ATLANTA (ABP) — Forty-five churches across the country invited women into their pulpits Feb. 4 for the Martha Stearns Marshall Day of Preaching. Baptist Women in Ministry sponsored the event to celebrate women and educate congregations about women in ministry….
Virginia Baptists continue Seeds of Hope in Liberia
Virginia Baptists are continuing years of assistance to Liberia through “Seeds of Renewed Hope,” which will provide sustenance to people in that West African nation. Virginia Baptists are being encouraged to donate vegetable seeds of all kinds, as well as…
Local missions gain prominence as Baptist churches join blitz
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Operation Inasmuch, the one-day missions blitz organization that started at a Baptist church in Fayetteville, N.C., became a national ministry Jan. 30. David Crocker, who was pastor of Fayetteville's Snyder Memorial Baptist Church when Operation Inasmuch was…
Accrediting agencies asked to probe seminary’s dismissal of female professor
A supporter of a professor who lost her job at a Southern Baptist seminary—allegedly due to gender discrimination—has filed complaints with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Association of Theological Schools asking them to investigate “a serious breach”…
Opinion: Time for a national death-penalty moratorium
In a move that received very little attention, Gov. Phil Bredesen recently suspended all executions in Tennessee until May, pending a full review of what he called our “sloppy” execution procedures. The governor is to be commended for this brave…
Virginia Baptists’ Upton shares ‘Covenant’ experience
Most Virginia Baptists respect the office of the U.S. presidency, so it comes as no surprise that when John Upton received a phone call from former president Jimmy Carter inviting him to attend a meeting of Baptists in April of…
Consultant says salvation is wholeness, not just ‘point-of-sale’ transaction
CONOVER, N.C. (ABP) — Despite decades of tweaking evangelistic methods, there is little evidence that many Christians are experiencing true life change, Ron Martoia told church leaders Jan. 29. Perhaps, the church consultant said, that failure is because Christians in…
IMB trustee investigation rejects allegations of board impropriety
The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, following an internal investigation, has rejected a trustee's accusations of impropriety and unauthorized tightening of doctrinal parameters. The board reportedly approved a report, based on its own executive committee's investigations into the charges,…
Study says teen faith shaped more by hands-on ministry than worship
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Serving meals to homeless people at a church-sponsored shelter can have a greater impact than sitting in a pew every Sunday morning on how a teenager's faith develops, a new study has concluded. “Involvement in community…
Baptist mission workers killed in bus crash in Honduras
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (ABP) — Three Americans on a mission trip in Honduras were killed in a truck crash Feb. 6. Ten other people were injured when the truck flipped on a remote mountain road, authorities said. Two of the deceased…
Leonard Sweet tells pastors to embrace change, ‘get over’ postmodern shift
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Deal with it, get over it or get help. That's Leonard Sweet's mantra when it comes to understanding Christianity's fluid role in the postmodern world. The Christian church is in the midst of a “perfect storm,”…
Texas ethics leader calls Baptists to oppose new coal plants
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — The director of Texas Baptists' ethics organization has called for Baptists in the state to lobby public officials not to open 18 proposed coal-fired power plants that would dump tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere…