Florida pastor Ronald W. Crawford, a former Virginia pastor who was president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, was named president-elect of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond by the school's board of trustees March 19. Crawford currently serves as…
Torture declaration irrational, says professor
An anti-torture statement endorsed by the National Association of Evangelicals “is a moral travesty managing not only to confuse but to harm genuine evangelical witness in the culture,” a Southern Baptist ethics professor said March 15. “The main problem I…
Hammond elected as NAMB president, plans closer relationship with IMB
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (ABP) — In a unanimous vote March 21, trustees of the North American Mission Board elected Geoff Hammond as president of the Southern Baptist Convention's stateside mission body. Hammond, 49, will start full-time work for the entity May…
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…
Despite icy weather, 3,000 Christians gather in Washington to protest war
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Thousands of Christians braved frigid temperatures, icy conditions and even arrest March 16 in Washington to protest the Iraq war. The “Christian Peace Witness for Iraq” began with a service at Washington National Cathedral and ended with…
Paul Powell retires as Truett Seminary dean; David Garland to replace him
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Paul Powell, who built up Baylor University's George W. Truett Theological Seminary in his six years as its dean, will retire in May and be succeeded by a veteran Baptist educator. David Garland, the school's associate…