LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) — Just how many Christians are flocking to Facebook? It’s not an idle question, to judge from the number of people asking it on the wildly popular social networking site. “We Can Find 10,000,000 Christians on Facebook”…
Wide-open freedom of the Web offers challenges and ministry opportunities
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (ABP) — While social networking sites are far from private or anonymous, the public nature hasn’t prevented individuals from boldly posting information or photographs they likely wouldn’t share with such a diverse crowd in “real” life, pastors…
Former Southern Baptist pastor pleads guilty to sexual abuse
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — A former Southern Baptist pastor arrested in 2007 on charges that he sexually abused two teenage boys has avoided prison — for now. Steven Haney Steven C. Haney, 48, pastor of Walnut Grove Baptist Church in…
Hate-crimes bill divides evangelicals
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Hate-crimes legislation passed April 29 in the U.S. House of Representatives drew mixed reviews in the religious community. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, H.R. 1913, which passed the Democratic-controlled House by a vote of…
Swine flu postpones Texas Bible drill
DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas has postponed this weekend's state final Bible Drill and Speakers' Tournament due to the swine flu scare. The event, originally scheduled May 1-2 at the Baptist Building in Dallas, has been…
‘Outed’ blogger sues sheriff’s, prosecutor’s office
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — A formerly anonymous blogger who criticized his prominent Southern Baptist pastor has sued police and state prosecutors for revealing his identify to the church even though an investigation showed he had done nothing illegal. Tom Rich and…
Swine flu outbreak may prompt SBC disaster-relief effort, leader says
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention could deploy its nationwide disaster-relief network if the international outbreak of swine flu becomes a pandemic in the United States, said a spokesman for the SBC’s North American Mission Board April 29….
SBC may deploy disaster relief for swine flu, leader says
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention could deploy its nationwide disaster-relief network if the international outbreak of swine flu becomes a pandemic in the United States, said a spokesman for the North American Mission Board. "Now is the…
SBC president calls for ‘Great Commission Resurgence’
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — A declaration released by Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt calling for a “Great Commission Resurgence” among Southern Baptists has drawn more than 700 signatures since it was posted on the Internet April 27. Jim Law,…
Study: Ranks of religiously unaffiliated remain open to faith
WASHINGTON (ABP) — While the fastest-growing religious segment of the United States population is those who are not affiliated with a particular religion, that group is not necessarily comprised of secularists and largely remains open to faith, a new study…
Speakers say response to hunger validates gospel
BROWNWOOD, Texas (ABP) — When Christians help hungry people, they earn the right to share the gospel — not only with people in need but also with a skeptical society — Jim Denison told a conference on ethics and evangelism….
Young evangelicals call for end to nuclear weapons
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — A group of under-40 evangelicals attending a leadership meeting in Texas announced April 28 a new initiative to mobilize American Christians to eliminate nuclear weapons. “We have all heard about this broadening of the evangelical agenda,”…