Baptist Briefs_20705

Posted: 2/04/05

Baptist Briefs

Baptist Heritage sermon contest announced. Feb. 15 is the deadline for submitting Baptist heritage sermon manuscripts for a competition sponsored by the Baptist History & Heritage Society and the H. Franklin Paschall Chair of biblical studies and preaching at Belmont University. Awards include $400 for first prize, $300 for second prize and $200 for third prize. For contest guidelines, visit www.baptisthistory.org or e-mail Pam Durso at pdurso@tnbaptist.org.

CBF chaplain tapped for national committee. George Pickle, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's associate coordinator for chaplaincy and pastoral counseling, recently was elected a member-at-large on the executive committee of the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces. The national conference is the leading organization for military chaplain endorsers and is the organization that relates directly to each chief of chaplains and their staffs of all branches of the armed forces.

Christian educators focus on engaging culture. "Equipping the Church to Engage the Culture" is the theme of the Baptist Association of Christian Educators' 50th anniversary celebration Feb. 24-26 at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. George Gallup Jr., chairman of the George H. Gallup International Institute in Princeton, N.J.; Michael Lindsay, speaker and consultant on the role of religion in public life; and Sue Mallory, author of "The Equipping Church," will be featured speakers. For more information, visit www.baptisteducators.org.

Former Southern Seminary VP dies. Harold Songer, former vice president of academic affairs for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., died Jan. 23 at age 77. Songer, who retired in 1992, also was a senior professor of New Testament interpretation at Southern. He wrote the Commentary on James in the Broadman Bible Commentary and many articles for professional journals. He is survived by his wife, Florence Rains Songer; son, Christopher Songer; and a sister, Irene Laffe of Jacksonville, Fla.

History & Heritage Society meeting set. "Women in Baptist History" will be the theme of the Baptist History & Heritage Society's annual meeting June 2-4 at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. The Fellowship of Baptist Historians auxiliary will meet in conjunction with the event June 2. For more information, visit www.baptisthistory.org.

Semple serves New Mexico convention. Longtime Texas Baptist pastor and denominational leader James Semple will become acting executive director of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico March 1. Semple, who served 12 years as director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' State Missions Commission and 25 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Paris, has been interim evangelism ministries director for the New Mexico convention since last May.