2007 Archives
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TOGETHER: A way for Baptists to bless the world
Posted: 2/02/07
TOGETHER:
A way for Baptists to bless the worldWord comes to us that nine Christian pastors have been jailed in Zimbabwe. The Baptist World Alliance has called for release of these pastors, who are working for peace and justice. This is but one example of what is happening in many places. And it is one of the reasons it is so important for Baptists from across North America to gather in Atlanta a year from now.
There is strength in numbers and in unity. Texas Baptists will join Baptists from across Canada, Mexico and all 50 states to celebrate our unity in the great gospel of Jesus Christ. The special emphasis for this meeting will be to help Baptists speak a clear word to a watching and listening world that we are Jesus People.
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
We believe God loves the world so much that he sent Jesus and those who follow him into the world so people can have eternal life and not perish.
We believe God honors his word and his promises, and we can preach boldly the truth of God to a confused, broken and frightened world.
02/08/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Zimbabwe police arrest 9 pastors attending leadership seminar
Posted: 2/08/07
Zimbabwe police arrest 9 pastors
attending leadership seminarWASHINGTON (ABP)—Zimbabwe police arrested nine pastors at a gathering of more than 300 church leaders in late January. At least one of the pastors was Baptist. The arrests were made public Jan. 30 by the Baptist World Alliance.
Raymond Motsi, pastor of Bulawayo Baptist Church, was among the group. The pastors have since been fined and released.
The pastors were charged with violating Zimbabwe’s Public Order and Security Act, which forbids gatherings of more than three without the approval from the police. The meeting was planned by a Christian Alliance group in Kadoma, more than 150 kilometers west of Harare, the country’s capital.
Christian Alliance has been accused by the Robert Mugabe-led government of plotting with opposition parties to overthrow his regime.
02/08/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Former governor, Baptist minister, runs for White House
Posted: 2/08/07
Former governor, Baptist
minister, runs for White House
By Robert Marus
Associated Baptist Press
WASHINGTON (ABP)—The latest long-shot presidential candidate is a Southern Baptist Baby Boomer from Hope, Ark., who served as governor of his home state. But this isn’t Bill Clinton, and he isn’t a Democrat. Instead, he’s a Republican, an ex-pastor and former president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and a Baptist minister, is running for President. Mike Huckabee, in a Jan. 28 appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, announced that he has formed a committee to explore the possibility of running for president on the GOP ticket. Forming an exploratory committee is the first formal step in any presidential bid and allows the candidate to hire campaign staff and raise funds.
02/08/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Bellevue report: Assistant pastor guilty of sex abuse against son
Posted: 2/08/07
Bellevue report: Assistant pastor
guilty of sex abuse against son
By Hannah Elliott
Associated Baptist Press
CORDOVA, Tenn. (ABP)—Paul Williams, minister of prayer and special projects at Bellevue Baptist Church, sexually abused his son 17 years ago, according to a report from the church’s investigative committee. The committee announced its findings to the congregation Jan. 28.
“Paul Williams engaged in egregious, perverse, sexual activity with his adolescent son over a period of 12 to 18 months,” the report said. “Paul became convicted of his actions, and he stopped. He asked for forgiveness from his son and never touched him inappropriately again. At that time Paul told no one else.”
02/08/2007 - By John Rutledge
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LifeWay removes ‘questionable’ online titles
Posted: 2/05/07
LifeWay removes ‘questionable’ online titles
By Lonnie Wilkey
Tennessee Baptist & Reflector
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—LifeWay Christian Resources has removed a number of pro-gay titles from its online store, LifeWaystores.com, after staffers became aware of the books’ availability.
EthicsDaily.com reported Jan. 29 that LifeWay had several authors listed on the site who promoted a “pro-homosexual” agenda. EthicsDaily is a news service of the Nashville-based Baptist Center for Ethics.
02/07/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Global warming calls for a Baptist response
Posted: 2/07/07
Global warming calls for a Baptist response
By John Hall
Texas Baptist Communications
AUSTIN—In the wake of an international report indicating humans very likely have caused global warming, Christian Life Commission Director Suzii Paynter called for Texas Baptists to lobby elected officials to rethink 18 proposed coal-fired power plants that would dump tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
Scientists who subscribe to the concept of global warming believe industrial gases released into the atmosphere create hotter days, heat waves, droughts and stronger and more frequent hurricanes.
02/07/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Texas Baptist Forum
Posted: 2/02/07
Texas Baptist Forum
New Baptist Covenant
I read with extreme interest regarding the convocation for the Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant, designed to unite North American Baptists next year (Jan. 22).
If the best “laymen” that could be found to accomplish this task are Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, then the convocation is doomed before it ever meets.
• Jump to online-only letters below Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum. 
“I believe in the culture war. And you know what? If I have to take a side in the culture war, I’ll take their side. Because if you give me the choice of Paris Hilton or Jesus, I'll take Jesus.”
Alexandra Pelosi
Filmmaker, discussing her new film, Friends of God, about evangelical Christians (New York Times/RNS)“I think about God a lot more than ever, though I used to ask him, ‘Help me make a good jump.’”
Evel Knievel
Retired stuntman (USA Today/RNS)“I don’t see how we can justify the death of one more American soldier in the cause of a ‘democracy’ such as the one on display at the execution of Saddam Hussein. Let’s bring the troops home.”
David Gushee
Professor of moral philosophy at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. (ABP)“Forgo anger, tobacco, intoxication and gluttony in favor of exercise, humility, charity, prayer and patience.”
Nicholas Kao Se-tsean
At 110 years old, one of the world's oldest priests, on his secrets for long life (Ecumenical News International/RNS)If Clinton is a Baptist, then I am a former president. Carter may be a Baptist, but his extreme leftist politics make him an odd choice to lead this distinguished group of 80 leaders. It is noted that his Baptist church recently ordained his wife, Rosalynn, as a deacon, in direct violation of New Testament teachings on this subject.
02/05/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Prayerwalkers appeal to God to take back community
Posted: 2/02/07
Participants in a recent DiscipleNow weekend at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church held the congregation’s first prayerwalk through the neighborhood near the church. The group prayed for schools, medical facilities and other churches. More prayerwalks and outreaches are planned to help “change the spiritual climate” of the neighborhood, said David Balyeat, interim minister for missions. Prayerwalkers appeal to
God to take back communityBy Laura Lacey Johnson
Special to the Baptist Standard
A new government program is bringing positive change to a crime-laced neighborhood not far from Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas. But church members determined to take back their community have appealed to a higher authority—by prayerwalking.
“The idea is to heighten the level of consciousness about the condition of the neighborhood and get the congregation more involved in praying for the spiritual climate to make the changes from the government program more viable,” said David Balyeat, interim minister for missions at Shiloh Terrace.
Prayerwalking participants offer practical advice: Read books about prayer so you have a framework from which to pray.
— David Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church of CanyonAsk God to give you a vision of what he wants for the area.
— David Balyeat, interim minister of missions at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in DallasBe “confessed up and prayed up” to help combat spiritual warfare.
—Texas Baptist missionaries to North AfricaIf planning a group prayerwalk, seek God’s choice of the team members and look for people with “a heart for prayer.”
—Steve Hawthorne and Graham Kendrick, authors02/05/2007 - By John Rutledge
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CYBER COLUMN by John Duncan: Pain and suffering
Posted: 2/05/07
CYBER COLUMN:
Pain and sufferingBy John Duncan
I’m sitting here under the old oak tree, thinking of life in its ups and downs, in its hopes and dreams, and in its disappointment and suffering. C.S. Lewis once hailed life as a series of events with the “life of souls in a world” try to eliminate suffering from life: “Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself.” As much as I hate to admit it, souls alive suffer and survive.
John Duncan Suffering, I do not like it. Just the other day, my youngest daughter and I were working out. You know—exercise, Rocky Balboa motivation and shed pounds and dress for success. After all, prom is just around the corner for her, and I could stand to lose a few pounds. It is also the time of year to trim a few pounds and prepare for the swimsuit season soon to follow. I asked her to hand me a free weight, one that I would lift with my legs and arms, and low and behold she accidentally dropped it on my left knee! The pain and suffering were enormous. I can tell you I was not thinking of Jesus my High Priest of suffering nor Saint Peter’s admonition, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). I thought of the pain in my knee, and it was as if a lightning bolt had zapped me. Good news, though: A bruise ensued and the pain subsided.
02/05/2007 - By John Rutledge
