• New Urbanism offers antidote for isolation, proponents say

  Posted: 1/20/06

  New Urbanism offers antidote
  for isolation, proponents say

  By Marshall Allen

  Religion News Service

  PASADENA, Calif. (RNS)–Eric Jacobsen speaks passionately about things like sidewalks and storefronts. But he's not an architect or developer. He's a pastor.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  On the Move

  Posted: 1/20/06

  On the Move

  Kevin Boyd has resigned as minister to students at Longbranch Community Church in Midlothian to help start a church in Red Oak.

  George Killam to White Creek Church in George West as pastor.

  Stacy Martin to Shady Shores Church in Denton as youth minister.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Sponsors needed for children in Russian foster care

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Buckner employs two case managers and provides financial assistance and training to 24 foster families in the St. Petersburg region of Russia. (Photos by Felicia Fuller/Buckner Benevolences)

  Sponsors needed for children
  in Russian foster care

  By Felicia Fuller

  Buckner Benevolences

  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia–Having spent her first year of life in the cold institutional confines of a Russian orphanage, 2-year-old Anya still struggles with social phobias and speech delays.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Buckner addresses HIV epidemic in Russian orpha

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Above: Hospital 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia, is improving its medical services to HIV-positive orphans thanks to Buckner supporters like Blair and Melissa Pogue of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas. At Right: Buckner and Russian government officials met recently on ways to stem the surge of infections in Russia's government-run orphanages. (Photos by Felicia Fuller/Buckner Benevolences)

  Buckner addresses HIV epidemic in Russian orphanages

  By Felicia Fuller

  Buckner Benevolences

  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia–With children and young adults accounting for 80 percent of HIV cases in Russia, Buckner and Russian government officials met recently on ways to stem the surge of infections in Russia's government-run orphanages.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• Managing risks a crucial church stewardship issue

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Managing risks a crucial
  church stewardship issue

  By Ken Camp

  Managing Editor

  SAN ANGELO–When church leaders fail to identify and manage risks in areas such as legal liability, health and safety standards, and compliance with civil rights laws, they neglect an important aspect of biblical stewardship, risk-management consultant Dick Baggett has concluded.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• Let terminally ill control own fate, most say

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Let terminally ill control own fate, most say

  By Jason Kane

  Religion News Service

  WASHINGTON (RNS)–An overwhelming majority of white Catholics and Protestants support laws endorsing the right of terminally ill patients to decide whether medical care should keep them alive, a new study by the Pew Research Center has found.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• Texas governor advocates intelligent design

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Texas governor advocates intelligent design

  By Bobby Ross Jr.

  Religion News Service

  AUSTIN (RNS)– A letter from Gov. Rick Perry's office advocates teaching intelligent design in public school classrooms, but Perry's office and the state school board chairwoman insist there are no plans to push for curriculum changes.

  01/20/2006 - By Bobby Ross Jr.

• 

  Texas Tidbits

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Texas Tidbits

  Baylor names chair of Christian ethics in business. Mitchell Neubert has been appointed Chavanne Chair for Christian Ethics in Business by the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. Before joining Baylor, Neubert was director of the masters' programs in organizational change and development at Bowling Green State University. "In the new position, Neubert will serve as a champion and catalyst for ethics across business disciplines and within our executive, graduate and undergraduate programs," said Terry Maness, dean of the Hankamer School of Business. Neubert completed his doctorate in human resource management and organizational behavior at the University of Iowa.

  BUA hires development officer. Jeff Johnson has joined Baptist University of the Americas as a development officer. Johnson was vice president for development with Lay Witnesses for Christ International, a sports chaplaincy ministry, and was pastor of Seventh & Main Baptist Church in Bonham. Johnson's job will include fundraising and new-donor development as BUA gears up for its expansion to a new 75-acre campus that will break ground this year.

  Hardin-Simmons, HBU named colleges of distinction. Hardin-Simmons University and Houston Baptist University are among 11 Texas schools named as colleges of distinction by collegesofdistinction.com, a national higher education guide. To qualify for the designation, the schools were evaluated in four areas–"engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes."

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  California pastor to direct BGCT leadership team

  Posted: 1/20/06

  California pastor to direct
  BGCT leadership team

  By John Hall

  Texas Baptist Communications

  DALLAS–The Baptist General Convention of Texas has appointed California pastor Reggie Thomas to direct its leadership development efforts.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• Untapped potential in Christians’ wallets

  Posted: 1/20/06

  Untapped potential in Christians' wallets

  By Ken Camp

  Managing Editor

  If American Christians tithed, churches could gain $156 billion a year, a recent study found.

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Stewardship encompasses all of life

  Posted: 1/20/06

  TOGETHER:
  One of a kind, plus 2 soul heart-cries

  When I was in my twenties, I was deeply convicted about racial injustice and the failure of Baptists to move to a biblical view of Christlike love and acceptance. For many young Baptists and me, Foy Valentine was the prophetic voice we needed to hear.

  Taught by the unforgettable biblical ethics professor T.B. Maston at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Foy became a voice for Baptists in the call for justice and righteousness in our nation. He served as director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission before taking the CLC responsibility for Southern Baptists. He was not liked by everyone, but he saved me from despair and helped me believe Baptists would one day get it right.

  We celebrated his life and the difference he made at his funeral at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas Jan. 11.

  Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge

• 

  Cybercolumn by Berry Simpson: 6:23

  Posted: 1/20/06

  CYBER COLUMN:
  6:23
  

  By Berry Simpson
  

  One day, I had this noble idea that if I looked up all the 6:23 verses in the Bible, maybe they would speak to me in some special way.
  

  The reason I thought that was because my birthday is June 23, or 6:23. Surely the verses that correspond to my birthday, my verses, would speak to me in some significant way, I thought. Not all books of the Bible have six chapters, and among those that do have six chapters, not all have 23 verses. However, all in all, I found 21 6:23 verses.

  Berry D. Simpson

  01/20/2006 - By John Rutledge