The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-07/31/2017 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Their Holy Land travels enrich Bible study leaders by Helen Gibson Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Not far from the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, a biblically significant artifact sat buried under 2,000 years of dirt and debris. Archaeologists didn't find it until 2009 when excavating land in Magdala, believed to be the hometown of Mary Magdalene. From the dusty earth, they uncovered the remains of a synagogue from the time of Jesus. This synagogue was home to a block of stone, carved with images and designs, now referred to as the Magdala Stone. Many archaeologists believe teachers in the synagogue used this stone as a podium or pedestal from which to read the Torah. And Jesus likely used it during His earthly ministry. G.B. Howell Jr. and Brent Bruce, who work for Biblical Illustrator magazine, photographed this artifact and many others on a month-long trip to Israel and Italy in August 2016. They visited more than 100 archaeological sites and took an estimated 30,000 photos. The images fill the pages of the summer 2017 issue and future issues of Biblical Illustrator, a quarterly magazine that highlights and explains biblical culture, archaeology, history and language. "We take these pictures to help our readers visualize and make the Bible come to life, but nothing can compare to actually being there," said Howell, Biblical Illustrator's content editor. A publication of LifeWay Christian Resources, Biblical Illustrator was introduced in 1974. Every few years, members of the Biblical Illustrator team travel overseas to capture photos, building an archive of around 250,000 images. Through articles written by scholars and images from trips like this one, the magazine explains the history and culture behind the content in each of LifeWay's Bible study curriculum lines -- Bible Studies for Life, Explore the Bible and The Gospel Project. On this trip, the photo checklist included the caves where David and his men hid from King Saul; a church that sits where Peter denied Jesus three times, according to tradition; and the spot in Bethsaida where Jesus likely fed the 5,000. Images from these locations and more appear in the current issue of Biblical Illustrator, along with articles on the life of King Saul and Simon Peter and the message of meals in the Bible. A photo of a ritual object found hidden in a cave near En-Gedi, also taken on the trip, is featured on the magazine's cover. "Biblical Illustrator is visually intense," Howell said, "and the images are designed to teach. It's not just fluff or decoration." In their time working for Biblical Illustrator, both Howell and Bruce have traveled to Israel to capture images for the magazine multiple times. They photograph as much of the country as they can -- beaches and mountains, deserts and forests, rivers and ravines. Howell said they avoid touristy spots or places they've already been and instead seek out more obscure locations. "We keep a running list of places where they have done archaeological work, made significant finds, or places that we have not been to," Howell said. In the 2016 trip, Eric Mitchell, an archaeologist and assistant professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, traveled with them and helped coordinate regional planning. "We were walking eight or 10 miles a day, seeing multiple sites," Mitchell said. "From morning till dark, we were on the move. It was a fun trip, but it was physically taxing because it was work the whole time." Bruce, the main photographer for the trip, said he often took the same photo at five different exposures, just to ensure he had plenty to work with once he returned to LifeWay's home office in Nashville. Coming home from a month-long trip with 30,000 new images may seem overwhelming, but Howell said it all connects back to the big picture. "To do this magazine, you have to have a passion to continue learning," Howell said. "And that is what drives me. I like learning about their culture, I like learning about their words, and I like seeing how that informs my understanding and our readers' understanding of Scripture." Lib Moore Jones, a Biblical Illustrator subscriber in Durham, N.C., has been reading the magazine for at least 13 years. She said it's helped her gain a deeper understanding of the Word of God as she teaches a Bible study in her home. "To see where Jesus walked, follow Paul's missionary journeys or view the Isle of Patmos where John was imprisoned -- all enrich our understanding of Bible stories," Jones said. "Also, articles which illuminate biblical words, customs of the day, idols, enemy rulers and nations are a blessing in our understanding of Scripture." Bruce and Howell's interest in archaeology and biblical culture extends beyond the pages of Biblical Illustrator. Bruce teaches a senior adult class in his church, where he shares what he learns through his work. Howell, who has a master of divinity and a Ph.D., has done the same several times in churches where he's served as an interim pastor. For both, it seems the goal is simple: helping people understand the Bible better. "If we can make God's Word real to people," Howell said, "God is using us in ways we never imagined." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Chicago's 'Reborn' church transforms inner-city lives by Joe Conway Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday CHICAGO (BP) -- Roy Brown wasn't sure what to make of the white guy in the storefront window one morning, wondering what he was doing in Garfield Park. Brown, a former west side Chicago gang member, was already a walking miracle. Surviving the streets is one thing, but exiting gang life often entails a premature date of death. Jamie Thompson, the guy on the other side of the plate glass, also is a local with a linebacker's build who grew up one neighborhood east in Humboldt Park. And he is on a mission. Brown, one of the founders of the Four Corner Hustler gang, "grew up in the streets and living the wild life," Thompson said. "He and some others in the community started the gang to protect the neighborhood but it led them into a lot of evil things -- drugs, prostitution and the like." Thompson's life on the streets was much the opposite of Brown's. The son of urban missionaries, he spent his days reaching out to people with the hope of the Gospel. "My parents moved [to Humboldt Park] to work with a nonprofit organization that reached out to at-risk children and youth. After the Lord got ahold of my life, I thought I would just be reaching out to guys on the streets. But through the process of going to school and the Lord pulling at my heart, He helped me see that He wanted me to move in and start a church in the middle of one of the worst areas of Chicago." The church plant is Reborn Community Church, which has become a fixture for community transformation through the power of the Gospel, street smarts, entrepreneurial moxie and a miracle or two. Like Brown. Thompson did not know it at the time, but that morning was a decision point for Brown. As he looked from the outside in, Brown wondered if he could trust this man. The thought that Thompson might be an undercover cop crossed Brown's mind more than once. "For a number of years, Roy just dropped his kid off at our after-school program. In the mornings he would see me in the church storefront praying. I always have coffee out so I can talk to people and pray. That morning Roy was going through something. He came in and we starting talking. "Roy was watching me ever since I had moved into the neighborhood to see if I was legit. At that time, he had pulled back from the gang after spending a lot of years in jail, but he still wasn't living a moral life. The young guys in the gang were killing off the chiefs. Roy had to leave to protect his life. He was making a living scrapping metal." A morning discussion and a cup of coffee began a Gospel conversation that would run a year-long course. Thompson was faithful to pursue Brown with truth. "He went AWOL for a while, but he came back around. Through loving him and sharing the Gospel, he came to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He left the worldliness to the side and started being a responsible father to his children again." Obedience amid the storm In seeking community transformation, Reborn Community Church's labors started with the global economic collapse and an apartment building. For areas already economically depressed like Garfield Park, the recession was devastating. Building foreclosures multiplied. Abandoned buildings tempted the hopeless to use them as vehicles of prostitution and drug use. "With more and more buildings being abandoned, and less people investing, there became a greater need for healthy places for people to live where they were treated well by landlords," Thompson said. "The Lord put on my heart to buy an apartment building. There was no money. I was working long hours already. Banks had closed their purse strings. "Myself and a business partner with the same conviction began to pray about it and the Lord burdened our hearts to go ahead and buy our first property," Thompson said. "We weren't really sure at the beginning what He was trying to do with it. We were just obedient. My plea to the Lord was, 'I'll go to one bank, and if they say yes, I will know this is You.' "We went to the bank and … against all odds they said they would give us a loan. We bought a building that foreclosed at $400,000 for $68,000. Thompson recalls working 100-hour weeks, leading the ministry of Reborn during the day and the renovation of the building at night. Within a few major punch list items of completion, Thompson found himself $20,000 short. A private investor committed the funds to complete the project. For an entrepreneur like Thompson, success -- God-ordained success -- naturally breeds curiosity for the next step. A for-profit company was established and became a means to support Thompson and the church. More building restorations resulted when the first investor, and then others, saw the Reborn vision begin to materialize in restored housing. The next year, 10 apartment buildings were purchased and renovated, employing a full construction crew. The business grew to 25 properties, caring for and providing safe homes for 80 families as tenants. "We give people a healthy place to live," Thompson said. It also provides an environment where tenants are "loved on with the Gospel and treated well. … It also helped us financially stay alive, having the business in place." Thompson and Reborn now are in the process of launching an urban church planting center in a former firehouse located in the heart of the neighborhood. The newly restored firehouse will allow Reborn to host urban church planting cohorts as well as church planting residents. "We are right in the middle of the city of Chicago. Trains, expressways, and airports provide easy access to our location and to those who want to be trained in urban ministry," Thompson said. "We believe from here we can make the greatest impact. By impacting the community, we can impact other communities in our city and others in the nation that need urban ministries intentionally reaching the lost. "Our ministry model is to have a church and a for-profit that work together to reach, equip and empower people to fully transform the lives of people. This isn't just about social programs. Our programs are about leading people to Christ," Thompson said. "It's about building a relationship that leads to trust that gives us the chance to share our faith with people and see them saved. The good thing about evangelism connected to the body is that we have the discipleship mechanism, which is this church, built right into the process. We do not have to build bridges to a church, because we work as one entity." In the case of Brown, Thompson said, "Roy's life has been transformed. He is raising his children under the Lord. What he used to do to try to destroy lives, now he is trying to build lives. He is working with me with the men's ministry as the co-director. We are looking to him to take the whole thing over. He's a guy who has all this leadership potential; he just needed the foundation to be right and a relationship with Christ. … Last year Roy got engaged to the mother of his children. Now we're moving down that path with him too." Thompson voices excitement "about what the Lord is doing here. He seems to be burdening people with the desire to come to cities. We believe we can help them do it well. We aren't trying to build our own thing. We want to work with the North American Mission Board and others to make it happen. If we collaborate together, together we can do it." -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Gay men in the NFL by Adam Groza Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) -- ESPN recently published a story in which Kansas State offensive tackle Scott Frantz identified himself as a gay man. CNN quickly seized upon the story, prognosticating that the NFL would soon have its first openly gay player. The media was similarly entranced with Michael Sam, who became the first openly gay man ever drafted by the NFL in 2014. Clearly those who seek to normalize homosexuality see a gay man playing in the NFL as the next Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage which constituted a significant step toward the normalization and acceptance of homosexuality. An openly gay NFL player would be seen as a cultural victory -- a Jackie Robinson moment for those who, wrongly, equate the gay rights movement with the civil rights movement. Stereotypes of American manhood are heavily influenced by the NFL. "Real men" are big, tough and muscular. The quintessential American man is exemplified by the likes of Joe Montana, Russell Wilson and Bo Jackson. He takes hits and keeps going. If a gay man plays in the NFL, the message is clear: Gay men are "real men." How should Christians respond? Perhaps surprisingly, Christians should be unmoved. Openly gay men will undoubtedly be successful and appreciated in the NFL just as they are in a variety of other vocations. The real battle that should concern Christians is not the NFL but cultural assumptions regarding manhood. For too long, Christians have allowed culture to unduly influence our views of manhood. This latest news about the NFL is a good time for Christians to assert a biblical view of what it means to be a "real man." Hint: It has nothing to do with a football. Biblical manhood is first and foremost about fearing God, and not about inspiring fear in other men (see Proverbs 1:7, 1 Timothy 5:8, Romans 13:1-7, Ephesians 5:25). Biblical manhood is not measured in rushing yards and passing percentage, but in love, service and holiness. The end zone of biblical manhood is faithfulness to Jesus and His local church. Hall of fame men are faithful to their wives, provide for their families and finish the race. Biblical men only resort to acts of violence when life and liberty are on the line, not for adulation or entertainment. Of course, it is possible to play football and embrace biblical manhood; the two are not mutually exclusive. Nevertheless, where there are conflicting versions of masculinity, Christians should take notice and remain faithful to Scripture. Gay men playing in the NFL may cloud the cultural picture of manhood, but not the biblical picture. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Infant's death cause for grief, work, ethicists say by Tom Strode Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Charlie Gard's travail and death call for grief and renewed attempts to protect children and the right of parents to help them, Southern Baptist ethicists say. The infant at the center of a debate that gained global attention died July 28 in London after months of legal battles over whether his parents or a hospital should have the authority to determine his treatment. In the end, Charlie died in hospice care a week short of his first birthday, Aug. 4, after being removed from a ventilator with a judge's permission. "The death of Charlie Gard ought to prompt us, as the Scripture tells us, to groan inwardly at the wreckage of a fallen world all around us," said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). C. Ben Mitchell, professor of moral philosophy at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., said, "Charlie Gard's case is a moral tragedy. Our hearts go out for Charlie's parents." Charlie had a rare condition known as mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS) that was detected several weeks after his birth. His parents -- Chris Gard and Connie Yates -- began raising support for an experimental treatment in the United States, an effort that eventually reached $1.7 million. London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Charlie was a patient, decided the therapy was not in his best interests, however, and asked a judge in early March for permission to remove him from life support. Three British courts ruled in support of the hospital, and the European Court of Human Rights announced June 27 it would not intervene in the case. Moore told Baptist Press in a written statement, "We ought to redouble our efforts to protect those vulnerable children some governments believe their parents shouldn't be allowed to even try to help. "More than that," he said, "we ought to offer the only message of hope in a culture of death: That Jesus Christ is himself the resurrection and the life." Mitchell said, "In most cases parents are in the best position to determine the best interests of their child. We should affirm and protect that right. There are rare exceptions, but those exceptions should be considered on their own merits." Parental authority in the medical care of children is more limited in England than in the United States, Mitchell told BP in written comments. He is editor of Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics, which has a board based in both the United States and the United Kingdom. "In the British context, the General Medical Council and the courts have broad powers to determine what is good for patients," Mitchell said. "I don't believe this will wash in the American context. In our context, next of kin still make decisions in consultation with their physicians. Rarely do the courts get involved." Mitchell cited some key factors in ethical patient care. "Good communication, patient education and negotiated decisions based on accurate information will almost always result in decisions that are best for the patient," he told BP. "Although they are not infallible, once well informed, patients and their family members are in the best position to make decisions about the way forward." Yates, Charlie's mother, lamented the inability Chris Gard and she had as parents to make decisions for their son. "We've had no control over our son's life and no control over our son's death," she said, according to The New York Times. Gard and Yates lost a final court battle July 27, when a judge ruled Charlie would be moved from the hospital to a hospice instead of his home to die after being removed from a ventilator, according to British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) News. Michio Hirano, a neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, had offered to try nucleoside bypass therapy with Charlie months ago. After the case was reopened, Hirano traveled to London a week before Charlie's death to determine if he might still be a candidate for the experimental treatment, but a MRI scan indicated it was too late, BBC News reported. As a result, Charlie's parents ended their legal fight to gain treatment for their son July 24. When the case gained increasing international attention in early July, President Trump and Pope Francis both offered to help the parents. The U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment July 18 to grant permanent residence status to Charlie and his parents, according to The Hill newspaper. The proposal would have expedited the process for them to travel to the United States for the experimental treatment. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Boko Haram kills 83, releases video of 3 captives by Diana Chandler Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday BORNO, Nigeria (BP) -- Boko Haram killed at least 83 civilians and soldiers in two separate attacks in northeast Nigeria in the past week before releasing a video of three new captives pleading for help. In its bloodiest attack this year, the militants killed at least 69 in a July 25th ambush on an oil exploration team in the Magumeri area of Borno, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported July 30 after the last body was recovered. A separate attack, a suicide bombing carried out by one or two people on July 29, killed 14 and injured 24 in the Borno town of Dikwa, according to separate reports from Reuters and AFP. In a video appeal reportedly recorded July 28 and released the next day, three members of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) exploration team, who identified themselves as University of Maiduguri employees, asked the Nigerian government and others to meet the terrorists' demands. "I want to advise that the use of excessive force, it is not the solution," a man who identified himself as a lecturer in the geology department of the university, said on the four-minute video. "They have promised us that if their demands are met, they will release us immediately to go back to the work we were caught doing." No demands were stated in the video posted at YouTube. The terrorists typically demand ransoms, according to news reports, and have released captives in exchange for the freedom of imprisoned Boko Haram fighters. The captured men gave their names as Yusuf Ibrahim, Solomon N. Yusuf and Haruna, Vanguard News reported. The men appeared unharmed but barefoot in an unidentified structure, and emphasized that they were captured July 25. Boko Haram killed 19 soldiers, 33 civilian militia and 17 other civilians while attacking the oil exploration team, an unnamed humanitarian aid worker told AFP. The jihadists have killed at least 113 people in northeast Nigeria since June 1, Reuters said July 29. Independent security experts have countered claims made by Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari nearly eight months ago that Boko Haram has been essentially defeated. In December of 2016, Buhari said the fighters were so weakened they were only able to conduct isolated attacks by suicide bombers. Boko Haram's continued attacks clearly disprove Buhari's claim, security consultant Ahmed Kadiri told TVC News Nigeria in an interview broadcast July 27. "They are quite determined in whatever efforts, whatever objectives they have in mind," Kadiri said. "They are not going to give up, and if we relent … it will embolden them." Nigeria's army is "capable of handling itself," Kadiri said, but called on the international community including the United States for help in gathering intelligence to battle the jihadists. "We need more intelligence in battling Boko Haram." Boko Haram operates with the support of secret informants, Nigerian Major General John Eneche told Channels TV today, July 31. "The pockets of attacks we are having here," Eneche said, "are based strongly on information from their collaborators, who are still among us." Buhari has been in Britain on medical leave for an undisclosed illness since May 7, according to news reports, and has left Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in charge of the country. Boko Haram originally targeted Christians but has also killed moderate Muslims, government officials and civilians in efforts to abolish Christianity and establish Sharia law. At its strongest point, in early 2015, Boko Haram held Islamic caliphates or Sharia-based governments covering more than 20,000 square miles in northeast Nigeria. The terrorists have killed between 20,000 and 25,000 people since 2009, according to official estimates, and have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bumgarner to depart Fla. paper, change coming by David Roach Date: July 31, 2017 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: The 12th paragraph was corrected Aug. 1 to reflect accurate financial data for the Witness. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP) -- Florida Baptist Witness executive editor Kevin Bumgarner has announced his resignation to become director of communications at Tampa-area Bell Shoals Baptist Church. Along with the leadership transition, the chairman of the Witness board of directors told Baptist Press, the paper will consider changes in its structure and function at an Aug. 1 meeting. Bumgarner, who served three and a half years as chief executive of the Witness, wrote in a July 27 editorial announcing his departure, "I am honored that God has shown me His will for this season in the life of the Witness, and has allowed me to be a part of this ministry's legacy." The resignation is effective Aug. 14. During his tenure, Bumgarner wrote, "I have been responsible for creating a suite of print and digital products that capture the attention of and help set the agenda for those who are interested in the Kingdom-building work being done by Southern Baptists in Florida. Readers tell me they have appreciated the changes in the Witness." Witness board chair Shelly Chandler, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bonifay, Fla., said Bumgarner "came to us" when "the Witness needed a renewal. It needed a new look. It needed to go in a new direction, and Kevin brought all of that. He highlighted churches in the state of Florida. He highlighted pastors and leaders in the state of Florida and how they were taking the Gospel throughout the state and through the world." In his editorial, Bumgarner noted that under his leadership the Witness: -- Transitioned from a twice-monthly print publication to a monthly one with "multiple pages of content in each issue devoted to the growing number of Spanish-speaking Florida Baptists." -- Published during the first half of 2017 some 101 stories exclusively online "for or about Florida Baptists." -- Posted "documentary length videos" on its YouTube channel highlighting the ministries of Florida pastors. -- Distributed news and information to tens of thousands of Facebook and Twitter fans and followers. -- Arrived at a "stable financial condition." Chandler said Bumgarner led the Witness through challenging financial times. Between 2005-2016, expenses for the paper exceeded its revenue for seven separate fiscal years, according to annual audit reports. "It was a God thing" that the Witness achieved as much financial stability as it did, Chandler said. Bumgarner wrote he is "honored to have been able to work with a number of Florida Baptist pastors and lay leaders who have given generously of their time to set the direction for the Witness as members of its governing body. It also has been gratifying to work with the Florida Baptist Convention in a way that the Kingdom has been advanced." At Bell Shoals, Bumgarner will lead in "executing a churchwide strategy in the areas of communication, promotion, advertising, social media, brand management and news and information," according to the editorial. "I will also have the opportunity to work closely with campus ministries, Bell Shoals Baptist Academy and Moving Forward, the radio ministry of Pastor [Stephen] Rummage." 'Going forward' Bumgarner added in his editorial, "I also would ask that you join me in praying for wisdom for the future of the Florida Baptist Witness. The Board of Directors is in the process of meeting with [Florida Baptist Convention] Executive Director-Treasurer Tommy Green and, as needed, other members of the Florida Baptist Convention to discuss and decide on the best strategy for the Witness going forward." Bumgarner's departure from the Witness comes amid a Southern Baptist Convention milieu that has led other state Baptist papers to transition their structures and functions as well. Georgia's Christian Index and the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Baptist Standard both have phased out print editions and moved entirely online, and other publications have decreased the frequency of their print editions. Overall, state paper circulation has declined from 1.2 million in 1997 to 593,500 in 2017, according to data from SBC Annuals. North Carolina's Biblical Recorder reported in a 2014 editorial by editor Allan Blume a $94,000 reduction in Cooperative Program revenue over three years and decreased print subscriptions even as online readers increased by nearly 500 percent. Other state papers have reported comparable revenue challenges. The Witness's board has yet to work out details of the organization's future, but "change is definitely coming to the Witness," Chandler said. "The state of Florida is changing," Chandler said. "Tommy Green understands that the Florida Baptist Convention needed to change" and has implemented key changes. "So it's not surprising that the Florida Baptist Witness is going through change and needs to change. "I have confidence that Tommy Green and his leadership will guide and direct the Witness and all the entities of the Florida Baptist Convention in the right direction," Chandler said. The Witness is an entity of the Florida Baptist State Convention, funded in part through the Cooperative Program and governed by a board elected by the state convention.