Baptist Press Stories for Jun. 14 2012 --------------------------------------- Black pastors discuss how 'Great Commission Baptists' descriptor could help http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38052 Statement on Calvinism sparks blog discussion http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38050 Seminary archaeology team makes key find http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38051 A Father's Day prayer for a son on mission http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38056 Dad intent on rearing 'exponential' sons http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38055 Coalition criticizes HHS 2-tier religious system http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38058 Baptist college to open in New England http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38057 Updated: SBC nominees' 2011 key stats http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38048 B21 panel topic: Conservative Resurgence http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38053 CULTURE DIGEST: Gay dads featured in JC Penney ad http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38042 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, June 17, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38059 FIRST-PERSON: The significance of just being there for my kids http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38054 EDITORIAL: La Importancia De Un Padre http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38049 --------------------------------------- Black pastors discuss how 'Great Commission Baptists' descriptor could help By Diana Chandler Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38052
In the above video, Ken Fentress discusses the proposed descriptor "Great Commission Baptists." NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- As Southern Baptists prepare to vote on the adoption of the descriptor "Great Commission Baptists," African American pastors are adding insight on how well the reference will improve the convention's cross-cultural attraction. K. Marshall Williams, chairman of the Southern Baptist African American Advisory Council, said the adoption of the descriptor would be a step in the right direction and could improve the SBC's effectiveness in kingdom building. "I think it will be helpful, very helpful in expanding our capacity as Kingdom citizens to fulfill our biblical mandate issued by the Master," said Williams, senior pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. "It's a clear declaration of who we are and what we're about, namely the exaltation of the Almighty and the edification and evangelization of all nations." Williams said he would use the name on his church stationery and website and "would be proud to wave that banner as an identifier of who we are, whose we are and what we're about." His church's membership is about 98 percent black. In February, the SBC Executive Committee approved the recommendation brought by SBC President Bryant Wright who had appointed a task force to advise him on the advisability of changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention. Based on their advice, Wright brought a recommendation to the EC that the convention keep its name but adopt an informal, non-legal "Great Commission Baptists" descriptor, to be used by any church that wishes to use it. Task force member Ken Fentress, who leads multiethnic Montrose Baptist Church in Rockville, Md., has said the inclusion of "Southern" in the SBC's name is a barrier to many in the African American community, who find the term reminiscent of the Confederacy. "Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. recently summarized the history of the founding of our convention in 1845. In his eloquent recitation of the issues that led to the establishment of the SBC, we learned that the founders intended for the name to identify with the Confederacy in the years leading up to the Civil War," Fentress said in his February address before the Executive Committee. "This signifies that the name has not only been a source of difficulty for church planters serving in areas outside the American South but also that the name has been a source of some difficulty among African Americans precisely because of its identity with the Confederacy." Robert Anderson, a Maryland pastor who is finishing eight years on the Executive Committee, used a baseball analogy in explaining the anticipated effectiveness of the proposed descriptor. "In any game everybody likes to see a home run. If I could talk about this game of life and ministry that we have, I think this is a home run. This is not a home run that wins the game, or anything, but it is a home run in the game," Anderson said. "Everybody wins, those who affectionately love the name Southern Baptist and would not want that to change. But also it helps those who would like to see a change for various purposes, better relating into ethnic communities, better relating to regions of the country that are not down South." While the SBC is predominantly white, Anderson pointed out the 3,500 African American churches in the SBC comprise some eight percent of the 45,700 membership congregations. "I think with that in mind and the passion or interest that our denomination has to reach urban areas, this is going to help," Anderson said. Anderson said the SBC last year hit a significant home run when messengers passed an ethnic diversity report that encourages the SBC president, when he makes his various appointments, to "give special attention to appointing individuals who represent the diversity within the Convention, and particularly ethnic diversity." The report cites the "need to be proactive and intentional in the inclusion of individuals from all ethnic and racial identities within Southern Baptist life." Anderson served on the Executive Committee communications workgroup which drafted the report. It is significant that the convention could elect its first African American president, Anderson said, but added more work is needed. "We have yet to see an African American leading as president of any of our seminaries. In fact, it would be encouraging to see more African American professors, and not just African Americans," he said. "The point of the motion passed last year is … more Asians, more Hispanics… etc. "We need more in places of leadership in our entities, particularly in positions not just leadership, but also significant leadership," Anderson said. "You know ... it's significant leadership when you have a significant budget ... you oversee." A.B. Vines, senior pastor of New Seasons Church in Spring Valley, Calif., said while the term "Southern" indeed has a derogatory history, referring to the SBC by another name will not demonstrate the group's sincerity as much as placing minorities in positions of leadership among its various entities. Vines is current vice president and incoming president of the SBC's National African American Fellowship, but emphasized his remarks are not on behalf of NAAF. "To call ourselves Great Commission Baptists ... if we don't show it in our convention, how can we say we're Great Commission Baptists if we don't show it in our leadership?" he said. "We have to look like a Great Commission convention. The Great Commission means everyone, every ethnos, every people group, not just in the lower echelon, but also in the top leadership." "Our convention needs to really become more like what the Bible says -- every race, every culture," Vines said. Kevin Smith, senior pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., said that while the adoption of the descriptor may be helpful to church planters, any regional identity problems they face also can be reversed by placing a greater emphasis on state identity. "I think we should make a bigger deal about our state convention identity because that gives us the more contextualized, familiar terminology for our setting. But I have no problem with the Great Commission descriptor," he said. "When I meet someone in evangelistic conversation, before they know I'm Southern Baptist, I mean, they know I'm Kentucky Baptist. We're one of 2,400 churches cooperating here in Kentucky for the Gospel of Jesus Christ." "I've not met people resistant to the Gospel because our church is Southern Baptist or Kentucky Baptist," Smith said. "People resist the Gospel because they're sinful and they don't desire to repent of their sins. But again, I'm not in one of these New York City, high-impact areas, so if that's a conceptualization problem for them, I think that descriptor can be helpful. But it would also be helpful if they would tell people they're a New York Baptist and make sure that they make those state identifications." Smith, who is also assistant professor of Christian preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, said the SBC's name signifies more than a region. "I think I have been one of those people against any type of name change because I think Southern Baptist Convention says something organizationally, it says something historical and in the days we're living in now," he said, "it certainly says something theological. To say Southern Baptist is a theological statement as much as anything else." --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. -- End of story -- Statement on Calvinism sparks blog discussion By Michael Foust Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38050 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- A May 30 statement aimed at critiquing Calvinism launched a discussion within the Southern Baptist Convention nearly immediately when it was posted online, and the debate has yet to slow down. The document, "A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God's Plan of Salvation," was posted at SBCToday.com and has received more than 800 comments. All total, when including other SBCToday.com stories about the statement, more than 1,800 comments have been logged. But that's just scratching the surface, as various Baptist-centric blogs have been dominated by dialog on the 10-point statement. Since May 30, SBCVoices.com, another Baptist blog, has seen more than 1,800 comments -- about the same as SBCToday.com -- on various blog posts dealing with the statement. The statement -- which affirms what the signers call the "traditional Southern Baptist" understanding of the doctrine of salvation and draws a distinction with the beliefs of "New Calvinism" -- includes signatures from two entity presidents (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Paige Patterson and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's Chuck Kelley), seven state executive directors (Georgia's Bob White, Florida's John Sullivan, Mississippi's Jim Futral, Louisiana's David Hankins, Alaska's Mike Procter, Colorado's Mark Edlund, Indiana's Cecil W. Seagle), and in addition to Patterson, five other former SBC presidents (Bailey Smith, Jimmy Draper, Jerry Vines, Morris Chapman and Bobby Welch). Much of the discussion in the blogosphere has centered on a column written by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's president, R. Albert Mohler Jr., who explained why he did not sign the statement. "I have very serious reservations and concerns about some of its assertions and denials," Mohler wrote on his website. "I fully understand the intention of the drafters to oppose several Calvinist renderings of doctrine, but some of the language employed in the statement goes far beyond this intention. Some portions of the statement actually go beyond Arminianism and appear to affirm semi-Pelagian understandings of sin, human nature, and the human will -- understandings that virtually all Southern Baptists have denied." Mohler continued: "I do not believe that those most problematic statements truly reflect the beliefs of many who signed this document. I know many of these men very well, and I know them to be doctrinally careful and theologically discerning." Semi-Pelagianism, according to the Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (IVP), maintains that "faith begins independently of God's grace, although such grace is subsequently necessary for salvation." Nelson's New Christian Dictionary says that in semi-Pelagianism, "the first step toward salvation was through human will and that grace intervened only with human assent." It gets its name from a British monk, Pelagius, who lived around A.D. 400. Mohler was not specific in his concern, although on various blogs, those who have made the same charge have pointed to the statement's second article, which reads, in part: "We deny that Adam's sin resulted in the incapacitation of any person's free will or rendered any person guilty before he has personally sinned. While no sinner is remotely capable of achieving salvation through his own effort, we deny that any sinner is saved apart from a free response to the Holy Spirit's drawing through the Gospel." The first sentence is the one at issue. The second article also states: "We affirm that, because of the fall of Adam, every person inherits a nature and environment inclined toward sin and that every person who is capable of moral action will sin. Each person's sin alone brings the wrath of a holy God, broken fellowship with Him, ever-worsening selfishness and destructiveness, death, and condemnation to an eternity in hell." Vines, on his blog, said the document is not semi-Pelagian. "I strongly disagree with Dr. Mohler's assertion that 'some of the statements appear to affirm semi-Pelagian understandings.'" wrote Vines, who emphasized that he and Mohler are friends. "I wonder if Dr. Mohler thinks some of us aren't theologically astute enough to recognize semi-Pelagianism when we see it!" Malcolm Yarnell, associate professor of systematic at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, was a signer of the statement, and said it was not semi-Pelagian. He quoted all of the second article and also the fourth article, which reads, in part: "We affirm that grace is God's generous decision to provide salvation for any person by taking all of the initiative in providing atonement, in freely offering the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in uniting the believer to Christ through the Holy Spirit by faith." "A careful reading of the document," Yarnell wrote, "thus indicates that the signatories believe that faith comes to human beings as an act of divine grace, just as the cross and the proclamation of the gospel are acts of divine grace. Personally, I have always taught my students that divine grace has the priority in salvation, from beginning to end, and I will continue to do so." Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss., was one of the first signers of the statement and wrote its introduction when it was first posted. He wrote at SBCToday.com, "We will never concede the charge of Semi-Pelagianism." "Here is what we mean and what we will be glad to debate: We are all ruined by Adam's sin," Hankins wrote. "We are born with a sin nature. We all persistently, perniciously, and at every opportunity want to be Lord of our own lives. We cannot save ourselves. The power of the Gospel through the initiative and drawing of the Holy Spirit is our only hope, and it alone is sufficient to pierce our spiritual darkness and rescue us. But our real response to the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Spirit matters to God." Others, though, disagreed, and said the statement, particularly article two, is semi-Pelagian. "The statement affirms that there is corruption (inclined toward sin), but denies that there is inability," Chris Roberts, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Panama City, Fla., wrote at SBCVoices.com. Roberts did not sign the statement. "The statement elsewhere affirms that we need salvation through Jesus Christ alone, but repeatedly asserts that salvation is found through a free response of the human will, a will which is here claimed to be inclined toward sin but not incapacitated by sin. If that is not semi-Pelagian, what is?" Roberts added that from his perspective, the statement seems to be saying that "while the Spirit woos and draws, our response to the Spirit originates in the individual through a will that does not need to be changed by God to overcome sin's corruption." Roger Olson, professor of theology at Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary and author of "Against Calvinism" -- a book that criticizes Calvinism -- said the statement goes too far. "The problem with this ... statement is its neglect of emphasis on the necessity of the prevenience of supernatural grace for the exercise of a good will toward God (including acceptance of the gospel by faith)," Olson wrote in a Patheos.com article. "If the authors believe in that cardinal biblical truth, they need to spell it out more clearly. And they need to delete the sentence that denies the incapacitation of free will due to Adam's sin." The statement has been debated in Baptist state newspapers as well. The Florida Baptist Witness ran a point-counterpoint on the statement by Bob Hadley, who signed the statement and is pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Tom Ascol, who did not sign the statement and is pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, and executive director of Founders Ministries. The discussion on blogs about the statement has not always been fruitful, wrote Dave Miller, editor at SBCVoices.com. "Any post here on Calvinism tends to descend into mudslinging within about 50-75 comments," Miller, senior pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa, bemoaned. He urged readers to "demonstrate a passion for the unity of the body of Christ" that is "as great or even greater than our passion for our doctrinal systems." "We need to eschew the kind of knowledge that puffs up and live in love with one another," Miller wrote. Mohler and Vines, too, urged Southern Baptists to be charitable during the discussion. "I love and respect the men who signed this new statement," Mohler wrote. "I believe that they love and respect me. We have walked arm in arm for too long to abandon each other now. ... The presence of more than one tradition and stream of doctrinal influence has been healthy for Southern Baptists. We have been strengthened by both the Charleston and Sandy Creek traditions, representing Southern Baptists who rightly prize their doctrinal understandings, but eagerly work together in the Gospel service." Vines, in a post titled, "It is Time to Discuss the Elephant in the Room," wrote, "I have no desire that any Calvinist be unwelcome in the SBC. I do desire that we can live together as brothers, openly and lovingly affirming our theological positions without trying to force them upon others who take another view. And I pray we will be willing to join hearts and hands with those who may view theological matters somewhat differently than we do, within the framework of our BF&M [Baptist Faith & Message]. Vines said he signed the statement because "there are some, not all, new Calvinists who are hostile, militant and aggressive." "The time has come to admit we have a problem, seek God-honoring solutions and move forward to do our part as Southern Baptists to fulfill the Great Commission," Vines wrote. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Read Baptist Press' earlier story about the statement at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37939]www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37939[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Seminary archaeology team makes key find By Gary D. Myers Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38051 [IMG=32828@right@250]KARME YOSEF, Israel (BP) -- An archaeological discovery by a New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary team June 12 will never be on display in a museum, but it is as significant as many from the Holy Land that fill the finest antiquity halls around the world. And it is much, much larger. The team, under the direction of the NOBTS Center for Archaeological Research, located a large open section in the cave at the eastern end of the ancient water system at Tel Gezer in Israel. The discovery marks a major milestone in the seminary's three-year exploration at Gezer and sets the stage for future research. The breakthrough is valuable in understanding the cultural context in which the Bible was written. The team still plans to locate the water source for the system and explore the entire cave, seeking a possible rear exit and pottery evidence to help date its construction in future digs.
The dig leaders believe the rock-hewn water tunnel was cut by the Canaanite occupants of Gezer between 2000 and 1800 B.C. -- around the time of Abraham. Other scholars date the system to the time of the Divided Kingdom after Solomon. The site is mentioned numerous times in the Bible including in 1 Kings 9 when the city was given to Solomon by the Egyptian pharaoh. Solomon rebuilt and fortified the city with a massive wall and unique gate system. The latest discovery could help archeologists date the Tel Gezer water system and understand how it works, which would offer valuable information to students of the Bible. "Opening the cave is something we have been working toward for three summers wondering if it even existed," said Dan Warner, associate professor of archaeology and Old Testament at NOBTS and director of the Gezer Water System Expedition. "It gave me a rush. Once inside it gave us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, but we are not done by a long shot," Warner said. A small dig team broke into the cavern at about 8 a.m. on June 12. What they found was a large, wedge shaped open area of the cave measuring 26 feet wide by 30 feet long and reaching a height of nearly seven feet at its highest point down to only a few inches at its lowest. The surface inside is covered with a thin layer of cracked mud similar to what one would find in a dry pond or lake bed. The chamber also contains large boulders of chalk that have broken free from the cave roof. The roof, which slopes up at a 45-degree angle, seems relatively sound. Though the cave was briefly opened by Irish archaeologist R.A.S. Macalister in 1908, he was unable to take a photograph due to condensation on his camera lens and poor lighting. The NOBTS team also encountered condensation on the camera lens at first, but after ventilating the area with a large fan the team was able to obtain the first photographs and videos of the cave's interior. Macalister and French archaeologist Peré Vincent both looked at the cave and believed it was natural. The cave was only open a short time during the Macalister excavation before a torrential rain caused a retaining wall to collapse, sending all of Macalister's excavated dirt back down into the water system, where it blocked the cave. The NOBTS team was the first to see the cavern in more than 100 years. Only a few people have ever seen the cavern in the past 3,800 years. "This find verifies Macalister," Warner said. "Macalister was right. There is a cavern at the end of the water system." Once inside, Warner and the other team leaders -- Jim Parker from NOBTS and Tsvika Tsuk, chief archaeologist for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority -- were able to confirm that the cave is indeed natural. "It's a cave, not a carved space. It's a natural cave," said Parker, associate professor of biblical interpretation at NOBTS and the dig engineer. Parker said the space is larger than Macalister described. Some of the differences in the dimensions may be attributed to the various roof collapses since Macalister explored the cave. The roof collapses have also opened more of the cave. "We're able to see a part of the cave that Macalister never saw," Parker said. "This leaves the possibility that there is another entrance [to the cave] from another location off the tel." A tel is an archeological mound where past civilizations have built and abandoned structures. "We did some sound tests to see if we could hear inside the cavern from outside on the tel," Parker said. "The sound was very clear, which leads us to believe that it leads to some sort of opening or fissure in the rock that in ancient days the water may have traveled outside the tel." At the start of this dig season the team intended to open the entire mouth of the cave. However, the left side of the mouth was blocked with boulders and the rest of the cave was filled with silt and dirt. So the team continued a probe along the southern wall that they began in 2011. About 26 feet into the probe, Warner and Parker made a crucial decision. With time running out on this year's dig, Warner and Parker wanted to expose more of the interior of the cave. Instead of continuing along the southern wall of the cave, the team made a 20-degree left turn toward the middle of the cave. On June 10, the team cleared out 22 feet of dirt in the new angled probe. Parker ran new calculations and speculated that the team was near the northern wall of the cave. The dig team took another left turn at a 70-degree angle and began digging in an effort to locate the wall. Less than an hour later they hit the northern side wall of the cave. From that point the team began excavating along the northern wall of the cave and ultimately entered the open space. The discovery came just two days after visits by several high-ranking Israeli authorities. Reuven Pinsky, head of the Heritage Division in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Shuka Dorfman, director-general of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, each toured the water system on June 10. Dorfman, IAA Deputy Director Uzi Dahari and other IAA staffers toured the water system with Parker and Warner early June 10. Later the same day Pinsky visited the tunnel and cave. After hearing about the cave breakthrough, Dahari scheduled another tour for June 14. --30-- Gary D. Myers is director of public relations at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information about the NOBTS Center for Archaeological Research, visit [URL=http://www.nobts.edu/ArchaeologyCenter]www.nobts.edu/ArchaeologyCenter[/URL] or [URL=http://www.nobtsarchaeology.blogspot.com]www.nobtsarchaeology.blogspot.com[/URL]. A video about the discovery is available at [URL=http://www.youtube/-hGEJSfXlAM]www.youtube/-hGEJSfXlAM[/URL]. -- End of story -- A Father's Day prayer for a son on mission By Mike Young Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38056 [IMG=32831@right@250]RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- On Father's Day, three of our four children will be nearby. Our oldest son, however, will be halfway around the world in South Asia. That's not altogether unusual, but Tim is only 16. He'll be on a seven-week mission trip with two other 16-year-old young men and a 21-year-old advocate who will serve as the team leader. This bold group of Kingdom adventurers is part of Fusion Impact, a unique, hands-on mission experience for high school students. In July 2010, Tim and I served with a mission team in South Asia on a father/son mission adventure. The time we spent together traveling, serving and sharing the Gospel produced experiences, memories and changes that continue to affect our lives. It also provided Tim with a broader context in which to own and personalize his faith in Christ. There were funny moments: experiencing unusual foods, traveling by bus (WOW! You have to watch that video) and Tim's mind wandering during serious group devotions … "Hey, are those coconuts?" There were challenging moments: We had everything ready to start the generator in one village to show the "JESUS" film when the local imam (spiritual leader) told our group leaders, "There will be trouble in our village tomorrow if you do this. You need to leave." The animated crowd surrounded our van as we packed up and pulled out. Some were angry at the missed opportunity; others were anxious to see us leave. There were life-shaping moments: We shared the Gospel with many individuals in several villages where people were quite open and anxious to hear more. They were ready but our time in South Asia was coming to an end. We talk often about the enormity of the task, but that our God is able to accomplish His will among these people. The impact on Tim has been pretty exciting. Now he's bolder and more confident in sharing his faith and has a unique perspective compared to many of his peers. One of my favorite anecdotes is from his world history class. His teacher was explaining the difference between monotheism and polytheism. According to Tim, at a lull in the lecture, he raised his hand and started to compare and contrast Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. The teacher finally asked, "How do you know so much about this?" His response: "I went on a mission trip with my dad. I'm a Christian, but I've been in a mosque. I've been in a Hindu temple. I've talked personally to imams and swamis. I've heard the call to prayer and seen men and young boys gather to pray to Allah. I've seen Hindus worship and experienced their culture." He became the "resident missiologist" for this class and several others since then. I'm proud of my son and the other young men who will journey together this summer for the sake of advancing God's Kingdom. In each case, their families have invested strategically in their sons to point them toward Christ and to help them develop a heart for adventurous missions. I expect this will be the first of many Father's Days when their dads and I will wake up and pray for our sons on another continent in obedience to their heavenly Father. --30— Mike Young is the founder of Noble Warriors (noblewarriors.org), a men's ministry organization that seeks to encourage all men to walk with Christ and lead their families. He and his family attend Parkway Baptist Church in Moseley, Va. To view "A father's heart," the multi-media presentation about Mike and Tim Young's 2010 trip to South Asia, visit [URL=http://www.commissionstories.com/stories/1493]www.commissionstories.com/stories/1493[/URL]. For more information about Fusion, Fusion Impact and other IMB student missions programs, go to [URL=http://www.thetask.org/programs]www.thetask.org/programs[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Dad intent on rearing 'exponential' sons By Laura Fielding Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38055 JINOTEGA, Nicaragua (BP) -- Rex Jones knows a thing or two about raising sons -- he's got three of them -- and he's trained them to make an impact on the world for Christ. The Jones boys -- Barrett, 22, Harrison, 20, and Walker, 18 -- are all talented football players. Barrett, a graduate student in accounting, is an NCAA unanimous all-American lineman for the University of Alabama who, in the past year, has won both the Wuerffel Award for combining exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement and the Outland Trophy for being the best college football interior lineman. Harrison is an upcoming junior at Alabama and plays as a tight end for the Crimson Tide. Walker, a rising senior at Evangelical Christian School in Cordova, Tenn., is on his high school football team and plans to play college football like his brothers. Early in their marriage, Rex and his wife Leslie decided to be "intentional" in their style of parenting and raise their sons with a clear focus on Christ. They wanted "to teach and train these kids to be a resource to the world," said Rex, director of advancement at Evangelical Christian School. "The world needs Christian men leaders," he stated. "I don't know that they'll be pastors or missionaries, but … the world needs good Christian lawyers and doctors and dentists and people who are in professions that can influence people." The Jones boys have accepted their father's challenge. Barrett has led three mission trips during his spring breaks from college; two of them included his entire family. The Joneses returned from a weeklong mission trip to Nicaragua in March. During that trip, Rex encouraged Barrett to take the leadership role for the team of about 30. He urged all three of his sons to disciple their friends on the trip. Barrett understands the value of participating in missions and the importance of encouraging others to get involved. "Missions is something that's extremely important to the Christian community because God is so much bigger than just America -- He's a global God," Barrett said. "We can only [reach] so many people," Rex added. "But if we train other people to [reach] people, then it becomes exponential." Rex also sees the family's mission trips as a time to expand the vision for missions. He challenges participants "not only to experience serving on these mission trips, but to have a goal in their lifetime … to be able to do the same thing with their families." Rex's hope is that each of the 30 people on the trip will go on a future mission trip and take 30 of their friends. "That would be 900 people around the world that God could use to make a difference, and that's our goal." Barrett, Harrison and Walker each use football to share Christ's love with their teammates and with spectators. "Obviously sports are for fun -- that's why I do them -- but also you can have a great influence on others," Walker said. "As we've seen with Barrett, really it's given him a pedestal to be able to share the Gospel and share his faith, and that allows people to watch him more closely. I believe that if you take that opportunity and you make the most of it, then that can really change people for Christ." Rex said despite Barrett's fame, the family keeps him grounded. "He has two brothers and a mom and a dad who work really hard to keep him humble, and we have fun doing that," Rex said with a smile. "… it's a great love that we have for each other. I challenge him to maximize his time to be able to use it wisely to do what God is wanting him to do." The Jones brothers are appreciative of their father's leadership, character and influence as a Christian role model in their lives. "He's a picture of Christ for me," Harrison said. "He's taught me everything that I think I want to teach my kids one day." --30-- Laura Fielding is a writer for the International Mission Board. To read more about the Jones family's mission trip to Nicaragua, visit [URL=http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?LanguageID=1709&StoryID=10521]www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?LanguageID=1709&StoryID=10521[/URL]. To see a photo gallery from their trip, visit [URL=http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasgraham_imb/sets/72157629256700720]www.flickr.com/photos/thomasgraham_imb/sets/72157629256700720[/URL]. -- End of story -- Coalition criticizes HHS 2-tier religious system By Michael Foust Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38058 WASHINGTON (BP) -- A diverse coalition of more than 140 Christian leaders says it has "grave" concerns over the Obama administration's creation of a two-tiered system of religious organizations within the new health care law, and it has sent a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, urging her to abolish the division. At issue are the department's regulations mandating which insurance plans must cover contraceptives, including ones categorized as "emergency contraceptives" that can cause a chemical abortion. Under the regulations set up by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), insurance plans offered by churches are not required to cover such contraceptives, but plans offered by religious organizations that are not necessarily defined as "churches" are required to cover them. The letter, organized by the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, urges Sebelius to make all religious organizations exempt. The June 11 letter was signed by a wide range of leaders, including Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; William J. Blacquiere, president of Bethany Christian Services, an adoption agency; Keith Wiebe, president of the American Association of Christian Schools; R. Lamar Vest, president of the American Bible Society; Ronald J. Sider, president of Evangelicals for Social Action; and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Several Baptist college presidents also signed the letter. "Our organizations are involved in different areas of service. We belong to different faiths," the letter says. "But we are united in opposition to the creation in federal law of two classes of religious organizations: churches -- considered sufficiently focused inwardly to merit an exemption and thus full protection from the mandate; and faith-based service organizations -- outwardly oriented and given a lesser degree of protection." Both types of religious organizations -- churches and faith-based service organizations -- are explicitly Christian, the letter asserts. "Both worship-oriented and service-oriented religious organizations are authentically and equally religious organizations," the letter says. "To use Christian terms, we owe God wholehearted and pure worship, to be sure, and yet we know also that 'pure religion' is 'to look after orphans and widows in their distress' (James 1:27). We deny that it is within the jurisdiction of the federal government to define, in place of religious communities, what constitutes true religion and authentic ministry. "This two-class scheme protects those religious organizations focused on activities directed inward to a worship community while offering little religious freedom protection to the many religious organizations that engage in service directed outward. The scheme honors acts of worship while burdening those whose faith leads them to service in our common life. Among its many troublesome aspects, the scheme moves us further toward an unconstitutional, unhistorical, and unhealthy naked public square." There is only one remedy, the letter says: Eliminate the two-tiered system. "Extend to faith-based service organizations the same exemption that the regulations currently limit to churches," the letter says. "This would bring the preventive services regulations into line with the long-standing, respected, and court-tested provisions of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act ... which provide a specific employment exemption for every kind of religious organization, whether they be defined as 'a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society.'" Among other Baptists signing the letter: Joe W. Aguillard, president of Louisiana College; Lee G. Royce, president of Mississippi College; C. Pat Taylor, president of Southwest Baptist University; David Dockery, president of Union University; and Mark Foley, president of the University of Mobile. The letter can be read online at[URL=http://www.bit.ly/LI0Eea]www.bit.ly/LI0Eea[/URL]. --30-- Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Baptist college to open in New England By Erin Roach Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38057 BENNINGTON, Vt. (BP) -- A college with strong Southern Baptist ties is preparing to open in Vermont, the least-churched state in the nation, with a goal of training church planters for service in New England. Northeastern Baptist College, with classes set to start in August 2013 in Bennington, Vt., will require all faculty and students to sign and uphold the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Southern Baptists' statement of faith. The school recently formalized a partnership with the Green Mountain Baptist Association in Vermont and is cooperating with the Baptist Convention of New England. Mark Ballard, Northeastern's president, told Baptist Press the school will help address a main problem in the task of reaching New England for Christ. When God calls residents of New England to the Gospel ministry, he said, they often travel south for college and seminary, intending to return home for service. Instead, many settle in the South, and few go back to New England as pastors and church planters, Ballard said. Traditionally, Baptist colleges have been funded by Baptist state conventions. The Baptist Convention of New England, though, has a little more than 300 churches for all six New England states, and about two-thirds of its budget comes from outside New England through the North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources, Ballard said. "We're kind of in this catch-22. Everybody knows we need a Baptist college here so we can train students and keep them here, but the problem is our convention is not strong enough to support a college like that," Ballard, a longtime New England church planter, said. "In order for us to get strong enough to support a college like that, we've got to have workers here." The circular problem is part of what God used to convince Ballard that he needed to help start an accredited four-year school. "Somebody has got to have faith and step out," he said. "For a long time I prayed somebody would, and I didn't think it would be me. I didn't necessarily want it to be me initially, but that was God's call, and I said, 'OK.'" While offering bachelor's degrees in biblical studies, music and education, Northeastern will focus on helping students develop "the mind of a scholar, the heart of a shepherd and the perseverance of a soldier." In addition to classroom time, depending on their degree track, students will gain practical ministry experience by serving in churches alongside area pastors or in the K-12 Christian school that is housed in the same building as the college. "One of the things every church planter in New England that I know of is starving for is more help," said Ballard, a former president of the Baptist Convention of New England and a former LifeWay trustee. "Practical experience is good for the student, but in New England, it's critical for the churches." For students in the biblical studies track, there is a unique emphasis on church planting and entrepreneurial leadership. Ballard recognizes that one of the challenges church planters face is funding, so he is assembling some of the best entrepreneurs he can find to teach students how to make money when they're serving on the field. "What we're trying to do through a few of our classes in that program is help our church planters gain the principles so they can go into an area and quickly assess what they can do to offset their income when they need to in order to stay on task for the church planting effort," Ballard said. Because the local association and the state convention are not in positions to fund the school, Ballard is "trying to tell the story far and wide and praying that the Lord will touch the hearts of people to help us … ." Paige Patterson, Jimmy Draper and Fred Luter are among the Southern Baptist leaders who have provided endorsements for Northeastern Baptist College. "The fact of the matter is what we're attempting here is the impossible," Ballard said. "... We all know the debt that our country owes to New England. The Baptist Faith and Message is built on the New Hampshire Confession. We all know what D.L. Moody did here. We all know about the Great Awakenings. Yet we also know that today the Northeast is the most unchurched. "Vermont is the self-proclaimed least churched state in the nation. Fifteen miles from where I'm sitting on campus is the site of the Haystack Revival, yet you look around today and see the devastation," Ballard said. "So you're realistic about it, but you rely on the Savior." Ballard is asking Southern Baptists across the nation to be a part of launching Northeastern Baptist College by the tried and true methods of praying, giving and going. Mission teams from North Carolina, Virginia and Alabama are among those who have traveled to Bennington to help convert the 19,000 square feet of space on the third and fourth floors of a former Ramada Inn and Conference Center into a Baptist college. "We've had volunteer couples come for a week or two," Ballard said. The school hopes to launch with 100 students next year, and Ballard tells people there's no better place to send their students than to Northeastern, where they'll gain knowledge but also practical ministry experience. "Less than 2 percent of the state of Vermont claims to have a relationship with Christ, so this is an unreached people group right here in our own country," Ballard said. --30-- Erin Roach is assistant editor of Baptist Press. For more information, visit Northeastern Baptist College online at [URL=http://www.nebcvt.org]www.nebcvt.org[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Updated: SBC nominees' 2011 key stats By Staff Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38048 Updated Saturday, June 16 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Church statistics related to announced nominees for the offices of Southern Baptist Convention president and vice presidents have been compiled by Baptist Press, primarily drawing from the Annual Church Profile maintained by LifeWay Christian Resources. PRESIDENT Fred Luter, pastor, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans -- In 2011, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church reported weekly worship attendance of 4,500; 204 baptisms; undesignated receipts of $4,456,899; Cooperative Program contributions of $193,791; $372,727 in Great Commission Giving and $394,304 in total missions expenditures. Contributions to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions or the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions were not reported. Though the church was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Franklin Avenue managed to increase CP giving from 1.6 percent pre-Katrina to 5.9 percent in 2010. The initial Baptist Press story on Luter's nomination for SBC president can be accessed at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37114]www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37114[/URL]. FIRST VICE PRESIDENT Nathan Lino, pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble, Texas -- Annual Church Profile information was unavailable for Northeast Houston Baptist Church. The church's executive pastor shared in an email to Baptist Press June 14 that weekly worship attendance was 1,000; undesignated receipts totaled $1.8 million last year; the church gave $117,000 through the Cooperative Program; and total Great Commission Giving was $241,000. The email did not address church gifts to SBC annual missions offerings. The initial Baptist Press story on Lino's nomination for SBC first vice president can be accessed at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37586]www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37586[/URL]. SECOND VICE PRESIDENT Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss. -- In 2011, First Baptist Oxford reported primary worship attendance of 683; 26 baptisms; undesignated receipts of $2,036,942; Cooperative Program contributions of $254,616; a Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions gift of $43,369; an Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions gift of $12,242; Great Commission Giving of $441,281; and total missions expenditures of $456,689. This information was confirmed June 11 by the church's administrative pastor. The initial Baptist Press story on the nomination of Hankins as SBC second vice president can be accessed at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37931]www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37931[/URL]. Dave Miller, pastor of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Sioux City, Iowa. -- In 2011, Southern Hills Baptist reported primary worship attendance of 225; two baptisms; undesignated receipts of $375,754; Cooperative Program contributions of $49,447; a Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions gift of $22,862; an Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions gift of $948; Great Commission Giving of $85,097; and total missions expenditures of $96,520. The initial Baptist Press story on the nomination of Hankins as SBC second vice president can be accessed at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/blog/article.asp?id=337&title=Iowan+Dave+Miller+to+be+nominated+for+SBC+2nd+VP]http://www.bpnews.net/blog/article.asp?id=337&title=Iowan+Dave+Miller+to+be+nominated+for+SBC+2nd+VP[/URL]. Brad Atkins, pastor of Powdersville First Baptist Church in Easley, S.C. -- In 2011, Powdersville First Baptist reported primary worship attendance of 180; 17 baptisms; undesignated receipts of $268,149; Cooperative Program contributions of $14,538; a Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions gift of $1,525; an Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Mission gift of $533; Great Commission giving of $29,511; and total missions expenditures of $68,243. The initial Baptist Press story on the nomination of Atkins as SBC second vice president can be accessed at [URL=http://bpnews.net/blog/article.asp?id=339&title=S%2EC%2E+pastor+Brad+Atkins+to+be+nominated+for+second+VP]http://bpnews.net/blog/article.asp?id=339&title=S%2EC%2E+pastor+Brad+Atkins+to+be+nominated+for+second+VP[/URL]. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach and associate editor Michael Foust. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- B21 panel topic: Conservative Resurgence By Staff Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38053 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The Conservative Resurgence will be the main topic for discussion by this year's Baptist21 panel with Paige Patterson, R. Albert Mohler Jr., Fred Luter and others, held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in New Orleans. The title of the panel discussion -- "The CR, the GCR, & the Future of the SBC" -- refers to the Conservative Resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention in the late 20th century and the Great Commission Resurgence of the early 21st century. The luncheon is set for Tuesday, June 19, at 11:30 a.m. in the La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom A/B on the second level of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, will be joined on the panel by Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala.; and J.D. Greear, pastor of Summit Church in Durham, N.C. Jonathan Akin, pastor of Fairview Church in Lebanon, Tenn., and a B21 organizer, told Baptist Press, "It has been 45 years since Dr. Patterson and Judge [Paul] Pressler met in New Orleans, and the friendship they developed was the catalyst that led to the Conservative Resurgence. "We want to be able to tell that important part of Baptist history to a younger generation that may not be as knowledgeable about it," Akin said. The goal of the discussion, Akin said, is to communicate why the Conservative Resurgence was necessary and what younger leaders need to learn from it as they move forward in ministry. "We're going to have some open conversation and questions to be answered about 'What is the theology that we fought for and how can we be united around a common theology and a common mission to get the Gospel that has been preserved for us to all peoples?'" Akin said. "We want to talk through practically how we can do that and what are some of the challenges that threaten us and what are some of the next steps that we need to take," he said. Panelists include those of a generation who fought for the Bible, those who entered leadership positions in Baptist life as the resurgence was happening and those who are the recipients of what was secured in the struggle, Akin said. "I think it's going to be an important conversation, and I'd like for folks to be a part of it," Akin said. Register for the two-hour luncheon at www.baptisttwentyone.com. Tickets are $10, and the price includes lunch and books. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- CULTURE DIGEST: Gay dads featured in JC Penney ad By Staff Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38042 EDITOR'S NOTE: Culture Digest will not be published next week but will resume publication on Friday, June 29. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- JC Penney, a department store chain whose founder ran his business according to biblical principles, is featuring homosexual men with their two children in its June catalog, just in time for Father's Day. The ad shows two men on the floor playing and hugging their two children at home. It reads, "First Pals -- What makes Dad so cool? He's the swim coach, tent maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver -- all rolled into one. Or two. Real-life dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith with their children Claire and Mason." On its website, JC Penney says it is "re-imagining every aspect of its business in order to reclaim its birthright and become America's favorite store." The American Family Association, in a letter to supporters, noted that the company's founder and namesake, James Cash Penney, was a Christian. "Sadly, the re-imagining of the present-day J.C. Penney Company indicates a departure from its moorings to God's Word and Mr. Penney's leadership by taking sides in the cultural war in celebration of homosexuality," AFA said. Richard Richie, pastor of Flint Baptist Church in Decatur, Ala., and a trustee of the International Mission Board, wrote to JC Penney, expressing his concern about the company's efforts to "change the definitions and perceptions of historic fatherhood by showcasing gay men as fathers." "If [Penney and his family] were still alive today, they would be appalled at your marketing practices which spit in theirs and others' faces regarding Christian beliefs," Richie wrote. "I am very disappointed that you have gone in this direction with your company. "Because of your choices and decisions, I will have to take my personal business elsewhere and will recommend that my family, church members and friends do the same. I hope that you will reconsider this decision and no longer promote the homosexual agenda," Richie wrote. AFA recommends that concerned citizens politely express their disappointment to local JC Penney store managers, unsubscribe from the company's catalogs and close store credit card accounts. PLANNED PARENTHOOD OPENS HIGH SCHOOL CLINIC -- A Los Angeles high school has given Planned Parenthood access to its students through an on-campus health clinic that reportedly is the first in the United States. The Planned Parenthood clinic at Roosevelt High School will provide free contraceptives, pregnancy tests and counseling to students in an effort to shrink the number of unplanned pregnancies, the Los Angeles Times reported June 5. Planned Parenthood is the country's No. 1 abortion provider. Its affiliates performed more than 329,000 abortions in 2010, the latest year for which statistics are available. Some of the abortion giant's critics, including former Planned Parenthood employees, have charged it with using other services to help prepare clients for its abortion business. "So much for parents. And if you have seen PP's sex education materials, perhaps also so much for chastity," bioethics specialist Wesley Smith wrote on his blog. GANGES RIVER TOP RELIGIOUS SITE -- Of the 100 million people who make religious pilgrimages each year, the Ganges River draws the largest portion of them, according to statistics reported by The Huffington Post. About 20 million people annually visit the Ganges, running from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and believed by some to have purifying waters capable of cleansing people from sin. Jerusalem and Bethlehem placed eighth and 10th on the list, drawing just over 2 million and 1.4 million tourists annually, respectively. The two sites are much less popular than such non-Christian destinations as the Golden Temple, a Sikh site in India, which typically draws 18 million annually and ranks second on the list of the top 14 religious pilgrimages in the world. Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City ranks fourth with 10 million visitors annually, along with other top Catholic destinations of Lourdes, whose 7 million visitors rank it sixth, and the Vatican, coming in seventh by drawing 4.2 million tourists. Mecca is third with 13 million people per year. The least popular pilgrimage site of Stonehenge draws more than 80,000 visitors a year, according to The Post. Of the world's 7 billion people, roughly one-third are Christian, according to a Pew Research report. HOUSE APPROVES BAN ON DETAINEE ABORTIONS -- The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a Homeland Security spending bill that prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from funding abortions for illegal immigrant detainees. Representatives voted 234-182 for the appropriations legislation June 7, with 17 Democrats joining 217 Republicans in the majority. GOP conservatives added language to the bill in committee after they learned ICE's policy did not prevent the use of federal funds for abortions on illegal immigrants in detention, according to the Family Research Council (FRC). The rider provides exceptions in the cases of a threat to the mother's life, rape and incest. "[A]ll House leaders did was bring Homeland Security in line with the other federal appropriations provisions that prevent taxpayer dollars for abortion," FRC President Tony Perkins wrote on his blog. "And if the greatest goal of Homeland Security is protecting lives, then surely that includes the unborn ones." ABORTION FORCED ON WOMAN 7 MONTHS PREGNANT -- Chinese officials have forcibly aborted the unborn child of a woman who was seven months pregnant and have threatened to end the life of a baby who is at five months' gestation, according to reports by human rights organizations. The authorities acted on the basis of China's coercive population control program, which is commonly referred to as the one-child policy. In the incidents: -- On June 3, family planning officials in Shanxi province beat and forced into an automobile Feng Jianmei, who was seven months pregnant, while her husband, Deng Jiyuan, was at work. The authorities levied a fine, and when Feng's family did not pay, they performed an abortion on her and placed the body of her dead child in bed with her. She is receiving medical treatment. Women's Rights Without Frontiers (WRWF) provided the information based on a report by 64Tianwang, a China-based human rights organization. -- On June 6, family planning officials in Hunan province broke into the home of Cao Ruyi, who was five months pregnant, and took her to a hospital, threatening her with a forced abortion. Cao and her husband, Li Fu, already have a 5-year-old daughter. After refusing a "voluntary" abortion, she was released during the weekend of June 9-10 after payment of a "social compensation fee" of the equivalent of $1,500. Authorities still are requiring payment of a $25,000 fine for Cao to proceed with the pregnancy. China Aid Association and WRWF reported on the incident. "WRWF calls on the United States government and the leaders of the free world to strongly condemn forced abortion and all coercive family planning in China," WRWF President Reggie Littlejohn said in a written statement. China's population control program, which was instituted more than three decades ago in the world's most populous country, generally limits couples in urban areas to one child and those in rural areas to two, if the first is a girl. Parents in cities may have second babies if the husband and wife are both only children. The policy has resulted in many reports of forced abortions and sterilizations, as well as infanticide. It also has produced a gender imbalance because of the Chinese preference for sons. LOUISIANA'S JINDAL SIGNS PAIN-CAPABLE ABORTION BAN -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law June 11 legislation prohibiting abortions at 20 weeks or more into pregnancy based on evidence a baby in the womb experiences pain by that point. On the same day, Jindal, a Republican, signed a bill banning euthanasia for the severely disabled and those who are not terminally ill. Previously, the state only protected the terminally ill from euthanasia. "It is incumbent upon us to protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us, and these new laws will protect innocent human life," Jindal said in a written statement. The House of Representatives passed the pain-capable abortion ban unanimously June 1, and the Senate approved it the same day with only one dissenting vote. Jindal had signed a bill earlier this year requiring abortion to be performed by state-licensed physicians and another measure mandating an ultrasound image be offered for viewing and audio of the unborn child's heartbeat be played for a woman considering abortion. VIDEO SHOWS FACILITATION OF SEX-SELECTION ABORTIONS -- Evidence continues to mount that clinics affiliated with two major abortion providers in the United States are willing to perform sex-selection abortions. Between May 29 and June 6, Live Action released secretly recorded videos showing abortion facility employees in four cities appearing to provide aid to women considering abortions based on the sex of their unborn babies. Live Action is a youth-led, pro-life organization that has conducted a series of undercover investigations in recent years uncovering unsavory and/or illegal practices at Planned Parenthood clinics. Live Action reported the clandestine filming was performed at Planned Parenthood centers in Austin, Texas, and New York City, as well as clinics affiliated with the National Abortion Federation in Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz. In each case, the actress posing as a woman seeking an abortion expressed a desire to eliminate her unborn child if a test shows the baby is a girl. The videos show clinic employees agreeing to go along with the woman's request and coaching her on the process of determining the sex and having an abortion. At the Camelback Family Planning clinic in Phoenix, a counselor named Barb is shown saying when the actress mentions an abortion based on sex, "Don't tell us that, because we don't want to know." Barb says of the clinic doctor, "You can tell her, she's gonna tell you the same thing, just: Don't let it be down! She's really good about that. You'll like that about her." Arizona is one of four states that have outlawed sex-selection abortions. "Sex-selective abortion is a global search-and-destroy mission against little girls that is spreading at an alarming rate," said Lila Rose, Live Action's president. "[S]tate authorities should vigorously enforce Arizona's law. The clinics supporting sex-selective abortion should be investigated, prosecuted, defunded, and delicensed immediately." Last year, a Live Action hidden-camera sting showed Planned Parenthood employees in several clinics demonstrating a willingness to aid self-professed sex traffickers whose prostitutes supposedly were in their early teens. Other secret investigations by pro-life organizations have uncovered PPFA workers seeking to cover up alleged child sex abuse and agreeing to receive donations designated for abortions of African-American babies. The U.S. House of Representatives fell short May 31 in an attempt to prohibit sex-selection abortions. The House voted 246-168 for the bill but lacked the two-thirds majority required for passage. The proposal likely would have advanced no further had it gained the two-thirds margin. The Democrat-controlled Senate likely would have rejected it, and President Obama is opposed to it. --30-- Compiled by Tom Strode, Diana Chandler and Erin Roach of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, June 17, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38059 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU! curriculum. Bible Passages: Genesis 6:5-9, 7:1, 13-15 Discussion Question: In what aspects of your life do you struggle most with stepping apart from the culture? Food for Thought: Did one of your parents ever ask, "Would you jump off a bridge just because everyone else would?" Perhaps most kids have heard that question at some point during their youth as their parents tried to explain how doing what's right isn't always about doing what's popular. To be a Christian sometimes means setting ourselves apart from what's considered cool or trendy. Lecrae, a successful rap artist, knows all about stepping apart from what's popular so that he can stand up for Christ. Lecrae defines hip hop music as more than mere music; it's actually a culture. "It's the lens by which you see the world." As the young son of a single mom, Lecrae would sneak in to watch rap videos at his grandmother's house since that was the only way he could see them. In those videos he found his early mentors, and though he wasn't a great athlete or student, he could rap. He idolized gangsters and criminals and pursued their lifestyle despite being urged by his mother to read his Bible. But an invitation to a conference in a big city changed all that. At that conference Lecrae heard James White deliver a message that showed him he needed a Savior. He heard the Gospel, accepted Christ, and over the next few years, he laid the foundation for Reach Records so that he could use music to offer hope and encouragement to others. He's found much success in the last several years and has garnered award nominations and chart-toppers with Billboard. Accolades aside, Lecrae's mission continues to be to impact lives around the world for Christ. How will you step apart from what's culturally accepted to stand up and stand out for Jesus? The YOU! curriculum, intentionally focused on urban and multicultural believers, is biblically based with culturally relevant lessons to help people connect, grow, serve and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for God. This flexible quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For more information, visit LifeWay.com/YOU. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at [URL=http://www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool]www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: The significance of just being there for my kids By Mike Goeke Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38054 MIDLAND, Texas (BP) -- A friend of mine recently referred to his missionary dad as his "hero." As I creep into the back half of my 40s, being a hero to my kids holds more allure, and the legacy of my life seems to take on more value to me. I wondered what it would take to be a hero to my kids. What would they say about me at my funeral? To be honest, great financial success has never motivated me, and I don't care to leave a legacy of material things. So in my mind I crafted a legacy. I decided that I want my kids to see me walking in obedience to God. I want them to see me serving the church, and serving other people. I want them to see me taking spiritual risks, and living the life of a true disciple of Christ. But as I was thinking of all the things I want my kids to see me doing, something very important literally flooded my thoughts and washed over my heart, soul and mind. More than any of those things, I realized that I just want my kids to see me. I want them to see me at their sporting events. I want them to see me at their school programs. I want them to see me at breakfast and at supper. I want them to see me crouched behind a baseball glove or sitting at tea party, drinking imaginary tea and eating plastic doughnuts. I want them to see me at their desks, working through math problems. I want them to see me on the side of their bed, praying with them at night. I want them to see me with arms open wide to comfort them or to welcome them home. I want them to see me caring when they are scared or sad. I want them to see me jumping across the trampoline from them, and running behind their bike as they learn to ride without training wheels. I want them to see me with my own Dixie cup full of popcorn, watching the DVD du jour. I want them to see me smiling when I walk in the door and I want them to see me groggy as they tap on my forehead to wake me up in the morning. I want them to see me cry and to see me laugh. I want them to see me loving their mommy, and laughing with their mommy, and kissing their mommy, and saying "I'm sorry" to their mommy. I want them to see me. Yes, I want them to see me doing great things for God and living out the call on my life with honor. But at the end of the day, even those very good things probably don't matter if, in the process, they never saw me. I think I will quit worrying about my kids seeing me as a hero, and work harder to make sure that they simply see me as their dad. --30-- Mike Goeke is an associate pastor of at Stonegate Fellowship Church in Midland, Texas. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- EDITORIAL: La Importancia De Un Padre By Mike Gonzales Jun. 14 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38049 NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/espanol]http://www.bpnews.net/espanol[/URL] GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Cada año, en nuestro país, señalamos el tercer domingo en junio para honorar a nuestros padres. Es un día cuando reconocemos la importancia de un padre en la vida de una familia. La presencia de un padre y el respecto que los hijos deben darle es importante para cada hogar. La Palabra de Dios en Efesios 6:1-3 nos declara: "Hijos obedeced en el Señor a vuestros padres, porque esto es justo, Honra a tu padre y a tu madre, que es el primer mandamiento con promesa; para que te vaya bien, y seas de larga vida sobre la tierra." Hoy en día los hogares están en guerra. Cada vez más vemos que nuestros hijos están alejándose de la cosas de Dios. Muchos niños ya no están asistiendo a ninguna iglesia y las estadísticas dicen que muchos jóvenes que están en nuestras iglesias cuando se van para la universidad ya no regresaran a la iglesia o a las cosas de Dios. La influencia de un padre en la familia es de suma importancia. El padre debe de ser honrado por sus hijos y el padre de cada familia también tiene una gran responsabilidad sobre ellos. Tres cosas que un padre de una familia debe hacer para impactar, reforzar y afirmar la vida de sus hijos. 1. Impactar la vida de nuestros hijos con palabras. Padres hay que hablar con los niños. Hay que hablarles de las cosas de Dios, de la Biblia. Hay que decirles como Dios ha obrado en nuestras propias vidas y compartir esas experiencias con ellos. Deuteronomio 6:1-2 dice: "Estos, pues, son los mandamientos, estatutos y decretos que Jehová vuestro Dios mandó que os enseñase, para que los pongáis por obra en la tierra a la cual pasáis vosotros para tomarla; para que temas a Jehová tu Dios, guardando todos sus estatutos y sus mandamientos que yo te mando, tú, tu hijo, y el hijo de tu hijo, todos los días de tu vida, para que tus días sean prolongados." 2. Impactar la vida de nuestros hijos con nuestras vidas. La manera como vivimos será un reflejo directo de lo que nuestros hijos aprenderán y serán. Ellos están mirando nuestras vidas, escuchando nuestras palabras y quieren ser como nosotros. Ellos son como esponjas absorbiendo cada hecho que hacemos y cada palabra que digamos. El ejemplo que le damos a nuestros hijos es muy importante. Debemos ser una Biblia viviente para ellos. Nuestros hijos deben ver en nuestras vidas que estamos caminando con Cristo y haciendo la voluntad de nuestro Padre Celestial. 3. Impactar la vida de nuestros hijos con nuestro tiempo. El problema número uno de los padres de hoy es que no tienen tiempo para los hijos. Invertimos tiempo para el trabajo porque es necesario para sostener a la familia pero lamentablemente no apartamos tiempo para estar con nuestros hijos. Es importante que los padres hagan tiempo para estar con sus hijos. Esto requiere planificar actividades con nuestros hijos de antemano y ponerlo en el calendario, se trata de hacerlo intencionalmente. Un joven abogado que tuvo mucho éxito dijo una vez: "El regalo más grande que yo jamás he recibido en toda la vida fue un regalo de navidad. Mi padre me dio una caja pequeña y dentro estaba una nota que decía, 'Hijo mío, este año el regalo que yo te daré será de darte 365 horas, una hora cada día después de la cena. Esta hora será tuya. Podemos hablar de cualquier cosa, podemos ir a cualquier lugar, o jugar cualquier juego que quieras. ¡Esta hora será exclusivamente para ti! ' Mi padre no sólo cumplió con su palabra, pero cada año después él renovaba esa promesa conmigo. Y fue el regalo más grande que jamás había recibido en toda mi vida. Esa hora a través de los años que estuve con mi padre impactó mi vida para el bien y ahora soy lo que soy." La influencia de un padre sobre sus hijos vale mucho. Hay que tomar tiempo para estar con nuestros hijos e instruirlos bien para que ellos puedan hacer decisiones correctas para sus vidas y andar por los buenos caminos. Padres recuerden, el único que puede dar propósito a la vida de sus hijos es Cristo Jesús. --30— Dr. Mike Gonzales es director de los Ministerios Multiétnicos de la SBTC. -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net