For instance, the Annual noted the distaste that many Southern Baptists expressed for the lynchings of southern blacks. In fact, Southern Baptist resolutions against lynchings go back to 1906 and continued through the 1930s. The Home Mission Board report also noted a concern for African Americans beyond just evangelizing them: "There is a growing conviction on the part of our board and among many of our most thoughtful Baptists that we ought to find ways of doing a larger work for the welfare of this race at our doors." Other accomplishments in Southern Baptist race relations in the 1913 convention also were reported in the Annual. Like previous years before 1913, representatives of the National Baptists (the largest African American Baptist organization then and now) addressed the assembled messengers. The Annual also noted its cooperation with National Baptists and a resolution was passed to form a committee to study helping to fund a seminary for African Americans. Reporting back in 1914, the committee promised to help fund such a seminary, but the report also noted that National Baptists would possess control of the seminary. This began a long history of Southern Baptists providing direct and indirect funding for African American seminary education. In addition, the Home Mission Board report mentioned that the board maintained a staff of 40 full-time and part-time "Negro missionaries and a Negro evangelist" to evangelize African Americans. These efforts by the 1913 convention sowed the seeds for a better relationship between Southern Baptists and the black community. From temperance to prohibition Southern Baptists before 1913 both opposed and promoted particular social causes, but in the year that Southern Baptists authorized the SSC to address social causes in general, a couple of resolutions specifically addressed these concerns. A resolution in 1913 expressed support for the Anti-Saloon League in their struggle for a nationwide ban on the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol. SBC resolutions opposing alcohol in some form or another date back to 1886, but the 1913 convention specifically added its voice beyond temperance to support the full-fledged nationwide prohibition campaign sought by the Anti-Saloon League. Southern Baptists saw the fruits of their many resolutions with the enactment of the Volstead Act (1919) and the 18th Amendment (1920). Although prohibition was eventually repealed by the 21st Amendment (1933), Southern Baptists continued to issue anti-alcohol resolutions through 2006. Conclusion Even this relatively short account of the 1913 convention does not exhaust the importance to Southern Baptist life that the St. Louis convention engendered. Today much of the identity of the Southern Baptist Convention ("Lottie Moon Offering," the CP, ERLC, etc.) traces its genesis either directly or indirectly to the 1913 convention. The St. Louis convention strengthened moves in convention life that originated before it and gave birth to new undertakings that continued long after the meeting adjourned. One could argue that its reach extends to this very day in Southern Baptist life. --30-- Stephen Douglas Wilson is dean emeritus and chair of the history department of Mid-Continent University in Mayfield, Ky., and a member of the SBC Executive Committee. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Sunday, June 9, 2013 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum. Bible Passages: Luke 11:1-4,9-10 Discussion Questions: Why is prayer important? If God were to forgive you to the extent that you have forgiven the person who has hurt you the most, how forgiven would you feel? Food for Thought: Can you guess what these people have in common: Milton Hershey, Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison? Besides eventually becoming famous, they were persistent. Had they given up, the world might not have experienced Hershey’s chocolate, Apple computers or even electric light. The book of Luke emphasizes prayer. Jesus prayed often and for long periods of time. Jesus prayed at His baptism (Lk. 3:21). He frequently withdrew to places where He could be alone for prayer (Lk. 5:16). He was on a mountain praying when He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John (Lk. 9:28-29). On the occasion recorded in Luke 11, Jesus had again withdrawn from the crowds that constantly pressed Him to spend time in prayer. Upon His return, an unnamed disciple asked Him to teach them how to pray. In Jesus’ day disciples of rabbis often asked for instruction about specific practices. The disciples were motivated to learn how to pray by both Jesus’ example and that of John the Baptist. People make a lot of assumptions about prayer. Some think it is something they just know how to do. Others expect God to answer their prayers the way they want, when they want. But prayer is much more than this. Prayer is real communication with God. It is our lifeline to God. Just as Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, believers today need to learn how to pray and need to pray regularly. The Lord’s Prayer is an example of the kind of prayer God honors. As you talk with God, be challenged to focus on a different part of the Lord’s Prayer each day. Day 1: Reflect on what it means for God to be your Father. Day 2: Honor God for who He is and what He is doing in your life (even in adversity). Day 3: Praise God for providing for your needs, not your wants. Day 4: Focus on forgiveness. Where do you need to accept it and offer it? Day 5: Claim God’s strength in overcoming a temptation. Day 6: Worship God’s presence, power, and holiness. The elements of God’s kingdom, our provision, the need for forgiveness, and dealing with temptation are parts of the believer’s daily experience. It is often during these times that people become situational pray-ers. When they face a crisis or have a big need, they remember to pray. But, believers are to be persistent pray-ers. Jesus indicated that such prayer would be in accordance with God’s will. The assurance Jesus gave that “everyone who asks receives” (v. 10) does not mean that every prayer is answered as we desire. Rather, it means that if we persist in prayer, our prayers eventually will be answered according to God’s will for us. Bold persistence pays off! God delights in responding generously to our persistent prayers. Be motivated to pray regularly, faithfully and persistently, knowing that prayer is the believer’s lifeline. Keep holding on to it and do not let go! YOU Intentionally focused on African American, urban and multicultural believers, YOU is biblically based with culturally relevant and affirming lessons to help people connect, grow, serve and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for Christ. This flexible, non-dated, all-in-one quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional online teaching resources, visit LifeWay.com/YOU. Other ongoing Bible study options offered by LifeWay for all ages can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. --30-- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wells aims for 11th term as registration sec. by Staff Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday HOUSTON (BP) -- Jim Wells, strategic partners team leader for Missouri Baptist Convention, will be nominated for an 11th term as registration secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention at the June 11-12 annual meeting in Houston. Jim Richards, executive director of Southern Baptist of Texas Convention, described Wells as a "man of deep commitment," in announcing his intention to nominate Wells for another term. "There is no one I know who has greater integrity with a sweeter spirit than Jim," Richards said. "As many of you know, he has faced health challenges in the last few years. He has persevered through to serve our Lord Jesus and Southern Baptists." Wells was diagnosed in 2010 with a sarcoma malignancy in his left hip muscle but was expected to have an excellent prognosis after the treatment he received that year. Prior to his current work with the Missouri convention, Wells served nearly 12 years as director of missions for the Tri County Baptist Association in southwest Missouri. He has served as a member of the SBC Executive Committee, president of the Missouri Baptist Convention Directors of Missions and as a leader in various Baptist associations. Wells has been in ministry since his days as a student at Hannibal-LaGrange College in the late 1960s when he concurrently pastored two country churches. He was Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's 2004 national alumnus of the year and Hannibal-LaGrange awarded him an honorary doctor of sacred theology in 1999. He and his wife Judy are members of Second Baptist Church in Springfield and have a grown daughter and a granddaughter. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Diana Chandler. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO PRAYER: Crossover Houston by Frank S. Page Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday EDITOR'S NOTE: This column by Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, is part of the call to prayer for revival and spiritual awakening for 2013 that he has issued to our churches for the nation and the world. Baptist Press is carrying First-Person articles during the year encouraging Southern Baptists to pray in specific areas and for specific needs in petitioning the Father for spiritual awakening. NASHVILLE (BP) -- I ask for your prayers as Southern Baptists converge from all over the United States and even from around the world to meet in annual session for our convention in Houston, Texas. Always a time of great fellowship, fun, spiritual inspiration, and hopefully some needed sharing of information, we gather to do what Baptists have done for many decades -- transact the business of the convention. For many years, the North American Mission Board has been the primary sponsor of an evangelistic event which occurs prior to the convention. Called Crossover, thousands of people over the years have come to Christ as evangelistic Southern Baptists have gone out into the cities of the convention prior to the meeting in a variety of ways, settings, and formats to share the Gospel. For many years, I have been a part of this emphasis. Yes, it would have been a required part of my job during my short tenure as vice president of evangelization at the North American Mission Board. However, I participated in this event when I was pastor prior to that role and have continued to participate in the current role I have, though vocationally it is not connected. I simply love to share Christ with people and see this as a great opportunity to say a word for our Lord in a city that is filled with anticipation of what it will be like when all the Baptists arrive. While we ought to always be looking for opportunities to share our faith, this is one of the great opportunities that comes before us. There will be many opportunities to meet with people as multiple evangelistic events are being set up all across the city. I pray that I will be able to share my faith with someone. Wouldn’t it be great if many came to Christ? Let us pray for this and every evangelistic opportunity. Acts 1:8 (HCSB) says: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I think it is time for us to start doing that which our Lord commanded us to do! Regardless of who we are, we need to be sharing. Regardless of our theological stance, we ought to be sharing. Please pray as many Southern Baptists will share Christ in this great city this Saturday, June 8. --30-- Frank Page is president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee. Initial articles about the Call to Prayer that Frank Page issued to Southern Baptists for 2013 can be read here and here. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Why Calvinists and Arminians (and those in between) can unite for religious liberty by Russell D. Moore Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Next week my denomination will meet, days after a special committee tasked with seeking unity between Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention issued a report to SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page. The report concludes what I’ve long suspected: We have much more uniting us across these questions than dividing us, and most of us are ready to love one another and work together. I think it’s important, though, to consider how both the Calvinist and Arminian streams in Christian life bring important emphases together when it comes to one of the most important questions of our time: religious liberty. James Leland was a Baptist evangelist in the revolutionary era, who agitated Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to include constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. He railed against the Anglican state churches, with their restrictions on Gospel preaching. He did so for theological reasons. At one time, he defined his theology as one that preaches “the doctrines of sovereign grace with a little of what is called Arminianism.” I think both traditions, and the in-between place, have some things to contribute to our defense of a free church in a free state. Many of our early Baptist forebears were thoroughgoing Arminians, defining the freedom of the human will in libertarian terms. These include such heroes as Thomas Helwys, who fought against the government’s mistaken belief that it could overrule the conscience. Sometimes people caricature Arminians, and those who share some convictions with them. The Arminian tradition doesn’t believe that the human will is naturally free in this fallen era. They believe that God graciously empowers human beings with the freedom to choose. In fact, much of what some Christians call “Arminianism” is instead the sort of manipulative, emotional revivalism they’ve seen or heard about somewhere. Arminians are, above all people, opposed to manipulation. They believe, after all, that the human will must make a free decision to follow Jesus or to walk away. That means a clear presentation of what the Gospel entails, with all the “cost-counting” that Jesus tells us about. This must be a personal, free decision, and can’t be outsourced to or vetoed by some emperor or bishop or bureaucrat. The Arminian tradition in Baptist life is committed to religious liberty because of their commitment to free decision. Because God has created every conscience free, they say, no church or no state can compel someone to act contrary to conscience. This is an important point that ought to serve as a reminder even for those who don’t agree on the theological details. After all, all Christians, whatever our theological system, affirm that all of us will stand in judgment. We will have no government agency, no denominational entity, standing there with us. We will stand with our consciences, and we can stand only with one Advocate, one Mediator. With that the case, no government has the authority to impede God’s purposes in readying us to give an account on that day. The Calvinist tradition also has much to contribute to religious liberty. While many in the Reformed tradition have had an awful record when it comes to soul freedom, from Geneva to the Puritan colonies of New England, the same is not true in the Calvinistic wing of the Baptist tradition. Many, including the English Particular Baptists and American Calvinist Baptists such as Isaac Backus were stalwart defenders of religious liberty. Why? Well, like the Arminians, Calvinists are easy to caricature. Some assume they believe the will is like a computer program operated by God, or that the Gospel isn’t freely offered to all people. Evangelical Calvinists believe in the free offer of the Gospel to all people, just as they believe in the universal command of the law of God. They believe that, left to ourselves, we will all run away from the law and we will all run away from the Gospel. We see the light of Christ, and we hide because, in our sin, we don’t want to meet our God. The Calvinist doctrine of effectual calling means that the Spirit works through preaching to overturn the power of the devil, to liberate our wills so that we can see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God doesn’t overpower our wills; he frees us from occupation by the deceiving demonic powers. This, too, has religious liberty implications, that again all Christians, even those who disagree on the theological details, should affirm. The Spirit convicts of sin; Caesar doesn’t. That means one can’t coerce faith into being or out of being with the threat of punishment, regardless of whether one is an Islamic ayatollah or a secularist parliament. Some Baptists and other Christians agree with the Arminians more on the “how” questions of salvation. Some Baptists and other Christians agree more with the Calvinists. Lots of others are somewhere in the middle. We all agree on the “what” questions of salvation and the “why” questions of salvation. Most importantly we all agree on the “who” question of salvation: Jesus Christ crucified. We will seek to search the Scriptures on everything God has told us. But we’re not that far apart. And even when we disagree, we can listen to the important emphases that each tradition brings, emphases that are grounded in God’s word and God’s Gospel. We all believe in God’s sovereignty and we all believe in human freedom, though we differ on the qualifications of both. But when the government tries to be the ultimate sovereign, or to coerce free consciences, we know to stand against that, and for another Kingdom, together. --30-- Russell D. Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. This first appeared on his website, RussellMoore.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Calvinism report gets positive reviews by Michael Foust Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- A report on Calvinism in Southern Baptist life has received positive reviews from bloggers on both sides of the theological spectrum. The 19-member advisory committee issued its 3,200-word report report to Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Frank Page in late May, acknowledging tension and disagreement between Calvinists and non-Calvinists within the convention and urging Southern Baptists to "grant one another liberty" on the issue and "stand together" for the Great Commission. Calvinists and non-Calvinists from all walks of SBC life served on the committee, which was assembled by Page and was not an official committee of the convention. "We affirm that Southern Baptists stand together in a commitment to cooperate in Great Commission ministries," the report says. "We affirm that, from the very beginning of our denominational life, Calvinists and non-Calvinists have cooperated together. We affirm that these differences should not threaten our eager cooperation in Great Commission ministries." Adam Harwood, assistant professor of Christian studies at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga., wrote a blog at SBCToday.com, "Five Reasons To Be Thankful for the Statement from the Calvinism Advisory Committee." Harwood is not a Calvinist and last year was one of the signers of a statement that critiqued what it called the "New Calvinism" in SBC life. That statement was titled the "Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation." Harwood said he had "high expectations" for the Calvinism committee report and his "expectations were met." "[The report] models Great Commission unity amidst Southern Baptist diversity," wrote Harwood, who was elected to the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in late May. "People with differing theological convictions have set aside those differences in order to reaffirm cooperation for the sake of the lost. ... [T]he committee has aligned itself with the mission of the Lord Jesus Himself, who 'came to seek and to save the lost' (Luke 19:10). Such unity exists in wide theological diversity within the parameters of the [Baptist Faith and Message]." The Baptist Faith and Message is Southern Baptists' official statement of belief, last updated and approved in 2000. The report by the committee on Calvinism should be applauded because it acknowledges that "Southern Baptists agree to disagree on certain points of Calvinism," Harwood wrote. "That’s important," he wrote. "The wrong approach would be to act as if there were no differences. There are different theological views among Southern Baptists, some of which are significant. But, as [the report] rightly notes, Southern Baptists have always been comprised of both Calvinists and non-Calvinists. They hold differing views on certain doctrines. But since the organization of the SBC in 1845, we have agreed to disagree on those particular theological points. [The report] simply reaffirms our agreement to differ peaceably on those issues. As the document states, 'Southern Baptists who stand on either side of these issues should celebrate the freedom to hold their views with passion while granting others the freedom to do the same.'" Seminary professors Denny Burk and Nathan Finn, each of whom is in the Calvinist tradition, also affirmed the report. "I believe it addresses concerns that Baptists on both sides of this issue have had," Burk wrote on his blog. Burk is associate professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. "This is a good statement, one that I hope that Southern Baptists will unify around. ... This is just the kind of unity statement that I was hoping for." Finn, associate professor of historical theology and Baptist studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., wrote that he was "was highly encouraged by the balance, clarity, and charity of the document." Even before the report was released, Finn was urging Calvinists and non-Calvinists to work together for the Great Commission. "It’s time for Southern Baptist Calvinists and non-Calvinists to take a deep breath, ratchet down the heated language, give each other the benefit of the doubt, and recommit to cooperating together for the sake of the Great Commission," Finn wrote in a blog post. "Calvinism has been and needs to remain a tertiary issue in the SBC. Now let’s move forward together in advancing the gospel among people here, there, and everywhere." North Carolina pastor and blogger Tim Rogers, who is not a Calvinist, also affirmed the committee's report on Calvinism. "I believe the [committee] has done an excellent job presenting a document, while not everyone may agree with, will be something for us to rally around to move forward," wrote Rogers, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Indian Trail, N.C. "... Thank you Dr. Frank Page, Dr. Al Mohler, Dr. Eric Hankins, and all of the others who served on [the advisory team]. The fruit of your work is evident. I feel we are like the children of Israel standing at Kadesh Barnea and this document is representative of the grapes the spies are holding. The [committee] has seen the promised land and Southern Baptists have to decide if we will go into it or will we wander in the desert." Rogers was one of the 2012 signers of the statement critiquing the "New Calvinism," as was Brad Whitt, pastor of Abilene Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga., who also affirmed the team's report. Whitt wrote in a Tweet, "The SBC Calvinism Advisory Committee has issued their report. It's one that I support and pray will help us move fwd" Meanwhile, Russell D. Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote a June 6 column, "Why Calvinists and Arminians (and Those in Between) Can Unite for Religious Liberty." "We all believe in God’s sovereignty and we all believe in human freedom, though we differ on the qualifications of both," Moore wrote. "But when the government tries to be the ultimate sovereign, or to coerce free consciences, we know to stand against that, and for another kingdom, together." --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- VBS is evangelistic rallying point for church by Barbara Denman/Florida Baptist Convention Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday PANAMA CITY, Fla. (BP) -- As Tropical Storm Debby was bearing down on Panama City last year, First Baptist Church leaders wondered if any youngsters would brave the harsh conditions to attend the first day of Vacation Bible School. "The winds were blowing and the rains were coming in," recalled children's minister Ginger Owens. By the time opening day registration began, in addition to the 500-plus preregistered children who were present, another 200 children and their parents stood in the torrential rains to register at the door. The final total involved in the study of God's Word that week approached 800. Tropical Storm Debby, despite dire predictions, bypassed the Florida Panhandle city. Still not out of danger on that first VBS morning, the television station adjacent to the church announced tornadic activity moving through the downtown area. Quickly a strategy to safely shelter the children was developed. Yet, the wind and squalls never came, prompting the local meteorologist to say there was no reason to explain why the storms had dissipated over the city. "But we knew," Owens said. "We were on our knees praying. It was the first day of VBS and we were studying God's amazing power over nature and so we truly experienced it that Monday morning." Nearly a decade ago, the church considered discontinuing the annual VBS for lack of workers -- even with a three-day event. But when Owens arrived, she asked to give it one more opportunity. With her dynamic personality and people skills, she sought to change the mentality of the congregation to view VBS in a different light. "It's not a children's ministry. It's a church-wide event," Owens told them. The workers responded -- 254 volunteers last year -- and staff was assigned "hands on" responsibilities. Elaborate productions were staged in the sanctuary. Even Pastor Craig Connor rode his Harley through the church one year. With that shift, church members actively distributed registration forms to their co-workers, neighbors and friends, handing them out in stores and places of business. Registration forms were given to six local schools -- places where church members had already conducted a prayer walk. Yard signs in members' yards encouraged neighbors to come. One church member enlisted five families among co-workers. Another family was approached by a neighbor with a special needs child, compelled by their yard sign. "We educate our folks to reach beyond the walls of the church and that it is their responsibility to invite their friends, co-workers and neighbors," Owens said. The community has responded. One year Owens asked Crystal, the drive-through attendant at the local "Dan-D Donuts," to bring her grandchildren to VBS. At the end of the week, one of them accepted Christ as Savior. Last year, the church identified 124 unchurched children among those in attendance. Not only is VBS a church-wide effort, but Owens and other church leaders have initiated intentional evangelism as a core value of the week. Last year's VBS resulted in 14 children baptized. Nine-year-old Tyler Hendley was one. He attended VBS with other children from the government-sponsored after-school program that provides summer daycare for low income communities. "This was something he wanted to do," his mother Stefanie Hendley said. "They [First Baptist] do a lot for the kids here" including providing backpacks and school supplies. Each week Owens reads Bible stories and "loves on the kids" in one of two such programs. In past years, First Baptist leaders intentionally worked to reach and assimilate VBS prospects. Trained FAITH participants visited every family, took goody bags and exemplified basic growth principles by enrolling families in Sunday School. While parents graciously responded to the church visitors, few of the families ever returned to church except to attend VBS the following year. Last year, in an effort to more effectively reach unchurched families, parents were invited to a weekly parenting seminar held on Sunday mornings. The seminar was located in a classroom easily accessible from the church's parking garage -- even if it meant temporarily moving an adult class that had met there for 20 years. The first week, 37 parents arrived at the seminar and brought more than 50 children with them. Then attendance grew. Each family received a children's Bible and were asked to read it nightly to their children. Throughout the parenting class, the group became closer, forming a nucleus of a bonded small group. According to Carol Daniel, minister of adult education, careful attention was given to every detail of the parenting class to retain adults as well as children. "We looked at where it was going to be, how we can make it convenient and user-friendly." Their attention to details paid off in September when 90 percent of the class was transitioned into the newest Sunday School class in the young adult department. The church also sponsors other outreach activities for the community, including a fall festival that draws more than 2,000 to the downtown church and an annual wild game festival to attract men. As a result of this evangelistic fervor, this past year 168 people were baptized by the church -- placing it 21st among all Florida Baptist churches. Owens and Daniel work hand in hand, said the children's leader. "We believe in family ministry, not just children's ministry." Daniel concurred, "Every ministry we do here partners with evangelism and is aimed at outreach. We are trying to think outside the church to the community." --30-- Barbara Denman is director of communications for the Florida Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- District appeals cheerleader-Scripture ruling by Whitney Williams Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday KOUNTZE, Texas (BP) -- Just when a group of Texas high school cheerleaders thought their fight for free speech was over, their school district decided to go on offense. Kountze Independent School District has decided to appeal a state judge’s ruling that allowed the girls to paint Bible verses on run-through banners. Earlier in May, Texas state district Judge Steve Thomas determined that no law “prohibits cheerleaders from using religious-themed banners at school sporting events.” Before that, the district, in response to a letter of complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, forbade the squad from further use of Scripture -- like “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” -- on its banners. The squad fought back, with help from The Liberty Institute, and won its case in court. But now the school district’s attorney says the squad’s legal team read more rights into the judge’s decision than they should have. “The school district believes that it is in everyone’s best interest to seek clarification rather than subject the district to additional costly litigation in the future,” Tom Brandt told The Beaumont Enterprise. “The school board’s decision to appeal was not made lightly, particularly given the fact that the district court’s order actually granted some of the relief the school district sought, namely, that Kountze ISD is not required to prohibit religious-themed banners at school sporting events.” Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Institute, criticized the district for continuing to spend taxpayer money on what he called unnecessary litigation. “I do not understand why the school district cannot simply accept that it lost and move on instead of continuing to fight against these cheerleaders who simply wanted to encourage the players with uplifting messages,” Sasser said. --30-- Whitney Williams writes for World News Service, where this story first appeared. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mo. governor vetoes 'anti-Sharia' bill by Erin Roach Date: June 06, 2013 - Thursday JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Missouri's governor vetoed legislation June 3 that some were calling an anti-Sharia law bill, keeping Missouri from becoming the seventh state to prohibit judges from considering foreign laws -- including Islamic law -- in their decisions. The legislation, SB 267, passed both chambers in May to create a Civil Liberties Defense Act mandating that any court, arbitration, tribunal or administrative agency ruling would be unenforceable if based on a foreign law that is "repugnant or inconsistent with" the Missouri and U.S. constitutions. While supporters said it would prohibit unforeseen invasions of Sharia law, the legislation did not specifically mention the Islamic legal tradition. It also exempted corporations that have agreed to abide by foreign laws. The constitutional rights which the bill was most concerned with protecting included due process, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and privacy rights. Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, said he vetoed the bill because it "seeks to introduce a solution to a problem that does not exist and, in so doing, puts in jeopardy some of the very liberties that the bill purports to protect." Because all foreign legal systems could be argued to be "inconsistent" with state and federal constitutions in the United States, Nixon said the bill "would needlessly cast doubt" on wills, trusts, marriage and divorce decrees and contracts that involve foreign law. But what drew the most attention from the governor's veto explanation was his contention that it would have "a chilling effect on foreign adoptions." The legislation, Nixon contended, "raises serious questions as to whether a Missouri court could consider the foreign decree or order that is necessary to finalize the adoption of a child from a foreign country," especially if the country's legal system is "inconsistent" with America's. State Sen. Brian Nieves, the chamber’s Republican whip, sponsored the legislation and called the governor's veto explanation "gibberish," saying, "His assertion that the bill somehow interferes with foreign adoptions is absurd." He also said the governor had been "bamboozled" by the American Civil Liberties Union, which opposed the legislation. An override of the veto is possible. The original bill passed the Senate 24-9, which is one more vote than needed for an override, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. It passed the House 109-41, which is the exact number of "yes" votes needed. Nieves said he would consider whether to seek an override or to re-introduce the bill in the future with language specifying that it won't affect foreign adoptions, according to the Post-Dispatch. Anti-foreign law bills have been proposed in roughly 30 states, and six states -- Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma -- have passed them. While such bills don't specifically single out Sharia, it is often understood that the Islamic code is the target, according to Religion News Service. David Yerushalmi, the Washington-based lawyer who drafted the template legislation used for anti-Sharia and anti-foreign law bills, told RNS the anti-Sharia movement "is growing every day." "People see the threat and also know that a bill that simply protects U.S. citizens and residents from constitutionally offensive foreign laws and judgments can only be a good thing," Yerushalmi said. Critics, though, have characterized anti-Sharia and anti-foreign law legislation as a waste of time. "Call us naïve, but we are not losing any sleep over the creeping of Sharia law in Missouri," an editorial in The Missourian said June 5. "We have faith that our courts and judges will uphold the Missouri and U.S. Constitution just like they have in the past." Nieves, however, in a statement to Missouri Baptists’ Pathway newsjournal, maintained, “This is truly a big issue for people of faith and those who believe in our Constitution.” --30-- Erin Roach is Baptist Press’ assistant editor. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).