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…
Looking for guidelines for Christian blogs? Start with the New Testament
The New Testament book of James compares the tongue to raging fire and a wild beast that cannot be tamed. And the author of that book never was “flamed” on a blog or in a chat room. Words have power,…
Iraq status divides panel on religious freedom
WASHINGTON (ABP) — An independent, non-partisan federal panel's failure to issue a recommendation to the State Department about Iraq is reportedly due to political division. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report and recommendations May…
Analysis: ‘Evangelical Manifesto’ draws praise, critique from across Baptist life
WASHINGTON (ABP) — If the authors of “An Evangelical Manifesto,” released May 7, aimed to inspire conversation and self-reflection among their kindred, they certainly succeeded. Among Baptists at the intersection of faith and public life, the conversation and reflection have…
Pastor-deacon retreat draws hundreds eager to make churches missional
A desire to make their congregations more missional drew almost 640 pastors, deacons and other church leaders to the annual Pastor/Deacon/ Church Leader Conference at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center last week. The event, sponsored by the Virginia Baptist Mission…
Bush envisions International Day of Prayer
WASHINGTON (BP) — In adversity, Americans can find comfort through prayer, President Bush said May 1 in a White House observance of the 57th National Day of Prayer. “Over the last seven years, our country has faced many trials. And…
Three Virginia Baptist churches investigate multi-site options
Your bank has several locations. So does your cleaners. And your grocery store. Why not your church? Three Virginia Baptist churches sent representatives to a multi-site conference in Dallas to discover whether this model might hold potential for them. In…
Lawyers to challenge IRS
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A conservative Christian legal group has launched an initiative for pastors to challenge IRS rules that prevent them from discussing political candidates from the pulpit. The Alliance Defense Fund said May 9 that its “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,”…
EDITORIAL: The changing church
The body of Christ never ceases to amaze me. Not that I have seen that much of its total representation in either time or space. My perspective is rather limited, in fact. Still, what I have seen amazes me. The…
IMB leader resigns over policies
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Rodney Hammer, the International Mission Board's regional leader for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for the past eight years, resigned effective May 5 after challenging policies of the board of trustees with which he is in…
Sharing memories
“It has been sooo long ago,” explained Martha Thomas by way of explanation, just in case her memories were not forthcoming. She need not have fretted. A month shy of her 100th birthday, Martha Thomas did not miss a beat…