By Jeff Brumley As assistant executive director of the Virginia Baptist Missions Board, Glenn Akins is charged with all kinds of big-picture kingdom work, including keeping churches up to speed on cultural trends and demographics. “It’s important for churches to…
Murder, possible kidnapping, rock Georgia congregation
By Bob Allen A Baptist minister who leads a multi-denominational church in central Georgia says the congregation is in shock and uncertain about what to expect next in the wake of a murder and possible kidnapping mystery involving two of…
La. Supreme Court dismisses Louisiana College suit
By Bob Allen The Supreme Court of Louisiana has upheld lower court rulings that judges cannot resolve a lawsuit alleging academic freedom violations at a Baptist school without delving into issues of theology and church governance, an unconstitutional violation of…
Gaddy retiring as head of Interfaith Alliance
By Bob Allen Welton Gaddy, an ordained Baptist minister and pastor for preaching and worship at Northminster Baptist Church in Monroe, La., announced May 8 he will retire as president of the Interfaith Alliance at the end of 2014. Since…
CBF appeals for disaster response volunteers
By Jeff Brumley With assessments conducted and even some initial responses underway, disaster responders with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are now calling for volunteers for long-term tornado recovery projects. CBF U.S. Disaster Response Director Tommy Deal today issued a call…
Alliance Baptists address racial justice, reconciliation in annual gathering
By Relma Hargus The Alliance of Baptists went north for its annual gathering this year, taking its theme of racial and economic justice to the church where in 1926 Hilda Libby Ives became the first woman ordained as a Christian…
Labyrinth transforms prayer life, Baptists say
By Jeff Brumley Rita Martin knows a thing or two about prayer as a lifelong Baptist who raised a family in the church. Or at least she thought she did until this past Maundy Thursday when she participated in a…
American Baptists defend clergy housing allowance
By Bob Allen American Baptist Churches USA joined other faith groups in a friend-of-the-court brief filed last month urging the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the ministerial housing allowance as a constitutional accommodation of religion. The brief…
Pastor arrested after domestic dispute
By Bob Allen A well-known Texas Baptist pastor was charged with misdemeanor assault after police responded to a domestic disturbance call at his home Tuesday morning. Andy Pittman, 43, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Lufkin, Texas, was taken…
Former pastor charged with abuse
By Bob Allen A former pastor at Baptist churches in Arkansas and Tennessee faces multiple charges of sexually abusing children following his arrest May 5 on a warrant issued after conducting a graveside service at a cemetery in his hometown…
Baptist leader urges better police training about how to interact with mentally ill
By Bob Allen Better police training about how to interact with people with mental health conditions and developmental disabilities can prevent needless tragedy, an American Baptist official told a Senate panel April 29. “Recent high-profile tragedies demonstrate the need for…
Virginia college’s president resigns in another sign of school’s uncertain future
By Robert Dilday In another sign of what appears to be Virginia Intermont College’s impending closure, the Baptist-affiliated school’s president resigned May 5 to be replaced by an interim president and “restructuring agent.” In a statement on Virginia Intermont’s website,…