AXUM, Ethiopia (RNS) — The fabled Ark of the Covenant has become not only an icon of modern culture, thanks mainly to Indiana Jones, but also the most revered religious relic of all time. In Ethiopia, people believe it rests…
Eagle Eyrie dedicates new swimming pool
LYNCHBURG — Beautiful and inviting, Eagle Eyrie's new swimming pool was dedicated in a brief ceremony on Tuesday afternoon, July 15. Photo by Jim White Eagle Eyrie's new pool was filled with swimmers following its dedication July 15. Both children…
FAITH DIGEST
Philanthropist Templeton dies at 95. John Templeton, American-born investor and philanthropist who devoted his later life to funding the scientific study of religion, died July 8 at a hospital in Nassau, Bahamas, at 95. Templeton founded a prize for “progress…
Obama, McCain’s first joint appearance set for Saddleback
LAKE FOREST, Calif. (ABP) — Barack Obama and John McCain will make their first joint 2008 campaign appearance to an audience of Christian activists at a Southern Baptist church. The two have agreed to participate in a "compassion forum" at…
New ABP website uses collaboration to offer more resources, interaction
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) –The newly redesigned Associated Baptist Press website (www.baptistnews.com) offers expanded resources and reader interaction, but the real change is the way ABP and its three Baptist media partners are collaborating to produce the site, according to Executive…
Groups ask federal appeals court to halt Kentucky’s funding of Baptist agency
CINCINNATI (ABP) — Two civil-liberties groups are asking a federal appeals court to stop state funding for a Kentucky Baptist agency, saying the agency uses the money to promote its religious beliefs to the detriment of employees and children. On…
Early retirement likely for embattled Nashville pastor
NASHVILLE (ABP) — Prominent Southern Baptist pastor Jerry Sutton likely will retire early from Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, following a year-long period of turmoil within his congregation. In an e-mail to church members, John Levesque, chair of Two…
Correction
There was an error in the 22nd paragraph of the July 6 ABP story, "Jesus in MySpace: Churches use social-networking sites." The founder of MyChurch.org mentioned is named Joe Suh, not Jon Suh. Please change it to read: "It is…
Lilly provides $1M grant for CBF ‘ecosystem’ initiative
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will create a leadership “ecosystem” during the next three years with a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The ecosystem, as the grant describes it, will focus on two initiatives. One…
Baptist help valuable, recovery slow in Burma, China
By Rachel Mehlhaff & Vicki Brown FALLS CHURCH, Va. (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…
Baylor students cycle to Alaska for suicide awareness
On Thursday, May 15, five Baylor University students, who created the Alive Campaign after a close friend attempted suicide, began a 4,500-mile bike journey over 83 days from Waco, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska, to raise awareness about suicide prevention. (L…
Impacting Port Sulphur: Virginia Baptists continue to support region devastated by hurricane
RICHMOND—In the early morning hours when most in the surrounding community was still sleeping, 10 members of North Run Baptist Church in Richmond departed on a 21-hour Impact NOW! trip to Port Sulphur, La., in lower Plaquemines Parish. Among the…