WASHINGTON (ABP) — 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…
Children’s ministry disaster relief trailer arrives
Virginia Baptists are moving forward in their plans for ministering to children and their families who are affected by natural disasters. Members of the Children's Ministry Disaster Response Unit met with Terry Raines, the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's disaster relief…
IMB won’t remove trustee, but prohibits future dissent
Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board decided not to seek the removal of one of their own for criticizing trustee actions, but they adopted new guidelines to prohibit and punish such criticism in the future. After a…
NAMB trustees impose controls on Reccord after study
Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board met in an eight-hour closed session March 23, emerging with recommendations that impose “executive-level controls” on NAMB President Bob Reccord and other administrators at the agency. Reccord was not fired,…
Partnership will fund Hispanic ministry in Virginia
Three Baptist organizations have recently partnered to fund ongoing ministry among Hispanics in Virginia. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Baptist General Association of Virginia and Fredericksburg Baptist Church are partnering to provide financial support for Greg and Sue Smith, who…
Catholic diocese in Virginia to allow female altar servers
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington, which had been one of two U.S. dioceses that did not allow girls to be altar servers, will now allow them in parishes if pastors request them. The decision by Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde…
Tenn. pastor’s wife appears in court; mourners gather at husband’s funeral
SELMER, Tenn. (ABP) — Mary Winkler, the woman charged with fatally shooting her pastor husband, made her first appearance in court March 27, one day before more than 500 mourners attended the Church of Christ pastor's funeral. Winkler did not…
Exhibition on Bible in China coming to 3 U.S. cities
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is partnering with the China Christian Council to bring an exhibition on the Bible in China to three U.S. cities this spring and summer. The exhibition will highlight the Bible ministry of Chinese…
Austin association pulls funding from student ministry at UT
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — The Austin Baptist Association is cutting off funding to the Baptist Student Ministry at the state's largest university in order to redirect money to starting churches. The University of Texas student ministry will lose about $4,000…
Condemned Afghan Christian freed, goes into hiding; others jailed
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Afghan man threatened with execution for converting to Christianity was freed and went into immediate hiding March 27, according to news reports. Meanwhile, according to an agency that monitors persecution of Christians, at least two other…
CORRECTION
In the March 22 ABP story “IMB won't remove blogging trustee but prohibits dissent in future actions,” an IMB trustee quoted in the 33rd paragraph was misidentified. Please replace the paragraph with the following: “When we become trustees, we give…
Despite resistance, Dallas City Council OKs homeless units near Baptist school
DALLAS (ABP) — As the heads of two Christian organizations, Jake Walters and Larry James both want to do good. But the ways they've decided to follow Jesus' command to love others are mutually exclusive — at least for the…