By Julie Walters, National WMU communications BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – National WMU President Linda Cooper has issued a call to prayer for those serving on the national search committee charged with identifying the woman God would have as the next executive director for national WMU. On Jan. 11, Wanda Lee, who has served as executive director since 2000, announced to the WMU board her intention to retire, giving ample notice for a search committee to be formed and seek a new leader. Cooper said she prayed earnestly for God’s direction as she selected search committee members who have extensive experience in WMU and represent various geographical locations. The committee members are Joy Bolton, executive director of Kentucky WMU, who will serve as chairperson; Debby Akerman, former national WMU president (2010-2015); Jill McNicol, president of Illinois WMU; Kathy Sheldon, president of Pennsylvania/South Jersey WMU; and June Tate, president of Colorado WMU. “Above all, I am confident these women will take this task very seriously, seeking the Lord’s guidance in all they do in every step of this process,” Cooper said. “I encourage every Southern Baptist to pray intentionally and daily for the committee, for me, and for the … [Read more...]

By Alliance Defending Freedom staff OLYMPIA, Wash. – Alliance Defending Freedom filed a brief Friday with the Washington Supreme Court that answers arguments the state and the American Civil Liberties Union have made in favor of government discrimination against a floral artist, whom they sued for acting consistently with her faith. ADF attorneys asked the state high court to take up the case in June of last year after a lower state court ruled that Stutzman, owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, must pay penalties and attorneys’ fees for declining to use her artistic abilities to design custom floral arrangements for a long-time customer’s same-sex ceremony. Rather than participate in the ceremony, Stutzman referred the customer, whom she considers a friend and had served for nearly 10 years, to several other florists in the area who would provide high-quality arrangements and wedding support. “Barronelle and many others like her around the country have been more than willing to serve any and all customers, but they are understandably not willing to promote any and all messages,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kristen Waggoner. “No one should be faced with a choice between their freedom of speech and conscience on one hand and … [Read more...]

By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer BOSSIER CITY – Prayer took center stage for two-and-a-half hours Jan. 31 at First Bossier, as nearly 1,400 members of Northwest Louisiana Baptist Association churches gathered to cry out for spiritual awakening. Those gathered for the Call to Prayer asked for repentance, revival, spiritual change, world missions and protection for the persecuted church. Throughout the evening the First Bossier praise team and choir led worship through music. At other times, testimonies were shared. But, importantly, individuals, as well as pairs and sometimes groups prayed. Lane Moore, NLBA director of missions, said he was building on previous prayer gatherings held in recent years in the state and nationally. For months he had prayed for a large gathering from the association’s churches just to pray for spiritual awakening. By the end of the evening, Moore said the movement of the Holy Spirit was evident. “What we had was a great night where the association as a whole came together to worship and pray,” Moore told the Baptist Message after the prayer gathering. “Those who came got a snapshot of the diversity of our association’s churches, which were of different ethnic groups. It was … [Read more...]

By Diana Chandler, Baptist Press BOISE, Idaho (BP) - Saeed Abedini denied "much" of what his wife Naghmeh Abedini has alleged of spousal abuse and a pornography addiction in his first statements about their marriage since his release from an Iranian prison, but he praised his wife for advocating for his freedom. "Much of what I have read in Naghmeh's [Facebook] posts and subsequent media reports is not true," he said in a Jan. 30 statement to his hometown newspaper, the Idaho Statesman. "But I believe we should work on our relationship in private and not on social media or other media. Naghmeh wrote this week, 'We are taking personal time to work on very serious personal issues.' I intend to do this hard work in private." Saeed Abedini released the statement days after his wife filed for legal separation in Ada County, Idaho, writing on Facebook that she wanted to guard against Abedini taking the children, 9-year-old Rebekka and 7-year-old Jacob, from Idaho while the couple works to heal their marriage. "I have taken temporary legal action to make sure our children will stay in Idaho until this situation has been resolved," she wrote on Facebook. "In very difficult situations sometimes you have to … [Read more...]

By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS — Legislation signed into law in December will have a positive impact for both those who participate in and those who operate church retirement plans. Provisions of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, commonly referred to as the PATH Act, will allow church retirement plans to include automatic enrollment features in their retirement programs regardless of state wage withholding laws, as well as allow for certain kinds of transfers and mergers between accounts of the same employer. Additionally, provisions addressing counting employees for benefit purposes among certain church-related employers will help distinguish between different kinds of church and denominational governance structures. The legislation — long sought by a broad coalition of large and historic denominational retirement plan providers — took three Congresses to consider before being tacked onto the PATH Act in December 2015. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law on December 18. ”This bill has been a long-awaited and hard-fought bill to pass,” said O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources. “We appreciate all who made this bill a reality.” A major “win” in … [Read more...]