Dear Aunt Ida, I was appalled and somewhat embarrassed to open up my copy of the Religious Herald of Sept. 2 and see a private e-mail that you had sent to your nephew, Jimmy, plastered across page five of that…
European Baptist leaders go ahead with plan to move Prague seminary
ROME (ABP) — The elegant complex of 19th-century buildings that houses the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, will likely be sold after European Baptist Federation leaders green-lighted a plan to move the seminary as a cost-saving measure….
Rural churches measure growth differently, pastors say
DALLAS — Brand New Church in northern Arkansas and Fairy Baptist Church in Central Texas bear little resemblance to each other. Pastor Shannon O’Dell leads a multi-campus, contemporary-style church in rural Arkansas that draws about 2,000 worshippers in-person from throughout…
EDITORIAL: When all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done
Last month, the Barna Research Group called 1,000 American adults to ask them about their faith. Specifically, they asked, “Has anything related to your religious beliefs, practices, or preferences changed in the past five years?” The results, which they claim…
Candidates endorsed for BGAV office
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptists Committed, a moderate advocacy group, has endorsed the candidacies of two previously announced nominees for offices of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. VBC members voted Sept. 16 to endorse Bob Bass, a Richmond layman…
BGCT board declines proposal to alter messenger-challenge process
DALLAS (ABP) — Procedural and constitutional concerns prompted the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board to reject a study committee’s proposal to change how the BGCT handles messenger-seating challenges at its annual meeting. At the 2009 BGCT meeting, Kyle…
Okla. church latest in effort to test boundaries of tax law, politics
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A church-state watchdog group has called on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a church in Oklahoma for violating a law that prohibits tax-exempt charities from endorsing political candidates. The church is one of the latest in…
Jimmy Carter’s hospital stay extended
ATLANTA (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter will spend a second night in a Cleveland hospital after becoming ill Sept. 28 on a book-signing tour. A statement from Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center said early Sept. 29 that Carter was "feeling…
Rural Churches: Strong sense of community gives churches new life
(ABP) — America’s rural churches were built upon and grew from a strong sense of community. Although many of rural congregations are in decline now, that community reliance may be the key to spiritual renewal and to thriving ministry. Some…
European Baptist leaders OK plan to move Prague seminary
ROME (ABP) — The elegant complex of 19th-century buildings that houses the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, will likely be sold now that European Baptist Federation leaders have green-lighted a plan to move the seminary as a…
Baptist historians affirm individual conscience
ATLANTA (ABP) — A group of Baptist historians that meets annually to read and discuss early Baptist writings endorsed a statement Sept. 27 affirming the role of individual conscience in Baptist life. Fourteen members of the "Baptist Classics Seminar" group…
Jimmy Carter reported ‘resting comfortably’ in Cleveland hospital
CLEVELAND (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter was hospitalized Sept. 28 after falling ill on a flight to Cleveland for a book signing. President Jimmy Carter with his Nobel Peace Prize. Deanna Congileo of the Carter Center in Atlanta said…