FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — C.W. Brister, Jr., who taught pastoral counseling and theology to generations of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary students, died Aug. 9, reportedly of complications from Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 82. Brister was a professor of…
Americans act as Georgian Baptists call for aid, end to conflict
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — Baptists in the United States and elsewhere in the world are responding with aid and prayers for their counterparts in the embattled former Soviet republic of Georgia. It was unclear by midday Aug. 14 whether…
Truett-McConnell College calls Caner as president
Emir Caner CLEVELAND, Ga. (ABP) — A Sunni Muslim-turned-conservative Baptist has been tapped as the eighth president of Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. College trustees voted Aug. 8 to name Emir Caner to the position. Caner is founding dean of…
Man shoots Ark. Democratic chairman, menaces Baptist Building
The Arkansas Baptist State Convention building is just blocks from the Arkansas Democratic Party offices on Capitol Avenue in downtown Little Rock LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — A man fitting the description of a suspect who shot and killed the…
Faith leaders ask DNC, RNC to showcase anti-poverty plans
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Prominent faith leaders are calling on the United States’ two major political parties to use their upcoming presidential-nominating conventions as platforms for showcasing how they would deal with poverty. In a recent letter to presumptive Republican nominee…
American Baptist leaders organize first-ever Burmese Baptist meeting
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — In October, the American Baptist Churches USA will convene the first-ever national conference for Burmese Baptist leaders serving in the United States. More than 30 pastors and lay leaders are expected to attend the Oct….
Amid Criswell College turmoil, accrediting probation lifted
DALLAS (ABP) — A bright spot has appeared amidst leadership turmoil at Dallas-based Criswell College: the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has removed the school from its probation list. The accrediting agency lifted the year-long probation at its June…
Playground brings hope to rural Miss. county
ATLANTA (ABP) -– It was a beautiful moment for the people of Goodman, Miss., and the teenagers from First Baptist Church in Greenwood, S.C. After days of building, the teens completed a new playground in Goodman — where children once…
Johnson resigns from Criswell after public spat with Jeffress
Criswell President Jerry Johnson DALLAS (ABP) — Criswell College President Jerry Johnson resigned Aug. 5, after a public clash with a powerful local pastor over the institution’s future. His resignation, accepted during a called session of the college trustees’ executive…
What honors a soldier most — faith traditions or military regs?
ARLINGTON (RNS) — Strik-ing symmetry marks the rolling green hills of Arlington National Cemetery — rows upon rows of identical white limestone markers, perfectly spaced in every direction. But underground, Muslims are laid to rest on their right side, facing…
Baptist help valuable but recovery slow for victims
FALLS CHURCH (ABP) — Two months after Cyclone Nargis devastated Burma and a month after a major earthquake shattered much of China's Sichuan province, Baptist-led recovery efforts continue — but conditions remain desperate in many places. The situation is particularly…
FAITH DIGEST
McCain, Obama to meet at church. In a direct effort to court people of faith, John McCain and Barack Obama will make their first joint appearance of the presidential campaign at California pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum on Leadership…