In the Witness this week

Point of Light award to disaster relief worker
Gov. Bush awards pastor, airman for service after Hurricane Katrina
Published January 26, 2006

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE (FBW) – Florida Governor Jeb Bush recognized Derreck Boring, associate pastor of Central Baptist Church in Crestview, and a Master Sergeant in the Air Force, with a Points of Light Award Jan. 11 for his role in assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Pastors seek ‘miracle,’ action for marriage amendment initiative
Published January 26, 2006

ORLANDO (FBW)–With only two weeks until the Feb. 1 deadline for petitions seeking to put a constitutional amendment to protect marriage on the November ballot, more than 300 pastors from various evangelical denominations gathered Jan. 16-17 for a last-ditch rally organizers hope will propel the amendment effort beyond the necessary 611,000 petitions to allow voters to ban “gay marriage” in Florida this fall.

IMB photo by Tracey Alexander

Congregants worship during an international flag processional at the International Mission Board’s missionary appointment service Jan. 10 in Glen Allen, Va.

Rankin urges new missionaries to remember God’s promises
Published January 26, 2006

GLEN ALLEN, Va. (BP)–God is moving in unprecedented ways around the world, and the International Mission Board appointed 12 new workers to join His work Jan. 10 at Staples Mill Road Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Va., in conjunction with an IMB trustee meeting.

Maryland judge orders ‘gay marriage’ legalized
Published January 26, 2006

BALTIMORE (BP)–A Maryland judge Jan. 20 struck down that state’s 33-year-old marriage law and ruled that “gay marriage” must be legalized. The ruling is being appealed.

Opinion

Guest Editorial

‘End of the Spear’ presents a dilemma
KELLY BOGGS
Baptist Press

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)–The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word dilemma as: A situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive.

Point of View

Working, giving together allows Baptists to ‘do better’
JOHN SULLIVAN
executive director-treasurer
Florida Baptist Convention

There may be better and more generous people in the world than Florida Baptists, but I doubt it! You have given to meet needs in such a Christ-like fashion. It is unbelievable. You have given not only financially, but in time, travel and “blood, sweat and tears” ministries.

Jimmy Draper reflects on ministry at retirement
JAMES T. DRAPER JR.
Baptist Press

A number of years ago as I was coming out of Old Town Mombasa, Kenya, our team saw an old blind man feeling his way along a wall across the street. We went to him and shared the Gospel. When we finished he asked, “If this is true, why have you waited so long to tell me?”

BREAKPOINT: The really scary thing about Iran’s nuclear program
CHARLES COLSON
BreakPoint

Recently, the leaders of six nations, including the United States and Great Britain, met to discuss Iran’s restarting its nuclear research program. To quote Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Iran’s actions “crossed the threshold.”

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor
Published January 26, 2006

Letters to the Editor may not reflect the views or opinions of the Witness. Letters may be mailed, faxed or submitted using our online form. Only letters marked clearly for publication, signed with address will be considered for use. Letters are subject to editing. Please limit letters to 250 words.

Florida

Florida News

Point of Light award to disaster relief worker
Gov. Bush awards pastor, airman for service after Hurricane Katrina

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE (FBW) – Florida Governor Jeb Bush recognized Derreck Boring, associate pastor of Central Baptist Church in Crestview, and a Master Sergeant in the Air Force, with a Points of Light Award Jan. 11 for his role in assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Palm Beach joins Broward in registering domestic partnerships

WEST PALM BEACH (FBW)–Palm Beach County Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 10 to create a county-wide registry of domestic partners. Unmarried couples, including homosexual partners, may sign up to receive “visitation rights and decision-making abilities,” according to the Palm Beach Post.

Florida Marriage Amendment

Pastors seek ‘miracle,’ action for marriage amendment initiative

ORLANDO (FBW)–With only two weeks until the Feb. 1 deadline for petitions seeking to put a constitutional amendment to protect marriage on the November ballot, more than 300 pastors from various evangelical denominations gathered Jan. 16-17 for a last-ditch rally organizers hope will propel the amendment effort beyond the necessary 611,000 petitions to allow voters to ban “gay marriage” in Florida this fall.

State Convention president urges pastors to ‘stand together’

Palm Beach joins Broward in registering domestic partnerships

WEST PALM BEACH (FBW)–Palm Beach County Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 10 to create a county-wide registry of domestic partners. Unmarried couples, including homosexual partners, may sign up to receive “visitation rights and decision-making abilities,” according to the Palm Beach Post.

Maryland judge orders ‘gay marriage’ legalized

BALTIMORE (BP)–A Maryland judge Jan. 20 struck down that state’s 33-year-old marriage law and ruled that “gay marriage” must be legalized. The ruling is being appealed.

Florida News Briefs

Youth pastors to network Mar. 9

Retreat teaches relationship skills

Ministry assistants convene at BCF

Teach in China this summer

Flood of baptism candidates surprises, awes congregations

BRANDON (FBW) – In what Pastor Forrest Pollock described as “a movement of God unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” 183 people flooded the aisles of Brandon’s Bell Shoals Baptist Church Jan. 8.

National

National News

Maryland judge orders ‘gay marriage’ legalized

BALTIMORE (BP)–A Maryland judge Jan. 20 struck down that state’s 33-year-old marriage law and ruled that “gay marriage” must be legalized. The ruling is being appealed.

Bus boycott anniversary aids Christian reconciliation

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP)–Although Montgomery often is described as the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, First Baptist Church and other area congregations are working to show the city’s progress toward racial reconciliation.

Oregon doctors may prescribe lethal drugs to patients
Supreme Court ruling gives boost to doctor-assisted suicide

WASHINGTON (BP)–In a major victory for supporters of physician-assisted suicide, the U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 17 said the federal government cannot prohibit Oregon doctors from prescribing lethal amounts of medicine to patients who want to kill themselves.

Four Florida students graduate from SBTS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (SBTS)–More than 132 students received graduate or doctoral-level degrees during the 196th graduation commencement held Dec. 9 at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Five-year-old’s kitty pillow models sacrificial giving

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Southern Baptists mobilized quickly to help displaced hurricane victims, many of whom found themselves left with nothing and no place to turn.

After merger & growing pains, diverse church thrives

SAN DIEGO (BP)– Bancroft Baptist Church was an aging Anglo congregation of perhaps 40 people; pastor Cal Samuels knew that disbanding the San Diego congregation was probably inevitable. “I got to thinking, Am I going to give this to someone I don’t know? A non-Southern Baptist? No!”

Missions News

Rankin urges new missionaries to remember God’s promises

GLEN ALLEN, Va. (BP)–God is moving in unprecedented ways around the world, and the International Mission Board appointed 12 new workers to join His work Jan. 10 at Staples Mill Road Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Va., in conjunction with an IMB trustee meeting.

National News Briefs

Birmingham to host Sisters Who Care

SBTC removes church in homosexuality conflict

BAYTOWN, Texas (BP)–The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s executive board has acted unanimously to disaffiliate a church for violating the convention’s constitutional provision concerning churches that “affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior.”

Veteran pro-abortion leader to head PPFA

Korean research fraud investigation continues

SEOUL, South Korea (BP) – The fallout from fraudulent South Korean cloning reports continues. The following developments have been reported recently regarding the now-discredited claims of Seoul National University researcher Hwang Woo Suk:

Features

Media Montage

SEBTS ladies cook up fundraiser for displaced seminary students

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–When Jackey Perry and Tara Jones in the admissions office at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary interacted with students temporarily relocating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary after Hurricane Katrina, they always asked, “How can we help you?”

SBC reformation: ‘The work is not yet done,’ Nettles writes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)– Is reformation in the Southern Baptist Convention complete?

Evangelical Theological Society scholars address ‘Whatever Happened to Truth?’

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)–The assault on truth ­– being fought today on the fronts of biblical authority, culture, philosophy and hermeneutics – has evoked a hearty response from a team of leading evangelicals led by New Testament scholar Andreas Köstenberger.

Brackin explores ministers’ wives’ lives in new book

WEST PALM BEACH (FBW)–Author Ann Brackin of West Palm Beach has compiled the experiences of Florida ministers’ wives in a new book, Always Together Always Alone: The Truth about Being a Minister’s Wife.

Bible Study

Family Bible Study

January 29: Sexual purity matters
Genesis 2:18, 21-25; Proverbs 5:15-20; Romans 13:11-14

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

February 5: Starting now
Jeremiah 1:4-19

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

February 12: Paying a price to serve God
Jeremiah 26:1-16

Wiley Richards is a retired professor of theology and philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

Explore the Bible

January 29: Consider others
Romans 14:1-12

Troy Bush is the minister of evangelism and missions at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.

February 5: Guard your actions
Romans 14:13-23

Troy Bush is the minister of evangelism and missions at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.

February 12: Glorify God
Romans 15:1-13

Troy Bush is the minister of evangelism and missions at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola.