The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-09/01/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDVIEW: Number your days wisely by Erich Bridges Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom," the psalmist prayed (Psalm 90:12, NASB). How, exactly, do you go about numbering your days? Is it even possible, when you don't know how long you will live? The psalmist had some thoughts on that, too: "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away" (Psalm 90:10). The average life expectancy for Americans is 78.8 years (81.2 for women, 76.4 for men), according to a 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The 10 leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, stroke, unintentional injuries, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide. In truth, the leading cause of death is mortality. It awaits us all, even 18-year-old dudes who think they will live forever. Sorry, dudes, but insurance actuarial tables beg to differ. Suppose you live to 90. Sounds like forever -- until you pass the halfway point of getting there. I'm well past that halfway point, so this topic holds significant interest for me. But even if you're a kid with "forever" in front of you, "numbering your days" is a useful exercise if you want to use them to serve God. The weeks in your earthly life are a prelude to your life in eternity. How will you spend them? Consider well; God is observing your choices. "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil," the apostle Paul advised (Ephesians 5:15-16). You can spend them loving God and following Him, or you can spend them on yourself. In these days of medical advance, your life might contain many more weeks than it takes to make 90 years. Or it may be far fewer. Kyra Karr, age 30, a missionary, wife and mother of three young daughters, died in a traffic accident Aug. 13 in her home state of Georgia. She didn't have the opportunity to return to Rome, Italy, where she and her husband Reid began serving after their appointment in 2009 with the International Mission Board. This young woman had been sharing the Gospel with others since she was a teenager. She had "found her groove as a mom raising her kids in Italy," a missionary colleague said. She was ministering to children through the church, helping new missionaries learn the language and mobilizing Christians in Rome to help women victimized by sex trafficking. "Kyra was the aroma of Christ in Rome. We sensed it. We breathed it. We were blessed by it," her pastor in Rome, Leonardo De Chirico, said. "Kyra was a glimpse of what it means to be absorbed in Christ." "I think her life would encourage anyone considering missions to go all out, to not waste time, to pursue it because we don't have a promise of tomorrow," another missionary said. No one is promised tomorrow. Shakespeare grappled with that reality in his sonnets, which are essentially meditations on time, death and love. "Love's not Time's fool," he wrote in Sonnet 116. "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom." Although Kyra Karr's hours and weeks were brief, she numbered her days well. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer missionary doctor Wana Ann Fort dies by Laura Fielding Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Missionary doctor Wana Ann Gibson Fort, 91, died Aug. 31 in Baton Rouge, La. Fort and her husband, the late Milton "Giles" Fort Jr., served with the then-called Foreign Mission Board as pioneer missionary doctors at Sanyati Baptist Hospital in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). At this hospital, Fort and her husband helped launch a spiritual awakening through medical missions. The Forts, appointed as missionaries in 1952, led countless patients to Christ. "We were committed to being God's hands of mercy and healing to souls and bodies," she once said. She and her husband raised five sons in Zimbabwe. Three have served or continue to serve as missionaries with the International Mission Board. Two of the Forts' sons are medical doctors. "Mom lived out the reality of her faith," said Gordon Fort, one of Wana Ann's sons and IMB senior ambassador. "As wife, momma, teacher, doctor, women's worker, and serving missions support functions, she demonstrated what it means to live a life of obedience to the Master. It has been our incredible privilege to have been a part of her life's journey." During the Forts' missionary service in Africa, the Shona people named Fort "Mai Chiremba," meaning "Mother Doctor." She led Chief Whozhele, the area leader at Sanyati, to faith in Jesus Christ after he was her patient. Fort was one of the first people that missionary Tim Cearley met when he arrived to serve in Rhodesia in 1976. Cearley now serves as IMB affinity group strategy leader for Sub-Saharan African peoples. "Her big smile and excitement about young people joining the [missionary] force, as well as her love for discipling African people, was an inspiration to me after [her] over 25 years on the field," he said. When Cearley and his wife returned to Africa as career missionaries in 1983, Wana Ann and Giles welcomed them into their home. From the Forts, the Cearleys learned a passion for language, culture and, most importantly, "a desire for people to come to know the Lord." Cearley also noted that Fort was active in working with and discipling women. "It's impossible to think about Wana Ann without thinking of their home in Sanyati, where they served as medical doctors," he said. "The sons they raised in that place have also had a huge impact on Africa. I'm thankful for the years of knowing Wana Ann on the field, and since her retirement. She's had an amazing life." Fort served as a pediatrician at Sanyati until 1978. When the family moved to Harare (formerly Salisbury), Zimbabwe, she ministered in the church and at home. She also served as mission financial administrator and as treasurer. "When my youngest brother Grady was born with Down syndrome, it was Mom's skills as a pediatrician in caring for his special needs that allowed them to stay on the field and continue their missionary service," Gordon Fort said. "The fact that Grady is alive today at 54 and thriving is a tribute to her medical gifts." The Forts retired from missionary service in September 1988 after nearly 36 years with IMB. Wana Ann Fort wrote an autobiography of her years as a missionary doctor, "A Thousand Times Yes," from New Hope Publishers. "Way more than once we were asked, 'Do you really like living in Africa?'" she said in the book. "I did not have to think about my answer. It was always a thousand times, 'Yes!'" About her call to missions to this remote area, Fort wrote, "I came to the place in prayer that I could tell the Lord this was impossible for me to do, but I would commit my way to Him, trusting in Him to bring it all to pass for His honor. How marvelous it is that God knows the best way for His children!" Fort was born June 21, 1924, in Harrisonburg, La., and was the oldest of seven girls. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at age 12. Throughout her childhood, she was involved in Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) educational programs, where she developed a love for international missions. Fort attended Louisiana Tech University during World War II; in fact, during her first semester, Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941. While attending a Baptist Student Union conference at Ridgecrest, a LifeWay Conference Center in North Carolina, Fort dedicated her life to world missions and planned to be a missionary doctor. During her college years, she met her husband, Giles, of Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University and planned to attend medical college. After completing service in the Navy, he also intended to become a missionary doctor. Wana Ann Fort graduated from Louisiana Tech in the fall of 1944, summa cum laude. Giles and Wana Ann were married on June 14, 1946, in Harrisonburg, and both attended Baylor College of Medicine.   Wana Ann Fort graduated with honors from Baylor College of Medicine in 1949, one of three women in a class of 62 graduates. She worked as a doctor in pediatrics at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston, Texas. Fort was a lifelong member of WMU, and a member of Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. Her survivors include five sons: Giles Fort III, M.D., of Louisiana, David Fort, M.D., West Africa, Gordon Fort, Virginia, Gregg Fort, Zimbabwe, and Grady Fort, Louisiana; four daughters-in-law; 14 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; four sisters and two brothers-in-law: Jane Noonan, of Florida, Polly and Don Hamilton, Oklahoma, Evelyn and Wayne McDonald, South Carolina, and Rose Ellzey, Louisiana; and nieces and nephews. Nearly 250 cumulative years of missionary service are represented in the Fort family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering through a Southern Baptist church or online. Visitation will be held at Greenoaks Funeral Home in Baton Rouge on Tuesday (Sept. 1), from 6-9 p.m. A memorial service will be held at Parkview Baptist Church, 11795 Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (Sept. 2). A graveside service will be held at Louisiana National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Pastor appreciation opportunities available by Joe Conway Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Imagine if pastors received the same support and accolades reserved for college football coaches. While many churches encourage their pastors well -- and some do an exemplary job -- many pastors feel closer to last year's fired head coach than the man with the post-game TV show. Enter pastor appreciation month in October. Pastors need demonstrated love and support, perhaps as much as any other vocation. The stresses of accepting spiritual responsibility for congregations are well-documented in Scripture by Paul and today in countless surveys. Your pastor needs your support. "Just as Moses needed an Aaron and Hur to lift his weary arms in battle (Exodus 17), so every pastor needs encouragement from his church to lift his arms in the spiritual battle facing the local church," said Michael Lewis, executive director for the North American Mission Board's pastoral care and development office. "Pastors, whose jobs are all about 'giving out,' are 'wearing out.' Pastors need affirmation and encouragement from their congregations. Serving as a local church pastor is filled with pressing demands." As a former pastor, Lewis understands those pressures. One question a church can ask itself is, "Shouldn't our pastor have … ?" and fill in the blank with what church members take for granted or see their pastor truly needs. Take concrete steps to meet the need, which may include time off or a sabbatical, Lewis said. NAMB president Kevin Ezell, who most recently pastored Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., for 14 years prior to coming to NAMB, knows well the joys and demands of leading a church. "It's the greatest privilege in the world to pastor a congregation," Ezell said. "But it is also very demanding and we need to take steps to protect, strengthen and express appreciation for our pastors." Lewis adds that appreciation for pastors is simply following the exhortations of 1 Thess. 5:12,13, and Gal. 6:6. Churches can find "Five simple steps to lift up God's servant in your church" at namb.net/For_Lay_Leaders. Learn more about pastoral care and development at sendnetwork.com/pastoral-care-and-development.  As a way of encouraging more churches to participate in pastor appreciation month in October, NAMB is partnering with worship leaders Shane and Shane to provide a worship event for a selected church which best demonstrates the spirit of pastor appreciation. The recipient church will have the opportunity to host the free event as an additional thank-you for its pastor. Church members can post photos on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #LiftMyPastor showing how they lift their pastor with one of NAMB's resources found at sendnetwork.com/pastors-appreciation. Posts should include details of why and how the church body chose to lift their pastor. Each social media post that uses the hashtag #LiftMyPastor will be entered for the chance to bring Shane and Shane to their church for a worship night. Visit facebook.com/NAMB.SBC for details and more about entering your church's example of pastor appreciation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Stress & ministry focus of new study by Lisa Cannon Green Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Though pastors are stressed about money and overwhelming ministry demands, only one percent abandon the pulpit each year, LifeWay Research finds. LifeWay Research surveyed 1,500 pastors of evangelical and historically black churches and found an estimated 13 percent of senior pastors in 2005 had left the pastorate 10 years later for reasons other than death or retirement. The study, released today (Sept. 1), was gathered from a survey conducted March 5-18. "Pastors are not leaving the ministry in droves," said Scott McConnell, LifeWay Research vice president. Still, pastors say the role can be tough: -- 84 percent say they're on call 24 hours a day. -- 80 percent expect conflict in their church. -- 54 percent find the role of pastor frequently overwhelming. -- 53 percent are often concerned about their family's financial security. -- 48 percent often feel the demands of ministry are more than they can handle. -- 21 percent say their church has unrealistic expectations of them. "This is a brutal job," McConnell said. "The problem isn't that pastors are quitting -- the problem is that pastors have a challenging work environment. "Churches ought to be concerned, and they ought to be doing what they can." Leaving the ministry The survey, commissioned by the North American Mission Board and Richard Dockins, an occupational medicine physician in Houston concerned about pastoral attrition, also examined why pastors leave the ministry and what can be done to support pastors. Looking back at the leadership of their church 10 years earlier, today's pastors report relative stability. Forty-four percent say they were pastor of their current church 10 years ago, and 12 percent say the pastor from 2005 now leads another church. Ten percent of pastors from 2005 have retired, and 3 percent have died. Small segments have left the pastorate, current pastors say. Two percent shifted to non-ministry jobs, and 5 percent stayed in ministry but switched to non-pastoral roles. Combined, those two groups account for known losses of less than 1 percent a year. In some cases, current pastors didn't know who led the church 10 years earlier (16 percent) or weren't sure of the previous pastor's whereabouts (3 percent). Assuming those cases follow the same pattern as the known instances, McConnell estimates a total of 29,000 evangelical pastors have left the pastorate over the past decade, an average of fewer than 250 a month. Current pastors say a change in calling is the top reason their predecessors left the pastorate, accounting for 37 percent of departures. Conflict in the church -- something 64 percent of pastors experienced in their last church -- is the second most common reason at 26 percent. Other reasons pastors have left the pastorate include family issues (17 percent), moral or ethical issues (13 percent), poor fit (13 percent), burnout (10 percent), personal finances (8 percent), and illness (5 percent). Lack of preparation for the job was cited in 3 percent of cases. Switching churches Many senior pastors are relatively new to their current churches -- 35 percent have been there five years or less -- but most are not new to the pastorate. Fifty-seven percent of current senior pastors previously held that role elsewhere. Most said they moved on because they had taken the previous church as far as they could (54 percent). However, 23 percent of pastors who changed churches say they left because of conflict in the church. Church conflict often took multiple forms in pastors' last churches, including significant personal attacks against 34 percent of the pastors. Pastors also reported conflict over changes they proposed (38 percent), their leadership style (27 percent), expectations about the pastor's role (25 percent), and doctrinal differences (13 percent). Thirty-eight percent faced conflict with lay leaders, and 31 percent found themselves in conflict with a church matriarch or patriarch. More than a third of pastors (34 percent) say they left a previous church because their family needed a change. One in five found the church did not embrace their approach to pastoral ministry (19 percent). Pastors also cited poor fit and unrealistic expectations (18 percent each) as reasons for leaving. Some were reassigned (18 percent) or asked to leave (8 percent). Family issues On the surface, pastors' responses about their families are quite positive, yet many indicate things could be better by agreeing only "somewhat." More than 9 in 10 married pastors say their spouses are enthusiastic about life in ministry together (63 percent agree strongly; 31 percent somewhat), have found a fulfilling ministry in the church (65 percent agree strongly; 26 percent somewhat), and are very satisfied with their marriage (82 percent agree strongly; 16 percent somewhat). In addition, 20 percent of pastors say their family resents the demands of pastoral ministry, and more than a third (35 percent) say the demands of ministry prevent them from spending time with their family. "Each pastor I talk to agrees that there are increasing demands placed on his life and family today," said Michael Lewis, executive director for pastor care at the North American Mission Board. "Healthy pastors with growing family relationships are empowered to lead healthy congregations that reach their communities." Protecting themselves The demands of ministry require pastors to protect themselves, they say. Ninety-four percent consistently protect time with their family. Nine in 10 regularly listen for signs of conflict in the church, and 92 percent make deliberate efforts to prevent conflict. Although they typically work on others' traditional day of rest, 85 percent of pastors say they unplug from ministerial duties to rest at least one day a week. The majority (59 percent) find seven or more occasions a week for private Bible study and prayer, unrelated to preparing sermons or lessons. Caution is warranted when counseling, says Adam Mason, minister of counseling services for Houston's First Baptist Church. "It's almost always the minister beginning the process of counseling a person of the opposite sex and the emotional support that they give each other through the counseling process that leads to an inappropriate physical relationship." More than three-quarters of pastors say they have another staff member present when counseling those of the opposite gender (78 percent) and refer people to a professional counselor if the situation requires more than two sessions (76 percent). Most say they have received training in counseling, including graduate school courses (52 percent), conferences (64 percent), and books or articles (90 percent). For their own emotional well-being, pastors say they openly share their struggles at least once a month with a source of support such as their spouse (90 percent), a close friend (74 percent), another pastor (71 percent), or a mentor (42 percent). Help is available in a variety of forms. Care4Pastors.com has numerous resources for pastors and churches who desire to support their pastor. Focus on the Family's pastoral care team is available to provide supportive direction at 1-844-4PASTOR1. Support from their church Most pastors acknowledge they knew what they were getting into, although 1 in 5 think the search team didn't accurately describe the church during their candidacy. Still, they pinpoint shortcomings in their churches that make a pastor's role more challenging: -- 71 percent of churches have no plan for a pastor to receive a periodic sabbatical. -- 66 percent lack a support group for the pastor's family. -- 66 percent have no lay counseling ministry. -- 33 percent don't have a list of counselors for referrals. -- 30 percent have no document clearly stating what the church expects of its pastor. -- 16 percent lack a process for church discipline. "If you're at all in a position of influence in a church, there are practical things you can be doing to help," McConnell said. "Is there a document that clearly defines what the pastor's job is?" he asked. "That's a basic need a church could meet in the next two weeks. Does the church have a sabbatical policy? That's something you can put in place in a matter of a month." Despite the stresses, 92 percent of pastors say their congregations regularly give genuine encouragement to the pastor's family. H.B. London, pastor to pastors emeritus at Focus on the Family, summarized: "For a pastor and his family to know that 1) the leadership is praying for them, 2) they affirm them, 3) they encourage them, and 4) they recognize the work that is being done -- those are things that give a pastor hope or give a pastor a sense of being wanted." Methodology: The phone survey of pastors of evangelical and black Protestant denominations was conducted March 5-18, 2015. The calling list was a random sample, stratified by church membership and denominational groups, drawn from a list of all evangelical and black Protestant churches. Each interview was conducted with the senior pastor, minister, or priest of the church called. The completed sample is 1,500 pastors. Responses were weighted by region and denominational group to more accurately reflect the population. The sample provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed plus or minus 2.7 percent. This margin of error accounts for the effect of weighting. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. The study was sponsored by the North American Mission Board and Richard Dockins, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE SEMINARIES: Convocations at MBTS, SEBTS, SBTS, SWBTS by by BP Staff Compilation Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday EDITOR'S NOTE: "From the Seminaries" includes news releases of interest from Southern Baptist seminaries. Today's From the Seminaries includes reports on the convocations at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. $7M gift received; Allen speaks on godliness By T. Patrick Hudson KANSAS CITY, Mo. (MBTS) -- The announcement of an historic gift toward a student center and a charge by President Jason Allen to pursue godliness highlighted the fall convocation service for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's new academic year. Standing before the students, faculty, staff and friends of Midwestern Seminary abuzz with anticipation of a "major announcement" during the Aug. 25 service, Allen stated that the seminary would be receiving an historic gift from Harold and Patricia Mathena of Oklahoma City. "I am announcing a lead gift that we trust in God's timing will lead us to breaking ground and to dedicating in the very near future a student center for us to enjoy," Allen said. "Therefore, by God's grace, and as a channel of His goodness through this family, I am able to announce a lead gift … totaling $7 million." Allen provided details of how God wove together the paths that had connected the Mathenas to the seminary, explaining that none of meetings and interactions between him and the family had happened merely by chance. "This is just how God works," Allen said. Following the announcement, Allen recognized the couple and invited Harold Mathena to the platform. Mathena shared his gratefulness for being present at the convocation and partnering with Midwestern Seminary toward building a student center. "When Dr. Allen shared with us his burden and vision, immediately we joined in that burden and joined with him in the vision and dream that God had placed in his heart about this student center," Mathena said. "Immediately, God impressed upon us that this might be something that He might use us to be a part of. It is with great joy today that we come to make a pledge of this amount of money." In a complete surprise to Allen and the audience, Mathena pulled out an envelope and handed it to Allen saying, "We just happened to bring another payment with us today to fulfill that pledge." Turning his attention to bringing a charge from God's Word, Allen began his message, titled "The Pursuit of Godliness" based on 1 Timothy 6:3-14, by asking, "Where have all the men of God gone?" Lamenting a dearth of godly men and women in the church today, Allen suggested that the reason might be that the church simply does not want them. "We tend to value books, blogs, conferences, intellectual achievements and the accoutrements of ministry, while so often overlooking the fundamental value of godliness," he said. The greatest need of the church today, Allen said, is for this generation to rise up and be godly men and women, which would result in a trickle-down effect that leads others within the church toward godliness. In 1 Timothy 6, the apostle Paul labels Timothy a "man of God." Allen said the title "man of God" or "woman of God" is one requiring action, citing four actions specifically listed in these verses: fleeing from immorality; following after Christ's likeness; fighting for biblical truth; and remaining faithful to one's calling. In verses 3-11, Paul urges Timothy, and modern-day godly men and women alike, to flee from false doctrine, divisive personalities and the love of money, Allen recounted, noting that an unwillingness to do so can ruin a person's life, ministry or both. "The bottom line is this: Sometimes the most important step you can take in the Christian life is to run from sin, to flee from certain things," Allen said. Regarding Christ-likeness, Allen said verse 11 isn't just a "pileup of words"; rather, they are "specific characteristics we are called to cultivate, pursue and demonstrate." The characteristics used by Paul in the passage include being righteous; possessing godliness; and pursuing faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Without a cultivation of these in one's life, Allen said it could lead to a spiritual withering over time that causes a person's ministry to "fizzle out." Fighting for biblical truth in ministry, Allen noted, entails "some moxie so that people know there is some grit in your soul when it comes to the Gospel and the Word of God; and that you are actually willing to let your 'yes be yes' and your 'no be no'; and you will draw lines and take stands; and you will do it for the glory of God and for the truth." And in being faithful to one's calling, Allen said verse 12 expresses a great balance of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. While men and women are called to salvation and to ministry by God, it is their responsibility to hold on to that calling. "If you are here today, you have a triple calling on your life, do you not?" Allen said. "It is a call to Christ, a call to ministry and a call to a particular ministry that is either clear or becoming increasingly clear in the years ahead. Celebrate that calling; rejoice in that calling; be faithful to that calling." In his charge to the convocation audience, Allen said, "My call is simple and urgent to begin this new academic year, yet it is daunting as well: It is for us, as a people of God, to fundamentally reprioritize and restore the urgencies of the Christian life and Christian ministry, at the heart of which is personal godliness." To hear Allen's message in its entirety, click here. Christ's love on display at SEBTS convocation By Ali Dixon WAKE FOREST, N.C. (SEBTS) -- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's Binkley Chapel was filled with new and returning students along with faculty and staff for the fall convocation on theme of Christ's sacrificial love. Southeastern President Daniel Akin spoke about Christ's "new commandment" for His followers to serve others as He served them, underscoring Christ's humility as He washed His disciples' feet on the eve of His crucifixion. In a message titled "How will the world know that we belong to Jesus?" from John 13, Akin posed the question "What does it mean to love others as Jesus has loved us?" in the seminary's first chapel service of the new academic year Aug. 18. Christians' "love for others will show Jesus' love to the nations," Akin said, pointing to the way Christians live, love, serve and die in showing that they belong to Jesus. As an example of someone who lived this kind of life, Akin shared the story of Christian missionary and martyr Eleanor Chestnut, an orphan in the late 19th century whose faith in Christ led her to medical missions in China. Her sacrificial work in China led to the growth of a local church to 300 members In 1905 at the age of 37, she was martyred in China for her faith. Years later, the community still spoke about how Chestnut's loving care of others made them think of Jesus. To conclude the service, Akin and his wife Charlotte and several SEBTS faculty members put the message into practice by washing the feet of five students. Ken Keathley was installed in the Jesse Hendley Chair of Biblical Theology. Ed Hindson, dean of Liberty University's divinity school, introduced the new chair. Hendley, of Atlanta, is best remembered as one of Southern Baptists' most remarkable evangelists. He hosted "The Radio Evangelistic Hour" beginning in 1931 until his death at the age of 87 on Nov. 30, 1994. Hendley also served as pastor of Colonial Hills Baptist Church in East Point, Ga., for 14 years and was an author, Bible teacher and student of New Testament Greek. He attended Georgia Tech, Columbia Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Keathley, professor of theology and director of Southeastern's L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture, graduated from Southeastern with a master of divinity and a Ph.D. in theology. "I am grateful to the Hendley Foundation for the funding it provided, to Ed Hindson for his work in guiding the endowment to Southeastern, and to the administration for bestowing the chair," Keathley said. "Occupying the Hendley chair is a privilege I do not take lightly." Keathley is the author of several works including "Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach," "40 Questions about Creation and Evolution" and "Biblical Authority: The Critical Issue for the Body of Christ." Also during convocation, Akin recognized two new elected faculty members: Stephen Eccher, assistant professor of church history and Reformation studies, and Jim Shaddix, professor of preaching and W.A. Criswell Chair of Preaching. Provost Bruce Ashford presented Chuck Quarles, professor of New Testament and biblical theology, and Matthew Mullins, assistant professor of English and history of ideas, with the "Faculty Excellence and Teaching Award." Regular chapel services at Southeastern are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the semester. To watch Daniel Akin's convocation message, click here. For photos of the convocation and the Jesse Hendley Chair installation, click here. For information about endowed chairs that provide an enduring source of funding for professors, contact Daniel Palmer, director of financial development at dpalmer@sebts.edu, 866-917-3287 or www.sebts.edu/give. Mohler, at convocation, urges Gospel action 'while there's time' By S. Craig Sanders LOUISVILLE, Ky. (SBTS) -- Cultural hostility to the Gospel should compel Christian ministers to proclaim God's message with faithfulness and urgency while there is still time for repentance, President R. Albert Mohler Jr. said during Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's fall convocation Aug. 25. "More is hanging in the balance than the horror of human terrorism," Mohler said after recounting the courage of three Americans who prevented an attempted mass shooting on a train in France on Aug. 21. "The time is coming when the wrath of God will rise up and there will be no remedy. And while there's time, act. Do. Wring everything out of every course, wring everything out of every test, do everything you do to the glory of God." In an address titled "Until There Was No Remedy," Mohler preached from 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 in which the kingdom of Judah persists in rejecting God's prophets until the Lord judges His people through Babylonian captivity. The reality of God's judgment, Mohler said, means seminary students must prepare to act with eternal consequence for those who have not believed "because at some point there will be no remedy." "We're actually preparing a generation of young ministers, church planters, missionaries and Christian leaders to go out and suffer being mocked and to be the object of scoffing," Mohler said, referencing contemporary culture's rejection of God's Word. In addition to those who refuse to profess faith in Jesus as Lord, Mohler said mainline Protestant denominations and their seminaries appear to be "beyond remedy" because of apostate leadership. Mohler expressed his gratitude for the Southern Baptist Convention's conservative resurgence in the 1980s which turned the nation's largest Protestant denomination back to biblical orthodoxy. "A generation ago, Southern Baptists acted while there was still an opportunity for a remedy," Mohler said. Prior to Mohler's convocation address, two professors elected to the faculty during the spring trustee meeting signed the Abstract of Principles, the seminary's confession of faith. The professors signed the original document drafted and signed by founding faculty James Petigru Boyce, John A. Broadus, Basil Manly Jr. and William Williams, along with every subsequent faculty member of the school. The Abstract of Principles remains a vital part of the seminary's tradition, Mohler said, because it represents a commitment to fend off the theological liberalism that claimed historically Christian institutions, including Southern during much of the 20th century. "We go back not just to traditions of Christian higher education in a generic form, we go back to some very specific disciplines and patterns and commitments represented by Southern Seminary," Mohler said. "None of those is more important than the public signing of the Abstract of Principles." Signee numbers 254-255 of the Abstract of Principles were Douglas K. Blount, professor of Christian philosophy and ethics, and Joseph R. Crider, Ernest and Mildred Hogan Professor of Church Music and Worship. Blount previously served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Criswell College. Crider, before coming to Southern in 2011, was associate dean of Liberty University's College of Arts and Sciences and minister of music and worship at First Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va. At the start of the ceremony, Mohler also introduced new trustees and five incoming faculty members: Blount, who began his role July 1; Jonathan Arnold, assistant professor of Christian theology and church history at the seminary's undergraduate Boyce College; David Bosch, associate professor of business administration at Boyce; Ayman S. Ibrahim, assistant professor of Islamic studies and senior fellow of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam; and J. Stephen Yuille, associate professor of biblical spirituality. Audio and video of Mohler's convocation address are available online at sbts.edu/resources. Patterson exhorts SWBTS students to know, understand God By Alex Sibley FORT WORTH, Texas (SWBTS) -- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson kicked off the new semester with an exhortation from Jeremiah 9 during fall convocation Aug. 27. In verses 23-24, God declares that men should not boast in their wisdom, might or riches, but that they know and understand Him. "The most powerful thing in the world, the most knowledgeable thing in the world," Patterson said, "is to know God and to understand His purposes in the world." Addressing the new and returning students in MacGorman Chapel, Patterson said, "I would say to all of you who have come here this morning, you are not here to get a better job, you are not here to get a recommendation to a church, you are not here to earn a degree -- I hope you do all of that, but that is purely secondary. The whole reason you are here is to learn more about Him." First and foremost, this requires knowing God by entering a relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, Patterson said. Keen to ensure that all present knew such saving grace, he said, "Godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation. Has there ever been that crisis moment in your life when, confronted with your own sinfulness, you cried out to God and asked for His forgiveness?" To those who are saved, Patterson proceeded to explain that knowing God does not simply mean becoming a Christian and then learning nothing else but, rather, learning everything about Him that one possibly can. "After all," he said, "we can never imitate Christ -- and the Bible says that's what we're supposed to do -- unless we know Christ and unless we understand Him and find out about His motivations and purposes." Patterson noted three things that the Jeremiah 9 passage states about the character of God: namely, the attributes of lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness. Regarding lovingkindness, Patterson said God's love is demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His kindness is demonstrated through His walking with believers day by day. The second attribute, judgment, is the quality of the mind and heart that assesses things correctly, Patterson said. "Lovingkindness without judgment simply results in gullibility," he explained. "But judgment without lovingkindness results in Pharisaism and legalism. You see, you need the two together. They balance your life. Lovingkindness, on the one hand, gives you the spirit of the Lord God, and judgment, on the other hand, gives you the mind of the Lord God." The attribute of righteousness, Patterson then said, means that Christians must live their lives according to the righteous standards of the Word of God. This includes not only Scripture's explicit commandments but also the wisdom literature found in such parts of the Bible as Proverbs and the Corinthian epistles. Patterson concluded, "Your job at the seminary is to know Him, to know about Him, to understand Him, and to prove that understanding in your life by the fact that you are characterized by lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness. For God says, 'In these, I delight.'" Patterson gave an invitation at the conclusion of his message, noting that, even in a room full of seminary students, some were present who were lost and needed to be saved. With several professors stationed at the front of the chapel, one young man went forward and gave his life to Christ. Also at the convocation service, 11 new professors were welcomed to Southwestern's faculty. To learn more about each of these professors, click here. EDITOR'S NOTE: The fall convocation at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is scheduled for Sept. 8. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Clerk loses, resists high court on marriage licenses by Tom Strode Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday MOREHEAD, Ky. (BP) -- A Kentucky county clerk not only lost at the U.S. Supreme Court Monday evening (Aug. 31) but now faces a likely contempt of court ruling for again refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and her deputies turned away gay couples seeking marriage licenses Tuesday morning (Sept. 1) at their office in the eastern Kentucky town of Morehead. Their refusal came after the high court denied Davis’ request to block enforcement of a federal judge’s order that she issue licenses for same-sex marriages. Lawyers for the gay couples subsequently filed a contempt of court motion against Davis, The Louisville Courier-Journal reported. David Bunning, the federal judge who previously ordered Davis to issue licenses, will consider Thursday the request she be held in contempt, according to the newspaper. The Supreme Court’s denial of Davis’ application for a stay of the order came two months after the justices legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. That 5-4 ruling June 26 prompted some country clerks to resign their jobs rather than issue licenses to gay couples. Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses and has refused to resign, appealing for an accommodation of her religious beliefs in order for her to keep her job. American history “is filled with accommodations for people's religious freedom and conscience,” Davis said Sept. 1 in a statement issued by Liberty Counsel, a religious freedom advocacy organization that represents her. “I want to continue to perform my duties, but I also am requesting what our Founders envisioned -- that conscience and religious freedom would be protected.” Paul Chitwood, executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, found the Supreme Court’s decision unsurprising, since the same justices ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. "This case is just another step along the sad road where erotic liberty trumps religious liberty in the United States," he told Baptist Press in written comments. “This can't be an easy stand for Mrs. Davis to take,” Chitwood said. “The criticism is sharp, and the potential for fines and even jail time is very real. No matter how this plays out, we can all agree she's facing an unenviable situation, and Christians across this country need to be praying for her." Tom James, president of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, told BP he supports Davis.  "To issue the license would not only violate her conscience but also her protection under the First Amendment of our Constitution, which provides for the free exercise of religion," said James, pastor of Eastwood Baptist Church in Bowling Green, in a written statement. "Christianity is not something a person can stop practicing when they go to work or school; our relationship with Christ should be marked by deeply held convictions that permeate all of who we are.   "We as a society are moving towards removing all of God's standards and to silence all of God's children who seek to speak light and truth in a society that is becoming darker by the minute," he said. Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, called it "a sad development." He told BP the government "ought to provide its employees with all protections possible to the furtherance of maintaining public order." "There are better solutions available than the one in Kentucky that needlessly pits the rule of law against freedom of conscience," Moore said in written comments. "The governor and legislature of Kentucky could act to accommodate county clerks whose consciences object to issuing same-sex marriage licenses while still maintaining the rule of law." The Supreme Court opinion in June did not rule out accommodations for the conscience rights of religious Americans, Liberty Counsel Chairman Mat Staver said Aug. 31 before the high court issued its denial. “Providing religious conviction accommodations is not antithetical for public employees,” Staver said in a written release. “Throughout our history the courts have accommodated people’s deeply held religious beliefs.” Among the accommodations suggested to the Supreme Court, Staver said, were removing Davis’ name from marriage licenses and permitting the county’s chief executive to issue licenses. David Moore and David Ermold were among the same-sex couples whose requests for marriage licenses were rejected by Davis’ office Sept. 1. "Who has to go through this to get married? This is 2015. This is America. This is what we pay taxes for -- to be treated like this. To be discriminated against," Moore told Davis, according to The Courier-Journal. When asked under whose authority she was refusing to issue licenses, Davis said, "Under God's authority." In her statement issued by Liberty Counsel, Davis said, “To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God's definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. “To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God's Word. It is a matter of religious liberty,” said Davis, who served as a deputy clerk for 27 years before winning election last year as county clerk. Steven Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said in a written statement, "The duty of public officials is to enforce the law, not place themselves above it.” The ACLU and ACLU of Kentucky filed the contempt motions with Bunning. Davis has appealed Bunning’s order to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, but a court delay preventing enforcement of the order expired Aug. 31. She has sued Gov. Steve Beshear for ordering the state’s county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NGU states expectations of administration, faculty by Baptist Courier Staff Date: September 01, 2015 - Tuesday TIGERVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- The chairperson of North Greenville University's board of trustees has issued a statement that school leaders "are expected to lead Christ-centered lives" and that current administrative staff and faculty members reflect the Baptist university's "legal, moral and ethical expectations" and are held to "the highest of standards." The written statement, which the university sent to The Baptist Courier by email Aug. 27, apparently was in response to a recently uploaded YouTube video titled "Epting Exposed." It was unclear who posted the video. The Baptist Courier is the newsjournal of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. In January 2015, the university announced that then-President Jimmy Epting would take a "sabbatical leave" during the spring semester and retire in May. At the time, Randall Pannell, who would later be named interim president, said health concerns might have been a "catalyst" in Epting's decision to step down. In her Aug. 27 statement, NGU board chairperson Beverly Hawkins requested that the university "be allowed to focus on the traditions of our campus and our bright future as a community." Neither Hawkins nor Pannell were available for comment, said LaVerne Howell, NGU's director of marketing and public relations, in response to an email from The Courier. Efforts by The Baptist Courier to reach Epting by telephone prior to its publishing deadline were unsuccessful. Epting's 23-year tenure as North Greenville's president began in 1991 when he was named the seventh president of the school, located in Tigerville, S.C., just north of Greenville. Beverly Hawkins' full statement follows: "North Greenville University's leaders are expected to lead Christ-centered lives and abide by all campus policies and procedures. The administration and faculty on campus today reflect our legal, moral and ethical expectations. We take our responsibilities as leaders of a Christian institution seriously and hold each member of our community to the highest of standards. "As an institution, our promise is to combine an academic environment with a Christ-like lifestyle and provide students with opportunities for spiritual growth, academic training and Christian service. We will continue to focus our efforts on celebrating the start of the academic year with our students and ask that we be allowed to focus on the traditions of our campus and our bright future as a community."