I'm willing to bet that no one has a favorite holiday story about time spent in an airport. The main thought that we have involving airports is that we spend as little time as possible in them. Of course, if…
BCE, others urge Wal-Mart to practice Golden Rule
DALLAS (ABP) — Wal-Mart, the self-styled low-price leader, can't seem to get a break these days. While the giant retailer has recently come under attack from pro-gay groups for backpedaling on diversity initiatives, a group of Baptist pastors and leaders…
110th Congress features Baptist leaders, notable firsts in its religious profile
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptists of all stripes will feature prominently in leadership of the 110th Congress, which itself will feature some religious firsts. As both chambers pass from Republican into Democratic hands, several Baptists have been elevated to leadership positions…
Analysis: Change in Congress portends different set of social controversies
WASHINGTON (ABP) — When the 110th Congress convenes Jan. 4, the culture wars could move to a different battleground. The shift in the House from a significant Republican majority to a significant Democratic majority probably won't reduce legislation controversial for…
Judson College gets $9 million bequest, its largest gift ever
MARION, Ala. (ABP) — Judson College is poised to receive a $9 million Christmas present. Proceeds from the estate of Marian Acree Tucker of Dadeville, Ala., will be the largest bequest ever given by an individual donor to the Baptist-affiliated…
Hybrid holiday ‘Chrismukkah’ shows tension in blended American families
DALLAS (ABP) — There's a new winter holiday on the rise, and it could be the perfect opportunity to enjoy Fa-La-La-La Latkes, Blitzen's Blintzes, and Christmas trees filled with “menorahments.” It's not Christmas. And it's not Hanukkah. It's both. And…
Colleen Burroughs, friends bring water to drought-stricken Malawi
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — When Colleen Burroughs heard a news report last year that a drought in Malawi threatened to kill 5 million people, the Birmingham resident, who was raised in Malawi by Baptist missionary parents, knew she had to…
Avoid Christmas stress by getting organized, expert says
DALLAS (ABP) — 'Tis the season for anxiety attacks as to-do lists grow longer and days grow shorter. But families can reduce holiday stress by following a few simple organizing tips, author Marcia Ramsland says. “The holidays are as much…
New Jersey passes civil unions with same rights as marriage
TRENTON, N.J. (ABP) — On Dec. 14, New Jersey became the third state in the Union to offer gay residents legal protections similar to marriage. The New Jersey Assembly — the lower chamber of the state's legislature — passed a…
Leaders at Texas conference join McKissic’s call for more freedom
Pastors and other Baptist leaders at a Dec. 5 roundtable discussion voted unanimously to request Southern Baptist Convention officials to reconsider restrictive policies regarding speaking in tongues. The 100-plus pastors and laypeople who attended the half-day event at Dwight McKissic's…
New set of Baptist-Catholic talks to be held this month in Alabama
The first in a new series of Baptist-Catholic theological conversations was to be held at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 10-12. The Baptist team is being led by Baptist World Alliance General Secretary Denton Lotz and Paul Fiddes,…
Ellison won’t be first politician to forgo Bible in taking oath of office
When Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Democrat who last month was elected the first Muslim in Congress, announced he would take his oath of office on Islam's holy book, the Quran, he provoked sharp criticism. The ensuing discussion has revived the…