By Bob Allen A Baptist minister’s wife murdered in her Alabama home in July 2013 knew about her husband’s secret homosexual orientation and romantic relationships with out-of-state paramours, according to a court document filed May 6. Prosecutors also claim Richard…
Samford students inspired Baptist ministry along the Rio Grande
By Jack Brymer A new book by Myralyn Allgood, professor emerita of Spanish at Samford University, celebrates the long-term role of students from an Alabama Baptist school in Texas Baptists’ ministry along the Rio Grande. Nearly 40 years ago, Allgood…
Nepalese Baptists participate in global relief effort for quake victims
By Jeff Brumley Nepalese Baptists, along with many international relief organizations, are actively engaged in responding to the April 25 Nepal earthquake. The Nepal Baptist Church Council is providing immediate food, shelter and medical needs, including offering trauma healing and…
Critics say National Day of Prayer divides Americans by faith
By Bob Allen Today’s National Day of Prayer is a constitutionally suspect government endorsement of religion that ought to be abandoned, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “The government should not be giving out prayer instructions,”…
Central Seminary seeks to foster racial reconciliation
By Bob Allen A pastor and seminary professor who organized a peaceful prayer response in Kansas City prior to the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo., last November is now recruiting communities of faith to host “prayer tables” intended to…
Baptist minister mourns executions of ‘Bali 9’ members
By Jeff Brumley Tina Bailey took to Facebook May 3 to appeal for prayer. For a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel like Bailey, that’s not all that unusual. But this post was particularly painful. “On this Sunday morning wherever you…
Seminary president says Southern Baptists drifting toward infant baptism
By Bob Allen While a recent Baptist News Global story about a Baptist church in Ohio sprinkling an infant is newsworthy, baptizing babies isn’t as far-fetched as many conservative Southern Baptist churches assume, a seminary president said in a May…
‘Colorblindness’ ignores systemic racism, speaker says
By Bob Allen Healing America’s racial rift will require changing not only hearts and minds but also systems that oppress racial minorities and the poor, said a speaker at a recent gathering of Baptists in Missouri focused on building peace…
AWAB executive director stepping down
By Bob Allen Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists Executive Director Robin Lunn has resigned her position effective June 30, board chair David Weasley said in an email to members and donors May 5. Lunn, an ordained Baptist minister who…
Missional ethic propels Baptist pastor from inner-city pulpit to seaside resort
By Jeff Brumley Tony Lankford is about to make what may seem, on the surface at least, a drastic change in preaching jobs. For the past decade, Lankford has been lead pastor at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta. It’s…
Mike Huckabee announces presidential bid
By Bob Allen Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his second run for president May 5 at a gathering in his hometown of Hope, Ark., pledging to lead the country “from hope to higher ground.” “It seems perfectly fitting that…
Southern Baptist military chaplains may plant churches overseas
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist military chaplains would be authorized to plant churches overseas under a recommendation headed toward the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 16-17 in Columbus, Ohio. In February the SBC Executive Committee approved a recommendation enabling…