The result of 21-C I am sharing this as a result of the time I spent at 21-C a couple of weeks ago. It was refreshing to hear Bob Roberts share of his church's approach to being “church” in his…
Rio Grande border remains safe, according to ministry leaders
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ABP) — Echoing much of what the U.S. Department of State said in a recent travel alert, Texas River Ministry leaders said the Texas-Mexico border remains safe as long as church groups exercise “common sense.” The State…
God is calling Hispanic Baptists to conquer ‘giants,’ prof says
HOUSTON (ABP) — God is calling Hispanic Baptists to overcome the “giants” of poverty, lack of education and ingrained religious traditions in their communities, a seminary professor told a Texas group. Speaking at the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Hispanic…
Planned cap on CBF partner funding would cut money for some, not others
ATLANTA (ABP) — A plan under consideration by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship would cap CBF funding of outside organizations, which could reduce CBF support for some traditional ministry partners by as much as 31 percent. The long-awaited proposal from the…
House committee OKs another bill allowing religious discrimination
WASHINGTON (ABP) — For the second time in as many years, a House panel has approved a bill that would allow some government-funded charities to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion. On a party-line vote Feb. 9, a…
Polish Baptists express ‘regret and sorrow’ over planned SBC meeting in Warsaw
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — The leader of Polish Baptists is expressing his “regret and sorrow” about a meeting, planned for Warsaw this summer, that at least one Southern Baptist Convention leader has described as an organizational gathering for “an…
Churches continue to support CBF Asian response, global missions
ATLANTA (ABP) – With the dollar bills and coins they collected taped to yardsticks and rulers, children at Riverchase Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., paraded down the sanctuary aisles Jan. 30 to contribute money for tsunami relief efforts in South…
N.Y. judge says state constitution requires marriage for gays
NEW YORK (ABP) — A state judge has ordered New York City officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on an equal basis with heterosexual couples. On Feb. 4, New York Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan said a law…
Bush asks for deep social-service cuts, which some say hurt nation’s families
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Bush is proposing a $2.57 trillion federal budget for fiscal year 2006 that would substantially cut or eliminate many domestic social programs while creating or boosting funding for a handful of others that would be open…
Rising costs prompt NAMB to cut medical benefits for future retirees
ATLANTA (ABP) — The North American Mission Board has eliminated some benefits for retiring employees in order to cut costs, prompting some of the SBC agency's 1,100 insured employees and missionaries to retire sooner than planned rather than lose the…
Gregory named to part-time position at Georgetown College in Kentucky
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (ABP) — Joel Gregory, former pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, has been named a distinguished fellow at Georgetown College in Kentucky. In that part-time consulting role, Gregory will visit the campus several times a year and…
Jimmy Draper sets retirement date, LifeWay names search committee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Making good on a promise made a year ago, Jimmy Draper, president of Lifeway Christian Resources for 14 years, announced his retirement Feb. 7, to take effect next February. Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing…