The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-12/03/2012 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: Nepalese believer 'ready' for God's call by Caroline Anderson Date: December 03, 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. KATHMANDU, Nepal (BP) -- No one wanted to hear his words, Agni Amrit* says, hanging his head so low it almost rests on his checkered tie. Amrit asked 10 people in Kathmandu, Nepal, if he could share a story about his God. Everyone he approached told him to scat. No one wanted to hear about another God -- they already have plenty in Hinduism.
Drew Neely*, an IMB representative and church planting trainer, repeats what Amrit has told him. Amrit nods. "I hope that gives you joy," Neely says, pausing for Amrit to meet his gaze. "Brother, when those 10 people rejected you, you shared in the suffering of Christ and that should be cause for rejoicing." Called to serve Both Neely and Amrit feel called by God to be His heart, hands and voice and see new churches start in Nepal. Neely met Amrit at a Bible college in Kathmandu where the International Mission Board worker was invited to teach on how to plant new churches effectively. Neely hopes that a few of the students as a result of training will take up the calling to see the Great Commission fulfilled in Nepal. Neely doesn't intend to train the Bible college students and depart. The training is designed to help him spot those called as church planters, those he'll continue to disciple. At the training, he found Amrit.
Following Jesus Amrit, a former drug addict, spent many days, many he can't remember, ignoring his future. He grew up in a Hindu and Sikh family. His mother was healed after she believed in God. "I went to church, but I never believed in God because I thought that was my responsibility to go, just because of my mother," Amrit says. A pastor asked Amrit if he knew about the sin in his life. Amrit didn't realize his sin condemned him. He soon made a commitment to follow Christ. Now, he's a little older, has a faint shadow of a moustache and hopes to plant a church to minister to his drug-addicted friends. Amrit says Neely's training showed effective ways to share the Gospel with his friends, how to find someone to invest in and how to disciple in a way that leads to church multiplication. Journey of joy During a training session, Neely invited Amrit and his classmates to join him in a journey of joy. "I'm pleading to you, for your joy, and the joy of those people who will come to know Christ ... take this and make it a part of your life and for the glory of God," Neely tells the students. Accepting the call to plant churches, Neely says, sometimes will lead to unfamiliar territory and far-flung villages. "I'm going to warn you, the Jeep ride is going to be hot and bumpy and long and your dahl bat [a popular Nepalese dish made from lentils] isn't going to taste like what your momma makes. It's going to be difficult and the culture is going to be different and you are going to suffer," Neely says. "But in exchange for that suffering, you get to tell someone who has never heard the Gospel about Jesus Christ." At the end of the training, Neely reiterated his call to the students. "Are you the grain that's willing to fall to the ground and die to self so that a great harvest could emerge from your life and influence?" Neely asks as he looks around the room at each student. The room is silent, save for the whirring of the fan. Amrit nods his head yes. He understands the gravity of the situation. Although he's been rejected 10 times, he knows it's worth it. "God, I am ready to obey Your Word, even if it costs my life, I don't care," Amrit says he told God. "If You think I am worthy of suffering for You ... worthy to suffer for the Gospel ... You can use me anytime." Learning by obeying Finding joy in the midst of suffering is something both Amrit and Neely learned through radical obedience. Amrit says it's sometimes hard to be around his friends because they don't understand his new life. There have been taunts and teases, but Amrit's resolve hasn't changed. He sees the struggles as a cause for joy because he gets to tell his addict friends about Jesus. Like Amrit, Neely has found joy in obedience and perseverance. At the close of a rest period in the U.S., Neely knew God wanted him to return to southern Asia to serve. Neely and his family packed their suitcases and boarded a Pacific-bound plane. Because of the family's obedience, Amrit and dozens of other Nepalese now have a vision and a plan to reach their people with the Gospel. Equipped by Neely's training, the third-year Bible college student is going home to embark on a 14-month internship in church planting out in a region of Nepal where Christ is still an enigma. Even if he runs into more rejection, Amrit says he has joy because he's becoming more like Jesus. --30-- *Names changed. Caroline Anderson is an IMB writer living in Asia. 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Survey: Most back contraception mandate by Russ Rankin Date: December 03, 2012 - Monday NASHVILLE (BP) -- The majority of adults in America believe businesses and organizations, even those with conflicting religious principles, should be required to provide coverage of contraception and birth control for their employees, according to a survey by LifeWay Research. At issue is a Department of Health and Human Services mandate under the health care law (a.k.a. "ObamaCare"), which requires the coverage, even if it violates the employer's religious convictions. About 40 business and religious organizations have filed suit claiming the HHS mandate violates the Constitution under the First Amendment and also conflicts with the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act. According to the LifeWay Research survey, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of American adults agree businesses should be required to provide their employees with free contraception and birth control, even if it runs counter to the owners' religious principles. Twenty-eight percent disagree and 10 percent selected "Don't Know." The opinions change somewhat when taking into consideration religious affiliation of the organization. Fifty-three percent agree Catholic and other religious schools, hospitals and charities should be required to provide the coverage, while 33 percent disagree. In considering whether nonprofits should be required to provide the coverage, 56 percent of adults agree and 32 percent disagree they should be required to follow the mandate even if it goes against their religious beliefs. "It is easy for Americans to desire to protect the freedoms of individuals over unnamed business entities," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. "However, such generalizations may overlook the fact that more than 90 percent of businesses with employees are family businesses. Recent lawsuits contend that the religious freedoms of these families conflict with healthcare choices desired by individuals." Stetzer clarified the wording of the LifeWay Research poll, which asks about "contraception" and not specifically "abortifacient contraception," a main point in many of the suits. Abortifacient contraception includes "the morning-after pill," which induces abortion of a fertilized embryo. "We chose the wording to reflect what is widely reported in the news as a 'contraception mandate,'" Stetzer said. "Catholic organizations were quick to point out the conflict of the mandate with the religious teachings of the Catholic church, but the details of this mandate concern many other religious groups whose religious beliefs specifically oppose abortifacient contraception. At this point, however, the vast majority of news reports describe this as a contraception issue and the majority of Americans are not supportive of companies, nonprofits or Catholic charities opting out." On Nov. 16, a federal court ruled in favor of faith-based Tyndale House Publishers, which filed a lawsuit against the government to halt enforcement of the mandate. But three days later another court ruled against the suit brought by the Christian owners of the Hobby Lobby retail stores, stating the owners' beliefs were only "indirectly" burdened by the mandate's requirement that they provide free coverage contraception and birth control in Hobby Lobby's self-funded insurance plan. Hobby Lobby, which filed an appeal, faces millions of dollars in fines if it does not comply. Demographically, responses to the LifeWay Research poll show Americans who never attend religious services are more likely to "Strongly Agree" (45 percent) that nonprofits, Catholic and other religious schools, charities and hospitals should be forced to follow the mandate. The percentage rises to 55 percent when considering businesses in general. The survey shows women are more likely than men to "strongly agree" that all three organizational categories: businesses (48 percent vs. 37 percent); nonprofits (37 percent vs. 29 percent); Catholic and religious schools, hospitals and charities (36 percent vs. 26 percent) should provide the coverage. Younger Americans are the least likely (less than 10 percent) to "strongly disagree" with businesses and organizations being required to follow the mandate. "The religious freedom that the United States pioneered is not a freedom of belief, but a freedom to practice that faith," Stetzer said. "The American public appears unaware or unconcerned that some religious organizations and family businesses indicate fear of losing the freedom to practice their faith under the new health care regulations." The survey was conducted online Nov. 14-16 among 1,191 adults. --30-- Russ Rankin is a writer for the communications office of LifeWay Christian Resources. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Land: Senate needs to reject disabilities treaty by Staff Date: December 03, 2012 - Monday WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptist ethicist Richard Land has urged defeat of a controversial treaty the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on Tuesday (Dec. 4). The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's president called for Southern Baptists and others to ask their senators to vote against the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD). Land and other critics have charged the treaty could undermine parental authority, the right to life and American sovereignty. "This treaty is beyond need of repair," Land said in a Monday (Dec. 3) email alert. "It's a lame-duck issue that should be killed." While the treaty sounds innocent, he said, it actually is a "Trojan horse that would usurp U.S. sovereignty and parental rights by putting the U.S. under the control of a panel of U.N. 'experts' on matters relating to the disabled. What's more, the treaty could potentially lead to an expansion of abortion services" as a result of some of its language. The treaty appears to have a healthy majority in its support in what is known as a "lame-duck" session, which describes the legislative business between the election and a new Congress. It requires a two-thirds majority for ratification, however. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the organization leading opposition to the CRPD, expressed hope the Senate would fall short of the super-majority needed, but Land and HSLDA reported that senators who have not committed to its approval are under strong pressure to vote for ratification. In a recent letter endorsed by Land and 39 other pro-family and conservative leaders, HSLDA cited the following among its concerns: -- An article in the treaty making the "best interests of the child" a "primary consideration" could usurp the "traditional fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing" of a special needs child. -- A 1989 New Zealand law that is considered to comply with the CRPD permits the secretary of Education to require a disabled child to attend a government-operated school if he thinks it best for the student, implying the same thing could happen in the United States. -- The U.S. could surrender its sovereignty to a committee -- the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- established by the treaty. The treaty's inclusion of the term "reproductive health" -- sometimes a euphemism for "abortion rights" -- has drawn concern as well. An amendment in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that sought to make clear "reproductive health" does not include abortion failed. While the treaty's foes acknowledge the need to expand protections for the disabled in some countries, they say the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) already provides such safeguards in this country. President Obama signed the CRPD in 2009, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved it in a 13-6 vote in July of this year. Three Republicans joined the 10 Democrats on the panel in supporting the treaty. Sen. John Kerry, D.-Mass., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, denied the treaty would have the potential effects forecast by its foes. On the day the committee passed the convention, Kerry said the treaty would not usurp American law and would not change the law on abortion. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Zig Ziglar gets 'See You at the Top' farewell by Tyra Damm & Roger Howerton Date: December 03, 2012 - Monday PLANO, Texas (BP) -- Hundreds paid tribute to Zig Ziglar during a memorial service Saturday (Dec. 1) at Prestonwood Baptist Church, which pastor Jack Graham called a "See You at the Top celebration." Thousands more online viewed the service for the legendary motivational speaker who touched countless lives throughout his four decades on the speaking circuit and through his 30-plus books, including the best-selling "See You at the Top." Ziglar died Nov. 28 of complications from pneumonia. The husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather was 86. "We've gathered not only to mourn," Graham said, "but also to worship and draw our hearts near to the Christ he loved, to the Savior he followed." More than a decade ago, Ziglar had approached Graham about his own memorial service, specifying songs and Scriptures. Graham read from Ziglar's written directions, quoting, "'I believe the major objective of my funeral should be to serve as an evangelistic occasion for the lost and as an encouragement for other Christians. If based on your experience my choices of songs and procedures are not the most conducive for persuading others to join me in eternity, please make whatever changes you deem advisable.' "We didn't change a thing," said Graham, Ziglar's longtime pastor and friend, who delivered the message. The service included worship songs such as "Because He Lives," "Sweet Little Jesus Boy" and "Victory in Jesus" and words of remembrance from Ike Reighard, pastor of Piedmont Church in Marietta, Ga., and Ziglar's son Tom. Reighard spoke about how his own life has been influenced by Ziglar. The two met years ago after Reighard preached a sermon on David and Goliath at First Baptist Church in Dallas. In the middle of the message, Reighard quoted Ziglar: "'You can never consistently perform in a manner that's inconsistent with the way that you see yourself.'" He finished the sermon then visited with members of the congregation. Ziglar had been in the audience that day and waited in line to meet the young preacher. "I squealed like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert," Reighard recalled. One Saturday morning after their meeting, Ziglar called Reighard and asked if he would be his "on-call preacher." They started visiting on Saturday mornings, Ziglar asking scriptural questions and Reighard answering. Their friendship grew. "He had that uncanny ability to inspire better than anyone I've ever known," Reighard said. "In a lot of ways," he said, "this is my last Saturday morning with Zig.... All of the things that Zig Ziglar accepted by faith, he's now seeing with his sight. No longer does he walk by faith, now he walks by sight." Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar, Inc., spoke on the four characteristics that gave rise to the impact his father has had: hope, identity, brokenness and love. Tom spoke about an especially poignant moment with his father after a day of golf, something they enjoyed doing together. "So I drive him home, get his bag out of trunk, and I'd turned around to get back in the car, and he said, 'Son, wait a second.' I turned around and said, 'What, Dad?' He said, 'I need to tell you something.' And he came up and put his hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eye. He said, 'Son, I don't think I've told you enough how proud I am and how much I love you.' And we hugged. From that day forward, every time we met, we hugged. "Eternity is around the door; we don't know when," Tom Ziglar said. "I can remember Dad looking into my eyes. I know I will look in his eyes again, in the blink of an eye." Longtime friends such as Dale Dodson, a Prestonwood member and chairman of the Ziglar board, were among the many in attendance. "There was no fake to Zig Ziglar," Dodson said. "He was as real as could be.... He truly lived to inspire others. When he said something, it went right to the heart. It came from the heart." Bill Porter, a member of the Encouragers class that Ziglar taught for nearly two decades at Prestonwood, said the first Sunday he attended he was excited to meet Ziglar. He was amazed that Ziglar actually approached him first and wanted to know all about him. "The void is huge," Porter said, "but the impact he made is even bigger." --30-- Tyra Damm and Roger Howerton are writers in Prestonwood Baptist Church's communications ministry. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Wyo. Baptist meeting has Gideon as theme by Staff Date: December 03, 2012 - Monday BUFFALO, Wyo. (BP) -- Messengers to the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention considered the biblical account of Gideon with the theme "Who Me? So What? Wow!" based on Judges 6-8 during their 29th annual meeting at Big Horn Baptist Church in Buffalo. The Nov. 8-9 sessions drew 90 messengers and 22 guests from the convention's 106 churches and missions with a total membership of nearly 11,000. A report by the Future Study Group was delivered, presenting a future design, structure and decentralized staffing plan that creates more local support and ownership of strategy and ministry. Messengers approved a 2013 budget of $1,431,715, a decrease of about $17,000 from the current year. The convention anticipates $545,000 in Cooperative Program giving from Wyoming churches, and Wyoming Baptists will continue to forward 32.75 percent of CP receipts to national and international missions and ministries. Wyoming Baptists designate 8.4 percent of their budget as shared expenses. All convention officers were re-elected: president, Quin Williams, pastor of Boyd Avenue Baptist Church in Casper; first vice president, Mike Cooper, pastor of College Heights Baptist Church in Casper; second vice president, Clay Alexander, pastor of Big Horn Baptist Church in Buffalo; recording secretary, Hope Reynolds, a member of Heart of the Valley Baptist Church in Mountain View; and assistant recording secretary, Renee' Hanson, a member of Mountain View Baptist Church in Mills. Next year's annual meeting of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention, marking the convention's 30th anniversary, will be Nov. 7-8 at First Southern Baptist Church in Casper. --30-- Based on reporting by the staff of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BP Ledger, Dec. 3 edition by Staff Date: December 03, 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: California Baptist University Kentucky Baptist Convention Campbellsville University Baptist College of Florida World Congress of Families A. Larry Ross Communications Fred Luter advises CBU chapel audience 'what to do when trouble comes' By Kathie Chute/CBU RIVERSIDE, Calif. (California Baptist University) -- It doesn't matter what age you are or what your vocation is, sooner or later tough times will come into your life," the Rev. Fred Luter Jr. said during a chapel service at California Baptist University. "One of these days when you least expect it, your life will be turned upside down." Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, spoke Nov. 26 to an audience that included area pastors about his experiences during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He has served as senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans for 26 years. "I lost my church, lost my salary, our 8,000 church members were scattered," he said. "I could look on television and see that everything I knew—my home, my church—was all under water. I asked God 'why would you let this happen? If you wanted Bourbon Street to be destroyed, why didn't you just destroy Bourbon Street?' But Bourbon Street stayed dry on high ground." Luter said he sat in his daughter's home in Birmingham and watched as his city struggled with the aftermath of the hurricane. "For the first time in my life, my faith was shaken," he said. "Faith is the first area that the enemy works on, and fear is the opposite of faith. Anybody can preach about faith, but every once in awhile, something happens to where God asks 'do you believe what you preach.'?" Luter pointed out that in Mark 4:35-41, the disciples of Jesus were in a boat when a storm came up, and they were afraid. "Don't you know those disciples were asking 'Why doesn't He do something? Doesn't He care about us?'" he said. "But Jesus was right in the boat with the disciples. He could have chosen otherwise. He could have told them He would meet them on the other side." Luter said we need to remember that no matter what we're going through, Jesus is going through it, too, because He's living in us. "He's right there with you," he said. "He will give you peace in whatever the circumstance." Luter recalled that as a boy growing up in New Orleans he looked to television for role models in his life, instead of the drug dealers and pimps that surrounded him. He chose Superman, because Clark Kent could go into a phone booth and transform himself into someone who could handle anything. "When trouble comes, we don't have a phone booth but we do have a prayer closet," he said. "When you come out of that closet, you have an S on your chest—You're saved, and you're a soldier in the army of God." He told the audience that in times of trouble, they need to remember the three P's: the promises of Jesus, the presence of Jesus and the power of Jesus to overcome anything. "If God brings you to it," he said, "He will bring you through it." ********** Partnerships on Horizon for Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief Ken Walker/KBC Communications LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Kentucky Baptist Convention) -- On the verge of their planned departure last spring to help clean up after a tornado in Alabama, the Baptist Campus Ministry at Morehead State University shifted gears. Instead of making an eight-hour trip, its spring break mission teams traveled 30 miles south to West Liberty. There, 75 students joined adult leaders from Kentucky and Virginia for training and disaster relief work following the March 2 tornado. It included massive chainsaw operations and other clean-up in the town of 3,500 and neighboring Menifee County. Students also served breakfast and dinner in West Liberty for nine days. "This was a unique experience," MSU Baptist Campus Ministry Gene Parr said. "One of our students came back in tears and said, 'I just spent the day cleaning up somebody's life. It was spread all over the hillside.'" Morehead State's students did more than help Kentuckians recover from disaster. They planted the seeds for a collegiate disaster relief program, eyed for a 2013 start along with a new international emphasis. While dates and sites aren't set, Coy Webb, disaster relief director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, said the KBC soon will offer campus training to help mobilize student crews after a disaster strikes. Phillip Ritchey, director of missions for Anderson Baptist Association, and Raven Weaver of Carter Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, have joined with Webb to organize the program. "It was a good response and worked well," Webb said of the Morehead State project. "It demonstrated to us the potential college students offer." KBC won't relax standards requiring training to respond to a disaster, he said, but fewer lectures and more video and hands-on training could be the standard for collegiate volunteers. Kentucky will join Florida, California and Alabama Baptists in offering college training, according to Fritz Wilson, the Southern Baptist Convention's national disaster relief director. Wilson said so many volunteers are retirees, students will bring a freshness and enthusiasm to the field, as well as a passion to share the gospel. "Kentucky's collegiate program, like those in other states, is an investment in the future of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief," Wilson said. "Many students who train and respond will get what we call the 'disaster bug.' It will also allow them to see that if God can use them in a disaster setting, He can use them in their everyday lives." Though a relative newcomer to the program, Weaver has served with the National Guard for 10 years, including the aftermath of the the 2009 ice storm that blanketed Kentucky. She anticipates that collegians also will be interested in another new KBC initiative which will coordinate international disaster relief services through Baptist Global Response. Working through international missionaries—and Ashland-area natives—Mark and Susan Hatfield, the program will send teams to sub-Saharan Africa to assist with "level 2" disasters. The term refers to calamities that don't attract the kind of international media attention that 2010-11 earthquakes in Haiti and Japan did. While attending training on water purification, Weaver said Webb's mention of the new initiative caused "bells and whistles" to go off in her mind. "I see myself as one of those leaders taking a group overseas," she said. "They will be able to plan for a summer-time mission trip. I can see where students would be eager to be involved." The new program is to include representatives from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia. Ironically, their state's response to Hurricane Sandy prevented two members of Virginia's unit from attending an Oct. 31 planning meeting at KBC headquarters. It attracted about 40 people. Mark Hatfield called the session encouraging. The veteran missionary said focusing on the 41-nation region will help expand BGR's reach and provide more assessments after disasters. Recent flooding in Niger is one example where Kentuckians can help. Another is a brush fire, which can wipe out a village and its crop harvest. "In Niger we were just asked if we can help with shovels and picks," said Hatfield, who lives in Kenya. "It can take people a long time to get back to where they were before." Hatfield hopes to host a vision tour by the KBC during the first half of 2013 and several community development teams after that. The latter would get involved in such projects as providing clean water, nutrition and hospice care. And, because of the long-term nature of many regional disasters, Hatfield thinks the new college teams can play a valuable role in international relief. Parr, who has served 30 years as campus minister at Morehead State, said he is gratified that MSU students helped inspire some of this activity. "I'm so glad that Coy has jumped on this," he said. "We currently have a generation of students that is very interested in making a difference." For details on Kentucky Baptist Disaster Relief, visit www.kybaptist.org/dr. ********** Campbellsville University music professor has role in Spielberg's 'Lincoln' movie By Samantha Stevenson, student newswriter CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY (Campbellsville University) -- Imagine keeping a secret as big as being in a Steven Spielberg film to yourself for a year. Dr. Reese Land, associate professor of music/trumpet in Campbellsville University's School of Music, did just that. And he is now able to talk about his role in the newly released movie "Lincoln" starring Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis and directed by Steven Spielberg, who has been called one of America's most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Land appears within the first 15 minutes of the film during a flag-raising scene. Land, who is a trumpeter, can be seen to the left of Lincoln, played by Day-Lewis, among the crowd containing approximately 200 people. He is in a red Civil War-style uniform playing an over-the-shoulder baritone. Land used an original instrument that dates back to 1865. Land was to remain silent about the production, shot in December 2011, until the premiere. Under a strict contract, Land was unable to tell anyone about his performance or disclose any information about the film until its release. Land described the set as "chaotic at best." "Hairdressers, camera men, all of these people were running around. When you have 200 people on set, it gets crazy," he said. Land has been playing the trumpet for more than 30 years. He is a member of many ensembles in the region including the President Lincoln's Own Band, under the direction of Don Johnson. Johnson is involved with the National Association for Civil War Brass Music, which landed the group the role. Land was one of three band members from Kentucky who appear in the film. Other Kentuckians include Michael Tunnell of Louisville and Wayne Collier of Lexington. Land had Tunnell as a professor at the University of Louisville, where he completed his graduate studies. The band in the movie play the song "We Are Coming, Father Abram" on their instruments then sing the song once the flag has been raised. Land said learning the vocals was more difficult than performing the piece on baritone to the poetic language in the song. "I sang some in college, but trumpet is my main thing. We can all sing, so it wasn't a big deal," he said. Renowned composer John Williams, who has won numerous Grammy and Academy Awards and Golden Globes and is best known for composing music in the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, also arranged the old Civil War song, "We are Coming, Father Abraham." Land said that even though he wasn't nervous, performing in front of Spielberg for the first time was surreal. "He really liked what he heard," Land said. "We were in our costumes, and he really liked the authenticity of it all." Land has performed little as an actor on stage. "I did a few musicals in college, but they were all very small roles. I was only on stage when the band was on stage." Land traveled to Petersburg, Va., in December 2011, where the scene was shot. The scene was the final shot needed to complete the film. The flag-raising scene took three hours to shoot with 13 takes. "It was really cold that morning, and we were all freezing to death," Land said. "It got kind of tiring, but you have to stay focused, which we all did." Land and the other members of the band got to meet and be photographed with Sally Field, who plays Mary Todd Lincoln in the film. They did not, however, get to meet Day-Lewis, who stayed secluded from everyone when he wasn't needed on set. "He's a method actor, which means he stayed in character the entire time it was filmed. It was cool to see him acting like Lincoln all the time." The film is expected to arrive at Green River Cinema Six in Campbellsville at the beginning of December. After watching the premiere in Louisville, Land predicts an Oscar nomination for the film. "It's a great movie, and not just because I'm in it," Land said. "Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is incredible, and the movie is very emotional and touching. You wouldn't think a film featuring lawmaking would have that much emotion behind it." President Lincoln's Own Band was also featured at the 149th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg, Penn., on Nov. 19, 2012 when Land and other members of the band performed during the ceremony, which featured Spielberg. Spielberg spoke in reference to Lincoln's address, his presidency and the film. An Abraham Lincoln impersonator and other civil war reenactments were also present at the ceremony. Land is a graduate of the University of Louisville, where he earned his master's in music. He earned his doctorate at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in trumpet performance. This is his sixth year at Campbellsville University. ********** BCF Awards Certificates in Brazil GRACEVILLE, Fla. (Baptist College of Florida) -- Over 5 years ago, a partnership began between The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) and LINC-UP Missions, Inc. with the goal of providing well trained leadership for the new church plants in northeast Brazil. The BCF Leadership Certificate Program was a result of that partnership and is specifically designed to be completed within eighteen months, providing Brazilian ministers with the resources and techniques of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to Brazil. The first leadership graduation ceremony was held in December, 2008. This semester, three graduations were held in various locations in Brazil. BCF Dean of Faculty and Chair of the Theology Division Robin Jumper preached the graduation sermon and awarded certificates on behalf of BCF President Thomas A. Kinchen. Jumper arrived in Sao Luis, Brazil, Thursday, November 1, and was met by missionaries Richie and Heather Allen. Richie Allen is a BCF graduate, former trustee, and director of LINC-UP Missions, Inc. On Friday, November 2, they traveled to First Baptist Church in Penalva, Brazil for the first graduation where 27 certificates were awarded. On Saturday, November 3, the second graduation was held at First Baptist Church in Cururupu, Brazil where 38 certificates were awarded. Jumper led a Bible study Sunday morning in Cururupu, and then Sunday night, November 4, the third graduation was held at First Baptist Church in Santa Helena where 24 certificates were awarded. Each graduation ceremony, Jumper preached with a translator from Mathew 28:18 reminding the students that Jesus, who has the authority over heaven and earth, is the authority behind the Great Commission. He encouraged the students and reminded them that as they adhere to the command to make disciples, they are doing so with Jesus' authority. With standing room only, each church was packed with people as family and friends gathered in support of their graduates. The churches had special decorations and music for the occasion, representing several congregations from around the area. "I have never seen students more appreciative of their training, their graduation ceremony, and their certificates," stated Jumper. "The graduates were very appreciative of their opportunity for training, for their certificates, and for the work of The Baptist College of Florida." The primary objective of the certificate training program is to prepare and equip students for ministry in villages beyond their own, particularly in the 700 unreached villages of the Quilombolas, an unreached people group of northeast Brazil. The program clearly demonstrates the commitment of the BCF family to carry out the Great Commission of the Lord and champion the registered trademark of "Changing the World through the Unchanging Word®." ********** World Congress of Families Mourns Passing of Richard Wilkins -- Friend, Colleague and Pro-Family Leader ROCKFORD, Ill. (World Congress of Families) -- World Congress of Families and The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society mourns the passing of our friend and colleague Richard G. Wilkins -- who died on Monday after a short illness -- and recalls his significant contributions to the international pro-family movement. World Congress of Families Founder and International Secretary Dr. Allan C. Carlson, who worked closely with Wilkins in organizing World Congress of Families II in Geneva in 1999, observed: "Richard was one of the greatest and most energetic advocates of the natural family. He was particularly effective on legal matters involving the family and the United Nations." Carlson added: "Richard was a vital partner in making the Geneva Congress the success that it was. World Congress of Families II set the stage and established standards for all of our future Congresses, including World Congress of Families VI, held in Madrid in May." Richard's remarks at WCF II, "Recognizing Our Shared Commitment to the Family," inspired many pro-family leaders to action and are still as relevant today as they were then. Jesus Hernandez, organizer of the Mexico City World Congress of Families, added: "Richard was kind, open and loyal, a friend, a dedicated husband and father, and a man who fought to defend his ideals: love of God, love of mankind and love for the family. He was tireless in promoting the family perspective. In Mexico, we owe him the zeal and example he brought to World Congress of Families III in 2004 and the International Colloquium on the Family of the Migrant Worker in 2009. We will miss his enthusiasm and his kindness. May he rest in peace and may God bless his family and friends." Besides his involvement in World Congresses in Geneva and Mexico City and many regional WCF events, Dr. Wilkins was actively involved in WCF IV (Warsaw, 2007), also delivering a plenary speech. In his long and distinguished career, Wilkins was variously an Assistant U.S. Solicitor General in the Reagan Administration (arguing eight cases before the Supreme Court), a professor of law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University and director of the World Family Policy Center at BYU. Starting with his participation in the 1996 United Nations Habitat Conference in Istanbul, (where he argued passionately against "same-sex unions"), Richard's work increasingly focused on defending the family in the international arena. Besides his leadership of the World Policy Forum, he campaigned tirelessly for Amendment 3 to the Utah Constitution (defining marriage exclusively as the union of a man and a woman), which was approved by voters in 2004. Following his retirement from the BYU Law School, Wilkins became the Managing Director of the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development in Qatar. Because of Dr. Wilkins work, The Doha Institute, The Howard Center, Family First Foundation and United Families International co-published the book, "The Family and the MDG's: Using Family Capital to Achieve The 8 Millennium Development Goals." Susan Roylance, Director of International Policy at the Howard Center, produced the book with a grant from the Doha Institute and worked closely with Richard who was a co-author for this important publication. In the "Forward," Dr. Wilkins details the benefits to society of a stable family life for all ages. He also gives information concerning the tremendous costs associated with family instability, both to individuals and society as a whole. He issues a "call to action," citing numerous sources to encourage readers to focus on the power of families and the value of family capital. Dr. Wilkins was also a talented thespian. At the time of his death, he was in rehearsals for what would have been his 28th consecutive performance as Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" at Salt Lake City's Hale Centre Theater. He also regularly played Tevye in a local production of "Fiddler On The Roof." Richard and his wife did a scene from "Fiddler" at the closing session of the Geneva World Congress of Families. World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs said: "Richard was a constant source of hope and joy as well as an inspiration to his many friends in the international pro-family movement. He could argue passionately for supporting the natural family through international law, and then delight us with an amusing anecdote which ended with his contagious laugher. To say he will be sorely missed is an understatement." Richard and his wife Melany have four children and eight grandchildren. ********** Joni and Ken Tada share relationship secrets in 'Joni & Ken: an Untold Love Story' AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (A. Larry Ross Communications) -- When Ken Tada married quadriplegic Joni Eareckson in 1982, he expected some "for worse" in their marriage, but knew that God had brought them together for a reason. After chronic pain came along, followed by severe depression, then breast cancer, they struggled a bit in their relationship, but soon learned secret to the "for better." Now, for the first time, the Tadas share their inspiring love story in "Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story," releasing April 2, 2013, from Zondervan. "Joni & Ken" shows the true story between and man and a woman who know the reality of "in sickness and in health." While Ken thought he knew what he was getting into, marrying a woman who had lived with quadriplegia since a diving accident at age 17, he soon became overwhelmed by the never-ending responsibility of caring for a disabled spouse. Though committed to their relationship and his love for her, the emotional toll exacerbated by Joni's chronic pain drove Ken back into the severe depression he struggled with earlier in life, coincidentally having entertained thoughts of taking his own life the very summer Joni took her fateful dive. Soon, they found themselves living separate but parallel lives. When Joni found the lump in her breast, she wondered if this would be the final wedge that would drive them emotionally apart. But in another example of God's perfect timing, Ken had recently experienced a spiritual transformation of his own, embracing a part of his heritage he had long misunderstood. The Tadas knew their experience with emotional distance was symptomatic of too many marriages today, especially among Christian couples who stay committed to their vows despite lack of a close relationship. So, once they figured out the secret to not just surviving, but thriving as a couple, they were compelled to share that with others. "Although Ken and I probably don't meet all the family-counseling criteria for 'a happy marriage,' this I know for sure," Joni writes, "Home is wherever we are together. "It's why this book was written. For many people . . . I think all of our lives are spent looking for and wanting to go home. But what if it were as close as the hand of your spouse? That would make for a contented and complete marriage." Co-written with Larry Libby – Joni's writing partner on several previous works – "Joni & Ken" is written in the third-person perspective, capturing moments and insights they might have missed if writing it themselves. The Tadas feel Libby has crafted "an artful exposé of 'life with Joni and Ken.'" The Tadas' love story begins unconventionally, with Joni's mind wandering in church one Sunday, finally focusing on the back of the man's head sitting in front of her. Upon officially being introduced to Ken several weeks later, her first words to him were "turn around." Their courtship had its own hazards with Ken having to learn how to take care of many of Joni's physical needs. As a football coach, his strength came in handy for carrying her up stairs and mountains for romantic views. Their marriage began strong, but like so many others when the first blush of romantic love fades, they struggled to go deeper and weren't really connecting spiritually as a couple. Because of their honesty, many readers will identify with the couple's experience of being together yet operating on emotionally separate tracks. As each looked to God to find strength to carry on, they also found themselves drawing closer, in God's perfect love triangle. They transparently share how they got to this point, and how they had to become vulnerable with each other as well as God. Readers will be riveted, touched, inspired and transported with them as they encounter Jesus in a new and fresh way, in their marriage. "Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story," will release in hardback, 192 pages, for $18.99 as well as in digital formats for $7.99. Following her paralysis in 1967 and her journey out of depression and learning to paint with her mouth, Joni shared her story with Barbara Walters, then in a book and movie whose response showed the need for a ministry of encouragement to those with disabilities around the world. She established Joni and Friends in 1979 with the mission to accelerate ministry to those with disabilities. The son of Japanese immigrants, Ken was a high school teacher and coach for more than 30 years before retiring to serve full time with Joni and Friends. Co-author Larry Libby is a writer and editor who has penned a number of books, including "Someday Heaven" and "Who Made God?" For additional information, visit http://www.joniandfriends.org. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: Israel's plight by Mark Coppenger Date: December 03, 2012 - Monday EDITOR'S NOTE: A larger treatment of these issues is available in a Kairos Journal booklet, "Israel and Legitimacy: Modern Achievement vs. Islamic Prejudice." Copies are available by emailing mcoppenger@kairosjournal.org. NASHVILLE (BP) -- If the heartless Israelis would just let those poor Palestinians reoccupy their homeland, then all supposedly would be well. Or so goes the dominant media tripe. Pundits opine that the United Nations could move on to other vital concerns, denominations and universities could return firms dealing with Israel to their investment portfolios, and the Arab League could welcome Israel into the regional community of nations. Once the "Little Satan" (Israel) had been brought to heel, anger at the "Big Satan" (the U.S.) could subside, and we might even be able to get to our planes without TSA screening. What's not to like? Well, confusion for starters. One doesn't have to believe in biblical prophecy to support Israel in the perennial and lately-hot struggles in the region. During the Cold War, the U.S. didn't side with Japan against China because we were keen on Buddhism or Shintoism. We recognized the Japanese as democratic kinfolk in the struggle against totalitarian Communism, much as we recognize the Jews as allies in the struggle against totalitarian Islam. It seems fair to mention that, in the region, Israel is the only true democracy, the only nation with a free press, the only one whose women are as literate as the men, the only one with world-class universities and medical research facilities of global helpfulness. This is the Israel which transformed malarial swamps into arable land in the Huleh Valley north of Galilee and built tilapia farms with warm salt water pumped from beneath the Negev. These are the Israelis who try to target combatants instead of grannies on buses. Yes, more Palestinian civilians died in the most recent exchange of fire. Civilian deaths in any conflict are tragic. But what are we to make of the Palestinians and their cause? Well, we can start with some brief observations: 1. Palestinians derive their name from "Palestina," a name the Romans coined in honor of the Philistines, a move designed to spite the Jews whom they'd expelled. Modern Palestinians are descendants of people whose original settlement and continued presence was facilitated by Muslim conquest and centuries-long Ottoman rule. 2. Beginning in 1901, Jews began purchasing land in Palestine, both from resident Arabs and from absentee landlords in other nations. By 1947, a year before the formation of the Israel, Jewish individuals owned 772 square miles of land there. Legal purchase did not preclude Arab violence, which took the form of raids and riots, prompting the formation of early defense forces, such as the Hagana, in the 1920s. 3. Many Christian Arabs opposed Jewish settlement from the beginning. Seeing Jewish immigration as a threat to their social and economic status, they spoke out against Jewish settlement as early as 1908, prompted and aided by the editorial efforts of two Arab newspapers, al-Filastin and al-Karmil, both owned by Palestinian Christians. 4. The day after Israel was birthed by the U.N. (May 15, 1948), five Arab nations attacked the newborn state, intent on destroying her. Anticipating the invasion, many of the Arab professional class exited the country, confident they could return to their property once Israel had been obliterated. They, along with the poorer Palestinians who fled or were pushed out during the war, were disappointed with the outcome, and began immediately to insist on full repatriation and restoration, as if nothing had happened. Reflecting in his memoirs on the situation, Syria's prime minister during that time observed, "Since 1948 we have been demanding the return of the refugees to their homes. But we ourselves are the ones who encouraged them to leave. Only a few months separated our call to them to leave and our appeal to the United Nations to resolve on their return." 5. The subsequent U.N. resolution demanded restoration and compensation should the Palestinians show a willingness to live at peace with their Jewish neighbors. Nothing was said about restoration and compensation for Jews expelled from Muslim lands, where tens of billions of dollars in assets had been confiscated. Nevertheless, Israel has offered several systems of compensation through the years, but all have been rejected. 6. Israel is the only nation on earth where all persecuted Jews are welcomed for citizenship, and hundreds of thousands have come from nations as diverse as Russia and Ethiopia. For example, in 1941, the Grand Mufti Haj Amin-al-Husseini, the most influential leader of Palestinian Arabs, approached Adolph Hitler for assistance in dealing with their common enemies, including the Jews. At the same time that Hitler was murdering one-third of the Jews on earth, Western nations, including the United States, were limiting Jewish immigration, so they sought refuge in their ancestral homeland, arriving by the shipload in defiance of British strictures. In contrast, only Jordan among the Arab nations has provided Palestinian refugees a path to citizenship. Of the 150,000 Arabs who remained in Israel, they have enjoyed a higher standard of living than their fellow Arabs in adjacent nations, and they have served in the Israeli parliament, on the Supreme Court, in the diplomatic corps, and on university faculties. There is no such corresponding treatment of Jews in surrounding Muslim lands. 7. Since Israel is a democracy, the repatriation of Palestinians and the patriation of their offspring would mean national suicide. By vote, the land would quickly become yet another Muslim state, with consequent relegation of Jews to the margins, and worse. As Britain's chief rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, put it, "Today there are 82 Christian nations and 56 Muslim ones, but only one Jewish one; in a country smaller than the Kruger National Park [in South Africa], one quarter of one per cent of the land mass of the Arab world." Now we're to believe that the real victims are the Palestinians, who resisted legal Jewish settlement from the start, rejected the U.N.'s two-state solution in favor of war in 1948, cheered the Arab invaders, rejected compensation, supported the foes of Israel in war after war, and turned every fresh gain in territory into a new launch pad for terrorist raids and missiles. We're told to support the "peace process" with nations, many of whom draw on the Koran to disparage Jews as "apes and swine," and with Hamas, whose covenant declares the entirety of Palestine a Muslim endowment. God loves the Palestinian people. And so should we. But it is not the counsel of love to indulge the political cause of those who seek to erase Israel from the map. --30-- Mark Coppenger is director of the Nashville, Tenn., extension center for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and professor of Christian apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. 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