http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/sbc/ en-us Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:32:10 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042827/posts The Episcopal Church has been at the forefront of baptizing active homosexual lifestyle as God-blessed. Since 1960, that denomination has decreased in membership by 48%. The United Methodist Church has been roiled by those adamant on establishing homosexual lifestyles as Christian legitimate. In the fight for one side or another that denomination has decreased in membership by 25%. The Presbyterian Church (USA) has likewise been embroiled in the tussle. That denomination has decreased in membership by 44%. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has also been riddled with in-house fighting over homosexual lifestyles as anti-God or pro-God. That denomination's membership... Magic City Morning Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042827/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:32:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2041379/posts Southern Baptists inherited the most compelling aspects of all the Baptist Calvinists that preceded them. James P. Boyce summarized this well. He encouraged every preacher to get theological education in some way, even if it could not be at the Seminary in Greenville, South Carolina. If no other means were available, he advised, 'work at it yourself.' The fathers of the convention did this, Boyce claimed; 'They familiarized themselves with the Bible, and Gill and Andrew Fuller, and they made good and effective preachers. God is able to raise up others like them.'1 But this is the very difficulty that... Banner Of Truth Trust http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2041379/posts#comment Sun, 6 Jul 2008 10:09:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039677/posts Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have condemned sexual predators and are urging churches to flush out molesters using federal background checks. But a simple search on the convention's Web site shows they have yet to purge their own house of predators. SBC's MinisterSearch, a Web database for finding clergy members, contains the names of pastors both indicted and convicted of sexual abuse. Among them is a former Cordova pastor charged in October with rape and sexual battery. "It's a double standard," said David Brown, an abuse victim and coordinator for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests in... Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2039677/posts#comment Wed, 2 Jul 2008 12:03:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2038569/posts Thank the Calvinists for one of the most thoughtfully provocative moments of the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. (Of course, if you’re a Calvinist, you’ll say: “No, thank God. That moment was preordained from before the foundation of the world.” Just a little theological humor.) The moment happened while messengers considered the sixth of nine resolutions they passed this year. Resolution Six addressed “regenerate church membership and church member restoration.” It exhorted churches and pastors to “implement a plan to minister to, counsel and restore wayward church members based upon the commands and principles given in Scripture.” But Tom... The Baptist Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2038569/posts#comment Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:33:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031959/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Despite media speculation to the contrary, three new polls show that evangelicals, including Southern Baptist pastors, support Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by wide margins. The polls were released as Obama courts Christian leaders and voters in hopes of cutting into what has traditionally been a Republican stronghold. During the Democratic primary, Obama's campaign released a flyer in conservative Kentucky showing him at a pulpit, with a cross in the background, quoting him as saying, "I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work." The flyer called Obama a "committed... Baptist Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031959/posts#comment Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:59:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2030765/posts INDIANAPOLIS – Southern Baptists overwhelmingly adopted a resolution Wednesday that urges churches to maintain accurate membership rolls and repent of any failure to do so. The resolution on regenerate church membership would count believers who have been baptized and are born again while cleaning the rolls of inactive attendants or those may have gotten wet in baptism but have not truly professed faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, praised the resolution, calling regenerate membership central to Southern Baptist identity and cautioning against what could happen if churches consider anyone in the pews... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2030765/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:52:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029494/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The June/July issue of SBC Life features an eight-page pull-out special report on child sexual abuse aimed at urging churches -- and assisting them in doing so -- to take steps in protecting children from sexual predators. The section consists of seven stories, including a heartbreaking testimony from a woman who was sexually abused as a child, a testimony from a former social worker who worked on child abuse cases and an article from the co-founder of a ministry that seeks to educate churches about the problem. In addition, the special report -- titled "Protecting Our Children: Accepting... Baptist Press News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029494/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:28:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029380/posts INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Under pressure to fight child sex abuse, the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee said Tuesday that the denomination should not create its own database to help churches identity predators or establish an office to field abuse claims. The report decried sexual abuse as reprehensible and a sin. But the Southern Baptist principle of local church autonomy means it's up to individual churches — and not the convention — to screen employees and take action against offenders, the committee said. Opening its two-day annual meeting, the nation's largest Protestant body also elected a new president, Georgia megachurch pastor... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029380/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:21:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029369/posts INDIANAPOLIS — Within an hour of being elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Rev. Johnny Hunt was talking about "turning the tide," acknowledging the reality that a denomination that cares so much about winning souls is losing too many. By choosing the 55-year-old megachurch pastor from Woodstock, Ga., Southern Baptists picked the best-known name in an unusually large field of six candidates. Hunt is described as a theological conservative more concerned about revival than fighting about doctrine. His goals likely will be welcomed as a growing number of Baptists acknowledge that steps must be taken to halt disturbing... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029369/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:08:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028845/posts A candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) says the denomination is in need of a true spiritual revival. The denomination kicked off its annual meeting today in Indianapolis with a gathering of pastors. Dr. Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia, opened the pastor's conference by stating that modern-day Southern Baptist churches must first recognize their need for God's power, which he says comes only through fervent prayer. "[U]ntil there is a true confession of our state, that we cry out [to God] and say, 'I'm broken. Invigorate my life. Breathe new life into... One News Now http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2028845/posts#comment Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:54:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027511/posts (snip) The largest Protestant denomination in America, the Southern Baptists, is sending representatives from thousands of churches to convene in Indianapolis for the 151st session of the Southern Baptist Convention on June 10 and 11. The church is in crisis. Outgoing president Rev. Frank Page estimates that only half of Southern Baptist churches will still exist two decades from now. The decline appears to be particularly acute among young people in the church. In 2005 alone, 55 percent of Southern Baptist churches baptized no youths, according to Ed Stetzer with the North American Mission Board. "They are discovering, as other... worldnetdaily.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027511/posts#comment Sat, 7 Jun 2008 10:51:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2025476/posts A group of Southern Baptists are revisiting a controversy by calling their international missions agency to remove restrictions from candidates who speak privately in tongues and have been baptized by immersion following conversion, but was not baptized by a proper administrator or another Baptist who believes in eternal security. Thirty-seven former Southern Baptist missionaries, former International Mission Board trustees and Southern Baptist pastors have signed a statement expressing their "strong" disagreement with a 2005 decision by the IMB trustees that ruled out the appointment of missionary candidates who practice speaking in tongues in public or a "prayer language" in private... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2025476/posts#comment Tue, 3 Jun 2008 21:24:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2024814/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--When Southern Baptists convene for their annual meeting June 10-11 in Indianapolis, they are expected to have a remarkable six presidential candidates from which to choose. To help messengers to the annual meeting evaluate the candidates, Baptist Press posed a series of questions to each candidate. Three general questions were asked of all the candidates: 1) What has God done in your life and ministry to prepare you to be president of the Southern Baptist Convention? 2) If you are elected, what would be your priority message for Southern Baptists? 3) What do you believe is needed to... Baptist Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2024814/posts#comment Mon, 2 Jun 2008 15:08:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2023042/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A majority of Southern Baptist Convention pastors believe the media has overstated the threat of global warming and that SBC resolutions have not been "too timid" in addressing the issue, according to a recent study on national issues by LifeWay Research. The study also found a contrast between the opinions of SBC pastors and average Americans on global warming and such issues as physician-assisted suicide and embryonic stem cell research. In another finding, SBC pastors overwhelmingly favor Republican John McCain over his two Democratic rivals, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Eighty percent of SBC pastors plan to vote... Baptist Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2023042/posts#comment Thu, 29 May 2008 16:38:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2019740/posts COLUMBIA, Sc., May 22 /Christian Newswire/ -- For many years a growing number of government schools under the guise of promoting tolerance, safety, diversity, and multiculturalism have been endangering children and betraying their community's trust by influencing our children to regard homosexuality and other forms of sexual deviancy as acceptable lifestyles and silencing those within the schools who disagree. Recently, with the enactment of SB 777 and related legislation, California has mandated that every child in California's government schools be indoctrinated to believe that the homosexual, bisexual, and other sexually deviant lifestyles are normal, acceptable, and the moral equivalent of... Christian NewsWire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2019740/posts#comment Thu, 22 May 2008 16:17:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2018163/posts WASHINGTON (BP)--Through a new "We Get It!" campaign, the Southern Baptist Convention's ethics entity is partnering with other organizations to demonstrate that evangelical Christians support what they describe as a more biblical, fact-based approach to global warming. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) was among the supporting organizations introduced at a May 15 news conference in Washington to unveil the campaign -- an effort to gain the endorsement of a million evangelicals to a brief document that espouses biblical responsibility for the environment and the poor. The effort, spearheaded by the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, serves... The Baptist Press News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2018163/posts#comment Mon, 19 May 2008 17:29:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2018219/posts INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) -- Candidates are lining up two-by-two for this year’s Southern Baptist Convention presidency, like animals filing into Noah’s Ark – two big-church pastors, two small-church pastors, two former missionaries. For the first time in almost three decades, six men will be nominated for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention, to be held June 10-11 in Indianapolis. Not since the first year of the SBC’s conservative movement in 1979 have six nominees been offered for the annual presidential election, which for the subsequent 12 years was a showdown between two warring factions and later was dominated by the... Assiciated Baptist Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2018219/posts#comment Mon, 19 May 2008 18:58:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016675/posts Mormons seeking recognition as a legitimate member of the Christian church is self-contradictory because the religion was founded by declaring it is the only existing true church, stated one of America’s pre-eminent evangelical leaders Friday. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, focused in his second blog entry on how, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ own definition, it cannot be considered part of the orthodox Christian church. “‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,’ as Mormonism is officially known, claims to be the only true church. As stated in the Doctrine... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016675/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 03:02:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016459/posts INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Prayer is news at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis. A chaplains’ luncheon and a Missional Network discussion also may yield a few lines of ink. This year’s prayer emphasis at the Southern Baptist Convention has been boosted by the efforts of Indianapolis-area pastors who have caught a vision of what can happen when people spend more time praying. At last year’s meeting of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, a first-of-its-kind prayer room featured videos, maps and other visual aids along with Bible verses, specific requests and journals to facilitate prayer. The room was... Florida Baptist Witness http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016459/posts#comment Thu, 15 May 2008 19:12:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016178/posts Some prominent Christian leaders said this week that they will not sign the “An Evangelical Manifesto,” listing reasons such as vague wording and theological differences. The manifesto’s definition of evangelical itself was among the top concerns for some leaders who refused to sign the document. The document’s description for evangelicals is “Christians who define themselves, their faith, and their lives according to the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth.” Several evangelical leaders said that while the definition is true, it is too broad and therefore not a good definition to distinguish who evangelicals are. “Those are wonderful words filled with... The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2016178/posts#comment Thu, 15 May 2008 04:23:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015553/posts It has been a busy week for candidates announcing to run for Southern Baptist Convention president. We have three new candidates, but I know little about them except for what the linked articles tell us. If anyone knows more about these three your comments would be welcome. Johnny Hunt to be SBC president nominee Avery Willis to be SBC president nominee Les Puryear to be SBC president nominee Self http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015553/posts#comment Wed, 14 May 2008 00:09:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015509/posts Weak preaching and cultural adaptability are just two of many reasons Southern Baptists give to explain the decline of membership and baptisms. "[T]he shallow state of preaching has exacerbated the lethargy of the church and left the lost with no real Word from God," said Paige Patterson, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, in a column in Baptist Press. "The pastor ought to be the major source of theological understanding and the most able teacher of the Bible,” he added. "Anemic pulpits create anemic churches and denominations." Since the release last month of the latest data... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015509/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 23:01:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2007200/posts Can Calvinist and non-Calvinist Baptists work together? It depends, some advocates of Reformed theology say, on whether Christians on both sides are willing to tiptoe through the TULIP–the acrostic for five doctrinal points that set apart Calvinists. TULIP stands for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. Those five doctrines, delineated by the Synod of Dort in the 17th century, summarize distinctive elements of the theological system taught by John Calvin—particularly as distinguished from the teachings of James Jacobus Arminius. Proponents of what often is called “five-point Calvinism” emphasize the sovereignty of God and... The Baptist Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2007200/posts#comment Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:29:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2006919/posts For the first time, Southern Baptists can say membership has reached a tipping point and the nation's largest Protestant denomination is now declining, says one long-time Southern Baptist. "The decline that many of us have already believed is there is now becoming real," said Ed Stetzer, director for LifeWay Research, in an interview featured on MondayMorningInsight.com, a Web site for pastors and church leaders. Baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the denomination's lowest level since 1987, dropping nearly 5.5 percent to 345,941, according to LifeWay Christian Resources' Annual Church Profile (ACP),... The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2006919/posts#comment Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:25:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2005334/posts NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Defining the identity of Southern Baptists isn't an easy task, but the latest film in the Forged by Faith DVD series seeks to do just that. "Forged by Faith: A Character of Commitment" tells the story of Southern Baptists around the world and provides six examples of what makes them who they are. Just over 17 minutes, the DVD is the third film in a series to help Southern Baptists better understand and appreciate their heritage and beliefs. Designed particularly for use in small groups, Sunday School classes, new member orientation and special programs, the DVDs are produced... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2005334/posts#comment Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:48:48 GMT