60,000 Pilgrims to Arrive in Israel for Christmas

According to Ynet News, approximately 60,000 Christian pilgrims are expected to arrive in Israel for the Christmas holiday, the Israeli Tourism Ministry reported Tuesday. The figure represents an estimated 50 percent increase from last year. About 1 million Christian tourists are expected to have visited Israel by the end of 2007, with about half of those being on a religious pilgrimage. Government and local authorities are currently investing efforts in facilitating smooth and easy passage from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and Nazareth.

Hotel Bibles at Risk

According to OneNewsNow.com, trends in hotels appear to be moving away from traditionally placed Gideon Bibles. The American Hotel and Lodging Association says use of religious materials in rooms at luxury hotels has dropped by 18 percent since 2001. Instead, many upscale hotels that cater to a younger leisure travel demographic are adding amenities like condoms, intimacy kits, and sexually oriented games. Even so, Myer Hotels of Branson, MO still holds strong. Marketing spokesman Chris Myer says their hotels contain Bibles on display on top of the dresser, open and book-marked. "We get great comments on that," Myer said, adding that he thinks items like "intimacy kits" are still not mainline hospitality fare, but the exception. Still, Myer admits to noticing the Bible-removal trend, chalking it up to the politically correct atmosphere of cultural warfare.

Twister rips Pensacola church

Twister rips Pensacola church
By Joni B. Hannigan
Oct 19, 2007

Greater Little Rock Baptist Church in Pensacola was heavily damaged Oct. 18 by an F1 tornado which cut a swathe about 150 yards wide with winds up to about 110 mph, tearing off half its roof. The congregation of about 650 will meet at Myrtle Grove Baptist Church for worship Sunday. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan/Florida Baptist Witness

No one was hurt at Greater Little Rock Baptist Church in Pensacola when an F1 tornado, ripping a swathe about 150 yards wide, tore off half its roof Oct. 18. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan/Florida Baptist Witness

The Rock Child Development Center, a ministry of Greater Little Rock Baptist Church in Pensacola, was destroyed by an F1 tornado which struck just before lunch Oct. 18. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan/Florida Baptist Witness

Lonnie Wesley III, pastor of Greater Little Rock Baptist Church in Pensacola, meets with church leaders and staff after an F1 tornado tore off the roof of the church Oct. 18. Photo by Joni B. Hannigan/Florida Baptist Witness

PENSACOLA, Fla. (BP)--Pastors in the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association paused Thursday night to pray for Greater Little Rock Baptist Church, which was heavily damaged by an F1 tornado earlier in the day, while its daycare center was ripped apart.

The 150-yard-wide tornado with winds estimated up to 100 mph slammed into the church's daycare first, then moved up about a block to where the church stands, churning up the worship center's massive metal roof and spitting out the contents like graffiti throughout the neighborhood.

Bright yellow tufts of insulation stuck in the chain link fences lining the church property as huge pieces of green twisted rooftop were slowly being hauled in from blocks away and lined up in the parking lot. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening as heavy rains continued to pelt the area, water poured into the unstable opening in the church's roof.

No one was hurt at the church or in the daycare center.

"The Lord has promised and He has proved Himself to be faithful," Greater Little Rock pastor Lonnie D. Wesley III told the Florida Baptist Witness. "He is who He said He is."

Greater Little Rock Baptist Church is one of the largest African American Southern Baptist churches in the area, with about 650 members.

Wesley said he has heard from Florida Baptist pastors and Florida Baptist Convention personnel and is encouraged by their prayers and support.

"I am thankful to God for the outpouring of support the body of the church is showing to us at this time," Wesley said. "It is evident that someone is praying for us. There is a lot to do."

The 13,000-square-foot building sits on the historic site of the Booker T. Washington High School, Pensacola's first African American high school, which burned down. Construction was completed on the church’s current building in 1998 and, according to an architectural magazine, its design is inspired by Noah's ark with its keel turned towards the heavens.

The church also has ties to retired Dallas Cowboys' running back Emmitt Smith, who grew up attending the church and whose mother, Mary Smith, is a member of the congregation and was assisting with clean-up at the church site early Friday morning.

Bob Greene, director of missions for the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association, which was holding its annual session Oct. 18, told messengers he briefly toured the church site Thursday afternoon and met with Wesley.

Sarah Lane, a member of Greater Little Rock for 27 years, spent Thursday afternoon at an annex of the church about a half mile from the church's main site, fielding phone calls on the pastor's cell phone while he met with her husband, who leads the church's trustees and deacon board, other leaders and his staff to strategize about the days ahead.

"If you love the church, you know you love the Lord," Lane told the Witness.

Although one of Lane's jobs was to keep reporters out, she wasn't unwilling to talk, on the record, about God's part in how the day's events unfolded.

In the annex preparing food for the children at the daycare, Lane said she became concerned when the weather turned ugly. "It just started lightning real bad and the rain just came down like sheets," she said. Someone called and told her husband a tornado had hit the church, and then finally someone called on their cell phone and told her that the daycare had been hit, Lane said, describing the rooms full of broken glass and window blinds.

Lane said the children had been sitting on the floor with the teacher and the "windows started shaking and the glass started blowing and they just herded the kids up in the hallway and to the bathroom."

No one was hurt, although there was no warning, Lane said. Just intuition. Just concern. The worst, she said in hushed tones, was that someone put the report out that "some of the kids had passed."

"Parents were coming in there, they were flying in there picking up their kids. Some were crying," Lane teared up. "But no one was hurt."

Speaking proudly of her pastor, a young man meeting with mostly his elders, Lane laughed, "Yes, we have a young pastor.

"He's great, he's good, the Lord sent him to us here," Lane said. "Good staff. We like the church and we like working for the church."

Lane said she believes God sent the tornado in order to show His handiwork. Not for any particular reason, not even to get people's attention because they were doing something wrong, but in order, perhaps, so that He might bless believers with what will happen next.

"Lord, no one else could do this but You," Lane said. "You don't question it. Why us? You don't, because could nobody else do it, but the Lord. You look around, you know it's Him. He give it to us and He can take it away."

And why God would do such a thing? Lane said, again, it's simply part of His plan to help believers see how to give and share.

"Well, to let us know what a wonderful God He is on giving; for us to do the same thing, and He wants us to do the same thing."

Fritz Wilson, who heads Florida Baptist Convention disaster relief and recovery, told the Witness the convention will support them through the process of getting back on their feet.

"We will be there to help them through the long part of the rebuilding and recovery process," Wilson said. "In the next several weeks we will begin to see how we can help them through the long term."

Ron Lentine, pastor of nearby Myrtle Grove Baptist Church, responded to the crisis immediately after the tornado and was one of the first pastors on site to offer help to Wesley. Lentine offered the use of his church’s multi-purpose building and gymnasium to Greater Little Rock.

"Our hearts go out to this fellow pastor," Lentine said. "We want to do all we can to help and support him in his time of need. We care about this congregation and the people involved."

Lentine heads a faith-based organization in the area formed after the recent hurricane seasons. They stress preparedness and strategic planning for what to do in the aftermath of a hurricane.

"Frankly, people are still thinking about hurricanes and this tornado just sort of took us by surprise," Lentine said.

Wesley told the Witness his congregation will meet at their church annex Sunday at the old Landmark church at 1171 N. "F" St. in Pensacola. They'll try to meet in two services, but if that doesn't work the first week, they'll expand to three morning worship services.

"'Home first,' was the sentiment the leaders expressed," Wesley said. "We just wanted to keep it close to home."

Local Florida Baptist disaster relief units operated out of Pensacola's Hillcrest Baptist and Olive Baptist churches will be doing clean-up operations at several locations throughout the Pensacola area in residential and business areas on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19-20.
--30--
Joni B. Hannigan is managing editor of the Florida Baptist Witness, on the Web at www.floridabaptistwitness.com.

© Copyright 2007 Baptist Press

Religion Today Summaries

Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

• Disney Demands Removal of 'God' From Ten Commandments Movie Ads
• Parents Using Religion to Avoid Vaccinations
• Oral Roberts University President to Take Leave
• Apollo Moon Documentary Bears Witness for a Creator

Disney Demands Removal of 'God' From Ten Commandments Movie Ads

It's a movie about the Bible, but family-friendly Disney Co. is moving heaven and earth to make sure the word "God" is stricken from some advertisements promoting an upcoming animated film on Moses and the Ten Commandments, FoxNews reports. Radio Disney was to broadcast a radio spot for Promenade Pictures, makers of the film "The Ten Commandments," but the company sent an e-mail earlier this month instructing that the phrase "chosen by God" be stripped from the script. Calls to Radio Disney Network sales associate Jason Atkinson and other representatives were not returned. "In connection with the Ten Commandments, I did find it offensive," said Promenade president and Chief Operating Officer Cindy Bond. "God in our movie is the main character. You rip the whole guts out of the piece." Nonetheless, Promenade complied with Disney's request because they are targeting a teens and tweens audience.

Parents Using Religion to Avoid Vaccinations

An Associated Press story says that Sabrina Rahim doesn't practice any particular faith, but she had no problem signing a letter declaring that because of her deeply held religious beliefs, her 4-year-old son should be exempt from the vaccinations required to enter preschool. Rahim is among a growing number of parents who are claiming religious exemptions to avoid vaccinating their children. In actuality, parents are possibly skeptical of the shots or concerned they can cause other illnesses. Some parents say they are forced to lie because of the way the vaccination laws are written in their states. Rahim admits the practice is "misleading," but she fears that earlier vaccinations may have contributed directly to her son's autism. The AP examined vaccination records from several states and the Centers for Disease Control and found that many states are seeing increases in the rate of religious exemptions for kindergartners. "Do I think that religious exemptions have become the default? Absolutely," said Dr. Paul Offit, head of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.

Oral Roberts University President to Take Leave

The Associated Press reports that Oral Roberts University president Richard Roberts has asked the school's board of regents for a leave of absence amid accusations of lavish spending at donors' expense and illegal involvement in a political campaign. Roberts, 58, said he would continue in his role as chairman and chief executive of Oral Roberts Ministries. "I don't know how long this leave of absence will last, but I fully trust the members of the Board of Regents," Roberts said in a statement released by the university. "I pray and believe that in God's timing, and when the Board feels that it is appropriate, I will be back at my post as president." Earlier this month, a lawsuit brought by three former ORU professors alleged several counts of fiscal irresponsibility on behalf of Roberts and his wife.

Apollo Moon Documentary Bears Witness for a Creator

A film documenting the Apollo moon project using rare footage from NASA contains numerous spiritual references pointing to the existence of God, ASSIST News Service reports. "In the Shadow of the Moon" opened September 7th and even garnered an award at the Sundance Film Festival. "It's a film about the experience of going to the moon told by the people who went -- in their own words," says director David Sington. "They wanted to organize a reunion of moonwalkers. That grew into an idea of doing a reunion on film." The 10 astronauts -- now in their seventies -- come across as surprisingly reflective and human, speaking of the profound impression they gained from walking on the lunar surface and gazing back at Earth. Charlie Duke, the 10th man to walk on the moon, makes an explicit declaration of his faith in Jesus Christ on camera. Edgar Mitchell and Gene Cernan described profound spiritual experiences, but not within a specific Christian context. Cernan discovered the universe seemed to have purpose behind it, that there must be a Creator who stands above the religions of mankind. "Edgar Mitchell's experience profoundly changed and shaped his whole life," notes Sington. "He had a moment of epiphany -- suddenly grasping who he is in relation to the universe."

U.S. Religious... but Religiously Illiterate

An article in the Indianapolis Star reports that the United States, one of the most religious countries in the world, is also a nation of appalling religious illiteracy. The article discusses Stephen Prothero's "revealing" book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn't. According to Prothero, in the U.S., "faith without understanding is the standard" and "religious ignorance is bliss." He also regards religious illiteracy as dangerous "because religion is one of the most volatile components of culture and has been, in addition to one of the greatest forces for good in the world, (also) one of the greatest forces for evil." Some examples the article cites of our country's religious illiteracy include: "nearly two-thirds of Americans endorse the teaching of creationism in our public schools, [but] fewer than half can identify the Book of Genesis... [Just under half] of Americans attribute the words "Let there be light" to Thomas Edison... Two-thirds believe that the Bible is God's word, only half of American adults can name even one of the Four Gospels... Ten percent of Americans believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife."

Former Missionary Missing in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

Former Missionary Missing in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

One of the people confirmed missing in the Aug. 1 bridge collapse in
Minneapolis is Peter Hausmann, a former missionary who met his wife,
Helen, in Kenya, according to ASSIST News Service. Hausmann,
47, is reported to have called home while sitting in traffic when the
line went dead. Sheriff’s officials in Hennepin County confirmed that
his car was recovered from under the debris of the crumpled bridge
Monday morning, but divers did not find any evidence of a body.
Officials say those who fell into the river may have been washed
downstream or are trapped in the rubble. Family members said Hausmann
should have been celebrating because he had just learned that the
Kenyan government had ordered a new investigation into the shooting
death of his friend, Rev. John Kaiser, in 2000. Kaiser was a
67-year-old Catholic priest from Minnesota who had been in Kenya for 35
years. Hausmann, a native of Bonesteel, South Dakota, also served as a
missionary in Kenya. His brother, Rev. Leo Hausmann, is a priest at St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church in Wall, South Dakota.

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Tony Blair's Comment...

Tony
Blair's comment . . ..

In case we
find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American
sentiment and
negativity, we should remember England 's Prime
Minister Tony
Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by
one of his
Parliament members why he believes so much in America ,
he said:

"A
simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many
want in... And
how many want out."

Only two defining forces
have
ever offered to die for you:

1. Jesus Christ
2. The American
G. I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

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