Rooftop Pastor, Texas Abortion Law, & Conflict Resolution

Transcript

A Chicago pastor has a solution to the violence in the Windy City , and he’s taken to a rooftop to proclaim it.

Southern Baptist Pastor Corey Brooks is spending 100 cold and windy days and nights from Nov. 30 to Feb. 28 – on a rooftop nearly 40 feet above the streets, where he invites people to come and talk with him about their lives, to discuss ideas, solutions and opportunities, despite the all-too-common fatherlessness that can lead to gang life in a search for protection.

He’s hoping to raise $35 million for a community and training center across the street from the church. As of his 50th day on the roof, he’s raised about one-third of the funds.

The training center will help people gain skills in entrepreneurship, the medical field, the arts, construction, sports and more.

Visit the New Beginnings Church of Chicago website for more information.

A Texas law banning abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected, around six weeks of pregnancy, remains in effect after a New Orleans appeals court tossed it back to the state.

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday (Jan. 17) that the Texas State Supreme Court should decide whether the appeal by abortion providers can proceed.

The Texas law is unique in that it shields state officials from review, but empowers private citizens to sue anyone who “aids or abets” in an abortion procedure. The circuit court got the case in December after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked some points of the lawsuit, but said the challenge could proceed against a narrow set of state licensing officials who have the power to revoke licenses of doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

In tossing the law back to the state, the circuit court said the state is better positioned to answer relevant questions of the case.

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.

Tony Wolfe is the associate executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, in a piece on Baptist Press he offers nine barriers to conflict resolution. Here are a few other them:

• Hidden agenda
• Unchecked pride
• You’re making an uninformed assumption

There are six more you can in Wolfe’s article on Baptist Press.com.

Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and find more stories at BaptistPress.com. Thanks for listening to Good News for Today. I’m Brandon Porter.