Short Spots

                                                                                                                        Vol. XVII, No. 3, March 2004

FL association severs ties with church led by husband & wife: Central Baptist Church of Daytona Beach has been removed from membership in the Halifax Baptist Association due to "doctrinal differences," according to a unanimous vote of the Florida association's executive committee at a Nov. 18 called meeting. The "doctrinal differences" involve Central's calling of a husband-wife team earlier this year as co-pastors, Dave and Sonja Phillips.

          Dennis Belz, director of missions for the Halifax association, said the calling of a woman pastor was "in direct opposition to the Word of God and the revised Baptist Faith and Message of 2000. The Bible is clear that pastors are to be male individuals, and the Baptist Faith and Message emphasizes that when it states in Article VI, which deals with the church: 'Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.'"

          Central, which advertises itself under "Baptist" churches in the BellSouth Yellow Pages, lists its congregation as "partners with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship" in the same ad.

          "Since Central belongs to the CBF, this action was probably not a big deal to them," said Don Quinn, a member of Rima Ridge Baptist Church of Ormond Beach and the association's immediate past moderator. "I feel badly about it, but if they are involved with the CBF, they shouldn't be a part of our association anyway." (BP)

Survey: teens more pro-life than general population: The survey of 517 teens ages 13-17 found that on every abortion-related question they are more conservative when compared to all adults in a separate Gallup poll. Thirty-two percent of teens, but only 17 percent of all adults, said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Forty-seven percent of teens, compared to 55% of all adults, said abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances. Additionally, 19% of teens and 26% adults said abortion should be legal in all circumstances. The findings mirror other research of recent years showing that teens are more pro-life than other adults.

          Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said, "We're winning the struggle for hearts and minds," he told Baptist Press. "... The young people are more conservative than their parents."

          Just as encouraging to pro-lifers, 72% of the teens in the survey said they believe abortion is "morally wrong." Twenty-six percent said it was "morally acceptable."

          While polls show that teens are more pro-life than the general population, they also show that teens are more liberal on the issue of same-sex "marriage." For instance, a Gallup poll this summer found that while 55% of adults opposed same-sex "marriage," 61% of adults ages 18-29 supported it. [BP]