SBC

MOST AMERICANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN: LIFEWAY RESEARCH

October 28, 2015

By Carol Pipes LifeWay News Office NASHVILLE — When it comes to Halloween, most Americans don¹t have a problem celebrating the spooky holiday. Yet, one-third say they avoid Halloween or its pagan elements. Although three in five Americans told LifeWay Research Halloween is “all in good fun,” 21 percent avoid the holiday completely and another 14 percent avoid the pagan elements. Halloween has been known in North America since colonial

EVEN NON-RELIGIOUS SEE EVIDENCE OF CREATOR

October 21, 2015

By Lisa C. Green Lifeway News Office NASHVILLE — Life didn’t just happen, most Americans say — and a surprising number of nonreligious people agree. More than 4 in 10 of the nonreligious believe physics and humanity point to a creator, LifeWay Research finds. A third say human morality indicates a creator who defines right and wrong. And although the nonreligious are less likely than other Americans to see evidence

101-year-old’s salvation caps wife’s 24-year prayer

October 18, 2015

By Baptist Press ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) — Lou Warshaw prayed for 24 years that her husband George would accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. After years of refusing to give up on the hope that he would become a Christian, God answered her prayers when, at the age of 101, George made that decision and followed through with believer’s baptism. “The devil kept telling me it wouldn’t happen,” Lou

Counseling homosexuals involves ‘speaking truth in love,’ leaders say

October 16, 2015

By Andrew J.W. Smith SBTS News Office LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Christian counselors should be able to speak lovingly and winsomely to people struggling with homosexual attraction, said evangelical leaders at the Oct. 5-7 homosexuality conference at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The conference, titled “Homosexuality: Compassion, Care, and Counseling for Struggling People,” was sponsored by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). “The integrity of our message is at stake in

Survey reveals views on animal welfare

October 14, 2015

By LifeWay news office NASHVILLE — Protestant pastors overwhelmingly agree humanity has a God-given duty to care for animals. They just don’t mention it much from the pulpit. In a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors, sponsored by Every Living Thing, a national campaign for the Evangelical Statement on Responsible Care for Animals, LifeWay Research finds a distance between pastors’ beliefs about animal welfare and their church activities.

Churches respond to CP challenge

October 12, 2015

By Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Frank S. Page has personally signed letters to more than 4,400 Southern Baptist churches that have met or exceeded the 1% Cooperative Program Challenge. Recognized for their contributions are 3,846 congregations that met the challenge for the first time during the 2013-14 fiscal year (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30) and 576 that met the challenge for two consecutive years,

Conference on transgenderism responds to challenges

October 12, 2015

By Baptist Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — The transgender movement presents an unprecedented theological and cultural crisis for the church, said Southern Baptist scholars at an Oct. 5 pre-conference event, “Transgender: Transgender confusion and transformational Christianity,” at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The preconference preceded the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) annual conference, which is being held at the seminary Oct. 5-7 in Louisville, Ky. The preconference, co-sponsored by ACBC

NAMB trustees approve Send Relief, IMB aid

October 9, 2015

By Baptist Press SALT LAKE CITY (BP) — Trustees of the North American Mission Board have approved the establishment of Send Relief — a new compassion ministry to offer Southern Baptists opportunities to meet physical needs and serve underprivileged communities. Also during their Oct. 7 meeting, NAMB’s trustees approved a $4 million budget reduction so the entity can send funds to assist International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries. NAMB President Kevin

Missions Education Needed: Leaders

October 7, 2015

Compiled by B&R NASHVILLE — “How did this happen?” Wanda S. Lee asked herself. “Beyond what words can say … we’re grieving,” the executive director of the Woman’s Missionary Union, the Southern Baptist Convention’s missions education auxiliary, said of the imminent downsizing of 600-800 missionaries and staff members in a multi-million-dollar shortfall confronting the International Mission Board. Lee, who was among Baptist leaders addressing the SBC Executive Committee during its

THE “1% CHALLENGE FOR CP”

September 27, 2015

By SBC staff The “1% Challenge” is simply a request to every Southern Baptist pastor and every Southern Baptist church to increase their Cooperative Program gifts by one percent of their church’s undesignated contributions. Frank S. Page, president of the Executive Committee, issued this challenge during the Executive Committee report at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. He said, “To do better what we’re doing together, we’re

SBC

MOST AMERICANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN: LIFEWAY RESEARCH

EVEN NON-RELIGIOUS SEE EVIDENCE OF CREATOR

101-year-old’s salvation caps wife’s 24-year prayer