Wednesday, June 24, 2015

• Rural church sees God-sized ministry unfold

  by Lonnie Wilkey/Baptist and Reflector , posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Lonnie Wilkey

  BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. (BP) -- The premise behind the Journey of Hope Ministry Center is simple.

  "There are as many hungry people in rural America as there are in urban America," said Doug Mitchell, pastor of Midland Baptist Church in Bell Buckle, Tenn., which operates the center.

  And, he said, people need to hear about Jesus. Read More

• Fmr. Atlanta fire chief still in 'shock' at firing

  by Bonnie Pritchett, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Adam Covington

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Kelvin Cochran was living his boyhood dream. He had a good income. He was married, the proud father of three adult children, and a grandfather. And, the clincher, he was a fireman. But since being fired from his job as chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department in January, his dream has turned into a series of legal battles.

  Cochran shared his story, and told of the faith that undergirds him through trails, at a Cooperative Program forum June 15 in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Nate Adams, executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, hosted the discussion. Read More

• B21 panel addresses sexuality, gender

  by S. Craig Sanders, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Bill Bangham

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Southern Baptists must remain resolute in the challenges of sexuality and gender while facing denominational decline and contend for religious liberty, panelists said during the Baptist21 luncheon in Columbus, Ohio.

  More than 1,000 people attended the sold-out event in the Greater Columbus Convention Center during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting. Jedidiah Coppenger, co-founder of Baptist21 and lead pastor of Redemption City Church in Franklin, Tenn., moderated the panel, which featured R. Albert Mohler Jr., Daniel Akin, Russell Moore; David Platt; and H.B. Charles Jr. Read More

• Legacy church planting revitalizes dying churches

  by Margaret Colson, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by Adam Covington

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- A dying and dysfunctional church robs God of glory, said John Mark Clifton, national legacy strategy leader for the North American Mission Board, speaking during a panel discussion at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

  Approximately 10-15 percent of Southern Baptist churches are at risk of dying. Every year, about 900 churches close and lock their doors for the last time, with as many as 70 percent of them situated in growing neighborhoods, Clifton said. Read More

• 9Marks sparks discussion on church, culture

  by Ali Dixon and Tom Strode, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Southern Baptist leaders discussed how the church can engage culture and align itself with biblical practices at two 9Marks panels in Columbus, Ohio.

  During the two-evening event, held June 15-16, about 800 people attended each panel. The panels were held in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Columbus. Read More

• Preaching through Bible has risks, pastors say

  by Lisa Cannon Green, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  

  Photo by John Swain/NAMB

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- Preaching straight through the Bible has its risks, pastors acknowledged in a panel discussion held during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

  Panelists urged a balance between verse-by-verse explanation and sermons on specific topics at a June 16 breakfast meeting sponsored by The Gospel Project, a curriculum series of LifeWay Christian Resources. Read More

• FIRST-PERSON: Do you have a story to tell?

  by J. Randy Forbes, posted Wednesday, June 24, 2015 (8 years ago)

  Congressman Randy Forbes describes "Faith it Forward," an initiative to tell the story of people across the nation who are helping others -- "stories of hope that are changing our communities, our country and the world." Read More