FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — A Baptist pastor in the South Caucasus country of Azerbaijan has been found guilty of what supporters say are bogus weapons charges and given “a two-year corrective labor sentence,” according to a worldwide Baptist group. The Virginia-based…
Baptist pastor convicted in Azerbaijan
Eye-catching, eco-friendly church structure turns heads in North Carolina city
RALEIGH, N.C. (ABP) —Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2009, is turning heads with a new eco-friendly building addition that eases overcrowding, allows for expanded missions and establishes a strong architectural presence along a prominent business…
Survey: Crisis has some churches slashing budgets, more worried
DALLAS (ABP) — Churches that aren’t cutting their budgets due to the economic downturn are, by and large, taking measures to curb expenses, according to a survey the National Association of Church Business Administration has done of its members. The…
The challenge of the new urbanism
Lights strung from a sanctuary’s ceiling at Epiphany. Art galleries and exhibits. Bicycle repair seminars. Cafes and coffee houses. Worship gatherings in downtown music venues. In meeting the challenges of revitalized urban neighborhoods across the country, urban churches are rethinking…
The challenge of the new urbanism
Lights strung from a sanctuary’s ceiling at Epiphany. Art galleries and exhibits. Bicycle repair seminars. Cafes and coffee houses. Worship gatherings in downtown music venues. In meeting the challenges of revitalized urban neighborhoods across the country, urban churches are rethinking…
CBF cuts spending by 20 percent
Moderator Jack Glasgow presides at Coordinating Council meeting. DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — Starting March 1, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will operate on a contingency spending plan that cuts staff salaries by 1 percent and reduces funding for theology schools and…
CBF cuts spending by 20 percent, partner funding by 30 percent
Moderator Jack Glasgow presides at Coordinating Council meeting.DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — Starting March 1, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will operate on a contingency spending plan that cuts staff salaries by 1 percent and reduces funding for theology schools and other…
RIGHT or WRONG: Poverty
More and more people are talking about dealing with global poverty through “micro-enterprises.” Is there any merit to these ideas for alleviating poverty? Helping the poor is not an option for Christians. It is a biblical mandate. The Hebrew Scriptures…
Survey finds religion a big deal in Mississippi, not so much in Vermont
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Want to be almost certain you’ll have religious neighbors? Move to Mississippi. Prefer the least religious state? Venture to Vermont. The importance of religion in people's lives varies from state to state. A recent Gallup Poll, based on more…
When it comes to religious fervor, it’s a small world after all, research shows
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Baptists in Tuscaloosa and Muslims in Tehran might not seem to have much in common, but Alabama and Iran agree on one thing—the importance of religion. Nearly identical percentages of people in both locations—82 percent of Alabamians and 83…
Faith Digest
Pope condemns Holocaust denial. In his first meeting with Jewish leaders since his controversial readmission of a Holocaust-denying bishop, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the “denial or minimization” of the Holocaust as “intolerable and altogether unacceptable.” The long-scheduled Vatican meeting took…