In the Witness this week

Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

Smoke was still thick in Bradford County May 10 after the Bradford wildfire which had already consumed about 1,500 acres merged with a 200-acre fire in Alachua County which jumped Florida 100 to grow southwest of the Santa Fe Swamp.

Florida Baptists respond as firestorm sweeps state
JONI B. HANNIGAN
Managing Editor
Published May 17, 2007

STARKE (FBW)—Responding to raging wildfires Florida Baptists in the past weeks have opened their doors to fire suppression crews and residents of their communities, providing shelter, food, and staging facilities.

'Pray for Rain' May 27 Florida churches urged
JONI B. HANNIGAN
Managing Editor
Published May 17, 2007

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—In the midst of a historic drought, Florida Baptist Convention leadership is calling on more than 2,700 churches and missions throughout the state to set aside Sunday, May 27, as a "Day of Prayer for Rain."

IMB trustees celebrate record offering
Published May 17, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)—International Mission Board trustees celebrated the largest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering on record, earmarked $5 million to fund an additional 200 new missionaries and adopted guidelines on baptism and the practice of tongues and prayer languages among prospective missionaries during their May 7-9 meeting in Kansas City, Mo.

Opinion

Editorial

Remembering Who sends the rain
JAMES A. SMITH SR.
Executive Editor

It's impossible not to notice Florida's drought conditions and the wildfires which have been ignited by the dearth of rain in our state, but I got a personal, up-close experience about the magnitude and urgency of the matter this past weekend while traveling to a preaching engagement at the vibrant fellowship at First Baptist Church in Esto in Holmes County.

Point of View

Some things I need to say about Florida Baptist life

...2006 was not a banner year for Florida Baptists. We had a few gains but not many. In fact, the Annual Church Profile (ACP) reports caught me a little by surprise. It seems that about every five years we experience a year when we lose about as many churches as we start. There are many reasons for this: churches that have disbanded, merged, misreported, withdrawn or dismissed. My guess is the accumulation of these situations will surface eventually. Whatever the reason, thank God we had a good year in new starts to offset the losses.

Hate crimes, the 'thought police,' and religious freedom
RICHARD LAND
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Mothers, abortion and America's future
ANITA L. STAVER
Liberty Counsel

On Mother's Day this year, I found myself thinking of my mother's unselfish concern for my sister and me. It caused me to recall my family's first winter in Alaska when I was a very small child.

The seed of the church: Martyrdom in Turkey
CHARLES COLSON
Breakpoint

Just a few weeks ago, Christians gathered in the Holy Land to remember the Armenian victims of genocide. Between 1915 and 1919, 1.5 million Armenians living in Turkey were slaughtered. Shockingly, few today have even heard about the brutal persecution that nearly annihilated this ancient people—who, by the way, chose Christianity as their national religion in 301 A.D.

Florida

Florida News

Gospel Fossil man's park possible through partnership of associations

BRANFORD (FBW)—Noah's Park, a Gospel fossil park emulating the blockbuster movie, "Jurassic Park," is gearing up at the Middle Florida Baptist Assembly grounds thanks to the cooperation of several Southern Baptist associations.

Florida Bible drillers, speaker qualify for nationals

APOPKA (FBC)—After weeks of church and associational Bible drills and Speakers Tournaments, hundreds of children and youth gathered April 28 at Trinity Baptist Church in Apopka for the Florida state event. Youth winners will represent the Sunshine State in the fifth annual National Invitational Tournament in June.

Church extends Kingdom through power of prayer

BRONSON (FBC)—Circling their chairs into groups of three or four, the prayer warriors cling fast to the promise "where two or more are gathered in His name, there He will be too."

Wildfires

Florida Baptists respond as firestorm sweeps state

STARKE (FBW)—Responding to raging wildfires Florida Baptists in the past weeks have opened their doors to fire suppression crews and residents of their communities, providing shelter, food, and staging facilities.

'Pray for Rain' May 27 Florida churches urged

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—In the midst of a historic drought, Florida Baptist Convention leadership is calling on more than 2,700 churches and missions throughout the state to set aside Sunday, May 27, as a "Day of Prayer for Rain."

Florida Baptist Disaster Relief monitoring, encouraging churches

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—Local churches are uniquely poised to respond in times like these when fires are ravaging the state, according to Fritz Wilson, director of Florida Baptist Convention Disaster Relief and Recovery.

Q&A about the federal hate crimes bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—When the U.S. House of Representatives passed a hate crimes bill May 3 adding homosexuals and transgendered persons to protected classes, many conservative leaders said the legislation would stifle religious speech.

Florida News Briefs

Special education retreat June 15-16

National

National News

IMB trustees celebrate record offering

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)—International Mission Board trustees celebrated the largest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering on record, earmarked $5 million to fund an additional 200 new missionaries and adopted guidelines on baptism and the practice of tongues and prayer languages among prospective missionaries during their May 7-9 meeting in Kansas City, Mo.

IMB adopts revised baptism, prayer guidelines

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)—International Mission Board trustees have adopted revised guidelines on baptism and the practice of tongues and private prayer languages among prospective missionaries. The revisions, both of which are now termed "guidelines," retain much of their original wording.

Coalition to advocate balanced stewardship of the environment

WASHINGTON (BP)—A coalition of evangelical Christians from various fields is preparing public policy recommendations designed not only to foster stewardship of the environment but to promote economic progress.

Features

Media Montage

Filmmaker: Christians must take a stand

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Christians who want to see more clean movies in theaters need to support the handful of such films already out there.

Obituary

Long-time Florida Baptist minister Joe Courson dies

JACKSONVILLE (FBC)-Joe H. Courson—Baptist statesman, pastor and denominational leader—died of an apparent heart attack May 5 in West Palm Beach. He was 75.

Bible Study

Family Bible Study

May 27: Be Reconciled
Genesis 50:15-21; Matthew 5:23-24; Colossians 3:12-15

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

June 3: Admit Your Struggle with Sin
Deuteronomy 1:6-8, 26-33, 42-46

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

Explore the Bible

May 27: Remember the Promise!
2 Peter 3

Mark Rathel is professor of theology at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.

June 3: A God of Judgment and Mercy
Joel

Mark Rathel is professor of theology at The Baptist College of Florida in Graceville.