
The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/04/2009

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Maine voters stun pundits, reject 'gay marriage' law
by Michael Foust
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

AUGUSTA, Maine (BP)--Supporters of traditional marriage in Maine shocked the political world and even some of their own supporters Nov. 3, overcoming a slew of obstacles to overturn a new law that had legalized "gay marriage."

By passing Question 1, 53-47 percent, Mainers rejected the law signed by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci in May and became the first state ever to reverse a legislatively enacted "gay marriage" statute. It was the first time voters in a Northeast state had considered the issue.

The law had yet to go into effect but would have done so, immediately, if Question 1 had lost. In fact, local officials already had new marriage licenses in hand that removed the terms "bride" and "groom."

It was another major setback for homosexual activists, who have never won at the ballot box on "gay marriage" and vowed not to allow what happened in California last year happen in Maine. They had numerous advantages, led by a fundraising edge of $4 million to $2.5 million. They had a ground game and phone bank system whose organization far surpassed what they had in California, and they also had the support of the state's leading politicians and newspapers. They led in four of the final six pre-election polls, including an 11-point edge in one late-October survey. Perhaps most significantly, they had the benefit of trying to get approval for "gay marriage" in liberal Maine, the third least religious state in the country according to a Gallup survey. (California was No. 13.)

But in the end, what would have been a landmark victory turned into another stinging defeat. "Gay marriage" has now lost in all 31 states in which it was put to the voters, including left-leaning states like California, Oregon, Wisconsin and Michigan. Five states have legalized it, although the change in law in those states came either through the courts or the legislature, not the ballot. 

The defeat is a significant roadblock in the effort by Boston-based GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) to have all six New England states legalize "gay marriage" by 2012. Maine is now a holdout, joining Rhode Island. 

"They were targeting New England and then wanted to use the momentum to go nationwide. We said, no, you're not going to pull it off here," Tim Kezar, pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church in North Berwick, Maine, told Baptist Press.

Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, said the importance of the win "cannot be overstated." The group gave more than $1 million to the Yes on 1/Stand for Marriage Maine campaign.

"If we can win in Maine, we can win anywhere," Brown said in a statement.

Stand for Marriage Maine won in part by borrowing a theme from the California debate and consistently warning voters that if Question 1 lost, "gay marriage" would be taught as normative in public schools. Of the six Stand for Marriage Maine TV commercials, five included the public school theme.  

"That was a big issue," Bob Emrich, a spokesperson for Stand for Marriage Maine, told BP. "... This was going to have an impact on children -- the way that children think, what children are taught. The people of Maine responded to that."

That point was underscored in the final days when a public high school counselor, Donald Mendell Jr., learned he might lose his social worker's license because he appeared in a TV commercial supporting Question 1. The commercial did not mention the school's name. 

Despite the Maine loss, homosexual activists did pick up some big wins on Election Night:

-- A same-sex "everything but marriage" law in Washington state seems headed for approval as officials continue to count the state's vote-by-mail ballots. Referendum 71, as it is called, leads by a slim 51-49 percent margin, but a large number of outstanding ballots come from pro-Referendum 71 areas, according to an analysis by The Seattle Times. If it passes, then a new law will stand that gives homosexual couples all the legal benefits of marriage, minus the name. 

-- A candidate for mayor of Houston who is an open lesbian advanced to a runoff. City Controller Annise Parker, who received a plurality of the vote with 30.5 percent, will face City Attorney Gene Locke (24.6 percent). If Parker wins, Houston would become the largest U.S. city with a homosexual mayor.

-- Chapel Hill, N.C., elected a homosexual mayor, Mark Kleinschmidt.

-- Kalamazoo, Mich., voters passed a homosexual/transgender anti-discrimination ordinance, 62-38 percent. Critics said the measure's language on public accommodations would allow men to use women's restrooms and would open women up to harassment.

But the vote in Maine was the biggest prize of the night for both sides of the "gay marriage" debate. Despite the loss, supporters of "gay marriage" were vowing not to give up and said they'd press the issue again in the legislature. A couple hours after midnight, Jesse Connolly, campaign manager for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, sent out an e-mail urging supporters to "stay the course."

"We're in this for the long haul. For next week, and next month, and next year -- until all Maine families are treated equally," wrote Connolly, who had taken a leave of absence as chief of staff to House Speaker Hannah Pingree to run the campaign. Pingree was a leading force in the move to pass the bill.

Question 1 was placed on the ballot through a petition drive thanks to a unique "People's Veto" law that gives Mainers the opportunity to overturn new laws simply by collecting signatures. But unlike California Prop 8, Question 1 was not a constitutional amendment -- meaning that the legislature can simply pass a "gay marriage" law again. Practically and politically, though, that is unlikely in the immediate future. There are statewide elections in 2010, and the gubernatorial and legislative races will have a big impact on the future of the issue. Baldacci is term-limited and can't run again.

"It will be a couple years before they do, but they will be right back trying to bring it up again unless we can change the makeup of our legislature," Emrich, pastor of Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church in Plymouth, Maine, and director of the conservative Maine Jeremiah Project, said. "We need to stop it there."

Question 1 passed on a night when local and national media members were practically cheering in anticipation of its defeat, conservatives said.

"I had to channel-hop quite a bit to find out the result on the marriage referendum in Maine," Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told BP. "If the other side had won, it would have been trumpeted as a great victory for same-sex marriage, but since traditional marriage won, it was scandalously under-reported. Once again the bias of the media is apparent for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear."

Joey Marshall, pastor of Living Stone Community Church (SBC) in Standish, Maine, said Christians "must rejoice and give God the glory" for the win and also must also make clear why they oppose redefining marriage.

"For us, the homosexual movement is not an issue of equality, but a social issue concerning moral values," he told BP. "I want our opponents to understand that this is not a personal attack on same-sex couples, but rather the expression of our belief that marriage is between one man and one woman as God intended. God loves all people, but He calls this lifestyle inappropriate. ... The issue of redefining marriage does not just affect same-sex couples, but it will have ongoing effects and consequences that will impact every single family within our society."

The next battlegrounds apparently will be New Jersey and New York, both of which have movements in the respective legislatures to pass a "gay marriage" bill by year's end.
--30--
Michael Foust is an assistant editor of Baptist Press. With reporting by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.

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Land: GOP wins send reminder to D.C.
by Tom Strode
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

WASHINGTON (BP)--Republicans won the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia Nov. 3, only a year after then-Sen. Barack Obama swept both states on his way to the White House.

The GOP's Chris Christie and Robert McDonnell won New Jersey and Virginia, respectively, over more liberal candidates for the Democrats. The victories came in a state, New Jersey, that has been solidly Democratic and in another, Virginia, that has been trending Democratic for several years.

Christie, a former U.S. attorney, deposed incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine by 49 to 45 percent, with 99 percent of the precincts reporting, according to Fox News. McDonnell, Virginia's attorney general, defeated state Sen. Creigh Deeds by a 59-to-41 percent margin, with all precincts in.

The twin losses for Democrats came one year after their nominee, Obama, took New Jersey with 57 percent of the vote and Virginia with 53 percent. The losses also came despite campaign visits by the president to both states.

Independent voters went heavily for Obama in 2008, but this year exit polls in both states indicated they favored the Republican candidates for governor by about a 2-to-1 margin, according to Fox.

In Virginia, Deeds attacked McDonnell's pro-life position and record without success. The GOP nominee, a pro-life advocate during his 14 years in the state legislature, focused on the economy during the campaign. Republicans not only won the governorship of Virginia by a wide margin but took the lieutenant governor and attorney general races easily.

There was some evidence Corzine's endorsement of "gay marriage" hurt his chances with New Jersey voters. "Our friends at the New Jersey Family Policy Council pointed to several recent polls that link the governor's support for same-sex 'marriage' to his underperformance among minority voters," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a written release.

Some observers saw the results as a reaction to policies promoted in the last year by the Democratic-controlled White House and Congress.

"I've been saying ever since President Obama took office and began to implement his extreme economic and social agenda that he and his advisers, along with Speaker &#91;Nancy&#93; Pelosi and Majority Leader &#91;Harry&#93; Reid, had fundamentally misread the 2008 election results," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "The Democrats won because the economy was in the tank, and when the economy is in the tank the party in power &#91;in the White House&#93; loses. It's one of the oldest truisms of American politics."

Land cited exit polling in 2008 that showed 63 percent of voters said the economy determined how they voted.

"Unfortunately, President Obama and the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate took the election results as a mandate to take the country on a hard left turn in terms of massive growth of government and redistributionist tax policies," he told Baptist Press. "The massive government spending has not fixed the economy, which isn't surprising, because massive government spending couldn't fix the economies in Japan and Europe either."

"Last night the people of Virginia and New Jersey sent a vivid reminder to politicians in Washington that this is still a center-right country that wants the economy fixed as its No. 1 priority," Land said.

Gary Bauer, president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, said in a written statement, "It's clear that voters, especially independent voters, do not like the change they have experienced" since the 2008 election.

"These results show that the voters are rejecting runaway deficit spending, higher taxes and bigger government," Bauer said. "If the White House and Congressional liberals are listening, they will pull Obamacare off the agenda and stop the march to socialized medicine."

Pro-life leader Marjorie Dannenfelser said the results in New Jersey and Virginia "should serve as a cautionary tale to Congress and the White House, whose overreach on health care could experience a similar demise."

Dannenfelser is president of the Susan B. Anthony List, which supports pro-life women in political races.

The Republican wins in New Jersey and Virginia came the same week House Democrats are seeking to gain approval for health care legislation that will provide federal funds for abortion and cost an estimated $1.2 trillion or more over 10 years.

The White House said Nov. 4 the results in the two states would not scare off moderate Democrats who are needed to pass health care reform.

"I don't think they will &#91;bolt&#93; and I'm not concerned," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, according to Politico.com.

Gibss said the only Nov. 3 races with national significance were House elections in New York and California, where Democrats prevailed. "Those are people that'll take part in participating in the president's agenda," he said, Politico reported.

Democrat Bill Owens defeated Doug Hoffman, running as an independent, in a right-leaning congressional district in upstate New York after liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava dropped out of the race and endorsed Owens only days before the vote. In a liberal northern California district, state Lt. Gov. John Garamendi won over Republican Doug Harmer.

The election results, Land said, may signal problems next November for one group -- incumbents.

He cited the five-point win by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a race some predicted he would win by at least 10 points. Bloomberg "barely won re-election, although he outspent his opponent by more than 20 to 1," Land said. "This should serve as a warning that 2010 will be a tough year for incumbents of any party."
--30--
Tom Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.

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Marijuana access expanded in Maine
by Erin Roach
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

AUGUSTA, Maine (BP)--Voters in Maine overwhelmingly approved a measure to allow nonprofit organizations to provide medical marijuana to patients Nov. 3, making Maine the third state to establish dispensaries and the first to do so by a vote of the people.

By roughly a 60-40 percent vote, Mainers approved Question 5, which expands the list of medical conditions that qualify for treatment with marijuana, creates a state-regulated registry of qualified users and allows for a statewide system of storefront distribution centers.

Barrett Duke, vice president for public policy and research at the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, expressed disappointment in the outcome "because the use of marijuana as medicine is just plain bad policy."

"Marijuana is a poor pain reliever," Duke told Baptist Press. "Furthermore, it creates additional complications for its user, including respiratory problems, heightened risk for cancer, exposure to dozens of other little-understood chemicals, and all the dangers associated with drug abuse.

"Maine's decision to expand the legal uses of the drug puts more people at risk of these problems, which likely will far outweigh any benefits," Duke said.

The referendum was a follow-up to Maine's passage in 1999 of a law allowing individuals suffering from one of four specific medical conditions to grow, possess and use small amounts of marijuana if recommended by a physician.

While 13 states have approved the use of the drug for medical purposes, only Rhode Island and New Mexico preceded Maine in establishing a distribution system, and in those states the law was passed by the legislatures.

"This is a dramatic step forward, the first time that any state's voters have authorized the state government to license medical marijuana dispensaries," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. "Coming a decade after passage of Maine's original marijuana law, this is a huge sign that voters are comfortable with these laws, and also a sign that the recent change of policy from the Obama administration is having a major impact."

The Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project drafted the initiative in Maine and provided start-up funding for the campaign.

Question 5 was opposed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, the Maine Chiefs of Police Association, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine Prosecutors Association.

Evert Fowle, president of the Maine Prosecutors Association, told the Bangor Daily News the new law would be difficult to enforce because of its complexity and breadth.

"It's a very poor law," said Fowle, who also is a district attorney in Kennebec County. "This was written by self-proclaimed marijuana activists. ... The ultimate goal of the people behind this law is to legalize marijuana."

Also on Election Day, residents of the Colorado ski town of Breckenridge voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana for people over age 21. The Associated Press called the measure largely symbolic because marijuana possession aside from medical purposes remains illegal under state law.

The 13 states that have legalized medical marijuana since 1996 -- nine by ballot measure and four by legislature -- in order of passage are California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Montana, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Mexico and Michigan.

The vote in Maine comes on the heels of a failed movement to legalize medical marijuana in New Hampshire, where the Senate fell two votes short of the two-thirds needed to override Gov. John Lynch's veto.

New Hampshire's House of Representatives voted 240-115 Oct. 28 to pass a bill that would have established three nonprofit "compassion centers" to dispense 2 ounces of marijuana every 10 days to severely ill patients with doctors' approval, AP said.

The state Senate voted 14-10 the same day, dooming the bill for this legislative session. The bill's sponsor said she will file the legislation again in 2011 after next year's election when the makeup of both chambers could change. 

Lynch, a Democrat, expressed concern that the bill did not clearly restrict marijuana use to people with severe pain, seizures or nausea and could lead to abuse of the drug, AP said.

In California, the first state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in 1996, proponents of the drug are seeking another precedent. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana -- the first such law in the nation.

The idea is taking hold, The New York Times said, in part because of the Obama administration's relaxed approach toward medical marijuana and because of the fledgling budget in California. Officials estimate legalized marijuana could bring in about $1.4 billion per year in tax revenue, The Times said, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he is open to a "robust debate" on the issue.

Three separate marijuana initiatives are being circulated in California for signatures to appear on the ballot next year, and all three would allow adults to possess marijuana for personal use and allow local governments to tax it, The Times reported. Observers say it's likely the issue will appear on next year's ballot.

USA Today, in a report about "booming medical pot sales" in September, said storefront vendors of marijuana are nearly as easy to find in California as a taco stand. Police and prosecutors have said the current law's vagueness on who can sell marijuana has created a safe haven for drug dealers who are operating illegally. 

Abuse concerns aren't unique to California, USA Today said, providing examples of implementation problems in Rhode Island, Colorado and New Mexico.

In October, the Obama administration formalized a policy barring the prosecution of medical marijuana patients and their suppliers if they are in violation only of federal law and not of state law. Federal law prohibits the sale of marijuana for therapeutic purposes.

Earlier this year, researchers in New Zealand announced that smoking marijuana may have a greater potential than tobacco smoking to cause lung cancer, and smoking just one marijuana joint is as harmful to the body as smoking 20 cigarettes.

Another report, released in May, said marijuana continues to become more potent and to cause mental impairment and traffic fatalities. The levels of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana have reached the highest-ever levels since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s, the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy said.

Two federal studies released in June analyzed the social cost of drug use, finding that half of the men arrested in 10 major U.S. cities tested positive for at least one illegal drug, with the most common being marijuana. 
--30--
Erin Roach is a staff writer for Baptist Press.

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Casino gambling plan passes in Ohio, 53-47
by Staff
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

COLUMBUS (BP)--By a 53-47 margin, voters in Ohio approved a ballot initiative Nov. 3 to allow casino gambling in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.

"Let's start lighting it up like Las Vegas," Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and a main investor in the casino plan, said to reporters after the statewide vote.

Passage of Issue 3 marked the fifth time in the past two decades a casino initiative had been brought to voters. All four previous efforts met defeat despite heavy spending by supporters and favorable pre-election polling, according to news reports. Gilbert and Penn National Gaming, a Pennsylvania-based gambling company, spent nearly $35 million to persuade Ohio voters to write their proposal into the state constitution.

Issue 3 was opposed not only by traditional-values groups but also other gambling interests. MTR Gaming Group, a West Virginia company that owns a racetrack in Columbus, had spent $6 million opposing the casino initiative. MTR hopes to win voter approval in 2010 for a plan that would allow slot machines at racetracks under the auspices of the state lottery.

In all, more than $40.6 million was spent in the Ohio battle over casino gambling -- exceeding the $40.1 million Barack Obama and John McCain spent trying to win votes there in 2008.

The pro-casino campaign had focused on the state's economic difficulties, promising to create new jobs and calling for each casino to pay a $50 million license fee and a 33 percent tax on gross revenue to be divided among local governments.

Anti-gambling activist David Zanotti of the Ohio Policy Roundtable said the state's 10 percent unemployment rate made voters more receptive to an onslaught of television advertising promising that the new casinos would create 34,000 jobs.

"It's pretty obvious that the Ohio electorate bought into the whole culture of despair that's going on with the economy," Zanotti told the Associated Press.

Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for TruthPAC, an activist group that opposed the measure, said Nov. 3 was a sad day for Ohio.

"Many Issue 3 supporters genuinely believe it will help Ohio's economic recovery. I hope they are right. I fear they are wrong," Theis said, according to the AP. "Issue 3 is riddled with loopholes that will shortchange Ohio, muzzle the casino watchdogs and exempt cash wagers from the taxes casinos pay."

State Rep. Lou Blessing, a Republican who opposed Issue 3, announced plans for a ballot initiative in the spring that would amend the plan to collect more taxes from the casinos and put the licenses up for bid.
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Mark Kelly.

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Festivals of Marriage hit 30th anniversary
by Staff
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--It's been 30 years.

The Festivals of Marriage sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources began with a single event in 1979 at Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, N.C. -- subsequently expanding to multiple Festivals of Marriage throughout the country each year.

Nearly 10,000 husbands and wives participated annually during the festivals' "heyday" in the early 1990s.

The festivals continue to be a time for couples to work on their marriages, have fun and just escape the busyness of life for a few days.

"We get training for our jobs, and if we &#91;don't&#93; have that training, we're in a tough position to be able to perform," Festival of Marriage coordinator Mark Satterfield commented. "Well, it's the same thing with our marriages as well. You've gotta be able to take some time and energy and train yourselves."

A truly healthy marriage requires that God be a part of the relationship, and Festivals of Marriage take that into consideration especially during the general session time, Satterfield said in an Inside LifeWay podcast.

"&#91;W&#93;e really want to create an experience that, whether it's a believer or non-believer &#91;in the audience&#93;, he says, 'Wow, God is here in this place, and He is all-powerful and almighty,'" Satterfield said.

The festivals' workshops, meanwhile, focus on practical, daily helps for couples to improve their marriages.

"Marriage, in one sentence, I would say, is designed to be lived for the glory of God," Satterfield said. "Don't settle for less. Marriage can be so beautiful, and God's given it to us. Let's make it all that we can for His glory."

Toward that end, about 400 people attended a Festival of Marriage in Panama City, Fla., Sept. 25-27, with conflict resolution in marriage as a breakout session, led by Jerry and Bayne Pounds of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is assistant to the president and professor of discipleship and she is assistant professor of Christian education and director of institutional reports.

"Conflict is a natural life fact," Jerry Pounds said. "It results from different needs and interests. Many people look at conflict like it's an unusual thing, but it isn't."

They offered several tips for resolving conflicts:

-- Focus on prevention. Be proactive and try to keep a problem from escalating into an argument.

-- Uphold personal integrity. Keep your spouse's feelings in consideration and avoid ugly personal attacks.

-- Stop the explosion before it happens. If things are getting out of hand, agree to a break to cool off before continuing the discussion.

-- Practice "I" messages instead of "you" messages. "I" messages express how you personally feel, while "you" messages generally are accusatory.

-- Avoid destructive patterns such as criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Use tools/resources that can lead to a resolution of the conflict.

Bayne Pounds acknowledged that anger is a by-product of conflict.

"It's normal to get angry, but it's important to remember that anger is a choice you make," she said. "No one can make you angry. They may do some bad things, but you choose anger as a response."

She referenced Harriet Lerner, author of "The Dance of Anger," in offering some questions individuals can ask when conflict goes in the direction of anger:

-- What am I really angry about?

-- What is the problem and whose problem is it?

-- How can I sort out who is responsible for what?

-- How can I learn to express my anger in a way that will not leave me feeling helpless and powerless?

-- When I am angry, how can I clearly communicate my position without becoming defensive or attacking?

"Conflict comes from a lot of places," Jerry Pounds said. "It can come from boredom, honest disagreement and even triggers from your past. Just be aware of where the conflict is coming from and deal with it."

Bayne Pounds said that loving one's spouse doesn't mean a marriage will be conflict-free -- possibly just the opposite.

"Conflict arises anytime two people spend time together," she said, "and married people are together a lot."
--30--
Compiled from reports by Brooklyn Lowery and Polly House of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. To check for future Festival of Marriage dates, locations and registration information, go to LifeWay.com/FOM. To listen to the podcast featuring LifeWay's Festival of Marriage coordinator Mark Satterfield, go to LifeWay.com/insidelifeway.

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Mo. Baptists pare budget; re-elect officers
by Allen Palmeri
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

RAYTOWN, Mo. (BP)--Messengers approved a reduced budget and, in a departure from tradition dating back beyond three decades, re-elected an incumbent president during the 175th Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting, Oct. 26-28 at First Baptist Church in Raytown.

A $15.05 million budget with an alternative giving plan was approved for 2010, down 9.2 percent from the 2009 budget of $16.3 million but consistent with the gifts received from Missouri churches to date this year.

Bruce McCoy, pastor of Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis, was re-elected president Oct. 27, topping Jody Shelenhamer, a layman from First Baptist Church in Bolivar, 654-205. McCoy is the first MBC president to be re-elected since Hugh Wamble was returned to the MBC's then-moderator post at the 1975 annual meeting in Cape Girardeau.

Messenger registration totaled 1,200, with 222 visitors. Most notably, the number of participating churches rose 11.6 percent from 436 to 505.

"Beginning with the listening sessions earlier this year, and through promotional materials coming from our MBC communications office, we have been encouraging Missouri Baptists to come the convention, voice their concerns and vote their convictions," said MBC Executive Director David Tolliver. "I am thrilled that they did. I continue to pray for the day when those who participate in our annual meetings and do the business of our convention are a true representative cross-section of who we are as Missouri Baptists."

A special installation service for Tolliver as executive director on Oct. 26 preceded his address that evening. Tolliver became executive director Feb. 3 after serving nearly 22 months in an interim capacity. The installation concluded with his pastor, Monte Shinkle of Concord Baptist Church in Jefferson City, praying over him.

"Father, may he be a Missourian in whom there is no guile," Shinkle prayed.

Tolliver preached his vision statement for Missouri Baptists, that they would be a people who are spiritually healthy Christians, coming together in healthy churches, going to an unhealthy world with the healing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Missions partnerships will send Missourians to carry the Gospel to West Africa; El Salvador; northern Ontario, Canada; and northern Illinois. Three of the four partnerships are new, to start in January; only El Salvador is a renewal.

Messengers approved a three-year partnership with the International Mission Board's Western Gateway Cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Affinity Group (Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cape Verde) with an option to add two more years as the partnership progresses. The partnership with the Canadian National Baptist Convention will span five years, while the partnership with Baptist associations in northern Illinois will span three years, with an option for two more years. Also, messengers reaffirmed their partnership with El Salvador through Dec. 31, 2011.

A special offering Oct. 27 for partnership missions yielded $4,402.

The MBC, in keeping with recent tradition, increased the budget amount designated for Southern Baptist Convention national and international missions and ministry, from 36.5 percent in 2009 to 36.75 percent for 2010. In addition, messengers approved spending the first three-fourths of 1 percent of the 2010 budget for Cooperative Program missions education and promotion.

Messengers also reaffirmed their commitment to pursue recovery of five breakaway entities (see earlier Baptist Press story).

The budget contains two giving plans. Plan A would direct 3 percent of budgeted funds toward the MBC's Agency Restoration Fund to cover legal fees involved in the recovery of the breakaway entities (Windermere Baptist Conference Center, Missouri Baptist College, Word & Way newsjournal, The Baptist Home retirement center and the Missouri Baptist Foundation). Plan B would allow churches to direct those same funds to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home (1 percent) and Christian higher education (2 percent) instead.

"The alternative giving plan guarantees that their dollars will not go to the lawsuits," Tolliver said.

In addition to McCoy's re-election, another convention distinctive was recorded, with all four officers being re-elected: John Marshall, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Springfield, as first vice president, topping Jesse Cass, pastor of Jamesport Baptist Church in Coffey, 324-202; Mitch Jackson, pastor of Miner Baptist Church in Sikeston, as second vice president over Danny Decker, pastor of First Baptist Church in Warsaw, 281-226; and Jamie Hitt, a member of First Baptist Church in Winfield, unopposed as recording secretary.

The number of candidates running for office was down considerably from the 13 who ran last year in St. Louis; only seven ran at Raytown.

Marshall is on record saying he plans to run for president the next two years, while Jackson and Hitt have said they will not run again. McCoy has reached the two-term limit.

In his president's address, McCoy preached that learning how to convince, rebuke and exhort at the proper time is the difference between a life of regret and a life of reward.

Featured speakers at the convention included Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas; Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and Rick Hedger, MBC partnership missions specialist.

Micah Fries, pastor of Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, delivered the convention sermon. Randy Johnson, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Republic, was selected to preach the 2010 convention sermon.

Only two resolutions were submitted and recommended for adoption by the Resolutions Committee; both passed: a pledge of prayer support for the work of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force in the SBC, submitted by Paul Purvis, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Forsyth, and the customary courtesy resolution expressing appreciation to local officials and others who helped make the convention possible.

For the third consecutive year, the MBC meeting was preceded by a solemn assembly in which people could pray and focus on repentance and unity. A total of 50 participated Oct. 25 at First Baptist Church in Raytown.

Next year's annual meeting will be Oct. 25-27 at the University Plaza Convention Center in Springfield.
--30--
Allen Palmeri is associate editor of The Pathway (www.mbcpathway.com), newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention.

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James Dobson leaving radio post
by Staff
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has announced his intention to step down from his role as host of the ministry's flagship radio broadcast at the end of February.

Focus on the Family President Jim Daly characterized Dobson's departure as the "third chapter in a transition that began in 2003" when the popular pro-family advocate resigned as president of the organization he started in 1977. Last February, Dobson resigned as chairman of the board at Focus on the Family.

"One of the common errors of founder-presidents is to hold to the reins of leadership too long, thereby preventing the next generation from being prepared for executive authority," Dobson, 73, said in February. "... Though letting go is difficult after three decades of intensive labor, it is the wise thing to do."

Dobson did not release a statement regarding his resignation from hosting the radio broadcast, which reaches an estimated 1.5 million U.S. listeners daily. Focus on the Family said Dobson will continue to record new broadcasts through February and subsequently will appear as an occasional guest.

Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said Dobson has been "a giant for the cause of Christ and the family. His voice will be sorely missed. We should all pause to give thanks for his many, many years of dedicated service to the Lord."

Daly said Dobson's departure from the post and from official affiliation with Focus on the Family was a mutual decision between Dobson and the ministry's board of directors.

"The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season -- and Dr. Dobson's season at Focus on the Family has been remarkable," Daly said in an Oct. 30 news release. "He has done a superlative job in modeling the graceful transition of leadership from one generation to the next."

"We're excited about continuing the work he began and following the biblical principles he's always followed to reach today's families," Daly, 48, said.

Dobson remains "a man of health and vigor," Daly said, and he will continue to make his voice heard in the public square, where he has become a renowned provider of conservative family and moral advice.

"Dr. Dobson is a wordsmith, but one word I don't suspect we'll hear him using is 'retirement,'" Daly said, adding that Focus on the Family will host a series of events in the coming months to honor Dobson's contributions to the ministry.

"Focus on the Family has never been about one man," Daly said. "That's why Dr. Dobson has always refused to have his name put on any building here. It's about doing the Lord's work in helping families."

No plans to replace Dobson on air were announced.
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Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Erin Roach.

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FIRST-PERSON: Christian comedian does more than tell jokes
by Phil Boatwright
Date: November 04, 2009 - Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--"Years ago in a crowded Grand Rapids, Michigan movie theater, the projector malfunctioned," the promotional material reads. "The house lights came on, and acting on a dare, a young Black comedian who simply goes by the name Michael Jr. jumped in front of the restless crowd and took center stage. When the theater manager tried to usher him out, the audience demanded he stay ... and Michael Jr. discovered his gift."

I first became aware of Michael Jr. by viewing "Thou Shalt Laugh 4," the most recent in a series of stand-up comedy DVDs featuring Christian performers. Michael Jr. immediately stood out because beneath his amusing and sly observations, I sensed a man who was at peace and truly cared for those in spiritual need. Later, discovered his passion is well documented in the upcoming film "The Road Less Traveled." Expected to be released in the spring of 2010, the documentary spotlights the comedian's work with those struggling to find themselves as they deal with life on skid row, and those trying to rediscover themselves while serving in reformatories and penitentiaries. 

The comedian, like any missionary, has chosen a difficult field. While most stand-ups work "blue" and most audiences have come to expect crude or profane material from comics, Michael understands that he has a responsibility to his listeners. He calls it comedy accountability.

"If I'm in a club, my material has to be clean enough to work in a church," he said. "If I'm in a pulpit, it has to be funny enough to work in a club." 

Recently I asked Michael a few questions concerning his career choice and about his deep desire to serve Christ.

BOATWRIGHT: When did you make a decision to follow Christ and what were the circumstances that led up to your decision?

MICHAEL JR.: I was in New York City doing comedy. I had just done two fantastic shows. My manager asked me if I'd go to church with him and I was like, "Uh, no ... I just got two standing ovations, why do I need to go to church?" I don't know why exactly, but I went anyway. The pastor was onstage that morning, and he spoke God's word clearly -- everything he said made sense to me. There was an altar call that morning, and even though I wanted to do it, I knew I wasn't ready yet. I wanted to understand more. So I went home and started reading the Bible. Every Sunday I went to church and I just kept reading through the Bible until I got to the very end. The next Sunday I went to church, I was so ready to make that commitment, I walked up to the altar during the announcements. I was like, "Is Jesus here now, do I have to wait 'til the end?" 

BOATWRIGHT: You have to be on the road a lot, which can sometimes cause loneliness. How do you and your wife deal with the separation and the temptation that can come while on tour?

MICHAEL JR.: Actually I don't struggle with this. I'm hardly ever gone for extended periods of time. In fact, I'm usually only gone one or two days. We also try to stay in constant contact with each other; we pray together on the phone. Also, whenever possible I bring one of my kids with me on the road. The thing is, I am blessed with amazing kids and an amazing wife. For many years I have made my priorities in this order: 1. God 2. Family 3. Business. And that's where it's at. I do have friends who have a hard time on the road. When I talk to them and hear about their struggles, I suggest that they make a commitment to themselves that when they go into their hotel room they find a verse in the Bible and then pray it for themselves and keep it in their minds the whole time they are gone from home.

BOATWRIGHT: There are a great many ministries. What touched your heart for those incarcerated?

MICHAEL JR.: I had a change of mindset. Most comedians think, "I want to get laughter from these people." That was my mindset, too. But then I thought, "I want to give them the opportunity to laugh; I want to give them something not take something from them." Then I found myself wondering, "Who needs to laugh?" And it was the people on the streets and in prisons who came to mind.
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Phil Boatwright reviews films from a Christian perspective and is the author of "Movies: The Good, The Bad, and the Really, Really Bad." To learn more about his work, visit moviereporter.com.


