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…
Virginia Baptists weighing relief options
RICHMOND — Virginia Baptists are prepared to help victims of Myanmar's deadly cyclone but as long as the country's government blocks relief from non-governmental orgnanizations, Virginia Baptists' efforts will be delayed. Terry Raines, disaster relief coordinator for the Virginia Baptist…
FAITH DIGEST
Panel cites 11 religious freedom offenders. A federal watchdog panel an-nounced 11 countries should be named “countries of particular concern” for their records on religious freedom, including three not currently on the State Department's list. The U.S. Commission on International…
Crowded SBC presidential field grows by two
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (ABP) — A crowded field of hopefuls for the Southern Baptist Convention presidency appears to be developing, with two high-profile candidates set to join three already-announced nominees. Retired SBC International Mission Board executive Avery Willis and Atlanta-area pastor…
FIRST PERSON: Mary Washington students spend spring break at work
Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12 NIV). For 20 students and two adult…
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…