BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Former Samford University President Tom Corts died unexpectedly Feb. 4 of an apparent heart attack. Corts, 67, died after being taken by ambulance to Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala., accompanied by his wife of 44 years,…
David Tolliver named Missouri executive director
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — David Tolliver, who served as interim executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention for the past 22 months, has been has been named the new executive director. The MBC Executive Board voted overwhelmingly to call…
Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller dies
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…
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…
Churches in 18 Virginia associations complete 2008 ACP
Virginia Baptist leaders are acknowledging the 18 district associations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in which all churches completed the 2008 Annual Church Profile (ACP). Leaders also have praised the contact persons who collected the information. Each…
What does Obama’s inauguration mean for Christians and Americans in general?
Transformation: From exclusion to inclusion By Elwanda Cornelius More than ever the world has looked to our nation as it is being transformed from being exclusive to becoming inclusive. This dream is becoming more of a reality with the election…