MACON, Ga. (ABP) — Twenty-hour days in the face of desperate poverty, terrible diseases, sometimes-hostile neighbors and even tigers could grind down even the most faithful, but somehow, Leena Lavanya draws strength from her ministry to keep going. Indian Baptist…
Ability to sue over church-state claims at stake in Supreme Court case
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A Supreme Court case involving an Arizona program that funds private schools has the potential to change the way the law handles cases dealing with government endorsement of religion. The justices of the nation’s highest court heard…
Member of N.C. paper’s board resigns in protest over editor’s treatment
MARION, N.C. (ABP) — A member of the board of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention’s newspaper has resigned to protest what she described as “pressure” on the paper's editor to slant the news. On Nov. 4, the Biblical Recorder published a resignation…
BWIM sponsoring focus on women preachers
ATLANTA (ABP) — An organization seeking to encourage, advocate and network Baptist women in church leadership has begun recruiting churches to set aside a Sunday in February to invite a woman to preach. Raygina Beale was the Martha Stearns Marshall…
Analysis: Mixed bag for social conservatives in midterm election
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The 2010 midterm congressional elections were a clear victory for those who claim fealty to fiscal conservatism, but they were more a mixed blessing for religious and social conservatives. Religious conservatives, however, may still use the results to…
Consultants, columnists cite faith factor in Republican sweep
ARLINGTON, Va. (ABP) — A political consultant who received national attention for religious outreach for Democrats in 2006 said this year's election results show the party cannot afford to ignore faith-and-values voters. Eric Sapp Eric Sapp — who in 2008…
British Baptist minister pleads guilty to child molestation in Va.
FAIRFAX, Va. (ABP) – A former British Baptist pastor pleaded guilty Nov. 3 to four counts of sexually molesting the young sons of family friends while on visits to their Northern Virginia home over a period of several years. Robert…
Mo. Baptists resist effort to drop almost nine-year litigation battle
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (ABP) — A move to end a nearly nine-year-long legal battle against agencies formerly affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention met strong resistance at the MBC's 176th annual meeting. Messengers defeated a move by Michael Haynes, Greene County Baptist…
Supreme Court hears arguments involving prisoners’ religious freedom
WASHINGON (ABP) – The Supreme Court’s justices struggled Nov. 2 to divine whether a federal statute allows a prisoner to collect monetary damages when the state incarcerating him violates his religious freedom. From left to right, Baptist Joint Committee for…