By Bob Allen A former Baptist pastor just out of prison after serving three years for sexual abuse of children says he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of starting a new church. “I’m not sure — I’m just praying about…
Seven arrested in protest of NYC church ban
By Bob Allen Editor’s note: This story was edited after publication to correct misinformation in tne next-to-final paragraph and to add a comment from the NYC Law Department. A New York City councilman was among seven people arrested Jan. 5…
Women’s Bible commentary promotes ‘complementarian’ roles for sexes
By Bob Allen A Bible commentary by women and for women is now out in Old and New Testament volumes that seek to counter a prevailing view of women’s equality in the church and home. The two-volume Women’s Evangelical Commentary,…
Former pastor claims reassignment was race-based
By Bob Allen A former staff member at Kentucky’s largest African-American congregation claims in a recently filed lawsuit that he was reassigned from a pastoral position because he is black. Billy Hollins, a Southern Baptist North American Mission Board-appointed missionary…
Clergy sex offender released from prison
By Bob Allen An African-American preacher once popular in preaching circuits of the Southern Baptist Convention completed his three-year prison sentence for sex crimes with two girls in his congregation Dec. 28 and is now a registered sex offender on…
‘Birther’ lawsuit has setback
By Bob Allen California pastor Wiley Drake’s three-year legal battle challenging President Obama’s eligibility received a setback Dec. 22, when the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said he and other plaintiffs lacked legal standing to file their complaint. A…
Non-Catholics join opposition to contraceptive-coverage mandate
By Bob Allen More than 60 Protestant and Orthodox Jewish religious leaders wrote the White House Dec. 21 asking President Obama not to implement a mandate requiring all private insurers to provide contraception and sterilization coverage. Guidelines announced by Health…
2011 notable deaths
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) – Here is a list of notable deaths in 2011 that were reported by Associated Baptist Press. — Morris Ashcraft, 88, who taught at three Southern Baptist Convention seminaries before serving as acting president at the launch…
Year in review: Newsmakers in 2011
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) – Between headlines of “Church backing pastor jailed on molestation charges” on Jan. 3 and “Scholar says Christmas as celebration of domesticity a modern invention” on Dec. 22, Associated Baptist Press published 586 news and feature stories…