News

Comments by Draper generate variety of responses from Georgia pastors
Is the frog really in the kettle?
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor; Additional reporting provided by Index writers Scott Barkley and Thailan Pham
Published July 15, 2004

Is the Southern Baptist Convention on the slippery slope of denominational decline? Are its brightest days just around the corner or are they slowly receding in the rear view mirror?

Georgia IMB missionary family reaching, teaching Nigerians to plant churches
By Sue Sprenkle, International Mission Board
Published July 15, 2004

Kneeling in a dark, damp, one-roomed school, three men prayed, asking God to send someone to start a church in their town.

SBC reactions abound to Draper's column on baptisms
By Art Toalston & Erin Curry, Chris Turner contributed to this article
Published July 15, 2004

Describing the Southern Baptist Convention as “a frog in the kettle,” Jimmy Draper hit a nerve.

Fighting terror with guns and grace
By Gerald Harris, Editor
Published July 15, 2004

Richard Compton, representing Southern Baptist military chaplains, spoke to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis on June 15.

Norcross First Baptist celebrates 80th consecutive Vacation Bible School
Held first school in 1924
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published July 15, 2004

My, how time flies. That was the sentiment expressed by three of Georgia Baptists’ oldest Vacation Bible School attendees as they helped Norcross First Baptist Church celebrate 80 continuous years of VBS.

Georgia Revival Update
Published July 15, 2004

Draper's column regarding convention's future, plus Georgia Baptist's and SBC's reactions
Published July 15, 2004

Georgia NewsBriefs

Jessica Duncan, Thailan Pham join Index as summer interns
Published July 15, 2004

Jessica Duncan and Thailan Pham are serving as summer interns with The Christian Index.

Religious NewsBriefs

Confidence in organized religion inches back up
Published July 15, 2004

Atheist group sues over faith-based initiative
Published July 15, 2004

Biblical bobbleheads make minor league debut
Published July 15, 2004

Evangelicals consider proper role in politics
Published July 15, 2004

Update: Employee files suit over removal of cross in of Los Angeles County seal
Published July 15, 2004

People and Places

Anniversaries
Published July 15, 2004

Groundbreakings
Published July 15, 2004

Honors
Published July 15, 2004

Ordinations
Published July 15, 2004

Birthdays
Published July 15, 2004

Obituaries
Published July 15, 2004

Ministerial Moves
Published July 15, 2004

Dedications
Published July 15, 2004

Revivals
Published July 15, 2004

Cooperative Program Stories

Georgia youth help build relationships with Utah teens
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published July 15, 2004

The little white church sits at the edge of town, surrounded by the towering mountain range. In the front driveway, about 20 teenagers sit around tables eating hamburgers and potato chips, talking about school, music, skateboards and God.

Bible Study

Encouraged by Faithful Hope
By Jerry Smith, Pastor, First Baptist McDonough
Published July 15, 2004

Many find it hard to believe that God is in control of our world in light of worldwide and national events. The cowardly acts of 9/11, the brutality in Iraq, the disastrous mudslides/flooding in Haiti, the selfish greed of corporations like Enron and WorldCom, and the perverted abductions of children like Elizabeth Smart all make even the most dedicated believer wonder why God allows such things to happen. And some would even admit to a loss of hope in the power of God.

Know Jesus
By Jerry Smith, Pastor, First Baptist McDonough
Published July 15, 2004

Robert Hanssen betrayed his country by spying for the Russians. His clandestine career netted him nearly 1.4 million dollars. After evaluating Hanssen, psychiatrist David Charney concluded that Hanssen’s materialistic hunger was fed by a desire to prove to his wife that he was not a failure. Charney commented: “Bonnie [wife] was the one person who brought life into his life.

Columns

CBF does not spell SBC
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published July 15, 2004

The recent gathering of the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis marked the 25th anniversary of what has been called the “conservative resurgence.” One of the architects of the resurgence wrote: “Conservatives worked together because we believed that the restoration of the Southern Baptist Convention to a position of standing upon the complete trustworthiness of God’s Word was a hill on which to die.”

Is the SBC a frog in the kettle?
By James T. Draper Jr., President of LifeWay Christian Resources
Published July 15, 2004

One way to boil a frog is to put it in a kettle with lukewarm water and slowly turn up the heat. The frog doesn’t really sense the changing temperature and before the frog knows it’s too late, well, it’s too late.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director GBC
Published July 15, 2004

If everyone had in-laws like the in-laws I have been blessed with over the years, there would never have been “in-law jokes.”

Constant togetherness can challenge a relationship
By James Dobson
Published July 15, 2004