Baptist Briefs

Posted: 12/02/05

Baptist Briefs

Carson-Newman College names Elliott distinguished alum. Ralph Elliott, the Old Testament scholar whose book, The Message of Genesis, sparked heated controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention, will be honored by Carson-Newman College in April as a distinguished alumnus. His 1961 book, published by the Broadman Press imprint of the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, viewed the first 11 chapters of Genesis as symbolic rather than historic. Elliott lost his seminary post when he refused trustee demands that he not republish the work.

Henry plans to hand off Orlando pastorate. Jim Henry–a two-term Southern Baptist Convention president–will step down as co-pastor of First Baptist Church in Orlando March 31. Henry, 67, who has been pastor of the Orlando congregation since 1977, announced his plans in a letter sent to church members. In May, the church called David Uth as co-pastor, grooming him to follow Henry.

LifeWay COO announces retirement. Ted Warren, executive vice president and chief operating officer of LifeWay Christian Resources, will retire Feb. 1 after 12 years with the Southern Baptist publishing house. Warren, 58, joined LifeWay in 1994 as chief financial officer and vice president for the business services group, becoming executive vice president and COO in 1995. Before going to LifeWay, he worked 22 years in the oil and gas industry, serving in the early 1990s as president of Grace Drilling Co. and, prior to that, as executive vice president of Texas Oil & Gas Production Company.

Dakota Baptists cut budget. Messengers to the Dakota Baptist Convention's annual meeting approved a $1.2 million budget for next year–a 12 percent decrease. Bill Savery, pastor of First Baptist Church in Custer City, S.D., was elected president. Other officers are Vice President James Riekeman, pastor of First Baptist Church in Williston, N.D., and Recording Secretary Kathy Harbert of First Baptist Church in New Underwood, S.D. Messengers from 41 of the 88 congregations in the convention attended the meeting.

Montana Baptists honor disaster relief workers. More than 60 disaster relief volunteers who made a 4,000-mile trek to the Gulf Coast to help hurricane victims were recognized at the Montana Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Great Falls, Mont. Messengers also approved a $1.5 million budget–the largest in the state convention's history–and finalized a partnership with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Montana Baptists elected by acclamation President Darwin Scofield, pastor of Libby Baptist Church in Libby, and Vice President Greg Peterson, pastor of Little Rockies Community Church in Zortman.

Moraga leads CBF Hispanic initiative. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has tapped New Mexico pastor and former Texas Baptist church planter Bernie Moraga to serve as field consultant for its national Hispanic initiative. Moraga is pastor of First Spanish Fruit Avenue Baptist Church in Albuquerque, N.M., and has served as volunteer coordinator for the CBF Hispanic network. CBF has set a goal of helping to start 400 Hispanic churches by 2011.

West Virginia Baptist pastors, laymen share top posts. Messengers to the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists' 35th annual meeting approved a $2.6 million budget for 2006–roughly equal to the current year's budget–and elected two pastors and two laymen as officers. West Virginia Baptists elected President C.J. Adkins, pastor of Westmoreland Baptist Church in Huntington; First Vice President Tim Kearney, a layman from Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Scott Depot; Second Vice President Seth Polk, pastor of Cross Lanes Baptist Church in Cross Lanes; and Recording Secretary Fred Morgan, a layman from Fairlawn Baptist Church in Parkersburg. Messengers approved resolutions supporting the display of the Ten Commandments on both public and private property and condemning homosexual behavior as "perversion."