LONDON (ABP) — An annual assembly of British Baptists called on the government to crack down on strategies used by multinational corporations to avoid paying taxes in the Third World. While not illegal, a Baptist Union of Great Britain resolution…
Two-thirds of Americans believe Osama bin Laden’s in hell
WASHINGTON (RNS) — While Americans have debated whether Osama bin Laden’s body belongs at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, most agree on the final destination of his soul — in hell. A new poll reports most Americans (82 percent)…
J. Alfred Smith finds Gardner-Webb University open to diversity
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (ABP) — A predominantly white Baptist college in rural North Carolina might seem an unlikely place to find an urban African-American pastor from California known for an agenda of prophetic justice, but Gardner-Webb University just said goodbye…
Alliance of Baptists acts out call for economic justice with staff salaries
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — At its recent convocation in Louisville, Ky., the Alliance of Baptists not only adopted a statement on economic justice but implemented the commitment by equalizing salaries for members of the organization’s leadership team. Denouncing public policy…
Reflections on the bin Laden killing
By David Gushee For those who projected onto Barack Obama the hope that he would be a transformative figure, a peacemaker/great soul like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi, the targeted killing of Osama bin Laden ought to put such…
Church start or church satellite? Decision can be difficult
Perhaps a congregation has discovered a neighborhood or nearby community with no evangelical or other church presence. Or maybe the church has found a demographic that isn’t being reached with the gospel. Church leaders believe God is leading their congregation…
Multisite fans view approach as good stewardship
Proponents of the multicampus church option cite flexibility, stewardship and the “spark” that newness can bring to ministry. “You get the big-church bang … but you also get the pop and sizzle of a new church,” said Rodney Harrison, vice…
Multisite multiplication
The term “multisite” or “multicampus” church might first bring megachurches to mind. But as it has developed, the church-growth model has taken on many forms to serve a variety of purposes and ministry contexts. Ministry Some churches use the multicampus…
Texas congregation takes church to Air Force base
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — When Pastor Bob McCartney arrived at First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, he wanted to lead the congregation to minister better to two distinct populations — students at Midwestern State University and the airmen and their…