RICHMOND — This spring when Anna Kissne entered the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's certification in children's ministry program, she was taking another step in answering God's call to minister to children. Anna's faith journey began in her native Romania at…
FAITH DIGEST
Muslims, evangelicals not so apart. Muslim Americans and white evangelicals have more in common than other religious groups when it comes to religious fervor, scriptural literalism and social morality, according to the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. They…
Praise for Langford
I write to thank Lauren Heilman for the fine article on the Rev. Henry Langford that told of the resolution of the Virginia General Assembly praising him for his stand for racial justice 50 years ago (Religious Herald, June 14)….
Virginia children raise funds to help Croatians
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Children at 40 Virginia Baptist churches have joined children in congregations across the country to raise more than $250,000 to provide goats, sheep, pigs and cows to struggling families in Croatia, still suffering from years of war….
Vatican says Protestants not churches in ‘proper sense’
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican on July 10 reasserted the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, calling other Christian churches defective and saying Protestant denominations are not even churches “in the proper sense.” The statement, which was “ratified and confirmed”…
Closed process
Regarding your column of June 28 concerning the SBC annual meeting, I agree with what you said about “diminished attendance,” “reaping what we sow” and “despite its flaws . . . the SBC is doing Christ's work.” For over 78…
Baylor gets $4M estate gift to benefit religion department
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Baylor University announced June 20 an approximately $4 million gift from the estate of Allene Hubler, which will establish an endowed chair, an endowed professorship and an endowed scholarship in Baylor's religion department. Hubler's gift will…
Collaborative blog wins endorsements from top Southern Baptist leaders
NEW YORK (ABP) — In a ringing show of support, several prominent Baptist leaders have publicly endorsed a groundbreaking blog operated by reform-minded pastors within the Southern Baptist Convention. The endorsers include the presidents of three SBC entities and a…
Gay-friendly Baptist groups excluded from New Baptist Covenant event
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — The organization sponsoring an upcoming historic pan-Baptist gathering has told two gay-friendly Baptist groups they cannot participate in an official capacity. The North American Baptist Fellowship, under whose auspices next year's “Celebration of a New…
Church corruption, questionable gifts live on, long after Bakker scandal
DALLAS (ABP) — For some, Tammy Faye Messner's death July 20 stirred fond memories of a joyful Christian TV personality, and for others, painful memories of the sex-and-money scandal that destroyed her former husband's popular Christian television network. Her death…
Baugh family challenge nets BJC nearly $1.2 million in two weeks
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A Texas Baptist family's spontaneous challenge to jump-start a Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty capital campaign netted the organization nearly $1.2 million dollars in just a couple of weeks. Brent Walker, executive director of the Washington-based…
Barnes Named Dean of College of Visual and Performing Arts at UMHB
UNEDITED NEWS RELEASLE — Belton, Texas — Ted Barnes has been named dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Barnes most recently served at Ouachita Baptist University teaching in the area of graphic design. Prior to OBU, he…