As if rallying around the apostles’ declaration that “We must serve God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), Christians continue to boldly share the Gospel in the streets of Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Witnesses who share their faith openly not only face possible infection from the dangerous respiratory disease caused by the virus, but also could be subject to potential persecution by authorities, as well.

Despite the potential dangers, CBN News Asia correspondent Lucille Talusan reports that Christians in Wuhan are meeting needs created by the crisis and by doing so are creating opportunities to share the Gospel.

The believers, often operating underground to avoid persecution and prosecution by Communist authorities, are taking advantage of the need for surgical masks. In addition to helping prevent contracting the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus, the masks also help shield the identity of the witness.

Talusan reported that a “very courageous” group of Christians in Wuhan have hit the streets to distribute the protective facemasks. As they hand out the masks, Talusan said, “They say that they are Christians and they share the love of Christ and point to Jesus to bring hope to them and their families and the whole of China. … This is really a breakthrough.”

Source: Christian Headlines

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Jim Denison is the founder and CEO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Yesterday was unusually chaotic even for American politics.

Democratic Party officials announced partial results from the Iowa caucuses at 5 p.m. EST showing Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders in the lead. Their statement came nearly a full day after the results were delayed due to reporting issues. Four hours later, President Trump began his State of the Union address.

He became only the second president to do so while under impeachment. The atmosphere in the room was unusually tense and partisan.

The president handed copies of his speech to Vice President Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She extended her hand, but he turned away without shaking it. She then introduced him, but not with the customary, “Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States.” Instead, she said simply, “Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.”

During the speech, the president honored a Tuskegee Airman and his grandson who intends to become an astronaut. He welcomed home a soldier who reunited with his family for the first time in months. The speech recounted remarkable economic good news and called on Congress to make progress on a variety of fronts.

Then, at the conclusion of the speech, the Speaker of the House stood, took her copy of the address, and tore it in two. She said later that she destroyed the speech “because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.” She added that she was “trying to find one page with truth on it” but “couldn’t.”

My purpose in responding today is emphatically not to advance a partisan agenda. I would offer the same response to last night’s divisiveness if the president were a Democrat and the House Speaker a Republican.

In such a bitterly divided culture, my purpose today is to consider biblical ways to deal with disagreements as a nation and as individuals.

First, we must honor the position even if we disagree with the person.

Peter instructed us: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Paul agreed: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

Note that the emperor to whom they referred was Nero, one of the most despotic tyrants in Roman history.

In light of God’s word, it was wrong for Republican Congressman Joe Wilson to cry out “You lie!” when President Obama was delivering a joint address to Congress in 2009. (The congressman soon apologized, and the president accepted his apology.) It was also wrong for Speaker Pelosi to rip up President Trump’s speech.

Congressman Wilson and Speaker Pelosi obviously disagreed with the presidents whose speeches they protested. But Scripture teaches us to honor the position, even if we disagree with the person.

Source: Christian Headlines

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Franklin Graham said he will seek out alternative venues for a United Kingdom tour this spring after all eight venues reneged on plans to host the evangelist, saying his views on homosexuality are incompatible with the values of the British people.

Graham, who was in London on Thursday (Feb. 6) to rally churches to his tour, said seven venues canceled their contracts with him and an eighth backed out after agreeing in principle.

“This attack on me is an attack on religious freedom and freedom of speech,” Graham told Religion News Service by phone. “For any Christian group that wants to rent a venue that believes the Bible is the Word of God, they’re in danger of being canceled.”

He said he would sue all seven sites where he signed contracts and expected to win.

On Wednesday, the Utilita Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne became the seventh venue to cancel Graham’s scheduled appearance. Venues in Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and London have also canceled.

The tour was scheduled during Pride Month in the U.K., which falls in June.

“Franklin Graham’s views are wholly inconsistent with our city, which is preparing to welcome huge celebrations and tens of thousands of people this summer for UK Pride,” Ste Dunn, chair of the Northern Pride group, said on a petition site calling for an end to Graham’s tour. The petition had more than 5,700 signers.

Graham, who has spoken out against same-sex marriage and transgender people, insisted he does not preach against homosexuality; he only calls it out as sin.

“I believe marriage is between a man and woman,” he said. “That’s the same position that the Queen of England has, that the Church of England has.”

Source: Religion News Service

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Inside the International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton, the mood at the National Prayer Breakfast was half church service, half political rally.

The program began with a spirited rendition of Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light,” led by members of the House of Representatives’ prayer breakfast group, followed by prayers from the co-hosts, Rep. John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan, and Rep. Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat.

National Prayer Breakfast starts with some Hank Williams pic.twitter.com/mH1CFZWyZN

— Bob Smietana (@bobsmietana) February 6, 2020

Their prayers and opening remarks echoed the larger theme of the prayer breakfast this year, which centered on Jesus’ commandment to love your enemies.

“Jesus’ teachings are a solid foundation for building relationships,” said Moolenaar.

The two were also featured in a video about religious persecution, another focus for this year’s event. After the video — and the entrance of President Donald Trump, carrying a newspaper with the headline “Acquitted” — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi led a prayer for those suffering religious persecution around the world, including Muslims, Yazidis, Buddhists, Christians and those from other faiths.

“Let us pray that the names of the persecuted always live on our lips and their courage carried through our actions,” she prayed. “And let us pray that we honor the spark of divinity in them and in all people, including ourselves.”

The recent division in the United States over Trump’s impeachment was on the minds of attendees and organizers alike. Several mentioned the theme of the day was especially timely — and that gathering people together around tables to talk and get to know each other is one way to defuse some of the tensions in the country.

“If we are to heal our divisions — we need to spend time together,” he said.

Suozzi’s words echoed a larger belief of The Fellowship, the nonprofit that puts on the National Prayer Breakfast. Members of the group describe themselves as friends who get together to talk about the teachings of Jesus. While the group positions itself as open to all faiths, the themes of the event are distinctly Christian.

Author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks urged those in attendance not to let their disagreements over politics lead to contempt. Brooks recalled speaking to a group of conservative activists and telling them their political opponents were neither evil nor stupid.

That line, he said, did not get much applause.

He went on to talk about being raised by Christian parents in Seattle, who had progressive politics. His parents were neither evil nor stupid, he said. And he challenged listeners to remember their loved ones who have different points of view — and to stand up for those who would ridicule them.

Brooks also said Jesus asked his followers to love their enemies — not just tolerate them. Putting that into practice, he admitted, is hard.

Source: Religion News Service

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The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments Thursday over a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit against the North American Mission Board by a former executive of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware (BCMD).

The three-judge panel sharply questioned both sides as to whether and how First Amendment legal precedent protecting churches and religious organizations from state interference applied to the case.

Will McRaney, the BCMD’s former executive director, filed a lawsuit in 2017 alleging NAMB had intentionally defamed and wrongly influenced his 2015 termination by the BCMD after a dispute over collaborative missions efforts in the region. The suit also claimed NAMB had prevented or attempted to prevent him from speaking at conferences after his departure from the BCMD, and that he suffered emotional distress when his photo was displayed in the reception area of NAMB’s offices in Alpharetta, Ga.

Except to acknowledge the photo had been posted in the reception area of its headquarters, NAMB has consistently denied McRaney’s claims.

Last April, Senior Judge Glen Davidson of the U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the court could not consider McRaney’s claims because of the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, which prevents the government from interfering in church or religious matters. But McRaney’s counsel argued Thursday that the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine did not apply.

“NAMB is not a church,” attorney Harvey Barton argued. “They are an entity that controls money…. This is a dispute about power and money. It’s not about church doctrine. It’s about who gets to be in control.”

Representing NAMB, attorney Donna Jacobs of the firm Butler Snow argued that both sides agreed the initial conflict was over missions strategy. Jacobs said McRaney’s acknowledgment of that in his claims showed the dispute was “inherently religious.”

McRaney was the BCMD’s executive director from 2013 until he was terminated in June 2015. He filed suit in April 2017, after more than a year of online postings alleging various wrongdoing by NAMB and its president Kevin Ezell — including the claim, made in the lawsuit, that NAMB threatened to withhold money and to end a strategic partnership agreement for evangelism and church planting “unless McRaney was terminated.”

NAMB has consistently denied that claim, along with others. Its response to McRaney’s lawsuit claimed the BCMD had become “a dysfunctional and difficult ministry partner” while he was its executive director.

Barton, McRaney’s counsel, argued Thursday that McRaney had opposed NAMB’s desire for a new strategic partnership agreement with BCMD because it would have lessened BCMD’s autonomy.

After the hearing, McRaney told Baptist Press he “regret(ted) having to be here, but I certainly am glad for the opportunity to defend the historic Southern Baptist position.”

Jacobs told the judges that NAMB had never claimed to have any authority or hierarchical control over the BCMD. She agreed with Barton that the Southern Baptist Convention and its various entities and state conventions are autonomous rather than a top-down hierarchy like some other religious denominations, characterizing NAMB’s relationships and agreements with BCMD and other state conventions as “cooperative.”

When questioned by the judges about the SBC’s autonomous organizational structure, Jacobs argued that the differences from other denominations should not afford the SBC and its entities “lesser protection” from government interference in their religious affairs.

Jacobs also argued that McRaney’s claims that the dispute was over missions strategy showed the case concerned religious matters.

In a statement released after the hearing, George McCallum, NAMB’s legal counsel, reiterated Jacobs’ argument.

Source: Baptist Press

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Carter Tan is the English Ministries pastor at Grace Chinese Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

It has felt like a ghost town at church for the last two weeks. The normal hustle and bustle, the loud chattering and warm greetings were noticeably missing from our Friday evening gatherings and Sunday Service.

Since the news of the coronavirus broke out in early January, we have seen our church attendance decrease by nearly 40 percent on Sunday mornings. I expect attendance to continue to decrease as more and more cases are reported worldwide and in America. Fear is one driving factor for the decrease in attendance, while good old precautionary common sense is the other.

Fear is a powerful emotion indeed. When our Elder and Deacon Board issued an official statement asking church members to self-quarantine if they had been to China recently, it sparked mixed reactions. On one hand, it assured the members that leadership is taking active precautionary steps to avoid contributing to the spread of coronavirus. On the other hand, it created suspicion and irrational fear in others to stay away from the church at all costs.

In comparison, the Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that this season alone has seen at least 19 million flu illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths from flu. That seems to be more of a dire threat to American Chinese churches than the coronavirus.

Source: Baptist Press

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LifeWay Christian Resources CEO Ben Mandrell unveiled to trustees a new organizational structure and mission statement to align the organization for future ministry and growth.

LifeWay experienced a successful transition in closing its brick-and-mortar retail chain in 2019 and saw significant growth in its direct sales channels, Mandrell reported to trustees during their biannual board meeting, Feb. 3-4 in Nashville.

“We knew it would take us some time to recover from the store closures, but we are rebounding faster than we expected,” Mandrell said. “It’s early, of course, but we are pleased with where we are after the first quarter.”

Sales through LifeWay.com are showing increases of more than 25 percent over last year, Mandrell noted. “Since LifeWay.com is our most popular channel, we want our online store to be intuitive, smart and streamlined. We have a team of talented employees working diligently to enhance that experience.”

In addition to its e-commerce site, LifeWay continues to engage customers through its Customer Service Center, a network of church partners, and partnerships with independent Christian bookstores and other retailers, Mandrell said. Through its Authorized Dealer Program, LifeWay is now showcasing products in 459 locations across 46 states. “We’re finding new shelf space to allow customers to touch and feel our products before they buy them.”

In addition to independent bookstores, LifeWay is also partnering with local churches that wish to carry an assortment of LifeWay resources, Mandrell reported. “Together, we’ve extended our ministry reach into more than 90 new markets — regions where LifeWay never had a brick-and-mortar storefront.”

Mandrell reminded trustees, “LifeWay is far more than a chain of brick-and-mortar stores. In the past year, LifeWay served more than 75,000 churches around the globe through our resources, events and services.”

Refocusing the mission

Reflecting on the past year, Mandrell said he is reminded how the Lord has provided and sustained LifeWay through a difficult season.

“But challenges always present opportunities,” he said. “We’ve had the opportunity to reimagine the future of LifeWay and refocus our mission.”

Mandrell then revealed LifeWay’s new mission statement — “We exist to honor God and serve churches by designing trustworthy experiences that fuel ministry.”

He reminded trustees of LifeWay’s creation story, how the founding president James M. Frost cast a vision for an organization that would fuel the ministry of local churches by creating doctrinally sound, easy to use materials.

“Frost saw enormous potential in designing tools that make church ministry more effective,” Mandrell said. “It’s my desire to continue that vision and commitment as we come alongside local churches in order to support the Great Commission.”

Mandrell explained that the mission statement is intended “to help us recalibrate our culture and set a compass for our future.” He also said LifeWay is engaged in a rebranding process and plans to unveil a new logo and brand promise in the coming months.

“As LifeWay engages a changing marketplace, we are imagining new ways to get products to our customers,” Mandrell said, “and we are positioning ourselves to serve churches scattered across the globe.”

Source: Baptist Press

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