* Follow Baptist response to Oklahoma tornado at www.BPNews.net • Donate to Disaster Relief at www.NAMB.net Volume 107, No. 09
MAY 27, 2013
Relief after the flood
IB Insider
Volunteers offer help and hot meals
Artists get framed at church
By Lisa Sergent
page 3
Nate Adams: When church leadership is a family business page 4 Hope at the ranch pages 6-7
Why cancer doesn't scare me page 11 Swish! page 8
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Peoria | The television show “Dirty Jobs” comes to mind when Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers talk about their assignments in flood-affected communities. Mud, mold and more coat the furniture, floors and walls of flooded homes. The mud-out teams remove it all as they strip walls down to the studs, power wash and sanitize homes for thankful homeowners. Mud-out teams have been busy in the Peoria area and in Marseilles since the Illinois River flooded homes last month. “We’ve been received real well,” shared Jim Weickersheimmer, an IBSA Disaster Relief executive team member who coordinated the Peoria call-out. “When people find CHOP CHOP – Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volout they don’t have to pay for getunteer Betty Stone prepares an evening meal to ting their homes cleaned, they’re be delivered to victims of flooding in Peoria. The really happy.” feeding team preceded mud-out volunteers like While chainsaw teams can comChaplain Dana Stevens (photo at right). plete as many as 10 jobs in one day, one mud-out job can take four to five days. “It’s a different mindset,” nessee. Together, the teams completed said Rex Alexander, IBSA Disaster 22 jobs for homeowners. Relief Coordinator. “Mud-out teams Disaster Relief volunteers often must be very patient. Disaster Relief have opportunities to pray with homepeople like to check off things from owners and neighbors and engage their lists. Mud-out teams may have them in conversations about salvation. worked hard all day long and will have A team from Williamson Association only just started on a house.” serving in the Peoria area led one Peoria-area mud-out assessments homeowner to Christ. “Way to go began early this month. Before work God. I just was blessed to be there,” was complete May 20, three teams wrote Chaplain Jan Kragness on the from Williamson Association, one IBSA Facebook page after a photo was from FBC Eldorado and another from posted of her with the homeowner she Palestine Association were joined by led to Christ. four from Missouri and one from TenContinued on page 2
Luter unopposed again
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Peoria, Illinois Permit No. 325
2013 SBC in Houston
Urges prayer for peaceful debate on Calvinism By Eric Reed
“Why do y’all want to do this on my watch?” Fred Luter joked of the possible debate over Calvinism at the upcoming annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Houston, June 11-12. Luter enters the convention aware that the adjective “historic” will be applied to whatever happens there. As the convention’s first African American president, elected to his first one-year term last year in his native New Orleans, Luter arrives in Houston unopposed for a second term. While nominations from the floor are possible, Continued on page 9
Rallies, ‘robocalls’ sustain same-sex marriage argument
Springfield | It’s been nearly three-anda-half months since the Illinois Senate passed the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Act,” which would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. On February 14, Illinois seemed poised to become the tenth state to do so, but the bill is still awaiting a vote on the House floor, and three states have passed Illinois in the race to approve same-sex marriage. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), told WLS-TV in Chicago that proponents of same-sex marriage are “very close” to passing the legislation. According to a May 12 Chicago Tribune editorial, “Harris Continued on page 3