ATLANTA (ABP) — When Sonia St. Cyr survived Hurricane Katrina, she called it lucky. When she was flown out of the city during its aftermath, she called it unbelievable. But when she arrived at a Maryville, Tenn., evacuee shelter and…
Criswell’s cupids, Roman gods make waves at legendary auction house
NEW YORK (ABP) — Scantily clad nymphs attended by flower-bearing maidens. Strapping young gallants gently bending over lovers' bosoms. Frolicking cupids surrounded by doves and gilt-edged arrows. The mythological figurines are not exactly the kind of art you'd expect a…
Baptist World Alliance welcomes peace letter from Muslim scholars
MCLEAN (ABP) — A letter asking for peace between Muslims and Christians received a warm welcome from leaders of the Baptist World Alliance Oct. 17. Signed by more than 130 Muslim scholars, theologians and clerics, the 29-page tome asked for…
Baptist member in Gaza murdered
WASHINGTON (BWA) — Rami Ayyad, a member of the Gaza Baptist Church in Palestine and the manager of the Bible Society bookstore in Gaza, was found murdered Sunday morning, Oct. 7. Ayyad went missing the previous day after closing the…
Beale Memorial donates tractor to mission in Ghana
TAPPAHANNOCK—Last Monday a new Massey-Ferguson tractor began a journey from the church yard of Beale Memorial Baptist to Ghana in West Africa. In January, pastor David Donahue and several church members plan to rendezvous with the tractor and trek north…
Four prisoners amnestied, one to be deported?
Four of six religious prisoners of conscience in Turkmenistan have been amnestied, but the fate of two others is still unclear. The country of 5 million people — 87 percent of whom are Muslim — borders Iran and Afghanistan to…
EDITORIAL: Aunt Ida sees red at Brown’s grocery
Dear Jimmy, Well, let me tell you, I'm still fairly fumin' from a chance meetin' with Doris Morris at the sweet tater bin at Brown's grocery store in town. You may not know Doris, since she and her husband are…
Baseball umpires embrace ‘Calling for Christ’
OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) — “You're out!” “Safe!” Both are frequently heard calls in baseball — and a group of umpires who make those calls wants to be sure their colleagues are not “out” but “safe” in the arms of Jesus….
A man and his vision
Henry Keeling Ellyson became possessed with a vision. It is the mark of any effective leader that a vision is forthcoming and that it is articulated. Ellyson was the executive leader of Virginia Baptists. His actual title was corresponding secretary….
Opponents of Oregon partnerships law fail
SALEM, Ore. (RNS) — Opponents of a new domestic partnership law for same-sex couples failed to gather enough signatures to put a referendum on the November 2008 ballot. The secretary of state's office said volunteers who spent the summer collecting…
SECOND OPINION: What divides us is as important as what unites us
The recent media firestorm over Ann Coulter's comments on whether or not the Jewish people require “perfection” follows the predictable pattern. Like Captain Renault in the movie Casablanca, the hosts of various news programs professed themselves “shocked, shocked” to discover…
Vestal: New collaboration shows reconstruction of Baptist family
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — The Baptist “family” is undergoing “something of a reconstruction” these days, according to Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. After decades of infighting within and isolation between various Baptist denominations, an unprecedented opportunity…