By Jeff Brumley It was a busy two days for those who attended the Annual Gathering of the North American Baptist Fellowship April 16-17 in Vancouver. In those 48 hours, NABF members elected leadership, heard presentations on trends affecting North…
Prayer, community antidotes to fear, Baptist leaders say
By Jeff Brumley No doubt, there’s plenty to be afraid of these days: ISIS, police brutality, a nuclear Iran, the divisive gay marriage debate, the rise of secularism and the declining American church. And don’t forget zombies. All of those…
State wants to proceed with Kelly Gissendaner execution
By Bob Allen The state of Georgia wants to move forward with the execution of a convicted murderer whose impending death March 2 was postponed over concerns about the drugs being used for her lethal injection. The Georgia Department of…
Baptist in Kazakhstan faces jail
By Bob Allen A Baptist in Kazakhstan could face up to three years in prison for refusing to pay a 2013 fine for handing out uncensored religious literature on the street, according to an international news service that specializes in…
Pastors must help lead way to racial reconciliation, stop police violence, Baptist leaders say
By Jeff Brumley Death after death in town after town, from Ferguson, Mo., to North Charleston, S.C., has some folks wondering what it will take to end racially motivated police brutality and other forms of injustice in the U.S. A…
Center for Healthy Churches relocating to Tennessee
By Bob Allen The Center for Healthy Churches, an organization formed last year after Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center announced it would phase out its 21-year-old Center for Congregational Health, is moving from North Carolina to Tennessee in a new partnership…
FBC Oklahoma City looks north for pastor
By Bob Allen A flagship Cooperative Baptist Fellowship congregation in Oklahoma voted April 12 to call a northerner as its next pastor. First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, a historic congregation once led by revered Southern Baptist statesman and theologian…
Pastor testifies at Senate hearing in IRS tax scam
By Bob Allen A Baptist preacher taken in by the largest tax scam in IRS history shared his story at a U.S. Senate hearing April 15 in Washington. “I am sharing my experience for one reason only,” Al Cadenhead, senior…
Like pope, recent Baylor symposium called Armenian massacre ‘genocide’
By Jeff Brumley Pope Francis I is continuing to catch a lot of flak from Turkey for his use of the term “genocide” in describing the Ottoman empire’s slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915. But the pontiff isn’t alone…
Diana Garland to step down as dean of Baylor School of Social Work
By the Baptist Standard Diana Garland, inaugural dean of Baylor University’s School of Social Work, will step down from her administrative post due to health reasons effective June 1. Provost David Garland has named Jon Singletary interim dean. Baylor plans…
Nearby church to commemorate 20th anniversary of Oklahoma City bombing
By Bob Allen First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City will remember this weekend’s 20th anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing with music. The music ministry will present the musical Shelter: Songs of Comfort and Hope by Paul…
Volunteering, missions best when not serving as Christian vacations, ministers say
By Brian Kaylor Greg Morrow, pastor of First Baptist Church of California, Mo., is passionate about volunteering for missions. He leads his church on mission trips and is a volunteer leader for a parachurch organization that mobilizes people to give…