Baptist Briefs: Death sentence for Sudanese Christian condemned

American Baptist and Southern Baptist leaders spoke out against a death sentence imposed on a pregnant Sudanese woman who refused to recant her Christian faith in front of a court that considers her Muslim. (Wikipedia image)Roy Medley, general secretary for American Baptist Churches USA, condemned the sentencing of Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag to death for apostasy as “a violation of the fundamental human right to religious liberty.” He urged the international community to voice opposition to “such a heinous act.” Russell Moore, president of Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, wrote Secretary of State John Kerry to condemn the death sentence. Moore encouraged Kerry to denounce Ishag’s sentence as “cruel and inhumane, to demand her release, and to use the diplomatic influence of the State Department to advocate for this most fundamental human right, the freedom of religion and belief.” A Khartoum court not only sentenced Ishag to death, but also convicted her of adultery with a penalty of 100 lashes because her marriage to a Christian man is considered void under Sharia law.

Kentucky volunteer dies while on disaster relief assignment. Bob Waldron, a longtime volunteer with Kentucky Baptist Convention disaster relief, died May 16 while on assignment in Michigan helping victims of recent flooding. Bob WaldronWaldron, of Mount Washington, Ky., was leaving a job site when he reportedly lost control of and crashed his vehicle. Fellow volunteer Buford “Butch” Turley, a passenger in the automobile, was critically injured in the crash. Both men were taken to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Waldron, 79, was pronounced dead. He is survived by his wife, Janice. Turley, a member of Millville Baptist Church in Frankfort, remained in stable but serious condition while on life support. Wynn Williams, director of the Baptist Convention of Michigan disaster relief, said moments before the accident Turley had prayed with a homeowner who received Christ as Savior.

Same nominee, different nominator for SBC president. Jared MooreJared Moore, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, Ky., will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention at the annual meeting June 10-11 in Baltimore, Md. But a deacon at his church, not a fellow Kentucky pastor, will nominate him. On May 7, Baptist Press reported Paul Sanchez, pastor of Willow Baptist Church in Brooksville, Ky. would nominate Moore, who is SBC second vice president. Not so, according to an email Sanchez sent to more than 20 state Baptist papers. And a post on Moore’s blog now says Bennie Smith, a deacon at his church, will nominate him.

Korean pastor to be nominated for SBC president. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, announced he will nominate Dennis Manpoong Kim, pastor of Global Mission Church of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, Md., for president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 10-11 SBC annual meeting in Baltimore, Md. Dennis KimKim served as president of the Korean Council of Southern Baptist Churches in America, and he is a member of the Pastors’ Task Force on Evangelistic Impact and Declining Baptisms, a national task force convened by the North American Mission Board to address the continued decrease in baptisms among Southern Baptist churches. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Korean institutions; a master of arts in theological studies with a concentration in pastoral counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston, Mass.; a master of divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.; and a doctor of theology in pastoral psychology from Boston University in Boston, Mass.

Presidents of N.C. Baptist universities to retire. Jerry Wallace, president of Campbell University, and Jerry McGee, president of Wingate University, both announce they will step down in 2015. Wallace told his board of trustees he plans to step down June 30, 2015. McGee announced in April he would retire in May 2015. Both universities will begin presidential searches immediately.