Northside Baptist Church, Texas City, seeks experienced FT Pastor. Send resume to northsidebaptist@comcast.net or Northside Baptist Church, P. O. Box 367, Texas City, TX 77592.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–Southern Baptist leaders are reacting to the news of the $145.6 million given through the 2010 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering with a mixture of gratefulness and hope for even greater sacrifice for the sake of sharing the Gospel.



The offering is $3 million less than the $148.9 million Southern Baptists gave in 2009, a 2.2 percent decrease, and $8.3 million less than IMB needs to meet its 2011 operating budget. Offering receipts also fell well below the national goal of $175 million.



IMB President Tom Elliff challenged Southern Baptists that this is not a time for retreat. 



“God says we are to totally cast ourselves upon Him for the purpose of reaching the nations,” Elliff said. “Our vision is every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ. If that is the goal then it is worth me giving everything I have and everything I am to reach that goal. When we begin to realize that, then I believe God is going to pour out abundant blessings on us; we become people He can trust.” 



Other Southern Baptist leaders who shared their thoughts are Daniel Akin, David Galvan, J.D. Greear, Jeff Iorg, Dennis Kim, Richard Land, Frank Page, Paige Patterson, David Platt, William Smith and Bryant Wright. 



Daniel Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, N.C.



“Last words are meant to be lasting words. The final words of Jesus before He ascended back to heaven were 'GO and MAKE DISCIPLES of ALL the NATIONS!' That command is as binding on us today as it was then. The marching orders of our resurrected King are so clear. 



“The question each of us must face in light of this report is, 'What will I do in response to my King?' May it be that by God's grace and for His glory Southern Baptists will become more radically committed to this mandate than ever before in our history. May we weep more, pray more, give more and send more that the nations may worship our great God and Savior, King Jesus.”



David Galvan, senior pastor, Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida, Dallas, Texas



“To hear the announcement of an $8 million shortfall to the 2011 IMB budget has to concern every believer, since the Great Commission was given to all of us. Just this morning, our early-morning prayer group prayed for the Zoque people of Chiapas, Mexico, and realized that only as we support world missions will ethnicities like the Zoques be reached. The challenge is to go before our churches this next Sunday and cry out to God with this urgent need.” 



J.D. Greear, lead pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, N.C. 



“In light of this announcement, there are two things I know to be true: 1. God is never short on money and always supplies His work; 2. God places that supply in the hands of His church with the expectation that we share it when the opportunity is presented. Now is clearly such a time, and we at The Summit Church will be asking ourselves what we can give to rise to this request.”



Jeff Iorg, president, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, Mill Valley, Calif. 



“Our students are preparing to go around the world with the Gospel. I am thankful so many of them want to serve with IMB. My hope is that Southern Baptists will continue to value the role of career missionaries and give generously to send and sustain them on the field. The Lottie Moon offering is foundational to this effort. Thank God for millions given this year — but we can give more and we must give more to fulfill our mandate of global mission responsibility.”



Dennis Kim, senior pastor, Global Mission Church, Silver Spring, Md. 



“Praise God for Southern Baptists who are together accomplishing the Great Commission through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We, the Global Mission Church of Silver Spring, Md., would like to encourage each and every Southern Baptist to lift up holy hands in prayer and press on, taking part in our great efforts to prepare us for the day of Jesus' return. Let us bridge the gap and move forward!”



Richard Land, president, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention 



“Like most Southern Baptists, I know many people who are struggling with harsh economic times and in many cases, even the loss of their livelihoods. In light of the dire economic climate, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering of over $145 million is impressive. 



“However, Southern Baptists need to challenge each other to focus ever more closely on the tremendous need to reach a lost and dying world where nearly 2 billion people will never hear the name of Jesus unless we increase our global mission efforts. I challenge Southern Baptists to join me in praying that God will convict all of us to find ways to provide additional resources to our worldwide mission outreach for Jesus our Lord and Savior.” 



Frank Page, president, Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention 



“We celebrate what God's people have done … truly. However, we cannot — must not — do less, even in hard times. The issue is stewardship and lordship. May God accept our repentance and let us understand that an ongoing commitment to cooperative ministry is the way to fully fund a long-term mission strategy. Let's step up to the plate, Southern Baptists!”



Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas 



“Inconsequential is the only way to describe the decision to reduce expenditures by not buying a ticket to a sporting event, or not purchasing a new automobile or even a new house. Of eternal consequence is the decision any Southern Baptist or Southern Baptist church might make to reduce or even simply maintain present levels of commitment to the global saturation of the ethnic peoples of this world with the Gospel of Christ, which alone can save their eternal souls. Nothing else rivals this task in importance. The time is now to follow our marvelous leader, Tom Elliff, and do the most by far that we have ever done in history.” 



David Platt, senior pastor, The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, Ala. 



“Embracing unreached people groups and accomplishing the Great Commission will require much sacrifice among Christians, churches and our entire convention. This sacrifice must be reflected in our personal finances and church budgets. In the words of our King, 'Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also' (Matthew 6:21). Let's put our hearts — and our treasure — in spreading the Gospel and declaring God's glory to the ends of the earth.”



William H. Smith, lead pastor, North Buffalo Community Church, Buffalo, N.Y. 



“What are we waiting for? The war for the souls of the lost is raging. Our time is now. We must give it our all. That means giving through prayer, finances and personal involvement like never before!” 



Bryant Wright, president, Southern Baptist Convention; senior pastor, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Marietta, Ga. 



“A few days ago I was standing in Liberation Square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. It was a reminder of people's willingness to take great risks in hopes of freedom. It was also a reminder for me that those of us who follow Christ have the ultimate freedom — the freedom that comes from following Him. The question for us is what sort of risks are we willing to take? Are we willing to put our lives and possessions on the line — like the early disciples — to share that ultimate freedom with others? 



“There are approximately 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups who know nothing of the freedom we have. I thank God for what Southern Baptists have given through the Lottie Moon offering. But that day in Liberation Square reminds me to ask: What more are you willing to risk for God's beloved children who will never know Him unless you do?”

–30–

TARPLEY—Situated at the southern edge of the Texas Hill Country, and just a few miles from Utopia, there is a 400-acre ranch where missionaries and ministers can retreat with no agenda other than relaxation and restoration. Individuals, families, and smaller church staffs are welcome to enjoy lodging in the four to six bedrooms, dining on the patio and fishing in Hondo Creek. The only cost is getting there.

The Creek House opened a year ago and has hosted families from around the state, including pastors, furloughing missionaries, and even military personnel awaiting deployment. Located about 50 miles west of San Antonio and 40 miles south of Kerrville, the Creek House is the home of Dick and Barbara Sisk, who were called to serve Tarpley Baptist Church in 2008. 

At that time Sisk began renting a two-bedroom home down the road, but soon became acquainted with the owner of a nearby sprawling ranch who had never occupied the 7,000-square foot home that sits on the eastern edge of the property. The owners live in a newer house at the top of the hillside overlooking the herds of exotic animals first stocked by a previous owner and corralled within an eight-foot high security fence.

When the Sisks were given the opportunity to rent the vacant five-bedroom, five-bath house, it was an answer to their long-time prayer of developing a bed-and-breakfast type retreat for ministers who could not afford a vacation. 

They knew firsthand the stress of a life spent in ministry. The Criswell College graduate pastored First Baptist of Heath, a small community east of Dallas, for 10 years, and East Grand Baptist Church in Dallas for five years before serving Broadmoor Baptist Church in Memphis for 12 more. Diagnosed in 2000 with an enlarged heart, Sisk was told to get out of the pastorate for his health.

It was not until the summer of 2002 that Sisk and his wife felt released to resign the Memphis church, having no place to go. In the course of developing a program for men at the Memphis Cancer Foundation he was recommended by a friend to the owner of a Wyoming guest ranch and hired to manage the operation for two years.

Hosting high-profile Christian speakers and entertainers, the Sisks acquired valuable experience in the Jackson Hole setting, but remained hopeful they would one day be able to pursue their vision to serve the average pastor on a tight budget who could never afford a high-end guest ranch vacation.

Sisk returned to his native Texas in 2006 and pastored First Baptist Church of Flat for 18 months before being called to Tarpley. “I had always loved the Hill Country and this was a laid-back kind of ministry that my heart could handle.”

The owners of the ranch, a retired San Antonio businessman and his wife, who have since joined Tarpley Baptist Church, loved the idea of Sisk using the vacant ranch house to host Christian workers. “Our church voted to make it a ministry of the church so that people could give through the church to support the effort. God fulfilled our vision in a supernatural way,” Sisk explained.

“We simply want to provide a place where those in ministry can get away from the routine for a day or two or three, and not have to worry about cost or agenda. They can walk around on the ranch, look at the wildlife, sit on the back or front porch, watch the birds and listen to the creek flowing down below.”

Along the two-mile walking path, visitors may see whitetail, axis, and fallow deer, scimitar-horned oryx, African éland, blackbuck, and other wildlife, along with the cows and calves. For those who want more, Sisk can arrange for golf, horseback riding, shopping or fishing at cost. 

“I also have a listening ear,” Sisk added. “I don’t give a lot of advice or counseling unless it happens just in the course of conversation,” he said, admitting that is often the case.

While traveling for many years with the International Congress on Revival, first with Manley Beasley and later Bill Stafford, Dick and Barbara spent time with missionaries and native pastors. “We began to sense a great need for them to have a brief time away from the pressures of their local ministries,” Sisk said. 

“Later, while serving as a trustee for the International Mission Board, we had further interaction with missionary couples and pastors overseas and God began to lay on our hearts a vision of some day having a place where they could come for a couple of days to pray, relax, reconnect or just do nothing while they refreshed themselves.”

He intentionally avoided a programmatic approach that includes a time of teaching or counseling, preferring simply a place to unwind. “He doesn’t need someone to tell him how to preach, or build a church, or respond to church problems,” Sisk said in describing the typical staff member of a small- to mid-sized church or furloughing missionary who takes advantage of the Creek House ministry. 

There are no strings attached to the offer. Visitors are welcome to worship with the Sisks at nearby Tarpley or skip services altogether. As one person wrote in the Creek House guest book, “This weekend has been the most relaxing I’ve experienced in a long time. Thank you for your gift of hospitality and permitting the Lord to speak words of encouragement and healing through your counsel and fellowship.”

For more information contact the Sisks at 830-562-3373, flatgap73@yahoo.com, or find them on Facebook under The Creek House.

KELLER—Because Tyler Siedell was born missing three and a half fingers on his left hand, you might expect him to have trouble flipping through Scripture quickly in a Bible Drill competition.
But physical challenge was no obstacle for this 11-year-old.

Siedell, who just completed fifth grade, achieved a rating of “excellent” at the SBTC state Bible Drill competition, advancing through church and associational competitions by finding passages with impressive speed.

Tyler’s condition “is just normal to us. We don’t really pay attention to it that much, and we don’t think of it as a handicap,” his dad, Jay Siedell, told the TEXAN. “He tells people he’s not handicapped. That’s the way God made him and that’s just the way it is.”

Siedell was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which affects one of every 10,000 live births and left him with only a thumb and half a pinky on his left hand. Nevertheless, he wanted to participate in Bible Drill at his family’s church, First Baptist Church in Keller, and made it his goal to qualify for the state competition.

“He was determined from the beginning to make it all the way to the state and do perfectly, 24 out of 24,” Jay Siedell said. “He practiced all year.”

Starting in October, Bible Drill participants in fourth through sixth grades memorize 25 verses, learn to find 10 key passages in a Bible and learn the order of all 66 books in the Bible. In competitions, they must recite the memory verses and locate key passages and books in 10 seconds or less.

All Bible Drillers begin their competition with a church-level event, where they must answer 12 of 24 questions correctly in order to advance to an associational competition. At the associational level, 16 of 24 correct responses are required to advance to the state competition.

Siedell’s rating of “excellent” at state means that he answered either 20 or 21 questions correctly after advancing past the First Baptist Church and Tarrant Baptist Association competitions.

“He’s learned a lot of Bible verses, a lot of passages,” Jay Siedell said. “… Him reading the verses and learning the different passages has given us an opportunity to talk about it and discuss what some of the passages mean.”

Deborah Stovall, director of children’s Bible Drill at First Baptist, said adult leaders were not sure initially how well Siedell would be able to flip through a Bible, but he proved their fears groundless.

“At the beginning of the year we were hesitant, not sure how [Tyler’s disability] was going to affect him,” Stovall said in an interview. “But God is just good. That’s all I can say. And I know Tyler worked hard just like all the kids worked hard.”

Yet Stovall added that Siedell’s study of God’s Word was more important than his excellence in competition.

“However any of them do is great because the point of it is not about the scores they get,” she said. “But it’s about learning God’s Word, being able to find those books of the Bible. Those are tools that will be useful for them for the rest of their lives—knowing God’s Word, hiding it in your heart, having God’s Word at the ready when you need to be able to offer a word of encouragement to a friend or if you’re facing temptation or if you need comfort.”

Jay Siedell agreed but said he and his wife Kelly were also proud of their son’s achievement.

“He and the other kids did God proud, and they did First Baptist Keller and their parents proud,” Jay Siedell said. “The most proud we were was when at state he came up to us and said, ‘I made 20 [correct answers], but I did the best I could.’ He was happy with that.”

Next year Siedell plans to participate in Bible Drill again and try to repeat his success.

“He pursues studying the Word of God, pursues memorizing Scripture and loves to compete in Bible Drill,” Casey Lewis, pre-teen and middle school pastor at First Baptist, told the TEXAN.

Salacious scandals seem to be everywhere. Recently it became public that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child by his housekeeper. The despicable case of New York Congressman Anthony Weiner sending self-made pornographic images to women became a leading news story. Sports legends like Brett Favre and Tiger Woods had their sins exposed to a gawking public. Christians shake their heads and mumble about the state of morality, but sadly, believers have the same weaknesses of the flesh.

Pastors, pastors’ wives, leading laypersons and other church members have fallen, bringing disgrace on their families, ministries and the Lord. For someone to say that will never happen to them is the first step down a tragic path. We must be ever vigilant to live a life honoring to Jesus Christ. When a believer falls it can and often does impact the eternity of those who are without Christ.

Early in my ministry I was caught up in legalism. John R. Rice’s booklet “Skimpy Skirts and Hippie Hair” provided some of my favorite preaching material. Once delivered from legalism I began to test the limits of my liberty. There is a lot of liberty in Christ. I found that the propriety of many activities, attitudes and actions were not explicitly spelled out in Scripture. I discovered some simple questions that have helped me determine a course in the “gray” areas of life:

• Will I have more power as a Christian? From 1 Corinthians 6:12, we see that some very enjoyable things are not forbidden but have the potential to control my life. Those activities or actions have the very real probability to take over my life. They must be avoided.
• Will my involvement bring glory to God? First Corinthians 10:31 says our practices should point people to Christ. Our testimony before a watching world either glorifies God or damages our witness. We can say we bring glory to God but the fruit is in building up the Body of Christ and winning people to Jesus.
• What type of atmosphere am I in, spiritual or carnal? First Thessalonians 5:22 provides a direct warning about identifying with places and things that are evil. In being missional we engage the unsaved where they are but we must be careful not to soil our testimony. Jesus was friends with sinners, but he didn’t sleep at Mary Magdalene’s house.
• Will I cause someone else to sin? From Romans 14:13, we glean that what may be a liberty for one believer might be the demise of another. Legalists have a long list of stumbling blocks. Antinomians don’t have a list. Being careful not to trip up a fellow believer in his walk takes a spiritual sensitivity.
• Who are my closest relationships? Again, we are to befriend the lost. We are to cultivate relationships that will open the door for us to lead them to Christ. On the other hand we are cautioned about allowing evil influences to corrupt our witness (1 Corinthians 15:33). Your support system needs to be a fellow believer who can hold you accountable and encourage you.

These questions are designed not as rules to keep but tests to gauge our decisions. It is not about legalism or liberty. It is about the Lordship of Christ. The questions call us to recognize Jesus’ Lordship in every area of our lives. This is Discipleship 101. 

My prayer to God is that I finish well. When I leave this life I want my legacy to be about the Lord Jesus. I sin. I falter. I fail. But God’s grace is amazing. By His grace we can continue to answer the questions of discipleship correctly.

WASHINGTON (BP)–Peter Vidmar seemed like the perfect choice to serve as the Chief of Mission for next year's Olympics in London. A corporate motivational speaker and former Olympic champion, Vidmar since 2008 has been chairman of USA Gymnastics. Yet while he was offered and accepted the post, come summer 2012, Vidmar will not be the United States Chief of Mission. 



Why? Because in 2008 he donated $2,000 to support California's Proposition 8, the voter-approved legislation that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. 



Vidmar's case was a controversy that more sputtered than erupted. On April 29, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) announced that it had selected Vidmar as Chief of Mission. Over the following few days a handful of gay websites complained, citing Vidmar's background as an advocate for traditional marriage and his membership in the Mormon church. Then on May 5 the Chicago Tribune posted an item on its sports blog, Globetrotting, in which only one athlete, figure skater Johnny Weir, said he opposed Vidmar's appointment. In the same article Vidmar assured columnist Philip Hersch he would serve and support all the Olympians regardless of their sexuality, and the CEO of the USOC, Scott Blackmun, reaffirmed the committee's choice, saying the USOC respected Vidmar's right to express his religious convictions. 



The next day, on May 6, Vidmar announced he was resigning so his presence would not become a distraction to the upcoming games and the performances of the athletes. 



Others have reacted differently to homosexual protests. When University of Michigan law students opposed Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio as this year's commencement speaker on the grounds that he “vocally and actively supports denying equal rights to gays and lesbians,” the university held firm. Except for a group of students staging a silent walkout, Portman's graduation speech came off without a hitch. 



Likewise, some University of South Carolina students objected to the honorary degree their school was conferring on the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Bryant Wright, and called him an “advocate for hate.” Wright attended the ceremony, collected his diploma, and the event went on. But Portman and Wright do not have to depend on corporate invitations for their daily bread. We'll watch to see what happens to Vidmar's bookings and career, now that he is on the radar of homosexual activist groups. 



Recent events surrounding law firm King and Spalding's decision to renege on its contract to defend the Defense of Marriage Act and drop the United States House of Representatives as a client suggest that Vidmar might have a hard time. 



One day after King and Spalding withdrew from the case, The Weekly Standard obtained an internal email from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) activist group that lobbies for “same-sex marriage.” The email revealed that the organization privately contacted King and Spalding clients to inform them of the firm's “wrongheaded decision” to represent the House. 



Unapologetic, HRC spokesman Fred Sainz confirmed to The Washington Post that the group did indeed contact some of King and Spalding's Fortune 500 clientele so they could, in turn, bring pressure to bear against the Atlanta-based firm. Though Sainz would not disclose which clients his group contacted, he did say, “We are an advocacy firm that is dedicated to improving the lives of gays and lesbians. It is incumbent on us to launch a full-throated educational campaign so firms know that these kinds of engagements will reflect on the way [their] clients and law school recruits think of [them],” adding, “We did all of this, and we're proud to have done it.” 



Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, says this kind of professional intimidation is the same-sex lobby's new modus operandi for furthering its agenda. “Rather than try to win over voters, they threaten to hurt your business and go to clients and cause a fuss. This isn't confirmed yet, but according to the gay blogs, they succeeded in getting Coca-Cola to pressure King and Spalding,” she says. To date, the soft drink giant will neither confirm nor deny that it threatened to take its legal business elsewhere if the firm did not drop DOMA, but a Coca-Cola spokesman did point out that the company has a long history of support for “diversity.”



Great as the legal implications of the HRC getting a major law firm to drop a case it finds objectionable are, perhaps even more significant is the case of Scott Eckern, former artistic director and chief operating officer of Sacramento's California Music Theatre. After some homosexual theater professionals noticed his name on the website antigayblacklist.com that listed people who contributed money to support Proposition 8, they organized a boycott. 



Marc Shaiman, the Tony-award-winning composer of Hairspray, and Jeff Whitty, the Tony-award-winning playwright of Avenue Q, said they would not allow the theater to perform any of their future works while Eckern was employed there. Homosexual groups urged Sacramento theatergoers not to patronize the venue, which is the largest nonprofit arts organization in the state and the oldest professional performing arts company in Sacramento. News reports included some of Eckern's colleagues expressing shock, saying that until the incident they had no idea of his beliefs concerning “gay marriage.”



“I am disappointed that my personal convictions have cost me the opportunity to do what I love the most,” Eckern, who had been employed with the theater for 23 years, said in a prepared statement. Before resigning, he publicly donated $1,000 — the same amount he had given to support Prop 8 — to HRC. 



What differentiates the activities of HRC from interest-group boycotts of the past is that it isn't the platform or practice of the companies themselves they object to, but the constitutionally protected political expression of the companies' employees, volunteers and clients. Religious freedom is at stake. Unlike, say, parent groups boycotting Abercrombie and Fitch for its sexually charged advertising, the USOC, King and Spalding, and California Music Theatre didn't take a stand on the definition of marriage. To the extent that the three express any corporate opinion regarding homosexuality, it is positive.



Jennifer Roback Morse, president of the traditional marriage advocacy group The Ruth Institute, says the ramifications of tactics like HRC's are enormous, with homosexual activists essentially saying they expect businesses to police the political beliefs and political activities of their employees and volunteers or face severe retribution. 



But “gay marriage” has been defeated in every state where it has appeared on the ballot. This would seem to indicate a serious disconnect between the actual power of homosexual groups and their perceived power in the business community. Gallagher says there's an easy explanation for the discrepancy — the work of major media. 



“These elite networks of power use the echo chamber of the media to exact a price and punish those who disagree with them,” said Gallagher. As an example, she offers Doug Manchester, a hotel developer in San Diego who donated money to support Prop 8. “[Gay groups] organized a protest in front of his hotel — no big deal, about 25 guys in red shirts. But you get 25 guys in red shirts and The New York Times publishes a major story on it and the echo chamber picks it up from there.” 



Gallagher says that while the reality is that HRC's bark is worse than its bite, “most regular people don't want to get bitten.” Morse echoes her sentiments, saying that even though there's little evidence the homosexual lobby has a significant impact on customer behavior, when they begin to drum up negative coverage, “they all [the companies] completely fold. All of them. Including people who ought to know better.” 



Once a company gives in to the demands of groups like HRC, says Morse, it will only earn itself more reprisals. She believes that with the corporate world increasingly doing what voters would not — bowing to activists' demands that “same-sex marriage” be treated as a civil right — how the Christian business community reacts to the pressure will be especially important. 



“It is a fact that we sometimes have to pay a price for the sake of the Gospel,” Morse said.

–30–

Megan Basham is a writer for World News Service, where this story first appeared.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–“Amazing Wonders Aviation: Encountering God's Awesome Power” will be the 2012 Vacation Bible School theme for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.



A LifeWay news release June 6 noted:



“Think vintage aviation from the 1930s and 40s: biplanes and bomber jackets.



“Children, students and adult VBS participants will fly to some of the world's greatest natural wonders as they encounter an awesome God and His amazing power. They will take off each day from the Amazing Wonders Aviation airstrip and visit some of the world's most beautiful and marvelous God-made creations: Victoria Falls, the Northern Lights, Paricutin Volcano, the Great Barrier Reef, the Grand Canyon, and the Matterhorn.”



The theme is taken from Psalm 147:5: “Our Lord is great, vast in power; His understanding is infinite” (HCSB).



The June 6 announcement coincided with a live online VBS announcement event from Nashville featuring Jeff Slaughter, creator of all things musical for LifeWay VBS; Jerry Wooley, LifeWay's VBS specialist; and others who introduced the theme from a vintage airstrip/hangar.



“This year we changed things up a bit,” Wooley said. “In the past the VBS theme has been based on one location or idea. This year, the theme is based on six beautiful God-made natural wonders.”



Decorating will be easy for the aviation-themed VBS because each location is the site of one of the rotations, Wooley said.



The rotations, as noted in the news release, will be:



–“Bible Study at Victoria Falls — located in Africa in both Zambia and Zimbabwe, it is the world's largest waterfall based on width and height.



— “Missions under the Northern Lights — This natural phenomenon can be seen from many places in the world, with gorgeous multicolored lights dancing across the nighttime sky.



— “Snacks at Paricutin Volcano — This volcano in Mexico is the youngest volcano in North America and is considered a natural wonder because mankind witnessed its birth.



— “Crafts at the Great Barrier Reef — Found off the coast of Australia, the GBR is the largest coral reef system on the planet and hosts some of the most amazing and beautiful sea life anywhere.



— “Recreation at the Grand Canyon — Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is recognized for its overall size and beautifully colored landscape.



— “Music at the Matterhorn — Located in Switzerland, the Matterhorn has a four-sided pyramidal peak, with each side facing the four compass points – a real wonder!”



“We want everyone who attends VBS to know the power of our awesome God,” Wooley said. “He has the power of create these awesome natural wonders, but He also has the power to make an awesome impact on our lives.



“We want them to know they can rely on God's power to do whatever He wants them to do.”



VBS is one of the most effective evangelistic activities within the SBC. For 2009 (latest figures available), more than 25,000 churches hosted VBS. More than 2.8 million children, students and adults were enrolled and more than 88,000 people made professions of faith in Christ.



The 2012 VBS Previews — events that sell out every year — will be Jan. 6-7 at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina; Jan. 13-14 at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; Jan. 26-27 and 27-28 at LifeWay's headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.; and Feb. 17-18 at First Baptist Church in Kissimmee, Fla. Discounts are available for those who register early.



Continuously updated information about the 2012 VBS can be accessed at LifeWay.com/VBS.

–30–

Polly House writes for LifeWay Christian Resources.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–“We all came over on different ships, but now we're all in the same boat.”



That's what Chris McNairy, a leader on the North American Mission Board's multiethnic mobilization team, told about 40 pastors and leaders at the 2011 Ethnic Leadership Summit at NAMB's offices in Alpharetta, Ga. 



Twenty-seven Southern Baptist Convention ethnic fellowships and networks encompass an array of people groups: African, African American, Cambodian, Chinese, Deaf, Filipino, Greek, Ghanian, Haitian, Hispanic, Hmong, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Middle Eastern, Messianic, Multiethnic, Native American, Polish, Brazilian, Romanian, Slavic, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. Most were represented at the two-day summit.



“We all are responsible for reaching the lost,” McNairy said, referring to ethnic and Anglo Christian leaders alike. “The largest categories of people are just two: the saved and the lost. And at the end of the day, the saved are responsible for the lost.” The “job description” of sinners, he said, is to sin, while the saints' job description is to lead sinners to Christ.



“Today, which one is not fulfilling their assignment?” McNairy asked rhetorically.



The ethnic leaders from across the U.S. and Canada also heard from Kevin Ezell, NAMB's president, and Sing Oldham, an SBC Executive Committee vice president, who underscored how important the leaders are in their spheres of influence and in NAMB's new overarching Send North America strategy for planting churches.



“Send North America is a way for NAMB and our state partners to plant hundreds and thousands of more churches in North America,” Ezell said. “But Send North America also gives us greater flexibility to work with groups like yours. We want to partner with you as we move forward. We need your help in encouraging your churches to step up to the plate and partner with us to plant more churches.”



NAMB's Send North America strategy will benefit ethnic networks and churches more than other groups because “many of you are already established in the 26 'send cities' we're focusing on,” Ezell noted.



NAMB has reorganized into five regions — Northeast, South, Midwest, West and Canada. The “send cities” currently are New York, Washington/Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Palo Alto, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.



The major dispersions of immigrants throughout the United States involve Africans, Asians, Europeans, Latinos and those of Middle Eastern descent, McNairy said. “But of the top sending countries to the United States, one-third of the people are coming from Mexico,” he said, adding, “There are 650,000 international students here — two-thirds of them of Asian descent.



“Don't we have the responsibility to reach them all?” McNairy asked.



McNairy urged the ethnic fellowship and network leaders to “participate in the system” — referring to the SBC's annual meeting, state conventions and local associations.



“If you choose to stay outside and don't participate, and don't encourage the people you lead to be in the system, they don't get counted,” McNairy said. “We have to be diligent and come to grips on these things. Our information is skewed because we're not taking the time to differentiate ourselves. Some of your people are not registered in the ACP,” the SBC's Annual Church Profile database.



Echoing McNairy, Ken Weathersby, NAMB's associate vice president for multiethnic mobilization and equipping, said, “We can't do our work in a vacuum. We make better decisions when we have the best information.”



Weathersby emphasized that, for example, African American churches must plant Hispanic churches and Japanese churches must plant Korean churches and Slavic churches must plant Chinese churches — not just churches of their own ethnic group.



Using NAMB's new Northeast Region as an example, Weathersby said there are some 1,000 SBC churches in that part of the country.



“The Northeast represents 25 percent of the United States' population, or 78 million people. But how can we expect 1,000 churches to reach 78 million people? Or should we all work together across cultures to plant new churches? That's what Send North America is all about.”



During their May 23-24 meeting, the 40 ethnic leaders unanimously affirmed the initiative of Paul Kim, a Korean multiethnic church planter and pastor in Boston who, at the 2009 SBC annual meeting, introduced a motion regarding ethnic involvement in the convention.



“It's about time Southern Baptists of all ethnic backgrounds worked together,” Kim said. “That's why I introduced the motion. We are all one family and can achieve more work for the Kingdom together.” Kim exhorted his counterparts to attend local, state and national Southern Baptist meetings. “Let people know who you are. Why do we even have to have so many ethnic fellowships rather than be one working together?”



Oldham reported on the SBC Executive Committee study group which, over the last two years, conducted an extensive review of the history and participation of ethnic churches and ethnic church leaders in the SBC and how they can be more actively involved in serving within the convention.



As a result of the group's study, the Executive Committee made 10 recommendations to be voted on in Phoenix. Among them:



— SBC entities will report on the participation of ethnic churches and church leaders in the life and ministry of those entities.



— Newly elected SBC presidents would be encouraged to give special attention to appointing individuals representing the diversity within the convention.



— The president would be encouraged to select annual meeting program personalities representing the ethnic diversity within the SBC.



— SBC entities would give due consideration to the recruitment and employment of qualified individuals to serve in various professional staff positions, on seminary faculty and as appointed missionaries in order to reflect ethnic diversity within SBC life.



— The Executive Committee will receive a report from its communications workgroup each February concerning the participation of ethnic churches and leaders in the life and ministry of the SBC entities.



The Executive Committee also will recommend in Phoenix that the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference and other groups that meet in conjunction with the SBC annual meeting “be sensitive to the desire of our ethnic brothers and sisters in Christ to see and hear individuals from their … cultural heritages….”



To the ethnic groups, the Executive Committee will recommend that their leaders and church members “involve themselves to the highest level possible in associational life and through state convention ministries so that their participation in broader denominational life becomes the platform from which their greater involvement in visible roles of leadership in the Convention will naturally follow.”



Those attending the ethnic summit included the following ethnic pastors and leaders from ethnic fellowships and networks located throughout the U.S. and Canada:



Luis Rosales, vice president of the National Hispanic Fellowship; Tegga Lendado, African Baptist Fellowship; James Dixon, African American Fellowship of SBC; Frank Williams, Black Church Leadership Network of New York; Jon Langford, Anglo-multiethnic leader and interim pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Church, Tucker, Ga.; Mati Joseph, Multiethnic Fellowship, Metro New York Baptist Association; Kan Chantha, Cambodian Baptist Fellowship; Lennox Zamore, Caribbean Baptist Fellowship; Peter Leong, Chinese Baptist Fellowship of U.S. and Canada; Galahad Cheung, Chinese Baptist Fellowship of Canada; Ted Lam, Chinese Church Planning Initiative; Jim Dermon, Southern Baptist Conference of the Deaf; Loren Chong, English Ministry Network; Roger Manao, Filipino Baptist Fellowship; Jacques Avakian, a French-Canadian worker, Montreal; Samuel Opoku, Ghanian North American Assembly; Joseph Gaston, Haitian Baptist Fellowship SBC; Na Herr, Hmong Baptist National Association; Yhutaka Takarada, Japanese Baptist Fellowship USA; Ken Suziki, Japanese Church Planting Network; Chongoh Aum, Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America; Kyung Tae Cha, Korean Home Mission Board; Pat Anongdeth, Laotian Fellowship SBC; Ric Worshill, Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship; Jason Al-Nimri, Middle Eastern pastor; Tyrone Barnette, a multiethnic leader from Tucker, Ga.; Paul Kim, multiethnic leader from Boston; Russell Begaye, Ethnic America Network; Emerson Falls, Fellowship of Native American Christians; Dan BK, Nepali church planter; Mark Szajner, Polish Fellowship SBC; Jedaias Azevedo, Brazilian Baptist Association of North America; Ted Cocian, Romanian Baptist Association-East Coast; Nikolay Bugriyev, Pacific Coast Slavic Evangelical Baptist Association; Anatoly Moshkovsky, Slavic Church Planting Network; Thira Siengsukon, Thai Leadership; Paul Demianik, Western Ukrainian Baptist Association; and Christian Phan, Vietnamese Fellowship of SBC.

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Mickey Noah writes for the North American Mission Board.

WASHINGTON (BP)–For the third straight year, President Obama has issued a proclamation naming June “Lesbian Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month,” a statement that one evangelical leader says alienates those who have chosen to leave homosexuality.



The statement for the first time declares that “history is on our side,” but other than that breaks little new ground from his previous LGBT month proclamations. 



“[W]e rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” Obama said, underscoring his aim to “eliminate discrimination.”



As he did in breaking new ground in 2009, Obama again references transgenders, a category that includes cross-dressers and people undergoing sex-change operations. The statement also, for the third straight year, calls for protections based on gender identity, a term that refers to men and women who, in essence, believe they were born the wrong sex. 



“Since taking office, my Administration has made significant progress towards achieving equality for LGBT Americans,” the proclamation reads. “… Every generation of Americans has brought our Nation closer to fulfilling its promise of equality. While progress has taken time, our achievements in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans remind us that history is on our side, and that the American people will never stop striving toward liberty and justice for all.”



The proclamation states Obama's achievements for the homosexual community, foremost among them the congressional repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.



President Clinton was the first president to issue such a proclamation, first doing so in 1999 and then in 2000 before he left office. He called it only “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” President Bush never acknowledged the month in a proclamation. 



Bob Stith, the Southern Baptist national strategist for gender issues and the representative of the denomination's Task Force on Ministry to Homosexuals, said the proclamation is discouraging. 



“It is somewhat disturbing and disheartening that President Obama continues to insist that we take pride in what for many of us is a distinctly moral decision,” Stith told Baptist Press. “Personally I would find him more believable if he showed an equal compassion for and willingness to defend those who have chosen to leave homosexuality and those who have faced persecution, loss of jobs and ridicule for their traditional beliefs.”



Stith pointed to two examples in the sports world. In one, Olympic gold medalist gymnast Peter Vidmar signed on as the United States' “chief of mission” for the 2012 London Olympics in April, but stepped down under pressure after news reports showed he had donated $2,000 in 2008 to help pass California Proposition 8 and appeared at two rallies in support of it. Prop 8 reversed a law that had legalized “gay marriage.” In the second example, Canadian sports TV host Damian Goddard was fired May 11, the day after he stated his opposition to “gay marriage” in a Tweet.



The Bible clearly states that homosexuals can change, Stith said, referencing 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. 



“The real persecution today is much more likely to be directed at those who dare to express hope for change or those who joyfully speak of the new life they have post-gay,” Stith said. “Where is the outrage over the prejudice directed at them? And prejudice it is when various studies continue to show what biblical Christians have known since the days of Corinth — change is possible.” 



Unlike the previous two proclamations, Obama's statement did not reference same-sex relationships. In 2009 he stated his support for civil unions — which most homosexual groups now view as inadequate — and in 2010 he stated his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act. Earlier this year Obama ordered his Justice Department to stop defending the law in court. If the entire law is overturned, then all 50 states could be forced to recognize “gay marriage.” 



Following is Obama's full proclamation:



“The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.



“Since taking office, my Administration has made significant progress towards achieving equality for LGBT Americans. Last December, I was proud to sign the repeal of the discriminatory “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy. With this repeal, gay and lesbian Americans will be able to serve openly in our Armed Forces for the first time in our Nation's history. Our national security will be strengthened and the heroic contributions these Americans make to our military, and have made throughout our history, will be fully recognized.



“My Administration has also taken steps to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans in Federal housing programs and to give LGBT Americans the right to visit their loved ones in the hospital. We have made clear through executive branch nondiscrimination policies that discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the Federal workplace will not be tolerated. I have continued to nominate and appoint highly qualified, openly LGBT individuals to executive branch and judicial positions. Because we recognize that LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration stands with advocates of equality around the world in leading the fight against pernicious laws targeting LGBT persons and malicious attempts to exclude LGBT organizations from full participation in the international system. We led a global campaign to ensure “sexual orientation” was included in the United Nations resolution on extrajudicial execution — the only United Nations resolution that specifically mentions LGBT people — to send the unequivocal message that no matter where it occurs, state-sanctioned killing of gays and lesbians is indefensible. No one should be harmed because of who they are or who they love, and my Administration has mobilized unprecedented public commitments from countries around the world to join in the fight against hate and homophobia.



“At home, we are working to address and eliminate violence against LGBT individuals through our enforcement and implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We are also working to reduce the threat of bullying against young people, including LGBT youth. My Administration is actively engaged with educators and community leaders across America to reduce violence and discrimination in schools. To help dispel the myth that bullying is a harmless or inevitable part of growing up, the First Lady and I hosted the first White House Conference on Bullying Prevention in March. Many senior Administration officials have also joined me in reaching out to LGBT youth who have been bullied by recording “It Gets Better” video messages to assure them they are not alone.



“This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has had a profound impact on the LGBT community. Though we have made strides in combating this devastating disease, more work remains to be done, and I am committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Last year, I announced the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. This strategy focuses on combinations of evidence-based approaches to decrease new HIV infections in high risk communities, improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and reduce health disparities. My Administration also increased domestic HIV/AIDS funding to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and HIV prevention, and to invest in HIV/AIDS-related research. However, government cannot take on this disease alone. This landmark anniversary is an opportunity for the LGBT community and allies to recommit to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and continuing the fight against this deadly pandemic.



“Every generation of Americans has brought our Nation closer to fulfilling its promise of equality. While progress has taken time, our achievements in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans remind us that history is on our side, and that the American people will never stop striving toward liberty and justice for all.



“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2011 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.



“IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.”

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Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. The Southern Baptist Convention has a ministry to homosexuals. Find more information at http://www.sbcthewayout.com.