The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-06/20/2014 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Students share Christ's love in Brazil amid World Cup frenzy by Alan Brant Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday RIO DE JANEIRO (BP) –– There were no flashbulbs or television cameras, only teammates -- mostly children half his size and barefoot -- who celebrated and mobbed Dane Van Ryckeghem after he assisted in a goal during the game. The frenzy of World Cup soccer had nothing on the jubilant Brazilian neighborhood kids playing with visitors from the United States on a soggy field on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
Van Ryckeghem, a student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, traveled to Brazil with a team of 12 other student volunteers with a mission of sharing the love of Christ against the backdrop of the largest sporting event in the world -- the 2014 FIFA World Cup. "I really wanted to spend my summer doing more than just working at a job and then going back to school," Van Ryckeghem said. "I wanted to do something that made a difference, and I wanted to see the world." After hearing about a World Cup-focused trip -- one endorsed by the IMB -- for students during a missions conference, he knew immediately he was going to Brazil. "I absolutely love soccer and love the idea of spending part of my summer in this setting," he said. "This is a dream come true to be here."
James Dubuisson, a junior at the University of North Alabama in Florence, took the first airplane ride of his life to travel to Brazil with the group. As a youth minister at First Baptist Church, Lawrenceburg, Tenn., he said a big part of his decision to come to Brazil was to serve as an example and encouragement to his youth group. "I've been talking to my youth about being different and showing people [that believers] are different," he said. "So often we go to church, but don't act differently. I feel like this [mission trip] is me living that out -- showing the kids 'this is how to live out the difference of what Christ has done in your life.'" After Dubuisson and the rest of the team arrived in Rio de Janeiro, they spent their first days ministering in an impoverished community. They served alongside members of a Brazilian Baptist church by playing with children, helping with a medical clinic and walking through the neighborhoods sharing the Gospel with the help of translators. "We're here for the World Cup, but more importantly we're here to share the love of Jesus with anyone and everyone we can," Lee Dymond, campus minister at Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.) and leader of the volunteer team, said. Jordan O'Donnell, a student volunteer from Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., confessed feeling apprehensive at first about sharing the Gospel in neighborhoods. But the nervousness quickly diminished, he said. "It's challenging to share through an interpreter, but it got smoother as we went along," O'Donnell said. "I enjoyed the whole experience. It's interesting because sharing about Jesus in America usually gets a negative reaction. But here, walking through the community, everyone responded that they wanted to hear about Jesus -- even a couple who had never even heard about Jesus before. "I'm pumped," O'Donnell said. "I'm ready to get out there and do it again." The team of students will continue to share the Gospel during their two-week stay in Rio. During some of their outreach, they are partnering with the Brazilian Baptist Home Mission Board in a soccer-themed evangelism strategy to share with fans arriving at Brazil's national stadium for World Cup matches. "The World Cup is where the nations come to one place," Dymond said. "It's our opportunity to share the Gospel and hopefully impact not just Brazil but all the nations that are coming to Brazil for World Cup." For his team, Dymond said he hopes as the students share the Gospel and see people accept Christ, they will be emboldened with the knowledge that "if they can do it here during the World Cup, it will encourage them to [share their faith] when they go back home." For ongoing coverage of the World Cup outreach, see the story package, "The Cross at the Cup," at commissionstories.com/americas. Click here for daily postings of World Cup-related prayer requests. To learn about global missions opportunities for students through the International Mission Board, go to imbstudents.org.  --30-- Alan Brant is a freelance writer and editor in Texas. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Local Hispanic church welcomes SBC influx by David Raul Lema Jr. Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- Primera Iglesia Bautista in Laurel, Md., with its retiring pastor Segundo Mir and incoming pastor Gustavo Suarez, welcomed Hispanics from across the country during a special service and luncheon prior to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Baltimore. Panama-born guest preacher Fermin Whittaker, executive director of the California Southern Baptist Convention, challenged the audience to a more committed walk with Christ. A nine-member praise band led by the pastor's son, Abner Segundo, began the service with a session of contemporary Spanish worship songs. Among pastors and leaders representing diverse ministries were Enio Aguero, national disaster relief chaplain coordinator with the North American Mission Board, and Victor Samuel Gonzalez Grille, an oncologist and past president of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention. "I bring greetings from your Cuban brothers and sisters," the Cuban leader told the worshippers. "The Holy Spirit is still very active in Cuba with the people yearning for the Word of God and the salvation Jesus brings to us." Other visiting pastors and leaders were also present representing diverse national ministries. Suarez, who started the church 35 years ago, recently was called to succeed the retiring Mir, who said with humor that Suarez "gave me this church, now I give it back to him." Suarez, who is leaving the faculty of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, introduced three doctor of ministry students from the Kansas City campus: Francisco Muniz, Johnny Muzquiz and Marcos Elizondo. Whittaker began his sermon by sharing his testimony and how God had always supplied his needs. He recounted how God led him to his wife Carmen, saying, "Carmen was not a Christian. I led her to Christ and then asked her to marry me. We have been married 44 years." After his seminary studies in Canada during the '60s, Whittaker said he became pastor of a church in Los Angeles with "a total membership of seven elderly ladies. I told God that this was not my church. I wanted to pastor the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles. God said, 'You are right. This is not your church. Your church is across the street in the park. That is your congregation.'" Realizing there were no youth in church, Whittaker said he asked a youth at the park, "'Why won't you come to the church?' He said he did not even speak Spanish. God told me to go bilingual -- to preach the Gospel in both languages. The church exploded. The youth finally said that they could be comfortable in church." Whittaker turned to the story of blind Bartimaus in Mark 10:46-52 for the main points of his sermon. He chastened the desire of some Christians who are willing to go across the world to preach Christ but are not willing to cross the street to do the same. "You have to walk not across the world, but first across the room. We need to walk across the room to reach our families. We need to cross to the room where we eat and share together. Jesus walked across the street to get to Bartimaus." Many churches "have left the word mercy out in the parking lot. We come to church very well dressed and we do not see those in need around us," Whittaker said. "Why are Christians living negatively? Why are we living like snakes and not like eagles?" Whittaker continued. "We are up to our heads in negativism. When we lose mercy for ourselves, we lose mercy for others." After noting distractions that often confront a person seeking Christ, like those faced by blind Bartimaus, Whittaker said, "Jesus stopped. He stops whenever he hears the cry of the person that needs him." After praying and issuing an altar call, at least 20 people came forward to make a decision to follow Christ and give him their needs. Mir closed the ceremony with a prayer and a declaration of faith: "We have a church that loves the Word of God. We preach, teach and live the Word of God." Ismael Ventura, a native of El Salvador and deacon of the Laurel church, "felt honored that on this occasion the SBC was in Baltimore and grateful that so many people shared this day with us. As a Hispanic, I feel proud of being a Southern Baptist since the Baptist churches are teaching the Bible in a clear and effective manner." --30-- David Raul Lema Jr. is associate team strategist for theological education ministries with the Florida Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Avance Hispano draws 500 in Baltimore by David Raul Lema Jr. Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- Several Hispanic groups, in an example of Southern Baptist cooperation with a Latin twist, joined in meetings, fellowship and worship prior to the SBC annual meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center. The June 8 event, which began with dinner at 5 p.m., included four workshops and a celebration service that concluded with a concert at 11 p.m. At least 500 Hispanics from Baltimore-area churches and others from churches and ministries in other states were present for the Avance Hispano gathering, jointly hosted by LifeWay Christian Resources, the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and GuideStone Financial Resources. Liberty University also was on the program as a guest supporter of the event. David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, was the dinner's featured speaker. Platt's two books "Radical" and "Follow Me" have been published in Spanish by LifeWay. Platt was introduced by Luis Lopez, director of LifeWay en Español, as "a man deeply committed with Christ and His Word. The first love in the ministry of David Platt is making disciples using the simple biblical model of teaching the Word of God, training disciples and transmitting the faith." Platt began his brief talk with humor, recounting times when his inadequacy in Spanish had caused embarrassment during recent trips to Latin America. Platt also told of the work with Hispanics that is part of the local and international ministry of The Church at Brook Hills. Platt told the gathering that "there is currently a state of confusion with Christian identity. Following Christ is more than just a prayer." When the Holy Spirit comes into the life of the Christian, that person becomes a radical in his cultural context, he noted. "[W]e have something better than the American dream," Platt said. "We have the hope of eternal life in Christ. When [people] see Jesus, they will see the American dream pales in comparison." Platt concluded with a passionate plea that "God's ways may be known on earth and His saving power. God will receive the glory that He alone is due until that day when all of us are gathered around the throne together. We will sing a new song! We will glorify Him as one body! Gloria a Dios!" Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, also addressed the crowd, speaking in Spanish. Page thanked Hispanic Baptists for their partnership in the Gospel, saying he is "well aware of the cultural changes in our culture" and that "we must reach Hispanics for Christ." Page reported on the work of the Hispanic Advisory Council, which was the first council he appointed as Executive Committee president. He thanked Bobby Sena and Daniel Sanchez for serving as the council's co-chairs. He said he eagerly awaits the report of the council and reported that he had recently added Sena to the EC staff as a part-time national Hispanic consultant. Jason Carlisle, the IMB's director of Hispanic mobilization, introduced Juan Carlos Rojas, president of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention, who was the guest preacher for the worship celebration. Carlisle announced a new partnership initiative for church planting involving Cuban Baptists and outreach in North Africa. North America continues to be a challenging international mission field, Carlisle said, noting that "Dearborn, Mich., has the largest Arab presence outside of North Africa and the Middle East. Hispanic Baptist missionaries are making advances in the Muslim world here and in other countries." Carlisle reported that "more than 80 people have accepted Christ in one of the Muslim unreached people groups [UPGs] as a result of Hispanic missionary work." Another joyful note was that "during the celebration of Enlace 2014 in Richmond, Va., 27 Hispanic pastors and leaders gave $17,000 for missions in the Arab world." Much of the work that the IMB's Hispanic mobilization team and Hispanic IMB missionaries are doing cannot be reported due to the sensitive nature of the outreach, Carlisle said. However, great advances are being reported in many areas of the world and the many UPGs reached by Hispanic Baptists missionaries and Hispanic churches. On behalf of the IMB Hispanic mobilization, several Hispanic leaders and pastors were recognized for their support of IMB Hispanic mobilization efforts in other countries: Jesus Guillen, Daniel Tuchez, Eliud Reyes, Jose Nater, Ramon Medina and Guillermo Mangieri. Miguel Perez, Hispanic representative for GuideStone, spoke of how the SBC financial services entity is helping Hispanic pastors deal with their retirement. "GuideStone can be a support for pastors of small churches and even pastors in retirement who never had an opportunity to make any contributions," Perez said. He shared packets of information in Spanish with those present as well as gifts of several books by O.S. Hawkins, GuideStone's president, that are in Spanish. Joshua del Risco, NAMB's director of Hispanic evangelism, introduced Ramon Osorio as a new NAMB staff member in the area of Hispanic mobilization. Osorio shared his testimony as a church planter, the challenges he sees for America's Hispanics, and NAMB's Send North America strategy for reaching key the cities across the continent. Luis Lopez, director of LifeWay en Español, shared that "God is doing beautiful things in our midst" at the SBC publishing arm. "The Hispanic population is growing faster than the statisticians projected. Today there are 53 million Hispanics in the United States. In response to this rapid growth, LifeWay has produced new materials in Spanish for Sunday School and open groups." Lopez noted that according to new research, "Latinos have a high degree of respect for the Bible. At least 87 percent of Hispanics own a Bible but only 8 percent interact with it." The challenge is to use this knowledge as a platform to start small groups, Lopez said, stating that the new materials in the series Conectandose are designed to be resources for groups. --30-- David Raul Lema Jr. is associate team strategist for theological education ministries with the Florida Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Brewton-Parker to appeal accreditation findings by Joe Westbury/The Christian Index Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday MOUNT VERNON, Ga. (BP) -- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Committee on Colleges (SACS COC) handed down a split decision on June 19 on the academic standing of two of Georgia Baptists' three educational institutions. The ruling affirmed the academic standing of Shorter University while removing Brewton-Parker College from its membership. The Rome university's accreditation was approved by the accrediting agency in December 2012 but required Shorter to demonstrate that its faculty is large enough and properly credentialed. The renewal of its status as a regionally accredited institution is valid for 10 years. The question about its staffing arose when the university entered a tumultuous period following its transition to a new president -- Donald Dowless -- following his appointment in Nov. 2011. Under the direction of its Board of Trustees, Shorter implemented a set of faculty and staff guidelines that drew it closer to a biblical worldview. The move toward a more conservative stance was not embraced by many staff who resigned in protest. While the school's accreditation was approved the following December, SACS sought additional information on staffing and credentialing as the university rebuilt its instructional foundation. Shorter has repeatedly been ranked as one of the best colleges in the Southeast according to nationally known education services company, The Princeton Review. It enrolled 1,628 students for its fall semester on its main campus, which is its second highest ever for the Rome site. Brewton-Parker College, however, had its accreditation removed by the governing agency after meeting criteria for nearly 50 years. The Mount Vernon college has struggled with financial concerns which has pushed it near bankruptcy on several occasions. The appointment of acting president Mike Simoneaux in 2011, and his being named president six months later, is credited with easing much of the college's financial crisis. Simoneaux retired from Brewton-Parker in 2013 and the reins were passed to educator and author Ergun Caner, brother of sister college president Emir Caner at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. Caner has worked to restore the south Georgia college's enrollment, academic, and financial standing but SACS, in its ruling, continued to express concerns about Brewton-Park's economic viability. Caner said he and four administrators answered questions from the Committee on Colleges days prior to the decision and said he was very disappointed with the outcome. He said the college will appeal the decision within the 10-day window, which will give it time to operate under probationary status. Caner said all four SACS recommendations for improvement dealt with financial concerns and he felt the issues had been properly addressed. "We are operationally in the black, our present budget is balanced, we project finishing this fiscal year in the black, and our board of trustees approved a balanced budget for 2014-2015," he told faculty and staff in announcing the ruling. In addition to debt being down, and giving to Brewton-Parker being up, Caner noted that "enrollment, both in headcount and full-time equivalency, is up for the third straight year. "Because we believe we have a strong case for reaffirmation, these necessary legal steps protect our standing as an accredited college until we have a chance to present our case in court. "SACS leaders will take all of these changes into account and reconsider their ruling in our appeal this August." He said he remains confident that the appeals process will reverse the ruling "and all parties shall be satisfied with the conclusion. Caner told the trustees, faculty and staff how important it was for Georgia Baptists and the general public at large to realize that Brewton-Parker College remains accredited albeit on probation during the entire appeal process. SACS placed four other colleges on probation -- all for financial problems -- including three private nonprofit institutions. Among those were Louisiana College, an institution of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and Georgia institution Paine College in Augusta. The other nonprofit was Newberry College in South Carolina; the public institution was South Carolina State University. SACS COC policy states "An institution must be removed from membership if it has not demonstrated compliance with all the Principles of Accreditation within the two-year monitoring period and has not demonstrated Good Cause as to why it should not be dropped from membership." While congratulating Shorter University for its positive report, Georgia Baptist Convention Executive Director J. Robert White affirmed Brewton-Parker on its appeal process. "Brewton-Parker has the love, respect and prayers of Georgia Baptists during these challenging days," he said. "I would ask that you pray specifically for Dr. Ergun Caner and those who serve with him on the administrative staff and faculty. I would also ask that you pray for Dr. Bucky Kennedy who serves as the chairman of the board of trustees. They need and deserve our prayers and support during these days and I know they will appreciate your prayers on their behalf." --30-- Joe Westbury is managing editor of The Christian Index, newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Sirviendo A Dios by Fermín Whittaker Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Servir a Dios en la Iglesia es una de las bendiciones más sobresalientes en la vida del creyente. Es maravilloso observar los diferentes dones que la Iglesia posee en las personas que sirven. La Biblia dice que "Dios nos ha dado diferentes dones, según lo que el quiso dar a cada uno. Por lo tanto, si Dios nos ha dado el don de comunicar sus mensajes, hagámoslo según la fe que tenemos. (Rom. 12:6) Este pasaje nos enseña que diferentes dones en la iglesia puede llevarnos a otro nivel de servicio a Dios. Al pensar en esto, a veces nos desanimamos porque no tenemos un don especial, pero insisto que todos los dones que Dios nos ha dado, son dones especiales. Recuerdo a una hermana mayor cuyo ministerio era de escribir notas a los miembros ausentes de los cultos de alabanza. Por muchos años ella era un contacto importante para este grupo de creyentes en la iglesia. También recuerdo a muchos que sirvieron a Dios, y sus nombres estan escritos en el libro de la vida. Enseñaron a niños, visitaron a enfermos, alimentaron a los hambrientos, vistieron a los destituidos, y nunca lo hicieron esperando recompensa. Lo hicieron para la gloria de Dios. Acepte la invitación de Dios y que tu vida sea una vida de servicio. Al hacer esto, vas a observar transformaciones espirituales en la vida de muchas personas. --30-- Fermín Whittaker es el director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California. Los materiales en español publicados por esta convención se encuentran en http://www.csbc.com/languageresources. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd VIEW: Annie's church transforms to reach Baltimore's inner city by Diana Chandler Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday 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 18, 2014 BALTIMORE (BP) -- Ryan Palmer admitted he was skeptical when he was called to pastor a dying church in Baltimore's inner city, where storied missionary Annie Armstrong was once a member.
A theater major and attorney, Palmer had made other plans with wife Leslie, the two of them members of the Seventh Baptist Church that had then dwindled from a high of 2000 to only 17 members. "And in 2003 I was actually called and asked to pastor the remnant. The previous pastor was burned out. He said, 'Brother this is where God wants you. He sent you and I believe you are the next pastor,'" Palmer told Baptist Press. "And like Sarah, Abraham's wife, I laughed. My idea was to be bicoastal. I was going to have a home on the East Coast and two aircraft, a home in L.A. and work in the entertainment industry." Palmer's idyllic picture differed from the Baltimore he ministers to today, where openly homosexual and transsexual pastors lead churches a stone's throw away from his. It's also where heroin addicts, the homeless, prostitutes, alcoholics, committed blue-collar workers, affluent professionals, artists and college students all live within a two-mile radius of the architecturally rich church founded in 1845 and rebuilt after a 1919 fire. On June 8, the Sunday prior to the Southern Baptist Convention 2014 annual meeting, Palmer relaunched the congregation as Seventh Metro Church. Fred Luter, who had mentored Palmer in ministry, preached the service as one of the last sermons of his term as Southern Baptist Convention president. Luter commissioned Palmer and the 15 or so Seventh Metro members in ministry, joined on the occasion by perhaps 300 Southern Baptist friends and supporters. "Father, in the name of Jesus, on behalf of the churches and messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention, on behalf of NAMB -- the North American Mission Board, God we right now want to pray and lift up the Seventh Metro Church," Luter prayed. "Thank you for these committed and faithful members. Bless them God collectively and individually. God we commission them. We send them out from this day forth God to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ... We lift them up to you God. Give them the boldness and strength that they need God to go throughout the highways and the byways of Baltimore God, and compel lost men and women, boys and girls to come." Palmer baptized a young woman during the service. She had accepted Jesus a day earlier during the Crossover Baltimore evangelism initiative preceding the SBC annual meeting. The membership of the church had risen to as high as 70 one month after Palmer began his pastorate 10 years ago, but with no leaders or staff to help, membership declined once again. Palmer was overworked, leading the church as a staff of one bolstered by his wife Leslie, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just two years into their 1998 marriage and is now legally blind. "The problem that I ran into, I have no deacons, I have no trustees, I have no Sunday School teachers, no associate ministers, and these were all first-time believers" who needed discipling, Palmer said. "They were multi-ethnic and ... going in 70 different directions. ... I began to pull back a little bit." At his lowest point, Palmer said, he felt defeated and powerless to continue. "The reality is I fell on my face in the pastor's office and I cried out. And my honest response was, 'God, I can't do this.' I said, 'God I've never seen so many needy people in my life, and I'm so ill-equipped to do anything about it,'" Palmer said. "[God] took me to the book of Haggai. ... It kind of said, 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former days?' And just like in Haggai, the folks who were here, we weren't here in the days of [Southern Baptist leader] Richard Fuller and Annie Armstrong and [former pastor] Dr. John Henry Day. "And [God] says, 'Well how does it look to you now?' And I paused right there and began to make an assessment. And when you keep reading [Haggai] it says, 'Does it seem like nothing?' I said, '[God], how did you know?'" "And God continues in that text and He says look, the gold and the silver are mine. Once more in a little while I'm going to shake the nations and they're going to come to you," Palmer said. The passage in Haggai 2 includes the 9th verse, "'The glory of this latter house will be greater than the first,' says the Lord of Hosts." Palmer displays the Scripture on a banner above Seventh Metro's pulpit. "This is the home of Annie Armstrong. This is the home of Richard Fuller. This is the home of Dr. John Henry Day. We're going to do greater things? It's humbling, but it's not out of reach," Palmer said. "Look at what Annie has done. Look at all the letters she wrote. What would she have done if she had had the Internet? Look at all the materials we have at LifeWay. Look at all ... the social media that they didn't have." While Fuller was an SBC founder who championed slavery as a biblically sanctioned institution, the Seventh Metro of today serves a diverse and eclectic community. "We are a city and we are well past the day when the Sunday worship hour is going to be the most segregated hour. There is not one person, and again that leads to 'Metro,'" Palmer said. "There's not one ethnic group. There's not one particular economic situation or educational background. We've got 14 colleges and universities in a two-mile radius. We also have heroin addicts, unemployed, homeless folk of all ethnicities. And so there's not one homogeneous kind of ethnos here. It's a city and so 'Seventh Metro' helps us to identify with that culture." Limited financially, Seventh Metro is still fully engaged in the community through several ministries and initiatives. Sunday School is known as the Fulfillment Hour. R.E.A.L. Men is an open Bible study to equip men as leaders. Ethos is a Friday night ministry to teenagers, offering workshops and an open mic, and reinforcing good moral behavior through acting, writing, the spoken word, dance and visual arts. The Point is Seventh Metro's outreach on the campus of Morgan State University and includes worship, fellowship and Christian instruction. Palmer also serves as the advisor to Morgan State's Baptist Student Ministry. The Edge is a weekly bible study and fellowship opportunity for young professionals who live in the Greater Baltimore area. The I.C.E. team is composed of key congregational leaders who work to "improve church excellence" by regularly meeting with Palmer and evaluating church activities. Among discipleship ministries Palmer leads are the 13-week Life Institute life application Bible study, the 13-week congregational Evangelism Institute, and the quarterly two-day Leadership Institute focusing on leadership development, ministry team formation, effective communication and personality profile and spiritual gift assessments. Palmer uses the term "third place," envisioning a church that people readily want to attend after caring for their families and working on their jobs. "I believe your first place should be home. I'd be a better pastor if I'm taking care of my wife, so that's first place. Second place, by virtue of culture, we spend 40 or more hours a week at work. And so, when you realistically look at it, that has to be second place," Palmer said. "Third place for us is when I'm not at home and I'm not at work, this is where I want to be. This is where I want to hang out. This is where I want to grow and connect and move and laugh and cry." In explaining the "third place" concept to his congregation during a meeting, he piped recorded music into the church. "I said I think there's this wonderful spiritual song that just kind of sums up what we're saying, and we piped the music in," Palmer said. It was the theme to the 1980s sitcom "Cheers." "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away?" "And then they started laughing, but I said that's what I'm talking about, a place where everyone knows your name. They're always glad you came. That's what third place means to us. This is where your community is. This is where life happened for you. This is where you laugh." --30-- Diana Chandler is general assignment writer/editor for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. 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 Rwandan Genocide by Kelly Boggs Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- This time 20 years ago in the east African nation of Rwanda, men, women and children were being slaughtered on a mass scale. In 100 days, between 800,000 and 1 million people were brutally murdered and many more were maimed. What has been called the Rwandan Genocide is certainly not the first incident of mass murder the world has seen nor was it the last. However, it was particularly gruesome due to its intensity and circumstances. The Rwandan massacre began on April 7, 1994, and continued until mid-July. While there is absolutely no justification for what took place during the 100-day killing spree, a historical context provides some perspective. The genocide in Rwanda has its roots in a deep-seated racism between the Hutus and Tutsis, dating back to the early 1900s when the country was controlled by the Belgians. When the Belgian colonists arrived in 1916, they viewed the Hutus and Tutsis differently and even produced identity cards classifying people according to their ethnicity. Even though the Tutsis comprised only about 15 percent of the population, they were viewed by the Belgians as more fit to rule and were selected for positions of leadership. As a result of their favored status, the Tutsis also enjoyed preferred educational and economic opportunities. As time went on, the Hutus began to resent the Tutsis. After enduring decades of second-class status, the Hutus responded with a series of riots in 1959. Approximately 20,000 Tutsis were killed and thousands fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. When Rwanda was granted its independence in 1962, the majority Hutus took over politically. Tutsis began to be portrayed negatively and were made scapegoats for most every crisis. Over time, some Tutsis formed a rebel group known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front. It initiated a civil war in 1990 with the RPF stated goal of overthrowing the Hutu-dominated government. A ceasefire agreement in 1992 eventually led to negotiations between the warring factions. In August 1993, Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, signed an agreement calling for the creation of a transition government that would include the RPF. This move did not sit well with Hutu extremists. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Habyarimana was shot down over the Rwandan capital of Kigali, leaving no survivors. Though it was never determined who downed the plane, Hutu extremists blamed the RPF. There are some who have speculated that Hutu extremists were behind the attack, using it as an excuse to launch an attack on the Tutsis. Within an hour of the plane crash, the Presidential Guard together with members of the Rwandan armed forces and Hutu militia groups the Interahamwe ("Those Who Attack Together") and Impuzamugambi ("Those Who Have the Same Goal"), took advantage of the president's death. The hardcore Hutus seized control of the government and called on the majority Hutus to slaughter their Tutsi neighbors and anyone who sympathized with Tutsis. The first victim of the genocide was the moderate Hutu prime minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. The mass killings in Rwanda quickly spread from Kigali to the rest of the country. During the 100-day slaughter, local officials and government-sponsored radio stations called on ordinary citizens to murder their neighbors. Tragically most complied, leaving the unfathomable death toll. The question posed most often after a tragedy like the Rwandan genocide is, "How could this happen?" The succinct answer is "sin," though it is in no way meant to be a simple answer. From the Jewish Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazis, to the Cambodian killing fields of the Khmer Rouge, to the present-day tragedy of abortion in the United States, the common thread that runs through man's inhumanity to man is sin. Sin is more than a theological concept to be proclaimed in sermons and debated in seminary classrooms. Sin is a reality that rests in the heart of every human being. Though it manifests itself in different ways, it is there waiting to be stirred. The apostle John wrote of sin, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." From John's assessment, we understand the reality of sin reveals itself in an individual's life in three broad categories. The lust of the eyes entails what a person can see and would have a desire to possess. The lust of the flesh would be that which a person would deem as pleasurable. The boastful pride of life would center on a person's ego in the form of power, position, popularity, prestige or preservation. The reality of sin is a reality with which everyone must come to grips. No one can say for certain what motivated a Rwandan Hutu to murder his innocent Tutsi neighbor. Perhaps the murderer wanted to occupy his neighbor's home. Maybe the Hutu believed slaughtering his neighbor would preserve his own life. Who knows? The reality of sin is powerful beyond human understanding. When Cain was furious with his brother Abel, the Lord counseled him, "… sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Cain ignored God's warning and murdered his brother. The infamous anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide should be a reminder that sin has crouched outside mankind's door throughout history. And because the Lord's warning is ignored, it continues to manifest itself in the form of lying, greed and even mass murder. --30-- Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press, director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's office of public affairs, and editor of the Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), 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). -------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL TO PRAYER: Pray for one another by Roger S. Oldham Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is part of the call to prayer issued by Frank S. Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, to pray for revival and spiritual awakening for our churches, our nation and our world. NASHVILLE (BP) -- I must confess surprise in a recent concordance search; the phrase "pray for one another" is found only one time in the Bible! James 5:16 states, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (NKJV). This singular biblical instance, however, is supplemented throughout Scripture with numerous expressions of prayer for others and requests for prayer from others. In terms of praying for others, Jesus set the standard in His High Priestly prayer, recorded in John 17. He prayed for His disciples (John 17:9) and for those who would come to faith in Jesus as a result of their witness (John 17:20). He continues praying for us even now as the ever-living, heavenly intercessor (Hebrews 7:25). Further, Paul's letters are replete with specific prayer requests for Christ-followers in Rome (Romans: 1:9), for the Ephesian believers upon learning of their faith (Ephesians 1:15-21), for the saints in Philippi (Philippians 1:9-11), as well as for the churches in Colossae (Colossians 1:3-12) and Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5). In terms of requesting prayers from others, consider Jeroboam, who asked the unnamed prophet to pray for him that his hand would be healed (1 Kings 13:6). Esther appealed to Mordecai to gather the Jews in Shushan to fast for her for three days before she requested an audience with the king (Esther 4:15). Paul earnestly besought the Romans to join him in prayers for himself that he would be delivered from Judean unbelievers and that his service for the Jerusalem saints would be well received (Romans 15:30-31). He also enjoined the church at Ephesus to pray for all people, especially for kings and those in authority, since God desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4). During the June 2014 SBC annual meeting in Baltimore, Md., the Convention adopted a resolution on church revitalization. Its closing line urged "churches experiencing cycles of health to pray for and partner with both established and newly planted churches that are struggling so that together, experiencing His strength through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10), we can more effectively reach our neighbors and our nation with the Gospel." I wonder what would happen if each Southern Baptist church wholeheartedly and intentionally prayed for other Baptist churches in their own communities? It seems that churches too often fear the success of neighboring churches rather than praying for the mutual effectiveness and growth of their respective congregations. But, it doesn't have to be that way. A few years ago I attended an associational annual meeting in south central Kentucky. Ten of the association's churches had not baptized a single new believer the previous year. The director of missions asked 10 churches that had experienced evangelistic effectiveness to covenant to pray specifically that those other 10 churches would experience the joy of seeing new believers born into the family of God and baptized as followers of Christ in the coming year. The next year, at its 2009 annual meeting, the association reported that eight of those 10 churches with no baptisms the previous year had baptized 29 new believers in 2009! Using video images of baptisms in those churches as part of the associational report, the entire association celebrated what God had done in direct response to such focused prayer. This renewed sense of associational community didn't stop after that initial prayer partnership. The following year, 23 churches in the association reported an increase in baptisms. Building on that report, the association began to pray at every associational gathering for one thousand souls to be reached and baptized in 2011, a prayer goal that was exceeded. Praying for one another is biblical. And it is powerful. James 5:16 closes with this stirring reminder, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." If one person's prayer avails much, how much more can be accomplished when an entire church of Spirit-filled men and women intercede to the Father for their own church's ministry ... and for the church down the block, around the corner, across town, or around the world! --30-- Roger S. Oldham is vice president for communications and convention relations with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee. -------------------------------------------------------------------- PCUSA endorses gay marriage by David Roach Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday DETROIT (BP) -- The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) became one of the largest Christian denominations in America to endorse gay marriage when its General Assembly voted in Detroit yesterday (June 19) to allow pastors to conduct same-sex weddings and approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between "two people" rather than "a man and a woman." The authorization for pastors to perform gay weddings takes effect immediately and applies only to ministers in the 19 states where the practice is legal. The measure passed by a vote of 317 (61 percent) to 238 (39 percent) and was classified as an "Authoritative Interpretation" of the PCUSA constitution. A commissioner at a meeting of the General Assembly's Civil Union and Marriage Issues Committee raised a point of order regarding the Authoritative Interpretation, noting that it appeared to contradict the constitution it purported to interpret, the conservative Presbyterian Lay Committee (PLC) reported on its website. Currently the PCUSA constitution states, "Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man" as well as a "covenant" between "a man and a women" for Christians. The point of order, in parliamentary rules, was "not well taken." Also in the Civil Union and Marriage Issues Committee meeting, a motion to read Scripture for 20 minutes before starting discussion of same-sex marriage was defeated 39-22, the PLC reported. The General Assembly voted to amend the PCUSA constitution by a vote of 429 (71 percent) to 175 (29 percent), but the amendment will not take effect unless a majority of the denomination's 172 presbyteries approve it. However, the departure of many conservative churches from the PCUSA as well as the amendment's landslide victory at the General Assembly make approval seem likely. Hunter Farrell, director of Presbyterian World Mission, told the Civil Union and Marriage Issues Committee that if passed, the amendment likely will lead 17 of the 54 organizations that partner with the PCUSA in world missions to sever their relationships with the denomination. Another 25 partner groups said the action would damage their relationship with the PCUSA, Farrell reported according to the PLC. A similar measure approving gay marriage was defeated at the 2012 General Assembly 338-302. The only bright spot for those who affirm the biblical model of marriage in this year's votes was the passage of an amendment to the proposed constitutional amendment stating that marriage has been between "traditionally a man and a woman." The PLC called the General Assembly's endorsement of homosexuality "an abomination." "In the name of 1.8 million Presbyterians nationwide, the General Assembly has committed an express repudiation of the Bible, the mutually agreed upon Confessions of the PCUSA, thousands of years of faithfulness to God's clear commands and the denominational ordination vows of each concurring commissioner. This is an abomination," the PLC said in a statement released by its board of directors. "The Presbyterian Lay Committee mourns these actions and calls on all Presbyterians to resist and protest them. You should tell your pastor and the members of your session that you disapprove of these actions," the statement continued. "You should refuse to fund the General Assembly, your synod, your presbytery and even your local church if those bodies have not explicitly and publicly repudiated these unbiblical actions. God will not be mocked and those who substitute their own felt desires for God's unchangeable Truth will not be found guiltless before a holy God." PCUSA leaders issued a letter to congregations in which they admitted that there is "both happiness and sadness" among Presbyterians regarding the gay-affirming votes. The letter was signed by General Assembly moderator Heath Rada, stated clerk of the General Assembly Gradye Parsons and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Linda Valentine. The votes "came with much thought, discussion and prayer, and clearly the entire body that is the PC(USA) will be interpreting these actions for some time," the letter stated. "Please know that the same triune God in whom we place our hope, faith and trust ... is still in control, and that the Assembly's action today is the result of deep discernment to hear God's voice and discern God's will." Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, an organization that that seeks to foster renewal in mainline demoninations, said that "by overturning natural marriage the PCUSA is only accelerating its already fast-paced demise. It will become even smaller, whiter and older. "Only declining denominations reject historic Christian standards and in nearly every case that rejection reinforces the decline. Who respects a church that only echoes the secular world?" Tooley said. "Many faithful have already quit the PCUSA and many more now will. But some faithful will remain. May the Holy Spirit bless their witness and lay the groundwork for the PCUSA's return someday to the teachings of the global church." Phillip Bethancourt, executive vice president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the margin of victory for pro-gay measures in the PCUSA illustrates the extent of the denomination's departure from theological orthodoxy. "Here's what I find most telling about this vote: While 54% of the American public supports gay marriage, 76% of the PCUSA does. It seems that the PCUSA is more pro-same sex marriage than the American public ... by 22%," Bethancourt wrote on his blog. "This isn't a total surprise, considering that white mainline Protestants in general support same sex marriage at a 62% clip. Meanwhile, only 23% of white evangelicals support same sex marriage. Why is it that the pathway to liberalism always seems to lead through the gate of shifting sexual ethics?" R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the PCUSA's votes were so "lopsided" in part because theological conservatives have departed en masse from the denomination. "It's not only members, but congregations," Mohler said. "Approximately 300 churches have left the PCUSA just in the last three years." Mohler said much news coverage of the PCUSA's decisions will fail to note that most Christians oppose gay marriage. According to Pew Research Center data released June 18, among denominations to oppose gay marriage are the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Churches, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Roman Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church. --30-- David Roach is the chief national correspondent for Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention's news service. 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). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Avance Hispano atrae a 500 en Baltimore by Por David Raúl Lema Jr. Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- Varios grupos hispanos, en un ejemplo de cooperación bautista del sur con un matiz latino, se unieron en reuniones, compañerismo y culto antes de la reunión anual de la CBS en el Centro de Convenciones de Baltimore. El evento del 8 de junio, el cual comenzó con una cena a las 5 p.m., incluyó cuatro talleres y un servicio de celebración que concluyó con un concierto a las 11 p.m. Por lo menos 500 hispanos de las iglesias del área de Baltimore y otros de iglesias y ministerios en otros estados estuvieron presentes en la reunión Avance Hispano, conjuntamente organizada por Recursos Cristianos LifeWay, la Junta de Misiones Internacionales, la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas y Recursos Financieros GuideStone. La Universidad Liberty también estuvo en el programa como patrocinadora invitada del evento. David Platt, pastor de La Iglesia en Brook Hills, fue el orador de la cena. Los dos libros de Platt "Radical" y "Sígueme" han sido publicados en español por LifeWay. Platt fue presentado por Luis López, director de LifeWay en Español, como "un hombre profundamente comprometido con Cristo y su Palabra. El primer amor del ministerio de David Platt es hacer discípulos usando el simple modelo bíblico de enseñar la Palabra de Dios entrenando discípulos y transmitiéndoles la fe." Platt comenzó su breve plática con humor relatando las veces cuando su incompetencia en español le había causado vergüenza durante viajes recientes a América Latina. Platt también habló de su trabajo con los hispanos el cual es parte de los ministerios locales e internacionales de La Iglesia en Brook Hills. Platt les dijo a los reunidos que "actualmente hay un estado de confusión con la identidad cristiana. Seguir a Cristo es más que una oración." Cuando el Espíritu Santo viene a la vida del cristiano, esa persona se vuelve radical en su contexto cultural, señaló. "Nosotros tenemos algo mejor que el sueño americano," dijo Platt. "Tenemos la esperanza de la vida eterna en Cristo. Cuando [la gente] ve a Jesús, ve el sueño americano palidecer en comparación." Platt concluyó con la apasionada súplica de que "el camino de Dios y su poder salvador sean conocidos en la tierra. Dios recibirá la Gloria que es debida solo a él hasta ese día cuando todos nosotros nos reunamos juntos alrededor del trono. ¡Cantaremos un nuevo canto! ¡Glorificaremos a Dios como un cuerpo! ¡Gloria a Dios!" Frank S. Page, presidente del Comité Ejecutivo de la CBS, también se dirigió a la multitud hablando en español. Page les agradeció a los bautistas hispanos su compañerismo en el evangelio, diciendo que él está "bien consciente de los cambios culturales en nuestra cultura" y que "debemos alcanzar a los hispanos para Cristo." Page reportó sobre el trabajo del Consejo Asesor Hispano, el cual fue el primer consejo que él designó como presidente del Comité Ejecutivo. Les agradeció a Bobby Sena y a Daniel Sánchez por fungir como copresidentes del consejo y dijo que ansiosamente espera el reporte del consejo. Page también reportó que él contrató a Bobby Sena como consultor nacional hispano." Jason Carlisle, director de movilización hispana de IMB, presentó a Juan Carlos Rojas, presidente de la Convención Bautista de Cuba del Oeste, quien fue el predicador invitado para la celebración del culto. Carlisle anunció una nueva iniciativa de compañerismo para la plantación de iglesias que involucra a los cubanos bautistas y el alcance en África del Norte. Norte América continua siendo un campo misionero desafiante, dijo Carlisle señalando que "Dearborn, Michigan, tiene la más grande presencia árabe fuera de África del Norte y el Medio Este. Los misioneros bautistas hispanos están haciendo avances en el mundo musulmán aquí y en otros países." Carlisle reportó que "más de 80 personas han aceptado a Cristo en una de las etnias musulmanas no alcanzadas [UPGs por sus siglas en inglés] como resultado del trabajo misionero hispano." Otra nota gozosa fue que "durante la celebración Enlace 2014 en Richmond, Virginia, 27 pastores y líderes hispanos dieron $17.000 para las misiones en el mundo árabe." Mucho del trabajo que el equipo de movilización hispana de IMB y los misioneros hispanos de IMB están haciendo no puede ser reportado debido a lo sensible de la naturaleza del alcance, dijo Carlisle. Sin embargo, han sido reportados grandes avances en muchas áreas del mundo y de muchas UPGs alcanzadas por misioneros bautistas hispanos e iglesias hispanas. A nombre de la movilización hispana, varios líderes y pastores hispanos fueron reconocidos por su apoyo a los esfuerzos de la movilización hispana de IMB en otros países: Jesús Guillén, Daniel Tuchez, Eliud Reyes, José Nater, Ramón Medina y Guillermo Mangieri. Miguel Pérez, representante hispano de GuideStone, habló de cómo la entidad de servicios financieros de la CBS está ayudando a pastores hispanos a lidiar con su pensión. "GuideStone puede ser de apoyo a pastores de iglesias pequeñas e inclusive a pastores jubilados que nunca tuvieron la oportunidad de cotizar para su pensión," dijo Pérez. Él compartió paquetes de información en español con aquellos presentes además regaló varios libros de O.S. Hawkins, presidente de GuideStone, que están en español. Josué del Risco, director de evangelismo hispano de NAMB, presentó a Ramón Osorio como nuevo miembro del personal de NAMB en el área de movilización hispana. Osorio compartió su testimonio como plantador de iglesias, los desafíos que ve para los hispanos de EE.UU., y la estrategia de NAMB, Envía Norteamérica para alcanzar ciudades clave en todo el continente. Luis López, director de LifeWay en Español, compartió que "Dios está haciendo cosas maravillosas en nuestro medio" en la dependencia de publicaciones de la CBS. "La población hispana está creciendo más rápido de lo que las estadísticas proyectaron; hoy en día hay 53 millones de hispanos en EE.UU. En respuesta a este rápido crecimiento, LifeWay ha producido nuevos materiales en español para la Escuela Dominical y grupos abiertos." López señaló que de acuerdo a una nueva investigación, "los latinos tienen un alto grado de respeto por la Biblia. Por lo menos 87 por ciento de los hispanos tienen una Biblia pero solamente un 8 por ciento interactúa con ella." El desafío es usar este conocimiento como una plataforma para comenzar grupos pequeños, dijo López declarando que los nuevos materiales de la serie Conectándose están diseñados para ser recursos para grupos. --30-- David Raúl Lema Jr. Es estratega asociado de equipo de los ministerios de educación teológica de la Convención Bautista de Florida. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Iglesia local hispana acoge afluencia de CBS by Por David Raúl Lema, Jr. Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- La Primera Iglesia Bautista de Laurel, Maryland, con su pastor en proceso de jubilación Segundo Mir y el pastor entrante Gustavo Suárez, acogieron a hispanos de todo el país durante un servicio especial y almuerzo anteriores a la reunión anual de la Convención Bautista del Sur en Baltimore. Fermín Whittaker predicador invitado oriundo de Panamá, director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur de California, desafió a la audiencia a un caminar con Cristo más comprometido. Una banda de alabanza de nueve miembros dirigida por el hijo del pastor, Abner Segundo, comenzó el servicio con una sesión de cantos contemporáneos de alabanza en español. Entre los pastores y líderes que representaban los diversos ministerios estaban Enio Agüero, coordinador de capellanes de ayuda en desastres de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas y Víctor Samuel González Grille, oncólogo y anterior presidente de la Convención Bautista de Cuba del Oeste. "Les traigo saludos de sus hermanas y hermanos cubanos," les dijo González a los creyentes. "El Espíritu Santo todavía está muy activo en Cuba con la gente ávida de la Palabra de Dios y la salvación que Jesús nos brinda." Otros pastores y líderes visitantes también estaban presentes representando diversos ministerios nacionales. Suárez, quien inició la iglesia hace 35 años, recientemente fue llamado a suceder al a punto de jubilarse Mir, quien dijo con humor que Suárez "me dio esta iglesia, ahora yo se la devuelvo." Suárez, quien está dejando la facultad del Seminario Teológico Bautista Midwestern, presentó a tres estudiantes de doctorado en ministerio del campus de Kansas City: Francisco Muñiz, Johnny Muzquiz y Marcos Elizondo. Whittaker comenzó su sermón compartiendo su testimonio y cómo Dios siempre suplió sus necesidades. Relató como Dios lo guió a su esposa Carmen, diciendo: "Carmen no era cristiana. Yo la guié a Cristo y después le pedí que se casara conmigo; hemos estado casados 44 años." Después de sus estudios de seminario en Canadá durante los 60, Whittaker dijo que llegó a ser pastor de una iglesia en Los Ángeles con "un total de membresía de siete ancianas. Le dije a Dios que esa no era mi iglesia. Yo quería pastorear la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Los Ángeles. Dios dijo: 'Tienes razón; esta no es tu iglesia; tu iglesia está al otro lado de la calle en el parque, esa es tu congregación.'" Al darme cuenta de que no había jóvenes en la iglesia, Whittaker dijo que le preguntó a un joven en el parque: "'¿Por qué no vas a la iglesia?' Él dijo que ni siquiera hablaba español. Dios me dijo que lo hiciera bilingüe -- que predicara el evangelio en ambos idiomas. La iglesia estalló. Los jóvenes finalmente dijeron que se sentían cómodos en la iglesia." Whittaker se volvió a la historia del ciego Bartimeo en Marcos 10:46-52 para el punto principal de su sermón. Él sancionó el deseo de algunos cristianos que están dispuestos a ir al otro lado del mundo para predicar a Cristo pero no están dispuestos a cruzar la calle para hacer lo mismo. "Ustedes no tienen que ir al otro lado del mundo, sino primero al otro lado del salón. Necesitamos caminar al otro lado del salón para alcanzar a nuestra familia; necesitamos cruzar el salón donde comemos y compartimos. Jesús cruzó la calle para llegar a Bartimeo." Muchas iglesias "han dejado la palabra misericordia afuera en el estacionamiento. Venimos a la iglesia muy bien vestidos y no vemos a aquellos en necesidad alrededor de nosotros," dijo Whittaker. "¿Por qué los cristianos están viviendo negativamente? ¿Por qué estamos viviendo como serpientes y no como águilas?" continuó Whittaker. "Estamos hasta la cabeza de negativismo. Cuando perdemos la misericordia por nosotros mismos, perdemos la misericordia por otros." Después de señalar distracciones que frecuentemente confrontan a una persona que busca a Cristo, como aquellas que enfrentaba el ciego Bartimeo, Whittaker dijo: "Jesús se detuvo. Él se detiene en cualquier momento que oye el clamor de la persona que lo necesita." Después de orar y emitir un llamado al altar, por lo menos 20 personas pasaron adelante para hacer la decisión de seguir a Cristo y darle a él sus necesidades. Mir cerró la ceremonia con una oración y una declaración de fe: "Tenemos una iglesia que ama la Palabra de Dios; predicamos, enseñamos y vivimos la Palabra de Dios." Ismael Ventura, oriundo de El Salvador y diácono de la iglesia Laurel dijo que se sentía honrado de que en esta ocasión la CBS fuera en Baltimore y agradecido de que tanta gente compartiera ese día con ellos. "Como hispano, me siento orgulloso de ser bautista del sur ya que las iglesias bautistas están enseñando la Biblia de una manera efectiva y clara." --30-- David Raúl Lema Jr. es estratega asociado del equipo de ministerios de educación teológica de la Convención Bautista de Florida. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CBS elige a Floyd, ora por reavivamiento y restauración by Por David Roach Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday BALTIMORE (BP) -- Los mensajeros a la Convención Bautista del Sur eligieron al pastor de Arkansas, Ronnie Floyd como presidente y escucharon repetidos llamados a la oración y al reavivamiento -- destacados por el sermón presidencial del presidente saliente Fred Luter. Los mensajeros también dieron la primera de dos aprobaciones requeridas para una enmienda a la constitución de la CBS y escucharon al presidente del Comité Ejecutivo, Frank S. Page llamar a un "Avance de la Gran Comisión" en las misiones de la CBS. Los 5.294 mensajeros a la convención del 10 y 11 de junio marcaron un incremento de los 5.103 en Houston el año pasado. Floyd es elegido Floyd, pastor de la Iglesia Cross en el noroeste de Arkansas, fue elegido en la primera votación electoral con un 51.62 por ciento de los votos. El pastor de Maryland, Dennis Manpoong Kim recibió 40.70 por ciento de los votos mientras que el pastor de Kentucky, Jared Moore recibió 5.91 por ciento. "Quiero ver que un reavivamiento llegue a la iglesia de Jesucristo," dijo Floyd en una conferencia de prensa a continuación de su elección, "de manera que los estadounidenses despierten con una poderosa conciencia de Dios donde grandes cantidades vengan a la fe y la confianza en Jesucristo como Salvador." Sermón de Luter Al predicar sobre el Salmo 80:18, 19, el pasaje del tema de este año "Restauración y reavivamiento a través de la oración", Luter dijo que los bautistas del sur deben arrepentirse de sus fallas para compartir el evangelio con las mujeres y los hombres perdidos. "Como su presidente durante los dos años pasados, el deseo de mi corazón ha sido que Dios nos haga uno y que Dios envíe un reavivamiento y una renovación mediante las iglesias de la Convención Bautista del Sur," dijo Luter, el primer presidente afroamericano de la CBS. "Hermanos y hermanas, la única manera de que esto suceda en esta nación, la única manera de que esto suceda en esta convención, la única manera de que esto suceda en nuestras iglesias es si el pueblo de Dios clama a Dios en oración, si hay un arrepentimiento genuino, si hay un remordimiento genuino, y si pedimos en el nombre que es sobre todo nombre," dijo Luter. Artículo III La enmienda propuesta al Artículo III de la constitución de la CBS garantizaría dos mensajeros a la reunión anual por cada iglesia cooperadora que contribuyera a las causas de la convención durante el año fiscal previo. Una iglesia calificaría para tener mensajeros adicionales a través de dos medios: -- Una iglesia obtendría un mensajero adicional por cada porcentaje completo de donaciones no asignadas dadas a través del Programa Cooperativo, como una ofrenda designada a través del Comité Ejecutivo para causas de la convención o a cualquier entidad de la CBS. -- Una iglesia obtendría un mensajero adicional por cada $6.000 dados durante el anterior año fiscal a través del PC, como una ofrenda designada al CE para causas de la convención o a cualquier entidad de la CBS. La cifra de $6.000 fue seleccionada ajustando la cifra presente de $250 -- adoptada en 1888 -- debido a la inflación y otros factores. Para que se vuelva definitiva, la enmienda debe ser aprobada de nuevo en la reunión anual del próximo año en Columbus, Ohio. Alocución de Page Page les habló a los mensajeros sobre una estrategia para el evangelismo mundial y el discipulado llamada Avance de la Gran Comisión. Un componente clave de la estrategia es el PC, dijo Page. Él reportó que el Comité Ejecutivo pronto reducirá sus asignaciones al PC por tercera vez durante su cargo como presidente para enviar más dinero a los ministerios bautistas del sur en el país y en el extranjero. "Descontinuaré el Programa Cooperativo si me pueden mostrar algo más que a largo plazo sea efectivo e involucre a cada iglesia concurrente y consistentemente en una estrategia Hechos 1:8," dijo Page. "Muéstrenmelo, y lo apoyaré… Pero yo no lo he encontrado todavía." Page dijo que el ofrendar promedio entre las iglesias bautistas del sur se elevó por primera vez en dos décadas a 5.50 por ciento. Resoluciones La convención adoptó nueve resoluciones en temas que van desde la identidad transexual al pago de préstamos el día de pago, revitalización de la iglesia, ayuda de la hambruna global, el 50º aniversario de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, y casinos y loterías. La resolución sobre la identidad transexual afirmó "el buen diseño de Dios que la identidad de género es determinada por el sexo biológico y no por la autopercepción." La resolución invitó a las personas transexuales "a confiar en Cristo y a experimentar renovación en el evangelio" y se opuso a todos los esfuerzos para "validar la identidad transexual como moralmente elogiable." Condecoraciones ERLC La Comisión de Libertad Religiosa y Ética (ERLC por sus siglas en inglés) presentó condecoraciones a la familia Green, propietaria de Hobby Lobby, y a Saeed Abedini, pastor estadounidense que está prisionero en Irán por su fe cristiana. Los Green recibieron la condecoración Libertad Religiosa John Leland por su negativa a acatar el mandato de aborto-anticonceptivo del gobierno, el cual requiere que los empleados provean drogas causantes de abortos a sus trabajadores. Se espera que la Corte Suprema de EE.UU. falle en el caso Green a finales de este mes. El presidente de ERLC, Russell D. Moore dijo que los Green "creen que cada vida humana desde el momento de la concepción es sagrada, y creen que el gobierno no es el Señor de sus conciencias." Los mensajeros les dieron a los Green una ovación de pie. Abedini recibió la condecoración Richard Land por Servicio Distinguido por "fielmente servir al Señor Jesucristo… a pesar del riesgo involucrado." Abedini se convirtió al cristianismo del islamismo y dirigió iglesias casa en su nativo Irán antes de trasladarse a EE.UU. en 2005. Durante un viaje a Irán en 2012, fue arrestado y enviado a prisión, sujeto a palizas y confinamiento en solitario. Naghmeh, la esposa de Abedini aceptó la condecoración a nombre de su esposo ante una ovación de pie. En otros asuntos: -- Los mensajeros eligieron a Clint Pressley, pastor de la Iglesia Butista Hickory Grove de Charlotte, North Carolina, como primer vicepresidente y a Hance Dilbeck, pastor de la Iglesia Bautista Quail Springs de Oklahoma City como segundo vicepresidente. La convención reeligió a John Yeats como secretario de actas y a Jim Wells como secretario de registro. -- El esfuerzo evangelizador Crossover en Baltimore antes de la reunión anual produjo 214 decisiones de salvación. Más de 2.300 voluntarios participaron en el Crossover en compañerismo con 32 iglesias locales. --La exposición del PC presentó una serie de discusiones de panel proyectadas en pantallas de alta definición en el salón de exhibiciones y transmitidas continuamente en internet. Casi 125 panelistas trataron asuntos tales como la cooperación bautista del sur, las misiones internacionales, la educación teológica de plantación de iglesias, la diversidad étnica, la justicia social y la sexualidad. -- La presentación de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales se enfocó en el trabajo de Dios en Cuba y presentó testimonios de creyentes cubanos. El presidente de IMB, Tom Elliff reportó que más de 6.000 iglesias fueron plantadas en el extranjero el año pasado en conjunto con los compañeros nacionales. El año pasado el misionero promedio de IMB ayudó a llevar a 49 personas a la fe en Cristo, guió a 24 nuevos convertidos a ser bautizados, ayudó a orientar a por lo menos cinco líderes potenciales y estuvo involucrado en el discipulado de 90 personas. -- La presentación de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas destacó un esfuerzo de revitalización de una iglesia en Baltimore y una iglesia planta en Montreal que creció a 700 creyentes en su primer año. "Estamos absolutamente comprometidos a plantar iglesias evangelizadoras en todo EE.UU.," dijo el presidente de NAMB, Kevin Ezell. NAMB también presentó una nueva guía de conversación evangelizadora desarrollada por Jimmy Scroggins, pastor de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de West Palm Beach, Florida. --30-- David Roach es jefe nacional corresponsal de Baptist Press, el servicio de noticias de la Convención Bautista del Sur. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Una campaña evangelística motiva a un equipo de futbol soccer a ir a la Copa Mundial by Por Marie Curtis Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday NATAL, Brasil (BP) – Un equipo de futbol soccer femenil universitario comenzó sus esfuerzos evangelísticos para la Copa Mundial FIFA -– la cual comienza el 12 de junio y termina el 13 de julio en Brasil -- con un proyecto misionero de una semana combinando futbol soccer y evangelismo. Cuando las 10 jugadoras de Oklahoma Baptist University, sus entrenadores y chaperones llegaron a Ceará-Mirim, Brasil, a finales de mayo, recibieron una bienvenida digna de un equipo de la Copa Mundial. Los miembros de la Primera Iglesia Bautista en esa ciudad vestían camisetas promocionando la campaña evangelística en conjunto con el equipo de OBU y celebraron la llegada de las Damas Bisontes con juegos artificiales y otras algarabías. Después, los grupos abordaron unas camionetas convertibles muy coloridas llamadas el trío eléctrico, usadas en Brasil para exhibir bandas durante el Carnaval y otras fiestas. Mientras desfilaban a través de las calles montados en estos vehículos, un vocero de la iglesia invitaba a la gente a asistir al partido de futbol soccer entre las Damas Bisontes y el equipo local femenil, el Global Cirián-Mirim. Las bocinas atrajeron a los curiosos que estaban emocionados de ver a un equipo de los EE UU y rápidamente pidieron tomarse una foto con las atletas. Las festividades no se acabaron ahí. Después de un breve descanso para almorzar, el entrenador Michael White y las jugadoras Kenzi Bice, de Moore, Okla., y Sarah Zeckser, de Midwest City, Okla., fueron a una estación local de radio para tener una entrevista en vivo sobre el tan anticipado juego que habría dentro de dos días. "Realmente nos han tratado como estrellas desde que llegamos aquí," dijo White, de Norman, Okla., al aire. "Estamos abrumados por la hospitalidad. Esperamos representar a Oklahoma y a Oklahoma Baptist University y jugar un buen partido de 'futebol' [portugués para futbol soccer] ahí afuera." El 30 de mayo, el día del juego, las Damas Bisontes derrotaron al equipo local brasileño con una victoria de 5-0 en un partido que atrajo a una multitud de casi 500 personas al estadio de Ceará-Mirim. Un ministro brasileño compartió el evangelio durante el medio tiempo. Anotando goles Mientras avanzaba la semana, el equipo de OBU compartió su fe, dirigió clínicas de futbol, habló en ciertas escuelas y animó a los bautistas brasileños. A través del trabajo de los voluntarios en la campaña evangelística, 18 personas aceptaron a Cristo como su Salvador y 22 expresaron su interés por tener un estudio bíblico en su hogar. El trabajo del equipo formó parte de un viaje misionero del 26 de mayo al 2 de junio a la ciudad costera de Natal, en el noroeste de Brasil, y otras ciudades cercanas como Ceará-Mirim. Natal es una de las 21 ciudades sedes de la Copa Mundial FIFA, donde el equipo de EEUU está programado para jugar el sábado (14 de junio) contra Gana. Durante su campaña evangelística dentro y fuera de Natal, el equipo misionero de Oklahoma se unió con los misioneros de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales, IMB, Rick y Jill Thompson, quienes coordinaron las iniciativas con tres iglesias brasileñas en el área. El equipo ministerial de las Damas Bisontes formó parte de un amplio esfuerzo de evangelismo relacionado con la Copa Mundial, el cual involucró otros estudiantes bautistas del sur voluntarios en otras tres ciudades sedes: Río de Janeiro, Porto Alegre y Brasilia, a partir del 12 de junio. Rick Thompson dijo que los misioneros bautistas del sur en Brasil en conjunto con sus aliados bautistas brasileños han estado planificando durante todo un año el uso efectivo de los voluntarios para ayudarles con los "eventos de impacto" y aprovechar la emoción que rodea a la Copa Mundial. Los planificadores quieren alcanzar a los visitantes internacionales que visiten Brasil para el campeonato mundialmente famoso pero también esperan que los voluntarios animen a las iglesias bautistas brasileñas y estimulen el crecimiento de la iglesia. "Estamos [usando equipos de voluntarios] específicamente en el área de plantación de iglesias," dijo Thompson, [para] usar sus talentos y dones… en todo tipo de avenidas para atraer a las multitudes y compartir el evangelio." Durante los eventos como la visita del equipo de futbol soccer de OBU en Natal, los bautistas brasileños juntos con los voluntarios, colectan los nombres y la información necesaria para contactar a los prospectos que conozcan durante los eventos evangelísticos. Después, los líderes de las iglesias locales comienzan el seguimiento con los contactos y los estudios bíblicos en las casas como un esfuerzo para plantar una iglesia, dijo Thompson. Sintiendo lo mejor de la hospitalidad de Brasil, el grupo de OBU se hospedó en las casas de los miembros de las iglesias y comió la mayoría de las veces en las iglesias. Trabajando en la campaña evangelística con los bautistas locales, el equipo de OBU sintió la receptividad de la mayoría de los brasileños ante el evangelio. En las clínicas de futbol soccer de las Damas Bisontes, por ejemplo, los niños estaban ansiosos por jugar futbol con un equipo estadounidense y escuchaban atentamente mientras las universitarias compartían la manera en que conocieron a Jesucristo. Con frecuencia se le invitaba al equipo a visitar casas y eran cálidamente bienvenidas en las escuelas. Durante una tarde de evangelismo de puerta en puerta, las jugadoras Kenzi Bice y Allie Preston, originaria de Abilene, Texas, conocieron a una mujer que estaba pasando por un gran problema en su familia. Las estudiantes oraron por ella en su jardín y la invitaron a asistir al servicio vespertino de alabanza. "Pudimos orar ahí mismo," dijo Kenzi. "Se notaba que ella se sentía mejor después de eso, más tranquila y feliz." Esa misma tarde, dos niños brasileños siguieron a Kenzi y a Allie por las calles. Las jovencitas se detuvieron para compartir el evangelio con ellos. Más tarde esa noche, los niños asistieron al servicio de alabanza, donde Kenzi y Allie les regalaron sus primeras Biblias. Mientras progresaba la semana, Allie dijo que su confianza al compartir el evangelio iba creciendo. "Nunca me vi haciendo esto. Pero ha sido más fácil cada vez. Poder compartir el amor de Dios con otras personas ha sido una muy buena experiencia." El entrenador White expresó estar orgulloso del equipo y de la manera en que se manejaron dentro y fuera de la cancha. White dijo que hubo algunos momentos de ansiedad al llegar "porque las cosas que tendríamos que hacer nos iban a sacar de nuestra zona de comodidad. Conocemos el futbol, y estamos muy cómodos con este aspecto. Pero en cuanto a ser deliberadamente abierto sobre nuestra fe…," dijo White. "Pero las niñas estaban convencidas. Ellas crecieron y yo también. Creo que yo también he sido cambiado, así que pienso que ha sido un éxito fenomenal desde muchos puntos de referencia." Thompson, obrero con la IMB, añadió, "Hemos visto muchas salvaciones. Hemos visto a mucha gente emocionada con el futbol soccer y lo que pueden hacer en cuanto al soccer y a la religión y a una relación con Dios, en combinación. Así que el éxito por este lado ha sido fantástico." La presencia del equipo también ayudó a Thompson a conectarse con algunos de los oficiales de la ciudad y de la universidad, a quienes no había conocido nunca; y esas relaciones le abrirán nuevas puertas para la obra de los misioneros de la IMB y de los bautistas brasileños. "Lograron más en siete días que lo que yo hubiera podido hacer en siete meses," dijo Thompsosn al equipo, al final de la semana. "Gracias. Gracias." Los bautistas brasileños también expresaron su gratitud por la exposición que recibieron sus iglesias a través de su asociación con el equipo ministerial. "Gracias por venir a animarnos," dijo Judson Próspero Duarte, pastor de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Ceará-Mirim. "Su presencia ha sido maravillosa." --30-- Marie Curtis es una escritora de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales, IMB. Para ver la bienvenida que recibió el equipo de las Damas Bisontes de OBU al llegar a Ceará-Mirim, Brasil, vaya a Vimeo.com/96906869. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Sirviendo A Dios by Por Fermín Whittaker Date: June 20, 2014 - Friday FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Servir a Dios en la Iglesia es una de las bendiciones más sobresalientes en la vida del creyente. Es maravilloso observar los diferentes dones que la Iglesia posee en las personas que sirven. La Biblia dice que "Dios nos ha dado diferentes dones, según lo que el quiso dar a cada uno. Por lo tanto, si Dios nos ha dado el don de comunicar sus mensajes, hagámoslo según la fe que tenemos. (Rom. 12:6) Este pasaje nos enseña que diferentes dones en la iglesia puede llevarnos a otro nivel de servicio a Dios. Al pensar en esto, a veces nos desanimamos porque no tenemos un don especial, pero insisto que todos los dones que Dios nos ha dado, son dones especiales. Recuerdo a una hermana mayor cuyo ministerio era de escribir notas a los miembros ausentes de los cultos de alabanza. Por muchos años ella era un contacto importante para este grupo de creyentes en la iglesia. También recuerdo a muchos que sirvieron a Dios, y sus nombres estan escritos en el libro de la vida. Enseñaron a niños, visitaron a enfermos, alimentaron a los hambrientos, vistieron a los destituidos, y nunca lo hicieron esperando recompensa. Lo hicieron para la gloria de Dios. Acepte la invitación de Dios y que tu vida sea una vida de servicio. Al hacer esto, vas a observar transformaciones espirituales en la vida de muchas personas. --30-- Fermín Whittaker es el director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California. Los materiales en español publicados por esta convención se encuentran en http://www.csbc.com/languageresources.