New mission statement adopted by Southern Seminary trustees
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–Trustees of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary unanimously adopted a new mission statement and heard an upbeat report from the seminary’s president, R. Albert Mohler Jr., during their biannual meeting Oct. 11-12 at the Louisville, Ky., campus. “My greatest purpose with you today is to submit for your consideration a new mission statement for […]
Concert, buoyed by miracles, helps 125 find Christ in Russia
PENZA, Russia (BP)–Springtime is worth singing about, especially when winter breaks in the cold climes of Eastern Europe. So when Christian friends of Southern Baptist missionary Jane Carole Meredith got the idea for an outdoor concert in their Russian neighborhood, she was all for it. It didn’t matter that Penza city officials initially denied permission […]
Imprisoned pastor finds cell no barrier to gospel
VIENTIANE, Laos (BP)–More than 20 years after the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party ousted a pro-American regime in Laos, spiritual warfare still rages. In March, 13 Laotian Christians were sentenced to prison terms and three Americans were expelled from the country for participating in Bible studies. One Laotian preacher spent six months in a tiny […]
IMB missions history now an ‘electronic reality’
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–Helen Falls wanted to be a missionary, but World War II prevented her service. On the same day she received a letter from the International Mission Board declining her application, she also got a letter from the Baptist State Convention of Maryland, which read, “‘In the event the overseas missions door closes to […]
Prayer helps quell unrest among frustrated travelers
LONDON (BP)–As the world raged around them, a group of Southern Baptists found peace through prayer — and it was contagious. More than 225 passengers staged a small riot, yelling out “boos” and slamming their luggage against walls and equipment in London’s Heathrow airport after being told their flight to Africa would be delayed for […]
World missions conference helps 2 teens find Christ
ASHLAND, Ky. (BP)–Bob Bartram dropped a couple of “Four Spiritual Laws” tracts into his shirt pocket. “At the time, I wasn’t sure why,” said the pastor of Liberty Missionary Baptist Church, Ashland, Ky.Bartram headed to church and helped set up a display of international flags for a world missions conference scheduled for the next day.During […]
More Than Pocket Change
Tucked in a mountain valley in northeast Tennessee is the town of Erwin. There's a certain romance about living in Erwin, near the edge of Cherokee National Forest's pristine grandeur. There are certain restrictions, too. Like being landlocked by federal property and the town next door. When Mike Womack arrived in Erwin in 1982 as […]
10/2/97 Baptist missionary couple help Hondurans see Jesus
OLANCHITO, Honduras (BP)–Cloaked in leafy shadows, two followers of a famous martyr meet comrades-in-arms deep in the rain forest. A swinging footbridge bounces dangerously underfoot as they lug equipment across a gorge to a waiting team of pack animals. On this muggy August evening, the squad of Americans and Hondurans has a re-education mission in […]
Christ’s “Storm Troopers” Carry On Despite Hardship, Satan’s Attack
Wear a flashy sport coat to church next Sunday, something in a polyester plaid, and prepare to be called an evangelist. Maybe this stereotype began with John the Baptist and his coat of camel hair. Or maybe with George Blaurock, an Anabaptist and reformer whose last name means blue coat. Southern Baptist evangelists don't much resemble John the Baptist or George Blaurock. Nor do they mimic all their habits. But evangelists' hardships are as timeless as their message. They may eat honey, but they don't eat locusts. And none of them break the ice on frozen rivers for baptismal services, as Blaurock did.
