KILLEEN, Texas (BP) — A couple of Southern Baptist congregations near Fort Hood served as rallying places for the community and offered messages of hope Nov. 8 following a shooting on a military post that left 12 soldiers, one civilian…
RETROSPECTIVE: The wall became a door and the world changed
RICHMOND (BP) — I clearly remember watching the evening news, spellbound as jubilant Berliners danced upon the Berlin Wall the night of Nov. 9, 1989. East Berliners were flowing through Brandenburg Gate, and a news correspondent asked the expectant crowd…
Great Awakening: Is a new one taking place outside the West?
Members of a Messianic Jewish congregation in Almaty, Kazakhstan, worship at a Saturday-evening service. DALLAS (ABP) — Some observers of religion assert a socially transforming spiritual movement is sweeping the globe, resulting in 82,000 conversions to Christianity a day. But…
Great Awakening: Bible guides revival of evangelical activism, Wallis says
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Evangelical progressive activist Jim Wallis believes the United States is ripe for another socially transforming spiritual awakening. But as Christians become energized to change the world, they need to avoid the temptation to politicize the gospel, he…
Great Awakening: Texans celebrate Spirit’s movement among Iranians
PLANO, Texas (ABP) — In the meeting hall of a suburban Dallas church recently, Persian praise songs resonated as about 150 worshipers raised their hands and opened their hearts. They rejoiced in the way God’s Spirit is moving among Iranians,…
Federal judge: N.C. county council’s sectarian prayers unconstitutional
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — A federal judge is recommending that a North Carolina county be ordered to stop allowing sectarian prayers at meetings of its board of commissioners. Stephen Corts Trevor Sharpe, a magistrate judge for the U.S. Court for…
Texas Baptists provide solace in wake of Fort Hood massacre
FORT HOOD, Texas (ABP) — In the wake of the Fort Hood tragedy, Texas Baptists are helping people find comfort in Christ. Four chaplains endorsed by Texas Baptists are ministering directly to victims of the Nov. 5 shooting at the…
Don’t blame Islam for Fort Hood killings, Baptist leader says
NORMAN, Okla. (ABP) — At least one Baptist leader cautioned against attempts to blame the Nov. 5 Fort Hood massacre on the accused assailant's Islamic faith. Bruce Prescott Bruce Prescott, executive director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, said Nov. 8 that…
One big happy family! Multicultural adoption increasing among Americans
Transracial adoption has become chic. Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopted children from Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Pop singer Madonna adopted children from Malawi. And that has brought increased attention, pro and con, to transracial adoption — both…
Muddy Creek Baptist Church celebrates 235 years
POWHATAN — Long before Facebook and the internet, electricity and televisions, and tractors and cars stood a small country church in Powhatan County. Founded before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Muddy Creek Baptist Church is known as one…
At first homecoming, BTSR welcomes alumni back for campus gathering
Students mingle in Virginia Hall during homecoming activities at BTSR. RICHMOND — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond celebrated its first homecoming on Oct. 16-17. Alumni from the classes of 1994 through 2009, current students, faculty and staff gathered to renew…
Leland enrolls record number of students for fall semester
FALLS CHURCH — The John Leland Center for Theological Studies has set a record enrollment for the fall semester. Leland students getting ready for class at Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church. Led by an increase in master’s degree students…