The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/16/2012 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- As Syria disintegrates in war, Christians give refugees hope by Erich Bridges Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NOTE TO READERS: The deepening crisis created by the civil war in Syria poses a major threat not only to the continued existence of that nation but to the stability of an already chaotic Middle East. This story and the following other stories cover the growing Christian ministry to thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. Miracles on the border: Syrians encounter Jesus Wounded warrior learns power of forgiveness NORTHERN JORDAN (BP) -- They shot him nine times in the legs and torso.
Faraj* shows the ugly scars to prove it. A bullet in his knee can't be removed. His crime? He was a teacher in Syria; he spoke out publicly against the regime of Bashar al-Assad when anti-government protests began last year. Thousands have died for less -- on both sides -- in a civil war now reducing large parts of Syria to dust. Faraj survived his wounds and escaped with his wife and five children to Jordan, where more than 250,000 Syrian refugees crowd towns and dirt-caked tents in desert camps along the border. The family occupies a few dingy rooms in one such town. Wet cardboard hangs from the leaky kitchen ceiling, where the night chill of oncoming winter seeps in. Faraj wants to work, but there are few jobs for Syrians in Jordan's already hard-pressed economy. No education, either -- many Syrian children have been out of school for nearly two years because of the war. Faraj's 10-year-old daughter Aisha* sits beside him, bright-eyed and eager. She dreams of studying English, but remains at home while her father teaches her as best he can. "Every day my daughter is crying to go to school, and no one listens to her," Faraj says. "Every day I go to the school near here, but they tell me to go away and they will call." No call comes. The schools are full -- reflecting how Jordan is straining under the load of refugees fleeing regional conflicts from Iraq to Libya. But Faraj has new hope. A Sunni Muslim, he was welcomed to the area by Jordanian Christians at a local church. They helped his family find shelter and brought them food, a fan and a refrigerator. And they treated him like a human being -- a friend, even. They also gave him a Bible, which he now reads with growing interest because of what it contains: truth. "It doesn't lie," he says, with an expression of near-amazement. "And Christian people are honest. They don't lie. This is what interests me." Could he ever forgive those who tried to kill him? "Yes, I might," he answers. "Because I am reading the Injil [New Testament] every day, and I am seeing many things in it about forgiveness, love and peace. These are things I want to have." Someone who cares More and more, such epiphanies are occurring among the overwhelmingly Muslim refugees streaming by the hundreds of thousands across Syria's borders into neighboring countries. Several million more have become wanderers in their own country as the war spreads. Terrified, exhausted and angry, they need the most basic necessities. But they also need someone who cares. Many are mothers with children. Their husbands are fighting back home -- or dead. "I see precious women who love their children just like I love my children," says Christine Andrews*, a Christian worker in Jordan. "Just think how you would feel if you had to leave your home in the middle of the night because someone was burning it down. You had to run with your children and escape with your life and the clothes on your back. You had to leave everything behind and you don't know what's going to be there when you get back. This is what a lot of these women are looking at. They don't know what their future holds. There's a lot of fear and anger -- and deep sadness. If we can give them Jesus and a relationship with the Lord who holds their future in His hands, that would give them hope." Munif*, a Jordanian Christian pastor who initiated much of the refugee ministry now flourishing on the border, aims to do just that. As Syrian families began to crowd into his town and the surrounding villages last year looking for basic shelter, he and his congregation refused to look the other way. They didn't have much to give, but "we couldn't see people in need and not act if we could do anything," he recounts. "This is our message as Christians, not just to stay inside the church, but to go to the people and help them -- and now there's a big chance." The small-scale ministry began with aid to about 40 Syrian families but has grown into the hundreds as refugees continue to flood the area. Munif and his helpers -- who now include Christian workers and aid groups from Jordan and beyond -- visit families, deliver food and provide other necessities, such as diapers and personal hygiene items. As winter approaches, the need for blankets, carpets, gas heaters and warm clothes grows urgent. The priority on visiting families where they live, however, serves a greater purpose than just distributing aid supplies. It expresses love. "We have a lot of volunteers and teams helping these days, especially in the area of visiting people in their houses, sharing life with them, eating with them, drinking tea, listening to them, speaking to them, hugging them," Munif explains. "By this we respect and honor them." Hospitality means everything in Arab culture, and being visited in their homes, however sparse those homes may be, gives traumatized Syrians "a sense of normalcy," says Josh Andrews*, a Christian worker actively involved in the ministry. "They're happy to make tea." It also opens unseen doors into hearts and lives. "We're having the opportunity to share the Gospel clearly, boldly, just about every time we go into a house," reports Jack Logan*, another worker in Jordan. "It's amazing. It takes a while for the veneer to go down ... but when you start to speak about Christ, get into the Word and ask, 'Can I tell you a story?' the answer is almost always an enthusiastic yes." Josh Andrews adds: "We can't visit every family, but we're taking one day at a time and honoring God in our actions. We're praying this is God's time [for Syrians]. They're open to hear. How do we get God's Word into their heads? That's all we need to do. God does the rest. We're expecting to see people come to Christ, form groups and, when Syrians begin to go back into their country, take this message with them and grow it from the inside." No end in sight When, or if, displaced Syrians will be able to return to their homeland is anyone's guess. An average of 100 civilians die daily in the crossfire between regime forces -- directed by the ruling Alawite minority, distant historical cousins of Shiite Muslims -- and the multiple rebel factions claiming to represent the Sunni Muslim majority. Other ethnic and religious groups, including Syrian Christians, find themselves caught in the middle. More than 35,000 civilians, including thousands of women and children, have died since the violence began in March 2011. As increasing numbers of foreign fighters enter the country on both sides, the struggle for power has taken on an increasingly sectarian, Shiite-versus-Sunni tone. The violence spilling across Syria's borders threatens to destabilize surrounding countries. And it grows increasingly savage. Syrian troops shell densely populated neighborhoods to rubble in order to root out small bands of rebels. Rebels respond with suicide bombings, assassinations and urban attacks. The majority of atrocities continue to be perpetrated by regime forces and their militia supporters, according to human rights groups. But abuses and street executions by rebel fighters are increasing as jihadists gain influence among rebel factions. Walk into most any refugee camp and Syrians will show you cell phone videos of casual brutality. The U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria issued a dire warning Nov. 6: If the civil war doesn't end soon, Syria could become another Somalia, with militant factions and clan warlords battling for years over bloody pieces of territory. "This thing is not going to end well," predicts a Christian observer with many years of experience in the Middle East. "There's so much hatred built up in the hearts of so many people. They're caught up in forces beyond their control. They feel they're in the middle of a hurricane." No wonder so many desperate Syrians are fleeing to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and other countries in the area. The refugee count is expected to top 700,000 by year's end, according to U.N. estimates. In reality, that many refugees may already have sought sanctuary across borders. Stories of traumatic crossings abound: -- A father and mother crossing the Syria-Jordan border with their five children watched in horror as their teenage son, Hassan*, was shot in the head in an ambush. As he lay bleeding in his mother's arms, she screamed for help. A soldier approached, gun pointed. Their 4-year-old son, Wafik*, who rarely speaks, stood and held up his arms. "I beg you, Uncle, don't hurt us anymore. Have mercy on us," he appealed. The child's eloquent words must have moved the soldier, who took Hassan to a hospital for treatment. The whole family later made it into Jordan, where they found comfort from Munif's church. Hassan recovered, but walks haltingly and needs physical therapy. -- A young Sunni couple escaped the slaughter of friends and family members and fled their town, moving from village to village. At one point, Syrian Christians sheltered them, hiding them under a church. Finally, they drugged their 8-month-old daughter to keep her quiet during the dangerous border crossing into Jordan. They ended up in the huge Zaatari refugee camp, a windswept expanse of sun-blasted tents holding more than 30,000 Syrians. The harsh conditions there threatened the life of their daughter, who has breathing problems. They slipped out of the camp and found a tiny apartment in Amman, Jordan's capital. But the husband can't find enough work to pay basic expenses. Christian friends in the city have helped them, but they might have to return to the Zaatari camp if he can't find a dependable job. The thought of winter in a flimsy tent -- and what it could do to their daughter -- torments them. -- A family caught at the Syria-Lebanon border for 13 days managed to hire a taxi for $1,400, plus various bribes, to reach East Beirut, where they share a cramped apartment with another family. The father, a master chef who earned more than $1,000 a month in Syrian restaurants, now makes $10 a day serving coffee -- when he can find the work. Some of the people in the crowded neighborhood are hostile toward Syrians. "We just want to see our kids grow up and have normal lives," he says. For now, everything is day to day. -- Four families who recently made it to Lebanon shiver in nearly empty rented rooms they share. They fled Syria after attending a funeral that was attacked by Syrian forces, they allege, with cluster bombs. One of the men shows his wounds. One of the young women, well into pregnancy, has yet to see a doctor. How would she pay? They gratefully accept aid boxes from Christians containing food, toiletries and a Bible. New Testament model Such stories make Sami*, a 38-year-old Christian pastor in Lebanon, even more determined to follow the risky path he has chosen. The first time he visited a refugee family last year, near the volatile border with Syria, it hit him. "I felt a heavy burden on my shoulders and I started to cry, not knowing why," he remembers. "The main question that was coming to my mind was: Who's going to reach those people with the Gospel? I looked around and we [Christ-followers] are few; they are thousands, hundreds of thousands. They are all from Muslim background, and there is no one in Lebanon thinking to reach them. As I was crying and asking this question, the answer came to my mind saying, 'You are going to reach them.'" Like Munif in Jordan, Sami and a small band of Lebanese and American Christian workers have delivered food, aid and the love of Christ to Syrian refugees, who have soared beyond 100,000 in Lebanon. It fits into the vision he already had to reach more than 200 mostly Muslim villages with the Gospel. His model: the first churches of the New Testament. "The early church had no buildings, no financial abilities as we have today," Sami says. "They had so little but they were able to do so much. In Lebanon, we have more freedom than what they had back in Jerusalem or in the Roman Empire, so why can't we do what they did? I felt the Lord leading us to start something new –- old, but new -- to bring back those principles and put them into practical life. ... I cannot go to the Muslim villages and rent an apartment or a building, put up a cross, bring pews and a piano and say, 'Come to Jesus.' But I can go there, sit with them on the floor around a cup of tea and discuss about salvation, and I will be accepted by them. It's not changing the message but changing the tools. Our vision is to plant churches following the biblical model, reproducible churches that teach people how to have a Gospel-centered life for God's glory." He's faced plenty of opposition, some of it tinged with threats of violence -- not only from Muslim leaders but from traditional churches that have no interest in reaching out to Muslims, especially Syrian Muslims. Many Lebanese, whether Christian or Muslim, detest Syrians, who long occupied their country and continue to influence events there. Sami himself grew up in Beirut walking past murals reading, "Know your enemy. Syria is your enemy." It's time for followers of Christ to move beyond that mindset, he believes. "Now Christians are serving Syrians, Muslims, and showing love," he says with a wide smile. And Syrians are responding. Thousands have heard the Gospel through verbal presentations, audio Bible stories and Bible distribution in conjunction with relief aid. More than 5,000 Bibles have been given to Syrian families. Hundreds have decided to follow Christ as Lord. Worship and discipleship groups are forming, even in some of the most dangerous border areas (see "Miracles on the border: Syrians encounter Jesus"). To fearful Lebanese churches that tell him Syrian Muslims will never believe in Jesus, Sami points to those who already have believed. And the good news is making its way back across the border. "These people are in need, and they need Jesus whether they were with the [Assad] regime or against the regime," Sami declares. "We cannot say that God cannot work. We believe that the Lord is bringing these people to us so we can share the Gospel with them, equip them, disciple them and prepare them to go back to Syria when the situation is calm so they can start a church-planting movement. It's not by coincidence that thousands of Syrians would come to Lebanon, and it's not by coincidence that after this long history of Syrian occupation, Lebanese Christians are serving Sunni Muslims." --30-- *Names changed. Erich Bridges is a global correspondent for the International Mission Board. Contributions to relief ministry among Syrian refugees can be made by visiting imb.org/syrianrefugees? and designating "Syria relief" in the comment line. For updates on how God is at work through the crisis in Syria and ways to pray and help, email love4syria@pobox.com. Contributions to the spread of God's Word among Syrians can be made by calling Faith Comes By Hearing at 1-800-545-6552 and designating a gift for the Syrian Refugees Project. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Miracles on the border: Syrians encounter Jesus by Erich Bridges Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NOTE TO READERS: The deepening crisis created by the civil war in Syria poses a major threat not only to the continued existence of that nation but to the stability of an already chaotic Middle East. This story and the following other stories cover the growing Christian ministry to thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. As Syria disintegrates in war, Christians give refugees hope Wounded warrior learns power of forgiveness BEIRUT (BP) -- The Christian relief team heard about the needy Syrian widow living outside a Lebanese Muslim village near the Syrian border. So they took food to her. Apparently, Jesus had been there first. A refugee from the civil war in Syria, the Muslim widow, along with her three children, had sought shelter in Lebanon -- like more than 100,000 other Syrians. She was observing a traditional 40-day period of solitude to mourn her dead husband, so she had received nothing from the local Islamic aid society. When the Christians knocked at her door, the widow appeared fully covered in black, including an opaque veil over her face. She explained her period of self-isolation. They offered to leave the food outside, but she unexpectedly invited them in. They sat with her and her children on the floor of the temporary dwelling. "Who are you?" she asked anxiously. "You don't know us, but we have great love in our hearts toward you," the team leader answered, explaining their reasons for helping Syrian refugees. "That love comes from God, who has worked in our lives." To their amazement, she responded by removing her veil --— unheard of in her conservative Muslim culture. Then the words came flooding out. "I want to tell you what happened to me yesterday," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "As I was sleeping during the night, someone knocked on my door. I was so scared, but I opened the window to see who it was. No one was there. After a while, I heard the same knocking. My heart was beating so fast, so I went and sat beside the door, and I fell asleep there. "As I was sleeping, someone put His hand on my shoulder. He said, 'You don't know Me. You have passed through a great pain. I experienced a great pain, also. But I will not leave you alone. Tomorrow I will send you someone who will tell you about Me. Listen to him.'" When she finished the story, she began to weep. She turned to the team leader and said, "Tell me about this person that I saw in my dream." Through his own tears, the leader told her about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the friend of widows, orphans and outcasts. "This Book that I'm going to give you will explain to you about God's love," he promised, giving her a Bible along with additional aid to help her and her children survive the mourning period. The widow later returned to Syria. No one knows for sure what has become of her. But God knows. 'Dead or alive?' Sami*, the Lebanese Christian pastor who told the widow about Jesus, has had similar experiences with other Muslims. He and several Christian partners have been reaching out to Muslim villages in Lebanon with the simple Gospel message. They expanded their outreach to Syrian Muslims when refugees started streaming across the border last year. "When we started to serve among those villages and communities, I had a doubt in my heart," Sami admits. "Will it work? Are we going to experience what we hear from different parts of the Middle East and the world about Muslims coming to know Jesus as Savior and Lord? It was a challenge, a discovery process for me personally and for many with us in the ministry. But as we have shared the Gospel faithfully, the Lord is showing us signs of people who are opening up, asking questions and opening the door for us to reach a wider community. "We started a couple of house groups in different areas with Lebanese and Syrian Muslims, and we are discipling those people. Some of them have come to know Christ. Others are discovering who Jesus is. They are showing signs of changing in their lives." A Muslim community leader the Christians befriended last year helped them gain entrance to the homes of many Muslims -- Lebanese and Syrian. During those visits, he heard the Gospel message of God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ perhaps 100 times. At the beginning of one such visit, the Muslim leader walked up to a refugee family, pointed at them and said, "Are you dead or alive?" The family was taken aback; so were the Christians. He repeated his question: "Are you dead or alive?" Then he pointed at the Christians and declared, "These people have a Book, and it's going to tell you how to find life. You need to read it!" "This is a Muslim guy who probably has never read the New Testament himself," marvels Christian worker David James*, who participated in the visit. "But he's opening doors for us now because he saw something different in us as he heard the things that we were sharing." In another village, the relief team made a repeat visit to the home of an influential Syrian Muslim. He knows many other needy families, so they brought a large supply of food for distribution. "We don't need your boxes of food," the Syrian leader said. "What we need is somebody to come and teach us how to walk in the way of Jesus and how we can forgive one another. We don't know how to live with each other." The Christians were happy to oblige. 'I want to follow Jesus' Perhaps the boldest new evangelist in Lebanon, however, is an older Syrian woman whose home has become a center for teaching truth. Sami met Noora* at the end of a long, exhausting day of aid deliveries to refugees. He was ready to go home, but his guide insisted on one more stop to a particularly needy group of families. Reluctantly, he agreed. They distributed food portions and New Testaments along with a simple Gospel presentation. Noora, one of the Syrian Muslim women in the home, started asking questions about baptism. As it turned out, she already was reading the New Testament. She had plenty of other questions about Jesus: How do you address Him? How does He differ from the other prophets? "We read Matthew, the first chapters, about Jesus' incarnation and that He is Immanuel," Sami recounts. "Immanuel means 'God with us.'" "I don't understand," Noora replied. Sami explained the concept of a king visiting his people disguised in plain clothing and humility, yet remaining in every aspect a king. He told her about Jesus' sinless life compared to the other prophets, all of whom had failed God in various ways, despite their greatness. "Who do you want to follow -- Jesus or the prophets?" Simi asked. "I want to follow Jesus," Noora answered. During another visit Noora suddenly declared, "The message that you shared with me changed my life. I'm a new person." The changes in her life proved her words. "Once we visited her and she was reading the Old Testament," Sami recalls. "After another week, she was in the New Testament. She told us, 'This is my third time of reading the whole Bible.' After that we continued visiting her, encouraging her and discipling her. She said, 'Everything you tell me, I go and I share it with others. I tell the traditional Christians that worshipping saints is not good; you have to worship God. I'm sharing with the Syrians [Muslims] about how God changed my life.'" Recently Noora returned to Syria for a visit with family, despite the dangers. When Sami called her to make sure she was OK, she reported: "I have a group of women gathered in my house from Muslim and Christian backgrounds and I'm teaching them. "It's hard," Noora acknowledged, "but God is helping me." --30-- *Names changed. Erich Bridges is a global correspondent for the International Mission Board. Contributions to relief ministry among Syrian refugees can be made by visiting imb.org/syrianrefugees? and designating "Syria relief" in the comment line. For updates on how God is at work through the crisis in Syria and ways to pray and help, email love4syria@pobox.com. Contributions to the spread of God's Word among Syrians can be made by calling Faith Comes By Hearing at 1-800-545-6552 and designating a gift for the Syrian Refugees Project. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wounded warrior learns power of forgiveness by Erich Bridges Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NOTE TO READERS: The deepening crisis created by the civil war in Syria poses a major threat not only to the continued existence of that nation but to the stability of an already chaotic Middle East. This story and the following other stories cover the growing Christian ministry to thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into neighboring countries. Miracles on the border: Syrians encounter Jesus Wounded warrior learns power of forgiveness BEIRUT (BP) -- Forgive? Don't talk to me about forgiving. You didn't see what they did to my father, to my brother, to my daughter. You didn't see what my son's body looked like when they brought him home in a box. A lot of Syrians will declare something like that -- with blood in their eyes. The Syrian civil war that began last year has turned into a fight to the death between factions determined to destroy each other. Clans want payback. Families want revenge. Some of those hatreds seep across the border into Lebanon, where the same ethnic and religious tensions exist. But Fadi*, a Lebanese follower of Christ, has learned about the power of forgiveness. And he wants to share it with Syrians, the people he once hated. Now a 40-year-old husband and father, Fadi suffered terrible mistreatment by his father while growing up in a traditional Christian family in Lebanon. It was so bad that he ran away at 13 to join the Lebanese military, only to suffer even more brutal abuse in the ranks. Angry and bewildered, he stopped believing in God -- or anything else. He threw himself into soldiering, eventually sustaining eight serious wounds in his unit's frequent cross-border clashes with Syrian forces. Any of the injuries could have killed him, but he survived to fight again. A fellow soldier gave him a Bible, but he tore it up in anger. As an afterthought, however, he put the pieces in the breast pocket of his battle vest. The next time he saw combat, the Bible stopped a bullet meant for his heart. "That incident affected me a lot," Fadi says. "The book that I refused safeguarded me from death. I started to desire to know more of Jesus. I prayed to Him, saying, 'If You are really the God of love, then help me to love You. Let me love my father and love those who abused me so I can know that You really love me.' In time, the love of Christ filled my heart toward those people. Since that date, I'm a new creation in Christ. I cannot forget the injuries or the pain, but they helped me discover God's love." Fadi retired from the military, started a family and continued to grow in Christ. Still, he harbored deep hatred for his enemies: the Syrians. So he asked God to give him love for them, too. "When the war started in Syria in 2011, I went to my pastor and told him I'm ready to serve the Syrian refugees," Fadi recounts. "I was convinced that in order to love them, I needed to be available to show God's love in a practical way." In typical Fadi fashion, he put his life on the line to do it -- visiting border villages under threat by Syrian forces. "Many times, as we were serving the Syrian refugees on the borders, we were facing a direct attack from the Syrian army," he says. "I was trained because of my years of experience in the army not to be afraid of those attacks. One time we were visiting a family in a village divided from Syria by a riverbank. As we were there, this village started to be attacked randomly by the Syrian army -- bombs and gunshots. We saw dozens of women and children escaping from the border areas toward us, asking for refuge. We needed to leave the area as soon as possible. But at the same time, I had the feeling that I'm like any one of them and that I cannot leave them. So we remained in that village until the attacks stopped." Once he encountered a unit of Syrian soldiers after visiting a family living just across the border. He greeted the soldiers, convinced he would be shot at any moment. But they let him go on his way. "I never did that again, because God gave us wisdom on where to go and how to do things," he says with a grin. Another time he aided a Syrian family crossing a river into Lebanon. "Why are you risking your life to serve us?" the mother in the family asked. "I shared the love of God in my life," Fadi says. "She told me that many times she had refused to accept a New Testament from her Syrian Christian friend. But she said, 'As you have told me about the love of Christ, I promise you I'm going to read the New Testament. I want to know more about that love.' "I don't know the reasons behind all that's happening in Syria," Fadi says. "But I know that God's reason is to share His message, His Word, with those people. I love to serve them." Recently Fadi and a few co-workers visited a Syrian Muslim friend in Lebanon. It was the day before Eid al-Adha, the Islamic festival that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. (Muslims believe Abraham took Ishmael, rather than Isaac, to Mount Moriah to be sacrificed.) Hundreds of sheep slaughtered for the observance hung in shop windows and on street corners as Muslim families prepared for the holiday. Fadi's Muslim friend, Abu Khaled*, fled his town in Syria last year after 20 days of shelling by Syrian forces. He hid with his family in the sewers, then walked 50 miles to reach Lebanon. He hasn't seen his oldest son, captured in Syria, in more than a year. The son might be dead. But Abu Khaled, an influential older man who has become a leader among Syrian refugees, doesn't want revenge. He wants reconciliation. "If we decide not to forgive, the cycle of death will continue," he said, rubbing his gray patch of beard. "But someone needs to sacrifice." With his permission, the Christian visitors told the full story from the Bible of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son -- and God's intervention to supply an animal as a substitute. Then they talked about Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God who became a sacrifice for all. Abu Khaled listened carefully. The conversations will continue. As they prepared to leave, Fadi embraced Abu Khaled. "He is my brother," Fadi said. --30-- *Names changed. Erich Bridges is a global correspondent for the International Mission Board. Contributions to relief ministry among Syrian refugees can be made by visiting imb.org/syrianrefugees? and designating "Syria relief" in the comment line. For updates on how God is at work through the crisis in Syria and ways to pray and help, email love4syria@pobox.com. Contributions to the spread of God's Word among Syrians can be made by calling Faith Comes By Hearing at 1-800-545-6552 and designating a gift for the Syrian Refugees Project. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mold, flood damage: SBDR training available by Tobin Perry Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- New York and New Jersey homeowners impacted by Hurricane Sandy are finding help in protecting their homes from ongoing mold and flood damage through training provided by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Approximately 200 people have attended seven mold and flood recovery training sessions throughout the metro area this month. The two-hour training is a much-condensed version of training provided to SBDR volunteers who participate in recovery trips nationwide, developed in 2005 to help Hurricane Katrina survivors. "The driving reason to do this," said Randy Creamer, who has led five of the training sessions, are "the health issues, very serious respiratory issues, that'll crop up in the coming weeks and months if you don't get the moisture out of the house." The training helps homeowners understand the health risks in mold-infected homes and how to safely mud-out, sanitize and disinfect their homes. Homeowners also learn to be on the lookout for hazardous materials, sharp objects, unstable structures, power lines and other dangers as they mud-out their homes. And they are always encouraged to work in pairs. For local pastors, the training has given them one more opportunity to show the community the love of Jesus through Southern Baptists. Church planter Nathan Tubbs hosted training for about 12 people at his church plant, Cornerstone Church at Bay Bridge in Brooklyn, in early November. Besides training some of his church members, the training also helped to prepare a volunteer team that was in the area helping his church. Tubbs added that he has been able to pass on the lessons to friends and co-workers in the community. "It showed people we were prepared," said Tubbs, who also a North American Mission Board missionary. "That's a big thing for people going through what they're going through here. It says a lot about how much we care. We care enough that we're willing to prepare. I think that's big because we're not just here flippantly, but we're doing things safely and accurately -- so people know when we mud-out homes, they won't be dealing with mold six months later." The training also has been an opportunity for churches to minister to unchurched people in their communities. When Graffiti Church in Manhattan hosted a training session on Nov. 5, Creamer said 85 of the 100-plus people who attended the training had never been inside of that church. "Many homeowners want to clean their homes themselves, but they have a fear of 'Am I doing it right?'" said Fritz Wilson, the North American Mission Board's executive director for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. "By offering this training based on our many years of experience, we can go in and help them understand how to do it safely." If a pastor in New Jersey or New York would like to bring the flood recovery training to his church, e-mail SBDR at disasterrelief@namb.net. --30-- Tobin Perry writes for the North American Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q&A: Brian Brown: gay marriage not inevitable by Michael Foust Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) –-- Voters in three states legalized gay marriage on Election Day -- the first time voters in any state had done so. But it wasn't a turning point on the issue, and traditionalists can still win the cultural battle, says Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage. Some might think Brown is naive, but he notes that supporters of traditional marriage were outspent by a margin of 3-to-1 in liberal-leaning Maine, Maryland and Washington and lost by an average of only 53-47 percent. "This is not over," Brown told Baptist Press, referencing the nationwide debate over marriage's definition. "... They had a great election from their perspective, but I hope that what this does is wake folks up and energize folks and people realize that [these losses] were not inevitable, same-sex marriage is not inevitable." National Organization for Marriage has been at the forefront in recent years fighting to defend the traditional definition of marriage. Brown points to the famous 2008 vote in California, where traditional forces raised about as much money as gay activists and surprised the political world by winning in a blue state. Baptist Press talked to Brown about Election Night, about the future of the debate over the issue, and about arguments that its legalization is inevitable. Following is a transcript: BAPTIST PRESS: Describe your emotions on Election Night. BRIAN BROWN: It was tough. We had been screaming from the mountaintops that we could lose these unless we had the money necessary. And while we did get some resources in, we were so greatly outspent. And then to have such a close margin in each of these states -- we could have won. And I think it's a wakeup call about what's necessary to win in deep blue states. We were able to win in North Carolina [in May] even though we were greatly outspent. It's a much different state demographically -- the religiosity there, a lot more church attendance. But these [blue states] were different states. It has to be a wakeup call to folks around this country who have been blessed with wherewithal that we can either win or lose marriage based on whether we have the resources necessary. It's as simple as that. The fight's going to continue on. BP: What is necessary, then, to win in deep blue states? BROWN: We need to match them in money. Everyone says, "What does money do?" We have to have a way to get our message out to the voters in the middle, and the way you can do that is through television and radio. That's the way we were able to win in North Carolina and other states -- we got our message out. We were unable to do that [this fall] and the other side already has an advantage because they get all their arguments out for free through most of the mainstream press. When every single editorial board endorses gay marriage in a state, that shows you the power that they have to get their message out without spending a dime. BP: You think you could have won, then, in these states? BROWN: Oh yeah. In the deepest of blue states, traditional marriage outperformed Gov. Romney by over six points on average. We had a number of Democrats voting our way. It wasn't enough, but it showed that traditional marriage -- far from being divisive -- even in the deepest of blue states we can get a number of Democrats to vote with their hearts. BP: What was the margin by which you were outspent? BROWN: We were outspent by $23 million -- $33 million to $10 million. Three-to-one. BP: Do you think you also might have gotten on the air too late for it to make enough of difference, because there are so many early voters? [Pro-traditional marriage ads began running in early to mid October.] BROWN: Yes, but we didn't have the money to go up early. The other thing is, this is a bit of a David and Goliath fight. The Human Rights Campaign [the nation's largest gay activist group] has been around for a long time and has a $40 million budget. National Organization for Marriage has been around since 2007, and we gave more money this year [to the four blue states] than we ever have before -- $5.5 million. That's more than we gave to California Prop 8 [in 2008], Maine [in a 2009 marriage vote] and North Carolina combined. But we were fighting in four states, and the other side was just able to completely overwhelm us on the fundraising front. It's unfortunate. I think there was a little bit of complacency where our supporters thought, "Well, we've won so many times before, we're going to win again and we don't need to make that extra gift." And this is the result. BP: Was this a turning point for the gay marriage movement? BROWN: I don't think it's a turning point. Winning on your home turf is not a turning point. They had won once before, in Arizona, and then the people of that state came back and corrected that [by passing a marriage amendment after defeating one]. Christians need to take a deep breath, look at the reality that we have won 31 states and they have won four, and say to ourselves, "What are we willing to do to make sure this doesn't happen again, to make sure marriage is protected in the remaining states?" This is not over. This a new beginning. They had a great election from their perspective, but I hope that what this does is wake folks up and energize folks and people realize that [these losses] were not inevitable, same-sex marriage is not inevitable. We can still win. We won in North Carolina just a few short months before these losses. Does anyone honestly believe that if you put marriage on the ballot in North Carolina again that we would lose? We wouldn't. [Gay marriage supporters are] going to push in more states, and we're going to have more fights, like in Illinois, Delaware, Rhode Island, Oregon, and we have to be prepared, we have to have the resources. You cannot go into a battle as important as this -- the definition of marriage -- and not have the proper resources. BP: The other side is saying gay marriage is inevitable because younger people are more supportive of gay marriage, they're going to grow up and other people who oppose it are going to age and die. Why do you disagree with that argument? BROWN: Because the longer this goes on in these nine states [where gay marriage is legal], the more clearly everything that we have said will come true about the consequences of legalizing gay marriage. Young people are not static in their beliefs. When they see their church being punished because it won't place children in a same-sex household, they're going to look up and say, "I didn't think this was going to happen." When innkeepers and businessmen are punished because they don't accept same-sex marriage, and they're fined, they're going to see that people are being targeted because of their beliefs. And most importantly, when kids are taught in the schools that their parents are bigots because of their faith -- when this happens, some of those folks who voted for gay marriage are going to say, "We were sold a false bill of goods." BP: Is it possible the Supreme Court short-circuits the issue next year and legalizes gay marriage? BROWN: It's possible, but I think it's highly improbable. I do not think the Supreme Court wants to launch another culture war as happened in the wake of Roe v. Wade. I do not think the court wants to put itself in the position of overturning all 30 of the public votes on the part of the people and by fiat, forcing gay marriage on the country. I do not think that is going to happen. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- La. Baptists mark 200 years of ministry by Karen L. Willoughby Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday WEST MONROE, La. (BP) -- Messengers to the 165th meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention were reminded that they are "the key" to what God is going to do during the next 200 years of ministry in the state. A brass key in the shape of the state of Louisiana was given to every person present Nov. 12 in the worship center at First Baptist Church in West Monroe, where John Avant is pastor. The keys were distributed as part of the 200th anniversary of Baptist ministry in the state, celebrated during the Monday evening session of the LBC's 165th annual meeting, with 703 messengers registering from 267 churches. "You are the key to our future," said David E. Hankins, the convention's executive director. "It is our calling to reach Louisiana with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." With a theme of "Refresh: Awaken and Go," the two-day event was designed to continue the "Awaken -- It's Time" thrust launched at last year's annual meeting to point Louisiana Baptists toward revival and spiritual awakening that would start locally and spread nationally. Hankins reminded messengers of the 21 Days of Prayer for repentance leading to revival that began last January. To date, more than 550 churches have participated, and a new 21 Days of Prayer, authored by Louisiana pastors, is slated to start in January. Hankins also noted the parish-wide prayer meetings -- most often at courthouses -- in each of Louisiana's 64 parishes, which culminated in a prayer meeting April 29 in front of the state capitol in Baton Rouge. "So, has all this activity produced an awakening? No," Hankins said. "We've heard good reports, but I think all of us would agree that the widespread awakening we long to see, that we need to see, has yet to occur. "We know we cannot schedule an awakening," Hankins continued. "We cannot program it or demand that God send it, but we can continue to prepare ourselves, pray and plead with God to send one." The messages of each of the speakers reinforced the need for repentance, prayer and God-directed action. Other reports noted the activity of God's people across Louisiana over the last year and plans already set for 2013. Steve Lemke, provost and professor of philosophy and ethics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, led three sessions of Bible study. The first was on the need for pastors to be refreshed physically and spiritually. The second was on the need for God's people to be awakened to a bankrupt culture and a church that isn't shining brightly enough to attract people. The third was that the Christian life is a journey to be filled with doing good while giving a witness of Jesus. "'As you go' starts at home," Lemke said, referring to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. In his president's address, LBC President Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Covington, spoke from Revelation 2:12-17 on the lack of purity among God's people and on the 1904-05 revival in Wales, which started after years of prayer with young people confessing and dealing with all known sin, obeying the Holy Spirit immediately and proclaiming Jesus Christ. Chuck Pourciau, pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, brought the convention sermon from Acts 11:19-26. "It's really all about missions," Pourciau preached. "Every member is a missionary." Johnny Hunt further unpacked the concept of living life as a missionary. Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., and a former Southern Baptist Convention president, brought the final message Tuesday afternoon from Luke 14. "Have a Kingdom life table," Hunt said. Invite non-Christians to share a meal and use the opportunity to share the Gospel, Hunt said. "People aren't being saved because they're not hearing the Gospel." During times set on the program for business, Bailey was re-elected by acclamation to a second one-year term. Richard Blue, pastor of Walker Baptist Church in Walker, was elected by acclamation as first vice president. Dwayne Monk, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Choudrant, was elected second vice president with 57.3 percent of the vote over Bert Langley, longtime director of missions in the Evangeline and Gulf Coast Baptist Associations. Messengers approved without discussion a $21,627,235 Cooperative Program budget for 2013, up $87,375 from 2012. LBC plans to send 36.74 percent -- or $7,945,846 -- of CP gifts from the churches to SBC missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program, up from 36.49 percent -- $7,859,895 -- last year. The LBC will retain 63.26 percent of Cooperative Program dollars from churches for mission needs in Louisiana, and 50 percent of income that exceeds the budget. The budget does not include any calculations for shared LBC-SBC ministries. In other business, the LBC Executive Board approved a minor bylaw change and declined to recommend a motion presented in 2011 that nominees for LBC president "must be a member of a church which contributes at least 7.5 percent" through the Cooperative Program. "We believe it is not the wisest course of action to codify a required percentage," according to the Executive Board's printed response in the Book of Reports. Among four stated reasons for declining the recommendation, the board noted its objection to "implying the required threshold percentage is the new goal for everyone, thus encouraging minimum, rather than maximum giving." The board also noted, "It is not too much to suggest that, without the Cooperative Program, the Louisiana Baptist Convention would be reduced to a mere fellowship of churches with no sustained joint-ministry enterprises." The LBC Executive Board did recommend that a statement noting five expectations of LBC officers be attached as a footnote to the LBC constitution, including "A commitment to cooperative missions, especially mission endeavors of Louisiana and Southern Baptists as evidenced by strong congregational support of the Cooperative Program." After some discussion, a slate of six resolutions was passed by messengers, including one objecting to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offering a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) minor course of study. The other resolutions voiced concern regarding protecting religious liberty; opposed any attempt to frame same-sex marriage as a civil rights issue or to legalize same-sex marriage; commended the use of a "Sinner's Prayer" in evangelism; and encouraged church members and churches to practice financial responsibility according to biblical principles. The 2013 annual meeting will be Nov. 11-12 at the Riverfront Convention Center in Alexandria. Bill Dye, pastor of North Monroe Baptist Church, is to bring the annual sermon. Stewart Holloway, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pineville, is the alternate. Benji Harlan, LBC church music strategist and NOBTS professor of church music, is to lead worship. Fred Guilbert, minister of music at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville and chair of the Louisiana College division of fine arts and media, is the alternate. --30-- Karen L. Willoughby is managing editor of the Baptist Message, official newsjournal for the more than 1,600 churches and nearly 600,000 members affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BGAV upholds decision to dismiss church by Robert Dilday Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday ROANOKE, Va. (BP) -- The Baptist General Association of Virginia upheld a committee's decision to end the state association's affiliation with a church which ordained an openly gay man to the ministry earlier this fall. Also at its Nov. 13-14 annual meeting in Roanoke, Va., with 785 registered messengers, the BGAV adopted without discussion or apparent opposition a 2013 budget which had sparked wide-ranging debate for a month. The $12.1 million budget is $300,000 less than this year's budget goal, the third consecutive annual budget reduction. When introduced by the BGAV budget committee Oct. 9, it won praise from some for what they said was greater support for evangelism, discipleship and new church starts. Others, however, expressed dismay at what they believed suggested a diminished role for BGAV entities other than the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. In response, the budget committee revised the proposal on Oct. 18, increasing allocations for some entities closer to 2012 levels, while retaining the overall budget goal. Budget committee chair David Washburn of Waynesboro, Va., said the 2013 budget is "rooted in reality." "We are all in this together," he said. "We value all partners and agencies and institutions. The decision [to reduce some allocations] did not come easily." If fully funded, the 2013 budget allocates $8,712,000 to BGAV ministries and $3,388,000 to world mission causes. But the amounts will depend, as they have for two decades, on which budget options churches select. Available to them are three pre-set giving tracks and a fourth customized option: -- The World Missions 1 track provides 66 percent for Virginia ministries and 34 percent for Southern Baptist Convention ministries. Currently about 27 percent of churches choose that option. -- The World Missions 2 track provides 72 percent for BGAV ministries and 28 percent for a combination of Virginia, SBC, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and other ministries. Some 28 percent select WM2. -- The World Missions 3 track provides 72 percent for Virginia ministries and 28 percent for CBF ministries. About 12 percent of churches choose that option. A customized option permits churches to craft their own giving track, selecting ministries to be funded and the percentage division. About 33 percent of churches choose to do that. For the first time, the budget includes a provision to engage in what the Southern Baptist Convention calls "shared ministries," allowing the BGAV to fund projects which are affected by a change in strategy by the SBC's North American Mission Board. That amount is about $480,000, or 5 percent of total BGAV contributions to NAMB. In the opening session of the BGAV meeting, messengers voted 164-426 against a motion to refer to a study committee the request that Ginter Park Baptist Church in Richmond withdraw its membership. In October, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's Executive Committee asked Ginter Park Baptist Church in Richmond to withdraw its BGAV membership by Dec. 31 after the congregation ordained an openly gay man in September. The request stipulated that if Ginter Park declined to withdraw by that date, the BGAV would no longer accept its financial contributions -- action which would essentially end the church's affiliation with the state association. At the BGAV meeting, Richmond pastor Jim Somerville said dismissal of a church was too significant to leave only to the BGAV Executive Committee. "I believe the Executive Committee acted in accordance with BGAV principles, but this is a big decision and the Executive Committee shouldn't make it alone," said Somerville, pastor of First Baptist Church in Richmond. He added he didn't want to open a discussion about homosexuality or church autonomy on the floor of the BGAV. Instead, he offered a motion to refer the action to a study committee to be appointed by the BGAV president, which would report at the 2013 annual BGAV meeting. Mark Ross, pastor of Marion (Va.) Baptist Church, supported the motion because Christians have "been wrong about many things and many of us would not be here today or in our churches if we let the past determine our future." "Let's look at what God would have us do, not in the past, but in the future," he said. But Travis Collins, pastor of Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond, said, "The Executive Committee's action is consistent with what we have done before.... It's consistent with my understanding of Scripture and probably with the understanding of the vast majority of Virginia Baptists." Don Davidson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., said few people would be persuaded by a year of study. Instead, it would be a year of "slow drift of being in the news and being discussed." "We are known as a moderate convention, though I'm on the conservative end of that," Davidson said. "And I'm at home with that. But this [ordination] is a step too far." This is the first time the BGAV has dismissed a church over homosexuality, but it has addressed the issue in the past. A 1993 resolution called homosexual behavior "sinful and unacceptable to Christians" and that statement is typically included in the state association's identity documents. A report from the BGAV's Christian life committee which drew the same conclusion was "commended to the churches" in 1998. The BGAV's ties to both the University of Richmond and Averett University were ended over homosexuality, though Averett's association was restored last year when the school clarified its stance in a way the BGAV regarded as compatible with its position. In an uncontested election, Richmond layman Carl Johnson was elected president -- the first person since 1944 to hold the post twice. Johnson, a retired denominational financial officer, was president in 1987. For the past year, he had been serving as the BGAV's first vice president. Johnson, a member of First Baptist Church in Richmond who retired in 2000 as chief financial officer of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, succeeds Mark Croston, pastor of East End Baptist Church in Suffolk, Va. Johnson was succeeded as first vice president by Tommy McDearis, pastor of Blacksburg (Va.) Baptist Church, who was elected 232-205 over Lee Ellison, pastor of Mount Hermon Baptist Church in Moseley, Va. Also elected was Kevin Meadows, pastor of Grandin Court Baptist Church in Roanoke, as second vice president. Meadows was the only nominee for the position. Fred Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society, was elected to a 31st term as clerk. Next year's BGAV meeting is set for Nov. 12-13 in either Fredericksburg, Va., or Washington's Northern Virginia suburbs. --30-- Robert Dilday is managing editor of the Religious Herald (www.religiousherald.org), newsjournal of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CULTURE DIGEST: 'Abortion Gang' urges repeal of pro-life Hyde Amendment by Staff Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Culture Digest will not be published during Thanksgiving week but will resume on Friday, Nov. 30. WASHINGTON (BP) -- The "Abortion Gang," a blog by "unapologetic activists for reproductive justice," is beating the drum for repeal of the Hyde Amendment. In a Nov. 7 post, a writer for the Abortion Gang urged President Obama to act to put an end to Hyde, which has prohibited Medicaid coverage of most abortions since 1976. Obama "must take a stand this January and strike restrictions on Medicaid coverage of abortion when he presents his budget to Congress," according to the post. The Hyde Amendment not only bars Medicaid funds for abortions but acts as a model for restrictions on abortion funding in other federal programs. For the Abortion Gang and other abortion rights advocates, reproductive rights do not fully exist unless the government pays for the abortions of those who cannot afford them. TV STAR SHARES TRIUMPH OF FAITH -- "Dancing with the Stars" champion and "All My Children" star J.R. Martinez said faith helped him survive the land mine explosion in Iraq that sidelined him for three years. In "Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength and Spirit," his recently published memoir, Martinez shares his life struggle, from his childhood, NFL hopes, the land mine explosion just a month into his service in Iraq, and his incredible revival as an actor and dance champion. "I took to talking to God, praying my way through more treatments, more surgeries," Martinez wrote in a brief account in Guideposts magazine before the release of the memoir. "I know I survived for a reason, Lord. Lead me to the other side of this pain, and show me that reason." Many became Martinez's fans in 2008 when he landed the role of wounded veteran Brot Monroe on All My Children, but little of his predicament was glamorous. After joining the Army in 2002, his life changed while driving a Humvee with three other soldiers at the head of an envoy. "I felt our left front tire hit something. A land mine. Boom! The other three guys were thrown clear of the explosion," Martinez wrote. He was left inside, burning alive. "No one could reach me. God, help me. The pain was indescribable," Martinez wrote. "I watched the skin melt and fall off my hands. Flames seared my face, my arms, my back, consuming me. I'm going to die." After his sergeant and team members freed him from the fire, Martinez spent nearly three years at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. With 40 percent of his body burned, he endured numerous skin grafts and surgeries. His mother never left his side, he said, her prayers overcoming his desire to die. "Be with my son. Comfort him, Lord," Martinez said his mother prayed. "We know you feel his pain. Keep him strong. Give him courage." Martinez has become a motivational speaker, using his story to help others overcome obstacles. "It teaches people we can all overcome," Martinez said of his book. "Change is scary, and I think my story allows you to understand -- you can make it work. We all have the power to make it work. We can find the way to do great things." COURT REJECTS HUSBANDS IN FORCED ABORTIONS -- The husbands of Chinese women who undergo forced abortions because of China's "one-child" policy are not automatically eligible for asylum in the United States, another federal appeals court has ruled, according to World News Service. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston agreed with four other circuit courts Oct. 3 when it decided a 1996 federal law does not cover husbands because "the focus is on persons targeted for a procedure, not upon the results of the procedure," World News Service reported. The law, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., permitted protection for "a person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or who has been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program." Smith intended for the law to cover husbands of victims of China's coercive population control policy, and early immigration court rulings agreed a husband could qualify as a refugee. In 2008, however, then-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey decided the law did not include husbands unless they had other well-founded fears of persecution, according to WNS. Xian Tong Dong, the husband in the First Circuit case, applied for asylum in the United States in 2006 and attempted to bring his wife and child to this country as well. Chinese authorities had forcibly aborted the couple's second child. Xian did not qualify because he did not show any "special circumstance -- that is, something more than his relationship to the recipient of a forced abortion," the First Circuit said. Husbands also are victims in forced abortions, said Kat Lewis, director of communications at All Girls Allowed, which combats China's "one-child" policy. "Forced abortion, an ugly effect of China's brutal one-child policy, has many victims," she said, WNS reported. "The mother suffers a violent, involuntary procedure and loses a child. The child suffers death. And the father suffers deeply at the loss of a child and violation of his wife's human dignity." PRO-LIFE GROUP TO CHANGE ENDORSEMENT PROCESS AFTER AKIN -- A major pro-life organization expects to change its process for endorsing candidates after Rep. Todd Akin's comments on rape apparently damaged his campaign for the U.S. Senate beyond repair. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said her organization will question candidates on such potential questions as abortion in the case of rape before making endorsements, according to The Washington Examiner. SBA List initially endorsed Sarah Steelman for the Republican nomination to run in Missouri against unpopular Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, but Akin defeated her in the primary. During a debate with McCaskill, Akin responded to a question about abortion in the case of a pregnancy by rape: "From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment. But the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child." That reply produced a wave of criticism of Akin, as well as an exodus of financial support from Republican groups. "With Akin, when asked about rape, there's only one thing you should say: 'What a horrible tragedy,'" Dannenfelser told The Examiner. "He clearly could have used a little bit of debate prep before he made that statement." She said of the SBA List's likely approach in the future, "We go through and I drill you on all the questions, all the tough things, and then you give it back to me. And then we see if that actually merits endorsement or not, because if you can't handle a rape question after everything that we just went through and all the damage that that caused, then you're not paying attention and you don't care enough to figure it out." Dannenfelser told The Examiner, "We think that women are great spokeswomen, they're natural spokeswomen -- that's why we have an emphasis on electing women as pro-life leaders. In addition to that, how we talk about that and how we communicate it in a compassionate and true way -- without fear -- is vitally important." DUPED INTO BEING SURROGATE, MOTHER SAYS -- A woman who gave birth to twins she believed she would rear as her own has learned she may be no more than a surrogate mother. Cindy Close, 48, delivered the babies in July at Texas Children's Medical Center in Houston only to be stunned by a visit from a social worker that night. "She told me we had a surrogacy situation," Close said, according to KHOU-TV in Houston. "I looked at her and said, 'I'm not a surrogate, what are you talking about?'" Marvin McCurrey acted as if he were Close's friend and said he would partner with her to rear the children, she said. Close became pregnant by in vitro fertilization using McCurrey's sperm and a donor egg, KHOU-TV reported. He sought custody with his homosexual partner when the babies were born. There was no romantic relationship between them, and she did not know McCurrey was homosexual, Close said. "We didn't have everything nailed down because it was based on trust," Close said, according to KHOU-TV. "There was never any contract and no money was exchanged." Close has visitation rights for only two hours a day, six days a week. A Harris County judge will rule in the custody case. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Erin Roach and Diana Chandler of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDVIEW: In Mideast, 'harvest time is now' by Erich Bridges Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Visit "WorldView Conversation," the blog related to this column, at http://worldviewconversation.blogspot.com. MIDDLE EAST (BP) -- There's a question that keeps Jack Logan* awake at night: Who is praying for the people of Syria? Not just because a murderous civil war is tearing Syria apart, though that tragedy is unfolding. Not just because millions of Syrians are suffering and need help, though they do. Who is praying for the Syrians whom God is drawing to Himself in the midst of great struggle? (See related stories here and here about ministry response among Syrian Muslim refugees.) They aren't embracing Christ just because Christians may be helping them survive tough times. Like so many others in the region, they are seeking truth because all else is collapsing around them. Logan, a Christian worker and strategist based in the Middle East, has seen it before. "Whenever there's a war and people are affected, the Lord opens up doors to give us access to people that we really never had before," Logan says. "It happened in 2006 during the war between Hezbollah [the Lebanon-based Shiite Muslim group] and Israel, which opened up unprecedented opportunities for us in an area that we had not had access to before." The same thing is going on now, as Syrians stream out of their embattled homeland -- and as the peoples of the Middle East continue to cope with the changes unleashed by "Arab Spring" political/social movements across the region. "My job is developing strategy for engaging the lost, the unreached and unengaged peoples for this part of the world," Logan reflects. "It's humbling, but at the same time it's incredibly exciting, because we see the Lord moving in ways that we never expected. I don't know how to explain it. I just know that in times like these, we have to have our senses tuned to what the Lord is doing. Hundreds of thousands of people that we had no access to inside of their country, we now do. It takes giving up our own agenda and saying, 'What do we need to sacrifice in order to get to these people that God has put on our back door?' "During these crises, this Arab Spring, this stirring of peoples across the Arab world, God is creating opportunities like we've never had before to reach people at a point of need, to embody and proclaim the Gospel." Yes, the wider region is experiencing unpredictable turmoil. Yes, violence and persecution have increased. Yes, it's dangerous to be a follower of Christ in certain places. Yet amid the ongoing crisis, the Arab world has become a harvest field for the Gospel. But after generations of sowing seeds in rock-hard ground, how many Christians believe it? "The harvest is now," Logan insists. "A few years ago I'm not sure I would have believed that myself. But it's not only believable right now, it is a reality. We're not preparing the harvest; we are working in a harvest field. This has to be ingrained in our expectations. People look at the Middle East and they see a barren land. They see sand and desert and dry land, not just physically but spiritually, and they look at it as an unreachable place. But our expectations are most often defined by past experience and present realities, when they should be based on what we believe God is going to do. "If we believe we're working in a harvest field, then we'll give up anything to make Christ known and worshipped in the darkest of places. I want the church in the United States to believe that. I want us [workers in the region] to believe that." Sounds a little like Hebrews 11. Earlier followers of the Lord experienced some very tough sledding in the Middle East -- before and after the birth of the Christian church -- and they turned the known world upside down by faith. Today, some of the most faithful and courageous heirs of that tradition are Muslim-background followers of Christ. Many have come to Him after experiencing dreams and visions, after counting the cost of obedience, after paying a steep price. I sat in a church with one such believer in Egypt earlier this year and listened to him gently challenge Christian-background brothers to overcome their fear and timidity in the face of opposition. "Christians have a problem with understanding their own religion, because if they understand their faith they're going to make real change," he told listeners. "The church has to move; it is not moving toward those from other backgrounds." A veteran Egyptian pastor leaned over and confided: "He is the future of the church in Egypt." Opposition is a given. Always has been. Followers of Christ who understand that recognize the signs of the times and keep moving. "These are people who are walking in darkness, who are blinded by the god of this world," Logan says. "We have the light of the Gospel inside of us. Do we perceive ourselves as Gospel bearers in a dark world? If so, then we have a responsibility to take the Gospel to the darkest places. Jesus told us to take the Gospel to all nations and make disciples. We know there will be people from every tribe, language, people and nation before the throne, so we know that there will be people from the Middle East. There will be Syrians, there will be Sunni, there will be Alawites, there will be Kurds, there will be Druze, there will be Palestinians, there will be Salafists, there will be activists, there will be secularists, there will be all these people who will worship Jesus. "I hope the church will consider what it's going to take for that to happen. We cannot get to the unreached and unengaged doing things the way that we have done. It's going to take a higher tolerance of risk. It's going to take a greater resolve to sacrifice, to give up and to follow Christ with abandon. What we really have to come to grips with is: Do we really love Jesus that much? People ask me all the time when I'm in the States, 'Isn't it dangerous?' I'm not sure that's the right question. Ultimately, there's nowhere safe these days. The real question is: Is Jesus worth it? If it's about ourselves, our safety, our future, or even doing it for the sake of the nations, that's not enough. "It's got to be about Jesus." --30-- *Name changed. Erich Bridges is a global correspondent for the International Mission Board. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Cuatro cosas con las que batalla cada líder by Luis R. López Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a http://www.bpnews.net/espanol NASHVILLE (BP) -- En un reciente seminario de líderes pregunté cuáles son las cosas con las que los líderes batallan más. Recibí muchísimas respuestas. Miramos las respuestas y básicamente las clasificamos en cuatro categorías grandes. Obviamente, fueron muchas las respuestas y no todas cayeron dentro de estas categorías. Se tomaría más que un artículo como este para hablar de cada una de ellas. Dios obra y continúa trabajando conmigo en cada una de estas áreas. La realidad es que si eres un líder, especialmente en una iglesia, luchas en algún momento con una de ellas. Algunas veces los líderes son culpables de creer en el poder de las promesas y la verdad de Dios para otras personas menos para sí mismos. Dios nos ayude. Aquí están, disfrútelas. 1. Sentirse plenamente capacitado. Casi cada líder eclesiástico con el que he hablado lucha con esto. De alguna manera u otra siente que no está debidamente preparado para algunas tareas que tienen que enfrentar en el ministerio. Entiendo perfectamente esto porque he estado allí. Al pensar más detalladamente en esto, las palabras de 2 Corintios 4.1 resuenan en mi mente. Por la gracia de Dios es que podemos ministrar. Estamos en capacidad de ministrar y liderar no por alguna cosa que hemos hecho o algún talento especial que hemos recibido. Dios ha tenido misericordia de mí y me ha llamado a El mismo. Las palabras de John Piper son pertinentes en este sentido: "No somos profesionales, somos ministros." Dios capacita al que llama a hacer una tarea específica. Contamos con esta seguridad. En confianza podemos actuar sin pretensiones sabiendo que El nos guía. 2. El orgullo. En algún momento sino durante toda nuestra vida luchamos con esto. El ego quiere quitar del lugar a Aquel que merece toda gloria. Las palabras de Pablo en 1 Corintios 1. 26 al 31 nos recuerdan la importancia de considerar nuestro llamamiento. Nos recuerdan cómo Dios ha escogido lo necio del mundo para avergonzar a los sabios y lo débil a lo que es fuerte a fin de que no nos jactemos. Si hemos de gloriarnos en algo, asegurémonos de gloriarnos en el Señor. El recordatorio de Santiago 4:6 al describir la lengua como un fuego, un mundo de iniquidad y que inflama el curso de nuestra vida nos puede servir de ayuda. 3. Confrontar a la gente. Si a usted le gusta confrontar a las personas es probable que sea de una especie muy extraña. Por lo general, tratamos de evitar problemas. No nos gusta tener que confrontar a la gente porque no es divertido. Es más fácil callarse, soportar o esconder la cabeza como el avestruz. Sin embargo, usted y yo sabemos que el confrontar a la gente con la verdad es necesario y saludable. Si queremos ayudar a maximizar el potencial de un equipo ministerial o de una congregación tendremos que confrontar. Si queremos alcanzar a la mayor cantidad de gente con el evangelio, necesitamos enfrentar a la gente con la verdad. La realidad es que no todos estarán de acuerdo con lo que pensamos. Es común tener puntos de vista diferentes. La idea es poder diferir de opiniones pero no con un espíritu de contienda o pugna carnal. 4. Fallar. No hay líder que no se enfrente a esto. Quién de nosotros se levanta cada mañana diciendo hoy quiero fallar. Quién ora antes de desayunar "Señor, por favor, hazme fallar este día. Amén." Ninguno de nosotros queremos cometer errores. Pero, los tendremos y muchos. Lo importante, como lo señala Mike Zigarelli, en su libro "Influya al estilo de Jesús", cuando los cometa y caiga "mantenga un enfoque de largo alcance". Es decir, errar es humano pero corregir o rectificar es sabio. Lo clave es no dejar que los errores que cometamos nos desvíen de seguir la visión que Dios nos ha dado. Proverbios 24.6 nos recuerda "porque el justo cae siete veces; y vuelve a levantarse, pero los impíos caerán en la desgracia. " Amigo, ánimo. ¡Adelante! que Jesús nos ve. Porque El vive, --30-- Luis R. López es el Director de LifeWay Español de LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn. http://www.LifeWay.com/espanol. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Líderes evangélicos instan a Obama y al Congreso a agilizar la reforma migratoria by Por Tom Strode Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Richard Land, especialista en ética bautista del sur y otros líderes cristianos han llamado al presidente Obama y a otros líderes del Congreso a actuar rápidamente el próximo año en un esfuerzo para reformar las leyes de inmigración del país. Land, presidente de la Comisión de Libertad Religiosa y Ética, se unió el martes (13 de noviembre) a otros nueve líderes de la Mesa Evangélica de Inmigración (EIT por sus siglas en inglés) para pedirles a Obama y a los líderes del Senado y de la Casa de Representantes reunirse con ellos a inicios de 2013 para discutir una solución bipartidista del controversial asunto. "Es tiempo pasado para nosotros como nación lidiar con este fastidioso y divisivo asunto," le dijo Land a Baptist Press el 14 de noviembre. "El fundamento y la estructura para una legislación de reforma justa, cabal e integral están ahí y necesitan ser adoptados por ambos partidos para el bien del país." Los líderes de EIT le pidieron al presidente que se reuniera con algunos de sus representantes durante los primeros 92 días de su nueva administración. Ellos pidieron una reunión con los líderes del Congreso en los primeros 92 días de la siguiente sesión. Escogieron 92 días porque la palabra hebrea para inmigrante: "ger," aparece 92 veces en la Biblia, dijeron. Están listos para respaldar una propuesta "que represente nuestros valores cristianos y edifique el bien común," dijeron los líderes. En sus cartas, los líderes de EIT reiteraron su llamado a una legislación que: -- "Respete la dignidad dada por Dios a cada persona; -- "Proteja la unidad del núcleo familiar; -- "Respete el estado de derecho; -- "Garantice fronteras nacionales seguras; -- "Asegure imparcialidad a los contribuyentes; -- "Establezca un camino hacia el estatus legal y/o ciudadanía para aquellos que califiquen y que deseen convertirse en residentes permanentes." La EIT, una nueva coalición en ese momento, citó los mismos seis principios en una declaración en junio que fue firmada por 150 evangélicos. Más de 20 bautistas del sur endosaron ese documento titulado una "Declaración evangélica de principios para una reforma de inmigración." En esa declaración, los firmantes reconocieron los esfuerzos de reparar lo que muchos de ellos describen como un sistema que no funciona que ha resultado en la polarización y la tergiversación de las "posiciones de los unos y los otros como fronteras abiertas y amnistía contra deportaciones de millones. Esta falsa elección lleva a un estancamiento político inaceptable a nivel federal a un costo humano trágico." Los otros que firmaron las cartas del 13 de noviembre junto con Land fueron Leith Anderson, presidente, Asociación Nacional de Evangélicos; Stephen Bauman, presidente, World Relief (Alivio mundial); David Beckmann, presidente, Bread for the World (Pan para el mundo); Noel Castellanos, director ejecutivo, Christian Community Development Association (Asociación cristiana de desarrollo comunitario) Robert Gittelson, presidente, Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Conservadores por una reforma migratoria integral); Samuel Rodríguez, presidente, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (Conferencia nacional de liderazgo cristiano hispano); Gabriel Salguero, presidente, National Latino Evangelical Coalition (Coalición nacional evangélica latina); Richard Stearns, presidente, World Vision United States (Visión mundial EE.UU.), y Jim Wallis, presidente, Sojourners (Residentes temporales). Ellos enviaron cartas al líder mayoritario del Senado Harry Reid, al líder minoritario del Senado Mitch McConnell, al líder de la Casa de Representantes John Boehner y a la líder de la minoría de la Casa de Representantes Nancy Pelosi, además de a Obama. Los mensajeros a la Convención Bautista del Sur 2011 en Phoenix, Arizona, aprobaron una resolución sobre reforma de inmigración que llamaba al avance del evangelio de Jesús al mismo tiempo que buscaba justicia y compasión. La medida instaba al gobierno a hacer una prioridad de la seguridad de la frontera y a tener los negocios a cuentas en su contratación de empleados. También solicitaba que los oficiales públicos establecieran después de asegurar las fronteras "un camino justo y compasivo para un estatus legal, con apropiadas medidas de restitución, para aquellos inmigrantes indocumentados que ya estuvieran viviendo en nuestro país." Especificó que la resolución no debía ser interpretada como apoyo a una amnistía. Durante varios años, Land ha llamado a una reforma integral que incluya un camino a la ciudadanía que consista de requerimientos tales como pagar multas, tener comprobación de antecedentes penales, aprender inglés, prometer lealtad al gobierno estadounidense, aceptar un período probatorio e ir al final de la fila detrás de aquellos que buscan entrar al país legalmente. --30-- Tom Strode es jefe de la oficina de Baptist Press en Washington. Obtenga los titulares y últimas noticas en Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) y en su correo electrónico ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Literalmente viendo crecer el fruto de su labor en el Telegraph Center en Oakland by Por Amanda Phifer Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday OAKLAND, Calif. (BP) –- Hay una metáfora sobre el fruto de la labor de los creyentes -- y a veces también da frutos literales. Exactamente esto es lo que está creciendo en un sitio que anteriormente no era muy atractivo y que ahora hospeda al Telegraph Ministry Center en Oakland: árboles frutales, coles, lechugas, zanahorias, brócolis, tomates, frijoles y todo tipo de hierbas aromáticas. Esta cornucopia de frutas y vegetales es el resultado del tipo de ministerio de alimentación más literal que hay, uno en el cual se ha embarcado este entro desde inicios de este año: un huerto comunitario. "Nuestro ministerio principal es proveer alimentos de emergencia y ropa para las familias e individuos que los necesiten, son unos 1,200 individuos al mes, y sólo de vez en cuando tenemos vegetales y frutas frescas para darles," explicó Chris Watson, el director del centro -- propiedad de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California -- desde el 2010. "Los vegetales y frutas frescos y la carne son lo que nuestros clientes piden más, y desde luego queremos que nuestros clientes estén saludables, así que un huerto nos pareció una buena idea. "Teníamos un terreno que solamente era pasto muerto y mala hierba, y queríamos hacer algo con él que no fuera solamente bonito sino también productivo," explicó Watson. Así que en febrero, él mismo, el personal del centro y los voluntarios comenzaron el proceso de convertir en un huerto comunitario ese terreno infestado de mala hierba y pasto muerto. Para su sorpresa, hubo quienes espontáneamente quisieron unirse a ellos. "Un hombre, cuya misión es ayudar a los jardineros locales a producir más para tener algo extra que donar a los bancos alimenticios, nos contactó para ofrecer trabajar con nosotros," dijo Watson. "Y a través de la conexión con él, hemos ganado algunos otros socios: FoodPool, Victory Garden Foundation, Hillside Gardeners de Montclair, y personas de la comunidad. Dios nos ha enviado los recursos." De hecho, la compañía Waste Management donó tierra para cultivo y mantilla -- dos cargas "enormes"; algunos viveros donaron plantas y semillas; las ferreterías locales donaron equipo para cultivo. El único gasto mayor --aparte del mucho sudor que involucra comenzar un huerto -- fue actualizar el sistema de irrigación para tener un sistema de riego por goteo—y uno de los voluntarios de la comunidad compartió el gasto con nosotros. "No sólo es esta una grandiosa oportunidad para tener vegetales y frutas frescos para nuestros clientes, si no que ha sido una medio de evangelismo para nosotros," dijo Watson. "Esto atrajoa nuestro centro a la gente de la comunidad, a quienes no tienen necesidad de ropa o alimentos y ha sido una manera maravillosa de comunicarnos con ellos y construir relaciones con ellos." Pero incluso un huerto bien plantado sufre si no se le atiende. Para evitar eso, hay de 5 a 12 voluntarios que vienen semanalmente (mayormente los sábados) para abordar la larga lista del mantenimiento de un huerto. Uno de los días especiales donde se invitó a la comunidad hubo 45 voluntarios que hicieron proyectos especiales, como un jardín memorial. Los voluntarios, naturalmente, obtienen los beneficios de la primera cosecha. El huerto tiene tres áreas separadas, todas según un plan maestro diseñado en febrero: un área para árboles y arbustos frutales; un huerto de hierbas y especias para cocinar y lechugas; y una tercera área (todavía en proceso) que incluye de todo, desde tomates hasta frijoles. Watson -- quien libremente admite ser un jardinero novato -- dijo que aunque a veces fuera un reto organizar a todos los grupos dispersos para estar enfocados, le ayudó que todos tenían la misma meta. "Me ha sorprendido lo rápido que sucedió todo," dijo. "Nos sentamos a hablar en enero y para abril ya habíamos visto brotes de algunas plantas. Es muy gratificante ver que ha dado fruto tan rápido." ¿Será que habrá una "cosecha" de pollos en el futuro menú? Watson se ríe y contesta, "Bueno… probablemente no, pero uno nunca puede estar tan seguro." Eso sí que sería otro tipo de fruto, aunque uno con la misma meta de todas las actividades de Telegraph Center: un ministerio para los necesitados, en el nombre de Jesús. --30-- Este artículo fue publicado en el boletín informativo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California, llamado California Southern Baptist (csbc.com/csb). Amanda Phifer es una de las escritoras de esta convención. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Los franceses avanzan hacia una subvención completa del aborto by Por el Personal Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday PARIS (BP) -- Los legisladores franceses han votado a favor de proveer una subvención total del gobierno para el aborto. La Asamblea Nacional de Francia votó el 6 de octubre para aumentar al 100 por ciento la cobertura de los abortos quirúrgicos y médicos para el 2013, esto según los reportes de Associated Press, LifeSite News y otros medios. "Esta noticia es doblemente preocupantes," dijo Ben Mitchell, profesor de filosofía moral en Union University en Jackson, Tenn. "Obviamente la política aumentará la cantidad de vidas de bebés nonatos perdidas. Esa es la primera tragedia. "La segunda [tragedia] es que Francia ahora tiene una tasa negativa de remplazo. La cantidad de franceses nativos está encogiéndose. Sin embargo, la población de musulmanes está creciendo rápidamente. El futuro de Francia se irá pareciendo menos a París y más a Islamabad," dijo Mitchell a Baptist Press. La ley francesa ahora cubre el 70 por ciento del costo de los abortos médicos y el 80 por ciento de los abortos quirúrgicos. La asamblea también aprobó la provisión gratuita de todos los anticonceptivos a las jovencitas entre los 15 y 18 años de edad. Esto incluye a los anticonceptivos que causan abortos. "Las mujeres que quieren detener una embarazo no deseado tienen el derecho a tener cobertura: La puesta en vigor del derecho a escoger detener un embarazo es un servicio obligatorio del gobierno," dice la propuesta de ley, según informó Associated Press. En Francia, las menores de edad pueden tener un aborto sin el consentimiento de sus padres, y Francia fue el primer país que introdujo la droga abortiva RU'486, señaló AP. Se espera que el Senado francés, el cual está controlado por el Partido Socialista, apruebe ambas propuestas, reportó LifeSite News. De ser puestas en vigor, la ley requerirá cerca de $17.5 millones en fondos públicos anuales para pagar por los abortos, pero el costo podría aumentar a $0 millones si el gobierno pone en vigor un plan para aumentar la tasa de la cobertura por abortos promovida por el ministro de salud francés. El gasto será pagado con un impuesto de los jubilados para evitar añadir un déficit de $30 mil millones al sistema francés de salud, señaló Veronique de Rugy, una investigadora invitada en el Mercatus Center de George Mason University, en un escrito para la versión de internet de National Review. El número de abortos se calcula en 225,000 al año en Francia, aunque el 95 por ciento de las mujeres sexualmente activas usan anticonceptivos, según LifeSite News. El aumento del financiamiento del aborto fue una de las promesas de campaña del nuevo presidente Francia, François Hollande, antes que él y su Parido Socialista prevalecieran en las elecciones de mayo, derrotando al contrincante conservador, Nicolás Sarkozy. "Esta decisión, igual que las anteriores, muestran el extraño conjunto de prioridades del nuevo presidente francés," escribió de Rugy. "En una época donde la tasa de crecimiento económico en Francia es igual a cero por segundo cuarto consecutivo, uno pensaría que el gobierno de Hollande sería más serio en cuanto a abordar los problemas de la economía. Una manera sería anunciar que renunciará a su opresivo programa de impuestos y finalmente comenzará a cortar gastos. Pero me temo que solamente considerará estas opciones cuando el país esté a punto del colapso causado por el gobierno." --30-- Compilado por John Evans, un escritor residente en Houston; Compiled by John Evans, a writer based in Houston; Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press; and BP editor Art Toalston. -------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPENDIO CULTURA: Estrella de televisión comparte triunfo de fe by Por el personal Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: Compendio Cultura no será publicado durante la semana de Acción de Gracias pero reanudará el viernes 30 de noviembre. NASHVILLE (BP) -- "El campeón de "Dancing with the Stars" (Bailando con las estrellas) y estrella de "All My Children" (Todos mis hijos), J.R. Martínez dijo que la fe lo ayudó a sobrevivir la explosión de una mina terrestre en Irak que lo marginó durante tres años. En "Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength and Spirit" (Lleno de corazón: Mi historia de supervivencia, fortaleza y espíritu) su recientemente publicada biografía, Martínez comparte su lucha de vida, desde la niñez, esperanzas en NFL, la explosión de una mina terrestre apenas al mes de estar en servicio en Irak, y su increíble reavivamiento como actor y campeón de baile. "Empecé hablando con Dios, orando a mi manera a través de más tratamientos y más cirugías," escribió Martínez en un breve relato a la revista Guideposts antes de la publicación de la biografía. "Sé que sobreviví por una razón, Señor. Guíame al otro lado de este dolor, y muéstrame esa razón." Muchos se volvieron fans de Martínez en 2008 cuando él consiguió el papel del veterano herido Brot Monroe en All My Children, pero poco de este predicamento era glamoroso. Después de unirse al ejército en 2002, su vida cambió mientras manejaba un Humvee con otros tres soldados a la cabeza de una misión. "Sentí que la llanta delantera izquierda golpeó algo. Una mina terrestre. ¡Boom! Los otros tres muchachos fueron lanzados lejos de la explosión," escribió Martínez. Él se quedó adentro mientras se quemaba vivo. "Nadie podía alcanzarme. Dios, ayúdame. El dolor era indescriptible," escribió Martínez. "Yo miraba la piel deshaciéndose y cayéndoseme de las manos. Las llamas me quemaban la cara, los brazos, la espalda, y me consumían. Voy a morir." Después de que su sargento y miembros del equipo lo liberaron del fuego, Martínez pasó casi tres años en el Brooke Army Medical Center en San Antonio, Texas. Con 40 por ciento del cuerpo quemado, padeció numerosos trasplantes de piel y cirugías. Su madre nunca se alejó de su lado, dijo él, las oraciones de ella vencieron su deseo de morir. "Quédate con mi hijo. Confórtalo, Señor," dijo Martínez que oraba su madre. "Sabemos que sientes su dolor; mantenlo fuerte; dale ánimo." Martínez se ha convertido en orador motivacional usando su historia para ayudar a otros a sobreponerse a los obstáculos. "Él le enseña a la gente que podemos sobreponernos," dijo Martínez de su libro. "El cambio es espeluznante, y creo que mi historia les permite entender -- ustedes pueden hacer que funcione. Todos tenemos el poder de hacer que funcione. Podemos encontrar la manera de hacer grandes cosas." 'BRIGADA ABORTO' INSTA REVOCACIÓN DE DECRETO PRO-VIDA -- La "Brigada aborto," un blog de "activistas no apologéticos por la justicia reproductiva," está ostentosamente apoyando la revocación de la enmienda Hyde. En una publicación del 7 de noviembre, un escritor de la Brigada Aborto instó al presidente Obama a actuar para ponerle fin a Hyde, la cual ha prohibido la cobertura de Medicaid para la mayoría de los abortos desde 1976. Obama "debe pronunciarse este enero y asestar un golpe a las restricciones a la cobertura de abortos de Medicaid cuando presente su presupuesto al Congreso," de acuerdo al artículo. La enmienda Hyde no solamente prohíbe la financiación de Medicaid a los abortos sino que actúa como modelo para las restricciones al financiamiento de abortos de otros programas federales. Para la Brigada Aborto y otros defensores de los derechos al aborto, los derechos reproductivos no existen totalmente a menos que el gobierno pague los abortos de aquellas que no puedan hacerlo. CORTE RECHAZA A ESPOSOS EN ABORTOS FORZADOS -- Los esposos de mujeres chinas que sufren abortos forzados debido a la política de China de "un hijo" no son automáticamente elegibles para asilo en EE.UU., ha decretado otra corte federal de apelaciones, de acuerdo a World News Service. La Corte de Apelaciones del Primer Distrito en Boston coincidió con otros cuatro tribunales de circuito el 3 de octubre cuando decidió que una ley federal de 1996 no cubre a los esposos debido a que "el enfoque está en la persona específica que va a tener el procedimiento, no en los resultados del procedimiento," reportó World News Service. La ley, auspiciada por el representante Chris Smith, republicano de New Jersey, permitía protección para "una persona que ha sido forzada a abortar un embarazo o padecer una esterilización involuntaria, o quien haya sido perseguida por no practicarse o rehusarse a tener tal procedimiento o por otra resistencia al programa coercitivo de control de población." Smith intentó que la ley cubriera a los esposos de víctimas de la política coercitiva de control de población de China, y una anterior corte de inmigración estuvo de acuerdo en que los esposos podían calificar como refugiados. En 2008, sin embargo, el procurador general de EE.UU. de ese entonces, Michael Mukasey decidió que la ley no incluía a los esposos a menos que tuvieran otros bien fundados temores de persecución, de acuerdo a WNS. Xian Tong Dong,el esposo del caso del Primer Circuito, solicitó asilo en EE.UU. en 2006 e intentó traer a su esposa e hijo también a este país. Las autoridades chinas habían abortado forzadamente al segundo hijo de la pareja. Xian no calificó debido a que no mostró ninguna "circunstancia especial -- es decir, algo más que su relación con la receptora de un aborto forzado, dijo el Primer Circuito. Los esposos también son víctimas en los abortos forzados, dijo Kat Lewis, directora de comunicaciones de All Girls Allowed (Todas las chicas permitidas), que combate la política de "un hijo" de China. "El aborto forzado, un efecto feo de la política brutal china de un hijo, tiene muchas víctimas, dijo ella, reportó, WNS. "La madre sufre un procedimiento violento e involuntario y pierde a un hijo. El niño sufre la muerte. Y el padre sufre profundamente ante la pérdida de un hijo y la violación de la dignidad humana de su esposa." --30-- Compilado por Tom Strode, Erin Roach y Diana Chandler de Baptist Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Cuatro cosas con las que batalla cada líder by Por Luis R. López Date: November 16, 2012 - Friday NASHVILLE (BP) -- En un reciente seminario de líderes pregunté cuáles son las cosas con las que los líderes batallan más. Recibí muchísimas respuestas. Miramos las respuestas y básicamente las clasificamos en cuatro categorías grandes. Obviamente, fueron muchas las respuestas y no todas cayeron dentro de estas categorías. Se tomaría más que un artículo como este para hablar de cada una de ellas. Dios obra y continúa trabajando conmigo en cada una de estas áreas. La realidad es que si eres un líder, especialmente en una iglesia, luchas en algún momento con una de ellas. Algunas veces los líderes son culpables de creer en el poder de las promesas y la verdad de Dios para otras personas menos para sí mismos. Dios nos ayude. Aquí están, disfrútelas. 1. Sentirse plenamente capacitado. Casi cada líder eclesiástico con el que he hablado lucha con esto. De alguna manera u otra siente que no está debidamente preparado para algunas tareas que tienen que enfrentar en el ministerio. Entiendo perfectamente esto porque he estado allí. Al pensar más detalladamente en esto, las palabras de 2 Corintios 4.1 resuenan en mi mente. Por la gracia de Dios es que podemos ministrar. Estamos en capacidad de ministrar y liderar no por alguna cosa que hemos hecho o algún talento especial que hemos recibido. Dios ha tenido misericordia de mí y me ha llamado a El mismo. Las palabras de John Piper son pertinentes en este sentido: "No somos profesionales, somos ministros." Dios capacita al que llama a hacer una tarea específica. Contamos con esta seguridad. En confianza podemos actuar sin pretensiones sabiendo que El nos guía. 2. El orgullo. En algún momento sino durante toda nuestra vida luchamos con esto. El ego quiere quitar del lugar a Aquel que merece toda gloria. Las palabras de Pablo en 1 Corintios 1. 26 al 31 nos recuerdan la importancia de considerar nuestro llamamiento. Nos recuerdan cómo Dios ha escogido lo necio del mundo para avergonzar a los sabios y lo débil a lo que es fuerte a fin de que no nos jactemos. Si hemos de gloriarnos en algo, asegurémonos de gloriarnos en el Señor. El recordatorio de Santiago 4:6 al describir la lengua como un fuego, un mundo de iniquidad y que inflama el curso de nuestra vida nos puede servir de ayuda. 3. Confrontar a la gente. Si a usted le gusta confrontar a las personas es probable que sea de una especie muy extraña. Por lo general, tratamos de evitar problemas. No nos gusta tener que confrontar a la gente porque no es divertido. Es más fácil callarse, soportar o esconder la cabeza como el avestruz. Sin embargo, usted y yo sabemos que el confrontar a la gente con la verdad es necesario y saludable. Si queremos ayudar a maximizar el potencial de un equipo ministerial o de una congregación tendremos que confrontar. Si queremos alcanzar a la mayor cantidad de gente con el evangelio, necesitamos enfrentar a la gente con la verdad. La realidad es que no todos estarán de acuerdo con lo que pensamos. Es común tener puntos de vista diferentes. La idea es poder diferir de opiniones pero no con un espíritu de contienda o pugna carnal. 4. Fallar. No hay líder que no se enfrente a esto. Quién de nosotros se levanta cada mañana diciendo hoy quiero fallar. Quién ora antes de desayunar "Señor, por favor, hazme fallar este día. Amén." Ninguno de nosotros queremos cometer errores. Pero, los tendremos y muchos. Lo importante, como lo señala Mike Zigarelli, en su libro "Influya al estilo de Jesús", cuando los cometa y caiga "mantenga un enfoque de largo alcance". Es decir, errar es humano pero corregir o rectificar es sabio. Lo clave es no dejar que los errores que cometamos nos desvíen de seguir la visión que Dios nos ha dado. Proverbios 24.6 nos recuerda "porque el justo cae siete veces; y vuelve a levantarse, pero los impíos caerán en la desgracia. " Amigo, ánimo. ¡Adelante! que Jesús nos ve. Porque El vive, --30-- Luis R. López es el Director de LifeWay Español de LifeWay Church Resources en Nashville, Tenn. http://www.LifeWay.com/espanol.