MOSCOW (ABP) – About 100 people picketed a district assembly building in Moscow May 17 because they said plans for a private Russian-American Christian college in a local neighborhood is a threat to the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the…
Senate leaders call off negotiations, set sights on filibuster showdown
WASHINGTON (ABP) — With the breakdown of negotiations between the Senate's Democratic and Republican leaders, the chamber is closer than ever to a “nuclear” showdown over the filibuster. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced May 16 that his attempts…
Danny Akin warns of ‘grave weakness’ behind SBC’s slumping evangelism
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP) — “All is not well” among Southern Baptists, according to seminary president Danny Akin, who cited slumping evangelism statistics as evidence of “grave weakness” in the denomination. The Southern Baptist Convention has “experienced a conservative resurgence,…
Federal judge strikes down Nebraska amendment banning gay marriage
WASHINGTON (ABP) — For the first time, a federal judge has overturned a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. On May 12, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon of Nebraska said that state's ban on gay marriage and other same-sex legal…
CBF church in N.C. ends bid for associational membership
WILMINGTON, N.C. (ABP) — A new Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church in southeastern North Carolina has withdrawn its application for membership in the Wilmington Baptist Association after it became the subject of debate at the association's meeting May 12. North Brunswick…
Federal appeals court rules in favor of ‘In God We Trust’ inscription
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — A federal appeals court has said an inscription of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on a North Carolina government building is constitutional. In a unanimous ruling May 14, a three-judge panel of the Virginia-based…
ACLU challenges government funds for ‘evangelistic’ sex-ed program
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A civil-liberties group is challenging the constitutionality of government support for an abstinence-only sex-ed program that bills itself as an “evangelistic ministry” and gives teenagers silver rings inscribed with a Bible passage. The Massachusetts branch of the…
Endowed chairs for Garlands are double rarity for Baylor
WACO, Texas (ABP) – A married couple who teach at Baylor University, David and Diana Garland, have had two academic chairs endowed in their honor. The endowments are a double rarity: Baylor never has established individual chairs for both husband…
Eastern Baptist Seminary to be renamed after former president
WYNNEWOOD, Pa. (ABP) – To honor the legacy of former president Gordon Palmer, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary will change its name to Palmer Theological Seminary July 1. Eastern, located in suburban Philadelphia, is one of 10 seminaries related to American…
California legislators scuttle proposed gay-marriage bans
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Legislators in California have scuttled, at least temporarily, an attempt to amend that state's Constitution to ban gay marriage. Committees of both the state's legislative chambers — the California Senate and California Assembly — rejected the amendment…
Baptists sent as much $15 million in tsunami aid, BWA hears
BANGKOK, Thailand (ABP) — Baptist groups from around the world affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance have contributed as much as $15 million so far in relief for victims of the December 26 South Asian tsunamis, according to a BWA…
Commission on global religious freedom adds Uzbekistan to violators list
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A federal panel charged with monitoring religious freedom worldwide is asking the Bush administration to take sanctions against Pakistan, Uzbekistan and several other nations for severe violations. Members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…