patterson_62303

Posted 6/19/03

Patterson to be nominated as
president of Southwestern Seminary

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

FORT WORTH–Paige Patterson will be nominated as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in a called meeting of seminary trustees June 24.

06/19/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_black_62303

Posted 6/18/03

SBC: Black History Project focuses on Black leaders

PHOENIX (BP)–African-American pastors can become leaders among Southern Baptists when they get involved enough to be known and respected, said E.W. McCall, longtime pastor of St. Stephen Baptist Church in La Puente, Calif.

George O. McCalep Jr., president of the African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention.

McCall offered his advice during the inaugural seminar of the Black History Project June 14 at Bethesda Community Baptist Church in Phoenix. The seminar was hosted by the Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network.

“Get involved on the local level,” McCall said. “Stay involved when you're popular and when you're not.”

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_election_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Jack Graham re-elected
president of SBC without opposition

PHOENIX–Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, was re-elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention June 17 without opposition.

Graham won by one vote but it was the only vote that counted. With no other nominees, Registration Secretary James Wells was instructed to cast the vote on behalf of the messengers, giving Graham the traditional second term as leader of the nation's largest non-Catholic denomination. At the time of the election, 6,830 messengers had registered during the first day of the annual meeting.

Bobby Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach, Fla., nominated Graham, calling him an “energetic, focused soul-winner.” He said Graham led the SBC “with certainty and conviction” during 12 months “loaded” with controversy.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_graham_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Graham calls Southern
Baptists to be salt and light

By Michael Clingenpeel

Virginia Religious Herald

PHOENIX–President Jack Graham urged the Southern Baptist Convention to penetrate a decaying culture and illuminate a dark world rather than retreat into a subculture that makes no difference in the world.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_mohler_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Mohler: Scripture mandates evangelism 'to the Jew first'

PHOENIX–Jewish evangelism, homosexuality and the authority of Scripture are three “trip wires” confronting the evangelical Christian church, Al Mohler told a gathering of Messianic Jews June 16.

Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and a frequent apologist for the Southern Baptist Convention on national TV, spoke to the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship. The fellowship held its gathering prior to the SBC annual meeting in Phoenix.

Jewish evangelism relates to homosexuality, Mohler declared, because both issues are based on the authority of the Bible.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_pastorsconf_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Family first priority at
SBC Pastors' Conference

By Stella Prather, Jennifer Rash & Stacy Hamby

PHOENIX–“Kingdom families” captured the spotlight of the 2003 Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference, even as participants heard a new version of the Monday Night Football song from evangelist Hank Williams.

Headlining the two-day meeting was the first-ever Southern Baptist Convention Kingdom Family Rally held during the closing session June 16. The Pastors' Conference met June 15-16 in Phoenix, immediately prior to the SBC annual meeting.

Leading up to the Monday evening rally, Pastors' Conference speakers focused their sermons around the family theme. Music was provided by the Annie Moses Band, Wintley Phipps and the Rick Webb Trio. Choirs from First Baptist Church of Dallas also performed.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_vines_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Vines tells Pastors' Conference
'All religions not the same'

PHOENIX–Just in case America didn't hear him the first time, Jerry Vines made a point of speaking clearly at this year's Southern Baptist Pastor's Conference: “All religions are not the same. All religions are not equally true.”

Vines, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, drew the ire of Muslims and others when at last year's Pastors' Conference he called the founder of Islam a “demon-possessed pedophile” as he marched toward declaring that Christianity is superior to Islam.

That led to a later segment aired on the “NBC Nightly News” in which anchor Tom Brokaw described Vines as “preaching hate.”

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_rally_62303

Posted 6/18/03

Kingdom Family Rally promotes
'Seven Pillars' to strengthen families

By Tony Cartledge

PHOENIX–After three years of planning, the Southern Baptist Convention unveiled seven “pillars” leaders believe will strengthen American families.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

sbc_wmu_62303

Posted 6/18/03

WMU focuses on God's call,
inspirational testimonies

By Charlie Warren, John Loudat & Bill Webb

Arkansas Baptist, Baptist New Mexican and Word & Way

PHOENIX–“Survivor” could have been the theme of this year's annual meeting of Woman's Missionary Union, but viewers of the popular TV show would have found a message of faith rather than fear on this stage.

06/18/2003 - By John Rutledge

history_hymns_62303

Posted: 6/13/03

Coleman, Penn played key role
in church music, history society told

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

BELTON–Texas Baptists probably wouldn’t be singing the last verse of "Amazing Grace" or singing to the accompaniment of an organ at all if not for Robert H. Coleman and William E. Penn.

06/13/2003 - By John Rutledge

nc_giving_62303

Posted: 6/13/03

NC giving plan OK,
study committee reports

By Tony Cartledge

North Carolina Biblical Recorder

CARY, N.C. (ABP)–The giving plan that allows North Carolina Baptists to send mission funds to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship instead of the Southern Baptist Convention does not violate the state convention's constitution, according to a study committee.

06/13/2003 - By John Rutledge

presbyterians_62303

Posted: 6/13/03

Presbyterians avoid
fight over homosexuality

By Kevin Eckstrom

Religion News Service

DENVER (RNS)–The Presbyterian Church (USA) stepped back from another divisive fight over homosexuality May 30, rejecting a third church-wide vote on whether to allow non-celibate gays and lesbians to serve as pastors and elders.

06/13/2003 - By John Rutledge