By Bob Allen A “prevalent culture” of “misstating, ignoring or denying matters of documentable fact” was among concerns prompting an accrediting agency to place a Southern Baptist college in Louisiana on probation, according to a July 9 letter made public…
Chick-fil-A founder, Baptist layman, Truett Cathy dies
By Bob Allen Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, a devout Southern Baptist layman known for building his business empire on principles of his Christian faith, died Sept. 8 at age 93. Cathy, who taught 13-year-old boys in Sunday school at…
Baptists, Mormons, ask Supreme Court to hear Utah marriage case
By Bob Allen Southern Baptists joined Mormons in a legal brief Sept. 4 asking the U.S. Supreme Court to settle once and for all if same-sex marriage is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution. The Church of Jesus Christ…
National Baptists elect new president
By Bob Allen A Mississippi pastor defeated four other candidates to win election as president of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. — the nation’s largest historically African-American denomination and second-largest Baptist group behind Southern Baptists. Jerry Young, 63, pastor of…
‘Left Behind’ coming to a theater — and maybe a seminary — near you
By Bob Allen With Nicholas Cage starring in the rapture-themed thriller Left Behind coming out in theaters Oct. 3, two Southern Baptist Convention seminaries recently announced endowed professorships with an emphasis including Bible prophecy. Both Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake…
Fire destroys Cumberland University Baptist center
By Bob Allen Two students living in an upstairs apartment escaped an early morning fire Sept. 3 at the Baptist Collegiate Ministries building at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., unharmed but with only the clothes on their backs. According to…
Don’t trade kids for immigration action, faith leaders say in one-sentence letter
By Bob Allen Following news reports of Honduran children being killed following their deportation from the United States and with President Obama considering executive action on immigration, 41 religious leaders signed a succinct, one-sentence letter Sept. 2. “While we celebrate…
Historic Baptist church sold to fraternity
By Bob Allen The Tau Nu chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will move into the former First Baptist Church in downtown Troy, N.Y., in early October, according to the Troy Record. The fraternity reportedly purchased the…
Faith leaders on both sides of border pray for children
By Bob Allen Faith leaders from mainline Protestant, Catholic and Jewish traditions formed facing semi-circles on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border Aug. 29 for a prayer vigil organized by missionaries and the head of American Baptist Churches USA. Roy…