Week of July 11, 2005
Gifts through the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program totaled more
than $12.5 million last month, a decrease of $567,434 (4.3 percent)
from the previous June. However, nine months into the convention’s
fiscal year, overall gifts total $145 million, an increase of almost
$2.2 million (1.5 percent) from the same time last year. The total also
stands more than $7.6 million (5.5 percent) ahead of budget at this
time. Meanwhile, designated gifts totaled $13.5 million last month, a
decrease of $5.6 million (29.4 percent) from the previous June. For the
year, designated gifts total almost $171 million, a decrease of
$801,395 (0.5 percent) from the same time last year.
The Georgia Supreme Court has denied Shorter College’s motion for
reconsideration of an earlier ruling in a case regarding its break from
the Georgia Baptist Convention. In May, the state high court upheld a
lower ruling that Shorter College’s 2003 actions to sever ties with the
Georgia Baptist Convention should be set aside as outside the bounds of
state corporate law. A county judge had allowed Shorter to dissolve and
transfer its assets to the newly-formed Shorter College Foundation
Inc., thus severing its ties with the state convention. However, that
decision was overturned on appeal. The state high court then upheld the
appeals court ruling. Now, the high court has declined to review its
decision. Attorneys now will begin the process of returning the school
to the authority of the convention.
Spain’s Congress of Deputies recently legalized same-sex marriages
despite opposition from the country’s Senate and hundreds of thousands
of Roman Catholics. The measure makes Spain the third country – along
with Belgium and the Netherlands – to legalize same-sex marriages
nationwide. The Canadian House of Commons also passed legislation late
last month that will legalize same-sex marriages, pending almost
certain approval by the nation’s Senate. Spain’s legislation also
allows homosexual couples to adopt children and inherit each other’s
property. The country’s Senate had rejected the same-sex marriage bill
the week before it was approved by the Congress of Deputies. But the
Senate is merely an advisory body, and final say on legislation lies
with the lower house. A May survey by a Spanish pollster found that 62
percent of Spaniards support the government’s action on same-sex
marriage, while 30 percent oppose it.
Rhonda Kelley was honored with the 2005 Mrs. J.M. Dawson Award at the
50th annual Ministers’ Wives Conference last month in Nashville, Tenn.
Kelley received the award for her contribution in the local church and
beyond. She is the wife of Chuck Kelley, president of New Orleans
Baptist Theological Seminary. Now serving as professor of women’s
ministry at the seminary, Kelley is a graduate of Baylor University and
has a doctorate in speech pathology from the University of New Orleans.
She has authored numerous books, has served as associate director of
Innovative Evangelism and hosts “A Word for Women,”, a television/radio
program in New Orleans. In addition, she coordinates the women’s
ministry at her church, First Baptist in New Orleans. Mrs. J.M. Dawson
Award was established in 1963 to recognize women who make a distinct
denominational contribution beyond the local church and who exhibit
Christian character and service to others. To nominate someone for next
year’s award, persons should send names to Lynda Estep, P.O. Box 1000,
Columbia, SC 29202.
Members of the United Church of Christ voted overwhelmingly this month
to endorse same-sex marriages. About 1,000 delegates to the General
Synod of the United Church of Christ overwhelmingly approved the
measure on a show-of-hands vote. The resolution is the first action
fully supporting same-sex marriage by any major Christian denomination
in the United States. Several others have publicly opposed the
practice, including the Southern Baptist Convention,. The action
endorses the concept of same-sex civil marriages and also encourages
congregations to provide religious marriages to same-sex couples. The
United Church of Christ denomination has 1.3 million members in 5,700
congregations. The denomination labeled itself as “open and affirming”
of homosexuals some 20 years ago.
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter has filed federal legislation that would
give the state veto power over a proposed casino by the Jena Band of
Choctaws. The Indian tribe is seeking to build a casino in Central
Louisiana, a move Vitter opposes. However, as it stands now, federal
law requires the state of Louisiana to negotiate with the Indians for
construction of the casino. Vitter’s bill would allow a state to
decline to negotiate. It also would prevent tribes from setting up
casinos off of their tribal lands, force them to study the economic
impact within a 60-mile radius and require background checks of the
casino principals. “There is a growing concern that Indian gambling has
spun out of control,” Vitter said, noting there now are 41 Indian
casinos in 28 states.
A year after formally withdrawing from the Baptist World Alliance,
Southern Baptist Convention leaders met with overseas representatives
to discuss ways conservative, evangelical Baptists can partner more
effectively in evangelism, church planting and theological education. A
contingent of Southern Baptist leaders recently met with Baptist
representatives from Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Moldovia, Poland and
Romania in early July. Discussion among the leaders included not only
missions but also cooperative projects in theological education. The
leaders reportedly agreed to work toward organizing a conference on
evangelism and church planting and to cooperate in theological
education. For Southern Baptists, the meeting represented the first of
several exploratory gatherings to be held in various locations around
the world. SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman said the
recent meeting “may prove in time to have been the inaugural
meeting of a network that shall extend to every corner of the earth,
creating a close fellowship among likeminded conservative Christians,”
he said.