DENISON, Texas (ABP) — A Texas church's tax-exempt status, which was denied three years ago because of the church's alleged lack of beliefs, was abruptly reinstated recently after the case drew media attention. Red River Unitarian Universalist Church in Denison…
Leaving the SBC behind proves hard for some churches
CHARLESTON, S.C. (ABP) — Providence Baptist Church never has been a Southern Baptist church and doesn't want to be one. But the congregation has had a hard time convincing the Southern Baptist Convention of that. The eight-year-old church in Charleston,…
Evangelicals, Catholics, mainline groups want to draw attention to poverty in election
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Fighting poverty should be a far more prominent issue for American Christians in the 2004 elections than it has been in the past, according to a diverse group of leaders meeting in Washington. The Christian anti-poverty group…
Baptist groups join Call to Renewal to make poverty a political issue
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Alliance of Baptists and the American Baptist Churches are joining arms with a national Christian anti-poverty group to call attention to poverty issues in an election year. The Baptist groups joined the…
BGCT employees to drop NAMB affiliation by yearend
DALLAS (ABP) — All five Baptist General Convention of Texas employees with North American Mission Board appointments will end those relationships with the Southern Baptist Convention agency and become fully supported by the Texas convention by the end of the…
BGCT asks Houston Baptist to end ties to rival convention
DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas is asking one of its affiliated universities to break off its “fraternal relationship” with a rival Baptist group in the state. The BGCT Executive Board voted May 25 to ask Houston…
Louisiana editor Clayton makes plans to retire in 2005
ALEXANDRIA, La. (ABP) — Lynn Clayton, editor of Louisiana's Baptist Message, announced May 18 he plans to retire at the end of 2005. By the time Clayton retires, he will be 65 and will have served more than 27 years…
Baptist chaplain named chief of chaplains for Air Force
WASHINGTON (ABP) – Baptist chaplain Brig. Gen. Charles Baldwin has been promoted to the Chief of Chaplain Service for the U.S. Air Force, and next month will become a major general and one of the three highest-ranking chaplains in the…
Exhibit space at Texas convention to exclude SBC seminaries
DALLAS (ABP) — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary will not be allowed to exhibit at the Baptist General Convention of Texas meeting this fall — further fallout from the deteriorating relationship between the Texas convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. A…
Baylor financial VP resigns to return to private business
WACO, Texas (ABP) — David Brooks, vice president for finance and administration at Baylor University, will leave the school at the end of July to return to private business. Brooks, 45, has been the principal architect of the financial model…
North Carolina Baptist leaders adopt statement on public schools
ASHEBORO, N.C. (ABP) – The General Board of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention weighed in on several social issues but declined to address the state's cooperative giving plans during its spring meeting May 18-19 at Caraway. Adopting a statement…
Baylor student disciplined for organizing gay-rights march
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A recent Baylor University graduate says he signed, under protest, a statement admitting he violated the school's conduct code by organizing a gay-rights rally — because he feared he wouldn't be allowed to graduate if he had…