The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/26/2012 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEK OF PRAYER: South African youth turn from despair by Laura Fielding Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (BP) -- It's hard not to be happy around 12-year-old Olwetu. She greets visitors with an infectious smile and sparkling eyes. Usually surrounded by friends, the outgoing South African seventh-grader is constantly smiling, laughing and talking. But this is not typical behavior among Olwetu's peers -- hopeless is the best word to describe youth from the nation's Xhosa minority in the slums of Cape Town. Most young people here must deal with a myriad of issues -- abuse, violence, drugs, gangs, rape, loss of one or both parents, poor education, HIV/AIDS, poverty. These problems have far-reaching tentacles affecting every family in the township.
"We began to see students that were asking ... 'What do I do when I've been raped by my uncle?' 'What do I do when my father and mother are abusing me?' 'I don't have any food at home.' 'My mom and dad don't have work.' 'My mom and dad are dead and I live with my aunt,'" said Bruce Erickson, a Southern Baptist missionary in Cape Town. "There are so many kids that live in such difficult situations without hope. They don't see a future for themselves here in South Africa. They don't see a future for themselves in their homes." Originally from California, Erickson and his wife Sheri have served in South Africa for nearly four years; they have three children, one of whom is in the U.S. attending college. Focused on reaching Xhosa youth in Cape Town with the love of Christ, the Ericksons use their educational skills to interact with the students at their schools. Thirty percent of South Africa's population is age 15 and under, compared to only 13 percent in the U.S., according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on health care issues in the U.S. and abroad. "What an incredible opportunity for us to reach a huge part of this population and really have a chance to impact a nation for Christ," Sheri said. The Ericksons lead a project for OneLife, an International Mission Board initiative to connect students in the United States with missions projects around the world. The Cape Town project's goal is to minister to South African learners -- primary and secondary school students. "We teach life orientation classes, which is sex education, character building, being a good citizen and also learning how to deal with bullies and gangs and abuse -- different things that the kids would face in their life," said Sarah Cowan, a journeyman missionary from South Carolina. She and Michal Mitchell, a journeyman from Illinois, have been assisting the Ericksons in the youth ministry. "After school, we have leadership clubs or girls [and boys] clubs, worship services -- different ways that we are able to interact with a few of the learners from our classes," Cowan continued, "and we're able to go deeper with them and to share the Gospel." Olwetu met Cowan and Mitchell in the after-school girls club at Mzamomhle Primary School, one of seven schools where the Ericksons and the short-term missionaries teach. It was there that Olwetu received Christ. "[Sarah and Michal helped make me] who I am today and how good I am," Olwetu said. "They give me so many courages to just carry on with life and love Jesus, as He forgave me of my sins -- so that's how I live." Olwetu and her younger sister live with their mother, Lindiwe, in Philippi, a typical Cape Town township riddled with poverty, crime and abuse. Their father died in 2005 from stomach ulcers. "Sarah and Michal, they're good people for Owletu," Lindiwe said. "They take her to the church and Olwetu learn a lot of things. ... She love Sarah and Michal very much, and Sarah and Michal love Olwetu, also." As Olwetu accompanied Cowan and Mitchell on house visits to other students' families, she realized she wants to be a social worker and impact people's lives the way the journeymen have touched hers. "She went from wanting to be an actress and just being silly all the time to realizing that she wanted to do more in life, and she wanted to show God's love," Mitchell said. "I was sad to look at children who have no parents, as I will grow up without a father, so I want them to have a better future," Olwetu said. "They must have hope that if you don't have your mother or a father, the life is not over -- you can still carry on." Bruce Erickson's vision is to see more lives transformed like Olwetu's -- not to temporarily engage youth while they are school age but to build a lasting Christian foundation. "We see the receptiveness of youth to the Gospel," he said. "We also feel that's the next generation of leadership of the church. ... [We] encourage the churches to really target that age group, too, so that they can start building up the next generation of believers to lead and change this country." By reaching the youth, the Ericksons also have opened doors to reach parents and get entire families involved in church. Kwanele Cement, a South African pastor of New Crossroads Baptist Church, is working with Erickson to connect with youth. He is teaching life orientation classes in schools and also conducts Christian youth groups at his church. Through asking parents' permission for their children's involvement in youth group, Cement was able to start a Bible study for the adults -- 15 are now believers. The parents' Bible group is significant in a country where churches lack positive male role models. In the youth outreach, Cowan and Mitchell focus on reaching girls and their specific issues -- rape, gender violence, sex education and self-esteem -- while Erickson focuses on reaching boys and helping them grow into godly men. "My heart is to see churches -- Xhosa churches -- that have youth in them, sitting in the church that has more men involved in leadership," Erickson said. "That won't happen unless we reach this age group, and then we begin to really help the churches build a heart for keeping the youth engaged and involved." With so many physical, emotional and spiritual challenges, what the children of Cape Town need most is to know someone cares. "It communicates so much ... that someone would be willing to leave where they are at and to come and to share their life with them because they love them," Sheri Erickson said. "Christ's love in real skin is what it is." --30-- Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. Learn more about OneLife at onelifematters.org or email go@onelifematters.org. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at www.imb.org/offering where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- He helps Zambians care for AIDS patients by Laura Fielding Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. LUSAKA, Zambia (BP) -- Troy Lewis' deep, melodic voice is brimming with emotion as he talks about the people of Zambia. The IMB missionary's heart became burdened for sub-Saharan Africa during his college and seminary studies. He heard stories of how the Gospel was taking root and spreading through new believers and churches. However, Lewis also heard reports about the rising HIV/AIDS pandemic -- at the time, 6,000 people were dying each day in sub-Saharan Africa from the disease and 8,000 were being newly infected. "With many Gospel-proclaiming churches, why has this march of death and new infections run unabated where abundant life should be demonstrated at its best?" Lewis asked during a presentation at the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. "To unbelieving nations -- is this what a place looks like when we've 'reached' it [for Christ]?" Christ-like response Lewis and his wife Tracey moved their family from Dallas, Texas, to Zambia, a country slightly larger than Texas, in 2001 to serve as missionaries to the people they had come to love. Lewis counsels churches and their leaders to develop a Christ-like response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other problems affecting Zambia's communities, through Expanded Church Response (ECR), which he serves as executive director and a founding trustee. "While we're getting people ready for heaven, how do we deal with each other, love each other, forgive each other, all that -- what about between now and heaven?" Lewis asked. "... Do we really look like Jesus?" Started in 2003, ECR has trained approximately 3,000 volunteers to be home-based caregivers who get "out of the four walls of church and into the community and [are] providing care for HIV/AIDS [patients]," Lewis said. ECR now has volunteers in 24 of Zambia's 72 districts. "I can only go and visit so many homes; I can only go and do True Love Waits [an abstinence-before-marriage program] in so many places," he said. "But right now through [ECR] we've been able to exponentially increase the impact we've been able to make through helping people discover that God has put them here for a purpose." ECR has expanded its ministries to help people with other debilitating illnesses such as cancer, age-related conditions and strokes. Caregivers also distribute mosquito nets and teach people how to prevent malaria -- another deadly threat in Zambia. Understanding their pain God began to prepare Lewis for ministry as a boy. "If there was any type of bacteria or virus in the county, I invited it into my body to multiply and use as a petri dish," he joked. During kindergarten and first grade, he missed more than 60 days of school due to illness. "I remember just ... looking out the window, just wishing I could be well like everyone else, like the other kids," he recalled. "... [I] asked God, 'Why is this happening?'" Lewis' frequent childhood illnesses stunted his athletic development. He also wore hand-me-downs since money was tight for his family -- issues that made him an easy target for school kids who teased and ostracized him. As he grew older, Lewis overcame his frequent sickness and lack of coordination; being ridiculed, however, had a more lasting effect. When Lewis went on his first mission trip as an adult to Zambia and Kenya, his team visited people suffering with AIDS; many are rejected by their communities because of the stigma associated with the disease. As Lewis talked with the victims, painful memories came flooding back. "I knew that look of just being sick and just wishing that you could be like everybody else.... It really kind of explained all those years I asked, 'Why God?'" he said. "Out of that pain in my life there -- it didn't compare with the pain these people were going through -- but it gave me this heart for these people that were rejected, ostracized and sick." Reaching the community Lewis has made sure that ECR also serves communities through disaster relief, hunger relief, AIDS testing, providing income-generating activities, teaching savings plans, supporting schools and helping vulnerable children. He is helping churches realize that when they lead people to Christ, they "give them the Good News about heaven, but then also we share ... that God has put you here for a purpose -- Psalm 139 -- how God has created us and how He expects us to be a steward of our time, of our lives, of our resources, of what we have to glorify [Him]." AIDS in Zambia affects 13.5 percent of the population -- nearly 1 million people. Though the pandemic seems overwhelming, HIV infections actually decreased by 25 percent between 2001 and 2009, according to UNAIDS. Southern Baptists can help make a difference in a number of ways, Lewis said. Financial contributions through the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions help missionaries like Lewis continue their ministries. Support from Southern Baptists "makes it possible for me to be here and to pour my time, heart, effort, life into this work," Lewis said. Meanwhile, Baptist Global Response, a key IMB human needs partner, helps support disaster relief and community development projects. ECR's caregivers distribute hospice care kits filled with items that provide help and comfort to AIDS victims and other terminally ill patients. Individuals and churches can volunteer through BGR to pack and donate buckets, which Lewis said are a "bright light of sunshine" to recipients. "Hunger is a huge need here," Lewis said in reference to the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund, 100 percent of which is used to feed the hungry overseas and domestically. And volunteers from all walks of life can venture to Zambia to help make a difference in communities as they share the love of Christ, Lewis said, adding, "You don't have to be a Bible scholar." --30-- Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Black missionary relates to Zambians' struggles by Laura Fielding Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: This year's Week of Prayer for International Missions in the Southern Baptist Convention is Dec. 2-9 with the theme of "BE His heart, His hands, His voice" from Matthew 16:24-25. Each year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions supplements Cooperative Program giving to support Southern Baptists' 5,000 international missionaries' initiatives in sharing the Gospel. This year's offering goal is $175 million. To find resources about the offering, go to www.imb.org/offering. LUSAKA, Zambia (BP) -- When Troy Lewis came to Zambia, more than 10 years ago as an IMB missionary, he already had an intuitive understanding of many Zambians' struggles. For Lewis, his own context of civil rights in the United States helped him connect with Zambians who have dealt with similar race issues. "Being an American and raised up in the West, but understanding some of those structures there, has allowed me to be a bridge," Lewis said. And his connection didn't end there. Holistic ministry has long been prevalent in U.S. black churches, combining evangelism and discipleship with meeting human needs. Lewis drew on this experience to counsel Zambian church leaders how to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other human needs issues. In recent years, the number of African American missionaries serving with the International Mission Board has decreased by approximately 40 percent. Of IMB's nearly 5,000 missionaries, about 30 are African American. One reason for this, Lewis believes, is that many African American churches are focused on ministering to their own cities, or their "Jerusalems," in reference to Acts 1:8: "... you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Lewis encourages black churches to get involved in the Great Commission because working in the uttermost parts of the world teaches churches to minister more effectively to their "Jerusalem." "Jesus didn't say do Jerusalem first and then [go overseas]. He told us to do all of it," Lewis said. "God was looking at globalization before globalization became a topic to the world. ... We have to think about going where God is going and that is looking globally and seeing what He is doing amongst all people across all the world." --30-- Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. To learn more about the unique impact that African Americans can make on the international mission field, contact Keith Jefferson, IMB ethnic missional church strategist, at kjefferson@imb.org or call 1-800-999-3113, ext. 1422. Southern Baptists' gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and through the Cooperative Program help Southern Baptist missionaries around the world share the Gospel. Gifts for the offering are received at Southern Baptist churches across the country or can be made online at www.imb.org/offering where there are resources for church leaders to promote the offering. Download related videos at www.imb.org/lmcovideo. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Supreme Court revives Obamacare challenge by Staff Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP) -– Religious objections to the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate have gained new life after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a federal appeals judge to reconsider a Christian university's challenge to the health care law. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously dismissed Liberty University's challenge to the law's individual and employer insurance mandates as well as the subsequent mandate by the Department of Health and Human Services that employee health insurance cover contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs. While Liberty appealed to the Supreme Court, the court dismissed the appeal when it issued its groundbreaking decision upholding Obamacare in June. But the High Court Monday (Nov. 26) granted Liberty a new hearing, ordering the 4th Circuit to reconsider Liberty University v. Geithner in response to a new appeal Liberty filed after the June decision. The nonprofit Liberty Counsel, representing the Virginia university, said the newest development revives the religious challenge to Obamacare, possibly returning the issue to the Supreme Court in 2013. "Today's ruling breathes new life into our challenge to Obamacare. Our fight against Obamacare is far from over," said Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver, dean of Liberty University's law school. "Congress exceeded its power by forcing every employer to provide federally mandated insurance. But even more shocking is the abortion mandate, which collides with religious freedom and the rights of conscience." At least 35 Christian universities and businesses have filed suits against the health care mandates, including Louisiana College, Houston Baptist University and East Texas Baptist University. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission joined the legal fight in October, signing a friend-of-the-court brief in support of a joint challenge by evangelical Wheaton College in suburban Chicago and the Roman Catholic Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. The ERLC was among 11 evangelical groups signing the brief filed by the Christian Legal Society in support of the Wheaton and Belmont Abbey appeal. Liberty University's challenge, filed in 2010, marked the first private lawsuit against Obamacare. According to Liberty Counsel, the original lawsuit said Congress lacked the authority to pass the health care law and challenged the government's forced funding of abortion as unconstitutional, based on the First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion Clause and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In reconsidering the case, the appeals court could ask both sides for new legal briefs, according to news reports. The Obama administration did not oppose the Supreme Court's ruling but, according to news reports, told the court that none of Liberty's remaining challenges hold legal merit and that its challenge to the employer mandate is blocked by the Anti-Injunction Act. The act was enacted in 1867 to stop federal courts from preventing the federal government from assessing and collecting taxes. Others suing the federal government over Obamacare include Hobby Lobby, Christian publisher Tyndale House, Priests for Life and the EWTN Catholic television and radio network. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Diana Chandler. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- College students to help Sandy survivors by Joe Conway Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday EDISON, N.J. (BP) -- College students will have their second opportunity in as many years to use their holiday breaks to minister to disaster survivors in the Northeast as the North American Mission Board is coordinating their deployment to respond in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. "The opportunities for short-term mobilization will be ongoing because the need is so great," said Susan Peugh, a NAMB staff member who coordinates volunteer opportunities and helped pull the initiative together. "It is great to see this partnership come together to assist the people affected by Sandy. We know students want to help and [we] have seen the excellent ministry they have provided in the past. The opportunities to serve here will be life-changing," Peugh said. The first wave of students, expected Dec. 7, will lodge at Staten Island's Arlington Warehouse and will pay for the privilege. A $15 registration fee and a $15 per-night fee will help reduce logistical expenses, such as insurance, identification badges and lodging. The students will work with trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers, primarily assisting residents affected by Sandy to clean up their properties. Students will be required to view a SBDR training video prior to traveling to New York. They will receive additional onsite training specific to their assignments. More than 350 students assisted in SBDR clean up ministry last year in response to Hurricane Irene. Campus student directors and college students interested in ministry opportunities in the area may register at regonline.com/collegiatedr (use code "collegiatedr"). A mobilization coordinator will contact those expressing interest to connect them with ministry opportunities. SBDR volunteers surpassed the 1.5 million meals prepared mark Nov. 23. Kitchen operations will continue to decline as power is restored, but the recovery efforts, like those with which the students will assist, will continue for months into the new year, according to NAMB DR executive director Fritz Wilson. On Thanksgiving Day, six SBDR kitchens in New York and New Jersey prepared 40,000 meals. Volunteers have reported 57 individuals who have made professions of faith in Christ as a result of SBDR ministry. One of those ministry contacts included NAMB trustee chairman Doug Dieterly. His Indiana SBDR volunteer team was working a mud-out job at a condo in New Jersey when they were able to share the Gospel with the owner who prayed to receive Christ. Dieterly, an attorney, is executive pastor of Plymouth Baptist Church in Plymouth, Ind. NAMB also is coordinating church-to-church partnerships in the region. Churches interested in assisting churches in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy may email disasterrelief@namb.net to submit their requests for partnership. In total, more than 1,200 SBDR volunteers from Canada and 37 states have responded to Sandy. Baptist convention volunteers have served from Alabama, Arkansas, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas-Nebraska, Kentucky, Maryland/Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota/Wisconsin, Mississippi, Missouri, New England, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, the Northwest Baptist Convention, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania/South Jersey, the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, the Southern Baptists of Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah/Idaho and West Virginia. Also responding are volunteers from North Carolina Baptist Men and Texas Baptist Men. From its disaster operations center in Alpharetta, Ga., NAMB coordinates and manages Southern Baptist responses to major disasters through a partnership between NAMB and the SBC's 42 state conventions, most of which have their own state disaster relief programs. SBDR assets include 82,000 trained volunteers, including chaplains, and some 1,550 mobile units for feeding, chainsaw, mud-out, command, communication, childcare, shower, laundry, water purification, repair/rebuild and power generation. SBDR is one of the three largest mobilizers of trained disaster relief volunteers in the United States, along with the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. Southern Baptists and others who want to donate to the disaster relief operations can contact their state conventions or contribute to NAMB's disaster relief fund via namb.net/disaster-relief-donations. Other ways to donate are to call 866-407-NAMB (6262) or mail checks to NAMB, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Designate checks for "Disaster Relief." --30-- Joe Conway 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). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Tenn. Baptists approve Vision 2021 report by Lonnie Wilkey Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday BARTLETT, Tenn. (BP) -- Messengers to the 138th annual meeting of the Tennessee Baptist Convention at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, Tenn., overwhelmingly adopted the report of the Vision 2021 Team which included 10 recommendations. Among the recommendations was the adoption of a new vision statement and seven core values, along with an affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and a plan to move toward a 50/50 distribution of Cooperative Program funds with the Southern Baptist Convention by the 2018-19 budget year. In addition, messengers elected Morristown pastor Dean Haun as president and chose the convention's first African American vice president -- Michael Ellis, pastor of Impact Baptist Church in Memphis. Among other items of business, messengers adopted a $37 million budget and approved a new missions partnership in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The meeting drew 926 registered messengers from 419 churches, the lowest messenger count in decades. The last time the annual meeting was held in West Tennessee was in 2009 when 1,173 messengers from 541 churches attended. The 2011 annual meeting drew 1,211 messengers from 500 churches. Vision 2021 report The Vision 2021 Team was authorized by messengers to the 2010 annual meeting in Knoxville. Danny Sinquefield, chairman of the Vision 2021 Team and pastor of the host church, said prior to the annual meeting that the team prayerfully listened to Tennessee Baptists over the past 24 months as it tried to formulate a plan which "celebrates and affirms our historic partnerships" while refocusing "ministry and missions priorities around the lostness in Tennessee and around the world." Team member Poly Rouse, pastor of Hermitage Hills Baptist Church in Hermitage, agreed. "During our 24-month journey we have literally cried out to God asking for wisdom and direction," he told messengers. Rouse shared that the team had multiple meetings with entity heads and Tennessee Baptists across the state. "With each step, we have gained insight which has culminated in this presentation," Rouse said. Rouse was one of several team members who spoke during the presentation of the Vision 2021 Team's report. During the annual meeting Sinquefield challenged Tennessee Baptists to "join our hearts and hands together in a spirit of cooperation to get the job done." In a symbolic move, messengers were given pieces of rope and encouraged to stretch across the sanctuary of Faith Baptist. "We need to extend our reach," Sinquefield said. "Wouldn't it be great if the TBC came to be known less as Tennessee Baptist Convention and became known more as Together Believers Can?" he asked. The presentation was given over three sessions with a series of recommendations that were considered separately by messengers. The following recommendations were approved. (1) Messengers adopted a new vision statement for the convention: "Our vision is to penetrate lostness and advance the gospel across Tennessee and to the ends of the earth by asking God to bring a sweeping spiritual awakening in our churches transforming our hearts toward radical obedience." (2) The Vision Team presented six core values for the Tennessee Baptist Convention: humility, honesty, urgency, unity, generosity and accountability. Messenger Shelby Smith of Walter Hill First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, proposed a seventh core value -- holiness. Smith observed that "when we fail to understand the holiness of God we have lost the power of God." Sinquefield said the team would be in favor of adding the seventh core value. A motion to amend the recommendation to include "holiness" passed by a show of ballots. (3) Messengers approved a unified revival theme of "It's Time!" based on Hosea 10:12 as the focus for the year ahead. The recommendation included a call to solemn assembly and encouraged churches to engage in seasons of prayer, confession and repentance and to strive for reconciliation of relationships between individuals and churches. It also called for "acceptance of our personal and corporate failure in following the Great Commandments and fulfilling the Great Commission -- becoming burdened for the 3.6 million lost people in Tennessee and billions more around the world." (4) Messengers approved the following mission statement for the convention: "The Tennessee Baptist Convention is a cooperating network of churches, and related ministry partners, committed to reaching Tennessee and the world for God's glory by sharing the gospel and multiplying disciples." (5) Messengers affirmed four priority ministries for the TBC Executive Board for the next 10 years (to be evaluated annually). They are sending churches, strengthening churches, starting churches and supporting churches. (6) In accordance with actions taken by the TBC in 2006, messengers affirmed the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as the convention's "confessional foundation guiding our faith and practice as a convention of churches." This recommendation was adopted without discussion. (7) Messengers approved a recommendation which "respectfully requests that each church consider increasing their support of the Cooperative Program, making this a significant part of their church's mission giving strategy as we partner together in fulfilling the Great Commission." "Leaders need to step up and lead," Sinquefield said of the recommendation. He noted that Faith Baptist Church has begun the process to increase its CP gifts. The recommendation was adopted without discussion. (8) In accordance with actions taken in 2010, messengers adopted a recommendation to request the Executive Board to move to a 50/50 distribution of Cooperative Program funds between the TBC and the Southern Baptist Convention beginning with the 2013-14 budget with the goal of reaching the 50 percent equal distribution by the 2018-19 budget year. Sinquefield noted this recommendation "has caused more discussion than any other" of the recommendations. It was acknowledged that the TBC has increased its SBC portion including a half percent increase in this year's budget. In response to a question, Sinquefield said the intent of the recommendation is to accomplish the goal in a six-year timeframe. The recommendation passed by a show of ballots. (9) Messengers approved a recommendation to "request the Executive Board to facilitate statewide cooperation through the establishment of a strategic regional TBC presence focused on engaging churches and associations in the development and deployment of strategies for sending, starting, strengthening and supporting churches." Sinquefield noted this is already happening, citing the leadership of TBC Executive Director Randy Davis. In response to a question from Scott Linginfelter of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Maryville, Davis said the recommendation would not involve new staff or buildings. Messenger Michael Adams of First Baptist Church in Lexington expressed concern that the convention would be competing with local associations. Sinquefield stressed that was not the case. The intent, he said, was to get state convention staff in a closer partnership with the local associations across the state. The recommendation passed by a show of ballots. (10) The Vision Team's final recommendation called for the formation of a Vision 2021 Transition Team, consisting of seven members from the Vision Team and two officers (president of the convention and chairman of the Executive Board) with the TBC executive director and a representative from the entity leaders serving as ex officio members. The recommendation noted the transition team "will guide the process toward accomplishment of the actions approved by this convention, receive reports from TBC entities regarding actions taken in response to requests, report progress and response to the convention and recommend to the convention additional actions necessary to the fulfillment of the convention's vision, mission, priorities and budgets." Sinquefield said he would name the transition team. He sent a list of the team members to the Baptist & Reflector Nov. 15. The transition team includes Chuck Groover (chair), pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Mt. Juliet; Corey Cain, pastor of Maplewood Baptist Church in Paris; Bruce Chesser, pastor of First Baptist Church in Hendersonville; Mike Day, senior associate pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett; David Green, pastor of First Baptist Church in Greenville; Larry Robertson, pastor of Hilldale Baptist Church in Clarksville; and Jamie Work, pastor of Candies Creek Baptist Church in Charleston. Other members are Dean Haun (TBC president), Bob Brown (chair of the TBC Executive Board who is pastor of First Baptist Church in Dandridge), and two ex-officio members: Davis (TBC executive director) and David Dockery (president of Union University, representing the entity leadership). Gary Gerhardt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Church Hill, questioned the need for a transition team rather than the existing Executive Board and the costs involved. Sinquefield said the Vision Team has already been involved in the process and has "reams of information" that will be needed for implementation. "Our task is not completed until implementation takes place," he said. The recommendation passed. Officers All three ministers were unopposed for office and were elected by acclamation. Dean Haun, current TBC vice president and pastor of First Baptist Church in Morristown, was named president after being nominated by Bob Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dandridge. Brown also is chair of the TBC Executive Board. Brown noted that First Baptist Morristown gives 11 percent of its undesignated funds through the Cooperative Program to Southern Baptist causes and the church is in the top 200 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention in giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. Brown also reported on the many ministries of the church started during the five years Haun has served there. Haun also has served as a board member of the International Mission Board, Brown said. Michael Ellis, pastor of Impact Baptist Church in Memphis, was elected as vice president by acclamation, becoming the first African American to hold a TBC office. He was nominated by Mike Day, senior associate pastor at Faith Baptist Church and former director of missions for the Mid-South Baptist Association. Day observed that Ellis "is a man of prayer, humility and faith." Day noted that while the election of Ellis would "cross historic, bridge eclipsing barriers" his selection would be much more than an historic opportunity. This is an opportunity to elect a man from a cooperative church who encourages his church to tithe and give through the Cooperative Program, Day said. Ellis, who is retired from the U.S. Navy after serving 21 years, has led Impact Baptist, a church plant of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, for six years and has seen it grow from 22 members to 1,300. Steve Freeman, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Springfield, was named second vice president by acclamation. Freeman was nominated by Corey Cain, pastor of Maplewood Baptist Church in Paris. Cain noted that while Freeman has served the church for the past five years it has grown and Freeman has baptized 220 people there. The positions of recording and registration secretary are no longer elected each year. They are currently filled by Julie Heath (recording) and Dan Ferrell (registration). Budget Messengers approved a budget of $37 million for 2012-13, an increase of $250,000 or 0.7 percent over last year's budget. The budget is divided 59.25 percent for TBC causes and 40.75 percent for SBC causes. The amount intended for the SBC was increased this year by half a percentage point. During the introduction of the budget, Paul Rose, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Covington and a trustee of the Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes, noted that in 2002 the TBC voted to restore TBCH to 5 percent of the budget. "We have not met that 5 percent goal," Rose said. In this year's budget, the TBCH will receive $1,727,900 or 4.67 of the TBC portion of the budget. Rose made a motion to amend the budget to "move the TBCH share to 5 percent of CP giving." The next day, Rose withdrew the motion noting he did not intend for his motion "to cause hardship" to the budget process and impact other ministry partners. TBC President Fred Shackelford noted that the motion could be withdrawn if no one objected. No objections were voiced, so the motion was withdrawn and the budget passed as presented. The budget does not include any funds listed as TBC-SBC shared expenses. Partnerships Tennessee Baptists without opposition adopted a five-year volunteer missions partnership with International Mission Board missionaries serving in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The partnership will begin Jan. 1, 2014 and run through Dec. 31, 2018, with a year of preparation beginning Jan. 1, 2013. The TBC also formally signed two partnerships that were established last year with Baptists in Italy and southwest Ohio. Tennessee Baptists formally recognized the end of a 10-year partnership with the Baptist Convention of Iowa. Jon Jamison of the Iowa convention presented a plaque to Davis and the TBC "expressing deep love and appreciation for Tennessee Baptists." Recommendations With one exception, recommendations from the Committee on Committees and Committee on Boards were approved by messengers. Gary Moats of Chestuee Baptist Church in Calhoun, made a motion to replace Jay McCluskey, pastor of North Cleveland Baptist Church in Cleveland, who was nominated to serve on the Executive Board, with Joel Jenkins, pastor of Benton Station Baptist Church in Benton Station. Moats cited McCluskey's printed response to the question, "Do you affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000?" McCluskey responded, "Yes, except the phrase in section VI that states 'The office of pastor is limited to men.'" In speaking to the motion, McCluskey noted the BF&M has not been a litmus test for leadership. He noted he has "been a team player" within the TBC his entire ministry and that his church gives more than 15 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program. In 2011, the church's CP gifts were $91,620 or 15.15 percent. A member of McCluskey's church, Steve Roper, spoke in favor of his pastor. Roper said the church has never had an ordained woman minister or deacon during McCluskey's 25-plus years of ministry at the church. Moats said he did not question McCluskey's love for God or what he has done but noted that one of the recommendations of the Vision 2021 Team was a recommendation affirming the BF&M. "He (McCluskey) did not support that statement," Moats said. The motion to vacate McCluskey was approved by a show of ballots vote. Jenkins was then approved for the position on the Executive Board. Jenkins expressed approval of the BF&M statement. His church gave $4,416 or 3.84 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program in 2011. Resolutions Three resolutions were passed including the traditional resolution of gratitude. Messengers approved, with some debate, a resolution on a sinner's prayer. The resolution noted that "God desires for every person to be saved and has made salvation available for any person who hears the gospel" and that "a free response to the Holy Spirit's drawing through the gospel is both possible and necessary in order for anyone to be born again." The resolution noted that this "is no one uniform wording found in Scripture or in the churches for a 'sinner's prayer'" and that "it is biblically appropriate to help a sinner in calling on the Lord for salvation." The resolution observed that a sinner's prayer "is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the gospel." The resolution commended "the use of a sinner's prayer as a biblically sound and spiritually significant component of the evangelistic task of the church." Finally, the resolution resolved that "we encourage all Christians to enthusiastically and intentionally proclaim the gospel to sinners everywhere, being prepared to give them the reason for the hope we have in Christ, and being prepared to lead them to confess faith in Christ, including praying to receive Him as Savior and Lord." Several speakers spoke in favor of the resolution which was presented by Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova; Chuck Herring, pastor of First Baptist Church in Collierville; and David Leavell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Millington. Herring noted that a sinner's prayer is a biblical response. Several people spoke against the resolution. Ben Simpson, pastor of West Main Baptist Church in Alexandria, said the resolution was unnecessary. "The SBC affirmed a better resolution on a sinner's prayer" at its annual meeting in June, Simpson said. Marty Comer, chairman of the Resolutions Committee and pastor of Sand Ridge Baptist Church in Lexington, said the committee was aware of the SBC resolution. "We are simply affirming praying is a biblical response to the grace of God," Comer said. "It is not an incantation." The resolution passed with some opposition by show of ballots. A resolution on ministers meeting for prayer and mutual encouragement was approved without debate. Other business -- Messengers debated a recommendation offered by Steve Tiebout, pastor of The River Church in Cookeville. Tiebout's motion requested "that the Executive Board strongly consider only appointing to the Church Planting Funding Team board members whose church is presently participating in church planting or have planted a church themselves." Concern was expressed by several messengers that the motion would restrict the Executive Board from carrying out its responsibility. "This is getting involved in the administrative process," said Jim Collier, pastor of Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis. The motion failed by a show of ballots vote. -- During the annual meeting, messengers heard sermons on shared vision and witnessed God at work through several baptism services held during the sessions. -- Messengers also heard reports from TBC Executive Board staff and TBC entities. -- A bylaws amendment was approved to codify action by the 2011 annual meeting which eliminated a Wednesday afternoon session. -- Messengers approved the following recommendations from the Committee on Arrangements: (1) Robert Gallaty, pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, will deliver the 2013 convention sermon with Gary Jared, pastor of Stuart Heights Baptist Church in Hixson, as alternate. (2) The Chattanooga Convention Center will be the site of the 2013 annual meeting Nov. 12-13. (3) Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood will host the 2014 annual meeting Nov. 11-12. The meeting in 2015 will be at First Baptist Church in Millington and was already approved by messengers. (4) The 2016 annual meeting will be Nov. 15-16 at the Sevierville Convention Center. Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will be a guest speaker at the 2013 annual meeting in Chattanooga. --30-- Lonnie Wilkey is editor of the Baptist & Reflector of Tennessee. With reporting by Connie Davis Bushey. -------------------------------------------------------------------- N.C. Baptists pray for spiritual awakening by Shawn Hendricks Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday GREENSBORO, N.C. (BP) -- After weeks of focused prayer and a call for spiritual awakening, the 182nd annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina ended with 34 North American Mission Board missionaries being sent out to plant churches in some of the least evangelized areas of the country and Canada. With the theme "Awaken," based on Romans 13, 1,605 messengers and 284 guests from 762 North Carolina churches gathered at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Special Events Center Nov. 12-13. On the opening night, people were on their knees -- and some face down on a concrete floor -- in prayer. The meeting focused on spiritual renewal, prayer and missions. "Our time together in Greensboro ... has been the object of much prayer," Mark Harris, BSC president and pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte, told the crowd. During the month of October, in response to a request by convention leaders, some North Carolina Baptists set aside time to pray daily for the annual meeting. "We've been praying that hearts would be awakened," Harris said, noting that coordinators sought to make this year's event "unlike any annual meeting." "They sense the Holy Spirit calling North Carolina Baptists to action," Harris said. Brad O'Brien, a former intern at The Summit Church in Durham, told how he and his wife Jenna Marie, who have two daughters, will serve as NAMB church planters in Baltimore. "We're going into a city that is less than 9 percent evangelical," O'Brien said. "We're asking for God to open doors for us that we couldn't open for ourselves." Budget In addition to the commissioning service and ministry reports, messengers approved a 2013 Cooperative Program budget of $33.5 million, which reflects no increase over the current year. "Our year-to-date receipts are significantly under the $33,500,000 approved budget for 2012," said Stan Welch, chair of the BSC Board of Directors' budget committee. "We felt it would be unwise to increase the budget at this point." For the eighth year, however, the BSC budget did include a one-half percentage point increase of the amount forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention, bringing the allocation to 36 percent. The North Carolina budget does not contain shared expenses with the SBC. To accommodate an increase to the SBC in 2013, messengers approved a 3 percent decrease for most of the institutions and entities of the North Carolina convention. Exceptions included the Baptist Children's Homes and Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute, which will receive the same allocation as they did the year before. The 3 percent decrease did include North Carolina scholarship programs. Messengers also approved a 2 percent cost of living increase for the convention staff. To offset the increase, convention team leaders will reduce program budgets by 3 to 5 percent for the upcoming year. The 2013 North Carolina Missions Offering goal and allocations remain unchanged from 2012. CP Challenge Messengers were challenged to increase their churches' Cooperative Program giving by 1 percentage point. Welch noted that since 2006 North Carolina Baptists have shifted a greater percentage of the budget to international missions, North American missions and to the six Southern Baptist seminaries, which includes Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. The budget allocation for the SBC has increased every year for the past seven years from 27.08 percent in 2006 to 35.5 percent in 2012. During the same period, the budget allocation for North Carolina ministries has increased from 34.8 percent in 2006 to 39 percent in 2012, Welch reported. The increase in funding for North Carolina ministries, he said, has allowed North Carolina Baptists to increase support for church planting in the state 90 percent from 2006 to 2012. As a result, in 2012 more than $1.5 million was allocated for church planting in North Carolina. Support for the Baptist Children's Homes also has been increased by 31 percent over the same period of time. "But there is a problem," Welch said. "The Cooperative Program budget pie has been shrinking from 36.4 million in 2006 to 33.5 million in 2012 -- nearly 3 million less for ministry." A 1 percent-of-budget Cooperative Program increase by all 4,300 Southern Baptist churches in the state would help solve the problem by providing $6 million per year in additional dollars for "Kingdom ministry." Welch said that would equate to an additional $3.9 million for N.C. ministries, and $2.1 million for the Southern Baptist Convention each year. "Our state convention's church planting team could help start 26 more churches across North Carolina each year, helping to reach 5.6 million lost residents of our state with the message of the Gospel," Welch said. "The Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina could provide for an additional 155 children who need to know of God's unfailing love." Resolution Messengers approved a resolution calling for the pursuit of holiness. They voted down a proposed amendment to the resolution that called for churches to support their pastors in taking a stand against cohabitation before marriage. To read the resolution, go to www.brnow.org/News/October-2012/Resolution-on-pursuit-of-holiness. Motions Messengers approved three recommendations from the BSC Board of Directors articles and bylaws committee to amend the convention's bylaws. The first motion, presented by committee chairman Bartley Wooten, involved amendments to two sections of a bylaw that addressed qualifications of non-board members serving on special committees of the Board of Directors. The motion limited the service of non-board members to a single place of service. The second motion involved changing the bylaws to reflect the title change of North Carolina Baptist Hospital's School of Pastoral Care to the Division of Faith and Health Ministries. According to the amendment, the change will not impact the relationship between North Carolina Baptist Hospital and the convention. The third approved motion was a series of proposed amendments that clarified inconsistencies involving the work of the Committee on Nominations. The amendment addresses how to handle situations involving individuals who are unable to complete a full term of service. To read the entire recommendation, go to www.brnow.org/News/October-2012/Summary-of-proposed-amendments-to-bylaws. Messengers also approved amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws for the Biblical Recorder. Gerald Hodges, chair of the Biblical Recorder's board of directors, explained that the purpose of the changes was to make the documents consistent with those of the Baptist State Convention, to bring them into line with North Carolina nonprofit corporation law, and to reconcile them with current day-to-day operations of the Biblical Recorder. Officers The three top leaders for the BSC were re-elected Nov. 13 to their respective posts for 2013 without opposition: president, Mark Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church in Charlotte; first vice president, C.J. Bordeaux, pastor of Gorman Baptist Church in Durham; and second vice president, Timmy D. Blair Sr., pastor of Piney Grove Chapel Baptist in Angier. Next year's annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina will be Nov. 11-12 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. --30-- Shawn Hendricks is managing editor of the Biblical Recorder in North Carolina. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- SBTC continues 55/45 CP budget by Jerry Pierce Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday SAN ANTONIO (BP) -- Messengers to the 15th annual meeting of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention re-elected President Terry M. Turner of Mesquite, Texas, by acclamation and passed a $26.3 million budget and eight resolutions on topics ranging from "a clear and complete" Gospel message to religious liberty violations in the federal health care law. The meeting at Castle Hills First Baptist Church in San Antonio, with the theme "Hearing and Doing," based on James 1:22, drew 916 registered messengers and 489 registered guests. Turner, pastor of Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church near Dallas, was unopposed and re-elected for a second one-year term. He is the first African American to serve as SBTC president. Garland pastor Russell Rogers nominated the Oklahoma native, noting his longtime friendship with Turner that began when Rogers was a young preacher and Mesquite Friendship was a fledgling work begun under Turner's leadership in 1991. Today, the church has more than 2,100 members. In visiting the church, Rogers said he was struck by how much the people at Mesquite Friendship love him, "and I quickly realized he loves them." In Turner, SBTC churches have "another gentleman we can love and who truly has a heart for God and a heart for us," Rogers added. Geoff Kolander, a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Hyde Park Baptist Church and an Austin attorney, was elected by acclamation as SBTC first vice president, while James Nickell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Quitman, was re-elected as recording secretary by acclamation. The 2013 budget of $26,343,626 is an increase of .26 percent over 2012. The convention will continue its 55/45 allocation of forwarding 55 percent of undesignated receipts to the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program allocation budget and retaining 45 percent for in-state ministry -- the largest share for church planting, missions and evangelism. Chief Financial Officer Joe Davis told messengers the SBTC finished the giving year fourth in total CP dollars forwarded to SBC work behind Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The 55 percent forwarded to the SBC is the highest portion of any state convention. Messengers also passed eight resolutions, without discussion, on topics ranging from how the Gospel is proclaimed to religious liberty violations in the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The resolution "On Evangelism and Missions" called for "a clear and complete gospel presentation" and "the invitation to repent of one's sins and to believe in Jesus Christ as the only way to receive God's salvation...." Other resolutions covered the sanctity of life, support for traditional marriage, the nation of Israel, the Cooperative Program, support for military members and their families, and appreciation to the host church. Houston native Richard Land, who will retire in October 2013 as president of the Nashville, Tenn.-based Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, was honored through a resolution for his years of service. David Fleming, pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, told messengers in his convention sermon that James 1:22 -- "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" -- requires Christian transformation between the hearing and the doing. Fleming said doing grows out of being or becoming what God intends. With Christ alone and not worldly power, believers are "called, commanded and commissioned to make disciples." Sounding "A Call to Preserve the Faith and Glorify God" from Matthew 5:13-16, Turner preached a rousing president's address, calling the convention to remain salty and holy amid a culture that reviles what is holy. "God is looking for some folk who will be salt," Turner pleaded. Executive Director Jim Richards reported that 312 Texas churches have taken the first steps toward engaging an unengaged, unreached people group with the Gospel -- a challenge issued at last year's meeting by International Mission Board President Tom Elliff. Lamenting the rise of what he called "hyper-individualism" among churches, Richards said a healthy missional strategy involves direct and cooperative missions. "It is not a matter of either/or, it is both/and," he said. The Cooperative Program is a channel of blessing "because when you give through the Cooperative Program, your dollar never sleeps," he noted, explaining that 5,000 missionaries on nearly every continent and in nearly every time zone are telling people about Jesus. He challenged churches and individual Southern Baptists to consider giving 1 percent more of their income to Kingdom work. "Let's give it away before they take it away from us," Richards said. "This could be the year that Jesus comes. I pray He finds us hearing and doing His will." Retired Houston Judge Paul Pressler presented the award named for him to Ernest Gregory, a physician who won "countless thousands to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ" through his medical missions work and in his daily life, Pressler told messengers. Born to missionary parents, Gregory, 88, served in the Pacific theater in World War II. In addition to medical missions abroad, Gregory established the San Antonio Christian Medical Society in 1968, helping heroin addicts through faith-based treatment, and served as president of Baptists with a Mission, a conservative group that helped form the SBTC. Standing before messengers to accept the Pressler Distinguished Service Award, Gregory told of approaching his mother when he was 8 years old and telling her, as she ironed clothes, that he wanted to get saved. "She looked at me carefully and she said, 'Well, you know how to get saved don't you? OK, talk to the Lord about it.'" Gregory said he went to his room, got down on his knees and "asked the Lord to come into my life." He said if the Lord gives him more time he'd like to "lead some others to Christ." Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, closed the convention with a message on how God has sustained him. The 80-year-old preacher recalled that after he preached his first sermon his mother shared a passage that he would need all the years of his ministry, citing the instruction of Joshua 1:9 to be strong and courageous. He later visited with his evangelist grandfather who taught Stanley to obey God and leave all of the consequences to him. That principle guided every decision he would make for the rest of his life, Stanley said. "Whatever God is going to do in your life, He will do it in proportion to your obedience and time spent on your knees," Stanley said. --30-- Jerry Pierce is managing editor of the Southern Baptist Texan, newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. With reporting by Tammi Reed Ledbetter. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Why do Christians suffer? by Rob Phillips Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP) -- Horatio G. Spafford was a prominent attorney in Chicago in the 1800s and a friend of evangelist Dwight L. Moody. While Spafford was both respected and comfortable, he was not free from severe hardship. First, he lost his 4-year-old son to scarlet fever. Then his real estate investments along Lake Michigan literally went up in flames in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Not long after that, his four daughters drowned in a shipwreck, and his wife Anna survived the ordeal only because the ship's debris buoyed her as she floated unconscious in the Atlantic Ocean. Crossing the sea to join his bereaved wife, Spafford was called to the captain's deck as the ship sailed past the foamy deep where his daughters were lost. The captain informed him that the waters there were three miles deep. Returning to his cabin, Spafford penned these words to the now-famous hymn: When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul Why did such tragedy befall this godly man? Spafford may have wondered why, but ultimately he rested in the sovereignty of God. We can better appreciate God's sovereignty, even in the darkest nights, by observing 10 reasons we suffer, according to Scripture. 1. We suffer because we sin. All of us are sinners (Romans 3:10, 23). Unbelievers live lifestyles of independence from God, while believers experience moments or seasons of independence. Spiritual discipline is designed to target sin in a believer's life and that discipline may be severe, including death (1 Corinthians 11:29-32). 2. We suffer because others sin. Children suffer at the hands of an abusive parent. Citizens suffer at the hands of corrupt leaders. Rarely does our sin remain confined to us. King David numbered his troops and 70,000 people suffered the consequences. Jesus suffered through no fault of His own but gave His life for our sins. 3. We suffer because we live in a sinful and fallen world. Accidents happen. Natural disasters take the lives of millions each year. The Apostle Paul writes that the whole world is groaning beneath the weight of sin (Romans 8:22). 4. We suffer because God allows us to make real choices. The sovereignty of God and the ability of people to make meaningful choices are two Biblical truths. We are not robots; we actually can and do make choices for which God holds us accountable. 5. We suffer to make us long for eternity. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven. The writer of Hebrews records, "These [heroes of the faith] all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth" (11:13). When we suffer, it helps prevent us from clinging to this world, which is passing away. 6. We suffer to keep us from something worse. A fever sends us to the doctor, where our illness is diagnosed and a remedy prescribed. On a grander scale, suffering tells us there is something wrong with us and with the world, and often leads us to the all-important search for Christ. Darkness, pain, suffering, loneliness and abandonment all help us grasp the reality of life, now and eternally, without Christ. 7. We suffer to share in the suffering of Christ and be more like Him. Christians persecuted for their faith share in what Paul calls "the fellowship of His suffering" (Philippians 3:10). When we suffer it also enables us to comfort others who suffer. Paul writes, "For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). 8. We suffer to honor God. Jesus tells us to take heart when we are persecuted for His sake (Matthew 5:10-11) and warns us the world will hate us because it first hated Him. If Christians had easier lives it would make the Gospel more attractive for the wrong reasons. God would become a means to an end rather than the end of all things Himself. 9. We suffer to grow spiritually. Jesus, perfect in His humanity, nevertheless "learned" obedience through suffering. Paul writes that he has "learned" in whatsoever state he is, to be content (Philippians 4:11). Paul's "thorn in the flesh," he wrote, is designed to keep him from boasting (2 Corinthians 12). 10. We suffer to better anticipate the glories of heaven and the world to come. In Revelation 21:4 we read, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will exist no longer; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away." Paul writes, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). --30-- Rob Phillips is director of communications for the Missouri Baptist Convention with responsibility for leading MBC apologetics ministry in the state. Phillips is on the Web at www.oncedelivered.net. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: A father's love by Cheryl Robinson Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday WOODSTOCK, Ga. (BP) -- It was St. Patrick's Day earlier this year when my newly divorced son, actively serving in the U.S. Navy, decided to spend a fun weekend with his three children at Balboa Park in San Diego. He made a special trip to the base the week beforehand to purchase tickets for an exciting and fun-filled day since only a few months before he had returned from a deployment overseas. Before deploying he had intentionally taken the time to form an everlasting bond of love with his children, one they would never forget. That morning, Jonathan, 14, Joshua, 9, and Stephanie, 5, were taking in the museums, attractions and venues when out of the cool, clear, blue sky, Joshua was gone. Joshua is a smart little guy, often becoming sidetracked, wandering off to take a closer look at something he finds interesting or peculiar. There was so much for his curious mind to absorb and he couldn't wait to investigate all Balboa Park had to offer. Once Joseph realized Josh was missing, an agonizing and intense search ensued. Joseph and Jonathan, with Stephanie in tow, ran, searching frantically, through the park for an hour, but Joshua was nowhere to be found. Out of sheer terror, Joseph decided he had a decision to make and reported Joshua as missing at the information booth. His decision was made, and Balboa Park came to a screeching halt. An Amber Alert was issued, the gates were locked and doorways into the museums and other attractions were forced into lockdown mode. Everybody -- moms and dads, police and park staff -- joined in the search for Joshua. As Joshua's Nana, I can't begin to imagine what was going on in his mind. I'm sure he must have been just as frightened as Joseph was. He must have run through the park too, thinking, "I'm in this huge place with all of these people. How on earth am I going to find my Dad?" Finally, in his 9-year-old mind, he made the decision to return to the spot where he thought his dad would eventually come looking for him. The search drug on for nearly half an hour when Joshua finally was found in the enormous parking lot, shaking nervously in the mid-day sun next to his dad's truck amongst a sea of other cars. By the time he was found Joshua was pretty shaken up, as was the rest of his family and everyone at the park that day. All he could think of to say was, "I thought you left me." Joseph lovingly responded, "I will never bring you someplace and then abandon or leave you. Do you believe me?" "Yes," Joshua said with his head hanging in embarrassment and relief. What a wonderful thing for a frightened child to hear. Our Heavenly Father has made the same promise to us. Throughout Scripture the Lord reminds us that He will never leave us or forsake us. The definition of forsake is to quit, abandon, leave behind or to cease from. God, in His sovereignty, holds and shapes every life He's ever created in His powerful hands. If we can begin to wrap our minds around what this means and the promise He has made to those who belong to Him, we should never have moments when we feel far from Him and His love. In Deuteronomy 31:6, God says He will never leave us or forsake us. Allow that truth to sink into your heart and soul the next time you feel afraid or alone, and be truly grateful and full of praise for a God who loves you this much. I'm reminded of a phrase I learned years ago: There is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and there is nothing I can do to make Him love me less. Knowing and embracing this truth should transform our lives into a desire to live to honor Him and Him alone. If we're walking in true communion with God's Holy Spirit, we will take enormous comfort in knowing He is in control of our lives. Are we willing? Are we able to get past our own agenda and follow God's will for our lives, trusting and clinging to the words He has promised? --30-- Cheryl Robinson, on the Web at www.madenewinjesus.com, is a writer in Woodstock, Ga. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- BP Ledger, Nov. 26 edition by Staff Date: November 26, 2012 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: BP Ledger carries items for reader information each week from various Southern Baptist-related entities, and news releases of interest from other sources. The items are published as received. Today's BP Ledger contains items from: Hannibal-LaGrange University Hardin-Simmons University Forum 18 news service HLGU Celebrates the Inauguration of Dr. Anthony Allen as 17th President By Rebecca Penner HANNIBAL, Mo. (Hannibal-LaGrange University) -- It was a morning of pageantry and ceremony on Friday, October 26th, as Hannibal-LaGrange University inaugurated Dr. Anthony Allen as its 17th president. A recorded greeting was given to Allen from President Emeritus Dr. Woodrow Burt who was unable to attend due to his being abroad, teaching for a semester at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. "I offer my congratulations to Dr. Allen, the HLGU Board of Trustees, and the HLGU faculty and friends," Burt said in the message. "With his strong faith, solid experience, and clear vision, Anthony Allen is the right leader to take Hannibal-LaGrange University to the next level." Similar greetings were also given from Dr. Bob Agee, President Emeritus of Oklahoma Baptist University, and Dr. Kevin Shrum, trustee chairman of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, who told HLGU "you are getting a jewel." The inaugural address was brought by Dr. David S. Dockery, president of Union University and author and editor of 35 books. In his address Dockery said the president of a Baptist university "needs the mind of a scholar, the caring spirit of a pastor, the savvy of a business leader, the heart of a child and the hide of a rhinoceros." Dockery also addressed Allen and the audience equally with his message continually going back to the point that the Lord is preeminent in all things, is the only one who satisfies and "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Colossians 2:3. Following the inaugural address, Dr. Lawrence Clapp, friend and mentor to Allen, gave the inaugural charge and prayer. "There's power in personal touch," he said to Allen. "Share your heart with their heart…Take time to touch people with faith because the people who are going to build this school are the students you send out of here." The climax of the event was reached when Allen was presented with his presidential medallion by Terry Buster Sr., chairman of the Board of Trustees who quoted Isaiah 66:2 saying, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." After receiving the medallion, Allen gave his presidential response, saying, "I'm here simply because there's a long line of good people along the way who invested in me, who made me a priority, who gave me a good start in life." He also listed his Four Pillars of Administration that he believes should hold up Hannibal-LaGrange University. "We need to be distinctively Christian, demonstrate doctrinal and denominational commitment, be academically excellent, and be strategically focused." Allen continued, saying that "excellence in Christian higher education must begin with a stellar faculty and I'm committed to investing in the faculty to see that we have the necessary resources to fulfill our mission to teach and to educate students." During the ceremony, Allen was also presented with resolutions from the Southern Baptist Convention, the Missouri Baptist Convention, the Missouri State House of Representatives and the City of Hannibal. Other inaugural events included a special chapel service and dinner on Wednesday, an evening commemorating the history of HLGU on Thursday, an inaugural reception following the ceremony, and a concert featuring Big Daddy Weave and Aaron Shust on Friday. Senior pastor Steve Dighton and worship pastor Bill Shiflett of Allen's home church, Lenexa Baptist Church, were our special guests at Wednesday morning chapel. Shiflett and his wife Kerri led the congregation in praise and worship followed by a message on servant leadership from Dighton. As a special surprise, Allen closed chapel by singing Chris Tomlin's version of "All the Way My Savior Leads Me." Wednesday night, students dressed up for a student steak supper in the cafeteria. Thursday night, two of HLGU's ministry groups, The New Edition and Praise Song, along with the media communications and theatre departments presented the story of HLGU from its start in 1858 to present day. Afterward, a dessert reception was held in the lobby of the Roland Fine Arts Center. After the inauguration on Friday, the president's reception was held on the blue court in the Mabee Sports Complex. Later on, the day was rounded out with the well-attended concert by Aaron Shust and Big Daddy Weave. ********** International Students Celebrate Thanksgiving Feasts with HSU Faculty and Staff ABILENE, Texas (Hardin-Simmons University) -- While most of the Hardin-Simmons University campus population took time off for the Thanksgiving break, some faculty and staff members welcomed international students into their homes for the Thanksgiving meal. Bonnie Powell, coordinator of undergraduate admissions, said she was expecting some interesting conversations during the holiday as she and her family and two HSU international students traveled to her sister's house in Cisco, Texas, for the holiday. Powell can always be counted on to share holidays with students. "I think that holidays are important events, and they are most fun when shared with lots of family members and friends. I cannot imagine sitting home alone on a day such as Thanksgiving," Powell says. "To some of these students, this might be their first Thanksgiving in the USA. I hosted a foreign exchange student from Finland for nine months. It was so much fun introducing her to our American traditions. It is fun to explain to them what we do on holidays, and it is nice to hear about the holidays they celebrate," she says. "HSU is home to more than 50 international students," says Kim O'Dell in the athletics office, who was pairing the students with families. Approximately 20 international students were staying in Abilene during the Thanksgiving holiday. "Students love to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, so it is a time that HSU faculty and staff can participate in this wonderful opportunity to share the season and bring another part of the world into their own home," O'Dell says. Dr. Janelle O'Connell, professor and head of HSU's physical therapy department, and her husband, HSU professor of physical therapy, Dr. Dennis O'Connell, hosted Deetan, a student from Malaysia. Joining them were colleague and professor of physical therapy, Dr. Marty Hinman, and her husband Pete; the O'Connell's three children and their spouses, Evan and Heather O'Connell from Purcell, Oklahoma; Cameron and April O'Connell from The Woodlands, Texas; and daughter Keelan O'Connell, from Washington, D.C. "Our traditional food is turkey with all the trimmings and this year we are adding lasagna," O'Connell says. The day promised to be a busy one for Deetan and his host family, as they participated in the Abilene Runner's Club Turkey Trot. "If the weather is nice, we hope to kayak and canoe on Lytle Lake or toss the football around in the yard and watch football on television. We also enjoy a rousing game of Pictionary," O'Connell says. John Snapp, director of human resources at HSU, says they will be welcoming Dawei He (David), an accounting major from Shanghai, China, and Gang Liu (Sam), from Kunming, China, into their home for their traditional meal. "We are expected to have around 20 family members plus our two international friends and one of Brody's friends, Brandon. [Brody is Bonnie's son who attends HSU.] Brandon is an HSU student from Colorado who is not able to go home for Thanksgiving either." Powell tells a funny story that happened to her when she hosted an international student for the Christmas holiday last year. Powell says her family sometimes plays a game called Chinese Christmas. "We purchase gift cards and exchange them. As I started explaining the game, I realized our visitor was from China -- we were playing Chinese Christmas. He didn't get it, because he did not actually celebrate Christmas in China." Powell says she was suddenly afraid that he would be offended, but as it turned out, it was a nice surprise for him to find out that Americans play such a game. Powell says he was also very happy with the gift card he was able to take home with him. Other faculty and staff members sharing the day with HSU's international students were Dr. John Eric Swenson, professor of psychology; Dr. Joseph Bailey, professor of communications; and John Neese, HSU's athletic director. ********** China: Weibo & freedom of religion/belief By Magda Hornemann, Forum 18 News Service OSLO, Norway (Forum 18) -- The popular Chinese microblog Weibo has served as an effective means for individual religious adherents to express beliefs and to voice criticisms about phenomena concerning religion. It has also served as a platform for news about freedom of religion or belief violations. However, Weibo's limitations are evident in that criticisms of the state, especially of the central political leaders, are limited and can only be indirect. Moreover, there is no indication that it has been able to mobilise effective collective action to address specific cases. So Weibo has yet to demonstrate an ability to be used to effectively protect religious freedom. Chinese microblogging Since being founded in 2009, Weibo, a microblog that has elements of Twitter and Facebook, has become one of the most popular Internet platforms in China. According to the 30th Survey Report of the China Internet Network Information Center of 28 September 2012, as of June 2012 there were 538 million Chinese Internet users. In October 2012, the Singapore-based China Internet Watch reported that China's Data Center of China's Internet (DCCI) indicated that nearly 90 percent of China's Internet users are Weibo users. This means that the number of Weibo users, at approximately 450 million, is more than the entire population of the United States and is almost equal to the population of the European Union. Weibo is the generic Chinese term for microblogging. There are several Weibo providers. Sina Weibo is the best-known provider and is the one that most Chinese think of when referring generally to Weibo. However, according to Steven Millward, a Shanghai-based social media expert, Tencent Weibo has the largest number of registered users with 469 million as of June 2012. Sina Weibo has approximately 370 million registered users and over 36 million average daily active users. Netease Weibo is third, with over 260 million registered users. Internet censorship China has long imposed censorship on the Internet, including of foreign-based websites. Foreign sites which have been blocked include those related to the persecution of Christians and other religious faiths, the Dalai Lama, the Falun Gong religious movement, the Muslim Uygurs of Xinjiang and a number of Catholic sites. Most such sites remain blocked today. Chinese search engines prevent searches for sensitive terms, including religious freedom-related terms such as "Falun Gong" and "Dalai Lama", or provide only links to state-sponsored sites proving the government's view. However, the growth of the Internet, including more Chinese-based websites, the spread of new platforms - such as Weibo - and tools, including proxies, have made such censorship more difficult. Weibo and state-society relations According to Professors Guobin Yang and Craig Calhoun of the University of Pennsylvania and New York University, respectively, Weibo has displayed even faster speed, greater reach, and more interactivity than other Internet vehicles, such as websites used by Chinese environmental activists to oppose the building of dams on the Nu River in south-western China. As a result, Weibo has accumulated many achievements during its short period of existence. For example, in July 2011, two high-speed trains collided outside Wenzhou, in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang. News of the collision - which led to 40 deaths and injuries to 191 people - was immediately posted on Weibo. Tens of millions of users posted and re-posted information about the collision while engaging in discussions. According to a 28 July 2011 New York Times report, when Weibo exposed the local government officials' directive to lawyers that the latter should not accept cases from the families of victims without the former's approval, the local government immediately withdrew the order and apologised. According to the same New York Times report, when Weibo users discovered and criticised the local government's decision to bury the first train to cover up the incident, local officials quickly unearthed the train and sent it for analysis. But despite Weibo's achievements, no one should deny the presence of the state. As stated by a China-based American with the alias Martin Johnson who founded two websites, Greatfire.org and Freeweibo.com, which monitor Internet censorship in China: "The reason why Weibo exists is because the [Communist Party of China] allowed it to." Indeed, the communist state has incentives to support Weibo. As Reuters noted in a 31 October 2012 report, industry executives in China indicated that the government can use Weibo to obtain "real-time feedback on policies and a method to take stock of the public mood." The same report quoted Michael Anti, a Chinese blogger and journalist, as noting that the Chinese central authorities can use Weibo to take action against local officials and rival factions. According to Anti, if Weibo "is a battlefield ... the government seeks to occupy it, not destroy it." So Weibo may become a vehicle for political change in China - or serve as a means by which the Communist Party remains in power. The verdict is still out on which side will eventually win the day. Weibo and freedom of religion or belief Religion and religion-related topics are popular topics on Weibo sites. Based on a review of Sina Weibo from mid-October 2012 to early November 2012, Forum 18 has found that Buddhism has by far been the most popular religion mentioned. A large number of Weibo users engaged in discussions and postings about Buddhist-related topics, even potentially sensitive ones. For example, a controversy surrounding the stock listing of sacred Buddhist sites elicited much discussion on the platform. In particular, news that a Vice President of the state-approved Buddhist Association of China had criticised the planned stock listings was posted and discussed. According to Christians in China, an English-language website written by people inside and outside China, Christianity "is thriving on the fastest-growing and most powerful ... media platform ever seen in history." The author of one article on the site, "Christianity on China's Microblog," noted that prominent Chinese Christians, including those from Taiwan, have used Weibo to publicise their faith and have attracted large followings. For example, Pan Shiyi, a real estate tycoon who is a Christian, has six million followers on Weibo, while an unnamed Taiwan actor and his wife, both Christians, have four million followers. Many of the Weibo postings on religion are self-expressions of personal faith. For example, one active Muslim Weibo user is a female university student, who regularly posts personal declarations of faith. In a similar vein, on 3 November, a Catholic user posted the following statement: "Thank God that I was born in a Catholic family with devout Catholic parents.." "Without religious freedom, there can't be a real Constitution!" The topic of religious freedom has been very popular on Weibo. Since April 2012, users have engaged in discussions about the connection between the state Constitution and religious freedom. A scholar from Peking University in the capital Beijing wrote: "Without religious freedom, there can't be a real Constitution!" Other users have also criticised the current state of freedom of religion or belief in China, either explicitly or implicitly identifying the government as being responsible for the problems. "In foreign countries, including Taiwan, there are Bibles or Buddhist sutras in the hotel room," a user wrote on 1 November. "That is religious freedom!" On 2 November, a user responded to a posted news item that the authorities in the Tibetan Autonomous Region would provide accident insurance to Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns with this comment: "The Tibetan people said: What's given to them is not what they wanted; all they want is religious freedom." A news report was posted on Weibo about the public announcement by Shanghai's newly-ordained auxiliary Bishop, Ma Daquin, that he would resign from his post in the state-approved Catholic association immediately after his ordination. Bishop Ma's announcement resulted in the state's decision to close indefinitely the Catholic seminary with which he is affiliated. On Nov. 2, one Weibo user responded with this posted comment: "In fulfilling its earthly obligation to obey Caesar, the Christian shepherds and their lamb must not contradict the basic nature of the church. A regime that deprives a religious organisation of autonomy, and attacks and divides religious workers through personal threats and briberies is not qualified to say that the country under its rule has realised the separation of state and religion, and religious freedom." There seem to be clear indications of different levels of interest in discussing religious freedom from Weibo users of different religions. For example, the number of postings about religious freedom as it applies to Protestant Christianity and Catholicism is significantly greater than the number for other religions. Some space is allowed on Weibo for discussions on religious freedom in Tibet and Xinjiang, but the number of posts is significantly fewer than for posts dealing with freedom of religion or belief as it affects Christian churches. Likewise, posts are few on topics connecting religious freedom and Buddhism or Daoism, which may reflect the general Chinese perception that religious freedom is not a problem for those religions. References to the term "religious persecution" can also be found on Weibo. However, such references generally occur in the context of discussing Western history. Based on an admittedly short timescale snapshot of activity on Weibo, Forum 18 did not note references to this term in the context of contemporary Chinese politics. Weibo and promoting freedom of religion or belief Based on the available information, including a snapshot of the activities on Weibo, it seems that individuals enjoy considerable space to discuss religion-related topics on Weibo. Followers of religions have used it as a platform for declarations of faith. In this sense, Weibo has become a vehicle for interested parties to promote their religion and its virtues. At the same time, Weibo also permits overtly non-religious users to post criticisms about religion. This could be significant, as the state currently generally refrains from criticising religion due to concerns that anti-religious rhetoric might promote social instability. That religious freedom has been such a prominent discussion topic is also interesting. As suggested earlier, the state may be allowing such discussion because it wants to get a sense of the "public mood" on this sensitive political topic. That postings about religious freedom violations involving local Protestant Christian groups have been allowed suggests that the central government may be using Weibo to monitor the behaviour of local authorities, which have been the primary violators of religious freedom. This may indeed serve as an incentive for the state to maintain Weibo. On this note, Weibo continues to include postings about the situation of Beijing's Shouwang Church, which garnered international attention when it was not permitted to worship in the building it has purchased. However, it should be noted that the latest postings about the church were dated October 2012. Nonetheless, Weibo has limitations. First, discussion of religious freedom has involved mainly scholars and intellectuals, which suggests that it is not yet an issue with broad mass appeal in China. Second, while religious freedom violations are points of discussion, Weibo's potential to mobilise people to defend religious freedom has not been used. The postings about religious freedom violations that Forum 18 has observed have been individual expressions of indignation about the violations, or support for the victims of those violations. No posting seen by Forum 18 has called for collective action. This observation matches observations made by others about the Internet's limitations in China. Gary King, a professor of political science at Harvard University, and his two doctoral students, had conducted a survey entitled "How Censorship in China Allows Government Criticism but Silences Collective Expression," which involved over 1,000 Chinese websites. The survey was conducted in the first half of 2011. King and his associates concluded that Chinese Internet censors have generally targeted postings that call for social mobilisation. In addition, religious topics that are deemed sensitive, such as Falun Gong, which has been banned by the state, cannot be found on Weibo. When Forum 18 searches for the term "Falun Gong" on Weibo the entire website shuts down on the computer, even though Forum 18 is allowed to return to Weibo through a different webpage. Interestingly, the term "Dalai Lama" can be found on Weibo, but the context is invariably historical and theoretical. Forum 18 is not able to determine how quickly postings are deleted. However, according to experts, censorship can take place either immediately or several months. For example, according to Chi-Chu Tschang, a MBA student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who carried out a project on Weibo in May 2012: "The fastest a post was deleted on Sina Weibo was just over 4 minutes. The longest time it took for the censor to get around to deleting a message on Sina Weibo was over four months." Censorship appears to be one of the few forms of "punishment" levelled against violators of the unspoken rules. As described above, another form of punishment is either the appearance of an error page or the blanking of the page altogether. Tschang also observed that Weibo administrators have issued notices to violators that their postings would be deleted. Sina Weibo has also indicated that repeat offenders could be prevented from posting new materials for up to 48 hours and, in some cases, even have their accounts cancelled. However, Forum 18 is not aware of additional punitive measures, including personal interrogation, physical harassment, or arrest, in connection with religious freedom discussions on Weibo. Nonetheless, there are reports suggesting that posting negative stories on the Internet can result in arrests for the poster, as indicated in a 23 November 2012 report by the New York Times about the arrest and detention of a former journalist in the south-western province of Guizhou. Both foreign residents and local Chinese residents are allowed to post information on Weibo. In December 2011, the Chinese authorities issued regulations that required all Weibo account holders to disclose their real names when registering to use the platform. However, Sina Weibo revealed in its filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it has not always complied with this regulation "for reasons including existing user behaviour, the nature of the microblogging product and the lack of clarity on specific implementation procedures.." Other than this requirement, no documentation appears to be necessary. Forum 18, for example, was able to register a Sina Weibo account without providing any identity documentation. The relatively light punishments certainly should not act as a permanent deterrent to anyone wishing to post sensitive comments. In this sense, it may be that postings on Weibo can be far more "politically incorrect" than writings on printed media, including newspapers, magazines and books. Yet, it is also telling that there do not seem to be many postings that fall into clearly taboo areas. For example, criticisms of the central leadership have not been observed on Weibo, even though criticisms of local authorities can easily be found. Internet users in China are not allowed to criticise the country's top political leaders. As Reuters suggested on 31 October, this may reflect the fact that censorship rules are formulated at the central government level with little input from local authorities. Therefore, censors tend to concentrate on postings that make specific references to central political leaders. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that Weibo users, especially Chinese residents, have adopted some form of self-censorship. It appears that Weibo is advancing religious freedom in China to some extent. But it is not yet (if it ever will be) an effective means for people to mobilise to actively defend their rights to freedom of religion or belief. For now, Chinese Weibo users will have to be content with the ability to express their religious or non-religious beliefs publicly, which would have been unthinkable in China not very long ago. For analyses of other aspects of religious freedom in China, see www.forum18.org/Analyses.php?region=3. --30-- Forum 18 News Service, based in Olso, Norway, reports on the persecution of religious adherents.