My professional pilgrimage has been marked by a sometimes painful series of movements between Christian academic institutions falling on opposite sides of the gender issue, or what has come to be called the complementarian/egalitarian divide. This has given me opportunity…
BWA president Coffey in Lebanon shortly after lawmaker’s assassination
BEIRUT, Lebanon (ABP) — The president of the Baptist World Alliance is touring Lebanon and the Middle East in the wake of an assassination of a Lebanese Parliament member and continued unrest in the tumultuous region. David Coffey arrived in…
Little Rock remembers scars of past, hopes for future of anti-racist faith
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — When Jefferson Thomas enrolled at the formerly all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he said only one white student treated him “in a Christianly manner.” When Thomas, who was raised Baptist, asked his…
Trustees question Roberts’ leadership after VP resigns from Midwestern
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP) — The chief financial officer at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary resigned Sept. 20 in a dispute with president Philip Roberts over a financial analysis that raised questions about Roberts' leadership, the school's trustee chairman said. David…
South Dakota honors Baptist woman who turned parsonage into coffee shop
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (ABP) — A coffeehouse on isolated Native American land is proof that a specialized business can succeed on a reservation in the middle of nowhere. Just ask Belva Matthews. She was honored Sept. 7 as one of…
Pastor of burned church, arsonist’s mom talk in chapel service about redemption
BRIERFIELD, Ala. (ABP) — An unlikely pair shared the pulpit at Judson College's weekly chapel Sept. 18. Jim Parker is pastor of the Ashby Baptist Church in Brierfield, Ala., the second of nine Alabama churches burned by arsonists in February…
New ‘ex-gay’ study hailed by Right raises methodological questions
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A new study suggesting that religiously motivated conversion from homosexual orientation is possible and not harmful has been hailed by some social conservatives, while others are questioning the study's motive and methodology. The study, funded by an…
SECOND OPINION: Ministry and money matters aren’t mutually exclusive
For many, the command not to worry about tomorrow is a mandate for ministers to live entirely by faith, especially in financial matters. But the command to be good stewards indicates an equal calling to use resources wisely, which includes…
IMB envisions 3,000 more missionaries on field
RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP) — Many Southern Baptist churches that pride themselves in being “missions minded” might have a hard time convincing an impartial observer, an International Mission Board leader told trustees Sept. 12 at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. The meeting…
SECOND OPINION: Celebrating Baptists’ 400th
The Baptist historian Robert Gardner said that “in the United States there are at least 57 different Baptist groups.” The largest Baptist group or denomination in North America is the Southern Baptist Convention with over 16 million members and over…
Thompson: Not regular churchgoer, won’t talk frequently about faith
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Although the newest GOP presidential candidate is gaining lots of positive attention from the leaders of the Religious Right, he is not involved in a local church and says he won't talk much about his faith on…
SECOND OPINION: Greeting a new pastor
On a recent Sunday I said farewell to a wonderful congregation where I have served for the past four months. I want to leave behind these thoughts on how to greet a new pastor. • First, honor the complexity. “Keep…