Archive Issue

News

Somber anniversary
One year after the ACLU filed suit to remove the Ten Commandments from the Barrow County Courthouse, Georgia churches are still committed to the battle
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published August 26, 2004

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. The sound of a hammer driving a nail into a wall in the Barrow County Courthouse may have been overlooked by many on a weekday afternoon 18 months ago, but its echo may reverberate all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

The man behind the hammer and the nail
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published August 26, 2004

Barrow County Commissioner Bill Brown didn’t think too much of the firestorm he was about to set off when he placed the Ten Commandments on a wall in a breezeway in the county courthouse.

America’s Founding Fathers valued Christianity
Published August 26, 2004

While some revisionists try to portray the nation’s Founding Fathers as being nominally Christian, Hice says the historical record paints a different picture.

Georgia Revival Update
Published August 26, 2004

Lake Tahoe
BSU summer missionaries introduce children to the spirit of Christ
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published August 26, 2004

Barrett Fantozzi knew she had made a difference in a child’s life when she overheard the kindergarten student telling his parents that he wanted to attend church next Sunday. His mother honored his request and when the day rolled around, there they stood as first-time visitors at First Baptist Church.

If you build it ... for youth will they come?
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 26, 2004

Recently, a Newsweek poll indicated that 78 percent of teenagers said religion is important, and many gladly identified themselves as “spiritual,” though few wanted to be labeled “religious.” George Barna, the Christian pollster, has observed that two out of three teens strongly desire a personal relationship with God.

Ten Commandments
Published August 26, 2004

This week's coverage of the Ten Commandments

Georgia NewsBriefs

Chandler joins Music Ministries
Published August 26, 2004

Keith Chandler has accepted the position of music and worship consultant with the Georgia Baptist Convention. Chandler previously served for 16 years as minister of music at First Baptist Church in Lithia Springs.

Georgia disaster relief teams minister in wake of Hurricane Charley devastation in Florida
Published August 26, 2004

In response to the destruction brought on by Hurricane Charley throughout Florida, Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Units joined other Southern Baptist disaster relief groups to bring aid to the region.

Baptist News Summary

NOBTS’ Oxford Study Program spans notable lectures & historical sites
Published August 26, 2004

Looking to provide educational opportunities outside of the regular classroom setting, a group from New Orleans Seminary attended the 2004 Wycliffe Hall Summer School on the campus of Oxford University in conjunction with a new initiative – the NOBTS Oxford Study Program.

Christian Family Weekend: an oasis amid culture attacks on family
Published August 26, 2004

Families were provided an escape from the daily routine of life recently at Christian Family Weekend, an event held July 23-26 at LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, N.M.

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit links up with NOBTS archaeological center
Published August 26, 2004

The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile, Ala., has been selected by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) to host the traveling Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit Jan. 20 to April 24, 2005. With assistance from New Orleans Seminary, the Exploreum will display 12 authentic Dead Sea scrolls on loan from the IAA.

Fall Festival of Marriage proves to strengthen relationship in marriages
Published August 26, 2004

Five years ago Blackwelder Park Baptist Church here began giving Fall Festival of Marriage scholarships as wedding gifts to strengthen marriages in the congregation.

Seminary Extension reports successful academic reviews
Published August 26, 2004

Seminary Extension has passed its on-site course evaluation by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service, according to a report by Bill Vinson, director of the Southern Baptist entity based in Nashville, Tenn.

Religious NewsBriefs

Diverse religious groups unite behind aid for Sudan in Save Darfur Coalition
Published August 26, 2004

An unusually broad coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Catholic and evangelical groups has come together to urge intervention by the United States and the United Nations in war-torn Sudan.

Abortion hot line ordered closed by judge
Published August 26, 2004

Although Causeway Center for Women calls itself an abortion referral service in the Yellow Pages, a federal judge ruled Aug. 4 it was nothing but a guise to stop women from seeking the procedure and ordered the phone line shut down.

Baptist World Alliance re-elects Lotz as general secretary to five-year term
Published August 26, 2004

The Baptist World Alliance has re-elected its general secretary, Denton Lotz, to another five-year term.

GOP taps former Christian music leader for convention entertainment
Published August 26, 2004

The Republican National Committee has hired the former head of the Gospel Music Association to oversee entertainment during the party’s upcoming convention in New York City, The New York Times reported.

Diverse religious groups unite behind aid for Sudan in Save Darfur Coalition
Published August 26, 2004

An unusually broad coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Catholic and evangelical groups has come together to urge intervention by the United States and the United Nations in war-torn Sudan.

People and Places

Anniversaries
Published August 26, 2004

Obituaries
Published August 26, 2004

Groundbreakings
Published August 26, 2004

Ordinations
Published August 26, 2004

Homecomings
Published August 26, 2004

Ministerial Moves
Published August 26, 2004

Cooperative Program Stories

Super "Wows" students with missions and evangelism
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published August 26, 2004

SuperWow once again “wowed” thousands of Georgia Baptist students, challenging them to embrace the characteristics of God.

Bible Study

Desiring to Know God Better
By Bill Harrell, Abilene Baptist Church, Martinez
Published August 26, 2004

In the late eighties George Barna told us in one of his insightful reports that the nineties would be a time of spiritual revival in America. Of course, everyone was excited and desirous of being a part of this much-needed revival. The mistake that we Christian pastors and laypeople made was that we automatically assumed the revival Barna was talking about would be a Christian one.

Responding to God’s Holiness
By Bill Harrell, Abilene Baptist Church, Martinez
Published August 26, 2004

During the ministry of Isaiah, who is the most noted of all the writing prophets, a great deal of time is spent warning Israel about the coming judgment of God due to their sinfulness. Isaiah is also noted for his emphasis on the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ. He tells us, in very majestic language, who Jesus is and about His redemptive work.

Columns

The unheeded terror alert
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 26, 2004

The security measures employed to safeguard the city of Boston for the Democratic National Convention cost taxpayers almost $40 million. Keeping the delegates to the DNC safe was of utmost importance.

The need for both frogs & tadpoles
By James T. Draper Jr., president of Lifeway Christian Resources
Published August 26, 2004

New York Giants owner Wellington Mara claims Jesus’ parable of the pearl of great price inspired him to part with several draft choices and a load of cash in order to draft rookie quarterback Eli Manning. Then, he signed two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner, who will both compete for the starting quarterback job and serve as Manning’s mentor.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published August 26, 2004

As I travel throughout Georgia visiting and speaking among our churches, I receive some of the greatest blessings of my entire ministry. Last Sunday was certainly one such occasion.

Good teachers create classrooms free of ridicule
By James Dobson
Published August 26, 2004

Forum

Choose Life
By Abigail Kirkland, Hebron Baptist Church, Dacula
Published August 26, 2004

Georgia Right to Life invites you to educate yourself and join in the fight against abortion. Make plans to attend the annual Choose Life Convention on October 16th at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker.

Schools are a mission field
By Jill Battles, Fayetteville
Published August 26, 2004

I found Dr. Harris’ viewpoint in the May 20th issue of the The Christian Index refreshing because I do agree with his position and have said this myself several times. I believe the public schools are a huge mission field that 95% of the community funnels through and it is in our backyard!

Information needed
By Charles W. Deweese, Executive Director-Treasurer, Baptist History and Heritage Society
Published August 26, 2004

I am writing a history-based book tentatively titled Women Deacons: 400 Years of Baptist Service.

Young ministers desire involvement
By Paul D. Curry Jr., Pastor, Tarrytown Baptist Church, Tarrytown
Published August 26, 2004

Thank you for putting Jimmy Draper’s article in a recent issue of The Christian Index. It is nice for a change to see someone standing up for young ministers like myself. I am a 29-year-old bi-vocational pastor. I have been a US/C-2 missionary and a church planter in West Virginia. Even though I have had these experiences, as well as many others, many of the “older” ministers look upon me and other “youthful” ministers as children. So many times their actions remind me of W.C. Fields famous line, “Go away from me kid; you bother me.”