Baptist Briefs: GuideStone releases tax guide for ministers

The 2015 edition of GuideStone Financial Resources’ annual Tax Return Preparation and Federal Reporting Guide, Ministers’ Tax Guide for 2014 Returns is available. The handbook, written by Richard Hammar, a CPA, attorney and widely published author who specializes in legal and tax issues for ministers provides step-by-step instructions, sample forms and detailed help in understanding the latest tax laws. Additionally, church treasurers and other church leaders will find information about federal requirements for churches. GuideStone participants can receive the free guide by visiting www.GuideStone.org/TaxGuide or by calling (888) 984-8433.

CBF forms committee to implement missions strategy. Patricia WilsonA Texas Baptist—Patricia Wilson, professor of law at Baylor University—has been named to a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ad hoc committee on global missions structures and staffing. The committee will support the strategic planning process the CBF Missions Council launched in September 2014 in conjunction with the CBF Global Missions staff. The ad hoc committee will shepherd through the CBF governing board any personnel policy and funding matters that emerge from the strategic planning process.

Former Southern Baptist missionary sentenced. Brady Nurse, who served with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board in Portugal, has been sentenced to two years in prison for obtaining nearly $300,000 in mission funds by submitting fraudulent expense reports. Brady NurseThree years of supervised release will follow the sentence, handed down by U.S. Eastern District Judge James R. Spencer. Nurse, a 38-year-old resident of Bothell, Wash., pleaded guilty to obtaining the funds in fabricated expenses from 2008-2013 while working as a logistics and business coordinator for the IMB in Portugal. He resigned from the mission board in January 2014. Nurse and his wife, Andrea, had served as missionaries since March 2006. The board became aware in January 2014 of “suspicious transactions” by Nurse related to shipping of household items from Portugal to the United States, according to court documents. The IMB’s internal audit staff began a full-scale review of Nurse’s reimbursement requests, comparing them with original documents obtained from Portugal. Results of the internal review were reported to the FBI, which began an investigation.

Georgia Baptist school names interim president. Brewton-Parker College named Charles Bass interim president, filling the vacancy created when Ergun Caner resigned. Caner stepped down Jan. 20, saying his 15-year-old son’s suicide six months ago left him emotionally unequipped to provide the kind of leadership the Georgia Baptist Convention-affiliated school needs. Bass, who served previously as vice president at Brewton-Parker, most recently was headmaster of a private Christian academy in Franklin, N.C. Bass holds a doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a former vice president for student affairs at Dallas Baptist University.

CBF honored for relief effort. The New York Disaster Interfaith Services and the New York City Sandy Unmet Need Roundtable honored the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Metro Baptist Church with the “Partnership Award” for disaster response efforts to meet needs in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm that hit the eastern United States in late October 2012. Following Hurricane Sandy, the CBF and Metro Baptist, a partner congregation in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, made a three-year commitment of $125,000 to help families recover from the devastating storm. CBF fulfilled its pledge earlier this year, sending $50,000 to the roundtable. Partners of the roundtable have contributed more than $12.5 million to provide assistance to affected families, and more than $8 million has been distributed to meet long-term unmet needs and ensure sustainable recovery. Other partners involved in the relief effort included the American Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, Home Depot, Islamic Relief USA, KIDS Foundation, United Way of New York City and the Salvation Army.