FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — Claude Thomas, who resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, Texas, three weeks ago to become chaplain and special assistant to the president at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, abruptly declined the new position…
Baptist Joint Committee receives $100,000 lectureship endowment
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A Baptist historian and his wife have given a Baptist religious-liberty group a large gift to establish a lectureship on church-state issues. The Washington-based Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty announced the $100,000 gift from Walter and…
Judge finds no racketeering in Criswell College lawsuit
DALLAS (ABP) — A district judge found no evidence of racketeering by either the W.A. Criswell Foundation or Criswell College in a dispute with a computer contractor. The suit arose from an agreement John Thomas, a Baptist layman and founder…
Gary Baldridge to leave CBF missions post he shares with wife, will pursue writing
ATLANTA (ABP) — Gary Baldridge, who with his wife has led the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's global missions effort for five years, will leave CBF at the end of the year to return to a career in writing. Daniel Vestal, CBF…
Fellowship reports record donations, led by large gifts to missions
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship finished its 2003-04 fiscal year June 30 with revenues of $24.26 million, the highest-ever annual total. The record total included undesignated contributions of $8,869,883, designated gifts of $8,709,160, and a global missions offering…
New Orleans Seminary trustees say yes to ‘sole membership’ with reservations (updated)
NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — After months of sometimes pointed discussion, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees agreed Oct. 13 to adopt proposed charter amendments designed to tie it securely to the Southern Baptist Convention — but with some reservations. Spending…
Abortion, gay rights, faith discussed in 3rd and final Bush-Kerry debate
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President George W. Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry revealed their deep disagreements over some social issues important to religious voters — but both spoke candidly and passionately about their respective Christian faiths in the third and…
New Orleans Seminary trustees vote to adopt ‘sole membership’ with reservations
NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — After months of sometimes pointed discussion, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary trustees agreed Oct. 13 to adopt proposed charter amendments designed to tie it securely to the Southern Baptist Convention — but with some reservations. Spending…
Supreme Court hears arguments on juvenile death penalty
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. Supreme Court considered Oct. 13 whether or not giving the death penalty to offenders who are 16 or 17 at the time of their crimes qualifies as the kind of “cruel and unusual punishment” banned…
Americans United asks IRS to investigate Miami church
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A church-state group has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate another church for appearing to endorse a presidential candidate this election season. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the IRS to investigate…
Southern Baptists in New York elect new executive director
EAST SYRACUSE, N.Y. (ABP) — The executive board of the Baptist Convention of New York elected long-time pastor Terry Robertson as the fifth executive director of the 35-year-old convention. He will succeed J. B. Graham on Graham's retirement Nov. 5….
Most Christians ill prepared for end-of-life care decisions
CYNTHIANA, Ky. (ABP) — Lou Byrd knows she could be in the final months of her life and is at peace with that. “There are worse things than death,” said Byrd, a member of Cynthiana (Ky.) Baptist Church. The 73-year-old…