Following a formal separation initiated by the Georgia Baptist Convention last November and several pronouncements by university leaders calling for a clear Baptist identity, Mercer University trustees voted April 21 to amend the school's charter to state that “no less…
Alliance pledges anti-racist thrust
Meeting in a city known for both racism and reconciliation, the Alliance of Baptists pledged to remake itself into “an anti-racist organization.” The action came at the Alliance's annual convocation April 21-23 in Birmingham, Ala. While the three-day meeting focused…
Receipt posting will be delayed
Due to a conversion to a new computer software program for church receipts, the BGAV will be unable to post church receipts (Cooperative Missions and designated gifts) during the first three weeks of May 2006 (May 1-19). Remittances will be…
Reccord affirmed in statement circulated by Baptist leaders
A statement signed by 41 pastors and various other Southrn Baptist leaders has been distributed affirming the integrity and achievements of Bob Reccord, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. Reccord resigned April 17, citing “honest…
CBF nominates Robert Nash for top missions position
Robert Nash has received the nomination for the global missions coordinator position at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. CBF members will vote to approve the nomination at their annual meeting June 21 in Atlanta. The nomination comes after a year of…
CBF meeting features lunch for chaplains, pastoral counselors
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will sponsor a conference and luncheon for chaplains and pastoral counselors during its General Assembly June 22-23 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. As an auxiliary event preceding the Assembly, a conference will be…
Serbian president signs religion law
Despite openly recognizing that the controversial new religion law approved by parliament on April 20 violates the European Convention on Human Rights, Serbian president Boris Tadic signed it into law on April 27. He ordered parliament to amend the law…
Elder rule increasing in Baptist life, and so is controversy over role
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — Sam Shaw, senior pastor at Germantown Baptist Church, has a problem on his hands. As in a growing number of Baptist churches, Germantown leaders — including Shaw — want to elect elders. And while many people…
Reinstated Africa missionaries accept IMB guidelines for church-planting
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Under a new agreement, officials at the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board have reinstated a missionary couple they threatened to fire for establishing a church that was not explicitly Baptist in the West African nation…
Even among elder-led churches, the buck stops in different places
(ABP) — What do some contemporary, Calvinist and cowboy churches have in common? They all have elders. But the similarity pretty much stops there. As with many other churches, the identity, role and authority of elders varies widely. In contemporary-style…
Federal panel again names U.S. allies as violators of religious freedom
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Several of the United States' allies remain among the world's most egregious violators of human rights, according to a non-partisan federal panel's report. In addition, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said, two nations whose oppressive…
SBC narrowness calls for repentance, reform, disgruntled conservatives say
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — 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,…