News

Rising like the Phoenix out of the ashes of 9/11
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2004

America is approaching the third anniversary of the terrorists’ attack of September 11, 2001. Most people can remember where they were and what they were doing when those planes hurtled into the World Trade Center towers. Some have indicated that this tragedy was the beginning of World War III.

Pinning their hopes on evangelism, relationships at the Olympics
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published September 9, 2004

Hairbrush. Check. Running shoes. Check. Lots and lots of pins. Check.

Baptist Retirement Communities to build new facility in Palmetto
By Index Staff
Published September 9, 2004

Baptist Retirement Communities of Georgia (BRC) is relocating one of its sites from Henry to South Fulton County in a move that will bring together children and senior adults at one location.

Georgia relief teams outrun Frances, moved to Perry
By Baptist Press and Index Staff
Published September 9, 2004

Georgia Baptist disaster relief teams joined units from other states in an evacuation from Florida on Sept. 1 as Hurricane Frances bore down on the state.

African American pastors meet to discuss greater involvement in GBC
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 9, 2004

GBC President Tony Dickerson believes in multicultural ministry and has based his life on that concept. Pinehurst Baptist Church in Columbus, where he has served for 31 years, is one of the most ethnically diverse congregations in the state and where Anglos are in the minority.

Builders for Christ help New Hampshire congregation gain visibility
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 9, 2004

Some slung hammers, others carried boards, still others licked and sealed envelopes. But the unifying theme in the backwoods of rural New Hampshire this summer was partnership in kingdom building.

SBC President crusades for souls
Daytona Beach, Fla. pastor Bobby Welch launches bus tour "Everyone Can Kingdom Challenge" traveling the country to challenge Christians to evangelize
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2004

Search throughout the Southern Baptist Convention. Look far and wide, high and low. Check the DNA of all 16.3 million members of SBC churches and you will be hard pressed to find anyone more tenacious, determined and impassioned than Bobby Welch. Furthermore, he happens to be impassioned about something that should be burning in the heart and soul of every Southern Baptist. He has an unwavering desire to see people won to faith in Jesus Christ.

Baptist News Summary

Marriage rally moved to Sept. to coincide with House debate
Published September 9, 2004

A “Battle for Marriage” rally originally scheduled for Aug. 29 has been moved to Sept. 19 so as to coincide with a likely debate in the House of Representatives on the constitutional marriage amendment.

SBTS prof defends Ky. marriage amendment in television debate
Published September 9, 2004

Defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman upholds biblical standards for the family and prevents activist judges from arbitrarily overthrowing accepted standards of morality, seminary professor Hershael York said in a debate on Kentucky Educational Television Aug. 16.

Georgia to share in $1.6 million from LifeWay for evangelism projects
Published September 9, 2004

Georgia is one of 14 Baptist state conventions that will share in $1.6 million being allocated by LifeWay Christian Resources for evangelism projects. The funds are earmarked to help Southern Baptists achieve 1 million baptisms in 2005.

David Limbaugh & awards banquet headline BP journalism conference
Published September 9, 2004

David Limbaugh, author of Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against Christianity, will be the featured speaker at the Excellence in Journalism awards banquet during the fourth annual Baptist Press National Journalism Student Conference Oct. 7-9 in Nashville, Tenn.

Commitment to Cooperative Program exhorted at New Orleans Seminary
Published September 9, 2004

New Orleans Seminary has launched a new initiative to promote and strengthen the Cooperative Program (CP) of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Names in the News
Published September 9, 2004

On Aug. 11 LifeWay Christian Resources named John Kramp interim vice president of its church resources division. Kramp is a 12-year veteran with LifeWay and has served as director of church ministry solutions since 2001.

Religious NewsBriefs

School superintendent who posted Ten Commandments placed on leave
Published September 9, 2004

A Missouri superintendent who posted a Ten Commandments plaque in a school cafeteria has been placed on leave after saying he would not follow religious expression laws.

“Hell House” heads to Hollywood
Published September 9, 2004

“Hell House,” a controversial production that a Denver-area church has presented each Halloween, is being converted to a Hollywood production by a secular humanist group.

Man sentenced to 30 months after botched exorcism ends in death of autistic boy
Published September 9, 2004

A man who performed a fatal exorcism on an 8-year-old autistic boy was sentenced to 30 months in prison Aug. 17 and ordered not to do any more exorcisms by a judge in Milwaukee.

Lutheran World Relief receives $500,000 gift from eBay founders to help Sudan
Published September 9, 2004

(RNS) Lutheran World Relief has accepted a $500,000 gift from the founders of eBay to help address the Sudanese humanitarian crisis.

The funding from the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Fund at Peninsula Community Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif., has already been put to use in Western Sudan, Lutheran World Relief President Kathryn Wolford said in an announcement.

People and Places

Anniversaries
Published September 9, 2004

Dedications
Published September 9, 2004

Homecomings
Published September 9, 2004

Ordinations
Published September 9, 2004

Recognition
Published September 9, 2004

Special Praise
Published September 9, 2004

Obituaries
Published September 9, 2004

Cooperative Program Stories

Students stepping into leadership at Georgia Southern University
By Sherri Brown, Communications GBC
Published September 9, 2004

It's got a well-earned reputation as a party school, but one group has plans to earn a different kind of reputation.

Bible Study

Knowing God Through Jesus
By Bill Harrell, Abilene Baptist Church, Martinez
Published September 9, 2004

Encouraged by Knowing God
By Bill Harrell, Abilene Baptist Church, Martinez
Published September 9, 2004

Columns

Serious About our Calling? You’d Better Believe It!
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 9, 2004

One notable Southern Baptist preacher was asked, “Who is your favorite preacher?”

No editorializing, just the Word
By Mike Stone, Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Blackshear
Published September 9, 2004

Ed Setzer’s column in the August 12th issue, “What Will It Take to Bring Young Leaders Back?” really struck a chord with me. Reading it aloud to my wife, she commented that it sounded like something I would have written. I only wish that I had.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published September 9, 2004

During the month of October our churches will be receiving our annual World Hunger Offering. I encourage all of you to participate because the needs worldwide are staggering.

Childhood trauma can inspire greatness
By James Dobson
Published September 9, 2004