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…
Opinion: The duty to subordinate that which divides us?
A few nights ago, just at bedtime, my husband and I heard some kind of owl — at least we assumed it was an owl — announcing its presence among the oaks in our backyard. A little research on the…
N.C. Baptist newspaper set to elect PR director Jameson as editor
RALEIGH, N.C. (ABP) — Norman Jameson has been recommended as the new editor of the Biblical Recorder, the North Carolina Baptist state newspaper. Jameson, the executive leader for public relations for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, met with…
Festival of homiletics links spoken word and suffering world
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — “Then God showed up, and all hell broke loose.” That's how William Willimon described Pentecost, but he added that it was a far cry from the lukewarm homilies found in pulpits today. A Methodist bishop and…
Pennington-Russell set to make history as pastor of large Decatur church
DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — A female pastor who broke the “stained-glass ceiling” in Texas Baptist life is expected to move to a historic church near Atlanta, making it by far the largest Southern Baptist church led by a woman. A…
Herb Reynolds, Baylor president emeritus, dead at 77
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Herb Reynolds, the president who led Baylor University into the Big 12 Conference and founded George W. Truett Theological Seminary, died May 25 in Angel Fire, N.M. He was 77. Reynolds, the 11th president of Texas'…
State’s highest court to hear about consequences of marriage ban
LANSING, Mich. (ABP) — Michigan's highest court agreed May 24 to hear a case on what some opponents of same-sex marriage consider an unintended consequence of banning it. The Michigan Supreme Court will hear an appeal of a lower court's…
UPDATED: Study finds U.S. Muslims better assimilated than European ones
WASHINGTON (ABP) — One of the most comprehensive studies of its kind suggests that Muslims in the United States are better assimilated into the nation's culture – and less likely to espouse extremist beliefs — than their counterparts in Europe….
No Rio Grande lawsuits planned; too costly and complex, lawyer says
DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas will not file lawsuits to recover church-starting money mismanaged in the Rio Grande Valley. Civil litigation would be costly and complex, and the statute of limitations could prevent recovery of a…
Texas Baptist board elects committee to find director
DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board has elected a 15-member search committee to replace executive director Charles Wade, who has announced plans to retire Jan. 31, 2008. Executive Board Chairman Bob Fowler sent an e-mail…
TV news producer named news director for Ky. Baptist paper
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — Drew Nichter has been named news director of the Western Recorder, a Baptist newspaper in Louisville, Ky. He started in his new role May 16. Nichter, 30, succeeds David Winfrey, who resigned after 10 years to…