By Bob Allen A flagship Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregation in Oklahoma voted April 12 to call a northerner as its next pastor. First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, a historic congregation once led by revered Southern Baptist statesman and theologian…
Pastor testifies at Senate hearing in IRS tax scam
By Bob Allen A Baptist preacher taken in by the largest tax scam in IRS history shared his story at a U.S. Senate hearing April 15 in Washington. “I am sharing my experience for one reason only,” Al Cadenhead, senior…
Nearby church to commemorate 20th anniversary of Oklahoma City bombing
By Bob Allen First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City will remember this weekend’s 20th anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing with music. The music ministry will present the musical Shelter: Songs of Comfort and Hope by Paul…
Brief asks Okla. Supreme Court to strike down school voucher program
By Bob Allen An Oklahoma scholarship program to help children with disabilities attend private schools violates the state’s constitution because it uses public funds to support religious instruction, according to a brief filed April 13 in a case before the…
Georgia Baptist college gets tax break
By Bob Allen A tax rebate tailored to benefit a single Georgia Baptist college was slipped into a 49-page spending bill passed by the Georgia legislature just before this year’s lawmaking session expired April 2. State Sen. Bruce Thompson, a…
Faith leaders support Iran framework deal
By Bob Allen Four dozen Christian leaders voiced support for a framework agreement for a peaceful path to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons in a full-page ad in Roll Call paid for by Sojourners, a Washington-based social justice ministry…
Circle of Protection asks presidential contenders what they would do for the poor
By Bob Allen Christian leaders from various denominations called on newly announced presidential candidate Hillary Clinton April 12 to produce a three-minute video telling Americans that if elected what she would do for the hungry and poor. “We are praying…
Prof says homosexual orientation is a sin
By Bob Allen While many Christians read the Bible as forbidding homosexual acts, a Southern Baptist scholar argues in a recent article that same-sex orientation itself is sinful. Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm…
Central Seminary among fastest-growing theology schools
By Bob Allen Central Baptist Theological Seminary ranked second among the fastest-growing seminaries in North America, according to a new report by the Association of Theological Schools. The seminary in Shawnee, Kan., has grown by nearly 180 percent during the past…