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…
House extends hate crimes law to include violence against homosexuals
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The House of Representatives has voted to extend hate crimes legislation to add protections for homosexuals, bisexuals and people with gender-identity issues in the same way people are protected because of race or creed. Democratic leaders called it a…
Analysis: For polarizing figure, Falwell leaves complex legacy
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Few other figures in the second half of the 20th century have proved as polarizing in American popular and political culture as Jerry Falwell, who died May 15 at the age of 73. But the outspoken preacher…
European conservatives say acceptance of gay marriage renders it meaningless
Yolanda King, oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr., dies
NEW YORK (ABP) — Yolanda King, the oldest child of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., died in Santa Monica, Calif., May 15. She was 51. Spokesmen have said the family thinks the cause of death was a heart…
Baptist chaplain works in Iraq, ministers to those of all faiths
ATLANTA (ABP) — Alan Rogers has baptized soldiers in an Iraqi river under armed Marine protection. Needless to say, it was a quick job. “He courageously made a public proclamation of his faith in front of his squad as they…
CBF, ABC to co-sponsor two couples in unique commission
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and American Baptist Churches USA have agreed to co-sponsor two missions couples in mission fields in the United States and Haiti. The missionaries are Marcia and Duane Binkley, who will be commissioned in…
Maciel named seventh president of Baptist University of the Americas
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ABP) — René Maciel will become the seventh president of Baptist University of the Américas in San Antonio, Texas. Maciel, 48, currently serves as assistant dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. He joined…
Carol Seeley commissioned as Venturer to South Africa
When Carol Seeley heard Pastor Cheryl Allen's vision for the Touch Life Centre at Troyeville Baptist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, Seeley knew that this ministry was where God was calling her to serve. Since last fall, Seeley had been…
Opinion: The best way to a full Baptist remembrance
The 400th anniversary of the Jamestown colony is big news, at least here in Virginia. The visit of Queen Elizabeth II excited a flurry of comments on proper protocol, and at least one TV reporter wondered aloud why Governor Kaine…
Competing state conventions challenge associations, Baptists say
DALLAS (ABP) — Dual — and sometimes dueling — state conventions often present a challenge for associations of churches. So when Baptists in a state form a second convention, associations find themselves walking a fine line, especially if significant numbers…
Drive to weave ties among local churches runs deep in Baptist DNA
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — The drive to weave ties among local churches is housed deep in the Baptist DNA. It's an instinct almost as visceral as another, often competing, Baptist characteristic — a fierce independence of thought and practice. For…