By Lori Fogleman Jeremy Everett, who directs an initiative with Texas Baptist ties to develop strategies to end hunger, has been appointed to the 10-member National Commission on Hunger, established by Congress in January. Everett, who was named by House…
In Haiti, response to earthquake becomes a mission game-changer
By Jeff Brumley Like thousands of other faith-based groups, Virginia Baptists responded in big ways to the 2010 earthquake that ravaged Haiti. The $1 million they quickly raised was turned into aid that Baptists used to meet an array of…
Diverse groups defend clergy tax break
By Bob Allen Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus may have different ideas about God, but they all agree on a tax break for clergy under attack by an atheist group that says it discriminates against the non-religious. Interests diverse as…
Get outside the walls, Virginia leader tells churches
By Paige Peak Congregations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia must move beyond their walls to be a fresh expression of church in their communities, members of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board were told April 8-9. “Millions upon…
Mission service is key focus of Tennessee CBF meeting
By Dan Lattimore Mission service topped the agenda of the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as more than 220 participants at the annual meeting in Memphis April 11-12 engaged in 14 projects across the city. Enfleshing the meeting’s theme — “Be,…
Skepticism about Bible on the rise, but that doesn’t faze some ministers
By Jeff Brumley The number of people skeptical of the Bible is rising while those who view it as sacred is dropping, according to a recent American Bible Society survey. But those findings aren’t rattling some Baptist ministers. What concerns…
Starbucks initiative boosts Baptist work in Thailand
By Bob Allen An American Baptist missionary couple’s 25-year work to improve life among the hill tribes of Northern Thailand got a major boost when Seattle-based Starbucks opened its first Community Store outside the United States last May in Bangkok….
SBC leader says evangelicals paying price for ‘narrow vision’ of religious freedom
By Bob Allen Loss of the historic Baptist commitment to religious liberty has left U.S. evangelicals ill-prepared for current threats to the free exercise of religion, the Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for moral and public policy concerns suggested April…
Tennessee Baptist school fights Obamacare
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist-affiliated Union University filed a lawsuit April 4 challenging insurance coverage of contraceptives mandated for employers by the federal Affordable Care Act. The Tennessee Baptist Convention-affiliated school in Jackson, Tenn., joined numerous secular and religious employers…
Russian, Ukrainian Baptist leaders meet in Kiev
By Bob Allen The heads of the Baptist unions in Ukraine and Russia met April 8 for the first time since a political crisis began last November putting the two nations on the brink of war. Presidents of the All-Ukrainian…
Baptist leader diagnosed with breast cancer
By Bob Allen The first woman to lead the Baptist Union of Great Britain has requested prayer after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Lynn Green, elected last year as general secretary of the 2,100-church union founded in 1832, says a…
Water missions surge as churches see spiritual connection
By Jeff Brumley Water, it seems, is all the rage. Experts say the demand for global mission projects focused on providing clean water has become unquenchable as churches increasingly see water as one of the most efficient means of meeting…