By Bob Allen The interim president of a Baptist seminary forced out of Liberia by the Ebola outbreak says the crisis is taking a toll far greater than those who catch the illness. Richard Wilson, a professor at Mercer University…
Wilshire honors George Mason for 25 years as pastor
By Bob Allen A prominent Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Church in Texas marked its pastor’s 25th anniversary Aug. 24 by renaming a model pastoral residency program in his honor. A weekend-long celebration at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas culminated with a…
Baptists prepared for Calif. quake response
By Jeff Brumley The CrossWalk Community Church social media presence changed drastically in tone over the weekend, from good-natured ice bucket challenges on Saturday to urgent pleas to help earthquake victims on Sunday. “We will be open for prayer at…
Church-state group opposes tax break for Ark museum
By Bob Allen A nonprofit group advocating church-state separation urged Kentucky officials in an Aug. 22 letter to deny tax incentives for a proposed theme park based on Noah’s Ark, claiming the break would compel taxpayers to support both employment…
Deaths of pastor, wife, ruled murder/suicide
By Bob Allen The deaths of a Baptist pastor and his wife discovered Aug. 20 by their granddaughter in the patio area of their home in Lumberton, N.C., have been ruled a murder-suicide. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office released a…
Georgia church heeds calling to serve elderly through worship
By Jeff Brumley News of a church’s closing usually brings tears and mourning, and certainly there will be some of that when Scott Boulevard Baptist Church leaves its historic property in Decatur, Ga., for nearby rented space on Sunday. But…
SBC leader says Gungor trusts science more than the Bible
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention leader said Aug. 22 that a contemporary Christian music artist who recently said he no longer believes in a literal Adam and Eve or Noah’s Ark trusts science more than the Bible. Albert…
Pouring cold water on the ice-bucket challenge
By Bob Allen Abortion opponents are encouraging conservative Christians to chill out before taking the Ice Bucket Challenge plunge. As of Friday, Aug, 22, the ALS Association has received $53.3 million in donations — compared to $2.2 million during the…
Pastor, former journalist leaving Baptists for UCC
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist journalist turned American Baptist pastor is switching churches, and denominations, moving to the United Church of Christ. Kathryn Palen, pastor of Central Baptist Church in Jamestown, R.I., since January 2007, announced recently she…
Former youth pastor charged with abuse
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist church in Alabama pledged to cooperate with police following the arrest of a former youth minister charged with sexually abusing a girl younger than 16 and urged anyone with knowledge about the case to…
Bible flap challenges Navy policies on faith in pluralistic society
By Jeff Brumley A June decision to remove Bibles from the U.S. Navy’s base lodging system was cheered by atheists. Now it may be evangelicals’ turn to celebrate after the decision was placed on hold last week pending further review….
CBF partners with BWA to address Ebola crisis
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship announced Aug. 20 it was responding to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in partnership with the Baptist World Alliance, a global Baptist network that accepted the CBF as a member in 2003….