Editor’s note: On Sept. 23, 2010, at 9:13 p.m., Teresa Lewis was pronounced dead — put to death by lethal injection in the Greenville Correctional Center in Virginia. Her attorney, a believer and Christ-follower, provided this first-person account of her…
OUT LOUD
“I think it’s kind of stupid for them to kick me out of school for a nose piercing. It’s in the First Amendment for me to have freedom of religion.” Ariana Iacono The Clayton, N.C., teenager, whose family belongs to…
Poll: U.S. personal religiosity stable, influence declines
WASHINGTON (ABP) – A new Gallup poll shows that, while personal measures of religious sentiment have remained fairly high among Americans, their membership in houses of worship continues a long decline and they increasingly believe that religion is losing influence…
FAITH DIGEST
Americans cite negatives of Christianity. When asked about Christianity’s recent contributions to society, Americans cited more negatives than benefits, according to a recent survey. The negative contribution cited most was hatred or violence in the name of Jesus, according to…
20-somethings make ‘cents’ of stewardship
RICHMOND, Va. — For its second year in a row, 20Cents is bringing fun, food, fellowship and finances together on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Cool Spring Baptist Church in Mechanicsville. The conference is led…
Divide over Islam dominated religious-freedom news in 2010
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Judging from end-of-year assessments published in the last few days, there seems fairly universal agreement among close observers of faith and public life that the biggest religion story of 2010 in this country was also the biggest…
Indian Baptist educator breaks stained-glass ceiling
AIZAWL, India (ABP) — A Baptist leader and educator is poised to break barriers as the first woman ordained as a pastor by a Christian denomination in her northeast Indian state. The Telegraph of Calcutta reported that leaders in the…
Baptists debate social drinking
CARROLLTON, Ga. (ABP) — Two decades after declaring victory in the war over biblical inerrancy, Southern Baptists are battling about booze. Seeking to remain relevant in today's culture, many Baptists have abandoned former taboos against social activities like dancing and…
Lawson Pankey, longtime Virginia Baptist Mission Board staffer, dies
RICHMOND, Va. — Lawson Pankey, who for 25 years was a key figure on the staff of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, died Dec. 12. He was 85 years of age. Pankey joined the staff of what was then the…
Baptist collegiate ministry completes VCU renovation, dedicates facility
RICHMOND, Va. — Baptist collegiate ministry at Virginia Commonwealth University moved into a new era with the dedication Nov. 30 of its new — and newly-renovated — facility in the heart of campus. “There are daily signs that this building…
Virginia Baptists’ Christian Leadership Network to ‘expand footprint’
ROANOKE, Va. — The Christian Leadership Network is “expanding its footprint,” broadening its scope beyond Southwest Virginia to offer classes in other parts of the state and could eventually include locations in Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. The Virginia Baptist-administered…
First Baptist, Coeburn, distributes over 300 pairs of shoes
People wait in line to get into First Church, Coeburn, for shoes. COEBURN, Va. — There were too many smiles to count on Nov. 13 at First Baptist Church in Coeburn as over 300 children received a free pair of…