News

Georgia Baptists welcome a new era of ministry and missions
Convention offices officially move into new Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published June 8, 2006

Just hours before Georgia Baptist staff occupied their new headquarters building in Gwinnett County in late May, the purpose of the structure was already being fulfilled.

SBC presidential election to spotlight missions support
A defining moment
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published June 8, 2006

SBC presidential candidates Ronnie Floyd and Frank Page could almost be twins when it comes to their theological outlook. Both are conservatives, both are long-term participants in denominational life, and both are evangelistic.

SBC Executive Committee officers vote to amend CP recommendations
Published June 8, 2006

Two of nine recommendations to strengthen the Cooperative Program will be revised when they are presented to messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, N.C., according to a May 26 announcement by the president and officers of the SBC Executive Committee.

Covington pastor recounts recovery after vehicle attack
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published June 8, 2006

The phone call temporarily halted everything in Paul Casola’s life and turned the pastor into just a husband and father trying to get to his family fighting for their lives.

Welch announces retirement to church
Published June 8, 2006

Bobby Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach and the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told church leaders he will retire Aug. 27 after 32 years as the church’s senior pastor.

Inquiry into IMB trustee actions sought by Oklahoma board member
Georgia pastor among bloggers speaking out in support of Wade Burleson
Published June 8, 2006

Wade Burleson, the Oklahoma pastor whose relationships with fellow trustees of the International Mission Board have been strained for a number of months, announced June 1 he will ask the Southern Baptist Convention to approve an investigation of various trustee actions.

IMB trustees appoint 95 missionaries, elect officers
By Michael Chute
Published June 8, 2006

Trustees of the International Mission Board, meeting May 22-24 in Albuquerque, tabled a motion calling for a special task force to study doctrinal qualifications for missionary candidates, appointed 95 new missionaries and elected officers for 2006-07.

Charlie Cooper: mischievous boy, but “super duper” pastor
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published June 8, 2006

Virginia Donaldson has known Charlie Cooper, pastor of Burkhalter Baptist Church, nearly all his life. She recently stated, “He was a mischievous little boy, but saved at age eight and by the time he was 13 he was preaching on the street corner or wherever he could get an audience.”

Revival Report
Published June 8, 2006

Bus driver led to faith at NAMB commissioning service
By Kelli Cottrell
Published June 8, 2006

Seventy-one new North American Mission Board missionaries and chaplains were strikingly reminded that one doesn’t have to travel far to reach the mission field.

Georgia Supreme Court to hear marriage amendment case June 27
Published June 8, 2006

Georgia’s Supreme Court announced May 30 it would hear the state’s marriage amendment case on an expedited basis, which might make a proposed special session of the state legislature unnecessary.

Court rejects ruling on Cobb County science textbook stickers
Published June 8, 2006

A federal appeals court May 25 rejected a lower court ruling on the constitutionality of evolution disclaimers in the form of stickers in 35,000 textbooks in a Cobb County school district, vacating the decision based on insufficient evidence.

Collapse building unity in north Georgia congregation
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published June 8, 2006

Years from now Matthew McDaniel can talk about how the church at his first pastorate literally crumbled to the ground … and eventually led to unity.

Tennessee pastor Jerry Sutton joins SBC pres. contest
By Don Hinkle
Published June 8, 2006

Tennessee pastor Jerry Sutton confirmed June 6 he will allow his name to be placed in nomination for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at its June 13-14 annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C.

Georgia NewsBriefs

Georgia Baptists make nominations for SBC
Published June 8, 2006

Two Georgia Baptists have made nominations for SBC leadership positions at next week’s annual meeting in Greensboro.

Please send correspondence to new address
Published June 8, 2006

All correspondence regarding the Index and other Georgia Baptist Convention departments should be sent to the new address at 6405 Sugarloaf Parkway; Duluth, GA 30097-4092. Churches communicating with the ministry center should update their mailing list immediately to assure timely receipt of correspondence. Phone numbers have remained the same at the new location.

People and Places

Georgia Baptists among first recipients of new Master’s degree
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published June 8, 2006

Ten Southern Seminary students with Georgia connections became the first recipients of the Master of Arts in Missiology degree at the school’s commencement held May 19. The program is the first of its kind for ethnic and bilingual students for Southern Baptists.

Seven with Georgia ties appointed by NAMB
Published June 8, 2006

Seven missionaries with ties to Georgia have been appointed by the North American Mission Board.

Anniversaries
Published June 8, 2006

Obituaries
Published June 8, 2006

Honors
Published June 8, 2006

Revivals
Published June 8, 2006

Ordinations
Published June 8, 2006

Ministerial Moves
Published June 8, 2006

Cooperative Program Stories

It’s no secret: Sunday School growth through the basics
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published June 8, 2006

There’s no one secret to growing a Sunday School according to two of the churches who were named the fastest growing Sunday Schools in their category.

Bible Study

Philip: Faith leads to witnessing
By Cecil Clegg, Pastor, Heritage Baptist Church, Douglasville
Published June 8, 2006

Acts 8:4-8, 26-40
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, June 18

Timothy: Faith keeps God first
By Cecil Clegg, Pastor, Heritage Baptist Church, Douglasville
Published June 8, 2006

II Timothy 1:3-8, 13-14; 2:1-7
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, June 25

Columns

Ten things messengers should expect from the SBC meeting in Greensboro
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published June 8, 2006

My first Southern Baptist Convention was the Houston Convention of 1968. I have attended most of them since then. To the best of my recollection I have missed three Conventions in 38 years. Those years when I was not present were due to pastoral or family-related deaths.

Content to preach the Word
By James L. Smyrl, PhD (Cand.); Former Pastor, Sunset Ave. Baptist, Rocky Mount, N.C.
Published June 8, 2006

As a 35-year-old Southern Baptist, I would not consider myself an “emerging convention leader,” I am simply one person who is where God has called and doing what God has directed.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published June 8, 2006

Since 1925, Southern Baptists have been devoted to the Cooperative Program as the way we do missions and support the various ministries of our convention. Prior to 1925, Southern Baptists practiced societal missions where each entity head and each missionary was responsible for raising his own support.

Be compelled by God, not men, to seek leadership
By Buckey Kennedy, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Vidalia
Published June 8, 2006

In the past months I have read, watched and listened to many within our convention, both on a statewide and national level, talk of an impending collapse of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Overcoming common ‘marriage killers’ is serious work
Published June 8, 2006