When Hurricane Ivan pummeled the island of Grenada on Sept. 7, 2004, with winds gusting to 145 mph, 89 per cent of the homes of the 100,000 residents were severely damaged. Thirty percent (10,000 homes) were completely destroyed. In addition,…
Dorothy Hall: 48 years of of Missions Connection
Her knitting needles clicking away, Dorothy Hall of Jarrett, worked diligently on little baby caps and blankets as part of her participation in Missions Connection 2006. For 48 years, Hall and various members of her family have been making the…
WMUV committee solicits comments
Margaret Wayland, chair of the ad hoc committee for Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia, has invited Virginia Baptists who wish to provide information to them to send it in writing to Margaret Wayland, Ad Hoc Committee, WMU of Virginia, P.O….
BTSR’s School of Christian ministry to offer online courses
The School of Christian ministry at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond will offer two four-week online courses, Sept. 11-Oct. 8. “Baptist Identity” provides an overview of Baptist heritage and how it influences current church ministry. Participants study Baptist origins, developments…
BTSR’s Graves to retire in 2007 citing health reasons
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) –Thomas Graves, president of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond since 1991, has announced plans to retire next year. Citing health reasons, Graves, 58, will step down July 1, 2007. He announced his plans during a special called…
McKissic responds to Patterson’s criticism of statement on tongues in chapel sermon
ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — One of Southern Baptists' most prominent African-American leaders responded Aug. 30 to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's rationale for partially censoring a chapel sermon he preached there a day before. In an open letter, Dwight McKissic told…
Donations to non-hurricane charities strong despite record Katrina giving
NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — Despite expectations to the contrary, donations to many charities not related to Hurricane Katrina held steady or increased last year, according to reports from Charity Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog group that monitors the financial health of…
Inexperienced charities complicated post-Katrina relief, watchdog says
NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — Although Hurricane Katrina inspired an unprecedented relief response, some of the groups who answered the call were inexperienced and ineffective, according to a charity watchdog group. The deluge of new and inexperienced charities that responded to…
Mississippi Baptist team weighs future of Katrina-devastated coastal retreat
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (ABP) — One of the clearest demonstrations of Hurricane Katrina's power as it decimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast Aug. 29, 2005, is the shell of a large three-story steel-reinforced concrete building in the once-charming town of Pass…
Progressive National Baptists pick president, decry war in Iraq
CINCINNATI (ABP) — The Progressive National Baptist Convention has named T. DeWitt Smith as its new president. Elected at the convention's annual summer session, Smith will succeed Major Jemison as leader of the Washington, D.C.-based denomination. Smith is pastor of…
Trustee McKissic endorses prayer tongue during chapel sermon at Southwestern
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — A trustee at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary endorsed the concept of a private prayer language in an Aug. 29 chapel sermon at the institution, setting off a wave of discussion in the Southern Baptist blogosphere…
2 churches cited in Alliance fine get Cuba travel licenses anyway
WASHINGTON (ABP) — At least two congregations whose activities in Cuba triggered a $34,000 fine for the Alliance of Baptists have been granted their own travel licenses by the same agency that issued the fine. The Treasury Department recently approved…