By Bob Allen An Illinois man who six years ago shot and killed a Southern Baptist minister in a Sunday morning worship service has been found not guilty by reason of insanity and will likely spend the rest of his…
Networking two continents: For Ruben Ortiz, it means bridge-building
Ruben Ortiz experiences deep fulfillment from his calling as a bridge builder between the church in Latin America and the United States. But it comes at a price. “Sometimes it’s difficult — all of the driving is causing me back…
N.C. lawmakers lift ban on Sunday hunting
By Bob Allen Baptists in North Carolina opposed to ending the state’s ban on Sunday hunting got some accommodation in a compromise measure passed by the legislature that prohibits hunting with a firearm between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on…
James Dunn, robust advocate for religious liberty, dies July 4
By Robert Dilday James M. Dunn, one of Baptists’ most well-known advocates for religious liberty and separation of church and state, died July 4 a few weeks after his 83rd birthday in Winston-Salem, N.C. During his nearly two decades as…
Black church fires evoke both fear and faith in Baptist communities
By Jeff Brumley Baptist and other Christians are reaching out to the victims of the many African-American church fires reported during the past couple of weeks, ministers say. And it doesn’t matter whether or not arson has been identified as…
Tectonic shift: Pam Durso on 30 years of progress for Baptist women ministers
By Bob Allen After being around for 30 years, it’s easy to forget that a decade ago BWIM was considering whether it should continue to exist. What is the state of your movement today, and what did it take to…
Been there, done that: Some Baptist ministers have already officiated at same-sex marriages
By Jeff Brumley Same-sex weddings are the stuff headlines are made of these days — especially when Baptist ministers are embracing the ceremonies ruled legal in every state by the Supreme Court last Friday. The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., recently featured Jason…
BJC says same-sex marriage ruling unlikely to affect tax-exemption
By Bob Allen A Baptist group specializing in church/state issues says the threat of churches and other religious organizations losing their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage “have been highly exaggerated” in a two-page handout released in light of…
Don McGregor, editor, ABP founder, dead at 91
By Bob Allen Don McGregor, a founder of Associated Baptist Press (today known as Baptist News Global) who served as the independent new service’s first executive director, died June 30 in Mesquite, Texas. He was 91. As editor of the…
Millennials not OK with conventional science vs. religion debates, experts say
By Brian Kaylor Ninety years ago, the “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tenn., pitted reason against faith and defined the Bible as an opposing perspective to science. A national media circus erupted as substitute high school teacher John Scopes faced…
Oklahoma Supreme Court orders removal of Ten Commandments from Capitol lawn
By Bob Allen The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled June 30 that a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds must come down in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of an ordained Baptist minister and other citizens. Bruce…
Kentucky Baptist Fellowship names coordinator
By Bob Allen Rhonda Abbott Blevins, associate pastor of Tellico Village Community Church in Loudon, Tenn., and a consultant with Pinnacle Leadership Associates, has been named coordinator of the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship. Blevins, a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary…