LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) — The president of Liberty Theological Seminary has labeled a method used by Southern Baptist missionaries to spread the gospel in Muslim lands deceptive and heretical. Ergun Caner is a former Muslim who has written books labeling…
At church cafe, eat what you want, pay what you can
HIGHLAND PARK, N.J. (RNS)—At A Better World Cafe, it’s not exactly “all you can eat.” It’s more like whatever you can pay. The church-affiliated restaurant offers customers an innovative new dining option—choose the size of your portion, then pay what…
Seminary president labels Southern Baptist mission strategy ‘heresy’
LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) — The president of Liberty Theological Seminary has labeled a method used by Southern Baptist missionaries to spread the gospel in Muslim lands deceptive and heretical. In a podcast interview on the SBC Today blog, Ergun Caner…
Relief groups walk delicate line on spreading gospel, providing aid
WASHINGTON (RNS) — When night falls in Port-au-Prince, thousands of homeless Haitians find shelter beneath weatherproof plastic sheets emblazoned with the logo of Samaritan’s Purse, a group that’s zealous to spread Christianity worldwide. The 20-by-20-foot sheets offer a tangible way…
FAITH DIGEST
Billy Graham tops pastors’ list. Evangelist Billy Graham was named by American pastors as the United States’ most influential living preacher, according to a recent survey by LifeWay Research. The study, conducted last November, interviewed more than 1,000 Protestant pastors…
American Baptists seeking to raise $1 million for Haiti relief
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — American Baptist Churches USA has announced a fund-raising goal of $1 million for earthquake relief in Haiti. Steve James and other medical professionals provide care in the days following the earthquake (The Fellowship blog) The…
Virginia Baptists to field Haiti medical teams as snow postpones relief efforts
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptists will field two medical teams this month to aid victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake and qualified volunteers are being sought to fill them, a disaster relief leader says. The announcement comes as contributions for relief…
String of Texas church fires reaches 10
LINDALE, Texas (ABP) — Two Baptist churches within three miles of each other burned Feb. 8, the ninth and 10th in a rash of suspicious church fires in East Texas since Jan. 1. Firefighters from several departments responded to a…
North Carolina Baptist Men plan long-term effort in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (ABP) — Nearly a month into an intense and immediate response to Haitians injured and left homeless and hungry by the Jan. 12 earthquake, it still feels like the second day of a domestic disaster to Gaylon Moss,…
Pastor stays out of division reported among jailed Americans in Haiti
MERIDIAN, Idaho (ABP) — As news of dissension among 10 Baptists from the United States jailed in Haiti leaked into media reports, the pastor of five of the volunteer missionaries said his church continues to support and pray for the…
Va. Baptist college president suddenly steps down, cuts staff
BRISTOL, Va. (ABP) — Michael J. Puglisi unexpectedly resigned as president of Virginia Intermont College Jan. 25, apparently at the request of trustees of the Baptist-affiliated school. And in what college administrators and trustees said was a move unrelated to…
EDITORIAL: Opening yourself to the counsel of others
Every pastor goes through rough patches from time to time. It’s part of the challenge of leadership. Even Moses’ congregation occasionally complained about the direction they were taking and voiced their displeasure with the person responsible. There is a certain…