DECATUR, Ga. (ABP) — Baptists are losing momentum in connecting with college students, Mercer University President Kirby Godsey said May 4. “These college students will not demand our attention. They will simply ignore us.” Godsey urged the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship…
Peace treaty signed for Darfur, but not all factions on board
ABUJA, Nigeria (ABP) — Although the Sudanese government and the main rebel group in the nation's troubled Darfur region signed a peace treaty May 5, international representatives were still working May 9 to keep the deal from falling apart. Cracks…
Tenn. Baptists reject Belmont offer, will likely sue to retain control
NASHVILLE (ABP) — Tennessee Baptists voted May 9 to reject an offer of $5 million from Belmont University that would have given the school power to elect its own trustees. Instead, the Tennessee Baptist Convention likely will now sue the…
Floyd to be nominated SBC president, but other candidates likely to follow
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (ABP) — Ronnie Floyd, pastor of the largest Southern Baptist church in Arkansas, will be nominated as president of the Southern Baptist Convention next month. Georgia pastor Johnny Hunt, who until a week ago was the nominee favored…
Teaching world religions increases respect for freedoms, study suggests
ARLINGTON, Va. (ABP) — A new study suggests mandatory teaching about world religions in public schools can increase teenagers' respect for religious freedom and other constitutional rights. The research, released May 8 by a Virginia-based think tank, studied 400 ninth…
Memphis-area megachurch defeats elder-led governance proposal
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. (ABP) — After a divisive and highly publicized debate about the role of elders in Baptist church governance, members of a large Memphis-area church have defeated a motion to switch from congregational polity to the elder system. The…
IMB trustee Burleson attacked again, but accuser may be violating new policy
ENID, Okla. (ABP) — In what could lead to another attempt to remove trustee Wade Burleson from the International Mission Board, a fellow trustee of the Southern Baptist agency is publicly criticizing Burleson for his views on baptism, alcohol and…
Reinstated missionaries say IMB report misrepresents their actions, decisions
DALLAS (ABP) — Wyman and Michelle Dobbs, the Southern Baptist missionaries recently threatened with termination by the International Mission Board and then reinstated, say the IMB's description of their reinstatement is “inaccurate and inappropriate.” The Dobbses, missionaries for eight years…
Ecumenical and evangelical groups tentatively join in day of prayer
WASHINGTON (ABP) — As President Bush spoke to an ecumenical group at the White House to mark the National Day of Prayer May 4, religious moderates and progressives gathered in locations around the country in an effort to broaden an…
Confusion reigns in SBC election: Hunt drops out, Floyd may run
WOODSTOCK, Ga. (ABP) — Barely a month before the annual Southern Baptist Convention, it's still unclear who will be nominated for president — a sign of the current uneasiness among conservatives in the denomination. Georgia pastor Johnny Hunt, tapped as…
Humanitarian aid is best weapon against terror, ex-U.N. official says
DALLAS (ABP) — Humanitarian aid is the most potent weapon the United States can deploy against terrorism, veteran congressman Tony Hall said. Providing food for one's enemies not only fulfills a basic teaching of Jesus Christ; it's also good foreign…
Missouri police investigate molestation by minister in Baptist church
GREENWOOD, Mo. (ABP) — A Baptist music minister convicted of molesting children at three churches since 1998 sits in a Kentucky prison May 4 while police continue to investigate what his supervisor, a senior pastor in Missouri, knew about the…