Aquartet of lawsuits allege the U.S. Navy has engaged in systematic discrimination against evangelical chaplains, including Southern Baptists.   Five current or former chaplains endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention are among 17 plaintiffs in one class action suit. In all, 27 chaplains are involved in the four suits filed in the past 14 months. Aquartet of lawsuits allege the U.S. Navy has engaged in systematic discrimination against evangelical chaplains, including Southern Baptists.   Five current or former chaplains endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention are among 17 plaintiffs in one class action suit. In all, 27 chaplains are involved in the four suits filed in the past 14 months.   Simply put, the suits claim the Navy is violating the First Amendment by failing to guarantee personnel free exercise of religion, asserted Art Schulcz, who represents parties in three of the cases.   For example, 12 percent of Navy personnel are members of denominations classified as "Protestant Liturgical," a designation that encompasses Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.   However, those denominations hold 35 percent of Navy … [Read more...]

C. Lacy Thompson LBM Associate Editor   Someone once opened a discussion of civility by looking back on the advent of the railroad into American life.   At the time, there were concerns about how persons would behave as they shared crowded railroad car space with others on long trips. There were discussions about what rules would be necessary.   However, surprisingly, behavior was not the problem some feared. Apparently, the sometimes crowded, inconvenienced passengers understood a simple truth - they were all in journey together. Someone once opened a discussion of civility by looking back on the advent of the railroad into American life.   At the time, there were concerns about how persons would behave as they shared crowded railroad car space with others on long trips. There were discussions about what rules would be necessary.   However, surprisingly, behavior was not the problem some feared. Apparently, the sometimes crowded, inconvenienced passengers understood a simple truth - they were all in journey together.   In other words, it made sense for persons to make the trip as pleasant as possibile - for others and themselves.   The … [Read more...]

By Lynn P. Clayton Editor   At the beginning of his 40th year as pastor of First Baptist Church, Zachary, Wayne Barnes did what most people who know him well thought he would never do - he retired.   Barnes’ commitment to ministering to people as a pastor, and the lengths to which he would go to fulfill that commitment, are legendary among his congregation and friends. It seems wherever the church family of Zachary First Baptist were in need, even a day’s drive away, Barnes would usually find his way to their sides. By Lynn P. Clayton Editor   At the beginning of his 40th year as pastor of First Baptist Church, Zachary, Wayne Barnes did what most people who know him well thought he would never do - he retired.   Barnes’ commitment to ministering to people as a pastor, and the lengths to which he would go to fulfill that commitment, are legendary among his congregation and friends. It seems wherever the church family of Zachary First Baptist were in need, even a day’s drive away, Barnes would usually find his way to their sides.   Few people can imagine him not expressing that commitment in ministry and they are probably right. While Barnes has retired as … [Read more...]

This stuff sure sticks. Man, does it stick.   The gift is not a major investment of money.   Hey, I bought it. Maybe my tightness is not as monumental as Jack Benny’s (except if you ask my kids), but neither am I Elvis (who gave away Cadillacs). This stuff sure sticks. Man, does it stick.   The gift is not a major investment of money.   Hey, I bought it. Maybe my tightness is not as monumental as Jack Benny’s (except if you ask my kids), but neither am I Elvis (who gave away Cadillacs).   It is the thought that counts, and the thought is in three relatively small pieces rather than its original one. Two blades of the Dutch windmill have broken free during their journey from there to here. The choices are three: Give it to my friend in its present three pieces, showing that I did think of her; try gluing them back together and acting as though nothing has happened; trash it. Paragraph two explains why I chose option two.   Sitting at the desk in my home office, the super glue stuff is carefully opened. The pieces are arranged within reach. The tube is squeezed ever so slightly and glue shoots out over the thumb, index finger and middle finger of both … [Read more...]

This year’s Baptist General Convention of Texas budget was supposed to redirect vast dollars away from Southern Baptist Convention seminaries and to Texas schools and ministries.   However, so far, churches in the state have been slow to embrace the new plan. This year’s Baptist General Convention of Texas budget was supposed to redirect vast dollars away from Southern Baptist Convention seminaries and to Texas schools and ministries.   However, so far, churches in the state have been slow to embrace the new plan.   The budget called for reducing funding to the six Southern Baptist seminaries by $4.3 million and to the SBC Executive Committee and Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission by another $1.1 million.   However, churches are not required to give through that particular budget but may choose from various options.   As a result, through the first quarter of the giving year, more than half of contributing churches (51 percent) designated their gifts for distribution under the old approach that retains 67 percent of gifts within the state and sends 33 percent to the national convention for distribution.   Just 16 percent of churches gave through … [Read more...]

Every Tuesday morning Jedediah Blake prayerwalks Over-the-Rhine, an inner-city Cincinnati neighborhood filled with rundown storefronts, mom-and-pop businesses and plenty of people he says are searching for hope and purpose. Every Tuesday morning Jedediah Blake prayerwalks Over-the-Rhine, an inner-city Cincinnati neighborhood filled with rundown storefronts, mom-and-pop businesses and plenty of people he says are searching for hope and purpose.   As pastor of Over-the-Rhine’s only Southern Baptist church, Blake has seen his fair share of crime and violence. The streets abound with prostitutes and open drug sales.   Even churches are not exempt from the neighborhood’s evil side. Several months ago, an unknown gunman shot and seriously wounded the pastor of a church after an evening service just a few hundred yards from Blake’s church, Evangel Baptist.   And on April 10, Blake found himself in a hail of gunfire when he was caught up in a riot that engulfed Cincinnati and forced the mayor to declare a state of emergency.   The riots were sparked by the shooting of a black youth by a white police officer. Hundreds of people took to the streets to protest - mostly in the … [Read more...]

Have Louisiana Baptists lost whatever influence we may have had with the Louisiana legislative and governing processes? Louisiana Baptists should be able to impact these processes. In terms of "bragging" numbers, we have some 608,000 members. Remember, Baptists only count church members who have reached the age of accountability, have made a profession of faith and have been baptized, whereas denominations such as Roman Catholics count those who from birth have been baptized. Have Louisiana Baptists lost whatever influence we may have had with the Louisiana legislative and governing processes? Louisiana Baptists should be able to impact these processes. In terms of "bragging" numbers, we have some 608,000 members. Remember, Baptists only count church members who have reached the age of accountability, have made a profession of faith and have been baptized, whereas denominations such as Roman Catholics count those who from birth have been baptized. While we may not be able to find all of the 608,000 baptized members during a given week, by the time the total number of Southern Baptists includes the children of church members, we surely could find about 500,000. This would mean at least one in nine Louisianians … [Read more...]

What do Sunday School classes, church doctrine, clean restrooms and friendly greeters all have in common? They are all factors that have helped attract unchurched people to the church -and keep them there. What do Sunday School classes, church doctrine, clean restrooms and friendly greeters all have in common? They are all factors that have helped attract unchurched people to the church -and keep them there. At least, that is the conclusion of a seven-year study by Dean Thom Rainer and a research team at the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The study is titled "Nine Habits of Churches that Reach and Keep the Unchurched." It combines both old and new research and includes surveys of more than 4,000 churches and interviews with more than 1,000 individuals. A highlight of the study is new research into what Rainer calls the "formerly unchurched" - that is, people who had become Christians within the previous 12 months and were active in church. This new research includes interviews with more than 350 formerly unchurched people and examines factors that attracted and kept them in the church. Past surveys that simply studied people outside of … [Read more...]

The regular session of the Louisiana Legislature is in full swing - and that means concerned citizens must stay aware, Ken Ward said.   "It’s said a lot, but it is true - we must not grow weary in well-doing," stressed Ward, executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation. "We must stay focused." The regular session of the Louisiana Legislature is in full swing - and that means concerned citizens must stay aware, Ken Ward said.   "It’s said a lot, but it is true - we must not grow weary in well-doing," stressed Ward, executive director of the Louisiana Moral and Civic Foundation. "We must stay focused."   Of the more than 3,000 bills filed in the current legislative session, many deal with key moral and social issues, including marriage and divorce, alcohol, gambling, capital punishment and school prayer, Ward pointed out.   Many bills of concern have been identified in a previous article that may be viewed from the April 12, 2001 issue "Addressing areas of concern".   Ward urged persons to monitor bills of interest and communicate with legislators regarding issues of concern.   To communicate with the governor   Call: … [Read more...]

According to the March 22 issue of the Baptist Message, the Louisiana College Board of Trustees "approved a policy change to make the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement the school’s statement of faith." I was deeply grieved to learn of their action. According to the March 22 issue of the Baptist Message, the Louisiana College Board of Trustees "approved a policy change to make the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement the school’s statement of faith." I was deeply grieved to learn of their action.   I am sending a letter to the LC Board of Trustees giving my causes for concern. I believe that all Louisiana Baptists should become aware of the implications of their action and the probable results.   I am also withholding my final payment of $25,000 of the $75,000 pledged to erect a fountain at the Louisiana College entrance boulevard in memory of my late husband Claude Kirkpatrick. When I can be assured that the trustees will not impose the 2000 creed upon the college, its faculty, its female members in particular and its students, then I will give the remainder. Edith Kirkpatrick Baton Rouge … [Read more...]