The pastor of First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs said he asked the couple to have it elsewhere to avoid controversy, although he still officiated at the wedding. He said he made that decision after several church members came to him and said they did not want the couple’s wedding performed in their sanctuary.

Apparently, the church has been getting some negative feedback about this. The wedding is over but the pastor said they are weathering a “storm” because people are calling the congregation racist and saying the decision to reject the black wedding was un-Christian.

I read the first stories about the issue, but I think I’m more intrigued by the latest story that ran in the  Clarion Jackson-Ledger on Sunday. 

I can see why the pastor is coming under fire because some folks (judging from the comments section) think he should have stood up to the people who did not want the wedding performed at FBC-Crystal Springs. Others think he could have had the wedding at his church and let people know who didn’t want the service to be held there.

It looks like some members of the church feel like they now have to defend their church from harsh criticism that is, in many ways, unfair to the congregation as a whole.

It’s certainly an interesting situation.

Here’s the story. You can read  it for yourself: 

Jackson Clarion-Ledger: Mississippi church in storm after turning away black wedding

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

You know the one that features actress Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, who, with her husband Sean, adopted Michael Oher, a poor teen who went on to become a collegiate football player and NFL player. I met the Tuohys, by the way, when they visited Oklahoma City in June 2011 for the Arrow Child & Family Ministries Ambassadors luncheon and they were very nice and, well, inspirational.   

Lifeway Christian Resources, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, has apparently decided to take “The Blind Side” movie videos off Lifeway Christian Store shelves. A Baptist pastor is saying that it contains a racial slur and profanity. The movie, which is PG-13, may be brought up at next week’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans, La., through a resolution submitted by the pastor, a Florida minister, who brought up these same concerns at an SBC meeting several years ago.    

Read the Associated Baptist Press story here: “Lifeway pulls ‘Blind Side’ Movie from stores”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

I’ve heard that said many times over the years and I’ve come to believe it. Someone else I know believes in the power of prayer — and that steadfastness has helped because she is facing the challenge of her life.

I’m talking about Lorelei Decker, the 17-year-old featured in my story on the cover of today’s Life section in The Oklahoman.

I looked forward to meeting Decker and her mom Andrea and I discussed my anticipation with a few of my colleagues who sit near me at the office. 

I already knew the recent Putnam City graduate was a thoughtful and optimistic person. Battling Hodgkin lymphoma with a grace and dignity far beyond her years, she began collecting ”prayer polish” earlier this year. She said so many people wanted to help her in some way when they found out she was fighting cancer. She said she decided to ask for nail polish and said it was an easy way people could show her that she was in their prayers. In turn,  Decker said she began praying for them, painting her nails different shades each week to remind herself of peoplewho gave her the polish and their specific prayer needs.

About 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave for my interview with Decker on Wednesday, one of my colleagues, Heather Warlick, gave me a new bottle of deep purple nail polish. Warlick, editor of The Oklahoman’s Mood section, said she wanted me to ask Decker to prayer for her. In turn, we agreed that we would certainly keep the young woman in our prayers. 

Decker and her mother were surprised and seemed pleased that I had brought along some nail polish to add to her growing (and growing!) collection.

It was nice to give something to my interview subject. I always feel that I learn so much from the people I interview, particularly those like Decker who have such inspirational stories to tell. And, of course, the polish is a bright and fun metaphor for the most important part of my meeting with Decker — the prayer exchange.  

(PHOTO by David McDaniel/The Oklahoman: Here I am handing a bottle of nail polish, courtesy of my fellow reporter Heather Warlick, to Lorelei Decker at Decker’s Oklahoma City home.) 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

It’s just a few hours away until the tip-off  of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA game and true to their word, a group of Southern Baptists have continued their “I Believe” faith outreach in conjunction with the Thunder’s playoff series.

I got to meet with several volunteers at the Chesapeake Energy Arean today as they placed Thunder T-shirts and towels on every chair. Van Greenwood, volunteer coordinator of the “I Believe” outreach, said he had a group of about 30 people at the Peake for the T-shirt placement, most of them from Baptist churches in the metro area. However, he said several people from a Baptist church in Maud joined in and he also invited some young men who play basketball at his church, Quail Springs Baptist, to participate. Greenwood said volunteers prayed for the people that would be sitting in the chairs as they placed the T-shirts on them.

My initial story about the “I Believe” initiative ran in Saturday’s Oklahoman. The faith outreach is a combined effort of the Capitol Baptist Association and Union Baptist Association, in partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. In addition to the T-shirt placement, the faith outreach will include the distribution of faith-inspired brochures and a mini-magazine related to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“It’s been a great opportunity for us,” Greenwood said of the effort.

“The Thunder has taken the community by storm. We want to show our support for the Thunder and try to share the love of God with people at the same time,” he said.

Jason Taylor, a member of Judah Christian Assembly, was part of Greenwood’s group on Monday. Taylor said he regularly shoots hoops at the Quail Springs Baptist Church recreation center and was happy to accept Greenwood’s invitation to help place T-shirts on chairs for “I Believe.”

“It’s a blessing,” Taylor said.

 Taylor said he’s an Oklahoma City Thunder fan and he particularly enjoys watching Thunder star Kevin Durant play ball.

Look for more stories about the “I Believe” outreach in the near future.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor    

Baptist Press reports that Southern Baptist leaders wrote a column published in The Washington Post in which they voiced their opposition to the contraception mandate. They called the mandate, a  ”blatant and outrageous encroachment on religious freedom.”

The column was co-signed by Richard Land, The SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president; SBC President Bryant Wright; and GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins.

Land has visited Oklahoma City at least once over the last several years as a guest speaker for various events sponsored by Oklahoma Southern Baptists.

Read the Washington Post column, posted on the Post’s On Faith blog: “Why Baptists stand with Catholics on birth control mandate”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor  

The funeral is set for 10 a.m.

Brad Kimbler, the church’s communication’s specialist, has said that the services will be shown via video on the church’s website Tuesday afternoon for those who are unable to attend the event.

Day (pictured), was senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Edmond for 25 years. He died Feb. 16 after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle accident. 

The church’s website is www.FBCedmond.org.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The RNS based this report on a recent LifeWay Research survey.

LifeWay researchers said of the 61 percent who disapprove of Obama’s work, 47 percent disapprove strongly.

The RNS reported that the survey’s findings were released Oct. 21. The survey found that 30 percent of pastors approve of the president’s performance (including 14 percent who strongly approve). Nine percent were undecided.

According to the RNS, when the Southern Baptist-affiliated research group surveyed Protestant pastors about their voting intentions just before the 2008 elections, 20 percent indicated they planned to vote for Obama, compared to 55 percent who planned to vote for GOP candidate John McCain.

“If voting intentions and job approval measure similar things, the president hasn’t made many friends in the pulpits of America’s churches throughout the first year-and-a-half of his presidency,” Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, told the RNS.

The new research was based on interviews with 1,000 Protestant clergy Oct. 7-14 and had an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

The  Religion News Service said researchers also found that 84 percent of Protestant pastors disagreed with the idea of pastors endorsing political candidates from the pulpit.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The evangelism campaign, started early this year, encourages Oklahoma’s Southern Baptists to share the gospel and their own faith testimony using a familiar and beloved passage of Scripture, John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

To get the app for iPhone, go to the app store on your phone and type in my316 and hit the search button. It will take yo to the My316 app.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor   

A guest preacher from a church that experienced its own tragedy will deliver the sermon Sunday at the Maryville, Ill., church where the pastor was shot and killed.

The Rev. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, was killed March 8 by a lone gunman who walked into the church during worship services. The Southern Baptist church is east of St. Louis. 

The Associated Baptist Press reported that the Rev. Al Meredith, pastor of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, will preach at the First Baptist Maryville’s three worship services. 

About 10 years ago, Sept. 15, 1999, a gunman walked into Wedgwood Baptist and opened fire, killing seven and wounding seven before turning the gun on himself.

Associated Baptist Press reported that Meredith wasn’t at the church during the attack, but has experience in dealing with the aftermath of a deadly assault.

Meanwhile, a trust fund is being set up for contributions be made to a trust fund being set up for Winters’ two daughters.

For information on where to send donations, go to the church’s Web site: First Baptist Church of Maryville.
Read about Winter’s funeral service in a Baptist Press story: “Widow of slain Ill. pastor points to ‘celebration day.’” 

(AP PHOTO: Memorial service for the Rev. Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church of Maryville, Ill.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Many Oklahoma Southern Baptists are in the midst of the 40/40 Prayer Vigil which began Sept. 24 and continues through Nov. 2, right before the presidential election on Nov. 4

The prayer effort is to culminate with 40 hours of around the clock intercession during the last three days of the vigil. This 40-hour finale is to begin at 4 p.m. Oct. 31 and end at 8 a.m. Nov. 2.

Participants have been encouraged to focus personal spiritual revival, then to expand their circle of prayer concerns. 

More details are located on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Web site at www.sbc.net.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor