ERLC Urges the Senate, Hispanic Gathering at NOBTS, Women Within the Church

The Southern Baptist Convention’s ethics entity called Tuesday (July 26) for the U.S. Senate to oppose legislation that threatens to gain enough Republican support to codify same-sex marriage into law.

In a letter to all senators, Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), urged them to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404). The legislation would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require federal and state recognition of same-sex marriages considered legal in the jurisdiction where they took place.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the measure July 19 in a 267-157 vote, with 47 Republicans joining all the Democratic members in support. If enacted, the bill would essentially place into federal law the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized gay marriage, though critics warn it could go beyond that ruling to permit recognition of other types of unions.

The Respect for Marriage Act faces the challenge of needing 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibuster and gain a floor vote, but several Republicans have indicated their willingness to support it.

===

The conference “Cree,” Spanish for “believe,” drew more than 500 Hispanic pastors, staff members and lay leaders to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in a first-ever gathering of its kind to encourage and equip Hispanic church leaders.

Representatives from churches across Louisiana and Mississippi attended the event. Pastor Otto Sanchez, long-time pastor and director of the Dominican Baptist Theological Seminary in the Dominican Republic, was the keynote speaker.

Over the weekend, Sanchez drew from Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 to urge participants to view the proclamation of the Gospel as an “urgent mission.” Obedience to the mission must come “without protest, without delay and with a good attitude,” Sanchez said.

Proclamation of the Gospel is a “non-negotiable,” and the Gospel must be explained accurately and must communicate that belief is not simply a “feeling,” Sanchez said.

===

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.

===

In a First-Person piece on Baptist Press, Women’s Ministry Specialist Kelly King says it’s vital for churches to invest in the women within the church be taking them to leadership conferences.

First, she says women gain much by learning from experts at conferences.

Second, she says women learn much by networking with one another.

Finally, she says at training events, women will leave with new knowledge they will look forward to sharing with other ladies in the church.