• /
    • Archives /
  • November 30, 1999

Archives For November 30, 1999

After Hurricane Sandy, calm is hard to find

Meredith Flynn —  October 31, 2012

THE BRIEFING | Hurricane Sandy pummeled the East Coast early this week, killing 40 people in the region (and more than 60 others in the Caribbean), and desolating some of the nation’s largest cities.

In New York, the storm flooded subway stations and forced a two-day closure of the New York Stock Exchange. As the wind and rain subsided, pastors began the work in checking in with their church members, hoping for good news and looking for ways to help.

Freeman Field, on staff at the Metropolitan New York Baptist Association, reported damage to one New York City church, Graffiti Church on the Lower East Side, and said others are still calling in with reports.

“…We are still hearing from our pastors about needs…. We know of two families specifically who had their apartments flooded out – one in Brooklyn from Park Slope Community Church, the other in Jersey City from Gallery Church,” Field wrote to Baptist Press in an email. Read the full story.

Other Hurricane Sandy news:

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief starts long-term relief effort on East Coast
(Baptist Press)

What Jesus might say about Sandy
(Christianity Today)

In Briefing , , , , ,
permalink

Disaster Relief volunteers get national ‘thank you’

Meredith Flynn —  September 11, 2012

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently called North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell to thank him for the work Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers have done in the wake of Hurricane Isaac.

“She called to say how much she appreciates everything Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are doing and to acknowledge that our efforts are a key part of the response,” Ezell said. “The investment Southern Baptists have made in disaster relief over the years has helped us become a key partner in times of crisis.”

Baptist Press reports that in the days since Isaac hit, Disaster Relief feeding teams have cooked and delivered more than 130,500 meals at field kitchens in Louisiana and Mississippi. Volunteers have also recorded 78 chainsaw, 54 mud-out and 8 roofing jobs; provided almost 2,200 showers and laundry loads for victims and volunteers; provided childcare for 41 children; and made 2,231 ministry contacts and 47 Gospel presentations.

Isaac-related outreach has led to at least five professions of faith and nine other faith-related decisions. Read more, including New Orleans pastor and SBC President Fred Luter’s response, here.

Other news:

Democrats wrestle with God language at national convention
God is back in the official platform of the Democratic party, but some evangelical and minority leaders are wondering if they still belong in their party.

The Christian Post reports that the flap over leaving God out of the platform at the Democratic National Convention (and then voting to put Him back in) has left some African American and Hispanic Christian Democrats worried their party will be labeled “the party that booed God.” (After a motion was approved to put “God” language back in the party’s platform, some delegates booed audibly.)

The news site blackchristiannew.com posted a column by Libertarian party leader Wayne Allen Root questioning whether the party can recover from the moment. “There is room for thousands of delegates at the Democratic Convention. Tens of thousands including the media. On Wednesday, the radical forces in the Democratic Party made it clear there is no room for God,” Root wrote.

Leaders also are concerned about other planks of the party’s platform, including abortion and same-sex marriage, and how they might affect the Democrats’ ability to connect with evangelicals this November. Read more at ChristianPost.com.

Iranian pastor freed after years in jail
Youcef Nadarkhani, a pastor who spent more than 1,000 days in jail, was acquitted of the apostasy charges against him and released Sept. 8. Nadarkhani was sentenced to death in Iran in 2010 for converting from Islam to Christianity, and was given several opportunities to recant his faith in court. He refused each time, and says he was never a Muslim. Although he was cleared of the apostasy charges, he was found guilty of converting Muslims to Christianity, which would have carried a three-year jail sentence. But Nadarkhani was released on time served. Read the full story at BPNews.net.

Death of IMB worker in Jordan ruled foul play
Cheryll Harvey, who had served 24 years with the International Mission Board in Jordan, was killed during a robbery attempt at her apartment in Irbid, Jordan’s second largest city. Police have arrested a suspect. Harvey, 55, originally from Texas, established the ESL language center in Jordan, where 300-400 college students study each semester.

“Cheryll was greatly loved by both our personnel in the Middle East and by her many students,” IMB President Tom Elliff said. “We are faced once again with a sobering reminder of the brevity of life and the importance of faithfully serving the Lord to the very end of our time on earth. Cheryll has left for us a great example that we should follow.” Read more about Harvey’s life at BPNews.net.

Professor and statesman Roy Fish dies at 82
Dr. Roy Fish, who served Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for nearly 50 years, passed away Sept. 10 at the age of 82. News of Fish’s death prompted words of admiration and memorial from many SBC leaders. “Dr. Roy Fish was at once a fabulous lecturer and the most consistent soul winner I know,” said Southwestern President Paige Patterson. “He lit a fire under thousands of students.” Read more here.

 

In Briefing , , , , , ,
permalink

Tuesday News Briefing

Meredith Flynn —  July 3, 2012

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

In his own words: David Platt on the ‘sinner’s prayer’
David Platt has released two blog posts to explain his views on recent debate surrounding the “sinner’s prayer.”

Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., sparked controversy in a YouTube video earlier this year in which he called the prayer “superstitious,” and also delivered an intense message on the topic at the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference.

In the posts, Platt combats media accounts that he is “against” the sinner’s prayer, or that the issue stems from Reformed theological views that some people don’t have a chance for redemption in Christ.

“…Words really can’t describe how much a comment like this pierces my heart, for nothing (I hope and pray) could be further from the truth,” Platt wrote in the first post. “Any cautions I have expressed with a ‘sinner’s prayer’ have absolutely nothing directly to do with the doctrine of election, and I definitively don’t believe that certain people ‘actually have no chance for life in Christ.’”

So, does the sinner’s prayer ever fit into an evangelism strategy? Platt’s second blog post outlines the plan he teaches in his church’s evangelism and missions class, including how to lead someone to call out to God in repentance and belief. Read both posts at radical.net/blog.

Religious groups pledge to stand firm despite healthcare decision
After last week’s healthcare ruling, opponents responded to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the 2010 law, which requires insurance plans to cover contraceptives and sterilizations without cost to employees. O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources, said GuideStone “will never allow this Administration, or any other, to tell us that we have to provide abortive drugs like morning-after pills. … We will maintain our advocacy on behalf of ministers we are privileged to serve.” To read more about the Supreme Court’s decision and the fallout, go to bpnews.net.

What does the average American think about the Bible?
A new Barna study says younger adults are less likely to perceive the Bible as relevant and useful when compared with older adults. The 2012 State of the Bible survey, conducted by Barna for the American Bible Society, also found nearly half of Americans believe the Bible contains the same truths as the Koran and the Book of Mormon. Read more findings here.

Disaster Relief volunteers mobilize for action in Colorado, Florida
As monster wildfires rage in Colorado and other Western states while Hurricane Debby leaves massive flooding behind in north Florida, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief leaders are busy mapping responses in both parts of the country. Read more at bpnews.net.

Teen carries carries cross from Texas to Washington – on foot
Junior Garcia, a 19-year-old from Saginaw, Texas, has received permission to set up a 12-foot cross in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. And’s he’s taking it there by foot. Garcia and a team from Oasis International Church set out on “The Journey” June 7, and will hold a prayer service in the park to celebrate the end of their trip. Read the full story at christianpost.com.

In News , , , , ,
permalink