By Greg Warner About 20 former Southern Baptist leaders met in Atlanta Dec. 4 to try to find ways to rebuild financial support for the Baptist World Alliance, which lost its largest member and funding source in October. The leaders,…
Third Catholic diocese files for bankruptcy
In an expected move, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Wash., filed for bankruptcy protection Dec. 6 to grapple with sexual abuse claims. Bishop William S. Skylstad announced in mid-November that the diocese planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy…
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…
ABP launches weekly summary of news for churches, others
Associated Baptist Press, an independent news agency based in Jacksonville, Fla., has begun publishing a free weekly news summary for use by churches and other organizations. ABP Headlines includes abbreviated versions of the organization's latest news stories, along with occasional…