Monday, March 13, 2017

• Prison's 'field ministers' see wide-ranging impact

  by Alex Sibley, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  Photo by Matheus Oliveira

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (BP) -- "I've been in prison before," Michael Rios humbly reflects. "I came in when I was very young. I had the right ideas, I had the right intents: get out, get married, have a life."

  Dressed in a white prison uniform, Rios speaks slowly but directly, his tattooed hands slowly gesturing to accentuate his words. He has been in prison longer than some of his fellow inmates have even been alive. Though Rios had the "right intents," bad choices kept him locked up, and he is now serving a life sentence. Read More

• Page & Moore: 'We fully support one another'

  by David Roach, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  NASHVILLE (BP) -- Despite a Washington Post article suggesting Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Frank S. Page could ask Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore to resign amid ongoing controversy, the two SBC entity leaders reported a collegial meeting March 13 and said they "fully support one another."

  Earlier in the day, amid a social media flurry following the Post's report, Page told Baptist Press he planned on "bridge-building" with Moore with no anticipation of requesting a resignation. Read More

• Malaysian pastor's abduction now at 1-month point

  by Angela Lu/WORLD News Service, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  Photo courtesy of World Watch Monitor.

  ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) -- Today (March 13) marks one month since the disappearance of Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh, whom family and friends believe was kidnapped because of his interaction with Muslim Malays.

  Police have arrested a suspect in the kidnapping but have not released any information about Koh's possible whereabouts.

  On Sunday, March 5, hundreds of Christians around Malaysia held candlelight prayer vigils in solidarity with Koh's family. Holding candles and signs reading, Read More

• Family of longtime pastor chooses CP for memorial

  by Lonnie Wilkey/Baptist and Reflector, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  Baptist & Reflector photo.

  NEWPORT, Tenn. (BP) -- Levi Parish spent the better part of his ministry supporting and encouraging others to support the Cooperative Program.

  So when he passed away on Feb. 26, it was only natural that the family wanted to do something related to Southern Baptist's giving channel for missions and ministry in his memory.

  "He loved missions," Sherry Parish said of her husband of 53 years. "In every church we served, he encouraged the church to increase its giving through the ... Read More

• 'Dunk 'n Dine' offers unique baptism celebration

  by Lucy Oliver/Arizona Portraits, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  

  TUCSON, Ariz. (BP) -- An Arizona church has created a memorable and successful way to mark the spiritual occasion of baptism that includes an opportunity for the church family to serve their community at the same time.

  Members of S.O.B.E.R. Project church in Tucson trim the 15-foot hedges around a residential pool property twice a year in exchange for free use of the pool and the surrounding lawn, volleyball courts and barbeque grills when they host special baptism events. Read More

• FIRST-PERSON: 'Welcome' -- for international students, a powerful word

  by Terry Sharp, posted Monday, March 13, 2017 (5 years ago)

  Terry Sharp describes "an incredible opportunity in the U.S. to welcome almost a million international students who arrive from countries all around the world to attend American colleges and universities every year." The large majority of them, however, "are never invited into an American home." Read More