By Robert Dilday The new head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships told reporters March 22 she values Baptists’ “special gift to the nation” — religious liberty — and looks forward to tackling religious liberty issues…
Activist pastor Gordon Cosby dies
By Robert Dilday Gordon Cosby, the founder of the Church of the Saviour in Washington and a pioneering Christian activist whose ministry foreshadowed both the missional and emergent church movements, died March 20 at 95. Cosby died at Christ House,…
Baptist group keeps gay-friendly church
By Robert Dilday A Baptist church in Virginia kicked out of its state organization for ordaining a gay man to the ministry last fall retained membership in its local association March 19. Richmond Baptist Association voted 176-158 to “embrace Ginter…
Assn. may retain gay-friendly church
By Robert Dilday A Baptist association in Virginia will consider a recommendation March 19 to retain ties to one of its churches which ordained an openly gay man to the ministry last year. A Richmond Baptist Association study committee will…
A gift to be simple
By Robert Dilday Whether inspired by religious devotion or just frustration with modernity, some people feel drawn to simple living. Since at least the middle of the 19th century, when Henry Thoreau described his solitary two years in a hut on…
Photojournalist Don Rutledge dies
By Robert Dilday Donald Rutledge, a renowned photographer whose images of mission activities are familiar to Baptists around the world, died Feb. 19 at 82. Rutledge’s work was published in magazines and books around the globe, winning more than 400…
Passport offers online Lenten series
By Robert Dilday Passport, a 20-year-old student ministry with ties to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, is again offering its “Journey to the Cross” Lenten series on its devotional website. The series, which will run through the first week of Easter,…
Plan would reduce DC’s role in SBC
By Robert Dilday The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee will consider a proposal to fold the District of Columbia Baptist Convention into a larger region, reducing the number of Baptists in the nation’s capital represented on the governing boards of…
Church Super Bowl party with a twist
By Robert Dilday Like many American congregations University Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Va., has a Super Bowl tradition, but this one has a twist. The viewing audience is homeless men seeking shelter from the sub-freezing temperatures typical during February in…
‘Fresh expressions’ of church in NC
By Robert Dilday About 80 percent of North Carolina’s 9.7 million people don’t attend church and reaching them will require a “mixed economy” of both existing congregations and new forms of church, a group of Baptist leaders was told Feb….
Religious Herald nets $1.5 million gift
By Robert Dilday The Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation has pledged $1.5 million to be distributed over four years to the Religious Herald, the news organization’s executive editor announced Jan. 28. “The generosity of the Baugh Foundation decision-makers enables…
UK church movement takes root in US
By Robert Dilday Fresh Expressions, a movement which aims to help churches engage postmodern culture through new creative communities of faith, has taken the next step in its development with the launch this month of its first learning communities in…