JACKSON, Tenn. (ABP) — Three Christian gay-rights activists were arrested Nov. 10 on the campus of Southern Baptist-affiliated Union University. The arrests occurred during the next-to-last stop on the 2008 Equality Ride, an outreach bus tour of 15 religious schools…
Texas Baptists elect Lowrie,
defer name-change proposal
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas elevated to its highest office the son of a former president, deferred action on a proposed name change and approved a reduced budget for 2009 at its most sparsely…
Baptist churches in Texas, California
draw gay-rights supporters’ protests
DALLAS (ABP) — About 100 people stood outside First Baptist Church of Dallas Nov. 9 to protest a sermon publicized on the church marquee with the title, “Why gay is not OK.” “To say in today’s culture that homosexuality is…
Baptist youth minister charged with child pornography
MONROE, Conn. (ABP) — An American Baptist youth minister in Connecticut was arrested on child-pornography charges after a nude photo of a 15-year-old girl he was counseling was found on his church computer. David Esarey, 30, was arraigned Nov. 5…
Dobson claims Obama election
sets pro-lifers back severely
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (ABP) — Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said Nov. 6 that Barack Obama’s election could set America’s pro-life movement back 35 years. In the first of a two-part broadcast on his radio show, Dobson admitted…
Black Baptist leaders: Obama win
moves us closer to King’s dream
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — Black Baptist leaders said Barack Obama’s election as the first African-American president of the United States does not mean Martin Luther King’s dream of racial justice has been fully realized — but it’s a lot closer…
Experts: Obama win may signal
start of religious-voter shift
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Barack Obama’s election as president could signal waning influence by the Christian Right in American politics, according to several experts — but his improvements over previous Democratic nominees’ appeal to religious voters could also simply be a…
U.S. blessed by God but ‘off track’ in foreign policy, Americans believe
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A new study described as the first of its kind suggests Americans believe the United States is both especially blessed by God and especially responsible to use its power wisely. Echoing the results of another recent poll,…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for November 6, 2008
STAFF CHANGES • Joey Giles, to James Square Church, Lawrenceville, as pastor. • Alvin Marguerat, to Triangle Church, Triangle, as pastor. • Robert Moon, to Marshall Church, Marshall, as interim pastor. • Chip Hardy, to Oakland Church, Gum Springs, as…
Three evolution critics appointed to Texas curriculum-review panel
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — Three of six members of a panel appointed to review proposed curriculum standards for Texas public-school science classes have criticized evolution. Because Texas is one of the largest markets for textbook sales in the United States,…
Baptist hymnody largely settles for two out of three in Trinity
Hymns sung in most Baptist churches historically have been “More About Jesus” than about either God the Father or the Holy Spirit, several church music experts agree. “From a Baptist perspective, I don't think the hymnody has ever been Trinitarian,”…
Pastor creates interfaith church where Christians are not in charge
NEW YORK (RNS) — A Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist and an atheist walk into a prayer meeting. Any number of punch lines could follow. But the members of Faith House Manhattan have serious business in mind. They…