Author: Baptist Press

Lifeway India launches first-of-its-kind ‘Telugu Study Bible’

HYDERABAD, India (BP) – Tears fell and prayers rose as members of the Telugu Study Bible team saw their completed project for the first time Dec. 9.

The Telugu Study Bible was completely conceptualized, developed, translated, printed and distributed by local Indian pastors, theologians and ministry leaders working with Lifeway India.

A member of the Lifeway India team who worked on the Telugu Study Bible wept as he saw the finished project for the first time. Through national lockdowns and COVID-19 cases spreading throughout the country, contributors continued to work on the translation and study notes to provide a fully contextualized study Bible in Telugu, the fourth most common language in India and spoken by nearly 90 million people. Lifeway India photo

“While there are already Bibles that can be found in Telugu, up until now there hasn’t been a study Bible developed with this level of additional rich content,” said David Humphrey, director of sales and customer solutions at Lifeway Christian Resources. “This will be the first of its kind, and one that is very much needed and is responding to the needs of the church in India.”

Through national lockdowns and the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country and even among the team itself, contributors continued to work on the translation and study notes to provide a fully contextualized study Bible in Telugu, the fourth most common language in India, spoken by nearly 90 million people. In addition to notes and commentary, the Bible will feature QR codes that allow readers to access additional teachings and trainings digitally.

“Our Lifeway India team dealt with significant supply shortages, shipping delays and nationwide shutdowns due to COVID-19,” said Lifeway CEO Ben Mandrell. “But praise God, they were able to work through those challenges and release the Telugu Study Bible.

“Pastors and church leaders in India are hungry for the Word of God and for tools they can use to share the Gospel and make disciples in their own language. I’m honored that our team was able to create and publish this much-needed resource.”

Currently Lifeway resources are available in 160 countries and more than 60 languages through print, digital, licensing and training.

“It is our desire to develop trustworthy biblical resources in vernacular languages,” said Thomas*, strategist for Lifeway Global in the Southeast Asia region. “Our vision is to help the church increase Bible readership and the study of God’s Word. The anchor of each of our target languages is a study Bible. The Telugu Study Bible is the first and will serve as a template for the expansion of this strategy across the nation and region.”

At a pre-launch event, many of the pastors and ministry leaders responsible for the Telugu Study Bible gathered to see the finished results for the first time and share more about the project with other local church leaders. An additional, larger launch event is scheduled for Dec. 18.

One speaker at the pre-launch gathering said many Indian Christians raised in the urban context speak and think in English but can have difficulty proclaiming God’s Word in the Telugu language to others. “That is the value this will add to every preacher,” he said.

According to Thomas, “The Telugu Study Bible is the first step in a larger strategy to provide discipleship resources for the church in India.” He added that the priority over the next five years, following the successful launch of the Telugu Study Bible, is to develop vernacular Bibles in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Mizo, Bengali and Odiya languages. The plan is to equip indigenous pastors and leaders by focusing on regions of India that are experiencing explosive church growth and have established partners.

Several media outlets were on hand to cover an early launch event for the Telugu Study Bible from Lifeway India. The first of its kind, the Telugu Study Bible is a resource that has been completely conceptualized, developed, translated, printed and distributed by local Indian pastors, theologians and ministry leaders working with Lifeway India. Lifeway India photo

“Getting more people to read and study God’s Word will protect the church from false teaching,” Thomas said. “Growth in the church is good, but it must be substantiated with growth in God’s Word and discipleship.”

For Thomas, he hopes the legacy of the Telugu Study Bible will cause people to “fall in love with the Word of God, as they see the care, thought and effort that was put into this resource and realize this is a Bible for them.”

He said he hopes all of the features cause many Telugu speakers to buy the Bible, “but more than anything, we hope that every word in this Bible draws readers into the heart of God. We hope that hundreds and thousands of homes in the region will have a copy of this Bible to treasure and love, and as they read it, they become stronger families and dynamic church communities. We believe we’ve produced a resource that by God’s grace, the church in the region will use for centuries.”

*Name shortened for security purposes.

SWBTS announces second $2 million endowed chair

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary now has a second $2 million endowed chair, President Adam W. Greenway announced today after receiving an anonymous $1 million gift to complete the funding of the Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education.

While the Terry Chair is the second academic chair to be fully funded at the current funding level, it is the first fully funded chair of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries. In October, the seminary announced the establishment of the Charles F. Stanley Chair for the Advancement of Global Christianity, which will be in the Roy J. Fish School of Evangelism and Missions.

“I am delighted that in the Lord’s providence we are now able to see the establishment of the second fully funded endowed chair at Southwestern Seminary at the $2 million funding level,” Greenway said. “I am further gratified that this particular chair honors one of Southwestern Seminary’s choice servants, Dr. Jack Terry, and his wife, Barbara, recognizing their decades of faithful service to our seminary. We are indebted to the anonymous donors who have made possible this gift that will ensure teaching in the fields of educational ministries at Southwestern Seminary in perpetuity.”

Established in 2007, the Terry Chair is named for Jack D. Terry Jr., former dean and long-time faculty member, and his wife of more than 60 years, Barbara. The School of Educational Ministries was named in his honor in 2009.

Terry, who describes the anonymous donors as “two of the dearest friends” of his and his wife’s, said the benefactors’ investment in Southwestern Seminary “is for the Gospel to be spread to the entire world.” He added the benefits of the chair will accrue “throughout all of our present age” but also through “the work that it does for the world through all of our ministers and missionaries, and the young people that it educates as we’re able to spread the Gospel throughout the entire world.”

When the chair was established by trustee action in 2007, the initial gift, then at the $1 million level of funding, was given by Carliss and Lois Phillips of Quitman, Texas. In 2019, SWBTS increased the amount of fully funded academic chairs to $2 million to ensure sufficient funding in perpetuity.

Terry, who was elected to the faculty in 1969, served as the dean of the then School of Religious Education from 1974 until 1995, when he was named vice president for institutional advancement under Kenneth S. Hemphill, Southwestern Seminary’s seventh president. With Terry’s support, the School of Religious Education was renamed the School of Educational Ministries in 1998. Upon his retirement as vice president in 2006, Terry was named vice president emeritus for institutional advancement. He currently serves as special assistant to the president and as a senior professor in the Terry School. A revised and expanded edition of Terry’s history of the School of Educational Ministries, Christian Education on the Plains of Texas, was released by Seminary Hill Press in October in conjunction with the centennial anniversary of the first school of religious education in the academic world.

Endowed chair funds are invested in accordance with seminary guidelines to produce investment returns which underwrite the salary of the chair occupant, a professor who is officially named to hold the chair by subsequent trustee action. Greenway intends to recommend a faculty member to occupy the Terry Chair at the spring meeting of the board of trustees, he said.

Sorrow, rescue and recovery in five states affected by severe storms

MAYFIELD, Ky. (BP) – Rescue efforts were underway Saturday as first responders, family members and neighbors worked to find missing people in five Mid-South states. The death toll topped more than 70 as tornadoes and hurricane-force, straight-line winds ripped across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee during the early hours of the morning.

“This will probably be recorded as the most devastating night in the history of the Commonwealth,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

Dozens of people lost their lives in a candle factory as they worked in Mayfield as the small west Kentucky town was ripped to shreds by a powerful tornado.

Warren County (Ky.) Coroner Kevin Kirby said they were working 11 storm-related deaths in the Bowling Green area.

Beshear said up to 70 people may have lost their lives across 10 counties affected by the storm system in Kentucky.

A direct hit to a nursing home in Craighead County, Arkansas, left at least one dead and several injured at Monette Manor, according to Marvin Day, county judge-executive. Another nursing home was caught up in the storms leaving another person dead, officials said.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is reporting at least three dead across Tennessee. Two people were killed in Lake County and one in Obion County.

Police reported at least one fatality in Edwardsville, Illinois, as a tornado hit an Amazon distribution site.

Bryant Wright, SEND Relief president, called on Southern Baptists to pray for those affected by the tragedy. “Let’s give generously to help these people recover, clean up and rebuild,” he added.

SEND Relief has set up a donation site for those wishing to make a monetary donation for relief.

Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, expressed concern for those affected by the storms. “Please join me in praying for those impacted and the many SBC DR volunteers who will be responding,” he posted on Twitter.

Wright asked for prayer for “the many SBC state Disaster teams who are mobilizing volunteers to go in and serve those who are hurting.”

Coy Webb, crisis relief director for SEND Relief, told Baptist Press he had been in contact with disaster relief directors in the states affected by the storms throughout the day Saturday. He said plans are being made to send DR workers to affected areas.

Webb said the best way for Southern Baptists to make an impact is through prayer and by giving financially.

Todd Gray, Kentucky Baptist Convention executive director-treasurer, knows the days of grief and recovery will be long, but said “we will pull together today and in the weeks ahead to serve our neighbors in the name of Jesus,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

Green Acres sets example for the next generation to prioritize partnership

Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, recently made a $100,000 donation to the International Mission Board. The church’s lead pastor, Michael Gossett, reached out to IMB President Paul Chitwood the first week after he assumed pastoral duties (Sept. 1, 2021) to let Chitwood know Green Acres wanted to continue in strong partnership with the IMB. The IMB communications team interviewed Gossett to learn why he prioritizes partnership with the IMB.

IMB: What prompted Green Acres to give $100,000 toward missions?

Gossett: We had a surplus from 2020 in our budget. It’s in the nature of the church to be generous; generosity is part of Green Acres’ DNA.

When we were thinking through, “What are we going to do with this surplus?” the first thing that we thought was, “We want to give it away. We want to do whatever we can to make the most impact, not just for our city, but we want to make sure that this goes around the world.”

I don’t know of any better organization that is getting it done other than the IMB. We already have a great partnership with the IMB. That partnership continues to expand and strengthen. Going forward, we don’t want to shy away from our partnership with the IMB; we don’t want to shy away from our emphasis for missions. We want to expand that, and we want to make sure that continues to strengthen and grow as God allows.

IMB: What leads your church to take missions so seriously?

Gossett: For every Christian, missions is the one thing that God told us to do. But for Green Acres specifically, we are a missions-minded church because we started as a church plant. Today, we’re celebrating crossing over 18,000 members. But we started May 1955 as a church plant right here in Tyler, Texas. God saw the future of what Green Acres was going to be. It’s in our DNA. Missions is what we want to be about.

We want to be about starting new works. We want to be part of a church planting movement and not just here in East Texas, but we want to be a part of a church planting movement to the ends of the earth. These strategic partnerships are important. They’re why we exist.

I

IMB: Why partner with the IMB through giving?

Gossett: We want to do our part in the Cooperative Program, and we want to do our part as a church to make sure that the greatest sending agency in this world, which is the IMB, continues strong.

We know that takes financial support, so we want to give financially. We also want to send our people and any other resource we have to make sure that it makes the largest impact possible.

The good thing about partnering with the IMB is that they already have people on the ground who know specifically what the needs are for that community. Rather than us reinventing the wheel and guessing where the need may be, we want to know exactly where the need is. That is why we give to the IMB. They’re on the ground. We want to strengthen that.

IMB: What is your goal for future partnership with the IMB?

Gossett: We are currently the sending church for several IMB missionaries. We continue to support them through prayer and finances, etc.

The question we’re asking going forward is, “Who are the next IMB missionaries about to be sent from our church?”

That’s what we want to be emphasizing. Yes, we want to continue to strengthen those who are already there. But simultaneously, we want to call out the called. We want to call out the ones who God has already set aside to be the next missionary to go to the ends of the earth. Our desire is to make sure that we are participating in that kingdom work, that we are a good partner in and sustaining but also sending, and to repeat this process over and over again.

IMB: How would you encourage others to become more involved with Southern Baptists’ mission to reach all nations with the gospel?

Gossett: As we strive to be good partners with the IMB, I just want to make sure that I’m doing everything I can that the next generation knows the importance of the IMB and the importance of the Cooperative Program in general. I want to be a part of leading the next generation to engage in local and international missions to make sure that we are passing the torch. I want to see the next generation continue the work so that the IMB continues to thrive and flourish in the days ahead.

Myriah Snyder is senior writer/editor for the IMB.

The post Green Acres sets example for the next generation to prioritize partnership appeared first on IMB.

IMB, Send Relief calling for prayer for Indonesia

The IMB and Send Relief are calling on Southern Baptists to pray for Indonesia in the aftermath of Mount Semeru’s recent volcanic eruption.

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Dec. 4. Initial reports show that the eruption has caused 34 deaths, 169 injuries, 17 missing people, 3,697 displaced. At least 5,205 people have been affected by the disaster.

Send Relief is partnering with local churches on the ground to respond to immediate needs. Within 30 minutes of the first eruption, Send Relief’s network of responders were activated.

After an initial assessment from national partners, the greatest needs are:

Clean water / water filters (due to ash contamination of regular water sources)
Food
Hygiene and sanitation items
Tarps

Send Relief is providing food, water, tarps, milk, noodles, rice, hygiene items, sanitation items, ash rakes and water filters, which are en route to the impacted areas.

Send Relief clay pot water filters from another area of Indonesia are being trucked to the affected communities, which will provide clean, safe, filtered water in the aftermath of the eruption.

At this time, no foreigners are allowed in the impacted area, so Send Relief is working with and through a local church already in the area.

To donate to Send Relief’s efforts, visit Send Relief’s International Crisis Response Fund.

The post IMB, Send Relief calling for prayer for Indonesia appeared first on IMB.

Comfort God’s people, cry out to the lost, Greenway implores SWBTS graduates

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – During the Dec. 3 commencement ceremony at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College (TBC), President Adam W. Greenway challenged more than 300 graduates to speak a “word of comfort to Christ’s people” and “cry out” to the lost who need the Gospel.

The fall 2021 certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral graduates included men and women from Southwestern Seminary’s four graduate schools and TBC, who represent 33 states and 20 countries, including the United States. Three degrees were awarded posthumously to Alan Wayne Meadows, Michael Rodriguez, and Sterling Sellman, who died during the semester. Family representatives received the diplomas on their behalf.

In his commencement sermon, Greenway said through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord gives “a word of exhortation and a word of commission and challenge.” He then reminded them of the Fort Worth seminary they represent.

“To most people in the watching world, you are Southwestern Seminary to them,” Greenway said. “What they know and believe about the efficacy of Southwestern Seminary is what they will see and hear and observe in and through you. And so may I challenge you, my fellow Southwesterners, to speak two words as you go?”

Greenway encouraged the graduates to speak a word of “comfort to Christ’s people” as God told Isaiah to “comfort My people” in the midst of their experiences of adversity, brought on by “their own sin.”

“It’s interesting that the word is one of ‘comfort’,” Greenway observed of God’s command to the Old Testament prophet. “I think sometimes there’s a tendency for those of us in Christian ministry to think that the way that we really minister effectively is just to consistently and constantly beat the sheep.”

While noting that “prophetic biblical preaching is going to address sin,” Greenway said in a time when “believers are experiencing more pain, more hurt, more alienation, more frustration, more separation, more agony [and] more distress,” the “people of God” should be able to find “true comfort” in “the household of faith.”

“Should not we be the ones who are known as those who are able to comfort God’s people with a word from God?” Greenway asked. “I pray that the places where you will serve and the words that you will speak to those who are truly God’s people will be words of comfort, reminding them that no matter what they may be going through, God has not abandoned them.”

Greenway also challenged the graduates to “cry out to a watching world” as the remainder of the Isaiah 40 passage shows God is “the One who is worthy to be proclaimed and preached to all peoples everywhere.”

Gospel proclamation should occur “not with timidity, not with hesitancy, not stepping back, but crying out in a time where there are more concerted efforts and attempts to suppress the proclamation of the Gospel, not just in countries that we know around the world where the church is persecuted, but even right here in our own country,” Greenway said. “The pressure will be immense … ‘to go wobbly’,” referencing an expression associated with Margaret Thatcher, the late former prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Before awarding diplomas, which included 31 doctoral degrees, Greenway reminded the graduates, “Southwestern Seminary since its founding, has been unashamedly, unreservedly and unswervingly committed to the preaching of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people everywhere, and your calling and your task is to be one who is crying out, ‘Salvation is of the Lord.’”

In other SWBTS news, Greenway announced Monday (Dec. 6) the hiring of Micah Carter as assistant professor of theology at Texas Baptist College. Carter most recently served as pastor of First Baptist Church of Ripley, Miss.

The commencement ceremony can be viewed here.

For stories from specific graduates, go here.

Study: Few Americans confident they could tell biblical Christmas story

NASHVILLE (BP) – Most people in America may hang Christmas decorations and exchange gifts on Dec. 25, but few say they could give all the details about the biblical Christmas story.

A Lifeway Research study finds 9 in 10 U.S. adults say they celebrate Christmas, including many non-Christians. Overall, 91 percent of Americans celebrate the Christmas holiday, unchanged from 2010.

“Americans may celebrate the Christmas holiday in many different ways, but very few skip a Christmas celebration completely,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Even many of those who aren’t as familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth find ways to observe the holiday.”

Catholics (99 percent) and Protestants (97 percent) are most likely to commemorate the day of Jesus’ birth. Still, significant majorities of Americans of other religions (74 percent) and those with no religious affiliation (82 percent) also celebrate Christmas. Women (94 percent) are more likely than men (89 percent) to observe the holiday.

Geographically, the most Christmas spirit may reside in the Midwest (94 percent), as residents there are more likely to say they celebrate than those in the Northeast (88 percent).

Christmas confusion

In a 2018 Lifeway Research study, 65 percent of Americans said Christmas should be more about Jesus. While 2 in 3 may want more Christ in Christmas, most couldn’t give you all the details of Jesus’ birth story.

Slightly more than 1 in 5 Americans (22 percent) say they could accurately tell the Christmas story found in the Bible from memory. A plurality of U.S. adults (31 percent) say they could tell the story but may miss some details or get others wrong. Another quarter (25 percent) could only give a quick overview and 17 percent say they couldn’t tell any of it.

“While fictional Christmas stories seem to multiply each year, the biblical account of Jesus Christ’s birth is unchanged since it was recorded in the Bible,” McConnell said. “Yet almost half of Americans do not think they could share the Christmas story somewhat accurately from memory. Of all the Christmas programs churches offer in December, possibly the most important is simply reading the biblical account of the Christmas story itself.”

More church means more Christmas story recollection among self-identified Christians. Those who attend a worship service four times a month or more (45 percent) or 1 to 3 times a month (24 percent) are more likely than Christians who attend less than once a month (13 percent) to say they could tell all the biblical story accurately.

More education also grants more Christmas confidence. Americans with a graduate degree (35 percent) or bachelor’s degree (26 percent) are more likely than those with some college (19 percent) or a high school diploma or less (18 percent) to say they could relay the complete story.

Americans with evangelical beliefs are three times as likely as those without such beliefs to say they could accurately tell the full biblical Christmas story from memory (46 percent to 15 percent).

The religiously unaffiliated are least confident in their recollection of the story. Only 1 in 10 (10 percent) say they could retell the whole Christmas story from the Bible, fewer than any other religious demographic.

For more information, view the complete report or visit LifewayResearch.com.

ANALYSIS: What will happen at the state level if Roe is overturned?

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The case centers on an abortion restriction passed within the state of Mississippi that prohibits the procedure after 15 weeks. However, briefs and arguments before the court have focused not just on the 15-week ban, but the constitutionality of the court cases that currently govern abortion jurisprudence: Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvannia v. Casey (1992). The court could decide to uphold the Mississippi restriction, and in effect change the standard set by Roe and Casey. It could also go further and overturn both, ending almost half a century of federally sanctioned holocaust against the unborn.

Abortion access at the time Roe was decided

At the time that Roe v. Wade was decided, abortion was largely prohibited across the country. It was legalized in four states, and allowed in limited circumstances in 16 others such as rape, incest, or the life of the mother. In the remaining 30 states, abortion was outlawed without exception. For those who desired an abortion, it often required travel to a state (or country) which permitted the procedure. For example, in 1972 there were over 580,000 legal abortions in the United States. Historian Daniel Williams has shown that even with a majority of states banning abortion pre-Roe, certain states were able to provide enough hospital abortion services for hundreds of thousands of abortions. Thus, while abortion was largely illegal, it was not unthinkable.

What happens in various states if Roe is overturned?

While overturning Roe would return the question of abortion access to the states, the country is in a much different place than it was when Roe was decided. If Roe is overturned, a wide disparity would exist between different states, with some automatically protecting or prohibiting abortion access. Others would almost certainly become contested battlegrounds for control of state legislatures and the governorship so as to pass measures in either direction.

Whereas before only four states gave women the right to seek an abortion, currently 15 states and the District of Columbia protect that access: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Another 12 would immediately ban or severely restrict abortion access: Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. There are also a number of states that have enacted laws which are currently blocked by the federal courts, but which could be easily reinstated to restrict access: Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and South Carolina. There are also states that would likely move to ban or restrict abortion based on the makeup of their state legislatures: Florida, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Between these opposing groups of states would be those that would become highly contested for control of the government. For example, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina have a governor who is a Democrat and state houses that are controlled by the Republicans. As the push for pro-life causes moves to the state level, these local races would become more crucial in electing pro-life supporters.

New challenges at that state level

If the Supreme Court chooses to overturn Roe, the pro-life movement will need to focus on a number of new challenges that are likely to occur at the level of state policy. First, it is likely that the limiting of abortion in one state will not stop individuals from traveling to obtain it. After Texas passed a 6-week abortion ban, the neighboring state of Oklahoma reported an increase in individuals from Texas seeking an abortion. And while overturning Roe would increase the distance that individuals would have to travel on average to over 125 miles to reach the nearest abortion provider, it would still be an option for those who have the resources and are capable of traveling.

However, the more likely result will be an increase in the use of abortion medication. Currently, over 40% of abortions are obtained through the use of the abortion pills. With the pandemic and the loosening of restrictions on telemedicine, it has become easier to obtain the pills online and have them shipped directly to abortion-vulnerable women. Though there are some state regulations that limit the use of these pills and obtaining them through the mail, their prevalence is expected to rise because the cost of the medication is cheaper than a surgical abortion.

Another consideration that the pro-life movement will face is elected officials who refuse to enforce bans and restrictions, especially in states with divided governments. For example, Michigan’s attorney general has stated previously that she would not enforce the state’s ban on abortion if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe. Even if the pro-life movement is able to help pass legislation further restricting abortion, it will require government officials willing to enforce it.

Importance of state-by-state action for pro-life movement

With the shift from a national to state-level emphasis, the pro-life movement will need to adapt even as it continues doing what it has done for years. In the states where abortion is permitted, the pro-life movement will need to learn how to mobilize at the local level to pass ordinances, advocate for legislation, and help promote officials who stand for the dignity of the unborn. This will look different from state to state, and in some places it may be possible to only achieve partial measures in the short term — a ban on abortion at 20 weeks rather than a heartbeat bill — but in all it will look like advancing toward the goal where abortion is illegal and unthinkable, and every life is protected.

In those states where abortion becomes illegal, the pro-life movement should not cease to work toward making abortion unthinkable. Just because abortion is illegal does not mean that women will not face unexpected pregnancies and the difficulties that might make them consider abortion. The number one reason that people seek abortions are for economic issues, and these concerns — poverty, job insecurity, the cost of healthcare — will still exist once Roe is overturned. If Roe is overturned, Christians will have the opportunity to refute the claim by pro-abortion advocates that those in the pro-life movement only care about the baby and mother up to the point of birth. We will be able to showcase that being pro-life is a womb-to-tomb ethic, and that the church, in the name of Jesus, seeks to serve and love the most vulnerable.

The post What will happen at the state level if Roe is overturned? appeared first on ERLC.

Vance Pitman to lead NAMB’s Send Network

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Vance Pitman, who planted Hope Church Las Vegas in 2000 and pastored there 21 years, will lead the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) church planting efforts as the new president of Send Network. Pitman and NAMB president Kevin Ezell shared the announcement in a video released today.

“I’ve been part of Send Network since its inception, but I’ve been part of it on the field — as a church planter, a pastor and a Sending Church. Now I get to be part of it from a different vantage point,” Pitman said.

Pitman has led Hope to be a reproducing church. Under his leadership, Hope has played a part in planting more than 70 new churches. Throughout its history, more than 300 members of Pitman’s congregation have been sent out to help start new churches.

“I want to take what the Lord has allowed us to be able to do at Hope Church and help be part of raising up the next generation church planters and pastors across North America,” Pitman said.

Pitman will resign from Hope Church and begin his new role at NAMB on March 1, 2022.

“I am excited about the days ahead for NAMB and Send Network,” Ezell said. “Vance is a church planter at heart, and he has already had a great influence on Send Network. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for us as we continue to meet needs, share the hope of the gospel and plant churches throughout North America.”

Pitman has been closely involved in Send Network for several years. He contributed significantly to the development of the network’s church planter assessment process, which helps ensure that church planters are well qualified for their role. He is also regularly featured as a speaker at NAMB church planter training events.

Pitman follows Dhati Lewis, who led Send Network for three years. In mid-November, Lewis shared his plans to leave NAMB at the end of the year to concentrate more fully on developing and mentoring young leaders who will plant churches in the urban context.

“Vance is a close friend, fellow pastor and church planter,” Lewis said. “I’ve learned a lot from him, and I look forward to the ways he will help Send Network continue to plant churches everywhere for everyone.”

Pitman and his wife, Kristie, relocated to Las Vegas in 2000 to plant Hope Church. Their sending church was First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga. What started as a small group meeting in their living room eventually grew to a church of more than 4,000 members with 54 languages spoken among them.

“For me, it’s always been about the Kingdom being expanded,” Pitman said. “I want us to trust God for an even greater future than we’ve already seen in Send Network.”

Hawkins’ latest book, ‘The Prayer Code,’ released

NASHVILLE (BP) – O.S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources, will release the latest in his Code series of books on Tuesday (Nov. 30). “The Prayer Code” will be the last of his books released during his tenure as president of GuideStone. He will retire in early 2022.

The book’s full title is “The Prayer Code: 40 Scriptures Every Believer Should Pray,” and it examines 40 famous examples of prayer from the Bible and how believers can incorporate the lessons within those prayers into their own prayer lives.

Each of the 40 chapters includes a “Code Word” readers can use to remember the importance of that guiding principle of prayer.

The book follows previous installments in Hawkins’ Code series including “The Jesus Code,” “The Joshua Code,” “The Daniel Code” and “The Bible Code.”

Hawkins, who will become President emeritus of GuideStone after the first quarter of 2022, said the previous books in his series lacked a specific focus on prayer, so he desired this work to show how prayer and Bible study connect.

“The reason we came to ‘The Prayer code,’ is that without the Bible, prayer has no direction and without prayer the Bible has no dynamic,” Hawkins said. “It’s sort of like ham and eggs or steak and potatoes; they go together.

“For many Christians the difficulty in prayer does not come from inaccuracies about prayer as much as it is lack of discipline in setting apart a time to pray. A lot of people have not effectively developed a prayer life.”

Beyond examining specific examples of prayer in the Bible, Hawkins also spends time in the book exploring aspects or methods of prayer. One chapter outlines what Hawkins calls “the pattern of prayer,” which includes confession, thanksgiving, praise, intercession petition and communion with God.

Seeing the important role prayer plays in the Bible is what Hawkins said prompts us to see its importance for our lives as well.

“The disciples spent 24/7 with Christ for over three years and saw Him do many amazing things, but the only thing they asked Him to teach them to do was to pray,” Hawkins said. “If He who knew no sin sensed the need of prayer, how much more do we need it?”

Hawkins said the main thing he was personally reminded of while working on the book is the powerful connection the Holy Spirit has to believers as they go to God in prayer.

“There is a beautiful truth that we all need a prayer partner, and the Bible says we have one in the Holy Spirit,” Hawkins said. “The Bible says we often don’t pray as we ought, but the Spirit prays within in with groanings which cannot be uttered. When Jesus left, He said He was going to leave us a prayer partner in the Comforter or the Holy Spirit.”

As his time serving with GuideStone comes to a close, Hawkins said he is thankful for his time to serve the organization and will continue to write more books in the Code series.

All royalties for the books in the series, which have sold more than 2 million copies, go to support Mission:Dignity, a GuideStone ministry aimed at financially assisting retired pastors and their wives/widows.

Serving those who have faithfully served is what Hawkins said motivates him to continue his ministry of writing even into his retirement from full-time ministry.

“I’ve had 25 incredible years at GuideStone, and here we’re on a mission to bring dignity to those forgotten people … that’s what keeps me writing the Code books and supporting Mission:Dignity.”

More information about the Code book series or Mission:Dignity can be found here.