(ABP) — As some congregations reach out to minister beyond their church campus, many have chosen to begin second or third or more sites under the church umbrella. Adding more sites usually means adjusting the congregation’s governing structure. Glenn Akins,…
Sheriff’s office settles lawsuit with former church member outed for blog
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — The sheriff's office in Jacksonville, Fla., has agreed to study its conflict-of-interest code for detectives and develop a training program on First Amendment considerations as part of a settlement with an anonymous blogger who was unmasked…
Baptists helps Haitian amputee soccer team
Members of a Haitian amputee soccer team proudly display a shirt bearing both the Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief insignia and their team logo. TBM will train the team members in water purification techniques and basic disaster relief before they…
Baptist leaders discuss reprise of New Baptist Covenant
ATLANTA (ABP) — A repeat of the 2008 Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant meeting in Atlanta could be in the offing as early as next year, according participants in a recent meeting of North American Baptist leaders called together…
Texas Baptist columnists disagree about yoga
DALLAS (ABP) — Two Baptist panelists on a newspaper discussion blog had differing takes on recent comments by a Southern Baptist leader urging Christians to avoid yoga. Al Mohler Texas Faith, a regular feature of the Dallas Morning News website,…
Teacher follows God’s calling to 11 countries in 11 months
DENTON—Alecia Dockery from First Baptist Church in Denton is living out of a backpack and sharing God’s love in 11 nations over 11 months. Dockery, who left Texas in September, has spent her first month in the Philippines. While there,…
Moderate Baptist group in Georgia closing doors
ATHENS, Ga. (ABP) — A group formed 10 years ago to oppose fundamentalism in the Georgia Baptist Convention has decided to close up shop. Becky Matheny The Baptist Heritage Council of Georgia's board of directors voted in September to close…
Kentucky Baptist Fellowship joins ecumenical body
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (ABP) — The Kentucky Baptist Fellowship has been accepted as a full member of the Kentucky Council of Churches, an ecumenical group related to the National Council of Churches. The Fellowship, one of 19 autonomous state and…
Trail-blazing U.S. woman pastor to address British Baptists next year
DIDCOT, England (ABP) — A woman minister noted for breaking the so-called "stained-glass ceiling" by becoming pastor of prominent churches associated with the Southern Baptist Convention and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will be a keynote speaker at a major Baptist gathering…
CBF recycling earthquake rubble to build homes for Haitians
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is entering a new relief phase in Haiti, moving families into permanent homes built from the rubble created by the Jan. 12 earthquake that left them homeless. The newly formed Haiti Housing…
CBF 2012 task force begins with listening sessions
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — A blue-ribbon task force assigned to study and recommend changes to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's structure has begun its work with a series of listening sessions for various stakeholders in the 20-year-old moderate Baptist organization. David…
Global Christians protest China barring nationals from conference
WASHINGTON (ABP) — On the eve of a global Christian conference set to begin Oct. 16, Christian groups in the United States and elsewhere are protesting the Chinese government’s decision to prevent as many as 200 would-be participants from attending….