Wednesday, December 28, 2005

• PHOTO ESSAY: Remembering the tsunami

  by Staff, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  Aerial tribute More than 5,000 Kong Fai lanterns —- small, paper hot air balloons -- were released into the night sky in tribute to the more than 5,000 lives lost along Thailand’s Khao Lak coast during the 2004 tsunami. Photo by Chris Sinclair

  KHAO LAK, Thailand (BP)--On Dec. 26, 2004, a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean spawned one of the most destructive tsunamis in recorded history. It swept away more than 225,000 lives and left millions of people homeless. One year later, Southern Baptists continue to aid and share God’s love with survivors in South Asia.

  On the one-year anniversary of the devastating tsunami, Southern Baptist workers gathered with other people along Thailand’s southern coast to remember those who tragically were lost.

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• CULTURE DIGEST: UCLA study says major media outlets are liberal; Christian colleges enjoy growth spurt

  by Erin Curry Roach, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A first-of-its-kind look at media bias, which included comparing news stories to congressional speeches, revealed that coverage by public television and radio is conservative compared to the rest of the mainstream media but that almost all major media outlets are liberal. Read More

• With evangelism part of 'culture,' church sees record baptisms

  by Erin Curry Roach, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (BP)--When Southern Baptist Convention President Bobby Welch called for a baptism emphasis in churches across the nation to be held Nov. 27, the event happened to coincide with a milestone at a North Carolina church where evangelism has become second nature to most members.

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• Christmas Eve Bethlehem service traces history of chosen city

  by Erin Curry Roach, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  Worshiping in Bethlehem Eugene Merrill, a renowned Old Testament scholar, worships with his daughter, Sonya, his wife, Janet, and members of Jerusalem Baptist Church during a Christmas Eve service across from Manger Square in Bethlehem. Photo by Steven Cox

  BETHLEHEM, Israel (BP)--It was not by accident that Jesus Christ, the “Bread of Life,” was born in Bethlehem, a town whose name means “bread of life,” Eugene Merrill, a renowned Old Testament scholar, told a group from Jerusalem Baptist Church that had gathered across from Manger Square in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

      “This is not coincidence. This is part of the outworking of the eternal purpose of God, that He should become incarnate in this place, in this place which is so significant throughout biblical history,” Merrill, distinguished professor of Old Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, said during his sermon. “I’m going to take us on a little tour of the history of Bethlehem in the Bible.”

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• 'Adopt-a-Faculty-Member' joins SEBTS, NOBTS seminaries

  by Kyle Smith, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--Southeastern College at Wake Forest professor Logan Carson knows the power of having fellow believers pray for him in the midst of a crisis.

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• Midwestern names new vice president of development

  by Staff, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has named Marty R. Harkey as vice president for institutional advancement. Harkey, who previously served as the director of property management and as Northwest area manager for The Baptist Foundation of Oklahoma, will oversee alumni affairs and development efforts at the seminary beginning Jan. 3.

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• Book examines rise of Baptists, others in Latin America

  by Gregory Tomlin, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--A new book by missiologist Justice Anderson traces the history of Baptists in Latin America and their role in a global shift in Christianity.

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• FIRST-PERSON: The culture of pornography

  by R. Albert Mohler Jr., posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--"For most of my life, I gave little thought to pornography. It was not something I considered relevant to me, nor did I consider it -- in the daunting spectrum of social, cultural, and political problems -- a particularly pressing issue facing this country," recalls Pamela Paul, author of "Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families." Her new book is likely to attract attention as it represents one of the few comprehensive reports on how pornography has transformed American culture.

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• FIRST-PERSON: Rescuing the perishing

  by Ted Stone and Philip Barber, posted Wednesday, December 28, 2005 (18 years ago)

  DURHAM, N.C. (BP)--The message in the large advertisement across the bottom of page 13A in The Brunswick Beacon Dec. 8 clearly identified the readers for whom it was intended. “LOSERS WANTED!!,” the bold headline proclaimed.

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