For the week of December 16, 2004 Parade protest Organizers of Denver’s annual holiday parade refused to allow Faith Bible Chapel to enter a float that would have included carolers and a "Merry Christmas" sign, so, as many as 1,000 people protested by quietly singing Christmas carols as they walked along the sidewalk on the parade route, passing out hot chocolate and a list of Christmas services at community churches. The Parade of Lights is a two-day event sponsored by a group of businesses. A spokesperson said the parade was meant to be "cutesy" for kids and a way to get bodies downtown. However, after receiving hundreds of complaints about the parade’s "no religion" policy, the spokesperson acknowledged that organizers now will evaluate exactly what the community wants the event to be. The situation has drawn national attention, with one local pastor appearing on a nationally-televised talk show to discuss the matter. Also, what further irritated some Christians is that parade officials allowed a float sponsored by Two Spirits, an American Indian group that considers homosexuality to be holy. Baylor University   A majority of Baylor University faculty who voted in a recent nonbinding … [Read more...]

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, it is the apparition that heralds the birth of Jesus Christ so long ago. In the Gospel of St. Matthew, it is the apparition that heralds the birth of Jesus Christ so long ago.   Today, it features in Christmas trappings from tree toppers to carols to cards. No children’s Nativity play is complete without its tinfoil likeness above the stable.   But what was the Star of Bethlehem?   Suggestions have included a comet, a supernova, meteors, bright-shining planets - even a UFO.   The truth may be more subtle.   Using reconstruction software and the historical record, astronomers increasingly have come to believe that the wise men "following yonder star" may have been interpreting astrological omens so esoteric that only the learned would have noticed anything unusual in the night skies.   While scientists disagree on the particulars, one thing is absolutely certain, said Mark Kidger, an astronomer with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in Spain’s Canary Islands. "Whatever the Star of Bethlehem was, it was not an extraordinarily spectacular object."   King Herod did not see the sign that drew the Magi to … [Read more...]

It was not like he never had seen a baby before - indeed, he had witnessed the birth of two and had held many others. It was not like he never had seen a baby before - indeed, he had witnessed the birth of two and had held many others.   And yet, here he stood, in the parking lot of a shopping center, leaning into the back seat of a vehicle, rubbing a finger over the soft cheek of a child - and crying.   What gives Christmas its wonder?   What makes it special - different from all other holidays?   Is it the unexplainable star, unimaginable heavenly host, unusual setting, unexpected wise men?   Be honest.   This is a skeptical age.   Many find such details hard to conceive, even harder to accept.   Indeed, two national magazines recently produced cover stories examining the long-ago event, exploring oh-so-rational explanations to its twists and turns.   "(But) The Christmas story that Christians know by heart is actually a collection of mysteries," the article in the Dec. 13 issue of Time magazine concludes.   True.   It is mystery some accept.   It is mystery some reject.   But … [Read more...]

The search for a new Louisiana College president will continue with an expanded committee operating under instructions to consider a specific candidate first. The search for a new Louisiana College president will continue with an expanded committee operating under instructions to consider a specific candidate first.   Louisiana College trustees voted last week to expand the presidential search committee, then to instruct that committee to give LC Education Department Chair Joe Aguillard priority consideration as a person to lead the school.   That action came only after trustees went into closed-door executive session to consider a motion to elect Aguillard immediately as school president.   The 75-minute closed session was conducted as Aguillard stood in an outside hallway, awaiting an invitation into the meeting in order to be interviewed by trustees. However, that invite never came.   The session also came despite the fact that the previous presidential search committee arrived at the meeting prepared to pass out information regarding a second candidate for the school’s top post.   Although the individual never was named during the trustee session, sources and … [Read more...]

The following article - and its companion on Page Seven - are based on an almost eight-hour meeting of Louisiana College trustees on Dec. 14. Because of the great interest in the college, the Baptist Message has elected to present as complete a report as possible about the meeting - hence, the lengths of the stories. Note: The following article - and its companion on Page Seven - are based on an almost eight-hour meeting of Louisiana College trustees on Dec. 14. Because of the great interest in the college, the Baptist Message has elected to present as complete a report as possible about the meeting - hence, the lengths of the stories.   C. Lacy Thompson, LBM Associate Editor   Louisiana College trustees spent seven-and-a-half hours earlier this month discussing key items related to the school, including its search for a new president and its accreditation probation.   By the end of the marathon session, trustees had:   • Settled on a revised search process for a new college president. (See Page Seven article)   • Responded to the decision by Southern Baptist educator Malcolm Yarnell to withdraw his name from consideration as president after initially accepting … [Read more...]

As expected for weeks, Louisiana College has been placed on probation by its accrediting agency, given one year to address cited concerns of school governance. As expected for weeks, Louisiana College has been placed on probation by its accrediting agency, given one year to address cited concerns of school governance.   At its annual meeting last week, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the Pineville college on probation for a period of 12 months.   The action does not affect the school’s accreditation at this time. Louisiana College remains fully accredited - but it must address stated concerns within the next 12 months in order to maintain that standing.   Essentially, the action means the college is not in full compliance with established operational standards. In Louisiana College’s case, cited concerns relate to school governance and academic freedom.   Thus, during the upcoming year, the accrediting agency will monitor the school to determine if efforts are being made to bring the school back into the compliance.   If Louisiana College addresses concerns, the association could vote next year to return the school to good standing. It also … [Read more...]

It is interesting that Mr. Philip Robertson has decided to publicly disseminate innuendos concerning my reasons for turning down the presidency of Louisiana College Re: Letter to the Editor in Dec. 9, 2004 issue of Louisiana Baptist Message   It is interesting that Mr. Philip Robertson has decided to publicly disseminate innuendos concerning my reasons for turning down the presidency of Louisiana College, especially after Mr. Robertson telephoned me to ask that I allow him to lead a movement on the board of trustees to correct the executive committee. I refused to allow Mr. Robertson to do such out of respect for the leadership of the board of trustees.   I have shared the particular reasons for my concerns about governance with the school’s leadership - Dr. John Traylor, the interim president; Mr. Bill Hudson, chair of the board of trustees; and Mr. Ed Tarpley, chair of the presidential search committee. Those concerned for the definition of the cited "governance" issues should speak to all three of these men.   In order to allow the trustees room to deal with their next presidential candidate, I would prefer to remain quiet. It would be best if others refrained from … [Read more...]

I echo the sentiments of Mr. Stephen Pruett’s letter (published in the December 9 issue) I echo the sentiments of Mr. Stephen Pruett’s letter (published in the December 9 issue). It has become clear to me that the actions of the Louisiana College board of trustees are directly responsible for the college’s current academic probation, and for a sense of fear and disruption both on the campus and among alumni. Whatever their motivation may have been, trustees’ actions have seriously damaged this fine school - my alma mater - the pride of Louisiana Baptists.   I call on the trustees to look in their hearts and see that the best thing for the school, the students and the ministry of Louisiana Baptists would be a resignation en masse.   Their actions regarding Dr. Malcolm Yarnell, coming after the first visit of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, showed that they simply do not understand the principles of higher education. Now, the school lies in real danger of losing its accreditation.   It will take a whole new approach and direction to turn LC around, with leadership trusted by faculty, staff, students and supporters.   These trustees have lost that … [Read more...]

The attempt to make Dr. Malcolm Yarnell the scapegoat in the humiliating debacle of Yarnell’s highly-publicized hiring and subsequent withdrawal from the presidency of Louisiana College is not surprising The attempt to make Dr. Malcolm Yarnell the scapegoat in the humiliating debacle of Yarnell’s highly-publicized hiring and subsequent withdrawal from the presidency of Louisiana College is not surprising. That Dr. Yarnell would want to begin his presidency of LC by getting the board to disobey LC’s bylaws creating additional accreditation problems with SACS seems highly improbable. Are we really expected to believe that the LC board of trustees, which some say have disregarded school bylaws, has suddenly "gotten religion?" Could it be Dr. Yarnell realized that he was dealing with an intransigent board and opted out of an impossible situation?   In a period of only five or six years, fundamentalism has created a real danger that Louisiana Baptists’ nationally-acclaimed Christian college could lose accreditation, not because of a failure of the faculty or administration but rather because of inappropriate meddling by the board and others. For this, we can thank all those responsible for nominating and … [Read more...]

I love Suddern Baptists." The words coated with a foreign accent were surprising. I love Suddern Baptists." The words coated with a foreign accent were surprising. The setting was a Chamber of Commerce banquet, and there was no reason to expect a testimonial of religious faith.   The words came from the pastor of the African-American church with the largest attendance in our area.   And the words were encouraging. I have received many comments from - and about - Southern Baptists and Louisiana Baptists recently, most of them expressing concern about Louisiana College. Hearing a really encouraging word proved heartening.   I asked the pastor why he loved the people known as Southern Baptists.   "Who would have thought that God, in his rich mercy, would send missionaries, and they would come to the jungles of Nigeria, Africa," he said. "And there, they would find a small boy and tell him about Jesus Christ, and that young boy would accept Jesus as his personal Lord and savior."   That alone caused me to thank God for the international missions of the Southern Baptist Convention - and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.   But … [Read more...]