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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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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),...

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...

A seemingly uncontroversial bill introduced by the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has stuck a wedge between a powerful conservative religious group and the Department of Justice. The bill, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, passed the House in a 405-2 vote in December but faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The bill marks a rare instance of the Bush administration opposing a major conservative religious group over legal policy. It would authorize the use of federal resources and create an office within the Department of State to fight...

SUGAR HILL, Ga. – A Georgia Baptist pastor who pledged to apologize to gays, women seeking abortions, and couples who live together outside marriage during his March 30 sermon did just that – and then he offered an evangelistic invitation that would have been at home in any traditional Baptist congregation. Joe WestburyIndexPastor Richard Mark Lee apologizes to the unchuched while still making a strong evangelistic delivery during the 9:45 a.m. blended service. The congregation averages 1,400 in attendence in three distinct worship services directed at different worship styles – traditional, blended, and contemporary. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced the apology...

ANGOLA, La. (BP)--The inmate, seeing a visitor's Southern Baptist nametag, said, "Thank you, thank you, please tell Southern Baptists thank you. "When I see the hands of men raised in worship, I know these are the same hands that held a rape victim, the same hands that held stolen goods, the same hands that held the murderous gun," the inmate continued. "Now these are empty hands -- holy hands lifted in praise to God. We could not experience that miracle of hope without the Southern Baptist seminary in New Orleans. Thank you," said the inmate, a 2005 graduate of New...

Gays, women seeking abortions, couples not married will be includedJust as the Christian church has done many wonderful things throughout history, says the Rev. Richard Mark Lee, it also has done many terrible things, such as targeting, judging and condemning various individuals and groups. On Sunday, Lee plans to apologize for these past wrongs in a sermon at his church, Sugar Hill Baptist, known as The Family Church. Some of the groups Lee said he'll apologize to include gays, women seeking abortions and couples who live together outside of marriage. "For too long, we're been known for the issues we're...

Several dozen leading members of the Southern Baptist Convention, including its current President and several past Presidents, recently released a "Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." I attended Liberty University, a school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and specifically affiliated with Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. Both the church and the University were founded and led by Jerry Falwell until his death last May. The school and church are now led by Rev. Falwell's two sons: Jerry Falwell, Jr. is the Chancellor and President of Liberty University, and Jonathan Falwell is the senior pastor of the...

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed all allegations made by a female professor who sued Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and its president, claiming the school had removed her for gender reasons. Judge John McBryde of the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, granted the seminary's motion for "summary judgment" and ruled that alleged causes of action made by Sheri L. Klouda should be dismissed. A motion for summary judgment contends that all necessary factual issues are resolved or need not be tried because they are so one-sided. Klouda filed the lawsuit last year, alleging breach of contract, fraud and...

Dr. Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, says the secular media has erroneously reported the intent of a document dealing with climate change that he and other prominent denominational leaders endorsed. One of many high-profile Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders, Dr. Page signed the document entitled, "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." The dissertation was written by Jonathan Merritt, a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and son of a former SBC president. (See earlier article) The statement challenges the denomination's response to environmental issues, calling them too timid and seen by the outside...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The mystery is over. The songs going in the new Baptist Hymnal have been chosen. "Amazing Grace" is there, of course. So is "Holy, Holy, Holy." So are "Sanctuary" and "Shout to the Lord." "There is a good mix of hymns, worship music and praise choruses," said Mike Harland, director of LifeWay Worship, a part of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. "We have composers from Beethoven to Fanny Crosby to Travis Cottrell represented in this hymnal." The new hymnal has 674 hymns and worship songs. "About 300 of these songs are new ones to our...

Leaders in the new Southern Baptist environmental movement were careful Monday to avoid criticizing fellow Southern Baptists still skeptical of climate change, while at the same time pushing them to have greater concern for the environment. Tue, Mar. 11, 2008 Posted: 14:07:05 PM EST Leaders in the new Southern Baptist environmental movement were careful Monday to avoid criticizing fellow Southern Baptists still skeptical of climate change, while at the same time pushing them to have greater concern for the environment. “This is a journey for each of us and Southern Baptists are at different points in this journey,” said Jonathan...

Jonathan Merritt, a 25-year-old student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., captured widespread media attention March 10 in releasing a statement titled "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." The so-called "Southern Baptist" statement is not an initiative of the Southern Baptist Convention which voiced its views on global warming last summer in a resolution, "On Global Warming". However, the student's project carries the names of a number of high-profile Southern Baptist leaders including his father, James Merritt, pastor of Cross Pointe, the Church at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., and a former president...

(CNN) Several prominent leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention said Monday that Baptists have a moral responsibility to combat climate change -- a major shift within a denomination that just last year cast doubt on human responsibility for global warming. Forty-six influential members of the Southern Baptist Convention, including three of its last four presidents, criticized their denomination in a statement Monday for being "too timid" in confronting global warming. "Our cautious response to these issues in the face of mounting evidence may be seen by the world as uncaring, reckless and ill-informed," the statement says. "We can do...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, will require additional surgery after a scheduled colonoscopy Feb. 11 revealed a tumor in his colon. An initial biopsy indicated that the tumor is pre-cancerous and further tests are to be scheduled, along with surgical options. The surgery will require that he forego nomination as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Mohler said. Mohler, 48, underwent major abdominal surgery in late December 2006, complicated by the development of bilateral blood clots in his lungs. Doctors will take special precautions to prevent a recurrence of the blood clots with...

HOUSTON (BP)--Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Houston, said former President Bill Clinton's remarks about him at the New Baptist Covenant Celebration in Atlanta earlier this month came "out of the fantasy file" and were "completely inaccurate." Clinton, during the closing session of the celebration Feb. 1, spent several minutes recounting a visit Young made to the White House in 1993 as president of the Southern Baptist Convention when Young supposedly asked Clinton, "Do you believe the Bible is literally true?" Young, in a letter to Clinton released to Baptist Press, said he was stunned to read the...

Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, after his poor showing on Super Tuesday made a victory over John McCain all but mathematically impossible. As much as McCain and Mike Huckabee loathe Mitt, it's been easy to imagine them conspiring to deliver the killing stroke. Conventional wisdom says Huckabee won five southern states outright and helped turn others, such as Missouri, to McCain by taking conservative votes away from Romney. But Romney probably wasn't going to earn those ballots anyway. Southern states have GOP primary electorates dominated by evangelical Christians, specifically by Southern Baptists. And many of those Southern Baptists...

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission says comments by best-selling author John Grisham at the recent "New Baptist Covenant" meeting are theologically off base. During a rare public speech, Grisham criticized Baptists who believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. The novelist spoke about a Baptist church he attended as a youth, which he described as intolerant because its leaders said the Bible should be read literally. The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission president, Dr. Richard Land, disagrees with Grisham and says it is not intolerant to defend God's Word....

EthicsDaily.com reported 11 arrests, three convictions, two lawsuits and one suicide involving alleged sexual abuse by clergy in 2007.Other stories included a church that allowed a convicted sex offender to preach from its pulpit while knowing about his past and comments by the president of the Southern Baptist Convention denying clergy predators are a "systemic" problem and accusing victim advocates of using the issue for personal gain. Those stories were part of ongoing coverage of efforts by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests to pressure the 16.3 million-member convention to establish an independent review board for clergy sex...

In 1984 at Immanuel Baptist, he preached about leading a revival where worshippers rejoiced as prominent members of the community _ an attorney, a businessman _ accepted Jesus. He said he was heartbroken that people overlooked a young mentally retarded woman who also came forward. "She always came alone and left alone. And to all outward appearances, nobody really cared," he said. "But God made a very big announcement that night. Although she may sit in that pew by herself, he loved her." --- But his big-tent approach has left him vulnerable to detractors _ in Southern Baptist and GOP...

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (BP)--Vietnamese Baptists met at Grace Baptist Church in Ho Chi Minh City Jan. 10-11 to celebrate the church’s receiving official government recognition and to organize a new national confederation. This historic development is expected to encourage future evangelism and church-planting efforts in the country. The Vietnamese government made this possible by granting a certificate of religious practice to the church. The 400-member group met to create Grace Baptist Southern General Confederation. It adopted a constitution and elected officers for the new organization, which will organize and represent new churches across Vietnam. Bouquets of flowers and...

DENVER (BP)--A Colorado ministry to women in crisis pregnancies recently received a big boost toward its efforts to save human lives -- a new sonogram machine. The SBC's Psalm 139 Project -- an effort of the convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission to educate Southern Baptists on the value of ultrasound technology in crisis pregnancy situations -- selected Riverside Pregnancy Center to receive the equipment. The project also provides a way for individuals to contribute to a fund that places the machines in qualified centers. Psalm 139 was the inspiration for the project. The Old Testament verses affirm the fact...

RUSH: First, Fred Thompson just got some encouraging news. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told the Brody File, which is a blog at the CBN.com website, the Christian Broadcast Network, "My assessment is that at this moment in time it is Fred Thompson's race to lose. It may be a convergence of the right man at the right place at the right time. I have never seen anything like this grassroots swell for Thompson. I'm not speaking for Southern Baptists, but I do believe I have my hand on the pulse of...

(ABP) -- Evangelical scholar and seminary president Al Mohler will be nominated for the Southern Baptist Convention presidency next June, but he likely will face opposition for the prominent post. Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., will be nominated by Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. Jeffress announced his intention to nominate Mohler Jan. 2 through the SBC’s news agency. Prominent SBC blogger Wade Burleson, who earlier predicted Mohler would be nominated -- and lose -- said Jan. 4 that he expects a little-known pastor to be nominated and be elected over Mohler....

Congressional Black Caucus Split Between Clinton and ObamaBy Hazel Trice Edney, NNPA Editor-in-Chief December 24, 2007 WASHINGTON (NNPA) - As America prepares for a string of primaries and caucuses to determine who will be its next Democratic and Republican nominees for president, the majority of the 42-member Congressional Black Caucus who have chosen to endorse in the race is split 15-15 between CBC member Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. In interviews this week, CBC members pointed mainly to the candidates' stances on specific issues as the reasons for their endorsements. "He is the most likely...

When Mike Huckabee went to Houston on Tuesday to raise funds for his fast-rising, money-starved presidential candidacy, a luncheon for the ordained Baptist minister was arranged by evangelical Christians. On hand was Judge Paul Pressler, a hero to Southern Baptist Convention reformers. But he was a nonpaying guest who supports Fred Thompson for president. Huckabee greeted Pressler warmly. That contrasted with Huckabee's anger two months ago when they encountered each other in California. The former governor of Arkansas took issue then with comments by Pressler, a former Texas appeals court judge, that Huckabee had been a slacker in the war...

When Mike Huckabee went to Houston on Tuesday to raise funds for his fast-rising, money-starved presidential candidacy, a luncheon for the ordained Baptist minister was arranged by evangelical Christians. On hand was Judge Paul Pressler, a hero to Southern Baptist Convention reformers. But he was a nonpaying guest who supports Fred Thompson for president. Huckabee greeted Pressler warmly. That contrasted with Huckabee's anger two months ago when they encountered each other in California. The former governor of Arkansas took issue then with comments by Pressler, a former Texas appeals court judge, that Huckabee had been a slacker in the war...

Bruce Shortt in his resolution to the Southern Baptist Convention, May, 2007, writes: "In 2002 the SBC’s Council on Family Life reported that roughly 88% of our children leave the church within 2 years after graduating from high school. It is reported by LifeWay’s Zan Tyler that Josh McDowell Ministries pegs the number who leave at 92%.3 " (B.Shortt) However the retention rate for homeschoolers is much better. "Research by Dr. Brian Ray, founder of NHERI, found that 94% of all homeschooled children retained their faith into adulthood." (B. Shortt) Regarding the successes of children educated in Christian schools, they...

GREENVILLE, S.C. --Pastor Frank Page says he has learned to be wary of the media during his tenure as head of the Southern Baptist Convention. But, he said, he is glad he opened the doors of his church to documentary filmmakers looking to show the personal faith of some of the world's spiritual leaders. "Because of who I am, I talked about Jesus Christ every other word, every other phrase, because I knew if they cut out Christ, they're going to have to cut out everything I say," Page said. "If they really want to know, as evangelical believers, who...

What does the intractable, often contentious debate about Calvinism in Southern Baptist life have to do with the Great Commission? A great deal, as far as Danny Akin is concerned. The president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary was the concluding speaker at the "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism" conference a few weeks ago. Akin's seminary co-sponsored the meeting with the Founders Conference. Thom Rainer and the able executives and staff of LifeWay Christian Resources graciously hosted this important event at Ridgecrest Conference Center. The meeting raised more than a few eyebrows across the Southern Baptist Convention when it was...

The Old Testament prophet Samuel provides ministers with an expert model for ministry because he was an instrument that God used to bring the light of truth to a dark period in Israel’s history, R. Albert Mohler Jr. told a record number of fall graduates Friday during The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s 200th commencement service. The class featured two graduating father and son pairs: Tom and Jonathan Elliff and Jeffrey and Timothy Girdler (see related story). Mohler encouraged the class of 204 students to emulate the prophet Samuel, who remained faithful to God’s truth during a time when many of...

Negotiating the dicey waters of presidential diplomacy would be easier than resolving differences between various Baptist groups, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said in a recent campaign appearance. This is the same Mike Huckabee who last May accepted -- then rejected -- an invitation to speak at a historic pan-Baptist gathering set to begin in late January. “Being president -- that’ll be a heck of a lot easier job than getting all the Baptists to agree on everything,” Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said at a Dec. 6 political event in Greensboro, N.C., Hendersonville (N.C.) Times-News. The former Arkansas governor said...

Huckabee’s opinion on gay marriage is out there, but we should also be publicizing Huckabee’s opinions on heterosexual marriage. Specifically, what he believes about a women’s role in a marriage. In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: “I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention.” What was in the family statement from the SBC? “A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” Read on… The...

The release of The Golden Compass as a major motion picture represents a new challenge for Christians – especially parents. The release of a popular film with major actors that presents a message directly subversive of Christianity is something new. It is not likely to be the last. Having seen the movie at an advance viewing and having read all three books of His Dark Materials, I can assure Christians that we face a real challenge – one that will require careful thinking and intellectual engagement. Why is this movie such a challenge? First of all, The Golden Compass...

Jason Pratt, novelist, lay theologian and orthodox Christian universalist, notices a peculiar convergence of statistics presented by Ed Stetzer (director of LifeWay Research) during a conference on Reformed theology and the Southern Baptist Convention last week. The statistical anomaly suggests as many as 40 percent of recently graduating SBC pastors may be ready to consider universalism.Dyer, TN (PRWEB) December 7, 2007 -- Last week, the LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center hosted a conference on Reformed theology (commonly known as 'Calvinism') and the Southern Baptist Convention, in Ridgecrest, NC. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, presented startling statistics in his opening address...

Title: ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson Featured in CBS's 'In God's Name' Dec. 23 ELCA NEWS SERVICE December 4, 2007 ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson Featured in CBS's 'In God's Name' Dec. 23 07-201-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and president of the Lutheran World Federation, is featured in the two-hour primetime television special "In God's Name," airing Dec. 23 at 9:00 p.m. EST on CBS. Produced by French filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet, the special explores "complex questions of our time through the intimate thoughts and beliefs of...

There is a tremendous amount of hoop-la out there this week about the Republican Presidential race. With all the movement in the polls, it is obvious that the primary is still wide open, and any of the top-tier candidates have a decent shot at winning. All the fluctuations in poll numbers also highlight a glaring lack of unity among evangelical Christian voters backing any one candidate. Frustrated by the current political coverage and seeing endorsements all over the spectrum, I felt compelled to express in writing why I've supported Fred all along. A Strong Supporter of Religious Freedom In his...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP)--Daniel Akin called on Southern Baptists to rally around a "Great Commission Resurgence" to reach the lost that he hopes will define the denomination's direction for years and decades to come. "Building on the 'Conservative Resurgence' that was initiated in 1979, we believe the time has come for us to focus on the great task the Lord Jesus left us as He ascended back into heaven," said Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. "Fulfilling the task will in no way leave behind or neglect an equal commitment to a faithful biblical theology." Akin...

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)--Most evangelicals believe in the doctrine of penal substitution, that Jesus took the place of the sinner when He died on the cross, theologians David Nelson and Sam Waldron told the nearly 550 attendees of a conference on Calvinism and the Southern Baptist Convention. However, the question of the extent of the atonement drew two very different responses from the presenters. Nelson and Waldron addressed "The Atonement: Its Design, Nature and Extent" on the second day of the Nov. 26-28 "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism" conference co-sponsored by Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary at LifeWay...

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)--Does God unconditionally choose every person who will ever be saved or does He look deep into the future and choose those whom He foresees will trust in Him? Two Southern Baptist theologians grappled with the controversial doctrine of election Nov. 27 during the three-day "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism" conference co-sponsored by Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and held at the LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. Founders Ministries formed in 1982 to advance Reformed theology in SBC churches. Greg Welty, associate professor of philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, unpacked the...

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)--Stereotypes often hinder honest dialogue about the influence of Reformed theology in Southern Baptist life, participants were told at a Nov. 26-28 conference on Calvinism and the SBC. The three-day gathering was co-sponsored by Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and held at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. Founders Ministries formed in 1982 to advance Reformed theology in SBC churches. When organizers began planning for the "Building Bridges" event, they hoped that misunderstandings would be dispelled, said Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. "We prayed that biblical and theological positions would be presented clearly,...

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)--The rise of Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention was variously described as a cause for rejoicing and concern and as a movement that should be understood in its proper historical context, speakers said during a Nov. 26-28 conference on Reformed theology and the SBC. Roughly 550 registrants listened carefully as leading Southern Baptist historians, theologians, professors and pastors offered sometimes sharply differing assessments of the benefits and dangers posed by the growing influence of Calvinist convictions in Southern Baptist churches. "Building Bridges: Southern Baptists and Calvinism" was co-sponsored by Founders Ministries and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary at...

"Affirm God’s Good Plan" Background Passage: Genesis 1:1 – 2:25; Lesson Passages: Genesis 1:1, 26-28,31; 2:15-18, 21-25 Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male...

Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention make up a small minority but are steadily growing, particularly among younger Baptists, a recent study showed. Nearly 30 percent of recent SBC seminary graduates now serving as church pastors indicate they are Calvinists, according to Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research. Only around 10 percent of SBC pastors at large affirm the five points of Calvinism, or Reformed theology, noted Stetzer, comparing the latest results with an earlier 2006 survey conducted by LifeWay Research. The five points of Calvinism, also called the doctrines of grace, include total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible...

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)—-Nearly 30 percent of recent SBC seminary graduates now serving as church pastors identify themselves as Calvinists, according to data presented during the opening session of a conference on Reformed theology and the Southern Baptist Convention. By contrast in the SBC at large, the number of pastors who affirm the five points of Calvinism is around 10 percent, Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, said in reporting various findings by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board Center for Missional Research. Such data, Stetzer noted Nov. 26, perhaps gives an indication why a conference such as "Building...