GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — The Hispanics are coming to the United States in droves — and in response the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship plans to plant Hispanic churches in droves. The CBF's Hispanic Initiative aims to start 400 new Hispanic congregations…
Sandra Day O’Connor, crucial ‘swing vote’ on controversial issues, to retire from court
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has played a crucial role in many of the Supreme Court's most controversial decisions over the past 24 years, announced her plans to retire from that body July 1. The surprise announcement…
CBF assembly OKs partner proposal that caps funding, classifies schools
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship affirmed a proposal for how the moderate group relates to its partner institutions and agencies, in spite of concern that the plan favors the strongest partners and harms the most vulnerable. “We've…
CBF’s new purpose statement critiqued for not mentioning Jesus, evangelism
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship approved revisions to its constitution and bylaws July 1, turning aside a move to make a commitment to Jesus Christ and evangelism explicit in the CBF purpose statement. The old statement said,…
CBFers elect female, African-American to top offices at Texas meeting
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — Meeting during their annual general assembly in Grapevine, Texas, June 30, members of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship elected a female pastor from San Francisco and an African-American retired pastor and denominational leader to the organization's top…
Baptist World Alliance’s Lotz calls for ‘pre-Christendom’ Baptists at CBF
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — Participants in the Baptist World Alliance “belong together because we belong to Christ,” Denton Lotz told more than 500 supporters at a dinner in Grapevine, Texas, celebrating the global Baptist group's 100th anniversary. The dinner preceded…
CBF council adjusts partnership report, approves $30,000 grant for BCE
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council, meeting June 29 prior to the organization's annual general assembly, approved revisions to the partnership study committee report and approved a one-time gift of $30,000 to the Baptist Center for…
House of Commons legalizes gay marriage across Canada
WASHINGTON (ABP) — As Canada's lower house of Parliament voted to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples nationwide June 28, evoking strong responses from groups on both sides of the issue across the border in the United States. The House…
Dunns donate $100,000 to endow Moyers Scholar program
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A family relationship fostered under extraordinary circumstances more than 50 years ago has led two stalwarts of religious liberty, James and Marilyn Dunn, to establish a scholar program in honor of their friends, Bill and Judith Moyers….
Supreme Court declines Decalogue cases, agrees again to abortion-protestor cases
WASHINGTON (ABP) — In its final act of business for its 2004-05 term, the Supreme Court agreed June 28 to hear a pair of cases involving the rights of abortion-clinic protestors while turning away appeals in four cases in which…
Air Force names rabbi to ‘values’ post as controversy over religion grows
WASHINGTON (ABP) — As Pentagon officials appointed a rabbi to a new post overseeing the Air Force's religious environment, members of Congress and religious leaders disagreed over the extent of religious problems that have created a stir at the branch's…
Mood among Sri Lankans changing as recovery work takes hold
BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka (ABP) — When the day starts winding down, the action on a sandlot along the Sri Lankan coast begins to heat up as young men from around the neighborhood gather for a game of cricket nearly every…