WASHINGTON (RNS)—Ten years after her death, a new book of Mother Teresa's personal letters illustrates a profound and private spiritual struggle—much of it unknown to the world that would come to admire her for her work with the poor and…
Divided Maryland high court rules against gay marriage
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (ABP) — Maryland's highest court has delivered the latest blow to supporters of same-sex marriage rights, narrowly ruling that the Maryland Constitution does not confer upon gays the right to marry each other. A sharply divided Maryland Court…
Religious Right leader James Kennedy dead at 76
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (ABP)—Presbyterian minister James Kennedy died Sept. 5, little more than a week after he retired from the pulpit that helped him launch both evangelistic and political ministries. Kennedy, who was 76, had served nearly half a century…
Hearing the Call: Clarification an important task at Baptist schools
ABILENE, Texas (ABP) — Sometimes a Christian may report receiving a crystal-clear call from God to join the ministry. But more often than not, he or she may feel like there's some static on the line. That's the conclusion of…
Hearing the Call
Hearing God's call to vocational service may not be as easy in a Baptist church as it once was, but some congregations are determined to change that. Once upon a time, a public invitation at the close of the sermon…
FAITH DIGEST
Religious activists fast for debt relief. A group of religious activists began a 40-day fast Sept. 6 to advocate for legislation that would cancel the debts of the world's 67 poorest countries, according to the Jubilee USA Network, an alliance…
Hearing the Call: Church approves 82-year-old for ‘gospel ministry’
HALLSVILLE, Texas (ABP) — A Baptist church in rural Texas recently licensed one of its own to preach the gospel — 82-year-old Buck Lineberger. The ceremony at First Baptist Church in Hallsville, Texas, came 65 years after Lineberger initially felt…
Ministers hear call through many voices
God uses a variety of voices in calling people to Christian service, veteran ministers agreed, pointing to their own experience. In Joel Thielepape's case, two voices figured prominently—a representative of the New York Yankees who delivered a discouraging word and…
Collegiate GO teams have varied mission experiences abroad
RICHMOND — Sponsored by Baptist Collegiate Ministry, GO (Global Outreach) Teams not only provide short-term summer mission immersion experiences for college and university students, but also develop leadership skills and build community through an intensive five-month training process. Each GO…
Hearing the Call: Ministers hear call to service from different voices
SEDALIA, Mo. (ABP) — Veteran ministers may have little in common when it comes to locale and style, but many agree on at least one thing: God uses a variety of ways to call people to Christian service, they say….
Connect 2007
RICHMOND — Connect: 2007, the 184th annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, will be held Nov. 13-14 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The theme is “Hope is On the Way.” Featuring more videos and other multi-media…
Italian youth minister serves summer in Virginia
RICHMOND — Not many self-employed computer programmers would risk giving their clients less than three weeks' notice that they would be unavailable for almost three months. But despite the potential loss of business, that's exactly what Daniele Podestà, a member…