By Staff, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS — Today, five judges on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals sharply criticized the court decision that ruled against GuideStone earlier this summer. A three judge panel ruled against GuideStone and GuideStone participants Truett-McConnell College and Reaching Souls International in July. In a rare move, the entire Tenth Circuit, on its own initiative, took a vote on whether to reconsider the panel decision. When the vote narrowly fell short, the five judges issued a dissenting opinion. Their opinion explains why the panel decision was “a dangerous approach to religious liberty” that is so “clearly and gravely wrong” that it “will not long survive.” The HHS mandate requires ministries that are not churches or integrated auxiliaries of churches to provide abortion-causing drugs and devices in their health plans or to face crippling fines. The parties in the case have argued that a false “accommodation” offered by the government still forces the ministries to violate their faith. GuideStone, along with churches and a very narrow class of other ministries, are exempt from the mandate and its penalties. But hundreds of evangelical Christian ministries that rely on GuideStone … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2015
Platt: IMB reducing workforce by 600-800, overspent $210 million since 2010
By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – David Platt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, shared that the overseas missions group had overspent its budget by $210 million since 2010, including $39 million in 2014, alone, dropping operating reserves to 4 months of funding, below the minimum 6 months amount advised by the SBC Executive Committee. Consequently, he said, the IMB plans to reduce its workforce – field missionaries and staff – by 600-800 people. PRESENT REALITIES During a conference call with reporters August 27 Platt laid out the situation in terms of a crisis of IMB’s own making. “The challenge we’re addressing is that despite increased giving to the IMB over the last four years, for example, we have consistently spent more money than has been given to us each year,” Platt explained. “What we realized,” he said, “is as we got into the budgeting process this year – even since the SBC—that not only did we have that $21 million shortfall in 2014, but we were also using global property sales to cover some of our expenses in 2014 that was to the tune of $18 million. “So when you add those two numbers together you realize in total, in 2014, we were spending $39 … [Read more...]
GBO allows Louisiana Baptists to respond to many needs
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer ALEXANDRIA – The bad news – Louisiana has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars re-routed to other parts of the country. The good news – it’s been going to help penetrate the lostness across the United States. When Kevin Ezell became president of the North American Mission Board in 2010, he proposed, in concert with state convention leaders, a strategy that gradually shifted resources away from Southern states such as Louisiana that have a strong membership and financial base to states outside the South that typically do not have those same resources needed for ministry. Louisiana Baptists’ Executive Director David Hankins assured Ezell that Louisiana Baptists would respond positively to take care of their own. “I shared with Dr. Ezell that Louisiana Baptists are happy to be a part of the effort to penetrate lostness in North America,” said Hankins. “We believe our country needs to hear the Gospel. “I also assured him that we would step up to the challenge of fully supporting missions and ministries in Louisiana.” Formerly, many mission projects and personnel were jointly supported by the state and NAMB. Even though part of the support has gone away, the need for the … [Read more...]
First Haughton’s Spinney to be nominated for LBC President
By Philip Timothy, Message Managing Editor Gevan Spinney’s name will be placed in nomination for the position of president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention during this year’s LBC Annual Meeting, according to a press release distributed by Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Covington and former Louisiana Baptist Convention president. Spinney is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Haughton. The LBC Annual Meeting is scheduled to meet Nov. 9-10 at First Baptist Church in Bossier City. According to the release, Spinney is “a young man who loves Jesus and has a passionate heart for the lost while not compromising his conservative theology. He has served in almost every imaginable position in his association and in the state convention.” Since becoming the pastor of First Haughton in 2003, he has overseen the church’s explosive expansion. Under his leadership, First Haughton’s attendance has grown from 300 to 900 and the church has recently moved into a new $7 million children’s facility and worship center that seats 1200. In the last two years, the church has baptized 246, an average of 123 annually. Additionally, the church’s budget has more than doubled through his stewardship and First Haughton … [Read more...]
Ashley Madison – “It’s a different kind of Katrina”
By Joe McKeever, Retired Pastor/Author, New Orleans Editor’s Note: “Life is short. Have an affair.” That motto of the online adultery firm calling itself Ashley Madison has supposedly lured in nearly 40 million participants. The website promises “100 percent security.” It promises that registrants who pay the fee “will find someone within 3 months or we’ll refund your money.” Recently, hackers broke past the security wall and released the entire list. No one knows whether all the names are legitimate. We are learning that quite a few well-known political and religious leaders signed on to this amazingly bone-headed come-on. Many are running for cover. Others are into denial, some have gone public with their confession and repentance, and we have heard rumors of suicides as a result of this scandalous list. As a young minister, I said to a saintly older woman in the church, “You are the godliest person I know.” She said, “Oh, honey, if you just knew.” I’m the age of Marguerite Briscoe then. I know now what she knew then. There is none righteous, no, not one. We are all fallen creatures redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and in daily need of His grace and mercy. Oh no... I got caught up in the Ashley Madison scandal … [Read more...]
Mike Johnson offers pro-bono defense to LSU’s football chaplaincy program
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BATON ROUGE – In the wake of the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s claims that the chaplaincy program at Louisiana State University is unconstitutional, Mike Johnson, chief counsel of Freedom Guard, has offered to defend the school pro-bono. Officials from FFRF released a report on Aug. 17 entitled “Pray To Play: Christian coaches and chaplains are converting football fields into mission fields.” In the 25-page report, which was followed by a letter sent to LSU and other schools including several in the Southeastern Conference, the organization that focuses on separation of church and state said public universities and their employees are forbidden from endorsing, promoting or favoring religion. “Yet, many football coaches at public universities bring in chaplains—often from their own church or even members of their own family—to prey on and pray with students, with no regard for the rights of those students or the Constitution,” the report said. “These coaches are converting playing fields into mission fields and public universities are doing nothing to halt this breach of trust. They are failing their student athletes. The purpose of this report is to expose this … [Read more...]
Planned Parenthood takes state to court over Medicaid cuts
By Sandy Cunningham, Louisiana Right to Life This afternoon in federal court in Baton Rouge, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast asked U.S. District Judge John deGravelles to temporarily prevent Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration from pulling Medicaid funds from the abortion business while further appeals are argued. deGravelles is the same judge who should rule any day now on the case regarding the state's 2014 admitting privilege law. In the case, Planned Parenthood vs. Kathy Kleibert, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Planned Parenthood claims the action violates federal law and places thousands of women's critical care in jeopardy. But the state is citing a state law that allows cancellation of a Medicaid provider agreement with a 30-day notice. The Medicaid funding cut was supposed to take effect today, but the state agreed in court to extend the date until Sept. 15 in order to respond to a brief filed by the government late Monday. Once responses are filed, the court will issue a ruling on Planned Parenthood's request for a temporary restraining order. Benjamin Clapper, executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, issued the following statement: "It should be the prerogative of the governor … [Read more...]
Louisiana College revival continues tonight
Louisiana College continues its three-day campus revival tonight, with Lee Howell, founder of Awaken Men Ministries and director of St. George Island Christian Retreat Center, bringing his message at 6:30 pm. The revival began on Sept. 1, with Sammy Tippit preaching and the Gathering Place band leading music. The revival concludes on Thursday, when renowned youth evangelist Curtis Zackery speaks in chapel at 11 am and that evening at 6:30 pm. Area churches are leading music each session. Zion Hill Church tonight and on Thursday the LC Chapel band at 11 am and the Philadelphia Baptist Church choir at 6:30 pm. In the past, Dr. David Allen and last year Dr. John Bisagno, Dr. Alvin Reid, and Dr. Sammy Tippit spoke at the Joseph Willis Symposium, which served as the Campus Revival. Philip Caples, Vice President of Integration for Faith and Learning and Assistant Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry at LC, encouraged pastors, the campus community and others around the state to attend this year's revival. "We have great speakers and worship leaders, and the atmosphere on campus is set for the Lord to move in a powerful way," he said. LC President Rick Brewer added the revival is important because the school is … [Read more...]
Harrisonburg native, pioneer missionary doctor Wana Ann Fort dies
By Laura Fielding, International Mission Board RICHMOND, Va. (BP) - Missionary doctor Wana Ann Gibson Fort, 91, died Aug. 31 in Baton Rouge. Fort and her husband, the late Milton "Giles" Fort Jr., served with the then-called Foreign Mission Board as pioneer missionary doctors at Sanyati Baptist Hospital in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). At this hospital, Fort and her husband helped launch a spiritual awakening through medical missions. The Forts, appointed as missionaries in 1952, led countless patients to Christ. "We were committed to being God's hands of mercy and healing to souls and bodies," she once said. She and her husband raised five sons in Zimbabwe. Three have served or continue to serve as missionaries with the International Mission Board. Two of the Forts' sons are medical doctors. "Mom lived out the reality of her faith," said Gordon Fort, one of Wana Ann's sons and IMB senior ambassador. "As wife, momma, teacher, doctor, women's worker, and serving missions support functions, she demonstrated what it means to live a life of obedience to the Master. It has been our incredible privilege to have been a part of her life's journey." During the Forts' missionary service in Africa, the Shona people … [Read more...]
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