Keith Collier

NASHVILLE (BP) -- In response to a study released by the Pew Research Hispanic Center, three Southern Baptist Hispanic leaders see a growing need for churches to consider the diversity among Hispanic populations as they reach out to those in their communities. [QUOTE@left@180="It takes a variety of approaches to reach ... within the Hispanic population."
-- Daniel Sanchez]The study examines the diverse countries of origin found among the nearly 52 million Hispanics living in the United States. Taking figures from 2011, the study notes [QUOTE@right@180="We use the word familia -- familia crosses the borders with everyone."
-- Fermin Whittaker]more than 20 Spanish-speaking nations are represented by the U.S. Latino population and focuses on the 14 largest Hispanic-origin groups. [QUOTE@left@180="Perhaps begin a Bible study at the church or a Sunday School class and then build from there."
-- Elias Bracamonte]According to the research, "nearly two-thirds (64.6 percent) of U.S. Hispanics, or 33.5 million, traced their family origins to Mexico." The next-largest group, Puerto Ricans, made up 9.5 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population. Following these were Salvadorans, Cubans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Spaniards, Hondurans, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Argentineans. Daniel Sanchez, professor of missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, said the explosive growth of the Hispanic population provides churches with great opportunities for ministry and evangelism because "Hispanics also are responding more to the Gospel than ever before." In response to the Pew study, released June 19, Sanchez said country of origin can influence Gospel receptivity among Hispanics. "If you take some of the Central American countries, like Guatemala, almost one-third of the population of Guatemala is evangelical now," Sanchez said, adding that Puerto Rico also is almost one-third evangelical. "So when they come to the States, they already have an evangelical orientation, and some of them are being instrumental in forming congregations," Sanchez said. "One can expect a higher degree of receptivity and that they've had more contact with evangelicals even if they are not evangelicals themselves.

HOUSTON (BP) -- Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter brought a rousing close to the first night of the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference, with an encouraging message for discouraged pastors.

Southwestern continues to offer innovative solutions for equipping pastors, missionaries, and ministers to preach the Word and reach the world.

WEST, Texas (BP) -- Less than 24 hours after a fertilizer plant exploded in the central Texas town of West, fire chaplain John Babler arrived on the scene and helped emergency crews remove the remains of fallen first responders from the blast zone. A week later, as co-incident commander for the Texas Line of Duty Death (LODD) Task Force, Babler introduced President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama to the families of the 12 fallen firefighters and EMS workers following the April 25 memorial service at Baylor University's Ferrell Center. "When the president arrived, there were three of us who met him and welcomed him on behalf of the task force," said Babler, who also is associate professor of counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. "He and Mrs. Obama were very compassionate and thankful for what we had done." Following the memorial service, the president and first lady spent an hour during which they met with each family individually. "Both he and Mrs. Obama went group to group introducing themselves, talking with each person," Babler said. "I had the opportunity to walk through with them. In addition to his remarks during the program being very appropriate and very helpful and encouraging to the families, that time with them alone after, I know, was very encouraging to them." In the wake of the April 17 tragedy that made national news, Babler experienced long hours, little sleep and emotional exhaustion. Still, he and his colleagues embraced the difficult assignment in front of them. "My primary role the night [after the blast] was to go into the hot zone and represent the families as a chaplain and make sure that their loved ones were handled with dignity as they were placed in the funeral home van and honor guard members draped them with a U.S. flag," Babler said. Babler's responsibilities in the week following the explosion included planning the joint memorial service, providing honor guard and chaplaincy support for the families as well as firefighters and EMS workers, and giving support to the individual funerals. "Since we found out that President Obama would be attending the service," Babler said, "much of my time was spent in planning meetings with White House staff, Secret Service, Baylor University and others as we developed and coordinated the memorial service." Babler said his goal was to "honor the fallen while making sure that the fallen were the focus of and were truly honored by the service and that the families, firefighters and EMS workers were the VIPs of the service." Thousands of friends, family and community members attended the memorial service, which featured remarks from Obama, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Baylor President Ken Starr and others. Even though the memorial service is over, Babler's work is not complete. With a large number of chaplains on the LODD team, which is a branch of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, they are continuing to counsel families and firefighters in the wake of tragic deaths. They spend an average of three years caring for a family and one year caring for a department.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Trustees agreed in principle to cease the tenure program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during their April 3 meeting at the Fort Worth campus.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's trustees have approved an online master of theological studies (MTS) degree to begin this summer.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary commissioned a new class of graduates, including two of its own professors, by awarding degrees to 197 students Dec. 14 — 13 undergraduate degrees, 156 master’s degrees and 32 doctoral degrees. Terri Stovall, dean of women’s programs and associate professor of women’s ministries, walked across the […]

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Whether young or old, conservative or liberal, inside or outside the church, everybody loves the Sermon on the Mount, New Testament professor Terry Wilder said at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s annual Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop. No section of Scripture has been cited more than the Sermon on the Mount, Wilder […]

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Whether young or old, conservative or liberal, inside or outside the church, everybody loves the Sermon on the Mount, New Testament professor Terry Wilder said at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s annual Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop. No section of Scripture has been cited more than the Sermon on the Mount, Wilder […]

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — A festschrift, or academic volume, in honor of Paige Patterson on evangelical Anabaptists of the 16th century is slated for publication in October 2013, according to a mid-October announcement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where Patterson is president. “One of Dr. Patterson’s great passions over the past, and I hope […]