In the Witness this week

Witness editorial gets Enquirer spotlight
Published April 10, 2008

JACKSONVILLE (BP)—The National Enquirer took an editorial potshot at Florida Baptist Witness executive editor James A. Smith Sr. in their April 7 edition—and Smith couldn’t be more pleased.

Evangelicals facing new issues, says Tony Perkins
Published April 10, 2008

WASHINGTON (BP)—Conservative evangelical Christians continue to influence government policies, but they also are facing the challenge of responding to additional issues, pro-family leaders said in a National Press Club panel discussion.

IMB photo

Roma believers gather for Bible study under a circuslike tent in a small Gypsy community near Braila, Romania. Language and lifestyle unite the more than 40 million Roma worldwide.

Roma reaching Roma Gypsies key for 10-million plus worldwide
Published April 10, 2008

BUZAU, Romania (BP)—Forfeiting a starting position on a professional soccer team didn’t make sense to the parents of Mihail Stoica, a talented young Roma Gypsy believer from the mountains near Buzau, Romania.

Resolutions Committee set for SBC
Three Floridians, including chairman, named
Published April 10, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—SBC President Frank Page has named the members of the Resolutions Committee who will serve during the June 10-11 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis.

Opinion

Editorial

The ‘pro-choice’ lie
JAMES A. SMITH
Executive Editor

In America’s seemingly endless debate about abortion each side seeks to frame the debate to its advantage. Those who oppose abortion, including myself, note human life begins at conception and is thus worthy of protection from the beginning. These persons are “pro-life.” Those who support unlimited abortion rights shift the debate away from the child (using the technical medical term of “fetus” in order to de-humanize the child) and instead focus on the rights of women to make their own decisions. For these persons, “pro-choice” is the rallying cry.

Point of View

McDonald’s joins the gay agenda
DWAYNE HASTINGS
Baptist Press

McDonald’s, known for its distinctive golden arches and, here in the South, its dollar sweet tea, is now being recognized for the dubious distinction of having a member of its executive team on the board of directors of the national Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Baptist Faith & Message commentary 6: Salvation
MARK RATHEL
Special to Florida Baptist Witness

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of an occasional series of commentaries examining and explaining the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention's confession of faith.

Contending for the faith
DON WALTON
Time for Truth Ministries

Don Walton is founder of Time for Truth Ministries and a full-time evangelist and conference speaker. For more information visit www.timefortruth.org.

Jude, the half-brother of our Lord, exhorted us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). If we fail to defend the Christian faith and to preserve the purity of the Gospel message, then the truth of Christ will be lost to the next generation. As it has been astutely observed, “Christianity is only one generation away from extinction.”

Dismissed! To Study the Bible: Released Time Programs
CHARLES COLSON
Breakpoint

Eric was a little boy who did not have much going for him. His older brother was in prison, and he had never known his father. He had never been to church in his life.

Florida

Florida News

Witness editorial gets Enquirer spotlight

JACKSONVILLE (BP)—The National Enquirer took an editorial potshot at Florida Baptist Witness executive editor James A. Smith Sr. in their April 7 edition—and Smith couldn’t be more pleased.

Lakeland family trades theme park for mission venue

LAKELAND (BP)—James and Cheri Tew and their children were “on mission” as a family even before the North American Mission Board turned their summers toward ministering to others.

SOHL director Kathleen Hiers leaves Florida, welcomes new season of life

LAKELAND (FBW)—The first director of Sanctity of Human Life, Kathleen Hiers admitted that she entered the newly formed position eight years ago completely ignorant of how she would lead the battle against abortion from the front lines of Florida Baptist Children’s Homes.

End of the Spear author says God still writing chapters in his life’s story
Re-evaluate mission efforts, Steve Saint tells North American churches

ARCADIA (FBW)—Steve Saint has spent a lifetime in missions among the Waodani tribe in Ecuador.

Florida News Briefs

RVers spruce up the Baptist College of Florida’s Graceville campus

Jackson County names BCF grads teachers of the year

LifeWay Consultants to lead Big Bend Sunday School meeting

Florida Focus

Florida Focus

A one-time announcement of special events is a free service provided by the Witness to Florida Baptist churches. Please send materials at least three weeks before the date of the event, to Florida Baptist Witness, 1230 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32207, fax 904-346-0696 or submitted using our online form. Items received after deadline may appear in our exclusive on-line version.

 

National

National News

Evangelicals facing new issues, says Tony Perkins

WASHINGTON (BP)—Conservative evangelical Christians continue to influence government policies, but they also are facing the challenge of responding to additional issues, pro-family leaders said in a National Press Club panel discussion.

Resolutions Committee set for SBC
Three Floridians, including chairman, named

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—SBC President Frank Page has named the members of the Resolutions Committee who will serve during the June 10-11 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis.

Some televangelists fail to meet Senate probe deadline
Tampa’s Without Walls Int’l targeted by Senator Charles Grassley

WASHINGTON (BP)—Two television ministries still are refusing to comply fully with a U.S. Senate committee’s probe into their financial records.

California appeals court to rehear homeschool case this summer

LOS ANGELES (BP)—The same California appeals court that issued a much-criticized homeschooling ruling has agreed to rehear the case—raising hopes in the homeschooling community that the justices will reverse their decision.

Cedarville trustees uphold professor’s firing

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (BP)—Trustees of Cedarville University, meeting in special session April 4, voted unanimously to uphold the termination of David Hoffeditz, a tenured professor in the school’s biblical studies department.

Spike in tenure denials at Baylor University protested

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—An unusually high number of faculty members at Baylor University have been denied tenure this semester, and one former Baylor professor believes the denials reflect the school’s decision to turn away from its Baylor 2012 campaign to establish Baylor as both a Christian university and a top-tier research institution.

BF&M Commentary

Point of View
Baptist Faith & Message commentary 6: Salvation

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is part of an occasional series of commentaries examining and explaining the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention's confession of faith.

Missions News

Roma reaching Roma Gypsies key for 10-million plus worldwide

BUZAU, Romania (BP)—Forfeiting a starting position on a professional soccer team didn’t make sense to the parents of Mihail Stoica, a talented young Roma Gypsy believer from the mountains near Buzau, Romania.

Kids help mom & dad evangelize Gypsies

BRNO, Czech Republic (BP)—“It’s ‘prsi,’” Dad. “‘Prsi!’” 7-year-old Miles Hatchel insisted as he planted his hands on his dad’s knees and leaned into his face as several Bible study participants looked on. With his younger daughter dancing twirls in the background, missionary Boyd Hatchel was faltering in Czech to explain to a new Roma Gypsy believer one of Christianity’s hardest questions: Why do bad things happen to good people?

With changed heart, Romanian now seeks out Roma to share love ‘only God can give’

BUCHAREST, Romania (BP)—Cornel Tuns navigates many of the roads he traveled as a child in Romania as he locates Roma Gypsy villages near the capital city of Bucharest.

Lake Worth VBS sends offering to Roma Gypsies

Reaching Roma Gypsies
Same people, different continent

CAMPINAS, Brazil (BP)—It wasn’t the easiest way for a new missionary to begin ministry.

National News Briefs

Messianic pastor’s son injured by bomb

Court accepts religious monument case

Features

Media Montage

New Baptist Hymnal song titles released

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—The mystery is over. The songs going in the new Baptist Hymnal have been chosen.

SBC Life editor debunks ‘prosperity gospel’ myth in new book

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—God does not reward those who earnestly seek rewards, He rewards those who earnestly seek Him, author John Revell writes in a new book titled Getting the Most from God (but not how you might think!), which uses Scripture to debunk the prosperity gospel often preached by popular televangelists.

Obituary

Former Florida Directors of Missions die

Former Florida Baptist Convention Mobile Dental Unit coordinator dies

Bible Study

Bible Studies for Life

April 13: Exploring Devotion
Genesis 22:1-14, 17-18

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

April 20: Exploring perseverance
Genesis 26:1-3, 6, 12-22

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

Explore the Bible

April 13: The Lord was with him
Genesis 39

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

April 20: Forgotten by men but not forgotten by God
Genesis 40

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