Our mission: To inform, An international inspire and unite newspaper Vol. 69, No. 8 | August 2012 for Churches of Christ Heat seeker: NBA champion Black, white and Gray CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY who once challenged puts faith first Lipscomb University in court receives BY MURRAY EVANS | FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE the Christian university’s highest honor. On the night before the biggest game of his basketball career — one that BY BOBBY ROSS JR. | THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE would make his team the NBA cham- pion — Norris Cole was where he often can be found: at a Church of Christ service in Miami, worshiping God with his family and friends. Cole, a rookie guard for the Miami Heat, was a key reserve all season and MURRAY EVANS hit three big Norris Cole at NBA 3-pointers in the KRISTI JONES Finals media day in NBA Finals as Fred Gray accepts an honorary doctorate from Lipscomb University, saying he’s “honored, appreciative and humbled” by the recognition. Oklahoma City. the Heat beat the Oklahoma City NASHVILLE, Tenn. — a school that trained hundreds of bestows on an individual. Thunder in five games to win the title. orty-five years ago, civil rights future black church leaders — to David “It is not every day that you file a law- During media interview times between attorney and preacher Fred Gray Lipscomb College, a higher education suit against an institution and that institu- games, he’d chat with ESPN basketball filed a lawsuit that exposed deep institution with a history of racism. tion later sees fit to honor you,” Gray, 81, analysts and wave to reporters like divides between black and white On a recent Friday night, that same told a crowd of 500 that witnessed the they were old friends. Fmembers of Churches of Christ. Christian college — now known as ceremony in Lipscomb’s Allen Arena. But through all the hoopla, those close The 1967 lawsuit challenged the trans- Lipscomb University — presented Gray Who, Gray asked, would have thought to Cole say he’s remained grounded fer of more than $400,000 in assets from with an honorary doctorate of humane such an honor would be possible for an See NBA ROOKIE, Page 21 the closed Nashville Christian Institute letters, the highest award the university See FRED GRAY, Page 14 BOX 11000 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73136-1100 INSIDE CALENDAR .....................28 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. CURRENTS ......................17 U.S. POSTAGE INSIGHT .........................34 PAID INTERNATIONAL ..............8 OKLAHOMA CITY OK LETTERS ........................31 PERMIT # 276 NATIONAL ........................5 OPINION ........................30 PARTNERS .....................27 Christianity in China It’s GO! time Kathmandu’s kingdom PEOPLE ..........................29 Church member shares At this camp, the goal is Christians in Nepal sacrifice REVIEWS .......................32 insight from Shanghai. 25 simple: Change the world. 17 their culture for faith. 10 VIEWS ...........................31 Minister reports six church members killed in Pakistan bus bombing, Page 13 | www.christianchronicle.org | (405) 425-5070 2 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE AUGUST 2012 EEM Is Going To Camp This Summer. EEM is training teams from U.S. churches of Christ and traveling to Ukraine to teach children the Bible in camps. These are not just any camps. They are former pioneer youth camps used to indoctrinate children into Communism. Imagine a place where God and His Word were prohibited. Now, these camps are open to us and God’s message of love is being taught to the kids and camp staff. It truly is an opportunity that only God could provide. In addition to teaching the Bible, the teams will be giving more than 10,000 Bibles and pieces of Biblical Literature to the children and staff to take home and share with their families. The Bible. We want everyone to get it. facebook.com/EasternEuropeanMission · twitter.com/@EveryoneGetsIt · 1-800-486-1818 · www.eem.org EEM is overseen by the Prestoncrest church of Christ, Dallas, Texas. AUGUST 2012 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE 3 Race and the Technology — old and new — spreads Gospel church: How far have we come? Hashtag to heaven: NASHVILLE, Tenn. Series combines oung scholars, meet the old warhorses. Y At the Christian sacred text, tweets Scholars Conference, young scholars presented papers BY BOBBY ROSS JR. | THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE during a session dubbed “How Far Have We Come? SPRING HILL, Tenn. — #REDEMPTION. A Current That was the featured hashtag in the Inside Story Assessment youth group Bible class at the Spring of Race Meadows Church of Christ on a recent Relations in Wednesday night. Churches of As youth minister Scott Bond pushed Christ.” the play button on a video, he urged Then teens to take out their smartphones and the old discuss the lesson among themselves — warhorses — and thousands of other young people. who actually “Right now, there are 177 churches doing experienced this same series together,” Bond told the Bobby Ross Jr. the turbu- class. “There was a church that registered lent times today in Pearl Harbor. … If I was in Hawaii, studied — explained what I’d probably be surfing, but they’re doing really happened. the Hashtag Youth Series.” I’m exaggerating, but the Think of the Hashtag Youth Series as a riveting discussion had that high-tech version of long-popular areawide kind of feel to this journal- summer youth series. ist, born in 1967, the same But instead of driving to a sister congre- year the Nashville Christian gation, youth groups watch a recorded Institute closed (see related lesson and post responses and questions story on Page 1). TED PARKS online via Twitter. One could forgive Andrew A camera in the Gospel Broadcasting Network’s main studio in Ringgold, Ga., captures a message for “A lot of young people, in a lot of studies Hairston, the preacher for GBN’s “Focus on Faith.” Alan Pitchford, youth minister for a Church of Christ in Tennessee, speaks. that are being done today, don’t know how the predominantly black to articulate or put into words what they Simpson Street Church of believe,” Bond said. Christ in Atlanta since 1961, Georgia-based network sends timeless Tweeting — as posting on the online for his bluntness in respond- social networking site is known — gives ing to — as he put it — “the See HASHTAG, Page 23 beneficiaries of stuff we cre- truths to television sets — and iPads ated and worked on.” “Now we sit in judgment BY TED PARKS | FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE programming, according to the network’s of us,” Hairston quipped, executive director, Don Blackwell. drawing laughter from the RINGGOLD, Ga. GBN employs three full-time production standing-room-only crowd or the Gospel Broadcasting Network, personnel — all in their 20s — assisted by that filled a Lipscomb the challenge is using the latest part-time staff. The trio shares responsibil- University lecture hall. communication tools to spread the ities, switching jobs as necessary between This was not, after all, timeless truths of the Bible. lighting, preparing sets, running camera, the first time Hairston had Launched in November 2005, editing and directing. tackled the race issue in the FGBN is a 24-hour television network with “One of the things … with the work Lord’s body. studios in this north Georgia town, 17 here is to be able to wear many hats,” said The banner headline on the miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tenn. videographer Blake Kelley. “We’re capable front page of the July 5, 1968, About 20 cable providers offer GBN as of adapting to circumstances that come BOBBY ROSS JR. Christian Chronicle declared: a channel, with local on-air stations and before us.” Twitter posts by teens watching the Hashtag See RACE RELATIONS, Page 4 satellite systems also airing selected See GBN, Page 22 series appear on the screen behind Scott Bond. 4 THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE INSIDE STORY AUGUST 2012 www.christianchronicle.org Go online to find news updates, an expanded calendar, classifieds Harding University Bible Lectureship and much more. Use the barcode at right to visit our mobile site. • See family photos of Miami Heat rookie Norris Cole, a faithful Christian whose team defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. faith for a new place & time • Breaking news: Don’t wait to read all the latest news or check out studies in joshua exclusive online features. Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, 2012 RACE RELATIONS: ‘A step in the right direction’ FROM PAGE 3 gation. That has not discouraged me.” “Atlanta Conference Studies Race: Starting in the 1940s, the Nashville Negroes, Whites Discuss Problems.” Christian Institute educated hundreds of That story noted that the first speaker future black church leaders. — Hairston — addressed “Spiritual The school allowed paternalistic Equality in Christ.” The Chronicle white supporters and passive black reported that the minister, then in his beneficiaries to pretend Churches of 30s, said Christians need to believe in one Christ enjoyed racial unity, said young church, regard racial segregation as a sin scholar Wes Crawford, who is white and realize that man is a whole being. and preaches for the Glenwood Church Royce Money, former longtime presi- of Christ in Tyler, Texas. dent of Abilene Christian University To some extent, it may be true that in Texas, moderated the recent panel blacks did not do much to fight the unjust discussion. In 1999, Money went to his- social order, Hairston acknowledged. torically black Southwestern Christian “But it’s largely true that we couldn’t do College in Terrell, Texas, to apologize anything,” he said. for ACU’s “sins of racism and discrimi- The Atlanta minister scoffed at young nation of the past.” blacks whom he said suggest they Among the young scholars was Tanya would not have ridden at the back of Smith Brice, a social work professor at any bus.