By Bob Allen Baptist leaders were among nearly 100 top officials from all major faith groups on the eve of Pope Francis’ arrival calling for a shift in national priorities to end hunger and poverty. Faith leaders gathered Sept. 21…
Diana Garland, social work educator and bridge builder, dies
By Marv Knox Diana Richmond Garland, founding dean of Baylor University’s school of social work that now bears her name, died Sept. 21 after a five-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Garland, 65, trained generations of Christian social workers to express…
Baptist Standard suspends merger talks with Baptist News Global
By Bob Allen The board of directors of Baptist Standard Publishing voted in mid-September to put on hold talks of exploring a possible merger with Baptist News Global. A year ago the governing boards of the two news agencies entered…
CBF Virginia launches coordinator search
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia recognized Rob Fox, who stepped down in August after seven years as field coordinator to become vice president of institutional advancement at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, and appointed a search…
Christian colleges group loses 2 members over homosexuality
By Bob Allen Two Christian colleges who added sexual orientation to their non-discrimination policies have dropped out of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Earlier this year, Eastern Mennonite University and Goshen College sparked controversy over membership standards for…
Baptists excited and hopeful about papal visit
By Jeff Brumley Think Catholics are pumped about Pope Francis’ U.S. visit this week? Turns out some Baptists are pretty excited, too. And those who aren’t, probably should be for a number of reasons, said Curtis Freeman. One reason is…
Mission strategy, fundraising are priorities for the year, CBF leadership group hears
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Governing Board discussed a forthcoming restructuring of global missions in a two-and-a-half hour executive session during the final afternoon of its Sept. 17-18 fall meeting at First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. After…
Florida Baptists downsize, send more money to SBC
By Bob Allen The Florida Baptist State Board of Missions approved a reorganization Sept. 18 reducing the number of statewide employees from 115 to 61. The 47-percent staff reduction implements a proposed 2016 Florida Baptist Cooperative Program budget of $29…
Chaplains welcome new PBS film explaining their challenging calling
By Jeff Brumley By all accounts, chaplains around the nation are pretty excited about the coming release of a PBS documentary that explains their callings, and exactly what it is they do, to the rest of the world. And what…
CBF leaders lament SBC missionary recall
By Bob Allen The head of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s global missionary enterprise asked the CBF Governing Board Sept. 17 to pray for Southern Baptists after the news they are cutting their international mission force by 600 to 800 jobs…
CBF head prepares for papal visit
Coming Monday on Baptist News Global: Baptists and Pope Francis’ visit. By Bob Allen Though it isn’t listed on any official calendar, next week is “Pope Week” for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, CBF Executive Coordinator reported Sept. 17 to the group’s…
PNBC elects new general secretary
By Bob Allen Timothy Tee Boddie, a former pastor, university chaplain and divinity school administrator has been named general secretary of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Boddie, until recently director of the master of arts in Christian education program at…