By Bob Allen A Seattle Baptist church known for a long history of social activism voted March 4 to affirm Washington State’s new law legalizing gay marriage. “Our church does not want to stay silent as other religious communities voice…
Kentucky Baptist Convention offers employee retirement incentives
By Bob Allen The Kentucky Baptist Convention is offering incentives for employees to take early retirement or resign voluntarily as part of a “strategic realignment” of staff. Announcing the offer March 8, Executive Director Paul Chitwood said that over the…
Vestal defends CBF hiring policy
By Bob Allen Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal defended the organization’s 12-year-old ban on hiring gays in a statement March 8. “Except for a small handful of Baptist churches, the vast majority of churches that partner within CBF…
Former teacher, youth pastor indicted on sex charges
By Bob Allen An Alabama grand jury indicted a former teacher and Southern Baptist youth minister March 6 on eight counts of sexual abuse 20 years after he avoided firing from his school-teacher job for similar allegations. Daniel Acker, who…
Tornadoes’ paths not random, John Piper says
By Bob Allen An author and preacher popular in Calvinist circles says it is no accident that recent killer tornadoes followed paths that ravaged some communities while others were spared. “Why would God reach down his hand and drag his…
Pastor found guilty of abuse
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor was sentenced to five years in prison Feb. 28 after a jury in Texarkana, Ark., found him guilty of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl inside his church last April. South Texarkana Baptist Church…
Santorum gets prayer at Baptist church
By Bob Allen A Catholic presidential candidate received a prayer of blessing from a Southern Baptist mega-church during a campaign visit to Memphis. Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., invited GOP hopeful Rick Santorum to the…
Baptist association asks church with sex-offender preacher to leave
By Bob Allen A Florida Baptist church that recently opened its pulpit to a registered sex offender has been asked to withdraw from its local association of Southern Baptist churches. Jacksonville Baptist Association leaders said March 2 that conversations with…
Mohler predicts division in CBF over homosexuality
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary president predicted that conversations about sexuality within the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are going to prove divisive for the moderate Baptist organization that split from the more conservative Southern Baptist Convention 20 years ago. …