LifeWay Research

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - While economists debate how serious America's economic slowdown really is, Southern Baptist pastors report their members are still giving, in spite of the financial pressures felt by many families.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Raima, a hearing-impaired craftsperson in Mauritius, is part of an artisan group called CraftAid that provides jobs for people with disabilities. While working with her artisan group, she met her husband, Tana, who is also hearing-impaired. The couple now have a son and provide for their family by making unique handcrafted cards sold through WorldCrafts. They have learned that deafness does not handicap their hope.

Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), has pledged $50,000 to assist with emergency relief efforts in Myanmar.

Rob Nash

CBF photo

ATLANTA - The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) is entering into a two-year partnership with a global Christian campaign to end poverty.

Churches reporting their 2007 statistics show that North Carolina Baptists reflect national trends, with decreases in baptisms, members and the number of churches filing reports.

Rick Pennell

Contributed photo

From age to ability, there were no excuses not to volunteer for the recent Operation Inasmuch (OIAM) April 19.

Marvin Hereford

Photo by Dianna Cagle

Biblical Recorder

Agreeing to coordinate a county's efforts for April 19 Operation Inasmuch, Marvin Hereford chose to make that day his parting gift to Moyock Baptist Church and Currituck County.

Sheryl K. Waller

Photo by Dianna Cagle

Biblical Recorder

SHILOH - Across the street from a marker that recognizes Shiloh Baptist Church as the oldest Baptist church in North Carolina - founded in 1727 - members don't let age keep them off the mission field.

Zachary Hatfield

Contributed photo

"God used North Carolina Baptists and the Mother's Day Offering to find me and help me in a time of need. I could never say thank you enough," said Clell Starling, a member of Laurel Springs Baptist Church near Boone.

Wayne Oakes

File photo

BR

Uncertain times bring anxiety into church and Wayne Oakes says the conflict that often results can be traced to loss of control. Oakes, minister/church relations consultant for the Baptist State Convention after 22 years in the pastorate himself, said pastors and staff often become targets for anger when anxiety leads to a sense of insignificance and loss of control.

Baptist State Convention (BSC) Cooperative Program income edged ahead of last year's pace through the first four months of 2008 but remained more than 9 percent behind budget expectations.

Rick Warren

File photo

Pastor Rick Warren, leader of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of "The Purpose Driven Life," continues to extend his brand, planting his concept for how people can live out "God's purpose" across the globe.

FORT WORTH, Texas - The United Methodist Church held to its traditional rules on homosexuality April 30, refusing to support or celebrate same-sex unions and maintaining language that calls homosexual activity "incompatible with Christian teaching."

Martha Williams

File photo

Biblical Recorder

The N.C. Baptist Men Missions Camp at Red Springs is set to open May 20. Baptist Men put out the call for volunteers in an e-mail statement April 28. "Our purpose is to help churches involve their members in missions," the statement said.

Greg Burris plays Shubal Stearns.

BR Photo by Steve DeVane

BR

SANFORD - Sandy Creek Baptist Association marked its 250th anniversary April 28 by celebrating its founding as the nation's third oldest Baptist association and looking forward to its future.

Tim Keller

Baptist Press photo

BP

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - More than 70 percent of unbelievers agree that "Jesus makes a difference," but more than 70 percent also see the church as "full of hypocrites," according to a LifeWay Research study released earlier this year.

Ioan Gruffudd portrays William Wilberforce in "Amazing Grace."

Baptist Press photo

BP

RIDGECREST - Hollywood may seem like a dark, far-away land to many traditional churchgoers. Entertainment headlines celebrate celebrities who are comfortable with drinking, drugs, sex and pregnancy outside of marriage. Many movies and television shows are so violent or racy that many Christians avoid them.

VATICAN CITY - Americans are more likely than Europeans to own and read a Bible, but Poles are most likely to have a basic knowledge of Scripture, the Vatican reported April 28.

Samuel Dail

Photo by Shannon Ryals

Campbell University

BUIES CREEK - More than 300 Campbell University students, faculty and staff participated in the statewide project Operation Inasmuch on April 19.

Murrell Johnson

Photo by Don McSwain

HIGH POINT - Operation Inasmuch was a "great day of hands-on ministry" for the Central Triad Baptist Association and the 13 churches that did projects throughout the area according to Wanda Dellinger, project chair for the association.

Collin Madre, 6, serves lemonade during Operation Inasmuch.

Photo by Dianna Cagle

Biblical Recorder

Nearly 1,000 churches and an estimated 60,000 N.C. Baptists participated in statewide Operation Inasmuch activities April 19, the head of N.C. Baptist Men said. "It exceeded our expectations and goals," said Richard Brunson, the executive director of N.C. Baptist Men. "Our goal was originally 500 churches ... and 50,000 volunteers."

Danny Biddix of Northside Baptist Church attaches a towel rack in Apt. 38 of the complex Hoppers Chapel in Shelby is refurbishing to take back their neighborhood.

Photo by Norman Jameson

Biblical Recorder

A few years ago Hoppers Chapel in Shelby erected a fence between its property and the run down, drug infested, crime riddled apartment complex on the other side of its driveway. Now the church owns the apartment complex and volunteers from Operation Inasmuch swarmed it April 19 making repairs and cleaning the landscape.

OAK ISLAND - Southern Baptists took a major step toward responding more quickly to overseas disasters when their state disaster relief directors approved a new protocol for mobilizing "initial responders" to crisis situations overseas.

WASHINGTON - Supporters of abstinence education were disappointed April 23 by a hearing called by Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of a House committee.

MaeHelen McKoy

Photo by Steve DeVane

Biblical Recorder

FAYETTEVILLE - MaeHelen McKoy had tried to save money to make needed repairs to her home, but every time she'd have almost enough money, her car would break down or some other issue arose that needed attention worse.

Sara McDonald, also known as Chuckles, hands a balloon animal to a child at a block party.

Photo by Steve DeVane

Biblical Recorder

FAYETTEVILLE - Operation Inasmuch, the one-day community mission blitz, is known for construction projects that make livable homes for numerous people. Sara McDonald has helped with those efforts during two previous Inasmuch efforts. On April 19, she took on her clown persona, Chuckles, to make children happy at a block party.

Sylvia Strother

Photo by Steve DeVane

Biblical Recorder

FAYETEVILLE - Anyone walking through the fellowship hall at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church April 19 could see the congregation has Operation Inasmuch (OIAM) down to an art. OIAM, the one-day community mission blitz, started at Snyder in 1995. Since then the church has refined the process, which is now used in churches across the country.