Bible Study "a Changed Family" Acts 16: 22-34
By Brian Koonce
Baptist Press
On a show of ballots, messengers defeated an motion to supplant the executive committee of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary trustee board. Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention proposed 20 motions during 2 15-minute scheduled segments of the 2018 annual coming together in Dallas June 12. Photo by Matt Miller / Baptist Press
DALLAS — Messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention proposed twenty motions during two 15-infinitesimal scheduled segments of the 2018 annual meeting in Dallas June 12.
Messengers debated then defeated June 13 a motility by Tom Hatley of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark., that messengers dismiss Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's trustee Executive Committee. The debate included comments from two current SWBTS trustees, a former convention president and a laywoman. [Read more…]
Past Erin Roach
Baptist Press
Kie Bowman, pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, preached the convention sermon from Ezekiel 37, calling on Southern Baptists to enquire God to breathe life into families, churches and the Southern Baptist Convention at the annual meeting in Dallas June 13.Photograph by Ethan Loveless / Baptist Press
DALLAS — Kie Bowman, pastor of Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, preached the convention sermon from Ezekiel 37, calling on Southern Baptists to inquire God to exhale life into families, churches and the Southern Baptist Convention at the annual meeting in Dallas June thirteen. [Read more…]
By Julie McGowan
Baptist Press
IMB trustees elected new officers for the 2018-2019 yr. They included (from left) Rick Dunbar, president, Mississippi; Lisa Lovell, recording secretary, Arkansas; Seth Polk, first vice chair, West Virginia; and Cecil Sanders, second vice chair, Alabama. Photo by Chris Carter/IMB
DALLAS — International Mission Board trustees approved the appointment of 47 new missionaries sent by Southern Baptist churches to take the Gospel to the nations during their June 10-11 meeting in Dallas.
The new missionaries were function of a Sending Celebration June 12 during the evening session of the SBC annual meeting at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Trustees besides heard an update on the presidential search; received a fiscal report on the entity; reiterated IMB's "goose egg tolerance" policy on corruption; and elected 2018-2019 officers during their meeting held in conjunction with the June 12-13 Southern Baptist Convention almanac meeting in Dallas.
Chuck Pourciau, presidential search committee chairman, reported the commission is making progress and working in unity toward determining God's direction for the entity's adjacent leader. He said the committee has moved from determining what kind of person they're seeking to considering candidates.
"This is a slap-up committee," said Pourciau, senior pastor of Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, La. "God's been in our midst, and I thank God for how He led [Rick Dunbar] in putting together this committee.
"We are committed to finding God's leader," Pourciau said. "We desire to see God glorified."
Lottie Moon $5m ahead
In their back up services committee, trustees reviewed IMB'south 2017 audited financials and its current financial position. "We are on strong financial ground, and by God's grace nosotros have the resources we have," reported Seth Polk, the committee chair. "We thank God for the faithfulness of His people in giving."
At the cease of May, IMB had received $66,840,768 in Cooperative Program (CP) funding for the 2017-2018 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1. The total is $1,014,337 (1.54 percentage) ahead of concluding year. The IMB had received $142,683,654 so far for the 2017-2018 Lottie Moon Christmas Offer campaign, which began Oct. 1, 2017, and ends Sept. xxx, 2018*. This total is $5,161,874 (3.75%) ahead of terminal year's LMCO receipts. The total represents money received by the IMB or postmarked past the close of the last business twenty-four hours of May 2018 and includes receipts from the SBC Executive Committee, country conventions, churches and individuals.
Trustees also adopted a resolution of appreciation for the work of Randy and Kathy Arnett, who served as missionaries from 1986-2018, and died on March 14 while serving in Africa. The resolution reads: "The International Mission Board, SBC, herein expresses deep appreciation for faithful service to God through this board and pledges special prayer support for the family during days ahead."
'Zero tolerance'
In response to bug arising in the SBC in recent months, trustees and IMB leaders reiterated the lath'due south policy on abuse and harassment.
Dunbar said, "The IMB leadership and the trustees want yous to know that we are committed to zero tolerance for child corruption and sexual harassment among our personnel — and we are also committed to communicating and cooperating with our partners to guard against those behaviors."
If anyone "sees or suspects something, they need to say something," Dunbar said, noting IMB policies provide multiple avenues to make a written report, including a confidential hotline designated for this purpose: –866-292-0181. If anyone has personally experienced or observed child abuse or sexual harassment among IMB personnel in the past, they are urged to contact IMB through the confidential hotline. It is IMB's policy to investigate all cases regardless of when they occurred.
Whenever a church building, SBC entity, other ministry or any employer sees "IMB" on the resume of someone looking to serve with them, they are urged to contact IMB for a reference. Reference requests tin be submitted to IMB's Hour department at references@imb.org. (The total text of IMB'southward Statement on Child Abuse and Sexual Harassment is below.)
'Everything hinges on God'
In his report to the trustees, IMB President David Platt shared two truths: 1) When God is with you, nothing and no one can stand up against yous; 2) When God is non with you, y'all take no hope. "Everything hinges on the fullness of God's presence — everything," he said.
Referring to Joshua 7:1-12, Platt explained that because of i man'southward surreptitious, subconscious sin, God'southward presence was non with the unabridged people of State of israel. He told trustees, "We cannot underestimate the consequences of one homo's sin. Our sin never just affects usa. Our sin always affects the people around u.s..
"I want to plead with you, for your own sake, for the sake of people right around you … for the sake of these missionaries nosotros're about to ship out and, ultimately, for the Proper name [of Jesus] — to apologize of any hidden or secret sin in your heart," Platt exhorted trustees. "I want to urge us to repent of sin and to receive the grace that is available in Christ.
"The IMB'south greatest need in trustees and leaders around this room (including myself) is not innovation or organizational this-or-that — the greatest need is holiness and humility before God, that says, 'I don't want to concord onto any sin in my centre that will jeopardize the fullness of the blessing of God, not only in my life, only in the lives of those I'thousand leading, the lives of those I'm influencing,'" Platt said, inviting trustees to spend a few moments in silent confession before God.
Trustees also spent concerted time in prayer for the Walangchung people group of Nepal. The Eastward Asian people has a population of 22,000 who primarily do Buddhism, specifically Lamaism. There are perhaps two known believers among the unabridged population, and the Bible is not translated into their language. Trustees prayed that God would call someone to take the Gospel to these people.
Six trustees were recognized for their service as they complete their terms: Dick Avey (Arkansas), June Coleman (Georgia), Andy Finch (Oklahoma), Jaye Martin (Texas), Richard Richie (Alabama) and John Ross (Texas).
Dunbar, a member of Get-go Baptist Church in Madison, Miss., was elected trustee chairman for 2018-2019; Seth Polk, pb pastor of Cross Lanes Baptist Church in Cross Lanes, West.Va., was elected as first vice chair and Cecil Sanders, senior pastor of Kickoff Baptist Church building in Headland, Ala., 2d vice chair. Lisa Lovell, a member of Outset Baptist Church building in Fayetteville, Ark., was reelected as recording secretary.
The side by side IMB trustee coming together and Sending Celebration is slated for Sept. 26-27 in Richmond, Va.
* The LMCO campaign year historically ran from June one to May 31 each year, but that campaign year did non align with IMB'due south financial year, which runs January 1 to Dec 31. To help alleviate confusion, IMB finance leaders, in conjunction with the board of trustees, proposed to align the fiscal yr and the LMCO campaign to Oct i through September 30. Messengers voted to approve the financial year change during the 2017 SBC annual meeting in Phoenix. Therefore, gifts contributed from Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018, will apply to the 2017-xviii Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Julie McGowan is public relations managing director for IMB.
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IMB Statement on Kid Abuse and Sexual Harassment
The IMB is committed to zero tolerance for child abuse and sexual harassment amid our personnel. Further, the IMB is committed to communicating clearly and cooperating with our partners to guard against child abuse and sexual harassment.
Zippo Tolerance Among Our Personnel
We regularly inquire that anyone in the IMB who (a) believes he or she has personally experienced child abuse or sexual harassment, or (b) observes it happen to someone else, bring this bear into the lite by means of a secure written report to IMB leadership. In other words, if anyone suspects or sees something, they need to say something. IMB policies provide multiple avenues to brand a report, including a confidential hotline designated for this purpose: (866)-292-0181.
Anytime we receive a report of suspected kid abuse or sexual harassment, we investigate those situations immediately and, if warranted, accept the appropriate action to study it to local government and remove individuals from IMB employment. In the example of kid sexual abuse, if nosotros conclude that i of our personnel has committed kid sexual abuse, that individual is terminated immediately. If IMB believes that any personnel has committed child abuse, our practice is to make a study to Child Protection Services in the country where the incident occurred or to the alleged offender's home state. Moreover, IMB is committed to complying with mandatory reporting requirements and cooperating with any criminal investigations of abuse by our personnel. Farther, we are committed to providing compassionate intendance to anyone who has experienced child corruption or sexual harassment.
Cooperation With Our Partners
All volunteers who serve with the IMB must undergo a 3-part background screening (criminal groundwork bank check, references, and an interview) to ensure there is no history of activity that would pose a danger to children or others. All volunteers must likewise undergo training concerning kid protection (IMB provides a training video that covers this). Specific resources and guidance for churches and volunteer trip team leaders is available here on our website: https://www.imb.org/for-churches/mission-trip-prep/.
Whenever a church, SBC entity, or other ministry building sees "IMB" on the resume of someone looking to serve with them, we urge them to contact the states. IMB's practice is to terminate individuals who have engaged in child sexual abuse or other forms of misconduct. Notwithstanding, in some cases, an private has resigned before IMB can terminate the individual, or the IMB does not find out most the misconduct until after the individual has left service with IMB. Therefore, IMB strongly encourages any church building, entity, or other employer who is because working or partnering with a former IMB personnel to contact IMB to obtain a reference on that individual. Reference requests can be submitted to IMB's Hour department at references@imb.org. IMB chop-chop responds to all reference requests by providing a release for that old personnel to sign authorizing IMB to share information from its HR file. In most all cases, IMB volition take positive information to share. Nonetheless, in the rarer cases where IMB has information to share apropos kid abuse or sexual misconduct by that one-time personnel, or the quondam personnel refuses to sign the release, then the church building, entity, or employer will exist in a meliorate position to evaluate a time to come human relationship with that former IMB personnel.
Confidential Contact
The above statements reverberate IMB'south present policies and practices. If anyone has personally experienced or observed kid abuse or sexual harassment amid IMB personnel in the by, we invite you to contact us on our confidential hotline at (866)-292-0181. It is our policy to investigate all cases regardless of when they occurred.
By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press
Personal evangelism and tithing are imperative for reversing declines in key Southern Baptist Convention metrics, SBC Executive Commission Interim President D. Baronial Boto told messengers June 12. Photograph by Kathleen Murray / Baptist Printing
DALLAS — Personal evangelism and tithing are imperative for reversing declines in key Southern Baptist Convention metrics, SBC Executive Commission Interim President D. Baronial Boto told messengers June 12.
Key statistics including height-enrollment seminaries and the largest Protestant membership in the U.South. can camouflage less favorable trends such every bit failing baptisms and a sharp dip in personal giving, Boto said.
"I recollect it's important that we not overlook the whole picture show," Boto said in the EC'due south Tuesday afternoon report at the SBC annual meeting. "I do want my report to exist encouraging … but I also desire it to bandage a true motion picture, so we tin can be inspired to reach greater heights."
In his interim function, Boto heads the national SBC part that receives donations for the national and international causes through the Cooperative Program (CP), the Southern Baptist aqueduct that also supports missions and ministries at the land level, where gifts are received from local churches.
At least six states give 50 percent or more of their receipts through the CP, withal on average, local church giving to the CP has declined from five.v percent in 2013 to 4.86 percent in 2017, according to the SBC'southward Annual Church Contour (ACP), Boto said.
"In the terminal 18 years, though our national ministry building receipts have improved by just over $17 million, our state ministry support has shrunk by over $41 million," Boto told messengers.
"We cannot forget that missions and ministries at the country level depend on the Cooperative Plan too," Boto noted.
Personal giving has dipped sharply since the 2008 economic recession, Boto said, and according to latest SBC statistics, baptisms have declined for eight of the by x years. The 254,122 baptisms churches reported in 2017 are 26.5 percent fewer than in 2007, according to the ACP. If each of the 15 million Southern Baptists led one person to Christ in one year, the size of the church family would double, Boto said, and simple tithing could profoundly aggrandize the SBC'southward achieve.
"Multiple studies reveal that if those of us who earn a wage just tithed and did zilch more, our CP receipts would quintuple," Boto said, defining a tithe as ten pct of income. "If we but tithed and did cipher more, we could afford 5 times the number of the missionaries at home. Nosotros could support 5 times the number of missionaries abroad. Perchance have 5 times the number of college ministries to reach and strengthen students; perhaps a like increase in the number of the seminary graduates.
"Past whatsoever judge, we could certainly expect a gigantic increase in all of our present fruit," Boto said. "I practice non mean to be self-righteous. My tithing may be a habit, simply habits don't brand people righteous. Being washed in the claret of the Lamb does. A real relationship with Jesus does."
Boto, an chaser and layman who serves equally EC executive vice president, turned to Scripture to encourage Southern Baptists in evangelism and stewardship. He focused on ane Thessalonians 5:nineteen, Ephesians 6:19 and Ephesians 6:29-32.
A new resource the SBC is offer in partnership with popular fiscal speaker and writer Dave Ramsey, "Leverage," can aid Southern Baptists not but requite financially, but to share with spiritual testimonies, Boto said. Witnessing doesn't require deep theological noesis or a wealth of answers to potential inquiries, he said.
"Those things are helpful, of course, but information technology is most helpful to recall that God does all the leading, and provides the words," Boto told messengers. "Some of the words He has already provided are in John 3:16. Those are great words, all by themselves."
Too during the EC report, the importance of ministry building on college campuses was underscored to messengers.
"Historically Southern Baptists have been at the forefront of reaching college students," said Josh Miller, who is leading a church found, Center Church, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
"From the Northwest to the Southeast, pockets of Southern Baptist churches … are reprioritizing the campus with incredible results," Miller said. "Only if we're going to accomplish the 22 million college students in North America, we as Southern Baptists must all reprioritize the campus.
"We must start seeing higher students in our towns not as 'those' college students but every bit our college students. … [The] opportunity is in front of us and the question is how will we respond to information technology," Miller said.
Justin Leitch who, with his wife Bailey, is assisting Miller and his married woman Meredith in starting Centre Church building, told messengers, "When nosotros were lost, you planted a church and reached the states. When nosotros were moldable, you trained us. When we wanted to constitute a church, you invested in us and at present commissioned us and sent u.s.a..
"To our Southern Baptist family, thank you … for the manner that you are now launching us out to accomplish university students in a new context," Leitch said.
Source: https://baptistandreflector.org/author/ddawson/page/143/
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