(ABP) — They sound off during formal dinners, in restaurants, at the movies and even in churches. They’ve become the bane of every public speaker. The dreaded cell phones. As technology has given us the ability to reach out and…
Faith of our (early church) fathers
(ABP) — The faith of their fathers doesn’t impress youth and young adults very much. But the faith of the early church fathers is a different story. And it increasingly is their story as a generation starved for stable and…
County clears church’s housing project
A $38-million proposal by First Baptist Church of Clarendon in Arlington to develop an affordable housing complex was approved Oct. 23 by the Arlington County board. The Views of Clarendon, a unique mixed-use church and residential development project, will create…
Members of Congress accepting religious trips
(RNS) — Over the past four-and-a-half years, private organizations spent nearly $570,000 flying members of Congress and their families around the globe on religion-related trips, putting them up in hotels and feeding them, a study of congressional records shows. An…
IRS denies it told church not to pray for re-election
(RNS) — A Virginia pastor who prayed that God would re-elect President Bush says the Internal Revenue Service threatened him with charges of improper “electioneering,” but the IRS maintains it has made no decision in the case. The controversy erupted…
Southeastern audit finds nothing illegal, suggest changes, trustee leaders say
(ABP) — Auditors have made “a number of constructive suggestions for improvements” to financial procedures at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. The recommendations came after reports surfaced about a car given to an aide to former president…
Gary Baldridge to leave CBF missions post
(ABP) — Gary Baldridge, who with his wife has led the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s global missions effort for five years, will leave the CBF at the end of the year to return to a career in writing. Daniel Vestal, CBF…
LETTERS: Not the way of Christ
The guest editorial “Kill or be killed” by David Gushee left me wondering — what was the point that Dr. Gushee was trying to make? Was he saying that we have crossed some line where it is now legitimate to do…
OPINION: A Christian film critic’s conundrum
I was once reprimanded by a reader for suggesting Casablanca as a video alternative because the Humphrey Bogart character owned a bar. I remember my consternation over the fact that this man had dismissed this classic romantic adventure that salutes…
Army takes action against Boykin over speeches
(RNS) — The U.S. Army has taken “appropriate action” against an undersecretary who said the war on terrorism was a religious battle. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody told Reuters that the action against Lt. Gen. William G….
HERITAGE: The laughing fit
There are few calamities as destroying to a public speaker than for the speaker or the audience to be stricken with a case of the laughing fit. Herein is the report of an outbreak in Campbell County. Recently this columnist…
Baptist leaders join other Christians in launching global anti-poverty project
The Baptist World Alliance is among some 260 Christian relief and development agencies that launched an ambitious global anti-poverty campaign Oct. 15. Paul Montacute, director of Baptist World Aid, joined other representatives for the launching ceremony of the Micah Challenge…