WASHINGTON (ABP) — 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…
Paul Corts named 5th president of Christian college council
DALLAS (ABP) — Former Baptist college president Paul Corts has been named the fifth president of the 30-year-old Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. The selection of Corts, who has served as assistant attorney general for administration for the U.S….
Tennessee Baptists to challenge Belmont, may ‘vacate’ board
NASHVILLE (ABP) — The Tennessee Baptist Convention will hold a rare special convention May 9 to deal with a growing rift with Baptist-affiliated Belmont University. Belmont wants to elect its own trustees, who have been appointed by the convention for…
Pro fisherman with no legs, one arm uses profession to witness to others
ROCKWALL, Texas (ABP) — Clay Dyer has a dream job. He believes without a doubt God called him to become a professional fisherman — and not just the “fisher of men” variety. Making his living with a rod, reel and…
Just days after asserting ‘war,’ DeLay leaves Congress
WASHINGTON (ABP) — One of the Religious Right's congressional heroes is leaving Congress under a cloud, just days after he appeared at a conference where the organizer said the attacks on him were part of a “war on Christians.” In…
Longtime Illinois columnist Tom Adams, 75, dies
ELGIN, Ill. (ABP) — Tom Adams, who penned one of the longest-running columns for a state Baptist newspaper, died April 1 following a heart attack. He was 75. “Tom's humility and his lack of pretense were qualities that endeared him…
Former SBC president Graham plans 2nd campus for Prestonwood Church
DALLAS (ABP) — Prestonwood Baptist Church, the 25,000-member megachurch near Dallas, has announced plans to build a second facility roughly 20 miles north of the existing campus. Former Southern Baptist president Jack Graham has served as pastor at Prestonwood, one…
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…
Church noteburning shows ‘nothing is impossible’
Gathering around a theme “Nothing is Impossible,” the congregation of Orchard Drive Baptist Church in Bassett, known locally as “The Orchard,” celebrated its 13-year history by burning their note of indebtedness. The morning service was electric with excitement as visitors…
Christian life committee seeks dialog on postmodernism, emerging church
Massive cultural shifts are occurring in contemporary society. The reasons for these cultural quakes are many, but all boil down to the conviction that human reason, which gave birth to fantastic advancements in science, industry, and technology, has failed to…
Gay activists target Liberty, Regent
Styling themselves after the famous Freedom Riders of the civil-rights era, a group of gay-rights activists is targeting Baptist and other Christian colleges with a cross-country bus trip that is part teach-in, part protest. The “Equality Ride,” organized by the…