The assembly had a time of thanksgiving to the Lord for the labors of Mr. Ross Graham, who is retiring from his position as General Secretary of Home Missions in 2013.

An observer might wonder if the five or six hours that advisory committees meet is really a good use of time. Wouldn't the assembly be better off just plunging right into the great number of reports and issues which will consume it's time during the week? The answer is a resounding "no." These committees have proven year after year that they actually save the Assembly time, eliminate much confusion and help the church conduct its work in a more orderly manner.

In its report, the presbytery’s resolution team wrote, “Team members have worked actively with the Denominational Relations Committee and session of First Presbyterian Church to reach an agreement regarding the sharing of personal property and assets of the congregation to provide for the continuing ministry of the congregation to be dismissed and the congregation which will remain. The team has also provided pastoral care to the continuing congregation. The team is delighted to be able to report that a settlement agreement has been reached.”

These verses teach that no unconverted person--regardless of whether he is predestined in any sense to any destination--has the spiritual ability to respond to the gospel by his own free will. This is at variance with the denial which necessarily implies everyone--and "not only a select few"--has the ability to repent and believe.

Grand Canyon University (GCU) is a for-profit Christian college in Phoenix, Ariz., about two hours from its namesake. GCU offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate programs, including the Ken Blanchard College of Business and the College of Christian Studies…If it wins the bid for the property, the NAMB would use it as a home base in the northeast, increasing the Southern Baptist influence in the midst of its more liberal neighbors

Pop culture has rediscovered serpent handling as well. A New York Times best-seller called A Land More Kind Than Home revolves around a snake-handling church. Its author, Wiley Cash, said people want a sign that God is real. “Everyone wants to believe that God has given them some kind of providence.”

The last thing Southern Baptists need, now or ever, is the development of theological tribalism among us. We must all repent of the sin of building a tribe when we are called to serve the Kingdom of Christ

The Rev. Keith Ratliff Sr. of the Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines issued a statement saying he was stepping down from the NAACP national board and as Iowa/Nebraska state conference president “due to the NAACP’s position and support of same-sex marriage DES MOINES — A prominent leader in the Iowa/Nebraska branch of... Continue Reading

Simply stated, the “homosexuality and shellfish” argument falls apart when read as the Scriptures are meant to be read—with a redemptive-historical approach in view. When President Barack Obama endorsed gay marriage last month, an “evolution” of his previous position, the focus of many Americans was again turned to our real national pastime, human sexuality. (No,... Continue Reading

In essence, I believe that those who have published “A Statement of Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation” are concerned by the rise of Calvinism among Southern Baptists at all levels of convention life, from local churches all the way down to various institutions and agencies. PREAMBLE (PART B) Though I am... Continue Reading