By Bob Allen In just their second season after moving up to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the California Baptist University women’s basketball Lancers were Cinderella in this year’s NCAA Division II championship tournament. Unranked going into the tournament and…
Survey results could push church beyond its walls into new ministries
By Jeff Brumley A new survey confirms a shift in American attitudes toward faith that should motivate churches to rethink how — and for whom — they do ministry, Baptist and other experts say. The Barna Group study found that most Americans…
Former CLC staffer David Lockard dies
By Bob Allen David Lockard, a Southern Baptist missionary who established the first Baptist seminary in Central Africa before heading up race relations and world hunger awareness for the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission, died March 14 at age 89….
Racially segregated churches ‘blasphemy,’ SBC leader says
By Bob Allen Ethics head Russell Moore told 550 people at a conference March 26 he believes God is giving the Southern Baptist Convention a second chance to atone for its racist past, but “in order to do that we…
Is religious liberty declining around the world? One panel thinks so.
By Ken Camp Repressive governments, radical Islamists and reluctance by Western leaders to confront human rights abuses combine to create the worst global climate for religious liberty in recent history, say a university president with expertise in constitutional law, a…
Church-state group urges IRS to investigate Ted Cruz speech at Liberty University
By Bob Allen The head of a watchdog group advocating the separation of church and state says the IRS should investigate whether Liberty University broke the law when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz announced on campus he is running for president….
Kentucky Baptists applaud failure of medical pot
By Bob Allen The Kentucky Baptist Convention declared victory when the 2015 legislative session ended March 25 without voting on a bill to legalize medical marijuana. Kentucky Baptist Convention Executive Director Paul Chitwood called on lawmakers to reject legislation to…
As Easter nears, some Baptists say its time to contemplate Good Friday observances
By Jeff Brumley A group of teachers in Rhode Island, where Catholicism is the prevailing faith, sued their school system earlier this month, demanding they get the day off for Good Friday. The Associated Press reported that the teachers’ union…
Banner Sunday boosts Baptist women in ministry
By Bob Allen The so-called “stained-glass ceiling” that Baptist women face when called to ministry cracked a little March 22, when two North Carolina congregations for the first time elected senior pastors who are female. Baptist News Global reported Monday…
Faith leaders ask Congress to protect programs that aid the poor
By Bob Allen The Alliance of Baptists is among national organizations asking Congress to make budget choices with an eye toward needs of the poor. The 125-church Alliance joined Bread for the World, Children’s Defense Fund, Faith in Public Life,…
Every refugee is a chance to live the gospel, ministers and missionaries say
By Leah Allen and Jeff Brumley Just under 70,000 refugees from around the world were legally resettled in the United States in 2014, bringing the total to 3 million in every state since 1975. And that, some ministers and domestic…
LifeWay’s Nashville campus under contract of sale
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources has found a buyer for its campus in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Southern Baptist Convention publishing house announced March 24. Terms of the contract, including price, were not disclosed, pending closing of the sale…