The Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union has a simple goal for the new century - to be an epic missions organization, Wanda Lee emphasized. The Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union has a simple goal for the new century - to be an epic missions organization, Wanda Lee emphasized.   Webster Dictionary defines epic as "extending beyond the usual or ordinary ... heroic," noted Lee, executive director of the national Woman’s Missionary Union.   Author Leonard Sweet describes an epic church with four adjectives, Lee said in an address to the Woman’s Missionary Union executive board. Those adjectives include:   E- for experiential.   P- for participatory.   I - for image driven.   C- for connected.   "Leonard Sweet’s challenge to those of us in leadership in the church of the 21st century is to ... move from just doing church to being the church in new ways," Lee said.   Lee said WMU has realized the importance of this truth - and has spent a lot of time and energy creating new models for engaging the church in the missions lifestyle.   However, research alone does not have all the answers, Lee pointed out. "To … [Read more...]

As has been tradition, Southern Baptist leaders will continue to ask overseas missionaries to commit to work "in accordance with and not contrary to" the convention’s Baptist Faith and Message. As has been tradition, Southern Baptist leaders will continue to ask overseas missionaries to commit to work "in accordance with and not contrary to" the convention’s Baptist Faith and Message.   Missionaries and Southern Baptist International Mission Board staff members will not be required to sign the document.   Whether they would or not became an issue during last year’s annual Southern Baptist Convention, when a motion was made that denominational employees not be required to do so.   The motion was referred to all convention entities for consideration. Some have responded by continuing their practice of requiring employees to sign the denomination’s confessional statement.   Likewise, International Mission Board trustees voted unanimnously last week to continue their longstanding practice - and to put it in writing. In doing so, trustees also voted to "wholeheartedly" affirm the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as the "standard for carrying out the programs and ministries" of … [Read more...]

The Lost, The Grace of God, The Cross of Jesus, The Resurrection of Jesus, Hell, Heaven, The Second Coming of Jesus, The Great Commission The lost   Contrary to the belief of many, people definitely are interested in the gospel message, Alvin Reid emphasized at last week’s Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference.   "They’re just not interested in the caricature of the gospel we present," said Reid, associate professor of evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina.   In turn, too many Christians seemingly are not interested in reaching the lost with the gospel, Reid continued. "We have lost the sense of lostness. ... The problem today is not that we’re a friend of sinners. The problem is we’re a friend of sin."   Christians must recover a sense of lostness, he explained in a message based on Ephesians 2. "Lost people are in danger. ... They are dead in sin, dead men walking."   However, the Bible reveals the depth of God’s love for the lost - something modern Christians must reflect, Reid added.   Reid said individuals can tell three things about a person in the first five minutes of meeting them - whether the person cares … [Read more...]

For hundreds of Louisiana Baptists from across the state, the challenge of the 2001 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference could not have been clearer. For hundreds of Louisiana Baptists from across the state, the challenge of the 2001 Louisiana Baptist Evangelism Conference could not have been clearer. The theme of the annual gathering made sure of that - "A Changeless Gospel for Changing Times." The scripture basis for the meeting added confirmation - "The Word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 30:7) And the format of the conference lent support to the idea as well - an array of speakers focusing on specific doctrines of the Christian faith. In addition, during the two-day gathering at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, participants were given the   opportunity to attend a small-group training session - also designed to help prepare them to share an unchanging message of salvation with a modern world. In opening remarks, Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Director Dean Doster suggested God had given the nation a reprieve with recent political events. "It’s time to get back to what we might have been because we might not get another chance," he urged. For Louisiana Baptists, the … [Read more...]

A Southern Baptist interfaith evangelism leader has called on the Dalai Lama to reconsider his recent condemnation of Christian witness. A Southern Baptist interfaith evangelism leader has called on the Dalai Lama to reconsider his recent condemnation of Christian witness.   "With all due respect, ... it is evident that, historically, world religions have never exercised restraint in their efforts to propagate their message beyond the regional borders where the religion had its origin," said Rudy Gonzalez, director of interfaith evangelism for the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board.   Indeed, Buddhism itself spread beyond its original birthplace of India and went throughout Asia, including the Dalai Lama’s homeland of Tibet, Gonzalez noted.   The Dalai Lama is the exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhists and a Nobel peace prize winner. He recently joined Hindu leaders in condemning the Muslim and Christian practice of actively seeking converts. "Whether Hindu or Muslim or Christian, whoever tries to convert, it’s wrong, not good," the Dalai Lama said. "I always believe it’s safer and better and reasonable to keep one’s own tradition or belief."   The Dalai Lama spoke … [Read more...]

It is a building masterpiece. Not on the order of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, but a weekend carpenter’s masterpiece.   And it is creative. It is a building masterpiece. Not on the order of a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, but a weekend carpenter’s masterpiece.   And it is creative.   Several years ago, a storm twisted the top of the tallest tree in the neighborhood. The residents upon whose land the tree stood were saddened by the loss of this financial asset as well as the grandeur such a tree provides.   The tree removal crew cut the top off and carefully removed it from the yard. The tree still towers above most others in the neighborhood.   Around the tree, about five feet above the ground, the residents built a deck. Then, some 8 feet above that deck, they built another deck– a nice deck. Maybe it is like when a family loses a dog, they get a puppy to replace it. Maybe the residents tried to replace the emotional security of having the tallest tree with a unique deck. They could no longer give directions by saying, "Ours is the house with the tallest tree." So maybe they wanted to say, "It is the house with the unique decks around what used to be the … [Read more...]

President George W. Bush’s plan to put federal funds into faith-based charities is filled with knotty, even dangerous issues of separation of church and state. President George W. Bush’s plan to put federal funds into faith-based charities is filled with knotty, even dangerous issues of separation of church and state.   A bedrock principle of the separation of church and state is that the state does not restrict religious freedom, nor does government provide direct support of religion.   There are at least two major problems with federal money going to faith-based work.   Faith-based means charitable work is done specifically and directly as part of a group’s religious faith and practice. This charitable work is also done as an outreach for a particular group’s religion. This is exactly as it should be.   If the federal government supports this kind of charitable work, then the federal government is in fact supporting the religious practice of a particular religious group. (There is a great deal of difference between a faith-based group operating a house for battered women and an individual Christian working in a government-operated home for battered women out of his or … [Read more...]

More and more churches are embracing the Internet, launching Web sites to reach people in a technological age. More and more churches are embracing the Internet, launching Web sites to reach people in a technological age.   Unfortunately, too few are reaching their potential because church leaders do not define why they want a site or fail to develop a strategy for what they hope to accomplish, an Internet specialist insists.   Indeed, too many church leaders are enamored by the gee-whiz technology of the Internet but are not considering how to link their Web sites to their overall communications strategy, specialists explain.   "A lot of people just put up something because, ‘Oh, I have to have a website.’ But it doesn’t meet any needs," said Lisa McMahon, senior Web administrator at the Southern Baptist International Mission Board and a consultant for Web design for the past five years.   "Some churches have not thought through their strategy," agreed Robert Reeves, communications director for the Kentucky Baptist Convention,.   Church Web sites often are developed, launched and maintained by just one person, Reeves noted. "It tends to be their vision … [Read more...]

Think of the number one, followed by a comma, followed by three zeros, followed by another comma and three more zeros, then by yet another comma and three final zeros. Think of the number one, followed by a comma, followed by three zeros, followed by another comma and three more zeros, then by yet another comma and three final zeros.   Now - add a dollar sign in front of the total.   The result is $1 billion, which someone once quipped represents "a lot of money even if you say it fast."   It also represents a lot of money when one considers that is the cost of addiction in Louisiana.   Yes - $1 billion.   That is how much Louisiana spends each year to deal with the fallout of alcohol, tobacco and drug addictions.   Again- $1 billion.   That represents 10 percent of the annual state budget - or 10 cents out of every dollar handled by Louisiana officials.   It also represents about $243.33 per Louisiana resident. In other words, each person in the state is paying the cost of addiction in Louisiana - literally.   And it is a high price.   Indeed, the total represents more than the state spends on Medicaid every … [Read more...]

Your comments were on target. When two prominent leaders of this country can be openly immoral and then be widely accepted by the populace since, "We are all human, then alarm bells should sound for all of us. Your comments were on target. When two prominent leaders of this country can be openly immoral and then be widely accepted by the populace since, "We are all human, then alarm bells should sound for all of us. You will probably be accused by some as being judgmental, but the recognition of and the dealing with sin is commanded by God. Few members of the press have taken the bold step you have in calling to the attention of your readers of the consequences of our not recognizing and branding sin for what it is.   The message to people, young and old, in this country sent by those two prominent leaders is that sin has little or no consequences and a tacit admission is all that is needed for total reinstatement in society. That is a recipe for disaster.   It was Chaucer who said, "When silver and gold rust, then what will iron do?"   Frank Elliott … [Read more...]