Universal Press Syndicate released the following story. The headline reads “Holiest site becoming one of the stinkiest.” The story follows. “Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre most recently made News of the Weird in 2004 because of continued petty territorial…
Southern Baptist tapped as Army chief of chaplains
Chaplain Douglas Carver has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. Army chief of chaplains—the first Southern Baptist to lead the Army's chaplain corps in more than 50 years. Carver, 55, also has been recommended for promotion in rank…
As Senate debates immigration bill, Christian leaders say it’s worth a shot
WASHINGTON (ABP)—It may face an uphill battle in Congress, but some Christian leaders are saying the Senate's latest immigration-reform proposal is better than doing nothing on the issue. The legislation passed an initial test when the Senate voted May 21…
Deployed
CHARLOTTESVILLE–Joel Jenkins, pastor of First Baptist Church of Charlottesville, temporarily changed congregations last year—and the relocation was extreme. Jenkins, a longtime Army Reserve chaplain, was called to active duty in Iraq last June with barely a week's notice. For the…
Right or Wrong?
In light of the recent events at Virginia Tech, how can my church respond to this tragedy—and others like it? And what can my congregation do to prevent alienation, hostility and anger around us? Many of us have been asking…
Chaplain strives to be the presence of Christ in war zone
ALANBAR, Iraq (ABP)–Chaplain Alan Rogers has baptized a Marine in an Iraqi river under armed protection. Needless to say, it was a quick job. A Marine Corps corporal asked Rogers to baptize in the Euphrates River in Iraq, near the…
When it comes to counting church members, the devil’s in the details
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The Southern Baptist Convention, with about 16.2 million members on the books, claims to be the nation's largest Protestant denomination. But Tom Ascol believes the active membership really is a fraction of that. Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church…
Chaplain ministers at world’s busiest U.S. military trauma center
U. S. AIR FORCE THEATER HOSPITAL, Iraq (ABP)–At the U.S. Air Force Theater Hospital in Iraq, the sounds of Army Blackhawk and Marine Sea Knight helicopters are a call to duty for Air Force Chaplain Shane Gaster. Gaster, one of…
FAITH DIGEST
MANY PROFESSORS TAKE DIM VIEW OF EVANGELICALS. About half of nonevangelical university faculty acknowledge they don't have warm feelings about evangelical Christians, a new survey shows. A survey released by the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish & Community Research found…
What can churches do?
The war on terrorism is very much like other wars; and it is very different from other wars. Like all wars before it, people die and are wounded in body and mind. Like no war before it in our nation's…
Republicans join Democrats on New Covenant program
ATLANTA (ABP)—Organizers for next January's New Baptist Covenant gathering announced the speakers for the historic three-day meeting—with former President Jimmy Carter making good on a pledge to enlist prominent Republican Baptists to complement the mostly Democratic headliners. Republican Senators Lindsay…
Chaplains prep West Point cadets for spiritual warfare
WEST POINT, N.Y. (BP)—Southern Baptist chaplains Col. John Cook and Lt. Col. Darrell Thomsen, along with other chaplains at West Point, mourn the loss of 51 academy graduates since the war began. Still, new cadets keep coming with a desire…