The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 Facts About Southern Baptist Cooperation

One hundred seventy five years ago this week, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was created “for the purpose of eliciting, combining, and directing the energies of the Baptist denomination of Christians, for the propagation of the Gospel.” Since then the churches and state conventions associated with the SBC have joined together on numerous ventures to advance the message and work of the gospel.

Here are five facts you should know about Southern Baptist cooperation:

1. To help cover the costs of expanding ministry opportunities, leaders of the SBC proposed, in 1919, the 75 Million Campaign, a five-year pledge campaign. The campaign was designed to fund the missions and ministries of all the state conventions as well as that of the Southern Baptist Convention. Although that program fell short of its goal, it led to the launching of the Cooperative Program in 1925. The Cooperative Program relies upon the undesignated gifts given to it by Southern Baptist churches. By unifying the funding, the Cooperative Program provides a workable way through which tens of thousands of like-minded churches can cooperate for the advancement and application of the gospel.

This Week at the ERLC

• Jason Thacker has an article about privacy and the coronavirus at The Gospel Coalition. He also wrote in Outreach Magazine about why smart devices can’t replace human connection.

Helpful Resources On COVID-19

• Keep up with the ERLC’s latest resources on coronavirus at ERLC.com/COVID19
   
• Keep up with the latest CDC news and resources at coronavirus.gov
   
• From The White House | Coronavirus Guidelines for All Americans

What You Need to Read

• Josh Wester with Why Planned Parenthood doesn’t fit on Mother’s Day

On a day like Mother’s Day, few people would think of Planned Parenthood. Indeed, who would want to? But rather than letting the day pass without comment, the organization opted to draw attention to itself anyway. Planned Parenthood, though, can’t acknowledge Mother’s Day apart from a twisted sense of irony. On a day of celebration, where Americans take time to honor those who gave us the gift of life and the blessings of nurture, love, and care, Planned Parenthood doesn’t fit.

• Jessie Sandberg with A 91-year-old's perspective on loneliness and isolation

No matter how I may feel about my usefulness or ability to serve, and even when the loneliness sets in, I continue to learn that God truly is sufficient to meet my needs. And not only does he provide what I need, he meets me with his love and presence every moment of even thet hardest days. Whatever our current and future circumstances, he promises to do the same for all his children.

• Herbie Newell on Why international adoption is still a viable instrument in child welfare

After decades of steady growth, the landscape of international adoption has shifted dramatically in recent years. Since 2004, the number of adoptions into the United States from other countries has dropped more than 80% as nations such as Russia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia have halted all intercountry adoptions. While these countries have ceased placing children through international adoption, others have taken strides at improving child welfare systems within their borders, also impacting adoption numbers.

News From Capitol Hill

Over the last few weeks, the ERLC’s policy team worked to seek clarity from the administration on the implications of the Paycheck Protection Program guidance on churches and charities. This week, we got it.

Here’s the background. In late April, new regulations on the program from the Small Business Administration (SBA) said applicants must be able to demonstrate their need for assistance and implied that organizations who had any reserve finances, such as a capital fund, might make an organization ineligible for the program. This guidance created confusion and potential problems for organizations who applied in good faith and in line with the aim of the CARES Act.

Thankfully, on Wednesday, the SBA issued a clear, bright-line safe harbor that gives certainty for those that received small loans under the program that they may certify that their loan application was necessary given the current economic climate. This means if a church or ministry received less than $2 million, they need not fear that SBA will later make the argument that the loan was not necessary. 

"We are pleased to see this guidance from the SBA giving critical clarification to a program that many churches and charities had already participated in. We worked with the administration alongside a broad coalition of religious organizations to seek this clarity, and we're thankful that faith-based participants can move forward with confidence, serving the spiritual needs of their communities and the most vulnerable among us." — Travis Wussow

You can learn more about this program and ERLC’s advocacy on this issue with this new explainer from Wussow.

Featured Podcasts

From The Public Square

State reopening plans a concern for religious liberty, churches
Diana Chandler, Baptist Press

Southern Baptist pastors in several states are concerned that governmental restrictions on reopening the economy might unduly impact churches.

Poll shows a partisan split over virus-era religious freedom
Elana Schor and Emily Swanson, ABC News

A new poll points to a partisan divide over whether restricting in-person religious services violates religious freedom.

Turkey the Only NATO Member Singled out in Annual Religious Freedom Report
Tugba Tanyeri-Erdemir & Aykan Erdemir, Providence

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2020 Annual Report on April 28 and recommended the US government include Turkey on the State Department’s “Special Watch List” for “engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.” 

A haven for victims of trafficking in Georgia
Scott Barkley, Christian Index

Getting people to talk to you at a hotel known for prostitution and drugs isn't that difficult, says Rhiannon Dobson. All the time, she asserts, people are watching.