Baptist Briefs_11005

Posted: 1/07/05

Baptist Briefs

New Orleans seminary names dean of students. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary President Chuck Kelley appointed Craig Price, pastor of Hot Springs (Ark.) Baptist Church, as dean of students. Price has 25 years of pastoral experience serving churches in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and earned his master of divinity and doctor of philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a former assistant professor at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark., and was a teaching fellow at Southwestern Seminary during his doctoral studies.

BWA withdrawal, missionary murders top 2004 stories. Baptist state newspaper editors responding to a survey by the Associated Baptist Press news service named the Southern Baptist Convention's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance the top Baptist news story of 2004. The murder of four SBC missionaries in Iraq–including David McDonnall of Fort Worth–was the second most significant story, followed closely by President Bush's re-election with support from so-called "values voters." Other top stories included same-sex marriage, four hurricanes that hit Florida and the Caribbean and led to a massive disaster relief effort, and the blockbuster success of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" movie. (See expanded story here)

Warren makes Time magazine list. Baptist pastor Rick Warren has been listed by Time magazine among the "People Who Mattered 2004" in the same issue in which President Bush was named "Person of the Year." In its Dec. 27 edition, Time says of Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California: "Spirituality sold well in 2004, but none did better than Pastor Rick and his faith-based self-help book, 'The Purpose-Driven Life,' which hit 20 million copies sold. Though criticized for preaching Christianity lite, Warren led by example, giving away 90 percent of his royalties, campaigning against hunger and expanding a drug-recovery program for prison inmates."

Samford honors WMU executive. Wanda Lee, executive director of the Southern Baptist Woman's Missionary Union, has been named an alumnus of the year by Samford University. A 1969 Samford nursing graduate, Lee served as president of WMU from 1996 to 2000, when she was named to her current post. She is the first woman in WMU history to hold both positions. Samford University is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention. (See expanded story here)