By Bob Allen The leader of Kentucky’s largest religious organization voiced opposition Jan. 20 to a bill introduced in the state legislature legalizing the medical use of marijuana. “The very idea of thwarting the authority of the Food and Drug…
Baptist minister to lead progressive Christian advocacy group
By Bob Allen An ordained Alliance of Baptists minister and graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond has been named executive director for The Beatitudes Society, a national leadership development organization seeking to bring progressive Christian voices to the public…
Supporters say Muslim prisoner’s beard a win for religious liberty
By Bob Allen Religious liberty advocates said a U.S. Supreme Court decision Jan. 20 affirming a devout Muslim prisoner’s right to grow a beard for religious reasons is a win for the religious liberty of all Americans. The unanimous decision…
Ergun Caner steps down as president of Brewton-Parker
By Bob Allen Ergun Caner, the colorful and controversial president of Georgia Baptist Convention-affiliated Brewton-Parker College, resigned Jan. 20, saying his son’s suicide six months ago has left him emotionally unequipped to provide the kind of leadership the institution needs….
Buckner hits 3M mark in shoes-for-orphans program
By Lauren Hollon Sturdy Dulce Alquijay Raymundo of Jocotenango, Guatamala, smiled as Buckner social worker Perla Maldonado crouched beside her and slid new pink and white athletic shoes on her feet. Maldonado laced and tied them. They were ready to…
Partnerships can transform racial relations, says pastor
By Bob Allen Racial reconciliation can occur not only between individuals but also by way of transforming mission partnerships, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor said Jan. 15 at a conference for diverse Baptist groups in Atlanta. Jason Coker, pastor of…
Property sale positions Atlanta church to engage its vibrant neighborhood
By Jeff Brumley Mimi Walker, pastor at Druid Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta, says she never took a course on real estate negotiating while in seminary. In fact, she doesn’t know of any seminaries that offer one. “But I think…
SBC megachurch challenges discrimination law in Dallas suburb
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist megachurch is lending its membership roll of 37,000 to a petition drive seeking repeal of a non-discrimination ordinance in Plano, Texas. Petitions will be available this weekend at Prestonwood Baptist Church opposing changes by…
After recantation, LifeWay withdraws ‘The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven’
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources agreed to stop selling a book about a child’s purported visit to heaven during a near-death experience in 2004 after the now-teenager recanted the story in an open letter to a Southern Baptist blog….
Though reversed, approving Muslim calls to prayer at Duke not threatening, theologian says
By Jeff Brumley This story has been updated from an earlier one posted before Duke University announced its changed policy. Baptists, if no one else, should not have opposed Duke University’s decision this week to allow a Muslim student group to…
‘Holy irritant’ can move white, black Baptists beyond comfort zones, says preacher
By Bob Allen The current pastor of the spiritual home of Martin Luther King Jr. challenged a movement called the New Baptist Covenant to move beyond comfort zones of race and theology toward a “covenant community” characterized by “creative and…
In hard-hit Appalachia, women find new opportunities
By Chris Shoemaker Women in Appalachia without access to higher education or who live in poverty have found hope in a new beginning, thanks to the New Opportunity School for Women at Bluefield (Va.) College. Founded in 1987 at Berea…