WASHINGTON (RNS) — Near the end of a bumpy first year in office, President Obama readied for a Christmas vacation in Hawaii, but before he left, he called on a group of five ministers for a spiritual recharge. Like previous…
Legal expert says remaining Baptist jailed in Haiti likely to be set free
BOISE, Idaho (ABP) — Unless new charges are filed against her, the last of 10 Southern Baptist mission volunteers jailed in Haiti on suspicion of child kidnapping will have to be released, according to an expert on Haiti's legal system….
Faith-based panel submits proposals; some issues remain unsolved
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A White House advisory council March 9 submitted 164 pages of recommendations on ways the federal government can partner better with faith-based groups in tackling a host of social problems, from poverty to improving interfaith relations. Still,…
Supreme Court accepts Baptist church case testing limits of free speech
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to wade into what is expected to be one of the most-watched cases in the court's 2010-2011 term — whether the privacy rights of grieving families trump the free-speech rights of…
Ala. CBF leader McDougal returns to pastorate with call to Dallas church
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — The leader of the Alabama state affiliate of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will leave that post at the end of May to return to local-church ministry after a Texas church voted to call Brent McDougal as…
Dallas church announces gay-friendly stance, endangering BGCT affiliation
DALLAS (ABP) — A Dallas church has changed its website to identify itself as inclusive of varied sexual orientations — a move that potentially could put the congregation at odds with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which previously has…
New Baptist hymnal favors singing traditions, innovations simultaneously
ATLANTA (ABP) — Bucking a trend in many churches to eschew four-part harmonies for praise choruses projected on a screen, a new hymnal released March 8 seeks to introduce both old favorites and lesser-known new compositions to a new generation…
Hymnal aims to introduce old favorites, latest compositions to new generation
ATLANTA (ABP) — Bucking a trend in many churches to eschew four-part harmonies for praise choruses projected on a screen, a new hymnal released March 8 seeks to introduce both old favorites and lesser-known new compositions to a new generation…
Dallas church publicly acknowledges welcoming stance toward gays
DALLAS — A North Dallas church has changed its website to identify itself as inclusive of varied sexual orientations — a move that potentially could put the church at odds with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. A March 6…
New Baptist hymnal unveiled in Atlanta
ATLANTA (ABP) — A new hymnal for Baptist churches in the works for four years premiered in Atlanta March 7. Choirs from five churches gathered for a Sunday afternoon service unveiling the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, a joint initiative of Townsend-McAfee…
New Baptist hymnal unveiled in Atlanta
ATLANTA (ABP) — A new hymnal for Baptist churches in the works for four years premiered in Atlanta March 7. Choirs from five churches gathered for a Sunday-afternoon service unveiling the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, a joint initiative of Mercer University's…
Widow shares experience on one-year anniversary of pastor’s slaying
MARYVILLE, Ill. (ABP) — March 8, 2009, started out as a fairly normal Sunday for Cindy Winters. Her husband, Fred, got up early to preach the 8:15 a.m. service at First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill. One of their daughters…