DALLAS — A seemingly unlikely alliance between conservative Christian evangelicals and Mormons recasts American history as the founding of a distinctively Christian republic, Stephen Stookey told a gathering of Baptist church historians. Self-styled historian David Barton and conservative provocateur Glenn…
Three die at Joplin, Mo., church hit by tornado that tears across Midwest
JOPLIN, Mo. (ABP) — At least two Missouri Baptist churches are among the scores of institutions, businesses and homes destroyed when one of 68 reported tornadoes that swept across the Midwest on Sunday struck Joplin. (See related story here.) News…
Historical Society celebrates Baptists’ ‘singing faith’ with hymn festival
RICHMOND, Va. — It’s said that the Reformer Martin Luther once stood in his pulpit on a Sunday morning, held aloft a Bible and told his congregation, “This is the gospel.” Then raising a hymnal in his other hand, he…
TRENDING: Froth or prophecy?
My wife, Mary, has a Yahoo home page. At the top is a “Trending Now” column. It lists the top 10 most frequently accessed internet stories. Today’s top four trends are: 1. Zsa Zsa Gabor John Chandler 2. Katie Couric…
Two Intermont graduates bound for international riding competitions
BRISTOL, Va. — Fresh from this May’s graduation, Virginia Intermont College’s Kate McManis and Jordan Shelburne are bound for international riding competition. Both were members of the Baptist-affiliated school’s national champion competitive riding teams and now will represent the United…
Virginia Baptist working to secure passage of bill to prohibit trafficking
ARLINGTON, Va. — Selling people is the fastest growing criminal activity in the world and the third largest criminal industry after drugs and weapons, according to information distributed by the United Nations. UNICEF statistics indicate that nearly two million children…
Scholar finds Gardner-Webb 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…
VITAL SIGNS: Traps for clergy and their new congregation
In a recent conversation, a minister asked me what I thought were the major traps that most often snared ministers when they moved to a new congregation. Great question! Healthy churches and ministers pay attention to potential trouble spots and…
OUT LOUD
“I am being faithful to Jesus by welcoming the stranger into the community. … We are two different faiths building relationships, talking together, working together for a common purpose.” Dennis Perry The pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria,…
As need for child care declined, a church refocused ministry on seniors
RURAL HALL, N.C. — Making a tough decision to close its day care center after 20 years prompted a small North Carolina church to establish a center for senior adults in Rural Hall, N.C., a mid-state area with a high…
Brunswick County, Va., churches unite to help area teenager
Joseph Giles Jr. presents a check to Makayla Clary. LAWRENCEVILLE, Va. — For the past three years churches in southern Brunswick County, Va., have gathered during Holy Week and collectively received an offering to support a needy cause. This year’s…
ACP remains key metric, but declining participation worries strategists
RICHMOND, Va. — The amount of data that exists in the world today is mind-boggling. Credit card companies monitor every purchase to identify fraudulent ones with a high degree of accuracy. Mobile-phone operators analyze subscribers’ calling patterns to determine if…