Baptist Briefs

Posted: 8/04/06

Baptist Briefs

SBC president flip-flops on women in ministry. Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page has recanted as “radical” and “extreme” his early views advocating expanded roles for women in ministry. In his 1980 doctoral dissertation at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Page wrote: “There are solid biblical bases for a full recognition of the freedom and responsibility of women in ministry and the freedom of God’s Spirit to bestow the gifts for ministry upon men and women alike. The time has come to declare that since the public activity of a woman is in most areas no longer considered as a breach of the marriage vow and since the law of the land no longer denies to women the right to act independently in mixed gatherings, qualified women are eligible candidates for any office in the church.” But in a recent interview with the Florida Baptist Witness, he said, “I was trying very hard to conform biblical passages to some cultural preferences of the time.” Page insisted he became convinced “through personal study and prayer” that his dissertation was not exegetically sound and reflected the work of an “immature theologian.”

Leland Center president plans to step down. Randell Everett, pastor of First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va., will resign at the end of the year as president of the John Leland Center for Theological Studies, where he has served the past nine years. The Leland Center offers diploma, master of divinity and master of theological studies classes to about 150 students a year. Formed in 1997, the center emphasizes diversity and a commitment to churches in and near Washington, D.C. The center recently received full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools and soon will become a partner in the Washington Theological Consortium.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

Cartoon

Posted: 8/04/06 “After all Merv’s brooding about religion, he has developed a skeptic ulcer.” News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the…

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

Churches of Christ, Baptists branch off same family tree

Posted: 8/04/06

Churches of Christ, Baptists
branch off same family tree

By Ted Parks

Associated Baptist Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP)—Some Baptists may remember hearing their Church of Christ neighbors called “Campbellites.” And most Baptists know Churches of Christ are strictly a cappella, preferring unaccompanied singing to pianos, organs or any other instrument. They may not know the group has Baptists in its family tree.

But Baptists, with their well-known history of discord, might be even more surprised to learn that the non-instrumental Churches of Christ and the pro-instrumental Christian Churches met peaceably this summer for the first time in 100 years.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

2nd Opinion: ‘Hard to tell Christians from lions’

Posted: 8/04/06

2nd Opinion:
‘Hard to tell Christians from lions’

By James Martin

The description of a special method of torture that U.S. soldiers inflicted on Iraqi prisoners sounded instantly familiar. As someone who has read many histories of the Christian martyrs, it didn’t take long to remember where the brand of punishment had been used before.

“Other detainees were locked for as many as seven days in cells so small that they could neither stand nor lie down,” Eric Schmitt recently wrote in The New York Times about U.S. special operations troops in Iraq.

In the 16th century, the Jesuit priests and brothers martyred in England were treated to the same deprivations. The torture used against my brother Jesuits, which had long been viewed as unnaturally cruel, is now used by my own country.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

Criswell era ends at Dallas First Baptist

Posted: 8/04/06

Criswell era ends at Dallas First Baptist

By Ken Camp

Managing Editor

DALLAS—An era ended at First Baptist Church of Dallas Aug. 2. Betty Criswell, widow of legendary Pastor W.A. Criswell, died at Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas of respiratory illness at age 93.

Mrs. Criswell stood beside her husband through his early pastorates in rural Oklahoma and nearly a half-century of ministry at the downtown Dallas church.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

DOWN HOME: And for an encore, clean the garage

Posted: 8/04/06

DOWN HOME:
And for an encore, clean the garage

We have done the unthinkable.

Well, unthinkable to me, anyway.

Joanna, the brains of our outfit, however, has been thinking the unthinkable for quite awhile. My wife pays attention to trends and outcomes and scenarios. Plus, she loves me and wants what’s best for me.

So, we sold our house. And we agreed to buy a new one, which makes sense unless living in a washing-machine box under the overpass becomes the next home “thing.”

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

EDITORIAL: Sooner or later, one day will be final

Posted: 8/04/06

EDITORIAL:
Sooner or later, one day will be final

Are we living in the final days?

The question has been asked quite a bit lately. With all the fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, even secular media have wondered if the time has come for the final showdown between good and evil. The End Times question inevitably arises when the nation of Israel goes to battle. Several reasons prompt such speculation.

First, some people say God has a special relationship with Israel. They point to the covenant between God and Abraham, recorded in Genesis 12. They equate the secular political state of Israel with the descendants of Abraham. And they believe God’s covenant with Israel—whether Israel is an ancient tribe, a religious people group or a modern nation—extends to today. So, they expect God to protect the nation of Israel.

Second, some people read the highly symbolic message of Revelation literally, interpreting it to mean a battle in the Holy Land could signal The End. This interpretation particularly applies if the fighting reaches the plain of Megiddo. Also known as Armageddon, it was the site of many ancient conflicts and the location of a prophesied battle in Revelation 16:16, “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Some interpreters of Revelation assume any battle at Megiddo, particularly a war with religious overtones such as the current conflict, could signal the final good/evil showdown.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

All God’s children have a place in corporate America

Posted: 8/04/06

All God’s children have
a place in corporate America

By Candace Goforth

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—Experts suggest these ways to give employees room to express their faith without smothering others:

• Holiday swapping

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

Federal funds flow to religious activities

Posted: 8/04/06

Federal funds flow to religious activities

By Adelle Banks

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)—An examination of the White House’s faith-based initiative has revealed some organizations are not separating religious activities from federally funded services.

At the request of two members of Congress, the U.S. Government Accountability Office spent more than a year conducting a review of federal and state agencies related to the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. The GAO also investigated religious groups that have received government grants.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

Christian graphic novels illustrate timeless truth

Posted: 8/04/06

Christian graphic novels illustrate timeless truth

By Angela Best

Communications Intern

Robert Luedke loved reading comic books and drawing when he was growing up. A few years ago, he fell in love with Jesus. Now, Luedke is bringing the loves of his life together.

Luedke, president of Head Press Publishing and author of Eye Witness—A Fictional Tale of Absolute Truth and Eye Witness Book Two—Acts of the Spirit, is pioneering a new literary genre—the Christian-themed graphic novel, or illustrated Christian fiction.

Robert Luedke’s Eye Witness graphic novels present New Testament stories in a comic-style format.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

One American in five attends a house church, research shows

Posted: 8/04/06

One American in five attends
a house church, research shows

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

DALLAS (ABP)—For the first time, advocates of the house-church movement in America have solid facts to back up their enthusiasm. Research indicates about one in five American adults attends a house church at least once a month.

While participants themselves have long said that an increasing number of Americans are moving from First Baptist on Main Street to living-room congregations, the very nature of home churches—decentralized, undocumented and unadvertised—has made them difficult to study until now.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge

IRS cracks down on church campaigning

Posted: 8/04/06

IRS cracks down on church campaigning

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

The Internal Revenue Service is stepping up efforts to stop illegal political campaigning by non-profit organizations, including churches.

The IRS is increasing enforcement to stop illegal campaigning during the political season, said IRS Commissioner Mark Everson. The IRS opened reviews of 132 cases of alleged illegal campaigning as a result of complaints from the 2004 elections. Twenty-two cases were closed without contacting the taxpayer.

08/04/2006 - By John Rutledge