___ Prayer urged. Southern Baptists are being urged to pray specifically each week for the United States, its leaders and the nation's military, according to a statement issued by the presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention and SBC Executive Committee. "We call upon the 16 million Southern Baptists and 42,000 Southern Baptist churches spread across this land to commit themselves to regular, specific and focused prayer for our nation and for its leaders in these trying days," reads the statement, signed by SBC President James Merritt and SBC Executive Committee President Morris Chapman.
___ Money keeps coming. Despite last year's attempt by the Baptist General Convention of Texas to defund the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the agency actually has received more money from Texas rather than less, President Richard Land told messengers to the Southern Baptists of Texas annual meeting. "Largely through your efforts and the efforts of your convention, we have received more money from Texas Baptist churches after we were defunded than we did in the 12 months before we were defunded," Land told the SBTC. In addition to funds received through the alternative state convention, the ERLC continues to receive BGCT funding from some churches.
___ Blaising lauded. The recent election of Craig Blaising as provost and executive vice president at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary "solidifies a symbolic victory for the conservative resurgence," according to a Baptist Press report. The story cited a number of Texas trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention seminary praising Blaising, who comes from the faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. One of his first tasks will be to fill up to 15 vacancies on the faculty, said Miles Seaborn, a retired Fort Worth pastor. Seaborn said he expects Blaising to bring in faculty members "who would really meet our needs as strong conservatives."
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
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