By Bob Allen Two historic congregations that went separate ways after the Civil War worshipped for the first time in more than 150 years as a unified First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Nov. 29. First Baptist Church at 200…
People of faith explore upside of web: community building
By Jeff Brumley and Bethany Harper There’s a lot about the Internet and social media that’s good for humankind and religion, says Rabbi Joshua Stanton. “It demonstrates the creative potential of human beings and provides evidence that human beings are…
SBHLA director announces retirement plans
By Bob Allen Bill Sumners, an archivist who for more than 30 years has overseen one of the most respected historical collections by a religious denomination, will retire next July as director of the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives….
D.C. church postponing vote on gay marriage
By Bob Allen With the anticipated ending of a search for a new pastor, First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., has postponed a vote scheduled in February about whether to change the congregation’s wedding policy to permit same-sex marriage. An…
Advent story filled with drama and stress, says minister
By Jeff Brumley Many who observe Advent struggle finding balance between its call for quiet joy and anticipation in a culture exploding with revelry and unbridled consumerism. That tension is one of the reasons ministers of formation have jobs. But…
SBC adviser urges temperate talk in abortion debate
By Bob Allen An adviser to the Southern Baptist Convention’s public-policy arm joined abortion-rights groups and political leaders including presidential candidates Ben Carson and Bernie Sanders in urging abortion opponents to tone down their rhetoric in the wake of a…
Ms. Pennington-Russell goes to Washington
Editor’s note: This story was updated Dec. 3 based on new information. It also corrects errors about the distance from the White House and clarifies that Harry Truman attended the church but was not a member. Baptist News Global regrets…
American adopts ‘son,’ 21, during Africa mission trip
By Emily Turner Amie Singleton never expected God to give her a 21-year-old “son” during a 2012 mission trip to Rwanda and Uganda with an international nonprofit that connects Americans to orphanages in Africa. While Singleton, who works at Our…
Pastor says Planned Parenthood leader hates God, loves death
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor in Florida responded to Friday’s shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado by claiming Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards hates God and loves death. In video of his…
Homeless items stolen from church
By Bob Allen A trailer full of clothes and blankets for the homeless has been stolen from a Southern Baptist church in Louisville, Ky. The trailer, used for the Helping Hands Ministry of Valley View Church in southern Jefferson County,…
Transforming systems, shaping policies
By Ken Camp As a child, the daydreams of Kathryn Freeman, future attorney and public policy director for Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission, never centered on courtroom drama or legislative power plays. “I wanted to be like Oprah,” Freeman acknowledges….
Sale of LifeWay property finalized
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources has sold its headquarters in downtown Nashville, Tenn., for a reported $125 million cash, the second largest amount of money ever spent in the city for a building or property, to a San Diego-based…