By Bob Allen A death-row prisoner whose March 2 execution was postponed due to problems with the drugs to be used for her lethal injection has filed a federal lawsuit claiming violation of her constitutional right against punishments that are…
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center revives Center for Congregational Health
By Bob Allen Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is re-launching The Center for Congregational Health, shut down a year ago in a philosophy shift away from church consulting toward a new priority of involving congregations in community health care. “We…
Longtime McAfee professor announces retirement
By Bob Allen Peter Rhea Jones, a New Testament scholar and pastor known for his lifelong study of the parables, has announced plans to retire from Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology at the end of July. Jones, the J….
Big lessons for Creflo Dollar — and the church — in a $65M jet
By Jeff Brumley Many were angered by prosperity gospel guru Creflo Dollar’s recent online campaign to raise $65 million to buy himself a new private jet — in the name of spreading the gospel around the world. Others considered the source…
Statement applauds American Baptists’ contributions to civil rights
By Bob Allen A leadership group in the American Baptist Churches USA adopted a statement March 13 celebrating the role of American Baptists in the civil rights movement and recognizing the 50th anniversary of the March 1965 five-day march from Selma, Ala., to…
Alabama Baptist church dis-fellowshipped over pastor’s gay friendly views
By Bob Allen An association of Southern Baptist churches in Alabama voted March 16 to dismiss a church over its pastor’s support of same-sex marriage. The executive board of Madison Baptist Association voted 74-5 to withdraw fellowship from Weatherly Heights…
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Many Americans find meaning in vampire, zombie tales, Baylor prof says
By Jeff Brumley It’s a good thing so many films, books and television shows are fixated on life after death, Baylor University scholar Greg Garrett said. Because we need them. “For many of us, if we don’t tell these stories…
Arkansas CBF celebrates turnaround of partner school
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas celebrated with a historically black Baptist college that recently dedicated a new building just months after emerging from cash-flow straits. Ray Higgins, coordinator of the statewide network of churches that support…
Pastor/elder dispute disrupts Tennessee church
By Bob Allen The pastor of a prominent Southern Baptist church in Tennessee for three decades resigned abruptly March 6 because of a leadership dispute with the congregation’s four-member elder board. Rick White, 63, pastor of The People’s Church in…
Baptist women say faith deepened as pregnant ministers
By Jeff Brumley The first time around as a pregnant Baptist minister, Stacy Cochran Nowell harbored worries few other moms-to-be are likely to share. Chief among them was that older church members might object to the sight of an expectant…
Historically Baptist college elects gay president
By Bob Allen While one Baptist college in Tennessee defended inviting a lesbian to speak on campus, another in Indiana with little fanfare recently elected a president who is openly gay. Franklin College, a small liberal-arts college in “voluntary association”…