Wednesday, December 21, 2016

• WRAP-UP: Over half states boost CP sending to SBC causes

  by Tammi Reed Ledbetter, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Photo by Jean Bihn

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Ohio Baptists approved the largest increase in the portion of Cooperative Program receipts sent beyond the state next year, moving from the current 59.75/40.25 ratio to a 50/50 split. "Supporting missions from Ohio to the ends of the earth is the heartbeat of Ohio Southern Baptists," said Ohio Executive Director Jack Kwok in praising the decision.

  The State Convention of Baptists in Ohio (SCBO) joins four other conventions that forward half or more to the Southern Baptist Convention, without a "shared ministry" calculation, including the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (55/45), Florida (51/49), Iowa (50/50) and Nevada (50/50). Read More

• Retired pastors, widows thankful for Mission:Dignity

  by John Ambra , posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Submitted photo

  DALLAS (BP) -- Hard work was nothing new for bivocational pastor L.C. Jones. After decades of laboring in sewing factories, he was accustomed to sweating it out for the sake of his family.

  "I've worked all summer -- mowing yards, trying to save enough money to fix my wife's teeth," he said. "I plan to work next summer to finish paying for her teeth."

  The blazing Texas heat wasn't going to hold him back from earning enough so that Jerry could get her teeth, even though the retired pastor was then 86 years old. That was in 2012. Read More

• Religious liberty priority in state conv. resolutions

  by Tammi Reed Ledbetter, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Photo by Robin Cornetet

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Values-driven voting and defense of religious liberty were topics frequently addressed in annual meetings of state Baptist conventions this year as messengers voiced their concerns in resolutions.

  Nevada Baptists encouraged churches -- as led by their pastors -- to "engage in the political process by researching the candidates and ballot questions," helping their members vote "to reflect Biblical values in the upcoming election." Read More

• First Gateway Seminary grads honored

  by Tyler Sanders, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  ONTARIO, Calif. (BP) -- Relatives and friends celebrated with Gateway Seminary's first graduating class on Dec. 17 in the chapel of the new Los Angeles-area campus.

  Thirty graduates received degrees, including 16 doctoral students. The seminary dedicated its new main campus in Ontario, Calif., in October.

  Jeff Iorg, president of Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention, reminded graduates that God chose to use some unexpected people in the Bible such as David, who is included in Jesus' genealogy in Matthew chapter one. Read More

• SWBTS grads urged to be characterized by obedience

  by Katie Coleman, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Paige Patterson urged graduates of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to continually strive for integrity and to respond in obedience to God's call in ministry.

  "All across America, students are graduating from colleges and universities, and the one thing most of them will not be told is to be men and women of integrity," Patterson, president of Southwestern, told graduates during the seminary's fall commencement on Dec. 16. A total of 169 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students graduated. Read More

• Open letter: cooperation needed amid SBC tensions

  by David Roach, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Controversy surrounding ethicist Russell Moore's past comments on President-elect Donald Trump has led three Tennessee Baptists -- all under the age of 40 -- to issue an open letter calling "the [conservative] resurgence generation and their protégés" to "be the statesmen we need them to be in this season of denominational tension."

  Jonathan Akin, Nathan Finn and Micah Fries wrote in a Dec. 21 open letter provided to Baptist Press, "Now isn't the time for acrimonious debates over secondary and tertiary doctrinal matters," such as the extent of the atonement, church polity, methodology and the appropriate means of cultural engagement. Read More

• FIRST-PERSON: Keep the Christmas spirit

  by Diana Davis, posted Wednesday, December 21, 2016 (7 years ago)

  The "spirit of Christmas" is just not a once-a-year event, Diana Davis writes. "It's a Christian's lifestyle and mission," she notes, calling believers to reflect "the true Christmas spirit -- God's Spirit -- as you live with joy, expectancy, love and generosity." Read More