Author: Brandon Porter

Revival fires stir again at Asbury

WILMORE, Ky. (BP)—Revival fires may be stirring again at a small college in rural Kentucky near Lexington. Services, filled with preaching, singing and personal testimonies, have been ongoing at Asbury University and Theological Seminary since Feb. 8.

A capacity crowd of 1,500 gather on Friday, Feb. 10, at Hughes Auditorium on the campus of Asbury University to join services that have been ongoing since Feb. 8. (photo submitted by Alex Griffith)

According to university accounts, a similar 144-hour revival broke out at the campus in 1970.

Alexandra Presta, a student at Asbury wrote in The Asbury Collegian, the campus newspaper, on Feb. 8, “Peers, professors, local church leaders and seminary students surround me— all of them praying, worshipping, and praising God together. Voices are ringing out. People are bowing at the altar, arms stretched wide.”

She wrote that in the midweek chapel service campus minister Zach Meerkreebs led an invitation for personal confession and testimonies.

“Wednesday chapel speaker Zach Meerkreebs admitted to those in attendance he didn’t know what the call of confession would look like, but this morning he spoke about seeing God not only as a Father but as a friend. Someone who won’t abandon you. Someone who will be there when you need to cry, mourn, rejoice, dance or anything in between,” she wrote in the Asbury Collegian.

Bill Elliff, founding pastor of The Summit Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, attended a portion of the services on Feb. 10.

“Within the first hour, I had moved from a spectator to a humble participant,” he wrote in a blog on his website.

“There are wise leaders from the University who are helping shepherd the moment. I’m sure they have learned from the past movements how to steward this best,” he wrote.

Elliff has been a student of prayer and spiritual awakening and has written more than 50 books on the subjects.

“In some ways, it is a worship-based, Spirit-led, Scripture-fed prayer gathering. It is just what we should be doing all the time: waiting before God, worshiping Him, praying to Him, listening to Him, responding to Him, and being shepherded by wise leaders who see themselves merely as facilitators of God’s activity,” Elliff wrote.

Elliff said the 1,500-seat Hughes Auditorium was full on Friday night (Feb. 10). Reports indicated it was overflowing on Saturday night (Feb. 11).

Eric Allen, Kentucky Baptist Convention missions team leader, attended a portion of Saturday’s meeting and reported a similar experience.

“Sherry (Allen’s wife) and I had only been there a few minutes singing music when we were both moved emotionally and in tears because the presence of God was so real in that place. We could feel it,” he told Baptist Press.

“There was genuine praise and worship. Everything pointed to God and was very Christ-centered,” he said.

He said that while there was freedom in the meeting, there was also order.

Revival services at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky have been ongoing since Feb. 8. (photo submitted by Alex Griffith)

“One of the things I noticed was that there was spontaneity and order to what was happening. It wasn’t a stifling or restricting kind of order because there was also a freedom for people to testify, sing or pray and the freedom was never wild or without order,” he said.

Elliff made similar observations.

“It is not weird. Everything is extremely orderly but vibrant, spontaneous, and powerful,” he wrote.

Graci Bradley, an Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) student from Shelbyville, attended the Friday night service.

“Seeing people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, and from all different generations, was a glimpse of heaven. It was very encouraging to see that everyone was there for one common goal – to give God glory,” she told Baptist Press.

“He is worthy of it all, and in Him we are united,” she said.

Bradley, an active member of the Baptist Campus Ministry at EKU said in written comments, “What is happening at Asbury is something pleasing to God, as His children are uniting to sing His praise.”

That is a similar theme to the 1970 revival at Asbury, where 2,000 witness teams were sent to 130 colleges to share of their experience. On Saturday afternoon, campus ministers hosted a dinner for college campus student leaders to hear of how they might share in a similar event at their campus.

Kenny Rager, church evangelism strategist at the Kentucky Baptist Convention, attended the service on Saturday night.

“I was encouraged to see the staff shepherding the revival movement,” he told Baptist Press. “They are keeping order, giving instructions, and announcements but still encouraging the freedom of the spirit,” he said.

Rager said there were many testimonies shared while he was there, but there were also sermons.

“I was very encouraged that the preaching of God’s Word is happening. Lots of expressive worship and testimonies but there was also good preaching of the Word by the staff,” he said.

Ella Blacey and Lauren Powell pray during a worship service at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky., on Friday, Feb. 10. Revival services have been ongoing since Feb. 8. (photo submitted by Alex Griffith)

He says he understands some people might be skeptical of the events taking place at Asbury.

“I understand why people may be skeptical. I was a little, too. We have seen a lot of movements fizzle out or even drift into heresy,” he said.

“Honestly, time will tell if this bears lasting fruit. But I went. I felt the Lord’s presence. I saw people worship. I saw people praying. I heard the Word preached. I met new brothers and sisters in the Lord and I felt the Lord speak to me about some issues,” he told Baptist Press in written comments.

A hunger for God permeates the people we’ve talked to who have attended.

“People are hungry to see God at work, and I think that’s what draws the crowds. They want to see God do something great in our lives and in our midst,” Allen said.

Bradley added, “…it’s my hope and prayer that it doesn’t stop at Asbury, but that it extends all over – we are called to be sent.”

“I believe these meetings are being driven by a desire to see a fresh outpouring of the spirit,” Rager said. “So many people want to see their churches wake up. Programs, plans, and strategic places can never fill the void of the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Elliff called on other believers to pray for what is happening at Asbury and to pray that God would bring it to their church, campus, and city.

“As I spoke to the hotel receptionist this morning, she told me they were sold out of rooms. ‘We were not prepared for revival,’ she said. May it not be true of us,” he wrote.

King David’s reign confirmed in text on ancient stone, scholars say

PARIS (BP)—New readings of text on the Moabite Stone studied for 150 years give new evidence that the stone includes an extra-biblical reference to King David, scholars have announced.

The latest reading reveals previously illegible characters to complete the phrase “the House of David” on the 31st line of the 34-line inscription written in the ninth century B.C., scholars assert in the current issue of the Biblical Archeology Review.

Southern Baptist archeologist and theologian Jim Parker affirms the latest interpretation of the stone that records the victorious battles of King Mesha, who ruled in the mid-ninth Century B.C. what is now known as Dhibon, Jordan.

“While there will likely be a peer review of the work that has been done with the scanning, etc., it does seem that things look favorable that this does make reference to ‘House of David,” Parker, executive director of the Michael and Sara Moskau Institute of Archaeology at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press.

“It does seem that the context around Line 31 of the Mesha Stone, in which this appears, was speaking about the lands and peoples that King Mesha of Moab had defeated. That would lead one to the understanding that David (meaning Judah if the 810 B.C. dating of Lemaire is accurate), was one of those groups.”

The stele appears to document Mesha’s battles recorded in 2 Kings 3, scholars André Lemaire and Jean-Philippe Delorme said in interpreting the line written in an ancient Hebrew script. The scholars were able to transcribe three previously illegible letters or characters in reaching their conclusion of “House of David.”

“The term ‘House of David,’” Parker said, “can be a reference to the kings who were of David’s lineage that followed each other over consecutive reigns. The kingdom that the ‘House of David’ reigned over was Judah, so basically these two terms, especially after the split at the time of Rehoboam, became synonymous with one another. ‘House of David’ also meant that this Judean kingdom was founded by David.”

At least three scholars, Israel Finkelstein, Nadav Na’aman and Thomas Römer, have interpreted line 31 of the text to refer instead to King Balak, the Moabite King who consulted the prophet Balaam in an attempt to curse the Israelites, as recorded in Numbers 22. Their findings were printed in Bible History Daily in 2019.

But the interpretation as King Balak is problematic, Parker said.

“Israel Finkelstein has put forth the idea that line 31 of the Mesha stele should be translated Balak, however, most scholars disagree,” said Parker, who is also an NOBTS professor of biblical interpretation and archaeology, and associate vice-president of operations.

“It does seem that the stele is explaining a historical event … sometime between 840-810 BC. Since Balak was at least 200 years before, if not longer than this time, it seems that a reference to him would be anachronistic,” Parker said. “Therefore, most scholars would not accept this view in light of what is believed to be the context of the stele.”

The stele, on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, was publicized in 1868 when Bedouin attempted to sell the stone to scholars, according to Bible History Daily. After negotiations failed, the 3-foot black basalt stone was broken into dozens of pieces and scattered among the Bedouin, east of the Jordan River and north of the Arnon River.

Scholars recovered enough of the fragments in the 1870s to reconstruct two-thirds of the original stone, according to Bible History Daily. But a paper imprint that had been taken of the intact inscription allowed scholars to fill in the blanks.

This article originally appeared in Baptist Press.

George Liele legacy undergirds Black fellowship church-planting initiative

Editor’s note: Sunday, Feb. 5, is George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism and Missions Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention.

MENIFEE, Calif. (BP)—African American Southern Baptists don’t always have the option of worshiping in churches that predominantly share their culture.

The legacy of George Liele, a formerly enslaved Black man who became the first Baptist international missionary from America, is driving an effort to address the disparity, said Greg Perkins, a pastor at the helm of the initiative.

“This is in keeping with his legacy of kingdom multiplication,” said Perkins, leader of the National African American Fellowship Church Planting Initiative launched in 2021 by the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention (NAAF). “Our charter was not to plant multiethnic churches, not to plant multicultural churches,” he said of the church planting initiative.

“Our charter was to plant churches in underserved communities where there might not be a predominantly African American church presence that is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention,” said Perkins, senior pastor of The View Church, a multiethnic and majority-African American church in Menifee. “We are defining predominantly African American as being led by an African American where the congregation is more than 50 percent who identify as African American.”

Perkins – who leads a congregation he describes as 62 percent African American and 38 percent white, Asian and Hispanic – said the initiative is not to segregate worshipers by ethnicity.

“It is to provide the broadest amount of opportunity,” he said, “for people to be able to worship in spaces that best meet their need for that season of life.”

NAAF partners with the North American Mission Board Send Network in the initiative, aided by Steve Canter, Send Network’s Northeast regional director.

Cameron Dobbins, left, at the launch of Redeemer Church planted through the National African American Church Planting Initiative.

“When I think of George Liele’s legacy, I am reminded that it’s all about the Gospel and people must first be reconciled to God,” Canter said. “Because of his faithfulness to preach the Word, many people surrendered their lives to Christ, and new churches were planted.

“Despite facing many obstacles, George Liele continued to make it all about the Gospel. The … initiative is also about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and overcoming barriers to plant new churches in cities where they are most needed.”

Six established African American pastors have mentored younger pastors in planting churches in the East, Northeast and West in the initiative’s first phase, Perkins said, and other potential new pastors are in training. The initiative’s second phase, in the planning process, will establish church planting residency programs aimed at planting between three and five churches in each region over the next three years.

Among the six established pastors are Brian Kennedy, senior pastor of Mount Zion Church of Ontario, Calif., and associate professor of preaching at Gateway Seminary; and Adron Robinson, senior pastor or Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills, Ill., and a member of the SBC Executive Committee.

Kennedy sees in the initiative a safe and nurturing environment that encourages young pastors to faithfully live their purpose.

Kennedy nurtured Brian Wallace in planting City Connect Church as a Mt. Zion mission in North Fontana in January, commissioning Wallace on New Year’s Day.

“Through this particular initiative, we were able to bring more resources,” Kennedy said. He is already planning two additional church plants under the NAAF/NAMB initiative, one of the plants in partnership with another Southern Baptist church.

“Providing resources for other young ministers to do the work in other parts of the kingdom and expand the kingdom footprint is one of my greatest joys,” Kennedy said. “I could spend all of my energy trying to build Mt. Zion, but Mt. Zion is only in one geographic location,” he said. “But if we plant churches we can be in numerous locations, and we have pastors who are putting in the same kind of effort, and that’s called multiplication. And multiplication is much more effective than addition and subtraction.”

Robinson has provided African American mentorship and guidance for Cameron Dobbins in planting Redeemer Church in Greensboro, N.C., in cooperation with King’s Cross Church, Dobbins’ sending congregation. Robinson attended the assessment session for Dobbins and other church planters in the initiative and was later assigned to work individually with Dobbins.

“It’s been great walking alongside of him and his family and seeing what God is doing through Redeemer,” Robinson said. “I think it’s important for seasoned pastors to connect with younger pastors. We can learn from one another cross-generationally … and we both grow in the process.”

Robinson appreciates the African American presence the church planting initiative provides.

“Some of our young African American church planters did not grow up in the African American church experience,” Robinson said, “and so it helps them to connect with their roots, to see healthy biblical models of the Black church experience so they can be more effective in ministering to their communities.”

Robinson describes NAAF’s network of about 3,800 seasoned pastors nationwide as a benefit to emerging African American church planters.

Other pastors who helped launch the initiative are Jerome Coleman, senior pastor of First Baptist Church Crestmont in Willow Grove, Pa.; Richard Gaines, senior pastor of Consolidated Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky.; and Marshal Ausberry, senior pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax Station, Va.

Pastors working in the initiative praise Liele’s church-planting legacy birthed in the 18th Century in the U.S. and expanded through his work in Jamaica.

“George Liele was really the start of it all,” Robinson said. “He was the first missionary from America. His legacy of planting churches and starting churches is the foundation for everything that we do.”

Kennedy sees rich lessons for the church in Liele’s work.

“George Liele helps us understand that difficulty does not block our vision or our momentum,” Kennedy said. “This man was born in slavery and still pastored a church, and still became a missionary in another country, despite the brutal and the demonically inspired North American slave trade which Christians helped perpetuate.”

But in the midst of “one of the saddest moments in church history,” Kennedy said, “white brothers helped him.

“There were some white brothers who followed the Word of God, who spoke out and made changes, who risked their lives to follow Jesus and do what was right, despite slavery.”

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

Lifeway trustees celebrate momentum, new initiatives

ORLANDO, Fla.—In their first meeting of 2023, the Lifeway Christian Resources Board of Trustees heard how the organization plans to leverage recent growth momentum and better serve the church in coming years.

During the Jan. 30-31 meeting, key leaders at Lifeway shared encouraging financial news and updates on new and upcoming ministry initiatives.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber participated in the biannual meeting and expressed gratitude to the organization for its commitment to serving congregations.

“Every Southern Baptist church and leader knows Lifeway because we interact with them in our local church ministry,” he said, “but it’s an extra blessing to see the people, the vision, and the processes behind all these products we depend on.”

Strategic focus

In his address to trustees, Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell unpacked areas of strategic focus the organization will concentrate on for the remainder of 2023, including continued growth in ongoing curriculum, implementation of a management system to deepen customer relations, and improvements to Lifeway.com.

After noting ongoing curriculum was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mandrell reported ongoing Bible study curriculum shows strong growth over last year, and last year’s sales showed growth over the prior year. He said sales have “rebounded significantly, and the trend lines are encouraging, but we want to pour as much gas as possible on growing our ongoing Bible study business.

“Continued growth in ongoing is critical for Lifeway’s financial health, so we’re very grateful to see this trend continue,” Mandrell said, adding that Lifeway is “fiercely committed” to growing its three main curriculum lines: Explore the Bible, Bible Studies for Life and The Gospel Project. In addition, Lifeway recently unveiled a new, next-gen curriculum line called Hyfi, which is scheduled to be released this summer. Sharing quotes from church leaders who tested Hyfi, Mandrell expressed excitement at a new opportunity to equip congregations that are passionate about building relationships with previously unreached kids and students.

He told trustees that Lifeway is in the beginning stages of implementing a customer relationship management system that will “allow leaders across the organization to collaborate and personalize the marketing messages that are sent to the customer. As a customer interacts with Lifeway, we can keep track of what they are interested in and reach out with relevant material.” The goal, Mandrell said, is to provide customers with only the type of information and resources that are of interest to them.

Additionally, Mandrell spoke of continuing improvements to Lifeway.com. While the site was recently once again named to Newsweek’s “Best Online Shops” list, he said Lifeway leaders are continuing to find ways to upgrade the site. Mandrell highlighted multiple new features and enhancements coming to the site, including additional functionality and search optimization to make shopping at Lifeway.com a better experience.

Lifeway trustee meeting, Connia Nelson, chief human resources officer, answers a question about the organization’s strategy to hire and retain employees who “want to work for God and His kingdom.”

During the plenary session, Mandrell gave trustees a financial update. He reported that through the first quarter, Lifeway is tracking right at its revenue budget, but well ahead of the bottom-line budget as a result of good expense management. He also noted several recent ministry highlights including the 10th anniversary of The Gospel Project, strong sales of the “Telugu Study Bible” in India and the “CSB Explorer Bible for Kids” charting on the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s bestseller list.

“We have so much to be thankful for,” Mandrell said, “and we look forward to seeing how God continues to bless these great resources designed for local churches.”

Mandrell also noted the priority the organization is placing on hiring and retaining the best employees. “I want Lifeway to grow in prominence as one of the premier places to work for God’s kingdom,” he said. In 2022, Lifeway had close to 15,000 new candidates exploring career opportunities with the organization, up 40 percent over 2021. Additionally, while the annualized turnover rate for resignations across all industries last year was more than 30 percent, Lifeway’s rate was less than 13 percent.

Other business and activities

On Monday morning, worship leader Doug Pierce led trustees in a time of worship, and Mandrell shared a message on leading with strength through weakness. Exploring 2 Corinthians 12, Mandrell discussed how a thorn in the flesh can counterintuitively serve as a blessing and presented three reasons why God grants suffering:

To grow our witness
To shrink pride and make us fit for ministry
To create a deeper connection with God and others
Trustees also heard from several Lifeway leaders during their two-day meeting.

Devin Maddox, director of the books ministry area, discussed how “with every Christian testimony, there’s a bibliography attached.” A sea of raised hands covered the room when Maddox asked who had personally experienced a book playing a key role in their journey to become a Christian.

“Books are a ministry multiplier that can accomplish something authors cannot do,” Maddox said. “Books can go places where others cannot. As a publisher, we can deploy books into homes all over the world.”

Chuck Peters, director of Lifeway Kids, introduced trustees to Hyfi – Lifeway’s new, next-gen Bible study curriculum. Peters called Hyfi a needed resource that will help “flip the script” for churches seeking to reach kids and students in an increasingly secularized society.

“The curriculum teaches 12 biblical truths that help kids know who they are because of who God is and who He says they are,” Peters said. Hyfi is grounded in Scripture and driven by relational activities that connect newcomers to church and pave the way for the Gospel message.

Brad Barnett, senior manager of student ministry operations, shared a recap of Lifeway’s 2022 summer camps. “We had an incredible summer serving 106,000 campers from 4,000 churches and saw over 1,800 kids and students give their lives to Christ,” Barnett said.

He relayed ministry stories from camp, illustrating how God works through student leaders and unique activities – like a silent disco – to reach kids and bring them into relationship with Him and others.

Trustees approved the establishment of a sales division within Lifeway to be managed by a new senior vice president at the Executive Leadership Team level. With the new position approved, Mandrell said the team would begin looking for a candidate to fill that role.

The board also recognized five trustees who are ending their board service in June: Marie Clark, Overland Park, Kan.; Tony McAlexander, Las Vegas, Nev.; Amy Mielock, Cary, N.C; Katherine Pope, Martinsburg, W.Va,; and Terenda Wyant, Belleville, Ill.

The next Lifeway trustee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 28-29, 2023.

Partnership between races key to accomplishing Great Commission, IMB strategist says

Editor’s note: Sunday, Feb. 5, is George Liele Church Planting, Evangelism and Missions Sunday in the Southern Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE (BP)—The value of partnerships is at the heart of George Liele emphasis Sunday, an International Mission Board strategist said. The day is set for Feb. 5.

Jason Thomas, the African American church mobilization strategist for the IMB, unpacked the importance of celebrating the ministry of George Liele and encouraging Black churches to lean in to church planting, evangelism and missions on a recent episode of Baptist Press This Week.

“One of the things I think churches could learn is that even though George Liele had great adversity, he never let that subvert him from building God’s kingdom,” Thomas said.

Liele was a freed slave from Georgia who became a missionary to Jamaica. Scholars believe he left for Jamaica in 1782, 10 years before William Carey left for India, thus making him the first Baptist missionary.

Prior to becoming a missionary, he was the pastor of the first African Baptist Church in Savanah, Ga.

“Our churches can learn so much from his examples because we’re facing barriers of our own,” Thomas told Baptist Press.

“We need to look toward that example to not allow those barriers to distract us from fulfilling the goal of the Great Commission.”

Thomas said sometimes churches composed of racial minorities can be limited in their experience with global travel. This can affect their ability to reach unreached places and to even to think about such places.

He said many Black churches are forced to focus on significant issues in their own neighborhoods or community and this has limited their ability to look beyond their city limits.

“The community has often prioritized the needs of our local communities over international concerns,” Graham said.

A Sunday to focus on the work of George Liele being added to the SBC Calendar of Events came from a partnership between the National African American Fellowship and the IMB.

Resources on the emphasis Sunday are available on the IMB’s website.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

U.S. Hispanic Protestant landscape full of growing, vibrant churches

NASHVILLE—Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.

Lifeway Research partnered with two dozen denominations and church networks to include what is likely the largest number of Protestant Hispanic congregations in the U.S. ever invited to a single research study. Sponsored by Lifeway Recursos, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, the study surveyed 692 pastors of congregations that are at least 50 percent Hispanic.

“For decades, the Hispanic population in the U.S. has been growing exponentially, and it is imperative for churches to be informed about the specific needs of this community,” said Giancarlo Montemayor, director of global publishing for Lifeway Recursos. “This study will help us to continue the ongoing conversation of how to serve our brothers and sisters in a more strategic way.”

Congregational snapshot

The study reveals a picture of Hispanic churches that are newer, younger and more effectively evangelistic than the average U.S. Protestant church.

Most Hispanic Protestant churches (54 percent) have been established since 2000, including 32 percent founded in 2010 or later. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9 percent) trace their history prior to 1950.

Not only are the churches relatively new, but most people in the congregations are also new to the United States. The majority are first generation Americans (58 percent), born outside the country. A quarter are second generation (24 percent), with parents who were born outside the U.S. And 17 percent were born in the U.S. to parents who were also born in the U.S. As a result, a majority conduct their services only in Spanish (53 percent), while 22 percent are bilingual.

Half of the churches (50 percent) are in a large metropolitan area with a population of 100,000 or more. Around 3 in 10 (31 percent) are located in small cities, 9 percent are in rural areas and 8 percent are in suburbs.

In the average Hispanic Protestant church, a full third of the congregation (35 percent) is under the age of 30, including 18 percent under 18. Another 38 percent are aged 30-49, and 28 percent are 50 and older.

“The growth in the number of Hispanic churches in the U.S. has been remarkable,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While some of these congregations were started within Anglo churches – 14 percent of Hispanic congregations in this study currently are conducting services within a church that is predominantly non-Hispanic – the missional impetus has clearly come from within the Hispanic community itself as two-thirds of these congregations are led by first-generation immigrant pastors.”

In U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches, the average worship service attendance is 115. Like most other churches, they’ve not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. In January 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average attendance was 136. Still, 13 percent of churches are currently around their pre-pandemic levels. And 32 percent say they’ve grown in the past three years, despite the pandemic.

Almost every Hispanic Protestant pastor (99 percent) agrees, including 94 percent who strongly agree, their congregation considers Scripture the authority for their church and their lives.

Around 7 in 10 (69 percent) say their church has the financial resources it needs to support their ministry, which include some aspects that are common among most other Protestant congregations. Most Hispanic Protestant churches say they regularly offer weekly adult small groups or Bible studies (74 percent), weekly prayer meetings (66 percent) and weekly children’s small groups (52 percent). Fewer have weekly youth small groups (45 percent), weekly young adult small groups (40 percent), one-on-one discipleship or mentoring (34 percent), evening large group Bible study (25 percent) or evening praise and worship (24 percent). Just 3 percent say they offer none of these.

When asked about moving weekend worship service participants to small groups, 42 percent of pastors say at least half of their adult churchgoers are involved in group Bible studies, including 15 percent who say at least 75 percent are connected to a small group. Around a third (34 percent) say fewer than 1 in 4 churchgoers also are members of small group Bible studies, including 9 percent of pastors who say none of those attending worship services are involved in groups.

As to what hinders their congregation from participating more regularly in church activities, most pastors point to long work hours for their churchgoers (61 percent). Others say extended family gatherings (35 percent) and personal hardships or crises (30 percent). Around a quarter point to recreational or entertainment pursuits (26 percent) and lingering fear of COVID (24 percent). Fewer say sports activities (20 percent), a preference to watch online (18 percent), lack of transportation (17 percent), school events (13 percent) or caregiver responsibilities (11 percent).

“Many of the activities within Hispanic Protestant churches look similar to those in non-Hispanic churches in the U.S. with worship services, prayer meetings, Bible studies, and Sunday School classes being common,” McConnell said. “But pastors of Hispanic congregations are quick to point out immigrant families often have less time for church as many are working long hours, have family traditions and are impacted by American cultural distractions.”

Evangelistic outreach

Almost 4 in 5 pastors at U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches (79 percent) say they regularly schedule opportunities for members to go out and share the Gospel.

Specifically, most pastors say their outreach activities in the past year included church members inviting people to church (86 percent), using social media to share church activities (74 percent), children’s special events like VBS, Easter egg hunts or fall festivals (59 percent), community programs like food distribution, toy giveaways or clothing drives (58 percent), and church members sharing the gospel in conversations (56 percent). Additionally, some congregations did door-to-door evangelism (30 percent), evangelism training (24 percent) and provided financial support for a new church start (12 percent). Hardly any churches (1 percent) say they have not been able to do any of those recently.

Their outreach seems to be effective, as close to half (47 percent) say 10 or more people have indicated a new commitment to Christ in the past year, including 24 percent who have seen 20 or more such commitments. Fewer than 1 in 10 (9 percent) report no new commitments.

As they’ve reached these new individuals, pastors say most are sticking around. Almost 3 in 4 (73 percent) of those new commitments have become active participants in the life of the church, according to pastors. As a result, 88 percent of Hispanic Protestant pastors say they consistently hear reports of changed lives at their churches.

“Hispanic congregations are very active in engaging new people,” McConnell said. “Not only is there much evangelistic activity in Hispanic churches, but God is also blessing them with new people who commit to following Jesus Christ.”

Building community

As new members join Hispanic Protestant churches, they become part of congregations that are actively trying to grow together, according to their pastors. Almost 9 in 10 (88 percent) say their church has a plan to foster community in their church, including 53 percent who strongly agree.

Pastors point to numerous activities as vital to building a strong sense of community within their congregations. At least 9 in 10 say praying together (96 percent), studying the Bible together (95 percent), choosing to get along and promoting unity (93 percent), welcoming those from different cultures and backgrounds (93 percent), choosing to be transparent and accountable with one another (89 percent) and checking in or noticing when others are absent (90 percent) are very or extremely important aspects of unity in their churches. Additionally, most say the same about members working together to serve people in the community (79 percent), socializing outside of church (81 percent) and sharing resources with each other (74 percent).

Most pastors say they’ve heard about their church members engaging in each of those actions at least a few times in the past month.

“Fellowship among believers in a local congregation is something the Bible communicates should be taking place,” McConnell said. “Hispanic churches take this seriously and invest in these relationships.”

Pastoral portrait

Among pastors of U.S. Hispanic Protestant congregations, 93 percent are Hispanic themselves. Almost all (95 percent) are the senior or only pastor of a congregation, while 5 percent are Hispanic campus pastors with a multi-site church. More than half (56 percent) serve as a full-time pastor, 27 percent are bi-vocational, 10 percent are part-time, 6 percent are volunteer and 1 percent are in interim positions.

Almost half of pastors in Hispanic Protestant churches (48 percent) are between the ages of 50 and 64. Pastors are more than twice as likely to be under 50 (37 percent), including 4 percent under 30, than 65 or older (16 percent).

Almost 8 in 9 pastors (85 percent) are male. Two in 3 (66 percent) are first generation Americans, while 15 percent are second generation and 19 percent are third. Close to 3 in 4 are college graduates, including 44 percent who have a graduate degree, while 17 percent have some college and 10 percent have a high school education or less.

Theologically, 4 in 5 (79 percent) pastors at U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches self-identified as evangelical. Around 1 in 6 (16 percent) say they’re mainline.

6 things to help make your mission trip impactful

Let’s face it, churches spend a whole lot of money and time doing short-term mission trips around the globe. If we are going to invest so much, let’s do it right by being intentional from the beginning.

My husband, Tim, and I have hosted teams taking entry-level mission trips in Panama. Our goal is always to help churches not only see but experience their role in carrying out the missionary task. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Through the years, we’ve found when you add prayer to the following six things, your mission trip will be intentional and impactful:

1. Flexible doesn’t mean “wing it.” Send teams that are prepared.

Try to paint a picture for your team about what they signed up to do. Help them know what to pack, wear and what not to take. Make sure your team leaders spend time talking to missionaries on the field. They will have tips and hints on the best way to prep your team. Practice cultural greetings. Try food that might seem weird. Take a bucket bath. Talk about the concept of “time” as it relates to the people you will serve. This helps to get the “Ooh that’s weird” comments out of the way while still in the U.S. When you get to your country of service, it’s easier to slide right into the culture.

Short-term trips are jam packed with activities. This means it is important to have your Bible lessons already prepared and be comfortable sharing the gospel. Not only will you have an immediate impact, but you’ll have time to invest in relationships, not to mention sleep more. No long nights preparing for the next day!

2. Partner with local believers. We can help!

Yes, work with your IMB missionary but let us connect you to local believers, churches and ministries. While this may not be possible in every country, work toward partnering with nationals already doing the work. This is important for discipleship. After you go back home, what’s the plan for discipling the new followers of Christ? By partnering with local churches, not only will they take over the task of discipleship, but you become sister churches supporting each other.

3. If nationals can do it, you shouldn’t.

The last thing we want to do is create dependency. Being tied to ministries with national believers keeps dependency down. Spend your time empowering, not enabling. This means if your trip involves teaching a Vacation Bible School, it’s your job to mentor and encourage the local believer as they teach beside you. This allows them to recreate the ministry after you are gone.

This is an important principle with almost any type of ministry, whether it’s door-to-door evangelism or putting on a new roof. This approach is not only biblical but provides a legitimate reason for being in parts of town tourists don’t normally see.

4. The only solution you need is for lostness.

It’s in our nature to fix things and make it better. The Lord reminded me years ago that I didn’t have enough power or resources to fix all the problems in the world. What you can try to fix, however, is your new friend’s eternity. Each day 157,690 people die without Christ. You have the solution for a lost world — the gospel!

5. The entire church should be involved, not just the five traveling.

A short-term trip can transform the entire church. Have a plan to get everyone involved from the beginning and afterward. Ask classes to pray. Create notes of encouragement for your team to read — this can be done by kids, teens and adults. Study the country and people as a congregation. Stay connected with the team while they are ministering.

When the team returns, the trip isn’t over. Your church will be forever changed by this experience. Use this opportunity as a springboard to deepen your church’s walk with the Lord.

6. Short-term trips should lead to a long-term commitment.

Be forward thinking from the very beginning. There are more than 7,000 people groups among the least reached with the gospel in the world. It’s going to take all of us working together to reach the nations. This long-term commitment may lead to ministries not only with a people group in another country but also with them in your own community.

We want to empower short-term mission teams to make disciples and multiply churches among the least reached peoples of the world. The IMB will help prepare you to serve alongside missionaries and national believers.

FBI offers $25k reward for information on pregnancy support center attacks

NASHVILLE (BP)—The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information related to attacks on pregnancy support centers.

“As part of a national effort to bring awareness to a series of attacks and threats targeting reproductive health service facilities across the country, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for these crimes,” the FBI’s statement said.

In Washington, D.C., FBI Director Christopher Wray said, “Today’s announcement reflects the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country.”

Three centers in Portland, Ore., were either vandalized or fire-bombed. Messages were spray-painted on the Mother and Child Education Center in Portland, the FBI said.

The attacks, which occurred on May 8, June 10, July 4 and July 6 of last year, are all referenced in the release.

The Gresham Pregnancy Resource Center and the Oregon Right to Life building in Portland were included in the attacks. Molotov cocktails were thrown into the facilities, causing significant fire damage in Gresham.

The FBI said video surveillance at the Right to Life building shows a possible suspect driving a white 2017-2018 Hyundai Elantra.

Dozens of other attacks were carried out across the country during the spring and summer of 2022.

In Nashville, the Hope Clinic for Women was vandalized on June 30, 2022.

“We are grateful for all the support we’ve received from law enforcement,” said Hope Clinic CEO Kailey Cornett in written comments to Baptist Press. “News of this development reminds me of my initial thoughts when security camera footage was found for our incident – my heart goes out to the woman (or man) whose anger and pain brought them to the point of causing damage like that. We are continuing to pray they find hope and healing.”

The FBI says perpetrators could face up to 20 years in prison for the attacks.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or to submit their tip at tips.fbi.gov.

This article originally appeared on Baptist Press.

First post-Roe March for Life marked by ‘celebration and resolve’

WASHINGTON (BP)—Thousands of pro-life Americans gathered Friday, Jan. 20, for the 50th annual March for Life to rejoice in a long-sought victory and to restate their commitment to protect preborn children and care for their mothers.

Initiated in 1974, the latest March for Life was the first to be held since the U.S. Supreme Court overruled in June of last year the Roe v. Wade decision. That 1973 ruling legalized abortion nationwide, ultimately resulting in the deaths of more than 60 million preborn children, and prompted the launch of the pro-life march a year later. The high court’s June ruling returned abortion regulation to the states.

Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and other staff members participated in the march and the rally that preceded it on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“This year’s March for Life is one of both celebration and resolve,” Leatherwood said in written comments for Baptist Press. “It is an extraordinary reality that at what we thought would be the 50-year mark of the disastrous Roe decision, we are gathered here today in a post-Roe world.

“It is right and good to take a moment to celebrate that our nation has taken this first step towards protecting life,” he said. “But we know that more work remains.

“We will press on towards a day when both mothers and their children are fully valued as image-bearers of God. We are committed to establishing a true culture of life by developing innovative solutions and policies that actually serve mothers and help families flourish, and we will march until abortion is no more.”

The march came two days before Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and the actual date of the Roe opinion, Jan. 22. It was the 38th year for the observance on the SBC calendar, one many Southern Baptist churches commemorate.

In celebrating Roe’s reversal, March for Life President Jeanne Mancini expressed gratitude at Friday’s rally to the marchers and to longtime pro-life advocates, including the late Nellie Gray, the march’s founder. After Roe was reversed, the March for Life staff was often asked if the event would continue, Mancini said.

“[W]hile the march began as a response to Roe, we don’t end as a response to Roe being overturned,” said Mancini, March for Life’s president. “Why? Because we’re not yet done.

“While this year marks our most significant victory, the human rights abuse of abortion is far from over” she said. “We will continue to march until the human rights abuse of abortion is a thing of the past. We will march until abortion is unthinkable.“

The theme of this year’s march was “Next Steps: Marching Into a Post-Roe America.” Speakers addressed the future efforts of the pro-life movement, including through legislation, adoption and maternity homes.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose defense of the state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation led to Roe’s reversal, rejoiced in the Supreme Court decision and said, “But this is not the end of our journey.

“Until we can give women when they are most vulnerable what they need and what their children need to thrive, and until we can make changes in our laws that reflect our compassion for all life and until we can change hearts and minds in our fellow Americans, until then, life remains fragile and the embrace of human dignity remains aspirational,” she said at the rally.

Standing with other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said he attended the first March for Life as the leader of a college pro-life organization.

“Countless times we chanted the slogan, ‘Hey, hey, ho, ho, Roe versus Wade has got to go,’ and today we celebrate—Roe is gone,” he told the crowd.

“The United States and the world must recognize the breathtaking miracle of the newly created life of an unborn child and that women deserve better than abortion,” Smith said. “We need to care for them both.”

The House is expected to vote soon on his legislation, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Smith said. The legislation would bar federal funding of abortion.

The March for Life changed its route this year in acknowledgement of the post-Roe, political reality. Instead of marching straight to the Supreme Court building, participants passed the Capitol on the House side on the way in recognizing Congress’ important role of regulating abortion at the federal level.

Rep. Trenee’ McGee—an African-American Democrat in the Connecticut legislature—commended black pro-life women and said of what she described as the “systematically racist abortion industry:”

“You’ve mocked impoverished communities all while putting clinics in them. You’ve told me I can’t be black and pro-life because black women need abortion more than anyone.”

Former National Football League coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren encouraged the crowd to continue in the pro-life cause. The Dungys have 11 children, eight by adoption.

As an adoptive mother, Lauren Dungy said she is “so grateful for these birth moms who chose life rather than abortion. They’ll never know what a blessing it is to have these children in our life.”

In the post-Roe era, “we have to pray that we will have enough adoptive families to care for these precious lives,” she said.

Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus in the television series “The Chosen,” said at the rally, “History has been made. Life has triumphed in a miraculous way.”

After reading from Psalm 139 about David’s testimony of God’s sovereign care for him in the womb, Roumie said, “Having lived under a grim cloud of darkness for the last 50 years, the world has once again been given a glimmer of hope. And I pray that with this recent step in protecting life, despite the grievous nature of what we’ve allowed, that God might still look upon us in His infinite mercy and see the hearts of those of us here in support of life today and say to us in this hour, ‘It is good.’ And it is good, but it is far from finished.”

In the closing prayer, evangelist and Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham prayed “for the millions of women who feel that they have no hope, that they’re condemned because they had an abortion. Father, my prayer is for these millions of women that they will come to know that You love them and care for them and that You will forgive them of their sin if they would repent and believe on the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.”

March for Life intends to expand the number of marches in states, Mancini told the crowd. Marches will be held in 10 states this year, and the plan is to hold marches in all 50 states in the next five to seven years, she said.

‘God providing’ in hard-hit places following Alabama tornado outbreak

HAYNEVILLE, Ala.—Davey Lyon spent a lot of time over the weekend flipping burgers. He and around 20 volunteers served food from his church’s pull-behind grill to the people of Selma in the aftermath of a tornado that hit their city Jan. 12.

“It’s pretty bad in Selma. Think of Tuscaloosa, just on a smaller scale,” said Lyon, pastor of Imago Dei Church at the 45 in nearby Lowndes County, referring to the tornado that tore through the middle of Tuscaloosa in 2011. “In Selma, it started on the west end and came all the way through town.”

Huge trees are down, houses are destroyed and power is out for many in the city.

Lyon said looking at the damage, “it’s only by God’s grace that there aren’t hundreds of casualties.”

Making good progress

And the people of Selma know that, he said. His wife, Amber, said as she talked to people in the community, they’re just grateful to be alive and thankful for the people who are coming in to help them put their lives back together.

That includes Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief teams who are working hard to clear neighborhoods and fill job requests. Mark Wakefield, state disaster relief strategist, said volunteers have gotten a lot of traction in their first couple of days and are making good progress.

“Selma is an old town with big trees, and that’s slowing them down a little,” he said. “But they’re getting it done.”

Wakefield said Elkdale Baptist Church is a “phenomenal host” for teams as a command center. Teams from Walker, St. Clair, Pickens, Colbert Lauderdale, Shelby and North Jefferson Baptist associations as well as others have been working and will continue to work there this week.

He said teams are also working in the hard-hit areas of Autauga, Elmore, Coosa and Tallapoosa counties.

Lyon and other volunteers have been helping to feed the teams in Selma, along with Alabama Power employees and Selma residents who need a hot meal. He said God recently provided the church with the pull-behind grill and other equipment they’ve been able to use this week.

‘God has just provided’

And he’s seen God meet their needs too as they’ve grilled. The night the tornado hit, he bought $700 worth of food, and he had one person bring him $200 and another person $500 without him asking or disclosing the total amount to either of them.

“We made 180 boxes and got those out that first day (Jan. 13),” Lyon said.

After giving out that food, he went back to Sam’s to buy food for the next day and doubled the amount — around $1,300 of food.

“Then I got a text from a guy we were able to give some food to that day, and he said his company wanted to cover it,” Lyon said. “God has just provided.”

He said they were able to prepare 400 meal boxes Saturday (Jan. 14), and about $8,000 worth of donations have come in since then from people who have seen the posts on social media and want to help.

This article originally appeared on The Alabama Baptist.