ATLANTA (ABP) — A state judge has invalidated Georgia's state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, saying its promoters improperly placed it on the state's general election ballot in 2004. However, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Constance Russell said Georgia's voters…
Central Seminary picks suburban site for money-saving campus relocation
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (ABP) — In the culmination of a process designed to improve the school's financial situation, the board of Central Baptist Theological Seminary voted May 12 to move to a suburban facility from its historic inner-city campus. Lisa…
Third seminary president endorses Floyd, who answers critics of his SBC support
LOUISVILLE (ABP) — A third Southern Baptist seminary president has endorsed Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd for president of the denomination. Meanwhile, Floyd offered an explanation for his church's relatively low support of the Cooperative Program, which funds Southern Baptists' seminaries…
Correction
In the May 16 story, “Pizza magnate building ‘city of God'; Catholics flock while critics mock,” please change the name of the Baptist Joint Committee in the fifth paragraph from Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Freedom to Baptist Joint Committee…
Pacific region leaves ABC over homosexuality issue
COVINA, Calif. (ABP) — Leaders of the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest took the final step May 11 to remove the regional group from their national denomination, primarily over its handling of homosexuality. The region's board of directors…
Correction
In the May 15 story, “Kentucky Baptist board affirms college's ouster on gay student,” please change the long-term goal in the last paragraph from 60 percent to 40 percent.
Another agency head endorses Floyd as search for 2nd candidate continues
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP) — A second seminary president has endorsed Ronnie Floyd for Southern Baptist Convention president, despite an admonishment from the convention's chief executive, Morris Chapman. In an email to students and others May 15, Danny Akin, president…
Patterson’s endorsement of Floyd draws rebuke from SBC exec
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Seminary president Paige Patterson has endorsed Ronnie Floyd for Southern Baptist Convention president, prompting a rare rebuttal from SBC chief executive Morris Chapman and exposing a growing rift between the two SBC executives. Meanwhile, critics…
Kentucky Baptist board affirms college’s ouster on gay student
BAGDAD, Ky. (ABP) — Members of the Kentucky Baptist Convention Mission Board have voted to affirm the University of the Cumberlands' recent decision to dismiss an openly homosexual student. Citing “the recent public controversy surrounding the Baptist school's dismissal of…
House passes bill undercutting military chaplain guidelines
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The House of Representatives has amended a defense-spending bill to appease activists who believe new military guidelines encroach on the religious freedom of evangelical chaplains. The bill, as amended, passed the House May 11 on a 396-31…
Ronnie Floyd nomination sparks talk of weak SBC support, fire-truck baptistry
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (ABP) — News of the nomination of Arkansas megachurch pastor Ronnie Floyd to be the next Southern Baptist Convention president has brought new attention to his church's high-tech evangelism methods and lackluster financial support of the denomination he…
SBC narrowness calls for repentance, reform, say disgruntled conservatives at meeting
About 30 Southern Baptist conservatives from diverse backgrounds are repenting of the triumphalism, arrogance and isolationism they say threatens the integrity of the 16 million-member denomination. Saying they represent “disparate constituencies” in the Southern Baptist Convention, the participants met behind…