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 Send Relief’s disaster response initiative

Soon after Hurricane Florence devastated areas of the East Coast, Southern Baptists from across the country—coordinated by Send Relief—rushed to the area to provide help. Here are five facts you should know about Send Relief and their disaster response initiative.

1. Send Relief is a program created by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in 2016 to help the North American Mission Board (NAMB) fulfill one of its six areas of ministry: Assisting churches in relief ministries to victims of disaster and other people in need. A key aspect of NAMB’s mission is to “provide appropriate assistance and coordination in service to state Baptist conventions when multi-state and national disaster responses are needed; coordinate with federal government as well as national disaster relief entities to ensure good response coordination on behalf of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief; direct and assist Christian social ministries.” Send Relief serves as a ministry hub for SBC efforts in six main areas of compassion ministry: poverty; refugees and internationals; foster care and adoption; human trafficking; crisis response, and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR).

This Week at the ERLC

• Russell Moore appeared on CNN’s OutFront this week to discuss the Supreme Court. Watch a clip from his appearance here.
   

• The Heritage Foundation announced that ERLC vp of communications Dan Darling will be speaking on, “The Dignity Revolution: Reclaiming God’s Rich Vision for Humanity” on October 1, in Washington, D.C. Click here to RSVP or learn more about the livestream.
   

• Russell Moore and Dan Darling are hosting a special ERLC Academy event in Washington, D.C. on October 2nd to discuss how rightly understanding what it means to be created in God’s image reshapes how we see ourselves and all other humans, and how we treat them and advocate for them. Preregister to get a free copy of Dan's new book, The Dignity Revolution, courtesy of The Good Book Company.
   

• Whether or not you realize it, artificial intelligence is influencing your family. Jason Thacker wrote about this subject for LifeWay’s Facts & Trends. Read his latest: 2 ways artificial intelligence is affecting our families without us knowing.

What You Need to Know

• The SBC is taking sexual abuse and sexual assault seriously. Under J.D. Greear’s leadership, a new study group has been convened. Phillip Bethancourt provides four updates on the Sexual Abuse Presidential Study Group which include the study group’s funding, strategy, sequencing, and seminary efforts. Find out more here.

“How can Southern Baptists stay involved and connected to the study group? The study group wants to hear from you. If you have suggestions, questions, connections, or ideas related to the study group, please send those to studygroup@erlc.com.”

• Ericka Andersen has witnessed the effects of opiod addiction. Her husband’s childhood was marred by it. Through her experience, she has learned why churches matter in the fight against addiction. Read her perspective here.

“As Christians, it is our responsibility to love our drug-addicted neighbors. We should participate in our local churches and partner with government initiatives. And we ought to do more than read the headlines. In God’s strength, we must go make a difference in the lives of those in our communities.”

• Pornography isn’t just a “man’s problem.” Women are affected by and addicted to it in increasing numbers. Mikayla Simpson researched the topic and has compiled a list of what you should know about women and pornography. Read her article here. 

“The Christian community could effectively respond to this issue by becoming more educated on the subject and speaking truth boldly concerning sexuality. There is no easy solution yet we can create a culture of light, living out joy and giving hope. The risk at stake in pornography is incalculable. . . . It is our obligation to shatter the silence with truth.”

News From Capitol Hill

• The ERLC policy team is concerned with the regrettable new ceiling of 30,000 refugee admissions for fiscal year (FY) 2019 announced by Secretary of State Pompeo this week. As Travis Wussow noted last month,

“One key measure of our country’s commitment to religious freedom abroad is how we treat the refugee fleeing persecution. Unfortunately, while attention to religious freedom is growing, the number of refugees admitted to the United States – including the admission of persecuted Christians – is shrinking.”

• The announced ceiling of 30,000 people is the lowest number of refugees a president has allowed to come into the country in the history of the resettlement program. Russell Moore commented this week on the Administration's decision,

“Seeing yet another drop in refugee numbers should be a shock to the conscience of all Americans. One day we will be ashamed that we as a nation turned inward, and away from our great tradition of serving as a beacon of liberty to those fleeing for their lives. Obviously, we cannot take in unlimited numbers of refugees, but the increasingly lower number of those we do take is far below the level where America could and should be in leading the world in compassion for those in peril. As a Christian, I am concerned for the well-being of all those in peril. And I stand in solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Christ in the persecuted church, many of whom will be harmed by this closed door.”

Featured Podcasts

From The Public Square

One Body, Many Parts: The Crucial Role of the ‘Faith-Based FEMA’ After Florence
Bobby Ross Jr., Christianity Today

Working alongside government agencies, Christian volunteers aid hurricane victims based on what each denomination does best.

#MeToo, church awareness focus of study
Bob Smietana, Baptist Press

A new LifeWay Research study shows one in eight Protestant senior pastors say a church staff member has sexually harassed a member of the congregation at some point in the church's history. One in six pastors say a staff member has been harassed in a church setting.

Trump administration drastically cuts number of refugees it will let into the U.S.
Catherine Garcia, The Week

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that the Trump administration is capping refugee admissions at 30,000 in 2019.

I’m a Pediatrician. Here’s What You Should Know About a New Study on Transgender Suicide.
Michelle Cretella, The Daily Signal

A new study is out that examines the risk of suicide among transgender teens. The results confirm a long pattern of data: Transgender teens attempt suicide more frequently than adolescents generally.

Upcoming ERLC Events

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