BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Baptist pastor and football chaplain Rick Ousley, founder of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., has temporarily withdrawn from his evangelistic ministry after admitting to an extramarital affair. Ousley and the directors of his…
The Well Community singular in goal to work with mentally disabled
DALLAS (ABP) — Joel Pulis, a Baylor University graduate now living in Dallas, was recently featured in People magazine for leading his church in a relatively new and singular mission: to reach poor people with mental disabilities. Pulis, 33, refers…
McKissic and Southwestern trustees make peace over ‘prayer language’
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Texas pastor Dwight McKissic and his fellow trustees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary have apparently decided to make peace, despite their previous public disagreements about a private “prayer language.” In a March 27 statement, trustee…
Church’s offering for Reccord raises questions about six-figure severance
SALISBURY, N.C. (ABP) — Former missions leader Bob Reccord preached a revival last week in a North Carolina church where congregants were asked to give a sacrificial “love offering” because preaching is Reccord's “only source of income” — one year…
Mohler’s office subject of sit-in by gay-rights group
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — A Southern Baptist seminary president's recent controversial comments on homosexuality caused a gay-rights group to target his office with a sit-in March 26, leading to 12 arrests. Members of Soulforce, a religious gay-rights group, detoured their…
African couple wins human rights award from Baptist World Alliance
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — Officials at the Baptist World Alliance have, for the first time, honored a Baptist couple for their commitment to human rights. Joao and Nora Matwawana, residents of Nova Scotia, will receive BWA's 2007 Denton and…
Baylor engineering team sparks electricity in Honduran village
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Grad student Ryan McGhee has spent nearly all of his free time in the last several months doing one thing — building an electrical turbine. But despite the tool's seemingly pedestrian function, McGhee calls his work…
Ohio administration cuts contract with faith group, investigates office
COLUMBUS, Ohio (ABP) — Amid an investigation into the actions of the state's office of faith-based initiatives, Ohio officials have terminated a contract with a large organization closely tied to President Bush's efforts to fund government services through religious charities….
Procter & Gamble wins $19 million judgment over Satanism rumors
SALT LAKE CITY (ABP) — For those who needed any more reasons to discount the decades-old rumor that one of America's largest and oldest consumer-products companies was in league with Satan, a federal jury recently provided about 19 million of…
Alum Spring church member win award
The singing duo Braeded Chord was awarded a WAMMIE (Washington Area Musicians Association Award) Feb. 18 for Best Gospel/Inspirational Group of 2006. This marks the second year in a row that the performing songwriting duo, consisting of Sharon Dennis, a…
Southwestern Seminary leaders agree to meet with McKissic, halt removal
Board leaders at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and an embattled trustee have agreed to meet and discuss their differences—with a threat to remove Texas pastor Dwight McKissic from the board taken off the table. McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church…
BTSR hosts live seminar on ministry
The School of Christian Ministry at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond will host a live seminar called “Live into the Vision—Every Member a Minister” on May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This seminar is for anyone who is…