WASHINGTON (ABP) — The culture wars over homosexuality are coming to your local high school soon, featuring a two-day battle. As an estimated 500,000 high school and college students nationwide plan to participate in the national “Day of Silence” April…
New Orleans-area CBF church emerges in Katrina’s aftermath
ATLANTA (ABP) — Amid disaster-response efforts to rebuild homes and lives after Hurricane Katrina, a new Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church has been born in western St. Tammany Parish, La. Bridgewater Church, launched Feb. 12 with a worship service at Madisonville…
Survey results: Church not important for spiritual growth, Americans say
DALLAS (ABP) — Almost three-fourths of Americans claim to be Christians, but only a small fraction consider church the place to deepen their faith, a new survey says. Less than 20 percent of American adults believe participation in a congregation…
Horse sense helps in life, education for Judson College equestriennes
MARION, Ala. (ABP) — When Jennifer Hoggle first visited Judson College, she didn't care much about touring the campus. She didn't even really care about seeing the dorms. “I just wanted to see the barn. The barn looked fine to…
Jim Towey to leave White House faith-based post for academia
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Bush's lieutenant for promoting government funding for faith-based social programs announced April 18 he is leaving his post. Jim Towey, director since 2002 of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, will leave at…
As social norms for clothing change, so do definitions of ‘Sunday best’
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Depending on where you worship, wearing your “Sunday best” to church today might not mean what it once did. On Sunday mornings, more and more people are passing on dresses or ties and opting for blue…
Young Hispanic Baptists call for ‘compassionate’ immigration
HOUSTON (ABP) — Hispanic Texas Baptist youth and singles issued a proclamation on immigration reform April 15, calling government leaders to “pass just and compassionate legislation that addresses stronger border security, respect for the law, and a process for citizenship…
Students charged in Alabama arsons plead ‘not guilty,’ get June trial date
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Three men charged with conspiracy and arson in the burning of nine churches in rural Alabama pleaded not guilty in an arraignment hearing April 13. Federal Judge John Ott set a June 5 trial date for…
As collaboration takes root worldwide, focus on ‘purity’ isolates SBC missions
DALLAS (ABP) — At a time when collaboration and cooperation characterize Christian missions, the Southern Baptist International Mission Board appears to be moving toward isolation and exclusion, some veteran missionaries and missiologists insist. They point to new IMB policies —…
Resolution on Baptist dissent submitted to SBC committee
Editor's note: This story is updated from its April 17 release. ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — In a sign of the controversy threatening to engulf the Southern Baptist Convention's upcoming annual meeting, a Texas pastor has formally submitted a resolution that…
BJC announces essay contest
To engage high school students in church-state issues and to generate interest from a wide range of Baptists, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has launched the 2006 Religious Liberty Essay Contest. Open to all Baptist high school students…
EDITORIAL: We shall all change or be changed
Editorial for April 6, 2006 By Jim White Editor Have you noticed in your reading of the Gospels that Jesus is not the least bit bashful? In the first few verses of Matthew 18, the disciples came to Jesus asking,…