DALLAS (ABP) — A church-planting institute founded by Otto Arango — the central figure in a scandal involving misuse and mismanagement of Texas Baptist church-starting funds in the Rio Grande Valley — will cease to exist at the end of…
Missouri convention disqualifies 19 churches, challenges Wal-Mart
Messengers to the Missouri Baptist Convention elected a slate of theologically conservative officers for the 10th consecutive year and disqualified 19 churches under the convention's single-alignment stipulation approved at last year's annual meeting. Messengers also approved a resolution encouraging Missouri…
Arizona voters nation’s first to reject amendment banning gay marriage
Although 27 other states since 1998 have approved amendments to their state constitutions banning gay marriage, Arizona voters bucked the national trend. With 100 percent of the state's precincts reporting by midday Nov. 8, according to the Arizona secretary of…
CBF names first coordinator for U.S. disaster response
Charles Ray, a long-time Little Rock, Ark., resident, has been named the first coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's U.S.-based disaster response team. He'll begin his new position Jan. 1, 2007. The two-year position was created through a partnership between…
Pewboy knows
Altar Ego sighed with relief when he finally found Pewboy. Altar Ego: “Excuse me, Pewboy, do you have a few minutes to talk?” He had interrupted the Baptist layman as he arranged stacks of bulletins on tables beside the sanctuary…
Thanks to VBMB
Praise the Lord for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board! On Oct. 28, Gary Chapman came to our church to lead a workshop on “How to Teach the Bible.” He did an excellent job. It was evident that he put a…
BGCT messengers support Wade despite handling of Valley scandal
DALLAS (ABP) — Rank-and-file Texas Baptists are sad and angry about the financial scandal in the Rio Grande Valley that has marred their reputation, but most say they still trust their leaders — including Executive Director Charles Wade — to…
Tennessee Baptists will ask leaders if they affirm SBC’s faith statement
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — Tennessee Baptists voted overwhelmingly Nov. 14 to publicize whether nominees to leadership posts in the convention affirm the "Baptist Faith and Message," a controversial confession of faith adopted by the national Southern Baptist Convention. Messengers to…
N.C. Baptists reject bylaw changes giving colleges, others more freedom
GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP) — Messengers to the annual North Carolina Baptist state convention meeting struck down proposed bylaw changes that would have given convention-related institutions more influence over the appointment of trustees and directors. The proposed amendments, more than a…
Virginia Baptists increase budget for 2007
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (ABP) — Virginia Baptists adopted a $14.2 million budget to fund their ministries in 2007 — a $100,000 increase over this year's budget goal. The 1,053 messengers attending the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of…
Texas Baptists approve measures to ‘restore trust’ after Valley scandal
DALLAS (ABP) — “Together We Are Doing More” was the stated theme, but healing from financial scandal was the subtext that dominated the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Messengers to the Nov. 13-14 meeting elected officers,…
Anne Davis, social-work pioneer, dies in Waco, Texas
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Anne Davis, the renowned Baptist social worker, died Nov. 9. She was 69. Born in Baskerville, Va., Davis grew up in a rural farming community. After earning degrees from Averett College, Westhampton College at the University…