By Bob Allen Sunday, June 7, is Say Something Nice Sunday, an annual event that goes one better than your mother’s advice that if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Mitch Carnell, an author,…
Southern Baptist pastor in spotlight for baccalaureate message criticized as anti-gay
By Bob Allen The interim pastor of a Southern Baptist church in North Carolina landed in hot water after reportedly telling graduating seniors at a public high school baccalaureate service that if they were gay they would go to hell….
Public church discipline case a reminder of Baptist past, if not present
By Jeff Brumley A Dallas megachurch got some unwanted publicity recently thanks to its harsh disciplining of a member some leaders believed improperly ended her marriage. On May 28, however, Pastor Matt Chandler of the Village Church stepped in, stopped the…
Baptists fined for public worship in Crimea
By Bob Allen Seven Baptists in Crimea were fined in May for allegedly violating more restrictive limits on public demonstrations since Russia annexed the former Ukrainian territory last year, according to Forum 18, an international news service that monitors religious…
Urban missionary brings faith, hope and food to troubled inner city
By Ken Camp Some labels seem contradictory — urban farmer, for instance. Ask Daron Babcock what he knew about agriculture, poultry-raising and animal husbandry before he launched Bonton Farm-Works in South Dallas. “Zero. I’m surprised these girls are still alive,”…
American Baptists seeking buyer for Mission Center
By Bob Allen The American Baptist Churches USA has issued a briefing document to assess interest of potential buyers of the denomination’s national offices in metropolitan Philadelphia. 588 Associates, a corporation tasked with potential sale or redevelopment of the American…
Three Southern Baptists running for president
By Bob Allen A third Southern Baptist entered the 2016 presidential race when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) threw his hat into the ring June 1. Graham, who announced his candidacy at a rally in his hometown of Central, S.C., joins…
Faith leaders oppose drone attacks
By Bob Allen American Baptist and Alliance of Baptist officials joined 27 other religious leaders in a recent open letter to President Obama opposing lethal drone strikes by the U.S. military. Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh leaders said estimates…
Denominational leader, pastor Phil Lineberger dead at 69
By Ken Camp Phil Lineberger, pastor of Sugar Land Baptist Church near Houston and former president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, died May 31. He was 69. Lineberger “lost a battle with depression and took his own life,”…
Ukranian pastor tells Baptists of war, persecution
By Vicki Brown In just a few short weeks last July in Ukraine, Pervomaysk was destroyed, Elisey Pronin’s church — Revival Church — burned and his family threatened as Ukrainian separatists took over the region. Pronin has been sharing the…
Supreme Court sides with Muslim woman in hijab dispute
By Bob Allen The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 1 that retailer Abercrombie & Fitch violated the civil rights of a Muslim woman not hired because her religious obligations conflicted with the company’s policy on employee attire. Overturning a decision…
Longtime music professor Richard Lin dies
By Bob Allen Richard Lin, a church music professor and choir director who mentored thousands of church musicians at two Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, died May 21 in Santa Rosa, Calif. Lin, 89, was born in 1925 in Hunan Province,…