Baptist & Reflector

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MOHLER, THOMAS DEBATE THE ROLE OF FAITH IN AMERICAN POLITICS AT “GOD AND POLITICS”

Andrew J.W. Smith
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas discuss personal faith and politics at "God and Politics"

R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas discuss personal faith and politics at “God and Politics”

Christians should be involved in the political process but remember their ultimate hope lies beyond any office or vote, said evangelical thinkers R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas at the April 25 “God and Politics” event at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, and Thomas, a political pundit and syndicated columnist, discussed their views regarding the religious beliefs of political candidates before a full Alumni Memorial Chapel. Although the event came about after a public disagreement on this issue, Mohler and Thomas agreed that ironclad biblical promises transcend those of waffling political candidates.

“If Christ is king and God is sovereign and our citizenship is ultimately in heaven, then we shouldn’t have our equilibrium thrown off too much by any election,” Mohler said. [Read more…]

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PASTORS: THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMPLICATED

By Bob Smietana
LifeWay News

160427raptureNASHVILLE, Tennessee – Most Protestant pastors believe Jesus will return in the future. But few agree about the details of the apocalypse.

A third of America’s Protestant pastors expect Christians to be raptured—or taken up in the sky to meet Jesus—as the end times begin. About half think a false messiah known as the Antichrist will appear sometime in the future.

A surprising number think the Antichrist has already been here or isn’t on his way at all.

Those are among the findings of a new telephone survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors and their views on end-times theology from Nashville-based LifeWay Research, sponsored by Charisma House Book Group. [Read more…]

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STATES, CITIES ISSUE TRAVEL BANS TO N.C., MISSISSIPPI

Baptist Press

160421nc-travelJACKSON — At least nine U.S. cities and five states have banned non-essential travel by government employees to North Carolina, Mississippi, or both, claiming religious liberty bills adopted there discriminate against homosexual and transgendered persons.

A Mississippi pastor told Baptist Press he’s proud of his state legislature’s courage and confused by the seeming hypocrisy of some critics. Pastors in Vermont and Washington — two states to enact bans — said such actions are a predictable outworking of the secular worldview that dominates their local cultures.

Joining Washington and Vermont in instituting travel bans were the states of New York, Minnesota, and Connecticut. Cities to institute bans included Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco, Calif.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Washington, according to USA Today. [Read more…]

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SBC ENTITY HEADS APPEAR IN VIDEO FOR J.D. GREEAR

SBC Editors’ Network


YouTube Video

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A YouTube video promoting J.D. Greear for president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has raised concern. The question is the participation of three SBC entity presidents who appear to be endorsing Greear’s election. The “It’s Tricky” video is a parody of the late 80s rap song with the same name by Run-DMC.

The concern emerged when Greear — pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., and a leading member of Acts 29, a church network that rejects non-Calvinist church planters and solely promotes Calvinistic governance — began circulating a promotional video March 14 as a campaign ad for SBC president.

Two other nominees have since been announced — Steve Gaines, pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, and David Crosby, pastor, First Baptist Church, New Orleans, La. [Read more…]

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CHRISTIANS FACE INTOLERANCE; COMPLAIN

By Bob Smietana
Lifeway News Office

160407complain1NASHVILLE — A growing number of Americans believe religious liberty is on the decline and that the nation’s Christians face growing intolerance.

They also say American Christians complain too much.

Those are among the findings of a new study of views about religious liberty from LifeWay Research. Researchers surveyed 1,000 Americans in September 2013 and September 2015 and then compared the results.

Two-thirds (63 percent) say Christians face increasing intolerance, up from half (50 percent) in 2013. A similar number (60 percent) say religious liberty is on the decline, up from just over half (54 percent) in 2013.

Forty-three percent of those surveyed say American Christians complain too much about how they are treated, up from 34 percent in 2015. [Read more…]

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LIFEWAY HOLDS 125TH ANNIV. & GROUNDBREAKING

By Baptist Press

LifeWay’s executive leadership team turned the ceremonial first shovels of dirt for the ministry’s new building. (From left to right) Jerry Rhyne, Eric Geiger, Selma Wilson, Thom Rainer, Brad Waggoner, Ed Stetzer, Tim Hill and Cossy Pachares.

LifeWay’s executive leadership team turned the ceremonial first shovels of dirt for the ministry’s new building. (From left to right) Jerry Rhyne, Eric Geiger, Selma Wilson, Thom Rainer, Brad Waggoner, Ed Stetzer, Tim Hill and Cossy Pachares.

NASHVILLE (BP) — LifeWay Christian Resources celebrated its 125th anniversary, then held a groundbreaking ceremony and prayer service today (April 6) on property in downtown Nashville where it intends to build its new headquarters.

LifeWay announced plans in February to build a nine-story 250,000-square-foot office building in a mixed use development located just blocks from the campus LifeWay sold last November. [Read more…]

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IMB ADDRESSES BAPTISM NUMBERS

By David Roach
Baptist Press

A decrease in international baptisms reported is due largely to changes in data-reporting methods, the International Mission Board said. -BP photo.

A decrease in international baptisms reported is due largely to changes in data-reporting methods, the International Mission Board said.
-BP photo.

NASHVILLE (BP) — Decreases in the number of baptisms and new churches reported by International Mission Board missionaries during the past decade reflect changes in data-reporting methods and missions strategy, not a lack of evangelistic ministry.

That’s the conclusion of a March 21 IMB news release issued in response to observations that overseas baptisms for 2015 are at their lowest level since 1969 — 54,762, according to the IMB’s 2016 Ministry Report to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, down from a high of 609,968 reported for 2007. [Read more…]

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CHURCHES CONTINUE TO FACE BUDGET SHORTFALLS

By Bob Smietana
LifeWay Research

160321lifewayNASHVILLE, Tenn. — When it comes to finances, the new normal for American churches seems to be “just getting by.”

A third of Protestant senior pastors say their church’s giving was under budget in 2015, according to LifeWay Research.

One in five saw their finances decline.

Overall, about half of pastors say the economy negatively affected their churches this year.

Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, says pastors are still uneasy about their church’s finances.

“Wages grew in 2015, and inflation and unemployment remained low,” said McConnell. “Yet the financial picture for many churches did not improve.” [Read more…]

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NEARLY 1,000 MISSIONARIES RETURN HOME

IMB ‘reset’ will allow missions agency to have balanced budget for 2016-17

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

IMB staff members Phil Nelson, left, and Terry Sharp, second from right, visit with Tennessee trustees David Miller, second from left, and Phil Mitchell during the IMB trustee meeting held at the International Learning Center near Richmond late last month. Both Nelson and Sharp have strong Tennessee ties. Sharp formerly served on the staff of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and still lives in Hendersonville while Nelson formerly served as missions pastor at First Baptist Church, Concord, in Knoxville.

IMB staff members Phil Nelson, left, and Terry Sharp, second from right, visit with Tennessee trustees David Miller, second from left, and Phil Mitchell during the IMB trustee meeting held at the International Learning Center near Richmond late last month. Both Nelson and Sharp have strong Tennessee ties. Sharp formerly served on the staff of the Tennessee Baptist Convention and still lives in Hendersonville while Nelson formerly served as missions pastor at First Baptist Church, Concord, in Knoxville.

RICHMOND — Trustees of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board were told Feb. 24 that 988 missionaries are leaving the missions field along with 149 stateside staff members.

Last August IMB President David Platt announced that for financial reasons, the IMB needed to cut 600-800 missionary/staff positions. Over recent years the IMB consistently spent more money than it received — a combined $210 million more since 2010, leading to the critical need to balance the organization’s budget.

Missionaries and staff age 50 and above, with at least five years of employment, were given a Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI). Those not meeting that criteria were given the opportunity to retire through a Hand Raising Opportunity (HRO). [Read more…]

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IMB’S PLATT LOOKS FORWARD AFTER ‘RESET’

Baptist Press

IMB President David Platt casts vision for the future of IMB and responds to questions and comments submitted live via Twitter during a livestream event Thursday, March 3. -Photo by Chris Carter/IMB

IMB President David Platt casts vision for the future of IMB and responds to questions and comments submitted live via Twitter during a livestream event Thursday, March 3.
-Photo by Chris Carter/IMB

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Following an “organizational reset” that saw more than 1,100 International Mission Board personnel transition away from the board, President David Platt told a March 3 live stream audience he is ready to focus on the future.

“I really want to shift the conversation from talking about numbers and finances to talking about how this army of brothers and sisters going out specifically from Southern Baptist churches across North America can make the Gospel known among the nations,” Platt told an online audience that included viewers on more than 1,000 electronic devices. [Read more…]

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