News Articles by Shawn Hendricks/Biblical Recorder

EDITOR’S NOTE: In addition to this overview story by the Biblical Recorder of the proposed strategy and reorganization of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, today’s From the States includes a story by the state convention’s communications office providing an added look at the proposed strategy. CARY, N.C. (BP) — The Baptist State Convention […]

PLEASANT GARDEN, N.C. (BP) — Speaking to a group of mostly African-American pastors and church leaders, Fred Luter recently voiced both encouragement and concerns regarding a few issues Southern Baptists face today. Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), spoke at a breakfast that […]

PLEASANT GARDEN, N.C. (BP) -- Nabeel's life used to be all about showing others he was "an ambassador for Islam." The grandson of Muslim missionaries, Nabeel loved to argue in defense of his religion. And then he unexpectedly befriended a Christian who helped lead him to faith in Jesus. Nabeel shared his story during the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina's evangelism conference at Pleasant Garden (N.C.) Baptist Church. The conference theme was "Culture Reach: Understanding, Loving and Relating to Muslims." [QUOTE@right@140="Every time we moved into a house anywhere in the Muslim world all our neighbors came and helped." -- Zane Pratt]Also among the speakers were various Christian leaders, educators and mission workers, including Zane Pratt, Mike Licona, Alex McFarland and Fred Luter. "When I became a believer," Nabeel recounted at the Feb. 25 conference, "I had to give up a lot -- my family, my friends, the direction I was going in life. "And when you have to stand in the face of that, you're not going to give up your faith on a whim.... It means something to you." For a Muslim, "your religion is part of your identity," Nabeel added. "To leave Islam is to not just leave what you have believed, but to leave all of the people you know." Nabeel continues to pray for his family and hopes they will one day put their trust in Jesus. "Our job is to share the love of Christ -- period," he said. "That's our calling. Individually in our lives we should portray unadulterated, unabashed love for every Muslim we come across." Zane Pratt, who worked with the International Mission Board in central Asia for about 20 years, acknowledged the reality of persecution of Christians in many parts of the world. But, he noted, there are many misconceptions about Islam.

PLEASANT GARDEN, N.C. (BP) — Community and family are everything to a Muslim. Most Muslims “would rather go to hell with their families than go by themselves to heaven,” said Nik Ripken*, who has served for 25 years alongside his wife Ruth* in North Africa and the Middle East. Ripken, author of a new book […]

HIGH POINT, N.C. (BP) -- Sandra Johnson refuses to turn her back on the problem. And she believes other Baptists shouldn't either.       For Johnson, a North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionary based in North Carolina, the issue of human trafficking is personal, and it's a problem that is right in our "own backyard."

CARY, N.C. (BP) -- As debate swirls over comments made by Chick-fil-A's president, the Biblical Recorder's editor described many media reports of his conversation with the company's president as "distorted."

[QUOTE@right@180="It's very different than we thought our lives would look like, but we don't doubt that this is what God had planned."]CENTRAL ASIA (BP) -- Jane was in the middle of explaining how God had called her family to one of the toughest areas in Central Asia when the Skype connection went dead.

REIDSVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- Shirley Gunn learned to live by some simple rules during her nearly 35 years as a missionary in Nigeria -- spend time with and love others, hold tight to the Word of God, and keep your eyes open when praying with strangers.