The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-10/25/2017 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana Baptists meet at camp's new worship center by SCBI & BP Staff Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (BP) -- Messengers to the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana celebrated the new worship center at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp during their 2017 annual meeting there Oct. 9-10. In attendance were 170 messengers and 54 guests representing 84 SBCI churches and church plants across the state. Highland Lakes' new worship center, which can seat 425 people, was constructed between March 2016 and March of this year. The camp, founded in 1960, now encompasses several conference facilities on 400-plus acres 30 miles southwest of Indianapolis. The annual meeting's theme, "Kingdom Unhindered," was drawn from Acts 28:31: "He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ -- with all boldness and without hindrance!" Featured speakers were SCBI President Bruce Reynolds, pastor of Old Town Hill Baptist Church in Muncie; the annual sermon from Lonnie Anderson, pastor of Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Kokomo; SCBI Executive Director Steve McNeil; and Timothy Beougher, associate dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry. The SCBI's 2018 approved budget of $4,005,174 represents a 6.65 percent decrease from 2017. The 2018 budget anticipates $2,392,657 in CP receipts from churches, $857,000 from NAMB and $64,000 from LifeWay Christian Resources. The convention will continue to forward 40% of receipts to the SBC national and international missions and ministries. Resolutions Committee chairman Roger Kinion, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Greenfield, presented a resolution in appreciation of Highland Lakes Baptist Camp for their hospitality and service during the 59th meeting of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. Messengers reelected all of the convention officers to a second term: president, Bruce Reynolds; first vice president, Roger Kinion; second vice president, Randy Forsythe, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Portage; and recording secretary, Sandy Irick, a member of Vann Avenue Baptist Church, Evansville. The 2018 annual meeting will be Oct. 8-9 at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 500 YEARS: Baptist beliefs: Learning from the Reformers by David S. Dockery Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a three-part series on how Baptists have been shaped by the Reformation yet have developed key distinctives in such areas as believer's baptism, religious liberty and global missions. The Reformation sparked by Martin Luther began 500 years ago this month. DEERFIELD, Ill. (BP) -- With Christians through the centuries, Baptists stand with the Reformers in confessing that there is one and only one living and true God, who is an intelligent, spiritual and personal being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. Furthermore, our confession as Baptists maintains that God is Triune and that there are within the Godhead three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We can say that God is one in His nature and three in His persons. More specifically, we confess that there is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead, there are three eternal and equal persons, the same in substance, yet distinct in function. Scripture Baptists are "people of the Book." With, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and other 16th-century Reformers, Baptists believe that it is impossible to define or even describe Christian orthodoxy apart from a commitment to a full-orbed doctrine of Scripture. Baptist theology and spirituality rest on Scripture as the central legitimizing source of Christian faith and doctrine, the clearest window through which the face of Christ may be seen. The Reformers were also in agreement regarding the truthfulness and authority of Scripture, a belief with very real consequences. Such an understanding of Holy Scripture led to a rejection of the medieval belief and practice concerning papal authority and church tradition. The Reformers recognized that these matters could no longer be acknowledged as an authority equal with Scripture or as a standard independent of the Bible. Martin Luther summarized well these things when he said, "Everyone indeed, knows that at times the Fathers have erred, as men will; therefore, I am ready to trust them only when they give me evidence for their opinions from Scripture, which has never erred" (Luther's Works, 32:11). Salvation by grace through faith The Reformers believed that medieval thinkers had led the church astray by teaching that human effort and good works as well as moral or ritual action would earn favor in the eyes of God, enabling sinners to achieve salvation. A serious ongoing study of the teachings of the apostle Paul, however, led Luther to the conviction that sinners are granted forgiveness as well as full and free pardon only through faith in Jesus Christ. Sinners are justified by grace through faith, not by their own achievements. The Reformers were in full agreement that justification is a forensic declaration of pardon, which Christ has won through His victory over sin, death, the law and the devil. Standing on the shoulders of the Reformers, Baptists believe that justification is accomplished at the cross of Christ (Romans 5:10), guaranteed by His resurrection (Romans 4:24-25) and applied to believers when we confess our faith in Christ (Romans 5:1). Experientially, we still sin, but God views us as totally righteous, clothed in the robes of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:1-8). Because of Christ's sacrifice, God no longer counts our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). Thus, justification is even more than pardon, as wonderful as that is; it is the granting of positive favor in God's sight based on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26). It was John Calvin who emphasized the perseverance of the saints, which Baptists sometimes refer to as the doctrine of eternal security. Our salvation is secured in Christ, and nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (John 10:28-30; Romans 8:31-39), yet our response to this truth brings our assurance. In part three, we will look at other areas of Baptist life that have been influenced by the Reformers as well as key Baptist distinctives that show how Baptists have chartered their own course in many areas, moving beyond the thought of the 16th-century Protestant leaders. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Utah-Idaho Baptists report numeric & financial gains by Karen L. Willoughby Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday MERIDIAN, Idaho (BP) -- Key numeric increases -- including church plants and baptisms -- were celebrated by the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention during their Oct. 20 annual meeting. A total of 140 people -- 109 messengers and 31 guests -- gathered at Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, for the two-state convention's 53rd annual meeting. Brian Catherman, pastor of Redeeming Life Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, brought the annual message. He read Ephesians 3:1-14 three times in emphasizing the importance of Utah-Idaho Southern Baptists being "In Him" -- the theme of the annual meeting. Thus, Catherman said, "we should take great confidence in all that we do in Him because when we are in Him all we do will be successful." UISBC Executive Director Rob Lee said one-day meeting was marked by "a lot of fellowship, great enthusiasm of what God is doing and getting ready to do." "Our numbers are the opposite of what we're seeing nationally," Lee told Baptist Press. "God's doing something in Utah and Idaho. We have a whole new set of pastors and leaders who are onsite because of the faithfulness of the pioneers who went before us, who plowed the fields and shared the Gospel." The numbers Lee referred to include four new churches accepted into membership, for a total of 194; 46 church plants, up from 23 last year; 657 baptisms, up from 399 last year; surpassing the UISBC budget; and adding another 1 percent-of-budget increase in Cooperative Program giving. "As a state convention, we have a vision to raise that to 30 percent," Lee said of the CP increase. "We've been more than making budget and sent half the overage -- $11,642.45 -- for the Cooperative Program's global causes. "For us that's like an additional month," Lee said. "That's very exciting." Following worship led by Kent Burchyett, associate pastor for worship at Calvary Baptist Church in Idaho Falls, Idaho, various committee reports were covered in the first business session; various business matters in the second business session. Reports from SBC entities made up the rest of the morning's agenda. Election of officers, Catherman's sermon, special recognitions, staff reports and a resolution thanking Central Valley Baptist Church for its hospitality consumed the afternoon of the meeting. "I love the way pastors and church leaders in Utah and Idaho lock arms," Ashley Clayton, SBC Executive Committee vice president for Cooperative Program and stewardship, told UISBC messengers. "Remember this: No matter where God has called you … you are not alone." Clayton thanked UISBC churches for the $1.2 million they gave over the last year to missions through the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions, Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions and the state missions offering. Clayton challenged Utah-Idaho church members -- not just pastors -- to be involved in Gospel conversations over the next year through which nonbelievers could find a relationship with Jesus. He referred messengers to GCChallenge.com, a Baptist website that has a goal of 1 million people engaging in Gospel conversations by June 2018. "We baptized last year the same number of people who were baptized in 1948," Clayton said. The U.S. population then was 146.6 million, he added. Today it's more than double that: 325.2 million. Items of business Messengers approved without discussion a $1,784,229 budget for 2018, up $18,655 from the $1,765,574 budget for 2017. The 2018 budget includes an anticipated $689,229 from Utah-Idaho churches, $940,000 from NAMB, $60,000 from LifeWay Christian Resources and $95,000 from the York-Dillman State Missions Offering. The Cooperative Program percentage to Southern Baptist national and international missions endeavors was increased from 27 to 28 percent, or $192,984. The remaining 72 percent of CP gifts from churches will be utilized in Utah-Idaho missions and ministries. Additionally, NAMB returned $2,098 to Utah-Idaho this year for use with church plants. NAMB last year began returning to the state conventions for church planting the amount given the previous year that exceeds the average of the previous three years given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. Each of the UISBC's new officers was the sole nominee and elected by acclamation: president, Matt McGukin, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Idaho Falls; first vice president, Bryan Catherman; and second vice president, Corey Hodges, pastor of The Point Church in Salt Lake City. Recording secretary Chauna Sidwell, a member at First Baptist Church in Pleasant Grove, Utah, was re-elected unanimously. Mike Palmer, director of the UISBC's Church Planting Network and pastor of Salmon Valley (Idaho) Baptist Church and Lemhi River Cowboy Church in Tendoy, Idaho, reported to messengers, "Our church plants baptized 141 and average 1,580 in worship the first nine months of this year." Of the 46 church plants in the convention, 28 are funded by NAMB, Palmer reported. "We are the largest, most well-funded church planting organization in Utah and Idaho," Palmer said. "No one is doing more than Utah-Idaho Southern Baptists to plant churches." Palmer referred to Jesus' words in Luke 12:48 about those who have been "given much," noting, "We have been given a great responsibility. … There's no such thing as a church too small to pray. "How about you pray your way home? Pray for the communities you pass, for the people you see when you stop for gas," Palmer said. Lee did not bring a spoken executive director's report because of time constraints related to the one-day gathering, but it was printed in the UISBC's Book of Reports. Gary McKean was honored for his service volunteering for 10 years as missions and partnerships coordinator, which included the retired attorney's legal expertise. "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to him," Lee said. "Gary has saved our convention thousands." The 2018 annual meeting of the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention is set for Oct. 19 at The Point Church in Salt Lake City. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kan.-Neb. Baptists increase CP 1.5 percent by Eva Wilson/Baptist Digest Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday SALINA, Kan. (BP) -- The Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB) will increase by 1.5 percentage points its Cooperative Program giving to national and international missions and ministries in 2018. Messengers approved the increase at the KNCSB 2017 annual meeting, held Oct. 9-10 at the convention's Webster Conference Center in Salina, Kan. Of an anticipated $2,777,000 in CP receipts in 2018, KNCSB will forward 28.5 percent to national and international causes. KNCSB Executive Director Bob Mills praised the "faithful giving of churches to the Cooperative Program," and described 2017 as "a great year both in ministry and giving." The meeting drew 271 registered messengers and 48 visitors. Thanks to churches' faithful giving to the Cooperative Program, the KNCSB budget is on track to finish 2017 above its projected CP receipts, Mills told the crowd. If this occurs, 50 percent of the CP receipts above budget will be sent to the national CP. This could total another one half of 1 percent, Mills said. Messengers approved a 2018 KNCSB budget of $4,409,916, a decrease of about 1 percent from the 2017 budget. Messengers also spent considerable time discussing a proposed resolution asking Southern Baptist entity heads not to hold staff positions in local churches. After discussion from people who were for and against the resolution, messengers approved KNCSB President Joe Stiles' request for the presidential prerogative to refer the proposed resolution to the KNCSB Executive Committee for further examination. The committee is expected to give a report on the matter at the 2018 KNCSB annual meeting. In other activity, messengers elected KNCSB officers. Derrick Lynch, pastor of Blue Valley Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kan., and a former KNCSB vice president, was elected president. Voyt Lynn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Douglass, Kan., is the newly elected vice president. Re-elected to continue in their current office are recording secretary Bryan Jones, pastor of Tyler Road Southern Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.; assistant recording secretary Susan Pederson, a member of Prairie Hills Baptist Church, Augusta, Kan.; and historian Tony Mattia, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Wamego, Kan. Future KNCSB annual meetings are set for Oct. 8-9, 2018, at First Southern Baptist Church, Pratt, Kan.; and Oct. 14-15, 2019, at Parkview Baptist Church, Lexington, Neb. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Utah team seeks 'forgotten among us' in Houston by Karen L. Willoughby Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday HOUSTON (BP) -- Mike Brooks is a plumber -- and a busy one at that. But he felt God calling him to help in Houston with Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts. So, he and eight others from Baptist churches in Utah traveled to serve where they could on Oct. 15-20. "This hurricane is not over," Brooks of First Baptist Church of Pleasant Grove, shared with his church the Sunday after the team returned home. "The people there are literally exhausted," he told them. "They go to work, if they still have a job, then come home and work some more. Bedtime conversations, we heard, are just grunts and groans from people aching all over." In addition to the Pleasant Grove group, Redemption Hill Church of Eagle Mountain, Utah, -- including disaster relief volunteers from throughout the nation -- went to the Houston area to help. The Utah teams joined up with a 23-year-old woman from Ohio who ventured to Houston by herself to serve. The work in some places has transitioned to rebuilding what previous volunteers have torn out, but the Utah team also found neighborhoods where nothing had been done. Assisting the North American Mission Board's Send Relief efforts, Pleasant Grove pastor Mike Bagley started talking with one man who wasn't aware of Southern Baptist relief efforts. The conversation led the team to help the man with his flood-damaged house. "You're a blessing from the Lord," said the man's wife. "I was praying just last night for the Lord to send us someone to take out our tub and strip the floors." Working demolition, the Utah team discovered things not common in back home: cockroaches. Hundreds of them scurried about when their hiding places underneath waterlogged cabinets and sinks were removed. "I've not been in a situation that bad [before this]," said Pleasant Grove missions pastor Steve Sidwell, who recalled at one point flicking off a cockroach crawling up his arm. "People [are] living in this because they have nowhere else to go … living in these conditions and with the smell of mold growing in water-damaged walls, floors and furniture …," Sidwell said. "God used us to help them." At one house, pastor's son Kerrigan Bagley whispered to his dad, "Ask them if they need food." But his dad, not wanting to insult the obviously-needy family, was hesitant to ask. Then one in the family said, "Do you have any food?" "We all gave our lunches," pastor Bagley said. Then he and Redemption Hill pastor Steve Pierson went to a grocery store and helped the family stock up with food. "It's neat to see God move … and work through us," Bagley said. At one house, the Utah volunteers found a home owner, Nathan, pulling bent nails out of waterlogged wood he'd been removing from the exterior, straightening the nails, and using them to nail to new wood. "Two months he'd been working on the outside," Sidwell later told the Pleasant Grove congregation. "Two months with no job, no money, no FEMA. Southern Baptists helped." So did one Utah volunteer's gift of a hundred dollar bill to buy new nails. The Utah team worked on the home's interior, which was, until they got there, pretty much what it was when the family returned after Hurricane Harvey and the resultant flooding. "People asked me, what difference can just one person, just one team, make in Houston," Brooks said. "We accomplished in one day what Nathan hadn't been able to do in two months, because he was busy outside. That's two months sooner that he can go back to work and provide for his family." Brooks said at one home they found an elderly woman whose husband had died a year ago. She appeared to be overwhelmed by what needed to be done to her house, and unable physically to do much of it. The woman said she hadn't talked with anyone since the hurricane and was desperate for some human interaction. Brooks' 19-year-old daughter, Misha, spent time talking with the woman as the Utah team went to work -- tearing out cabinetry, Sheetrock, carpeting, linoleum, floors and subfloors. After returning from Houston, pastor Bagley preached about Jesus walking on water and Peter sinking when he tried the same. "What about the forgotten among us?" Bagley asked. "The person who is in the water needs Jesus to pull him out, and we are Jesus' hands and feet." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Campus shooting prompts call for prayer by Baptist Message staff Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday GRAMBLING, La. (BP) -- An early morning shooting Wednesday (Oct. 25) at Grambling State University -- that left two men dead, one of whom was a student at the school -- has prompted a call for prayer from Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins. "The brokenness of our world sadly continues to be on display, as we learned from the shooting on the Grambling campus," Hankins told the Baptist Message. "Our hearts are grieved for the families of the victims. "I ask all Louisiana Baptists to pray for comfort and for wisdom for our campus BCM director, Roy Brown, and area churches as they minister to the Grambling community in the days ahead," Hankins said. "I also ask you to join me in praying for God's hand of restraint on the evil that has reared its head again. We're reminded in God's word to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good." According to a news release from Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Office media relations, shortly after midnight the sheriff's office was called to assist Grambling State police in reference to a shooting on campus. Two male victims, Earl Andrews and Monquiarious Caldwell, both of Farmerville, were later pronounced dead at the scene from apparent gunshot wounds. Andrews was a senior at the school, Grambling State spokesman Will Sutton told KTBS-TV in Shreveport. The unidentified suspect fled the scene but remained at large Wednesday morning. Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone in a statement urged anyone with information about the incident to call 318-251-1111. Ruston/Lincoln Parish Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000 for information leading to the suspect's arrest. "This tragic incident appears to have occurred between persons that knew each other, to some extent at least," Stone said. "There are no indicators that this incident bears any resemblance to any of the random acts of violence or domestic terrorism that have been experienced around our country in recent weeks." Grambling State posted on its Facebook page that its offices are open and all students are expected to attend classes. KTBS added that a prayer vigil is scheduled on campus for 5 p.m. Wednesday. "This is a horrible tragedy. Nothing that anybody would've ever wanted to have happened," Sutton told KTBS. "Our prayers are with the victims and their families. There's no place for violence on Grambling State University campus. We always encourage our students to be safe, to be aware, watch who they hang out with, and watch who's around at all times. This is a most unfortunate situation." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Illegal immigrant teen has court-approved abortion by David Roach Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday WASHINGTON (BP) -- A legal battle over whether the Trump administration is required to facilitate an illegal-immigrant teen's abortion ended Wednesday (Oct. 25) when the American Civil Liberties Union announced she had terminated her pregnancy. ACLU senior staff attorney Brigitte Amiri, who represents the 17-year-old, said "justice prevailed," according to an ACLU news release. The abortion occurred less than 24 hours after the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled 6-3 that the teen -- known in court documents only as Jane Doe or J.D. -- was entitled to an immediate abortion. The court denied the Trump administration's request for a stay while the ruling was appealed. The three dissenting judges claimed the ruling wrongly implies a right to abortion on demand for all undocumented minors who reach U.S. soil. Abortion is illegal in Doe's native country, according to court documents. Andrew Walker, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's director of policy studies, tweeted following announcement of the abortion, "Remember that for groups like the @ACLU, a murdered child is a cause for rejoicing. Moloch [an ancient Canaanite deity associated with child sacrifice] is alive and well. God, have mercy on us." Doe said in a statement released by the ACLU that after being told she was pregnant, "I knew immediately what was best for me then, as I do now -- that I'm not ready to be a parent." Doe said the government “provides for most of [her] needs at the shelter," but they would not allow her to leave to get an abortion. "They made me see a doctor that tried to convince me not to abort and to look at sonograms," she said. "People I don't even know are trying to make me change my mind. I made my decision and this is between me and God." A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court ruled Oct. 20 the government had to release Doe by Oct. 31 to a sponsor who could help her obtain an abortion on her own. That ruling was seen as an attempted compromise between Doe and the Trump administration, which argued it was not required to expend any resources to secure abortion for an illegal immigrant minor being detained. Doe appealed to the full court, which sided with her along ideological lines -- with the six judges appointed by Democratic presidents ruling she should be granted immediate abortion access and the three Republican appointees disagreeing. The case was sent back to a federal district judge, who hours later ordered the government to "promptly and without delay" transport the girl to an abortion provider, The Washington Post reported. Judge Brett Kavanaugh -- a member of the original three-judge appellate panel -- wrote in a dissent to the full court that its ruling established a "novel" and "wrong" constitutional principle: "a new right for unlawful immigrant minors in U.S. Government detention to obtain immediate abortion on demand." A second dissent by Judge Karen Henderson claimed an illegal immigrant minor has no right to abortion and that the majority's ruling "elevates the right to elective abortion above every other constitutional entitlement." Henderson, also a member of the original three-judge panel, said legal precedent has allowed restriction of undocumented immigrants' rights of expression, of association, to bear arms and to be tried by jury, among others. Then Henderson wrote, "But the freedom to terminate one's pregnancy is more fundamental than them all? This is not the law." In support of the majority, Judge Patricia Millett -- the third member of the original panel -- wrote, "Today's decision rights a grave constitutional wrong by the government." Doe's case, Millett reasoned, was not an instance of "abortion on demand." "Here is what this case holds," Millett wrote, "a pregnant minor who (i) has an unquestioned constitutional right to choose a pre-viability abortion, and (ii) has satisfied every requirement of state law to obtain an abortion ... That sure does not sound like 'on demand' to me." Millett noted Doe's abortion would be paid for with private funds. The court did not issue a majority opinion but stated its order was based "substantially" on Millett's reasoning, expressed initially in an Oct. 20 dissent. Amiri, of the ACLU, said the Trump administration's "efforts to intervene in women's decisions won't stop with Jane. With this case we have seen the astounding lengths this administration will go to block women from abortion care. We will not stop fighting until we have justice for every woman like Jane." The ACLU had asked the federal district court to allow Doe's case to proceed as a class-action lawsuit, according to The New York Times, to secure a right to abortion for as many as 1,000 unaccompanied, pregnant minors who have immigrated to the U.S. and are in federal custody. -------------------------------------------------------------------- As protests loom, TN Baptists denounce racism by Lonnie Wilkey/Baptist and Reflector Date: October 25, 2017 - Wednesday FRANKLIN, Tenn. (BP) -- With white supremacist rallies scheduled for this weekend in the state, a mix of ethnically diverse Tennessee Baptists gathered in a display of unity in Franklin on Wednesday (Oct. 25) to publicly denounce the white supremacist movement and racism. "We don't call press conferences very often but we believe it is impossible to stand silently by while the white supremacy movement plans to invade our state and perpetrate its evil Saturday (Oct. 28) in Shelbyville and Murfreesboro," said Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, during a press conference at the TBMB's Church Support Center. Earlier this month the Nationalist Front, a self-described "umbrella organization to bring unity and solidarity to the White Nationalist Movement in North America," announced plans to hold anti-immigration rallies in Shelbyville and Murfreesboro. "As Tennessee Baptists and as Southern Baptists, we are categorically opposed to the white supremacy movement and any movement that diminishes the dignity of any human," Davis said. The Saturday rallies, he said, are planned to oppose immigrants and refugees living in Middle Tennessee. "If history holds true, the intent of these groups gathering is to fear monger and fan the flames of racial hatred," Davis noted. "This bigotry has no place in our American society and it certainly has no place in the life of anyone who is a follower of Jesus," he said. Davis said the "movement is evil and is contrary to everything we are called to be as followers of Christ." He cautioned Christians to be on guard because "this movement preys upon people's fears and the temptation is to buy into the rhetoric, especially since this group is targeting those who feel under-represented and disenfranchised." The Tennessee Baptist leader stressed that "we are not making a political statement today. That is not our intent. We are, however, prayerful that our governmental leaders will write laws that both offer security to America and are fair to all who seek shelter within her borders." The Saturday rallies also provide an opportunity to remind all Christians "that we are commanded to love our neighbors and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone, regardless of their race," Davis said. He countered the notion some people have that evangelical people are racists. "We are not. Our churches are full of compassionate, loving people who are quite the opposite of the hate-filled rhetoric dominating the public square. In fact, Tennessee Baptists are currently serving people of all races and ethnicities who were ravaged by hurricanes in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico. "We also serve here in our own state through compassions ministries, children's and adult homes, and a variety of other local church ministries aimed to serve all people." Davis stressed that Tennessee is a mission field, not a mine field. "We believe God has brought the nations to Tennessee that they might hear the Gospel. It is our responsibility to share that Gospel with every man, woman, and child living in our state regardless of race or immigration status." Davis called on Christians to pray for the people of Shelbyville and Murfreesboro and that there will be peace during Saturday's events. "Pray also for the heavy hand of conviction to fall on those who perpetrate evil. The Bible says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. "We know this is a spiritual battle and we pray that the love of Christ will prevail in the hearts of men," he said. Jay Wells, pastor emeritus of Simeon Baptist Church, Antioch, and a director of the TBMB, observed that "America is a great country, with citizens from all over the world. I know there is no place I would rather live than here, particularly here in Tennessee." Wells said he rejoices in the diversity of Tennessee, with more than 145 different nationalities living within state borders. "Diversity is good … because it is God's idea, not ours," he said. The African-American leader acknowledged that there are good and bad people in every race. "I am reminded that the Bible says that we all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Because we have all sinned we all need to be liberated from the sinful nature that is in us," he said. "It is the sinful nature in us that makes us want to hurt each other and makes us want to devalue one another," Wells noted. He stressed the need for forgiveness. "I must develop the capacity to forgive, for if I can't forgive my brother, than God cannot forgive me," Wells said. "Dr. Martin Luther King said, 'He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.' " He also observed that "morals cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated." Wells joined with Davis in calling for prayer for governmental leaders to "write laws that will offer both security to our citizens and are fair and compassionate to all who seek shelter within our borders." Thi Mitsamphanh, pastor of International Community Church, Smyrna, came as a representative of one of many ethnic churches across Tennessee. "We are brothers and sisters in Christ who represent many nations, cultures and languages from all parts of the world. We love the same Jesus and serve the same Lord," he said. Mitsamphanh said the white supremacist movement and the planned protests in Tennessee "stand in opposition to the message of Scripture. This movement spreads a message of hate, not love," he stressed. "The Gospel affirms that every person is created in the image of God, that the Good News of Jesus is for all nations, cultures and languages, and that we should love all our neighbors. Now is the time for the church to stand in unity for the Gospel and against this evil and hateful agenda." The Smyrna pastor said he is indebted to Tennessee Baptists who welcomed his family from Laos more than 30 years ago. "Because Christians chose to welcome and love our family, our lives have been forever changed. May Tennessee Baptists continue to show love, compassion, and the gospel of Christ to the nations whom God is sending to us."