News

Church planting takes center stage in 2010 state missions offering emphasis
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 9, 2010

It's no surprise to Georgia Baptists that the Peach State's culture has changed radically in the past 50 years. Since the fall of Vietnam and the massive influx of refugees from South Asia, America has, more than ever before, become a nation of immigrants.

Bringing Koreans to Christ in LaGrange
By Sherri Brown, Special Assignment Reporter
Published September 9, 2010

James Yu didn't exactly question God, but he certainly wondered what He had in mind.

Kentucky pastor Kevin Ezell is NAMB presidential nominee
Trustees to vote on nominee on Sept. 14
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 9, 2010

North American Mission Board trustees will gather in a special called meeting on Sept. 14 to vote on Kentucky pastor Kevin Ezell as president of the missions agency.

Highview Baptist Church in a nutshell
Published September 9, 2010

Joe Donahue: transforming tragedy into triumph
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2010

Summer intern Elizabeth Coe describes Joe Donahue as an energetic, enthusiastic minister who loves to teach the Bible and is an example of authentic Christianity.

The storm's devastation, the faithful's determination
Five years after Katrina
By Karen L. Willoughby
Published September 9, 2010

Five years have passed since Hurricane Katrina hurtled its way across southeastern Louisiana and the rest of the central Gulf Coast.

Wright urges churches to up Lottie Moon goals
Published September 9, 2010

Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright is challenging individual churches around the convention to set record goals for this year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Future of destroyed Ground Zero Orthodox church in doubt
By Nicole Neroulias, c. 2010 Religion News Service
Published September 9, 2010

Buried by falling rubble from the World Trade Center towers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, all that remained of the tiny St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church were some candles, two icons, and a bell clapper.

Made over
In a bold move, Statesboro congregation flips a hotel
By Scott Barkley, Production Editor
Published September 9, 2010

The Biltmore Hotel has a dubious past. It did little for the community. Crime made a home there.

IMB explores evangelism with international mission groups
Published September 9, 2010

"We thought this would take years to develop, this concept of the internationalization of missions," said Gordon Fort, vice president of the International Mission Board's office of global strategy.

Georgia Baptists need to think of 'Others'
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2010

San Francisco is a fascinating city known for it's cultural diversity, cable cars, bay bridges, museums, the Tansamerica Pyramid, Alcatraz, Little Italy, Chinatown, Lombard Street, Haight Asbury, and Tony Bennett's "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Ezell's heart beats for church planting, adoption
By Mike Ebert
Published September 9, 2010

When Kevin Ezell invited Buff and Cissy McNickle on stage at the 2010 SBC Pastors' Conference in Orlando with newborn son Jedidiah, it became an emotional highlight of the two-day event.

Actor talks on speaking for Screwtape
By Mary Jacobs, c. 2010 Religion News Service
Published September 9, 2010

In the theatrical adaptation of C.S. Lewis' novel, "The Screwtape Letters," now playing at New York's Westside Theater, actor Max McLean brings one of Satan's top demons, Screwtape, to life.

A new approach to missions support
Published September 3, 2010

Kevin Ezell's church - with multiple campuses in two states - has a complicated missions giving profile.

A detailed look at Highview's 2010 missions objectives
Published September 3, 2010

In addition to its Cooperative Program giving through the Kentucky and Indiana state conventions, Highview lists the following information detailing its missions giving for 2010.

Georgia NewsBriefs

Georgia Baptist Convention Annual Report Listing
Published September 9, 2010

Lists of ordained ministers who are not serving in the pastorate at the present time and full-time evangelists in fellowship with a church in cooperation with the Georgia Baptist Convention will be published in the 2010 Georgia Baptist Convention Annual Report.

Resolutions guidelines for 2010 Georgia Baptist Convention released
Published September 9, 2010

The 2010 annual meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention will be held at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany on November 15-16

Baptist News Summary

Vegas minister Pitman points Pastors' Conference to unreached
Published September 9, 2010

Vance Pitman believes the next Great Awakening in America will rise from the West with church planting at the epicenter of the movement, and he hopes the 2011 SBC Pastors' Conference in Phoenix will serve as a catalyst.

SBC pastor shot, killed by officer
Published September 9, 2010

A police officer doing a prowl check outside a business in Spokane Valley, Wash., Aug. 25 shot and killed the owner - a Southern Baptist pastor - who apparently also was checking for suspicious activity.

Southern Baptist hunger fund helping desperate Pakistani families
Published September 9, 2010

About 600 families in Pakistan's Sindh province are receiving desperately needed food supplies, thanks to the generosity of Christians who have donated to the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund.

Former program director at Baptist retreat center wins GOP House runoff
Published September 9, 2010

A political newcomer and former Southern Baptist leader continued to surprise the political world Aug. 24 by winning the runoff in a congressional Republican primary to advance to the general election, where he will be the favorite to win a seat in the U.S. House.

N.C., Arkansas job corps sites recognized
Published September 9, 2010

Christian Women's Job Corps of Gaston County in Gastonia, N.C., and Fort Smith Christian Women's Job Corps in Fort Smith, Ark., will be able to expand their ministry and continue to reach out to women in need through awards granted by the Woman's Missionary Union Foundation.

South Asian church wins VBS photo contest out of 144 submissions
Published September 9, 2010

A church in Taiwan submitted the winning photo in this year's Facts & Trends Vacation Bible School photo contest.

Names in the News
Published September 9, 2010

Monks sue for the right to build and sell caskets
By Ramon Antonio Vargas, c. 2010 Religion News Service
Published September 9, 2010

When St. Joseph Abbey decided to open a woodshop on All Saints Day 2007 to sell handcrafted caskets to the public, the hope was that the sales would pay for the medical and educational needs of the abbey's 36 Benedictine monks.

Religious NewsBriefs

Woman in group procession arrested for carrying Torah near Western Wall
Published September 9, 2010

An Israeli feminist was arrested July 12 when she carried a Torah scroll at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism.

Princeton Review names most, least religious campuses in annual report
Published September 9, 2010

Brigham Young University was named the nation's most religious campus, and Sarah Lawrence College the least religious, in new rankings released Aug. 3.

International aid group 'wants to stay' in Afghanistan despite killings
Published September 9, 2010

The International Assistance Mission has rejected Taliban claims that 10 staffers from the Christian aid agency who were killed in Afghanistan had been trying to convert Muslims.

France Gypsy deportation draws ire
Published September 9, 2010

In an apparent criticism of France's mass deportation of Roma (Gypsy) immigrants, Pope Benedict XVI on Aug. 22 urged French-speaking Catholics to "accept legitimate human diversity" and practice "universal fraternity."

People and Places

Obituaries
Published September 9, 2010

Honors
Published September 9, 2010

Ordinations
Published September 9, 2010

Ministerial Moves
Published September 9, 2010

Cooperative Program Stories

Planting a church within a church at Clairmont Baptist, Atlanta
By Barbara Curnutt, Executive Director - Treasurer, Georgia WMU
Published September 9, 2010

Clairmont Baptist Church sits nestled among the trees beside the bustling traffic of Clairmont Road on the outskirts of Atlanta. Just an ordinary Baptist church, one might think, but there is something unique and creative going on at Clairmont that isn't visible at first glance.

Bible Study

To Love and to Cherish
By David E. Owen, pastor, Piney Grove Baptist Church, Acworth
Published September 9, 2010

Job 40:1-9; Rom. 8:18-21, 28-30, 35-39
Bible Studies for Life, Sep 19

The Case For God's Involvement
By David E. Owen, pastor, Piney Grove Baptist Church, Acworth
Published September 9, 2010

Dt. 8:2-5; Ps. 139:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11
Bible Studies for Life, Sep 26

Columns

Don't forget Judea
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2010

In 1992 when I was pastor of Peachtree Corners Baptist Church in Norcross I took a group of our people on a short-term mission trip to the Ukraine in the former Soviet Union. We ministered in the capital city of Kiev and in the town of Jagotin (Yahotyn). It was an incredible experience.

Rebecca Hagelin: Saving your family from music porn
Published September 9, 2010

Nearly every 12 year-old knows Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director GBC
Published September 9, 2010

In a recent staff meeting, I asked our staff to report on their summer activities. They brought outstanding reports of strong growth among the various ministries of our convention. I am going to share some of the remarks with you because I think you will find these reports very encouraging.

Smart, achievable goals lead to student success
By Jim Daly, Juli Slattery
Published September 9, 2010