MINA, Nigeria (ABP) — Easter Sunday turned violent in two cities in Nigeria’s northern state of Niger, when young people presumed to be fundamentalist Muslims burned churches in Gwada, while Christian young people in the state capital of Mina defended…
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Hardball Religion’ by Wade Burleson
(ABP) — Hardball Religion is the personal story of Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson and the two tumultuous years he served as a trustee of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Subtitled Feeling the Fury of Fundamentalism, Burleson’s…
Violence mars Easter in northern Nigeria
MINA, Nigeria (ABP) — Easter Sunday turned violent in two cities in Nigeria's northern state of Niger, when young people presumed to be fundamentalist Muslims burned churches in Gwada, while Christian young people in the state capital of Mina defended…
Former SBC president Franklin Paschall dies
Franklin Paschall was pastor of First Baptist Church in Nashville 1956-1983 and SBC president 1966-68. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Two past presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention paid tribute to a third — Franklin Paschall, longtime pastor of First Baptist…
At Longwood University, Baptist students promise ‘No Judging’
FARMVILLE – Longwood University’s students and faculty returned from spring break last month to find their campus peppered with a welcomed but anonymous message – thanks to the school’s Baptist collegiate ministries. Small signs with the word “judging” inside a…
Former SBC president Franklin Paschall dies
Franklin Paschall was pastor of First Baptist Church in Nashville 1956-1983 and SBC president 1966-68. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Two past presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention paid tribute to a third — Franklin Paschall, longtime pastor of First Baptist…
Saying ‘no’ to church doesn’t mean not attending
I would like to respond to Tom Ehrich’s “2nd Opinion” piece, “Saying no to Sunday church,” that appeared in the April 9 edition of the Religious Herald. I was initially intrigued by his thesis that people are saying no to…
Deadly tornadoes mar Easter weekend in Tennessee, Arkansas
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (ABP) — Mother Nature cast a pall over Easter weekend in Mena, Ark., and Murfreesboro, Tenn., two towns wracked by violent thunderstorms. On April 13 the National Weather Service upgraded Murfreesboro's Good Friday tornado that killed two and…
Deadly tornadoes mar Easter weekend in Tennessee, Arkansas
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (ABP) — Mother Nature cast a pall over Easter weekend in Mena, Ark., and Murfreesboro, Tenn., two towns wracked by severe weather. On April 13, the National Weather Service upgraded the Good Friday tornado that had killed two…
County judge dismisses second suit against Missouri Baptist institution
CAMDENTON, Mo. (ABP) — A county judge has dismissed a Missouri Baptist Convention lawsuit against Windermere Baptist Conference Center and several financial institutions and individuals. The move comes just weeks after another blow to the convention’s efforts to regain control over…
EASTER MEDITATION: Let us abound in hope!
Standing on the banks of the River Jordan recently, I had opportunity to offer reflections on how the water there helps convey the meaning of baptism. We remembered how, with the waters of creation, chaos took on form, darkness…
Bond reduced for former Baptist pastor charged with wife’s murder
WACO, Texas (ABP) — A Waco judge on April 9 agreed to reduce bail to $250,000 for a former Texas Baptist minister charged with the 2006 murder of his wife. Determined to avoid a media circus surrounding the pending trial…