WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — After news that the Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina is loosening ties with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, the state's Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has announced a special offering to help the mission-focused organization….
42 Baptist schools make magazine’s ‘best colleges’ rankings for 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Forty-two members of the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities are listed among America's best colleges in annual rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report magazine. All told, 1,900 colleges and universities are ranked…
Ministerial students want to serve God, but not necessarily in local church
DALLAS (ABP) — College students who feel called to work in ministry want to make a difference for God's kingdom. But a significant number don't believe the local church is the place to do it, according to guidance directors for…
Pastoral residency programs give needed mentoring for new pastors
DALLAS (ABP) — When a Baptist minister graduates from seminary or divinity school, what factors predict whether that person will succeed or fail in local church ministry? Educational training plays a part, as does the personality of the congregation the…
SBC candidate calls for God’s wrath against AU
BUENA PARK, Calif. (ABP) — An early candidate for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention has called on Baptists to pray for misfortune to befall employees of a church-state watchdog group. Wiley Drake, a pastor, radio crusader and Baptist…
Billy Graham’s access to Oval Office spanned 11 U.S. presidents
It doesn't take long to make a list of religious leaders who've made personal connections with each of the last 11 U.S. presidents. There's really just one name: Billy Graham. The evangelist who has spent the last six decades preaching…
Black churches face challenges in maintaining musical tradition
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (RNS)—Music, for many, is at the heart of the black worship experience. “Music comes as a softener of people,” said Frank Thomas, pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn. “It allows me to gradually open myself…
Graham, presidents shared deep personal bonds
Harry Truman “Don't worry about it. I realized you hadn't been properly briefed.” — Billy Graham, in his autobiography, Just As I Am, recalling Truman's acceptance of his apology in 1967 for his actions during a White House visit years…
Passing the torch: When a longtime pastor leaves, succession can be sticky
When the only pastor an entire generation at a church has known leaves, there's no set model for ensuring a smooth transition, experts say. The right way to do it at one time in a church's history may be wrong…
FAITH DIGEST
Belief in afterlife ages well. As Americans get older, their confidence in the afterlife increases, according to a recent survey of people over 50 conducted by AARP, the advocacy group for seniors. Seventy-three percent of older people believe in life…
Seventh Day Baptists to stay in Baptist Joint Committee
NEWBERG, Ore. (ABP) — A tiny Baptist denomination has voted, narrowly, to remain part of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty despite disagreements over church-state relations. Delegates to the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference voted 279-234 July 31 to…
The church has a new pastor. When will it start to feel normal?
NEW YORK (ABP)—When a beloved pastor leaves a church, the replacement often faces an uphill battle in winning the trust and respect of the congregation. Sometimes, the newcomer faces a challenge simply in getting people to remember his name. Winfred…