ATLANTA (ABP) — Baptists need to recover their commitment to evangelism, preaching and pastoral leadership, which were de-emphasized during the conflict over fundamentalism in the Southern Baptist Convention, said historian Walter Shurden. “Baptists will not see a new day until…
Schiavo’s parents ask judge to let her divorce husband
TAMPA, Fla. (ABP) – In another attempt to keep their daughter alive, Terri Schiavo's parents asked a judge in Pinellas County Feb. 28 to allow her to divorce her husband, effectively taking away his right to make decisions on her…
Georgia churches look to Virginia for affiliation by ‘affinity’
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — First Baptist Church of Rome, Ga., is considering ending its affiliation with the Georgia Baptist Convention and joining the Baptist General Association of Virginia, whose Richmond headquarters are 600 miles away. And two other North Georgia…
Investment in Columbine movie comes up empty for NAMB
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (ABP) — Five years after paying for the right to make a movie about the Columbine massacre, the North American Mission Board has nothing to show for its investment. The movie about Christian student Cassie Bernall, one of…
Observance of Lent varies among Christian traditions
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — Jay Wolf, pastor of First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., recently had a conversation with his youngest daughter about the season leading up to Easter. “Some members of her class were considering giving up chewing gum…
Supreme Court agrees to hear Oregon assisted-suicide case
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U. S. Supreme Court agreed Feb. 22 to hear a case involving a state's assisted-suicide law, while turning away two other appeals on controversial topics. The justices announced they would hear the federal Justice Department's appeal…
D.C. event to explore importance of religious liberty, free press
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABP) — First Amendment freedoms will be the focus of an April 14-15 event in the nation's capital, sponsored by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Associated Baptist Press and Baptists Today news journal. Freedom Forum executive…
Baylor search committee, advisory group named
WACO, Texas (ABP) — W. H. Brian Jr., an attorney in Amarillo, Texas, will chair the 11-member committee to seek a new president of Baylor University, the largest Baptist university in the world. Brian and 10 other regents were named…
Catholics most numerous, but Mormons gaining
NEW YORK (ABP) — The Roman Catholic Church, with 67 million members, remains the largest church in the United States, but the Mormons, the country's fastest-growing church, rose to the No. 4 slot with 5.5 million, according to 2003 church…