Issue Date: 2009-09-10
Volume: 188
Number: 20

News

Speechless in Toccoa
Published September 10, 2009

The second annual Speechless Conference is planned for the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa Oct. 19-20. Last year's conference got excellent reviews from those who attended.

The Fountain of Youth may be closer than you think
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 10, 2009

Imagine the United States without high blood pressure or a spiraling death rate from cancer. Now, imagine the same nation with little or no heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension.

A wake-up call that saved his life ... and his ministry
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 10, 2009

John Autry was not totally surprised at the diagnosis that changed his life four years ago this month. Extreme thirst. Frequent urination. A generaly tired, uneasy feeling.

Oct. 4 soul-winning campaign asks 'Who's in Your Wallet?'
By Mickey Noah
Published September 10, 2009

Spinning off the slogan of a well-known credit card's TV ad campaign, "Who's in Your Wallet?" will again be the theme of Soul-Winning Commitment Day, observed throughout the Southern Baptist Convention on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Food Quiz
Published September 10, 2009

I Corinthians 6:19 teaches that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we do not belong to ourselves. From a quick look around the Bible Belt, most believers are engaged in a massive building program that knows no bounds.

Health Facts
If you're over the age of 4, that's not Baby Fat hanging around your middle.
Published September 10, 2009

If you're not overweight, chances are you know someone who is.

GCR luncheon draws tough questions
By Stella Prather, Arkansas Baptist
Published September 10, 2009

A gathering of about 400 pastors and laypersons Aug. 26 at the Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers focused on the Great Commission Resurgence and future of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dungy to Vick: 'Where was the Lord in all of this?'
By Art Stricklin
Published September 10, 2009

While NFL coaches, players, and analysts have speculated how Michael Vick will fare in returning to pro football after two years in prison, his closest mentor, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, said Vick will succeed only through faith in God.

Does Lit 101 lead to unbelief?
By S.J. Velasquez, c. 2009 Religion News Service
Published September 10, 2009

As college students return to campus, a new study suggests some could be in danger of losing their religion.

Fordham celebrates 35 years in evangelism
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 10, 2009

Randy Ray, pastor of Douglas Chapel Baptist Church near Nicholls, was exuberant over the recent revival in his church.

Franklin Graham event rescheduled for next spring
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 10, 2009

The Franklin Graham Festival that had been calendared for this summer has been rescheduled for next spring as a one-day event designed to reach the younger generation.

The Fountain of Youth may be closer than you think - Part one summary
Published September 10, 2009

The generation that grew up espousing a simple lifestyle has fallen victim to all the things they tried so hard to avoid. Rather than living circumspectly and enjoying all things - especially food - in moderation, they are struggling with a rise of chronic disease at levels unheard of in the nation's history.

These prayers make a statement without saying a word
By Tiffany Stanley, c. 2009 Religion News Service
Published September 10, 2009

Cathy Harris thought to name her unborn child while praying for the government recently in the hallway of a Senate office building on Capitol Hill.

Georgia Newsbriefs

Proposed amendment to the Constitution of the Georgia Baptist Convention
Published September 10, 2009

The Executive Committee approved in the March 2009 meeting the amendment of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Georgia Baptist Convention.

Truett-McConnell College establishes Creation Research Center
Published September 10, 2009

Emir Caner, president of Truett-McConnell College, announced through a statement Aug. 11 the establishment of a center on campus for the purpose of "build[ing] a community of scholars dedicated to providing a conservative Christian voice within the field of science."

Georgia Baptist Convention Annual listing
Published September 10, 2009

Lists of ordained ministers who are not serving in the pastorate at the present time and full-time evangelists in fellowship with a church in cooperation with the Georgia Baptist Convention will be published in the 2009 Georgia Baptist Convention Annual.

Baptist News Summary

LifeWay seeks tenants for historic Frost Building
Published September 10, 2009

LifeWay Christian Resources is seeking to lease the historic Frost Building in downtown Nashville.

Prof resigns, rather than leave church
Published September 10, 2009

A music professor at Southwestern Seminary has opted for early retirement rather than leave a church declared out of fellowship with the Southern Baptist Convention because of openly homosexual members.

Pastor shot, killed in drug sting gone awry
Published September 10, 2009

A Georgia Baptist pastor was shot and killed by undercover police officers Sept. 2 in a drug sting gone awry.

Religious Newsbriefs

Eighteen churches aim to share one building
Published September 10, 2009

Eighteen Christian denominations in Hamburg have launched an effort to share a single church building in a new seaside "Harbor City" residential development.

Book on Muhammad cartoons won’t include controversial images
Published September 10, 2009

Yale University Press will not include infamous illustrations of the Prophet Muhammad in an upcoming book, "Cartoons That Shook the World," which explores a Danish newspaper's controversial decision in 2005 to publish cartoon depictions of Muhammad.

No permit required for Santeria priest to sacrifice animals at home, court rules
Published September 10, 2009

A Santeria priest can continue to sacrifice animals in his Texas home, a federal appeals court has ruled.

German church opens website to mark 'peaceful revolution' that ended communism
Published September 10, 2009

The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) is encouraging parishes to commemorate the "peaceful revolution" of 1989 that marked the end of communism in Eastern Europe and prepared the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall.

People and Places

Ministerial Moves
Published September 10, 2009

Obituaries
Published September 10, 2009

New deacons
Published September 10, 2009

Homecomings
Published September 10, 2009

Honors
Published September 10, 2009

Cooperative Program Stories

Nursing needs
By Sherri Brown, Communications, GBC
Published September 10, 2009

Some are now back in class, while others have headed off to the grown-up world of work.

Bible Study

The Challenge of Knowing Jesus
By Daniel Garnett, Senior Pastor, Beacon Baptist Church, Albany
Published September 10, 2009

Mark 6:1-6, 42-52; 7:8-9, 13
Related Sunday School Lesson, Bible Studies for Life, Sept 20

The Results of Knowing Jesus
By Daniel Garnett, pastor, Beacon Baptist Church, Albany
Published September 10, 2009

Mark 8:34-38; 9:33-37; 10:32-34
Related Sunday School Lesson, Bible Studies for Life, Sept 27

Columns

Violent shows, toys should be a concern to parents
By James Dobson
Published September 10, 2009

A movement or a monument
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published September 10, 2009

I don't want to be known as an old fogy who never had a novel idea. I don't want to be so out of touch that my words are hackneyed and my thought processes enshrouded in cobwebs.

What's eating you?
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published September 10, 2009

If the old saying "You are what you eat" holds a grain of truth, the next question might be "What's eating you?"

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director GBC
Published September 10, 2009

September is a very special month among our Georgia Baptist churches.

Letters

GCR Task Force shows lack of SBC commitment
By Robert Thompson, Tifton
Published September 10, 2009

I have searched and searched for the proper adjective to describe my dismay at the people selected to be on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force.

Numbers may be deceiving
By Bill Kent, Pitts
Published September 10, 2009

We live in a culture demanding a constant upward trend in business, sports, and churches. Though we need to evangelize more and work toward an increase, does an increase always mean we are doing right?

Controversies grieve God
By Ken Conner, pastor, Blackwood Springs Church, Calhoun
Published September 10, 2009

When I read certain articles in the newspaper, The Christian Index, and other periodicals I know that God's heart must surely be grieved over the many controversies taking place within the ranks of Southern Baptists.

Don't lose track
By Kenneth Aycock, Newnan
Published September 10, 2009

There have been a series of letters to the editor in our local paper, the Newnan Times-Herald, about the 10 Commandments and moral absolutes.

Muslim editorial was 'misguided appeasement'
By John Averill, Byromville
Published September 10, 2009

Your article, "Muslims should be able to pray in public schools" is, to put it bluntly, misguided appeasement.