Shawn Hendricks

NASHVILLE (BP) -- In an open letter, Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd, along with the support and signatures of 16 former SBC presidents, called on President Obama to "take the necessary actions now" against ISIS terrorists.

PHOENIX (BP) -- While thousands of sports fans descend on the Phoenix area this week, Southern Baptists look to make the most of ministry opportunities as the city hosts the Super Bowl and Phoenix Open. More than 200,000 are expected this week to watch Tiger Woods play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which began yesterday (Jan. 29) and will wrap up on Sunday. Then more than 60,000 people will pack University of Phoenix Stadium -- along with thousands of other fans and media gathered throughout the area -- for the Super Bowl. Thousands of football fans also were on hand at the stadium for the Pro Bowl on Jan. 25.

PHOENIX (BP) -- Going into Sunday's Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots, Sherman Smith shared how victory on the football field without Jesus Christ would be, for him, a "serious waste of time." "I'll never forget when I got drafted in [1976], my father told me, 'Son, remember this, playing professional football is how you make your living but it's not your life because it's gonna end. You're gonna stop playing one day and life will continue.' I never forgot that," the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks said.

PHOENIX (BP) -- At Fair Trade Cafe in downtown Phoenix, where Super Bowl excitement continues to build, the big game seemed to be the last thing on Jim Helman's mind. Customers sipped their espressos and chatted at the popular coffee shop earlier this week while Helman and a few fellow Christians had something else brewing just outside in the open courtyard. ...

PHOENIX (BP) -- The New England Patriots looked all business as they stepped off the airplane in Phoenix for this weekend's Super Bowl. Sports commentators noted there weren't many smiles coming from a team dogged in recent days by allegations involving under-inflated footballs in their AFC title victory Jan. 18 against the Indianapolis Colts.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Foundation has given a gift of $44,126.10 to support missions and ministry through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget. Warren Peek, president of the foundation, said the SBF's board of trustees made the decision in their November board meeting to give a portion of the foundation's net profit to Southern Baptist causes.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Remembered by many for her tough-talking, missions-focused rappin' grandma character in numerous promotional videos for the International Mission Board, those who worked closely with Eloise Dieker also recall her servant heart. Dieker, an IMB staff member for 44 years, died Nov. 11 at age 87. During her stint with the video segment "Words from Eloise" in the late '90s to mid-2000s, Dieker's character was part of "The Task" video series that promoted missions among thousands of high school and college students.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Reggie Quimby thought he and his fellow mission team members were safe. In the company of local guides and a caravan of vehicles, they traveled at night on a rural road in Guatemala. While there was some risk involved with this particular road after sunset, Quimby believed the odds of something bad happening were too small.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Baptists must let their voices be heard, said Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- The Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists' Hall of Faith – honoring 36 evangelists who "fought the fight" and "kept the faith" -- has relocated to Nashville.