FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (ABP) — Ten years ago, Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., was a church ready for a new challenge. To revitalize the congregation, staff members envisioned a brief local-missions blitz with the ambitious goal of involving more…
Supreme Court declines to intervene in gay case
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request to review a Massachusetts court's decision that legalized gay marriage in that state. The justices declined Nov. 29 without comment a request from a group of Massachusetts legislators to review a decision…
CBF partnership with congregational center provides free consultation to churches
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has launched a three-year partnership with the Center for Congregational Health, a consulting and training center in Winston-Salem, N.C., to provide a number of consulting services free to churches. The center will provide…
Crisis care training to be offered in January
Training for crisis care chaplains will be offered conjunction with disaster relief efforts Jan. 14-15 at the Virginia Baptist Resource Center in Richmond. In responding to destruction caused by hurricanes in Florida and the Caribbean this fall, Virginia Baptist realized…
Federal judge narrows scope of lawsuit challenging Bush faith-based plan
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A federal judge has dismissed the most sweeping portions of a lawsuit that challenged President Bush's faith-based initiative as unconstitutional. On Nov. 16, Judge John Shabaz of the U. S. District Court of Western Wisconsin dismissed most…
Disaster relief training to be offered next year
Virginia Baptists' disaster relief ministry will conduct five training events in 2005. All sessions are two-day events, begining at 6 p.m. on a Friday and concluding at 3 p.m. on a Saturday. Training will include orientation in disaster relief, mass…
Racist language remains after recount of Ala. constitutional amendment
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (ABP) — It appears that antiquated racist language will remain in the Alabama Constitution for the time being after an automatic recount determined that an attempt to strip it failed. Supporters of the amendment that would have removed…
Virginia chaplain given Legion of Honor award
The Chapel of the Four Chaplains recently awarded its 2004 Legion of Honor distinction to Keith Ethridge of Hampton. Ethridge, a chaplain endorsed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, is acting deputy director for the National Chaplains Center for the Department…
Tommy Deal chosen as Florida CBF associate
LAKELAND, Fla. (ABP) – Tommy Deal, 49, has been hired as associate coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida. The Orlando resident is currently director of operations and volunteers for Christian Service Center for Central Florida, a non-profit social-service…