Who’s next for National WMU?
Wanda Lee, National WMU Executive Director, announced her retirement Monday (Jan. 11) at the annual January Board Meeting of the Woman’s Missionary Union. Lee has been at the helm of the National WMU since 2000 when she replaced Dellana O’Brien. Among those speculated on as her possible replacement is Sandy Wisdom-Martin, former Illinois WMU Executive Director and current Executive Director of Texas WMU. http://www.sbcthisweek.com/national-wmu-facing-pivotal-moment-with-lees-retirement/
SBC President on the ‘spiritual’ state of the union
As President Obama prepares to give his final State of the Union address tonight (Jan. 12), the President of the Southern Baptist Convention issued his own spiritual state of our union. Floyd shared on his blog, “What’s especially alarming to me, serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, is that we fail to realize how the spiritual health of our nation affects the state of our union. As our spiritual lives go, so goes the nation.” http://www.ronniefloyd.com/blog/10027/
Over 5,000 to join Chicago’s March for Life
Pro-lifers in Illinois are expecting over 5,000 people to join the annual Chicago March for Life event ahead of the national march in Washington D.C. A local version of the march held every year in the nation’s capital on the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, the Chicago march on Jan. 17 is expected to be the largest held in the entire Midwest. http://www.christianpost.com/news/chicago-march-for-life-5000-pro-lifers-attend-illinois-abortion-declining-parental-notification-154282/#CSgVFLGvvAWl5t93.99
Process begins to remove prof over ‘same God’ comments
A panel of Wheaton College faculty will meet within the next 30 days to consider whether to recommend termination for political science professor Larycia Hawkins. Administrators placed Hawkins on paid leave in December after she made comments on social media about Muslims and Christians worshipping the same God. http://bpnews.net/46121/first-steps-taken-to-fire-prof-over-muslim-comments
Churches see need to screen volunteers
Almost half of the background checks requested by churches through LifeWay’s program with backgroundchecks.com reveal some type of criminal offense. Most of those are minor incidents such as speeding tickets, but 21 percent of inquiries discovered misdemeanors or more serious crimes. http://factsandtrends.net/2016/01/07/more-churches-recognizing-need-for-volunteer-screening/#.VpQoi3mhqUn
Sources: Baptist Press, Christian Post, Facts and Trends, RonnieFloyd.com, SBC this Week
iB2 News 