RSS feed for Florida Baptist Witness (FBW) Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 HAVANA, Cuba (FBC)—When was the last time you cleaned out your attic or garage and found your kids’ unused musical instrument—the one they had to have for band classes but haven’t touched in the past decade? Or discovered that saxophone that you promised to pick up again—one day? Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 FORT MEADE (FBW)—Velma Howell, a member of First Baptist Church in Fort Meade since 1941, celebrated her 100th birthday April 17. The stories of her lifetime, generously told to anyone who asks, give a glimpse of Florida in early 20th century. <br><br> Howell was born in north Alabama, and her father moved the family of nine to Fort Meade in 1918 to escape winter cold. Her father and two brothers drove south in their Model T Ford, a trip that took seven days. Her mother, expecting their tenth child, and five daughters rode down on the train, the “old Smokey Joe.” Arriving around 9 p.m. Nov. 18, Howell, who was six years old at the time, said she was surprised to see people in the streets of Fort Meade, shouting and dancing. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—With one out of six Florida Baptist churches failing to submit a statistical summary for the 2010-2011 church year, the Florida Baptist Convention showed little collective growth in the 12 months of Baptist life. <BR><BR> A total of 457 congregations—or 15.6 percent of Florida Baptists’ 2,922 congregations—did not provide an Annual Church Profile to the Florida Baptist Convention despite repeated efforts to collect the information. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 JACKSONVILLE (FBW) - A bill before the Jacksonville City Council granting civil rights protections for sexual orientation and gender identity is generating opposition from most Southern Baptists in the local association, while two pastors have endorsed the measure. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—The 2012 Committee on Nominations, composed of 22 pastors, 22 laypersons, two church staff and two associational directors of missions has been appointed by the officers of the Florida Baptist State Convention. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 NAPLES (FBW)—Charles W. “Chuck” Colson was honored during a May 9 memorial service by his pastor, fellow members and others at First Baptist Church in Naples as “our nation’s greatest defender of the Christian faith” whose “message rings on.” <br><br> “It’s unusual that a church has the privilege and the opportunity that we have tonight,” Pastor Hayes Wicker told the congregation. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 NEW ORLEANS (BP)—Messengers arriving in advance of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in New Orleans are invited to worship at a June 17 service hosted by the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 NEW ORLEANS (BP)—In and around New Orleans prior to the June 19-20 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, Southern Baptists who identify with various ethnic groups will come together over a common history to share ideas, food and fellowship for the purpose of strengthening each other to build up the Body of Christ. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 NEW ORLEANS (BP)—The recommendation of “Great Commission Baptists” as a descriptive name and the prospective election of the first ever African American president are on the horizon for the Southern Baptist Convention’s June 19-20 meeting in New Orleans. <br><br> Messengers will decide whether to adopt the informal, non-legal “Great Commission Baptists” descriptor as recommended by the SBC Executive Committee, embracing the suggestion of a special task force appointed to study changing the SBC’s name, deemed by some a regional barrier to the Gospel. Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00-0900 NEW ORLEANS (BP)—For the first time, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting this year can stay up to date with an SBC Annual Meeting smartphone app, which will include more than a dozen features, including maps, alerts, the Book of Reports and the Daily Bulletin.