Board members of the National Association of Evangelicals declined March 9 to chasten the group's public-policy officer for his public statements on global warming—but an intramural fight among evangelical elites on the issue may just be starting. NAE directors, meeting…
Pastor gets 10 years of probation for sexual molestation of teenage boy
An Amherst pastor convicted of molesting a teenage boy he once tutored was sentenced to 10 years probation on March 14. Kenneth Larry Payne, 70, was arrested in May 2006 after a 17-year-old reported Payne's actions to authorities. Payne was…
May 21 is entry deadline for BJC’s religious liberty essay contest
To engage high school students in church-state issues and to generate interest from a wide range of Baptists, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty in Washington has launched its second annual religious liberty essay contest. Open to all Baptist…
Bluefield receives scholarship grant from Kessee Foundation
Students at Bluefield College will soon have access to more financial aid, thanks to a generous gift from the Keesee Foundation. Members of the Martinsville-based fund were on the BC campus March 15 to present a $200,000 check to the…
Conference to focus on adult ministry
A conference on “Keeping People Over 60 While Reaching People Under 40,” led by Eddie Hammett, will be held May 1 from 6-9 p.m. at Villa Heights Baptist Church in Roanoke. The church is located at 4080 Challenger Ave., NE…
Correction
There was an error in the fifth paragraph of the March 19 ABP story, “Paul Powell retires as Truett Seminary Dean; David Garland to replace him.” Please change the final sentence of that paragraph to read: “Diana Garland took over…
Ron Crawford approved as president of Baptist Seminary at Richmond
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Trustees at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond announced March 20 their election of Ron Crawford as president of the 18-year-old seminary. Crawford, 55, was approved unanimously by trustees and will take the position July 1….
Disbanding church sells property, endows CBF of Florida with gift
LAKELAND, Fla. (ABP) — Despite years of dwindling membership and subsequent closure, Indigo Community Church is going out in style — to the tune of almost half a million dollars. On March 11, the Daytona Beach, Fla., congregation's remaining members…
Episcopal bishops reject Anglicans’ ultimatum; total split over gays looms
NAVASOTA, Texas (ABP) — With a March 20 resolution, bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States rejected calls from their global counterparts to backtrack on gay rights — and the rebuff may endanger the U.S. church's role in…
Missouri associate Jim Austin tapped for top Baptist spot in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S. C. (ABP) – After spending less than two years as associate executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, Jim Austin is expected to become new executive director-treasurer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. A South Carolina search committee…
Christians, ACLU join forces in favor of ‘Bong Hits 4 Jesus’
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Few events in American society could bring together the American Civil Liberties Union and Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice, especially to defend a banner mentioning drug use. But a case argued before the Supreme…
Taming that teen spirit: Teens watch parents, clergy for guidance on sex
WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABP) — More than three quarters of teens think religious leaders should do more to help prevent teen pregnancy — that's even more than the 64 percent of adults who think the same. But while 76 percent of…