Baptist Press Stories for Jun. 20 2012 --------------------------------------- Luter sees 'genuine' open door for ethnic groups http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38091 At NAAF, Luter exhorts SBC to trust in God http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38111 'Great Commission' descriptor gets majority vote http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38097 IMB: Leave 'No regrets' in reaching the lost http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38098 WEDNESDAY'S SBC ANNUAL MEETING BLOG http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38090 Page: CP fuels missions efforts http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38099 Funding from churches fuels Kingdom advances http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38100 Wright exhorts traditionalists & Calvinists http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38101 Baptist21 panel talks SBC history & future http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38108 Military personnel add to LifeWay report http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38102 Land: ERLC remains committed to reconciliation http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38103 Pastors hear Send North America vision http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38104 Messengers OK resolution on 'Sinner's Prayer' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38109 SBC pastors polled on Calvinism and its effect http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38105 FIRST-PERSON: Happy Southern Baptists & the tricky track http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38106 FIRST-PERSON: Work, an act of worship http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38110 --------------------------------------- Luter sees 'genuine' open door for ethnic groups By Tammi Reed Ledbetter Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38091 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Newly elected Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter Jr. engaged a roomful of reporters in his hometown of New Orleans June 19, sharing his surprise at "the confidence Southern Baptists are putting in me and my leadership skills and what God has done in my life."
The unanimous endorsement of the first African American to serve America's largest Protestant denomination is more than symbolic, Luter said, though he understands why fellow blacks might view it as such, waiting to see that "this is not a one and done deal." "If we stop appointing African Americans or Asians or Hispanics to leadership roles in this convention after my term is over, we failed. We absolutely failed," Luter said. Instead, he said, "This was a genuine, authentic move by this convention that says our doors are open, and the only way they can see that is not just putting up an African American president, but seeing other ethnic groups in other areas of this convention. Time will tell and I'll be a cheerleader promoting that." Luter's only announced agenda at the news conference is an effort to build bridges to help Southern Baptists acquire a reputation as "the church getting along" instead of folks who often fuss with one another, a concern he addressed the night before when speaking to the SBC Pastors' Conference. Appealing for prayer, Luter said he hopes to get diverse groups together "to make sure the Gospel of Christ and the Great Commission is not watered down because of the fact that it seems we don't get together." He asked Southern Baptists to pray that he would have wisdom in dealing with the media, so that nothing he says will hurt the convention, his church, his family or the Kingdom of God. "There will be some pitfalls, but I hope I will learn from them and study more on things I anticipate being asked," he added, hopeful he will be known as a person, pastor, husband, father and man of God who loves the city of New Orleans, the state and the country, "and loves being part of this convention." Luter hopes his church's reputation for having strong participation by men will serve as an example to other congregations. "When I became pastor of this church, I said, 'Lord, I know the impact a man could have on a child's life,'" he said, having promised God he would be the role model in his own son's life that he never had. At the outset of his church's development, Luter said he noticed most of the members were women and children. He thanked them for their involvement, but then set about discovering a way to attract their husbands and other men. By inviting men of the neighborhood to his home to watch a pay-per-view broadcast of a fight between Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard, he developed relationships that multiplied into a steady increase in the number of men attending Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. "They came with boom boxes and loud music, with a beer can in one hand and a wine cooler in the other," Luter said. "I appreciated them coming but they were going to have to throw away the beer and the wine cooler," he remembered. "It was not a problem. They wanted to see the fight." While insistent the message of the Gospel must remain the same, Luter said, however, "We cannot expect to reach this do-rag, tattoo-wearing, ear-pierced, iPod, iPad, iPhone generation with an eight-track ministry. Things are changing and so we've got to some way, somehow change the methods of how we do things." The historic coincidence of being elected on the day when many African Americans celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the enforcement of emancipation of slaves, had not occurred to Luter until a reporter asked for his comment on the day's significance. While Southern Baptists cannot avoid the fact that support of slavery factored into the founding of the convention, Luter said, "All of us have done some things in our past we're not happy about. We cannot do anything about that past. It's over with. However, we can do a lot about our future." Luter recalled the 1995 SBC racial reconciliation resolution that he helped write with Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land, a man he described as his good friend and brother. After messengers expressed sorrow for racism in the past, Luter said, "Ever since then I've seen us try to make changes, so much so that last year the Executive Committee wanted to make it known our doors are open to everyone," he said of recommendations endorsed at the 2011 SBC annual meeting in Phoenix to expand ethic involvement in the SBC. "Here is a convention that has been talking this racial reconciliation thing and now they're putting their money where their mouth is," Luter said, describing his own tears of joy when the messengers and guests rose to their feet in acclamation of his election. "My mom and dad divorced when I was 6 years old and I've been through a lot, but God, in His grace and mercy allowed this to happen in my life. To see it embraced by so many people of so many different ethnic backgrounds and see it affirmed is a moment I will never forget as long as I live." That show of unity doesn't mean Southern Baptists won't disagree on issues as diverse as political candidates and whether to add the new descriptor of "Great Commission Baptists" as an option for local churches to use, he said. "It is a given that with a convention this size you have different people who think a lot of things about different things." Describing Southern Baptists as people who are passionate about their country and the candidates for whom they vote, Luter said, "We can do it in a way that it won't offend other people simply because they don't vote for the candidate we vote for." Regarding internal discussions, Luter supported the recommendation of "Great Commission Baptists" as a descriptor of SBC, though he expressed surprise over the extended debate. "I think it's a win-win situation to still retain the name we're known by," he said, while agreeing with the sentiment voiced during the debate by a church planter serving outside the South that another name would better serve their circumstances. Having met President George W. Bush when he toured New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Luter said he looks forward to the possibility of meeting President Barack Obama as well "and discuss some things that I would like to see happen," adding, "It would be a joy to meet him." Luter brings a quarter century of experience of pastoring the same church that launched with 65 members and grew to over 8,000 in attendance by 2005. "We were booming and going and a woman named Katrina came and destroyed it all," Luter told the media, recalling that he thought his life and his ministry were over when he lost his home to five feet of water and the church was extensively damaged by eight-foot floodwaters. "By the grace of God, He allowed us to come back," Luter said, describing the rebirth of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in 2008 and subsequent growth to a membership of around 5,000. "I'm honored the convention came back here so that messengers could see what many of their churches have done" in ministering to the city after the hurricane. With the prospect of serving as president for two years, Luter admitted his influence is limited. "You can start with a big agenda that may sound impressive to the media, but realistically, how much will you be able to accomplish? This position does not have a lot of power," he said. He plans to meet with SBC entity leaders who will be in place long after his term has ended and ask, "What can I do in two years to help you to fulfill the vision you are trying to fulfill so that we can work together and accomplish the things I mentioned last night?" Luter said confidently, "I believe it can be done, but it will take a cooperative effort." --30-- Tammi Reed Ledbetter is news editor of the Southern Baptist Texan, newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. -- End of story -- At NAAF, Luter exhorts SBC to trust in God By Diana Chandler Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38111 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Fred Luter, in his first sermon after his election as Southern Baptist Convention president, exhorted believers to place their trust in the Lord and work through the church to heal today's troubled society. Luter delivered a melodiously quick-paced message anchored in Jeremiah 17:7-8 at the National African American Fellowship banquet June 19 in New Orleans, just hours after being elected the first black to the lead the SBC in its 167-year history. "God is expecting the church to stand up and be the church and be the people of God that God has called us to be. In other words, the church is supposed to be a light in a dark world," Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, said. "The church is supposed to be salt in a low sodium, saltless society. I truly believe in my heart that God wants the church in the midst of this craziness, in the midst of this chaos, in the midst of this crisis, to stand up and be the church," Luter said. "I believe that the church ... has the answer ... for the ... problems and situations that [are] happening in our society." Stating that many have questioned why he desires to lead the SBC, which apologized in 1995 for its pro-slavery past, Luter pointed to Scripture for an answer. "I ran for this position because I believe in the right person, and His name is Jesus," Luter said. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord. "Notice, ladies and gentlemen, that the name [President] Obama is nowhere in verse 7; that's the wrong person. Notice the name [Mitt] Romney is nowhere in verse 7; that's the wrong person," Luter said. "As a matter of fact, notice the name Luter is nowhere in verse 7; that's the wrong person. Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz is not in verse 7. That's the wrong person." Luter spoke before a record-setting crowd at the event attended by about 400 people, including SBC leaders from various levels. Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, hailed the historical significance of the moment. "This is not the end, as Winston Churchill perhaps said best. This is not even the beginning of the end. But it may be the end of the beginning," Land said. "We have witnessed an extraordinary thing. A denomination that was born in slavery, a denomination that supported Jim Crow, has elected an African American pastor who has built a great church in perhaps the most difficult city in America to build a great church," Land said at the banquet. Executive Committee President Frank Page said Luter's election is evidence the SBC is making an effort to do God's will. "What does the Lord require of thee? To do justly. To love mercy. To walk humbly before our God. I'm thankful today we at least got the first part of that right," Page said. "I've never, never experienced the kind of electricity in the room that I did today. It was a wonderful moment, and I simply thank God for it. The Lord does require that we do justly. But He also says to love mercy. And I've seen ... mercy in recent days, and I appreciate that." Luter referred to several verses from Proverbs, the Psalms and Isaiah, encouraging the SBC to keep its hope fixed on Jesus. "My hope is not in Washington, D.C.... My hope is not in Nashville, Tenn. My hope is not in Alpharetta, Ga. My hope is not in Virginia," he said, referencing the locations of various SBC entities. "My hope is not in my town or your town. My hope is in the Lord." James Dixon, a Maryland pastor finishing a two-year term as NAAF president, invited Luter to preach the sermon traditionally delivered by the outgoing NAAF leader. David Lee, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, praised Dixon for his 35 years of service with the SBC and said he cherished the work he shared with Dixon in Kingdom building. "James Dixon is my friend. James and I have worked alongside. We dreamed of a new day of racial reconciliation," Lee said. "James, I believe those dreams are beginning to take on some feet and some movement. "I believe when history is written, you will see that what happens in Maryland/Delaware, and I think influencing beyond that, that one of the great catalysts making that happen is James Dixon." In addition to Lee, Land and Page, others making remarks at the banquet were North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell, LifeWay Christian Resources President Thom Rainer, International Mission Board Vice President Ken Winter, GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director David Hankins and Woman's Missionary Union Executive Director Wanda Lee. In other activities conducted in association with the SBC annual meeting, NAAF installed new officers: president, A.B. Vines, pastor of New Seasons Baptist Church in San Diego; vice president, K. Marshall Williams, chairman of the SBC's African American Advisory Council and pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa.; treasurer, Mark Croston, pastor of East End Baptist Church in Suffolk, Va., and president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia; and secretary, Byron Day, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Laurel, Md. NAAF approved as regional directors Brian King, East, pastor of Ezekiel Baptist Church in Philadelphia; Roscoe Belton, Central, pastor of Middlebelt Baptist Church in Inkster, Mich., and president of the Michigan Baptist Convention; and Garland Moore, Mountain, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Milan, N.M. The Western District post remains vacant. NAAF shared its objectives, including helping the SBC better understand the African American church, encouraging member churches to maintain a spirit of fellowship and cooperation, and promoting the appointment of at least one African American to the boards of trustees of NAMB, IMB, LifeWay and GuideStone. In completing his presidency, Dixon encouraged NAAF as Paul encouraged the saints in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, exhorting them to watch and stand fast and to be strong, courageous and loving. "If you're going to watch, you want to be sure you're watching with spiritual eyes. He will not reveal anything that He doesn't want you to do anything about," Dixon said. "Your bravery is not in humanity. Your bravery is in God." Dixon, pastor of El-Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Washington, Md., thanked the group for allowing him to serve, an experience he said has taken his prayer life to a new level. "You really need to stand fast in your faith," Dixon said. "You've got to have a heart relationship that connects with your head." NAAF, composed of the nearly 3,500 SBC African American churches, preceded the SBC annual meeting with its annual fellowship service June 17 at Suburban Baptist Church, hosted by Jeffery Friend, president of the Louisiana African American Fellowship of the SBC. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. 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 -- 'Great Commission' descriptor gets majority vote By Erin Roach Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38097 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The descriptor "Great Commission Baptists" was approved by messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention by a vote of 53 percent to 46 percent after nearly a half-hour debate June 19 at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. According to results announced Wednesday morning, 4,824 ballots were cast, 2,546 were in favor of the descriptor and 2,232 were not in favor of the descriptor. Forty-six ballots were disallowed. At the time of the vote, 7,831 messengers were registered. The measure survived some parliamentary maneuvering. Richard Tribble, Jr., a messenger from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Decatur, Ill., objected to the consideration of the recommendation, calling it "divisive in nature, character and application." Barry McCarty, the convention's chief parliamentarian, explained that if two-thirds of the messengers voted against considering the recommendation, discussion would cease. Debate continued after the vote. Carroll Vaughn, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Bloomfield, N.M., made a motion that the recommendation be tabled indefinitely. "We don't need to sit around and argue about changing a name when we're not going to change our name anyway," Vaughn said. "Let's be about the Great Commission and let the world describe us as people that turn the world upside down, not as people that sit around and argue about what we're going to call ourselves." Vaughn's motion to table was ruled out of order. In debate over the descriptor, Aaron Harvie, pastor of Riverside Community Church in Philadelphia, Pa., and a member of the task force that studied the issue, said he was sent by Southern Baptists to plant a church among people "who greatly misunderstand who Southern Baptists are." "This opportunity that stands before us just gives us as church planters and people outside of the South an opportunity to build bridges to share Jesus," Harvie told messengers. "As a planter and as a person living outside the South, I beg you as Southern Baptists to help us to continue to build bridges to share Jesus." Susie Hawkins, a messenger from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and a member of the task force, spoke from the floor to "remind the messengers that this is not a theological or doctrinal issue. "This is an issue of preference, and our brothers and sisters in Christ in these pioneer areas in diverse communities and churches have indicated to us that this particular descriptor would be extremely helpful to them, and I would urge us all in the spirit of Romans 14 to do everything we can to advance the Kingdom of God and vote for this motion," Hawkins said. Among opponents of the Great Commission Baptists descriptor, Bob Cleveland, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Pelham, Ala., said Southern Baptists have failed in their effort to disciple the nation because "at last count about 10 million" of the members on the convention's church rolls "are not coming to church." "We are not Great Commission Baptists," Cleveland said. Gary Hunnicutt, a messenger from First Baptist Church in Benton, Ark., said, "We have a much longer history of doing good than we did of supporting slavery. We have a good name, a good brand." Chris Roberts, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Panama City, Fla., asked for clarification regarding whether SBC entities would "be encouraged to adopt this alternative name on things such as letterhead, publications, literature such as that." Roger Spradlin, chairman of the Executive Committee, said each individual group, from churches to entities, "will make their own decision as to how to use the descriptor or whether to use the descriptor." Jimmy Draper, chairman of the name change task force, told messengers the goal from the beginning "was to remove any barrier to the effective proclamation of the Gospel in reaching people for Christ." "Be very sure you understand this recommendation does not ask anyone to do anything. It does not obligate any person, any church, any Baptist entity to do anything," Draper said before discussion began. "... No action that you take today binds any Southern Baptist to comply. Baptist headquarters is still the local Baptist church." In the end, messengers approved the recommendation from the SBC Executive Committee that "those churches, entities and organizations in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention" which desire to use a descriptor other than "Southern Baptists" to indicate their involvement in the convention consider using Great Commission Baptists. The phrase, messengers agreed, is commended "as one fully in keeping with our Southern Baptist Convention identity." The legal name of the convention will remain "Southern Baptist Convention." In February, the Executive Committee approved the recommendation brought by SBC President Bryant Wright who had appointed a task force to advise him on the possibility 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. K. Marshall Williams, chairman of the Southern Baptist African American Advisory Council, said before the convention the adoption of the descriptor would be a step in the right direction and could improve the SBC's effectiveness in Kingdom building. "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, pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in Philadelphia, said. --30-- Erin Roach is Baptist Press' assistant editor. 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 -- IMB: Leave 'No regrets' in reaching the lost By Don Graham Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38098 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- What will it cost to be Jesus' heart, hands and voice to a lost and dying world? Absolutely everything. That was the challenge from International Mission Board President Tom Elliff June 20 to messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans. It was some 30 years ago in New Orleans, Elliff told SBC messengers, when Southern Baptists began the Conservative Resurgence, a fight for the inerrant, infallible nature of Scripture. Southern Baptists again are at a similar crossroads, he said. "If the Word of God was worth that much to us to save it in its purity, is it not worth that much to share it with people around the world?" Elliff asked. "I'll just be honest with you -- I think it's time we as Southern Baptists became as excited about sharing the Word of God as we used to be about saving the Word of God. "The bigger question is, are you willing to pay the price? Because Jesus said it's going to cost you everything. Everything you are and everything you hope to be," Elliff said. EMBRACING UUPGs Elliff reported on the progress of IMB's Embrace challenge, issued at the 2011 SBC in Phoenix, where he called on Southern Baptist churches to claim responsibility for evangelizing all of the world's then 3,800 unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPGs). "You stepped up to the plate," Elliff told messengers, reporting that 1,281 Southern Baptist churches and entities have indicated an interest in embracing a UUPG. Of that number, 474 churches and entities have also taken steps to go deeper in that commitment. "It means some of you are taking this really seriously, and you're saying we want to count the cost, we want to see what's involved," Elliff said. "I want to tell you on behalf of the International Mission Board, we're absolutely thrilled. We welcome you to the field, we rejoice that you've taken up this mantle and we praise God that the Kingdom is being expanded because of your involvement." Messengers heard from Chris Jenkins, pastor of Unity Baptist Church in Prince George, Va., whose congregation has embraced a nomadic UUPG in the Sahara Desert. Jenkins described Unity as a "small country church" that averages 175 in Sunday School. "Typically Annie and Lottie has been where we did our missions," Jenkins said of Southern Baptists' annual missions offerings. "We liked to talk like we were a church on mission, but we really knew it was just a show. We were more concerned with what was going on inside the four walls [of the church] instead of out." But four years ago, Jenkins said, that began to change. Through God's influence and "a lot of prayer," he called IMB's prayer office in 2009 and asked about adopting a people group. "We wanted somebody that nobody else wanted. Of course, we just wanted to pray for them and didn't have a clue what we were getting into," Jenkins said. The nomadic group that Unity was given turned out to be a UUPG of more than 300,000 with only a single known Christian. Unity volunteers set foot in the Sahara in September 2010 and were blessed with "divine appointments" that allowed the church to quickly build relationships among their UUPG. The church has since sent three more short-term missions teams and is already seeing change in the desert as well as back home in Virginia. "We're seeing God break down the barriers to the Gospel in Western Africa because some country folk in Prince George, Va., were willing to be obedient and just show up. Our people [group is] getting a hunger for hearing stories from God's Word, imams are opening up to us, village leaders are allowing God's stories to be told, and some [people] are even choosing to be secret believers," Jenkins said. "In our local church it's unleashed a heart to be on mission wherever we are. We've seen people that are selling cars and taking second jobs, some are even planning for early retirement just so they can answer the Acts 1:8 call. By engaging the lost, God has changed our hearts to be broken for theirs. ... We've learned that He just wants us to love Him, to love each other, and to bottle all that stuff up and take it out to a dying world." Jay Wolf, pastor of First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., spoke about the dramatic success his congregation has already witnessed through their embrace experience. FBC Montgomery is committed to sharing Jesus with the Ejamat people of Senegal, West Africa, a UUPG of about 3,000 with no known believers. The church sent its first team in mid-March looking for a "person of peace" who would help them gain entry into the Ejamat community. But God gave them more than they bargained for. "We shared the Gospel and 27 people from this animistic group embraced Christ as their Savior," Wolf recounted. Then, during FBC Montgomery's second trip to Senegal in April, Wolf said they witnessed the birth of a new church -- a first among the Ejamat. "It was a dynamic experience, as if we had stepped into the pages of Acts chapter 16," Wolf said. Eight more Ejamat followed Jesus, and by the trip's end, 19 had been baptized. "To be baptized in that culture is drawing a line in the sand, it's turning you back on many of your family members," Wolf said. "Our hearts flooded with joy and I know heaven erupted in fireworks. ... We saw God's light and love shatter the devil's darkness and deception." Today there are at least 35 believers among the Ejamat, and Wolf said God has raised a pastor from among them -- and all in less than a year's time. "If an old downtown church like First Baptist Montgomery can rise up and embrace an unreached people group, and if we can see 35 new believers, and if we can see a new church started, you can do it too. That's the simple truth," Wolf challenged SBC messengers. "If 3,400 of our churches would step up and embrace one of these people groups, what would happen? We could see the Great Commission fulfilled in our generation." GOSPEL GROWTH Elliff lauded Southern Baptists' recent Gospel advances, noting that in the most recent annual report IMB missionaries and their national partners baptized more than 333,800 new believers and started some 28,800 new churches. But that wouldn't be possible, he said, without the faithful support of Southern Baptists. Elliff expressed his gratefulness for the $146.8 million given to international missions in 2011 through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, a $1.1 million increase over 2010. That's in addition to the $94.3 million Southern Baptists gave to IMB through the Cooperative Program. Together, Lottie Moon and CP dollars support the more than 4,900 Southern Baptist missionaries serving around the world, including their 4,000 children. "They're there because of you and because of your concern for the Great Commission," he said. "The Cooperative Program is one of the most wonderful, incredibly effective ways of supporting missions any place on this globe." MISSIONARY TESTIMONIES Southern Baptist messengers heard testimony from four of those missionaries, including Tak and Lana Oue who serve in Japan, where only one person in 200 knows Jesus as Savoir. "Our hearts break as we think of the 3,000 who die daily, lost, most without ever hearing about Jesus Christ, bound by tradition and ancestor worship, preoccupied with success and endless search for happiness," Lana Oue said. She spoke of God's leading in 2002 to a woman named Mrs. Key* who had a passion to share Jesus with her own people. "As we discipled her, God worked in a miraculous way," Lana said. "In one year, 38 people were saved and a church began that multiplied to the fifth generation. The church continues to grow today and small groups meet for worship across the city." Another of Lana's friends, Mrs. Sei*, believed the Gospel the first time she heard and "immediately began to boldly share" Jesus with family and friends. Her family thought she had joined a cult and worked for three days to persuade her to change her mind. Mrs. Se refused, saying she would leave the family if necessary but would not surrender her faith in Christ. Tak Oue spoke of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami, "a triple disaster that literally shook Japan from its foundation," killing more than 20,000 people and causing the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. Some 250 Southern Baptist volunteers have come to help rebuild since the disaster, leaving a lasting impression on the Japanese they meet. "Many survivors ask, 'Why did you come?' This opens doors for us to share the message of God's love," Tak said. "Most of these survivors are hearing about Jesus for the very first time. Now one year has passed, and some survivors are saying, 'Other volunteers have stopped coming, but you Christians are still with us. Being forgotten is our greatest fear. Please don't forget us.'" ELLIFF'S CHALLENGE When counting the cost of Great Commission obedience, Elliff challenged messengers to rethink their understanding of the word "sacrifice." "Sometimes the word sacrifice is used a bit more naively," Elliff said. "Because the truth of the matter is, if you can drive what you were going to drive anyway, and eat where you were going to eat anyway, and live where you were going to live anyway ... where's the sacrifice in that? You see, with a sacrifice, something changes." Elliff told the story of William Borden, an American missionary who walked away from his family's fortune to follow a call to spread the Gospel among Muslims in China. But during language school in Cairo, Borden contracted meningitis and died in 1913 at the age of 25 before ever reaching his mission field. Borden's Bible was found and returned to his parents. Inside the book, he had written the words "No reserve" and "No retreat," referring to his decision to eschew his family's multi-million-dollar fortune. The words "No regrets" were also inscribed in the Bible, dated shortly before his death in Egypt. "Your life is a blip on the radar screen of eternity. How do you plan to spend the balance of your life?" Elliff asked. "I am haunted by that story." Elliff asked messengers to fill out a commitment card indicating their desire to seriously and prayerfully pursue God's calling to greater missions involvement. Hundreds stood and held their cards aloft as Elliff prayed over them. "1.7 billion [of the world's people] could very likely die without ever having heard the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," Elliff said. "What's it going to cost? It's going to cost everything. No reserves. No retreats. ... No regrets." --30-- *Name changed. Don Graham is the International Mission Board's senior writer. Learn more about embracing an unreached, unengaged people group at call2embrace.org or imb.org. -- End of story -- WEDNESDAY'S SBC ANNUAL MEETING BLOG By Staff Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38090 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Baptist Press is live blogging the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. Up-to-the-minute updates can be read here, at our Twitter account ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]Twitter.com/BaptistPress[/URL]), or Facebook account ([URL=http://www.Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress[/URL]). Want more updates? Follow our SBC annual meeting feed at [URL=http://www.Twitter.com/SBCMeeting]Twitter.com/SBCMeeting[/URL]. A schedule of the Wednesday meeting can be found at [URL=http://bit.ly/MFGa6x]http://bit.ly/MFGa6x[/URL]. Watch the SBC annual meeting live at [URL=http://bit.ly/jbcL6c]http://bit.ly/jbcL6c[/URL]. Updated 12:15 p.m., June 21, with additional paragraphs that were inadvertently omitted in resolutions. All times CST 5:57 p.m. -- The SBC annual meeting ends, meaning Fred Luter officially is SBC president. Next year's meeting will be held in Houston. 5:42 p.m. -- The North American Mission Board delivered its report this afternoon, with its president, Kevin Ezell, encouraging churches to launch a church planting effort. In 1900, he said, Southern Baptists had one church for every 3,800 people in the U.S. But today, he said, it's one church for every 6,100 people. In some states in the Northeast, Midwest and the Northwest, there is only one Southern Baptist church for every 20,000-plus people, he said. In Canada, it's one in 117,000, he said. By comparison, the ratio in the South is one in less than 10,000. "Church planting is an evangelistic strategy," Ezell said. NAMB has a goal for Southern Baptists to plant a net of 5,000 new churches by 2022, Ezell said. When including churches that die each year, that means Southern Baptists must plant 13,500 new churches. "We will never be able to plant that many churches unless God does a work in His people," Ezell said. Messengers also heard from a church planter and from an SBC chaplain. 5:01 p.m. -- The North American Mission Board report has begun. 4:20 p.m. -- Messengers moment ago passed six resolutions, including one on "Cooperation and the Doctrine of Salvation" and another on gay marriage and civil rights rhetoric. All resolutions passed overwhelmingly. Following is the full text of the resolutions on gay marriage and the doctrine of salvation: ON "SAME-SEX MARRIAGE" AND CIVIL RIGHTS RHETORIC WHEREAS, Marriage is a covenant relationship and an institution established by God rather than simply a human social construct (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33); and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have consistently affirmed our support of the biblical definition of marriage as the exclusive union of one man and one woman; and WHEREAS, The Scriptures indicate that all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful; and WHEREAS, All people, regardless of race or sexual orientation, are created in the image of God and thus are due respect and love (Genesis 1:26–27); and WHEREAS, The Department of Justice has argued (Perry v. Schwarzenegger) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional claiming that DOMA unfairly discriminates against homosexuals; and WHEREAS, For the first time in history the President of the United States has publicly voiced his personal support of "same-sex marriage"; and WHEREAS, While homosexuality does not present the distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections, like the classes of race and gender, we acknowledge the unique struggles experienced by homosexuals in some parts of society; and WHEREAS, It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of “same-sex marriage” have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, oppose any attempt to frame "same-sex marriage" as a civil rights issue; and be it further RESOLVED, That we deny that the effort to legalize "same-sex marriage" qualifies as a civil rights issue since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender; and be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists everywhere to fight for the civil rights of all people where such rights are consistent with the righteousness of God; and be it further RESOLVED, That we express our love to those who struggle with same-sex attraction and who are engaged in the homosexual lifestyle; and be it further RESOLVED, That we stand against any form of gay-bashing, whether disrespectful attitudes, hateful rhetoric, or hate-incited actions toward persons who engage in acts of homosexuality; and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm that pastors should preach the truth of God's word on human sexuality, marriage, purity, and love with all boldness and without fear of reprisal; and be it further RESOLVED, That we proclaim that Christ offers forgiveness of sin for those who turn from their sins and believe on Christ for the forgiveness of sin. ON COOPERATION AND THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION WHEREAS, We celebrate the history of faithful cooperation of Southern Baptists in the work of world evangelism and missions; and WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message has been approved by our Convention as our confession of faith regarding our commonly held convictions; and WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message in its affirmation of local church autonomy does not define what individual Southern Baptists and Southern Baptist churches must believe but rather what they generally and historically have believed regarding the doctrine of salvation; and WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention in 2007 affirmed The Baptist Faith and Message as a consensus confession, but not a comprehensive confession, seeking to unify Southern Baptists, local churches, and other Baptist bodies that may also hold other confessions of faith; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, do without reservation reaffirm as our confession of faith The Baptist Faith and Message; and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm that The Baptist Faith and Message provides sufficient parameters for understanding the doctrine of salvation, so that Southern Baptists may joyfully and enthusiastically partner together in obedience to the Great Commission; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage all Southern Baptist churches to continue in faithful cooperation as we deepen our commitment to equip the saints and reach the lost with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. 3:57 p.m. -- "Platform mic" motion overwhelmingly defeated. 3:53 p.m. -- Messengers debating motion that would prohibit nominating speeches from platform mic and prohibit anyone speaking in support of/opposition to motions from platform mic. Motion apparently would apply only to this meeting, but is receiving quite a bit of debate. 3:23 p.m. -- Daniel Akin to deliver 2013 convention sermon. Messengers approve recommendation by Committee on Order of Business. 3:21 p.m. -- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu addresses messengers, talks about Luter's Katrina leadership. "You could not have made a better choice," he said. Gives Luter key to the city. 3:08 p.m. -- The afternoon session has begun. 2:50 p.m. -- The afternoon session of the annual meeting will begin at 3 p.m. Among the afternoon's highlights, messengers are scheduled to vote on six resolutions at 4:05, and NAMB will present its report at 5:05. 11:55 a.m. -- The morning session has concluded. The afternoon session will begin at 3 p.m. 11:48 a.m. -- David Uth, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., preached the convention sermon, using Luke 7:36-50 as his text -- the story of Jesus' feet being anointed by a sinful woman. Uth said Southern Baptists must model Jesus' compassion for sinners, as seen in the text. As an illustration, Uth recounted a personal story that took place when the SBC annual meeting last was held in New Orleans, in 2001. Uth was in the back of a taxi, on his way to the Superdome for the annual meeting, when the cab driver asked him if it was OK if the driver let another person in the backseat. Uth said it was OK, and the driver stopped to pick up the passenger. It turned out to be a prostitute named "Candy." Uth's first reaction, he said, was embarrassment. He wanted all the stoplights to be green so that he could get there faster. He also was hoping that when the taxi arrived at the Superdome, no other pastors would see him get out of the car. That, though, would not have been Jesus' reaction, he said. Uth said he was not concerned about her eternal security, a reaction he regrets. "I was concerned about me," he said. 11:15 a.m. -- David Uth is preaching the convention sermon. Click the link above to watch it. 10:28 a.m. -- John Yeats re-elected recording secretary, Jim Wells re-elected registration secretary. Each unopposed. 10:20 a.m. -- Dave Miller elected SBC 2nd VP in runoff, receiving 59.5 percent of vote to Eric Hankins' 39.5 percent. 10:19 a.m. -- The Committee on Resolutions' scheduled time has passed, with only three resolutions having been debated (sinner's prayer, On Appreciation, On 200 Years of Baptist Ministry in Louisiana). All passed. The other six resolutions will be considered at 4:05 p.m. See full text of resolutions below. 10:18 a.m. -- Resolution on sinner's prayer passes after debate. See full text below. By a show of ballots, perhaps 10-20 percent of messengers voted against it. 9:44 a.m. -- Meeting is running 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Resolutions committee presenting its report now. 8:15 a.m. -- Committee on Order of Business schedules floor debate for today at 3:20 for motion about limits on use of platform microphone. 8:14 a.m. -- Messengers approve "Great Commission Baptists" descriptor, 53-46 percent. Our February story: [URL=http://ow.ly/bGXU0]http://ow.ly/bGXU0[/URL] 7:50 a.m. -- Messengers this morning will consider nine resolutions. Among them are a resolution concerning the sinner's prayer, a resolution on cooperation and the doctrine of salvation, and a resolution on gay marriage and the civil rights rhetoric. Following is the text of those three resolutions, along with four others. AN AFFIRMATION OF A "SINNER'S PRAYER" AS A BIBLICAL EXPRESSION OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH WHEREAS, The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers full forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God to anyone who repents of sin and trusts in Christ; and WHEREAS, This same Gospel commands all persons everywhere to believe this Gospel and receive Christ as Savior and Lord (Mark 1:15; John 1:12; 6:25–52; Acts 17:30); and WHEREAS, The Scriptures give examples of persons from diverse backgrounds who cried out for mercy and were heard by God (Luke 18:13; Acts 16:29–30); and WHEREAS, The Scriptures also give numerous examples of per- sons who verbally affirmed Gospel truths but who did not personally know Jesus in a saving relationship (Luke 22:47–48; John 2:23–25; 1 Corinthians 10:1–5); and WHEREAS, Empty religion and formalism, of whatever kind, apart from personal relationship with Christ, cannot wash away sin or transform a heart (Matthew 7:21; 15:8; John 3:3); and WHEREAS, The Bible speaks of salvation as including both a confession with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and a belief in the heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Matthew 16:16; Romans 10:9–10); now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, reaffirm our Gospel conviction that repentance from sin and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation (Acts 20:20–21); and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm that repentance and faith involve a crying out for mercy and a calling on the Lord (Romans 10:13), often identified as a "sinner's prayer," as a biblical expression of repentance and faith; and be it further RESOLVED, That a "sinner's prayer" is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel (Matthew 6:7; 15:7–9); and be it further RESOLVED, That we promote any and all biblical means of urging sinners to call on the name of the Lord in a prayer of repentance and faith; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we call on Southern Baptists everywhere to continue to carry out the Great Commission in North America and around the world, so that sinners everywhere, of every tribe, tongue, and language, may cry out, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). ON COOPERATION AND THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION WHEREAS, We celebrate the history of faithful cooperation of Southern Baptists in the work of world evangelism and missions; and WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message has been approved by our Convention as our confession of faith regarding our commonly held convictions; and WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message in its affirmation of local church autonomy does not define what individual Southern Baptists and Southern Baptist churches must believe but rather what they generally and historically have believed regarding the doctrine of salvation; and WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention in 2007 affirmed The Baptist Faith and Message as a consensus confession, but not a comprehensive confession, seeking to unify Southern Baptists, local churches, and other Baptist bodies that may also hold other confessions of faith; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, do without reservation reaffirm as our confession of faith The Baptist Faith and Message; and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm that The Baptist Faith and Message provides sufficient parameters for understanding the doctrine of salvation, so that Southern Baptists may joyfully and enthusiastically partner together in obedience to the Great Commission; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage all Southern Baptist churches to continue in faithful cooperation as we deepen our commitment to equip the saints and reach the lost with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. ON "SAME-SEX MARRIAGE" AND CIVIL RIGHTS RHETORIC WHEREAS, Marriage is a covenant relationship and an institution established by God rather than simply a human social construct (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:22–33); and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have consistently affirmed our support of the biblical definition of marriage as the exclusive union of one man and one woman; and WHEREAS, The Scriptures indicate that all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful; and WHEREAS, All people, regardless of race or sexual orientation, are created in the image of God and thus are due respect and love (Genesis 1:26–27); and WHEREAS, The Department of Justice has argued (Perry v. Schwarzenegger) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional claiming that DOMA unfairly discriminates against homosexuals; and WHEREAS, For the first time in history the President of the United States has publicly voiced his personal support of "same-sex marriage"; and WHEREAS, While homosexuality does not present the distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections, like the classes of race and gender, we acknowledge the unique struggles experienced by homosexuals in some parts of society; and WHEREAS, It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of “same-sex marriage” have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, oppose any attempt to frame "same-sex marriage" as a civil rights issue; and be it further RESOLVED, That we deny that the effort to legalize "same-sex marriage" qualifies as a civil rights issue since homosexuality does not qualify as a class meriting special protections, like race and gender; and be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists everywhere to fight for the civil rights of all people where such rights are consistent with the righteousness of God; and be it further RESOLVED, That we express our love to those who struggle with same-sex attraction and who are engaged in the homosexual lifestyle; and be it further RESOLVED, That we stand against any form of gay-bashing, whether disrespectful attitudes, hateful rhetoric, or hate-incited actions toward persons who engage in acts of homosexuality; and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm that pastors should preach the truth of God's word on human sexuality, marriage, purity, and love with all boldness and without fear of reprisal; and be it further RESOLVED, That we proclaim that Christ offers forgiveness of sin for those who turn from their sins and believe on Christ for the forgiveness of sin. ON BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP AND THE DOCTRINE OF INERRANCY WHEREAS, Some biblical scholars who identify themselves as evangelicals have in recent years denied the historicity of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1–2) and of the fall of mankind into sin (Genesis 3), among other historical assertions of Scripture; and WHEREAS, Many of these same scholars have called on other evangelical scholars to abandon the doctrine of inerrancy and to embrace on a wholesale basis the methodology of higher critical biblical scholarship in the study of Scripture; and WHEREAS, The Bible asserts for itself that it is God-breathed and is altogether sufficient “for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17); and WHEREAS, The human authors of Scripture wrote not from their own imaginations, but instead as they were “moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21); and WHEREAS, The primary purpose of biblical scholarship is to glorify God through the study and proclamation of “the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all” (Jude 3), which faith is set forth in Holy Scripture; and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have affirmed historically and consistently our unshakeable belief that the Bible in its entirety has “truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter,” and is there- fore “totally true and trustworthy” (The Baptist Faith and Message, Article I, “The Scriptures”); now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, do hereby reaffirm our belief in and adherence to the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture, as set forth in the Bible itself and in Article I of The Baptist Faith and Message; and be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm our belief specifically in the direct creation and historicity of Adam and Eve and in a literal, space-time fall of mankind into sin; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we call on all biblical scholars serving in Southern Baptist institutions to help shape the Christian worldview of the next generation by carrying out their work of teaching, research, and writ- ing with an excellence and freedom that is always in submission to Jesus Christ and in the service of the inerrant Word of God. ON PROTECTING RELIGIOUS LIBERTY WHEREAS, God has made the human conscience inviolable (Romans 2:14–15; 1 Corinthians 4:3–5; 8:12; 10:29); and WHEREAS, God has granted to all human beings the freedom to worship or not to worship according to the dictates of their con- sciences (Matthew 23:37; Revelation 3:20); and WHEREAS, History is replete with examples of the disastrous results of governmental efforts to interfere with individual con- science and religious belief; and WHEREAS, Our Baptist forebears suffered great persecution from civil authorities, including beatings, imprisonment, and death because of their commitment to the inviolable nature of conscience and faith; and WHEREAS, The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects United States citizens from any interference by the Federal Government in their “free exercise” of religion; and WHEREAS, The Department of Health and Human Services has determined that all health care plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) must provide free of charge contraceptives and abortion causing drugs and devices, even if such provisions violate the faith convictions of religious employers, health plan providers, and participants; and WHEREAS, The Obama administration will require health plans under PPACA to maintain a separate abortion fund supported by a premium surcharge on health plan participants regardless of their religiously-informed convictions about abortion; and WHEREAS, The Justice Department (Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC, 2012) has asserted that government has the authority to determine which ministries of a church qualify for First Amendment staffing protections, in clear violation of the biblical teaching that churches are unique institutions by virtue of their divine origin (Matthew 16:18); and WHEREAS, The United States military is currently engaged in efforts to normalize homosexual behavior in the armed services, threatening the ability of chaplains to perform ministry according to the dictates of their consciences and the teachings of their faith; and WHEREAS, The Justice Department has argued that the federal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is unconstitutional, threatening the ability of religious business owners and religious organizations to offer their services to those only who share their faith convictions about marriage; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, steadfastly object to the administration’s efforts to undermine the religious lib- erty of American citizens; and be it further RESOLVED, That we call on President Obama to instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw its insistence that health care plans provide contraceptives and abortion causing drugs and devices and instead exempt from this requirement all religious organizations and people of faith, whether in their pri- vate capacity or as employers, who declare a religious objection to such coverage; and be it further RESOLVED, That we deplore the provision in the PPACA that sets up a separate abortion fund in health care plans as well as the administration’s efforts to require United States citizens to pay for abortion through their health care premiums contrary to the dictates of their faith; and be it further RESOLVED, That we declare our support for the Constitution’s recognition of the unique nature of the church and insist that the Justice Department retract its offensive, unconstitutional attitude toward the church; and be it further RESOLVED, That we wholeheartedly support the ministry of chaplains in the United States military and call on the Obama administration to instruct our military leaders to ensure the freedom of chaplains to minister to members of the armed services according to the dictates of the chaplains’ consciences without fear or coercion; and be it further RESOLVED, That we express our deepest appreciation for every person who serves in the armed services of our nation and call on the Obama administration to guarantee the right of those who have volunteered to serve to express their religious convictions about homosexual behavior without fear of reprisal; and be it further RESOLVED, That we call on the Justice Department to cease its efforts to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act and instead engage in a vigorous effort to defend this law of the land from every chal- lenge; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we pledge to defend the God-given and constitutionally guaranteed right of every American citizen to worship God freely in thought, word, and action, according to the dictates of his or her conscience. AFFIRMING HUMAN NEEDS MINISTRY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BY LOCAL CHURCHES WHEREAS, Humanity’s greatest problem at the root of all other problems is rebellion against God and separation from Him because of sin; and WHEREAS, The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only solution to our problem, as it, through faith in Jesus Christ, reconciles us to God and to one another; and WHEREAS, The work and ministry of Jesus involved both proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and demonstrating the love of God; and WHEREAS, We are commanded by Scripture both to preach the Gospel and to do good deeds so that God’s light would shine before men; and WHEREAS, The indwelling Spirit leads us sacrificially to love our neighbor and all those in need as we love ourselves with both material and spiritual assistance; and WHEREAS, We are ambassadors for Christ with the ministry of reconciliation to all who are alienated from God and are living under the effects of personal, social, and structural sin; and WHEREAS, We live in a country and world where sin and its effects greatly harm individuals, families, and communities; and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have a long history of providing aid to all people in times of need, including disaster relief, physical assistance, and advocacy for the oppressed, among other things; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, affirm and encourage the work of our local churches, associations, community ministry centers, state conventions, and missions agencies in their ministries to human needs; and be it further RESOLVED, That as every local church makes disciples for Christ, it should encourage every disciple to love people; and be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage every local church to engage the needs of its community, supremely with a strong Gospel witness in words, and as often as possible, accompanied by a corresponding witness of deeds; and be it further RESOLVED, That we encourage generous support of those ministries in Baptist life that are specifically equipped to facilitate the work of human needs ministry and the involvement of local churches in the same; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage education, training, and equipping of Christians in human needs ministry as an expression of love, discipleship, and fidelity to our Lord as God gifts, directs, and enables us to be His hands and feet to a hurting and needy world. ON AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN BAPTIST HISTORY WHEREAS, African Americans have played an important role in Baptist history in the United States; and WHEREAS, It was common for white and black Baptists to worship together before the Civil War; and WHEREAS, Historiography has not always reflected the contribution of African American Baptists; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, acknowl- edge and express their appreciation for the contributions of African Americans to the faithful Baptist witness in the United States; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we celebrate pioneers such as African Americans George Liele, who many acknowledge as the first overseas mis- sionary from the United States in 1782; Lott Carey, who organized African American missions in the 1800s; S. M. Lockridge, who was a faithful preacher of the Gospel in the twentieth century; and Sid Smith, who was one of the first African American Southern Baptist denominational leaders in the modern era. ON 200 YEARS OF BAPTIST MINISTRY IN LOUISIANA WHEREAS, The year 2012, the bicentennial of the state of Louisiana, also marks the 200th anniversary of the first Baptist churches in Louisiana; and WHEREAS, God has prospered Baptist work in Louisiana, where Southern Baptists have 1,600 congregations, a Baptist college, a children’s home, forty-one local associations, the Louisiana Baptist Convention, and numerous other ministries; and WHEREAS, Southern Baptists in Louisiana across the decades have faithfully supported the work of Southern Baptists around the world with their prayers, their participation, and their financial contributions; and WHEREAS, The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, one of six Southern Baptist seminaries, continues to thrive in Louisiana, even after the devastating damage of Hurricane Katrina; and WHEREAS, Louisiana Baptists are marking their bicentennial with the emphasis “Awaken,” a call for spiritual awakening in the churches and the culture; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, thank God for His blessings on and through Louisiana Baptists for these two centuries; and be it further RESOLVED, That we congratulate and celebrate with Louisiana Baptists on the occasion of their bicentennial; and be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage and pray for Louisiana Baptists as they seek the Lord’s face for spiritual awakening. ON APPRECIATION WHEREAS, The messengers to the 155th session of the Southern Baptist Convention have enjoyed a time of worship, encouragement, and fellowship; and WHEREAS, We acknowledge God’s providence for all these bless- ings; and WHEREAS, We also acknowledge the kind hospitality of all the people of New Orleans, Louisiana; and WHEREAS, We also acknowledge our local Southern Baptist churches, associations, committees, the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and the many volunteers who worked diligently to make our stay a pleasant one; and WHEREAS, We especially acknowledge the Lord’s work in enabling our president, officers, various committees, convention speakers, musicians, and other platform personnel to conduct the affairs of this Convention with dignity and a Christ-like spirit; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19–20, 2012, express our profound gratitude to the Lord and to all those He used to bring about a meeting characterized by grace, evangelism, worship, encouragement, cooperation, and purpose. 7:36 a.m. -- Messengers this morning will consider resolutions and also learn the vote tally for the "Great Commission Baptists" descriptor recommendation. The session begins with music at 8 a.m. -- End of story -- Page: CP fuels missions efforts By Erin Roach Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38099 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, used a World War II analogy June 19 in New Orleans to warn that the Cooperative Program, which fuels SBC missions and ministry, is running low. A student of history, Page said the Germans were defeated in the Battle of the Bulge after a solid start because they ran out of fuel. "Their machines stopped working. They were technologically very superior, but they couldn't go anywhere. Their tanks became sitting targets for our tanks and our soldiers," Page said June 19 at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. He then told messengers: "We're running out of fuel in the Southern Baptist Convention. The fuel for a Great Commission Advance, which is what I would like for us to see happen, is the fuel of the Cooperative Program." Southern Baptists can talk about missions and even summon the resolve to engage in missions, he said, but without providing fuel for the missions task, the Great Commission will be left to someone else. "We need a rally point that is both biblically-based and historically faithful, and we believe that is the Cooperative Program," Page said. That's why, he said, Southern Baptists must heed "God's call to be a tithing body of believers." Page called for individuals throughout the convention to commit to a 10 percent tithe of their income for the cause of advancing the Kingdom of Christ. "When the average American Southern Baptist mirrors the culture and gives 2.3 percent of his or her income to causes that would be considered charitable or church-related, we're never going to be able to impact the lostness of the world like we ought," Page said. "So I'm calling for a 10 percent tithe on the part of our people." During the past year, 15 percent of churches in the convention have expressed specific interest in Page's 1 Percent Challenge, he said, referring to increasing gifts through the Cooperative Program by 1 percentage point of their budgets. Page also addressed Calvinism during the Executive Committee report. "Calvinism is an issue amongst us," he said. "You may or may not like that, but it is a real issue. I don't want to shock anyone in this room, but I am not a Calvinist. I am not. I know that shocks you. But I want to tell you this: A lot of our people are." According to a recent LifeWay Research poll, more than 60 percent of Southern Baptists said they were concerned about Calvinism in the convention, Page noted. "Friends, I'm concerned because there seems to be some non-Calvinists who are more concerned about rooting out Calvinists than they are about winning the lost for Christ," he said. "Did I tell you I'm not a Calvinist? But I am not among that number." Some Calvinists, Page said, "seem to think that if we do not believe the same thing about soteriology that they believe then somehow we are less intelligent or ignorant at best." "I simply say to you today that it's time to realize that a Great Commission Advance needs everyone. A Great Commission Advance needs everyone," he reiterated. "Calvinists and non-Calvinists have worked together for decade upon decade upon decade in this convention." Page confirmed again that he plans to assemble a group of advisers to help chart a way through the division surrounding Calvinism. That will not include revising the Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptists' statement of beliefs, he said. "I do believe we can find some ways to work together better, and I believe that the leaders of both of these groups can come together to say, 'Here's how we can return to working together like once we did,'" Page said. One way to come together, he said, is for Calvinists and non-Calvinists to go door-to-door in Houston next summer, telling people about the Good News of Jesus Christ before the SBC annual meeting. "If we can come together in missions and evangelism, we can come together," Page said. Earlier in the day, Page said the Cooperative Program enables Southern Baptists to diversify their missions investments by supporting ministry on the local, state, national and international level. "We no longer talk about giving to the Cooperative Program. We talk about giving to missions and ministries through the Cooperative Program. We want you to hear that distinction very well," Page said. In a CP video, Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., said Jesus gave the Great Commission not just to one group of disciples but to all Christians, yet his local church alone cannot accomplish the task. The Cooperative Program, he said, makes the task possible through partnership. "If you've not thought about using it, as a local church pastor, I would encourage you to think and pray about how you can better cooperate with other local churches in spreading the Gospel around the world through the Cooperative Program," Dever said. During the business portion of the report, messengers: -- adopted a 2012-13 SBC operating budget that anticipates $7.5 million in income, with $6 million through the Cooperative Program. A total of $2.6 million is budgeted for SBC administration expenses and $4.9 million is allocated toward operating expenses for the Executive Committee. -- adopted a 2012-13 Cooperative Program allocation budget that directs $137.2 million to ministries through the convention's two missions entities, $41.6 million to theological education through six seminaries and $3.1 million to concerns about ethics and religious liberty. -- approved a request from the North American Mission Board to adopt fiscal year October 1 through September 30. -- adopted revised Convention Site and Housing Guidelines for annual meetings, reducing the number of necessary hotel rooms to 4,000 and the number of minimum hotel rooms within two miles of the convention center contracted for the annual meeting to 1,500. Both figures were reduced by 500. -- adopted the 2016-17 SBC calendar of activities. --30-- Erin Roach is assistant 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 -- Funding from churches fuels Kingdom advances By Diana Chandler Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38100 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Missionaries and church planters shared the good work at home and abroad funded by church dollars as part of the Executive Committee report to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans. The Cooperative Program, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions allow 45,000-plus Southern Baptist congregations to share in fulfilling the Great Commission. Following are several of the missions reports relayed to messengers during the EC's June 19 report in New Orleans. EVANGELIZING RIO Her name was Maria. In Rio, she owned a bar and was known as "the spirit lady." Eric and Ramona Reese, an African American missionary couple who have served in Brazil 11 years, began to reach out to her, teaching her English and Scripture. "That's when she told us that she was hearing voices in her house at night, as if someone was in the house with her," Ramona Reese said. "What she didn't know was she was under attack and the worst was yet to come." When Maria accepted Jesus, she became one of many who have been brought to Christ through work funded by the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon offering. "I can tell you that the same Gospel you preach in your pulpits in cities like New Orleans across America is the same Gospel we are preaching to those who are lost in Rio de Janeiro like Maria," Eric Reese said. "God is working there." REACHING STUDENTS On Oct. 11, 2012, Southern Baptist workers on 800-plus college campuses across the U.S. will initiate Engage 24, an initiative for every Christian student to share the Gospel with at least one who is lost. It was through such outreach that Rob Warren accepted Christ in 2005. Today he and his wife Lisa are collegiate church planters at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. "In 2005, I came to know Jesus because one of my best friends Andy ... and former teammates engaged me with the Gospel," Warren said. "And it was Andy's persistent witness to me that God used to really rock my world and change my life radically forever. "God often uses college students, young people, to spark awakening and revival, not just on campuses either, but really throughout society as a whole," Warren said, thanking Southern Baptists for their support. Last year alone, Cooperative Program funds allowed church planters to engage 358,517 college students with the Gospel. PLANTING CHURCHES Kevin Nguyen is a "Vietnamese Texan" church planter in Los Angeles, whose mother was adopted with eight other refugees by a Southern Baptist family in Owensboro, Ky., during the Vietnam War. Nguyen calls the Kentucky family "Mr. and Mrs. Faith." "For me, faith has a face," said Nguyen of families who support the Cooperative Program. He and his wife Hannah have planted Cornerstone Community Bible Church in Los Angeles, reaching Asian-Americans, which the 2010 U.S. Census records as the fastest-growing people group in the U.S. "More than just helping us plant the church, the SBC family has contributed so much more and I can only describe our gratitude through the story of faith," he said, adding that CP has encouraged generations of church planters in his family. "It was because of the SBC ideology and missional joy of planting immigrant churches with my father in Dallas, Texas, to engage refugees. In turn they loved and nurtured their children in believing in Gospel expansion." --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. -- End of story -- Wright exhorts traditionalists & Calvinists By J. Gerald Harris Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38101 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The "elephant in the room" in the Southern Baptist Convention is the tension between "traditional" Southern Baptists and "Calvinists," Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright said in his message to the SBC annual meeting June 19 in New Orleans. Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., for over 30 years, said church planting was not "cool" back then and traditional worship was "the only game in town." "It was also the time when there was an intensity of conflict within our denomination over the inerrancy of the Word of God," Wright said. "Thankfully," he continued, "Southern Baptist Christians led this convention to do something no other denomination had ever done before -- return to biblical orthodoxy after there had been a wayward turn to the left. And for that we are still forever grateful and must be ever vigilant." Several decades ago a Pentecostal or charismatic movement also impacted many churches in the convention, Wright said. That too, after some time, "eventually died away." Then came the "worship wars" that continue to plague many churches, Wright said. "The fact is that all kinds of worship styles are very appropriate as long as they are Christ-centered and biblically based," he said. "Today the tension has to do with Calvinism or Reformed theology," Wright said. "Months ago ... the Holy Spirit convicted me that I needed to address this elephant in the room. Little did I know that it would be such a hot topic today." Wright said he is concerned that Christ-centered, Bible-believing Southern Baptists will be so engaged in correcting one another's theological views when it comes to election and salvation that they will be detracted from their mission of rescuing captives who need to be liberated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "These two views on election and salvation can co-exist as long as we stay Christ-centered and biblically based in our theology," Wright said. "So a word to these two groups: To our Calvinist friends, a bit of humility would be most welcome. Anytime there is spiritual pride or intellectual pride or theological pride -- it is always a sin. And an attitude of superiority ... is never going to build up the church of Jesus Christ. A little humility would be appreciated. "To those who call themselves traditional Southern Baptists, the time for being judgmental is over, because judgmentalism quickly moves into slander. And to lump all those who have a strong biblically based theology that is a more Reformed theology into hyper-Calvinism is not only misguided, but it ends up causing you to break the ninth commandment on false witness. "It is time to show some respect to those who have differing views when it comes to election and when it comes to salvation," Wright said. The central focus of the Old Testament and the New Testament, Wright said, is Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. Those who are more committed to their theological position than to Jesus Christ are guilty of "theological idolatry," he said. The idolatry of materialism, technology, theology, denominationalism and family are major deterrents to Kingdom growth -- reaching the neighborhoods and the nations of this world for Christ, Wright said in referencing this year's convention theme. In contrast, Wright said he is encouraged when he sees a passion for church planting among the 16,000 students enrolled in Southern Baptist seminaries. "Many of them have a passion for going to a place where a church does not exist," he said. "That is incredibly encouraging to see." Wright also noted that 1,300 churches have made a commitment to connect to an unreached people group somewhere in the world. Still, Southern Baptists will never reach their neighborhoods or the nations without the power of the Holy Spirit, he said, adding that nothing is more futile than doing the work of Christ in the flesh. "As we join with other Great Commission Christians all around the world we may have the privilege of being part of the final generation in completing the work of the church," Wright said. --30-- J. Gerald Harris is editor of The Christian Index, newsjournal of the Georgia Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Baptist21 panel talks SBC history & future By Tim Ellsworth & Keith Collier Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38108 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- The Conservative Resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s and '90s and its implications for the future of the denomination were discussed at the Baptist21 luncheon June 19 in New Orleans where two key leaders of the movement -- Paige Patterson and Paul Pressler -- were honored. A six-member panel of three generations of Southern Baptists were featured at the luncheon moderated by Jonathan Akin, senior pastor of Fairview Church in Lebanon, Tenn. Akin provided some background on the Conservative Resurgence. On the panel were Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; R. Al Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala.; and Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. "The Southern Baptist Convention's entities were being highly influenced by a theology that was questioning and denying the inerrancy of the Bible -- things like the exclusivity of Christ, the necessity of the virgin birth, the necessity of the resurrection, gender roles in the home, gender roles in the church, questioning the sexual ethics of the Bible, and many other things," Jonathan Akin said. In such an environment, Akin said that God stirred in the hearts of some key men -- such as W.A. Criswell, Jerry Vines, Charles Stanley and others -- a desire to turn the SBC back from liberal theology to orthodoxy. Baptist21 recognized two of those men at the luncheon, presenting plaques to Patterson and Pressler. Pressler, a layman, is a retired justice of the Texas Court of Appeals who wrote a memoir, "A Hill on Which to Die," published in 1999 by Broadman & Holman. "God used these two men as key leaders to bring about the Conservative Resurgence," Jonathan Akin said, noting that the movement's success of returning a denomination from liberalism to orthodoxy was unprecedented in U.S. evangelical history. "Baptist21 and a lot of young Southern Baptists feel a great deal of gratitude and debt to Dr. Paige Patterson and Judge Paul Pressler," Akin said. In examining the history of the SBC's Conservative Resurgence, Patterson pointed to the importance of the book "Baptists and the Bible" by L. Russ Bush and Tom J. Nettles, both professors at the time at Southwestern Seminary. Bush and Nettles "cut the ground out from under the idea that somehow Baptists did not believe that the Bible was the inerrant, infallible word of God," Patterson said. Though Patterson said several opponents made attempts to rebut the book's arguments, "all of them fell on deaf ears, and so that book prevailed." Danny Akin described Patterson as the movement's theologian, Pressler as its organizer and Adrian Rogers as its preacher. "When you put those three men together, they inspired and mobilized Southern Baptists to go to the convention and vote their convictions," Akin said. A rejection of substitutionary atonement and an embrace of inclusivism and universalism was already present in the SBC in the 1980s, Mohler said. Other denominations that went down that path, including most mainline Protestant denominations, now have theological debates over such issues as the ordination of homosexuals and the blessing of homosexual unions. Mohler said if the Conservative Resurgence hadn't happened, the SBC would be having the same kinds of debates today. "Thanks be to God, we've got things to discuss, but not those things," Mohler said. Jonathan Akin asked Greear and Platt if they had any concerns in Baptist life where the sufficiency and authority of Scripture are still being compromised. Greear described the Conservative Resurgence as a "confidence in the Bible that leads to great urgency in the Great Commission," and said that all practices and methodologies should be concerned with evangelism and reaching the lost. Platt said he thought there were many preaching practices, even in Southern Baptist life, that deny the sufficiency of Scripture, with pastors facing pressure to fill their sermons with their own thoughts and stories. "If our sermons are not saturated with Scripture and driven by the text, then we're not taking advantage of all that God by His grace has provided us with," Platt said. Jonathan Akin asked for the panelists to provide some criteria for determining which fights over doctrine and theology were worth fighting in the denomination. Danny Akin pointed to a "theological triage" system Mohler developed. He described "first-tier issues" such as the Gospel, the deity of Christ, the sinlessness of Christ and the miracles of the Bible as things "worth spilling our blood over because those are what constitute being a Christian," Danny Akin said. Over "second-tier" issues, such as infant baptism, Danny Akin said Baptists could still affirm people as brothers and sisters in Christ, but working together in a church would be difficult. Even less important issues, such as eschatology, may be worth debating, but are not worthy of breaking fellowship, Akin said. The discussion then shifted to the topic of Calvinism and the recent document "A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God's Plan of Salvation" which by the time of the luncheon had been signed by more than 700 denominational leaders and pastors, including seven state convention executives. Jonathan Akin mentioned that Patterson signed the document and asked Patterson if he thought Calvinists should be prohibited from serving in leadership positions within the SBC. "No, I've never thought that at all," Patterson said. "When you get into a discussion, part of what you need to do is measure your own heat content," he said. "The hotter you get, the less likely you are to be correct in the whole situation." Patterson said Southern Baptists have always had "two tributaries flowing into one river." Pointing to church history, he said British Baptists in the 17th century failed when they split into General and Particular Baptists. "They really needed each other; they needed the discussion. In Southern Baptist life, we've always been able to have this discussion," Patterson said. Noting differing interpretations between himself and Mohler, he said: "Do we divide up and fuss and fight among ourselves? No. We state our positions clearly, as clearly as we know how, and then we go have a Baptist drink together -- which is a Diet Coke. You have to learn to discuss these things without the heat content that is the problem that leads to divisiveness." Patterson said Baptists hold to religious liberty, so he has no problem with people issuing clarifying statements on their beliefs. However, he said, "I do not raise the statement that I signed to the same significance that I would the BF&M 2000. The BF&M 2000 represents a consensus among all Southern Baptists." Mohler echoed these sentiments, calling for Southern Baptists to state their convictions with grace and love. "The last thing we need is the development of theological tribes in the SBC," Mohler said. "The point is, what are you doing in order to glorify God and bring praise and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ, pushing back the darkness and sharing the Gospel and gloriously celebrating when even one sinner comes home? ... We earned the right, from those who came before us in the Conservative Resurgence, for us to be able to talk about doctrine without embarrassing ourselves because a failure to do that means we become a non-theological people, and a non-theological people will lose the Gospel." Additionally, Mohler said, "There should be absolutely no criticism of anyone who has the courage to frame a theological argument and to submit it for the discussion of the denomination." Connecting the discussion to a local church setting, Greear said his church does not allow the topic to be a divisive issue. He said there are Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the congregation and on staff, but they work together harmoniously. "One of the things that we've found is that if you're committed to the expository preaching of the Bible, ... then a biblical Calvinist and a biblical Arminian end up sounding unbelievably similar on the passages they preach," Greear said. "There is room for us to agree on the essentials of Gospel proclamation and to exegete texts correctly without having to vilify one another and put one another outside of this fold." Jonathan Akin broadened the discussion, asking Luter to address racial unity in the midst of diversity. Luter said churches must make people of all backgrounds feel welcome in their services. He also encouraged a focus on the Gospel and God's Word over that of skin color. "When [we] go and stand and proclaim the Word of God, it's amazing how those tensions can break down," Luter said. "We're connected not based on skin color but based on sin color. We don't have a skin problem here. We have a sin problem. Once we deal with the sin problem, I promise you the skin problem will work itself out." Jonathan Akin ended the discussion with the question of how Southern Baptists going forward can be good stewards of what was gained through the Conservative Resurgence. Panel members said Southern Baptists must learn from history and remember debate over the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture will never end. Members of the panel encouraged pastors to stand strong for the essentials of the Christian faith and to remain vigilant against attacks on the reliability of the Bible. With this in mind, panelists said, Southern Baptists must remain unified and be faithful to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. --30-- -- End of story -- Military personnel add to LifeWay report By Russ Rankin Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38102 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- In his report to the Southern Baptist Convention, LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer highlighted several transformational products and projects in which LifeWay has experienced "God's hand and God's favor." Rainer expressed gratitude for the partnership with Sherwood Baptist Church, producer of highly acclaimed movies including, and "Courageous," "Fireproof" and "Facing the Giants." "LifeWay is so thankful for the partnership with Sherwood and the opportunity to reach people across the world with the Gospel," Rainer said, noting that through companion products such as New York Times best-selling books "The Love Dare," "The Resolution for Men" and "The Resolution for Women," "We have heard countless stories of how these resources have changed lives, including a group of U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan." In a video filmed by several U.S. military personnel serving in Afghanistan, messengers heard testimony of the effect The Resolution for Men and the movie Courageous have had. "My journey with Courageous and The Resolution for Men started on Valentine's Day," serviceman Les Rose said on the video. "I got a package in the mail from my wife; in it she included the book. I started reading it [and] couldn't put it down. [I] finished it in a matter of two days." Serviceman John Voisinet added: "We all got together and started a Bible study and we talked about being better fathers, better husbands, better men in Christ. It's a good thing here in Afghanistan, where morale is so low." "Our group has grown and it continues to grow," Rose said. "We see God's will and God's Word moving through us and in us on a daily basis. It all started with Courageous and The Resolution for Men. We just thank God every day through His blessings that He's provided to us in -- of all places -- Afghanistan." "I know that this group will continue to grow and His Word is going to continue to get out, and that men will see that it does take courage to be men of faith, who stand up and say, 'I will lead my family," serviceman Daniel Fuller said. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Rainer expressed appreciation to Sherwood pastor Michael Catt. Selma Wilson, vice president of B&H Publishing Group, presented Catt with a commissioned painting illustrating the word "fruitful." Additionally, Rainer presented a copy of The Resolution for Men and a Holman Christian Standard Bible to U.S. Marine Corps veteran Staff Sergeant Thomas Courtney, who served with the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines infantry battalion. During LifeWay's presentation, Rainer introduced The Gospel Project, LifeWay's new three-year curriculum for Sunday Schools and small groups that spans all ages. Following a video describing the curriculum, Trevin Wax, managing editor of The Gospel Project, and Ed Stetzer, general editor of curriculum, spoke about LifeWay's focus in developing the new resources. "We have multiple options for curriculum at LifeWay with a multitude of entry points into study," Stetzer said. "Yet for years, we've been hearing from churches for something that goes more in depth in theology." "People have very different ideas of what depth means," Wax said. "Some see it as gathering a lot of new information. But we can't forget the purpose and goal isn't to win a game of Bible trivia. And the Bible isn't a self-help book. Both information and application [are] needed. And that is The Gospel Project." Stetzer said the designers of the project saw the need for a study with "Jesus as the focus of all Scripture. All the stories, as Herschel Hobbs said, point backwards and forward to Jesus Christ. "Going deeper means we'll deal with deeper issues," Stetzer said. "Even where believers disagree, it's important to not shy away from these issues, within the parameters of the Baptist Faith and Message." Wax said it is exciting to see in the biblical narrative how evangelistic passion is connected to gospel proclamation. "It's the encounter with Jesus that leads to going on mission," he said. "We want people to encounter Jesus to fuel a passion to live on mission." Stetzer announced more than 12,000 people have downloaded a free preview of The Gospel Project at GospelProject.com, where a video Rainer showed during LifeWay's SBC presentation can also be viewed. "The feedback has been tremendous," Stetzer said. "This is telling us churches want this." --30-- Russ Rankin is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- Land: ERLC remains committed to reconciliation By Dwayne Hastings Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38103 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- In his first public comments on events that drew a sharp reprimand from trustees of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Richard Land acknowledged June 19 the charges of both plagiarism and "racially insensitive and hurtful remarks" following the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, expressing hope nothing he did would take away from the election of New Orleans Pastor Fred Luter during the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention. "It has been my prayer that nothing I have done or said would detract from the historic election of our convention's first African American president," said Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "I pray that no mistakes of mine would rob our Heavenly Father of one moment of the glory that is His for the work that He has done, and continues to do, in changing the collective heart of the Southern Baptist Convention on the issue of race," he continued. During the ERLC's report to the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, Land reiterated his belief in "trustee oversight and governance," saying he is "under the authority of the trustees elected by you, the Southern Baptist Convention." "I am tremendously appreciative of this whole review process and that it was conducted in a Christian manner by Christian gentlemen with the best interests of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the Southern Baptist Convention and its ministry foremost in all of our hearts," he said. In a June 1 statement, the ERLC's trustee executive committee reprimanded Land for his comments during a March 31 radio broadcast that were "very hurtful and offensive to the Trayvon Martin family and to many in the African-American community, including hundreds of thousands of African-American Southern Baptists." The committee also ended Land's weekly call-in radio program, "Richard Land Live!" Land, who accused President Obama of playing politics with the Trayvon Martin case during the radio program that sparked the trustee action, led messengers at the SBC in praying for the president and his family, asking God to give Obama "wisdom, power and direction" in leading the nation and for the safety of the president and his family.  Land prayed that God would use elected officials as "instruments of righteousness." "The ERLC, and its predecessor the Christian Life Commission have always been committed to the cause of racial reconciliation and to a convention that reflects the demographic makeup of the nation," Land told messengers at the annual meeting, emphasizing the entity remains dedicated to that goal. He said the ERLC is committed to working with the SBC's African American Advisory Council, announcing plans for a "40 Days of Prayer for Racial Reconciliation" emphasis to be held early in 2013. Land and ERLC trustee chairman Richard Piles presented New Orleans pastor Fred Luter with the commission's Distinguished Service Award during the ERLC report to the convention. ERLC trustees voted to recognize Luter for his service to the Lord and His church during their annual meeting in September 2011. In receiving the award, Luter, who just minutes prior to Land's report had been elected SBC president, expressed gratitude for the honor, telling the convention he was thankful for the "faith, trust and confidence you've placed in me." The ERLC president said Luter's election was "as truly a historic moment as Southern Baptist life will ever experience." He noted he had dedicated "over half of [his] ministry working toward the goal of having an African American elected as our convention's president." Land, continuing in his report to the convention, said, "We face a moral and spiritual crisis as great as we have ever known in the United States." It is a "struggle for hearts and minds" in which Southern Baptists must be involved. Land noted the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission supports Southern Baptists in their engagement of the culture by providing resources to the local church, advocating a biblical perspective on Capitol Hill, filing legal briefs with the federal courts, and being willing to speak out in the media. During the 112th Congress, Land said ERLC staffers had 200 face-to-face meetings with congressional and White House staff. He said the SBC's moral concerns entity mailed nearly 3,900 letters to Washington, D.C., and state-level powerbrokers. He said the communications focused on Southern Baptists' viewpoints on a wide variety of moral and ethical issues being considered in legislation and public policy. The commission staff participated in 351 press and media interviews over the past year, reaching an estimated 4.5 billion people with a biblical perspective on the issues of the day, Land said. Southern Baptists must be involved as "salt" and "light," he said, as scriptural positions on human life, marriage and religious freedom are increasingly in disfavor in society. The nation's founding document reflects America's founders' view that all men are created equal and "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights," Land said, noting the right to life is explicitly cited in the Declaration of Independence. But Americans today are challenged by a quality of human life ethic in which, Land said, some want to play god and decide for themselves when individuals have lost a sufficient quality of life to be expendable and no longer protected. The "culture of death" has invaded the nursery, nursing home, intensive care unit and "now into the panels under Obamacare that will decide who gets what treatment and what treatments your doctor will be able to give you," Land said. Southern Baptists must continue to fight for God's definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman, he said, adding that the institution of marriage is threatened from all sides. "Every child deserves to have a mother and a father," he said, lamenting 41 percent of children are being born out of wedlock.  He said government welfare might help compensate for the absence of fathers, "but it does not make up for the holes in the hearts of those who are being raised without fathers." Land warned about attempts in the culture to squelch Americans' religious freedom and conscience, "restricting it only to worship in the home and church buildings."  "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's mandate to religious groups that their insurance coverage must include abortion-causing drugs and contraceptives is the tip of the sword," Land said. "This is not about reproductive freedom; it is about religious freedom. It is not about contraception; it is about coercion. It is about being able to live out our faith without being fined and penalized by our government for obeying God rather than man," he continued.  Land said it is important to stand with those whose liberties are being threatened, warning that Baptists might well be the next faith group targeted with a restriction of religious freedom.  "People of faith are in this together," Land said. --30-- Dwayne Hastings is a vice president with the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. -- End of story -- Pastors hear Send North America vision By Tobin Perry Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38104 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell, at the Send North America luncheon June 19, thanked churches for their Annie Armstrong Easter Offering gifts in 2011 as NAMB leadership cast a vision for every church to be a part of church planting. "In a time of transition when many predicted the Annie Armstrong offering might be hurt or would go down, God blessed it in an incredible way through your generosity," Ezell said, noting that the 2011 offering was 3 percent over the previous year. NAMB leaders, at the luncheon held during the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference prior to the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans, encouraged every pastor and every church to connect with the North American mission field. Aaron Coe, NAMB's vice president for mobilization and equipping, told attendees that the mission board's goal is to see the number of Southern Baptist congregations grow by a net gain of 5,000 by 2022. Because the convention loses an average of 890 churches a year, Southern Baptists will need to plant a total of 13,500 during that 10-year span to reach the goal. To help curb the "death rate," Coe noted that NAMB vice president Larry Wynn will lead NAMB's church revitalization efforts. If Southern Baptists meet the goal, it will be the first time in 110 years the convention has planted churches at the same rate as the population growth, Coe said. "This is something we all can do," Coe said. "But it's not just one of those things where a few of us can get into the game. It's going to require all of us -- all of us banding together under the lordship of Jesus Christ, all commissioned by Him through the Great Commission, banding together to seek out lostness wherever it exists in the North American context. Working together to penetrate lostness, we're going to see amazing things happen. But we need all of you to participate." Ezell gave special recognition to churches that gave the most to the Annie offering in both overall giving and per-capita giving in their associations. The top 50 churches in the nation overall in giving to the offering were also recognized. North Carolina and Alabama were honored as the top two state conventions in total giving. South Carolina and Mississippi were recognized as the top Annie-giving conventions with between 500 and 2,499 congregations. The Baptist Convention of Maryland-Delaware was the top giver for conventions with fewer than 500 congregations. "Our pastors are also recognizing the importance of the vision Kevin Ezell has put forth," said Milton A. Hollifield Jr., executive director-treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. "It's a practical way to help state conventions, associations and churches understand what the needs are and also how attainable these goals are in starting the number of churches we need to be starting in North America." Hollifield noted that besides North Carolina's sizeable investment in the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, the state has committed to playing a significant role in Send North America, NAMB's strategy for connecting churches to church planting and other missions endeavors throughout North America. Coe made it clear churches play the primary role in reaching North America. "The question is, what can NAMB do to help, as you seek to penetrate lostness in North America? We want to come alongside of you as you fulfill your mission in North America," Coe said. John Galey, pastor of Poydras Baptist Church in St. Bernard, La., left the luncheon excited about the future of Southern Baptist church planting and evangelism. "I'm inspired just to know that there's an intentional strategy, an intentional focus to penetrate lostness in North America," Galey said. "Our Cooperative Program money is well spent. Here are people who are intentionally focused on penetrating lostness in North America. That's very encouraging." --30-- Tobin Perry is a writer with the North American Mission Board. Mickey Noah also contributed to this report. -- End of story -- Messengers OK resolution on 'Sinner's Prayer' By Tom Strode Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38109 EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated story on resolutions adopted at the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans will be posted in Baptist Press on Thursday (June 21). NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention approved Wednesday morning June 20 at their annual meeting a resolution identifying what is frequently described as a "Sinner's Prayer" as a biblical way of expressing repentance and faith. Debate on the resolution consumed much of the 30 minutes allotted for the first resolutions report scheduled for the day. As a result, messengers were able to consider only three of nine resolutions reported to the convention by the Resolutions Committee. In addition to the resolution on a "Sinner's Prayer," messengers also approved resolutions: -- Celebrating the 200th anniversary this year of Baptist work in Louisiana. -- Expressing appreciation to God and all those who helped with this year's annual meeting. The committee was scheduled to give its final report Wednesday afternoon when resolutions on the following subjects will be up for consideration by messengers: -- Cooperation and the doctrine of salvation, which appears to be a response to differences between Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the convention. -- Defending religious freedom. -- "Same-sex marriage" as a civil rights issue. -- The inerrancy of the Bible and the historicity of Adam and Eve. -- Affirming community and human needs ministries by churches. -- Acknowledgment of the role of African Americans in Baptist work in the United States. With an estimated 80 percent majority, messengers approved the resolution on a "Sinner's Prayer" with some careful descriptions. The resolution reiterated the belief that "repentance from sin and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation" and said such a "crying out for mercy and a calling on the Lord," which constitute what is often described as a "sinner's prayer," are a "biblical expression of repentance and faith." The resolution also said "a 'sinner's prayer' is not an incantation that results in salvation merely by its recitation and should never be manipulatively employed or utilized apart from a clear articulation of the Gospel." It also urged Southern Baptists to continue to take the Gospel to sinners of "every tribe, tongue, and language." Messengers defeated two efforts to amend the resolution. One called for removal of the words "a 'Sinner's Prayer'" from the resolution's title and a paragraph. That amendment failed by what appeared to be a comfortable though not overwhelming margin. Jimmy Scroggins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Fla., is chairman of the Resolutions Committee. Other members of the Resolutions Committee are Stephen Farish, senior pastor of Crossroads Church, Grayslake, Ill.; Cheri Jimenez, pastor's wife and member of Taylors First Baptist Church, Greer, S.C.; Manpoong Dennis Kim, pastor of Global Mission Church, Silver Spring, Md.; Gary Lowe, member of Alta Canyon Baptist Church, Sandy, Utah; Tim Ohls, senior pastor of Believers Southern Baptist Church, Wichita, Kan.; Kevin Smith, pastor of Watson Memorial Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky., and assistant professor of Christian preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Kevin Ueckert, senior pastor of South Side Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas; Stephen Douglas Wilson, member of First Baptist Church, Lone Oak, Ky., and dean emeritus and chair of the social studies/history department at Mid-Continent University, Mayfield, Ky., and Joe Wright, director of missions for Dyer Baptist Association, Dyersburg, Tenn. --30-- Tom Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. -- End of story -- SBC pastors polled on Calvinism and its effect By Russ Rankin Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38105 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Nearly equal numbers of pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention consider their churches as Calvinist/Reformed as do Arminian/Wesleyan, although more than 60 percent are somewhat or strongly concerned about the effect of Calvinism on the denomination, according to a new survey from LifeWay Research. LifeWay Research presented a slate of statements about Calvinism to a randomly selected sample of senior pastors in the SBC to gauge their theological inclination and whether they are concerned about the impact of Calvinism in the convention. Sixty-six percent of pastors do not consider their church a Reformed theology congregation, while 30 percent agree (somewhat or strongly) with the statement "my church is theologically Reformed or Calvinist." Four percent did not know. This compares to 29 percent who agreed with this statement in an earlier survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors in 2011. By the same token, 64 percent of SBC pastors also disagree (15 percent somewhat; 49 percent strongly) that "my church is theologically Arminian or Wesleyan." Thirty percent of respondents classify their church as Arminian or Wesleyan, with 6 percent selecting "don't know." This compares to 37 percent of Protestant pastors who agreed on the 2011 survey. "Historically, many Baptists have considered themselves neither Calvinist nor Arminian, but holding a unique theological approach not framed well by either category," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. Stetzer also explained, "We used the terms 'Reformed or Calvinist,' as that is generally self-explanatory. However, the terms 'Arminian or Wesleyan' are less common as Wesleyans are often seen as another denomination and many are uncomfortable with the term 'Arminian.' "However, to compare it to Protestant pastors, we wanted to use consistent terms -- and, I imagine, many will be surprised that language did not keep respondents away -- with an equal number claiming Reformed or Calvinist as claimed Arminian or Wesleyan." The survey revealed that 61 percent of SBC pastors agree (35 percent strongly; 26 percent somewhat) they are "concerned about the impact of Calvinism in our convention." Thirty percent disagree (16 percent strongly, 14 percent somewhat) with the statement. Nine percent chose "Don't know." The survey showed pastors of Midwestern churches are more likely than pastors in the South (20 percent vs. 13 percent) to somewhat disagree and less likely to strongly agree (27 percent vs. 37 percent) they are concerned about the impact of Calvinism in the SBC. Pastors age 18-44 are most likely to strongly disagree (26 percent) that they are concerned (4 percent selected "don't know") and are more likely (20 percent) to somewhat disagree than pastors age 55-64 (10 percent) and 65 and older (9 percent). PERSONALLY Seventy-eight percent of pastors responded they personally are not five-point Calvinists, while 16 percent agreed (8 percent somewhat and 8 percent strongly) with the statement "I am a five-point Calvinist." This compares to 32 percent of pastors who agreed with the statement in last year's survey of Protestant pastors. The majority is reflected in every age bracket, although SBC pastors age 55-64 (77 percent) and 65 and older (77 percent) are more likely to "strongly disagree" with the statement than pastors age 18-44 (60 percent) and 45-54 (66 percent). Pastors age 18-44 (18 percent) and 45-54 (10 percent) are more likely to strongly agree with the statement than pastors age 55-64 (3 percent) and 65 and over (1 percent). The survey also showed SBC pastors of churches with less than 50 in attendance are most likely to select "don't know" (14 percent) and the least likely to strongly disagree (62 percent) with the statement "I am a five-point Calvinist." LifeWay Research asked a similar question in a 2006 SBC survey, which revealed 85 percent did not consider themselves five-point Calvinists and 10 percent affirmed that they were five-point Calvinists. "Rather than ask a single question of yes or no, the new survey was intended to capture some of the complexity of the debate by covering several specific theological points and bringing clarity to how strongly pastors hold each position," Stetzer explained. Ten percent of respondents strongly agree with the statement "Christ died only for the elect, not for everyone in the world" and another 6 percent somewhat agree. More than 80 percent somewhat disagree (6 percent) or strongly disagree (77 percent) with the statement. This compares to 91 percent of Protestant pastors who disagreed in the earlier survey. Half of SBC pastors agree with a statement related to irresistible grace -- 31 percent strongly agree and 19 percent somewhat agree with the statement "God is the true evangelist and when He calls someone to Himself, His grace is irresistible." Forty-eight percent (29 percent strongly, 19 percent somewhat) disagree with the statement. This matches the agreement Protestant pastors showed (50 percent) in the 2011 survey. Two-thirds of SBC pastors strongly disagree with a statement on double predestination: "Before the foundation of the world, God predestined some people to salvation and some to damnation." Eleven percent strongly agree with the statement, while 10 percent somewhat agree and 9 percent somewhat disagree. A similar question was asked of Protestant pastors and 13 percent agreed. More than 90 percent strongly disagree that "it diminishes God's sovereignty to invite all persons to repent and believe." An additional 5 percent somewhat disagree, leaving 4 percent who strongly or somewhat agree. This compares to 87 percent of Protestant pastors who disagreed. Ninety-four percent of respondents believe in the security of the believer, disagreeing with the statement that "a person can, after becoming a Christian, reject Christ and lose their salvation." Five percent agree a person can lose their salvation. "There appears to be a lot of concern among Southern Baptist pastors on the impact of Calvinism, but the beliefs in these doctrines, at least measured by these questions, show quite a mix of beliefs," Stetzer said. Stetzer summarized that, "Most Baptists are not Calvinists, though many are, and most Baptists are not Arminians, though many are comfortable with that distinction. However, there is a sizeable minority that see themselves as Calvinist and holds to such doctrines, and a sizeable majority that is concerned about their presence. That points to challenging days to come." The survey was conducted April 1-May 11 via mail and online of a randomly drawn list of SBC congregations. Responses were weighted to reflect the geographic distribution and worship attendance of SBC churches. The completed sample of 1,066 surveys provides 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +3 percent. --30-- Russ Rankin writes for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Happy Southern Baptists & the tricky track By Paige Patterson Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38106 FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- In late 2007, I was asked by the editors of SBC Today to address the relationship between Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention. The following article was the result and I repost it today as it represents my thoughts and hopes on the matter. While some have lugubrious prognostications as to the current discussion bringing about the demise of our Baptist Zion, I am actually encouraged by it and believe that most of the dialogue is helping to strengthen our theological understanding and shared commitment to reach the 7 billion people on the face of the globe with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ********************* One of the better things that Karl Barth is sometimes credited with having said is, "God, deliver me from Barthians." If not apocryphal, Barth was simply recognizing what most professors acknowledge and that is that students always have a tendency to run to the edge of the cliff with the professor, but unlike the professor they tend never to stop at the edge. While Martin Luther was the Reformation's preacher-theologian, John Calvin was the towering figure of Reformation thought through his Institutes and through his commentaries, a monumental biblical interpreter. Calvin's contribution, like that of Luther and a myriad of others, are subjects for which Baptists should be eternally grateful. This should not be interpreted to mean however that we agree with John Calvin on all points and still less with some of his followers, who may have tumbled past him off the edge of the cliff. For example, Baptists have disagreed with the Reformed tradition of John Calvin and others at the following substantive points. -- First, Baptists disagree about the baptism of infants. Infants cannot have faith, and the first ordinance of the church is faith-witness baptism and hence only believers are the appropriate candidates. -- Second, we disagree about the mode of baptism, insisting that only baptism by immersion expresses death, burial and resurrection. -- Third, we have differed with Calvin and other Magisterial Reformers over the relationship of the church to the state. Magisterial Reformers, so called, because of linking their reformations to state support and protection are contrasted normally with the Radical Reformers who argued as Baptists always have, for separation of church and state. This should not be interpreted as meaning that the church is not free to address matters of moral concern in the state, but only that the state has no jurisprudence in matters of the church and that the two are separate realms altogether. -- Fourth, Baptists have disagreed with the Reformed tradition regarding elder rule. Although it is not uncommon now to find Baptist churches advocating elder rule and while this has been the case among Baptists for generations, on the whole Baptists are Congregationalists -- recognizing as they do the problems latent in congregational rule, they nonetheless believe that the doctrine of the indwelling Spirit of God in each believer means, among other things, that the congregation as a whole should be consulted and indeed determinative in the major decisions of the local church. Part of this is tied to Baptist emphasis upon the autonomy of the local church. On the other hand, there are matters about which almost all Baptists agree with the Reformed tradition. -- Baptists have joined Calvin and other Reformers in insisting that salvation is by grace alone. Indeed it is arguable that the Radical Reformers were the only really consistent Reformers because they not only declared that salvation came by grace alone but also insisted that only those who had experienced that grace in regeneration were the proper subjects of baptism. -- Second, Baptists join with Reformers in believing that election to salvation is a prerogative exercised by God who is both just and sovereign in His disposition of all things. While even the followers of Calvin disagree among themselves about various aspects of election (infralapsarian vs. supralapsarian perspectives), Baptists also disagree among themselves about exactly what election means and how it functions in the salvific process. Nonetheless, that the Bible teaches the doctrine of election and predestination means that Baptists fully endorse it. -- Further, Baptists have almost unanimously joined with the Reformers in their belief of the permanence of salvation. Once a man has experienced regeneration and been permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit, he cannot forfeit his salvation. Again, Baptists joined with Reformed theology in declaring the full sovereignty of God over all events. This includes the rejection of "open theism" which features an incredulous God when faced with certain unanticipated events. -- Finally, Baptists are one with those of the Reformed faith and with Calvinists in emphasizing the overriding providences of God. The cosmos is simply not out of control. It is being guided by God to a designed climax over which He rules and reigns. Furthermore, God's providence extends to all events in the lives of God's children. Baptists disagree among themselves over subjects such as what election means and how it should be interpreted. It is common to find disagreement over the so-called ordo salutis, that is, the order of salvation events. Most believe that repentance and faith occur simultaneously, along with regeneration, but some have held that regeneration occurs first and makes repentance and faith possible. Some years ago, walking along a muddy river bank about six feet above a glacier melt ice cold river, I had the misfortune of being the last in line along a very narrow path made by a Brown Bear. Taking one unguarded step, the mud gave way and I found myself plunged into the ice cold river. Having to walk all the way back to camp with my boots full of ice cold water reminded me that it is always better to remain on the path, however tricky it may be. Southern Baptists today need to negotiate a tricky track that, so far, historically they have rather remarkably been able to negotiate. The tricky track is to disagree about the meaning of election and certain other associated perspectives, without breaking fellowship with one another over matters, however profoundly believed, which will not become decipherable for believers this side of heaven. I have a few modest proposals for successfully negotiating the tricky track: -- Non-Calvinists must not accuse Calvinists in general of being non-evangelistic. First this must not happen because it is simply not true. While a case can certainly be made that many embracing the Calvinistic perspective have apparently allowed this theology to have an unfortunate result in terms of actual evangelistic enterprise, one needs not look far to discover those who thoroughly embrace a more Calvinistic position who nevertheless have remained consistent in their witness and successful in their evangelistic endeavors. My concern here is not that non-Calvinists cease warning about the danger often seen as present in those who embrace a more Calvinistic perspective, but it is essential that Calvinistic Baptists not be painted with the universal brush in this matter. -- On the other hand, the more Calvinistic Baptists must not accuse non-Calvinists of failing to believe in the sovereignty of God. Almost every Baptist I know believes in the sovereignty of God. But for some, perhaps even for most, God's sovereignty does not entail a particular view of the doctrine of election. God is sufficiently sovereign to act in any way consistent with His character and essence. -- Third, there needs to be recognition on both sides of the argument -- that in England, Particular Baptists and General Baptists experienced a great divorce, which was healthy for neither. As Timothy George has pointed out, the General Baptists lost their doctrinal emphasis and tended to become Universalists, and even in some cases Unitarian, whereas the Particular Baptists had a strong tendency toward becoming anti-missionary and anti-evangelistic. They needed each other, and Southern Baptists so far have been able to understand that the two sides needed each other, and hence we have thus far not made the British Baptist mistake. May God help us to maintain that heading. -- Fourth, absolute integrity must be the order of the day. Although I am not a conventional dispensationalist, most people consider me such. So if I'm being considered for a faculty position or a pastorate, I must be entirely candid with the appropriate authorities in the church. I must tell them every single aspect of my theological perspective, and I must explain exactly how I will lead the church or teach my classes as the case may be. Anything less than full disclosure to the church or to an institution by which I shall be employed is a failure of integrity. This lack of integrity and full disclosure is that which disrupts churches and institutions and causes trouble that has the tendency to spill over into every aspect of denominational life. Again, if we handle this tricky track, we'll have to do it through full disclosure of theological position and what we intend to do. -- Finally, to negotiate the tricky track, we must not cease to be less than overtly and aggressively -- but nevertheless responsibly -- evangelistic. Some of the shallow evangelistic methodologies and over-confident reporting of results needs to be revised and the more Reformed brethren among us are faithful to provide those criticisms. The more aggressively evangelistic need to hear them carefully and be corrected by them. On the other hand, when churches report no baptisms each year or even churches numbering four or five hundred members account for very few baptisms, the more aggressively evangelistic among us are not wrong to say that God should not be blamed for this. Human irresponsibility and a willingness to pass off our self-centered, non-evangelistic, non-missionary ways under the cloak of the sovereignty of God are simply reprehensible. Thorough-going, honest, but nonetheless aggressive evangelism is what God has blessed among Southern Baptists across the years, and we dare not let any perspective dissuade us from the example provided for us in the book of Acts and in the mandates of Jesus in such places as the Great Commission. Fairness also demands the recognition that the failure of churches in the evangelistic and missionary tasks often has nothing whatever to do with Calvinism. In fact, any doctrinal commitment, any moral practice, any methodological approach that either purposefully or inadvertently diminishes our evangelistic zeal and our witnessing performance must be jettisoned at once for one that fuels evangelistic and missionary fires. A tricky track it is, and who knows how Baptists will come out in the end. But we need each other, and how we proceed can best be followed with something like the above perspective. May God bless us all and may God enable us to have a heart for reaching our world for Christ. --30-- Paige Patterson is president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. This column first appeared at TheologicalMatters.com, a blog of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Work, an act of worship By Chuck Bentley Jun. 20 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38110 GAINESVILLE, Ga. (BP) -- "Work gives meaning to life. It is the form in which we make ourselves useful to others." This quote, by Lester DeKoster, the former director of the Calvin College and Seminary library, condenses the importance of this simple yet profound truth, that work is the basis for all that we are put on earth to accomplish. You and I were designed by God to work. Work is not a curse that we must endure, it is the way we experience purpose, meaning and joy. It's what we were created to do -- work and produce. In fact, not working takes a greater toll on us in the long run. I don't mean resting and taking care of our bodies, but avoiding work altogether, which is the road to misery and ruin. Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, wrote, "God created human beings in His own image and part of being 'in His image' means that we are workers -- like God Himself. That's where that innate, inner drive for work comes from. Work is part of God's nature." Since we are created in God's image and divinely ordained for work, we are to rule over the lower creation. This distinctive trait allows for self-expression, the potential to be used for great causes to serve the needs of the world and to bring glory to God in the process. As believers, our work should be excellent in every way. Christians should be the most desired of all employees or employers in the world. Why? Because we believe in the dignity of hard work and strive to do our best with the motivation that we are representing the God who created us for His purposes. His Word gives us clear instruction to work hard: "Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10). "You shall work six days" (Exodus 34:21). "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). In my travels, I've experienced cultures where work is not valued or practiced among the men in the community. The consequences that result from these practices are always misery, suffering and extreme poverty. Far too often, Christians attempt to treat only the symptoms of poverty through generosity and charitable help alone. Unfortunately, if we avoid dealing with the root issue in these cultures -- a lack of knowledge of God and His teachings -- their errant beliefs remain unchanged. Misery simply returns when the giving stops. However, if we make it our mission to nurture believers in this community, the bountiful fruit produced by transformed people will be an ongoing witness to the goodness of God and His ways. But that's not all! Lester DeKoster expanded his insight into the exponential impact of our work on the whole of civilization: "Lay a blanket of seeds upon a field, and behold, a harvest! Lay a blanket of work upon the world, and behold, a civilization!" WORK IN THE AREA WHERE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU SKILL It honors the Father when we are true to work according to our design. Ralph Mattson and Arthur Miller make this point quite well in their book, "Finding a Job You Can Love": "We please God when we act the way we are designed to act, when we are who God designed us to be. When such actions are carried out with the intention of being expressions of love to Him, they do in fact become expressions of love to Him." A friend once helped me understand the importance of knowing God's unique design of my inner man. He encouraged me to seek understanding of my gifts, interests, skills and values and to operate accordingly in my chosen area of work. He said, "Chuck, a John Deere Tractor is not a Mercedes Benz and a bulldog is not a Chihuahua, so you would not attempt to plow a field driving a Mercedes or train the Bulldog to sit in your lap. Likewise you should not work in an area where God has not designed you to be successful." How true. Can you imagine a bluebird trying to be a woodpecker just so it can attract more attention? His bill is not equipped for drilling holes. A bluebird honors its Creator by being a very beautiful bluebird. Likewise, those who recognize their talents and use them for the glory of God become a magnificent testimony to the work of the Creator. Since our work is meant to reflect God's glory, we need to recognize this as the proper motivation for our labors. Our work is a sacred act of worship. It is a daily opportunity to share God's goodness. If we are motivated by greed, pride or a desire to become powerful in man's world, we fail to achieve our life's purpose. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10). "... And every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the Lord has commanded" (Exodus 36:1). --30-- Chuck Bentley is CEO of Crown Financial Ministries. This is an excerpt from Chuck Bentley's book, "The Root of Riches: What if Everything You Think about Money Is Wrong." Bentley's latest book, is "The S.A.L.T. Plan, How to Prepare for an Economic Crisis of Biblical Proportions." To sign up for Chuck's free weekly e-newsletter, "Handwriting on the Wall," visit Crown.org/handwriting or call 1-800-722-1976. -- 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