CP 1.20 percent below previous year’s pace
Year-to-date contributions to Southern Baptist national and international missions and ministries received by the SBC Executive Committee are 1.20 percent below the same time frame last year. As of Feb. 28, Cooperative Program gifts received by the Executive Committee totaled $82,893,069.47, or $1,003,117.86 behind the $83,896,187.33 received at the end of February 2010. Designated giving of $86,135,687.54 for the same year-to-date period is 5.42 percent, or $4,939,534.34, below gifts of $91,075,221.88 received at this point last year.
Two Rivers Baptist changing name
Two Rivers Baptist Church, a prominent Southern Baptist congregation in Nashville, is changing its name beginning March 20 to the “Fellowship at Two Rivers.” The church says the name change was driven by a desire to distance itself from controversies from the past few years that made headlines in local media. The controversy involved church members who were dissatisfied with former pastor Jerry Sutton. Some of them sued. Sutton retired early, telling members in a letter, “Although we have won court cases and church votes, the conflict continues.” The church said in a January letter to members, “We are still Baptist. Legally we are still Two Rivers Baptist, but identifying that in the name is not important. People will be drawn to our ministry by our actions and love. That is what matters.” The church said it is not becoming “seeker sensitive.”
Pastors murdered in Tenn., Texas
Two unrelated murders of Baptist pastors in Tennessee and Texas have left friends, families members and church members in shock and disbelief. In Tennessee, Darrell Franklin, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Madisonville, was killed between 2-2:30 p.m. on March 2 at his business, Fay Innovative Waste Solutions, in Athens. According to news reports, he allegedly was shot and killed by an employee of the company who then killed himself. Franklin was bivocational. In Texas, Clint Dobson, pastor of Arlington’s NorthPointe Baptist Church, was killed, and his ministry assistant, Judy Elliott, critically injured March 3. NorthPointe is a satellite campus of First Baptist Church in Arlington. Robbery could have been a motive: Some items, including a vehicle, were missing, the Associated Press reported.
‘Grace Card’ expanding to more cities
“The Grace Card,” which had an impressive opening weekend Feb. 25-27 and was made by a church in Memphis, Tenn., will expand to 17 new cities March 18. It has received positive reviews from Baptist Press, Focus on the Family’s PluggedinOnline.com, and Christianity Today. Variety, a mainstream website, said Grace Card was “blessed with fine performances, credible dialogue and slick production values” and “ranks among the better religious-themed indies released in recent years.” The movie spotlights the racial tension between a white cop and a black cop.
‘Courageous’ trailer now online
The trailer for “Courageous” – the next film from the makers of the hit movie “Fireproof” – is now online. The movie won’t be released until Sept. 30 but is already being screened for Christian leaders. The Courageous trailer, first released in theaters the weekend of Feb. 25 as a trailer for “The Grace Card,” can be viewed at www.courageousthemovie.com. Courageous, made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., follows the story of four police officers as they seek to become better fathers. In addition to Fireproof, Sherwood also made “Facing the Giants” and “Flywheel.”