VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (ABP) — In the latest of a long-but-unsuccessful line of predictions and prophecies, Pat Robertson said Jan. 2 the United States will face a massive terrorist attack in late 2007. The 76-year-old religious broadcaster uttered his prediction…
Mass. legislators vote to send gay-marriage ban to voters
BOSTON (ABP) — A week after the state's highest court chided them for not acting sooner, Massachusetts legislators relented Jan. 2 and OK'd a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the only state that currently allows…
Students at Antiphony explore callings, celebrate New Year
ATLANTA (ABP) — Students who gathered in Atlanta over the New Year's holiday may well remember it as a time for conversations about “things that matter.” Event organizers said the second annual Antiphony conference was intended to help Christian young…
Massachusetts court chides legislators for not voting on marriage ban
BOSTON (ABP) — The same court that three years ago ordered Massachusetts legislators to legalize same-sex marriage in the state has rebuked — but not punished — the state's lawmakers for failing to vote on an amendment that would ban…
Belmont names first non-Baptists to board as controversy continues
NASHVILLE (ABP) — Belmont University, embroiled in a lawsuit with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, has further angered some convention leaders by appointing non-Baptists to its board of trustees. The Nashville school announced, via a Dec. 21 press release, that eight…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for December 21 ,2006
Staff Changes Lowell Wright, to Trinity Church, Louisa, as pastor. Robert Johansen, to Spring Creek Church, Darlington Heights, as pastor. Calvin Sacra, to North Bedford Church, Forest, as pastor. David Burgess, resigning as pastor of Seventeenth Street Church, Roanoke. Ray…
Baptist battles dominated news in 2006, editors say
DALLAS (ABP) — The election of an outsider as president of the Southern Baptist Convention was chosen by Baptist journalists as the most important story in Baptist life in 2006 — a year when denominational affairs outweighed world news in…
Embattled Bellevue Baptist faces new conflict: ‘moral failure’ allegations
CORDOVA, Tenn. (ABP) — The president of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary has called for the senior pastor at one of the largest Southern Baptist congregations in the United States to resign. Michael Spradlin, who leads the seminary situated across the…
NBC Nightly News to feature American Baptist ministry
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — A small American Baptist ministry has hit the big time. On Dec. 22, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams will feature Hope Unlimited on its weekly “Making a Difference” segment. Co-founded by David Swoap and…
Not just for Christmas anymore
Some might say Mary, the mother of Jesus, doesn't know her place. Instead of staying in her traditional Protestant role—quietly overlooking the manger in Christmastime crèches—Mary is emerging as an increasingly popular figure in books, articles and movies. And here's…
Missouri Baptist leaders approve team to investigate executive
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — In a sign of continuing turmoil within the Missouri Baptist Convention, the body's Executive Board has appointed a committee to investigate their embattled executive director. The group also discussed allegations that a four-year-old church in…
For Christians, Nativity overcomes mixed reviews, potential scandal
One week after its debut, a movie based on the Gospels' simple Nativity narrative is spurring optimism among Christian film fans, who seem willing to overlook potentially scandalous news about one of the movie's stars. The Nativity Story debuted Dec….