WASHINGTON (ABP) — The plight of an Afghan man who could face the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity has united a broad array of religious, human-rights and advocacy groups that often find themselves ideologically opposed to each…
North Carolina CBF approves budget, elects new leaders
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — In its 13th General Assembly, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina reelected Don Horton, a layman from Zebulon Baptist Church, as moderator. Gail Coulter, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville, became moderator-elect. “It was…
IMB won’t remove blogging trustee but prohibits dissent in future actions
TAMPA, Fla. (ABP) — Trustees of the 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…
Gaddy warns Mainstream Baptists to be vigilant on religious liberty
5{arus Associated Baptist Press Speaking Feb. 24 in the birthplace of the First Amendment’s religion clauses, a Baptist minister who is a professional opponent of the Religious Right warned Baptists to be equally vigilant. Welton Gaddy, president of the Washington-based…
Foreign policy think tank begins initiative on religion
With help from a former secretary of state, an influential think tank focusing on foreign relations has launched a new initiative that will study and explain the role religion plays in foreign policy. The Council on Foreign Relations, with offices…
NAMB panel to study charges, but agency won’t release audit
By Greg Warner Associated Baptist Press Trustees of the North American Mission Board are asking a task force to see if there is any truth to allegations-first reported in the Christian Index-that the NAMB's evangelism and church-planting efforts are lagging…
FIRST PERSON: A rewarding and unusual disaster relief experience
By Paul and Gerri McDaniel The McDaniels, members of Lynn Haven Baptist Church, Vinton, recently spent two weeks in Gulfport, Mississippi, working with one of Virginia Baptists’ partner churches, Crosspoint. Crosspoint Church, a church only a year and a half…
Loaves, fishes and aluminum boxes
By Paige Peak Virginia Baptist Mission Board Feeding the multitudes was modeled by Christ. What seemed like such a limited offering resulted in thousands being fed. Virginia Baptist disaster relief volunteers fed hundreds of thousands of people last year alone…
Volunteers sought for disaster relief
Doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and other critical incident responders: If you or if someone you know has emergency response training, international disaster relief efforts are being coordinated by Virginia Baptists that could use your skills to save lives and…
Hope Builders: Bringing Hope to our Neighbors
Imagine you are a 26-year-old single mother with four children ranging in age from two to nine years old. You didn’t finish high school and you work as a waitress. You struggle to cover rent, utilities, medicine, food, clothes and…
One stitch at a time: “Web of Hope” at Black Creek Church
When sisters Sue Roe and Pattie Peace learned that women were meeting at Black Creek Baptist Church in Mechanicsville to make clothing for the poor, they knew they could help. “I’ve been knitting for about 30 years and for the…
Push against conversions in India call evidence of gospel’s success
By Erich Bridges Baptist Press A new campaign against the conversion of Hindus to Christianity is “evidence of success” for the spread of the gospel in India, a Christian worker there says. Militant Hindu leaders mounted a major gathering in…