By Bob Allen Religious liberty advocates said a U.S. Supreme Court decision Jan. 20 affirming a devout Muslim prisoner’s right to grow a beard for religious reasons is a win for the religious liberty of all Americans. The unanimous decision…
Ergun Caner steps down as president of Brewton-Parker
By Bob Allen Ergun Caner, the colorful and controversial president of Georgia Baptist Convention-affiliated Brewton-Parker College, resigned Jan. 20, saying his son’s suicide six months ago has left him emotionally unequipped to provide the kind of leadership the institution needs….
Partnerships can transform racial relations, says pastor
By Bob Allen Racial reconciliation can occur not only between individuals but also by way of transforming mission partnerships, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor said Jan. 15 at a conference for diverse Baptist groups in Atlanta. Jason Coker, pastor of…
SBC megachurch challenges discrimination law in Dallas suburb
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist megachurch is lending its membership roll of 37,000 to a petition drive seeking repeal of a non-discrimination ordinance in Plano, Texas. Petitions will be available this weekend at Prestonwood Baptist Church opposing changes by…
After recantation, LifeWay withdraws ‘The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven’
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources agreed to stop selling a book about a child’s purported visit to heaven during a near-death experience in 2004 after the now-teenager recanted the story in an open letter to a Southern Baptist blog….
‘Holy irritant’ can move white, black Baptists beyond comfort zones, says preacher
By Bob Allen The current pastor of the spiritual home of Martin Luther King Jr. challenged a movement called the New Baptist Covenant to move beyond comfort zones of race and theology toward a “covenant community” characterized by “creative and…
Clergy divided on Georgia religious liberty bill
By Bob Allen The top spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Georgia affiliate called on the state’s General Assembly to pass a new bill bolstering religious freedom at a Jan. 13 rally claiming Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was fired for…
SBC leader sees ‘chasm’ between liberal, evangelical denominations
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention leader says that rather than representing two points on a spectrum of Christianity, evangelical Christianity and liberal Protestantism are different and competing religions. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville,…
Family suggests memorial gifts for Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler
By Bob Allen The family of deceased Baptist leader Carolyn Weatherford Crumpler is asking that rather than paying their respects by sending flowers, friends honor her memory by supporting causes that were dear to her heart. Crumpler, 84, died Jan….
Editor says Atlanta mayor should repent or resign
By Bob Allen A Georgia Baptist newspaper editor says Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed should either repent or resign for firing a fire chief who wrote a religious book that offended the city’s LGBT community. Christian Index Editor Gerald Harris said…
Former international seminary head John David Hopper dies
By Bob Allen John David Hopper, president of the European-based International Baptist Theological Seminary when the Southern Baptist Convention’s Foreign Mission Board suddenly defunded the school in 1992, died Jan. 10 at age 80. Despite having promised four years before…
Insurance company settles with Missouri Baptist Convention
By Bob Allen The Missouri Baptist Convention has received $5 million in a settlement with the insurance company representing one of five breakaway agencies that moved to self-perpetuating trustee boards in 2000 and 2001. After a dozen years of litigation,…