Baptist Briefs_81103

Posted: 8/8/03

Baptist Briefs

GARB opposes open theism. The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches has taken a stand against the theological concept of open theism, the belief that God may choose not to fully know the future and can be spontaneous. Messengers to the meeting in Riverside, Calif., said they "reject open theism because it redefines the orthodox, biblical teachings on the attributes of our great God." The GARB has about 132,000 members.

Warren and Falwell team. Rick Warren and Jerry Falwell will team in October to train more than 10,000 church leaders in the first Purpose-Driven Church Conference offered east of the Mississippi River. Touted as a SuperConference, it will combine 11 Purpose-Driven seminars on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Warren is pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" and "The Purpose-Driven Church." Falwell is pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va.

Eldridge leaves Southwestern. Daryl Eldridge, dean of the School of Educational Ministries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, has been named president of Rockbridge University, an interdenominational school based in Springfield, Mo., that will provide ministerial education exclusively via the Internet to non-traditional students. A 19-year employee of Southwestern, Eldridge became dean of the educational ministries school in 1996.

CBF sends aid to Liberia. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has approved $10,000 in emergency relief funds for use in Monrovia, Liberia, through Baptist World Aid, the assistance arm of the Baptist World Alliance. Half the $10,000 is designated for ministry to internally displaced people that have sought shelter at the Baptist Seminary in Monrovia, while the other half is designated for general food relief.

Florida BSM reunion planned. Alumni of the Baptist Student Ministry programs at the University of Miami, Florida International University, Miami-Dade Community College or any other college in South Florida are sought for a reunion this fall. The event will be held at the University of Miami Nov. 15. Send e-mail to miamibcm@aol.com or jsabin2@allstate.com, or call (863) 635-4661.

Mohler enlarges his territory. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a frequent apologist for the Southern Baptist Convention on national television, radio and in print media, has announced plans to launch his own weblog at Crosswalk.com. Called a "blog" in Internet-talk, the site will feature on-the-spot commentaries by Mohler on the intersection of culture and faith.