WASHINGTON (ABP) — A new nationwide survey suggests that Americans love religious freedom but are less avid about the separation of church and state. The Virginia-based Council for America's First Freedom commissioned the survey, which was taken in early August….
Baptist children among hundreds killed in Russian school massacre
BESLAN, Russia (ABP) — At least a half-dozen children of Baptist leaders were killed when a hostage standoff in a Russian school ended violently Sept. 3, according to Baptist groups from the region. The two-day crisis in the southern town…
Welch’s barnstorming bus tour aimed at reviving SBC zeal, baptisms totals
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — With a schedule reminiscent of a whistle-stop political campaign, Southern Baptist Convention president Bobby Welch is riding a star-spangled bus through 48 states in an effort to reverse a decline in Southern Baptist evangelism. Welch, who…
‘Lost boy’ who escaped war in Sudan slain in Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — When refugees arrive in Louisville from lands ravaged by war or famine, it often seems the worst is behind them. Agencies and volunteers surround them with attention — trying to find them jobs, enroll them in…
Fort Worth church remembers, recovers from deadly 1999 attack
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — An American flag flies outside a south Fort Worth church. The flagpole looks just like the kind students gather around for “See You at the Pole” schoolyard prayer services each year in mid-September. But an…
At the intersection of two hurricanes, Lake Wales ponders God’s ways
LAKE WALES, Fla. (ABP) — You could forgive residents of Lake Wales if they feel persecuted, having endured two powerful hurricanes in three weeks' time. The tiny town in Central Florida bears a dubious geographical distinction — where the path…
Palm Beach Atlantic waterlogged as a result of Hurricane Frances
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (ABP) — Most every building on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University sustained water damage and one dormitory might be unsalvageable as a result of Hurricane Frances, according to one faculty member. Located in a…
Watching sexual content on TV increases teen sex, study says
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (ABP) — A regular diet of TV that's high in sexual content can encourage teenagers to engage in sexual activity sooner, according to a recently released study. Researchers interviewed 1,792 teenagers about their TV viewing habits…
Churches are front and center in proposed BGCT strategy
DALLAS (ABP) — Local churches — not the Baptist General Convention of Texas — command the lion's share of attention in documents that could guide the state convention through the coming decades. The BGCT's proposed mission, vision, values and priority…