Author: Baptist Press

God’s provision and future decisions frame Lifeway trustee meeting

NASHVILLE – As trustees gathered via Zoom, Lifeway Christian Resources President and CEO Ben Mandrell shared significant ways in which God has continued to bless the organization and highlighted decisions guiding the future. In their semiannual meeting Jan. 25, Lifeway’s trustees also heard details of strong first-quarter ministry results and elected new board officers.

Mandrell began his presidential report by recognizing the gains of 2021 and a strong start to the new year. He also reminded trustees that it’s good for our souls to praise God for the gifts He provides. “We want to praise God for the way He continues to bless us,” he said.

Areas of provision

Mandrell highlighted five key areas of growth and provision: financial stability and growth, website advancements, camp registrations, resources impact and equipping global church leaders.

During the plenary session, Chief Financial Officer Joe Walker gave trustees a financial update. He reported that Lifeway ended its 2021 fiscal year $4 million better than its $210 million budget, and funds provided by operations (bottom line) was $12 million better than budget. He said the blessings from the 2021 fiscal year are continuing into the new year.

Walker noted that revenue for the first quarter is above budget by 1.5 percent and above last year by 2.7 percent, due to strong sales of short-term studies, Bibles, supplies and books. Walker said ongoing Bible study curriculum continues to rebound as sales for winter materials are above 2021 by 17 percent.

Mandrell shared his excitement over Lifeway.com being named to Newsweek’s list of Best Online Shops 2022. After brick-and-mortar Lifeway stores closed, the organization recognized the need to improve the online customer experience, he said, adding: “It’s staggering how much ground we’ve made up. Our IT and marketing teams are working in sync on this project, and we’re seeing huge results, including this enormous honor.”

Camps also remain a bright spot for Lifeway, despite pandemic-related challenges. “Last year, we served 88,000 kids and teens, who gave $445,000 to missions, while 1,400 made decisions to follow Christ,” he said. Camp registration for 2022 is currently outpacing last summer.

He also mentioned several resources that reached sales milestones, climbed onto bestseller lists and were recognized with awards, including Priscilla Shirer’s “Elijah,” the “Tony Evans Study Bible” and “Tony Evans Commentary,” which have each received the ECPA Bronze Award for selling more than 100,000 copies, and the She Reads Truth Bible, which received the ECPA Gold Award for more than 500,000 copies sold.

Mandrell called attention to the “Telugu Study Bible,” a resource completely developed, translated and distributed by local church leaders in India working with the Lifeway India team. Released in December, the “Telugu Study Bible” is the first step in a larger strategy to provide discipleship resources for the church in India.

“I’m so thankful for our Lifeway India team and their work to provide resources for pastors,” Mandrell said. “One of the pastors involved in creating this resource wept the first time he saw the study Bible. He knows how much ministry leaders need a resource like this.”

Future decisions

In addition to those areas of praise and provision, Mandrell called trustees’ attention to five large decisions Lifeway is in the process of making for the future.

First, he spoke about the organization’s planned move from its current location in downtown Nashville to a new teaming space in Brentwood, Tenn., by the end of the year. Mandrell said discussions were already taking place about the downtown building prior to the pandemic, and COVID-19 accelerated the need to reevaluate the type of space needed.

“Lifeway needs a new space that matches the new kind of organization we are becoming,” Mandrell said, “one that is highly connected and highly flexible.”

To help employees stay connected to each other and to the mission of the organization, Mandrell said Lifeway would hold two organization-wide, in-person gatherings each year. “With our new work-from-anywhere culture, our leadership team feels it’s crucial to keep bringing the full team together, realigning under our vision and mission,” he said.

Other decisions Lifeway is making focus on serving churches outside the South and helping the organization draw closer to pastors and church leaders, as well as state convention leaders.

Mandrell told trustees Lifeway is creating a new line of curriculum to better serve church plants and congregations in less-churched areas of the country. “We think this will be a life-changing experience for church planters and others in contexts where people may not have a strong biblical knowledge,” he said. “The resource will avoid Christian jargon and references that can make people feel like outsiders.” He said the organization plans to launch the new resource in 2023.

Mandrell drew attention to the new Lifeway podcast, “The Glass House,” which highlights the struggles pastors and their spouses face and offers encouragement and support. He also noted the 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study from Lifeway Research that will help guide the organization’s efforts to assist pastors. “Lifeway is ready to come alongside pastors in their ministry priorities,” he said.

As most churches using Lifeway resources are small and medium-sized, Mandrell said one way the organization can better listen to these leaders is by becoming more closely connected to state conventions. “Our state conventions have strong relationships with those grassroots churches, so we can learn a lot from drawing closer to those leaders.” As part of this renewed emphasis, Mandrell announced Ken Braddy will take on the role of director of Sunday school and network partnerships.

Other business

During the meeting, trustees elected new board officers including Greg Kannady, president of LuGreg Trucking and a member of First Baptist Church, Kingfisher, Okla., as chairman; Missie Branch, assistant dean of students to women and director of graduate life at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and member of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C., vice chairman; and Ben Posey, pastor of First Baptist Church in Leroy, Ala., recording secretary.

In other action, the trustees:

Learned Lifeway received a “clean audit” report and approved a recommendation to have Lifeway employ Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain (LBMC) to conduct the 2022, 2023 and 2024 fiscal year audits of Lifeway operations, the Lifeway Retirement Plan, the Post-Retirement Benefits Trust and the Lifeway 401(k) Plan.
Discussed and approved responses to three motions referred to Lifeway during the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. The responses regarding the request for each SBC entity to conduct certain audits and disclose financial details, for enhanced ministries to the Deaf, and for each entity to examine the use of non-disclosure agreements will be reported to the 2022 SBC meeting, June 14-15, in Anaheim, Calif.

The board also recognized eight trustees who are ending their board service in June: Linda Dean, Farmington, N.M.; Burt Landers, Shelbyville, Tenn.; Brice Mandaville, Seguin, Texas; Brad McLean, New Braunfels, Texas; Jimmy Scroggins, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Roger Yancey, Conroe, Texas; J.D. Perry, Baton Rouge, La.; and Todd Fannin, Pryor, Okla.

The next Lifeway trustee meeting is scheduled for August 29-30, 2022.

Shane & Shane releases ‘Worship in the Word’ Kingdom Kids album

NASHVILLE (BP) – Shane Bernard and Shane Everett surmised early in their music ministry as Shane & Shane that God had better words than they themselves.

“We didn’t really know what to sing, what to do, when we started, so much so that we were like, hey, I guess we’ll just sing the Bible,” Bernard told Baptist Press in advance of their latest release, “Worship in the Word.”

“Over the years we’ve just realized, man, I just don’t have a ton to say. He’s got a ton. I mean I can say things, but they’re not active and living. But I know something that is,” Bernard said, “and He’s proven that over and over again in our own lives, just by singing the Scripture.”

Worship in the Word, a collaboration of 10 new songs inspired by Scripture and produced by Bernard, releases Friday (Jan. 28), accompanied by a streaming series that launched yesterday (Jan. 25) on RightNow Media. Each RightNow Media episode features a song from the new release, related teaching, corporate worship and a question-and-answer session with children.

After two decades of ministry, Worship in the Word is considered the debut release of Shane & Shane’s Kingdom Kids initiative to provide resources for children and families. With seven daughters between them and no sons, women are the majority in each of their homes. They consider themselves in fulltime women’s ministry.

“I have three daughters,” Everett said, “and he has four, and wives, so we just have a bunch of women in our lives.” They consider their daughters, ages 5 to 13, to be at ages when not many ministry resources are designed for them. “There’s a handful of them that have given their lives to Christ, and it was a fun outlet for them to be a part of. They could minister with us.”

Bernard combines Scripture with humility in the duo’s “women’s ministry,” evangelizing by allowing his daughters and wife to see God’s grace, discipline and discipleship in his own life.

“I think He’s used my sin more than my awesomeness, because when God gives me the humility to go to them and go, ‘Daddy needs Jesus. I am so sorry. Will you forgive me for this or that?’ It just, I think over time, shows them that God is real,” Bernard said. “That I need Him. I haven’t graduated from the Gospel. It’s still my daily bread. It’s still the way that I move forward every day. God’s been kind enough to discipline me like a good father does, through that and His just abiding Holy Spirit.”

Worship in the Word is an extension of humility mixed with Scripture, seen in songs on the release including “Come and See,” taken from Psalm 66; “Your Ways,” taken from Isaiah 55; and “Yes and Amen,” from Ephesians 1.

Everett hopes children and adults learn and grow from the Kingdom Kids initiative.

“We’re all His kids, and so, I think we can all enjoy these songs,” Everett said. “As people watch and as parents and children are learning the truth of God’s Scripture, (I hope) that it would do what it has always done, and that is transform hearts by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

“Because we believe the Word of God is powerful, active and doing stuff that we could never do. That’s our prayer for this project and in this record” Everett said. “Hopefully people will be reminded of all these great promises and truths from God Word that He has for us as kids.”

Shane & Shane met while attending Texas A&M University. Together, they’ve released 40 Scripturally rich albums and garnered more than 613 million streams, over 100 million YouTube views, and 2 million combined monthly listeners on Spotify and Apple Music.

They consider Colossians 3:16 their directive, as exemplified in last year’s release, “Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Vol. 1,” which The Gospel Coalition named among the Best Christian Music of 2021.

The article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

CP provides gospel opportunity

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — As believers, most of us know that our faith is not something to be kept to ourselves. Jesus commanded us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”

But we also know that – especially in the times in which we live – sharing Christ with others often takes planning and intentionality. This begins with preparing ourselves to live our lives each day in a way that creates opportunities to share the Gospel.

1 Peter 3:15 says, “but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (CSB).

Being “ready” not only means we need to know the words we will say to communicate our faith, but it also means we must involve ourselves in the lives of non-believers and intentionally develop spiritual connection points that help build bridges to the Gospel.

By positioning ourselves in these ways, we will have a much better chance of creating opportunities to share our faith. None of this is intended to undercut the role of the Holy Spirit, of course. In fact, when we pray and prepare ourselves, the Spirit regularly opens more doors for us to build relationships and have Gospel conversations.

If we follow the world, we will largely sacrifice the ability to hold up Christ as the only hope for salvation. But by standing firmly in Him, we can continue to be a light for the Gospel as the world around us grows dark.

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On a larger scale, this is what the Cooperative Program (CP) does for us as Southern Baptists as we seek to take the Gospel to a nation and world in need of a Savior.

In North America, the CP allows us to start new churches in places that are under-reached and underserved. These new churches are being planted with the primary purposes of reaching people for Christ. As they do that, they are also providing new Gospel-powered stability and strength for neighborhoods and communities at a time when turmoil and hopelessness is pervading so many communities.

Before those churches are even started, the CP allows us to assess and train church planters so they can be well-equipped for the mission field long before they launch their church. And the CP funds seminaries where many of these planters receive the theological education that provides a foundation to what they will do in their ministry.

The CP allows us to put our Send Relief Ministry Centers right amid communities where great physical need exists, so we help churches meet those needs while sharing Christ – the ultimate and only lasting hope.

In times of challenge, chaos and dissension, those who have intentionally built strong foundations will have opportunities to be leaders and influencers.

As we look to the future, Southern Baptists face two options. We can allow ourselves to be drawn into the fighting, divisiveness and ugliness that is devouring much of our culture and society right now. In other words, we can follow the way the world is going.

Or we can stand firm in our faith on the foundation Christ has given us. We can be intent on looking to Him and Him alone for our hope, our security and our future. We can be unwavering in our stand on Scripture while demonstrating the love and compassion Jesus has for every sinner He came to save.

If we follow the world, we will largely sacrifice the ability to hold up Christ as the only hope for salvation. But by standing firmly in Him, we can continue to be a light for the Gospel as the world around us grows dark. And that means we must continue to be intentional in ways that will give us opportunities to proclaim Jesus in a world that desperately needs His salvation.

Standing firm on our Gospel foundation will also cause us to continue our strong support for the Cooperative Program, which enables our churches to go higher and further together, and lets us be ever ready for Great Commission opportunities.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

Why we do missions as a family

Once, my wife and I attended a lecture with our then three-year-old son. The speaker was a possible Nobel Prize candidate, and we were at a prestigious university. Our very extroverted son saw one of our friends quietly coming in late and innocently, but boldly and loudly, greeted her with an affectionate term meaning “auntie.” The lecturer, a bit stunned, stopped for a moment and all eyes turned to us. Our son, the only child at the lecture, was smiling and waving to our friend summoning her to come. I prayed, “Oh God, what did I do by bringing him here? Help me!”

Our family has been focusing exclusively on reaching academics and religious leaders in Central Asia for Christ. As far as we know, we are the only people tasked with this specific calling. Those we are trying to reach are some of the smartest yet most hostile people toward the gospel. People have asked why we choose to work them when others are more receptive to the gospel.

Despite the difficulty of the calling and the reality that we will likely not see much fruit in our lifetime, we remain committed. We know that if just a few of these influential leaders and teachers put their faith in Christ, their kingdom impact would be immeasurable. This has been the pattern throughout history (for example, look at the life of the Apostle Paul or Martin Luther).

But our calling is also unique, because from the first time my wife and I started this work, we decided that we were going to do ministry as a family. That was easy without kids. When children came along, we knew it would be more difficult. Including them in our mission work has been worth it, however, because of our heart for the people and our belief that sharing Christ together as a family is a powerful way to model God’s love.

As the people where we live place a high value on family, children, especially males, are considered gifts of God and are highly esteemed. Our parenting styles are very different, and our national friends notice how we choose to guide our children. They see our discipline is different; they see when we get things right and when we get things wrong. Ministering as a family provides us a way to be vulnerable and seek mercy; it gives our friends the freedom to talk about more than just a lecture that many are required to attend.

It is not just lectures either. More than a few of our friends have started to bring their children to different events and meetings we attend. This means we have a chance to meet more women. We connect not just male-to-male or female-to-female, but family-to-family. Relationships begin, and, in time, we meet with some in homes for meals and fellowship. Discussion takes place, trust is earned, and we get the privilege of sharing the message of the gospel. Our friends see how we function as a family, how we see each person as important and made in God’s image, and how we all need God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness through Jesus.

We talk about life issues and the hope we have in Jesus in the context of family. When hard questions arise that surround the differences between Christianity and their religion, we answer them truthfully, but we do so in the framework of a relationship that affects not just one or two people, but all of us – father-to-father, mother-to-mother, child-to-child. This allows us to be truthful and honest about our beliefs and not about feeling the need to be right or to win an argument. We are seen as friends who genuinely care about them.

Our son’s auntie, a woman who researches cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, is single and devout in her faith. Being together as a family gives all of us an avenue to share Christ with her. Our son may be the best witness of all. He, without any care in the world, confidently shouts out her name and calls her to come be with him.

*Names changed for security

Benjamin Breeg serves with the IMB in Central Asia with his family.

The post First Person: Why we do missions as a family appeared first on IMB.

Russia-Ukraine tension sparks call to prayer

A buildup of Russian troops on the Russia-Ukraine border has drawn all eyes to the two nations and a call for prayer from a former International Mission Board missionary in the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine Wednesday (Jan. 19) and plans to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov Friday (Jan. 21) in Geneva, The Associated Press reported.

Russia is seeking a commitment from the U.S. to preclude Ukraine from joining NATO. Meanwhile, it has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border.

Buck Burch, a former International Mission Board missionary in Russia now serving as a missions strategist at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said the tensions should be a matter of prayer for Southern Baptists.

“The thing to remember in all of this is that the Baptist churches in Russia and Ukraine are very closely related, with family members on both sides of the border,” Burch told The Christian Index, Georgia Baptist news journal. “That which we see unfolding in front of us has affected relationships on both sides within the evangelical family. We should pray for our brothers and sisters that they would not be divided even as the political lines are drawn.”

Southern Baptist missionaries serve in both countries.

President Joe Biden addressed the issue in a lengthy press conference Wednesday, saying Russia would be held accountable for an invasion.

“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and then we end up having a fight about what to do and not do, et cetera,” Biden said at the press conference.

“But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further … invade Ukraine, and that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe costs and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy.”

Biden received criticism after the press conference for use of the phrase “minor incursion,” with many saying his comments gave Russian President Vladmir Putin too much leeway. The White House issued a clarifying statement later Wednesday.

“President Biden has been clear with the Russian President: If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our Allies,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in the statement. “President Biden also knows from long experience that the Russians have an extensive playbook of aggression short of military action, including cyberattacks and paramilitary tactics. And he affirmed today that those acts of Russian aggression will be met with a decisive, reciprocal, and united response.”

Study: Men play significant role in decisions surrounding unplanned pregnancies

NASHVILLE (BP) – While much of the discussion surrounding abortion focuses on women, unplanned pregnancies involve both a man and a woman. And the men involved have complicated feelings on the subject.

A new Care Net study conducted by Nashville-based Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 American men whose partners had an abortion after he made her pregnant and who knew about the pregnancy prior to the abortion.

The study reveals men with pregnant partners play a significant role in the decision to have an abortion but may not be aware of how much influence they have.

“In 2015, when we surveyed women who had an abortion, they indicated men were the most influential factor in their decision,” said Roland Warren, president and CEO of Care Net. “Care Net recognized that despite this influence, the role of men had not yet been explored. This new study directly examines their feelings and experiences when the decision to have an abortion was made.”

Behind the decision

Initially, the men were conflicted about the pregnancy. When asked about their emotions when they found out their partner was pregnant, around half (53 percent) say they were nervous, and 42 percent were scared. Still, 30 percent were happy about the pregnancy, and 28 percent were excited. Far fewer say they were indifferent (15 percent), embarrassed (14 percent) or angry (14 percent).

In making their decision, 42 percent of men whose partners had an abortion say they encouraged the woman to do so, with 12 percent saying they strongly urged her to do so. Around 3 in 10 (31 percent) say they didn’t give any advice. More than 1 in 4 (27 percent) say they advised their partner not to have an abortion, including 8 percent who strongly urged her not to go through with it.

Among those who encouraged their partner to have an abortion, men say finances played the primary role, but other factors contributed to their wanting their partner to have an abortion. Almost half (46 percent) say they and their partner couldn’t afford a child at that time, while 29 percent say there were already enough kids in the picture.

Around a quarter of men who advocated for an abortion point to relationship issues between them and their partner, as 24 percent say they didn’t expect the relationship to be long-term, and 23 percent say there was conflict in the relationship.

Other reasons are focused more directly on the concerns of the man. Almost 2 in 5 (39 percent) say they were not ready to be a father, 17 percent say they hadn’t completed their education, 17 percent say they didn’t want others to know she was pregnant and 14 percent didn’t want to pay child support.

“Many abortions occur because men are urging their partner to terminate the pregnancy,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “However, around 3 in 10 men give their partners no advice even in situations where she discusses the decision with him.”

Most of the time, the pregnancy and subsequent abortion happened in the context of a serious relationship. A third of men (34 percent) say they were married at the time of their partner’s abortion, while another 29 percent were living together. An additional 29 percent say they were “seeing each other.” Few say they knew each other but were not dating (3 percent), had just met (2 percent) or were no longer together at the time of the abortion (3 percent).

When asked what roles they believe most people they know expect men and women to play in abortion decisions, 2 in 3 men whose partners had an abortion say the expectation is that the decision belongs to the woman, including 21 percent who say it is the woman’s choice and the man has no role to play and 46 percent who say it is the woman’s choice but the man should have some input. Around 3 in 10 (29 percent) say people expect it to be a choice the two should make together with equal input. Few (3 percent) say the expectation is the decision should primarily or exclusively be the man’s.

When asked what expectations they believe society places on them in a discussion surrounding unplanned pregnancies, 40 percent of men whose partners had an abortion say they believe others would want them neither to encourage nor discourage the woman’s decision in any way. Around a third (32 percent) believe society thinks the man should encourage the woman to have the baby. Fewer (14 percent) say others believe the man should encourage the woman to abort. And 14 percent are not sure what society thinks.

Abortion discussions

According to the men involved, they were most likely to be the one with whom their partners discussed having an abortion. Around 3 in 4 men (74 percent) say their partners talked with them about the decision before getting an abortion. Close to half (48 percent) say their partners talked with a medical professional. Some men also say the woman spoke to her mother (38 percent), a friend or friends (33 percent), her father (17 percent), an abortion provider (17 percent) or another family member (13 percent). Few men believe their partner spoke with someone at a pregnancy care center (7 percent), a counselor (5 percent) or someone at a local church (3 percent).

Men are most likely to say they were the most influential person in their partner’s decision to have an abortion. Close to 4 in 10 men (38 percent) say they had the most influence. Fewer point to a medical professional (18 percent), the woman’s mother (14 percent), her friends (7 percent), an abortion provider (4 percent), her father (3 percent) or another family member (2 percent).

The men involved are less likely to say they spoke about the decision to have an abortion with others. More than 2 in 5 (43 percent) say they discussed it only with their partner. Fewer than 3 in 10 say they had conversations with a medical professional (29 percent), a friend or friends (29 percent) or their mothers (27 percent). Even fewer say they spoke with their father (17 percent), another family member (11 percent), someone at church (5 percent), a counselor (5 percent) or someone at a pregnancy care center (5 percent).

“Nobody can deny that men have significant influence in many abortion decisions,” Warren said. “Both women and men who have faced an unplanned pregnancy say the man is consulted in the majority of cases and is most frequently cited as having the most influence.”

At the time of the abortion, most men (54 percent) say they knew of local pregnancy centers that offer help, but 2 in 5 were not aware of such places.

Church connections and disconnects

While few men say they or their partner spoke with someone at church during their discussions about abortion, half of men (51 percent) say they were attending a Christian church once a month or more at the time of at least one of their partner’s abortions. Even more (66 percent) say they currently attend religious services at least monthly.

More than 2 in 3 men whose partners have had an abortion (68 percent) identify as a Christian, including 36 percent Catholic, 17 percent Protestant, 10 percent nondenominational and 5 percent Orthodox. Around a quarter (24 percent) are religiously unaffiliated, with 10 percent giving no religious preference, 7 percent atheist and 6 percent agnostic. Fewer men whose partners have had an abortion say they are Jewish (2 percent) or Muslim (2 percent). When asked specifically if they are an evangelical or born-again Christian, 46 percent of men say yes, while 52 percent say no.

Despite their religious identify and church attendance, almost half of men (45 percent) whose partners have had an abortion and who attend at least monthly say no one at their church knows about the abortion. Slightly more (48 percent) say someone is aware.

Additionally, only 36 percent of men whose partners have had an abortion would recommend someone discuss an unplanned pregnancy with someone at a local church. Half (49 percent) would not.

Almost 2 in 3 men (64 percent) believe one can talk with a pastor about abortion confidentially, but few expect to receive an encouraging response from the church or pastor if they do.

As men thought about the time of their partner’s abortion, they expected to receive a critical reaction from a local church. More men say they expected churches to be judgmental (42 percent), condemning (30 percent), cold (24 percent) or indifferent (12 percent), compared to helpful (24 percent), caring (23 percent), informative (19 percent) or loving (18 percent). Men who were actually attending church once a month or more at the time of the abortion, however, are less likely than those who were attending less frequently to say the church would respond critically.

“Fear of shame and condemnation appears to be deterring Christians from talking about their unplanned pregnancies with others in the church—those they would otherwise trust as sources of hope and help,” said Warren. “Specifically, some Christian men seem more afraid of how an unplanned pregnancy coming to light could damage their reputation than they’re concerned about the ramifications of an abortion. This should be a challenge to church leaders to change the way they handle and respond to unplanned pregnancies.”

Men whose partners have had an abortion have conflicted and divided thoughts about how people in their situation will be received in church and how forgiveness may apply to them. A 2015 Care Net study conducted by Lifeway Research among women who had abortions found some shared perspectives on the attitudes of churches and pastors but more areas of disagreement between women and men.

Almost 3 in 4 men (72 percent) believe church members judge unmarried couples who are pregnant, yet 62 percent agree churches are prepared to provide support to couples who choose to keep a child resulting from an unplanned pregnancy.

Most men (57 percent) say churches oversimplify decisions about pregnancy options, but 52 percent say churches are a safe place to talk about the ways in which they could respond to the pregnancy, including parenting, abortion and adoption.

Most (54 percent) believe that pastors’ teachings on forgiveness don’t seem to apply to abortion, yet 51 percent say pastors teach God is willing to forgive past abortion decisions.

Overall, 53 percent believe that pastors are sensitive to the pressures a man faces with an unplanned pregnancy.

In the 2015 study of women, also sponsored by Care Net, slightly fewer women said pastors’ teachings on forgiveness don’t seem to apply to abortion (51 percent), and a similar share said churches oversimplify decisions about pregnancy options (54 percent).

Women who have had abortions are significantly less likely than men whose partners have had abortions to say churches are prepared to provide support for a child resulting from unplanned pregnancy (51 percent), pastors teach God is willing to forgive past abortion decisions (42 percent), churches are sensitive to the pressures of people in their situation (39 percent) and churches are safe places to discuss pregnancy options (38 percent). They are also less likely, however, to say churches judge someone who is unmarried and pregnant (65 percent).

“There are mixed feelings even among churchgoers on how helpful churches are in decisions about unplanned pregnancies,” McConnell said. “While many men recognize sensitivity and support, fewer are currently willing to recommend others turn to a church when facing an unplanned pregnancy.”

For more information, view the complete report and the white paper or visit Care-Net.org and LifewayResearch.com.

SEMANA DE ORACIÓN: Las iglesias se conectan con la tarea misionera

El misionero de la IMB, Tim Louderback, (en el centro) y su colaborador local, Daniel Tejada, (a la izquierda, con camisa naranja) junto a estudiantes de la Universidad de Panamá.

In English

Nota de la editora: La IMB se compromete a que los hispanos se movilicen a nivel mundial para compartir el evangelio. ¿Puedes orar para unirte a nosotros? Comunícate con Oscar Tortolero, movilizador estratégico hispano, para obtener más información enviando un correo a otortolero@imb.org.

Tim y Tina Louderback, y Sean y Shelley Blacksten se dedican con pasión a capacitar y conectar a las iglesias con oportunidades para servir en Centroamérica y el Caribe. Los misioneros Louderbacks y Blackstens sirven con la Junta de Misiones Internacionales en Panamá, y los Louderbacks dirigen el programa Americas Connect

El programa “Americas Connect” se creó para brindar oportunidades de ministerio de nivel básico a las iglesias bautistas del sur interesadas en colaborar estratégicamente con la IMB.

Panamá fue el país pionero de este programa, que después se extendió a Guatemala, Costa Rica y Brasil.

Los miembros de la iglesia reciben una capacitación en línea por cinco o seis semanas antes de su viaje.

La misionera Tina dice que esta capacitación es modular y cubre la misiología básica y la formación específica para cada país. Una vez que los equipos llegan, reciben capacitación relacionada con la tarea misionera y su misión específica.

El misionero Sean dice que los equipos los han animado, “especialmente quienes forman parte del primer viaje al extranjero de su iglesia”.

Y también indica que: “Se requiere valor y obediencia para ser la punta de lanza de una iglesia que hasta ahora no se ha involucrado personalmente en el campo misionero”.

Nuestra oración es que sean los primeros de muchos que vendrán con nosotros, y que decidan aprovechar su experiencia en Centroamérica, y orar por un lugar aún más remoto la próxima vez”.

Un grupo de voluntarios se unió a un equipo indígena que ejerce su ministerio entre una etnia no alcanzada. La iglesia servía haciendo caminatas de oración, compartiendo el evangelio y dando clases de inglés a los indígenas cristianos que obtienen su sustento del turismo ecológico en la selva.

Los misioneros Louderbacks animan a las iglesias a poner en práctica lo que aprenden en el campo misionero cuando regresen a EE. UU.

El misionero Tim dice: “Reciben capacitación por adelantado. Ponen en marcha la tarea misionera mientras están en el campo. Hacen una evaluación y se van con la visión de ir a servir a su país o a cualquier lugar del mundo al que Dios los guíe”.

Algunas iglesias, tras regresar de su viaje, han empezado a participar o a impartir cursos de inglés como segunda lengua para alcanzar a sus comunidades.

Los misioneros Louderbacks animan a las iglesias que han participado en “Americas Connect” a adoptar una etnia no alcanzada.

La iglesia bautista Emmanuel de Weatherford, Texas, es una de las que más se ha comprometido a esto. La iglesia vino en un viaje de “Americas Connect” a Panamá en el 2019.

Michael Bizzell, pastor de admisiones y misiones en esta iglesia, dijo que el deseo de involucrarse a un nivel más profundo, los llevó a la formar una alianza con la Convención Bautista de Bolivia para ministrar en una etnia no alcanzada.

Después del viaje con “Americas Connect”, el Señor llamó a una pareja de la iglesia a servir con la IMB como misioneros profesionales.

Oremos por los progresos de los creyentes locales que están alcanzando a los no creyentes.

Oremos porque las iglesias del programa “Americas Connect” sigan buscando oportunidades para servir.

Oremos para que el Señor facilite más colaboraciones entre las iglesias.

Recursos en español

The post SEMANA DE ORACIÓN: Las iglesias se conectan con la tarea misionera appeared first on IMB.

Canada joins list of nations banning conversion therapy

OTTOWA, Canada (BP) – A Canadian law banning any form of conversion therapy, broadly defined as treatment or counseling aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, went into effect Jan. 7.

Known as Bill C-4, the legislation became law in December 2021, after Canadian Governor General Mary Simon granted the legislation Royal Assent, or signature approval, after it unanimously passed both the Senate and the House of Commons

The law defines conversion therapy as any practice, treatment or service designed to change or repress a person’s sexual orientation, sexual behavior, gender identity or gender expression.

Media reports say the law makes it a criminal offense to cause someone to undergo conversion therapy as well as to promote, profit from or advertise the practice.

The legislation makes illegal the practice of such therapy on both adults and children and whether the person consents to treatment or not. This was Canada’s third attempt at banning the practice after two previous failed attempts.

Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, and Taiwan are among the nations that have laws banning conversion therapy.

Similar bans on conversion therapy for minors exist in 20 U.S. states and many cities. According to NBC News, three states (Florida, Alabama and Georgia) have injunctions blocking conversion therapy bans that are now in the federal judicial circuit.

Roger Brooks, senior council for Alliance Defending Freedom, has worked on several cases related to a ban on conversion or reparative therapy, including an ongoing case in Washington state.

He told Baptist Press although conversion or reparative therapy is an international issue and term (the United Nations called for banning the practice in 2020), it can often be a misleading term.

According to Brooks, what is actually being restricted by these bans are conversations, ideas or topics counselors would discuss with patients related to sexual behavior or gender.

He explained the U.S. Constitution should prevent any ban on speech, including conversations a counselor may have with a client about how to live out his or her faith with regard to sexuality and gender.

“It’s certainly an international conversation, but our rights as Americans are quarantined by the Constitution,” Brooks said.

“For the government to step in and say you can’t talk about that, that is frankly shocking. It’s shocking from a freedom of speech perspective and it’s unprecedented.”

Brooks theorized the Supreme Court could take up a case on a ban on conversion therapy as early as 2023, but acknowledged these types of things can be hard to predict.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, addressed the Canadian law as well as similar proposed legislation in Great Britain on the Jan. 3 episode of The Briefing.

He said such laws not only point to a battle in the counseling and scientific communities but illustrate a battle taking place that could affect churches and people of faith in their own lives.

“These particular bills could have the effect of chilling the preaching, restricting the liberty of the pulpit in Christian churches, and even could extend to potentially criminalizing personal conversations or outlawing certain conversations between parents and children,” Mohler said.

“If the government can tell you it is illegal to teach biblical truth on the issue of human sexuality, the array of LGBT issues, understand two things: Number one, it won’t stop with LGBT and understand, eventually it means the criminalization of whatever Christian speech is no longer politically attractive. And that eventually will mean everything that is revealed in Scripture, most essentially, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Mohler praised the biblical counselors in both Canada and Great Britain fighting against these laws.

“We are about to find out where the biblical Christians are on both sides of the Atlantic, and … on both sides of the American/Canadian border,” Mohler said.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

Beaten but not defeated, South Asian women brave persecution for their faith

A powdered plant dye called henna was part of God’s design for bringing South Asian women living in Europe into a relationship with Him. Despite beatings, berating and children being taken away from them, many women chose to write the laws of the Lord on their hearts.

In 2016, IMB missionary Lena Eckhart* met Miriam* at a play group for children in their city. Lena told Miriam she enjoys applying henna designs on hands, and the women began meeting in a public park for henna sessions.

As Lena drew the designs on Miriam’s hand with the plant-based ink, she told her the Bible story that corresponds to the design. Lena asked Miriam if she had any family or friends who might be interested in the henna stories. The group grew to eight, and they began meeting in a private nursing room for mothers in a mall for fear someone might find out.

The group started as a henna group, but they eventually stopped to focus on stories about Jesus.

“God was clearly moving in their hearts,” Lena said. “They were amazed by the deeds and teachings of Jesus. They were especially struck by the fact that Jesus had the authority to forgive sin. They began asking questions about how it was possible for Jesus to forgive.”

Their questions and desire to meet as a group did not go unnoticed by their family members.

Beaten because of the Bible

“One of the biggest challenges we faced with leading this group was persecution,” Lena said describing the spiritual warfare the women faced as they sought to know about Jesus.” These attacks would typically take place after the husbands of these women heard about their wives’ participation in the study group.”

Some women were beaten by their husbands and family members. One woman was beaten so severely her arm was broken. Another woman had her children taken away by her family. One man brought the local Muslim religious leader to shame his wife.

“Every time there was an attack it would spook the ladies. The group would stop meeting,” Lena said. “After an attack, we would assume that the group was finished, but after a few weeks had passed, they would start making contact again and the group would persevere.”

When Miriam committed her life to Christ, her husband smacked her in the face and left her. However, after a month, he returned and asked her a series of questions.

“First, he asked if she was going to continue to follow Jesus. She said, ‘Yes.’ Second, he asked her if she was going to teach Christianity to their children. She said, ‘Yes, and they can decide for themselves if they want to follow Jesus or Muhammad.’ Third, he asked if she was going to continue to go to the mosque with him. She said, ‘I will if you want, but when I go, I will be worshiping Jesus in my heart.’ He then apologized for hitting her, and she replied, ‘I forgave you as soon as you did it. I forgive you as Jesus forgives,’” Lena recalls.

Miriam followed her profession of faith with believer’s baptism when she was 24 weeks pregnant. After Miriam’s baptism, more women came forward and professed faith and expressed that they wanted to be baptized. This decision always came at great personal cost. One 60-year-old lady was beaten by her husband and brother after they found out she became a Christian.

Still choosing to be baptized, she boldly proclaimed, “I have never felt peace or happiness in Islam. When my husband and brother were beating me, I felt the presence of God. And I was happy because I knew that if they killed me, then I would go to heaven. Jesus died for me. That is why I was willing to give my life for Him.”

Threats lead to an ally

Threats of violence also extended to Lena. Miriam came to a meeting with a black eye and bruises on her arm. Miriam’s sister, Paula*, had discovered her newfound faith and beat her.

“As she was beating Miriam, she was yelling, ‘Why are you not fighting back?’ Miriam responded by saying, ‘Because I love you,’” Lena said. “Miriam’s husband stood idly by and watched as his wife was beaten. In a way, this reminded us of Saul as he stood by and watched with approval as Stephen was being stoned.”

Paula made it known that if she ever found out who told her about the gospel, she would beat her as well. Miriam advised Lena to keep her distance from the discipleship group. At the next meeting, Paula unexpectedly showed up and confronted the group.

A few days later, Lena and Miriam met at a restaurant to talk about how the group was faring.

“Paula once again showed up unexpectedly. She had secretly followed Miriam for the purpose of spying on her,” Lena said.

Paula confronted Lena and demanded to know how they knew one another. Lena decided to leave the restaurant as quickly as possible because she had brought her children. Lena later found out Paula brought friends who were waiting outside the restaurant, intending harm. Lena and her children left the scene without incident.

Miriam was later able to share her faith with her sister. Paula asked to meet with Lena, and the three women arranged to meet at a café. Lena and Miriam shared testimonies of how Jesus had changed their lives.

“How is it that you can be so kind to me when I have been so mean to you?” Paula asked.

Lena explained that her kindness comes from God and that Jesus teaches Christians to love and bless those who persecute believers. Paula revealed she constantly feels rage and anger in her heart, and she doesn’t understand why.

“God’s Word has a lot to say about anger, and God can replace our rage with peace and thankfulness,” Lena told her.

Although Paula has not professed faith in Christ yet, she did become an ally for Miriam. Miriam’s mother began giving Miriam a hard time because she had perceived that Miriam had fallen away from Islam. Paula stood up for her sister and told her mother to leave Miriam alone.

Miriam and the other believers continue to grow in their faith, and their persistence in the face of bodily harm has furthered their witness.

*Names changed for security

Rick and Lena Eckhart* serve among South Asians in Europe.

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