IMB appoints 55 despite financial hardships
Despite the rocky economy and a red-line budget, International Mission Board trustees appointed 55 new missionaries at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., in conjunction with the Louisiana Baptist Convention annual meeting. Earlier this year, 25 of the 55 appointees were told they would be delayed going to the mission field until 2010 because there wasn’t enough money to send them. But during the summer, Southern Baptists responded to the IMB’s financial restrictions with a grassroots effort to raise additional support to send as many of the delayed missionary candidates as possible before the end of 2009. IMB leadership determined the extra gifts would be enough to send 25 of the 69 career candidates on hold.
LifeWay introduces Bible for Xbox 360
In early December, B&H Publishing Group will introduce an Xbox 360 application featuring the complete Holman Christian Standard Bible. “Bible Navigator X” is thought to be the first complete Bible available on a video game console and will be downloadable through the “Indie Games” channel of Xbox.com.
Sherwood’s next film to spotlight fatherhood
The movie-making church that filmed “Fireproof” and “Facing the Giants” has announced its next release. “Courageous” will be a movie about fatherhood that the church hopes will convict men to rise up and be spiritual leaders of their children and families. It will be the fourth movie from the church, which saw its last two films, Facing the Giants (2006) and Fireproof (2008), surprise movie observers and gross $10 million and $33.5 million, respectively, despite relatively small budgets by Hollywood’s standards. The church gets only a small slice of the revenue and puts it toward various ministries.
Ga. Baptists minister in the rain
Despite a day of record rainfall, Georgia Baptists forged ahead with a major evangelism campaign in conjunction with their 188th annual meeting at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., Nov. 9-10. The remnants of Hurricane Ida moved over the Atlanta area, dropping four inches of rain and limiting the massive scope of ministry through LoveLoud planned for the afternoon. Against that soggy background, many of the 1,125 volunteers fanned out to 87 ministry sites. By the time the event came to a close, an unofficial 22 professions of faith were recorded.
N.C. pares budget by $5M, gives more to SBC
North Carolina Baptists approved a budget $4.8 million smaller than 2009, while increasing the percentage of Cooperative Program funds forwarded to ministries of the Southern Baptist Convention during their Nov. 9-11 annual meeting in Greensboro. Attendance of 2,055 messengers and guests was 13 percent below the previous year, which was itself the smallest meeting since 1956. North Carolina Baptists increased the percentage of Cooperative Program gifts to the Southern Baptist Convention by one-half percentage point – the fifth consecutive year marking an increase. The division of their $34.8 million budget is 65.5 percent for North Carolina ministries, 34.5 percent for SBC causes.
Pastor’s accused killer unfit for trial
The man accused of the March 8 murder of Illinois pastor Fred Winters has been ruled unfit to stand trial. Madison County Judge Richard Tognarelli, in an Oct. 20 ruling, cited a psychologist’s report which stated Terry Joe Sedlacek, 27, is schizophrenic and unlikely to be able to participate in his own defense at trial. Sedlacek is accused of entering First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., during the 8:15 a.m. service and shooting Winters in the chest as he delivered his sermon. Winters, 45, led the church for 22 years, seeing it grow from 30 members to more than 1,500. In addition to his wife, he is survived by their two daughters.
Russia may restrict missionary activity
New legislation being considered by Russian lawmakers could drastically restrict missions activity if made into law. Restrictions could include requiring missionaries and Russian Christians to obtain permission to engage in missionary activity and limiting its locations and participants, such as tourists and minors. While the proposals are currently in the draft stages, language introduced by the Russian Ministry of Justice Oct. 12 indicates that if these laws are enacted they will greatly restrict religious freedom.
Disaster relief far from over in American Samoa
Southern Baptist disaster relief work continues on American Samoa, eight weeks after an earthquake struck the South Pacific island, triggering a deadly tsunami that killed 31 people, including six Southern Baptists. But disaster relief volunteers onsite say many needs created by the disaster remain unmet. Water purification has emerged as the key disaster relief ministry operation in American Samoa since the Sept. 29 tsunami, according to Bruce Poss, disaster relief coordinator for the SBC’s North American Mission Board.