By Robert Dilday When a winter storm dumped more snow than expected on Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 28-29, students and staff at Samford University stepped in to assist several hundred people stranded on campus by slushy streets and traffic gridlock. Tuesday’s…
BWA aims to overcome barriers in talks with Methodists
By Robert Dilday They’ve engaged in dialog with Pentecostals, Catholics and the Orthodox. Now the Baptist World Alliance is launching a four-year conversation with Methodists as part of its assigned task of enhancing understanding among Christian communities. This Thursday, BWA…
Anti-malaria campaign has Va. Baptists casting nets
By Robert Dilday A year after Virginia Baptists launched an initiative to battle the scourge of malaria in West Africa, nearly 20,000 mosquito nets have been distributed there — helped in part by a recent contribution from an Oklahoma-based organization…
Obama administration to appeal clergy tax ruling
By Robert Dilday The Justice Department will appeal a federal court ruling last fall that allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and…
Ukrainian Baptist appeals for prayer as violence spreads
By Robert Dilday A Ukrainian Baptist leader is appealing for prayer as two months of increasingly violent demonstrations in his country have pitted security forces against protestors calling for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych. “Today, as never before, Ukraine…
Virginia AG will ask court to strike gay marriage ban
By Robert Dilday In office only two weeks, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is expected to announce Jan. 23 that the state will ask a federal court to strike down Virginia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, adopted in 2006 by…
First African-American tapped as Virginia WMU executive
By Robert Dilday A longtime Baptist minister and social worker will be recommended Feb. 8 to be the ninth executive of Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia — the first African-American to hold the post in the organization’s 140-year existence. Valerie…
Exec resigns to head leadership group
By Robert Dilday Rob McCleland has resigned as executive director and CEO of the 400-church North American Baptist Conference to become executive of an Atlanta-based Christian leadership training organization. McCleland, who had led the 74,000-member NAB since 2007, will assume…
As new year tolls, ABP/Religious Herald merger launches new media platform
By Robert Dilday After months of preparation, the merger between Associated Baptist Press and the Religious Herald took effect yesterday, launching a new digital and print media platform aimed at enhancing the mission and heritage of both organizations. Legal processes to create…