Baptist Press Stories for Jun. 25 2012 --------------------------------------- NAMB, at SBC, spotlights spiritual need of North America http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38129 Ezell: bivocational pastors are SBC's 'Iron Men' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38124 Seminary prof: God still in control in Egypt http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38134 At CWS, faith of Ariz.'s Lopez is on display http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38130 Soledad cross won't get high court hearing, yet http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38136 D.C. school voucher program survives, again http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38131 Southwestern report highlights Scrolls http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38133 BP Ledger, June 25 edition http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38135 FIRST-PERSON: Turning a page in SBC history (& shedding tears of joy) http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38132 --------------------------------------- NAMB, at SBC, spotlights spiritual need of North America By Adam Miller Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38129 NEW ORLEANS, La. (BP) -- Last year at the 2011 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix, Matt Mowrey took the stage as a testimony to God's work in Norwich, Conn., through North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionary Shaun Pillay. This year Southern Baptists saw video of Matt's dad who, shortly after watching last year's presentation, became one of Norwich's newest believers. Recently, Matt's grandmother also accepted Christ. During the NAMB report and presentation at the 2012 SBC annual meeting in New Orleans, NAMB President Kevin Ezell highlighted the importance of ongoing and sustainable efforts, like those in Norwich, in penetrating lostness in North America. "We're not planting churches that will make a difference for a week or a month or a year," Ezell told messengers. "We're planting churches that will continue to reach people year after year after year." To highlight the need for more churches in North America, Ezell offered a historical glimpse into the SBC's nearly two centuries. "When we started back in 1845, we started churches at a great pace. By 1900 there was one church for every 3,800 people," Ezell said. He added: "Today there are two different North Americas. One very well churched and one that's not." Ezell shared that some Southern states have one SBC congregation for every 1,400 people. But in Canada there is one church for every 117,000 people. In the northeast United States, the numbers aren't much better. With a goal of seeing a net gain of 5,000 additional SBC congregations by 2022 and with an average of 890 churches dropping off the SBC database each year, at least 13,500 new churches will be needed in the next 10 years. In addition to church planting, Ezell spotlighted ways NAMB will help Southern Baptists accomplish this goal: -- Iron Men of the SBC Ezell said bivocational pastors are the "Iron Men of the SBC" and NAMB will be supporting them through educational and resourcing opportunities and by encouraging would-be pastors to pursue a profession as they pursue ministry. John Voltaire, an engineer and bivocational pastor in Miami, joined Ezell on stage. "I find it very exciting and rewarding, because when you're out there [working in a career] you understand their problems and can point them to hope," Voltaire said. "It's good to know we are not alone in this. We need your prayers." Story continues below video -- Church Revitalization NAMB also is building an initiative for assisting plateaued and declining churches through partnering them with healthy churches. Larry Wynn, NAMB vice president for evangelism, told messengers, "there is a place for you in the [church] revitalization process." He outlined how the initiative will work. This could include encouraging a plateaued church, helping re-launch a struggling church, merging with a dying church or helping acquire and reallocate unused church properties. Story continues below video -- Military chaplain hero In the most moving and dramatic portion of the presentation, SBC messengers viewed the story of Army Chaplain (Capt.) Jared Vineyard. Prior to becoming a chaplain, Vineyard's unit was attacked by a suicide bomber while on a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004. Eight members of his unit were killed. The rest -- including Vineyard -- were injured. The experience ultimately led Vineyard toward chaplaincy service. At the close of the video, Doug Carver, a retired two-star Army Major General and executive director of NAMB's chaplaincy team, introduced Vineyard and his wife, Amanda, to SBC messengers who welcomed him with a sustained standing ovation. Story continues below video "It's an honor and privilege to be with those who serve and to be able to serve them," Vineyard said. "We get in the mix with them and through that we're able to share our stories and through that the story of Christ." Ezell added: "We appreciate your service to our country and most of all your service to our Lord." Earlier, in the report segment of Ezell's presentation, he outlined the work NAMB is doing in Disaster Relief, LoveLoud ministry evangelism, GPS: God's Plan for Sharing and a new initiative for ministers' wives called Flourish. In addition, he shared how NAMB is strengthening its church planter assessment process and thanked churches for the 2011 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, which surpassed the previous year's amount by 3 percent. In closing the presentation, messengers gathered around NAMB missionaries and chaplains in prayer, and Ezell challenged each church to engage the North American mission field. "We need a spiritual awakening in North America," Ezell said. "That can't be generated by NAMB. That must start on our knees." --30-- To view the videos from NAMB's SBC presentation, visit namb.net. Adam Miller is a writer for the North American Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Ezell: bivocational pastors are SBC's 'Iron Men' By Mickey Noah Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38124 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Called the "Iron Men of the SBC," some 180 bivocational pastors and their wives from 17 states attended the third annual Bivocational Luncheon Wednesday, June 20, during the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans. The luncheon was sponsored by the North American Mission Board. "Thank you for all you do as bivocational pastors," said Kevin Ezell, NAMB's president. "Not until I came to the North American Mission Board did I realize the enormity of what bivocational pastors do in North America. "If we're really going to penetrate the lostness of North America, it's going to have to be with the help of bivocational pastors because there's no way possible to completely fund missions work full time without your impact," Ezell said. Under its Send North America strategy, NAMB has a goal of a net gain of 5,000 new SBC congregations by 2022, a 3 percent increase in the congregation-to-population ratio for Southern Baptists. The convention loses an average of 890 churches each year. The key to achieving this goal is to increase the number of bivocational pastors who plant new churches, Ezell said. Ezell said NAMB's leadership and staff want to come alongside the SBC's bivocational ministers across the United States. According to statistics, bivocational pastors make up as many as 50 percent of the SBC pastors in southern states like Alabama and Arkansas, but they also minister in states throughout the U.S. -- from Maine to California. "We see you as a vital player in our Send North America strategy and we want to provide you with what you need," said Ezell. "And this isn't a one-year emphasis but a long-term commitment. We need to do a better job of providing resources for you and encouraging you along the way." Ezell said he got the idea of calling SBC's bivocational pastors "Iron Men of the SBC" from outgoing NAMB board of trustees chairman Tim Dowdy, himself a triathlon athlete competing in an upcoming "Ironman" competition. "I want to bring attention to your work across the convention," said Dowdy, senior pastor at Eagles Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Ga. "You guys make an incredible difference to SBC life in reaching the nation with the Gospel. "But we need thousands of more guys to be bivocational pastors," Dowdy said. Ezell referenced the account in Mark 2 of the four men who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof of a house so he could be healed by Jesus. "Those men did whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus," Ezell said. "I believe you guys are just like those men. You do whatever it takes -- when it comes to your family, your vocation and your church." Ezell announced a pilot program making educational opportunities available for bivocational pastors. NAMB -- partnering with Union University in Jackson, Tenn. -- will offer bivocational pastors a 33-hour online master's degree in theological studies, with a limited number of scholarships being made available each year. Nashville-based Ray Gilder, national coordinator for the SBC's bivocational/small church leadership network, said he is pleased with the progress the network has made since the SBC annual meeting in Orlando two years ago. "We're growing and there's more awareness of bivocational pastors, thanks to our partnership with NAMB," Gilder said. "A lot of men are bivocational because of funding issues, but some are intentionally bivocational because they believe God called them to be bivocational. They have full-time careers but are also full-time pastors, although they may only receive part-time pastor's pay." Gilder said 37,000 of the churches in the SBC run 125 or less in Sunday School, "so there's a lot of bivocational churches across the country." "These guys are in the trenches on the front lines," he said. "In the future, their challenge will be to serve as the role models and mentors for the young bivocational pastors to come. The young guys coming up will need to prepare and get their education up front. In the past, bivocational pastors often got called into ministry later in life and didn't get the opportunities for the education they needed." Gilder also announced three upcoming conferences for bivocational pastors -- an Appalachian Bivocational Celebration in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Sept. 28-29; a national bivocational celebration at William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Miss., April 18-20, 2013; and an international bivocational conference at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., in 2014. For more information on the National Bivocational/Small Church Leadership Network, visit bivosmallchurch.net or email Gilder at rgilder@tnbaptist.org. --30-- Mickey Noah writes for the North American Mission Board. -- End of story -- Seminary prof: God still in control in Egypt By Diana Chandler Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38134 [IMG=32910@right@250]NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- With Christians wary of religious freedom under newly elected Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy, a Southern Baptist theologian says God is still in control and encourages Christians to continue to pray. Mike Edens, professor of theology and Islamic Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press that the election of the Muslim Brotherhood member is no indication of what God will do in Egypt and the Middle East. "The living God is not limited to using only people who acknowledge Him for His purposes in world government. He is the only God and is moving the world of people toward an appointment with Him," said Edens, a former International Mission Board missionary. Morsy was declared Egypt's president Sunday (June 24) after taking 51.7 percent of the vote in a runoff against former general Ahmed Shafik, the results of the first democratic election in the country's history. Many Coptic Christians, about 10 percent of Egypt's population, supported Shafik. Coptic Christian Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., told Baptist Press that Morsy's election will give Muslims greater freedom to persecute Christians on national and local levels and will likely hinder Christian revival in the region. "Now with the state collapsed completely, we see this rise of the Islamists and their ability to enforce their views, both in terms of their domination of national politics, but also very importantly, on the local level," he said, "of the ability of local Islamists in various villages to enforce ... certain patterns of behaviors on their Christian minority neighbors." Edens said Morsy's victory is a call to Christian prayer. Christians should implore "God to grant the desire of every Egyptian parent that their children would have a better and more peaceful life among all the peoples of Egypt, that God in His sovereign grace would increase every Egyptian's access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for God to give insight and grace to their elected and appointed leaders," Edens said. While Morsy has proclaimed himself "a president to all Egyptians" and has said he might appoint a Christian vice president, Tadros said any constitution drafted under Morsy will not likely guarantee religious freedom. Already, as many as 200,000 Christians have fled Egypt in the country's unrest, according to estimates, and the Muslim Brotherhood has an organized, active history against Christianity there. "The most thing that would alarm me as a scholar and observer of the Muslim Brotherhood is an attempt by the Islamists to control the (Coptic) church as an institution in Egypt and use it as a means to control the Christian masses, i.e., replicate a kind of national church model that was there in Communist countries during the ... Soviet Union and so on," Tadros said. "The church today is in its weakest point," he said. " ... We don't have a [Coptic Christian] pope at this moment ... The changes in Egypt come at a point where the Christians are the most vulnerable." Coptic Christians' most recent pope died in March. Meanwhile, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak suffered a stroke last week and had been declared "clinically dead," although Egyptian medical officials have denied reports of his death. --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. -- End of story -- At CWS, faith of Ariz.'s Lopez is on display By Lee Warren Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38130 OMAHA, Neb. (BP) -- Amidst the practices, press conferences, text messages from family and friends back home and College World Series games, participating believers are finding ways to live out their faith. Arizona Head Coach Andy Lopez led his team to Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha on June 19. It was an off day for the Wildcats after defeating Florida State and UCLA earlier in the series. They could have spent the day recharging their batteries, but yet there they were, visiting sick children they didn't even know. One of Lopez's adult daughters, Kerri, was with her dad as the team made their rounds, and she expressed why he was there. "He has such so much grace for people, so much love and compassion -- this visit will be the most important thing about Omaha for him," Kerri said. "That's the reality of who he is." That type of grace and compassion runs deep in Coach Lopez, whose Wildcats defeated South Carolina 4-1 Monday to clinch the school's first College World Series title since 1986. "For 34 years, Jesus Christ has been my Lord and Savior," Lopez said between visits. "By His grace, I can say with pure confidence, I have found my King. I have no clue what I would do without Him." He means that. According to Kerri, he has been getting up at 5 a.m. every day for as long as she can remember to spend time with the Lord. "Whenever I think of my dad, I think of him waking up early to pray over the family," Kerri said. "He's so sacrificial. I've always felt like I've seen God through my father." Kerri attends Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. Every morning, shortly after waking up, she checks her phone expectantly. "By 6 a.m. he will have already texted Scriptures to me, or he'll say, 'I prayed this over you today.' He just covers me in prayer." She is grateful for his spiritual leadership, knowing not every child grows up in such an environment. The college baseball world speaks about Lopez as someone who knows how to lead a team to Omaha. In his 30 years as a head coach, his teams have a 1,085-664-7 record. He is just one of three coaches to lead three different schools to the CWS. He led underdog Pepperdine to a national championship in 1992. He took Florida to the CWS twice. And this is Arizona's second trip under his watch. He considers all of those successes to be a gift from God, pointing out that, "Psalm 115:1 says, 'Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory.'" As the hospital visits continued, a doctor told Lopez about a patient who wants to go to Arizona State University -- which of course is Arizona's in-state rival. So Lopez walked into the patient's room as if he were recruiting him. "Let me tell you about Arizona," he said, drawing laughter from the patient, Lopez's players and everybody else within earshot. After meeting with each child, and parents if they were present, he ended each conversation by saying, "God bless you." In a way, he was putting a spiritual covering over them just like he has covered his family all these years. On the other side of the spectrum, Florida State's James Ramsey took a seat at the postgame press conference at TD Ameritrade Park on June 21 after Arizona crushed the Seminoles 10-3 in Game 11, eliminating FSU from the series. A reporter noted that the team appeared to be close this season, which led to a question about what brought them together. "I think it all started in the fall," said Ramsey, the ACC Player of the Year and a first team All-American. "We decided to make more sacrifices than we had in the past. Guys were asked to make smarter decisions off the field. Just the things with eating, drinking, workouts. "But the thing it comes down to at the end of the day is the team started a Bible study. We started hanging out more off the field, started having deeply invested relationships, and we have brothers in Christ in the dugout. You're going to sacrifice a lot more for them. I could go on and on about our faith lives together. "I know you guys don't like to put a whole lot of it in the press, but that's the difference and that's really all I can point to." Ramsey, a senior and the team captain, finished his career at FSU with class. In fact, he was selected as the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award winner -- an award given to the Division I senior who has notable achievements in community, classroom, character and competition. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Ramsey in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft earlier this month. --30-- Lee Warren is an author and freelance writer based in Omaha, Neb. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- Soledad cross won't get high court hearing, yet By Staff Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38136 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered another setback -- though not a final one -- to the effort to preserve a cross in a southern California veterans memorial. The justices announced Monday (June 25) they would not review a lower court ruling in the case while they await a final decision by a federal judge on the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in San Diego. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled in 2011 that the 29-foot cross that is part of the memorial is an unconstitutional establishment of religion. [IMGONLY=31112@right@350]Meanwhile on Monday, the high court again failed to announce the most highly anticipated decision of its term. The justices did not rule on the controversial 2010 health-care law often referred to as "Obamacare." The court, which heard oral arguments regarding the law over the span of three days in March, is expected to announce its opinion Thursday. In the Mount Soledad case, Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote an opinion in which he said he agreed with the decision not to review the Ninth Circuit ruling "[b]ecause no final judgment has been rendered and it remains unclear precisely what action the Federal Government will be required to take." The Ninth Circuit returned the case to a federal judge for a proper solution and emphasized its ruling "d[id] not mean that the Memorial could not be modified to pass constitutional muster [or] that no cross can be part of [the Memorial]," Alito pointed out. "Our denial, of course, does not amount to a ruling on the merits, and the Federal Government is free to raise the same issue in a later petition following entry of a final judgment," he wrote. The Mount Soledad cross, which was dedicated in 1954, originally honored Korean War veterans but later became a memorial for all veterans. Plaques with the names and photographs of veterans, as well as various religious symbols for them, were installed around the cross in 1999. In October, the full Ninth Circuit refused to review its three-judge panel's ruling against the cross, but five of its judges dissented. The panel's decision had overturned a ruling by a federal judge in San Diego that the cross is constitutional because it is one element in a larger war memorial that honors all veterans. Advocates for the memorial maintained some optimism. "While we are disappointed the Court did not accept this case for review at this time, we are hopeful we can find a solution that will allow this veterans memorial to remain where it has stood for over half a century," said Allyson Ho, lead counsel for the Mount Soledad Memorial Association, in a written release. The federal government joined the memorial association in advocating for the cross' constitutionality. In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of permitting a cross to remain in a veterans memorial in the Mojave Desert. Writing for a 5-4 majority, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy said the "goal of avoiding governmental endorsement does not require eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm." Meanwhile, in an opinion released Monday, the justices gave only a partial victory to Arizona in its effort to deal with the large number of illegal immigrants in the state. A 5-3 majority upheld a provision in the 2010 state law that requires a police officer to check the legal status in some cases of a person whom he detains or arrests before he is released. The court, however, ruled in favor of the federal government in striking down sections that: (1) outlaw the failure to carry proper immigration documents; (2) criminalize applying for or holding a job as an illegal immigrant, and (3) authorize a police officer to arrest without a warrant a person whom he believes has committed a crime that would cause him to be deported. Kennedy wrote the court's opinion. Associate Justice Elena Kagan recused herself because of her involvement in the case as solicitor general for the Obama administration. --30-- Tom Strode is Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. With reporting by Erin Roach. -- End of story -- D.C. school voucher program survives, again By Emily Belz Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38131 WASHINGTON (BP) -- After the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program became an issue in the presidential campaign, the Obama administration finally agreed to preserve the program that provides education vouchers for low-income parents for at least another year. The $20 million program, which allows students to attend private schools in a city where the public school system is still struggling mightily, is enormously popular among D.C. parents but much less popular with local teacher unions. Mitt Romney touted the program as a model for the country several times in recent speeches, highlighting President Barack Obama's push to cut scholarships for low-income families. "Instead of eliminating the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program as President Obama has proposed, I will expand it to offer more students a chance to attend a better school," Romney said in a Chamber of Commerce speech at the end of May. "It will be a model for parental choice programs across the nation." Voucher programs, as well as tuition tax credits (which aren't direct scholarships), are expanding across the country: 18 states now offer vouchers or tuition tax credits, and five offer tuition tax deductions, according to The Heritage Foundation. The D.C. scholarship program has long been debated. President Bill Clinton vetoed the program when it first passed Congress in 1998. Republicans passed the program again and it finally got off the ground in 2004 with President Bush in the White House. While it initially had little endorsement from D.C. officials, support grew among local Democratic politicians over time. The program is structured so that as much money that goes to scholarships also goes to public and charter schools, as a way to deflect criticism that it is sucking resources from public schools. The Obama administration closed the program to new students in 2009, but House Speaker John Boehner secured a five-year reauthorization of the program as part of last year's spending deal. Applications for the scholarships surged, and now about 1,600 low-income students are receiving aid. (Over the life of the program, it has received about two times as many applications as there were scholarships.) But then Obama zeroed out the program in the budget he released this year. Obama's budget never went anywhere in Congress, but the Department of Education apparently tried to curb the number of students who could enroll. On Monday, June 18, Boehner and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., another long-time supporter of the program, announced they had reached an "agreement" with the Department of Education to continue full funding of the program. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the program would increase enrollment from 1,615 students to 1,700 students -- at least for this year. --30-- Emily Belz writes for World News Service, where this story first appeared. -- End of story -- Southwestern report highlights Scrolls By Keith Collier Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38133 NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson invited Southern Baptist Convention messengers to come experience the Dead Sea Scrolls at the seminary during his report to the convention June 19. Patterson was referencing the seminary's Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible exhibition, which begins July 2 and runs through January 13 in Fort Worth, Texas. "Messenger friends, in just a few days you have the opportunity to do the unthinkable and actually come to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and stand as close as I'm standing to this podium right now to the oldest copies of God's Word that are available anywhere," Patterson said. Joining Patterson on the platform were Ryan Stokes, assistant professor of Old Testament and one of the lead researchers on the Dead Sea Scroll fragments at Southwestern, and Steven Ortiz, associate professor of archaeology and biblical backgrounds and director of the Charles D. Tandy Institute for Archaeology at Southwestern. Patterson asked Stokes why Southern Baptists should care about the Dead Sea Scrolls. "That's a great question, Dr. Patterson, and one that's very easy to answer," Stokes replied. He used the illustration of the childhood game of telephone, where one child whispers a message to another, who then whispers the message they heard to another, and so on. This continues down the line until the last child announces the message he heard, which nearly always results in a completely different message from the original. Stokes said scholars for a long time said the Bible was transmitted in a similar fashion so the accuracy of its transmission could not be trusted. "When we discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls, we discovered the oldest copies of the Bible that exist in their original Hebrew. And here is why those copies of the Bible are important -- they reveal that the Bible that Jesus read is the same Bible that we have. ... These manuscripts demonstrate how faithfully God has preserved His Word for us and our children." Patterson asked Ortiz to share why Southern Baptists should care about biblical archaeology. Ortiz said archaeology "supports the historicity and authenticity of Scripture." Additionally, he said, archaeology provides further understanding of the geographical and cultural contexts in the Bible. Visit [URL=http://www.SeeTheScrolls.com]www.SeeTheScrolls.com[/URL] to get more information and purchase tickets for the exhibition. --30-- Keith Collier is director of news and information at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (www.swbts.edu/campusnews). -- End of story -- BP Ledger, June 25 edition By Staff Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38135 EDITOR'S NOTE: BP Ledger carries items for reader information each week from various Southern Baptist-related entities, and news releases of interest from other sources. The items are published as received. Today's BP Ledger includes items from: Samford University Bluefield College Bluefield College Samford to Present Church Media Institute Aug. 1-2 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Samford University)--Samford University's Howard College of Arts and Sciences will present its 2012 Church Media Institute (CMI) Aug. 1-2. The institute, aimed primarily at church communication staff and volunteers, will offer something for all levels of experience and interest, including sessions on social media, video ministry and up-to-date applications of a host of traditional and new media. "Our first Church Media Institute in 2010 made us realize that there were many church staff members who felt they could benefit from professional development in the use of media, particularly social media," said Howard College Assistant Dean Dana Basinger. "We would ultimately like to become an ongoing resource for these churches and hope to develop a professional organization through which media professionals can network." CMI session leader and keynote speaker Andy Crouch is a dynamic and creative musician, producer, minister, editor and author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, winner of Christianity Today's 2009 Book Award for Christianity and Culture and named one of the best books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, Relevant, Outreach and Leadership. Registration for CMI includes institute tuition and meals at one of the nation's most beautiful campuses in Birmingham, Alabama, a culturally diverse city rich with Civil Rights history, fine arts, music and nationally-acclaimed cuisine. Pre-Conference (Social Media Boot Camp) $40* Conference/Meals (register by July 1) $99* Conference/Meals (after July 1) $130* *CMI offers a 20% discount for institutions registering three or more participants. Information and Registration at http://howard.samford.edu/churchmediainstitute/ Contact: E-mail churchmediainstitute@samford.edu or visit us on Facebook at Church Media Institute at Samford University. --30-- ********** Virginia Baptists Serve on Mission at Bluefield College BLUEFIELD, Va. (Bluefield College)--As part of its institutional mission and commitment to the Baptist General Association of Virginia, Bluefield College is dedicated to "service to God and the community." Students are often found serving on mission at home and abroad, participating in service projects to support the community, or leading ministry efforts in Virginia Baptist churches. This summer, however, the tables were turned when two Virginia Baptist mission teams came to Bluefield to give back to the college and its students through a missions project designed to complete much-needed renovations and improvements to BC facilities. Twenty-one members of Virginia Baptist churches from Greater Richmond, along with five other BC friends, spent two consecutive weeks in June on the Bluefield College campus on a mission to support their Virginia Baptist partner. "I do a lot of mission work as part of my ministry," said Rev. Todd Combee, pastor of New Bethesda Baptist Church. "I have served on the Board of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and I know how important Bluefield College is and how important it is for us (Virginia Baptists) to support the school." The Virginia Baptist missionaries represented Berea Baptist Church, Broadus Memorial Baptist Church, Cool Spring Baptist Church, Hillcrest Baptist Church, Mechanicsville Baptist Church, New Bethesda Baptist Church, Northside Baptist Church and Sharon Baptist Church, and included Rev. Combee (New Bethesda), Mike Adams (Cool Spring), Cecil Barrett (Mechanicsville), Kevin Blunt (Cool Spring), Berkeley Bullington (New Bethesda), Judy Burruss (Cool Spring), Lyn Folk (Northside), Beth Gryder (Cool Spring), Norris Gryder (Broadus Memorial), Charles Hall (New Bethesda), Tracey Jowers (Berea), Nancy Keeton (Sharon), Sam Loving (Mechanicsville), Bettie Mansini (Sharon), Edwin Morrison (New Bethesda), Jack Sarver (Cool Spring), Jean Sharp (Hillcrest), Cotton Sizemore (Mechanicsville), Fred Tipton (New Bethesda), Tommy West (New Bethesda), and Leroy Williams (New Bethesda). Other missionary friends working on behalf of BC included alumnus and trustee Tem Marshall from Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, and Beth Farley from First Baptist Church in Princeton, West Virginia, along with Grace Barrett from North Carolina and George Ossman and Sue Sherwood from Maryland. "I've never done a mission trip before," said Norris Gryder. "I've enjoyed it. It's a new experience, and it's great being around such a nice group of Christians." Burruss, on the other hand, was participating in her third consecutive mission trip to Bluefield. She started not long after she overcame a brain tumor, despite a diagnosis that she would live only about six more months. "I've been committed to missions ever since," said Burruss. "It's basically my way of saying 'thanks' to God for letting me live." The two groups constructed and painted a locker room for the school's new football team and completed renovations to a faculty house on campus. They also converted administrative offices into residential space to meet the growing demand for on-campus housing for students. "I like to fix things and work with my hands," said Adams, who added he discovered his talents through a spiritual gifts inventory exercise at Cool Spring. "I'm glad I have that gift, and this is a good opportunity to use it. When I found out about this project, I thought I could help and that it's got to benefit the school somewhere down the line." The mission teams also repainted and re-wallpapered the foyer in BC's Harman Chapel and installed new lighting and painted in hallways and stairwells of Rish Residence Hall, all for the sake of giving back to Bluefield College and to God. "The Lord has richly blessed me," said Hall. "I enjoy working with my hands and knowing that at the end of the day I have helped somebody." Spearheaded by Williams, a Bluefield College alumnus and longtime missions leader at New Bethesda, the annual summer mission project at BC began in 2009 when Williams organized a crew of more than 100 workers to renovate the school's dilapidated cottages into married-student housing. Since then, Williams, Barrett, Folk, Loving, Marshall and West have served four consecutive summers. The college recognized the symbolism of their four years of service to BC, like four years of study for a student, with the presentation of certificates of appreciation. "I cannot adequately express the profound appreciation I and the campus community have for Leroy Williams and the volunteers who assisted him," said Bluefield College president Dr. David Olive. "He has a servant's heart and is willing to do anything we ask of him and his team of volunteers. We are blessed by the improved facilities, and our faculty and students will enjoy the enhancements as they arrive in the fall." --30-- ********** Bluefield-Leland Pact Helps Harriett Roane Prove It's Never too Late to Earn Your Degree BLUEFIELD, Va. (Bluefield College)--Harriett Libby finished Middlesex High School in Saluda, Virginia, in 1960, married Howard Roane that September, and set her heart on finishing her education with a college degree. But, despite a calling to professional ministry, which would require a college degree, Roane passed on her dream, because "colleges were so far away" from her Urbanna, Virginia, home. Now 69 years of age and living just a few miles away in Glenns, Virginia, with the support of her husband and three grown daughters, Roane has finally earned that degree, a bachelor of science in management and leadership from Bluefield College in Bluefield, Virginia. Roane's studies were sidetracked many times through the years by the responsibility of not only raising a family, but also frequent treatment for bipolar disorder. "I'm well now," she said. "The doctor came up with the right medicines. The key is to let people know if (you) have an illness like that, that there is hope for getting an education. If (you) want it, (you) can't just give up. If it could happen for me, it could happen for (anybody)." The bachelor's degree, which Roane earned in December 2011 and wanted to get before she turned 70, is part of her complete plan to earn a master's degree in divinity in three years and finally be able to enter professional ministry. It's also a part of a plan between Bluefield College and The John Leland Center for Theological Studies. In fact, in the fall of 2010, Bluefield and Leland signed an articulation agreement that allows students who have an interest in Christian ministry greater access to the theological training they will need to fulfill that calling. A Christ-centered liberal arts college in Southwest Virginia, Bluefield College offers 20 undergraduate degrees, including Christian studies, but does not offer master's degrees. Located in Northern Virginia, Leland offers graduate degrees in theology, as well as a pre-baccalaureate Diploma Program in Biblical studies, but no bachelor's degree. "What Leland or Bluefield might not achieve alone," said BC's Dr. Robert Shippey, vice president for academic affairs, "we have determined to achieve together for the benefit of students like Harriett Roane and all Virginia Baptists." The pact between the two schools allows students to begin their academic preparation for Christian ministry with Leland, complete their bachelor's degree at Bluefield, and then continue with graduate study back at the seminary. In fact, when she earned her bachelor's degree from Bluefield College this past winter, Roane became the first ever student to complete the Leland-to-BC exchange. "I'm an achiever, and I wanted to get that degree," said Roane about earning her bachelor's degree from BC. "If you really want it bad enough to make the sacrifices," such as time away from the family while hitting the books, "you can get it at any age, if it is something you've desired all your life." Now enrolled in the master's program at Leland, Roane is just one chapter away from realizing her dream. In addition to her studies, she works full time painting, preparing exhibits and managing a Village Art Gallery. She also feeds her passion for ministry by participating in a group that provides study and worship services at local campgrounds. "We hope Harriett is the first of many to complete this program," said Dr. Shippey. "Those who are called into some form of professional ministry, like Harriett, need to benefit from quality theological education, and the Kingdom of Christ deserves informed spiritual leaders equipped with critical and creative thinking skills. This partnership between Bluefield and Leland helps achieve that goal." --30-- -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Turning a page in SBC history (& shedding tears of joy) By Rick Lance Jun. 25 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38132 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP) -- Tears welled up in my eyes when I stood applauding the election of Fred Luter as the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention. I was not alone in the demonstrative display of emotion. You could feel it in the atmosphere of the room. Few times have I experienced such a moment as that in a gathering of fellow SBC messengers at a convention meeting. Having grown up in Birmingham during the height of the civil rights era, I was so glad that we as Southern Baptists could come to the place where we could celebrate such a moment. There were times in the past when I saw progress in racial reconciliation, but there were never moments such as this one when we could come together and rejoice in the Lord over them. Thankfully, that high and holy moment came during this SBC meeting. At the National African American Fellowship meeting, I joined hundreds of others, Anglo and African American, in a worship service where Luter spoke so eloquently and poignantly about what brought him to this place of leadership at this strategic time in our history. Fred Luter has never preached a bad sermon -- at least I have never heard him do so. On this occasion, he was at his best. His message was vintage Fred Luter. He was humble but courageous. Fred told of being asked by a reporter why he wanted to be president. He answered "Why not?" Then he laid out three reasons for his willingness to serve. First, because of "the right Person." He was speaking of course of Jesus, our Lord, as being the right Person. Fred described how he sought the Lord in determining whether he should allow himself to be nominated. He and his wife prayed and fasted for a lengthy period before accepting the challenge. The second point of his message focused on "the right process." This was the process of waiting for the right time to serve. Years ago, Fred was approached about being nominated for the position, and he said, "The time is not right." Concerning this point, Fred Luter spoke so clearly about how change takes time and very few of us want to wait on it. "Waiting on the Lord" is a part of preparation for service, and Fred Luter knew that so well. Now, his time had come. As Fred transitioned to his third point which focused on "the right promises," the crowd was reaching a crescendo of emotion. Many were standing and clapping. Everyone in that room, Anglo or African-American, stood on the same promises: the promises of God! We all were applauding and praising the Lord for His precious promises. In electing Fred Luter as our new president, Southern Baptists were electing one of our own and one of our best. I remember well when Fred preached last year at our state convention. He was not feeling well, and yet he told me that he had to travel back to New Orleans during the night to be present for an associational meeting the next morning. This is a strong indication of what kind of leader we have in our new president. Fred Luter understands Baptist life on all levels. He has served his church, Franklin Avenue Baptist, so well during the past 25 years, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He is involved in his local association and state convention in vital ways. He is an example of commitment to missions at every point of Baptist life. He knows Southern Baptists well. I left this convention meeting feeling like we have made some positive history. We now can turn not just a page in our history but begin a whole new chapter. We need to pray for our new president as he leads us. As is always the case, pressures will mount upon him, and the secular world will put him to test in ways no other president has been tested in the recent past. However, I believe in Fred Luter, and I know that with the Lord's help he is up to the task. As a young boy growing up, I often heard the tired-old saying, "Big boys don't cry." I am glad that trite expression is so wrong, because when my friend and brother Fred Luter was elected as our president, I shed a few tears. I couldn't help it. It was indeed a high and holy moment for us all and I am glad I lived to see it. --30-- Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. This column first appeared on his blog at RickLance.com. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/Baptist Press) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- 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