By Bob Allen The new president of Brewton-Parker College opened his administration by leading the faculty in signing the Baptist Faith and Message, a move the Christian Index predicted “will surely endear him to Georgia Baptists.” Steve Echols, former president…
Lawmaker says longer summer would buoy Ark park tourism
By Bob Allen A Kentucky lawmaker is proposing a bill to postpone the start of the school year in hopes that more students will travel to visit a creationist theme park under construction in his district. State Sen. Damon Thayer…
Accidental shooting kills N.C. Baptist pastor
By Bob Allen The founding pastor of one of the largest Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina died Aug. 29 in an accidental shooting while cleaning a pistol. Nations Ford Community Church in Charlotte, a predominantly African-American multi-site congregation affiliated…
Richard Land: Democrats don’t want gun control but gun ‘confiscation’
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist Convention official termed the declaring of certain public areas as “gun-free” zones “an invitation to mayhem,” citing what he said was evidence that increased gun ownership is a deterrent to violent crime. Richard…
Texas pastors want tax dollars for church schools
By Bob Allen One way to fix the troubled public-school system in Texas is making education funds available to church-based private schools, a group of prominent pastors including Ed Young of Second Baptist Church in Houston and Robert Jeffress of…
Baptist university responds to video of former president
By Bob Allen Baptist-affiliated North Greenville University issued a statement saying its leaders are expected to lead Christ-centered lives after a video posted on YouTube showed what appeared to be a confrontation between the former president and his son over…
Southern Baptists to cut missionary force by 15 percent
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board will offer voluntary incentive for early retirement in an attempt to cut between 600 and 800 jobs from the agency’s missionary force and staff. Leaders of the Richmond, Va.,-based IMB…
Jimmy Carter’s church to limit Sunday crowds
By Bob Allen Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., announced Aug. 27 it would begin limiting the size of crowds attending a Sunday school class taught by former President Jimmy Carter. Last Sunday Carter, 90, for the first time pulled…
Burma conversion bill raises religious freedom concern
By Bob Allen Advocates for religious liberty view with alarm a new law recently passed by the parliament in Myanmar making it harder for a person to switch religions. Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organization that monitors human rights,…