ISTANBUL (ABP) — Despite the fears of the nation's secular elite, Turkish voters kept a moderate Islamist party in power after parliamentary elections July 22. The Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials as AKP, received about 47…
African American pastor blazes trail at Northern Virginia church
NEW BALTIMORE—Broad Run Baptist Church, whose members since the Civil War have been almost exclusively white, installed African-American Larry White as pastor on June 24. Broad Run, the oldest continuously active Baptist church in Virginia, was organized on Dec. 3,…
Missions education resource inspires church’s art show
BALTIMORE — Photographs documenting an immigrant's journey, masquerade masks and paintings stretching the edge of imagination—all are part of supporting the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's HIV/AIDS ministry in Africa and reaching out to a transitioning Baltimore community. Hosted by University Baptist…
Christian hostages in Afghanistan wait as Korean official tries to win release
KABUL, Afghanistan (ABP) — A senior official from South Korea traveled to Afghanistan July 26 to try to save 22 Korean Christians taken hostage by Taliban fighters. The kidnappers killed the group's leader, 42-year-old Bae Hyung-kyu, July 25. The group,…
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…
Congregational-health expert Odom to head Duke leadership initiative
DURHAM, N.C. (ABP) – A Baptist expert in encouraging congregational health is moving from a company he founded to a new initiative at Duke University Divinity School. David Odom, who founded the Center for Congregational Health, will become executive director…
Guest Opinion: Creeds, chaos, and the Holy Spirit
I have enjoyed reading Beth Newman's thought provoking editorials on the Baptist identity. Her most recent opinion piece, “Historical Amnesia and the Christian Creeds,” stirred memories of conversations I have had with other Baptist theologians. Lately, there has been a…