By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia unanimously elected a new field coordinator at a called General Assembly Dec. 5 at Central Baptist Church in North Chesterfield, Va. Terry Maples, who for the last five-and-a-half years has held…
Preachers endorse Ted Cruz
By Bob Allen Presidential candidate Ted Cruz has announced endorsements from both his current pastor and a semi-retired Southern Baptist preacher who baptized him when he was 8 years old. Gregg Matte, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Houston,…
Religious leaders urge faithful to action in wake of Calif. mass shootings
By Jeff Brumley Wednesday’s shooting massacre in California was more than tragic news for Julie Pennington-Russell. It was personal. The former pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., Pennington-Russell shared with Facebook friends on Thursday that a relative was…
Controversial Wiley Drake ministers to San Bernardino survivors
By Bob Allen A former second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention counseled survivors of Wednesday’s deadly shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. Wiley Drake, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park, Calif., elected an SBC officer in…
Black, white ‘First Baptist’ congregations unite after 150 years
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…