The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-10/15/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Students answer call to help relief efforts in S.C. by Joe Conway Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday COLUMBIA, S.C. (BP) -- Leading a group of college disaster relief volunteers for three days would be enough for some 23-year-olds to call it a week. Not Andrew Hendricks. After leading a group of Clemson University Baptist Campus Ministry student volunteers through cleanup assignments in suburban Columbia, S.C., Hendricks joined his association's Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team in the Arcadia Lakes area and continued to serve. "We are working on a home today where an older woman lives alone," said Hendricks, a recent Clemson graduate and Baptist Campus Ministry intern. "The water went all the way up into her attic. She kept going higher up in her house as the water rose. She was rescued through a vent in her attic by a boat. It is a miracle she is alive." Hendricks' service, first with college students and then with his Pickens Twelve Mile Baptist Association, highlights the power and partnership of students working with veteran Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) volunteers. The students are serving survivors of the overwhelming flooding spawned by Hurricane Joaquin. "To see college students, who have the time on their breaks and who do not yet have the responsibilities of full-time jobs, working with retirees who also have the time to commit, it is really cool to see the generations working together," Hendricks said. "I want to see that more." Deployed SBDR volunteers from South Carolina are serving with teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Cleanup work is happening across the state. More students are expected to volunteer, as well. "College students proved their value as volunteers by the tremendous service they performed in response to Hurricane Sandy," North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell said. "Now they have the opportunity again and they are doing an outstanding job in South Carolina. The generosity of Southern Baptists to serve and give in response to tragedy continues to encourage me." A recent college graduate, Hendricks has walked the same steps many of the students he worked with have. As a Clemson sophomore, Hendricks volunteered to serve on a cleanup crew in New York City during his Christmas break responding to survivors of Hurricane Sandy. His current college volunteers received the same on-the-job training he did when he first served. "The experience in New York was great, and they encouraged us to seek more training if we thought we wanted to serve in the future," said Hendricks, a member of Cross Roads Baptist Church in Easley. "I attended a South Carolina Baptist Convention training and started serving with my association." Hendricks' 10-member association team is being housed at North Trenholm Baptist Church in Columbia, just five miles from the homes where they are serving. But the trip to the job site takes 30-45 minutes dictated by the number of bridges and roads that remain out or closed from flood-water damage. "You can drive through parts of Columbia and think nothing happened here," Hendricks said. "Then you go into an affected area and it is total devastation. Everything in this woman's house was destroyed. As a native of South Carolina, to see this level of destruction, it is totally shocking." The North American Mission Board 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. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief 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. Updates on the latest SBDR response are available at namb.net/dr/atlantic-coast-floods. Those wishing to donate to SBDR relief can contact the Baptist convention in their state or visit  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." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Oct. 18, 2015 by staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum. Bible Passage: John 15:1-17 Discussion Questions: How is Jesus a vine? What does it mean to be a branch attached to the True Vine? What does it look like to abide or remain in Christ? Why must one be attached to the Vine to bear fruit? What happens when one doesn’t bear fruit? How do Christians sometimes act as if they can grow apart from abiding in Christ? Since the one who remains in Jesus produces “much fruit,” what evidence of bountiful fruit do you see in your life? Food for Thought: Did you hear about the pumpkin that didn’t want to be connected to the vine any longer? It got its wish but wound up sitting on the front porch glaring at everyone who came by. All attempts at humor aside, God designed pumpkins to grow on vines. And they can certainly grow -- as long as they are attached to the vine. Earlier this fall an Illinois man set a North American record when his pumpkin tipped the scales at 2,145.5 pounds. That’s nearly 150 pounds more than a ton! But even it has to settle for second place overall to the world record holder -- a hefty 2,323.7 pound gourd grown by a European farmer last year. Both of these pumpkins, and each one you will see between now and Thanksgiving, have at least one thing in common. They all can grow only so long as they are attached to the vine. On His final night before the crucifixion, Jesus identified Himself as the True Vine and His followers as branches (John 15). Like pumpkins, Christians only grow and produce fruit when we are attached to the Vine. We Baptists readily acknowledge that there is no salvation apart from Jesus, a gift received by faith. Unfortunately, we Baptists also have a tendency to act as if our spiritual growth and maturity after salvation depend on us and our ability to work it out ourselves. But every aspect of the Christian life, not just its beginning, involves Jesus. Like those monster gourds, we can only reach our potential if we remain attached to the Vine. b>MasterWork MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at www.lifeway.com/masterwork. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRUSTEES: Whitfield elected SEBTS' VP for academic admin. by Cassity Potter Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) -- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's board of trustees named Keith Whitfield as the new vice president for academic administration at its biannual meeting Oct. 12. Whitfield joined the Southeastern faculty in 2012 as an assistant professor of theology and was soon named the associate dean of the College at Southeastern. Since 2014, he has served as the associate vice president of institutional effectiveness and faculty communications. The vice president for academic administration position is a new addition to the leadership of Southeastern. In his new role, Whitfield will assist the provost and deans in the management and implementation of academic matters. The position also oversees institutional effectiveness, the registrar's office and library services. Provost Bruce Ashford said of Whitfield, "Through his previous role as associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, Dr. Whitfield has come to be known as a thoughtful and exceptionally competent administrator." "Through his continuing role as a faculty member, we have also come to know him as a caring teacher and proficient scholar," he said. "All of those qualities combine to make him the perfect person to fill this new and significant role." Southeastern President Danny Akin said, "Keith Whitfield is a godly man devoted to Christ and His church. He is without question the perfect person for this job and will be a welcomed addition to our leadership team." Whitfield received his bachelor of science from Clemson University and earned his master of divinity in biblical and theological studies and master of theology degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He received his doctorate in philosophy from Southeastern in 2013. Whitfield previously served as a teaching fellow and a member of the dean's cabinet at New College Franklin in Franklin, Tenn., and led Waverly Baptist Church in Waverly, Va., for five years as senior pastor. He is currently a lay elder at Imago Dei Church in Raleigh and serves on the board of the Biblical Recorder, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. In addition, Southeastern's trustees: -- approved curriculum changes to the master of divinity degree. -- approved the creation of new student aid accounts, including the Jeannie Elliff Student Aid Fund, Robert W. Kester Student Aid Fund, Herring Student Aid Fund and McGill Memorial Student Aid Fund. -- approved the closeout of the 2011-2014 strategic plan. -- approved the 2016-2017 strategic goals as follows: enhance critical thinking through writing, reflect kingdom diversity and orient the institution to address the needs of non-traditional students. -- voted to begin the process of updating the campus facilities master plan. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Why theology matters by Matt Capps Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday RALEIGH, N.C. (BP) -- Have you ever heard someone in your church dismissively say, "Theology isn't for me" or "I don't think theology is important; we just need to love Jesus and love people"? While I understand the sentiment behind these statements, as a pastor it grieves me. Though many people in the church see theology as an abstract academic discipline with no bearing on the day-to-day Christian life, theology is inescapable. Simply put, every Christian is a theologian. Every Christian, by definition, knows God, thinks about God and makes statements about God. The very word "theology" means a word (logos) about God (theos). Christian theology is simply talking about God in a distinctly Christian way based on the Scriptures. And if everyone is a theologian, the central question becomes: Is his or her theology distinctly Christian? Recent findings give cause for concern. True theology points to God LifeWay Research recently studied the theological knowledge of 3,000 adult Americans. The study focused on key theological areas of the faith and revealed several areas where many Americans differ from historic, orthodox Christianity. Almost half (45 percent) believe there are many ways to get to heaven. The same percentage says the Bible was written for each person to interpret as he or she chooses. More than half (59 percent) of evangelicals believe the Holy Spirit is a force, not a person. And 29 percent of evangelicals believe God the Father is more divine than Jesus. Where are Americans, and especially evangelicals, getting their theology? Human beings didn't invent God, and because God exists independently from human experience, theology cannot originate from human thought or experience. Distinctly Christian theology -- what the apostle Paul called "sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:3) takes its starting point from the belief that God has revealed Himself in His authoritative Word, the Bible. This is significant because the Bible stands as a testimony to the free and intentional act of self-disclosure on the part of a transcendent God. The task of theology has to do with knowing the true God and developing an integrated knowledge about Him in light of His self-disclosure. A distinctly Christian theology is also focused on Christ. In John 5:39, Jesus says the Scriptures testify about Him. Christian doctrine is deeply personal and redemptive -- not an outline of abstract formulations or a morality code. The Bible is the unfolding story of God's rescue and subsequent commissioning of His people through the person and work of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God. Theology is practical Theology is undertaken so our hearts might respond to God and that our lives might be conformed to His will. All of life's central questions are deeply theological. Theology speaks to inquiries as wide-ranging as the meaning of life and as specific as particular events in life. Our questions about the everyday ups and downs of guilt, joy, doubt, peace, suffering, justice and injustice all require a solid biblical and theological grounding to grasp them from a distinctly Christian perspective. And whether our theology is biblically sound or flawed, its implications will undoubtedly be felt because theology affects lives -- both ours and those around us. Theology and the Christian life are not competing interests, but two sides of the same coin. This is why theology is so important to the local church. The church is a community of people on mission with God. And it's a community where the passing on of the faith, or sound doctrine, is central to its purpose (Matthew 28:16-20; 2 Timothy 4:1-4). Theological formation should be esteemed in the church because the church itself is a Gospel-formed theological community. The church is centered on God's Word, and God's Word is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, theology is eminently practical. Theology also engages our emotions and shapes our living. It is not an exercise in head-scratching puzzles, but a discipline that should lead to heart-stirring emotions, which in turn leads to worshipful obedience in every area of life. It is by knowing God that we come to love Him, and by loving Him that we come to know Him. This is why J.I. Packer has long said theology is for doxology and devotion -- that is, the praise of God and the practice of godliness. In other words, loving Jesus and loving people are made possible by a theological vision of God and the Christian life. Theology fuels our devotion to God and our passion for sharing the Gospel. A solid theological vision of God and the Christian life is a powerful tool for mission. Imagine if every Christian were a good theologian. Not just a good theologian, but a good theologian in the distinctively Christian sense. Theology matters for your church because theology is for everyone. Every Christian is a theologian. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunrise CEO: Appeals court ruling a 'win' by Robin Cornetet Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday MOUNT WASHINGTON, Ky. (BP) -- The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has sent a case involving a Kentucky Baptist children's ministry back to federal district court for further review in a move the group's chief executive officer describes as a win for the non-profit ministry that serves hundreds of abused and neglected kids. "This case has been going on for 16 years and Sunrise is ready to turn the page," Dale Suttles, chief executive officer of Sunrise Children's Services, said. "We have 750 kids who have faced some of the most terrible things imaginable. We need to focus instead on making a difference in their lives." A three-judge Sixth Circuit panel, in a 2-1 decision, vacated a 2013 ruling singling out Sunrise for monitoring by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State Oct. 6. The panel questioned whether the 15-page settlement, agreed to by the plaintiffs and the state, but not Sunrise, was fair. Sunrise attorney John Sheller argued in the appeal that the burden of extra scrutiny by the ACLU and Americans United imposes unique reputational harm. The Sixth Circuit judges did not indicate whether the lower court's ruling was fair to Sunrise. "We feel good about the Sixth Circuit Court's decision," Suttles said. "Now we'll wait to see how the district court handles its decision." Since 2000, Sunrise has been embroiled in a lawsuit surrounding its firing of a homosexual employee. See related Baptist Press story. In the case, the state was accused of violating the Constitution by paying Sunrise, a Kentucky Baptist foster care agency, to provide services for children. A 2013 agreement required the monitoring of Sunrise and its affiliates to ensure children were not coerced into participating in religious activity or converted to a new religion. Sunrise objected to the settlement. Sunrise has operated as a nonprofit, Christ-centered ministry for abused and neglected children in Kentucky since 1869 and is the state's largest provider of foster care, residential, therapeutic treatment and community-based services statewide. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Evangelist in Uganda killed after debate by Morning Star News/East Africa correspondent Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday NAIROBI, Kenya (BP) -- Islamists upset by a Christian-Muslim debate are suspected in the killing of a longtime evangelist in eastern Uganda who led many Muslims to Christ, sources said.  The body of Samson Nfunyeku was found close to his home in Kalampete village, Kibuku District early Sept. 23, after the latest in a series of organized debates with Islamic scholars at Tirinyi Trading Center ended prematurely due to flaring tempers the previous night. He was 59. At a previous debate, among those sponsored by Nfunyeku's Church of Uganda and other churches, Muslim leaders had threatened him and warned him to hold no more debates, a source said. "Four months ago Samson and others had a very hot debate at Tirinyi Trading Center with the Muslim scholars that ended on a bad note, and they gave warning that such debates were not good for the Muslims," said one of the participants, a former sheikh (Islamic teacher) who became a Christian. Nevertheless, another debate was held Sept. 22 with few in attendance, said the source, whose name is withheld for security purposes. The debate ended at about 5:30 p.m. Colleagues estimated Nfunyeku was killed between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. He had head injuries and a mark on his neck indicating he was strangled, they said. "We are going to miss the courage and passion seen in the life of Samson, who was out to win Muslims for Christ," Gauma Samuel of the Church of Uganda's Budaka Archdeaconry said at his Sept. 25 funeral service. Nfunyeku is survived by seven children and 16 grandchildren. "They need prayers in this moment of mourning," a source said. Converts from Islam to Christianity in eastern Uganda have recently experienced regular instances of persecution. A Muslim in Namutumba District beat and left for dead his wife Jafalan Kadondi and 18-year-old son Ibrahim Kasoono on Aug. 11 after learning they had converted to Christianity, area sources said. Both survived. The wife of a former sheikh was poisoned to death on June 17 after she and her husband put their faith in Christ in the Kibuku District. Namumbeiza Swabura was the mother of 11 children, including a 5-month-old baby. In the Budaka District on March 28, five Muslims gang-raped the 17-year-old daughter of a pastor because the church leader ignored their warnings that he stop worship services, she said. About 85 percent of the people in Uganda are Christian and 11 percent Muslim, with some eastern areas having large Muslim populations. The country's constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one's faith and convert from one faith to another. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Fantasy sports betting investigated by David Roach Date: October 15, 2015 - Thursday NASHVILLE (BP) -- As news breaks of a federal investigation into the fantasy sports industry, Baptist commentators warn that betting in fantasy leagues is not harmless fun. The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 14 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is "investigating [the] daily fantasy sports business model" to see if it violates federal law. A front-page story in the Oct. 15 New York Times stated the fantasy website DraftKings appears to be the focus of the probe, with rival site FanDuel also potentially facing scrutiny and the entire industry confronting accusations of "predatory tactics" and improper handling of insider information. In daily leagues, "filling slots on your fantasy team becomes more like a slot machine, feeding the obsessive compulsion to turn small amounts into large winnings in a day, and to bet more tomorrow to try to win back yesterday's losses," said Mike Whitehead, an attorney in Kansas City, Mo., who has served on the staffs of two Southern Baptist Convention entities. "Daily users are more susceptible to addiction and serious losses -- a risk the industry itself has done its best to ignore." Fantasy sports began with season-long contests typically involving friends and coworkers. But now online fantasy leagues allow customers to pay entry fees then draft virtual sports teams that compete against each other in daylong contests for prize money based on the players' performances in real athletic events. FanDuel and DraftKings are the two largest fantasy companies, controlling some 95 percent of the North American daily fantasy sports market. They are valued at $1.3 billion and $1.2 billion respectively, according to The Journal. Despite bans on sports gambling by many professional sports leagues, investors in FanDuel and DraftKings include Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, The Times reported. The 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act prohibits much online gambling, Whitehead said, but includes an exception for fantasy sports games if "(1) the value of the prizes is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of fees paid; (2) all winning outcomes reflect the relative knowledge and skill of the participants; and (3) the fantasy game's result is not based on the final scores of any real-world games." Most "traditional versions" of fantasy sports, Whitehead told BP in written comments, "seem to comply with federal law." The U.S. Department of Justice is trying to determine whether daily fantasy contests -- which seem to involve more chance than season-long competitions -- are a form of illegal gambling, according to The Journal. Daily fantasy sports drew increased criticism after a DraftKings employee prematurely released sensitive data about the site's biggest contest and then won $350,000 on FanDuel, The Journal reported. DraftKings said the data release was unintentional, and both companies said the employee did not benefit from insider knowledge. Both companies acknowledge their employees "have played and won significant money on each other's sites," The Times reported, though both now have banned their employees from competing in daily fantasy sports. "It is entirely predictable that the government would follow up on the misleading reports about our industry," a DraftKings spokeswoman said in a statement to The Journal. "We have no knowledge of the specifics of any federal investigation but strongly disagree with any notion that our company has engaged in any illegal activities." Fantasy sports websites face additional legal challenges on the state level. Whitehead explained that some states prohibit fantasy sports if they involve money, rewards and chance, with "chance" defined differently in various states. "Most state laws say play-for-cash contests are only illegal if they involve more chance than skill (the 'predominant purpose test')," Whitehead said. "A few states prohibit betting games if they depend on chance even in the smallest degree (the 'any chance test')." Whitehead noted, "In 'any chance' states, like Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa and Tennessee, most play-for-cash leagues appear to violate the state gambling statutes (unless, of course, they fall under 'social gaming' or 'in-house gaming' exceptions). Montana, Louisiana, Washington, Iowa and Arizona prohibit daily fantasy games where participants risk their own cash. "The legality of fantasy football has been questioned in a couple of other states,” Whitehead said. “In Florida, a state attorney general opinion from back in 1991 called into doubt the legality of fantasy football contests. Similarly, in Kansas, a state website formerly included language that called into doubt the legality of fantasy sports. Yet no legal prosecutions have occurred. "Theoretically, if any members of an Internet league reside in an 'any chance state,' other participants of the league residing in other states may still be in violation of law, which could become a federal violation due to inter-state commerce," he said. The Times reported DraftKings executive Jon Aguiar posted "on a public thread informing players how to deposit funds and play in contests in states and countries where the games are prohibited." A class-action lawsuit in Louisiana, where operation of daily fantasy sports sites is prohibited, alleges the plaintiff was allowed to deposit money with both DraftKings and FanDuel. The attorney general of New York has begun to gather information about both companies, and the Massachusetts attorney general is discussing potential consumer-protection regulations with the sites, The Journal and The Times reported. Various U.S. senators and congressmen have called for investigations of fantasy sports. Fantasy sports & spiritual health John Babler, professor of counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, told BP the problem with fantasy sports betting extends beyond its legality. For some, it "dominates [their] lives and to some degree holds [them] captive," he said. "For some this can be almost instantaneous," Babler said in written comments, "from the first time they bet on fantasy sports." For most, "it is more of a process that occurs over time. There is an exhilaration that comes from piecing together a winning team and if there is financial gain as well, that is even better. It is not hard for this fun activity to begin dominating one's life." Betting poses a problem even when it is not an addiction, Babler said. "God's intent is that people work and as a result of that work, God would provide," he said. "The problem and allure of betting is not related to the amount of money won or lost, but that it is a distraction from God's purpose and intent for us in regard to work and reward. It is very tempting and exciting to think that instead of working for money, we can get it from either luck or our sports acumen. Betting serves as a distraction from our relationships with God as well as running contrary to His design for us." David Prince, pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., wrote in an online commentary for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission that "fantasy football leagues are affecting families by relentlessly catechizing an entire generation watching these NFL games on the acceptability and excitement of sports gambling." Though "traditional fantasy football" that does not involve wagers is "harmless," Prince wrote, "gambling entrepreneurs have turned a geekish fun hobby into a relentless, daily, predatory lure of fast cash and easy money." Prince added, "This should deeply trouble those of us who love Jesus and delight in sports as a good gift from God." Gambling, he wrote, "is a societal evil that preys on those most in need."