MOSCOW (BP) -- A new Russian law that prohibits evangelism and preaching outside state-sanctioned sites reminds New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professor Jake Roudkovski of his days as a youth in the Soviet Union. "Baptist churches in Russia will survive" the law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin July 6 and set to take effect July 20, Roudkovski, associate professor of evangelism and pastoral leadership, told Baptist Press. Such oppression "is nothing new to them.... They will stay faithful to the Gospel." Still, the law "will significantly undercut all of the missionary activities," though it "will not stop [missions and evangelism] altogether," said Roudkovski, who left the Soviet Union at age 17 but has returned on mission trips. The law, part of a package of anti-terrorism measures, will amend a 1997 Russian religion law to ban preaching, praying, proselytizing and disseminating religious materials outside state-sanctioned religious sites, according to a news release from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Russians who share their faith or distribute certain types of religious messages through mass print, broadcast or online media may face fines up to $15,000. Under … [Read more...]

DALLAS (BP) -- Holding interracial prayer gatherings, ministering to grieving police officers in the emergency room and hosting a question-and-answer session with police are among the ways Dallas-area Southern Baptists have responded to the violent killings of five police officers last week. The July 7 assassinations, apparently committed by a suspect who reportedly told police he wanted to kill white people, occurred within days of police killing two black civilians under questionable circumstances -- Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge, La., and Philando Castile of the Minneapolis area. President Obama and former President George W. Bush spoke at a memorial service for the slain officers in Dallas July 12. 'All lives matter' Heightened racial tension precipitated by the string of violence prompted Mesquite (Texas) Friendship Baptist Church to host a community "All Lives Matter Prayer Gathering" July 11, at which approximately 700 black, white and Hispanic believers prayed for the families of Sterling and Castile, the families of the murdered police officers and the family of Dallas shooting suspect Micah Johnson, who was killed by police. "Black lives matter because black lives are being traumatized in America today," Mesquite … [Read more...]

By Will Hall, Message Editor ALEXANDRIA – A controversy has erupted about two Southern Baptist Convention entities – the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the International Mission Board – that signed a friend of the court brief indicating support for the right of a Muslim group to construct a mosque in New Jersey, raising questions about misuse of Cooperative Program dollars and concerns about proper prioritizing in representing the interests of Southern Baptists by these national ministries. Both SBC entities have said it was important for them to participate to show support for the religious liberty of all people, including Muslims. Additionally, the IMB issued a brief statement clarifying that it has not contributed money or personnel to build the mosque. BACKGROUND The court case involves a lawsuit by the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge against the Township of Bernards, a community with a population of about 27,000 located about 36 miles outside of New York City. According to a legal brief filed on behalf of the Muslim group, the ISBR has sought permission since September 2012 to build a mosque in Basking Ridge, a community within the municipality of Bernards. During December 2015, the city voted down the ISBR … [Read more...]

NASHVILLE (BP) - The struggles of a Christian high school girls' cross country track team are used to discourage self-centeredness in "Remember the Goal," the latest release of brothers Dave and Rich Christiano and Five & Two Pictures. The limited release film highlights 1 Corinthians 10:31, exhorting "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," and drawing from the personal cross country competition and coaching experiences of Dave Christiano, the movie's writer, director and producer. "That one verse alone takes your eyes off self and puts it on the Lord," Christiano said in a press release. "We hope to start a movement among teens called 10:31. "I look around and most teenagers are driven by the ungodly movies and music of the day," Christiano said. "They are plugged into the liberal voices of the media and listening to that wrong voice. The focus needs to change." Substance abuse, jealousy, envy, feelings of inferiority, and parent-daughter relationships are spotlighted in the feature about a young woman facing persecution in her first coaching job out of college and in her attempts to garner the school a state title. "The coach has great wisdom for her young age and she imparts this to the girls covering many … [Read more...]

by David Roach, Baptist Press ST LOUIS (BP) -- The election of Steve Gaines as president on the third ballot and a historic repudiation of the Confederate battle flag were among the highlights of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 14-15 in St. Louis. The convention’s resolution on the Confederate battle flag capped an emphasis on racial reconciliation throughout the meeting that included the election of a 2017 Committee on Nominations with 25 percent of its members drawn from ethnic minority groups and a panel discussion on “racial unity in America” featuring Jerry Young, president of the historically African American National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. The unofficial total of 7,321 registered messengers – up from 5,407 last year – on to praying for awakening in America, listened to a panel discussion on “pastors and the church in American politics  today” and addressed on multiple occasions whether Baptists should support Muslims’ right to build mosques in the United States. When registered guests, exhibitors and others are included, the count of those at the annual meeting was tallied, as of June 15, at 11,581. Presidential election On the second ballot, neither Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW YORK CITY –Donald Trump unveiled his Evangelical Executive Advisory Board June 21 and its membership has a strong Southern Baptist presence. Nearly one-third of the board membership is made up of individuals who affiliate with the SBC. Among those serving are Jack Graham and Ronnie Floyd, who served as SBC president in 2003-2004 and 2014-2015 respectively; Jay Strack, president of Student Leadership University and the guest speaker during Louisiana College’s May commencement; David Jeremiah, pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif.; Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas;  Richard Land, former president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; and Jerry Fallwell Jr., president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. In a news release published on the campaign website as well as in an e-mail to his supporters, Trump said the 26-member Evangelical Executive Advisory Board will lead a much larger Faith and Cultural Advisory Committee that will be announced later this month. He added that those selected were not asked to endorse Trump for president as a prerequisite for serving on the team that includes a mix of … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer NEW YORK CITY – Donald Trump displayed a tremendous amount of humility while coming across as pro-life, pro-Israel and pro-traditional marriage during a meeting today with more than 1,000 social conservatives, one Louisiana Baptist pastor who attended told the Baptist Message. “He was the most humble I have seen him,” said Louisiana Baptist Convention President Gevan Spinney. “He was responding rather than reacting. When [former Gov.] Mike Huckabee led the discussion time with Trump, he seemed really humble just to be there.” Spinney, who is pastor of First Baptist Church in Haughton, said while Trump did reference time spent attending Sunday school as a child he did not come across as overtly religious. “You try to look for things he said to give you hope he’s a believer but he didn’t give us any indication he was,” he said. Spinney said Trump mentioned he potentially could name between three and five Supreme Court appointees as president and that Trump emphasized he leaned pro-life and emphasized religious freedom was a main concern of his. “He said he was tired of Christians being attacked in courts,” Spinney said. “He made a statement that when he became president he was going to … [Read more...]

By Michael Foust, Christian Examiner OAKLAND, Calif. (Christian Examiner) – LeBron James had just helped deliver Cleveland its first major sports championship in more than 50 years Sunday night, but he didn't want to talk only about basketball. He had a bigger picture in mind, and it included God. "I gave everything that I had. I put my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this game, and against all odds, .." James said on national TV afterwards, not finishing the sentence but clearly referencing the Cavaliers' historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA championship. No team had ever bounced back from a 3-1 margin to win the title. "I don't know why we want to take the hardest road. I don't know why the Man above gives me the hardest road, but ... the Man above don't put you in situations that you can't handle. And I just kept that same positive attitude, like, instead of saying, 'Why me?,' just saying, 'This is what He wants me to do.'" It was James' third NBA championship but his first one at Cleveland, where he returned to play after winning two titles with the Miami Heat. In the last three games against the Warriors, James delivered an NBA Finals performance for the ages, … [Read more...]