Baptist Briefs
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Oklahoma Baptists affirm amended BF&M. Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma approved a $34 million master plan for Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center and affirmed the Baptist Faith & Message doctrinal statement as amended by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1998. Anthony Jordan, executive director of the state convention, was chairman of the committee that drafted the article on family added to the Baptist Faith & Message last year. The $34 million Falls Creek renovation plan includes a new $16.66 million tabernacle designed for year-round use.
___ Missionaries plan prayer for Africa. Southern Baptist missionaries are launching an ambitious campaign to pray for the entire continent of Africa. One of Africa's most serious concerns is AIDS, the leading cause of death on the continent. According to a recent United Nations report, 5,500 Africans die of AIDS every day. By the year 2010, at least 22 million Africans are expected to die of the disease. A special day of prayer for the entire continent--called 2001 PRAY--is planned for Aug. 3, 2001. Christians throughout the world are encouraged to spend some time praying for the spread of the gospel across Africa.
___ Conservative elected in Arkansas by seven votes. Ben Rowell, pastor of First Baptist Church of Rogers, Ark., was narrowly elected president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Nov. 9. He won by seven votes over Rodney Reeves, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Ark. The count was 534 to 527. Rowell was considered the conservative candidate in the race.
___ Media campaign successful. A national "Celebrate Jesus 2000" evangelistic advertising campaign Oct. 4-31 resulted in 43,300 calls to national toll-free response numbers. About 18,000 callers had requested a free copy of the "Jesus" video, and 203 made immediate professions of faith in Jesus Christ. The campaign was coordinated by the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. It included two television commercials on four national cable networks and six radio commercials.
___ Men's group has new name. The North American Mission Board has announced a new name and structure for its mission education organization for men. The new organization is being called Baptist Men On Mission, with the quarterly curriculum and video package "Missions in Motion" as its primary component. Also part of the change is the introduction of Baptist Men On Mission Week, planned for Jan. 23-30, 2000, as a replacement for the annual Baptist Men's Day observance.
___ Annuity Board wants to add services. Trustees of the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention will ask the SBC Executive Committee for approval to expand the agency's mission statement and add three ministry assignments. The proposed expansions include making available personal investments for ministers and denominational employees and their spouses, working cooperatively with Baptist foundations to make available institutional investments for SBC churches and entities, and to make available employee benefit services and institutional investments to like-minded organizations.
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