JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance was the top Baptist news story of 2004, according to a survey of journalists. The murder of four SBC missionaries in Iraq was the second most…
North Carolina Bureau of Investigation looking into Southeastern’s finances
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP) — The Wake County District Attorney has asked the State Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina to look into finances at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Colon Willoughby, the district attorney, said he has not received a…
CBF of North Carolina builds future for Kiev’s street children
KIEV, Ukraine (ABP) — As the world's attention focuses on Ukraine during a time of political unrest, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is trying to bring hope to the region's forgotten homeless children. The street children of Kiev…
Americans United, ACLU offer first court challenge to ‘intelligent design’
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Two civil-liberties watchdog groups have filed the first known lawsuit to prevent public schools from teaching the theory of “intelligent design.” Critics of the theory, including supporters of evolution, call it “junk science” and say it is…
Bush administration, Baptist Joint Committee file briefs in Ten Commandments cases
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Two friend-of-the-court briefs filed recently in the U.S. Supreme Court present differing views on the role of the Ten Commandments in American history and whether government entities can display them. The Bush administration, represented by the Justice…
Latino Baptists go on mission to India through efforts of Texas school
SAN ANTONIO (ABP) — Two students — one a Mexican, the other a Nicaraguan — have just completed a semester doing missionary work in India through an Atlanta-based missions agency and their Texas theological school. Juan Acuña, a Californian who…
Cuban youth celebrate church’s renovation
More than 1,000 young people in eastern Cuba met in First Baptist Church of Moa Dec. 5 for a major celebration of the church's recent renovation. They came from seven provinces that make up the Baptist Convention of Eastern Cuba…
Faith-based agenda to continue, says staffer
The man spearheading President Bush's effort to increase government grants to religious social service agencies said the initiative will continue in Bush's second term, although he offered few specifics as to how that will happen. Speaking during a Washington conference…
Hunger kills more than 5 million children a year, says UN food agency
Hunger and malnutrition kill more than 5 million children a year and cost developing countries billions of dollars in lost productivity and national income, according to a United Nations report. “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2004,” issued…
State Baptist meetings offer mixed results for supporters of BWA
By Greg Warner If the Baptist World Alliance, which lost its largest member and funder earlier this year, hoped to recoup some of that funding from state Baptist conventions, the organization got little encouragement during the recent round of convention…
Reaching the goal: Virginia Baptists surpass 2004 budget
Virginia Baptist leaders praised the generosity of the Baptist General Association of Virginia's churches last week as they announced it has surpassed its 2004 missions and ministry budget for only the second time in almost a quarter of a century….
Messenger study provides snapshot of BGAV meeting
If every church eligible to send a messenger to the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia had sent its maximum number to the meeting in Roanoke last month, attendance would have soared to 10,668. That bit of…