AMERICUS, Ga. (ABP) — Millard Fuller, a millionaire entrepreneur who gave away his fortune to create Habitat for Humanity International in 1976, died Feb. 3 after a brief illness. Fuller, 74, led the worldwide house-building ministry with his wife, Linda,…
Appeals court sides with Missouri Baptist conference center
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP) — Windermere Baptist Conference Center acted within its legal rights when it changed its articles of incorporation, a Missouri appellate court ruled Feb. 3. A three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, unanimously…
First regional New Baptist Covenant event focuses on reconciliation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter went to a shrine of the Civil Rights Movement Jan. 31 to drive home a point about racial reconciliation among Baptists, stepping up into the pulpit of the Birmingham, Ala., church where…
Obama picks religious adviser DuBois for faith-based post; questions remain
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Obama has selected a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who served as his top religion adviser during the presidential campaign to head a revamped White House office on faith-based social services. Critics of President Bush’s attempt to expand…
Opinion: God as athletic director
(ABP) We have all seen it. A football player makes a big play, scores the winning touchdown, drops to one knee and points a finger towards the heavens. What does it mean when in a moment of success a player…
Recession forces cutbacks at Southern Baptist agencies
DALLAS (ABP) — Several Southern Baptist Convention entities are tightening the belt in response to budget shortfalls in a flagging economy. GuideStone Financial Resources said Jan. 27 it just implemented a hiring freeze and is giving no raises to employees, with…
Hobby Lobby executive describes company’s legacy of faith
SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP)—Steve Green's father, David, started his retail career in high school through the DECA business education program. Never the model student, but with an affinity for math, David Green embraced the opportunity provided by the work program, starting…
New Virginia church focuses on ministry to community
In the heart of Virginia, at the crossroads of two major highways, Crossroads Community Church has found a place to serve. The new church start is reaching out to the Zion Crossroads community, located just outside of Charlottesville, as the…
Chick-fil-A’s Cathy honors commitment to give
ATLANTA (BP)—When Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, was named the winner of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, it recognized not just a year of extraordinary charitable giving but a lifestyle devoted to giving. Cathy,…
Obama inaugural events bracketed by prayers, controversy and ecumenism
WASHINGTON (ABP)—The official events connected to the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States started Jan. 18 with an invocation and ended Jan. 21 with a benediction. And the religious content of—and religious controversy over—the…
Youth EnCounter expands to six events across Virginia
RICHMOND—“Youth EnCounter is expanding exponentially,” explained Ken Dibble, youth ministry strategist for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. “To reach as many youth as possible with the gospel, we're bringing Youth EnCounter closer to local communities, at less cost, so that…
CBF leader writes President Obama with ‘heartfelt requests’
ATLANTA (ABP)—Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal sent an Inauguration Day letter congratulating Barack Obama and urging the newly sworn president to lead America in building a more civil and just society. Vestal pledged to pray for Obama, his…