KERENS—Fire burned down most of the facilities of First Baptist Church in Kerens Oct. 18. The blaze incinerated the sanctuary, children’s area, nursery, office and library. Only the youth and education building remains standing. “Everything was completely destroyed,” Pastor Wes…
Breckenridge residents seek to bring warmth to orphans in Eastern Europe
TYLER, Texas (ABP) — Residents at a Texas Baptist home for adults with special needs are using their skills to help meet the needs of others — in this case, Eastern European orphans. Three residents of Breckenridge Village of Tyler,…
Former SBC leader says NAMB is obsolete
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — An elder statesman who led three Southern Baptist Convention entities for a total of 40 years says the denomination's North American Mission Board is an obsolete bureaucracy that will likely have a diminished role or disappear…
Former SBC leader Duke McCall says NAMB is obsolete
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — An elder statesman who led three Southern Baptist Convention entities for a total of 40 years says the denomination's North American Mission Board is an obsolete bureaucracy that will likely have a diminished role or disappear…
Pastor’s accused killer unfit for trial
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ABP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a Southern Baptist pastor inside an Illinois church in March has been found unfit to stand trial. The decision handed down Oct. 20 followed a mental evaluation of Terry Sedlacek…
Judge declares Illinois pastor’s killer unfit to stand trial
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ABP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a Southern Baptist pastor inside an Illinois church in March has been found unfit to stand trial. Terry Sedlacek faces murder charges in the March slaying of a Southern Baptist…
Cuban Baptists released from jail
LAKELAND, Fla. (ABP) — Two Cuban Baptist leaders held two weeks while authorities investigated what they regarded suspicious economic activity have reportedly been released from jail. Rubén Ortiz-Columbié, 68, and Francisco "Pancho" Garcia-Ruiz, 46, were arrested Oct. 3 by agents…
Cuban Baptist leaders reportedly released from jail
LAKELAND, Fla. (ABP) — Two Cuban Baptist leaders held two weeks while authorities investigated what they regarded as suspicious economic activity have reportedly been released from jail. Rubén Ortiz-Columbié Rubén Ortiz-Columbié, 68, and Francisco "Pancho" Garcia-Ruiz, 46, were arrested Oct….
Cuban Baptist leaders reportedly released from jail, say sources
LAKELAND, Fla. (ABP) — Two Cuban Baptist leaders held two weeks while authorities investigated what they regarded as suspicious economic activity have reportedly been released from jail. Pancho Garcia-Ruiz Rubén Ortiz-Columbié, 68, and Francisco "Pancho" Garcia-Ruiz, 46, were arrested Oct….
VBMB executive director John Upton explains board budgeting decision
John Upton, executive director of both the Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, released this letter Oct. 15 following the Oct. 13-14 meeting of the Mission Board at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center: Dear Virginia…
From the Eastern Shore to Cumberland Gap
STAFF CHANGES • Jim Rizer, now serving as pastor of Burrows Memorial Church, Norfolk. • Matthew Tennant, to Kilmarnock Church, Kilmarnock, as pastor. INSTALLATION: Dan Stanley was installed as pastor of Berryville Baptist Church in Berryville on Sept. 13. On…
Fear Not: What does virtual rumor-mongering say about Christians?
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Thanks to the Internet, some gullible American Christians can engage in one of their favorite hobbies — digging up the metaphorical corpse of Madalyn Murray O’Hair and rhetorically flogging it — more easily than ever before. Even…