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…
Ladies trio celebrates 40 years of ministry
December marks the 40th anniversary of a Richmond-area ladies trio called “The Christadoes”—which means, “We Sing Unto Christ.” That name is not only the meaning of “Christadoes,” but it is also the testimony of June Caskey of Grove Avenue Baptist…
Hillary Clinton hires faith consultant for potential presidential campaign
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Following a trend of Democrats becoming more faith-friendly, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has hired a Baptist “faith guru” for her expected 2008 presidential campaign. Burns Strider, who has been the head of religious outreach for the House…
Bluefield professor elected officer in national religious profs association
Bluefield College professor Tim Crawford, chair of the division of Christian studies, has been elected to serve as vice president of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion. The BC professor of Bible and Hebrew earned the one-year national…
Not just for Christmas anymore: Mary gaining evangelical fans
DALLAS (ABP) — 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…
Newest BGAV church opens in Loudoun County
On Oct. 1, Loudoun Bible Church opened with a bang in Ashburn. The opening service consisted of a heart-warming commissioning ceremony, soul-stirring gospel music, a celebratory reception featuring noted jazz artists, AJQ Jazz, and an inaugural sermon by pastor Wayne…
Summit calls global church to focus to AIDS crisis
When 5,500 people die of AIDS every day, the need is not for charity but for justice, says Bono, and the church must do something about it. “That's a lot of our brothers and sisters to be losing for no…
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…
His ‘dream come true’ carries nativity to the big screen
Ironically, production of The Nativity Story took about as long as the period of time the movie portrays—from just before Christ's immaculate conception to just after his miraculous birth. That such a breakneck production schedule actually worked and the movie…
Theological opportunity?
Perhaps I'm an opportunist, but whenever things happen that are not likely to happen again, I try to take advantage. As, for example, in 1986 while spending a weekend with my family in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park when…