WASHINGTON (ABP) — Southern Baptist pastor-personality Wiley Drake did not violate tax law by using his church's letterhead or his radio show to endorse Mike Huckabee, he announced May 18. Drake, pastor of the 75-member First Southern Baptist Church in…
Baptists, other Christians already in China beat limits on foreign help
WASHINGTON (ABP)—While China has accepted a very limited number of foreign-aid workers in the wake of the disastrous earthquake that devastated much of Sichuan province, Baptists and other Christians from the United States already were situated to help. According to…
Iraq status reportedly divides panel on religious freedom
WASHINGTON (ABP)—An independent, nonpartisan federal panel’s failure to issue a recommendation to the State Department about Iraq reportedly is due to political division. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report and recommendations in early May….
Baylor President John Lilley’s future in doubt after meeting
WACO, Texas (ABP) — John Lilley may be the latest endangered leader at the world's largest Baptist school, according to reports in the local newspaper. The Waco Tribune-Herald reported May 17 that Baylor University leaders declined to discuss whether the…
Abundant field of SBC candidates may signal relaxed political reins
INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) — Candidates are lining up two-by-two for this year's Southern Baptist Convention presidency, like animals filing into Noah's Ark – two big-church pastors, two small-church pastors, two former missionaries. For the first time in almost three decades, six…
Baptists, other Christians already in China beat limits on foreign help
WASHINGTON (ABP) — While China has accepted a very limited number of foreign-aid workers in the wake of the disastrous earthquake that devastated much of Sichuan province May 12, several Baptists and other Christians from the United States were already…
Megachurch fails to oust members
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — A May 4 vote to oust 71 dissident members of Nashville, Tenn., megachurch Two Rivers Baptist Church failed by four votes. The ouster attempt was proposed by embattled pastor Jerry Sutton and the deacon chair. Exactly…
Fellowship announces formal partnership with Ghana Baptist Convention
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…
Evangelicals lament a politicized faith
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Evangelical Christians should be defined by their theology — and not their politics — to avoid becoming “useful idiots” of a political party, a group of leaders said May 7 in a new statement. The document, “An…
Southern gospel music legend Dottie Rambo dies in crash
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Southern gospel music singer and songwriter Dottie Rambo, 74, was killed when her tour bus ran off a highway near Mount Vernon, Mo., May 11. She was en route to an engagement in Texas after performing…
Blogging Baptists
For some people, blogs are like a family reunion where people barely know each other. There's a lot of talking going on, but there's little agreement on much of anything. But for many of the increasing number of Baptist bloggers,…
Democratic churchgoers like Clinton
INDIANAPOLIS (BP) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton May 6 continued to do well among churchgoers, according to exit polls, despite not having the kind of night her supporters felt she needed to shake up the race and catch frontrunner…