101 new missionaries appointed in Denver
One hundred-one missionaries were appointed by the International Mission Board May 20 at Riverside Baptist Church in Denver. The service was the fourth-largest appointment in the organization’s history. The appointees will join more than 5,600 others already on the field. Because of an anticipated shortfall in the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and a decrease in Cooperative Program giving during the current economic downturn, the IMB will limit the number of new missionaries appointed for the rest of the year after a July appointment service in Lebanon, Ohio.
Trustees affirm NAMB’s ‘crucial’ role in SBC
Trustees of the North American Mission Board, meeting May 19-20, unanimously approved a resolution describing the entity as “crucial to the weaving together of Southern Baptist partners to fulfill the Great Commission.” The trustees said they believe “that the North American Mission Board is an efficient and effective Southern Baptist entity that takes seriously the good stewardship of the Cooperative Program and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering dollars entrusted to us by Southern Baptists.” The statement of affirmation came three weeks after board chairman Tim Patterson, pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., was quoted in the Florida Baptist Witness as supporting a “singular world missions agency” for Southern Baptists. Before the trustees’ May 20 sessions, Patterson said he did not intend to speak on the board’s behalf and he apologized for the way the information was shared.
CP down 2.78%; off ’09 budget by 1.85%
Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program are 2.74 percent below the same time frame last year and 1.85 percent off budget for 2009. As of May 31, the year-to-date total of $134,612,737 for CP missions is $3,789,056 below the $138,401,793 received at the end of May 2008. Designated giving of $152,197,788 for the same year-to-date period is 10.78 percent, or $18,383,632, below gifts of $170,581,420 received at this point last year.
19 inmates earn degrees at Parchman
In some ways, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary’s extension center graduation May 20 mirrored any other seminary graduation ceremony. But this graduation, held at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Miss., took place under the watchful eyes of prison guards. Striped prison pants were visible below the hem of each robe. Johnny Bley, director of the seminary’s Parchman extension, said graduates of the program are making an impact on the prison by serving as chaplains’ assistants and Bible study teachers. The graduates are leading a variety of ministry and educational activities including “Experiencing God” groups and GED training groups. Bley said others are even teaching basic literacy to their fellow inmates.
S.C. Baptist universities host summer camps
Two Upstate Baptist-affiliated universities are hosting Christians camps this summer. North Greenville University is the site for nine sessions of the Centrifuge/M-Fuge combination youth camp, sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources. More than 7,000 students are expected to attend, and last summer 120 students made decisions for Christ. At Anderson University, more than 2,300 children and youth will be on campus this summer, attending a variety of camps, including Wayfarer, Creed Camp, Kidzjam, Crosspoint/Centra-Kid and church camps.