Pastor Escapes Massive Church Fire While Prepping for Church Service

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June 16, 2022

Pastor John H. Hill is safe after a Summerville, South Carolina, firefighter warned him that his First Emmanuel Baptist Church was on fire. On June 15, a massive fire broke out while Hill was inside preparing for the church’s Wednesday night spaghetti dinner.

“I heard whamming on the door. There’s a guy trying to get my attention,” Hill told a local news outlet, referring to the firefighter attempting to evacuate the building. “I had no idea it was on fire.”

Firefighters were quick to put out the fire, but not before it did extensive damage to the building and it’s roof. An investigation is currently underway as the Dorchester County Fire Department attempts to determine the cause of the fire.

In the aftermath of the fire, local area pastors contacted Hill offering their support and use of their facilities. Hill explained that “these things, you look at it as a tragedy—and it is. But if it will bring a community together, I’m good with that. And it’s a matter of having faith. Who do you trust in? Do you trust in man, or do you trust in God? And we choose to trust God.”

Hill said, “God is in control. We think sometimes He’s only in control when things are going well, but He’s in control when things are going badly.”

“If you come to our church and you run out without at least one or two people giving you a hug, you ran out too fast,” Hill said, extending an invitation to anyone in the community.

With lots of prayer and work, Hill has faith the church will rebuild. The rebuilding process will be emotional, as First Emmanuel Baptist Church will celebrate its 85th anniversary this October.

Local pastor Rodd Hibbard said that losing things in a fire is very difficult and shared that he knows how Hill is feeling, having experienced a house fire a few years back. “It’s very difficult. I’m very thankful that nobody was injured,” Hibbard said.

“Just knowing the emotional…and especially with the church, something you’re tied to so closely, to the people at that church and what they’re going on, especially Pastor John, I just want to make sure that we are here to pray for them and to support them in any way that we can,” Hibbard said.

Hibbard told the local news that “the church isn’t a building; it’s a family. It’s a body of believers that meet together and immediately try to figure out what can we do to make sure that they can still come together as a family.”

Mississippi Church Cancels All In-Person Events Wednesday After Shooting Threat

By

Jessica Mouser

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June 16, 2022

Brown Missionary Baptist Church (BMBC) in Southaven, Mississippi, canceled all in-person activities Wednesday, June 15, after a man threatened to “shoot up” the church.

“Out of an abundance of caution, our campuses were temporarily closed today due to a potential security threat,” said the church in a statement on its social media. “All BMBC staff, volunteers, students and other personnel are safe and were never in any danger. The Southaven Police Department is currently on the scene at both campuses to ensure there is no further threat to our church. All IN-PERSON meetings, rehearsals and practices are cancelled TODAY, June 15 as a precaution.”

Brown Missionary Baptist Church Receives Shooting Threat

According to the Southaven Police Department (SPD), Brown Missionary Baptist Church got a call just before noon Wednesday from a man who threatened to “shoot up” the church “at a specific time.”

“Officers and detectives responded and began to assess the scene,” said the department in a statement. “The specific details of the response will not be disclosed.” Investigators identified a suspect at the scene and took him into custody. He was “charged with making a terroristic threat and also has a warrant for contempt of court,” said SPD, which increased the police presence in both of Brown Missionary Baptist Church’s locations. The SPD statement continues:

The Southaven Police Department would like to thank Brown Missionary Baptist Church for their assistance and patience during the course of the investigation. The Southaven Police Department would also like to thank the public for their understanding during this sensitive time. We are mothers and fathers as well, and we would like to put out as much information as we can during the active scene. However, this would not be prudent, or safe for the officers on scene. The Southaven Police Department will continue to use any and all resources to protect our children, and the citizens of Southaven.

A Facebook user named Lindy Covington Reynolds commented on the SPD’s statement, saying, “Put him away for life!!!! There are children in that church every day for school and daycare! They deserve to be safe!”

User Steven F. Sanders commented, “As one of the parents on scene that interacted with the responding officers, I would like to commend and thank the Southaven Police Department for their professionalism and duty to the parents like myself who were obviously beyond concerned for our children’s well being. We thank you all for everything you did today with all we have.”

NFL Player Khari Willis Walks Away From Millions To Pursue Ministry

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 16, 2022

Earlier this month, Indianapolis Colts starter Khari Willis was excused from team activities, including a mandatory minicamp, for “personal reasons.” On Wednesday, the 26-year-old athlete revealed that after three seasons of pro football, he’s taking his career in a different direction.

“With much prayer and deliberation, I have elected to officially retire from the NFL as I endeavor to devote the remainder of my life to the further advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Willis announced on Instagram June 15.

The strong safety is walking away from a base salary of $2.54 million for the 2022 season. He was less than a year away from free agency and the opportunity for a heftier contract.

Khari Willis: ‘Humbled and Excited to Pursue the Holy Call’

On Instagram, Khari Willis thanked the Colts for “the opportunity to compete,” as well as for “lifelong relationships,” support, and valuable life lessons. He also thanked his family and friends, adding, “I look forward to your continued support through the next phase of my life.”

His retirement post concluded: “I am both humbled and excited to pursue the holy call that God has for my life which brings me much joy and purpose. Thank you for all your support over the years. God bless.”

Willis, a Michigan native, is the seventh of 10 children. At the Catholic high school he attended, Willis set a football rushing record. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science, with an emphasis on community governance and advocacy.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Colts drafted Willis in the fourth round. During 39 games (33 of which he started), Willis made 219 tackles, four interceptions, a touchdown, and 3.5 sacks.

Colts Coach Frank Reich: ‘I Admire and Respect His Decision’

Colts coach Frank Reich, an outspoken Christian, thanked Khari Willis for his three seasons of on- and off-field contributions to the organization. “Khari’s character, leadership, and professionalism will be missed in our locker room as will his play on Sundays,” Reich said. “I admire and respect his decision to transition into the next stage of his life and ministry, and my prayers will always be with him.”

Teammates and fans expressed surprise at the career-change news but wished Willis well. “Good for him” and “respect,” some tweets read.

SBC Apologizes to Sexual Abuse Survivors, Reaffirms Pro-Life Beliefs in Resolutions Adopted at Annual Meeting

By

Dale Chamberlain

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June 16, 2022

Messengers at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Anaheim, California, voted to adopt nine resolutions, including an apology to sexual abuse survivors within the denomination that specifically addressed survivors named in the Sexual Abuse Task Force’s (SATF) report on the Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse allegations from 2000 to 2021.

Other resolutions adopted included a reaffirmation of the SBC’s pro-life stance in anticipation of the possible overturn of Roe, a public condemnation of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, a statement against the prosperity gospel, a denunciation of gun violence, and a call for gospel advancement in American rural areas.

Twenty-nine resolutions were submitted for consideration to the Resolutions Committee by SBC churches who were eligible to send messengers to the annual meeting. All nine resolutions the committee ultimately presented were adopted by the messengers via raised ballot vote.

SBC Apologizes to Abuse Survivors

In a resolution titled “On Lament and Repentance for Sexual Abuse,” the SBC said, “Sexual abuse is an abomination before God and an affront to the teachings of Scripture,” that “grieves Christ” and “is in violation of the Imago Dei, dishonoring and degrading human dignity.” Further, when that abuse is perpetrated by a pastor or church leader, sexual abuse “is a violation of the sacred trust for pastoral leaders and all believers to care for and minister to people.”

In light of these realities, the SBC has resolved to “denounce in the strongest possible terms every instance of sexual abuse, those who perpetrate abuse, and those who seek to defend or protect these perpetrators,” further resolving to “publicly lament the harm our actions and inactions have caused to survivors of sexual abuse” and “publicly apologize and ask forgiveness from survivors of sexual abuse for our failure to care well for survivors, for our failure to hold perpetrators of sexual abuse adequately accountable in our churches and institutions, for our institutional responses which have prioritized the reputation of our institutions over protections and justice for survivors, and for the unspeakable harm this failure has caused to survivors through both our action and inaction.”

The resolution further recognized the need for systemic change in the denomination with regard to addressing sexual abuse, a process that was begun last year with the formation of the Sexual Abuse Task Force and their launch of a third-party investigation, and was continued at the 2022 annual meeting when messengers overwhelmingly voted to adopt the SATF’s recommended reforms.

The resolution also apologized, by name, to the abuse survivors who were named in the Guidepost Solutions report, whether they were called out by name in the report or referred to anonymously. The Resolutions Committee was granted permission by each survivor before their names were put in the resolution.

Those names included: Christa Brown, Susan Codone, Megan Lively, Jennifer Lyell, Anne Marie Mille, David Pittman, Tiffany Thigpen, Debbie Vasquez, Hannah-Kate Williams, and Jules Woodson.

The Resolutions Committee gave special emphasis to this resolution when they presented it to messengers, with each member of the Resolutions Committee and the Sexual Abuse Task Force standing on stage during its presentation as a sign of solidarity and corporate repentance.

The SBC also adopted a resolution titled “On Support for Consistent Laws Regarding Pastoral Sexual Abuse,” advocating for laws that would “empower churches by shielding them from civil liability when they share information about alleged abuse with other organizations or institutions.”

Litton, Luter, Tony Evans To Lead National Grassroots Racial Unity Work

By

Diana Chandler

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June 16, 2022

racial unity — “When it comes to our racial divide, it was the failure of the pulpit and the failure of the church, which has put us in this ignominious situation today,” Pastor Tony Evans told Southern Baptists at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting June 15. Photo by Karen McCutcheon

ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Outgoing Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton, former SBC president Fred Luter and noted author and pastor Tony Evans announced an initiative June 15 to build racial unity nationwide, conducted by the local church.

“Southern Baptist Convention, what we hope to do,” Litton said, “is to start a grassroots movement, a local church initiative in your communities to cross barriers of race, different denominations and groups, to begin to meet with people who are likeminded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to offer a kingdom solution for the divisions that exist in our land.

“The church should be on the frontline of bringing hope and healing to our communities for the glory of God,” said Litton, senior pastor of Redemption Church in Saraland, Ala.

Luter, the only African American to have served as SBC president, elected in 2012 and 2013, acknowledged “we as a Southern Baptist Convention have made a lot of progress, but now it’s time to take it to the next step.”

Luter referenced Ephesians 2:13-15, that God is our peace who has torn down the “dividing wall of hostility” to “create one new man from the two, resulting in peace.”

Describing the work as critical, the senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, La., said “it’s time for the Southern Baptist Convention to deal with and confront the racial divide in our communities and in the nation with the Gospel of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The announcement was part of a segment titled “Jesus the Center of Racial Reconciliation: Adopting a Kingdom Race Mindset” during the morning session of the second day of the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.

The failure of the church instigated the problem of racism in the nation, Evans asserted in referencing 2 Chronicles 15, and the church must lead in the solution.

“When it comes to our racial divide, it was the failure of the pulpit and the failure of the church, which has put us in this ignominious situation today,” Evans said. “And we are told in 2 Chronicles that only when they came together in unity did God bring them rest, verse 15 says, to the distress that was in the land.

“The political, the social, the racial, the class distress that we are facing, that has helped to be caused by the church, can only be properly dissolved by the church,” Evans said. “If God can’t get the church right, the culture can never become right.”

Messengers Overwhelmingly Affirm Necessity of ERLC

By

Brandon Porter

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June 16, 2022

SBC messenger Joshua Scruggs from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C., made a motion to abolish the ERLC. The motion was overwhelmingly defeated. Photo by Luc Stringer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Messengers to the 2022 Southern Baptist Convention voted down a motion to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) June 15.

The motion was made by messenger Joshua Scruggs from Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C.

“I motioned that we abolish the ERLC in order to remove an entity that had the unintended consequence of causing needless division among Southern Baptists,” Scruggs said. “I think we have given the ERLC an assignment that inevitably will cause significant division.”

Scruggs pointed to specific instances such as the ERLC’s filing of an amicus brief in favor of the religious liberty of a Muslim group in 2016. He also referenced acting ERLC President Brent Leatherwood’s signing of an open letter from the National Right to Life last month.

Leatherwood asked messengers to vote against the motion saying ERLC leaders believe the mission they have been given by the SBC is to take the Gospel to the public square.

“When I was given this role, I told our team, ‘Let us double down on our mission, because, regardless of the personality our mission remains unchanged to equip our churches to apply Christian principles to the moral and sinful problems of our day,” he said.

Longtime former ERLC President Richard Land, speaking as a messenger from the floor, also asked messengers to vote down the amendment.

“I cannot imagine a more damaging moment for the Southern Baptist Convention to defund the ERLC that this precise moment,” Land said.

“After nearly 50 years of effort, we are on the verge of having Roe v. Wade overturned, and that will immediately lead to a battle in all 50 states in the state legislatures, and Southern Baptists will be leading that charge.”

SBC President Ed Litton led the convention to a show of hands on the motion as it failed.

This article originally appeared here.

Build Church on Word of God To Look Like Jesus, Sanchez Exhorts SBC

By

Diana Chandler

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June 16, 2022

ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – “Is it possible that the reasons our congregations have been so thrust against the winds and the waves, is because we have not ground them in the Word of God?”

Juan Sanchez posed the question in his June 15 convention sermon to Southern Baptists gathered at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting.

“The church has been tossed about by every wind of doctrine, by human philosophies, by conspiracy theories, by worldly opinions,” said Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. “Pastors, if we want to ground our members, we must ground them in the Word of God. Church members, receive the Word of God in your church. Are you growing in maturity and Christlikeness? Are you growing to look more and more like Jesus?”

Sanchez posed that many have a view of the church that is too small, as he himself once held.

“The apostle Paul blows up our small view of the church. He helps us to see that God’s eternal plan is to exalt His son Jesus Christ as King and Lord over all things in heaven and on earth,” Sanchez said, referencing Ephesians 1. “He helps us to see that in Christ the Father is uniting all things … in that He is placing all things under Christ. … We (the church) are the fulness of Christ on the earth.”

Christ unites all things that have been fractured by sin, Sanchez said, especially a fractured humanity.

“In Chapter 2, he talks about Jew and Gentile coming together as one new man. And this multiethnic assembly, we’re told in Chapter 3, verses 8-11, that as we live together as this unified, diverse church, we display to the cosmic powers the manifold wisdom of God, the wisdom of God’s eternal plan in exalting Christ, and bringing together this fractured humanity under Christ, and under His authority.”

With Ephesians 4:11-16 as his main text, Sanchez encouraged pastors to build congregations on the Word of God.

“Here’s my argument for us this morning. A healthy church is built on the Word of God, that we might look like the Son of God for the glory of God. And we see this laid out in Ephesians 4:11-16,” Sanchez said. “First of all, we want to look at the structure of Word ministry, in verses 11 and 12. Secondly, we’ll look at the goal of Word ministry in verses 13 and 14, and thirdly we’ll look at the practice of Word ministry in verses 15 and 16.”

God has structured the church for its work, Sanchez said, placing spiritual gifts in the church body for jobs including a foundation of apostles and prophets, evangelists to spread the Word and pastors and teachers as shepherds of the Word.

“We cannot build the church on any other foundation,” Sanchez said. “If our primary end is merely church growth … we will be tempted to build on other foundations. We’re tempted to build our churches on the foundation of music styles or age-graded ministries or even politics or social justice or even our own personalities.

“Growth that comes by something other than the Word of God and about Jesus is not lasting, nor is it God-glorifying.”

NAMB’s Role in Collegiate Ministry Leads Discussion Over Executive Committee Recommendations

By

Scott Barkley

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June 16, 2022

NAMB — Messengers adopt a recommendation from the SBC Executive Committee Tuesday, June 15, at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Photo by Adam Covington

ANAHEIM (BP) – A motion regarding the North American Mission Board’s ministry assignments dominated the SBC Executive Committee’s report of its recommendations during the June 15 morning session of the SBC annual meeting.

Last year, messengers to the annual meeting in Nashville rejected a request for collegiate ministry to be moved from Lifeway’s ministry assignment to NAMB’s. Lifeway trustees approved the revisions in January 2021, with NAMB trustees making a formal request for the change at their spring meeting.

Messengers at this year’s annual meeting asked for clarity on NAMB’s relationship with collegiate ministry prior to the motion’s approval, which ended up going forward by a sizeable margin.

J.P. Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church in Stonewall, Okla., asked one of those clarifying questions about Baptist Collegiate Ministries, also known as Baptist Student Unions or other names in different states.

“I and a good number of people my age in the ministry are products of BSU and BCM discipleship. What will the relationship be with NAMB and the existing BCMs?” he asked.

Williams cited a period of time in his state “several years ago” he called “very difficult” when “some consolidation took place.” Those steps came about from a mindset prioritizing efficiency. Smaller ministries and BCMs struggled in that time, he said.

“Are we going to begin to see BCM replaced by some sort of NAMB initiative?” he wondered. “Will the BCM continue to exist?”

NAMB President Kevin Ezell noted the contribution to Southern Baptist collegiate ministry through historic leaders such as Oklahoman Max Barnett before giving his answer.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “We want to work in partnership with our state conventions. All the BCMs that we relate to are connected through the state conventions.

“We simply want to come beside them and provide resources and a sense of brotherhood. Give them a national home where they relate state to state.”

Probing further, another collegiate ministry leader from Arizona asked if NAMB will invest long-term in collegiate ministry.

After expressing his appreciation for Arizona Southern Baptist collegiate ministry – called Christian Challenge – and the work of Executive Director David Johnson, Ezell repeated NAMB’s goals.

Pope Cracks Down on New Catholic Religious Start-Ups

By

Nicole Winfield

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June 16, 2022

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has taken another step to reign in new religious groups in the Catholic Church after their unregulated proliferation in recent decades led to abuses in governance that allowed spiritual and sexual misconduct to go unchecked.

Francis issued a new decree published Wednesday that requires prior Vatican approval for bishops to erect new associations of the faithful, often the first step in the creation of a new apostolic society or institute of consecrate life.

The decree follows a similar one issued in 2020 that required prior Vatican approval for d iocesan-level religious orders, suggesting the Vatican was now cracking down even further to better regulate the origins of these new forms of religious life and take the decisions about them out of the hands of local bishops.

Francis has taken a series of disciplinary and regulatory actions in recent years after some founders and leaders of religious orders and new lay institutes turned out to be religious frauds who sexually and spiritually abused their members.

Some groups have been suppressed, others have been taken over by the Vatican for periods of reform while all have become subject to greater Vatican oversight.

In 2021, the Vatican also imposed term limits on the leaders of lay movements, which proliferated following the second Vatican Council in the 1960s as a new way for rank-and-file Catholics to get involved in the church beyond typical parish life. The Vatican said the term limits were necessary to prevent personality cults from arising around charismatic leaders.

One lay group targeted by the new reform was Communion and Liberation, an influential group in Italy that has a consecrated branch with a few members who help run the household of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The term limits last year forced out Communion and Liberation’s Spanish head, the Rev. Julian Carron, who had been in charge since 2005.

Motions at Annual Meeting Range From Addressing Sexual Abuse Reforms to Entity Responsibilities

By

Scott Barkley

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June 16, 2022

ANAHEIM (BP) – Several motions presented at the annual meeting related to sexual abuse care and prevention in addition to other subjects of interest to Southern Baptists.

One required extended discussion by messengers. That motion, brought by Joshua Scruggs of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C., to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, was defeated by a sizable margin.

The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, yet to be formed by new SBC President Bart Barber, was cited by the Committee on Order of Business to address a motion from Greg Davidson, of Trinity Church in Vacaville, Calif., that the Convention fully support the care of the sexually abused.

The following motions were determined to deal with the internal operations or ministries of Convention entities. Under SBC Bylaw 26B, these motions are automatically referred to the appropriate SBC entities for consideration and report to the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans.

To Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a motion by Michelle Lesley, of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La., that an investigation be made of a case of mishandling sexual abuse by employees of SEBTS.
To Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a motion by Dwight McKissic, of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, to study and report on the removal of any names associated with the school, including buildings, that are connected with “chattel slavery.”
To all seminaries, a motion by Ryan Ogle, of Union Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland, Tenn., that the formation of a Library Science program be examined by the Council of Seminary Presidents.

The following motions were referred to the Executive Committee for consideration and report to the 2023 annual meeting:

Scott Smith of South Side Baptist Church in Mishawaka, Ind., moved for an internal evaluation of the SBC Executive Committee organizational structure.
Parker Roberts of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Troy, Ala., moved to amend the Baptist Faith and Message.
Timothy Livingston of First Baptist Church in Piedmont, Okla., moved that there be a change in the bylaws relating to the timeliness of release of resolutions and nominations.
Bill Tackett of Deer Creek Baptist Church, in Stroud, Okla., moved that Bylaw 26b be amended.
Scott Frady of West Hickory Baptist Church in Hickory, N.C., moved to require all churches to adhere to the Baptist Faith and Message.
Craig Hartzog of Central Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Ga., moved that messengers be vetted at the local association for participation in SBC annual meeting at remote locations.
Tom Rush of Liberty Baptist Church in Monroe, Ga., moved that the Executive Committee cease to use executive sessions.
Michael Law of Arlington Baptist Church in Arlington, Va., moved that the convention amend the 6^th item of article III, paragraph 1, in the SBC Constitution.
Matt Dunn of First Baptist Church in Bates City, Mo., moved that a pro-Israel amendment be added to the BFM.
Samuel Gilliam of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La., moved that trustees’ contact information be published in the Book of Reports.
Toby Brogden of First Baptist Church in Calhoun, Tenn., moved that the EC study the use of all communication forms for communicating with all messengers.
Nathan Stuller of Sojourn Church in Belleville, Ill., moved that the SBC Constitution be amended to add Article XV “Transparency and Accountability.”
Sherri Martin of Rocky Bayou Baptist Church in Destin, Fla., moved that the Executive Committee study the impact of waiving attorney client privilege.
Rob Collingsworth of Redemption Story Church in Fort Worth, Texas, moved that a work group be formed to study the editorial independence of Baptist Press.
Mark Spence, of Mississippi Avenue Baptist Church in Aurora, Colo., moved that the Resolutions Committee be suspended.
Jerry Watts, of New Hope Church in Foxworth, Mass., moved that a legal study be made about the polity and relationship of the larger body of messengers and the entity trustees.
Jay Adkins, of First Baptist Church in Westwego, La., moved the removal of the position of recording secretary from the Executive Committee.
Jason Sampler, of Mercy Hill Church in Kennesaw, Ga., moved that Bylaw 15 be amended regarding trustee selection.
Keith Myer, of Harvest Baptist Church in Salisbury, Md., moved that a day be added to the SBC Calendar to raise awareness of “abuse of any kind.”

UK Sanctions Russian Orthodox Head; Decries Forced Adoption

By

AP News

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June 16, 2022

LONDON (AP) — Britain announced a new round of sanctions Thursday against Russia, targeting the head of the Russian Orthodox Church for his prominent support for the war in Ukraine as well as Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, who Britain said is responsible for the forced transfer and adoption of hundreds of Ukrainian children into Russia.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has “repeatedly abused his position to justify the war” on Ukraine. Kirill is a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Truss also targeted children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who has been accused of enabling the taking of 2,000 vulnerable children from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine and facilitating their forced adoptions in Russia.

Others on Thursday’s list include four colonels from a brigade known to have killed, raped and tortured civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

Truss also said Britain’s government is “taking all steps we can” regarding two British citizens sentenced to death for fighting Russian forces in Ukraine.

She said officials are in regular talks with the Ukrainian government about Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, who were sentenced last week alongside a Moroccan, Brahim Saadoun, for allegedly fighting as mercenaries by a court in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

“These people are prisoners of war. They were fighting legitimately with the Ukrainian army,” Truss said. “What Russia has done is a complete violation of the Geneva Convention. We are taking all steps we can.”

This article originally appeared here.

What CNN’s Overuse of ‘Breaking News’ Can Teach Pastors About Sunday Morning Announcements

By

Brian Dodd

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June 16, 2022

Recently, I saw a video of a church worship leader wrapping up a morning service after his pastor’s message. As the young man spoke, his excitement level began to escalate as he gave one announcement… and then spontaneously gave another… and another… and another.

By the time he finished, he had promoted nine different ministry initiatives. The audience left overwhelmed with information and metrics later indicated no one requested additional information or signed up for any of the items promoted.

This worship leader could have used some coaching from Chris Licht, the new chairman and CEO of CNN.

A Pragmatic Leader

Per the June 3rd edition of wonderful daily news site Morning Brew, Licht immediately began reducing the network’s use of its “Breaking News” graphics. His logic is sound. Lictht said, “It has become such a fixture on every channel and network that its impact has become lost on the audience.”

Here is what Licht and other experienced leaders know – In the midst of many special announcements, none are special. They eventually lose their impact and become white noise. Another way to say this is when everything is important, nothing is important. A good example is shown above. The Titanic sinking 102 years ago by definition is not “Breaking News.”

Church Announcements

So how many announcements should a church have during its worship service?

What makes an announcement worthy of my attention and the valuable real estate it occupies during a Sunday morning message is its importance and urgency to act upon compared to other items occupying the church calendar.

Therefore, I recommend one, just one announcement per week. This is especially impactful when done as a natural next-step to the pastor’s message or sermon series. A particularly useful wrap is, “What a great message. Based upon what Pastor said, here’s what I want you to do…..” Then direct them to an online form, text link, or connect area on campus to sign-up or get more information.

Just in case you think one announcement is too few, I want to make the following point – one special announcement per week is 52 special announcements per year!!! This is a lot of vital and urgent information to ask your church’s attendees to act upon.

In conclusion, give a single special announcement per week and watch your church’s overall engagement increase dramatically. I’m sure using more discretion with “Breaking News” will increase CNN’s viewership as well.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

7 Things To Do When Your Preaching Seemed To Stink Yesterday

By

Chuck Lawless

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June 16, 2022

If you’ve preached for any time at all, you’ve had these days – days, that is, when you feel like your sermon this past weekend went nowhere. If that’s how you feel today, here are some steps to consider:

Don’t start the week discouraged. If you begin the week focused on yesterday’s perceived failure, the rest of the week might be affected. If, however, you approach the week positively—“yesterday’s sermon may not have been the best, but this week’s another opportunity to improve”—you’ll see things through a different grid. Don’t let the enemy grip you with discouragement.
Be honest about your prep time last week. There are times when life and ministry make finding sufficient time for sermon preparation difficult. At other times, we simply don’t manage our time well, so we have little time left to dig into the Word. Either way, just be honest if your prep time could have been stronger—and then let it go. Do better this week.
Ask God to help you evaluate the sermon honestly. Through His Spirit and through His people, He will guide you to critique your own work. You might confirm your concern, or you might realize you’ve been overly critical—but you will have evaluated your sermon some time after the event itself. That’s a good step.
Ask someone you trust—and who will speak honestly to you—his or her assessment of the sermon. It could be that others heard your sermon completely differently than you did. You may be beating yourself up unnecessarily. Or, if your sermon could have been stronger, you’ve heard that word from someone who has earned your trust. That helps us hear the necessary critique.
Listen to/watch the sermon yourself. I really don’t like listening to myself, but it’s still important to do. Sometimes I’ve found that what I remember happening in my sermon didn’t happen at all. At other times, I’ve learned that it did happen, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. This step helps me fight my tendency to fixate on the problem and neglect recognizing the good in the sermon.
Plan one step to make your sermon better this coming week. If you feel like your illustrations didn’t work last week, for example, work harder on that aspect this week. Do the same regardless of what the issue might have been last week. I encourage you, in fact, to write down the steps you will take for improvement, and then ask a prayer partner to intercede for you as you prepare. In fact, email me through this website you’d like me to pray that way for you.
Thank God He’s a God of second chances and new beginnings—and prayerfully, diligently prepare to preach the Word well this week. The good news about a bad sermon is that most of us get another chance the next week to do better. Humbly take advantage of that opportunity. God bless, preachers!

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

First-Time Guests at Church: 5 Things You Should Avoid

By

Dale Hudson

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June 15, 2022

First-time guests at church are wonderful! But you need to handle them with care. If you’re asking first-time church visitors to do any of these things, you may be unknowingly pushing them away. Worst-case scenario, they might not return.

So read on to discover what annoys guests. Most importantly, find out practical steps for making their experience positive. After all, the goal is to turn first-time guests into regulars!

First-Time Guests at Church Dislike These 5 Things

1. People dislike waiting in line.

Are you asking first-time guests at church to wait in line? How long are they having to wait to register for Sunday school? How long are they having to wait to drop off their kids at classrooms? And how long are they having to wait to pick up their kids?

Solution

- Have a separate check-in area for first-time guests.
- Monitor your kidmin drop-off and pick-up lines. If the line backs up, open another line.

2. People dislike not knowing where to go.

You know the feeling. You’re in a big store looking for an item. No help is in sight, and you have no clue where to begin. It’s very frustrating! Asking first-time guests at church to navigate your hallways without any signage or assistance has the same effect.

Solution

Have clear signage throughout the church and children’s ministry area.
Always walk people to their class or kidmin room instead of telling them where to go.

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First-Time Guests at Church Dislike These 5 Things

1. People dislike waiting in line.

Solution

2. People dislike not knowing where to go.

Solution

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