Baltimore Oracles: Convention preview • SBC prexy now a three-man race • See page 6
Volume 108, No. 8
IB Insider
Opening the 4-14 window page 5 Nate Adams: Your best, lasting impact page 4 things to know about younger Baptists page 5 Midwest Challenge: Starting over or starting from scratch page 11 BIG Pic: Son shines on a cloudy day page 3 B-101: ‘Man’ in the mirror page 14
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modern family values What happened to marriage For the church, a better ‘defense’ of marriage is offense By Meredith Flynn
Ask church leaders what is the single biggest threat to marriage right now, and most would probably give the same answer: the stunning wave of approval for same-sex marriage. But a changing definition of marriage isn’t the only thing endangering the institution, said Baptist leaders at a recent summit on sexuality and the Gospel. In fact, it may not even be at the top of the list. Pornography has dulled the consciences of many Christians. Cultural trends have tended to devalue marriage at the expense of other arguably good things, like education, career and financial stability. And pastors may not feel the freedom or confidence to
speak plainly about the issues affecting their congregations: sexual purity, marital fidelity, and what the Bible really says about all of it. Faced with these threats to marriage, Andrew Walker of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission said the church has a choice: “We can confront these changes, we can acknowledge them, we can work to combat them, or, sadly, we can conform to them.” One thing the church can’t afford to do: nothing. For today’s 20-somethings, marriage and family look very different than when their parents were making decisions about who to wed and how many kids to have. In 1960, 72% of
Chains bind hearts together Prisoners send links of love to women’s meeting
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
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MAY 26, 2014
BLEST BE THESE TIES – Ana Melendez (right) and Henrietta Dinzler help bring in 3,000 prayers handwritten by prisoners in Arkansas for the IBSA Annual Momen’s Meeting at First Baptist Church, Marion. Story and photos on page 7
American adults were married. In 1980, it was 62%. In 2012, it was just over 50%. According to a 2013 study by the University of Virginia, the average age of first marriage now is historically high – 27 for women and 29 for men. Waiting to marry has resulted in a lower divorce rate and better economic prospects for women; however, researchers also point to higher birth rates among unmarried women. Continued on page 8
Also: Welcoming, but not affirming gay visitors page 9
SBC task force addresses decline Nashville, Tenn. | A task force appointed to study decreasing baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention released its report this month, detailing five problems they believe have contributed to the recent downward trend. “We have a spiritual problem,” the task force acknowledged. “Many of our SBC pastors and churches are not effectively engaged in sharing the Gospel and yet continue business as usual. We need a sense of brokenness and repentance over the spiritual climate of our churches and our nation.” Although baptisms in Illinois have increased each of the past two years, nationally, the numbers have trended downward. When it was published in June 2013, the national Annual Church Profile (ACP) report showing the previous year’s facts and figures sounded alarm bells: 25% of Southern Baptist Continued on page 2