DALTON, Ga. (ABP) — When people are in trouble following natural disasters, churches usually respond rapidly and generously. The disaster of chronic unemployment creates a different set of challenges, but some churches across the country provide models of ministry to…

ABILENE, Texas (ABP) — While many churches reach out to meet the immediate needs of people who have lost jobs, Christians also are called to tackle underlying social issues related to employment and to partner with others to help make…

Jim Denison (ABP) — I am a Christian because of the ministry of two "laymen." One was a mechanic, the other a salesman. When I was a teenager, they invited me to ride their bus to church. If they had…

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — As Hurricane Irene swirls toward the east coast with heavy rains whipped by 110 mile-per-hour winds, its potential to produce disastrous property damage prompts a deluge of news reports and a constant hum across social…

Cecil Ray GEORGETOWN, Texas (ABP) – Cecil Ray, for many years a leading figure in efforts to convince Southern Baptists to give more money to religious causes, died Aug. 23. Ray, 88, of Georgetown, Texas, worked from 1961 to 1975…

Eugene Nida (ABP) — Eugene Nida, a pioneer in the theory of modern Bible translations in the 20th century, died Aug. 25 in a Brussels hospital. While not a household name, Nida, 96, influenced Bibles in millions of homes. Working…

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ABP) – With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaching – and falling on a Sunday – many churches are planning special observances. The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is offering free resources for worship and devotion titled…

MELBOURNE, Australia (ABP) – Baptist leaders in Australia issued statements Aug. 24 opposing a proposal to change the current legal definition of marriage to include gay couples. John Beasy, national president of Australian Baptist Ministries -– formerly the Baptist Union…

DALLAS (ABP) — A recommendation approved by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board’s education and finance subcommittees would adjust funding guidelines to “level the playing field” for universities receiving Texas Baptist Cooperative Program funds, said Steve Vernon, associate…

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Those unemployed long-term suffer from more than loss of a paycheck. Being jobless shatters certainty and puts at risk every level of security a person has worked to accumulate. Joblessness assaults self worth, psychological stability and…

MINERAL, Va. (ABP) — The rare East Coast earthquake Aug. 23 left two Baptist churches near the epicenter with cracked walls and broken glass, but no major damage, said spokespersons at each congregation. Mineral Baptist Church and Louisa Baptist Church…

CLYDE, N.C. (ABP) — Economic life is never easy in western North Carolina’s mountains and 70 percent of the poor are locked into “generational poverty” that holds them back like the concrete anchors on their mobile homes. At least the…