Sex Abuse Report, Compassion, & Sports Missions

Members of the Southern Baptist Convention are processing through the details of a 288-page report on the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims released publicly Sunday. The independent investigation examines how the Executive Committee received and acted upon sexual abuse claims over a period of 21 years.

The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of around 47,000 churches across the United States.

The SBC meets annually to hear reports and take action its ministry and business. The next meeting is set for June 14 and 15 in Anaheim, California.

Crediting God’s tenderness and compassion, Leanne Jamieson says pregnant women in crisis often stick to her very soul, causing her to take their concerns to God’s altar.

The executive director of the Prestonwood (Baptist Church) Pregnancy Center meets hundreds of such women each year.

Jamieson spoke to Baptist Press while preparing for the May 31 opening of the Prestonwood Family Resource Center that will allow expanded and extended care for mothers, fathers and children, with pertinent resources through perhaps the fifth year of life.

As the U.S. Supreme Court seems primed to return abortion law to the purview of state legislatures, Jamieson suspects the Prestonwood ministry will attract more women in crisis. Texas is among 13 states with laws on the books that will immediately outlaw abortion if the decision is returned to the states.

Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

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.

Betty Wiseman considers her path – the one that started in tiny Portland, Tenn., before going through Nashville and winding to the ends of the earth – to be orchestrated by God.

That path has centered around her faith and basketball. Wiseman averaged 30 points a game in high school scoring a one time record of 45 points at a time of girls’ teams playing on a divided court with no three-point line.

In 1968 she founded the Belmont women’s basketball team, one of the first not only in the state, but the Southeast. Wiseman served as head coach for 16 seasons leading them to four trips to the National Invitational Tournament from 1973-1977.

As much as she loves basketball, Wiseman adheres to a similar passion for the Great Commission. She took her first overseas mission trip with Brentwood in 1992. That time in Chile changed her life.

She’s still active in her church, lending a hand however her teammates need her.