exodus_inter_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Exodus International's convention
touts 'freedom' from homosexuality

By Hannah Lodwick

Associated Baptist Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (ABP)–A panel consisting of a mental-health counselor, a former lesbian now mother of three and three men who consider themselves “ex-gays” held a press conference this summer to promote “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.”

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

explore8_17_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Aug. 17

The body's most powerful muscle–the tongue

James 3:1-12, 17-18

By Jim Perkins

Madison Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

explore8_24_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Aug. 24

Submission to God is key to glorious living

James 4:1-17

By Jim Perkins

Madison Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

family8_17_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Aug. 17

God uses those who perservere through the test

Genesis 41:15-16, 25-28, 33-40

By Tim Owens

First Baptist Church, Bryan

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

family8_24_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Aug. 24

A primer for mending broken relationships

Genesis 45:4-8, 25-28; 46:1-5

By Tim Owens

First Baptist Church, Bryan

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

gay_marriage_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Bush weighs in on defining marriage

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP)–President Bush joined the chorus calling for a legal restriction against homosexual marriage, while new polls suggest public opinion may be turning in favor of such a limit.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

headstart_bill_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Charitable choice component
slows advancement of Head Start bill

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

WASHINGTON (ABP)–The popular Head Start program is the centerpiece of another “charitable choice” controversy in Congress.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

howardpayne_rainey_8103

Posted: 8/8/03

Retirement means teaching duty for Rainey

By Heather Price

Texas Baptist Communications

BROWNWOOD–While retirement means rest for most, Frankie Rainey plans to use his retirement to provide rest to others.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

imb_retirees_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Retired missionaries call for end
to inflammatory words against Islam

By Hannah Lodwick

Associated Baptist Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP)–Ninety-five retired Southern Baptist missionaries who served in the Middle East and North Africa recently signed a resolution calling for U.S. Christian leaders to quit making inflammatory statements about the faith of people who live in the region.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

imb_stocks_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Stock market gives IMB some financial relief

RICHMOND, Va.–Gains in the stock market are providing some relief for the International Mission Board's financial strains, the board's treasurer told trustees during their July meeting in Richmond.

Investment income probably will reach the $23 million level budgeted for 2003, reported David Steverson. However, he did not rule out the possibility of further spending reductions in addition to the $10 million cut from the IMB budget in June.

Those cuts eliminated 61 staff positions and put limits on the number of new missionary appointments allowed for the remainder of the year. While gifts to the IMB have increased 1.5 percent in the last two years, the board's missionary count has increased 8.7 percent.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

letters_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Texas Baptist Forum:
Common ground

I may have stumbled on a “common-ground” statement that would reunite those Christians of good will whose historic cooperation has been torn asunder by the “inerrancy” debates.

Perhaps we could all agree: God has miraculously supplied us with the Bible in exactly the form and using exactly the words that he wants us to have at this moment in time.

To then judge the veracity of those chosen words would be, in essence, judging God himself, which I hope no one would ever dare.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge

marriage_births_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Half of Americans approve
of unmarried women giving birth

WASHINGTON (RNS)–Half of Americans now believe it is morally acceptable to have a baby outside of marriage, a Gallup Poll shows.

Pollsters found 51 percent of U.S. adults polled in May said out-of-wedlock births were morally acceptable, compared to 46 percent who said they were morally wrong. One year ago, slightly fewer (45 percent) thought such births were acceptable, while 50 percent thought they were wrong.

Views on the subject varied greatly depending on respondents' church-attending habits.

08/08/2003 - By John Rutledge