News

Charles Stanley's In Touch broadcast now translated into 100 languages
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 3, 2006

Newspapers once stated their motto on page one. The New York Times had “All the News That’s Fit to Print” as their motto. The Chicago Tribune claimed to be the “World’s Greatest Newspaper.” The Atlanta Journal’s motto was “Covers Dixie Like the Dew.”

Eagle's Landing First Baptist team evacuated from Beirut
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 3, 2006

MCDONOUGH — Nine members of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church went to Lebanon on July 6 to work with a local Baptist church in a village just east of Tripoli. The group conducted day camps/Vacation Bible Schools for children in local Baptist churches and their communities around Beirut.

Meth: churches called on to address a growing problem
Carrollton Association among those sponsoring Sept. 14 summit
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published August 3, 2006

DULUTH

When *Sherri thinks about that day she taught VBS in her Baptist church, she remembers leading the children in memorizing their Bible verses. She remembers taking them to snack time. She remembers playing games with them during recreation.

She remembers being high on Methamphetamine the entire time.

NAMB, Southern Baptist Evangelists strategize to help churches with no/low baptisms
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 3, 2006

DULUTH — Last year there were approximately 7,500 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention that reported zero baptisms. Another 3,000 churches reported only one baptism. Steve W. Lemke, provost and professor at New Orleans Seminary, wrote a scholarly paper in which he stated that it takes 42 Southern Baptists all year to win and baptize one convert.

IMB trustees elect mobilization VP, learn status of tsunami projects
Published August 3, 2006

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Trustees of the International Mission Board unanimously elected a vice president for mobilization and learned projects aiding victims of the 2004 South Asia tsunami will be completed within 12 months.

Religious broadcasters fear viewers, given the choice, will tune out
By Piet Levy, c. 2006 Religion News Service
Published August 3, 2006

WASHINGTON — Evangelical Christians are on the front lines in the battle over indecency on cable television, calling for a pick-and-choose pricing plan that would allow viewers to keep certain channels out of their homes.

Making Space for ministry
Georgia youth pastors say parents key to online safety
By Scott Barkley, Staff Writer
Published August 3, 2006

DULUTH — MySpace has been a great asset to Ricky Smith, youth minister at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Columbus. Through it he has found new ways to connect with youth and promote events not only to students in his ministry but to those not attending church.

To tackle New Orleans' needs, Baptists designate 27 zones
By Karen L. Willoughby
Published August 3, 2006

NEW ORLEANS (BP) — A new evangelistic plan for the New Orleans metropolitan area has been launched as a partnership involving the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans, Louisiana Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board.

Arabic Baptist Bible Institute launched by Georgia Baptist Convention
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 3, 2006

DULUTH — Fayiz Saknini, who serves Georgia Baptists as the minister to Middle Eastern and Arabic speaking people in the state, has announced the launching of the Arabic Bible Institute, which started July 1 with 19 students.

Brewton-Parker among colleges exploring U.S. - China education ties
Published August 3, 2006

QINGDAO, China (BP) — Several Baptist colleges are at the forefront of exploring ways to open new academic pathways among educators in China and the United States. One of them is Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon.

Former Georgia state RA director named to head post at Glorieta Conference Center
By Russ Rankin
Published August 3, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — LifeWay Christian Resources has named Hal Hill as director of the Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, N.M., effective Aug. 1.

Shorter names new provost
Published August 3, 2006

ROME — Craig Shull began his tenure as provost at Shorter College Aug. 1, and will serve as the college’s chief academic officer and oversee the school’s information technology division.

Evangelist Ted Stone, 72, dies in midst of 4th "Walk across America"
By Erin Roach
Published August 3, 2006

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Ted Stone died of undetermined causes July 16 at the end of the fourth week of his fourth “Walk across America” to spread awareness of the hope that substance abusers can find in Christ. He was 72.

Former Ariz. foundation executives found guilty of fraudulent schemes
Published August 3, 2006

PHOENIX (BP) — A jury found the former president and the former legal counsel of the Baptist Foundation of Arizona guilty of three counts of fraudulent schemes and one count of knowingly conducting an illegal enterprise July 24, seven years after the collapse of the organization.

Megachurches start to look beyond their walls
By Adelle M. Banks, c. 2006 Religion News Service
Published August 3, 2006

PLANO, Texas — Holding a paint roller in one hand and steadying a ladder for another volunteer with the other, Heather Merchant joined 15 fellow members of a local megachurch in helping a widow turn her house back into more of a home.

Baptist News Summary

Presidents leave at 2 Baptist colleges, others become universities
Published August 3, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — E.D. “Doug” Hodo, the second president of Houston Baptist University, and Dan MacMillan, the eighth president of Bluefield (Va.) College, have set their sights on other ministry endeavors.

Compassion noted at Stone's funeral
Published August 3, 2006

DURHAM, N.C. (BP) — Appreciation and celebration permeated the funeral of evangelist Ted Stone, who died July 16 “doing what he loved to do,” several observers said at the July 21 gathering at Grace Baptist Church in Durham, N.C.

Inaugural Centri-Cruise trip takes ministry to the Bahamas
Published August 3, 2006

NASSAU, Bahamas (BP) — On June 24, more than 160 high school and college students, along with sponsors, sailed to Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.

National WMU taps Parker to explore missions support innovations
Published August 3, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) — Gayla Parker, executive director of Maryland/Delaware Woman’s Missionary Union, has accepted the position to work with national WMU as missions innovation specialist to test missions innovation concepts.

Religious NewsBriefs

German churches plan overhaul to combat shrinking numbers, funds
Published August 3, 2006

BERLIN (RNS) — Germany’s Protestant churches plan to engage in an overhaul to return the church to a more central role in German society.

Panel suggests Norwegian government cut century-old ties to Lutheran Church
Published August 3, 2006

(RNS) — A commission appointed by the Norwegian government in 2003 to study the country’s state support of the Lutheran Church system has recommended that the centuries-old bond be broken.

Megachurch battles government over classes
Published August 3, 2006

WASHINGTON (RNS) — A Washington-area megachurch filed a federal lawsuit July 3, challenging a government ruling that it was improperly holding seminary-level classes on church grounds.

Sikh funeral pyre runs afoul of British law
Published August 3, 2006

LONDON (RNS) — Sikh religious tradition has run afoul of British law in a field in northern England, where the body of an illegal immigrant from India was secretly cremated July 12 on an open-air funeral pyre.

People and Places

Anniversaries
Published August 3, 2006

Obituaries
Published August 3, 2006

Ordinations
Published August 3, 2006

Ministerial Moves
Published August 3, 2006

Cooperative Program Stories

Student Achievement Awards
Outstanding students to attend Georgia Baptist colleges
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published August 3, 2006

This fall, 26 outstanding college freshmen will receive scholarships through the Georgia Baptist Student Achievement Award program. These young men and women were chosen from among 104 nominees and 44 applicants as a result of their scholastic achievement and outstanding involvement in both their churches and communities. The scholarships – amounting to $4,000 each and paid over four years – are funded through the Cooperative Program and provided jointly by Georgia Baptist colleges and the Georgia Baptist Convention.

Bible Study

Maintaining a heavenly focus
By Steve Kimmel, Pastor, First Baptist Smyrna
Published August 3, 2006

Colossians 2:20a; 3:1-10, 12-14, 17
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, August 13

Making a difference in the world
By Steve Kimmel, Pastor, First Baptist Smyrna
Published August 3, 2006

Matthew 5:13-16; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, August 20

Columns

Trapped in a war zone
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published August 3, 2006

To say the Middle East is a powder keg is an understatement. Since the dawn of creation the part of the world known as the cradle of civilization has been the center of strife and conflict. The jealous rage that provoked Cain to slay his brother, Abel, simply previewed the fury and frenzy that characterizes that region today.

The new Southern Baptist Convention
By Frank Page, president, Southern Baptist Convention
Published August 3, 2006

TAYLORS, S.C. (BP) — To be writing this article is truly an overwhelming feeling. As I have said in previous press releases, the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention is not something I ever sought or ever believed to be possible. However, God directed this entire scenario in an incredible fashion.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director, GBC
Published August 3, 2006

On a recent Sunday evening, my wife, Janice, and I went to a local restaurant to get a bite to eat. It was one of those nice occasions when everything seems to go right. We were seated at a very nice booth and our waiter could not have been more accommodating. He anticipated our every need.

Sibling rivalry can get ugly where beauty is concerned
By James Dobson
Published August 3, 2006