SAN DIEGO (ABP) – African Christians tend to understand and appreciate the Old Testament far better than their Western counterparts, author Philip Jenkins told his fellow evangelical scholars Nov. 15. Jenkins, a professor of religious studies and history at Pennsylvania…
Ky. Baptists elect officers unopposed, hear ‘troubling’ report on spirituality
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (ABP) – Messengers to the Kentucky Baptist Convention's annual meeting Nov. 13-14 elected all of the body's officers by acclamation, decided to shorten next year's annual meeting and heard a sobering report on the theological views of average…
Florida Baptists say alcohol use disqualifies leaders from service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (ABP) — Only teetotalers will be allowed to serve as trustees of the Florida Baptist Convention's agencies and boards, as a result of a vote at the convention's annual meeting. With no discussion and less than half…
Keith Beene, 40, dies unexpectedly; led communicators’ association
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (ABP) – Keith Beene, the 40-year-old administrator of a professional society for Baptist communications professionals, died unexpectedly in the early hours of Nov. 16, according to the group's president. David Winfrey, president of the Baptist Communicators Association, said…
Church starters begin pioneering work in mountains of India
ATLANTA (ABP) — For five years, Sam Bandela has worked among hill tribes in the mountainous central region of India. As tsunami relief and personal challenges intervened, Bandela struggled to find trusted local partners, train indigenous church planters and fund…
Budget changes only topic of discussion during Virginia Baptist meeting
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Virginia Baptists increased their support for a variety of state, national and international ministries – and for the second year in a row persuaded their budget committee to modify its proposal because of concerns about funding…
Budget changes only topic of discussion during Virginia Baptist meeting
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Virginia Baptists increased their support for a variety of state, national and international ministries – and for the second year in a row persuaded their budget committee to modify its proposal because of concerns about funding…
Associations work with VBMB to evangelize Central Virginia
BOWLING GREEN — The Hermon Baptist Association has partnered with the Dover and Fredericksburg Baptist association, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and local churches to start a new congregation called Living Proof. The new church held its first service at…
Moderates, conservatives each get mixed bag during Tenn. convention
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (ABP) – Neither an organized conservative group nor a coalition of moderates and unaligned conservatives were the clear-cut winners during the Tennessee Baptist Convention annual meeting, held Nov. 13-14 in Kingsport, Tenn. Messengers elected presidential and vice presidential…
How’s it going in Blacksburg?
BLACKSBURG — In the months since April 16, we have heard the question many times, “How's it going in Blacksburg?” As we remember our friend Brian Bluhm and the others who lost their lives that day, the answer of how…
Richmond church sends team to assist in Peru
RICHMOND — “Everything began suddenly when a group of persons from Bon Air Baptist Church in Richmond proposed a volunteer missions trip to Perú to help persons affected by the earthquake that hit the provinces of Pisco and Chincha, south…
Arkansas Baptists narrowly reject opening on communion, baptism
VAN BUREN, Ark. (ABP) — Arkansas Baptist State Convention leaders narrowly rejected an attempt Nov. 7 to remove a peculiar constitutional provision on communion and baptism that historians say is rooted in a 19th-century Baptist controversy. Messengers to the body's…