SEBTS dedicates Patterson Hall
Southeastern Baptist Seminary dedicated Paige and Dorothy Patterson Hall Oct. 14, a $6.6-million academic building honoring the seminary’s immediate past president and his wife who served from 1992-2003 at the Wake Forest, N.C., campus. During his 11 years at Southeastern, Patterson also served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1998-2000. Patterson and his wife now serve at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, he as president and she as professor of theology in women’s studies. Patterson Hall encompasses classrooms, faculty offices, space for the doctor of ministry, doctor of philosophy and doctor of education programs, and the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture.
Protecting children focus of IMB policy
The sexual abuse of children is a growing problem in nearly every area of society – including churches and ministry organizations. To ensure children’s safety, many congregations and organizations are taking a closer look at adults who interact with children. In its Sept. 8-10 trustee meeting in Atlanta, Ga., the International Mission Board extended its child protection policy to request that short-term mission team participants go through a screening process. The new policy states that all IMB personnel will continue to undergo thorough background checks and that no one may serve with the IMB who has a past history of child abuse, a criminal conviction of a sexual nature or exhibits any other behavior indicative of sexual abuse. Because most volunteers who serve overseas come in contact with children, the IMB now requests that, starting Jan. 1, 2009, all short-term mission team participants 18 and older submit to screenings by their local church. The process should include three parts – criminal background check, references and interview.
‘Fireproof’ passes $20M at box office
“Fireproof” continued its impressive showing in its fourth weekend of release, finishing once again in the Top 5 on a per-theater average and passing the $20 million mark for total gross, according to studio estimates. The film – the latest release from the makers of the 2006 hit “Facing the Giants” – grossed $2,578,271 for the weekend and averaged $2,849 per theater, placing it fifth in that category among movies showing in at least 100 theaters. Just as impressive, it lost only 17.9 percent in weekend gross from the previous weekend – a unique feat. Normally, movies lose anywhere from 35-50 percent in each succeeding weekend after their initial release. Fireproof ended up at No. 11 for total weekend gross after a string of Top 10 finishes its first three weekends.