The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-09/06/2016 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM THE STATES: N.C., Mo., Ky. evangelism/missions news; 'I've never been in a service where there was so much unity' by BP Staff Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday N.C. community comes 'Together As One' By Chrysta Carroll TAR HEEL, N.C. (Bladen Journal) -- With images of diversity and segregation permeating mainstream media, any evidence of racial unity is a welcome breath of fresh air, and at least some Bladen County residents are inhaling deeply after Sunday. A "Together As One" event was planned by the Rev. John Morrison of Clark's Chapel AME Zion Church -- a predominantly black church -- and Rev. Devon Varnum of Tar Heel Baptist Church -- whose congregation is mostly white -- for the purpose of bringing together a diverse group of believers in Tar Heel to fellowship and worship together and to begin to unite for a common goal. "There are supposedly 19,000 unreached people in Bladen County," said Varnum prior to the effort. "Part of the reason we're doing this is, if we're going to reach that number, we have to work together. What Bladen County needs is the Gospel." A covered dish fellowship meal began at 4:30 p.m., followed by a worship service. Clark's Chapel Choir started things off, followed by a sermon from Varnum on the commonalities to all believers. Tar Heel Baptist's choir then sang, followed by Morrison's sermon and a time of prayer. "(Last week), Rev. Morrison called me to say that he felt led to preach on Ephesians 4, which was the same passage that I felt led to preach on. In fact, I'll tell you how unified God had us -- that night, we had on the same sport coat, and hadn't planned it," laughed Varnum. The focus for the day, rather than being on the evident diversity, was on the fact that believers have much more in common with one another than they have differences. "It was amazing," said Varnum. "People showed up in droves -- we had at least 200, which is as many as our church can hold -- from at least 10 different churches of different ethnic backgrounds. God really moved." While the services were going on, children played on bounce houses outside with apparent disregard for their disparities. "I've never been in a service where there was so much unity," said Varnum, who previously expressed a hope that a diverse group united in worshiping one God would as closely mirror heaven as was possible on earth. Around $1,000 was collected for an offering that will be distributed to Plain View Primary and Tar Heel Middle School. Principals from both schools, as well as numerous other county leaders, were present for the event. Morrison and Varnum plan to present checks to each school and afterwards discuss potential future plans. "Our hope is that this is the beginning of something," said Varnum. "My prayer is that revival would come to our churches and communities, and we would start to see the effects of people joining together, reaching out to help win people to Jesus Christ together." --30-- This article was originally published at bladenjournal.com. Used with permission. It also appeared in the Biblical Recorder (brnow.org), newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. ********** Ky. church tills garden as community ministry By Myriah Snyder ASHLAND, Ky. (Western Recorder) -- Central Baptist Church's new ministry center, Hope Central, has begun ministering to those in need in its surrounding community in a unique way. The church looked at the neighborhood and wanted to do something more, something different than they have done in the past. They saw that by-and-large their community had needs, and they wanted to do more than meet "immediate needs," said children's minister and pastor's wife Renee Parsons. "Everybody is meeting the immediate needs, but they are not really 'long-terming' it. It has created a society of dependency," Parsons commented. "We said, 'Okay, how do we stop doing that and start doing something much more productive?'" Drawing from the cliché, "Stop giving them fish; start giving them poles," the church stopped giving out money, clothes and, largely, food. Instead, they pointed people to other ministries and resources throughout the area, and they began focusing on a new approach, Hope Central, located in a house next door to the church, Parsons shared. Two of the main ministries the center will offer will be tutoring and an urban garden. In cooperation with the public school system in Ashland, Hope Central will use volunteers to offer tutoring services and homework help. Teachers will choose children who need help after the first nine weeks. From 4-5 p.m. four days a week, up to 20 children will meet with tutors in reading and math. From 5-6 p.m., more tutors will be available for homework help. The urban garden was birthed out of this ministry and is a project for youth at Central. They will apply scriptural truths to gardening, as well as use it for outreach, John Clark, Central's youth pastor, said. In addition to growing a garden on the church grounds, they are starting a "pallet ministry," Clark said. Each pallet will contain a small garden. Instead of giving people boxes of food, they will give them a pallet garden. The pallets will open doors for evangelism as volunteers develop relationships with the community. "We're using our outreach to not just share the Gospel, but also help these people find what they need and get them the assistance they need to help better their lives and show them the love of Christ. It's just a blessing all round," Clark said. The ministry center will be a hub for many things, including a place for the community to connect with other ministries that they may not have access to, otherwise. Central's VBS ministry will operate out of the center, as well as other services offering job placement or pregnancy crisis help. The center, which has been in the works for a year and a half, will be fully functioning by October. "This will be an awesome way to get these people some help, some love, and just give them Jesus," Clark added. "The kids we are dealing with now are a generation of an already lost generation," he added. "If we don't make some drastic steps to go towards these children and make a difference in their lives, then what are we here for?" --30-- This article appeared in the Western Recorder (westernrecorder.org), newsjournal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Myriah Snyder is a news writer for the Western Recorder. ********** Mo. church opens arms, doors to community By Brian Koonce SARCOXIE, Mo. (The Pathway) -- For First Baptist Church here, the recipe for being a loving church is as simple as opening the door. That open door has led to the church of just over 100 canvassing their entire town in prayer walking and Gospel distribution, as well as inviting the local school district to use the church's gym for PE classes, volleyball and basketball practices. "That has created a really unique opportunity for us to partner with them but also to bridge that gap with the students, parents and teachers," said pastor Scott Pogue. "It lets us meet their physical needs as well as let them know we're praying for them and here for their spiritual needs as well." First Baptist's relationship with the local schools also grew out of the church's desire to pray for teachers and students. As part of a plan to prayer walk the entire Sarcoxie community of about 1,300, First Baptist was allowed to prayer walk the halls of Sarcoxie's schools before classes began the past two years. This year, when busy schedules and other commitments caused the church to delay asking permission to come prayer walk, the schools actually contacted First Baptist to remind them it was time to help the school prepare spiritually for the upcoming year. "When we weren't thinking about it, they were," Pogue said. The local Head Start program also runs out of First Baptist's facility, further raising the church's profile in the community. Almost every evening of the summer some community youth sport is using the church's gym as well. "We end up reaching far more people than are in our seats on Sunday morning," Pogue said. "Our objective isn't to get all these people who come through our facility to come to our church, but to let them know that it's a place where they have a connection. Maybe their kid comes over here for PE or Head Start. In some way, almost everyone in our city has some sort of connection to First Baptist. "Our goal is to change their mind about who we are and what we stand for," Pogue said. "I think a lot of 'First Baptist Churches' in small town get a reputation for being concerned only for the people inside the church, and we want to change that in our city. We feel like the best way we can do that is not by promoting ourselves, but by promoting the Kingdom. We want to be that bridge from where they're at in life into a deeper relationship with Christ or to introduce the to Him for them– first time. " Pogue said the community is responding to First Baptist's efforts and attitude. "They know we're concerned about them, and willing to engage them and meet their needs," he said. "We're not where we want to be, but we want to be the first resource people think of when they have any need."? --30-- This article appeared in The Pathway (mbcpathway.com), newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention. Brian Koonce is a staff writer for The Pathway. ********** EDITOR'S NOTE: From the States, published each Tuesday by Baptist Press, relays news and feature stories from state Baptist papers and other publications on initiatives by Baptist churches, associations and state conventions in evangelism, church planting and Great Commission outreach, including partnership missions. Reports about churches, associations and state conventions responding to the International Mission Board's call to embrace the world's 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups also are included in From the States, along with reports about church, associational and state convention initiatives in conjunction with the North American Mission Board's call to Southern Baptist churches to broaden their efforts in starting new churches and satellite campuses. The items appear in Baptist Press as originally published. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Advice for students by Cody Glen Barnhart Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday MARYVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The new school year has arrived, and I, like many others my age, have spent the last few weeks buried beneath assigned book-reading and essay-writing. It's easy to forget the importance of our own spirituality when confronted with these assignments and deadlines. Too often, students spend all their energy focusing on performing and neglect the local church. In addition to connecting your life to a church on or near your campus, I want to add five suggestions to help guard us from spiritual burnout during the school year: 1. Make time for conversation. School is fast-paced, jumping from one deadline to another. Carve out time to slow down and converse with those around you. You can afford to spend 10 minutes asking your friends what kinds of struggles they're facing, how they are liking their classes or what's going on in their hearts. 2. Get involved with a family. Especially if you're single and away from home, it's easy to grow selfish during college -- selfish with your time, money and love. Allowing myself to be known by an entire family rather than one close friend was very good for me, and I know other people who have had similar experiences. Whether it's a family from your church or one of your friend's parents, try to find someone willing to gather around a table for dinner or games on a regular basis (even if not frequently). 3. Prayerlessness will ruin you. Deep down, we still want to be sovereign over ourselves. When we get so busy that we don't pray, we no longer trust that the Spirit will sustain us. Even if you have to wake up an hour early each day to spend time reading Scripture and praying, it will be worth it. It's better to lose some sleep rather than lose your soul. 4. Your GPA only kind of matters. Don't get me wrong -- schoolwork is important. But if you don't do as well as you anticipated in a class, it isn't the end of the world. An important part of school is to learn your limitations, and sometimes these limitations mean you need to take a B or C in a class so you can focus on something more important, like a class you are doing worse in or a friendship that isn't healthy. School will only get you so far in life, but community and admitting your shortcomings will point you to the Gospel. 5. Nothing beats close friendship with Jesus. Even at a seminary, I found that school became an idol to me. The newest opportunity or the next event the school was hosting quickly consumed my day-to-day life -- and I allowed it to affect my walk with Christ. No matter what the cost, we need to remember we are students of Christ first. Friends with him, too. This friendship promises the kind of life academic success could only theorize about, so cling to it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Study: Abortion increases rate of mental health disorders by Julie Borg/WORLD News Service Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- It may be no surprise to pro-life advocates that a new study published in the July 2016 issue of the peer-reviewed journal SAGE Open Medicine confirms women who have abortions run a significantly increased risk of mental health disorders and substance abuse. But the research offers an important boon to pro-life groups in the U.S., where scientific evidence showing the harmful consequences of abortion for women has been scarce because available data is inconsistent and limited. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not require states to submit abortion data. Each state sets its own reporting laws and many don't report at all. States that do provide information have no uniformity in the type of data they submit. An extensive analysis of state abortion reporting, published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute in August 2016, found abortion reporting is weakest in states that rank highest in abortion rates, including New York, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Florida and California. Because researchers have no reliable way to track abortion information, most studies they conduct on the topic have been statistically flawed. In 2008, an American Psychological Association task force conducted an evaluation of the scientific studies on abortion and mental health difficulties published since 1989. They found the majority of studies suffered from severe methodological problems. "None of the literature reviewed adequately addressed the prevalence of mental health problems among women in the United States who have had an abortion," the group concluded. But in the present study, Paul Sullins, an associate professor of sociology with the Catholic University of America, did not rely on spotty statistics from the CDC. Instead, he analyzed data collected from 8,005 women in the U.S., ages 15 to 28, who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The study followed these women over the course of 13 years. Sullins analyzed statistics for four groups of women: those who had given birth, those who had a voluntary abortion, those who experienced an involuntary loss of pregnancy, and those who had never been pregnant. He compared the four groups for seven mental health issues: depression, anxiety disorder, suicidal ideation, nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse, illicit drug abuse, and cannabis abuse. The results showed women who had abortions were at a 45 percent increased risk of subsequent mental health disorders. And women who gave birth had a 0.66 lower rate of mental health problems than any of the other three groups. Pro-abortion activists often negate studies that link abortion with subsequent mental health difficulties by accusing the researchers of failing to consider factors that might cause a woman to seek abortion and might also predispose her to mental health problems. They cite such things as a prior history of mental illness, rape, intimate partner violence, and effects associated with any pregnancy, such as hormonal changes. But Sullins took these factors into consideration in his analysis and still found that, "of the four groups which comprise all the logically possible outcomes to pregnancy, only abortion was consistently associated with higher risk of mental disorder." The results of this study may have implications for American abortion laws. According to Sullins, not one single study has documented mental health benefits of having an abortion. But the federal government does not permit states to prohibit even late-term abortions if the abortion is deemed necessary to preserve the life or health, including mental health, of the mother. "The assumed premise of these arguments is that procuring an abortion will result in less anxiety, constraint, pain, and mental distress than will bringing a pregnancy to term," Sullins wrote. But the present study shows that premise isn't supported by scientific evidence. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Baptist students, 450 strong, aid flood survivors by Carmen K. Sisson Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (BP) -- John Whitehead woke to an unfamiliar sight in mid-August -- water had breached his house and was rising fast. The Louisiana State University student panicked for a few minutes, facing tough decisions. What should he save and what should he leave behind? In the end, the answer was simple. Muddy water lapped against his waist as he struggled to heave his black Labrador retriever Rascal into his kayak. Then, he paddled away from everything he and his family owned in Denham Springs near Baton Rouge, knowing they would never see most of it again. His parents, Darrell and Zanie Whitehead, were in Tuscaloosa, Ala., trying to get home. They talked by phone several times as the situation worsened. "I called the fourth time, and he said, 'Quit calling me, I'm trying to save people,'" his father recounted. By the end of the day, John Whitehead and his kayak had carried a number of people to safety, including two elderly women who were clinging to a chain link fence, with water up to their chins. On Labor Day weekend, flood survivors like the Whiteheads in south Louisiana were on the receiving end of an even larger wave of help. LSU's Baptist Collegiate Ministry spearheaded a massive cleanup event, drawing more than 450 students from collegiate ministries in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. As the LSU Tigers played their first game of the season, the students pried up waterlogged wood flooring, tore out sheetrock and tried to salvage homeowners' keepsakes from encroaching mold. At the Whitehead home, not much is left. The few possessions they own are stored in a 5-by-8-foot shed -- with room to spare. But Darrell Whitehead, a former children's minister, is still grateful. The family's church, Istrouma Baptist in Baton Rouge, has helped, and strangers have given love offerings. But the students were a surprise. Whitehead estimates they saved him approximately $10,000-$12,000 for professional gutting, and they finished so far ahead of schedule that they were able to help neighbors with their cleanup efforts. "When they were here, they worked," Whitehead said. "I never heard a complaint. Those BCM kids could have done anything on those days. They didn't have to come work, yet they did." It was an eye-opening weekend for some students, said Korey McCrady, director of Baptist Student Ministry at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. Many had never experienced a flood. Others had never used a sledgehammer or power tool. "On the bus coming in, they were laughing and talking," McCrady said. "But when the bus turned the corner, they went silent." For Arkansas State student Kristen Scarlett, a rough week on campus seemed trivial when compared with the flood survivors' burdens. "I thought, 'If the Lord made me an able-bodied person, why am I not there?'" Scarlett, who attends First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, had asked. "I need to live out that calling. If you're in good health, why wouldn't you?" Some students hesitate to volunteer because of the perceived time commitment, said Annie Pucciarelli, a student from First Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla. But she believes collegians are the perfect age, especially if they are not already juggling families and careers. "I think this is the best time in my life," she said as she pulled nails from sheetrock. "Being able to help others is a great experience. You can see that what you're doing is making a difference." Pucciarelli praised Southern Baptist Disaster Relief for making it easy for cash-strapped college students to participate. Local churches provide lodging and meals. The only expense is fuel. Students sometimes worry that they won't have the skills to tackle the work, but LSU student Cullen McDaniel, of Jefferson Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, dismissed that excuse. "All it takes is people coming together over one goal," McDaniel said. "It's not about how long you can work or the skills you have. We need hands and feet on the ground. This has taught me to trust the Lord in everything [to] provide the healing, the comfort and the guidance you need to get through the trying times of life." The students were a comfort to Baton Rouge resident Paulette LaComb, a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In her once-pristine home, students filled every room, with the sounds of hammers heard through the halls. If this were any other day, her house would be tidy and she would be in the kitchen, cooking jambalaya for her guests. Now the sink doesn't work and floodwater contaminated her dishes. She applied for food stamps but her application was denied. "I've been crying all week," LaComb said. "It was such a good feeling to see all these people coming to help. I felt like nobody cared but now I know they do. You've got to keep believing. You can't give up." The community has united more since the tragedy, said Sarah Farley, BCM associate director at LSU. The Baton Rouge area has endured a lot this summer, Farley said, referring to several fatal incidents between residents and local police. But she believes the flood has washed away some of the anger and pain. "The way God has used the flood to unite us is amazing. A lot of people criticize young people, but I think there's a lot of hope." Those wishing to donate to SBDR relief can contact the Baptist convention in their state, or in this case the Louisiana Baptist Convention's Disaster Relief Fund, https://louisianabaptists.org/donateDR. Donations also can be made through the North American Mission Board at donations.namb.net/dr-donations. For phone donations, call 1-866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for "Disaster Relief." NAMB coordinates and manages Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through partnerships with 42 state Baptist conventions, most of which have their own state Disaster Relief ministries. Southern Baptists have 65,000 trained volunteers -- including chaplains -- and 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, child care, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained disaster relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hendricks named editor of Baptist Press by BP Staff Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Executive Committee has named Shawn Hendricks as editor of Baptist Press, effective Sept. 1. Last year, Hendricks began transitioning into his new role when he was named managing editor/director of operations. As editor, Hendricks will continue to direct the daily operations and content of Baptist Press and maintain the administrative duties he began a year ago. Art Toalston, who served as editor of Baptist Press for more than 23 years, was named senior editor in 2015 when Hendricks assumed his expanded duties. "Shawn has done an amazing job this past year as he stepped into a whole new set of duties," Roger S. Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, said. "Coming to us as a gifted writer and editor, he has seamlessly stepped forward to organize and assign the daily lineup of stories, engage in advance planning with BP staff and state paper editors, enlist freelance writers, solicit news content, oversee the BP team’s daily work and manage the SBC annual meeting press room. "He has also worked to strengthen relationships with Baptist state paper editors and associates as well as media and communications personnel with our SBC entities," Oldham said. Hendricks accepted the position of Baptist Press managing editor in 2013 after serving two years in the same role for the Biblical Recorder, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Before that, he served for nearly 10 years as a staff writer -- and later senior writer -- at the International Mission Board. "During his interview for the managing editor position following a national search, it became readily apparent that Shawn was administratively gifted," Oldham said. "Assigning him these additional responsibilities has freed Art Toalston, editor since 1992, to step into a more focused role of finding new talent, mentoring new writers and soliciting opinion pieces from a wider range of contributors. We have an extremely strong editorial team in Art and Shawn, supported by a strong central Baptist Press team." Other members of the Baptist Press staff are Diana Chandler, general assignment writer/editor, David Roach, chief national correspondent and Laura Erlanson, operations coordinator. Marcia Knox serves as part-time editorial assistant. Hendricks also worked as a news and feature writer with the State Gazette daily newspaper in Dyersburg, Tenn., 1997-98; public relations staff writer at Hannibal-LaGrange College -- now Hannibal-LaGrange University -- in Hannibal, Mo., 1998-99; and news and feature writer at the former newsjournal for the Missouri Baptist Convention, Word & Way, 1999-2002. A 1996 communication arts/journalism graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Hendricks completed internships with the Indiana Baptist, newsjournal of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, and The Jackson Sun (Tenn.) daily newspaper. He is a native of Troy, Mo. Hendricks, 42, is president of Baptist Communicators Association for 2016-2017. He was program co-chair for the BCA's 2014 annual meeting at the LifeWay Conference Center in Ridgecrest, N.C. He and his wife Stephanie have an 8-year-old daughter Laura and two foster children, ages 3 and 2. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Great things from God' seen by seminarians abroad by SWBTS Staff Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Night market vendors were just beginning to set up their kiosks as the mission team prayerwalked the community around a mosque in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The team's leader, Keith Eitel, walked roughly a block behind his wife and a translator as they handed out Thai-language Gospel tracts. One man, after receiving a tract, became puzzled. As they later learned, the man was from Nepal and had only come to Chiang Mai for business; he, therefore, could not read Thai. When Eitel reached him, the man noticed that Eitel had the same kind of tract, so the man asked him, "Do you know what these are?" Eitel, dean of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Roy Fish School of Evangelism and Missions, gladly explained the Gospel to him, and after the man asked a few questions, Eitel asked if he wanted to respond. The man spent a few more moments examining the tracts, which contained diagrams illustrating the Gospel message. He then looked up and said, "I need to do this." This summer, Southwestern deployed five mission teams around the world who experienced such divine appointments. God prepared the hearts of many whom they encountered, and the teams collectively saw 128 people profess Jesus as Lord in response to the Gospel message. In addition, seeds were planted for future decisions, and local leaders in the various locations gained added equipping for reaching the world for Christ. In light of such results, Eitel often ended his reports from the trips in which he participated with the phrase, "Praise the Lord!" Japan, May 14-June 2 The summer's first mission team deployed to Nagoya, Japan. Though they initially thought that recent security measures would limit their opportunities for sharing the Gospel, they trusted the Lord to provide appointments with the right people, and five individuals ultimately prayed to receive Christ. One was a student whom the team met on a college campus who already called herself a Christian. After developing a friendship with her, the Southwestern students invited her to join them for dinner. She accepted the invitation and brought some of her friends as well. "After dinner, our students were able to have deeper conversations with the Japanese friends and shared the Gospel with them," master's-degree student Ariel Lee recounted. "The girl who thought she was a Christian heard the Gospel for the first time, and she decided to surrender her life to Christ." Madagascar, May 26-June 12 Now in its fifth year, Southwestern's Madagascar Embrace program began as an initiative to evangelize the unreached, unengaged Antandroy people group (UUPG) in the East African country. This year, in the city of Fort Dauphin, the mission team once again saw God's blessings as local leaders came to learn the Word of God and share the Gospel with the lost. In daily training sessions, approximately 70 male and female national leaders came to learn discipleship, doctrine and evangelism from Southwestern teachers. In the afternoons, the Southwesterners and nationals went out together to visit friends and relatives to share the Good News. The team also devoted one weekend to evangelizing the neighborhoods around Fort Dauphin. After two weeks, the efforts had yielded 99 professions of faith. Haiti, May 27-June 6 Over an 11-day period, a team of five students and faculty ministered in the community of Creve in northwest Haiti to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the people. The team worked alongside Water4Nations and built three gravity-driven water purification towers to provide the entire community with clean water. Bachelor of arts student Jim Sprouse said it was important to provide access to such a vital resource, but that it also served as a platform to engage in spiritual conversations. "On the Sunday before we left," Sprouse said, "I shared with many of the people in the community about how Jesus provides us with living water so that we never thirst again. These water purification systems become a springboard for the Gospel message." Canada, June 20-July 29 The summer's next mission team, encompassing 10 students from the College at Southwestern, deployed to Vancouver Island for six weeks of hands-on experience in evangelism, missions and church planting. Striving to foster relationships within the community, the team, among other things, volunteered in a local homeless shelter for meal service. The effort opened the door for Gospel conversations with people who frequented the shelter as well as its staff and other volunteers. As reflected in many of their conversations, bachelor of arts student Christian Rowland said, many people are interested in the message of the Gospel but their apathy and search for tolerance hinders their willingness to respond. "People are definitely searching for the truth, but they are searching in all the wrong places," Rowland said. "I was really reminded of the urgency of the message of the Gospel and the need for more workers." Thailand, July 7-25 Channeling their efforts primarily through spiritual conversations on college campuses and showing the "JESUS" film in mountain villages, the summer's final team of 16 students and faculty went to Chiang Mai expecting great things from God -- expectations that were met and even exceeded by the trip's end as the team members personally saw 24 people come to faith in Christ. A quote that Eitel often employed as an encouragement to the team was, "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." This quote from missionary William Carey served as the guiding principle of not just the Thailand team, but all of Southwestern's missionaries this summer. "We tend to go into these experiences full of 'attempting' but we fail to be adequate in full expectation," Eitel said. "So let's go expecting to be surprised; to see what God is going to do." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Phyllis Schlafly, defender of family & unborn, dies by David Roach Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday ST. LOUIS (BP) -- Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the conservative group Eagle Forum who was known for her decades-long advocacy on behalf of the traditional family, died Sept. 5. She was 92. Called a friend and "profound influence" by leading Southern Baptist women, Schlafly opposed the feminist movement for more than 40 years. An attorney, speaker and mother of six, she also publically opposed abortion, same-sex marriage and communism. In addition to authoring or editing 20 books, Schlafly was a columnist, radio commentator and television commentator. Dorothy Patterson, wife of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson, told Baptist Press Schlafly was "a friend and mentor to me and thousands of other women over the decades." "I learned from her a sense of priority for family commitments, the value of perseverance and the conviction that ultimately we were all accountable to God for upholding the creation order and the sanctity of life," said Patterson, a recipient in 1987 of the Eagle Forum's Eagle Award, which honors "citizen volunteers for their dedicated work at every level of government," according to the Eagle Forum website. Susie Hawkins, wife of GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins, called Schlafly "a profound influence on the American conservative movement." "Brilliant, fearless and nobody's fool, Mrs. Schlafly was a fierce defender of the rights of the unborn and other dignity of life causes," Hawkins told BP in written comments. "As a pioneer of the movement, she unleashed conservative women's voices onto the political battlefield during the tumultuous 70s. She will be remembered with great respect and admiration." In the 1970s and early 1980s, Schlafly was a chief leader in defeating the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution despite its 90-percent approval by Congress and ratification by 35 state legislatures. The ERA would have barred denial of "equality of rights under the law" based on sex in federal and state legislation. Schlafly told a 1979 seminar hosted by the Southern Baptist Convention's Christian Life Commission (CLC), however, it would likely be interpreted by courts to block commonsense laws supporting traditional family structure. "Why would anybody want to tie our hands so that we can no longer give certain [legal] helps to the wife, the mother, and the widow, in order to compensate for the natural differences that women have babies, that women don't have the same physical strength as men, and that women live longer than men?" Schlafly said according to a published copy of her address. "There are these differences between the sexes. And we should be entitled to have laws that respect those differences." At the time, BP noted that "some questioners from the floor took exception to some of Mrs. Schlafly's points." Following the SBC's Conservative Resurgence, however, opinions among SBC leaders seemed to change regarding Schlafly. Upon her death, Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the CLC's successor organization, recommended via Twitter a video from the early 1970s in which a representative from the National Organization for Women "clearly underestimated" Schlafly in a debate. Patterson said in written comments, "Phyllis was a committed Roman Catholic, and I am a devoted Baptist; but together we have been on a mission to protect the family and life itself in the midst of a world spinning out of control morally and spiritually. From our first meeting in the early 1980s in Washington D.C., she remembered my name. She inspired me to take the fight against the ERA to Southern Baptists and gave me specific assignments on how to do that." In 1980, the SBC adopted a resolution which "reaffirm[ed] the biblical role which stresses the equal worth but not always the sameness of function of women" and stated the convention did "not endorse the Equal Rights Amendment." Patterson called Schlafly "an example of the victory awaiting her winning combination of steel and velvet." "I salute her life and ministry," Patterson said, "and bid her adieu with sorrow and with the reminder that as long as I breathe and live, there is a fight to be fought for all that is dear -- and that includes the upcoming election. God help us as women to evaluate the candidates -- even if the lesser of two unsatisfactory choices. We must vote and keep on fighting for what is right. We owe that to our friend and co-laborer Phyllis Schlafly." In addition to her six children, Schlafly is survived by 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband John Fred Schlafly. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Gateway convocation leads inaugural semester by Kathie Chute Date: September 06, 2016 - Tuesday ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) -- Launching a series of events opening the new campus of Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention, President Jeff Iorg warned students of "unintended consequences" of a seminary education. The Aug. 29 convocation and first day of classes will be followed by celebratory events Oct. 5-8, including a dedication service, a gala featuring contemporary hymnists Keith and Kristyn Getty and a festival complete with food trucks, tours and other activities at the new Southern California campus in Ontario. Also among the celebratory events are a worship training session led by Keith Getty and the seminary's annual Deere lecture featuring Craig Evans, who serves as the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University. The author of 70-plus books, Evans will speak on "Ancient Biography and the Reliability of the Gospels." Details of the Oct. 5-8 events can be accessed here. Formerly Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, the institution moved from its location in northern California 400 miles south to Ontario in late June and opened for business July 5. Iorg, in Gateway's first-ever president's convocation on the new campus, spoke on "The Unintended Consequences of a Seminary Education," using 1 Timothy 6:3-10 as the basis of his message. He told the students he hopes they will find their classes challenging in preparing for a life of ministry -- but not be impacted by unintended consequences of seminary training. "One unintended consequence of your seminary education is when your theological depth exceeds your character development," Iorg said. Iorg recounted a deacon in a local church calling to ask for advice about a brewing conflict between the pastor and his congregation. The deacon explained that the pastor had developed some positions controversial for many in the church. The bigger problem, however, was when the deacons tried to discuss it with him the pastor blew up in anger, marginalized his opposition, and questioned their theological understanding. "The pastor did not suffer from a lack of theological depth," Iorg said, "but a lack of character development. When one exceeds the other, chaos usually results." A seminary education also could be detrimental to the extent a graduate would rather debate doctrine with peers than share the truth with everyday people, Iorg said "There are more students enrolled in the Southern Baptist Convention's six seminaries than at any other time in history," he said, "but there has never been a time when our churches are less effective in evangelism. We are better at arguing theology with our peers than explaining the Gospel to everyday people. "It's vital you master the depths and intricacies of the Gospel," he said, "but you are not fully prepared until you can explain the Gospel to everyday people." Iorg also warned that another unintended consequence of a seminary education is allowing material gain to displace missional sacrifice. Evidence of this includes when students believe someone should take care of them financially. "It seems to be a trend, and it's the downside of seminary financial aid, that more and more students assume someone else is responsible to raise the money to pay for their training," Iorg said. He warned this mentality has a detrimental effect as seminary students search for ministry positions. Iorg told of a conversation with a pastor who had interviewed several recent graduates for a position at his church. The individuals interviewed had all asked, as their first question about the position, how much vacation time they would receive and what benefits would accompany their salary. "While these are important questions, the pastor was disappointed the first questions were not about the opportunity to reach people and impact their community," Iorg reported. Vacation and benefits "are important issues to resolve in seeking a position," he told the Gateway convocation, "but they are not the primary issues. Settle the 'mission questions' first and then work out the financial details while trusting God to provide."