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…
Virginia sends voters marriage amendment
Virginia's legislature has officially placed a constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot, giving voters in the state a say on the issue of gay marriage. The Virginia Senate March 8 unanimously passed the bill that places the amendment on…
‘Rare’ Baptist exec Ed Schmeltekopf dies after long battle with Parkinson’s
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Texas Baptist denominational leader Ed Schmeltekopf died March 29 after an extended illness related to his longtime battle with Parkinson's disease. Schmeltekopf, 73, served nearly two decades as associate executive director of the Baptist General…
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…
Wife confesses to pastor’s murder; police have yet to assign a motive
SELMER, Tenn. (ABP) — On the day of Mary Winkler's initial court appearance, authorities have yet to disclose a motive for her crime, even though she has confessed to shooting her husband of 10 years. Winkler, 32, has been charged…