Virginia Baptists' 21-C Leadership Conference, set for Feb. 3-4, 2006, at Saint Paul's Baptist Church in Richmond, will feature a Lead Like Jesus Celebration on Friday, hosted by Ken Blanchard, co-founder of the Lead Like Jesus ministry, and Reggie McNeal,…
Ala. Baptists promote reconciliation during bus-boycott anniversary
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (ABP) — Acknowledging they have not always been on the right side of racial issues, Alabama Baptists endorsed a call to use the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a way to foster racial harmony. The…
Religious leaders decry narrow House passage of deficit bill
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A diverse group of religious leaders lambasted the House of Representatives Nov. 21 for its narrow passage of a deficit-cutting bill that makes many of its cuts in programs that benefit poor people. The House passed the…
Louisiana Baptists honor Clayton on retirement from newspaper
WEST MONROE, La. (ABP) — While Louisiana Baptists offered words of praise for their retiring newspaper editor during their recent annual meeting, they also gave support to keeping the paper independent. Meeting in West Monroe Nov. 14-15, Louisiana Baptists honored…
Tennessee convention literally, figuratively stormy as action on Belmont postponed
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Deaths and disasters served as distractions from denominational politics for the 1,473 messengers attending the Tennessee Baptist Convention's annual meeting Nov.15-16. In spite of contentious business items — including the election of a convention president by…
Kentucky messengers overwhelmingly approve Georgetown College proposal
FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABP) — In a historic, relationship-altering move, Kentucky Baptist Convention messengers voted overwhelmingly to approve a new ministry partnership with Georgetown College. In other action, messengers meeting Nov. 15-16 in Frankfort, Ky., elected conservative pastors to the KBC's…
Louisiana Baptists reject officers, motions backed by conservative faction
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This updates and expands a version of the story that was released Nov. 16. It also corrects an error in the 7th paragraph of that story. Alan Weishampel's church is no longer named Murray Street Baptist Church; it…
Louisiana Baptists reject moves targeted at state newspaper
WEST MONROE, La. (ABP) — Messengers to the Louisiana Baptist Convention's annual meeting Nov. 14-15 surprised some observers by rejecting candidates and causes endorsed by the state's conservative political group. Meeting at First Baptist Church in West Monroe, La., messengers…
Texas Baptist’s elections, speakers reflect diversity
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — Rallying under a banner of “One Family — One Mission,” messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting took decisive steps toward demonstrating the diversity of the Texas Baptist family. Messengers elected the convention's…
Florida Baptists sign marriage petition, told to fight worldview
Ocala, Fla. (ABP) — Seeking to galvanize the 1,550 messengers in attendance to action, leaders of the Florida Baptist State Convention publicly signed the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment during its 144th annual meeting Nov. 14-15 in Ocala, Fla. Among those…
UPDATED: Conservatives gain ground in N.C. but retain budget that funds CBF
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — Conservatives in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina elected their candidate as president, toughened the convention's stance against gay-friendly churches, replaced the interim executive director and approved new institutional trustees without dissent. But they failed…
Alito downplays 1985 comments on abortion, church-state issues
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito has reportedly downplayed comments he made 20 years ago strongly opposing abortion and Supreme Court precedents on church-state issues. The comments, publicized Nov. 15, came in a letter he wrote in 1985…