WASHINGTON (ABP) — Two religious-liberty organizations are calling on President Obama to proclaim an "inclusive" national day of prayer May 7 instead of endorsing a National Day of Prayer Task Force headed by the wife of a prominent Religious Right…
Southern Seminary closing School of Church Music
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is closing its 65-year-old School of Church Music and Worship, combining it with the School of Leadership and Church Ministry into a new School of Church Ministries. The seminary's board of trustees…
Torture, human dignity, and Christian failure
By David Gushee The recent release of four key memos from President Bush’s Justice Department does not exhaust the revelations that are still to come related to the brutal interrogation policies of our government in the years following the 9/11…
Alliance of Baptists urges end to Cuba travel ban
Ana Karim, a Cuban-American Alliance member, urges the group to contact lawmakers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (ABP) — The Alliance of Baptists applauded President Obama for loosening restrictions on American's travel to Cuba and called for more reform during the progressive group's…
Former SBC president ‘concerned’ about Rick Warren’s comments on gay marriage
TAYLORS, S.C. (ABP) — A former president of the Southern Baptist Convention said he is "deeply concerned" about comments by Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren that a recent court decision allowing gay marriage is not part of his agenda….
Protestant pastors divided on global warming
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Protestant pastors are sending mixed messages about the environment and climate change, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. In a survey of 1,002 clergy last October, 47 percent agreed and 47 percent disagreed with…
Baptist groups feel recession’s pinch
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—Many things divide the Baptist denomination, but one thing all groups share is the challenge of raising money during a recession. Six months into the fiscal year, receipts to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program were running 3.7…
BGAV church offers ‘Soul Food’ in town hit hard by recession
DALTON, Ga. (ABP)—Many lives are unraveling in Dalton, Ga., nicknamed the “Carpet Capital of the World,” in the current recession, creating both challenges and opportunities for churches. The North Georgia city of 33,000 makes nearly 75 percent of America’s floor…
Economic woes give churches a reason to go green
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Mary Miller used to have trouble getting fellow members of Wilmore United Methodist Church in Kentucky to go green. But as it turns out, a sour economy was an unlikely answer to prayer. As the economy shrank, so did…