By Bob Allen A member of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty board of directors died Oct. 8 from complications related to injuries he suffered from a fall as he left his hotel for the recent BJC board meeting….
S.C. churches stepping up to help flood victims
By Jeff Brumley The heavy rains that began Saturday, Oct. 3, in South Carolina became a deluge of seemingly biblical proportions by Sunday. And that’s when Merianna Harrelson’s phone started blowing up. “I had church members calling to say ‘what…
Appeals court throws out settlement of Baptist home lawsuit
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court has thrown out the 2013 settlement of a lawsuit challenging state funding of a Kentucky Baptist children’s ministry, saying a judge should decide if court-ordered monitoring of alleged violations of the separation of…
Baylor rescinds Bill Cosby’s honorary degree
By Bob Allen Baylor University acted Oct. 8 to rescind an honorary doctorate the school awarded to accused serial rapist Bill Cosby in 2003. The 78-year-old comedian, facing legal challenges from more than 50 women who accuse him of drugging…
Moving beyond hope to confidence in fight against hunger
By Ken Camp In spite of some discouraging trends, the problem of hunger in the United States — particularly among children — can be solved, the leader of the national “No Kid Hungry” movement told participants at the Together at the…
SBC president suggests a single mission board
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd suggested merger of the convention’s two mission boards during a symposium on the denomination’s future Sept. 28-29 at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. “Structures and systems flow from…
Champion bodybuilder shares skills, faith in Cuba
By Jeff Brumley What does it take to get a bunch of tough guys to open up emotionally and maybe even consider embracing the spiritual side of life? Ruben Ortiz says the answer is simple: another tough guy. And that’s…
Professor urges churches to model ‘common life’
By Bob Allen Christianity has a prophetic word to counter the “politics of denunciation” that argues people are more defined by their differences than their common life as a whole community, Duke University ethicist Luke Bretherton said Oct. 8 at…
Former youth minister sentenced to prison
By Bob Allen A former Texas Baptist youth minister has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for enticing a 13-year-old girl into a nine-month sexual relationship in 2014. Derek Hutter, 38, pleaded guilty in June to enticing a girl…
Pastor of Ethiopian church nominated to major BGCT post
By Marv Knox Bedilu Yirga, the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ second vice president, will be nominated for first vice president when the BGCT conducts its annual meeting in Frisco Nov. 8-10. Bob Dean, executive director of Dallas Baptist Association,…
Congress votes to reauthorize U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
By Bob Allen Legislation reauthorizing a bipartisan committee that advises the State Department on violations of religious liberty in other countries passed both houses of Congress Oct. 6 and is headed to the president for final approval. The U.S. Commission…
McAfee prof sees hope in Gissendaner’s life and example, despite execution
By Jeff Brumley Melissa Browning’s Facebook page tells the story. More specifically, it tells Kelly Gissendaner’s story. Post after post describes the life and death of the Georgia inmate executed by lethal injection last week. “The amazing grace of Kelly…