Baptist Briefs

Posted: 10/14/05

Baptist Briefs

CBF gifts no longer Cooperative Program in N.C. Leaders of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention have approved a budget that no longer counts gifts to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as Cooperative Program funds. The convention's board of directors voted to approve a budget that changes the definition of gifts through the convention's Plan C giving option that allows churches to fund both the state convention and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship instead of the Southern Baptist Convention. The convention currently refers to such gifts as Cooperative Program gifts, but many SBC supporters in North Carolina have been rankled by that designation, contending that the moderate CBF is a breakaway group and the state convention has no right to define the meaning of Cooperative Program for itself. Plans A and D send 32 percent of a church's state convention contributions to the SBC, and Plan B sends 10 percent to the denomination. Plan C sends 10 percent to the CBF. In both 2006 and 2007, the amount forwarded to both national bodies is slated to increase by half a percent. An amendment that would have retained the Cooperative Program designation for CBF gifts failed on a 40-35 vote. Then the board approved the budget proposal on a nonrecorded vote.

Buckner Crisis Relief Center meets ongoing family needs

Posted: 10/14/05

Buckner Crisis Relief Center
meets ongoing family needs

By Jenny Pope

Buckner Benevolences

DALLAS–Jackie Belt's name is so well known in East Dallas, it's said to be etched into seatbacks of city buses. It's passed around neighborhoods, shared between friends and even inspired one family to name their son in his honor.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Cartoon

Posted: 10/14/05 “Trick or treat. I'm an usher.” News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention (…

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Dallas church empathizes with flood victims

Posted: 10/14/05

Dallas church empathizes with flood victims

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

Members of Pleasant Grove First Baptist Church of Dallas opened their hearts to hurricane evacuees–maybe because they know what it's like to be flooded.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Most Protestant ministers value continuing education

Posted: 10/14/05

Most Protestant ministers
value continuing education

PHOENIX (BP)–Most Protestant ministers are actively continuing their education through classes and/or seminars, according to a study released in Facts & Trends magazine.

While slightly under half of Protestant clergy say they are encouraged by their church's leaders to continue their education using church time and/or funds, most feel their budget for additional education is insufficient, the study by Ellison Research of Phoenix revealed.

Only 9 percent of all senior pastors had not attended any classes, conferences or seminars in the last two years.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

DOWN HOME: New photographs, lifetime memories

Posted: 10/14/05

DOWN HOME:
New photographs, lifetime memories

Time travel is possible.

I skimmed through slightly more than two decades a couple of Saturdays ago.

Lindsay, our oldest daughter, prompted my journey. She came home from school for the weekend so she could have her bridal portrait made. She and her mother, Joanna, had arranged to meet the photographer at the Dallas Arboretum on Saturday morning. And I, a known sappy sucker for sentimentality, agreed to join them.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Baptists support earthquake relief, recovery

Posted: 10/14/05

Baptists support earthquake relief, recovery

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP)–Rescue specialists from Hungarian Baptist Aid have joined the recovery effort in Pakistan, where the region's worst earthquake ever killed an estimated 41,000 people.

Other Baptist organizations–including the Baptist World Alliance, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Southern Baptist Convention–are supporting relief efforts either directly or with funding.

The Hungarian team includes 10 rescue specialists, two rescue dogs and 2.5 tons of equipment. A medical team is expected to follow.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

EDITORIAL: Baylor needs to put first things first

Posted: 10/14/05

EDITORIAL:
Baylor needs to put first things first

How often have you seen a troubled and divided church call a pastor, hoping and wishing–and praying–the new leader could heal their divisions and mend their spirit? And how often have you seen a pastor move into a congregation like that, only to be swept under by the swirling currents of strife and partisanship that preceded him there?

This scenario repeats itself over and over, not just in Texas, but throughout the country and beyond. When a pastorless church finds itself bitterly conflicted, the first order of business should be to restore relationships. Then, when that priority is completed, the church can call a pastor. Otherwise, unless the pastor can walk across the local lake to church on Sunday morning, cause the water fountain to produce Lord's Supper juice, and feed all the city's poor with a child's lunch, that pastor probably won't have the miracle-strength to fix a broken church.

The same is true with businesses and organizations of all kinds. It is true of Baylor University and its quest to elect a new president. Baylor needs to take on the hard task of reconciling its disparate but passionate constituencies before it chooses a new leader to guide them toward their common future.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Enrollment increased at seven BGCT schools

Posted: 10/14/05

Enrollment increased at seven BGCT schools

Enrollment increased at seven of the nine Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated universities this fall.

Record numbers of students are enrolled at Dallas Baptist University, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons University and Baptist University of the Americas.

Baylor University has the largest freshman class in its history. Baylor's overall campus body grew by 176 students from last year.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Archivists keep Baptist history from slipping away

Posted: 10/14/05

Archivists keep Baptist history from slipping away

By Meghan Merchant

Communications Intern

DALLAS–Each year, pieces of Texas Baptist history slip away unpreserved, to the dismay of Alan Lefever and Naomi Taplin.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Texas Baptist Forum

Posted: 10/14/05

Texas Baptist Forum

Definition of 'days'

Nora Ann Best's insistence that the “days” of Genesis 1 must be interpreted as 24-hour days (Oct. 3) is inconsistent with the use of the same word in Genesis 2:4.

The introductory statement in this verse clearly applies to the whole sequence of creation described in subsequent verses. Thus, “day” is used to mean an age or era of time.

Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum.

"We call him our missionary lizard. When people realize the T. Rex lived in Eden, it will lead us to a discussion of the gospel." Mark Looy Vice president at the Answers in Genesis museum, whose animatronic dinosaurs display is designed to teach creation science (BP) "The landscape of sports is so crazy–parents beating up coaches, NBA players going into the stands, baseball players getting traded halfway through the season. A wooden bat and a leather ball make a horrible god. We say, let's go to the Bible." Dan Britton Fellowship of Christian Athletes vice president, linking a change in athletic culture to a trend toward spirituality among athletes (Washington Post/RNS) "It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between grace and karma. … Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff." Bono Lead singer of the rock group U2 (World magazine/RNS)

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge

Retreat leaders challenge retired ministers

Posted: 10/14/05

Retreat leaders challenge retired ministers

By Orville Scott

Special to the Baptist Standard

GLORIETA, N.M.–Retirees never reach a point where they can rest from re-aching other people for Christ, a retired West Texas pastor told a retreat at Glo-rieta Confer-ence Center.

10/14/2005 - By John Rutledge