By Bob Allen The former chief financial officer at Wayland Baptist University received five years in prison after pleading guilty to using university funds for personal expenses. The Amarillo Globe-News reported April 22 that James E. Smith, fired last year…
Baptists pushing hospitality beyond comfort zones — and discovering deeper spirituality
By Jeff Brumley Hospitality to a lot of Christians means taking a meal to a sick church friend or inviting neighbors over for a barbecue on Memorial Day. But neither of those meanings come even close to the spiritual practice…
CBF to announce new global missions coordinator April 30
By ABPnews/Herald staff The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will announce its new coordinator for global missions next week, filling a position vacant since June 2012, when Rob Nash became a mission professor at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. Since then,…
Sexual sin not just problem for men, says woman at Baptist summit
By Bob Allen When it comes to sexuality, many women are suffering, the lone female plenary speaker at a Southern Baptist summit on sex said during the final session of the three-day gathering. “Some women are suffering, and some women…
Dismissed abuse lawsuit headed for appeal
By Bob Allen A lawsuit described as the biggest evangelical sex abuse scandal to date is headed for appeal, a year after being dismissed on a technicality, elders of the church involved informed members in a letter dated April 22….
Advocate says something missing at Baptist sex summit
By Bob Allen A victims’ advocate says there is a glaring omission at this week’s summit for Southern Baptist pastors on sexual issues — any mention on the program about the church’s response to sexual abuse. Amy Smith, a lifelong Southern…
Small church makes big strides despite location, trends
By Daniel Wallace and Jeff Brumley First Baptist Church of Covington, Texas, averaged slightly more than 50 in attendance when the congregation decided to build a sanctuary that seats 150 worshippers — in a community of 269 people. “We’re either crazy…
Merger plans collapse for struggling Virginia college
By Robert Dilday Plans for Virginia Intermont College to merge with a large Florida university have collapsed, leaving the struggling Baptist-affiliated school “financially distressed,” its president said. Earlier this year the Bristol, Va., college said it had initiated discussions to…
Judge says use of Caner video fair
By Bob Allen A federal judge has dismissed a Georgia Baptist college president’s lawsuit against a blogger who posted video to support allegations that a famous “Jihad to Jesus” testimony is bogus. A U.S. district judge in Fort Worth, Texas,…
Pressler says SBC controversy started in Houston church
By Bob Allen The “conservative resurgence” that transformed the Southern Baptist Convention three decades ago began in the halls of Second Baptist Church in Houston, the movement’s chief architect told seminary students April 15. Paul Pressler, a former Texas Appeals…
Baptist disaster recovery gears up for summer
By Jeff Brumley Baptists with a combined hankering for travel and hard work are in luck as denominational disaster recovery organizations are beginning to issue their calls for help this spring and summer. American Baptist Churches USA has posted three…
Baptists see Fort Hood shootings through lens of Easter
By Ken Camp As ministry leaders at First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas, prepared for Wednesday evening activities earlier this month, they heard an all-too-familiar report: a shooter had opened fire on soldiers at nearby Fort Hood. “The really sad thing is…