Issue Date: 2010-05-06
Volume: 189
Number: 9

News

Pastors' Conference has diverse lineup, adoption focus
By Mark Kelly
Published May 6, 2010

Under the banner of "Greater Things," the 2010 SBC Pastors' Conference will explore the prospect of a bright future for Southern Baptist pastors, their churches, and the denomination, conference president Kevin Ezell says.

Georgia RAs work hunger relief into annual derby
By Scott Barkley, Production Editor
Published May 6, 2010

Royal Ambassadors get fired up every March for racer derbies, but this year participants had another reason to do so.

GCR Task Force releases final report
Phase out of Cooperative Agreements remain intact
Published May 6, 2010

Significant highlights of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force final report, posted on May 3 as The Index was going to press, include the following.

Task Force member blasts "bloated bureaucracies"
By Norman Jameson
Published May 6, 2010

Future Southern Baptists will mark their 2010 annual meeting as the beginning of a Great Commission Resurgence in the same way they refer to 1979 as the start of the conservative resurgence that changed the face of the convention.

'Food Revolution' leaves the air, but not the community
By Ken Walker
Published May 6, 2010

The final episode of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" aired April 23, but the Southern Baptist church that sparked the ABC mini-series enjoyed a sneak preview at its midweek service April 21.

Blackshear Place Baptist Church feeds the 5,000
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published May 6, 2010

Prior to Palm Sunday three tractor-trailer loads of boxes were delivered to Blackshear Place Baptist.

Shorter transitions from college to university status on June 1
'At the Crossroads of Faith and Learning'
By Joe Westbury, Managing Editor
Published May 6, 2010

The last graduating student to walk across the stage at Shorter College on May 8 will have a unique place in history: that of being the final graduate of the 137-year-old institution.

Crossover challenge: 10,000 in Orlando
By Carolyn Nichols & Mickey Noah
Published May 6, 2010

Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt would like to see 10,000 Baptists come as volunteers for Crossover Orlando 2010 on Saturday, June 12.

Shorter to celebrate new name on June 1
Published May 6, 2010

Shorter University will celebrate its new status on June 1 with a day of celebratory events.

Billy Graham, Obama meet for 1st time
Published May 6, 2010

President Obama visited with evangelist Billy Graham April 25, becoming the 12th consecutive chief executive to meet Graham and the first sitting president to do so at the minister's North Carolina home.

Keep it in front
GBC releases list of top 100 fastest-growing Sunday Schools
By Scott Barkley, Production Editor
Published May 6, 2010

Brian Stowe says Sunday School growth is attributable to everyone from the pulpit to the pew.

In Haiti, a day in the life of a Georgia volunteer team
By Steven S. Nelson
Published May 6, 2010

About 5:15 a.m., the cell phone alarms chime, chirp, and ding as dawn breaks in the Haitian sky. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief "yellow shirts" are donned as the day begins for the volunteer demolition team.

Jackson, Traylor to be SBC presidental nominees
And then there were three
Published May 6, 2010

Seminary luncheons slated June 16
Published May 6, 2010

Alumni and friends of the Southern Baptist Convention's six seminaries will receive updates about the schools and renew acquaintances with faculty members and classmates during luncheons on Wednesday, June 16, in conjunction with the SBC's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

COSBE President Herrod to be nominated 1st VP
By J. Gerald Harris
Published May 6, 2010

Evangelist Bailey Smith, a former Southern Baptist Convention president and former pastor, will nominate evangelist Ron Herrod for first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 15-16 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

2009 Top 100 Fastest Growing Sunday Schools in Georgia
Published May 6, 2010

Baptist News Summary

One killed, 25 injured in Arkansas church bus crash
Published May 6, 2010

One woman was killed and more than 25 injured when a busload of Hispanic Baptist pastors and church members crashed April 24 on Interstate 40 between Russellville and Clarksville, Ark.

Native Georgian named to IMB theological education team
Published May 6, 2010

A newly identified team of missionaries from the will focus on helping leaders of overseas church plants build solid theological foundations.

Missouri convention drops paper from lawsuit
Published May 6, 2010

The Missouri Baptist Convention has dismissed its legal effort to recover the Word & Way, one of five corporations which broke from MBC control in 2001.

Names in the News
Published May 6, 2010

Religious Newsbriefs

COSBE worship moved to Wednesday afternoon
Published May 6, 2010

This year's worship service sponsored by the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists will be on Wednesday afternoon during the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

DOMs to mark 50th gathering
Published May 6, 2010

The Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions will convene for their 50th meeting June 12-14 in Orlando, Fla. Speakers will include Frank Page, Ed Stetzer, O.S. Hawkins, and Jerry Rankin.

Pastors' wives seek Greater Things
Published May 6, 2010

"Greater Things" will be the theme of the annual Pastors' Wives Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention's Pastors' Conference, with keynote speaker Bobbye Rankin.

Ministers' Wives luncheon June 15
Published May 6, 2010

The SBC Ministers' Wives' Luncheon will begin at noon Tuesday, June 15, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

People and Places

Homecomings
Published May 6, 2010

Ministerial Moves
Published May 6, 2010

New Ministries
Published May 6, 2010

Retirements
Published May 6, 2010

Obituaries
Published May 6, 2010

Cooperative Program Stories

Cooperation - a Southern Baptist hallmark since 1845
By J. Michael Williams, Assistant Executive Director/Vice President for Operations, State Missionary, GBC
Published May 6, 2010

Cooperation has been a hallmark value for Southern Baptists from the beginning in 1845 when 293 accredited messengers primarily from Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia met in Augusta to organize what would become the Southern Baptist Convention.

Virtual interview: Past CP champions would speak up on cooperation for our future
Published May 6, 2010

Imagine, if you will, that M.E. Dodd and Louie D. Newton, both members of the Future Commission on the Cooperative Program, were seated in the midst of Southern Baptist Convention discussion today.

Bible Study

I Pledge you my faithfulness
By Jeff Meyers, senior pastor, First Baptist Conyers
Published May 6, 2010

Matt. 5:27-30; Pro. 5:15-23, 6:20-7:27
Bible Studies for Life, May 23

To Love and to Cherish
By Jeff Meyers, senior pastor, First Baptist Conyers
Published May 6, 2010

Eph. 5:21-33
Bible Studies for Life, May 16

Columns

Thom Rainer: Seven characteristics of evangelistic Christians
By Thom Rainer
Published May 6, 2010

For more than 20 years I have been researching and studying churches, primarily those in North America.

The Open Door
By J. Robert White, Executive Director GBC
Published May 6, 2010

The headline on the front page of the USA TODAY, April 27, 2010, read, "Young adults less devoted to faith: Survey shows steady drift from church life."

Kids' bed-wetting can often be treated with medication
By James Dobson
Published May 6, 2010

Attacks on National Day of Prayer may be a good thing
By J. Gerald Harris, Editor
Published May 6, 2010

The publishing date for this issue of The Christian Index, May 6th, is also the National Day of Prayer in the United States.

Letters

Editorial on women falls short
By Rev. Joseph LaGuardia, Trinity Baptist Church, Conyers
Published May 6, 2010

As a Baptist pastor concerned about the state of the local church in our society, I was disheartened when I read Gerald Harris editorial regarding "Breaking Family Ties."

TMC trustee rejoices in BPC progress
By Mike Dorough, Warner Robins
Published May 6, 2010

As a trustee of Truett-McConnell College and as a student pastor at Second Baptist Church of Warner Robins, I rejoice with Brewton-Parker College in the progress that has been made there in recent days.

Selective theology
By Jeremy Bentham, Lilburn
Published May 6, 2010

In the April 22 edition of your paper you use 1 Timothy 2:11-14 as the argument for not allowing women to serve as pastors and then you quote Dr. Louie Newton saying we can't pick and choose what we believe about the Bible.

Embracing creedalism?
By Tom D. Bledsoe, Sr., Ranger
Published May 6, 2010

Is it just me or have we Southern Baptists embraced creedalism to the point that we no longer value the time-honored concept of the autonomy of the local church?

Difference of interpretation
By Shirley Noles, Milledgeville
Published May 6, 2010

I read with interest Gerald Harris'April 22 editorial concerning "Breaking Family Ties."