Tuesday, April 17, 2007

• Nation reacts to mass killings

  by Erin Roach, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  BLACKSBURG, Va. (BP)--Students, faculty and their families gathered on the campus of Virginia Tech University to mourn the day after a gunman killed 32 students, including at least one involved in the school's Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

        President Bush, with his wife Laura, attended the public convocation at Cassell Coliseum "with hearts full of sorrow" on "a day of sadness for our entire nation."

        "Across the town of Blacksburg and in towns all across America, houses of worship from every faith have opened their doors and have lifted you up in prayer," Bush said April 17. "People who have never met you are praying for you; they're praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured. There's a power in these prayers, real power. Read More

• Baptist grad student among 32 victims

  by Mickey Noah, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  BLACKSBURG, Va. (BP)--A Virginia Tech graduate student who had been involved in the Baptist Collegiate Ministry was one of the 32 victims of the April 16 massacre at the Blacksburg, Va., campus, the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Read More

• Friends come together for comfort, healing

  by Brandon Pickett/SBCV, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  BLACKSBURG, Va. (BP)--Amid a sea of orange and maroon, two freshmen friends sit together. Looking around, you'd think they were waiting for a sporting event to start, not a convocation service that will mourn 32 teachers and students shot to death just yesterday by a student gunman who committed suicide. Read More

• SBC baptisms down amid other growth

  by Russ Rankin, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  "While it is certainly encouraging to see new Southern Baptist churches being birthed, our baptism totals once again show that we are not doing an effective job stepping up to the task of sharing the Gospel with a lost and dying world."

  -- Thom Rainer

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While the number of Southern Baptist churches in 2006 increased by 524 and reported more than $11.3 billion in total receipts, LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom S. Rainer reported April 17 that total baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention fell for the second consecutive year.

        According to the Annual Church Profile gathered by LifeWay, baptisms last year dropped from 371,850 to 364,826, or 1.89 percent, eclipsing 2005 as the lowest annual total since 1993. The 2005 ACP reported a 4.15 percent drop. Read More

• Impact of 'Everyone Can' assessed

  by Art Toalston, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The ambitious goal for Southern Baptists to baptize 1 million people in 2006 was not met, according to yearly statistics reported by SBC churches.

  Baptisms for 2006 instead declined by 1.89 percent –- 364,826 in 2006 versus 371,850 in 2005.

  The baptism thrust was launched by the SBC's immediate past president, Bobby Welch, at the outset of his two years in office in June 2004.

  Named the "'Everyone Can!' Kingdom Challenge," it targeted 2006 as the year when S... Read More

• Handwriting on the wall

  by Bobby Welch, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  SAN ANTONIO (BP)--As I emphasized last year, the 1 million emphasis on baptisms by churches in the Southern Baptist Convention was to be the target that would challenge everyone to do their very best. Like the bar for high jumpers, the goal of 1 million baptisms was and is to draw the very best effort from us as the "jumpers." Read More

• Mo. investigative report made public

  by Norm Miller, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (BP)--The report which led to David Clippard's April 10 dismissal as executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention is public.

  The redacted, or edited report cites reasons for Clippard's dismissal; notes issues related to Don Hinkle, editor of The Pathway, MBC's state paper; and relates other matters regarding the MBC's nominating committee, Cooperative Program and church planting.

  Released April 16, the edited report omitted specific details in certain pers... Read More

• INTERNATIONAL DIGEST: Israel says Pelosi delivered wrong message to Syria; ...

  by Mark Kelly, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, delivered the wrong message from Israel when she visited Syrian President Bashar Assad April 4, according to the offices of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

  Pelosi, who was leading a bipartisan "fact-finding" tour of the Middle East, announced in a Damascus press conference that both Israeli and Syrian leaders had told her they were open to peace talks, which have been stalled since 2000, according to CNSN... Read More

• DOCTRINE: The Bible & tongues

  by Jimmy Draper, posted Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (17 years ago)

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Recently there's been much discussion about the issue of tongues in Southern Baptist life. I know individuals who believe in the gift of tongues and know that they love the Lord and His Word. So with what I write I am not attacking anyone. I only endeavor to summarize the scriptural teaching on this matter. Read More