The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-10/21/2015 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘We cannot be silent,’ Mohler says in new book by S. Craig Sanders  Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- In the span of three months in the summer of 2015, three headlines marked historic events that generations of Americans past could never have imagined. First it was former “world’s greatest athlete” Bruce Jenner debuting his gender transition on the cover of Vanity Fair. Next the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Within a few weeks Americans witnessed the horrors of abortion in a series of undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood profiting from the sale of aborted baby parts and organs. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, issues a call for faithful, biblical witness in his latest book, “We Cannot Be Silent,” that he says is ever more urgent in the wake of these landmark events. Written in late 2014, the book -- to be published by Thomas Nelson Oct. 27 -- examines the rise of the homosexual movement, the path to same-sex marriage, the emergence of transgenderism, and the sexual revolution’s imperilment to religious liberty. “I am confronted daily with Christians who are asking one of the most basic questions and that is, ‘How did this happen?’” Mohler said in an interview with the seminary’s Southern News, noting he wrote the book to provide clear answers. “I think Christians are living with a kind of moral emergency they sense and see about them. And it’s not just what they see on the headlines and on the Twitter feeds. It’s what they hear from their kids and it’s what they see in their own neighborhood and it’s what they might see in their own church.” Mohler writes in his book that the cultural acceptance of contraceptives, no-fault divorce, reproductive technologies, and extramarital sex paved the way for same-sex marriage. “Long before same-sex marriage was on the moral horizon, many of us were making clear that the divorce revolution was one of the central engines of the breakdown of marriage as an institution,” Mohler said. “You can have heterosexual divorce without legalizing same-sex marriage, but you really can’t legalize same-sex marriage until you’ve passed the moral threshold of normalizing divorce.” Mohler elaborated further on the need for evangelicals to be consistent on the issue, saying: “The Bible’s message is not that some forms of sexual expression other than marriage are wrong, but that all forms of sexual expression outside of marriage are wrong.” Although the Supreme Court ruled in the 5-4 Obergefell v. Hodges decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states, Mohler insists the nation’s highest court will one day be held accountable by the court of “divine judgment” for legalizing what he regards as a moral fiction. In his book, he penned a special “Word to the Reader” following the court’s June 26 decision, calling for Christians “to speak the truth in love” and “to uphold the truth about marriage in our own lives.” “The biblical worldview explains that the fallen human reason will demonstrate itself in sinful irrationality. And even though same-sex marriage is, biblically speaking, not possible, in terms of human culture it is now possible. It was thinkable and now it’s, at least in terms of a legal reality, actual. That doesn’t mean, by the way, that it actually exists,” Mohler said in the interview. In the months before the Supreme Court’s historic ruling, celebrity Bruce Jenner brought transgenderism to the forefront of the cultural conversation with the announcement of his gender transition. Yet Mohler, writing in his book several months before Jenner’s declaration, said the transgender revolution has arrived and presents enormous challenges for evangelicals. He nevertheless insists those theological and pastoral challenges are not beyond the sufficiency of Christ’s death and resurrection. “Over 20 years ago, I made the prediction that the transgender revolution would be far greater and more devastating in its effects, more potent in terms of its moral confusion, more complex when it comes to its pastoral challenge than homosexuality and even same-sex marriage,” Mohler said. “The transgender revolution goes right to the heart of what it means to be human beings made in the image of God, and whether or not our bodies are part of God’s intention for us and also reflect His glory and His purpose for us.” Mohler said the book’s subtitle, “Speaking Truth To A Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, And The Very Meaning Of Right And Wrong,” indicates how the sexual revolution has “denied the fact that we can know the truth” by means of divine revelation. Furthermore, the success of this revolution has imperiled religious liberty. Mohler, who recently received the Edwin Meese III Originalism and Religious Liberty Award from Alliance Defending Freedom, said Christians must not only demonstrate “compassionate conviction” to the culture but prioritize expository preaching. “We cannot be silent, but that’s because He is not silent,” said Mohler, invoking the title of his earlier book on preaching, “He Is Not Silent.” “And not only has God spoken and revealed Himself in his Word but He has called out preachers to preach that Word and assigned the responsibility to every Christian to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us,” Mohler said. We Cannot Be Silent is available for preorder and will be in stores Oct. 27. For more information, go to: www.WeCannotBeSilent.com.  -------------------------------------------------------------------- Platt to discuss IMB's future in live Web event by IMB Staff Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- International Mission Board President David Platt invites pastors, church leaders and members to be part of an IMB-hosted live stream event Oct. 27, 3 p.m. EDT, to discuss the organization's present challenges and future vision. The hour-long online video forum will provide a way to dialogue as participants ask Platt questions via Twitter and Facebook. Beginning Tuesday morning, Oct. 27, live stream viewers can submit questions on IMB's Facebook page or through Twitter by using #IMBLiveStream. "We must get to a healthy place in the present in order to be in a healthy position for the future," Platt said. "We want to move forward with innovative vision, wise stewardship and high accountability to the churches we serve, the peoples we reach and the God we worship." Register for the Web event at imb.org/live. For questions or comments about the IMB live stream, email info@imb.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------- At Sturgis, Alaskan grocer finds divine appointment by Jim Burton Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday STURGIS, S.D. (BP) -- When Mike Cooper learned about the 2015 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally from his pastor in Alaska he felt compelled to go. The veteran grocer had never been to a motorcycle rally, nor does he have a souped-up Harley-Davidson, but his determination wasn't about the debauchery at the seven-day Sturgis rally. Cooper wanted to volunteer for evangelism at the Dakota Baptist Convention's Sturgis Bike Giveaway hospitality tent at the rally's 75th anniversary. The odds were against Cooper, a member of First Baptist Church in the small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island. No one gets time off between May 1 and Oct. 16 during Alaska's long days of sunlight, which is the store's busiest season. Yet his supervisor -- who didn't like the mention of God -- granted Cooper time off due to his tenure and good work. The 58-year-old Cooper took a 20-hour ferry ride from Mitkof Island with his 2001 Suzuki Intruder Volusia motorcycle before riding 2,040 miles to Sturgis in 56 hours, weathering cold torrential rain for 200 miles at about 6,000 feet elevation in Alberta, Canada. "I was shaking from the cold so much it hurt," Cooper said. Like many of the volunteers at the Sturgis Bike Giveaway tent, he arrived with no previous training in evangelism. But he quickly learned how to give a "three-minute testimony," which uses the outline of a person's life before Christ, how they became followers of Christ and their life since salvation. Then Cooper met Dorian, a young man from Philadelphia, Pa. Dorian had problems back home and had taken off without any particular destination before arriving in Sturgis. Cooper had experienced many of the same issues when he was young. "We found common ground in our mutual problems and our enjoyment of motorcycles," Cooper said. But their long rides to Sturgis weren't the important thing. "I told him I rode that distance so that I could talk to him." Cooper shared his three-minute testimony and invited Dorian to place his faith in Christ. "A soul was added to the Kingdom of heaven," Cooper said. "I have never knowingly traveled that far for a divine appointment." Dorian was one of 6,195 people who heard a personal testimony during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August and one of 607 who made a profession of faith in Christ. During the 87 hours the tent was open, volunteers averaged witnessing to 71 people per hour. In the Dakota convention's 10 years of outreach at Sturgis, volunteers have witnessed to more than 38,000 people, of whom more than 7,300 made a profession of faith, said Buck Hill, a North American Mission Board missionary serving as the Dakota Baptist Convention's state missions director. During the 2015 rally, new believers came from 41 states, five provinces of Canada, and Australia, Cuba, Denmark and Germany. The evangelism strategy entails volunteer "catchers" standing in front of the tent to invite Sturgis visitors to register for the Sturgis Bike Giveaway after they listen to a testimony from a "sharer." On Saturday morning at 10 a.m., a drawing determines who gets a new Harley-Davidson, which ministry donors help purchase. This year's rally -- the 75th anniversary of the event -- was challenging given the enormous number of biker enthusiasts drawn to the milestone in this town of 6,000 in the South Dakota Black Hills. And the ministry tent was in a new location this year. "Within 500 yards there were five bars and a liquor store," Hill said. People who pray to receive Christ at the Sturgis Bike Giveaway typically receive a Bible. "We had more than 4,000 Bibles," Hill said, "and we ran out of them." The sheer number of people contributed to heightened challenges and frustrations among the visitors. "The spiritual warfare battle was as high as I've seen it in the 10 years I've been doing it," Hill said. Those challenges make Mike Cooper's story even more satisfying for Hill, who has many more to tell: -- A visitor said to a catcher, "I need you to tell my son what you told me last year." After seeing the changes in his father, the son decided he wanted what his dad had -- a personal relationship with Jesus. So the father had brought his son to Sturgis. -- A couple listened with their children as a sharer presented Christ. With tears flowing, they each prayed to receive Christ. Then the wife looked at her husband and said, "We need to go. We just prayed to start a new life. We need to go home and start our brand-new life." Planning has begun for the Dakota Baptist Convention's 2016 Sturgis Bike Giveaway ministry, which will be Aug. 8-14, with volunteers arriving Aug. 5. They will minister through Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. when the motorcycle is given away. Each volunteer will have to count the cost of his or her participation. Cooper's costs exceeded projections. About 20 miles outside of Sturgis while starting the journey home, the engine blew on his motorcycle and needed a complete rebuild. He sent it to Omaha, Neb., where his daughter lives, then flew home. He estimates the trip ended up costing him about $4,000. A friend asked Cooper, who now has relocated to Omaha, if he would do it again. The grocer's answer was simple and straight from Scripture: "Here am I. Send me." -------------------------------------------------------------------- IMB personnel face difficult decisions by K. Allan Blume, North Carolina Biblical Recorder Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday CARY, N.C. (BP) -- Michael and JuliAn Domke are missionaries who wrestle with a painful, unexpected decision. He is the International Mission Board's team leader for church planting in Kiev, Ukraine. They were appointed in 2008 and moved their family from Florida to Eastern Europe, anticipating a long, fruitful ministry there. But their plans may change. Domke is more than 50 years of age and has served with IMB for more than seven years. That puts his family among IMB personnel who received an unexpected offer Sept. 10 to take early retirement by the end of the year. The voluntary retirement incentive is the first step in a plan recently announced by IMB President David Platt to resolve the organization's financial troubles. The Domkes' initial response was a one of nervous uncertainty. "What are we going to do if we go back [to the United States]?" he asked. The Domkes are convinced God has called their family to Ukraine. "God has done a lot of things to get us here," he said. Since his energy is focused on the call to make disciples in Ukraine, Domke did not know that IMB spent $210 million more than Southern Baptists gave to international missions in the past five years. But with the facts in hand, it did not take long to face the bottom line. "I have the gift of administration," Domke said. "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that this ain't gonna work. When you hear that every six months you eat up another month of reserves, and we only have a couple of months left, you just have to make some decisions." Domke does not believe the IMB leadership is acting hastily. "I think what our [IMB] president is doing is wise. If I was in his shoes, I would probably do the same thing. You fix things today that are broken, so you can be stronger tomorrow." When missionary personnel received the news Aug. 27, several members of the IMB team in Ukraine gathered to pray. "This has forced me to live more by faith. It's been a faith issue for me. That's not a bad thing," Domke said. "Nobody wants to go through difficulty, but anybody that's been there will tell you that it seared something in their lives, once they got on the other side of it. The difficult things I have been through in my life -- serving in the military, the passing of my dad, the passing of my mom -- those things are markers in my life where God's done amazing things. I think that's what God wants to do. So I'm resolved. I believe what we [IMB] are doing is the right thing." The Domke family expressed sadness that Southern Baptists' mission force will be reduced, but they believe, "That's the reality of where we are. You can't keep missionaries on the field today for the same amount of money you could 10 years ago. God's still God, and I'm still a servant, and we'll do what we need to do. I believe God's going to make us stronger and draw us closer," he added. Raised as an unbeliever in Michigan, Michael Domke met Christ as personal Savior in the military. He was discipled in Jacksonville, Fla., and enrolled in Liberty University where he met JuliAn. He served two Southern Baptist churches in Jacksonville for 19 years -- two years at First Baptist Church, Ocean Way, and 17 years at San Jose Baptist Church, filling a variety of staff positions. Serving as the church's missions pastor, Domke knew God was calling his family to international missions. He believes the Gospel travels alongside relationships. "I'm here because of a relationship back in Florida." While serving at San Jose church, a 60-year-old man from Ukraine needed a job. "The man did not speak English. He applied for a job, and I hired him as a janitor. Through that relationship, the senior pastor and I decided we needed to go to Ukraine to see how we can help this man's home church. We began a five-year partnership with that church, and now, 12 years later, I'm here." There was a time when IMB had dozens of missionaries working in Ukraine. Today six IMB units serve in the capital city of Kiev. Two units are part of the seminary education team that equips internationals in church planting. "They have a really neat work with national church planters," Domke said. They assist Ukrainian Baptists in sending out their own missionaries. "They can go where we can't ... for a lot less money. I really see this as key for advancing the Gospel in the former Soviet Union," he said. The nationals are better equipped and more effective than Americans who have tried to enter these countries. The logistics team Two other units serve in logistics and church planting. One of those families is Kanoot and Sarah Midkiff, with their two teenage children, Fisher and Faith. They are logistics coordinators who are serving their fourth year as apprentices -- first-term career missionaries. Both were born in North Carolina and lived in the state most of their lives; were called to missions through N.C. Baptist churches; and both of their parents are still active in N.C. Baptist churches. The Midkiffs sign contracts for colleagues, locate and rent apartments, purchase and sell vehicles, keep visas and other legal documents current for personnel and coordinate work with national staff. They build relationships, share Christ, serve in local churches and assist volunteer teams from the U.S. The changes at IMB may expand the Midkiffs' responsibilities. "Most of our colleagues have served eight to 20 years," Kanoot said. "Two families recently reached retirement, and we helped them pack up. There is another family planning to retire in December, so we've begun with that process. Maybe the Lord is preparing us to say goodbye to others, now. This just wasn't on our radar screen. But, this isn't the first time we faced a financial crisis in considering our call to international missions." When the Midkiffs were in the early stages of pursuing missionary appointment in 2009-2010, IMB announced the resources were not available for all who were in the application process. They were delayed. At that time Kanoot was serving as minister of missions at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Boone, N.C. As the church approached the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, he said, the congregation placed dozens of pairs of empty shoes on the altar to represent missionaries who would not be able to go overseas unless financial support increased. "IMB is like a family, and we feel very close to the [Richmond, Va.] staff who are making these decisions, and to our colleagues and their feelings," Kanoot noted. "Someone has to make these decisions, and we're thankful that God has put leaders in place to support us all the way through and to pray through this." Sarah said, "We're concerned for others, but we don't know how all of this will affect us. My life verse keeps coming to my mind -- Romans 8:28. God has assured us that 'all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.' "We have no doubt that we were called here, but we don't know if God will move us to another place -- God knows. We would like to be here for many years, but God has a plan. I just want to be open with the Lord and say, 'wherever You want.' Our [IMB] president often says our lives need to be like a blank check before the Lord." Last year Russia invaded Ukraine. Many mission agencies began withdrawing personnel. Sarah said, "Our kids were praying, 'Lord, please allow us to stay here.' IMB personnel stayed. That was another way God worked in our children's lives." Ukrainians were impressed that IMB missionaries did not leave in spite of the conflict. Kanoot said, "We've seen God answer prayer, so we know He can provide for our needs and the needs of IMB." Thankful for opportunity As Southern Baptists look at the financial needs for missions, Michael Domke has a request. "I would encourage people to get involved with missionaries. I'm not saying it would solve everything, but that's what I miss on the [international] mission field -- involvement with people from America." Frequently missionaries leave their international field because it's too difficult, he said. "It's lonely. No matter how you slice it, it's just not easy," Domke said. "One of our former IMB presidents used to say, 'It's not the elephants that will get you, it's the termites.' In other words, it's the little things that will get you to leave the field. The things that help us are the relationships." The Midkiffs also noted the importance of churches that support them through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. "I want to say how thankful I am for the faithful and sacrificial giving of Southern Baptists over all these years," Sarah said. "To see all of the missionaries who have lived cross-culturally for so long and the reputation that we have as Southern Baptists -- that we care about taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth, for that I am very thankful. I'm proud to be an IMB missionary. It was a dream of mine when I was a young woman. I'm thankful to have had this opportunity, however long it lasts." -------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIES: Profanity, violence in the movies by Phil Boatwright Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- You don't hear many complaints about the excesses of Hollywood anymore. Yes, I get cranky about profanity in pictures, but who else is talking about the misuse of God's name by the film industry? And when's the last time a critic wrote an exposé about violence in movies? Nearly 30 years ago I wrote a guide called "The Movie Reporter"; its sole purpose was to provide the synopsis and content (the reasons for the rating) of new theatrical releases. I didn't even offer an opinion at that time. The guide was meant merely as a tool to aid parents and concerned moviegoers. Times, however, have changed, and despite the efforts of Christian film reviewers who were as concerned about film content as myself, could it be that the battle for restraint in cinema has been lost? Now I suspect that many readers of this column see very few of Hollywood's products, preferring the occasional faith-based release. And there's the TCM network (Turner Classic Movies). It's not that you necessarily want to watch old movies, just ones that won't offend your religious beliefs. Right? So you avoid going to the movies. Good for you. But aren't you concerned nevertheless with the direction the media is leading the rest of this generation? Are you giving up the battle? Let's be honest, we're way beyond the question, "Do the media affect our lives?" Many films stimulate our more carnal desires, whereas the Bible steadfastly maintains it is the spirit that needs to be satisfied. Today's motion pictures -- with a few exceptions, such as the new release "Woodlawn" and, a few weeks earlier, "War Room" -- just aren't about nurturing the spirit. "The Devil at 4 O'clock," made in 1961, was an adventure/drama concerning a priest played by Spencer Tracy who had lost his faith. He went through the motions but had become a man living by the laws of his religion, not a walk with Christ. Suddenly, in the midst of his despair, the island that is his mission field is threatened by a volcanic eruption. A ship is evacuating the population, but a few of his parishioners are still trapped further up the mountain. Aided by three convicts who have nothing to lose, the priest goes against all odds to save his people. It's an allegory about finding redemption and salvation. One of the most striking things about that film is that it probably wouldn't be made today. Rarely do we see films that even suggest the existence of God. Somewhere along the way moviemakers, in general, quit incorporating biblical ideals that nourish the soul. Those ideals need to be re-found by this generation. We need an infusion of Hollywood productions that portray the kind of religious values found in "Stars in My Crown," "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" and "A Man Called Peter." Today's parents are supportive of their kids' sports activities (even if practice takes place on Sunday morning, a one-time no-no in America), and they're concerned about what's being served in the school cafeteria, but they are giving their children's minds over to the likes of Seth Rogen and Miley Cyrus (two examples of today's culture; he's often crude and she's always vulgar.) Far too many adults have given up the battle for their kids' spiritual development. Why aren't we talking about this epidemic? To fend off the Hollywood's hypnotic tugs, parents and children alike need to know God's guidelines and why He gave them to us. Church fellowship and family Bible study are still the best ways to reach our nation's youth. And parents need to lead by example, living out biblical principles and, yes, saying no to most movies. Who, in addition to our families, is the big loser in this culture war? Society. God has been dismissed from school, vetoed from government and canceled from the entertainment venues. Look around. How's that working out for our country and our kids? We are instructed in God's Word to be a light unto the world. We won't be until we desire to rise above the culture's standard and embrace God's. "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him," the psalmist wrote. "With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises" (Psalm 25:14, Living Bible). In a secular forum my assertions would be met with eye-rolling, and some religious reviewers also eye-roll when I complain of these matters. Many of my colleagues in criticism, in order to relate to today's moviegoing demographic, are remaining mum about the margin of abuse in movies and how the content of films affects our culture, then our society. I love the promise of movies, as they are modern man's medium for relating parables to the masses. But just as they can uplift man, they can also mislead him. And in this age of excess, movies are the nails in the culture's coffin. Ministers, writers, parents -- speak up! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bible Study: Oct. 25, 2015 by staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday 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 Explore the Bible curriculum. Bible Passages: Genesis 15:1-7, 13-16 Discussion Questions: What is the connection between faith and righteousness? How does a person’s faith in God impact their confidence in being able to stand before Him without dread or guilt? Food for Thought: After arriving for work, the first email received that morning is from your boss to schedule a meeting with you at 4 p.m. No information about the purpose of the meeting is included, just a time and location. Most likely, you would first check your calendar to make sure it’s not the end of a pay period. You might then begin to inventory the status of any projects you are assigned. The rest of the day will be spent reviewing any conversations you have had with other employees and customers. Your entire day is now filled with apprehension knowing that the four o’clock meeting awaits. When we face a person to whom we are accountable, a lot of how we approach that person depends upon the relationship between the two of us. If you have a stronger relationship with the boss, you might feel more inclined to ask for information so you could prepare for the meeting. Ultimately, how you would respond to that initial invitation reveals your level of trust in your boss. We see this in the life of Abraham. God promised Abraham a son in his old age. Abraham chose to trust God and His promises. As a result of that trust God credited Abraham as righteous (Genesis 5:6). God granted Abraham the right to confidently stand before Him without fear of reprisal. This righteousness was secured through faith and not because of Abraham’s moral excellence. All who place their trust in Jesus are credited or granted that same righteousness. We too can stand before God without fear of reprisal. The righteousness of Jesus is credited to us. This truth should change how we view the day we will stand before God at life’s end. We no longer need to approach that day with fear and apprehension. We can approach that day with confidence and hope, knowing that the sacrifice of Jesus secures our righteousness. Our lives leading up to that day can be dominated by that same confidence and trust. Explore the Bible Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Boko Haram suicide bombings widespread in Nigeria by Diana Chandler Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday NIGERIA (BP) -- Weather and logistics have slowed military progress against Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries. And suicide bombings that are increasingly commonplace may well continue regardless of military progress, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari told Al Jazeera English news. "It is known that Nigeria is the main battleground, and we have agreed among ourselves to dedicate a number of troops in certain places by the end of last month [September] so that with the coming of the dry season … there will be a spontaneous move against Boko Haram," Buhari said in an Oct. 17 interview on Al Jazeera's "UpFront" broadcast, posted online. "What we cannot guarantee really is a question of using IEDs, improvised explosive devices in public places," he said. "That operation by Boko Haram may continue beyond the time limit that we gave [Dec. 31]. But the articulated attacks by Boko Haram on townships, on military installations, will certainly stop." Nigerian military officials said in September a special force of 8,700 soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin was making headway against the terrorists, but Buhari told Al Jazeera the military had been stymied by the rainy season. Buhari didn't give a specific timeline of delays, but Nigeria's rainy season typically begins in the southern coastal areas of the country in February or March, moves north and extends through September in the northeast region where Boko Haram has been most active. U.S. President Obama is sending to Cameroon as many as 300 troops to conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations to support the multinational forces, he announced Oct. 14, indicating that 90 of those troops had already deployed. The soldiers are armed only for self-defense, Obama said. Boko Haram militants attacked Chadian soldiers in an Oct. 6 predawn attack, killing 11 and wounding 13, Chad's army chief told French press agency AFP. Chad killed 17 Boko Haram fighters in the raid, the army chief said. Multinational forces thwarted a potential Boko Haram suicide bombing Oct. 18 outside a main military based in Maiduguri, shooting the suspected female bomber dead and detonating explosives concealed in her handbag, AFP reported. Boko Haram has killed more than a hundred citizens in the region in October alone, utilizing suicide bombers in most attacks, it has been widely reported. Among the latest attacks: -- On Oct. 15 and 16, at least 34 people were killed in a wave of suicide bombings outside Maiduguri, AFP reported. -- On Oct. 16, two female suicide bombers killed at least 11 people in Adamawa state in northeast Nigeria, AFP reported. -- On Oct. 11, five suicide bombers killed 33 people in Chad and wounded 51 others, Reuters reported. -- On Oct. 4, suicide bombings in Niger killed a soldier and five civilians near the Nigerian border, AFP reported. -- On Oct. 2, at least 18 people were killed and 41 injured in twin bombings on the outskirts of Abuja, the nation's capital, according to AFP. Boko Haram has killed nearly 1,400 people since Buhari took office, most of them by suicide bombings. In the Al Jazeera interview, Buhari said the rise in suicide bombings is indicative of Boko Haram's weakness. The jihadists are mostly confined to the Sambisa Forrest in Borno state and are no longer able to wipe out entire villages, he said. "On the ground physically things are getting better," Buhari told Al Jazeera. "Boko Haram is reduced now to using IEDs, improvised explosive devices." The international community focused on Boko Haram in April 2014, when the terrorists kidnapped more than 300 teenage schoolgirls in Chibok. As many as 75 of the girls escaped, but about 220 remain missing and are feared sold as Muslim sex slaves or used as suicide bombers. Buhari told Al Jazeera news he knows where any survivors would likely be held, and would be willing to negotiate for the girls' release if Boko Haram meets certain criteria, including proving the girls are still alive. In efforts to abolish Christianity and establish Sharia law, Boko Haram had proclaimed Islamic caliphates or Sharia-based governments covering more than 20,000 square miles in northeast Nigeria before Buhari was elected. Nigeria's military managed to recapture the land and establish sufficient peace to conduct nationwide elections, which had been delayed due to violence. Boko Haram originally targeted Christians but has also killed moderate Muslims, government officials and civilians, killing as many as 20,000 people since 2009, and displacing 2.5 million from their homes, according to estimates. The group has pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In 2014 alone, 42 percent of all attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria were on Christian communities, while 35.4 percent targeted random civilians, according to the Jubilee Campaign for global religious freedom. Other attacks in 2014 targeted Muslim communities (6.8 percent), the government (10.9 percent), schools (4.1 percent), and media and medical personnel (0.5 percent), according to the Jubilee Campaign 2015 Report on Nigeria. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kan.-Neb. Baptists increase CP to SBC causes by Eva Wilson/Baptist Digest Date: October 21, 2015 - Wednesday OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BP) -- Messengers to the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists increased the percentage of Cooperative Program receipts they will forward to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries and affirmed both biblical marriage and the sanctity of life during the convention's annual meeting Oct. 12-13 at Blue Valley Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kan. "One Mission" was the theme of the Kansas City-area gathering, which drew 287 registered messengers and 80 visitors. In his address to messengers, outgoing KNCSB President Andy Addis focused on Proverbs 14:4: "Without oxen, a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest." Addis, pastor of CrossPoint Church in Hutchinson, Kan., urged Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists to "prioritize the harvest" by doing the work of missions and evangelism because "clean stables aren't doing a hell-bound world any good." During business sessions, messengers approved the 2016 KNCSB budget of $4,827,852, a decrease of 1.3 percent from 2015. Anticipated CP gifts for 2016 are $2.8 million, with an additional $860,016 anticipated from the North American Mission Board and $53,700 from LifeWay Christian Resources. Messengers increased the percentage of CP receipts to be forwarded to SBC missions and ministries 0.5 percent to 24 percent. The convention will retain 76 percent of CP receipts for Kansas-Nebraska ministries. The budget includes no shared ministry expenses. An additional 1 percent increase in CP receipts forwarded to SBC causes is anticipated for 2017. KNCSB Executive Director Bob Mills cited financial challenges the two-state convention is facing. But he expressed faith, noting, "Our God is faithful. I'm not distressed. I'm just waiting for the new thing He's going to do." Mills urged Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptists to: -- "Be a people that focus on the Lord Jesus Christ"; -- Focus on evangelism, missions and discipleship; and -- Recapture a cooperative spirit. Joe Stiles, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Lawrence, Kan., was elected president without opposition. He previously served two years as vice president. Derrick Lynch, pastor of Blue Valley Baptist Church, the annual meeting host church, was elected vice president over Voyt Lynn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Douglass, Kan. Re-elected officers include: recording secretary, Bryan Jones, pastor of Tyler Road Southern Baptist Church in Wichita, Kan.; assistant recording secretary, Susan Pederson, member of Prairie Hills Baptist Church in Augusta, Kan.; and historian, Tony Mattia, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Wamego, Kan. A resolution on "the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States" decried the court's decision this year to legalize same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges as well as its decision four decades ago to legalize abortion in Roe v. Wade. "We reject the ruling of SCOTUS to legalize 'same-sex marriage' as a civil rights issue," the resolution stated, "since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender." The resolution added, "We further reject the ongoing practice of abortion as legalized by the same court." A second resolution expressed appreciation to the host church. Next year's KNCSB annual meeting will be held Oct. 10-11 at the Omaha-area LifeSpring Church in Bellevue, Neb. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP).