By Bob Allen Trustees of the Religious Herald, a news journal with historic ties to Virginia Baptists, voted unanimously Oct. 7 to merge with Associated Baptist Press, creating a new print and online media platform aimed at enhancing the mission…
Jimmy Carter’s pastor moving
By Bob Allen The world’s most famous Sunday school teacher is losing a pastor. Jeff Summers, pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., for eight years, has announced his decision to accept a call to New Hope Baptist Church…
Church bus wreck kills eight
This story was edited after posting to correct an error in the second paragraph. By Bob Allen Eight people died Oct. 2 when a church bus returning from a conference led by former Southern Baptist Convention President Johnny Hunt blew…
Board members turn citizen journalists
By Bob Allen Former Cooperative Baptist Fellowship moderator Harriet Harral turned citizen journalist when her return flight from an Associated Baptist Press board meeting turned into a bomb scare that made national headlines Oct. 1. Harral, CBF moderator in 2007-2008,…
Baptist leader says pope soft on sin
By Bob Allen The head of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission says Pope Francis is soft on sin. Russell Moore, president of the moral-concerns agency for the nation’s second-largest faith group behind Catholicism, criticized the pope’s…
ABP/Religious Herald merger moves ahead
By Bob Allen Associated Baptist Press directors voted Sept. 30 to merge with the Religious Herald, a Virginia Baptist newspaper published since 1828. Details of the merger plan, by mutual agreement marked confidential until acted upon by both governing boards,…
Embrace diversity, says BWA leader
By Bob Allen Cultural and theological diversity among Baptists worldwide is both a challenge and a strength, Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Neville Callam told European Baptist leaders gathered Sept. 25-28 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Callam urged the Council of the…
Evangelicals behind Catholics on abuse
By Bob Allen A Liberty University law professor and grandson of Billy Graham told reporters Sept. 26 that he thinks evangelicals “are worse” than Catholics when it comes to responding to sexual abuse by clergy. “Protestants can be very arrogant…
Glorieta leaseholders seek damages
By Bob Allen An Arkansas couple who own a house on leased land at Glorieta Conference Center have sued LifeWay Christian Resources and numerous other parties for $12.4 million, accusing the Southern Baptist publishing house of fraud. Kirk and Suzie…