By Bob Allen The former ethics spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention says visceral reaction to decisions by grand juries in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y., not to indict police officers in the deaths of two unarmed African-American males…
Arkansas Baptist College gets $30 million to stabilize finances
By Bob Allen A historically black Baptist college in the news of late for financial woes has secured a $30 million funding agreement aimed at restoring fiscal health at the institution with ties to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. A U.S….
For Baptists, a lone Arminian voice crying in a Calvinist wilderness
By Jeff Brumley Roger Olson is one of the few voices in American evangelicalism, and among Baptists, who regularly speaks out against the increasingly popular Calvinist movement. “I guess I do feel a bit lonely,” said Olson, a professor of…
Southern Baptists move up summit on race as issue simmers
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s moral concerns agency announced plans Dec. 11 for a March summit on racial reconciliation responding to the deaths of African-American men in clashes with police in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y. “The…
Former missionary, professor Malcolm Tolbert dies
By Bob Allen A memorial service is scheduled Dec. 13 in Baton Rouge, La., for Malcolm Tolbert, a former missionary to Brazil who taught at two Southern Baptist Convention seminaries and died Thanksgiving Day at age 90. Tolbert, a native…
In a season of joy, services offer light to those grieving
By Jeff Brumley Christmas is typically depicted as a time of happiness and family togetherness. And for many people, that certainly is the case. But for many others, it isn’t. For them a recent death, divorce or job loss has…
7 ways to help those suffering from ‘the empty chair at the holiday table’
By Eric Eckert For many, this Christmas will be the first without a special loved one. The loss of a family member or a friend brings obvious grief. And for those who have the opportunity to interact with a bereaved…
BJC supports workplace accommodation in Supreme Court brief
By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined 12 other religious liberty and civil rights organizations in a U.S. Supreme Court brief filed Dec. 10 supporting a Muslim woman denied a job by clothing retailer Abercrombie &…
CBF leaders urge prayer for and commitment to reconciliation
By Bob Allen Top leaders in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship endorsed Black Lives Matter Sunday, a campaign mourning the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner during worship services Sunday, Dec. 14, sponsored by the Progressive National Baptist Convention. “We invite…
Fayetteville, Ark., repeals anti-discrimination measure some Baptists opposed
By Bob Allen In a special referendum ballot Dec. 9, citizens in Fayetteville, Ark., voted 52 percent to 48 percent to repeal an anti-discrimination ordinance adopted in August by the City Council. The City Council passed the ordinance barring “discrimination…
Youth pastor charged with child abuse
By Bob Allen A former youth pastor at a Southern Baptist church in Charlottesville, Va., is under arrest for the alleged sexual assault of a child under his care. Jacob Daniel “Jake” Kepple, 35, resigned his post at First Baptist…
In the path of lava flows, Baptists provide comfort to Hawaiian volcano victims
By Ken Camp A Texas Baptist Men crisis response team journeyed recently to Hawaii’s Big Island to provide what they call “compassion care” — what some others term “psychological first aid” — to children and families in the expected path of a…