By Shawn Hendricks
Baptist Press

NASHVILLE — When Southern Baptists depart St. Louis after their annual meeting in June, says SBC president Ronnie Floyd, he will be praying they do so with a “deep burden for our nation, a new commitment to racial unity, and an extraordinary commitment to evangelize America.”

With the theme of this year’s June 14-15 gathering being “Awaken America: Reach the World — Agree, Unite, Pray,” Floyd continues to point to passionate prayer as a critical tool for a “nationwide and global spiritual awakening.”

“I pray that our SBC messengers encounter the living God through moments of worship, preaching, challenge, and prayer,” Floyd said. [Read more…]

By Bonnie Pritchett
Baptist Press

AUSTIN, Texas (BP) — Eleven states and two school districts filed a lawsuit May 25 challenging President Barack Obama’s directive demanding all federally funded schools apply a controversial interpretation of Title IX requiring schools to define a student’s sexual identity based not on biological traits, but on feelings.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Texas, Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah, and Georgia; Governor of Maine Paul Lepage; the Arizona Department of Education; Harrold Independent School District (HISD) in Texas and Heber-Overgaard Unified School District in Arizona. [Read more…]

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, and Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, have appointed a task force on disciple-making.

Consisting of Southern Baptist pastors, the task force will recommend steps that churches can take to improve their disciple-making process and spark a disciple-making movement throughout the Southern Baptist Convention.

Robby Gallaty

“This group will suggest a transferrable process that any church can use in any context,” Ezell said. “The priority will be leading people to the Gospel and then putting them on a pathway toward spiritual growth and maturity.”

Rainer is hopeful that the task force’s recommendations will help churches make the transition to more effective discipleship. [Read more…]

By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press

The estimated 8,600 people gathered at the May 3 Nashville stop of the Decision America Tour 2016 with Franklin Graham was believed to be the largest crowd to date.
-Photo by Shawn Hendricks

NASHVILLE (BP) — Christians cannot restore America by rallying behind political parties, but must pray, vote, and engage in politics to uphold biblical principles, evangelist Franklin Graham told a crowd of about 8,600 gathered at noon on May 3 in front of the Tennessee State Capitol building in Nashville.

It was the largest crowd to date in his Decision American Tour 2016 with Franklin Graham — a series of sermons and prayer rallies at each capitol in the nation that began Jan. 5 in Des Moines, Iowa — and is scheduled to end Oct. 13 in Raleigh, N.C. [Read more…]

Andrew J.W. Smith
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas discuss personal faith and politics at “God and Politics”

Christians should be involved in the political process but remember their ultimate hope lies beyond any office or vote, said evangelical thinkers R. Albert Mohler Jr. and Cal Thomas at the April 25 “God and Politics” event at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, and Thomas, a political pundit and syndicated columnist, discussed their views regarding the religious beliefs of political candidates before a full Alumni Memorial Chapel. Although the event came about after a public disagreement on this issue, Mohler and Thomas agreed that ironclad biblical promises transcend those of waffling political candidates.

“If Christ is king and God is sovereign and our citizenship is ultimately in heaven, then we shouldn’t have our equilibrium thrown off too much by any election,” Mohler said. [Read more…]