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SBC DIGEST: Report shows Christian colleges partnering with Planned Parenthood; Sunday School specialist Bob Mayfield dies


Report identifies 25 Christian schools partnering with Planned Parenthood

By Scott Barkley

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BP) – A national pro-life student organization has released a report claiming that “about a hundred” Christian colleges and universities have or recently had partnerships with Planned Parenthood.

Students for Life of America (SFLA), which describes itself as the nation’s largest pro-life youth organization, presented the first installment of its findings March 3. In that report it named 25 Christian schools affiliated across several denominations that have ties to Planned Parenthood. No Southern Baptist colleges or universities were named.

Since the report’s release, two of the schools – Messiah College and St. Francis University, both in Pennsylvania – have severed ties to Planned Parenthood.

“There is an unholy partnership between a number of Christian schools and the abortion industry,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of SFLA. “We want to equip pro-life advocates to take action and encourage schools to disentangle themselves from Big Abortion. It is crucial that colleges and universities that claim an affiliation with the Christian faith and Biblical values do not contradict those values by partnering with or promoting perpetrators of abortion violence.”

The most common connections to Planned Parenthood include advertising internships and career opportunities, referring students to the organization and allowing the abortion provider to co-host student events.

In total, SFLA stated it has investigated some 700 Christian colleges and universities regarding potential ties to Planned Parenthood. The group has said it will issue a full report later this year.


Bob Mayfield, Oklahoma Baptist ministry leader, dies

By Brian Hobbs/Baptist Messenger

EDMOND, Okla. (BP) — Bob Mayfield, longtime ministry leader for Oklahoma Baptists, died March 4 after a protracted battle with cancer.

Funeral service will be Friday, March 12, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Edmond, Okla.

Prior to joining Oklahoma Baptists’ staff in 2005, Mayfield served in a similar position at the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention. He also served as minister of education at churches in Texas and Arizona, and as an interim minister of education at churches in Arizona and Oklahoma.

He holds a degree from Texas Tech University and a master of arts degree in religious education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mayfield was a frequent speaker at Lifeway Sunday School events and managed a wide array of online training websites. He was author of two books – Missional Pivot Points and The 5 C’s of a Missional Group.

Among his many ministry accomplishments while serving in Oklahoma, God used Mayfield to lead a multi-year initiative in Oklahoma and beyond called ReConnect Sunday School, which enabled churches across Oklahoma to revitalize Sunday School and small group ministry in the local church.

“Bob was a faithful servant,” said Hance Dilbeck, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists. “His leadership and passion for the Lord showed in many areas of life and ministry, including Sunday School, small groups ministry and evangelism. His ministry through the years has reached countless people, and because of his ministry, many people have come to know the Lord. Please be in prayer for his wife, Tracy, and their two grown children, Mary Kathryn and Zachary.”

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