Don't you wish America's political leadership had an ounce of moral imagination? The Senate's failure to improve our immigration system represents a new low in legislative ineffectiveness. (Coming from someone who's watched the Texas Legislature at un-work, that's a mouthful.)…
CBF considers U.N. campaign to fight poverty, hunger, disease
WASHINGTON (ABP)—The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship at its general assembly took the first step toward joining the United Nations' campaign against global poverty and disease, called the Millennium Development goals. In a break from business-as-usual during the Fellowship's national meeting, participants…
Remembering Jamestown
Everyone should visit Jamestown once in their life. My once occurred years ago when our children were young. We walked the dusty trails. We climbed aboard one of the tiny ships. We marveled. And then we boarded the Jamestown-Scotland ferry,…
CBF moderator says God’s covenant gives responsibility
WASHINGTON (ABP)—God's covenant with Christians “places the responsibility for being the presence of Christ squarely on our shoulders,” Emmanuel McCall told participants at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship general assembly. God is a covenant-keeping God, insisted McCall, the Fellowship's moderator and…
RIGHT OR WRONG?
Our pastor recently called for us to be model citizens. Then, the pastor said, “Be sure, though, you sacrifice your political party's platform on the altar of the gospel, and not vice-versa.” I'm left with the question, “What can I…
BAPTIST BRIEFS
Buckner International, BGCT forge immigration ministry. The Baptist General Convention of Texas and Buckner International are partnering to create the first nationwide effort for local, church-based ministry to help immigrants become U.S. citizens. Through their new Immigration Service and Aid…
Opinion: 17 rules for Christian engagement in politics
It's election season again. Actually, it never ceases to be election season in our politics-obsessed culture — and in politics-obsessed evangelical America. I have been thinking a lot about the intersection of evangelicals and politics. In a new book coming…
Gushee appointed professor of Christian ethics at Mercer
MACON, Ga. (ABP) — David Gushee, a Baptist theologian and author, has been named to the position of distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University. Gushee currently serves as a professor of philosophy at Union University in Jackson,…
Pulitzer-winning Baptist cartoonist Marlette dies in Miss. car accident
HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. (ABP) — Doug Marlette, whose editorial cartoons often lampooned fundamentalist religion but whose folksy comic strip celebrated a rural Southern Baptist pastor, was killed in an automobile accident July 10. He was 57. The Pulitzer Prize winner,…
Criticism of Southwestern homemaking courses angers professor, radio host
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Recent criticism of a “cookie-making” degree at a Southern Baptist seminary has brought some homemakers out swinging, calling the critics “pitiful” and “sanctimonious liberals.” The tiff emerged after a June 18 guest opinion piece by…
Philanthropic Texas Baptist family issues challenge for BJC campaign
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A prominent family of Texas Baptist philanthropists has given a big boost — and a challenge — to the campaign to create a permanent home for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. BJC Executive Director Brent…
Minorities flock to multiethnic campus groups for Christian fellowship
DALLAS (ABP) — Caucasian students continue to primarily populate college evangelical organizations, but ethnic minority students have started to join them in increasing numbers. Two of the nation's largest parachurch campus evangelical organizations, Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian…