By Erin Curry More than 11,000 college students from all 50 states converged on Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 2-5 to worship God during “Passion '05.” Students gathered at the Gaylord Entertainment Center to be led in worship by Passion singers Chris…
Evolution disclaimer found unconstitutional
A federal judge has struck down a suburban Atlanta school district's policy of placing disclaimers about evolution in science textbooks, saying the policy violates the Constitution's ban on government establishment of religion. United States District Judge Clarence Cooper issued a…
Communion becomes more inclusive for mainline denominations
By David Briggs They marched down the sloping concrete ramps of the Communion aisles by the thousands-Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Lutherans and even one Catholic priest. For more than a century, Christians had scattered throughout the grounds of the Chautauqua…
Episcopal bishops apologize for ‘pain’
The bishops of the Episcopal Church formally apologized Jan. 13 for the “pain, hurt and damage” caused by the consecration of an openly gay bishop but stopped short of saying the action was wrong. The bishops, after a two-day meeting…
Missouri Baptist Convention attorneys file briefs in court of appeals
The Missouri Baptist Convention has filed an appeal in its ongoing legal battle with five affiliated entities. The MBC continues to seek to overturn revised charters for The Baptist Home, Missouri Baptist University, Missouri Baptist Foundation, Windermere Baptist Conference Center…
Lutheran panel says ‘no’ to gay clergy, gay unions
A Lutheran task force on Jan. 13 recommended no change to church rules that ban gay clergy and same-sex unions, saying a majority of the church does not support “wholesale change” to existing gay policy. But the 13-member panel of…
How do you explain the unexplainable?
Guest Editorial for Jan. 20, 2005 A few years ago, I met a sweet, earnest, kind man whose name, if I remember correctly, was John. John is a thirtysomething, born-again, church-going, Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Christian. Not too long before I met…
China moves against sex-selection abortion
The Chinese government has announced it will act to eliminate sex-selection abortion and end the imbalance between male and female babies. China Daily reported Jan. 7 the world's most populous country, which reached 1.3 billion in population the day before,…
Involving emerging leaders
Guest Editorial for Jan. 13, 2005 Jimmy Draper, president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, recently discussed with Facts & Trends magazine why he's concerned about the SBC's declining baptisms and interested in greater denominational involvement by…