PHOENIX (ABP) — The Arizona Supreme Court March 25 delivered the latest in a string of blows to the movement to provide tax funding for tuition at private and religious schools. A unanimous five-member court said a plain reading of…
Alabama Baptists headed to court over property dispute
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — Alabama Baptists are going to court to resolve a dispute with Montgomery, Ala., homeowners whom Baptist leaders claim are unreasonably hindering development of land the state convention is trying to sell The Alabama Baptist newspaper reported…
Southern Baptist activist organizes confab on church and environment
ATLANTA (ABP) — An upcoming national conference on churches and the environment features several well-known evangelical speakers, including some prominent Southern Baptist leaders who will be speaking for first time on the increasingly high-profile theological issue known as "creation care."…
Southern Baptist ethics head lobbies for coal, against cap and trade
Southern Baptist leader Richard Land says cap-and-trade legislation would most hurt working people in states that rely heavily on coal for their energy. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Coal-fired power plants have received the blessing of the Southern Baptist Convention's top…
Mercer conference focuses on ending modern slavery
Participants listen to anti-human-trafficking activists during a recent Mercer University conference. (PHOTO/Mercer) MACON, Ga. (ABP) — In the face of the world’s fastest-growing crime — the enslavement of an estimated million people every year — Lauran Bethell had some profoundly…
‘Knowing’ explores age-old theological conundrum
(ABP) — Do our lives have a purpose, or are we products of random chance? If everything is predestined, is there anything we can do to improve our fate? If not, are we without hope? These questions are discussed daily…
Baptism center opens in Jordan
AMMAN, Jordan (ABP) — Baptist leaders and other dignitaries — including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair — took part in a ceremony March 20 dedicating a new evangelical Christian baptism center at the Jordanian spot traditionally regarded as the site…
Baptism center opens in Jordan
AMMAN, Jordan (ABP) — Baptist leaders and other dignitaries — including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair — took part in a ceremony March 20 dedicating a new evangelical Christian baptism center at the Jordanian spot traditionally regarded as the site…
Families: Redeeming the time
DALLAS (ABP) — In tight economic times, families should recognize making memories doesn’t mean breaking the bank, family ministry experts agree. Dream vacations to Disney World can be meaningful memory-building times for families, but so can shared trips to a…
Family missions involvement raises children’s awareness
DALLAS (ABP) — Getting a young family involved in missions might seem impossible, but there are several possibilities available to help children and parents serve the needy locally or overseas. Violetta Alvarado, volunteer coordinator at Buckner International, offered a number…
Groups oppose federal rule limiting books in prison chapels
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is among several religious and civil-liberties groups objecting to proposed rules giving federal prisons more leeway to ban religious books that officials believe could incite violence or criminal behavior. Two…
Baptists help the hurting in aftermath of Alabama shooting spree
SAMSON, Ala. (ABP) — Baptists are reaching out in Samson, Ala., a normally sleepy town marred by violence March 10 when 28-year-old Michael McLendon allegedly went on a 10-victim killing spree before turning a gun on himself. "For this small…