News

'I just can t grasp it all,' minister & Katrina victim says
By Sherri Brown
Published September 15, 2005

Disaster relief teams from Georgia made their way to the Gulf Coast following the destruction wreaked on the area by Hurricane Katrina, but soon enough found themselves dealing with the crunch of little water and not enough food for survivors.

Nation's largest mass migration since Civil War
Georgia Baptists showing evacuees "extraordinary kindness"
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 15, 2005

Like living in the calm before a storm, in early September Georgia Baptists watched the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hurricane disaster unfold on nightly newscasts. For 10 days they stay glued to their television sets and watched in horror as New Orleans residents struggled for their lives against rising floodwaters that slowly choked their city to death.

Katrina twisters roll through north Georgia
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published September 15, 2005

Georgia Baptists were among those affected by twisters spun off by the winds of Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29-30, suffering extensive structural damage and the loss of one life.

What to do? Georgia Baptists among those looking to help
Credit cards now accepted for Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published September 15, 2005

When Chris Davis began to realize the magnitude of the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina, he wanted to know how to help.

Bush declares Sept. 16 national day of prayer
By Erin Curry
Published September 15, 2005

As the nation unites for the daunting challenge of assisting Hurricane Katrina survivors, President Bush is calling for a national day of prayer and remembrance Friday, Sept. 16.

Influx of evacuees results in conference cancellations
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published September 15, 2005

Georgia Baptist Conference Centers at Norman Park and Toccoa have cancelled upcoming conferences and retreats due to emergency housing of Gulf Coast evacuees.

New Orleans Seminary professors: Faculty of the diaspora
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 15, 2005

New Orleans Seminary, located near the southern banks of Lake Pontchartrain and in Chalmette, east of the city, did not escape the fury of Hurricane Katrina nor the looting and vandalism that followed. Prognostications of a Category Five hurricane and warnings of impending disaster sent seminary staff and students scurrying to find refuge wherever they could find a door of welcome.

Embrace faith, turn from fear, New Orleans pastor exhorts
By Lauri Arnold
Published September 15, 2005

Fred Luter Jr. no longer has a home or the church building where he has preached since 1986. The New Orleans pastor has no idea where most of his flock is, nor many of his friends and family.

Did Hurricane Katrina deliver a spiritual message?
By Deborah Caldwell, c. 2005 Beliefnet
Published September 15, 2005

What caused Hurricane Katrina to slam the U.S. Gulf Coast? Was it a typical late-summer tropical storm caused by wind, water and heat? Mother Nature crying out on behalf of the Earth's pain? An angry God?

Norman Park is first destination for many evacuees heading to Georgia
By Joe Westbury
Published September 15, 2005

Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Facts
Published September 15, 2005

Wynn named vice president for evangelism
Will begin GBC post in late October
By Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 15, 2005

The Hebron Baptist Church congregation in Dacula was stunned at the Sunday evening service on September 11 when pastor Larry Wynn preached a sermon announcing his resignation to become vice president of evangelism for the Georgia Baptist Convention. He had encouraged those attending the three Sunday morning services to return for the evening service so they could hear first hand an important announcement.

Author issues call to Georgia Baptist women
Published September 15, 2005

Nationally recognized writer Denise George is currently conducting research for a book titled What Women Wish Their Pastor Knew About Women in the Church. It will explore the impact of women in the church and how pastors can more effectively minister to women. George, whose husband, Timothy, is the founding dean for Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., is an author of 20 books and more than 1,200 articles.

Oakwood launches third Sunday morning service - at night
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 15, 2005

Chickamauga, once referred to as Crawfish Springs, is nestled in the rolling hills of north Georgia just across the state line from Chattanooga, Tenn. The Chickamauga Battlefield, established in 1890, is located just north of town, and is part of the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, the first and largest in the country.

People and Places

Obituaries
Published September 15, 2005

Groundbreakings
Published September 15, 2005

Homecomings
Published September 15, 2005

Ordinations
Published September 15, 2005

Revivals
Published September 15, 2005

Ministerial Moves
Published September 15, 2005

Cooperative Program Stories

Different tunes abound at Music Camp
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published September 15, 2005

It's a week of summer music for the children and teenagers. They come with snacks, t-shirts, trombones and tubas. And they're all ready to make music.

Bible Study

Live to Please God
By Dannie Williams, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lyons
Published September 15, 2005

Is it possible to fulfill one's purpose in life without giving dedicated effort to know and do what pleases God? If that were possible most scripture would be unnecessary. Think of passages like Romans 12:1-2 which describe the presentation of one's life to God in such a holy way that we actually prove what the will of God is.

Understand God's Eternal Plan
By Dannie Williams, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lyons
Published September 15, 2005

For the next five Sundays our lessons will be found in the book of Ephesians, addressing the theme of holiness. Holiness is a term that has become out of date even out of use in many Southern Baptist churches. What does it actually mean for a believer to be holy or to walk in holiness?

Columns

Katrina provokes questions, but provides opportunities for service
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 15, 2005

Katrina was merciless! The winds blew with terrific force. The floods came with a mighty surge of water that relentlessly pounded the Gulf Coast. The levee broke in New Orleans, submerging the Crescent City in deep water. The devastating hurricane spawned tornadoes that touched down in several states. Georgia did not escape the fury of the tornadic wrath that came in the wake of Katrina's unwelcomed intrusion onto American soil.

A flood of biblical proportions
By David P. Gushee, c. 2005 Religion News Service
Published September 15, 2005

"My eyes fail from weeping. I am in torment within, my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city. What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, O Daughter of Jerusalem? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?"

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published September 15, 2005

In what has been called the worst natural disaster in the history of our country, Hurricane Katrina first stormed across the tip of Florida before slamming into the Gulf coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. With gusts nearing 200 miles per hour and storm surges exceeding thirty feet, entire towns in Southern Mississippi were swept away, while downtown Mobile was under water and New Orleans was under as much as thirty feet of water in some places.

Students and parents benefit from school choice
By James Dobson
Published September 15, 2005