Millennials’ witness prevented by ‘faulty discipleship’
NASHVILLE (BP) — Barna research indicating nearly half of U.S. millennial Christians believe evangelism is wrong reflects the church’s failure to disciple them, say two Southern Baptist evangelism leaders. “The great reason for a loss of passionate evangelism is faulty discipleship,” said Sammy Tippit, president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. “The early days of my ministry took place...
MLK taught as ‘Christian hero’ at SBC seminaries
NASHVILLE (BP)—When a white supremacist gunned down nine black worshipers at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, S.C., mission catalyst Bob Lawler knew he had to say something to the Baptist association he led in northern California. So Lawler gathered the association’s 48 ethnically diverse churches for a joint worship service. When he stood to preach, Lawler harkened to the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “In the...
Paul Chitwood elected unanimously as IMB president
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)—About a decade ago, Paul Chitwood became convinced God was calling him to mobilize missions and missionaries, he told International Mission Board (IMB) trustees. That call culminated Nov. 15, he said, with his election as IMB president. “Being a member of this board for eight years changed my ministry and it changed my life, so much so that (my wife) Michelle and I questioned whether God had called us to overseas...
John Bisagno, pastor & church innovator, dies at 84
NASHVILLE (BP)—John Bisagno, an evangelistic innovator and longtime pastor of Houston, Texas, First, died Aug. 5 in Nashville following a battle with cancer. He was 84. During Bisagno’s 30-year tenure at Houston’s First beginning in 1970, the congregation grew from fewer than 400 to 22,000 members, Baptist Press (BP) reported in 1999. During that period, the church also baptized 15,000 people, gave $250 million to missions,...
SCOTUS abortion order celebrated by Ark. Baptists
WASHINGTON (BP) — The U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal today (May 29) to hear Planned Parenthood’s challenge of an Arkansas abortion law could allow the Natural State to become the first state to effectively outlaw medication-induced abortions. “I am thankful for the discernment used by the U.S. Supreme Court to not address this issue,” Sonny Tucker, executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State...
