By Vicki Brown God’s grace made pastoral succession work atBroadview Baptist Church in Abilene, congregational leaders say. The church took a step of faith when Senior Pastor David Cason began to mull retirement. How would they find someone to match…
Baptist missions must continue to adapt to continuing shifts in world religions, Baylor prof says
By Jeff Brumley New research into the continuing growth and shift of world religions predicts Christianity will remain the globe’s dominant faith while Islam continues to surge and gain ground. Chris van Gorder, associate professor of world religions at Baylor…
Gardner Taylor, preacher and civil rights leader, dies
By Bob Allen Gardner Taylor, an African-American Baptist pastor and civil rights leader dubbed the “prince of preachers,” died Easter Sunday, April 5, at age 96. Taylor, pastor emeritus at Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, N.Y., was a…
Georgia tables controversial religious liberty bill
By Bob Allen As lawmakers fought over religious freedom legislation in Arkansas and Indiana, time ran out in Georgia on a similar measure that divided opinion among the state’s Baptists. The 2015 General Assembly of Georgia adjourned April 2 without…
Baptist pastors: power up, don’t water down, Easter message for Millennials
By Jeff Brumley Easter, it turns out, may be just what the church needs most in luring Millennial and other young Christians into their sanctuaries, some Baptist pastors say. “If there is a Sunday that should resonate with people who…
Judge dismisses Glorieta lawsuit; appeal expected
By Bob Allen A federal judge has dismissed a $12.4 million lawsuit challenging the 2013 sale of Glorieta Conference Center for $1, finding that the homeowners who sued without representation by a lawyer failed to meet the legal standard required…
Baptist school mourns student’s death
UPDATE: Plainview police released a statement April 6 indicating the cause of death was suicide. By Bob Allen Police are investigating the death of a student in a residence hall on the campus of Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas….
BJC releases statement on RFRA legislation in Indiana and Arkansas
By Bob Allen The head of a Baptist group that specializes in religious liberty said today he does not support controversial bills pitting religious conservatives against supporters of gay marriage in Arkansas and Indiana. J. Brent Walker, executive director of…
Baptist ministers oppose tax break for ‘Ark Park’
By Bob Allen Four Kentucky taxpayers — two of them Baptist ministers — say giving tourism tax credits to a Christian ministry building an amusement park featuring a life-sized Noah’s Ark would effectively compel them to subsidize a religious ministry against their…
Community rallies to rescue, nurture elderly immigrant
By Ashleigh Bugg Irene Calderón is 78 years old with a face full of sun-warmed wrinkles and a voice that lilts like music. “Ma-mitaa, cómo esta niñaa” — the words moved up and down when she laughs. The small Peruvian grandmother…
Southern Baptist ethics czar defends Indiana religious liberty bill on MSNBC
By Bob Allen In an interview March 30 on national television, the Southern Baptist Convention’s top expert on public policy denounced corporate boycott threats over Indiana’s new religious freedom law as “a confluence of sexual libertarianism and crony capitalism” attempting…
God wants Christians for ‘officiating crew,’ Evans tells The Gathering
By Marv Knox Standing near the end zone of Baylor University’s McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, and comparing life to a football game, Dallas pastor Tony Evans insisted Christians must act as a divine “officiating crew” to interpret God’s rules…