(RNS) A conservative Christian legal group filed suit against New York Gov. David Paterson after he issued a directive permitting the recognition of same-sex marriages from other states. The Alliance Defense Fund filed the complaint June 3 on behalf of…
Rough & Ready
For 75 years there has been a Baptist witness in a section of Henry County which once had the name of Rough & Ready, likely after the Rough & Ready Mills which dated to the 1870s. Indeed some of the…
Baptist youth worldwide to gather in Germany
WASHINGTON — The 15th Baptist Youth World Conference is to be held July 30 to Aug. 3 in Leipzig, Germany. Dean Miller, missions learning coordinator for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, has played a key role in coordinating the event….
California court won’t delay gay marriage
SAN FRANCISCO (BP) — The California Supreme Court turned back pro-family groups June 4 by refusing to delay its gay marriage decision from going into effect, giving the green light for same-sex couples statewide to get married June 17. The…
OUT LOUD
“One final thing, Lord, I promise. This November could you keep an eye on all of us and see that the change that we embrace comes from Arizona and not Illinois?” James Lisante The Catholic priest from Long Island, N.Y.,…
CBF partners with Baptists in Ghana
ATLANTA (ABP) — Leaders from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Ghana Baptist Convention recently signed a memorandum of understanding, representing an official partnership between the organizations and churches that partner with them. For many years, Fellowship partner churches and…
Lottie Moon Offering gifts total $150.4 million
RICHMOND (BP) — Despite difficult economic conditions, Southern Baptists gave $150.4 million to the 2007 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions to support the work of more than 5,300 missionaries worldwide. After financial books closed at the end of…
Hazards for both sides when politicians court pastors
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith. Mike Huckabee and his “Christian leader” ads. John McCain and John Hagee. Hillary Clinton and her “prayer warriors.” Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright. To put it mildly, the 2008 election has featured an…
Muslim leaders affirm king’s interfaith effort
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (RNS) — Hundreds of Muslim leaders from around the world have endorsed Saudi King Abdullah's recent call for intensified interfaith dialogue in order to dampen global conflict and demonstrate Islam's commitment to solving world problems. The declaration…
Polygamist sect’s children sing, write poems to thank Baptists
GONZALES, Texas (ABP) — Children seized from a polygamist sect's compound and temporarily entrusted to a Texas Baptist child-care agency bid farewell to their former caretakers May 31 with poetry, song and strong emotion. In anticipation of a court ruling…
SBC officials reject idea of sex-offender database
INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) — Citing Baptists' “belief in the autonomy of each local church,” a Southern Baptist Convention official announced May 10 that the denomination's Executive Committee would not support the creation of a database of sexual offenders in SBC churches….
SBC business items include bids to re-join BWA, oust churches
INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention will consider rejoining the Baptist World Alliance, removing churches that hire women pastors and restricting agency heads from serving as SBC president. Messengers presented those and 20 other motions during the SBC annual…