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…
Equality Riders arrested
at Union University
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…
CBF Coordinating Council adopts new strategic priorities
ATLANTA — A year-long spiritual discernment process culminated Oct. 10 in the unanimous approval by its governing Coordinating Council of the re-prioritizing of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's work. In addition to the vote to adopt new strategic priorities and bless…
Two centuries and a quarter for Dover Baptist Association
Members from churches spanning seven counties gathered at New Highland Baptist Church in Mechanicsville Oct. 26 to commemorate the historic 225th anniversary of the Dover Baptist Association. The event, three years in the planning, celebrated Dover's long and storied history….
FCC bans some wireless microphones
WASHINGTON (BP) — After his church invested $250,000 in wireless technology, Chris Hinkle of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas is concerned by the federal government's Aug. 21 vote to ban wireless microphones in the 700 megahertz band. “There are 75…
Blue Ridge marks 150 years of ministry
Messengers to the Blue Ridge Baptist Association celebrated a century-and-a-half of ministry as they gathered Oct. 23 at Fairystone Baptist Church. Many came dressed in period attire as they looked back in time to celebrate their most significant accomplishments. Guest…