Bowmar Baptist Church in Vicksburg, Mississippi will host a two-day leadership conference in August featuring webcast speeches from national Christian leaders on topics related to leadership. The conference is part of a larger national event hosted by over 200 churches and is open to anyone interested in leadership or spiritual growth. Bowmar Baptist hopes the conference will provide attendees with a spiritual renewal and inspiration through its Christian-focused programming.

1. THE VICKSBURG POST
RELIGION SaturDay, july 21, 2012 • SE C TIO N B
DEVOTION B2 | CHURCH EVENTS B3
Karen Gamble, managing editor | E-mail: newsreleases@vicksburgpost.com | Tel: 601.636.4545 ext 137
Parents Bowmar hosting two-day leadership conference
unsure if By Pamela Hitchins
phitchins@vicksburgpost.com
child is ready Bowmar Baptist Church is
for preschool preparing to host a two-day
leadership conference Aug.
9 and 10, featuring webcast
addresses by a dozen nation-
Q: We’re considering
ally known business and
enrolling our daughter
political leaders, authors,
in preschool this fall, but
pastors and inspirational
we’re not sure about the
speakers.
idea of consigning her to
The local church is one of
an institutional setting for
three sites in Mississippi and
hours every week.
about 200 across the nation
Jim: When it comes to
selected to host the Global
early childhood train-
Leadership Summit by the
ing, Focus on the Fam-
Willow Creek Association,
ily’s primary concern is
a not-for-profit organization
to encourage a strong founded in 1992 and dedi-
parent-child connection. cated to building the effec-
We prefer to toss the ball tiveness of local churches.
back to the parents and let “The conference is
them eval- designed for any Christian
uate is in leadership or wants to
their own encourage someone they
unique know to get closer to God,”
situation. said Bowmar’s executive
Does pre- pastor, the Rev. T.J. Tenni-
school son. “It’s specifically targeted
have the Brenden Neville•The Vicksburg Post
to a Christian audience and
poten- emphasizes leadership from Bowmar Baptist Church on Highway 61 South
DR. Juli tial to a Christian perspective.”
Slattery
Church members vote to change name
enhance But even those who don’t
or enrich define themselves as lead-
FOCUS ON the bond ers can benefit from attend-
THE FAMILY you enjoy ing the summit, said the By Pamela Hitchins people are energized, antic- sion is made, White said. and reforming as Bowmar
with your Rev. Terry White, Bowmar’s phitchins@vicksburgpost.com ipating our new name.” Bowmar’s name change is Avenue Baptist Church in
daughter? senior pastor. The church is in the early independent of and not in 1913, with 41 charter mem-
Or do you “It’s a place to get a spiri- A new name is on the stages of the process, which response to the vote in June bers, in a section of a mis-
sense that tual infusion, a spiritual jolt horizon for Bowmar Baptist will not be finalized for a by the Southern Baptist sion building on Bowmar
it might in your life,” White said. Church. number of months, White Convention to allow its affil- Avenue.
compro- “You don’t have to think of Members polled last week said. Members have been iate churches to call them- The church remained at
mise that yourself as a business leader voted 72 percent to 28 per- asked to submit sugges- selves Great Commission that site until purchasing
vital rela- or even a church leader to cent to approve changing tions for the new name, Baptists, he added. 43 acres on U.S. 61 South
tionship get something out of it.” the name of the church, one which will be evaluated by Originally known as Cal- in 1996, where its pres-
Jim in some
way?
Featured speakers will
include former U.S. Secre-
of the largest in Vicksburg, the congregation in several vary Baptist Church, the ent church and fellowship
Daly Also, tary of State Condoleeza
which dates to 1898.
“It’s a really exciting
phases.
A communitywide
local congregation met in
churches on Cherry Street
buildings were built.
White has been senior
FOCUS ON check Rice; William Ury, co-founder time for Bowmar Baptist,” announcement will be and at Clay and Adams pastor since December 1991.
THE FAMILY your and senior fellow of Har- said the Rev. Terry White, made when the final deci- streets before dissolving
motives. vard University’s Program senior pastor. “A lot of
There are on Negotiation; Harlem Chil-
probably preschools in dren’s Zone CEO Geoffrey
your area that can help, Canada; and Willow Creek’s Perhaps 150 people are available.
particularly with respect founder, Bill Hybels. expected to attend the Vicks-
burg event, and Tennison
Credit card registrations
may be made online at Bow-
To register Register online at www.
bowmarbaptist.org. The
to language skills, cogni- Each day’s session runs
said registrations will be mar’s website. To pay by Bowmar Baptist Church event, with costs ranging
tive development and edu- from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with
accepted even on the date of cash or check, contact or will host Willow Creek Asso- from $79 to $269, is open to
cational readiness. a break for lunch. Attend-
ees are on their own during the conference. To be sure of visit the church office, 1825 ciation’s Global Leadership all. To pay by cash or check,
However, if you’re
merely attempting to that time, and the church a place, interested individu- U.S. 61 South, telephone 601- Summit, a national webcast contact Bowmar Baptist,
turn your daughter into has a conference informa- als should sign up by Aug. 7. 636-2596. event featuring a dozen au- 1825 U.S. 61 South. For more
tion center with information Cost of the conference Detailed information about thors and business, institu-
a genius or position her information, call 601-636-
on local places to eat. Out-of- varies by category, from the the Willow Creek Associa- tional and political leaders
in the academic pack in 2596 or visit the church’s
town attendees may also find student rate of $79, mili- tion and its Global Leader- Aug. 9-10, from 9 a.m. to 5
order to “keep up with website or www.willow-
information on local hotels tary at $99 and up to $269 ship Summit may be found at p.m.
the Joneses,” you should creek.com.
on the church website, www. for individuals. Group rates www.willowcreek.com.
reconsider.
bowmarbaptist.org. for WCA members also are
Q: My son is almost 20
years old and currently is
Scientists, seminarians
on a mission
in college. He has really
struggled, focusing on his
classes the last two years
Faith taking doctor, family to Kenya debate evolution online
and his grades have suf-
fered in return. It is so
important to me that he
finishes college, but I don’t
know if it’s appropriate for
me to continue to moni-
By The Associated Press ‘I wanted to take the gospel of Jesus By The Associated Press demic Dean Kenneth Keath-
ley and BioLogos President
tor his work. When should BRISTOL, Tenn. — Dr. Christ to people who haven’t heard it. NASHVILLE — Public dis- Darrel Falk met at a Chris-
a parent “let go” and let
their adult child make his
Aaron Jones had a plan from Along the way I picked up medicine cussion of evolution often tian scholars conference
the day he started medical turns into a nasty debate last year. Keathley agreed to
own mistakes? school seven years ago — he because I saw such a usefulness for that between young-Earth cre- invite seminary professors
Juli: Ironically, as kids
get older, we prepare
would go to Kenya upon fin- as well.’ ationists on one side and to contribute essays describ-
ishing his studies and resi- atheists who believe sci- ing their disagreements with
them most effectively by dency requirement and then Dr. Aaron Jones ence disproves the existence BioLogos, a nonprofit foun-
letting go. You wrote that practice medicine in one of of God on the other. But it dation “committed to explor-
it is “so important to me But for things like meat and and accept a residency posi-
the most rural settings in the doesn’t have to be that way. ing and celebrating the com-
that he finishes college.” dairy, he will have to travel tion with ETSU.
world. Witness the gracious dia- patibility of evolutionary
The key is whether or not two hours. No one in Jones’ family
He graduated this past logue taking place between creation and biblical faith,”
it is important to him! But the electricity is fairly was a doctor. His father is a
week from a residency pro- Southern Baptist seminary according to its website.
Motivation is something reliable, he said, and the pastor.
gram with East Tennessee professors and evangelical Keathley begins the first
that a parent and child drinking water is twice- Jones decided in college
State University’s Family scientists on the BioLogos essay by noting that the
can’t both equally carry. filtered. Additionally, the he wanted to do missionary
Physicians of Bristol. By the website. Southern Baptist statement
When your son was little, nation of Kenya has invested work overseas. Also in col-
first week of September, he In a series of essays titled of faith is silent on how God
it was your job to provide heavily in communications lege he worked as an orderly
and his wife and two young “Southern Baptist Voices,” created the universe. But he
the motivation for him to infrastructure, so cell phones in a hospital, which piqued
daughters will be in Kapso- the two groups consider goes on to say that Southern
do well and to try his best. work well and there is Inter- his interest in health care. He
war, Kenya. questions such as whether Baptists’ very literal inter-
Now that he’s a young net access. took trips overseas during
Jones will work at Kapso- the existence of a histori- pretation of Scripture leads
adult, he has to learn to “For third-world living it’s this time and discovered he
war Mission Hospital. Kenya cal Adam and Eve created in many in the denomination to
be self-motivated. This pretty comfortable,” Jones wanted to become a mission-
is a small African nation on the image of God is compat- hold the view that God cre-
means that you have to let said. ary doctor.
the equator. The nation is ible with the gradual devel- ated the world in six, 24-hour
go of your goals for him so Jones has been to Kenya “The number one thing
poor and Kapsowar is a small opment of humans through days less than 10,000 years
he can discover his own twice, once with his wife. was, I was blessed to be
village of about 2,000 people. evolution. ago.
— which might or might “Her plan was to do mis- born in America,” he said. “I
“It’s a very rural area,” While there is disagree- Many Roman Catholic and
not be graduating from sions before we knew each wanted to take the gospel of
Jones said. “The hospital is ment, the authors are mainline Protestant Chris-
college. other and I delayed that for Jesus Christ to people who
about 140 beds. It has about quick to emphasize places tians today see parts of the
• her for eight years,” Jones haven’t heard it. Along the
15,000 visits per year.” where they do agree, such Bible such as the creation as
Jim Daly is president of Focus on said with a laugh. way I picked up medicine
An average of five children as the reality of the mira- metaphorical, but for many
the Family, P.O. Box 444 Colorado Jones got his bachelor’s because I saw such a useful-
are delivered at the hospital cles described in the Bible, evangelical Christians such a
Springs, CO 80903, host of the Focus degree from the University of ness for that as well.”
each day. including the bodily resur- belief is untenable.
on the Family radio program, and a Tennessee — Knoxville. His The Jones family’s two-year
He will live very close to the rection of Jesus. And there Southern Baptist Seminary
husband and father of two. Dr. Juli medical degree was obtained stint in Kenya was arranged
hospital in Kapsowar, which is room for give-and-take on President Albert Mohler, a
Slattery is a licensed psychologist, from the medical school at through Samaritan’s Purse.
will eliminate the need for a both sides. young-Earth creationist, has
co-host of Focus on the Family, Virginia Tech. He joked that Jones will be joining two
vehicle. The village also has The series came about called the attempt to recon-
author of several books, and a wife he decided to split the dif- other physicians there, who
basic foods for purchase like after Southeastern Baptist
and mother of three. The website is ference for his final leg of
flour, salt, sugar or beans. Theological Seminary Aca-
www.family.org. formal medical education See Jones, Page B4. See Baptists, Page B4.