Afghanistan's president praised his government April 4 for releasing a Christian who had been threatened with death for abandoning Islam. Hamid Karzai said the nation's judiciary was right not to bow to pressure from Muslim clerics and elected leaders, who…
FIRST PERSON: A dream come true
Occasionally, through hard work, determination, blind luck or a combination of all three, someone's fondest dream will actually come true. On March 30, the Southside Baptist Association and Virginia Baptist Children's Home & Family Services celebrated the completion of a…
‘Bad Girls of the Bible’ author shares her journey
God sometimes uses the least likely people to further his kingdom. That's what led Liz Higgs, author of 23 books with three million in print to write Bad Girls of the Bible and Really Bad Girls of the Bible. Taking…
More than 600 students find the ‘Narrow Gate’
Approximately 640 high school students and adults gathered on a warm weekend at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center for Senior High Weekend, March 10-12. The theme of the annual weekend conference, sponsored by the emerging leaders team of the Virginia…
FIRST PERSON: Taking leaders to a new level
The Emerging Leaders Level 2 track at Senior High Weekend each year engages students in Scripture, active learning and creative experiences which enable them to recognize the uniqueness and giftedness of their personality. This, combined with their understanding of spiritual…
Varied religious groups unite to support immigration reform
The debate over immigration reform currently dividing America at large — and congressional Republicans in particular — ironically is uniting a wide spectrum of the religious community that views immigration reform as a moral issue. The Roman Catholic Church, mainline…
New Christian ecumenical group off the ground with 34 members
ATLANTA (ABP) — Four years in the making, a new group designed to be the broadest ecumenical coalition in American history was officially formed March 31. Thirty-four denominational and parachurch groups, representing a broad spectrum of American Christianity, constituted Christian…
Record number of U.S. church groups reflects immigration, yearbook says
DALLAS (ABP) — Amid intense national debate about immigration reform, the National Council of Churches recently announced immigrants have had a positive impact on U.S. churches: The council's annual yearbook reports a record number of church bodies for 2006. One…
Coffin, outspoken activist, pastor of NYC’s Riverside Church, dies
NEW YORK (ABP) — William Sloane Coffin Jr., former CIA agent, peace activist, Yale University chaplain, accomplished pianist and esteemed pastor of Manhattan's Riverside Church, died April 12. Coffin died from congestive heart failure at his home in Vermont. He…
IMB may dismiss Africa missionaries for starting non-Baptist congregation
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Another controversy is brewing at the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, which reportedly is set to dismiss two of its missionaries in West Africa for cooperating with non-Baptist colleagues to plant a church that isn't…
Church & People News for March 30, 2006
Staff Changes Randy Moore, to Clinchco Missionary Chapel, Clinchco, as interim pastor. Mike Jones, to Enon Church, Roanoke, as interim pastor. Nick Pegram, resigning as minister of education and administration at Manassas Church, Manassas, after 17 years of service. Krista…
Despite SBC urging, VP nominees don’t toe the line on donations
GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP) — In a year when Southern Baptist Convention leaders are calling for the election of SBC officers “whose churches give at least 10 percent of their undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program” — the SBC's ministry budget…