Wednesday, April 27, 2016

• Compassion rises with water levels to help Houston

  by Jim Burton, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Stewart F. House/NAMB

  HOUSTON (BP) -- A flash flood on April 18 swamped Houston when as much as one foot of rain fell on the nation's fourth largest city, claiming seven lives and making it the wettest day there since 1888.

  Most of the victims died in their cars while trying to traverse flooded roads. An estimated 1,200 Houstonians required rescue assistance.

  The city finally caught a break on Friday, April 22, their first dry day since the initial downpour, though rain returned on Sunday along with tornado warnings. Citizens reported tornado sightings in southeast Harris and Galveston counties. Read More

• Int'l religious freedom list: reactions mixed

  by Tom Strode, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Southern Baptists' religious freedom entity and a federal panel welcomed the U.S. State Department's designation of the world's worst violators of religious liberty but urged further action. Read More

• John Avant announced as Pastors' Conf. nominee

  by BP Staff, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  ST. LOUIS (BP) -- John Avant, pastor of First Baptist Concord in Knoxville, Tenn., will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference, according to an announcement by fellow Tennessee pastor Steve Gaines.

  Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., stated in an April 27 announcement to Baptist Press: "I have known John Avant for over 30 years. We were in the Ph.D. program together at Southwestern Seminary in the 1980s. We both served as pastors of Southern Baptist churches in Texas at that same time. He is a man of Christ-like character. He has experienced personal revival as well as revival in his churches. He is a devoted husband and father, a Gospel preacher, a loving pastor, a soul winner and a servant leader. Read More

• Ark Encounter gets tax incentive up to $18.25M

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  FRANKFORT, Ky. (BP) -- The Kentucky tourism authority has granted the Answers in Genesis apologetics ministry a tax incentive that could top $18 million for its Ark Encounter museum opening July 7 in Williamstown.

  The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority approved the incentive at its April 25th meeting, ending a years-long AiG battle with the state for the incentive that allows developers of certain tourism projects to recover up to 25 percent of the project's development costs over a 10-year span. Read More

• God & politics: Mohler, Thomas revisit disagreement

  by Andrew J.W. Smith, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Emil Handke/SBTS

  LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- Christians should be involved in the political process but remember their ultimate hope lies beyond any office or vote, said evangelical thinkers R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas at the April 25 "God and Politics" event at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

  Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, and Thomas, a political pundit and syndicated columnist, discussed their views regarding the religious beliefs of political candidates before a full Alumni Memorial Chapel in Louisville, Ky. Read More

• Ill. pastor Doug Munton to be 1st VP nominee

  by BP Staff, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  ST. LOUIS (BP) -- Illinois pastor Doug Munton will be nominated for first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Missouri pastor John Marshall announced April 26.

  Munton has been pastor of the St. Louis-area First Baptist Church in O'Fallon, Ill., for 20-plus years. He is a former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and a current member of the SBC Committee on Committees. Read More

• Floyd: Building relationships key to child care support

  by Stella Prather/ABCHomes, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  

  ROGERS, Ark. (BP) -- Building strong relationships with churches and their pastors is key to communicating to Southern Baptists the growing need for their support of child care services, Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told members of Baptist Coalition for Children and Families (BCCF) gathered for the organization's 68th annual meeting.

  About 45 members of BCCF from across the SBC gathered at Embassy Suites in Rogers, Ark., for the April 12-15 meeting. The meeting was hosted by Arkansas Baptist Children's Homes and Family Ministries (ABCHomes). Read More

• FIRST-PERSON: An extraordinary missionary report

  by Jake McCandless, posted Wednesday, April 27, 2016 (8 years ago)

  A solitary missionary relays what pastor Jake McCandless calls the greatest missionary report he's ever heard. This missionary is "going to love on his son until his son is healed from the only incurable eternal disease -- unbelief." Read More