By Bob Allen For the first time in over a year, a judge in Tennessee ruled recently that a state does not have to accept as valid a same-sex marriage performed legally in another state. The Aug. 5 ruling in…
‘Don’t eat alone’ is metaphor for healthy Christian life, says minister-chef
By Norman Jameson Forty-two years ago Milton Brasher-Cunningham first heard the words that rescued him, like a strong arm lifting a drowning person to safety. He was 16 and the new missionary kid from Africa in a big Houston school,…
SBC leader joins call for military action in Iraq
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top public-policy expert joined Princeton University professor Robert George and numerous other intellectuals in urging the use of military force against a militant group seeking to set up an Islamic state across Sunni…
Groups say state’s gay-marriage ban establishes religion
By Bob Allen Two dozen religious and public policy groups filed a legal brief Aug. 11 arguing that Wisconsin’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. Groups including Americans United for Separation of Church…
Pastor repents for interaction with suicidal teen
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor, blogger and radio host accused of cyberbullying in the weeks since the death by suicide of a Texas teenager said in a lengthy confession read to his church on Sunday the controversy has left…
As immigrant children find sponsors, Baptists are discovering them in their midst
By Jeff Brumley There was quiet talk among ministers in Dalton, Ga. last spring that as many as 30 Guatemalan children were in town and in need of tutoring and other services. Not much more was known about the children,…
SBC public policy arm launches think tank
By Bob Allen The new head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm announced Aug. 11 the re-launch of a Research Institute to employ the denomination’s top scholars in engaging complex issues of the day. Russell Moore, president of…
Obamacare changes the way faith-based hospitals deliver care
By Bob Allen Whether most Americans like it or not, the Affordable Care Act — also known as Obamacare — is now the law, and faith-based health care providers say it’s changing the way hospitals view patient care. A new…
Baylor Alumni Association files counterclaim in dispute with university
By Ken Camp After failing to reach a settlement with Baylor University, which has filed a lawsuit against it, the Baylor Alumni Association has filed a counterclaim asserting the school breached its license and recognition agreements and its promise to…
Search for lobbyist’s wife enters second month
By Bob Allen The search for a Missouri Baptist lobbyist’s wife continues a month after she disappeared without a trace from her home on a 270-acre family farm an hour south of St. Louis. Lynn Messer, 52, was reported missing…
Baptists in Gaza appeal for prayer after month of shelling
By Bob Allen The Baptist World Alliance asked Aug. 7 for prayer and financial support for Baptists and other Christians struggling to meet humanitarian needs in Gaza. Hanna Massad, former pastor of the Gaza Baptist Church and now living in…
Texas shelter plans cancelled, but needs continue along border
By Ken Camp A federal agency has cancelled plans to provide shelters in Dallas for unaccompanied children who entered the United States from Central America, but family ministries to immigrants continue in Laredo and McAllen on the Texas border. Judge…